Diffuse pollution by persistent organic pollutants as measured in plastic pellets sampled from various beaches in Greece

Plastic pellets found stranded on beaches are hydrophobic organic materials and thus, they are a favourable medium for persistent organic pollutants to absorb to. In the present study, plastic pellets are used to determine the diffuse pollution of selected Greek beaches. Samples of pellets were taken from these beaches and were analyzed for PCBs, DDTs, HCHs, and PAHs. The observed differences among pellets from various sampling sites are related to the pollution occurring at each site. Plastic pellets collected in Saronikos Gulf beaches demonstrate much higher pollutant loading than the ones collected in a remote island or close to an agricultural area. Based on data collected in this study and the International Pellet Watch program, pollution in Saronikos Gulf, Greece, is comparable to other heavily industrialized places of the world. The present study demonstrates the potential of pellet watch to be utilized as a detailed-scale monitoring tool within a single country.     

运用LANDSAT ETM+和ASTER数据进行岩性分类

本文评价了运用ASTER和LANDSAT ETM+数据进行岩性制图的性能。分别利用ASTER数据不同波段区图像及其组合,以及ETM+数据进行岩性分类,并探讨了将ASTER和ETM+数据叠加在一起进行了岩性分类; 利用现有地质图对所有分类结果进行了定量评价。结果表明,ASTER数据不同波段的岩性识别能力不同,并且较ETM+数据能更准确地识别岩性。更重要的是,把ASTER与ETM+数据结合在一起进行岩性分类,可获得比用任一数据单独分类更高的分类精度,表明二者的光谱特征具有一定的互补性。     

Stratification of selected hydrolytic enzyme activities in the sediment in two lakes in Finland

To investigate the stratification of hydrolytic enzyme activities and importance of subsurface layers in depolymerization of detritus biopolymers,nine hydrolytic enzyme activities involved in the cycling of carbon,phosphorus,nitrogen and sulphur were measured in various sediment layers and their extracts at Kylaniemi in Lake Saimaa in southern Finland and in Lake Ahvenjarvi in northern Finland. The results show that for each lake all nine hydrolytic enzyme activities were higher in all sediment layers than in comparable sediment extracts indicating that the major part of enzymes was bound to the sediment particles in all layers in both lakes.Carbohydratase,P-cellobiosidase,activities did not show any gradient with sediment depth at Kylaniemi in Lake Saimaa indicating that there was rapid turnover of carbohydrates in the entire sediment column.The activities of acetate esterase,butyrate esterase,phosphomonoesterase,aminopeptidase,N-acetyl glucosaminidase,sulphatase andβ-glucosidase in the deepest layers were 19-53%of those in the surface sediment indicating that depolymerization of biopolymers involved in the cycling of carbon,nitrogen,phosphorus and sulphur was substantial in subsurface sediment.     

Testing phenanthrene distribution properties of virgin plastic pellets and plastic eroded pellets found on Lesvos island beaches (Greece)

Plastic pellets have been characterized as toxic pollutant carriers throughout the world oceans and coastal zones. However, their sorptive properties are not yet well understood. In the present study, virgin pellets and plastic eroded pellets (PEP) are used to elucidate their distribution characteristics through distribution kinetic studies. Distribution occurs through diffusion into the pellet for all materials (polyethylene, polyoxymethylene, and PEP) except polypropylene (PP). Although diffusion into the polymer happens with similar rates for both freshwater and saltwater external solutions, apparent diffusion is dependent on the solution salinity because it results in higher equilibrium distribution coefficients. Distribution coefficient into the PEP is higher and diffusion is slower than into the virgin materials. This is attributed to increased crystallinity of the PEP due to weathering. PP demonstrates diffusion rates that are increased by salinity and is apparently faster than into the other polymers suggesting a surface diffusion process.