Feeding of benthic foraminifera on diatoms and sewage-derived organic matter: an experimental application of lipid biomarker techniques

Foraminiferal ecology at sewage outfalls has been investigated in numerous field studies over the last 30 years. Foraminifera have been frequently used as biomonitors of sewage pollution since they are both abundant and ubiquitous. Sewage outfalls have been demonstrated to have both positive and negative effects on adjacent foraminiferal populations, but it has never been shown conclusively why sewage affects foraminifera in these ways. Such information on the impact mechanisms of sewage pollution is essential if foraminifera are to be used as sewage pollution biomonitors, and also to understand the ecology of these important protists. One possible cause of a positive effect is the direct consumption of sewage-derived particulate organic matter (POM) by the foraminifera themselves. However this hypothesis has never been tested experimentally. Here, lipid (fatty acid and sterol) biomarker techniques were applied to study the ingestion of two potential food items by the foraminiferan Haynesina germanica in the laboratory. An experiment was conducted to confirm that the laboratory conditions were conducive to the survival and feeding of the foraminifera. In this experiment, foraminifera were provided with the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which was considered to be a suitable food source. After 2 weeks, a four-fold increase in the levels of the diatom fatty acid biomarker, 20:5(n-3), in the foraminifera suggested that they had fed actively on the diatoms and survived under the experimental conditions. These experimental conditions were used in the main experiment, where foraminifera were fed the POM from sewage. Lipid biomarker analysis indicated that H. germanica did not consume secondary treated sewage-derived POM. Neither fatty acid profiles in the sewage nor coprostanol, the diagnostic human faecal sterol, were detected in foraminifera after exposure to the potential sewage food source. However, foraminifera may have consumed bacteria associated with the sewage in the experiment. The findings are discussed in terms of current EU legislation on sewage treatment that has affected the composition of sewage discharges, and therefore possibly reduced the nutritive value of sewage to the marine benthos.     

Trophic accumulation and depuration of mercury by blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) and pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum)

Mercury concentrations in blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) collected from an area of mercury-contaminated sediments in Lavaca Bay, TX, USA, are more than an order of magnitude greater than concentrations in penaeid shrimp from the same area. Laboratory feeding experiments using mercury-contaminated fish as food showed that both blue crabs and pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum) could accumulate mercury concentrations comparable to those in their food in 28 days. Calculated mercury assimilation efficiencies averaged 76% for blue crabs and 72% for pink shrimp. Significant depuration of mercury by blue crabs was not observed during a subsequent 28-day period, but pink shrimp lost mercury at a rate of about 0.012 day-1. Model calculations predict biomagnification factors of mercury of about two to three at steady state for both species. The large difference in observed concentrations of mercury in field-collected blue crabs and penaeid shrimp does not result from differences in efficiency of mercury assimilation from their food or from differences in excretion rates. It is more likely the result of differences in residence times in the contaminated area and of differences in feeding habits.     

西湖茶园茶叶铅污染铅同位素示踪

通过对西湖茶园的植物和土壤样品进行一系列的调查,以着力寻找茶叶的铅污染源。利用铅同位素技术对西湖茶园的土壤、茶叶和城区的燃煤、大气气溶胶、汽车尾气进行铅同位素示踪研究。研究表明,茶园土壤铅物质的可溶相具同源性和残查态偏于多源性。清洗后的茶叶铅含量显著降低,但其同位素组成不发生明显改变,显示出茶叶中的铅与叶面空气沉降物中的铅同源。不同介质铅同位素对比值平均值呈现表土、大气(气溶胶)、煤的w(²⁰⁶Pb)/w(²⁰⁷Pb)与茶叶趋于相近,汽油低之;表土、大气(气溶胶)、汽油的w(²⁰⁸Pb)/〔w(²⁰⁶Pb)+w(²⁰⁷Pb)〕与茶叶趋于相近,煤略高之。不同区域茶叶铅物质具同源性,与种植的农业地质背景无关。在煤燃烧、气化过程中,Pb进入大气,通过大气沉降或被茶树吸收或附着在茶叶叶面;汽车尾气的排放是茶树铅污染的重要原因之一。     

东欧和中东岩石圈磁化率异常

一般的根据航磁异常来反演地壳磁化率差的反演方法是假设在整个所考虑的区域上核场是常数的,然而这个假设在具有几千公里伸范围的区域上是不成立的。本文研究了一种反演技术,它考虑了核场的变化,这既包括方向上的变化也包括强度上的变化。该技术也考虑了岩石圈内磁层的表面起伏。将该技术应用于东欧和中东的标量磁异常图卫星测量上,结果所得到的磁化率差图反映了该地区的主要构造特征。规模很小的前寒武地盾表现出高磁化率。阿尔卑斯—喜马拉雅造山带具有明显的磁特征。碰撞带是低磁化率区,而造山带内的大陆板块具有高磁化率。著名的库尔斯克含铁建造具有强磁化率高的特征。磁卫星已经在两个不同的地方时—黎明和黄昏测量了地球的磁场,得到两份独立的磁异常图。标量磁异常图是以这两份图的共有特征为基础绘制的。并且研究出了一种根据这两份图的相关频谱来选择那些共有特征的协方差技术。     

Modeling preferential flow in reactive barriers: implications for performance and design

Reactive barriers are passive and in situ ground water treatment systems. Heterogeneities in hydraulic conductivity (K) within the aquifer-reactive barrier system will result in higher flux rates, and reduced residence times, through portions of the barrier. These spatial variations in residence time will affect the treatment capacity of the barrier. A numerical flow model was used to evaluate the effects of spatial variations in K on preferential flow through barriers. The simulations indicate that the impact of heterogeneities in K will be a function of their location and distribution; the more localized the high K zone, the greater the preferential flow. The geometry of the reactive barrier will also strongly influence flow distribution. Aquifer heterogeneities will produce greater preferential flow in thinner barriers compared to thicker barriers. If the barrier K is heterogeneous, greater preferential flow will occur in thicker barriers. The K of the barrier will affect the flow distribution; decreasing the K of the barrier can result in more even distribution of flow. Results indicate that less variable flow will be attained utilizing thicker, homogeneous barriers. The addition of homogeneous zones to thinner barriers will be effective at redistributing flow only if installed immediately adjacent to both the up- and downgradient faces of the barrier.     

科威特石油大火烟云物理及化学特性的机载观测

1991年3月底在距科威特燃烧油井约120km的烟云最密集区所进行的机载测量表明:典型的粒子质量浓度为500-1000μgm~(-3),SO_2的体积混合比为500-1000p.p.b.v.,氮的氧化物的体积混合比为30-60p.p.b.v..在距科威特1000km处烟云中的臭氧含量超过背景水准约50p.p.b.v..由硫通量估计的石油燃烧率为每天3.9±1.6百万桶.只在5000m以下的高度观测到大量烟尘,由烟尘造成的太阳辐射衰减的测量值与新近评估中的假定值相似.     

钟丘洋次火山岩型铜矿床的地质地球化学特征

钟丘洋铜矿是粤东晚侏罗世火山岩系中的一个中型铜矿。矿区由流纹质火山碎屑岩、次英安斑岩及花岗岩组成。矿体赋存于次英安斑岩与流纹质火山岩的上部接触带附近。矿化与次英安斑岩任位基未同时，成矿年龄为１５４×１０￣６ａ。矿床的成矿物质及流体来自次英安斑岩（浆）．伴随着矿化普遍发育绿泥石化、绢云母化、黑云母化和硅化。蚀变围岩的地球化学特征表现为微王元素Ｃｕ、Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ、Ａｇ、Ａｓ、Ｈｇ、Ｂｉ、Ｗ、Ｓｎ等高度富集；常量元素Ｆｅ、Ｍｇ带入，Ｃａ、Ｎａ及少量Ｋ带出，并由此引起相关参数，如ＫＮＣ、ＡＩ及标准矿物刚玉等显著增加。这些特征是本区火山、次火山岩型铜矿的良好找矿标志。