Toxicity of Pb/Zn mine tailings to the earthworm <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pheretima</Emphasis> and the effects of burrowing on metal availability

Lead and zinc mine tailings from Guangdong, China were found to be toxic to two common species of the earthworm Pheretima, unless the spoil was diluted by at least 20% with an artificial uncontaminated soil. With different soil dilutions, there were significant differences in mortality, growth and Zn uptake between the two species. Zinc and arsenic were principally responsible for the toxicity of the tailings. LC₅₀ values for Zn, Pb, Cu and As for Pheretima were similar to those reported in the literature for Eisenia fetida. Following inoculation with the earthworms, spoil pH, EC and available metals increased; available-Pb and -Zn concentrations increased by up to 48.2% and 24.8% respectively. The findings suggest that earthworms may play an important role in reclamation of mining spoils to achieve a healthy soil supporting sustainable vegetation. Potentially increased toxicity of metals to plants and animals, through increased bioavailability in the presence of earthworms, is discussed in the context of their role in modifying the efficiency of phytoremediation treatments.     

Determination by near-infrared spectroscopy of perseitol used as a marker for the botanical origin of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) honey

This paper reports the application of near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy to determine the concentration in honey of perseitol, a sugar that is specific to avocado honey. Reference values for perseitol were obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis in 109 honey samples. Although the average concentration of perseitol in honey samples was only 0.48%, accurate prediction equations were successfully developed. The regression model of modified partial least squares was superior to that of principal component regressions. Calibrations based on the first or second derivative of Log(1/R) were equally good (R(2) > 0.95). Using half of the samples for calibration and the second half for validation, the correlation between actual and predicted values of the second half was satisfactory (R(2) = 0.87), the slope did not differ from 1, bias was low (0.005%), and the standard error of prediction was relatively low (0.13%). It was concluded that NIRS analysis may be used to detect to what extent honeybees have harvested avocado nectar but not to authenticate avocado honey as unifloral.     

Effect of vegetation restoration on ant nest‐building activities following mobile dune stabilization in the Horqin Sandy land,Northern China

Measurements of the density and characteristics (size and height) of ant mounds were carried out on mobile, semi‐mobile, semi‐fixed and fixed dunes in the Horqin Sandy Land, Northern China. The relationships between the distribution of ant mounds and the plant community (abundance and cover) were investigated, for areas within and across the dune stages. Changes in spatial pattern of ant mounds were also analysed following mobile dune stabilization. The results showed no ant mounds on mobile dunes; the mound density was significantly higher on fixed dunes than on semi‐fixed or semi‐mobile dunes. The mound density depended on plant density and cover across all dune stages, but not within any dune stage. The mound diameter increased but the mound height decreased from semi‐mobile dunes to fixed dunes. However, the mound diameter and height were not related to plant cover and density within any stabilization stage or across all dune stages. The spatial pattern of ant mounds tended to change from more clumped (semi‐mobile and semi‐fixed dunes) to less clumped and approached a random pattern (fixed dunes) along the dune stabilization gradient, which was related to the changing vegetation pattern during succession. Although the quantification of the number of ant species present was not attempted on each dune, the observed differences in ant colour and size suggest at least eight species were present. Fixed dunes were more attractive for different kinds of ant species, but the mound distribution exhibited a more random pattern with more continuous vegetation. Thus, different environmental conditions, especially in terms of the plant communities present at different dune stages, affected the activities and behaviour of the ants (including the distribution of mounds), but did not affect mound size and height. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

鸭粪提取物对水稻纹枯病菌的影响及其有效成分分析

为探明稻鸭共养模式抑制水稻纹枯病发生的原因,以稻鸭共养模式的鸭粪提取物为研究对象,对其抑菌活性及有效成分进行了测定和分析,以期为水稻纹枯病生物防治提供新的途径。结果表明:鸭粪乙醇提取物对水稻纹枯病菌有抑制作用,24h内最高菌丝生长抑制率和EC50分别为88.64%、26.11mg·mL-1;鸭粪乙醇提取物经萃取分离得到石油醚和乙酸乙酯两种组分,其中石油醚组分抑菌效果较弱,乙酸乙酯组分抑菌能力较强,其对水稻纹枯病菌抑制率为89.70%,EC50为15.52mg·mL-1;对乙酸乙酯组分进行硅胶柱层析分离得到5种流份,其中第2流份有显著抑菌活性,在24h和48h内对水稻纹枯病菌的抑制率分别为89.58%和80.36%。GC-MS分析表明,鸭粪的抑菌物质主要为酚酸类和含硫醇有机物质,进一步纯化和鉴定有待研究。     

Occurrence and Distribution of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid in the Rivers of Tokyo

Comprehensive survey of major rivers in the Tokyo metropolitan area was conducted for clarifying the emission sources of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in Tokyo. PFOS was found at all sampling sites at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 58 ng L^?1; in addition to this, it was also indicated that unknown PFOS emission sources are present in the midstream of the Tama River basin. The relationship between PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was constant at a ratio of 10:3 (PFOS/PFOA) throughout the Tama River basin. The sum of daily load amounts of PFOS from Tokyo’s major rivers to Tokyo Bay reached 215 g day^?1. This value corresponds to 12.8 μg day^?1 per person using the sum of wastewater treatment district populations. In contrast, an estimation of PFOS contribution of domestic wastewater was also attempted, and the contribution was 1.6 μg day^?1 per person. We took samples up trunk sewers in the Tama River and finally found at the highest PFOS concentration (58,000 ng L^?1) from one of the wastewater of the electronic parts manufacturing facilities.     

Effects of different soil management practices on total P and Olsen-P sediment loss: A field rainfall simulation study

Field rainfall simulations were conducted in 2002 and 2005 to study the effects of different soil management practices on the total phosphorous (TP) and Olsen-P losses by soil erosion and redistribution along a 15 m long slope in Luoyang, Henan province, China. Field plots were set up in 2001 and included the following soil management practices: subsoiling with mulch (SSM), no-till with mulch (NTM), reduced tillage (RT), and a conventional tillage control (CT). The results showed that there were no significant differences in TP and Olsen-P content in the sediment load between different plots after 6 years uniform tillage practices. The enrichment of TP and Olsen-P at the lower slope showed a clear redistribution along the slope. Effects of tillage practices on the temporal pattern of the enrichment ratio (ER) of TP and Olsen-P was not uniform. ER_TP values were initially high and diminished after a short period of time and leveled to the end of the rainfall test in CT and RT plots, but remained ≥ 1. The ER of Olsen-P at the end of rainfall simulation showed a significant difference when compared to the initial stage, 0.78 to 1.60, respectively. However, the temporal loss rate of TP and Olsen-P showed a similar pattern because it was more depending on the sediment loss rate than on the concentration in the sediment. SSM resulted in 96% less TP and Olsen-P erosion loss compared to CT in 2002. Also, SSM showed the highest reduction in TP and Olsen-P loss after 4 years consistent practice. RT reduced TP and Olsen-P loss by 30%, although the runoff reduction was not significant. NTM was the best alternative with respect to TP and Olsen-P conservation, when considering its lower operational costs.     

基于神经网络预测的无线传感器网络田间射频信号路径损耗

为解决应用无线传感器网络技术监测农田信息时无法快速预测射频信号路径损耗的问题,基于神经网络理论研究了田间路径损耗与其影响因素间的关系。试验中选取915和2 470 MHz 2个载波频率,在冬小麦的不同生长阶段测量射频信号在田间各影响因素作用下的路径损耗,建立和验证基于神经网络的射频信号田间路径损耗预测模型。所建立模型模拟值与实测值的相关系数为0.92,应用建立的神经网络预测田间射频信号路径损耗并与实测值对比,最大预测误差绝对值为4.186 dB,最大预测标准差为2.759 dB,预测准确度为94.2%。所建立的BP网络可以对田间射频信号路径损耗进行预测。     

Lethal Effects of Pulsed High-Voltage Discharge on Marine Plankton and Escherichia coli

Ballast seawater is considered globally as a major vector for invasions of non-indigenous organisms. Several technologies have been tested for their ability to remove organisms from ballast water. In the present study, we constructed a novel pulsed high-voltage discharge (PHVD) system that could operate in either high current mode with several hundred amperes or shockwave generating mode with relatively lower current in seawater. In laboratory-scale experiments, the PHVD system with shockwave-generating mode was found to be more effective in killing zooplankton (1.9- to 4.0-fold) and phytoplankton (3.3-fold) than high current mode at discharge with 300–500 pulses at 7.1 kV. Further experiments were carried out at different voltages and pulse-numbers to examine effects of the shockwave-generating PHVD system on viabilities of one zooplankton larva, two phytoplankton species, and an indicator bacterium suspended in seawater in a static chamber. For zooplankton, live cells were not detected at discharge with 400 pulses at 13 kV. For phytoplankton, the initial live cells of a dinoflagellate was decreased by 77?±?0.5%, and the initial chl a concentration of a diatom was decreased by 76?±?6% at discharge with 700 pulses at 13 kV. For an indicator bacterium Escherichia coli, live cells were not detected at discharges with 200 or 700 pulses at 13 kV. Measurements of ATP content of organisms showed congruent results with those obtained by the above methods, suggesting it may be a rapid method for evaluating treatment efficiency. Though further scale-up studies are necessary, these results suggest that the PHVD system have a high potential for applying to ballast seawater treatment.     

基于PLSR的土壤颜色预测方法及其与色系转换法的对比研究

传统的土壤颜色测定主要采用蒙塞尔比色卡比对,精度高,但费时费力。近年来尝试采用色系转换法预测土壤颜色,方法较为简便。基于土壤高光谱反射率和偏最小二乘回归(PLSR)方法进行土壤颜色预测,并与色系转换法进行对比研究。采集皖赣鄂交界地区76个不同颜色的土壤样品,分别采用PLSR及色系转换法进行土壤颜色预测,并与实测结果进行了对比。结果表明,PLSR交叉验证的R2cv分别达到0.62、0.61和0.75,测定值标准偏差与标准预测误差的比值(RPD)分别达到1.94、1.67和2.15,说明PLSR模型用于土壤颜色预测是可行的;其均方根误差(RMSE)仅为1.32、0.55和0.97个单位,较色系转换法的RMSE分别低0.94、1.24和0.95个单位,其HV/C整体预测误差?E的平均值为1.91,较色系转换法的平均值低5.16,说明PLSR方法预测土壤蒙塞尔颜色较色系转换法更优。该方法为土壤颜色的获取提供了一种新的途径。     

Standardization of media and nutrient concentration for coleus (Plectranthus barbatus Andr.) under substrate culture

Coleus (Plectranthus barbatus Andr.) is a medicinal herb whose roots contain forskolin. Incidences of soil-borne diseases, wilt complex and nematodes are the major limiting factors for growing this crop under soil media. Hence, an investigation was initiated for the standardization of soilless growth media and nutrient solution concentration in coleus. Coco peat, vermiculite, sand and their combinations were used as potting media with different concentrations of nutrients based on the recommended dose of fertilizers for soil media (1,080 mg plant^?1 nitrogen, 960 mg plant^?1 phosphorous and 1200 mg plant^?1 potassium). Among the different media and nutrients, plants grown under coco peat media with 80% of the recommended dose of fertilizer for soil (864 mg plant^?1 nitrogen, 768 mg plant^?1 phosphorous and 960 mg plant^?1 potassium) recorded significantly higher root yield (17.10 tha^?1) and quality parameters (0.98% forskolin). Benefit–cost ratio was also recorded maximum (4.25) in the same treatment.