Enhancement of sulfide auto-oxidation by metal ion in artificial seawater and a seawater which is a possible source of aoshio

SUMMARY: Aoshio is hypoxic milky blue-green seawater observed in some eutrophic bays. Previous studies have shown that colloidal sulfur causes the coloration and that the source of aoshio water is attributed to coastal anoxic bottom water. Occurrences of aoshio have been reported in limited areas of coastal seawater, although hypoxic transparent water seems rather universal. Promotion in auto-oxidation of sulfide by metal ions in seawater was investigated to explain the occurrences of aoshio. Artificial seawater containing 10 μM metal ion was assayed for the sulfide oxidation rate. The velocity constant which represents the oxidation rate within the initial 30 min and the amount of reacted sulfide in 2 h were determined by oxygen monitoring and sulfide quantification, respectively. Fe²⁺ and Cu²⁺ enhanced the initial 30 min reaction. Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Ni²⁺ increased the amount of reacted sulfide in 2 h, forming whitish turbid water. Seawater from a suspected source of aoshio water was also assayed for the auto-oxidation rate of sulfide. The oxidation rate in water from 12 m depth was 13–19 times higher than the artificial seawater without an addition of heavy metal ions. More than 15% of the oxidation rate in 12 m deep seawater was explained by dissolved iron in the seawater.     

The Effect of Lead and Zinc on Plant Growth and Chlorophyll Content of Holcus lanatus L.

Root length of Holcus lanatus L. declined rapidly with increasing lead and zinc concentrations in nutrient solution. In all used Pb and Zn concentrations root growth of genotypes coming from a Pb-Zn mine area, was greater than that of the control, suggesting that these genotypes evolved tolerance to Pb and Zn.
Negative correlation was also observed between chlorophyll content and increased heavy metal concentrations. The greater chlorophyll content found in tolerant genotypes, in different Pb and Zn concentrations, in comparison with the control, could be served to distinguish tolerant and non-tolerant genotypes.     

Combining competition from Lolium perenne and an insect–fungus combination to control Rumex obtusifolius seedlings

Although adult Rumex obtusifolius are problematic weeds, their seedlings are poor competitors against Lolium perenne, particularly in established swards. We investigated the possibility of using this weakness to augment control of R. obtusifolius seedlings with combinations of Gastrophysa viridula (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and the rust fungus Uromyces rumicis. Rumex obtusifolius seedlings were grown in competition with L. perenne sown at different rates and times after R. obtusifolius: they competed successfully with L. perenne when sown 21 days before the grass. Sowing both species at the same time resulted in a dominant grass sward, with R. obtusifolius becoming dominant when sown 42 days prior to L. perenne. Grass sowing rate had no effect on R. obtusifolius growth or biomass. A second experiment investigated how competition from L. perenne sown 21 days after R. obtusifolius combined with damage from G. viridula and/or U. rumicis (applied at either the 3–4‐ or 10–13‐leaf stage, or at both stages) affected the growth and final biomass of R. obtusifolius. Beetle grazing at the latter leaf stage was the only treatment that reduced R. obtusifolius biomass, although rust infection at the earlier application led to an increase in shoot and root weight. The results are discussed in terms of the potential for use of these agents in the field.     

Impact of soil engineering by two contrasting species of earthworms on their dispersal rates

By burrowing galleries and producing casts, earthworms are constantly changing the structure and properties of the soils in which they are living. These changes modify the costs and benefits for earthworms to stay in the environment they modify. In this paper, we measured experimentally how dispersal behaviour of endogeic and anecic earthworms responds to the cumulative changes they made in soil characteristics. The influence of earthworm activities on dispersal was studied in standardised mesocosms by comparing the influence of soils modified or not modified by earthworm activities on earthworm dispersal rates.The cumulative use of the soil by the earthworms strongly modified soil physical properties. The height of the soil decreased over time and the amount of aggregates smaller than 2 mm decreased in contrast to aggregates larger than 5 mm that increased. We found that: (i) earthworm activities significantly modified soil physical properties (such as bulk density, soil strength and soil aggregation) and decreased significantly the dispersal rates of the endogeic species, whatever the species that modified the soil; (ii) the decreasing in the dispersal proportion of the endogeic species suggests that the cost of engineering activities may be higher than the one of dispersal; (iii) the dispersal of the anecic species appeared to be not influenced by its own activities (intra-specific influences) or by the activities of the endogeic species (inter-specific influences). Overall these results suggest that the endogeic species is involved in a process of niche construction, which evolved jointly with its dispersal strategy.     

菜用睡莲营养成分及重金属含量测定与评价

对绿梗菜用睡莲(Nymphaea tetragona)及红梗菜用睡莲的15营养成分和4种重金属含量进行了测定与评价。结果表明,1与104~140种(品种)新鲜蔬菜已知数据比较,绿梗和红梗菜用睡莲均有较高含量的维生素C、钠及较低含量的干物质、蛋白质、钾、钙、镁、铜、锌、磷及硒;绿梗菜用睡莲有较高含量的粗纤维、锰及较低含量的铁,红梗菜用睡莲有较高含量的铁及较低含量的粗纤维。2菜用睡莲是一种含钠量较高的蔬菜。3绿梗菜用睡莲营养成分含量总体高于红梗菜用睡莲。4湖北产区菜用睡莲的铅、砷、镉及汞等重金属含量符合食品安全国家标准的规定。     

重金属污染土壤几种生物修复方式比较

土壤重金属污染是全球普遍存在的问题,生物修复因其环境友好且成本效益高而得到广泛关注。但不同生物修复技术有其优势和局限性,充分了解每种修复技术的特点,才能更经济、有效地对污染土壤进行修复。本研究阐述对比了目前的土壤重金属生物修复方法,包括植物修复（植物挥发、植物固定和植物提取）、转基因植物提取、螯合辅助植物修复、微生物辅助植物修复等技术的机制、优势、局限性和适用性等方面的差异。综述提出有效的生物修复技术需要土壤化学、植物生物学、遗传学、微生物学和环境工程等多学科的有机结合。根据污染土壤的特点,结合具有相应改良特性的转基因植物,是实现污染土壤大面积修复的有效方法。同时,农艺措施对天然超级积累植物的生物量和重金属提取能力的刺激作用还需要进一步挖掘。植物修复可以与其他几种传统修复技术有效结合,利用转基因技术建立土壤+植物+微生物的组合是未来修复技术发展的最佳途径。     

Community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with Robinia pseudoacacia in uncontaminated and heavy metal contaminated soils

The significance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soil remediation has been widely recognized because of their ability to promote plant growth and increase phytoremediation efficiency in heavy metal (HM) polluted soils by improving plant nutrient absorption and by influencing the fate of the metals in the plant and soil. However, the symbiotic functions of AMF in remediation of polluted soils depend on plant–fungus–soil combinations and are greatly influenced by environmental conditions. To better understand the adaptation of plants and the related mycorrhizae to extreme environmental conditions, AMF colonization, spore density and community structure were analyzed in roots or rhizosphere soils of Robinia pseudoacacia. Mycorrhization was compared between uncontaminated soil and heavy metal contaminated soil from a lead–zinc mining region of northwest China. Samples were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) screening with AMF-specific primers (NS31 and AM1), and sequencing of rRNA small subunit (SSU). The phylogenetic analysis revealed 28 AMF group types, including six AMF families: Glomeraceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Diversisporaceae, Acaulosporaceae, Pacisporaceae, and Gigasporaceae. Of all AMF group types, six (21%) were detected based on spore samples alone, four (14%) based on root samples alone, and five (18%) based on samples from root, soil and spore. Glo9 (Rhizophagus intraradices), Glo17 (Funneliformis mosseae) and Acau3 (Acaulospora sp.) were the three most abundant AMF group types in the current study. Soil Pb and Zn concentrations, pH, organic matter content, and phosphorus levels all showed significant correlations with the AMF species compositions in root and soil samples. Overall, the uncontaminated sites had higher species diversity than sites with heavy metal contamination. The study highlights the effects of different soil chemical parameters on AMF colonization, spore density and community structure in contaminated and uncontaminated sites. The tolerant AMF species isolated and identified from this study have potential for application in phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated areas.     

pH 值与金属离子浓度对多种果蔬植物色素的影响

从植物中提取的天然色素对pH值与金属离子浓度的敏感度不同,所受影响也不同。主要选取黄皮果皮色素、赤豆皮色素、柑桔皮色素、勾儿茶果、红雪茶色素,来测定pH值对它们的影响。选取,黄皮果皮色素、赤豆皮色素、勾儿茶果色素、红雪茶色素来测定金属离子浓度对他们的影响,从而探讨这些色素对pH值与金属离子的稳定性。