工业过程二恶英的排放特征及其控制技术

工业排放是环境中二恶英(PCDD/Fs)最主要的人为排放源. 2010年我国九部委联合发布PCDD/Fs污染防治指导意见，之后出台多项政策要求对主要行业持久性有机污染物(POPs)开展污染防治.在一系列防治措施下，PCDD/Fs的工业排放水平有所下降，整体取得良好成效.本文针对固体废弃物焚烧、钢铁生产、有色金属生产和水泥窑协同处置四类主要行业的PCDD/Fs排放研究进展进行综述，阐述了不同行业PCDD/Fs排放量、排放特征及其变化趋势，比较分析了目前四类主要行业针对PCDD/Fs排放的控制技术及其效果，并对烟气中PCDD/Fs污染控制技术的发展方向进行了展望.本文可为更加深入地了解工业排放PCDD/Fs的研究现状以及污染控制技术提供参考.     

草浆次氯酸盐漂白过程中二噁英的变化

在实验室模拟了纸浆的工业次氯酸盐单段漂白过程,对该过程中二英(polychlorinated dibenzo-pdioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans,PCDD/Fs)的生成情况进行了研究,结果表明,次氯酸盐漂白过程中有少量PCDD/Fs生成,且产物以TCDF为主.在此基础上,研究了不同次氯酸钠用量和不同初始pH对PCDD/Fs的影响.结果显示,在较高次氯酸盐用量条件下PCDD/Fs浓度降低,说明高次氯酸钠用量对PCDD/Fs的生成有一定的抑制,或者对PCDD/Fs有降解作用;pH值对PCDD/Fs生成的影响主要表现在PCDD上,在中性和弱酸性条件下,高氯代PCDD的量有所增加,而TCDD减少.对草浆甲苯提取物和提取后纸浆次氯酸盐漂白产物对比发现,次氯酸盐漂白过程中PCDD/Fs的生成主要来源于可提取部分.因此,在工业次氯酸盐漂白过程中可以通过增加水洗次数的方法来减少漂白过程总有机氯化物的生成.     

FeCl_3存在时六六六热解生成PCDD/Fs的研究

在开管体系中,于280℃时研究了六六六无效体在Fe,理体制FeCl_3存在时的热解,以及影响热解产物中PCDD/Fs生成量的因素.PCDD/Fs的生成主要取决于FeCl_3,而Fe的存在并不增加体系中PCDD/Fs的生成量.在封管体系中,研究结果表明PCSS/Fs的生成量随FeCl_3用量、反应时间和反应温度的增加而增加,但温度影响最大.实验还表明,氯苯、氨酚对PCDD/Fs的生成起决定作用.在250─280℃,PCDD/Fs的生成主要在于二者之间的缩合,而单独氯酚间的缩合则居次要地位.氯化对生成PCDD/Fs的种类及量影响很大.250─280℃时,低氯苯、氨酚在FeCl_3作用下氯代成高氯产物,进而缩合成 OCDD/F;但在 350℃以上时,氯酚反应活性增加,故低氯PCDD/Fs生成量增加,OCDD/F生成量相对降低.     

生活垃圾焚烧炉中二噁英、氯苯排放特性及关联

为探究二噁英(PCDD/Fs)合适的指示物,本文研究了国内两座生活垃圾焚烧电厂的两台循环流化床炉A、B的PCDD/Fs及氯苯(CBzs)排放特性.同时利用统计分析软件(SPSS)分析了PCDD/Fs浓度、TEQ浓度、CBz浓度之间的相关性.结果显示,在17种有毒PCDD/Fs中,2,3,4,7,8-P5CDF是最主要的二噁英同系物,在焚烧炉A、B中分别占毒性当量(TEQ)的28.97%—49.42%和45.56%—56.23%.氯苯的排放以二氯苯(DCBzs)、三氯苯(Tr CBzs)为主,其浓度是PCDD/Fs的几千倍.当用CBz作PCDD/Fs和TEQ的指示物进行一元线性回归分析时,发现部分指示物有很高的相关系数,R2最高可达0.8642.     

苏南城市群河流表层沉积物中二噁英和共平面多氯联苯的浓度水平、来源和生态风险

对25个苏南城市群河流表层沉积物中二噁英及17个样品中共平面多氯联苯的监测表明,PCDD/Fs和dl-PCBs中位值分别为6.61 ng WHO1998TEQ·kg-1和1.43 ng WHO1998TEQ·kg-1,均处于我国和亚洲河流表层沉积物的中等水平.PCDD/Fs和dl-PCBs含量水平与经济发展水平和工业规模呈现正相关.开发区新建企业是PCDD/Fs的新排放源之一.统计分析表明,南通PCDD/Fs的排放以燃煤和农药五氯酚的使用为主,无锡来源于农业活动和少量工业污染源,苏州则受到目前工业排放源的影响,3个城市的PCBs主要来源于历史上PCBs工业品的使用.96%的采样点总毒性当量浓度(TEQ)超过加拿大沉积物质量指导值(ISQGs),88%的采样点超过美国EPA ISQGs,表明苏南城市群表层沉积物PCDD/Fs和dl-PCBs具有一定生态风险.     

利用层次分析法探讨生活垃圾焚烧设施二噁英类排放的影响因素

基于焚烧过程中二噁英类(PCDD/Fs)的生成机理,深入探讨生活垃圾焚烧设施二噁英类生成及排放的诸多影响因素,并依据层次分析法(AHP)原理,从焚烧设施的技术水平、运行状况、管理水平3个影响因素着手建立递阶层次结构模型.分别对模型中的各个影响因素进行定性和半定量化处理,最终实现对生活垃圾焚烧设施二噁英类生成及排放影响因...     

北京市冬季大气细颗粒物中二■英的污染特征

为了解北京市大气细颗粒物(PM_(2.5))中二■英(PCDD/Fs)的污染特征,利用中流量大气颗粒物采样器,在北京市3个功能区5个采样点(两个市区点、两个工业区点和一个背景点),同步连续采集了大气细颗粒物PM_(2.5)样品.参照US EPA 1613B标准方法,应用高分辨率气相色谱/高分辨率质谱(HRGC/HRMS),分析了PM_(2.5)中17种PCDD/Fs的浓度水平和区域分布特征,并对PCDD/Fs的污染来源做了初步探讨.结果表明,5个采样点PM_(2.5)的日均质量浓度范围102—146μg·m~(-3),平均日均值119μg·m~(-3),超出国家二级标准(75μg·m~(-3))59%,污染较重.在空间分布上,PM_(2.5)的日均浓度表现为工业区大于背景点大于市区的特征.所有采样点17种PCDD/Fs的总浓度范围∑PCDD/Fs是1.60—4.09 pg·m~(-3),平均值3.23 pg·m~(-3),PCDD/Fs总毒性当量∑TEQ范围是140.54—275.69 fg I-TEQ·m~(-3),平均值233.18 fg I-TEQ·m~(-3).与国内外其他城市相比,北京市大气PM_(2.5)中PCDD/Fs污染处于相当或略高水平.OCDD、OCDF和1,2,3,4,7,8-HpCDF是PCDD/Fs的主要组成成分,分别占总浓度∑PCDD/Fs的10%、19%和24%.对于总毒性当量∑TEQ贡献最大的是2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF,占总毒性当量的48.3%,∑PCDDs/∑PCDFs比值范围为0.19—0.23,平均值0.22,属于典型的"热源"特征.在浓度变化上, PCDDs呈现为随氯取代个数的增加而增加,除OCDF外, PCDFs的各单体浓度也随着取代氯原子个数的增加而增大.在区域分布上,PCDD/Fs浓度表现为工业区高于市区,市区大于背景点,充分体现了局地源的特点.采样期间工业热过程(化石燃料燃烧、电弧炉、烧结和冶炼等)、机动车排放和固体垃圾焚烧是北京冬季大气PM_(2.5)中PCDD/Fs和PM_(2.5)污染水平的主要影响因素.     

钙基复合氧化物对五氯酚生成二噁英的阻滞作用

以市售的Ca O为阻滞剂,分别添加Mg O、Ce O2、Ba O、γ-Al2O3金属氧化物形成钙基复合氧化物,通过探究它们对前驱体五氯酚(PCP)生成PCDD/Fs反应的阻滞作用,讨论了Mg O、Ce O2、Ba O、γ-Al2O3金属氧化物对Ca O阻滞作用的影响.结果表明,在280℃下加热2 h,钙基复合氧化物对PCP生成PCDD/Fs的阻滞活性都很高.在PCDD/Fs的生成总量上,Ce O2、Ba O、γ-Al2O3金属氧化物对Ca O的阻滞效果起到促进作用;但在ITEQ方面,仅Ba O对Ca O的阻滞效果有促进作用.Ca O与Ba O钙基复合氧化物对PCP生成PCDD/Fs的阻滞效率达到99.98%,总毒性当量阻滞效率TSEI-TEQ达到99.62%.钙基复合氧化物可能的阻滞机理是Ca O、Mg O、Ce O2、Ba O、γ-Al2O3均具有一定的碱性,能与酚类前驱体发生中和反应,阻滞了Ullman反应的发生,进而减少了PCDD/Fs的生成.     

危险废物焚烧设施二噁英类排放特征及周边土壤污染调查

调查了13座不同类型的危险废物焚烧设施及二噁英类排放模式及部分设施土壤的污染水平.结果表明,排放浓度同焚烧处理量没有显著的关系.4—6氯代PCDD/Fs和7—8氯代PCDD/Fs呈现出了不同的排放特征.4—6氯代PCDF/PCDD比值为60.58±1.98(95%置信区间),较通用的总PCDF/总PCDD比值更适于描述危险废物焚烧设施二噁英排放的特征.使用PCA及聚类分析方法将设施排放模式归类为3种模式.分布模式同焚烧设施炉型、处理量以及尾气处理方式等因素相关性并不显著.2,3,4,7,8PeCDF对I-TEQ的贡献为35%—45%,并与I-TEQ具有很高的相关性.厂区土壤中二噁英浓度水平约为8—14ngI-TEQ.kg-1,周边土壤浓度为1—4ngI-TEQ.kg-1左右,均处于较低水平,调查设施周边土壤的使用目前尚无明显风险.危险废物设施对周边土壤的环境风险需要进一步评估.     

机动车限行期间大气颗粒物(TSP、PM10)中二(口恶)英(PCDD/Fs)的削减

为探讨不同交通状况下大气颗粒物中二■英(PCDD/Fs)的污染特征以及评估交通限行对大气颗粒物中二■英(PCDD/Fs)变化趋势的影响,在中国地质大学(北京)东门使用中流量采样器对大气颗粒物PM_(10)和TSP样品进行了连续同步采集,应用同位素稀释高分辨率气相色谱/高分辨率质谱(HRGC/HRMS)联用法和US EPA 1613B标准方法,检测分析了北京市交通限行期间以及交通限行前后等不同交通状况下大气颗粒物TSP和PM_(10)中17种2,3,7,8-氯取代PCDD/Fs浓度及其变化特征,结果显示,PCDD/Fs在TSP中的浓度和毒性当量(TEQ)分别是交通限行前2117 fg·m~(-3)(120.85 fg I-TEQ·m~(-3))、限行期间550 fg·m~(-3)(25.26 fg I-TEQ·m~(-3)),在PM_(10)中的浓度(毒性当量)分别是交通限行前2045 fg·m~(-3)(112.87 fg I-TEQ·m~(-3))、限行期间484 fg·m~(-3)(19.67 fg I-TEQ·m~(-3))、限行结束后1572 fg·m~(-3)(81.06 fg I-TEQ·m~(-3)). PCDDs浓度远低于PCDFs,体现了典型"热源"特征,除OCDF外,PCDDs和PCDF同族体浓度变化趋势表现为随着取代氯原子个数的增加而增大,PCDD/Fs主要附着在PM_(10)中,占TSP中总浓度的87%—97%,平均92%.交通限行期间PCDD/Fs污染水平明显降低,临时交通流控制措施是PCDD/Fs降低的主要因素.当前的研究结果力求为评价交通源对大气环境中PCDD/Fs的影响以及交通限行对PCDD/Fs的削减贡献提供支撑.     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.