Role of the floodplain lakes in the methylmercury distribution and exchanges with the Amazon River, Brazil

Seasonal variability of dissolved and particulate methylmercury(F-MeHg, P-MeHg) concentrations was studied in the waters of the Amazon River and its associated Curuai floodplain during hydrological year 2005–2006, to understand the MeHg exchanges between these aquatic systems. In the oxic white water lakes, with neutral pH, high F-MeHg and P-MeHg concentrations were measured during the rising water stage(0.70 ± 0.37 pmol/L, n = 26) and flood peak(14.19 ± 9.32 pmol/g, n = 7) respectively, when the Amazon River water discharge into the lakes was at its maximum. The lowest mean values were reported during the dry season(0.18 ± 0.07 pmol/L F-MeHg, n = 10 and 1.35 ± 1.24 pmol/g P-MeHg, n = 8), when water and suspended sediments were outflowing from the lakes into the River. In these lakes,the MeHg concentrations were associated to the aluminium and organic carbon/nitrogen changes. In the black water lakes, with acidic pH and reducing conditions, elevated MeHg concentrations were recorded(0.58 ± 0.32 pmol/L F-MeHg, n = 16 and 19.82 ± 15.13 pmol/g PMeHg, n = 6), and correlated with the organic carbon and manganese concentrations. Elevated values of MeHg partition coefficient(4.87 Kd 5.08 log(L/kg) indicate that MeHg is mainly transported associated with the particulate phase. The P-MeHg enrichment detected in all lakes suggests autochthonous MeHg inputs from the sediments into the water column. The MeHg mass balance showed that the Curuai floodplain is not the source of P-MeHg for the Amazon River.     

The Sustainable Development of ICTs in China： An Empirical Study of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The wide application of new information and communication technologies （ICTs） has been argued to be critical to business success of small and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs）, especially to those in the developing countries. Drawing upon existing literature, this article will examine the determinants of ICTs application in SMEs in China based on data collected from interviews with top managers and/or owners of 70 SMEs. We identify 20 factors affecting ICTs application in SMEs in China and divide them into four broad categories, namely pressures, firm specific factors, technical factors and local milieu. We also pay special attention to the Chinese business environment affecting ICTs application. Our analysis shows that local ICT infrastructure, external pressures from competitors and ICT knowledge of employees are the determinants of Internet application by SMEs, while product characteristics and market target are important factors of e-commerce adoption.     

Tissue distribution of Dechlorane Plus and its dechlorinated analogs in contaminated fish: high affinity to the brain for anti-DP

Information on tissue distribution of Dechlorane Plus (DP) and its dechlorinated analogs in wildlife is scarce. DP isomers and two dechlorinated compounds, anti-Cl₁₁-DP and anti-Cl₁₀-DP, were examined in the muscle, liver, and brain tissues of two bottom fish species collected from an electronic waste recycling site, South China. The median levels of syn-, anti-, and anti-Cl₁₁-DP isomers in the tissues ranged 0.18-39.1, 0.22-52.9, and 0.01-5.63 ng/g wet wt, respectively. Anti-Cl₁₀-DP was only detected in one muscle sample of mud carp (0.01 ng/g wet wt), although it was consistently detected in the sediments (0.42-0.83 ng/g dry wt). Preferential distribution in liver relative to muscle was observed for syn-DP and anti-Cl₁₁-DP. However, a high persistent retention in the brain compared to the liver was observed for anti-DP, suggesting that this isomer can across the blood-brain barrier of fish, and may cause adverse effects to the nervous system in the exposed biota.     

Could curcumin ameliorate titanium dioxide nanoparticles effect on the heart? A histopathological,immunohistochemical, and genotoxic study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The evaluation of the toxicological effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) is increasingly important due to their growing occupational...     

Contents and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides in vegetable soils of Guangzhou, China

We investigated contents, distribution and possible sources of PAHs and organochlorine pesticides (Ops) in 43 surface and subsurface soils around the urban Guangzhou where variable kinds of vegetables are grown. The results indicate that the contents of PAHs (16 US EPA priority PAHs) range from 42 to 3077 microg/kg and the pollution extent is classified as a moderate level in comparison with other investigations and soil quality standards. The ratios of methylphenanthrenes to phenanthrene(MP/P), anthracene to anthracene plus phenanthrene (An/178), benz[a]anthracene to benz[a]anthracene plus chrysene (BaA/228), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene to indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene plus benzo[ghi]perylene (In/In+BP) suggest that the sources of PAHs in the soil samples are mixed with a dominant contribution from petroleum and combustion of fossil fuel. The correlation analysis shows that the PAHs contents are significantly related to total organic carbon contents (TOC) (R2=0.75) and black carbon contents (BC) (R2=0.62) in the soil samples. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and metabolites (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes and metabolites (HCHs) account largely for the contaminants of OPs. The concentrations of DDTs range from 3.58 to 831 microg/kg and the ratios for DDT/(DDD+DDE) are higher than 2 in some soil samples, suggesting that DDT contamination still exists and may be caused by its persistence in soils and/or impurity in the pesticide dicofol. The concentrations of HCHs are 0.19-42.3 microg/kg.     

三维电极法深度处理维生素生产废水

采用三维电极法对维生素废水进行深度处理,分别以钛涂钌铱板、铁板和不锈钢板作为电极阳极,石墨板作为电极阴极,柱状活性炭作为粒子电极,结果表明,当以钛涂钌铱板作为阳极,以粒径为1 mm的柱状活性炭作为粒子电极时电解效果最好,COD和色度去除率最高。实验选择电解电压、电极板间距、电解时间和初始pH值作为主要影响因素进行正交实验,实验研究证明,各因素的影响大小为电解电压>电极板间距>电解时间>初始pH值,得到的最佳参数组合分别为:电解电压为10 V,电极板间距为8 cm,电解时间为20 min,初始pH值为4,得到COD和色度最大去除率分别为59.5%和93.57%。     

三峡水库蓄水期不同调度方案对洞庭湖出口水位的影响

洞庭湖水情受到长江和四水的综合影响,因此三峡水库蓄水运行必将对洞庭湖出口水位产生影响。通过构建模型对洞庭湖出口的水位过程进行模拟,以三峡出库日均流量、洞庭湖四水合成日均流量为输入,城陵矶站日水位过程为输出,以量化和分析城陵矶水位变化受三峡水库调度的影响。通过三峡入库流量代替出库流量,还原自然状态下的水位过程,并根据各调度方案计算的出库流量模拟各调度方案下城陵矶的水位变化过程。对比各调度方案下三峡水库蓄泄水对洞庭湖出口水位的影响可以发现：各蓄水方案对洞庭湖出口水位都造成了一定的影响,起蓄时间较早的方案影响时间较长,整体上平均水位变化也较大,但起蓄后水位变化较为平缓;起蓄时间较晚的方案影响时间较短,整体上平均水位变化相对较小,但起蓄后水位变化较为剧烈。考虑到不同年份和不同来水类型情况对洞庭湖出口水位的影响存在差异,各蓄水方案的优劣需要具体分析和讨论