Effects of mercury exposure on ionic regulation in the crayfish Orconectes propinquus

Hemolymph sodium, potassium and calcium concentrations were determined in crayfish (Orconectes propinquus) exposed to (203)HgCl(2) mixed with food to a concentration of 1 microg Hg g(-1). Dummy-fed animals were exposed to Hg-dosed food wrapped in dialysis tubing to control for mercury reaching the animals via leaching from food to water. Hemolymph analyses were made following 14-day Hg exposures and again after a further 21-day 'depuration' period during which all animals were fed Hg-free food. After 14 days, the mercury reached a concentration of 0.175 microg g(-1) in the hepatopancreas and approximately half this level in the gills of Hg-fed animals. No depuration occurred from the hepatopancreas although the gills lost approximately two-thirds of their labelled mercury during the depuration period. Hemolymph sodium concentrations in Hg-exposed crayfish, both fed and dummy-fed, after 14 days were significantly lower than in Hg-free controls and remained low following the 21-day depuration period. Hemolymph calcium concentrations were lower in Hg-fed animals than in dummy-fed and control animals after 14 days although calcium levels rose in all treatments after 35 days. This may have been due to the incidence of pre-molt animals in all experimental groups, although the relationship between this and mercury exposure was not established unequivocally. Hemolymph potassium levels showed no differences between treatments.     

Getting the ‘pulse’ of your employees: the use of cardiovascular research in better understanding behavior in organizations

Cardiovascular disease has severe consequences for both individual betterment and organizational health. Yet, organization‐based cardiovascular research remains quite limited. This commentary addresses this void by integrating research dating from the famous Hawthorne experiments with current medical science. It then suggests future organizational research on cardiovascular health and recommends use of specific composite cardiovascular measures to advance our understanding of the organizational implications of cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A proposal for improving the measurement of benefits from pollution abatement

Two basic and competing approaches for measuring the benefits of pollution abatement have found support in the recent literature-the property value approach and the health damage function approach. The purpose of this paper is to show that conditions will often exist when the property value approach will not accurately measure all benefits and conditions will always be present that cause the health damage function approach to underestimate benefits. In general, neither approach can stand alone. It is possible, however, that the two approaches can be combined in such a way as to improve the measurement of abatement benefits. We present an approach for combining these two methods and do so by introducing an “information coefficient” that measures the degree of knowledge about pollution effects held by the public. Approaches to estimating the information coefficient are suggested.     

江苏水源地型水库异味物质发生风险及影响因素

为认知水源地型水库异味发生风险及其规律,本研究于异味风险高危期(夏季),对江苏17个省级水源地型水库开展了水质、浮游生物和异味物质状况调查.结果表明,本次调查的17个水库普遍存在富营养化程度偏高(如藻类生物量偏大和水体透明度偏低)的问题,约三分之一的水库出现部分水层异味物质2-甲基异莰醇(MIB)浓度超标,MIB平均浓度为(13. 7±20. 7) ng·L-1,表明江苏省水库型水源地普遍存在MIB风险;多个水库检出土臭素(GSM),但其浓度均没有超过10ng·L-1的饮用水标准浓度(最大浓度为4. 6 ng·L-1);同步水质调查及统计分析表明,MIB浓度和水体叶绿素a浓度、水体透明度、悬浮颗粒物浓度、富营养化指数等重要水质指标及浮游植物生物量(特别是蓝藻生物量)相关性显著(P 0. 05),其中MIB与叶绿素a、富营养化指数呈极显著的相关关系(P 0. 01).因此,水源地型水库的异味物质风险与水库的富营养化密切相关;实施营养盐外源输入削减、提高流域植被覆盖度、科学调控渔业养殖规模等水体富营养化控制措施是水库异味物质控制的关键.     

Taking stock of community-based flood risk management in Malawi: different stakeholders,different perspectives

Current flood risk strategies in Malawi are characterized by community-based flood risk management (CB-FRM), even though studies explicitly documenting evidence of successful CB-FRM remain limited. This paper investigates the realities and challenges of CB-FRM as seen through a lens of different stakeholders. In order to capture the experiences of CB-FRM, a predominantly qualitative research framework was developed. In 2016, 11 focus group discussions with stakeholder groups (local communities, local government and non-governmental organisations) were held. Additionally, informal discussions, field visits, a short survey and an extensive desk study were undertaken. The findings were analysed according to the major themes that emerged related to the realities and challenges of specific stakeholder groups. Although response and relief still remain prominent components of CB-FRM in Malawi, a number of mitigation and preparedness activities is observed. However, a lack of in-country resources, relief-oriented aid approaches and an ‘aid dependency’ syndrome represent obstacles. Different stakeholder groups share similar challenges in terms of financing, participation, decentralised governance and project management. Lack of project sustainability and localised ownership also emerged as major challenges. The identified challenges shed light on the frontiers and directions in which improvements are needed, thus offering a valuable contribution to the existing knowledgebase.     

A comparative assessment of waste incinerators in the UK

The uptake in Europe of Energy from Waste (EfW) incinerator plants has increased rapidly in recent years. In the UK, 25 municipal waste incinerators with energy recovery are now in operation; however, their waste supply chains and business practices vary significantly. With over a hundred more plant developments being considered it is important to establish best business practices for ensuring efficient environmental and operational performance. By reviewing the 25 plants we identify four suitable case study plants to compare technologies (moving grate, fluidised bed and rotary kiln), plant economics and operations. Using data collected from annual reports and through interviews and site visits we provide recommendations for improving the supply chain for waste incinerators and highlight the current issues and challenges faced by the industry. We find that plants using moving grate have a high availability of 87–92%. However, compared to the fluidised bed and rotary kiln, quantities of bottom ash and emissions of hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide are high. The uptake of integrated recycling practices, combined heat and power, and post incineration non-ferrous metal collections needs to be increased among EfW incinerators in the UK. We conclude that one of the major difficulties encountered by waste facilities is the appropriate selection of technology, capacity, site, waste suppliers and heat consumers. This study will be of particular value to EfW plant developers, government authorities and researchers working within the sector of waste management.     

Invasive ecosystem engineer selects for different phenotypes of an associated native species

Invasive habitat-forming ecosystem engineers modify the abiotic environment and thus represent a major perturbation to many ecosystems. Because native species often persist in these invaded habitats but have no shared history with the ecosystem engineer, the engineer may impose novel selective pressure on native species. In this study, we used a phenotypic selection framework to determine whether an invasive habitat-forming ecosystem engineer (the seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia) selects for different phenotypes of a common co-occurring native species (the bivalve Anadara trapezia). Compared to unvegetated habitat, Caulerpa habitat has lower water flow, lower dissolved oxygen, and sediments are more silty and anoxic. We determined the performance consequences of variation in key functional traits that may be affected by these abiotic changes (shell morphology, gill mass, and palp mass) for Anadara transplanted into Caulerpa and unvegetated habitat. Both linear and nonlinear performance gradients in Anadara differed between habitats, and these gradients were stronger in Caulerpa compared to unvegetated sediment. Moreover, in Caulerpa alternate phenotypes performed well, and these phenotypes were different from the dominant phenotype in unvegetated sediment. By demonstrating that phenotype-performance gradients differ between habitats, we have highlighted a role for Caulerpa as an agent of selection on native species.     

Trait space of rare plants in a fire‐dependent ecosystem

The causes of species rarity are of critical concern because of the high extinction risk associated with rarity. Studies examining individual rare species have limited generality, whereas trait‐based approaches offer a means to identify functional causes of rarity that can be applied to communities with disparate species pools. Differences in functional traits between rare and common species may be indicative of the functional causes of species rarity and may therefore be useful in crafting species conservation strategies. However, there is a conspicuous lack of studies comparing the functional traits of rare species and co‐occurring common species. We measured 18 important functional traits for 19 rare and 134 common understory plant species from North Carolina's Sandhills region and compared their trait distributions to determine whether there are significant functional differences that may explain species rarity. Flowering, fire, and tissue‐chemistry traits differed significantly between rare and common, co‐occurring species. Differences in specific traits suggest that fire suppression has driven rarity in this system and that changes to the timing and severity of prescribed fire may improve conservation success. Our method provides a useful tool to prioritize conservation efforts in other systems based on the likelihood that rare species are functionally capable of persisting.