Estimation of culm volume reduction factors in five bamboo species(Phyllostachys spp.)

The hollow cylindrical culm is one of the most remarkable morphological characters of most bamboo species.In relation to its hollow structure,there are two different attributes of the culm volume in bamboo:the apparent culm volume(va:the total culm volume including the hollow portion)and the woody culm volume(vw:the volume of the woody walls of the culm).The ratio of vw to va is defined as the reduction factor for culm volume(fv).The quantity fv is useful to quantify the biomass resources of bamboo culms as well as to evaluate the carbon stock of bamboo forests.However,the direct measurement of fv requires destructive sampling,which consumes time and labor.Hence,an alternative method for obtaining fv is desired.In this study,we examined fv in five species of the genus Phyllostachys and proposed alternative methods to estimate fv.Our data showed that fv varied by species,some of which exhibited a dependency of fv on culm sizes.These findings indicate that the intraspecific and interspecific variation in fv should be considered carefully when converting va into vw by fv.Based on our results,we propose here six approaches for predicting fv and we discuss their advantages and disadvantages.Our results are intended to facilitate evaluation of the carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo forests and the commercial utilization of bamboo culms.

ASSESSMENT OF 17β-ESTRADIOL IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS AROUND KLANG VALLEY,MALAYSIA

This study was conducted to assess the existing concentration of 17β-estradiol(E2)in the surface water samples collected from rivers and lakes around Klang Valley,Malaysia.E2,which is a natural feminizing chemical produced in female organisms,regularly used to compare with other environmental estrogens because they behave similarly and react effectively as a hormone at a very low concentration.It was found that the average concentration of E2 in the aquatic environment of Klang Valley was(14.08 ±3.67)pg/mL,which was 14 times higher than those in the Japanese aquatic environment in this study.The river system had the average concentration of(20.02±5.26)pg/mL while the lake had an average concentration of(5.91±3.39)pg/mL.The E2 concentration was presumed high if the sources occurred nearby the area.Current levels of E2 in the aquatic environment may possess threats to existing aquatic organisms.Since high level of E2 has been discovered in the aquatic environment around Klang Valley,further studies and monitoring of E2 and other EDCs concentrations are needed to determine their levels in Malaysian aquatic environment and help to control these chemicals pollution in the aquatic environment.

Culm form analysis for bamboo, Phyllostachys pubescens

We investigated the culm form for one of the largest bamboo species, Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex Houz. in relation to the me- chanical constraint principles, i.e., elastic, stress and geometric similarity. The fine-resolution analysis of the culm taper indicated that the culm for P. pubescens consisted of three or four segments with various forms, except for the butt swell. This implied that the taper of the whole culm for P. pubescens could be expressed by neither of these principles. The regression slope between culm height and diameter at breast height on the double logarithmic coordinates was 0.629, which was significantly different from the values predicted from these principles. In conclusion, none of these mechanical constraint principles can express the culm taper and height-diameter relationship, and there may be a need for a more complicated model to express the culm form for P. pubescens.

Mathematical expression for the relationship between internode number and internode length for bamboo, Phyllostachys pubescens

We analyzed the relationship between internode number and intemode length for one of the largest bamboo, Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex Houz. For 50 sample culms with various sizes felled in a pure stand of P. pubescens, the intemode number was assigned from base to tip and the length for each internode was directly measured. The result indicated that the intemode length should be cumulated from base to tip, and then the cumulated internode length should be relativized by the total culm length. It was inappropriate to relativize the internode length by the maximum intenode length. In addition, the relationship between the relative internode number （the intemode number relativized by the total number of intemodes） and the relative cumulated internode length should be described not by a power function but by a sigmoid function such as the third-order function. The determined function enabled us to estimate the actual internode length, with the root mean squared error being 4 cm. In conclusion, the mathematical expression presented here, i.e., the relativization of the cumulated internode length by the total culm length and the application of the sigmoid function, will be useful in describing the relationship between internode number and internode length for P. pubescens.

Identification of coexistence of biological and non-biological aerosol particles with DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) stain

The fluorescent dye 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) has been widely used to stain microorganisms in various environment media. We applied DAPI fluorescence enumeration to airborne microorganisms and found that non-biological particles, including organic compounds, minerals, and soot, were also visible upon exposure to UV excitation under fluorescence microscope. Using laboratory-prepared biological particles as the control, we investigated the feasibility of identifying both biological and non-biological particles in the same sample with DAPI staining. We prepared biological (bacterial, fungi, and plant detritus) and non-biological (biochar, soot, mineral, metal, fly ash, salt) particles in the laboratory and enumerated the particles and their mixture with DAPI. We found that mineral particles were transparent, and biochar, soot, metals and fly ash particles were black under a filter set at excitation 350/50 nm and emission 460/50 nm bandpass (DAPI-BP), while biological particles were blue, as expected. Particles of the water-soluble salts NaCl and (NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4) were yellow under a filter set at excitation 340–380 nm and emission 425 nm long pass (DAPI-LP). Case studies with samples of dustfall, atmospheric aerosols and surface soils could allow for the quantification of the relative number of different types of particles and particles with organic matter or salt coating as well. Fluorescence enumeration with DAPI stain is thus able to identify the co-existence of biological and non-biological particles in the air, at least to the extent of those examined in this study.

Mineralogical characteristics of airborne particles collected in Beijing during a severe Asian dust storm period in spring 2002

Asian dust storm (ADS) samples were collected on March 20,2002 in Beijing,China. High-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray detector (FESEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the morphology,chemical compositions,number-size dis-tributions and mineralogical compositions of ADS particles. The mineral particles were major compo-nents in the ADS samples,accounting for 94% by number. The XRD analysis indicated that the dust particles were dominated by clay (40.3%),and quartz (19.5%),followed by plagioclase (8.4%),calcite (7.5%),K-feldspar (1.5%),hematite (0.9%),pyrite (0.9%),hornblende (0.4%) and gypsum (0.3%),with a certain amount of noncrystalline materials (20.3%). Clay minerals were mainly illite/smectite mixed lay-ers (78%),followed by illite (9%),kaolinite (6%),and chlorite (7%). In addition to these main minerals,FESEM-EDX also detected some trace minerals,such as dolomite,pyrite,thenardite,as well as heavy minerals represented by rutile,ilmenite and apatite. The mineralogical compositions of the 2002-03-20 Asian dust storm and the Saharan dust plumes were similar but the clay mineralogy showed a great distinction,with the illite/smectite mixed layers being common in the Asian dust storm but illite being common in the Saharan dust plumes.

Morphology and composition of particles emitted from a port fuel injection gasoline vehicle under real-world driving test cycles

Traffic vehicles, many of which are powered by port fuel injection(PFI) engines, are major sources of particulate matter in the urban atmosphere. We studied particles from the emission of a commercial PFI-engine vehicle when it was running under the states of cold start, hot start, hot stabilized running, idle and acceleration, using a transmission electron microscope and an energy-dispersive X-ray detector. Results showed that the particles were mainly composed of organic, soot, and Ca-rich particles, with a small amount of S-rich and metal-containing particles, and displayed a unimodal size distribution with the peak at 600 nm. The emissions were highest under the cold start running state, followed by the hot start, hot stabilized, acceleration, and idle running states. Organic particles under the hot start and hot stabilized running states were higher than those of other running states. Soot particles were highest under the cold start running state. Under the idle running state, the relative number fraction of Ca-rich particles was high although their absolute number was low. These results indicate that PFI-engine vehicles emit substantial primary particles,which favor the formation of secondary aerosols via providing reaction sites and reaction catalysts, as well as supplying soot, organic, mineral and metal particles in the size range of the accumulation mode. In addition, the contents of Ca, P, and Zn in organic particles may serve as fingerprints for source apportionment of particles from PFI-engine vehicles.

Cell concentration,viability and culture composition of airborne bacteria during a dust event in Beijing

Airborne bacteria were measured when a dust storm passed Beijing in spring 2012 with a focus on cell concentration, viability and TSA- and R2A-cultured strain composition. The concentration varied at an order of 10^7 cells/m3 with dust loading （demonstrated with PM10） and they had a very close correlation （RT2 = 0.91, p 〈 0.01）. At the time of highest PM10 of 652 μg/m3, the bacterial concentration reached 1.4 × 10^8 cells/m3, which was larger than that before and after the dust event by one order. Bacterial viability, the ratio of number concentration of viable cells to total cells, was 32%-64% and smaller in the dust plume than that before the dust arrival. Bacterial strains from the culture ranged between 2.5 × 10^4 and 4.6 × 10^5 CFU/m3 and no correlation with PM10 was determined. Their composition was different before and after the dust arrival according to 16S rRNA gene sequences and strains belong to Actinomycetes and Firmicutes were the majority in the dust samples.

Applicability of LIVE/DEAD BacLight stain with glutaraldehyde fixation for the measurement of bacterial abundance and viability in rainwater

Rainwater contains substantial bacteria and rain is an efficient pathway for the dissemination of bacteria from the atmosphere to land and water surfaces.However,quantitative information on rainwater bacteria is very limited due to the lack of a reliable method.In this study,the epifluorescence microscopy enumeration with the LIVE/DEAD BacLight Bacterial Viability Kit stain was verified to quantify the abundance of viable and non-viable bacterial cells in rainwater,with the 4＇,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole（DAPI） stain for the reference of total cell counts.Results showed that the total counts of bacterial cells by LIVE/DEAD BacLight staining were consistent with those by DAPI staining,and the average detection efficiency was（109 ± 29）%.The ratio of cell count with glutaraldehyde fixation to that without fixation was（106 ± 5）%on average.The bacterial concentration in negative control was usually an order of magnitude lower than that in rainwater samples.However,in case of small precipitation,the abundance in negative control could be more than that in rainwater samples.These results indicate that the enumeration with LIVE/DEAD BacLight bacterial viability assay coupled with glutaraldehyde fixation and careful negative control investigation is an approach applicable to the measurement of the concentration and viability of bacterial cells in rainwater.

Size and elemental composition of dry-deposited particles during a severe dust storm at a coastal site of Eastern China

Dry-deposited particles were collected during the passage of an extremely strong dust storm in March, 2010 at a coastal site in Qingdao（36.15°N, 120.49°E）, a city located in Eastern China. The size, morphology, and elemental composition of the particles were quantified with a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray instrument（SEM–EDX）. The particles appeared in various shapes, and their size mainly varied from 0.4to 10 μm, with the mean diameters of 0.5, 1.5, and 1.0 μm before, during, and after the dust storm, respectively. The critical size of the mineral particles settling on the surface in the current case was about 0.3–0.4 μm before the dust storm and about 0.5–0.7 μm during the dust storm. Particles that appeared in high concentration but were smaller than the critical size deposited onto the surface at a small number flux. The elements Al, Si and Mg were frequently detected in all samples, indicating the dominance of mineral particles. The frequency of Al in particles collected before the dust storm was significantly lower than for those collected during and after the dust storm. The frequencies of Cl and Fe did not show obvious changes, while those of S, K and Ca decreased after the dust arrival. These results indicate that the dust particles deposited onto the surface were less influenced by anthropogenic pollutants in terms of particle number.

Surrogate atmospheric dust particles generated from dune soils in laboratory: Comparison with field measurement

Desert dust strongly influences the climate and the environment by altering the radiation budget, participating in atmospheric chemical reactions, and engaging the biogeochemical cycle. Studying its impacts requires knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of the original particles from the source origin. Unfortunately, the field collection of atmospheric samples in the desert is impractical. Fine surface soil is thus considered an alternative material from which to obtain the information applicable to dust particles from the desert soil. In this study, a laboratory system was set up to generate dust particles with simulated natural wind erosion processes from surface soils or directly from desert surfaces. Surface soils and field dust were simultaneously collected during a local blowing dust event. The comparison between the laboratory-generated dust and the field dust showed a consistent trend in particle size distribution and chemical composition. The chemical compositions were found to have explainable differences with the Certified Reference Materials for Asian dust (CJ-2). The laboratory-generated dust particles with the system could be applied as surrogates for soil-emitted dust in desert areas.

2002年春季北京特大沙尘暴颗粒的矿物组成分析

应用X射线衍射(XRD)和带能谱的场发射扫描电镜(FESEM-EDX)对在北京2002年3月20日收集的一次特大亚洲沙尘暴样品进行了分析,获得了矿物组成及粒度分布信息.结果表明,此次沙尘暴颗粒中矿物颗粒达94%.XRD半定量分析显示,沙尘暴颗粒的矿物组成主要有黏土(40.3%)和石英(19.5%),其次有方解石、斜长石、钾长石、赤铁矿、黄铁矿、角闪石和石膏,但其含量都小于10%.分离出的黏土组分中伊/蒙混层矿物占78%、伊利石9%、高岭石6%、绿泥石7%.FESEM-EDX分析除了检测到那些主要类型矿物外,还检测出痕量的白云石、黄铁矿、盐类矿物芒硝、重矿物、金红石、钛铁矿和磷灰石等矿物.此次亚洲沙尘暴颗粒和非洲撒哈拉大沙漠的沙尘羽颗粒的矿物类型相似,但是黏土矿物组成有很大的差别,前者以伊/蒙混层矿物为主,后者以伊利石为主.

Charging states on atmospheric aerosol particles affected by meteorological conditions

Previous studies on haze formation focused mainly on the various chemical components in aerosol particles and their physicochemical effects on particle behaviour(e.g.,generation,growth,and agglomeration).This paper describes the measurement of the charging state on atmospheric aerosol particles,which could be affected by meteorological conditions.A series of experiments on particle charging state and meteorological factors was undertaken on the roof of the west 4th building on the Qujiang Campus at Xi'an Jiaotong University(China).Measurements were conducted approximately 20 m above ground level,Our results showed that most atmospheric particles carried net negative or positive charge and that the electric charge on the particles varied diurnally and seasonally.The average amount of charge on particles was higher in winter than in summer.The number concentration of charged particles was higher during the day than overnight.Obvious difference in the average charge of aerosol particles was found between sand-dust days and haze days.A strong relationship was found between the PM2.s concentration,charge amount on particles,and humidity.Our findings show that particle formation and growth could partly be attributed to variation in particle charging state,which is related to meteorological conditions including atmospheric humidity.