Chloroplast ultrastructure in leaves of Urtica dioica L. analyzed after high-pressure freezing and freeze-substitution and compared with conventional fixation followed by room temperature dehydration

In this article, we report on the adaptation of high-pressure freezing and freeze-substitution (HPF-FS) for ultrastructural analysis of leaf tissue with special emphasis on chloroplasts. To replace the gas in the intercellular spaces, a mixture of water and methanol (MeOH) was employed. We compared three different supplements for FS--osmiumtetroxide, uranyl acetate, and safranin--with regard to the preservation of the ultrastructure of chloroplasts and other cellular compartments. The results show that (i) replacement of air within intercellular spaces by 8% (v/v) MeOH has no influence on the ultrastructure of the chloroplasts, (ii) undulation of membranes frequently observed after conventional preparation of specimens does not occur during chemical fixation but during room temperature dehydration, and (iii) uranyl acetate or osmium tetroxide employed during FS are not superior over safranin.     

A Case Study for End of Life Reuse and Recycling Survey Methodologies： The Hollentalanger Cottage

Up to now, reuse and recycling of existing buildings have not been examined widely. This paper discusses the theories, methods and practicalities of buildings＇ end of life with a main focus on planning and managing reuse and recycling of existing buildings. Our aim is the realistic modelling of theoretical scenarios for end of life based on a case study. The methods of building survey, material classification and documentation for reuse, recycling and disposal of existing constructions are presented. Investigations and calculations were done on an existing cottage in the Alps. The ecologically most beneficial disposal phase of the old wooden hut is our main objective. Critical questions arise from the quality of the material and how it can be extracted, separated and balanced in an appropriate way. A systematic survey of the building by inspection of constructions and materials in iterative steps allows a detailed material balance with condition and property information. This information is crucial for scenarios and material flow analysis of demolished and rebuilt building in environmental system analysis. For future planning, the reuse and recycling of existing buildings should be integrated quite early in the planning process so that we can use the materials in the best way.     

Der neue S‐Bahn‐Haltepunkt “Gottesacker” in Dortmund

The new suburban line stop Gottesacker in Dortmund. The new suburban line stop Gottesacker in Dortmund is an example for infrastructure‐planning where aesthetic qualities are determined by the exceptional form of the loadbearing structure. Transpareny, elegance and dynamic characterize the appearance of the steel structure. This article describes the conceptual design for the station, the structural design of the roof as well as its structural behaviour.     

Natural organic matter (NOM) induces oxidative stress in freshwater amphipods Gammarus lacustris Sars and Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton)

Humic substances comprise the majority of natural organic matter (NOM) on Earth, including dissolved organic matter in freshwater systems. Recent studies show that these substances directly interact with aquatic organisms as chemical stressors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mode of action of dissolved NOM on the freshwater amphipods Gammarus lacustris Sars and Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton), and in particular, to determine if NOM induces or promotes internal oxidative stress. NOM was isolated by reverse osmosis from a brown-water lake in Brandenburg State, Germany. Oxidative stress markers, such as lipid peroxidation, cell internal hydrogen peroxide concentration, as well as peroxidase, catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities, were quantified. Exposure of both amphipod species to NOM caused a significant increase in lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide concentration, catalase, peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activities. Both species showed a two-stage antioxidant response: the first stage allowed the organisms to effectively eliminate ROS and to protect cells from damage, whereas the second stage leads to H2O2 accumulation in combination with destruction of lipid structures in the cells and, finally, functional damage or even death of the organism.     

Ventilation system design for a church pipe organ using numerical simulation and on-site measurement

Since old churches have had heating installed, more complaints have arisen of organs sounding out of tune. Sound frequency of organ pipes is dependent on air temperature. Old churches tend to have very large volumes, so are typically heated just before and during services in wintertime, in order to reduce energy usage. Warm air plumes rise at radiators and spread out into the room, finally reaching the cold organ casing where they cause a non-uniform temperature distribution within. If pipes standing in different temperature zones are played at the same time the organ sounds out of tune due to clearly audible beats (interference between two slightly different frequencies). The purpose of this study was to design a ventilation system inside the organ casing, able to create a uniform temperature distribution around the pipes. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was developed for the St. Martin church in Oberesslingen, Germany. It was validated by on-site measurements that had been carried out in the organ casing of the church. Four organ divisions containing 300–500 pipes were represented by equivalent porous material zones. Their properties were determined using an auxiliary two-dimensional model of a staggered array consisting of 392 pipes. The effect of different ventilation system settings on the temperature field in the organ casing was examined. Best results were achieved by a system consisting of two ventilation lines together with a thin, synthetic net placed at the open interface between church and organ casing in order to reduce warm air inflow.     

Structural and functional changes of aquatic heterotrophic bacteria to thermal, heavy, and fly ash effluents

Heterotrophic bacterial populations were sampled at 9 sites around a fossil fuel power plant to assess the ecological impact of the resulting effluents on naturally occurring heterotrophic microbes. The total colony forming units (CFU) remained relatively high at all stations, ranging from 13,804 CFU ml⁻¹ in the heavy ash basin to 2630 CFU ml⁻¹ in an uninfluenced station, Adair Run—upstream. The percent of the total colony counts which were chromagenic was correlated with physico/chemical stresses and varied from a high of 59.0% at the reference New River station to 13.2% in the heavy ash basin. A Sequential Comparison procedure (SCI) produced diversity indices which ranged from 8.21 in upstream New River to 6.23 in the ash-influenced Adair Run station. Assimilation of [³H]glucose was used to assess the functional status of the organisms and was reduced 86.0% in the heavy ash basin and 65.5% in the fly ash basin. The structure and function of bacterial communities in the ash basins were significantly different from the same parameters of populations inhabiting reference environments; however, the basin effluents had a lesser effect on New River bacteria.     

Oxidation and removal of arsenic (III) from aerated groundwater by filtration through sand and zero-valent iron

Removing arsenic from contaminated groundwater in Bangladesh is challenging due to high concentrations of As(III), phosphate and silicate. Application of zero-valent iron as a promising removal method was investigated in detail with synthetic groundwater containing 500 microg/L As(III), 2-3mg/L P, 20mg/L Si, 8.2mM HCO3-, 2.5mM Ca2+, 1.6mM Mg2+ and pH 7.0. In a series of experiments, 1L was repeatedly passed through a mixture of 1.5 g iron filings and 3-4 g quartz sand in a vertical glass column (10mm diameter), allowing the water to re-aerate between each filtration. At a flow rate of 1L/h, up to 8 mg/L dissolved Fe(II) was released. During the subsequent oxidation of Fe(II) by dissolved oxygen, As(III) was partially oxidized and As(V) sorbed on the forming hydrous ferric oxides (HFO). HFO was retained in the next filtration step and was removed by shaking of the sand-iron mixture with water. Rapid phosphate removal provided optimal conditions for the sorption of As(V). Four filtrations lead to almost complete As(III) oxidation and removal of As(tot) to below 50 microg/L. In a prototype treatment with a succession of four filters, each containing 1.5 g iron and 60 g sand, 36 L could be treated to below 50 microg/L in one continuous filtration, without an added oxidant.     

Decreasing activated sludge thermal hydrolysis temperature reduces product colour, without decreasing degradability

Activated sludges are becoming more difficult to degrade in anaerobic digesters, due to the implementation of stricter nitrogen limits, longer sludge ages, and removal of primary sedimentation units. Thermal hydrolysis is a popular method to enhance degradability of long-age activated sludge, and involves pressure and heat treatment of the process fluid (150-160 degrees C saturated steam). However, as documented in this study, in a full-scale system, the use of thermal hydrolysis produces coloured, recalcitrant compounds that can have downstream impacts (e.g., failure of UV disinfection, and increased effluent nitrogen). The coloured compound formed during thermal hydrolysis was found to be melanoidins. These are coloured recalcitrant compounds produced by polymerisation of low molecular weight intermediates, such as carbohydrates and amino compounds at elevated temperature (Maillard reaction). By decreasing the THP operating temperature from 165 degrees C to 140 degrees C, THP effluent colour decreased from 12,677 mg-PtCo L(-1) to 3837 mg-PtCo L(-1). The change in THP operating temperature from 165 degrees C to 140 degrees C was shown to have no significant impact on anaerobic biodegradability of the sludge. The rate and extent of COD biodegradation remained largely unaffected by the temperature change with an average first order hydrolysis rate of 0.19 d(-1) and conversion extent of 0.43 g-COD(CH4)g-COD(-1).