Equipment for Maintaining a Flow of Oxygen-Free Water and for Controlling Gas Content

In Article VI of this volume a piece of apparatus for controlling gas content and adding gases and fluids to water is described by the present writer. His earlier work, as well as that reported by Dr. Wells in Article VIII, was done with that apparatus on a water table of temporary construction, but the table and the apparatus have both been replaced by the permanent structures herein described.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

An Experimental Study of the Effects of Gas Waste Upon Fishes with Especial Reference to Stream Pollution

The products of destructive distillation of coal include an innumerable series of substances representing most of the important groups of organic compounds ranging from gases to solids. In the manufacture of illuminating gas all these substances are thrown into streams in varying amounts, depending upon the manner of treating by-products. The gases and volatile products are in solution in water used in washing the gas, and are often introduced into waterways. By-products, except the heavy tars, are often thrown away. This is especially true in the case of the smaller plants where the quantity is insufficient to make the further treatment of it profitable. Thus in many plants only the heavy tars are saved, the gas liquor drip from the mains and holders being dumped into waterways without the removal of even ammonia. The immense commercial value these wasted products has been more generally appreciated since the outbreak of the European war, which cut off the large supply of foreign dyes and important organic compounds and increased the demand for such products as may be used in the manufacture of explosives. The value of these wasted products should be sufficient to prevent their wastage, but their injurious effect upon fishes and other life of streams generally is itself sufficient to justify the prohibition of pollution by this means.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Extreme sensitivity of biological function to temperature in Antarctic marine species

1. Biological capacities to respond to changing environments dictate success or failure of populations and species over time. The major environmental feature in this context is often temperature, and organisms across the planet vary widely in their capacity to cope with temperature variation. With very few exceptions, Antarctic marine species are more sensitive to temperature variation than marine groups elsewhere, having survivable temperature envelopes between 5degreesC and 12degreesC above the minimum sea temperature of -2degreesC. 2. Our findings show that in biological functions important to long-term survival these animals are even more tightly constrained. The Antarctic bivalve mollusc Laternula elliptica and limpet Nacella concinna both survive a few days in experiments at 9-10degreesC, but suffer 50% failure in essential biological activities at 2-3degreesC and complete loss at 5degreesC. The Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki is even more sensitive, and loses the ability to swim as temperature approaches 2degreesC. 3. These failures of activity are caused by a loss of aerobic capacity, and the animals investigated are so sensitive that a 2degreesC rise in sea temperature could cause population or species removal from the Southern Ocean