In order to estimate the biodegradation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds, bacterial strains were isolated from marine sediments in three heavily contaminated sites (Yuandang Lake, Dongdu Port and Aquacultural zones in Maluan Bay) in Xiamen Western Sea. The results show three bacterial strains, which used pyrene as the sole carbon source, were identified as strains of Aureobacterium sp., Arthrobacter sp., Rhodococcus sp. The PAH-degrading bacteria isolated had a strong ability to degrade phenanhrene, fluoranthene and pyrene at different degradation rates. The highest degradation rate was observed when three PAH compounds were mixed with an individual strain in the medium. The three PAHs were degraded after one week with a degradation rate of 89.94% for phenanthrene and 93.4% for both of fluoranthene and pyrene. In addition, after 25 days of incubation, the degradation rate was 99.98% for phenanthrene and 99.97% for both of fluoranthene and pyrene. Optical density was measured to estimate bacterial growth during the degradation of PAHs. Highest levels of bacterial growth were observed with a three PAH mixture in the culture, suggesting that the concentration of PAHs influenced bacterial growth and the highest levels of degradation for most series were detected after one week of incubation.

Organochlorine contaminants including 12 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 18 insecticides were determined in water, pore water and sediments of the Jiulong River Estuary and Western Xiamen Sea, China. The results showed that the levels of the total PCBs ranged from non-detectable to 1500ngl-1 in water, from 209 to 3870ngl-1 in pore water, and from 2.78 to 14.8nggl-1 dry weight in sediments. Total organochlorine insecticide concentrations were from below the limit of detection to 2480ngl-1 in water, from 267 to 33400ngl-1 in pore water, and from 4.22 to 46.3nggl-1 dry weight in sediments. Concentrations of PCBs and insecticides in pore water were significantly higher than those in surface water, due to the high affinity of these hydrophobic compounds for sediment phase. The PCB congeners with the highest concentrations were CB153, CB180 and CB194, which together accounted for 68-87% of total PCBs in water, pore water and sediment. Among the hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) compounds, beta-HCH was found to be a major isomer. Analysis of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-chlorophenyl-ethane (DDT) and its metabolites showed that 1,1-dichloro-2[o-chlorophenyl]-2[p-chlorophenyl]-ethylene (DDE) was dominant in the group. In comparison to a 1998 study in the Western Xiamen Sea, levels of organochlorines were enhanced due probably to recent inputs and changes in sediments.

The influence of specific phages on the population size of their host bacteria was studied using a model system of a selected phage and its host bacterium, identified as Aeromonas sp. Isolated from a lagoon in the southern Baltic Sea. For all initial phage/host ratios (PBR [phage/bacterium ratio] of 0.1 to 100), phage and host abundances reached a ratio of about 5 to 50 within the first 8h Interestingly, this range of phage/bacterium ratios of a single phage-host system corresponds to the ratio of virus to bacterial abundance found in natural habitats. The proportion of sensitive cells containing mature phage particles increased in the first 4h to 40%, and then decreased (at rates dependent on the initial ratio) within 12h (initial PBR of 100), 48 h (initial PBR of 10 and 1) and 72h (initial PBR of 0.1) to less than 1%. There was evidence for rapid development of immunity (probably pseudolysogeny), especially at high initial phage concentrations. After 96h incubation, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus were added to improve the nutritional state of the bacteria. Although nutrients were added to all treatments when phage/host ratios were nearly equal, quite different reactions were observed for the bacteria populations with different initial PBRs. Those with low initial PBRs showed the most pronounced increase.

Polyphenol oxidase from Castanea henryi nuts was partially purified. Some characteristics of the enzyme were then determined to help devise measures for the prevention of undesirable enzymatic browning during storage and processing of the nuts. Preparation of acetone powder extracts of the nuts, ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, and gel filtration resulted in 37-fold purification of the enzyme with a yield of 13%. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the excitation spectrum confirmed the enzyme preparation to be homogeneous. The approximate molecular weight of the enzyme was determined by gel filtration to be 69 kD. The enzyme catalyzed the xidation of catechol and pyrogallic acid as substrates but did not affect cresol or tyrosine. Using catechol as substrate, pnitrophenol, thiourea, orcinol, and naphthol showed strong inhibition. The optimal pH and temperature for the enzyme were pH 5.0 and 40℃, respectively. The enzyme proved heat labile. When the enzyme was incubated at 70℃ for 30min, the remaining activity of the enzyme was only 8%. Possible approaches to applying the results of this study to the prevention of enzymatic browning in the production of C. henryi nuts is also discussed.

Six stations were established in Xiamen Western Sea (24