The relative importance of sexual reproduction and clonal propagation in rhizomatous herb Iris japonica Thunb. from two habitats of Jinyun Mountain, Southwest China

Reproductive behaviour of clonal plants might change in contrasting habitats. In field and simulated experiments, we studied the relative importance of sexual reproduction and clonal propagation in rhizomatous herb, Iris japonica Thunb. in two forest habitats (BF, bamboo forest and OAFE, open area of forest edge), and effects of population origin (BF vs. OAFE) and environmental effects (shading) on sexual vs. clonal reproduction. In field experiment, the relative importance of reproduction in I. japonica populations was different in two habitats, which showed predominantly sexual reproduction in OAFE and clonal propagation in BF. In simulated experiment, the effect of population origin and light treatment (shading) was significant for reproduction of I. japonica. Clonal propagation was only influenced by population origin, and sexual reproduction was determined both by population origin and light treatment. A trade-off between two reproductive modes exhibited in both experiments. The trade-offs was more obvious in OAFE than in BF because sexual reproduction, resource and inter-specific competition obviously lacked in BF. The results indicated that the selective forces shaping reproduction of I. japonica in contrasting habitats might demonstrate pronounce adaptive population differentiation among forest habitats. Thus, I. japonica populations formed local differentiation by adaptation of reproduction to local heterogeneous forest habitats.     

淀山湖河蚬翘嘴红鲌国家级水产种质资源保护区翘嘴鲌产卵场现状

为了对淀山湖河蚬翘嘴红鲌国家级水产种质资源保护区翘嘴鲌禁渔期、禁渔区域的设定及种质资源保护提供参考资料。2016年5~8月，对此湖鱼卵和仔稚鱼的时空分布特征即产卵场及其与环境因子的关系进行了研究。调查表明：共采集到鱼卵 4 463 粒，仔稚鱼 43 012 尾，分属6目9科19属21种，采集到的鱼卵、仔稚鱼中翘嘴鲌C.alburnus个体数分别占比为4.16%、 3.98%。产卵初始时间为6月13日，捕获截止日期为8月17日。翘嘴鲌密度的相对比例在7月中下旬及8月初出现峰值。调查期间，产卵水温均在25.9℃ 以上，其中产卵盛期水温在29.3~34.3℃。翘嘴鲌产卵易发生在暴雨初晴的夜晚，水位上涨的过程，当水位达 2 m，其他条件适宜情况下大量产卵。翘嘴鲌产卵密度与水温、水位关系密切（P<0.01）。根据早期资源结果、人工鱼巢收集到的鱼卵和捕获处于排卵期的翘嘴鲌亲鱼，推断出保护区1号(千灯浦桥)水域、2号(梅浜)水域和7号(南生浜)水域为翘嘴鲌的产卵场。     

Perfluoroalkyl acids in the Canadian environment: Multi-media assessment of current status and trends

In Canada, perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been the focus of several monitoring programs and research and surveillance studies. Here, we integrate recent data and perform a multi-media assessment to examine the current status and ongoing trends of PFAAs in Canada. Concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and other long-chain perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) in air, water, sediment, fish, and birds across Canada are generally related to urbanization, with elevated concentrations observed around cities, especially in southern Ontario. PFOS levels in water, fish tissue, and bird eggs were below their respective Draft Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines, suggesting there is low potential for adverse effects to the environment/organisms examined. However, PFOS in fish and bird eggs tended to exceed guidelines for the protection of mammalian and avian consumers, suggesting a potential risk to their wildlife predators, although wildlife population health assessments are needed to determine whether negative impacts are actually occurring. Long-term temporal trends of PFOS in suspended sediment, sediment cores, Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) eggs collected from Lake Ontario increased consistently from the start of data collection until the 1990s. However, after this time, the trends varied by media, with concentrations stabilizing in Lake Trout and Herring Gull eggs, and decreasing and increasing in suspended sediment and the sediment cores, respectively. For PFCAs, concentrations in suspended sediment, sediment cores, and Herring Gulls generally increased from the start of data collection until present and concentrations in Lake Trout increased until the late 1990s and subsequently stabilized. A multimedia comparison of PFAA profiles provided evidence that unexpected patterns in biota of some of the lakes were due to unique source patterns rather than internal lake processes. High concentrations of PFAAs in the leachate and air of landfill sites, in the wastewater influent/effluent, biosolids, and air at wastewater treatment plants, and in indoor air and dust highlight the waste sector and current-use products (used primarily indoors) as ongoing sources of PFAAs to the Canadian environment. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of integrating data from different media. Simultaneous evaluation of spatial and temporal trends in multiple media allows inferences that would be impossible with data on only one medium. As such, more co-ordination among monitoring sites for different media is suggested for future sampling, especially at the northern sites. We emphasize the importance of continued monitoring of multiple-media for determining future responses of environmental PFAA concentrations to voluntary and regulatory actions.     

A review and model assessment of (32)P and (33)P uptake to biota in freshwater systems

Bioaccumulation of key short-lived radionuclides such as ¹³¹I and ^32,33P may be over-estimated since concentration ratios (CRs) are often based on values for the corresponding stable isotope which do not account for radioactive decay during uptake via the food chain. This study presents estimates for bioaccumulation of radioactive phosphorus which account for both radioactive decay and varying ambient levels of stable P in the environment. Recommended interim CR values for radioactive forms of P as a function of bioavailable stable phosphorus in the water body are presented. Values of CR are presented for three different trophic levels of the aquatic food chain; foodstuffs from all three trophic levels may potentially be consumed by humans. It is concluded that current recommended values of the CR are likely to be significantly over-estimated for radioactive phosphorus in many freshwater systems, particularly lowland rivers. Further research is recommended to field-validate these models and assess their uncertainty. The relative importance of food-chain uptake and direct uptake from water are also assessed from a review of the literature. It can be concluded that food-chain uptake is the dominant accumulation pathway in fish and hence accumulation factors for radioactive phosphorus in farmed fish are likely to be significantly lower than those for wild fish.     

Residues of organochlorine pesticides in fish from the Egyptian delta lakes

The distribution and residue levels of BHC, Lindane, Endrin, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, and p,p′-DDD in Mugil and Tilapia species collected from Egyptian Delta lakes were evaluated. Residues of BHC and p,p′-DDT were found in most fish samples obtained from El-Manzala, El-Burullus, Edku, and Maryut lakes. Fish samples from Lake Edku showed the highest residue levels of the studied compounds. Residues of BHC and p,p′-DDT in Mugil and Tilapia species are within the range found in fish from the northwest Atlantic but lower than the levels reported for other fish species the United States. Mugil and Tilapia species could be used as indicator organisms for monitoring the residue levels of organochlorine pesticides and their distribution.     

Short- and long-term patterns of ¹³⁷Cs in fish and other aquatic organisms of small forest lakes in southern Finland since the Chernobyl accident

We summarize the patterns of ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations and transfer into fish and other biota in four small forest lakes in southern Finland during a twenty-year period following the Chernobyl accident in April 1986. The results from summer 1986 showed fastest accumulation of ¹³⁷Cs into planktivorous fishes, i.e. along the shortest food chains. Since 1987, the highest annual mean values of ¹³⁷Cs have been recorded in fish occupying the highest trophic levels, for perch (Perca fluviatilis) 13,600 Bq/kg (ww) and for pike (Esox lucius) 20,700 Bq/kg (ww). At the same time, activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs in crustacean zooplankton and Asellus aquaticus have ranged between 1000 and 19,500 Bq/kg (dw). In 2006, 5-28% of the 1987 ¹³⁷Cs activity concentration levels were still present in perch and pike. Since 1989 their ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations in oligohumic seepage lakes have remained significantly higher than in polyhumic drainage lakes due to the increased transfer of ¹³⁷Cs into fish in the seepage lakes with lower electrolyte concentrations, longer water retention times and lower sedimentation rate.     

Population morphological variability of the Daphnia galeata populations (Cladocera: Anomopoda) in the lakes of the Todzha Depression (the Bolshoi Yenisei River Basin)

Comparative study on morphological variability of the polymorphic species Daphnia galeata Sars from the lakes of the Todzha Depression was carried out. The purpose of this study was to estimate the population variability and adaptive opportunities of this species. It was revealed, that almost all samples from the populations were reliably differed from each other based on body size. We did not find any significant differences based on the number of paired spines on postabdomen and fecundity between most of the populations. All individuals were characterized by pointed helmet, and helmet length varied markedly among the populations across the lakes. Moreover, it was found a high morphological variability of helmet length and shape and some traits of head for D. galeata. In spite of the fact that helmet length of D. galeata was extremely variable, the samples from the different lakes organized an overlapping cloud in the space of the second and third principal component axes. We assume that the morphological variation of D. galeata from the lakes of the Todzha Depression belongs to populational and depends on the environmental conditions.     

Effect of Bladex,Etazine, Dicryl,and Baylucide on the growth of Scenedesmus

The effect of Bladex, Etazine, Dicryl, and Baylucide on the growth of the fresh water alga Scenedesmus was investigated. The alga was cultured in various concentrations of the above mentioned pesticides. Scenedesmus was found to be more resistant to Dicryl than to the three other compounds. Dicryl, at a concentration of 2 mg/L, did not lead to complete inhibition of Scenedesmus cells. On the other hand, Bladex, Etazine and Baylucide, at a concentration of 0.5 mg/L, could eliminate the alga from cultures. Examination of Scenedesmus in all testing cultures showed that marked morphological changes and chloroplast disruption occurred especially in the presence of high concentrations of the studied compounds.     

Cesium accumulation by fish following acute input to lakes: a comparison of experimental and Chernobyl-impacted systems

An uptake parameter u (L kg⁻¹ d⁻¹) and a loss rate parameter k (d⁻¹) were estimated for the patterns of accumulation and loss of ¹³³Cs by three fish species following an experimental ¹³³Cs addition into a pond in South Carolina, USA. These u and k parameters were compared to similar estimates for fish from other experimental ponds and from lakes that received ¹³⁷Cs deposition from Chernobyl. Estimates of u from ponds and lakes declined with increasing potassium concentrations in the water column. Although loss rates were greater in the experimental ponds, the times required to reach maximum Cs concentrations in fish were similar between ponds and lakes, because ponds and lakes had similar retentions of Cs in the water column. The maximum Cs concentrations in fish were largely determined by initial Cs concentrations in the water column. These maximum concentrations in fish and the times required to reach these maxima are potentially useful indicators for assessments of risks to humans from fish consumption.     

长江口纹缟虾虎鱼的繁殖生物学特征

研究了长江口水域纹缟虾虎鱼的繁殖生物学。结果如下：(1)纹缟虾虎鱼雌雄亲鱼间形态学特征具有差异，肥满度分别为347±036与217±052，体长/体高、体长/头长、头长/眼径、头长/眼间距等比值存在极显著差异；(2)纹缟虾虎鱼产卵期为3~7月份，盛产期为4~6月份。绝对生殖力平均为12 6892粒，体长相对生殖力平均为2069粒/mm；(3)纹缟虾虎鱼成熟的卵为球形，卵径0482~0606 mm，卵中油球数量10~200个，精子较小，由圆形头部和细长尾部（鞭毛）两个部分组成；(4)纹缟虾虎鱼产卵受精一般在洞穴内进行，而且雄鱼具有护卵习性；(5)纹缟虾虎鱼受精卵呈梨形或者梭形，卵膜端具有由粘丝组成的附着盘，动物极靠近附着盘。纹缟虾虎鱼人工催产与自然繁殖时的受精率分别为7858%与8384%。在17~25℃范围内，纹缟虾虎鱼胚胎均能孵出仔鱼，随着水温上升发育速度加快，温度与孵化时间呈正相关关系，有效积温为3 1283 h·℃。长江口水域生态环境变动可能对纹缟虾虎鱼繁殖及其资源量产生一定影响。     

Morphophysiological adaptation aspects of different Haloxylon aphyllum (Chenopodiaceae) genotypes along a salinity gradient

The seedlings of Haloxylon aphyllum from seeds with different genetic characteristics, which were collected in three natural subpopulations along a soil salinity gradient, were investigated. The plants grown under various levels of NaCl (0–300 mM) differed in the shoot length, the relative growth rate (calculated for fresh and dry biomass), as well as ions and proline contents. The heterozygous genotypes of xerohalophytic H. aphyllum have shown significant advantages in their productivity and sustainability under moderate and high salinity.     

岷江下游干流段鱼类资源现状及其多样性分析

2014~2016年在岷江下游干流开展了4次鱼类资源调查，共采集到鱼类71种（亚种），隶属于3目11科51属，其中包括长江上游特有鱼类16种。不同调查江段鱼类组成相似性指数分析结果显示，宜宾和乐山江段相似性指数最低，70%；宜宾和屏山江段相似性指数最高，9219%。岷江下游干流江段主要经济鱼类为鲤（Cyprinus carpio）、光泽黄颡鱼（Pelteobaggrus nitidus）和瓦氏黄颡鱼（Pelteobagrus vachelli），在岷江下游整个江段渔获物中各占1610%、1396%和1232%。对调查到的71种鱼类产卵类型进行分析结果显示，产粘性卵鱼类和漂流性卵鱼类分别占渔获物总重量的6828%和2707%。不同调查时间和不同江段多样性指数存在差异，其中5~7月份调查到的鱼类多样性指数高于10~12月份调查结果；乐山和犍为江段间鱼类均匀度Pielou指数存在显著差异（P<005）。从调查结果看，岷江下游干流段鱼类种类丰富，渔获物数量较高，但受岷江下游梯级开发的影响，资源前景不容乐观，需加强保护措施。     

Phytoestrogens and mycoestrogens in surface waters — Their sources,occurrence, and potential contribution to estrogenic activity

This review discusses the potential contribution of phytoestrogens and mycoestrogens to in vitro estrogenic activities occurring in surface waters and in vivo estrogenic effects in fish. Main types, sources, and pathways of entry into aquatic environment of these detected compounds were summarized. Reviewed concentrations of phyto/mycoestrogens in surface waters were mostly undetectable or in low ng/L ranges, but exceeded tens of μg/L for the flavonoids biochanin A, daidzein and genistein at some sites. While a few phytosterols were reported to occur at relatively high concentrations in surface waters, information about their potencies in in vitro systems is very limited, and contradictory in some cases. The relative estrogenic activities of compounds (compared to standard estrogen 17β-estradiol) by various in vitro assays were included, and found to differ by orders of magnitude. These potencies were used to estimate total potential estrogenic activities based on chemical analyses of phyto/mycoestrogens. In vivo effective concentrations of waterborne phyto/mycoestrogens were available only for biochanin A, daidzein, formononetin, genistein, equol, sitosterol, and zearalenone. The lowest observable effect concentrations in vivo were reported for the mycoestrogen zearalenone. This compound and especially its metabolites also elicited the highest in vitro estrogenic potencies. Despite the limited information available, the review documents low contribution of phyto/mycoestrogens to estrogenic activity in vast majority of surface waters, but significant contribution to in vitro responses and potentially also to in vivo effects in areas with high concentrations.     

The European whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), under conditions of technogenic pollution in the Kostomuksha tailing pond

The population structure and biological parameters of the European whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), have been analyzed in a technogenically polluted water body. The biochemical state of the whitefish and the fauna and morphology of helminths parasitizing them have been assessed. It is shown that the species composition of the fish, plankton, benthos, and parasite faunas of this water body are depleted and the morphological parameters of common fish parasites are altered. It is noted that, in addition to adaptive rearrangements in biochemical metabolism, the whitefish from the transformed water body are characterized by a reduction in the level of protein synthesis in muscles and the rate of aerobic energy metabolism in the liver and muscles.     

Radium and radium-daughter nuclides in carbonates: a brief overview of strategies for determining chronologies

Radium isotopes have been used extensively to trace the movement of groundwater as well as oceanic water masses, but these radionuclides (and their daughters) are also useful chronometers for the determination of the time scales of other Earth and environmental processes. The purpose of this overview is to present the application of Ra and Ra daughters in the dating of carbonates. We show that the choice of dating method (decay of excess radionuclide or ingrowth of daughter) depends strongly on the parent/daughter activity ratios in the water in which the carbonate was precipitated. Thus freshly precipitated carbonates uniformly show excesses of ²²⁶Ra relative to its parent ²³⁰Th, and ²²⁶Ra decay can provide ages of carbonates over Holocene time scales. In contrast, carbonates are precipitated in waters of greatly varying ²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra. Corals, deep-sea hydrothermal vent clams and the shelled cephalopod Nautilus live in waters with significant dissolved ²¹⁰Pb and all show excesses of ²¹⁰Pb in their carbonate. Bivalve molluscs from nearshore and coastal waters, and carbonates deposited from groundwater environments (e.g. travertines) in which ²¹⁰Pb is efficiently scavenged from solution, show deficiencies of ²¹⁰Pb relative to ²²⁶Ra. In contrast, fish otoliths strongly discriminate against ²¹⁰Pb regardless of the environment in which the fish lives. Deficiencies of ²²⁸Th relative to ²²⁸Ra are common in all carbonates. Useful time ranges for the ²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Th/²²⁸Ra chronometers are ∼100 y and ∼10 y, respectively.     

金沙江二期工程蓄水前下游皎平渡江段产漂流性卵鱼类产卵场现状

为了解金沙江二期工程白鹤滩、乌东德水库蓄水前，金沙江下游产漂流性卵鱼类产卵场现状，2016～2018年在皎平渡江段使用弶网对产漂流性卵鱼类早期资源开展调查。结果显示:金沙江下游皎平渡江段产漂流性卵鱼类有7种，其中长江上游特有鱼类5种，分别为中华金沙鳅（Jinshaia sinensis）、长薄鳅（Leptobotia elongata）、圆口铜鱼（Coreius guichenoti）、长鳍吻鮈（Rhinogobio ventralis）和红唇薄鳅（Leptobotia rubrilabris）。2016～2018年产漂流性卵鱼类产卵量分别为2 140.0×104、2 189.9×104、2 486.2×104粒，产卵场主要分布在元谋县、永仁县、平地镇、金江镇和格里坪镇5个江段。金沙江下游皎平渡以上江段产漂流性卵鱼类产卵规模较大，但在二期工程蓄水后部分江段将成为淹没区，其产卵繁殖活动将会受到一定程度的影响。针对研究结果，建议对乌东德库尾以上干支流流水江段开展生境保护和修复。     

Risk assessment of PCDD/Fs levels in human tissues related to major food items based on chemical analyses and micro-EROD assay

Nine groups of food items (freshwater fish, marine fish, pork, chicken, chicken eggs, leafy, non-leafy vegetables, rice and flour) and three types of human samples (human milk, maternal serum and cord serum) were collected for the analysis of PCDD/Fs. Results of chemical analysis revealed PCDD/Fs concentrations (pg g^− 1 fat) in the following ascending order: pork (0.289 pg g^− 1 fat), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) (freshwater fish) (0.407), golden thread (Nemipterus virgatus) (marine fish) (0.511), chicken (0.529), mandarin fish (Siniperca kneri) (marine fish) (0.535), chicken egg (0.552), and snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) (marine fish) (1.219). The results of micro-EROD assay showed relatively higher PCDD/Fs levels in fish (2.65 pg g^− 1 fat) when compared with pork (0.47), eggs (0.33), chicken (0.13), flour (0.07), vegetables (0.05 pg g^− 1 wet wt) and rice (0.05). The estimated average daily intake of PCDD/Fs of 3.51 pg EROD-TEQ/kg bw/day was within the range of WHO Tolerable Daily Intake (1–4 pg WHO-TEQ/kg bw/day) and was higher than the Provisional Tolerable Daily Intake (PMTL) (70 pg for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs) recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) [Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), Summary and conclusions of the fifty-seventh meeting, JECFA, 2001.]. Nevertheless, the current findings were significantly lower than the TDI (14 pg WHO-TEQ/kg/bw/day) recommended by the Scientific Committee on Food of the Europe Commission [European Scientific Committee on Food (EU SCF), Opinions on the SCF on the risk assessment of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food, 2000.]. However, it should be noted that micro-EROD assay overestimates the PCDD/Fs levels by 2 to 7 folds which may also amplify the PCDD/Fs levels accordingly. Although the levels of PCDD/Fs obtained from micro-EROD assay were much higher than those obtained by chemical analysis by 2 to 7 folds, it provides a cost-effective and rapid screening of dioxin levels in food and human samples.     

Investigating the embryo/larval toxic and genotoxic effects of γ irradiation on zebrafish eggs

Eggs/larval of freshwater fish (Danio rerio) were exposed to low dose rates of external gamma radiation (from 1 to 1000 mGy d⁻¹) over a 20-day period, with the objective of testing the appropriateness of the 10 mGy d⁻¹ guideline suggested by the IAEA. The present study examines different endpoints, mortality and hatching time and success of embryos as well as the genotoxicity of γ-irradiations (after 48 h). The 20-day embryo-larval bioassay showed an enhanced larval resistance to starvation after chronic exposure to γ irradiation (from low 1 mGy d⁻¹ to high dose rate 1000 mGy d⁻¹) and an acceleration in hatching time. Gamma irradiation led to increased genotoxic damage Ito zebrafish egg (40-50% DNA in tail in Comet assay) from the lowest dose rate (1 mGy d⁻¹). Possible mechanisms of γ radiotoxicity and implications for radioprotection are discussed.