A screening procedure to measure the effect of uncertainty in air emission estimates

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - Emission inventories are compiled at regional level. When these sources of information are used, uncertainty of emission estimates is never...     

Intraventricular haemorrhage in a fetus with cerebral cytomegalovirus infection

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious cause of prenatal neurological damage, which is particularly severe when primary maternal infection occurs during the first 16 weeks of gestation, at the time of organ development and neuronal migration. Vascular involvement has been suggested to be among thepossible pathogenic mechanisms of virus-induced pathology, in addition to direct viral effects. We report on a fetus with cerebral CMV infection, which had intraventricular haemorrhage, together with oligohydramnios and hyperechogenic bowel, following maternal primary CMV infection. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors Affecting the Conservation of Nutrients in Estuarine Waters of the River Tiber

The estuarine processes which can influence the release of nutrients of the River Tiber into the Tyrrhenian Sea have been studied. A conservative behaviour has been found for silicate in different hydrographic conditions.

For nitrogen, positive increments in respect of the dilution values were found in summer, due to regeneration processes; on the contrary a conservative behaviour was observed when seawater did not intrude into the river.

Dissolved phosphorus showed, in all the hydrographic conditions, a positive deviation in respect of the theoretical dilution values. This deviation has been attributed to regeneration processes which take place during the summer period. The chemical release of phosphate from particulate matter is predominant when the saline wedge is absent.     

Simultaneous determination of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) by derivative stripping chronopotentiometry in Pittosporum tobira leaves: a measurement of local atmospheric pollution in Messina (Sicily, Italy)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the bio-accumulation of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) in Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) Aiton leaves sampled in different zones of Messina, in order to assess the level of atmospheric metal deposition in correlation with the traffic volume. Derivative stripping chronopotentiometry was used as a practical, precise and sensitive technique to determine simultaneously Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn levels in Pittosporum leaves. In the optimised electro-chemical conditions, detection limits lower than 0.05 microg kg(-1) were achieved, whereas the accuracy, expressed as obtained recoveries from certified materials, was in the range 93.5-102.7%. The obtained data provided evidence that Cd and Pb levels significantly decreased from high to low traffic density zones (p < 0.005, ANOVA), whereas Cu and Zn are accumulated by plants particularly from the soil and their contents is not related to the traffic volume.     

Brominated flame retardant concentrations and trends in abiotic media

BFR burdens in abiotic media have been less studied than in biota, despite their essential value as an aide to identifying sources, temporal and geographic trends and exposure routes. Many polymer products consist of several percent by weight of BFRs. Global trade in these can result in rapid and wholesale BFR movement. Loss from in-use products of nonreactive BFRs may be important, particularly in respect to indoor exposure. In the case of BDE-209, discharges from publicly owned treatment works may be substantial. BFR burdens in air, water and sewage sludge respond rapidly to changes in environmental BFR inputs. PBDEs have been the most widely studied. In many locales PBDE burdens in these media now surpass those of PCBs. Air and water near sources and urban areas are typically enriched relative to rural locales. The more volatile PBDEs dominate in the vapor phase, while BDE-209 typically predominates on particulates. Evidence exists for long-range transport of the more volatile PBDEs. A greater diversity of BFRs (mostly PBDEs, HBCD and TBBP-A) has been detected in sewage sludges. Land application of these sludges on agricultural fields is one conduit for soil contamination. In general, environmental concentrations of BDE-209 appear to be increasing, while penta-BDE burdens in Europe may have peaked. Sediments function as longer-term integrators of environmental burdens. Concentrations of common BFRs therein may be substantial near point sources. Evidence for debromination in the environment has been limited to date. However, some laboratory and field observations suggest it is possible to a limited extent.     

Cryptobenthic fishes of the “Ciclopi Islands” marine reserve (central Mediterranean Sea): assemblage composition,structure and relations with habitat features

The fish assemblage of the Ciclopi Islands marine reserve, which is located along the eastern coast of Sicily (Central Mediterranean), was unknown until our study provided insight into the cryptobenthic fish assemblage inhabiting this integral reserve zone. Visual census surveys were periodically conducted along the littoral rocky shores of Lachea, the largest island of the Ciclopi archipelago. The fish assemblage, which comprised 20 species belonging to Blenniidae, Gobiidae, Tripterygiidae, Scorpaenidae and Gobiesocidae, was dominated by Scorpaena maderensis and Trypterigion delaisi. Species richness (S) did not show significant differences between the northern, eastern, southern and western island coasts, whereas both species diversity (H) and evenness (J) were significantly higher on the western coast than on the northern coast. The effect of the island coast on fish density was not significant with regard to the whole assemblage or to single species, except for S. maderensis and T. delaisi. The pattern of variation of assemblage parameters was mainly positively correlated with microhabitat variables, especially substratum composition and type of cover. The best predictors of fish total density were bottom slope, rugosity and substratum composition. Variations in relative species density were specified by a different combination of macro- and microhabitat variables. The density pattern of S. maderensis showed a positive relationship with depth. In T. delaisi, the influence of slope was interrelated to that of exposure to waves. This species preferentially inhabited flat habitat, sheltered from the open sea and covered by small boulders, but also more-exposed rockwalls. The population densities of Tripterygion melanurus and Lipophrys trigloides were negatively affected by depth, thus reflecting their preference for the upper infralittoral. T. melanurus was associated with a more complex habitat (stones and boulders), whereas L. trigloides was mainly censused on a narrow strip of solid rock between the waterline and 1 m depth.Communicated by R. Cattaneo-Vietti, Genova     

Assimilation,inter-organ transfer and excretion of americium in two teleost fish

Label="Radiotracer" gaAction="reference keyword">Radiotracer experiments were performed (February–April, 1982) to study the assimilation and metabolism of the transuranium nuclide americium-241 in the marine teleosts Serranus scriba (Linnaeus, 1758) and Scorpaena notata Rafinesque, 1810, caught off the Label="Monaco" gaAction="reference keyword">Monaco coast. Fish fed with ²⁴¹Am-labelled food showed that assimilation of this radionuclide takes place through the gastrointestinal walls and that the small fraction accumulated is incorporated mainly in the skin, muscle and skeleton. Gut-transfer coefficients were similar in both species and averaged 0.7% (range 0.1 to 1.7%) of the ingested activity. The calculated biological half-lives for loss of the absorbed fraction ranged between 49 and 61 d for Serranus scriba and 12 and 117 d for Scorpaena notata. Results from an intramuscular injection experiment indicated that ²⁴¹Am was retained mainly in the liver, skin and skeleton; the fraction accumulated by muscle was very low. Liver displayed a relatively short biological half-time for ²⁴¹Am loss of roughly 24 d. Routes of ²⁴¹Am excretion from the teleosts appear to be through the kidneys, gills and feces with bile serving as a possible excretion route from the liver. From the limited amount of published information available for comparison, experimental evidence is presented which suggests that ²⁴¹Am taken up via the food chain is more biologically available to marine fish than is plutonium.     

Feeding habits of the Madeira rockfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scorpaena maderensis</Emphasis> from central Mediterranean Sea

In order to assess diet composition and niche breadth of this species, we analysed the stomach content of 182 specimens collected monthly along the eastern coast of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). Overall, 50 prey taxa belonging to five major groups (algae, gastropods, crustaceans, polychaetes, fishes) were identified in 102 full stomachs. Benthic or epibenthic crustaceans, such as decapods, amphipods and isopods were the most important prey, whereas algae, gastropods, polychaetes and fishes were only occasionally ingested. In terms of composition by species, the diet of Scorpaena maderensis was characterized by a variety of rare or unimportant prey, which was consumed by few individuals only, although sometimes in large amount. As a result, S. maderensis can be considered a generalized and opportunistic feeder. The feeding intensity followed roughly a seasonal trend, with a minimum food intake in summer. The individual fish size was the most important factor affecting diet. According to the observed ontogenetic shift, small-sized individuals fed primarily on small crustaceans (i.e. amphipods and isopods), whereas large-sized specimens consumed preferably bigger and more vagile prey, such as walking and swimming decapods. No significant differences in diet were observed in relation to sex of predator and sampling season.