Bioaccumulation of trace elements in wild-growing edible mushrooms from Lubuskie voivodeship,Poland

Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni and Zn contents were quantified for three wild-growing edible species of macrofungi (Boletus edulis, Macrolepiota procera and Cantharellus cibarius) and underlying soil samples collected at forest sites in Lubuskie voivodeship, Poland. The total concentration of the analysed elements was determined using an ASA iCE 3000 series atomic absorption spectrometer. The analysis found significant differences in bioaccumulation between species and differing distributions of trace elements in the caps and stalks of fruiting bodies. Bioaccumulation factors revealed that Zn and Cu are the most bioaccumulated elements, whereas Cr and Mn are excluded from bioaccumulation. Macrolepiota procera showed the highest bioaccumulation of Cu, and Zn is accumulated to the greatest extent by Boletus edulis. A few significant differences (p≤0.05) between the examined species were observed.     

Catalytic wet-air oxidation of a chemical plant wastewater over platinum-based catalysts.

Catalytic wet-air oxidation (CWAO) of wastewater (chemical oxygen demand [COD] = 1800 mg O2/dm3) from a fine chemicals plant was investigated in a fixed-bed reactor at T = 393-473 K under total pressure of 5.0 or 8.0 MPa. Catalysts containing 0.3% wt. of platinum deposited on two supports, mixed silica-titania (SM1) and carbon black composites (CBC) were used. The CBC-supported catalyst appeared to be more active than the SM1-supported one. A slow decrease of activity of the platinum on SM1 (Pt-SM1) during the long-term operation is attributed to recrystallization of titania and leaching of a support component, while the Pt-CBC catalyst is deteriorated, owing to combustion of the support component. The power-law-kinetic equations were used to describe the rate of COD removal at CWAO over the catalysts. The kinetic parameters of COD reduction for the wastewater were determined and compared with the kinetic parameters describing phenol oxidation over the same catalysts. Rates of COD removal for the wastewater were found higher than those for phenol oxidation over the same catalysts and under identical operating conditions.     

Two-dimensional gap analysis: a tool for efficient conservation planning and biodiversity policy implementation

The maintenance of biodiversity by securing representative and well-connected habitat networks in managed landscapes requires a wise combination of protection, management, and restoration of habitats at several scales. We suggest that the integration of natural and social sciences in the form of "Two-dimensional gap analysis" is an efficient tool for the implementation of biodiversity policies. The tool links biologically relevant "horizontal" ecological issues with "vertical" issues related to institutions and other societal issues. Using forest biodiversity as an example, we illustrate how one can combine ecological and institutional aspects of biodiversity conservation, thus facilitating environmentally sustainable regional development. In particular, we use regional gap analysis for identification of focal forest types, habitat modelling for ascertaining the functional connectivity of "green infrastructures", as tools for the horizontal gap analysis. For the vertical dimension we suggest how the social sciences can be used for assessing the success in the implementation of biodiversity policies in real landscapes by identifying institutional obstacles while implementing policies. We argue that this interdisciplinary approach could be applied in a whole range of other environments including other terrestrial biota and aquatic ecosystems where functional habitat connectivity, nonlinear response to habitat loss and a multitude of economic and social interests co-occur in the same landscape.     

The impact of pesticides on oxidative stress level in human organism and their activity as an endocrine disruptor

Pesticides cause serious environmental and health problems both to humans and animals. The aim of this review is to discuss selected herbicides and fungicides regarding their mode of action and their influence on basic oxidative stress parameters and endocrine disruption properties tested in selected cell cultures in vitro. Because of numerous difficulties which animal studies are subject to, cell cultures are an excellent experimental model reflecting human exposure to different pesticides through all relevant routes. This experimental model can be used to monitor aggregate and cumulative pesticide exposures.     

Cadmium availability to the cyanobacterium Synechocystis aquatilis in solutions containing chloride

Availability of cadmium to Synechocystis aquatilis (estimated by 109Cd sorption and cadmium toxicity-14C method) in solutions containing cadmium and complexing (KCl) or non-complexing (KNO3) salts, in the range of 0-0.5 m was investigated. Both cadmium surface adsorption and transport into the cells were lower in solutions containing cadmium chloride complexes (CdCl+, CdCl2, CdCl3-) than in those containing cadmium in the form of Cd2+. Also, cadmium toxicity in solutions of higher KCl concentrations, in which CdCl+ and CdCl2 forms predominated, was significantly limited.     

用作固定SRB碳源的玉米芯的最佳改性条件

针对现阶段玉米芯作为SRB污泥颗粒内聚碳源所带来碳源释放不佳的问题,选用碱性H2O2对玉米芯进行改性,制备成SRB污泥颗粒处理AMD,经过单因素实验和正交实验分析,对玉米芯的最佳改性条件进行研究。结果表明,当玉米芯改性时间24 h,NaOH浓度为6%,H2O2浓度为1.5%,可制得最佳改性玉米芯。制备成SRB污泥颗粒处理AMD后,SO42-、Mn2+和Fe2+去除率分别为93%、78%和95%,较未改性提高了29%、3%和23%;COD释放量为215 mg·L-1,较未改性减少了545 mg·L-1;Fe2+剩余量为1.5 mg·L-1,较未改性减少了1.1 mg·L-1;溶液pH为7.8。同时经SEM和XRD分析,发现改性玉米芯颗粒较未改性玉米芯颗粒相比,内部结构变得的疏松多孔,且大分子物质被分解为小分子物质,可以更好被SRB所利用。说明了该改性法可以改善玉米芯的碳释性能,为微生物处理AMD的工程应用提供技术参考。     

The use of mosses and pine needles to detect persistent organic pollutants at local and regional scales

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analysed in mosses (Hypnum cupressiforme) and pine needles (Pinus sylvestris) collected in the Czech Republic between 1988-94 at a regional background site in Kosetice, south Bohemia (1988-94) and two industrial sources. One industrial site (sampled 1989-91) in middle Moravia, was near a factory producing PAHs, carbon black and phthalates, the other (sampled 1991-93) near a coal and gas fuel production plant in western Bohemia. Selected chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyl congeners were also analysed in samples at the regional background site. This study clearly shows that vegetation sampling can be used to show spatial differences in the atmospheric burden of a range of persistent organic pollutants with differences in the mixtures of compounds reflecting differences in their regional or local use/atmospheric emission.     

Determination of phthalates in particulate matter and gaseous phase emitted in indoor air of offices

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phthalate esters (PAEs) are endocrine disrupters and can disrupt the functioning of different hormones, causing adverse effects on human health. Due...     

Urinary level of homovanillic acid and mercury in autistic children

Catecholamines and their metabolites affect children's nervous system. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the brain. In the routine analysis for diagnostics of diseases, the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) is determined. Mercury is a neurotoxic agent and can cause different undesirable effects on the brain. In the present work a putative correlation between HVA, the main metabolite of dopamine, and mercury in urine of healthy and autistic children was studied. The level of HVA was higher in the urine of autistic children (14.5 ± 8.3 mg L^?1) compared to generally healthy children (4.4 ± 0.5 mg L^?1). The level of mercury in the urine of autistic children was lower (0.36 ± 0.24 µg L^?1) than in the urine of healthy children (2.1 ± 1.0 µg L^?1) showing that there is no correlation between HVA and mercury.