<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bonitasaura salgadoi</Emphasis> gen. et sp. nov.: a beaked sauropod from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia

Ornithischian and theropod dinosaurs were morphologically diverse during the Cretaceous. In contrast, sauropods were relatively more conservative. The anatomy of Bonitasaura salgadoi, a new 9-m titanosaurian sauropod from Upper Cretaceous beds of Patagonia, suggests that sauropod anatomical diversity would have included unexpected items. Its unusual, rectangular lower jaw possesses narrow, anteriorly restricted teeth and shows evidence of a sharp keratinous sheath over the non-dentigerous region that probably worked to guillotine plant material. This discovery definitely demonstrates that titanosaurs acquired a mandibular configuration similar to that of some basal diplodocoids, as had already been suggested by the lower jaw of the controversial genus Antarctosaurus. This oral configuration, plus the beak-like structure and the skull shape, resemble some traits more commonly seen in Laurasian ornithischians, mostly unexpressed in southern continents. A high sauropod morphological diversity seems to be in agreement with the poorly represented ornithischian clades of the southern hemisphere.Communicated by G. Mayr     

黄油中多氯二苯并二恶英、二苯并呋喃以及相关污染物的世界性调查

一般来说,人类接触到的持久性有机污染物(POPs)主要来源于食物.本研究分析了来自37个国家的64份黄油样品中的多氯二苯并二恶英(PCDDs),多氯二苯并呋喃(PCDFs),多氯联苯同类物(PCBs),六氯苯(HCB)和双对氯苯基三氯乙烷(DDT)及其主要代谢产物,从而估计其在全世界的污染状况.本研究的目的是对黄油中的有机卤素污染物的存在状况进行估计,探寻地区差异,并且对黄油中的PCDDs/Fs和类二恶英PCBs的毒性当量(TEQs)进行测定.研究发现韩国黄油中的PCDD/F浓度最高,平均1.4pgTEQ/g脂重(l.w.),额外还有0.55 pg TEQ/g脂重来自非原多氯联苯和单原多氯联苯.比利时黄油中的PCDDs/Fs和PCBs的平均浓度分别为0.53和1.2 pgTEQ/g脂重,但是来自比利时的黄油中有一份的TEQ水平高达4.0pgTEQ/g脂重.来自葡萄牙的5份黄油样品中有3份的PCDD/FTEQ水平较高.欧洲黄油中∑PCB的水平比来自世界其它地区的要高一些.CB-153平均占到总PCB含量的22%(SD 6.4,变异系数为29%).总体上来说,PCBs占到总TEQ值的大约60%,这其中CB-126占了大约一半.这表明类二恶英PCBs在总TEQs中占有重要份额.来自俄罗斯、乌克兰、比利时和斯洛文尼亚的黄油样品的HCB水平最高.南半球地区黄油的HCB通常比较低.来自东欧国家的黄油样品的∑DDT浓度比较高,特别是来自乌克兰的样品,其次是一些来自俄罗斯、巴西和美国的样品.     

A comparative study of the performance of passive samplers

Atmospheric concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (o-xylene and m,p-xylene) were assessed in the Tricity area (Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia, Poland) with the use of two types of passive samplers: permeation (homemade passive samplers) and diffusive (Radiello and Orsa 5). Samples were collected during 2008 at selected sites in the Tricity area at monitoring stations belonging to the agency of Regional Air Quality Monitoring Foundation. The field study was conducted to compare the performance of these two different types of passive samplers. A statistical approach was formulated, and the experimental data were evaluated using the paired t test, Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test, and Friedman analysis of variance. All the statistical results confirm the hypothesis that the differences between the performances of the three sampling devices are highly significant. Despite the fact that data obtained with the homemade passive sampler indicated that the results were higher compared with those for the Radiello and Orsa 5 diffusive samplers, the authors note that all differences between the homemade permeation sampler and the Radiello and Orsa 5 diffusive samplers are positive.     

Mean annual (222)Rn concentration in homes located in different geological regions of Poland: first approach to whole country area

The paper presents the results of year-long measurements of radon (²²²Rn) concentration inside 129 buildings in Poland in relation to the geological conditions of their foundation. The authors took into account the division of the country into tectonic units, as well as the lithology of the rocks forming the bedrock of these buildings. As expected, the highest value of mean annual ²²²Rn concentration (845 Bq/m³) was recorded in a building situated in the area of the Sudetes, while the highest geometric mean (characteristic of the expected log-normal data distribution) was calculated based on measurements from buildings located within the East-European craton, in the area of Mazury-Podlasie monocline, where it reached 231 Bq/m³. Such results reflect geological conditions - the occurrence of crystalline rocks (especially U- and Ra-enriched granites and orthogneisses) on the surface in the Sudetes, and of young post-glacial sediments containing fragments of Scandinavian crystalline rocks, also enriched with U and Ra, in the area of Mazury-Podlasie monocline. However, the least expected result of the investigations was finding out that, contrary to the hitherto widespread belief, none of the major tectonic units of Poland can be excluded from the list of those containing buildings with mean annual ²²²Rn concentration exceeding 200 Bq/m³. The mean annual concentration of radon for all the buildings were much higher than the mean concentration value (49.1 Bq/m³) of indoor radon in Poland quoted so far. These results cast a completely new light on the necessity to perform measurements of radon concentration in residential buildings in Poland, no more with reference to small areas with outcrops of crystalline rocks (especially the Sudetes, being the Polish fragment of the European Variscan belt), but for all the major tectonic units within Poland.     

Persistence of two neonicotinoid insecticides in wastewater, and in aqueous solutions of surfactants and dissolved organic matter

Wastewater treatment plants receive organic contaminants, such as pesticides, which reach the sewage system from domestic, industrial or agricultural activities. In wastewater, which is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, biotic or abiotic degradation of contaminants can be affected by the presence of co-solutes. The photodecomposition in natural sunlight of two neonicotinoid insecticides, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid, was investigated in wastewater, aqueous extracts of sewage sludge and in aqueous surfactant solutions, which are abundant in wastewater. Dissipation in the dark was also studied in wastewater, due to reduction of transmitted sunlight in wastewater ponds. With regard to photolysis, thiamethoxam degraded rapidly in all the aqueous solutions. Among them sewage sludge extracts slightly modified (average half-life 17.6 h), wastewater increased (13.7 h) and non-ionic surfactants led, as a family, to the highest dissipation rates (average 6.2 h), with respect to control water (18.7 h). Additionally this pesticide also underwent a slower biodegradation process in wastewater in the dark under anaerobic conditions (around 25 d). A metabolite of thiamethoxam from the biological decomposition in wastewater was identified by HPLC/MS. On the other hand thiacloprid was found to be resistant to photo- and biodecomposition and remained almost unchanged during the experimental periods in all the tested media.     

Phenol electrooxidation on Fe-Co3O4 thin film electrodes in alkaline medium

Fe-Co₃O₄ thin film with different amounts of Fe have been used for the electro-oxidation of phenol in alkaline medium at room temperature. The electrodes were prepared by coating stainless steel supports with successive layers of the oxides, obtained by thermal decomposition at 673 K. The electrolysis was carried out at constant potential and the phenol disappearance, during the electrolysis, was monitored by UV-Vis absorbance measurements between 250 and 500 nm. After 3 h of electrolysis, the intermediates were identified by comparing the HPLC data and UV-Vis spectra to those from pure standards. The results indicate that the same oxidation products are formed on the different prepared electrodes, namely the decomposition products of phenol such as benzoquinone, hydroquinone and cathecol in basic medium. Simulated results show clearly the decrease of the amount of phenolic species with the electrolysis time. An enhancement of the phenol removal is observed with the presence of iron in the oxide. Under the operating conditions, around 30% of the initial phenol has been removed at ca. 3 h and the complete degradation is obtained after 54 h of electrolysis, when Fe-Co₃O₄ thin film with 10% of Fe is used as anode.     

Differences between carbon dioxide levels over suburban and rural sites in Northern Spain

Purpose  

A comparison between suburban and rural atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in Northern Spain is made.     

Exploratory data analysis in the study of 7Be present in atmospheric aerosols

Purpose

Exploratory data analysis (EDA) is applied in this research to study the behavior of radioactive aerosols present in the surface atmosphere of Granada, using ⁷Be as radiotracer. The reason for this study is to reduce the large number of parameters involved in understanding their behavior, given the complexity of the atmosphere.

Methods

Aerosol particles were collected weekly in Granada (Spain) over a 5-year period. Low-background gamma spectrometry was used to determine concentrations of ⁷Be-aerosol activity. The variables studied were: ⁷Be concentration, cosmic ray intensity, temperature, temperature interval, rainfall, relative humidity, and Saharan intrusions. Least significant difference test (LSD), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation have been applied to study the datasets.

Results and discussion

The results of our study reveal that aerosol behavior is represented by two principal components which explain 86.23?% of total variance. Components PC1 and PC2 respectively explain 74.61 and 11.62?% of total variance. PC1 explains the cyclical and seasonal pattern of the samples, while PC2 is related to the production of ⁷Be. In addition, PCA and HCA show good distribution of the samples by families with two groups, summer and winter, at the extremes and spring?Cautumn in the middle. This result corroborates that there are no differences between spring and autumn in the climate of Granada.

Conclusions

EDA has been found to be quite useful in studying the behavior of radioactive aerosols in the surface atmosphere of a city with the climate and geographical characteristics of Granada.     

Assessing the chemical and biological accessibility of the herbicide isoproturon in soil amended with biochar

Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a cyclic volatile methyl siloxane (cVMS) commonly found in commercially available products. D5 is expected to enter the terrestrial environment through the deposit of biosolids from sewage treatment plants onto agricultural fields for nutrient enrichment. Little to no information currently exists as to the risks of D5 to the terrestrial environment. In order to evaluate the potential risk to terrestrial organisms, the toxicity of a D5 contaminated biosolid in an agricultural soil was assessed with a battery of standardized soil toxicity tests.D5 was spiked into a surrogate biosolid and then mixed with a sandy loam soil to create test concentrations ranging from 0 to 4074 mg kg⁻¹. Plant (Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Trifolium pratense (red clover)) and soil invertebrates (Eisenia andrei (earthworm) and Folsomia candida (springtail)) toxicity tests were completed to assess for lethal and sub-lethal effects. Plant testing evaluated the effects on seedling emergence, shoot and root length, and shoot and root dry mass. Invertebrate test endpoints included adult lethality, juvenile production, and individual juvenile dry mass (earthworms only). Soil samples were collected over time to confirm test concentrations and evaluate the loss of chemical over the duration of a test. The toxicity of the D5 was species and endpoint dependent, such that no significant adverse effects were observed for T. pratense or E. andrei test endpoints, however, toxicity was observed for H. vulgare plant growth and F. candida survival and reproduction. Chemical losses of up to 50% were observed throughout the tests, most significantly at high concentrations.     

Mercury, lead and cadmium in human milk in relation to diet, lifestyle habits and sociodemographic variables in Madrid (Spain)

Background

Although breastfeeding is the ideal way of nurturing infants, it can be a source of exposure to toxicants. This study reports the concentration of Hg, Pb and Cd in breast milk from a sample of women drawn from the general population of the Madrid Region, and explores the association between metal levels and socio-demographic factors, lifestyle habits, diet and environmental exposures, including tobacco smoke, exposure at home and occupational exposures.

Methods

Breast milk was obtained from 100 women (20 mL) at around the third week postpartum. Pb, Cd and Hg levels were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Metal levels were log-transformed due to non-normal distribution. Their association with the variables collected by questionnaire was assessed using linear regression models. Separate models were fitted for Hg, Pb and Cd, using univariate linear regression in a first step. Secondly, multivariate linear regression models were adjusted introducing potential confounders specific for each metal. Finally, a test for trend was performed in order to evaluate possible dose-response relationships between metal levels and changes in variables categories.

Results

Geometric mean Hg, Pb and Cd content in milk were 0.53 μg L⁻¹, 15.56 μg L⁻¹, and 1.31 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Decreases in Hg levels in older women and in those with a previous history of pregnancies and lactations suggested clearance of this metal over lifetime, though differences were not statistically significant, probably due to limited sample size. Lead concentrations increased with greater exposure to motor vehicle traffic and higher potato consumption. Increased Cd levels were associated with type of lactation and tended to increase with tobacco smoking.

Conclusions

Surveillance for the presence of heavy metals in human milk is needed. Smoking and dietary habits are the main factors linked to heavy metal levels in breast milk. Our results reinforce the need to strengthen national food safety programs and to further promote avoidance of unhealthy behaviors such as smoking during pregnancy.