Impact of genetic diversity and inbreeding on the life-history of Chironomus midges over consecutive generations

We report results of a multigenerational experiment with Chironomus riparius. Two strains with a high and a low level of genetic variability were exposed to a low, environmentally relevant TBT concentration of 80 μg Sn kg⁻¹ sediment dw nominally (time weighted mean, based on measured concentrations: 4.5 μg Sn kg⁻¹ sediment dw), and various life history traits as well as genetic diversity were monitored for eleven consecutive generations. While TBT effects are hardly visible in the outbred and genetically diverse strain, the inbred and genetically impoverished strain shows a clearly reduced population growth rate compared to the control. Moreover, the impoverished strain shows an increase in fitness over time. Analyses of variation at five microsatellite loci revealed that the level of genetic variation is strongly reduced in the inbred compared to the outbred strain. Moreover, genetic diversity increases over time in the inbred strain. This finding explains the observed increase in fitness in both inbred lineages (control and TBT exposed). The results document that inbreeding and the level of genetic diversity might be of crucial importance in populations under pollution stress. Furthermore, ecotoxicological bioassays have to consider genetic diversity if results between laboratories should be comparable. Our data provides evidence that genetic diversity strongly contributes to the survival of a population exposed to chemical pollution.     

Subcellular distribution and toxicity of cadmium in Potamogeton crispus L

The submerged macrophyte Potamogeton crispus L. was subjected to varying doses of cadmium (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 μM) for 7 d, and the plants were analyzed for subcellular distribution of Cd, accumulation of mineral nutrients, photosynthesis, oxidative stress, protein content, and ultrastructural distribution of calcium (Ca). Leaf fractionation by differential centrifugation indicated that 48-69% of Cd was accumulated in the cell wall. At all doses of Cd, the levels of Ca and B rose and the level of Mn fell; the levels of Fe, Mg, Zn, Cu, Mo, and P rose initially only to decline later. Exposure to Cd caused oxidative stress as evident by increased content of malondialdehyde and decreased contents of chlorophyll and protein. Photosynthetic efficiency, as indicated by the quenching of chlorophyll a fluorescence (Fv/Fm, Fo and Fm), decreased significantly, the extent of decrease being directly proportional to the concentration of Cd. Increased amounts of precipitates of calcium were noticed in the treated plants, located either outside the cell membrane or in chloroplasts, mitochondria, the nucleus, and the cytoplasm whereas control plants showed small deposits of the precipitates around surface of the vacuole membrane and in the intercellular space but rarely in the cytoplasm. Photosynthetic efficiency and oxidative stress could be used as indicators of physiological end-points in determining the extent of Cd phytotoxicity.     

Altered toxicity of organic pollutants in water originated from simultaneous exposure to UV photolysis and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

The paper reports unforeseen results of increased toxicity of water, subsequent to interactions between CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), phenol and toluene under UV irradiation. The consistent pattern of changes in measured toxicity (TU) was observed and correlated with degradation of phenol and/or toluene. Spearman rank coefficients (SRCs) for data pairs sum-parameters vs. TU were calculated. The highest correlation between toxicity and degradation by-products was observed for hydroquinone (0.86) and catechol (0.89). The presence of QDs in tested concentration range in the absence of UV has shown low toxicity and no interactions with phenol and/or toluene. The leak of constituent core and shell metal ions was observed. The minor differences in physical characteristics of tested QDs of the same chemical composition led to rather different degradation patterns of phenol and toluene, and the amount of leak of the metal ions as well.     

Prymnesium parvum: The Texas Experience1

Southard, Gregory M., Loraine T. Fries, and Aaron Barkoh, 2010. Prymnesium parvum: The Texas Experience. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(1):14-23. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00387.x Abstract: Golden alga Prymnesium parvum was first identified in Texas during a fish kill investigation on the Pecos River in 1985. Since then golden alga kills occurred sporadically in a variety of waters in the western part of the state until 2001 when the alga became endemic in the Brazos, Canadian, Colorado, Red, and Rio Grande river systems, including the water supplies of two public fish hatcheries, the Possum Kingdom and Dundee state fish hatcheries. The increasing area adversely affected by the alga and frequent massive fish kills heightened public and political awareness and concerns regarding the ecological and economic impacts of P. parvum blooms. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the wildlife conservation agency of the state, responded to these concerns with a program to assess the ecological and economic impacts and to develop management options. To date 33 water bodies have been affected and losses are conservatively estimated at 34 million fish valued at US$13 million. Several sport fisheries, including smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, striped bass Morone saxatilis, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus, have been severely affected. Additionally, 26 imperiled fish species occur in the affected water basins and some have been adversely affected. Economic losses associated with reduced fishing and other water-based recreational activities appear considerable. The combined economic losses to three counties (Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Young) surrounding Possum Kingdom reservoir for 2001 and 2003 were estimated at US$2.8 million and US$1.1 million, respectively. This paper describes how the TPWD responded to public and political concerns relative to the emergence of golden alga, its harmful effects to fisheries, and its historic and current statewide distribution.     

Environmental Exposure of Aquatic and Terrestrial Biota to Triclosan and Triclocarban1

Abstract: The synthetic biocides triclosan (5‐chloro‐2‐(2,4‐dichlorophenoxy)phenol) and triclocarban (3,4,4′‐trichlorocarbanilide) are routinely added to a wide array of antimicrobial personal care products and consumer articles. Both compounds can persist in the environment and exhibit toxicity toward a number of biological receptors. Recent reports of toxicological effects in wildlife, human cell cultures, and laboratory animals have heightened the interest in the occurrence of these biocide and related toxic effects. The present study aimed to summarize published environmental concentrations of biocides and contrast them with toxicity threshold values of susceptible organisms. Environmental occurrences and toxicity threshold values span more than six orders of magnitude in concentration. The highest biocide levels, measured in the mid parts‐per‐million range, were determined to occur in aquatic sediments and in municipal biosolids destined for land application. Crustacea and algae were identified as the most sensitive species, susceptible to adverse effects from biocide exposures in the parts‐per‐trillion range. An overlap of environmental concentrations and toxicity threshold values was noted for these more sensitive organisms, suggesting potential adverse ecological effects in aquatic environments. Affirmative evidence for this is lacking, however, since studies examining environmental occurrences of biocides vis‐à‐vis the health and diversity of aquatic species have not yet been conducted.     

单核Zn(Ⅱ)水合和水解形态的量子化学计算

利用量子化学计算气相中锌离子各种水合和水解形态的几何结构、电荷分布以及水合和水解反应的Gibbs自由能变和焓变．结果表明,除了水合锌离子外,锌离子各种水解络合物的配位数均小于6;对于深度水解产物Zn（OH）3^-和Zn（OH）4^2-,内层无水分子的键合．水合作用和水解作用互相抑制,水合作用阻碍了水解产物进一步水解（Zn（OH）2除外）,水解作用使得水合变得困难．内层键合水分子数的增加降低了水合形态中Zn上的电荷,使得水解形态Zn上的电荷升高．     

罗红霉素对大型溞生殖生长及抗氧化系统的影响

罗红霉素（ROX）在水环境中广泛赋存,并产生一定的生态毒理效应.为了进一步认知ROX对水生生物的负面影响,以大型溞为模式生物研究了ROX在生殖、生长及抗氧化系统方面的急慢性毒理效应.结果发现ROX对大型溞的急性毒性等级为Ⅲ级（48h-LC₅₀为60.26 mg·L^-1,96h-LC₅₀为39.81 mg·L^-1）.0.5 μg·L^-1和50 μg·L^-1的ROX均显著增加了大型溞的产卵胎次,提高了大型溞的产卵总量和每胎产卵量.暴露初期ROX改变了大型溞的性成熟时间,大型溞通过调节产卵胎数和单胎产卵数量,弥补ROX造成的环境胁迫,50 μg·L^-1 ROX显著提升了大型溞的内禀增长率.ROX暴露组中大型溞均出现了体长变短、心率失调和游泳活性抑制现象.50 μg·L^-1 ROX对POD（过氧化物酶）、CAT（过氧化氢酶）和GSH-Px（谷胱甘肽）的抑制率接近50%,对MDA（丙二醛）的诱导甚至超过100%,造成机体内活性氧蓄积,损伤细胞膜.大型溞通过上调per06表达,增强体内免疫应答,但gst和gst-theta表达受到抑制下调,解毒作用减弱,ROX抑制了大型溞jhe、ecra、ecrb、rxr、vg1、vg2和vit-2基因表达,致使保幼激素和甲状腺激素分泌紊乱和卵黄蛋白合成受阻,影响其生长发育和种群稳定.本结果为水环境中ROX对水生生物的生殖和生长及在蛋白水平和基因水平的响应提供了借鉴.     

A photolysis coefficient for characterizing the response of aqueous constituents to photolysis

UV photolysis and UV based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are gaining more and more attention for drinking water treatment. Quantum yield (ø) and molar absorption coefficient (ε) are the two critical parameters measuring the effectiveness of photolysis of a compound. The product of the two was proposed as a fundamental measure of a constituent’s amenability to transformation by photolysis. It was shown that this product, named the photolysis coefficient, k _p , can be determined using standard bench tests and captures the properties that govern a constituent’s transformation when exposed to light. The development showed the photolysis coefficient to be equally useful for microbiological, inorganic and organic constituents. Values of k _p calculated by the authors based on quantum yield and molar absorption coefficient data from the literature were summarized. Photolysis coefficients among microorganisms ranged from 8500 to more than 600000 and are far higher than for inorganic and organic compounds, which varied over a range of approximately 10 to 1000 and are much less sensitive to UV photolysis than the microorganisms.     

毒理学领域的新思维：功能基因组学在毒理学中的应用

功能医学要求应用国际上最先进的检查技术定量检查反应器官功能的各种分子,从而评估器官功能。将功能医学应用到毒理学研究中,必将更早发现环境中有害因素对人体的早期损害,因此它能够将毒理学研究推向一个新高度。