In vitro kinetic characterization of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by organophosphate and carbamate compounds in food animals

Organophosphate, dichlorvos (2,2-dichlorovinyldimethylphosphate, DDVP), and diazinon (DZN) as well as carbamates are currently found in contaminated water, dust, soil, agricultural waste, and elsewhere in the environment, and can be harmful after accidental or deliberate exposure. Intoxication by these compounds causes a generalized cholinergic crisis due to the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), whose major physiological role in mammalian tissues is in nervous transmission. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) was found to be higher for carbaryl than DDVP and DZN, about 3–4 times in liver and about 4–6 times in muscles. The half time (t _1/2) of inhibition (8?µmol?L^?1 DDVP or DZN; 40?µmol?L^?1 carbaryl) ranged between 4 and 16?min and decreased as follows: pig?>?cattle?>?sheep for liver tissue, and cattle?>?sheep?>?pig for muscle. Rate constants of inhibition (k _i) ranged between 43?×?10^?3 and 168?×?10^?3?min^?1 for liver and from 46?×?10^?3 to 115?×?10^?3?min^?1 for muscles. Very little residual AChE activity (<6.1%) was seen in liver, but more was seen in muscle (<17%).     

施用城市污泥对土壤生态系统影响的研究进展

城市污泥的合理处置已成为目前环境科学研究领域中的重要课题。因污泥富含有机质和有效营养成分,对土壤改良有积极的促进作用,所以污泥的土地利用普遍被认为是一种积极、有效的处置方式。鉴于此,本文就国内外施用城市污泥对土壤生态系统的．影响及相关的过程和机理进行了综述。结果显示,施用污泥可改善土壤理化性质,提高土壤有机质和氮、磷等养分元素的含量,其改良作用因污泥类型而异。污泥对土壤重金属的积累有所影响,特别是在酸雨频发地区或者长期施用污泥,可能会带来重金属Gu污染的环境风险。污泥普遍有利于提高土壤酶活性,譬如土壤淀粉酶、脲酶和蔗糖酶活性,但污泥施用过量或时间延长,则会抑制多酚氧化酶和磷酸酶的活性,而污泥对过氧化氢酶的影响则不大。污泥对土壤微生物特性短期内有积极的影响,但长期则有负面作用。施用污泥可导致土壤动物活性的增加,但也会对一些土壤动物产生毒性,譬如异壳介虫属和弹尾目昆虫,而且污泥毒性不仅取决于污泥用量,土壤类型也起着重要作用。基于上述分析和评述,提出了未来研究展望如下：（1）针对污泥施用后土壤生态系统生物、物理和化学过程和机理进行系统、综合的基础研究;（2）对污泥土地利用进行长期的系统定位试验和环境监测,并对之进行环境风险评价;（3）对污泥稳定化处理技术的创新及其应用研究。     

洪泽湖底栖动物群落结构及水质季节变化分析

为阐明洪泽湖底栖动物的群落结构及水质变化状况,采用生物多样性指数法、综合污染指数、CCA分析等方法,对洪泽湖的底栖动物群落结构空间布局及其水质状况进行了季度调查,探究环境因子对底栖动物生长的影响规律。结果表明:(1)底栖动物种类以甲壳纲、多毛纲、双壳纲为主;(2)CPI分析表明,TN、TP是洪泽湖主要的超地表水Ⅲ类水环境标准的项目,入湖过水区域水质污染高于其他区域,且春冬TN超标为主,夏秋TP超标为主;(3)典范对应分析显示,氨氮、透明度、叶绿素a是影响底栖动物分布的主要环境因素。研究表明洪泽湖底栖动物群落组成优势种主导格局显著,生物多样性不高,群落组成和水质状况受过水水体影响极大,生态系统保护和修复需加强对周边水域生态系统的关注,尤其是淮河水系。     

长江口滨岸潮滩动物体中PCBs和OCPs的分布

利用GC-ECD对长江口滨岸潮滩中动物进行研究,分析了PCBs和OCPs(DDTs和HCHs)的含量分布.结果表明PCBs含量水平为43.7～1260.4ng/g,均值为342.5ng/g;DDTs为1.5～159.4ng/g,均值为33.7ng/g;HCHs为0.9～77.0ng/g,均值为13.0ng/g.从空间上看,同种动物对不同污染物的累积和同种污染物在不同动物体内的累积均无明显的规律,但同属种样品则有雄性个体污染物含量高于雌性个体、小个体高于大个体的规律.对动物体内POPs污染进行了初步评价,结果显示:该区动物均不同程度地受到污染,污染已达中等水平.     

我国外来入侵动物的扩散风险分析及分级管理

外来入侵动物给我国的生物多样性、国民经济以及人类的健康带来了严重危害，正确分析外来入侵动物的扩散风险对控制其在国内的扩散有着极其重要的意义。采用层次分析法，建立了外来动物扩散的风险评估指标体系，并选取食人鲳〖WTBX〗（Pygocentrus nattereri）、桔小实蝇（Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel）〖WTBZ〗等几种典型的外来入侵动物作为评估对象，通过扩散风险计算模型评估出扩散风险的大小，设置阈值对不同入侵动物的扩散风险进行了分级，最终将外来入侵动物的风险分为4个等级：极高风险、高风险、中风险以及低风险，并针对不同风险等级不同扩散程度的外来动物提出了相应的分级管理对策，以期提高政府管理外来入侵动物扩散的效率     

模拟酸雨及其活化Al~（3＋）构成的复合污染对中小型土壤动物的毒杀效果

酸雨可引起土壤中铝离子的活化而造成铝毒问题,因此酸雨及其活化的金属铝离子势必造成对土壤中小型动物的复合污染与影响。为此,通过室内模拟试验,研究3种优势土壤动物直接暴露在4种不同酸度的模拟酸雨和4种不同铝离子浓度梯度组合而构成的复合污染处理条件下的死亡率,以探明酸雨通过降低土壤酸度同时活化Al3＋对土壤动物的叠加影响效应。研究结果表明：弹尾目、线虫、蜱螨目等土壤动物直接暴露在酸水和铝离子的复合溶液中,其死亡率总体上均会随着酸水pH值的降低和Al3＋离子浓度的升高而增加。通过单因素和双因素方差分析还发现,不同类群的土壤动物对模拟酸雨pH和溶液中Al3＋含量的敏感性各不相同,其中酸水和铝离子复合胁迫对线虫和蜱螨目动物死亡率的影响并没有表现出明显的交互作用,但对弹尾目土壤动物死亡率存在显著的交互作用影响。     

Participatory Planning of Interventions to Mitigate Human–Wildlife Conflicts

Abstract: Conservation of wildlife is especially challenging when the targeted species damage crops or livestock, attack humans, or take fish or game. Affected communities may retaliate and destroy wildlife or their habitats. We summarize recommendations from the literature for 13 distinct types of interventions to mitigate these human–wildlife conflicts. We classified eight types as direct (reducing the severity or frequency of encounters with wildlife) and five as indirect (raising human tolerance for encounters with wildlife) interventions. We analyzed general cause‐and‐effect relationships underlying human–wildlife conflicts to clarify the focal point of intervention for each type. To organize the recommendations on interventions we used three standard criteria for feasibility: cost‐effective design, wildlife specificity and selectivity, and sociopolitical acceptability. The literature review and the feasibility criteria were integrated as decision support tools in three multistakeholder workshops. The workshops validated and refined our criteria and helped the participants select interventions. Our approach to planning interventions is systematic, uses standard criteria, and optimizes the participation of experts, policy makers, and affected communities. We argue that conservation action generally will be more effective if the relative merits of alternative interventions are evaluated in an explicit, systematic, and participatory manner.     

Fate and distribution of fipronil on companion animals and in their indoor residences following spot-on flea treatments

Use of fipronil {5-amino-1-[2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-trifluoromethyl)sulfinyl]-1H-pyrazole-3-carbonitrile CAS 120068–37-3} topical pet products on dogs and cats introduces low level residues into residences. Distribution and fate studies of fipronil on pets and in residences were performed to evaluate potential determinants of human exposure. Fipronil, desulfinyl fipronil, fipronil sulfone and fipronil sulfide were measured on hair clippings and brushed hair. The derivatives usually represented <10% of fipronil applied. Cotton gloves worn over impervious nitrile gloves, cotton cloths placed indoors in locations frequented by pets, and cotton socks worn by residents as direct dosimeters collected fipronil and its derivatives listed above in low amounts during 4-week study periods. Subsequent acid hydrolysis urine biomonitoring did not reveal significant excretion of biomarkers at ppb levels. The human exposure potential of fipronil is low relative to levels of health concern.     

Conservation of Deep Pelagic Biodiversity

Abstract:  The deep ocean is home to the largest ecosystems on our planet. This vast realm contains what may be the greatest number of animal species, the greatest biomass, and the greatest number of individual organisms in the living world. Humans have explored the deep ocean for about 150 years, and most of what is known is based on studies of the deep seafloor. In contrast, the water column above the deep seabed comprises more than 90% of the living space, yet less than 1% of this biome has been explored. The deep pelagic biota is the largest and least-known major faunal group on Earth despite its obvious importance at the global scale. Pelagic species represent an incomparable reservoir of biodiversity. Although we have yet to discover and describe the majority of these species, the threats to their continued existence are numerous and growing. Conserving deep pelagic biodiversity is a problem of global proportions that has never been addressed comprehensively. The potential effects of these threats include the extensive restructuring of entire ecosystems, changes in the geographical ranges of many species, large-scale elimination of taxa, and a decline in biodiversity at all scales. This review provides an initial framework of threat assessment for confronting the challenge of conserving deep pelagic biodiversity; and it outlines the need for baseline surveys and protected areas as preliminary policy goals.     

Conservation and the 4 Rs,which are rescue,rehabilitation, release,and research

Vertebrate animals can be injured or threatened with injury through human activities, thus warranting their “rescue.” Details of wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, release, and associated research (our 4 Rs) are often recorded in large databases, resulting in a wealth of available information. This information has huge research potential and can contribute to understanding of animal biology, anthropogenic impacts on wildlife, and species conservation. However, such databases have been little used, few studies have evaluated factors influencing success of rehabilitation and/or release, recommended actions to conserve threatened species have rarely arisen, and direct benefits for species conservation are yet to be demonstrated. We therefore recommend that additional research be based on data from rescue, rehabilitation, and release of animals that is broader in scope than previous research and would have community support.