Anpassung des Zellstoffwechsels an Umweltänderungen

In the living cell transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs) serve for the transfer of information from genes to proteins. In this article evidence will be presented showing that changes of particular tRNA modifications cause alterations in gene expression, when an organism is exposed to a metabolic stress, e.g. limitation of oxygen or nutrients. tRNA modifications seem to be important to adapt cells to environmental changes. These mechanisms of adaptation are considered to have developed as survival strategies in microorganisms especially when oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere.     

Die Lösung von Nutzungskonflikten aufgrund flächenhafter Bodenkontaminationen mit Hilfe Geografischer Informationssysteme und Mitteln der Geostatistik

Goal and Scope

By means of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and other geostatistical methods, the extensive heterogeneous data materials of large area soil contaminations are re-evaluated to eliminate exploitation conflicts and investment obstacles.

Methods

The mapping of relevant frame criteria generates the basis to solve the conflicts, such as types of exploitation of field areas, development plans, protected areas, flooded areas, etc. as well as their geo-referencing in the Geographical Information System. The critical examination of data age and quality as well as the geostatistical evaluation by means of semivariogram analysis and Kriging technique are essential prerequisites for the determination of areas related to utility and exceeding test values.

Results and Conclusions

As a result, one can modify the hazardous situation and can provide recommendations for an optimal elimination of hazards, mostly in the framework of scheduled measures in terms of town planning.

Outlook

On the basis of the results obtained, further exploitation or monitoring work can clearly be optimized.     

The occurrence of chlorinated and other organic trace compounds in urban air

The concentrations of 42 chlorinated hydrocarbons (boiling point range from 61 °C to 400 °C) and those of 16 selected volatile hydrocarbons were simultaneously measured in ambient air during the period of one year. The measurements were carried out at 12 sites with different air qualities in the city of Hamburg (FRG). Annual means, medians and peak concentrations are presented. Analyses of the concentration distributions and a comparison with emission data show that traffic is the dominant source of hydrocarbons, whereas chlorinated hydrocarbons are predominantly emitted by industrial sources. This results in a fairly uniform urban pattern of hydrocarbons, but highly variable concentrations of low boiling halogenated compounds.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their oxygen-containing derivatives (OPAHs) in soils from the Angren industrial area, Uzbekistan

We measured the concentrations and depth distribution (0-10, 10-20 cm) of 31 PAHs and 12 OPAHs in soils at eleven equidistant sampling points along a 20-km transect in the Angren industrial region (coal mine, power plant, rubber factory, gold mine), Uzbekistan to gain an insight into their concentrations, sources, and fate. Concentrations of all compounds were mostly much higher in the 0-10 cm than in the 10-20 cm layer except in disturbed soil close to the coal mine. Proximity to one of the industrial emitters was the main determinant of PAH and OPAH concentrations. The ∑31PAHs concentrations correlated positively with the ∑7 carbonyl-OPAH (r = 0.98, p < 0.01), ∑5 hydroxyl-OPAH (r = 0.72, p < 0.05), and with industrially emitted trace metals in the topsoil, identifying industrial emissions as their common source. Concentrations of several OPAHs were higher than their parent PAHs, but their vertical distribution in soil suggested only little higher mobility of OPAHs than their corresponding parent PAHs.     

Genetic Variation and Outcrossing Rate in Relation to Population Size in Gentiana pneumonanthe L

The amount of genetic variation in the rare perennial herb Gentiana pneumonanthe L. was determined to explore its relation to population size. Differences in isozyme variation between maternal plants and their offspring were used to investigate the relationship between population size and outcrossing rate. In 25 populations in The Netherlands, differing in size from 1 to more than 50,000 flowering individuals, 16 allozyme loci were analyzed on leaves of maternal plants and offspring grown in a greenhouse. Population size was significantly positively correlated with the proportion of polymorphic loci, but only marginally with heterozygosity and the mean effective number of alleles. Most of the studied populations were characterized by a complete absence of rare alleles, and F -statistics suggest relatively high levels of genetic differentiation among populations and thus a low level of gene flow. Leaf samples (maternal) were mostly in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, while several offspring samples showed an excess of homozygotes, which suggests selection favoring heterozygotes. Because most small populations consist only of adult survivors from formerly larger populations, this may partly explain the absence of a clear relationship between genetic variation of the maternal plants and population size. A significant positive correlation was found between the level of cross-fertilization and population size. From these results, we conclude that, to some degree, small populations have a reduced level of genetic variation, while their present isolation in nature reserves has resulted in a very limited interpopulational gene flow level. At present a higher level of inbreeding in small populations contributes to a further loss of genetic variation and may also result in reduced offspring fitness.     

Metal associations in anoxic sediments and changes following upland disposal†

The ecological effects of heavy metals in contaminated sediments are more determined by the chemical form and reactivity than by the level of accumulation. Dredging of anoxic sediments and disposal on land is attended by changes of redox conditions. Under oxidizing conditions some controlling solid compounds may change gradually thus changing the solubility of certain metals.

Chemical extraction experiments for estimating characteristic association forms of heavy metals in anoxic sediments were carried out, both under presence and absence of air during the analytical procedure. Drying of the sediment decreases the proportion of the sulfidic metal fractions to a stronger degree, and oxidized Cd and Zn are found in the most available, exchangeable fraction.

With respect to long‐term effects acidification of poorly buffered sludges after disposal on land is probably the most important factor affecting metal associations and mobility. For many metal examples a linear relationship has been found between decreasing pH values and increasing dissolved metal concentrations. To quantify these relationships and for better comparison of samples a simple test procedure is proposed which is based on pH differences before and after addition of acid.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace metal contamination of coastal sediment and biota from Togo

The state of contamination of tropical environments, particularly in Africa, remains a relatively under explored subject. Here, we determined polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and trace metal concentrations in coastal sediment and biota samples (fish and mussels) from Togo (West Africa). In the sediments, the ∑21 PAH concentrations ranged from <4 ng g(-1) to 257 ng g(-1), averaging 92 ng g(-1). Concentration ratios of low molecular weight PAHs (2-3 rings) versus high molecular weight PAHs (≥4 rings) were always lower than 1 (ranging from 0.08 to 0.46) indicating that high molecular weight PAHs were dominant in all sediment samples, and that PAHs originated mainly from anthropogenic combustion activities. The sediments were also analyzed for major elements and a total of 15 trace metals, which were found in elevated concentrations. The calculated enrichment factor (EF) values relative to the Earth's crust show that the contamination is extremely severe for Cd (EF = 191), severe for Cr (EF = 18) and U (EF = 17.8), moderately severe for Zr (EF = 8.8), for Ni (EF = 6.8), Sr (EF = 5.9) and Ba (EF = 5.4), and moderate for V (EF = 3.6) and Zn (EF = 3.4). Sediments sampled in areas affected by the dumping of phosphorite mine tailings showed particularly high concentrations of trace metals. Overall, concentrations of both PAHs and trace metals in sediment tend to increase from the coastline to the open sea (2 km offshore). This is attributable to the increasingly finer texture of coastal sediment found offshore, which has a terrigenous origin and appears loaded with various contaminants through adsorption processes. Such high loads of trace metals were also found in the biota (fish and mussels). The ratio of measured trace metal concentrations in biota to threshold limits set by the World Health Organization herein defined as relative health factor (RHF) was high. Average RHF values in fish were highest for Se (470), As (250), Ag (97), Ni (78), Mn (63), Fe (53), Pb (36), Cd (10), and Cr (7) while lowest for Cu (0.08) and Zn (0.03). Cd and Al did not bioaccumulate in the analyzed fish species. In mussels, the RHF values were highest for Fe (9,108), As (295), Pb (276), Se (273), Mn (186), Ni (71), Ag (70), Cd (14), and Cu (4).     

Mikrobiologische Volatilisierung von anorganischem Selen aus Deponiesickerwässern bei umweltrelevanten Konzentrationen

Background, aim, and scope Determination of the rates of microbial alkylation are of interest with respect to natural attenuation of harmful selenium concentrations or selenium charges in contaminated ecosystems. Materials and methods Landfill gas and the headspace of microbial microcosm incubation vessels were sampled in Tedlar^® bags. On-line hyphenation of an efficient enrichment method (cryotrapping-cryofocusing), a gaschromatographic separation technique, and the sensitive ICP-MS detection system was used for speciation of volatile organoselenium compounds. A detection limit at the ultra trace level (pg Se) was achieved with this CT-CF-GC-ICP-MS technique. Results Incubation of landfill leachate with Alternata alternata as an active methylating organism showed a production of volatile selenium compounds (DMSe, DMDSe, EMDSe, DEDSe) over the whole range of applied inorganic selenium concentrations (10?µg?L^–1 to 10?mg?L^–1), with volatilization rates of up to 10?mg m^–3?d^–1. For selenium concentrations of 1?mg?L^–1 in the nutrient broth, up to 7?% of the inorganic selenium was volatilized after one week. The same volatile selenium compounds were observed in landfill gas. Discussion The amount of volatilized selenium was comparable to that found in other studies with microbial pure cultures as well as isolates from waters or soils, but at much lower initial concentrations used in the incubations. Conclusions The alkylation of selenium in the enriched mixed culture from landfill leachate at environmentally relevant concentrations indicates that the organoselenium compounds of same species composition and distribution determined in landfill gas are produced by microorganisms. Recommendations and perspectives The microbial alkylation of toxic inorganic selenium species to less toxic or non-toxic, volatile compounds is an efficient method for bioremediation of contaminated sites even at relatively low Se concentrations.