Accumulation of mercury and methylmercury by mushrooms and earthworms from forest soils

Accumulation of total and methyl-Hg by mushrooms and earthworms was studied in thirty-four natural forest soils strongly varying in soil physico-chemical characteristics. Tissue Hg concentrations of both receptors did hardly correlate with Hg concentrations in soil. Both total and methyl-Hg concentrations in tissues were species-specific and dependent on the ecological groups of receptor. Methyl-Hg was low accounting for less than 5 and 8% of total Hg in tissues of mushrooms and earthworms, respectively, but with four times higher concentrations in earthworms than mushrooms. Total Hg concentrations in mushrooms averaged 0.96 mg Hg kg⁻¹ dw whereas litter decomposing mushrooms showed highest total Hg and methyl-Hg concentrations. Earthworms contained similar Hg concentrations (1.04 mg Hg kg⁻¹ dw) whereas endogeic earthworms accumulated highest amounts of Hg and methyl-Hg.     

Congenital heart anomalies in the first trimester: From screening to diagnosis

Congenital heart defects occur in approximately 1% of liveborn children and represent the most common form of congenital malformation. Due to the small size and complexity of the heart structures, prenatal diagnosis is most often made in the second trimester of pregnancy. Early diagnosis however offers significant advantages regarding the timing of further investigations, prenatal counseling, and access to management options. In the last decade, advances in antenatal imaging have improved the detection of cardiac malformations with increasing emphasis on earlier pregnancy screening and diagnosis. We aim to summarize current “state of the art” imaging of the fetal heart in the first trimester.