Sensitivity analysis of a parameterization of the stomatal component of the DO3SE model for Quercus ilex to estimate ozone fluxes

A sensitivity analysis of a proposed parameterization of the stomatal conductance (g(s)) module of the European ozone deposition model (DO(3)SE) for Quercus ilex was performed. The performance of the model was tested against measured g(s) in the field at three sites in Spain. The best fit of the model was found for those sites, or during those periods, facing no or mild stress conditions, but a worse performance was found under severe drought or temperature stress, mostly occurring at continental sites. The best performance was obtained when both f(phen) and f(SWP) were included. A local parameterization accounting for the lower temperatures recorded in winter and the higher water shortage at the continental sites resulted in a better performance of the model. The overall results indicate that two different parameterizations of the model are needed, one for marine-influenced sites and another one for continental sites.     

Hybridization between wheat (Triticum aestivum) and the wild species Aegilops geniculata and A. biuncialis under experimental field conditions

Hybridization between Aegilops geniculata, A. biuncialis and bread wheat Triticum aestivum has been evaluated during two seasons under simulated field conditions to estimate the field hybridization rate under Central Spain conditions. The mean frequencies of hybridization between A. biuncialis and A. geniculata with wheat were 0.34% and 0.31%, respectively. Data from 10 hybrid plants for each combination showed that hybrids can be partially fertile by backcrossing with wheat parent, with percent averages of 3.17 grains/spikelets for A. biuncialis × wheat hybrids and 2.87 grains/spikelets for A. geniculata × wheat hybrids. Self-pollination, although at very low rates, was also possible in hybrids. The potential risks associated with natural hybridization in the context of transgenic wheat cultivation are discussed.     

Seasonal baseline of nutrients and stable isotopes in a saline lake of Argentina: biogeochemical processes and river runoff effects

The seasonal variability of inorganic and organic nutrients and stable isotopes and their relations with plankton and environmental conditions were monitored in Lake Chasicó. Principal component analysis evidenced the strong influence of the river runoff on several biogeochemical variables. Silicate concentrations were controlled by diatom biomass and river discharge. Higher values of nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) indicated agricultural uses in the river basin. Elevated pH values (～9) inhibiting nitrification in the lake explained partially the dominance of ammonium: ～83 % of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). The low DIN/SRP ratio inferred nitrogen limitation, although the hypotheses of iron and CO₂ limitation are relevant in alkaline lakes. Particulate organic matter (POM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) were mainly of autochthonous origin. The main allochthonous input was imported by the river as POM owning to the arid conditions. Dissolved organic carbon was likely top-down regulated by the bacterioplankton grazer Brachionus plicatilis. The δ¹³C signature was a good indicator of primary production and its values were influenced probably by CO₂ limitation. The δ¹⁵N did not evidence nitrogen fixation and suggested the effects of anthropogenic activities. The preservation of a good water quality in the lake is crucial for resource management.     

Differences in phosphorus translocation contributes to differential arsenic tolerance between plants of Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae) from mine and non-mine sites

We have identified new arsenic-tolerant plant species Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae) that has mine and non-mine populations at a highly contaminated site (CS) and an uncontaminated site (UCS), respectively, in Brazil. Plants of B. verticillata from both sites were cultivated at different As and P concentrations. At low P concentration, CS plants showed reduced As uptake, higher P translocation to shoots, higher constitutive levels of phenolic compounds in roots, and higher tolerance to this metalloid. At the lowest P and highest As concentration, CS plants showed higher biomass. In addition, CS plants showed higher P uptake in the absence of As, suggesting that more efficient P translocation could contribute more to tolerance than decreased As uptake. In contrast, at low P concentration, UCS plants showed higher As content in shoot and root, increase in phenol levels in roots, reduction in dry biomass, and decrease of the effective efficiency of photochemical reactions and the electron transport rate. Under higher P concentrations, the decrease in As uptake was similar in both populations. The differences between the two populations with respect to As and P uptake suggest that altered kinetic properties or expression of P transporters contribute to higher As tolerance in B. verticillata from CS. As a ruderal and As-tolerant plant, B. verticillata could be successfully used for the revegetation of contaminated soils.     

Contamination levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in wild versus cultivated samples of female and male mussels (Mytilus sp.) from the Northwest Coast of Iberian Peninsula—new application for QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) methodology

A newly analytical method based on QuEChERS extraction followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was developed and validated for the quantification of 18 PCBs in wild (from Matosinhos Beach, Portugal) and cultivated (from Ria de Arousa, Spain) mussel samples, pooled by sex. Wild animals showed higher PCB levels than cultivated mussels, with males from both origins, presenting an upper contamination profile comparing with females. This fact seems to be correlated with few biometric parameters, but other interdependencies, not addressed herein, such as distinct lipid contents between sexes, as a consequence of the gametogenic stage, may also explain this data. Overall, data reiterate the importance of investigating the presence of PCBs in marine biological samples, which can act both as bioindicators of environmental contamination, either as food quality controls for human health.     

Assessment of the Streptomyces-plant system to mitigate the impact of Cr(VI) and lindane in experimental soils

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phytoremediation techniques have been proposed as ecological methods to clean up contaminated sites. This study is aimed to evaluate the effect of the...     

Lung-deposited dose of particulate matter from residential exposure to smoke from wood burning

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Residential settings are of utmost importance for human exposure, as it is where people spend most of their time. Residential wood combustion is a...     

Decolorization and detoxification of two textile industry effluents by the laccase/1-hydroxybenzotriazole system

The aim of this work was to determine the optimal conditions for the decolorization and the detoxification of two effluents from a textile industry—effluent A (the reactive dye bath Bezactive) and effluent B (the direct dye bath Tubantin)—using a laccase mediator system. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize textile effluents decolorization. A Box–Behnken design using RSM with the four variables pH, effluent concentration, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) concentration, and enzyme (laccase) concentration was used to determine correlations between the effects of these variables on the decolorization of the two effluents. The optimum conditions for pH and concentrations of HBT, effluent and laccase were 5, 1 mM, 50 % and 0.6 U/ml, respectively, for maximum decolorization of effluent A (68 %). For effluent B, optima were 4, 1 mM, 75 %, and 0.6 U/ml, respectively, for maximum decolorization of approximately 88 %. Both effluents were treated at 30 °C for 20 h. A quadratic model was obtained for each decolorization through this design. The experimental and predicted values were in good agreement and both models were highly significant. In addition, the toxicity of the two effluents was determined before and after laccase treatment using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bacillus cereus, and germination of tomato seeds.