Arsenic tissue concentration of immature mice one hour after oral exposure to gold mine tailings

A potentially high bioavailability of arsenic in gold mine tailings from a site in northern California has been suggested by solubility studies. To help address this issue, an in vivo dosing study was conducted using 12dayold Swiss Webster mouse pups (n=8/group). A sample of sizefractionated mine tailings from the site (<20m particle size, 691g g^–1 arsenic) was prepared as an aqueous suspension and administered by gavage in a volume that provided 4mg As/kg body weight. The control group received the same volume of a commercial soil (1g g^–1 As) of similar particle size (<60m). No mortality or toxic signs were noted in either group. Tissue samples were collected 1h after gavage, freezedried, microwavedigested and analysed for arsenic by ICP/MS (detection limit 2ng As g^–1 dry weight). Arsenic concentrations (ng As g^–1 dry weight) in tissues from the pups who received mine tailings were significantly higher than in control tissues. The mean elevation in arsenic concentration was highest in the liver (3364% of control, p<0.0001), followed by blood (818 of control, p<0.0001), skin (207% of control, p=0.07), and brain (143% of control, p<0.0001). The carcass arsenic concentration (excluding the GI tract, liver, brain and skin) was 138 of control (p=0.02). The data indicate uptake of arsenic from weathered mine tailings by the immature mouse pups after oral exposure.     

“Copper” granules in the barnacle Balanus balanoides

Balanus balanoides (L.) collected from an area with high heavy-metal run-off contained two different types of granule within the parenchyma cells of the prosoma. X-ray microprobe analysis shows one to be the familiar zinc granule made up of concentric layers and giving major peaks for phosphorus and zinc, and the other to be homogeneous and giving peaks for sulphur and copper. This latter granule is designated the copper granule. Whilst zinc granules are known to be composed of inorganic phosphate, various tests on copper granules in sections and in a granule-rich pellet have shown that the copper is probably complexed with organic matter. The tests also demonstrated the relatively, insoluble (inert) nature of these granules. Although zinc and copper granules were present together in the prosoma, atomic absorption analyses of whole bodies (prosoma+thorax) have shown the level of zinc (50.28 g/mg dry weight) to be much higher than that of copper (3.75 g/mg dry weight).     

Allozyme and colour differences between two sibling species of the heteronemertean Lineus torquatus from the Sea of Japan

Brown and cherry colour morphs of the heteronemertean Lineus torquatus Coe, 1901 from the Vostok Bay of the Sea of Japan were compared using allele frequencies at 18 isozyme loci. These morphs shared no common alleles at 9 of the 18 loci. The observed genetic differences are strong evidence that the brown and cherry colour morphs, which occur sympatrically, are different species. Nei's genetic distance between these species (D=1.135) is considerably higher than typical D values for congeneric animal species. As with much previous work on nemerteans, intraspecific allozymic variability in both species was high, with mean expected heterozygosity values 0.286±0.049 and 0.159±0.051 for L. torquatus (brown) and L. torquatus (cherry) species, respectively.     

Growth and survival of Mytilus edulis larvae exposed to low levels of dibutyltin and tributyltin

Two studies were conducted to observe effects of dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT) on larvae of Mytilus edulis for an exposure period of 25 d. Endpoints for evaluation were shell growth and mortality measured at 33 d. Larvae were cultured in a new laboratory assay chamber in a recirculating static test. The control, 2, 20, and 200 g/l DBT-treated populations had mean shell lengths of 527, 523, 417, and 180 m, respectively. Survival was 1% for the 200 g/l DBT-treated population, but ranged from 73 to 83% for controls, 2, and 20 g/l treatments. The no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) was 2 g/l for DBT, while the lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) was 20 g/l. The chronic toxicity value was 6.3 g/l. In the TBT bioassay, mean shell lengths for the control, 0.006, 0.050, and 0.130 g/l-treated populations were 565, 437, 385, and 292 m, respectively. Control survival was 74%, whereas TBT-treated populations survival ranged from 52 to 58%. The NOEC for TBT was 0.006 g/l TBT and the LOEC was 0.050. A chronic toxicity value of 0.017 g/l was calculated. The results of this study indicated that the toxicity of DBT was less than that of TBT. It was concluded that shell length was inversely related to exposure level in both DBT and TBT bioassays. In this study, we have observed TBT effects at lower exposure levels in the laboratory than previously reported, and also report the first data for DBT effects on mussel larvae.     

Age-structure dependence of the “specific production” in zooplankton populations

This account represents the results of investigations on the production of some zooplankton populations. For comparing different populations the index specific production (the production rate of the unit of the biomass) is used. The correlation between specific production and age-structure for some populations is described. On the basis of the growth theory of Von Bertalanffy (1938) a theoretical model which helps to explain the relation between specific production and age-structure of the population is proposed.     

Digestive carbohydrases from the hepatopancreas of two Antarctic euphausiid species (Euphausia superba and E. crystallorophias)

The hepatopancreatic extracts of Euphausia superba Dana and E. crystallorophias Holt and Tattersall collected from the Antarctic. Ocean during January 1985, are most effective in hydrolysing substrates containing (13)--glucosidic linkages. Three enzymes appear to be involved in the depolymerization of (13)--D-glucans in the euphausiid diet: (1) an exo-(13)--D-glucanase, (2) an endo-(13)--D-glucanase and (3) a -D-glucosidase. The glucanases have a pH optimum of 5.4, a temperature optimum of 50°C and are optimally extracted in bistripropane buffer, pH 7.2. Levels of (13)-D-glucanase in laboratory-cultured E. superba are inversely affected by food availability, and activities double after starvation for 12 d. The increase is due mainly to higher activities of exo-acting glucanases. -Amylase and endo-(14)--D-glucanase (cellulase) activity are also present in the extracts in addition to glycosidase activity against a range of p-nitrophenyl substrates (-and -D-glocose, - and -D-galactose, -D-xylose, - and -D-mannose). Digestive activity against several acidic polysaccharides, including the acidic mucilage polysaccharide of the ice diatom Stauroneis amphioxys, is minimal and is not induced when the polysaccharide is present in the diet of E. superba. These results indicate that some, but not all, components of the algal material in the euphausiid diet can be hydrolyzed and assimilated.     

Web tension and gravity as cues in spider orientation

Summary The bowl and doily spider, Frontinella pyramitela (Araneae, Linyphiidae), typically hangs at the lowest point on its concave upward, bowlshaped web (Fig. 1). It returns to the same area after prey capture, courtship, or repulsion of intruders, and naive spiders of either sex come to rest at the same center of preference.Because the center of preference is not visibly different from other parts of the bowl sheet, it is not obvious what cues the spiders use in establishing its location. Investigation of the roles of gravity, web curvature, thread density and web tension reveals the center of preference to be an area no different from others with respect to curvature and thread density but different with respect to tension. Tension in the web is locally high at the center, drops as one moves toward the periphery of the bowl, and rises again at the periphery (Fig. 6). The natural relationship between gravity and the orientation of the bowl is not a necessary condition in defining the location of the center of preference but gravity is involved in orienting the search for its location (Figs. 3, 4). Altering the pattern of web tension by cutting the tensor threads destroys the accord among spiders as to the location of the center of preference and confirms the role of web tension in the orientation of this spider.     

The oral cavity and bioluminescent organs of the cardinal fish species<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Siphamia permutata</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic"> S. cephalotes</Emphasis> (Perciformes,Apogonidae)

The mechanism of bacterial-derived bioluminescence in the apogonid species Siphamia permutata and S. cephalotes presents some special structures, particularly the existence of two sites harboring bioluminescent bacteria, and not only one as previously described. One site, is the familiar disc-like, bacteria-harboring gland and paired ventral bioluminescent reflectors, typical for this genus, that merge and end at the level of the hypobranchial region. The second and more anteriorly situated site of luminescence features two sacs that originate in the gular region and protrude into the oral cavity, via the free space left by the laterally notched tongue. The apical parts of these luminous sacs harbor the bacteria whose light diffuses within the oral cavity. The tongue surface in the studied species is unique in character among the cardinal fishes, being criss-crossed anteriorly by protruding dermal ridges, rich in taste buds and mucus-producing cells. It would appear that at night when feeding, the luminous mouth cavity of these fish acts as a lure to attract the small prey, while the ridged structure of the tongues surface facilitates their collection and aggregation before they are swallowed.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Evidence for multiple recruitment-cohorts of Puget Sound Dungeness crab,Cancer magister

While sampling intertidally in Puget Sound, Washington, USA, for juvenile Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) in 1984, we found evidence of two distinct cohorts of the same year-class based on sizes of first-instar juveniles (J1) and the spatial/temporal patterns of settlement. In 1988, three distinct cohorts were observed to settle in Puget Sound and its approaches. Settlement of one cohort occurred during May in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and in those areas of Puget Sound closest to the Strait. J1 individuals of this cohort were large (x=7.4 mm carapace width, CW) and comparable in both size and timing of settlement to populations along the Washington coast (e.g. Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay). Initial settlement density of the May cohort was as high as 215 crabs/m² in intertidal eelgrass beds along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and decreased to <2 crabs/m² within Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. A second cohort apparently originated in Hood Canal (a deep inland fjord), its size upon settlement in June was significantly smaller (J1 x= 5.3 mm CW) than the May cohort, and it was limited to Hood Canal and areas of Puget Sound close to the mouth of Hood Canal. A third cohort, which settled in late July and August, was the smallest of the three cohorts (J1 x= 4.8 mm CW), and was widely distributed around Puget Sound from Seattle in the south to the USA/Canadian border in the north. We hypothesize that most juvenile recruitment in Hood Canal and Puget Sound originates from parental stocks endemic to their respective basins (Hood Canal and Puget Sound cohorts), but that, on occasion, oceanographic conditions allow substantial influx of Pacific Ocean Dungeness crab larvae (oceanic cohort) through the Strait of Juan de Fuca into Puget Sound. Tracking of spatial/temporal settlement patterns and comparison of J1 sizes proved useful for estimating the probable sources and dispersion of Dungeness crab larvae. Differences in size and time of settlement between various larval cohorts of C. magister may prove useful as biomarkers for tracing circulation patterns within and between inland waters of Washington and the Pacific Ocean. Causes of smaller size and later settlement of the Puget Sound cohort relative to oceanic conspecifics of the same year-class are discussed.Contribution No. 856, School of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle     

Environmental Geochemistry of Soils and Waters of Susaki Area, Korinthos, Greece

Soil and water samples were collected from the Susaki area of Korinthos and analysed for heavy metals in order to evaluate their environmental impact. The geology of the studied area includes ultrabasic rocks and Neogene and Quaternary deposits whereas magnesite veins are found within the ultrabasic rocks. In the north part of the studied area post volcanic emissions of H₂S, CO₂ and H₂O vapor continue to the present day. All the samples were analysed for heavy metals by the ICP method. The element ranges (in g g^–1) for soil samples are: Cu 11–63, Pb 5–256, Zn 21–604, Ni 183–2665, Co 12–124, Mn 456–1434, As 5–104, Sr 44–730, V 21–84, Cr 163–2346, Ba 48–218, Zr 3–41, Y 3–13. The metals Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Fe, Cu, Mn, As and Sr are enriched in the Susaki soils. The element ranges for water samples are: Cu 65–103ppb, Pb<10ppb, Zn<5ppb, Ni 21–163ppb, Co 2–12ppb, As<30ppb, Cr<20ppb, Ba 36–785ppb, Sb<10ppb, W<10ppb, Bi<30ppb, Mn 0.0–0.9 g g^–1, Fe 0.01–0.22 g g^–1, Na 843–3076 g g^–1, K 98–278 g g^–1, Si 39–65 g g^–1, P 0.1–0.2 g g^–1. There is a natural pollution of soils with elevated concentrations of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe and Cr due to the presence of ultrabasic rocks. Another natural case of As pollution of soils is due to the volcanic activity and the geothermal field in the area. The geochemical data of ground waters and also the ¹⁸, D data showed a mixing in different proportions between sea water and meteoric water.     

Aqua regia extractable trace elements in surface soils of venezuela

Surface soils (0–15 cm) were sampled at 10–20 km intervals along two transects in Venezuela. One (1162 km, 70 samples) ran west to east parallel with the Caribbean coastline, the other (920 km, 92 samples) ran south to north from the frontier with Brazil to the Caribbean shore. Sampling took place in both a wet and a dry season. Trace metals were extracted from dried, sieved (<2 mm) soil with boiling aqua regia followed by analysis by ICP or flame AAS. Metal values did not differ significantly between the two seasons and dates were averaged. Geometric mean values for the west–east transect were: Cr=41.5, Cu 17.9, Cs 3.6, Li=13.9, Mn=294, Ni=21.3, Pb=17.4, Sr=39.4, V=60.4 and Zn = 83.7g g^–1, respectively. Similarly, for the south–north transect Cr=21.3, Cu=4.3, Cs=1.1, Li=2.0, Mn=55.7, Ni=4.4, Pb=6.1, Sr=13.3, V=28.2 and Zn=16.7g g^–1, respectively. A classification of samples by lithology showed surface soil composition to be related to rock composition. Metal values were low in the soils in the south of the country, in the Guyana highlands (Gran Sabana). Low Zn contents were prevalent. Lead contents were affected by roadside fallout from vehicles using leaded petrol except that high Pb contents of soils in the Gran Sabana were of more complex origin.     

Size composition of particulate organic matter in the lagoon of Tikehau atoll (Tuamotu archipelago)

Suspended particulate matter was comprehensively investigated from 6 to 17 April 1986 in the lagoon of Tikehau atoll (15°00S; 148°10W). Dry weight (DW), particulate organic carbon (POC), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and chlorophyll a were measured for five size-classes (0.2 to 0.8 m, 0.8 to 3 m, 3 to 35 m, 35 to 200 m, and 200 to 2000 m). Taxa were identified and counted for the whole plankton (both autotrophic and heterotrophic). Particles <3 m accounted for 81% of the total POC (192 mg m^-3), and detritus comprised 82% of the total POM. Phytoplankton (cyanobacteria plus algae) accounted for 35% of the living carbon, 75% of which consisted of heterotrophic bacteria and cyanobacteria. The zooplankton biomass was composed of 31% nano-, 26% micro-, and 43% mesoplankton.     

Primary production in Dumbell Bay in the Arctic Ocean

Photosynthesis, chlorophyll, inorganic nutrients, and related factors were measured throughout a productive season in a small coastal inlet of the Arctic Ocean. Significant production was confined to 5 m for a very limited time period beacause of both light and nutrient limitations. Maximum chlorophyll was 8.2 mg Chl a m^-3 and maximum gross and net photosynthesis rates were 830 and 550 mg C m^-2 d^-1. Annual gross and net photosynthesis is estimated at about 12 and 9 g C m^-2 respectively. The effect of light stimulation on assimilation is described, sources of coastal zone nutrient enrichment are considered, and discrepancies between gross and net photosynthesis are discussed with reference to the growth characteristics of the phytoplankton population.Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Contribution No. 76008     

Vibrations in the orbwebs of Nuctenea sclopetaria (Araneidae)

Summary Orbweaving spiders obtain much information from web-borne vibrations. One of their major problems is to distinguish relevant vibrations, particularly prey-produced signals, from irrelevant vibrations, particularly wind noise. This problem was studied by measuring the spectral characteristics of prey-and wind-induced web vibrations, and the spider's responsiveness to sinusoidal stimuli. In wind-generated vibration (Fig. 1) signal amplitude is large below 10 Hz and decreases by 30 to 40 dB/decade above the lowest resonance frequency for each type of web vibration. The lowest resonance for transverse vibration is 3 Hz with a 200 mg spider, and 10 Hz for longitudinal and lateral vibration. Below 10 Hz transverse vibration is much larger than the other two types, but this difference decreases at higher frequencies. Most of the amplitude in prey signals is below 50 Hz (Fig. 2), except for buzzing insects such as flies, bees and mosquitoes, whose high wing beats generate significant motion above 100 Hz. The spider's response threshold for sinusoidal stimuli in the prey-catching region of the web (Fig. 3) declines at 20 dB/decade over the range that could be measured (10 to 3,200 Hz for longitudinal, 18 to 560 Hz for transverse and 18 to 320 Hz for lateral vibration). The threshold curve for longitudinal vibration is 10 to 20 dB lower than for the other two types and has a minimum of 7 m RMS near 300 Hz. This difference appears to have a mechanical rather than a sensory basis, due to the better transmission of longitudinal vibration through the web (Fig. 4A). If the effect of the spider on web vibration is also considered, the resulting adjusted threshold curve (Fig. 4B: data available for longitudinal vibration only), shows a continuous decline of approximately 30 dB/decade. A possible mechanism for recognizing prey signals based on spectral information is discussed.     

Changes in the digestive gland of Euphausia superba during short-term starvation: lipid class,fatty acid and sterol content and composition

During a period of short-term (19 d) starvation, total lipid in the digestive gland of Euphausia superba Dana decreased from 21 to 9% dry weight. Total lipid per digestive gland decreased significantly during starvation compared to Day 0 individuals, falling from 1960 (±172) to 385 (±81) g. Polar lipid was the major lipid class utilised during starvation, falling from 1510 (±225) to 177 (±46) g per digestive gland (76 to 45%). Absolute levels of triacylglycerol fell from 300 (±41) to 76 (±5) g; however, relative levels remained unchanged. The relative level of free fatty acid increased significantly with starvation (4 to 39%) with absolute levels ranging from 79 (±1) to 156 (±20) g per digestive gland. Absolute levels of all fatty acids per digestive gland declined continually until the end of the starvation period. The long-chain polyunsaturated acids eicosapentaenoic (20:53) and docosahexaenoic (22:63), decreased with starvation from 37 to 26% and 15 to 10%, respectively whereas the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid (16:0), increased from 15 to 20%. Cholesterol, the major sterol in this organ, increased from 17 (±20) to 44 (±13) g per digestive gland by Day 3, and by Day 19 had returned to levels found in the digestive gland of Day 0 individuals. Desmosterol followed a similar pattern to cholesterol, increasing from 3 (±1) g per digestive gland on Day 0 to 11 (±4) g on Day 3, and falling to 2 (±1) g on Day 19. Other sterols in the digestive gland, predominantly of algal origin, fell from the levels found in Day 0 individuals to near zero amounts by Day 6. The digestive gland of E. superba plays a dynamic role during shortterm starvation in terms of lipid content and composition. The relative levels of polar lipids, free fatty acids and cholesterol in the digestive gland may provide reliable indices of the nutritional condition of E. superba in the field. Sterols in the digestive gland are indicative of recent dietary composition of krill, and may also be used to quantify dietary input from individual phytoplanktonic species.     

Lead-based paint in dwellings: The potential for contamination of the home environment during renovation

The quantity and particle size characteristics of lead in dust released during three different paint removal techniques was determined under controlled conditions and in situ in a dwelling. Air-lead and deposited dust-lead levels were highest after sanding but burning-off and hot-air removal methods also produced significant contamination. The importance of dust particle-size and lead is discussed in relation to the potential hazard to home renovators via inhalation and to children via the hand-to-mouth route.This paper is also being published in Proceedings of the Conference on Lead in the Home Environment and is one of several selected from SEGH sponsored conferences for simultaneous publication in this journal.     

Evaluation of Public Housing Lead Risk Assessment Data

A unique data set from lead risk assessments performed on 67 public housing developments from across the United States was made available for analyzes. The data set includes results of lead analysis from 5906 dust wipes and from 1222 soil samples. A total of 487 dwelling units in these developments, as well as associated common areas, were sampled, all by the same team of inspectors. The number of dwelling units within a development that were sampled reflected the guidelines then in force, the 1990 Interim HUD Guidelines, rather than those specified in the 1995 Guidelines. Median dust lead loadings for floors, 151gm^–2 (14gft^–2), and window sills, 936gm^–2 (87gft^–2), were much less than former HUD limits of 1076gm^–2 (100gft^–2) and 5380gm^–2 (500gft^–2), respectively and are only about one-third of the recently established limits of 431gm^–2 (40gft^–2) and 2690gm^–2 (250gft^–2). In contrast, the median lead loading for window troughs, 8560gm^–2 (795gft^–2), was almost identical to the HUD clearance limit of 8610gm^–2 (800gft^–2). There was a strong positive correlation between floor and window trough lead loading values for samples from the same dwelling units and those from common areas of the housing developments. Door threshold samples, which may reflect conditions exterior to the dwelling unit, were collected from 53 dwelling units. Median lead loading levels of these samples were more than ten times higher than those in floor samples from the same dwelling units, were about the same as window sill samples and about one-half of levels in window trough samples. Composite sample results, simulated by averaging results from four samples within a dwelling unit, revealed that in order to have the same rate of excedence of standards, the composite standards would have to be reduced, for example, from the single sample value of 1076gm^–2 (100gft^–2) to 527gm^–2 (49gft^–2) for floor samples and from the single sample value of 8610gm^–2 (800gft^–2) to 5160gm^–2 (479gft^–2) for window troughs. For this public housing data set, the portion of the units in developments containing more than 225 units which exceeded the established limit for window samples was the same when using either the full data set or a random one-half of the data set. This suggests that, for this data set, the number of dwelling units sampled was excessive . Thus, the required increase in the number of dwelling units to be sampled specified in the 1995 Guidelines for developments with more than 225 dwelling units, may not have been necessary if this data set is representative of public housing developments in the United States.     

Lead Contamination of Topsoil and Vegetation in the Vicinity of a Battery Factory in Nigeria

Levels of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni and Cd were determined in topsoil and vegetation in the vicinity of a factory manufacturing lead- batteries in Ibadan, Nigeria. The samples were collected along five transects in different directions, and varying distances up to 1000m from the factory. Soil lead levels were found to be elevated around the factory, with average levels of about 2000mgkg^–1 close to the fence that declined gradually to about 50mgkg^–1 some 750m away. Soil-lead level around a primary school located about 500m from the factory was as high as 1450mgkg^–1. Lead levels were equally elevated in the vegetation, though average levels in vegetation were slightly lower than in the soil. Cadmium concentrations in soil and vegetation, though low, were more positively correlated with lead levels than any of the other metals are with lead.     

Male capacity as related to sperm production,pregnancy initiation,and sperm competition in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Summary Limitations on male capacity may be important to the evolution of mating strategies and behavior. Sperm counts in successive ejaculates of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) decreased progressively through six ejaculations and remained depressed the following day. Males were as effective in inseminating females in cycling estrus with their second two ejaculates as with their first two and as effective in inseminating postpartum females with their fifth as with their first. In sperm competition situations males competed with rested males as effectively with their fourth, fifth, and sixth ejaculates as with their first. Thus, although sperm counts decrease in successive ejaculates, males suffer no apparent functional deficiency as long as they continue ejaculating. It is not clear whether or not deer mice are honest salesmen but they appear to be honest ejaculators and usually are honest intromitters.     

Lack of social entrainment of free-running circadian activity rhythms in the Australian sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps: Marsupialia)

Summary Social influence on circadian activity rhythms was investigated in the nocturnal Australian marsupial Petaurus breviceps. The activity of two and two was recorded electroacoustically and observed by an IR television camera in LD 12:12 (10¹:10^-1lx) and in LL (10^-1lx) when housed isolated and in pairs (+). In LD-entrained animals the average duration of locomotion, orientation movements, grooming and total activity is influenced by social housing, and individually different activity patterns are harmonized. In constant illumination conditions, however, the members of a pair are not mutually synchronized and free-run with different circadian periodlengths. Therefore social influence on the LD-entrained activity rhythm in Petaurus should be interpreted as social masking rather than direct influence on the circadian system.