Organochlorine residues in the avifauna of Tamil Nadu (Southeast coast of India)

Pollution due to persistent pesticides is not a regional but a global problem. Organochlorine pesticides are persistent chemicals, stored and accumulated in the tissues of a wide variety of invertebrates and vertebrates including marine species. In the present study the organochlorine residues HCHs, DDTs and PCBs were measured in different trophic groups of birds (scavengers, inland piscivores, coastal piscivores, insectivores, granivores and omnivores) collected from Tamil Nadu Coast, India. The residue accumulation as a function of sex did not depict distinct variation. However, females had lower residue levels than males in terms of their mean weight and feeding habits. A continuous monitoring programme is recommended to establish the studied organisms as indicator species.     

Organochlorine Residues in Coastal Birds From the Vellar River Watershed Areas,Parangipettai, Southern India

Organochlorine contaminants (HCHs, DDTs and PCBs) in the muscle tissues of 12 bird species collected from Vellar River watershed areas (S. India) were determined. the accumulation pattern of organochlorine residues in birds of different feeding groups for HCHs and PCBs was: scavengers > inland piscivores > coastal piscivores > insectivores. the pattern for DDTs was: coastal piscivores > scavengers > insectivores > inland piscivores. Scavengers accumulated all the three organochlorines to a higher degree than the other groups of birds. Marked variations in the accumulation pattern by different species and individuals of birds to the same and different organochlorine residues were observed. the differences in the accumulation pattern of residues in different species of birds with similar feeding habits could be attributed to different feeding areas and because migrants are exposed to contaminants in different geographical locations. HCH residues were generally found in higher concentrations than DDTs, reflecting increasing use of HCH pesticides since banning of DDT for agriculture. Levels of PCBs were lower than in birds in developed countries. Results are discussed in relation to future pest control and industrialisation in India.     

Models for the sterile insect release method with the concurrent release of pesticides

Four different models of pest populations under control by the release of sterile individuals are examined to determine whether or not the release of pesticides in conjunction with steriles would further reduce the pest population equilibrium. It is found that single species without interactions with other species would generally have their equilibria reduced more with the release of both sterile individuals and pesticides than with the release of only steriles. As biotic interactions become more important, however, the feasibility of releasing pesticides in a sterile release programme becomes less sure and more dependent on the nature of the population regulation of the species involved. In particular, when predation on the pest species is heavy, the sterile release programme is likely to be hindered by the release of pesticides as well.     

农药在环境中的水解机理及其影响因子研究进展

农药的水降解与其在环境中的持久性是密切相关的,它是影响农药在环境中的归宿机制的重要依据之一,也是评价农药在水体中残留特性的重要指标。近些年来,国内外不少学者对农药尤其是有机磷、氨基甲酸酯、拟除虫菊酯和磺酰脲类等的水解进行了大量研究,其内容涉及到农药水化学降解机理及其各种因子如pH值、温度和黏土矿物等对农药水解的影响等,并取得了很多新的进展。但是所有这些研究主要集中于实验室内,而对其自然环境中各因子的贡献及其水解机制的了解则相对较少。今后应加强农药在自然条件下的水解动力学与机理以及黏土矿物和腐殖酸对农药在水体中的催化水解研究,以更好地评价农药在环境中的行为与归宿,为农药的合理使用提高科学依据。     

四种农药对土壤微生物的影响Ⅰ:土壤呼吸的变化

研究了不同浓度的农药氯氰菊酯,高效氯氰菊酯,多菌灵和丁硫克百威对两种土壤的呼吸强度的影响．结果表明;农药对土壤呼吸强度的影响随农药的品种而异;四种农药可刺激或抑制土壤微生物的活性,其作用随浓度增加而增大,但这种影响是非持续性影响     

Nanotechnology applications in pollution sensing and degradation in agriculture: a review

With the rise in the global population, the demand for increased supply of food has motivated scientists and engineers to design new methods to boost agricultural production. With limited availability of land and water resources, growth in agriculture can be achieved only by increasing productivity through good agronomy and supporting it with an effective use of modern technology. Advanced agronomical methods lay stress not only on boosting agricultural produce through use of more effective fertilizers and pesticides, but also on the hygienic storage of agricultural produce. The detrimental effects of modern agricultural methods on the ecosystem have raised serious concerns amongst environmentalists. The widespread use of persistent pesticides globally over the last six decades has contaminated groundwater and soil, resulting in diseases and hardships in non-target species such as humans and animals. The first step in the removal of disease causing microbes from food products or harmful contaminants from soil and groundwater is the effective detection of these damaging elements. Nanotechnology offers a lot of promise in the area of pollution sensing and prevention, by exploiting novel properties of nanomaterials. Nanotechnology can augment agricultural production and boost food processing industry through applications of these unique properties. Nanosensors are capable of detecting microbes, humidity and toxic pollutants at very minute levels. Organic pesticides and industrial pollutants can be degraded into harmless and often useful components, through a process called photocatalysis using metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures. Nanotechnology is gradually moving out from the experimental into the practical regime and is making its presence felt in agriculture and the food processing industry. Here we review the contributions of nanotechnology to the sensing and degradation of pollutants for improved agricultural production with sustainable environmental protection.     

污染场地中有机氯农药对土壤原生动物群的影响

有机氯农药污染土壤对生态环境具有潜在的风险。采集某废弃农药厂污染场地的土壤样品,测定了土壤的理化性质,以及典型有机氯农药滴滴涕(DDTs)和六六六(HCHs)的残留浓度,并对土壤中原生动物的组成和数量进行了分析。结果显示,农药厂区域的土壤中原生动物的组成结构为:鞭毛虫和肉足虫为优势类群,纤毛虫为稀有类群。土壤理化性质与原生动物数量的相关性分析表明,总氮含量与鞭毛虫、纤毛虫数量和原生动物总数量呈显著正相关,总磷含量与肉足虫数量呈显著正相关。同时,农药厂区域土壤中的原生动物数量较对照区显著减少,污染场地中长期残留的有机氯农药对原生动物有明显抑制作用。     

Diets of fishes of the upper continental slope of eastern Tasmania: content,calorific values,dietary overlap and trophic relationships

Diets of 15 species of demersal and pelagic fishes on the upper continental slope (420 to 550 m) were determined, based on samples taken every two months over 13 mo (April 1984 to April 1985) off eastern Tasmania. The calorific contribution of each prey item to the diets was determined. The fish could be divided into four trophic categories: pelagic piscivores, epibenthic piscivores, epibenthic invertebrate feeders and benthopelagic omnivores. Dietary overlap between the groups was low. The pelagic piscivores Apogonops anomalus, Trachurus declivis, Brama brama, Lepidopus caudatus and Macruronus novaezelandiae primarily consume the shelf-break myctophid Lampanyctodes hectoris; their diet is narrow, with a large overlap between species. The epibenthic piscivores Deania calcea and Genypterus blacodes both take a greater variety of prey, but have little dietary overlap. The fish feeding on epibenthic invertebrates, Coelorinchus sp. 2 and Centriscops humerosus, obtain most of their energy from benthic Crustacea and Ophiuroidea, supplemented with Lampanyctodes hectoris; the diet is broad, with little overlap. Among the benthopelagic omnivores (Cyttus traversi, Coelorinchus sp. 4, Lepidorhynchus denticulatus, Neocyttus rhomboidalis, Helicolenus percoides, Epigonus denticulatus and E. lenimen), most diets are broad and show slight overlap. All but E. denticulatus consume significant quantities of Lampanyctodes hectoris as well as Crustacea, particularly Polychaeta, Euphausiacea and Pyrosoma atlanticum. Seasonal changes in diet occurred in G. blacodes, T. declivis, Lepidopus caudatus, Coelorinchus sp. 4, Lepidorhynchus denticulatus, H. percoides, E. denticulatus and E. lenimen; these were related to changes in abundance of particular prey species, not to alterations in feeding habits. Only three species, Lepidopus caudatus, Coelorinchus sp. 2 and H. percoides, showed significant diel feeding periodicity. Ontogenetic dietary changes were evident in Cyttus traversi, Coelorinchus sp. 2, Lepidorhynchus denticulatus and H. percoides. Cyttus traversi and H. percoides progressively changed from crustaceans to fish as their size increased. The diets of size classes within species showed little overlap, except for Lepidorhynchus denticulatus, which eats chiefly euphausiids and Lampanyctodes hectoris at all sizes. In addition to describing the diets and trophic relationships of 90% of the fish biomass, the results emphasize the importance to the entire fish community of mesopelagic food resources, particularly Lampanyctodes hectoris. Many benthopelagic species undertake extensive vertical migrations in search of prey, thus playing a major role in the transport of energy from midwater regions to the benthos of the continental slope.     

基于权重敏感度分布研究太湖有机磷农药单一和复合风险

基于实验室能得到的有限毒性数据的物种敏感度分布法(species sensitivity distribution, SSD)很难充分代表特定区域生态系统的物种分布,需要采用考虑生物区系特征进行赋予权重的物种敏感度分布法(weighted species sensitivity distribution,WSSD)。基于太湖物种组成构建WSSD,使用最大累积率(maximum cumulative ratio, MCR)(含风险商法(hazard quotient, HQ))和概率风险评价法(probabilistic risk assessment, PRA)对太湖地区单一和混合有机磷农药的风险进行研究。结果表明,相对于传统SSD方法,加权SSD方法计算的风险商大,且5%生物受影响的概率更大。单一风险评价中,敌敌畏和乐果5%生物受影响的概率超过40%,需要优先控制;最大累积率表明,敌敌畏是复合风险的主要贡献者,单一风险评价中风险较小的马拉硫磷和对硫磷也对复合风险贡献较大,复合暴露风险评价是必要的,混合物的风险商>1,5%生物受复合暴露影响的概率高达90%,有机磷农药复合生态风险不容忽视。     

Scale-dependent patterns of variability of a grazing parrotfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptoscarus vaigiensis</Emphasis>) in a tropical seagrass-dominated seascape

Although herbivorous fish form critical linkages between primary producers and higher trophic levels, the major factors regulating their spatial structure in seagrass systems remain poorly understood. The present study examined the parrotfish Leptoscarus vaigiensis in seagrass meadows of a tropical embayment in the western Indian Ocean. Stomach content analysis and direct field observations showed that L. vaigiensis is an efficient grazer, feeding almost exclusively on seagrass leaves. Seagrass shoot density was highly correlated to all density variables (total, juvenile and subadult) and juvenile biomass of L. vaigiensis, while subadult biomass was predicted by distance to neighbouring coral habitat. Moreover, density and biomass of predatory fish (piscivores) were predicted by seagrass canopy height and the distribution patterns of predators followed those of L. vaigiensis. Hence, factors at local (seagrass structural complexity and feeding mode) and landscape scale levels (seascape context and distribution of piscivores) likely mutually structure herbivorous fish communities. The findings underscore the importance of incorporating multiple scale-dependent factors when managing coastal seagrass ecosystems and their associated key species.     

Comparison of Modern and Historical Fish Catches (AD 750–1400) to Inform Goals for Marine Protected Areas and Sustainable Fisheries

Abstract: We tested the unsustainable fishing hypothesis that species in assemblages of fish differ in relative abundance as a function of their size, growth rates, vagility, trophic level, and diet by comparing species composition in historical bone middens, modern fisheries, and areas closed to fishing. Historical data came from one of the earliest and most enduring Swahili coastal settlements (approximately AD 750–1400). Modern data came from fisheries near the archeological site and intensively harvested fishing grounds in southern Kenya. The areas we sampled that were closed to fishing (closures) were small (<28 km²) and permanent. The midden data indicated changes in the fish assemblage that are consistent with a weak expansion of fishing intensity and the unsustainable fishing hypothesis. Fishes represented in the early midden assemblages from AD 750 to 950 had longer life spans, older age at maturity, and longer generation times than fish assemblages after AD 950, when the abundance of species with longer maximum body lengths increased. Changes in fish life histories during the historical period were, however, one‐third smaller than differences between the historical and modern assemblages. Fishes in the modern assemblage had smaller mean body sizes, higher growth and mortality rates, a higher proportion of microinvertivores, omnivores, and herbivores, and higher rates of food consumption, whereas the historical assemblage had a greater proportion of piscivores and macroinvertivores. Differences in fish life histories between modern closures and modern fishing grounds were also small, but the life histories of fishes in modern closures were more similar to those in the midden before AD 950 because they had longer life spans, older age at maturity, and a higher proportion of piscivores and macroinvertivores than the modern fisheries. Modern closures and historical fish assemblages were considerably different, although both contained species with longer life spans.     

Patterns in fish response to seagrass bed loss at the southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan

An extensive seagrass bed on a fringing coral reef at Amitori Bay (southern Ryukyu Islands) disappeared completely in 2009 after a typhoon. Seagrass bed loss had a significant negative influence on not only seagrass bed residents but also commercially important coral reef fishes that utilize seagrass beds as nurseries or feeding grounds. With seagrass bed loss, mean species’ richness and densities of overall seagrass bed fishes per transect decreased by more than 75 and 85%, respectively. Most of the affected fishes were benthivores, piscivores, detritivores, and herbivores. Of 21 dominant species, 13 disappeared completely and 4 showed severe reductions in densities following seagrass bed loss, whereas the densities of 4 bottom-dwelling gobies did not change significantly. Thus, this study demonstrated that most seagrass bed fishes lack the ability to adapt to seagrass habitat loss, suggesting that increasing global seagrass loss will cause serious reductions in seagrass-associated fishes and fishery resources.     

Effect of Widespread Agricultural Chemical Use on Butterfly Diversity across Turkish Provinces

Although agricultural intensification is thought to pose a significant threat to species, little is known about its role in driving biodiversity loss at regional scales. I assessed the effects of a major component of agricultural intensification, agricultural chemical use, and land‐cover and climatic variables on butterfly diversity across 81 provinces in Turkey, where agriculture is practiced extensively but with varying degrees of intensity. I determined butterfly species presence in each province from data on known butterfly distributions and calculated agricultural chemical use as the proportion of agricultural households that use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. I used constrained correspondence analyses and regression‐based multimodel inference to determine the effect of environmental variables on species composition and richness, respectively. The variation in butterfly species composition across the provinces was largely explained (78%) by the combination of agricultural chemical use, particularly pesticides, and climatic and land‐cover variables. Although overall butterfly richness was primarily explained by climatic and land‐cover variables, such as the area of natural vegetation cover, threatened butterfly richness and the relative number of threatened butterfly species decreased substantially as the proportion of agricultural households using pesticides increased. These findings suggest that widespread use of agricultural chemicals, or other components of agricultural intensification that may be collinear with pesticide use, pose an imminent threat to the biodiversity of Turkey. Accordingly, policies that mitigate agricultural intensification and promote low‐input farming practices are crucial for protecting threatened species from extinction in rapidly industrializing nations such as Turkey. Efectos del Uso Extensivo de Agroquímicos sobre la Diversidad de Mariposas en Provincias Turcas     

Trace elements and organochlorine pollutants in selected fish species from Lake Phewa,Nepal

Lake water and fish livers and gills of sahar (Tor putitora), spiny eel (Mastacembelus armatus), African magur (Clarias gariepinus), and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from Lake Phewa, Nepal, were assessed for the concentrations of trace metals/elements and persistent organic pollutants. The lake water was neutral with low ionic and metallic concentrations as compared to high-altitude lakes of Nepal. The four elements Cu, Zn, Se, and Cd had highest concentrations in livers, indicating uptake from diet, whereas four other metallic elements Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb had highest concentrations in gills, indicating uptake from lake water. O. niloticus tended to have most of trace metals in the liver at higher concentrations than the other species but significant differences among the different species were found only for Mn, Ni, and Zn in the gills. A pilot study on the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in muscle revealed that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and related compounds were the dominant organochlorine pesticides, having highest concentrations in C. gariepinus and lowest in O. niloticus.     

印楝素及印楝杀虫剂的安全性评价研究进展

目前开发的新农药必须具有安全性高、残留低、与环境相容的无公害的农药,从一些植物材料中分离出杀虫活性物质来防治害虫具有较长的历史和优势,从印楝中可以分离出多种对害虫具有活性的化合物如印楝素及等可以有效地控制多种害虫。自印楝素被分离鉴定以来,其广谱而独特的生物活性受到人们的广泛关注,印楝素具有良好的杀虫、拒食、驱虫、昆虫生长调节作用等多种生物活性,在农药、日化等领域都有广泛的应用;由印楝素制备的印楝杀虫制剂对害虫的广谱作用、无残留,可减缓害虫的抗药性,是用于蔬菜、果树、茶叶等作物的理想农药,已成为一种近乎完美的植物源杀虫剂。针对日益严重的农药残留及热点关注的环境安全性等问题,系统总结了印楝素及印楝杀虫剂对人、动物等的毒性及环境安全性评价,将有利于全面评价印楝杀虫剂的安全性及有效地指导印楝杀虫剂开发、生产及推广应用。     

微塑料与农药污染的联合毒性作用研究进展

近海环境中的微塑料污染问题已成为全球性的环境问题,引起了世界范围内的广泛关注。微塑料不仅能够对生物造成物理损伤,而且塑料中的添加剂如邻苯二甲酸酯、双酚A、多溴二苯醚等也会随着塑料的风化而浸出进入环境,对生物产生毒害,同时,微塑料还能吸附海洋环境中的其他污染物,从而对生物产生联合毒性作用。本文综述了微塑料与持久性有机污染物的联合作用,结果表明聚苯乙烯微塑料能够吸附海水中的持久性有机污染物如多环芳烃、多氯联苯、有机氯农药滴滴涕,从而可能导致这些污染物在海洋生物组织中富集,对人类健康存在直接或间接危害。最后本文在总结前人研究的基础上,对未来微塑料与农药污染联合毒性作用的研究方向做了简要分析和展望。     

Monitoring the occurrence and distribution of selected organophosphates and carbamate pesticide residues in the ecosystem of Lake Naivasha,Kenya

Although use of pesticides is critical in agricultural production, their residues present a potential risk to non-target organisms and lower the quality of surface water. In Kenya for instance, widespread use of pesticides in the catchment of Lake Naivasha, has raised concern over the years due to possible pollution of the lake through discharge of runoff from agricultural fields. In this study, sediment, water, and fish samples were analyzed for selected pesticide residue contamination. Chlorpyrifos-ethyl (CPF) was detected in the range of 2.6–24.9 ng/ml and 6.8–35.8 ng/g dry weight (dw) in water and sediment, respectively. Meanwhile, diazinon was detected in the range of below detection limit (bdl) to 33.3 ng/ml and bdl to 9.3 ng/g dw in water and sediment, respectively. CPF was detected in fish tissues (Niloticus leucosticus) in the range of bdl to 8.9 ng/g dw with diazinon and carbofuran not detected in any fish sample. A significant difference was observed between different seasons with wet season recording higher levels. Concentrations detected varied seasonally and on average exceeded the maximum criterion set by European Union. Therefore, data generated in this study are useful in environmental risk assessment and as a baseline in formulation of mitigation measures to protect the lake from pesticides residues pollution.     

Frog occupancy of polluted wetlands in urban landscapes

Urban sprawl and the rising popularity of water-sensitive urban design of urban landscapes has led to a global surge in the number of wetlands constructed to collect and treat stormwater runoff in cities. However, contaminants, such as heavy metals and pesticides, in stormwater adversely affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of animals inhabiting these wetlands. A key question is whether wildlife can identify and avoid highly polluted wetlands. We investigated whether pond-breeding frogs are attempting to breed in wetlands that affect the fitness of their offspring across 67 urban wetlands in Melbourne, Australia. Frog species richness and the concentration of contaminants (heavy metals and pesticides) were not significantly related, even in the most polluted wetlands. The proportion of fringing vegetation at a wetland had the greatest positive influence on the number of frog species present and the probability of occurrence of individual species, indicating that frogs inhabited wetlands with abundant vegetation, regardless of their pollution status. These wetlands contained contaminant levels similar to urban wetlands around the world at levels that reduce larval amphibian survival. These results are, thus, likely generalizable to other areas, suggesting that urban managers could inadvertently be creating ecological traps in countless cities. Wetlands are important tools for the management of urban stormwater runoff, but their construction should not facilitate declines in wetland-dependent urban wildlife.     

农药的免疫毒性研究

人体免疫系统功能紊乱引起的疾病数量不断增加,这些疾病中很大一部分是由于人体长期暴露于环境中的各种污染物所引起的.农药即属于可以引起免疫系统损害或免疫应答异常的一类污染物.论文介绍了农药免疫毒性的概念,免疫毒性的检验方法,农药与免疫应答,农药对水生动物、陆生动物、哺乳动物以及人类免疫系统在体液免疫、细胞免疫、非特异性免疫等方面的影响.在此基础上,简要介绍了手性农药免疫毒性问题的重要性和研究现状,并进行了展望.     

Transfer rate of pesticide residues from medicinal plants in different types of extractive solutions

Abstract

Starting from the suspicion that the medicinal herbs may contain traces of pesticides and taking into account the risks of patients being exposed to contaminated products, the aim of this research was to evaluate the pesticide residues and the degree of their transfer (%) in three types of preparations (infusion, decoctionand cold maceration), for four medicinal plant species very often used in phytotherapy (Rosmarini folium, Menthae folium, Saturejae herba and Basilica herba). For each type of plant product, four samples were purchased from different manufacturers and they have been analyzed using gas chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry. One out of four samples of the same plant species contain at least one pesticide residue above the maximum level and shows a significant transfer of these residues in aqueous extractive solutions during extraction. The highest rate of pesticide transfer from medicinal plants was identified in infusions, recommended by many manufacturers.