Heavy metal content in the femora of yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) from different types of polluted environment in Slovakia

Heavy metal content in the femora of yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) caught in different polluted biotopes of a low hill level in Slovakia (Nováky and Kolín?any) was investigated in the present study. Length, weight and histological structure of mouse bones have also been analysed. According to our results, higher concentrations of Cd, Ni, Fe, Cu and Zn were detected in the femora of A. flavicollis from Kolín?any area. Similarly, we observed higher concentrations of Ni, Fe, Cu and Zn in the bones of A. sylvaticus trapped at the same biotope. Significant differences were observed for concentrations of Ni and Zn in both species (P?<?0.05). The measured values for bone length and bone weight were higher in yellow-necked mice and wood mice from Nováky locality (P?<?0.01). Histological observation of thin sections from femora of A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus revealed an outer and inner non-vascular lamellar layer around a poorly developed reticular layer. We did not identify demonstrable changes in qualitative histological characteristics of the femora between the mice (A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus separately) from different types of polluted environment. Also, no statistically significant differences for all the measured variables of primary osteons’ vascular canals were observed. Correlation analysis in yellow-necked mouse showed high positive relation between bone weight and bone length (r?=?0.66), area and perimeter (r?=?0.87) and perimeter and maximum diameter (r?=?0.87). In wood mouse, high positive correlation between bone weight and bone length (r?=?0.80), area and perimeter (r?=?0.72), area and maximum diameter (r?=?0.66) and perimeter and maximum diameter (r?=?0.74) was found. Our results demonstrate slightly elevated accumulation of some heavy metals in the femora of yellow-necked mouse and wood mouse from Kolín?any biotope and thus give an evidence of a contamination of the environment.     

The challenges in the identification of Escherichia coli from environmental samples and their genetic characterization

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Escherichia coli bacteria are an essential indicator in evaluations of environmental pollution, which is why they must be correctly identified. This...     

Leaching and reduction of chromium in soil as affected by soil organic content and plants

The oxidation state of chromium in contaminated soils is an important indicator of toxicity and potential mobility. Chromium in the hexavalent state is highly toxic and soluble, whereas the trivalent state is much less toxic and relatively insoluble. A laboratory study investigated the impact of growing plants and supplemental organic matter on chromium transport in soil. Plants alone had no appreciable effect on the chromium oxidation state in soil. Soil columns with higher organic content were associated with lower ratios of chromate:total chromium than the columns with lower organic matter. Analyses of column leachate, plant biomass, and soil indicate that more chromium leaching occurred in the vegetated, low organic columns. Retention of Cr in the soils was correlated to the Cr(III) content. Plant uptake of chromium accounted for less than 1% of the chromium removed from the soil. Overall, the addition of organic matter had the strongest influence on chromium mobility.     

Column optimization of adsorption and evaluation of bed parameters-based on removal of arsenite ion using rice husk

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The objective of this study deals with column optimization of adsorption-based on removal of arsenite ion using rice husk. The parameters affecting...     

Impact of alternative metrics on estimates of extent of occurrence for extinction risk assessment

In International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments, extent of occurrence (EOO) is a key measure of extinction risk. However, the way assessors estimate EOO from maps of species’ distributions is inconsistent among assessments of different species and among major taxonomic groups. Assessors often estimate EOO from the area of mapped distribution, but these maps often exclude areas that are not habitat in idiosyncratic ways and are not created at the same spatial resolutions. We assessed the impact on extinction risk categories of applying different methods (minimum convex polygon, alpha hull) for estimating EOO for 21,763 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians. Overall, the percentage of threatened species requiring down listing to a lower category of threat (taking into account other Red List criteria under which they qualified) spanned 11–13% for all species combined (14–15% for mammals, 7–8% for birds, and 12–15% for amphibians). These down listings resulted from larger estimates of EOO and depended on the EOO calculation method. Using birds as an example, we found that 14% of threatened and near threatened species could require down listing based on the minimum convex polygon (MCP) approach, an approach that is now recommended by IUCN. Other metrics (such as alpha hull) had marginally smaller impacts. Our results suggest that uniformly applying the MCP approach may lead to a one‐time down listing of hundreds of species but ultimately ensure consistency across assessments and realign the calculation of EOO with the theoretical basis on which the metric was founded.     

Bioelements and mineral matter in human livers from the highly industrialized region of the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (Poland)

Contents of mineral substance, silica, and a range of bioelements and toxic elements (Mg, Na, K, Ca, Ba, Zn, Cr, P Al, Cd, Mn Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, Fe) in 38 livers of donors from the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (southern Poland) are presented. Elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) with the exception of silica that was estimated colorimetrically. Concentrations, concentration variability, and correlations between selected liver components determined for the total population are related to donor age, gender, and lesion occurrence. Correlations between particular elements were found using correlation coefficient values and the Fisher transformation. Mineral substance in the livers lies in the range 0.40–5.03 wt%. With increasing donor age, mineral-matter content decreases to a minimum for the 40–60 years of age range. Microbioelement contents show a similar tendency, while microbioelements and toxic elements reach maximum contents in donors aged 60–80 years. All elements show content decreases in livers from the oldest group (>80 years). Silica contents increase with age. Variability of element contents is lowest in the older subpopulations. Livers with lesions show lower element contents and variability. The results are compared to literature data for regions of Poland assumed to be of low pollution and to data from comparable regions in Japan and Hungary. Up to our knowledge, this paper is the first work describing the total contents, as distinct from contents of selected elements, of mineral substance in human livers.     

Exposure to phthalates: germline dysfunction and aneuploidy

Epidemiological studies continue to reveal the enduring impact of exposures to environmental chemicals on human physiology, including our reproductive health. Phthalates, a well characterized class of endocrine disrupting chemicals and commonly utilized plasticizers, are among one of the many toxicants ubiquitously present in our environment. Phthalate exposure has been linked to increases in the rate of human aneuploidy, a phenomenon that is detected in 0.3% of livebirths resulting in genetic disorders including trisomy 21, approximately 4% of stillbirths, and over 35% of miscarriages. Here we review recent epidemiological and experimental studies that have examined the role that phthalates play in germline dysfunction, including increases in apoptosis, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and impaired genomic integrity, resulting in aneuploidy. We will further discuss subject variability, as it relates to diet and polymorphisms, and the sexual dimorphic effects of phthalate exposure, as it relates to sex-specific targets. Lastly, we discuss some of the conserved effects of phthalate exposure across humans, mammalian models and nonmammalian model organisms, highlighting the importance of using model organisms to our advantage for chemical risk assessment and unveiling potential mechanisms that underlie phthalate-induced reproductive health issues across species.     

Coltan from Central Africa,international trade and implications for any certification

The exploitation of coltan in Central Africa can be considered a case of conflict minerals due to its nature. Many international organizations and bodies, national governments and private sector organizations seek to address this conflict, in particular via transparency, certification and accountability along the material supply chain. This paper analyses the international trade dimension of coltan and gives evidence on the dimension of illicit trade of coltan. The authors start from the hypothesis that illicit trade of coltan sooner or later will enter the market and will be reflected in the statistics. The paper is structured in the following manner: first, a short section gives a profile of coltan production and markets; second, an overview of the mining situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and related actors. The third section addresses mechanisms, actors and measurement issues involved in the international trade of coltan. The final part draws lessons for certification and conflict analysis and offers some guidance for future research.     

Fungal inoculum properties: extracellular enzyme expression and pentachlorophenol removal by New Zealand trametes species in contaminated field soils

This study was conducted to improve the ability of indigenous New Zealand white-rot fungi to remove pentachlorophenol (PCP) from contaminated field soil. The effects of different bioaugmentation conditions on PCP removal and extracellular enzyme expression were measured in the laboratory. The conditions were fungal growth substrate and co-substrate composition, culture age, and Tween 80 addition to the contaminated soil. The fungi used were Trametes versicolor isolate HR131 and Trametes sp. isolate HR577. Maximum PCP removal was 70% after 7 wk from a 1043 mg kg(-1) PCP-contaminated soil inoculated with an 11-d-old fungal culture of T. versicolor isolate HR131. There was minimal production of undesirable pentachloroanisole by the fungi. Tween 80 addition had no affect on PCP removal. Poplar sawdust was more suitable as a fungal growth substrate and a co-substrate amendment for PCP removal and extracellular enzyme expression than the locally available pine and fir sawdust. Pentachlorophenol removal was not necessarily correlated with extracellular enzyme expression. The research results demonstrate that PCP biodegradation was affected by inoculum culture age, by the presence of a co-substrate amendment, and by growth substrate composition after white-rot fungal bioaugmentation into PCP-contaminated field soils.