Is the microbiological quality of the Msunduzi River (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) suitable for domestic, recreational, and agricultural purposes?

As little is known about the potential risks associated with the use of microbiologically contaminated river water for recreation, irrigation, or domestic purposes, the Msunduzi River in Pietermaritzburg (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) was evaluated. In addition to pH, temperature, and chemical oxygen demand, quantitative and qualitative microbiological analyses were performed monthly for 13 months. These included aerobic plate counts, counts of aerobic and anaerobic sporeformers, most probable numbers for total and faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli and the detection of Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and intestinal enterococci. Presumptive E. coli and S. aureus from river water samples were confirmed using PCR and additionally matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for E. coli. Aerobic plate counts were above the South African Department of Water Affairs recommended guideline level for domestic use of 100 cfu/ml for all 13 months assessed. Faecal coliform (up to 63,000 MPN/100 ml) and E. coli (up to 7,900 MPN/100 ml) levels regularly exceeded stipulated limits for safe irrigation, domestic and recreational use. The presence of Salmonella spp., S. aureus, and intestinal enterococci frequently coincided with faecal coliform and E. coli levels above 1,000 MPN/100 ml. This illustrates the value of using guideline values for faecal coliforms and E. coli as indicators for the presence of potential pathogens. PCR and MALDI-TOF MS confirmation of E. coli were in agreement, thereby demonstrating the potential of MALDI-TOF MS as a suitable alternative. These data demonstrate that potential health risks are associated with using Msunduzi River water for irrigation and recreational or domestic purposes.     

No person is an island: The effects of group characteristics on individual trait expression

Although most researchers now espouse a person‐by‐situation interactionist approach, there remains much work to be carried out to fully understand how different features of the environment interact with personality to influence behavior. Thus, this study sought to examine the moderating effects of three group‐level constructs on the relationships between two personality traits (conscientiousness and extraversion) and individual performance and counterproductive behaviors. Specifically, using trait activation theory as an organizing framework, we considered the moderating effects of the following: (i) a previously unexamined construct called core group evaluations (CGEs); (ii) group conscientiousness composition; and (iii) group extraversion composition. Data were obtained from a sample of university football players (N = 225–252 from 40 groups). The results indicated that CGEs moderated the relationships between individual conscientiousness and both performance (subjective) and counterproductive behaviors. Group conscientiousness composition also moderated the relationships between individual conscientiousness and both performance (objective and subjective) and counterproductive behaviors. Lastly, group extraversion composition moderated the relationship between individual extraversion and counterproductive behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of considering a team's CGEs, as well as the personality composition of team members when investigating the effects of conscientiousness and extraversion on individual performance and counterproductive behaviors. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First evidence for a stereoselective incorporation of nonylphenol diastereomers in soil-derived organo-clay complexes

Environmental processes can affect the stereochemical properties of organic pollutants. In particular, biotic processes like microbial transformations or membrane penetration alter the ratios of enantiomers as well as diastereomers. These effects have been intensively used not only in environmental studies but also in medicine, toxicology, pharmacy, and agricultural sciences. However, in order to identify unambiguously biotic-initiated alteration of organic compounds, the knowledge on the stereoselective effect of all relevant processes is mandatory. Therefore, here we report the first evidence for a stereospecific formation of non-extractable residues of a xeniobiotic in a highly relevant soil subfraction, the organo-clay complexes. In this study, soils were spiked with labeled and unlabeled nonylphenol isomer, and incubation experiments were performed to study its long-term incorporation behavior into soil-derived organo-clay complexes under abiotic and biotic conditions. Besides the extractable particle-associated proportion especially the humic fractions comprising the bound residues have been analyzed by GC/MS. Our results from biotic experiments revealed alterations of the diastereomeric composition of the contaminant in the different soil humic subfractions. A depletion of the first eluting diastereomer as expressed by diastereomeric ratios around 0.6 has been observed for the extractable fraction, whereas the non-extractable proportion was enriched in the first diastereomer (diasteremoric ratio around 1.0). On the contrary, the diastereomeric ratios remained unaffected during the abiotic experiments (diasteremoric ratio around 0.8). These systematic observations give clear evidence that the process of microbial-assisted incorporation of nonylphenol into soil organo-clay complexes is a stereoselective process. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a stereoselective incorporation process of organic substances forming non-extractable residues. Consequently, the formation of non-extractable residues has to be considered in environmental studies dealing with stereoselective analysis of organic pollutants in soils to study their microbial transformation.     

GIS-gestützte Analysen zur möglichen Gefährdung von Naturschutzgebieten durch den Anbau gentechnisch veränderter Kulturpflanzen

Background, Aim, and Scope The introduction of genetically modified plants (GMP) into the European agriculture primarily has been investigated in respect of economical aspects, its impacts on conventional crops, and direct or indirect effects on human health. Potential ecological impacts, especially their long term and large scale implications, were out of focus, usually. A special task is to protect the integrity of nature reserves. According to §?23 of the German Nature Protection Law (BNatSchG) nature reserves are to protect nature and landscape properties by preserving and developing existing as well as by re-establishing biotopes of wild and endangered species. According to §?34a of the BNatSchG the use of GMP has to be accompanied by an environmental impact analysis of possible risks like it has to be done in projects affecting the integrity of Flora-Fauna-Habitats (FFH) or European bird sanctuaries. Considering this, the joint research project “Recommendations for isolation distances concerning the cultivation of genetically modified plants in the neighbourhood of protected areas” which was promoted by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) aimed at describing possible risks for biocoenoses in conservation areas that could be caused by the cultivation of GMP in their vicinity and at evaluating measures which could mitigate or hinder negative effects. The article at hand concentrates on describing the implications which would emerge when introducing different isolation distances concerning the cultivation of herbicide resistant oil seed rape (HR-OSR) and insect resistant maize (B.?t.-maize) near protection areas. On the other hand, a methodology is introduced which was developed to classify the German nature reserves according to their potential endangerment by GMP cultivation and to minimise calculation efforts for modelling possible impacts. Materials and Methods In 2003, there were around 7,400 nature reserves which covered 3?% of the whole territory of Germany. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to integrate geometries of conservation areas, land use data (CORINE landcover), agricultural information on district level as well as a map of German ecoregions. At first, it was evaluated how much arable land for B.?t.-maize or HR-OSR cultivation would remain if introducing different isolation distances around nature reserves (NSG). Furthermore, the NSG were aggregated to several homogenous classes reflecting different levels of cultivation intensities in their vicinity and different geometric properties. This was realised calculating a geometric coefficient (GC) which describes the ratio of periphery and area of each NSG in order to abstract the risk of GMP invasion. The density of maize and rape cropping near the NSG was expressed by a cultivation coefficient (CC). According to regional agricultural surveys, this was calculated by adding up the area of maize and rape fields within a radius of 1,000?m (maize) and 4,000?m (rape), respectively, around the NSG. Results Considering an isolation distance of 1,000?m around the NSG, 90?% of the farmland in Germany would be available for GMP cultivation. 50?% would remain when establishing an isolation distance of 4,000 m. The combination of GC and CC resulted in a total of nine risk categories (RC) describing the potential risk of endangerment by GMP cultivation in the vicinity of NSG. Areas with highest risk were grouped in RC nine where the smallest NSG (+ GC) in the main cultivation areas of maize or corn (+ CC) were summarised. With a numerical proportion of 7?% those sites cover only 0.4?% of total area of all NSG. All nature reserves showing highest CC values had a total proportion of 60?%. Discussion The derivation of GC and CC was based on a hierarchical approach and was implemented by complex GIS procedures. This makes it easy to calculate additional values for different GMP, protection areas or isolation distances. The RC were useful for choosing representative modelling sites in order to minimise calculation efforts when modelling possible impacts of GMP cultivation in vicinity of nature reserves. Conclusions The assessment of isolation distances around protection areas should be performed for each area individually concerning the GMP specific effects and dispersal properties as well as the protected organisms and the main protection targets. Especially HR-OSR is critical because of its volunteers and hybridisation partners. Another main source of GMP dispersal into protection areas might be the contamination of conventional seeds with transgene OSR seeds. Recommendations and perspectives Before defining and applying particular measures in order to protect conservation areas from possible impacts due to GMP cultivation a political and societal discussion is necessary in order to assess which GMP induced impacts may be tolerated. This has to be supported by additional scientific studies based on empirical and estimated data evaluating possible dispersal distances of GM pollen and possible environmental impacts of released transgenes and their toxins. According to the EU Directive 2001/18/EC the cultivation of GMP should be accompanied by a case-specific monitoring and general surveillance, as well. It should be realised as soon as possible, since the release and the cultivation of GMP in Germany have been started, already. The monitoring should be complemented by the implementation of a web-based geoinformation system (WebGIS) which enables the compilation and evaluation of the data and relevant geodata.     

Raumgliederung für die Ökologische Umweltbeobachtung des Bundes und der Länder

Ecoregionalizations are important for the evaluation of monitoring networks. In this article a method is decribed concerning how to define Germany’s ecoregions by using ecological data on soil, vegetation, climate and elevation through the aid of classification and regression trees. The resulting ecoregions can be linked to metadata (parameters, methods, quality control and assurance measures) from thousands of Germany’s environmental monitoring sites. Together with GIS procedures, multivariate statistics and geostatistics, ecoregions are useful for integrating data of environmental measurements according to ecological and spatial criteria.     

Identification of the antifungal peptide-containing symbiont of the marine sponge Theonella swinhoei as a novel δ-proteobacterium, “Candidatus Entotheonella palauensis”

 The Palauan sponge Theonella swinhoei (class Demospongiae, order Lithistida, family Theonellidae) harbors filamentous bacterial symbionts that contain theopalauamide, an antifungal, bicyclic glycopeptide. In this study, the filamentous symbionts were shown to be novel bacteria belonging to the δ-subdivision of proteobacteria. The 16S rRNA gene sequence was determined using a combination of denaturing gradient-gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and specific polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) primers, and its source was confirmed by in situ hybridization. In a series of culture experiments, the filamentous bacteria were propagated in a mixed culture on agar plates. Related 16S rRNA gene sequences were isolated from related sponges with slightly different chemistry. The taxonomic status “Candidatus Entotheonella palauensis” is proposed for the theopalauamide-containing filamentous bacteria from T. swinhoei. Received: 12 June 1999 / Accepted: 22 January 2000     

Our battle with hexachlorobenzene: citizen perspectives on toxic waste in Botany

The perspectives of residents are brought together in this assembly of statements concerning the management of hexachlorobenzene waste in Botany, a southeastern suburb of Sydney. The paper indicates how residents have responded as participants in public participation exercises, and the contribution made by lay experts in the search for a negotiated solution to the problems of legacy wastes. Resident comments on the role of independent scientific experts, on legal liability, and on the State Government sponsored Commission of Inquiry, indicate the deficit of resources faced by the local community. The paper provides insights into the status of citizen knowledge in environmental controversies and the pitfalls of participatory processes.     

Sorption of carbamazepine, 17α-ethinylestradiol, iopromide and trimethoprim to biomass involves interactions with exocellular polymeric substances

The sorption of carbamazepine (CBZ), iopromide (IOP), trimethoprim (TMP) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) was evaluated using four biomass types (pure ammonia oxidizing bacterial culture, two heterotrophic enrichment cultures with varying levels of oxygenase activity, and a full-scale nitrifying activated sludge (NAS) culture). CBZ and IOP did not sorb to the four biomass types. EE2 did not sorb to the pure culture but sorbed significantly to the heterotrophic cultures and NAS. TMP sorbed to the heterotrophic cultures and NAS, and was not evaluated for the pure culture. Three floc characteristics (hydrophobicity, median particle size, organic matter content) correlated moderately well with the EE2 organic matter sorption coefficient (K_OM,EE2). Zeta potential did not correlate well with K_OM,EE2 but did with K_OM,TMP, indicating that TMP sorption is more influenced by electrostatic factors than EE2. Once divalent cation-linked exocellular polymeric substances (EPS) were removed from flocs, EE2 and TMP sorption to the non-EPS (cellular) fraction decreased by approximately 50%. The correlation between K_OM,EE2 for the non-EPS cellular fraction deteriorated while the correlation between K_OM,TMP improved. EE2 seemed to sorb more strongly to EPS protein whereas TMP sorbed equally to polysaccharide and protein EPS. Attempts to develop predictive models were not successful. Pharmaceuticals that sorbed to biomass samples underwent biodegradation whereas those that did not sorb were not biodegraded, suggesting a relationship between sorption and pharmaceutical biotransformation.     

Sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on glass surfaces

Sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to glass commonly used in laboratories was studied. Sorption coefficients (K_d) of five selected PAHs to borosilicate glass surfaces were measured using column chromatography. A linear relationship between log K_d and the corresponding water solubility of the subcooled liquid (log S_w) of the investigated PAHs was observed. Based on the determined sorption coefficients our data revealed that mass loss caused by sorption on glass walls strongly depends on the ratio of solution volume to contacted surface area (V/S). The influence of solution chemistry such as ionic strength, solution pH, presence of cosolvent, and the influence of temperature on the sorption process were investigated. In the presence of ionic strength, sorption coefficients concurrently increased but less than a factor of 2 up to 0.005 M calcium chloride concentration. However, further increasing ionic strength had no influence on K_d. The cosolvent reduced sorption at a concentration of methanol in water above 0.5% (v/v); however, for benzo[a]pyrene even with 10% (v/v) methanol the mass loss would be still higher than 10% (with a V/S ratio less than 0.25). Significant effects of the solution pH and temperature were not observed. These results suggest that van der Waal’s forces dominate the sorption process. In the analysis of highly hydrophobic PAHs in aqueous samples, mass loss due to sorption on glass walls should be accounted for in the final result if untreated glass is used. The presented relationship between log K_d and log S_w may help to decide if such a correction is necessary. Furthermore, the frequently used silanization of glass surfaces may not be sufficient to suppress sorption for large PAHs.     

Source characteristics of hazardous Chihuahuan Desert dust outbreaks

The Chihuahuan Desert region is an important contributor to atmospheric dust loading and transport in North America; however, specific dust sources in this region are poorly characterized. Major dust events frequently are characterized by multiple dust plumes developing nearly simultaneously over a large region. Remote sensing data were used to identify the source locations and associated land cover for the most extreme dust events in the Chihuahuan Desert since 2002. Analysis of infrared channels utilizing brightness temperature differences was used to analyze data from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites, from which dust sources were determined and located. This methodology was applied to the five dust events in the region that resulted in “hazardous” PM₁₀ levels in Texas per the USEPA’s Air Quality Index. Source locations determined from satellite images were used in conjunction with LANDSAT data and Google Earth? images to determine the corresponding land-surface features. Agricultural lands, playas, and their edges are pointed out as focus areas for dust emission, at least during the most intense events. The 130 dust plume initiation sites were relatively uniformly spaced over the landscape, not clumped into a few “hotspots,” suggesting the role of spatiotemporally random meteorological factors in determining major points of emission within and between dust storms. These findings provide an initial characterization of Chihuahuan Desert dust source locations and establish a baseline for continued research in determining potential locations for future dust outbreaks in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico.