Atrazine induction of cytochrome P450 in Chironomus tentans larvae

Cytochrome P450-dependent aldrin epoxidation was characterized in third instar larvae of the aquatic midge, Chironomus tentans. Optimal in vitro assay conditions for the epoxidase were pH 7.6 and 31 degrees C. Activity was linear up to 40 min of incubation time and 0.5 mg microsomal protein per incubation. The activity was concentrated in the microsomal fraction of whole body homogenates and was NADPH-dependent. The effect of atrazine exposure on aldrin epoxidase was measured to determine if this herbicide induces cytochrome P450-dependent activity. Comparisons of control and atrazine-exposed midges indicated increased epoxidase activity as a result of atrazine exposure, and a 45 kDa protein of increased intensity was observed after SDS-PAGE of microsomal protein. The molecular weight of this protein was similar in size to cytochrome P450 enzymes reported for other insects. Heme staining of SDS-PAGE gels and immunochemical studies using a Drosophila melanogaster anti-P450 polyclonal antiserum, further support the cytochrome P450 nature of this inducible 45 kDa protein.     

Monitoring, modelling and environmental exposure assessment of industrial chemicals in the aquatic environment

Monitoring and laboratory data play integral roles alongside fate and exposure models in comprehensive risk assessments. The principle in the European Union Technical Guidance Documents for risk assessment is that measured data may take precedence over model results but only after they are judged to be of adequate reliability and to be representative of the particular environmental compartments to which they are applied. In practice, laboratory and field data are used to provide parameters for the models, while monitoring data are used to validate the models' predictions. Thus, comprehensive risk assessments require the integration of laboratory and monitoring data with the model predictions. However, this interplay is often overlooked. Discrepancies between the results of models and monitoring should be investigated in terms of the representativeness of both. Certainly, in the context of the EU risk assessment of existing chemicals, the specific requirements for monitoring data have not been adequately addressed. The resources required for environmental monitoring, both in terms of manpower and equipment, can be very significant. The design of monitoring programmes to optimise the use of resources and the use of models as a cost-effective alternative are increasing in importance. Generic considerations and criteria for the design of new monitoring programmes to generate representative quality data for the aquatic compartment are outlined and the criteria for the use of existing data are discussed. In particular, there is a need to improve the accessibility to data sets, to standardise the data sets, to promote communication and harmonisation of programmes and to incorporate the flexibility to change monitoring protocols to amend the chemicals under investigation in line with changing needs and priorities.     

Use of a lux-marked rhizobacterium as a biosensor to assess changes in rhizosphere C flow due to pollutant stress

The flow of carbon from plant roots into soil supports a range of microbial processes and is therefore critical to ecosystem function and health. Pollution-induced stress, which influences rhizosphere C flow is of considerable potential importance, and therefore needs to be evaluated. This paper reports on a method, based on reporter gene technology, for quantifying pollutant effects on rhizosphere C flow. The method uses the lux-marked rhizobacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens, where bioluminescence output of this biosensor is directly correlated with the metabolic activity and reports on C flow in root exudate. Plantago lanceolata was treated with paraquat (representing a model pollutant stress) in a simple microcosm system. The lux-biosensor response correlated closely with C concentrations in the exudate and demonstrated that the pollutant stress increased the C flow from the plantago roots, 24 h after application of the herbicide. The lux-reporter system therefore potentially offers a technique for use in assessing the impact of pollutant stress on rhizosphere C flow through the soil microbial biomass.     

Formation and long-term fate of non-extractable residues in outdoor lysimeter studies

Long-term outdoor lysimeter studies using (14)C-labelled compounds allow the quantification of the 'non-extractable residue fraction'. More than 20 lysimeter studies under realistic environmental conditions showed that more than 80% of residual carbon of the molecule is retained in the topsoil layer even after several years. Generally, 50-90% of this residual radiocarbon is regarded as 'soil bound residue'. Microbial biomass is present in large quantities in topsoil and continuously influences chemical and biochemical alteration of pesticide molecules that may interact directly with the total soil organic matter. Labelling techniques using radioactive isotopes like (14)C have been used to characterize these residues in the humus matrix. Our studies have been directed to the investigation of extractability and/or bioavailability of these residues in long-term investigations.     

Lead exposure of small herbivorous vertebrates from atmospheric pollution

Concentrations of Pb in livers of willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), black grouse (Tetrao tetrix), and hare (Lepus timidus) were determined in samples collected during the period 1990-92 from 77 locations distributed across Norway. Our objective was to elucidate the impact of long-range atmospheric transport on the Pb exposure of the animals. The moss Hylocomium splendens was measured for atmospheric Pb deposition and Pb in soil at 60-cm depth was determined to reflect the natural geochemical background at the study locations. Strong positive relationships were found between Pb in liver and atmospheric deposition of Pb for all species and age groups studied. Results indicate that long-range atmospheric transport was the main source of Pb in the animals studied. This conclusion was supported by Pb analysis of typical food plants for the animals. Correlation between Pb in liver and Pb in soil mineral matter was observed only when considering sites with very low impact of atmospheric deposition. Even though the observed liver Pb concentrations may seem low (< or =12 microg g(-1) dw) they approach levels where sub-lethal effects cannot be ignored.     

Carbon disulfide at a Chinese viscose factory external and internal exposure assessment

This article presents the results of carbon disulfide exposure measurements in a Chinese viscose rayon factory. The objectives of the study were to identify the external exposure levels at a large factory and to investigate the 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) concentrations in the urine of the subjects who were exposed to carbon disulfide in the working place atmosphere. The metabolism of carbon disulfide in the exposed subjects was also studied in order to demonstrate the best points in time for the internal exposure sampling. The measurement of the amount of personal exposure to carbon disulfide in the air of the workplace was performed by GC-FPD; the presence of TTCA in the workers urine was analyzed by use of a modified HPLC method. The kinetics of TTCA excretion was studied by analyses at different time-points both during and after exposure to carbon disulfide in the subjects. A total of 155 personal samples were obtained. The carbon disulfide concentration in the staple viscose hall was 13.72 +/- 1.12 mg m-3 in terms of the geometric mean +/- geometric standard deviation, and was 20.05 +/- 1.33 mg m-3 in the filament spinning hall. The TTCA values in the subjects who worked in the staple spinning hall were 1.18 +/- 0.43 mg g-1 creatinine and 1.07 +/- 0.38 mg g-1 creatinine for subjects working in the filament spinning hall. The best time for TTCA sampling is at the end of the working shift, the TTCA excretion was stable for a period of 4-12 h after exposure of the subjects to the carbon disulfide. It might be that the Chinese have different anthropometric characteristics; a sampling bias may therefore appear among different races.     

玻安岩及其有关岩石研究

<正> 引言玻安岩(也称玻苏玄武岩)是根据日本小笠原群岛命名的一类岩石。人们早就发现了这类岩石,但把它列入重要岩类加以研究则是七十年代末的事情。近几年来,随着海洋地质学的发展,尤其是一系列深海钻探计划的实施,     

火山超镁铁岩及其他镁铁-超镁铁系列岩石的铬尖晶石类化学成分和结晶条件

<正> 对堪察加和麦美奇-科图伊地区的火山超镁铁岩中铬尖晶石进行了化学对比研究,所得结果可与大量文献中关于其他岩类铬尖晶石成分的研究结果相比拟。 麦美奇-科图伊地区熔岩质杂岩和堪察加熔岩质脉状杂岩的铬尖晶石类主要是细粒状(百分之几毫米,较少为十分之几毫米),或为规则的自形晶,或为浑圆状。它们在岩石中的分布是不均匀的,成为橄榄石斑晶中和玻基斑状及微晶状基质中的包裹体。     

滨海地区侵入带附近一种新的锡矿化类型

<正> 在滨海地区广泛地发育着不同年代和不同建造的锡矿化。据等的资料,已知有贝加尔、海西、启莫里和阿尔卑斯成矿期的锡矿床和锡矿化。阿尔卑斯成矿最多,它又分为两个锡矿化阶段:晚自垩世-古新世和始新世。滨海地区分布最广泛的有锡石-硅酸盐-硫化物矿床,其成分和结构按其在黑云母交代岩前缘位置的情况而变化。对滨海南部许多矿床的深部地质构造进行的详细研究表明,分布在黑云岩穹隆内部(“核心”带)的锡矿化,其年龄大于未变质地层中的矿化年     

根据含水硅酸盐的氢同位素资料研究水在花岗岩岩浆中的行为

<正> 本文对各种花岗岩中共生含水矿物对,例如黑云母(+)和角闪石(o)的化学组成(包括水的含量)和 D/H 比值作了分析。Suzuoki 和 Epstein(1976)发现,含水硅酸盐与水之间 D/H 的分馏不仅取决于温度,并且也与八面体上的阳离子组成有关。二价铁使得矿物的氘显著减少,镁的程度要小些,而铝则稍微富集氘。他们对云母和闪石类给出如下经验方程:10~3lnα_=-22.4×10~6T~(-2)+28.2+(2X_(A1)-