Volatilization and degradation of soil-applied dimethylselenide

Dimethylselenide (DMSe) is a highly volatile gas that is produced by indigenous microorganisms in seleniferous soils and sediments; however, little is known about the soil conditions that affect the persistence of DMSe and its transport to the atmosphere. In this study we investigated the effect of moisture content, temperature, and organic amendments on the degradation of soil-applied DMSe. The degradation of DMSe was entirely a result of biological mechanisms, but changes in temperature (20-40 degrees C) and soil moisture content (30-70% of the maximum water holding capacity) had little influence on the degradation rate. In contrast, amending soil with either 1% casein or gluten (by weight) had an inhibitory effect on the degradation of DMSe. After 18 d, 2.1 times more DMSe was present in the casein-amended soil and 2.6 times more DMSe was present in the gluten-amended soil. The transport of DMSe in packed soil columns was also investigated. Increasing the depth to soil surface was found to significantly decrease the amount of DMSe transported to the air. After 6 d, 57% of DMSe injected 10 cm below the soil surface was volatilized. At an injection depth of 20 cm the cumulative emissions were reduced by 38% and at 30 cm the cumulative emissions were reduced by 51%. In columns containing 1% casein or gluten in the top 5 cm of soil the cumulative loss of DMSe was about 9% higher than in unamended soil. Increasing our understanding of the soil conditions that influence the gaseous diffusion of DMSe should help in determining the feasibility of using Se volatilization as a remediation technique.     

Toxicity of a rice field herbicide in a nitrogen fixing alga,Cylindrospermum sp

Supplementation of paraquat into the culture medium proved to be highly toxic for a blue-green alga Cylindrospermum sp. A concentration of 15 microg/ml proved algicidal for the test alga. Various concentrations (0.5 microg/ml - 15 microg/ml) of the herbicide affected the growth and reduced chlorophyll and phycocyanin contents of the alga. In addition, it inhibited differentiation of heterocysts and akinetes. The inhibition of algal growth was found to be partially relieved on addition of 500 microg/ml of glucose.     

Impact of cadmium on food utilization of the Indian major carp,Catla catla (Ham)

Catla catla, under the sublethal stress of cadmium exhibited depletion in food utilization parameters and it was concentration dependent. Heavy metal intoxication was found to exhibit reduction in biomass.     

Season-dependent mineral accumulation in fruits of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Season-dependent mineral accumulation was recorded in fruits of Okra and Tomato. The highest concentration was in summer in Okra and in winter in Tomato. Lowest concentrations were in winter in Okra and rainy in Tomato. Both crop plants indicated that the mineral contents were in the order of P > K > Ca > Mg > Na > Fe which also signify their relative functional importance in growth and metabolism.     

Effect of fertilisation on the potassium and radiocaesium distribution in tree stands (Pinus sylvestris L.) and peat on a pine mire

This paper compares the effects of single and repeated fertilisation on the contents of potassium, 134Cs and 137Cs in different Scots pine compartments at different levels above ground and in the peat profile 9 years after the Chernobyl disaster. The material was collected from a ditch spacing and fertilisation experiment in Finland. Above a needle potassium concentration of 3.0 mg g(-1) in composed crown samples, 137Cs and 134Cs concentrations remained at about the same level but below that the values were higher on average. This potassium value corresponded to the potassium concentrations of 3.5-3.6 mg g(-1) in the current-year needles of two topmost whorls. The result indicates an enhanced radiocaesium uptake by pine trees under severe potassium deficiency. Fertilisation with potassium-containing fertilisers decreased the caesium uptake considerably. The inhibiting effect of fertilisation on caesium uptake by trees seemed to be fairly long lasting. Fertilisation had sped up the penetration of caesium downwards in the peat profile and its moving out of the active circulation of elements between soil and plants.     

Alarm communication: a new function for the scent-gland secretion in harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Most harvestmen are nocturnal, nonacoustical, and nonvisual arthropods. They have a pair of exocrine glands on the cephalothorax that produce defensive volatile secretions. We investigated in the field the possible alarm effect of these secretions in the gregarious harvestman Goniosoma aff. proximum. A cotton swab soaked with the species' own exudate (treatment), or with water (control), was held 1-2 cm from the center of harvestmen aggregations. The results showed that the gland secretion elicits an alarm response in Goniosoma: whereas 73.3% of the aggregations dispersed after being stimulated with the gland exudate, only 3.3% responded to the water control. Respondent groups are larger than nonrespondent groups, and the time of reaction to the secretion was inversely related to group size. This is the first demonstration of a chemically-mediated alarm effect in harvestmen. The alarm response in gregarious harvestmen has possibly evolved as a by-product of a primarily defensive reaction in the context of predator avoidance. The discovery of this novel function of scent-gland secretion is meaningful in view of the widespread occurrence of gregarious habit among species of the order Opiliones.     

Comparison of dioxin and furan TEQ determination in contaminated soil using chemical,micro-EROD,and immunoassay analysis

High resolution mass spectrometry gas chromatography (GC/MS) is the standard method for dioxin and furan analysis in environmental matrices. Considered as very accurate, this method is however time consuming and expensive. Methods based on biological interactions have the necessary sensitivity but began only recently to be investigated in the context of environmental applications. We have compared dioxin and furan toxicity levels (expressed as toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs)) in soil samples by three analytical approaches: the micro-ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) bioassay (a receptor-based method), an immunoassay (antibody-based method) and GC/MS analysis (used as a reference) using a shortened extraction-purification method. Both biological methods were sensitive to interferences from compounds co-extracted from samples. Most samples were underestimated by the immunoassay and, at a greater extent, overestimated by the EROD bioassay. The average accuracy of TEQ estimation (86 +/- 45% of values established by GC/MS) and the absence of false-negatives showed by the immunoassay suggest the usefulness of this method for semi-quantitative, preliminary characterization of potentially contaminated sites.     

Impact of selective herbicide right-of-way vegetation treatment on birds

Power line rights-of-way provide a major portion of the shrub habitat in New York. Since this habitat type is on the decline, many of the birds dependent on shrub habitat are also declining. The methods used to control right-of-way vegetation could therefore have serious impacts on several birds of conservation concern. Since New York is increasingly using selective herbicide treatments in vegetation management, we sought to investigate the potential impacts of these treatments on nesting birds. The study looked at plots in two adjacent rights-of-way before and after a selective herbicide treatment in one of the rights-of-way. We investigated three bird species: alder flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum), chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica), and gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). All three species exhibited a preference for shrub vegetation around nest sites. The selective herbicide treatment did not significantly decrease that shrub vegetation, and neither the density nor the nesting success of the three species declined following the treatment. We conclude that selective herbicide vegetation management encourages the development of shrub habitat without negatively impacting the birds nesting in the habitat.     

The role of condensed organic matter in the nonlinear sorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants by a peat and sediments

This study examines the effect of soil organic matter heterogeneity on equilibrium sorption and desorption of phenanthrene, naphthalene, 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (1,3,5-TCB), and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) by soils and sediments. Two estuary sediments, a Pahokee peat (PP; Euic, hyperthermic Lithic Haplosaprist), and two subsamples (base- and acid-treated peat [TP] and acid-treated peat [FP]) of the peat were used as the sorbents. The contents of black carbon particles were quantified with a chemical extraction method. Petrographical examinations revealed the presence of the condensed soil and sediment organic matter (SOM) in Pahokee peat. The Freundlich isotherm model in two different forms was used to fit both sorption and desorption data. The results show that the sorption and desorption isotherms are generally nonlinear and that the apparent sorption-desorption hysteresis is present for phenanthrene and TCB. Detailed analysis of sorption data for the tested sorbent-sorbate systems indicates that black carbon is probably responsible for sorption isotherm nonlinearity for the two sediments, whereas the humic substances and kerogen may play the dominant role in nonlinear sorption by the peat. This investigation suggests that the microporosity of SOM is important for the hydrophobic organic contaminant (HOC) sorption capacity on the peat.     

Transport and degradation of toluene and o-xylene in an unsaturated soil with dipping sedimentary layers

A lysimeter trench was established at the Gardermoen delta (50 km north of Oslo, Norway) to study the flow of water and transport and degradation of aromatic jet fuel components (toluene and o-xylene) in the undisturbed unsaturated zone. Site investigations with ground-penetrating radar revealed the presence of dipping sedimentary layers within the foreset unit. This study has shown that the foreset bed of the Gardermoen delta structure provided a preferential flow path for the transport of the solute plumes, but did not have dramatic effects on the degradation potential under the current conditions. The degradation potential for toluene and o-xylene in the unsaturated zone at Gardermoen was very high and almost all of the injected hydrocarbons were biodegraded before reaching the saturated zone. However, the horizontal displacement of the plume showed that knowledge about sedimentary structures in the unsaturated zone is important for a sufficient monitoring of contaminant transport and for remediation purposes. Carbon dioxide and O2 were measured in situ simultaneously with extraction of water samples, and indicated aerobic biodegradation of toluene and o-xylene. Overall, first-order degradation coefficients were calculated to be in the range of 0.19 to 0.21 d(-1) and 0.10 to 0.11 d(-1) for toluene and o-xylene, respectively.