Toxicity and bioaccumulation of reduced TNT metabolites in the earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed to amended forest soil

Soils contaminated with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and TNT primary reduction products have been found to be toxic to certain soil invertebrates, such as earthworms. The mechanism of toxicity of TNT and of its by-products is still not known. To ascertain if one of the TNT reduction products underlies TNT toxicity, we tested the toxicity and bioaccumulation of TNT reduction products. 2-Amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT), 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-ADNT), 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,4-DANT) and 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene (2,6-DANT) were tested separately in adult earthworms (Eisenia andrei) following a 14-d exposure to amended sandy loam forest soil. TNT, 4-ADNT, and 2-ADNT were lethal to earthworms (14-d LC(50) were: 580, 531 and 1088 micromol kg(-1), or 132, 105 and 215 mgkg(-1) dry soil, respectively) and gave the following order of toxicity: 4-ADNT>TNT>2-ADNT. Exposure to 2,4-DANT and to 2,6-DANT caused no mortality at 600 micromol kg(-1) or 100 mgkg(-1) dry soil. We found that all four TNT reduction products accumulated in earthworm tissues and 2-ADNT reached the highest levels at 3.0+/-0.3 micromol g(-1) tissue. The 14-d bioaccumulation factors were 5.1, 6.4, 5.1 and 3.2 for 2-ADNT, 4-ADNT, 2,4-DANT and 2,6-DANT, respectively. Results also suggest that some TNT metabolites are at least as toxic as TNT and should be considered when evaluating the overall toxicity of TNT-contaminated soil to earthworms.     

Multiphase flow and transport through fractured heterogeneous porous media

The migration of Dense, Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) and dissolved phase contamination through a fractured heterogeneous porous medium has been investigated through the use of a multiphase compositional model. The sensitivity of the timescales of migration and the distribution of contaminant in the subsurface to the mean permeability, the variance of the permeability, and the degree of fracturing of the domain were examined. It was found that increasing the mean permeability of the domain allowed the DNAPL to penetrate deeper into the subsurface, while decreasing the mean permeability caused the DNAPL to pool at shallower depths. The presence of fractures within the system was found to control the infiltration only in the most fractured domain. Moment analysis of the nonwetting phase showed that large-scale movement had ceased after approximately 9 years (maximum duration of the source-on condition was approximately 4.5 years). This tended to be due to a redistribution of the DNAPL towards a residual configuration, as was evidenced by the gradual trending of average nonwetting phase saturations within the domain to a static value. The dissolved phase plume was found to migrate at essentially the same rate as the nonwetting phase, due to the reduced relative permeability of lenses containing DNAPL, and due to diffusive losses of mass to the matrix of fractured clay and silty-clay lenses. Some exceptions to this were found when the DNAPL could not overcome the displacement pressure of a lens, and could not by-pass the lens due to the lack of available driving force after the source had been shut off.     

Spatial and temporal shifts in stable isotope values of the bottom-dwelling shrimp<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Nauticaris marionis</Emphasis> at the sub-Antarctic archipelago

Spatial and temporal dynamics of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures of the bottom-dwelling caridean shrimp Nauticaris marionis were measured during April and May between 1984 and 2000 in the vicinity of Marion Island (the Prince Edward Islands, Southern Ocean). There was one trophic-level enrichment in bulk ¹⁵N and ¹³C signatures between small (<20 mm long) and large (>20 mm) specimens of N. marionis, suggesting distinct trophic differentiation among major shrimp size groups. Both ¹⁵N and ¹³C values of N. marionis increased with the depth, reflecting changes in their diet. There were no clear temporal trends in bulk ¹⁵N signatures of N. marionis. However, compound-specific ¹⁵N measurements of amino acids indicated that N. marionis from the inter-island realm occupied the trophic level of second order carnivores, while similarly sized shrimps in the near-shore realm were at the trophic level of first order carnivores. Compound-specific measurements also identified a change in the source of inorganic nitrogen at the base of the food web between the inter-island and near-shore realms. In contrast to the bulk ¹⁵N values, a significant shift in bulk ¹³C values of N. marionis was observed between 1984 and more recent years. This temporal change appears to be linked to changes in the overall productivity of the Prince Edward Island inter-island system, which could be linked to global climate change.Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

The Presence of Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate (Weddellite) in Street Sediments from Niterói, Brazil and Its Health Implications

Established research in first world urban environments has shown street sediments to be effective sinks for heavy metals and emphasises the health risks to children by its inhalation or ingestion. In third world countries with fewer pollution controls, contamination may be augmented by additional pollutants such as sewage discharge into urban streets and/or periodic inundation with sewage-laden run-off. This pollutant not only contains heavy metals and organic matter, but calcium oxalates that may derive directly from the sewage itself. To study this premise street sediments were collected from sites of varying industrialisation and sewage contamination within the city of Niteroi, Brazil. Calcium oxalate dihydrate (weddellite) was identified by X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infra red and scanning electron microscopy techniques and oxalate concentrations in <63m and colloidal (clay and organic matter) fractions, were determined by ion chromatography. Oxalate in colloidal fractions averaged 43601mgkg^–1 in sewage contaminated industrialised urban zones, 4519mgkg^–1 in suburban areas and 17477mgkg^–1 in suburbs with favelas (shantytowns-of Niterói). Oxalate concentrations coincide with high levels of metal ions (Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr) that stabilise calcium oxalate dihydrate and prevent its dehydration to the monohydrate (whewellite). Lower levels of oxalate were found in lichen-covered roof sediment, plaster and mortar samples. Oxalate concentration coincides with sewage contamination and street sediments appear to act as a sink for calcium oxalate dihydrate derived from sewage. Previous studies have shown that low levels of exposure can damage kidneys and the nervous system, while prolonged exposure can cause severe corneal, retinal and skin damage, cyanosis and possibly gangrene. Contact with blood serum may result in hypocalcemia, muscular stimulation, convulsions and finally collapse. The conditions described are common throughout urban areas of the developing world and may suggest a particular environmental hazard in these regions.     

Measuring the Welfare Cost of Climate Change Policies: A Comparative Assessment Based on the Computable General Equilibrium Model GEMINI-E3

Measuring the welfare cost of climate change policies is a real challenge, raising difficult issues of micro- and macro-economics: cost-benefit analysis on the one hand, foreign trade and international specialization on the second hand. At the domestic level the possible existence of distortions, in particular in the fiscal system, may either increase or alleviate the welfare cost of a climate change policy, as illustrated by the debate on double dividend. Effects on the prices in international markets and distorted competition between countries committed to abate (Annex B) and uncommitted countries affect both the sharing of the burden, in particular through the change in the terms of trade, and the allocation of activities with the frequently waved threat of delocalization. Based on a companion theoretical analysis, the present paper aims at putting order in the welfare analysis of climate change policy and to present and compare various estimations, issuing from macro- or computable general equilibrium models. Beside the global welfare cost, the paper focuses on the marginal abatement cost and its relation to the carbon price.Most present conceptual and applied analysis is based on the case of a single domestic household-consumer. Taking into account several consumers raises new challenges, concerning equity but even more fundamentally the mere definition of fiscal distortion, which have not yet been really addressed.     

Dynamic environ analysis of compartmental systems: A computational approach

Ecosystems are often modeled as stocks of matter or energy connected by flows. Network environ analysis (NEA) is a set of mathematical methods for using powers of matrices to trace energy and material flows through such models. NEA has revealed several interesting properties of flow–storage networks, including dominance of indirect effects and the tendency for networks to create mutually positive interactions between species. However, the applicability of NEA is greatly limited by the fact that it can only be applied to models at constant steady states. In this paper, we present a new, computationally oriented approach to environ analysis called dynamic environ approximation (DEA). As a test of DEA, we use it to compute compartment throughflow in two implementations of a model of energy flow through an oyster reef ecosystem. We use a newly derived equation to compute model throughflow and compare its output to that of DEA. We find that DEA approximates the exact results given by this equation quite closely – in this particular case, with a mean Euclidean error ranging between 0.0008 and 0.21 – which gives a sense of how closely it reproduces other NEA-related quantities that cannot be exactly computed and discuss how to reduce this error. An application to calculating indirect flows in ecosystems is also discussed and dominance of indirect effects in a nonlinear model is demonstrated.     

Conflict-involvement of male guinea pigs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cavia aperea</Emphasis> f. <Emphasis Type="Italic">porcellus</Emphasis>) as a criterion for partner preference

Polygynous mating systems can inflict considerable costs on males, often causing the emergence of alternative mating strategies to ensure reproductive success. These strategies can lead to different morphs of color, size, or behavior. The present work was done on guinea pigs, a polygynous rodent species. Some males can show a reduced readiness for conflict, perhaps employing an alternative mating strategy. To test this hypothesis, a two-stage experiment was set up, with males (N = 16) and females (N = 16) initially living in isosexual groups. Visual and olfactory contact was possible through a wire mesh. Male agonistic behavior was observed for 15 days, confirming the existence of less-conflict-involved (LCI, N = 7) and more-conflict-involved males (MCI, N = 9). Significant differences were found for a conditional parameter, body mass, and a morphometric one, testis width: LCI consistently surpassed MCI. Hormonally, cortisol was comparable, while testosterone was distinctly higher in MCI. Next, males and females were joined and observed for further 24 days. Males initially lost weight but reached original mass towards the end of the experiment. Testis width patterns were similar. Again, LCI had higher body mass. Cortisol was comparable, but testosterone release 3 days after merging was significantly higher in LCI. Behaviorally, LCI exhibited significantly less male–male aggression and more socio-sexual behavior than MCI. The former were more successful, with 57% capable of accessing females, in contrast to 11% of MCI. The existence of two distinct behavioral phenotypes in guinea pig males suggests that different reproductive strategies may exist in this species.     

A model for tropospheric multiphase chemistry: application to one cloudy event during the CIME experiment

A multiphase box model for a remote environment of the troposphere has been developed with an explicit chemistry for both gas and aqueous phase. The model applied to a set of measurements performed by Voisin et al. (2000) during the European CIME experiment for a cloud event on 13th December 1997 at the top of the Puy de Dôme (France). The results of the simulation are compared to the measurements in order to follow the evolution of the ambient chemical composition as a function of the pH and of the varying water content. After verifying that the model retrieves the main features observed in the behavior of species in the cloud droplets, a detailed analysis of the simulated chemical regime is performed. It essentially discusses the sources and sinks of radical in aqueous phase, the relative importance of the oxidation pathways of volatile organic compounds by the main radicals and the conversion of S(IV) into S(VI) which seems to be influenced by the presence of peroxonitric acid, HNO₄, in aqueous phase in the environmental conditions that are considered with low H₂O₂. These numerical results are then compared with the theoretical study from Herrmann et al. (2000), who proposed a slightly different mechanism, including C2 chemistry and transition metal chemistry whereas they neglect some reaction pathways, such as the one involving OHCH₂O₂ radical. This double confrontation between model results and both real experimental data and numerical results from Herrmann et al. (1999c) underlines limitations of such modeling approach that does not include any dynamical or microphysical coupling but also demonstrates its capability to identify the main oxidants or reactants in aqueous phase in real environmental conditions more realistic than a purely theoretical approach. The originality of this study resides in the explicit and exhaustive ways the chemical reactions are treated in aqueous phase and in a first attempt to compare such a detailed chemical scheme to real environmental conditions.     

Antioxidant defense gene analysis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium repens</Emphasis> exposed to Cd and/or Pb

This study focused on the expression analysis of antioxidant defense genes in Brassica oleracea and in Trifolium repens. Plants were exposed for 3, 10, and 56 days in microcosms to a field-collected suburban soil spiked by low concentrations of cadmium and/or lead. In both species, metal accumulations and expression levels of genes encoding proteins involved and/or related to antioxidant defense systems (glutathione transferases, peroxidases, catalases, metallothioneins) were quantified in leaves in order to better understand the detoxification processes involved following exposure to metals. It appeared that strongest gene expression variations in T. repens were observed when plants are exposed to Cd (metallothionein and ascorbate peroxidase upregulations) whereas strongest variations in B. oleracea were observed in case of Cd/Pb co-exposures (metallothionein, glutathione transferase, and peroxidase upregulations). Results also suggest that there is a benefit to use complementary species in order to better apprehend the biological effects in ecotoxicology.     

A reflection on collaborative adaptation research in Africa and Asia

Regional Environmental Change - The reality of global climate change demands novel approaches to science that are reflective of the scales at which changes are likely to occur, and of the new forms...