Environmental contaminants in Canadian shorebirds

Canadian shorebirds are exposed to environmental contaminants throughout their annual cycle. Contaminant exposure among species varies with diet, foraging behaviour and migration patterns. We sampled twelve species of shorebirds from four locations across Canada to assess their exposure to PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, as well as four trace elements (Hg, Se, Cd, As). SigmaPCB and SigmaDDT followed by SigmaCHL were most frequently found above trace level in the shorebird carcasses. In general, the plover species (American golden, semipalmated, black-bellied) appear to be the most contaminated with organochlorines, whereas Hudsonian and marbled godwits appear to be the least contaminated. Among adult birds, the greater and lesser yellowlegs had the highest hepatic Hg concentrations (2.4-2.7 microg g(-1) dw), whereas American golden plovers as well as Hudsonian and marbled godwits contained relatively low levels of Hg (<1 microg g(-1) dw). Renal Se concentrations varied from 3.2 to 16.7 microg g(-1) dw and exhibited little interspecific or seasonal variation. Renal Cd levels in adult birds were highest in Hudsonian godwits from Quill Lakes (43 microg g(-1) dw) and Cape Churchill (12 microg g(-1) dw), and lowest (0.8-1.5 microg g(-1) dw) in greater and lesser yellowlegs from Cape Churchill and Bay of Fundy. Renal As concentrations varied from 0.06 microg g(-1) dw in golden plovers from Cape Churchill to 4.6 and 5.1 microg g(-1) dw in dunlin samples from the Pacific coast. There is no evidence that contaminants were adversely affecting the shorebirds sampled from the Canadian locations in this study.     

Extraction and quantification of "condensed tannins" as a measure of plant anti-herbivore defence? Revisiting an old problem

Contents of phenolic compounds in leaf extracts often serve as a measure of plant anti-herbivore defence. This method suffers from the multifunctionality of phenolics and from problems with their colorimetric quantification. Here we present further evidence for the pertinence of these problems. Contents of condensed tannins (CCT) were spectrophotometrically quantified in leaf extracts of 11 closely related mimosoid species, and Spodoptera littoralis caterpillars were reared on artificial diet containing these extracts. The relationship of CCT with caterpillar growth differed considerably among plant species, since both positive and negative correlations were detected. There was, however, a negative correlation of CCT with fungal spore germination, indicating a role of these compounds in resistance to fungi. Detailed knowledge on the structure and biological function of defensive compounds and on the overall composition of leaves is required to estimate a plant's defensive efficacy against a particular group of enemies.     

Bewertungsmaßstäbe für die biologische Vielfalt

The main objective of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is the global conservation of biological diversity. As biological diversity is utilised — directly or indirectly — as a resource for human needs, this utilisation has to be made sustainable. The elaboration of adequate protection and utilisation concepts requires suitable evaluation criteria to measure sustainability. For the sector of environmental protection, the Federal Environmental Agency has carried out a study to determine the criteria which are currently used in different areas. This study (review and evaluation) covers not only the criteria themselves, but also includes additional information such as the underlying principles. Biodiversity as an autonornous area of protection has been addressed in only quite a few papers up to now. However, there already exists a range of criteria which are relevant for biodiversity. But at the same time many gaps’ and inconsistencies were identified which have to be eliminated in cooperation with other policy sectors to obtain a basis for the above-mentioned protection and utilisation concepts.     

Charakterisierung von Cyaniden in Böden und industriellen Abfällen mit der Fourier-Transformations-Infrarot-Spektrometrie

Soils on sites of former coking and manufactured gas plants as well as on those of blast furnaces are frequently contaminated with cyanides (CN). For assessing the possible risk arising from these hazardous compounds, it is necessary to analyze a considerable number of samples quickly as well as at low costs. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has the advantage of being much easier in handling compared to conventional wet-chemical methods for analyzing cyanides. For testing FTIR spectroscopy in the application mentioned above, pure cyanide compounds as well as contaminated purifier waste, blast furnace sludge, and spiked soils were investigated by the reflexion and the transmission techniques. Applicability of the attenuated total reflexion (ATR) technique was limited, since the absorption bands of the crystal used (diamond) overlapped in the range of the cyanide-specific absorption. Although the environmental samples investigated have unfavorable optical properties, results obtained by the transmission technique (KBr pressed pellets) were much better than those obtained by the reflexion technique. Pure cyanide compounds could be distinguished by their IR spectra because their absorption bands of the cyanide-valence vibration differed in position, shape and intensity. The soil matrix did not interfere with either the intensity or the shape and position of the absorption maxima, as concluded from the IR spectra of spiked soil samples. Applying the transmission technique, cyanides are detected at concentrations larger than 500 mg kg^?1 CN. However, the signal was low when the cyanide concentration was below 1,000 mg kg^?1 CN. The FTIR spectroscopy is capable of detecting cyanide compounds in soils and industrial wastes. Additionally, the method provides information about the cyanide species, which is important in toxicological assessments. FIIR spectroscopy is a suitable method for a first survey and environmental assessment of cyanide contaminated areas.     

Gehalte an polycyclischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen (PAK) in Oberböden Hamburgs

The contents of 19 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in topsoil samples from 108 sites within the territory of the federal state of Hamburg were analyzed. The investigation was performed to provide a view on background values in the metropolitan area and the influence of land use on PAH in soils. Known contaminated sites were not included in the investigation. Values in the area ranged from 0.1 to 44.3 mg/kg d.m. with a median of 3.6. 80% of the measurements were below 10 mg/kg d.m. Contents decreased strongly with a growing distance from the city’s center. The median is 4.4 mg/kg d.m. in the center, 1.3 in the rural periphery (marsh) and 0.4 mg/kg d.m. in preweichselian uplands (“geest”). PAH contaminations originate from diffuse atmospheric emissions caused by car traffic and room heating, but also by war damages which lead to widespread burnings and consequently to the widespread dispersion of remains. The contents measured are in the range of published values from other densely populated areas, although a comparatively comprehensive investigation from another region does not exist.     

Mental representations of animal and plant species in their social contexts: Results from a survey across Europe

Despite a growing body of literature on public views on biodiversity and nature, our understanding of public attitudes towards animal and plant species is still rudimentary. This study investigates mental representations, constituted by beliefs, of three types of species (a large mammal, a spider and a non-native plant), and explores their links with cultural factors such as value orientations and cultural capital, in order to better understand attitudes towards these species.We conducted a survey in eight sites across Europe (n = 2378) and found strong relationships between beliefs about species, in particular with regard to their harmlessness, value and previous population change, and the desirability of an increase in this species. Other beliefs, such as perceived nativeness, were less influential. We discuss how respondents combined beliefs to mental representations of species, and show how representations are related to species-independent factors that tap respondents’ cultural context, such as socially shared value orientations and education.     

Assessment of the Ecological Integrity of Traunsee (Austria) Via Analysis of Sediments and Benthic Microbial Communities

Since nearly one hundred years Traunsee experiences the import of tons of liquid and solid waste originating from salt and soda production. Today, the lake exhibits chloride concentrations of up to 170 mg L^-1 and 19% of the lake floor are directly or indirectly influenced by industrial deposits (ID). Based on the comparison of several microbial parameters in unaffected, directly affected and intermediate lake bottom sediments, the ecological integrity of the lake was evaluated. The highly alkaline ID, which were exclusively colonized by microorganisms, harbored a bacterial community reduced by a factor of 10 in abundance and biomass compared to undisturbed sediment areas within the lake. The bacterial community of ID was furthermore characterized by a reduced content of actively respiring cells (INT-formazan reduction), a lower frequency of dividing cells (FDC) and a significantly reduced cell and biomass production. A 80 to 90% reduction in carbon recycling is estimated for the area exclusively covered by ID. Protists, although occasionally absent from the industrial sediments, were in general found to be less sensitive to the contaminant stress. Differences in alkalinity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of sediment porewaters as well as the total organic content and C/N ratios of sediments partly explain the microbial pattern observed at the various sampling sites. Possible consequences of the continuous industrial tailings for the whole lake ecosystem and the validation of the ecological integrity are discussed.     

Two unbalanced segregation products due to a maternal t(7;16)inv(16)

We report a prenatal case of a maternally inherited abnormal chromosome 16, originally interpreted as a pericentric inversion only, but after family studies re-interpreted as a pericentric inversion (16) accompanied by an unbalanced (7;16) translocation. Because of the inversion 16 and an elder son with developmental delay and craniofacial dysmorphic features, in the past karyotyped as 46,XY, the chromosomes 16 of the mother and son were carefully re-examined. Using a whole chromosome 16 paint and sub-telomere probes of 16p and 16q, the karyotype of the mother was shown to be 46,XX,inv(16)(p11.2q23.2).ish t(7;16)(q36;p13.3)inv(16). Subsequently one chromosome 16 of the elder son appeared to be a der(16)t(7;16)(q36;p13.3). This is probably the result of a meiotic crossover between the chromosomes 16 in the mother. The prenatal karyotype was finally interpreted as 46,XY,inv(16)(p11.2q23.2).ish der(16)t(7;16)(q36;p13.3)inv(16). This is the same cytogenetic imbalance as his elder brother: a partial trisomy of chromosome 7 (q36→qter) and a partial monosomy of chromosome 16 (p13.3→pter). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Is the WTO after your water? The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and poor people's right to water

The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) seeks to expand international trade in a wide range of services ranging from tourism to telecommunications and education. In recent years, it has come under attack from civil society organizations in both the North and the South for having a detrimental impact on poor people's right to basic services. This article explores some of these controversies, using the example of water services. It focuses specifically on the impact of the GATS on poor people's right to water and national governments’ ability to safeguard the interests of poor people through regulation. It demonstrates that, de jure, the liberalization of water‐related services under the GATS may not necessarily undermine the ability of governments to introduce the kind of legislative measures necessary to realize poor people's right to water. Still, de facto, the exercise of policy autonomy might be substantially curtailed due to inherent ambiguities in treaty interpretation, the politics of process arising out of power asymmetries, a lack of transparency in processes of negotiation as well as institutional and other deficiencies in the domestic politics of WTO member states.     

Marine Birds as Indicators of Arctic Marine Ecosystem Health: Linking the Northern Ecosystem Initiative to Long-Term Studies

Marine birds are sensitive indicators of the condition of marine ecosystems in the Arctic, partly because they feed at the top of the arctic food chain. The Northern Ecosystem Initiative (NEI) recently supported four separate studies that investigated aspects of Arctic marine bird science which simultaneously addressed goals of the NEI to better understand northern ecosystems and their response to environmental stressors. The projects used both scientific and traditional knowledge to examine the relationship between sea-ice, contaminants, and the ecology of marine birds, and to transfer environmental knowledge to students. Results from these investigations confirm that changes are occurring in Arctic environments, and that these are captured through marine bird research. Collectively these studies provided new data that supported NEI objectives of monitoring the health of the Arctic ecosystem, and contributed to Canada's international obligations for Arctic science.