Content of selected elements and low-molecular-weight organic acids in fruiting bodies of edible mushroom Boletus badius (Fr.) Fr. from unpolluted and polluted areas

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of the study was to (i) investigate the potential of edible mushroom Boletus badius (Fr.) Fr. to accumulate 53 elements from unpolluted acidic...     

The relationship between metal composition,phenolic acid and flavonoid content in Imleria badia from non-polluted and polluted areas

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the elemental composition, phenolic content and composition and antioxidant properties of Imleria badia (Fr.) Vizzini (former names Boletus badius (Fr.) Fr., and Xerocomus badius (Fr.) E.-J. Gilbert) fruiting bodies collected from sites with different levels of pollution. Imleria badia was relatively tolerant to soil contamination with toxic elements and was able to grow in As, Cd, Hg and Pb concentrations exceeding 15, 2.9, 0.4 and 77 mg kg^?1, respectively. The concentration of elements in soil was reflected in the element content in I. badia. The fruiting bodies from polluted sites exhibited significantly higher content of all the analyzed elements. Among 21 individual phenolic compounds only protocatechiuc and caffeic acids, and quercetin were determined in fruiting bodies of I. badia. The differences between the concentration of the quantified phenolic compounds and the total flavonoid content in fruiting bodies of I. badia from unpolluted and polluted sites were not significant. However, the greatest total phenolic content was found in fruiting bodies from the polluted areas. The antioxidative capacity of mushrooms collected from heavily polluted sites was lower than those growing in unpolluted areas. The concentrations of some metals in soil and fruiting soil were positively correlated with phenolic content and IC₅₀.     

Lipophilicity and Metabolic Route Prediction of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids * (6 pp)

- Aims and Background. Ionic liquid application in industry will offer several excellent solutions, but it also means that they will enter the environment sooner or later. Responsible product design should always take into consideration not only technological demands, but also the risks arising out of possible toxicity and ecotoxicity. In our strategy we are aiming to understand the fate of these entities through their life cycle in the environment as a complimentary element of their design. This paper presents results on the lipophilicity of selected imidazolium ionic liquids, a parameter that plays a key role in environmental and biological distribution. Additionally, the prediction of the most stable metabolite of a 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (BMIM) cation – a congener representative of this group of compounds is presented. Materials and Methods Lipophilicity was evaluated by means of reversed phase and immobilized artificial membrane chromatography and further compared to calculated data. Theoretical prediction of lipophilicity was undertaken using fragmental methodology combined with manual calculations of the geometric bond factor for quaternary ammonium and the electronic bond factor due to the presence of a charge. Results and Discussion All the substances studied are characterized by very low partition coefficients, and lipophilicity varies linearly with elongation of the n-alkyl chain. Prediction of metabolic routes was based solely on thermodynamic data of the radical intermediates formed during the reaction with the cytochrome P450 system. The energetically most stable radical structure is generated by hydrogen abstraction from the gamma position of the BMIM cation. Conclusions and Recommendations. The experimentally measured and theoretically estimated lipophilicity coefficients obtained for all the compounds studied generally indicate a relatively low lipophilicity and thus preferable partition to the aqueous phase. By means of thermodynamic data, it was also confirmed that the energetically most stable radical structure is generated by hydrogen abstraction from the gamma position on the alkyl chain in the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cation, as a result of which the C1 atom is preferentially oxidized. - * The basis of this peer-reviewed paper is a presentation at the 9th FECS Conference on 'Chemistry and Environment', 29 August to 1 September 2004, Bordeaux, France.     

Evolution of within-colony distribution patterns of birds in response to habitat structure

It has long been suggested that habitat structure affects how colonial birds are distributed within their nesting aggregations, but this hypothesis has never been formally tested. The aim of this study was to test for a correlated evolution between habitat heterogeneity and within-colony distributions of Ciconiiformes by using Pagel’s general method of comparative analysis for discrete variables. The analysis indicated that central-periphery gradients of distribution (high-quality individuals occupying central nesting locations) prevail in species breeding in homogeneous habitats. These were mainly ground-nesting larids and spheniscids, where clear central-periphery patterns were recorded in ca. 80 % of the taxa. Since homogeneous habitats provide little variation in the physical quality of nest sites, central nesting locations should be largely preferred because they give better protection against predators by means of more efficient predator detection and deterrence. By contrast, central-periphery gradients tended to be disrupted in heterogeneous habitats, where 75 % of colonial Ciconiiform species showed uniform patterns of distribution. Under this model of distribution, edge nest sites of high physical quality confer higher fitness benefits in comparison to low-quality central sites, and thus, high-quality pairs are likely to choose nest sites irrespectively of their within-colony location. Breeding in homogeneous habitats and uniform distribution patterns were identified as probable ancestral states in Ciconiiformes, but there was a significant transition rate from uniform to central-periphery distributions in species occupying homogeneous habitats.     

Past and future trends in concentrations of sulphur and nitrogen compounds in the Arctic

Recent trends in nitrogen and sulphur compounds in air and precipitation from a range of Arctic monitoring stations are presented, with seasonal data from the late 70s to 2004 or 2005. Earlier findings of declining sulphur concentrations are confirmed for most stations, while the pattern is less clear for reduced and oxidized nitrogen. In fact there are positive trends for nitrogen compounds in air at several stations. Acidity is generally reduced at many stations while the precipitation amount is either increasing or stable. Variability of sulphate concentrations in air for the period 1991–2000 is reasonably well reproduced at most stations using an Eulerian, hemispherical model. Results for nitrogen compounds are weaker. Scenario studies show that even if large sulphur emission reductions take place in important source regions in South-East Asia in the coming decades, only small changes in Arctic deposition can be expected. This is because South-East Asian emissions have small influence north of the Arctic circle.     

Relationships and bioaccumulation of chemical elements in the Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica)

Concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Si, Sr, Zn, Ca, K, Mg, Na and P in the livers of Baikal seal, plankton, zoobenthos, and fish, constituting the food sources for the seals, were determined by ICP-MS and ICP-AES. The accumulation of elements in the liver of seals, affected by internal and external (environmental) factors, was assessed by multidimensional (ANOVA, FA) and correlation analyses. FA has enabled identification of abiotic and biotic factors responsible for the accumulation of elements in the livers of Baikal seals. Significant influence of sex and development stage of the seals analysed on hepatic concentrations of some elements was found. The observed differences in element concentrations between pups, males and females could be attributable to the reproductive cycle of this species. ANOVA showed differences in concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu and Cd in seals from the three separate basins of the lake. BMFs suggest biomagnification of Fe and Zn in the fish-seal trophic link.     

Experimental and theoretical studies on formation and degradation of chloro organic compounds

Studies on oxidation of tert-butyl ethers in the presence of chloride ions proved that acid medium favoured formation of chloro organic compounds. 1,2-Dichloro-2-methylpropane, 3-chloro-2-chloromethylpropene were identified among the reaction products. Presence of these compounds was identified both in the case when methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethyl-tert-butyl ether (ETBE) were subjected to reaction. Reaction products were analysed by gas chromatography method with application of -FID, -MS and -AED detectors. On the basis of experimental data, the path of tert-butyl ethers conversion to dichloro products was proposed. It was found that the identified chloro derivatives could be formed both by ionic and radical reactions. In order to confirm this thesis for the proposed scheme of reaction, the theoretical calculations of molecular simulation of the reaction paths were performed.     

Tailoring mesoporosity of poly(furfuryl alcohol)-based activated carbons and their ability to adsorb organic compounds from water

In this work it was shown that polymers can be recycled into a promising adsorbent for organic dyes and phenols waste removal. For this, a series of activated carbons (ACs) were produced from mixture of ferrocene or titanium acetylacetonate with poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA) by steam activation. The introduction of ferrocene as Fe precursor was found to be an efficient catalyst in mesoporosity development during carbonization and subsequent steam activation at 850 °C, whereas the polymer based only and titanium-doped ACs are typically microporous. The porous structure parameters were determined from nitrogen adsorption isotherms measured at 77 K. Scanning electron microscopy was applied to monitor the metal distribution of metal-loaded char and the surface morphology of activated carbons. The adsorption capacity was found to be dependent mainly on pore size distribution. In the case of phenol adsorption, the adsorption was defined by volume of pore with size 0.8–1.4 nm; whereas, for Congo red best fit was observed for volume of pore with size 2–5 nm.

     

Concentrations of toxic heavy metals and trace elements in raw milk of Simmental and Holstein-Friesian cows from organic farm

Concentrations of toxic heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb)) and major nutritional and trace elements (Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, Zn) were analyzed in the milk of Simmental (n?=?20) and Holstein-Friesian (n?=?20) cows from an organic farm. Elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma emission atomic spectrometry. The conducted research showed that the milk of Simmental cows was characterized by the more advantageous mineral composition and lower concentration of noxious heavy metals compared to the milk of Holstein-Friesian cows. In the milk of Simmental cows, significantly lower concentrations of Pb and Cd (P?<?0.001) and Cu (P?<?0.05) and significantly higher concentrations of Fe and Mg (P?<?0.05) as well as nonsignificantly higher concentrations of Ca, Mn, and Se were found. In the milk of both breeds, very low Cu concentrations were recorded. The higher-than-recommended concentration of Pb in milk was also found. In the milk of both breeds, the significant positive correlations between concentrations of the following elements were observed: Pb–Cd, Pb–Se, Cd–Se, Cd–Mn, Zn–Cu, Zn–P, Ca–P, Ca–Mg, and Mg–P. The correlations between other elements within each of the analyzed breeds separately were also found.