Regional concentration levels of vanadium, aluminium and bromine in mosses and lichens

Concentrations of V, Al and Br determined by neutron activation analysis showed significant interspecies differences: the epiphytic lichen had consistently higher elemental concentrations than the peat moss or the terricolous lichen collected from the same sites. A regional survey with the latter two species indicated a distinct decrease of V and Al levels from south to north Finland. A large-scale survey with mosses showed relatively low levels of vanadium in remote areas of Scandinavia, but somewhat elevated concentrations of V e.g. in samples from Leningrad region, northern Germany, Wales and northeastern U.S.A.     

Studies on transitory laxative effects of sorbitol and maltitol I: Estimation of 50% effective dose and maximum non-effective dose

The dose-response relationship between low-caloric sweetening agents, sorbitol and maltitol, administered orally in single doses, and the induction of diarrheal symptoms was investigated. Seven healthy male and 7 healthy female Japanese each in their twenties, thirties, and forties, respectively, or a total of 42 subjects were admitted to the study. The 50% laxative effective dose of sorbitol was estimated to be 0.4 g/kg for males and 1.0 g/kg for females and that of maltitol was estimated to be 0.8 g/kg for both males and females. The maximum non-effective dose of sorbitol was estimated to be 0.15 g/kg for males and 0.3 g/kg for females and that of maltitol was estimated to be 0.3 g/kg for both males and females.     

Aerobic ethanol production by leaves: Evidence for air pollution stress in trees of the Ohio River Valley, USA

We measured the frequency with which leaves of trees in the Ohio River Valley produced ethanol aerobically, to determine if aerobic ethanol production might provide a viable field assay for air pollution stress. Leaves were collected from trees during the summers of 1985 and 1986 and ethanol production was determined using headspace GC. Frequency of ethanol production was compared with environmental factors, including air pollution concentrations. We found frequent foliar ethanol production and elevated alcohol dehydrogenase activity in the leaves of several species of trees in the Ohio River Valley, USA. The ethanol concentrations measured were often equivalent to those produced by anaerobic leaves. Ethanol production was associated with hot, hazy weather and elevated NO(2) concentrations. Ethanol production was more frequent in urban and industrialized areas. Ethanol production was not associated with natural stresses such as flooding and herbivory. We propose that aerobic ethanol production is the result of cell acidification due to the accumulation of acidic gases in the cytoplasm. The use of ethanol production as a diagnostic tool for detecting stress imposed by acidic gases is discussed.     

Phthalate ester speciation in estuarine water, suspended particulates and sediments

Following earlier work (Al-Omran & Preston, 1987) in which phthalate ester speciation was examined in laboratory studies, the present paper describes the results of an attempt to validate the results by field measurements in the River Mersey Estuary, Liverpool, UK. Samples of water, suspended solids and sediments were analysed for their phthalate ester content. Solid samples were also analysed for their carbon, organic carbon and lipid content. A comparison of the field and laboratory results confirms the association between diethylhexyl phthalate and small particles and shows that other phthalates tend to be associated with relatively coarse, lipid-rich particles. Partition coefficients between dissolved phthalate esters and suspended particles are calculated and compared with other laboratory studies.     

Loss of HCH from surface soil layers under subtropical conditions

The loss of HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) at an application rate of 25 kg ha(-1) was studied under field conditions from two surface soil layers, each of 7.5 cm, at two sites in Delhi. The soil at both sites was sandy loam type, with a pH of 8.2, and 0.8 to 1.0% organic matter content. At site 1, which was kept fallow and not watered, the upper 7.5-cm layer of soil initially lost HCH more rapidly than the lower layer. The half-life of the HCH in the upper and lower 7.5-cm layers was 21 and 41 days, respectively, and it was 26 days for the total HCH in the combined 15-cm soil layer. At site 2, which contained ornamental plants and was watered regularly, there was not much difference in the loss of HCH between the upper and lower layers. The half-life of HCH was 17 and 25 days for the upper and lower 7.5-cm layers, respectively, and it was 20 days for the total 15-cm soil layer, at this site. The loss was greatest initially at the sites, and was faster in wet soil than in dry soil.     

Effects of SO2, NO2, and O3 on population development and morphological and physiological parameters of native herb layer species in a beech forest

The native ground vegetation of a beech forest was fumigated with moderate doses of SO(2), NO(2), and O(3) in open-top chambers. The effects of fumigants on growth and above-ground development were dependent on species. The treatments caused early senescence in several of the species present. The epicuticular waxes were attacked by fumigation, which was shown by higher wettability of the leaf surfaces and by leaching of ions. Interspecific differences were observed in the responses of transpiration and photosynthesis to fumigation. Similar patterns of effects on transpiration and photosynthesis, however, were found in the same species. Carbohydrate metabolism was altered by fumigation, leading to starch accumulation in the leaves. Besides effects on higher plants, fumigations also resulted in alterations of the soil microflora. The bacteria/fungi ratio was depressed at the fumigation plots.     

Temporal and spatial variation of RNA content in nymphs of the mayfly, Stenonema femoratum (Say)

Temporal variation of RNA: weight, RNA: protein, RNA: DNA, and protein: DNA ratios in Stenonema femoratum (Say) was assessed by monitoring at the same site in a small midwestern stream over a two-year period. Variation components were estimated using a two-way mixed model analysis of variance with weight class and collection date as main effects. About 30% of the variation in RNA concentration was within-cell variation associated with differences among individuals and analytical error. Temporal variation accounted for about 50% of the total variability in RNA concentration data. RNA: weight had 11% and RNA: protein had 17% variation attributed to weight class effects indicating that these ratios were dependent on the size of the mayfly. RNA: DNA ratios were not influenced by mayfly weight, suggesting that this ratio would be the most appropriate for comparing populations based on means of mixed individual sizes. Comparison of mean RNA: DNA ratios among collection dates yielded significant increases in the ratio during late fall in two consecutive years. Spatial variations in RNA: DNA ratios of S. femoratum collected from sites of similar habitats were not significantly different. These data encourage the future development of RNA concentration as an in situ biochemical indicator of growth rate and possibly of stress related effects on growth rate.