Teil 3: PCDD/F im Blutfett ausgewählter Personen

This study was designed to assess the degree of exposure to PCDD/F in 56 selected persons living in the vicinity of a former copper smelter located in Marsberg, Germany. The copper smelter was in operation until 1945. In 1991, high levels of PCDD/F were found particularly in materials from the slag dumps (10 000 – 100 000 ng TE/kg). The levels of PCDD/F in blood fat were used as parameters for individual PCDD/F exposure. Since only limited reference data for PCDD/F in human blood were available, blood samples of a reference group were analyzed in the same way. The criteria were collected from a group matched for sex, age (±3 years) and body mass. The median NATO/CCMS-Toxicity equivalency values (NATO/CCMS-TE-values) of the Marsberg group (43,2 pg NATO/CCMS-TE/g blood fat) and the reference group (43,0 pg NATO/CCMS-TE/g blood fat) were similar, whereas the arithmetic mean of the Marsberg group (52,7 pg NATO/CCMS-TE/g blood fat) was higher than that of the reference group (44,4 pg NATO/CCMS-TE/g blood fat). The frequency distribution of the individual TE-values of the Marsberg group was slightly shifted toward higher values. The individuals of the Marsberg group had significantly higher levels of PentaCDF, HexaCDF and HeptaCDF on average than the individuals of the reference group. On the basis of TE-values, the majority of the individuals from Marsberg did not have an increased body burden of PCDD/F. However, some individuals could be identified with TE-values exceeding background levels ranging up to 231 pg NATO/CCMS-TE/g blood fat. Although it must be assumed that the unusual congener pattern found in many of the test subjects is a result of ingestion of contaminated slag material or soil, the findings of this study could not verify this fact.     

Secretion-grooming in aquatic beetles (Hydradephaga): A chemical protection against contamination of the hydrofuge respiratory region

Summary All Hydradephaga investigated so far crawl onto land when exposed to an increase in water temperature and light intensity and spread the secretion from their pygidial glands over the body surface (secretion-grooming). The secretions have antimicrobial properties and are mainly applied to hydrofuge body regions important for aquatic respiration. Experimental prevention of secretion-grooming leads to the loss of the respiratory air bubble and a significant increase in mortality. These findings support the view that the secretion-grooming of adephagous aquatic beetles, like in some aquatic Heteroptera, inhibits the growth of microor-ganisms, thus preventing the contamination and wetting of the cuticular respiratory structures. Thus it keeps functional the air-retaining hydrophobous body regions essential for aquatic respiration. A model is presented on how secretion-grooming may have evolved in the Hydradephaga. Other possible functions of the pygidial gland secretions are discussed.     

Orientation and recruitment behavior in the ponerine ant Pachycondyla tesserinoda (Emery): laying of individual-specific trails during tandem running

Summary Tandem leaders of Pachycondyla tesserinoda mark their way during nest moving. While scouting and foraging for food in an unknown area, chemical orientation is used as well. The origin of the trail substance could not be identified. Secretions of gastral exocrine glands did not induce trail following behavior. Nor do these secretions elicit tandem-following reactions; rather the latter is released by the general body surface odor. The trail substance and the substance used for marking the nest entrance are colony-specific. Moreover, individual tandem leaders recognize and show a preference for their own trails. This extraordinary effect is independent of the age of the trail. P. tesserinoda workers search individually for food and new nest sites. Targets which are important for the colony are directly shown to nestmates by tandem running. Due to this type of foraging and scouting individual-specific trails may be advantageous for this ant.     

In vivo measurements of the internal pH of Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor (Annelida, Polychaeta) exposed to ambient sulphidic conditions using pH microelectrodes

 The effect of different ambient sulphide concentrations on the internal pH regime of Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor was studied under in vivo conditions using liquid membrane pH microelectrodes, a method which is new to marine sciences. As a case study, the hypothesis was tested whether organisms exposed to ambient sulphidic conditions are able to lower their internal pH which, in effect, would reduce sulphide influx into the animals and thus could represent an effective detoxification mechanism. It was shown that a significant lowering of the internal pH occurred within only 20 min after adding sulphide. This pH lowering appeared to be dependent on the external sulphide concentration of the ambient medium and showed a saturation beyond a threshold level of about 130 μM. It is discussed whether this sulphide-induced pH drop is an active regulatory mechanism and acts as an effective protection mechanism against sulphide during short-term exposures. Received: 1 June 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 3 May 2000     

Simultaneous Measurements of Atmospheric Pollutants and Visibility with a Long-Path DOAS System in Urban Areas

In this paper, the applicability of a Long-Path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (LP-DOAS) system was checked for the feasibility of the simultaneous measurement of trace gases (such as O₃, NO₂, SO₂, and HCHO) and atmospheric visibility (light extinction by aerosols) in Asian urban areas. Field studies show that an LP-DOAS system can simultaneously measure the key pollutants (such as O₃, NO₂, SO₂, and HCHO) at detection limits in the ppb/sub-ppb range as well as the Mie extinction coefficient with an uncertainty of 0.1 km^–1 at time resolution of a few minutes. It is thus concluded that the use of LP-DOAS system is feasible for simultaneous measurement of gaseous pollutants as well as an atmospheric extinction coefficient which is tightly bound to fine particulate concentration.