A comparison of reliability of soil cadmium determination by standard spectrometric methods

Inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) is the most common method for determination of soil Cd, yet spectral and matrix interferences affect measurements at the available analytical wavelengths for this metal. This study evaluated the severity of the interference over a range of total soil Cd by comparing ICP-OES and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements of Cd in acid digests. Using the emission at 226.5 nm, ICP-OES was generally unable to quantify soil Cd at low (near-background) levels and gave unreliable values compared with ICP-MS. Using the line at 228.8 nm, a marked positive bias in Cd measurement (relative to the 226.5 nm measurement) was attributable to arsenic (As) interference even at soil As concentrations below 10 mg kg. This spectral interference in ICP-OES was severe in As-contaminated orchard soils, giving a false value for soil total Cd near 2 mg kg when soil As was 100 to 150 mg kg. In attempting to avoid these ICP emission-specific interferences, this study evaluated a method to estimate total soil Cd using 1 M HNO extraction followed by determination of Cd by flame atomic absorption (FAA), either with or without preconcentration of Cd using an Aliquat-heptanone extractant. The 1 M HNO extracted an average of 82% of total soil Cd. The FAA method had no significant interferences and estimated the total Cd concentrations in all soils tested with acceptable accuracy. For Cd-contaminated soils, the Aliquat-heptanone preconcentration step was not necessary, as FAA sensitivity was adequate for quantification of extractable soil Cd and reliable estimation of total soil Cd.     

The Regionalization of National‐Scale SPARROW Models for Stream Nutrients1

Schwarz, Gregory E., Richard B. Alexander, Richard A. Smith, and Stephen D. Preston, 2011. The Regionalization of National‐Scale SPARROW Models for Stream Nutrients. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(5):1151‐1172. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00581.x Abstract: This analysis modifies the parsimonious specification of recently published total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) national‐scale SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes models to allow each model coefficient to vary geographically among three major river basins of the conterminous United States. Regionalization of the national models reduces the standard errors in the prediction of TN and TP loads, expressed as a percentage of the predicted load, by about 6 and 7%. We develop and apply a method for combining national‐scale and regional‐scale information to estimate a hybrid model that imposes cross‐region constraints that limit regional variation in model coefficients, effectively reducing the number of free model parameters as compared to a collection of independent regional models. The hybrid TN and TP regional models have improved model fit relative to the respective national models, reducing the standard error in the prediction of loads, expressed as a percentage of load, by about 5 and 4%. Only 19% of the TN hybrid model coefficients and just 2% of the TP hybrid model coefficients show evidence of substantial regional specificity (more than ±100% deviation from the national model estimate). The hybrid models have much greater precision in the estimated coefficients than do the unconstrained regional models, demonstrating the efficacy of pooling information across regions to improve regional models.     

Fetal de novo heterozygous variant in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 gene associated with growth restriction,skeletal, cerebral and vascular anomalies

Germline pathogenic variants in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) can lead to a rare neurodevelopmental disorder called metaphyseal chondromatosis with D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, including severe skeletal and cerebral anomalies. To the best of our knowledge, no prenatal case of an IDH1 pathogenic variant has been reported in literature. Somatic sequence variants in IDH1/2 genes are described in distinct cancers, premalignant diseases and rare inherited metabolic disorders. Amniocentesis and further genetic testing including trio exome sequencing were performed due to suspicious findings on a second trimester routine prenatal ultrasound examination. The fetus was found to have growth restriction, cerebral abnormalities (ex vacuo hydrocephalus, cerebellar and vermian hypoplasia, corpus callosum dysgenesis), brachycephaly, narrow chest, persistent left superior vena cava, liver calcifications, hyperechogenic bowel, short tubular bones and joint contractures. A de novo heterozygous variant in the IDH1 gene was detected via trio exome sequencing. The prenatal diagnosis of a de novo pathogenic variant in IDH1 in a fetus with the described phenotype, obtained through trio exome sequencing, helped parents and providers with an informed decision making about pregnancy management.     

Application of XAFS and XRD methods for describing the copper and zinc adsorption characteristics in hydromorphic soils

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Modeling metal sorption in soils is of great importance to predict the fate of heavy metals and to assess the actual risk driven from pollution. The present...     

Kinetics of microbial landfill methane oxidation in biofilters

A methane oxidizing biofilter system fitted to the passive venting system of a harbor sludge landfill in Germany was characterized with respect to the the methanotrophic population, methane oxidizing capacity, and reaction kinetics. Methanotrophic cell counts stabilized on a high level with 1.3 x 10(8) to 7.1 x 10(9) cells g dw(-1) about one year after first biofilter operation, and a maximum of 1.2 x 10(11) cells g dw(-1). Potential methane oxidizing activity varied between 5.3 and 10.7 microg h(-1) g dw(-1). Cell numbers correlated well with methane oxidation activities. Extrapolation of potential activities gave methane removal rates between 35 and 109 g CH4 h(-1) m(-3), calculated for 30 degrees C. Optimum temperature was 38 degrees C for freshly sampled biofilter material and 22 degrees C for a methanotrophic enrichment culture grown at 10 degrees C incubation temperature. Substrate kinetics revealed the presence of a low-affinity methane oxidizing community with a high Vmax of 1.78 micromol CH4 h(-1) g ww(-1) and a high K(M) of 15.1 microM. K(MO2) for methane oxidation was 58 microM. No substantial methane oxidizing activity was detected below 1.7-2.6 vol.-% O2 in the gaseous phase. Methane deprivation led to a decrease in methane oxidation activity within 5-9 weeks but could still be detected after 25 weeks of substrate deprivation and was fully restored within 3 weeks of continuous methane supply. Very high salt loads are leached from the novel biofilter material, expanded clay, yielding electric conductivity values of up to 15 mS cm(-1) in the leachate. Values > 6 mS cm(-1) were shown to depress methane consumption. Water retention characteristics of the material proved to be favourable for methane oxidizing systems with a gas permeable volume of 78% of bulk volume at field capacity water content. Correspondingly, no influence of water content on methane oxidation activity could be detected at water contents between 2.5 and 20 vol.-%.     

Structural and functional responses of benthic invertebrates to imidacloprid in outdoor stream mesocosms

Structural and functional responses of a benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage to pulses of the insecticide imidacloprid were assessed in outdoor stream mesocosms. Imidacloprid pulses reduced invertebrate abundance and community diversity in imidacloprid-dosed streams compared to control streams. These results correlated well with effects of imidacloprid on leaf litter decomposition and feeding rates of Pteronarcys comstocki, a stonefly, in artificial streams. Reductions in oxygen consumption of stoneflies exposed to imidacloprid were also observed in laboratory experiments. Our findings suggest that leaf litter degradation and single species responses can be sensitive ecotoxicological endpoints that can be used as early warning indicators and biomonitoring tools for pesticide contamination. The data generated illustrates the value of mesocosm experiments in environmental assessment and how the consideration of functional and structural endpoints of natural communities together with in situ single species bioassays can improve the evaluation and prediction of pesticide effects on stream ecosystems.     

Molecular Taxonomy and the Conservation of the Red Wolf and Other Endangered Carnivores

Recent publications have reaffirmed that the red wolf ( Canis rufus ) is a hybrid of the coyote and the gray wolf. Besides the implications these results will likely have for future conservation efforts and allotment of resources through the Endangered Species Act for recovery of the red wolf, it is likely that broader consequences will be felt throughout the conservation community as species come under the scrutiny of a more powerful means of taxonomic identification. As molecular technology is refined in its ability to resolve taxonomic histories and uncertainties, it is likely that hybridization event(s) will be recognized in more species. This may be of particular importance for large carnivores, whose small population sizes make them susceptible to hybridization episodes with closely related, sympatric species. Because of negative perceptions, powerful antipredator advocates, conservation and resource constraints, and an enigmatic hybrid policy within the Endangered Species Act, how red-wolf taxonomy is decided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may affect the future of large carnivores in general.     

The Study of Natural Disasters, 1977–97: Some Reflections on a Changing Field of Knowledge

As part of a series of papers to mark the 21st year of publication of Disasters, it is opportune to consider some of the changes that have occurred in the field it has covered so diligently for the last two decades. The paper begins with a brief review of the major natural disasters during this period and assesses their impact. It then considers the problem of how to define two key concepts: natural disaster and vulnerability, which remains an open question. The latter is one of the key determinants of the former. Next comes a review of what has occurred in the disasters field since the journal began publication, including some notes on the rise in vulnerability, the information technology revolution and the dilemmas of hazard mitigation. The following two sections assess, respectively, what hoped-for developments did not occur during the period studied and what assets were lost in the name of progress. For example, on the theoretical front, academic over-specialisation has predominated, while on the practical side there has been insufficient transfer of technology to where it is needed. The paper concludes that analyses of disaster need to become more sophisticated and multi-disciplinary and must take account of several forms of context within which developments take place.