Growth and nutrition of Quercus rubra L. seedlings and mature trees after three seasons of ozone exposure

Seedling growth and nutritional status have been shown to be sensitive to ozone, but the influence of multi-season ozone exposure on mature tree growth and nutrition has not been examined. To determine if seedlings and mature trees were similarly affected by ozone exposure, growth and nutrient concentrations in northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) 4-year-old seedlings and 32-year-old mature trees were examined after treatment with subambient, ambient and twice ambient concentrations of ozone for three growing seasons. SUM00 values summed over the three growing seasons were 147, 255 and 507 ppm-h, respectively, for the subambient, ambient and twice ambient exposures. For mature trees, no influence of ozone treatment on lower stem diameter growth, stem growth within the mid-canopy and foliar biomass was observed. Seedling height was increased by ozone, but biomass and diameter were unaffected. A reduction in the specific leaf weight of leaves in response to ozone coincident with the loss of recurrent flushing was observed in seedlings. Ozone exposure reduced foliar nitrogen concentrations and increased woody tissue nutrient concentrations in seedlings and mature trees at the end of the third growing season. These results suggest an influence of ozone on retranslocation processes in seedlings and mature trees.     

Secondary effects of air pollution: ozone decreases brown rust disease potential in wheat

Young wheat plants were fumigated with 170 microg m(-3) ozone for 3 days, or with 210 microg m(-3) ozone for 7 days, for 7 hours a day. At the end of the fumigation period the plants were inoculated with brown rust (Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici) uredospores. The development of new uredospore pustules on fumigated and control plants was evaluated as a measure of rust disease potential. The number of pustules on the ozone fumigated plants was greatly reduced in comparison with the number of plants treated with charcoal-filtered air.     

4-Methylsterols in recent lacustrine sediments: Terrestrial,planktonic or some other origin?

Sediment cores from oxygen depleted zones of lake Léman (lake of Geneva) and from anoxic surface sediment from Voua de la Motte (France) were analyzed for their sterol compositions. 4-methylstanols were found to be major sterols in Motte lake sediment, which is rich in organic matter. In lake Léman, the relative abundances of the same 4-methylstanols increase with the depth in the core, but they remain always minor compounds. An extensive search for a possible external source for these compounds included the analysis of water, of the plankton and of the surrounding soil material. All these results, along with those of an in situ incubation experiment, give strong evidence in favor of their in situ bacterial biosynthesis.     

Induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase by chlorinated dibenzofurans in rats

Five of 25 chlorinated dibenzofurans induced aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in rats when administered orally at 40 μg/kg body weight. Active inducers included the three congeners with chlorines in all four lateral positions and the 2,7- and 2,8-dichlorodibenzofurans. The findings agree well with other studies involving common congeners, but do not agree with findings in that congeners with three lateral chlorines were inactive .     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration on the polyamine levels of field-grown soybean at three O3 regimes

Effects of increased ozone (O3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) on polyamine levels were determined in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. cv. Clark) grown in open-top field chambers. The chamber treatments consisted of three O3 regimes equal to charcoal filtered (CF), non-filtered (NF), and non-filtered plus 40 nl litre(-1) O3 and CO2 treatments equal to 350, 400 and 500 microl litre(-1) for a total of nine treatments. Leaf samples were taken at three different times during the growing season. Examination of growth and physiological characteristics, such as photosynthesis, stomatal resistance, and shoot weight, revealed that increasing CO2 ameliorated the deleterious effects of increased O3. Results from the initial harvest, at the pre-flowering growth stage (23 days of treatment), showed that increasing O3 at ambient CO2 caused increases in putrescine (Put) and spermidine (Spd) of up to six-fold. These effects were lessened with increased CO2. Elevated CO2 increased polyamines in plants treated with CF air, but had no effect in the presence of ambient or enhanced O3 levels. Leaves harvested during peak flowering (37 days of treatment) showed O3-induced increases in Put and Spd at ambient CO2 concentrations. However, increased CO2 levels inhibited this response by blocking the O3-induced polyamine increase. Leaves harvested during the pod fill stage (57 days of treatment) showed no significant O3 or CO2 effects on polyamine levels. Our results demonstrate that current ambient O3 levels induce the accumulation of Put and Spd early in the growing season and that further increases in O3 could result in even greater polyamine increases. These results are consistent with a possible antiozonant function for polyamines. The ability of increased CO2 to protect soybeans from O3 damage, however, does not appear to involve polyamine accumulation.     

The effect of chronic toxicity of copper on the activity of Balbiani rings and nucleolar organizing region in the salivary gland chromosomes of Chironomus ninevah larvae

The effect of copper on the activity of Balbiani rings (BR1 and BR2) and nucleolar organizing region (NOR) in chromosome IV of the salivary gland of the 4th instar larvae of Chironomus ninevah has been investigated. Sublethal concentrations, i.e. 0.02, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 mg litre(-1) suppress the activity of BR1, and are statistically significant. The same concentrations reduced the activity of BR2 and NOR, but without significant differences, except 0.1 mg litre(-1) which was significant. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of chronic toxicity of Cu(2+) on the expression of gene activity of midge salivary gland chromosomes Although there may be many more aquatic organisms that are more sensitive to copper, this midge was selected as a biological indicator species because of its association with benthic sediments.     

Criteria for the evaluation of dioxins in the environment

In FRG and other countries unequivocal criteria for the limitation of dioxins (PCDD's/PCDF's) in food like vegetables and fruits are lacking. These have to be directly associated with the limitation of dioxins in the soil and the deposition of particulate matter as the two main pathways for plant contamination. Based on recent investigations in the vicinity of cable-waste incinerators in Northrhine-Westphalia with comparatively high contents of dioxins in garden plants and soils and other sources of dioxins, considerations are given for the establishment of the criteria urgently needed.     

Grundwasserbelastung durch Rüstungsaltlast-Emissionen Nachweis von Arsenkampfstoffen und weiteren kampfmittelspezifischen Rückst?nden

Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung von Wasserproben aus dem Einflu?ereich der Rüstungsaltlast „Dethlinger Teich“ bei Munster/Niedersachsen werden dargestellt und bewertet. Von mehr als 50 untersuchten spezifischen Substanzen wurden Arsenkampfstoffe als Hauptkontaminanten erkannt. Im Rahmen der Gef?hrdungsabsch?tzung wird hier erstmals eine Analysenmethode zur Unterscheidung zwischen anorganisch und organisch gebundenem Arsen vorgestellt. Groundwater analyses in the area of the former munitions depository (World War II) „Dethlinger Teich“ near Munster/Niedersachsen were evaluated. Results from 50 different chemical substances showed that arsenic compounds are the main contaminating chemicals. A new method has been developed to distinguish between morganically- and organically bound compounds. This differentiation is required for risk assessment and evaluation. Also, the relationship of chemical structure and physiological effects in organo arsenic compounds is described.     

A natural analogue of high-pH cement pore waters from the Maqarin area of northern Jordan: Comparison of predicted and observed trace-element chemistry of uranium and selenium

Current design concepts for low-/intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal in many countries involve emplacement underground in a cementitious repository. The highly alkaline groundwaters at Maqarin, Jordan, are a good analogue for the cementitious pore waters that will be present within such a repository. A geochemical modelling study of these groundwaters has been carried out in order to test the applicability of equilibrium models in geochemical programs and their associated thermodynamic databases in such hyperalkaline conditions. This was achieved by comparison of elemental solubilities and speciations predicted by the programs with observations in the natural system. Five organisations took part in the study: AEA Technology, U.K.; Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; MBT Tecnología Ambiental, Spain; Nagra, Switzerland; and SKB, Sweden. The modelling study was coordinated by the University of Berne.The results of the study showed good agreement between the predictions of the programs employed. Comparison of the observed solids with those predicted by the models has allowed limited validation of the databases. The results for U and Se are presented here.