Untersuchungen zur Eignung von Neutralsalzen als Referenzmittel bei der mikrobiologisch-ökotoxikologischen Bewertung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln im Boden

Goal and Scope

The information value of microbiologicalecotoxicological investigations of pesticides in soil increases if reference compounds with known biocidal effects are included. But those reference compounds used until now often are of remarkable environmental and human toxicity and therefore are difficult to handle. Inorganic neutral salts sometimes were discussed as alternatives, but their suitability needs to be tested before.

Methods

For laboratory experiments some microbial activities in soil were selected whose effects had been proved in several microbiological-ecotoxicological investigations. They include the mineralization of carbon and nitrogen (+ nitrification) as well as the biomass-related parameters dehydrogenase activity and substrate-induced short-term respiration. Several agricultural soils were used to confirm the results.     

Das Biologische System der Elemente

Ohne Zusammenfassung DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/uwsf2000.02.001     

Genetic and color morph differentiation in the Caribbean sea anemone<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Condylactis gigantea</Emphasis>

The distribution of phenotypic and genetic variation across environments can provide insights into local adaptation. The tropical sea anemone Condylactis gigantea inhabits a broad spectrum of coral-reef habitats and displays a variety of phenotypes, particularly with respect to color. At the coast of Discovery Bay, Jamaica, individuals with either pink or green tentacle tips show distinct distributions. Pink morphs are more abundant in the lagoon and in deeper areas, while green morphs are more abundant in the forereef and in shallower areas. We use DNA sequence data (ITS1-5.8S) to investigate if variation in color is associated with genetic differentiation in lagoon and forereef habitats about 5 km apart. Population genetic analyses reveal two distinct ITS1-5.8S variants, which differ in relative frequency. The two variants are present in both habitats, but a dearth of intermediates suggests reduced gene flow. In the lagoon, but not the forereef, ITS variants show an association with color. In order to address the potential ecological significance of color, we study UV absorbance and UV acclimatization capacities of pink and green color morphs in the lagoon. Color morphs differed significantly in UV-B absorbance. These results suggest genetic and ecological differentiation in the face of gene flow over short distances.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Emotion as mediators of the relations between perceived supervisor support and psychological hardiness on employee cynicism

In this study we explore whether emotion experienced at work mediates the relationships between perceived supervisor support, psychological hardiness, and employee cynicism. Data were collected from employees working at a medical technology company located in Switzerland. Mediational analyses showed that employees' positive and negative emotions experienced amidst an organizational crisis fully accounted for the relations between perceived supervisor support and cynicism and psychological hardiness and cynicism. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of platinum, palladium and rhodium as compared with cadmium, nickel and chromium on cell viability and oxidative stress in human bronchial epithelial cells

The platinum group elements (PGE) Pt, Pd and Rh are increasingly emitted into the environment by automobile catalytic converters. Whereas the biological availability of PGE to plants and animals has been demonstrated, only few studies concentrate on the influence of PGE on a cellular level. The effects of Pt, Pd and Rh compared with Cd, Ni and Cr on cell viability and oxidative stress response using soluble metal salts were studied in the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. Whilst Rh(III) showed little influence, both Pt(II) and Pt(IV) as well as Pd(II) had significant effects on cell viability at levels comparable to Cd(II) and Cr(VI). Arranging metal species in order of increasing toxicity as determined by LC50 yields: Rh(III)=1.2 mmol/L相似文献   

The effect of the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic on the use of personal protective equipment in hospitals

The Covid pandemic has strongly affected the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the medical sector. Our aim was to assess the influence of Covid on PPE use within a German hospital by analyzing PPE use in four years prior to Covid and in 2020/2021. Numbers of items and mass of different types of PPE were determined based on procurement data. The results show that for the use of gloves the pandemic only had a small effect on the number of items. For body protection there was a clear trend toward a decrease in the number of items used in the years before the pandemic due to actions by the hospital toward a better environmental footprint which was partially reversed by the pandemic. The number of masks on the other hand doubled during the pandemic. Expressed in mass of PPE per patient and day, 15 g of masks, 121 g of gloves, and 183 g of body protection are used, resulting in a total of 319 g of PPE per patient and day. As medical waste has a specific treatment, no direct environmental effects of PPE use in hospitals in a region with well-developed waste treatment system are expected.

     

Combined application of marble waste and beneficial microorganisms: toward a cost-effective approach for restoration of heavy metals contaminated sites

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Heavy metal (HM) pollution and the need to preserve the environment have gathered increasing scientific attention. The immobilization of HMs into...