Maturation,fecundity, and spawning strategy of the thornback ray, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Raja clavata</Emphasis>: do reproductive characteristics vary regionally?

In Portuguese waters, thornback ray Raja clavata spawns mainly between May and January, although females and males in spawning condition are found throughout the year. The maturation process can be divided into three main phases by using information on gonad weight, oviducal gland and uterus width in females and on gonad weight, clasper length and sperm duct width in males. Females attain length-at-first-maturity at 784 mm and males at 676 mm, at ages of 7.5 and 5.8 years, respectively. In females larger than length-at-first-maturity, a resting stage was identified characterized by low gonadosomatic index and well-developed oviducal glands and uteri. These results along with the low proportion of adult females that are effectively reproducing per month demonstrated that the thornback ray cannot be considered a continuous spawner as described in other studies. Fecundity was determinate with about 35 eggs released per batch. During the spawning season, a total of four batch episodes occur indicating that the total fecundity was approximately 136 eggs per female. Regional differences may exist in the reproductive strategy of the species, namely on the duration of the spawning season, length-at-first-maturity, and fecundity, which can be related to a more intense fishing pressure in northern European waters.     

Association between prenatal sonographic findings and post-natal outcomes in 30 cases of isolated spina bifida aperta

This study presents 30 cases of fetal isolated spina bifida aperta (SBA) to identify prenatal ultrasound findings that could predict the prognosis. Comparisons between surviving patients who had normal (group 1) and abnormal (group 2) post-natal neurological outcomes were made for three different prenatal signs, that is, site of vertebral lesion, presence and degree of ventriculomegaly and presence of talipes. The site of the lesion was the most significant outcome predictor, as high spinal dysraphisms were observed in 2 patients (2/7–28.6%) in group 1 and in 15 patients (15/19–79.0%) in group 2 (p = 0.03). The presence of fetal ventriculomegaly was associated with impaired post-natal neurological development, as it occurred in 4 patients (4/7–57.1%) in group 1 and in 18 patients (18/19–94.7%) in group 2 (p = 0.04). The presence of talipes did not significantly differ between the two groups. Patients with abnormal intellectual outcome (8/26–30.8%) had significantly greater (p = 0.018) lateral ventricle/hemisphere ratios (mean = 0.74, standard deviation = 0.13) than those with normal intellectual development (mean = 0.54, standard deviation = 0.18). Mean post-natal follow-up was at 23 months (standard deviation = 15 months). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Uranium in vegetable foodstuffs: should residents near the Cunha Baixa uranium mine site (Central Northern Portugal) be concerned?

Large uranium accumulations in vegetable foodstuffs may present risks of human health if they are consumed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the uranium concentrations in different vegetable foodstuffs and grown in agricultural soils, which are then consumed by the residents of the village of Cunha Baixa (Portugal),—located in an former uranium mining area. This study was conducted to address concerns expressed by the local farmers as well as to provide data for uranium-related health risk assessments for the area. Soils, irrigation water and edible tissues of lettuce, potato, green bean, carrot, cabbage, apple and maize (Latuca sativa L., Solanum tuberosum L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., Daucus carota L., Brassica oleracea L., Malus domestica Borkh, Zea mays L., respectively) were sampled and uranium determined. High uranium concentrations were found in some soils (U_total > 50 mg/kg), in irrigation waters (218 to 1,035 μg/l) and in some vegetable foodstuffs (up to 234, 110, 30, 26, 22, 16 and 1.6 μg/kg fresh weight for lettuce, potato with peel, green bean pods, cabbage, corn, carrot and apple, respectively). However, the results of the toxicity hazard analysis were reassuring the estimated level of uranium exposure through the ingestion of these vegetable foodstuffs was low, suggesting no chemical health risk (hazard quotient <1) to this uranium exposure pathway for a local residents during their lifetime, even for the most sensitive part of the population (child).     

Study of spatial and temporal distribution of antimicrobial in water and sediments from caging fish farms by on-line SPE-LC-MS/MS

An on-line solid phase extraction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of 12 antimicrobials in sediment and surface water was developed and validated. Furthermore, the spatial and temporal antimicrobials distributions in the sediment and in the water of four fish farms located in the hydroelectric dam of Ilha Solteira Reservoir in Brazil were investigated over four seasons in three sampling sites: at the fish cages, 100 and 1,000 m downstream far from the cages. The method was performed using an Agilent Zorbax 80 SB-C8 column (9.4 × 15 mm, 5 µm) as the loading column, and the Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 column (3.0 × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) as a separation column within a run time of 13 min. The limits of quantification were less than 9 ng·L^?1 for the antibiotics in water and 16 µg·kg^?1 in sediment; the recovery ranged from 80 to 119%, with a variation coefficient less than 11%, and the repeatability was lower than 15%. Oxytetracycline was found in the water in all sample seasons. However, florfenicol was identified in April and October 2013 and January 2014, and tetracycline was present in July 2013. Regarding the sediment, oxytetracycline and tetracycline were found in all sampling periods, but chlortetracycline was only identified in January 2014. The spatial distribution of antimicrobials showed that the main pollution source came from the fish farms. This study demonstrated that the proposed method is reliable for the monitoring of antimicrobials in water and sediments and it showed contamination in both matrices from Ilha Solteira Reservoir.     

Pesticides in the surface waters of the Camanducaia River watershed,Brazil

Abstract

Camanducaia River is part of the Piracicaba watershed responsible for pumping water into the Cantareira System, which is one of the main water sources for the metropolis of São Paulo and Campinas, Brazil. Intensive use of pesticides and hilly topography represents a situation of high risk for river water contamination. Therefore, water samples from 12 locations were collected along the Camanducaia River and its tributaries, over a period of 4?mo during the rainy season, and analyzed by GC-MS/MS or UPLC- MS/MS for the presence of 46 pesticides. Seven pesticides (fipronil, methyl parathion, metolachlor, atrazine, carbofuran, diuron, and simazine) were positively detected. Only atrazine (the most frequently detected) and diuron were present at concentrations above the limit of quantification of the analytical method (0.32 and 0.57?μg L^?1 for atrazine and diuron, respectively). Pesticides detection frequency was higher than expected for a river system where only 11.8% of the land area is under agriculture. The vulnerability of the Camanducaia basin to pesticide contamination is attributed to the high annual precipitation (> 1.5?m y^?1 in the headwaters), associated with topographical features (steep terrain) and soil types that favor surface runoff, which has been exacerbated by poor soil management practices.     

The role of the generally unrecognised microprey source as food for larval fish in the Irish Sea

Few studies have studied the food supply to larval fish in the Irish Sea; thus, we have assessed the full prey-field available to larval fish, ranging from protozoa to copepods. Specifically we assessed if fish larvae feed on protozoa, as suggested by others, and if densities of the protozoa and the appropriate size of metazoan prey were previously underestimated. By examining the gutcontents of fish larvae, the prey available to them, and the potential accessibility of prey to fish, we develop a simple food web, presented as a box-model. By doing so, we indicate that the lack of focus on small metazoa and protozoa has underestimated the food available to fish larvae; without these, we might have concluded that prey levels were too low to support the growth of the larval fish assemblage. Our methods were as follows. Sampling was at two sites, off the Isle of Man, with distinct physical and biological structures, soon after fish spawning: the southwest coast, where many species occur in spring-summer (23 April; 6, 19 May; 1, 22 June; 12 July) and the east coast, where only herring larvae occur in September–November (12, 28 October). Microplankton (15–200 μm), mesozooplankton, and larval fish were collected at 1, 15, and 25 m: microplankton with 1.5 L bottles and a 64 μm-mesh net; mesozooplankton and larval fish with a Gulf VII high-speed sampler (280 μm mesh). The 64 μm mesh net, mounted on the Gulf VII, provided simultaneous hauls. Fixed samples were evaluated to determine species composition, abundance, and biomass. Larval fish diet was determined from fish collected by short net hauls: fixed guts were examined and prey, including protozoa, analysed. Using physical data as a guide, plankton data were integrated through the water column to determine standing stocks. Size-based food availability to larval fish was estimated from the gut contents. The role of protozoa was examined, assuming that they are digested at the same rate as metazoan and if they are digested 2.5–10 times faster; increased digestion rates indicated that they contributed substantially to the larval fish diet.     

Advanced oxidation processes in the treatment of trifluraline effluent

The treatment of an effluent from the production of trifluraline was studied using a 1-L, semi-batch, tank-stirred glass reactor for performing three different advanced oxidation processes (photoperoxidation, Fenton, photo-Fenton). A commercial, medium-pressure mercury lamp was used for sample irradiation. The degradation was monitored by measurements of absorptiometric color reduction, UV-visible absorption spectra, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The obtained results showed that the photo-Fenton process was the most effective treatment for the trifluraline effluent.     

Urbanization and small household agricultural land use choices in the Brazilian Amazon and the role for the water chemistry of small streams

Many small watersheds and streams in the Brazilian Amazon have been impacted by agriculture and urban development, often due to household economic needs and migration processes. This study examined the relationships between land use, soil type, and household factors on stream water chemistry in and near the city of Altamira, Pará, Brazil, in 2008–2009. While soil weathering and stream discharge may have affected several stream water ion concentrations, agriculture and especially urban development were associated with high dissolved nitrogen concentrations, high water temperatures, and low dissolved oxygen concentrations in streams. Younger interviewed households were generally associated with these watersheds, and many urban residents reported disposing of household waste directly into streams. In contrast, older households were generally associated with forest and cocoa agriculture, along with lower water temperatures and higher dissolved oxygen concentrations in streams. These conditions persisted despite reported uses of herbicides and fertilizers by some residents.     

Environmental Impact on Coastal Waters off Rio De Janeiro Due to Sewage Discharge via Submarine Outfall

A survey was made in an area of 28 km² around the outlest of Ipanema's submarine outfall in order to evaluate the impact of the raw domestic sewage effluent on coastal waters. Nutrient concentrations, dissolved oxygen, particulate matter and other physico-chemical parameters were measured monthly for 15 months. Copper and lead concentrations were also determined for two of the samplings.

The outfall has been in operation for 18 years, and the parameters measured within the observation area appear to be in steady state. From the observed radial concentration gradients within the survey area, a real extension of the steady state distribution of particulate matter and of sewage-derived nitrogen was estimated. the stationary cloud of particulate organic matter was about 150 km². From its total inventory and the discharge rate, a mean residence time of the particles in the sea of 56 days is estimated, prior to their being decomposed by bacterial action or settling to the bottom. for sewage derived N (as ammonia or nitrate), the steady state amount (above background) covers an area of about 60 km² and leads to a mean residence time of 5 ± 1 days in the ocean. Phosphorus is readily absorbed by the phytoplankton.

The presence of temperature gradients established by cold upwelling waters controls the dispersion of the sewage material and the rising of the sewage plume to the surface waters.