Uptake and distribution of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb in an aquatic plant Potamogeton natans

A better understanding of metal uptake and translocation by aquatic plants can be used to enhance the performance of constructed wetland systems for stormwater treatment. Specifically, this study examines whether the uptake of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb by Potamogeton natans is via the leaves, stems, or roots, and whether there is translocation from organs of uptake to other plant parts. Competition between the metals at uptake and at the level of the cell wall-bound part of the metals accumulated in stem and leaf tissue was also examined. The results show that Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb were taken up by the leaves, stems, and roots, with the highest accumulation found in the roots. At the elevated metal concentrations common in stormwater the uptake of Cu, but not of Zn, Cd, or Pb, by the roots was somewhat limited at uptake due to competition with other metals. Between 24% and 59% of the metal content was bound to the cell walls of the plant. Except in the case of Pb, the cell wall-bound fraction was generally smaller in stems than in leaves. No translocation of the metals to other parts of the plant was found, except for Cd which was translocated from leaf to stem and vice versa. Dispersion of metals from sediment to water through P. natans is therefore unlikely.     

Sequential removal of heavy metals ions and organic pollutants using an algal-bacterial consortium

The residual algal-bacterial biomass from photosynthetically supported, organic pollutant biodegradation processes, in enclosed photobioreactors, was tested for its ability to accumulate Cu(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II). Salicylate was chosen as a model contaminant. The algal-bacterial biomass combined the high adsorption capacity of microalgae with the low cost of the residual biomass, which makes it an attractive biosorbent for environmental applications. Cu(II) was preferentially taken-up from the medium when the metals were present both separately and in combination. There was no observed competition for adsorption sites, which suggested that Cu(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) bind to different sites and that active Ni(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) binding groups were present at very low concentrations. Therefore, special focus was given to Cu(II) biosorption. Cu(II) biosorption by the algal-bacterial biomass was characterized by an initial fast cell surface adsorption followed by a slower metabolically driven uptake. pH, Cu(II), and algal-bacterial concentration significantly affected the biosorption capacity for Cu(II). Maximum Cu(II) adsorption capacities of 8.5+/-0.4 mg g-1 were achieved at an initial Cu(II) concentration of 20 mg l-1 and at pH 5 for the tested algal-bacterial biomass. These are consistent with values reported for other microbial sorbents under similar conditions. The desorption of Cu(II) from saturated biomass was feasible by elution with a 0.0125 M HCl solution. Simultaneous Cu(II) and salicylate removal in a continuous stirred tank photobioreactor was not feasible due to the high toxicity of Cu(II) towards the microbial culture. The introduction of an adsorption column, packed with the algal-bacterial biomass, prior to the photobioreactor reduced Cu(II) concentration, thereby allowing the subsequent salicylate biodegradation in the photobioreactor.     

Tradescantia micronucleus test indicates genotoxic potential of traffic emissions in European cities

Urban atmospheres contain complex mixtures of air pollutants including mutagenic and carcinogenic substances such as benzene, diesel soot, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In the frame of a European network for the assessment of air quality by the use of bioindicator plants, the Tradescantia micronucleus (Trad-MCN) test was applied to examine the genotoxicity of urban air pollution. Cuttings of Tradescantia clone #4430 were exposed to ambient air at 65 monitoring sites in 10 conurbations employing a standardised methodology. The tests revealed an elevated genotoxic potential mainly at those urban sites which were exposed to severe car traffic emissions. This bioassay proved to be a suitable tool to detect local 'hot spots' of mutagenic air pollution in urban areas. For its use in routine monitoring programmes, however, further standardisation of cultivation and exposure techniques is recommended in order to reduce the variability of results due to varying environmental conditions.     

Genetic toxicity in surface water from Guaíba Hydrographic Region under the influence of industrial, urban and agricultural sewage in the Drosophila wing-spot test

Mutagenic and recombinagenic activity of surface waters in the Guaíba Hydrographic Region (RS, Brazil) was investigated using the SMART in Drosophila melanogaster. Two positive results in Caí River (September 2000 and August 2001) and in Taquari River (August 2001 and February 2002)--linked to direct recombinagenic toxicants were observed. In Jacuí samples, an indirect mutagenic and recombinagenic action was detected in a September 2000 collection and a direct recombinational activity was observed in February 2002. Also in February 2002--samples from Dilúvio Brook and Guaíba Lake (GPC) were able to induce wing spots by mitotic recombinagenesis. The former sampling site showed toxicants to have a direct action, and the latter an increment in mitotic recombination that depended on metabolic action. The SMART wing test shows that all positive responses were mainly related to homologous mitotic recombination.     

Acute toxicity of heavy metals towards freshwater ciliated protists

The acute toxicity of five heavy metals to four species of freshwater ciliates (Colpidium colpoda, Dexiotricha granulosa, Euplotes aediculatus, and Halteria grandinella) was examined in laboratory tests. After exposing the ciliates to soluble compound of cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, and nickel at several selected concentrations, the mortality rate was registered and the LC50 values (with 95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Large differences appeared in sensitivities of the four species to the metals. H. grandinella showed the highest sensitivity for cadmium (0.07 mg l(-1), LC50) and lead (0.12 mg l(-1), LC50), whilst E. aediculatus showed the highest sensitivity for nickel (0.03 mg l(-1), LC50). The comparison with data obtained with other species indicate that Halteria grandinella and Euplotes aediculatus are excellent and convenient bioindicator for evaluating the toxicity of waters and wastewaters polluted by heavy metals. The short time (24 h) and simplicity of the test procedure enable this test to be used in laboratory studies.     

Treatment of log yard run-off by irrigation of grass and willows

Log yard run-off is a potential environmental risk, among other things because it creates an oxygen deficiency in receiving watercourses. This study was conducted to investigate the purification efficiency of soil-plant systems with couchgrass (Elymus repens) and willows (Salix sp.) when intensively irrigated with run-off from an open sprinkling system at a Norway spruce (Picea abies) log yard. The purification efficiency was determined both at the field scale (couchgrass) and in 68-L lysimeters (couchgrass and willows). Groundwater in the field and drainage water from the lysimeters were analysed for Total Organic Carbon (TOC), distillable phenols, total P, and total N. Retention of TOC, phenols and P occurred but no difference between couchgrass and willows was observed. The system had better purification capacity at the field scale than in the lysimeters.     

Arsenic chemistry in the rhizosphere of Pteris vittata L. and Nephrolepis exaltata L

This greenhouse experiment evaluated the influence of arsenic uptake by arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. and non-arsenic hyperaccumulator Nephrolepis exaltata L. on arsenic chemistry in bulk and rhizosphere soil. The plants were grown for 8 weeks in a rhizopot with a soil containing 105 mg kg(-1) arsenic. The soil arsenic was fractionated into five fractions with decreasing availability: non-specifically bound (N), specifically bound (S), amorphous hydrous-oxide bound (A), crystalline hydrous-oxide bound (C), and residual (R). P. vittata produced larger plant biomass (7.38 vs. 2.32 mg plant(-1)) and removed more arsenic (2.61 vs. 0.09 mg pot(-1) arsenic) than N. exaltata. Plant growth reduced water-soluble arsenic, and increased soil pH (P. vittata only) in the rhizosphere soil. P. vittata was more efficient than N. exaltata to access arsenic from all fractions (39-64% vs. 5-39% reduction). However, most of the arsenic taken up by both plants was from the A fraction (67-77%) in the rhizosphere soil, the most abundant (61.5%) instead of the most available (N fraction).     

Sorption and desorption behavior of chloroanilines and chlorophenols on montmorillonite and kaolinite

The bioavailability of pollutants, pesticides and/or their degradation products in soil depends on the strength of their sorption by the different soil components, particularly by the clay minerals. This study reports the sorption-desorption behavior of the environmentally hazardous industrial pollutants and certain pesticides degradation products, 3-chloroaniline, 3,4-dichloroaniline, 2,4,6-trichloroaniline, 4-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol on the reference clays kaolinite KGa-1 and Na-montmorillonite SWy-l. In batch studies, 2.0 g of clay were equilibrated with 100.0 mL solutions of each chemical at concentrations ranging from 10.0 to 200.0 mg/L. The uptake of the compounds was deduced from the results of HPLC-UV-Vis analysis. The lipophilic species were best retained by both clay materials. The most lipophilic chemical used in the study, 2,4,6-trichloroaniline, was also the most strongly retained, with sorption of up to 8 mg/g. In desorption experiments, which also relied on HPLC-UV-Vis technique, 2,4,6-trichloroaniline was the least desorbed from montmorillonite. However, on kaolinite all of the compounds under study were irreversibly retained. The experimental data have been modelled according to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. A hypothesis is proposed concerning the sorption mechanism and potential applications of the findings in remediation strategies have been suggested.     

Anguilla anguilla L. Genotoxic responses after in situ exposure to freshwater wetland (Pateira de Fermentelos, Portugal)

Pateira de Fermentelos is a Cértima River enlargement, close to its river mouth (by the Agueda River), where the introduction of agricultural chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides, domestic sewage, as well as heavy metals from electroplating industries, results in increased water pollution. The present research work concerns a 48 h in situ exposure of caged eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) at the Pateira de Fermentelos. Five exposure sites were selected, i.e., site A, site B, site C, site D and site E in order to study its water genotoxicity potential, measured in gill, blood, liver and kidney as DNA strand breaks. Eels were also exposed at a reference site by the Cértima River spring. Bottom water samples were collected for further physical-chemical analysis. Site A exposure, significantly decreased gill, blood and liver DNA integrity. Gill and liver DNA integrity was also significantly decreased at site B. At site C only blood DNA integrity was significantly decreased. The present field in situ study demonstrated that the three exposure sites close to the Pateira initial part, such as A, B and C are polluted by pro and/or genotoxic compounds. The genotoxic effects induced in A. anguilla L. suggest a different contamination of the exposure sites A, B and C, in genotoxic chemicals. Thus, according to its genotoxic potential the exposure sites A, B and C, may be ordered as follows site A>site B>site C. No genotoxic effects on A. anguilla L. were observed at site E as DNA strand breaks increase.     

234U and 230Th determination by FIA-ICP-MS and application to uranium-series disequilibrium in marine samples

A 234U and 230Th determination method based on an extraction chromatographic separation on a flow injection system coupled to a quadruple ICP-MS was developed. Two-milliliter UTEVA (Eichrom Co.) cartridges were applied as separation tool and 236U and 229Th as spikes. Loading and washing steps were carried out in 3 M HNO3 solution and 0.05 M ammonium oxalate applied to elute both uranium and thorium. The method was applied initially to the IAEA-327 soil reference sample and NIST SRM 4357 ocean sediment reference material, with the obtained 234U and 230Th concentrations in agreement with the reference levels. Samples from a deep-sea sediment core (2450 m water depth) were analyzed and based on 230Th/234U dating, a mean sedimentation rate of 3.3 cm ky(-1) was calculated. Samples from two sediment layers were also dated by 14C-AMS and the observed ages agree with the 230Th/234U results.