Towards effective culvert design: monitoring seasonal use and behavior by Mediterranean mesocarnivores

Drainage culverts are known to be used by a diverse number of species. To date, most studies looking at culvert usage have been restricted to the dry season. This seasonal bias has limited our understanding of how different species respond to culverts and, consequently, our ability to find effective ways to promote the use of culverts as aids to species movement. The main goal of this study was to examine the role of highway culverts for mesocarnivores throughout the year. We addressed (1) the seasonality of culvert use, (2) the relative importance of culvert structure, highway features, and surrounding landscape on culvert use, (3) the influence of the water depth and cover on culvert use, and (4) the effect of culvert structure on individual behavior. Fifteen culverts were monitored along 2 highways in southern Portugal using video-surveillance cameras and marble dust for 10 consecutive days per season. We used generalized linear mixed models to determine which factors most affected the culvert use and behavior by mesocarnivores. Our results highlight the effect of seasonality and water on culvert use. Culvert use was positively related with species activity throughout the year. All species (except otters (Lutra lutra)) were less likely to use culverts that contained water more than 3 cm deep or covering more than 70 % of the culvert base. Based on our results, future surveys and culvert retrofit design should address (1) the importance of seasonality in the interpretation of results and (2) the complementarity of culvert-specific features (water, ledges, and naturalization).     

Ecotoxicological evaluation of industrial port of Venice (Italy) sediment samples after a decontamination treatment

This work assesses the ecotoxicological effects of polluted sediment after a decontamination treatment process using a new sediment washing technique. Sediment samples were collected from four sites in Marghera Port industrial channels (Venice, Italy). Ecotoxicological evaluations were performed with Vibrio fischeri and Crassostrea gigas bioassays. Whole sediment and elutriate were deemed as the most suitable environmental matrices for this study. Toxicity scores developed in the Lagoon of Venice for V. fischeri on whole sediment and for C. gigas on elutriate were considered for the final ranking of samples. Ecotoxicological results showed that the treated sediment samples presented both acute and sub-chronic toxicities, which were mainly attributed to the presence of some remaining chemicals such as metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The acute toxicity ranged from low to medium, while the sub-chronic one from absent to very high, suggesting that treated sediments could not be reused in direct contact with seawater.     

Human health risks of petroleum-contaminated groundwater

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: The volatile organic compounds Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) are commonly found in petroleum derivatives and, at relatively high levels, can be associated with human health risks. Due to industrial activities, accidental petroleum spills are the main route of soil and groundwater contamination. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the indoor health risks due to tap water consumption contaminated by BTEX. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BTEX indoor exposure can occur through three principal pathways: inhalation, ingestion and dermal absorption. A multiphase and multicomponent model was used to simulate BTEX transport in groundwater. For evaluation of human risks due to the use of contaminated tap water, a mathematical model was elaborated. RESULTS: BTEX concentrations in a drinking well were obtained as a function over time. These concentrations were used to obtain the exposure due to the use of water from the contaminated drinking well. In addition to showing the highest concentration in water, benzene was the compound that remained for a longer period before being completely degraded. For all the evaluated BTEX, oral ingestion was also the main pathway of exposure for adults, whereas the contribution of inhalation and oral exposition in children were seen to be of the same magnitude. The sensitivity analysis of BTEX total dose for adults showed that direct ingestion was the most significant factor, followed by shower time, volume of the shower room, inhalation rate, and shower flow rate. For children, the most significant variable was also direct ingestion, followed by shower time, volume of the shower room, and body weight. DISCUSSION: In the current design situation, there would not be any health risks by the use of BTEX-contaminated water to the general population living in the neighborhood of the petroleum spill. Therefore, no remediation measures in the area of the spill would be necessary. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate that the design of a good scenario can perform an accuracy risk assessment. This model can serve as a useful tool for predicting indoor exposure to substances for which no direct data are available, reducing monitoring efforts and observing how different processes affect outcomes. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: These preliminary data allow the establishment of a basis for further investigations focusing on efficiently recovering petroleum from contaminated sites.     

Photodegradation of an azo dye of the textile industry

An advanced oxidation treatment, UV/H2O2, was applied to an azo dye, Hispamin Black CA, widely used in the Peruvian textile industry. Rates of color removal and degradation of the dye have been evaluated. A strongly absorbing solution was completely decolorized after 35 min of treatment, and after 60 min an 82% reduction of the total organic carbon (TOC) was obtained. It has been found that the degradation rate increased until an optimum value, beyond which the reagent exerted an inhibitory effect. The degradation rate was also function of pH.     

Testing the ability of males and females to respond to altered songs in the dueting green lacewing, Chrysoperla plorabunda (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Green lacewings in the carnea group of Chrysoperla engage in species-specific heterosexual duets using low-frequency substrate-borne signals. Within each species, both sexes sing nearly identical songs. Songs are the principal barriers to hybridization between sympatric species in the complex. Here, we investigated the responsiveness of males and females of Chrysoperla plorabunda to synthesized, prerecorded songs that differed from the species mean in the period between repeated volleys of abdominal vibration. We tested 15–16 males and 15–16 females using playbacks of two signals that gradually increased or decreased in volley period, starting at the species mean. We found that (1) duets during courtship are accurate, interactive, and adjustable by each participant; (2) in staged duets, both sexes respond best to song tempos near the mean volley period of their population, but can nonetheless maintain duets with signals of nearly twice, or half, the normal volley period; (3) individuals fine-tune their adjustments to signals of different volley periods by changing their own volley duration and latent period, or less often by inserting extra volleys or skipping every other volley; (4) males are significantly better at matching signals of changing tempo than females; and (5) the range of song responsiveness of C. plorabunda does not overlap the natural range of volley periods found in Chrysoperla adamsi, an acoustically similar sibling species, thus reaffirming strong behavioral isolation. In sum, the precise, almost unbreakable heterosexual duets characteristic of song species of the carnea group result from tight mutual feedback between partners. Effective reproductive isolation between species can be based on song differences alone.     

Correction to: Human behavior and Homo-mammal interactions at the first European peopling: new evidence from the Pirro Nord site (Apricena,Southern Italy)

The Science of Nature - Female-only colour polymorphism is rare in birds, but occurs in brood parasitic cuckoos (Cuculidae). Obligate brood parasites leave incubation and parental care to other...     

Effects of salinity on the clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamelea gallina</Emphasis> haemocytes. Part II: Superoxide dismutase response

The effects of different salinity levels (28, 34 and 40‰) on functional responses of Chamelea gallina haemocytes were evaluated in a two part study dealing with modulations of immune parameters. This part (Part II) of the study was focused on the superoxide dismutase (SODs) activity and expression in haemocyte lysate and cell-free haemolymph. Results of this study established that the exposure of C. gallina specimens at 40‰ salinity provoked a decrease in Mn-SOD and Cu/Zn-SOD activities in haemocyte lysate suggesting a declining superoxide anion generation at the highest salinity tested. Expression of MnSOD was coherent with activity values, while Cu/ZnSOD showed two immunoreactive bands. The former corresponds to the cytosolic Cu/Zn-SOD (16 kDa) was not coherent with the enzyme activity and the second (28–30 kDa) probably attributed to EC-SOD. In cell-free haemolymph, Mn-SOD activity decrease and Cu/Zn-SOD activity increase at 40‰ were observed, likely due to EC-SOD contribution, strongly induced at the same salinity. After EC-SOD detection with two different antibody, we postulate that the EC-SOD like-protein band (29 kDa) may be constitute partly by EC-SOD and probably by Cu/Zn-SOD dimeric form not completely dissociated under reducing condition or a Cu/Zn-SOD degenerated but still recognized by antibody. The cell-free haemolymph increase of EC-SOD at high salinity values plays an important role in immune defence of C. gallina. According to the conclusion of Part I of this study, our data confirmed the destabilizing effect of 40‰ salinity on haemocyte functionality, while to 28‰ exposure, data don’t confirm its stressful action as instead stated by results of Part I. Further studies are necessary to clear up this discrepancy.     

Effects of salinity on the clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamelea gallina</Emphasis>. Part I: alterations in immune responses

In the present study, the effects of differing salinities on some important functional responses of haemocytes from the clam, Chamelea gallina, were investigated. The animals were kept for 7 days at 28‰ (hyposalinity), 34‰ (control) and 40‰ salinity (hypersalinity), and total haemocyte count (THC), haemocyte volume, phagocytosis, lysozyme-like activity (in both haemocyte lysate and cell-free haemolymph) were measured. The survival-in-air test was also performed. Clams kept at 28‰ showed significantly increased THC with respect to animals kept at 34 and 40‰. The analysis of haemocyte size frequency distribution highlighted that in clams kept at 28‰ the haemocyte fraction of about 5 μm in diameter and 50–100 femtolitre in volume increased markedly. Conversely, in animals kept at 40‰ an increase was observed in the haemocyte fraction having about 8–10 μm diameter and 400–500 femtolitre volume. Higher phagocytic activity was recorded in haemocytes from control clams, with respect to that of clams kept at 28 and 34‰. Lysozyme-like activity in haemocyte lysate was shown to increase significantly in animals kept at 28‰ with respect to that of clams kept at 40‰, whereas enzyme activity in cell-free haemolymph from clams kept at 34‰ was significantly higher with respect to that of clams maintained at 40‰. A relationship between phagocytosis and lysozyme secretion is suggested. The resistance to air exposure of clams kept at 28 and 40‰ was shown to decrease significantly; LT₅₀ values fell from 7 days in clams kept at 34‰ to 4 and 5 days in those kept at 28 and 40‰, respectively. Results demonstrated that salinity values far from 34‰ affects the functional responses of haemocytes and reduce the resistance of clams to exposure to air.