The challenges in the identification of Escherichia coli from environmental samples and their genetic characterization

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Escherichia coli bacteria are an essential indicator in evaluations of environmental pollution, which is why they must be correctly identified. This...     

Synthesis,characterization, and application of 2D/2D TiO2-GO-ZnFe2O4 obtained by the fluorine-free lyophilization method for solar light-driven photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, we report the potential of 2D/2D TiO2-GO-ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst obtained using the fluorine-free lyophilization technique for the...     

Short-term effects of dimethoate on metabolic responses in Chrysolina pardalina (Chrysomelidae) feeding on Berkheya coddii (Asteraceae), a hyper-accumulator of nickel

Berkheya coddii Roessler (Asteraceae) is a hyper-accumulator of nickel, which can be used in phytomining and phytoremediation. Chrysolina pardalina Fabricius (Chrysomelidae) is a phytophagous leaf beetle, which may be useful in controlling population levels of B. coddii after it has been introduced into a new habitat. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of C. pardalina to topical application of dimethoate. Data recorded included the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the concentration of glutathione (GSH), and the activity of selected enzymes connected with GSH metabolism. Assays were carried out several times during the first 24h after exposure to dimethoate. At the dosages used in this study, dimethoate was not as toxic as expected. AChE activity was significantly decreased 14 and 24h after application. GST activity was significantly decreased 24h after application. GSTPx activity was significantly decreased 2, 14 and 24h after application. GR activity was significantly increased 4h after application. GSH concentration was significantly increased 24h after application. Long-term exposure to high levels of nickel may have caused adaptive changes in the enzymes that enable C. pardalina to deal with other stressors, including organophosphate pesticides.     

Bioelements and mineral matter in human livers from the highly industrialized region of the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (Poland)

Contents of mineral substance, silica, and a range of bioelements and toxic elements (Mg, Na, K, Ca, Ba, Zn, Cr, P Al, Cd, Mn Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, Fe) in 38 livers of donors from the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (southern Poland) are presented. Elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) with the exception of silica that was estimated colorimetrically. Concentrations, concentration variability, and correlations between selected liver components determined for the total population are related to donor age, gender, and lesion occurrence. Correlations between particular elements were found using correlation coefficient values and the Fisher transformation. Mineral substance in the livers lies in the range 0.40–5.03 wt%. With increasing donor age, mineral-matter content decreases to a minimum for the 40–60 years of age range. Microbioelement contents show a similar tendency, while microbioelements and toxic elements reach maximum contents in donors aged 60–80 years. All elements show content decreases in livers from the oldest group (>80 years). Silica contents increase with age. Variability of element contents is lowest in the older subpopulations. Livers with lesions show lower element contents and variability. The results are compared to literature data for regions of Poland assumed to be of low pollution and to data from comparable regions in Japan and Hungary. Up to our knowledge, this paper is the first work describing the total contents, as distinct from contents of selected elements, of mineral substance in human livers.     

Assessment of PAH pollution in the southern Baltic Sea through the analysis of sediment, mussels and fish bile

The concentrations of fifteen PAH compounds in samples of sediment and blue mussel tissue (Mytilus trossulus) were measured. In addition, the biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites present in flounder (Platichthys flesus) were analysed. Two methods were used in the analysis of PAH metabolites; high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fixed wavelength fluorescence (FF). The major PAH metabolite which could be measured using the HPLC method was 1-OH pyrene. It was possible to detect 1-OH Phe and 3-OH B[a]P in 70 and 24 samples respectively, of the 87 samples analysed. However, the concentrations of 1-OH Phe and 3-OH B[a]P were below or near to the LOQ (0.002 μg ml(-1) bile). The bile of flounder samples from the Gulf of Gdańsk had 1-OH Pyr concentrations which ranged from 0.019 to 0.066 μg ml(-1) bile. The high linear correlation observed between the quantity of 1-OH pyrene determined by the HPLC-F method and the content of the sum of pyrene-type PAHs obtained by the FF method indicated the FF method of determination of pyrene-type PAH metabolites can be used as a screening method. The content of ∑(15)PAHs in sediments collected in the Gulf of Gdansk, in 2008, ranged from 29.3 to 103 μg kg(-1) dw. In mussel tissue ∑(15)PAHs concentrations were between 173.2 μg kg(-1) dw and 237.7 μg kg(-1) dw. All concentrations measured in the current study, in mussel tissue, were below the OSPAR toxicity threshold values.     

Comparative Assessment of Public Opinion on the Landscape Quality of Two Biosphere Reserves in Europe

The European Landscape Convention (2000) obligates European Union countries to identify and implement landscape quality objectives (LQOs) understood as the specification of public expectations and preferences concerning the landscape of a given area, expressed by competent public authorities. The convention emphasizes the important role of local community representatives in this field. In Poland, the implementation of the LQO concept was first undertaken in two regions with radically different landscape characteristics: (1) the West Polesie Biosphere Reserve and (2) the selected protected areas of the Roztocze–Solska Forest, nominated to the rank of a biosphere reserve. The first stage of the presented study was the recognition of public opinion on the quality of key features of landscape, based on a questionnaire (n = 470). The primary objective of the study was to provide an answer to the following questions: (1) Whether similar social expectations regarding landscape quality exist in spite of radically different landscape characteristics of the regions investigated (landscape quality is understood as spatial arrangement, scenic beauty, and lack of environmental pollution); (2) which landscape features are considered to be most preservation worthy by the representatives of both local communities; and (3) What processes or development impacts pose the greatest threat to the landscape quality of both regions according to the public opinion? The conducted comparative assessment revealed that it is possible to define a set of features fundamental to the quality of both areas and that representatives of local communities pointed out the same threats to the natural and cultural values of both regions investigated.     

Physiological Method of Evaluating Protective Clothing for Work in a Cold Environment

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of physiological studies in the evaluation of protective clothing for work in a cold environment. The study included the examination of the dynamics of changes in chosen physiological parameters (core and skin temperatures, heart rate, pulmonary minute ventilation) as well as physical ones (the temperature and relative humidity under the clothes) during work in protective clothing with unknown thermal insulation. The experiment was conducted in extreme environmental conditions (–10 and –15°C) at a work load defined by the clothing manufacturer as moderate. Results show that thermal equilibrium was achieved and maintained throughout the investigated work time (60 min) and that the protective clothing ensures safety on the time scale of a regular 8-hour work day. It was also shown that the dynamics of thermal stress physiological parameters can be used to determine the maximum duration of exposure for cold protective clothing with unknown thermal insulation.