Retrospective monitoring and inventory of soil contamination in relation to systematic monitoring

Retrospective monitoring of soil contamination has been performed in the Czech Republic. This kind of monitoring is based on the comparison of the heavy metals content in soil samples taken during a systematic soil survey (1960–1970) and in samples taken at the present time. The anticipated high degree of soil pollution in the Czech Republic has not been proved. Most of the contaminated soils were found to be loaded just 20–35 years ago. Retrospective monitoring is considered to be an accelerating tool for determining the strategy of the systematic monitoring of soil contamination. This procedure stimulated the development of the multi-step system of soil loading limits.     

Afforestation Planning and Biodiversity Conservation: Predicting Effects on Habitat Functionality in Lithuania

Habitat re-creation is one of the multiple faces of biodiversity restoration and encompasses the attempts to reconstruct an ecosystem on severely disturbed sites with little left to restore. Afforestation of abandoned or marginal agricultural land is an important tool for the re-creation of forest ecosystems and re-establishment of functional habitat networks for the maintenance of biodiversity. This study was performed in the context of the Danish-Lithuanian project ‘Afforestation of abandoned agricultural land based on sustainable land use planning and environmentally sound forest management’. The study assessed how habitat re-creation as designed in alternative afforestation plans for two administrative regions in Lithuania will affect the functionality of the landscapes for bird species of conservation concern. Spatial analysis of the forest cover was performed under existing and proposed conditions using general landscape ecological principles concerning core and edge habitats as well as nearest-neighbour metrics. The results show that the use of general criteria may result in proportionally negative changes in the availability of some forest habitats relative to changes in total forest cover, thus leading to less significant improvements in the habitats of many naturally occurring (and even protected) species compared to what would be expected from changes in forest cover alone. To solve this dilemma it is suggested that the requirements of focal species and quantitative conservation objectives should be considered in a spatially explicit – each main forest type. It is concluded that to ensure functionality of habitat networks, knowledge and experience from the fields of landscape ecology and conservation biology should be more commonly incorporated into afforestation planning.     

Cytotoxicity of gamma irradiated aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A

Toxicity of gamma irradiated mycotoxins aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and ochratoxin A (OTA) was investigated in vitro. AFB₁ and OTA stock solutions (50?mM, in methanol) were gamma irradiated (5 and 10 kGy) and non-irradiated and irradiated mycotoxins solutions were tested for cytotoxicity on Pk15, HepG2 and SH-SY5Y cell lines (MTT assay, 1–500?μM concentration range; 24?h exposure). Degradation of mycotoxin molecules was examined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). AFB₁ and OTA radiolytic products were less toxic than the parent mycotoxins to all of the tested cell lines. Gamma irradiation even at 5 kGy had effect on AFB₁ and OTA molecules however, this effect was dependent on chemical structure of mycotoxin. Since gamma irradiation at low dose reduced initial level of both mycotoxins, and gamma irradiated mycotoxins had lower toxicity in comparison to non-irradiated mycotoxins, it can be concluded that gamma irradiation could be used as decontamination method.     

Root uptake of atenolol,sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine,and their transformation in three soils and four plants

Soils can be contaminated by pharmaceuticals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of soil conditions (influencing sorption and persistence of pharmaceuticals in soils) and plant type on the root uptake of selected pharmaceuticals and their transformation in plant-soil systems. Four plants (lamb’s lettuce, spinach, arugula, radish) planted in 3 soils were irrigated for 20 days (26) with water contaminated by one of 3 pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, atenolol, sulfamethoxazole) or their mixture. The concentrations of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in soils and plant tissues were evaluated after the harvest. Sulfamethoxazole and atenolol dissipated rapidly from soils. The larger concentrations of both compounds and an atenolol metabolite were found in roots than in leaves. Sulfamethoxazole metabolites were below the limits of quantifications. Carbamazepine was stable in soils, easily uptaken, accumulated, and metabolized in plant leaves. The efficiency of radish and arugula (both family Brassicaceae) in metabolizing was very low contrary to the high and moderate efficiencies of lamb’s lettuce and spinach, respectively. Compounds’ transformations mostly masked the soil impact on their accumulation in plant tissues. The negative relationships were found between the carbamazepine sorption coefficients and its concentrations in roots of radish, lamb’s lettuce, and spinach.

     

Bio-herbicidal effects of five essential oils on germination and early seedling growth of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.)

The evaluation of the inhibition effect exerted by the essential oils of basil (Ocimum basilicum), sage (Salvia officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) on seeds germination and early seedling growth of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) weed was examined in a laboratory bioassay. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and characterized chemically by gas chromatography coupled with both mass spectrometry and flame ionization detector. The working solutions of essential oil emulsified with Tween 20 and dissolved in distilled water were prepared at three concentration levels (0.01%, 0.1% and 1%, vol/vol). The results obtained showed that increase of essential oil concentration leads to decrease of seed germination, shoot and radical length of velvetleaf. The obtained data revealed a highly significant effect (P?<?0.05) between control and 1% and 0.1% oil concentrations in all treatments. The essential oils of basil, thyme and lemon balm exhibited more powerful bio-herbicidal effect compared to sage and goldenrod essential oils on the germination and early seedling growth of velvetleaf weed.     

Testing the Potential for Predictive Modeling and Mapping and Extending Its Use as a Tool for Evaluating Management Scenarios and Economic Valuation in the Baltic Sea (PREHAB)

We evaluated performance of species distribution models for predictive mapping, and how models can be used to integrate human pressures into ecological and economic assessments. A selection of 77 biological variables (species, groups of species, and measures of biodiversity) across the Baltic Sea were modeled. Differences among methods, areas, predictor, and response variables were evaluated. Several methods successfully predicted abundance and occurrence of vegetation, invertebrates, fish, and functional aspects of biodiversity. Depth and substrate were among the most important predictors. Models incorporating water clarity were used to predict increasing cover of the brown alga bladderwrack Fucus vesiculosus and increasing reproduction area of perch Perca fluviatilis, but decreasing reproduction areas for pikeperch Sander lucioperca following successful implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Despite variability in estimated non-market benefits among countries, such changes were highly valued by citizens in the three Baltic countries investigated. We conclude that predictive models are powerful and useful tools for science-based management of the Baltic Sea.     

Effect of topography on sulfate redistribution in cumulonimbus cloud development

An aqueous chemical module is created and included into a complex three-dimensional atmospheric cloud-resolving mesoscale model. In the chemical module, oxidation of S(IV) by ozone and hydrogen peroxide in cloud-water and rainwater, as important process of the sulfate production is included. To examine the impact of topography on the sulfate redistribution in a clean and a polluted environment, the complex topography of Serbia is included in the model. Numerical simulations of an isolated summer Cumulonimbus cloud shows that thunderstorms generate very strong vertical sulfate redistribution from the planetary boundary layer to the upper troposphere. This redistribution is sensitive to cloud dynamics, while cloud microphysics and precipitation determine wet removal of the chemical species. In simulations with realistic topography, the chemical species are transported over larger distances close to the surface, while in the upper atmosphere, there is no difference compared to the simulations without topography. The sensitivity tests of cloud chemistry to the physical processes are made. Omission of nucleation and impact scavenging of aerosols in the model simulations shows that 75.8 and 62.5 % of total sulfur mass deposited in the base experiment for the clean and the polluted environment, respectively, is the result of other processes. Exclusion of oxidation accounted for 19.2 and 37.7 % of total sulfur deposited for clean and polluted environment. Ignoring the ice phase almost not change mass of deposited sulfur: there is an increase of 2.9 and 1.5 % for clean and polluted atmosphere, respectively. Real topography conditions affect the sulfate redistribution in the sense of greater possibilities of transport. Numerical simulations without real topography give an artificial increase of deposited sulfur mass of about 25?30 %.     

Monitoring of DNA damage in haemocytes of freshwater mussel Sinanodonta woodiana sampled from the Velika Morava River in Serbia with the comet assay

This study was undertaken to investigate the potential of the freshwater mussel Sinanodonta woodiana for detection of genotoxic pollution of the environment. Study was performed at two sites in the Velika Morava River, from May 2010 to February 2011. The alkaline comet assay on haemocytes was used, and the olive tail moment (OTM) was chosen as a measure of DNA damage. The specimens held on acclimation under controlled laboratory conditions for 10 d were used as a control. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of phosphates and increased concentrations of zinc, copper and nickel at both sites during the entire sampling period. The values of OTM in mussels collected from the environment, significantly correlated with the concentration of zinc (r = 0.6248), temperature (r = 0.7006) and dissolved oxygen (r = 0.7738). Seasonal variations in genotoxic response were observed, with the highest OTM values obtained during summer months. Preliminary results of the in vitro study indicated the effect of water temperature on genotoxic response to zinc and cadmium in S. woodiana suggesting that the presence of genotoxic pollutants during months with lower temperature could be under-estimated. Obtained results indicate that S. woodiana could be a valuable tool for active biomonitoring of aquatic environments and emphasizes the importance of seasonal genotoxic monitoring with this organism.     

Organotin Compounds and Selected Metals in the Marine Environment of Northern Adriatic Sea

The extent of pollution with organotin compounds and Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn, V, Co and Al was investigated in sediments and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the Slovenian costal area of the Northern Adriatic Sea. Sampling was performed in Marina Portorož, Dockyard Izola, non exposed area of the Bay of Mesečev zaliv and in Mariculture Sečovlje. Mussels were taken in the summer and winter time, while sediments were collected during the winter sampling. Organotin compounds were determined by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry and metals by flame or electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The accuracies of the analytical procedures were checked by the analysis of standard reference materials CRM 477 mussel tissue and PACS 2 marine sediment (organotin compounds) and SRM 2976 mussel tissue and CRM 320 river sediment (metals). Good agreements between certified and determined values were obtained. Normalization procedure to Al was applied to estimate the anthropogenic inputs of metals in sediments. The analyses of sediments demonstrated moderate pollution with organotin compounds in Marina Portorož and in Dockyard Izola. Concentrations of tributyltin species were higher than those of dibutyltin and monobutyltin. In mussels substantial contamination with tributyltin was observed in Marina Porotrož and Dockyard Izola. The extent of pollution was higher in the winter time. The analysis of metals in sediments exhibited elevated concentrations in Marina Portorož and Dockyard Izola. Data from the normalization procedure indicated the anthropogenic inputs of Cu, Zn and Cr in Marina Portorož and Mn in Bay of Mesečev zaliv and Dockyard Izola. Mussels, as accumulators of pollutants, in general contained higher metal concentrations during winter time in Dockyard Izola.     

The impact of disturbance and ensuing forestry practices on Collembola in monitored stands of windthrown forest in the Tatra National Park (Slovakia)

Soil Collembola communities were investigated in spruce forest stands of the High Tatra Mts that had been heavily damaged by a windstorm in November 2004 and subsequently by a wildfire in July 2005. The study focused on the impact of these disturbances and forestry practices on collembolan community distribution and structure 4 years after the disturbance. Four different treatments were selected for this study: intact forest stands (REF), non-extracted windthrown stands (NEX), clear-cut windthrown stands (EXT) and burnt windthrown stands (FIR). From a total of 7,820 individuals, 72 species were identified. The highest total abundance mean was recorded in FIR stands followed by NEX and EXT stands and, surprisingly, the lowest in REF stands. The highest total species richness was observed in REF stands, followed by NEX stands and FIR stands and the lowest in EXT stands. In REF and NEX stands, the most abundant species were Folsomia penicula and Tetracanthella fjellbergi, while in heavily damaged stands, the most abundant was Anurophorus laricis. The ordination method used demonstrated a significant influence of treatment on the abundance of Collembola. ANOVA used confirmed significant differences for all dominant species between treatments. The present study shows the negative impact of windthrow on Collembola communities as reflected in decreased species richness and abundance. However, disturbance by fire caused a considerable increase in collembolan abundance 3 years after the event. Moreover, we show that clearing of windthrown spruce forests after a windstorm is less favourable for communities of soil collembolans and slows down the recovery process.