Little Egrets (Egretta Garzetta) and Trace-Metal Contamination in Wetlands of China

The rapidly developing Asian countries may face threatening environmental contamination, that however remains largely unassessed. We studied persistent trace elements in three wetlands, Poyang Lake, relatively unpolluted, and Tai Lake, and Pearl River Delta, selected as hotspots of pollution in Central China. We adopted as indicator the Little Egret, a widespread colonial waterbird, and during 1999 and 2000 we collected and analysed the same samples as for a parallel study we conducted in Pakistan, e.g. eggs, body feathers of chicks, prey spontaneously regurgitated by the chicks, and sediments at the areas most used by foraging egrets. The levels of trace-metals at our three study areas were similar, or within the range, of those found in the few other studies for East Asia, with few exceptions. The concentrations of the various elements were below the threshold that may affect the survival or reproduction of the birds, and even the highest concentrations relative to background, i.e. Se in eggs, and Hg in feathers at Pearl Delta, do not pose toxic hazards. In sediments, the levels of trace elements were lower than the critical levels assumed for contaminated soil, except for alarming high levels of As at Poyang. These results do not confirm our expectation, that Poyang was relatively uncontaminated, while Tai and Pearl were polluted. Although trace metal concentration differed significantly among the three study areas, these differences were minor and were not consistent among elements and samples. The bioaccumulation ratios from sediments through prey, feather and egg, were consistent with our previous findings for Pakistan. Only Hg exhibited high bioaccumulation, while Se and Zn had low accumulation, and the other elements no accumulation. This reasserts that feathers of predators such as egrets, may be more sensitive indicators of environmental contamination for the elements subject to bioaccumulation, whereas the sediments or the organisms low in the food chain are better indicators for the other elements.     

The use of bioaccumulation, biomarkers and histopathology diseases in shape Procambarus clarkii to establish bioavailability of Cd and Zn after a mining spill

Individuals of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (males and females) were exposed simultaneously to cadmium and zinc during 21 days. Exposure concentrations were those determined at the Guadiamar river after the Aznalcóllar mining spill (SW, Spain): 10 and 30 μg L⁻¹ of cadmium and 1000 and 3000 μg L⁻¹ of zinc. Three biomarkers (MT: metallothioneins like proteins, VTG: vitellogenin/vitellin like proteins and histopathology) together with heavy metal bioaccumulation were determined in soft tissues of male and female P. clarkii. At the concentrations tested, increasing cadmium exposure resulted in increasing cadmium bioaccumulation and increasing subletal effects (induction of MT, VTG and histopathological damage in tissues). Nevertheless, although increasing zinc exposure showed increasing VTG induction and histopathological damages, not a positive relationship was determined with MT induction. Concerning to responses determined in male and female crayfishes only differences were found between sexes at the highest cadmium exposure concentration related to bioaccumulation in hepatopancreas tissues. Biomarkers responses to heavy metal contamination in this crayfish, even VTG induction not before tested in heavy metal contamination assessment in crustaceans resulted potential tools for the monitoring of heavy metal environmental contamination.     

A Characterization of Selected Endocrine Disruptor Compounds in a Portuguese Wastewater Treatment Plant

Anthropogenic compounds that are able to disrupt the endocrine system of wildlife species are a major cause for concern and have led to a demand for new screening methods. The identification and quantification of endocrine disruptor compounds at wastewater treatment plant is of major interest to assess the endocrine activity of wastewater treatment plant discharges into the environment. This study consists of a preliminary survey of concentrations of previously selected endocrine disruptor compounds, undertaken to establish environmental concentrations and to support a biological program assay exposing freshwater fish to them. Selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (APEs, bisphenol A and 17 β-estradiol) were measured in samples from a wastewater treatment plant located in Lisbon (Portugal), using recent commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and also LC-MS/MS. The results show that the wastewater treatment plant treatment process is efficient on the removal of target endocrine disruptor compounds. However, environmentally significant concentrations are still present in the treated effluent. The results also show that enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit is suitable for routine analysis of the selected compounds. The results are also useful since the wastewater treatment plant is located in a Mediterranean region, which results in an effluent with its own characteristics.     

SAOZ measurements of NO2 at Aberystwyth

We present in this paper fifteen years' measurements, from March 1991 to September 2005, of stratospheric NO2 vertical columns measured by a SAOZ zenith-sky visible spectrometer. The instrument spent most of its time at Aberystwyth, Wales, with occasional excursions to other locations. The data have been analysed with the WinDOAS analysis program with low-temperature high-resolution NO2 cross-sections and fitting a slit function to each spectrum. Because of a change in detector in May 1998 there is some uncertainty about the relative changes before and after this date, which are partially constrained by the results of an intercomparison exercise. However, the effect of the Mt Pinatubo aerosol cloud is very evident in the data from 1991-94, with a decrease of 10% in NO2 in the summer of 1992 (the SAOZ was located in Lerwick, Scotland during the winter of 1991-92 and observed very low NO2 values but these cannot be directly compared to the Aberystwyth data). To focus more on interannual and long-term variations in NO2, a seasonal variation comprising an annual and semi-annual component was fitted to the morning and evening twilight separately from 1995 to the present. This fit yielded average NO2 columns of 4.08 x 10(15) cm(-2) and 2.68 x 10(15) cm(-2) for the evening and morning twilight, respectively, with a corresponding annual amplitude of +/-2.08 x 10(15) cm(-2) and +/-1.50 x 10(15) cm(-2). Departures from the fitted curve show a trend of 6% per decade, consistent with that reported elsewhere, for the period 1998-2003, but in the past two years a distinct interannual variation of amplitude of approximately 8% has emerged.     

Ecosystem Responses to Extreme Natural Events: Impacts of Three Sequential Hurricanes in Fall 1999 on Sediment Quality and Condition of Benthic Fauna in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina

A study was conducted in November 1999 to assess sediment quality and condition of benthic fauna in the Neuse River Estuary (NRE), North Carolina, USA, following the passage of three Atlantic hurricanes during the two months prior. Samples for analysis of macroinfauna (>0.5 mm sieve size), chemical contamination of sediments, and other abiotic environmental variables (salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, depth, sediment granulometry) were collected at 20 sites from the mouth of the Neuse River at Pamlico Sound to approximately 90 km upstream. Results were compared to those obtained from the same area in July 1998 using similar protocols. Depressed salinity, caused by extreme rainfall and associated high freshwater flow, persisted throughout much of the estuary, which had experienced periods of water-column stratification and hypoxia of underlying waters. Fifteen of the 20 sites, representing 299 km² (76% of the survey area), also showed signs of benthic stress based on a multi-metric benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI). Benthic impacts included reductions in the abundance, diversity, and numbers of species and shifts in taxonomic composition, with a notable increase in dominance of the opportunistic polychaete Mediomastus ambiseta as other former dominant species declined. There was no significant increase in the extent of chemical contamination compared to pre-hurricane conditions. Storm-related reductions in dissoved oxygen and salinity were the more likely causes of the observed benthic impacts, though it was not possible, based on these results, to separate storm effects from seasonal changes in the benthos and annual episodes of summer anoxia and hypoxia.     

A Screening Test for the Determination of Ethylene Sensitivity

Ethephon, which releases ethylene within plant tissues after application, was chosen to perform assessments of the relative sensitivity of crops to ethylene and to determine which stages of plant development were most sensitive. The species chosen were: barley, wheat, oats, canola and field pea, all of which are important crops in the province of Alberta, Canada. Plants were treated with ethephon at one of 7 different stages. Plants were assessed for their vegetative and reproductive growth, including height, biomass, yield and seed quality. Visual symptoms were photographed and documented to compare them with symptoms caused by ethylene applied as a gas. It was concluded that in barley, wheat and canola the late vegetative and early reproductive stages were most sensitive, at least when sensitivity was defined as reductions in yield and quality. As for field pea, ethephon had no effect on yield but did cause increased numbers of pods, which in certain conditions could lead to increased yields. Significant effects on vegetative growth were only observed in the early vegetative stages of development but with no effects on yield. The screening protocol successfully identified sensitive cultivars and growth stages for further investigation of the effects of ethylene exposure.     

Biomonitoring in the Boulder River Watershed, Montana, USA: Metal Concentrations in Biofilm and Macroinvertebrates, and Relations with Macroinvertebrate Assemblage

Portions of the Boulder River watershed contain elevated concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in water, sediment, and biota. We measured concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in biofilm and macroinvertebrates, and assessed macroinvertebrate assemblage and aquatic habitat with the objective of monitoring planned remediation efforts. Concentrations of metals were generally higher in downstream sites compared with upstream or reference sites, and two sites contained metal concentrations in macroinvertebrates greater than values reported to reduce health and survival of resident trout. Macroinvertebrate assemblage was correlated with metal concentrations in biofilm and macroinvertebrates. However, macroinvertebrate metrics were significantly correlated with a greater number of biofilm metals (8) than metals in invertebrates (4). Lead concentrations in biofilm appeared to have the most significant impact on macroinvertebrate assemblage. Metal concentrations in macroinvertebrates were directly proportional to concentrations in biofilm, indicating biofilm as a potential surrogate for monitoring metal impacts in aquatic systems.     

A two-stage cyclone using microcentrifuge tubes for personal bioaerosol sampling

Personal aerosol samplers are widely used to monitor human exposure to airborne materials. For bioaerosols, interest is growing in analyzing samples using molecular and immunological techniques. This paper presents a personal sampler that uses a two-stage cyclone to collect bioaerosols into disposable 1.5 ml Eppendorf-type microcentrifuge tubes. Samples can be processed in the tubes for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or immunoassays, and the use of multiple stages fractionates aerosol particles by aerodynamic diameter. The sampler was tested using fluorescent microspheres and aerosolized fungal spores. The sampler had first and second stage cut-off diameters of 2.6 microm and 1.6 microm at 2 l min(-1)(geometric standard deviation, GSD = 1.45 and 1.75), and 1.8 microm and 1 microm at 3.5 l min(-1)(GSD = 1.42 and 1.55). The sampler aspiration efficiency was >or=98% at both flow rates for particles with aerodynamic diameters of 3.1 microm or less. For 6.2 microm particles, the aspiration efficiency was 89% at 2 l min(-1) and 96% at 3.5 l min(-1). At 3.5 l min(-1), the sampler collected 92% of aerosolized Aspergillus versicolor and Penicillium chrysogenum spores inside the two microcentrifuge tubes, with less than 0.4% of the spores collecting on the back-up filter. The design and techniques given here are suitable for personal bioaerosol sampling, and could also be adapted to design larger aerosol samplers for longer-term atmospheric and indoor air quality sampling.     

不同煤矿噪声暴露时间对视觉认知影响研究

噪声是煤矿井下主要危害,对人体视觉系统的影响不容忽视。为了提高暴露在噪声环境中工人的视觉认知能力,进而减少人因事故的发生,针对视觉认知随噪声暴露时间的变化进行研究,利用Eye Link II眼动仪采集被试者的平均注视时间、平均眼跳幅度和眼跳次数3个眼动指标来衡量视觉认知能力随着综采工作面噪声暴露时间的变化。结果表明:1)噪声能够使视觉注意力下降,对视觉认知效率的影响不显著,对视觉辨识能力的影响较复杂;2)噪声在0~10 min和40~55 min时间段对视觉注意力影响较严重,在0~15 min和50~80 min时间段对视觉辨识能力影响较严重;3)被试者随时间变化出现视觉性疲劳后,噪声可轻微提高视觉认知效率和视觉辨识能力。