The influence of gill and liver metabolism on the predicted bioconcentration of three pharmaceuticals in fish

The potential for xenobiotic compounds to bioconcentrate is typically expressed through the bioconcentration factor (BCF), which has gained increased regulatory significance over the past decade. Due to the expense of in vivo bioconcentration studies and the growing regulatory need to assess bioconcentration potential, BCF is often calculated via single-compartment models, using K(OW) as the primary input. Recent efforts to refine BCF models have focused on physiological factors, including the ability of the organism to eliminate the compound through metabolic transformation. This study looks at the ability of in vitro biotransformation assays using S9 fractions to provide an indication of metabolic potential. Given the importance of the fish gill and liver in metabolic transformation, the metabolic loss of ibuprofen, norethindrone and propranolol was measured using rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) gill and liver S9 fractions. Metabolic transformation rates (k(M)) were calculated and integrated into a refined BCF model. A significant difference was noted between BCF solely based on K(OW) and BCF including k(M). These studies indicate that the inclusion of k(M) in BCF models can bring predicted bioconcentration estimates closer to in vivo values.     

Major and trace elements of selected pedons in the USA

Few studies of soil geochemistry over large geographic areas exist, especially studies encompassing data from major pedogenic horizons that evaluate both native concentrations of elements and anthropogenically contaminated soils. In this study, pedons (n = 486) were analyzed for trace (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and major (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, Si, Ti, Zr) elements, as well as other soil properties. The objectives were to (i) determine the concentration range of selected elements in a variety of U.S. soils with and without known anthropogenic additions, (ii) illustrate the association of elemental source and content by assessing trace elemental content for several selected pedons, and (iii) evaluate relationships among and between elements and other soil properties. Trace element concentrations in the non-anthropogenic dataset (NAD) were in the order Mn > (Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu) > (Pb, Co) > (Cd, Hg), with greatest mean total concentrations for the Andisol order. Geometric means by horizon indicate that trace elements are concentrated in surface and/or B horizons over C horizons. Median values for trace elements are significantly higher in surface horizons of the anthropogenic dataset (AD) over the NAD. Total Al, Fe, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic C, pH, and clay exhibit significant correlations (0.56, 0.74, 0.50, 0.31, 0.16, and 0.30, respectively) with total trace element concentrations of all horizons of the NAD. Manganese shows the best inter-element correlation (0.33) with these associated total concentrations. Total Fe has one of the strongest relationships, explaining 55 and 30% of the variation in total trace element concentrations for all horizons in the NAD and AD, respectively.     

THE VULNERABILITY OF WETLANDS TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A HYDROLOGIC LANDSCAPE PERSPECTIVE1

ABSTRACT: The vulnerability of wetlands to changes in climate depends on their position within hydrologic landscapes. Hydrologic landscapes are defined by the flow characteristics of ground water and surface water and by the interaction of atmospheric water, surface water, and ground water for any given locality or region. Six general hydrologic landscapes are defined; mountainous, plateau and high plain, broad basins of interior drainage, riverine, flat coastal, and hummocky glacial and dune. Assessment of these landscapes indicate that the vulnerability of all wetlands to climate change fall between two extremes: those dependent primarily on precipitation for their water supply are highly vulnerable, and those dependent primarily on discharge from regional ground water flow systems are the least vulnerable, because of the great buffering capacity of large ground water flow systems to climate change.     

Reverse logistics in the Brazilian construction industry

In Brazil most Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D waste) is not recycled. This situation is expected to change significantly, since new federal regulations oblige municipalities to create and implement sustainable C&D waste management plans which assign an important role to recycling activities. The recycling organizational network and its flows and components are fundamental to C&D waste recycling feasibility. Organizational networks, flows and components involve reverse logistics. The aim of this work is to introduce the concepts of reverse logistics and reverse distribution channel networks and to study the Brazilian C&D waste case.     

Influence of ozone stress on growth processes, yields and grain quality characteristics among soybean cultivars

Field studies were conducted at USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, in 1984 and 1985 using open-top chambers to acquire information on the responses of 12 soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) cultivars to O3 stress and to examine the interactions between maturity groups and O3 stress. Cultivars representing Groups III, IV, and V were exposed for approximately 3 months to charcoal-filtered air (CF) and nonfiltered air plus 40 nl litre(-1) O3 (NF + O3). Ozone was added 6 h d(-1), 5 d week(-1) for 13 weeks. The CF effectively reduced the accumulative oxidant exposure (AOX) to less than 1.0 microl litre(-1) h and the NF + O3 treatment approximately doubled the ambient AOX (16.7 microl litre(-1) h) to about 30 microl litre(-1) h. The AOX estimates the total O3 exposure above 30 nl litre(-1) during an entire growing season. Plant growth rates and relative growth rates were reduced by 17.0 and 14.4%, respectively, when averaged over cultivars. Based on growth rates, the Group III cultivars were the most affected by O3 stress. Averaged over cultivars, leaf expansion rates, leaf conductance, and transpiration rates were lower in the NF + O3 treatment compared to the CF control; however, wide variation was found with the stomatal results from field observations. Combined over years and cultivars, grain yield was reduced by an average of 12.5% by O3 stress with 3 of 12 cultivars showing significant reductions. Grain protein content was increased by 0.7% by O3 stress, but cultivar differences were equal to the differences caused by the O3 treatments. Grain oil content was unchanged by the O3 treatments. Group IV cultivars showed the greatest decrease in grain yield due to O3 stress. Multiple regression analyses were calculated using the difference between the CF and NF + O3 treatment as a measure of O3 stress. Significant positive relationships were found among net assimilation rates, plant growth rates, relative growth rates, and leaf expansion rates, which suggest that growth analysis characteristics would be useful in addition to yield in air pollution tolerance improvement studies with soybeans.     

Cadmium contamination in orchard soils and fruit trees and its potential health risk in Guangzhou, China

This study examines cadmium (Cd) contamination in orchard soils and fruit trees in Guangzhou, China, and assesses its potential health risk. Soils and tissues samples of three species of fruit trees were collected from three orchards. The average soil Cd concentration was 1.27, 1.84 and 0.68 mg/kg in orchards I, II, and III, respectively. The carambola (Averrhoa carambola) accumulated exceptionally high concentrations of Cd (7.57, 10.84, 9.01 and 2.15 mg/kg dw in root, twig, leaf and fruit, respectively), being 6.0-24 times and 4.0-10 times the corresponding tissue Cd in the longan (Dimocarpus longan) and wampee (Clausena lansium), respectively. Furthermore, all Cd concentrations (0.04-0.25 mg Cd/kg fw) of the fruits exceeded the tolerance limit of cadmium in foods of PR China (0.03 mg/kg fw). Our results indicate that the carambola tree has high Cd accumulation capacity and might be a Cd accumulator; and its fruit, among the three species of fruits studied, also poses the highest potential health risk to local residents.     

Heavy metal and Pb isotopic compositions of aquatic organisms in the Pearl River Estuary, South China

The accumulation of trace metals in aquatic organisms may lead to serious health problems through the food chain. The present research project aims to study the accumulation and potential sources of trace metals in aquatic organisms of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). Four groups of aquatic organisms, including fish, crab, shrimp, and shellfish, were collected in the PRE for trace metal and Pb isotopic analyses. The trace metal concentrations in the aquatic organism samples ranged from 0.01 to 2.10 mg/kg Cd, 0.02 to 4.33 mg/kg Co, 0.08 to 4.27 mg/kg Cr, 0.15 to 77.8 mg/kg Cu, 0.17 to 31.0 mg/kg Ni, 0.04 to 30.7 mg/kg Pb, and 8.78 to 86.3 mg/kg Zn (wet weight). High concentrations of Cd were found in crab, shrimp and shellfish samples, while high concentration of Pb was found in fish. In comparison with the baseline reference values in other parts of the world, fish in the PRE had the highest elevated trace metals. The results of Pb isotopic compositions indicated that the bioaccumulation of Pb in fish come from a wide variety of food sources and/or exposure pathways, particularly the anthropogenic inputs.     

Uptake of weakly hydrophobic nitroaromatics from water by semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and by goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) filled with triolein, and goldfish (Carassius auratus) were simultaneously exposed to nine weakly hydrophobic nitroaromatics in a laboratory continuous-flow experiment. The results showed that the device concentrated the compounds in most cases to a larger extent than fish and that the overall uptake rate constants (Kmu) and average pollutant sampling rates (R(S)) were similar. We conclude that the SPMDs may be used to determine the levels of weakly hydrophobic nitroaromatics in water. It is obvious, however, that more researches at laboratory in order to establish kinetic database for a wide spectrum of compounds varying in lipophilicity and other properties are needed to elucidate various theoretical and practical aspects of the use of membranes in the environmental research and for related practical applications.     

Intranest relatedness and nestmate recognition in the meadow ant Formica pratensis (R.)

The impact of intranest relatedness on nestmate recognition was tested in a population of polydomous and monodomous nests of the mound-building ant Formica pratensis. Nestmate recognition was evaluated by testing aggression levels between 37 pairs of nests (n=206 tests). Workers from donor colonies were placed on the mounds of recipient nests to score aggressive interactions among workers. A total of 555 workers from 27 nests were genotyped using four DNA microsatellites. The genetic and spatial distances of nests were positively correlated, indicating budding and/or fissioning as spread mechanisms. Monodomous and polydomous nests did not show different aggression levels. Aggression behavior between nests was positively correlated with both spatial distance and intranest relatedness of recipient colonies, but not with genetic distance or intranest relatedness of donor colonies. Multiple regression analysis revealed a stronger effect of spatial distance than of genetics on aggression behavior in this study, indicating that the relative importance of environment and genetics can be variable in F. pratensis. Nevertheless, the positive regression between intranest relatedness of recipient colonies and aggression in the multiple analysis supports earlier results that nestmate recognition is genetically influenced in F. pratensis and further indicates that foreign label rejection most likely explains our data.