Physiological testing of Mytilus galloprovincialis for the environmental assessing of coastal marine areas: a case study in Boka Kotorska Bay (the Adriatic Sea)

The aim of this work was to validate in the field certain measurement of the heart rate alterations of the bioindicator organism Mytilus galloprovicialis as a tool for ecotoxicological biomonitoring and assessment applications related to coastal and marine environment. The latter was determined by testing the mussels according to the method of functional loading (1-hour lowered salinity stress-exposure). The time of heart rate (HR) recovery (T_rec) and the coefficient of HR variation (CV_HR) in a group of tested animals were used as biomarkers for the assessment of their physiological state. It was found that the values of the biomarkers in mussels from our reference location were 1.3-1.5 times lower than in mussels from differently polluted coastal areas of the Bay. The study also included an investigation of the relationship between the mussel’s cardiac rhythm characteristics and the bioaccumulation of trace elements in their soft tissues, caused by chronic pollution. The conclusion was drawn that this approach to the physiological testing of mussels could be useful in developing a rapid and low-cost method for the assessment of the health of coastal ecosystems.     

Cross-cultural and cross-ecotype production of a killer whale ‘excitement’ call suggests universality

Facial and vocal expressions of emotion have been found in a number of social mammal species and are thought to have evolved to aid social communication. There has been much debate about whether such signals are culturally inherited or are truly biologically innate. Evidence for the innateness of such signals can come from cross-cultural studies. Previous studies have identified a vocalisation (the V4 or ‘excitement’ call) associated with high arousal behaviours in a population of killer whales in British Columbia, Canada. In this study, we compared recordings from three different socially and reproductively isolated ecotypes of killer whales, including five vocal clans of one ecotype, each clan having discrete culturally transmitted vocal traditions. The V4 call was found in recordings of each ecotype and each vocal clan. Nine independent observers reproduced our classification of the V4 call from each population with high inter-observer agreement. Our results suggest the V4 call may be universal in Pacific killer whale populations and that transmission of this call is independent of cultural tradition or ecotype. We argue that such universality is more consistent with an innate vocalisation than one acquired through social learning and may be linked to its apparent function of motivational expression.     

Measurement of copepod predation on nauplii using qPCR of the cytochrome oxidase I gene

A method to directly measure predation rates by older stage copepods upon copepod nauplii using species-specific primers for the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit one gene (mtCOI) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was developed. The general approach is to determine the mtCOI gene copy number of an individual prey organism and the copy number of the same gene in the stomachs of predatory copepods collected in the field. From the knowledge of DNA disappearance rates in the stomachs, ingestion rates can be calculated. In October 2006, laboratory experiments were carried out with Acartia tonsa N1 and N2 as prey and adult female Centropages typicus as predator. The copepods were collected in Narragansett Bay, USA. A. tonsa mtCOI copy numbers copepod⁻¹ were determined for stages N1–C1 and for adults. A. tonsa DNA was detectable in the guts of the predators for as long as 3 h. Exponential rates of decline in prey DNA from the stomachs of the predators are similar to those measured for gut pigments. Because of the very small amount of DNA in an individual N1 or N2 nauplius, procedures were developed to maximize the quantitative extraction and recovery of DNA and to increase the sensitivity of the method. Two quite divergent haplotypes of A. tonsa were found in Narragansett Bay, which required separate qPCR primers; one was present in summer (July) and the other in fall and winter (October and February). With modification, the methods in this study can likely be applied to a range of predator–prey systems.     

Ecological condition of natural forests located within the territory of a large industrial center,Eastern Siberia,Russia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Forest surveys were conducted in 2015–2018 on 12 sample plots (SPs), located in different districts of the city of Bratsk, a large industrial...     

The potential of biomonitoring of air quality using leaf characteristics of white willow (Salix alba L.)

In this study, we assess the potential of white willow (Salix alba L.) as bioindicator for monitoring of air quality. Therefore, shoot biomass, specific leaf area, stomatal density, stomatal pore surface, and stomatal resistance were assessed from leaves of stem cuttings. The stem cuttings were introduced in two regions in Belgium with a relatively high and a relatively low level of air pollution, i.e., Antwerp city and Zoersel, respectively. In each of these regions, nine sampling points were selected. At each sampling point, three stem cuttings of white willow were planted in potting soil. Shoot biomass and specific leaf area were not significantly different between Antwerp city and Zoersel. Microclimatic differences between the sampling points may have been more important to plant growth than differences in air quality. However, stomatal pore surface and stomatal resistance of white willow were significantly different between Zoersel and Antwerp city. Stomatal pore surface was 20% lower in Antwerp city due to a significant reduction in both stomatal length (?11%) and stomatal width (?14%). Stomatal resistance at the adaxial leaf surface was 17% higher in Antwerp city because of the reduction in stomatal pore surface. Based on these results, we conclude that stomatal characteristics of white willow are potentially useful indicators for air quality.     

Organochlorine concentrations in franciscana dolphins, Pontoporia blainvillei, from Brazilian waters

Blubber samples were collected from ten franciscana dolphins either incidentally captured in fishing operations or stranded on São Paulo (SP) and Paraná (PR) states littoral, Southeastern and Southern Brazilian coast, respectively. Determination of PCB, DDT and HCB concentrations were performed by capillary gas chromatograph coupled to electron capture detector (ECD). ΣDDT, ΣPCB and HCB concentrations ranged from 264 ng g⁻¹ to 5811 ng g⁻¹ lipid, from 909 ng g⁻¹ to 5849 ng g⁻¹ lipid and from 10 ng g⁻¹ to 61 ng g⁻¹ lipid, respectively. Regarding DDTs, the distribution of the mean percentages decreased in the following order: p,p′-DDE > p,p′-DDD > p,p′-DDT. The ΣDDT/ΣPCB ratio varied between 0.27 and 0.42 in Northern and Central SP coast, while in Southern SP and PR coast the values were 1.6 and 1.9, respectively. Dissimilarities in ΣDDT/ΣPCB ratios point to different sources of organochlorine compounds to franciscana dolphins in the study area. Considering the endocrine disruptive action of organochlorine compounds, the concentrations found in franciscana dolphins from Brazilian waters may represent an additional obstacle to the conservation of this endangered cetacean species.     

Simulation of the influence of industrial wastewater on a municipal sewage treatment plant—a case study

Purpose  

Industrial wastewater flow caused operational difficulties in the wastewater treatment plant in Debrecen, Hungary. Bioaugmentation was successfully applied to maintain effluent quality in the periods when wastewater of high starch content was accepted, but, at the end of 2008, the nitrification capacity of the plant decreased considerably due to improperly pre-treated pharmaceutical wastewater.     

Characterization of the olfactory impact around a wastewater treatment plant: Optimization and validation of a hydrogen sulfide determination procedure based on passive diffusion sampling

A monitoring program based on an indirect method was conducted to assess the approximation of the olfactory impact in several wastewater treatment plants (in the present work, only one is shown). The method uses H₂S passive sampling using Palmes-type diffusion tubes impregnated with silver nitrate and fluorometric analysis employing fluorescein mercuric acetate. The analytical procedure was validated in the exposure chamber. Exposure periods of at least 4 days are recommended. The quantification limit of the procedure is 0.61 ppb for a 5-day sampling, which allows the H₂S immission (ground concentration) level to be measured within its low odor threshold, from 0.5 to 300 ppb. Experimental results suggest an exposure time greater than 4 days, while recovery efficiency of the procedure, 93.0 ± 1.8%, seems not to depend on the amount of H₂S collected by the samplers within their application range. The repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, is lower than 7%, which is within the limits normally accepted for this type of sampler. Statistical comparison showed that this procedure and the reference method provide analogous accuracy. The proposed procedure was applied in two experimental campaigns, one intensive and the other extensive, and concentrations within the H₂S low odor threshold were quantified at each sampling point. From these results, it can be concluded that the procedure shows good potential for monitoring the olfactory impact around facilities where H₂S emissions are dominant.

Implications: Passive samplers are very attractive tools to experimentally tackle a number of air pollution problems, especially those related to odor impact. Their small size and cost permit a denser sampling design and thus a more detailed spatial characterization than other techniques. On the other hand, the large inherent variability in passive sampler measures requires an uncertainty analysis of the chemical species and analytical procedures used.     

The impact of synthetic pyrethroid and organophosphate sheep dip formulations on microbial activity in soil

Sheep dip formulations containing organophosphates (OPs) or synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) have been widely used in UK, and their spreading onto land has been identified as the most practical disposal method. In this study, the impact of two sheep dip formulations on the microbial activity of a soil was investigated over a 35-d incubation. Microbial utilisation of [1-(14)C] glucose, uptake of (14)C-activity into the microbial biomass and microbial numbers (CFUs g(-1) soil) were investigated. In control soils and soils amended with 0.01% sheep dip, after 7d a larger proportion of added glucose was allocated to microbial biomass rather than respired to CO(2). No clear temporal trends were found in soils amended with 0.1% and 1% sheep dips. Both sheep dip formulations at 0.1% and 1% concentrations resulted in a significant increase in CFUs g(-1) soil and [1-(14)C] glucose mineralisation rates, as well as a decline in microbial uptake of [1-(14)C] glucose, compared to control and 0.01% SP- or OP-amended soils. This study suggests that the growth, activity, physiological status and/or structure of soil microbial community may be affected by sheep dips.