Atmospheric pollutants monitoring by analysis of epiphytic lichens

The Canoparmelia texana epiphytic lichenized fungi was used to monitor atmospheric pollution in the S?o Paulo metropolitan region, SP, Brazil. The cluster analysis applied to the element concentration values confirmed the site groups of different levels of pollution due to industrial and vehicular emissions. In the distribution maps of element concentrations, higher concentrations of Ba and Mn were observed in the vicinity of industries and of a petrochemical complex. The highest concentration of Co found in lichens from the S?o Miguel Paulista site is due to the emissions from a metallurgical processing plant that produces this element. For Br and Zn, the highest concentrations could be associated both to vehicular and industrial emissions. Exploratory analyses revealed that the accumulation of toxic elements in C. texana may be of use in evaluating the human risk of cardiopulmonary mortality due to prolonged exposure to ambient levels of air pollution.     

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in human adipose tissue from New York, USA

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic contaminants. Prior to this study, the occurrence of PCNs in human adipose tissues from the USA has not been analyzed. Here, we have measured concentrations of PCNs in human adipose tissue samples collected in New York City during 2003-2005. Concentrations of PCNs were in the range of 61-2500 pg/g lipid wt. in males and 21-910 pg/g lipid wt. in females. PCN congeners 52/60 (1,2,3,5,7/1,2,4,6,7) and 66/67 (1,2,3,4,6,7/1,2,3,5,6,7) were predominant, collectively accounting for 66% of the total PCN concentrations. Concentrations of PCNs in human adipose tissues were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the previously reported concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Concentrations of PCNs were not correlated with PCB concentrations. The contribution of PCNs to dioxin-like toxic equivalents (TEQs) in human adipose tissues was estimated to be <1% of the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofuran (PCDD/F)-TEQs.     

Dioxin-like activity in environmental and human samples from Greenland and Denmark

Dioxins and dioxin-like (DL) compounds are some of the most toxic chemicals being highly persistent in the environment. The toxicological effects of dioxins are mediated via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Compounds of diverse structure and lipophility can bind and activate AhR. The AhR transactivation bioassay is utilized in an array of projects to study the AhR-mediated activities of individual chemicals and mixtures and for epidemiological purposes.This review summarizes a series of studies regarding the DL-activity of single compounds and complex compound mixtures in the environment and humans.We found that some pesticides, plasticizers and phytoestrogens can activate the AhR, and the combined effect of compounds with no or weak AhR potency cannot be ignored.The significant DL-activity in the wastewater effluent indicates the treatment is not sufficient to prevent contamination of surface waters with dioxins. Our results from human studies suggest that the serum DL-activity reflect the complex mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Greenlandic Inuit had lower serum DL-activity level compared to Europeans, probably due to long distance from the dioxin sources and UV degradation of the high potent dioxin and/or the inhibitory effect of the high level of non-DL POPs. Selective bioaccumulation of PCBs in the food chain may contribute to the negative correlation between serum POPs and DL-activity observed in Greenlandic Inuit.Hence the AhR transactivation bioassay provides a cost-effective and integrated screening tool for measurement of the DL-activity in human, environmental and commercial samples.     

Partitioning of Cd and Pb in the blood of European blackbirds (Turdus merula) from a smelter contaminated site and use for biomonitoring

Blood composition is commonly measured to assess exposure to and effects of metals on birds. In most of passerine species, only small volumes of blood may be sampled safely (<500 μL), which limit the measure of several markers of health status and chemical residues. Here, we documented the partitioning of Cd and Pb in the blood of European Blackbirds Turdus merula in order to propose usable relationships between whole blood concentrations (for which toxicological benchmarks exist) and those measured in the erythrocytes. Sixty-two blackbirds were trapped along a pollution gradient (smelter of Metaleurop Nord, Northern France). Blood was sampled and Cd and Pb concentrations were measured both in whole blood and in the erythrocytes only. Birds coming from the most contaminated sites exhibited high residues for both Cd and Pb. We assessed that 73% and 99% of Cd and Pb, respectively, were associated to erythrocytes. Strong linear relationships, that were not influenced by neither the age nor the sex, were established between whole blood residues and those of erythrocytes for Cd and Pb (adj-R² = 0.78 and 0.93, respectively). Present findings are promising to optimize the use of small blood samples in order to investigate several responses relative to wildlife health status.     

Assessing Biological Integrity Using Freshwater Fish and Decapod Habitat Selection Functions

Comparison between the number of taxa observed and the number expected in the absence of human impact is an easily understood and ecologically meaningful measure of biological integrity. This approach has been successfully applied to the assessment of the biological quality of flowing water sites using macroinvertebrates with the river invertebrate and classification system (RIVPACS) and its derivatives. In this paper, we develop a method similar to the RIVPACS predictive model approach to assess biological integrity at flowing-water sites using freshwater fish and decapod assemblages. We extend the RIVPACS approach by avoiding the biotic classification step and model each of the individual species separately. These assemblages were sampled at 118 least impacted (reference) sites in the Auckland region, New Zealand. Individual discriminant models based on the presence or absence of the 12 most common fish and decapod species were developed. Using the models, predictions were made using environmental measures at new sites to yield the probability of the capture of each of the 12 species, and these were combined to predict the assemblage expected at sites. The expected assemblage was compared to that observed using an observed over expected ratio (O/E). The models were evaluated using a number of internal tests including jackknifing, data partitioning, and the degree to which O/E values differed between reference sites and a set of sites perceived to be impaired by human impacts.     

A Comparison Between Two Moss Species Used as Transplants for Airborne Trace Element Biomonitoring in NE Italy

Transplants of the mosses Hypnum cupressiforme and Pseudoscleropodium purum used as active biomonitors of airborne trace elements were compared in a survey carried out at Trieste (NE Italy). Twelve elements were considered: Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Ti, V, Zn. Water-washed materials of H. cupressiforme and P. purum, collected in a remote area to prepare transplants, showed comparable content of all elements, excluding Pb. Transplants of P. purum showed a significantly higher accumulation of Al, Fe, Pb and Ti; higher levels of Cu and V were accumulated in H. cupressiforme. Losses of some elements occurred in some samples of both species; the most consistent losses regarded Cr and Mn. Accumulation data of Al, As, Cd, Hg, Zn found in the two transplanted sets were not correlated. Differences in element uptake in the two mosses are likely to depend mainly on morphology, and probably on the different forms of emission and deposition types of the elements. The two mosses showed an overall accordance in discriminating sites highly and scarcely affected by trace element depositions, although they accumulated some elements, in particular Hg and Zn, in different ways. P. purum proved to be a better accumulator than H. cupressiforme, showing similar or higher accumulation and lower loss of almost all elements, especially those related to particulate, dry depositions; H. cupressiforme could be effective in detecting large-scale patterns, related to wet depositions. These results indicate that these mosses cannot be used interchangeably for monitoring particular elements, and are able to provide complementary information on different, local and long-range deposition patterns.     

Effects of ozone on chlorophyll and quantum yield of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) varieties

Plants of Bel-W3 and of seven commercial tobacco varieties (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were exposed to two relatively low ozone concentrations (90 or 135 ppb) for 20 consecutive days, for 8 h per day. Ozone caused necrotic and chlorotic spots, acceleration of leaf senescence, depression of photosynthetic mechanism, chlorophyll diminution and greater destruction of chl a than of chl b. The higher sensitivity of chl a was also confirmed by exposure of segments of leaves in test tubes to high ozone concentration (>1000 ppb) as well as by bubbling of ozone in extracts of chlorophyll in vitro. The quantum yield (QY) of photosynthesis was positively correlated with the chlorophyll content and negatively correlated with the visible injury and the chl b/a ratio.     

Temporal variation of fluoride concentration in antlers of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) living in an area exposed to emissions from iron and steel industry, 1948-2000

Temporal changes of environmental fluoride concentration in the industrialized area of Siegen, western Germany were assessed by studying the fluoride content of antlers (n=116) collected between 1948 and 2000 from the resident roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population. During the analyzed period, major fluoride emission sources in the study area have been iron- and steelworks. Fluoride concentrations in the antlers ranged between 118 and 5428 mg/kg of bone ash. There was an overall increase in antler fluoride content from the late 1940s/early 1950s to the late 1950s/mid-1960s. Thereafter, antler fluoride levels overall steadily declined. For statistical analysis, the data were grouped into five periods (1948–1959, 1960–1969, 1970–1979, 1980–1989, and 1990–2000). Geometric mean fluoride concentrations of the samples ranged from 323 (period 1990–2000) to 2096 mg/kg of bone ash (period 1960–1969). Sample means for the periods 1980–1989 and 1990–2000, respectively, were always significantly lower than those of older samples. The decrease in antler fluoride concentrations during recent decades suggests a drop of ambient fluoride levels, that is hypothetically attributed to a reduction in the number of emission sources in the area and a decline of fluoride discharges from both local and more distant sources due to improved emission control measures. Comparison with antler fluoride data for other roe deer populations from western Germany further suggests that the roe deer from the Siegen area were recently exposed to an only moderate additional fluoride load from industrial sources. Studying antler fluoride concentrations is a convenient and cost-effective method of monitoring temporal changes in ambient fluoride levels.     

Bivalve mollusks in metal pollution studies: From bioaccumulation to biomonitoring

Contemporary environmental challenges have emphasized the need to critically assess the use of bivalve mollusks in chemical monitoring (identification and quantification of pollutants) and biomonitoring (estimation of environmental quality). Many authors, however, have considered these approaches within a single context, i.e., as a means of chemical (e.g. metal) monitoring. Bivalves are able to accumulate substantial amounts of metals from ambient water, but evidence for the drastic effects of accumulated metals (e.g. as a TBT-induced shell deformation and imposex) on the health of bivalves has not been documented. Metal bioaccumulation is a key tool in biomonitoring; bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of various metals in relation to bivalves are described in some detail including the development of biodynamic metal bioaccumulation model. Measuring metal in the whole-body or the tissue of bivalves themselves does not accurately represent true contamination levels in the environment; these data are critical for our understanding of contaminant trends at sampling sites. Only rarely has metal bioaccumulation been considered in combination with data on metal concentrations in parts of the ecosystem, observation of biomarkers and environmental parameters. Sclerochemistry is in its infancy and cannot be reliably used to provide insights into the pollution history recorded in shells. Alteration processes and mineral crystallization on the inner shell surface are presented here as a perspective tool for environmental studies.     

生物监测在环境监测中的应用

论述动物监测、植物监测、微生物监测在各环境监测中的作用,及它们在环境监测中的优越性和发展状况,提出生物监测存在的一些不足之处。展望生物监测在环境监测中的发展前景。