Imazethapyr persistence in sandy loam detected using white mustard bioassay

Field experiments were conducted during two years at Srem region to investigate the influence of meteorological conditions, time and rate of application on soil persistence of imazethapyr in sandy loam type of soil. Imazethapyr was applied PRE- and POST-EM and in both cases in three application rates: 80, 120 and 160 g a.i./ha. Soil samples were collected from the day of herbicide application in predetermined intervals up to one year after application and residual concentrations were determined with a white mustard root bioassay. Imazetapyr persistence was significantly influenced by meteorological conditions with average half-life being 6 days longer in season with lower precipitation level. Time of application induced slower imazethapyr dissipation resulting in higher average t_1/2 (seven and nine days in first and second year of examination, respectively). Application rates had no consistent effect on imazethapyr persistence. Imazethapyr residue level one year after application caused no visible injuries on white mustard shoots, while root growth reduction ranged from 4.6 to 27.7%. Obtained residue levels were further compared with known data on crop sensitivity in order to assess possibility of crop injuries one year after imazethapyr application.     

Qualitative structure residue relationship analysis in the determination of the maximum residue limit of veterinary drugs

Aim of the present study was an attempt to find a correlation between physicochemical structure of veterinary drugs and the maximum residue limit (MRL) for muscle tissue of food producing animals. Direct correlation and analysis in quintile groups for 52 physicochemical parameters were performed. An internal validation using leave-one-out cross-validation was performed. In the quintile groups, there were 11 arithmetic expressions created for the limited group of individual parameters (13 from 52 analyzed), which showed a significant linear or quadratic correlation between the number of quintile group and the mean value of MRL within the quintile. The results obtained suggest that there is no direct correlation between individual physicochemical parameters and MRL value in muscle tissue; however, such correlation can be determined for arithmetic expressions created on the basis of several physicochemical parameters, using quintile group analysis.     

不同pH下水葫芦与紫根水葫芦生长特性与净化效能对比研究

为了探讨不同pH条件下水葫芦与紫根水葫芦生长特性与净化效能的差异,以滇池草海原水为实验用水,利用HCl和NaOH稀溶液调节水体pH,设置3个pH处理,分别是8．00、9．50和11．00,开展了为期30d（重复3个周期）的静态模拟实验,结果表明,在实验条件下,pH过高会对水葫芦和紫根水葫芦的生长发育产生抑制作用,紫根水葫芦受到的抑制效果更为明显;水葫芦和紫根水葫芦的生长也会使水体pH降低至接近中性,水葫芦调节水体pH的能力更强;pH为8．00、9．50时,水葫芦和紫根水葫芦对水体氮磷污染物具有净化作用,水葫芦的净化能力更强;pH为11．00时,水葫芦和紫根水葫芦处理的水体氮磷浓度均表现起伏,表示在高碱度条件下,两者的净化能力减弱。     

Mercury Concentrations in Lentic Fish Populations Related to Ecosystem and Watershed Characteristics

Predicting mercury (Hg) concentrations of fishes at large spatial scales is a fundamental environmental challenge with the potential to improve human health. In this study, mercury concentrations were examined for five species across 161 lakes and ecosystem, and watershed parameters were investigated as explanatory variables in statistical models. For all species, Hg concentrations were significantly, positively related to wetland coverage. For three species (largemouth bass, pike, and walleye), Hg concentrations were significantly, negatively related to lake trophic state index (TSI), suggestive of growth biodilution. There were no significant relationships between ecosystem size and mercury concentrations. However, Hg concentrations were strongly, positively related to ecosystem size across species. Scores of small or remote lakes that have never been tested could be prioritized for testing using models akin to those presented in this article. Such an approach could also be useful for exploring how Hg concentrations of fishes might respond to natural or anthropogenic changes to ecosystems over time.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地四种植物根系分形特征分析

采用全根挖掘法,运用分形理论对塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地阿克苏牛皮消、河西菊(Hexinia polydichotoma(Ostenf.)H.L.Yang)、白麻(Apocynum venetum L.)、沙拐枣(Cynanchum amplexicaule Hemsl)四种多年生野生植物根系的分支状况、分形特征与拓扑特征之间的关系进行了研究。研究发现:⑴四种植物根系分形特征较明显,分形维数大小与拓扑参数连接总数、外部连接数之间具有显著的相关关系;⑵根丰度与根系长度、平均连接长度之间具有显著的指数关系,分别可用以下方程表示:y1=2.7694e1.5496x,y2=0.036 9e2.026 7x(其中y1、y2分别为总根长、平均连接长度,R2分别为0.935 3、0.983 2)。因此,通过分形和拓扑理论对比分析了沙漠腹地4种野生植物根系的空间分形特征、资源占有能力与吸收率,有利于为沙漠腹的植物根系研究提供相关参数和一定的理论依据。     

Residues of chlorpyrifos‐methyl in balsam fir foliage,forest litter,soil, stream water,sediment and fish tissue after double aerial applications of Reldan®

Abstract

Chlorpyrifos‐methyl was applied twice at 70 g A.I./ha by means of a fixed‐wing aircraft to a mixed coniferous forest near Allardville, New Brunswick. Residue in balsam fir foliage was highest (1 ppm wet wt) 1 hr after spraying and rapidly declined to about 30% within 1 day, but persisted at a very low level (0.03 ppm wet wt) for 125 days. Current year's foliage contained a higher level of residue than old foliage. Chlorpyrifos‐methyl persisted longer in forest litter than in soil. After 125 days, trace amounts (< 6 ppb wet wt) were still found in litter but were not detected in soil. In stream water the residue dissipated very rapidly; more than 90% disappeared 3 hours after the second application and were not detected after 4 days. Low‐level residue (< 0.1 ppm wet wt) was present in the sediment and persisted for 10 days. Although brook trout and slimy sculpin captured in the stream within 3 days of the second application contained residues (< 0.05 ppm fresh wt) none were detected in any fish captured, 9 and 47 days later.     

Accumulation of Endosulfan in Wild Rat, Rattus norvegious as a Result of Application to Soya Bean in Mazoe (Zimbabwe)

An assessment of levels of endosulfan and endosulfan sulphate in rats collected from a plot sprayed with endosulfan was carried out for a period of four months. The analysis was carried out in the livers, muscles and fatty tissues of the rats using Gas Chromatography. Samples were ground with sodium sulphate and aluminium oxide and the analyte soxhlet extracted with hexane. The extract was then cleaned by florisil column chromatography. Levels of endosulfan in rats were found to range in livers from 0.356 to 5.807 ppb, in muscles from 0.089 to 5.167 ppb and in fatty tissues from 0.083 to 4.785 ppb. Levels of endosulfan sulphate correlated well with those of endosulfan and ranged in livers from 0.00 to 3.96 ppb, in muscles from 0.00 to 3.37 ppb and in fatty tissue from 0.00 to 2.93 ppb. In the control rats samples, collected from an unsprayed area in the city of Harare (University of Zimbabwe), no endosulfan could be detected.     

EDTA-enhanced phytoremediation of lead contaminated soil by Bidens maximowicziana

Phytoremediation is a potential cleanup technology for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils.Bidens maximowicziana is a new Pb hyperaccumulator,which not only has remarkable tolerance to Pb but also extraordinary accumulation capacity for Pb.The maximum Pb concentration was 1509.3 mg/kg in roots and 2164.7 mg/kg in overground tissues.The Pb distribution order in the B. maximowicziana was:leaf>stem>root.The effect of amendments on phytoremediation was also studied.The mobility of soil Pb and the Pb concentrations in plants were both increased by EDTA application.Compared with CK(control check),EDTA application promoted translocation of Pb to overground parts of the plant.The Pb concentrations in overground parts of plants was increased from 24.23-680.56 mg/kg to 29.07-1905.57 mg/kg.This research demonstrated that B.maximowicziana appeared to be suitable for phytoremediation of Pb contaminated soil,especially,combination with EDTA.     

Distribution and ecological effect of mercury in Laogang landfill, Shanghai, China

Laogang landfill near Shanghai is the largest landfill in China, and receives about 10000 t of daily garbage per day, Samples of topsoil and plants were analyzed to evaluate mercury pollution from the landfill. For topsoil samples, there were significant correlations among total mercury （HgT）, combinative mercury （Hgc） and gaseous mercury （HgG）, and content of total organic carbon （TOC）, but, no significantly relationship was found between Hg content and filling time. Hg content changes in vertical profiles with time showed that the average Hgv of profiles 1992, 1996, and 2000 was similar, but their average HgG was quite different. HgT was significantly correlated with Hgc in profile 1992 and 2000, and Hgv was significantly correlated with Hg6 in profile 1996. HgG/Hgv ratio in profile samples decreased in the order of （HgG,/HgT）1992〉（HgG/HgT）1996〉〉（HgG/HgT）2000. A simple outline of Hg release in landfill could be drawn： with increasing of filling time, degradation undergoes different biodegradation, accordingly, gaseous mercury goes through small, more, and small proportion to total mercury. Distribution of Hg in plants was inhomogeneous, following the order of leaf〉root〉stem. The highest value of leaf may be associated with higher atmospheric Hg from landfill. Ligneous plants （e.g. Phyllostachys glanca, Prunus salicina and Ligustrum lucidum） are capable of enriching more Hg than herbaceous plants.     

15N Metabolic test for the determination of phytotoxic effects of chemicals and contaminated environmental samples

A stable isotope¹⁵N-nitrogen test (ESIMA = Ecotoxicological Stable Isotope Metabolic Assay) was developed to assess biological effects and the potential toxicological hazard of chemicals and contaminated environmental samples on plant metabolism. The assay measures the effect of toxicants on the incorporation of a¹⁵N labelled tracer into the total nitrogen fraction (both the nonprotein and protein fraction) of plants. Segments ofPisum arvense epicotyls are used as test substrates because of their high metabolic activity. The plant material is incubated under standardised conditions for two hours; subsequently¹⁵N incorporation is analysed by determining the¹⁵N abundance (¹⁵N atom-%) in the epicotyl segments. The effects of toxicants are evaluated by comparing the¹⁵N incorporation rates of control tissue and epicotyl segments exposed to individual chemicals or complex environmental samples. The specificity and sensitivity of effects as indicated by ESIMA were compared with effects as measured by two established ecotoxicological bioassays, the pollen tube growth test using pollen ofNicotiana sylvestris and the bacterial luminescence inhibition test using pollen ofPhotobacterium phosphoreum. The results of the study clearly indicate the suitability of ESIMA for assessing toxic impacts on plant nitrogen metabolism. Prof. Dr. habil. Hans Faust dedicated to his 70^th birthday.