Carry-over of dietary organochlorine pesticides, PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and brominated flame retardants to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fillets

Information on carry-over of contaminants from feed to animal food products is essential for appropriate human risk assessment of feed contaminants. The carry-over of potentially hazardous persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from feed to fillet was assessed in consumption sized Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Relative carry-over (defined as the fraction of a certain dietary POP retained in the fillet) was assessed in a controlled feeding trial, which provided fillet retention of dietary organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), dioxins (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Highest retention was found for OCPs, BFRs and PCBs (31-58%), and the lowest retentions were observed for PCDD/Fs congeners (10-34%). National monitoring data on commercial fish feed and farmed Atlantic salmon on the Norwegian market were used to provide commercially relevant feed-to-fillet transfer factors (calculated as fillet POP level divided by feed POP level), which ranged from 0.4 to 0.5, which is a factor 5-10 times higher than reported for terrestrial meat products. For the OCP with one of the highest relative carry-over, toxaphene, uptake and elimination kinetics were established. Model simulations that are based on the uptake and elimination kinetics gave predicted levels that were in agreement with the measured values. Application of the model to the current EU upper limit for toxaphene in feed (50 μg kg⁻¹) gave maximum fillet levels of 22 μg kg⁻¹, which exceeds the estimated permissible level (21 μg kg⁻¹) for toxaphene in fish food samples in Norway.     

贵州喀斯特土石山区水土保持生态经济型植被恢复模式

以贵州省喀斯特土石山区为例,通过总结前人的研究成果和中国科学院亚热带农业生态研究所喀斯特生态实验站的部分试验数据,从全局性、紧迫性、高效性、层次性、可持续性、创新性与多样性的角度提出了在贵州喀斯特土石山区的急坡地、陡坡地、缓陡坡地其水土保持生态经济型植被恢复模式分别采用3种典型模式,即:灌草模式,乔灌草模式与林果模式,以期促进该区域的生态、经济与社会的全面协调与可持续发展。     

基于GIS与RUSLE的武陵山区小流域土壤侵蚀评价研究

以长江中下游武陵山区女儿寨小流域为研究区,基于数据观测积累及实地调查采样等方法,计算了研究区降雨侵蚀力、土壤可蚀性等因子,运用GIS与RUSLE评价了流域土壤侵蚀强度并分析了其与土地利用方式、海拔高度的关系。结果表明,流域平均土壤侵蚀强度为78844 t/（km2·a）,属微度侵蚀,流域面积9518%的范围发生轻度以下的侵蚀,强烈以上侵蚀仅占1.19%。从土地利用类型来看,耕地、果园侵蚀强度较大,均达到中度侵蚀,有林地除竹林地为轻度侵蚀外均属微度侵蚀,耕地、果园、竹林地是今后水土流失防治的主要地类。不同海拔高度中,低海拔（200～400 m）区域侵蚀量占到流域侵蚀总量的6442%,是水土流失防治的重点地带。研究为应用修正通用土壤流失方程在武陵山区进行土壤侵蚀评价提供范例,为研究区防治土壤侵蚀和流域管理规划决策提供相应参考     

上海城市样带土壤有机碳空间变异性研究

为揭示城市化、工业化等人为活动对土壤有机碳的影响,选择能反映上海城郊乡梯度差异的城市样带,采用地统计学方法对表层土壤样品土壤有机碳的空间变异结构和分布格局进行了分析。结果表明：城市表层土壤有机碳含量均属中等变异,徐汇区土壤有机碳含量呈正态分布,奉贤区、闵行区和所研究样带土壤有机碳含量呈对数正态分布。半方差函数模型拟合结果显示徐汇和闵行区土壤有机碳符合指数模型,奉贤和所研究样带土壤有机碳符合球状模型。通过泛克里格插值得到城市表层土壤有机碳含量空间分布图,发现徐汇、闵行区土壤有机碳呈岛状,奉贤区呈条带状,而所研究样带呈条带和岛状分布相结合的特点。土壤有机碳含量城郊乡梯度差异明显,工业化、城市化、肥料投入与管理等人为因素对城市土壤有机碳空间分布密切相关     

城乡交错带土地利用方式对土壤理化性质的影响

以长沙市南郊山地丘陵区为研究对象,选择7种不同土地利用方式（次生林地、经济林地、杉木人工林、采伐迹地、撂荒地、苗圃地、坡耕地）研究了城乡交错带不同土地利用方式对土壤理化性质的影响。结果表明：7种土地利用方式下,土壤颗粒组成主要集中在1～0.05 mm和＜0.001 mm两个粒级范围内,土壤质地以重壤土和轻粘土为主。随着人为干扰程度的减弱,土壤砂粒（1.0～0.05 mm）、土壤粉粒（0.05～0.01 mm）百分率逐渐下降,＜0.01 mm的土壤物理性粘粒百分率增加。自然、半自然状态利用方式的林地（次生林地、经济林地、杉木人工林地）土壤总孔隙度、含水量普遍较高,土壤密度低于坡耕地、苗圃地、撂荒地、采伐迹地,而土壤pH值、有机质含量及氮、磷、钾含量普遍高于坡耕地、苗圃地、撂荒地、采伐迹地     

Inside-sediment partitioning of PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds and inferences on sampling and normalization methods

Comparability of sediment analyses for semivolatile organic substances is still low. Neither screening of the sediments nor organic-carbon based normalization is sufficient to obtain comparable results. We are showing the interdependency of grain-size effects with inside-sediment organic-matter distribution for PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds. Surface sediment samples collected by Van-Veen grab were sieved and analyzed for 16 PAH, 6 PCB and 18 organochlorine pesticides (OCP) as well as organic-matter content. Since bulk concentrations are influenced by grain-size effects themselves, we used a novel normalization method based on the sum of concentrations in the separate grain-size fractions of the sediments. By calculating relative normalized concentrations, it was possible to clearly show underlying mechanisms throughout a heterogeneous set of samples. Furthermore, we were able to show that, for comparability, screening at <125 μm is best suited and can be further improved by additional organic-carbon normalization.     

Photochemical processing of aldrin and dieldrin in frozen aqueous solutions under arctic field conditions

Organochlorine (OC) contaminants are transported to the Polar Regions, where they have the potential to bioaccumulate, presenting a threat to the health of wildlife and indigenous communities. They deposit onto snowpack during winter, and accumulate until spring, when they experience prolonged solar irradiation until snowmelt occurs. Photochemical degradation rates for aldrin and dieldrin, in frozen aqueous solution made from MilliQ water, 500 μM hydrogen peroxide solution or locally-collected melted snow were measured in a field campaign near Barrow, AK, during spring-summer 2008. Significant photoprocessing of both pesticides occurs; the reactions depend on temperature, depth within the snowpack and whether the predominant phase is ice or liquid water. The effect of species present in natural snowpack is comparable to 500 μM hydrogen peroxide, pointing to the potential significance of snowpack-mediated reactions. Aldrin samples frozen at near 0 °C were more reactive than comparable liquid samples, implying that the microenvironments experienced on frozen ice surfaces are an important consideration.     

Molecular characterization of conjugative plasmids in pesticide tolerant and multi-resistant bacterial isolates from contaminated alluvial soil

A total of 35 bacteria from contaminated soil (cultivated fields) near pesticide industry from Chinhat, Lucknow, (India) were isolated and tested for their tolerance/resistance to pesticides, heavy metals and antibiotics. Bacterial isolates were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. Gas Chromatography analysis of the soil samples revealed the presence of lindane at a concentration of 547 ng g⁻¹ and α-endosulfan and β-endosulfan of 422 ng g⁻¹ and 421 ng g⁻¹ respectively. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry analysis of the test sample was done and Cr, Zn, Ni, Fe, Cu and Cd were detected at concentrations of 36.2, 42.5, 43.2, 241, 13.3 and 11.20 mg kg⁻¹ respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of all the isolates were determined for pesticides and heavy metals. All the multi-resistant/tolerant bacterial isolates were also tested for the presence of incompatibility (Inc) group IncP, IncN, IncW, IncQ plasmids and for rolling circle plasmids of the pMV158-family by PCR. Total community DNA was extracted from pesticide contaminated soil. PCR amplification of the bacterial isolates and soil DNA revealed the presence of IncP-specific sequences (trfA2 and oriT) which was confirmed by dot blot hybridization with RP4-derived DIG-labelled probes. Plasmids belonging to IncN, IncW and IncQ group were neither detected in the bacterial isolates nor in total soil DNA. The presence of conjugative or mobilizable IncP plasmids in the isolates indicate that these bacteria have gene transfer capacity with implications for dissemination of heavy metal and antibiotic resistance genes. We propose that IncP plasmids are mainly responsible for the spread of multi-resistant bacteria in the contaminated soils.     

Photophysical and photochemical properties of the pharmaceutical compound salbutamol in aqueous solutions

Salbutamol is a potent β₂-adrenergic receptor agonist widely used in the treatment of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. An increasing number of studies have detected salbutamol in natural water systems worldwide. Studies have shown that sunlight degrades salbutamol resulting in the formation of products; some showing higher toxicity to bacteria Vibrio fischeri than the parent compound. In this contribution, steady-state absorption and emission techniques, high-performance liquid chromatography, and transient absorption spectroscopy are used to investigate the photochemistry of salbutamol in aqueous buffer solutions at controlled pH values. Ground- and excited-state calculations that include solvent effects are performed to guide the interpretation of the experimental results. Salbutamol is sensitive to UVB light absorption in the pH range from 3 to 12, forming products that absorb light at longer wavelengths than the parent compound. Quantum yields of degradation reveal that the deprotonated species is 10-fold more photo-active than the protonated species. In line with this result, the fluorescence quantum yield of the protonated species is more than an order of magnitude higher than that of the deprotonated species. Transient absorption spectroscopy shows that population of the triplet state occurs with a rate constant of 7.1 × 10⁸ s⁻¹ in the protonated species, while a rate constant of 1.7 × 10¹⁰ s⁻¹ is measured for the deprotonated species. While degradation of the deprotonated species is not affected by the presence of molecular oxygen, a twofold increase in the photodegradation yield of the protonated species in air-saturated conditions is observed.     

Reduction of selenite to red elemental selenium by moderately halotolerant Bacillus megaterium strains isolated from Bhitarkanika mangrove soil and characterization of reduced product

Two Gram (+) bacterial strains, BSB6 and BSB12, showing resistance and potential for Se(IV) reduction among 26 moderately halotolerant isolates from the Bhitarkanika mangrove soil were characterized by biochemical and 16S rDNA sequence analyses. Both of them were strictly aerobic and able to grow in a wide range of pH (4-11), temperature (4-40 °C) and salt concentration (4-12%) having an optimum growth at 37 °C, pH ∼7.5 and 7% salt (NaCl). The biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis of BSB6 and BSB12 showed the closest phylogenetic similarity with the species Bacillus megaterium. Both the strains effectively reduced Se(IV) and complete reduction of selenite (up to 0.25 mM) was achieved within 40 h. SEM with energy dispersive X-ray and TEM analyses revealed the formation of nano size spherical selenium particles in and around the bacterial cells which were also supported by the confocal micrograph study. The UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and XRD of selenium precipitates revealed that the selenium particles are in the nanometric range and crystalline in nature. These bacterial strains may be exploited further for bioremediation process of Se(IV) at relatively high salt concentrations and green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles.