Distribution and relationships of As,Cd, Pb and Hg in freshwater fish from five French fishing areas

The concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead in 149 muscle samples of eight freshwater fish species (European eel, bream, common carp, European catfish, roach, perch, pike and pikeperch) from five different French fishing areas from contaminated and control sites were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after microwave digestion under pressure. No significant correlation was found between the condition factor (CF), based on the length–mass relationship, and As, Cd and Pb levels in all the samples analysed, but a positive correlation was detected between CF and Hg levels (P < 0.0001, R = 0.49). Positive correlations with body length were only found for Hg in roach (P < 0.05, R = 0.32) and Pb in bream (P < 0.05, R = 0.48) and correlations with both body weight and length were also found for Hg in pike (P < 0.05, R = 0.90 and 0.86) and Cd in European eel (P < 0.01, R = ?0.35 and ?0.37). The average content and the standard deviation in fish muscle samples was 0.007 ± 0.012, 0.102 ± 0.077, 0.142 ± 0.097 and 0.035 ± 0.053 mg kg^?1 of wet mass for Cd, As, Hg and Pb, respectively. Significant differences were established between groups of predatory fish and non-predatory fish for Hg and Pb, and between control and contaminated sites in the whole selection and also within feeding guilds, i.e. the values of Hg in the benthophagic fish were significantly different between these sites. Finally, these results were also compared for each species with previous French and European studies.     

Ex situ collections and their potential for the restoration of extinct plants

The alarming current and predicted species extinction rates have galvanized conservationists in their efforts to avoid future biodiversity losses, but for species extinct in the wild, few options exist. We posed the questions, can these species be restored, and, if so, what role can ex situ plant collections (i.e., botanic gardens, germplasm banks, herbaria) play in the recovery of plant genetic diversity? We reviewed the relevant literature to assess the feasibility of recovering lost plant genetic diversity with using ex situ material and the probability of survival of subsequent translocations. Thirteen attempts to recover species extinct in the wild were found, most of which used material preserved in botanic gardens (12) and seed banks (2). One case of a locally extirpated population was recovered from herbarium material. Eight (60%) of these cases were successful or partially successful translocations of the focal species or population; the other 5 failed or it was too early to determine the outcome. Limiting factors of the use of ex situ source material for the restoration of plant genetic diversity in the wild include the scarcity of source material, low viability and reduced longevity of the material, low genetic variation, lack of evolution (especially for material stored in germplasm banks and herbaria), and socioeconomic factors. However, modern collecting practices present opportunities for plant conservation, such as improved collecting protocols and improved cultivation and storage conditions. Our findings suggest that all types of ex situ collections may contribute effectively to plant species conservation if their use is informed by a thorough understanding of the aforementioned problems. We conclude that the recovery of plant species currently classified as extinct in the wild is not 100% successful, and the possibility of successful reintroduction should not be used to justify insufficient in situ conservation.     

Response of multixenobiotic defence mechanism in Dreissena polymorpha exposed to environmental stress

Multixenobiotic defence mechanism (MXDM) has been recently described as a first line defence system in many aquatic organisms and it has raised attention for its potential as an early biomarker of exposure to environmental stress. In order to investigate the relevance of this biomarker in the freshwater zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, we examined its response to exposure and to cessation of exposure. For this purpose, depurated zebra mussels were transplanted to natural rivers or exposed to medium experimentally contaminated with fuel oil 2 in the laboratory. After the exposure period, mussels were submitted to depuration in clean water in the laboratory. The level of MXDM activity was assessed by the efflux method that allows a simple and fast measure of the rate of rhodamine B efflux. MXDM activity was induced following exposure and induction appears earlier after laboratory exposure (3 days) than after in the field exposure (3-14 days). The level of MXDM response could not be directly correlated to exposure dose in the laboratory and to isolated physicochemical parameters or AOX levels in the field. The behaviour of MXDM activity seems to reflect the occurrence of exposure to a global stress rather than to specific compounds. Our results highlighted the possibility to monitor MXDM response in the freshwater zebra mussel. In spite of the difficulty to interpret responses resulting from the lack of specificity of response, multixenobiotic defence mechanism displays qualities to represent a biomarker of general stress in freshwater ecosystems.     

Viable skin efficiently absorbs and metabolizes bisphenol A

Skin contact has been hypothesized to contribute to human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). We examined the diffusion and metabolism of BPA using viable skin models: human skin explants and short-term cultures of pig ear skin, an alternative model for the study of the fate of xenobiotics following contact exposure. ¹⁴C-BPA [50-800 nmol] was applied on the surface of skin models. Radioactivity distribution was measured in all skin compartments and in the diffusion cells of static cells diffusion systems. BPA and metabolites were further quantified by radio-HPLC. BPA was efficiently absorbed in short-term cultures, with no major difference between the models used in the study [viable pig ear skin: 65%; viable human explants: 46%; non-viable (previously frozen) pig skin: 58%]. BPA was extensively metabolized in viable systems only. Major BPA metabolites produced by the skin were BPA mono-glucuronide and BPA mono-sulfate, accounting together for 73% and 27% of the dose, in pig and human, respectively. In conclusion, experiments with viable skin models unequivocally demonstrate that BPA is readily absorbed and metabolized by the skin. The trans-dermal route is expected to contribute substantially to BPA exposure in human, when direct contact with BPA (free monomer) occurs.     

粘土矿物比率对沙尘源区的指示

为了探讨中国北方沙尘源区矿物组成特征并建立沙尘气溶胶的矿物示踪指标,在亚太地区气溶胶特征实验(ACE-Asia)期间对新疆阿克苏、甘肃敦煌、陕西榆林和内蒙古通辽沙尘气溶胶的矿物组成进行了研究.结果显示,中国主要沙尘源区沙尘气溶胶中高岭石与绿泥石的比率存在明显差异,西部沙尘源区(以阿克苏站点为代表)高岭石与绿泥石的比值较小(平均值为0.3),而北部沙尘源区(以榆林站点为代表)高岭石与绿泥石的比值相对较高(平均值为0.7).沉降区长武尘暴样品的粘土矿物比率和气团轨迹分析证实,在区域范围,高岭石与绿泥石的比值为较好的沙尘源区矿物示踪指标.而亚洲沙尘与撒哈拉沙尘的对比显示,高岭石与绿泥石的比值在全球范围有着沙尘源区指示的意义.     

Urban Identities and Social Interaction: A cross-cultural analysis of young people's spatial mobility in Paris,France, and Frankston,Australia

The impacts of government environmental policies are often distributed inequitably, and can therefore be viewed as a form of social injustice. This is particularly the case with protected conservation sites, which are often concentrated in remote areas. While this policy allows environmental 'goods' to accrue to society as a whole, it often has negative impacts on local users, who have limited opportunities to influence policy. This paper reports on research undertaken in northern Scotland, where the extensive use of protective designations to conserve an internationally important 'wilderness' area led to serious conflict during the 1980s. The findings, based on semi-structured interviews, indicate that local stakeholders often felt powerless in the face of remote decision making, and environmental publicity aimed at an urban market. The problems of environmentalism that is not linked to social justice are discussed in this context, and the role which sustainability and participative conservation efforts can play in the development of social and environmental justice is evaluated. EILIDH JOHNSTON &; CHRIS SOULSBY, Ganando 'Legitimidad Ecológica': el desarrollo del sostenimiento consiente en el pais fluyente, Escocia del norte . Los impactos de las políticas ambientales gubernamentales frecuentemente son distribuidos inequitativamente, y por lo tanto pueden ser vistos como una forma de injusticia social. Este es particularmente el caso de las zonas de protección ambiental, las cuales frecuentemente se concentran en áreas remotas. Mientras esta política permite a los 'bienes' ambientales acumularse a la sociedad como un todo, esto tiene por lo general impactos negativos en los usuarios locales, quienes tienen oportunidades limitadas para influir en la política. Este documento informa sobre la investigación basada en el norte de Escocia, donde el extenso uso de designaciones protectoras para conservar parques naturales internacionalmente importantes, condujeron a serios conflictos durante los años 1980s. Las conclusiones, basadas en entrevistas semiestructuradas indican que los dueños de tierras locales frecuentemente se sintieron impotentes frente a la toma de desiciones remotas y a la publicidad ambiental dirigida a un mercado urbano. Los problemas de los ambientalistas que no estan ligados a la justicia social son discutidos en este contexto y el papel que el sostenimiento y los esfuerzos de conservacio´n participativa pueden jugar en el desrrollo de una justicia social y ambiental son evaluados.     

Eggs of cabbage root fly stimulate conspecific oviposition: Evaluation of the activity and determination of an egg-associated compound

Summary. Previous studies indicated the presence of antennally-active compounds in extracts of eggs laid by female cabbage root flies, Delia radicum, that stimulated oviposition by conspecific females. We confirmed that previously laid D. radicum eggs stimulated oviposition by other D. radicum females, in a dose-dependent manner. Methanol extracts of conspecific eggs stimulated oviposition by females D. radicum, whereas egg extracts of D. antiqua and Psila rosae had no effect. Electrophysiological recordings from the tarsal sensilla of D. radicum females indicated that neurones of the C₅ sensillum responded to the egg extracts from both D. radicum and D. antiqua, but not P. rosae. Chemical analysis revealed that the extract of eggs from D. radicum contained the thia-triaza-fluorene compound, 1,2-dihydro-3-thia-4,10,10b-triaza-cyclopenta[.a.]fluorene-1-carboxylic acid (CIF-1), an oviposition stimulant found previously only in cruciferous plants. Another potentially active component has yet to be identified.     

The apportionment of quadratic entropy: a useful alternative for partitioning diversity in ecological data

Many methods that study the diversity within hierarchically structured populations have been developed in genetics. Among them, the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) (Excoffier et al., 1992) has the advantage of including evolutionary distances between individuals. AMOVA is a special case of a far more general statistical scheme produced by Rao (1982a; 1986) and called the apportionment of quadratic entropy (APQE). It links diversity and dissimilarity and allows the decomposition of diversity according to a given hierarchy. We apply this framework to ecological data showing that APQE may be very useful for studying diversity at various spatial scales. Moreover, the quadratic entropy has a critical advantage over usual diversity indices because it takes into account differences between species. Finally, the differences that can be incorporated in APQE may be either taxonomic or functional (biological traits), which may be of critical interest for ecologists.