Liver glutathione content and glutathione‐dependent enzymes of two species of freshwater fish as bioindicators of chemical pollution

Abstract

Glutathione content and glutahione‐dependent enzymes were measured in the liver of two fish species, gudgeon (Gobio gobio) and roach (Rutilus arcasii), from the river Bernesga (Spain) caught downstream and upstream of the waste site of several chemical industries. Animals from contaminated sites display a reduced glutathione concentration and a tendency to the decrease of glutathione S‐transferase activity. Glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly elevated only in the liver of Gobio gobio and glutathione reductase activity in that of Rutilus arcasii. Our data indicate that the glutathione system constitutes a sensitive biochemical indicator of chemical pollution. Relative changes of glutathione and glutathione‐dependent enzymes in both fish species suggest a different susceptibility to toxins.     

Lichens as indicators of a perturbation/stability gradient in the Asperillo dunes, SW spain

In the asperillo dune system, Southwest Spain, lichen vegetation covering the dune sand, has a low species diversity but is an important component of the perennial vegetation, providing stability, nutrients, and moisture to the soil layer. The Asperillo dunes harbour (1) natural ecosystems, (2) disturbed systems affected by forestry activities where the natural vegetation is eliminated, and (3) pine forest resulting from afforestation withPinus pinea since the end of the 1940s where the composition and abundance of the lichen flora has been drastically changed. Our hypothesis was that the lichen species composition and distribution are influenced by the type and period of human intervention. To test this hypothesis a 1.2 km × 1.1 km area, which includes zones with different degrees of conservation and perturbation, consisting of five different habitats, was selected: well preservedJuniperus woodland,Pinus pinea plantations with dense scrub, dense scrub,P. pinea plantations cleared from scrub, and pioneer scrub in recent pine afforestation. In each area, randomly located 5m × 5 m homogeneous plots were sampled. In each plot the cover of shrub and lichen species was recorded. The first results show that lichen cover is higher in the most preserved areas,Cladonia mediterranea being the dominant species under theJuniperus phoenicea canopy. The lichen community changes in composition and abundance depending on the time elapsed since the last perturbation.     

Maternal quality and differences in milk production and composition for male and female Iberian red deer calves (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)

Several theories predict a sex-biased investment either through unbalanced sex ratios in offspring or through differences in provisioning. According to them, one would expect an optimisation in indirect fitness, or else a compensation for increased mortality of one sex. In addition, biases in provisioning may also arise as a consequence of weight-dependent non-adaptive nutrient demands by offspring. This study examines milk provisioning and sex biases in offspring sex ratio together with maternal quality variables. Mothers of higher quality (weight and age) showed greater milk provisioning ability (in terms of production) resulting in greater calf weight gain. Mothers of sons produced greater yields of milk, milk protein, fat and lactose than mothers of daughters, and increased percentage of protein after controlling for higher male birth weight. In contrast, mothers of males did not differ from mothers of females in age or any body weight variables related to maternal quality. These results suggest that differences in milk production and composition for sons and daughters are rather a mechanism to optimise indirect fitness than a mechanism to compensate for increased mortality in male calves, or a consequence of greater weight-dependent nutrient demands by heavier male calves. Results also suggest that biases in milk provisioning may occur without biases in offspring sex ratio, and furthermore, in contrast to the prediction that biases should be relative to the mean investment of the population, that milk provisioning biases might not be relative.Communicated by F. Trillmich     

Indoor and outdoor BTX levels in Barcelona City metropolitan area and Catalan rural areas

Five aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, and three isomeric xylenes) were monitored in indoor and outdoor air of 7 public buildings and 54 private homes, located in Barcelona City metropolitan area and in several rural areas of Catalonia. The sampling was carried out over four periods: spring-summer and winter of 2000, and summer and winter of 2001. Passive ORSA 5 Dra¨ger samplers were used for benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) adsorption. BTX were extracted with carbon disulphide and analysed using ...     

Evaluation of the effect of different sampling time periods and ambient air pollutant concentrations on the performance of the Radiello diffusive sampler for the analysis of VOCs by TD-GC/MS

The effect of different sampling exposure times and ambient air pollutant concentrations on the performance of Radiello? samplers for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is evaluated. Quadruplicate samples of Radiello? passive tubes were taken for 3, 4, 7 and 14 days. Samples were taken indoors during February and March 2010 and outdoors during July 2010 in La Canonja (Tarragona, Spain). The analysis was performed by automatic thermal desorption (ATD) coupled with capillary gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry detection (MS). The results show significant differences (t-test, p < 0.05) between the amounts of VOCs obtained from the sum of two short sampling periods and a single equivalent longer sampling period for 65% of all the data. 17% of the results show significantly larger amounts of pollutant in the sum of two short sampling periods. Back diffusion due to changes in concentrations together with saturation and competitive effects between the compounds during longer sampling periods could be responsible for these differences. The other 48% of the results that are different show significantly larger amounts in the single equivalent longer sampling period. The remaining 35% of the results do not show significant differences. Although significant differences are observed in the amount of several VOCs collected over two shorter sampling intervals compared to the amount collected during a single equivalent longer sampling period, the ratios obtained are very close to unity (between 0.7 and 1.2 in 75% of cases). We conclude that Radiello? passive samplers are useful tools if their limitations are taken into account and the manufacturer's recommendations are followed.     

Impact of repeated irrigation of lettuce cultures with municipal wastewater on soil bacterial community diversity and composition

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The effect of wastewater irrigation on the diversity and composition of bacterial communities of soil mesocosms planted with lettuces was studied over...     

Heavy metals effects on proteolytic system in sunflower leaves

Plant proteolytic system includes proteases, mainly localized inside the organelles, and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in both, the cytoplasm and the nucleus. It was recently demonstrated that under severe Cd stress sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) proteasome activity is reduced and this results in accumulation of oxidized proteins. In order to test if under other heavy metal stresses sunflower proteolytic system undergoes similar changes, an hydroponic experiment was carried out. Ten days old sunflower plants were transferred to hydroponic culture solutions devoid (control) or containing 100 microM of AlCl(3), CoCl(2), CuCl(2), CrCl(3), HgCl(2), NiCl(2), PbCl(2) or ZnCl(2) and analyzed for protein oxidative damage and proteolytic activities. After 4 days of metal treatment, only Co(2+), Cu(2+), Hg(2+), and Ni(2+) were found to increase carbonyl groups content. Except for Al(3+) and Zn(2+), all metals tested significantly reduced all proteasome activities (chymotrypsin-like, trypsin-like and PGPH) and acid and neutral proteases activities. The effect on basic proteases was more variable. Abundance of 20S protein after metal treatments was similar to that obtained for control samples. Co(2+), Cu(2+), Hg(2+), Ni(2+), Cr(3+), and Pb(2+) induced accumulation of ubiquitin conjugated proteins. It is concluded that heavy metal effects on proteolytic system cannot be generalized; however, impairment of proteasome functionality and decreased proteases activities seem to be a common feature involved in metal toxicity to plants.     

Flow cytometry assessment of cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species generation by single and binary mixtures of cadmium, zinc and copper on populations of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila

In the present study, we have assessed by flow cytometry, the cytotoxicity of the heavy metals Cd, Zn and Cu on populations of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila. The obtained LC(50) for these metals was estimated as 0.195mgCdl(-1), 3.58mgZnl(-1) and 0.47mgCul(-1), respectively. As a result, the toxicity rank for this eukaryotic microorganism is Cd>Cu>Zn. Using the same methodology and the Concentration Addition approach, the toxicity of binary mixtures of these metals was evaluated in order to detect the type of interaction between these metals. Results indicated that antagonism is the predominant interaction but it can change to additivity or even to synergism at high metal concentrations. Besides, the concentration ratio between metals plays also a crucial role in determining the type of metallic interaction, at least in Tetrahymena. Cytotoxicity data from single and bimetallic mixtures have been compared with those from selected microalgae, other species of ciliates, fish and mammalian cell lines and metazoan. By other hand, we have detected the mitochondrial generation of peroxides induced by both single and binary treatments with Cd, Zn and Cu on populations of Tetrahymena, using the specific fluorophore dyhidrorhodamine. The nature and concentrations of metal as well as the metallic ratio were important factors in reactive oxygen species production. All results found in T. thermophila are compared with previous reports in other organisms and, some explanations and hypothesis to support results are given, including the involvement of metallothioneins as antioxidants and their role in the binding of metal cations.     

Diel variability of feeding activity in haddock (Melanogrammus aeglifinus) larvae in the East Shetland area, North Sea

Investigations of factors affecting feeding success in fish larvae require knowledge of the scales of variability of the feeding process itself and the indices used to assess this variability. In this study, we measured short-term (diel) variability in feeding rates of wild haddock (Melanogrammus aeglifinus) larvae four times per day during a 10-d cruise in the northern North Sea. Feeding activity was evaluated using indices of gut fullness, prey digestive state and biochemical measurements (tryptic enzyme activity). The gut fullness and the enzyme activity indices indicated moderate to high rates of food consumption throughout the cruise. Time series analysis of the three indices showed significant diel variability in all indices and enabled identification of significant lags between food uptake and peak digestive enzyme activity. The typical pattern of food consumption and digestion was characterized by maximal ingestion of prey early in the evening (19:00 hrs) and peak digestive enzyme activity at 01:00  hrs. The time scale over which enzyme activities reacted to prey ingestion was ca. 6 h, and is consistent with expectations from controlled laboratory experiments with other larval fish species. Significant diel variability in tryptic enzyme activity suggests that attempts to relate this measure of feeding success to other variables (e.g. food concentrations) should take care to accommodate natural cycles in feeding activity before making statistical comparisons. Received: 29 October 1998 / Accepted: 18 June 1999     

Natural attenuation of diesel aliphatic hydrocarbons in contaminated agricultural soil

A diesel fuel spill at a concentration of 1 L m(-2) soil was simulated on a 12 m(2) plot of agricultural land, and natural attenuation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was monitored over a period of 400 days following the spill after which the aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations were found to be below the legal contamination threshold for soil. The main fraction of these compounds (95%) remained at the surface layer (0-10 cm). Shortly after the spill (viz. between days 0 and 18), evaporation was the main origin of the dramatic decrease in pollutant concentrations in the soil. Thereafter, soil microorganisms used aliphatic hydrocarbons as sources of carbon and energy, as confirmed by the degradation ratios found. Soil quality indicators, soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity, regained their original levels about 200 days after the spill.