Evaluation of interactive toxicity of chlorophenols in water and soil using lux-marked biosensors

An assessment of the toxicity of three chlorophenol compounds (2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP)), individually and in combinations, was made in deionised water, soil extracts and soils using the lux-marked microbial biosensors: Escherichia coli HB101 pUCD607 and Pseudomonas fluorescens 10586r pUCD607. These biosensors responded to the bioavailable fraction of pollutants enabling a rapid and ecologically relevant toxicity test. Toxicity interaction responses of pollutant mixtures were predicted after individual compounds were assessed. Synergistic interactions were observed in the response of P. fluorescens to all combinations of chlorophenols tested, while the toxicity response of E. coli varied with the matrices tested. Soil characteristics influenced the toxicity response when compared with aqueous solutions. These results highlight the significance of interactive factors and physicochemical parameters when evaluating toxicity. To develop an understanding of pollution derived hazard assessment in soils we need to integrate a wide spectrum of parameters.     

Prenatal diagnosis of dilated coronary sinus with persistent left superior vena cava in a fetus with trisomy 18

A case of dilated coronary sinus with persistent left superior vena cava diagnosed at 33 weeks in a fetus with trisomy 18 is reported. The features of this cardiac anomaly on prenatal ultrasonography and its association with trisomy 18 are discussed. Published in 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil solution extraction techniques for microbial ecotoxicity testing: a comparative evaluation

The suitability of two different techniques (centrifugation and Rhizon sampler) for obtaining the interstitial pore water of soil (soil solution), integral to the ecotoxicity assessment of metal contaminated soil, were investigated by combining chemical analyses and a luminescence-based microbial biosensor. Two different techniques, centrifugation and Rhizon sampler, were used to extract the soil solution from Insch (a loamy sand) and Boyndie (a sandy loam) soils, which had been amended with different concentrations of Zn and Cd. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), major anions (F- , CI-, NO3, SO4(2-)) and major cations (K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) in the soil solutions varied depending on the extraction technique used. Overall, the concentrations of Zn and Cd were significantly higher in the soil solution extracted using the centrifugation technique compared with that extracted using the Rhizon sampler technique. Furthermore, the differences observed between the two extraction techniques depended on the type of soil from which the solution was being extracted. The luminescence-based biosensor Escherichia coli HB101 pUCD607 was shown to respond to the free metal concentrations in the soil solutions and showed that different toxicities were associated with each soil, depending on the technique used to extract the soil solution. This study highlights the need to characterise the type of extraction technique used to obtain the soil solution for ecotoxicity testing in order that a representative ecotoxicity assessment can be carried out.