Effect of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 209) on soil microbial activity and bacterial community composition

In many areas of the world, polybrominated diphenyl ethers are ubiquitous due to their use as fire retardants. It is known that the hydrophobic characteristics of PBDEs cause them to sink in soil and sediment, yet their effect on microbes within the soil is not well understood. In this study, soil was treated with 1, 10, and 100 mg kg⁻¹ BDE 209 for up to 45 days. Treatment effects on soil enzymatic activities for urease and catalase were evaluated. The impact on the microbe community structure was estimated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis after polymerase chain reaction amplification of total genomic DNA, using bacterial variable V3 region targeted primers. The effects on the soil microbial community size and major bacterial groups were evaluated using fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. Forty-five days after the addition of BDE 209, urease activity was suppressed by BDE 209, even at a concentration of 1 mg kg⁻¹. Catalase activity increased in the samples containing lower concentrations of BDE 209, but was suppressed in samples containing higher concentrations. The bacterial community also varied in response to the addition of BDE 209, and the variation of community composition differed among treatments. In addition, α, β and γ subclass proteobacteria decreased in the group of 100 mg kg⁻¹ BDE 209 spiked soil after 45 days of treatment. Throughout the experiment, no BDE 209 degradation was detected under darkness. These observations demonstrated that BDE 209 in soil, although of low bioavailability, had an adverse impact on the structure and function of the soil microbial community and microbial processes.     

Spatial heterogeneity of bacterial community structure in the sediments of the Pearl River estuary

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and multivariate statistical analytical methods were applied to investigate the spatial variation of bacterial community structure in the Pearl River estuary sediment and to address the relationship between microbial community composition and bottom water chemistry in ten different stations. Preliminary results of sequencing analysis of the excised DGGE bands suggested that α-Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were the dominant bacterial groups in the Pearl River estuary sediment. Results of multidimensional scaling analysis of these field data suggested that the composition of bacterial communities varied with sampling sites. Finally, canonical correspondence analysis of the data of environmental variables and bacterial community suggested that bacterial community structure was significantly influenced by the change of environmental variables (total phosphorus, nitrite, ammonium, dissolved oxygen, pH and salinity).     

Bacterial polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases in the sediments from the Pearl River estuary, China

Bacterial community compositions were characterized using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene in the sediments of the Pearl River estuary. Sequencing analyses of the excised bands indicated that Gram-negative bacteria, especially Gammaproteobacteria, were dominant in the Pearl River estuary. The diversity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (PAH-RHD) gene in this estuary was then assessed by clone library analysis. The phylogenetic analyses showed that all PAH-RHD gene sequences of Gram-negative bacteria (PAH-RHD_[GN]) were closely related to the nagAc gene described for Ralstonia sp. U2 or nahAc gene for Pseudomonas sp. 9816–4, while the PAH-RHD gene sequences of Gram-positive bacteria (PAH-RHD_[GP]) at sampling site A1 showed high sequence similarity to the nidA gene from Mycobacterium species. Meanwhile, molecular diversity of the two functional genes was higher at the upstream of this region, while lower at the downstream. Redundancy analysis indicated that environmental factors, such as NH₄-N, ∑PAHs, pH, SiO₃-Si, and water depth, affected the distribution of the PAH-RHD_[GN] gene in the Pearl River estuary.     

十溴联苯醚降解菌群的降解特性与组成分析

[目的]针对水体沉积物中日益严重的多溴联苯醚污染问题,以电子垃圾污染河床沉积物为种源富集驯化获得的菌群Cf3,研究该菌群对十溴联苯醚的降解特性以及其菌群结构组成.[方法]通过GC-MS分析十溴联苯醚降解后低溴代产物组成,并测定其降解率;通过DGGE技术分析了该BDE-209降解菌群的结构组成.[结果]菌群Cf3具有较强降解BDE-209的能力,经过120 d的培养,初始量为2.6 μmol的BDE-209降解率达到80.03％,OD600从0.01增长到0.21,pH由初始的6.93增加到反应结束时的8.50.菌群Cf3经过单菌落分离,共获得10株可培养细菌,通过16S rRNA基因序列比对发现,其中6株与柠檬酸杆菌属(Citrobacter spp.)具有较高同源性,其余4株与产碱杆菌属(Alcaligenes spp.)较相似.进一步采用DGGE分析菌群Cf3的结构组成时发现,除了分离得到的2个菌属外,该菌群中还含有拟杆菌属(Wolinella spp.)、氨基酸球菌属(Acidaminococcus spp.),以及随着降解时间延长而消失的脱硫弧菌属(Desulfovibrio spp.)和醋杆菌属(Acetobacterium spp.).[结论]获得了具有较强多溴联苯醚降解能力的菌群,并分析了其降解特性和群落组成,为进一步开展溴代阻燃剂等持久性有机污染物的生物修复提供宝贵的菌种资源和科学数据.     

植物篱-农作坡地土壤团聚体组成和稳定性特征

基于植物篱控制水土流失的长期定位试验,研究植物篱-农作坡地土壤团聚体组成和稳定性特征.结果表明： 与常规等高农作模式相比,植物篱-农作复合农业模式下土壤>0.25 mm机械稳定性和水稳性团聚体含量分别显著增加13.3%~16.1%和37.8%~55.6%,明显提高了各坡位粒级>0.25 mm土壤水稳性团聚体含量,改善了粒级>0.25 mm土壤水稳性团聚体在下坡位的相对富集和上坡位相对贫乏的状况.植物篱显著提高了土壤团聚体平均质量直径和几何平均直径,降低了土壤团聚体分形维数和>0.25 mm土壤团聚体破坏率,进而增强了土壤团聚体的稳定性和抗蚀性.坡度与植物篱类型对土壤团聚体组成、稳定性和坡面变化无显著影响.     

Biodegradation of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) by bacterial mixed cultures in a soil/water system

Decabromodiphenyl ether (DBDE) is a brominated flame retardant that is commonly used in many commercial products. Sorption of DBDE within a soil/water system can result in serious bioaccumulation within the ecological system and be a threat to human health. Little is known about aerobic DBDE biodegradation, and the influence of the UV light radiation on DBDE biodegradation has not been considered. This study, for the first time, isolates DBDE biodegrading aerobic mixed bacterial cultures from DBDE-contaminated soil/water systems in Taiwan. The aerobic biodegradation of DBDE as a sole carbon source in the presence of 365 nm UVA irradiation over 10 months was investigated using a clay/water system. The rate constants for DBDE degradation gave values ranging from 0.0121 to 0.0134 day⁻¹ in the presence of UV irradiation, which were significantly higher than the 0.0092–0.0102 day⁻¹ values obtained in complete darkness. The aerobic metabolites: 2′,3′-dihydroxy-4-bromodiphenyl ether and 2′,3′-dihydroxy-diphenyl ether were identified by GC–MS. Debromination was ascribed to UV irradiation and biodegradation by facultative aerobic bacteria in the micro-anaerobic environment of the clay/water system. The products of debromination included 12 PBDE congeners (tri- to hexa-BDEs) and their concentrations ranged from 34.28 to 83.80 mg l⁻¹. Specific bacteria capable of degrading PBDEs and carrying out nitrification/denitrification were identified. The present findings suggest that systems using a novel combination of photolysis and biodegradation could be developed to carry out DBDE remediation in the future.     

Diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotes in sediments from the coastal Pearl River estuary to the South China Sea

In the present study the diversity and abundance of nitrifying microbes including ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and betaproteobacteria (beta-AOB) were investigated, along with the physicochemical parameters potentially affecting them, in a transect of surface sediments from the coastal margin adjacent to the Pearl River estuary to the slope in the deep South China Sea. Nitrifying microbial diversity was determined by detecting the amoA (ammonia monooxygenase subunit A) gene. An obvious community structure shift for both AOA and beta-AOB from the coastal marginal areas to the slope in the deep-sea was detected, while the OTU numbers of AOA amoA were more stable than those of the beta-AOB. The OTUs of beta-AOB increased with the distance from the coastal margin areas to the slope in the deep-sea. Beta-AOB showed lower diversity with dominant strains in a polluted area but higher diversity without dominant strains in a clean area. Moreover, the diversity of beta-AOB was correlated with pH values, while no noticeable relationships were established between AOA and physicochemical parameters. Beta-AOB was more sensitive to transect environmental variability and might be a potential indicator for environmental changes. Additionally, the surface sediments surveyed in the South China Sea harboured diverse and distinct AOA and beta-AOB phylotypes different from other environments, suggesting the endemicity of some nitrifying prokaryotes in the South China Sea.     

汾河入黄口夏季微生物群落结构分析

【背景】河流交汇区日益成为流域生态治理的焦点和热点之一。【目的】探明汾河入黄口微生物群落结构及其主要环境影响因子。【方法】应用16S rRNA基因Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术,分析了汾河入黄口夏季微生物群落结构,并利用典范对应分析(Canonical correspondence analysis,CCA)了解影响微生物群落的主要环境因子。【结果】多样性指数分析表明该区域微生物群落多样性较高。微生物多样性分析发现优势菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和放线菌门(Actinobacteria);在属分类水平上,相对丰度最高的菌属为芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus),其次为乳球菌属(Lactococcus)和hgcI_clade。Spearman相关性分析及典范对应分析表明环境因子对水体微生物群落结构具有显著影响。【结论】汾河与黄河微生物群落组成具有一定的差异,不同环境因子对不同微生物的影响程度不同,p H和溶解氧(Dissolved oxygen,DO)是汾河入黄口微生物群落结构的主要影响因子。     

Microbial production,enzyme activity,and carbon turnover in surface sediments of the Hudson River estuary

The detrital food web is a major nexus of energy flow in nearly all aquatic ecosystems. Energy enters this nexus by microbial assimilation of detrital carbon. To link microbiological variables with ecosystem process, it is necessary to understand the regulatory hierarchy that controls the distribution of microbial biomass and activity. Toward that goal, we investigated variability in microbial abundance and activities within the tidal freshwater estuary of the Hudson River. Surface sediments were collected from four contrasting sites: a mid-channel shoal, two types of wetlands, and a tributary confluence. These samples, collected in June to August 1992, were sorted into two to four size fractions, depending on the particle size distribution at each site. Each fraction was analyzed for bacterial biomass (by acridine orange direct counting), bacterial production (by ³H-thymidine incorporation into DNA), fungal biomass (by ergosterol extraction), fungal production (by biomass accrual), and the potential activities of seven extracellular enzymes involved in the degradation of detrital structural molecules. Decomposition rates for particulate organic carbon (POC) were estimated from a statistical model relating mass loss rates to endocellulase activity. Within samples, bacterial biomass and productivity were negatively correlated with particle size: Standing stocks and rates in the <63-m class were roughly twofold greater than in the >4-mm class. Conversely, fungal biomass was positively correlated with particle size, with standing stocks in the largest size class more than 1OX greater than in the smallest. Extracellular enzyme activities also differed significantly among size classes, with high carbohydrase activities associated with the largest particles, while oxidative activities predominated in the smallest size classes. Among sites, the mid-channel sediments had the lowest POC standing stock (2% of sediment dry mass) and longest turnover time (approximately 1.7 years), with bacterial productivity approximately equal to fungal (56 vs. 46 g C per gram POC per day, respectively). In the Typha wetland, POC standing stock was high (10%); turnover time was about 0.3 years; and 90% of the microbial productivity was fungal (670 vs. 84 g C per gram POC per day). The other two sites, a Trapa wetland and a tributary confluence, showed intermediate values for microbial productivity and POC turnover. Differences among sites were described by regression models that related the distribution of microbial biomass (r ² = 0.98) and productivity (r ² = 0.81) to particle size and carbon quality. These factors also determined POC decomposition rates. Net microbial production efficiency (production rate/decomposition rate) averaged 10.6%, suggesting that the sediments were exporting large quantities of unassimilated dissolved organic carbon into the water column. Our results suggest that studies of carbon processing in large systems, like the Hudson River estuary, can be facilitated by regression models that relate microbial dynamics to more readily measured parameters. Correspondence to: R.L. Sinsabaugh     

黄河口潮间带沉积物细菌群落结构特征

选取黄河口潮间带有植被覆盖和无植被覆盖两个区域采集柱状沉积物,利用实时荧光定量PCR技术和高通量测序技术分析有无植被覆盖沉积物中的细菌群落特征和功能差异,探究影响潮间带细菌群落结构的主要环境因子。结果显示,细菌丰度在有植被区域大于无植被区域。沉积物中细菌群落丰富度和多样性在有植被区域随深度的增加而增加,而在无植被区域其最高值出现在沉积物中层（14-16 cm）。两个区域在门分类水平上以变形菌（Proteobacteria）、绿弯菌（Chloroflexi）、放线菌（Actinobacteria）和酸杆菌（Acidobacteria）为主;属分类水平上的优势类群为芽孢杆菌（Bacillus）、苍白杆菌（Ochrobactrum）、拟无枝菌酸菌（Amycolatopsis）和鞘脂单胞菌（Sphingomonas）等。相关性分析发现盐度和亚硝酸盐浓度对细菌群落多样性和丰富度影响显著。功能预测分析表明,有植被区域沉积物细菌在氨基酸代谢、膜运输和碳水化合物代谢方面功能活跃,而无植被区域细菌则在核酸复制和修复、能量代谢过程方面更为活跃。     

Butyltins in sediments and biota from the Pearl River Delta,South China

Abstract

Butyltins in sediments and biota collected from the Pearl River Delta, South China were analyzed by a gas chromatograph–atomic emission detector (GC-AED). The concentrations of tributyltin (TBT) in the sediments ranged from 1.7 to 379.7 ng/g dry weight. Their spatial distribution suggested that shipping activities, especially shipyards were mostly responsible for the TBT contamination in the region. A good linear relationship was observed between the DBT (dibutyltin)/TBT and MBT (monobutyltin) /TBT ratios of the samples in the Pearl River, the Pearl River estuary and the West River, suggesting that TBT in these areas came from similar sources but had undergone a different extent of degradation. The butyltins in the Macao waters seemed to have undergone a different degradation process. All TBT concentrations of the fish, mussel and shrimp samples collected in this study were below the seafood tolerable average residue level (TARL).     

珠三角养殖水体中参与氮循环的微生物群落结构

【目的】为了研究珠三角地区养殖水体中各种含氮化合物循环转化的特征及其相关功能微生物的群落结构。【方法】构建人工模拟养殖系统,采用15N-稳定性同位素探测技术(stable isotope probing,15N-SIP)标记参与氮素迁移的微生物,通过氯化铯-溴化乙锭密度梯度超高速离心法分离15N标记的DNA,并以此构建含15N-DNA的细菌和古菌16S rRNA基因克隆文库。【结果】15N标记的基因组DNA经过超高速密度梯度离心后成功与14N-DNA分离;对克隆文库序列的分析表明:细菌文库得到的19个可操作分类单元(Operational TaxaUnits,OTUs)分别归为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)。变形菌门为绝对优势类群,占整个细菌克隆文库的99.2%,其中优势菌群为丛毛胞菌属(Comamonas)(15.7%)、亚硝化单胞菌属(Nitrosomonas)(12.4%)、肠杆菌科(Enterobacteriaceae)(11.5%)和硝化杆菌属(Nitrobacter)(11.5%);古菌文库得到的9个OTUs归为奇古菌门(Thaumarchaeota)、泉古菌门(Crenarchaeota)和广古菌门(Euryarchaeota)。【结论】将15N-SIP技术应用于珠三角养殖水体氮素循环微生物群落结构的研究中,得到了丰富的氮素循环微生物群落的组成,这些信息为进一步分离纯化氮素降解微生物提供了重要的参考,为营造健康的水产养殖环境提供科学依据。     

Microbial community of reduced pockmark sediments (Gdansk Deep,Baltic Sea)

The microbial community of reduced pockmark sediments in the Russian sector of the Gdansk Deep, Baltic Sea, was investigated by molecular biological techniques. Fluorescent in situ hybridization was used to determine the numbers of eubacteria, archaea, and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Eubacteria were found to predominate in the upper 10 cm of the sediment (up to 5.3 × 10⁹ cells/g wet sediment), while the number of archaea increased in the 10- to 30-cm layers (up to 2.8 × 10⁹ cells/g wet sediment, which is higher than the number of eubacteria in the same horizons). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed members of the following phyla: Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Planctomycetales, and high-G + C gram-positive bacteria. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) of the families Syntrophaceae, Desulfuromonadaceae, and Actinobacteria of the genera Kocuria and Rothia were the predominant groups. Molecular probes were used to determine predominance of Desulfovibrionales in the SRB enrichment cultures obtained from different horizons of pockmark sediments. Three archaeal phylotypes were revealed, belonging to Euryarchaeota. One of these fell into the group of uncultured methanotrophic archaea (ANME-1a), while the other two were most closely related to uncultured methanogens.     

Influence of climate factors on Vibrio cholerae dynamics in the Pearl River estuary,South China

Current research has seldom focused on the quantitative relationships between Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) and climate factors owing to the complexities and high cost of field observation in the aquatic environment. This study has focused on the relationships between V. cholerae and climate factors based on linear regression method and data partition method. Data gathered from 2008 to 2009 in the Pearl River estuary, South China, were adopted. Positive rate of V. cholerae was correlated closely with monthly climate factors of water temperature and air temperature, respectively in 2009. Quarterly data analysis from 2008 to 2009 showed that there existed seasonal characteristic for V. cholerae. Positive rate of V. cholerae was correlated positively with quarterly climate factors of land surface temperature, pH, water temperature, air temperature and rainfall, respectively and negatively with quarterly air pressure. Partition data analysis in 2009 showed that there existed geography region characteristic for V. cholerae. V. cholerae dynamics was closely correlated to climate factors in the downstream area. However, it was more greatly affected by human geography factors in the urban area. Positive annual rate of V. cholerae was higher in the downstream area than in the urban area both in 2008 and 2009. At last, a cellular automaton model was used to simulate V. cholerae diffusion downstream, and the distribution of V. cholerae obtained from this model was similar to that obtained from the field observations.     

Stratification of Archaeal communities in shallow sediments of the Pearl River Estuary,Southern China

Microorganisms are known to play fundamental roles in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon in the coastal environments. To get to know the composition and ecological roles of the archaeal communities within the sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, Southern China, the diversity and vertical distribution of archaea in a sediment core was reported based on the 16S rRNA and mcrA genes for the first time. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that archaea were present at 10⁶–10⁷ 16S rRNA gene copies/g (wet weight) in the sediment core, and the proportion of mcrA versus 16S rRNA gene copies varied from 11 to 45%. 16S rRNA gene libraries were constructed and analyzed for the top layer (0–6 cm), middle layer (18–24 cm), sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ, 32–42 cm), and bottom layer (44–50 cm) sediments. The results indicated that Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group (MCG) was the main component in the sediments. The MCG archaea could be further divided into six subgroups: MCG-A, B, C, D, E, and F. On the other hand, mcrA sequences from methanogens related to the order Methanomicrobiales and ANME-2 methanotrophs were detected in all sediment layers. Taken together, our data revealed a largely unknown archaeal community in which MCG dominated within the Pearl River estuarine sediments, while methanogens and methane-oxidizing archaea putatively involving in methane metabolism, were also found in the community. This is the first important step towards elucidating the biogeochemical roles of these archaea in the Pearl River Estuary.     

珠江口南沙河涌浮游植物群落结构时空变化及其与环境因子的关系

随着城市生态健康理念的提出,城市河涌生态健康也受到了前所未有的关注。为更好的了解河涌的水环境和浮游植物现状,于2015年3月至2016年2月对珠江口南沙河涌8个站位水环境和浮游植物群落结构进行调查。结果显示:共发现浮游植物164种(属),隶属7门73属,其中以绿藻种类最多,达33属79种,占48.17%;硅藻次之,17属41种,占25%。优势种为梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)、假鱼腥藻属(Pseudanabaena sp.)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)。浮游植物细胞密度在0.19×10~6—101.34×10~6个/L内变动,呈现单峰型,在4月发生拟菱形弓形藻(Schroederia nitzschioides)水华,14涌密度高达87.38×10~6个/L,随后因强降雨细胞密度骤降。浮游植物群落的季节演替基本符合PEG(Plankton Ecology Group)模型,从冬季的硅藻,到春夏季的绿藻,再到秋季的蓝藻。One-way ANOVA分析显示,各月份浮游植物细胞密度差异显著(P0.01)。Pearson相关性分析表明绿藻细胞丰度变化主导着浮游植物总丰度的变化(r=0.454,P0.01)。运用Margalef物种丰富度指数、Shannon物种多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数对水体进行评价表明,调查水体呈中度污染。相关加权营养状态指数表明,河涌全年处于富营养化状态。浮游植物聚类分析表明,时间异质性较高,总体相似性较低;空间上相似性较高,人为活动可能是导致空间差异的关键因子。冗余分析显示,叶绿素a、溶解氧、盐度、水温、总氮和p H与浮游植物群落结构关系最为密切。p H对硅藻门浮游植物影响较大,碱性条件适宜直链藻生长,春季水华形成的驱动因子是盐度、温度和总氮。     

Vertical distribution and diversity of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes in the Pearl River estuarine sediments, Southern China

The vertical distribution and diversity of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRPs) in a sediment core from the Pearl River Estuary was reported for the first time. The profiles of methane and sulfate concentrations along the sediment core indicated processes of methane production/oxidation and sulfate reduction. Phospholipid fatty acids analysis suggested that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) might be abundant in the upper layers, while SRPs might be distributed throughout the sediment core. Quantitative competitive-PCR analysis indicated that the ratios of SRPs to total bacteria in the sediment core varied from around 2–20%. Four dissimilatory sulfite reductase ( dsrAB) gene libraries were constructed and analyzed for the top layer (0–6 cm), middle layer (18–24 cm), bottom layer (44–50 cm) and the sulfate-methane transition zone (32–42 cm) sediments. Most of the retrieved dsrAB sequences (80.9%) had low sequence similarity with known SRP sequences and formed deeply branching dsrAB lineages. Meanwhile, bacterial 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that members of the Proteobacteria were predominant in these sediments. Putative SRPs within Desulfobacteriaceae, Syntrophaceae and Desulfobulbaceae of Deltaproteobacteria , and putative SOB within Epsilonproteobacteria were detected by the 16S rRNA gene analysis. Results of this study suggested a variety of novel SRPs in the Pearl River Estuary sediments.     

River flow influence on the fish community of the Tagus estuary (Portugal)

The influence of river flow on the fish community was assessed for the Tagus estuary (Portugal), based on sampling surveys carried out between 1979 and 2002. Four estuarine areas were sampled using similar fishing gear and effort in all the years considered in this study (1978–1980; 1995–1997; and 2001–2002). According to river freshwater flow values, sampling years were classified as wet (mean value of 714 m³ s⁻¹, sd = 110 m³ s⁻¹) or dry (mean value of 164 m³ s⁻¹, sd = 19m³ s⁻¹). Species richness varied between 22 and 39 according to the year, but no significant differences were related to river flow. The number of species per ecological guild was also similar in wet and dry years. Fish assemblage was dominated by marine occasional, estuarine resident and marine-estuarine opportunist species that represented near 90% of all fish species. The highest densities were represented by estuarine resident species. Fish density in dry and wet years differed significantly (mean density of 10.51 individuals 1,000 m⁻² and 3.62 individuals 1,000 m⁻², respectively), and the major differences were registered for estuarine resident, marine-estuarine opportunist and catadromous species. These differences probably reflected the estuarine habitat availability and also differences in fish densities in some estuarine areas under different flow conditions. The multivariate ordination analyses performed outlined both seasonal and spatial variation trends in fish distribution and abundance. The estuarine longitudinal gradient and its relationship with species distribution were less evident in dry years. Relationships between species abundance and river flow were different according to species, which is probably due to different needs in the timing and magnitude of river flow. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

An oral developmental neurotoxicity study of decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) in rats

BACKGROUND: Decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE; CASRN 1163‐19‐5) is a flame retardant used in a variety of manufactured products. A single oral dose of 20.1 mg/kg administered to mice on postnatal day 3 has been reported to alter motor activity at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. METHODS: To further evaluate these results, a developmental neurotoxicity study was conducted in the most commonly used species for studies of this type, the rat, according to international validated testing guidelines and Good Laboratory Practice Standards. DecaBDE was administered orally via gavage in corn oil to dams from gestation day 6 to weaning at doses of 0, 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 mg/kg/day. Standard measures of growth, development, and neurological endpoints were evaluated in the offspring. Motor activity was assessed at 2 months of age. Additional motor activity assessments were conducted at 4 and 6 months of age. Neuropathology and morphometry evaluations of the offspring were performed at weaning and adulthood. RESULTS: No treatment‐related neurobehavioral changes were observed in detailed clinical observations, startle response, or learning and memory tests. No test substance‐related changes were noted in motor activity assessments performed at 2, 4, or 6 months of age. Finally, no treatment‐related neuropathological or morphometric alterations were found. CONCLUSIONS: Under the conditions of this study, the no‐observed‐adverse‐effect level for developmental neurotoxicity of DecaBDE was 1,000 mg/kg/day, the highest dose tested. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 92:17–35, 2011.© 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

珠江口浮游桡足类的生态研究

根据2002～2003年珠江口12个航次的调查资料,分析了浮游桡足类种类组成、优势种演替和丰度的时空变化,探讨其影响因素。以表层盐度(S)变化将调查海域划分三个区域:I区(S<25)、Ⅱ区(2530)。结果表明:调查海域共出现桡足类65种,Ⅱ区和Ⅲ区的种类多于I区;桡足类的平均丰度为118ind·m^-3,三个区域之间的比较为Ⅱ区(165ind·m^-3)>I区(129ind·m^-3)>Ⅲ区(62ind·m^-3),春、夏季的丰度高于冬季;优势种有明显的时间和区域上的变化。I区9个航次的研究结果表明:I区桡足类种类较少;各月份之间的平均丰度差别大,由河口内往外呈增加趋势。盐度是影响珠江口桡足类种类组成和数量变化的主要因素。