Drought effects on volatile organic compound emissions from Scots pine stems

Tree stems have been identified as sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that play important roles in tree defence and atmospheric chemistry. Yet, we lack understanding on the magnitude and environmental drivers of stem VOC emissions in various forest ecosystems. Due to the increasing importance of extreme drought, we studied drought effects on the VOC emissions from mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stems. We measured monoterpenes, acetone, acetaldehyde and methanol emissions with custom-made stem chambers, online PTR-MS and adsorbent sampling in a drought-prone forest over the hot-dry summer of 2018 and compared the emission rates and dynamics between trees in naturally dry conditions and under long-term irrigation (drought release). The pine stems were significant monoterpene sources. The stem monoterpene emissions potentially originated from resin, based on their similar monoterpene spectra. The emission dynamics of all VOCs followed temperature at a daily scale, but monoterpene and acetaldehyde emission rates decreased nonlinearly with drought over the summer. Despite the dry conditions, large peaks of monoterpene, acetaldehyde and acetone emissions occurred in late summer potentially due to abiotic or biotic stressors. Our results highlight the potential importance of stem emissions in the ecosystem VOC budget, encouraging further studies in diverse environments.     

Physiological and physicochemical controls on foliar volatile organic compound emissions

Plant leaves emit a broad spectrum of organic compounds that typically play multiple roles in plant protection. Furthermore, most of these compounds actively participate in tropospheric chemistry. There has been rapid progress in understanding how the emission of volatiles is regulated, mostly focusing on the biochemical controls over compound production. However, physicochemical characteristics such as low volatility or diffusion can also control the emissions and interact with physiological limitations. In particular, non-specific leaf storage of less volatile compounds smooths the emission responses to fluctuating environmental conditions, and diffusion through stomata leads to conspicuous emission bursts after stomatal opening and modifications of diurnal emission time courses. Because natural conditions always fluctuate, both physiological and physicochemical controls exert a major influence over plant volatile emissions.     

Impacts of nitrogen fertilization on volatile organic compound emissions from decomposing plant litter

Nonmethane volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are reactive, low molecular weight gases that can have significant effects on soil and atmospheric processes. Research into biogenic VOC sources has primarily focused on plant emissions, with few studies on VOC emissions from decomposing plant litter, another potentially important source. Likewise, although there have been numerous studies examining how anthropogenic increases in nitrogen (N) availability can influence litter decomposition rates, we do not know how VOC emissions may be affected. In this study, we measured the relative contribution of VOCs to the total carbon (C) emitted from decomposing litter and how N amendments affected VOC emissions. We incubated decomposing litter from 12 plant species over 125 days, measuring both CO₂ and VOC emissions throughout the incubation. We found that VOCs represented a large portion of C emissions from a number of the litter types with C emissions as VOCs ranging from 0% to 88% of C emissions as CO₂. Methanol was the dominant VOC emitted, accounting for 28–99% of total VOC emissions over the incubation period. N additions increased CO₂ production in 7 of the 12 litter types by 5–180%. In contrast, N additions decreased VOC emissions in 8 of the 12 litter types, reducing net VOC emissions to near zero. The decrease in VOC emissions was occasionally large enough to account for the increased CO₂ emissions on a per unit C basis, suggesting that N additions may not necessarily accelerate C loss from decomposing litter but rather just switch the form of C emitted. Together these results suggest that, for certain litter types, failure to account for VOC emissions may lead to an underestimation of C losses from litter decomposition and an overestimation of the effects of N additions on rates of litter decomposition.     

Origin of volatile organic compound emissions from subarctic tundra under global warming

Warming occurs in the Arctic twice as fast as the global average, which in turn leads to a large enhancement in terpenoid emissions from vegetation. Volatile terpenoids are the main class of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that play crucial roles in atmospheric chemistry and climate. However, the biochemical mechanisms behind the temperature‐dependent increase in VOC emissions from subarctic ecosystems are largely unexplored. Using ¹³CO₂‐labeling, we studied the origin of VOCs and the carbon (C) allocation under global warming in the soil–plant–atmosphere system of contrasting subarctic heath tundra vegetation communities characterized by dwarf shrubs of the genera Salix or Betula. The projected temperature rise of the subarctic summer by 5°C was realistically simulated in sophisticated climate chambers. VOC emissions strongly depended on the plant species composition of the heath tundra. Warming caused increased VOC emissions and significant changes in the pattern of volatiles toward more reactive hydrocarbons. The ¹³C was incorporated to varying degrees in different monoterpene and sesquiterpene isomers. We found that de novo monoterpene biosynthesis contributed to 40%–44% (Salix) and 60%–68% (Betula) of total monoterpene emissions under the current climate, and that warming increased the contribution to 50%–58% (Salix) and 87%–95% (Betula). Analyses of above‐ and belowground ^12/13C showed shifts of C allocation in the plant–soil systems and negative effects of warming on C sequestration by lowering net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ and increasing C loss as VOCs. This comprehensive analysis provides the scientific basis for mechanistically understanding the processes controlling terpenoid emissions, required for modeling VOC emissions from terrestrial ecosystems and predicting the future chemistry of the arctic atmosphere. By changing the chemical composition and loads of VOCs into the atmosphere, the current data indicate that global warming in the Arctic may have implications for regional and global climate and for the delicate tundra ecosystems.     

Non-methane biogenic volatile organic compound emissions from boreal peatland microcosms under warming and water table drawdown

Boreal peatlands have significant emissions of non-methane biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Climate warming is expected to affect these ecosystems both directly, with increasing temperature, and indirectly, through water table drawdown following increased evapotranspiration. We assessed the combined effect of warming and water table drawdown on the BVOC emissions from boreal peatland microcosms. We also assessed the treatment effects on the BVOC emissions from the peat soil after the 7-week long experiment. Emissions of isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, other reactive VOCs and other VOCs were sampled using a conventional chamber technique, collected on adsorbent and analyzed by GC–MS. Carbon emitted as BVOCs was less than 1% of the CO₂ uptake and up to 3% of CH₄ emission. Water table drawdown surpassed the direct warming effect and significantly decreased the emissions of all BVOC groups. Only isoprene emission was significantly increased by warming, parallel to the increased leaf number of the dominant sedge Eriophorum vaginatum. BVOC emissions from peat soil were higher under the control and warming treatments than water table drawdown, suggesting an increased activity of anaerobic microbial community. Our results suggest that boreal peatlands could have concomitant negative and positive radiative forcing effects on climate warming following the effect of water table drawdown. The observed decrease in CH₄ emission causes a negative radiative forcing while the increase in CO₂ emission and decrease in reactive BVOC emissions, which could reduce the cooling effect induced by the lower formation rate of secondary organic aerosols, both contribute to increased radiative forcing.     

Human-induced changes in US biogenic volatile organic compound emissions: evidence from long-term forest inventory data

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by woody vegetation influence global climate forcing and the formation of tropospheric ozone. We use data from over 250 000 re‐surveyed forest plots in the eastern US to estimate emission rates for the two most important biogenic VOCs (isoprene and monoterpenes) in the 1980s and 1990s, and then compare these estimates to give a decadal change in emission rate. Over much of the region, particularly the southeast, we estimate that there were large changes in biogenic VOC emissions: half of the grid cells (1°× 1°) had decadal changes in emission rate outside the range ?2.3% to +16.8% for isoprene, and outside the range 0.2–17.1% for monoterpenes. For an average grid cell the estimated decadal change in heatwave biogenic VOC emissions (usually an increase) was three times greater than the decadal change in heatwave anthropogenic VOC emissions (usually a decrease, caused by legislation). Leaf‐area increases in forests, caused by anthropogenic disturbance, were the most important process increasing biogenic VOC emissions. However, in the southeast, which had the largest estimated changes, there were substantial effects of ecological succession (which decreased monoterpene emissions and had location‐specific effects on isoprene emissions), harvesting (which decreased monoterpene emissions and increased isoprene emissions) and plantation management (which increased isoprene emissions, and decreased monoterpene emissions in some states but increased monoterpene emissions in others). In any given region, changes in a very few tree species caused most of the changes in emissions: the rapid changes in the southeast were caused almost entirely by increases in sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and a few pine species. Therefore, in these regions, a more detailed ecological understanding of just a few species could greatly improve our understanding of the relationship between natural ecological processes, forest management, and biogenic VOC emissions.     

Biogenic volatile organic compound emissions in four vegetation types in high arctic Greenland

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted from terrestrial vegetation participate in oxidative reactions in the atmosphere, leading to the formation of secondary organic aerosols and longer lifetime of methane. Global models of BVOC emissions have assumed minimal emissions from the high latitudes. However, measurements from this region are lacking, and studies from the high arctic are yet to be published. This study aimed to obtain estimates for BVOC emissions from the high arctic, and hereby to add new knowledge to the understanding of global BVOC emissions. Measurements were conducted in four vegetation types dominated by Cassiope tetragona, Salix arctica, Vaccinium uliginosum and a mixture of Kobresia myosuroides, Dryas spp. and Poa arctica. Emissions were measured by an enclosure technique and collection of volatiles into adsorbent cartridges in August. Volatiles were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry following thermal desorption. Isoprene showed highest emissions in S. arctica heath. Monoterpene and sesquiterpene emissions were especially associated with C. tetragona heath. Total observed emissions were comparable in magnitude to emissions previously found in the subarctic, whereas isoprene emissions were lower. This study shows that considerable amounts of BVOCs are emitted from the high arctic. The results are also of importance as the emissions from this region are expected to increase in the future as a result of the predicted climate warming in the high arctic. We suggest further studies to assess the effects of climate changes in the region in order to gain new knowledge and understanding of future global BVOC emissions.     

Microbial communities related to volatile organic compound emission in automobile air conditioning units

During operation of mobile air conditioning (MAC) systems in automobiles, malodours can occur. We studied the microbial communities found on contaminated heat exchanger fins of 45 evaporators from car MAC systems which were operated in seven different regions of the world and identified corresponding volatile organic compounds. Collected biofilms were examined by scanning electron microscopy and fluorescent in situ hybridization. The detected bacteria were loosely attached to the metal surface. Further analyses of the bacteria using PCR-based single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing of isolated 16S rRNA gene fragments identified highly divergent microbial communities with multiple members of the Alphaproteobacteriales, Methylobacteria were the prevalent bacteria. In addition, Sphingomonadales, Burkholderiales, Bacillales, Alcanivorax spp. and Stenotrophomonas spp. were found among many others depending on the location the evaporators were operated. Interestingly, typical pathogenic bacteria related to air conditioning systems including Legionella spp. were not found. In order to determine the nature of the chemical compounds produced by the bacteria, the volatile organic compounds were examined by closed loop stripping analysis and identified by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Sulphur compounds, i.e. di-, tri- and multiple sulphides, acetylthiazole, aromatic compounds and diverse substituted pyrazines were detected. Mathematical clustering of the determined microbial community structures against their origin identified a European/American/Arabic cluster versus two mainly tropical Asian clusters. Interestingly, clustering of the determined volatiles against the origin of the corresponding MAC revealed a highly similar pattern. A close relationship of microbial community structure and resulting malodours to the climate and air quality at the location of MAC operation was concluded.     

Microbial community related to volatile organic compound (VOC) emission in household biowaste

Malodorous emissions and potentially pathogenic microorganisms which develop during domestic organic waste collection are not only a nuisance but may also pose health risks. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the presence of specific microorganisms in biowastes is directly related to the composition of the emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The succession of microbial communities during 16 days of storage in organic waste collection bins was studied by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of amplified 16S ribosomal DNA in parallel with a classical cultivation and isolation approach. Approximately 60 different bacterial species and 20 different fungal species were isolated. Additionally, some bacterial species were identified through sequencing of excised DGGE bands. Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) was used to detect VOCs over the sampling periods, and co-inertia analyses of VOC concentrations with DGGE band intensities were conducted. Positive correlations, indicating production of the respective VOC or enhancement of microbial growth, and negative correlations, indicating the use of, or microbial inhibition by the respective compound, were found for the different VOCs. Measurement of the VOC emission pattern from a pure culture of Lactococcus lactis confirmed the positive correlations for the protonated masses 89 (tentatively identified as butyric acid), 63 (tentatively identified as dimethylsulfide), 69 (likely isoprene) and 73 (likely butanone).     

Method for evaluating mold growth on ceiling tile

A method to extract mold spores from porous ceiling tiles was developed using a masticator blender. Ceiling tiles were inoculated and analyzed using four species of mold. Statistical analysis comparing results obtained by masticator extraction and the swab method was performed. The masticator method was demonstrated as efficient for bulk sampling of ceiling tiles.     

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on root traits and root volatile organic compound emissions of Sorghum bicolor

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plant roots have important functions that can influence the rhizospheric environment. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on the profile of root VOCs. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) plants were grown in pots inoculated with either Glomus mosseae or Glomus intraradices, which formed mycorrhiza with the roots. Control plants were grown in pots inoculated with sterile inoculum and did not form mycorrhiza. Forty-four VOCs were determined using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Alkanes were the most abundant type of VOCs emitted by both mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. Both the quantity and type of volatiles were dramatically altered by the presence of AM fungi, and these changes had species specificity. Compared with non-mycorrhizal plants, mycorrhizal plants emitted more alcohols, alkenes, ethers and acids but fewer linear-alkanes. The AM fungi also influenced the morphological traits of the host roots. The total root length and specific root length of mycorrhizal plants were significantly greater than those of non-mycorrhizal plants; however, both the incidence and length of root-hair were dramatically decreased. Our findings confirm that AM fungi can alter the profile of VOCs emitted by roots as well as the root morphology of sorghum plants, indicating that AM fungi have the potential to help plants adapt to and alter soil environments.     

Thermogenic respiratory processes drive the exponential increase of volatile organic compound emissions in Macrozamia cycad cones

An important outcome of plant thermogenesis is increased emissions of volatiles that mediate pollinator behaviour. We investigated whether the large increase in emissions, mainly the monoterpene ß‐myrcene (>90%), during daily thermogenic events of Macrozamia macleayi and lucida cycad cones are due solely to the influence of high cone temperatures or are, instead, a result of increased respiratory rates during thermogenesis. We concurrently measured temperature, oxygen consumption and ß‐myrcene emission profiles during thermogenesis of pollen cones under typical environmental temperatures and during experimental manipulations of cone temperatures and aerobic conditions, all in the dark. The exponential rise in ß‐myrcene emissions never occurred without a prior, large increase in respiration, whereas an increase in cone temperature alone did not increase emissions. When respiration during thermogenesis was interrupted by anoxic conditions, ß‐myrcene emissions decreased. The increased emission rates are not a result of increased cone temperature per se (through increased enzyme activity or volatilization of stored volatiles) but are dependent on biosynthetic pathways associated with increased respiration during thermogenesis that provide the carbon, energy (ATP) and reducing compounds (NADPH) required for ß‐myrcene production through the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway. These findings establish the significant contribution of respiration to volatile production during thermogenesis.     

Abatement of volatile organic sulfur compounds in odorous emissions from the bio-industry

Compounds of interest in this work are methanethiol (MeSH), dimethyl sulfide (Me₂S), dimethyl polysulfides (Me₂S_x) and carbon disulfide (CS₂) since these volatiles have been identified as predominant odorants in the emission of a wide range of activities in the bio-industry (e.g. aerobic waste water treatment plants, composting plants, rendering plants). In these processes, the occurrence of volatile organic sulfur compounds is mainly related to the presence of anaerobic microsites with consecutive fermentation of sulfur containing organic material and/or to the breakdown of the latter due to thermal heating. Due to the chemical complexity of these low-concentrated waste gas streams and the high flow rates to be handled, mainly biotechnological techniques and scrubbers can be used to control the odour emission. When using biofilters or trickling filters, inoculation with specific micro-organisms and pH-control strategies should be implemented to optimise the removal of volatile organic sulfur compounds. In scrubbers, chemical oxidation of the volatile organic sulfur compounds can be obtained by dosing hypochlorite, ozone or hydrogen peroxide to the scrubbing liquid. However, optimal operational conditions for each of these abatement techniques requires a further research in order to guarantee a long-term and efficient overall odour abatement.     

Few long-term effects of simulated climate change on volatile organic compound emissions and leaf chemistry of three subarctic dwarf shrubs

Climate change is exposing arctic ecosystems to higher temperature, increased nutrient availability and shading due to the increasing cloud cover and the expanding forests. In this work, we assessed how these factors affect the emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from three subarctic dwarf shrub species in a field experiment after 18 treatment years. Of the studied species the willow Salix phylicifolia L. was the only isoprene-emitter with an emission potential of 16.1 ± 8.4 μg g⁻¹ dw h⁻¹ (at 30 °C and photosynthetic photon flux density of 1000 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹). The dwarf birch Betula nana L. had significant emissions of various reactive BVOCs, including monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The evergreen Cassiope tetragona (L.) D. Don emitted high amounts of mono- and sesquiterpenes. Due to chance, the temperature in the warming treatment (employing open-top plastic tents) and the unwarmed treatments was similar at the time of the measurements, and therefore long-term indirect effects of warming could be assessed without interference of temperature differences at the time of measurement. The long-term warming had not altered foliar N, P or condensed tannin concentrations, but it had led to other chemical changes detected in the near-infrared reflectance spectra of the leaves. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the BVOC emissions per unit leaf mass measured by the dynamic enclosure method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Annual additions of NPK fertilizer, which mimicked increased nutrient availability, had accumulated P in the leaves of all species. In addition, fertilization marginally increased the leaf N concentration of B. nana. The only significant fertilization effect on BVOC emissions was a stimulation of emission of the sesquiterpene β-selinene from S. phylicifolia. The shading treatment obtained by dome-shaped hessian tents did not cause clear long-term changes in leaf chemistry or BVOC emissions. The only observed change was a marginally significant increase in sesquiterpene emissions from B. nana. When the treatment effects on long-term biomass changes in the different treatments were taken into account by proportioning the BVOC emissions to the biomass of each species in the field treatments, warming led to a significant increase and shading to a decrease in the total BVOC emissions per unit ground area from B. nana. These results highlight the importance of an integrated approach for realistic assessment of responses to climate change.     

Volatile organic compound emissions from Microcystis aeruginosa under different phosphorus sources and concentrations

In eutrophicated water, cyanobacteria massively grow and release an abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to the water odor. To uncover the effects of different phosphorus (P) nutrients on the formation of cyanobacteria VOCs and water odor, the cell growth and VOC emissions of Microcystis aeruginosa were investigated under different P nutrient conditions. Among K₂HPO₄, Na₄P₂O₇, and (NaPO₃)₆, K₂HPO₄ showed the largest increase in cell density, while a reduction in P concentration decreased the cell density. There were 26, 23 and 22 compounds in M. aeruginosa VOCs with K₂HPO₄, Na₄P₂O₇ and (NaPO₃)₆ as the sole P source, respectively, including sulfocompounds, terpenoids, benzenes, hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, and esters. Non‐P markedly promoted the VOC emission, and six additional compounds were observed: α‐pinene, 1‐phenyl‐1‐butanone, 1H‐1‐ethylidene‐indene, 2,6,10‐trimethyl‐tetradecane, 2‐ethyl‐hexanal, and acetic acid 2‐ethylhexyl ester. It can be deduced that cyanobacteria release different VOC blends using various P forms in eutrophicated waters, and the reduction of P amount promotes VOC emission and increases the water odor.     

Climate change‐induced vegetation change as a driver of increased subarctic biogenic volatile organic compound emissions

Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) have been earlier shown to be highly temperature sensitive in subarctic ecosystems. As these ecosystems experience rapidly advancing pronounced climate warming, we aimed to investigate how warming affects the BVOC emissions in the long term (up to 13 treatment years). We also aimed to assess whether the increased litterfall resulting from the vegetation changes in the warming subarctic would affect the emissions. The study was conducted in a field experiment with factorial open‐top chamber warming and annual litter addition treatments on subarctic heath in Abisko, northern Sweden. After 11 and 13 treatment years, BVOCs were sampled from plant communities in the experimental plots using a push–pull enclosure technique and collection into adsorbent cartridges during the growing season and analyzed with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Plant species coverage in the plots was analyzed by the point intercept method. Warming by 2 °C caused a 2‐fold increase in monoterpene and 5‐fold increase in sesquiterpene emissions, averaged over all measurements. When the momentary effect of temperature was diminished by standardization of emissions to a fixed temperature, warming still had a significant effect suggesting that emissions were also indirectly increased. This indirect increase appeared to result from increased plant coverage and changes in vegetation composition. The litter addition treatment also caused significant increases in the emission rates of some BVOC groups, especially when combined with warming. The combined treatment had both the largest vegetation changes and the highest BVOC emissions. The increased emissions under litter addition were probably a result of a changed vegetation composition due to alleviated nutrient limitation and stimulated microbial production of BVOCs. We suggest that the changes in the subarctic vegetation composition induced by climate warming will be the major factor indirectly affecting the BVOC emission potentials and composition.     

On the induction of volatile organic compound emissions by plants as consequence of wounding or fluctuations of light and temperature

Among the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants, some are characteristic of stress conditions, but their biosynthesis and the metabolic and environmental control over the emission are still unclear. We performed experiments to clarify whether (1) the emission following wounding can occur at distance from the wounding site, from VOC pools subjected to metabolic signals; and (2) the emission of biogenic VOCs generated by membrane damage (e.g. consequent to wounding or ozone exposure) can also be induced by exposure to high light and high temperature, recurrent in nature. In Phragmites australis, leaf cutting caused large and rapid bursts of acetaldehyde both at the cutting site and on parts of the cut leaf distant from the cutting site. This emission was preceded by a transient stomatal opening and did not occur in conditions preventing stomatal opening. This suggests the presence of a large pool of leaf acetaldehyde whose release is under stomatal control. VOCs other than isoprene, particularly acetaldehyde and (E)-2-hexenal, one of the C-6 compounds formed by the denaturation of membrane lipids, were released by leaves exposed to high temperature and high light. The high-temperature treatment (45 degrees C) also caused a rapid stimulation and then a decay of isoprene emission in Phragmites leaves. Isoprene recovered to the original emission level after suspending the high-temperature treatment, suggesting a temporary deficit of photosynthetically formed substrate under high temperature. Emission of C-6 compounds was slowly induced by high temperature, and remained high, indicating that membrane denaturation occurs also after suspending the high-temperature treatment. Conversely, the emission of C-6 compounds was limited to the high-light episode in Phragmites. This suggests that a membrane denaturation may also occur in conditions that do not damage other important plant processes such as the photochemistry of photosynthesis of photoinhibition-insensitive plants. In the photoinhibition-sensitive Arabidopsis thaliana mutant NPQ1, a large but transient emission of (E)-2-hexenal was also observed a few minutes after the high-light treatment, indicating extensive damage to the membranes. However, (E)-2-hexenal emission was not observed in Arabidopsis plants fumigated with isoprene during the high-light treatment. This confirms that isoprene can effectively protect cellular membranes from denaturation. Our study indicates that large, though often transient, VOC emissions by plants occur in nature. In particular, we demonstrate that VOCs can be released by much larger tissues than those wounded and that even fluctuations of light and temperature regularly observed in nature can induce their emissions. This knowledge adds information that is useful for the parameterization of the emissions and for the estimate of biogenic VOC load in the atmosphere.     

Detection of bacterial cytotoxic activities from water-damaged ceiling tile material following incubation on blood agar

Samples of ceiling tiles with high levels of bacteria exhibited cytotoxic activities on a HEP-2 tissue culture assay. Ceiling tiles containing low levels of bacterial colonization did not show cytotoxic activities on the HEP-2 tissue culture assay. Using a spread plate procedure on blood agar plates, the levels of bacteria colonizing portions of cellulosic indoor ceiling tiles were easily identified. Levels of bacteria measured by this simple procedure may be a good indicator of microbial colonization of indoor building materials especially in the case of water damage. We suggest that bacterial levels above 150 CFU g⁻¹ of ceiling tile material indicate colonization has occurred. Received 24 December 1998/ Accepted in revised form 26 March 1999     

The consequences of volatile organic compound mediated bacterial and fungal interactions

Microbial interactions via infochemicals are fundamental to the development of spatial distribution and activity variations in ecosystems. Microorganisms produce a wide range of infochemicals, frequently secondary metabolites, most of which are soluble and many volatile. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been identified in soil atmospheres and related to community structure and function. VOC profiles produced by microorganisms are consistent, relating to cultural conditions, environment and inputs, and so to population and function dynamics. VOC-mediated interactions can result in functional responses by the organisms involved that result in selective advantage to some community members. Positive, negative or neutral interactions can occur between a very wide range of soil bacteria and fungi. These effects include both stimulation and inhibition of growth, by 40 and 60%, respectively, and enzyme production. These effects are usually transient, e.g. removal of an antagonist is followed by complete recovery. Up- and down-regulation of gene expression, by mRNA and protein profiling has been demonstrated. VOCs have played an important role during the evolution of microorganisms in the context of their communities. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

大气二氧化碳浓度增加对木本植物BVOCs释放的影响

植物挥发性有机化合物(biogenic volatile organic compounds,BVOCs)在近地表臭氧和二次有机气溶胶生成中有重要作用,而大气CO2浓度上升对植物BVOCs释放有显著影响。利用Meta-analysis方法对已发表的数据进行整合分析发现:(1)总体而言,大气CO2浓度增加会导致不同木本植物(常绿与落叶) BVOCs释放降低;(2)就不同木本植物BVOCs释放而言,大气CO2浓度增加主要导致落叶植物BVOCs释放速率降低,而常绿植物则以增加为主;(3)就植物释放BVOCs种类而言,大气CO2浓度增加显著降低异戊二烯的释放速率,对单萜烯释放速率则无显著影响。结果可为阐明陆地生态系统BVOCs释放对全球CO2浓度增加的响应提供依据。