Antlers as biomonitors of environmental pollution by lead and fluoride: A review

Antlers are periodically cast and re-grown cranial appendages of deer. Both endochondral and intramembranous ossification are involved in the formation of antler bone. After velvet shedding, antlers are completely bony structures which are referred to as hard antlers. Growing antlers accumulate substances with an affinity to mineralized tissues. Among these substances are lead and fluoride. Due to the seasonally limited life span of antlers, the concentrations of lead and fluoride in hard antlers reflect uptake by the forming bone during a defined, species-specific period of some months. Antlers can thus be viewed as naturally standardized environmental samples that are well suited as biomonitors of environmental pollution by bone-seeking contaminants. Because hard antlers are collected by hunters as trophies and kept in private or public collections, material for study can be obtained rather easily. So far, lead concentrations in hard antlers have been reported only from Europe, whereas data for fluoride are available from both Europe and North America. Some studies compared contaminant concentrations in antlers from different regions, while others analyzed time-trends in contaminant levels in antlers from a single region. Using the latter approach, a pronounced drop of lead concentrations during recent decades has been reported for antlers from various European countries. This indicates a marked decline of environmental lead levels that can be attributed mainly to the phase-out of leaded gasoline and, in addition, to a reduction of lead emissions also from stationary sources. In Germany, a corresponding drop has also been recorded for fluoride concentrations in antlers, which is attributed to a decline of fluoride emissions from stationary sources due to improved emission-control measures. There is some evidence that exposure to higher levels of fluoride may lead to an impaired antler mineralization. Using antlers as biomonitors has been shown to be an efficient method for assessing environmental pollution by lead and fluoride at low cost. Further studies using this now well established approach are therefore encouraged.This revised version was published online in May 2005. The following errors were eliminated:1. In the chapter Antler growth and mineralization in the last sentence of the first paragraph a slash was missing between the words reindeer and caribou; 2. In the second paragraph of the same chapter the word reiudees was corrected to reindeer; 3. In the chapter Accumulation of lead and fluoride in growing antlers the word lightest was corrected to highest.     

Influence of petroleum contamination and biostimulation treatment on the diversity of Pseudomonas spp. in soil microcosms as evaluated by 16S rRNA based-PCR and DGGE

AIMS: The aim of this study was to apply a group specific PCR system followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis to evaluate the effect of oil contamination and the biostimulation process on the diversity of Pseudomonas populations in soil ecosystems. METHODS AND RESULTS: Direct DNA extraction from biostimulated- and oil-contaminated soil samples was performed. Primers specific for the genus Pseudomonas spp. were used to amplify 16S rRNA genes and then a semi-nested PCR reaction was applied to obtain smaller fragments for comparing the PCR products by DGGE. Whether in bulk, oil-contaminated or biostimulated soils, the DGGE profiles revealed little change in Pseudomonas community throughout the 270 days of experiment. The presence of a few additional bands observed only in treated samples indicated that a bacterial shift occurred with the addition of nutrients and with oil contamination. CONCLUSIONS, SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The combination of semi-nested PCR and DGGE was found to be a rapid and sensitive technique to study the diversity within the genus Pseudomonas and may be suitable for further studies concerning the role of this bacterial group in large-scale oil-contaminated areas.     

On the interrelationship between outdoor air pollution and respiratory allergy

Respiratory allergic diseases appear to be increasingin both prevalence and severity in most countries, andsubjects living in urban and industrialized areas aremore likely to have respiratory allergic symptoms thanthose living in rural areas. This increase has beenlinked, among various factors, to air pollution and tothe westernized lifestyle. In the outdoor environment,the most important air pollutants are sulphur dioxide,nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter.Particulate diesel exhaust emissions, besides actingas irritant, are thought to modulate the immuneresponse, with an adjuvant activity on IgE synthesis,thereby facilitating allergic sensitization inpredisposed subjects. In other words, atopic statecan be upregulated by environmental influences, andsome subjects develop atopic disease in response tothese environmental factors when they are inhaled incombination with aeroallergens. Moreover, airpollutants produce greater responses in asthmaticsubjects. Since airborne pollen allergens and airpollutants are often increased contemporaneously, anenhanced IgE-mediated response to aeroallergens andenhanced airway inflammation could account for theincreasing frequency of allergic respiratory diseases,in particular those induced by pollen allergens, inurban areas.     

The mapping of stress in the predominant plantsin the city of Palermo by lead dosage

Many plants react to pollutants in the atmosphere andcan consequentely be used to examine air quality.A distinction is made between bioindicator,bioaccumulator and hiperaccumulator and biomonitorplants.Given the encouraging results of a study to monitorstress caused by pollution in the city of Palermo(Sicily), we decided to carry out a survey ofpollutants, by examining some passive bioindicatorplants, which grow naturally or which had long agobeen planted in the city. The species chosen were:Eucaliptus camaldulensis Dehnh.; Pinuspinea L.; Platanus hybrida Brot, examples ofwhich are found all over the city.Biostructural and spectrophotometry analyses werecarried out on the leaf and pollen samples, payingparticular attention to lead. Most damage (cytologicalalterations and lead accumulation) was found in thepine; morphological and cytological parameters arehighly unspecific but positively correlated with leadpresence in plant structures.     

Bacterial biodegradation of aliphatic sulfides under aerobic carbon- or sulfur-limited growth conditions

AIMS: To isolate bacteria capable of cleaving aliphatic carbon-sulfur bonds as potential biological upgrading catalysts for the reduction of molecular weight and viscosity in heavy crude oil. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-one bacterial strains isolated from enrichment cultures were able to biotransform model compounds representing the aliphatic sulfide bridges found in asphaltenes. Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, three types of attack were identified: alkyl chain degradation, allowing use as a carbon source; nonspecific sulfur oxidation; and sulfur-specific oxidation and carbon-sulfur bond cleavage, allowing use as a sulfur source. Di-n-octyl sulfide degradation produced octylthio- and octylsulfonyl-alkanoic acids, consistent with terminal oxidation followed by beta-oxidation reactions. Utilization of dibenzyl sulfide or 1,4-dithiane as a sulfur source was regulated by sulfate, indicating a sulfur-specific activity rather than nonspecific oxidation. Finally, several isolates were also able to use dibenzothiophene as a sulfur source, and this was the preferred organic sulfur substrate for one isolate. CONCLUSIONS: The use of commercially available alkyl sulfides in enrichment cultures gave isolates that followed a range of metabolic pathways, not just sulfur-specific attack. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These results give new insight into biodegradation of organosulfur compounds from petroleum and for biotreatment of such compounds in chemical munitions.     

Renewable Energy from Willow Biomass Crops: Life Cycle Energy,Environmental and Economic Performance

Short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) along with other woody biomass feedstocks will play a significant role in a more secure and sustainable energy future for the United States and around the world. In temperate regions, shrub willows are being developed as a SRWC because of their potential for high biomass production in short time periods, ease of vegetative propagation, broad genetic base, and ability to resprout after multiple harvests. Understanding and working with willow's biology is important for the agricultural and economic success of the system.

The energy, environmental, and economic performance of willow biomass production and conversion to electricity is evaluated using life cycle modeling methods. The net energy ratio (electricity generated/life cycle fossil fuel consumed) for willow ranges from 10 to 13 for direct firing and gasification processes. Reductions of 70 to 98 percent (compared to U.S. grid generated electricity) in greenhouse gas emissions as well as NO_x, SO₂, and particulate emissions are achieved.

Despite willow's multiple environmental and rural development benefits, its high cost of production has limited deployment. Costs will be lowered by significant improvements in yields and production efficiency and by valuing the system's environmental and rural development benefits. Policies like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), federal biomass tax credits and renewable portfolio standards will make willow cost competitive in the near term.

The avoided air pollution from the substitution of willow for conventional fossil fuel generated electricity has an estimated damage cost of $0.02 to $0.06 kWh^?1. The land intensity of about 4.9 × 10^?5 ha-yr/kWh is greater than other renewable energy sources. This may be considered the most significant limitation of willow, but unlike other biomass crops such as corn it can be cultivated on the millions of hectares of marginal agricultural lands, improving site conditions, soil quality and landscape diversity. A clear advantage of willow biomass compared to other renewables is that it is a stock resource whereas wind and PV are intermittent. With only 6 percent of the current U.S. energy consumption met by renewable sources the accelerated development of willow biomass and other renewable energy sources is critical to address concerns of energy security and environmental impacts associated with fossil fuels.     

Toxicity of diesel fuel to germination,growth and colonization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Glomus intraradices</Emphasis> in soil and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> transformed carrot root cultures

Phytoremediation is the use of selected plants to decontaminate polluted environments. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may potentially be useful for phytoremediation, but it is not known how petroleum hydrocarbons influence AMF spore germination and hyphal growth. To address this question, germination of spores and germ tube growth of Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith and Glomus aggregatum Schenck and Smith were assessed in soil contaminated with up to 3% (w/v) of F2 diesel oil or HAGO reference oil. Hyphal growth, colonization and progeny spore production were assessed in vitro using transformed root cultures of Daucus carota and G. intraradices spores in a F2 diesel contaminated medium. In addition, extraradical hyphal growth of G. intraradices colonizing Daucus carota in the presence of F2 diesel was studied. Neither F2 diesel nor HAGO reference oil affected spore germination or germ tube growth in soil. However, in the presence of plant roots, germ tube growth of G. intraradices was reduced and delayed in the presence of F2 diesel and root colonization was not detected. Hyphal growth of pre-colonized carrot roots by G. intraradices was reduced and delayed in F2 contaminated medium compared to controls. F2 diesel did not inhibit spore germination of these AMF species but did reduce colonization, germ tube and hyphal growth. These results suggest that AMF inoculum can be established in petroleum-contaminated sites. However, it may prove beneficial to plant pre-colonized plants to increase the probability of sufficient AMF colonization and growth. The likely mechanism(s) of petroleum toxicity in this plant-microbe system was discussed.     

活性X-3B红染料的生物富集因子及在作物体内的分配

有机染料已成为中国地表环境中重要的一大类有机污染物.采用水培和土培两种微宇宙生态试验方法,对活性X-3B红染料的生物富集因子(BCF)及在作物体内的分配进行了研究.结果表明,在试验浓度范围内,该化合物BCF为252.1～409.4根据这一数值和有关评判依据,可知一般生物体对该有机染料具有中等水平的富集能力,各试验作物地下部分对活性X-3B红染料的积累比地上部分至少超出10倍,尤其以根部作为食物的萝卜更为明显从土壤-作物系统的完整性进行比较和以地上籽实为粮食的作物来看,各作物及其不同部位对活性X-3B红染料的积累浓度大致为大豆(棕壤)＞小麦(褐土)＞水稻(水稻土),根>茎秆＞叶＞籽实(不含壳);而从这些作物在其籽实中积累活性X-3B红染料来看,以累积量为最低的水稻籽实中的最大浓度也可达到23.33μg·lg^-1.可见,该有机染料对环境污染的生态风险不容忽视.     

活性X—3B红染料的生物富集因子及在作物体内的分配

有机染料已成为中国地表环境中重要的一大类有机污染物,采用水培和土壤两种微宇宙生态试验方法,对活性X－3B红染料的生物富集因子（BCF）及在作物体内的分配进行了研究,结果表明,在试验浓度范围内,该化合物BCF为252．1－409．4,根据这一数值和有关评判依据,可知一般生物体对该有机染料具有中等水平的富集能力,各试验作物地下部分对活性X－3B红染料的积累比地上部分至少超出10倍,尤其以根部作为食物的萝卡更为明显,从土壤－作物系统的完整性进行了比较和以地上籽实为粮食的作物来看,各作物及其不同部位对活性X－3B红染料的积累浓度大致为大豆（棕壤）＞小麦（褐土）＞水稻（水稻土）,根＞＞茎秆＞叶＞籽实（不含壳）;而从这些作物在其籽实中积累活性X－3B红染料来看,以累积量为最低的水稻籽实中的最大浓度也可达到23．33μg.kg^-1,可见,该有机染料对环境污染的生态风险不容忽视。     

The Response of Plastidome and Chondriome in Leaf Chlorenchyma to Prolonged Atmospheric Pollution

The quantitative changes in the major organelles, chloroplasts and mitochondria, were followed in order to evaluate plant cell responses to prolonged atmospheric pollution. Chlorenchyma cells were compared in needle and leaves of evergreen (Pinus sylvestris, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and Vaccinium vitis-idaea), deciduous (Betula pubescens, V. myrtillus, and V. uliginosum), and herbaceous (Cornus suecica, Potentilla erecta, and Solidago lapponica) plants growing at distances of 65 to 70 km (an undisturbed habitat) and 8 to 10 km (a heavily damaged habitat) from the Severonikel industrial complex in the town of Monchegorsk on the Kola peninsula. Chlorenchyma cells with the structure undamaged by atmospheric pollination were used for comparison. In undamaged (depressed) chlorenchyma cells of needles and leaves affected by heavy pollination, the morphometric analysis showed that the chloroplast density did not change, while the mitochondrial density increased in most species under study. The considerable increase in the number of mitochondria in the depressed chlorenchyma cells of needles and leaves in evergreen plant species seems to constitute the mechanism for plant compensation under prolonged stress conditions.