Assessment of seasonal variability of biomarkers in three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) from a low contaminated stream: implication for environmental biomonitoring

In this study, wild three-spined sticklebacks were sampled every six weeks, between April and October, in a low contaminated stream. For all fish, physiological indexes, such as condition factor, hepato-, gonado- and nephro-somatic index were calculated to determine fish condition and reproductive status. Moreover, a set of biomarkers including biotransformation enzymes, oxidative stress parameters, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption markers was measured. The results allowed to determine biomarker variability due to fish gender or sampling season. For example, 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity, glutathione peroxidase as well as vitellogenin and spiggin exhibited strong gender differences. Conversely, lipoperoxidation and acethylcholinesterase activity were characterised by a lack of gender and seasonal variation, and can be considered as more robust parameters for a field application. The present work allowed to establish practical guideline for biomarker measurements in wild sticklebacks and to define a reference system which can be used to analyze variations in future monitoring studies.     

The ecology of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) in Western Siberia

The data on the ecology of bilberry and cowberry in the West Siberian Plain, Kuznetsk Ala Tau, and highland Altai are presented. Ecological ranges of these plants and amplitudes of their tolerance for some environmental factors are described.     

Uptake of curium (244Cm) by five benthic marine species (Arenicola marina,Cerastoderma edule,Corophium volutator,Nereis diversicolor and Scrobicularia plana): Comparison with americium and plutonium

Curium (²⁴⁴Cm) uptake from contaminated sea water was studied in five benthic marine species: two bivalve molluscs (Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule), two polychaete annelids (Arenicola marina and Nereis diversicolor) and one amphipod crustacean (Corophium volutator). The concentrations in the whole organisms relative to the concentration in the sea water (concentration factors) were: 700 for the amphipods (after 11 d of accumulation), 140 for the cockles (after 28 d), 80 for the scrobicularia (after 23 d) and ∼30 for the two annelids (after >20 d). All species except S. plana accumulated americium and curium similarly; S. plana accumulated similar amounts of curium and plutonium.     

Health effects and exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and metals in a contaminated community

Environmental measurements carried out by local authorities during the 1970s, 80s and 90s in an area contaminated by hundreds of years of industrial activities have revealed high levels of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in soil, vegetables, root crops, berries and mushrooms. In 1972, a large quantity of oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was accidentally spilled into the river running through the village. To investigate the possible health effects of exposure from local sources, all cancer diagnoses, registered in 1960–2003 for individuals living in the study area, were collected from the regional cancer register of southeast Sweden. The total cancer incidence was non-significantly decreased both among males and females as compared to national rates (SIR = 0.91) for each gender. Among males, increased risks, of border-line significance, were seen for testicular cancer and lymphomas as well as significantly decreased risks for cancer in the rectum, respiratory system and brain. Information on lifetime residence, occupation, smoking habits, diseases, childbirth and food consumption, was collected via questionnaires from cancer cases and randomly selected controls. In both genders combined, significant associations were found for total cancer and high consumption of local perch, and for lymphomas and high consumption of both perch and pikeperch. Female breast cancer was significantly associated with high consumption of local perch and pike as well as with work in metal production. Mothers residing in the parish before the age of five reported significantly more preterm child deliveries. In spite of study limitations, the results indicate that residing in a rural contaminated area may contribute to the development of certain cancers and reproductive effects. In females, high consumption of local fish was shown to be the strongest determinant for total cancer, while in males, the strongest determinant was residing in the study area the first five years of life. Further research including validation of exposure using biomarkers is required to verify the findings as well as future studies in other polluted areas in Sweden with larger population bases.     

Phytoremediation of contaminants of emerging concern from soil with industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.): a review

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in wastewater treatment plant effluents is a significant underlying health risk and...     

Analysis of Trophic Indices in Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar L.) Larvae from Two Geographic Populations

Specific features of larval feeding in two geographic populations of the gypsy moth are considered. It is shown that in larvae reared on an artificial diet, trophic indices depend on several factors, including the age and sex of larvae and the food plant on which the parental generation developed in nature. It is shown that larval micropopulations belonging to the same geographic population but feeding in nature on different plant species differ from each other to a greater extent than those of different geographic populations feeding on the same species.     

Upward movement of tritium from contaminated groundwaters: a numerical analysis

This paper describes a research-oriented modelling exercise that addresses the problem of assessing the movement of tritium from a contaminated perched aquifer to the land surface. Participants were provided with information on water table depth, soil characteristics, hourly meteorological and evapotranspiration data. They were asked to predict the upward migration of tritium through the unsaturated soil into the atmosphere. Eight different numerical models were used to calculate the movement of tritium. The modelling results agree within a factor of two, if very small time and space increments are used. The agreement is not so good when the near-surface soil becomes dry. The modelling of the alternate upward and downward transport of tritium close to the ground surface generally requires rather complex models and detailed input because tritium concentration varies sharply over short distances and is very sensitive to many interactive factors including rainfall amount, evapotranspiration rate, rooting depth and water table position.     

Seasonal Dynamics of the Structure of Intestinal Helminth Community in Ide (Leuciscus idus L.) from the Rybinsk Reservoir

The communities of intestinal helminths found in the winter sample of ide (December–May, 45 fish) and in the summer sample (August–September, 42 fish) were compared. They consisted of 10 and 11 species, respectively, with Sphaerostomum globiporum being dominant in both communities. The species Parasymphylodora markewitschi and Capillaria tomentosa were found only in the summer community. Dominance and diversity (the Simpson and Brillouin indices) in the winter community were higher. All helminth species in the intestinal community of ide were of broad specificity. Therefore, host specialization does not play an important role in the forming of intestinal helminth community in this fish species.     

The accumulation of plutonium by the edible winkle (Littorina littorea L.)

Laboratory experiments were carried out to measure the accumulation of ²³⁷Pu by the edible winkle from labelled sea water, food (seaweed), and silt. The equilibrium whole body concentration factor for ²³⁷Pu accumulation from sea water at 10°C was estimated as 34 with a biological half-time of 9 d. After 50 d accumulation, 83% of the measured whole body activity was present on the shell. In the flesh, the major sites for accumulation were the head/foot complex and the digestive gland. Depuration was found to be biphasic with components having half-times of 10 and 193 d respectively. Pu loss, following uptake from labelled Fucus spiralis, was biphasic with half-times of 1 and 69 d for the two components. Assimilation efficiency was tentatively estimated as 7%. Pu accumulation from labelled silt was low with an estimated transfer factor of 0.004; Pu loss was biphasic, with half-times similar to those for the seaweed experiment. Comparison of the laboratory-derived results with those for winkles from the environment showed that the food pathway was the main route for Pu accumulation, with the ingestion of silt playing a critical role in determining the final flesh Pu burden.     

Daily Activity and Mobility of the Common Shrew (Sorex araneus L.)

Data on the daily activity and mobility of the common shrew (Sorex araneusL.) were obtained by the method of animal marking and recapturing in test plots. Sex- and age-related differences in the locomotor activity of animals were revealed, which depended on population size and the phase of the population cycle. Under natural conditions, animal activity in the daytime proved to decrease to a lesser extent than in captivity. The mobility (locomotor activity) of shrews was shown to depend on population density, reproductive rate, and weather.     

Uranium distribution and cycling in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing on a revegetated U-mining heap

We determined the uranium distribution in soil and its allocation in compartments of 35-year-old Scots pine developed on a revegetated U-mining heap. The processes controlling the dynamics of U recycling were identified and further quantified in terms of annual fluxes. As pine developed, an acid humus layer emerged leading to weathering of the alkaline mining debris but this had little effect on U mobility in the soil profile. Increased U mobility mainly involved a translocation of U to metal-humus chelates in surface layers. The root compartment accounted for 99.3% of the U budget in tree, thus serving as an effective barrier which restricts U uptake. The current root uptake and transfer of U to upper parts of the tree amounted to about 3g ha(-1) y(-1), i.e. less than 0.03% of the current NH4-exchangeable U pool in the soil (0-30 cm). Allocation and translocation pattern made it clear that a dominant fraction of the translocated U moves passively with the ascent xylem sap, most likely as a soluble complex, and steadily accumulates in the needles. Consequently, 97% of the U annual uptake is returned to the soil through litterfall. At the studied site, the risk of U dissemination due to biomass turnover or trunk harvest was low when considered in relation to the current "exemption level" for U.     

Body condition and reproductive characteristics of female water voles (Arvicola terrestris L.)

The relationship between long-term dynamics of reproductive parameters and body condition were studied in female water voles from a cycling population. Body condition was estimated from the deviation of body weight (excluding the weight of the uterus with embryos) from the theoretically expected weight calculated from the equation of body weight regression with respect to body length. As the index of body condition increases upon transition from decline to peak in the population cycle, the numbers of corpora lutea and live embryos also increase and the risk of resorption of the entire litter becomes lower.     

The accumulation of 95mTc from sea water by juvenile lobsters (Homarus gammarus L.)

The uptake and retention of technetium from sea water by juvenile lobsters, and the effects of moulting on these processes, has been studied using ^95mTc as a tracer.Accumulation was rapid with whole body concentration factors of over 2000 being measured in some lobsters. Uptake was highest immediately before a moult; post-moult there was a fall in accumulation. No simple mathematical equation for technetium accumulation with time was found.The technetium concentration in the moulted exoskeleton increased with time of exposure of the lobsters but never exceeded 2% of the whole body value.The highest percentage of the whole body activity was found in the digestive gland; the green gland had the highest concentration factor.Technetium excretion, following 64 d of accumulation, could be expressed as an exponential rate of loss. The biological half-time was calculated as 53 d. Moulted exoskeletons from these lobsters contained approximately 0·6% of the day zero whole body activity.     

Larvae of Sand Smelts (Atherina hepsetus L.) as a Bioindicator of Pollution in the Black Sea Coastal Waters

The activity of antioxidant enzymes and electrophoretic protein spectra were studied in sand smelt larvae inhabiting from five Sevastopol bays with different degrees of anthropogenic impact. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and the heterogeneity of electrophoretic protein spectra proved to increase in the larvae from the most polluted waters. The possibility of using these parameters as biological markers for assessing the influence of pollution on the early stages of fish ontogeny and the marine environment are discussed.     

Effect of Illumination Conditions on the Reproductive Success of Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz (Orchidaceae)

Russian Journal of Ecology -     

Random Processes and Use of Space in the Common Shrew (Sorex araneus L.)

Russian Journal of Ecology - The proportion of jointly visited traps and the frequency of visits to the traps recorded during mark–recapture studies have been compared with the mathematical...     

Biomarker responses in wild three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a useful tool for freshwater biomonitoring: a multiparametric approach

The biochemical response of wild sticklebacks collected in Autumn 2005 at seven stations in the North of France was studied using a set of complementary biomarkers. Here, data on biotransformation of xenobiotics, oxidative stress exposure and damages, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption are provided. All the sites are characterized by a specific response pattern that allows distinguishing sampling locations. Moreover, these responses are in accordance with data on existing environmental pressures and the chemical analysis of metals performed in surface water. The assessment of individual responses is completed by fish population disturbance monitoring. Based on these measurements, the investigated sites are characterized by different levels of disturbance. This study argues for a multi-parametric approach of aquatic ecosystem contamination based on association between chemical, biochemical and ecological endpoints and provides a testimony of the usefulness of stickleback for this purpose.     

Metal levels in sugar cane (Saccharum spp.) samples from an area under the influence of a municipal landfill and a medical waste treatment system in Brazil

In July 2003, duplicated samples of roots, stems and leaves of sugar cane (Saccharum spp.) were collected in 25 points of an area under direct influence of the municipal landfill site (MLS) and medical waste treatment system (MWTS) of Ribeirao Preto, S?o Paulo, Brazil. Cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The following concentrations (mg/kg) were found in roots: Cd, 0.22+/-0.12; Cr, 64.3+/-48.7; Cu, 140.6+/-27.7; Hg, 0.04+/-0.02; Mn, 561.6+/-283.3; Pb, 7.9+/-2.1 and Zn, 177.4+/-64.9. For some metals, these levels are higher than the concentrations previously reported for different plants, reaching, in some cases, values that might be considered toxic for vegetables. Metal levels in stems were 80-90% of those found in roots, while the concentrations detected in leaves were significantly lower than those in roots. The present results suggest that MLS and MWTS activities might have been increasing metal concentrations in edible tissues of sugar cane grown in the area under their influence. Moreover, the traditional agricultural practices in the production of sugar cane could be also another determinant factor to reach the current metal levels. The results of this study indicate that sugar cane is a crop that is able to grow in areas where metals in soils are accumulated.     

Role of genetic factors in landscape-geographic variation of the water vole (Arvicola terrestris L.)

The geographic variation of the water vole Arvicola terrestris L. has been analyzed with respect to two linear combinations of craniometric characters with the highest additive heritability (h ² = 0.59 and h ² = 0.52). The greatest differences have been revealed between the territorially close montane and piedmont populations. The lowland and montane populations have proved to differ to the smallest extent, despite their spatial and altitudinal separation. Selection under extreme conditions that leads to similar phenotypic results may be based on the common genetic background of these populations, irrespective of considerable distances between them and different environmental conditions in their habitats.     

Genetic divergence of eastern European and Tobol populations of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull.

Analysis of geographic variation of chloroplast DNA in the eastern European and western Siberian (Tobol) groups of Calluna vulgaris populations isolated from each other for a long period of time has revealed distinct differentiation between them. It has been shown that three populations growing in the Russian Plain and Karelia share two haplotypes characteristic of central Europe, while three Tobol populations contain one haplotype F occurring in Sweden. These results confirm the hypothesis of genetic divergence between the Tobol and eastern European groups of C. vulgaris populations.