The ‘Storm of the Century’ (December 1999) and the accidental escape of Siberian sturgeons (Acipenser baerii) into the Gironde estuary (Southwest France)

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The Gironde estuary is considered as a reference ecosystem with a large fish assemblage (75 species) and the presence of eleven diadromous species. However, geochemical studies and biomonitoring using oysters have shown high metal pollution levels. During the December 1999 hurricane, more than 5,000 young Siberian sturgeons (Acipenser baerii) accidentally escaped from a fish farm into the estuary, where this species had not been present until then. METHODS: In 2002/2003, thirteen sturgeons were collected from the estuary and twelve were obtained from the fish farm, from the same initial batch. Analysis of five metals (cadmium, zinc, copper, lead, mercury) measured in the gills, muscle, liver and kidneys, revealed significantly higher levels of cadmium, lead and mercury in the sturgeon collected from the estuary compared with those from the fish farm. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Metal analysis of the stomach contents of fish collected from the estuary and artificial food used in the fish farm indicated that dietary exposure might account for the differences observed. Nevertheless, metal concentrations in sturgeons that had spent about three years in the Gironde estuary may be considered low when compared with other species (mullets, eels) or with data in the literature regarding concentrations able to induce structural and functional perturbations in fish. As the introduced Siberian sturgeons live in the same place and feed on the same prey as the juveniles of the endangered A. sturio, our results indicate in the short-term that this strictly protected species does not appear to be much affected by the polymetallic pollution in the Gironde estuary. Marked differences in the concentrations of three metals (Cd, Pb, Hg) were established in four organs (gills, liver, skeletal muscle, kidneys) of Siberian sturgeons between specimens that had accidentally escaped into the Gironde estuary (France) during the December 1999 hurricane and were collected in March/June 2003 and specimens from the same initial batch at the fish farm. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Based on these results, a programme will be set up, with sampling campaigns carried out in the estuary every two years, with systematic monitoring of age in order to check the origin of individuals, in conjunction with sampling of sturgeon from the fish farm. This programme will complement other studies on several biological species representative of the main trophic levels in the estuary, especially the plankton component, benthic macroinvertebrates and oysters.     

Does the wood-borer Sphaeroma terebrans (Crustacea) shape the distribution of the mangrove Rhizophora mucronata?

Field surveys were conducted to evaluate the occurrence of the isopod borer Sphaeroma terebrans (Crustacea) in aerial roots (prop roots) of the red mangrove Rhizophora mucronata on several different spatial scales (m to 100 km) in East Africa. In 6 out of 17 sites studied in Kenya and on Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, no signs of the isopods were found. When the isopods were present the frequency of infestation was high. Trees in muddy substrates in the lower intertidal, in particular at fringing channels or the open sea, showed high prevalence and intensity of infestation, with large part of their roots damaged or dead. Trees at the upper range of Rhizophora, in sandy and muddy areas, showed no signs of isopod infestation. This pattern recurred in mangrove forests on large spatial scales and there was no indication that island forests differed from the mainland forests. This indicates that sediment characteristics, vertical height in the tidal zone, and direct exposure to incoming water are the major factors controlling the abundance of S. terebrans. The isopod may play an important role in determining the lower intertidal limits of R. mucronata. Trees with numerous dead or nongrowing roots, as result of Sphaeroma attack, are likely to tumble due to a lack of root support and this is most likely to occur along channels at the lower, muddy intertidal. Tumbled trees were frequently observed along channels in the lower, muddy intertidal, but rarely in the mid or high intertidal. Implications for management of mangrove forests are discussed.     

Water quality of the Guadiamar River after the Aznalcóllar spill (SW Spain)

In April 1998, a spill of 6 hm3 of pyritic mud and acidic water was released into the Guadiamar River due to the rupture of the Aznalcóllar tailings dam. Before the spill, the river was already strongly affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). In this study, the water quality of the Guadiamar River is analysed from a periodic sampling started after the spill. Previous data of the water quality have also been obtained. A recovery of the water quality is observed from 2002 on. The distribution of arsenic is opposed to that of the rest of metals, with the lowest concentrations to the north, due to the adsorption and/or coprecipitation on ferric oxyhydroxides. In the southern area, when pH values are close to 8, arsenic desorption occurs. There is a seasonal pattern of the trace metal content evolution, different in the northern and southern zones of the river. In the northern area the highest polluting levels occur in summer, due to a lower dilution of the mining leachates. In the southern area, the highest metal levels occur during the winter, since during the summer metals remain held by surface sorption processes in the hyporheic zone of the river.     

Mathematical model of Boltzmann’s sigmoidal equation applicable to the spreading of the coronavirus (Covid-19) waves

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Currently, investigations are intensively conducted on modeling, forecasting, and studying the dynamic spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) new pandemic....     

Current State of the Altai Glaciers (Russia) and Trends Over the Period of Instrumental Observations 1952–2008

Results of research into climate and glacier dynamics in the Altai Mountains (Russia) over the period of instrumental observations (1952–2008) are presented in this article. About 1030 glaciers with a total area of 805 km² and volume of 42.5 km³ have been recorded in the Altai Region. The average summer air temperature in different regions of the Altai has increased during the study period from about 0.2°C (Aktru) to 1.1°C (Akkem). The annual atmospheric precipitation rate has also increased, by 8–10%. Since 1952, the glacier area in different regions of the Altai has decreased by 9–27%, and volume by 12–24%. By 2008, as a result of degradation, the total number of glaciers was 953 with an area of 724 km² and volume of 38 km³.     

Effect of neem limonoids on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Neem is derived from the neem tree Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae), and its primary insecticidal component is the tetranortriterpenoid azadirachtin and other limonoids. The effect of neem limonoids azadirachtin, salannin, deacetylgedunin, gedunin, 17-hydroxyazadiradione and deacetylnimbin on enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity of the rice leaffolder (RLF) Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae was investigated. There was a decrease in enzyme activity relative to the control at all concentrations tested. When fed a diet of rice leaves treated with neem limonoids in bioassays, gut tissue enzyme, LDH levels in rice leaffolder larvae are affected. These results indicate neem limonoids affect LDH activity. These effects are most pronounced in early instar larvae. Azadirachtin was the most potent in of all the limonoids in all experiments indicating strong enzyme inhibition. Clear dose-response relationships were established with respect to LDH activity.     

Spatio-temporal geostatistical modelling of sulphate concentration in the area of the Reocín Mine (Spain) as an indicator of water quality

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Water stored in open-pit lakes can be a water resource when the mine is closed. This study aimed to develop a reliable model to evaluate the water...     

Impact of chemical exposure on the fish Pomatoschistus microps Krøyer (1838) in estuaries of the Portuguese Northwest coast

Juveniles of the estuarine fish Pomatoschistus microps were collected from autumn 2001 to summer 2002 in five stations along the Portuguese Northwest coast with different types and/or levels of environmental contamination: two reference sites with low levels of contamination (R1 and R2) and three differently impacted areas with higher levels of contamination. UI is located in an estuary under the influence of urban and industrial effluents, AA in a channel that receives intensive agriculture run-off and IE in a highly impacted industrial area. The activity of the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and glutathione S-transferases (GST) were used as environmental biomarkers on P. microps. A significant seasonality effect on all the enzymatic activities was found, lower levels being registered in winter and spring on AChE, in autumn on LDH, and in winter on GST and EROD. The battery of biomarkers used was capable of discriminating sites with different types and/or levels of contamination, R1 and UI being the highest discriminated (91.7% and 66.7%, respectively). At R1 significantly lower levels of AChE and LDH were found, and EROD was significantly inducted at UI. Furthermore, IE presented higher levels of GST, and R2 and AA an inhibition of AChE in winter and spring. The results indicated that the battery of biomarkers used in this study seems to be a useful tool to distinguish between different types of environmental contamination in estuarine systems, and that P. microps is a suitable species to be used as bioindicator.     

Diurnal variation in the concentration of α- and β-pinene in the landes forest (France)

The study deals with the identification and the determination of the main monoterpenes (α- and β-pinene) released by the pines in the Landes Forest in France. The measurements were taken after preconcentration using TENAX-GC and thermal desorption. The diurnal variation of atmospheric concentration of α- and β-pinene is established; it is less than 0.5 ppbV in the daytime and varies from 2 to 4 ppbV in the night-time. These variations are explained by the fact that the photochemical reactions and the turbulence phenomena to which the terpenes are exposed change quite radically from day to night. The terpene concentration, higher at 5 m than at 25 m, would seem to confirm the existence of a terpene source at ground level.     

Recent evolution of the physical–chemical characteristics of a Site of National Interest—the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea)—and changes over the last 20 years

The Mar Piccolo of Taranto, classified as a ‘Site of National Interest’ (SIN), is a semi-enclosed basin divided into two inlets with lagoon features and sea influences, seriously affected by anthropic activities. In the framework of the RITMARE project, a study has been carried out to evaluate the functionality of this ecosystem. As part of this work, measurements of the water abiotic parameters were performed in order to assess the physical–chemical features of this area after the activation, in the last decade, of treatment plants for various urban and industrial dumping. Seawater intrusions and continental inputs, as well as several submarine freshwater springs, clearly affect physical–chemical characteristics of the water column in the two inlets. This finding suggests that small-scale patterns in water circulation have the potential to influence the chemical properties of the seawater. The comparison with a 20-year dataset reveals a drastic decrease in nutrient concentrations after the year 2000, validating the functionality of the treatment plants. The reduction of nutrient inputs into the basin (up to ?90 % in the first inlet characterized by lower hydraulic residence time) has changed the biogeochemical characteristics of the Mar Piccolo from being relatively eutrophic to moderately oligotrophic.     

Experimental study on the survival of the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms—Pontederiaceae) under different oil doses and times of exposure

In the last decades, petroleum activities have increased in the Brazilian Amazon where there is oil exploration on the Urucu River, a tributary of the Amazon River, about 600 km from the city of Manaus. Particularly, transportation via the Amazon River to reach the oil refinery in Manaus may compromise the integrity of the large floodplains that flank hundreds of kilometers of this major river. In the Amazon floodplains, plant growth and nutrient cycling are related to the flood pulse. When oil spills occur, floating oil on the water surface is dispersed through wind and wave action in the littoral region, thus affecting the vegetation of terrestrial and aquatic environments. If pollutants enter the system, they are absorbed by plants and distributed in the food chain via plant consumption, mortality, and decomposition. The effect of oil on the growth and survival of vegetation in these environments is virtually unknown. The water hyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms] has a pantropical distribution but is native to the Amazon, often growing in high-density populations in the floodplains where it plays an important role as shelter and food source for aquatic and terrestrial biota. The species is well known for its high capacity to absorb and tolerate high levels of heavy metal ions. To study the survival and response of water hyacinth under six different oil doses, ranging from 0 to 150 ml l^?1, and five exposure times (1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days), young individuals distributed in a completely randomized design experiment composed of vessels with a single individual each were followed over a 50-day period (30-day acclimatization, 20 days under oil treatments). Growth parameters, biomass, visual changes in the plants, and pH were recorded at 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days. Increasing the time of oil exposure caused a decrease in biomass, ratio of live/dead biomass and length of leaves, and an increase in the number of dead leaves. Dose of oil and time of exposure are the most important factors controlling the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on E. crassipes. Although the species is able to survive exposure to a moderate dose of oil, below 75 ml l^?1 for only 5 days, severe alterations in plant growth and high mortality were observed. Therefore, we conclude that Urucu oil heavily affects E. crassipes despite its known resistance to many pollutants.     

Combining Environmental Factors and Agriculturalists’ Observations of Environmental Changes in the Traditional Terrace System of the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy)

Terraces are traditional engineered ecosystems that affect the hydro-geological equilibrium, slope stability, and local communities. The aims of this paper are (i) identifying environmental factors that affect terrace stability in the Amalfi Coast, (ii) defining agriculturalists’ observations on environmental changes within that system and (iii) exploring potentiality of these observations to better define conservation strategies. All available data on physical and ecological factors recognized to affect the terrace system were collected and analyzed. Interviews were conducted with agriculturalists to obtain long-term observations on environmental factors that interact with this system. Landslides are more frequent where rainfall is high and during winter. Fires have an uneven annual distribution, with higher frequency during summers. Agriculturalists detailed complex interactions among environmental factors, economic elements, and terraces. These observations represent a valuable resource for defining causes and effects of abandonment and for better addressing conservation strategies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-013-0433-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Elemental and isotopic determination of lead (Pb) in particulate matter in the Brazilian city of Goiânia (GO) using ICP-MS technique

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The toxic metal lead (Pb) can be harmful to human health in various manners, but is also considered as a distinguished tracer of environmental...     

Impact of Zn–Pb mining in the Olkusz ore district on the Permian aquifer (SW Poland)

Long-term extensive mining of Zn–Pb ores in the Olkusz area resulted in significant changes of water table levels and chemical composition of water in all aquifers in this area. Within the Permian aquifer, hydrochemical type of water evolved in two general stages. Short-term effect was freshening in the zones of contact with overlying the Triassic limestones and dolomites. Long-term effect was a change in flow pattern and, as a consequence, an inflow of naturally altered and antropogenically contaminated water from the Triassic aquifer into the Permian complex. This was especially intensive in densely fissured and fault zones. As a result of all these processes, hydrochemical type of water shifted from multi-ion types with various combinations of ions towards higher shares of sulphates, calcium and magnesium.     

Spatial and temporal variability of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) at the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea

In this study, the activity concentrations of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb were determined in mussel samples (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected from the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea. The samples were collected seasonally for a period of two years (2004-2006) at six coastal stations (Çanakkale, Dikili, Foça, Çe?me, Didim, Bodrum). Mussels were separated into several groups according to their size (1-4, 4-6, >6 cm). The results showed that ²¹⁰Po concentrations in mussels varied between 53 ± 4 and 1960 ± 60 Bq kg⁻¹ dw. The highest activity ²¹⁰Po concentrations were determined in winter samples of mussels with a shell length of 4-6 cm from Didim. In general, it was observed that the ²¹⁰Pb concentration levels in mussels were lower than ²¹⁰Po concentrations. The ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity concentration ratios exceeded unity for all mussel samples and averaged 26.0. The inter-site differences seen in ²¹⁰Po concentrations can be due to both the natural background levels of sites and industrial activities.     

Remobilization of metals from slag and polluted sediments (case study: the canal of the Deûle River, northern France)

The anthropogenic impact on the environment in the last century has proven to be very negative due to the fast development of industry. A typical example is the De?le River in northern France, one of the most polluted sites in this region. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu in river sediments are 300, 800, 50 and 15 times higher, respectively, than the background values. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the capacity of already polluted sediments to capture metals released from industrial wastes (slag). As it were, in spite of the high metal pollution level, sediments have still shown the ability to adsorb metals released from slag under the conditions provided. Their efficiency in "cleaning up" some of the metals (e.g. Pb) seems to be additionally enhanced in anoxic conditions. This study provided some additional information on the importance of sediments as a pollutant sink.     

Bibliometric analysis of the research landscape on rice husks gasification (1995–2019)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The processing of rice (Oryza sativa L.) generates large quantities of lignocellulosic wastes termed rice husks (RH). Numerous researchers have...     

Age dependence of the accumulation of organochlorine pollutants in brown trout (Salmo trutta) from a remote high mountain lake (Redó, Pyrenees)

Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and DDT were examined in the muscle of brown trout (Salmo trutta) from a high mountain lake located in the Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain) that was used as a model of these lacustrine environments. Results indicate that fish age is the main factor of variability among specimens in this population that is subjected to atmospheric inputs of the organochlorine compounds (OC). Increases of 2- and 20-fold between fish aged 1 year and 15 years old are found. The observed pattern cannot be explained in terms of fish size, condition factor, or muscle lipid content. Higher molecular weight compounds (higher lipophilicity) are better correlated with fish age than low molecular weight compounds. A transformation from 4,4'-DDT to 4,4'-DDE occurs in fish after ingestion; this results in amplified age-dependent signals, especially in male specimens. In contrast, PCB congener #180 has lower age dependence than the general OC group, which could be due to its high hydrophobicity (log K(ow) > 7). In any case, selective accumulation of hydrophobic compounds is already observed among younger fish (age, 1 year). Due to this effect, the relative OC composition does not reflect the main OC pollutants in the lake waters.     

Sources and concentrations of gaseous and particulate reduced nitrogen in the city of Münster (Germany)

Atmospheric ammonia mixing ratios and the main inorganic ions NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ of size-resolved particles in the range from 0.05 to 10 μm were measured at an urban site in Münster, Germany. High mixing ratios of ammonia with a median of 5.2 ppb and a maximum of 50 ppb were detected. The mass fraction of submicron particles was much higher during the day than at night. At night, a greater particle mass and an increased presence of particulate nitrate was measured. Recurring patterns of particle distribution were distinguished and their characteristics analysed. In half of the measurements, the accumulation mode was clearly dominating, which is an indication of aged aerosol. In some measurements, higher concentrations of fine particles were found indicating particle formation. In these cases, a smaller particle mass and about four times greater ratios of ammonia versus ammonium concentrations were observed. These data show that ammonia contributes considerably to the formation of secondary particulate material.