Factors affecting the content of heavy metals in bulk atmospheric precipitation,throughfall and stemflow in central Bohemia,Czech Republic

Content of copper, manganese, lead, and zinc in samples of bulk precipitation, throughfall and stemflow has been studied in a forest area in central Bohemia. The sampling localities are situated on two types of bedrock, granite and cenomaniau sandstones. The content in bulk precipitation reflects the impact of fossil fuel emission sources and the vehicular sources of lead. The deposition rate of elements in throughfall, in comparison with that of the deposition on an open land, exhibits increased values in essential microelements (in Mn approx. 45 times, Zh-5 times, Cu and Cd-2 times), with significant seasonal fluctuations. The value of the same ratio for ecotoxic lead is 0.23. The enhanced flux of elements in throughfall is ascribed mainly to the metabolic processes of the trees. Differences in the chemical composition of throughfall and stemflow collected on stands with different kind of bedrock are ascribed to various degree of accessibility of the micronutrients and various intensity of their vegetation uptake.     

Throughfall of plant nutrients in relation to crown thinning in a swedish coniferous forest

Throughfall has been sampled in SW Sweden from 60 to 80 yr old Norway spruce (Picea abies) of two stands with different crown thinning classes, representing healthy reference trees and injured trees. the condition of the canopy had a significant influence on quantity and quality of deposition to the forest floor. Annual throughfall deposition from injured spruce showed an increase in glucose 270%, total sugar 80%, organic carbon (DOC) 40%, organic N 50%, Mg 100%, Ca 30%, and Fe 40% while Mn and K deposition decreased 30% and 20%, respectively, compared to annual throughfall deposition from healthy spruce.     

Results from the UN/ECE ICP-Crops indicate the extent of exceedance of the critical levels of ozone in Europe

The experiments of the United Nations/Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) International Cooperative Programme on effects of air pollution and other stresses on crops and non-wood plants (ICP-Crops) are designed to investigate the effects of ambient ozone pollution on crops and non-wood plants. Each year, participants from approximately 17 European countries conduct a series of coordinated experiments to determine which species develop visible injury following ozone episodes and whether the biomass or yield of sensitive species is reduced. In 1993, ozone injury was only seen at two thirds of sites but in 1994 injury was detected at almost all sites. This coincides with generally higher ozone concentrations measured in that year. Injury was seen on crops including subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), soybean (Glycine max), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) at experimental sites and in some cases, in commercial fields. The application of ethylenediurea (EDU) to some crop species reduced the level of visible injury. At some sites, the yield of EDU-treated bean plants was greater than that of untreated plants where the critical level of ozone for yield reduction was exceeded. Preliminary analysis of ozone concentrations in the days preceding injury indicated a sequential ozone concentration effect. The results are discussed in relation to Level I and Level II mapping of exceedance of the short- and long-term critical levels for ozone.     

Ozone and drought stress — Interactive effects on the growth and physiology of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)

Young trees of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) were grown in 120 litre pots under two different ozone levels in open-top chambers for three seasons, 1992–1994. The ozone treatments were charcoal filtered air (CF, average 24 h seasonal mean 6.5 ppb) and non-filtered air with extra ozone aiming to track 1.5 times ambient (NF+, average seasonal mean 34 ppb). In addition, half of the spruce trees in Aug – Sep each season recieved a drought period of between five and seven weeks. The remaining half were kept well-watered. The soil water content, the needle water potentials, and the gas exchange as well as the chamber micro climate were measured before, during and after the drought period. Furthermore, the growth of the trees was measured as biomass increase. During the 1993 drought period, where the trees experienced a moderate drought stress, the trees grown in NF+ consumed soil water faster and showed a higher needle conductance compared to CF. However, no negative effects were found on needle water potential or growth. During the more severe 1994 drought stress period we did not find any differences between the two ozone treatments in soil water consumption, needle conductance or needle water potential. There was a significant negative effect of the high ozone treatment on tree biomass of the well-watered trees. Total plant biomass was reduced 18 % and stem biomass was reduced as much as 28 %. The negative effect of ozone on tree biomass was much smaller for the droughted trees.     

Establishing critical levels for the effects of air pollution on vegetation

In recent years, international air pollution effects research has focused on setting critical levels of pollutants, above which adverse effects occur on sensitive receptors. Once established, these levels are used to determine the geographical extent of exceedance for different vegetation categories and ultimately in the development of international protocols for pollution control within the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. Ideally, the critical level for each pollutant and vegetation category should have a relatively simple definition to allow ease of mapping. Nevertheless, the definitions need to be sufficiently robust to apply to sensitive vegetation growing in a diverse range of climates. The restrictions imposed by these criteria have led to complex and delicate negotiations between scientists from the UN/ECE* region. Data for the direct effects of air pollutants on vegetation have been carefully reviewed for applicability to critical levels. To date, critical levels have been set for the effects of SO₂, ozone, NOx and NH₃ on crops, trees and natural vegetation. The use of effects data to establish these levels is critically assessed in this paper in relation to current and future requirements for mapping.     

Flow measurements with portable cut-throat flume and broad crested weir in flat gradient channels

A study was conducted to evaluate the reliability of flow measurements with portable cut-throat flumes and broad-crested weirs during 1988–89 at the field hydraulic laboratory of the National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad. Data of flow measurements were recorded under free and submerged flow conditions with a cut-throat flume and a broad-crested weir as compared to a standard V notch. The results indicated that for free flow conditions cut-throat flumes can be used with –2.2 to 8.6% error. However, the use of cut-throat flumes under flat gradient channels may cause problem of over-topping at the upstream end. Under submerged flow conditions, the percent error in the flow measurements of –3.2 to 14.6% was observed. Therefore, cut-throat flumes cannot provide reasonable flow measurements under submerged flow conditions. For accurate flow measurements broad-crested weirs should be used with percent error of –1.5 to 5.8. Such flumes can be easily manufactured in Pakistan to suit different flow regimes and flat gradient channels.     

Improving drought tolerance in maize by foliar application of boron: water status,antioxidative defense and photosynthetic capacity

Boron (B) plays a vital role in cell division and elongation in apical meristem. Drought stress (DS) severely reduced the B-uptake and thus growth and crop-productivity of plants. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether foliar application of B corrects physiological-disorders under DS in two contrasting maize genotypes i.e. Dekalb-6525 (drought-tolerant) and Yousafwala-hybrid (drought-sensitive). Initially, foliar rate of B (0, 2, 4 and 6 mg L^?1) was optimized in terms of improved plant growth under drought-stress. Then, optimized rate of B (4 mg L^?1) was applied to assess the physiological and biochemical basis of B-induced improved growth of maize under deficit-moisture supply. Drought-stress reduced the growth of plants by lowering in water-status (leaf water-relations), photosynthetic capacity (gas-exchange aspects, photosynthetic-pigments), membrane permeability, imbalance in redox potential (oxidative-stress, antioxidant-defense system) and tissue-B concentration. Application of B considerably improved maize growth by improving water-status, photosynthetic capacity, tissue-B concentration as well as up-regulation of antioxidative defense-system. Moreover, ameliorative effects of B on maize was also evident from stress relieving indicators such as slight decrease in accumulation of proline, total free amino-acids, total soluble-sugars and MDA content under water-deficit conditions. In addition, cultivar Dekalb-6525 showed considerable improving response to B application over Yousafwala-hybrid.     

Import and efflux of flubendazole in Haemonchus contortus strains susceptible and resistant to anthelmintics

Drug entry into the body of a helminth is a key factor in the efficacy of anthelmintics. The present project was designed to study the ex vivo uptake and efflux of the benzimidazole anthelmintic flubendazole (FLU) in four strains of H. contortus: the ISE strain (fully susceptible to anthelmintics), the ISE-S strain (resistant to ivermectin), the BR strain (resistant to benzimidazoles) and the WR strain (multi-resistant). The transport of FLU between dead and living nematodes was also compared as well as the effect of verapamil, an inhibitor of the main efflux ABCB1 transporter (P-glycoprotein), on FLU accumulation in nematodes. The obtained results showed that FLU is able to effectively enter H. contortus adults due to high FLU lipophilicity. Passive diffusion is probably the only mechanism in both FLU import and efflux from nematodes. No differences in FLU transport were found among four H. contortus strains with different sensitivity to anthelmintics. No active FLU efflux from H. contortus and no effect of verapamil were observed, indicating that H. contortus cannot protect itself against FLU by the active removal of this anthelmintic from its body.     

Comparison of in vitro activities of biotransformation enzymes in pig, cattle, goat and sheep

In vitro activities of cytochromes P450 (7-alkyl/aryloxyresorufin dealkyl(aryl)ases, testosterone hydroxylase/oxidase, 6-chlorzoxazone hydroxylase, 7-methoxy-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin demethylase, and lauric acid hydroxylases), reductases of carbonyl group (toward metyrapone, daunorubicin, glyceraldehyde, and 4-pyridine-carboxaldehyde) and conjugation enzymes (p-nitrophenol-UDP-glucuronosyl transferase, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene glutathione-S-tranferase) in young adults, males, non-castrated (N=6) farm animals were studied and compared. Presence of proteins cross-reacting with anti-human CYP3A4, CYP2C9, and CYP2E1 IgG was detected in all farm species. Bovine microsomes differed from other microsomes of farm species in very high 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity (CYP1A1/2). Significantly higher 7-methoxy-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin demethylase (2-3 times) and 12-lauric acid hydroxylases (4-10 times) activities (probably corresponding to CYP2C and CYP4A, respectively) were found in ovine microsomes. The highest 6beta-testosterone hydroxylase activity, which is usually considered to be a CYP3A activity marker, was found in pig. Reductases of all farm animals display considerable ability to reduce carbonyl group of xenobiotics. Significant differences in level and activity of many biotransformation enzymes tested suggest that extrapolation of pharmacokinetic data obtained in one species to another (even related) could be misleading.     

Benzimidazole drugs and modulation of biotransformation enzymes

Benzimidazole drugs (e.g., anthelmintics albendazole, fenbendazole, oxfenbendazole, thiabendazole, mebendazole; inhibitors of proton pump omeprazole, lansoprasole, pantoprasole) represent substances used in both human and veterinary medicine; however, from the point of view of induction and inhibition of biotransformation enzymes, research has been carried out mainly due to the initiative of human pharmacologists. The purpose of the present review is to inform about inductive and inhibitive effects of benzimidazole drugs in man, animals and cell cultures. Pharmacological and toxicological consequences of modulation of biotransformation enzymes are discussed and the significance of studies in the field of modulation of biotransformation enzymes in food-producing animals is explained. Since the modulating effect of benzimidazoles strongly varies depending on structure of the individual substances, the particular attention is paid to structure-modulation relationships.