Bioassay-directed Fractionation of Organic Extracts of Marine Surface Sediments from the North and Baltic Sea - Part II: Results of the biotest battery and development of a biotest index (8 pp)

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Part I: Determination and identification of organic pollutants Part II: Results of the biotest battery and development of a biotest index

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Preamble. This series of two papers presents the results of an interdisciplinary research project (ISIS) dealing with bioassay-directed fractionation of marine sediment extracts. Part I presents the extraction and fractionation procedure as well as the results of chemical analysis, including non-target analysis of sediments. Part II describes the results of the biotest battery in relation to chemicals possibly causing parts of the observed effects. A biotest index is used to compare the toxicities of the samples.

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AUTHORS / AFFILIATIONS Ninja Reineke (3), Werner Wosniok (4), Dirk Danischewski (1), Heinrich Hühnerfuss (3), Angelika Kinder (5), Arne Sierts-Herrmann (5), Norbert Theobald (2), Hans-Heinrich Vahl (6), Michael Vobach (1), Johannes Westendorf (6) and Hans Steinhart (5).

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(1) Federal Research Centre for Fisheries, Institute for Fishery Ecology, Palmaille 9, 22767 Hamburg, Germany (2) Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, Bernhard-Nochtstr. 78, 20359 Hamburg, Germany (3) University of Hamburg, Institute for Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, 20146 Hamburg, Germany (4) University of Bremen, Institute of Statistics, Bibliothekstr. 1, 28334 Bremen, Germany (5) University of Hamburg, Institute for Food Chemistry, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany (6) University of Hamburg, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department for Toxicology, Vogt-Kölln-Str. 30, 22527 Hamburg, Germany (7) Eurofins Wiertz-Eggert-Jörissen, Stenzelring 14b, 21107 Hamburg, Germany

Goal, Scope and Background

The ecological relevance of contaminants in mixtures is difficult to assess, because of possible interactions and due to lacking toxicity data for many substances present in environmental samples. Marine sediment extracts, which contain a mixture of environmental contaminants in low concentrations, were the object of this study. The extracts were investigated with a set of different biotests in order to identify the compound or the substance class responsible for the toxicity. For this goal, a combination of biotests, biotest-directed fractionation and chemical analysis has been applied. Further on, a strategy for the development of a biotest index to describe the toxicity of the fractions without a prior ranking of the test results is proposed. This article (Part II) focuses on the biological results of the approach.

Methods

The toxicological potential of organic extracts of sediments from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea was analyzed in a bioassay-directed fractionation procedure with a set of biotests: luciferase reporter gene assays on hormone receptor and Ah receptor, arabinose resistance test, fish embryo test (Danio rerio), comet assay, acetylcholinesterase inhibition test, heat-shock protein 70 induction, oxidative stress and luminescence inhibition test (Vibrio fischeri). The test results provided the basis for the calculation of a biotest index by factor analysis to compare the toxicity of the samples and fractions.

Results and Discussion

Results of 11 biotests on different fractionation levels of the samples were described and discussed with regard to the occurrence of contaminants and their toxic potentials. Polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, quinones, brominated indoles and brominated phenols were in the focus of interest. A biotest index was constructed to compare the toxic responses in the samples and to group the biotest results.

Conclusion

The procedure presented in this study is well suited for bioassay-directed fractionation of marine sediment extracts. However, in relatively low contaminated samples, high enrichment factors and sufficient fractionation is necessary to allow identification of low concentrations of contaminants which is required to link effects and possible causes. In the present case, the relation between substances and effects was difficult to uncover due to relatively low concentrations of pollutants compared to the biogenic matrix and to the remaining complexity of the fractions. The results, with respect to the brominated phenols and indoles in the samples, highlight the successful use of bioassay directed fractionation in the case of high concentrations and high toxicity.

Recommendation and Outlook

In general, it has been shown that a marine risk assessment requires focusing on the input of diffuse sources and taking into account the fact of mixture toxicity. Effects resulting from biogenic substances will make the assessment of the influence of anthropogenic substances even more difficult.     

重大线性工程建设下山区乡村聚落空间演变

区域重大线性工程建设对传统山区乡村聚落的发展带来深刻的影响，乡村聚落发展步伐被打断或加快，驱动乡村聚落发展演变与重构，对这一影响和演变过程研究，有助于进一步理解区域重大线性工程与社会经济对传统山区乡村发展产生的外部性，为山区乡村振兴政策制定与发展策略选择提供参考。该研究以河北省赤城县大海陀乡为研究对象，基于1999、2009、2019年3期遥感影像数据，结合空间分析、景观格局指数、Voronoi图及Logistic回归模型，科学识别重大线性工程驱动下乡村聚落空间格局演变规律。结果表明：1）大海陀乡的乡村聚落在高速公路建设前后两个阶段表现出散乱式的斑块数量增长型扩张、集聚式的斑块面积增大型扩张的空间格局演变特征，重大线性工程建设加快了乡村聚落的扩张速度，促进了村庄聚落的内部集聚。2）重大线性工程的建设为构建聚落环境提供社会经济支撑，具有瞬时性与外界强干扰性，驱使大海陀乡乡村聚落从自然资源依附到经济社会依附的演变，形成跨域式的影响效应。3）大海陀乡乡村聚落呈现出"要素-结构-功能"的循环演变机制，内外因素的作用下主体行为的多元模式、自然发展演变与外界力量冲击下三生系统的耦合关系是乡村聚落演变的主要驱动力。京津冀一体化背景下，重大线性工程建设是加强城乡要素流通与转变村民生产生活观念的基石，需统筹城乡资源，加强规划引导与整治措施，促进村镇体系重构。     

雨水利用与水土保持和农业持续发展

雨水资源是西北黄土高原旱作区农田生产的主要水源。该区域年均雨水总量２７５７亿ｍ＾３，是当前前年地表水和地下水用量的９．２倍。因降水时空分布不均，“易失多变”，水土流失和干旱问题严重，卫水利用率４０％左右，作物水分利用效率仅３．０－４．５ｋｇ（ｈｍ＾２．ｍｍ）。人工收集与调配利用雨水，是水土保持和农业生产的一个结合点，可使降寸桑加增效，人工收集利用雨水在西北历史悠久，有坝、塘、池、井、窖和卫坡梯田等     

Enzyme activity and microbial biomass in a field soil amended with municipal refuse

Summary Changes in enzyme activity levels, in biomass-C content, and in the rate of fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis were measured in a loamy soil to which solid municipal refuse had been applied as compost over a 3-year period at two different rates. Addition of the compost caused significant increases in the activity of all enzymes tested. The increases were much higher at 90 t ha^-1 year^-1 than at 30 t ha^-1 year^-1. Significant increases were also observed in the biomass-C content and in the rate of fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis. Significant correlations among changes in biomass-C content and the rate of fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis and the changes in all enzymes tested were found.Two activity indices were calculated; a biological index of fertility and an enzyme activity number. No correlations were found between the biological index of fertility and the changes in the various enzyme activities. However, significant correlations were found either between enzyme activity number and most of the changes in enzyme activity, or between the enzyme activity number index and the biomass-C content (r=0.850). The use of a new activity index, the hydrolysis coefficient, is proposed. This coefficient was significantly correlated with biomass-C content (r=0.925) and with the enzyme activity number index (r=0.780).     

广东省极端降水事件的变化特征

[目的]分析广东省极端降水事件的分布特点并对其未来的变化趋势进行判断,旨在为该省的气候评估预测、生态环境建设及经济可持续发展方面的研究提供科学依据。[方法]利用广东省1960—2013年的逐日降水数据,根据百分位方法定义了极端降水事件的阈值,通过采用Mann-Kendall法、小波分析、Hurst指数等方法,对该区的极端降水事件频次和强度的变化特征及其变化趋势进行研究。[结果]广东省极端降水事件的发生频次、强度及极端降水量均呈上升的趋势,且极端降水量对总降水量的贡献率在50%以上。在空间上极端降水事件的发生频次呈现出北高南低的规律性,而强度正好相反。在未来的变化预测中,广东省大部分地区极端降水事件的频次和强度与过去变化趋势相一致,呈持续增加的趋势。[结论]极端降水事件的频繁发生给广东省造成了严重的损失,应加强极端气候事件的预防工作,针对不同成因的极端降水事件应采取不同的应对措施。     

Genetic diversity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eremostachys superba</Emphasis> Royle ex Benth. (Lamiaceae), an endangered Himalayan species,as assessed by RAPD

Eremostachys superba Royle ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) has undergone a severe decline in population size since its discovery in the North-western Himalayas in late 19th century. One hundred and seventy-two plants from six populations in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, located between 0.45 km and 455.72 km apart from each other were evaluated for RAPD polymorphism. Sixteen random primers generated 92 bands overall, 77 of which were polymorphic. Shannon’s index of genetic diversity within populations (H _o) ranged between 0.305 and 0.421; the average within-population diversity (H _pop) was 0.389; and the total species diversity (H _sp) was 0.478. The population from Mohand (representing the type locality) had the fewest plants, at 18, and was genetically the most depauperate. Among the other populations, ranging in size between 52 and 1,022 individuals, no relation between population size and genetic diversity was evident. It is suggested that these six populations represent relics of a larger, extended population, in which the presence of perennating rootstocks has helped preserve historic patterns of genetic diversity. AMOVA revealed that 83.01% of the variation exists within populations, which was consistent with earlier studies on the reproductive biology of E. superba, which indicated this species is predominantly allogamous. FST distances between all populations were significant, indicating geographic differentiation despite some of them being closely separated. Habitat restoration and protection from indiscriminate harvesting are proposed as primary strategies for conserving E. superba. Rejuvenation of the Mohand population through intrapopulation crossing between plants bearing diverse molecular phenotypes is also suggested.     

基于RS和GIS的青海香日德绿洲景观格局特征分析

借助遥感(RS)、地理信息系统(GIS)等手段,运用生态学原理对青海香日德绿洲进行景观格局特征分析。结果表明,香日德绿洲景观多样性指数和均匀性指数分别为1.634和0.839 7,均处于中等水平。研究区景观优势度不高,但是耕地、林地、未利用土地仍占有较高的景观比例,尤其耕地,不但景观比例大而且随着移民的不断涌入还有增长趋势;研究区景观分离度最大的是交通用地,最小的是耕地,表明耕地分散程度最小,交通用地最大。区域景观破碎度最大的是耕地和林地,最小的是交通用地和水域,说明耕地被分割程度最大,水域和交通用地最小。分维数指数最大的是居民及工矿用地,最小的是耕地,即居民点及工矿用地形状最不规则,受人为干扰最小,相反耕地形状最为规则,受人为干扰最大。     

Biomass production and related characters in the core collection of Pisum germplasm

Retention of residue on the soil surface following harvest is an effective method of reducing soil erosion from both wind and water. The pea crop produces small amounts of residue to effectively reduce soil erosion. Severe erosion occurs in pea production areas such as the Palouse Region of the US Pacific Northwest (PNW) when low residue crops such as spring pea or lentil are followed by fall-sown wheat. The current study was conducted to determine the range of total aboveground biomass (TAB), seed yield, and straw (residue) production from the plant identification (PI) accessions that comprise the core collection of Pisum germplasm. In addition, the potential for increasing seed yield and straw production simultaneously was evaluated. Three hundred and ninety PI accessions were screened in the field in 1996 and 1997. The variation for TAB, seed yield and straw production among the PI accessions exceeded that of the controls both years. Seed yield was positively correlated with straw production (r = 0.81, p< 0.01) indicating that seed and straw production can be increased simultaneously through positive selection for both traits. Significant favorable variation is present among accessions in the USDA core collection of Pisum germplasm which could be used to increase both seed yield and total biomass production of adapted breeding lines.     

桂南地区杉木马尾松人工实生林多形地位指数曲线模型

利用桂南地区收集的人工实生林分标准地材料和优势解析木杉木９３株，马尾松１６２株，建立优势高生长Ｒｉｃｈａｒｄｓ模型。用参数预估法编制桂南地区的杉木、马尾松实生林多形地位指数表。杉木、马尾松各指数级曲线拟合平均剩余标准差分别是０．２９４３ｍ和０．２３２３ｍ；经另外６８株和５２株优势解析木检验，预报误差分别为０．４８７ｍ和０．５０６ｍ，适应性好。     

寒区旱区间歇性干旱对接种根瘤菌苜蓿草地土壤养分动态的影响

通过盆栽法模拟田间土壤的干湿交替变化过程和强度,研究了寒区旱区间歇性干旱条件对接种根瘤菌(Rhizobia)苜蓿(Medicago sativa L.)草地土壤养分的影响。结果表明:1年龄苜蓿接种根瘤菌能显著提高土壤全N、有机质、速效N、速效K和速效P含量,而对土壤pH和全P含量影响不大,间歇性干旱处理能显著降低土壤全N、有机质、全P、速效N、速效P和速效K含量,且土壤养分下降量总体上为有机质>全P>全N>速效K>速效N>速效P;通过相关和回归分析,土壤全P和有机质含量的下降量与干湿交替间隔周期呈显著直线正相关(P<0.05),土壤速效K和速效P含量的下降量与干湿交替间隔周期呈显著直线负相关(P<0.05);当干湿交替间隔周期相同时,土壤全N、全P、速效N和有机质含量的下降量,50%田间持水量的处理大于80%田间持水量的处理,而土壤速效K和速效P含量的下降量,50%田间持水量的处理小于80%田间持水量的处理。