Mercury Speciation in the Water of Minamata Bay, Japan

The speciation of mercury (Hg) in Minamata Bay (Japan) was studied over a 2-year period (2006?C2008). Concentrations of dissolved total Hg, dissolved methylmercury (MeHg), particulate total Hg, and suspended solids were 0.43?±?0.14 ng/l (mean?±?standard deviation), 0.10?±?0.06 ng/l, 3.04?±?2.96 ng/l, and 5.94?±?2.10 mg/l, respectively. Correlations between concentrations of particulate total Hg and suspended solids at four depths (surface: 0 m; mid-depth: ?6 m, ?10 m; and bottom +1 m layer) were only significant in the bottom +1 m layer. The mean dissolved MeHg concentration and the ratio of dissolved MeHg to dissolved total Hg were considerably higher in summer compared to other seasons. The data suggest that bottom sediment was not the sole source of MeHg, and that MeHg may be produced in the water column by the conversion of divalent Hg eluted from resuspended bottom sediment. The correlation between seawater characteristics such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and dissolved MeHg concentration indicates that Hg methylation could be influenced by the heterotrophic activity of microorganisms in the seawater. In particular, inverse correlations were observed between DO, salinity, and MeHg concentration. However, dissolved MeHg concentrations did not correlate with seawater characteristics such as pH or chlorophyll-a.     

Comparative analysis of the relationship between Cs and K in soil and plant parts toward control of Cs accumulation in rice

The effect of soil exchangeable potassium (K) and cesium (Cs) levels on Cs uptake and accumulation in different parts of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants were examined using paddy soils with diverse exchangeable K and Cs in pot experiments. Aboveground Cs uptake decreased with higher exchangeable K and was linearly correlated with exchangeable Cs/K ratios, indicating competitive absorption of these elements by roots. Variation in Cs concentration in brown rice among soils was also related to the exchangeable Cs/K ratio. The exchangeable Cs/K ratio was positively reflected in the Cs/K concentration ratio in each plant part, with a specific slope, suggesting that Cs transport was coordinated with K transport and that there were regulated discriminations of Cs against K in the translocation process among parts. The Cs/K ratio was higher in brown rice and dead leaves than in active leaves, stems and husks. The distribution of Cs accumulation in brown rice was 14.5% on average, but it was variable and negatively related to K concentration in the stem. The Cs distribution in aboveground plant parts also decreased with higher K concentration in the root. These results imply the importance of the competitiveness with K in the root absorption and translocation of Cs within the plant. Based on the observed relationship between Cs and K, effective K management and other measures to control Cs accumulation in plant parts are discussed.     

Association between bacterial community structures and mortality of fish larvae in intensive rearing systems

Bacterial community structures were analyzed in water used for rearing fish larvae by fluorescence in situ hybridization. In Experiment 1, red sea bream Pagrus major larvae were reared in two commercial seed production tanks. The survival rate in Tank 1 was higher than in Tank 2, even though phytoplankton, Nannochloropsis sp., was added to both tanks. In Tank 2, γ-proteobacteria became dominant (∼70% of total bacteria) on day 13, there after heavy larval mortalities occurred. In Tank 1, however, α-proteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium cluster were predominant from day − 1 until day 13; no significant mortality was recorded. In Experiment 2, marble goby Oxyeleotris marmoratus larvae were cultured with or without Nannochloropsis sp. At the end of the experiment, larval survival rates in aquaria with Nannochloropsis sp. were significantly (P <0.05) higher than those without. In rearing water without Nannochloropsis sp., γ-proteobacteria increased during rearing. In rearing water with Nannochloropsis sp., α-prote obacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium cluster were predominant at the beginning of the experiments and the relative abundance of γ-proteobacteria was maintained at a lower level throughout the experiments. The predominance of α-proteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium cluster appears to be a good indicator of successful larval production.     

Microbial mineralization of organic matter in sinking particles,bottom sediments and seawater in a coastal fish culturing area

Microbial mineralization rates in sinking particles, bottom sediments and seawater were determined in a coastal fish (red sea bream Pagrus major) culturing area to clarify the mineralization process of organic matter (OM) in the entire water column. The mineralization rates of ¹⁴C‐labelled glutamate and glucose per unit volume were highest in the sinking particles and were 131–572 and 7–49 times higher than those of the seawater and bottom sediments respectively. The turnover time of glutamate tended to be shorter than that of glucose at all three sites of the water column. Bacteria appeared to prefer amino acids to monosaccharides because amino acids could be utilized as both energy and nitrogen sources. The sedimentation rate of particulate organic carbon (POC) derived from phytoplankton accounted for 9–61% of the total POC, and it was particularly high in early summer (61% and 50% at fish cage and non‐cage stations respectively). The present study clearly shows that sinking particles serve as an important site of microbial mineralization process of OM within the water column, and that phytoplankton production was another serious cause of organic pollution of the seafloor in addition to the organic wastes directly discharged from fish farms.     

Phylogenetic relationship and fungicide sensitivity of members of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</Emphasis> species complex from apple

The members of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex (CGSC), the dominant pathogens of apple bitter rot in Nagano prefecture, Japan, were reidentified and the relationship between the species and fungicide sensitivity was revealed. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the ApMat locus with the neighbor-joining (NJ) method, isolates from apple contained three species of the CGSC; C. fructicola, C. aenigma, C. siamense, and three clades of the CGSC: Clade V, S and K. Colletotrichum fructicola and Clade S dominated in Nagano Prefecture. Isolates of C. siamense, C. aenigma and Clade V, S and K remained sensitive to benomyl and quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, while C. fructicola often developed resistance to benomyl and QoI fungicides. These results suggest that the development of fungicide resistance differs among members of the CGSC.     

Ultrastructural evidence that the negative feedback mechanism of the pituitary-thyroid axis can operate without the hypothalamus in fetal rats: observation of thyroid follicular cells

Hypothalamus-independent negative feedback mechanism of the pituitary-thyroid axis was studied by electron microscopic observation of thyroid follicular cells of encephalectomized or hypophysectomized fetal rats under hypothyroidism induced by propylthiouracil (PTU). Fetal hypophysectomy or encephalectomy was performed on day 19 of gestation. Mother rats were given either a daily amount of 40 mg PTU or saline alone on the day of operation and on the next day. On day 21, their fetuses were obtained. As a result, PTU induced marked goiters even in encephalectomized fetuses, the goiters being comparable in weight to those induced in littermate intact fetuses. Electron microscopically, the follicular lumen was narrowed, microvilli were lengthened with a marked increase in number, and rER was extremely expanded. Follicular cells often confined colloid droplets and lysosomes. Fetal hypophysectomy, even in PTU-treatment, caused a reduction in the thyroid weight, accompanied by flattening of follicular cells, shortening of microvilli, widening of follicular lumen, and shrinkage of rER. These findings would support the view that the negative feedback mechanism of the pituitary-thyroid axis can operate without the hypothalamus in fetal rats.     

Developmental changes in the umbilical arteries with observation of the effects of indomethacin in fetal rats

The caliber of the umbilical arteries was measured in fetal rats on day 14 to 21 of gestation. The fetuses were rapidly frozen in an acetone-dry ice mixture. The caudal half of each whole-body frozen fetus was gradually shaved with a knife from the ventral side to expose the umbilical arteries for measurement of their calibers. Observation reveals that, on day 15 of gestation, the umbilical arteries are asymmetrical in that the right artery is more dilated than the left. It is further seen that the left umbilical artery is closed on day 17 in contrast to the right which is increasingly more dilated toward term. When indomethacin, a synthetic compound having an action similar to that of glucocorticoids, was administered to pregnant rats 3 hr prior to sacrifice on day 21 of gestation, the right fetal umbilical artery was significantly constricted. The reason for this phenomenon is unknown, but is discussed in association with the manner of closure of the ductus arteriosus.