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At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Rapid plant-cover establishment on gold mine tailings in southern New Zealand: glasshouse screening trials.

The use of a short-term vegetation cover to temporarily control the negative environmental effects of inactive tailings ponds is notfrequently practiced during operational mining, but could have some merit This article reports on a glasshouse trial designed to examine some of the issues associated with short-term vegetation: fast germination of a high proportion of seed, the ability of seedlings to survive in unamended substrates, and potentially toxic substrate. Five nonindigenous plant species were tested--barley (Hordeum vulgare), rye corn (Secale cereale), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multifiorum), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and lucerne (Medicago sativa)--in five different types of substrate: unamended tailings, tailings and fertilizer, tailings and greenwaste, biosolid-blend compost, and local topsoil. The nutrient and heavy metal status (As, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb) of each substrate type was determined Plant species performance was monitored over 14 wk Substrate metal concentrations were low except for As, which was elevated in all substrate types. Plants in unamended tailings grew less vigorously than plants in tailings and compost or in topsoil. Plant performance in tailings and fertiliser was greatly suppressed following a high fertilization rate. Metal uptake in plants was highest for As (0.4-77 mg kg(-1) DW) and Cu (5.3-50.3 mg kg(-1) DW). Future field trials are necessary to authenticate findings, but barley and rye corn are promising species for a short-term tailings cover.

Gold↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of carbamate insecticides in Chinese medicinal herbs by gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector.

A simplified method for determining carbamate insecticides (including metolcarb, isoprocarb, fenobucarb, carbofuran, pirimicarb, and carbaryl) in Chinese medicinal herbs (White Peony Alba, Red Peony Root, and Baical Skullcap Root) is described. Standards were fortified into Chinese medicinal herbs at 3 levels (0.05-0.5 mg/kg). The carbamates were extracted with dichloromethane in a Soxhlet apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. The results showed average recoveries between 80.77 and 104.56%. The method evidenced good robustness, accuracy, and precision for monitoring carbamates in Chinese medicinal herb samples, and it is a suitable alternative to replace the currently dedicated analytical systems. The minimum detectable amount ranged from 3.0 x 10(-10) to 5.0 x 10(-10)g, and the limit of quantification was 0.05 mg/kg. The method is rapid, simple, sensitive, and reproducible, and it can be conveniently used as a low-cost, rapid method for measuring the carbamate insecticide contamination of Chinese medicinal herbs.

Carbamates↗
PubMed2001

Nitrogen export from a watershed subjected to partial salvage logging.

Logging has been shown to induce nitrogen (N) leaching. We hypothesized that logging a watershed that previously exhibited forest decline symptoms would place additional stress on the ecosystem and result in greater N loss, compared to harvesting vigorous forests. We conducted a 10-year (1988 to 1998) assessment of N export from the Baldwin Creek watershed in southwestern Pennsylvania that was partially clearcut to salvage dead and dying northern red oak. N export from the watershed increased significantly following salvage logging operations and did not completely return to prelogging levels by the end of the study period. The largest annual NO3-N export of 13 kg/ha was observed during the first year after harvesting, an increase of approximately 10 kg/ha. Compared to data from other Appalachian Mountain watersheds in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, calculated N loss for Baldwin Creek was considerably greater. Longer periods of reduced N uptake due to slow revegetation of salvage logged areas, coupled with increased amounts of N available to leaching, could have accounted for the large N losses observed for Baldwin Creek. Salvage logging of dead and dying trees from forested watersheds in this region appears to have the potential to result in much larger N losses than previously reported for harvest of healthy stands.

Ecosystem↗
PubMed1993

Epidemiology of Toxocara canis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from urban areas of Bristol.

A descriptive epidemiological survey was undertaken of the ascarid nematode Toxocara canis in 521 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) during the period January 1986 to July 1990. Age-prevalence and age-intensity profiles show that worm burdens are significantly higher in cubs than in subadult or adult foxes and higher in subadult than in adult foxes. Seasonal variations in worm burdens occur, with the highest prevalences and intensities being found during the spring, when cubs are born, and in the summer months. Prevalences and intensities then decrease during the autumn and winter months in both subadult and adult foxes, but, during this period, prevalences are significantly higher in male than in female foxes. Variations in worm burdens in the fox population are likely to be related to the reproductive cycle of the fox, with a high proportion of cubs becoming infected in utero. The role of the fox in the transmission of T. canis in the urban environment is discussed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2000

Modeling of Copper(II), Cadmium(II), and Lead(II) Adsorption on Red Mud from Metal-EDTA Mixture Solutions.

The adsorption of toxic heavy metal cations, i.e., Cu(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II), from metal-EDTA mixture solutions on a composite adsorbent having a heterogeneous surface, i.e., bauxite waste red mud, has been investigated and modeled with the aid of a modified surface complexation approach in respect to pH and complexant dependency of heavy metal adsorption. EDTA was selected as the modeling ligand in view of its wide usage as an anthropogenic chelating agent and abundance in natural waters. The adsorption experiments were conducted for metal salts (nitrates), metal-EDTA complexes alone, or in mixtures containing (metal+metal-EDTA). The adsorption equilibrium constants for the metal ions and metal-EDTA complexes were calculated. For all studied cases, the solid adsorbent phase concentrations of the adsorbed metal and metal-EDTA complexes were found by using the derived model equations with excellent compatibility of experimental and theoretically generated adsorption isotherms. The model was useful for metal and metal-EDTA mixture solutions either at their natural pH of equilibration with the sorbent, or after pH elevation with NaOH titration up to a certain pH. Thus adsorption of every single species (M(2+) or MY(2-)) or of possible mixtures (M(2+)+MY(2-)) at natural pH or after NaOH titration could be calculated by the use of simple quadratic model equations, once the initial concentrations of the corresponding species, i.e., [M(2+)](0) or [MY(2-)](0), were known. The compatibility of theoretical and experimental data pairs of adsorbed species concentrations was verified by means of nonlinear regression analysis. The findings of this study can be further developed so as to serve environmental risk assessment concerning the expansion of a heavy metal contaminant plume with groundwater move ment in soil consisting of hydrated-oxide type minerals. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

The adsorption kinetics of metal ions onto different microalgae and siliceous earth.

In the present work the adsorption kinetics of the six metal ions aluminum, zinc, mercury, lead, copper, and cadmium onto living microalgae were measured. The freshwater green microalga Scenedesmus subspicatus, the brackish water diatom Cyclotella cryptica, the seawater diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and the seawater red alga Porphyridium purpureum were the subject of investigation. In most cases the adsorption rate of the metals could be well described by using the equation of the Langmuir adsorption rate expression. Inverse parameter estimation allowed the determination of the rate constants of the adsorption process and the maximum metal content of the algae. The highest values for the rate constant were obtained for Porphyridium purpureum followed by Phaeodactylum tricornutum. High values for the maximum content were obtained for Cyclotella cryptica and Scenedesmus subspicatus. The maximum rate constant was 24.21 h-1 for the adsorption of Hg to Porphyridium purpureum whereas the maximum metal content (0.243 g g-1) was obtained for Zn on Cyclotella cryptica. A comparison of these values with those obtained for the mineral siliceous earth exhibiting low maximum content and high adsorption rates reveals that the mechanism of adsorption onto the algae is a mixture of adsorption and accumulation.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2000

Simultaneous imaging of Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365 populations expressing three different autofluorescent proteins in the rhizosphere: new perspectives for studying microbial communities.

To visualize simultaneously different populations of pseudomonads in the rhizosphere at the single cell level in a noninvasive way, a set of four rhizosphere-stable plasmids was constructed expressing three different derivatives of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), namely enhanced cyan (ECFP), enhanced green (EGFP), enhanced yellow (EYFP), and the recently published red fluorescent protein (RFP; DsRed). Upon tomato seedling inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365 populations, each expressing a different autofluorescent protein followed by plant growth for 5 days, the rhizosphere was inspected using confocal laser scanning microscopy. We were able to visualize simultaneously and clearly distinguish from each other up to three different bacterial populations. Microcolonies consisting of mixed populations were frequently observed at the base of the root system, whereas microcolonies further toward the root tip predominantly consisted of a single population, suggesting a dynamic behavior of microcolonies over time. Since the cloning vector pME6010 has a broad host range for gram-negative bacteria, the constructed plasmids can be used for many purposes. In particular, they will be of great value for the analysis of microbial communities, for example in processes such as biocontrol, biofertilization, biostimulation, competition for niches, colonization, and biofilm formation.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed2004

Modeling intra-crown and intra-canopy interactions in red maple: assessment of light transfer on carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange.

Daily and seasonal net photosynthesis (Anet), transpiration (E), absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (Qa) and light-use efficiency (epsilonc) in a red maple container nursery were simulated with MAESTRA, a three-dimensional canopy model. Effects of canopy heterogeneity were simulated by imposing changes in crown spacing. The light transfer sub-model, a distribution model of incident, direct, diffuse and scattered radiation within MAESTRA, was validated against field measurements of light interception on an intra-crown scale. In the container nursery, we found that a fiber-optic-based method of integrating photosynthetically active radiation (Q) was more suitable for crown-layer light transfer measurements and adjustments than either orthogonal line or individual quantum sensor measurements. The model underestimated intercepted Q by 9.3, 18 and 11.1% for crown layers 1, 2 and 3, respectively; however, there were linear relationships between model estimates and observations made with each of the three measurement methods. We used the validated and parameterized light transfer model to assess intra-crown and intra-canopy light transfer on a layer, crown and canopy basis, and investigated effects of tree size ratio and tree spacing interactions on Anet, E, Qa and epsilonc in the container nursery. Heterogeneous crown and canopy photosynthesis were predicted to exceed values for a uniform canopy under space-limiting conditions. Tree size ratio had large effects on Anet, E, Qa and epsilonc when light to lower-canopy layers was limited by inadequate space between crowns. Increasing Qa at lower-crown layers had the largest impact on whole-crown and whole-canopy Anet, E, Qa and epsilonc. Increases in canopy productivity led to increased water use. Simulations of heterogeneous stands with adequate soil water indicated that light absorption is maximized under space-limiting conditions as a canopy crown moves toward heterogeneity. Nursery and plantation productivity per unit land area was optimized by tactical placement of trees of several sizes, but this was accompanied by increased canopy water use.

Acer↗
PubMed2000

Possible contaminant origins of the red cosmetics decorating ancient burial sites in Japan.

Marker elements were estimated from the red cosmetics collected from different ancient burials and mine ruins in three separate districts of Japan. Element levels were displayed in reference to the relative amount to sulfur (RA/S), by which the cosmetics were divided into five types: I--a low Hg/S with a low Fe/S; II--both moderate Hg/S and Fe/S; III--a moderate Hg/S with a high Fe/S; III 2--a high Hg/S with a moderate Fe/S; IV--a high Hg/S with a high Fe/S. The cosmetics can be further characterized by referring to other contaminants such as Zn, Cu, and Mn. These combined analyses with contaminant metals were capable of characterizing the origins of the cosmetics; it is useful to compare them to each other. The cosmetics were identified as being due to several groups of contaminants from ancient mines in Japan, and also with this system analysis of the markers it is possible to identify them from neighboring countries.

Archaeology↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Oxygenic photosynthesis and the oxidation state of Mars.

The oxidation state of the Earth's surface is one of the most obvious indications of the effect of life on this planet. The surface of Mars is highly oxidized, as evidenced by its red color, but the connection to life is less apparent. Two possibilities can be considered. First, the oxidant may be photochemically produced in the atmosphere. In this case the fundamental source of O2 is the loss of H2 to space and the oxidant produced is H2O2. This oxidant would accumulate on the surface and thereby destroy any organic material and other reductants to some depth. Recent models suggest that diffusion limits this depth to a few meters. An alternative source of oxgyen is biological oxygen production followed by sequestration of organic material in sediments--as on the Earth. In this case, the net oxidation of the surface was determined billions of years ago when Mars was a more habitable planet and oxidative conditions could persist to great depths, over 100 m. Below this must be a compensating layer of biogenic organic material. Insight into the nature of past sources of oxidation on Mars will require searching for organics in the Martian subsurface and sediments.

Atmosphere↗
PubMed1999

Methylation of inorganic arsenic in different mammalian species and population groups.

Thousands of people in different parts of the world are exposed to arsenic via drinking water or contaminated soil or food. The high general toxic of arsenic has been known for centuries, and research during the last decades has shown that arsenic is a potent human carcinogen. However, most experimental cancer studies have failed to demonstrate carcinogenicity in experimental animals, indicating marked variation in sensitivity towards arsenic toxicity between species. It has also been suggested that there is a variation in susceptibility among human individuals. One reason for such variability in toxic response may be variation in metabolism. Inorganic arsenic is methylated in humans as well as animals and micro-organisms, but there are considerable differences between species and individuals. In many, but not all, mammalian species, inorganic arsenic is methylated to methylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), which are more rapidly excreted in urine than is the inorganic arsenic, especially the trivalent form (AsIII, arsenite) which is highly reactive with tissue components. Absorbed arsenate (AsV) is reduced to trivalent arsenic (AsIII) before the methyl groups are attached. It has been estimated that as much as 50-70% of absorbed AsV is rapidly reduced to AsIII, a reaction which seems to be common for most species. In most experimental animal species, DMA is the main metabolite excreted in urine. Compared to human subjects, very little MMA is produced. However, the rate of methylation varies considerably between species, and several species, e.g. the marmoset monkey and the chimpanzee have been shown not to methylate inorganic arsenic at all. In addition, the marmoset monkey accumulates arsenic in the liver. The rat, on the other hand, has an efficient methylation of arsenic but the formed DMA is to a large extent accumulated in the red blood cells. As a result, the rat shows a low rate of excretion of arsenic. In both human subjects and rodents exposed to DMA, about 5% of the dose is excreted in the urine as trimethylarsine oxide. It is obvious from studies on human volunteers exposed to specified doses of inorganic arsenic that the rate of excretion increases with the methylation efficiency, and there are large inter-individual variations in the methylation of arsenic. Recent studies on people exposed to arsenic via drinking water in northern Argentina have shown unusually low urinary excretion of MMA. Furthermore, children had a lower degree of methylation of arsenic than adults. Some studies indicate a lower degree of arsenic methylation in men than in women, especially during pregnancy. Whether the observed differences in methylation of arsenic are associated with variations in the susceptibility of arsenic remains to be investigated.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Microbulbifer arenaceous sp. nov., a new endolithic bacterium isolated from the inside of red sandstone.

An endolithic bacterium, strain RSBr-1, was isolated from the inside of a piece of red sandstone from coastal areas of Scotland. RSBr-1 was gram negative, oxidase and catalase positive, and cells were non-motile rods. Sodium was required for growth. The optimum sodium chloride concentration and pH for growth were 4% and pH 8.0, respectively. Eumelanin was produced in marine broth and in BY medium. RSBr-1 hydrolyzes chitin, esculin, gelatin, and starch, but not agar. Nitrate reduction is positive. Taxonomic characterization of this strain indicated that it belongs to the genus Microbulbifer. The difference between the aligned 16S rDNA sequences of RSBr-1 and the closest relative, M. elongata, is greater than the difference between the 16S rDNA sequences of M. hydrolyticus and M. elongata. On the basis of the phenotypic and genotypic comparison of this isolate with the other strains, RSBr-1 is proposed as a new species, Microbulbifer arenaceous, with type strain RSBr-1.

Alteromonadaceae↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Michigan basin regional ground water flow discharge to three Great Lakes.

Ground water discharge to the Great Lakes around the Lower Peninsula of Michigan is primarily from recharge in riparian basins and proximal upland areas that are especially important to the northern half of the Lake Michigan shoreline. A steady-state finite-difference model was developed to simulate ground water flow in four regional aquifers in Michigan's Lower Peninsula: the Glaciofluvial, Saginaw, Parma-Bayport, and Marshall aquifers interlayered with the Till/"red beds," Saginaw, and Michigan confining units, respectively. The model domain was laterally bound by a continuous specified-head boundary, formed from lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair, and Erie, with the St. Clair and Detroit River connecting channels. The model was developed to quantify regional ground water flow in the aquifer systems using independently determined recharge estimates. According to the flow model, local stream stages and discharges account for 95% of the overall model water budget; only 50% enters the lakes directly from the ground water system. Direct ground water discharge to the Great Lakes' shorelines was calculated at 36 m3/sec, accounting for 5% of the overall model water budget. Lowland areas contribute far less ground water discharge to the Great Lakes than upland areas. The model indicates that Saginaw Bay receives only approximately 1.13 m3/sec ground water; the southern half of the Lake Michigan shoreline receives only approximately 2.83 m3/sec. In contrast, the northern half of the Lake Michigan shoreline receives more than 17 m3/sec from upland areas.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1991

Trabulsiella guamensis, a new genus and species of the family Enterobacteriaceae that resembles Salmonella subgroups 4 and 5.

In 1985 the vernacular name Enteric Group 90 was coined for a small group of strains that had been referred to our laboratory as probable strains of Salmonella but did not agglutinate in Salmonella typing antisera. By DNA-DNA hybridization (hydroxyapatite method, 32P), seven strains of Enteric Group 90 were found to be closely related (98 to 100% at 60 degrees C and 94 to 100% at 75 degrees C) to the first strain received (0370-85). The relatedness of Enteric Group 90 to 62 strains of other species of the family Enterobacteriaceae was only 6 to 41%, with the highest values obtained with strains of Salmonella, Kluyvera, Shigella, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Citrobacter. We propose a new genus, Trabulsiella, with a single new species, Trabulsiella guamensis, for the highly related group of eight strains formerly known as Enteric Group 90. The type strain is designated ATCC 49490 (CDC 0370-85). T. guamensis strains grew well at 36 degrees C and had positive reactions in the following tests: methyl red, citrate utilization (Simmons) (38% positive at day 1, 88% positive at 2 days), H2S production, lysine decarboxylase, arginine dihydrolase (50% positive at 2 days, 100% positive at 7 days), ornithine decarboxylase, motility, growth in KCN medium, mucate fermentation, acetate utilization, nitrate reduction to nitrite, weak tyrosine hydrolysis (88% positive at 2 days, 100% positive at 7 days), and ONPG (o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside) test. The strains fermented D-glucose with gas production and fermented L-arabinose, cellobiose, D-galactose, D-galacturonate, maltose, D-mannitol, D-mannose, L-rhamnose, D-sorbitol, trehalose, and D-xylose. T. guamensis strains had negative reactions in the following tests: indole production (13% positive), Voges-Proskauer, urea hydrolysis, phenylalanine deaminase, malonate utilization, lipase (corn oil), DNase, oxidase, pigment production, and acid production from adonitol, D-arabitol, dulcitol, erythritol, myo-inositol, melibiose, alpha-methyl-D-glucoside, raffinose, and sucrose. There were delayed positive reactions for gelatin liquefaction (22 degrees C), which was positive at 12 to 23 days, esculin hydrolysis (13% positive at day 1, 50% positive at 7 days), lactose fermentation (13% positive at 3 to 7 days, 100% positive at 8 to 10 days), glycerol fermentation (88% positive at 7 days), and salicin fermentation (13% positive at day 1, 88% positive at 7 days). All strains were susceptible by the disk diffusion method to colistin, nalidixic acid, gentamicin, streptomycin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and most strains were susceptible to sulfadiazine (75% susceptible), tetracycline (88%), and carbenicillin (75%). The strains were resistant to penicillin, cephalothin, and ampicillin. The strains were isolated from vacuum cleaner dust (five strains), soil (one strain), and human feces (two strains). Although T. guamensis can occur in human diarrheal stools, there is no evidence that it actually causes diarrhea. Its main interest to clinical microbiologists may be its possible misidentification as a strain Salmonella.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed2000

Effects of solar UV-B radiation on aquatic ecosystems.

Solar UV degrades dissolved organic carbon photolytically so that they can readily be taken up by bacterioplankton. On the other hand solar UV radiation inhibits bacterioplankton activity. Bacterioplankton productivity is far greater than previously thought and is comparable to phytoplankton primary productivity. According to the "microbial loop hypothesis," bacterioplankton is seen in the center of a food web, having a similar function to phytoplankton and protists. The penetration of UV and PAR into the water column can be measured. Marine waters show large temporal and regional differences in their concentrations of dissolved and particulate absorbing substances. A network of dosimeters (ELDONET) has been installed in Europe ranging from Abisko in Northern Sweden to Gran Canaria. Cyanobacteria are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen which is then made available to higher plants. The agricultural potential of cyanobacteria has been recognized as a biological fertilizer for wet soils such as in rice paddies. UV-B is known to impair processes such as growth, survival, pigmentation, motility, as well as the enzymes of nitrogen metabolism and CO2 fixation. The marine phytoplankton represents the single most important ecosystem on our planet and produces about the same biomass as all terrestrial ecosystems taken together. It is the base of the aquatic food chain and any changes in the size and composition of phytoplankton communities will directly affect food production for humans from marine sources. Another important role of marine phytoplankton is to serve as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Recent investigations have shown a large sensitivity of most phytoplankton organisms toward solar short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UV-B); even at ambient levels of UV-B radiation many organisms seem to be under UV stress. Because of their requirement for solar energy, the phytoplankton dwell in the top layers of the water column. In this near-surface position phytoplankton will be exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation. This radiation has been shown to affect growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen incorporation and enzyme activity. Other targets of solar UV irradiation are proteins and pigments involved in photosynthesis. Whether or not screening pigments can be induced in phytoplankton to effectively shield the organisms from excessive UV irradiation needs to be determined. Macroalgae show a distinct pattern of vertical distribution in their habitat. They have developed mechanisms to regulate their photosynthetic activity to adapt to the changing light regime and protect themselves from excessive radiation. A broad survey was carried out to understand photosynthesis in aquatic ecosystems and the different adaptation strategies to solar radiation of ecologically important species of green, red and brown algae from the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean, Atlantic, polar and tropical oceans. Photoinhibition was quantified by oxygen exchange and by PAM (pulse amplitude modulated) fluorescence measurements based on transient changes of chlorophyll fluorescence.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Metabolically active eukaryotic communities in extremely acidic mine drainage.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) microbial communities contain microbial eukaryotes (both fungi and protists) that confer a biofilm structure and impact the abundance of bacteria and archaea and the community composition via grazing and other mechanisms. Since prokaryotes impact iron oxidation rates and thus regulate AMD generation rates, it is important to analyze the fungal and protistan populations. We utilized 18S rRNA and beta-tubulin gene phylogenies and fluorescent rRNA-specific probes to characterize the eukaryotic diversity and distribution in extremely acidic (pHs 0.8 to 1.38), warm (30 to 50 degrees C), metal-rich (up to 269 mM Fe(2+), 16.8 mM Zn, 8.5 mM As, and 4.1 mM Cu) AMD solutions from the Richmond Mine at Iron Mountain, Calif. A Rhodophyta (red algae) lineage and organisms from the Vahlkampfiidae family were identified. The fungal 18S rRNA and tubulin gene sequences formed two distinct phylogenetic groups associated with the classes Dothideomycetes and Eurotiomycetes. Three fungal isolates that were closely related to the Dothideomycetes clones were obtained. We suggest the name "Acidomyces richmondensis" for these isolates. Since these ascomycete fungi were morphologically indistinguishable, rRNA-specific oligonucleotide probes were designed to target the Dothideomycetes and Eurotiomycetes via fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). FISH analyses indicated that Eurotiomycetes are generally more abundant than Dothideomycetes in all of the seven locations studied within the Richmond Mine system. This is the first study to combine the culture-independent detection of fungi with in situ detection and a demonstration of activity in an acidic environment. The results expand our understanding of the subsurface AMD microbial community structure.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed1993

[Handling of red silica gravel on sports, play and resort surfaces with special reference to new toxicologic results].

In 1991 "Kieselrot", a material with extremely high PCDD/PCDF-contamination up to about 200,000 ng TEQ/kg was detected on many leisure centres and sports fields in Germany. The contaminated grounds were closed, and covered up. The following examinations to prepare the planned decontamination are described here. The need for decontamination of those "Kieselrot"-areas is discussed with special reference to its relevance on behalf of environmental toxicology and preventive medicine. Risk estimates, based on mathematical models had shown a considerable health and cancer risk for the users of such play- and sports grounds. However, recent studies conducted with sportsmen, groundsmen, and residents after many years of contact with "Kieselrot"-covered grounds did not reveal any additional PCDD/PCDF blood fat burden. But raised TEQ-levels and a typical congeneric pattern pointing to a "Kieselrot"-load could be seen in some of the examined children. Following these results it was concluded that children play grounds contaminated with "Kieselrot" should remain closed and should be decontaminated, whereas sports fields could be used again. Another possibility could be the adaption of the decontamination concepts and methods to the proven low bioavailability of PCDD/PCDF from "Kieselrot".

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

The effect of volatile and gaseous metabolites of swelling seeds on germination of fungal spores.

Effects of volatile and gaseous metabolites of swelling seeds of pea, bean, wheat, corn cucumber, tomato, lentil, carrot, red papper and lettuce on germination of spores of five genera of fungi were found to depend rather on the fungal than on the plant genus. Germination of spores of Botrytis cinerea, Mucor racemosus and Trichoderma viride was most severely inhibited. Spores of Verticillium dahliae were less sensitive and germination of spores of Fusarium oxysporum was inhibited only in two cases. On the other hand, exudates of pea and bean stimulated germination of spores of Fusarium oxysporum. Also spores of Trichoderma viride germinated better in an atmosphere enriched with exuded metabolites of swelling lettuce seeds. When carbon dioxide produced by the swelling seeds was absorbed in potassium hydroxide, spores of Trichoderma viride and Verticillium dahliae did not germinate at all, the inhibitory effects of volatile and gaseous exudates on germination of spores of Mucor racemosus were accentuated, and also the percentage of germinated spores of Fusarium oxysporum decreased. Germination of spores of Botrytis cinerea was not influenced. Absorption of volatile and gaseous metabolites in a solution of potassium permanganate decreased in most cases their inhibitory effects, particularly in Botrytis cinerea.

Carbon Dioxide↗