First application of biomarkers approach in the zooplanktonic copepod Acartia latisetosa for the early management and conservation of transitional waters ecosystems

Evaluation of EROD and CYP3A4 activities in earthworm Eisenia fetida as biomarkers for soil heavy metal contamination

Uranium mining activities can lead to the release and accumulation of highly toxic elements into adjacent aquatic ecosystems resulting in potential impacts on the biota of the lakes. Lakes adjacent to uranium mines in the eastern margin of the Athabasca basin in northern Saskatchewan were assessed for any detectable change in siliceous microfossils contemporaneous with documented metal enrichment. Analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) was used to determine if pre- and post-mining assemblages of five dated sediment cores within ~5 km of the mines were significantly different. These records were then compared to five sediment records from lakes ~20 km west and northwest of the mining activities to assess any regional trends in variation in siliceous microfossils in the absence of mining activities in their watersheds. Significant changes in diatom species assemblages between pre- and post-mining samples were evident in three of the five lakes adjacent to mining, however, significant differences were also evident between pre- and post-mining time periods in all but one of the five reference lakes. Variability in the pre-mining diatom assemblages of both the reference and adjacent lakes indicates that any analyses of change must be lake specific. Benthic Fragilariaceae were a common component of most lakes and were often identified through analysis of similarity percentages (SIMPER) as being amongst the highest contributors to the changes in the diatom composition, however, each lake also had other unique taxa changes contributing to the differences. The significant changes in specific diatom taxa from pre-mining to post-mining assemblages were not consistent across the impact lakes, nor were they consistent in the reference lakes. Teratological counts in the lakes adjacent to mining did not indicate any increases of deformed diatoms in the post-mining samples. The assessment of siliceous microfossil changes in the five lakes adjacent to mining operations with documented uranium enrichment, often accompanied by other elemental enrichments, suggests little influence on diatom assemblages can be linked to the uranium mining activities. This is supported by the significant changes also recorded in the siliceous component of the sediment record in the five reference sites.

Gill EROD in monitoring of CYP1A inducers in fish—A study in rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) caged in Stockholm and Uppsala waters

A field study on EROD activity and quantitative hepatocytological changes in an immature demersal fish

Odonate assemblages were compared between replicate sets of shallow lakes that had been created and acidified by open‐cast mining across a large area (2,451 ha) of southwest France (Arjuzanx, Landes); one set of lakes (n = 5) was experimentally restored by liming with calcium carbonate, whereas another group (n = 5) was left as untreated reference lakes. Both odonate adults and exuviae were sampled bimonthly during May–August 1998. Elevated turbidity and conductivity in limed lakes were the only physicochemical measures differing between restored and reference lakes, because deacidification occurred naturally, even in reference lakes during the 17 years after the onset of restoration. Restoration by liming can apparently lead to effects on lake turbidity that might be considered adverse. Twenty‐four and 19 odonate species occurred among adults and exuviae, respectively, but there were no significant differences in richness between restored and reference sites. However, significantly, more exuviae were collected from the reference sites (588 vs. 180), where exuvial diversity and rank abundance indicated more evenly structured assemblages than those in restored lakes. Ordination showed that adult assemblages differed significantly between restored and reference lakes, and varied highly significantly with lake turbidity. This effect occurred because a small group of generally scarce adults were characteristic of reference sites (Chalcolestes viridis, Lestes virens, Cordulia aenae, Leucorrhinia albifrons, and Sympetrum sanguineum). Exuviae of these same species were less abundant at restored sites, but exuvial assemblages overall did not discriminate between restored and reference lakes. We conclude that lake restoration by liming can reduce diversity and larval numbers among odonates and subtly affects adult assemblages. In this case study, adult assemblages discriminated best between the lake types involved in the experiment, but important additional information arose from exuvial abundance and structure. This study indicates that natural recovery processes after acidification in formerly open‐cast areas––rather than chemical intervention through liming––might lead to preferable conservation outcomes.

Towards an integrative soil health assessment strategy: A three tier (integrative biomarker response) approach with Eisenia fetida applied to soils subjected to chronic metal pollution

Multi-trial biomarker approach in Meganyctiphanes norvegica: a potential early indicator of health status of the Mediterranean “whale sanctuary”

The recent carbonate sediments near Halat el Bahrani, Trucial coast, Persian Gulf : Kinsman, D. J. J., 1964. In: Developments in Sedimentology, L.M.J.U. Van Straaten, Editor, Elsevier, 1: 185–192

Regional Representativeness of Swedish Reference Lakes.

Pesticides and heavy metals were analyzed in sentinel Crassostrea gigas oysters placed in six aquaculture sites close to a contaminated agricultural region. Each site was sampled twice. Tests revealed the presence of organochlorine (OC) pesticides in the oysters at concentrations varying from 31.8 to 72.5 μg/kg for gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH); from 1.2 to 3.1 μg/kg for dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4-DDE); from 1.6 to 2.3 μg/kg for endosulfan I; and from 1.4 to 41.2 μg/kg for endosulfan II, as well as heavy metals in concentrations that exceeded Mexican tolerance levels (405.5 to 987.8 μg/g for zinc; 4.2 to 7.3 μg/g for cadmium; and 7.2 to 9.9 μg/g for lead). Significant levels of DNA damage in oyster hemocytes were also detected. There was a significant, positive correlation between genotoxic damage and concentration of nickel or the presence of endosulfan II. Cellular viability evaluated by cytotoxic analyses was found to be high at 80%. Marked inhibition in activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE ) and induction of glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was noted. Data demonstrated a significant relation between AChE activity inhibition and presence of endosulfan II, γ-HCH, copper, lead, and 4,4-DDE, as well as between AChE and GST activity at different sites.

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between environmental health and health status. The data were obtained from the Environmental Performance Index and Global Health Observatory database. Air quality, sanitation/drinking water, heavy metals and waste management were used as environmental health data. Life expectancy at birth, healthy life expectancy and neonatal mortality rate were used as health status data. Canonical correlation analysis was performed with data from a total of 130 world countries. As a result, a statistically significant correlation was found between environmental health and health outcomes. 65.48% of the change in the health status was explained by environmental health. ‘Air quality’ and ‘sanitation/drinking water’ were the variables that affected health status the most. Life expectancy at birth was the variable most affected by environmental health. It can be said that increased investment in environmental quality has the potential to ultimately lead to better living conditions and improvements in health status. It is recommended that policymakers, business partners, city leaders and health managers collaborate to design environmental health policies that will protect environmental resources and ensure their sustainability.

Several studies have shown that elevated levels of certain heavy metals may affect the behavior of birds and mammals. However, most of these studies were carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; results from free-living populations are scarce. In this study we examined the possible effects of exposure to high heavy metal concentrations on the aggressive behavior of resident great tit (Parus major) males by means of simulated territorial intrusion experiments during the egg-laying and incubation period at a highly polluted and a reference site. We also examined the effects of heavy metal exposure on the breeding performance of the tested couples, and we examined the plasma testosterone concentrations of great tit males in both study sites. We found no significant differences in the aggressive behavior between great tits at the polluted and the reference site during the egg-laying period. During the incubation period, responding male great tits at the polluted site performed significantly more aggressive flights around the decoy than did males at the reference site. During this period, there was also a tendency that more responding males were out of sight of the observer for some time during the experiment at the reference site than at the polluted site and this also for a longer period of time. Other behavioral parameters did not differ significantly between the two sites. Although plasma testosterone levels were higher at the polluted site, they did not differ significantly between the two sites. The tested couples at the polluted site interrupted their laying sequence significantly more and hatching success was significantly reduced compared to the tested birds at the reference site. We found no significant difference in clutch size, the length of the laying interruptions, fledging success, and fledgling age between the two sites. Although our results showed only minor alterations in the territorial aggressive behavior of male great tits exposed to heavy metal pollution, these small changes may have an important influence on the breeding and survival of these birds.

Comparison of two bioassays, a fish liver cell line (PLHC-1) and a midge ( Chironomus riparius), in monitoring freshwater sediments

Heavy metal inhibition of EROD activity in liver microsomes from the bass Dicentrarchus labrax exposed to organic xenobiotics: Role of GSH in the reduction of heavy metal effects

Endocrine disruption in wild populations of chub ( Leuciscus cephalus) in contaminated French streams