Extreme Natural Environments Research Articles

Characterization of natural adsorbent material for heavy metal removal in a petrochemical site contamination

Despite of over 25 years of intensive technological efforts, sub-surface environment cleanup still remains a challenge, especially in case of highly contaminated sites. In this context, ion exchanger technologies could provide simple and effective solutions for heavy metal removal in water treatment. The challenge is finding exchanger able to operate in extreme natural environments or in situations involving natural interfering species such as inorganic ions. In this paper we exam the use of natural zeolites as versatile exchanger for environmental protection of coastal refinery's groundwater against pollution of Ni, Cd, Pb. The influence of particle diameter on clinoptilolite performances toward heavy metal removal is studied. Also, we evaluate the exchanger activities in condition of high ionic strength, commonly present in groundwater located under coastal petrol industries. The obtained results confirmed that ion exchangers could provide an effective solutions for remediation in complex environmental conditions.

Nonlinear Pressure Dependence of the Interaction Potential of Dense Protein Solutions

The influence of pressure on the structure and protein-protein interaction potential of dense protein solutions was studied and analyzed using small-angle x-ray scattering in combination with a liquid state theoretical approach. The structural as well as the interaction parameters of dense lysozyme solutions are affected by pressure in a nonlinear way. The structural properties of water lead to a modification of the protein-protein interactions below 4kbar, which might have significant consequences for the stability of proteins in extreme natural environments.

Natural Pollution Caused by the Extremely Acid Crater Lake Kawah Ijen, East Java, Indonesia (7 pp)

Lakes developing in volcano craters can become highly acidic through the influx of volcanic gases, yielding one of the chemically most extreme natural environments on earth. The Kawah Ijen crater lake in East Java (Indonesia) has a pH < 0.3. It is the source of the extremely acidic and metal-polluted river Banyupahit (45 km). The lake has a significant impact on the river ecosystem as well as on a densely populated area downstream, where agricultural fields are irrigated with water with a pH between 2.5 and 3.5. The chemistry of the river water seemed to have changed over the past decade and the negative effect in the irrigation area increased. A multidisciplinary approach was used to investigate the altered situation and to get insight in the water chemistry and the hydrological processes influencing these alterations. Moreover, a first investigation of the effects of the low pH on ecosystem health and human health was performed. Water samples were taken at different sites along the river and in the irrigation area. Sampling for macroinvertebrates was performed at the same sites. Samples of soil and crop were taken in the irrigation area. All samples were analysed for metals (using ICP-AES) and other elements, and concentrations were compared to local and international standards. The river carries a very high load of SO4, NH4, PO4, Cl, F, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Al and other potentially toxic elements. Precipitation and discharge data over the period of 1980-2000 clearly show that the precipitation on the Ijen plateau influences water chemistry of the downstream river. Metal concentrations in the river water exceed the concentrations mentioned in Indonesian and international quality guidelines, even in the downstream river and the irrigation area. Some metal concentrations are extremely high, especially iron (up to 1,600 mg/l) and aluminium (up to 3,000 mg/l). The food-webs in the acidic parts of the river are highly underdeveloped. No invertebrates were present in the extremely acidic water and, at pH 2.3, only chironomids were found. This also holds true for the river water with pH 3.3 in the downstream area. Agricultural soils in the irrigation area have a pH of 3.9 compared to a pH of 7.0 for soils irrigated with neutral water. Decreased yields of cultivated crops are probably caused by the use of Al containing acidic irrigation water. Increased levels of metals (especially Cd, Co, Ni and Mn) are found in different foodstuffs, but still remain within acceptable ranges. Considering local residents' diets, Cd levels may lead to an increased risk for the human health. Fluoride exposure is of highest concern, with levels in drinking water exceeding guideline values and a lot of local residents suffering from dental fluorosis. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: In short, our data indicate that the Ijen crater lake presents a serious threat to the environment as well as human health and agricultural production.

Bacterial diversity in human subgingival plaque.

The purpose of this study was to determine the bacterial diversity in the human subgingival plaque by using culture-independent molecular methods as part of an ongoing effort to obtain full 16S rRNA sequences for all cultivable and not-yet-cultivated species of human oral bacteria. Subgingival plaque was analyzed from healthy subjects and subjects with refractory periodontitis, adult periodontitis, human immunodeficiency virus periodontitis, and acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) bacterial genes from DNA isolated from subgingival plaque samples were PCR amplified with all-bacterial or selective primers and cloned into Escherichia coli. The sequences of cloned 16S rDNA inserts were used to determine species identity or closest relatives by comparison with sequences of known species. A total of 2,522 clones were analyzed. Nearly complete sequences of approximately 1,500 bases were obtained for putative new species. About 60% of the clones fell into 132 known species, 70 of which were identified from multiple subjects. About 40% of the clones were novel phylotypes. Of the 215 novel phylotypes, 75 were identified from multiple subjects. Known putative periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, and Treponema denticola were identified from multiple subjects, but typically as a minor component of the plaque as seen in cultivable studies. Several phylotypes fell into two recently described phyla previously associated with extreme natural environments, for which there are no cultivable species. A number of species or phylotypes were found only in subjects with disease, and a few were found only in healthy subjects. The organisms identified only from diseased sites deserve further study as potential pathogens. Based on the sequence data in this study, the predominant subgingival microbial community consisted of 347 species or phylotypes that fall into 9 bacterial phyla. Based on the 347 species seen in our sample of 2,522 clones, we estimate that there are 68 additional unseen species, for a total estimate of 415 species in the subgingival plaque. When organisms found on other oral surfaces such as the cheek, tongue, and teeth are added to this number, the best estimate of the total species diversity in the oral cavity is approximately 500 species, as previously proposed.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN BIOLOGY (the anthropological aspect)

Among the various problems relating to the man-nature relationship, little work has been done on the mechanism by which extreme natural environments, such as those observed in the Arctic, in continental Siberia, in the tropics and in highlands, affect the human organism. A Moscow University anthropologist discusses the geographical distribution of some anthropologic traits and concludes that some physiologic and morphologic features inherent in members of different races and ethnic groups tend to adapt themselves to particular environments without posing an obstacle to existence in other ecological settings. It is found in particular that members of different races or ethnic groups will display similar adaptive characteristics in a given environment while members of a particular ethnic group will show different adaptive tendencies in different environments. [The article is based on the author's book Geograficheskaya sreda i biologiya cheloveka (Geographical Environment and Human Biology), published in Mos...

Adaptation and failure of adaptation to extreme natural environments

Although the environmental stresses to which man is subjected on the ground are less than those commonly encountered in aviation or under water, they may still exceed an individual's powers of adaptation. Extremes of temperature, commonly encountered in the Arctic or the tropics, may occur in regions of normally temperate climate and lead to failure of temperature regulation, resulting in hypothermia, frostbite, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke. High mountains impose additional hazards due to high winds and lack of oxygen, and deep mines are dangerous work-places because of high temperature and humidity. Some physiological acclimatization occurs in extreme natural environments and the dangers may be reduced by appropriate clothing, diet and behaviour.