Plant Water Samples Research Articles

Permanent colonization of creek sediments, creek water and limnic water plants by four Listeria species in low population densities.

During a 1-year longitudinal study, water, sediment and water plants from two creeks and one pond were sampled monthly and analyzed for the presence of Listeria species. A total of 90 % of 30 sediment samples, 84 % of 31 water plant samples and 67 % of 36 water samples were tested positive. Generally, most probable number counts ranged between 1 and 40 g-1, only occasionally >110 cfu g-1 were detected. Species differentiation based on FT-IR spectroscopy and multiplex PCR of a total of 1220 isolates revealed L. innocua (46 %), L. seeligeri (27 %), L. monocytogenes (25 %) and L. ivanovii (2 %). Titers and species compositions were similar during all seasons. While the species distributions in sediments and associated Ranunculus fluitans plants appeared to be similar in both creeks, RAPD typing did not provide conclusive evidence that the populations of these environments were connected. It is concluded that (i) the fresh-water sediments and water plants are year-round populated by Listeria, (ii) no clear preference for growth in habitats as different as sediments and water plants was found and (iii) the RAPD-based intraspecific biodiversity is high compared to the low population density.

Identification of inorganic and organic species of arsenic in some water plant samples

Identification of inorganic and organic species of arsenic in some water plant samples

Speciation of gadolinium in surface water samples and plants by hydrophilic interaction chromatography hyphenated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was optimized for speciation analysis of gadolinium-based contrast agents in environmental samples, in particular surface river waters and plants. Surface water samples from the Teltow channel, near Berlin, were investigated over a distance of 5 km downstream from the influx of a wastewater treatment plant. The total concentration of gadolinium increased significantly from 50 to 990 ng L(-1) due to the influx of the contrast agents. After complete mixing with the river water, the concentration remained constant over a distance of at least 4 km. Two main substances [Dotarem(®) (Gd-DOTA) and Gadovist(®) (Gd-BT-DO3A)] have been identified in the river water using standards. A gadolinium-based contrast agent, possibly Gd-DOTA (Dotarem(®)), was also detected in water plant samples taken from the Teltow channel. Therefore, uptake of contrast agents [Gadovist(®) (Gd-BTDO3A), Magnevist(®) (Gd-DTPA), Omniscan(®) (Gd-DTPA-BMA), Dotarem(®) (Gd-DOTA), and Multihance(®) (Gd-BOPTA)] by plants was investigated in a model experiment using Lepidium sativum (cress plants). HILIC-ICP-MS was used for identification of different contrast agents, and a first approach for quantification using aqueous standard solutions was tested. For speciation analysis, all investigated contrast agents could be extracted from the plant tissues with a recovery of about 54 % for Multihance(®) (Gd-BOPTA) up to 106 % for Gadovist(®) (Gd-BT-DO3A). These experiments demonstrate that all contrast agents investigated are transported from the roots to the leaves where the highest content was measured.

Depletion of heavy isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in tissue water of intertidal plants: implications for water economy

Stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of leaf and thallus water of the intertidal seagrasses Phyllospadix scouleri and P. torreyi and the marine algae Egregia menziesii, Gelidium coulteri, and Corallina vancouverensis from three locations in California, USA, were determined in 1987. Compared with subtidal seawater, most plant-water samples were depleted in the heavy isotopes 18O and deuterium. Depletion of heavy isotopes was greatest in plants growing at the highest intertidal elevations. This was an unexpected result, because enrichment of heavy isotopes occurs during evapotranspiration in terrestrial plants. Two possible mechanisms for this isotopic depletion are proposed: direct uptake of heavy isotope-depleted water vapor and preferential diffusion of 16O and 1H into littoral plants from water remaining in the intertidal zone at low tide.