scholarly journals Biological Effects Assessment of Antibiofouling EDCs: Gaeta Harbor (South Italy) Benthic Communities' Analysis by Biodiversity Indices and Quantitative gpx4 Expression

Author(s):  
Adriano Madonna ◽  
Agostino Balzano ◽  
Dea Rabbito ◽  
Mustapha Hasnaoui ◽  
Abdelraouf A. Moustafa ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Caroline Raymond ◽  
Göran S Samuelsson ◽  
Stefan Agrenius ◽  
Morten T Schaanning ◽  
Jonas S Gunnarsson

AbstractThe sediments in the Grenland fjords in southern Norway are heavily contaminated by large emissions of dioxins and mercury from historic industrial activities. As a possible in situ remediation option, thin-layer sediment surface capping with powdered activated carbon (AC) mixed with clay was applied at two large test sites (10,000 and 40,000 m2) at 30-m and 95-m depths, respectively, in 2009. This paper describes the long-term biological effects of the AC treatment on marine benthic communities up to 4 years after treatment. Our results show that the capping with AC strongly reduced the benthic species diversity, abundance, and biomass by up to 90%. Vital functions in the benthic ecosystem such as particle reworking and bioirrigation of the sediment were also reduced, analyzed by using novel bioturbation and bioirrigation indices (BPc, BIPc, and IPc). Much of the initial effects observed after 1 and 14 months were still present after 49 months, indicating that the effects are long-lasting. These long-lasting negative ecological effects should be carefully considered before decisions are made on sediment remediation with powdered AC, especially in large areas, since important ecosystem functions can be impaired.


2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Rochfort ◽  
L. Grapentine ◽  
J. Marsalek ◽  
B. Brownlee ◽  
T. Reynoldson ◽  
...  

Abstract Urban wet-weather sources of pollution such as Stormwater and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) can contribute significantly to the contamination of receiving waters, particularly in sediment depositional areas near outfalls. Analyses of sediment chemistry alone are not sufficient to fully assess the effects of these discharges. Toxicity testing and evaluations of benthic invertebrate communities, in conjunction with chemical analyses, provide a more complete characterization. This study assessed relationships among three separate aspects of the benthic environment:sediment chemistry (metals, PAHs and nutrients) and particle size, sediment toxicity (ten endpoints with four benthic taxa), and benthic invertebrate community structure. In this initial survey, ten sites in five different study areas, representing a range of receiving water environments exposed to Stormwater and CSO discharges, were sampled in October 1998. Results of analyses indicated that while contaminant (metals and PAHs) concentrations were relatively high in sediments, biological effects were not evident Toxicity of sediments was low and altered benthic communities were not detected. Neither toxicity endpoints nor benthic community descriptors were related to sediment contaminant levels. To improve the power of these assessments, future investigations of Stormwater and CSO discharge impacts should use “upstream/downstream” sampling designs and study sites with minimal variability of habitat conditions.


Author(s):  
K. Shankar Narayan ◽  
Kailash C. Gupta ◽  
Tohru Okigaki

The biological effects of short-wave ultraviolet light has generally been described in terms of changes in cell growth or survival rates and production of chromosomal aberrations. Ultrastructural changes following exposure of cells to ultraviolet light, particularly at 265 nm, have not been reported.We have developed a means of irradiating populations of cells grown in vitro to a monochromatic ultraviolet laser beam at a wavelength of 265 nm based on the method of Johnson. The cell types studies were: i) WI-38, a human diploid fibroblast; ii) CMP, a human adenocarcinoma cell line; and iii) Don C-II, a Chinese hamster fibroblast cell strain. The cells were exposed either in situ or in suspension to the ultraviolet laser (UVL) beam. Irradiated cell populations were studied either "immediately" or following growth for 1-8 days after irradiation.Differential sensitivity, as measured by survival rates were observed in the three cell types studied. Pattern of ultrastructural changes were also different in the three cell types.


2002 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt Drickamer ◽  
Andrew J. Fadden

Many biological effects of complex carbohydrates are mediated by lectins that contain discrete carbohydrate-recognition domains. At least seven structurally distinct families of carbohydrate-recognition domains are found in lectins that are involved in intracellular trafficking, cell adhesion, cell–cell signalling, glycoprotein turnover and innate immunity. Genome-wide analysis of potential carbohydrate-binding domains is now possible. Two classes of intracellular lectins involved in glycoprotein trafficking are present in yeast, model invertebrates and vertebrates, and two other classes are present in vertebrates only. At the cell surface, calcium-dependent (C-type) lectins and galectins are found in model invertebrates and vertebrates, but not in yeast; immunoglobulin superfamily (I-type) lectins are only found in vertebrates. The evolutionary appearance of different classes of sugar-binding protein modules parallels a development towards more complex oligosaccharides that provide increased opportunities for specific recognition phenomena. An overall picture of the lectins present in humans can now be proposed. Based on our knowledge of the structures of several of the C-type carbohydrate-recognition domains, it is possible to suggest ligand-binding activity that may be associated with novel C-type lectin-like domains identified in a systematic screen of the human genome. Further analysis of the sequences of proteins containing these domains can be used as a basis for proposing potential biological functions.


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