scholarly journals Current Research Trends on the Effects of Microplastics in Soil Environment Using Earthworms: Mini-Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-306
Author(s):  
Jaeryung Hur ◽  
Eun Hea Jho

Objectives : The increase in the amount of plastics used has brought convenience to human life, but has also caused various environmental problems such as problems related to microplastics. Microplastics are defined as small plastic particles with a size of under 5 mm. As of now, research on microplastics has been largely focusing on the marine environment, and studies on microplastics in soil environment are on the rise in very recent years. Thus, the environmental impact of microplastics on the soil environment are insufficient than those on the marine environment, and there is a need for more studies. Therefore, this mini-review attempts to examine the studies on microplastics in soil environment focusing on the studies using earthworms as a test species.Methods : Published studies on microplastics in soil environment were identified by searching Web of Science. The focus of this mini-review was to gather the published articles reporting the effect of microplastics on earthworms in the absence and presence of other chemical contaminants.Results and Discussions : The number of studies evaluating the effect of microplastics in soil are significantly increasing, and earthworms are being mostly used as the test species. Experimental conditions were divided into two types: Single exposure to microplastics and combined exposure to microplastics and other chemicals. In most studies, changes in the biomarkers which are related to oxidation stress of earthworms were confirmed, and direct damage to intestinal tissues of earthworms was also observed. However, in the case of the changes of the biomarkers of earthworms, their patterns were different depending on the experimental conditions (i.e., concentrations of microplastics and chemicals, microplastics size and type, exposure period, etc.). Also, the avoidance behavior of earthworms and the internal accumulation of microplastics and co-existing chemicals were not consistent among the studies. Thus, the effects of microplastics on earthworms are not clear yet, although they seem to have some adverse effects.Conclusions : This study showed that the interest in the impact of microplastics in the soil environment has been increased recently, and earthworms are being used mostly in the studies. Yet, there is no standardized method to study the effect of microplastics on earthworms. Studies so far confirmed that microplastics induced changes in and outside of earthworm bodies. However, due to various experimental conditions, it seemed that consistent results could not be confirmed in those researches. For that reason, this study suggests that standardized research methods for microplastics researches using earthworms as a test species need to be established and need to be applied to further studies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 497-510
Author(s):  
Danny Priabudi ◽  
Laily Washliati ◽  
Idham .

Indonesia is a country rich in resources, especially natural resources, but population growth is not proportional to the availability of natural resources. Malthus predicts that population progress to increase in quantity is greater than the ability of natural resources to provide human food needs. The environment cannot support an infinite amount of life if the earth is no longer able to support the explosion in the number of humans and their activities. Indonesia is a country known as a maritime country, which means it is mostly water and consists of islands. Sea transportation is very important to connect the islands scattered throughout Indonesia. The development of environmental law is urgently needed which cannot be separated from the world movement to give greater attention to the environment. In marine pursuits, such as fishing, excessive fish species using trawlers can lead to extinction. Pollution of the marine environment is a threat to human life, animals, and plants. Increased use of the sea can have a direct impact on the marine environment and the biota in it. The Environment Agency is one of the institutions that play a role in handling the impact of marine environmental pollution in the region. The purpose of this research is to find out the Legal Regulation of Marine Pollution by Tanker Ships in the Riau Archipelago Waters. The aim is to find out what factors are being carried out in handling marine pollution by tankers in the waters, especially in the Riau Islands Environmental Service. It is hoped that this will lead to a better understanding of the environmental impact of marine pollution in the region. The Riau Islands Environment Agency is responsible for compensation for losses caused by pollution of the marine environment by persons or legal entities within its jurisdiction. Each country must cooperate in implementing international law which regulates the responsibility and obligation to compensate for losses due to pollution. The International Maritime Organization is a leading organization in producing various regulations on marine pollution, especially those caused by oil. Keywords: Marine Pollution, Tanker Ships, Riau Islands.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-207
Author(s):  
Bela Zutshi ◽  
Aradhana Singh ◽  
Proteek Dasgupta

Abstract The impact of a 96-hour exposure period to pH grades on lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glucose activity in the muscles and gills of koi carp was investigated. Juveniles were exposed to pH grade from 4.0 to 10.0 for four days to observe variance in enzymatic activity. There was a strong correlation between oxidative stress and antioxidant defence activity as an evidential increase was noted in the CAT, GST, and GSH values. Glucose levels were elevated throughout the experimental conditions in both tissues. The fish exhibited a strong behavioral association with a gradual increase in pH grades. There were significant fluctuations in the pH grades with basicity having a greater impact than acidity on the tissues investigated.


Author(s):  
Sarah A. Luse

In the mid-nineteenth century Virchow revolutionized pathology by introduction of the concept of “cellular pathology”. Today, a century later, this term has increasing significance in health and disease. We now are in the beginning of a new era in pathology, one which might well be termed “organelle pathology” or “subcellular pathology”. The impact of lysosomal diseases on clinical medicine exemplifies this role of pathology of organelles in elucidation of disease today.Another aspect of cell organelles of prime importance is their pathologic alteration by drugs, toxins, hormones and malnutrition. The sensitivity of cell organelles to minute alterations in their environment offers an accurate evaluation of the site of action of drugs in the study of both function and toxicity. Examples of mitochondrial lesions include the effect of DDD on the adrenal cortex, riboflavin deficiency on liver cells, elevated blood ammonia on the neuron and some 8-aminoquinolines on myocardium.


1989 ◽  
Vol 62 (04) ◽  
pp. 1057-1061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus E Carr ◽  
Patrick L Powers

SummaryThis study was performed to quantitate the impact of several glycosaminoglycans (GAG) on fibrin assembly and structure. Gel formation was monitored as the increase in optical density at 633 nm subsequent to thrombin (2 NIH u/ml) or atroxin (0.10 mg/ml) addition to solutions of buffered fibrinogen (1 mg/ml) or plasma. Gel absorbance was measured as a function of wavelength (400 to 800 nm) and gel fiber diameter and mass/length ratio (μ) were calculated. Chondroitin sulfate A (CSA)shortened the lag phase, enhanced the maximal rate of turbidity increase, and increased the final gel turbidity of fibrin gels formed by thrombin or atroxin. CSA (16 mg/ml) increased fiber μ from 1.3 to 3.1 × 1013 dalton/cm and fiber radius from 6.0 to 8.6 × 10-6 cm in thrombin-induced gels. μ increased from 0.7 to 2.7 × 1013 dalton/cm and fiber radius from 4 to 7.8 × 10-6 cm for atroxin-induced gels. Above 16 mg/ml, CSA caused fibrinogen precipitation in purified solutions but not in plasma. CSA inhibited thrombin-induced plasma clotting of plasma but effects in atroxin-mediated plasma gels paralleled those seen in purified solutions. Chondroitin sulfate B (CSB)-induced changes in fibrin were similar but slightly less dramatic than those seen with CSA. μ increased from 0.9 to 2.0 × 1013 dalton/cm for thrombin-induced fibrin gels and from 0.8 to 2.3 × 1013 dalton/cm for atroxininduced gels. Low molecular weight heparin (Mr = 5100) slowed fibrin assembly and reduced fiber size by 50% in thrombininduced gels. Changes in μ of atroxin-induced gels were much less pronounced (<20%). This study documents pronounced GAGinduced changes in fibrin structure which vary with GAG species and may mediate significant physiologic functions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-7
Author(s):  
O. Zhukorskyy ◽  
O. Hulay

Aim. To estimate the impact of in vivo secretions of water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) on the popula- tions of pathogenic bacteria Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Methods. The plants were isolated from their natural conditions, the roots were washed from the substrate residues and cultivated in laboratory conditions for 10 days to heal the damage. Then the water was changed; seven days later the selected samples were sterilized using fi lters with 0.2 μm pore diameter. The dilution of water plantain root diffusates in the experimental samples was 1:10–1:10,000. The initial density of E. rhusiopathiae bacteria populations was the same for both experimental and control samples. The estimation of the results was conducted 48 hours later. Results. When the dilution of root diffusates was 1:10, the density of erysipelothrixes in the experimental samples was 11.26 times higher than that of the control, on average, the dilution of 1:100 − 6.16 times higher, 1:1000 – 3.22 times higher, 1:10,000 – 1.81 times higher, respectively. Conclusions. The plants of A. plantago-aquatica species are capable of affecting the populations of E. rhusiopathiae pathogenic bacteria via the secretion of biologically active substances into the environment. The consequences of this interaction are positive for the abovementioned bacteria, which is demon- strated by the increase in the density of their populations in the experiment compared to the control. The intensity of the stimulating effect on the populations of E. rhusiopathiae in the root diffusates of A. plantago-aquatica is re- ciprocally dependent on the degree of their dilution. The investigated impact of water plantain on erysipelothrixes should be related to the topical type of biocenotic connections, the formation of which between the test species in the ecosystems might promote maintaining the potential of natural focus of rabies. Keywords: Alisma plantago-aquatica, in vivo secretions, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, population density, topical type of connections.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-228
Author(s):  
Piotr Czarnecki ◽  
◽  
Justyna Podgórska-Bednarz ◽  
Lidia Perenc ◽  
◽  
...  

Introduction. Physical activity is known to be an important factor influencing health throughout human life. This issue has become crucial for public health due to the aging of the population in both developed and developing countries. Aim. is to present a literature review on the forms of physical activity undertaken by the elderly, as well as on issues related to physical activity and the population aging. Material and methods. The study was prepared on the basis of a review of Polish and foreign literature. The following databases and data sources were used: EBSCO, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. An additional source of data were the websites of the Central Statistical Office. Strictly defined key phrases were used during the collection of literature. The work has been divided into thematic subsections on the aging of the society, the impact of physical activity on health and the main topic, i.e. forms of physical activity selected by the elderly. Analysis of the literature. The number of elderly people in Polish society has increased by almost 3.7 million over three decades. Therefore, an important topic is prophylaxis aimed at increasing the number of days in good health, largely covering the broadly understood activation of the elderly. The available data indicate that only 12% of elderly people undertake physical activity once a week. The most common form of spending free time actively is walking (as many as 73% of people in this population declare this form of physical activity in one of the presented studies). Conclusion. Organized forms of physical activity are undertaken much less frequently by the analyzed age group mainly due to financial limitations and limited availability of sports infrastructure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-143
Author(s):  
Elena I. Yaroslavtseva

The article examines the impact of digitalization on human life and intellectual experience. The development of computer technology demands an understanding of new aspects of human development and requires a capability to overcome not only external conditions but also ourselves. Entering a new level of development cannot imply a complete rejection of previous dispositions, but should be accompanied by reflection on personal experience and by the quest for new forms of interaction in society and with nature. Communicative and cognitive activity of a person has an ontological basis and relies on processes that actually evolve in nature. Therefore, the creation of new objects is always associated with the properties of natural material and gives rise to new points of support in the development of man. The more audacious his projects, the more important it is to preserve this connection to nature. It is always the human being who turns out to be the initiator who knows how to solve problems. The conformity of complex technical systems to nature is not only a goal but also a value of meaningful construction of development perspectives. The key to the nature orientation of the modern digital world is the human being himself, who keeps all the secrets of the culture of his natural development. Therefore, the proposed by the Russian philosopher V.S. Stepin post-non-classical approach, based on the principle of “human-sizedness,” is an important contribution to contemporary research because it draws attention to the “human – machine” communication, to the relationship between a person and technological systems he created. The article concludes that during digital transformation, a cultural conflict arises: in an effort to solve the problems of the future, a person equips his life with devices that are designed to support him, to expand his functionality, but at the same time, the boundaries of humanity become dissolved and the forms of human activity undergo simplification. Transhumanism engages society in the fight against fears of vulnerability and memory loss and ignores the flexibility and sustainability of natural foundation.


1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 85-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael O. Angelidis

The impact of the urban effluents of Mytilene (Lesvos island, Greece) on the receiving coastal marine environment, was evaluated by studying the quality of the city effluents (BOD5, COD, SS, heavy metals) and the marine sediments (grain size, organic matter, heavy metals). It was found that the urban effluents of Mytilene contain high organic matter and suspended particle load because of septage discharge into the sewerage network. Furthermore, although the city does not host important industrial activity, its effluents contain appreciable metal load, which is mainly associated with the particulate phase. The city effluents are discharged into the coastal marine environment and their colloidal and particulate matter after flocculation settles to the bottom, where is incorporated into the sediments. Over the years, the accumulation of organic matter and metals into the harbour mud has created a non-point pollution source in the relatively non-polluted coastal marine environment of the island. Copper and Zn were the metals which presented the higher enrichment in the sediments of the inner harbour of Mytilene.


This survey of research on psychology in five volumes is a part of a series undertaken by the ICSSR since 1969, which covers various disciplines under social science. Volume One of this survey, Cognitive and Affective Processes, discusses the developments in the study of cognitive and affective processes within the Indian context. It offers an up-to-date assessment of theoretical developments and empirical studies in the rapidly evolving fields of cognitive science, applied cognition, and positive psychology. It also analyses how pedagogy responds to a shift in the practices of knowing and learning. Additionally, drawing upon insights from related fields it proposes epithymetics–desire studies – as an upcoming field of research and the volume investigates the impact of evolving cognitive and affective processes in Indian research and real life contexts. The development of cognitive capability distinguishes human beings from other species and allows creation and use of complex verbal symbols, facilitates imagination and empowers to function at an abstract level. However, much of the vitality characterizing human life is owed to the diverse emotions and desires. This has made the study of cognition and affect as frontier areas of psychology. With this in view, this volume focuses on delineating cognitive scientific contributions, cognition in educational context, context, diverse applications of cognition, psychology of desire, and positive psychology. The five chapters comprising this volume have approached the scholarly developments in the fields of cognition and affect in innovative ways, and have addressed basic as well applied issues.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Christabel Ebuzoeme ◽  
Imoh Etim ◽  
Autumn Ikimi ◽  
Jamie Song ◽  
Ting Du ◽  
...  

Glucuronides hydrolysis by intestinal microbial β-Glucuronidases (GUS) is an important procedure for many endogenous and exogenous compounds. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of experimental conditions on glucuronide hydrolysis by intestinal microbial GUS. Standard probe 4-Nitrophenyl β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) and a natural glucuronide wogonoside were used as the model compounds. Feces collection time, buffer conditions, interindividual, and species variations were evaluated by incubating the substrates with enzymes. The relative reaction activity of pNPG, reaction rates, and reaction kinetics for wogonoside were calculated. Fresh feces showed the highest hydrolysis activities. Sonication increased total protein yield during enzyme preparation. The pH of the reaction system increased the activity in 0.69–1.32-fold, 2.9–12.9-fold, and 0.28–1.56-fold for mouse, rat, and human at three different concentrations of wogonoside, respectively. The Vmax for wogonoside hydrolysis was 2.37 ± 0.06, 4.48 ± 0.11, and 5.17 ± 0.16 μmol/min/mg and Km was 6.51 ± 0.71, 3.04 ± 0.34, and 0.34 ± 0.047 μM for mouse, rat, and human, respectively. The inter-individual difference was significant (4–6-fold) using inbred rats as the model animal. Fresh feces should be used to avoid activity loss and sonication should be utilized in enzyme preparation to increase hydrolysis activity. The buffer pH should be appropriate according to the species. Inter-individual and species variations were significant.


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