Species Composition of the Lichen Biota in Industrially Polluted Territories of Leninsky District of Irkutsk

In the context of the development of infrastructure in Siberian cities, the issues of the state of the areas with accumulated environmental damage is especially relevant. It is mentioned in the article that lichen indication is an efficient method of passive monitoring of environment for industrial pollutants caused by morphological changes occurring in sensitive objects. The results of the lichen floristic research of Leninsky district of Irkutsk are presented, a list of revealed lichens including 9 genera and 12 species is given, a taxonomic list of this area is discussed. Lichenological objects were mapped. Distribution of lichens in the area of research is investigated with regard to the presence of recreational and residential zones. The authors draw a conclusion about the presence of «lichens deserts» which are caused both by the absence of the respective substratum and high concentration of pollutants. High concentration of pollutants is caused by complex influence of different enterprises on the quality of air.

β2-agonists in sports: prevalence and impact on athletic performance

Respiratory disorders caused by exercise are expressed in the development of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and exercise-induced asthma (EIA), which are observed in athletes, especially in cyclic sports, much more often than in the population. Ventilation impairments are exacerbated by inhaled allergens, industrial pollutants and adverse environmental conditions, which increase the risk of EIB and asthma symptoms in athletes. The use of β2-agonists can prevent or eliminate ventilation disorders, however, it requires taking into account current anti-doping rules, which allow the use of certain substances in sports without a request for therapeutic use. The studies of the influence of β2-agonists on functional indicators of athletes and sports performance do not allow to make an unambiguous conclusion about its results. Medications with β2-agonists, approved for use in sports in the form of inhalation, do not have a significant effect on the performance of athletes at major sports competitions. At the same time, the systemic use of these substances and the use of any form of terbutaline caused a positive dynamics in functional indicators, which could lead to an illegal increase in the effectiveness of sports performance. Most of the conclusions about the effect of β2-agonists on outcome are based on a small number of studies, their heterogeneity, and an insignificant number of observations. It is necessary to continue studying the effects of β2-agonists in the course of randomized clinical trials in order to individualize therapy and prevent bronchial obstruction in athletes

Bioremediation of industrial pollutants by insects expressing a fungal laccase

Inadequate management of household and industrial wastes pose major challenges to human and environmental health. Advances in synthetic biology may help address these challenges by engineering biological systems to perform new functions such as biomanufacturing of high-value compounds from low-value waste streams and bioremediation of industrial pollutants. However, the current emphasis on microbial systems for biomanufacturing, which often require highly pre-processed inputs and sophisticated infrastructure, is not feasible for many waste streams. Meanwhile, concerns about transgene biocontainment have limited the release of engineered microbes or plants for bioremediation.Engineering animals may provide opportunities for utilizing various waste streams that are not suitable for microbial biomanufacturing while effective transgene biocontainment options should enable in situ bioremediation. Here, we engineer the model insect Drosophila melanogaster to express a functional laccase from the fungus Trametes trogii. Laccase expressing flies reduced bisphenol A by more than 50% when present in their growth media, while a lyophilized powder made from engineered adult flies degraded more than 90% of bisphenol A and indigo carmine in aqueous solutions. Our results demonstrate that transgenic animals may be used to bioremediate environmental contaminants in vivo and serve as novel production platforms for industrial enzymes. These results support further development of insects, and possibly other animals, as bioproduction platforms and their potential use in bioremediation.

Review: Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fish and other aquatic organisms from Karachi Coast, Pakistan

Yousif RA, Choudhary MI, Ahmed S, Ahmed Q. 2020. Review: Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fish and other aquatic organisms from Karachi Coast, Pakistan. Nusantara Bioscience 13: 74-85. Heavy metals are being utilized in a variety of ways in industries, agriculture, food processing and household in many forms. Metals are unique environmental and industrial pollutants in the sense that they are neither created nor destroyed by human beings but are only transported and transformed into various products. The present study deals with the findings of various investigators on the effect of heavy metals on fish and other aquatic organisms on Karachi coasts of Pakistan. The polluted areas (Rivers and Karachi coasts) receiving effluents from industrial, agricultural, municipal and domestic wastes. The order of abundance of the metals were as fellow; Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cd > Pb > Cr > Ni > Hg > As. Most studies showed that essential metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) in aquatic organisms are much high, but the quantities of non-essential metals are found to be less. This review has shown that fish and other aquatic organisms are used as bio-monitoring species in heavy metal pollution. It is suggested that such investigations should be continuous in terms of both human health and determination of metal pollution in aquatic environment.