Contamination of organotin compounds and imposex in molluscs from Vancouver,Canada

Gastropods and bivalves were collected at 15 sites at Vancouver and Victoria, Canada between 24 May and 7 June, 1999, to establish tissue concentrations of butyltin and phenyltin compounds, to record imposex symptoms in gastropods, and to assess the present status of organotin contamination around Vancouver. No neogastropods (such as Nucella lima) were found around Vancouver. Neogastropod populations could have been extirpated by severe TBT contamination in Vancouver, as relatively high concentrations of TBT were detected in tissues of Mytilus trossulus from Vancouver, and the neogastropods distributed in Vancouver might be sensitive to TBT. Recovery from imposex, however, was observed in neogastropod populations from three sites at Victoria and Mission Point. TBT contamination has continued around Vancouver, arising from continuous use of TBT in antifouling paints for vessels larger than 25 m in length; however, TBT has decreased around Victoria and Mission Point. Different patterns of TBT accumulation in tissue were observed among the bivalve species from Vancouver. The highest TBT concentration detected in Tresus capax suggested some possible adverse effects. TBT was the most predominant butyltin component in almost all bivalve specimens surveyed, suggesting a low rate of TBT metabolism. Phenyltin compounds were not detected in any molluscan specimens in this study.     

Development of two novel CYP-antibodies and their use in a PCB exposure experiment with Mytilus edulis

In an attempt to learn more about the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system of mussels, we used protein databases and alignment software to extract highly conserved CYP sequences. From these alignments synthetic peptides were produced and used for rabbit immunisation, which yielded polyclonal antibodies against the CYP families 2 and 4. The antibodies were evaluated with Western Blot and ELISA assays, using digestive gland microsomal samples from the mussel Mytilus edulis. Western Blots revealed immunoreactions for both antibodies. The anti-CYP2 sequence rendered one major immunopositive protein of approximately 49 kDa size, and weak signals for proteins of approximately 41 and 56 kDa size. The anti-CYP4 sequence rendered two major bands of approximately 56 and 59 kDa size, and also a weak immunoreaction with a protein of approximately 43 kDa size. ELISA rendered only weak signals even with a 1:50 dilution of IgG-purified serum. A 10-day exposure to Aroclor 1254 did not appear to affect any of the immunopositive proteins, while total PCBs in soft bodies increased from 14-40 ng/g DW in controls to 373-638 ng/g DW in exposed mussels.     

Variations of antioxidant efficiency and presence of endosymbiotic diatoms in the Antarctic porifera Haliclona dancoi

The role of endosymbiotic diatoms as pro-oxidant stressors in porifera has been investigated in the Antarctic sponge Haliclona dancoi in which the presence of diatoms is influenced by marked seasonal variations during the austral summer. Both chlorophaeopigments and frustules were absent in sponge tissues sampled in early November at the beginning of the summer and increased from the mid of December with slightly shifted temporal trends. The efficiency of antioxidant defenses in the sponge showed a marked response to symbionts with clearly enhanced values corresponding to the peak of diatoms.     

Measurement of DNA single-strand breaks in gill and hemolymph cells of mussels, Mytilus sp., collected on the French Atlantic Coast

DNA single-strand breaks were measured by the comet assay in both gill and hemolymph cells of mussels collected in 3 sampling areas of the French coast (Pointe du Castelli, Pen Bron and Saint-Nazaire Harbour). Whole mussel tissue samples were also collected for the chemical determination of PAH, PCB and heavy metal concentrations. In mussel, a higher level of DNA strand breaks was measured in gill than in hemolymph cells (p < 0.01). Despite a factor of contamination from 2 to 3 between sites, no difference in the extent of mussel DNA strand breaks was shown between sampling locations (p > 0.05), questioning the sensitivity of the assays used in biomonitoring studies.     

南极沿海伯尔顿盐湖双刺镰状水蚤盐度耐性的季节变化

双刺镰状水蚤Drepanopus bispinosus为南极沿海伯尔顿盐湖(Burton lake)中的越冬种类之一,其雌性性成熟大约于每年的初冬季节,在随后8个多月的生活史中,经历了一个盐度从33(5月份)到39(11月份)的环境变化.本文报道了该水蚤雌性成体对环境盐度适应的季节差异,动物在冬季的耐低盐能力较夏季强,从冬季到夏季,动物对盐度的适应范围明显地向高盐度方向偏移,这与环境盐度对动物的驯化有关.在低盐水中,动物的呼吸率增高,且夏季大于冬季,因而进一步证实了环境盐度的变化对动物盐度适应性的影响.     

Oxidative stress in ecotoxicology: from the analysis of individual antioxidants to a more integrated approach

An integrate approach will be discussed for investigations on oxidative stress in xenobiotic toxicity. While the analysis of individual antioxidants is useful for their sensitivity and to understand the mode of action of a stressor, the integration with the analysis of the total antioxidant capacity provides a more holistic assessment of the overall biological significance of such variations. TOSC has a greater predictive value on the health condition of the organisms and allows to discriminate the different role of specific ROS in oxidative stress syndrome.     

胡安·德富卡洋中脊热液体系中地震引起的变化

众所周知 ,太平洋东北部洋中脊的热液排放受地震扰动的影响 ,但是这些扰动起因于海底火山活动 ,直到现在 ,也没有观察到热液体系受非岩浆作用的构造事件的影响。这里我们报道了１９９９年６月在明显为构造成因的震群之前、期间和之后从胡安·德富卡海岭的几个热液喷口测量的热液排放的温度。排放流体温度在第一次地震之后４～１１ｄ开始上升 ,第一次上升之后 ,在到达较高温度值之前喷口温度波动了约一个月。我们也观察到了从热液体系中输出的流体在至少８０ｄ内提高了１０倍 ,并沿着整个海岭段延伸。与相对温和的构造活动对应的这样一个大的…     

激光器在水下的应用

激光(Laser)这个词最初是受激辐射光放大(Light Amplification by Stimu-lated Emission of Radiation)这个词组主要词的首字母缩合而成,现在已经使用了二十多年。虽然激光器长时间被认为是一种没有什么用途的器具,但是后来在大量的应用中它已经成为必不可少的东西了。当然,到目前为止,由于种种原因,基本的激光器系统在水下的应用还一直局限于实验性阶段,但是随着激光技术的快速发展和水下作业需求的日