A preliminary study of heavy metal contamination in Yangtze River intertidal zone due to urbanization

Three short sediment cores (<20 cm) were collected in the high, middle and low tidal flats in the Yangtze River Estuary near the Southern (Nanqu) Sewage Outlet, one of the three largest sewage outlets in Shanghai, China. All samples were analyzed for Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, 210Pb and 7Be. The 210Pbxs profile shows a non-steady-state sedimentation pattern in the study area and 7Be is only found in the upper 1 cm layer of sediment in high and middle tidal flats. In this study, we found that Cu, Pb and Zn contaminants are present in the upper 20 cm of the tidal flat sediment and, after normalizing with Al, the contamination is more striking in the upper approximately 5 cm sediment. Relationships between the metal (Cu, Pb and Zn) enrichment factor and 210Pbxs activity suggest that contamination increases with time. Factor analyses shows that differences in sediment grain size have insignificant effects on Cu and Pb concentrations, but have some influence on Zn concentration in the study area. This preliminary study shows that urbanization and recent coastal wetland reclamation have had an environmental impact on this area.     

Selenium-induced teratogenicity in Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus)

Selenium is a potent reproductive and teratogenic environmental contaminant and there are concerns over possible reproductive effects of selenium on the Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) population, a threatened species, in California, USA. In this study, the teratogenic effects of selenium were examined in splittail embryos exposed to 0.0, 5.0, and 15.0 mg l(-1) sodium selenite for 48-h at 18.0 degrees C under static conditions, with renewal every 12 h. Embryo development was evaluated daily for abnormalities from initiation of exposure (stage 27) to initiation of exogenous feeding. At the end of evaluation, prelarvae were preserved for histological analysis. There were no significant differences in mortality or hatching success between control and exposed embryos. Exposed fish had pericardial edema and deformities of skeletal tissues (loss of tail, lordosis, scoliosis, and kyphosis). Other histological alterations were limited to dysplasia, hyperplasia and metaplasia of skeletal tissues in the deformed fish. This study showed that a short exposure of embryos during somite development has significant effects on the musculoskeletal development.     

Audouin's gull chicks as bioindicators of mercury pollution at different breeding locations in the western Mediterranean

Mercury levels of Audouin's gull are amongst the highest for Mediterranean seabirds, and have been mainly attributed to its piscivorous habits in these naturally Hg rich waters. Moreover, two additional factors could enhance its mercury intake: the consumption of discarded fish (which attain higher concentrations) and/or feeding in areas receiving Hg anthropogenic inputs. In order to differentiate the relevance of both sources we analysed Hg and stable isotopes of chick feathers from different breeding locations in western Mediterranean: one in its northern part (Ebro Delta) and two southern (Chafarinas Isl. and Alborán Isl.). The results from stable isotopes indicate that consumption of discards is higher at Alborán Isl., followed by the Ebro Delta and Chafarinas Isl. Thus, the higher mercury levels found in the Ebro Delta cannot be explained uniquely by the contribution of discarded fish to diet, but local pollution caused by the river Ebro waters accounts for Hg differences observed.     

Historical contamination and sources of organochlorine pesticides in sediment cores from Quanzhou Bay, Southeast China

Three sediment cores were collected from the top to the mouth of Quanzhou Bay, Southeast China, in order to establish sources and historical trends of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the region. The spatial distribution of OCPs in surface sediments implies that Quanzhou Bay received the contamination inputs not only from rivers near the shore, but also from outside the bay. The variation profiles of concentrations clearly showed that OCPs were widely used between 1960s and 1980s in China. A recent increasing trend was found in all cores despite their ban in China in 1983. Different ratios of (DDD+DDE)/DDTs indicated that DDTs at the top of the bay were mainly derived from long-term weather soils, while DDTs near the mouth of the bay were mainly derived from fresh inputs from outside the bay. Higher percentage of gamma-HCH in HCHs deposited after 1990 implies that lindane may have been used recently around Quanzhou Bay.     

Copper complexation by fulvic acid affects copper toxicity to the larvae of the polychaete Hydroides elegans

Copper toxicity is influenced by a variety of environmental factors including dissolved organic matter (DOM). We examined the complexation of copper by fulvic acid (FA), one of the major components of DOM, by measuring the decline in labile copper by anodic stripping voltammetrically (ASV). The data were described using a one-site ligand binding model, with a ligand concentration of 0.19micromol site mg(-1) C, and a logK' of 6.2. The model was used to predict labile copper concentration in a bioassay designed to quantify the extent to which Cu-FA complexation affected copper toxicity to the larvae of marine polychaete Hydroides elegans. The toxicity data, when expressed as labile copper concentration causing abnormal development, were independent of FA concentration and could be modeled as a logistic function, with a 48-h EC(50) of 58.9microgl(-1). However, when the data were expressed as a function of total copper concentration, the toxicity was dependent on FA concentration, with a 48-h EC(50) ranging from 55.6microgl(-1) in the no-FA control to 137.4microgl(-1) in the 20mgl(-1) FA treatment. Thus, FA was protective against copper toxicity to the larvae, and such an effect was caused by the reduction in labile copper due to Cu-FA complexation. Our results demonstrate the potential of ASV as a useful tool for predicting metal toxicity to the larvae in coastal environment where DOM plays an important role in complexing metal ions.     

Endocrine effects of methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers in three in vitro models

Methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-BDEs) in aquatic environments have been found to be primarily of natural origin in the marine environment and not from biotransformation of synthetic PBDEs. Two of the eight MeO-PBDEs (2′-MeO-BDE-68 and 6-MeO-BDE-47) that were detected in anchovy from the Yangtze River Delta, were natural products from marine organisms. So 2′-MeO-BDE-68 and 6-MeO-BDE-47 were chosen to study the potential to modulate androgen, estrogen, or thyroid hormone receptor- (AR, ER, ThR) mediated responses by use of reporter gene assays. 2′-MeO-BDE-68 was antiandrogenic at 50 μM, estrogenic at 10 μM and antiestrogenic at 10 and 50 μM (IC₅₀ = 4.88 μM). 2′-MeO-BDE-68 enhanced luciferase expression by 5 nM T3 at 50 μM. 6-MeO-BDE-47 exhibited potent antiandrogenicity at 1 μM and greater (IC₅₀ = 41.8 μM) and possessed estrogenic activity at 10 μM and antiestrogenic activity at 10 and 50 μM (IC₅₀ = 6.02 μM).     

Fate and tidal transport of butyltin and mercury compounds in the waters of the tropical Bach Dang Estuary (Haiphong, Vietnam)

In this work, two field campaigns were performed in July 2008 (wet season) and March 2009 (dry season) to produce original data on the concentration, partition and distribution of mercury and butyltin compounds along the tropical Bach Dang Estuary located in North Vietnam (Haiphong, Red River Delta). The results demonstrate that mercury and butyltin speciation in the surface waters of this type of tropical estuary is greatly affected by the drastic changes in the seasonal conditions. During high river discharge in the wet season, there was a large estuarine input of total Hg and tributyltin, while the longer residence time of the waters during the dry season promotes increasing MMHg formation and TBT degradation. Although most of the Hg and TBT is transported into the estuary from upstream sources, tidal cycle measurements demonstrate that this estuary is a significant source of TBT and MMHg during the wet (～3kgTBT/day) and dry (～3gMMHg/day) seasons.     

Geochemistry of organic carbon and nitrogen in surface sediments of coastal Bohai Bay inferred from their ratios and stable isotopic signatures

Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and their δ(13)C and δ(15)N values were determined for 42 surface sediments from coastal Bohai Bay in order to determine the concentration and identify the source of organic matter. The sampling sites covered both the marine region of coastal Bohai Bay and the major rivers it connects with. More abundant TOC and TN in sediments from rivers than from the marine region reflect the situation that most of the terrestrial organic matter is deposited before it meets the sea. The spatial variation in δ(13)C and δ(15)N signatures implies that the input of organic matter from anthropogenic activities has a more significant influence on its distribution than that from natural processes. Taking the area as a whole, surface sediments in the marine region of coastal Bohai Bay are dominated by marine derived organic carbon, which on average accounts for 62±11% of TOC.     

Circulation Indices of the Aleutian Low Pressure System: Definitions and Relationships to Climate Anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere

In this study, a group of indices were defined regarding intensity (P), area (S) and central position (λ^c, Φ^c) of the Aleutian low (AL) in the Northern Hemisphere in winter, using seasonal and monthly mean height field at 1000-hPa. These indices were calculated over 60 winter seasons from 1948/1949 to 2007/2008 using reanalysis data. Climatic and anomalous characteristics of the AL were analyzed based on these indices and relationships between the AL, and general circulations were explored using correlations between indices P, λ^c, and Pacific SST, as well as Northern Hemisphere temperature and precipitation. The main results are these: (1) AL is the strongest in January, when the center shifts to the south and west of its climatological position, and it is the weakest in December when the center shifts to the north and east. (2) AL intensity (P) is negatively correlated with its longitude (λ^c): a deeper low occurs toward the east and a shallower low occurs toward the west. On a decadal scale, the AL has been persistently strong and has shifted eastward since the 1970s, but reversal signs have been observed in recent years. (3) The AL is stronger and is located toward the east during strong El Nino winters and vice versa during strong La Nina years; this tendency is particularly evident after 1975. The AL is also strongly correlated with SST in the North Pacific. It intensifies and moves eastward with negative SST anomalies, and it weakens and moves westward with positive SST anomalies. (4) Maps of significance correlation between AL intensity and Northern Hemisphere temperature and rainfall resemble the PNA teleconnection pattern in mid-latitudes in the North Pacific and across North America. The AL and the Mongolian High are two permanent atmospheric pressure systems adjacent to each other during boreal winter over the middle and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, but their relationships with the El Nino/La Nina events and with temperature and precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere are significantly different.