Assessment of Metal Pollution in Water and Surface Sediments of the Seyhan River,Turkey, Using Different Indexes

The aim of this study was to assess the level of heavy metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) contamination and enrichment in the surface sediments of the Seyhan River, which is the receiving water body of both treated and untreated municipal and industrial effluents as well as agricultural drainage waters generated within Adana, Turkey. Sediment and water samples were taken from six previously determined stations covering the downstream of the Seyhan dam during both wet and dry seasons and the samples were then analyzed for the heavy metals of concern. When both dry and wet seasons were considered, metal concentrations varied significantly within a broad range with Al, 7210–33 967 mg kg^?1 dw; Cr, 46–122 mg kg^?1 dw; Cu, 6–57 mg kg^?1 dw; Fe, 10 294–26 556 mg kg^?1 dw; Mn, 144–638 mg kg^?1 dw; Ni, 82–215 mg kg^?1 dw; Pb, 11–75 mg kg^?1 dw; Zn, 34–146 mg kg^?1 dw in the sediments while Cd was at non‐detectable levels for all stations. For both seasons combined, the enrichment factor (EF) and the geo‐accumulation index (I_geo) for the sediments in terms of the specified metals ranged from 0.56 to 10.36 and ?2.92 to 1.56, respectively, throughout the lower Seyhan River. The sediment quality guidelines (SQG) of US‐EPA suggested the sediments of the Seyhan River demonstrated “unpolluted to moderate pollution” of Cu, Pb, and Zn, “moderate to very strong pollution” of Cr and Ni. The water quality data, on the other hand, indicated very low levels of these metals suggesting that the metal content in the surface sediments were most probably originating from fine sediments transported along the river route instead of water/wastewater discharges with high metal content.     

Phytoplankton biomass and primary production responses to physico-chemical forcing across the northeastern New Zealand continental shelf

Phytoplankton biomass and primary production were monitored in the Hauraki Gulf and on the northeastern continental shelf, New Zealand - using ship surveys, moored instruments and satellite observations (1998-2001) - capturing variability across a range of space and time scales. A depth-integrated primary production model (DIM) was used to predict integrated productivity from surface parameters, enabling regional-specific estimates from satellite data. The shelf site was dominated by pico-phytoplankton, with low chlorophyll-a (<1 mg m⁻³) and annual production (136 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹). In contrast, the gulf contained a micro/nano-phytoplankton-dominated community, with relatively high chlorophyll-a (>1 mg m⁻³) and annual production (178 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹). Biomass and productivity responded to physico-chemical factors; a combination of light, critical mixing depths and/or nutrient limitation—particularly new nitrate-N. Relatively low biomass and production was observed during 1999. This coincided with inter-annual variability in the timing and extent of upwelling- and downwelling-favourable along-shelf wind-stress, influencing the fluxes of new nitrate-N to the shelf and gulf. Relationships with the Southern Oscillation Index are also discussed. Our multi-scaled sampling highlighted details associated with stratification and de-stratification events, and deep sub-surface chlorophyll-a not visible to satellite sensors. This study demonstrates the importance of multi-scaled sampling in gaining estimates of regional production and its responses to physico-chemical forcing.     

太湖春季浮游植物群落对不同形态氮的吸收

为研究太湖春季浮游植物群落氮吸收特征及其与浮游植物群落结构和环境因子的关系,于2010年5月中旬采集太湖6个点位水样,利用15N稳定同位素示踪技术,测定太湖浮游植物群落对硝态氮,铵态氮和尿素的吸收,结果表明:太湖浮游植物群落对铵态氮的吸收速率均值最高,占几种氮总吸收量p(DN)的62.8%,各点位值在0.181 -1....     

全球碳循环研究中的δ13C方法及其进展

随着分析技术的进步,δ13C观测在全球碳循环研究中越来越受到重视。在讨论关于碳循环中δ13C的Suess效应、分布特征和同位素分馏等基本概念的基础上,结合现有的观测事实,介绍应用δ13C辨别碳的源汇问题的方法,通过比较不同KeelingPlot方法分析该方法在研究大气CO2背景特征中的意义。着重讨论δ13C在研究大气C...     

Nitrogen uptake and primary productivity rates in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB)

Nutrient concentrations, primary productivity, and nitrogen uptake rates were measured in coastal waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight over a two-year period that included measurements from all four seasons. In order to assess carbon productivity and nitrogen demand within the context of the physical environment, the region was divided into three distinct hydrographic regimes: the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay outflow plumes (PL), the southern Mid-Atlantic shelf influenced by the Gulf Stream (SS), and the mid-shelf area to the north of the Chesapeake Bay mouth (MS). Annual areal rates of total nitrogen (N) uptake were similar across all regions (10.9 ± 2.1 mol N m⁻² y⁻¹). However, annual areal rates of net primary productivity were higher in the outflow plume region (43 mol C m⁻² y⁻¹), than along the Mid-Atlantic shelf and in areas influenced by the Gulf Stream (41 and 34 mol C m⁻² y⁻¹, respectively). Rates of net primary productivity were not well correlated with Chl a concentrations and were uncoupled with net N uptake rates. Seasonally averaged annual areal rates of net primary productivity for the Mid-Atlantic Bight measured in this study were higher than those calculated in previous decades and provide important validation information for biogeochemical models and satellite remote sensing algorithms developed for the region.     

Herbaceous layer development during spring does not deplete soil nitrogen in the Portuguese montado

Nitrogen (N) content in the soil and in the herbaceous biomass were monitored during spring of 2004-2006 to determine how the herbaceous layer development influences soil N availability in the montado ecosystem of southern Portugal. Highest (246.6 ± 52.7 g m⁻²) and lowest (123.2 ± 89.5 g m⁻²) peak biomass occurred in 2006 and 2005 respectively. Total soil N within the top 20 cm soil profile ranged between 0.2 ± 0.1% in February and 0.41 ± 0.2% in May, while available soil N was lowest (5 ± 2 μg g⁻¹soil) in February but increased three-to-five fold in March and was >17.5 μg g⁻¹soil at senescence in May. Significant (p < 0.001) increase in total N in the aboveground pool occurred between February and May. There was however, no decay in soil N content. Instead, the herbaceous vegetation enhanced soil N input and N retention in the ecosystem. Most of the herbaceous plants were annuals with large reserves of organic N at senescence, which returned to the soil as detritus. The herbaceous vegetation is a critical component of the montado that contributes to N recharge and cycling within the ecosystem.     

Differential utilization of a shallow-water pulse by six shrub species in the Patagonian steppe

A field experiment was performed to improve understanding of the functional diversity of western Patagonian shrubs. Anarthrophyllum rigidum, Adesmia volckmanni, Berberis heterophylla, Mulinum spinosum, Schinus poligamus and Senecio filaginoides were compared in their capacity to absorb water from a 10-mm pulse enriched in deuterium and applied at the beginning of the dry summer. Xylem-water enrichment 14 days after watering was rather subtle, but the upper-soil signal was clear enough to distinguish shallow from deeper absorption. According to a linear mixing model, the proportion of surface-pulse water relative to total water uptake was maximum for Senecio (29-38%) and Mulinum (22-32%), both relatively shallow-rooted species, intermediate for Berberis (16-17%) and Schinus (6-9%), and negligible for the two N-fixing Fabaceae: Adesmia (<1%) and Anarthrophyllum (<3%), despite this last one having a dimorphic (tap + shallow) root system. It is hypothesized that shallow-water pulses may be more profitable in terms of nitrogen than of water, and thus constitute a higher-quality resource for those species only able to use N from soil sources.     

Ab initio calculations of the Fe(II) and Fe(III) isotopic effects in citrates,nicotianamine, and phytosiderophore,and new Fe isotopic measurements in higher plants

Iron is one of the most abundant transition metal in higher plants and variations in its isotopic compositions can be used to trace its utilization. In order to better understand the effect of plant-induced isotopic fractionation on the global Fe cycling, we have estimated by quantum chemical calculations the magnitude of the isotopic fractionation between different Fe species relevant to the transport and storage of Fe in higher plants: Fe(II)-citrate, Fe(III)-citrate, Fe(II)-nicotianamine, and Fe(III)-phytosiderophore. The ab initio calculations show firstly, that Fe(II)-nicotianamine is ～3‰ (⁵⁶Fe/⁵⁴Fe) isotopically lighter than Fe(III)-phytosiderophore; secondly, even in the absence of redox changes of Fe, change in the speciation alone can create up to ～1.5‰ isotopic fractionation. For example, Fe(III)-phytosiderophore is up to 1.5‰ heavier than Fe(III)-citrate₂ and Fe(II)-nicotianamine is up to 1‰ heavier than Fe(II)-citrate. In addition, in order to better understand the Fe isotopic fractionation between different plant components, we have analyzed the iron isotopic composition of different organs (roots, seeds, germinated seeds, leaves and stems) from six species of higher plants: the dicot lentil (Lens culinaris), and the graminaceous monocots Virginia wild rye (Elymus virginicus), Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), river oat (Uniola latifolia), and Indian goosegrass (Eleusine indica). The calculations may explain that the roots of strategy-II plants (Fe(III)-phytosiderophore) are isotopically heavier (by about 1‰ for the δ⁵⁶Fe) than the upper parts of the plants (Fe transported as Fe(III)-citrate in the xylem or Fe(II)-nicotianamine in the phloem). In addition, we suggest that the isotopic variations observed between younger and older leaves could be explained by mixing of Fe received from the xylem and the phloem.     

Critical soil conditions for oxygen stress to plant roots: Substituting the Feddes-function by a process-based model

Effects of insufficient soil aeration on the functioning of plants form an important field of research. A well-known and frequently used utility to express oxygen stress experienced by plants is the Feddes-function. This function reduces root water uptake linearly between two constant pressure heads, representing threshold values for minimum and maximum oxygen deficiency. However, the correctness of this expression has never been evaluated and constant critical values for oxygen stress are likely to be inappropriate. On theoretical grounds it is expected that oxygen stress depends on various abiotic and biotic factors. In this paper, we propose a fundamentally different approach to assess oxygen stress: we built a plant physiological and soil physical process-based model to calculate the minimum gas filled porosity of the soil (_{gas_min}) at which oxygen stress occurs.First, we calculated the minimum oxygen concentration in the gas phase of the soil needed to sustain the roots through (micro-scale) diffusion with just enough oxygen to respire. Subsequently, _{gas_min} that corresponds to this minimum oxygen concentration was calculated from diffusion from the atmosphere through the soil (macro-scale).We analyzed the validity of constant critical values to represent oxygen stress in terms of _{gas_min}, based on model simulations in which we distinguished different soil types and in which we varied temperature, organic matter content, soil depth and plant characteristics. Furthermore, in order to compare our model results with the Feddes-function, we linked root oxygen stress to root water uptake (through the sink term variable F, which is the ratio of actual and potential uptake).The simulations showed that _{gas_min} is especially sensitive to soil temperature, plant characteristics (root dry weight and maintenance respiration coefficient) and soil depth but hardly to soil organic matter content. Moreover, _{gas_min} varied considerably between soil types and was larger in sandy soils than in clayey soils. We demonstrated that F of the Feddes-function indeed decreases approximately linearly, but that actual oxygen stress already starts at drier conditions than according to the Feddes-function. How much drier is depended on the factors indicated above. Thus, the Feddes-function might cause large errors in the prediction of transpiration reduction and growth reduction through oxygen stress.We made our method easily accessible to others by implementing it in SWAP, a user-friendly soil water model that is coupled to plant growth. Since constant values for _{gas_min} in plant and hydrological modeling appeared to be inappropriate, an integrated approach, including both physiological and physical processes, should be used instead. Therefore, we advocate using our method in all situations where oxygen stress could occur.     

Blood metal levels and metal-influenced immune functions of harbour seals in captivity

Immunological blood parameters and the effects of environmental pollutants on the immune system are important to assess the health status of seals. Animals living permanently in seal centres are useful for development and validation of diagnostic tools for free-ranging animals. In this study, parameters of cellular immunity as well as metal concentrations in blood and metal influence on cell proliferation of seven seals from a seal centre were investigated repeatedly using multi-element analysis and a lymphocyte proliferation assay. The metal concentrations, except for tin and chromium, were in general comparable to those of free-ranging animals of the North Sea. The unstimulated and mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation showed strong intra- and inter-individual variability, which reflected variability in activation of the immune status. Furthermore, both immunosuppressive and stimulative influences of metals on lymphocytes were found. Summarising, the methods used in this investigation provided useful information on these animals, and their application to free-ranging animals can be recommended.