TY  - JOUR
AB  - The extraction of 21 insecticides and 5 metabolites was performed using an optimized and validated QuEChERS protocol that was further used for the quantification (GC-MS/MS) in several seafood matrices (crustaceans, bivalves, and fish-mudskippers). Seven species, acquired from Hong Kong and Macao wet markets (a region so far poorly monitored), were selected based on their commercial importance in the Indo-Pacific region, market abundance, and affordable price. Among them, mussels from Hong Kong, together with mudskippers from Macao, presented the highest insecticide concentrations (median values of 30.33 and 23.90 ng/g WW, respectively). Residual levels of fenobucarb, DDTs, HCHs, and heptachlors were above the established threshold (10 ng/g WW) for human consumption according to the European and Chinese legislations: for example, in fish-mudskippers, DDTs, fenobucarb, and heptachlors (5-, 20- and tenfold, respectively), and in bivalves, HCHs (fourfold) had higher levels than the threshold. Risk assessment revealed potential human health effects (e.g., neurotoxicity), especially through fish and bivalve consumption (non-carcinogenic risk; ΣHQLT > 1), and a potential concern of lifetime cancer risk development through the consumption of fish, bivalves, and crustaceans collected from these markets (carcinogenic risk; ΣTCR > 10-4). Since these results indicate polluted regions, where the seafood is collected/produced, a strict monitoring framework should be implemented in those areas to improve food quality and safety of seafood products.
AU  - Ivorra, L.*
AU  - Cardoso, P.G.*
AU  - Chan, S.K.*
AU  - Cruzeiro, C.
AU  - Tagulao, K.*
C1  - 66987
C2  - 53396
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
SP  - 34585-34597
TI  - Quantification of insecticides in commercial seafood sold in East Asian markets: Risk assessment for consumers.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 30
IS  - 12
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2022
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Human biomonitoring studies are of increasing importance in regulatory toxicology; however, there is a paucity of human biomonitoring data for the Irish population. In this study, we provide new data for urinary biomarker concentrations of aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, manganese, lead and selenium. One hundred urine samples, collected between 2011 and 2014 from healthy participants of the EuroMOTOR project, were randomly selected. Metal concentrations were measured via ICPMS. Descriptive statistics for each of the metals stratified by gender were performed. There were 58 male and 42 female participants and metals were detectable for all samples. Geometric mean urinary concentrations for each metal in males were as follows: aluminium 8.5 μg/L, arsenic 8.1 μg/L, cadmium 0.3 μg/L, chromium 0.5 μg/L, copper 5.1 μg/L, mercury 0.4 μg/L, manganese 0.3 μg/L, lead 1.3 μg/L and selenium 10.8 μg/L; and in females: aluminium 8.5 μg/L, arsenic 10.2 μg/L, cadmium 0.4 μg/L, chromium 0.6 μg/L, copper 5.6 μg/L, mercury 0.3 μg/L, manganese 0.2 μg/L, lead 1.6 μg/L and selenium 13.7 μg/L. We observed higher geometric mean concentrations in women for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and selenium, with equal geometric mean concentrations for aluminium and manganese, leaving only mercury with lower geometric mean concentrations in women. Aluminium, cadmium, chromium, lead and urinary concentrations of metals were slightly elevated compared to European data, while for arsenic, copper, manganese and selenium, Irish levels were lower. Our findings highlight that there are differences in urinary metal concentrations between European populations.
AU  - Rooney, J.P.K.*
AU  - Michalke, B.
AU  - Geoghegan, G.*
AU  - Heverin, M.*
AU  - Bose-O'Reilly, S.*
AU  - Hardiman, O.*
AU  - Rakete, S.*
C1  - 65397
C2  - 52288
SP  - 75356-75364
TI  - Urine concentrations of selected trace metals in a cohort of Irish adults.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 29
IS  - 50
PY  - 2022
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The article Atmospheric pollutants and their association with olive and grass aeroallergen concentrations in Córdoba (Spain), writ ten by Maria Pi lar Plaza, Purificación Alcázar, José Oteros and Carmen Galán, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 13 August 2020 without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 25 May 2021 to © The Author(s) 2021 and the article is forthwith distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. The Original article has been corrected.
AU  - Plaza, M.P.
AU  - Alcázar, P.*
AU  - Oteros, J.
AU  - Galán, C.*
C1  - 62297
C2  - 50582
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
TI  - Correction to: Atmospheric pollutants and their association with olive and grass aeroallergen concentrations in Córdoba (Spain) (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, (2020), 27, 36, (45447-45459), 10.1007/s11356-020-10422-x).
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2021
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, steatohepatitis, and progression of liver disorders. This study investigated the protective effect of farnesol (FAR), a sesquiterpene alcohol, against liver injury in high cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rats, and its modulatory effect on fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). HCD was supplemented for 10 weeks, and the rats were concurrently treated with FAR. Rats that received HCD exhibited significant elevation of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols, LDL and vLDL cholesterol, CRP, and pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased values of the cardiovascular risk indices. Serum transaminases, ALP, LDH and CK-MB, and hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO), cholesterol, and triacylglycerols were increased in HCD-fed rats. Treatment with FAR greatly ameliorated dyslipidemia and liver function, reduced inflammatory mediators, LPO, and hepatic lipid infiltration and enhanced anti-oxidant defenses. FAR suppressed hepatic FAS, ACC, and SREPB-1c mRNA abundance and FAS activity in HDC-fed rats. In addition, molecular docking simulations pinpointed the binding modes of FAR to the active pocket residues of FAS and ACC. In conclusion, FAR possesses a strong anti-hyperlipidemic/anti-hypercholesterolemic activity mediated through its ability to modulate hepatic FAS, ACC, and SREPB-1c. FAR prevented oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver injury induced by HCD. Thus, FAR may represent a promising lipid-lowering agent that can protect against dyslipidemia and its linked metabolic deregulations.
AU  - Abukhalil, M.H.*
AU  - Hussein, O.E.*
AU  - Bin-Jumah, M.*
AU  - Saghir, S.A.M.*
AU  - Germoush, M.O.*
AU  - Elgebaly, H.A.*
AU  - Mosa, N.M.*
AU  - Hamad, I.*
AU  - Qarmush, M.M.*
AU  - Hassanein, E.M.*
AU  - Kamel, E.M.*
AU  - Hernandez-Bautista, R.
AU  - Mahmoud, A.M.*
C1  - 59249
C2  - 48706
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
SP  - 30118-30132
TI  - Farnesol attenuates oxidative stress and liver injury and modulates fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in high cholesterol-fed rats.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 27
IS  - 24
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2020
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Particulate matter is the key to increasing urban air pollution, and research into pollution exposure assessment is an important part of environmental health. In order to classify PM10 air pollution and to investigate the population exposure to the distribution of PM10, daily and monthly PM10 concentrations of 379 air pollution monitoring stations were obtained for a period from 01/01/2017 to 31/12/2017. Firstly, PM10 concentrations were classified using the head/tail break clustering algorithm to identify locations with elevated PM10 levels. Subsequently, population exposure levels were calculated using population-weighted PM10 concentrations. Finally, the power-law distribution was used to test the distribution of PM10 polluted areas. Our results indicate that the head/tail break algorithm, with an appropriate segmentation threshold, can effectively identify areas with high PM10 concentrations. The distribution of the population according to exposure level shows that the majority of people is living in polluted areas. The distribution of heavily PM10 polluted areas in Germany follows the power-law distribution well, but their boundaries differ from the boundaries of administrative cities; some even cross several administrative cities. These classification results can guide policymakers in dividing the country into several areas for pollution control.
AU  - Liu, X.
AU  - Huang, H.
AU  - Jiang, Y.
AU  - Wang, T.*
AU  - Xu, Y.*
AU  - Abbaszade, G.
AU  - Schnelle-Kreis, J.
AU  - Zimmermann, R.
C1  - 57717
C2  - 47965
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
SP  - 6637-6648
TI  - Assessment of German population exposure levels to PM10 based on multiple spatial-temporal data.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 27
IS  - 6
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2020
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Cumulative data indicate that pollen grains and air pollution reciprocally interact. Climate changes seem also to influence pollen allergenicity. Depending on the plant species and on the pollutant type and concentration, this interaction may modify the features and metabolism of the pollen grain. Previous results revealed a significant positive correlation between pollen and aeroallergen, even using two different samplers. However, some discrepancy days have been also detected with low pollen but high aeroallergen concentrations. The main aim of the present paper is to find how the environmental factors, and specially pollutants, could affect the amount of allergens from olive and grass airborne pollen. Pollen grains were collected by a Hirst-type volumetric spore trap. Aeroallergen was simultaneously sampled by a low-volume Cyclone Burkard sampler. Phl p 5 and Ole e 1 aeroallergen were quantified by double-sandwich ELISA test. The data related to air pollutants, pollen grains, and aeroallergens were analyzed with descriptive statistic. Spearman's correlation test was used to identify potential correlations between these variables. There is a significant positive correlation between aeroallergens and airborne pollen concentrations, in both studied pollen types, so allergen concentrations could be explained with the pollen concentration. The days with unlinked events coincide between olive and grass allergens. Nevertheless, concerning to our results, pollutants do not affect the amount of allergens per pollen. Even if diverse pollutants show an unclear relationship with the allergen concentration, this association seems to be a casual effect of the leading role of some meteorological parameters.
AU  - Plaza, M.P.
AU  - Alcázar, P.*
AU  - Oteros, J.
AU  - Galán, C.*
C1  - 59906
C2  - 49109
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
SP  - 45447–45459
TI  - Atmospheric pollutants and their association with olive and grass aeroallergen concentrations in Cordoba (Spain).
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 27
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2020
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - This study investigates how wastewater containing 2 mg l(-1) of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and 2 mg l(-1) of diclofenac (DCF) affects the composition of bacterial communities present in the roots and rhizomes of Miscanthus x giganteus plants grown in laboratory-scale constructed wetlands. Bacterial communities in plant roots and rhizomes were identified in treated and control samples by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Moreover, bacterial endophytes were isolated in R2A and 1/10 869 media and screened for their ability to metabolize SMX and DCF in liquid medium by HPLC. Our results show significant changes in the abundance of main genera, namely Sphingobium and Streptomyces between control and treated plants. Around 70% of the strains isolated from exposed plants belonged to the phylum Actinobacteria and were classified as Streptomyces, Microbacterium, and Glycomyces. In non-exposed plants, Proteobacteria represented 43.5% to 63.6% of the total. We identified 17 strains able to remove SMX and DCF in vitro. From those, 76% were isolated from exposed plants. Classified mainly as Streptomyces, they showed the highest SMX (33%) and DCF (41%) removal efficiency. These isolates, alone or in combination, might be used as bio-inoculants in constructed wetlands to enhance the phytoremediation of SMX and DCF during wastewater treatment.
AU  - Sauvetre, A.
AU  - Wegrzyn, A.*
AU  - Yang, L.
AU  - Vestergaard, G.
AU  - Miksch, K.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Radl, V.
C1  - 57907
C2  - 48089
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
SP  - 11892–11904
TI  - Enrichment of endophytic Actinobacteria in roots and rhizomes of Miscanthus x giganteus plants exposed to diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 27
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2020
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - DDT transformation to DDD in soil is the most commonly reported pathway under anaerobic conditions. A few instances of DDT conversion to products other than DDD/DDE have been reported under aerobic conditions and hardly any under anaerobic conditions. In particular, few reports exist on the anaerobic degradation of DDT in African tropical soils, despite DDT contamination arising from obsolete pesticide stockpiles in the continent as well as new contamination from DDT use for mosquito and tsetse fly control. Moreover, the development of possible remediation strategies for contaminated sites demands adequate understanding of different soil processes and their effect on DDT persistence, hence necessitating the study. The aim of this work was to study the effect of simulated anaerobic conditions and slow-release carbon sources (compost) on the dissipation of DDT in two tropical clay soils (paddy soil and field soil) amenable to periodic flooding. The results showed faster DDT dissipation in the field soil but higher metabolite formation in the paddy soil. To explain this paradox, the levels of dissolved organic carbon and carbon mineralization (CH4 and CO2) were correlated with p, p-DDT and p, p-DDD concentrations. It was concluded that DDT underwent reductive degradation (DDD pathway) in the paddy soil and both reductive (DDD pathway) and oxidative degradation (non-DDD pathway) in the field soil.
AU  - Kengara, F.O.*
AU  - Dörfler, U.
AU  - Welzl, G.
AU  - Munch, J.-C.
AU  - Schroll, R.
C1  - 55429
C2  - 46347
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
SP  - 8779-8788
TI  - Evidence of non-DDD pathway in the anaerobic degradation of DDT in tropical soil.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 26
IS  - 9
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2019
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Phytoremediation has been proposed to reduce the load of the sunscreen oxybenzone (OBZ) in the aquatic environment. Despite the proven removal efficiency of this compound, little is known about its influence, particularly oxidative stress on plants. In this study, a short-term incubation of macrophytic Cyperus alternifolius was performed to prove the plant's ability to withstand the stress. Detached shoots were immersed in medium spiked with different concentrations of OBZ (50, 100, and 500 mu M) for 2, 4, and 7 days, respectively. Increased formation of O-2 and H2O2 in Cyperus treated with OBZ was characterized by intense colorization following histochemical staining. Alterations of enzyme activities involved in the antioxidative defense system indicate an adaptive response of C. alternifolius to this xenobiotic stress. Quantification of lipid peroxidation reveals that no significant membrane damage occurred during incubation with OBZ. Overall, 50 mu M OBZ (tenfold higher than the amount frequently detected in the environment) exhibited low toxic effects. Accordingly, this pilot study provides information on the potential use of Cyperus to remove emerging sunscreen contaminants from water bodies.
AU  - Chen, F.
AU  - Schnick, S.
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 53337
C2  - 44827
CY  - Tiergartenstrasse 17, D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany
SP  - 16080-16090
TI  - Concentration effects of the UV filter oxybenzone in Cyperus alternifolius: Assessment of tolerance by stress-related response.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 25
IS  - 16
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2018
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Contaminants like nitroaromatic compounds can be degraded in the subsurface to similar or even more toxic metabolites. Degradation or transformation rates are dependent on physical, chemical and biological properties which can be different in sedimentological layers or other heterogeneous structures of aquifers. Sediments with low hydraulic conductivity can even consist of immobile water. These regions are only accessible by diffusion. Most modelling approaches accounting for immobile water regions focused on the mathematical description of the transport and decay of the parent compound. The objective of this study was to develop an analytical model to quantify the transport and formation of a metabolite in dual-porosity media describing the exchange between mobile and immobile water regions based on the metabolite’s diffusion coefficient. Column experiments with a well-defined immobile water region were performed under anoxic conditions at three different water flow velocities. The model compound 4-Cl-nitrobenzene was reduced to 4-Cl-aniline (4-Cl-An) by surface-bound Fe (II) species within the immobile water region. Transport and formation of the metabolite were quantified with a modified solution of the single fissure dispersion model assuming additionally for the region with immobile water first-order metabolite production, irreversible sorption and an instantaneous equilibrium sorption. The number of unknown fitting parameters was reduced to two (sorption rate and retardation factor) by stepwise parameter estimation using tracer and parent compound data. Experimental results of the metabolite for each water flow velocity were successfully described with a first-order production term (λprod = 1.51 ± 0.08 h−1), retardation factor (Rim = 2.94 ± 0.45) and first-order irreversible sorption rate (Kim = 0.39 ± 0.16 h−1) within the immobile water region. Model results supported that 4-Cl-An was formed within the immobile water region. 4-Cl-An sorbed instantaneously onto the clay matrix while a fraction was irreversibly sorbed. Experimental results and the provided analytical solution help to improve the understanding about reactive transport and the formation of metabolites in dual-porosity media.
AU  - Knorr, B.
AU  - Maloszewski, P.*
AU  - Stumpp, C.
C1  - 50164
C2  - 42227
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 4447-4456
TI  - Analytical transport modelling of metabolites formed in dual-porosity media.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 24
IS  - 5
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Bromocarbazoles and chlorocarbazoles are emerging environmental contaminants that have been reported to be persistent and possessing dioxin-like toxicity; however, their photodegradative fate in water is unknown. The photodegradation of 3-bromocarbazole, 3-chlorocarbazole, and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole was determined in ultrapure water. They proceeded by direct photolysis and followed first-order kinetics. The rate constants (k) were 0.4838, 0.3454, and 0.4422 h(-1) corresponding to half-lives (t 1/2) 1.81, 2.01, and 1.62, while the quantum yields (Ф) were 0.232, 0.180, and 0.295 respectively. The maximum wavelengths of absorption (λ max) were in the near ultraviolet region (295, 296, 299, and 301 nm) implying these compounds are likely to degrade slowly under sunlight in natural aquatic environment. The molar extinction coefficients (ε) determined in acetonitrile were 18,573, 17,028, 13,385, and 14,010 L mol(-1) cm(-1), respectively, the latter being 3,6-dibromocarbazole. A bathochromic shift was observed with halogen addition on their respective mono-substituted congeners. Bromocarbazoles were observed to degrade faster in water than chlorocarbazoles. In addition, photodegradation was estimated to proceed faster in summer than in winter, in natural water system at 50° N latitude. In the absence of light, hydrolytic degradation occurred but proceeded very slowly. Hexahydroxybenzene and trihydroxycarbazole were positively identified as the likely photoproducts with the former being a known toxic compound. Dehalogenation, oxidative cleavage, hydroxylation, and hydrolysis are suggested as the major photodegradation mechanisms in water, yielding phototoxic products that may be of enhanced toxicity than the parent compounds.
AU  - Mumbo, J.
AU  - Deyerling, D.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 52050
C2  - 43693
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 27525–27538 
TI  - Photodegradative fate and potential phototoxic products of bromocarbazoles and chlorocarbazoles in water.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 24
IS  - 35
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - This study involves the monitoring of organic pollutants using transplanted mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) as bioindicator organisms and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) as passive samplers. Mussels and SPMDs were deployed to marinas, shipyards and shipbreaking yards on the coastal area of Turkey and retrieved after 60 days. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorine pesticide (OCP) compounds were analysed with high-resolution GC-MS. Total PAH concentrations in SPMDs and mussels ranged from 200 to 4740 ng g sampler(-1) and from 7.0 to 1130 ng g(-1) in wet weight (ww). PCB and OCP concentrations in SPMDs changed between 0.04-200 and 4.0-26 ng g sampler(-1), respectively. The highest PCB (190 ng g(-1) ww) and OCP (200 ng g(-1) ww) concentrations in mussels were measured at shipyard stations. A strong correlation was observed between the PAH and PCB concentrations in SPMDs and mussels. Enzyme assays (acetylcholinesterase, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathion reductase and carboxylesterase activities) were performed as biomarkers to reveal the effects of pollution on the mussels. There was no clear relationship found between the enzyme levels and the pollutant concentrations in mussels. Integrated biomarker responses were calculated to interpret the overall effect of pollutants.
AU  - Okay, O.S.*
AU  - Karacık, B.*
AU  - Güngördü, A.*
AU  - Yılmaz, A.*
AU  - Koyunbaba, N.C.*
AU  - Yakan, S.D.*
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
AU  - Ozmen, M.*
C1  - 51446
C2  - 43223
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 19114–19125
TI  - Monitoring of organic pollutants in marine environment by semipermeable membrane devices and mussels: Accumulation and biochemical responses.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 24
IS  - 23
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Many endophytic bacteria exert beneficial effects on their host, but still little is known about the bacteria associated with plants growing in areas heavily polluted by hydrocarbons. The aim of the study was characterization of culturable hydrocarbon-degrading endophytic bacteria associated with Lotus corniculatus L. and Oenothera biennis L. collected in long-term petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted site using culture-dependent and molecular approaches. A total of 26 hydrocarbon-degrading endophytes from these plants were isolated. Phylogenetic analyses classified the isolates into the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The majority of strains belonged to the genera Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Rhodococcus. More than 90% of the isolates could grow on medium with diesel oil, approximately 20% could use n-hexadecane as a sole carbon and energy source. PCR analysis revealed that 40% of the isolates possessed the P450 gene encoding for cytochrome P450-type alkane hydroxylase (CYP153). In in vitro tests, all endophytic strains demonstrated a wide range of plant growth-promoting traits such as production of indole-3-acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, siderophores, and phosphate solubilization. More than 40% of the bacteria carried the gene encoding for the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (acdS). Our study shows that the diversity of endophytic bacterial communities in tested plants was different. The results revealed also that the investigated plants were colonized by endophytic bacteria possessing plant growth-promoting features and a clear potential to degrade hydrocarbons. The properties of isolated endophytes indicate that they have the high potential to improve phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted soils.
AU  - Pawlik, M.*
AU  - Cania, B.
AU  - Thijs, S.*
AU  - Vangronsveld, J.*
AU  - Piotrowska-Seget, Z.*
C1  - 51485
C2  - 43255
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 19640–19652
TI  - Hydrocarbon degradation potential and plant growth-promoting activity of culturable endophytic bacteria of Lotus corniculatus and Oenothera biennis from a long-term polluted site.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 24
IS  - 24
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Gaseous and particulate emissions from a ship diesel research engine were elaborately analysed by a large assembly of measurement techniques. Applied methods comprised of offline and online approaches, yielding averaged chemical and physical data as well as time-resolved trends of combustion by-products. The engine was driven by two different fuels, a commonly used heavy fuel oil (HFO) and a standardised diesel fuel (DF). It was operated in a standardised cycle with a duration of 2 h. Chemical characterisation of organic species and elements revealed higher concentrations as well as a larger number of detected compounds for HFO operation for both gas phase and particulate matter. A noteworthy exception was the concentration of elemental carbon, which was higher in DF exhaust aerosol. This may prove crucial for the assessment and interpretation of biological response and impact via the exposure of human lung cell cultures, which was carried out in parallel to this study. Offline and online data hinted at the fact that most organic species in the aerosol are transferred from the fuel as unburned material. This is especially distinctive at low power operation of HFO, where low volatility structures are converted to the particulate phase. The results of this study give rise to the conclusion that a mere switching to sulphur-free fuel is not sufficient as remediation measure to reduce health and environmental effects of ship emissions.
AU  - Streibel, T.
AU  - Schnelle-Kreis, J.
AU  - Czech, H.*
AU  - Harndorf, H.*
AU  - Jakobi, G.
AU  - Jokiniemi, J.*
AU  - Karg, E.W.
AU  - Lintelmann, J.
AU  - Matuschek, G.
AU  - Michalke, B.
AU  - Müller, L.
AU  - Orasche, J.
AU  - Passig, J.*
AU  - Radischat, C.*
AU  - Rabe, R.*
AU  - Reda, A.
AU  - Rüger, C.P.*
AU  - Schwemer, T.*
AU  - Sippula, O.*
AU  - Stengel, B.*
AU  - Sklorz, M.*
AU  - Torvela, T.*
AU  - Weggler, B.A.
AU  - Zimmermann, R.
C1  - 48527
C2  - 41139
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 10976-10991
TI  - Aerosol emissions of a ship diesel engine operated with diesel fuel or heavy fuel oil.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 24
IS  - 12
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed at different altitudes of Taurus Mountains in semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) and in half-, one-and-a-half-, and two-and-a-half-year-old pine needles. SPMDs were deployed for three different exposure periods: March to September (Summer), September to March (Winter), and March to March (whole year) at eight sites where needle samples were collected. The values of PAHs in needles were between 4.4 to 6066 pg g/fw in half-year-old, 7.2 to 111,115 pg g/fw in 1.5-year-old, and 9.7 to 85,335 pg g/fw in 2.5-year-old needles. Mass of PAHs collected by SPMDs varied from
AU  - Turgut, C.*
AU  - Mazmanci, M.A.*
AU  - Mazmanci, B.*
AU  - Yalçın, M.*
AU  - Karakuş, P.B.K.*
AU  - Atatanir, L.*
AU  - Keski, M.*
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 50342
C2  - 42393
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 7077-7087
TI  - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) determined by pine needles and semipermeable membrane devices along an altitude profile in Taurus Mountains, Turkey.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 24
IS  - 8
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2017
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Persistent and emerging organic pollutants were sampled in September 2012 and 2013 at a sampling site in front of the Three Gorges Dam near Maoping (China) in a water depth between 11 and 61 m to generate a depth profile of analytes. A novel compact water sampling system with self-packed glass cartridges was employed for the on-site enrichment of approximately 300 L of water per sample to enable the detection of low analytes levels in the picogram per liter-scale in the large water body. The overall performance of the sampling system was acceptable for the qualitative detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), perfluoroalkylic acids (PFAAs), pharmaceutical residues and polar pesticides. Strongly particle-associated analytes like PAHs and PCBs resided mainly in the glass wool filter of the sampling system, whereas all other compounds have mainly been enriched on the XAD-resin of the self-packed glass cartridges. The sampling results revealed qualitative information on the presence, depth distribution and origin of the investigated compounds. Although the depth profile of PAHs, PCBs, OCPs, and PFAAs appeared to be homogeneous, pharmaceuticals and polar pesticides were detected in distinct different patterns with water depth. Source analysis with diagnostic ratios for PAHs revealed their origin to be pyrogenic (burning of coal, wood and grass). In contrast, most PCBs and OCPs had to be regarded as legacy pollutants which have been released into the environment in former times and still remain present due to their persistence. The abundance of emerging organic pollutants could be confirmed, and their most abundant compounds could be identified as perfluorooctanoic acid, diclofenac and atrazine among investigated PFAAs, pharmaceuticals and polar pesticides, respectively.
AU  - Deyerling, D.
AU  - Wang, J.*
AU  - Bi, Y.*
AU  - Peng, C.*
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 47351
C2  - 40571
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 5782-5794
TI  - Depth profile of persistent and emerging organic pollutants upstream of the Three Gorges Dam gathered in 2012/2013.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 23
IS  - 6
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2016
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - To achieve unattended continuous long-term (eg., 1 week) sampling of size-segregated 24-h ambient particulate matter (PM), a sampling strategy of a modified 3-stage rotating drum impactor (RDI) in series with a sequential filter sampler was introduced and verified in a field campaign. Before the field sampling, lab experiment was conducted to test the collection efficiency of the third stage of the RDI using the quartz-fiber filter (QFF) as the substrate. The measured value is 0.36 μm, which is larger than the nominal value 0.1 μm. A fast direct analysis of organic species in all size fractions (<0.36, 0.36-1, 1-2.4, and 2.4-10 μm) of 24-h ambient samples was done using in situ derivatization thermal desorption gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (IDTD-GC-TOFMS). A few secondary originated polar markers (dicarboxylic acids, cis-pinonic acid, etc.) were introduced and evaluated using this method for the first time and quantified simultaneously with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the filter samples (<0.36 μm). For the other RDI strip samples (0.36-1, 1-2.4, and 2.4-10 μm), PAH and levoglucosan were quantified. The comparability of two such sampler sets was verified with respect to the PM collection profile of the two RDIs as well as measured concentration of chemical compounds in each sampled size fraction, so that a future epidemiological study on the relationship between the finest PM/its chemical composition and health outcome could be carried out through parallel sampling at two sites. The internal correlations between the size-segregated organic compounds are discussed. Besides, the correlations between the size-segregated organic species and size-segregated particulate number concentration (PNC) as well as meteorological parameter are discussed as well.
AU  - Li, F.
AU  - Schnelle-Kreis, J.
AU  - Karg, E.W.
AU  - Cyrys, J.
AU  - Gu, J.
AU  - Orasche, J.
AU  - Abbaszade, G.
AU  - Peters, A.
AU  - Zimmermann, R.
C1  - 47557
C2  - 40682
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 7278-7287
TI  - Semi-continuous sampling of health relevant atmospheric particle subfractions for chemical speciation using a rotating drum impactor in series with sequential filter sampler.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 23
IS  - 8
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2016
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds can be analyzed by bioanalytical screening methods to evaluate their biotoxicity. In vitro bioassays, based on 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and the activity of cytochrome P450 1A1 and the aryl hydrogen receptor (AhR) pathway, are employed for the evaluation of bioanalytical equivalents (BEQ) of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from a wide variety of sample matrices. Here, we present the evaluation of 11 humic soil samples derived from forest stands across Germany and a comparison of the BEQ values against toxic equivalents (TEQ, PCDD/Fs+PCBs) derived by chemical analysis. BEQ values ranged from 8.8 to 34.1 while TEQ values from 13.9 to 60.5 pg/g dry weight. Additional two subsequent mineral layers were analyzed to identify the BEQ/TEQ gradient vertically, showing a TEQ decrease of 85.1 and 93.8 % from the humic to the first and second mineral layers, respectively. For BEQ values, a decrease as well as an increase was detected. BEQ measurements were performed with and without sample clean-up. Omitting clean-up revealed about 20 times increased BEQ values presumably due to non-persistent bioactive compounds not detected by chemical analysis. The results we present suggest that the EROD assay can be used for the screening of large sample quantities for the identification of samples showing dioxin and dioxin-like contaminations even at low levels, which can then be further analyzed by chemical analysis to identify the congener composition. The study also shows that EROD results give a qualitative image of the contamination. EROD seems to be interfered with cross-contaminants specifically for soils with high biological activity as forest layers.
AU  - Mertes, F.
AU  - Mumbo, J.
AU  - Pandelova, M.
AU  - Bernhöft, S.
AU  - Corsten, C.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Bussian, B.M.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 49457
C2  - 41820
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 3977–3984
TI  - Comparative study of dioxin contamination from forest soil samples (BZE II) by mass spectrometry and EROD bioassay.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 25
IS  - 5
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2016
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Present technologies for wastewater treatment do not sufficiently address the increasing pollution situation of receiving water bodies, especially with the growing use of personal care products and pharmaceuticals (PPCP) in the private household and health sector. The relevance of addressing this problem of organic pollutants was taken into account by the Directive 2013/39/EU that introduced (i) the quality evaluation of aquatic compartments, (ii) the polluter pays principle, (iii) the need for innovative and affordable wastewater treatment technologies, and (iv) the identification of pollution causes including a list of principal compounds to be monitored. In addition, a watch list of 10 other substances was recently defined by Decision 2015/495 on March 20, 2015. This list contains, among several recalcitrant chemicals, the painkiller diclofenac and the hormones 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol. Although some modern approaches for their removal exist, such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), retrofitting most wastewater treatment plants with AOPs will not be acceptable as consistent investment at reasonable operational cost. Additionally, by-product and transformation product formation has to be considered. The same is true for membrane-based technologies (nanofiltration, reversed osmosis) despite of the incredible progress that has been made during recent years, because these systems lead to higher operation costs (mainly due to higher energy consumption) so that the majority of communities will not easily accept them. Advanced technologies in wastewater treatment like membrane bioreactors (MBR) that integrate biological degradation of organic matter with membrane filtration have proven a more complete elimination of emerging pollutants in a rather cost- and labor-intensive technology. Still, most of the presently applied methods are incapable of removing critical compounds completely. In this opinion paper, the state of the art of European WWTPs is reflected, and capacities of single methods are described. Furthermore, the need for analytical standards, risk assessment, and economic planning is stressed. The survey results in the conclusion that combinations of different conventional and advanced technologies including biological and plant-based strategies seem to be most promising to solve the burning problem of polluting our environment with hazardous emerging xenobiotics.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Helmreich, B.*
AU  - Škrbić, B.*
AU  - Carballa, M.*
AU  - Papa, M.*
AU  - Pastore, C.*
AU  - Emre, Z.*
AU  - Oehmen, A.*
AU  - Langenhoff, A.*
AU  - Molinos, M.*
AU  - Dvarioniene, J.*
AU  - Huber, C.
AU  - Tsagarakis, K.P.*
AU  - Martinez-Lopez, E.*
AU  - Pagano, S.M.*
AU  - Vogelsang, C.*
AU  - Mascolo, G.*
C1  - 48202
C2  - 41047
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 12835-12866
TI  - Status of hormones and painkillers in wastewater effluents across several European states - considerations for the EU watch list concerning estradiols and diclofenac.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 23
IS  - 13
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2016
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Biodegradability is a desired characteristic for synthetic soil amendments. Cross-linked polyacrylic acid (PAA) is a synthetic superabsorbent used to increase the water availability for plant growth in soils. About 4 % within products of cross-linked PAA remains as linear polyacrylic acid (PAAlinear). PAAlinear has no superabsorbent function but may contribute to the apparent biodegradation of the overall product. This is the first study that shows specifically the biodegradation of PAAlinear in agricultural soil. Two 13C-labeled PAAlinear of the average molecular weights of 530, 400, and 219,500 g mol−1 were incubated in soil. Mineralization of PAAlinear was measured directly as the 13CO2 efflux from incubation vessels using an automatic system, which is based on 13C-sensitive wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down spectroscopy. After 149 days, the PAAlinear with the larger average molecular weight and chain length showed about half of the degradation (0.91 % of the initial weight) of the smaller PAAlinear (1.85 %). The difference in biodegradation was confirmed by the δ13C signature of the microbial biomass (δ13Cmic), which was significantly enriched in the samples with short PAAlinear (−13 ‰ against reference Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite,VPDB) as compared to those with long PAAlinear (−16 ‰ VPDB). In agreement with other polymer studies, the results suggest that the biodegradation of PAAlinear in soil is determined by the average molecular weight and occurs mainly at terminal sites. Most importantly, the study outlines that the size of PAA that escapes cross-linking can have a significant impact on the overall biodegradability of a PAA-based superabsorbent.
AU  - Bai, M.*
AU  - Wilske, B.*
AU  - Buegger, F.
AU  - Esperschütz, J.
AU  - Bach, M.*
AU  - Frede, H.-G.*
AU  - Breuer, L.*
C1  - 32683
C2  - 35224
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 5444-5452
TI  - Relevance of nonfunctional linear polyacrylic acid for the biodegradation of superabsorbent polymer in soils.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 7
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - To contribute to the use of the tropical brown mussel Perna perna as a sentinel species for organochlorine pesticides (OCP) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), the present study reports data on the toxicokinetics of these compounds in P. perna. Specifically, the authors present data on OCP and PCB bioaccumulation for eight sampling months from three bays (SE Brazil) and two transplant experiments (each 1 month long). Although seasonality is observed in the total lipid content of the whole soft tissue, with summer samples showing higher values, no such seasonality is observed in the OCP and PCB concentrations bioaccumulated by the mussel P. perna. Because no seasonal effect is observed in the annual OCP and PCB concentrations bioaccumulated by P. perna, the use of this species as a sentinel organism to monitor organochlorinated compounds is encouraged. One month of transplantation is not enough to allow the transplanted specimens to reach the concentrations observed in animals reared at the destination site. Nevertheless, P. perna showed a clear tendency to depurate the DDT metabolites p,p′-DDD and p,p′-DDE after 1 month of transplantation.
AU  - Galvao, P.*
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Longo, R.*
AU  - Torres, J.P.M.*
AU  - Malm, O.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 44859
C2  - 37165
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 13522-13533
TI  - The brown mussel Perna perna (L., 1758) as a sentinel species for chlorinated pesticide and dioxin-like compounds.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 17
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Levy, W.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Bernhöft, S.*
AU  - Bovee, T.*
AU  - Buegger, F.
AU  - Jakobi, G.
AU  - Kirchner, M.
AU  - Bassan, R.*
AU  - Kräuchi, N.*
AU  - Moche, W.*
AU  - Offenthaler, I.*
AU  - Simoncic, P.*
AU  - Weiss, P.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 32591
C2  - 35195
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 3180-3181
TI  - Erratum to: Persistent aryl hydrocarbon receptor inducers increase with altitude, and estrogen-like disrupters are low in soils of the Alps.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 4
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The present study focused on cupric sulphate and cupric nitrate uptake in Typha latifolia and the impact of these copper species on the plant's detoxification capacity. When the plants were exposed to 10, 50 and 100 μM cupric sulphate or cupric nitrate, copper accumulation in T. latifolia roots and shoots increased with rising concentration of the salts. Shoot to root ratios differed significantly depending on the form of copper supplementation, e.g. if it was added as cupric (II) sulphate or cupric (II) nitrate. After incubation with 100 μM of cupric sulphate, up to 450 mg Cu/kg fresh weight (FW) was accumulated, whereas the same concentration of cupric nitrate resulted in accumulation of 580 mg/kg FW. Furthermore, significant differences in the activity of some antioxidative enzymes in Typha roots compared to the shoots, which are essential in the plant's reaction to cope with metal stress, were observed. The activity of peroxidase (POX) in roots was increased at intermediate concentrations (10 and 50 μM) of CuSO4, whereas it was inhibited at the same Cu(NO3)2 concentrations. Ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) increased their enzyme activity intensely, which may be an indication for copper toxicity in T. latifolia plants. Besides, fluorodifen conjugation by glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) was increased up to sixfold, especially in roots.
AU  - Lyubenova, L.
AU  - Bipuah, H.*
AU  - Belford, E.J.*
AU  - Michalke, B.
AU  - Winkler, B.
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 31883
C2  - 34844
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 657-666
TI  - Comparative study on the impact of copper sulphate and copper nitrate on the detoxification mechanisms in Typha latifolia.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 1
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The trace element selenium has an essential role for human health. It is involved in redox center functions, and it is related to the immune system response. Legumes are among the main suppliers of selenium into the human food chain. Not only Se concentration as such but also more the chemical species of Se is of higher importance for successful Se supply to the human diet and its bioavailability. The current study was focused on the investigation of the Se species present in chickpea plants exposed to 0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μM selenite in short- and long-term treatment studies. The linear increase of total Se concentration could be linked to the increased concentrations of Se exposure. The selenium species (SeMet, SeCys, selenite, selenate, GPx) detected in varying concentrations in shoots and roots depend on the exposure's concentration and duration. The investigation showed that chickpea can accumulate Se in favorable concentrations and its transformation to bioavailable Se species may have positive impacts on human health and aid to implement Se into the diet.
AU  - Lyubenova, L.
AU  - Sabodash, X.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Michalke, B.
C1  - 45604
C2  - 37419
SP  - 16978-16986
TI  - Selenium species in the roots and shoots of chickpea plants treated with different concentrations of sodium selenite.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 21
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Halogenated carbazoles have recently been detected in soil and water samples, but their environmental effects and fate are unknown. Eighty-four soil samples obtained from a site with no recorded history of pollution were used to assess the persistence and dioxin-like toxicity of carbazole and chlorocarbazoles in soil under controlled conditions for 15 months. Soil samples were divided into two temperature conditions, 15 and 20 °C, both under fluctuating soil moisture conditions comprising 19 and 44 drying-rewetting cycles, respectively. This was characterized by natural water loss by evaporation and rewetting to -15 kPa. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and cleanup were performed after incubation. Identification and quantification were done using high-resolution gas chromatogram/mass spectrometer (HRGC/MS), while dioxin-like toxicity was determined by ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) induction in H4IIA rat hepatoma cells assay and multidimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (mQSAR) modelling. Carbazole, 3-chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole were detected including trichlorocarbazole not previously reported in soils. Carbazole and 3-chlorocarbazole showed significant dissipation at 15 °C but not at 20 °C incubating conditions indicating that low temperature could be suitable for dissipation of carbazole and chlorocarbazoles. 3,6-Dichlorocarbazole was resistant at both conditions. Trichlorocarbazole however exhibited a tendency to increase in concentration with time. 3-Chlorocarbazole, 3,6-dibromocarbazole and selected soil extracts exhibited EROD activity. Dioxin-like toxicity did not decrease significantly with time, whereas the sum chlorocarbazole toxic equivalence concentrations (∑TEQ) did not contribute significantly to the soil assay dioxin-like toxicity equivalent concentrations (TCDD-EQ). Carbazole and chlorocarbazoles are persistent with the latter also toxic in natural conditions.
AU  - Mumbo, J.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Abdelaziz, A.
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Nguyen, N.
AU  - Schroll, R.
AU  - Munch, J.-C.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 31966
C2  - 34912
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 1344-1356
TI  - Persistence and dioxin-like toxicity of carbazole and chlorocarbazoles in soil.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Mumbo, J.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Abdelaziz, A.*
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Nguyen, N.*
AU  - Schroll, R.
AU  - Munch, J.-C.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 32371
C2  - 35014
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 1357-1358
TI  - Erratum to: Persistence and dioxin-like toxicity of carbazole and chlorocarbazoles in soil.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Lemna minor L., a widely used model plant for toxicity tests has raised interest for its application to phytoremediation due to its rapid growth and ubiquitous occurrence. In rural areas, the pollution of water bodies with heavy metals and agrochemicals poses a problem to surface water quality. Among problematic compounds, heavy metals (copper) and pesticides are frequently found in water bodies. To establish duckweed as a potential plant for phytoremediation, enzymatic and antioxidative stress responses of Lemna minor during exposure to copper and a chloroacetamide herbicide were investigated in laboratory studies. The present study aimed at evaluating growth and the antioxidative and glutathione-dependent enzyme activity of Lemna plants and its performance in a scenario for phytoremediation of copper and a chloroacetamide herbicide. Lemna minor was grown in Steinberg medium under controlled conditions. Plants were treated with CuSO4 (ion conc. 50 and 100 μg/L) and pethoxamide (1.25 and 2.5 μg/L). Measurements following published methods focused on plant growth, oxidative stress, and basic detoxification enzymes. Duckweed proved to survive treatment with the respective concentrations of both pollutants very well. Its growth was inhibited scarcely, and no visible symptoms occurred. On the cellular basis, accumulation of O2− and H2O2 were detected, as well as stress reactions of antioxidative enzymes. Duckweed detoxification potential for organic pollutants was high and increased significantly with incubation. Pethoxamide was found to be conjugated with glutathione. Copper was accumulated in the fronds at high levels, and transient oxidative defense reactions were triggered. This work confirms the significance of L. minor for the removal of copper from water and the conjugation of the selective herbicide pethoxamide. Both organic and inorganic xenobiotics induced different trends of enzymatic and antioxidative stress response. The strong increase of stress responses following copper exposure is well known as oxidative burst, which is probably different from the much more long-lasting responses found in plants exposed to pethoxamide. Lemna sp. might be used as a tool for phytoremediation of low-level contamination with metals and organic xenobiotics, however the authors recommend a more detailed analysis of the development of the oxidative burst following copper exposure and of the enzymatic metabolism of pethoxamide in order to elucidate the extent of its removal from water.
AU  - Obermeier, M.
AU  - Schröder, C.A.
AU  - Helmreich, B.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 46671
C2  - 37676
SP  - 18495-18507
TI  - The enzymatic and antioxidative stress response of Lemna minor to copper and a chloroacetamide herbicide.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 23
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Even early life in utero cannot provide a safe place for newborns. The first acquaintance with chemicals takes place in utero and/or with mother’s milk after delivery. Besides legislations and bans to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), these chemicals are still affecting the general population especially the children as they are one of the populations most susceptible to chemicals, and also the health problems may arise in the future. Our objective is to collect the first data in newborns in Turkey to determine baseline levels of POPs in the general population and estimate the potential cancer risk related to exposure. Twenty-nine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 18 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in blood samples of newborn boys (0–1 month old) who were born in İstanbul, Turkey, in 2010–2012 were evaluated with high-resolution gas chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Results for analyzed chlorinated compounds are as follows: hexachlorocyclohexane (ΣHCH) 1828 ± 3650 pg/g lipid, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ΣDDT) 10,000 ± 15,398 pg/g lipid, and ΣPCB 1068 ± 1823 pg/g lipid. 4,4′-DDT, 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4′-DDE), hexachlorobenzene, and PCB 138 and 153 are the major contaminants. New POPs as lindane 61 ± 268 pg/g lipid, pentachlorobenzene 13 ± 74 pg/g lipid, and endosulfan 29 ± 106 pg/g lipid are also detected in blood. Estimated total risk for lifetime PCB exposure is less than 1 × 10−5, an acceptable risk. Blood concentration levels will be important base data in the assessment of health concerns of newborns as well as for studies about how endocrine disruptors affect humans.
AU  - Ulutas, O.K.*
AU  - Cok, I.*
AU  - Darendeliler, F.*
AU  - Aydin, B.*
AU  - Coban, A.*
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 46665
C2  - 37682
SP  - 19896-19904
TI  - Blood concentrations and risk assessment of persistent organochlorine compounds in newborn boys in Turkey. A pilot study.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 22
IS  - 24
PY  - 2015
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - In screening indigenous soil filamentous fungi for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) degradation, an isolate of the Fusarium solani was found to incorporate benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) into fungal hyphae before degradation and mineralization. The mechanisms involved in BaP uptake and intracellular transport remain unresolved. To address this, the incorporation of two PAHs, BaP, and phenanthrene (PHE) were studied in this fungus. The fungus incorporated more BaP into cells than PHE, despite the 400-fold higher aqueous solubility of PHE compared with BaP, indicating that PAH incorporation is not based on a simple diffusion mechanism. To identify the mechanism of BaP incorporation and transport, microscopic studies were undertaken with the fluorescence probes Congo Red, BODIPY®493/503, and FM®4-64, targeting different cell compartments respectively fungal cell walls, lipids, and endocytosis. The metabolic inhibitor sodium azide at 100 mM totally blocked BaP incorporation into fungal cells indicating an energy-requirement for PAH uptake into the mycelium. Cytochalasins also inhibited BaP uptake by the fungus and probably its intracellular transport into fungal hyphae. The perfect co-localization of BaP and BODIPY reveals that lipid bodies constitute the intracellular storage sites of BaP in F. solani. Our results demonstrate an energy-dependent uptake of BaP and its cytoskeleton-dependent intracellular transport by F. solani.
AU  - Fayeulle, A.*
AU  - Veignie, E.*
AU  - Slomianny, C.*
AU  - Dewailly, E.*
AU  - Munch, J.-C.
AU  - Rafin, C.*
C1  - 28491
C2  - 33425
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 3515-3523
TI  - Energy-dependent uptake of benzo[a]pyrene and its cytoskeleton-dependent intracellular transport by the telluric fungus Fusarium solani.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 21
IS  - 5
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2014
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - In the middle of Europe, the Alps form a geographical and meteorological trap for atmospheric pollutants including volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds emitted in the surrounding lowlands. This is due to their barrier effects, high precipitation rates, and low ambient temperatures. Also the pollutants emitted in the cities inside the Alps spread in the region depending on orographic and meteorological conditions. Although a number of studies on the distribution and effect of pollutants in the Alps has been published, comprehensive information on potential hazards, and ways to improve this sensible environment are lacking. This opinion paper is the result of a discussion during the Winterseminar of the AlpsBioCluster project in Munich. It summarizes the current literature and presents some case studies on local pollution sources in the Alps, and the possibility of using biomonitoring techniques to assess critical pollution loads and distributions.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Belis, C.A.*
AU  - Schnelle-Kreis, J.
AU  - Herzig, R.*
AU  - Prévôt, A.S.*
AU  - Raveton, M.*
AU  - Kirchner, M.
AU  - Catinon, M.*
C1  - 27556
C2  - 32719
SP  - 252-267
TI  - Why air quality in the Alps remains a matter of concern. The impact of organic pollutants in the Alpine area.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 21
IS  - 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2014
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Two types of biological tests were employed for monitoring the toxicological profile of sediment cores in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), China. In the present study, sediments collected in June 2010 from TGR were analyzed for estrogen receptor (ER)- and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activities. The estrogenic activity was assessed using a rapid yeast estrogen bioassay, based on the expression of a green fluorescent reporter protein. Weak anti-estrogenic activity was detected in sediments from an area close to the dam of the reservoir, and weak estrogenic activities ranging from 0.3 to 1 ng 17β-estradiol (E2) equivalents (EQ) g(-1) dry weight sediment (dw) were detected in sediments from the Wanzhou to Guojiaba areas. In the upstream areas Wanzhou and Wushan, sediments demonstrated additive effects in co-administration of 1 nM E2 in the yeast test system, while sediments from the downstream Badong and Guojiaba areas showed estrogenic activities which seemed to be more than additive (synergistic activity). There was an increasing tendency in estrogenic activity from upstream of TGR to downstream, while this tendency terminated and converted into anti-estrogenic activity in the area close to the dam. The AhR activity was detected employing rat hepatoma cell line (H4IIE). EROD activities were found homogenously distributed in sediments in TGR ranging from 200 to 311 pg 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) EQ g(-1) dw for total AhR agonists and from 45 to 76 pg TCDD EQ g(-1) dw for more persistent AhR agonists. The known AhR agonists polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, polychlorinated biphenyl, and PCDD/F only explained up to 8 % of the more persistent AhR agonist activity in the samples, which suggests that unidentified AhR-active compounds represented a great proportion of the TCDD EQ in sediments from TGR. These findings of estrogenic potential and dioxin-like activity in TGR sediments provide possible weight-of-evidence of potential ecotoxicological causes for the declines in fish populations which have been observed during the past decades in TGR.
AU  - Wang, J.
AU  - Bovee, T.F.H.*
AU  - Bi, Y.*
AU  - Bernhöft, S.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 28285
C2  - 33061
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 3145-3155
TI  - Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) inducers and Estrogen Receptor (ER) activities in surface sediments of Three Gorges Reservoir, China evaluated with in vitro cell bioassays.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 21
IS  - 4
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2014
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - In order to screen dioxin pollution in sediment of Three Gorges Dam (TGD) area, three sediment cores were obtained from two sites in 2010 similar to 2011; each core was divided into different samples with every 10 cm depth. Sediment dating determined by radiometry (Cs-137, Pb-210) and concentrations of dioxins were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results indicated: Sediment dating showed no significant difference among all the samples from the same core and the two locations (ANOVA, p > 0.05). The total amount of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD)/Fs in all sample ranged from 30.7 to 371 pg/g dry weight (d.w.), with the mean value of 66.2 pg/g d.w. PCDDs occupied 60.33 similar to 85.22 % of dioxins in each sample, and PCDFs contributed to a very small extend. There was no significant difference in the dioxin concentration between 2010 and 2011 and in the two locations (t test, p > 0.05), but the vertical distribution of dioxins showed significant different in different depths. Toxic equivalent (TEQ) (WHO 2005, Humans) of samples ranged from 0.15 to 1.60 pg/g d.w.; the mean was 0.41 pg/g d.w. No significant difference was found in TEQ between 2010 and 2011(t test, p > 0.05). It could be concluded that the distribution of dioxins showed the spatial heterogeneous which resulted from the strong mixing and sediment deposition characteristics. Dioxin concentration in sediment cores was low with very low environmental risk potential. Dioxins at the two sites had the same origin, and exogenous input was the main source. It is the first report on the dioxins concentrations in sediment cores in the TGD area.
AU  - Chen, L.*
AU  - Bi, Y.H.*
AU  - Zhu, K.X.*
AU  - Hu, Z.Y.*
AU  - Zhao, W.*
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Bernhöft, S.
AU  - Temoka, C.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 24867
C2  - 31738
SP  - 4268-4277
TI  - Contamination status of dioxins in sediment cores from the Three Gorges Dam area, China.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 20
IS  - 6
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Several groups of bacteria such as Dehalococcoides spp., Dehalobacter spp., Desulfomonile spp., Desulfuromonas spp., or Desulfitobacterium spp. are able to dehalogenate chlorinated pollutants such as chloroethenes, chlorobenzenes, or polychlorinated biphenyls under anaerobic conditions. In order to assess the dechlorination potential in Yangtze sediment samples, the presence and activity of the reductively dechlorinating bacteria were studied in anaerobic batch tests. Eighteen sediment samples were taken in the Three Gorges Reservoir catchment area of the Yangtze River, including the tributaries Jialing River, Daning River, and Xiangxi River. Polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated the presence of dechlorinating bacteria in most samples, with varying dechlorinating microbial community compositions at different sampling locations. Subsequently, anaerobic reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) was tested after the addition of electron donors. Most cultures dechlorinated PCE completely to ethene via cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) or trans-dichloroethene. Dehalogenating activity corresponded to increasing numbers of Dehalobacter spp., Desulfomonile spp., Desulfitobacterium spp., or Dehalococcoides spp. If no bacteria of the genus Dehalococcoides spp. were present in the sediment, reductive dechlorination stopped at cis-DCE. Our results demonstrate the presence of viable dechlorinating bacteria in Yangtze samples, indicating their relevance for pollutant turnover.
AU  - Kranzioch, I.*
AU  - Stoll, C.*
AU  - Holbach, A.*
AU  - Chen, H.*
AU  - Wang, L.*
AU  - Zheng, B.*
AU  - Norra, S.*
AU  - Bi, Y.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
AU  - Tiehm, A.*
C1  - 26170
C2  - 32104
SP  - 7046-7056
TI  - Dechlorination and organohalide-respiring bacteria dynamics in sediment samples of the Yangtze Three Gorges Reservoir.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 20
IS  - 10
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - 3-Chlorocarbazole, 3,6-dichlorocarbazole, dibromocarbazole, and 1,3,6,8-tetrabromocarbazole are emerging environmental contaminants which have been detected recently in water, sediment, and soil samples. However, their sources and occurrence have not been explained. Here, we report an enzymatic synthesis of bromo- and chlorocarbazoles by chloroperoxidase from Caldariomyces fumago in water. Density functional theory (DFT) method was used to predict the most stable products. Carbazole and chloroperoxidase were assayed in vitro in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, bromide, and chloride ions in different substrate ratio treatments against constant and varying enzyme concentrations. Halogenated carbazoles formed were identified by high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. In all treatments, bromination and chlorination took place, but the composition and concentration of compounds formed varied from one treatment to another. Mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra-substituted bromo- and chlorocarbazoles which include the reported environmental contaminants were synthesized. 3-Substituted and 3,6-substituted congeners were relatively higher in concentration. Enzyme concentration did not favor preferential formation of any of the compounds synthesized. However, their synthesis was influenced by halide concentration. Congeners with bromine and chlorine at position of C-3, C-3,6, C-1,3,6, and C-1,3,6,8 were calculated as the stable intermediate sigma complexes by DFT method. Regioselectivity in halogenation is discussed and hypothesis of the likely stable products in the environment explained. This study provides evidence that bromo- and chlorocarbazoles reported previously can be formed enzymatically in the environment, demonstrating the need to consider aromatic pollutants transformation and their potential toxicity enhancements in the management of water pollution and contaminated sites.
AU  - Mumbo, J.
AU  - Lenoir, D.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 26192
C2  - 32115
SP  - 8996-9005
TI  - Enzymatic synthesis of bromo- and chlorocarbazoles and elucidation of their structures by molecular modeling.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 20
IS  - 12
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Mixed pollution is a characteristic of many industrial sites and constructed wetlands. Plants possessing an enzymatic detoxifying system that is able to handle xenobiotics seems to be a viable option for the removal of mixed persistent contaminants such organochlorines (OCs:  monochlorobenzene (MCB), 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB), 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB), γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)). In this study, Phragmites australis plants were exposed to sublethal concentrations of OCs (7 days), in single-exposure (0.8 to 10 mgl−1) and in mixture of OCs (0.2 mgl−1 MCB+0.2 mgl−1 DCB+2.5 mgl−1 TCB+0.175 mgl−1 HCH). Studies were conducted on the detoxification phase II enzymes; glutathione Stransferases (GST), and glucosyltransferases (UGT). Measurements of GST and UGT activities revealed that OCs may be buffered by glutathione and glucose conjugation. There appeared to be a correlation between the effects on phase II enzymes and the degree of chlorination of the benzene ring with, for example, the greatest effects being obtained for HCH exposure. In the case of mixed pollution, the induction of some GST isoenzymes (CDNB, 35 % non-significant) and UGT (118 %) in leaves and the inhibition of phase II enzymes in the other organs were measured. UGTs appear to be key enzymes in the detoxification of OCs.
AU  - San Miguel, A.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Harpaintner, R.
AU  - Gaude, T.*
AU  - Ravanel, P.*
AU  - Raveton, M.*
C1  - 11072
C2  - 30964
SP  - 3464-3471
TI  - Response of phase II detoxification enzymes in Phragmites australis plants exposed to organochlorines.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 20
IS  - 5
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Exposomic studies of the rapidly changing environment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) after its impounding is elaborated as a novel field of human and environmental research. Molecular exposomics is focused on the measure of all exposures to molecules and especially persistent organic pollutants-like compounds are of emerging interest due to their lifetime existence in the environment and humans. Theoretical considerations in general and particular for the TGR are deduced and presented using quantitative approaches for this research field. Since exposomics is strongly time-dependent, a theory is presented to link extension of exposure, time, and related effects. Similarity to the first law of thermodynamics is outlined. On top of this, the integrated use of biomarkers is presented employing chemical analysis for biomarkers of exposure and effects, biomarkers in vivo, in vitro approaches and the link between chemical mixtures, and the onset of disease and lethality. Besides real organisms, also virtual organisms are favored to act as well-defined sub-compartments such as fat of biota and with respect to time of exposure. Exposomics is the perspective of risk evaluation and chronic exposures in the running century. It needs novel theories, approaches, and integrated action between medical and environmental disciplines. The existing knowledge about molecular stressors has to be assembled and put into a context especially with respect not only to time resp. lifetime exposure of humans but also eco-toxicological findings by using highly conserved phylogenetic mechanisms to enable links between human and risks of environmental biota. The TGR is a good example not only to employ biomonitoring of real but also virtual organisms due to the lack of established ecotopes in this changing environment so far. Progress in understanding long-term risks requires a proper theory as well as novel tools such as virtual organisms. On top, multidisciplinary approaches and the utilization of existing knowledge about the exposure of the environment and humans have to be merged and directed into mutual concepts. Effect-oriented and chemical analysis must be designed time-oriented to determine lifetime exposures of mankind and nature. Perspectively, a first attempt about exposomic theory and concepts is proposed and has to be developed experimentally further enclosing virtual besides of real organisms and compartments. Environmental and human exposomics have to be considered as a unified global issue in order to effectively utilize their mutual existing knowledge most effectively. The TGR is a challenging model system aiming this objective.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
AU  - Wang, J.
AU  - Bi, Y.*
AU  - Temoka, C.
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Scherb, H.
C1  - 11809
C2  - 30821
SP  - 7057-7062
TI  - Chemical- and effect-oriented exposomics: Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR).
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 20
IS  - 10
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Bioavailable concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in water of Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) using semipermeable membrane devices during the period of completely impounding water. ∑PAH concentrations in water of TGR in the period of completely impounding water were 15-381 ng L(-1). ∑PAH concentrations increased from town or counties to big industrialized cities in TGR, indicating urbanization effects on PAH pollution in the water. Tributaries in TGR have a certain contribution of PAH pollution to the mainstream of Yangtze River and their pollution could not be neglected. An obvious decrease of PAH concentration was observed after 175-m water impounding in 2011 in TGR. Several factors may account for this decrease, including execution of comprehensive treatment and management measures in TGR, less rainfall in 2011, and sedimentation effect caused by the dam. Passive sampling method has been successfully applied in the investigation of trace PAH in water of TGR and proved to be a useful and efficient tool for the management and sustainable development of the big reservoir. The results of the study provide valuable information about PAH pollution in the whole reservoir including some tributaries, and the pollution status is dynamically related with human activities. Therefore, PAH could be used as a marker compound or indicator in the network monitoring system to surveil and trace the pollution status in TGR.
AU  - Wang, J.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Bi, Y.*
AU  - Zhu, K.*
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Hu, W.*
AU  - Temoka, C.
AU  - Westrich, B.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 26396
C2  - 32183
SP  - 7071-7079
TI  - Temporal variation and spatial distribution of PAH in water of Three Gorges Reservoir during the complete impoundment period.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 20
IS  - 10
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Water of good quality is one of the basic needs of human life. Worldwide, great efforts are being undertaken for an assured water supply. In this respect, one of the largest water technology projects worldwide is the Yangtze Three Gorges Dam in China. There is a need for extensive scientific and technical understanding of the challenges arising from this large hydrological engineering project. German and Chinese groups from various scientific fields are collaborating to provide knowledge for the sustainable management of the reservoir. In this project description, the Yangtze Three Gorges Dam Project, its goals and challenges, are described in brief, and the contributions of the German research projects are presented.
AU  - Bergmann, A.*
AU  - Bi, Y.*
AU  - Chen, L.*
AU  - Floehr, T.*
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Holbach, A.*
AU  - Hollert, H.*
AU  - Hu, W.*
AU  - Kranzioch, I.*
AU  - Klumpp, E.*
AU  - Küppers, S.*
AU  - Norra, S.*
AU  - Ottermanns, R.*
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Roß-Nickoll, M.*
AU  - Schaffer, A.*
AU  - Schleicher, N.*
AU  - Schmidt, B.*
AU  - Scholz-Starke, B.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
AU  - Subklew, G.*
AU  - Tiehm, A.*
AU  - Temoka, C.*
AU  - Wang, J.*
AU  - Westrich, B.*
AU  - Wilken, R.D.*
AU  - Wolf, A.*
AU  - Xiang, X.*
AU  - Yuan, Y.*
C1  - 7946
C2  - 29928
SP  - 1341-1344
TI  - The Yangtze-Hydro Project: A Chinese-German environmental program.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 19
IS  - 4
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - This paper is in response to criticism of our article "The human sex odds at birth after the atmospheric atomic bomb tests, after Chernobyl, and in the vicinity of nuclear facilities" published in Environ Sci Pollut Res 18(5):697-707, 2011. Our findings and methods concerning the disturbed human sex odds at birth have been criticized in this journal for being artifacts of data mining, that the concept of statistical significance was misunderstood, and that confounding factors have not been accounted for. Here, we show that this criticism has no basis. We applied well-established statistical methods to large official data sets, and confounding is less important at the level of secular sex odds trends in aggregated annual figures from countries or continents. Moreover, our results are strengthened by recent findings concerning increased infant death sex odds in Germany and increased Down syndrome prevalence at birth across Europe after Chernobyl. Prompted by our studies, an official investigation in Lower Saxony, Germany, by the "Niedersachsisches Landesgesundheitsamt (NLGA)" confirmed our observation of severely escalated sex odds within 40 km distance from the nuclear storage site in Gorleben, Germany.
AU  - Scherb, H.
AU  - Voigt, K.
C1  - 8020
C2  - 29975
SP  - 1335-1340
TI  - Response to W. Kramer: The human sex odds at birth after the atmospheric atomic bomb tests, after Chernobyl, and in the vicinity of nuclear facilities: Comment.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 19
IS  - 4
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Scherb, H.
AU  - Voigt, K.
C1  - 10817
C2  - 30411
SP  - 4234-4241
TI  - Response to F. Bochud and T. Jung: Comment on the human sex odds at birth after the atmospheric atomic bomb tests, after Chernobyl, and in the vicinity of nuclear facilities, Hagen Scherb & Kristina Voigt, Environ Sci Pollut Res (2011) 18:697-707 (DOI: 10.1007/s11356-012-0767-6).
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 19
IS  - 9
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are of global concern due to their ubiquitous presence and toxicity. The occurence of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), -dibenzofurans (PCDFs), co-planar biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDT), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in forest soil collected from Taurus mountains may have adverse effects on the environment and health. The aim of the study was to investigate the outcome and distribution of POPs in the environment and the possible grasshopper effect along an altitude transect from sea level up to nearly 2,000 m a.s.l at a spatial distance of about 60 km in the southeastern Turkish Mediterranean Sea. METHODS:The samples were collected at a height of 121, 408, 981, 1,225, 1,373, 1,639, and 1,881 m above sea level from Taurus Mountains, Turkey. The results were confirmed using high-resolution gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The levels of the PCDD in forest soil from Taurus Mountains varied from nearly 4 to 12 pg g(-1) dry weight (dw). PCDF concentrations ranged from 2 to 7 pg g(-1) dw. Considerably high DDT levels detected in five stations indicated (3,223-24,564 pg g(-1)) its extensive local application or atmospheric transport. PCB levels were determined between 80 and 288 pg g(-1) dw. HCH concentrations ranged from 141 to 1,513 pg g(-1) dw. The other OCP was between 102 and 731 pg g(-1). CONCLUSION: Although the use of POPs has been banned, our results show that they could still be found in Turkey. Their presence may be attributed to the degradation of pesticides which are newly banned and, as well as to the atmospheric migration and deposition. The lattitude of sampling sites, the chemical, and physical parameters of soil have observed no effect on the fate of POPs in the environment.
AU  - Turgut, C.*
AU  - Atatanir, L.*
AU  - Mazmanci, B.*
AU  - Mazmanci, M.A.*
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 7188
C2  - 29533
SP  - 325-334
TI  - The occurrence and environmental effect of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Taurus Mountains soils.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 19
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2012
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose Plants can absorb a diversity of natural and man-made toxic compounds for which they have developed diverse detoxification mechanisms. Plants are able to metabolize and detoxify a wide array of xenobiotics by oxidation, sugar conjugation, glutathione conjugation, and more complex reactions. In this study, detoxification mechanisms of dimethomorph, a fungicide currently found in aquatic media were investigated in Elodea canadensis. Methods Cytochrome P450 (P450) activity was measured by an oxygen biosensor system, glucosyltransferases (GTs) by HPLC, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), and ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) were assayed spectrophotometrically.Results Incubation of Elodea with dimethomorph induced an increase of the P450 activity. GST activity was not stimulated by dimethomorph suggesting that GST does not participate in dimethomorph detoxification. In plants exposed to dimethomorph, comparable responses were observed for GST and APOX activities showing that the GST was more likely to play a role in response to oxidative stress. Preincubation with dimethomorph induced a high activity of O- and N-GT, it is therefore likely that both enzymes participate in the phase II (conjugation) of dimethomorph detoxification process. Conclusions For the first time in aquatic plants, P450 activity was shown to be induced by a fungicide suggesting a role in the metabolization of dimethomorph. Moreover, our finding is the first evidence of dimethomorph and isoproturon activation of cytochrome P450 multienzyme family in an aquatic plant, i.e., Elodea (isoproturon was taken here as a reference molecule). The detoxification of dimetomorph seems to proceed via hydroxylation, and subsequent glucosylation, and might yield soluble as well as cell wall bound residues.
AU  - Dosnon-Olette, R.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Bartha, B.
AU  - Aziz, A.*
AU  - Couderchet, M.*
AU  - Eullaffroy, P.*
C1  - 6579
C2  - 28933
SP  - 1015-1021
TI  - Enzymatic basis for fungicide removal by Elodea canadensis.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 18
IS  - 6
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2011
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - BACKGROUND: Soil samples from remote Alpine areas were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution gas spectrometry. Additionally, the EROD micro-assay and a genetically modified yeast estrogen bioassay were carried out to determine persistent aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhR) and estrogen receptors (ER) agonists, respectively. Regarding the AhR agonists, the toxicity equivalents of analytical and EROD determined values were compared, targeting both altitude of samples and their soil organic content. The ratio between bioassay derived equivalents and analytical determinations suggested no significant contribution of unknown AhR inducers in these sampling sites and some antagonism in soils with relatively high PCB loading. More CYP1A1 expression was induced at the highest sites or about 1400-1500 m a.s.l. along the altitude profiles. Surprisingly, no clear tendencies with the soil organic content were found for dioxin-like compounds. Mean values obtained in the present study were for ER agonists, 0.37 +/- 0.12 pg 17ss-estradiol EQ g(-1) dry soil and 6.1 +/- 4.2 pg TCDD-EQ g(-1) dry soil for AhR agonists. CONCLUSION: Low bioassay responses with a higher relative amount of AhR inducers than ER disrupters were detected, indicating the higher abundance of persistent dioxin-like than estrogen-like compounds in these forested mountainous areas.
AU  - Levy, W.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Bernhöft, S.
AU  - Bovee, T.*
AU  - Buegger, F.
AU  - Jakobi, G.
AU  - Kirchner, M.
AU  - Bassan, R.*
AU  - Kräuchi, N.*
AU  - Moche, W.*
AU  - Offenthaler, I.*
AU  - Simoncic, P.*
AU  - Weiss, P.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 4360
C2  - 27590
SP  - 99-110
TI  - Persistent aryl hydrocarbon receptor inducers increase with altitude, and estrogen-like disrupters are low in soils of the Alps.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 18
IS  - 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2011
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - no Abstract
AU  - Scherb, H.
AU  - Voigt, K.
C1  - 2790
C2  - 28678
SP  - 695-696
TI  - Adverse genetic effects induced by chemical or physical environmental pollution.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 18
IS  - 5
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2011
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Ever since the discovery of the mutagenic properties of ionizing radiation, the possibility of birth sex odds shifts in exposed human populations was considered in the scientific community. Positive evidence, however weak, was obtained after the atomic bombing of Japan. We previously investigated trends in the sex odds before and after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. In a pilot study, combined data from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, and Sweden between 1982 and 1992 showed a downward trend in the sex odds and a significant jump in 1987, the year immediately after Chernobyl. Moreover, a significant positive association of the sex odds between 1986 and 1991 with Chernobyl fallout at the district level in Germany was observed. Both of these findings, temporality (effect after exposure) and dose response association, yield evidence of causality. The primary aim of this study was to investigate longer time periods (1950-2007) in all of Europe and in the USA with emphasis on the global atmospheric atomic bomb test fallout and on the Chernobyl accident. To obtain further evidence, we also analyze sex odds data near nuclear facilities in Germany and Switzerland. DATA AND STATISTICAL METHODS: National gender-specific annual live births data for 39 European countries from 1975 to 2007 were compiled using the pertinent internet data bases provided by the World Health Organization, United Nations, Council of Europe, and EUROSTAT. For a synoptic re-analysis of the period 1950 to 1990, published data from the USA and from a predominantly western and less Chernobyl-exposed part of Europe were studied additionally. To assess spatial, temporal, as well as spatial-temporal trends in the sex odds and to investigate possible changes in those trends after the atomic bomb tests, after Chernobyl, and in the vicinity of nuclear facilities, we applied ordinary linear logistic regression. Region-specific and eventually changing spatial-temporal trends were analyzed using dummy variables coding for continents, countries, districts, municipalities, time periods, and appropriate spatial-temporal interactions. RESULTS: The predominantly western European sex odds trend together with the US sex odds trend (1950-1990 each) show a similar behavior. Both trends are consistent with a uniform reduction from 1950 to 1964, an increase from 1964 to 1975 that may be associated with delayed global atomic bomb test fallout released prior to the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963 and again a more or less constant decrease from 1975 to 1990. In practically all of Europe, including eastern European countries, from 1975 to 1986, and in the USA from 1975 to 2002, there were highly significant uniform downward trends in the sex odds with a reduction of 0.22% to 0.25% per 10 years. In contrast to the USA, in Europe there was a highly significant jump of the sex odds of 0.20% in the year 1987 following Chernobyl. From 1987 to 2000, the European sex odds trend reversed its sign and went upward, highly significantly so, with 0.42% per 10 years relative to the downward trend before Chernobyl. The global secular trend analyses are corroborated by the analysis of spatial-temporal sex odds trends near nuclear facilities (NF) in Germany and Switzerland. Within 35 km distance from those NF, the sex odds increase significantly in the range of 0.30% to 0.40% during NF operating time. CONCLUSIONS: The atmospheric atomic bomb test fallout affected the human sex odds at birth overall, and the Chernobyl fallout had a similar impact in Europe and parts of Asia. The birth sex odds near nuclear facilities are also distorted. The persistently disturbed secular human sex odds trends allow the estimation of the global deficit of births in the range of several millions.
AU  - Scherb, H.
AU  - Voigt, K.
C1  - 5701
C2  - 28349
SP  - 697-707
TI  - The human sex odds at birth after the atmospheric atomic bomb tests, after Chernobyl, and in the vicinity of nuclear facilities.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 18
IS  - 5
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2011
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Background, aim and scope Phytoremediation does exploit natural plant physiological processes and can be used to decontaminate agricultural soils, industrial sites, brownfields, sediments and water containing inorganic and organic pollutants or to improve food chain safety by phytostabilisation of toxic elements. It is a low-cost and environment friendly technology targetting removal, degradation or immobilisation of contaminants. The aim of the present review is to highlight some recent advances in phytoremediation in the Alpine context. Main features Case studies are presented where phytoremediation has been or can be successfully applied in Alpine areas to: (1) clean-up industrial wastewater containing sulphonated aromatic xenobiotics released by dye and textile industries; (2) remediate agricultural soils polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons; (3) improve food chain safety in soils contaminated with toxic trace elements (As, Co, Cr and Pb); and (4) treat soils impacted by modern agricultural activities with a special emphasis on phosphate fertilisation. Conclusions, recommendations and perspectives Worlwide, including in Alpine areas, the controlled use of appropriate plants is destined to play a major role for remediation and restoration of polluted and degraded ecosystems, monitoring and assessment of environmental quality, prevention of landscape degradation and immobilisation of trace elements. Phytotechnologies do already offer promising approaches towards environmental remediation, human health, food safety and sustainable development for the 21st century in Alpine areas and elsewhere all over the world.
AU  - Schwitzguébel, J.P.*
AU  - Comino, E.*
AU  - Plata, N.*
AU  - Khalvati, M.
C1  - 6726
C2  - 28949
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 842-856
TI  - Is phytoremediation a sustainable and reliable approach to clean-up contaminated water and soil in Alpine areas?
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 18
IS  - 6
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2011
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - 3-Chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole were isolated from Bavarian soils. The stereospecific formation of the isomers of these chlorinated carbazols can be explained by quantum mechanical calculations using the DFT method. It was shown that chlorination of carbazole and 3-chlorocarbazole respectively is preferred via the sigma-complexes 3-chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole as the most stable products. The dioxin-like toxicological potential of 3,6-dichlorocarbazole, determined by the Micro-EROD Test, is in the range of some picogram TCDD equivalents per milligram carbazole. The degradative fate of 3-chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole was analysed within a long-term study (57 days) in soil.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The soil was extracted by ASE (accelerated solvent extraction) and a further clean-up procedure with column chromatography and chromatography with C18-SPE stationary phases. Quantification of 3-chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole was performed employing the isotope-dilution method. The samples were measured with high-resolution GC/MS. RESULTS: The degradation (ln(c/c(0)) vs. time with best-fit line) showed in almost every storage condition a very small degradation (slopes (h(-1)) in -10(-4) range). However, the decay for the controls were two to three times (-28°C) and six times (with sodium azide) higher, than the decrease of 3-chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole in the samples of environmental conditions. DISCUSSION: Especially because of the toxicological potential of 3-chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole the proven degradative fate is of large interest. The results show that the analysed carbazoles are not readily degradable in this time period. CONCLUSIONS: The expected results of exponential decay behaviour could not be proven. RECOMMENDATION AND PERSPECTIVES: Longer-lasting studies are expected to reveal more accurate half-lives, although it has been shown here, that the compounds are not readily degradable in their native soil environment.
AU  - Tröbs, L.
AU  - Henkelmann, B.
AU  - Lenoir, D.
AU  - Reischl, A.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 3851
C2  - 28552
SP  - 547-555
TI  - Degradative fate of 3-chlorocarbazole and 3,6-dichlorocarbazole in soil.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 18
IS  - 4
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2011
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - PURPOSE: Besides classical organic pollutants and pesticides, pharmaceuticals and their residues have nowadays become recognized as relevant environmental contaminants. The risks of these chemicals for aquatic ecosystems are well known, but information about the pharmaca-plant interactions and metabolic pathways is scarce. Therefore, we investigate the process of uptake of acetaminophen (N-Acetyl-4-aminophenol) by Brassica juncea, drug-induced defense responses and detoxification mechanisms in different plant parts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hydroponically grown Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern.) plants were treated with acetaminophen and root and leaf samples were collected after 24, 72, and 168 h of treatment. The uptake of acetaminophen and the formation of its metabolites were analyzed using LC-MS/MS technique and enzyme activities including glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) as well as several plant defense enzymes like catalase, ascorbat peroxidase, peroxidase, and glutathione reductase were assayed spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: We determined the uptake and the translocation of acetaminophen, and we tried to identify the steps of the detoxification process by assaying typical enzymes, supposing the involvement of the same- or similar enzymes and reactions as in the mammalian detoxification process. After 24-h exposure, effective uptake and translocation were observed to the upper part of plants followed by two independent conjugative detoxification pathways. Changes in antioxidant defense enzyme activities connected to the defense pathway towards reactive oxygen species indicate an additional oxidative stress response in the plants. CONCLUSIONS: The major metabolic pathways in mammals are conjugation with activated sulfate and glucuronic acid, while a small amount of acetaminophen forms a chemically reactive and highly toxic, hydroxylated metabolite. We identified a glutathionyl and a glycoside conjugate, which refer to the similarities to mammalian detoxification. Increased GST activities in leaf tissues were observed correlated with the appearance of the acetaminophen-glutathione conjugate which shows the involvement of this enzyme group in the metabolism of acetaminophen in plants to organic pollutants and xenobiotics. High acetaminophen concentrations lead to oxidative stress and irreversible damages in the plants, which necessitates further investigations using lower drug concentrations for the deeper understanding of the induced detoxification-and defense processes.
AU  - Bartha, B.
AU  - Huber, C.
AU  - Harpaintner, R.
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 2159
C2  - 27709
CY  - Berlin [u.a.]
SP  - 1553-1562
TI  - Effects of acetaminophen in Brassica juncea L. Czern.: Investigation of uptake, translocation, detoxification, and the induced defense pathways.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 17
IS  - 9
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2010
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOH) are widely used substances that were detected even in remote regions of the world. For the determination of FTOH in the atmosphere, appropriate sampling techniques are needed. In this study, triolein-filled low-density polyethylene tubes were used as semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) and tested for their suitability as passive air samplers for FTOH. Partitioning to and from SPMD were investigated for four FTOH of different chain length and concentration levels in laboratory and field experiments. FTOH were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction with acetonitrile:n-hexane 1:1 and determined by gas chromatography (GC)-positive ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (MS). FTOH behaved differently depending on applied concentrations. At high FTOH levels, compound passage through the membrane and uptake appeared to be best for 6:2 FTOH, but passage of long-chain FTOH was in the same order of magnitude. At low FTOH concentration levels, mass transfer and uptake was best for short-chain FTOH. Partitioning of 4:2 FTOH to SPMD exceeded partitioning of 10:2 FTOH by nearly two orders of magnitude. FTOH partitioning to SPMD seems to be dependent on the fluorinated chain length and controlled by the SPMD membrane acting as a barrier. Migration of long-chain FTOH through the membrane was hampered, probably due to the oleophobic properties of the fluorinated alkyl chain. Because of the constricted diffusion of FTOH through the SPMD membrane at low FTOH levels, an adequate accumulation in the passive sampler is prevented. Thus, sensitivity of the analytical method in combination with the enrichment of FTOH in SPMD was not sufficient to achieve adequate method detection limit at low FTOH levels. Application of SPMD as passive air samplers for FTOH did not seem to be a suitable method for environmentally relevant FTOH concentrations. As a consequence, we can only recommend the use of SPMD for FTOH of presumably high contamination levels.
AU  - Fiedler, S.A.
AU  - Pfister, G.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 35
C2  - 27091
SP  - 420-428
TI  - Partitioning of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOH) to semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD).
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 17
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2010
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - In an international project named MONARPOP (Monitoring Network in the Alpine Region for Persistent and other Organic Pollutants), selected chemicals in different environmental media were analysed in the years 2004 and 2005. Seventeen pesticides were chosen and analysed in humus and mineral soil in the German Alps. The samples were taken at different altitudes. In such a rather complex environmental datasets, it is often necessary to compare different sets of criteria and their influence on rankings. In the similarity analysis which is part of the theory of the Hasse diagram technique, we intend to calculate the similarity of different rankings. Furthermore, we perform a so-called dominance-dominance/dominance-separability method, followed by a sensitivity analysis, both subroutines in the newly developed PyHasse programme in order to find out if the concentration of the chemicals can be related to the altitudes at which the samples were taken. It can be demonstrated that the altitude has a considerable influence on the concentration of some organic chemicals in humus: The concentrations of some chemicals increase with the altitude. This increase shows certain irregularities for which several explication attempts including possible effects of atmospheric stratification phenomena in valleys have been made. These results should be complemented in further studies with MONARPOP monitoring data from other Alpine countries, e.g. Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia.
AU  - Voigt, K.
AU  - Brüggemann, R.*
AU  - Kirchner, M.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 193
C2  - 27100
SP  - 429-440
TI  - Influence of altitude concerning the contamination of humus soils in the German Alps: A data evaluation approach using PyHasse.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 17
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2010
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: As possible precursors of PFOA, fluorotelomer alcohols are a class of highly fluorinated and volatile compounds. Although they are widespread in the environment, little toxicity data is available. The present study focused on testing the population growth impairment potential of FTOH. Moreover, certain efforts were made to find the possible effect mechanism of these compounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The growth inhibition test was made both in an open system (96-well microplates) and in a closed system (closed flasks). In addition, cells were stained with acridine orange and observed under fluorescence microscopy at 488 nm. Furthermore, direct membrane damage was checked by measuring LDH leakage. RESULTS: For 8:2 FTOH and 10:2 FTOH, no growth inhibition was found in either of the systems. In contrast, 4:2 FTOH interfered with population growth in the closed system (EC(50) = 276.1 mg/L), whereas, 6:2 FTOH had an influence on population growth both in the closed system (EC(50) = 64.3 mg/L) and in the open system. Macronucleus destruction was observed with 6:2 FTOH. No direct membrane damage was detectable. DISCUSSION: With a closed system, 4:2 and 6:2 FTOH were found to be capable of impairing population growth. However, this potential was to a certain extent underestimated. With the help of the air-water distribution coefficient, the real EC(50) was estimated within the interval [203.2, 276.1] mg/L and [14.7, 64.3] mg/L for 4:2 and 6:2 FTOH, respectively. Some evidence, such as the absence of direct membrane or macronucleus damage, indicate that certain FTOH could likely cause apoptosis. But the exact effect mechanism could not be determined on the basis of the present results. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing the results from the two test systems, tests in a closed system are more reliable for testing these volatile compounds with Tetrahymena thermophila than in an open system. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The present study has highlighted several future research directions. For ecotoxicological risk assessment of FTOH, their distribution and environmental fate should be determined. To understand the effect mechanism, more tests could be conducted to test whether apoptosis is caused. Finally, in order to standardize test procedure in a closed system, more compounds should be investigated in the closed system to clarify the sensitivity of the test procedures.
AU  - Wang, Z.Y.
AU  - Ud-Daula, A.
AU  - Fiedler, S.
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
C1  - 5733
C2  - 28172
SP  - 154-164
TI  - Impact of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOH) on the molecular and macroscopic phenotype of Tetrahymena thermophila.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 17
IS  - 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2010
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: Chlorine is an abundant element, commonly occurring in nature either as chloride ions or as chlorinated organic compounds (OCls). Chlorinated organic substances were long considered purely anthropogenic products; however, they are, in addition, a commonly occurring and important part of natural ecosystems. Formation of OCls may affect the degradation of soil organic matter (SOM) and thus the carbon cycle with implications for the ability of forest soils to sequester carbon, whilst the occurrence of potentially toxic OCls in groundwater aquifers is of concern with regard to water quality. It is thus important to understand the biogeochemical cycle of chlorine, both inorganic and organic, to get information about the relevant processes in the forest ecosystem and the effects on these from human activities, including forestry practices. A survey is given of processes in the soil of temperate and boreal forests, predominantly in Europe, including the participation of chlorine, and gaps in knowledge and the need for further work are discussed. RESULTS: Chlorine is present as chloride ion and/or OCls in all compartments of temperate and boreal forest ecosystems. It contributes to the degradation of SOM, thus also affecting carbon sequestration in the forest soil. The most important source of chloride to coastal forest ecosystems is sea salt deposition, and volcanoes and coal burning can also be important sources. Locally, de-icing salt can be an important chloride input near major roads. In addition, anthropogenic sources of OCls are manifold. However, results also indicate the formation of chlorinated organics by microorganisms as an important source, together with natural abiotic formation. In fact, the soil pool of OCls seems to be a result of the balance between chlorination and degradation processes. Ecologically, organochlorines may function as antibiotics, signal substances and energy equivalents, in descending order of significance. Forest management practices can affect the chlorine cycle, although little is at present known about how. DISCUSSION: The present data on the apparently considerable size of the pool of OCls indicate its importance for the functioning of the forest soil system and its stability, but factors controlling their formation, degradation and transport are not clearly understood. It would be useful to estimate the significance and rates of key processes to be able to judge the importance of OCls in SOM and litter degradation. Effects of forest management processes affecting SOM and chloride deposition are likely to affect OCls as well. Further standardisation and harmonisation of sampling and analytical procedures is necessary. CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: More work is necessary in order to understand and, if necessary, develop strategies for mitigating the environmental impact of OCls in temperate and boreal forest soils. This includes both intensified research, especially to understand the key processes of formation and degradation of chlorinated compounds, and monitoring of the substances in question in forest ecosystems. It is also important to understand the effect of various forest management techniques on OCls, as management can be used to produce desired effects.
AU  - Clarke, N.*
AU  - Fuksová, K.*
AU  - Gryndler, M.*
AU  - Lachmanová, Z.*
AU  - Liste, H.H.*
AU  - Rohlenova, J.*
AU  - Schroll, R.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Matucha, M.*
C1  - 1836
C2  - 25882
SP  - 127-143
TI  - The formation and fate of chlorinated organic substances in temperate and boreal forest soils.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Background, aim, and scope Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are detected in the aquatic environment and our drinking water supplies. The need for high quality drinking water is one of the most challenging problems of our times, but still only little knowledge exists on the impact of these compounds on ecosystems, animals, and man. Biological waste water treatment in constructed wetlands is an effective and low-cost alternative, especially for the treatment of non-industrial, municipal waste water. In this situation, plants get in contact with pharmaceutical compounds and have to tackle their detoxification. The mechanisms for the detoxification of xenobiotics in plants are closely related to the mammalian system. An activation reaction (phase I) is followed by a conjugation (phase II) with hydrophilic molecules like glutathione or glucose. Phase III reactions can be summarized as storage, degradation, and transport of the xenobiotic conjugate. Until now, there is no information available on the fate of pharmaceuticals in plants. In this study, we want to investigate the fate and metabolism of N-acetyl-4-aminophenol (paracetamol) in plant tissues using the cell culture of Armoracia rusticana L. as a model system. Materials and methods A hairy root culture of A. rusticana was treated with acetaminophen in a liquid culture. The formation and identification of metabolites over time were analyzed using HPLC-DAD and LC–MSn techniques. Results With LC–MS technique, we were able to detect paracetamol and identify three of ist metabolites in root cells of A. rusticana. Six hours after incubation with 1 mM of acetaminophen, the distribution of acetaminophen and related metabolites in the cells resulted in 18% paracetamol, 64% paracetamol–glucoside, 17% paracetamol glutathione, and 1% of the corresponding cysteine conjugate. Discussion The formation of two independently formed metabolites in plant root cells again revealed strong similarities between plant and mammalian detoxification systems. The detoxification mechanism of glucuronization in mammals is mirrored by glucosidation of xenobiotics in plants. Furthermore, in both systems, a glutathione conjugate is formed. Due to the existence of P450 enzymes in plants, the formation of the highly reactive NAPQI intermediate is possible. Conclusions In this study, we introduce the hairy root cell culture of A. rusticana L. as a suitable model system to study the fate of acetaminophen in plant tissues. Our first results point to the direction of plants being able to take up and detoxify the model substrate paracetamol. These first findings underline the great potential of using plants for waste water treatments in constructed wetlands. Recommendations and perspectives This very first study on the detoxification of a widely used antipyretic agent in plant tissues again shows the flexibility of plant detoxification systems and their potential in waste water treatment facilities. This study covers only the very first steps of acetaminophen detoxification in plants; still, there is no data on long-term exposure as well as the possible impact of pharmaceuticals on the plant health and stress defense. Long-term experiments need to be performed to follow the fate of acetaminophen in root and leaf cells in a whole plant system, and to evaluate possible usage of plants for the remediation of acetaminophen from waste water.
AU  - Huber, C.
AU  - Bartha, B.
AU  - Harpaintner, R.
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 220
C2  - 27023
SP  - 206-213
TI  - Metabolism of acetaminophen (paracetamol) in plants - two independent pathways result in the formation of a glutathione and a glucose conjugate.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 2
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, is a widely used model plant for growth on heavy-metal-contaminated sites. Its high biomass and deep rooting system make it interesting for phytoextraction. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidative activities and glutathione-dependent enzymes of different tobacco clones optimized for better Cd and Zn accumulation in order to characterize their performance in the field. The improved heavy metal resistance also makes the investigated tobacco clones interesting for understanding the plant defense enzyme system in general. Freshly harvested plant material (N. tabacum leaves) was used to investigate the antioxidative cascade in plants grown on heavy metal contaminated sites with and without amendments of different ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate fertilizers. Plants were grown on heavily polluted soils in north-east Switzerland. Leaves were harvested at the field site and directly deep frozen in liquid N-2. Studies were concentrated on the antioxidative enzymes of the Halliwell-Asada cycle, and spectrophotometric measurements of catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11), superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), glutathione peroxidase (GPX, EC 1.11.1.9), glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2), glutathione S-transferase (GST, EC 2.5.1.18) were performed. We tried to explain the relationship between fertilizer amendments and the activity of the enzymatic defense systems. When tobacco (N. tabacum) plants originating from different mutants were grown under field conditions with varying fertilizer application, the uptake of cadmium and zinc from soil increased with increasing biomass. Depending on Cd and Zn uptake, several antioxidant enzymes showed significantly different activities. Whereas SOD and CAT were usually elevated, several other enzymes, and isoforms of GST were strongly inhibited. Heavy metal uptake represents severe stress to plants, and specific antioxidative enzymes are induced at the cost of more general reactions of the Halliwell-Asada cycle. In well-supplied plants, the glutathione level remains more or less unchanged. The lack of certain glutathione S-transferases upon exposure to heavy metals might be problematic in cases when organic pollutants coincide with heavy metal pollution. When planning phytoremediation of sites, mixed pollution scenarios have to be foreseen and plants should be selected according to both, their stress resistance and hyperaccumulative capacity.
AU  - Lyubenova, L.
AU  - Nehnevajova, E.*
AU  - Herzig, R.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 1597
C2  - 27018
SP  - 573-581
TI  - Response of antioxidant enzymes in Nicotiana tabacum clones during phytoextraction of heavy metals.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 5
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Trace elements (heavy metals and metalloids) are important environmental pollutants, and many of them are toxic even at very low concentrations. Pollution of the biosphere with trace elements has accelerated dramatically since the Industrial Revolution. Primary sources are the burning of fossil fuels, mining and smelting of metalliferous ores, municipal wastes, agrochemicals, and sewage. In addition, natural mineral deposits containing particularly large quantities of heavy metals are found in many regions. These areas often support characteristic plant species thriving in metal-enriched environments. Whereas many species avoid the uptake of heavy metals from these soils, some of them can accumulate significantly high concentrations of toxic metals, to levels which by far exceed the soil levels. The natural phenomenon of heavy metal tolerance has enhanced the interest of plant ecologists, plant physiologists, and plant biologists to investigate the physiology and genetics of metal tolerance in specialized hyperaccumulator plants such as Arabidopsis halleri and Thlaspi caerulescens. In this review, we describe recent advances in understanding the genetic and molecular basis of metal tolerance in plants with special reference to transcriptomics of heavy metal accumulator plants and the identification of functional genes implied in tolerance and detoxification. Plants are susceptible to heavy metal toxicity and respond to avoid detrimental effects in a variety of different ways. The toxic dose depends on the type of ion, ion concentration, plant species, and stage of plant growth. Tolerance to metals is based on multiple mechanisms such as cell wall binding, active transport of ions into the vacuole, and formation of complexes with organic acids or peptides. One of the most important mechanisms for metal detoxification in plants appears to be chelation of metals by low-molecular-weight proteins such as metallothioneins and peptide ligands, the phytochelatins. For example, glutathione (GSH), a precursor of phytochelatin synthesis, plays a key role not only in metal detoxification but also in protecting plant cells from other environmental stresses including intrinsic oxidative stress reactions. In the last decade, tremendous developments in molecular biology and success of genomics have highly encouraged studies in molecular genetics, mainly transcriptomics, to identify functional genes implied in metal tolerance in plants, largely belonging to the metal homeostasis network. Analyzing the genetics of metal accumulation in these accumulator plants has been greatly enhanced through the wealth of tools and the resources developed for the study of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana such as transcript profiling platforms, protein and metabolite profiling, tools depending on RNA interference (RNAi), and collections of insertion line mutants. To understand the genetics of metal accumulation and adaptation, the vast arsenal of resources developed in A. thaliana could be extended to one of its closest relatives that display the highest level of adaptation to high metal environments such as A. halleri and T. caerulescens. This review paper deals with the mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation and tolerance in plants. Detailed information has been provided for metal transporters, metal chelation, and oxidative stress in metal-tolerant plants. Advances in phytoremediation technologies and the importance of metal accumulator plants and strategies for exploring these immense and valuable genetic and biological resources for phytoremediation are discussed. A number of species within the Brassicaceae family have been identified as metal accumulators. To understand fully the genetics of metal accumulation, the vast genetic resources developed in A. thaliana must be extended to other metal accumulator species that display traits absent in this model species. A. thaliana microarray chips could be used to identify differentially expressed genes in metal accumulator plants in Brassicaceae. The integration of resources obtained from model and wild species of the Brassicaceae family will be of utmost importance, bringing most of the diverse fields of plant biology together such as functional genomics, population genetics, phylogenetics, and ecology. Further development of phytoremediation requires an integrated multidisciplinary research effort that combines plant biology, genetic engineering, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, as well as agricultural and environmental engineering.
AU  - Memon, A.R.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 380
C2  - 27016
SP  - 162-175
TI  - Implications of metal accumulation mechanisms to phytoremediation.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The term "phytotechnologies" refers to the application of science and engineering to provide solutions involving plants, including phytoremediation options using plants and associated microbes to remediate environmental compartments contaminated by trace elements (TE) and organic xenobiotics (OX). An extended knowledge of the uptake, translocation, storage, and detoxification mechanisms in plants, of the interactions with microorganisms, and of the use of "omic" technologies (functional genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), combined with genetic analysis and plant improvement, is essential to understand the fate of contaminants in plants and food, nonfood and technical crops. The integration of physicochemical and biological understanding allows the optimization of these properties of plants, making phytotechnologies more economically and socially attractive, decreasing the level and transfer of contaminants along the food chain and augmenting the content of essential minerals in food crops. This review will disseminate experience gained between 2004 and 2009 by three working groups of COST Action 859 on the uptake, detoxification, and sequestration of pollutants by plants and consequences for food safety. Gaps between scientific approaches and lack of understanding are examined to suggest further research and to clarify the current state-of-the-art for potential end-users of such green options. Phytotechnologies potentially offer efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for cleanup of contaminated soil and water, improvement of food safety, carbon sequestration, and development of renewable energy sources, all of which contribute to sustainable land use management. Information has been gained at more realistic exposure levels mainly on Cd, Zn, Ni, As, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and herbicides with less on other contaminants. A main goal is a better understanding, at the physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels, of mechanisms and their regulation related to uptake-exclusion, apoplastic barriers, xylem loading, efflux-influx of contaminants, root-to-shoot transfer, concentration and chemical speciation in xylem/phloem, storage, detoxification, and stress tolerance for plants and associated microbes exposed to contaminants (TE and OX). All remain insufficiently understood especially in the case of multiple-element and mixed-mode pollution. Research must extend from model species to plants of economic importance and include interactions between plants and microorganisms. It remains a major challenge to create, develop, and scale up phytotechnologies to market level and to successfully deploy these to ameliorate the environment and human health.
AU  - Mench, M.*
AU  - Schwitzguébel, J.P.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Bert, V.*
AU  - Gawronski, S.*
AU  - Gupta, S.*
C1  - 314
C2  - 27021
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 876-900
TI  - Assessment of successful experiments and limitations of phytotechnologies: Contaminant uptake, detoxification and sequestration, and consequences for food safety.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 7
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Mixed pollution with trace elements and organic industrial compounds is characteristic for many spill areas and dumping sites. The danger for the environment and human health from such sites is large, and sustainable remediation strategies are urgently needed. Phytoremediation seems to be a cheap and environmentally sound option for the removal of unwanted compounds, and the hyperaccumulation of trace elements and toxic metals is seemingly independent from the metabolism of organic xenobiotics. However, stress reactions, ROS formation and depletion of antioxidants will also cause alterations in xenobiotic detoxification. Here, we investigate the capability of plants to detoxify chlorophenols via glutathione conjugation in a mixed pollution situation. Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis plants for the present study were grown under greenhouse conditions in experimental ponds. A Picea abies L. suspension culture was grown in a growth chamber. Cadmium sulphate, sodium arsenate and lead chloride in concentrations from 10 to 500 A mu M were administered to plants. Enzymes of interest for the present study were: glutathione transferase (GST), glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidase. Measurements were performed according to published methods. GST spectrophotometric assays included the model substrates CDNB, DCNB, NBC, NBoC and the herbicide Fluorodifen. Heavy metals lead to visible stress symptoms in higher plants. Besides one long-term experiment of 72 days duration, the present study shows time and concentration-dependent plant alterations already after 24 and 72 h Cd incubation. P. abies spruce cell cultures react to CdSO4 and Na2HAsO4 with an oxidative burst, similar to that observed after pathogen attack or elicitor treatment. Cd application resulted in a reduction in GSH and GSSG contents. When a heavy metal mixture containing Na2HAsO4, CdSO4 and PbCl2 was applied to cultures, both GSH and GSSG levels declined. Incubation with 80 A mu M arsenic alone doubled GSSG values. Based on these results, further experiments were performed in whole plants of cattail and reed, using cadmium in Phragmites and cadmium and arsenic in Typha as inducers of stress. In Phragmites australis, GST activities for CDNB and DCNB were significantly reduced after short-term Cd exposure (24 h). In the same samples, all antioxidant enzymes increased with rising heavy metal concentrations. Typha latifolia rhizome incubation with Cd and As leads to an increase in glutathione reductase and total peroxidase activity and to a decrease in ascorbate peroxidase activity. Measurements of the same enzymes in leaves of the same plants show increased GR activities, but no change in peroxidases. GST conjugation for CDNB was depressed in both cattail rhizomes and leaves treated with Cd. After As application increased, DCNB enzyme activities were detected. T. latifolia and P. australis are powerful species for phytoremediation because they penetrate a large volume of soil with their extensive root and rhizome systems. However, an effective remediation process will depend on active detoxifying enzymes, and also on the availability of conjugation partners, e.g. glutathione and its analogues. Species-specific differences seem to exist between the regulations of primary defence enzymes like SOD, catalase, peroxidases, whereas others prefer to induce the glutathione-dependent enzymes. As long as the pollutant mix encountered is simple and dominated by heavy metals, plant defence might be sufficient. When pollution plumes contain heavy metals and organic xenobiotics at the same time, this means that part of the detoxification capacity, at least of glutathione-conjugating reactions, is withdrawn from the heavy metal front to serve other purposes. In fact, glutathione S-transferases show strong reactions in stressed plants or in the presence of heavy metals. The spruce cell culture was a perfect model system to study short-term responses on heavy metal impact. Overall, and on the canopy level, this inhibitory effect might result in a lower detoxification capacity for organic pollutants and thus interfere with phytoremediation. We present evidence that pollution with heavy metals will interfere with both the oxidative stress defence in plants, and with their ability to conjugate organic xenobiotics. Despite plant-species-dependent differences, the general reactions seem to include oxidative stress and an induction of antioxidative enzymes. Several processes seem to depend on direct binding of heavy metals to enzyme proteins, but effects on transcription are also observed. Induction of xenobiotic metabolism will be obtained at high heavy metal concentrations, when plant stress is elevated. Plants for phytoremediation of complex pollution mixtures have to be selected according to three major issues: uptake/accumulation capacity, antioxidative stress management, and detoxification/binding properties for both the trace elements and the organic xenobiotics. By way of this, it might be possible to speed up the desired remediation process and/or to obtain the desired end products. And, amongst the end products, emphasis should be laid on industrial building materials, biomass for insulation or biogas production, but not for feed and fodder. Each of these attempts would increase the chances for publicly accepted use of phytoremediation and help to cure the environment.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Lyubenova, L.
AU  - Huber, C.
C1  - 2406
C2  - 27019
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 795-804
TI  - Do heavy metals and metalloids influence the detoxification of organic xenobiotics in plants?
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 7
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - no Abstract
AU  - Schwitzguébel, J.-P.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 821
C2  - 27022
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 743-744
TI  - Phytotechnologies to promote sustainable land use and improve food safety: Outcomes and outlook from the European COST Action 859.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 7
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The project was set to construct an extensive wetland in the southernmost region of Israel at Kibbutz Neot Smadar (30A degrees 02'45aEuro(3) N and 35A degrees 01'19aEuro(3) E). The results of the first period of monitoring, summary, and perspectives are presented. The constructed wetland (CW) was built and the subsequent monitoring performed in the framework of the Southern Arava Sustainable Waste Management Plan, funded by the EU LIFE Fund. The specific aims were: (1) To end current sewage disposal and pollution of the ground, the aquifer, and the dry river bed (wadi) paths by biologically treating the sewage as part of the creation of a sustainable wetland ecosystem. (2) Serve as an example of CW in the Negev highlands and the Arava Valley climates for neighboring communities and as a test ground for plants and building methods appropriate to hyper arid climate. (3) Serve as an educational resource and tourist attraction for groups to learn about water reuse, recycling, local wildlife and migrating birds, including serving the heart of a planned Ecological-Educational Bird Park. This report is intended to allow others who are planning similar systems in hyper arid climates to learn from our experience. The project is located in an extreme arid desert with less than 40 mm of rain annually and temperature ranges of -5A degrees C to +42A degrees C. The site receives 165-185 m(3) of municipal and agricultural wastes daily, including cowshed and goat wastes and winery outflow. The CW establishment at Neot Smadar was completed in October 2006. For 8 months, clean water flowed through the system while the plants were taking root. In June 2007, the wetland was connected to the oxidation pond and full operation began. Because of seepage and evaporation, during the first several months, the water level was not high enough to allow free flow from one bed to the next. To bed A, the water was pumped periodically from the oxidation pond (Fig. 1) and from there flowed by gravitation through the rest of the system. The initial results of the monitoring are promising. In nearly all measurements, the system succeeded as expected to reduce levels of contaminants at least to the level acceptable for irrigating fruit trees and often to the level of unlimited irrigation. The introduction of the plants in the system and their physiological performance were evaluated and were found to correlate well to the quality of water in the various beds. It should be said at the outset that evaluation of the performance of a CW system is a long-term process. Thus, the main aim of this report is to present the problems, difficulties, preliminary results, and concepts concerned with the first stage of establishment of CW in an extremely dry region. The CW system was designed to dispose of municipal and agricultural wastes in a way that not merely reduces pollution, but adds to environmental quality by creating accessible parkland for local residents and tourists. Several factors affected the performance of the system at the initial stages of operation: ecological balance between microbes and plants, big seasonal variations, seepage and evaporation reduced the flow in the initial operation of the system. Despite the initial difficulties, the quality of water coming out the system is acceptable for irrigation. The CW can function well under extreme dryland conditions. The oxidation pond was the major source of evaporation and bad odors. Therefore, alternatives to the oxidation pond are needed. Cost effectiveness of the system still has to be evaluated systematically.
AU  - Tencer, Y.*
AU  - Idan, G.*
AU  - Strom, M.*
AU  - Nusinow, U.*
AU  - Banet, D.*
AU  - Cohen, E.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Shelef, O.*
AU  - Rachmilevitch, S.*
AU  - Soares, I.*
AU  - Gross, A.*
AU  - Golan-Goldhirsh, A.*
C1  - 188
C2  - 27020
CY  - Heidelberg
SP  - 862-875
TI  - Establishment of a constructed wetland in extreme dryland.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 16
IS  - 7
PB  - Springer Heidelberg
PY  - 2009
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Earthworms have been studied as a readily available, easily maintainable and cheap test species for assessing chemical pollution, and may be an alternative to in vivo rodent bioassays. The current investigation aims to characterize detoxification enzymes in Eisenia fetida and stress response against two herbicides with different modes of action, namely, fenoxaprop and metolachlor. METHODS: Herbicides were applied to soil containing earthworms. Animals were then collected, sacrificed and shock-frozen. Extracted protein was analyzed for glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity using CDNB (1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene), DCNB (1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene), pNBC (p-nitrobenzylchloride), PNOBC (p-nitrobenz-o-ylchloride) and selected herbicides. GST isoenzymes were partially purified by affinity chromatography and molecular weights were estimated by SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: In E. fetida protein extracts, GST activity towards model compounds ranked as CDNB>DCNB>PNBOC>PNBC. Fluorodifen was not conjugated at all, but fenoxaprop and metolachlor were conjugated at low rates. Furthermore, the GST isoenzyme pattern changed during the incubation with herbicides, either due to stress or as a defense reaction. After incubation with monochlorobimane, a strong fluorescence of the intestinal tract and the intersegments was observed, indicating organ-specific GST induction. DISCUSSION: According to the author's knowledge, here, for the first time, evidence is presented that E. fetida GST are also capable of conjugating a wider range of xenobiotic substrates. Different forms of GST were observed and changes in GST isoforms due to the herbicide treatment were also noticed. GST conjugation rates varied between different herbicides used in this experiment. It might be assumed that herbicides may well be detoxified by earthworms, to a certain extent, but that they are also potent stress factors influencing the detoxification system of the animal. High doses or long exposure might lead to deleterious effects on earthworms and limit their survival rate. The use of the animals as bioindicators for herbicides and herbicide residues seems very promising, but is surely influenced by the lack of detoxification for some compounds. CONCLUSIONS: Conjugation of several xenobiotics with model substances and herbicides is proven in the earthworm E. fetida. However, E. fetida has only limited capabilities of detoxifying herbicidal compounds. Different isoforms of GST were involved and altered in their activity after treatment. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The accumulation of GS-conjugates and their determination via fluorescence microscopy is a quick and secure, additional marker for exposure that should be further developed to complement existing biotests. The described methods and endpoints might help to understand the complex reaction of earthworms towards herbicides and lead to an adapted test methodology.
AU  - Aly, M.A.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 2732
C2  - 25427
SP  - 143-149
TI  - Effect of herbicides on glutathione S-transferases in the earthworm, Eisenia fetida.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 15
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2008
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Following to the 2006 climate summit, the European Union formally set the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. But even today, climate change is already affecting people and ecosystems. Examples are melting glaciers and polar ice, reports about thawing permafrost areas, dying coral reefs, rising sea levels, changing ecosystems and fatal heat periods. Within the last 150 years, CO2 levels rose from 280 ppm to currently over 400 ppm. If we continue on our present course, CO2 equivalent levels could approach 600 ppm by 2035. However, if CO2 levels are not stabilized at the 450-550 ppm level, the consequences could be quite severe. Hence, if we do not act now, the opportunity to stabilise at even 550 ppm is likely to slip away. Long-term stabilisation will require that CO2 emissions ultimately be reduced to more than 80% below current levels. This will require major changes in how we operate. RESULTS: Reducing greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels seems to be the most promising approach to counterbalance the dramatic climate changes we would face in the near future. It is clear since the Kyoto protocol that the availability of fossil carbon resources will not match our future requirements. Furthermore, the distribution of fossil carbon sources around the globe makes them an even less reliable source in the future. We propose to screen crop and non-crop species for high biomass production and good survival on marginal soils as well as to produce mutants from the same species by chemical mutagenesis or related methods. These plants, when grown in adequate crop rotation, will provide local farming communities with biomass for the fermentation in decentralized biogas reactors, and the resulting nitrogen rich manure can be distributed on the fields to improve the soil. DISCUSSION: Such an approach will open new economic perspectives to small farmers, and provide a clever way to self sufficient and sustainable rural development. Together with the present economic reality, where energy and raw material prices have drastically increased over the last decade, they necessitate the development and the establishment of alternative concepts. CONCLUSIONS: Biotechnology is available to apply fast breeding to promising energy plant species. It is important that our valuable arable land is preserved for agriculture. The opportunity to switch from low-income agriculture to biogas production may convince small farmers to adhere to their business and by that preserve the identity of rural communities. PERSPECTIVES: Overall, biogas is a promising alternative for the future, because its resource base is widely available, and single farms or small local cooperatives might start biogas plant operation.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Herzig, R.*
AU  - Bojinov, B.*
AU  - Ruttens, A.*
AU  - Nehnevajova, E.*
AU  - Stamatiadis, S.*
AU  - Memon, A.*
AU  - Vassilev, A.*
AU  - Caviezel, M.*
AU  - Vangronsveld, J.*
C1  - 1816
C2  - 25424
SP  - 196-204
TI  - Bioenergy to save the world. Producing novel energy plants for growth on abandoned land.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 15
IS  - 3
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2008
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Voigt, K.
AU  - Studzinski, J.*
AU  - Pillmann, W.*
C1  - 2155
C2  - 25234
SP  - 170-171
TI  - EnviroInfo 2007: Environmental informatics and systems research - Warsaw, Poland, September 12-14, 2007.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 15
IS  - 2
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2008
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Goal, Scope and Background. One of the burning problems of our industrial society is the high consumption of water and the high demand for clean drinking water. Numerous approaches have been taken to reduce water consumption, but in the long run it seems only possible to recycle waste water into high quality water. It seems timely to discuss alternative water remediation technologies that are fit for industrial as well as less developed countries to ensure a high quality of drinking water throughout Europe. Main Features. The present paper discusses a range of phytoremediation technologies to be applied in a modular approach to integrate and improve the performance of existing wastewater treatment, especially towards the emerging micro pollutants, i.e. organic chemicals and pharmaceuticals. This topic is of global relevance for the EU. Results. Existing technologies for waste water treatment do not sufficiently address increasing pollution situation, especially with the growing use of organic pollutants in the private household and health sector. Although some crude chemical approaches exist, such as advanced oxidation steps, most waste water treatment plants will not be able to adopt them. The same is true for membrane technologies. Discussion. Incredible progress has been made during recent years, thus providing us with membranes of longevity and stability and, at the same time, high filtration capacity. However, these systems are expensive and delicate in operation, so that the majority of communities will not be able to afford them. Combinations of different phytoremediation technologies seem to be most promising to solve this burning problem. Conclusions. To quantify the occurrence and the distribution of micropollutants, to evaluate their effects, and to prevent them from passing through wastewater collection and treatment systems into rivers, lakes and ground water bodies represents an urgent task for applied environmental sciences in the coming years. Recommendations. Public acceptance of green technologies is generally higher than that of industrial processes. The EU should stimulate research to upgrade existing waste water treatment by implementing phytoremediation modules and demonstrating their reliability to the public. © 2007 ecomed publishers (Verlagsgruppe Hüthig Jehle Rehm GmbH).
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Navarro-Aviñó, J.*
AU  - Azaizeh, H.*
AU  - Goldhirsh, A.G.*
AU  - DiGregorio, S.*
AU  - Komives, T.*
AU  - Langergraber, G.*
AU  - Lenz, A.*
AU  - Maestri, E.*
AU  - Memon, A.R.*
AU  - Ranalli, A.*
AU  - Sebastiani, L.*
AU  - Smrcek, S.*
AU  - Vanek, T.*
AU  - Vuilleumier, S.*
AU  - Wissing, F.*
C1  - 1859
C2  - 24750
SP  - 490-497
TI  - Using photoremediation technologies to upgrade waste water treatment in Europe.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 14
IS  - 7
PB  - ecomed-Verl.-Ges.
PY  - 2007
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - umerous herbicides and xenobiotic organic pollutants are detoxified in plants to glutathione conjugates. Following this enzyme catalyzed reaction, xenobiotic GS-conjugates are thought to be compartmentalized in the vacuole of plant cells. In the present study, evidence is presented from experiments with roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. Cherie) that part of these conjugates will undergo long range transport in plants, rather than be stored in the vacuole. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the unidirectional long-range transport of xenobiotic conjugates in plants and the exsudation of a glutathione conjugate from the root tips. This could mean that plants possess an excretion system for unwanted compounds giving them similar advantages as animals. METHODS: Barley plants (Hordeum vulgare) were grown in Petri dishes soaked with tap water in the greenhouse. Fluorescence Microscopy. Roots of barley seedlings were cut under water, and the end at which the pesticides were applied was fixed in an aperture with a thin latex foil and transferred into a drop of water on a cover slide. The cover slide was fixed in a measuring chamber on the stage of an inverse fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Axiovert 100). Monobromo- and Monochlorobimane, two model xenobiotics that are conjugated rapidly in plant cells with glutathione, hereby forming fluorescent metabolites, were used as markers. Their transport in the root could be followed with high time resolution. Spectrometric enzyme assay. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was determined in the protein extracts following established methods. Aliquots of the enzyme extract were incubated with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), or monochlorobimane. Controls lacking enzyme or GSH were measured. Pitman chamber experiments. Ten days old barley plants or detached roots were inserted into special incubation chambers, either complete with tips or decapitated, as well as 10 days old barley plants without root tips. Compartment A was filled with a transport medium and GSH conjugate or L-cysteine conjugate. Compartments B and C contained sugar free media. Samples were taken from the root tip containing compartment C and the amount of conjugate transported was determined spectro-photometrically. Results. The transport in roots is unidirectional towards the root tips and leads to exsudation of the conjugates at rates between 20 and 200 nmol min(-1). The microscopic studies have been complemented by transport studies in small root chambers and spectroscopic quantification of dinitrobenzene-conjugates. The latter experiments confirm the microscopic studies. Furthermore it was shown that glutathione conjugates are transported at higher rates than cysteine conjugates, despite of their higher molecular weights. This observation points to the existence of glutathione specific carriers and a specific role of glutathione in the root. DISCUSSION: It can be assumed that long distance transport of glutathione conjugates within the plant proceeds like GSH or amino acid transport in both, phloem and xylem. The high velocity of this translocation of the GS-X is indicative of an active transport. For free glutathione, a rapid transport-system is essential because an accumulation of GSH in the root tip inhibits further uptake of sulfur. Taking into account that all described MRP transporters and also the GSH plasmalemma ATPases have side activities for glutathione derivatives and conjugates, co-transport of these xenobiotic metabolites seems credible. On the other hand, when GS-B was applied to the root tips from the outside, no significant uptake was observed. Thus it can be concluded that only those conjugates can be transported in the xylem which are formed inside the root apex. Having left the root once, there seems to be no return into the root vessels, probably because of a lack of inward directed transporters. CONCLUSIONS: Plants seem to possess the capability to store glutathione conjugates in the vacuole, but under certain conditions, these metabolites might also undergo long range transport, predominantly into the plant root. The transport seems dependent on specific carriers and is unidirectional, this means that xenobiotic conjugates from the rhizosphere are not taken up again. The exudation of xenobiotic metabolites offers an opportunity to avoid the accumulation of such compounds in the plant. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The role of glutathione and glutathione related metabolites in the rhizosphere has not been studied in any detail, and only scattered data are available on interactions between the plant root and rhizosphere bacteria that encounter such conjugates. The final fate of these compounds in the root zone has also not been addressed so far. It will be interesting to study effects of the exsuded metabolites on the biology of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Scheer, C.E.
AU  - Diekmann, F.
AU  - Stampfl, A.
C1  - 4020
C2  - 24717
SP  - 114-122
TI  - How plants cope with foreign compounds. Translocation of xenobiotic glutathione conjugates in roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare).
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 14
IS  - 2
PB  - ecomed-Verl.-Ges.
PY  - 2007
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Cape, J.N.*
AU  - Forczek, S.T.*
AU  - Gullner, G.*
AU  - Mena-Bentez, G.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Matucha, M.*
C1  - 3197
C2  - 24002
SP  - 276-286
TI  - Progress in understanding the sources, deposition and above-ground fate of trichloroacetic acid.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 13
PY  - 2006
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Danielopol, D.L.*
AU  - Gibert, J.*
AU  - Griebler, C.
C1  - 4341
C2  - 23511
SP  - 138-139
TI  - Efforts of the European Commission to improve communication between environmental scientists and policy-makers.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 13
PY  - 2006
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Laturnus, F.*
AU  - Fahimi, I.*
AU  - Gryndler, M.*
AU  - Hartmann, A.
AU  - Heal, M.*
AU  - Matucha, M.*
AU  - Schöler, H.F.*
AU  - Schroll, R.
AU  - Svensson, T.*
C1  - 3700
C2  - 22894
SP  - 233-244
TI  - Natural formation and degradation of chloroacetic acids and volatile organochlorines in forest soil: Challenges to understanding.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 12
PY  - 2005
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Fischer, C.
C1  - 3682
C2  - 22138
SP  - 388-393
TI  - Reaction of spruce cells toward heavy metals and the influence of culture conditions.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 11
PY  - 2004
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - UNLABELLED: INTENTION, GOAL, BACKGROUND: The widespread and unconcerned use of chemicals in the past has led to an accumulation of pollutants in our environment. Numerous sites are polluted with a mixture of organic chemicals and heavy metals. The future use of these sites and the safe consumption of groundwater from these areas depends on our ability to assess risk by determining the bioavailability of trace levels of pollutants in the respective soil solutions. Soil eluates containing heavy metals in mixture as well as pure heavy metals in aqueous solution were added to a spruce cell culture to set up such a test system. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims at evaluating the response of cultured spruce cells to heavy metals in aqueous solution, and at characterizing these basic cellular responses as potential biomarkers. METHODS: In order to characterize cell reactions toward heavy metals, spruce cell cultures were incubated with CdSO4 (50 to 500 microM), Na2HAsO4 (1.5 to 80 microM) or PbCl2 (10 to 150 microM). Alternatively, the cells were incubated with a standard heavy metal mixture containing 80 microM Na2HAsO4, 150 microM CdSO4 and 150 microM PbCl2 in medium and with aqueous original soil eluates. Measurement of oxidative stress, antioxidants and basic detoxification enzymes involved in plant defence reactions were performed with the treated cells. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: After 5 hrs of incubation, the onset of a strong oxidative burst was observed. H2O2 concentrations exceeded 40 microM in the culture media after 20 hrs. Concomitantly, glutathione levels showed drastic changes indicating the influence of the metals and/or the H2O2 on antioxidative systems. Following cadmium treatment, GSH and GSSG were elevated by 50 and 200% above controls. Whereas arsenic doubled GSSG levels, treatment with lead did not cause significant changes. However, a mixture of the metals decreased both metabolites by 50%. The effect of the metals was concentration-dependent and disappeared at high concentrations. Furthermore, strong induction of glutathione S-transferase (GST) subunits was observed and, although no novel subunit was expressed, the rise of a new GST isoform occurred. The most potent inducer of plant defence reactions is cadmium, followed by arsenate and lead in descending order of effectiveness. Counter ions seem to play an important role, e.g. lead chloride influenced the investigated parameters much more than lead acetate. CONCLUSIONS: The investigated metals activate gene expression through signal transduction pathways previously not associated with these metals, which points to new end points for resistance and toxicity testing. Especially a monitoring of GST subunit behaviour together with quantifying the oxidative burst seem to be promising for a biomonitoring concept. The close regulation of plant answers observed may facilitate the setup of an integrated biotest for heavy metal pollution that could be based on enzymological as well as proteome data. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Heavy metals cause stress to plant cells and elicit a whole range of answers, although specific for individual metal species. The differences observed in plant answers are suitable to distinguish between metals bioavailable in soil eluates and water samples, however only at concentrations in the microM range. It will be necessary to evaluate the effects on the RNA and transcript level. We recommend that similar plant metabolic end points and enzyme reactions be screened for their suitability as biotest systems.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Fischer, C.
AU  - Debus, R.*
AU  - Wenzel, A.*
C1  - 23265
C2  - 31089
SP  - 225-234
TI  - Reaction of detoxification mechanisms in suspension cultured spruce cells (Picea abies L. Karst.) to heavy metals in pure mixture and in soil eluates.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 10
IS  - 4
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2003
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Phytoremediation is already regarded as an efficient technique to remove or degrade various pollutants in soils, water and sediments. However, hydrophobic organic molecules such as PAHs, PCBs and PCDD/Fs are much less responsive to bioremediation strategies than, for example, BTEX or LAS. PCDD/Fs and PCBs represent 3 prominent groups of persistent organic pollutants that share common chemical, toxicological and environmental properties. Their widespread presence in the environment may be explained by their chemical and biological stability. This review considers their fate and dissipation mechanisms. It is then possible to identify major sinks and to understand biological activities useful for remediation. Public health and economic priorities lead to the conclusion that alternative techniques to physical treatments are required. This review focuses on particular problems encountered in biodegradation and bioavailability of PCDD/Fs and PCBs. It highlights the potential and limitations of plants and micro-organisms as bioremediation agents and summarises how plants can be used to augment bacterial activity. Phytoremediation is shown to provide some new possibilities in reducing risks associated with dioxins and PCBs.
AU  - Campanella, B.F.*
AU  - Bock, C.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 10199
C2  - 20373
SP  - 73-85
TI  - Phytoremediation to Increase the Degradation of PCBs and PCDD/Fs : Potential and Limitations.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 9
PB  - ecomed-Verl.-Ges.
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Phytoremediation is already regarded as an efficient technique to remove or degrade various pollutants in soils, water and sediments. However, hydrophobic organic molecules such as PAHs, PCBs and PCDD/Fs are much less responsive to bioremediation strategies than, for example, BTEX or LAS. PCDD/Fs and PCBs represent 3 prominent groups of persistent organic pollutants that share common chemical, toxicological and environmental properties. Their widespread presence in the environment may be explained by their chemical and biological stability. This review considers their fate and dissipation mechanisms. It is then possible to identify major sinks and to understand biological activities useful for remediation. Public health and economic priorities lead to the conclusion that alternative techniques to physical treatments are required. This review focuses on particular problems encountered in biodegradation and bioavailability of PCDD/Fs and PCBs. It highlights the potential and limitations of plants and micro-organisms as bioremediation agents and summarises how plants can be used to augment bacterial activity. Phytoremediation is shown to provide some new possibilities in reducing risks associated with dioxins and PCBs.
AU  - Campanella, B.F.*
AU  - Bock, C.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 23269
C2  - 23350
SP  - 73-85
TI  - Phytoremediation to increase the degradation of PCBs and PCDD/Fs. Potential and limitations.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The environmental problems that have arisen from the use of persistent pesticides in the past, and potential sources of further contamination have been discussed. The potential and limitations of phytoremediation for removal of pesticides in the environment have been reviewed. The enzymatic processes in plants that are known to be involved in phytodegradation of pesticides, and possibilities for enhancing them have also been discussed.
AU  - Chaudhry, Q.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Werck-Reichhart, D.*
AU  - Grajek, W.*
AU  - Marecik, R.*
C1  - 10201
C2  - 20375
SP  - 4-17
TI  - Prospects and Limitations of Phytoremediation for the Removal of Persistent Pesticides in the Environment.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 9
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The environmental problems that have arisen from the use of persistent pesticides in the past, and potential sources of further contamination have been discussed. The potential and limitations of phytoremediation for removal of pesticides in the environment have been reviewed. The enzymatic processes in plants that are known to be involved in phytodegradation of pesticides, and possibilities for enhancing them have also been discussed.
AU  - Chaudhry, Q.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Werck-Reichhart, D.*
AU  - Grajek, W.*
AU  - Marecik, R.*
C1  - 23267
C2  - 31088
SP  - 4-17
TI  - Prospects and limitations of phytoremediation for the removal of persistent pesticides in the environment.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Weed control by herbicides has helped us to create the green revolution and to provide food for at least the majority of human beings living today. However, some herbicides remain in the environment and pose an ecological problem. The present review describes the properties and fate of four representative herbicides known to be presistent in ecosystems. Metabolic networks are depiced and it is concluded that removal of these comopounds by the ecologically friendly technique of phytoremediation is possible. The largest problem is seen in the uptake of the compounds into suitable plants and the time needed for such an approach.
AU  - Coleman, J.O.D.*
AU  - Frova, C.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Tissut, M.*
C1  - 10200
C2  - 20374
SP  - 18-28
TI  - Exploiting plant metabolism for the phytoremediation of persistent herbicides.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 9
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Phytoremediation technologies based on the combined action of plants and the microbial communities that they support within the rhizosphere hold promise in the remediation of land and waterways contaminated with hydrocarbons but they have not yet been adopted in large-scale remediation strategies. In this review plant and microbial degradative capacities, viewed as a continuum, have been dissected in order to identify where bottlenecks and limitations exist. Phenols, anilines and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were selected as the target classes of molecule for consideration, in part because of their common patterns of distribution, but also because of the urgent need to develop techniques to overcome their toxicity to human health.Depending on the chemical and physical properties of the pollutant, the emerging picture suggests that plants will draw pollutants including PAHs into the plant rhizosphere to varying extents via the transpiration stream, providing plant growth can be established. Mycorrhizosphere-bacteria and -fungi may play a crucial role in establishing plants in degraded ecosystems. Within the rhizosphere, microbial degradative activities prevail in order to extract energy and carbon skeletons from the pollutants for microbial cell growth. There has been little systematic analysis of the changing dynamics of pollutant degradation within the rhizosphere; however, the importance of plants in supplying oxygen and nutrients to the rhizosphere via fine roots, and of the beneficial effect of microorganisms on plant root growth is stressed.In addition to their role in supporting rhizospheric degradative activities, plants may possess a limited capacity to transport some of the more mobile pollutants into roots and shoots via fine roots. In those situations where uptake does occur (i.e. only limited microbial activity in the rhizosphere) there is good evidence that the pollutant may be metabolised. However, plant uptake is frequently associated with the inhibition of plant growth and an increasing tendency to oxidant stress. Pollutant tolerance seems to correlate with the ability to deposit large quantities of pollutant metabolites in the \\\""bound\\\"" residue fraction of plant cell walls compared to the vacuole. In this regard, particular attention is paid to the activities of peroxidases, laccases, cytochromes P450, glucosyltransferases and ABC transporters. However, despite the seemingly large diversity of these proteins, direct proof of their participation in the metabolism of industrial aromatic pollutants is surprisingly scarce and little is known about their control in the overall metabolic scheme.Little is known about the bioavailability of bound metabolites; however, there may be a need to prevent their movement into wildlife food chains. In this regard, the application to harvested plants of composting techniques based on the degradative capacity of white-rot fungi merits attention.
AU  - Harvey, P.J.*
AU  - Campanella, B.F.*
AU  - Castro, P.M.L.*
AU  - Harms, H.*
AU  - Lichtfouse, E.*
AU  - Schäffner, A.
AU  - Smrcek, S.*
AU  - Werck-Reichhart, D.*
C1  - 10198
C2  - 20046
SP  - 29-47
TI  - Phytoremediation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons, Anilines and Phenols.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Harvey, P.J.*
AU  - Schwitzguébel, J.-P.*
C1  - 10202
C2  - 20376
SP  - 1-3
TI  - Prospects for the phytoremediation of organic pollutants in Europe.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 9
PB  - Springer
PY  - 2002
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Control of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in emissions and thermal residues from incinerators has been a cause of public concern for more than one decade. Recently, several studies showed that other persistent organic pollutants (Pops) such as coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (co-PCBs) also have dioxin-like activity and are released from incinerators. Therefore, the present study was aimed at making a risk assessment about dioxin-like activity in extracts of thermal waste residues (e.g. combustion gas; fly ash, slag) from incineration and melting processes in Germany and Japan. For this purpose, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (co-PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed by chemical analysis. Additionally, 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (EROD-TEQs) were determined by in vitro Micro-EROD bioassay using rat H4IIE hepatoma cells. EROD-TEQs could be correlated to I-TEQ values (from PCDD/Fs/co-PCBs) analyzed by chemical analysis resulting in a maximal sixfold higher estimate. Our study indicates minor influences of co-PCBs, PAHs and PCNs to the sum of dioxin-like toxicity in the extracts of thermal waste residues as determined here. Furthermore, we showed that the levels of dioxins and co-PCBs contained in slag from melting processes and bottom ashes from incineration processes were lower by 1-2 orders of magnitude than that in fly ash.
AU  - Behnisch, P.*
AU  - Hosoe, K.*
AU  - Shiozaki, K.*
AU  - Kiryu, T.*
AU  - Komatsu, K.*
AU  - Schramm, K.-W.
AU  - Sakai,S.*
C1  - 10203
C2  - 19814
SP  - 337-344
TI  - Melting and Incineration Plants of Municipal Waste : Chemical and Biochemical Diagnosis of Thermal Processing Samples (Emissions, Residues).
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 9 
IS  - 5
PB  - Ecomed
PY  - 2001
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Werner, H.*
AU  - Kirchner, M.
AU  - Welzl, G.
AU  - Hangartner, M.*
C1  - 20858
C2  - 18912
SP  - 83-87
TI  - Ozone measurements along vertical transects in the alps.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 6
PY  - 1999
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - For more than 20 years European research groups have examined the causes of novel forest decline. Monitoring networks have been established in order to survey the condition of trees and their long-term change. Interdisciplinary field projects and chamber experiments were started to improve the knowledge of cause effect relations. The Federal Forest Research Centre (FBVA) is responsible for the Austrian networks (Austrian Forest Inventory, Forest Damage Monitoring System, Bio-Indicator Grid). At the same time, the FBVA concentrates mainly on interdisciplinary research activities in the alpine area ("Zillertal Altitude Profile", "Achenkirch Altitude Profiles"). These projects are aimed at improving the knowledge of the "environmental situation" of the Alps and at describing regional and time-related variations of potential natural and anthropogenic stress factors to forest ecosystems. In cooperation with numerous university institutes and research centres, causal relationships between stressors and their effects on trees are described. The majority of the investigations refer to spruce as the principal Austrian tree species and the main investigation areas represent differently stressed Austrian forest areas. The contributions presented in this series of publications comprise mainly results from the project "Achenkirch Altitude Profiles" and refer to pollutants. The latter are described and assessed with respect to their impacts on forest ecosystems.
AU  - Herman, F.*
AU  - Lütz, C.
AU  - Smidt, S.*
C1  - 23444
C2  - 31165
SP  - 16-24
TI  - Description and evaluation of pollution impacts on forest ecosystems: Results of long-term Austrian field experiments - Introduction.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - SI 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 1998
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - This publication describes the forest situation with particular consideration regarding air pollutants. The results were elaborated in the course of the project "Ecosystematic Studies in the Limestone Alps - Achenkirch Altitude Profiles", in an intensively studied Alpine research area as well as in other Austrian and Bavarian investigation areas focusing on the phenomenon of novel forest decline. The contributions include results from the Austria-wide monitoring activities. Pollutant concentrations and pollutant depositions (SO,; NO.; O-3; H, S, and N inputs; organic air pollutants; heavy metals) were evaluated using effect-related limiting values. Where such limiting values were not available, either reference values from expert literature were applied or new classification schemes were devised. Evidence of air-pollution impacts was furnished by means of bioindication methods and limiting values and concentration ranges were used for classification. Biochemical and physiological methods were applied to tree-condition surveys and early stress determination; results were evaluated using cluster analyses. Models were developed for the assessment of potential risks pollutant depositions might cause to forest areas.
AU  - Herman, F.*
AU  - Lütz, C.
AU  - Smidt, S.*
C1  - 23446
C2  - 31164
SP  - 2-15
TI  - Pollution-related stress factors for forest ecosystems - Synopsis.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - SI 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 1998
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Coniferous trees in alpine forests have to cope with harsh natural life conditions, which nowadays are superimposed by anthropogenic stresses via changes in soil chemistry or air pollution with ozone as the key compound. Studies on spruce and cembran pine conducted in the course of different research projects in the Alps used several photosynthetic parameters to describe seasonal and altitude - related metabolic changes and to recognise possible stress symptoms. Chlorophyll fluorescence and oxygen formation in photosynthesis revealed characteristic values of growth site, season and needle ages, which came up to be in the same order of magnitude for the two species and for samples from the Northern Limestone Alps and those from the Central Alps. The successful separation and analysis of chlorophyll protein complexes (CPK) from purified thylakoids allowed a deeper insight into photosynthetic units and mainly mirrored seasonal influences. Parameters raised from photosynthetic pigments could be used to discriminate needle samples of trees of less polluted forests and of trees suffering from high ozone loads plus nutritional deficiencies. Photosynthesis appeared to be a highly protected mechanism because of its prime importance for plant life, but increasing loads of ozone, as observed in the alpine environment in combination with alpine climate, can affect even photosynthesis in the long run, because ozone effects remain measurable in plants for months.
AU  - Lütz, C.
AU  - Kuhnke-Thoss, R.
AU  - Thiel, S.
C1  - 23450
C2  - 31162
SP  - 88-95
TI  - Natural and anthropogenic influences on photosynthesis in trees of alpine forests.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - SI 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 1998
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - The amount of non-extractable residues (NER) of organic xenobiotics in the soil can considerably exceed the amount of extractable residues which are accessible to normal residue analysis. The NER therefore present a burden to the soil, the toxicological and ecotoxicological potential of which is largely unknown. For the characterization of bound residues and their binding type, special solubilization methods such as supercritical fluid extraction are applied and experiments with radiolabeled model polymers are performed. Mineralization experiments with [(14)C] labeled xenobiotics in natural soil show that a total degradation is still also possible in the environment when in a bound form. Ecotoxicological effects of non-extractable residues may be recorded when their concentration is high, when the parent compound exhibits a high ecotoxicity and the applied detection method is sufficiently sensitive.
AU  - Scheunert, I.
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 23287
C2  - 31167
SP  - 238-244
TI  - Formation, characterization and release of non-extractable residues of [14C]-labeled organic xenobiotics in soils.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 5
IS  - 4
PB  - Springer
PY  - 1998
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Although sound data bases on the emission rates, atmospheric lifetimes and photolytic degradation processes of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCH) in the air are available, there is still a lack of information on the uptake of these xenobiotics by plant canopies, on their fate and on the ecotoxicology of this pollution load. At the study sites in Achenkirch, VCH concentrations between 0.2 and 2.0 mu g m(-3) have been determined. The deposition on conifer needle surfaces has been described as to proceed at low velocities below 1 mm s(-1) and uptake rates have been determined for few compounds. All VCHs exhibit a high potential to accumulate in the cuticles of conifer needles and accumulation factors between 50 and 500 times above ambient concentrations have been reported. However, internal concentrations and resuspension data are not available. Furthermore, detoxification data have mostly been determined with model compounds like chlorobenzenes. These compounds seem generally to be detoxified at conjugation rates of 0.2 to 1.5 nkat mg protein(-1) in the spruce trees of the Christlum profile. In the present paper evidence is provided that detoxification of dichloromethane and tetrachloroethene proceeds at considerably lower rates in the range of pkat/mg protein, while for other aliphatic chlorocarbons, like trichloroethene, it may be lacking in trees from several stands. This may contribute to the overall stress of spruce trees by air pollutants and the conditions of the stands.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Plumacher, J.*
C1  - 23285
C2  - 31168
SP  - 38-45
TI  - Evaluation of the impact of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons on forest trees based on air and needle measurement data and the detoxification capacity of spruce needles.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 1
PB  - Springer
PY  - 1998
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - During long-term exposure of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings to trichloro-and monochloroacetic acids via root uptake or acid mist treatments, both substances were removed from the plant tissues by metabolic activity. None of the treated plants exhibited visible stress symptoms at the concentrations used. In addition, the exposure to both substances led to dramatic changes in the activity of xenobiotic detoxification enzymes (peroxidase and gluthatione S-transferase) in the needles of the plants.
AU  - Schröder, P.
AU  - Juuti, S.*
AU  - Roy, S.*
AU  - Sandermann, H.
AU  - Sutinen, S.*
C1  - 23289
C2  - 31179
SP  - 163-171
TI  - Exposure to chlorinated acetic acids: Responses of peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activity in pine needles.
JO  - Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.
VL  - 4
IS  - 3
PB  - Springer
PY  - 1997
SN  - 0944-1344
ER  -