Metallothionein has been assayed in a range of aquatic animal tissues as an indicator of metal exposure. We sequenced chub (Leuciscus cephalus) metallothionein cDNA which showed over 90% homology to common carp, goldfish and stone loach and 77% homology to rainbow trout sequences for metallothionein. We then used the extended primer method to develop an accurate quantitative competitive RT-PCR assay for metallothionein mRNA. RT-PCR was used to measure metallothionein mRNA in feral chub from a range of field sites, with different levels of heavy metal pollution, in the West Midlands, UK. Measurements were complemented by analysis of liver and gill metallothionein protein by capillary electrophoresis. There was no significant difference in the metallothionein protein levels between fish of different rivers and there was no evidence of elevation of mRNA at the sites of highest metal exposure. The level of metal exposure (e.g. zinc, nickel and cadmium each ranging between 15 and 28 microg/l ) at the pH (7.5-8.5) of these rivers appears insufficient to elevate hepatic or gill metallothionein in chub. A lack of elevation of hepatic metallothionein mRNA in chub exposed to zinc, copper and manganese for 24 h and 10 days in the laboratory also suggests a non-responsiveness of this species. 相似文献
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic pollutants that can significantly affect ecosystems and exert an influence on marine planktonic and benthic communities as well as on higher organisms such as fish and mammals, including humans. In this paper the concentrations of six PAHs in water, seston and copepods were examined in a harbour zone of the Genova Gulf (Ligurian Sea) from November 1997 to June 1998. The importance of freshwater inputs coming from a polluted stream and the influence of seasonal and atmospheric factors were also considered. Highest PAH values were recorded during spring. Fluoranthene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene and Benzo[k]fluoranthene were the most abundant PAHs either in water, seston or copepods. The concentration of total PAHs in seawater was often lower than the detection limit: recorded values ranged between 0.001 and 0.06 ppb. In seston, total PAHs ranged between 0.033 and 6.26 ng·g?1 and in copepods between 0.01 and 2.34 ng·g?1. With this study, PAH contamination in the harbour zone of Genova Sestri‐Ponente and the importance of inputs of organic pollutants coming from land and freshwaters have been emphasized. 相似文献
New geologic mapping of the area near Castellamonte (Torino Province) describes a wide Plio-Quaternary continental succession, up to about 100-m thick. This sequence is distinguished according to allostratigraphic criteria. Altitude, degree of pedogenesis and sediment supply from different basins are also used. Within a single alloformation, several lithofacies are described.Fine-grained fan-delta sediments (Vespia Alloformation) are described in the lower part of the continental succession. The fossil plant remains indicate an Early–Middle Pliocene age. These sediments show an evident deformation and fill ancient lacustrine basins, likely associated with the Canavese Line trend. Their wide distribution and considerable thickness suggest subsidence.Coarse-grained glacial, outwash and fluvial sediments (Colleretto Castelnuovo, S. Defendente, Case Musso, Pagliero, Serra and Piverone Alloformations) are described in the upper part of the continental succession. They consist of undeformed sediments deposited during Middle to Late Pleistocene. These sediments indicate the presence of small local glaciers along the current valley trends. The terracing ratios among the different units and their small thicknesses indicate subsequent differential uplift. 相似文献
The volcanological history of Campi Flegrei suggests that the most frequent eruptions are characterized by the emplacement of pyroclastic flow and surge deposits erupted from different vents scattered over a 150-km2 caldera. The evaluation of volcanic risk in volcanic fields is complex because of the lack of a central vent. To approach this problem, we subdivided the entire area of Campi Flegrei into a regular grid and evaluated the relative spatial probability of opening of vents based on geological, geophysical and geochemical data. We evaluated the volcanic risk caused by pyroclastic flows based on the formula proposed by UNESCO (1972), R=H×V×Va, where H is the hazard, V is the vulnerability and Va is the value of the elements at risk. The product H×V was obtained by performing simulations of type eruptions centered in each cell of the grid. The simulation is based on the energy cone scheme proposed by Sheridan and Malin [J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 17 (1983) 187–202], hypothesizing a column collapse height of 100 m for eruptions of VEI=3 and 300 m for eruptions of VEI=4 with a slope angle of 6°. Each simulation has been given the relative probability value associated with the corresponding cell. We made use of the GIS software ArcView 3.2 to evaluate the intersection between the energy cone and the topography. The superposition of the areas invaded by pyroclastic flows (124 simulations for VEI=3 and 37 for VEI=4) was used to obtain the relative hazard map of the area. The relative volcanic risk map is obtained by superimposing the urbanization maps. 相似文献
A novel procedure is proposed to analyse continuous seismic signal on hourly scales to have a prompt discrimination among the different sources. Specifically, this approach is applied to a massive dataset recorded at Campi Flegrei caldera during the year 2006 when a swarm of volcano-tectonic earthquakes occurred. The convolutive independent component analysis is adopted to obtain a clear separation among meteo-marine microseism, anthropogenic noise, hydrothermal tremor in the absence of volcano-tectonic activity, whereas in non-stationary conditions a contribution connected to the corner frequency of the earthquakes emerges. A coarse-grained variable to be monitored continuously is introduced, i.e. the frequency associated with the maximum amplitude of the power spectral density of the deconvolutive independent components. That parameter is sensitive to the variation in the frequency bands of interest (e.g. that corresponding to the corner frequencies of volcano-tectonic events) and can be used as marker of the insurgence of seismic activity.
This paper reports on the first study on the ichthyoplankton community structure in the Gulf of Sirte and its spatial distribution in relation to environmental conditions and zooplankton abundance. The results make an important contribution to the future management of fisheries in this unexplored, but much exploited, area. Biological samples were collected in July 2008 using a Bongo40 net. In total, 1914 larvae were found and 1652 of these were identified. In particular, bathypelagic taxa were the most abundant, followed by demersal, mesopelagic, pelagic and epipelagic taxa. The ichthyoplankton community had a patchwork distribution influenced by oligotrophic conditions, the bottom depth and oceanographical features. The results suggest that environmental forcings were able to transport the ichthyoplankton to productive areas. Indeed, maximum fish egg densities were found in coastal stations in correspondence with the Atlantic Tunisian Current inflow, whereas larvae were mainly concentrated in the east side of the Gulf, probably as a result of advection by the anticyclonic circulation. Additionally, the distribution patterns of the total larvae density and the different assemblages were well matched with the abundance of the zooplankton, probably determining final larval survival, growth and recruitment. 相似文献
A smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) numerical modeling method implemented for the forward simulation of propagation and deposition of flow-type landslides was combined with different empirical geomorphological index approaches for the assessment of the formation of landslide dams and their possible evolution for a local case study in southwestern China. The SPH model was calibrated with a previously occurred landslide that formed a stable dam impounding the main river, and it enabled the simulation of final landslide volumes, and the spatial distribution of the resulting landslide deposits. At four different sites on the endangered slope, landslides of three different volumes were simulated, respectively. All landslides deposited in the main river, bearing the potential for either stable impoundment of the river and upstream flooding scenarios, or sudden breach of incompletely formed or unstable landslide dams and possible outburst floods downstream. With the empirical indices, none of the cases could be identified as stable formed landslide dam when considering thresholds reported in the literature, showing up the limitations of these indices for particular case studies of small or intermediate landslide volumes and the necessity to adapt thresholds accordingly for particular regions or sites. Using the occurred benchmark landslide as a reference, two cases could be identified where a complete blockage occurs that is more stable than the reference case. The other cases where a complete blockage was simulated can be considered as potential dam-breach scenarios. 相似文献
After completion of an exploration well, sandstones of the Exter Formation were hydraulically tested to determine the hydraulic properties and to evaluate chemical and microbial processes caused by drilling and water production. The aim was to determine the suitability of the formation as a reservoir for aquifer thermal energy storage. The tests revealed a hydraulic conductivity of 1–2 E-5 m/s of the reservoir, resulting in a productivity index of 0.6–1 m3/h/bar. A hydraulic connection of the Exter Formation to the overlaying, artesian “Rupelbasissand” cannot be excluded. Water samples were collected for chemical and microbiological analyses. The water was similarly composed as sea water with a maximum salinity of 24.9 g/L, dominated by NaCl (15.6 g/L Cl and 7.8 g/L Na). Until the end of the tests, the water was affected by drilling mud as indicated by the high pH (8.9) and high bicarbonate concentration (359 mg/L) that both resulted from the impact of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) additives. The high amount of dissolved organic matter (>?58 mg/L) and its molecular-weight distribution pattern indicated that residues of cellulose, an ingredient of the drilling mud, were still present at the end of the tests. Clear evidence of this contamination gave the measured uranine that was added as a tracer into the drilling mud. During fluid production, the microbial community structure and abundance changed and correlated with the content of drilling mud. Eight taxa of sulfate-reducing bacteria, key organisms in processes like bio-corrosion and bio-clogging, were identified. It can be assumed that their activity will be affected during usage of the reservoir. 相似文献