In this study we used feathers to biomonitor exposure to the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1268 congener mixture in clapper rails (Rallus longirostris). This species has been used as an indicator species of environmental damage for the LCP superfund site located in Brunswick, GA, USA which is contaminated with Aroclor 1268, a congener mixture that has been used in limited amounts elsew...

In a rapidly urbanizing global environment, anthropogenic sources of pollution [e.g., heavy metals, pharmaceuticals] have increasingly contaminated drinking water sources like surfaceor groundwater, jeopardizing the safe provision of potable water. Due to the lack of appropriate technology, continuous water surveillance is yet not feasible and while biological early warning systems have shown p...

background: mercury (hg) is considered a global pollutant because hg0 which is the predominant form of atmospheric hg resides in the atmosphere for as long as 0.5 to 2 years. mercury has many negative effects on the reproductive, respiratory, and immune systems. methods: in this study, 24 caspian lampreys (caspiomyzon wagneri) were transported to the university laboratory and then stored in -20...

We assessed the value of short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) as a possible biomonitor for polychlorinated biphenyl pollution through measurement of the induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 and associated enzyme activities. First, we checked the inducibility of four monooxygenases (benzyloxyresorufin-O-dealkylase [BROD], ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase [EROD], methoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase [MR...

The current knowledge about teleost fish egg envelope is summarized. The paper analyzes the organization and deposition process of the protein composition and genes involved in the synthesis of teleost fish egg envelopes and their role in gamete interaction during fertilization. Pelagic and demersal species that our research group is working with are especially considered. The vertebrate ZP fam...

Total mercury levels in different feather types (down, contour, tail and flight) in Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo L.) were determined using CV-AAS. Feathers from Great Cormorants inhabiting the Vistula Lagoon ecosystem have an average Hg level of 7.14 ± 3.99 (μg/g w.w.). Age-dependent concentrations of Hg were statistically significant (ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.0001). There were also...

kamran asgari1, hosein amini2   1- organic farming systems, wageningen university, wageningen, the netherlands   2- faculty of agriculture, khorasgan branch, islamic azad university, isfahan, iran     received: 5 february 2011 accepted: 23 november 2011         *corresponding author: email:[email protected]     abstract   effects of soil and atmosphere pollution on some heavy metals (fe, ...

Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin is a potent immunostimulant implicated in the development and/or progression of a variety of diseases. The mammalian immune system has both innate and adaptive immune responses to neutralize endotoxin. In this study, a system was developed to monitor bacterial exposure by measuring the extent and nature of endotoxin neutralization in plasma. In control patients...