Effect of soil management on its radioisotopic composition

Radioactive isotopes, both natural and artificial, present in the environment may be convenient indicators that can be used to study a number of physical and chemical processes and transport of pollutants in the ecosystem.The main aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the type of soil use on the radioisotopic composition in its surface layers. The radioisotopic compositions of surface soil samples collected in the area of a cement plant abandoned for over 20 years and in the area of the nearby allotments were examined and compared. Calculations were performed using methods designed to study compositional variables.The results confirmed a significant impact of usage on the radioisotopic composition of the surface soil layers. However, some characteristics of the composition were common to both locations. It has been found that a significant proportion of the lead isotope - Pb-210, derived from atmospheric deposition. Other radioisotopes remain relatively close to equilibrium in their decay chains.The project was financed by the National Science Centre based on the decision number DEC-2011/03/D/ST10/05392

Terminological and methodological discrepancies concerning the radionuclides' effective, environmental and biological half-lives

At the basis of most risk assessments aimed at determining the long-term trends in changes in the activity of radionuclides in the environment and thus exposure to ionizing radiation, various concepts of half-lives are used, particularly: biological, environmental (ecological) and effective one. There is a clear lack of consensus on the terminological level and, more importantly, on the methodological level regarding the determination of these half-lives. This manifests by a divergent methodology and the existence of two main, but contradictory concepts. In the first, empirically determined half-life is referred to as environmental or biological. The effective half-life is extrapolated at a later stage after taking into account the physical decay. In the second concept, the effective half-life is the one empirically determined and the remaining half-lives can be extrapolated after correction for physical decay. As both concepts seems to be incompatible with each other, the aim of this work was to thoroughly analyze their theoretical assumptions, conditions, strengths and weaknesses and to define the conditions that must be met in order to enable comparison of the results obtained with the use of two separate concepts. In case of the environmental components the suggested approach is to empirically determine the effective half-life, and subsequently, to extrapolate the environmental and/or biological half-lives.Comment: 24 pages, 14 pages excluding references, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Zawartość chlorofilu w starzejących się liściach Pelargonium graveolens leaves

Pelargonium graveolens belongs to Geraniaceae family. It is an aromatic and hairy herbaceous shrub that can reach up to 1.2 m height and a spread of 1 m. Its leaves are deeply incised, soft to the touch and strongly scented, while flowers are small and usually pink. P. graveolens is native to South Africa, but it is now widely cultivated in many countries, e.g. Reunion Island, Egypt, Russia, China, and Morocco, mainly for the production of essential oil. It is used in many different industries, e.g. perfumery, cosmetic, food and beverages industry as well as in veterinary drugs and medicine. Literature data shows that chloroplasts content in leaves reflects a whole plant condition, as they are able to produce chemical energy from the solar energy. Most important of all pigments are chlorophylls that can be found in almost every green part of a plant. However, during plant senescence, photosynthetic pigments are degraded. This research was carried out to determine a chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and also total chlorophylls content in Pelargonium graveolens at different age: one year old, two years old and three years old plants. To prepare samples, fresh leaves from each cultivation have been harvested, than homogenized in a chilled mortar with organic solvent 80% (v/v) acetone and then centrifuged. The absorbance of supernatants was immediately measured at 647 and 663 nm in a spectrophotometer. The outcome shows that in a first stage (first year) of plant growth, when it absorbs nutrients and synthesizes proteins to achieve efficient photosynthesis and undergo rapid expansion, chlorophyll a and b content is the lowest from all studied plants. The best quality pelargoniums are these at the age of two in which there is the biggest amount of green photosynthetic pigments.Pelargonium graveolens należy do rodziny Geraniaceae. Roślina ta jest aromatycznym, owłosionym krzewem, sięgającym 1,2 metra wysokości i osiągającym 1 m szerokości. Jej liście są mocno powcinane, miękkie w dotyku i wydzielają intensywny zapach, natomiast kwiaty są małe, zwykle różowe, zebrane w baldachy. Ojczyzną P. graveolens jest Afryka Południowa, ale uprawia się ją obecnie w wielu krajach świata, np. wyspie Reunion, Egipcie, Rosji, Chinach czy Maroko, głównie z przeznaczeniem na produkcję olejku eterycznego. Wykorzystywany jest on w wielu gałęziach przemysłu, m.in. perfumiarstwie, kosmetyce, przemyśle spożywczym czy medycynie. Dane literaturowe pokazują, że o kondycji całej rośliny świadczy zawartość chloroplastów w jej liściach, ponieważ te produkują niezbędną do wzrostu i rozwoju energię chemiczną z dostarczanej przez słońce energii cieplnej. To właśnie w chloroplastach znajdują się chlorofile, które są najważniejszymi pigmentami fotosyntetyzującymi. Jednakże podczas starzenia rośliny pigmenty te ulegają degradacji. Obecne badanie zostało przeprowadzone w celu ustalenia zawartości chlorofilu a i chlorofilu b w jedno-, dwu- i trzyletnich roślinach z gatunku Pelargonium graveolens. Zebrane zostały świeże liście z każdej ww. upraw, następnie zhomogenizowane w schłodzonym moździerzu w obecności 80% acetonu, a później odwirowane. Absorbancja uzyskanych supernatantów została niezwłocznie zmierzona w spektrofotometrze przy dł. fal 647 i 663 nm. Uzyskane dane pokazały, że w pierwszym stadium (pierwszym roku) wzrostu rośliny, kiedy pobiera ona składniki odżywcze i syntetyzuje białka, aby osiągnąć wydajną fotosyntezę i kiedy przechodzi gwałtowny rozwój, zawartość chlorofilu a i chlorofilu b była najmniejsza w porównaniu z pozostałymi roślinami. Najlepszą jakością wykazały się pelargonie dwuletnie, w których ilość chlorofilu była największa

Effect of soil management on its radioisotopic composition

Radioactive isotopes, both natural and artificial, present in the environment may be convenient indicators that can be used to study a number of physical and chemical processes and transport of pollutants in the ecosystem.The main aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the type of soil use on the radioisotopic composition in its surface layers. The radioisotopic compositions of surface soil samples collected in the area of a cement plant abandoned for over 20 years and in the area of the nearby allotments were examined and compared. Calculations were performed using methods designed to study compositional variables.The results confirmed a significant impact of usage on the radioisotopic composition of the surface soil layers. However, some characteristics of the composition were common to both locations. It has been found that a significant proportion of the lead isotope - Pb-210, derived from atmospheric deposition. Other radioisotopes remain relatively close to equilibrium in their decay chains.The project was financed by the National Science Centre based on the decision number DEC-2011/03/D/ST10/05392

Aktywność 222Rn w wodach wodociągowych w powiecie kieleckim

Radon is known as a radioactive element that dissolves easily in water. It is worth mentioning that it is available in all possible reservoirs. Its concentration cannot be measured directly but only from the emitted radiation. Investigations of 222Rn activity in water in the Kielce district were subjected to three selected water intakes: Bolechowice, Kołomań and Wola Kopcowa. This type of research was conducted for the first time in the discussed area. The results were analyzed in detail in terms of acceptable concentrations. Next, it was determined whether the geological location of the intakes in question may have an impact on the amount of radon present in water from the water supply network.Radon znany jest jako pierwiastek promieniotwórczy, który łatwo rozpuszcza się w wodzie. Warto zaznaczyć, że dostępny jest we wszystkich możliwych zbiornikach. Jego stężenia nie da się zmierzyć bezpośrednio, a jedynie na podstawie emitowanego promieniowania. Badaniom aktywności 222Rn w wodzie w powiecie kieleckim zostały poddane trzy wybrane ujęcia wód wodociągowych: Bolechowice, Kołomań oraz Wola Kopcowa. Tego typu badania prowadzone są po raz pierwszy na omawianym terenie. Wyniki zostały poddane szczegółowej analizie, m.in. pod kątem dopuszczalnych stężeń. Następnie ustalono, czy położenie geologiczne omawianych ujęć może mieć wpływ na ilość pojawiającego się w wodach sieci wodociągowych radonu

Application of Electronic Nose for Evaluation of Wastewater Treatment Process Effects at Full-Scale WWTP

This paper presents the results of studies aiming at the assessment and classification of wastewater using an electronic nose. During the experiment, an attempt was made to classify the medium based on an analysis of signals from a gas sensor array, the intensity of which depended on the levels of volatile compounds in the headspace gas mixture above the wastewater table. The research involved samples collected from the mechanical and biological treatment devices of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), as well as wastewater analysis. The measurements were carried out with a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gas sensor array, when coupled with a computing unit (e.g., a computer with suitable software for the analysis of signals and their interpretation), it formed an e-nose—that is, an imitation of the mammalian olfactory sense. While conducting the research it was observed that the intensity of signals sent by sensors changed with drops in the level of wastewater pollution; thus, the samples could be classified in terms of their similarity and the analyzed gas-fingerprint could be related to the pollution level expressed by physical and biochemical indicators. Principal component analysis was employed for dimensionality reduction, and cluster analysis for grouping observation purposes. Supervised learning techniques confirmed that the obtained data were applicable for the classification of wastewater at different stages of the purification process

Natural xenobiotics inducing apoptosis in hepatoma cells : in vitro study

The term “xenobiotics” refers to substances which are not produced within the human body, but may occur in human environment. Some of biologically active chemicals may be synthesized by plants. Many studies have been conducted with regard to plant secondary metabolites and the beneficial impact of various plant-derived compounds on human health has been demonstrated. Recent research have shown chemopreventive properties of catechins. (+)-catechin ((2R,3S)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene-3,5,7-triol) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG; [(2R,3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-2-(3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)chroman-3-yl] 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate) are compounds abundant in daily human nutrition. Growing body of evidence reports pro-apoptotic effects of catechins. Both catechins have been shown to modulate intracellular pathways network in tumor cells thereby regulating signaling cascades, which results in programmed death of cancer cells, apoptosis. Apoptosis is one of the most potent mechanisms to defense against cancer. During apoptosis, the activation of caspases results in biochemical and morphological changes associated with specific changes in cell phenotype. Besides apoptosis, tumor cells may be also eliminated from organism via necrosis, however the latter process may evoke local inflammation, which in turn may result in detrimental effects within the body. Xenobiotics with potential to cause apoptosis of cancer cells may be considered in modern combined anticancer therapies and/or to assist existing treatments.W środowisku występują substancje obce o charakterze ksenobiotyków, czyli związków chemicznych niesyntetyzowanych w sposób naturalny w ciele człowieka. Wiele takich aktywnych biologicznie związków może być produkowanych przez rośliny. Przeprowadzone dotychczas badania wskazują, że drugorzędowe metabolity roślinne mogą wywierać pozytywny wpływ na zdrowie człowieka. Na przykład wyniki ostatnich obserwacji potwierdziły chemoprewencyjne właściwości katechin. (+)-katechina (ang. (2R,3S)-2-(3,4dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4dihydro-2H-chromene-3,5,7-triol) oraz (-)-galusan epigallokatechiny (ang. EGCG; [(2R,3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-2(3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)chroman-3-yl] 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate) to związki o charakterze ksenobiotyków występujące w diecie człowieka. Ostatnie odkrycia zwracają uwagę w szczególności na proapoptotyczne właściwości związków z tej grupy. Obydwa wymienione związki chemiczne mogą modyfikować przebieg wewnątrzkomórkowych ścieżek sygnałowych w komórkach nowotworowych. Takie oddziaływanie może uruchamiać kaskadę aktywności prowadzącą do apoptozy, programowanej śmierci komórki neoplastycznej. Apoptoza jest jednym z mechanizmów, które wykorzystuje się w nowoczesnych terapiach przeciwnowotworowych. Apoptozę charakteryzuje szereg zmian w przebiegu procesów biochemicznych i morfologii komórki. Komórki nowotworowe mogą być eliminowane również na drodze nekrozy, jednakże ten typ śmierci komórkowej często prowadzi do lokalnego stanu zapalnego, co jest zjawiskiem niekorzystnym dla organizmu. Drugorzędowe metabolity roślinne, takie jak (+)-katechina i (-)-galusan epigallokatechiny, mogą wykazywać zdolność do wywoływania śmierci apoptotycznej komórek nowotworowych i potencjał ten może być wykorzystywany w nowoczesnych przeciwnowotworowych terapiach kombinowanych lub do wspierania istniejącego leczenia

Nuclear analytical techniques used to study the trace element content of Centaurium erythraea Rafn, a medicinal plant species from sites with different pollution loads in Lower Silesia (SW Poland).

Centaurium erythraea (Gentianaceae) is a medicinal plant species with therapeutic potential officially listed in the pharmacopoeias of many European, Asian and American countries. It has had many uses in natural medicine since ancient times and it is collected mostly from wild populations. The aim of this study is to investigate the trace element composition of C. erythraea using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The results of the performed investigations show that INAA has proved to be an efficient analytical technique for the determination of trace elements in medicinal plants. The studied plant contains elements important to the human diet and metabolism that are needed for growth, development and the prevention and curing of disease. A comparison with the reference levels of elements for plants shows that the concentrations of most elements in C. erythraea collected from all types of sites exceed those regarded as the reference. Compared to the values of the elements in C. erythraea from rural areas (LP), the concentrations of most of the investigated elements in C. erythraea collected from the lignite basin, urban areas and in the vicinity of the A4 highway (MP) were significantly higher. The results obtained can be used for control and monitoring in the production of pharmaceuticals based on natural medical plants

The use of mosses in biomonitoring of selected areas in Poland and Spitsbergen in the years from 1975 to 2014

We have compared historical changes in concentrations of the heavy metals Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulated in samples from the Polish woodlands of Beskidy and Karkonosze (S, SE Poland) and the north-east regions of the country, versus the relatively little polluted areas of Spitsbergen of the Svalbard Archipelago. We have combined the results from literature with new results from 2014. The regions of Beskidy and Karkonosze were the most exposed to heavy metals deposition. However, from 1975 to 2014 there was a considerable decrease of concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb at all Polish sites, clearly signifying improvement of environmental quality. For example, the average Cd concentration in mosses samples collected in Karkonosze decreased from 0.002 mg/g in 1975 to 0.0006 mg/g in 2014. It is interesting to observe relatively large concentrations of nickel in moss samples collected in 2014 in the Svalbard archipelago, in the vicinity of Longyearbyen (average 0.018 mg/g) which most likely originate from local mine waste piles. air pollutions, biomonitoring, heavy metals, mosses, Poland, Svalbar