Water for all : Proceedings of the 7th international scientific and professional conference Water for all

The 7th International Scientific and Professional Conference Water for all is organized to honour the World Water Day by the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG), Danube Parks, Croatian Food Agency, Croatian Water, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Department of Chemistry, Nature Park “Kopački rit”, Osijek- Baranja County, Public Health Institute of the Osijek- Baranja County and „Vodovod-Osijek“ -water supply company in Osijek. The topic of World Water Day 2017 was "Wastewater" emphasizing the importance and influence of wastewater treatments on global environment. The international scientific and professional conference Water for all is a gathering of scientists and experts in the field of water management, including chemists, biologists, civil and agriculture engineers, with a goal to remind people about the significance of fresh water and to promote an interdisciplinary approach and sustainability for fresh water resource management. The Conference has been held since 2011. About 300 scientists and engineers submitted 95 abstracts to the 7th International Scientific and Professional Conference Water for all, out of which 33 was presented orally and 62 as posters. 47 full papers were accepted by the Scientific Committee. 38 full papers became the part of the this Proceedings while 9 papers were accepted for publication in Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology and Electronic Journal of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek - e-GFOS

Non-visual sensory physiology and magnetic orientation in the Blind Cave Salamander, Proteus anguinus (and some other cave-dwelling urodele species). Review and new results on light-sensitivity and non-visual orientation in subterranean urodeles (Amphibia)

Schlegel PA, Steinfartz S, Bulog B. Non-visual sensory physiology and magnetic orientation in the Blind Cave Salamander, Proteus anguinus (and some other cave-dwelling urodele species). Review and new results on light-sensitivity and non-visual orientation in subterranean urodeles (Amphibia). ANIMAL BIOLOGY. 2009;59(3):351-384.A review is given on several sensory systems that enable troglophile and troglobian urodele species to orient non-visually in their extreme hypogean habitat. A new sense was discovered allowing the animals to orient according to the Earth's magnetic field, which could serve as a basic and always available reference for general spatial orientation. Moreover, working with permanent magnetic field stimuli offers a very sensitive experimental method to discover the urodeles' thresholds for other sensory modalities such as light, sounds, and other stimuli, perhaps in competition or combination with the magnetic one. Proteus' audition as underwater hearing and light sensitivity due to its partly remaining sensory cells and/or skin sensitivity were studied. Excellent underwater hearing abilities had been demonstrated for Proteus with an acoustic behavioural method. The ability of sound pressure registration in Proteus is supposed to be attained by the tight anatomical junction between the ceiling of the oral cavity and the oval window. More generally, all non-visual sensory capabilities may facilitate certain behavioral strategies, compensating for missing visual orientation. Troglobians are more likely than others to own and regularly use the sensorial opportunities of a magnetic sense for spatial orientation. Compared to their epigean relatives, cave animals may have retained phylogenetically older sensorial properties, transformed or improved them, or finally acquired new ones which enabled them to successfully survive in dark habitats. Neighbor populations living on surface did not necessarily take advantage of these highly evolved sensory systems and orientation strategies of the troglobian species and may have lost them. E.g. Desmognathus ochrophaeus is partly adapted to cave life and exhibits good magnetic sensitivity whereas, D. monticula and D. quadrimaculatus are epigean and, although living in rather dark places, did not demonstrate magnetic sensitivity when tested with our method. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 200

PCB accumulation and tissue distribution in cave salamander (Proteus anguinus anguinus, Amphibia, Urodela) in the polluted karstic hinterland of the Krupa River, Slovenia

For over two decades, a manufacturer of electrical capacitors disposed of its waste within the karstic hinterland of the Krupa River (Slovenia) resulting in the surroundings becomming heavily polluted with PCB. Albeit the extent of the contamination has been known since 1983 and the Krupa River has become one of the most PCB polluted river in Europe, the effects on the cave fauna of the region remain unknown. The most famous cave dweller of the Krupa hinterland is the endemic cave salamander Proteus anguinus anguinus. In this study we determine the levels of PCB in the tissues of the Proteus and in river sediments. The total concentration of PCB in individual tissue samples from specimens of the Krupa spring was between 165.59 μg g−1 and 1560.20 μg g−1 dry wt, which is at least 28-times higher than those from an unpolluted site. The kidneys contained the lowest concentration, while the highest concentration was in subcutaneous fat and tissues with high lipid contents like visceral fat and liver. Total PCB concentrations in sediment samples from the Krupa River were between 5.47 and 59.20 μg g−1 dry wt showing that a high burden of PCB still remains in the region. The most abundant PCB congeners in all analyzed samples were di-ortho substituted (PCB #101, #118, #138 and #158), but higher proportion of mono-ortho PCB was present in sediments. The ability of Proteus to survive a high PCB loading in its environment and especially in its tissues is remarkable. Its partial elimination of low chlorinated and mono-ortho substituted congeners is also reported

Cd, Cu, Zn, Se, and metallothioneins in two amphibians, Necturus maculosus (Amphibia, Caudata) and Bufo bufo (Amphibia, Anura)

The accumulation of cadmium, its affinity for metallothioneins (MTs), and its relation to copper, zinc, and selenium were investigated in the experimental mudpuppy Necturus maculosus and the common toad Bufo bufo captured in nature. Specimens of N. maculosus were exposed to waterborne Cd (85 Žg/L) for up to 40days. Exposure resulted in tissue-dependent accumulation of Cd in the order kidney, gills > intestine, liver, brain > pancreas, skin, spleen, and gonads. During the 40-day exposure, concentrations increased close to 1 Žg/g in kidneys and gills (0.64- 0.95 and 0.52-0.76n04), whereas the levels stayed below 0.5 in liver (0.14-0.29n04) and other organs. Cd exposure was accompanied by an increase of Zn and Cu in kidneys and Zn in skin, while a decrease of Cu was observed in muscles and skin. Cytosol metallothioneins (MTs) were detected as Cu,Zn-thioneins in liver and Zn,Cu-thioneins in gills and kidney, with the presence of Se in all cases. After exposure, Cd binding to MTs was clearly observed in cytosol of gills as Zn,Cu,Cd-thionein and in pellet extract of kidneys as Zn,Cu,Cd-thioneins. The results indicate low Cd storage in liver with almost undetectable Cd in liver MT fractions. In field trapped Bufo bufo (spring and autumn animals), Cd levels were followed in fourorgans and found to be in the order kidney > liver (0.56-5.0 Žg/g >0.03-0.72 Žg/gn011, spring and autumn animals), with no detectable Cd in muscle and skin. At the tissue level, high positive correlations between Cd, Cu, and Se were found in liver (all r>0.80Ž00.05, n05), and between Cd and Se in kidney (r00.76n05) of autumn animals, possibly connected with the storage of excess elements in biologically inert forms. In the liver of springanimals, having higher tissue level of Cd than autumn ones, part of the Cd was identified as Cu,Zn,Cd-thioneins with traces of Se. As both species arespecial in having liver Cu levels higher than Zn, the observed highly preferential Cd load in kidney seems reasonable. The relatively low Cd found in liver can be attributed to its excretion through bile and its inability to displace Cu from MTs. The associations of selenium observed with Cd and/or Cu (on the tissue and cell level) point to selenium involvement in the detoxification of excessive cadmium and copper through immobilization