Glossary on atmospheric electricity and its effects on biology

[EN] There is an increasing interest to study the interactions between atmospheric electrical parameters and living organisms at multiple scales. So far, relatively few studies have been published that focus on possible biological effects of atmospheric electric and magnetic fields. To foster future work in this area of multidisciplinary research, here we present a glossary of relevant terms. Its main purpose is to facilitate the process of learning and communication among the different scientific disciplines working on this topic. While some definitions come from existing sources, other concepts have been re-defined to better reflect the existing and emerging scientific needs of this multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary area of research.This paper is based upon work from the COST Action "Atmospheric Electricity Network: coupling with the Earth System, climate and biological systems (ELECTRONET)," supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). 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Challenges in coupling atmospheric electricity with biological systems

The atmosphere is host to a complex electric environment, ranging from a global electric circuit generating fluctuating atmospheric electric fields to local lightning strikes and ions. While research on interactions of organisms with their electrical environment is deeply rooted in the aquatic environment, it has hitherto been confined to interactions with local electrical phenomena and organismal perception of electric fields. However, there is emerging evidence of coupling between large- and small-scale atmospheric electrical phenomena and various biological processes in terrestrial environments that even appear to be tied to continental waters. Here, we synthesize our current understanding of this connectivity, discussing how atmospheric electricity can affect various levels of biological organization across multiple ecosystems. We identify opportunities for research, highlighting its complexity and interdisciplinary nature and draw attention to both conceptual and technical challenges lying ahead of our future understanding of the relationship between atmospheric electricity and the organization and functioning of biological systems

Desorption of 137Cs+ from mosses

Mosses are biomonitors that accumulate large amounts of various pollutants, including radionuclides. In this work we investigated the possibility of 137Cs extraction from mosses, as well as the significance of species specificity on the efficiency of 137Cs desorption. Salt and acid solutions were used as extraction media. It was shown that a 5 % solution of both ammonium oxalate and phosphoric acid was able to desorb 81.8 % of 137Cs+ from Homalothecium sericeum, which was 39.9 % more than desorption from water. At the same time, most of the desorbed 137Cs+ was incorporated in crystals that precipitated from the solution. An interspecies difference in respect to 137Cs+ desorption was noticed

Neural networks in analysing 137Cs behaviour in the air in the Belgrade area

The application of the principal component analysis and artificial neural network method in forecasting Cs-137 behaviour in the air as the function of meteorological parameters is presented. The model was optimized and tested using Cs-137 specific activities obtained by standard gamma-ray spectrometric analysis of air samples collected in Belgrade (Serbia) during 2009-2011 and meteorological data for the same period. Low correlation (r = 0.20) between experimental values of Cs-137 specific activities and those predicted by artificial neural network was obtained. This suggests that artificial neural network in the case of prediction of Cs-137 specific activity; using temperature, insolation, and global Sun warming does not perform well, which can be explained by the relative independence of Cs-137 specific activity of particular meteorological parameters and not by the ineffectiveness of artificial neural network in relating these parameters in general

Geospatial mapping of health risk from trace metal(loid)s in the soil at an abandoned painting factory

A survey was made to analyze the geostatistical (GIS) distribution of the health risk of toxic trace metal(loid)s in the industrial soil located in the facility of an abandoned paints manufacturing company. A total of eighty surface soil samples were collected, and their concentrations determined. The mean concentration values of the elements were 7.8; 2.7; 55; 49; 0.21; 56; 114; and 239 mg/kg for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn, respectively. There was no non-carcinogenic health risk from the soil samples for adults, but it was hazardous soil for children with the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) values exceeding the reference value of 10-4 for all studied samples. Most contributing toxic metal(loid)s to non-carcinogenic risk were Cr and As, whereas Pb and As were most responsible for cancer risk. Geospatial mapping of the hazard index (HI) and ELCR localized different hotspots seriously polluted by toxic metal(loid)s, which pose a significant risk in the area. These hotspots coincided with the evidence of transport-related activities and spillage of chemicals in the past. This GIS spatial distribution study could be a valuable aid in remediation planning

Transfer of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides to ants, bryophytes and lichen in a semi-natural ecosystem

Few data are available to quantify the transfer of both natural and anthropogenic radionuclides to detritivorous invertebrates to facilitate estimation of the internal dose to such biota in models used to assess radiation exposure. To enhance the available data, activity concentrations of 137Cs, 40K, 90Sr, 239 + 240Pu, 241Am, 235U and 238U were measured in ants (Formicidae) and corresponding undisturbed soil collected from the Zlatibor mountain in Serbia and ant/soil concentration ratios (CR) calculated. The 241Am concentration ratios for ants were fourfold higher than those calculated for ants in a previous study whereas they are similar to the more numerous data previously reported for a range of detritivorous invertebrates in other studies. CR values for 137Cs in ants were similar to the few other reported values and slightly lower than those for a range of detritivorous invertebrates. Those for 239 + 240Pu were slightly higher than those for ants in two other studies but they were close to upper limit of a range of data reported for detritivorous invertebrates. All the CR values will be included in a future revision of the ERICA Tool database and will particularly improve the information available for uranium

Glossary on atmospheric electricity and its effects on biology

There is an increasing interest to study the interactions between atmospheric electrical parameters and living organisms at multiple scales. So far, relatively few studies have been published that focus on possible biological effects of atmospheric electric and magnetic fields. To foster future work in this area of multidisciplinary research, here we present a glossary of relevant terms. Its main purpose is to facilitate the process of learning and communication among the different scientific disciplines working on this topic. While some definitions come from existing sources, other concepts have been re-defined to better reflect the existing and emerging scientific needs of this multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary area of research