160 research outputs found
Elemental Concentration in Mealworm Beetle (Tenebrio molitor L.) During Metamorphosis
Mealworm beetles have been used in numerous
experiments as bioindicators. The aim of our experiment
was to study the elemental composition in three larvae,
pupae and first and second generation adult stages during
their life cycle. We selected 180 larvae from a genetically
similar population and put them in three groups, in two
boxes (60 larvae in each box). Larvae were fed with mashed
potato made of the same quality and quantity of potato
powder. Then, we selected 10 individuals from each stage
to the elemental analysis, using the ICP-OES method. The
following elements were analysed in the studied stages: Ca,
Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Sr and Zn. The results of
principal component analysis demonstrated that based on
elemental composition, different stages were separated with
each other, but in the cases of the three larvae stages, high
overlap was found. The results of the GLM ANOVA
showed significant differences between the different stages
of metamorphosis-based elemental composition. Our results
show that the calcium and magnesium were found in a
relatively high concentration, while the iron and zinc may
be essential elements during the metamorphosis. Our results
also show that in insect, the concentration of sodium was
higher than in the pupa which may cause by hemolymph.
We also demonstrated that the metamorphosis has an effect
on the concentration of elements. Our study shows that in
the different stages of insects, there are significant changes
in the elemental composition of different stages of insects
during their metamorphosis
The effect of a fireworks event on the amount and elemental concentration of deposited dust collected in the city of Debrecen, Hungary
Many social celebrations in urban areas are follow-
ed by fireworks show. The organic and inorganic pollutants
emitted during detonations are expected to affect the ambient
air quality of these celebration sites. The environmental as-
pects of fireworks events are usually investigated by analyzing
the concentration and composition of airborne particulate
matter, while there is limited information regarding the effect
of fireworks on the elemental concentration of deposited dust.
In this study, foliage dust samples were collected in the city of
Debrecen (Hungary) before and after the fireworks show,
organized on the 20th of August for the celebration of a
historical event. Leaf samples (
Tilia tomentosa
)werecollected
around the location of the area of festivities. The sampling
sites were further divided into five areas: city center (center),
Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW), Northeast (NE), and North-
west (NW). We found that the amount of deposited dust
particles increased significantly after the fireworks show
compared to the background; we also found significant dif-
ferences in the amount of dust deposition between the differ-
ent locations of the city. A statistically higher level of Ca, Mg,
and Sr was detected in samples collected after the display
compared to those collected during the previous days, while
the concentration of other studied elements were not statisti-
cally different from the background level. Our study con-
firmed previous findings that the relatively high altitude of
detonations allows chemicals to disperse in the fine and ultra-
fine aerosol fractions; thus, the emitted pollutants by fireworks
shows do not increase the level of elements as markedly in
deposited dust as in the inhalable fraction
Elemental concentrations in deposited dust on leaves along an urbanization gradient
Environmental health is an essential component of the quality of life in modern societies. Monitoring of environmental
quality and the assessment of environmental risks are often species based on the elemental concentration
of deposited dust. Our result suggested that stomata size and distribution were the most important factors
influencing the accumulation of air contaminants in leaves. We found that the leaves' surfaces of Acer negundo
and Celtis occidentaliswere covered by a large number of trichomes, and these species have proven to be suitable
biomonitors for atmospheric pollution difficult; these can be overcome using bioindicator species. Leaves of
Padus serotina, Acer campestre, A. negundo, Quercus robur and C. occidentaliswere used to assess the amount of deposited
dust and the concentration of contaminants in deposited dust in and around the city of Debrecen,
Hungary. Samples were collected from an urban, suburban and rural area along an urbanization gradient. The
concentrations of Ba, Cu, Fe,Mn, Ni, Pb, S, Sr and Zn were determined in deposited dust using ICP–OES. Scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) was used to explore the morphological structure and dust absorbing capacity of
leaves. We found significant differences in dust deposition among species, and dust deposition correlated with
trichomes' density. Principal component analysis (PCA) also showed a total separation of tree
The effect of a fireworks event on the amount and elemental concentration of deposited dust collected in the city of Debrecen, Hungary
Inorganic chemical composition of dust deposited on oleander (Nerium oleander L.) leaves
Elemental composition of dust deposited onto leaf
surfaces was analysed in this study. Leaves of oleander
(
Nerium oleander
L.) were collected for testing the environ-
mental quality from Tripoli (Libya), Tajura (suburban of
Tripoli) and Ghadames (remote
area). Elemental analysis
was carried out by ICP-OES. Principle component analysis
(PCA) and enrichment factors were used for characterizing
and estimating the level of t
he pollution. Samples from
Tripoli were found to have higher contents of Pb, Zn, Cu in
comparison with suburban (Tajura) and remote (Ghadames)
areas. Our results demonstrated that the leaves of
Nerium
oleander
were useful indicator to assessment of atmospheric
deposition. Only limited information is available on environ-
mental issues in Libya and the results reported here may con-
tribute significantly to the assessment of the quality of the
environment in this country
Assessment of the effects of urbanization on trace elements of toe bones
Amphibians, particularly frogs and toads, are
increasingly used as bioindicators of contaminant
accumulation in pollution studies. We developed an
analytical technique to analyse their elemental contents
based on a small amount of toe bone samples. This
method is environment-friendly as, unlike traditional
methods, it is not necessary to kill animals during
sampling. Using this technique, we explored the effects
of urbanization on the elemental contents of toe bones.
Bufo bufo
specimens were collected from an urban
and two rural ponds. The ratios of Ca and P at the
ponds were: 20.5% Ca and 14.6% P at the urban pond
and 30.4% and 29.6% Ca, 22.4% and 21.7% P at the
rural ponds, respectively. For the other elements, the
following percentage ratios were found: 0.7% B,
0.3% Mg and 0.06% Zn at the urban pond and 1.1%
and 0.4% B, 0.4% Mg and 0.05% Zn at the rural
ponds, respectively. Canonical discriminant analysis
indicated the separation of the urban and the rural
ponds based on the elemental concentrations of toe
bones. Significant differences were found between the
concentrations of Ca, P, Mg, B and Zn at the urban
and the rural ponds (
p
<0.05). Anthropogenic activity
was found to have effects on the elemental contents of
toe bones in the urbanized area. Our study also
demonstrated that the developed method was appro-
priate for the elemental analysis of small samples to
assess the effects of urbanization
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