Spatially Explicit Analysis of Metal Transfer to Biota: Influence of Soil Contamination and Landscape

Concepts and developments for a new field in ecotoxicology, referred to as “landscape ecotoxicology,” were proposed in the 1990s; however, to date, few studies have been developed in this emergent field. In fact, there is a strong interest in developing this area, both for renewing the concepts and tools used in ecotoxicology as well as for responding to practical issues, such as risk assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of metal bioaccumulation in animals in order to identify the role of spatially explicit factors, such as landscape as well as total and extractable metal concentrations in soils. Over a smelter-impacted area, we studied the accumulation of trace metals (TMs: Cd, Pb and Zn) in invertebrates (the grove snail Cepaea sp and the glass snail Oxychilus draparnaudi) and vertebrates (the bank vole Myodes glareolus and the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula). Total and CaCl2-extractable concentrations of TMs were measured in soils from woody patches where the animals were captured. TM concentrations in animals exhibited a high spatial heterogeneity. They increased with soil pollution and were better explained by total rather than CaCl2-extractable TM concentrations, except in Cepaea sp. TM levels in animals and their variations along the pollution gradient were modulated by the landscape, and this influence was species and metal specific. Median soil metal concentrations (predicted by universal kriging) were calculated in buffers of increasing size and were related to bioaccumulation. The spatial scale at which TM concentrations in animals and soils showed the strongest correlations varied between metals, species and landscapes. The potential underlying mechanisms of landscape influence (community functioning, behaviour, etc.) are discussed. Present results highlight the need for the further development of landscape ecotoxicology and multi-scale approaches, which would enhance our understanding of pollutant transfer and effects in ecosystems

Sustaining the future through virtual worlds

Virtual worlds (VWs) continue to be used extensively in Australia and New Zealand higher education institutions although the tendency towards making unrealistic claims of efficacy and popularity appears to be over. Some educators at higher education institutions continue to use VWs in the same way as they have done in the past; others are exploring a range of different VWs or using them in new ways; whilst some are opting out altogether. This paper presents an overview of how 46 educators from some 26 institutions see VWs as an opportunity to sustain higher education. The positives and negatives of using VWs are discussed

Electroosmosis effect on micro permeability through rock samples

It is a well known fact that a liquid flowing through a microporous media creates a potential difference between entry and exit of the sample. This phenomenon is known as streaming potential. In an other hand, when a potential difference is applied through an impregnate rock sample, a flow is induced, this is called electroosmosis effect. In this paper, we examine electroosmosis experiments made in a percolation cell in which two gold electrodes are placed in the inner and in the outer chamber. The temperature, the pressure and potential difference, the flow, the current and the chemical composition of water in chambers may be recorded. Experiment consist to the application of electric field through the sample and to observe the evolution of the flow, the electrical current and the chemical dissolution

Impact of the laminar flow on the electrical double layer development

As soon as a liquid comes into contact with a solid, physicochemical reactions occur at the solid-liquid interface to form an electrical double layer. According to the classical theory, it is assumed that the laminar flow has no impact on the global rate of the physicochemical reactions (Kf). However, recent studies have shown that this assumption is not consistent with the experimental results. It seems that Kf is impacted by the flow velocity of the liquid. The aim of this work is to compare the experimental behavior with the numerical simulation taking this variation into account.Fil: Leblanc, P.. Université de Poitiers; FranciaFil: Cabaleiro, Juan Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica. Laboratorio de Fluidodinámica; Argentina. Universidad de la Marina Mercante; ArgentinaFil: Paillat, T.. Université de Poitiers; FranciaFil: Touchard, G.. Université de Poitiers; Franci