Impact of heavy metals on mass and energy flux within the decomposition process in deciduous forests

Uptake of Cd, Zn and Mn by willow increases during terrestrialisation of initially ponded polluted sediments

Metal concentration of plants growing on contaminated soils among other factors may depend on changes in the hydrological regime of the soil. Foliar and stem metal concentrations in Salix cinerea (grey sallow) were measured in 2 consecutive growing seasons on a submerged sediment-derived soil that underwent gradual terrestrialisation. Foliar and stem cutting concentrations for Cd, Zn and Mn increased on plots that were submerged during the first year, but emerged in the second year of monitoring. The litter layer was sampled under the shrubs of a plot with a recent abrupt change in hydrological regime and on the reference plot. It was separated in three size fractions through sieving. Analysis of the litter fractions suggested that Cd and Zn concentrations remained constant during fragmentation. However, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations increased, which was attributed to adhesion of mineral soil particles on the fine fraction. After correction for the metal content in the mineral fraction, an increase in Cd, Mn and Cu concentration during fragmentation of the organic part of the litter layer was observed for the polluted plot. Net litter layer decomposition rate was low, which may indicate low colonisation by the decomposing community. Terrestrialisation resulted in higher Cd, Mn and Zn uptake by willows. The deviant litter layer metal concentrations for Cd, Zn and Mn and low decomposition rate must be further monitored. Feasibility of measures aiming at re-establishing wetland conditions for the dredged sediment landfill must be considered.

Lead contamination of an old shooting range affecting the local ecosystem--A case study with a holistic approach

The aim of this case study was to uncover the consequences of lead pellet-derived heavy lead contamination at a cast-off shooting range in southern Finland, covering aspects from soil chemistry and biology up to ecosystem level. The observed changes in the soil properties of the most contaminated areas suggest that the contamination may be disturbing processes of decomposition and nutrient mineralisation. Also two functionally important groups of soil organisms, microbes (as analysed using the PLFA analysis) and enchytraeid worms, were negatively affected by the contamination. Furthermore, there was an indication of reduced pine litter production at the contaminated areas. On the other hand, lead contamination appears not to have affected pine growth or soil-dwelling nematodes and microarthropods, and the general outlook of the whole ecosystem is that of a healthy forest. Thus, the boreal forest ecosystem studied as a whole appears to bear strong resistance to contamination, despite negative effects of lead on many of its components. This resistance may result from e.g. low bioavailability of lead, avoidance of the most contaminated soil horizons and microsites by the organisms, and functional redundancy and development of lead-tolerant populations amongst the organisms. The relative importance of these factors and the mechanisms behind them will be investigated in forthcoming studies.

Energy reserves and metal-storage granules in the hepatopancreas of Oniscus asellus and Porcellio scaber (Isopoda) from a metal gradient at Avonmouth, UK

Isopods taken from populations of Onsicus asellus and Porcellio scaber from long-term polluted sites in the vicinity of metal smelting works at Avonmouth, South West England, and from a control site near Tübingen, South Germany, were examined for the frequency and size of metal-containing granules (spherites), lipid droplets and glycogen in their hepatopancreas. The number and size of spherites in the hepatopancreas of O. asellus increased with decreasing distance to the smelter, but such a trend was not found in P. scaber. A trend towards massive reduction in hepatopancreatic energy reserves (lipid, glycogen) with increasing soil metal pollution was observed for O. asellus while, in contrast, the lipid and glycogen content of P. scaber midgut gland cells was independent of the distance to the smelter. In view of previous reports on metal accumulation and biochemical responses to metal pollution, we propose that the two investigated isopod species, which form stable populations in the Avonmouth metal gradient, use different strategies to survive.

Lead impact on nutrition, energy reserves, respiration and stress protein (hsp 70) level in Porcellio scaber (Isopoda) populations differently preconditioned in their habitats

The impact of lead on food consumption, energy metabolism and the stress protein (hsp 70) level was investigated in the woodlouse Porcellio scaber (Isopoda), a common representative of the saprophagous soil macrofauna. To examine possible acclimation or tolerance to lead in woodlice from a contaminated habitat, animals of two populations, one deriving from a lead-contaminated artillery range and one from an uncontaminated control stand, were exposed to a series of lead concentrations under otherwise constant laboratory conditions for a maximum of 80 days. The applied lead concentrations (at a maximum 7945 mg/kg food dry wt) did not have any significant quantitative effect on the food consumption of the isopods, although the population pre-exposed in the artillery range showed a tendency toward a higher food uptake than the control population. After 80 days of exposure, both populations showed an equal trend toward increasing their respiration as lead concentrations, that they had been fed on, were increased. Accordingly, the glycogen content of the body, in both populations, was elevated with increasing lead concentrations in the food. This effect was more pronounced in the pre-exposed isopod population than in the one from the control stand. The non-pre-exposed isopods showed a general tendency toward a lower protein content of their bodies than the pre-exposed ones, although no effect of the lead on this parameter could be statistically proven. The ability of the artillery range isopods to synthesise stress proteins (hsp 70) in response to lead contamination decreased at much lower lead concentrations in their food than in the non-pre-exposed control population, even though the artillery range isopods seemed to be equally or even slightly better equipped with energy storage products. Even though the better nutrient status of these animals might refer to some lead tolerance of the pre-exposed population, the stress protein data suggest that a metal-resistant Porcellio population did not evolve in this lead-contaminated site.

The impact of heavy metals on the grey garden slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Müller): Metal storage, cellular effects and semi-quantitative evaluation of metal toxicity

Laboratory-reared grey garden slugs, Deroceras reticulatum, were exposed to soil and food treated with solutions of three metal salts (CdCl2, ZnCl2, PbCl2) in three environmentally relevant concentrations, each for 21 days. Metal concentrations were determined in the soil, food and slugs by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Zinc was localized ultrastructurally in the hepatopancreatic cells by means of energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). Zinc, and also high amounts of copper, could be detected by electron spectroscopical imaging (ESI) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in spherites of the basophilic cells. Ultrastructural responses to metal impact were investigated in two cell types of the hepatopancreas (digestive and basophilic cells) and the cellular responses were found to be dose- and metal-dependent. In order to evaluate the toxicity of the respective metal concentrations to the slugs, the ultrastructural reactions were semi-quantified and summarized as complex reaction patterns of numerous organelles. This novel approach provides a basis for the use of data from standardized tests as a background for risk assessment studies in the field.