Cd-Fe interactions: comparison of the effects of iron deficiency and cadmium on growth and photosynthetic performance in poplar

To check the importance of Cd-induced iron deficiency in Cd stress, symptoms of Cd stress were compared with those of iron deficiency or the combination of these two stresses. Poplar plants grown in hydroponics with Fe-EDTA (e) or Fe-citrate (c) up to four-leaf stage were treated for two weeks either by the withdrawal of iron (Fedef), or supplying 10 μM Cd(NO3)2 in the presence (Cad) or absence of an iron source (Fedef + Cad). Cadmium and iron content of leaves developing under the stress was in the order of cCad > eCad > cFedef + Cad and cCad ≈ eFedef ≈ cFedef + Cad < eCad < cFedef, respectively. Growth inhibition was much stronger in Cad than Fedef plants. The inhibitory effects on CO2 fixation, maximal and actual efficiency of PSII, chlorophyll synthesis, as well as the stimulation of the accumulation of violaxanthin cycle components and increase in non-photochemical quenching were the strongest in cFedef+Cad plants, otherwise these parameters changed parallel to the iron deficiency of leaves. Tendency of changes in thylakoid composition were similar under Cad treatments and strong iron deficiency: particularly PSI and LHCII decreased. Therefore, the development of the photosynthetic apparatus under Cd stress was mainly influenced by the Cd-induced strong iron deficiency, while leaf growth was affected primarily by the presence of Cd.

Identification and quantification of ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen and diclofenac present in waste-waters, as their trimethylsilyl derivatives, by gas chromatography mass spectrometry

This paper reports a derivatization, mass fragmentation study relating to the most common, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen and diclofenac, identified and quantified in the aquatic environment. Derivatizations have been performed with four silylation reagents in order to select the most proper one, taking into account analytical and financial points of view, equally. The tested reagents were N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA), N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA), N-methyl-N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) and for this purpose at the first time, hexamethyldisilazan (HMDS)+trifluoroacetic acid (TFAA). Varying derivatization time and temperature, taking into consideration chemical and financial advantages, HMDS+TFAA proved to be the optimum selection. Responses of derivatives have been compared, as a function of the ionization technique (external/internal ionization), as well as on the treatment of compounds' selective fragment ions (SFIs): (i) extracting the corresponding, characteristic m/z masses from TIC elutions and (ii) from SIM elutions, in parallel. Reproducibilities of measurements, expressed in relative standard deviation percentages (R.S.D.%), including the nanogram and the low picogram levels of injected derivatives, provided an average between 0.93 R.S.D.% and 4.11 R.S.D.%. NSAIDs' enrichment was performed with solid-phase extraction (SPE), applying the Oasis HLB (Waters) cartridges: recoveries in the 1-6 microg L(-1) range varied between 84% and 111%, with an average reproducibility of 6.4 R.S.D.%. The utility of the optimized derivatization method is presented, on monthly basis, by the identification and quantitation of the ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen and diclofenac content of the influent and effluent waste-water samples obtained from a Hungarian waste-water treatment plant.

Speciation of beryllium, nickel, and vanadium in soil samples from Csepel Island, Hungary

Sequential leaching methods have been used for the speciation of Be, Ni, and V in five soil samples from Csepel Island on the Danube river located near an oil-fired power plant. The concentrations of the elements of the extracts were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The total efficiency (the sum of the extracted metals divided by metal fraction which is soluble in aqua regia) of the five-step method was always higher. The difference for Ni was considerable, because of the high abundance of Ni found in the moderately reducible fraction, which is absent from the three-step method. The sum of the mobile species (exchangeable, carbonatic, and easily reducible) determined by both methods, were in reasonable agreement; this was not so for the individual fractions. There were greater differences between the non-mobile fractions (moderately reducible and oxidizable), because of the presence or absence of the moderately reducible fraction. For both methods there was good correlation between the oxidizable fraction and the organic matter content of the soils.

Investigation of the transported heavy metal ions in xylem sap of cucumber plants by size exclusion chromatography and atomic absorption spectrometry

An 'off-line' high performance liquid chromatography-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HPLC-GF-AAS) method using a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) column was developed to investigate heavy metal ions in xylem sap samples of cucumber plants grown in hydroponics containing iron as Fe(III)-ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Fe(III) EDTA), Fe(III) citrate or FeCl3 and exposed to lead, nickel or vanadium contamination. The SEC chromatogram of the samples contained the peak of nitrate ions (in significant concentration approximately 1400 microg/ml) and some small, unidentified compounds with molecular weight lower than 700 Da. The results indicate that Cu and Mn--which were added to the hydroponics as nutrient elements--determined in the collected fractions during the chromatographic runs are transported in the xylem vessels together with small inorganic ions like nitrate ions. In case of nickel other low-molecular weight compounds eluting earlier than the nitrate ions may take part in its transport toward the shoots. Lead could not be detected in the above mentioned fractions. Determination of vanadium in the fractions was not expected since it could not be detected in the sap samples.