bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emission of legacy chlorinated pesticides from agricultural and orchard soils in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Bidleman Terry F. , Leone Andi D. , Wong Fiona , van Vliet Laurens , Szeto Sunny , Ripley Brian D.
Published: May 2006

Air samples were collected above agricultural fields in the Fraser Valley and orchards in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada, to investigate volatilization of organochlorine pesticides used in the past. Concentrations of pesticides in air were elevated over soils that contained higher residues. Soil/air fugacity ratios at sites with the higher soil residues were calculated relative to air sampled at 40 cm height and background air. The fugacity ratios in the first case indicated net volatilization or soil-air equilibrium for most compounds and occasional net deposition for p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (p,p′-DDE), whereas those in the second case showed a strong potential for net volatilization of all compounds. The enantiomer fraction (EF) of chiral compounds α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, and o,p′-DDT were determined in overlying air samples and soils. Enantiomer fractions in air corresponded to those in soils at fields in which soil concentrations were high but were decoupled from soil signatures at fields with low soil residues. Mean EFs in air sampled over soils were significantly (p < 0.001) nonracemic for α-HCH and the chlordanes and agreed with published EFs in regional ambient air. The mean EF of o,p′-DDT for all air samples did not show a significant deviation from racemic EFs (p > 0.2), but EFs of individual samples reflected the ambivalent nature of o,p′-DDT degradation, sometimes preferring the (+) enantiomer and other times the (−) enantiomer. The study indicates that soils are continuing to emit “legacy” pesticides into the regional atmosphere.
The persistent DDT metabolite, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene, alters thyroid hormone-dependent genes, hepatic cytochrome P4503A, and pregnane × receptor gene expressions in atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr
Authors: Mortensen Anne S. , Arukwe Augustine
Published: May 2006

The present study investigated the effects of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) on the thyroid and steroid-metabolizing system in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr. Fish were exposed to waterborne DDE and thyroxine (T4), both singly and in combination, for 5 d. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSHβ), T4 deiodinase (T4ORD), thyroid receptors (TRα and TRβ), and insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor (IGF-1R) were analyzed using quantitative (real-time) polymerase chain reaction in liver, brain, and kidney, whereas cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A) and pregnane × receptor (PXR) mRNA levels were analyzed only in the liver. Exposure to DDE and T4, both singly and in combination, inhibited TSHβ expression in the brain. The DDE induced TSHβ in the liver, and T4 inhibited TSHβ in the liver and kidney, both singly and in combination with DDE. The DDT-metabolite DDE induced T4ORD expression in the kidney and liver, and combined exposure with T4 inhibited T4ORD expression in the brain, kidney, and liver. The IGF-1R and TRα expressions were induced by DDE and T4 singly in the brain, whereas combined exposure with both compounds did not affect IGF-1R and TRd transcript levels. Whereas T4 inhibited TRβ expression in the liver, exposure to DDE, both singly and in combination with T4, induced TRβ transcript levels in the liver. Exposure to T4 and DDE, both singly and in combination, resulted in a parallel pattern of CYP3A and PXR mRNA induction in the liver. These results indicate that DDE alters thyroid hormone–dependent genes and hepatic CYP3A and PXR levels. The hepatic modulation of CYP3A and PXR transcript levels by DDE represents a novel aspect of DDE toxicity that, to our knowledge, has not been demonstrated previously in fish. Therefore, the present study demonstrates some possible physiological and endocrine consequences from exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals for salmon parr during smoltification.
Changes in antibacterial activity of triclosan and sulfa drugs due to photochemical transformations
Authors: Wammer Kristine H. , Lapara Timothy M. , McNeill Kristopher , Arnold William A. , Swackhamer Deborah L.
Published: May 2006

Sulfa drugs and triclosan represent two classes of antibacterials that have been found in natural waters and for which photodegradation is anticipated to be a significant loss process. Parent antibacterial compounds and the products of photolysis reactions were compared for three sulfa drugs and triclosan to determine the extent to which photolysis affects their antibacterial potency on Escherichia coli DH5α. Sulfathiazole (median effective concentration [EC50] = 20.0 μM), sulfamethoxazole (EC50 = 12.3 μM), and sulfachloropyridazine (EC50 = 6.9 μM) inhibited bacterial growth but did not affect respiratory activity. Photolysis products of these sulfa drugs did not retain any measurable ability to inhibit growth. Triclosan inhibited both the growth (EC50 = 0.24 μM) and respiratory activity of E. coli DH5α. Triclosan photolysis products also exhibited no measurable effect on growth or respiratory activity. These experiments indicate that the products of triclosan and sulfa drug photolysis are unlikely to possess antibacterial activity in natural waters. The rapid screening method used for these two classes of compounds will be useful for helping to identify photolabile antibacterial compounds, for which photoproducts could require further investigation.
Sampling methods to determine the spatial gradients and flux of arsenic at a groundwater seepage zone
Authors: Gan Ping , Yu Ran , Smets Barth F. , MacKay Allison A.
Published: May 2006

Sampling techniques with centimeter-scale spatial resolution were applied to investigate biogeochemical processes controlling groundwater arsenic fate across the groundwater-surface water interface at a site characterized by fine sediments (40% sand, 46% silt, 14% clay). Freeze-core sediment collection gave more detailed and depth-accurate arsenic and iron contaminant and microbial distributions than could be obtained with the use of a hand auger. Selective chemical extractions indicated that greater than 90% of the arsenic was strongly sorbed to very amorphous iron oxyhydroxides. These solids accounted for more than 80% of the total iron in the sediments. Microbial enrichments indicated that iron-oxidizing bacteria (IOB) were up to 1% of the total bacterial abundance, whereas iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) were about two orders of magnitude less abundant than IOB. The abundance of IRB mirrored the IOB depth profile. Push-point pore-water sampling captured large amounts of sediment fines, even with controlled (20 ml/min) water withdrawal, thereby necessitating filtration before water quality analysis. Bead columns containing glass media enabled short-term (29 d) characterization of pore water-to-sediment transfer of arsenic and iron. Bead columns indicated quantitative capture of groundwater arsenic and iron during 2003, suggesting that freeze-core inventories corresponded to 2 to 20 years of accumulation, depending on location.
Ecological effects of the insecticide imidacloprid and a pollutant from antidandruff shampoo in experimental rice fields
Authors: Sánchez-Bayo Francisco , Goka Kouichi
Published: May 2006

Ecological changes caused by the insecticide imidacloprid and a pollutant from antidandruff shampoos (zinc pyrithione) were monitored in experimental paddies throughout a cultivation period. A total of 88 species were observed, with 54 of them aquatic. Plankton, nekton, benthic, and terrestrial communities from imidacloprid fields had significantly less abundance of organisms compared with control and shampoo-treated fields, either for the entire period or during early stages. The absence of Chironomus yoshimatsui and typical paddy ostracods from imidacloprid fields was most remarkable; as a consequence, green algae blooms (Spirogyra sp.) developed, which in turn hampered the establishment of weeds. Such changes occurred while residues of imidacloprid in water were present at levels greater than 1 μg/L. The overall diversity was similar in all fields and increased constantly until the end of the study. Phytophagous insects dominated in early communities, gradually giving way to predators and scavengers during late stages, but imidacloprid fields had a lower proportion of the latter trophic group. Multivariate analyses helped to describe and differentiate the communities between treatments and control. Hazard- and risk-assessment methods overestimated the effects of zinc pyrithione but failed to predict imidacloprid impacts, probably because of deficiencies in the exposure and relevant toxicity data used.
Dietary exposure of mink (Mustela vison) to fish from the Housatonic River, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA: Effects on reproduction, kit growth, and survival
Authors: Bursian Steven J. , Sharma Chanda , Aulerich Richard J. , Yamini Behzad , Mitchell Rachel R. , Orazio Carl E. , Moore Dwayne R. J. , Svirsky Susan , Tillitt Donald E.
Published: May 2006

We evaluated the effects of feeding farm-raised mink (Mustela vison) diets containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated fish from the Housatonic River (HR; Berkshire County, MA, USA) on adult reproductive performance and kit growth and survival. Diets contained 0.22–3.54% HR fish, providing 0.34–3.7 μg total PCBs (TPCB)/g feed wet wt (3.5–68.5 pg toxic equivalence [TEQ]/g). Female mink were fed diets before breeding through weaning of kits. Twelve kits from each treatment were maintained on their respective diets for an additional 180 d. Dietary PCBs had no effect on the number of offspring produced, gestation period, or other measures of adult reproductive performance. Mink kits exposed to 3.7 μg TPCB/g feed (68.5 pg TEQ/g) in utero and during lactation had reduced survivability between three and six weeks of age. The lethal concentrations to 10 and 20% of the population (LC10 and LC20, respectively) were estimated to be 0.231 and 0.984 μg TPCB/g feed, respectively. Because inclusion of PCB-contaminated fish that composed approximately 1% of the diet would reduce mink kit survival by 20% or more, it is likely that consumption of up to 30-fold that quantity of HR fish, as could be expected for wild mink, would have an adverse effect on wild mink populations.
Dietary exposure of mink (Mustela vison) to fish from the Housatonic River, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA: Effects on organ weights and histology and hepatic concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalence
Authors: Bursian Steven J. , Sharma Chanda , Aulerich Richard J. , Yamini Behzad , Mitchell Rachel R. , Beckett Kerrie J. , Orazio Carl E. , Moore Dwayne , Svirsky Susan , Tillitt Donald E.
Published: May 2006

The effects of feeding ranch mink (Mustela vison) diets containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated fish (88 gold fish [Carassius auratus] weighing a total of 70.3 kg and 16 carp [Cyprinus carpio] weighing a total of 77.3 kg) collected from the Housatonic River (HR; Berkshire County, MA, USA) in October 1999 on organ weights and histology and hepatic concentrations of total PCBs (ΣPCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalence (TEQ) were evaluated. Diets contained 0.22 to 3.54% HR fish, which provided 0.34 to 3.7 μg ΣPCBs/g feed (3.5-69 pg TEQ/g feed). Female mink were fed the diets eight weeks before breeding through weaning of kits at six weeks of age. Offspring were maintained on their respective diets for an additional 180 d. The dietary concentration of PCBs that caused a decrease in kit survival (3.7 μg ΣPCBs/g feed [69 pg TEQ/g]) resulted in a maternal hepatic concentration of 3.1 μg ΣPCBs/g wet weight (218 pg TEQ/g). Organ weights were not consistently affected. Mandibular and maxillary squamous cell proliferation was apparent in 31-week-old juveniles exposed to as low as 0.96 (xg ΣPCBs/g feed (9.2 pg TEQ/g). Juveniles in this treatment group had a liver concentration of 1.7 μg ΣPCBs/g wet weight (40 pg TEQ/g). Because inclusion of PCB-contaminated fish, which comprised approximately 1% of the diet, resulted in mandibular and maxillary squamous cell proliferation, it is possible that consumption of up to 30-fold that quantity of HR fish, as could be expected for wild mink, would result in more severe lesions characterized by loss of teeth, thus impacting survivability.
Natural attenuation of pharmaceuticals and alkylphenol polyethoxylate metabolites during river transport: Photochemical and biological transformation
Authors: Lin Angela Yu-Chen , Plumlee Megan H. , Reinhard Martin
Published: May 2006

The capacity of rivers to naturally attenuate trace organic compounds is an important but poorly understood process because the many factors that control attenuation are interrelated and difficult to study in isolation. To better understand the relative importance of chemical (photolysis and sorption) and biological attenuation processes, contaminant removal along a 12-km stretch of the Santa Ana River (SAR) was determined as a function of travel time, distance, and irradiance. Target contaminants included three pharmaceuticals (gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, and naproxen) and their metabolites, and the metabolites of alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEMs). The APEMs included alkylphenols (APs), short-chain alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEOs), alkylphenol polyethoxycarboxylates (APECs), and carboxyalkylphenol polyethoxycarboxylates (CAPECs). Overall removals ranged from 50% for APs to 100% for naproxen and increased with distance and time, in many cases following first-order kinetics. For naproxen, which is photolabile, average removals were 20 to 30% more during the day than at night; the nighttime and daytime half-lives were 3 h and 1.7 to 1.9 h, respectively. Comparison of field and laboratory data suggests that approximately 40% of the daytime naproxen removal can be attributed to photolysis with the remainder due to other processes, most likely sorption. For ibuprofen and gemfibrozil, half-lives were 5.4 and 2.7 h, respectively, and laboratory data suggest that biotransformation is the principal attenuating process. The APEM attenuation might be due to sorption and biotransformation; phototransformation may also play a minor role. These data demonstrate that travel times on the order of hours can significantly mitigate the impact of effluent discharge on the water quality of shallow rivers.
Chronic toxicity of 2,4,2′,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether on the marine algaSkeletonema costatumand the crustaceanDaphnia magna
Authors: Källqvist Torsten , Grung Merete , Tollefsen Knut-E.
Published: May 2006

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers form a groupof highly hydrophobic and persistent chemicals that are detected in various environmental matrices, such as soil, water, sediments, and biota. Although a variety of biological effects have been documented in vertebrates, the effects in invertebrates seem to be largely unknown. The objective of the present study was to determine the toxic effects of 2,4,2′,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 47) on the growth of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum and on the parthogenetic reproduction and filtering activity of the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna. The results showed that BDE 47 caused growth inhibition in S. costatum (no-observed-effect concentration [NOEC], 6.6 μg/L; median effect concentration, 70 μg/L; 95% confidence interval, 64–77 μg/L) and depressed the reproductive output of D. magna (NOEC, 14 μg/L). No effects were seen on the filtering rate of D. magna at any of the concentrations tested. Although sublethal toxicity was observed at low-μg/L levels, documented environmental water concentrations are many orders of magnitude lower, thus suggesting that BDE 47 is of minor risk to these organisms through direct water exposure.
Pyrolusite (β-MnO2)-mediated, near dry-phase oxidation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol
Authors: Smith Brant A. , Siems William F. , Teel Amy L. , Watts Richard J.
Published: May 2006

The pyrolusite (β-MnO2)-mediated oxidation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) under nonaqueous conditions was investigated to assess the potential for abiotic transformations of chlorophenols and their transformation pathways when they are released to soils and the vadose zone. Lower rates of TCP oxidation were found at lower relative humidities, but the rates were still relatively high under near-dry conditions, with 86% of the TCP transformed within 24 h at less than 2% relative humidity. The rates of TCP transformation and soluble manganese formation at less than 2% relative humidity were not affected by atmospheric oxygen content. The manganese oxide-mediated oxidation of TCP resulted in the formation of 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone and dimers, including polychlorinated phenoxyphenols and at least one tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. The products are consistent with the proposed mechanism in which some of the TCP is transformed into trichlorophenoxy radicals that attack TCP and its transformation products. The present results demonstrate that naturally occurring manganese oxides have the potential to oxidize industrial compounds such as TCP; however, the transformation products may be more toxic and persistent than the parent compound.
Effects of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin on stream microbial communities and detritivorous macroinvertebrates
Authors: Maul Jonathan D. , Schuler Lance J. , Belden Jason B. , Whiles Matt R. , Lydy Michael J.
Published: May 2006

Microbial communities play an important role in stream ecosystem processes, such as breakdown of senescent leaf litter, and as a primary nutritional source for detritivorous macroinvertebrates. Antibiotics may affect stream microbial communities and associated ecosystem processes, especially because recent stream and river monitoring programs have indicated the presence of antibiotics downstream of wastewater treatment plants. In the current study, effects of chronic exposure to the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin (Cipro) were examined on stream microbial community-level physiological profiles and growth indices of detritivorous amphipods (Gammarus spp.) and caddisflies (Lepidostoma liba). Microcosm experiments were conducted using stream sediments and water, senesced leaf material (Acer saccharum), and macroinvertebrates. A shift in function of leaf-associated microbial communities (based on carbon source utilization) was observed for samples exposed to 100 μg/L of Cipro for 12 d compared to control and treatments exposed to 1 and 10 μg/L of Cipro. This was attributable to carbohydrate substrates, which had 2.7- to 3.5-fold lower microbial respiration than the lower concentrations and control (p < 0.001). For detritivores, Gammarus spp. condition index did not differ among control, 0.1, and 1.0 μg/L treatments after 30-d exposures (p > 0.05). Similarly, L. liba growth rate did not vary among control, 10, and 100 μg/L treatments after 45-d exposures (p > 0.05). These results suggest that Cipro may affect leaf-associated microbial communities, but at concentrations four orders of magnitude above those detected in streams. However, effects of the antibiotic on growth and condition of detritivores were not observed. Future work should focus on identifying specific changes in stream microbial communities as a result of Cipro exposure and impacts on other aquatic species.
Passive sampler-derived air concentrations for polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Kuwait
Authors: Gevao Bondi , Al-Omair Ali , Sweetman Andy , Al-Ali Lulwa , Al-Bahloul Majed , Helaleh Murad , Zafar Jamal
Published: May 2006

The present study presents, to our knowledge, the first ambient air data for a range of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Kuwait. This was achieved by concurrently deploying polyurethane foam-disk passive samplers at 14 sites over a six-week period. Calculated mean Σ5PBDE concentrations (sum of brominated diphenyl ethers [BDEs] 47, 99, 100, 153, and 154) ranged from 2.5 to 32 pg/m3 of air, with BDE 47 contributing between 39 and 65% of the ΣPBDEs detected. Differences in relative concentrations were observed between sites, with higher concentrations measured close to suspected sources. Calculated ΣPAH concentrations ranged from 5 to 13 ng/m3 (mean, 8.3 ng/m3). The compound distribution was dominated by three- and four-ring compounds, which constituted approximately 90% of the ΣPAHs, with phenanthrene contributing approximately 35%. However, the proportion of five- and six-ring PAHs increased around the “oil lakes,” which were formed by the torching of oil wells during the 1991 Gulf War. The oil lakes are a reservoir of PAHs that will continue feeding the atmosphere as long as they remain untreated.
Biomarkers of exposure and effects of environmental contaminants on swallows nesting along the Rio Grande, Texas, USA
Authors: Mora Miguel A. , Musquiz Daniel , Bickham John W. , Mackenzie Duncan S. , Hooper Michael J. , Szabo Judit K. , Matson Cole W.
Published: May 2006

We collected adult cave swallows (Petrochelidon fulva) and cliff swallows (P. pyrrhonota) during the breeding seasons in 1999 and 2000 from eight locations along the Rio Grande from Brownsville to El Paso (unless otherwise specified, all locations are Texas, USA) and an out-of-basin reference location. Body mass, spleen mass, hepatosomatic index (HSI), gonadosomatic index (GSI), thyroxine (T4) in plasma, DNA damage measured as the half-peak coefficient of variation of DNA content (HPCV) in blood cells, as well as acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase in brain were compared with concentrations of organochlorines, metals, and metalloids in carcasses to determine potential effects of contaminants on swallows during the breeding season. Concentrations of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p′-DDE) were significantly greater in swallows from El Paso than in those from most locations, except for Pharr and Llano Grande. All swallows from these three locations had p,p′-DDE concentrations of 3 μg/g wet weight or greater. Swallows from El Paso either had or shared the highest concentrations of p,p′-DDE, polychlorinated biphenyls, and 13 inorganic elements. Swallows from El Paso exhibited greater spleen mass and HPCV values as well as lower T4 values compared with those from other locations. Thyroxine was a potential biomarker of contaminant exposure in swallows of the Rio Grande, because it was negatively correlated with p,p′-DDE and Se. Spleen mass was positively correlated with selenium and HSI and negatively correlated with body mass, GSI, Mn, and Ni. Overall, the present study suggests that insectivorous birds living in areas of high agricultural and industrial activity along the Rio Grande bioaccumulate environmental contaminants. These contaminants, particularly p,p′-DDE, may be among multiple factors that impact endocrine and hematopoietic function in Rio Grande swallows.
Effect of suspended solids on bioavailability of pyrethroid insecticides
Authors: Yang Weichun , Gan Jianying , Hunter Wesley , Spurlock Frank
Published: May 2006

Runoff and surface-water effluents commonly contain suspended solids. Adsorption to suspended particles and the associated dissolved organic matter (DOM) may significantly decrease the freely dissolved concentration of a hydrophobic compound and, hence, its availability to aquatic organisms. In the present study, we evaluated phase distribution and bioaccumulation of two synthetic pyrethroids, bifenthrin and permethrin, in water samples containing suspended solids from different source sediments. Uptake of [14C]bifenthrin or [14C] permethrin by Daphnia magna after 24 h consistently decreased with increasing levels of suspended solids in the range of 0 to 200 mg/L. The trend of decrease was closely mimicked by pesticide accumulation on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fibers exposed under the same conditions, and the ratio of body residues in D. magna to the concentration detected in the PDMS fiber was consistently around 2.4. Regression analysis showed that the pesticide adsorbed on particles or DOM was completely unavailable to D. magna for uptake during the 24-h exposure. The relative contribution of particles and DOM to the reduced bioavailability depended on the organic matter content and the texture of the source sediment. The influence from particles was predominant for sandy sediments, but contribution from DOM became comparable to or even greater than particles when the organic matter content of the source sediment was 1% or greater. The inhibitory effects of suspended solids on bioavailability should be considered when monitoring runoff and surface-water effluents for synthetic pyrethroids. The proposed PDMS method is simple and inexpensive, and it may serve as an effective option for obtaining ecotoxicologically relevant concentrations.
Influence of soil properties and aging on arsenic phytotoxicity
Authors: Song Jing , Zhao Fang-Jie , McGrath Steve P. , Luo Yong-Ming
Published: May 2006

Bioavailability of As varies among soils, and this needs to be taken into account during environmental risk assessment. Using a standardized barley root elongation assay, we investigated the phytotoxicity of arsenate added to 16 European soils that varied widely in their physicochemical properties. The effective concentrations of As causing 10% (EC10) and 50% (EC50) inhibition were estimated based on the concentrations of total added As or As extracted with 0.05 M (NH4)2SO4 or 0.05 M NH4H2PO4. In addition, four soils were used to evaluate changes in arsenate phytotoxicity over a three-month period. The EC10s and EC50s of added As varied from 4.2 to 206.7 mg/kg and from 26.6 to 458.2 mg/kg, respectively. Multiple-regression analysis showed that the variability in the EC10 and EC50 was largely (>89%) explained by the contents of amorphous Mn oxide and clay and, to a lesser extent, Fe oxide, indicating that arsenate adsorption was a key factor controlling its bioavailability. Neither (NH4)2SO4 nor NH4H2PO4 extraction could explain arsenate phytotoxicity independently of soil properties. Furthermore, arsenate phytotoxicity decreased significantly after aging for three months, although the extent of aging differed among soils. This aging effect should be taken into account during the risk assessment.
Are organohalogen contaminants a cofactor in the development of renal lesions in East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus)?
Authors: Sonne Christian , Dietz Rune , Leifsson Pall S. , Born Erik W. , Kirkegaard Maja , Letcher Robert J. , Muir Derek C. G. , Riget Frank F. , Hyldstrup Lars
Published: May 2006

Tissues of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from East Greenland contain the highest concentrations of organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) among subpopulations of any mammalian species in the Arctic. Negative associations also have been found between OHC concentrations and bone mineral density and liver histology parameters for this subpopulation of polar bears. The present study examined the OHC concentrations and adverse effects on renal tissue for 75 polar bears collected during 1999 to 2002. Specific lesions were diffuse glomerular capillary wall thickening, mesangial glomerular deposits, tubular epithelial cell hyperplasia, hyalinization of the tubular basement membrane, tubular dilatation, atrophy and necrosis, tubular medullary hyalin casts, interstitial fibrosis, and mononuclear cell infiltration. With the exception of mononuclear cell infiltrations, all these parameters were correlated with age, whereas none was associated with the sex of the animals. In an age-controlled statistical analysis of covariance, increases in glomerular mesangial deposits and interstitial fibrosis were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with polybrominated diphenyl ether (ΣPBDE) concentrations in subadults. In adult males, statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations were found for tubular epithelial cell hyperplasia and dieldrin concentration; diffuse glomerular capillary wall thickening and chlordane (ΣCHL) concentrations, and tubular medullary hyalin casts and ΣCHL, ΣPBDE, polychlorinated biphenyl, and hexachlorocyclohexane concentrations. The lesions were consistent with those reported previously in highly OHC-contaminated Baltic seal populations and exposed laboratory animals. The renal lesions were a result of aging. However, based on the above statistical findings as well as the nature of the findings, we suggest that long-term exposure to OHCs may be a cofactor in renal lesion occurrence, although other cofactors, such as exposure to heavy metals and recurrent infections from microorganisms, cannot be ruled out. This is new and important knowledge in the assessment of health status among wildlife populations and humans relying on food resources that are contaminated with OHCs.
Solid-phase sediment toxicity identification evaluation in an agricultural stream
Authors: Phillips Bryn M. , Anderson Brian S. , Hunt John W. , Huntley Sarah A. , Tjeerdema Ron S. , Kapellas Nancy , Worcester Karen
Published: May 2006

The lower Santa Maria River watershed provides important aquatic habitat on the central California coast and is influenced heavily by agricultural runoff. As part of a recently completed water quality assessment, we conducted a series of water column and sediment toxicity tests throughout this watershed. Sediment from Orcutt Creek, a tributary that drains agricultural land, consistently was toxic to the amphipod Hyalella azteca, which is a resident genus in this river. Toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs) were conducted to determine cause(s) of toxicity. We observed no toxicity in sediment interstitial water even though concentrations of chlorpyrifos exceeded published aqueous toxicity thresholds for H. azteca. In contrast to interstitial water, bulk sediment was toxic to H. azteca. In bulk-phase sediment TIEs, the addition of 20% (by volume) coconut charcoal increased survival by 41%, implicating organic chemical(s). Addition of 5% (by volume) of the carbonaceous resin Ambersorb 563® increased survival by 88%, again suggesting toxicity due to organic chemicals. Toxicity was confirmed by isolating Ambersorb from the sediment, eluting the resin with methanol, and observing significant toxicity in control water spiked with the methanol eluate. A carboxylesterase enzyme that hydrolyzes synthetic pyrethroids was added to overlying water, and this significantly reduced toxicity to amphipods. Although the pesticides chlorpyrifos, DDT, permethrin, esfenvalerate, and fenvalerate were detected in this sediment, and their concentrations were below published toxicity thresholds for H. azteca, additivity or synergism may have occurred. The weight-of-evidence suggests toxicity of this sediment was caused by an organic contaminant, most likely a synthetic pyrethroid.
Exposure to 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl during embryonic development has a minimal effect on the cytochrome P4501A response to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin in cultured chicken embryo hepatocytes
Authors: Head Jessica A. , O'Brien Jason , Kennedy Sean W.
Published: May 2006

Concentrations of dioxin-like compounds in avian eggs can vary substantially between individuals, species, and collection sites. Although the inducibility of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) in hepatocyte cultures is commonly used to predict species sensitivity to environmental contaminants, it is not known how exposure to dioxin-like compounds during embryonic development might alter this biomarker response. To investigate this question, we injected vehicle or 0.4, 0.8, or 1.6 μg/kg of 3,3ǐ,4,4ǐ,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126) into the air cell of fertilized chicken eggs before incubation, and we measured CYP1A endpoints in cultured hepatocytes of day-19 embryos from each treatment group. The CYP1A response to PCB 126 also was assessed in whole liver tissue. Embryonic exposure to the most environmentally relevant treatment, 0.4 μg/kg of PCB 126, increased CYP1A4 mRNA expression 29-fold compared to control values in whole liver tissue but only twofold compared to control values in cultured hepatocytes. The CYP1A response to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was not altered in hepatocytes cultured from embryos treated with 0.4 μg/kg of PCB 126, but at 0.8 and 1.6 μg/kg of PCB 126, several concentration-dependent effects were observed. For example, embryos exposed to higher concentrations of PCB 126 in ovo were more responsive to CYP1A mRNA induction by TCDD in vitro. These findings suggest that exposure to environmental levels of dioxin-like compounds during incubation is not likely to alter species-sensitivity estimates derived from in vitro CYP1A data.
Whole-body sodium concentration in larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) during and following copper exposure
Authors: Zahner Holly M. , VanGenderen Eric J. , Tomasso Joseph R. , Klaine Stephen J.
Published: May 2006

This research used whole-body sodium concentration to characterize exposure and recovery of larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) from acute pulsed copper exposures. Whole-body sodium was chosen because the acute mechanism of copper toxicity to fishes is putative disruption of ion regulation, resulting in a loss of sodium and eventually leading to mortality. Whole-body sodium response in larval fathead minnows exposed to copper was both concentration and duration dependent. The loss of sodium to approximately 70% of control levels occurred within 12 h of exposure. Organisms demonstrated an ability to recover whole-body sodium within 48 h after exposure to concentrations below 0.47 μM Cu2+ for 3, 6, or 9 h. However, at higher concentrations, organisms required more than 48 h to recover. Whole-body sodium concentrations and mortality for all continuous exposures were strongly correlated. These results may facilitate development of a physiologically based model to predict the response of organisms to copper in receiving streams.
CROSS CULTURAL COMPARISON (U.S.A;, JAPAN, AUSTRIA) OF THE PERSONALITY FACTOR STRUCTURES OF 10 TO 14 YEAR OLDS IN OBJECTIVE TESTS
Authors: Cattell Raymond B. , Schmidt Lothar R. , Pawlik Kurt
Published: May 2006

Twelve personality source traits previously replicated as simple structure factors in American samples, and known to express themselves in part also in Q-data, were represented by some 70 carefully-chosen behavioral measures (T-data) and a dozen questionnaire scales. These were applied
to 273 American, 175 Japanese, End 218 Austrian children in the 12 to 14 year age range.Independent factor analysis, with the same principles and standards, on all three agreed in finding 23 factors, the first 10 of which (1) yielded significant and consistent matching by congruence coefficients
across the three studies; and (2) came out with the marker variables used to recognize the source trait in terms of the earlier theoretical developments. Beyond these 10, the matching and meaning were patchy, markers being lacking.It is concluded that the source traits U.I. 16, 18, 21,
23, 24, 25, 28, 32, and 33 (which give precision to such concepts as ego strength, anxiety, extraversion, etc.) are as general as “human nature”.
INTERACTIONS OF RELIABILITIES IN PERSONALITY MEASUREMENT
Authors: Rust John
Published: May 2006

A novel statistical technique was used to look at the interactions of the reliabilities of personality measures with each other and with the personality scores themselves. The personality test used was Eysencks' PQ questionnaire which gives measures of Psychoficism (P), Extraversion
(E), Neuroticism (N) and a Lie scale (L). Lower reliability in the P scale for high P scorers was found. The reliabilities of the P, E, N and L scales were found to be correlated. A relationship was found between E and a common reliability factor.
PERSONALITY CORRELATES OF VERBAL AND SPATIAL ABILITY
Authors: Barton K. , Cattell R. B. , Silverman W.
Published: May 2006

One hundred seventy-five undergraduate students took Cattell's Sixteen Personality Factor questionnaire (16 P.F.) and Thurston's Primary Mental Abilities test (PMA). Subjects were divided into the following three groups on the basis of their PMA subtest scores -A “high
verbal-low spatial” group (HiV - LoS), an “intermediate” group, and a “high spatial-low verbal” group (HiS - LoV).On the basis of previous work with HiV - LoS and HiS - LoV subjects, several personality differences between the two groups were hypothesized.
Analyses of variance were conducted with personality factor scores as dependent variables and sex and ability patterns as independent variables. Results indicated that at least for male subjects, the HIS - LoV and HiV - LoS groups differed significantly on certain personality variables involving
response to social stimuli.
COMPARISON OF PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: HIGH AND LOW ABILITY STUDENT NURSES AND YEAR OF TRAINING IN NEW ZEALAND
Authors: Stewart Robert A. C. , Liddell Jane M.
Published: May 2006

Seventy-five student nurses at the Southland Hospital, Invercargill, New Zealand, were assessed independently by ward and tutorial staff on a 5-point scale rating the quality of their work. Comparisons of high and low ability students were then made on scores from the following instruments:
Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, Wilson-Patterson Conservatism Scale, Allport-Vernon-Lindsey Study of Values, Cattell 16 Personality Factors Test, Shostrom Personal Orientation Inventory. “t” tests of significant differences between means revealed the following profiles for
the high ability student nurse: (a) Comparison based on ward staff ratings of ability: conservative, religious, dogmatic, and low on political and economic values: (b) comparison based on tutorial staff ratings of ability: relaxed, higher on social values, and tends to live in
the past or future rather than the present. A comparison of the three years showed that the student nurse most likely to stay in the program had the following profile: more political, less religious, less acceptant of aggression, and higher ward rating.
ATTITUDE, DESIRE, AND FREQUENCY OF EXTRAMARITAL INVOLVEMENT AS CORRELATED WITH SUBJECT CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: Andrus Sharon , Redfering David , Oglesby Jerry
Published: May 2006

A study of desire for, frequency of, and attitudes towards extramarital involvement (EMI) was conducted, using 100 male and female college students ranging in age from 19 to 55. Demographic data gathered on subjects included age, sex, occupation, college major, current and past marital
status and number of children, frequency of extramarital sexual involvement, and level of desire for extramarital sexual involvement. The subjects were administered a social desirability scale, a measure of conventional morality, and extramarital attitudinal scale. There were significant correlations
between desire, frequency, and attitude. The response to “number of times married” had a significant effect on EMI desire. Predictive factors other than desire, frequency, and attitude were number of marriages, sex of the respondent, and the social desirability scale.
SEX AND INTELLIGENCE DIFFERENCES IN HUMOR APPRECIATION: A RE-EXAMINATION
Authors: Khoury Robert M.
Published: May 2006

Much research has established that sex and intelligence differences in humor appreciation exist and are marked. However, these differences have never been systematically explored in light of the variety of semantic techniques on which humor is based. This research develops a scale of
humor appreciation which includes five distinct semantic types of humor. Successful scale construction indicates that humor appreciation does not vary by type of humor. The scale is applied to a cohort of college students. It is reported that significant sex and intelligence differences do
not exist for all semantic types of humor, nor are all differences in the predicted direction. This research recommends that in the future the correlates of humor appreciation be explored by semantic technique.
SEX DIFFERENCES IN SELF-ESTEEM AND EXPECTANCIES IN MARRIED COUPLES
Authors: Koffman Sharron , Lips Hilary M.
Published: May 2006

Thirty-five married couples, in half of which the wile was a full-time homemaker, were given the Revised Janis-Field Self-Esteem Scale (Eagly, 1957), the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bern, 1974) and the short form of the Attitudes toward Women Scale (Spence et al., 1q73). Each individual was then asked to predict his/her performance on two tests: one involving verbal skills and one involving mathematical skills. Performance on both tests was then measured. Significant sex differences were found in self-esteem and in performance prediction, with males showing greater self-esteem and predicting higher scores for themselves than did females on both tests. No sex difference in actual performance was found. The only significant difference found between full-time homemakers and career women was that homemakers predicted higher performance for themselves on the verbal test. Scores on the masculinity scale of the BSRI were found to be significantly positively related to self-esteem scores for both sexes, but no relationship between the BSRI and performance prediction was found. Subjects' attitudes toward women scores were not found to relate to either self-esteem or verbal performance prediction. However, a significant positive correlation was found between female subjects' attitudes toward women and mathematical performance prediction. Neither female subjects' self-esteem nor their performance expectancies were found to relate to their husbands' attitudes toward women.
CREATIVITY AND COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY
Authors: Quinn Evelyn
Published: May 2006

The study examined the effectiveness of repertory grids in assessing cognitive complexity as a correlate of creativity. Grids were completed by literary personnel and by representatives of an audio-visual medium. Significant differences were found between creative writers and their
literary controls; but the grids failed to discriminate between those of greater and lesser creativity in the audio-visual field.
ATTRIBUTION AND DISTRIBUTION: THE WEIGHT OF PERFORMANCE, EFFORT, AND ABILITY IN THE ALLOCATION OF JOINTLY ATTAINED GAINS AND LOSSES
Authors: Kayser Egon , Lamm Helmut
Published: May 2006

Two experiments were conducted with 94 male subjects who were run in dyads. Half of the dyads attained a gain and half a loss as a result of their work on a verbal task. In the first experiment subjects received information about their own and their partner's contributions - ability
and effort - with respect to the given task, and were then asked to allocate the gain or loss. Contrary to our hypothesis differences in effort were not taken into account to a greater extent than differences in ability. In the second experiment subjects had to allocate the amount gained/lost
after receipt of information on intra-dyadic differences in performance; after that they were informed about ability and effort as in the first experiment. When differences in performance were thus explainable through differences in ability - in contrast to effort - a significant number of
allocators moved to discount differences in contributions. The different meanings of information on effort and on ability in the two experiments are discussed in the context of models of cognitive algebra.
PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUCCESSFULLY AND UNSUCCESSFULLY TREATED DRUG ABUSERS
Authors: Biasco Frank , Fritch Charles O. , Redfering David
Published: May 2006

Personality differences of 71 residents in a therapeutic community drug abuse program were examined with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Successfully treated males scored significantly (p<.05) higher on scales of Hypochondriasis (Hs), Hysteria (Hy), and Masculinity-Femininity
(Mf). Successfully treated females obtained a significantly (p<.05) higher score on the Social Introversion (Si) scale. Unsuccessfully treated females scored significantly (p<.05) higher than the successfully treated females on the Masculinity-Femininity (Mf) scales. Of the two-point
code types, all of the 49-94 code types were unsuccessful; the largest number of successfully treated drug abusers for any one code type was in the 48-84 code type.
INDUCED RESPONSE BIAS ON THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY
Authors: Johnsen E. P. , Tracy D. B. , Hohn R. L.
Published: May 2006

Responses on both state and trait scales of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were examined as a function of experimenter-provided instructions. Instructions which presented a simulated real-life situation containing competitive and evaluative cues without directly suggesting, faking
preceded the completion of an interpolated task, which was followed by re-administration of the instrument under standard instructions. The hypothesis that Ss would respond consistently on the A-trait scale, while demonstrating increased levels of A-state was confirmed. Results were interpreted
as consistent with the distinction between anxiety as a state as well as a trait, but conflicted with traditional notions of social desirability response bias, which imply that “faking good” should lead to consistent changes on both scales.
EXTREME SAMPLES ON THE EYSENCK PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE PSYCHOTICISM SCALE
Authors: Loo Robert , Shiomi Kunio
Published: May 2006

The P scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was examined in three samples of normals which obtained either very high or very low means on the P scale. Psychometric problems such as low internal consistency and items with no variance were identified in the sample with a low
P mean. Although more desirable psychometric properties were identified in the two samples with high P means, it was undesirable to label such samples of normals as being high in “Psychoticism” It was recommended that the scale be renamed, perhaps, “Toughmindedness”.
A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPICAL SCRIPT EVENTS AND POSITIVE INTERPERSONAL JUDGEMENTS
Authors: Benjafield John , Pomeroy Edward , Kuiack Joanne
Published: May 2006

There is considerable evidence that typical events are also evaluated as positive events. This study investigates the possibility that the extent to which people expect typical events to occur is correlated with the degree to which people make positive judgements about their acquaintances.
The results supported this possibility, and were taken as suggesting that the typicality of scripts is indicative of the general positivity of a person's expectations.
ATTRACTION TO A GROUP AS A FUNCTION OF ATTITUDE SIMILARITY AND GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCE
Authors: Davis John M.
Published: May 2006

Attraction toward a group was investigated as a function of attitude similarity and perceived geographic distance. Students (n = 60), divided into four groups, received similar or dissimilar attitude statements attributed to a near or distant group. The effects of attitude similarity
were strongly significant (p<.0001). Attraction scores were high toward a similar attitude group and low toward a dissimilar attitude group. A similar group was also evaluated more positively on measures of intelligence, knowledge of current events and adjustment. Distance had no significant
effect on attraction and limit ed effect on evaluations.
MEASUREMENT ERROR AND CHANGES IN PERSONAL CONSTRUCTS
Authors: Chambers William V.
Published: May 2006

Personal construct psychologists have suggested various psychological functions explain differences in the stability of constructs. Among these functions are constellatory and loose construction. This paper argues that measurement error is a more parsimonious explanation of the differences
in construct stability reported in these studies.
HERITABILITY IN THE PERSONALITY CONTROL SYSTEM: EGO STRENGTH (C), SUPER EGO STRENGTH (G) AND THE SELF SENTIMENT (Q3); BY THE MAVA MODEL, Q-DATA, AND MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ANALYSES
Authors: Cattell R.B. , Rao D.C. , Schuerger. J.M.
Published: May 2006

Ninety-four identical twins, 124 fraternal twins, 470 brothers (reared together) and 2973 unrelated boys, all in the 12–18 age range were measured on three personality scales – namely ego strength. C, super ego strength, G, and self-sentiment strength, Q3 - adding both forms of the High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ). Age corrections brought brothers ’scores to equivalence at the same age, and intra-pair and inter family concrete variances were calculated on that basis.