Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi contribute to the survival of host trees on metal-rich soils by reducing the transfer of toxic metals into roots. However, little is known about the ability of ECM fungi to accumulate elements in ectomycorrhizae (ECMs). Here we report Ag, As, Cd, Cl, Cu, Sb, V, and Zn contents in wild-grown Norway spruce ECMs collected in a smelter-polluted area at Lhota near Příbram, Czech Republic. The ECMs data were compared with the element concentrations determined in the corresponding non-mycorrhizal fine roots, soils, and soil extracts. Bioaccumulation factors were calculated to differentiate the element accumulation ability of ECMs inhabited by different mycobionts, which were identified by ITS rDNA sequencing. Among the target elements, the highest contents were observed for Ag, Cl, Cd, and Zn; Imleria badia ECMs showed the highest capability to accumulate these elements. ECMs of Amanita muscaria, but not of other species, accumulated V. The analysis of the proportions of I. badia and A. muscaria mycelia in ECMs by using species-specific quantitative real-time PCR revealed variable extent of the colonization of roots, with median values close to 5% (w/w). Calculated Ag, Cd, Zn and Cl concentrations in the mycelium of I. badia ECMs were 1 680, 1 510, 2 670, and 37,100 mg kg−1 dry weight, respectively, indicating substantial element accumulation capacity of hyphae of this species in ECMs. Our data strengthen the idea of an active role of ECM fungi in soil-fungal-plant interactions in polluted environments.

In this study, PCB-153 bioaccumulation kinetics and concentration-response experiments were performed employing wild Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels. In addition, the activity of three enzymatic biomarkers: glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), were measured in the mussel gills. The experimental data fitted well to an asymptotic accumulation model with a high bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 9324 L kg−1 and a very limited depuration capacity, described by a low excretion rate coefficient (Kd = 0.083 d−1). This study reports by first time in mussels significant inhibition of GST activity and significant induction of GPx activity as a result of exposure to dissolved PCB-153. In contrast, AChE activity was unaffected at all concentrations and exposure times tested. The effects on both enzymes are time-dependent, which stresses the difficulties inherent to the use of these biomarkers in chemical pollution monitoring programs.

Pyrethroids and metals were simultaneously detected in aquatic environment and showed antagonistic lethality to the benthic invertebrate, Chironomus dilutus. Accelerated biotransformation of pyrethroids in organism by the presence of metals was proposed as the likely reason for the antagonism. Mechanistic explanation for the role of toxicokinetics of pyrethroids in the antagonistic interaction would help better understanding the reasons for the joint toxicity. The goal was achieved in the current study by evaluating the impact of cadmium on toxicokinetic parameters of permethrin in C. dilutus, and by explaining the interaction through quantifying the activity and gene expression of biotransformation-related enzymes. Toxicokinetic parameters were simulated using a first-order kinetic model. Bioconcentration factors and uptake and elimination rate constants for permethrin were not significantly changed with the addition of cadmium at sublethal level, neither did the activity of enzymes, including glutathione S-transferase (GST), carboxylesterase (CarE), catalase and lipid peroxidation. Yet, the activities of metabolism-related enzymes (GST and CarE) showed an elevating tendency with adding cadmium. Furthermore, the expression of metabolism-related genes, including cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferase genes were significantly up-regulated in C. dilutus exposed to a mixture of permethrin and cadmium compared with permethrin only. Although co-exposure to cadmium did not induce toxicokinetic changes of permethrin in C. dilutus, it did enhance the activity of metabolic enzymes which were encoded by the metabolism-related genes, suggesting an acceleration of biotransformation of permethrin to less toxic metabolites in the midges. This possibly explained the antagonistic interaction for permethrin and cadmium.

The focus of the present study was to find the relationship between concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) in zooplankton and seasonal changes in the composition and biomass of particular zooplankton taxa in the Gulf of Gdansk (Southern Baltic) in the years 2011–2012. Assays of BPA, OP and NP in water and zooplankton samples were performed using the HPLC/FL system. High mean concentrations of the studied compounds, determined in spring (405.9 (BPA); 25.7 (OP); 111.2 (NP) ng g−1 dw), can be linked to the high proportion of meroplankton in that season. Rotifera also had an influence on the rise in concentrations of the studied compounds but to a lesser degree, while the lowest concentrations (determined in summer) can be associated with the high participation of Copepoda and Cladocera in zooplankton biomass. It was also observed that juvenile forms can be more susceptible to accumulating endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). This is indicated by the positive correlation between BPA concentration in zooplankton and the proportion of Copepoda nauplii biomass in spring (r = 0.90; p < 0.05). In most cases, greater zooplankton biomass accumulated higher concentrations and loads of the studied compounds. With biomass growth (to 123.32 μg m−3), the bioconcentration factor also rose (to max 46.1·103), demonstrating that unlike typical hydrophobic compounds the studied EDCs do not become “diluted” in zooplankton biomass. The highest BPA concentrations from all compounds may be connected with anthropogenic sources located in the coastal zone.

Accumulation of selected heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Fe, and Zn) and phenolic metabolites (total soluble phenols, cichoric and caftaric acid) in dandelion organs (leaves, roots, inflorescences/anthodia) collected from six localities within the industrial town Košice (eastern Slovakia) were studied. Localities from the vicinity of a steel factory (Cd, Fe) and heavy traffic (Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn) contained the highest amount of individual metals in the soil but a significant correlation between soil and organ metal content was found only for Cr in the leaves (r2 = 0.7679). The amount of Cd and partially Pb differed among localities in all organs and especially in the leaves and anthodia, indicating probably the impact of atmospheric pollution. The bioaccumulation factor was <1 for almost all metals, suggesting that given dandelion species is not metal accumulator. Translocation factor did not reach values close to or over 1 only for Cd, indicating a root-to-shoot movement of Pb, Ni and Zn though the impact of air pollution on leaves cannot be excluded. A strong correlation between leaf Cd and leaf total phenols, cichoric and caftaric acids was observed (r2 = 0.7926, 0.8682 and 0.8830, respectively), indicating that phenolic metabolites act in the protection of dandelion against Cd excess. Overall, our data indicate low pollution of urban soil by Cd (5.53–113.8 ng g−1) and partially by Cr and the suitability of above-ground organs of dandelion species for the monitoring of air pollution mainly by Cd.

In the present study, replicated paddy microcosm systems were used to investigate the environmental fate and trophic transfer of titanium nanoparticles (NPs) over a period of 14 days. Most TiO2 NPs immediately settled down in the sediment, and high accumulations of nano TiO2 in the sandy loam sediment and biofilm were observed. The test organisms (quillworts, water dropworts, duckweeds, biofilms, river snails, and Chinese muddy loaches) and environmental media (freshwater, sandy loam sediment) were exposed to sequential low doses (2 mg/L at 1 h, 4 days, and 9 days) or a single high-dose (6 mg/L) of TiO2 NPs. The bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of nano-TiO2 in biofilms, quillworts, duckweeds, and Chinese muddy loaches were higher in the sequential multi-dose group than in the single-dose group. Chinese muddy loaches showed higher bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) over their prey than river snails. The difference in the carbon isotope ratios between Chinese muddy loaches and river snails was less than 2‰, and an approximately 4‰ difference in the stable nitrogen isotope ratio was observed in the two aquatic predators from their major prey (e.g., biofilms or particulate organic matter). The trophic levels between biofilms and river snails and between biofilms and Chinese muddy loaches were 2.8 and 2.4 levels, respectively. These results indicate that these two predators consumed biofilm and other alternative preys at a higher level than biofilm. Although the trophic transfer rates of TiO2 are generally low, relatively higher biomagnification factors (BMFs) were found in Chinese muddy loaches (0.04–0.05) than in river snails (0.01–0.02). These results suggest that TiO2 NPs show greater movement in the sediment than in the water and that TiO2 NPs can be retained through aquatic food chains more after a sequential low-dose exposure than after a single high-dose exposure.

Aquaculture in mangrove wetlands has been developed rapidly, causing various environmental problems (e.g., antibiotic residue). In the present study, the levels and distributions of a well-known class of antibiotics (fluoroquinolones; FQs), including norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR), were examined in sediment and mangrove plant (Aegiceras corniculatum) from a mangrove wetland in the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, South China. NOR and CIP were detected in all sediment samples, with concentrations ranging from 4.3 to 64.2 ng/g and from 7.62 to 68.5 ng/g on a basis of dry weight (dw), respectively, whereas ENR was found with relatively lower frequency (<78%) and lower concentrations (<19.3 ng/g). Sediments in mangrove rhizosphere area contained considerably higher concentrations of all FQs (except for ENR). FQs were largely varied in mangrove plant tissues; NOR and ENR were not detected in leaf and root samples, respectively. CIP featured an increasing tendency from the root to the upper parts of plants, whereas a decreasing trend was found for NOR. Three bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of FQs, including BCFs for roots (BCFr), branches (BCFb), and leaves (BCFl) were calculated, and most of them exceeded 1. Especially for NOR, its BCFr can reach up to 9.9, indicating that Aegiceras corniculatum has a strong ability to accumulate FQs from sediment and/or surrounding environment. For NOR and CIP, strong positive relationships were observed between BCFr and concentrations in root, but no significant correlations were observed between BCFr and root lipid of mangrove plant. More studies are needed to investigate the uptake mechanism of antibiotics in mangrove plants.

The amounts and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) in the zooplankton community of Chabahar Bay were investigated. The highest amounts of total PAHs (tPAHs) in the water and zooplankton samples were 62.2ngL−1 and 1478.6ngg−1 dry weights, in near the Shahid Beheshti Port and desalination, respectively. The greatest amount of BAF (51,780) was obtained in the entry of Bay, and it was related to the phenanthrene accumulation. Using molecular ratio, the results showed that the major input source of PAH compounds in zooplankton of Chabahar Bay was pyrolytic (fuel) source.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) mass fractions were determined in mussel samples collected from 6 locations around Thermaikos Gulf in north Greece. PBDEs were present in all sampling sites and the average total (ΣPBDEs) ranged from 17.7 to 32.3ng/g l.w., characterising Thermaikos as low polluted, a fact further supported by congener ratios and literature comparison. Distribution was even among stations with one exception. Congener profiles exhibited predominance of penta-/octa-BDEs as well as BDE-209. Statistical analysis showed significant difference in pollution levels between the two types of mussel cultures. No variations were observed for mussel bunch position or between cultures and natural population. Congener correlation analysis suggested different pollution sources between higher and lower brominated congeners as well as different metabolic/degradation processes. Bioaccumulation factors indicated that an increase in congener bromination degree leads to bioaccumulation capacity reduction. Consumption of mussels from Thermaikos gulf area poses no threat for public health concerning PBDEs.

In order to study element accumulation and trophic transfer in the food web, sixteen benthic invertebrate species and nine fish species were collected from the Daliao River estuary for analysis of toxic elements and nitrogen stable isotope in the muscle tissue. The concentrations ranged between 1.44–17.98, 0.01–9.30, 0.17–36.15, 0.7–145.4, 0.01–0.33, 0.14–14.88, 0.10–2.51, 0.02–0.14, and 19.3–221.1mgkg−1 for As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn, respectively. As, Cd, Cu, and Zn were significantly higher in the benthic invertebrates than in fish, whereas Hg and Sb were significantly lower. In addition, the benthic invertebrates were characterized by the highest bioaccumulation factor (BAF) for Cd, whereas the fish were characterized by the highest BAF for Hg. A significant decrease in Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni levels, and a significant increase in Hg and Sb levels were observed with increasing trophic levels.