The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis of different distribution spaces of elements in the rat mandibular bone and teeth. We used six adult males of Wistar laboratory rats for the study. After killing the animals, we extracted the molars and removed incisor crowns. The mandibular bone was divided into four parts (mesial-central-distal-ridge). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the presence of 41 elements in the bone and tooth. Evidence of 14 elements was found in all samples (incisors-molarsbone). Generally, significant differences between the left and right side were found for K and Rb in the bone locations. As regards statistically significant differences in incisors-molars-bone locations, the elements for which these differences were found for all comparisons are listed as incisors versus individual molars, incisors versus bone locations, and individual molars versus bone locations: a) incisors-molars: Ba, Mn, Mo, Sr, Zn, K, Mg and Rb; b) incisors-bone: Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Zn and Ba; c) molars-bone: Mn, Mo, Na and Mg. Statistically significant differences were also found between molars for Fe, Mg, Mn, and Sr and between bone locations for Ba, Ca, Mn, Sr, K, Rb, Zn, Mo, Mg, and Na. The elements Cu, Ni and Co were without pronounced differences. Twenty-seven elements were below the detection limit. Our results indicate different distributions of some elements in the rat mandibular incisors-molars-bone. We assume that the knowledge of chemical element contents in the laboratory rat bone and teeth will prove useful in experimental research of both these hard tissues.

• MeSH
• analýza rozptylu MeSH
• mandibula metabolismus   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• prvky * MeSH
• zuby metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• prvky * MeSH

This study aimed to shed further light on the capacity of macrophytes to translocate, accumulate and bioindicate the levels of trace elements present in contaminated water and sediments. Specifically, this study aimed to find evidence whether translocation, accumulation and bioindication are dependent on the kind of trace element and plant species. To investigate the correlation between trace elements in plants and in the environment, the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were analyzed in twenty different wetland plants, and in water and sediments from a wetland area affected by urban and industrial pollutants. Results showed that wetland plants share some common characteristics such as high tolerance to toxic element levels, capacity of phytostabilization and different element concentrations in the various organs. Moreover, element translocation from sediments to roots seems more influenced by the kind of plant species and trace element, whereas translocation across the various organs seems mainly species-specific. No clear patterns of trace element translocation were identified according to plant life forms.

• Klíčová slova
• Bioindicators, Element mobility, Environmental pollution, Macrophytes, Phytoremediation, Trace elements,
• MeSH
• biodegradace MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza   MeSH
• kořeny rostlin chemie   MeSH
• mokřady MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí * MeSH
• rostliny chemie   MeSH
• stopové prvky analýza   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu MeSH
• stopové prvky MeSH

Exposure to heavy metals is the most important risk factor in the assessment of spermatogenesis. About 30-40 % cases of infertility are caused by the male factor, and most of them are due to the small quantity of spermatozoa or to inferior spermatozoa quality. The negative impact on sperm motility, morphology and concentration of such chemical elements as Al, Cr, Cd, Pb or Fe was observed, while positive influence was noticed for Zn, Mg, and Ca. The influence of Mn, Cu, Ni or Se on spermatozoa is ambiguous. Chemical elements known as necessary for capacitation and acrosome reaction are Zn, Mg and Ca, while Cd and Pb disturb initiation and progress of the acrosome reaction. The positive effect of chemical elements Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn, lies in their protection against oxidative stress. On the other hand, Al, Cu and Ni induce structural changes in the testes and epididymis or influence interactions with other chemical elements.

• MeSH
• akrozomální reakce účinky léků   MeSH
• kapacitace spermií účinky léků   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• motilita spermií účinky léků   MeSH
• oxidační stres účinky léků   MeSH
• savci metabolismus   MeSH
• spermie účinky léků   patologie   MeSH
• těžké kovy toxicita   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• těžké kovy MeSH

While terrestrial moss and other plants are frequently used for environmental mapping and monitoring projects, data on the regional geochemistry of humus are scarce. Humus, however, has a much larger life span than any plant material. It can be seen as the "environmental memory" of an area for at least the last 60-100 years. Here concentrations of 39 elements determined by ICP-MS and ICP AES, pH and ash content are presented for 259 samples of forest floor humus collected at an average sample density of 1 site/300 km2 in the Czech Republic. The scale of anomalies linked to known contamination sources (e.g., lignite mining and burning, metallurgical industry, coal fired power plants, metal smelters) is documented and discussed versus natural processes influencing humus quality. Most maps indicate a local impact from individual contamination sources: often more detailed sampling than used here would be needed to differentiate between likely sources.

• MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu analýza   MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí MeSH
• prvky * MeSH
• půda analýza   MeSH
• stromy MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• látky znečišťující půdu MeSH
• prvky * MeSH
• půda MeSH

Elevated environmental levels of elements originating from anthropogenic activities threaten natural communities and public health, as these elements can persist and bioaccumulate in the environment. However, their environmental risks and bioaccumulation patterns are often habitat-, species- and element-specific. We studied the bioaccumulation patterns of 11 elements in seven freshwater taxa in post-mining habitats in the Czech Republic, ranging from less polluted mining ponds to highly polluted fly ash lagoons. We found nonlinear, power-law relationships between the environmental and tissue concentrations of the elements, which may explain differences in bioaccumulation factors (BAF) reported in the literature. Tissue concentrations were driven by the environmental concentrations in non-essential elements (Al, As, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb and V), but this dependence was limited in essential elements (Cu, Mn, Se and Zn). Tissue concentrations of most elements were also more closely related to substrate than to water concentrations. Bioaccumulation was habitat specific in eight elements: stronger in mining ponds for Al and Pb, and stronger in fly ash lagoons for As, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, V and Zn, although the differences were often minor. Bioaccumulation of some elements further increased in mineral-rich localities. Proximity to substrate, rather than trophic level, drove increased bioaccumulation levels across taxa. This highlights the importance of substrate as a pollutant reservoir in standing freshwaters and suggests that benthic taxa, such as molluscs (e.g., Physella) and other macroinvertebrates (e.g., Nepa), constitute good bioindicators. Despite the higher environmental risks in fly ash lagoons than in mining ponds, the observed ability of freshwater biota to sustain pollution supports the conservation potential of post-industrial sites. The power law approach used here to quantify and disentangle the effects of various bioaccumulation drivers may be helpful in additional contexts, increasing our ability to predict the effects of other contaminants and environmental hazards on biota.

• Klíčová slova
• Coal combustion residues, Fish, Heavy metals, Macroinvertebrates, Microhabitat, Trace elements, Trophic level,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Landfill leachate-polluted stream waters were monitored in three sampling campaigns (November 2001 to June 2006), with emphasis on trace elements. The data were evaluated by means of statistics and speciation modelling. Two statistically different groups of trace elements were distinguished: (1) Ba, Sr, Al, Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, V, As, Se, Sb, U, Li, Rb and Cs decrease during the rain event due to dilution; (2) Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd increase during the rain event due to the dissolution of hydrous ferric oxides and calcite, on whose surfaces these elements are bound, mainly in the stream sediments downgradient to the landfill.

• MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza   MeSH
• odpadky - odstraňování * MeSH
• stopové prvky analýza   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu MeSH
• stopové prvky MeSH

Chemical terrorism is a new threat to the security of mankind, which scale essentially exceeds the impact of use of the most modem firearms. At present time all over the world threats from different radical elements to use radioactive materials, potent poisonous substances and pathogenic microorganisms for terrorist purposes became more frequent. High-toxic chemical substances can fall in terrorist hands through wide range of sources. Potentially misused types of chemical compounds are discussed in this article.

• MeSH
• chemická válka * MeSH
• chemické bojové látky otrava   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• terorismus * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chemické bojové látky MeSH

Four plants, Cirsium arvense (creeping thistle), Equisetum arvense (field horsetail), Oxalis acetosella (wood sorrel) and Phragmites australis (common reed), which grew in an abandoned Sb-mining area in Pernek (Malé Karpaty Mts., Slovakia), were investigated for the yeast species. Yeasts were isolated from both the leaves of the plants and the soil adjacent to the plants. In total, 65 yeast cultures, belonging to 11 ascomycetous and 5 basidiomycetous yeast species, were isolated. The species most frequently isolated from both the soil and leaf samples were Trichosporon porosum, Galactomyces candidus and Candida solani, whereas Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida tsuchiyae and Sporidiobolus metaroseus were isolated exclusively from the plant leaves. All the yeast species isolated were tested for their tolerance to two heavy metals (Cd, Zn) and three metalloids (As, Sb and Si). The yeasts isolated from both the leaves and soils exhibited a high tolerance level to both As and Sb, present in elevated concentrations at the locality. Among the yeast species tested, Cryptococcus musci, a close relative to Cryptococcus humicola, was the species most tolerant to all the chemical elements tested, with the exception of Si. It grew in the presence of 200 mmol/L Zn, 200 mmol/L Cd, 60 mmol/L As and 50 mmol/L Sb, and therefore, it can be considered as a multi-tolerant species. Some of the yeast species were tolerant to the individual chemical elements. The yeast-like species Trichosporon laibachii exhibited the highest tolerance to Si of all yeasts tested, and Cryptococcus flavescens and Lindnera saturnus showed the same tolerance as Cryptococcus musci to Zn and As, respectively. The majority of the yeasts showed a notably low tolerance to Cd (not exceeded 0.5 mmol/L), which was present in small amounts in the soil. However, Candida solani, isolated from the soil, exhibited a higher tolerance to Cd (20 mmol/L) than to As (2 mmol/L).

• MeSH
• biologická adaptace * MeSH
• hornictví * MeSH
• kvasinky * růst a vývoj   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• listy rostlin mikrobiologie   MeSH
• mikrobiologie životního prostředí * MeSH
• nebezpečné látky * MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• rostliny mikrobiologie   MeSH
• životní prostředí * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Slovenská republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• nebezpečné látky * MeSH
• půda MeSH

The US EPA health risk assessment method is currently widely used to assess human health risks for many environmental constituents. It is used for risk assessment from the exposure to various contaminants exceeding tolerable or safe reference doses, determined e.g., for drinking water, soil, air and food. It accepts widely that excess contents of non-essential elements (e.g., As, Pb or Sb) in environmental compartments represent a general risk to human health. However, contrary to toxic trace elements, deficient contents of essential (biogenic) elements e.g., F, I, Se, Zn, Fe, Ca or Mg may represent even higher health risk. Therefore, we propose to extend the human health risk assessment by calculating the health risk for deficient content and intake of essential elements, and to introduce the terms Average Daily Missing Dose (ADMD), Average Daily Required Dose (ADRD) and Average Daily Accepted Dose (ADAD). We propose the following equation to calculate the Hazard Quotient (HQ) of health risk from deficient elements: HQd = ADRD/ADAD. At present, there are no reference concentrations or doses of essential elements in each environmental compartment in world databases (Integrated Risk Information System IRIS, The Risk Assessment Information System RAIS). ADRD and ADMD can be derived from different regulatory standards or guidelines (if they exist) or calculated from actual regional data on the state of population health and content of essential elements in the environment, e.g., in groundwater or soil. This methodology was elaborated and tested on inhabitants of the Slovak Republic supplied with soft drinking water with an average Mg content of 5.66 mg·L-1. The calculated ADMD of Mg for these inhabitants is 0.314 mg·kg-1·day-1 and HQd is equal to 2.94, indicating medium risk of chronic diseases. This method extending traditional health risk assessment is the first attempt to quantify deficient content of essential elements in drinking water. It still has some limitations but also has potential to be further developed and refined through its testing in other countries.

• Klíčová slova
• average daily missing dose, calcium, deficiency, drinking water, essential elements, human health risk assessment, magnesium,
• MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• hodnocení rizik MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí * MeSH
• pitná voda * MeSH
• podzemní voda * MeSH
• stopové prvky analýza   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Slovenská republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu MeSH
• pitná voda * MeSH
• stopové prvky MeSH

Plastic and microplastic pollution is an environmental and societal concern. The interaction of plastic with organic chemicals in the environment has attracted scientific interest. New evidences have highlighted an unexpectedly high affinity of environmental plastics also for metal ions. The degree and typology of plastic ageing (including from mechanical, UV and biological degradations) appear as a pivotal factor determining such an interaction. These earlier evidences recently opened a new research avenue in the plastic pollution area. This review is the first to organize and critically discuss knowledge developed so far. Results from field and laboratory studies of metal accumulation on plastic are presented and the environmental factors most likely to control such an interaction are discussed. On the light of this knowledge, a generalist conceptual model useful for building hypotheses on the mechanisms at stake and directing future studies was elaborated and presented here. Furthermore, all available data on the thermodynamics of the plastic-metal interaction obtained from laboratory experiments are inventoried and discussed here, highlighting methodological and technical challenges that can potentially affect cross-comparability of data and their relevance for environmental settings. Finally, insights and recommendations on experimental approaches and analytical techniques that can help overtaking current limitations and knowledge gaps are proposed.

• Klíčová slova
• Adsorption, Environmental modeling, Metal, Mp, Pollution, Water,
• MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu * analýza   MeSH
• mikroplasty MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí MeSH
• plastické hmoty MeSH
• stopové prvky * MeSH
• voda MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu * MeSH
• mikroplasty MeSH
• plastické hmoty MeSH
• stopové prvky * MeSH
• voda MeSH