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Vol 56, No 10 (2018)
- Year: 2018
- Articles: 8
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/0016-7029/issue/view/9430
Article
Living Matter of the Biosphere: Mass and Chemical Elemental Composition
Abstract
The paper discusses V.I. Vernadsky’s concept of living matter of the biosphere. Living matter in the sense of all organisms of the biosphere considered collectively is heterogeneous, plastic, integral, organized, and facilitates the continuous movement of atoms of chemical elements, transforms energy, and forms and preserves corresponding environments. Living matter is characterized by a certain chemical elemental composition and mass and performs certain functions. Living matter is mosaic and ubiquitous. It is characterized by homeostasis due to biological diversity, multiple relations between individual organisms, and the unique ability of adaptation. The paper reports data on the mass of living matter, its differentiation, and chemical composition.
969-981
Evolutionary Processes in Anthropogenic Biogeochemical Provinces
Abstract
The role of anthropogenic biogeochemical provinces in modern evolutionary transformations of the organic world is discussed in light of A.P. Vinogradov’s theory. The existence of anthropogenically impacted microevolution follows from numerous facts of changes in biological species at contaminated habitats. The impacts of two key factors on the genetic pool of a population are discussed: the accumulation of recessive mutations and the systematic selection of tolerant genotypes. The tolerance of organisms is demonstrated to be of polygenetic nature, and hence, selection can proceed in a population simultaneously at various loci and alleles. The selection of a resistant genotype weakens the adaptability of the population to other extremal factors of the environment. External factors and the structure of a population control the rate and avenues of the evolutionary transformations.
982-991
Ecological–Geochemical Studies of Technogenic Soils in the Flood Plain Landscapes of the Seversky Donets, Lower Don Basin
Abstract
Abstract—The paper presents the ecological-geochemical studies of soils confined to the impact zone of industrial waste water storage and sludge reservoirs of former Lake Atamanskoe in the Seversky Donets River flood plain. These soils show hundreds time increase of Zn, tens times increase of Cu and Pb, and few times increase of Cu, Ni, and Cr as compared to the average lithosphere values. The coefficients of technogenic concentration of elements (Kc) and the total indicator of soil pollution (Zc) are calculated. In terms of Zc, the studied soils are ascribed to the extremely dangerous category of pollution. Using predominant pollutant metal, Zn, as an example, it is shown that an increase in the metal pollution level of soil leads to a change of interaction mechanism with organic matter and Fe oxides, and, subsequently, to the prevalence of Zn forms loosely bound with the given components. The metal is mainly confined to the silicate-related fraction, which is confirmed by the mineralogical study and chemical fractionation. Owing to the limitation period and long duration of pollution, the mineral phase of technogenically polluted soils revealed the high degree of transformation changes, which led to the formation of authigenic minerals, mainly sulfates.
992-1002
Historical Variation in the Distribution of Trace and Major Elements in a Poor Fen of Fenghuang Mountain, NE China
Abstract
Ombrotrophic bogs are widely used to reconstruct the history of atmospheric metal deposition. Minerotrophic fens are potential archives as well but not much attention has been paid to them. This study examined the accumulation of major and trace elements in a poor fen of Fenghuang Mountain, NE China. Peat cores were dated by 210Pb and 137Cs techniques and elemental analyses were conducted after a two-step sequential digestion with HCl. Results suggest no significant pollution for other trace metals but Pb in Fenghuang Mountain area. Atmospheric soil dust flux (ASD) was calculated from the Ti content in the peat, and its decreasing trend over the last 60 years agrees with the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) shift, which suggests that ASD could be a potential climatic proxy for the EAWM variability in the region.
1003-1015
Characteristics of Bioaccumulation of Elements in Organs and Tissues of Fish during Stabilization of Anthropogenic Load: Evidence from Whitefish Coregonus lavaretus L. of Subractic Lake Imandra
Abstract
Abstract—This paper considers the bioaccumulation of elements in organs and tissues of whitefish from the Lake Imandra reaches, which were subjected to different anthropogenic impacts, during stabilization of anthropogenic load. It is shown that the element accumulation in the organs and tissues of the whitefish is mainly controlled by the individual resistance to the higher concentrations of toxic elements and physiological state rather than by their concentrations in water. The models of element redistribution in liver and kidney depending on the physiological state of the fish are constructed. Changes in iron and zinc metabolism at different concentrations of hemoglobin in blood and stages of fish disease are shown.
1016-1027
Migration and Biogeochemical Indication of Persistent Organic Pollutants
Abstract
This paper addresses the character of migration and the level of ecotoxicity of the most hazardous groups of persistent organic pollutants in the biosphere: polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides. Modern approaches to the monitoring of these compounds in various geospheres were evaluated. Based on new experimental data, methods were proposed for the biogeochemical indication and detoxification of persistent organochlorine pesticides in the organisms of higher mammals.
1028-1035
Geochemical Specifics of the Distribution of Elements between Their Forms in Lakes in the European Part of Russia and Western Siberia
Abstract
The paper analyzes currently applied methodological approaches to evaluating the speciation of metals in natural waters and presents literature data and original author’s experimental results on the forms of metals in natural waters in various natural–climatic zones in Russia and other countries. Data are presented on the geochemical specifics of the distribution of metals between their forms in lakes in the European part of Russia and western Siberia.
1036-1045
Biological Role of Selenium and Correction Effects of Its Content in the Organism of Animals
Abstract
New data on the biological role of selenium in the body of mammals, inhabiting biogeochemical provinces with different selenium status are presented. The estimation of selenium and antioxidant status of animals is given, metabolic and clinical effects of inorganic and organic selenium-containing compounds use for the regulation of biochemical homeostasis and reproductive function of animals in conditions of biogeochemical selenium-deficient provinces are shown.
1046-1050