The Modification of Cell Wall Properties Is Involved in the Growth Inhibition of Rice Coleoptiles Induced by Lead Stress.

Lead (Pb) is a widespread heavy metal pollutant that interferes with plant growth. In this study, we investigated the effects of Pb on the mechanical and chemical properties of cell walls and on the growth of coleoptiles of rice ( L.) seedlings grown in the air (on moistened filter paper) and underwater (submerged condition).

Effect of groundwater residence time on geogenic fluoride release into groundwater in the Mt. Meru slope area, Tanzania, the Great Rift Valley, East Africa.

People living in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa suffer from fluorosis resulting from their consumption of groundwater. This paper shows that geogenic fluoride contamination in a natural water system has changed in the last two decades in the Mt. Meru slope area of northern Tanzania based on water quality, dating of the residence time, and stable isotopes of groundwater.

Formation of Diastereoisomeric Piperazine-2,5-dione from DL-Alanine in the Presence of Olivine and Water.

DL-Alanine (Ala) was heated with/without powdered olivine and water at 120 °C for 8 days to investigate the formation of the diastereoisomers of piperazine-2,5-dione (diketopiperazine, DKP). When only DL-Ala was heated with a small amount of water, 3.0 % of DL-Ala changed to cis- and trans-DKP after 8 days.

Peptide formation mechanism on montmorillonite under thermal conditions.

The oligomerization of amino acids is an essential process in the chemical evolution of proteins, which are precursors to life on Earth. Although some researchers have observed peptide formation on clay mineral surfaces, the mechanism of peptide bond formation on the clay mineral surface has not been clarified. In this study, the thermal behavior of glycine (Gly) adsorbed on montmorillonite was observed during heating experiments conducted at 150 °C for 336 h under dry, wet, and dry-wet conditions to clarify the mechanism.

Sources of arsenic and fluoride in highly contaminated soils causing groundwater contamination in Punjab, Pakistan.

Highly contaminated groundwater, with arsenic (As) and fluoride (F(-)) concentrations of up to 2.4 and 22.8 mg/L, respectively, has been traced to anthropogenic inputs to the soil.

Chemical and isotopic compositions of the Minjiang River, a headwater tributary of the Yangtze River.

We describe the anthropogenic impacts on the major dissolved elements (Cl(-), NO(3)(-)-N, SO(4)(2-), and Na(+)) in the water from the Minjiang River (a headwater tributary of the Yangtze River) and upper Yangtze River in relation to increasing human activity. The major element chemistry and hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur isotopic compositions were investigated. When the Minjiang River flows through the populated Sichuan Basin, the concentrations of Cl(-), NO(3)(-)-N, SO(4)(2-), and Na(+) gradually increase.

Selective phylogenetic analysis targeting 16S rRNA genes of hyperthermophilic archaea in the deep-subsurface hot biosphere.

International drilling projects for the study of microbial communities in the deep-subsurface hot biosphere have been expanded. Core samples obtained by deep drilling are commonly contaminated with mesophilic microorganisms in the drilling fluid, making it difficult to examine the microbial community by 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis. To eliminate mesophilic organism contamination, we previously developed a new method (selective phylogenetic analysis [SePA]) based on the strong correlation between the guanine-plus-cytosine (G+C) contents of the 16S rRNA genes and the optimal growth temperatures of prokaryotes, and we verified the method's effectiveness (H.

Toxic fluoride and arsenic contaminated groundwater in the Lahore and Kasur districts, Punjab, Pakistan and possible contaminant sources.

The present study is the first attempt to put forward possible sources of As, F- and SO4(2-) contaminated groundwater in the Kalalanwala area, Punjab, Pakistan. Five rainwater and 24 groundwater samples from three different depths were analyzed. Shallow groundwater from 24 to 27 m depth contained high F- (2.