The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of leeches of the genus Erpobdella as a means of assessing polychlorinated biphenyl contamination of watercourses. The River Skalice, heavily contaminated with PCBs, was selected as a model. The source of contamination was a road gravel processing factory in Rožmitál pod Třemšínem from which an estimated 1 metric ton of PCBs leaked in 1986. Levels of PCB were measured in leeches collected between 1992 to 2003 from 11 sites covering about 50 km of the river (the first sampling site upstream to the source of contamination and 10 sites downstream). The PCB indicator congeners IUPA no. 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180 were measured. Levels were highest at the four sampling sites nearest the source of pollution. The highest values of PCB congeners were found in 1992. PCB content decreased from 1992 to 2003 and with distance from the source. The study indicated that leeches of the genus Erpobdella are a suitable bioindicator of contamination in the surface layer of river sediments.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3345870 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s90301807 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Taxonomic review of the Thysanoptyx Hampson generic complex (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini). II. The genus Thysanoplisna Volynkin with descriptions of seven new species from Vietnam and mainland China.
Zootaxa
September 2024
Altai State University; Lenina Avenue 61; RF-656049; Barnaul; Russia.
Article Synopsis
- - The genus Thysanoplisna, a group of Asiatic footman moths, is updated by describing seven new species discovered across Vietnam and China.
- - These new species include Th. grandimacula, Th. minuta, Th. monotona, and Th. suffusa from Northern Vietnam; Th. bachma from Central Vietnam; Th. tenebrosa from Southwestern China; and Th. hoenei from East China.
- - Additionally, one species previously considered a synonym, Th. directa, has been reclassified and a lectotype has been designated for it, with illustrations provided for adult moths and their genital structures.
A new species, Polycaena eckweileri sp. n., is described from Gansu Province, China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiversity of hirudin and hirudin-like factor genes in the North-African medicinal leech, Hirudo troctina.
Parasitol Res
November 2024
Animal Physiology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
Medicinal leeches of the genus Hirudo inhabit large areas of the Palaearctic realm. The distribution range of Hirudo troctina includes the southern Iberian peninsula and the northwestern regions of Africa. H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasites of reptiles in Iran (1922-2023): A literature review.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl
December 2024
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010, Bari, Italy.
Article Synopsis
- * In Iran, there are 272 reptile species, but there's limited research on their parasites; 62 studies from 1922 to 2024 highlighted 98 different parasitic taxa affecting 56 reptile species.
- * There's a critical need for better research techniques, like molecular diagnostics, to accurately identify parasites and assess their impact on health, especially since some can pose public health risks and affect vulnerable species.
Unoculubranchiobdella sp. (Hirudinea: Ozobranchidae) as a vector for Haemogregarina spp. in freshwater turtles from Brazil.
Parasitol Res
June 2024
Setor de Parasitologia, Departamento de Biodiversidade e Bioestatística, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista- UNESP,, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
Species of Haemogregarina are blood parasites known to parasitise vertebrate hosts, including fishes (Haemogregarina sensu lato) and freshwater turtles (Haemogregarina sensu stricto). Their vectors, include gnathiid isopods and leeches, respectively. In turtles, Haemogregarina balli has the best-characterized life cycle in the genus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!