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Halmagyi A, Butiuc-Keul A, Keul M, Dobrotă C, Fodorpataki L, Pintea A, Mocan A, Pop V, Coste A. Impact of Arieş River Contaminants on Algae and Plants. Toxics 2023; 11:817. [PMID: 37888668 PMCID: PMC10611376 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11100817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The Arieş River (Western Romania) represents one of the most important affluents of the Mureş River, with great significance in the Mureş Tisza basin. The environmental quality of the Arieş basin is significantly affected by both historic mining activities and contemporary impacts. Thus, an evaluation of the effects of the main contaminants found in water (organochlorine pesticides-OCPs, monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-MAHs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-PAHs, and metals) on cyanobacteria and plants was performed. Among OCPs, hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and derivatives were detected in plants while admissible concentrations were detected in water. Among MAHs, high levels of benzene were detected both in water and in plants. The levels of PAHs exceeded the allowable values in all samples. Increased concentrations of metals in water were found only at Baia de Arieş, but in plants, all metal concentrations were high. The pH, nitrates, nitrites, and phosphates, as well as metals, pesticides, and aromatic hydrocarbons, influenced the physiological characteristics of algae, test plants, and aquatic plants exposed to various compounds dissolved in water. Considering that the Arieş River basin is the site of intense past mining activities, these data provide information about the impact on water quality as a consequence of pollution events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Halmagyi
- Department of Experimental Biology, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Branch Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, 48 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.)
| | - Anca Butiuc-Keul
- Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 1 M. Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Centre for Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresource, Babeș-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Martin Keul
- Department of Experimental Biology, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Branch Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, 48 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.)
| | - Cristina Dobrotă
- Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 1 M. Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - László Fodorpataki
- Department of Horticulture, Sapientia University, 2 Sighișoarei Rd., 540485 Târgu Mureș, Romania
| | - Adela Pintea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăstur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Aurel Mocan
- Institute of Public Health Prof. Dr. I. Moldovan, 6 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Valeria Pop
- Doctoral School “Environmental Science”, Babeș-Bolyai University, 1 M. Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management Based on High Performance Computing, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ana Coste
- Department of Experimental Biology, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Branch Institute of Biological Research Cluj-Napoca, 48 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.H.)
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Horváth G, Droppa M, Fodorpataki L, Istokóvics A, Garab G, Oettmeier W. Acridones: a chemically new group of protonophores. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1996; 93:3876-80. [PMID: 11607674 PMCID: PMC39452 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.9.3876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the interaction of proton-conducting ionophores (protonophores) with photosynthetic electron transport has been extensively studied during the past decade, the mode of action of protonophores remained uncertain. For a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of the action of protonophores, the introduction of chemically new types of molecules will be required. In this work, we demonstrate that acridones (9-azaanthracene-10-ones) completely fulfill this requirement. At low concentrations of acridones, the thermoluminescence bands at +20 degrees C and +10 degrees C were strongly inhibited, while normal electron transport activity was retained. This indicates that the concentrations of S2 and S3 states involved in the generation of these bands are reduced. At higher concentrations, an increased activity of electron transport was observed, which is attributed to the typical uncoupler effect of protonophores. Indeed, acridones accelerate the decay of the electrochromic absorbance change at 515 nm and also inhibit the generation of the transmembrane proton gradient, measured as an absorbance transient of neutral red. Variable fluorescence induction was quenched even at low concentrations of acridones but was restored by either a long-term illumination or high light intensity. Acridones, similarly to other protonophores, promoted the autooxidation of the high-potential form of cytochrome b559 and partially converted it to lower potential forms. These results suggest that acridones, acting as typical protonophores, uncouple electron transport, accelerate the deactivation of the S2 and S3 states on the donor side, and facilitate the oxidation of cytochrome b559 on the acceptor side of photosystem II.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Horváth
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary
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