Adding the Mureş River Basin (Transylvania, Romania) to the List of Hotspots with High Contamination with Pharmaceuticals
Background: The Mureș River Basin is a long-term heavily polluted watershed, in a situation of climate changes with increasing water flow and related decreasing dilution capacity. Here, a mixture of emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals were targeted to reveal potential risks regarding the natural lotic ecosystems. Due to the continuous discharge into the environment, pharmaceuticals are gaining persistent organic pollutant characteristics and are considered emerging pollutants. Based on the hazard quotient, this research highlights the dangerous concentrations of carbamazepine, ibuprofen, furosemide, and enalapril in river water. Results: High levels of four pharmaceutical compounds …
Genetic analysis of populations of brown trout (Salmo truttaL.) from the Romanian Carpathians
The Carpathian Mountains are one of the most complex orogenetic areas of Europe, with unique fauna, including the brown trout (Salmo trutta). In this study we performed population genetic analysis of 12 differentS. truttapopulations using two types of molecular markers: nine microsatellites and mitochondrial D-loop sequences. The following working hypothesis was considered: the Romanian Carpathians and their surrounding lowlands can be key relief units based on which theS. truttagenetic diversity, spread, distribution, connectivity, relative isolation and genetic divergence can be at least partially explained. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the majority of sequences were grouped in…
Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the gonads of Barbus barbus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Maps with grey or even white spaces are still present in spite of the fact that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are at the forefront of research in aquatic toxicology and environmental safety. This is also the case for the Mureș River basin. The intensive use of industrial substances such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides such as organochlorine compounds (OCPs) has caused global contamination of the aquatic environment. In our study we have found very high concentrations of both PCBs (2110-169,000 ng/g lipid weight ΣPCB, 1950-166,000 ng/g lipid weight ΣPCB7) and OCPs (1130-7830 ng/g lipid weight ΣDDT, 47.6-2790 ng/g lipid weight ΣHCH, 5.53-35.6 ng/g lipid weight ΣChlor…
Use of DNA barcoding in the assignment of commercially valuable fish species from Romania
DNA barcoding is a molecular technique frequently used either for biodiversity monitoring and fish conservation or in the identification of the species of origin for raw and processed food from restaurants or fish markets. The most important aspect of this technique is that it works for all stages of life and can be used to distinguish between closely related taxa. Also, the technique has been used to unmask attempts of frauds in fish markets where more desirable and expensive fish are sometimes substituted with lower valued species. Our study aims to test the utility of the COI barcoding gene in the correct identification of several economically and ecologically valuable fish species, and …