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Publications

NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.

2011

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Abstract

Data from existing monitoring programmes such as ICP Forests, ICP Integrated Monitoring and EMEP, as well as from large-scale international projects such as CarboEurope IP and NitroEurope, can be used to answer questions about the impacts of air pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems and the feedbacks of forest to climate. However, for full use to be made of the available data, a number of questions need to be answered related to the availability, accessibility, quality and comparability of the data. For example, how can these databases be accessed, e.g., freely, over the internet, on request, by authorisation? How should intellectual property rights be protected, while improving access to data? What possibilities exist for harmonisation? Which quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures have been used and for how long? These and other relevant questions are discussed.

Abstract

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is an important softwood species in Northern Europe and is frequently used as material for various wood protection systems. In Europe, EN 113 is the standard basidiomycete laboratory durability test method, using mass loss as evaluation criteria. In this paper quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to characterize colonization by basidiomycetes in Scots pine sapwood, but also to learn more about the EN 113 test. Two different wood sample sizes were tested. For Gloeophyllum trabeum the largest sample size gave the highest mass loss, while for the smallest samples Trametes versicolor gave the highest mass loss. As expected, fungal DNA content and mass loss in Scots pine sapwood samples decayed by G. trabeum became higher with increasing incubation time of 16 weeks. More unexpectedly, the T. versicolor DNA content in Scots pine sapwood samples was highest at the start of the incubation period and declined during the incubation period, while mass loss increased during the 28 week incubation period. The fungal colonization in the side and middle of EN 113 samples was tested. Highest DNA contents of G. trabeum were measured in the sides during 16 weeks of incubation. The T. versicolor DNA content was higher or similar in the side compared to the middle of the samples until week 20. For weeks 20 and 22 the DNA content was higher in the middle than in the sides, while for the remaining incubation period (weeks 24, 26 and 28) it was quite similar. TGA was shown to be a useful and fast method for chemical characterization of brown rot decayed wood, but cannot be used for white rot decayed wood. For T. versicolor moisture and fungal DNA explained most of the variation in mass loss, while for G. trabeum moisture explained most of the variation in mass loss.

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Abstract

Abstract Due to difficulties in tracing engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in complex media, there are few data on the exposure of soil biota to ENPs. This study used neutron activated cobalt (Co NPs) and silver (Ag NPs) nanoparticles, as well as soluble cobalt and silver salts, to assess the uptake, excretion and biodistribution in the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Concentrations of cobalt in worms after four weeks exposure reached 88% and 69% of the Co ions and Co NPs concentrations in food, respectively, while corresponding values for Ag ions and Ag NPs were 2.3% and 0.4%. Both Ag ions and Ag NPs in earthworms were excreted rapidly, while only 32% of the cobalt accumulated from Co ions and Co NPs were excreted within four months. High accumulation of cobalt was found in blood and in the digestive tract. Metal characterization in the exposure medium was assessed by sequential extraction and ultrafiltration. The Co NPs showed significant dissolution and release of ions, while Ag ions and particularly Ag NPs were more inert.