No abstract

Summary Horizon scanning is an essential tool for environmental scientists if they are to contribute to the evidence base for Government, its agencies and other decision makers to devise and implement environmental policies. The implication of not foreseeing issues that are foreseeable is illustrated by the contentious responses to genetically modified herbicide‐tolerant crops in the UK, and by challenges surrounding biofuels, foot and mouth disease, avian influenza and climate change. A total of 35 representatives from organizations involved in environmental policy, academia, scientific journalism and horizon scanning were asked to use wide consultation to identify the future novel or step changes in threats to, and opportunities for, biodiversity that might arise in the UK up to 2050, but that had not been important in the recent past. At least 452 people were consulted. Cases for 195 submitted issues were distributed to all participants for comments and additions. All issues were scored (probability, hazard, novelty and overall score) prior to a 2‐day workshop. Shortlisting to 41 issues and then the final 25 issues, together with refinement of these issues, took place at the workshop during another two rounds of discussion and scoring. We provide summaries of the 25 shortlisted issues and outline the research needs. We suggest that horizon scanning incorporating wide consultation with providers and users of environmental science is used by environmental policy makers and researchers. This can be used to identify gaps in knowledge and policy, and to identify future key issues for biodiversity, including those arising from outside the domains of ecology and biodiversity. Synthesis and applications. Horizon scanning can be used by environmental policy makers and researchers to identify gaps in knowledge and policy. Drawing on the experience, expertise and research of policy advisors, academics and journalists, this exercise helps set the agenda for policy, practice and research.

Earthworms were taken across an environmental gradient of metal contamination for ecotoxicology assessment. Both indigenous (Lumbricus rubellus and L. terrestris) and introduced earthworms (Eisenia andrei, exposed in mesh bags) were studied. Changes in the levels of small molecule metabolites in earthworm tissue extracts were analysed by 1H NMR spectroscopy as a means of identifying combination biomarker compounds. Principal components analysis of the NMR spectral data revealed that biochemical changes were induced across the metal contamination gradient. Native worms (L. rubellus) from the most polluted sites were associated with an increase in the relative concentration of maltose; a decrease was also seen in the concentration of an as yet unidentified biomarker compound. Introduced worms (E. andrei) did not show differences to the same extent. Direct integration of the resonances from histidine and 1-methylhistidine showed that relative histidine concentrations were elevated slightly for L. rubellus, confirming the results of earlier mesocosm studies. Conversely, the relative concentrations of both histidine and 1-methylhistidine were greatly reduced by metal contamination in L. terrestris. This study demonstrates the utility of NMR spectroscopy in detecting previously unknown potential biomarkers for ecotoxicity testing and identified maltose as a potential biomarker compound deserving of further study.

Abstract-High-resolution 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be used to produce a biochemical fingerprint of low-molecular-weight metabolites from complex biological mixtures such as tissue extracts and biofluids. Changes in such fingerprint profiles can be used to characterize the effects of toxic insult in in vivo systems. The technique is nonselective and requires little sample preparation or derivatization. In the present study, earthworms (Eisenia veneta) were exposed to three different model xenobiotics by a standard filter paper contact test, and toxicant-induced biochemical changes were then investigated by characterizing the changes in endogenous metabolites visible in 600-MHz 1 H NMR spectra of tissue extracts. The NMR spectral intensities were converted to discrete numerical values and tabulated in order to provide data matrices suitable for multivariate analysis. Principal component analysis showed that changes had occurred in the biochemical profiles relative to the undosed controls. The 2-fluoro-4-methylaniline-treated worms showed a decrease in a resonance from a compound identified as 2-hexyl-5-ethyl-3-furansulfonate using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (IonSpec, Lake Forest, CA, USA) and 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. An increase in inosine monophosphate was also observed. The 4-fluoroaniline-treated worms showed a decrease in maltose concentrations, and 3,5-difluoroaniline exerted the same effect as 2-fluoro-4-methylaniline but to a lesser extent. These changes could potentially be used as novel biomarkers of xenobiotic toxicity and could be used to determine the mechanism of action of other toxic chemicals.

The endogenous metabolites of the coelomic fluid of the earthworm Eisenia veneta were characterised using highresolution one-dimensional and two-dimensional 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Signals from common organic acids, such as acetate, fumarate, malonate, malate, formate, and succinate, were identified together with adenosine and nicotinamide mononucleotide. The potential use of this information as a baseline dataset for future toxicological or physiological studies was demonstrated by a metabonomic analysis: a series of earthworms were dosed with the model compound 3-fluoro-4-nitrophenol, and toxic effects followed by multivariate analysis of the spectral data of the coelomic fluid. Relative concentrations of acetate and malonate were decreased in the dosed worms compared to the controls. ß 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. on behalf of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies.