Sonia Campbell - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Sonia Campbell
Natural Product Research, Nov 20, 2009
This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two sp... more This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two species of pufferfish, Diodon histrix and Arothron hispidus, common to Hawaiian waters. Organs from each fish were analysed for TTX and used to isolate bacteria for evaluation of possible TTX production. Comparative analyses of extracts of fish and bacterial culture media were performed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and a sodium channel specific bioassay. Bacterial cultivation experiments were performed in two different growth media and bacteria were identified through sequence homology of the 16S rRNA gene. Forty-two and forty-seven distinct strains were cultivated from D. histrix and A. hispidus, respectively. However, no commonality was found between the populations of bacteria isolated from the two fish. TTX was detected only in A. hispidus and was present in the flesh, pectoral fin and kidneys, as well as the skin slime. Sixteen of the forty-seven bacterial species isolated from A. hispidus were cultivated for further evaluation of TTX production. Among these sixteen bacterial species, Vibrio harveyi strains isolated from the skin slime and kidneys of A. hispidus were found to produce TTX, being the source of TTX produced in the pufferfish.
ACS Symposium Series, 2000
The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge extends about 800 miles from the main Hawaiian Isla... more The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge extends about 800 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands toward Midway island (Figure 1). Because of its remote location and near isolation from anthroprogenic activities, this area is an important breeding area for many ...
ACS Symposium Series, 2005
This study focuses on the development of a quick method for the extraction and detection of fipro... more This study focuses on the development of a quick method for the extraction and detection of fipronil residues and its main three metabolites in Hawaiian soil (Helemano series) and cotton gauze swipe samples. Pressurized fluid extraction was used for its ease of use and automated state, its reduction in organic solvent consumption, and time saving interests. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in selected ion monitoring mode was employed for the detection and quantification of the extracts. The extraction method was optimized for the Hawaiian soil for the simultaneous extraction of the four compounds, and was then applied to soil and cotton gauze samples collected from Maui, Hawaii, after a residential spray of fipronil.
International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2002
Elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found in dredged marine sediment ... more Elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found in dredged marine sediment from Pearl Harbor. The degradation of PAHs was investigated with soil-sediment systems (washed and unwashed) and 20 plant species. Marine sediment was diluted with native soil in the first experiment. Sediment was washed with gypsum solution and water in the second and third experiments, respectively, prior to soil dilution. Soil dilution ratios were 0, 6, 16, and 37% by weight in the first experiment, 0, 37, 64, and 100% in the second and 0, 18, 64, and 100% in the third. Seven tree, nine shrub, and four grass species were grown for 12 weeks in a glasshouse. A "no plant" control was used in all the experiments. Several plant species yielded up to 90% PAH degradation in the first experiment when compared with no plant control. In the second planting, dwarf hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus) and vetiver (Vetiver zizanoides) appeared to cause the greatest PAH reduction, while paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) and naupaka (Scaevola sericea) did not. The greatest difference between control and planted soil for both benzo[a]pyrene and total PAH occurred at the highest sediment ratios.
Charcoal has important biogeochemical implications in soil---first as a means to sequester carbon... more Charcoal has important biogeochemical implications in soil---first as a means to sequester carbon, and second as a soil conditioner to potentially enhance soil quality and fertility. Volatile matter (VM) content is a property of charcoal which describes its degree of thermal alteration, or carbonization. Results from greenhouse experiments have shown that plant growth can be negatively affected by charcoals with high VM content (20-35%), with and without fertilizer supplements, whereas low VM charcoal (6-9%) increased plant growth when combined with fertilizer. We conducted two laboratory studies to characterize the VM content of charcoals derived from two feedstocks (corncob and kiawe) and relate observed differences to key aspects of soil fertility. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), total phenol content (using a Prussian blue colorimetric assay), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we found that the VM content...
Remediation Journal, 2002
Phytoremediation is an emerging technique that can be used to economically remediate sites contam... more Phytoremediation is an emerging technique that can be used to economically remediate sites contaminated with trace elements and/or man‐made organic contaminants. This technique was used on Pearl Harbor (Oahu, Hawaii) dredged material (PHDM) containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some heavy metals. The dredged material was first amended with a high‐calcium soil (Waialua Mollisol) and a biosolids‐based compost at different proportions to yield varying salinity levels. A mixture that yielded an electrical conductivity (EC, a measure of salinity) of the saturated paste extract of 15 to 20 dS/m was identified and used to evaluate the salt tolerance of five plant species. Relative germination and one‐month‐old biomass indicated that common bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum), beach pea (Vigna marina), and cow pea (Vigna unguiculata) can produce at least 40 percent of biomass of the control at an EC of approximately 18 dS/m, suggesting t...
International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2002
The phytoremediation, with industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa), of a Hawaiian silty clay soil conta... more The phytoremediation, with industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa), of a Hawaiian silty clay soil contaminated with two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene, was studied. Hemp showed a very high tolerance to the contaminants. The growth rates of hemp, compared with control, in soils fortified with chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene at concentrations of each varying from 25 to 200 micrograms/g were consistently above 100%. The plants grew from seed for 45 days in soil fortified with PAHs at concentrations of 25, 50, and 75 micrograms/g. Controls were pots with contaminated soil but no plant. PAHs levels were significantly reduced in all pots (control and seeded pots), expect for one set at a high concentration of chrysene, which may be due to uneven spiking. A time course study over 28 days was done to monitor changes of microbial count and levels of chrysene. Little changes were observed for the total microbial count in the soil, and the concentration of chrysene in the soil decreased slightly in the pots containing plants. However, the chrysene levels in those pots were consistently lower than those in the pots without plants.
Natural product research, 2009
This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two sp... more This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two species of pufferfish, Diodon histrix and Arothron hispidus, common to Hawaiian waters. Organs from each fish were analysed for TTX and used to isolate bacteria for evaluation of possible TTX production. Comparative analyses of extracts of fish and bacterial culture media were performed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and a sodium channel specific bioassay. Bacterial cultivation experiments were performed in two different growth media and bacteria were identified through sequence homology of the 16S rRNA gene. Forty-two and forty-seven distinct strains were cultivated from D. histrix and A. hispidus, respectively. However, no commonality was found between the populations of bacteria isolated from the two fish. TTX was detected only in A. hispidus and was present in the flesh, pectoral fin and kidneys, as well as the skin slime. Sixteen of the forty-seven bacterial spec...
Remediation Journal, 2004
Phytoremediation is an emerging remediation technology that utilizes plants and microbes to clean... more Phytoremediation is an emerging remediation technology that utilizes plants and microbes to clean up contaminated air, soil, and water. Tropical and subtropical environments have an advantage in that long plant‐growing seasons and increased soil temperature can accelerate phytoremediation processes. Various contaminated sites in Hawaii have been addressed using this technology. In this article, work progress and advances of phytoremediation are briefly reviewed and exemplified with seven chemically contaminated sites in Hawaii. The investigations were performed for one or more of the following remediation needs: explosive residues, hydrocarbons, pesticide residues, soil stabilization, and slaughterhouse wastewater. In this unique article, studies of testing of over 100 plant species for remediation are reviewed and documented. The general trend leads one to consider that salt‐ and/or drought‐tolerant plants can bear other potential stress‐inducing conditions. © 2004 Wiley Periodical...
International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2009
... Pay-per-view customers will be granted access to the datasets corresponding to the ... After ... more ... Pay-per-view customers will be granted access to the datasets corresponding to the ... After screening soils sampled from several former pineapple pineapple-production sites for heptachlor and ... in accordance with values calculated for the uptake of weathered DDTs by pumpkins ...
Soil Science, 2011
There is a growing interest in converting organic wastes to charcoal for use as a sustainable soi... more There is a growing interest in converting organic wastes to charcoal for use as a sustainable soil amendment with a potential to improve soil productivity and sequester C. Three consecutive greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of charcoal with different ash and volatile matter (VM) contents on soil properties and maize (Zea mays) growth and to evaluate the effect of time on charcoal performance. Five charcoal amendments (high-VM corncob, low-VM corncob, Kiawe, Binchotan, and a gasification charcoal of Leucaena leucocephala) applied at a 2.5% (wt/wt) rate were compared with a zero-charcoal control with and without fertilization. Only the gasification charcoal significantly increased maize growth without fertilization. The low-VM corncob charcoal with fertilization significantly increased maize growth by 164% compared with the fertilized control in the first planting cycle. Maize growth in the high-VM corncob charcoal supplemented with fertilizer treatment was significantly lower than that of the fertilizer-alone treatment in the first planting cycle. The negative effect of the high-VM charcoal on the fertilizer was caused by bioavailable carbon in the charcoal, which increased soil microbial activity and could have caused N immobilization. Both the beneficial and detrimental effects of charcoal did not persist beyond the first planting cycle, suggesting that charcoal impacts are temporary. Whereas charcoal ash and VM content seem to be important parameters for predicting charcoal behavior in the short-term, more research is needed to examine a broader spectrum of feedstocks exposed to varying thermal treatments.
Soil Science Society of America Journal, 2010
A series of short‐term greenhouse experiments and laboratory incubations were conducted to evalua... more A series of short‐term greenhouse experiments and laboratory incubations were conducted to evaluate the effect of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche) nut shell (MNS) charcoal with varying volatile matter (VM) content on soil properties and plant growth in two tropical soils. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) were planted in an Andisol amended with four rates of MNS charcoal (0, 5, 10, and 20% w/w) containing relatively high VM content (225 g kg−1) with and without N fertilizer. Increasing rates of charcoal without N caused a significant decline in both lettuce and corn growth. Corn growth declined significantly with or without N at the two highest charcoal rates. In a third experiment, corn growth also declined significantly in an Ultisol amended with the MNS charcoal (5% w/w) with and without fertilizers. In a fourth experiment, charcoals with high VM (225 g kg−1) showed negative effects on plant growth while the low‐VM (63.0 g kg−1) charcoal supplem...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2004
We report the complete genome sequence of the deep-sea γ-proteobacterium, Idiomarina loihiensis ,... more We report the complete genome sequence of the deep-sea γ-proteobacterium, Idiomarina loihiensis , isolated recently from a hydrothermal vent at 1,300-m depth on the Lōihi submarine volcano, Hawaii. The I. loihiensis genome comprises a single chromosome of 2,839,318 base pairs, encoding 2,640 proteins, four rRNA operons, and 56 tRNA genes. A comparison of I. loihiensis to the genomes of other γ-proteobacteria reveals abundance of amino acid transport and degradation enzymes, but a loss of sugar transport systems and certain enzymes of sugar metabolism. This finding suggests that I. loihiensis relies primarily on amino acid catabolism, rather than on sugar fermentation, for carbon and energy. Enzymes for biosynthesis of purines, pyrimidines, the majority of amino acids, and coenzymes are encoded in the genome, but biosynthetic pathways for Leu, Ile, Val, Thr, and Met are incomplete. Auxotrophy for Val and Thr was confirmed by in vivo experiments. The I. loihiensis genome contains a cl...
Journal of Chromatographic Science, 2003
Soil samples are collected from the former Open Burn/Open Detonation Unit, Makua Military Reserva... more Soil samples are collected from the former Open Burn/Open Detonation Unit, Makua Military Reservation, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The soil is the Helemano series. The soil samples are fortified with eight explosives for development of the analytical method. These analytes are 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene; 1,3dinitrobenzene; 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT); hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX); nitrobenzene (NB); octogen; 1,3,5trinitrobenzene; and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. The analytes are recovered with pressurized fluid extraction and measured with liquid chromatography (LC), LC-mass spectrometry (MS), and gas chromatography-MS. Average recoveries of the seven analytes, except for NB, range from 67% to 110% from freshly fortified samples. The procedure fails to extract NB in soil. The average recoveries decrease from 67-110% to 41-81% as the soil is aged for 1 day to 6 months after fortification of the soil with the seven explosives. The field samples are analyzed for the presence of explosives, of which DNT and RDX are indeed detected. The results obtained with this procedure agree well with those obtained by an independent laboratory following the standard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method SW-846 8330. Compared with the EPA method, this new method provides MS confirmation of the analytes, and the extraction requires approximately 15 min, rather than 18 h by the EPA method. Experimental Chemicals Extraction solvents were optima-grade acetonitrile and methanol (Fisher Scientific,
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2005
A method was developed for the simultaneous extraction and analysis of the insecticides indoxacar... more A method was developed for the simultaneous extraction and analysis of the insecticides indoxacarb and thiamethoxam from five Hawaiian soils. Using pressurized fluid extraction followed by liquid chromatography, optimized recoveries from the five soils were obtained ranging from 80% (5 to 101% (10 for thiamethoxam, and 83% (6 to 106% (7 for indoxacarb. Aging studies also showed strong binding of indoxacarb to all soils tested after 30 days, while thiamethoxam remained quite available for extraction during the length of the study (90 days). Freundlich constant (K f) and empirical value (n) for thiamethoxam sorption on Lihue soil were 0.007391 mmol (1-1/n) ‚L 1/n ‚g-1 and 1.1377, respectively; K f and n were 0.007844 mmol (1-1/n) ‚L 1/n ‚g-1 and 0.8473, respectively, on Wahiawa soil. The organic carbon adsorption constant (Koc) of thiamethoxam was 0.53 in Lihue soil and 0.23 in Wahiawa soil.
International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2006
An aerobic, mesophilic bacterium, strain JA40T, was isolated from soil contaminated with polycycl... more An aerobic, mesophilic bacterium, strain JA40T, was isolated from soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls collected from Johnston Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. The strain formed yellow-pigmented colonies on heterotrophic media. The cells were Gram-negative, non-motile, non-sporulating rods. The strain reduced nitrite to nitrous oxide, the DNA G+C content was 64 mol% and the dominant fatty acids were 15 : 0 iso, 17 : 1 iso cis7 and 11 : 0 iso 3-OH. DNA sequencing of 1457 nt of the 16S rRNA gene established that JA40T belongs in the genus Pseudoxanthomonas within the Xanthomonadaceae branch of the Gammaproteobacteria. Strain JA40T can be differentiated from other mesophilic species in the genus on the basis of its physiological and biochemical characteristics and distinctive fatty acid profile. Thus strain JA40T (=ATCC BAA-1031T=CIP 108476T) is the type strain of a novel species of the genus Pseudoxanthomonas, for which the name Pseudo...
International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2007
A novel species, strain P2S11T, was isolated from the mucus of a puffer fish caught off the coast... more A novel species, strain P2S11T, was isolated from the mucus of a puffer fish caught off the coast of Kaneohe Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the novel strain was most closely related to Ferrimonas marina DSM 16917T and Ferrimonas balearica DSM 9799T with 93.5 % and 82.9 % sequence similarities, respectively, which established the novel strain as belonging to the genus Ferrimonas. The strain formed off-white coloured colonies on marine agar and cells were Gram-negative, non-motile rods. H2S was produced when strain P2S11T was grown on TSI medium with added salt. Strain P2S11T had a DNA G+C content of 54.9 mol% and the dominant fatty acids were C16 : 1 ω9c, C16 : 0 and C17 : 1 ω8c. On the basis of this polyphasic study, strain P2S11T (=ATCC BAA-1480T=DSM 18821T) represents a novel species of the genus Ferrimonas, for which the name Ferrimonas senticii sp. nov. is proposed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, 2008
Analytical Chemistry, 2000
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2001
Pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) is becoming popular for solid extraction due to its advantages... more Pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) is becoming popular for solid extraction due to its advantages of considerable time and solvent saving. The use of PFE was evaluated for the recovery of six agrochemicals from a Hawaiian soil. Six acid herbicides spiked at a 0.5 mg/kg level in soils were extracted with pressurized and heated acetone (1500 psi, 100 • C) and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in negative chemical ionization (NCI) mode after ex situ derivatization of the analytes. In situ derivatization of the analytes with pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFBBr) in presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tetrasodium salt (Na 4 EDTA) was accomplished as one step in the PFE extraction cell, followed by GC-MS quantification. The effect of the amount of derivatizing reagents, static extraction time and roles of PFBBr and Na 4 EDTA on the extraction were investigated. Use of Na 4 EDTA significantly improved the recoveries of the analytes, with results from 69 to 117% (an overall average of 92 ± 16%). The analysis time reduced from several hours (up to 24 h) for the conventional extraction to less than 1 h, and the good and consistent recoveries make this method very attractive for the analysis of acidic herbicides traditionally presenting difficulties for their test at low levels.
Natural Product Research, Nov 20, 2009
This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two sp... more This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two species of pufferfish, Diodon histrix and Arothron hispidus, common to Hawaiian waters. Organs from each fish were analysed for TTX and used to isolate bacteria for evaluation of possible TTX production. Comparative analyses of extracts of fish and bacterial culture media were performed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and a sodium channel specific bioassay. Bacterial cultivation experiments were performed in two different growth media and bacteria were identified through sequence homology of the 16S rRNA gene. Forty-two and forty-seven distinct strains were cultivated from D. histrix and A. hispidus, respectively. However, no commonality was found between the populations of bacteria isolated from the two fish. TTX was detected only in A. hispidus and was present in the flesh, pectoral fin and kidneys, as well as the skin slime. Sixteen of the forty-seven bacterial species isolated from A. hispidus were cultivated for further evaluation of TTX production. Among these sixteen bacterial species, Vibrio harveyi strains isolated from the skin slime and kidneys of A. hispidus were found to produce TTX, being the source of TTX produced in the pufferfish.
ACS Symposium Series, 2000
The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge extends about 800 miles from the main Hawaiian Isla... more The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge extends about 800 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands toward Midway island (Figure 1). Because of its remote location and near isolation from anthroprogenic activities, this area is an important breeding area for many ...
ACS Symposium Series, 2005
This study focuses on the development of a quick method for the extraction and detection of fipro... more This study focuses on the development of a quick method for the extraction and detection of fipronil residues and its main three metabolites in Hawaiian soil (Helemano series) and cotton gauze swipe samples. Pressurized fluid extraction was used for its ease of use and automated state, its reduction in organic solvent consumption, and time saving interests. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in selected ion monitoring mode was employed for the detection and quantification of the extracts. The extraction method was optimized for the Hawaiian soil for the simultaneous extraction of the four compounds, and was then applied to soil and cotton gauze samples collected from Maui, Hawaii, after a residential spray of fipronil.
International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2002
Elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found in dredged marine sediment ... more Elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found in dredged marine sediment from Pearl Harbor. The degradation of PAHs was investigated with soil-sediment systems (washed and unwashed) and 20 plant species. Marine sediment was diluted with native soil in the first experiment. Sediment was washed with gypsum solution and water in the second and third experiments, respectively, prior to soil dilution. Soil dilution ratios were 0, 6, 16, and 37% by weight in the first experiment, 0, 37, 64, and 100% in the second and 0, 18, 64, and 100% in the third. Seven tree, nine shrub, and four grass species were grown for 12 weeks in a glasshouse. A "no plant" control was used in all the experiments. Several plant species yielded up to 90% PAH degradation in the first experiment when compared with no plant control. In the second planting, dwarf hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus) and vetiver (Vetiver zizanoides) appeared to cause the greatest PAH reduction, while paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) and naupaka (Scaevola sericea) did not. The greatest difference between control and planted soil for both benzo[a]pyrene and total PAH occurred at the highest sediment ratios.
Charcoal has important biogeochemical implications in soil---first as a means to sequester carbon... more Charcoal has important biogeochemical implications in soil---first as a means to sequester carbon, and second as a soil conditioner to potentially enhance soil quality and fertility. Volatile matter (VM) content is a property of charcoal which describes its degree of thermal alteration, or carbonization. Results from greenhouse experiments have shown that plant growth can be negatively affected by charcoals with high VM content (20-35%), with and without fertilizer supplements, whereas low VM charcoal (6-9%) increased plant growth when combined with fertilizer. We conducted two laboratory studies to characterize the VM content of charcoals derived from two feedstocks (corncob and kiawe) and relate observed differences to key aspects of soil fertility. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), total phenol content (using a Prussian blue colorimetric assay), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we found that the VM content...
Remediation Journal, 2002
Phytoremediation is an emerging technique that can be used to economically remediate sites contam... more Phytoremediation is an emerging technique that can be used to economically remediate sites contaminated with trace elements and/or man‐made organic contaminants. This technique was used on Pearl Harbor (Oahu, Hawaii) dredged material (PHDM) containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some heavy metals. The dredged material was first amended with a high‐calcium soil (Waialua Mollisol) and a biosolids‐based compost at different proportions to yield varying salinity levels. A mixture that yielded an electrical conductivity (EC, a measure of salinity) of the saturated paste extract of 15 to 20 dS/m was identified and used to evaluate the salt tolerance of five plant species. Relative germination and one‐month‐old biomass indicated that common bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum), beach pea (Vigna marina), and cow pea (Vigna unguiculata) can produce at least 40 percent of biomass of the control at an EC of approximately 18 dS/m, suggesting t...
International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2002
The phytoremediation, with industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa), of a Hawaiian silty clay soil conta... more The phytoremediation, with industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa), of a Hawaiian silty clay soil contaminated with two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene, was studied. Hemp showed a very high tolerance to the contaminants. The growth rates of hemp, compared with control, in soils fortified with chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene at concentrations of each varying from 25 to 200 micrograms/g were consistently above 100%. The plants grew from seed for 45 days in soil fortified with PAHs at concentrations of 25, 50, and 75 micrograms/g. Controls were pots with contaminated soil but no plant. PAHs levels were significantly reduced in all pots (control and seeded pots), expect for one set at a high concentration of chrysene, which may be due to uneven spiking. A time course study over 28 days was done to monitor changes of microbial count and levels of chrysene. Little changes were observed for the total microbial count in the soil, and the concentration of chrysene in the soil decreased slightly in the pots containing plants. However, the chrysene levels in those pots were consistently lower than those in the pots without plants.
Natural product research, 2009
This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two sp... more This study evaluates the presence, location and production source of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in two species of pufferfish, Diodon histrix and Arothron hispidus, common to Hawaiian waters. Organs from each fish were analysed for TTX and used to isolate bacteria for evaluation of possible TTX production. Comparative analyses of extracts of fish and bacterial culture media were performed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and a sodium channel specific bioassay. Bacterial cultivation experiments were performed in two different growth media and bacteria were identified through sequence homology of the 16S rRNA gene. Forty-two and forty-seven distinct strains were cultivated from D. histrix and A. hispidus, respectively. However, no commonality was found between the populations of bacteria isolated from the two fish. TTX was detected only in A. hispidus and was present in the flesh, pectoral fin and kidneys, as well as the skin slime. Sixteen of the forty-seven bacterial spec...
Remediation Journal, 2004
Phytoremediation is an emerging remediation technology that utilizes plants and microbes to clean... more Phytoremediation is an emerging remediation technology that utilizes plants and microbes to clean up contaminated air, soil, and water. Tropical and subtropical environments have an advantage in that long plant‐growing seasons and increased soil temperature can accelerate phytoremediation processes. Various contaminated sites in Hawaii have been addressed using this technology. In this article, work progress and advances of phytoremediation are briefly reviewed and exemplified with seven chemically contaminated sites in Hawaii. The investigations were performed for one or more of the following remediation needs: explosive residues, hydrocarbons, pesticide residues, soil stabilization, and slaughterhouse wastewater. In this unique article, studies of testing of over 100 plant species for remediation are reviewed and documented. The general trend leads one to consider that salt‐ and/or drought‐tolerant plants can bear other potential stress‐inducing conditions. © 2004 Wiley Periodical...
International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2009
... Pay-per-view customers will be granted access to the datasets corresponding to the ... After ... more ... Pay-per-view customers will be granted access to the datasets corresponding to the ... After screening soils sampled from several former pineapple pineapple-production sites for heptachlor and ... in accordance with values calculated for the uptake of weathered DDTs by pumpkins ...
Soil Science, 2011
There is a growing interest in converting organic wastes to charcoal for use as a sustainable soi... more There is a growing interest in converting organic wastes to charcoal for use as a sustainable soil amendment with a potential to improve soil productivity and sequester C. Three consecutive greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of charcoal with different ash and volatile matter (VM) contents on soil properties and maize (Zea mays) growth and to evaluate the effect of time on charcoal performance. Five charcoal amendments (high-VM corncob, low-VM corncob, Kiawe, Binchotan, and a gasification charcoal of Leucaena leucocephala) applied at a 2.5% (wt/wt) rate were compared with a zero-charcoal control with and without fertilization. Only the gasification charcoal significantly increased maize growth without fertilization. The low-VM corncob charcoal with fertilization significantly increased maize growth by 164% compared with the fertilized control in the first planting cycle. Maize growth in the high-VM corncob charcoal supplemented with fertilizer treatment was significantly lower than that of the fertilizer-alone treatment in the first planting cycle. The negative effect of the high-VM charcoal on the fertilizer was caused by bioavailable carbon in the charcoal, which increased soil microbial activity and could have caused N immobilization. Both the beneficial and detrimental effects of charcoal did not persist beyond the first planting cycle, suggesting that charcoal impacts are temporary. Whereas charcoal ash and VM content seem to be important parameters for predicting charcoal behavior in the short-term, more research is needed to examine a broader spectrum of feedstocks exposed to varying thermal treatments.
Soil Science Society of America Journal, 2010
A series of short‐term greenhouse experiments and laboratory incubations were conducted to evalua... more A series of short‐term greenhouse experiments and laboratory incubations were conducted to evaluate the effect of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche) nut shell (MNS) charcoal with varying volatile matter (VM) content on soil properties and plant growth in two tropical soils. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) were planted in an Andisol amended with four rates of MNS charcoal (0, 5, 10, and 20% w/w) containing relatively high VM content (225 g kg−1) with and without N fertilizer. Increasing rates of charcoal without N caused a significant decline in both lettuce and corn growth. Corn growth declined significantly with or without N at the two highest charcoal rates. In a third experiment, corn growth also declined significantly in an Ultisol amended with the MNS charcoal (5% w/w) with and without fertilizers. In a fourth experiment, charcoals with high VM (225 g kg−1) showed negative effects on plant growth while the low‐VM (63.0 g kg−1) charcoal supplem...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2004
We report the complete genome sequence of the deep-sea γ-proteobacterium, Idiomarina loihiensis ,... more We report the complete genome sequence of the deep-sea γ-proteobacterium, Idiomarina loihiensis , isolated recently from a hydrothermal vent at 1,300-m depth on the Lōihi submarine volcano, Hawaii. The I. loihiensis genome comprises a single chromosome of 2,839,318 base pairs, encoding 2,640 proteins, four rRNA operons, and 56 tRNA genes. A comparison of I. loihiensis to the genomes of other γ-proteobacteria reveals abundance of amino acid transport and degradation enzymes, but a loss of sugar transport systems and certain enzymes of sugar metabolism. This finding suggests that I. loihiensis relies primarily on amino acid catabolism, rather than on sugar fermentation, for carbon and energy. Enzymes for biosynthesis of purines, pyrimidines, the majority of amino acids, and coenzymes are encoded in the genome, but biosynthetic pathways for Leu, Ile, Val, Thr, and Met are incomplete. Auxotrophy for Val and Thr was confirmed by in vivo experiments. The I. loihiensis genome contains a cl...
Journal of Chromatographic Science, 2003
Soil samples are collected from the former Open Burn/Open Detonation Unit, Makua Military Reserva... more Soil samples are collected from the former Open Burn/Open Detonation Unit, Makua Military Reservation, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The soil is the Helemano series. The soil samples are fortified with eight explosives for development of the analytical method. These analytes are 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene; 1,3dinitrobenzene; 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT); hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX); nitrobenzene (NB); octogen; 1,3,5trinitrobenzene; and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. The analytes are recovered with pressurized fluid extraction and measured with liquid chromatography (LC), LC-mass spectrometry (MS), and gas chromatography-MS. Average recoveries of the seven analytes, except for NB, range from 67% to 110% from freshly fortified samples. The procedure fails to extract NB in soil. The average recoveries decrease from 67-110% to 41-81% as the soil is aged for 1 day to 6 months after fortification of the soil with the seven explosives. The field samples are analyzed for the presence of explosives, of which DNT and RDX are indeed detected. The results obtained with this procedure agree well with those obtained by an independent laboratory following the standard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method SW-846 8330. Compared with the EPA method, this new method provides MS confirmation of the analytes, and the extraction requires approximately 15 min, rather than 18 h by the EPA method. Experimental Chemicals Extraction solvents were optima-grade acetonitrile and methanol (Fisher Scientific,
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2005
A method was developed for the simultaneous extraction and analysis of the insecticides indoxacar... more A method was developed for the simultaneous extraction and analysis of the insecticides indoxacarb and thiamethoxam from five Hawaiian soils. Using pressurized fluid extraction followed by liquid chromatography, optimized recoveries from the five soils were obtained ranging from 80% (5 to 101% (10 for thiamethoxam, and 83% (6 to 106% (7 for indoxacarb. Aging studies also showed strong binding of indoxacarb to all soils tested after 30 days, while thiamethoxam remained quite available for extraction during the length of the study (90 days). Freundlich constant (K f) and empirical value (n) for thiamethoxam sorption on Lihue soil were 0.007391 mmol (1-1/n) ‚L 1/n ‚g-1 and 1.1377, respectively; K f and n were 0.007844 mmol (1-1/n) ‚L 1/n ‚g-1 and 0.8473, respectively, on Wahiawa soil. The organic carbon adsorption constant (Koc) of thiamethoxam was 0.53 in Lihue soil and 0.23 in Wahiawa soil.
International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2006
An aerobic, mesophilic bacterium, strain JA40T, was isolated from soil contaminated with polycycl... more An aerobic, mesophilic bacterium, strain JA40T, was isolated from soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls collected from Johnston Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. The strain formed yellow-pigmented colonies on heterotrophic media. The cells were Gram-negative, non-motile, non-sporulating rods. The strain reduced nitrite to nitrous oxide, the DNA G+C content was 64 mol% and the dominant fatty acids were 15 : 0 iso, 17 : 1 iso cis7 and 11 : 0 iso 3-OH. DNA sequencing of 1457 nt of the 16S rRNA gene established that JA40T belongs in the genus Pseudoxanthomonas within the Xanthomonadaceae branch of the Gammaproteobacteria. Strain JA40T can be differentiated from other mesophilic species in the genus on the basis of its physiological and biochemical characteristics and distinctive fatty acid profile. Thus strain JA40T (=ATCC BAA-1031T=CIP 108476T) is the type strain of a novel species of the genus Pseudoxanthomonas, for which the name Pseudo...
International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2007
A novel species, strain P2S11T, was isolated from the mucus of a puffer fish caught off the coast... more A novel species, strain P2S11T, was isolated from the mucus of a puffer fish caught off the coast of Kaneohe Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the novel strain was most closely related to Ferrimonas marina DSM 16917T and Ferrimonas balearica DSM 9799T with 93.5 % and 82.9 % sequence similarities, respectively, which established the novel strain as belonging to the genus Ferrimonas. The strain formed off-white coloured colonies on marine agar and cells were Gram-negative, non-motile rods. H2S was produced when strain P2S11T was grown on TSI medium with added salt. Strain P2S11T had a DNA G+C content of 54.9 mol% and the dominant fatty acids were C16 : 1 ω9c, C16 : 0 and C17 : 1 ω8c. On the basis of this polyphasic study, strain P2S11T (=ATCC BAA-1480T=DSM 18821T) represents a novel species of the genus Ferrimonas, for which the name Ferrimonas senticii sp. nov. is proposed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, 2008
Analytical Chemistry, 2000
Analytica Chimica Acta, 2001
Pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) is becoming popular for solid extraction due to its advantages... more Pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) is becoming popular for solid extraction due to its advantages of considerable time and solvent saving. The use of PFE was evaluated for the recovery of six agrochemicals from a Hawaiian soil. Six acid herbicides spiked at a 0.5 mg/kg level in soils were extracted with pressurized and heated acetone (1500 psi, 100 • C) and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in negative chemical ionization (NCI) mode after ex situ derivatization of the analytes. In situ derivatization of the analytes with pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFBBr) in presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tetrasodium salt (Na 4 EDTA) was accomplished as one step in the PFE extraction cell, followed by GC-MS quantification. The effect of the amount of derivatizing reagents, static extraction time and roles of PFBBr and Na 4 EDTA on the extraction were investigated. Use of Na 4 EDTA significantly improved the recoveries of the analytes, with results from 69 to 117% (an overall average of 92 ± 16%). The analysis time reduced from several hours (up to 24 h) for the conventional extraction to less than 1 h, and the good and consistent recoveries make this method very attractive for the analysis of acidic herbicides traditionally presenting difficulties for their test at low levels.