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Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as organochlorines (OCs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), is associated with adverse health effects in wildlife. Many POPs have been banned and conse quently their environmental concentrations have declined. To assess both temporal trends of POPs and their detrimental impacts, raptors are extensively used as biomonitors due to their high food web position and high contaminant levels. White-tailed eagles (WTEs; Haliaeetus albicilla) in the Baltic ecosystem represent a sentinel species of environmental pollution, as they have suffered population declines due to reproductive failure caused by severe exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) during the 1960s through 1980s. However, there is a lack of long-term studies that cover a wide range of environmental contaminants and their effects at the individual level. In this study, we used 135 pooled samples of shed body feathers collected in 1968–2012 from breeding WTE pairs in Sweden. Feathers constitute a temporal archive for substances incorporated into the feather during growth, including corticosterone, which is the primary avian glucocorticoid and a stress-associated hormone. Here, we analysed the WTE feather pools to investigate annual variations in feather corticosterone (fCORT), POPs (OCs and PBDEs), and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (SIs; dietary proxies). We examined whether the expected fluctuations in POPs affected fCORT (8–94 pg. mm− 1 ) in the WTE pairs. Despite clear temporal declining trends in POP concentrations (p < 0.01), we found no sig nificant associations between fCORT and POPs or SIs (p > 0.05 in all cases). Our results do not support fCORT as a relevant biomarker of contaminant-mediated effects in WTEs despite studying a highly contaminated popu lation. However, although not detecting a relationship between fCORT, POP contamination and diet, fCORT represents a non-destructive and retrospective assessment of long-term stress physiology in wild raptors other wise not readily available.

Background: Exposure to green spaces is associated with improved mental health and may reduce risk of suicide. Here, we investigate the association between long-term exposure to residential surrounding greenness and sui-cide mortality. Methods: We used data from the 2001 Belgian census linked to mortality register data (2001-2011). We included all registered individuals aged 18 years or older at baseline (2001) residing in the five largest urban areas in Belgium (n = 3,549,514). Suicide mortality was defined using the tenth revision of the World Health Organi-sation International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes X60-X84, Y10-Y34, and Y870. Surrounding greenness was measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within a 300 m and 1,000 m buffer around the residential address at baseline. To assess the association between residential surrounding greenness and suicide mortality, we applied Cox proportional hazards models with age as the underlying time scale. Models were adjusted for age, sex, living arrangement, migrant background, educational attainment, neighbourhood socio-economic position. We additionally explored potential mediation by residential outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations. Finally, we assessed potential effect modification by various socio-demographic characteristics of the population (sex, age, educational attainment, migrant background, and neighbourhood socio-economic position). Associations are expressed as hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in residential surrounding greenness. Results: We observed a 7% (95%CI 0.89-0.97) and 6% (95%CI 0.90-0.98) risk reduction of suicide mortality for an IQR increase in residential surrounding greenness for buffers of 300 m and 1,000 m, respectively. Further-more, this association was independent of exposure to NO2. After stratification, the inverse association was only apparent among women, and residents of Belgian origin, and that it was stronger among residents aged 36 or older, those with high level of education, and residents of most deprived neighbourhoods. Conclusion: Our results suggest that urban green spaces may protect against suicide mortality, but this beneficial effect may not be equally distributed across all strata of the population.

In this study, we investigated factors that influence the differences in exposure of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from eight species of Antarctic seabirds, including Pygoscelis penguins, Stercorarius maccormicki, and Macronectes giganteus. We analyzed the relationship between foraging ecology (based on δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values) and PFAAs accumulated in eggs and breast feathers. Ten out of 15 targeted PFAAs were detected in eggs compared to eight in feathers. Mean ∑PFAA concentrations in feathers ranged from 0.47 in P. antarcticus to 17.4 ng/g dry weight (dw) in S. maccormicki. In eggs, ∑PFAA concentrations ranged from 3.51 in P. adeliae to 117 ng/g dw in S. maccormicki. The highest concentrations of most PFAAs were found in trans-equatorial migrators such as S. maccormicki, probably due their high trophic position and higher concentrations of PFAAs in the Northern Hemisphere compared to the Southern Hemisphere. Based on stable isotopes correlations, our results suggest that the trophic position (δ15N) and the foraging area (δ13C and δ34S) influence PFAAs concentrations in Antarctic seabirds. Our results point to the possibility that long-distance migratory birds may have as bio-vectors in the transport of pollutants, including PFCAs, in Antarctic environments, although this must be further confirmed in future studies using a mass balanced approach, such as extractable organofluorine (EOF).

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic chemicals that have been globally distributed. Biological time series data suggest variation in temporal PFAS concentrations due to regulations and the phase-out of multiple PFAS analytes. Nonetheless, biomonitoring temporal trends of PFAS concentrations in raptors has only been done sporadically in Europe at a national scale. In the present study, we examined the concentrations of 28 PFAS in livers of common buzzard (Buteo buteo) collected in Belgium in the period 2000–2005 and in 2021. Despite the regulations and phase-out, the ΣPFAS concentrations remained similar in the livers over the past 20 years. However, over time the abundance of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), dominant in livers collected in 2000–2005, to the ΣPFAS concentration decreased from 46% to 27%, whereas the abundance of perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA), dominant in 2021, increased from 19% to 43%. The PFOS concentrations in the present study did not exceed the Toxicity Reference Values (TRVs), which were determined in liver on the characteristics of an avian top predator. The absence of temporal changes in PFAS concentrations is hypothesized to be due to a lagged response in environmental concentrations compared to atmospheric concentrations.

All seven species of sea turtle are facing increasing pressures from human activities that are impacting their health. Changes in circulating blood proteins of an individual, or all members of a population, can provide an early indicator of adverse health outcomes. Non-targeted measurement of all detectable proteins in a blood sample can indicate physiological changes. In the context of wildlife toxicology, this technique can provide a powerful tool for discovering biomarkers of chemical exposure and effect. This study presents a non-targeted examination of the protein abundance in sea turtle plasma obtained from three geographically distinct foraging populations of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) on the Queensland coast. Relative changes in protein expression between sites were compared, and potential markers of contaminant exposure were investigated. Blood plasma protein profiles were distinct between populations, with 85 out of the 116 identified proteins differentially expressed (p < 0.001). The most strongly dysregulated proteins were predominantly acute phase proteins, suggestive of differing immune status between the populations. The highest upregulation of known markers of immunotoxicity, such as pentraxin fusion and complement factor h, was observed in the Moreton Bay turtles. Forty-five different organohalogens were also measured in green turtle plasma samples as exposure to some organohalogens (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls) has previously been identified as a cause for immune dysregulation in marine animals. The few detected organohalogens were at very low (pg/mL) concentrations in turtles from all sites, and are unlikely to be the cause of the proteome differences observed. However, the changes in protein expression may be indicative of exposure to other chemicals or environmental stressors. The results of this study provide important information about differences in protein expression between different populations of turtles, and guide future toxicological and health studies on east-Australian green sea turtles.

BACKGROUND: Residential green space has been associated with mental health benefits, but how such associations vary with green space types is insufficiently known. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate associations between types and quantities of green space and sales of mood disorder medication in Belgium. METHODS: We used aggregated sales data of psycholeptics and psychoanaleptics prescribed to adults from 2006 to 2014. Generalized mixed effects models were used to investigate associations between relative covers of woodland, low-green, grassland, and garden, and average annual medication sales. Models were adjusted for socio-economic background variables, urban-rural differences, and administrative region, and included random effects of latitude and longitude. RESULTS: Urban census tracts were associated with 9-10% higher medication sales. In nationwide models, a 10% increase in relative cover of woodland, garden, and grass was associated with a 1-2% decrease in medication sales. The same association was found for low green but only for men. In stratified models, a 10% increase in relative cover of any green space type in urban census tracts was associated with a decrease of medication sales by 1-3%. In rural census tracts, no protective associations between green space and mood disorder medication sales were observed, with the exception of relative woodland cover for women (-1%), and low green was associated with higher medication sales (+6-7%). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results suggest that living in green environments may be beneficial for adult mental health. Woodland exposure seemed the most beneficial, but the amount of green space was more important than the type. Results underline the importance of conserving green space in our living environment, for the conservation of biodiversity and for human health. ispartof: Environmental Reserach vol:211 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Various biomonitoring studies have been carried out to investigate the exposure of populations by measuring non-persistent organic chemicals in urine. To accurately assess the exposure, study designs should be carefully developed to maximise reproducibility and achieve good characterization of the temporal variability. To test these parameters, the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) are calculated from repeated measurements and range from poor (

In epidemiological studies, assessment of long term exposure to air pollution is often estimated using air pollution measurements at fixed monitoring stations, and interpolated to the residence of survey participants through Geographical Information Systems (GIS). However, obtaining georeferenced address data from national registries requires a long and cumbersome administrative procedure, since this kind of personal data is protected by privacy regulations. This paper aims to assess whether information collected in health interview surveys, including air pollution annoyance, could be used to build prediction models for assessing individual long term exposure to air pollution, removing the need for data on personal residence address.Analyses were carried out based on data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey (BHIS) 2013 linked to GISmodelled air pollution exposure at the residence place of participants older than 15 years (n = 9347). First, univariate linear regressions were performed to assess the relationship between air pollution annoyance and modelled exposure to each air pollutant. Secondly, a multivariable linear regression was performed for each air pollutant based on a set of variables selected with elastic net cross-validation, including variables related to environmental annoyance, socio-economic and health status of participants. Finally, the performance of the models to classify individuals in three levels of exposure was assessed by means of a confusion matrix.Our results suggest a limited validity of self-reported air pollution annoyance as a direct proxy for air pollution exposure and a weak contribution of environmental annoyance variables in prediction models. Models using variables related to the socio-economic status, region, urban level and environmental annoyance allow to predict individual air pollution exposure with a percentage of error ranging from 8% to 18%. Although these models do not provide very accurate predictions in terms of absolute exposure to air pollution, they do allow to classify individuals in groups of relative exposure levels, ranking participants from low over medium to high air pollution exposure. This model represents a rapid assessment tool to identify groups within the BHIS participants undergoing the highest levels of environmental stress.

A novel analytical method for the monitoring of four newly identified plasticizers, namely di-propylene glycol dibenzoate (DiPGDB), tri-n-butyl trimellitate (TBTM), isooctyl 2-phenoxyethyl terephthalate (IOPhET) and bis 3,5,5-trimethylhexyl phosphate (TMHPh), in handwipes based on pulverization was developed and in-house validated. In total, 164 handwipe samples (paired with house dust and human urine) were collected during winter (n = 82) and summer (n = 82) 2019 from adults and toddlers living in Flanders, Belgium. Method LOQs ranged from 1 to 200 ng/g. The ranges of Σplasticizers were 70–5400 ng/g for winter and 70–3720 ng/g for summer. The detection frequencies were 39% for DiPGDB, 27% for TBTM and

Due to their global distribution, persistence, bioaccumulative potential and toxicity, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are considered as hazardous chemicals. Although many studies on PFASs pollution in aquatic environments have been done in the Northern hemisphere, less is known on PFASs pollution in African aquatic ecosystems and the risks they pose to humans through consumption of contaminated biota. The objective of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of PFASs in water, sediment, and fish tissue in Lake Hawassa, Ethiopia, and to investigate possible human health risks due to fish consumption. Among the PFASs detected in water and sediment, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the most abundant with mean concentrations of 6.93 ng/L and 0.23 ng/g dw respectively. Long-chained PFASs dominated the PFAS accumulation profiles in fish tissues, with higher concentrations measured in liver compared to muscle tissue. The detected concentrations of PFASs were, however, often similar to those reported in other African aquatic ecosystems. This study showed no potential health risk due to consumption of contaminated fish based on mean concentrations and fish consumption. However, it is expected that peoples who consume more fish (fishermen and local peoples living close to Lake Hawassa) may suffer health risks due to PFASs contamination.

Background: Temperature may trigger the risk of suicide, however, the extent and shape of the associations show geographical variation. Here, we investigate the short-term effects of temperature on suicide deaths occurring in Brussels between January 1st, 2002 and December 31st, 2011. Methods: We conducted a bidirectional time-stratified case-crossover study with cases being suicide deaths occurring among Brussels residents aged 5 years or older. Cases were matched by day of the week with control days from the same month and year. The exposure was the daily average temperature measured at the Uccle station (Brussels) and obtained from the Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute. We combined conditional logistic regression with distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) to obtain one week (lag 0-6) cumulative risk ratios (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the effects of moderate and extreme cold (5th and 1st percentiles of temperature, respectively) and moderate and extreme heat (95th and 99th percentiles of temperature, respectively), relative to the median temperature. Results: In total, 1891 suicide deaths were included. The median temperature was 11.6 degrees C, moderate and extreme cold temperatures were 0 and -3.1 degrees C, respectively, and moderate and extreme high temperatures were 20.9 and 24.4 degrees C, respectively. The cumulative risk of suicide mortality was almost twice higher among lags 0 to 6 for both moderate and extreme heat, relative to the period median temperature (e.g. moderate heat RR = 1.80 CI:1.27-2.54). No statistically significant associations were observed for cold temperatures. Conclusions: In Brussels, a western European city with temperate climate, high temperatures may trigger suicide deaths up to one week later. In the context of climate change, adaptation strategies must take into consideration the effects of temperature on mental health.

The increasing human exposure to contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) cannot be fully assessed by targeted biomonitoring methods alone as these are limited to a subset of known analytes. On the contrary, suspect screening approaches based on liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) allow the simultaneous detection of a high number of CECs and/or their (predicted) metabolites leading to a more comprehensive assessment of possible human exposure to these compounds. Within this study, 83 urine samples of Flemish adolescents (47 males, 36 females) collected in the frame of the 4th cycle of the Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS IV) were selected with the aim of including a high and a low exposure group based on the overall exposure of 45 known contaminants. Samples were analyzed using a previously developed method involving a suspect screening approach to annotate CECs and their metabolites. The applied suspect list contained a total of >12,500 CECs and their known and predicted metabolites resulting from metabolization reactions, such as hydroxylation, glucuronidation and methylation. In total, 63 compounds were annotated at a confidence level of 3 or better, with most of the detected compounds not included in current biomonitoring programs. 5 out of the 63 compounds could be assigned with confidence level 2. Five compounds could unequivocally be identified (confidence level 1) through the comparison with reference standards. Personal care products were the main detected compound class (42% of detected compounds). Additionally, a detailed literature search indicated potential toxic effects for several of the detected CECs. Lastly, in the urine samples, a significantly higher number (p < 0.05) of compounds was detected in the high exposure group as opposed to the low exposure group. This difference could only be observed between high and low exposure load samples of female participants (p < 0.01).

Mercury (Hg) pollution in water has been a problem for the ecosystem and human health, thus eco-friendly remediation methods are gaining traction around the world. In this study, a bacterial strain designated as RS3 isolated from the Red Sea (Saudi Arabia) has shown tolerance to more than 250 mg/L of Hg2+ on minimum inhibitory studies. The isolate RS3 was identified as Marinomonas sp., (Accession No: OK271312) using 16s rRNA sequencing. Tracing the growth curve for the RS3 showed that maximum growth attained at 72 h and only 10% reduction than the control medium for 50 mg/L HgCl2 supplemented seawater medium, which continued to reduce as 21% to 60 with the increment of HgCl2 from 100 to 350 mg/L. The Hg2+ removal potential of RS3 is observed to be 78% at 50 mg/L HgCl2/72 h, which is significantly altered with the addition of carbon source such as glucose (84.5%) > fructose (79.8%) > control (78%) > citrate (73.4%) > acetate (60.2%) > maltose (54.7%). Box-Behnken design (BBD) well proposed a model with R2 value of 0.8922, which predict a utmost Hg2+ removal of 89.5% by RS2 at favorable conditions (pH-7; NaC 1% and glucose 5%) at 72 h. Mercuric reductase enzyme encoded merA gene expression was found to be high in RS3 isolates cultivated in 100 mg/L of HgCl2 in comparison with other variables. Thus the seawater isolate Marinomonas sp. RS3 expressed a significant tolerance and removal potential towards the Hg2+, which would make it is a noteworthy applicant for effective mercury remediation practices.

The South China Sea (SCS) is an important part of the Indo-Pacific convergence zone, with high biodiversity and abundant marine resources. Traditional methods are primarily used to monitor biodiversity. However, a few studies have used environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to research the assemblage structure of the SCS. This study used eDNA metabarcoding to survey the SCS assemblage and its relationship with environmental factors over a month-long time-series (August 30th to September 30th, 2020) of seawater samples from the central part of the SCS (9°–20°86′ N, 113°–118°47′ E). 32 stations were divided into six groups (A, B, C, D, E, F) according to longitude. We collected water samples, extracted eDNA, and amplified 18S rRNA gene V4 region (18S V4), 18S rRNA gene V9 region (18S V9), and 12S rRNA gene (12S). Krona diagrams were used to show species composition. We identified 192 phytoplankton, 104 invertebrate, and 61 fish species from 18S V4, 18S V9, and 12S, respectively. Generally, the three assemblage structures exhibited an increase in species diversity with increasing longitude. Group E had the highest fish diversity. Groups F and C had the highest phytoplankton and invertebrate diversity, respectively. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that four factors (chlorophyll a, depth, salinity, and temperature) were correlated with assemblage structure. Chlorophyll a was the main environmental factor that affected fish, phytoplankton, and invertebrate assemblage structures; salinity was strongly correlated with fish and invertebrate assemblage structures; temperature was a key factor that impacted fish and invertebrate assemblage structures; and depth was strongly correlated with invertebrate assemblage structure. Our results revealed that eDNA metabarcoding is a powerful tool for improving detection rate and using multiple markers is an effective approach for monitoring biodiversity. This study provided information that can be used to enhance biodiversity protection efforts in the SCS.

Bisphenol analogues (BPs) are heavily used and negatively affect the health of human beings, however, there is little knowledge regarding human exposure to BPs other than BPA. This study aims to assess human exposure to BPs through investigating pooled urine and wastewater samples. Twenty-four pooled urine samples were prepared from 960 specimens (classified by age and gender). Wastewater samples were collected from six major wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Guangzhou, South of China. BPA, BPS, and BPAF were widely detected in urine samples, with a median concentration of 0.96, 0.42, and 0.15 μg/L, respectively. Median urinary levels of BPA and BPS were higher in males than females (p > 0.05). In addition, BPA and BPS urinary levels in young adults (15–30 years old) were greater than those in children (0–15 years old) (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, most of the BPs were detected in wastewater samples, of which BPA and BPS were predominant BPs, with a median concentration of 1.0 and 0.29 μg/L. The average per capital mass loads of ΣBPs on the weekdays of mix typed WWTP was much higher than those of the weekends. Nonetheless, the average loads of ΣBPs on the weekdays of domestic WWTP was slightly lower than those of the weekends. This indicated that important sources of BPs might include industrial wastewater and household cleaning products. Urinary BPA, BPS, and BPAF accounted for less than 5% per capital mass loads in wastewater, suggesting that much of the BPA, BPS, and BPAF in municipal wastewater originate non-human excretion. Hence, the wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approach based on parent compounds is not available for assessing human exposure to BPs, neither for other industrial chemicals with diverse sources in municipal wastewater. These results contributes to the development of an efficient surveillance system which can provide insight in the trends of human exposure of BPs.

The science world advancing day by day contributes to living systems in many areas with the development of nanotechnology. Besides being easily obtained from plants, the advantages it brings increase the importance of nanotechnology. Environmentally friendly, economical, and compatible with plants are just a few of the advantages it brings. Silver metal is one of the most preferred active ingredients in nanoparticle synthesis. Arum italicum is used in the treatment of various diseases in the health sector due to the structures it contains. In our study, nanoparticle synthesis was made by using Ag metal with Arum italicum plant. Then, the antimicrobial, DNA damage prevention and DPPH radical quenching activity of Ag NPs/Ai nanoparticles were investigated. The interaction of the plant with Ag, analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis), scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), Fourier-converted infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) methods has been done. It has been observed that Ag NPs/Ai clusters formed by Arum italicum with Ag have an antibacterial effect against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli pathogens. However, an antifungal effect hasn't been observed against Candida albicans fungus. Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria exerted a stronger effect than an antibiotic. It is seen that Ag NPs/Ai has a protective and anti-damage effect against DNA damage. The antioxidant effect of Ag NPs/Ai is remarkable when DPPH radical quenching activity is compared to positive control BHA and BHT.

Indoor spaces contain several classes of persistent organic chemicals, including per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). However, concentrations of PFAS and persistent chemical mixtures and their associations with building characteristics on college campuses are understudied. We collected dust from 43 nonresidential spaces on four U.S. college campuses in 2016 and evaluated associations of room characteristics (carpeting, upholstered furniture, and years since last furnished) with dust concentrations of PFAS, PBDEs, PCBs, and OCPs. Nine PFAS, twelve PBDEs, two PCBs, and four OCPs were each detected in at least 75% of the spaces, including several chemicals (e.g., DDT) that have been banned for decades. Concentrations were correlated within and, in some cases, between chemical classes. Wall-to-wall carpeting (compared to rooms without wall-to-wall carpeting) was associated with higher concentrations of six individual PFAS and a mixture of PFAS, and the number of pieces of upholstered furniture was associated with increased concentrations of a mixture of PBDEs. These findings indicate that carpeting and furniture are current sources of PFAS and PBDEs, respectively. Building and finish materials should be carefully selected to avoid exposure to persistent chemicals.

Surface mining is a critical anthropogenic activity that significantly alters the ecosystem, while the use of appropriate revegetation techniques can be considered an important and feasible strategy in the way to improve the ecosystem services of degraded land. In the present study, we carried out a pot experiment to investigate the effects of three different variables on morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters of Onobrychis viciifolia to assess the capability of this species to be used for restoration purposes. Specifically, the variables studied were: (a) water (W) regime, working at five values as regards field capacity (FC) (i.e., 80% FC = highest, 72% FC = high, 60% FC = moderate, 48% FC = low, and 40% FC = very-low dose); and (b) rates of cattle manure compost (CMC) and wood biochar (BC) (weight/weight ratio), working at five rates (i.e., 4.0% = highest, 3.2% = high, 2.0% = moderate, 0.8% = low, and 0% = either no-CMC or no-BC dose). In addition, soil physical-chemical properties and enzyme activities were also investigated at the end of the experimental period. It was found that morphological growth attributes such as plant height, maximum root length, and dry biomass significantly increased with W, CMC and BC applications. Compared to control, moderate-to-high W, CMC and BC doses (W80CMC2BC2) increased net photosynthesis rate (by 42%), stomatal conductance (by 50%), transpiration rate (by 29%), water use efficiency (by 10%), chlorophyll contents (by 73%), carotenoid content (by 81%), leaf relative water content (by 33%) and leaf membrane stability index (by 30%). Under low-W content, the application of CMC and BC enhanced osmotic adjustments by increasing the content of soluble sugar and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase, decreasing the oxidative stress, as verified by low levels of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, malondialdehyde and proline contents in leaf tissues. Moreover, application of W, CMC and BC significantly improved soil water holding capacity, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, urease and catalase activities, which facilitate plant growth. These results would aid in designing an appropriate strategy for achieving a successful revegetation of O. viciifolia, providing optimum doses of W (64% field capacity), CMC (2.4%) and BC (1.7%), with the final aim of reaching ecological restoration in arid degraded lands.

As a platform for enzyme immobilization, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can protect enzyme activity from the interference of external adverse environment. Although these strategies have been proven to produce good results, little consideration has been given to the functional similarity of MOFs to the encapsulated enzyme. Here, catalase (CAT) was encapsulated in Fe-BTC with peroxidase-like activity to obtain a stable composite (CAT@Fe-BTC) with synergistic catalytic activity. Depending on the superior selectivity and high catalytic activity of CAT@Fe-BTC, colorimetric sensing for the detection of hydrogen peroxide and phenol was developed. This work demonstrates that the integration of functional MOFs with natural enzyme can be well applied to the construction of efficient catalysts.

Bioresources are attaining much importance in the discovery of drugs and delivering agents. In particular, marine sponges are of great interest due to their metabolites production for the survival in risky environment. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles with marine sponge derived metabolites was reported for the first time. In this work, a facile material has been generated of great efficacy in solving environmental and health issues, as a recipe of silver and marine sponge Clathria frondifera, named as Ag Fortified Sponge spheres (AFS). AFS spheres were successfully synthesized after method optimization, using the various extracts of marine sponge Clathria frondifera as effective reducing agent in Ag (I) to Ag (0) reduction. Bioactive material from marine sponge and AgNP from the reduction of AgNO3 solution stablishing one another and thus AFS spheres were attaining long lifetime along with enhanced antimicrobial activity. The characterization of synthesized AFS and other AgNPs (1–4) has done using FT-IR, PXRD, FESEM, TEM, and UV–vis data. The presence of functional groups such as, Ag–O, and Ag–C stretching bonds in the AFS compounds indicated that it is composed of silver oxides and organo-silver, respectively. The synthesized Ag NPs were found to be spherical like structure with an average size of ∼20 nm. The cytotoxic response of AFS was assessed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and morphological changes. AFS are exact spherical, micro sized and effective in inhibiting the growth of both gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. Anticancer studies were also carried out and ensued with excellent activity in the HELA cells with potential application in the medical industry.

Anammox has been widely used for the treatment of nitrogen wastewater. However, the problem of stable NO2− supplement becomes one of the limiting factors. It is an effective method to obtain NO2− by denitrifying the NO3−, including the by-product of Anammox. In this study, NO2− was reinforced by bio-electrochemical system (BES) through the reaction of partial denitrification in situ in an Anammox reactor. Our results showed that both NO3− and NO2− can be reduced on the cathode with different Coulombic efficiencies. The reduction of NO3− amount increased with an increase in Inf-NO3−, which was greater than that of NO2−. The conversion amount of NO3− was 2.50% ± 17.25% to the theoretical Eff-NO3−, and the maximum reduction amount was 23.24% with the highest Coulombic efficiency of 3.56%. High throughput results showed that denitrifying bacteria, such as Limnobacter, Thauera, Denitratisoma, Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira, were attached to the cathode surface and in Anammox granular sludge. This study showed that NO2− can be supplied by reducing the by-product NO3− with denitrification cathode at Anammox environment in-situ.

The combination of adsorption-photocatalysis and advanced oxidation processes (AOP) based on sulfate (SO4•−) for the treatment of organic pollution has the advantages of a high degradation rate, affordability, and an absence of secondary pollution. This study combined amphiphilic super-crosslinked porous cyclodextrin resin (PBCD-B-D), bismuth oxybromide (BiOBr), a composite material with dual functions of adsorption and photocatalysis, and AOP based on SO4•− for the treatment of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) in water. The combination of BiOBr/PBCD-B-D (BOP-24) with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) showed an optimal adsorption–photocatalytic effect. Compared to the 24% PBCD-B-D (BOP-24)/visible light system, the degradation efficiency of BOP-24/PMS system for AO7 is increased from 64.1% to 99.2% within shorter time (∼60 min). Moreover, the BOP-24/PMS system showed a wide range of pH application (pH = 3–11). The addition of Cl−, SO42−, and NO3− promoted the photodegradation of AO7, whereas the addition of CO32− did not. The free radical capture experiments of the BOP-24/PMS AO7 degradation system showed that •O2−, h+, •OH, and SO4•− are reactive species. The proposed BOP-24 system used adsorption and a unique cavity structure to enrich AO7 near the active site, thereby reducing the path for PMS activation. PMS also acted as an electron (e−) acceptor to promote the transfer of part of e− to PMS, thereby further improving the efficiency of carrier separation. The proposed system is an effective method to improve the degradation of pollutants and broadens the range of application of SO4•−-based AOP technology.

Probiotic supplements are able to attenuate the developmental toxicity of perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) pollutant. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. To this end, the present study acutely exposed zebrafish larvae for 4 days to 0 and 10 mg/L of PFBS, with or without the addition of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus in the rearing water. The metabolomics approach was used to reveal the combined effects of PFBS and probiotics on metabolic dynamics, based on which gene transcriptions, enzymatic activities, and behavioral endpoints were further examined. The results showed that probiotic supplements were the major driver of the metabolomic fingerprints in coexposed zebrafish larvae. The addition of probiotic bacteria significantly decreased the methylation potential whilst up-regulating the demethylation process of genomic DNA, which may globally stimulate the gene expression to improve somatic growth. Acute exposure to PFBS significantly increased the cortisol concentration in zebrafish larvae, subsequently inducing stress response and hyperactive behavior. In contrast, probiotic supplementation promoted the degradation of cortisol, thus alleviating the stressful state. Antagonistic action of probiotics against PFBS developmental toxicity was also noted regarding the locomotor behavior. In addition, gut microbiota-mediated production of secondary bile acids was remarkably enhanced by probiotic supplements regardless of PFBS exposure. Overall, the present study underlines the efficacy of probiotic bacteria to protect zebrafish larvae from the metabolic disturbances of PFBS, thereby providing more evidence to support the application of probiotics in aquaculture and fishery as an environmentally-friendly choice.

Invasive species can precede far-reaching environmental and economic consequences. In the Hawai'ian Archipelago Cephalopholis argus (family Serranidae) is an established invasive species, now recognized as the dominant local reef predator, negatively impacting the native ecosystem and local fishery. In this region, no official C. argus fishery exists, due to its association with Ciguatera seafood poisoning (CP); a severe intoxication in humans occurring after eating (primarily) fish contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs). Pre-harvest prediction of CP is currently not possible; partly due to the ubiquitous nature of the microalgae producing CTXs and the diverse bioaccumulation pathways of the toxins. This study investigated the perceived risk of CP in two geographically discrete regions (Leeward and Windward) around the main island of Hawai'i, guided by local fishers. C. argus was collected and investigated for CTXs using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) CTX testing protocol (in vitro neuroblastoma N2a-assay and LC-MS/MS). Overall, 76% of fish (87/113) exceeded the FDA guidance value for CTX1B (0.01 ng g-1 tissue equivalents); determined by the N2a-assay. Maximum CTX levels were ≅2× higher at the Leeward vs Windward location and, respectively, 95% (64/67) and 54% (25/46) of fish were positive for CTX-like activity. Fisher persons and environmental understandings, regarding the existence of a geographic predictor (Leeward vs Windward) for harvest, were found to be (mostly) accurate as CTXs were detected in both locations and the local designation of C. argus as a risk for CP was confirmed. This study provides additional evidence that supports the previous conclusions that this species is a severe CP risk in the coastal food web of Hawai'i, and that ocean exposure (wave power) may be a prominent factor influencing the CTX content in fish within a hyperendemic region for CP.

Urbanization is an important human-driven process that leads to biodiversity loss and alters the interactions between organisms, including disease transmission. Although urbanization affects both host and vector communities, the effects on vector-borne pathogens are still poorly understood. Here, we monitored variation in prevalence and richness of three common blood parasites in birds (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) from localities with different land uses (urban, rural and natural) during two consecutive years (2013 and 2014). Overall, 1400 juvenile house sparrows (Passer domesticus) from 15 localities in southern Spain were included in this study. Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon prevalence was higher in 2013 than in 2014, particularly in urban and natural habitats for the case of Leucocytozoon. Prevalence was correlated between years for Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, independently of the habitat. Additionally, rural habitats harboured significantly higher Haemoproteus lineage richness compared to urban and natural habitats during 2014. Leucocytozoon lineage richness was negatively correlated between years in rural habitats but positively correlated in urban and natural habitats in comparison. Parasite lineages found in birds were homogeneously distributed along habitats and years and the common lineages prevalence were not influenced by them. Our results highlight different patterns of infection depending on the parasite genera probably related to the composition and density of vector communities. The specific reproductive environmental requirements of the different groups of vectors involved in the transmission may be affected by climatic conditions and landscape features.

The levels of 12 trace metal (loid)s (TMs) in 10 vegetable types including leafy vegetables (purslane, purple basil and parsley) and fruiting vegetables (pepper, tomato, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, green bean and melon) and in maize grown in Malatya province (Turkey) were investigated and non-carcinogenic health risks from consumption of these crops were assessed. The levels of TMs were measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The mean levels of Ni, Cu, Cd, Cr, As and Zn in all crops were below maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs), while those of Pb in pepper (0.109 mg/kg fw), eggplant (0.103 mg/kg fw) and green bean (0.177 mg/kg fw) slightly exceeded MPCs (0.1 mg/kg fw). Leafy vegetables had relatively higher concentrations of Al, As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe and Mn compared to fruiting vegetables and maize. The estimated daily intake value of each TM estimated for each crop was found to be below the tolerable daily intake value. The target hazard quotients of all TMs in all crops did not exceed the acceptable non-carcinogenic risk level. However, hazard index (HI) value (1.57) in tomato was found to be above the threshold value of 1, indicating non-carcinogenic risks for consumers due to the intake of combined TMs in tomato. The THQ values of As, Co and Pb contributed 46.4%, 24.5% and 16.4% of the HI value of tomato, respectively. High daily consumption amount of tomato likely resulted in high HI value. The findings obtained in this study reveal that even if the levels of TMs in vegetables are safe, more attention should be paid to non-carcinogenic risks associated with TMs as a result of high vegetable intake.

To investigate the effect of combined floating beds on nutrient removal under low temperature, an integrated floating bed with corn flakes (IFB-CF) and an integrated floating bed with light ceramsite (IFB-LC) were constructed in parallel. IFB-LC was used as control group under water temperatures of 9.3–14 °C and a water exchange time of 168 h. Nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency, the nutrient level of a hydrophyte (Oenanthe javanica), and the microbial population characteristics of the combined floating bed were investigated. For IFB-CF removal efficiencies, the degradation quantities of total nitrogen (TN), NO3−-N, and NH4+-N for IFB-CF were 13.58 ± 0.67 mg/L, 4.40 ± 0.61 mg/L, and 9.21 ± 0.38 mg/L, respectively; in contrast, degradation quantities for IFB-LC were lower (6.41 ± 1.47 mg/L, 2.15 ± 0.40 mg/L, and 5.95 ± 0.46 mg/L, respectively). The reductions in COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand, using K2Cr2O7 as oxidizer) for IFB-LC and IFB-CF were 86.89% and 66.06%, respectively. Using the MiSeq high throughput sequencing method, we analysed microbial community structure and diversity on the base material surface of the IFB-CF and IFB-LC. The results showed 15 phyla, 165 genera, and 78 families on the surface of the IFB-CF. The phylum, genus, and family with the highest abundances were Proteobacteria (48.29%), Trichococcus (10.39%), and Comamonadaceae (12.45%), respectively. We identified 15 phyla, 144 genera, and 93 families on the surface of the IFB-LC. The phylum, genus, and family with the highest abundances were Proteobacteria (46.10%), Dyadobacter (22.67%), and Cytophagaceae (28.75%), respectively. The Chao, ACE, and Shannon & Simpson indices for the IFB-LC were 4081, 6295, and 5.10, and 0.05, respectively; for the IFB-CF they were 4938, 7461, 5.77, and 0.02, respectively. Catalase (CAT) and Peroxidase (POD) concentrations in Oenanthe javanica for IFB-LC were 35.48 u/gFW/min and 1.03 u/gFW/min, respectively; for IFB-CF they were 32.33 u/gFW/min and 1.25 u/gFW/min, respectively. The nutritional energies of IFB-CF and IFB-LC were 107 kJ/100g and 84 kJ/100g. Using the Mondal model of TN removal, k (half-saturation constant) values for IFB-LC and IFB-CF were 35.67 mg/L and 39.23 mg/L, respectively, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.97.

Grassland ecosystem is important for the realization of the global sustainable development goals (e.g. Goal 15) since it provides irreplaceable services for human beings, supporting human health and sustainable development. Most studies have focused on improving grassland restoration techniques, but less attention has been paid to grassland ecosystem stability in succession. Plant community stability of temperate grassland in arid and semi-arid regions is analyzed through 38 sampling sites in Inner Mongolia, China. The degradation succession sequence of grassland is established by principal component analysis, and the species diversity and functional diversity along degradation gradient analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis. The results show that (1) functional diversity has higher explanatory power for community stability than species diversity due to the functional dispersion of plant traits; (2) climate factors rather than grazing or soil control plant community diversity and stability at regional scale; (3) the resistance of plant community does not change in degradation succession, but the trade-off effect of stability components in different plant communities differ, such as the order of trade-off effects (e.g. community resilience (ET)＞community resistance (RT)＞structural variability (St)＞functional variability (Fu) in the community dominated by Stipa grandis, RT＞ET＞St＞Fu in Leymus chinensis community, St＞ET＞Fu＞RT in Stipa capillata community, RT＞St＞Fu＞ET in Artemisia frigida community, St＞Fu＞ET＞RT in Cleistogenes squarrosa community, and Fu＞St＞RT＞ET in Artemisia halodendron community); (4) grassland ecosystem with higher diversity shows greater resilience and lower variability than those with single species, which supports the established diversity hypothesis. Furthermore, sustainable grassland restoration should reduce community variability and improve resilience. These findings highlight the response of diversity to stability in temperate grassland and provide scientific support for grassland ecosystem protection and restoration.

Efficient reduction of chromate is highly desirable for its detoxification and remediation of the contaminated environment. This study described a fusion of the concepts of precious metal biorecovery and fabrication of Pd/Fe@biomass derived from simulated wastewater. The effectiveness of Pd/Fe@biomass during reduction process of Cr(VI) was evaluated by comparing with pure nZVI, E. faecalis and Pd@biomass. Results showed that Pd(II) could be recovered by E. faecalis with Fe(II) as the electron donor, and precipitation could yield nZVI anchored onto Pd-loaded E. faecalis. The nano particles (NPs) on Pd/Fe@biomass were well-dispersed, which provided 2.70 folds specific surface area comparing with nZVI. Efficient Cr(VI) reduction could be achieved at a higher catalyst dosage, the most appropriated Pd/Fe molar ratio of 2% and a wide pH range. Typically, 0.5 mM Cr(VI) could be completely reduced in 5 min driven by Pd/Fe@biomass under the conditions of dosage of 1.0 g/L and pH 3. Moreover, the mechanisms of Cr(VI) reduction by Pd/Fe@biomass were proposed, which intimately related to nZVI electron donating capacities, Pd catalysis for hydrogenation and galvanic cell effects between Fe and Pd. Therefore, Pd/Fe@biomass could be an alternative for rapid and complete reduction of Cr(VI).

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been sequenced massively and worldwide and are now available in different public genome repositories. There is much interest in generating bioinformatic tools capable to analyze and interpret SARS-CoV-2 variation. We have designed CovidPhy (http://covidphy.eu), a web interface that can process SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences in plain fasta text format or provided through identity codes from the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) or GenBank. CovidPhy aggregates information available on the large GISAID database (>1.49 M genomes). Sequences are first aligned against the reference sequence and the interface provides different sources of information, including automatic classification of genomes into a pre-computed phylogeny and phylogeographic information, haplogroup/lineage frequencies, and sequencing variation, indicating also if the genome contains known variants of concern (VOC). Additionally, CovidPhy allows searching for variants and haplotypes introduced by the user and includes a list of genomes that are good candidates for being responsible for large outbreaks worldwide, most likely mediated by important superspreading events, indicating their possible geographic epicenters and their relative impact as recorded in the GISAID database.

The study was designed to determine the impact of acute toxicity of fumaronitrile exposure through tissue damaging, oxidative stress enzymes and histopathological studies in gills, liver and muscle cells of freshwater tilapia fish (Oreochromis mossambicus). In gill, liver, and muscle cells, biochemical indicators such as tissue damage enzymes (Acid Phosphatase (ACP), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)) and antioxidative enzymes (Superoxide Dismutase (SOD); Catalase (CAT); Glutathione-S-transferase (GST); Reduced Glutathione (GSH); Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and Glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were quantified in the time interval of 30, 60 and 90 days exposure to the fumaronitrile. After 90 days, under 6 ppb exposure conditions, the acid phosphatase (ACP) levels of fish increased significantly in the gills (3.439 μmol/mg protein/min), liver (1.743 μmol/mg protein/min), and muscles (2.158 μmol/mg protein/min). After 90 days of exposure to the same concentration and days, ALP activity increased significantly in gills (4.354 μmol/mg protein/min) and liver (1.754 μmol/mg protein/min), but muscle cells had a little decrease in ALP activity (2.158 μmol/mg protein/min). The LDH concentration in gills following treatment with fumaronitrile over a period of 0–90 days was 3.573 > 3.521 > 2.245 μmol/mg protein/min over 30 > 60 > 90 days. However, at the same dose and treatment duration, a greater LDH level of 0.499 μmol/mg protein/min was found in liver and muscle cells. Histopathological abnormalities in the gills, liver, and muscle cells of treated fish were also examined, indicating that fumaronitrile treatment generated the most severe histological changes. The current study reveals that fumaronitrile exposure has an effect on Oreochromis mossambicus survival, explaining and emphasising the risk associated with this POP exposure to ecosystems and human populations.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled with Fe(III) reduction (Feammox) is an autotrophic biological nitrogen removal (BNR) technique in treating low-C/N wastewater. However, the nitrogen removal rate of Feammox is limited by the extracellular electron transfer. In this study, wood activated carbon (AC) was chosen as electron shuttle to enhance the start-up of the Feammox process. Within an operational period of 150 days, the NH4+-N removal efficiency reached 97.9–99.5% with a volumetric loading rate (VLR) of 0.04–0.06 kg N m−3 d−1. Batch experiments indicated that compared with Fe2O3-AQDS and Fe2O3 groups, Fe2O3-AC group showed higher catalytic performance and TN removal efficiency reached 85.7%. Quinone (C O) and phenolic (−OH) chemical groups of AC were equipped with electron transfer capacity (76.51 ± 9.27 μmol e− g−1). Moreover, Fe(II)/Fe(III) species and the secondary iron minerals were found in our system. Microbial analysis showed that Proteobacteria and Acidobacteriota, which observed with relatively high abundance, were played an important role in the integrated Feammox system. This study demonstrates the significant influence of AC on Feammox process and provides an enhanced biological nitrogen removal strategy for practice engineering application.

Pigeon breeding is associated with symptoms of the airways. The aim of this study is to illuminate the bacteriological and toxicological characteristics of airborne dust in pigeon coops. Airborne dust was sampled in 31 urban pigeon coops with homing and fancy pigeons, and following the dust was characterized. In total 141 different bacterial species were identified using MALDI-TOF MS, and of these 11 species are classified in risk group 2. Of the cultivable bacteria, Staphylococcus equorum was present in the highest concentration. Microorganisms in the dust were able to form biofilm, and the amount correlated positively with the number of bacteria. Next generation sequencing showed 180 genera with Acinetobacter in highest reads. On average 999 ± 225 ZOTUs were observed per sample with a Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index of 6.17 ± 0.24. Of the identified species the following have previously been suggested as causative agents of extrinsic allergic alveolitis: Alcaligenes faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Pantoea agglomerans, Sphingobacterium spiritivorum, Thermoactinomyces sp., and Streptomyces albus. Staphylococcus was present on particles with sizes between 1.1 and > 7.0 μm with a geometric mean diameter of particles on 4.7 ± 1.1 μm. Concentrations of airborne endotoxin and dust were elevated compared to references, and the geometric mean concentrations were 102 EU/m3 and 1.07 mg dust/m3, respectively. Upon exposure to the airborne dust human granulocytes produced Reactive Oxidative Species during the first 5 minutes, and then no further reaction was observed. The concentrations of bacteria in general, Staphylococcus spp., and endotoxin and biodiversity were associated significantly with season, temperature and/or relative humidity, but not with type or density of pigeons. The bacterial composition and biodiversity indices were not affected by type of pigeon. In conclusion, the exposure to bacteria and endotoxin in pigeon houses should not be neglected in the evaluation of causative agents of airways symptoms among pigeon breeders.

Lead is one of the highly toxic heavy metals causes various diseases even at very lower concentrations to human and affects eco-system. It is mainly released into the water through industrial activities. Phytoremediation is useful to degrade, reduce, metabolize and assimilate lead from wastewater. In this study, Turbinaria ornata was collected from the sea and dried biomass was used for biosorption of heavy metals. Adsorption of heavy metal was maximum after 100 min incubation with alga powder at acidic pH (4.5). The interactive effects of lead concentration, contact times, pH, biomass concentration and agitation speed was evaluated by a two-level full factorial design. Initial lead concentration, agitation speed and biomass concentration were the most important variables affecting lead removal (p 0.001) were selected for optimization using central composite rotatable design. Lead removal was found to be maximum (99.8%) in optimized conditions: initial lead 99.8 mg/L, 250 rpm agitation speed and 16.2 g/L biomass concentrations. Municipal wastewater was collected and lead concentration (0.013 mg/L) and physiochemical factors were analyzed. Algal biomass removed98.5% lead form the wastewater within 10 min in an optimized condition. The present study confirmed the potential application of T. ornata for the removal of lead from contaminated environment.

Behavior of insects, such as pollination and grazing, is usually determined by biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). However, particularly in O3-polluted urban forests, the BVOCs-based plant-insect communication can be disrupted by the reaction of O3 with leaf-emitted BVOCs, such as between Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) and a leaf beetle (Agelastica coerulea). To understand plant-insect communication in O3-polluted environments, it is necessary to identify chemical species of BVOCs that contribute to attractiveness toward insects but are diminished by elevated O3. In this study, we conducted olfactory response tests and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses to clarify whether there is a similarity of BVOC components among Betulaceae host trees that can explain the attraction of the stenophagous insect A. coerulea. The olfactory response tests indicated that Betulaceae host trees attract A. coerulea via leaf-emitted BVOCs, while there was no preference of the leaf beetles to non-host trees (Sorbus commixta and Morus bombycis). However, GC-MS analyses indicated that the composition of BVOC blends considerably differed among Betulaceae host trees, although alders (Alnus hirsuta and A. japonica) had a similar composition of BVOC blend in each season (June and September) during which the adult leaf beetle is active. A distinct characteristic of the emission from B. platyphylla was that 2-carene and limonene, which are O3-reactive species, were emitted with a high monoterpene ratio irrespective of the season. Thus, these volatiles and the blend could be expected to lead the disrupted communication found between B. platyphylla and A. coerulea under elevated O3 in previous field studies. In addition, our results indicated that A. coerulea is attracted to more than one blend within Betulaceae host trees, suggesting that grazing damages can be affected by different host preferences and O3 reactivity with specific BVOCs in the field. BVOCs-based plant-insect interactions should be further studied in multi-species communities to better understand plant-insect communication in O3-polluted environments.

Whether meteorological factors influence COVID-19 transmission is an issue of major public health concern, but available evidence remains unclear and limited for several reasons, including the use of report date which can lag date of symptom onset by a considerable period. We aimed to generate reliable and robust evidence of this relationship based on date of onset of symptoms. We evaluated important meteorological factors associated with daily COVID-19 counts and effective reproduction number (Rt) in China using a two-stage approach with overdispersed generalized additive models and random-effects meta-analysis. Spatial heterogeneity and stratified analyses by sex and age groups were quantified and potential effect modification was analyzed. Nationwide, there was no evidence that temperature and relative humidity affected COVID-19 incidence and Rt. However, there were heterogeneous impacts on COVID-19 risk across different regions. Importantly, there was a negative association between relative humidity and COVID-19 incidence in Central China: a 1% increase in relative humidity was associated with a 3.92% (95% CI, 1.98%–5.82%) decrease in daily counts. Older population appeared to be more sensitive to meteorological conditions, but there was no obvious difference between sexes. Linear relationships were found between meteorological variables and COVID-19 incidence. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the association and the results based on report date were biased. Meteorological factors play heterogenous roles on COVID-19 transmission, increasing the possibility of seasonality and suggesting the epidemic is far from over. Considering potential climatic associations, we should maintain, not ease, current control measures and surveillance.

The response of the denitrification community to long-term antibiotic exposure requires further investigation. Here, the significantly altered denitrifying community structure and function were observed by continuous exposure to 1 mg/L sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) or chlortetracycline (CTC) for 180 d in the expanded granular sludge bed reactors. Thaurea, positively correlated with SMZ and NO3− removal efficiency (NrE), was highly enriched in the SMZ-added reactor, while, Comamons and Acinetobacter were largely inhibited. The acute inhibited and then gradual-recovered NrE (87.17–90.38 %) was observed with highly expressed narG, indicating the adaptability of Thaurea to SMZ. However, the abundance of Thaurea and Comamonas greatly decreased, while Melioribacter and Acinetobacter were largely enriched in the CTC-added reactor. CTC created more serious and continuous inhibition of NO3− reduction (NrE of 64.53–66.95 %), with lowly expressed narG. Improved NO2− reduction capacity was observed in both reactors (70.16–95.42 %) with highly expressed nirS and nosZ, revealing the adaptability of NO2− reduction populations to antibiotics.

Mercury (Hg) biotransformation is an important process that can affect the speciation and bioaccumulation of Hg in fish. The intestinal microbiota has been suggested to take part in this process. However, Hg biotransformation in fish is still unclear and the responses of gut microbiota to different Hg exposure scenarios have not been well addressed. The present study investigated the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of Hg in a freshwater fish (Micropterus salmoides) and characterized the gut microbiome community under dietary inorganic Hg (IHg) or methylmercury (MeHg) exposure, aiming to evaluate the effects of gut microbiome's activities on the internal-handling and fate of Hg in fish. Significant Hg methylation was observed in fish under IHg exposure, whereas there was no demethylation occurred in MeHg-treated fish. Both IHg and MeHg could significantly alter the community composition of gut microbiome. The administrated IHg in the food could enhance the growth of methylators, resulting in additional MeHg production in fish gut. However, abundance of demethylators was greatly decreased under either IHg or MeHg exposure, leading the demethylation process to be negligible. The results strongly suggested that the behaviors of gut bacterial community played an important role in the presence or absence of biotransformation processes. This study elucidated the importance of gut microbiome in Hg biotransformation process, and helped to develop a novel perspective to understand the Hg bioaccumulation of fish in realistic environment.

Parasitic infections may cause damage to the host immune system (i.e. fish), thereby endangering its health and weakening its responses to other types of stressors. Therefore, exposure to different kinds of natural or anthropogenic stressors can lead to unexpected toxicity outcomes in aquatic organisms. This study examined the haematological, genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of the co-infection with the protozoan parasite (Trichodina sp.) and the pathogenic oomycete (Saprolegnia parasitica) in Perca fluviatilis alone and in combination with chemical stress (environmentally-relevant aqueous concentrations of metal mixtures). Haematological analyses such as red cell and white cell indices revealed that chemical and biological stressors, used singly and in combination, exerted adverse effects on fish health. Changes in haematological indices induced by exposure to each of the above-mentioned stressors separately and by combined exposure to all of them suggested the multiple stress-induced inflammation process in the exposed fish. The cytogenetic damage inflicted by the S. parasitica and Trichodina sp. co-infection and multiple stress was revealed in fish erythrocytes. This information is expected to contribute to the elucidation of how multiple stressors impact on responses of haematic indices, geno- and cytotoxicity endpoints in P. fluviatilis. Assessment of the risk associated with multiple stressors is expected to prove valuable for the effective aquatic environment management (Lokke et al., 2013 and references therein).

Fluoride ions are an important environmental contaminant and pollutant found in a wide variety of environmental conditions. The fluoride in drinking water is evident to induce toxic effects including neurodegeneration, skeletal and dental fluorosis as well as organ damage. Nutraceuticals and functional foods are emerging as possible preventive agents against fluoride toxicity. Hence, the possible use of an emerging functional food-the coconut haustorium is being evaluated against sodium fluoride-induced toxicity in intestinal cells (IEC-6). The cells exposed to fluoride showed significant cell death mediated through the increased lipid peroxidation and glutathione depletion. The glutathione biosynthetic enzymes were inhibited by the exposure to fluoride and the apoptotic genes (caspases 3/7 and apaf-1) were upregulated. The CHE pre-treatment improved the activity of enzymes involved in the de novo biosynthesis of glutathione and subsequently improved the intracellular GSH pool. The improved antioxidant defense was also evident from the reduced expression of apoptotic genes (p 0.05). Overall, the study concludes that fluoride ions induce oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells, via inhibiting glutathione biosynthesis. Methanol extract of coconut haustorium increased glutathione biosynthesis and subsequently prevented fluoride toxicity in IEC-6 cells by virtue of its antioxidant potentials.

Flubendiamide is a new class of chemical pesticide with broad spectrum activity against lepidopteran pests. Due to limited approach and high specificity towards various non targeted organisms, the unrestricted application of this pesticide as a prominent alternate for organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides, causing serious environmental pollution. In this study, wastewater was used for the determination of microbial strains and pesticide degrading fungi. Microbial population and flubendiamide resistant fungal strains were characterized using enriched medium. Aerobic bacteria (6.38 ± 0.23 log CFU/mL), nitrifying bacteria (2.73 ± 0.31 CFU/mL), Lactobaillus (0.72 ± 0.03 log CFU/mL), actinomycetes (5.36 ± 0.27 log CFU/mL) and fungi (4.79 ± 0.22 log CFU/mL) were detected. The prominent fungi genera were, Fusarium, Trichoderma, Cladophialophora, Paecilomyces, Talaromyces, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Candida, Phyllosticta, Mycosphaerella, Ochroconis, and Mucor. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the rapidly growing organism (FR04) revealed its ability to tolerate up to 1250 mg/L flubendiamide concentration. Morphological, biochemical and molecular analysis revealed that the strain was Aspergillus terreus FR04. The residual pesticide was detected using a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). High performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that 89 ± 1.9% pesticide removal efficiency was observed in strain FR04 at optimized culture conditions (96 h, pH 6.5, 30 °C and 300 mg/L pesticide concentration). The strain FR04 degraded pollutants from the wastewater and improved water quality. A. terreu sFR04 is an indigenous fungus and has the ability to degrade trizole pesticides from the wastewater significantly.

Agricultural pesticides have been one of the most extensively used compounds throughout the world. The main sources of contamination for humans are dietary intake and occupational exposure. The impairments caused by agricultural pesticide exposure have been a significant global public health problem. Recent studies have shown that low-level agricultural pesticide exposure during the critical period of neurodevelopment (pregnancy and lactation) is closely related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, gut microbiota, neural dendrite morphology, synaptic function, and glial cells are targets for the effects of pesticides during nervous system development. In the present review, we summarize the associations between several highly used and frequently studied pesticides (e.g., glyphosate, chlorpyrifos, pyrethroids, and avermectins) and ASD. We also discusse future epidemiological and toxicological research directions on the relationship between pesticides and ASD.

Melatonin is produced by plants, algae, and animals. Worldwide studies show diverse positive effects of exogenous melatonin on plants, edible plant products, and algae, but the potential of melatonin to enhance food and feed systems through these positive effects remains largely unexplored. Through a meta-analysis of about 25,000 observations, we show for the first time that exogenous application of melatonin significantly increases crop productivity and yields, and enhances the nutritional and nutraceutical value of edible plant products and algae by regulating diverse biological functions. We demonstrate that melatonin can improve plants, edible plant products, and algae under various current climate change scenarios, environmental pollution factors, and other stresses by about 7% to nearly 30%, on average, depending on the stressor. We also analyze various technical/methodological factors influencing the desired outcomes and identify conditions that offer optimal enhancement. We show that the positive effect of melatonin on plants and edible plant products varies among species, genera, and families, and strongly depends on the concentration of melatonin and treatment duration. The effect of melatonin is slightly lower on the monocot clade Commelinids than on the eudicot clades Asterids and Rosids. We also show that its stimulatory effect on plants depends on cultivation system, with a larger effect obtained in hydroponic systems. However, it does not depend on application stage (seed or vegetative), application route (foliage, roots, or seed), and whether the cultivation system is ex vivo or in vivo. This is the first meta-analysis examining the effects of melatonin on plants, edible plant products, and algae, and offers a scientific and technical roadmap facilitating sustainable food and feed production through the application of exogenous melatonin.

The bacteria (including pathogenic bacteria) attached to road deposited sediments (RDS) may interrelate with the microbe in the atmosphere, soil and water through resuspension and wash-off, and is of great significance to human and ecological health. However, the characteristics of bacterial communities with different time scale on RDS were unknown to dates. Climate change prolonged the dry days between rain events in many areas, making the varied trend of bacterial communities might be more significant in short term. This study revealed the characteristics of bacterial communities on RDS in urban and suburban areas through seasonal and daily scale. The correlations between other factors (land use, particle size, and chemical components) and the bacterial communities were also analyzed. It was found that the season showed a higher association with the bacterial community diversity than land use and particle size in urban areas. The bacterial community diversity increased substantially throughout the short-term study period (41 days) and the variation of dominant bacteria could be fitted by quadratic function in suburbs. In addition, urbanization notably increased the bacterial community diversity, while the potential pathogenic bacteria were more abundant in the suburban areas, coarse RDS (>75 μm), and in spring. The chemical components on RDS showed special correlations with the relative abundance of dominant bacteria. The research findings would fill the knowledge gap on RDS bacterial communities and be helpful for the future research on the assembly process of bacterial communities.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are increasingly exploited for crucial new technologies, and their massive use in the past decades has significantly increased their environmental concentrations. Although their effects have been extensively studied in vitro and in vivo in model species, little is known of their accumulation and potential toxic effects in wildlife, including waterbirds. In the present work, we measured the concentrations of REEs in feathers of young Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) about 16–20 days old to assess whether the accumulation of these elements may be a concern in Venice's Lagoon, one of the most important wetlands of the Mediterranean area for breeding and migrating birds. The REE concentrations detected in the Sandwich tern were the highest among those reported in the literature for bird's feathers (940.9 ± 223.0 ng g−1), although in the study area industrial activities related to REEs mining, processing and disposal are absent. In particular, Lanthanum (La) was more abundant in the feathers than other REEs and accounted for 73–97% of total REEs detected. Analysis of bird's food indicated that diet is a relevant route of exposure to REEs for young terns; however, concentration in fishes are relevantly higher than in the feathers for all REEs other than La. The study evidenced the need to collect more information concerning the occurrence of REEs both in the abiotic matrices (i.e. water and sediments) and in living organisms of different trophic levels to improve the general knowledge concerning the fate of REEs in the aquatic ecosystems.

Tropospheric ozone is among the global change factors that pose a threat to plants and microorganisms. Symbiotic microorganisms can assist plants to cope with stress, but their role in the tolerance of plants to ozone is poorly understood. Here, we subjected endophyte-symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants of Lolium multiflorum, an annual species widely distributed in temperate grasslands, to high and low (i.e., charcoal-filtered air) ozone levels at vegetative and reproductive phases. Exposure to high ozone reduced leaf photochemical efficiency and greenness in both symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants. However, ozone-induced oxidative damage at biochemical level (i.e., lipid peroxidation) was mostly detected in symbiotic plants. Ozone exposure at the vegetative phase did not affect the reproductive investment in seeds, indicating full recovery from stress. Ozone exposure at the reproductive phase reduced biomass and seed production only in symbiotic plants indicating a symbiont-associated cost. At low ozone, endophyte-symbiotic plants showed a steeper slope in the relationship between seed number and seed weight (i.e., a number-weight trade-off) compared to non-symbiotic plants. However, when plants were treated at the reproductive phase, ozone increased the imbalance between seed number and seed weight in both endophyte-symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants. Plants with endophytes at the reproductive stage produced fewer seeds, which were not compensated by increased seed weight. Thus, fungal mycelium growing within ovaries or ozone-induced antioxidant systems may result in costs that finally depress the fitness of plants. Despite ozone pollution could destabilize plant-endophyte mutualisms and render them dysfunctional, other endophyte-mediated benefits (e.g., resistance to herbivory, tolerance to drought) could over-compensate these losses and explain the high incidence of the symbiosis in nature.

Chilean aquaculture mainly produces salmonids and molluscs. Salmonid production has been questioned by its excessive use of antimicrobials. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial microbiota composition of Mytilus spp. cultivated near salmonid farms and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to florfenicol and oxytetracycline of its culturable bacteria. Seven Mytilus farming sites classified according to their proximity to salmon farms as close (CSF) or distant (DSF) were sampled in two years. We analyzed Mytilus microbiota composition through culture-independent methods, and isolated culturable bacteria, and identified those isolates with MIC values ≥ 64 μg mL−1 to florfenicol or oxytetracycline. Results revealed that the alpha diversity was affected by sampling year but not by Mytilus farming site location or its interaction. Nevertheless, in 2018, we observed a significant negative correlation between the alpha diversity of Mytilus microbiota in each farm sites and the tonnes of florfenicol reported for each phytosanitary management area. We detected significant differences in beta diversity and relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa in Mytilus microbiota depending on the proximity to salmon farms and years. A higher proportion of isolates with MIC values ≥ 64 μg mL−1 to both antibiotics was detected in 2019 compared to 2018, but not significant differences were detected according to Mytilus farming site location. However, in 2019, isolates from CSF sites showed higher MIC values for both antibiotics than those from DSF. Bacterial genera corresponding to isolates with MIC values ≥ 64 μg mL−1 represented a low proportion of Mytilus microbiota identified with the culture-independent approach, reflecting the need to implement new methodologies in the study of antimicrobial resistance. These results suggest that the proximity to salmonid farms and sampling year influence the Mytilus microbiota and MIC values of their bacterial isolates; however, other environmental variables should be considered in further studies.

Temporal trends of mercury in Arctic wildlife are inconsistent within and between species and are often insignificant, which limits data interpretation. Recent multivariate analyses have shown that weather and climate factors (e.g. temperatures, sea ice conditions) are related to total Hg (THg) concentrations in wildlife tissues, though relatively few studies have explored these relationships. The present study compared time series of THg concentrations in liver of polar bear (Ursus maritimus, 2007/08–2015/16), eggs of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia, 1993–2015) and kidney of caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus, 2006–2015) from the Hudson Bay region of Canada and statistically modelled THg over time with available climate and weather data. Significant temporal trends of THg concentrations were not detected in any species. However, in multivariate models that included time-lagged sea ice freeze up dates, THg concentrations increased 4.4% yr−1 in Qamanirjuaq caribou. Sea ice conditions were also related to THg levels in polar bear liver but not those in eggs of murres, though year was not a signifcant factor. Greater precipitation levels one to two years prior to sampling were associated with greater THg concentrations in polar bears and caribou, likely due to greater deposition, flooding and discharge from nearby wetlands and rivers. Time-lagged Arctic and/or North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO) indices also generated significant, inverse models for all three species, agreeing with relationships in other time series of similar length. The magnitude and direction of many relationships were affected by season, duration of time-lags, and the length of the time series. Our findings support recent observations suggesting that temporal studies monitoring Hg in Arctic wildlife should consider including key climatic or weather factors to help identify consistent variables of influence and to improve temporal analyses of THg time series.

Plant leaves are colonized by a remarkably diverse fungal microbiome, which contributes to host plant growth and health. However, responses of foliar fungal community to phytopathogen invasion and measures of the fungal community taken to resist or assist pathogens remain elusive. By utilizing high-throughput sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicons, we studied the relationships between the foliar fungal community around the disease spot and the pathogen of brown spot disease. The pathogenic Alternaria was found to follow a dramatically decreased trend from the disease spot to its surrounding fungal communities, whose community structure also diverged substantially away from the disease spot community. With the increase of pathogenic Alternaria, diversity indexes, including Shannon, Pielou and Simpson, showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. Total network links and the average path distance exhibited strong negative and positive correlations with Alternaria, respectively. Five keystone members showed direct interactions with pathogenic Alternaria. Members of Botryosphaeria, Paraphoma and Plectosphaerella might act as key 'pathogen facilitators' to increase the severity and development of brown spot disease, while Pleospora and Ochrocladosporium might be important 'pathogen antagonists' to suppress the expansion of pathogenic Alternaria. Our study provides new insights in developing new strategies for leaf disease prediction or prevention.

Background Associations of arsenic (As) with the sum of 5-mC and 5-hmC levels have been reported; however, As exposure-related differences of the separated 5-mC and 5-hmC markers have rarely been studied. Methods In this study, we evaluated the association of arsenic exposure biomarkers and 5-mC and 5-hmC in 30 healthy men (43–55 years) from the Aragon Workers Health Study (AWHS) (Spain) and 31 healthy men (31–50 years) from the Folic Acid and Creatinine Trial (FACT) (Bangladesh). We conducted 5-mC and 5-hmC profiling using Infinium MethylationEPIC arrays, on paired standard and modified (ox-BS in AWHS and TAB in FACT) bisulfite converted blood DNA samples. Results The median for the sum of urine inorganic and methylated As species (ΣAs) (μg/L) was 12.5 for AWHS and 89.6 for FACT. The median of blood As (μg/L) was 8.8 for AWHS and 10.2 for FACT. At a statistical significance p-value cut-off of 0.01, the differentially methylated (DMP) and hydroxymethylated (DHP) positions were mostly located in different genomic sites. Several DMPs and DHPs were consistently found in AWHS and FACT both for urine ΣAs and blood models, being of special interest those attributed to the DIP2C gene. Three DMPs (annotated to CLEC12A) for AWHS and one DHP (annotated to NPLOC4) for FACT remained statistically significant after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Pathways related to chronic diseases including cardiovascular, cancer and neurological were enriched. Conclusions While we identified common 5-hmC and 5-mC signatures in two populations exposed to varying levels of inorganic As, differences in As-related epigenetic sites across the study populations may additionally reflect low and high As-specific associations. This work contributes a deeper understanding of potential epigenetic dysregulations of As. However, further research is needed to confirm biological consequences associated with DIP2C epigenetic regulation and to investigate the role of 5-hmC and 5-mC separately in As-induced health disorders at different exposure levels.