Search

Peri-urban agriculture provides environmental benefits to the nearby urban areas. However, domestic and industrial infrastructures can be sources of pollution that can affect agricultural production. In this work, the diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) technique was used to assess the bioavailability of mercury (Hg) in organic-amended agricultural soils, and uptake by lettuce. Two different amendments were studied individually in three different sets using a wood-based biochar at two rates (3% and 6%, w/w), and compost at one rate (30% w/w). The effect of the amendments on Hg bioavailability, mobility and uptake was investigated by means of both DGT analyses and accumulation of Hg by lettuce. DGT manufactured in-house devices with polyacrylamide gel using both open and restricted diffusive layers (ODL and RDL, respectively) were used to determine organic and inorganic Hg labile species in soils, respectively. The Hg concentration in lettuce leaves and roots were analyzed and compared with DGT measurements to predict the uptake of Hg from the different organic-amended soils and the non-amended soils. Results show that the application of biochar reduces the bioavailability of Hg in soil and, in consequence, the Hg uptake by lettuce. Inorganic Hg species were predominant in all the different sets of the experiment (62–97%), although the addition of the different amendments reduced the free ionic species in soil. © 2019, The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (MEIC) through Project AGL2017-89518-R and CTM2016-78798-C2-2-P (AEI/FEDER/UE). The authors would further like to thank the officers and farmers of the Baix Llobregat Agrarian Park for their assistance, as well as Ms. Yolanda Rodríguez and Ms. Rui You for their technical assistance with the sampling and sample preparation.

Most of the anthropogenic radionuclide 129I released to the marine environment from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plants (NFRP) at Sellafield (England) and La Hague (France) is transported to the Arctic Ocean via the North Atlantic Current and the Norwegian Coastal Current. 129I concentrations in seawater provides a powerful and well-established radiotracer technique to provide information about the mechanisms which govern water mass transport in the Nordic Seas and the Arctic Ocean and is gaining importance when coupled with other tracers (e.g. CFC, 236U). In this work, 129I concentrations in surface and depth profiles from the Nordic Seas and the North Atlantic (NA) Ocean collected from four different cruises between 2011 and 2012 are presented. This work allowed us to i) update information on 129I concentrations in these areas, required for the accurate use of 129I as a tracer of water masses; and ii) investigate the formation of deep water currents in the eastern part of the Nordic Seas, by the analysis of 129I concentrations and temperature-salinity (T-S) diagrams from locations within the Greenland Sea Gyre. In the Nordic Seas, 129I concentrations in seawater are of the order of 109 at·kg− 1, one or two orders of magnitude higher than those measured at the NA Ocean, not so importantly affected by the releases from the NFRP. 129I concentrations of the order of 108 atoms·kg− 1 at the Ellet Line and the PAP suggest a direct contribution from the NFRP in the NA Ocean. An increase in the concentrations in the Nordic Seas between 2002 and 2012 has been detected, which agrees with the temporal evolution of the 129I liquid discharges from the NFRPs in years prior to this. Finally, 129I profile concentrations, 129I inventories and T-S diagrams suggest that deep water formation occurred in the easternmost area of the Nordic Seas during 2012., This work has been partially financed by the project FIS2015-69673-P by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad.

Biocrusts are an essential soil surface cover at drylands where ecosystems are especially fragile to soil degradationprocesses due to climatic peculiarities. In the present work, (micro)biological and physicochemical properties indic-ative of soil functionality were studied in two different biocrust types dominated byDipolschistes diacapsisandLepraria isidiataand in underlying soil at two different depths (SL1, soil layer right below the biocrusts, and SL2,soil layer underlying SL1) at the Tabernas desert (southeast Spain). The influence of climatic factors (rainfall andtemperature) and general soilproperties on the (micro)biological properties were also analyzed in different envi-ronmental (climatic) conditions over a period of two years. PERMANOVA analyses showed significant statisticaldifferences (Pseudo-F = 63.9; P (perm) = 0.001) among biocrust and soil layers. Throughout the study period, en-zyme activities involved in C, N, and P cycles; microbial biomass-C; basal respiration; and several properties directlyrelated to ecosystem productivity (total organic carbon, total nitrogen, concentration of ammonium and nitrate)were higher in both biocrust types than in the underlying soil layers, showing that biocrusts improved soil functionsrelated to nutrient cycling. These properties progressively diminished in successive soil layers under the biocrusts(biocrusts > SL1 > SL2). Biocrusts showed greater similarity to each other and to SL1 than to SL2 in (micro)biologicalproperties. A distance-based linear model analysis showed that total organic carbon, rainfall, pH, mineralized N-NH4+, and total nitrogen were the most important variables for predicting (micro)biological soil properties inbiocrusts. Different biochemical behavior between the biocrusts and successive underlying soil layers has beenfound in wet periods. After rainfall periods, the biocrusts showed important peaks in basal soil respiration and in en-zyme activities involved in C and P cycles. Nevertheless, soil biochemical properties hardly showed any peak in SL1anddidnotchangeinSL2despitesoilmoisturebeinghigherinthesoillayersbelowthebiocrusts.Correlationanal-yses corroborated the existence of different relationships between soil moisture and enzymatic activities. In biocrusts, soil moisture showed a greater number of significant positive correlations with enzymes such asβ-glucosidase, invertase, and phosphomonoesterase among others, whereas in SL1 it was only correlated with cellu-lase and in SL2 with dehydrogenase. A change in rainfall regime, as predicted by models based on climate changein arid and semiarid zones, could affect the activity of soil enzymes in the biocrusts and underlying layers, thus ag-gravating the degradation of these fragile dryland ecosystems., This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and FEDER, through the project CGL2017-88734-R (BIORESOC) MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE, the FEDER-Junta deAndalucía Research Projects: RESTAGRO (UAL18-RNM-A021-B) andRestoration of Abandoned Agricultural Soils in Semiarid Zones toImprove Productivity and Soil Quality and Enhance Carbon Sequestra-tion (P18-RT-4112), and by the Xunta de Galicia by the projectIN607A 2017/6. Isabel Miralles is grateful for funding received fromthe Ramón y Cajal Research Grant (RYC-2016-21191) from the SpanishMinistry of Economy,Industry andCompetitiveness (MINECO)and Raúl Ortega thanks his postdoctoral contract HIPATIA of the University of Almería Research Plan.

9 Páginas.-- 3 Figuras.-- 4 Tablas, Virgin olive oil (VOO) production generates large amounts of a harmful by-product, olive mill waste (OMW) or alpeorujo, which has a strong environmental impact and that must be recycled to adapt VOO production to a circular economy model. Here, the valorization of OMW was studied by considering three consecutive stages: Stage 1 involves the generation of OMW; Stage 2 the recovery of bioactive phenolic compounds from the fresh OMW using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs), generating a valuable phenolic extract and a new by-product, a dephenolized OMW named "alpeoNADES"; and Stage 3 involves vermicomposting alpeoNADES with Eisenia fetida earthworms. Six NADES were formulated and tested, selecting a NADES composed of citric acid and fructose (CF) derived from food grade and biodegradable substances. CF was the most effective solvent to obtain phenolic extracts for nutraceutical and agronomical purposes, extracting 3988.74 mg/kg of polyphenols from fresh OMW. This alpeoNADES is a non-palatable substrate for E. fetida earthworms, as the residual CF gives it an acidic pH (pH 2). Its palatability was improved by mixing it with horse manure and straw for vermicomposting, in a 1:1 and 3:1 dry weight ratio. When these substrates were precomposted for 3 weeks they reached pH 5.5-6 and they could then be vermicomposted for 23 weeks (using OMW as a control). The best substrate for vermicomposting was determined by the worm biomass, growth rate, carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio, and N and P content. AlpeoNADES and manure 3:1 produced the highest quality vermicompost in the shortest time, generating a product that complied with European standards for organic fertilizers. Hence, alpeoNADES was recycled to a low-cost, organic balanced fertilizer in Stage 3, enabling the olive oil industry to transition to sustainable production through this integrated circular economy design., This work was supported by the Spanish Government (AGL2016-79088-R) with the active participation of students from School of Agricultural Engineering, University of Sevilla (Spain).

9 páginas.- 5 figuras.- 1 tabla.- referencias.- Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159288, Mediterranean savannahs (dehesas) are agro-sylvo-pastoral systems with a marked seasonality, with severe summer drought and favourable rainy spring and autumn. These conditions are forecasted to become more extreme due to the ongoing global climate change. Under such conditions, it is key to understand soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics at a molecular level. Here, analytical pyrolysis (Py-GC/MS) combined with chemometric statistical approaches was used for the molecular characterization of SOM in a five-years field manipulative experiment of single and combined rainfall exclusion (drought) and increased temperature (warming). The results indicate that SOM molecular composition in dehesas is mainly determined by the effect of the tree canopy. After only five years of the climatic experiment, the differences caused by the warming, drought and the combination of warming+drought forced climate scenarios became statistically significant with respect to the untreated controls, notably in the open pasture habitat. The climatic treatments mimicking foreseen climate changes affected mainly the lignocellulose dynamics, but also other SOM compounds (alkanes, fatty acids, isoprenoids and nitrogen compounds) pointing to accelerated humification processes and SOM degradation when soils are under warmer and dryer conditions. Therefore, it is expected that, in the short term, the foreseen climate change scenarios will exert changes in the Mediterranean savannah SOM molecular structure and in its dynamic., Projects EU-EJC 2nd Call Projects MIXROOT-C and MAXROOT-C, Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación y Universidades (MICIU) INTERCARBON project (CGL2016-78937-R) & DECAFUN (CGL2015-70123-R). L. M. San Emeterio also thanks MICIU for funding FPI research grants (BES-2017-07968).

The ongoing energy transition is causing rapid changes in the electricity system and, in consequence, the environmental impacts associated with electricity generation. In parallel, the daily variability of generation increases with higher shares of renewable energies. This affects the potential environmental impacts or benefits of devices with variable load or power, such as electric vehicles, storage systems or photovoltaic home systems. However, recent environmental assessments of the actual benefit of such systems are scarce, with existing assessments majorly using average grid mixes that are frequently outdated and disregard the dynamic nature of renewable generation. This article provides detailed hourly average and marginal electricity mixes for each month of the year, determined for Spain as an illustrative country with a diversified (renewable) power generation portfolio that experienced a rapid change in the last years. These are combined with specific life-cycle emission factors for each generation technology. Main drivers for the impacts of the marginal mix turn out to be natural gas plants and imports, but also pumped hydropower due to its comparably low storage efficiency. Applied to a hypothetical photovoltaic rooftop installation, the differences between environmental assessments on hourly and on annual basis are found to be surprisingly low when assuming that the generated electricity replaces the average grid mix, but substantial when considering the marginal generation mix (i.e., the generation technologies that respond to a change in demand at a given time). This highlights the importance of considering the dynamics of the electricity system and the corresponding marginal electricity mixes when optimizing flexible load or generation technologies under environmental aspects.

13 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.524, Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) are an abundant class of suspended organic particles, mainly formed by polysaccharides, which play important roles in biogeochemical and ecological processes in the ocean. In this study we investigated horizontal and vertical TEP distributions (within the euphotic layer, including the upper surface) and their short-term variability along with a suite of environmental and biological variables in four distinct regions of the Southern Ocean. TEP concentrations in the surface (4 m) averaged 102.3 ± 40.4 μg XG eq. L and typically decreased with depth. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration was a better predictor of TEP variability across the horizontal (R = 0.66, p < 0.001) and vertical (R = 0.74, p < 0.001) scales than prokaryotic heterotrophic abundance and production. Incubation experiments further confirmed the main role of phytoplankton as TEP producers. The highest surface TEP concentrations were found north of the South Orkney Islands (144.4 ± 21.7 μg XG eq. L), where the phytoplankton was dominated by cryptophytes and haptophytes; however, the highest TEP:Chl a ratios were found south of these islands (153.4 ± 29.8 μg XG eq (μg Chl a), compared to a mean of 79.3 ± 54.9 μg XG eq (μg Chl a) in the whole cruise, in association with haptophyte dominance, proximity of sea ice and high exposure to solar radiation. TEP were generally enriched in the upper surface (10 cm) respect to 4 m, despite a lack of biomass enrichment, suggesting either upward transport by positive buoyancy or bubble scavenging, or higher production at the upper surface by light stress or aggregation. TEP concentrations did not present any significant cyclic diel pattern. Altogether, our results suggest that photobiological stress, sea ice melt and turbulence add to phytoplankton productivity in driving TEP distribution across the Antarctic Peninsula area and Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through projects PEGASO (CTM2012-37615) and BIOGAPS (CTM2016-81008-R) to RS. MZ was supported by a FPU predoctoral fellowship (FPU13/04630) from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture

A single workflow based on three approaches (target, suspected and non-target screening) using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) in data independent acquisition mode (DIA) was developed to assess the presence of emerging pollutants (EPs) in water and sediments from a Mediterranean River Basin. Identification of potential contaminants was based on mass accuracy, isotopic ratio pattern, theoretical fragmentation, and retention time using Waters UNIFI software. In the suspect screening against a library containing 2200 components, 68 contaminants were tentatively identified, 6 of which were confirmed and quantified with analytical standards. Non-target screening (NTS) required additional manual processing and the aid of an on-line database (ChemSpider) to tentatively identify compounds. Eprosartan, an antihypertensive drug not included in the library used for suspected screening, was confirmed and semi-quantified. The identification of Eprosartan proved the workflow to be functional for NTS. Target screening of 171 pesticides and 33 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) including the compounds confirmed using suspect and non target screening achieved monitoring of the most abundant contaminants from the head to the mouth of the Turia basin to establish their spatial distribution. QTOF-MS screening versatility with its high-resolution capability allows for a comprehensive assessment of EPs in the aquatic environment., This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the ERDF (European Regional Development Funds) through the project GCL2015-64454-C2-1-R (ECO2risk-dds) and the project RTI2018-097158-B-C31(Wetanpack) and through the Generalitat Valenciana (ANTROPOCEN@, PROMETEO/2018/155). A. Ccanccapa gratefully acknowledges the Conselleria D'Educació, Cultura i Sport de la Generalitat Valenciana for the financial support through “Santiago Grisolía” Scholarship Program.

Mining impacts on coastal environments have been extensively studied around the world. However, the role of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) and Porewater Exchange (PEX) as pathways for pollutants from mining waste deposits into seawater has been largely overlooked. Portmán Bay is located in the Cartagena-La Unión Pb-Zn sulphur mining district in Murcia, SE of Spain. The disposal of about 60 million tons of metal-rich mine tailings from 1957 to 1990 led to the infill of most of the bay. Although the effects of metals on indicator organisms have been shown previously, there is a major lack of knowledge on the release of dissolved metals from the emerged tailing deposit into the sea, more than 25 years after the closure of the mining activities. Samples for Ra isotopes (Ra, Ra, Ra and Ra) and dissolved metals (Ag, Cd, Co, Pb, Zn) were analyzed in porewaters and seawater in order to separately estimate SGD and PEX driven dissolved metal fluxes. Our results show a continuous release of dissolved metals into the sea driven by both PEX and SGD. Most of dissolved metals are remobilized and released into the water column by PEX, which is a ubiquitous mechanism acting along the shoreline. Although SGD only represents 13% of the water flow, it drives large fluxes of dissolved Fe into the sea, mainly restricted to the west side of the bay. Large inputs of dissolved Fe from the anoxic tailings deposit trigger a massive precipitation of iron hydroxides that enables the removal of most dissolved metals from the water column. This study highlights the role of PEX and SGD as significant mechanisms for the land to ocean transfer of dissolved metals from coastal mine tailings deposits., We want to express our gratefulness to “Liga de Vecinos” of Portmán Bay for their help. This project has been funded by the Spanish projects NUREIEV (CTM2013-44598-R) and NUREIEVA (CTM2016-75953-C2-1-R). The authors also acknowledge support from Generalitat de Catalunya autonomous government through its funding schema to excellence research groups (grants 2017 SGR 1588, 2014 SGR 1356 and 2017 SGR 315). This work is a contribution to ICTA ‘Unit of Excellence’ (MinECo, MDM2015-0552). V Rodellas acknowledges financial support from the Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral programme of the Catalan Government (2017-BP-00334).

In Mediterranean countries the table olive industry produces a huge volume of wastewaters that are phytotoxic due to their high sodium content. Olives intended for Spanish-style green olives are currently debittered with NaOH that generates lyes and washing waters that cannot be used for agronomic purposes. In this study, the substitution of NaOH with KOH during the debittering of Manzanilla and Hojiblanca cultivars was assessed as well as the vacuum evaporation of the olive wastewaters to comply with fertilizer requirements. Typical lactic acid fermentation occurred in brines of olives treated with KOH and a final product with similar color and flavor characteristics to those treated with NaOH was achieved. However, lower texture was found in olives debittered with KOH than those with NaOH, using them at the same molar concentration. Furthermore, the lyes and washing waters from the KOH treatment were concentrated up to 10% of their initial volume and they complied with Spanish requirements to be considered as organo-mineral fertilizers (Corganic > 4%, K2O > 2%, Ntotal + K20 > 6%) although an external source of nitrogen would be needed. They also had a high content in phenolic compounds, particularly hydroxytyrosol. This research demonstrates that table olives can be processed with KOH and the generated waste streams could have potential applications in agriculture or being a source of bioactive substances., This work was supported by the Spanish Government (Project AGL2016-76820-R, AEI/FEDER, UE). We thank Alejandra Expósito for technical assistance.

9 páginas.-- 8 figuras.-- 4 tablas.-- 63 referencias.-- Supplementary data to this article can be found online a https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.014., A local low value bentonite from Southern Spain (Raw Bentonite), previously decarbonated (Bent), was modified to improve its pesticide adsorption capacity with Fe 3+ , hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) and the biopolymer chitosan (CH). Adsorption of pesticides on powdered samples showed that Fe 3+ and HDTMA were appropriate modifiers for this purpose. The modification was optimized by saturation with Fe 3+ (Bent-Fe) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium (Bent-HDTMA) and the obtained adsorbents were characterized by several physicochemical techniques (X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray fluorescence, physisorption of N 2 ). Their adsorption capacity to remove three widely used pesticides in Andalusian crops (terbuthylazine, tebuconazole and MCPA) from water was assessed and compared with the commercial organoclay Cloisite® 10A (Clo10). The modified bentonites adsorbed the selected pesticides in a percentage ranging from 30 to 100%, whereas sorption on Clo10 ranged from 30 to 90%. For their possible use as filtering beds, Bent-HDTMA, Bent-Fe and Clo10 were granulated by using three different binders (colophony resin and carnauba and bee waxes) at three different mixing ratios and the water resistance and pesticide adsorption of the granules were measured. Results showed that the granulation process did not alter the pesticide adsorption capacity of the powdered modified bentonites, and both waxes granules (carnauba and bee wax) showed better behavior than resin granules. In this work, we succeeded in the preparation of granulated adsorbents derived from a low cost material with similar behavior against a high purity smectite (precursor of Cloisite® 10A). This raises an alternative for this waste material to be used in filter systems for removing pesticides from contaminated water. © 2019 Elsevier B.V., Grants P11-7400 and AGR-264 by Junta de Andalucía, Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICINN for Project AGL2016-77821-R) and Contract RECUPERA 2020 MINECO-CSIC. E.Durán acknowledges Junta de Andalucía for her postdoctoral contractand B. Gámiz MICINN for her Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación postdoc-toral contract (IJCI-2015-23309)

Obtaining representative hydrometric values is essential for characterizing extreme events, hydrological dynamics and detecting possible changes on the long-term hydrology. Reliability of streamflow data requires a temporal continuity and a maintenance of the gauging stations, which data are affected by epistemic and random sources of error. An assessment of discharge meterings' and stage-discharge rating curves' uncertainties were carried out by comparing the accuracy of the measuring instruments of two different hydrometric networks (i.e., one analogical and one digital) established in the same river location at the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. Furthermore, the effects of such uncertainties were assessed on the hydrological dynamics, considering the significant global change impacts beset this island. Evaluation was developed at four representative gauging stations of the hydrographic network with analogic (≈40 years) and digital (≈10 years) data series. The study revealed that the largest source of uncertainty in the analogical (28 to 274%) and in the digital (17–37%) networks were the stage-discharge rating curves. Their impact on the water resources was also evaluated at the event and annual scales, resulting in an average difference of water yields of 183% and 142% respectively. Such improvement on the comprehension of hydrometric networks uncertainties will dramatically benefit the interpretation of the long-term streamflow by providing better insights into the hydrologic and flood hazard planning, management and modelling. © 2019, This work was supported by a research contract funded in 2014 by the Directorate-General of Water Resources (Department of Environment, Agriculture, and Fishery of the Balearic Autonomous Government) and the research project CGL2012-32446 “Assessing hydrological and sediment connectivity in contrasting Mediterranean catchments. Impacts of Global Change-MEDhyCON” funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish Government. The contribution of Jérôme Latron was supported by the research project PCIN-2017-061/AEI also funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish Government. Josep Fortesa has a contract funded by Ministry of Innovation, Research and Tourism of the Autonomous Government of the Balearic Islands (FPI/2048/2017). He also acknowledges the support from “la Caixa” Foundation through a mobility grant for young researchers at the Universitat de les Illes Balears with announcement reference number 3111. Julián García-Comendador is in receipt of a pre-doctoral contract (FPU15/05239) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture. Aleix Calsamiglia acknowledges the support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through a pre-doctoral contract (BES-2013-062887). José Andrés López-Tarazón is in receipt of a Vicenç Mut postdoctoral fellowship (CAIB PD/038/2016) funded by the Vice-presidency and Ministry of Innovation, Research and Tourism of the Autonomous Government of the Balearic Islands. Meteorological data were facilitated by the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET). Authors thank the three anonymous reviewers and the Guest Editor, Prof. Axel Bronstert, for their constructive comments and suggestions that significantly improved the final version of the paper.

10 páginas.-- 3 figuras.-- 6 tablas.-- 71 referencias.-- Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.376, An enhanced bioremediation strategy was applied to an industrial soil co-contaminated with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs). Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) and a natural mixture of two rhamnolipids (RL) were added to increase PAHs bioavailability, and combined with a microbial consortium (MC) to biodegrade soil PAHs. Bioavailability of only six PAHs (3-, 4-ring PAHs) increased when using HPBCD, with a maximum increase about 2.8-fold higher. The highest dose of HPBCD (5%) enhanced PAH degradation, with the best results for 4-ring PAHs with treatments of HPBCD + MC (up to 48% degradation for pyrene and 43% for fluoranthene), whereas dissipation for 5-ring PAHs was very low and for 6-ring was negligible. The use of RL increased the bioavailability of 13 of the 16 PAHs studied, reaching up to 60-fold higher values for phenanthrene or 18-fold higher for acenaphtene. RL addition did not show degradation improvement in any situation, and even inhibited the scarce degradation observed in the control treatment. The high increase in availability of both PAHs and mainly PTEs when using RL as amendment could make them toxic for microorganisms. In fact, Microtox Acute Toxicity test using Aliivibrio fischeri and the absence of colony forming units (CFUs) of indigenous bacteria demonstrated the extremely high levels of toxicity in RL treated soil., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (co-funded by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER), under the research project CTM2013-42599-R.

The Mediterranean region is, by far, the leading tourism destination in the world, receiving more than 330 million tourists in 2016. This tourism is undertaken mostly for seaside holidays, and during the summer season concentrates between 46% and 69% of the total international arrivals; this is equivalent to a density of 2.9 tourists per meter of Mediterranean coast, or double this number taking into account the local/permanent population in addition. Previous studies have reported not only the presence of sunscreen in the various environmental compartments (water, sediments and biota) of the Mediterranean Sea (MS) and other regions, but also show that sunscreen products are toxic for marine biota and are accumulated and biomagnificated. Here, we highlight that the environmental risk of these chemicals is likely to be exacerbated in the MS due to the massive influx of tourists and its densely populated coasts, the basin's limited exchanges with the ocean, the high residence time of surface waters, and its oligotrophic waters., A. Rodríguez-Romero is supported by the Spanish grant Juan de la Cierva Formación 2015 (JCI-2015-26873) and thanks to the University of Cantabria “Proyecto Puente 2017” under SODERCAN and ERDF Operational Programme.

30 Páginas; 4 Figuras; 2 Tablas, This work aims to compare the use of olive mill solid waste as substrate in pH-controlled fermentation at acid (pH = 5), neutral (uncontrolled, pH ≈ 7) and alkaline (pH = 9) operating pH levels. The results obtained in this study indicate that operating pH strongly affected the anaerobic microorganisms and, hence, different target compounds could be obtained by adjusting the operating pH. Fermentation at neutral pH resulted in the conversion of 93.5% of the fed chemical oxygen demand to methane. However, fermentations at pH 5 and 9 resulted in the inhibition of the methanogenic activity. At pH 9, volatile fatty acids reached a maximum concentration of 3.69 g O2/L, where acetic acid represented up to 79.3% of the total volatile fatty acids. Unlike volatile fatty acid production, an optimal operation of fermentation at pH 5 could allow the recovery of phenols such as vanillin., The authors wish to thank the financial support provided by the CRHIAM Centre (CONICYT/FONDAP/15130015). The authors are also grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for funding this research through the Projects CTM2017-83870-R, and Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness Ramon y Cajal Programme: (RyC 2012-10456).

Dune belts are crucial for the recharge of coastal aquifers. In spite of their hydrological relevance for the maintenance of precious natural wetland and wildlife environments and a range of other ecosystemservices, only limited knowledge of soil water dynamics in dune belts is currently available. This study presents soilwater balance components measured during one hydrological year using a high precision meteo-lysimeter with lower boundary control installed in a coastal dune belt under a dry subhumid climate in southern Spain close to the Atlantic Ocean. The site is equipped with a cylindrical lysimeter of 1 m2 surface and 1.50 m height (METER Group, Inc. USA) and a weighing resolution of 10 g, 2 SC650 soil moisture sensors (Campbell Scientific, Logan, UT) and 1 automatic meteorological station. The lower boundary condition at the bottom of the lysimeter is controlled at 1.4 m depth by a bidirectional peristaltic pump to maintain field conditions. Results show a recharge rate of 64% of the precipitation measured by the lysimeter. Diurnal oscillations of the measured upper boundary flow during days without rainfall represented vapor adsorption and real evaporation rates ranging between 0.3 and 0.4 mm/day and 0.4 and 0.6 mm/day, respectively throughout the whole year summing up an annual vapor adsorption of 77mm. The measured precipitation of the lysimeter exceeded pluviometer data by 13% as a result of vapor adsorption. The presented results provide a precise balance of soilwater components in a coastal dune belt including the relevant contribution of vapor flow., Unidad de Sevilla, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España, Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Córdoba, España, Centro Alameda del Obispo, Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera, España, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España

9 páginas.-- 3 figuras.-- 6 tablas.-- 75 referencias.-- Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.316., This study evaluated the effect of several cyclodextrins (CDs) and a rhamnolipid (RL) on the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a co-contaminated soil which had received historically creosote and inorganic wood preservatives for almost 100 years, and the effect of such extractions on the potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The influence on such processes of an electrolyte (0.01 M Ca(NO3)2) was also studied. Up to 15.4% of the ∑16 PAHs were extracted using RL in the absence of the electrolyte as washing solution, but decreases until reaching 0.60% in the presence of Ca2+ due to RL precipitation and partial inactivation. Only up to 2% of the ∑16 PAHs was extracted with CDs (4-ring PAHs in higher concentrations), but the electrolyte had no effect on extraction. In relation to PTEs, CDs proved to be inefficient for their extraction, and even RL in the presence of the background electrolyte. But in the absence of electrolyte PTEs extraction by RL increased. Apart from that, the availability of Ni, Cr, and As, those more associated to Fe and Al soil surfaces, increased after extraction with RLs in the presence of Ca2+ (about 100% for Cr and Ni and 200% for As). Under these conditions Fe and Al availability increased two- and ten-fold, respectively, indicating that Fe-Al soil surfaces were altered. Therefore, the ionic strength and the cations present in the soil solution of soils have to be considered when RLs are used as extractants for remediation purposes, This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (co-funded by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER), under the research project CTM2013-42599-R. The authors are indebted to ADIF (Ministerio de Fomento) for facilitating the sample collection of creosote-polluted soil and for the information supplied.

5 tablas, 3 figuras y 39 páginas., A laboratory study was designed to assess the following: i) the degradation kinetics of chlorotoluron and flufenacet at two different temperatures, 6 °C and 16 °C, in an unamended agricultural soil and one amended with spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and green compost (GC), and ii) the formation of the main metabolites of both herbicides with potential risk for water pollution over degradation time. The aim was to determine the dependence of these herbicide degradations on temperature (Q10 factor) using kinetic parameters, which is essential information for the later simulation of herbicide environmental fate with FOCUS models. SMS and GC were applied in situ to the natural soil as organic amendments at rates of 140 or 85 t residue ha−1, respectively. Unamended and amended soils were taken from the 0–10 cm topsoil of experimental plots (three replicates/treatment) located on an agricultural farm. Samples of soil + herbicides were incubated at 6 °C or 16 °C under laboratory conditions. The degradation curves of chlorotoluron and flufenacet were fitted to single first-order and first-order multicompartment kinetic models, respectively. The flufenacet degradation, the more hydrophobic herbicide, was slower than that of chlorotoluron in all the treatments. The application of the organic amendments to soil increased the half-lives (DT50) for both herbicides incubated at 6 °C (1.3–1.9 times) and 16 °C (1.4–1.9 times) due to their higher sorption and lower bioavailability for degradation in amended soils. The herbicides recorded a faster degradation at 16 °C than at 6 °C (Q10 = 1.9–2.8) due to the increased microbial biomass and/or activity with temperature. The metabolites desmethyl chlorotoluron, flufenacet ESA and flufenacet OA were detected in all the soil treatments at both incubation temperatures. The determination of Q10 factors in amended soils is very valuable for generating accurate input data for pesticide fate models such as FOCUS in order to improve the evaluation of the leaching of herbicides and their transformation products, which is a relevant goal to maintain the sustainability of agricultural systems., This work has been funded by MINECO/FEDER UE (Project AGL2015-69485-R). J. M. Marín-Benito thanks MINECO for his Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación contract and M. J. Carpio thanks Junta de Castilla y León for his predoctoral contract. The authors thank J. M. Ordax by its technical assistance.

Farmland and migratory bird populations are in decline. The Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) provides an exception to this trend and its populations have remained stable over the last two decades. However, some basic facts regarding quail biology and ecology, such as the geographic distribution of age and sex classes during the summer, remain poorly understood. We analyzed 43,194 Spanish quail ringing records from 1961 to 2014 to assess the effects of geography and weather conditions on the probability that individuals will be ringed during the various stages of their annual cycle (arrival –spring migration-, stationary breeding period, departure –autumn migration- and winter) for the different quail age-sex classes over time. We found that spatial distribution of the age and sex classes can be explained by date, latitude, longitude, altitude, rainfall, and temperature. Our results suggest that date accounts for most of the variation in the distribution of quail age classes, followed by the weather variables, and then latitude, and altitude. Similarly, date also accounts for most of the variation in the distribution of the two sexes. These results could partially explain why this species has avoided population decline, since its ecological strategy is based on its temporal and spatial distribution combined with the segregation of age and sex groups. We hypothesize that the distribution of quail age and sex classes follows variations in weather and habitat suitability to exploit seasonal and geographic variations in resource availability. The migratory and nomadic movements of quail, combined with the occurrence of multiple breeding attempts within a single season, may also allow these birds to overcome the impacts of predators and anthropogenic environmental change. Conservation and management efforts should therefore take account of these age and sex related temporal and spatial patterns., This research article was supported by a grant by the Language Institute of the University of Lleida (2016 call). A.M. was supported by a Ramón y Cajal research contract by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2012-11867).

In this work we investigate the variation in tropospheric ozone concentrations in south-western Europe in March and April 2020 in the context of COVID-19 disease, and to what extent the former situation was recovered one year after the pandemic outbreak. To carry this study, data from 15 regional background sites in Spain, from 2010 onwards, are used. Historic (2010–2019) and most recent tropospheric ozone concentrations are compared. March and April 2020 ozone concentrations declined over 15% in most cases, rising to 23–28% at sites facing the Mediterranean. Most of the decay was related to the reduction of hemispheric background concentrations, but those sites downwind continental emissions from the Iberian Peninsula and neighbouring countries experienced an additional lessening. By exploring O3 concentrations one year after, March and April 2021, the general decline with respect to 2010–2019 persist but its magnitude was substantially lessened with respect to the strict lockdown period. The pandemic situation unveiled that air pollution is not an endemic matter but it should be tackle with adequate actions. Ozone abatement plans for Mediterranean countries should need a pan-regional covenant in order to drop precursor emissions., We would like to thank all the regional administrations from Spain used in this work for the provision of their data. Furthermore, we would like to thank the co-operative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants (EMEP) for the provision of Barcarrota and Viznar data. The Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI – Spain) and the European Funds for Regional Development (FEDER – European Union) are gratefully acknowledged for financial support through CGL2015-68993-R and PID2019-108101RB-I00 projects (AEI/FEDER, UE).

This study describes a new bioaugmentation alternative based on the application of aqueous aerated extracts from a biomixture acclimated with ibuprofen, diclofenac and triclosan. This bioaugmentation strategy was assayed in biopurification systems (BPS) and in contaminated aqueous solutions to accelerate the removal of these emerging contaminants. Sterilized extracts or extracts from the initial uncontaminated biomixture were used as controls. In BPS, the dissipation of 90% of diclofenac and triclosan required, respectively, 60 and 108 days less than in the controls. The metabolite methyl-triclosan was determined at levels 12 times lower than in controls. In the bioaugmented solutions, ibuprofen was almost completely eliminated (99%) in 21 days and its hydroxylated metabolites were also determined to be at lower levels than in the controls. The plasmidome of acclimated biomixtures and its extract appeared to maintain certain types of plasmids but degradation related genes became less evident. Several dominant OTUs found in the extract identified as Flavobacterium and Fluviicola of the phylum Bacteroidetes, Thermomicrobia (phylum Chloroflexi) and Nonomuraea (phylum Actinobacteria), may be responsible for the enhanced dissipation of these contaminants. This bioaugmentation strategy represents an advantageous tool to facilitate in situ bioaugmentation., This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) (projects CTM2013-44271-R and CTM2017-86504-R), and co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Inés Aguilar-Romero thanks her FPI grant. GC-MS analyses were carried out by the Scientific Instrumentation Services of the Estación Experimental del Zaidín (CSIC), Granada, Spain.

12 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, Ecological connectivity in coastal oceanic waters is mediated by dispersion of the early life stages of marine organisms and conditions the structure of biological communities and the provision of ecosystem services. Integrated management strategies aimed at ensuring long-term service provision to society do not currently consider the importance of dispersal and larval connectivity. A spatial optimization model is introduced to maximise the potential provision of ecosystem services in coastal areas by accounting for the role of dispersal and larval connectivity. The approach combines a validated coastal circulation model that reproduces realistic patterns of larval transport along the coast, which ultimately conditions the biological connectivity and productivity of an area, with additional spatial layers describing potential ecosystem services. The spatial optimization exercise was tested along the coast of Central Chile, a highly productive area dominated by the Humboldt Current. Results show it is unnecessary to relocate existing management areas, as increasing no-take areas by 10% could maximise ecosystem service provision, while improving the spatial representativeness of protected areas and minimizing social conflicts. The location of protected areas was underrepresented in some sections of the study domain, principally due to the restriction of the model to rocky subtidal habitats. Future model developments should encompass the diversity of coastal ecosystems and human activities to inform integrative spatial management. Nevertheless, the spatial optimization model is innovative not only for its integrated ecosystem perspective, but also because it demonstrates that it is possible to incorporate time-varying biophysical connectivity within the optimization problem, thereby linking the dynamics of exploited populations produced by the spatial management regime, This work was supported by the Millennium Scientific Initiative ICM from Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism of Chile to the Center for Marine Conservation [CCM RC 1300004]; AO was supported by the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development, FONDECYT with a post-doctoral grant [3150425] and by H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions [746361]. KJD was supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CE11001000104), funded by the Australian Government. Additional funding was provided by FONDECYT [1160289] to SAN. Funding for the development of HYCOM has been provided by the National Ocean Partnership Program and the Office of Naval Research, With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

In bears, reproduction is dependent on the body reserves accumulated during hyperphagia. The Cantabrian brown bear mainly feeds on nuts during the hyperphagia period. Understanding how landscape heterogeneity and vegetation productivity in human-dominated landscapes influence the feeding habits of bears may therefore be important for disentangling species-habitat relationships of conservation interest. We determined the spatial patterns of nut consumption by brown bears during the hyperphagia period in relation to landscape structure, characteristics of fruit-producing patches and vegetation productivity. For this purpose, we constructed foraging models based on nut consumption data (obtained by scat analysis), by combining vegetation productivity data, topographical variables and landscape metrics to identify nut foraging patterns during this critical period for bears. The average wooded area of patches where scats were collected and where the nuts that the bears had consumed were produced was larger than that of the corresponding patches where nuts were not produced. For scats collected outside of nut-producing patches, the distance between the scats and the patches was greatest for chestnut-producing patches. Elevation, Gross Primary Production (GPP) and the Aggregation Index (AI) were good predictors of acorn consumption in the models. Good model fits were not obtained for data on chestnut consumption in bears. The findings confirm that brown bears feeding on nuts show a preference for relatively large, highly aggregated patches with a high degree of diversity in the landscape pattern, which may help the bears to remain undetected. The nut prediction model highlights areas of particular importance for brown bears during hyperphagia. The human presence associated with sweet chestnut forest stands or orchards may make bears feel more vulnerable when feeding., J.C. Pérez-Girón is in receipt of a “Severo Ochoa” PhD Grant provided by the Government of Principado de Asturias (PA-18-PF-BP17-026). J.V. López-Bao was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness: Ramon & Cajal research contract (RYC-2015-18932).

This paper characterizes the spatiotemporal variability of air stagnation over the Euro-Mediterranean area for the 1979–2016 period by using a simplified air stagnation index (ASI) based on daily precipitation as well as near-surface and upper wind speed data. We have also undertaken the first comparison of stagnation as derived from meteorological reanalysis and observations, finding a reasonably good agreement between both datasets. The main differences arise from the surface wind speed, as this field depends on the local setting of the observational sites and imperfect parameterizations within the reanalysis model. Since air stagnation has considerable spatial heterogeneity over the region, we have regionalized the monthly frequency of stagnant days, resulting five regions with consistent temporal patterns: Scandinavia (SCAN), Northern-Europe (NEU), Central-Europe (CEU), South-West (SW) and South-East (SE). The northern regions (SCAN and NEU), which are affected by moderately strong near-surface winds and ample precipitation, present low frequency and temporal variability in stagnation compared to the southern regions (SW and SE). The winters and summers with the highest stagnation frequency often concur with positive 500 hPa geopotential height anomalies over the regions, with the exception of negative anomalies and a displacement of the extratropical jet to the south in the case of SCAN and NEU during winter. Air stagnation exerts a clear influence on air quality (AQ), with anomalies above 10% for summer ozone (O3) and 30% for winter PM10 (particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter) on stagnant vs. non-stagnant days over most of the regions. These values exceed 20% and 50%, respectively, in the case of CEU, where air stagnation also drives significant changes in the frequency distributions of these pollutants and increases the likelihood of AQ exceedances. Moreover, persistent and widespread stagnation events favour the build-up of both O3 and PM10 over most of the continent., This study was carried out under the aegis of a predoctoral research grant awarded by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (FPU16/01972) and the support of the Ramón y Cajal Programme of the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [grant number RYC-2014-15036]. The work is also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness trough project CGL2017-83198-R, “Variabilidad Climática y mecanismos dinámicos de los episodios de estancamiento atmosférico en la región euro-mediterránea”.

12 pags, 7 figs. - Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.160., The study of three lacustrine sedimentary archives along an altitudinal transect in the Southern Central Pyrenees - lakes Estanya, Basa and Marboré- has provided a unique record of changes in anthropogenic trace metal concentrations over the last six centuries in NE Iberian Peninsula. Although site-specific processes influence metals enrichments in each lacustrine system, significant enrichments of Hg and Pb and minor to moderate enrichments of Cu, Cd, and Zn with respect to baseline (Pre-industrial) concentrations highlight intensive release of anthropogenic trace metals with the advent of the Industrial Revolution leading to maximum values during the 20th century. The largest trace metal pollution occurred between 1840s and 1920s CE mainly derived from the increasing demand of ore resources in Southern Europe during the Industrialization. A second, less distinct pollution phase occurred between 1950s and 1990s, associated with the “Great Acceleration” and increased trace metal emissions related to road-transport, use of fertilizers in agriculture and the global boost of the Chemical Industry. Enrichment of mercury during the Industrial Period correlates well with Hg production in Spanish Almadén mines and global emission inventories. Local mining in the Pyrenees and regional smelting activities in Spain and Southern France may explain the enrichment of lead (and associated by-products cadmium and zinc) during the first pollution phase while the use of leaded gasoline since the mid-20th century drives the higher Pb enrichment factor found till the late 20th century. This investigation demonstrates that environmental regulations controlling emissions of hazardous metals during the last decades have greatly contributed to a significant reduction of these anthropogenic trace metals enrichments in natural ecosystems although they still double pre-industrial levels. This study also exemplifies the different sensitiveness of lacustrine systems to record past atmospheric pollution phases and highlights the need of multi-archive studies to conduct regional (rather than local) pollution reconstructions., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) projects MEDLANT (CGL2016-76215-R) and HYVARMED (CGL2013-42645-P), the National Park Autonomous Organization (HORDA project, ref. 083/2009) and the Sobrarbe Geoparkthrough the project “Reconstrucción de la minería histórica en la Comarca del Sobrarbe y su impacto ambiental durante el Antropoceno”.J.P.C. was supported by a MINECO postdoctoral grant (ref FPDI-2013-17443) and currently holds a Juan de la Cierva–Incorporación postdoc-toral contract also fundedby MINECO (ref IJCI-2015-23839)

11 pags, 6 figs., In late June 2017, a forest fire occurred in Doñana Natural Park, which is located in southwestern Europe. Many animal and plant species, some of which are threatened, suffered from the impact of this fire, and important ecosystems in the European Union were seriously affected. This forest fire occurred under exceptional weather conditions. The meteorological situation was studied at both the synoptic scale and the local scale using meteorological fields in the ERA-Interim global model from ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts), the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) mesoscale model and ground observations collected at El Arenosillo observatory. Anomalies were obtained using records (observations and simulations) over the last two decades (1996-2016). An anticyclonic system dominated the synoptic meteorological conditions, but a strong pressure gradient was present; positive high pressure anomalies and negative low pressure anomalies resulted in intense NW flows. At the surface, wind gusts of 80 km h-1, temperatures up to 35 °C and relative humidity values 29 km h-1) and negative relative humidity anomalies (differences of 40%). The forest fire reached El Arenosillo observatory approximately 8 h after it began. When the fire started, record-setting maximum values were measured for all gases monitored at this site (specifically, peaks of 99,995 μg m-3 for CO, 951 μg m-3 for O3, 478 μg m-3 for NO2, 116 μg m-3 for SO2 and 1000 μg m-3 for PM10). According to the temporal evolution patterns of these species, the atmosphere over a burnt area can recover to initial atmospheric levels between 48 and 96 h after an event. The impact of the Doñana plume was studied using hourly forward trajectories computed with the HYSPLIT (Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) model to analyse the emission source for the burnt area. The Doñana fire plume affected large metropolitan areas near the Mediterranean coast. Air quality stations located in the cities of Seville and Cadiz registered the arrival of the plume based on increases in CO and PM10. Using CO as a tracer, measurements from the AIRS and MOPITT instruments allowed us to observe the transport of the Doñana plume from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean. Finally, after two days, the Doñana forest fire plume reached the western Mediterranean basin., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) under grant CGL2014-55230-R (AVATAR project). The authors wish to thank the Survey and Air Quality Control Network belonging to the Environmental Department of the Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain) for access to its database. We acknowledge the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) for the provision of HYSPLIT (Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model). The authors acknowledge NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) and NOAA for the development of the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model. The authors thank AEMET (State Meteorological Agency - Spanish Government) and ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) for the ERA- Interim meteorological fields. The authors also thank the Atmospheric Science Data Center at NASA Langley Research Center for the provision of total CO measurements from the AIRS and MOPITT instruments.

Natural and human-induced seabed sediment disturbances affect wide areas of the global coastal ocean. These recurrent to chronic disturbances mobilize significant amounts of material, including substances that have the potential to significantly harm the environment once re-released. This very challenging issue is difficult to deal with if sub-surface contaminant concentrations are unknown. Based on the analysis of 11 new, up to 5-m long sediment cores taken offshore in the Gulf of Cadiz, the contamination history (using the trace elements lead and zinc) is well documented over major parts of the gulf. Ore mining and metal processing industries on the southwestern Iberian Peninsula started five thousand years ago and experienced a first peak during the Roman Period, which can be detected over the entire gulf. The Industrial Era added a massive, shelf-wide heavy metal excursion of unprecedented dimension. This metal contamination to the coastal ocean decreased in the 1990s and appears to be today limited to larger areas off the Tinto/Odiel and Guadiana River mouths. The unforeseen, significant finding of this study is that the gulf-wide, peak heavy metal concentration, stemming from the Industrial Era, is widely overlain by a modern sediment veneer just thick enough to cover the contaminant horizon, but thin enough to have this layer within the reach of natural or human-induced sediment mobilization events., Department of Coastal and Marine Systems Science, Coastal Carolina University, Estados Unidos, Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, University of Algarve, Portugal, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, España, Department of Chemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Estados Unidos, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

11 páginas.-- 4 figuras.-- 4 tablas.-- 75 referencias.-- Supplementary data associated with this article can be found in the online version, at doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.028. These data include Google map of the most important areas described in this article., Wildfires are a recurrent disturbance in Mediterranean forests, triggered by high fuel load, high environmental temperature and low humidity. Although, human intervention is behind the initiation of most fire episodes, the situation is likely to worsen in the future due to the effects of climate change in the Mediterranean “hot-spot”. Here we study chemical, physical and microbial characteristics of burnt soils from two well differentiated sites at Sierra de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park, Andalusia, (Spain) affected and unaffected by a wildfire, and followed their evolution for three years. The soils affected by a severe surface burn showed a significant increase in organic matter after 3 years from the fire. Viable bacteria and fungi also increased, especially 2–3 years post-burning. Substrate induced respiration (SIR) also increased significantly in burnt soil from site 1 (rendzina on carbonate) while a significant decrease was observed in the burnt soils sampled from site 2 (calcic luvisols) in samples taken one month after the wildfire. A recovery in both SIR and organic matter was observed after 2 and 3 years. Of seven soil enzymes studied, only phosphatase activity was significantly higher in most burnt soils over the three years. Analysis of bacterial community diversity using clone libraries showed a recovery in the number of phyla in burnt soils after 2 and 3 years in both sites, with an increase in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes and a decrease in Acidobacteria phyla. For Bacteroidetes, the percentages were lower in most burnt samples. This study reveals that if wildfire increases the organic matter availability, then the microbial community responds with increased activity and biomass production. Although fire exerts an initial impact on the soil bacterial community, its structure and functional profile soon recovers (after 2–3 years) contributing to soil recovery., This work has been supported by MINECO projects INFIRE (CGL2006-12730-C03-02) and INTERCARBON (CGL2016-78937-R) Co-funded with EC FEDER funds. Dra. Rocío González-Vázquez is recognized for helpful suggestions and data discussions while preparing the MS.

Salmonella can play an important role as a disease agent in wildlife, which can then act as carriers and reservoirs of sanitary importance at the livestock-human interface. Transmission from livestock to avian scavengers can occur when these species consume contaminated carcasses and meat remains in supplementary feeding stations and rubbish dumps. We compared the performance of PCR-based detection with conventional culture-based methods to detect Salmonella in the faeces of red kites (Milvus milvus) and griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in central Spain. The occurrence of culturable Salmonella was intermediate in red kites (1.9%, n = 52) and high in griffon vultures (26.3%, n = 99). These proportions were clearly higher with PCR-based detection (13.5% and 40.4%, respectively). Confirmation cultures failed to grow Salmonella in all faecal samples positive by the molecular assay but negative by the initial conventional culture in both scavenger species, indicating the occurrence of false (non-culturable) positives by PCR-based detection. This suggests that the molecular assay is highly sensitive to detecting viable Salmonella in cultures, but also partial genomes and dead or unviable bacteria from past infections or contamination. Thus, the actual occurrence of Salmonella in a particular sampling time period can be underestimated when using only culture detection. The serovars found in the scavenger faeces were among the most frequently isolated in pigs from Spain and other EU countries, especially those generally recognized as swine-adapted monophasic variants of S. Typhimurium. Because the studied species obtain much of their food from pig carcasses, this livestock may be the primary source of Salmonella via direct ingestion of infected carcasses and indirectly via contamination due to the unsanitary conditions found in supplementary feeding stations established for scavenger conservation. Combining culture- and molecular-based detection is encouraged to understand the epidemiology and impact of Salmonella in wildlife populations., Funds were provided by the projects CGL2009-12753-C02-01/BOS and CGL2010-15726 of Spanish Ministerio of Economía y Competitividad.

40 páginas, 4 gráficos, 3 tablas .-- The definitive version is available at http://www.elsevier.com, Soil quality is strongly affected by microbial biomass that is involved in organic matter mineralization and the supply of nutrients to plants. The effects of trace elements on soil microbial biomass and activity are still controversial, and the contents of the elements in different forms, more than the total amounts, may affect soil microbial community. Volcanic soils are peculiar environments because of their chemical characteristics. Therefore, the aims of this research were to evaluate in volcanic soils: i) the elemental composition; ii) the elemental availability; and iii) the effects of elemental fractions on soil microbial biomass and activity. In order to reach the aims, the BCR sequential extraction method was applied in order to separate 22 elements in different soil fractions: acid soluble, reducible, oxidisable and residual. The studied biological parameters were: microbial and fungal biomasses, soil respiration, metabolic quotient, coefficient of endogenous mineralization, dehydrogenase and hydrolase activities, and phytotoxicity. Among the investigated elements, Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Ti, V and Zn were scarcely available; Cd appeared to be the most ready available element; Zn was mainly present in the acid soluble and in the residual fractions. Microbial biomass and activity appeared to be mainly affected by the reducible and oxidasable fractions of the investigated elements more than the acid soluble or residual ones. With the exception of La and V, the elemental content in the various fractions would seem to stimulate the microbial biomass and activity. Finally, the investigated volcanic soils showed phytotoxic properties., This research activity has been realised in collaboration of the Biology Department of University Federico II of Napleas and the Vesuvius National Park within the “Azione di Sistema - Impatto antropico da pressione turistica nelle aree protette: interferenze su territorio e biodiversità” funded by “Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare” (CUP: E65J13000030001), Direttiva Conservazione della Biodiversità. Chemical analysis has been economically supported by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain (CTM2013-47874-C2-2-R)

11 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEPs) are a subclass of organic particles with high impact in biogeochemical and ecological processes, such as the biological carbon pump, air-sea interactions, or the microbial loop. However, the complexity in production and consumption makes TEP dynamics hardly predictable, calling for the need of descriptive studies about the in situ dynamics of these particles. We followed monthly TEP dynamics and combined them with a dataset of environmental variables during three years in a coastal site of the oligotrophic North Western Mediterranean (Blanes Bay). TEP concentration, ranging from 11.3 to 289.1 μg XG eq L (average 81.7 ± 11.7 μg XG eq L), showed recurrent peaks in early summer (June–July). TEP were temporally disconnected from chlorophyll a maxima, that occurred in late winter and early spring (maxima 1.21 μg L), but they were significantly related to the abundance of specific phytoplankton groups (diatoms and dinoflagellates) and also coincided with periods of low nutrient concentrations. The fraction of particulate organic carbon in the form of TEP (the TEP:POC and TEP:PM ratios) were also highest in early summer, indicating that TEP-enriched particles of low density accumulate in surface waters during stratified periods. We hypothesize that the accumulation of these particles affects the microbial food web by enhancing the activity of specific prokaryotic extracellular enzymes (esterase, β-glucosidase and alkaline phosphatase) and promoting the abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, This work was funded by projects STORM (CTM2009-09352/MAR), PEGASO (CTM2012-37615), ANIMA (CTM2015-65720-R) and REMEI (CTM2015-70340-R) of the Spanish Ministry of Science or Economy. [...] EOR was supported by a Juan de la Cierva Fellowship

The interaction between wildlife and power lines has collateral effects that include wildfires and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, currently available information is scarce and so new approaches are needed to increase our understanding of this issue. Here, we present the first analysis of wildfires and their incidence as a result of this interaction in Spain during the period 2000–2012. Amongst the 2788 Power-Line Mediated Wildfires (PLMW recorded) during this period, 30 records of Fauna Mediated Wildfires (FMW) were found, with an average affected vegetation cover of 9.06 ha. Our findings suggest that no significant differences were observed between the amount of affected surface area due to fauna mediated wildfires and power-line mediated wildfires. In both cases, a space-grouping trend was observed. In terms of changing trends over time, after the first incident detected in 2005, the number of incidents increased until 2008, year in which the percentage of wildfires caused by wildlife stabilized at approximately 2.4% of all power-line-induced wildfires. Population density and road abundance were variables that better explained PLMW whereas for FMW, the models that included land use and raptor abundance. In the multivariate model, FMW emergence was positively related with population density, percentage of grazing areas and Natura 2000 cover, and predatory abundance; and negatively with the percentage of forested area. No significant differences were observed between the species of birds that caused wildfires and the species of ringed birds killed by electrocution. The economic and environmental impact due to necessary repairs, the loss of biodiversity and CO2 emissions represent an estimated net value of €7.6–12.4 M for the period 2000–2012, which indicates the importance of the economic and environmental costs associated with wildfires., The present study is a result of the “Study of Integration Funding Needs imposed by Royal Decree 1432/2008, with the system foreseen in the Environment Driven Plan (in compliance with Directive 2008/50/CE of the European Parliament and Council dated May 21, 2008) referring to the atmospheric air quality and a cleaner atmosphere in Europe, funding granting systems for power line owners focused on the implementation of measures for the protection of avifauna against collision and electrocution in power lines, as an improvement of energy efficiency” ordered to the Tragsa Group by the General Direction of Quality, Environmental Evaluation and Natural Environment from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing, Food and Environment. JMPG is supported by a Juan de la Cierva research contract by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FJCI-2015-25632). AM was supported by a Ramón y Cajal research contract by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2012-11867).

Changes in the concentration of circulating essential elements in animals over life may be indicative of periods of vulnerability to deficiencies and associated diseases. Here we studied age-related variations in essential elements (Se, Cu, Zn and Mn) and some selected oxidative stress biomarkers (GPx, SOD, vitamin A and vitamin E) in blood of an Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) population living in semicaptive conditions. Animals during their first year of life showed to be especially vulnerable to suffer Se- and Cu-related diseases and disorders. Older female deer had lower blood levels of Zn and Mn, which was accompanied by a lower blood SOD activity. On the contrary, GPx blood activity was elevated in older deer, which may help to compensate the reduction of other antioxidants with during aging. Age-related changes in GPx and SOD and their positive relationships with the essential elements suggest that the observed nutritional deficiencies at certain age stages may have a detrimental effect on the antioxidant system, increasing the risk of oxidative stress. Thus, the biomarkers used in the present study may be important tools for the subclinical diagnosis of nutritional disorders and diseases related to the generation of oxidative stress in both domestic and wild ungulates., This study and JPC were supported by a Research Project from the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM) Regional Plan (PPII-2014-028). MMH was supported by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral research contract from the Government of Spain (IJCI-2014-20171). JRE was supported by a postdoctoral research contract from the JCCM (2017/11747).

36 páginas, 5 figuras, 4 tablas. -- The definitive version is available at http://www.elsevier.com, Soil element composition derives from parent material disaggregation during pedogenesis and weathering processes but also by anthropogenic inputs. Elements are present in soils in different chemical forms that affect their availability and mobility. The aim of the study was to evaluate the main derivation, natural or anthropogenic, of elements in the soils of the Vesuvius National Park (a natural environment strongly affected by human impacts). Besides, the effects of age of the lava from which soils derive, different vegetation covers, traffic fluxes along the two roads connecting the Vesuvius crater and altitudes of the sites on the pseudo-total element concentrations and on their contents in different fraction of soil were investigated. To reach the aims, BCR (Bureau Commun de Référence) sequential extraction was performed in order to determine the distribution of elements into: acid-soluble, reducible, oxidizable and residual fractions. The relationship between the main environmental media and distribution of elements was discussed using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). The findings showed that, with the exception of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn that would seem to derive also from human activities, the other investigated elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Si, Ti, V, W and Zn) mainly had a natural derivation. Among the investigated elements, only Cd could represent a potential high risk for the studied andosols. The highest element accumulations in the soils at low altitude could be attributable to an integrated effect of plant cover, vicinity of downtowns and traffic flux. The acid-soluble fraction of elements appeared more linked to lava age; the reducible and oxidizable ones to plant cover; the residual one to the chemical composition of the parent material that gave origin to the soils., This research activity has been realised in collaboration of the Biology Department of University Federico II of Napleas and the Vesuvius National Park within the “Azione di Sistema - Impatto antropico da pressione turistica nelle aree protette: interferenze su territorio e biodiversità” funded by “Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare”, Direttiva Conservazione della Biodiversità. Dr. García-Delgado thanks the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for his post-doctoral contract (JCFI-2015-23543). Chemical analysis has been economically supported by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain (CTM2013-47874-C2-2-R).

Ivermectin is the most common endectocide used to control parasites affecting livestock. Short-term physiological and behavioural effects of ivermectin on dung beetles may have long-term consequences for beetle populations and ecosystem functioning. Long-term effects of the use of ivermectin can be estimated by comparing dung assemblages and ecosystem functions in areas with conventional ivermectin-treated livestock and environmentally similar areas in which livestock are not treated with veterinary medical products (organic farming). In this study, we investigated both short-term and long-term effects of the administration of ivermectin on the characteristics of dung beetle assemblages and the services they provided in a protected area (Doñana National Park, SW Spain). We examined short-term dung colonization, dwelling, relocation, and disaggregation rates and the associations between these processes and the key assemblage parameters of species richness, abundance, biomass and functional diversity. Furthermore, we analysed changes in soil physical-chemical properties and processes. Short-term differences were observed in the total amount of dung relocated by dung beetles at different colonization vs. emigration stages, suggesting that dung beetles in this area were affected by the recent treatments of livestock with ivermectin. Moreover, short-term effects could also be responsible for the significant differences in dung spreading rates between sites. Conventional use of ivermectin disrupted ecosystem functioning by affecting species richness, abundance and biomass. The decrease in diversity parameters was related to a reduction in the functional efficiency, which resulted in the long-term accumulation of dung on the ground and considerable changes in soil functionality., Financial support was provided by the projects CGL2015-68207-R of the Secretaría de Estado de Investigación– Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, and OAPN 762/2012 of the Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales-Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente.

17 Pág. Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Agronomía​ (INIA), Biochar applications can have important implications for many of the soil functions upon which agroecosystems rely, particularly regarding organic carbon storage. This study evaluated the impacts of adding a highly aromatic gasification biochar at different rates (0, 12 and 50 t ha-1) to a barley crop on the provision of crucial soil functions (carbon sequestration, water content, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient cycling, soil food web functioning, and food production). After natural ageing in the field for six years, a wide range of soil properties representative of the studied soil functions were measured and integrated into a soil quality index. Results showed that C sequestration increased with biochar rate (23 and 68% higher than in the control for the 12 and 50 t biochar ha-1 treatments, respectively). Water content was enhanced at the 50 t ha-1 treatment depending on the sampling date. Despite biochar additions neither abating nor increasing CO2 equivalent emissions (carbon dioxide plus nitrous oxide and methane), the system shifted from being a methane sink (-0.017 ± 0.01 mg CH4-C m-2 h-1 at the 12 t ha-1 treatment), to a net source (0.025 ± 0.02 mg CH4-C m-2 h-1 at the 50 t ha-1 treatment). In addition, biochar ageing provoked a loss of nitrate mitigation potential, and indeed ammonium production was stimulated at the 50 t ha-1 rate. The 50 t ha-1 treatment also adversely affected nematode and collembolan functional diversity. Lastly, biochar did not affect barley yield. The results of the soil quality index indicated that no biochar treatment provided more benefits to our agricultural soil, and, although the 50 t ha-1 treatment increased C sequestration, this was potentially offset by its harmful effects on soil faunal communities. Therefore, application of this biochar at high rates should be avoided to prevent risks to soil biological communities., We gratefully acknowledge the funding by the project FERTICHAR (AGL2015-70393-R) of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. We are also grateful to Dr. van den Brink, P. J., and Dr. Šmilauer, P. for their assistance on PRC analysis interpretation and proper use of CANOCO 5, respectively.

Volatile silicon compounds present in the biogas of anaerobic digesters can cause severe problems in the energy recovery systems, inducing costly damages. Herein, the microbial community of a lab-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) was studied while testing its biodegradation capacity on octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), in the presence of toluene, limonene and hexane. The reactor performance was tested at different empty bed residence times (EBRT) and packing materials. Community structure was analysed by bar-coded amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Microbial diversity and richness were higher in the inoculum and progressively decreased during BTF operation (Simpson's diversity index changing from 0.98–0.90 and Richness from 900 to 200 OTUs). Minimum diversity was found when reactor was operated at relatively low EBRT (7.3 min) using a multicomponent feed. The core community was composed of 36 OTUs (accounting for 55% of total sequences). Packing material played a key role in the community structure. Betaproteobacteriales were dominant in the presence of lava rock and were partially substituted by Corynebacteriales and Rhizobiales when activated carbon was added to the BTF. Despite these changes, a stable and resilient core microbiome was selected defining a set of potentially degrading bacteria for siloxane bioremoval as a complementary alternative to non-regenerative adsorption onto activated carbon This work was funded by MINECO – Spain (CTQ2014-53718R) co-funded by FEDER and University of Girona. E. B. thanks SENESCYT – Ecuador for her predoctoral grant. IEA and LEQUIA have been recognized as consolidated research groups by the Catalan Government (2017SGR-548 and 2017SGR-1552, respectively). E.S.C. thanks Universitat de Girona for his predoctoral grant (IFUdG-2015/51). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 712949 (TECNIOspring PLUS) and from the Agency for Business Competitiveness of the Government of Catalonia (A.Cabrera-Codony TECSPR16-1-0045) Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Elsevier

Hypersaline ecosystems are under increasing threat due to anthropogenic pressures such as environmental pollution and biological invasions. Here we address the ecotoxicological implications of the Artemia franciscana (Crustacea) invasion in saltpans of southern Spain. This North American species is causing the extinction of native Artemia populations in many parts of the globe. The bioaccumulation of trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in native populations (A. parthenogenetica) from Cabo de Gata and Odiel saltpans and invasive Artemia from Cádiz saltpan was studied at different salinities. Furthermore, in Odiel, the most polluted study site, we also analysed the bioaccumulation of trace elements by Chironomus salinarius larvae (Diptera) and Ochthebius notabilis adults (Coleoptera). High levels of trace elements were detected in the studied saltpans, many of them exceeding the recommended threshold guidelines for aquatic life. Bioaccumulation of trace elements by Artemia was lowest at the highest salinity. The invasive A. franciscana showed higher potential to bioaccumulate trace elements than its native counterpart (in particular for As, Cd, Ni and Cr). In Odiel, O. notabilis stood out as showing the highest potential to bioaccumulate As and Cu. Results showed that the shift from a native to an alien Artemia species with a higher bioaccumulation capacity may increase the transfer of trace elements in hypersaline food webs, especially for waterbirds that depend on Artemia as food. Thus, our study identifies an indirect impact of the Artemia franciscana invasion that had not previously been recognised., This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness research project CGL2013-47674-P to MIS. Financial support was also provided by the Portuguese ‘Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia’ (FCT) through MARE (UID/MAR/04292/2013), from the programs POPH (Portuguese Operational Human Potential Program) and QREN (Portuguese National Strategic Reference Framework) (FSE and national funds of MEC), and through the PhD grant of AJPC (SFRH/BD/108224/2015). MMH is funded by Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha and the European Regional Development Fund (SBPLY/17/180501/000514).

Microplastics (MPs) have been found everywhere as they are easily transported between environmental compartments. Through their transport, MPs are quickly colonized by microorganisms; this microbial community is known as the plastisphere. Here, we characterized the plastisphere of three MPs, one biodegradable (PHB) and two non-biodegradables (HDPE and LDPE), deployed in an Arctic freshwater lake for eleven days. The plastisphere was found to be complex, confirming that about a third of microbial colonizers were viable. Plastisphere was compared to microbial communities on the surrounding water and microbial mats on rocks at the bottom of the lake. Microbial mats followed by MPs showed the highest diversity regarding both prokaryotes and eukaryotes as compared to water samples; however, for fungi, MPs showed the highest diversity of the tested substrates. Significant differences on microbial assemblages on the three tested substrates were found; regarding microbial assemblages on MPs, bacterial genera found in polar environments such as Mycoplana, Erythromicrobium and Rhodoferax with species able to metabolize recalcitrant chemicals were abundant. Eukaryotic communities on MPs were characterized by the presence of ciliates of the genera Stentor, Vorticella and Uroleptus and the algae Cryptomonas, Chlamydomonas, Tetraselmis and Epipyxis. These ciliates normally feed on algae so that the complexity of these assemblages may serve to unravel trophic relationships between co-existing taxa. Regarding fungal communities on MPs, the most abundant genera were Betamyces, Cryptococcus, Arrhenia and Paranamyces. MPs, particularly HDPE, were enriched in the sulI and ermB antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) which may raise concerns about human health–related issues as ARGs may be transferred horizontally between bacteria. This study highlights the importance of proper waste management and clean-up protocols to protect the environmental health of pristine environments such as polar regions in a context of global dissemination of MPs which may co-transport microorganisms, some of them including ARGs., This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CTM2016-74927-C2-1/2-R); the EnviroPlaNet Network Thematic Network of Micro and Nanoplastics in the Environment (RED2018-102345-T; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación) and CLIMARCTIC project funded by national funders in the frame of the 2015–2016 BiodivERsA COFUND call for research proposals (BELSPO: BR/175/A1/CLIMARCTIC-BE; MINECO: PCIN2016-001).

The knowledge regarding the spatial ecology of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in different environments is crucial if effective management actions are to be designed. However, this knowledge continues to be scarce in the complex contexts of mixed land use and management circumstances. This study describes the spatial ecology of red deer monitored using GPS collars in Mediterranean ecosystems of South-Central Spain, considering the effect of individual and seasonal (food shortage period, rut, hunting season and food abundance period) factors on different land use and management scenarios, namely protected areas, mixed farms and fenced hunting estates. Our results showed less activity (ACT), a shorter daily range (DR) and a smaller home range (HR) during the food shortage period: ACT: 0.38 ± (SD) 0.12; DR: 3010.9 ± 727.3 m; and weekly HR: 122.2 ± 59.6 ha. With regard to land use, individuals were less ACT and had a smaller DR on fenced hunting estates (ACT: 0.24 ± 0.12; DR: 1946.3 ± 706.7 m) than in protected areas (ACT: 0.59 ± 0.12; DR: 4071.4 ± 1068.2 m) or on mixed farms (ACT: 0.57 ± 0.29; DR: 5431.1 ± 1939.5 m) in all the periods studied. Red deer selected land cover with forage and shelter when foraging and resting, respectively. When drive hunt events occurred (mixed farms and fenced hunting estates), the deer were more prone to select safer habitats (scrublands) and avoid open areas (crops or grasslands) than were their counterparts in protected areas. The patterns observed can be explained by sexual and seasonal differences as regards requirements, the response to disturbances and, interestingly, population management. Our results provide useful information with which to design scientifically-based species adaptive management in response to relevant and timely situations in Europe, such as the potential transmission of shared infections, vehicle collisions, and damage to crops and ecosystems., This study has been funded by MINECO-FEDER (AGL2016-76358-R). EL is supported by a predoctoral grant (Programa Talento Formación) funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Castilla-La Mancha regional government (JCCM) (ref: SBPLY/16/180501/000269). AJC is supported by a ‘Juan de la Cierva’ contract (FJCI-2017-33114) from MINECO-UCLM. JAB is supported by the European project H2020 VACDIVA 862874. RTO received support from the Community of Madrid through a post-doctoral contract (PEJD-2019-POST/BIO-16805). SJR is co-supported by a PhD contract from the UCLM and the ESF (2018/12504).

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/Fs) were measured in a temperate, deep-sea ecosystem, the Avilés submarine Canyon (AC; Cantabrian Sea, Southern Bay of Biscay). There was an increase of contaminant concentration with the trophic level of the organisms, as calculated from stable nitrogen isotope data (δN). Such biomagnification was only significant for the pelagic food web and its magnitude was highly dependent on the type of top predators included in the analysis. The trophic magnification factor (TMF) for PCB-153 in the pelagic food web (spanning four trophic levels) was 6.2 or 2.2, depending on whether homeotherm top predators (cetaceans and seabirds) were included or not in the analysis, respectively. Since body size is significantly correlated with δN, it can be used as a proxy to estimate trophic magnification, what can potentially lead to a simple and convenient method to calculate the TMF. In spite of their lower biomagnification, deep-sea fishes showed higher concentrations than their shallower counterparts, although those differences were not significant. In summary, the AC fauna exhibits contaminant levels comparable or lower than those reported in other systems., This study was carried out within the framework of project DOSMARES (ref. CTM2010-21810-CO3-01) fromtheMinistry of Science and Innovation, Spanish Government to JLA. Authors thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) and European funding from FEDER programs for their financial support (projects AGL2012-37201 and S2013/ABI-3028 - AVANSECAL). SRRwas supported by a FPU fellowship (ref. 12/00851) fromtheMinistry of Education, Culture and Sports. We thank all the scientists and the crewof B/OSarmiento deGamboa and the Unidad de TecnologíaMarina (UTM) for their help with sampling. Drawings in Fig. 2 were made by Nadia Romero. We thank Luis Laria and CEPESMA for granting us access to cetacean and giant squid samples and to the CEP and SEO/BirdLife for bird samples. This is a contribution of the Asturias Marine Observatory.

11 páginas.-- 7 figuras.-- 4 tablas.-- 56referencias, The deposition of soot on building surfaces darkens their colour and leads to undesirable black crusts, which are one of the most serious problems on the conservation of built cultural heritage. As a preventive strategy, self-cleaning systems based on the use of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) coatings have been employed on building materials for degrading organic compounds deposited on building surfaces, improving their durability and performance. In this study, the self-cleaning effect of TiO 2-containing mortars coated with diesel soot has been appraised under laboratory conditions. The mortar samples were manufactured using lime putty and two different doses of TiO 2 (2.5% and 5%). The lime mortars were then coated with diesel engine soot and irradiated with ultraviolet A (UVA) illumination for 30days. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by visual inspection, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and colour spectrophotometry. Changes in the chemical composition of the soot particles (including persistent organic pollutants) were assessed by analytical pyrolysis (Py-GC/MS) and solid state 13C NMR spectroscopy. The FESEM and colour spectrophotometry revealed that the soot-coated TiO 2-containing mortars promoted a self-cleaning effect after UVA irradiation. The combination of analytical pyrolysis and 13C solid state NMR showed that the UVA irradiation caused the cracking of polycyclic aromatic structures and n-alkyl compounds of the diesel soot and its transformation into methyl polymers. Our findings also revealed that the inclusion of TiO 2 in the lime mortar formulations catalysed these transformations promoting the self-cleaning of the soot-stained mortars. The combined action of TiO 2 and UVA irradiation is a promising proxy to clean lime mortars affected by soot deposition, J.M. de la Rosa and A.Z. Miller thank The Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for the “Ramón y Cajal” and Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contracts, respectively. J.S. Pozo-Antonio was supported by a postdoctoral contract within the framework of the 2011–2015 Galician Plan for Research, Innovation and Growth (Plan I2C) for 2014. This work was also co-funded by the Strategic project FCT - UID/ECI/04028/2013.

The evolution of Cs, Np and Pu at the DYFAMED station (NW Mediterranean) is discussed in relation to physical processes, downward fluxes of particles, and changes in the main input sources. The data set presented in this study represents the first complete Np vertical profiles (0.12–0.27 μBq L), and constitutes a baseline measurement to assess future changes. A similar behavior of Cs and Np has been evidenced, confirming that Np behaves conservatively. While the Cs decrease has been driven by its radioactive decay, the vertical distribution of Np has not substantially changed over the last decade. In the absence of recent major inputs, a homogenization of their vertical distribution occurred, partly due to deep convection events that became more intense during the last decade. In contrast, Pu surface levels in the NW Mediterranean waters have fallen in the past four decades by a factor of 5. This decrease in surface has been balanced by higher concentrations in the deep-water layers. A first estimate of the downward Pu fluxes in the NW Mediterranean Sea is proposed over more than two decades. This estimation, based on the DYFAMED sediment trap time-series data and published Pu flux measurements, suggests that sinking particles have accounted for 60–90% of the upper layer (0–200 m) Pu inventory loss over the period 1989–2013. The upper layer residence time of Pu is estimated to be ~ 28 years, twice as long as the residence time estimated for the whole western Mediterranean (~ 15 years). This difference highlights the slow removal of Pu in the open waters of the NW Mediterranean and confirms that most of the Pu removal occurs along the coastal margin where sedimentation rates are high., M. Bressac has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program ([FP7/2007-2013]) under grant agreement n°[PIOF-GA-2012-626734]. The measurements performed at CNA have been funded through the projects FIS2012-31853 and FIS2015-69673-P, provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

Geomorphology is fundamental to landscape analysis, as it represents the main parameter that determines the land spatial configuration and facilitates reliefs classification. The goal of this article is the elaboration of thematic maps that enable the determination of different landscape units and elaboration of quality and vulnerability synthetic maps for landscape fragility assessment prior to planning human activities. For two natural spaces, the final synthetic maps were created with direct (visual-perceptual features) and indirect (cartographic models and 3D simulations) methods from thematic maps with GIS technique. This enabled the creation of intrinsic and extrinsic landscape quality maps showing sectors needing most preservation, as well as intrinsic and extrinsic landscape fragility maps (environment response capacity or vulnerability towards human actions). The resulting map shows absorption capacity for areas of maximum and/or minimum human intervention. Sectors of high absorption capacity (minimum need for preservation) are found where the incidence of human intervention is minimum: escarpment bottoms, fitted rivers, sinuous high lands with thick vegetation coverage and valley interiors, or those areas with high landscape quality, low fragility and high absorption capacity, whose average values are found across lower hillsides of some valleys, and sectors with low absorption capacity (areas needing most preservation) found mainly in the inner parts of natural spaces: peaks and upper hillsides, synclines flanks and scattered areas. For the integral analysis of landscape, a mapping methodology has been set. It comprises a valid criterion for rational and sustainable planning, management and protection of natural spaces., This work has been supported by the research projects CGL2015-67169-P (MINECO-FEDER) and CGL2015-69919-R.

The Tablas de Daimiel National Park (TDNP) is a unique floodplain ecosystem in central Spain, serving as permanent resting and breeding areas for many waterbird species. In the last decades, this biodiversity hotspot has been severely endangered by poorly treated wastewater discharges from upstream urban communities arriving through its two major contributors, the Cigüela and Guadiana rivers. In this work, we analysed the potential risk of this constant input of micropollutants (estrogens, dioxin-like compounds and other endocrine disruptors) for the resident wildlife. We sampled 12 locations in TDNP and in the nearby Navaseca Pond during 2013, and performed a series of in-vivo and in-vitro bioassays, including Daphnia magna post-exposure feeding inhibition and recombinant yeast-based assays for dioxin-like and estrogenic activities. These results were then compared with the chemical composition of the samples, analysed by GC–MS/MS and LC-MS/MS, and evaluated according to their toxic potential as toxic equivalents or TEQ. The Navaseca Pond, heavily impacted by wastewater from the town of Daimiel, showed the highest levels of toxic compounds, estrogenic activity, and Daphnia toxicity. Conversely, the less impacted TDNP sites showed low residue levels of contaminants, low estrogenicity and dioxin-like activity and negligible toxicity. The results indicates that the current good chemical status of TDNP is menaced by both the inflow of wastewater treatment plants effluents from Guadiana and Cigüela rivers into TDNP tributaries and, as it occurs in the Navaseca Pond, by direct sewage discharges., This study was supported by the Spanish grants (OAPN755/2012 and CTM2014-51985). Claudia Rivetti was supported by a Spanish fellowship FPI BES-2012-053631 from the Ministry of Economy and Competitively, Celia Laguna was supported by a research contract funded by EU FEDER through the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha (PEIC2014-005-P), and Jhon J. López - Perea was supported by a doctoral FPU grant (AP-2012-04966) from the Spanish Ministry of Education.

9 páginas, 8 figuras., Mapping pollen concentrations is of great interest to study the health impact and ecological implications or for forestry or agronomical purposes. A deep knowledge about factors affecting airborne pollen is essential for predicting and understanding its dynamics. The present work sought to predict annual Quercus pollen over the Castilla and León region (Central and Northern Spain). Also to understand the relationship between airborne pollen and landscape. Records of Quercus and Quercus pyrenaica pollen types were collected at 13 monitoring sites over a period of 8 years. They were analyzed together with land use data applying the Concentric Ring Method (CRM), a technique that we developed to study the relationship between airborne particle concentrations and emission sources in the region. The maximum correlation between the Quercus pollen and forms of vegetation was determined by shrubland and “dehesa” areas. For the specific Qi pyrenaica model (Q. pyrenaica pollen and Q. pyrenaica forest distribution), the maximum influence of emission sources on airborne pollen was observed at 14 km from the pollen trap location with some positive correlations up to a distance of 43 km. Apart from meteorological behavior, the local features of the region can explain pollen dispersion patterns. The method that we develop here proved to be a powerful tool for multi-source pollen mapping based on land use., The authors are grateful to Anne Collins for editing the English and the Health Department of the Castilla and León Government for funding the RACYL. This study was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grant CGL2014-52556-R).

Modelling of particle exposure is a useful tool for preliminary exposure assessment in workplaces with low and high exposure concentrations. However, actual exposure measurements are needed to assess models reliability. Worker exposure was monitored during packing of an inorganic granulate fertilizer at industrial scale using small and big bags. Particle concentrations were modelled with one and two box models, where the emission source was estimated with the fertilizer's dustiness index. The exposure levels were used to calculate inhaled dose rates and test accuracy of the exposure modellings. The particle number concentrations were measured from worker area by using a mobility and optical particle sizer which were used to calculate surface area and mass concentrations. The concentrations in the worker area during pre-activity ranged 63,797–81,073 cm−3, 4.6 × 106 to 7.5 × 106 μm2 cm−3, and 354 to 634 μg m−3 (respirable mass fraction) and during packing 50,300 to 85,949 cm−3, 4.3 × 106 to 7.6 × 106 μm2 cm−3, and 279 to 668 μg m−3 (respirable mass fraction). Thus, the packing process did not significantly increase the exposure levels. Chemical exposure was also under control based on REACH standards. The particle surface area deposition rate in respiratory tract was up to 7.6 × 106 μm2 min−1 during packing, with 52%–61% of deposition occurring in the alveolar region. Ratios of the modelled and measured concentrations were 0.98 ± 0.19 and 0.84 ± 0.12 for small and big bags, respectively, when using the one box model, and 0.88 ± 0.25 and 0.82 ± 0.12, when using the two box model. The modelling precision improved for both models when outdoor particle concentrations were included. This study shows that exposure concentrations in a low emission industrial scenario, e.g. during packing of a fertilizer, can be predicted with a reasonable accuracy by using the concept of dustiness and mass balance models., This research was founded by the Spanish MINECO (CGL2015-66777-C2-1-R, 2-R), Generalitat de Catalunya AGAUR 2017 SGR41, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment (13CAES006), FEDER (European Regional Development Fund) “Una manera de hacer Europa” and H2020 project caLIBRAte (Work Package 7). M.C. Minguillón acknowledges the Ramón y Cajal Fellowship awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. The authors also acknowledge the company in which the measurements were carried out for their support. The authors declare no conflict of interest relating to the material presented in this article.

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of combining the conservatively behaving anthropogenic radionuclides 236U and 237Np to gain information on the origin of water masses tagged with liquid effluents from Nuclear Reprocessing Plants. This work includes samples collected from three full-depth water columns in two areas: i) the Arctic Ocean, where Atlantic waters carry the signal of Sellafield (United Kingdom) and La Hague (France) nuclear reprocessing facilities; and ii) the western Mediterranean Sea, directly impacted by Marcoule reprocessing plant (France). This work is complemented by the study of the particle-reactive Pu isotopes as an additional fingerprint of the source region. In the Canada Basin, Atlantic waters showed the highest concentrations and 237Np/236U ratios in agreement with the estimated values for North Atlantic waters entering the Arctic Ocean and tagged with the signal of European Nuclear Reprocessing Plants. These results may reflect the impact of the documented releases for the 1990s. In the Mediterranean Sea, an excess of 236U presumably caused by Marcoule is reflected in the lower 237Np/236U ratios compared to the Global Fallout signal in all the studied samples. On the contrary, the 239,240Pu profiles were mainly governed by the Global Fallout. The impact of Marcoule as a local source is further corroborated when comparing the temporal evolution of these ratios between 2001 and 2013. The lowest 237Np/236U ratios observed in 2001 at the surface reflect a previous local input that is no longer observed in 2013 as it had been homogenized through the whole water column. This work presents the use of 237Np as a new ocean tracer. A more accurate characterization of the main sources is still needed to optimize the use of 236U-237Np as a new tool to understand transient oceanographic processes., This work has been financed from the projects FIS2015-69673-P and PGC2018-094546-B-I00, provided by the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades) and by the U.S. National Science Foundation through award OCE 1439319. This work was partially funded by Fundación Cámara Sevilla through a Grant for Graduate Studies. The IAEA is grateful to the Government of the Principality of Monaco for the support provided to its Environment Laboratories.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This pathogen has spread rapidly across the world, causing high numbers of deaths and significant social and economic impacts. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus with a suggested zoonotic origin with the potential for cross-species transmission among animals. Antarctica can be considered the only continent free of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, concerns have been expressed regarding the potential human introduction of this virus to the continent through the activities of research or tourism to minimise the effects on human health, and the potential for virus transmission to Antarctic wildlife. We assess the reverse-zoonotic transmission risk to Antarctic wildlife by considering the available information on host susceptibility, dynamics of the infection in humans, and contact interactions between humans and Antarctic wildlife. The environmental conditions in Antarctica seem to be favourable for the virus stability. Indoor spaces such as those at research stations, research vessels or tourist cruise ships could allow for more transmission among humans and depending on their movements between different locations the virus could be spread across the continent. Among Antarctic wildlife previous in silico analyses suggested that cetaceans are at greater risk of infection whereas seals and birds appear to be at a low infection risk. However, caution needed until further research is carried out and consequently, the precautionary principle should be applied. Field researchers handling animals are identified as the human group posing the highest risk of transmission to animals while tourists and other personnel pose a significant risk only when in close proximity (< 5 m) to Antarctic fauna. We highlight measures to reduce the risk as well as identify of knowledge gaps related to this issue., Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • Conditions in Antarctica could be favourable for SARS-CoV-2 stability. • In silico analyses revealed that Cetaceans have a higher susceptibility to the virus. • Seals and birds seem to have a lower risk of infection. • Wildlife researchers have the highest risk of transmission to Antarctic fauna. • Tourists can be potential vectors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission to Antarctic fauna.

16 pags., 7 figs., 2 tabs., We have analyzed potential harmful trace elements (PHTE; Pb, Hg, Zn, As and Cu) on sediment cores retrieved from lake Marboré (LM) (2612 m a.s.l, 42°41′N; 0° 2′E). PHTE variability allowed us to reconstruct the timing and magnitude of trace metal pollutants fluxes over the last 3000 years in the Central Pyrenees. A statistical treatment of the dataset (PCA) enabled us to discern the depositional processes of PHTE, that reach the lake via direct atmospheric deposition. Indeed, the location of LM above the atmospheric boundary layer makes this lake an exceptional site to record the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants in the free troposphere. Air masses back-trajectories analyses enabled us to understand the transport pathways of atmospheric pollutants while lead isotopic analyses contributed to evaluate the source areas of metal pollution in SW Europe during the Late Holocene. PHTE variability, shows a clear agreement with the main exploitation phases of metal resources in Southern Europe during the Pre-Industrial Period. We observed an abrupt lead enrichment from 20 to 375 yrs CE mostly associated to silver and lead mining and smelting practices in Southern Iberia during the Roman Empire. This geochemical data suggests that regional atmospheric metal pollution during the Roman times rivalled the Industrial Period. PHTE also increased during the High and Late Middle Ages (10–15 centuries) associated to a reactivation of mining and metallurgy activities in high altitude Pyrenean mining sites during climate amelioration phases. Atmospheric mercury deposition in the Lake Marboré record mostly reflects global emissions, particularly from Almadén mines (central Spain) and slightly fluctuates during the last three millennia with a significant increase during the last five centuries. Our findings reveal a strong mining-related pollution legacy in alpine lakes and watersheds that needs to be considered in management plans for mountain ecosystems as global warming and human pressure effects may contribute to their future degradation., Financial support has been received by the Sobrarbe Geoparkhrough the project“Reconstrucción de la minería histórica en la Comarca del Sobrarbe y su impacto ambiental durante el Antropoceno”and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness(MINECO) project MEDLANT (CGL2016-76215-R). This work is also supported by the FEDER funds through the INTERREG V-A Spain-France-Andorra (POCTEFA 2014-2020, REPLIM project, Ref. EFA056/15)