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In modern agricultural production, cattle manure waste recovery is considered as a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management, reducing environmental pollution and chemical fertilizer use. This study aimed to investigate the effects of manure and digestate derived from a pilot-scale livestock waste-recycling system, in combination with a low copper concentration as a fungicide, on the physiological response of lettuce cv Rufus (Lactuca sativa L.) plants and the associated soil microbiome. A five-week microcosm experiment was conducted in a greenhouse under environmental conditions. Lettuce plant performance was assessed in terms of biomass, leaf area index, photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll measurements, lipid peroxidation, total phenolic content, and nutrient uptake. The results suggested that incorporating digestate into the potting soil mix significantly enhanced crop yields compared to the control and manure treatments. The soil microbial activity increased in the presence of fertilizers, improving the soil chemical and biological properties. The addition of copper negatively affected the growth and physiological performance of the lettuce plants under both the control and manure-treated conditions, except for those grown in the presence of digestate, where copper accumulation was reduced. These findings highlight the potential of growing horticultural crops using organic fertilization through livestock waste anaerobic digestate, establishing a waste-to-food recycling system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fagus sylvatica L. is widely distributed across Europe thanks to its high adaptability in a wide variety of soils and climate. Microbial communities are essential for maintaining forest soil quality and are responsible for forest ecosystem functioning; the ability of soil microorganisms to respond to abiotic stressors (e.g., organic carbon losses, water scarcity, temperature changes) is crucial under ongoing environmental changes and also supports tree health. In this study, soil samples were collected from pure beech plots as part of the COST Action project CLIMO to find differences in microbial community characteristics and evaluate the effects of soil properties on microbial communities across gradients of elevation, latitude, and longitude. Positive relationships were found between organic carbon content and both microbial abundance and dehydrogenase activity. Dehydrogenase and catalase activities were elevation-correlated and microbial activities were longitude-correlated. In the most southern beech plot, the microbial community was abundant and displayed high activities. This shows that microbial communities could help tree populations to better adapt to predicted changes in environmental conditions in the future. We suggest that research into forest health and beech performance should also test soil microbial enzymatic activity, particularly under changing climate conditions, to assist in identifying adaptation strategies. Key words: Fagus sylvatica, soil quality, soil enzyme activities, elevational, latitudinal, and longitudinal transects, soil microbial structure. Fagus sylvatica L. est largement present a travers l'Europe grace a sa capacite elevee d'adaptation a une grande variete de sols et de climats. Les communautes microbiennes sont essentielles au maintien de la qualite des sols forestiers et responsables du fonctionnement des ecosystemes forestiers; la capacite des microorganismes du sol de reagir aux stress abiotiques (p. ex. la perte de carbone organique, la penurie d'eau, les changements de temperature) est cruciale face aux changements environnementaux en cours et assure egalement la sante des arbres. Dans cette etude, des echantillons de sol ont ete preleves dans des parcelles de hetre en peuplement pur dans le cadre du projet CLIMO, une Action COST visant a trouver des differences entre les caracteristiques des communautes microbiennes et a evaluer les effets des proprietes du sol sur les communautes microbiennes le long de gradients elevational, latitudinal et longitudinal. Des relations positives ont ete observees entre d'une part la teneur en carbone organique et d'autre part l'activite de la deshydrogenase et l'abondance microbienne. L'activite de la deshydrogenase et de la catalase etait correlee avec l'elevation et l'activite microbienne etait correlee avec la longitude. Dans les parcelles de hetre les plus meridionales, la communaute microbienne etait abondante et tres active. Cela indique que les communautes microbiennes pourraient aider les populations d'arbres a mieux s'adapter aux changements prevus dans les conditions environnementales futures. Nous croyons que la recherche sur l'etat de sante des forets et la performance du hetre devrait egalement s'interesser a l'activite enzymatique microbienne dans le sol, particulierement dans le contexte des changements climatiques, pour aider a identifier des strategies d'adaptation. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : Fagus sylvatica, qualite du sol, activite enzymatique dans le sol, transects elevational, latitudinal et longitudinal, structure microbienne su sol., Introduction Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech) is widely distributed in temperate regions in Europe, because it is sensitive to drought and high temperatures (Colin et al. 2017) and less sensitive [...]

Soils are a precious resource consistently placed under several threats and urgently in need of protection within a regulatory framework at the European level. Soils are central to the provision of environmental services as well as human existence on earth. The need to protect soil has been identified by several recent European strategies and fortunately, a specific European regulation for soil protection is on the way—the European Soil Monitoring Law (formerly: Soil Health Law). However, efforts need to ensure that the upcoming Soil Monitoring Law closes gaps between existing regulations for chemicals and acknowledges current European strategies for environmental protection and sustainability. This brief communication started from a fruitful discussion among SETAC Global Soils Interest Group members on a recent public consultation on the newly proposed Soil Monitoring Law of the European Commission and highlights critical points focusing on the chemical pollution of soils. We emphasize urgent needs such as the essential definition of a "healthy state" of soils; the implementation of a suitable set of indicators and quality standards for the description of physical, chemical, and biological states of soils; the enforcement of the "polluter‐pays" principle; and the establishment of a Europe‐wide monitoring program. Results from monitoring need to be fed back into regulatory frameworks, including the regulation of chemicals. Guidance documents for the risk assessment of chemicals are outdated and need to be updated. Finally, actions need to be taken to foster healthy soils, stop biodiversity decline, and ensure the functioning of ecosystem services for future generations. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:316–321. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Key Points: It must be ensured that the upcoming Soil Monitoring Law closes gaps between existing regulations for chemicals and acknowledges current European strategies for environmental protection and sustainability.Urgent needs must be addressed such as the essential definition of a "healthy state" of soils and the implementation, monitoring, and assessment of a suitable set of indicators and quality standards for the description of physical, chemical, and biological states of soils.Chemical substances with high priority for soils need to be identified and thresholds for those substances need to be defined, monitored, and assessed.We urgently need a holistic approach that bridges upstream regulations, including the "one substance—one assessment principle" on chemicals and the downstream upcoming soil regulation, which should also tackle mixtures of chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms, in particular prokaryotic cells, thanks to their small dimensions, wide metabolic abilities and fast reproduction, adapt continuously to environmental changes. Bacteria and Archaea are ubiquitous and develop promptly resistance to toxic effects of contaminants and capability of removing them through aerobic and anaerobic pathways. They can be used for bioremediation purposes both in bulk soil and in rhizosphere. The rhizosphere is a microhabitat, comprising roots and few millimeter soil/sediment immediately surrounding them, where an intense chemical dialog between plants and microorganisms occurs. Plants and microorganisms can interact so closely, which they can be considered as a metaorganism. Synergic interactions between plant and the microbiome improve the ecosystem's homeostatic response to a number of disturbances and enable effective purification of soil and water, and removal of contaminants. This chapter describes some examples of nature-based solutions (e.g. Plant assisted-bioremediation, constructed wetlands and Plant-microbial fuel cells) that rely on plant and microorganisms as a unique metaorganism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aliivibrio fischeri bioassay was successfully applied in order to evaluate the acute effect of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), ciprofloxacin (CIP), chlortetracycline (CTC) and copper (Cu), alone or in binary, ternary, and overall mixture. The toxicity results are reported in terms of both effective concentrations, which inhibited 50% of the bacterium bioluminescence (EC50%), and in Toxic Units (TUs). The TUs were compared with predicted values obtained using the Concentration Addition model (CA). Finally, the toxicity of water extracts from a soil contaminated by the three antibiotics (7 mg Kg−1 each) in the presence/absence of copper (30 mg Kg−1) was also evaluated. Copper was the most toxic chemical (EC50: 0.78 mg L-1), followed by CTC (EC50: 3.64 mg L−1), CIP (96 mg L−1) and SMX (196 mg L−1). Comparing the TU and CA values of the mixtures, additive effects were generally found. However, a synergic action was recorded in the case of the CIP+Cu co-presence and antagonistic effects in the case of CTC+Cu and the ternary mixture (containing each antibiotic at 0.7 mg L−1), were identified. Soil water extracts did not show any toxicity, demonstrating the buffering ability of the soil to immobilize these chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood species identification and characterization of its weathering processes are crucial steps in the scientific approach of conservation of wooden cultural heritage. Many precious wooden objects of ancient Egypt are largely present in museums, nevertheless relatively little information is available concerning the nature of timber used and on their status of conservation. To address this gap, the wooden species of three relevant archaeological wood objects (statue, box, and coffin) arising from different Egyptian archaeological sites dated from the Old Kingdom (2,686–2,181 BC) to New Kingdom (1,550–1,069 BC) were deeply studied. Five hardwood and softwood species were identified belonging to Tamarix mannifera, T. gennessarensis, Ficus sycomorus, Vachellia nilotica, and Cedrus sp. Such data confirmed the recurrence of Vachellia and Tamarix among the most common timbers found in ancient Egypt. Scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform spectroscopy, and synchrotron x‐ray radiation diffraction were conducted to evaluate the archaeological wood deterioration. The formation of microcracks, biological degradation patterns (fungal colonization), or chemical characterization (accumulation of salts on and in‐between wooden cells) were detected. SEM micrographs showed the presence of fungal hyphae and conidial spores on the wooden cells. Significant changes in the chemical wood composition and decrease in the crystallinity index were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]