Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Christine Costa, Frederick Lia
Summary: The study investigated the levels of heavy metals in Maltese soil and their potential ecological and human health risks. The results showed low concentrations of heavy metals, with the exception of Zn, which posed a moderate/strong contamination but had low overall potential for ecological risk. The study concluded that the fields examined were not significantly contaminated and did not pose a risk to human health.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Hoda Fakour, Shang-Lien Lo, Nathan Thadeo Yoashi, Angelbetter Marselian Massao, Nelson Naboth Lema, Fezile Bethusile Mkhontfo, Patrick Chris Jomalema, Nasra Shabani Jumanne, Bright Hubert Mbuya, James Travor Mtweve, Moslem Imani
Summary: The study discovered microplastic pollution in farmland soils in Taiwan, mainly originating from historical land use, plastic mulch, and fruit protection foams. MPs in farmland soils are primarily found in the forms of fragments and fibers, with low-density polyethylene being the dominant polymer.
Article
Agronomy
Dong-Rui Di, Guang-Wei Huang
Summary: The study found that SOC stocks in the top 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm were significantly higher under natural afforestation compared to artificial afforestation and abandoned farmland on the Loess Plateau in China. Total SOC stocks and ratios such as C:N and C:P in differently sized soil aggregates significantly increased following afforestation. Carbon isotope analysis showed that the SOC decomposition rate and new SOC input rate were lower under natural afforestation compared to artificial afforestation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Danyun Zhao, Danni Xie, Fang Yin, Lei Liu, Jilu Feng, Tariq Ashraf
Summary: The use of VNIR-SWIR spectroscopy is a feasible method for detecting heavy metal pollution in farmlands. This study identified five spectral bands sensitive to soil lead content and mapped the spatial distribution of lead concentration using ordinary kriging interpolation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenlu Zuo, Boyi Song, Yuxin Shi, Anze Zupanic, Shuxian Guo, He Huang, Ling Jiang, Yadong Yu
Summary: In this study, BtHM-311@HAP@biochar calcium alginate beads were developed to immobilize B. thuringiensis HM-311 in order to remediate Cd- and Pb-contaminated farmland soil. The beads effectively reduced the concentration of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in aqueous solution and decreased their bioavailability in soil, leading to decreased accumulation in rice and corn plants. The beads also improved microbial community diversity in the rhizosphere soil. These findings highlight the potential application of BtHM311@HAP@biochar beads in soil bioremediation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Guang-yu Zhu, Zhou-ping Shangguan, Lei Deng
Summary: The study found that restored vegetation had better soil aggregate stability, soil organic carbon (SOC), and nitrogen (N) than apple orchards, and the composition of soil particles with the best aggregate stability was clay 6%, silt 8%, and sand 86%. At a 0-10 cm soil depth, soil aggregate stability had a significant positive correlation with SOC and soil total nitrogen (STN), and a negative correlation with NO3- and NH4+.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Linjing Qiu, Yiping Wu, Zhaoyang Shi, Mengzhen Yu, Fubo Zhao, Yinghui Guan
Summary: The study investigated the impact of vegetation restoration on soil moisture dynamics on the Loess Plateau of China using earth system reanalysis data and the Community Land Model (CLM). Results showed that while the surface layer soil moisture responded positively to vegetation restoration, the subsurface and deeper soil layers had negative responses. Overall, there was a decreasing trend in soil moisture during the simulation period, with significant differences observed spatially and seasonally.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Anning Wang, Tonggang Zha, Zhiqiang Zhang
Summary: This study explored the effects of vegetation restoration on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and stability. The results showed that vegetation restoration improved the soil structure and enhanced SOC storage and stability. The accumulation of organic carbon in macroaggregates and the enhanced chemical stability of organic carbon in silt-clay aggregates were the main factors contributing to these improvements.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiangyi Li, Shilong Piao, Chris Huntingford, Josep Penuelas, Hui Yang, Hao Xu, Anping Chen, Pierre Friedlingstein, Trevor F. Keenan, Stephen Sitch, Xuhui Wang, Jakob Zscheischler, Miguel D. Mahecha
Summary: This study presents a globally applicable framework for identifying drought thresholds for vegetation responses to different levels of soil-moisture deficits. The identified thresholds represent critical inflection points for changing vegetation responses to drought stress and serve as a warning signal for substantial vegetation impacts. The results have implications for assessing the response of land ecosystems to climate change and variability.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xabier Cabodevilla, Alba Estrada, Francois Mougeot, Jose Jimenez, Beatriz Arroyo
Summary: This study found that the abundance of red-legged partridges increased with the availability of natural vegetation and traditional vineyards, but decreased with the increase of tree crops and irrigated vineyards. In regions sensitive to nitrate contamination, where the use of fertilizers and certain farming practices is more strictly regulated, the decline in RLP abundance was more pronounced.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Martina Sanchez-Pinillos, Miquel De Caceres, Pere Casals, Albert Alvarez, Mario Beltran, Juli G. Pausas, Jordi Vayreda, Lluis Coll
Summary: Mediterranean forests are susceptible to fire hazards due to their high diversity in environmental conditions, species composition, and forest structure. The variation in fuel characteristics, particularly in the understory layer, plays a key role in determining fire hazard in heterogeneous Mediterranean regions. Climate conditions did not have a significant impact on the rates of change in fuel characteristics during the study period.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Danyang Wang, Haichao Yang, Hao Qian, Lulu Gao, Cheng Li, Jingda Xin, Yayi Tan, Yunqi Wang, Zhaofu Li
Summary: This study investigates the potential of image fusion to minimize the impact of vegetation cover on topsoil salinity mapping, providing a significant improvement in accuracy. The results showed that the fused image outperformed the original image, and stacking models with the fused image provided the best prediction performances.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xuantian Li, Fengbao Zhang, Qing He, Mingyi Yang
Summary: Scale effects exist in the whole process of soil erosion, and vegetation cover can reduce the degree of soil erosion at different scales. However, there is limited research on the reduction effect of vegetation on soil erosion at a specific point on the plot. This study analyzed the relationship between vegetation and sheet erosion at a representatively abandoned farmland slope using a modified 7Be tracing model. The results showed that plants played a role in intercepting 22.6% of total 7Be on the slope, and the reduction of erosion for plants varies with scale dependency.
Article
Ecology
Guangshuai Li, Lingxue Yu, Tingxiang Liu, Yulong Bao, Jiaxin Yu, Bingxia Xin, Lun Bao, Xuan Li, Xinyue Chang, Shuwen Zhang
Summary: Based on MODIS NDVI data and growth season meteorological data, this study investigated the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of grassland vegetation on the Mongolian Plateau, as well as the dual response of NDVI changes to climate and human activities. The results showed that the average NDVI of grassland vegetation increased gradually from southwest to northeast during the growing season, with a significant overall increase from 2000 to 2018. Precipitation, average air temperature, and downward surface shortwave radiation all played a role in influencing the NDVI variations, with Inner Mongolia experiencing higher precipitation rates and lower air temperature and surface shortwave radiation rates compared to Mongolia. The study emphasized the importance of ecological engineering and agricultural production activities for vegetation recovery in the region. The findings contribute to our understanding of surface-atmosphere interactions in arid and semi-arid regions in the context of global climate change.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Liu Yang, Wenyu Wei, Tingting Wang, Lanhai Li
Summary: The study investigated the temporal-spatial variations of surface soil moisture and vegetation cover in the mountain-oasis-desert coupling system in Xinjiang from 1986 to 2015. The results showed an increase in soil moisture and a decrease in vegetation cover. Precipitation was found to be an important supplement source for soil moisture, while different regions showed varying responses of vegetation to precipitation and temperature, with deserts and oases being more sensitive to precipitation and mountainous regions being more sensitive to temperature.
GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Graham K. P. Muir, Gordon T. Cook, Angus B. MacKenzie, Gillian MacKinnon, Pauline Gulliver
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Wolfram Buss, Margaret C. Graham, Gillian MacKinnon, Ondrej Masek
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2016)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kieran M. Tierney, Graham K. P. Muir, Gordon T. Cook, Gillian MacKinnon, John A. Howe, Johanna J. Heymans, Sheng Xu
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY
(2016)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Abida Kausar, Haq Nawaz Bhatti, Gillian MacKinnon
JOURNAL OF THE TAIWAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
(2016)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hannian Gu, Justin S. J. Hargreaves, Andrew R. McFarlane, Gillian MacKinnon
Article
Environmental Sciences
Graham K. P. Muir, Kieran M. Tierney, Gordon T. Cook, Gillian MacKinnon, John A. Howe, Johanna J. Heymans, David J. Hughes, Sheng Xu
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2017)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kieran M. Tierney, Graham K. P. Muir, Gordon T. Cook, Gillian MacKinnon, John A. Howe, Johanna J. Heymans, David J. Hughes, Sheng Xu
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2017)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kieran M. Tierney, Graham K. P. Muir, Gordon T. Cook, Johanna J. Heymans, Gillian MacKinnon, John A. Howe, Sheng Xu, Andrew Brownlow, Nicholas J. Davison, Mariel ten Doeschate, Rob Deaville
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2017)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Leisa Douglas, Gillian MacKinnon, Gordon Cook, Harry Duncan, Adrian Briddon, Steven Seamark
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Kieran M. Tierney, Johanna J. Heymans, Graham K. P. Muir, Gordon T. Cook, Joe Buszowski, Jeroen Steenbeek, William J. Walters, Villy Christensen, Gillian MacKinnon, John A. Howe, Sheng Xu
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Abida Kausar, Gillian MacKinnon, Abdulrahman Alharthi, Justin Hargreaves, Haq Nawaz Bhatti, Munawar Iqbal
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2018)
Article
Agronomy
Leisa Douglas, Gillian MacKinnon, Gordon Cook, Harry Duncan, Adrian Briddon, Steven Seamark
Article
Food Science & Technology
Leisa Douglas, Gillian MacKinnon, Gordon Cook, Harry Duncan, Adrian Briddon, Steven Seamark
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kazumasa Oguri, Pere Masque, Matthias Zabel, Heather A. Stewart, Gillian MacKinnon, Ashley A. Rowden, Peter Berg, Frank Wenzhofer, Ronnie N. Glud
Summary: This study assesses the focusing, deposition, and accumulation of material and organic carbon in four different hadal trench systems. The results show that the deposition and accumulation of organic carbon in hadal trenches are influenced by mass-wasting events and local bathymetry. Hadal trenches play an important role in the deposition and sequestration of organic carbon in the deep sea.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
W. Russell Alexander, Heini M. Reijonen, Gillian MacKinnon, Antoni E. Milodowski, Alistair F. Pitty, Andreas Siathas
Article
Environmental Sciences
Toshimi Nakajima, Mao Kuragano, Makoto Yamada, Ryo Sugimoto
Summary: This study compared the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to river nutrient budgets at nearshore and embayment scales, and found that SGD-derived nutrients become more important at larger spatial scales.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Liu, Lei Zhang, Chongyang Zhang, Ziguang Chen, Jingguang Li
Summary: NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves used for household heating have become a significant source of indoor pollution in Chinese urban areas. The high indoor concentration of NO2 poses potential health risks to residents. It is urgently necessary to establish relevant regulations and implement emission reduction technologies to reduce NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Hans Peter H. Arp, Raoul Wolf, Sarah E. Hale, Sivani Baskaran, Juliane Gluege, Martin Scheringer, Xenia Trier, Ian T. Cousins, Harrie Timmer, Roberta Hofman-Caris, Anna Lennquist, Andre D. Bannink, Gerard J. Stroomberg, Rosa M. A. Sjerps, Rosa Montes, Rosario Rodil, Jose Benito Quintana, Daniel Zahn, Herve Gallard, Tobias Mohr, Ivo Schliebner, Michael Neumann
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philomina Onyedikachi Peter, Binessi Edouard Ifon, Francois Nkinahamira, Kayode Hassan Lasisi, Jiangwei Li, Anyi Hu, Chang-Ping Yu
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in sediments from Yundang Lagoon, China. The results show four distinct fluorescent components, with protein-like substances being the most prevalent. Additionally, the total fluorescence intensity and LREE concentrations exhibit a synchronized increase from Outer to Inner to Songbai Lake core sediments. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between DOM content and pollution levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Surya Gupta, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Christine Alewell
Summary: The objective of this study is to incorporate soil hydraulic properties into the erodibility factor (K) of USLE-type models. By modifying and improving the existing equations for soil texture and permeability, the study successfully included information on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) into the calculation of K factor. Using the Random Forest machine learning algorithm, two independent K factor maps with different spatial resolutions were generated. The results show that the decrease in K factor values has a positive impact on the modeling of soil erosion rates.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesmin Akter, Wendy J. M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Ilho Kim, Stuart L. Simpson, Phong Thai, Asja Korajkic, Warish Ahmed
Summary: The choice of workflow in wastewater surveillance has a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, while having minimal effects on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. Certain components in the workflow can be interchangeable, but factors such as buffer type, chloroform, and homogenization speed can affect the recovery of viruses and bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Luo, Xueting Yang, Diwei Wang, Hongmei Xu, Hongai Zhang, Shasha Huang, Qiyuan Wang, Ningning Zhang, Junji Cao, Zhenxing Shen
Summary: Atmospheric PM2.5, which can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), is associated with cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The study found that both the mass concentration of PM2.5 and the DTT activity were higher during the heating season than during the nonheating season. Combustion sources were the primary contributors to DTT activity during the heating season, while secondary formation dominated during the nonheating season. The study also revealed that biomass burning had the highest inherent oxidation potential among all sources investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin L. Murphy, Leah R. Gerber, Chelsea M. Rochman, Beth Polidoro
Summary: Plastic pollution has devastating consequences for marine organisms. This study uses a trait-based framework to develop a vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai'i. The index ranks 63 study species based on their vulnerability to macroplastic pollution, providing valuable information for species monitoring and management priorities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kenji Maurice, Amelia Bourceret, Sami Youssef, Stephane Boivin, Liam Laurent-Webb, Coraline Damasio, Hassan Boukcim, Marc-Andre Selosse, Marc Ducousso
Summary: Growing pressure from climate change and agricultural land use is destabilizing soil microbial community interactions. Little is known about microbial community resistance and adaptation to disturbances, hindering our understanding of recovery latency and implications for ecosystem functioning. This study found that anthropic disturbance and natural disturbance have different effects on the topology and stability of soil microbial networks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunhao Li, Yali Feng, Haoran Li, Yisong Yao, Chenglong Xu, Jinrong Ju, Ruiyu Ma, Haoyu Wang, Shiwei Jiang
Summary: Deep-sea mining poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health by disturbing sediment and transmitting metal ions through the food chain. This study developed a new regenerative adsorption material, OMN@SA, which effectively removes metal ions. The adsorption mechanism and performance of the material for metal ion fixation were investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Medici, Margherita Lavorgna, Marina Isidori, Chiara Russo, Elena Orlo, Giovanni Luongo, Giovanni Di Fabio, Armando Zarrelli
Summary: Valsartan, a widely used antihypertensive drug, has been detected in high concentrations in surface waters due to its unchanged excretion and incomplete degradation in wastewater treatment plants. This study investigated the degradation of valsartan and identified 14 degradation byproducts. The acute and chronic toxicity of these byproducts were evaluated in key organisms in the freshwater trophic chain.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiang Lin, Lianbao Chi, Qing Yuan, Busu Li, Mingbao Feng
Summary: This study investigated the photodegradation behavior and product formation of two representative pharmaceuticals in simulated estuary water. The study found that the formed transformation products of these pharmaceuticals have potential toxicity on marine organisms, including oxidative stress and damage to cellular components.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Fang, Dongdong Jiang, Ye He, Siyi Wu, Yuehong Li, Ziqi Zhang, Haoting Chen, Zixin Zheng, Yan Sun, Wenxiang Wang
Summary: This study revealed that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants led to decreased pregnancy rates, with PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO emerging as the four most prominent pollutants. Individuals aged 35 and above exhibited heightened susceptibility to pollutants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman, Rashid Shamsuddin, Amin Abbasi, Mohaira Ahmad, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Abdul Sami, Hamad Almohamadi
Summary: In this study, inverse vulcanized polysulfides (IVP) were synthesized by reacting molten sulfur with 4-vinyl benzyl chloride, and then functionalized using N-methyl D-glucamine (NMDG). The functionalized IVP showed a high mercury adsorption capacity and a machine learning model was developed to predict the amount of mercury removed. Furthermore, the functionalized IVP can be regenerated and reused, providing a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rita Bonfiglio, Renata Sisto, Stefano Casciardi, Valeria Palumbo, Maria Paola Scioli, Erica Giacobbi, Francesca Servadei, Gerry Melino, Alessandro Mauriello, Manuel Scimeca
Summary: This study investigated the presence of aluminum in human colon cancer samples and its potential association with biological processes involved in cancer progression. Aluminum was found in tumor areas of 24% of patients and was associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell death. Additional analyses revealed higher tumor mutational burden and mutations in genes related to EMT and apoptosis in aluminum-positive colon cancers. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aluminum toxicity may improve strategies for the management of colon cancer patients.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)