Article
Environmental Sciences
Faming Zhang, Jiansong Peng, Yuhong Rong, Shixian Sun, Yi Zheng
Summary: This study found that vetiver grass can absorb and accumulate atrazine from water contaminated with blue-green algae, and can degrade it in the leaf. Compared with the natural environment without vetiver grass, the environment with vetiver grass had a higher atrazine removal rate and a higher content of atrazine metabolites in the leaf. Therefore, vetiver grass has great potential for application in water environments contaminated with blue-green algae.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yeow Eu Lun, Siti Rozaimah Sheikh Abdullah, Hassimi Abu Hasan, Ahmad Razi Othman, Setyo Budi Kurniawan, Muhammad Fauzul Imron, Osama Abrahiem Al Falahi, Nor Sakinah Mohd Said, Siti Shilatul Najwa Sharuddin, Nur Izzati Ismail
Summary: In this study, native emergent and floating plants were used to treat textile wastewater at different hydraulic retention times. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize the process conditions for maximum removal of color, total suspended solids, and chemical oxygen demand. The integrated plant-assisted treatment system showed reliable performance in improving effluent quality and had the potential to be utilized for bioenergy or value-added products, contributing to better environmental sustainability.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xu Wang, Qing X. Li, Melody Heidel, Zhichao Wu, Alan Yoshimoto, Gladys Leong, Dongjin Pan, Harry Ako
Summary: This study assessed the agricultural feasibility of three industrial hemp varieties in Hawaii, highlighting differences in growth and yield among the varieties. It also evaluated the phytoremediation potential of industrial hemp for the herbicide atrazine, showing effective degradation of atrazine in soils planted with hemp.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hadeer Ibrahiem, Ghada Saber M. Ismail, Masarrat M. Migahid, Mohamed A. Ghazy, Mahmoud Nasr
Summary: This study focuses on using phytoremediation to treat wastewater contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. The floating macrophyte, Eichhornia crassipes, was cultivated under hydroponic conditions and demonstrated high efficiency in removing 1,4-dioxane and chemical oxygen demand. The suggested removal mechanism involved uptake and phytovolatilization, with a contribution of direct photodegradation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xin Wang, Li Wang, Yongqiang You, Dongguang Yang, Yuqing Cao, Yujiao Wang, Fang Ma
Summary: The effects of Hh and copper ions on the decontamination of atrazine pollution were investigated in this study. Hh inoculation resulted in increased leaf biomass and promoted the transformation of atrazine in plants. In solutions, Hh treatment enhanced the degradation of atrazine. High doses of copper ions had a significant impact on the transformation products of atrazine.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Azumi Okamoto, Kohei Koyama, Narayan Bhusal
Summary: Understanding plant physiological responses to high temperature is crucial for climate change adaptation. While information about terrestrial plants is abundant, the knowledge about aquatic plants is limited. This study investigated the diurnal changes of photosynthesis and light intensity in a freshwater emergent plant, buckbean, in a cool temperate region. The results showed that midday depression of photosynthesis was observed only on extremely hot days, not on moderately hot days. The study highlights the importance of measuring both photosynthetic rate and the diurnal course of photosynthetic light-response curve to quantify the effect of midday depression.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haidong Zhou, Jinyu Cui, Xin Li, Yadan Wangjin, Lidan Pang, Mengwei Li, Xiaomeng Chen
Summary: The behavior and removal of six antibiotics in an artificial-controllable urban river were investigated. The study found that the combination of hybrid hydrophytes and algae greatly improved the overall removal of antibiotics, indicating a synergistic effect on antibiotic removal.
WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yongeun Kim, Yun-Sik Lee, June Wee, Jinsol Hong, Minyoung Lee, Jae Geun Kim, Yeon Jae Bae, Kijong Cho
Summary: A new process-based model combining the multiple-quotas approach and nutrient-cycle model was developed to explore the nutrient removal ability of hydrophytes. The model was validated using observational data from microcosm experiments with two emergent hydrophytes. The results showed higher nutrient removal efficiency for Menyanthes trifoliata compared to Cicuta virosa, indicating the potential for exploring new candidate species for improving hydrophyte diversity in aquatic ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qinghai Wang, Dongyu Xie, Lei Peng, Chuansheng Chen, Cui Li, Xiaoe Que
Summary: This study evaluated the combined effects of herbicide atrazine and cadmium on the aquatic plant Iris pseudacorus. Results showed that both atrazine and cadmium were toxic to this plant species. When combined, atrazine and cadmium resulted in a decline in photosynthetic performance of I. pseudacorus. These findings highlight the potential ecological impacts of the combined pollution of pesticides and heavy metals on non-target aquatic plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kamila Sredlova, Tomas Cajthaml
Summary: PCBs, despite being restricted in the 1970s, remain hazardous contaminants due to their bioaccumulative and persistent nature. Remediation of historically contaminated matrices is challenging and requires a combination of different techniques and approaches.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Siqi Xie, Chunjing Tang, Huijie Shi, Guohua Zhao
Summary: Efficient photoelectrochemical removal of atrazine was achieved by adjusting the bias potential on the photo-anode, leading to a removal efficiency of 96.8% at the optimal potential. The study revealed the role of superoxide radicals and bias potential in enhancing atrazine degradation efficiency, providing a basis for establishing efficient PEC systems for pollutant remediation.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yinghui Tang, Qingyu Wu, Lilan Ye, Qiong Wu, Zhen Liu, Xiaoke Lian, Shaochun Yuan, Qinyi Wang, Yao Chen
Summary: This study developed a biochar coupled electrolysis-integrated system (BC-EC-BRS) for the removal of atrazine (ATZ) from road stormwater runoff. The BC-EC-BRS showed significantly higher removal rate of ATZ compared to other bioretention systems, indicating a synergistic promotion effect of electrolysis and biochar on ATZ removal.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
S. Akash, Baskaran Sivaprakash, V. C. Vadivel Raja, Natarajan Rajamohan, Govarthanan Muthusamy
Summary: Uranium, a radioactive and chemically toxic element, poses a major threat to the ecosystem. However, bioremediation methods that utilize microbes and plants to transform uranium into a less toxic form have proven to be effective in eliminating its hazards.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Angela N. Stiegler, Aidan R. Cecchetti, David L. Sedlak
Summary: Uptake and translocation of water-soluble organic compounds by plants represent an important exposure pathway for terrestrial organisms to organic contaminants, especially in arid regions. The analysis of antiepileptic drug, carbamazepine, in plants grown in effluent-dominated riparian zones indicates that concentrations in plant tissues exceed levels that may pose risks to herbivorous and/or detritivorous organisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sheng Xiong, Hao Zeng, Rongdi Tang, Ling Li, Zhanpeng Zhou, Jiajia Wang, Chunxia Ding, Daoxin Gong, Yaocheng Deng
Summary: Co-based catalysts, especially high-valent cobalt oxo species (Co(IV)), have shown great potential in advanced oxidation processes. This study presents a novel method for enhancing electron transfer in Co-based catalyst/PMS systems by using Enteromorpha-derived biochar modified with cobalt and barium titanate. The resulting CoBCBa catalyst exhibited excellent performance in atrazine removal, attributed to the synergistic effect of Co(IV) and BaTiO3 piezoelectricity. The research also provides guidance for constructing piezoelectricity-assisted high-valent cobalt oxo species for environmental remediation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Giora J. Kidron, Rafael Kronenfeld, Bo Xiao, Abraham Starinsky
Summary: Long-term field campaigns in the Negev observed wet-dry cycles primarily on sand following rain events, which are caused by temperature-induced vapor flux distillation. This phenomenon may play an important role in the establishment and growth of biocrusts on sand dunes in the Negev.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qinghai Wang, Dongyu Xie, Lei Peng, Chuansheng Chen, Cui Li, Xiaoe Que
Summary: This study evaluated the combined effects of herbicide atrazine and cadmium on the aquatic plant Iris pseudacorus. Results showed that both atrazine and cadmium were toxic to this plant species. When combined, atrazine and cadmium resulted in a decline in photosynthetic performance of I. pseudacorus. These findings highlight the potential ecological impacts of the combined pollution of pesticides and heavy metals on non-target aquatic plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lei Peng, Dongyu Xie, Cui Li, Qiang Guo, Chuansheng Chen, Qinghai Wang
Summary: This study evaluated the combined effects of co-existed pesticides and nanomaterials on aquatic plants by investigating the toxicity of the herbicide atrazine (ATZ) on Iris pseudacorus in the presence and absence of graphene oxide (GO). The results showed that GO reduced the accumulation of ATZ in the plant. ATZ or ATZ combined with GO mainly affected electron transport beyond Q(A) at the photosystem II (PSII), causing damage to the oxygen evolution complex and photosystem I (PSI). However, environmentally relevant concentrations of GO did not significantly inhibit photosynthesis in I. pseudacorus. In fact, GO at 1.0 mg·L-1 promoted photosynthesis under ATZ stress at 2.0 mg·L-1. These results indicate that the presence of GO alleviated the inhibition of photosynthesis by high levels of ATZ.
BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shenglong Li, Bo Xiao
Summary: Soil evaporation is a crucial process that affects various soil processes and global climate change. Biocrusts, as important ecological barriers, strongly influence soil properties and have significant effects on surface soil hydrological processes. However, the impact of biocrusts on soil evaporation and water budget in drylands remains unclear.
Review
Soil Science
Giora J. Kidron, Thomas Fischer, Bo Xiao
Summary: The effects of biocrusts on evaporation are still not fully understood. Some scholars argue that biocrusts decrease evaporation and play a positive role in preserving soil moisture and promoting plant growth, while others claim that biocrusts increase evaporation, negatively affecting the growth and survival of vascular plants.
Article
Soil Science
Shenglong Li, Matthew A. Bowker, Sonia Chamizo, Bo Xiao
Summary: Accurate measurement of soil moisture is crucial for understanding water balance in drylands. In this study, the performance of a heat-pulse sensor and three common dielectric sensors in measuring surface soil moisture was assessed. Results showed that the heat-pulse sensor outperformed the dielectric sensors in accurately measuring the moisture differences between moss-dominated biocrusts and bare soil. This highlights the vital role of biocrusts in the surface water balance of drylands.
Article
Soil Science
Shenglong Li, Fuhai Sun, Sonia Chamizo, Bo Xiao
Summary: Moss-dominated biocrusts have significant regulatory effects on surface soil thermal properties and temperature, mainly by reducing heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity, thereby increasing the thermal resistance and insulation capacity of the soil and altering the surface water content and temperature.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shenglong Li, Matthew A. Bowker, Bo Xiao
Summary: Biocrusts have a significant impact on soil water balance by increasing evaporation and water loss, despite inputting more non-rainfall water (NRW).
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Weiqiang Dou, Bo Xiao, Xiaomeng Yao, Giora J. Kidron
Summary: Global climate change is expected to lead to increased and reduced precipitation in drylands. This study found that precipitation had an asymmetric negative impact on the respiration rate of biocrusts, with moderate reductions in precipitation stimulating respiration rate and increased precipitation inhibiting it.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Fuhai Sun, Bo Xiao, Shenglong Li, Xingxing Yu, Giora J. Kidron, Joshua Heitman
Summary: Biocrusts, as important living skin in soil-atmosphere interface, have a significant impact on soil properties and processes, especially pore structure and hydrological processes. This study used X-ray computed tomography and image analysis to quantitatively analyze the differences in pore structure between bare soil and three types of biocrusts. The results showed that biocrusts had higher porosity, pore surface area density, pore volume, and node density compared to bare soil, indicating a more complex and stable pore structure. Furthermore, biocrusts had a better pore network connectivity and improved soil water holding capacity but decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity, which affects surface hydrological processes in drylands.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zixin Zhou, Jiaxin Li, Cui Li, Qiang Guo, Xincun Hou, Chunqiao Zhao, Yu Wang, Chuansheng Chen, Qinghai Wang
Summary: This study found that graphene oxide (GO) has low toxicity to Iris pseudacorus and can promote plant growth and photosynthesis, as well as improve nutrient levels. Therefore, GO has great potential for application in plant remediation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Weiqiang Dou, Bo Xiao, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Daniel Revillini, Giora J. Kidron
Summary: Biocrusts are important components in drylands, supporting soil microbial diversity and carbon stocks. Nitrogen fertilization can indirectly promote soil respiration and carbon losses by increasing microbial richness and diversity, highlighting the need to mitigate land degradation and anthropogenic nitrogen deposition to maintain healthy dryland ecosystems and carbon storage.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Yanfeng Wang, Bo Xiao, Wanfu Wang, Daniel Revillini, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
Summary: The microhabitat factors have significant influences on the biocrust and soil bacterial communities. Different microhabitat conditions can alter the traits of biocrusts and the richness and network structure of soil bacteria.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qinghai Wang, Lei Peng, Zixin Zhou, Cui Li, Chuansheng Chen, Yu Wang, Xiaoe Que
Summary: The herbicide atrazine (ATZ) has a detrimental effect on aquatic ecosystems and understanding its persistence and toxicity under combined pollution is limited. This study investigated the dissipation and transformation of ATZ in combination with graphene oxide (GO) in water. Results showed that GO enhanced the dissipation and detoxification of ATZ, reducing its ecological toxicity. However, the potential hazard of ATZ adsorbed on GO and the predominant degradation products (DEA and DIA) still pose environmental risks to aquatic ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dexun Qiu, Matthew A. Bowker, Bo Xiao, Yunge Zhao, Xiaobing Zhou, Xinrong Li
Summary: Biological soil crusts play a significant role in regulating dryland soil and ecosystem function, but mapping their distribution is challenging. This study indirectly mapped the distribution of biocrusts in China's drylands using spatial prediction modeling and found that climate change will lead to a reduction in biocrust cover.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
