Article
Environmental Sciences
Pradeep Kumkar, Chandani R. Verma, Stepan Hysek, Manoj Pise, Sonia Zoltowska, Sachin M. Gosavi, Filip Mercl, Matej Bozik, Katerina Hankova, Radek Rinn, Pavel Klou Cek, Miloslav Petrtyl, Luka s Kalous
Summary: This study provides data on the prevalence and risk posed by emerging contaminants in the marine ecosystems along the Maharashtra coast of India. The findings reveal high concentrations of certain compounds, raising major health and ecological concerns. This information is crucial for policy formulation and coastal management in India.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Reyhane Madadi, Sedigheh Mohamadi, Mohammad Rastegari, Abdolreza Karbassi, Md Refat Jahan Rakib, Mayeen Uddin Khandaker, Mohammad Rashed Iqbal Faruque, Abubakr M. Idris
Summary: Rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to environmental pollution and unsustainable development of cities. The study investigated the concentrations of potentially toxic metal(loid)s in windowsill dust samples from different functional areas of Qom, Iran, and found that the industrial area had the highest pollution level, followed by the commercial, residential, and green space areas. The study also identified the sources of these pollutants, with some metals coming from traffic and industrial activities, and manganese mainly coming from mining activities. It highlights the potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks associated with exposure to these pollutants.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesus Eulises Corona Sanchez, Ma del Carmen Angeles Gonzalez Chavez, Rogelio Carrillo Gonzalez, Kirk Scheckel, Daniel Tapia Maruri, Jose L. Garcia Cue
Summary: This study investigated the exposure to airborne metal(loids) in a community near mine tailings, finding high concentrations of bioaccessible metal(loids). The quasi-total metal(loid) concentrations were highest for As, followed by Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Cd.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hualong Hong, Lu Qian, Shengjie Wu, Liyang Ruan, Hanyi Li, Manling Su, Binghuang Zhang, Jingchun Liu, Chongling Yan, Haoliang Lu
Summary: This study reconstructed the century-scale depositional history of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in sediments from the Yangtze Grand Delta and identified eight potential metal sources. The riverine PTMs were mainly composed of Cr, Ni, and Pb, while lacking in Cu. The study found that glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) has a strong affinity for Cu and contributed to a certain percentage of Cu deposition. Additionally, the change in potential metal sources was primarily related to power generation, while GRSP-bound PTMs were mainly associated with road construction and transportation.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sanskriti Vats, Sreeja Sudhakaran, Anupriya Bhardwaj, Rushil Mandlik, Yogesh Sharma, Sudhir Kumar, Durgesh Kumar Tripathi, Humira Sonah, Tilak Raj Sharma, Rupesh Deshmukh
Summary: Plants utilize AQPs to regulate water conservation and enhance tolerance against hazardous metals, while also adopting complex molecular and physiological mechanisms to adapt to heavy metal stress.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Mina Bayanati, Abdel Rahman Al-Tawaha, Duraid Al-Taey, Abdul Latief Al-Ghzawi, Yousef M. Abu-Zaitoon, Samar Shawaqfeh, Omar Al-Zoubi, Ezz Al-Dein Al-Ramamneh, Laith Alomari, Abdel Razzaq Al-Tawaha, Abhijit Dey
Summary: Biofortification is an important method for supplying micronutrients to humans and livestock. Understanding the interaction between plants and toxic metals is crucial for a healthy environment and reducing the risks of metal contamination in the food chain. Zinc and selenium biofortification are effective in reducing the effects of toxic metals. Cultivar selection, climate, soil type, organic matter content, and soil fertility should be considered to enhance the efficiency of zinc and selenium use. Medicinal plants and metallothionein genes can also contribute to biofortification efforts.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Saqib Bilal, Syed Saad Jan, Muhammad Shahid, Sajjad Asaf, Abdul Latif Khan, In-Jung Lubna, Ahmed Al-Rawahi, In-Jung Lee, Ahmed AL-Harrasi
Summary: This review summarizes the role of different exogenous applications of phytohormones in mitigating heavy metal stress in rice plants, and highlights the potential strategy of regulating endogenous hormone levels to protect rice from heavy metal stress.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Szymon Lucjan Rozanski, Jose Matias Penas Castejon, Donald G. McGahan
Summary: This study assessed the oral bioaccessibility and human health risk of metal(loid)s in potentially polluted urban topsoils, finding relatively low levels of pollution. However, soil pica behavior may lead to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, especially for children with lapses of adult supervision.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Han Zhang, You Li, Ronghua Li, Weilong Wu, Hamada Abdelrahman, Jianxu Wang, Samir G. Al-Solaimani, Vasileios Antoniadis, Joerg Rinklebe, Sang Soo Lee, Sabry M. Shaheen, Zengqiang Zhang
Summary: The study found that sodium sulfide (Na2S) can reduce the solubility of heavy metals in contaminated soils, leading to lower uptake and translocation of heavy metals in plants. This has the potential for remediating polluted soils and mitigating ecological and human health risks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Cheng-Chen Wang, Qiao-Chu Zhang, Chang-An Yan, Guo-Yong Tang, Meng-Yan Zhang, Lena Q. Ma, Rong-Hui Gu, Ping Xiang
Summary: This study summarizes the pollution status, spatiotemporal patterns, and drivers of heavy metal accumulation in agricultural soils, rice, and wheat in China. Cadmium (Cd) was found to be the most prevalent contaminant in soils, with an increasing trend in pollution cases. Mining activities were identified as the main anthropogenic sources of agricultural soil heavy metals. The exceedance rate of Cd and lead (Pb) in rice and wheat was relatively high, and the concentration of heavy metals in crops increased gradually from north to south.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Farideh Bagherzadeh, Fazel Mohammadi-Moghadam
Summary: The relationship between heavy metals and ulcerative colitis (UC) was investigated in a systematic review study. Thirteen original articles from 1993 to 2021 were analyzed, and concentrations of heavy metals and essential elements were measured in various samples from UC patients. The study suggests a potential preventive role for selenium and zinc in UC development, but iron exposure may exacerbate the symptoms. It emphasizes the importance of considering these elements in health decisions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Andrijana Miletic, Milica Lucic, Antonije Onjia
Summary: Heavy metal(loid)s are crucial for economic development in various industries, but their emission from industrial activities can lead to potential toxicity. Accumulation of heavy metal(loid)s in soil and sediment poses a health risk to humans. This study analyzed published works in the past decade to summarize the exposure factors in health risk models for heavy metal(loid)s in soil and sediment. The research revealed a significant increase in publications on health risk assessment of heavy metal(loid)s, and differences in exposure factors and their distributions were examined through deterministic and probabilistic approaches. Based on the literature, proposed values and distributions for the exposure factors were suggested.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabrizio Pietrini, Laura Passatore, Serena Carloni, Lorenzo Massimi, Maria Luisa Astolfi, Chiara Giusto, Massimo Zacchini
Summary: Environmental pollution caused by heavy metals is a significant threat to the environment and human health. Using safer substitutes for toxic heavy metals, like Bi instead of Pb, is a potential solution. However, there is limited research on the effects of Bi on living organisms, especially plants. This study found that Bi has a toxic effect on plant growth, reduces chlorophyll and carotenoid content, impairs nitrogen balance, and affects the photosynthetic machinery.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexis Castillo, Jorge Valdes, Yery Marambio, Luis Figueroa, Jaime Letelier, Francisco Carcamo
Summary: The study investigates the metal(loid) content in Concholepas concholepas in a coastal environmental sacrifice zone in Chile to assess human-health risks. The results indicate that Cu and Cd levels exceed safety limits, and the intake of As is comparatively high. Consuming C. concholepas may pose a moderate carcinogenic risk.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jin Wang, Lulu Wang, Yuxuan Wang, Daniel C. W. Tsang, Xiao Yang, Jingzi Beiyuan, Meiling Yin, Tangfu Xiao, Yanjun Jiang, Wenli Lin, Yuchen Zhou, Juan Liu, Liang Wang, Min Zhao
Summary: Industrial activities can lead to contamination by toxic elements in nearby agricultural lands, posing health risks especially for children. Remediation measures are needed to reduce contamination and ensure food safety. Further research is required on the sources, pollution levels, and health risks associated with elements like Tl, As, and Pb in vegetables.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Faundez Urbina Carlos, Kremer Farina Cristian, Garrido Salinas Marco, Galleguillos Mauricio, Aponte Humberto, Honorio de Miranda Jarbas, Seguel Seguel Oscar
Summary: The study evaluated the model efficiency of HYDRUS 2D/3D simulations for volumetric water content and pore electrical conductivity in an olive tree variety under desert conditions. The model simulations were improved through calibration using PEST software. The sensitivity analysis identified relevant parameters for the model outputs and calibration focused on those parameters. Overall, the HYDRUS 2D/3D simulations showed acceptable precision for the variation of volumetric water content in time and space.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Sebastian Meier, Arturo Morales, Rafael Lopez-Olivari, Ivan Matus, Humberto Aponte, Pedro de Souza Campos, Naser Khan, Paula Cartes, Cristian Merino-Gergichevich, Dalma Castillo, Alex Seguel
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the combined effect of phosphorus (P) and water scarcity on different spring wheat genotypes and provide a classification method. The results showed that P and water restrictions led to delayed wheat development and observed genotypic differences. There were variations in phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) and water use efficiency (WUE) among different genotypes. In future breeding programs, efficient wheat genotypes in the use of P and water can be selected based on PUE and WUE.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
J. Tomas Schoffer, Humberto Aponte, Alexander Neaman, Luz Maria De la Fuente, Eduardo C. Arellano, Pilar M. Gil, Rosanna Ginocchio
Summary: The study found that copper levels were higher in leaf litter than in soil in fruit-tree production areas of central Chile. However, the presence of leaf litter appeared to protect the soil from copper toxicity and did not affect soil microbial activity.
PLANT SOIL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Humberto Aponte, Tania Galindo-Castaneda, Carolina Yanez, Martin Hartmann, Claudia Rojas
Summary: This study investigated the effects of forest fires on soil microbial communities in Mediterranean forests of central Chile. It found that forest fires increased microbial catabolic activity and shaped the structure of soil prokaryote communities. These findings are important for evaluating ecosystem recovery and restoration strategies in fire-prone ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gabrijel Ondrasek, Santosha Rathod, Kallakeri Kannappa Manohara, Channappa Gireesh, Madhyavenkatapura Siddaiah Anantha, Akshay Sureshrao Sakhare, Brajendra Parmar, Brahamdeo Kumar Yadav, Nirmala Bandumula, Farzana Raihan, Anna Zielinska-Chmielewska, Cristian Merino-Gergichevich, Marjorie Reyes-Diaz, Amanullah Khan, Olga Panfilova, Alex Seguel Fuentealba, Sebastian Meier Romero, Beithou Nabil, Chunpeng Craig Wan, Jonti Shepherd, Jelena Horvatinec
Summary: Salinization of soils and freshwater resources, caused by natural processes and/or human activities, has become an increasing issue. It affects environmental services, socioeconomic relations, and agroecosystems. Various approaches and solutions, including agro-hydrotechnical, biological, chemical, bio-ecological, and institutional solutions, are effective in combating salinity/salt stress and other constraints. Advances in computer science provide tools for predicting salinization processes under different scenarios, including climate change.
Review
Plant Sciences
Catalina Vidal, Felipe Gonzalez, Christian Santander, Rodrigo Perez, Victor Gallardo, Cledir Santos, Humberto Aponte, Antonieta Ruiz, Pablo Cornejo
Summary: Drought poses a complex challenge to agriculture worldwide, requiring a reframing of agricultural practices from an integrative perspective. This involves the exploration of new water sources, the use of drought-tolerant crops and genotypes, improved irrigation systems, and other alternatives such as biotechnological tools to enhance water use efficiency. The role of specific microbial strains in the rhizosphere has been found to increase drought tolerance in host plants through plant growth-promoting characteristics. However, the use of multi-omics approaches to understand the interactions between plant growth-promoting microbes and host plants is still limited. This review highlights the importance of studying the soil-plant-microorganism interaction at a larger scale and suggests that multi-omics approaches can help improve crop yields and meet the increasing global demand for food.
Article
Plant Sciences
Pedro M. de Souza Campos, Sebastian Meier, Arturo Morales, Laura Lavanderos, Javiera Nahuelcura, Antonieta Ruiz, Alvaro Lopez-Garcia, Alex Seguel
Summary: Quinoa is a promising crop that can tolerate different stress conditions and grow in marginal soils with low nutrient content. This study provides new insights into the phosphorus acquisition capacity of quinoa roots, finding that root biomass and morphology play a critical role in quinoa's phosphorus nutrition.
Article
Forestry
Yessica Rivas, Humberto Aponte, Diego Rivera-Salazar, Francisco Matus, Oscar Martinez, Carolina Encina, Jorge Retamal-Salgado
Summary: Despite the expansion of forest plantations in Chile, their impact on soil biology has been poorly studied. This research evaluated the changes in microbial composition and enzyme activity after the conversion of native forest to fast-growing species and cropping. Soil organic matter, phosphorous, calcium, boron, and water-holding capacity were found to be key factors influencing microbial abundance and diversity. More research is needed to fully understand the connection between soil factors and microbial community composition.
Article
Agronomy
Sebastian Meier, Pedro de Souza Campos, Ruben Palma-Millanao, Arturo Morales, Juan Hirzel, Humberto Aponte, Paula Cartes, Gabrijel Ondrasek, Alex Seguel
Summary: This manuscript aims to evaluate the influence of different wheat cultivars on soil microbial activities and functional diversity and how their interaction could affect plant performance in terms of phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) and water use efficiency (WUE). Phosphorus scarcity and water deficit stress negatively affected growth traits, P acquisition, and grain yield of wheat cultivars. The main drivers determining microorganisms' catabolic activity were water deficit stress and high P concentration in the soil.
Article
Agronomy
Maria Eugenia Avila-Salem, Humberto Aponte, Fabian Montesdeoca, Narcisa Urgiles Gomez, Dayana Cruz, Marco Orellana, Katherine Pacheco, Soraya Alvarado Ochoa, Jose Espinosa, Fernando Borie, Pablo Cornejo
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of different tillage, nitrogen fertilization, and crop rotations on soil physicochemical and biological properties in an Andean soil. Results showed that no-tillage and crop rotation significantly influenced soil properties. No-tillage promoted soil respiration, glomalin content, and the density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spores. The conservative soil management system demonstrated significant improvements in soil properties compared to intensive soil management.
Article
Microbiology
Humberto Aponte, Yoelvis Sulbaran-Bracho, Pedro Mondaca, Catalina Vidal, Rodrigo Perez, Sebastian Meier, Pablo Cornejo, Claudia Rojas
Summary: The management of mine tailings is challenging and expensive. This study assesses the biotechnological potential of microbial communities from the root zone of Baccharis linearis for phytostabilization. The results suggest that these microbial communities have the potential to enhance the ecological management of mine tailings.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wence Herrera, Joelis Vera, Humberto Aponte, Edward Hermosilla, Paola Fincheira, Javiera Parada, Gonzalo Tortella, Amedea B. Seabra, Maria Cristina Diez, Olga Rubilar
Summary: The extensive use of pesticides in agricultural production can lead to their accumulation in the environment, causing problems for human health, biota, and ecosystems. Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) have been found to be effective catalysts for degrading pesticides. This study conducted a meta-analysis of articles to examine the impact of MNPs on pesticide degradation. The results showed that MNPs, particularly Ag and Ni, significantly improved the degradation of pesticides.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Amanda Rozas, Humberto Aponte, Carlos Maldonado, Rodrigo Contreras-Soto, Jorge Medina, Claudia Rojas
Summary: The main organic input for growing media, peat, has a negative impact on ecosystems and global climate due to its mining. Therefore, there is a need to find sustainable alternatives to reduce peat usage while maintaining or improving the growth media and plant growth. This study evaluated the effects of compost and biochar proportions on biological characteristics and Lactuca sativa L. seedling growth. Growing media with 80% peat and 70% peat, 5% compost, and 5% biochar showed the best results, indicating the potential of these materials as alternatives to peat. Further research is needed to explore alternative materials and optimize organic inputs for growing media.
Article
Plant Sciences
Rodrigo Perez, Yasna Tapia, Monica Antilen, Antonieta Ruiz, Paula Pimentel, Christian Santander, Humberto Aponte, Felipe Gonzalez, Pablo Cornejo
Summary: Inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and yeast significantly affected the growth and antioxidant response of Oenothera picensis plants in Cu mine tailings amended with compost. The co-inoculation of AMF and yeast promoted shoot and root biomass, influenced antioxidant activity, and reduced total phenols in the roots. Furthermore, yeast inoculation decreased non-enzymatic antioxidant activity and both AMF and yeast inoculation enhanced the production of photosynthetic pigments.
