Review
Plant Sciences
Kevin J. Morey, Christie A. M. Peebles
Summary: While plants are a valuable source of natural products, their commercial application faces challenges. Hairy root cultures provide a potential production platform for non-agricultural plants, with advancements in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology tools, and bioreactor technology enabling commercial application.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Abdulrahim T. Alkassab, Hannes Beims, Martina Janke, Jens Pistorius
Summary: The study evaluated the exposure level of bees to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spores under realistic field conditions and analyzed the distributions and persistence of the spores in different matrices. The results showed high levels of Bt spores in honey sac and pollen pellets, with reduction over time, but no reduction in stored matrices within the colony. This study is important for assessing the potential exposure and risks for pollinators.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sonali Roy, Marcus Griffiths, Ivone Torres-Jerez, Bailey Sanchez, Elizabeth Antonelli, Divya Jain, Nicholas Krom, Shulan Zhang, Larry M. York, Wolf-Ruediger Scheible, Michael Udvardi
Summary: This study describes a high throughput phenotyping platform for testing the effects of small signaling peptides (SSP) on root uptake of multiple nutrients in plants. The results show that SSP CEP1 can enhance nitrate uptake rate in Medicago truncatula plants deprived of nitrogen. Furthermore, specific structural variants of CEP1 peptides not only enhance nitrate uptake, but also phosphate and sulfate uptake in both Medicago truncatula and Arabidopsis thaliana. Transcriptome analysis reveals that CEP1 peptides can induce the expression of several genes, including nutrient transporters and signaling pathway genes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Pauline Sophie Rummel, Reinhard Well, Birgit Pfeiffer, Klaus Dittert, Sebastian Flossmann, Johanna Pausch
Summary: The growth of plants affects soil moisture, mineral nitrogen, and organic carbon availability, influencing denitrification; root-derived carbon may stimulate denitrification in small plants, while nitrogen and water uptake become the main controlling factors with increasing plant and root growth.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kim Oelkers
Summary: Access to environmental information on substances is a right of the public, and ecotoxicological studies play a crucial role in assessing the environmental risk of substances. It is important to classify and publish such information according to specific legal acts, while also ensuring transparency and avoiding confidentiality. Consistency in data sharing and data protection regulations across different fields is necessary for effective environmental risk assessment and compliance with legal requirements.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aris Ismanto, Tony Hadibarata, Risky Ayu Kristanti, Lilik Maslukah, Novia Safinatunnajah, Wulan Kusumastuti
Summary: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have adverse impacts on human and environmental well-being, being associated with diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular risk, behavioral disorders, autoimmune defects, and reproductive diseases. Conventional treatment methods are insufficient to fully remove EDCs from water, necessitating the use of advanced psychochemical and biological treatments. The lack of laws regarding acute concentration limits of EDCs in various water sources contributes to the intensified concerns about these mixed contaminants. Further data is needed to address the risks associated with the presence of EDCs in the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claire McMillan, Sebastien Bonifay, Christopher Dobe, Ralph Fliege, Joachim D. Krass, Adrian Terry, Matthias Wormuth
Summary: It is mandatory to assess co-formulants in plant protection products (PPP) under the European REACH legislation. However, the standard REACH exposure assessment framework is not adequate for assessing co-formulants used in PPP, which are released into agricultural soil, waterbodies, and air. The Local Environment Tool (LET) has been developed to address this gap by providing a customized local-scale exposure model for co-formulants, facilitating standardized and consistent assessment. The LET combines with the standard REACH exposure model to estimate the contribution from other nonagricultural sources of the same substance.
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
S. K. Mandal, R. Ray, A. G. Gonzalez, O. S. Pokrovsky, T. K. Jana
Summary: This passage discusses the research on the distribution of antimony in plants and the environment, focusing on the Sundarbans mangroves in the Bay of Bengal. It was found that the majority of antimony is contained in the sediment of mangroves, while there is very little antimony in plant biomass. The study indicates that antimony is mainly inputted into the Bay of Bengal through riverine sources.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexander Badry, Jaroslav Slobodnik, Nikiforos Alygizakis, Dirk Bunke, Alessandra Cincinelli, Daniela Classen, Rene W. R. J. Dekker, Guy Duke, Valeria Dulio, Bernd Goeckener, Georgios Gkotsis, Georg Hanke, Morten Jartun, Paola Movalli, Maria-Christina Nika, Heinz Ruedel, Nikolaos S. Thomaidis, Jose V. Tarazona, Victoria Tornero, Gabriele Treu, Katrin Vorkamp, Lee A. Walker, Jan Koschorreck
Summary: Monitoring data from apex predators played a crucial role in the development of early chemicals legislations and environmental protection. Analyzing samples from apex predators helps identify compounds with bioaccumulative properties. With the recovery of apex predator populations, these samples are now available for research and stored in accessible online databases, facilitating the connection between science and policy.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuliang Li, Chenghao Ge, Cheng Cheng, Xiaolei Wang, Dunfeng Si, Chunyi Mu, Min Wang, Hongbo Li, Dongmei Zhou
Summary: This study investigated the absorption and transportation of nano-biochar (N-BC) particles by wheat and Chinese cabbage plants. The results showed that N-BC particles were readily absorbed by the plants through their root systems and transported to aboveground tissues. Stable isotope analysis confirmed the uptake and transportation of N-BC, with elevated isotopic values observed in the plant tissues exposed to 13C-N-BC. notably, significant accumulation of N-BC was found in the edible parts of Chinese cabbage, raising concerns about its potential entry into the food chain and associated health risks. Further research is necessary to explore the specific pathways and modes of N-BC uptake and transport in plants, and monitoring its presence and potential impact on the food chain is crucial for ensuring food security and safeguarding human health.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Noor Zati Hani Abu Hanifah, Suhairul Hashim, Halmat Jalal Hassan, Nur Nabihah Yusof, D. A. Bradley
Summary: The article provides an overview of the regulatory control of cosmetics and healthcare products containing added radioactivity, emphasizing the lack of proven health benefits. Examples of control practices in several countries are given, highlighting the general lack of public awareness regarding the potential harm of such products.
RADIATION PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maik Lucas, James P. Santiago, Jinyi Chen, Andrey Guber, Alexandra Kravchenko
Summary: Root-soil contact plays a crucial role in belowground carbon allocations. When plant roots encounter small pores in the soil, they release more carbon, leading to increased carbon inputs. This interaction between root systems and pore structure is a previously unrecognized stimulus for soil carbon gains.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jaeseong Jeong, Jinhee Choi
Summary: In recent years, the rapid development of computer technology has led to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) -based computational toxicology models that can predict toxicity without animal testing. Various computational toxicology techniques are being used to predict toxicity based on the structure of chemical substances, including quantitative structure-activity relationship. This study analyzed databases, molecular descriptors, fingerprints, and algorithms used in recent studies to understand the development of these models. The findings reveal that AI models have been developed to predict approximately 30 different toxicity endpoints using more than 20 toxicity databases. Molecular access system and extended-connectivity fingerprints are commonly used molecular descriptors, while random forest is the most used algorithm among machine learning techniques and deep neural network is the most used algorithm among deep learning techniques. The use of AI technology in the development of toxicity prediction models is a new concept that can help achieve scientific consensus and meet regulatory applications.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoyu Zhang, Zijian Li
Summary: Pesticide application techniques are crucial for integrated pest management and environmental safety. A modeling approach based on plant uptake models was proposed to evaluate the efficiency of different pesticide application methods. The results showed that soil-based transpiration route facilitated the accumulation of moderately lipophilic compounds in plant tissues, while plant surface-based exposure route was more favorable for highly lipophilic compounds.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Simon Schwarz, Daniela Gildemeister, Arne Hein, Patrick Schroeder, Jean Bachmann
Summary: Human pharmaceuticals undergo extensive environmental risk assessment before marketing approval, based on EU and German guidelines. An internal agency database contains effect data on approximately 300 active pharmaceutical ingredients, indicating potential for improvement in current assessment methods.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2021)
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)