Article
Microbiology
Laura N. N. Blum, Daniel R. R. Colman, Emiley A. A. Eloe-Fadrosh, Matthew Kellom, Eric S. S. Boyd, Olga Zhaxybayeva, William D. D. Leavitt
Summary: Many Archaea produce membrane-spanning lipids that enable life in extreme environments. These lipids contain multiple ring structures, the degree of which is associated with the acidity, temperature, and energy limitation of the environment. Researchers have recently identified genes related to ring structure synthesis in the genomes of two Sulfolobaceae. However, the distribution and abundance of these genes in different environments inhabited by Archaea are still unknown. In this study, the researchers examined the distribution of these genes in relation to environmental temperature and pH, and found a strong negative correlation between gene abundance and pH, and a weak positive correlation between gene abundance and temperature. They also discovered these genes in various classes of Archaea. These findings highlight the important role of gene-regulated lipid cyclization in the diversification of Archaea in hot and acidic environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiali Lv, Ruiqiang Yuan, Shiqin Wang
Summary: This study found that water diversion has a greater impact on aquatic bacteria and archaea than seasonal variation, mainly affecting microbial communities by increasing factors such as EC and salinity. Additionally, human activities may have a stronger influence on bacterial and archaeal communities than natural seasonal changes.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Li Ma, Geng Wu, Jian Yang, Liuqin Huang, Dorji Phurbu, Wen-Jun Li, Hongchen Jiang
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of hydrogen-producing bacteria (HPB) in hot springs on the Tibetan Plateau using high-throughput sequencing, revealing the composition and spatial distribution pattern of HPB populations. The research also identified environmental factors correlated with the HPB community structure, providing insights into the distribution and function of HPB in geothermal environments.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jie Tang, Xiaocheng Zhou, Yongxian Zhang, Jiao Tian, Miao He, Jingchao Li, Jinyuan Dong, Yucong Yan, Fengli Liu, Shupei Ouyang, Kaiyi Liu
Summary: Hydrogeochemical characterization studies were conducted on hot spring water and gas samples collected from the intersection of Altyn Tagh fault zone and East Kunlun fault belt. The results showed that the water chemistry types of the hot springs were Na center dot Mg-Cl, Mg center dot Na-Cl center dot HCO3, Na-Cl center dot SO4, and Na-Cl center dot HCO3. The study also revealed the occurrence of microseismic activity due to the release of deep fluids in the region.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Claudia Leoni, Bruno A. R. Gattulli, Graziano Pesole, Luigi R. Ceci, Mariateresa Volpicella
Summary: Amylomaltases are enzymes found only in prokaryotes and are involved in glycogen degradation and maltose metabolism. They are being studied for potential biotechnological applications such as the production of sugar substitutes, larger molecules like cycloamyloses, and thermoreversible starch gels. Additionally, extremophilic prokaryotes are being investigated for the identification of amylomaltases to be used in starch modifying processes under high temperature or extreme conditions.
Article
Microbiology
Maria C. C. Fernandes-Martins, Daniel R. R. Colman, Eric S. S. Boyd
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between fluid mixing, biodiversity, and chemosynthetic primary productivity in three co-localized hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. The results show that the biodiversity and chemosynthetic primary productivity in RSN are higher than in RSE and RSW, indicating the importance of fluid mixing in influencing biodiversity and productivity.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nitish Sharma, Reena Kumari, Monika Thakur, Amit K. Rai, Sudhir P. Singh
Summary: Growing resistance to antibiotics and metals has been found in hot springs of the Sikkim Himalaya, indicating the co-evolution of antimicrobial and metal resistance. This study provides insights into the molecular basis of co-resistomes and their potential impact on the environment.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Luxia Wang, Qinghai Guo, Geng Wu, Zhicheng Yu, Jose Miguel Leon Ninin, Britta Planer-Friedrich
Summary: Hot springs are a significant source of arsenic release into the environment. Methylated thioarsenates, a group with high mobility and toxicity, contribute up to 13% of the total arsenic in hot spring samples from the Tengchong volcanic region in China. Methanogens, especially Methanosarcina, were found to be responsible for arsenic methylation, suggesting a combination of biotic arsenic methylation and arsenic thiolation in sulfide-rich hot spring environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Callum Le Lay, Matthew B. Stott, Mang Shi, Sabrina Sadiq, Edward C. Holmes
Summary: Little is known about the diversity of RNA viruses in geothermal systems. In this study, researchers generated total RNA sequencing data from two hot springs in New Zealand and found that the microbial communities in these hot springs were highly diverse, with different proportions of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. They also detected sequences of 23 RNA viruses from various families in one of the hot springs, some of which were novel and had uncertain host associations.
Article
Microbiology
Lan Liu, Ai-Ping Lv, Manik Prabhu Narsing Rao, Yu-Zhen Ming, Nimaichand Salam, Meng-Meng Li, Ze-Tao Liu, Xiao-Tong Zhang, Jing-Yi Zhang, Wen-Dong Xian, Jian-Yu Jiao, Wen-Jun Li
Summary: This study found diverse anammox bacteria, including potential novel candidates, in Conghua hot spring in China for the first time, extending their existence in Chinese hot springs. Nitrate and dissolved inorganic carbon were identified as key environmental factors influencing the distribution and biodiversity of anammox bacterial communities in the hot spring ecosystem.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Wisnu Adi Wicaksono, Dilfuza Egamberdieva, Christian Berg, Maximilian Mora, Peter Kusstatscher, Tomislav Cernava, Gabriele Berg
Summary: The desiccation of the Aral Sea is one of the largest human-made environmental disasters, which provides a natural laboratory for studying ecosystem functioning and rhizosphere assembly. By studying the rhizosphere communities of a native pioneer plant, researchers observed changes in archaea-bacteria ratio, replacement of archaeal indicator taxa, and the presence of specific biosynthetic pathways, highlighting the importance of rhizosphere assembly for plant growth under extreme conditions.
Article
Microbiology
Marianne Quemeneur, Nan Mei, Christophe Monnin, Anne Postec, Sophie Guasco, Julie Jeanpert, Pierre Maurizot, Bernard Pelletier, Gael Erauso
Summary: The southeastern part of New Caledonia main island hosts hyperalkaline springs discharging high pH and warm fluids enriched in methane and hydrogen. The microbial community in these waters is diverse and includes bacteria that use hydrogen as an energy source. The relative abundance of specific uncultured methanogens and methylotrophic Gammaproteobacteria in these waters is correlated with methane concentrations.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Allison E. James, Kurt Kesteloot, J. Terry Paul, Richard L. McMullen, Shirley Louie, Catherine Waters, Jennifer Dillaha, Joel Tumlison, Dirk T. Haselow, Jessica C. Smith, Sooji Lee, Troy Ritter, Claressa Lucas, Jasen Kunz, Laura A. Miller, Maria Said
Summary: Legionella pneumophila is the cause of Legionnaires' disease, a life-threatening pneumonia that occurs after inhalation of aerosolized water containing the bacteria. Legionella growth occurs in stagnant, warm-to-hot water (77 degrees F-113 degrees F) that is inadequately disinfected. During 2018-2019, Legionnaires' disease occurred in 5 persons after they visited Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, USA. It was found that 3 of these persons were potentially exposed in spa facilities that used untreated hot spring water. This highlights the importance of water management programs to prevent Legionella growth.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tanmoy Debnath, Sushanta Deb, Subrata K. Das
Summary: This study described the microbial community composition and function in tropical hot springs and their relationship with environmental variables. The metagenomic analysis revealed differences in dominant phyla among hot springs with different temperatures, and identified genes related to various metabolic pathways.
CURRENT MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Prasenjit Das, K. Maya, D. Padmalal
Summary: This study reviews the widely distributed thermal springs in India from a hydrogeochemical and isotopic perspective. The thermal springs are classified into four groups based on geotectonic framework, and representative datasets from each group are analyzed. The study finds significant hydrogeochemical variations among different thermal spring clusters, which are caused by differences in rock-water interactions and system characteristics. The study also estimates reservoir temperatures using different geochemical thermometers and analyzes the chemistry of associated gaseous discharges.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
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)