Article
Ecology
Henny O. Omosigho, Elmer Swart, Tom P. Sizmur, Dave J. Spurgeon, Claus Svendsen, Liz J. Shaw
Summary: Earthworms play a crucial role in soil ecosystems, particularly in functions like organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Antibiotic treatment successfully suppressed the earthworm-associated microbiome, providing a valuable tool for future ecological studies on earthworm microbial interactions affecting host health and function.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elma Lahive, Richard Cross, Aafke Saarloos, Alice A. Horton, Claus Svendsen, Rudolf Hufenus, Denise M. Mitrano
Summary: Microplastic fibres and nanoplastics have the potential to harm soil organisms. This study used inorganic tracers to quantify the uptake of these particles in earthworms. The results showed that both types of particles can be retained in the earthworms for extended periods.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
R. D. Handy, N. J. Clark, D. Boyle, J. Vassallo, C. Green, F. Nasser, T. L. Botha, V Wepener, N. W. van den Brink, C. Svendsen
Summary: This study aimed to predict the bioaccumulation potential of manufactured nanomaterials (MNs) in fish using alternative methods. It explored the physico-chemical properties of MNs, measured metal uptake through the ex vivo gut sac technique, and simulated bioaccessible metal through an in chemico digestibility assay. The results showed that the liver's nano biomagnification factor (nBMF) had the best correlation with the physico-chemical parameters, and the in chemico digestibility assay could predict bioaccumulation potential. The ex vivo gut sac technique also correlated well with in vivo results.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nina Jeliazkova, Eric Bleeker, Richard Cross, Andrea Haase, Gemma Janer, Willie Peijnenburg, Mario Pink, Hubert Rauscher, Claus Svendsen, Georgia Tsiliki, Alex Zabeo, Danail Hristozov, Vicki Stone, Wendel Wohlleben
Summary: This paper discusses methods for grouping nanoforms and evaluating data similarity, emphasizing the property-by-property evaluation of the data matrix to support grouping. Multidimensional approaches were found to offer unexpected insights from a scientific perspective, but were deemed difficult to use in a regulatory context.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Iain Perry, Ifan B. Jams, Roser Casas-Mulet, Josefina Hamutoko, Angela Marchbank, Selma Lendelvo, Erold Naomab, Benjamin Mapani, Simon Creer, Heike Wanke, Isabelle Durance, Peter Kille
Summary: eDNA approaches, by identifying DNA fragments in the environment, offer a cost-effective tool for monitoring biodiversity. This study tested eDNA protocols in semi-arid ecosystems in Namibia and successfully gathered data on various organisms. However, challenges such as high turbidity and a lack of reference data were identified.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Bruna Ramalho, Jeferson Dieckow, Luis Cunha, Peter Kille, T. P. I. TPI Network, Vander de Freitas Melo, George Gardner Brown, Priscila Luzia Simon, Mariana Alves Ibarr
Summary: Anthropogenic dark earths (ADEs) store significantly more organic carbon and nitrogen compared to reference soils, primarily in the silt and clay fractions, indicating the important role of mineral-organic associations in organic matter storage in ADEs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meaghan N. Evans, Simon Waller, Carsten T. Muller, Benoit Goossens, Jeremy A. Smith, Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, Peter Kille
Summary: Patterns and practices of agricultural expansion pose a threat to global biodiversity. In this study, the impacts of the global palm oil industry on wildlife species were investigated, with a focus on the wild Malay civets in a degraded landscape in Malaysian Borneo. The levels of metals in the civets' hair were measured, and their association with biological and environmental factors was examined. The study found that metal concentrations were influenced by civet age, weight, proximity to a tributary, and access to oxbow lakes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Fisheries
Scott MacAulay, Amy R. Ellison, Peter Kille, Joanne Cable
Summary: Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial in mitigating the impact of infectious diseases in aquatic environments, but it can be challenging due to hidden biodiversity and physical constraints. Traditional diagnostics like visual diagnosis and histopathology are still widely used, but newer technologies such as portable next generation sequencing and artificial intelligence are being tested for early diagnosis. Future methods like AI image diagnosis and drone surveillance have the potential to reduce labor costs without compromising sensitivity, but they require investment in capital and infrastructure.
REVIEWS IN AQUACULTURE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Willem Proesmans, Christopher Andrews, Alan Gray, Rob Griffiths, Aidan Keith, Uffe N. Nielsen, David Spurgeon, Richard Pywell, Bridget Emmett, Adam J. Vanbergen
Summary: Cattle grazing has profound effects on the abiotic and biotic characteristics of forest ecosystems, including modifications to soil environment and changes in microbial and invertebrate communities.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Ilze Rasnaca, Peter Kille, Lindsay K. Newbold, David J. Spurgeon
Summary: This study investigates the effects of long-term exposure to arsenic, cadmium, and fluoranthene on the survival, growth, development, and DNA methylation status of the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus. The results show significant effects on the measured endpoints for all three chemicals. Arsenic and cadmium have no effect on DNA methylation patterns, while fluoranthene influences DNA methylation levels.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
David Spurgeon, Helen Wilkinson, Wayne Civil, Lorraine Hutt, Elena Armenise, Natalie Kieboom, Kerry Sims, Tim Besien
Summary: Semi-quantitative GC-MS and LC-MS measurements were used to assess the overall magnitude and contribution of organic chemicals to mixture hazard in groundwater and surface waters. The analysis showed that the hazard from a mixture of substances was higher than that from any single chemical, but the contribution of the most important chemical to the overall mixture effect was not large.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claire Badder, Sylvain Bart, Alex Robinson, Helen Hesketh, Peter Kille, David J. Spurgeon
Summary: In this study, a new bioassay method was developed to assess the sensitivity of lepidopteran larvae to pesticides through dietary exposure. The study demonstrated the repeatability and reliability of the method, as well as its potential to observe sub-lethal effects. The findings have important implications for chemical risk assessments and other scenarios.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Iestyn Pope, Nuno G. C. Ferreira, Peter Kille, Wolfgang Langbein, Paola Borri
Summary: The ability to detect small metallic nanoparticles by optical microscopy inside environmentally relevant species may have a wide impact for ecotoxicology studies. We demonstrate four-wave mixing microscopy on individual small gold nanoparticles inside the hepatopancreas of Oniscus Asellus, a terrestrial isopod, which ingests metals found in the soil. Four-wave mixing microscopy holds great potential to investigate the fate of metal nanoparticles inside biological systems.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Rafaela T. Dudas, Wilian C. Demetrio, Liliane S. Maia, Jose N. O. Satiro, Karlo A. Silva, Vitoria B. Nicola, Peter Kille, Cintia M. R. Oliveira, Rita O. Afonso, Georgina Russell, Nuno G. C. Ferreira, Luis Cunha, George G. Brown, Marie L. C. Bartz
Summary: The study assessed earthworm communities in long-term no-tillage sites and nearby secondary Atlantic Forest fragments in Parana state, Brazil. It found 11 earthworm species, with 7 being native species and 4 being exotic or cosmopolitan species. The overall earthworm biomass was higher in the forest sites.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Leonel J. R. Nunes, Laura Guimaraes, Miguel Oliveira, Peter Kille, Nuno G. C. Ferreira
Summary: The common use of tires leads to a large quantity of waste, which is usually disposed of in landfills or energetically recovered. In order to reduce the high costs associated with such disposal methods, the use of thermochemical conversion processes, like pyrolysis, for recycling and reusing tire materials has been investigated. This study focuses on the production and characterization of torrefied and carbonized waste tire samples, with a particular interest in their carbon concentration for potential reuse in carbon black production. The findings suggest that the produced rubber char has a carbon concentration higher than 75%, indicating its potential for use in the production of carbon black for new tires or other rubber materials. Further studies are required to evaluate the amount of sulfur in the final product and explore other potential uses for the rubber char, such as energy recovery.
CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)