Article
Environmental Sciences
Haiping Li, Fanping Meng, Aifeng Li
Summary: In this study, acute toxicity data of xylenes and propylbenzenes for aquatic species were collected to calculate hazardous concentrations. The results showed that xylenes and propylbenzenes pose high risks to groundwater but low risks to natural seawater, river water, and lake water.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Acoustics
E. Sebastian Lelo de Larrea-Mancera, Trevor Stavropoulos, Audrey Anna Carrillo, Sierra Cheung, Yue J. He, David A. Eddins, Michelle R. Molis, Frederick J. Gallun, Aaron R. Seitz
Summary: This study explored the effectiveness of remote auditory processing testing using a remote testing system. The results showed that the remote testing data were well-matched and reliable compared to the laboratory testing, but the overall performance was slightly lower than published norms. Analysis of factors such as environmental noise, distraction, or lack of calibration did not provide reliable evidence for their contribution to performance variance. These findings indicate the feasibility of remote hearing testing and demonstrate the potential for large-scale remote testing to advance basic science and establish clinical viability.
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yanfeng Zhang, Jun Yin, Zhiqian Qv, Huijuan Chen, Hongwei Li, Ying Zhang, Lingyan Zhu
Summary: In this study, species sensitivity distribution (SSD) was used to derive fresh-water sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) for four representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A linear relationship between SQGs and octanol-water partition coefficient (log KOW) was developed and applied to predict the SQGs of other twelve PAHs. The obtained SQGs were in the range of 0.46-1.79 mg/kg and showed good correlations with observed toxicities of sediments.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Yogesh Kumar, Kairam Narsaiah
Summary: The authentication of animal species is crucial, with polymerase chain reaction being the most sensitive method. However, it requires expensive equipment and labs. Recently, there is a demand for on-site detection methods and devices in low-resource settings, which must be affordable and efficient.
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chao Shen, Xinglu Pan, Xiaohu Wu, Jun Xu, Fengshou Dong, Yongquan Zheng
Summary: The study showed that difenoconazole poses potential ecological risks in aquatic environments, especially causing adverse effects on aquatic organisms in different countries. Therefore, it is recommended to restrict and rationalize the use of difenoconazole to reduce its harm to aquatic ecosystems.
Review
Environmental Sciences
L. Albarano, G. Lofrano, M. Costantini, V Zupo, F. Carraturo, M. Guida, G. Libralato
Summary: The study applied the species sensitivity distribution approach to assess the toxicity of amendments used for in situ sediment remediation on aquatic organisms, finding that activated carbon and nano-Zero-Valent-Iron were relatively safer and more effective in protecting aquatic environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xuefei Liu, Yunqi Yan, Ying Chen, Qidong Tian, Jun Li, Weinan Zheng, Tengfei Li
Summary: This paper proposes a fast risk assessment method based on iterative inference to evaluate the impact of extreme weather on distribution grids and predict system losses and vulnerabilities. The sensitivity of branch failure probability regarding system outage risk is also analyzed to identify critical risk-leveraging components.
Article
Mechanics
Haizhuang Jiang, Wanli Kang, Bobo Zhou, Fang Wang, Hongbin Yang, Zhe Li, Yingqi He, Yuxuan Shao, Bauyrzhan Sarsenbekuly, Maratbek Gabdullin, Sarsenbek Turtabayev
Summary: Through experiments and analysis, this study investigated the position distribution, composition, and formation mechanism of blockage in water-flooding reservoirs. It was found that blockage near the inlet is mainly composed of inorganic scale, while blockage near the outlet is predominantly composite scale. Water sensitivity leads to a decrease in permeability.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huan-yu Tao, Jiawei Zhang, Bin Li, Hui Ge, Mengtao Zhang, Wei Guo, Jianghong Shi, Xiao-yan Li
Summary: Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are commonly used as plasticizers and have adverse effects on aquatic organisms. This study investigated the toxicity of two PAEs and conducted an ecological risk assessment. The results showed varying levels of risk for these substances in Chinese water and sediment samples.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vinodh Kandavalli, Praneeth Karempudi, Jimmy Larsson, Johan Elf
Summary: The authors present a method for performing phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing at the single-cell level using a microfluidic chip, allowing for subsequent genotyping with in situ FISH. They demonstrate its application in a mixed sample of seven species and four antibiotics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Peiru Chen, Zhipeng Zhang, Yujie Huang, Lei Dai, Hao Hu
Summary: This paper proposes an evidence-based Fuzzy Bayesian Network approach to construct probabilistic models of marine accidents. The study finds that distraction, heavy weather, inadequate safety awareness, and maintenance failure are closely related to a majority of high-consequence marine accidents.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samantha Jimenez-Oyola, Eduardo Chavez, Maria-Jesus Garcia-Martinez, Marcelo F. Ortega, David Bolonio, Fredy Guzman-Martinez, Iker Garcia-Garizabal, Paola Romero
Summary: The study conducted a Bayesian probabilistic human health risk assessment related to multi-pathway exposure to heavy metal(loid)s in a gold mining area in Southern Ecuador. The results showed unacceptable risk levels for human health in both adults and children, primarily through ingestion of tap water and incidental ingestion of surface water. However, exposure to soil via accidental ingestion and dermal contact was below the safety limit, posing no risk to human health.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Tapakorn Chamchoy, Emmanuel Okello, Deniece R. Williams, Karen Tonooka, Kathy Glenn, Koji Maehana, Ian A. Gardner, Sharif S. Aly
Summary: This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a rapid mastitis kit and found that it had high specificity for detecting Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus. However, its sensitivity was relatively low, indicating the need for confirmatory tests in case of negative results.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sulan Feng, Lin Zhu, Xinguo Zhao, Qi Sui, Xuemei Sun, Bijuan Chen, Keming Qu, Bin Xia
Summary: The ecological risks of metallic nanoparticles on the marine ecosystem remain poorly understood. This study constructed species sensitivity distributions for Ag, ZnO, CuO, and TiO2 nanoparticles to understand their ecotoxicity to the marine ecosystem and the contribution of size effect and ion effect to nanotoxicity. The results showed that Ag nanoparticles had the highest toxicity, followed by ZnO, CuO, and TiO2 nanoparticles. Both size effect and ion effect contributed to the toxicity of nanoparticles.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bo Fan, Ji Li, Xiaonan Wang, Jin Chen, Xiangyun Gao, Wenwen Li, Shunhao Ai, Liang Cui, Shixiang Gao, Zhengtao Liu
Summary: This study calculated the national aquatic life criteria for ammonia in China, and found a decreasing trend in ammonia and NH3 pollution, with some basins showing an increasing trend. Different species taxa show varying sensitivity to ammonia, with Perciformes fish identified as a priority protected species. The ecological risk assessment results indicate a certain impact of long-term exposure to NH3 on affected species.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonathan P. Bray, Andrew O'Reilly-Nugent, Guillaume Kon Kam King, Sarit Kaserzon, Susan J. Nichols, Ralph Mac Nally, Ross M. Thompson, Ben J. Kefford
Summary: Pesticides are recognized as a threat to freshwater biodiversity, but their specific ecological effects are difficult to distinguish from other stressors and environmental gradients. This study used mesocosms to examine the effects of an organophosphate insecticide on stream macroinvertebrate communities and evaluated the specificity of a species sensitivity index designed to determine pesticide effects.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. Bray, A. Miranda, A. Keely-Smith, S. Kaserzon, G. Elisei, A. Chou, S. J. Nichols, R. Thompson, D. Nugegoda, B. J. Kefford
Summary: In human-modified ecosystems, it is challenging to establish the effects of individual stressors, but other stressors and ecosystem components may reduce the toxic effects of organophosphate pesticides on aquatic biota. By examining the effects of pH and sorptive processes on aqueous malathion concentrations and toxicity, a better understanding of stressor effects and interactions can be obtained.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mark D. Shenton, Susan J. Nichols, Jon P. Bray, Benjamin J. G. Moulding, Ben J. Kefford
Summary: The application of road de-icing salts in the Australian Alps may lead to salinization of fresh waters and degrade habitat for aquatic organisms. This study found that the salinity increases attributable to de-icing resulted in altered macroinvertebrate community composition in streams near ski resorts.
ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Richard P. Duncan, Ben J. Kefford
Summary: This article highlights three issues commonly underestimated in evaluating interactions in ecological statistical models, including the scale of the outcome variable, spurious interactions due to correlated variables, and the presence of nonlinear interactions. These issues may lead to misleading interpretations of results.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Ben J. Kefford, Ross Hyne, Andrew J. Brooks, Jonathan P. Bray, Mark Shenton, Kasey Hills, Susan J. Nichols
Summary: Human-mediated salinity increases have negative effects on freshwater biodiversity globally. It is important to consider individual ion concentrations and ion ratios in addition to total concentrations when determining the effects of salinity. Single-species laboratory tests may not accurately predict the impact of different salt sources on populations and communities. This study compared the effects of synthetic marine salts and sodium bicarbonate on stream macroinvertebrates in an outdoor mesocosm experiment in southeastern Australia.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin J. G. Moulding, Guillaume Kon Kam King, Mark Shenton, Jon P. Bray, Susan J. Nichols, Ben J. Kefford
Summary: Increasing salinity poses a risk to freshwater biota globally, and using different metrics of toxicity can lead to varying results when comparing substances.
ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Andrew J. Brooks, Jonathan Bray, Susan J. Nichols, Mark Shenton, Sarit Kaserzon, Ralph Mac Nally, Ben J. Kefford
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Stefan Kunz, Ben J. Kefford, Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber, Christoph D. Matthaei, Philippe Usseglio-Polatera, Wolfram Graf, N. LeRoy Poff, Leon Metzeling, Laura Twardochleb, Charles P. Hawkins, Ralf B. Schaefer
Summary: The use of invertebrate traits for research in freshwater ecology allows for large-scale comparisons, but inconsistencies in trait definitions pose challenges, especially when harmonizing definitions across different databases and aggregating traits.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Ben J. Kefford, Jon P. Bray, Susan J. Nichols, Jollene Reich, Ralph Mac Nally, Andrew O'Reilly-Nugent, Guillaume Kon Kam King, Ross Thompson
Summary: Increasing salinity in freshwater ecosystems can have direct and indirect effects on organisms, leading to ecological changes. Despite criticism, new data analysis shows that previous study conclusions were not significantly affected, further emphasizing the importance of research and experimental design on biotic stressors.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Ben J. Kefford, Jon P. Bray, Susan J. Nichols, Jollene Reich, Ralph Mac Nally, Andrew O'Reilly-Nugent, Guillaume Kon Kam King, Ross Thompson
Summary: The experimental results suggest that the effect of experimental increases in salinity on stream macroinvertebrate communities was altered by organisms from a high-salinity site. The claim that the initial community was confounded and then converged and diverged during the experiment is not easily explained. Further research is encouraged to understand the effects of salinity and other abiotic stressors on ecological communities.
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kasey A. Hills, Ross Hyne, Ben J. Kefford
Summary: The concentrations of major ions in coal mine discharge waters and unconventional hydrocarbon produced waters from coal bed methane production can potentially harm freshwater ecosystems, with bicarbonate being a major constituent. However, it is not well understood how the different proportions of ions, especially bicarbonate, in these waters affect toxicity. This study found that freshwater invertebrates are more sensitive to sodium bicarbonate than sodium chloride or synthetic sea water. The toxicity of coal bed waters was driven by bicarbonate concentration, but other ions were found to either alleviate or exacerbate the toxicity of bicarbonate.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Ben J. Kefford, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Beatrice Dewenter, N. LeRoy Poff, Jane Hughes, Jollene Reich, Ross Thompson
Summary: Global warming is altering temperature variability at multiple temporal scales, which has important consequences for ectotherms. Understanding the responses of organisms within and across generations to different time scales of thermal variation is crucial in predicting the impacts of climate change on ectotherms.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ben J. Kefford, Susan J. Nichols, Richard P. Duncan
Summary: Understanding the cumulative effects of multiple stressors on biodiversity is crucial for effective management. Our study found that the impacts of salinity and turbidity on the richness of stream macroinvertebrate families varied depending on the environmental context, showing additive, antagonistic, or synergistic outcomes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria Joao Feio, Robert M. Hughes, Sonia R. Q. Serra, Susan J. Nichols, Ben J. Kefford, Mark Lintermans, Wayne Robinson, Oghenekaro N. Odume, Marcos Callisto, Diego R. Macedo, Jon S. Harding, Adam G. Yates, Wendy Monk, Keigo Nakamura, Terutaka Mori, Masanao Sueyoshi, Norman Mercado-Silva, Kai Chen, Min Jeong Baek, Yeon Jae Bae, Ram Devi Tachamo-Shah, Deep Narayan Shah, Ian Campbell, Nabor Moya, Francis O. Arimoro, Unique N. Keke, Renato T. Martins, Carlos B. M. Alves, Paulo S. Pompeu, Subodh Sharma
Summary: This study evaluated the biological condition of rivers globally and provided recommendations for river ecosystem conservation. The results showed that good biological conditions were associated with good water quality and increased forested areas, while severely impaired conditions were associated with higher human development index scores, poorer water quality, and fewer protected freshwater areas. The study highlights the importance of implementing statutory bioassessment programs in Asian, African, and South American countries.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lloyd P. Werry, Mirco Bundschuh, Simon M. Mitrovic, Richard P. Lim, Ben J. Kefford
Summary: This study investigated the rate of leaf litter breakdown in alpine streams and how temperature and other factors influenced this process. The results showed that water temperature had a significant impact on the rate of leaf litter breakdown, with higher rates observed during warmer deployment periods and at lower elevations. Additionally, both microbial and macroinvertebrate activities were equally important in leaf litter breakdown.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)