European Court of Justice ruling regarding new genetic engineering methods scientifically justified: a commentary on the biased reporting about the recent ruling

In July 2018, the European Court of Justice (Case C-528/16) ruled that organisms obtained by directed mutagenesis techniques are to be regarded as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within the meaning of Directive 2001/18. The ruling marked the next round of the dispute around agricultural genetic engineering in Europe. Many of the pros and cons presented in this dispute are familiar from the debate around the first generation of genetic engineering techniques. The current wave of enthusiasm for the new genetic engineering methods, with its claim to make good on the failed promises of the previous wave, seems to point more to an admission of failure of the last generation of genetic engineering than to a true change of paradigm. Regulation is being portrayed as a ban on research and use, which is factually incorrect, and the judges of the European Court of Justice are being defamed as espousing “pseudoscience”. Furthermore, this highly polarised position dominates the media reporting of the new techniques and the court’s ruling. Advocates of the new genetic engineering techniques appear to believe that their benefits are so clear that furnishing reliable scientific evidence is unnecessary. Meanwhile, critics who believe that the institution of science is in a serious crisis are on the increase not just due to the cases of obvious documented scientific misconduct by companies and scientists, but also due to the approach of dividing the world into those categorically for or against genetic engineering. In this construct of irreconcilable opposites, differentiations fall by the wayside. This article is a response to this one-sided and biased reporting, which often has the appearance of spin and lacks journalistic ethics that require journalists to report on different positions in a balanced and factual manner instead of taking positions and becoming undeclared advocates themselves.     

Surfactant-induced changes in gravity fingering of water through a light oil

Gravity-driven preferential flow (fingering) can greatly affect how one fluid displaces another in the subsurface. We have studied the internal properties of these preferential flow paths for water, with and without surfactants, infiltrating into oil saturated porous media using synchrotron X-rays, and miniature tensiometers to characterize fluid content and pressure relationships. We also used a light transmission technique to visualize overall flow pattern. Capillary pressure and water content decrease behind the front, similar to fingers in air-dry sand, with quantitative differences for five different surfactants with surface tensions ranging from 4–21 g/s². Using unstable flow theory, the finger widths, capillary pressure drops within the fingers, finger tip lengths, and finger splitting dynamics were scaled successfully with interfacial tension, fluid density, and the contact angle using the fingers in air–water systems as the reference.     

Dairy manure as a potential source of crop nutrients and environmental contaminants

Although animal manure is applied to agricultural fields for its nutrient value, it may also contain potential contaminants. To determine the variability in such contaminants as well as in valuable nutrients, nine uncomposted manure samples from Idaho dairies collected during 2.5 years were analyzed for macro- and micro-nutrients, hormones, phytoestrogens, antibiotics, veterinary drugs, antibiotic resistance genes, and genetic elements involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance. Total N ranged from 6.8 to 30.7 (C:N of 10 to 21), P from 2.4 to 9.0, and K from 10.2 to 47.7 g/kg manure. Zn (103 – 348 mg/kg) was more abundant than Cu (56 – 127 mg/kg) in all samples. Phytoestrogens were the most prevalent contaminants detected, with concentrations fluctuating over time, reflecting animal diets. This is the first study to document the presence of flunixin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in solid stacked manure from regular dairy operations. Monensin was the most frequently detected antibiotic. Progesterones and sulfonamides were regularly detected. We also investigated the relative abundance of several types of plasmids involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance in clinical settings. Plasmids belonging to the IncI, IncP, and IncQ1 incompatibility groups were found in almost all manure samples. IncQ1 plasmids, class 1 integrons, and sulfonamide resistance genes were the most widespread and abundant genetic element surveyed, emphasizing their potential role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. The benefits associated with amending agricultural soils with dairy manure must be carefully weighed against the potential negative consequences of any manure contaminants.     

瑞典四大湖泊(梅拉伦、哈马伦、韦特恩和维纳恩湖)研究工作40年:监测与治理措施对于社会可持续发展的重要意义

对瑞典的梅拉伦、哈马伦、韦特恩和维纳恩等四个大湖水质进行的监测已差不多有40年了.对湖泊的物理化学参数、浮游生物和底辆无脊椎动物进行了定期评估.对湖泊的水文和沉积条件、大型植物、鱼类、原始有机物产率、细菌和附生藻类进行了定期调查.人类活动(包括工业活动)的影响表现在湖中有机质、养分、金属和持久性有机化合物过量增加.从60年代末开始,对这些湖泊汇水区内所有市政污水处理厂都进行了更新改造,使其达到了最高技术标准(包括磷的化学沉淀处理),因而污水处理厂的磷排放减少了90%-95%.此外还对工业企业作出了规定,要求它们减少有害物质的排放.本文讨论了对湖泊采取活污措施后湖泊的变化情况以及各种指标达到的水平.这些研究有助于制定全国性湖泊监测计划.另外,通过大湖监测取得的成果有助于制定国家水质标准,包括物理、化学和生物学标准.     

The new challenges of end-of-life tyres management systems: A Spanish case study

Directive 2008/98/EC released by the European Union represents a significant step forward in all relevant aspects of waste management. Under the already established, extended produced responsibility (EPR) principle, new policies have been enunciated to continuously achieve better overall environmental performance of key products throughout their life phases. This paper discusses how the directive is being articulated in Spain by the main integrated management system (IMS) for end-of-life (EOL) tyres since its creation in 2006. Focusing on the IMS technological, economic and legal aspects, the study provides a global perspective and evaluation of how the IMS is facing the current issues to resolve, the new challenges that have appeared and the management vision for the coming years.     

Ancient pests: the season of the Santorini Minoan volcanic eruption and a date from insect chitin

Attributing a season and a date to the volcanic eruption of Santorini in the Aegean has become possible by using preserved remains of the bean weevil, Bruchus rufipes, pests of pulses, from the storage jars of the West House, in the Bronze Age settlement at Akrotiri. We have applied an improved pre-treatment methodology for dating the charred insects, and this provides a date of 1744–1538 BC. This date is within the range of others obtained from pulses from the same context and confirms the utility of chitin as a dating material. Based on the nature of the insect material and the life cycle of the species involved, we argue for a summer eruption, which took place after harvest, shortly after this material was transported into the West House storeroom.     

Phosphorus recovery methods from secondary resources,assessment of overall benefits and barriers with focus on the Nordic countries

Phosphorus (P) recovery and recycling play a crucial role in improving resource efficiency, sustainable nutrient management and moving toward circular economy. Increasing demand for fertilizers, signs of geopolitical constraints, and high discharge of P to waterbodies are the other reasons to pursue the circularity of P. Various research have been carrying out and several processes have been developed for P-recovery from different resources. However, there is still a huge unexplored potential for P-recovery specially in the regional framework from the four main P-rich waste resources: food waste, manure, mining waste, and sewage sludge. This study reviews recovery methods of P from these secondary resources comprehensively. Additionally, it analyzes the Nordic viewpoint of P-cycle by evaluating Nordic reserves, demands, and secondary resources to gain a systematic assessment of how Nordic countries could move toward circular economy of P. Results of this study show that secondary resources of P in Nordic countries have the potential of replacing mineral fertilizer in these countries to a considerable extent. However, to overcome the challenges of P-recovery from studied resources, policymakers and researchers need to take decisions and make innovation along each other to open the new possibilities for Nordic economy.

     

Identification of trail pheromone compounds from the labial glands of the stingless bee Geotrigona mombuca

Foragers of several species of stingless bees deposit pheromone spots in the vegetation to guide recruited nestmates to a rich food source. Recent studies have shown that Trigona and Scaptotrigona workers secrete these pheromones from their labial glands. An earlier report stated that species within the genus Geotrigona use citral from their mandibular glands for scent marking. Since convincing experimental proof for this conjecture is lacking, we studied the glandular origin of the trail pheromone of Geotrigona mombuca. In field bioassays, newly recruited bees were diverted by artificial scent trails that branched off from the natural scent trail deposited by their nestmates only when they were baited with extracts from the foragers’ labial glands. Compounds extracted from the mandibular glands, however, did not release trail following behavior. This demonstrates that the trail pheromone of G. mombuca is produced in the labial glands, as in Trigona and Scaptotrigona. Furthermore, in chemical analyses citral was identified exclusively in the foragers’ mandibular glands, which disproves its supposed role as a trail pheromone. The labial glands contained a series of terpene- and wax type esters, with farnesyl butanoate as major constituent. We, therefore, postulate that the trail pheromone of G. mombuca is composed of a blend of esters.