Root responses to soil Ni heterogeneity in a hyperaccumulator and a non-accumulator species

We compared root responses of the Ni-hyperaccumulator plant Berkheya coddii Rossler with the non-accumulator plant Cicer arietinum L. to Ni heterogeneity in soil. We grew plants in growth containers filled with control soil, homogeneously spiked, and heterogeneously spiked soil with Ni concentrations of 62 and 125 mg kg^?1. Neutron radiography (NR) was used to observe the root distribution and the obtained images were analysed to reveal the root volumes in the spiked and unspiked segments of the growth container. There was no significant difference in root distribution pattern of B. coddii among different concentrations of Ni. Unlike B. coddii, the roots of C. arietinum initially grew into the spiked segments. However, the later developing roots did not penetrate the spiked segment suggesting an avoidance strategy. Our results indicate that, B. coddii does not forage towards the Ni-rich patches, although presence of Ni in soil changes its root morphology.     

Speciation and antimicrobial resistance of Enterococci isolated from recreational beaches in Malaysia

We report the first study on the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant enterococci in coastal bathing waters in Malaysia. One hundred and sixty-five enterococci isolates recovered from two popular recreational beaches in Malaysia were speciated and screened for antibiotic resistance to a total of eight antibiotics. Prevalence of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium was highest in both beaches. E. faecalis/E. faecium ratio was 0.384:1 and 0.375:1, respectively, for isolates from Port Dickson (PD) and Bagan Lalang (BL). Analysis of Fisher’s exact test showed that association of prevalence of E. faecalis and E. faecium with considered locations was not statistically significant (p?<?0.05). Chi-square test revealed significant differences (χ ²?=?82.630, df?=?20, p?<?0.001) in the frequency of occurrence of enterococci isolates from the considered sites. Resistance was highest to nalidixic acid (94.84 %) and least for chloramphenicol (8.38 %). One-way ANOVA using Tukey–Kramer multiple comparison test showed that resistance to ampicillin was higher in PD beach isolates than BL isolates and the difference was extremely statistically significant (p?<?0.0001). Frequency of occurrence of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) isolates were higher for PD beach water (64.29 %) as compared to BL beach water (13.51 %), while MAR indices ranged between 0.198 and 0.48. The results suggest that samples from Port Dickson may contain MAR bacteria and that this could be due to high-risk faecal contamination from sewage discharge pipes that drain into the sea water.     

Industrialization,Freight Transport and Environmental Quality: Evidence from Belt and Road Initiative Economies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Belt and Road initiative has been proposed by China to initiate the cooperation among relevant countries in sector of energy and Trade. The...     

Groundwater vulnerability to selenium in semi-arid environments: Amman Zarqa Basin,Jordan

An evaluation of ~250 samples of groundwater in the Amman Zarqa Basin for selenium along with other major and trace elements showed that concentrations of Se ranged between 0.09 and 742 μg/L, with an average value of about 24 μg/L. Selenium concentrations exceeded the recommended threshold for drinking water of the World Health Organization (WHO; 10 μ/L of Se) in 114 samples, with greater than 50 μg/L (quantity equivalent to the Jordanian standard of the allowed concentration of the element in water) of Se in nine cases. The average concentrations of Se in the lower, middle, and upper aquifers of the basin were 3.41, 32.99, and 9.19 μg/L, respectively. Based on the correlation with geologic formations and the statistical analysis of major/minor constituents and Piper tri-linear diagrams, we suggest that carbonate/phosphate dissolution, oxidation–reduction processes, and fertilizers/irrigation return flow are, together, the primary factors affecting the chemistry of the groundwater. Factor analysis helped to define the relative role of limestone-dolomitic dissolution in the aquifers (calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate), agricultural activities (sulfate, nitrates, phosphorus, and potassium), oxidation–reduction factor (Eh, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Se), and anthropogenic (industrial) factor (EC, Fe, Cr, Co, Zn, and As). The high variability in Se concentrations might be related to the possibility of a multi-source origin of Se in the area.     

Yield gap analysis of major food crops in Pakistan: prospects for food security

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The concept of yield gap analysis can be used to meet the growing demands for agricultural products. Sustainable development goals (e.g. SDG1 and...     

Heavy metal concentration in sediment, benthic, benthopelagic, and pelagic fish species from Musa Estuary (Persian Gulf)

The concentration of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, and Pb was measured in sediment and three fish species collected from Musa Estuary, Persian Gulf. The concentration order of heavy metals in sediment were Ni > Co > Cu > Pb > Cd >. Concentrations of the heavy metals in the fish were apparently different among the three species. The concentrations of Cd and Ni in fish were Johnius belangerii > Euryglossa orientalis > Liza abu, while the Co and Cu levels were L. abu > E. orientalis > J. belangerii and E. orientalis > L. abu > J. belangerii, respectively. Result of regression analysis showed that there were no significant relationships between metal concentration in fish tissues and sediment, except for Ni concentration in the J. belangerii liver. The concentrations of studied metals in fish muscle were below the permissible limits proposed by FAO, WHO, and EC.     

Flyash-based bricks: an environmental savior—a critical review

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The extraction of unsustainable natural resources like sand and topsoil for construction is disturbing ecological balance, affecting local...     

CO2 sequestration by propagation of the fast-growing Azolla spp.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Azolla is a group of aquatic floating plants that can achieve very high growth rates compared to other aquatic macrophytes, with a doubling time of...     

Reverse vaccinology approach for multi-epitope centered vaccine design against delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, initially identified in Wuhan, China, has impacted people all over the globe and new variants of concern continue to...