Leaf morphoanatomy of species tolerant to excess iron and evaluation of their phytoextraction potential

Setaria parviflora (Poir.) Kerguélen and Paspalum urvillei Steudel are grasses that grow naturally in a soil with high iron contents. This study aimed to characterize morphoanatomically and histochemically the iron phytotoxicity on leaves and evaluate the phytoextraction potential of these grasses. Saplings were cultivated in hydroponic solution with and without excess Fe-EDTA. Regarding measurements taken on leaves, reduction was observed among treatments of Fe-EDTA on height values of abaxial epidermis and bundle sheath in both species. As for iron histolocalization, stronger reaction was observed in leaves of S. parviflora, in comparison with P. urvillei. Anatomical damage, such as protoplast retraction, irregular xylem, changes in cell volume, and cell collapse, and visual symptoms, like leaf bronzing, chlorosis, and necrosis, were similar in both species when exposed to excess iron; however, P. urvillei showed more severe damage. This species accumulated more iron in shoots than S. parviflora and therefore is more favorable for use in phytoextraction. The root system of both species accumulated higher iron concentrations in relation to shoots.     

Comparative study of the urban quality of life in Cuban first-level cities from an objective dimension

The urban quality of life (UQoL) from objective dimension was analyzed in the main Cuban cities. An Urban Quality of Life Index (UQoLI) was developed in collaboration with 60 experts (five in each city). These experts belong to one of two categories: in charge of the planning of the city and members of the Municipal Council of Administration. One hundred and forty-two directors of the Local District Administration also participated in the analysis. The UQoLI includes three dimensions: social services, economic performance, and urban services, the importance of which is weighed according to expert criteria. A Ranking of the studied cities, sorted by the UQoLI, shows a tendency of increase it UQoL in the west even and central regions. This tendency contradicts one of the foundations of the Cuban sustainable development framework, i.e., equity.     

Novel Renewable Polyols Based on Limonene for Rigid Polyurethane Foams

Novel renewable polyols based on limonene were synthesized using thiol-ene “click” chemistry. These limonene based polyols were structurally characterized using wet methods (hydroxyl number, acid value and viscosity), gel permeation chromatography and spectroscopic methods. The results indicated that high yield of polyols from limonene based materials can be obtained using thiol-ene reaction. These limonene based polyols were used successfully for preparation of rigid polyurethane foams. These foams had regular shape cells and uniform cell size distribution. Thermal studies on these foams indicated that foams were thermally stable up to 250 °C. The glass transition temperature of the foams was higher than 200 °C. These rigid polyurethane foams had high compressive strength and the highest compressive strength of 195 kPa was observed. These foams have good physical–mechanical characteristics and could be suitable for all the applications of rigid polyurethane foams such as thermal insulation of freezers, storage tanks for the chemical and food industries, and packing materials for food industries.     

Agro-industrial wastes as effective amendments for ecotoxicity reduction and soil health improvement in aided phytostabilization

Aided phytostabilization is a technology that uses metal tolerant plants and organic and/or inorganic amendments to reduce soil metal bioavailability, while improving soil health. Our objective was to determine the effects of the application of amendments [sheep manure (SHEEP), poultry litter (POULTRY), cow slurry (COW), and paper mill sludge mixed with poultry litter (PAPER)], together with the growth of a metallicolous Festuca rubra L. population, on (i) chemical and microbial indicators of soil health and (ii) soil ecotoxicity, during the aided phytostabilization of a Zn/Pb contaminated mine soil. Amendment application led to an increase in soil pH, organic matter content, and inorganic salts, resulting in a decrease in Pb and Zn CaCl₂-extractable concentrations in soil, which, in turn, contributed to lower ecotoxicity and a stimulation of plant growth and soil microbial communities. The factor most affecting the metal extractability was probably soil pH. POULTRY was the best amendment in terms of increasing plant growth, chlorophylls content, and soil microbial biomass and activity, but resulted in higher levels of phytoavailable Pb and Zn. SHEEP and PAPER were more effective at reducing metal CaCl₂-extractability and, consequently, led to lower values of metal accumulation in plant tissues, thereby reducing the risk of metals entering into the food chain. When combined with the application of organic amendments, the metallicolous F. rubra population studied here appears an excellent candidate for aided phytostabilization. Our results indicate that the application of organic amendments is essential for the short-term recovery of highly contaminated metalliferous soils during aided phytostabilization.     

Let’s play transformations! Performative methods for sustainability

Coping with global environmental change demands new forms of civic engagement and interaction able to transform passive audiences attending to the drama of unsustainability into committed actors for sustainability. This entails linking diverse sources of scientific knowledge with personal experiences, emotion and ethical judgments. In this paper, we assess the potential as well as the limitations of innovative theatre-based participatory tools and methods aimed at supporting sustainability learning and agent transformation. To this aim, we first review a series of experiences using theatrical performance and introduce the notion of performative methods. Second, we assess to what extent these new approaches can be of relevance in environmental action research and sustainability science, practice and learning. Finally, we list a series of key research questions to further guide methodological innovation in this promising area of sustainability science and practice. Our findings show a growing and successful use of such methodologies worldwide, both in academia and in implementation-oriented approaches. An increasing number of topics and complexity is being embraced by these methods, offering a fertile ground for innovation in participatory sustainability science.     

Chronic exposure to environmental stressors induces fluctuating asymmetry in shrews inhabiting protected Mediterranean sites

Many ecotoxicological studies have addressed the effects of contaminant exposure at various levels of biological organization. However, little information exists on the effects of toxicants on wildlife populations. Here we examined exposure of populations of the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula (Soricomorpha, Soricidae) occupying two protected Mediterranean sites (a polluted area, the Ebro Delta, and a control site, Garraf Massif). Bioaccumulation of selected elements (Pb, Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cr, Mo, Sr, Ba, and B), a body condition index (BCI) and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) were used to assess the chronic exposure to environmental pollution. BCI was correlated neither to metal concentrations nor to FA, suggesting that this fitness measure only reflects environmental disturbances at a local level. However, shrews from the polluted area showed higher concentrations of metals and metalloids (Pb, Hg, B, and Sr) and greater shape FA than specimens from the reference area. A correlation between FA was found for both first and second principal component vectors suggesting that developmental instability increases as a result of exposure to multiple pollutants. Our results corroborate the suitability of C. russula as a bioindicator of environmental quality and show that FA is an appropriate index to examine impact of developmental stressors in populations inhabiting disturbed areas.     

Growth and photosynthetic responses to copper in wild grapevine

The present study evaluates the tolerance and accumulation potential of Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris under moderate and high external Cu levels. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effects of a range of external Cu concentrations (0–23 mmol L⁻¹) on growth and photosynthetic performance by measuring gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and photosynthetic pigments. We also measured the total copper, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and sodium concentrations in the plant tissues. All the experimental plants survived even with external Cu concentrations as high as 23 mmol L⁻¹ (1500 mg Cu L⁻¹), although the excess of metal resulted in a biomass reduction of 35%. The effects of Cu on growth were linked to a reduction in net photosynthesis, which may be related to the effect of the high concentration of the metal on photosynthetic electron transport. V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris survived with leaf Cu concentrations as high as 80 mg kg⁻¹ DW and growth parameters were unaffected by leaf tissue concentrations of 35 mg Cu kg⁻¹ DW. The results of our study indicate that plants of V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris from the studied population are more tolerant to Cu than the commercial varieties of grapevine that have been studied in the literature, and could constitute a basis for the genetic improvement of Cu tolerance in grapevine.     

Hydrogeo-chemical impacts of air sparging remediation on a semi-confined aquifer: Evidences from field monitoring and modeling

Air sparging (AS) was explored for remediation of a petroleum contaminated semi-confined groundwater system in NE China. Physical, hydro-chemical and hydraulic behaviors in subsurface environment during AS were investigated with support of modeling to understand the hydrogeo-chemical impacts of AS on the aquifer. The responses of groundwater, dissolved oxygen and temperature indicated that the radius of influence of AS was up to 8–9 m, and a 3D boundary of the zone of influence (ZOI) was accordingly obtained with volume of 362 m³. Water mounding unlike normal observations was featured by continuous up-lift and blocked dissipation. AS induced water displacement was calculated showing no obvious spreading of contaminant plume under this AS condition. Slug tests were employed before and after AS to reveal that the physical perturbation led to sharp increase in permeability and porosity. Modeling indicated that the regional groundwater flow field was not affected by AS except the physical perturbation in ZOI. Hydro-chemically increase of pH and Eh, and reduction of TDS, electrical conductivity and bicarbonate were observed in ZOI during AS. PHREEQC modeling inferred that these chemical phenomena were induced by the inorganic carbon transfer during air mixing.     

Determination of priority pesticides in water samples combining SPE and SPME coupled to GC–MS. A case study: Suquía River basin (Argentina)

This study reports a combined method using solid phase extraction (SPE), followed by solid phase microextraction (SPME) to concentrate different pesticides, including chlorinated, organophosphorus, triazines, pyretroids and chloroacetamides, present at trace levels in water samples. Identification and quantification was carried out by gas chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). The optimized methodology showed LOQs at ng L^?1 levels (ranging 0.2–3.5 ng L^?1) in addition to acceptable precision and robustness (recoveries ranged 63–104%, RSD from 4% to 23%), presenting a novel method to reach trace levels, similar to that obtainable using EC detector, with structural confirmation by MS during the analysis of a wide range of environmental pollutants.This method was applied to the study of temporal and spatial distribution of pesticides in the Suquía River basin (Córdoba-Argentina). As expected, highest levels of agrochemicals were observed in areas with intensive agricultural practices, being atrazine (max. = 433.9 ng L^?1), alpha-cypermetrine (max. = 121.7 ng L^?1) and endosulfan sulfate (max. = 106.7 ng L^?1) predominant. In urban areas, the prevalent pesticide was alpha-cypermethrine. These results draw attention to the need of pesticide monitoring programs in rivers, considering both urban and rural sections.