Determining subsampling effort for the development of a rapid bioassessment protocol using benthic macroinvertebrates in streams of Southeastern Brazil

The purpose of this study was to establish a subsampling procedure for benthic macroinvertebrates to aid in the development of a multimetric index to assess the biological condition of streams. Data from six streams that are considered minimally impaired were used. Subsampling was done using a device divided into 24 quadrats. The sediment from each quadrat was sorted, and all organisms were removed and identified. Richness metrics were the most affected by subsample size. Relative-abundance metrics were the most stable, proving that the sample was well distributed throughout the tray and abundance proportions were maintained. The results showed that the macroinvertebrate assemblage present in the six quadrats was similar to that present in the full sample. These analyses indicated that six quadrats, randomly designated, with a minimum of 200 collected specimens could be used in place of the full sample. In routine water management, managing time and costs are a major challenge; therefore, this type of simplification is absolutely necessary to ensure that a biomonitoring tool is useful for practical applications.     

Use of ecosystem information to improve soil organic carbon mapping of a Mediterranean island

Detailed maps of soil C are needed to guide sustainable soil uses and management decisions. The quality of soil C maps of Italian Mediterranean areas may be improved and the sampling density reduced using secondary data related to the nature of the ecosystem. The current study was conducted to determine: (i) the improvements obtainable in mapping soil C over a Mediterranean island by using ecosystem features and (ii) the effect of different sampling densities on the map accuracy. This work relied on field sampling (n=164) of soil properties measured over the island of Pianosa (Central Italy). Statistical analysis assessing the relationship between soil properties and ecosystem features revealed that the conceptual model of ecosystems defined on the basis of environmental features such as vegetation cover, land use, and soil type was mainly related to the variation of soil organic carbon (OC) content and to the type of Mediterranean environment. The distribution of ecosystems was used to improve the accuracy of soil OC maps obtainable by a simple interpolation approach (ordinary kriging). Substantial improvement was obtained by: (i) stratification into ecosystem types and (ii) applying locally calibrated regressions to satellite imagery that introduced both inter-ecosystem and intra-ecosystem information linked to vegetation features. This study showed that interpolation methods using information on ecosystem distribution can produce accurate maps of soil OC in Mediterranean environments, mostly because of the linkage between soil OC and vegetation types, which are spatially fragmented and heterogeneous.     

Enhancing the visible-light photoactivity of silica-supported TiO2 for the photocatalytic treatment of pharmaceuticals in water

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Catalyst samples based on SiO2-supported TiO2 were prepared with the incorporation of Ag (metal), S (nonmetal), and ZnO@S (semiconductor and...     

Effects of lead exposure on salivary glands of rats: insights into the oxidative biochemistry and glandular morphology

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study aimed to investigate the effects of lead (Pb) exposure on parotid and submandibular glands through morphological aspects as well as the...     

Development of a green and efficient methodology for the heterocyclic aromatic amine determination in biomass samples generated from cigarette combustion and tobacco

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A green methodology was developed for the analysis of ten heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in biomass samples from cigarette combustion such as...     

Substitution of urea–formaldehyde by renewable phenolic compound for environmentally appropriate production of particleboards

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In recent years, research has been conducted in search of alternative adhesives that are less harmful to human health and the environment. Cardanol...     

From classic methodologies to application of nanomaterials for soil remediation: an integrated view of methods for decontamination of toxic metal(oid)s

Soil pollution with toxic elements is a recurrent issue due to environmental disasters, fossil fuel burning, urbanization, and industrialization, which have contributed to soil contamination over the years. Therefore, the remediation of toxic metals in soil is always an important topic since contaminated soil can affect the environment, agricultural safety, and human health. Many remediation methods have been developed; however, it is essential to ensure that they are safe, and also take into account the limitation of each methodology (including high energy input and generation of residues). This scenario has motivated this review, where we explore soil contamination with arsenic, lead, mercury, and chromium and summarize information about the methods employed to remediate each of these toxic elements such as phytoremediation, soil washing, electrokinetic remediation, and nanoparticles besides elucidating some mechanisms involved in the remediation. Considering all the discussed techniques, nowadays, different techniques can be combined together in order to improve the efficiency of remediation besides the new approach of the techniques and the use of one technique for remediating more than one contaminant.     

Airborne bacteria associated with particulate matter from a highly urbanised metropolis: A potential risk to the population’s health

• The airborne bacteria of Mexico City are representative of urban environments. • Particle material<10 µm influenced the type and quantity of airborne bacteria. • The diversity and richness of bacteria were higher in the rainy season. • The emission & transport of airborne bacteria determine the atmosphere’s microbiome. • Bacterias as Kocuria, Paracoccus, and Staphylococcus were in the air of Mexico City. Bacteria in the air present patterns in space and time produced by different sources and environmental factors. Few studies have focused on the link between airborne pathogenic bacteria in densely populated cities, and the risk to the population’s health. Bacteria associated with particulate matter (PM) were monitored from the air of Mexico City (Mexico). We employed a metagenomic approach to characterise bacteria using the 16S rRNA gene. Airborne bacteria sampling was carried out in the north, centre, and south of Mexico City, with different urbanisation rates, during 2017. Bacteria added to the particles were sampled using high-volume PM₁₀ samplers. To ascertain significant differences in bacterial diversity between zones and seasons, the Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon tests were done on alpha diversity parameters. Sixty-three air samples were collected, and DNA was sequenced using next-generation sequencing. The results indicated that the bacterial phyla in the north and south of the city were Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, while in the central zone there were more Actinobacteria. There were no differences in the alpha diversity indices between the sampled areas. According to the OTUs, the richness of bacteria was higher in the central zone. Alpha diversity was higher in the rainy season than in the dry season; the Shannon index and the OTUs observed were higher in the central zone in the dry season. Pathogenic bacteria such as Kocuria, Paracoccus, and Micrococcus predominated in both seasonal times, while Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, and Nocardioides were found during the rainy season, with a presence in the central zone.     

Glycolysis of flexible polyurethane wastes using stannous octoate as the catalyst

Flexible polyurethane foam wastes can be advantageously treated by two-phase glycolysis to recover the polyols with an improved quality compared to single-phase processes. This reaction has been traditionally catalyzed by alkanolamines, titanium compounds, or acetates. Recently, the employment of new catalysts based on potassium and calcium octoates has opened up a new way to catalyze the glycolysis of polyurethanes. In this work, the use of stannous octoate, which has never before been applied in the glycolysis reactions of polyurethanes, is proposed. The catalytic activity of stannous octoate in such a process was studied. The decomposition rate and the purity of polyol obtained were greater than those obtained using other catalysts previously employed for this application.     

Sunlight-driven environmental photodegradation of 2-chlorobiphenyl (PCB-1) in surface waters: kinetic study and mathematical simulations

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of highly toxic, resistant, and persistent organic pollutants, among which 2-chlorobiphenyl (PCB-1) is...