Size effect on the mineralogy and chemistry of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus trossulus</Emphasis> shells from the southern Baltic Sea: implications for environmental monitoring

Mussels have the ability to control biomineral production and chemical composition, producing shells with a range of functions. In addition to biological control, the environment also seems to influence the process of biomineralization; thus, shells can be used as archives of ambient water parameters during the calcium carbonate deposition. Past and present environmental conditions are recorded in the shells in the form of various proxies including Mg/Ca or Sr/Ca ratios. For such proxies to be accurate and robust, the influence of biological effects including the size of studied organism must be examined and eliminated or minimized, so that the environmental signal can be efficiently extracted. This study considers mineralogy and elemental composition of shells representing four size classes of Mytilus trossulus from the Baltic Sea. Obtained results suggest that mineralogy and chemical composition change throughout the shell development due to most likely a combination of environmental and biological factors. The content of aragonite increases with increasing shell size, while the bulk concentrations of Na, Cd, Cu, U, V, Zn and Pb were found to decrease with increasing height of the shells. Therefore, using mussels for environmental monitoring requires analysis of individuals in the same size range.     

Dissipation of S-metolachlor in plant and soil and effect on enzymatic activities

The present study aimed at evaluating the dissipation of S-metolachlor (S-MET) at three doses in maize growing on diverse physico-chemical properties of soil. The effect of herbicide on dehydrogenase (DHA) and acid phosphatase (ACP) activity was estimated. A modified QuEChERS method using LC-MS/MS has been developed. The limit of quantification (0.001 mg kg^?1) and detection (0.0005 mg kg^?1) were very low for soil and maize samples. The mean recoveries and RSDs for the six spiked levels (0.001–0.5 mg kg^?1) were 91.3 and 5.8%. The biggest differences in concentration of S-MET in maize were observed between the 28th and 63rd days. The dissipation of S-MET in the alkaline soil was the slowest between the 2nd and 7th days, and in the acidic soil between the 5th and 11th days. DT₅₀ of S-MET calculated according to the first-order kinetics model was 11.1–14.7 days (soil) and 9.6–13.9 days (maize). The enzymatic activity of soil was higher in the acidic environment. One observed the significant positive correlation of ACP with pH of soil and contents of potassium and magnesium and negative with contents of phosphorus and organic carbon. The results indicated that at harvest time, the residues of S-MET in maize were well below the safety limit for maize. The findings of this study will foster the research on main parameters influencing the dissipation in maize ecosystems.     

The influence of chemical protection on the content of heavy metals in wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.) growing on the soil enriched with granular sludge

The presence of heavy metals in Triticum aestivum L. growing on the soil enriched with granular sludge after chemical protection was observed. The five variants of treatments using herbicide (Chwastox Turbo 340SL) and four fungicides (Topsin M 500SC, Amistar 250SC, Artea 330EC, and Falcon 460EC) were performed. On control and experimental plots, the concentration of Ni, Pb, Cr, and Cu in wheat leaves were in the range 0.32–0.99, 0.92–1.57, 0.89–6.31, and 7.08–12.59 mg/kg and in grains 0.03 to 0.11, 0.14–0.25, 0.11–0.76, and 1.06–1.46 mg/kg, respectively. The concentration of Pb in grain protected by MCPA and 2,4-D with thiophanate-methyl and azoxystrobin was higher than the maximum levels of 0.20 mg/kg D.M. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) differed and depended on chemical protection. The highest value of BCF was achieved for Cd. The statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between concentration of metals and quality parameters of wheat. One observed significant negative correlations between Ni/Zeleny sedimentation value (r = ?0.51) and between Pb/starch content (r = ?0.57). Positive correlations were observed between Cd/yield, the number of grains/ergosterol concentration (respectively, r = 0.41, r = 0.55, r = 0.56), and Zn/thousand grain weight (r = 0.50) at a p ≤ 0.05.     

Human bones obtained from routine joint replacement surgery as a tool for studies of plutonium, americium and ⁹⁰Sr body-burden in general public

The paper presents a new sampling method for studying in-body radioactive contamination by bone-seeking radionuclides such as ⁹⁰Sr, ^239+240Pu, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴¹Am and selected gamma-emitters, in human bones. The presented results were obtained for samples retrieved from routine surgeries, namely knee or hip joints replacements with implants, performed on individuals from Southern Poland. This allowed to collect representative sets of general public samples. The applied analytical radiochemical procedure for bone matrix is described in details. Due to low concentrations of ²³⁸Pu the ratio of Pu isotopes which might be used for Pu source identification is obtained only as upper limits other then global fallout (for example Chernobyl) origin of Pu. Calculated concentrations of radioisotopes are comparable to the existing data from post-mortem studies on human bones retrieved from autopsy or exhumations. Human bones removed during knee or hip joint surgery provide a simple and ethical way for obtaining samples for plutonium, americium and ⁹⁰Sr in-body contamination studies in general public.     

Just Turn on the Faucet: A Content Analysis of PSAs About the Global Water Crisis on YouTube

Water is essential for human life, yet safe drinking water is a limited resource. Critical to fighting the global water crisis are public awareness campaigns, including Public Service Announcements (PSAs). While YouTube has become a popular medium for disseminating prosocial content such as PSAs, environmental communication efforts on this platform remain largely uninvestigated. This study examines the content and characteristics of global water crisis PSAs on YouTube by applying two communication models: the Extended Parallel Process Model, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model. These models are used to evaluate the potential effectiveness of the PSAs. Content analysis reveals that threat messages often outweigh efficacy messages in the videos, central route processing cues are more prevalent than peripheral route cues, and a focus on quality or quantity issues differed by sponsoring organization (non-profit, for-profit, government). Implications and avenues for potential future research are discussed.     

Tannery waste as a renewable source of nitrogen for production of multicomponent fertilizers with biostimulating properties

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The studies presented in this work show that solid tannery waste-like shavings can be used as high-protein materials for fertilizer production...     

The challenges in the identification of Escherichia coli from environmental samples and their genetic characterization

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Escherichia coli bacteria are an essential indicator in evaluations of environmental pollution, which is why they must be correctly identified. This...     

An exposure to endocrine active persistent pollutants and endometriosis — a review of current epidemiological studies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Widespread exposure to persistent pollutants can disrupt the bodies’ natural endocrine functions and contribute to reproductive diseases like...     

Synthesis,characterization, and application of 2D/2D TiO2-GO-ZnFe2O4 obtained by the fluorine-free lyophilization method for solar light-driven photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, we report the potential of 2D/2D TiO2-GO-ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst obtained using the fluorine-free lyophilization technique for the...     

Assessment of Mangrove Response to Projected Relative Sea-Level Rise And Recent Historical Reconstruction of Shoreline Position

We predict the decadal change in position of three American Samoa mangroves from analysis of a time series of remotely sensed imagery, a geographic information system, tide gauge data, and projections for change in sea-level relative to the mangrove surface. Accurate predictions of changes to coastal ecosystem boundaries, including in response to projected relative sea-level rise, enable advanced planning to minimize and offset anticipated losses and minimize social disruption and cost of reducing threats to coastal development and human safety. The observed mean landward migration of three mangroves' seaward margins over four decades was 25, 64, and 72mma⁻¹, 12 to 37 times the observed relative sea-level rise rate. Two of the sites had clear trends in reductions in mangrove area, where there was a highly significant correlation between the change in position of the seaward mangrove margin and change in relative sea-level. Here it can be inferred that the force of sea-level rise relative to the mangrove surface is causing landward migration. Shoreline movement was variable at a third site and not significantly correlated with changing sea-level, where it is likely that forces other than change in relative sea-level are predominant. Currently, 16.5%, 23.4%, and 68.0% of the three mangroves' landward margins are obstructed by coastal development from natural landward migration. The three mangroves could experience as high as a 50.0% reduction in area by the year 2100. A 12% reduction in mangrove area by the year 2100 is possible in the Pacific islands region.