Influence of water chemistry and environmental degradation on macroinvertebrate assemblages in a river basin in south-east Brazil

Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, water chemistry variables and environmental degradation were investigated in an Atlantic Forest region in Brazil. Seven sites of the Guapimirim river basin were studied during three sampling periods based on the rain regime: end of wet season (May 1998), dry season (August 1998), and wet season (January 1999). Four substrates were collected at each site: sand, stony substrates, litter in pool areas and litter in riffle areas. Relationships between macroinvertebrate assemblages, water chemistry variables and environmental degradation were examined using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). According to CCA, concentrations of dissolved oxygen and chloride, and the environmental degradation, measured by the Riparian Channel Environment index, exhibited the strongest relationship to macroinvertebrate assemblages. Overall, the loss of community diversity measured by the Shannon Index along the degradation gradient was observed. Some taxa were shown to be sensitive to water pollution, especially among Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera and some Ephemeroptera, while others such as Simuliidae, Odonata and molluscs were tolerant to moderate levels of pollutants. The Chironomidae were the only group tolerant to a high level of pollutants and degradation.     

干旱区内陆河流域农户生计对生态退化的脆弱性评价——以石羊河中下游为例

生态退化对干旱区内陆河流域农业人口的负面影响非常显著,当前急需评估农户生计对生态退化的脆弱性,识别脆弱群体及脆弱性成因,并依此寻求降低生计脆弱性的对策措施。以石羊河中下游为研究区,基于366户农户调查数据,分析了不同类型农户对生态退化的暴露度、敏感性及适应能力,评估了农户生计对生态退化的脆弱性,探明了影响农户生计对生态退化脆弱性的关键因素。结果表明:(1)高收入及高文化程度农户的适应能力强,暴露度与敏感性高,生计脆弱性较低;(2)从纯农户到非农户、从单一生计农户到多种生计农户,适应能力依次增强,暴露度与敏感性递减,生计脆弱性降低;(3)改善生态环境质量,提高农户的富裕水平、受教育程度及社会资本,促进生计转型能够显著降低农户生计对生态退化的脆弱性。最后,提出了减轻农户生计脆弱性的对策建议及未来需进一步关注的问题。     

酵母中甾醇定向存储转运及理性强化技术研究进展

大环内酯类抗生素是一类以大环内酯为母核的广谱抗生素。近些年,由于人们对其不规范的生产和使用,抗生素污染成为了重要的环境问题。大量研究表明微生物降解是现阶段处理抗生素污染的最理想方法。为进一步推动大环内酯类抗生素生物降解的研究,文中概述了大环内酯类抗生素的环境污染现状、微生物降解菌株、降解酶、降解途径和降解大环内酯类抗生素的微生物处理方法,并对大环内酯类抗生素生物降解亟待解决的瓶颈问题进行了讨论,以期为微生物降解后续研究提供参考。     

Perception of Environmental Threat in the Shadow of War: The Effect of Future Orientation

People may express high concern for global warming or environmental degradation, but when forced to evaluate the severity of environmental threats in relation to other threats, environmental threats are pushed to the bottom of the list. The present study was based on the premise that prioritizing threats involves, inter alia, hierarchizing the threats according to their perceived temporal proximity and since environmental threats are perceived, relative to other threats, as more temporally distant, they rank low. Future orientation (FO) is an individual-difference variable that describes the tendency to take into account temporally distant considerations. We predicted that environmental threats would be evaluated as more severe by individuals who were more future-oriented. The strongest effect of FO was found to be on concern about global warming and environmental degradation. This indicated that environmental threats were perceived as temporally farthest and, not surprisingly, received the lowest priority. External security threat was a top-priority; its severity evaluation was uncorrelated to FO, indicating that it was perceived as temporally closest. These evaluations significantly affected environmental attitudes and behavior. The implications on promoting environmental behavior in the presence of ever-existing shorter-term existential threats are discussed.     

大环内酯类抗生素微生物降解的研究进展

大环内酯类抗生素是一类以大环内酯为母核的广谱抗生素。近些年,由于人们对其不规范的生产和使用,抗生素污染成为了重要的环境问题。大量研究表明,微生物降解是现阶段处理抗生素污染的最理想方法。为进一步推动大环内酯类抗生素生物降解的研究,文中概述了大环内酯类抗生素的环境污染现状、微生物降解菌株、降解酶、降解途径和降解大环内酯类抗生素的微生物处理方法,并对大环内酯类抗生素生物降解亟待解决的瓶颈问题进行了讨论,以期为微生物降解后续研究提供参考。     

Profiling of a microbial community under confined conditions in a fed-batch garbage decomposer by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

In order to determine the conditions for the maximum performance of a fed-batch composting (FBC) reactor, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) was used to analyze the microbial communities established under the confined conditions of moisture content and environmental temperature. To evaluate the effects of microbial community structures on the performance of FBC reactors, degradation experiments using small-scale reactors and model waste were conducted under confined environmental conditions. A high degradation rate was observed under a wide range of MC conditions (30-60%) and at higher than usual temperatures (30-50 degrees C). The microbial communities that formed in the experimental FBC reactors were analyzed by DGGE of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes. The DGGE banding patterns at the same level as the degradation rates were similar even if the environmental conditions were different. Sequence analysis of the DGGE bands revealed the primary microbes which act in the reactor.     

红壤退化过程与生态位的研究

应用生态位概念研究红壤退化和改良过程中的生物学特征及其与生态环境条件的关系,把红壤的生物学循环作为重点,分析红壤生态位的演化特点,探索红壤生态系统退化和重建的若干规律和描述方法,以求建立有关红壤退化评价的方法和指标体系     

磺酰脲除草剂在土壤中的环境行为研究进展

概述了磺酰脲除草剂在土壤中的吸附与解吸附,降解与残留、迁移以及抑制土壤酶活性等环境行为,探讨了土壤pH值、不同土壤类型、土壤水分含量及有机质等环境行为过程的影响,引用分布活性模型来解释除草剂的解吸滞后现象,并对磺酰脲除草剂在土壤中的生物降解和非生物降解机理进行了探讨,并从生态毒性,吸附作用力以及降解模型方面对今后的研究进行了展望。     

Potentiation/Antagonism of pyrethroids with organophosphate insecticides in Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

The binary mixtures of pyrethroids cypermethrin, alpha-cypermethrin, zeta-cypermethrin, bifenthrin, fenpropathrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, and deltamethrin plus organophosphates ethion, profenofos, chlorpyrifos, quinalphos, acephate, methamidophos, methyl parathion, and triazophos were evaluated on putatively resistant field populations of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) from Pakistan using a leaf-dip bioassay. Ethion exhibited good potentiation with all the pyrethroids. Quinalphos potentiated cypermethrin, fenpropathrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin but not bifenthrin. Acephate was potentiating with bifenthrin and fenpropathrin but antagonistic with zeta-cypermethrin. A potentiation effect was also found when methamidophos was mixed with bifenthrin and fenpropathrin. However, profenofos was antagonistic with cypermethrin, bifenthrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin. Similarly, bifenthrin + methyl parathion and deltamethrin + triazophos mixtures were antagonistic when tested on several populations of B. tabaci. Chlorpyrifos was antagonistic with cypermethrin but had an additive effect with fenpropathrin.     

微生物降解有机磷农药污染的研究进展

有机磷农药严重污染生态环境,微生物降解是治理有机磷农药污染的新技术,综述了降解有机磷农药污染的微生物种类、降解的机理、应用、存在的问题及今后研究方向。     

Energy consumption and environmental degradation nexus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fossil fuel and renewable energy consumption

This study examines the energy consumption and environmental degradation nexus at a disaggregated (i.e., fossil fuel energy and renewable energy) level by investigating bibliometric indicators on a global scale. For this purpose, the study considers a number of studies published between 1980 and 2021 that were selected on the Web of Science (WoS) database based on relevant keywords. A bibliometric analysis was done through VOSviewer from a comparative perspective. Thus, 17,298 studies on fossil fuel energy consumption & environmental degradation and 62,002 studies on renewable energy consumption & environmental degradation were identified. Bibliometric indicators and network visualizations were used to present the results, which show: (i) the topic of disaggregated energy consumption and environmental degradation has been a problem since 1991; (ii) the number of renewable energy-related studies has exceeded the number of fossil fuel-related studies regarding environmental degradation; (iii) many of the studies in both disaggregated groups fall under the categories of energy fuels, environmental sciences, and green sustainable science technology, respectively; (iv) most of the studies have been published by Elsevier; (v) most of the researchers are from the United States of America (USA), whereas those from China and Pakistan have recently come to the fore. Hence, this study assesses the emerging trends in the literature on the energy consumption and environmental degradation nexus at a disaggregated level. Moreover, potential issues to be included by future studies are suggested.     

角质酶在生物可降解聚酯聚己二酸/对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯降解中的应用

随着废弃塑料带来的环境污染越来越严重,生物可降解聚酯已成为大众关注的焦点。聚己二酸/对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯[poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate),PBAT]是脂肪族和芳香族共聚形成的生物可降解聚酯,兼具两者的优异性能。针对PBAT在自然条件下对降解环境要求严格且降解周期长的不足之处,本研究探究了角质酶在PBAT降解中的应用和对苯二甲酸-丁二醇酯(butylene terephthalate,BT)含量对PBAT生物降解性的影响,以实现对PBAT降解速率的提升。选取5种不同来源的聚酯降解酶对PBAT进行降解应用并比较出降解效果最优的酶,并测定了含有不同BT含量的PBAT聚酯的降解效率。结果表明,角质酶ICCG为降解效果最好的酶,且BT含量越高PBAT的降解率越低。此外,还确定了角质酶ICCG对高BT含量的PBAT(H)降解的最适温度、最适缓冲液类型、最适pH、最适E/S(enzyme to substrate)和最适底物浓度比分别为75℃、Tris-HCl、9.0、0.4%和1.0%。本研究结果可为角质酶在PBAT降解中的应用提供一定的理论依据和实验...     

Environmental degradation results in contrasting changes in the assembly processes of stream bacterial and fungal communities

Environmental degradation may have strong effects on community assembly processes. We examined the assembly of bacterial and fungal communities in anthropogenically altered and near‐pristine streams. Using pyrosequencing of bacterial and fungal DNA from decomposed alder Alnus incana leaves, we specifically examined if environmental degradation deterministically decreases or increases the compositional turnover of bacterial and fungal communities. Our results showed that near‐pristine streams and anthropogenically altered streams supported distinct fungal and bacterial communities. The mechanisms assembling these communities were different in near‐pristine and altered environments. Environmental disturbance homogenized bacterial communities, whereas fungal communities were more dissimilar in disturbed sites than in near‐pristine sites. Compositional variation of both bacteria and fungi was related to water chemistry variables in disturbed sites, further implying the influence of environmental degradation on community assembly. Bacterial and fungal communities in near‐pristine streams were weakly controlled by environmental factors, suggesting that the relative importance of niche‐based versus neutral processes in assembling microbial communities may strongly depend on the spatial scale and local environmental context. Our results thus suggest that environmental degradation may strongly affect the composition and β‐diversity of stream microbial communities colonizing leaf litter, and that the direction of the change can be different between bacteria and fungi. A better understanding of the environmental tolerances of microbes and the mechanisms assembling microbial communities in natural environmental settings is needed to predict how environmental alteration is likely to affect microbial communities.     

Functional gene diversity of soil microbial communities from five oil-contaminated fields in China

To compare microbial functional diversity in different oil-contaminated fields and to know the effects of oil contaminant and environmental factors, soil samples were taken from typical oil-contaminated fields located in five geographic regions of China. GeoChip, a high-throughput functional gene array, was used to evaluate the microbial functional genes involved in contaminant degradation and in other major biogeochemical/metabolic processes. Our results indicated that the overall microbial community structures were distinct in each oil-contaminated field, and samples were clustered by geographic locations. The organic contaminant degradation genes were most abundant in all samples and presented a similar pattern under oil contaminant stress among the five fields. In addition, alkane and aromatic hydrocarbon degradation genes such as monooxygenase and dioxygenase were detected in high abundance in the oil-contaminated fields. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the microbial functional patterns were highly correlated to the local environmental variables, such as oil contaminant concentration, nitrogen and phosphorus contents, salt and pH. Finally, a total of 59% of microbial community variation from GeoChip data can be explained by oil contamination, geographic location and soil geochemical parameters. This study provided insights into the in situ microbial functional structures in oil-contaminated fields and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and environmental variables, which is important to the application of bioremediation in oil-contaminated sites.     

The search for ecological indicators: is it possible to biomonitor forest system degradation caused by cattle ranching activities in Argentina?

Cattle ranching is a typical disturbance factor in the North Patagonian forests. The selection of modal areas having similar natural environmental conditions enabled the analysis of the response of the system to exploitation.Different structural parameters in the vegetal community were studied and secondary data on fire frequency and livestock censuses were compiled. An area gradient showing different degrees of degradation was defined, which was presumed to show the stages an area goes through when under livestock farming. Three ecological indicators were defined: key species, as indicators of the occurrence of a degradation process, vegetal cover, as an indicator of the stage a degradation process is going through and vegetal biovolume, as an indicator of when the degradation process has become critical. These indicators must be used together in order to obtain a good diagnosis of the state of the area under exploitation.     

Biodegradation of Methyl <Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-Butyl Ether by Enriched Bacterial Culture

Degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as a sole carbon and energy source was investigated utilizing an enriched bacterial consortium derived from an old environmental MTBE spill. This enriched culture grew on MTBE with concentration up to 500 mg/l, reducing the MTBE in medium to undetectable concentrations in 23 days. Traces of tert-butyl alcohol were detected during MTBE degradation. The degradation was not affected by additional cobalt ions, whereas low concentration of glucose enhanced the rate of degradation. The bacterial community consisted of numerous bacterial genera, the majority being members of the phylum Acidobacteria and genus Terrimonas. The alkane 1-monooxygenase (alk) gene was detected in this consortium. Our findings suggest that environmental degradation of MTBE proceeds along the previously proposed pathway.     

1,2,3-三氯丙烷降解机制与污染场地修复技术研究进展

1,2,3-三氯丙烷(1,2,3-trichloropropane,1,2,3-TCP)是一种人工合成的脂肪族氯代烃,在工、农业生产中得到广泛应用。1,2,3-TCP作为环氧氯丙烷工业生产的中间产物,可作为前体物质用于生产土壤熏蒸剂、有机溶剂等。因其环境持久性、迁移性和生态毒性,国内外机构逐渐开始关注该有机氯污染物的环境归趋、生态健康风险和环境管控。当前,1,2,3-TCP污染物的降解与场地修复仍然是研究热点,但是对于1,2,3-TCP降解转化机制尚缺乏深入研究与总结。鉴于此,文中在讨论1,2,3-TCP的来源、环境污染、生态效应及物理化学降解方法与技术等的基础上,进一步综述了1,2,3-TCP的微生物降解与修复机制(如好氧共代谢降解、厌氧降解等);重点讨论了地下水等厌氧环境中1,2,3-TCP的厌氧微生物降解转化途径与机制,并从热力学角度论证了厌氧条件下1,2,3-TCP作为电子受体被有机卤呼吸微生物利用并降解的可行性;最后,对1,2,3-TCP污染场地原位生物修复进行了总结并对未来研究发展方向进行了展望。     

Pyrithiones as antifoulants: environmental fate and loss of toxicity

The environmental fate and the loss of toxicity of two important antifouling actives, zinc pyrithione (ZnPT) and copper pyrithione (CuPT), were investigated using a bioassay study and an outdoor microcosm study. The bioassay used inhibition of the growth of a marine diatom (Amphora coffeaeformis) to measure the toxicity of ZnPT and CuPT over time in sterile, natural, and sediment-supplemented seawater. In natural seawater and sediment-supplemented seawater in the dark and in sterile seawater exposed to light, growth inhibition was reduced at rates corresponding to the rapid degradation rates for ZnPT and CuPT measured in previous aquatic metabolism, die-away, and photolysis studies. Similarly, the bioassay results from sterile seawater in the dark were consistent with the slower degradation rates measured in abiotic hydrolysis studies. In addition to corroborating the rapid degradation of pyrithione upon exposure to light or sediment, the loss of toxicity indicated that the degradation products were not toxic at the concentrations produced from the dose, which was much higher than predicted environmental concentrations. To supplement environmental fate studies designed to elucidate single-pathway transformations, a microcosm study was conducted to integrate all of the degradation pathways. The study used two sediment and water systems, one of which was dosed during the day and the other at night. The pyrithione degraded rapidly in the water phase, with very little accumulation in the sediment. 2-Pyridine sulfonic acid (PSA) and carbon dioxide were the only detectable degradation products 30 d after dosing. Aquatic toxicity studies with PSA showed no observable effect at concentrations at least three orders of magnitude higher than those for either ZnPT or CuPT. As a result, the worst-case environmental concentration of PSA is expected to be far below the no observable effect concentration.     

Land degradation risk dynamics assessment in red and lateritic zones of eastern plateau,India: A combine approach of K-fold CV,data mining and field validation

The phenomenon of land degradation is a serious environmental issue that affects many countries worldwide, particularly in the developing countries of sub-tropical regions like India. The assessment of land degradation is necessary for designing a mitigation plan that will reduce the adverse effects of land degradation. Recently, sensitivity models for analyzing land degradation have become a popular scientific tool for determining the spatial characteristics of this complicated environmental phenomenon. The objective of the current study is to prepare land degradation susceptibility maps for the gravely undulating red and lateritic agro-climatic zones (ACZ) of the Eastern plateau, India using hybrid techniques, i.e., integration of K-Fold cross-validation (CV) and machine learning algorithms of Reduced Error Pruning Tree (REPTree) and the ensemble of Bagging-REPTree and Boosting-REPTree. For the modelling purpose, sixteen independent land degradation conditioning factors were selected based on a multi-collinearity test, and dependent factors, i.e., gully and ravine points, were collected from published reports and field investigations. The evaluation result of the models indicates that Boosting-REPTree is the most optimal in prediction analysis, as the area under the curve (AUC) of training and validation is 0.944 and 0.928, respectively, in K-Fold 1 followed by Bagging-REPTree and REPTree. As a result, this study suggested that the ensemble of the Boosting-REPTree model can be applied as a new potential method for spatial prediction of land degradation in future research. The study also revealed that ex-situ plant species had been adopted to control soil erosion. Still, it is considered a false measure as ex-situ plant species cannot prevent erosion to an optimal level. Overall, a land degradation prevention planning map has also been suggested to measure soil erosion.