Environments最新文献

{"title":"The Effects of Different Combinations of Cattle Organic Soil Amendments and Copper on Lettuce (cv. Rufus) Plant Growth","authors":"Chiara De Carolis, Valentina Iori, Alessandra Narciso, Davide Gentile, Barbara Casentini, Fabrizio Pietrini, Paola Grenni, Anna Barra Caracciolo, M. Adelaide Iannelli","doi":"10.3390/environments11070134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11070134","url":null,"abstract":"In modern agricultural production, cattle manure waste recovery is considered as a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management, reducing environmental pollution and chemical fertilizer use. This study aimed to investigate the effects of manure and digestate derived from a pilot-scale livestock waste-recycling system, in combination with a low copper concentration as a fungicide, on the physiological response of lettuce cv Rufus (Lactuca sativa L.) plants and the associated soil microbiome. A five-week microcosm experiment was conducted in a greenhouse under environmental conditions. Lettuce plant performance was assessed in terms of biomass, leaf area index, photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll measurements, lipid peroxidation, total phenolic content, and nutrient uptake. The results suggested that incorporating digestate into the potting soil mix significantly enhanced crop yields compared to the control and manure treatments. The soil microbial activity increased in the presence of fertilizers, improving the soil chemical and biological properties. The addition of copper negatively affected the growth and physiological performance of the lettuce plants under both the control and manure-treated conditions, except for those grown in the presence of digestate, where copper accumulation was reduced. These findings highlight the potential of growing horticultural crops using organic fertilization through livestock waste anaerobic digestate, establishing a waste-to-food recycling system.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rhythm of Exposure in Town Centres: A Case Study of Lancaster City Centre","authors":"Ekpo Otu, Kirsti Ashworth, Emmanuel Tsekleves","doi":"10.3390/environments11070132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11070132","url":null,"abstract":"This study proposes a novel air pollution exposure index (APEI) metric, drawing from traditional elements in rhythmanalysis and public-life studies to help understand how people are exposed to air pollution in their urban environment and when the risks are greatest. It expands on the notion of rhythm as a socially constructed natural phenomenon connected to urban life and spaces. Air quality monitoring data, as well as bus times and in situ traffic and pedestrian counts, from Cable Street and Dalton Square in Lancaster were applied to define the APEI, which combines an air pollution index (NO2 and PM10), a surrogate for ambient air pollution level, with a population index, a surrogate for population flow. The index values were subsequently ranked in numeric order, i.e., a higher ranking shows increased exposure risk and vice versa, to determine total exposure on an individual level. This metric proves valuable in defining air pollution exposure status and recognizing factors associated with high pollution and population levels. Similarly, by comparing APEI values, one could evaluate exposure levels in different locations and seasons to verify when the APEI has increased at a given location and the different rhythms and flows responsible for an individual’s exposure. Hence, it has potential use for urban planners and the city council’s policymakers who are involved in Lancaster Air Quality Management.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Future (2020–2099) Carbon and Water Dynamics of Lehigh Valley Based on Land Use and Land Cover Change","authors":"Benjamin S. Felzer, Christopher Andrade","doi":"10.3390/environments11070133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11070133","url":null,"abstract":"Increased urbanization has reduced the amount of green space, resulting in a reduced carbon sink potential across urban landscapes. Through the use of biogeochemical modeling, different land use scenarios have been developed and run for the future (2020–2099) to compare and quantify the potential for change in carbon and water dynamics by having more tree cover and reducing impervious surfaces or turf lawns in Lehigh Valley, PA. These results show that the effect of deforestation is larger than the effect of reforestation. Due to young-stand age trees having a lower capacity for carbon storage than mature trees, the loss of the mature trees has a more immediate impact. The conversion of lawns or impervious surfaces to forests has somewhat similar effects, although the higher nutrients of lawns allow the forest to grow better. However, replacing impervious surfaces with trees reduces runoff more. This study shows that within the city of Bethlehem, the most socially vulnerable area benefits the most from increasing the number of trees. When converting 25% of the impervious area to forest, South Bethlehem significantly increased its vegetation carbon, productivity, and carbon storage, reduced its runoff, and generally created a safer and cleaner environment for residents.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"80 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronic Heat Exposure Modulates Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Firefighters","authors":"Brijesh Yadav, Afzaal Nadeem Mohammed, Brittney Graham, Amit Bhattacharya, Jagjit Singh Yadav","doi":"10.3390/environments11060131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060131","url":null,"abstract":"Global fire activities, which are getting worse due to climate change, cause both environmental and human health hazards. Firefighters, being the first responders, are frequently exposed to heat which may impact their immune system and overall health. However, the nature of the impact of chronic heat exposure on immune function has not been studied in-depth in firefighters. In this study, 22 firefighters exposed to “heavy-smoke fires (structural fires)”, categorized as the “high-exposure group” (>0.15 structural fires/week) and “low-exposure group” (<0.15 structural fires/week), were sampled. Peripheral blood was examined for immune cell profile based on total and differential cell counts, immune function based on the transcriptional expression of drivers of innate and adaptive immunity and key inflammation mediators, and heat stress marker HSP70. The white blood cell (WBC) count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and absolute and segmented neutrophil counts decreased below the normal range in both exposure groups. The gene transcript levels for toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR4, but not TLR7) and their adaptor protein MYD88 were lower whereas those for T-cell transcription factors (RORC/RORγ, FoxP3) and inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, Granzyme-B) were higher in the “high-exposure group”, indicating mixed response; however, the ratios between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory transcription factors of adaptive immunity, namely T-bet/FoxP3 (Th1/Treg) and RORC/FoxP3 (Th17/Treg), were lower. Collectively, decreased immune cell landscape, downregulated key innate immunity receptors, and Tregs’ dominance suggested that chronic heat exposure in firefighters dysregulated innate and adaptive immunity, skewed towards an overall immunosuppressive condition with inflammation.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"139 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy Metals in Pyrolysis of Contaminated Wastes: Phase Distribution and Leaching Behaviour","authors":"Erlend Sørmo, Gabrielle Dublet-Adli, Gladys Menlah, Gudny Øyre Flatabø, Valentina Zivanovic, Per Carlsson, Åsgeir Almås, Gerard Cornelissen","doi":"10.3390/environments11060130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060130","url":null,"abstract":"Pyrolysis is a recognized alternative for the sustainable management of contaminated organic waste, as it yields energy-rich gas, oil, and a carbon-rich biochar product. Low-volatility compounds, however, such as heavy metals (HMs; As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) typically accumulate in biochars, limiting their application potential, especially for soil improvement. The distribution of HMs in pyrolysis products is influenced by treatment temperature and the properties of both the HMs and the feedstock. There is a significant knowledge gap in our understanding of the mass balances of HMs in full-scale industrial pyrolysis systems. Therefore, the fate of HMs during full-scale relevant pyrolysis (500–800 °C) of seven contaminated feedstocks and a clean wood feedstock were investigated for the first time. Most of the HMs accumulated in the biochar (fixation rates (FR) >70%), but As, Cd, Pb, and Zn partly partitioned into the flue gas at temperatures ≥ 600 °C, as demonstrated by FRs of <30% for some of the feedstocks. Emission factors (EFs, mg per tonne biochar produced) for particle-bound HMs (<0.45 µm) were 0.04–7.7 for As, 0.002–0.41 for Cd, 0.01–208 for Pb, and 0.09–342 for Zn. Only minor fractions of the HMs were found in the condensate (0–11.5%). To investigate the mobility of HMs accumulated in the biochars, a novel leaching test for sustained pH drop (at pH 4, 5.5 and 7) was developed. It was revealed that increasing pyrolysis temperature led to stronger incorporation of HMs in the sludge-based biochar matrix: after pyrolysis at 800 °C, at pH 4, <1% of total Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb and < 10% of total As and Zn contents in the biochars were leached. Most interestingly, the high HM mobility observed in wood-based biochars compared to sewage-sludge-based biochars indicates the need to develop specific environmental-management thresholds for soil application of sewage-sludge biochars. Accordingly, more research is needed to better understand what governs the mobility of HMs in sewage-sludge biochars to provide a sound basis for future policy-making.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Concentrations and Oxidative Potential of PM2.5 and Black Carbon Inhalation Doses at US–Mexico Port of Entry","authors":"Rita Zurita, Penelope J. E. Quintana, Yanis Toledano-Magaña, Fernando T. Wakida, Lupita D. Montoya, Javier Emmanuel Castillo","doi":"10.3390/environments11060128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060128","url":null,"abstract":"Located between Mexico and the US, the San Ysidro/El Chaparral Land Port of Entry (SYPOE) is one of the busiest border crossings in the world. People with activities at the SYPOE are exposed to vehicular pollutants, especially particles with aerodynamic diameters < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC), both associated with adverse health effects. This study presents the first PM2.5 and BC concentration measurements collected on the Mexican side of the SYPOE. The oxidative potential (OP) for PM2.5 and the inhalation dose of BC for people at the border were also evaluated. Autumn and winter showed the highest PM2.5 concentrations (at 28.7 μg m−3 and 28.2 μg m−3, respectively). BC concentration peaked in the winter of 2017 (at 5.7 ± 6 μgm−3), demonstrating an increase during periods with low wind speeds. The highest OPDTT of PM2.5 was reached in winter, with a value of 18.5 pmol min−1 µg−1 (0.6 nmol min−1m−3). The highest average daily inhalation dose for pedestrians was registered in the autumn of 2018 (5.9 μg for a 60-min waiting time), whereas, for workers, it was in the winter of 2017 (19 μg for a 10-h shift on average). Decreasing waiting times for pedestrians and adjusting work schedules for border workers on high concentration days could ameliorate environmental justice.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Copper Distribution and Binding Affinity to Size-Fractioned Dissolved and Particulate Organic Matter in River Sediment","authors":"Ming-Yuan Hung, Wei-Hsiang Huang, Hsiang-Chun Tsai, Chi-Ying Hsieh, Ting-Chien Chen","doi":"10.3390/environments11060129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060129","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the distribution of copper in sediment dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM) based on their size. The DOM and alkaline extracted POM (AEOM) were separated into five size fractions using a cross-flow ultrafiltration (CFUF) system. The results showed that Cu mass was mainly distributed in the low molecular weight (<1 kDa, LMW) fraction of the DOM with an average range of 78.1–83.1%. Conversely, the high molecular weight (1 kDa–0.45 μm, HMW) AEOM fraction had a higher distribution of Cu mass with an average range of 92.6-93.3%. The Cu and AEOM binding affinity ratios (CuBAAEOM) ranged from 17.0 to 149.6 μmol/g-C in site-1 and from 20.6 to 143.7 μmol/g-C in site-2. The HMW CuBAAEOM ratios were significantly higher than the LMW ratios. The Cu and DOM binding affinity ratios (CuBADOM) ranged from 5.6 to 358.6 μmol/g-C and 17.2 to 126.6 μmol/g-C in site-1 and site-2, respectively. However, the LMW CuBADOM ratios were significantly higher than the HMW ratios. Optical indices suggested that the AEOM had more aromaticity and terrestrial and allochthonous contributions than the DOM. The optical indices were significantly correlated with the CuBAAEOM ratios but weakly correlated with the CuBADOM ratios. Sediment exchange between POM and DOM may affect copper distribution. DOM has a low-molecular-weight composition, while POM retains high-molecular-weight organic matter.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between Combined Metals and PFAS Exposure with Dietary Patterns: A Preliminary Study","authors":"Augustina Odediran, Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi","doi":"10.3390/environments11060127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060127","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The global burden of chronic diseases has been increasing, with evidence suggesting that diet and exposure to environmental pollutants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and heavy metals, may contribute to their development. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) assesses the inflammatory potential of an individual’s diet. However, the complex interplay between PFAS, heavy metals, and DII remains largely unexplored. Objective: The goal of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between diet operationalized as the DII with individual and combined lead, cadmium, mercury, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) exposures using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017–2018. Methods: Descriptive statistics, a correlational analysis, and linear regression were initially used to assess the relationship between the variables of interest. We subsequently employed Bayesian kernel Machine regression (BKMR) to analyze the data to assess the non-linear, non-additive, exposure–response relationships and interactions between PFAS and metals with the DII. Results: The multi-variable linear regression revealed significant associations between the DII and cadmium and mercury. Our BKMR analysis revealed a complex relationship between PFAS, metal exposures, and the DII. In our univariate exposure–response function plot, cadmium and mercury exhibited a positive and negative linear relationship, respectively, which indicated a positive and negative relationship across the spectrum of exposures with the DII. In addition, the bivariate exposure–response function between two exposures in a mixture revealed that cadmium had a robust positive relationship with the DII for different quantiles of lead, mercury, PFOA, and PFOS, indicating that increasing levels of cadmium are associated with the DII. Mercury’s bivariate plot demonstrated a negative relationship across all quantiles for all pollutants. Furthermore, the posterior inclusion probability (PIP) results highlighted the consistent importance of cadmium and mercury with the inflammatory potential of an individual’s diet, operationalized as the DII in our study, with both showing a PIP of 1.000. This was followed by PFOS with a PIP of 0.8524, PFOA at 0.5924, and lead, which had the lowest impact among the five environmental pollutants, with a PIP of 0.5596. Conclusion: Our study suggests that exposures to environmental metals and PFAS, particularly mercury and cadmium, are associated with DII. These findings also provide evidence of the intricate relationships between PFAS, heavy metals, and the DII. The findings underscore the importance of considering the cumulative effects of multi-pollutant exposures. Future research should focus on elucidating the mechanistic pathways and dose–response relationships underlying these associations in a study that examines causality, which will enable a deeper understa","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Constraints on Organic Matter Stability in Pyrenean Subalpine Grassland Soils: Physical Protection, Biochemical Quality, and the Role of Free Iron Forms","authors":"Pere Rovira, T. Sauras-Yera, R. Poch","doi":"10.3390/environments11060126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060126","url":null,"abstract":"The stability of soil organic matter (SOM) depends on its degree of physical protection, biochemical quality (q), and mineralogical features such as the abundance of iron or aluminum oxyhydroxides: All constraints stabilize SOM, but the relevance of each is herein discussed. We studied from this point of view the stability of SOM in four grassland soils. The SOM in these profiles was characterized for its physical protection (ultrasonic dispersion + size fractionation) and its q (acid hydrolysis, carbohydrates, phenolics, and unhydrolyzable carbon). The profiles were also analyzed for free iron forms extracted with several chemicals: dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate, citric acid, oxalic-oxalate (Tamm’s solution), and DTPA. Soil horizons were incubated under optimal conditions to obtain the C lost after 33 days (Cresp33) and basal respiration rate (BRR). The microbial C was obtained at the end of the incubation. The microbial activity rate (MAR: mg C respired per g microbial C per day) was obtained from these measures. The sum soluble + microbial C was taken as the active C pool. As expected, the stability of SOM depends on its distribution between the size fractions: The higher the proportion of particulate organic matter (POM: >20 µm size), the higher the soil respiration rate. In contrast, q barely affects SOM decomposition. Both physical availability (size fractionation) and q (acid hydrolysis) affect the size of the microbial C pool, but they barely affect MAR. The effects of free iron on SOM stability are complex: While dithionite-extracted Fe negatively affected Cresp33, BRR, and MAR, the Fe extracted by smoother methods (Tamm’s reagent and DTPA) positively relates to Cresp33, BRR, and MAR. Free iron apparently modulates soil microbial metabolism because it is the only studied parameter that significantly affected MAR; however, the precise effect depends on the precise free Fe fraction. From our data, SOM stability relies on a net of constraints, including physical availability and free Fe forms, with q being of minor relevance. Our dataset suggests a role for free iron as a modulator of microbial activity, deserving future research.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"7 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141341627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental Stressors of Mozambique Soil Quality","authors":"Mário J. S. L. Pereira, Joaquim C. G. Esteves da Silva","doi":"10.3390/environments11060125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060125","url":null,"abstract":"Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world. However, it has natural resources, and if they are managed under sustainable development principles, it can overcome its current problems. In the present socio-economic status, soil is one of its most important resources and must be protected from pollution and degradation. This review identifies and discusses the main soil quality stressors, namely soil fertility; deforestation and its sources: agriculture, timber harvesting, charcoal production, and uncontrolled fires; mining activities, manly gold artisanal explorations, and industrial open-pit coal mining; and solid wastes management. The sustainable use of natural resources is mandatory for future generations to continue to profit from this nature-based wealth.","PeriodicalId":11886,"journal":{"name":"Environments","volume":"117 41","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141351796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}