{"title":"Demographic changes will shape planetary biodiversity","authors":"Alfredo Cisneros-Pineda , Abhishek Chaudhary , Uris L.C. Baldos , Yolanda Sung , Thomas Hertel","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent studies have highlighted how future population growth in combination with other contemporaneous global drivers can degrade natural capital and the associated ecosystem services whereas policies that invest in nature can yield benefits for multiple economic and environmental variables. However, studies have yet to highlight and isolate the consequences of changing demographic dynamics in different world regions on global patterns of biodiversity. To fill this research gap, we link a computational general equilibrium economic model (GTAP-AEZ) with biodiversity characterization factors representing potential species loss per unit area due to human land-uses in different world regions for mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and plants combined. This allows us to project the impact on species loss of a business-as-usual global economic scenario between 2021 and 2041, driven by changes in population, GDP, capital stock, labor force, and productivity growth. Second, we focus on demographic change as a sole driver of biodiversity loss and contrast the impacts of historical population growth (2001−2021) with those of future demographic trends (2021–2041) using the same biodiversity metric and economic model. Third, we analyze how the biodiversity projections are affected by the underlying uncertainty in 2041 population based on the United Nations Probabilistic Population Projections. Finally, we also identify those economic sectors and the three major market mechanisms driving the land-use change that explains biodiversity loss in each region. These are: domestic substitution of imports; direct increase in trade to satisfy the increased population abroad; and indirect increase in trade through third markets. The findings highlight how slowing population growth in the wealthiest countries will benefit biodiversity in some parts of the world, while continued strong population growth in Africa will lead to more rapid biodiversity loss in other regions. Our results provide insights into the global hotspots, drivers, and linkages that can be useful to diverse stakeholders (businesses, governments, and conservationists) for making progress towards the achievement of the global biodiversity targets and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179148"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Catiane Pelissari , Fernando Jorge Corrêa Magalhães Filho , Cesar Milton Baratto , Rodrigo Geremias , Thais Ribeiro , Vinícius Bispo dos Santos , Pablo Heleno Sezerino
{"title":"Fertigation potentiality applying treated wastewater by partially saturated vertical flow wetland","authors":"Catiane Pelissari , Fernando Jorge Corrêa Magalhães Filho , Cesar Milton Baratto , Rodrigo Geremias , Thais Ribeiro , Vinícius Bispo dos Santos , Pablo Heleno Sezerino","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water scarcity and the environmental concerns associated with chemical fertilizers underscore the need for sustainable irrigation alternatives in agriculture. This study evaluated the viability of fertigation with treated wastewater from a full-scale partially saturated vertical flow wetland (SVF wetland), focusing on corn productivity, nutrient assimilation, soil macronutrient balance, and microbiological risks. Field experiments demonstrated that using treated wastewater as the sole nitrogen (N) source resulted in corn yields of 10,070 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>, comparable to conventional chemical fertilization (10,109 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>), while also promoting gradual nutrient release and reduced N losses. Conversely, mixed fertigation (wastewater + chemical fertilizer) led to lower productivity (from 8800 to 9075 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>), suggesting suboptimal nutrient synchronization. Soil analysis revealed that mixed N sources increased macronutrient accumulation (N: from 1.8 to 2.4 g kg<sup>−1</sup>; P: from 3.0 to 4.2 g kg<sup>−1</sup>; OM: from 18 to 40 g kg<sup>−1</sup>), whereas exclusive wastewater application maintained balanced nutrient levels (N: 1.5 g kg<sup>−1</sup>; P: 2.6 g kg<sup>−1</sup>; OM: 15 g kg<sup>−1</sup>). Additionally, the Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment confirmed that SVF wetland effluent meets safety thresholds for agricultural reuse, ensuring minimal health risks. These findings highlight the potential of SVF wetland-treated effluent as a safe, sustainable fertigation strategy, maintaining crop productivity and soil fertility while mitigating water and nutrient scarcity. Moreover, these insights support the development of water reuse policies in developing countries, where wastewater fertigation can significantly enhance agricultural sustainability, food security, and water resource management under increasing climate challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179187"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lorenzo López-Rosales , Nazaret Ballesteros-Callejón , Yolanda Soriano-Jerez , Francisco García-Camacho , Asterio Sánchez-Mirón , Antonio Contreras-Gómez , María del Carmen Cerón-García
{"title":"Amphidinium carterae growth in hydroponic wastewater. A sustainable approach to a microalgae-based process promoting a circular bioeconomy","authors":"Lorenzo López-Rosales , Nazaret Ballesteros-Callejón , Yolanda Soriano-Jerez , Francisco García-Camacho , Asterio Sánchez-Mirón , Antonio Contreras-Gómez , María del Carmen Cerón-García","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179183","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179183","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydroponic cultivation is being increasingly used worldwide for horticultural production. However, this technique consumes large quantities of freshwater and produces significant amounts of wastewater. Effluent wastewater from hydroponic cultures may contain high nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, thus contributing to soil, surface, and subsurface water pollution if directly discharged into the environment; it also potentially leads to ecosystem degradation. In the present work, a synthetic hydroponic effluent wastewater was formulated to evaluate the potential of a marine microalga to remove the main nutrients (N and P) and to test its suitability for sustainable, large-scale cultivation. The marine dinoflagellate microalga <em>Amphidinium carterae</em> successfully removed 100 % of the N and P from the hydroponic wastewater. The formulation yielded comparable biomass yields (0.5 g L<sup>−1</sup>) to those of the same culture grown in a control medium but considerably increased the production of carotenoids (40 %), polyunsaturated fatty acids (17 %), and, significantly, amphidinols (56 %). Hence, the use of <em>A. carterae</em> to treat and valorise hydroponic effluents shows significant promise, supporting further investigation into utilizing hydroponic wastewater from different origins to cultivate marine microalgae that can then be used to produce agricultural bio-based fungicides and other bioproducts in line with the principles of the circular bioeconomy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179183"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Navneet Singh , Jorge Paz-Ferreiro , Matthew P.J. Askeland , Timothy L. Coggan , Oliver A.H. Jones
{"title":"Concentrations of per- and polyfluoralkyl substances in estuarine systems can vary greatly within tidal cycles","authors":"Navneet Singh , Jorge Paz-Ferreiro , Matthew P.J. Askeland , Timothy L. Coggan , Oliver A.H. Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances are currently of concern due to their widespread occurrence, resistance to degradation and potential toxicity. Major efforts are underway worldwide to assess environmental concentrations of PFAS, but most monitoring is done at a single time point. Little consideration is given to how such concentrations might vary over time. In this study, the concentrations of 44 PFAS were measured hourly over 24 h (two tidal cycles) in three estuaries in Victoria, Australia. The most prevalent compound was PFHxS at a maximum concentration of 72.3 ng/L. Concentrations of ΣPFAS showed between four- and seven-fold differences during the 24-hour sampling period. Environmental measurements showed this was likely due to seawater diluting the concentration of PFAS in the estuary during tidal influxes. Randomly timed grab samples thus have a high risk of mischaracterising the true range of concentrations of PFAS in estuarine systems and/or underestimating the highest concentration present, which may result in an underestimation of risk to such systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179196"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Giuseppe Prenesti , Giuseppe Vitola , Rosalinda Mazzei , Lidietta Giorno , Alessio Caravella
{"title":"Simplified kinetic modelling to understand the mechanism of tensioactive-aided degradation of paraoxon by a free or membrane-bound enzyme","authors":"Giuseppe Prenesti , Giuseppe Vitola , Rosalinda Mazzei , Lidietta Giorno , Alessio Caravella","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179213","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179213","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Today, the accumulation of low molecular weight contaminants such as organophosphate pesticides in the environment threatens human health and the economy. Strategies to enhance enzymatic processes, such as the addition of tensioactives to the reaction mixture, are currently being investigated. However, despite the observed increase in enzyme activity, the mechanism promoted by tensioactives on enzymes is not yet fully understood. A kinetic modelling study was carried out to understand the mechanism of paraoxon degradation enhancement in presence of two different types of tensioactives (CTAB and SDS). The chosen kinetic mechanism considers all possible interactions between the substrate, the enzyme and the tensioactive, whereby the enzyme is free in solution or immobilized on a polymeric membrane. The technique of non-linear multivariate optimisation was used to calculate the kinetic parameters.</div><div>For the free enzyme, the study enables a comparison of the effect of the two tensioactives for each reaction step, which leads to a deeper understanding of why CTAB, even though the kinetic mechanism is the same for both tensioactives, ensures better overall performance compared to SDS (yield coefficient (YC) = 3.49).</div><div>In contrast, when the enzyme is immobilized in the membrane, the kinetic mechanism in the presence of SDS differs from that in the presence of CTAB and the two tensioactives cause a similar reaction enhancement (yield coefficient (YC) ≈ 1). The interaction between the enzyme and the tensioactive is hindered when the enzyme is bound to the membrane, resulting in less effective catalytic degradation than the free enzyme.</div><div>The improvement in the enzymatic degradation of paraoxon in the presence of tensioactives can be explained by the fact that the tensioactive can bind both the enzyme and the reagent, which increases the overall reaction performance in both enzyme configurations, with the free enzyme performing better.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179213"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lena Abou Jaoude , Rabi H. Mohtar , Farah Kamaleddine , Razan Dbaibo , Rania Bou Said , Imad Keniar , Sandra F. Yanni
{"title":"Impact of treated wastewater sludge on soil and wheat growth characteristics in a semi-arid climate","authors":"Lena Abou Jaoude , Rabi H. Mohtar , Farah Kamaleddine , Razan Dbaibo , Rania Bou Said , Imad Keniar , Sandra F. Yanni","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sludge accumulation as a byproduct of wastewater treatment is an increasingly growing concern which can be addressed by utilizing the sludge as a soil amendment. A two-year study was conducted to valorize sludge as an organic amendment on soil cultivated with rainfed wheat (<em>Triticum icaversea</em>) and its impact on soil properties, microbial activity, wheat yield and grain quality. The study was conducted in Lebanon, where the sludge accumulation problem is especially important given the absence of proper treatment and disposal methods. Baseline characterization of sewage sludge collected from secondary (SS) and tertiary (TS) wastewater treatment plants showed that both sludge types can be classified as suitable for restricted agricultural use (Class B), which cannot be used on soils to grow fruits or vegetables that are eaten raw. Post-harvest analysis of the amended soils revealed a significant enhancement in organic matter (OM), soil moisture, wheat yield and grain quality in both seasons in SS and TS treatments compared to the control. All tested heavy metals in the sludge were much lower than the allowable limits for agricultural soils, except for zinc (Zn). Wheat biomass and grain quality improved with a significant increase in grain yield (61–76 %) in both treated soils (SS: 74 g/m<sup>2</sup>, TS: 81 g/m<sup>2</sup>) compared to the control (46 g/m<sup>2</sup>). Under the TS treatment the grain had the highest protein content (14.5 %) in the first season. Soil microbial analysis were not consistent in the two seasons, but showed a potential risk of total coliforms contamination with SS application in the second season. This research provides valuable insights into the positive effects of treated sewage sludge application on soil fertility and wheat grain quality emphasizing the potential benefits of this sludge in sustainable agriculture. It also highlights the need for monitoring sludge and soil quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179166"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characteristics of the transfer of mercury and other trace elements between dam and fetus in a relatively high‑mercury content species, the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata)","authors":"Sawako Horai , Masaaki Nakamura , Masatake Fujimura , Ai Eguchi , Katsushi Nakata , Takamichi Jogahara , Yuki Oya , Megumi Yamamoto , Tatsuya Kunisue","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We provide the first data regarding the maternal-to-fetal transfer of toxic trace elements (total Hg (THg) and organic Hg (OHg), As, Cd, and Pb) and seven essential minerals (Mg, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Se) in the tissues of 29 pairs of small Indian mongoose that were naturally exposed to metals. The fetal mass negatively correlated with the fetal liver O/THg ratio, suggesting that mineralization of Hg from the organic form might occur during fetal growth. The maternal THg and OHg concentrations and THg/Se molar ratios in whole blood and the fetal whole blood (FB)/maternal whole blood (MB) ratios of the OHg and THg concentrations significantly correlated with the fetal hepatic and cerebral Hg levels, indicating that the maternal blood THg and OHg concentrations and the THg/Se and FB/MB ratios may be useful biomarkers of the Hg contents of fetal organs. It was noted that the fetal THg and OHg levels in the liver and whole blood tended to be lower when the dams were exposed to high levels of Hg, suggesting that the placental barrier mechanism may be activated when mongooses are exposed to high levels of Hg. Analysis of the differences in trace element concentrations between maternal blood containing high (>0.044 ppm) and low (<0.044 ppm) Hg exposure showed that fetuses with high maternal Hg exposure may be at higher risk of Pb exposure and Zn depletion than those with dams exposed to low levels of Hg.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179108"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping antimicrobial resistance landscape at a city scale sewage network","authors":"Clara Díaz-García , Miquel Sánchez-Osuna , Albert Serra-Compte , Ioanna Karakatsanidou , Inmaculada Gómez-Sánchez , Berta Fidalgo , César Barbuzana-Armas , Mariana Fittipaldi , Riccardo Rosselli , Jordi Vinyoles , Susana González , Oscar Q. Pich , Mateu Espasa , M. Adela Yáñez","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wastewater is a valuable source for monitoring contaminants of biotic or abiotic origin. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a public health threat that consists of the ability of microorganisms to resist the effects of antimicrobial compounds, rendering them very difficult or impossible to eradicate in case of infection. Considering the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) to a wide number of ecosystems, there is a need for the identification of hotspots that concentrate antimicrobial resistance determinants. A comprehensive investigation conducted at a city-scale in Sabadell (Barcelona, Spain) has integrated both phenotypic and genotypic methodologies, including metagenomics and culture-based techniques coupled with whole-genome sequencing (WGS), to monitor ARG presence in seven different spots of the sewage system. Metagenomics approach identified 262 ARG variants across analyzed sampling sites, grouped into 15 resistance categories. The most prevalent ARGs were macrolides-lincosamides-class B streptogramins (MLS<sub>B</sub>) (35.1 %) and beta-lactams (28.7 %), including carbapenems (5.9 %) and cephalosporins (5.3 %). MLS<sub>B</sub> resistance featured dominant <em>msr(E)</em> and <em>mph(E)</em> genes, the most abundant ARGs in our study. ARGs conferring resistance to beta-lactam were dominated by <em>blaOXA-464</em>, <em>blaOXA-491</em>, and <em>blaNPS</em>. Key genes for carbapenem (<em>blaOXA-372, blaKPC-2</em>) and cephalosporin (<em>blaOXA-10, blaOXA-1</em>) resistance were identified. The hospital sector exhibited the highest relative abundance of ARGs, dominated by beta-lactams, MLS<sub>B</sub>, and aminoglycosides. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) entrance points and residential areas displayed similar ARG profiles, while WWTP effluent and industrial zones had the lowest ARG levels. WWTP significantly reduced ARG presence (93.3 %). The characterization of antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates found that most abundant ARGs were predominantly plasmid-borne, favoring ARG spread across bacterial genera. This finding confirmed the significant role of plasmids in ARG dissemination, increasing both diversity and prevalence within waterborne bacterial communities. City-scale surveillance programs can play a pivotal role in guiding effective measures to reduce the dissemination of AMR and mitigate their environmental impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179127"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Leveraging remote sensing for optimised national scale agricultural water management in South Africa","authors":"Kudzai S. Mpakairi , Timothy Dube , Mbulisi Sibanda , Onisimo Mutanga","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agriculture remains a critical water resources consumer in arid regions, globally, including southern Africa. The intensity of consumption, however, varies significantly depending on the adopted watering method (i.e., rainfed or irrigated) and agricultural region. Efficient agricultural water management hinges on effectively monitoring Crop Water Use (CWU) and Crop Water Productivity (CWP). This study, thus, leveraged Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remotely sensed data in estimating the spatio-temporal variations of CWP and CWU across irrigated and rainfed croplands in diverse South African agricultural regions between 2017 and 2022. The results showed that rainfed croplands had higher CWU in agricultural regions dominated by grains (150 mm/yr) and cattle (160 mm/yr), while irrigated croplands exhibited the highest CWU in agricultural regions with sheep rearing (175 mm/yr) and subsistence agricultural activities (160 mm/yr). However, there were no significant differences (<em>p</em> > 0.05) in overall CWU across all the agricultural regions. Irrigated croplands generally had higher annual CWP (>0.002 kg/mm<sup>3</sup>/yr), while rainfed croplands consistently showed low CWP especially in forestry (0.001 kg/mm<sup>3</sup>/yr) and sugar (0.0012 kg/mm<sup>3</sup>/yr) agricultural regions. There were also no significant differences in average CWP between irrigated and rainfed croplands (<em>p</em> > 0.05). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of national-scale remotely sensed data in monitoring the spatiotemporal variations of CWP and CWU in South Africa. The results can be used to tailor strategies to specific agricultural regions and crop types and optimise water use efficiency. This would contribute significantly to sustainable national-scale agricultural water management in South Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179199"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Implications of river reconnection on phosphorus cycling in coastal wetlands","authors":"Lee Potter, Peter Mates, John R. White","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Louisiana's coastal wetlands are experiencing some of the world's largest land loss rates. This problem is partly due to levees along the Mississippi River, isolating the river from the coastal basins. This disconnect prevents delivering of sediment and nutrients to the wetland-dominated coastal basins, where sediments would increase marsh accretion. Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan aims to reconnect the river with riparian areas through construction of a diversion. Baseline phosphorus (P) dynamics were determined before river reconnection and compared to an area with an unmanaged connection to the river. In Barataria Basin, the equilibrium P concentration (EPC) was lower in both the marsh (0.039 ± 0.015 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) and open water sediments (0.016 ± 0.008 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) than the concentration of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in the Mississippi River (∼0.075 mg L<sup>−1</sup>). Additionally, total P was significantly higher in marsh soil (677 ± 183 mg P kg<sup>−1</sup>) compared to the open water sediments (503 ± 90 mg P kg<sup>−1</sup>). On average, the organic residual P fraction was the dominant individual P form, comprising 39 % (254 ± 78.2 mg P kg<sup>−1</sup>) of total phosphorus (TP) in marsh soil and 45 % (208 ± 65.9 mg P kg <sup>−1</sup>) of TP in open water sediments. The primary form of total P in the river sediment is the Fe/Al mineral fraction at 43 % (469 mg P kg <sup>−1</sup>). Consequently, river reconnection, the dominant form of soil P will shift to inorganic Fe/Al-bound P. This shift will likely increase the internal loading of P over time due to iron reduction, releasing newly deposited mineral-bound phosphorus into the water column In vegetated wetland areas, this river-sourced P can be taken up by algae and macrophytes, while in open water areas, there could be an increase in algal blooms in these newly river-reconnected coastal basins, changing the P dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"974 ","pages":"Article 179205"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}