Environmental Sciences Europe最新文献

{"title":"Implementation of the EU Nitrates Directive in Germany—a critical review","authors":"Martin Bach,&nbsp;Friedhelm Taube","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01545-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01545-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Under the EU Nitrates Directive, Member States are required to adopt suitable measures to comply with the limit value of 50 mg NO₃ l⁻¹ in groundwater. In Germany, the Fertiliser Application Ordinance (Düngeverordnung; DüV) defines the code of good agricultural practice with regard to nitrogen fertilisation. More than 30 years after the ordinance first came into force, the deficits and the ineffectiveness of the German water protection policies are evident. After a number of court rulings, the German Federal Government is now under considerable pressure to effectively implement the EU Nitrates Directive.</p><h3>Findings</h3><p>Since the amendments to the DüV in 2017 there has been a decline in the nitrogen inputs and the nitrogen surplus in plant production, but the proportion of the monitoring sites exceeding the nitrate limit value in groundwater has only gone down slightly over two decades. There has been no decrease in the amount of soil mineral nitrogen in autumn or the nitrate concentration in leachate in the representative test regions monitored under the DüV. After 30 years of accumulation of nitrogen surpluses resulting in a huge amount of labile nitrogen fractions in arable soils, the DüV continues to stipulate excessive nitrogen fertiliser requirement for crops and does not take sufficient account of nitrogen mineralisation from soil. Generally, the current values given for the nitrogen fertiliser requirement of some of the main crops are driven by a yield maximisation purpose and not by environmental protection needs.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>A science-based revision of the DüV should recalibrate the nitrogen requirements for crops, the specifications for nitrogen availability from soil, define minimum standards for crop rotation design, including catch crops and the alteration between winter and spring crops, and limit the application of organic fertilisers to 120 kg N per ha on arable land. Overall, the DüV should be fully aligned with the goal of the Fertiliser Act, namely to avoid, as far as possible, the loss of nutrients into the environment and to ensure compliance with the limit values for nitrates in groundwater.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01545-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149188989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Electrospinning of UiO-66-ZrO₂/chitosan/polythiophene hybrid for efficient 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid herbicide removal at various pH levels","authors":"Nehal. A. Salahuddin,&nbsp;Moa’mena H. Abdo,&nbsp;M. A. Darweesh,&nbsp;Mona Elfiky","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01496-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01496-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>4-Chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (CMPA) is a widely used herbicide whose persistence at elevated levels poses serious environmental and health risks. To address this challenge, a Zirconium based organic framework/ZrO₂/Chitosan/Polythiophene nanofiber (UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2) NF) was designed for CMPA adsorption. The UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2) hybrid was prepared by combining different ratios of the UiO-66-ZrO₂ with chitosan, followed by <i>in-situ</i> oxidative polymerization of thiophene. The UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2) NF was fabricated via electrospinning of UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2) into nonwoven fibrous mats using a Polyvinyl alcohol/Polyvinyl pyrrolidine (PVA/PVP) blend to enhance viscosity and conductivity. Physical characterization confirmed the successful formation of UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2) NF, which exhibited a specific surface area of 593.13 m² g⁻¹ and a total pore volume of 4.26 cc g⁻¹, corresponding to an average pore diameter in the mesoporous range. SEM analysis showed fiber diameters ranging from 286 to 429 nm, whereas TEM analysis revealed fiber diameters ranging between 32 and 55 nm. Adsorption studies showed CMPA capacities of 229.0, 253.0, and 290.87 mg g⁻¹ for UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(1), UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2), and UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2) NF, respectively. The removal efficiency of UiO-66-ZrO₂/CS/PTh.(2) NF was systematically evaluated over a pH range of 2–12. The material achieved 98.6% CMPA removal at pH 2, maintaining 86.9% efficiency at pH 12, attributed to its positive zeta potential. Kinetic and isotherm analyses indicated pseudo-second-order behavior and Freundlich multilayer adsorption. High performance was retained over 10 reuse cycles, demonstrating stability and cost-effectiveness.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01496-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Understanding stakeholders’ awareness and perceptions of groundwater ecosystems: a qualitative study in Germany","authors":"Melina Stein,&nbsp;Heide Kerber,&nbsp;Patrick Hanne,&nbsp;Johanna Kramm,&nbsp;Carolin Völker","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01519-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01519-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Despite the critical importance of groundwater as a source of drinking water, for agriculture, and industry, its ecological condition is rarely addressed in public discourse. Groundwater is inhabited by a myriad of organisms, from animals to microbes. The fauna living in groundwater contributes significantly to maintaining groundwater quality. However, how groundwater as alive and intact ecosystems are perceived by relevant stakeholders and what their attitudes are toward their conservation remains largely unknown. We conducted a qualitative interview study with key stakeholders in the groundwater sector to investigate these aspects.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The study shows a low level of awareness of groundwater ecosystems among stakeholders, despite their generally high level of expertise in the field of groundwater management. The invisibility and complexity of these ecosystems make knowledge generation challenging. Furthermore, we found that there is no shared vision of how these ecosystems should be conserved under current governance conditions. Consequently, there is no shared approach to conservation. We found two diverging logics: a “precautionary protection logic”, which highlights the ecological relevance and sensitivity of groundwater ecosystems and the need for preventive conservation even in the absence of conclusive scientific evidence; and an “evidence-based protection logic”, which requires a stable scientific basis before implementing conservation measures. However, stakeholders agree on the need for specific preconditions to ensure effective conservation.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Our results show that these preconditions include reliable bioindicators, a regional characterisation of groundwater ecosystems, harmonised monitoring methods, and improved science communication. Our findings also emphasise the importance of raising awareness among stakeholders and recognising groundwater ecosystems at the EU level, since long-term, systematic action seems unlikely without clear regulatory guidelines.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01519-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Simplification and the level of protection—primary law limits and legislative discretion in the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus","authors":"Kim Teppe,&nbsp;Thomas Backhaus","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01512-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01512-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>On 16 December 2025, under the label “Simplification Omnibus”, the European Commission tabled a legislative proposal (COM (2025) 1030 final) that simultaneously amends various legal acts in the area of food and pesticide law. As regards plant protection products, the proposal pursues four structural interventions. Three operate on the knowledge-input side of the risk-governance system: the conversion from time-limited to open-ended active substance approvals, the freezing of the state of knowledge underlying the active substance approval as the binding standard of review in the subsequent product authorisation procedure, and the introduction of deemed authorisation upon expiry of time limits. A fourth operates on the output side: the extension of grace periods, which allows substances whose approval has been withdrawn on health or environmental grounds to remain on the market for up to three further years. This contribution assesses these measures against primary law.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Their cumulation structurally eliminates the dynamic updating of scientific knowledge required by the precautionary principle, without the proposal prescribing a functionally equivalent replacement system: the first three measures bar new risk knowledge from entering the assessment, while the extended grace periods prevent the system from acting on risk knowledge it has already confirmed. The proposal thus opens the regulatory loop at both ends. At the same time, the measures fail their own simplification objective: the reactive review system generates more administrative burden in any meaningful application than the application-driven renewal procedure, and deemed authorisation does not relieve administrations either, but compels them to maintain dedicated personnel capacities for keeping deadlines. The measures are therefore already questionable at the suitability stage of proportionality review. Deemed authorisation additionally constitutes a structural rupture with primary law, as it reverses the allocation of the burden of proof in risk authorisation law that the precautionary principle prescribes.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The contribution shows how the proposal could be developed in a manner compatible with primary law, and where the limits of reformability lie.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01512-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Mitigation of benzo[a]pyrene-induced toxicity in Nile tilapia using Phoenix dactylifera seed biochar","authors":"Zeinab El-Bouhy,&nbsp;Rasha M. Reda,&nbsp;Fatma A. S. Mohamed,&nbsp;Mohamed W. A. Elashhab,&nbsp;Tarek Khamis,&nbsp;Afaf N. Abdel Rahman","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01513-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01513-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, poses an increasing threat to aquaculture systems because of its detrimental effects on fish health-related physiological traits. The current study investigated the prospective use of <i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> seed biochar (PDB) to reduce the various hazardous effects triggered by BaP toxicity in Nile tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>). For 30 days, fish were randomly assigned to five groups: control, acetone, PDB, BaP, and PDB+BaP. The outcomes clarified that BaP exposure caused a marked reduction in fish survival and induced hematological impairments. In addition, a suppression of immuno-antioxidant responses and acetylcholinesterase activity, along with an elevation of malondialdehyde, cortisol, and glucose concentrations, were observed following BaP exposure. Moreover, the BaP group revealed hepato-renal dysfunctions and histopathological changes in gill, liver, brain, and muscular tissues as well as downregulation of immune-related genes (interferon-alpha and interleukin-10). Furthermore, upregulation of the apoptotic gene (<i>caspase−3</i>), higher residual levels, and a lower survival rate following an <i>Aeromonas hydrophila</i> challenge were found in the BaP-exposed fish. Co-treatment with PDB ameliorated most of the alterations induced by BaP, which was accompanied by enhanced survival, improved tissue architecture, and decreased BaP residues. Following the <i>A. hydrophila</i> challenge, Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a noticeable numerical improvement in the cumulative survival probability of the PDB+BaP group compared to the BaP-exposed group, although the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, the outputs of this investigation highlight the practical value of PDB as a promising, low-cost, adsorbent-based strategy for protecting Nile tilapia from BaP contamination, thereby supporting healthier and more resilient aquaculture production systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01513-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Lifecycle-aware microgrid design: quantifying embodied, operational, and avoided emissions in a grid-connected PV–Wind system","authors":"Md. Esmay Azam,&nbsp;Md. Feroz Ali,&nbsp;Md Shafiul Alam,&nbsp;Obaidullah Obaidi,&nbsp;Mohammad Ali,&nbsp;Mohammed A. AlAqil","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01501-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01501-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study develops a high-renewable hybrid microgrid integrating solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), and grid interaction for a university campus, with a distinctive focus on lifecycle emission performance. Using HOMER Pro-based optimization, the system achieves a low cost of energy (COE), that is, the average cost of producing one kilowatt-hour of electricity over the project lifetime, of $0.0218/kWh, together with a net present cost (NPC) of $523,143, an operating cost of $3,624/year, and a renewable fraction of 81.7%. The configuration reduces direct annual CO₂ emissions to 185,854 kg, corresponding to a 74.13% reduction compared to conventional grid-dominated supply. Beyond conventional techno-economic analysis, this work advances a cradle-to-grave lifecycle emission assessment. On a gross basis, counting embodied and operational emissions, the lifecycle emission intensity falls from 620 to 264.9 g CO₂-eq/kWh, a 57.3% reduction relative to the grid-only base case. When the renewable electricity exported to the grid under net metering is credited as avoided emissions, the net lifecycle intensity reaches 4.53 g CO₂-eq/kWh, corresponding to a 99.3% reduction, with embodied emissions recovered within 3.5 years. Both perspectives are reported to bound the environmental performance, and the sensitivity of the net benefit to progressive grid decarbonization is examined explicitly. Sensitivity analysis incorporating both meteorological and economic parameters confirms the robustness of the proposed design under uncertain conditions. The findings demonstrate that integrating lifecycle assessment with microgrid optimization provides a more comprehensive framework for sustainable energy planning, offering a scalable pathway toward ultra-low-emission campus electrification.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01501-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Periodic reassessment or permanent approval? A critical analysis of the EU Commission’s proposal to reform pesticide and biocide authorisation in Europe","authors":"Thomas Backhaus,&nbsp;Nico W. van den Brink,&nbsp;Paul J. van den Brink,&nbsp;Kim Teppe,&nbsp;Ralf B. Schäfer","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01514-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01514-5","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;On 16 December 2025, the European Commission published proposal COM(2025) 1030 within the Food and Feed Safety Simplification Omnibus, aiming to amend Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 on plant protection products and Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 on biocidal products. The proposal converts the current time-limited approvals of pesticide and biocide active substances (typically 10 to 15 years, followed by mandatory renewal) into time-unlimited approvals by default, replacing periodic reassessment with a reactive, case-triggered review mechanism initiated at the Commission’s discretion. This paper sets out the proposed amendments, surveys the positions taken by the principal stakeholder groups (EU institutions, industry associations, farming organisations, civil society, and the scientific community), and finally presents our own analysis. The Commission justifies the suggested changes largely with the removal of administrative inefficiency. Industry and farming organisations broadly endorse this perspective, whereas civil society organisations oppose the proposal as a weakening of public safety and a disregard of environmental concerns. We find the Commission’s justifications insufficient. The proposal was adopted without a full impact assessment and without a public consultation, and the Commission’s claim that “no viable alternatives” exist disregards the obvious options of extending renewal periods, leveraging the One Substance, One Assessment framework, or reforming the Biocide Review Programme. Substantively, unlimited approval freezes the evidence base at the date of each substance’s most recent evaluation, which for many active substances predates the 2018 endocrine disruption criteria, the 2023 EFSA bee guidance, and ongoing revisions of aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicology guidance. It also removes the self-selection mechanism through which industry currently withdraws substances expected to fail renewal. Because incumbent substances would no longer be displaced at renewal, market access for innovative alternatives may in turn be hampered. Finally, the proposal introduces legal uncertainty through the deemed mutual recognition between Member States. The replacement of periodic review by Commission-triggered reassessment makes regulatory action dependent on political will and on the monitoring capacity of under-resourced agencies, neither of which past practice gives reason to consider sufficient. A further structural consequence, not assessed by the Commission, is the displacement of scientific disputes from administrative procedure to judicial review. The underlying capacity problems are real, but without a structured and quantitative impact assessment, including an assessment of economic consequences and the outcomes for public health and the environment, the proportionality of the Commission’s proposal cannot be fully evaluated. A necessary next step is therefore the transparent comparison of less intrusive alternatives, before the ","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01514-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Global research on storms in the context of climate change: a critical assessment with a focus on tropical storms","authors":"Doris Klingelhöfer,&nbsp;Markus Braun,&nbsp;Isabelle M. Kramer,&nbsp;Dörthe Brüggmann,&nbsp;David A. Groneberg","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01515-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01515-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The frequency and intensity of storms are influenced by climate change. That will lead to more dangerous disasters that will reach additional parts of the world, claim human lives, destroy environmental niches, reduce biodiversity, and cause enormous economic costs. Assessing, preparing for, and understanding what lies ahead is essential for all stakeholders, but it is also challenging, as many uncertainties remain. To enable better planning, financing, and research, this study aims to provide relevant scientific background information on previous scientific efforts and on what should be done and by whom. Most publications deal with tropical cyclones. In addition to the principal scientific players, the USA and China, several European countries are particularly involved in research into storms related to climate change (S_CC). Australia and New Zealand are at the top of the socioeconomic indicator rankings. Measured by the number of S_CC articles per storm-related death, Israel leads. These countries have their own regional interests in S_CC, but tropical cyclone disasters in the USA have the greatest impact on the global scientific landscape. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 significantly increased the number of publications on S_CC, and Hurricanes Sandy and Harvey further increased it. Various research approaches are already being brought together internationally in scientific networks, particularly for modeling and simulating storm behavior under changing climatic conditions. However, there is an urgent need for globally supported regional programs and strategies to address and anticipate future storm-related disasters. These efforts should continue to be underpinned by scientific evidence, particularly considering the interconnectedness and vulnerability of severely affected low-income countries.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01515-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Responses of bacterial and fungal communities to cadmium contamination in paddy soils of Western Thailand","authors":"Noppol Arunrat,&nbsp;Wuttichai Mhuantong,&nbsp;Praeploy Kongsurakan,&nbsp;Sukanya Sereenonchai","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01505-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01505-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural soils near mining areas by altering soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions. This study investigated the effects of different Cd contamination levels on bacterial and fungal communities in paddy soils from a long-term abandoned zinc mining area in Mae Sot, western Thailand, using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Bacterial diversity remained relatively stable across contamination levels, whereas fungal richness and diversity declined significantly under high Cd conditions, indicating greater fungal sensitivity to metal stress. Community analyses revealed a reduction in core bacterial and fungal taxa with increasing Cd contamination, suggesting strong environmental filtering. Nevertheless, several bacterial genera, including <i>Streptomyces, Nocardioides, Bacillus,</i> and <i>Nitrospira</i>, persisted across all contamination levels, indicating high Cd tolerance. <i>Anaeromyxobacter</i> was identified as a key biomarker associated with highly contaminated soils. Functional predictions indicated enrichment of pathways related to glutathione metabolism, oxidative stress response, and heavy-metal efflux systems, reflecting microbial adaptation to long-term Cd exposure. These findings demonstrate that prolonged Cd contamination selectively reshapes soil microbiomes by reducing sensitive taxa while enriching metal-tolerant microorganisms. The persistence of Cd-resistant bacterial taxa and detoxification-related functions highlights their potential as bioindicators of soil health and promising candidates for the development of microbially assisted bioremediation strategies in Cd-contaminated agricultural soils.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01505-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"The effect of two activation routes, ball milling and ultrasonic, on the adsorption performance of fly ash towards oxytetracycline","authors":"Shereen A. Elgneedy,&nbsp;Mohamed Sh. Abdel-wahab,&nbsp;Nabila Shehata","doi":"10.1186/s12302-026-01495-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-026-01495-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>This research sheds light on one of the contaminants of the emerging concern, oxytetracycline (OTC), a commonly used antibiotic used to treat infections and diseases caused by bacteria. Numerous studies have shown that despite the use of various removal mechanisms, trace amounts of this antibiotic remain in water. The accumulation of these trace amounts can negatively impact water quality and both microscopic and macroscopic organisms.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>This study utilizes adsorption as a successful and cost-effective method for removing OTC compounds using industrial waste, fly ash (FA). Ball milling and sonication have been applied to improve the adsorption capacity towards OTC. The developed materials were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The performance of OTC adsorption onto FA and its modified forms has been optimized using different parameters (solution pH, adsorbent dose, contact time, and OTC initial concentration).</p><h3>Results</h3><p>It is noticed that under the optimum conditions (pH 8, adsorbent mass 0.001 g and contact time 30 min), the ball milling has improved the adsorption capacity of OTC to 6040.6 mg/g compared to pristine FA (5615 mg/g). This is because surface of MFA1 has become more active as is evident from the FTIR and Nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms studies. On the other hand, the sonication approach is not effective due to the washing of the main functional groups during the sonication process. The supercolossial adsorption capacity of both FA and MFA1 towards OTC is attributed to the involvement of hydrogen bonding, OTC hydrophobicity, electrostatic attraction, complexation, and pore filling in the adsorption process. Moreover, the nanoconfinement plays a significant role in enhancing the multi-layer adsorption of OTC onto the modified FA.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Therefore, this study is considered an environmentally friendly model where FA has been recycled to remove OTC, achieving sustainable water treatment and the circular economy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-026-01495-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148837796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}