Light pollution or artificial light at night (ALAN) is an increasing, worldwide challenge that affects many aspects of animal behaviour. Interestingly, the response to ALAN varies widely among individuals within a population and variation in personality (consistent individual differences in behaviour) may be an important factor explaining this variation. Consistent individual differences in exploration behaviour in particular may relate to the response to ALAN, as increasing evidence indicates its relation with how individuals respond to novelty and how they cope with anthropogenic modifications of the environment. Here, we assayed exploration behaviour in a novel environment as a proxy for personality variation in great tits (Parus major). We observed individual sleep behaviour over two consecutive nights, with birds sleeping under natural dark conditions the first night and confronted with ALAN inside the nest box on the second night, representing a modified and novel roosting environment. We examined whether roosting decisions when confronted with a camera (novel object), and subsequently with ALAN, were personality-dependent, as this could potentially create sampling bias. Finally, we assessed whether experimentally challenging individuals with ALAN induced personality-dependent changes in sleep behaviour.Slow and fast explorers were equally likely to roost in a nest box when confronted with either a camera or artificial light inside, indicating the absence of personality-dependent sampling bias or avoidance of exposure to ALAN. Moreover, slow and fast explorers were equally disrupted in their sleep behaviour when challenged with ALAN. Whether other behavioural and physiological effects of ALAN are personality-dependent remains to be determined. Moreover, the sensitivity to disturbance of different behavioural types might depend on the behavioural context and the specific type of challenge in question. In our increasingly urbanized world, determining whether the effects of anthropogenic stressors depend on personality type will be of paramount importance as it may affect population dynamics.

The photochemical conversion of NO2 to HONO on humic acids (HA) in the presence of benzophenone (BP) was investigated using a flow tube reactor coupled to a NOx analyzer at ambient pressure. BP significantly enhanced the reduction of NO2 to HONO on HA under simulated sunlight, as shown by the increase of NO2 uptake coefficient (γ) and HONO yield with the mass ratio of BP to HA. The γ and HONO yield on the mixtures of HA and BP obviously depended on the environmental conditions. Both γ and HONO yield increased with the increase of irradiation intensity and temperature, whereas they decreased with pH. The γ exhibited a negative dependence on the NO2 concentration, which had slight influences on the HONO yield. There were maximum values for the γ and HONO yield at relative humidity (RH) of 22%. Finally, atmospheric implications about the photochemical reaction of NO2 and HA in the presence of photosensitive species were discussed.

The effect of ozone (O3) on stomatal regulation was studied in three Euramerican poplar genotypes (Populus deltoides × Populus nigra: Carpaccio, Cima and Robusta). The impact of O3 on stomatal conductance responses to variations in blue light, red light, CO2 concentration and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) was studied. Upon O3 exposure, a sluggish response of stomatal movements was observed, characterized by slower reactions to increases in blue light intensity, CO2 concentration and VPD, and lower amplitude of the response to variations in light intensity. That sluggish response should be taken into account in stomatal conductance models for phytotoxic ozone dose (PODY) calculations. The speed of the response to variations in environmental parameters appears as a determining factor of genotype-related sensitivity.

Leaching of Cu and Zn from a composite of discarded antifouling paint residues ([Cu] = 288 mg g−1; [Zn] = 96 mg g−1) into natural sea water has been studied over a period of 75 h. Total Cu and Zn were released according to a pseudo first-order reaction, with rate constants on the order of 0.3 and 2.5 (mg L−1)−1 h−1, respectively, and final concentrations equivalent to the dissolution of about 8 and 2% of respective concentrations in the composite. Time-distributions of hydrophobic metals, determined by solid phase extraction-methanol elution, were more complex. Net release of hydrophobic Cu was greater in the absence of light than under a sequence of light–dark cycles; however, hydrophobic Zn release was not detected under the former conditions but contributed up to 50% of total aqueous Zn when light was present. These observations are interpreted in terms of the relative thermodynamic and photolytic stabilities of biocidal pyrithione complexes. Hydrophobic Cu and Zn leached from antifouling paint particles into sea water appear to be pyrithione complexes.

Diatom responses to ocean acidification have been documented with variable and controversial results. We grew the coastal diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii under 410 (LC, pH 8.13) vs 1000 μatm (HC, pH 7.83) pCO₂ and at different levels of light (80, 140, 220 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹), and found that light level alters physiological responses to OA. CO₂ concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) were down-regulated in the HC-grown cells across all the light levels, as reflected by lowered activity of the periplasmic carbonic anhydrase and decreased photosynthetic affinity for CO₂ or dissolved inorganic carbon. The specific growth rate was, however, enhanced significantly by 9.2% only at the limiting low light level. These results indicate that rather than CO₂ “fertilization”, the energy saved from down-regulation of CCMs promoted the growth rate of the diatom when light availability is low, in parallel with enhanced respiration under OA to cope with the acidic stress by providing extra energy.

Marine Chlorella vulgaris, an efficient hydrocarbon-degrading organism, is easily affected by light. In this study, we investigated the direct effects of different light conditions on crude oil degradation by C. vulgaris and its crude enzyme. Under 12 h illumination, the crude enzyme improved hydrocarbon removal by 39.36%, whereas the addition of the enzyme and C. vulgaris increased the degradation rate by 121.73%. Conversely, the addition of enzyme under heterotrophic condition was negatively related to oil degradation by C. vulgaris, and the degradation rate decreased from 74.32% to 48.65% and further reduced by 34.54%. The results of RNA sequencing analysis suggested that hydrocarbons removal was attributed to C. vulgaris metabolism in heterotrophic physiological state. While enhanced removal efficiency of hydrocarbons was achieved in mixotrophic physiological state due to the coupling of C. vulgaris metabolism with photocatalytic oxidation. Functional enzymes played key roles in photocatalysis and biodegradation processes.