The toxicity of levofloxacin to yellow lupin plants was evaluated in this study. Recommended indexes of plant (roots and shoots) growth were determined and new indexes were proposed which better characterise the phytotoxicity of levofloxacin. These were, in particular, the activity of antioxidative enzymes, the content of free radicals, as well as the root protein content and the root protein profile. The results showed that levofloxacin considerably affected EC₅₀, measured as the activity of catalase in roots, and leaves (1.05 and 0.069 mM, respectively). The activity of peroxidase in the roots and the dry weight of seedlings were the least sensitive parameters (EC₅₀ was 1.8 and 1.76 mM, respectively). Units of toxicity clearly showed that the activity of catalase is a better measure of toxicity for low concentrations of the drug, and it is a better index of plant physiological state than the morphological parameters of seedlings. Moreover, levofloxacin changed the location of free radicals and the protein profile in plants. The changes in location of reactive oxygen species in roots were an important symptom of the drug toxicity to lupin seedlings. Our results have shown that the toxicity of levofloxacin was manifested mainly by changes in the protein profile. The content of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, 14-3-3-like protein A, expansin-B3-like precursor, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, lipoxygenase, nucleotide-binding subunit of vacuolar ATPase and pyruvate dehydrogenase were found to decrease. On the other hand, plant exposure to levofloxacin resulted in an increase in the content of enolase, protein LlR18A, class III chitinase, ascorbate peroxidase, aspartate aminotransferase, alcohol dehydrogenase 1, leghemoglobin reductase-like 17 and heat shock cognate protein 80-like.

Drought and salt stress negatively affect soil fertility and plant growth. Application of biochar, carbon-rich material developed from combustion of biomass under no or limited oxygen supply, ameliorates the negative effects of drought and salt stress on plants. The biochar application increased the plant growth, biomass, and yield under either drought and/or salt stress and also increased photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and modified gas exchange characteristics in drought and salt-stressed plants. Under drought stress, biochar increased the water holding capacity of soil and improved the physical and biological properties of soils. Under salt stress, biochar decreased Na⁺ uptake, while increased K⁺ uptake by plants. Biochar-mediated increase in salt tolerance of plants is primarily associated with improvement in soil properties, thus increasing plant water status, reduction of Na⁺ uptake, increasing uptake of minerals, and regulation of stomatal conductance and phytohormones. This review highlights both the potential of biochar in alleviating drought and salt stress in plants and future prospect of the role of biochar under drought and salt stress in plants.

According to the hologenome theory, the microbiota contributes to the fitness of the holobiont having an important role in its adaptation, survival, development, health, and evolution. Environmental stress also affects the microbiota and its capability to assist the holobiont in coping with stress factors. Here, we analyzed the diversity of cultivable bacteria associated with Manila clam tissues (mantle, gills, hemolymph) in two non-contaminated sites (Portugal and France) and one metal-contaminated site (Portugal). A total of 240 isolates were obtained. Representative isolates (n = 198) of the overall diversity were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and subjected to functional characterization. Isolates affiliated with Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Proteobacteria (mostly Pseudoalteromonadaceae and Vibrionaceae) were dominant in non-contaminated sites while Actinobacteria (mostly Microbacteriaceae) dominated in the metal-contaminated site. The main factor affecting the microbiota composition was contamination. No significant differences were observed between clam tissues and geographic regions. Several isolates tested positive for antibacterial activity, biofilm formation, protease, and siderophore production. The results show that the Manila clam harbors a diverse microbiota that may contribute to clam protection and overall fitness, as well as to its adaptation to stressful environments. In addition, the Manila clam microbiota is revealed as a promising source of novel probiotics with potential application in aquaculture.

Black rock series (BRS) is of great potential for their plenty of valued oxides which include vanadium, iron, alumina and silica oxides, etc. BRS was used for directly preparing of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst by modifying its surface texture with SiO₂-TiO₂ sols and regulating its catalytic active constituents with V₂O₅ and MoO₃. Consequently, 90% NO removal ratio was obtained within 300–400 °C over the BRS-based catalyst. The structure and properties of the BRS-based catalyst were characterized by the techniques of N₂ adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H₂-temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), and NH₃-temperature programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD). The results revealed that the BRS-based catalyst possesses favorable properties for NO ₓ removal, including highly dispersed active components, abundant surface-adsorbed oxygen Oα, well redox property, and numerous Brønsted acid sites. Particularly, the BRS-based catalyst exhibited considerable anti-poisoning performance compared with commercial TiO₂-based catalyst. The former catalyst shows a NO conversion surpassing 80% from 300 to 400 °C for potassium poisoning, and a durability of SO₂ and H₂O exceeding 85% at temperatures from 300 to 450 °C.

The influences of HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, and other components on the UV/TiO₂ degradation of the antineoplastic agents ifosfamide (IFO) and cyclophosphamide (CP) were studied in this work. The results indicated that the presence of HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻ in water bodies resulted in lower degradation efficiencies. The half-lives of IFO and CP were 1.2 and 1.1 min and increased 2.3–7.3 and 3.2–6.3 times, respectively, in the presence of the four anions (initial compound concentration = 100 μg/L, TiO₂ loading =100 mg/L, anion concentration = 1000 mg/L, and pH = 8). Although the presence of HCO₃⁻ in the UV/TiO₂/HCO₃⁻ system resulted in a lower degradation rate and less byproduct formation for IFO and CP, two newly identified byproducts, P11 (M.W. = 197) and P12 (M.W. = 101), were formed and detected, suggesting that additional pathways occurred during the reaction of •CO₃⁻ in the system. The results also showed that •CO₃⁻ likely induces a preferred ketonization pathway. Besides the inorganic anions HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻, the existence of dissolved organic matter in the water has a significant effect and inhibits CP degradation. Toxicity tests showed that higher toxicity occurred in the presence of HCO₃⁻ or Cl⁻ during UV/TiO₂ treatment and within 6 h of reaction time, implying that the effects of these two anions should not be ignored when photocatalytic treatment is applied to treat real wastewater.

This is the first study describing the chemical oxidation of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in contaminated soil under water saturated and unsaturated flow through conditions. Soil contaminated with β-HCH (45 mg kg⁻¹) and γ-HCH (lindane, 25 mg kg⁻¹) was sampled from former lindane waste storage site. Efficiency of following treatments was tested at circumneutral pH: H₂O₂ alone, H₂O₂/Feᴵᴵ, Na₂S₂O₈ alone, Na₂S₂O₈/Feᴵᴵ, and KMnO₄. Experimental conditions (oxidant dose, liquid/solid ratio, and soil granulometry) were first optimized in batch experiments. Obtained results revealed that increasing dose of H₂O₂ improved the oxidation efficiency while in Na₂S₂O₈ system, maximum HCHs were removed at 300 mM. However, oxidation efficiency was slightly improved by Feᴵᴵ-activation. Increasing the solid/liquid ratio decreased HCH removal in soil samples crushed to 500 μm while an opposite trend was observed for 2-mm samples. Dynamic column experiments showed that oxidation efficiency followed the order KMnO₄ > Na₂S₂O₈/Feᴵᴵ > Na₂S₂O₈ whatever the flow condition, whereas the removal extent declined at higher flow rate (e.g., ~50% by KMnO₄ at 0.5 mL/min as compared to ~30% at 2 mL/min). Both HCH removal and oxidant decomposition extents were found higher in saturated columns than the unsaturated ones. While no significant change in relative abundance of soil mineral constituents was observed before and after chemical oxidation, more than 60% of extractable organic matter was lost after chemical oxidation, thereby underscoring the non-selective behavior of chemical oxidation in soil. Due to the complexity of soil system, chemical oxidation has rarely been reported under flow through conditions, and therefore our findings will have promising implications in developing remediation techniques under dynamic conditions closer to field applications.

In this study, metal concentration levels (Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, and Pb) were investigated in the gill, hepatopancreas, ovary, testis, and mantle of the male and female cuttlefish Sepia officinalis in various stations (Iskenderun, Antalya, Kas, Gazipasa, and Anamur) in Mediterranean coasts of Turkey. Hepatopancreas tissue was a better indicator in terms of heavy metal concentration compared to the other tissues. In general, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, and Pb accumulation for the male was found more than that of the female, whereas Cd and Ni accumulation was found higher in the female. There was a relationship among the metals in the form of Co > Pb > Ni > Cd > Cr in the mantle tissue. The Pb concentration over the recommended limits was found in cuttlefish of Anamur, Antalya, and Iskenderun stations.

In this study, an attempt has been made to develop inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Pakistan at the national and sectoral level. The emission profile includes carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). In 2012, GHG emissions from different sectors of economy are estimated at 367 Tg CO₂eq. Out of this, CO₂ emissions were 179 Tg; CH₄ emissions were 107 Tg CO₂eq; and N₂O emissions were 81 Tg CO₂eq. Energy and agriculture sectors contribute approximately 89% of national GHG emissions. Industrial processes, waste, and land use change and forestry (LUCF) sectors contribute the remaining 11% GHG emissions. A comparison with the 1994 GHG emission inventory of Pakistan shows that GHG emissions in Pakistan from 1994 to 2012 have increased at an annual growth rate of 4.1% and yet anticipated to increase further for meeting the national developmental goals; however, the per capita emissions in Pakistan will remain low when compared with the global average.

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using extracellular metabolites from the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa DM1 offers an eco-friendly and sustainable way of metal nanoparticle synthesis. The present work highlights the biotransformation of silver nitrate solution into AgNP, mediated by extracellular secondary metabolite pyoverdine, a siderophore produced by P. aeruginosa. The bioreduction of silver ions into AgNPs by using pyoverdine was recorded in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and color change in the reaction mixture (AgNO₃ + pyoverdine) from pale yellow to dark brown with absorption maxima at 415 nm. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of AgNPs showed its crystalline face-centered cubic structure. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) pictures of AgNPs showed spherical morphology of AgNP in the range of 45–100 nm, with tendency of agglomerations. The energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis of particles provided strong signal of elemental silver with few minor peaks of other impurities. The present approach offers a unique in vitro method of metal nanoparticle synthesis by exogenously produced bacterial secondary metabolites, where direct contact between the toxic metal and biological resource material can be avoided. The biologically synthesized AgNPs are found to have anti-algal effects against two species of Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella pyenoidosa), as indicated by zone of growth inhibition on algal culture plates. Further results exhibit concentration-dependent progressive inhibition of chlorophyll content in the algal cells by AgNPs, confirming the algicidal effect of AgNPs.

Ceramic foodwares are among the products used by people on daily basis without being cautious of exposures to heavy metals through possible leaching from the glaze ceramics. This study investigated the levels of heavy metals found in some commonly used ceramic foodwares in Nigeria with the aim of determining levels of human exposures through the use of the ceramics. To achieve this, acid digestion was carried out for the total metal concentrations and leaching tests were done using 4% acetic acid as a leaching agent. Metal concentrations were quantified using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and particle-induced X-ray emission spectrometry (PIXES) analysis. All the ceramic foodwares studied were found to contain varied amounts of heavy metals in their glazes, with concentrations in the range of 26.45–2071.46, 5.20–547.00, 1.24–2681.02, 2590.00–8848.40, 6.42–654.66, 112.69–649.95, 63.38–2518.51, and 3786.51–8249.44 μg g⁻¹ for Pb, Cd, Zn, As, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Fe, respectively. Concentrations of the metals leached from the ceramics were in the range of 0.11–0.97, 0.01–0.28, 0.00–4.19, 1.93–15.00, 0.01–0.41, 0.09–0.60, 0.01–2.14, and 0.01–11.53 mgL⁻¹ for Pb, Cd, Zn, As, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Fe, respectively. Comparing the ratio of the metals leached from the ceramic wares with those of the metal oxides in the ceramics, it was noticeable that not all the metals detected in the ceramic samples were domiciled in the glaze but in the clay materials used for the ceramics.