The potential environmental risk of glyphosate has promoted the need for decontamination of glyphosate-polluted water bodies. These treatments should be accompanied by studies of the recovery potential of aquatic communities and ecosystems. We evaluated the potential of freshwater periphyton to recover from glyphosate exposure using microcosms under laboratory conditions. Periphyton developed on artificial substrates was exposed to 0.4 or 4 mg l⁻¹ monoisopropylamine salt of glyphosate (IPA) for 7 days, followed by translocation to herbicide-free water. We sampled the community 1, 2 and 3 weeks after the transfer. Dry weight, ash-free dry weight, chlorophyll a, and periphyton abundances were analysed. The periphyton impacted with the lowest IPA concentration recovered most of the structural parameters within 7 days in clean water, but the taxonomic structure did not entirely recover towards the control structure. Periphyton exposed to 4 mg IPA l⁻¹ could not recover during 21 days in herbicide-free water, reaching values almost four times higher in % of dead diatoms and four times lower in ash-free dry weight concerning the control at the end of the study. Results suggest a long-lasting effect of the herbicide due to the persistence within the community matrix even after translocating periphyton to decontaminated water. We conclude that the exposure concentration modulates the recovery potential of IPA-impacted periphyton. The current research is the first to study the recovery in glyphosate-free water of periphyton exposed to the most commonly used herbicide in the world. Finally, we highlight the need for more studies focused on the recovery potential of freshwater ecosystems and aquatic communities after glyphosate contamination.

The application of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to control harmful algal blooms is affected by algal density and species. In the present study, a simulation field study was carried out to evaluate the removal of cyanobacteria with high algal density (chlorophyll a of approximately 220–250 μg/L) and low algal density (chlorophyll a of approximately 30–50 μg/L) using 10, 20 mg/L H₂O₂ and 5 mg/L H₂O₂. The dynamics of algal biomass, nutrients, microcystins, phytoplankton, and zooplankton were measured within 7 d. The results showed that 5 mg/L H₂O₂ effectively eliminated algal biomass (measured as chlorophyll a and phycocyanin) and inhibited 50% of the photosynthetic activity of the cyanobacteria at 7 d in the low algal cell density group, while the same inhibition rate was observed in the high algal cell density group when the H₂O₂ was 20 mg/L. However, using a high dosage of H₂O₂, such as 10 mg/L, to suppress cyanobacteria with high biomass could result in a dramatic increase in nutrients and microcystins in the water column. The portion of eukaryotic algae, such as Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta and Euglenophyta, in the phytoplankton community increased with increasing H₂O₂ concentrations; moreover, the dominant species of cyanobacteria changed from the nontoxic genus Dactylococcopsis to the toxic genus Oscillatoria, which may result in acute toxicity to zooplankton. Our results demonstrated that the application of H₂O₂ to control cyanobacterial blooms at the early stage when algal cell density was low posed less potential ecological risks and may have increased the diversity of the phytoplankton community.

Management of water-quality in a river ecosystem needs to be focused on susceptible regions to eutrophication based on proper measurements. The stress–response relationships between nutrients and primary productivity of phytoplankton allow the derivation of ecologically acceptable thresholds of stressors under field conditions. However, spatio-temporal variations in heterogeneous environmental conditions have hindered the development of locally applicable criteria. To address these issues, we utilized a combination of a geographically specialized artificial neural network (Geo-SOM, geo-self-organizing map) and linear mixed-effect models (LMMs). The model was applied to a 24-month dataset of 54 stations that spanned a wide spatial gradient in the Nakdong River basin. The Geo-SOM classified 1286 observations in the basin into 13 clusters that were regionally and seasonally distinct. Inclusion of the random effects of Geo-SOM clustering improved the performance of each LMM, which suggests that there were significant spatio-temporal variations in the Chla–stressor relationships. These variations arise owing to differences in background seasonality and the effects of local pollutant variables and land-use patterns. Among the 16 environmental variables, the major stressors for Chla were total phosphate (TP) as a nutrient and biological oxygen demand (BOD) as a non-nutrient according to the results of both Geo-SOM and LMM analyses. Based on LMMs with the random effect of the Geo-SOM clusters on the intercept and the slope, we can propose recommended thresholds for TP (18.5 μg L⁻¹) and BOD (1.6 mg L⁻¹) in the Nakdong River. The combined method of LMM and Geo-SOM will be useful in guiding appropriate local water-quality-management strategies and in the global development of large-scale nutrient criteria.

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid and its widespread contamination in agricultural soils along with soil salinization has become a serious concern for human health and food security. In the present study, the effect of cotton shell biochar (CSBC) in decreasing As-induced phytotoxicity and human health risks in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) grown on As-spiked saline and non-saline soils was evaluated. Quinoa plants were grown on As contaminated (0, 15 and 30 mg kg⁻¹) saline and non-saline soils amended with 0, 1 and 2% CSBC. Results showed that plant growth, grain yield, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll contents of quinoa showed more decline on As contaminated saline soil than non-saline soil. The application of 2% CSBC particularly enhanced plant growth, leaf relative water contents, stomatal conductance, pigment contents and limited the uptake of As and Na as compared to soil without CSBC. Salinity in combination with As trigged the production of H₂O₂ and caused lipid peroxidation of cell membranes. Biochar ameliorated the oxidative stress by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT). Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic human health risks were greatly decreased in the presence of biochar. Application of 2% CSBC showed promising results in reducing human health risks and As toxicity in quinoa grown on As contaminated non-saline and saline soils. Further research is needed to evaluate the role of biochar in minimizing As accumulation in other crops on normal as well as salt affected soils under field conditions.

In this study, we evaluated the distribution of up to forty-three antibiotics and 4 metabolites residues in different environmental compartments of an urban river receiving both diffuse and point sources of pollution. This is the first study to assess the fate of different antibiotic families in water, biofilms and sediments simultaneously under a real urban river scenario. Solid phase extraction, bead-beating disruption and pressurized liquid extraction were applied for sample preparation of water, biofilm and sediment respectively, followed by the quantification of target antibiotics by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Twelve antibiotics belonging to eight chemical families were detected in Suquía River samples (67% positive samples). Sites downstream the WWTP discharge were the most polluted ones. Concentrations of positive samples ranged 0.003-0.29 µg L⁻¹ in water (max. cephalexin), 2-652 µg kg⁻¹d.w. in biofilm (max. ciprofloxacin) and 2-34 µg kg⁻¹d.w. in sediment (max. ofloxacin). Fluoroquinolones, macrolides and trimethoprim were the most frequently detected antibiotics in the three compartments. However cephalexin was the prevalent antibiotic in water. Antibiotics exhibited preference for their accumulation from water into biofilms rather than in sediments (bioaccumulation factors > 1,000 L kg⁻¹d.w. in biofilms, while pseudo-partition coefficients in sediments < 1,000 L kg⁻¹d.w.). Downstream the WWTP there was an association of antibiotics levels in biofilms with ash-free dry weight, opposite to chlorophyll-a (indicative of heterotrophic communities). Cephalexin and clarithromycin in river water were found to pose high risk for the aquatic ecosystem, while ciprofloxacin presented high risk for development of antimicrobial resistance. This study contributes to the understanding of the fate and distribution of antibiotic pollution in urban rivers, reveals biofilm accumulation as an important environmental fate, and calls for attention to government authorities to manage identified highly risk antibiotics.

One of the worst socio-environmental disasters to mark the history of Brazil and the world occurred in November 2015 and involved the mining sector. The collapse of the Fundao dam released approximately 43 million m³ of iron ore tailings, which moved downstream to reach the Doce River. This resulted in the contamination of water, soil, and sediments along the entire course of the river, which also affected its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. Four years after the disaster, several socio-environmental problems continue to persist in the affected areas. In this context, the reservoirs built along the Doce River deserve special attention as they are artificial environments that are highly vulnerable to changes in water parameters. This study aims to determine water quality indicators of these reservoirs using remote sensing data and image processing methods, including semi-analytical algorithms, to comprehend the progress of eutrophication processes. Operational land imager/Landsat-8 data (from 2013 to 2019) were used to map the suspended particulate matter (SPM), euphotic zone (Zₑᵤ) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) before and after the collapse. The results showed significant changes in SPM and Zₑᵤ in the reservoirs after the collapse. Non-conformity of these parameters is observed even now, and they tend to intensify during rainy periods when resuspension processes of sediments occur. Moreover, there has been an increase in the eutrophication of reservoirs as noticed by the significant increase in Chl-a after the disaster, especially in January, July, and August.

Plastic pollution is a global issue posing a threat to marine biota with ecological implications on ecosystem functioning. Micro and nanoplastic impact on phytoplankton autotrophic species (e.g., cell growth inhibition, decrease in chlorophyll a and photosynthetic efficiency and hetero-aggregates formation) have been largely documented. However, the heterogeneity of data makes rather difficult a comparison based on size (i.e. micro vs nano). In addition, knowledge gaps on the ecological impact on phytoplankton assemblage structure and functioning are evident. A new virtual meta-analysis on cause-effect relationships of micro and nanoplastics on phytoplankton species revealed the significant effect posed by polymer type on reducing cell density for tested PVC, PS and PE plastics. Linked with autotrophic phytoplankton role in atmospheric CO₂ fixation, a potential impact of plastics on marine carbon pump is discussed. The understanding of the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the phytoplankton functioning is fundamental to raise awareness on the overall impact on the first level of marine food web. Interactions between micro and nanoplastics and phytoplankton assemblages have been quite documented by in vitro examinations; but, further studies considering natural plankton assemblages and/or large mesocosm experiments should be performed to evaluate and try predicting ecological impacts on primary producers.

This study presents a novel algal-based toxicity test suitable for simple and rapid assessment of heavy metal (Hg2+, Cr6+, Cd2+, Pb2+, or As3+)-contaminated water. A closed-system kit-type algal assay was developed using Chlorella vulgaris. Toxicity was assessed by oxygen evolution in the gaseous phase of the assay kits, which was measured via a needle-type oxygen sensor. Initial cell density, light intensity, and exposure time that enabled favorable test performance for the algal assay kits were 103 cells/mL, 250 μmol m-2s-1, and 18 h, respectively. Results from the heavy metal toxicity tests demonstrate that Hg2+, Cr6+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ are more toxic in inhibiting algal photosynthetic activity than As3+. The 18 h half-maximum effective concentrations (EC50) for Hg2+, Cr6+, Cd2+, Pb2+, and As3+ were determined to be 31.3 ± 0.5, 179.6 ± 7.5, 301.3 ± 6.1, 476.1 ± 10.5, and 2184.1 ± 31.1 μg/L, respectively. A strong correlation between oxygen concentrations in the headspace of the assay kits and chlorophyll a production indicates that oxygen evolution in the gaseous phase is able to represent algal photosynthetic activity and serve as the end-point in algal toxicity tests. High test sensitivity and reproducibility as well as an easy test protocol and rapid processing time make the algal assay kit a suitable tool for simple and rapid toxicity testing of heavy metal-contaminated water.

Reservoirs are an important type of drinking water source for megacities, while lots of reservoirs are threatened by odor problems during certain seasons. The influencing factors of odor compounds in reservoirs are still unclear. During August 2019, a nationwide survey investigating the distribution of odor compounds in reservoirs used as drinking water sources was conducted on seven reservoirs. 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) and geosmin were detected in almost every reservoir, and some odor compound concentrations even exceeded the odor threshold concentration. The average concentration of 2-MIB was 2.68 ng/L, and geosmin was 3.63 ng/L. The average chlorophyll a concentration was 8.25 μg/L. The dominant genera of phytoplankton in these reservoirs belonged to cyanobacteria and diatom. Statistical analysis showed that odor compound concentration was significantly related to the chlorophyll a concentration and indicated that the odor compounds mainly came from phytoplankton. The concentration of odor compounds in the euphotic zone was significantly related to phytoplankton species and biomass. Therefore, the odor compound concentrations in the subsurface chlorophyll maxima layer was generally higher than in the surface layer. However, the odor compounds in the hypolimnion layer were related to the density current. This research suggests that both phytoplankton proliferation events and heavy storm events are important risk factors increasing odor compounds in reservoirs. Control of algal bloom, in-situ profile monitoring system and depth-adjustable pumping system will greatly reduce the risk of odor problems in reservoirs using as water supplies for large cities.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an emerging class of materials which have garnered increasing attention for their utility as adsorbents and photocatalysts in water treatment. Nevertheless, the environmental risks of MOFs, especially their underlying impacts on aquatic organisms, are not fully explored. Herein, the toxicity of multiple representative MOFs was systematically assessed using a freshwater green alga (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) model. Six typical MOFs with different metal nodes or organic linkers, including four transition metal incorporated aluminum-based porphyrin MOFs [pristine Al-PMOF, Al-PMOF (Cu), Al-PMOF (Ni), and Al-PMOF (Co)], one amine-functionalized MOF NH₂-MIL-125 (Ti), and one bimetallic Hofmann MOF (NiCo-PYZ), were successfully synthesized and characterized. All the tested MOFs significantly reduced the chlorophyll content and inhibited the algal growth, with the most toxic materials being NiCo-PYZ and Al-PMOF (Cu). Distinct toxic mechanisms were observed for the tested MOFs. Metal ion release was the primary cause for algal toxicity induced by NiCo-PYZ. The algal toxicity induced by porphyrin MOFs could be explained by the combined effects of metal ion release and nutrient adsorption, agglomeration and physical interactions, and reactive oxygen species generation. NH₂-MIL-125 (Ti) showed higher stability and more biocompatibility than the other tested MOFs. MOFs concentrations with no harmful effects to algae can be taken as the threshold values for safe use and discharge of MOFs. The ecotoxicological risks of MOFs should be considered as the applied concentrations of MOFs at mg/mL levels in environmental remediation were much higher than the no harmful effect thresholds.