Microbiota in urban green spaces underpin ecosystem services that are essential to environmental health and human wellbeing. However, the factors shaping the microbial communities in urban green spaces, especially those associated with turf grass phyllosphere, remain poorly understood. The lack of this knowledge greatly limits our ability to assess ecological, social and recreational benefits of urban green spaces in the context of global urbanization. In this study, we used amplicon sequencing to characterize soil and grass phyllosphere bacterial communities in 40 urban green spaces and three minimally disturbed national parks in Victoria, Australia. The results indicated that urbanization might have shown different impacts on soil and grass phyllosphere microbial communities. The bacterial diversity in soil but not in grass phyllosphere was significantly higher in urban green spaces than in national parks. Principal coordinate analysis revealed significant differences in the overall patterns of bacterial community composition between urban green spaces and national parks for both soil and grass phyllosphere. Industrial development, as represented by the number of industries in the region, was identified as a key driver shaping the bacterial community profiles in urban green spaces. Variation partitioning analysis suggested that industrial factors together with their interaction with other factors explained 20% and 28% of the variances in soil and grass phyllosphere bacterial communities, respectively. The findings highlight the importance of industrial development in driving the spatial patterns of urban microbiomes, and have important implication for the management of microbiomes in urban green spaces.

Pesticides are used worldwide with potential harmful effects on both fauna and flora. The Kibale National Park in Uganda, a site renowned for its biodiversity is surrounded by tea, banana and eucalyptus plantations as well as maize fields and small farms. We previously showed presence of pesticides with potential endocrine disruptive effects in the vicinity. To further investigate the water pollution linked to agricultural pressure in this protected area, we implemented a complementary monitoring strategy based on: analytical chemistry, effects based methods and the deployment of Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS). Chemical analysis of the POCIS extracts revealed the presence of 13 pesticides: carbofuran, DEET, 2.4-D amine, carbaryl, ametryn, isoproturon, metolachlor, terbutryn, dimethoate, imidacloprid, picaridin, thiamethoxam, carbendazim, with the first three being present in the largest quantities. Water samples collected at the POCIS sampling sites exhibited thyroid and estrogen axis disrupting activities in vivo, in addition to developmental and behaviour effects on Xenopus laevis tadpoles model. Based on our observations, for the health of local human and wildlife populations, further monitoring as well as actions to reduce agrochemical use should be considered in the Kibale National Park and in regions exposed to similar conditions.

With the rapid development of aquaculture, the large amounts of pollutants were discharged into the aquatic environment, where the detected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have drawn increasing attention due to their potential threats to ecological environment and human health. Thus, the impact of mariculture on ARGs was assessed and the underlying mechanism of their propagation was explained. Sediments from eight sampling sites were collected along a mariculture drainage ditch, and the sediment in Yellow River Delta National Park was used as a non-mariculture control. Microbial ARGs qPCR array and illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene were applied to examine the changing patterns of ARGs and bacterial communities. Results showed that 18 ARGs (3 fluoroquinolone, 1 aminoglycoside, 3 macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B, 2 tetracycline, and 9 beta-lactam resistance genes) were influenced by mariculture, and ARGs abundance and diversity were significantly increased in mariculture sediments (p < 0.05). A remarkable shift in bacterial community structure and composition was also observed. The abundance of most of ARGs were significantly decreased in the estuary samples, implying that seawater had a significant dilution effect on the ARGs emission from the mariculture sites. Partial redundancy analysis showed that nutrients, heavy metals, and bacteria communities might directly and indirectly contribute to ARGs propagation, suggesting that the profile and dissemination of ARGs were driven by the combined effects of multiple factors in mariculture-impacted sites.

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations were measured in archived fur from adult female little brown bats sampled at maternity roosts across Atlantic Canada. Mercury concentrations varied significantly among regions and roosts. Bats from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland had the highest median Hg concentrations (9.67 μg/g and 9.51 μg/g) among regions, and individuals from Kejimkujik National Park had the highest Hg (median: 28.38 μg/g) among roosts. Over one third of individuals sampled had fur Hg concentrations exceeding thresholds associated with neurochemical responses. Within-roost examinations of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in fur showed inconsistent associations with Hg concentrations. Therefore, the hypothesis that within-roost variation in Hg is driven by variation in diet is not supported by this data, and it is recommended that key prey items be included in future mercury bioaccumulation studies for bats. The elevated mercury fur concentrations for bats from southern Nova Scotia remains an anomaly of concern even when placed in the larger context of Atlantic Canada.

This study assessed concentrations and investigated potential source regions for PCBs, PBDEs, and organochlorine pesticides in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Back-trajectories and potential source contribution function (PSCF) values were used to map potential source areas for total-PCBs, BDE-47, and 10 organochlorine pesticides. The constructed PSCF maps showed that ANP receives high pollutant concentrations in air masses that travel along four main pathways: (1) from the SW along the eastern Atlantic seaboard, (2) from the WSW over St. Louis, and Columbus regions, (3) from the west over Chicago, and Toronto regions, and (4) from WNW to NNW over the Great Lakes, and Quebec regions. Transport of all studied pollutants were equally distributed between the first three pathways, with only minor contributions from the last pathway. This study concludes that the high-pollutant concentrations arriving at ANP do not exclusively originate from the major urban centers along the eastern Atlantic seaboard.

China is one of the largest coastal countries in the world, which have all kinds of marginal systems. Studies have reported the sedimentary Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution status, including their concentrations, sources and risks, in localized marginal systems, which showed significant differences. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of their pollution in marginal systems along China Mainland is urgently needed on a national scale. In the present study, the concentrations of 16 priority PAHs in surface sediments from 62 different marginal systems along China Mainland were reviewed. Their sources were identified and apportioned, and the health risks and ecological risks were also evaluated. As a result, the total sedimentary PAHs varied in a wide range of 4–3700 ng/g, with the lowest values observed in Kenting National Park in East China Sea and the highest values observed in Daliao River estuary in Bohai Sea. Their concentrations suggested that they were not contaminated-weakly contaminated in most study areas, but were contaminated-heavily contaminated in some pollution hot-spots. Source identification and apportion suggested that the sedimentary PAHs were mainly originated from coal combustion, vehicular emission, natural gas combustion and petrogenic source, but the coal combustion and vehicular emission contributed most to their emission (>90%). Risk assessment suggested that the carcinogenic risks were lower than the upper limit of the acceptable range (10⁻⁴), which were acceptable at a large spatial scale. However, for sediments from Qinhuangdao coastal wetland, Daliao River estuary and Yangpu Bay, their carcinogenic risks were higher than 10⁻⁴, which will pose high carcinogenic risks for adults. The non-carcinogenic risks were acceptable in all marginal systems with values lower than the safety guideline (<1). In the ecological risk assessment, their concentrations in some pollution hot-spots were higher than the safety guidelines (effects range low, ERL), suggesting a higher potential ecological risk.

Natural environments are receiving an increasing number of contaminants. Therefore, the evaluation and identification of early responses to pollution in these complex habitats is an urgent and challenging task. Doñana National Park (DNP, SW Spain) has been widely used as a model area for environmental studies because, despite its strictly protected core, it is surrounded by numerous threat sources from agricultural, mining and industrial activities. Since many pollutants often induce oxidative stress, redox proteomics was used to detect redox-based variations within the proteome of Mus spretus mice captured in DNP and the surrounding areas. Functional analysis showed that most differentially oxidized proteins are involved in the maintenance of homeostasis, by eliciting mechanisms to respond to toxic substances and oxidative stress, such as antioxidant and biotransformation processes, immune and inflammatory responses, and blood coagulation. Furthermore, changes in the overall protein abundance were also analysed by label-free quantitative proteomics. The upregulation of phase I and II biotransformation enzymes in mice from Lucio del Palacio may be an alert for organic pollution in the area located at the heart of DNP. Metabolic processes involved in protein turnover (proteolysis, amino acid catabolism, new protein biosynthesis and folding) were activated in response to oxidative damage to these biomolecules. Consequently, aerobic respiratory metabolism increased to address the greater ATP demands. Alterations of cholesterol metabolism that could cause hepatic steatosis were also detected. The proteomic detection of globally altered metabolic and physiological processes offers a complete view of the main biological changes caused by environmental pollution in complex habitats.

Photodemethylation can be one of the primary processes for loss of neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) in freshwater lakes. Few studies have quantified seasonal variations in photodemethylation rate constants as a function of dissolved organic matter (DOM). We conducted 1-week irradiation experiments in two seasons to test for spatial and temporal differences in photodemethylation potential in temperate lake waters. Six study lakes in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia were sampled in summer and fall to include a range of naturally occurring DOM concentrations (4.4–13.4 and 3.9–16.4 mg C L⁻¹, respectively). A negative linear relationship (R² = 0.76, p = 0.01) was found between DOM concentration and photodemethylation rate constant across seasons, indicating that DOM is a strong predictor of MeHg photodemethylation independent of seasonal effects. The two highest carbon lakes (BDW and PEB) had significantly higher energy-normalized photodemethylation rate constants in summer compared to fall corresponding with lower DOM concentrations in summer relative to fall. Additionally, there were negative linear relationships between MeHg photodemethylation and DOM photomineralization (R²s = 0.58–0.72) and DOM photobleaching (R²s = 0.83–0.90). This key finding suggests that competition for photons within DOM structures may reduce the potential for MeHg photodemethylation in high carbon waters and that this relationship persists across seasons.

In the last decades, research regarding the dynamics of pesticides has grown, even in remote regions. Due to long-range atmospheric transport, environmental persistence and toxicological potential of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), similar characteristics of current-use pesticides (CUPs) and their massive use in Brazil, these contaminants have become a major concern for environmental and human life. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate subgroups or individual chemicals of OCPs and CUPs, which could have travelled over two Conservation Unit sites in the Rio de Janeiro state. The study was carried out for 24 months, (2013–2015), in Itatiaia National Park (INP) and in the Serra dos Órgãos National Park (SONP), at ∼2400 and ∼2200 meters above sea level, respectively. The study was based on atmospheric passive sampling (polyurethane foam disks). Target pesticides were detected by means of gas chromatography device coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Significantly higher concentrations were measured in SONP when compared to INP. However, in broad terms, the contamination profile was quite similar for both national parks: The highest concentrations of endosulfan (INP - 1275 pg m⁻³ and SONP - 3202 pg m⁻³) were followed by cypermethrin (INP - 148 pg m⁻³ and SONP - 881 pg m⁻³) and chlorpyrifos (INP - 67 pg m⁻³ and SONP - 270 pg m⁻³). In agreement with previous studies, the atmospheric concentrations of legacy OCPs showed background air levels. The decrease of endosulfan over the years was highlighted with a parallel increase of chlorpyrifos, suggesting a collateral effect of the national bias of permissive and massive use of agrochemicals. CUPs seemed to behave like pseudo-persistent pollutants (pseudo-POPs). This is the first report of atmospheric concentrations of pyrethroids in Brazilian mountain regions, and possibly the first to investigate them in the air in South America or in any mountain region in the world.

Recent studies demonstrated that the common pyrethroid insecticides are present in aquatic biota tissues. In this study, 123 samples of unhatched eggs of 16 wild bird species collected from 2010 to 2012 in Doñana National and Natural Park were analysed to determine 13 pyrethroids. This study represents the first time that pyrethroids are detected in tissues of terrestrial biota, 93% of these samples being positive to those pollutants. Levels of total pyrethroids ranged from not detected to 324 ng g−1 lw. The samples were characterized by stable isotope analysis. Species with diets based on anthropogenic food showed higher levels of pyrethroids and lower values of δ15N. Finally, we characterized the isomers of pyrethroids and discerned some isomeric- and enantiomeric-specific accumulations. In particular, tetramethrin and cyhalothrin showed an enantiomeric-selective accumulation of one enantiomer, highlighting the need to assess toxicological effects of each enantiomer separately to be able to make a correct risk assessment of pyrethroids in birds.