Drought and salinity are the main abiotic stresses limiting crop yield and quality worldwide. Improving food production in drought- and salt-prone areas is the key to meet the increasing food demands in near future. It has been widely reported that silicon (Si), a second most abundant element in soil, could reduce drought and salt stress in plants. Here, we reviewed the emerging role of Si in enhancing drought and salt tolerance in plants and highlighted the mechanisms through which Si could alleviate both drought and salt stress in plants. Silicon application increased plant growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments, straw and grain yield, and quality under either drought or salt stress. Under both salt and drought stress, the key mechanisms evoked are nutrient elements homeostasis, modification of gas exchange attributes, osmotic adjustment, regulating the synthesis of compatible solutes, stimulation of antioxidant enzymes, and gene expression in plants. In addition, Si application decreased Na⁺ uptake and translocation while increased K⁺ uptake and translocation under salt stress. However, these mechanisms vary with plant species, genotype, growth conditions, duration of stress imposed, and so on. This review article highlights the potential for improving plant resistance to drought and salt stress by Si application and provides a theoretical basis for application of Si in saline soils and arid and semiarid regions worldwide. This review article also highlights the future research needs about the role of Si under drought stress and in saline soils.

To contribute to the use of the tropical brown mussel Perna perna as a sentinel species for organochlorine pesticides (OCP) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), the present study reports data on the toxicokinetics of these compounds in P. perna. Specifically, the authors present data on OCP and PCB bioaccumulation for eight sampling months from three bays (SE Brazil) and two transplant experiments (each 1 month long). Although seasonality is observed in the total lipid content of the whole soft tissue, with summer samples showing higher values, no such seasonality is observed in the OCP and PCB concentrations bioaccumulated by the mussel P. perna. Because no seasonal effect is observed in the annual OCP and PCB concentrations bioaccumulated by P. perna, the use of this species as a sentinel organism to monitor organochlorinated compounds is encouraged. One month of transplantation is not enough to allow the transplanted specimens to reach the concentrations observed in animals reared at the destination site. Nevertheless, P. perna showed a clear tendency to depurate the DDT metabolites p,p′-DDD and p,p′-DDE after 1 month of transplantation.

Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that serum levels of trace elements may be associated with breast cancer risk. We compared serum levels of 15 trace elements between breast cancer patients and normal controls from Shandong, China, for the first time to assess whether serum levels of trace elements were associated with breast cancer risk. Eighty-eight breast cancer patients and 84 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. A Spectraspan V direct current plasma atomic emission spectrometer was used to determine the serum levels of 15 trace elements including Zn, Mn, Al, Cd, Fe, Mg, Ca, Pb, Cu, Se, Ni, Ti, Co, Li, and Cr. Breast cancer patients had significantly higher serum levels of Cd (p = 0.000), Mg (p = 0.001), Cu (p = 0.000), Co (p = 0.006), and Li (p = 0.003) and borderline higher Cr (p = 0.052), while significantly lower Mn (p = 0.000), Al (p = 0.000), Fe (p = 0.000), and Ti (p = 0.000) compared to their matched controls. However, there were no significant differences in serum levels of Zn (p = 0.824), Ca (p = 0.711), Pb (p = 0.274), Se (p = 0.236), and Ni (p = 0.185) between the two groups. Our study showed a possible association between serum levels of trace elements and breast cancer risk in eastern China, though it warrants further investigations to confirm the association. If confirmed, modulation of trace elements may help reduce breast cancer risk.

The paper presents unique data of plutonium²⁴¹Pu study in seabirds from northern Eurasia, permanently or temporally living at the southern Baltic Sea coast. Together, ten marine birds species were examined, as follows: three species that permanently reside at the southern Baltic, four species of wintering birds, and three species of migrating birds; 366 samples were analyzed. The obtained results indicated plutonium was non-uniformly distributed in organs and tissues of analyzed seabirds. The highest²⁴¹Pu content was found in the digestion organs and feathers, the lowest in muscles. Also, the internal radiation doses from²⁴¹Pu were evaluated.

The effect of Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculation during drum composting of agricultural waste was performed at different composting stages. Three trials were carried out with (5:4:1) combination of vegetable waste, cattle manure, and sawdust along with 10 kg of dried leaves with a total mass of 100 kg in a 550 L rotary drum composter. Trial 1 was a control without inoculation of fungus, while trial 2 was inoculated during the initial day (0th day of composting), and trial 3 was inoculated after the thermophilic phase, i.e., on the 8th day of composting period. The inoculation of fungus increased the volatile solids reduction by 1.45-fold in trial 2 and 1.7-fold in trial 3 as compared to trial 1 without any fungal inoculation. Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) was observed with 2.31, 2.62, and 2.59 % in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively, at the end of 20 days of composting period. Hence, it can be concluded that inoculation of white-rot fungus increased the decomposition rate of agricultural waste within shorter time in drum composting. However, inoculation after the thermophilic phase was found more effective than inoculation during initial days of composting for producing more stabilized and nutrient-rich compost.

Despite literature evidence suggesting the importance of sampling methods on the properties of sediment pore waters, their effects on the dissolved organic matter (PW-DOM) have been unexplored to date. Here, we compared the effects of two commonly used sampling methods (i.e., centrifuge and Rhizon sampler) on the characteristics of PW-DOM for the first time. The bulk dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption, and excitation-emission matrixes coupled with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) of the PW-DOM samples were compared for the two sampling methods with the sediments from minimal to severely contaminated sites. The centrifuged samples were found to have higher average values of DOC, UV absorption, and protein-like EEM-PARAFAC components. The samples collected with the Rhizon sampler, however, exhibited generally more humified characteristics than the centrifuged ones, implying a preferential collection of PW-DOM with respect to the sampling methods. Furthermore, the differences between the two sampling methods seem more pronounced in relatively more polluted sites. Our observations were possibly explained by either the filtration effect resulting from the smaller pore size of the Rhizon sampler or the desorption of DOM molecules loosely bound to minerals during centrifugation, or both. Our study suggests that consistent use of one sampling method is crucial for PW-DOM studies and also that caution should be taken in the comparison of data collected with different sampling methods.

To study the potential effects of climate change on water quality in a shallow reservoir in China, the field data analysis method is applied to data collected over a given monitoring period. Nine water quality parameters (water temperature, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen) and three climate indicators for 20 years (1992–2011) are considered. The annual trends exhibit significant trends with respect to certain water quality and climate parameters. Five parameters exhibit significant seasonality differences in the monthly means between the two decades (1992–2001 and 2002–2011) of the monitoring period. Non-parametric regression of the statistical analyses is performed to explore potential key climate drivers of water quality in the reservoir. The results indicate that seasonal changes in temperature and rainfall may have positive impacts on water quality. However, an extremely cold spring and high wind speed are likely to affect the self-stabilising equilibrium states of the reservoir, which requires attention in the future. The results suggest that land use changes have important impact on nitrogen load. This study provides useful information regarding the potential effects of climate change on water quality in developing countries.

As children represent one of the most vulnerable groups in society, more information concerning their exposure to health hazardous air pollutants in school environments is necessary. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been identified as priority air pollutants due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic properties that strongly affect human health. Thus, this work aims to characterize levels of 18 selected PAHs in preschool environment, and to estimate exposure and assess the respective risks for 3–5-year-old children (in comparison with adults). Gaseous PAHs (mean of 44.5 ± 12.3 ng m⁻³) accounted for 87 % of the total concentration (ΣPAHₛ) with 3–ringed compounds being the most abundant (66 % of gaseous ΣPAHₛ). PAHs with 5 rings were the most abundant ones in the particulate phase (PM; mean of 6.89 ± 2.85 ng m⁻³) being predominantly found in PM₁ (78 % particulate ΣPAHₛ). Overall child exposures to PAHs were not significantly different between older children (4–5 years old) and younger ones (3 years old). Total carcinogenic risks due to particulate-bound PAHs indoors were higher than outdoor ones. The estimated cancer risks of both preschool children and the staff were lower than the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) threshold of 10⁻⁶ but slightly higher than WHO-based guideline.

Contamination levels and spatial and temporal distributions of six typical synthetic musks (SMs) in water and sediment of the Songhua River in Northeastern China were investigated. Experimental data for 72 water and 52 sediment samples collected at 29 sampling sites over 12 months spanning 2011–2012 showed that the Songhua River had been contaminated to different degrees at various sites separately from the river’s source. The polycyclic musks 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta-(g)-2-benzopyran (HHCB) (Galaxolide) and 7-acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (AHTN) (Tonalide) were found most frequently and at the highest levels. Concentrations of HHCB were <2–37 ng/L in water and <0.5–17.5 ng/g dry weight (dw) in sediment. AHTN was <1–8 ng/L in water and <0.5–5.7 ng/g dw in sediment. Statistical relationships between SM concentrations and four environmental variables (temperature, illumination, runoff, and population density) in the Songhua River Basin were formulated. Concentration levels varied proportionately with the size of the city along the river, while the distribution patterns showed clear seasonal variations. HHCB/AHTN ratios mirrored the transfer and transmitting process of SMs. Concentrations of target compounds were correlated with each other, suggesting similar exposure sources. Environmental risk assessment of SMs presented seasonal variations and provided baseline information on SM exposure in the Songhua River Basin.

This study models the biodegradation kinetics of two toxic xenobiotic compounds in enriched mixed cultures: a commonly applied herbicide (3,4-dichloropropionanilide or propanil) and its metabolite (3,4-dichloroaniline or DCA). The dependence of the metabolite degradation kinetics on the presence of the parent compound was investigated, as well as the influence of the feeding operation strategy. Model equations were proposed incorporating substrate inhibition of the parent compound and the metabolite during dump feed operation of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The kinetic parameters of the biomass were compared to step feed degradation of the SBR. The relationship between propanil and DCA degradation rates with the concentration of each compound was studied. A statistical comparison was carried out between the model predictions and experimental results. Substrate inhibition by both propanil and DCA was prominent during dump feed operation but insignificant during step feed. With both feeding strategies, the metabolite degradation was found to be dependent on the concentration of both the parent compound and the metabolite, suggesting that the DCA degrading enzymatic activity was independent of the detachment of the propionate moiety from the propanil molecule. After incorporating this finding into the model equations, the model was able to describe well the propanil and DCA degradation profiles, with an r²correlation >0.95 for each case. A kinetic model was developed for the degradation of the herbicide propanil and its metabolite DCA. An exponential inhibition term was incorporated to describe the substrate inhibition during dump feeding. The kinetics of metabolite degradation was dependent of the sum of the concentrations of metabolite and parent compound, which could also be of relevance to future xenobiotic modelling applications from wastewater.