A high-resolution 3-D model was developed to assess the impact of a diversion outfall at the Tarumi Sewage Treatment Plant (TSTP) on an adjacent seaweed farm in Osaka Bay, Japan. The model was extensively validated to ensure a reasonable agreement with in situ observations. The western part of the farm is largely influenced by tidal currents, whereas the eastern area is mainly affected by subtidal residual currents that are primarily due to surface wind stress. The released effluent is transported by counterclockwise residual circulation formed off the TSTP. The model reveals that the diversion adequately suppresses the influence on the farm. While the instantaneous effluent concentration is diminished by about 50%, the effluent accumulated on the farm decreased from 2.83 × 104 m3 to 2.01 × 104 m3 due to the diversion, demonstrating an approximately 28% reduction of the effluent from the TSTP by the diversion outfall.

Biochar compound fertilisers (BCFs) are an emerging technology that combine biochar with nutrients, clays and minerals and can be formulated to address specific issues in soil-plant systems. However, knowledge of BCF performance over consecutive crops and without re-application is limited. This study aims to assess the residual effect of organic BCFs soil-plant nutrient cycling 2 years after application and without additional fertiliser inputs. We applied BCFs and biochar with organic fertiliser amendments and established a crop of ginger and a second crop of turmeric (Curcuma longa) without re-application or additional fertilisation. All treatment formulations included bamboo-biochar and organic fertiliser amendments; however, two novel BCFs were formulated to promote agronomic response in an intensive cropping system. We report here on the effect of treatments on soil and plant macronutrient and micronutrient cycling and turmeric growth, biomass and yield at harvest. Both BCFs (enriched (10 t ha⁻¹) and organo-mineral biochar (8.6 t ha⁻¹) increased foliar K (+155% and +120%) and decreased foliar Mg (−20% and −19%) concentration compared with all other treatments, suggesting antagonism between K and Mg. Plants were limited for K, P and B at harvest but not N, Ca or Mg. Foliar K was dependent on the biochar formulation rather than the rate of application. Biochar-clay aggregates increased K retention and cycling in the soil solution 2 years after application. Clay blended BCFs reduced K limitation in turmeric compared to biochar co-applied with organic amendments, suggesting these blends can be used to manage organic K nutrition. All formulations and rates of biochar increased leaf biomass and shoot-to-root ratio. Novel BCFs should be considered as an alternative to co-applying biochar with organic fertiliser amendments to decrease application rates and increase economic feasibility for farmers. Applying BCFs without re-application or supplementary fertiliser did not provide sufficient K or P reserves in the second year for consecutive cropping. Therefore, supplementary fertilisation is recommended to avoid nutrient deficiency and reduced yield for consecutive organic rhizome crops.

We evaluated, under controlled laboratory conditions, the insecticidal activity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the control of the house mosquito, Culex pipiens. In a first series of bioassays, we tested the residual effect of different PDMS doses to control 3rd instar larvae. The label dose caused high mortality rates (>80%) even after 50 days from the initial application. Mortality levels at half the label dose were significantly higher compared to control, during the entire experimental period following a gradual decrease over time. Similar trends were observed when the 1/4 and the 1/8 of the label dose were applied with a much steeper decrease at long time intervals since the initial application especially for the lowest dose. However, after the 10th day of the bioassays and until the end of the experiments, mortality rates in the case of the label dose were higher compared to all other doses after the initial 10 days post application. Conversely, the insecticidal efficacy of PDMS against pupae was generally lower in comparison with larvae. Indeed, 10 days after the application, mortality was notably reduced, regardless of the dose rate tested. In a second series of bioassays, we assessed the efficacy of short exposures of different instars of larvae and nymphs to registered formulation and label dose. Mortality was well over 95% for 2nd instar larvae at exposure intervals ranging from 1 to 4 days. Significant mortality was recorded to 3rd instar larvae even at 15 min of exposure. Exposures longer than 30 min caused high mortality rates to 3rd instar larvae. Similar results were also recorded in pupae. Finally, in a third series of bioassays, the efficacy of PDMS in egg hatch was tested. Egg hatch was completely suppressed in the treated substrate (all egg rafts were “sinking” at the bottom of the test cups). Moreover, there was no oviposition in the case of the application of the label dose, while some egg rafts were recorded at one-eighth of the label dose. In both cases, it was recorded that PDMS acts as an oviposition deterrent. Τhe results of this study show that PDMS is effective in a wide range of conditions and application scenarios.

Achieving high productivity in agriculture is increasingly needed and requested; however, this activity should be performed in a sustainable and rational way. The use of micronutrients in the fertilization of the most diverse cultures is becoming a common practice on farms, but it is important to conduct studies in relation to fertilizers used for this supplement, including raw materials with which they are produced. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the phytoavailability of nutrients and toxic heavy metals Cd, Pb, and Cr; productivity; and yield components in wheat sown in soil with residue of N/P2O5/K2O + Zn-based fertilizer applied in previous crop. Treatments consisted of residual fertilization of five forms arranged in two doses (D1 = 300 kg ha−1 and D2 = 600 kg ha−1). The five types of fertilization were composed of formulated N/P2O5/K2O and the variation of different Zn sources. In the assessment of phytoavailability were determined levels of K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cd, Pb, and Cr in wheat leaves. The results show that the residual effect of fertilization was not enough for there being difference between treatments at both doses used; however, it was found that the fertilizers used to Zn supply provided residual effect, providing significant levels of Pb and Cr for wheat plants.

The effects of mesotrione, S-metolachlor, and terbuthylazine, applied in mixture, on soil biodegradation remain insufficiently researched. However, herbicide mixtures have been a common practice in agricultural systems in the last years. Understanding the fate of soil-applied herbicides may help on planning weed management tactics towards more sustainable and efficient weed control. Therefore, this study evaluated the fate of mesotrione alone and in mixture with S-metolachlor and terbuthylazine when applied to two contrasting arable Brazilian soils. Mineralization and degradation experiments were conducted using ¹⁴C-mesotrione alone or in mixture. From the 49-day laboratory incubation data, increased mineralization half-life of mesotrione was observed for the mixture of herbicides, ranging from a 4-day increase for the sandy loam soil to a 1-day increase in the sandy clay texture soils. Mesotrione degradation rate had a twofold increase in the sandy loam compared to the sandy clay soil. Two metabolites can be identified from mesotrione degradation, 4-methyl-sulfonyl-2-nitrobenzoic acid (MNBA) and 2-amino-4-methylsulfonyl benzoic acid (AMBA). Indices for the score of ubiquity in groundwater indicated mesotrione possesses leaching potential for both soils. Applying mesotrione alone or in mixture did not influence the amount of bound residues from mesotrione. However, mesotrione degradation rate was influenced by soil texture regardless if applied alone or in mixture. Mesotrione biotransformation was relatively quick, indicating that this herbicide has low persistence and, consequently, low residual effect on crops and weeds when present in similar soils to this present study.

Background, aim, and scope Glutaraldehyde (GA) often acts as an effective sterilant, disinfectant, and preservative in chemical products. It was found that GA had clearly acute toxicity to aquatic organisms. Furthermore, GA in natural environment could not exist as single species but as complex mixtures. To explore the toxicity interaction between GA and the other environmental pollutant, it is necessary to determine the mixture toxicities of various binary mixtures including GA. Two reference models, concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA), are often employed to evaluate the mixture toxicity, which can be finished by comparing the concentration-response curves (CRCs) predicted by the reference models with the experimental CRC of the mixture. However, the CRC-based method cannot effectively denote the degree of the deviations from the reference models, especially at very low effect levels. Though the model deviation ratio (MDR) can be used to quantitatively evaluate the deviation of a mixture at EC50 level from the reference model, it is difficult to evaluate the deviations at the lower effect levels. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to develop a new effect residual ratio (ERR) method to validate the deviations from the reference models at various effect levels. Materials and methods Four chemicals having possible dissimilar mode of actions with GA, acetonitrile (ACN), dodine (DOD), simetryn (SIM), and metham sodium (MET), were selected as another component in the binary mixtures including GA, which constructed four binary mixtures, GA-ACN, GA-DOD, GA-SIM, and GA-MET ones. For each binary mixture, two equipotent mixture rays where the concentration ratios of GA to another mixture component are respectively EC50 and EC5 ones were designed and their toxicities (expressed as a percent inhibition to Photobacterium phosphoreum) were determined by microplate toxicity analysis. The observed concentration-response curve (CRC) of a ray was compared with that predicted by CA or IA model to qualitatively assess the toxicity interaction of the mixture ray. To quantitatively and effectively examine the deviations at various effect levels from the reference models, a new concept, ERR at an effect, was defined, and the ERR was employed to evaluate the deviation at various effects with confidence intervals. Results For three binary mixtures, GA-ACN, GA-DOD, and GA-SIM, the CRCs predicted by IA models were almost located in the 95% confidence intervals of the experimental CRCs for both equipotent mixture rays, which indicated the independent actions between binary mixture components. However, two rays of GA-MET binary mixture displayed a little synergistic action because both CRCs predicted by CA and IA were lower than the experimental CRC. ERR showed the same results as MDR, but ERR results at low effect area were clearer than MDR ones. Discussion In CRC comparison, the deviation of CA (for GA-ACN, GA-DOD, and GA-SIM combinations) or IA (for GA-MET) model from the experimental values could be obviously observed at medium area of the CRC. However, at very low effect levels, both deviations of CA and IA and difference between CA and IA model predictions were not very apparent. Thus, it was difficult to confirm which model, CA or IA, had better predicted power at very low effect levels. MDR in many literatures often refers to a ratio at EC50 level. It was also difficult to reflect not only the deviation fact at the other ECx but also the deviation uncertainty. After we extended the definition of MDR to all ECx and examined the 95% confidence intervals based on observation, the plot of the redefined MDRs at many effect levels could better explain the deviations of CA or IA model from the observation. However, MDRs at very low effect levels did not still reflect the high uncertainty there. The ERRs defined in our paper could explicitly explain the degree of deviation from the reference models and especially reflect the high uncertainty at very low effects. It could be said that the ERR is a better indicator than MDR. Conclusions The new ERR validation method developed in our laboratory could provide us with the information about the toxicity interaction between the mixture components and quantitatively assess the accuracy of the reference models (CA or IA) at whole effect levels. The ERR method conquered the invalidation of the classical CRC comparison method on the deviation decision at low effect levels and also got the advantage over the MDR methods. Recommendations and perspectives It holds promise to become an effective method of hazard and risk assessments of chemical mixtures by well characterizing the uncertainty at very low effect levels.