Dioecious plants show sexual differences in resistance traits to abiotic stresses. However, the effects of exogenous pesticide application on female and male plant growth and their associated adaptation mechanisms are unclear. Our study investigated the effects of the broad-spectrum pesticide lambda-cyhalothrin (λ-CY) on dioecious Populus cathayana growth and explored the factors through which λ-CY changed the rhizosphere bacterial community and physicochemical soil properties via sex-specific metabolomics. The sequential application of λ-CY significantly suppressed male shoot- and root biomass, with little effect on the growth of females. Females possessed a higher intrinsic chemo-diversity within their root exudates, and their levels of various metabolites (sugars, fatty acids, and small organic acids) increased after exposure to λ-CY with consequences on bacterial community composition. Maintaining high bacterial alpha diversity and recruiting specific bacterial groups slowed down the loss of rhizosphere nutrients in females. In contrast, the reduction in bacterial alpha diversity and network structure stability in males was associated with lower rhizosphere nutrient availability. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that several bacterial groups were positively correlated with the root secretion of lipids and organic acids, suggesting that these metabolites can affect the soil bacterial groups actively involved in the nutrient pool. This study provided novel insights that root exudates and soil microbial interactions may mediate sex-specific differences in response to pesticide application.

Almost 81% of nitrogen fertilizers are applied in form of urea but most of it is lost due to volatilization and leaching leading to environmental pollution. In this regard, slow-release nano fertilizers can be an effective solution. Here, we have synthesized different Fe₃O₄-urea nanocomposites with Fe₃O₄ NPs: urea ratio (1:1, 1:2, 1:3) ie. NC-1, 2, and 3 respectively, and checked their efficacy for growth and yield enhancement. Oryza sativa L. cv. Swarna seedlings were treated with different NCs for 14 days in hydroponic conditions and significant up-regulation of photosynthetic efficiency and nitrogen metabolism were observed due to increased availability of nitrogen and iron. The discriminant functional analysis confirmed that the NC3 treatment yielded the best results so further gene expression studies were performed for NC-3 treated seedlings. Significant changes in expression profiles of ammonia and nitrate transporters indicated that NC-3 treatment enhanced nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) due to sustained slow release of urea. From pot experiments, we found significant enhancement of growth, grain nutrient content, and NUE in NC supplemented sets. 1.45 fold increase in crop yield was achieved when 50% N was supplemented in form of NC-3 and the rest in form of ammonium nitrate. NC supplementation can also play a vital role in minimizing the use of bulk N fertilizers because, when 75% of the recommended N dose was supplied in form of NC-3, 1.18 fold yield enhancement was found. Thus our results highlight that, slow-release NC-3 can play a major role in increasing the NUE of rice.

Due to the large-scale outbreak of Corona Virus Disease (2019), amounts of disinfecting agents was regularly used in public environments and their potential toxicity towards organisms needed to be appreciated. Thus, one mostly used cationic disinfectant, benzalkonium chlorides (BAC(C12)), was selected to assess its potential toxicity one common cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) in this study. The aims were to explore the toxic effect and mechanism of BAC (C12) on M. aeruginosa growth within 96 h via morphological, physiological, and the relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics variations. The results found that BAC(C12) significantly inhibited cell density of M. aeruginosa at concentrations from 1 mg/L to 10 mg/L, and the 96-h EC₅₀ value was identified to be 3.61 mg/L. Under EC₅₀ concentration, BAC(C12) depressed the photosynthesis activities of M. aeruginosa exhibited by 36% decline of the maximum quantum yield for primary photochemistry (Fv/Fm) value and denaturation of photosynthetic organelle, caused oxidative stress response displayed by the increase of three indexes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and destroyed the integrity of cell membranes demonstrated by TEM images and the increase of ex-cellular substances. Then, the iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis demonstrated that BAC(C12) depressed photosynthesis activities through inhibiting the expressions of photosynthetic protein and photosynthetic electron transport related proteins. The suppression of electron transport also led to the increase of superoxide radicals and then posed oxidative stress on cell. Meantime, the 63.63% ascent of extracellular microcystin production of M. aeruginosa was observed, attributing to the high expression of microcystin synthesis proteins and the damage of cell membrane. In sum, BAC(C12) exposure inhibited the growth of M. aeruginosa mainly by depressing photosynthesis, inducing oxidative stress, and breaking the cell membrane. And, it enhanced the release of microcystin from the cyanobacterial cells via up-regulating the microcystin synthesis proteins and inducing the membrane damage, which could enlarge its toxicity to aquatic species.

Aggravating the pollution of microcystins (MCs) in freshwater environments is detrimental to aquatic living organisms and humans, and thus threatens the stability of ecosystems. Some environmental factors have been verified to promote the production of MCs in Microcystis aeruginosa, thereby aggravating the pollution of MCs. However, the effects of cerium (Ce), the most abundant rare earth element in global water environments, on the production of MCs in M. aeruginosa are unknown. Here, Lake Taihu water was selected as a representative of freshwater environments. By using interdisciplinary methods, it was found that: (1) the exposure level of Ce [Ce(III) and Ce(IV)] in Lake Taihu water is in the range of 0.271–0.282 μg/L; (2) Ce exposure in Lake Taihu water promoted the contents of three main MCs (MC-LR, MC-LW and MC-YR) in M. aeruginosa and water; (3) a cellular mechanism of Ce promoting the production of MCs in M. aeruginosa in Lake Taihu water was suggested: Ce enhanced endocytosis in cells of M. aeruginosa to promote the essential element uptake by M. aeruginosa for MC synthesis. Thus, Ce exposure in Lake Taihu water aggravates the pollution of MCs via enhancing endocytosis in cells of M. aeruginosa. The results provide reference for assessing the environmental risk of Ce in water environments, investigating the mechanism of the pollution of MCs induced by environmental factors, and developing strategies aimed at preventing and controlling the pollution of MCs.

The area of agricultural wastes valorisation to fertilizers is attracting growing attention because of the increasing fertilizer prices of fertilizers and the higher costs of waste utilization. Despite the scientific and political interest in the concept of circular economy, few studies have considered the practical approach towards the implementation of elaborated technologies. This article outlines innovative strategies for the valorisation of different biobased wastes into fertilizers. The present work makes a significant contribution to the field of new ideas for waste biomass management to recover significant fertilizer nutrients. These results emphasize the importance of the biomass use as a base of renewable resources, which has recently gained special importance, especially in relation to the outbreak of pandemia and war. Broken supply chains and limited access to deposits of raw materials used in fertilizer production (natural gas, potassium salts) meant that now, as never before, it has become more important and feasible to implement the idea of a circular economy and a green deal. We have obtained satisfactory results that demonstrate that appropriate management of biological waste (originating from agriculture, food processing, aquaculture, forest, pharmaceutical industry, and other branches of industry, sewage sludge) will not only reduce environmental nuisance (reducing waste heaps), but will also allow recovery of valuable materials, such as nitrogen (especially valuable amino acids), phosphorus, potassium, microelements, and biologically active substances with properties that stimulate plant growth. The results reported here provide information on production of biobased plant protection products (bioagrochemicals) from agri-food waste. This work reports an overview of biopesticides and biofertilisers production technologies and summarizes their properties and the mechanisms of action.

We determined the distribution and temporal variation of Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), carbapenemase-encoding genes and other antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in a highly polluted river (Lis River; Portugal), also assessing the potential influence of water quality to this distribution. Water samples were collected in two sampling campaigns performed one year apart (2018/2019) from fifteen sites and water quality was analyzed. CRE were isolated and characterized. The abundance of four ARGs (blaNDM, blaKPC, tetA, blaCTX₋M), two Microbial Source Tracking (MST) indicators (HF183 and Pig-2-Bac) and the class 1 integrase gene (IntI1) was measured by qPCR. confirmed the poor quality of the Lis River water, particularly in sites near pig farms. A collection of 23 CRE was obtained: Klebsiella (n = 19), Enterobacter (n = 2) and Raoultella (n = 2). PFGE analysis revealed a clonal relationship between isolates obtained in different sampling years and sites. All CRE isolates exhibited multidrug resistance profiles. Klebsiella and Raoultella isolates carried blaKPC while Enterobacter harbored blaNDM. Conjugation experiments were successful for only four Klebsiella isolates. All ARGs were detected by qPCR on both sampling campaigns. An increase in ARGs and IntI1 abundances was detected in sites located downstream of wastewater treatment plants. Strong correlations were observed between blaCTX₋M, IntI1 and the human-pollution marker HF183, and also between tetA and the pig-pollution marker Pig-2-bac, suggesting that both human- and animal-derived pollution in the Lis River are a potential source of ARGs. Plus, water quality parameters related to eutrophication and land use were significantly correlated with ARGs abundances. Our findings demonstrated that the Lis River encloses high levels of antibiotic resistant bacteria and ARGs, including CRE and carbapenemase-encoding genes. Overall, this study provides a better understanding on the impacts of water pollution resulting from human and animal activities on the resistome of natural aquatic systems.

The association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and male reproductive dysfunction has attracted increasing attention. The purpose of this study was to compare the male reproductive toxicity of multiple PAHs and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. TM4 cells (mouse testicular Sertoli cells, SCs) were treated with benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), pyrene (Py), fluoranthene (Fl) and phenanthrene (Phe) (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 50, or 100 μM) for varying time points (4, 12, 24, or 48 h), and male C57BL/6 mice were administered BaP and Py (0, 10, 50, or 100 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days based on the cell experimental results. Histopathological examination, western blotting, ELISA, biochemical assays, RT–PCR, flow cytometry, JC-1 staining and trans-epithelium electrical resistance (TEER) measurements were used to assess apoptosis, blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity, intracellular calcium ([Ca²⁺]ᵢ) concentrations and oxidative stress (OS). The results revealed that the mRNA levels and enzymatic activities of CYP450 and GST family members; levels of ROS, MDA, cleaved caspase 3 (c-caspase 3), caspase 9, Bax, and cytochrome C (CytC); and numbers of TUNEL-positive cells were significantly increased by BaP and Py, while levels of AhR, GSH, SOD, CAT, Bcl-2 and ΔΨm were decreased. Additionally, BaP and Py notably interfered with tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs) in the BTB. Intriguingly, BaP, but not Py, induced [Ca²⁺]ᵢ overload and gap junction (GJ) destruction. There was no dramatic effect of Fl and/or Phe on any of the above parameters except that slight cytotoxicity was observed with higher doses of Fl. Collectively, these findings showed that BaP and Py elicited SC apoptosis and BTB disruption involving mitochondrial dysfunction and OS, but [Ca²⁺]ᵢ fluctuation and GJ injury were only observed with BaP-induced reproductive toxicity. The male reproductive toxicity of the selected PAHs was ranked in the order of BaP > Py > Fl > Phe.

Increasing numbers of studies have demonstrated the existence of nanoplastics (1–999 nm) in the environment and commercial products, but the current technologies for detecting and quantifying nanoplastics are still developing. Herein, we present a combination of two techniques, e.g., scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), to analyze submicron-sized plastics. A drop-casting of a 20-nL particle suspension on a Piranha solution-cleaned silicon wafer with dry ice incubation and subsequent freeze-drying was used to suppress the coffee-ring effect. SEM images were used to quantify particles, and this technique is applicable for 0.195–1.04-μm polystyrene (PS), 0.311-μm polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and 0.344-μm polyethylene (PE) at a minimum concentration of 2.49 × 10⁹ particles/mL. ToF-SIMS could not quantify the particle number, while it could semi-quantitatively estimate number ratios of submicron PE, PET, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and PS particles in the mixture. Analysis of submicron plastics released from three hot water-steeped teabags (respectively made of PET/PE, polylactic acid (PLA), and PET) was revisited. The SEM-derived sizes and particle numbers were comparable to those measured by a nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) regardless of whether or not the hydro-soluble oligomers were removed. ToF-SIMS further confirmed the number ratios of different particles from a PET/PE composite teabag leachate. This method shows potential for application in analyzing more-complex plastic particles released from food contact materials.

Energy resource scarcity and sediment pollution perniciousness have become enormous challenges, to which research has been focused on energy recovery and recycle technologies to solve both above problems. The organic matter stored in anoxic sediments of freshwater ecosystem represents a tremendous potential energy source. The system of aquatic plant coupled with sediment microbial fuel cell (AP-SMFC) has attracted much attention as a more feasible, economical and eco-friendly way to remediate sediment and surface water and generate electricity. However, the research on AP-SMFC has only been carried out in the last decade, and relevant studies have not been well summarized. In this review, the advances and prospects on AP-SMFC were systematically introduced. Firstly, the annual publication counts and keywords co-occurrence cluster of AP-SMFC were identified and visualized by resorting to the CiteSpace software, and the result showed that the research on AP-SMFC increased significantly in the last decade on the whole and will continue to increase. The bibliometric results provided valuable references and information on potential research directions for future studies. And then, the research progress and reaction mechanism of AP-SMFC were systematically described. Thirdly, the performance of AP-SMFC, including nutrients removal, organic contaminants removal, and electricity generation, was systematically summarized. AP-SMFC can enhance the removal of pollutants and electricity generation compared with SMFC without AP, and is considered to be an ideal technology for pollutants removal and resource recovery. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives were summarized and prospected. Therefore, the review could serve as a guide for the new entrants to the field and further development of AP-SMFC application.

Organic ultraviolet (UV) filters are used in personal care products, but they are also added to industrial products and are constantly released to the environment. This study analyses the occurrence of 8 widely used organic UV filters in seawater from three beaches on the Gran Canaria Island (Spain) and in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by taking samples from influents and effluents. It also discusses the target compounds’ post-treatment removal efficiencies. Sampling was carried out for 6 months and analytes were extracted by solid phase extraction with Sep-pak C18 cartridges. They were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem. The potential environmental hazard associated with the found concentrations was also assessed for marine organisms. Different target compounds were detected on the analysed beaches and in the wastewater. Benzophenone-3 (BP3) was the most recurrent compound in the seawater samples (frequency detection of 83%) and also in wastewater influents and effluents (measured in all the samples). However, the highest concentrations for seawater (172 μg L⁻¹) and influent wastewater (208 μg L⁻¹) corresponded to octocrylene, while methylene bis-benzotriazolyltetramethylbutylphenol was the compound most concentrated in secondary treatment effluent (34.0 μg L⁻¹) and BP3 in tertiary treatment effluent (8.07 μg L⁻¹). All the analysed samples showed that at least one target UV filter was present. Regarding the removal efficiencies of these compounds in the studied WWTPs, consistent differences between the target compounds were observed in influent concentration terms, where the average removal rates were higher than 50% for most of the compounds. Conventional treatment is unable to completely remove many studied compounds, while tertiary treatment acts as an additional elimination for some of them. An environmental hazard quotient above 1 was found for octocrylene, benzophenone-3 and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, which indicates a potential high hazard for living species if these compounds are present.