The current levels of surface ozone (O3) are high enough to negatively affect trees in large regions of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil, where standards for the protection of vegetation against the adverse effects of O3 do not exist. We evaluated three O3 metrics – phytotoxic ozone dose (POD), accumulated ozone exposure over the threshold of 40 ppb h (AOT40), and the sum of all hourly average concentrations (SUM00) – for the Brazilian native tropical tree species Astronium graveolens Jacq. We used the DO3SE (Deposition of Ozone for Stomatal Exchange) model and calculated PODY for different thresholds (from 0 to 6 mmol O3 m−2 PLA s−1), evaluating the model's performance through the relationship between measured and modelled conductance. The response parameters were: visible foliar injury, considered as incidence (% injured plants), severity (% injured leaves in relation to the number of leaves on injured plants), and leaf abscission. The model performance was suitable and significant (R2 = 0.58; p < 0.001). POD0 was better correlated to incidence and leaf abscission, and SUM00 was better correlated to severity. The highest values of O3 concentration-based metrics (AOT40 and SUM00) did not coincide with those of POD0. Further investigation may improve the model and contribute to the proposition of a national standard for the protection of native species.

Increasing trace metal pollution in river sediment poses a significant threat to watershed ecosystem health. Identifying potential sources of sediment metals and apportioning their contributions are of key importance for proposing prevention and control strategies of river pollution. In this study, three advanced multivariate receptor models, factor analysis with nonnegative constraints (FA-NNC), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and multivariate curve resolution weighted-alternating least-squares (MCR-WALS), were comparatively employed for source apportionment of trace metals in river sediments and applied to the Le'an River, a main tributary of Poyang Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in China. The pollution assessment with contamination factor and geoaccumulation index suggested that the river sediments in Le'an River were contaminated severely by trace metals due to human activities. With the three apportionment tools, similar source profiles of trace metals in sediments were extracted. Especially, the MCR-WALS and PMF models produced essentially the same results. Comparatively speaking, the weighted schemes might give better solutions than the unweighted FA-NNC because the uncertainty information of environmental data was considered by PMF and MCR-WALS. Anthropogenic sources were apportioned as the most important pollution sources influencing the sediment metals in Le'an River with contributions of about 90%. Among them, copper tailings occupied the largest contribution (38.4–42.2%), followed by mining wastewater (29.0–33.5%), and agricultural activities (18.2–18.7%). To protect the ecosystem of Le'an River and Poyang Lake, special attention should be paid to the discharges of mining wastewater and the leachates of copper tailing ponds in that region.

In situ remediation of contaminated sediment using microbes is a promising environmental treatment method. This study used bioaugmentation to investigate the biodegradation of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in sediment microcosms collected from an electronic-waste recycling site. Treatments included adding possible biodegradation intermediates of TBBPA, including 2,4-dibromophenol (2,4-DBP), 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP), and bisphenol A (BPA) as co-substrates. Bioaugmentation was done with Ochrobactrum sp. T (TBBPA-degrader) and a mixed culture of Ochrobactrum sp. T, Bacillus sp. GZT (TBP-degrader) and Bacillus sp. GZB (BPA-degrader). Results showed that bioaugmentation with Ochrobactrum sp. T significantly improved TBBPA degradation efficiencies in sediment microcosms (P < 0.01); aerobic conditions increased the microbes' degradation activities. Co-substrates 2,4-DBP, TBP and BPA inhibited biodegradation of TBBPA. A metagenomic analysis of total 16S rRNA genes from the treated sediment microcosms showed that the following dominant genera: Ochrobactrum, Parasegetibacter, Thermithiobacillus, Phenylobacterium and Sphingomonas. The genus level of Ochrobactrum increased with increased degradation time, within 10-week of incubation. Microbes from genus Ochrobactrum are mainly linked to enhance the TBBPA biodegradation.

The aim of this study was to assess the genotoxic effects of starvation and dimethoate (organophosphate insecticide) in female and male wolf spiders Xerolycosa nemoralis (Lycosidae) exposed to the stressors under laboratory conditions. DNA damage was measured in haemocytes and midgut gland cells using the comet assay. In response to the two stressing factors, both cell types showed %TDNA, tail length (TL) and OTM values higher in males than in females. Level of DNA damage in haemocytes was greater than in midgut gland cells. In both sexes, the strongest genotoxicity was recorded at single application of dimethoate. After five-time exposure to the pesticide, genotoxic effects of a single dose were sustained in males and reduced to the control level in females. Starvation stress was well tolerated by the females, in which neither cell type was affected by DNA damage. However, in male haemocytes food deprivation induced severe DNA damage, what suggests suppression of the defence potential at prolonged starvation periods.

Soils are the largest terrestrial sink for methane (CH4). However, heavy metals may exert toxicity to soil microorganisms, including methanotrophic bacteria. We tested the effect of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) on CH4 oxidation (1% v/v) and dehydrogenase activity, an index of the activity of the total soil microbial community in Mollic Gleysol soil in oxic and hypoxic conditions (oxia and hypoxia, 20% and 10% v/v O2, respectively). Metals were added in doses corresponding to the amounts permitted of Pb, Zn, Ni in agricultural soils (60, 120, 35 mg kg−1, respectively), and half and double of these doses. Relatively low metal contents and O2 status reflect the conditions of most agricultural soils of temperate regions. Methane consumption showed high tolerance to heavy metals. The effect of O2 status was stronger than that of metals. CH4 consumption was enhanced under hypoxia, where both the start and the completion of the control and contaminated treatment were faster than under oxic conditions. Dehydrogenase activity, showed higher sensitivity to the contamination (except for low Ni dose), with a stronger effect of heavy metals, than that of the O2 status.

The Banana Bat, Neoromicia nana, exploits pollution-tolerant chironomids at wastewater treatment works (WWTWs). We investigated how pollutant exposure impacts the detoxification organs, namely the liver and kidney of N. nana. (i) We performed SEM-EDS to quantify metal content and mineral nutrients, and found significant differences in essential metal (Fe and Zn) content in the liver, and significant differences in Cu and one mineral nutrient (K) in the kidneys. (ii) We performed histological analysis and found more histopathological lesions in detoxification organs of WWTW bats. (iii) We calculated hepatosomatic/renalsomatic indices (HSI/RSI) to investigate whole organ effects, and found significant increases in organ size at WWTWs. (iv) We quantified metallothionein 1E (MT1E), using Western Blot immunodetection. Contrary to predictions, we found no significant upregulation of MT1E in bats at WWTWs. Ultimately, N. nana exploiting WWTWs may suffer chronic health problems from sub-lethal damage to organs responsible for detoxifying pollutants.

The impact of surface ozone pollution on winter wheat yield is empirically estimated by considering socio-economic and weather determinants. This research is the first to use an economic framework to estimate the ozone impact, and a unique county-level panel is employed to examine the impact of the increasing surface ozone concentration on the productivity of winter wheat in China. In general, the increment of surface ozone concentration during the ozone-sensitive period of winter wheat is determined to be harmful to its yield, and a conservative reduction of ozone pollution could significantly increase China's wheat supply.

Spatial-temporal distributions, sources identification and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in overlying water and surface sediments in urban river networks of Shanghai were studied. Analytical results showed that there was a significant seasonal variation in concentrations of ∑16PAHs in water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediment phases in this study area. The PAHs pollution in these multi-phases were in the medium level compared with other areas around the world, and the levels of PAHs contamination in SPM and sediment phases in hierarchical rivers showed TS (the third-order stream) > FS (the first-order stream) > SS (the second-order stream). Two manners of isomer ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify PAHs origins, and suggested that combustion processes are dominant for PAHs sources. The ratios of PAHs origins by fossil fuels combustion, coke burning and crude oil in hierarchical rivers were determined with FS > SS > TS in SPM and sediment phases, and the ratio of PAHs origins by traffic emissions was analyzed with TS > SS > FS. PAHs in water samples have a certain impact on aqueous ecological system especially due to the fact that the ∑ceq values of nine PAHs were calculated from 0.715 to 15.831 μg/L in winter, which inferred serious ecological risk to some special aquatic organisms. The calculations of MERMQ in sediment samples showed that the MERMQ values ranged from 0.021 to 1.209 in winter and 0.019 to 0.643 in summer, which suggested high toxicity at six sampling sites in winter and only one location in summer due to high levels of PAHs. Furthermore, the toxicity degree of sediments were demonstrated with TS > FS > SS.

Trees remove air pollutants through dry deposition processes depending upon forest structure, meteorology, and air quality that vary across space and time. Employing nationally available forest, weather, air pollution and human population data for 2010, computer simulations were performed for deciduous and evergreen trees with varying leaf area index for rural and urban areas in every county in the conterminous United States. The results populated a national database of annual air pollutant removal, concentration changes, and reductions in adverse health incidences and costs for NO2, O3, PM2.5 and SO2. The developed database enabled a first order approximation of air quality and associated human health benefits provided by trees with any forest configurations anywhere in the conterminous United States over time.Comprehensive national database of tree effects on air quality and human health in the United States was developed.

This research investigated the use of two relatively cost-effective devices for determining NH3 concentrations in naturally ventilated (NV) dairy barns including an Ogawa passive sampler (Ogawa) and a passive flux sampler (PFS). These samplers were deployed adjacent to sampling ports of a photoacoustic infrared multigas spectroscope (INNOVA), in a NV dairy barn. A 3-day deployment period was deemed suitable for both passive samplers. The correlations between concentrations determined with the passive samplers and the INNOVA were statistically significant (r = 0.93 for Ogawa and 0.88 for PFS). Compared with reference measurements, Ogawa overestimated NH3 concentrations in the barn by ∼14%, while PFS underestimated NH3 concentrations by ∼41%. Barn NH3 emission factors per animal unit (20.6–21.2 g d⁻¹ AU⁻¹) based on the two passive samplers, after calibration, were similar to those obtained with the reference method and were within the range of values reported in literature.