环境•农林最新文献

Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are among the most diverse and ecologically important groups of parasitoid insects, with more than 25,000 valid species and many more yet to be discovered. As the most speciose family within the order Hymenoptera, their remarkable evolutionary success is primarily attributed to their parasitic life history, which enables them to exploit a vast array of hosts and ecological niches. Despite their pivotal role in regulating host populations and maintaining ecosystem balance, host association data for Ichneumonidae remain significantly underexplored. This article presents IchHostBR, a comprehensive dataset compiling host-parasitoid records for Brazilian Darwin wasps. The dataset integrates 342 host-parasitoid associations sourced from 156 journal articles, encompassing 16 subfamilies, 74 genera, and 93 species of Ichneumonidae, as well as six host orders and 121 host species. The methodology involved rigorous data collection, cleaning, and standardization ensuring accuracy and usability. The primary aim of this initiative is to establish a robust, accessible, and continuously updated online platform that supports research and conservation efforts. In addition to introducing the dataset, the article provides a state-of-the-art review of current knowledge on Ichneumonid host associations, identifies key gaps in our knowledge and hopefully lays a foundation for advancing studies on Ichneumonidae host interactions in Brazil.

This study addresses groundwater quality in Madurai block by examining heavy metal contamination and its potential health risks. Being the second largest city after Chennai, Madurai’s groundwater quality has not been analyzed for heavy metal contamination so far. In 2022, groundwater samples were taken from 60 wells in the pre- and post-monsoon seasons. The heavy metal concentrations of Cu, Cr, Cd, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn were measured. The results showed that most of the groundwater samples exceeded the (World Health Organisation (2019) World health statistics overview: Monitoring health for the sustainable development goals), (Bureau of Indian Standards (2012) Drinking water specifications) and (USEPA (2018) National primary drinking water regulations (EPA 816-F-09–004)) limits for drinking water. A spatial analysis using kriging interpolation in GIS and a multivariate statistical analysis were performed to decipher the interrelationships of the metals. The results indicate different sources of heavy metals, primarily caused by weathering and evaporation in both seasons. Pollution indices such as HPI, HEI and DOC were used to comprehensively assess the extent of metal pollution in groundwater. The Hazard Quotient and Hazard Index emphasized the significant health risks to infants, children and adults. To improve the quality of groundwater, this region needs to adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly water management strategies, such as rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment and strict pollution control measures.

This review presents the first comparative analysis of functional chemical additives in various types of single-use plastics (SUPs). These plastics, commonly used in industries like packaging, food service, and healthcare, contain additives such as stabilizers, colorants, flame retardants, and plasticizers to enhance their flexibility, durability, and appearance. However, many of these additives are not chemically bonded to the polymer matrix and can leach out during the plastic's life cycle, posing risks to human health and the environment. The review explores the functional characteristics, mechanisms, and benefits of these additives, and highlights recent advances in bio-based and additive-free alternatives. The study also uses the AGREEMIP tool to assess the greenness of the synthesis processes for various SUP products, ranking them in the order of environmental safety: disposable plastic containers for hedgehogs > disposable plastic dances > disposable glasses and plates > drinking straws and sticks > plastic bags.

A left–right asymmetry of plants has attracted attention in various study areas (e.g., developmental biology, ethology, and evolutionary biology); however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the genus Arisaema (Araceae), each plant possesses a cylindrical spathe that exhibits the left–right-handedness in the folding direction. As the spathe is a modified leaf, a phyllotactic spiral (clockwise or counter-clockwise directions) in vegetative organs may affect this dimorphism. In this study, we aimed to examine (1) interannual changes in the spathe folding direction in the same individuals, (2) the effect of phyllotactic spirals on the left–right-handedness of the spathe, (3) the abundance ratio of left- and right-folded spathes in several Arisaema species, and (4) the relationship between the coiling direction of young folded leaves and phyllotactic spirals in other aroid genera. The spathe folding direction changed annually and was significantly related to the phyllotactic spiral direction. The left–right-handedness prevailed among the 27 tested Arisaema species, and frequencies of left- and right-folded spathes were mostly similar. In the five aroid genera, the phyllotaxis was clearly correlated with the leaf coiling direction. These results imply that the phyllotactic spiral affects the spathe folding direction of Arisaema and the leaf coiling direction of aroids. Considering developmental studies on asymmetric leaves in other taxa, the left–right-handedness of the spathe in Arisaema is possibly a consequence of the phyllotactic pattern formation.

Exploring the kinetic adsorption and desorption of Americium (Am(III)) on sediments and natural colloids can effectively predict its solid–liquid distribution behavior in the environment. In this study, we used batch and stirred flow-through experiments to describe the kinetic adsorption and desorption process of Am(III) on Am(III)-sediments (AS) system and Am(III)-sediments-natural colloids (ASN) system under different conditions (such as solution pH, background electrolyte concentration, and solution injection velocity). The retention and desorption behavior of Am(III) was analyzed through adsorption distribution coefficients and breakthrough curves. The kinetic adsorption process was described using reaction and transport control models. The results showed that in the batch adsorption experiment, the presence of natural colloids significantly increased the adsorption distribution coefficient of the ASN system (249.11—2512.74 mL/g) compared to the AS system (233.05—447.29 mL/g). The retention of Am(III) in the stirred flow-through reactor in AS (70.26% - 73.64%) and ASN (74.13% - 76.25%) systems is relatively high under neutral and low flow rate conditions, which is attributed to the strong adsorption ability of dispersed and stable natural colloids and the sufficient adsorption time provided by low velocity. According to the fitted results of the models, it can be seen that physical reactions such as surface precipitation or surface complexation, as well as diffusion of the liquid surrounding the solid-phase adsorbent, dominate the kinetic adsorption process, which is time-dependent or non-equilibrium.

This is the first report on improving activated carbon fabric (ACF) as an adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals. Magnetic-activated carbon fabric (MACF) was synthesized from waste cotton fabric using a sonosynthesis method with iron salt for removing Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. MACFs were characterized with BET, FT-IR, and VSM methods. Optimal conditions for ions removal were pH = 4 for 50 mg L⁻¹ initial concentration of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ with 1.5 g L⁻¹ MACF at 20 ± 1 °C and 200 rpm for 1 h. The equilibrium data of adsorption thermodynamics, isotherms, and kinetics of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ using MACF was investigated. The highest regression values of 0.9998 and 0.9750 were obtained by the Langmuir model among other models for adsorption isotherm using MAFC for Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ respectively. MACF revealed a higher metal removal of 99.2% for Cu²⁺ and 94.9% for Cd²⁺ for both ions compared to 32% for Cu²⁺ and 28% for Cd²⁺ using ACF. The results indicate that MACF shows superior performance/cost-effective in removing heavy metal ions compared to granules and powder-activated carbons, which can be easily prepared in different dimensions and removed from the filter/environment, making it a promising alternative for applications requiring enhanced heavy/toxic metal removal from any solution.

Western Natal green snakes (Philothamnus occidentalis) are a relatively common and widely distributed snake across the eastern half of South Africa. Little is known about their reproduction other than information that has been gleaned from others in the genus. We document several separate cases of communal breeding, as well as both aggressive and reproductive visual communication, all of which are new information for this species. This study also documents a breeding event for the eastern Natal green snake (Philothamnus natalensis), which shows different behaviours supporting the recent species split.

In the present study, surface soil samples from Nagpur city, India, were studied for the fractionation of potentially toxic metals using a modified European Community Bureau of Reference sequential extraction procedure (SEP). The results indicated that the metals Cd, Pb, Co, and Zn showed substantial associations with the mobile fraction (F1: soluble + F2: reducible). The mobile fraction of the metals followed the order Cd (73%) > Pb (47%) > Co (29%) > Zn (25%). The metals Cr, Cu, and Ni were predominantly associated with the residual fraction (F4), suggesting their geological origin, whereas Zn and Co were distributed across all fractions, with higher concentrations in the oxidizable and residual fractions (F3). The ecological risk assessment revealed that Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb posed greater risks in industrial and residential areas, indicating that industrial and anthropogenic activities were the primary sources of heavy metals. The chronic toxic risk to children, i.e., the hazard quotient (HQ) of heavy metals (∑₆HM), exceeded the threshold limit for ingestion and dermal routes in residential and commercial areas, respectively, whereas for adults, the HQ was closer to the threshold limit of 1 (5.13 × 10^–1). The cumulative carcinogenic risk for children and adults was unacceptable (> 1 × 10^–4) and attributed to the relatively high levels of Cd, Cr, and Pb in soils. These findings underscore the need for risk reduction measures to safeguard human health and reduce the ecological impact of heavy metal pollution.