环境•农林最新文献

The widespread use of synthetic food dyes (FDs) across various industries, combined with the untreated discharge of FD-contaminated wastewater into the environment, presents significant challenges to both environmental and human health. Addressing this issue necessitates the effective removal of FDs from wastewater. Biochar (BC) technology emerges as a promising approach to environmental remediation due to its numerous advantages, including the availability of diverse raw materials, cost-effectiveness, and reusability. In this review, we categorize the removal of FDs using BC-based materials in detail according to their catalytic performance. We also introduce, for the first time, the potential of BC as an adsorbent, catalyst support, and composite catalyst for food dye degradation. It examines the removal of FDs from wastewater through adsorption and degradation processes using BC materials, while also analyzing the types, applications, and toxicity of FDs. Additionally, the research explores the application of BC in remediating various FDs, offering a roadmap for transformative solutions that foster cleaner and safer production practices within the food industry.

Graphical Abstract

The sixth largest and most varied family of flowering plants is the Euphorbiaceae, commonly referred to as the spurge family. Their defining property is the production of milky latex and specialized inflorescences (cyathia). The current study was set out to describe the taxonomic macromorphological features of leaf, stem and flower using stereomicroscopy and microanatomical features of eight Euphorbiaceous species stem micromorphology. The stem was segmented using a Microtome, and its qualitative (such as cross section outline and type) and quantitative (such as the number of vascular bundles and the layer of collenchyma) properties were assessed under a microscope. The stem micromorphological features of eight Euphorbiaceous species were investigated, including the stem morphology, the vascular bundle and epidermal cells shape, and the types of collenchyma, parenchyma, phloem, and xylem. Five different stem shapes such as round, angular, cylindrical, prostrate and circular were observed. A variety of epidermal cell shapes were seen, including rectangular or square, polygonal, polygonal and slightly elongated, irregular and rectangular to polygonal. The species E. granulata and E. hirta had the highest VBs (18–20), while Croton bonplandianus and Ricinus communis had the lowest (2). Croton bonplandianus had the lowest collenchyma layers (2), while Jatropha curcas had the highest (5). Primary and secondary xylem as well as collateral and bicollateral phloem was found in the species. The taxonomic variations in stem anatomical characters among studied Euphorbiaceae species were helpful in the correct identifications.

Understanding the thermal dynamics of stingless bee colonies is essential for developing effective monitoring systems and promoting sustainable meliponiculture. In this study, we compiled and analyzed brood, nest periphery, and ambient temperature data from 36 stingless bee species reported across several published studies. The data were systematized into graphical visualizations, phylogenetic comparative methods, Generalized Least Squares both for heteroscedasticity or autocorrelation in the errors, coefficients of variation (CV), and calculated temperature deltas (ΔT), i.e. the differences between distinct nest zones, to evaluate thermal regulation and summarize temperature patterns across a broad diversity of stingless bees. Our findings show that species with defined brood combs and cerumen envelopes tend to maintain significantly higher and more stable brood temperatures, averaging close to 30 °C, compared to species lacking these structures. Nest temperatures in stingless bees showed a weak but significant phylogenetic signal, indicating partial evolutionary structuring of thermal traits. Yet, the presence of an involucrum was a strong predictor of internal colony temperature, with species constructing this structure maintaining nests approximately 4.8 °C warmer than those lacking it. These results suggest that involucrum construction is a key adaptive trait that largely overrides phylogenetic constraints on thermal regulation. Thermal stability was highest in brood areas (CV = 11.7%) and progressively decreased toward the outer nest and ambient environment (CV = 35.3%), indicating strong internal buffering mechanisms. These findings identify the involucrum as a key adaptation driving elevated and stable brood temperatures in stingless bees, largely independent of phylogenetic constraints, with important implications for thermal biology, monitoring, and sustainable meliponiculture.

In this study, the removal of a synthetic dye mixture containing anionic (Telon Blue AGLF), cationic (Astrazon Blue BG-200%), and nonionic (Dianix Blue S-BG) dyes from aqueous solutions was investigated using the adsorption method. As an alternative to commonly used commercial adsorbents, three low-cost, naturally abundant, and renewable materials magnolia cone (MC), beidellite (BD), and fly ash (FA) were selected. Unlike many previous studies in the literature, these adsorbents were used simultaneously to explore the potential advantages of combined adsorption. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted by varying the operational parameters, including pH (4–11), contact time (5–60 min), and the individual dosages of three different adsorbents (within the range of 0.01–0.04 g), while keeping the initial dye concentrations constant. A synthetic dye solution was prepared by mixing the three dyes in equal concentrations and volumes. The effects of the selected parameters on dye and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiencies were evaluated and optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on Central Composite Design (CCD). To assess the structural and surface characteristics of the adsorbents before and after adsorption, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were employed. BET analysis revealed surface areas of the adsorbents ranging from 18 to 158.5 m²/g. SEM images demonstrated that dye molecules were successfully adsorbed onto the surface and within the pores of the adsorbents. The findings indicate that the simultaneous use of natural and waste-derived materials can offer a sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective approach for the removal of mixed dyes from wastewater.

Living bridges formed by army ants are among the most striking examples of collective behavior in social insects, previously known only from New World Eciton species. Here, we report the field observation of living bridge formation in an Old World army ant, Aenictus glabrinotum. We artificially created a small gap in the foraging trail, formed on a twig, to disrupt traffic flow. Ants accumulated near the opening, explored the air space, and interlinked their bodies to form a living bridge, allowing traffic to resume. Bridges were maintained while traffic was high but spontaneously disassembled as flow declined, suggesting a similar behavioral process to that of Eciton behavior. Although it is limited to a single opportunistic observation, this documentation suggests that bridge-formation may have evolved several times in army ants. By motivating further comparative studies across army ant lineages, this study provides new insight into the diversity of self-assembly in social insects.

Limited information in China is available on how air pollution impacts daily hospitalizations for respiratory diseases before and under COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim is to investigate the potential effects of ambient air pollution and the pandemic on daily hospitalizations for respiratory diseases. Generalized additive model (GAM) are combined with Random Forest (RF) and Shapley Additive Interpretation (SHAP) method to analyze pollutant-hospitalization associations and rank pollutant importance based on a 9-year dataset from a tertiary grade A general hospital. Machine learning pinpointed PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and NO₂ as main drivers of increased hospitalizations, consistent with GAM risk estimates, while temperature as a covariate was second only to these three pollutants. During the whole periods, when PM_2.5 (8-day moving average, MA₀₇), PM₁₀ (MA₀₇), NO₂ (MA₀₇) and O₃-8 h (MA₀₅) rose by 10 μg/m³, daily hospitalizations increased by 2.19%, 1.35%, 2.84% and 0.94% respectively. It was 15.70% for every 1 mg/m³ rise in CO (MA₀₇). Specifically, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂ and CO at MA₀₂ effects strengthened during the pandemic, with hospitalization increases rising from 1.11%, 0.65%, 1.82%, and 12.41% before pre-pandemic to 1.91%, 0.69%, 3.9%, and 22.07%, respectively. The associations varied by individual characteristics, with males susceptible to PM₁₀ and females to PM_2.5. The effects of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and NO₂ in the warm season were more pronounced than in the cold, although they tend to have lower concentrations. This study indicates that exposure to PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and NO₂ has a stronger impact on respiratory health than to other pollutants.

Graphical Abstract

Coastal regions worldwide face increasing threats from continuous sewage discharges. This review synthesizes current approaches for monitoring, mapping, and modelling of sewage contamination in coastal environments, including laboratory-based methods, in situ techniques, and remote sensing technologies. Existing studies mostly rely on biological tracers and nutrient indicators to detect sewage contamination. However, research remains limited in developing countries, where sewage discharges are more prevalent and poorly managed. The review also evaluates global legislative frameworks and management strategies, emphasizing their effectiveness, limitations, and adaptability. Emerging studies report the far-reaching impacts of sewage pollution on coastal ecosystems and human health. These impacts are now evident across global coastlines, regardless of the development status of the country and the effectiveness of local management. Key knowledge gaps persist, especially the lack of integrated monitoring frameworks and actionable management solutions. This review addresses these challenges and supports interdisciplinary research, coherent policy alignment, and active stakeholder involvement to control sewage pollution in the coastal environment.