Environmental Sciences Europe最新文献

The 13th Young Environmental Scientists (YES) Meeting, held in York, United Kingdom, from the 11-15th August 2025, continued the tradition of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and professional development among early-career researchers in environmental sciences. Organised by the SETAC Europe Student Advisory Council (SAC), this student-led conference brought together 111 participants from 22 countries, offering a dynamic platform for scientific exchange across all different disciplines that exist within SETAC. Under the theme, “Between Grinding Gears—Students and Early Career Scientists Under Pressure”, the meeting featured over 100 scientific contributions, four interactive workshops and three keynote lectures that addressed scientific challenges as well as personal- and professional realities faced by students and early career scientists. Beside the academic program, there were also social events to bolster networking among peers, strengthening the community that defines the YES meetings and securing its role as a cornerstone for early-career engagement within SETAC. This commentary highlights the scientific and social achievements of the 2025 edition, the financial support that made it possible, and the collaborative spirit that brought it to life. As we look to the future, the continued success of the YES Meeting depends on the passion and voluntary engagement of students and early-career researchers, whose energy and commitment will continue to advance this unique, student-driven platform thriving as a space for growth, collaboration, and lasting friendships.

Over the past decade, pharmaceuticals have emerged as a significant class of environmental contaminants due to their adverse impacts on natural ecosystems. The removal of pharmaceuticals from aquatic environments, soils, and wastewater treatment systems using techniques such as adsorption, advanced oxidation, biological degradation, and membrane filtration has been widely investigated. Among these approaches, adsorption attracted considerable attention due to its simplicity, high removal efficiency, and low energy requirements. Date palm waste biomass is abundant biomass source what makes it a promising precursor for biochar and activated carbon adsorbents production for water treatment. This review critically evaluate the impact of the different date palm components, pyrolysis conditions, and activation methods on biochar properties and its performance as an adsorbent of emerging contaminates, particularly pharmaceuticals, from wastewater. Moderate pyrolysis temperatures (400–600 °C) found to generally enhance adsorption performance, while higher temperatures (≥ 700 °C) increase surface area but reduce surface polarity and affinity towards polar pharmaceuticals. Moreover, chemically activated biochars (H₃PO₄, KOH, or ZnCl₂) exhibit an improved porosity and adsorption capacities, reaching 400 mg/g, that is comparable to commercial activated carbons. In contrast, physical activation (steam, CO₂) is a more environmentally friendly approach that relatively increases surface area and pore volume, but shows limited improvement in adsorption capacity. Despite these advances in the literature, the relationship between specific date palm feedstock and adsorption performance remains insufficiently explored, highlighting the need for systematic comparative studies.

Graphical abstract

Background

Freshwater ecosystems provide high-quality and essential fatty acids (FAs) to terrestrial food webs via aquatic emergent insects. Anthropogenic stressors, such as artificial light at night (ALAN) and invasive species, may disrupt these aquatic-terrestrial linkages by altering insect emergence and its nutritional quality for terrestrial predators, with cascading effects on terrestrial food webs. The interaction of these individual stressors may have non-additive impacts in the aquatic-terrestrial linkage, for example, by the direct effect of ALAN on the foraging activity of nocturnal invasive species (e.g., signal crayfish). We assessed the impact of ALAN, the invasive signal crayfish, and their interaction on the fluxes of FA via emergent insects, as well as their effect on the FA content in riparian spiders. We conducted a full factorial experiment between spring and summer (six weeks), employing a mesocosm facility composed of 16 artificial streams and adjacent riparian zones.

Results

The emergent biomass and FA fluxes were highest during the first week of the experiment in spring, and decreased over time. The presence of signal crayfish further reduced FA fluxes, while the FA content in spiders did not significantly differ among treatments. However, there was a tendency for an increased polyunsaturated FA content in spiders under ALAN, suggesting physiological consequences of the exposure to nocturnal illumination. Further, ALAN reduced signal crayfish activity, but this did not translate into a reduction of its effects.

Conclusions

This research demonstrates the effects of global stressors on complex systems such as aquatic-terrestrial meta-ecosystems and calls for a deeper understanding of the interactive effects of multiple stressors in real-world conditions.

Graphical abstract

The effective translation of Earth observation (EO) measurements into actionable information for agriculture and land monitoring is critical to support policy implementation on climate, environment, and sustainable development. However, this translation remains challenging, as EO evolves from an awareness-raising instrument into an operational tool for evidence-based policymaking. To address this gap, we systematically link, for the first time, European Union (EU) land-related agricultural and environmental policies to EO-derived variables that can be generated from enhanced optical satellites expected in the next decade. We present a comprehensive framework for assessing the technology readiness levels (TRLs) of EO variables used to map, monitor, and manage crop, forest, soil, mineral, and water resources, thereby facilitating policy implementation and compliance. Upcoming Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission for the Environment (CHIME), and the Sentinel-2 Next Generation (S2NG) missions, both developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), will deliver substantial technological advancements for high-level EO-based products, enabling applications such as plant nitrogen and soil organic carbon content (SOC) estimation, species identification, and water quality characterization. Realizing the full potential of CHIME and S2NG for agricultural and environmental policy implementation will require advancing current products from prototype stages (TRL 4–6) to full operational readiness (TRL 9) through robust science-policy interfaces. Within such interfaces, we recommend exploiting existing (hyperspectral) EO data and time series, strengthening in-situ observations for robust model development and validation, and testing synergies between systems. Co-design of tailored products with policymakers is then essential to refine algorithms and align EO outputs with regulatory needs and scales. Upcoming spaceborne imaging spectroscopy and enhanced multispectral data streams thus have the potential to become game-changers and indispensable tools for EU policy implementation, providing greater traceability of key environmental and agricultural processes.

Background

To maintain the synthesis simplicity and economic feasibility along with the environmental quality, adsorbents based on naturally occurring Egyptian and economic materials differ in their mineralogical composition will be prepared and used in the ongoing study to clean up environmental pollution. The study is aiming to focus on the preparation and the property change of zeolite and diatomite materials (functional groups and surface area) after modification even organically or biologically. Zeolite, diatomite and their modifiers with citric acid and Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria were tested as adsorbent materials for heavy metal cations removal of El-Batts drain wastewater, Fayoum, Egypt, through the kinetic study. These (raw, organic and biological) modifiers were comparatively investigated regarding crystallinity (XRD), surface properties (SEM) and surface chemistry (EDX, FTIR). Batch experiments were conducted in response to pH, adsorbent type and contact time. Also, greenhouse experiments were accomplished using treated water to grow radish plants in polluted soils compiled from the site adjacent to El-Batts drain, to ensure the safety of crops grown with treated water.

Results

According to the optimum condition study, organic diatomite was most efficient compared to other modified materials prepared. Results of Zn. Equivalent (pollution index), heavy metals distribution, heavy metals concentricity in radish (roots/shoots) and the biological properties (enzymatic activities/pathogenic bacteria) in the soil receiving treated water, indicating soil health, and thus health of the plants produced, and their edibility, compared to soil receiving un treated water.

Conclusions

The results elucidated that the proposed natural and modified zeolite as well as diatomite materials have potential to expel heavy metals from low quality water in various circumstances and the successful adsorption abilities among the metal ions enhance the economic aspect of using it as cost effective adsorbents. Especially, organically diatomite treated with 0.2 molar citric acid which proved an exceptional adsorption capacity in treating El-Batts drain contaminated water at varying pH and contact time values.

Background

As climate change intensifies, universities face growing pressure to adopt climate adaptation strategies that ensure their sustainability and resilience. This paper examines whether and how universities are implementing these strategies to respond to the increasing risks posed by climate change. Drawing on case studies and a review of existing sustainability frameworks in higher education institutions, the research explores the extent to which climate adaptation is integrated into campus operations, infrastructure planning, research initiatives, and community engagement.

Results

The findings suggest that while some universities are leading in climate resilience efforts, others are lagging, often focusing more on mitigation measures rather than comprehensive adaptation. The paper highlights the need for more systematic approaches to adaptation, including climate risk assessments, infrastructure upgrades, and curricular integration of climate resilience. The findings offer insights into best practices and challenges, as collaboration between academic, administrative, and external stakeholders. The results show that universities are key players in advancing climate adaptation and ensuring long-term sustainability.

Conclusions

This research emphasizes the critical role of higher education institutions in preparing for the realities of a changing climate, informing future efforts to promote climate resilience in higher education as part of their broader sustainability frameworks.

Glyphosate (GLY) is a widely used broad-spectrum herbicide that has raised increasing concern because of its environmental persistence and potential human exposure. This systematic review, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, aims to assess the levels of indirect human exposure to GLY and its primary metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in nonoccupationally exposed populations, with a particular focus on pregnant women and children. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases for the period of 2013–2024. Fourteen eligible studies were included. GLY exposure was confirmed in the general population, with urinary concentrations ranging from 0.20 ng/mL to 7.19 ng/mL and AMPA levels ranging from 0.09 ng/mL to 10.60 ng/mL. AMPA detection, often concurrent with GLY, suggests both environmental degradation and internal metabolic transformation. Some of the included studies also explored potential correlations between exposure levels and biological or demographic parameters, although such associations are not the primary focus of this review. These findings emphasize the importance of continued biomonitoring efforts and a deeper understanding of the environmental and lifestyle factors contributing to chronic low-level exposure, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Graphical Abstract

Honey bees (Apis spp.) play a crucial role in agricultural productivity and ecosystem functioning through pollination. However, their foraging behaviour is increasingly affected by pesticide exposure, including insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, and herbicides. Reported effects range from adverse to negligible or even stimulatory, depending on the compound, dose, and experimental design. To support more ecologically realistic risk assessments, we conducted a targeted scoping review of 26 studies examining pesticide impacts on honey bee foraging under semi-field and field-realistic conditions. These studies were evaluated based on pesticide type, exposure route and duration, Apis species, foraging type (nectar vs. pollen), behavioural endpoint, level of observation (individual vs. colony), and proposed mechanisms. Our synthesis reveals a pronounced research bias toward neonicotinoid insecticides and Apis mellifera, with minimal investigation of other pesticide classes, chronic exposures, or non-mellifera species such as A. cerana and A. dorsata. Most studies assessed individual-level effects and nectar foraging, while colony-level endpoints and pollen foraging remain underexplored. Additionally, small and inconsistent sample sizes reduce the statistical robustness and generalisability of many findings. We identify critical gaps in current pesticide risk assessments and call for standardised experimental methodologies, including harmonised behavioural metrics, consistent dosing protocols, and endpoints that link individual- to colony-level responses. Strengthening colony-level indicators under field-realistic exposures is essential for improving the predictive power of regulatory assessments, guiding targeted mitigation strategies, and promoting more sustainable pesticide use in agroecosystems.

Graphical Abstract

Catalyst activation of persulfate (PS) offers unique advantages for the treatment of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in wastewater. In this study, Mn₃O₄@BiOI composite catalysts were prepared using a hydrothermal synthesis method. The catalytic performance of the catalysts toward the activation of the reactive species produced by persulfate (PS) activation was investigated, as well as the subsequent Bisphenol AF (BPAF) degradation by these reactive species. The results indicate that Mn₃O₄@BiOI exhibits the highest efficiency in removing BPAF from water at a doping ratio of Mn₃O₄ of 50%. The maximal catalyst dosage that promotes the BPAF degradation effect is 300 mg/L, and higher amounts inhibited the positive outcome; furthermore, acidic conditions also inhibited BPAF degradation. Furthermore, BPAF degradation was influenced by the presence of different anions: a certain concentration of HCO₃⁻, the effect is promoted, the presence of Cl⁻ and SO₄²⁻ inhibits the BPAF degradation process, and NO₃⁻ has a weaker impact on BPAF degradation within the Mn₃O₄@BiOI/PS system. Singlet oxygen (¹O₂), superoxide radicals (•O₂⁻), hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and sulfate radicals (SO4^•−) are the primary active species generated in the Mn₃O₄@BiOI/PS system, was detected by free radical quenching assay and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Based on X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, these four active oxygen species act together to promote the oxidative decomposition of BPAF. Among them, SO₄^•−, •OH, and ¹O₂ play crucial roles. During the catalytic process, active substances are produced via the oxidation–reduction of Mn(IV)/Mn(III)/Mn(II) and Bi(V)/Bi(III), and oxygen vacancies (OV_s) are also important in promoting the removal of organic pollutants.

Graphical Abstract

Forest soils hold the largest carbon on land and play a key role in global carbon balance, climate change, and the stability of terrestrial ecosystems. Consequently, fluctuations in soil organic carbon (SOC) significantly influence atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Although carbon emissions induced by land-use change (LUC) have been extensively studied and many reports indicate SOC declines following deforestation, our analysis reveals more complex patterns. We conducted a meta-analysis of 548 observational datasets from 46 peer-reviewed studies spanning climatic gradients (semi-arid to humid, tropical to temperate) to identify global patterns and drivers of SOC changes induced by primary forest LUC to grassland. Land-use conversion increased mean SOC stocks by 3.35 Mg·ha⁻¹ (13.30%), with significant regional variation: tropical systems exhibited moderate gains (2.05 Mg·ha⁻¹, 7.70%), while temperate regions showed substantial increases (5.19 Mg·ha⁻¹, 24.70%). Depth-specific analysis revealed differential accumulation across soil layers: 0–20 cm (+ 3.02 Mg·ha⁻¹), 0–30 cm (+ 3.05 Mg·ha⁻¹), and > 30 cm (+ 5.18 Mg·ha⁻¹). Increases in deeper layers may reflect root allocation patterns and texture-dependent stabilization mechanisms. Both mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) were significantly correlated with SOC changes (P < 0.05), with negative associations observed between these climatic variables and changes in carbon stocks. These findings are consistent with previous studies indicating that MAT and MAP critically influence ecosystem carbon dynamics. A significant interaction effect between MAT and MAP on SOC stock changes was also identified (P < 0.05). Our results enhance understanding of carbon balance dynamics following LUC in primary forests and provide a scientific foundation for soil carbon management strategies under global change scenarios.