Environmental Sciences Europe最新文献

Background

Air pollution is associated with adverse health effects, especially on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, but according to recent research, even in cognitive health, metabolic, and immune systems. The objective was to analyse the effect of long-term exposure to air pollution on selected immune system parameters, 8-isoprostane a parameter of oxidative stress, and alpha-1-antitrypsin a protease inhibitor.

Methods

The number of 381 probands aged 35–65 from two differently polluted regions was included. Lifetime exposures to PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, B(a)P, and benzene for each proband were calculated based on historical pollutant concentrations observed. The selected blood parameters were analysed in relation to independent variables (air pollutants, socioeconomic factors, etc.) using multiple regression. Possible covariates were determined. In its end, the study was conceived as a case–control study, and the odds ratio was quantified, expressing the strength of the association of the monitored parameters with the region.

Results

The average lifetime exposures to air pollution were significantly different between the two regions. Significant effects of the region were observed on IgM, IL-6, 8-isoprostane, and alpha-1-antitrypsin levels. The strongest positive association was observed between 8-isoprostane levels and benzene, PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and B(a)P. Odds ratio was 3.21 (95%CI 1.61–6.38). A significant negative association between all pollutants and IgM levels was observed even with covariate adjustment. Odds ratio was 1.80 (95%CI 1.15–2.82). A significant negative association between the alpha-1-antitrypsin levels and PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and benzene was found, independent of smoking as a covariate factor. Odds ratio was 1.77 (95%CI 1.09–2.87). In the case of IL-6, a significant effect of especially sleep as a covariate was observed. After covariates adjustment, a significant positive association between the IL-6 levels and PM₁₀ and benzene was only observed. The odds ratio was 1.95 (95%CI 1.28–2.97).

Conclusions

The study confirmed that long-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with reduced levels of the protease inhibitor alpha-1-antitrypsin and decreased immune system performance by IgM. Furthermore, long-term exposure to air pollutants was associated with increased oxidative stress in humans, measured by 8-isoprostane levels. Residents who live in an industrial, environmentally polluted region showed elevated levels of IL-6.

Water-scarce regions, like the Mediterranean, face worsening conditions due to climate change, intensifying pressure on key economic sectors such as hydropower. Additionally, environmental conservation policies, particularly the implementation of environmental flows, present challenges for hydropower systems. Certainty regarding the impact of these factors on future hydropower production is crucial for informed decision-making in the transition to sustainable energy. This study introduces S + HydPower, a tool coupled with SWAT+ to assess climate change and watershed management effects on small hydropower plant (SHP) systems. In this study, we used this tool to investigate the consequences of implementing environmental flows and climate change on run-of-river SHPs in the Catalan River Basin District (CRBD), in Catalonia. The results show that applying environmental flows would lead to a significant 27% reduction in SHP production. However, this reduction would represent only 0.25% of the region’s current energy demand. Furthermore, the study reveals a potential 38% to 73% reduction in SHP production by the end of the twenty-first century due to the combined effects of environmental flows and climate change. This suggests a substantial decline in run-of-river SHP’s contribution to the CRBD’s electricity supply. These findings emphasize the need to explore alternative and sustainable energy sources to ensure the long-term reliability and resilience of the region’s energy supply.

Exposure to synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, affects freshwater communities at broad spatial scales. This risk is commonly managed in a prospective environmental risk assessment (ERA). Relying on generic methods, a few standard test organisms, and safety factors to account for uncertainty, ERA determines concentrations that are assumed to pose low risks to ecosystems. Currently, this procedure neglects potential variation in assemblage sensitivity among ecosystem types and recommends a single low-risk concentration for each compound. Whether systematic differences in assemblage sensitivity among ecosystem types exist or their size, are currently unknown. Elucidating spatial patterns in sensitivity to chemicals could therefore enhance ERA precision and narrow a fundamental knowledge gap in ecology, the Hutchinsonian shortfall. We analyzed whether taxonomic turnover between field-sampled macroinvertebrate assemblages of different broad river types across Europe results in systematic differences in assemblage sensitivity to copper and imidacloprid. We used an extensive database of macroinvertebrate assemblage compositions throughout Europe and employed a hierarchical species sensitivity distribution model to predict the concentration that would be harmful to 5% of taxa (HC₅) in each assemblage. Predicted (H{C}_{5}) values varied over several orders of magnitude. However, variation within the 95% highest density intervals remained within one order of magnitude. Differences between the river types were minor for imidacloprid and only slightly higher for copper. The largest difference between river-type-specific median (H{C}_{5}) values was a factor of 3.1. This level of variation is below the assessment factors recommended by the European Food Safety Authority and therefore would be captured in the current ERA for plant protection products. We conclude that the differences in taxonomic composition between broad river types translate into relatively small differences in macroinvertebrate assemblage sensitivity toward the evaluated chemicals at the European scale. However, systematic differences in bioavailability and multi-stressor context were not evaluated and might exacerbate the differences in the ecological effects of chemicals among broad river types in real-world ecosystems.

Background

This study aimed to investigate the associations between metal exposures and periodontitis among U.S. adults, as well as the mediated effect of biological aging.

Methods

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2014, we explored the single and mixed impacts of metal exposures on periodontitis through adjusted weighted logistic regression, robust Poisson regression, restricted cubic spline regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression models. This study included 2,393 participants, with 46.9% experiencing periodontitis. Concentrations of nine urinary metals, including barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), cesium (Cs), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), thallium (Tl), tungsten (Tu), and uranium (Ur), were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In addition, we analyzed the association between metals and periodontitis, stratified by age, body mass index, gender, and smoking status. Mediation models were also applied to investigate the mediated effects of biological aging between metal exposures and periodontitis.

Results

Weighted logistic and robust Poisson regression identified positive associations between Cd, Pb and periodontitis (P < 0.05). BKMR analyses indicated that mixed metal exposures were significantly associated with periodontitis, particularly among smokers, second-hand smokers, and males, with Cd, Pb, Tl, and Ba contributing the most. Furthermore, subgroup analyses observed a modifying effect on the associations between urinary Cd, Pb and periodontitis in stratified gender and BMI subgroups in robust Poisson regression. Phenotype age was found to mediate the association between metals and periodontitis.

Conclusions

This study identified significant positive associations between metal exposures and periodontitis in the U.S. adults. In addition, the association between metal exposures and periodontitis could vary in different gender, BMI and smoking subgroups. These associations were likely partly mediated by biological aging, suggesting that metals may potentially increase the risk of periodontitis by promoting cell senescence and overall aging of the body.

Graphical Abstract

Two potent greenhouse gases that are mostly found in agricultural soils are methane and nitrous oxide. Therefore, we investigated the effect of different moisture regimes on microbial stoichiometry, enzymatic activity, and greenhouse gas emissions in long-term paddy soils. The treatments included a control (CK; no addition), chemical fertilizer (NPK), and NPK + cattle manure (NPKM) and two moisture regimes such as 60% water-filled pore spaces (WFPS) and flooding. The results revealed that 60% water-filled pore spaces (WFPS) emit higher amounts of N₂O than flooded soil, while in the case of CH₄ the flooded soil emits more CH₄ emission compared to 60% WFPS. At 60% WFPS higher N₂O flux values were recorded for control, NPK, and NPKM which are 2.3, 3.1, and 3.5 µg kg⁻¹, respectively. In flooded soil, the CH₄ flux emission was higher, and the NPKM treatment recorded the maximum CH₄ emissions (3.8 µg kg⁻¹) followed by NPK (3.2 µg kg⁻¹) and CK (1.7 µg kg⁻¹). The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was increased by 15–27% under all flooded treatments as compared to 60% WPFS treatments. The microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (MBC, MBN, and MBP) significantly increased in the flooded treatments by 8–12%, 14–21%, and 4–22%, respectively when compared to 60% WFPS. The urease enzyme was influenced by moisture conditions, and significantly increased by 42–54% in flooded soil compared with 60% WFPS while having little effect on the β-glucosidase (BG) and acid phosphatase (AcP) enzymes. Moreover DOC, MBC, and pH showed a significant positive relationship with cumulative CH₄, while DOC showed a significant relationship with cumulative N₂O. In the random forest model, soil moisture, MBC, DOC, pH, and enzymatic activities were the most important factors for GHG emissions. The PLS-PM analysis showed that soil properties and enzymes possessed significantly directly impacted on CH₄ and N₂O emissions, while SMB had indirect positive effect on CH₄ and N₂O emissions.

Background

Due to climate change, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent worldwide. An example of such an extreme weather event was the flooding in Western Europe in July 2021. Currently, there are large research gaps regarding how such events, particularly those involving oil pollution, affect people's connection to nature and their perceptions of environmental problems. Perceptions and connections to nature are important factors that influence environmental behavior and decisions. This study examines the influence of the exposure of oil pollution during the 2021 floods on the perception of the natural environment (connection to nature) and of environmental problems (perception of planetary boundaries). To this end, people affected by flooding who have come into direct or indirect contact with oil pollution are examined, with people from unaffected regions serving as a control group.

Results

No significant differences were found for both the connection to nature and the perception of planetary boundaries between the three groups studied. Connection to nature was at a moderate level in all three groups. In the case of planetary boundaries, it was observed that all boundaries were rated as significantly exceeded in all three groups. Especially the boundary of novel entities to which also oil pollution belongs, was evaluated as highly exceeded.

Conclusions

The results suggest that extreme weather events do not negatively impact personal connection to nature. Additionally, no significant group differences were found in the assessment of planetary boundaries, which may be attributed to the inherently high assessment scores in Germany. The study provides evidence that perceptions of environmental problems and connection to nature are relatively stable in the face of an extreme weather event with a natural trigger. Further studies are needed to investigate the reasons and consequences of this stability.

Background

Plastic is generating global pollution and the replacement such as bioplastic has been developed to mitigate the pollution. To this end, the fate, transformation and pathway of bioplastics need more research. For example, the fragmentation of bioplastic can release small debris that can be categorised as microplastics, which is tested herein by taking an example of a compostable plastic that is used as a bin bag on our kitchen table to collect the food residues.

Results

First, we employ matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to identify the main components of the bioplastic bag as polymer and starch. Next, we use Raman imaging to monitor the stability under laser illumination, in an oven at ~ 60 °C for ~ 2 weeks, or in the presence of tap water for half a year. Basically, the compostable plastic is stable under these conditions. Thirdly, however, once used as table-bin bag with involvement of food residues, within ~ 1 week, the bioplastic bag is broken and biodegraded to release debris. The derivate surface groups are effectively monitored and directly visualised via Raman imaging, and cross-checked with scanning electron microscope (SEM). The yielded small molecule such as formic acid is also identified, along with the released debris of microplastics, with the help of on-site extraction of the fragmented sample and imaging analysis algorithm of the hyper spectrum.

Conclusions

After one week, the bag in the waste bin fragments, releasing a significant amount of debris. This could pose a functional issue if users intend to use the bag for at least a week, and could become a potential environmental problem if the waste is dispersed uncontrollably. In general, further research is needed to potentially distinguish the persistent conventional microplastics from the bioplastic fragments, to effectively mitigate the plastic pollution.

Graphical Abstract

Background

Floodplains are biodiversity hotspots and provide numerous ecosystem services. In recent decades, however, 70–90% of Europe’s floodplains have been structurally degraded. Accordingly, many (inter-)national programs aim to restore and protect floodplain ecosystems. The success of such measures also depends on the chemical contamination, especially of floodplain soils and sediments, which serve as sinks and sources for a variety of pollutants. In this study, we assess the current ecotoxicological status of a floodplain restoration site along the Main River (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) and estimate its development potential with respect to the influence of a local industrial plant and potential legacy contaminations. We therefore use in vitro effect-based methods (EBMs) testing for baseline toxicity, mutagenicity, dioxin-like and estrogenic activities, coupled with chemical analysis.

Results

Of all water bodies analyzed, the overall toxicity was highest in two flood depressions. In the respective water phase, estrogenic activities exceeded the environmental quality standard and sediment samples were positive for all tested endpoints. Chemical analysis of these sediments revealed high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Soil samples from frequently flooded areas showed the highest mutagenic potential for both frameshift and point mutations with and without metabolic activation. The industrial effluent showed baseline toxic, mutagenic, and dioxin-like activities, that were highly diluted in the Main River. In turn, most of the sediment samples downstream of the industrial discharge showed significantly elevated baseline toxic, estrogenic and dioxin-like activities as well as increased chemical contamination.

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study, we rate the overall ecotoxicological status of a recently established tributary and groundwater-fed ponds as good, and identified two flood depressions near the Main River as hot spots of contamination. We assume that the observed mutagenicity in the floodplain soils is related to legacy contaminations from former aniline and azo dye production. In terms of the development potential of the floodplain restoration site, we emphasize considering the remobilization of pollutants from these soils and suppose that, in the long term, pollution of the Main River and the local industrial plant may negatively impact sediment quality in its tributaries. With this study, we confirmed the utility of in vitro EBMs for identifying chemically and ecotoxicologically relevant sites.

Background

Biodiversity is declining worldwide as ecosystems are increasingly threatened by multiple stressors associated with anthropogenic global change. Stressors frequently co-occur across scales spatially and temporally, resulting in joint effects that are additive or non-additive, i.e., antagonism or synergism. Forecasting and counteracting threats from intensifying stressors requires improved mechanistic understanding of joint effects, which is currently relatively low. To date, research on multiple stressors has been biased toward simplified scenarios, emphasized classification of interactions over realized joint effects, and mostly ignored adaptation (i.e., phenotypic plasticity or evolving life-history traits) of organisms. To investigate if more a realistic scenarios design incorporating complex spatiotemporal stressor profiles and adaption change joint effects and interactions of multiple stressors compared to simplified scenarios, we modified a spatially explicit meta-population model for a generic freshwater insect. We used the model to simulate different, hypothetical spatiotemporal profiles of a continuous and a discrete stressor and evaluated their joint effects and interactions. Agricultural land use represented the continuous stressor impacting meta-population patch quality and network connectivity and related scenarios implied different trajectories. Climatic events represented the discrete stressor impacting all patches simultaneously by temporary mortality events, with related scenarios implying different event severity. Adaptation mitigated the effects of climatic events based on previous events.

Results

Excluding adaptation, we found that at higher levels of the discrete stressor (i.e., strong and frequent climatic events) it strongly dominates the joint effects, while at a low level (i.e., weak and infrequent climatic events) of the discrete stressor, the continuous stressor (i.e., land use) dominates. Yet, the continuous stressor always defined the interaction type, with decreasing land use stress leading to antagonism, and increasing land use stress leading to synergism. Adaptation reduced joint effects under decreasing land use stress, yet had little compensatory influence under increasing land use stress. Moreover, adaptation changed interaction sizes inconsistently across the different land use and climate scenarios, with change depending on the climate scenario. Here, interactions decreased in the moderate scenario but increased in the severe and intense scenarios.

Conclusions

We highlight that realistic stressor scenarios accounting for potential adaptation are critical for a mechanistic understanding of how species respond to global change. To our knowledge, this is the first modeling study to show that stressor interactions depend on complex spatiotemporal stressor profiles and