Atomistic Insights into Halide Double Perovskite Nanocrystals obtained by Multistep Synthesis and Efficient Compositional Engineering.

Lead-free halide double perovskites (HDP), particularly those within the CsBInCl family that show a direct band gap, have recently emerged as promising semiconductors to address key challenges associated with lead-based perovskites, such as toxicity and instability in air and moisture. Their compositional flexibility, structural versatility, and ease of cation transmutation offer considerable potential for bandgap engineering. Here, we present a versatile, multistep, solution-based synthetic strategy for HDP nanocrystals.

Trace elements and POPs in baitfish from Madagascar: Implications for whale shark and human exposure.

The rapid increase of human activities is threatening the ocean biodiversity, with marine vertebrates, particularly elasmobranchs, facing higher extinction risks. Among them, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), an endangered migratory filter-feeding species, is threated by multiple anthropogenic pressures, including marine pollution. This study focuses on determining the presence and levels of legacy contaminants (PCBs, DDT) and trace elements (TEs) in baitfish, a primary prey species of whale sharks in Madagascar, and assessing the potential risks to whale sharks and humans through the consumption of contaminated baitfish (Sardinella gibbosa).

Zooplankton as a Bioindicator of Marine Contamination for Filter-Feeding Basking Sharks, Fin Whales and Devil Rays at Caprera Canyon (Mediterranean Sea).

The Canyon of Caprera (Mediterranean Sea) hosts high biodiversity, including threatened filter-feeding vertebrates such as the basking shark and fin whale. Due to their elusive nature, mobility and conservation status, direct contaminant assessment in these species is often challenging. To address this limitation, the present study focuses on zooplankton, an essential prey and bioindicator, to indirectly assess the levels of persistent organic pollutants and trace elements (TEs) in their feeding grounds.

Metal Ion Isotope Ratio Using ESI-Orbitrap HRMS: Proof of Concept and Initial Performance Evaluation for Lead Isotopic Ratios.

This study introduces a novel approach using an electrospray source coupled to an Orbitrap MS instrument to determine metal isotope ratios. The procedure involves forming a complex between the ion of interest and an appropriate ligand, generating gas-phase ions via electrospray ionization, selecting the complex mass by quadrupole filtering, and performing collisional fragmentation to yield free metal ions. The isotopic pattern of the free ion is then analyzed by high-resolution MS.

Origins of Nearctic migratory landbird vagrants recorded in Europe revealed by feather isotopic analysis.

Understanding the occurrence of vagrant individuals away from their usual distribution range can shed light on animal navigation systems. In autumn, migratory Nearctic landbirds often occur as far as Western Europe, and while the link between these occurrences and wind conditions over the Atlantic Ocean is largely established, the drivers and natal origins of these transatlantic vagrants remain elusive. We conducted feather hydrogen isotopic (δH) analyses from 72 Nearctic individuals representing 26 landbird species captured in the Azores (Portugal), Iceland and France over the last century to infer their likely origins.