Assessing the impact of copper toxicity on soil ecosystems and barley growth: identification of robust indicators.

Over the past decade, the escalating prevalence of copper (Cu) pollution in soil has raised significant concerns due to its potential detrimental impacts on soil quality, microbial communities, plant health, food security, and land degradation. Despite extensive research, the response mechanisms, threshold levels, and reliable indicators of Cu pollution remain debated. Therefore, comprehensive studies are needed to gain a better understanding of these dynamics.

ZnO Nanofertilizer Reduced Organic Phosphorus Transformation and Altered Microbial Function in Soil for Sustainable Agriculture.

The impacts of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as nanofertilizers on the transformation of phytogenic organic phosphorus (OP), specifically phytic acid (PA) and soy lecithin (LE), as well as their effects on soil microbial functions, remain insufficiently characterized. This study employed a 60-day soil microuniverse experiment to investigate microbial responses to OP under ZnO NPs exposure, focusing on soil physicochemical properties, phosphorus (P) and Zn species transformations, bacterial community and function. At low concentrations (5 and 20 mg/kg), ZnO NPs did not significantly reduce the available P content, but they reduced the transformation of OP into other P species.

Long-term effects of agronomic practices on winter wheat yield and NUE in dryland regions of USA and China: a long-term meta-analysis.

Dryland agriculture is fundamental to global crop production and vital to food security. Conservation tillage is extensively practiced in USA wheat cultivation. Meanwhile, the adoption of conservation tillage by Chinese farmers is limited.

Deciphering the Impact of ZnO Nanoparticles and a Sunscreen Product Containing ZnO on Phosphorus Dynamics and Release in in Aquatic Systems.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) expedite the conversion of organic phosphorus (OP) into PO-P (Pi), facilitating phosphorus (P) absorption by algae. Our study explored the mechanisms of converting OP (2-aminoethylphosphonic acid (AEP) and β-glycerol phosphate (β-GP)) into Pi in under P deficiency with sunscreen and ZnO NPs. Cell density followed the order of KHPO > β-GP+ZnO > β-GP > AEP+ZnO > AEP > P-free.

No-tillage enhances soil water storage, grain yield and water use efficiency in dryland wheat () and maize () cropping systems: a global meta-analysis.

Climate change significantly affects crop production and is a threat to global food security. Conventional tillage (CT) is the primary tillage practice in rain-fed areas to conserve soil moisture. Despite previous research on the effect of tillage methods on different cropping systems, a comparison of tillage methods on soil water storage, crop yield and crop water use in wheat (Triticum aestivum ) and maize (Zea mays ) under different soil textures, precipitation and temperature patterns is needed.

A critical review on bioremediation technologies of metal(loid) tailings: Practice and policy.

Globally, most high-grade ores have already been exploited. Contemporary mining tends to focus on the extraction of lower-grade ores thereby leaving large stored tailings open to the environment. As a result, current mines have emerged as hotspots for the migration of metal(loid)s and resistance genes, thereby potentially contributing to a looming public health crisis.

Biochar impacts on carbon dioxide, methane emission, and cadmium accumulation in rice from Cd-contaminated soils; A meta-analysis.

Climate change and cadmium (Cd) contamination pose severe threats to rice production and food security. Biochar (BC) has emerged as a promising soil amendment for mitigating these challenges. To investigate the BC effects on paddy soil upon GHG emissions, Cd bioavailability, and its accumulation, a meta-analysis of published data from 2000 to 2023 was performed.

Spatiotemporal investigation of near-surface CH and factors influencing CH over South, East, and Southeast Asia.

Methane (CH) is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after CO, which plays the most important role in global and regional climate change. To explore the long-term spatiotemporal variations of near-surface CH, datasets were extracted from Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT), and the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) reanalyzed datasets from June 2009 to September 2020 over South, East, and Southeast Asia. The accuracy of near-surface CH from GOSAT and CAMS was verified against surface observatory stations available in the study region to confirm both dataset applicability and results showed significant correlations.

Unlocking the potential of glyphosate-resistant bacterial strains in biodegradation and maize growth.

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine] is a non-selective herbicide with a broad spectrum activity that is commonly used to control perennial vegetation in agricultural fields. The widespread utilization of glyphosate in agriculture leads to soil, water, and food crop contamination, resulting in human and environmental health consequences. Therefore, it is imperative to devise techniques for enhancing the degradation of glyphosate in soil.

Glyphosate in the environment: interactions and fate in complex soil and water settings, and (phyto) remediation strategies.

Glyphosate (Gly) and its formulations are broad-spectrum herbicides globally used for pre- and post-emergent weed control. Glyphosate has been applied to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Critics have claimed that Gly-treated plants have altered mineral nutrition and increased susceptibility to plant pathogens because of Gly ability to chelate divalent metal cations.

Efficiency of Soil Amendments for Copper Removal and Brassica Juncea (L.) Growth in Wastewater Irrigated Agricultural Soil.

Wastewater irrigation is becoming a massive challenge for sustainable agriculture. Particularly, copper (Cu) presence in wastewater poses a great threat to the food chain quality. Thus, scientists need to address this issue by using chemical and organic soil amendments to restore the soil ecosystem.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles improved chlorophyll contents, physical parameters, and wheat yield under salt stress.

Nanotechnology has a wide range of applications. Nanotechnology refers to the particle in nanoscale used to improve agricultural productivity and to encounter the unsolved problems conventionally. Nanostructured formulation through mechanisms, such as targeted delivery or slow/controlled release mechanisms as well as conditional release, could release their active ingredients in response to the environmental conditions and biological demands more precisely.

Temperature responsiveness of soil carbon fractions, microbes, extracellular enzymes and CO emission: mitigating role of texture.

The interaction of warming and soil texture on responsiveness of the key soil processes . organic carbon (C) fractions, soil microbes, extracellular enzymes and CO emissions remains largely unknown. Global warming raises the relevant question of how different soil processes will respond in near future, and what will be the likely regulatory role of texture? To bridge this gap, this work applied the laboratory incubation method to investigate the effects of temperature changes (10-50 °C) on dynamics of labile, recalcitrant and stable C fractions, soil microbes, microbial biomass, activities of extracellular enzymes and CO emissions in sandy and clayey textured soils.

Sustainable phosphorous management in two different soil series of Pakistan by evaluating dynamics of phosphatic fertilizer source.

Phosphorous (P) plays the prominent role to promote the plants storage functions and structural roles, as it is recognized as a vital component of ADP, ATP, Cell wall as well as a part of DNA. Soils acts as the sink to supply P to plants because soil pH and its physical condition are the main factor which regulate the solubility and availability P element. Phosphorus is not deficient in Pakistani soils but its availability to plants is the serious matter of concern.

Constructed wetlands as a sustainable technology for wastewater treatment with emphasis on chromium-rich tannery wastewater.

Water scarcity is a major threat to agriculture and humans due to over abstraction of groundwater, rapid urbanization and improper use in industrial processes. Industrial consumption of water is lower than the abstraction rate, which ultimately produces large amounts of wastewater such as from tannery industry containing high concentration of chromium (Cr). Chromium-contaminated tannery industry wastewater is used for irrigation of food crops, resulting in food safety and public health issues globally.

Moringa leaf extract improves biochemical attributes, yield and grain quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under drought stress.

Changing climate, food shortage, water scarcity and rapidly increasing population are some of the emerging challenges globally. Drought stress is the most devastating threat for agricultural productivity. Natural plant growth substances are intensively used to improve the productivity of crop plants grown under stressed and benign environments.

Combined application of zinc-lysine chelate and zinc-solubilizing bacteria improves yield and grain biofortification of maize (Zea mays L.).

Malnutrition a health disorders arising due to over or low use of minerals, vitamins and nutritional substances required for proper functioning of body tissues and organs. Zinc (Zn) is the most important mineral required for the normal metabolism of plants and humans. Zinc-deficiency is one of the major cause of malnutrition globally.

The potential of microbes and sulfate in reducing arsenic phytoaccumulation by maize (Zea mays L.) plants.

Arsenic (As) contamination in soil-plant system is an important environmental, agricultural and health issue globally. The microbe- and sulfate-mediated As cycling in soil-plant system may depend on soil sulfate levels, and it can be used as a potential strategy to reduce plant As uptake and improve plant growth. Here, we investigated the role of soil microbes (SMs) to examine As phytoaccumulation using maize as a test plant, under varying sulfate levels (S-0, S-5, S-25 mmol kg) and As stress.

Metagenomic exploration of multi-resistance genes linked to microbial attributes in active nonferrous metal(loid) tailings.

Mine tailings sites are considered as a continuous source of discharged metal(loid)s and residual organic flotation reagents. They are extremely toxic environments representing unique ecological niches for microbial communities. Mine tailings as a source of multi-resistance genes have been poorly investigated.

Occurrence, distribution, and health risk assessment of quinolone antibiotics in water, sediment, and fish species of Qingshitan reservoir, South China.

The residual antibiotics in the environment have lately caused widespread concerns. However, little information is available on the antibiotic bioaccumulation and its health risk in drinking water resources of South China. Therefore, the occurrence, distribution, and health risk of four quinolone antibiotics including ofloxacin (OFX), norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR) in the Qingshitan reservoir using high-performance liquid chromatography were investigated.

A -, -, and - Dominant Microbial Consortium Improved Anaerobic RDX Detoxification by Starch Addition.

In the present study, an anaerobic microbial consortium for the degradation of hexahydro-1,3,5- trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) was selectively enriched with the co-addition of RDX and starch under nitrogen-deficient conditions. Microbial growth and anaerobic RDX biodegradation were effectively enhanced by the co-addition of RDX and starch, which resulted in increased RDX biotransformation to nitroso derivatives at a greater specific degradation rate than those for previously reported anaerobic RDX-degrading bacteria (isolates). The accumulation of the most toxic RDX degradation intermediate (MNX [hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine]) was significantly reduced by starch addition, suggesting improved RDX detoxification by the co-addition of RDX and starch.

Arsenic removal by natural and chemically modified water melon rind in aqueous solutions and groundwater.

Contamination of groundwater with toxic arsenic (As) has become an emerging health and environmental problem around the world, which has seen significant attention amongst the scientists for development of new sorbents to remediate As-contaminated water. Here, we explored the arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)) sorption to natural water melon rind (WMR), xanthated WMR and citric acid-modified WMR in aqueous solutions, and determined potential of the most potent sorbent for As removal in groundwater. Xanthated WMR (X-WMR) showed relatively higher As(V) and As(III) removal than the citric acid modified WMR (CA-WMR) and natural WMR.

Anaerobic biotransformation of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers by Dehalococcoides species and an enrichment culture.

The biotransformation of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCH) by two Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains (195 and BTF08) and an enrichment culture was investigated and compared to conversion by the obligate anaerobic strain Clostridium pasteurianum strain DSMZ 525. The D. mccartyi strains preferentially transformed γ-HCH over α-HCH and δ-HCH isomers while β-HCH biotransformation was not significant.