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Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by inhaling spores of Histoplasma capsulatum, a dimorphic fungus. This fungus grows in soil contaminated with bat and avian excreta. Each year, patients with disseminated histoplasmosis have been diagnosed in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. No published information is currently available on the environmental sources of this fungus in Chiang Mai or anywhere else in Thailand. The aim of this study was to detect H. capsulatum in soil samples contaminated with bat guano and avian droppings by nested PCR. Two hundred and sixty-five samples were collected from the following three sources: soil contaminated with bat guano, 88 samples; soil contaminated with bird droppings, 86 samples; and soil contaminated with chicken droppings, 91 samples. Genomic DNA was directly extracted from each sample, and H. capsulatum was detected by nested PCR using a primer set specific to a gene encoding 100-kDa-like protein (HcI, HcII and HcIII, HcIV). Histoplasma capsulatum was detected in seven of 88 soil samples contaminated with bat guano, one of 21 soil samples contaminated with pigeon droppings and 10 of 91 soil samples contaminated with chicken droppings. The results indicate the possibility of the association of bat guano and chicken droppings with H. capsulatum in this area of Thailand.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11046-013-9701-9 | DOI Listing |
Beilstein J Nanotechnol
August 2025
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Saigon University, 273 An Duong Vuong Street, Cho Quan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam.
This study employs a bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace to explore research trends on the impact of biochar on microplastics (MPs) in soil and water environments. In agricultural soils, MPs reduce crop yield, alter soil properties, and disrupt microbial diversity and nutrient cycling. Biochar, a stable and eco-friendly material, has demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating these effects by restoring soil chemistry, enhancing microbial diversity and improving crop productivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
September 2025
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand.
Soil washing with surfactants is a promising technique for remediating petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. This study evaluates a biosurfactant extracted from Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), an abundant aquatic weed in Thailand, using ultrasound-assisted extraction for diesel-contaminated soil remediation. The biosurfactant extract (Extract WH) was characterized for its surface tension reduction, critical micelle concentration (CMC), emulsification capacity with diesel, and phytotoxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Res
September 2025
State Key Laboratory for Ecological Security of Regions and Cities, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China. Electronic address:
Recent interest in amendments derived from industrial by-products has highlighted their potential for both resource recycling and heavy metal remediation. Phosphate tailings (PT), primarily dolomite-based solid waste with low utilization rates, offer a promising yet underexplored solution. This study pioneers the thermal modification of PT into a novel amendment, thermally modified phosphate tailings (TPT), to assess its adsorption performance, underlying mechanisms, and effectiveness in immobilizing heavy metals in soils.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
September 2025
University Hohenheim, Department of Process Analytics and Cereal Science, Stuttgart, 70599, Germany.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants with increasing prevalence in agricultural soils, primarily introduced through biosolid application, wastewater irrigation, and atmospheric deposition. This review provides a meta-analysis of terminologies across 145 peer-reviewed studies, identifying inconsistency in the classification of PFAS subgroups-such as "long-chain vs. short-chain," "precursors," and "emerging PFAS"-which hinders regulatory harmonization and model calibration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcotoxicol Environ Saf
September 2025
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Department of Applied Biology and Chemistry, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Research In
This study aimed to elucidate the effects of arsenic species [As(III)/As(V)] and cadmium [Cd(II)] on nitrification and nitrogen fixation in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) cultivation, and to identify nitrogen cycle disruption mechanisms in realistic soil environments with a focus on soil-metal-plant-microbe interactions. We examined heavy metal(loid)s uptake in plant tissues, changes in nitrogen species in porewater, nitrogenase activity, the contents of essential trace metals (Mo and Fe) in nitrogenase, and nitrogen-related microbial communities.
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