Variable inhibition of different species by antagonistic bacteria.

Unlabelled: The genus includes opportunistic pathogens inhabiting engineered aquatic ecosystems, where managing their presence and abundance is crucial for public health. In these environments, interact positively or negatively with multiple members of the microbial communities. Here, we identified bacteria and compounds with -antagonistic properties.

Wastewater as a dual indicator of human and environmental exposure to synthetic antioxidants: Occurrence and fate in biological and advanced wastewater treatment.

Synthetic antioxidants (SAOs) are widely used additives in industrial and consumer products, yet their human exposure and fate throughout wastewater treatment remain poorly understood. This study investigates the occurrence of SAOs and their human metabolites in wastewater influent as well as their abatement in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) employing both conventional and advanced treatment technologies. In vitro human liver S9 assays were performed to generate a SAO metabolite MS2 library containing over 2500 potential metabolites, which was matched against wastewater influent data.

Distribution of geogenic arsenic in European topsoil and potential concerns for food safety.

Arsenic (As) is naturally present in trace amounts in most soils and poses a public health risk when elevated in topsoil due to potential accumulation in agricultural products. Europe has several regions with natural As enrichment in soils, but since soil analyses are limited to individual soil samples, information on the spatial distribution has been lacking. This study uses expert-based machine learning to create a high-resolution map of As exceeding 20 mg/kg in European topsoil based on ∼4100 data points of the Geochemical Mapping of Agricultural and Grazing Land Soil in Europe (GEMAS) dataset and 15 environmental variables.

Photochemical Chain Scissions Enhance Polyethylene Glycol Biodegradability: from Probabilistic Modeling to Experimental Demonstration.

Polyethylene glycols (PEGs), a major class of water-soluble polymers (WSPs), are widely used in diverse applications, from which PEGs may be released into the environment. This work investigates the effect of PEG reaction with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals (OH), an important environmental oxidant, on the molecular weight (MW) distribution of PEGs and their subsequent biodegradation in soil and sediment. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrated a pronounced decrease in the PEG MW after only a few OH-reaction-induced chain scissions on initial PEG molecules.

Sulfoquinovose is exclusively metabolized by the gut microbiota and degraded differently in mice and humans.

Background: Sulfoquinovose (SQ) is a green-diet-derived sulfonated glucose and a selective substrate for a limited number of human gut bacteria. Complete anaerobic SQ degradation via interspecies metabolite transfer to sulfonate-respiring bacteria produces hydrogen sulfide, which has dose- and context-dependent health effects. Here, we studied potential SQ degradation by the mammalian host and the impact of SQ supplementation on human and murine gut microbiota diversity and metabolism.

Advanced on-site monitoring of industrial wastewater: integration of online biological and chemical tools to identify toxic compounds.

Monitoring of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents from complex industrial clusters with high temporal resolution is crucial for detecting and subsequently managing problematic compounds to reduce their release into the environment. This study explored the potential of combining biological early warning systems (BEWS) with a transportable high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-HRMS/MS) platform (MS2Field) to detect and identify toxic pollutants in industrial-driven WWTP effluent. BEWS, using the organisms Daphnia magna, Chlorella vulgaris, and Gammarus pulex, provided real-time biological responses to micropollutants, while the MS2Field allowed continuous chemical detection of toxic compounds in parallel.

Drastic Variations in Chemical Composition of Organic Inputs: Implications for Organic Fertilization.

Soil amendment with organic inputs is gaining importance with the ongoing shift toward circular economies. While these inputs can fertilize soils with micronutrients such as zinc (Zn), it is crucial to prevent potential contamination stemming from Zn accumulation in soils or crop uptake of toxic elements such as cadmium (Cd). While both organic matter (OM) composition and Zn and Cd speciation are key factors controlling Zn and Cd fate in soil-plant systems, these factors remain largely uncharacterized in many commonly used organic inputs.

From Ambition to Action: Navigating Obstacles and Opportunities of "Safe and Sustainable by Design".

With the introduction of "Safe and Sustainable by Design" (SSbD), momentum is created in Europe to shift from the reactive (mis)management of chemicals and materials toward a more proactive design and assessment approach to preventing pollution issues. SSbD is expected to steer the innovation process toward a green and sustainable industrial transition, substitute or minimize the production and use of substances of concern, and minimize the impact on health and the environment throughout the chemical/material life cycle. The European Commission has recommended a framework for operationalizing SSbD, but many open questions remain regarding its feasibility and implementation.

Holocene environmental change in Rotsee and its impact on sedimentary carbon storage.

To assess the long-term impact of climate change and human influence on lakes and their sedimentary carbon storage, paleo-environmental approaches using well-dated lake sediment cores can be employed. Here, we reconstruct carbon mass accumulation rates for organic and inorganic carbon since 13 ka BP in Rotsee, a perialpine lake near the Swiss Alps, using a 12-m sediment core. A multiproxy approach (XRF, carbon and nitrogen isotopes, organic macromolecule chemical compositions, aDNA) was used to explore changes in the lake system that affect sedimentary carbon storage.

Effects of organic ligands, phosphate and Ca on the structure and composition of Fe(III)-precipitates formed by Fe(II) oxidation at near-neutral pH.

The oxidation of dissolved Fe(II) in near-neutral natural waters leads to the formation of Fe(III)-precipitates. Organic ligands, PO, calcium (Ca) and other solutes affect the composition, bulk and nanoscale structure and colloidal properties of Fe(III)-precipitates and their impacts on co-precipitated compounds in interdependent ways. In this study, we quantified the effects of four low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) with different Fe(III) complexation strengths (2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4-DHB) ∼ galacturonic acid (Galact) ≪ 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHB) < citric acid (Citr)) and of leonardite humic acid (LH) in combination with PO and Ca on Fe(III)-precipitate structure and composition in a multifactorial experiment.

Comparing the abatement of pharmaceuticals and their human metabolites in wastewater treatment plants - Insights from biological and advanced treatment stages.

Pharmaceuticals and their human metabolites are significant sources of micropollutants in the aquatic environments due to incomplete removal during wastewater treatment. While parent compounds have been widely studied, the fate of their metabolites across treatment stages remains poorly understood, despite the fact that most pharmaceuticals are excreted in metabolized forms. Using a combination of full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) observations, laboratory experiments, and modeling, this study aimed to assess and compare the removal of 290 parent pharmaceuticals and 154 human metabolites across biological and advanced wastewater treatment stages, to evaluate the influence of human metabolic modifications on removal rates.

Complementing global chemicals management through shaping consumer behavior.

The rapid expansion of the global chemical industry, fueled by consumerism and economic growth, has created severe environmental and public health challenges. The current chemicals management approach primarily regulates the "production system", setting standards and imposing large responsibilities on the chemical industry. However, this approach has been found inadequate as it often neglects the vital role of the "consumption system" in driving chemical production and use, and pollution caused by chemicals.

Characterization of Organic Nitrogen by Chlorination, Ozonation, and Stable Isotope Analysis of Nitrate.

During oxidation, nitrogenous species in dissolved organic matter (DOM) are critical in the formation of nitrogenous, potentially toxic disinfection byproducts, but their chemical identity remains poorly understood. Here, we developed three complementary approaches to identify and quantify reactive amines in model compounds and DOM, including aliphatic primary and secondary amines, aryl-type primary amines, amino acids, and terminal peptidic amino groups. With the chloramine formation assay, the total reactive amines were quantified for the main subgroups.

Aquatic Thermal and Photochemical Reactivity of -(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-'-phenyl--phenylenediamine (6PPD), -Isopropyl-'-phenyl--phenylenediamine (IPPD), and 6PPD-quinone.

A ubiquitously used tire rubber antidegradant, 6PPD (-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-'-phenyl--phenylenediamine), and its toxic ozonation product, 6PPD-quinone (-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-'-phenyl--phenylenediamine quinone), have become recognized as important environmental pollutants since 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) was identified as the likely cause of decades of mass Coho salmon kills. The reactivity of 6PPD, 6PPD-Q, and similar phenylenediamines requires study to better understand their environmental fate. This study explores the aquatic reactivity of 6PPD, -isopropyl-'-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (IPPD), and 6PPD-Q through thermal and photochemical pathways using both steady-state photochemistry and time-resolved laser spectroscopy techniques.

Antagonism as a foraging strategy in microbial communities.

In natural habitats, nutrient availability limits bacterial growth. We discovered that bacteria can overcome this limitation by acquiring nutrients by lysing neighboring cells through contact-dependent antagonism. Using single-cell live imaging and isotopic markers, we found that during starvation, the type VI secretion system (T6SS) lysed neighboring cells and thus provided nutrients from lysing cells for growth.

Resilience of deep aquifer microbial communities to seasonal hydrological fluctuations.

The influence of seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation on subsurface biogeochemical processes remains poorly understood. In the Lavey-les-Bains thermal system in the Swiss Alps, annual variations in electrical conductivity are observed to depths of 500 m, suggesting a potential link to surface environmental changes. Here we show, through year-round analyses of stable water isotopes, noble gases, and conductivity, that seasonally varying contributions of shallow groundwater from the Rhône alluvial aquifer mix with deep groundwater.

Data Requirements for Implementing the "Essential-Use" Concept in Chemical Legislation.

The Stockholm Convention and the EU REACH Regulation are two key pieces of legislation on chemicals at the global and European levels, respectively. Discussions have taken place on revising them. For instance, the European Commission is considering implementing the "essential-use" concept in the REACH Regulation to guide decision-making for phasing-out the use of the most harmful chemicals.

Mercury compound-specific stable isotope fractionation in high-altitude lake ecosystems of the Bolivian Altiplano.

A combination of mercury (Hg) speciation and compound-specific stable isotope analyses was employed to trace the origin and fate of monomethylmercury (MMHg) in the high-altitude food webs of Lakes Titicaca (TTKK) and Uru Uru (UU). Significant MMHg biomagnification was observed, with concentrations reaching up to 2 μg.g Hg in top predators.

Impact of contaminant size and density on their incorporation into sea ice.

Sea ice accumulates contaminants and redistributes them laterally as the ice drifts and vertically as it melts. Contaminant incorporation into sea ice must be better understood to resolve contaminant cycling and exposure to polar organisms. Here we develop an experimental method that mimics the formation of young sea ice and enables the quantification of model contaminants separately in the ice matrix and brine.

Accounting for Molecular Weight Distribution Dynamics in the Environmental Fate Assessment of Water-Soluble Polymers.

Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) are widely used in industrial and agricultural applications, as well as in consumer products. After use, they may be released into both engineered and natural environments, where their fate is governed by transfer and transformation processes which are strongly influenced by their molecular weight distribution (MWD). Unlike traditional low molecular weight organic chemicals, WSPs are ensembles of molecules with varying chain lengths.

Comparison of absorption and excretion of test compounds in sucking versus chewing pests.

A critical understanding of how pests interact with active ingredients is essential for the development of new insect control solutions to maintain crop quality and quantity by reducing insect damage. Absorption of insecticides into insect bodies of targeted pest species is the first critical step that confounds the efficacy of insecticides. This study investigated how different feeding behaviour of two pests, Myzus persicae and Spodoptera littoralis, affects the absorption, metabolism, and excretion (AME) of seven insecticidally inactive test compounds.

An Analytical Workflow to Quantify Biodegradable Polyesters in Soils and Its Application to Incubation Experiments.

Soil biodegradable polyesters are designed to undergo to microbial utilization in aerobic soils, forming carbon dioxide and microbial biomass. These polyesters are thus viable substitutes for conventional, persistent polymers (e.g.

Suspect and Nontarget Screening of Organic Micropollutants in Swiss Sewage Sludge: A Nationwide Survey.

The increasing amount of sewage sludge generated during wastewater treatment poses both growing management challenge and environmental issues. Sludge with many co-occurring contaminants is often destined to land application which raises concern regarding human and environmental health. It is also a good integrator in time and space and can provide valuable information on consumption pattern and change over time.

Nanoparticle Skin Penetration: Depths and Routes Modeled In-Silico.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly explored for targeted skin penetration, particularly for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. However, the complex system between NP properties, skin structure, and experimental conditions poses significant challenges in predicting their penetration depth and pathways. To what depth do NPs penetrate the skin, and which pathways do they follow? These are the questions which we tried to answer in this paper.