Plant Site Research Articles

Evaluating Geothermal Power Plant Sites with Additive Ratio Assessment: Case Study of Mount Seulawah Agam, Indonesia

Indonesia, a country rich in geothermal resources, has yet to fully exploit its potential, particularly in volcanic regions like Mount Seulawah Agam. This study investigates the application of the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method for the site selection of Geothermal Power Plants (GPP) in Indonesia. The ARAS method provides a systematic approach to evaluating and prioritizing geothermal development sites by integrating multiple criteria, including geological, environmental, and socio-economic factors. The study collects data from various sources and weights criteria using the Ordinal Priority Approach (OPA), incorporating expert opinions. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the ARAS method in identifying optimal locations for GPP development, ensuring sustainability and feasibility. The study also tests the ARAS method in existing GPP locations in Jaboi, Sabang, Indonesia, to investigate alignment with the results and validate the approach. Furthermore, the study presents recommendations for GPP site selection. This research emphasizes the significance of multi-criteria decision-making techniques in facilitating renewable energy projects. It promotes a more systematic and informed approach to geothermal energy development in Indonesia and other geothermal-rich regions.

Selection of fast-growing seaweed cultivars in Palawan, Philippines

Seaweed farming in Palawan currently involves different local cultivars. At least 12 of these cultivars were successfully grown in an indoor facility employing the branch culture techniques and were sea-out planted in Puerto Princesa Bay since 2015. Six of these cultivars yielded relatively high daily growth rates and were selected for the year-round field-testing experiment to compare the growth rates among cultivars and species, between farming sites, and across seasons from 01 July 2021 until 15 August 2022. Monitoring of cultivars’ daily growth rates (DGRs) was conducted in 100 m2 experimental floating monoline plots in Green Island and Sitio Amogues of the municipalities of Roxas and Taytay, Palawan, respectively. Findings revealed that seaweed DGRs significantly varied among cultivars and species (p = 0.001; p = 0.008). The “spinosum” brown from Puerto Princesa and “sacol” green from Green Island, Roxas had higher DGRs, 4.28% and 4.10%, respectively. Grouping the cultivars per species, the cultivars of Eucheuma denticulatum (L. Burmann) Collins & Hervey had higher DGRs compared to Kappaphycus striatus (F. Schmitz) L. M. Liao and Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) L. M. Liao. Spatial and seasonal variabilities in cultivar DGRs were also evident. Four cultivars obtained significantly different DGRs between planting sites. The “tambalang” (p = 0.010) and “magnolia” (p = 0.006) with DGRs of 3.26% and 4.08%, respectively in Green Island Roxas, while the “spinosum” brown from Puerto Princesa (p < 0.001; 4.86% DGR) and San Vicente (p < 0.001; 4.45% DGR) in Amogues, Taytay. Three cultivars in Green Island, Roxas, obtained significantly higher DGRs during the wet season. These were the “tambalang” (p = 0.000; 3.98% DGR), “magnolia” (p = 0.000; 4.57% DGR), and “spinosum”-brown from Puerto Princesa (p = 0.006; 5.23% DGR). In Amogues, Taytay, all six cultivars obtained significantly higher DGRs during the wet season: “tambalang” (p = 0.210; 3.17% DGR); “lakatan” (p = 0.004; 2.69% DGR); “spinosum” brown from Puerto Princesa (p = 0.00; 3.97% DGR); and San Vicente (p = 0.00; 3.39% DGR). A cropping calendar that indicates the fast-growing cultivars to be planted at a particular site and season is provided in this study. This information shall aid local farmers in cultivar selection towards a sustainable seaweed farm management in Palawan.

Characterization and genome-informatic analysis of a novel lytic mendocina phage vB_PmeS_STP12 suitable for phage therapy pseudomonas or biocontrol.

A novel lytic bacteriophage (phage) was isolated with Pseudomonas mendocina strain STP12 (P. mendocina) from the untreated site of Sewage Treatment Plant of Lovely Professional University, India. P. mendocina is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterium belonging to the family Pseudomonadaceae and has been reported in fifteen (15) cases of economically important diseases worldwide. Here, a novel phage specifically infecting and killing P. mendocina strain STP12 was isolated from sewage sample using enrichment, spot test and double agar overlay (DAOL) method and was designated as vB_PmeS_STP12. The phage vB-PmeS-STP12 was viable at wide range of pH and temperature ranging from 4 to10 and - 20 to 70°C respectively. Host range and efficiency of plating (EOP) analysis indicated that phage vB-PmeS-STP12 was capable of infecting and killing P. mendocina strain STP6 with EOP of 0.34. Phage vB_PmeS_STP12 was found to have a significant bacterial reduction (p < 0.005) at all the doses administered, particularly at optimal MOI of 1 PFU/CFU, compared to the control. Morphological analysis using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed an icosahedral capsid of ~ 55nm in diameter on average with a short, non-contractile tail. The genome of vB_PmeS_STP12 is a linear, dsDNA containing 36,212bp in size with a GC content of 58.87% harbouring 46 open reading frames (ORFs). The 46 predicted ORFs encode proteins with functional information categorized as lysis, replication, packaging, regulation, assembly, infection, immune, and hypothetical. However, the genome of vB_PmeS_STP12 appeared to be devoid of tRNAs, integrase gene, toxins genes, virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and CRISPR arrays. The blast analysis with phylogeny revealed that vB_PmeS_STP12 is genetically similar to Pseudomonas phage PMBT14, Pseudomonas phage Almagne and Serratia phage Serbin with a highest identity of 74.00%, 74.93% and 59.48% respectively. Taken together, characterization, morphological analysis and genome-informatics indicated that vB_PmeS_STP12 is podovirus morphotype belonging to the class Caudoviticetes, family Zobellviridae which appeared to be devoid of integrase gene, ARGs, CRISPR arrays, virulence factors and toxins genes, exhibiting stability and infectivity at wide range of pH (4 to10) and temperature (-20 to 70°C), thereby making vB_PmeS_STP12 suitable for phage therapy or biocontrol. Based on the bibliometric analysis and data availability with respect to sequences deposited in GenBank, this is the first report of a phage infecting Pseudomonas mendocina.

Insights into “wheat aroma”: Analysis of volatile components in wheat grains cultivated in saline–alkali soil

The wheat grains that are cultivated in saline–alkali soil exhibit a richer “wheat aroma” compared to their counterparts. This study characterized the composition and content of volatiles in five wheat kernel varieties, harvested from two fields with varying pH levels and total salt content in the soil. The wheat grown in soil with high pH and total salt content had significantly lower levels (p < 0.05) of ethyl 3-methylbutanoate and 1-octen-3-one and significantly higher levels (p < 0.05) of 1-butanol and 1-octen-3-ol. Among all factors, plant site contributed the highest F-value contribution rate (more than 77 %) for these four volatile compounds. Six e-nose sensors responsive to these four compounds exhibited consistent trends. Therefore, the lower of ethyl 3-methylbutanoate and 1-octen-3-one, the higher of 1-butanol and 1-octen-3-ol in wheat, grown on saline–alkali soil, served as characteristic markers for “wheat aroma”.

Monitoring Aedes populations for arboviruses, Wolbachia, insecticide resistance and its mechanisms in various agroecosystems in Benin

Aedes mosquitoes are the main vectors of arboviruses in Benin. Cases of dengue have been reported in Benin with all four serotypes of the virus actively circulating in this region. Some agricultural settings are known to harbor Aedes vectors responsible for the transmission of arboviruses. The massive use of certain insecticides in agricultural settings has probably contributed to insecticide resistance in these vectors. In Benin, the susceptibility of arbovirus vectors to insecticides is poorly studied. In addition, the distribution of Wolbachia spp., which is used against some arboviruses is unknown. Moreover, there is limited information regarding the vectors responsible for the transmission of arboviruses in Benin. This present study monitored the species composition, arboviruses, and Wolbachia symbiont status, as well as the phenotypic and molecular insecticide resistance profile of Aedes populations from three agroecosystems in Benin. Aedes species identification was performed morphologically and confirmed using qPCR. (RT)-qPCR assay was applied for monitoring the presence of DENV, CHIKV, ZIKV, and WNV pathogens as well as for naturally occurring Wolbachia symbionts. Insecticide resistance was assessed phenotypically, by permethrin (0.75%) exposure of Adults (F0) using World Health Organization (WHO) bioassay protocols, and at the molecular level, using TaqMan (RT)-qPCR assays for assessing knock-down resistance (kdr) mutations (F1534C, V1016G/I, and S989P) and the expression levels of eight detoxification genes (P450s from the CYP9 and CYP6 families, carboxylesterases and glutathione-S-transferases). Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) mosquitoes were the most abundant (93.9%) in the three agroecosystems studied, followed by Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus) mosquitoes (6.1%). No arboviruses were detected in the study's mosquito populations. Naturally occurring Wolbachia symbionts were present in 7 pools out of 15 pools tested. This could influence the effectiveness of vector control strategies based on exogenously introduced Wolbachia, all present in the three agroecosystems. Full susceptibility to permethrin was observed in all tested populations of Ae. albopictus. On the contrary, Ae. aegypti were found to be resistant in all three agroecosystem sites except for banana plantation sites, where full susceptibility was observed. Molecular analysis revealed that individual target site resistance kdr mutations F1534C and V1016G/I were detected in most Ae. aegypti populations. Additionally, double mutant (F1534C + V1016G/I) mosquitoes were found in some populations, and in one case, triple mutant (F1534C + V1016G/I + S989P) mosquitoes were detected. Metabolic resistance, as reflected by overexpression of three P450 genes (CYP6BB2, CYP9J26, and CYP9J32), was also detected in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Our study provides information that could be used to strategize future vector control strategies and highlights the importance of continuing vector surveillance. Future studies should assess the effect of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) on metabolic resistance and identify the different strains of Wolbachia spp., to choose the best vector control strategies in Benin.

A hybrid model based on STL with simple exponential smoothing and ARMA for wind forecast in a Brazilian nuclear power plant site

In the event of a nuclear accident with release of radioactive effluents into the environment, the Environmental Control System (ECS) at the Central Nuclear Almirante Álvaro Alberto (CNAAA) nuclear complex estimates the movement of the radioactive plume produced and provides forecast for one and two hours ahead. The prediction is based on the current accident and atmospheric data collected from meteorological stations spread across the site. In this way, the ECS estimates the spatial dose and dose rates distribution at ground level. The one- and two-hour forecast made by the ECS use the naïve method, which repeats the last known value. Its results are satisfactory if the next value to be collected does not differ substantially from the last known value. However, observing real data, acquired in loco, this fact does not occur in practice, which can make the forecast considerably erroneous.The purpose of this work is to investigate new approaches to improve ECS forecasting method, making it more accurate in real situations. To this end, the Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess (STL) was used together with the Simple Exponential Smoothing (SES) method and the Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) model to forecast weather parameters at the Angra site. The STL method was chosen since it has a robust mathematical decomposition method, capable of satisfactorily dealing with time series that have a high frequency of acquisition, the so-called intraday series. This model uses the Loess method, which is a smoothing technique based on locally adjusted regressions. The SES method and ARMA model are the techniques that most adequately fit the trend and remainder components generated by the STL decomposition, respectively. In the scope of this work, the method is applied to forecast wind speed measurements made at one of the meteorological towers used by the ECS. Using the hybrid model developed, an increase the of 101.39% in the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), was achieved when compared to the ECS forecast method.

Silvicultural Management Strategies: A Determinant for a Successful NGP Plantation in Northern Isabela, Philippines

The National Greening Program is the most extensive reforestation program in the Philippines. It aimed for climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and food security. This paper provides initial information on the performance of NGP in Northern Isabela, focusing on the general information of the plantation site, the participation of stakeholders, and the implementation of selected forestry management strategies. Three sites were considered, which are located in Delfin Albano, Cabagan, and San Pablo, Isabela. Findings revealed that the plantation sites were grasslands and previously were of corn plantations. Yemane is the common species planted in the three study sites because it is less susceptible to the effects of drought, fire, pests, diseases, and typhoons, according to the implementers. Other tree species planted in Delfin Albano are teak, kadamba, acacia, and mahogany. It was further validated during the field site visit and inspection that the above-mentioned tree species have 100% survival because the implementers were equipped with knowledge on some silvicultural strategies for maintaining the plantation. Implementers considered the period of planting, the ideal size of seedlings, the proper spacing, fertilization requirements, and intermediate treatments for sanitation. Nevertheless, it is recommended to all plantations that the implementers should integrate agroforestry crops in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture. Finally, since the DENR was tasked with the monitoring and validation of the performance of the program, the DENR should also partner with various research institutions, including academic institutions, to assess the progress of the NGP for enhancement.

Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of apple tree phyllosphere bacterial and fungal communities across cultivars in orchards.

The phyllosphere, a reservoir of diverse microbial life associated with plant health, harbors microbial communities that are subject to various complex ecological processes acting at multiple scales. In this study, we investigated the determinants of the spatiotemporal variation in bacterial and fungal communities within the apple tree phyllosphere, employing 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing. Our research assessed the impact of key factors-plant compartment, site, time, and cultivar-on the composition and diversity of leaf and flower microbial communities. Our analyses, based on samples collected from three cultivars in three orchards in 2022, revealed that site and time are the strongest drivers of apple tree phyllosphere microbial communities. Conversely, plant compartment and cultivar exhibited minor roles in explaining community composition and diversity. Predominantly, bacterial communities comprised Hymenobacter (25%) and Sphingomonas (10%), while the most relatively abundant fungal genera included Aureobasidium (27%) and Sporobolomyces (10%). Additionally, our results show a gradual decrease in alpha-diversity throughout the growth season. These findings emphasize the necessity to consider local microbial ecology dynamics in orchards, especially as many groups worldwide aim for the development of biocontrol strategies (e.g., by manipulating plant-microbe interactions). More research is needed to improve our understanding of the determinants of time and site-specific disparities within apple tree phyllosphere microbial communities across multiple years, locations, and cultivars.

Offshore wind power plant site selection in the Baltic Sea

The selection of suitable sites for offshore wind power plants is an important marine spatial planning problem in the Baltic Sea. The application of multiple and different decision support tools (DSTs) can facilitate site selection. This study employs a geographical information system (GIS) integrated with the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) model, and GIS with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using an analytical hierarch process (AHP), fuzzy logic, weighted linear combination (WLC), and the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) as an extension of MCDA. The core novelty of the study is the use of several concurrent state-of-the art techniques to quantify the detailed spatial pattern of suitability of different sea areas for offshore wind power plant installations for the entire Baltic Sea at an unprecedented, for such a large sea area, resolution. Important parameters were identified and data from the Global Wind Atlas, HELCOM, and EMODnet portals were used. The most appropriate areas exhibit LCOE values between 42 and 58 €/MWh, MCDA values in the range of 0.78–0.92, and capacity factor values from 0.52 to 0.55. The areas identified as the least appropriate were characterized by LCOE values ranging from 107 to 210 €/MWh, MCDA values between 0.34 and 0.59, and capacity factor values within the range of 0.30–0.43. The outcomes using both methodologies were similar. The decision preferred are mostly locations close to shore in shallow water and with a high capacity factor. The largest suitable areas are in the south-west Baltic Sea whereas some suitable locations are identified further to the north and east.

Clustering-based assessment of solar irradiation and temperature attributes for PV power generation site selection: A case of Indonesia’s Java-Bali region

This study presents clustering-based assessments of solar attributes for locating potential solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant sites using k-means and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) by examining the yearly average single-attribute and three-attribute clustering on a dataset of long-term hourly-based direct and diffuse irradiation, ambient temperature, and solar PV power output from 2005 to 2022. Three-attribute clustering enables stakeholders to better understand the characteristics of a cluster by collectively identifying three solar attributes and the magnitude of each attribute in an area or cluster. The presence of this information, which constitutes the clusters, suggests that these attributes have different effects on solar PV output power in different clusters. Although k-means is an effective method for investigating potential locations for PV power plant placements, DBSCAN offers users an alternative method for accomplishing a similar goal. In the case of three-attribute clustering of direct irradiation with k-means and DBSCAN, the 18-year mean value of clusters with the highest yearly average value is achieved at very similar values of 0.305 kW/m2 and 0.310 kW/m2, respectively. It turns out that only six years of direct irradiation had an annual mean value of less than 0.305 kW/m2. This finding implies that in the long run, the solar resources in terms of direct irradiation will typically surpass 0.3 kW/m2/MW installed capacity over all areas suitable for PV power plants. While focusing on the Java-Bali region, Indonesia, the findings, and methods appear to be of broader interest to policymakers, particularly in developing countries where solar PV is considered an option for sustainable energy generation.

Arsenic effectively improves the degradation of fluorene by Rhodococcus sp. 2021 under the combined pollution of arsenic and fluorene

The performance of bacterial strains in executing degradative functions under the coexistence of heavy metals/heavy metal-like elements and organic contaminants is understudied. In this study, we isolated a fluorene-degrading bacterium, highly arsenic-resistant, designated as strain 2021, from contaminated soil at the abandoned site of an old coking plant. It was identified as a member of the genus Rhodococcus sp. strain 2021 exhibited efficient fluorene-degrading ability under optimal conditions of 400 mg/L fluorene, 30 °C, pH 7.0, and 250 mg/L trivalent arsenic. It was noted that the addition of arsenic could promote the growth of strain 2021 and improve the degradation of fluorene – a phenomenon that has not been described yet. The results further indicated that strain 2021 can oxidize As3+ to As5+; here, approximately 13.1% of As3+ was converted to As5+ after aerobic cultivation for 8 days at 30 °C. The addition of arsenic could greatly up-regulate the expression of arsR/A/B/C/D and pcaG/H gene clusters involved in arsenic resistance and aromatic hydrocarbon degradation; it also aided in maintaining the continuously high expression of cstA that codes for carbon starvation protein and prmA/B that codes for monooxygenase. These results suggest that strain 2021 holds great potential for the bioremediation of environments contaminated by a combination of arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This study provides new insights into the interactions among microbes, as well as inorganic and organic pollutants.

Host genotype-specific rhizosphere fungus enhances drought resistance in wheat

BackgroundThe severity and frequency of drought are expected to increase substantially in the coming century and dramatically reduce crop yields. Manipulation of rhizosphere microbiomes is an emerging strategy for mitigating drought stress in agroecosystems. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying how drought-resistant plant recruitment of specific rhizosphere fungi enhances drought adaptation of drought-sensitive wheats. Here, we investigated microbial community assembly features and functional profiles of rhizosphere microbiomes related to drought-resistant and drought-sensitive wheats by amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing techniques. We then established evident linkages between root morphology traits and putative keystone taxa based on microbial inoculation experiments. Furthermore, root RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR were employed to explore the mechanisms how rhizosphere microbes modify plant response traits to drought stresses.ResultsOur results indicated that host plant signature, plant niche compartment, and planting site jointly contribute to the variation of soil microbiome assembly and functional adaptation, with a relatively greater effect of host plant signature observed for the rhizosphere fungi community. Importantly, drought-resistant wheat (Yunhan 618) possessed more diverse bacterial and fungal taxa than that of the drought-sensitive wheat (Chinese Spring), particularly for specific fungal species. In terms of microbial interkingdom association networks, the drought-resistant variety possessed more complex microbial networks. Metagenomics analyses further suggested that the enriched rhizosphere microbiomes belonging to the drought-resistant cultivar had a higher investment in energy metabolism, particularly in carbon cycling, that shaped their distinctive drought tolerance via the mediation of drought-induced feedback functional pathways. Furthermore, we observed that host plant signature drives the differentiation in the ecological role of the cultivable fungal species Mortierella alpine (M. alpina) and Epicoccum nigrum (E. nigrum). The successful colonization of M. alpina on the root surface enhanced the resistance of wheats in response to drought stresses via activation of drought-responsive genes (e.g., CIPK9 and PP2C30). Notably, we found that lateral roots and root hairs were significantly suppressed by co-colonization of a drought-enriched fungus (M. alpina) and a drought-depleted fungus (E. nigrum).ConclusionsCollectively, our findings revealed host genotypes profoundly influence rhizosphere microbiome assembly and functional adaptation, as well as it provides evidence that drought-resistant plant recruitment of specific rhizosphere fungi enhances drought tolerance of drought-sensitive wheats. These findings significantly underpin our understanding of the complex feedbacks between plants and microbes during drought, and lay a foundation for steering “beneficial keystone biome” to develop more resilient and productive crops under climate change.FGv_ocsEwwAXXw4e-N4VhrVideo

Digital Twin for the SBR Cold Emulsion Copolymerization Process

AbstractDevelopment of accurate and robust dynamic models for the description of emulsion copolymerization processes is fundamental for the implementation of monitoring, advanced control, and optimization strategies. There are several studies on the dynamic modeling of styrene/1,3‐butadiene rubber (SBR) emulsion copolymerization, but most of them focus on hot conditions or only one semi‐batch reactor, as in the case of cold conditions. For this reason, the present study focuses on the dynamic modeling of SBR cold emulsion copolymerization processes considering a train of 15 continuous stirred tank reactors, as in many real industrial sites. The developed dynamic model is implemented by using the digital twin (DT) concept, which involves the online reading of process variables and an adaptive strategy for online tuning of some of the model parameters, being also sensitive to the effect of real‐time changes on the number of reactors in the train, a subject that has been overlooked previously, but which is important at the plant site. The practical application of the DT for monitoring a real industrial process illustrates the robustness and accuracy of the developed tool, making it useful for opportune detection of process anomalies and opening the way for future advanced control strategies.

Seedling survival and plantation success in the drylands of Northern Ethiopia

We studied tree seedling survival rates and plantation success of the Growth and Transformation Plan I—GTP I (2011–2015) in the drylands of Northern Ethiopia. The study was carried out in six randomly selected districts of Tigrai region that represent three agro-ecological zones: the highland, midland and lowland. A biophysical survey was conducted to assess the survival rates of tree seedlings and the success rate of the plantation interventions. The study employed both primary and secondary data sources. Results revealed that there were variations (P < 0.05) in the survival of planted tree seedlings among plantation sites of the same village, between the villages of the same district and among the districts. The regional mean survival rate of planted tree seedlings was 53%. The planting interventions were not encouraging due to lack of pre- and post-planting management, moisture stress, poor soil and site conditions, planting an unmanageable number of seedlings, weak law enforcement and lack of proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. In the study areas, four types of ownership were identified: private, communal, state and youth groups. Among the ownership types, private ownership had the highest rate of success, whereas community ownership had the lowest rate. For sustaining successful plantation development, watering, pre- and post-planting management of planted tree seedlings and permanent employment of guards are important.

Dynamic spatiotemporal changes of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil and eggs of private gardens at different distances from a fluorochemical plant

Homegrown food serves as an important human exposure source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), yet little is known about their spatiotemporal distribution within and among private gardens. This knowledge is essential for more accurate site-specific risk assessment, identification of new sources and evaluating the effectiveness of regulations. The present study evaluated spatiotemporal changes of legacy and emerging PFAS in surface soil from vegetable gardens (N = 78) and chicken enclosures (N = 102), as well as in homegrown eggs (N = 134) of private gardens, across the Province of Antwerp (Belgium). Hereby, the potential influence of the wind orientation and distance towards a major fluorochemical plant was examined. The ∑short-chain PFAS and precursor concentrations were higher in vegetable garden soil (8.68 ng/g dry weight (dw)) compared to chicken enclosure soil (4.43 ng/g dw) and homegrown eggs (0.77 ng/g wet weight (ww)), while long-chain sulfonates and C11−14 carboxylates showed the opposite trend. Short-term (2018/2019–2022) changes were mostly absent in vegetable garden soil, while changes in chicken enclosure soils oriented S-SW nearby (<4 km) the fluorochemical plant were characterized by a local, high-concentration plume. Moreover, soil from chicken enclosures oriented SE and remotely from the plant site was characterized by a widespread, diffuse but relatively low-concentration plume. Long-term data (2010–2022) suggest that phaseout and regulatory measures have been effective, as PFOS concentrations nearby the fluorochemical plant in soil and eggs have declined from 25.8 to 2.86 ng/g dw and from 528 to 39.4 ng/g ww, respectively. However, PFOS and PFOA concentrations have remained largely stable within this timeframe in gardens remotely from the plant site, warranting further rapid regulation and remediation measures. Future monitoring efforts are needed to allow long-term comparison for multiple PFAS and better distinction from potential confounding variables, such as variable emission outputs and variability in wind patterns.

Habitat is more important than climate for structuring soil fungal communities associated in truffle sites

The ectomycorrhizal fungi Tuber melanosporum Vittad. and Tuber aestivum Vittad. produce highly valuable truffles, but little is known about the soil fungal communities associated with these truffle species in places where they co-occur. Here, we compared soil fungal communities present in wild and planted truffle sites, in which T. melanosporum and T. aestivum coexist, in Mediterranean and temperate regions over three sampling seasons spanning from 2018 to 2019. We showed that soil fungal community composition and ectomycorrhizal species composition are driven by habitat type rather than climate regions. Also, we observed the influence of soil pH, organic matter content and C:N ratio structuring total and ectomycorrhizal fungal assemblages. Soil fungal communities in wild sites revealed more compositional variability than those of plantations. Greater soil fungal diversity was found in temperate compared to Mediterranean sites when considering all fungal guilds. Ectomycorrhizal diversity was significantly higher in wild sites compared to plantations. Greater mould abundance at wild sites than those on plantation was observed while tree species and seasonal effects were not significant predictors in fungal community structure. Our results suggested a strong influence of both ecosystem age and management on the fungal taxa composition in truffle habitats.

Construction of an effective method combining in situ capping with electric field-enhanced biodegradation for treating PAH-contaminated soil at abandoned coking sites

The simultaneous application of in situ capping and electro-enhanced biodegradation may be a suitable method for ensuring the feasibility and safety of reusing abandoned coking sites. However, the capping layer type and applied electric field pattern may affect the efficiency of sequestering and removing pollutants. This study investigated changes in electric current, soil moisture content and pH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration, bacterial number, and microbial community structure and metabolic function during soil remediation at abandoned coking plant sites under different applied electric field patterns and barrier types. The results indicated that polarity-reversal electric field was more conducive to maintaining electric current, soil properties, resulting in higher microbial number, community diversity, and functional gene abundance. At 21d, the mean PAH concentrations in contaminated soil, the capping layer's clean soil and barrier were 78.79, 7.56, and 1.57 mg kg−1 lower than those with a unidirectional electric field, respectively. The mean degradation rate of PAHs in the bio-barrier was 10.12 % higher than that in the C-Fe barrier. In the experiment combining a polarity-reversal electric field and a bio-barrier, the mean PAH concentrations in contaminated soil and the capping layer were 706.68 and 27.15 mg kg−1 lower than those in other experiments, respectively, and no PAHs were detected in the clean soil, demonstrating that the combination of the polarity-reversal electric field and the bio-barrier was effective in treating soil at abandoned coking plant sites. The established method of combining in situ capping with electro-enhanced biodegradation will provide technical support for the treatment and reuse of heavily PAH-contaminated soil at abandoned coking plant sites.

Bayesian update of fragility curves for equipment failure probability in seismic probabilistic safety assessment in nuclear power plant

The assessment of equipment failure probability during seismic probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) is a crucial and fundamental component in nuclear power plant seismic PSA. A Monte Carlo program must be formulated to compute the equipment failure probability and uncertainty analysis in seismic PSA. A numerical calculation method is employed for the integration calculation to obtain the conditional failure probability and the uncertainty distribution for each equipment. The fragility parameters of the equipment and the hazard data of the plant site serve as the input parameters for the failure probability of equipment in seismic PSA. In this study, the probability of occurrence of the minimal cut set in equipment failure under earthquake conditions is calculated using the Monte Carlo sampling method, and the uncertainty distribution for each peak ground acceleration interval is presented. Furthermore, we have updated the fragility parameters of the equipment through the utilization of the Bayesian approach. Based on the updated fragility curves, we have recalculated the failure probability of the equipment and compared it with the results before the update.

Derivation of human health and odor risk control values for soil ammonia nitrogen by incorporating solid-liquid partitioning, ammonium/ammonia equilibrium: A case study of a retired nitrogen fertilizer site in China

Nitrogen fertilizer supports agricultural intensification, but its manufacturing results in substantial contaminated sites. Ammonia nitrogen is the main specific pollutant in retired nitrogen fertilizer sites with potential human health and odor risks. However, few studies focus on ammonia nitrogen risk assessment at contaminated sites, particularly considering its solid-liquid partitioning process (Kd) and ammonium/ammonia equilibrium process (R) in the soil. This study took a closed nitrogen fertilizer factory site as an example and innovatively introduced Kd and R to scientifically assess the human health and odor risk of ammonia nitrogen. The risk control values (RCVs) of ammonia nitrogen based on human health and odor risk were also derived. The maximum concentration of ammonia nitrogen was 3380 mg/kg in the unsaturated soil, which was acceptable for human health because the health RCVs were 5589 ∼ 137,471 mg/kg in various scenarios. However, odor risk was unacceptable for RCVs were 296 ∼ 1111 mg/kg under excavation scenarios and 1118 ∼ 35,979 mg/kg under non-excavation scenarios. Of particular concern, introducing Kd and R in calculation increased the human health and odor RCVs by up to 27.92 times. Despite the advancements in ammonia risk assessment due to the introduction of Kd and R, odor risk during excavation remains a vital issue. These findings inform a more scientific assessment of soil ammonia risk at contaminated sites and provide valuable insights for the management and redevelopment of abandoned nitrogen fertilizer plant sites.

Comparison of Results from Two Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods for Solar Photovoltaic Plant Site Location: Case Study Rio De Janeiro

Photovoltaic (PV) energy has become a low-cost, renewable, and environmentally friendly alternative to meet increasing energy demand. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of projects in this field in Brazil. Therefore, this study compares the results of two studies on the optimal site selection of PV in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. These studies used different methodologies to reach the conclusions and the resulting map. First, the final map of both studies was divided into a grid, and then the results of each cell were weighted for PV site selection. To compare the results using the maps, an intersection of the 10% of the grid cells with the best results from each study was formed. The results showed an 83% similarity between the different Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods. The other part of the comparison focused on the following rank similarity coefficients: Spearman Correlation Coefficient, WS Coefficient, Spearman Weighted Correlation Coefficient, and Blest Correlation Coefficient. All these coefficients had values greater than 0.9, indicating a high degree of correlation between the results of the studies. Therefore, the two studies have a high degree of similarity and a high potential for installing photovoltaic solar power plants in Rio de Janeiro, especially in its intersection zones.