Sampling Sites Research Articles

Pesticide residues in three fishing sites in Burkina Faso.

Pesticides control pests and diseases in crops in order to enhance agricultural productivity; however, they are responsible for damaging aquatic resources. This study aimed to assess pesticide residues in aquatic ecosystems in Burkina Faso. Data were collected in two sampling sites: Bama and Banzon. Thus, in each sampling site, 35 producers were randomly chosen and surveys about pesticide use in the area were performed by distributing questionnaires to each chosen producer in Bama and Banzon. Fifteen (15) water samples were also collected from Bama Pond, Banzon, and the river of Deux Balé. The QuEChERS method was used to evaluate pesticide residue levels in water samples. The results indicated the existence of three classes of pesticides at varying rates: herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides were found to be used by 100%, 100%, and 71.42% of respondents, respectively. Water analysis revealed that the most commonly encountered insecticide was monocrotophos at concentrations of 0.188µg/l, 0.077µg/l, and 0.048µg/l at Banzon, Bama, and Parc of Deux Balé sites, respectively. The highest herbicide level detected in water samples was metazachlor at concentrations of 0.099µg/l, 0.068µg/l, and 0.060µg/l in Parc of Deux Balé, Bama, and Banzon, respectively. The fungicide propiconazole had the highest level detected in water at concentrations of 1.011µg/l, 0.902µg/l, and 0.622µg/l in Bama, Parc of Deux Balé, and Banzon, respectively. These results indicate that the pesticide residue content in water exceeded the maximum residue limit defined by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius.

Effects of Trophic State on the Composition and Distribution of Bacteria in the Surface Sediments of Lake Taihu

ABSTRACT1. The trophic state of water significantly affects the structure of bacterial communities in sediments. The direct and indirect impacts of trophic state, along with trophic‐induced changes in the properties of organic matter, on the composition and distribution of bacteria in sediments, remain largely unknown.2. We collected surface sediments from 21 sites across five areas of Lake Taihu, the third largest freshwater lake in China. These sites represented a range of trophic states from mesotrophic to moderately eutrophic. We investigated how trophic state influences bacterial composition and distribution in the surface sediments of Lake Taihu.3. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla identified in the DNA sequences of surface sediments from the sampling sites in Lake Taihu, regardless of the water trophic state. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in the surface sediments increased with trophic level index (TLI) of the water column. In contrast, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria and Fibrinobacteria decreased with increasing TLI. The α‐biodiversity of the sediment bacterial community in Lake Taihu did not vary significantly among different water trophic states. However, surface sediments from sites with varied trophic states exhibited different groups of bacteria that were either specifically present or in higher relative abundance.4. Several factors influenced the sediment bacterial communities in Lake Taihu, including sediment total nitrogen, sediment total phosphorus, sediment organic carbon, δ13C and trophic state. However, the primary influencing factors varied between sites and trophic states. For mesotrophic states, sediment organic carbon was the most important factor, while for moderately eutrophic states, trophic state was the most significant factor.5. Our findings provide evidence for both the direct and indirect influences of water trophic state on the composition and distribution of bacteria in sediments.

1,2-DCA biodegradation potential of an aquifer assessed in situ and in aerobic and anaerobic microcosms

Background1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) biodegradation can occur through aerobic or anaerobic pathways that can be exploited in bioremediation strategies. Bioremediation interventions are site specific and generally based on anaerobic pathways, nevertheless expanding knowledge on proper conditions favoring the biodegradation and especially on 1,2-DCA degrading microorganisms is crucial. In this work the intrinsic biodegradation potential of an aquifer impacted by Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons (mainly 1,2-DCA) was evaluated by characterizing the aquifer microbiome across space and time and by setting up biostimulation treatments in microcosms under different aerobic and anaerobic conditions, in parallel.ResultsThe microbial profiling of the aquifer revealed noticeable alpha and beta diversity across the sampling sites within the aquifer and strong fluctuations over time. Surprisingly both the anaerobic and aerobic biostimulation treatments led to the successful removal of 1,2-DCA in microcosms, the enrichment of known 1,2-DCA degraders and the detection of reductive or hydrolytic dehalogenases. Ancylobacter and Starkeya were enriched in aerobic microcosms. Desulfovibrio and Desulfuromonas, known as perchloroethylene degraders, were enriched in anaerobic microcosms, suggesting they could be yet unknown 1,2-DCA respirers.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate the occurrence of both aerobic and anaerobic bioremediation potential in the aquifer despite its negative redox potential. Due to the feasibility of direct oxidation with oxygen insufflation, we propose that an enhanced bioremediation strategy based on direct oxidation of 1,2-DCA could be applied to the contaminated aquifer as an ecofriendly, efficient and cost-effective approach as an alternative to anaerobic biodegradation.

A Study of the Effects of Wetland Degradation on Soil-Microbial-Extracellular Enzyme Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus and Their Ecological Stoichiometry

Due to the unique geographic location of A’er Xiang, there is a natural landscape where sandy land and lake-marsh wetlands coexist. However, the wetland degradation caused by the disturbance of anthropogenic activities has led to the change in land use. In this study, the spatial-temporal substitution method was used to select five sample plots: the original wetland converted to forest land for reuse area of five years and ten years; the original wetland converted to cropland for reuse area of five years and ten years; and the native wetland. It aims to investigate the variations in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus and their stoichiometric characteristics of soil-microorganisms-extracellular enzymes before and after reuse, and to analyze potential interactions among these elements. The results indicated that following wetlands degradation, changes in land use for five years did not significantly affect the content of soil organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), or total phosphorus (TP). However, after ten years, both TOC and TN, except for TP, decreased significantly. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) contents in cropland were consistently higher than those in WL, showing a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with longer conversion periods. In contrast, forest land values were lower than in WL and increased as the conversion period lengthened. The microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) content was ranked across the five sample sites as follows: 10 CL > 5 CL > 5 FL > 10 FL > WL. β-1,4-glucosidase (BG) activity was significantly increased after conversion to forest land and significantly decreased after conversion to cropland. β-1,4-N-glucosidase (NAG) and L-leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activities were ranked as follows among the five sites: 5 FL > WL > 5 CL > 10 FL > 10 CL. Phosphatase (PHOS) activity showed no significant changes post-conversion, though it was consistently lower compared to WL.

Health‐Risk Assessment of Groundwater Arsenic Levels in Bhagalpur, India, and Development of a Cost‐Effective Paper‐Based Arsenic Testing‐Kit

ABSTRACTArsenic is considered one of the most hazardous trace metals in groundwater researched to date because of the hazardous impacts like cancer, skin irritation, and other skin‐related diseases. The present study involved collecting 60 water samples from Bhagalpur district, Bihar, India, to estimate the arsenic concentration. The human health risk assessment of the samples concerning children and adults was also performed, and the maximum concentration of arsenic was found to be relatively high in some sample sites. Prolonged exposure to arsenic could be fatal to the local population. The current study also focuses on developing a low‐cost paper‐based arsenic detection kit. The paper‐based test kit was tested for parameters like color development for different forms and concentrations of arsenic, storage conditions for the test strips, the effect of different interfering agents on color development, and optimization of the AgNO3 solution. The cost analysis was carried out, and it was found that the kit would cost 0.046 USD per sample, which is 70–100 times lower than the cost of current methods.

Optimising Sampling Design for Landscape Genomics.

Landscape genomic approaches for detecting genotype-environment associations (GEA), isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by environment (IBE) have seen a dramatic increase in use, but there have been few thorough analyses of the influence of sampling strategy on their performance under realistic genomic and environmental conditions. We simulated 24,000 datasets across a range of scenarios with complex population dynamics and realistic landscape structure to evaluate the effects of the spatial distribution and number of samples on common landscape genomics methods. Our results show that common analyses are relatively robust to sampling scheme as long as sampling covers enough environmental and geographic space. We found that for detecting adaptive loci and estimating IBE, sampling schemes that were explicitly designed to increase coverage of available environmental space matched or outperformed sampling schemes that only considered geographic space. When sampling does not cover adequate geographic and environmental space, such as with transect-based sampling, we detected fewer adaptive loci and had higher error when estimating IBD and IBE. We found that IBD could be detected with as few as nine sampling sites, while large sample sizes (e.g., greater than 100 individuals) were crucial for detecting adaptive loci and IBE. We also demonstrate that, even with optimal sampling strategies, landscape genomic analyses are highly sensitive to landscape structure and migration-when spatial autocorrelation and migration are weak, common GEA methods fail to detect adaptive loci.

An Inventory of Bats (Chiroptera) in Mount Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon, Philippines Conducted Between 2013 and 2023

Bats play a crucial role in the ecosystem. However, their richness and abundance is declining, especially in tropical countries like the Philippines. This study was conducted to monitor and compare the species richness, abundance and status of bats in Mount Musuan, Maramag Bukidnon over 3 sampling periods between 2013 and 2023. Three sampling sites were established in the study area. Only the mist netting strategy was applied to capture bats, which were identified through morphometric measurements and field guide. The IUCN Red List was referred to determine the conservation statuses of the recorded bats. A total of 11 species belonging to 4 families were recorded: Megadermatidae, Pteropodidae, Rhinolophidae and Vespertillionidae. The highest number of individuals captured were Ptenochirus jagori (186), Cynopterus brachyotis (113) and Miniopterus schreibersi (53). Of the bats collected, 82% (9) were classified as Least Concern, 9% (1) as Endangered and 9% (1) as Near Threatened. Out of 11 species, 7 (64%) species were Philippine endemic species. This study contributes important information to the existing knowledge of bats in the region, highlighting their abundance and significance in local wildlife. The results can be used to inform conservation strategies of these species.

Composition and dynamics of macroinvertebrates community in relation to physicochemical parameters of hydrogeologically connected wetlands in Abbay River basin, Ethiopia.

Assessing the macroinvertebrate assemblage in relation to physicochemical parameters can provide insight into the ecological state of aquatic environments. Therefore, this study aimed to assess macroinvertebrate assemblage of hydrogeologically connected wetlands in relation to physicochemical water quality parameters. Data were collected between June 2022 and April 2023 from twelve purposively selected sampling sites following established procedures. A total of 1,211 macroinvertebrates were collected from 18 orders and 44 families. The majority (72.83%) are generally pollution-tolerant families of the order Hemiptera, Odonata, Coleoptera and Diptera. There was significant spatio-temporal variation (P < 0.05, One-way ANOVA) in total macroinvertebrate abundance and bioindices. There were more individual macroinvertebrates collected during the dry season. The CCA and correlation analysis indicated that the physicochemical parameters had an effect on the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates. The size of the wetlands andthe intensity of anthropogenic interventionmight also result difference in macroinvertebrate abundance across the wetlands. The higher nutrient concentrations, the low DO level, the higher abundance of tolerant taxa and the medium Shannon_Hvalue (range: 2.13 to 2.68) all indicate the wetlands' poor ecological status. Therefore, regular water quality monitoring, identification of the macroinvertebrate at the lower taxonomic level and the development of macroinvertebratebased multimetric indices are recommended for their sustainable management.

Invisible Hand of Sampling for Management: Underlying Needs to Survey a Threatened Seabird Can Bias Aggregated Data

ABSTRACTAimSurveying for a species of concern ahead of proposed activities that alter its habitat is routine practice in conservation and management. Such surveys may accumulate large datasets that could further elucidate trends in abundance and distribution. However, the as‐needed surveying of proposed activities may impart a sample site selection bias on the data if used for another purpose. Management of a threatened, forest‐nesting seabird offered an example of this. Here we assessed how resource management planning and survey requirements can bias clearance monitoring survey data collected prior to proposed timber harvests, if those data are used for other purposes.LocationOregon and Washington, USA.TaxonMarbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus).MethodsTo assess how timber planning and other factors influenced marbled murrelet survey location selection, we used logistic regression models to examine habitat associations of marbled murrelet survey sites (n = 9178) encompassing proposed timber harvests, and the survey stations (n = 38,923) therein, across the murrelet's inland range in Washington and Oregon, USA between 1989 and 2021. We then simulated the effect this selective sampling might have on assessments of occupancy trends.ResultsMost habitat characteristics considered did influence where surveys were located, with distance to roads often being the strongest predictor of survey location. The strength of selection for each covariate changed over time, such that a habitat characteristic strongly influenced location selection in a year but was less influential in another year. The simulation analysis suggested that the non‐random selection of survey sites could profoundly bias assessments of occupancy trends.ConclusionsWhen using these clearance monitoring survey data– or any data–beyond their original purpose, careful consideration should be given to the scope of inference provided and analytical methods used, to ensure that observed trends are the product of biological processes and not biased by sampling artefacts.

Schistosomiasis transmission: A machine learning analysis reveals the importance of agrochemicals on snail abundance in Rwanda.

Schistosomiasis is an important snail-borne parasitic disease whose transmission is exacerbated by water resource management activities. In Rwanda, meeting the growing population's demand for food has led to wetlands reclamation for cultivation and increased agrochemical enrichment for crop production. However, the ecological consequences of agrochemical enrichment on schistosomiasis transmission remain unexplored. A malacological survey was conducted in 71 villages selected from 15 schistosomiasis endemic districts. Snail sampling was done in wetlands used for agriculture, along lake Kivu and at constructed multipurpose water dams. Water physico-chemical parameters were collected at all snail sampling sites. Analysis of collected data was performed using Xgboost (gain) and Random Forest (mean decrease in accuracy), machine learning techniques, to construct models that evaluate and categorize the importance of all physico-chemical properties on the presence and abundance of intermediate host snails (IHS). Different sets of parameters were relevant for the presence and abundance of Biomphalaria spp. and/or Bulinus spp. snails. Electrical conductivity, elevation, magnesium and lead content were deemed to shape the presence and abundance of Bulinus spp. snails. The impact of phosphate ion concentration, ammonia ions, total nitrogen and total organic carbon levels mirrored their importance towards the presence and abundance of Biomphalaria spp. Factors such as pH, electric conductivity, total nitrogen content and total organic carbon influenced the coexistence of both species. Our study highlights the value of integrating a wide range of predictor variables, enabling effective variable selection to uncover important predictors of snail distribution. The results suggest that agrochemical compounds can enhance the abundance of IHS leading to an increased risk of Schistosoma transmission. Snail surveillance could therefore be integrated into agricultural expansion projects in our match towards schistosomiasis elimination. Recognizing the impact of agrochemicals on IHS is crucial for minimizing schistosomiasis transmission among those working in wetlands while meeting the growing need for food.

Distribution, Accumulation Characteristics, and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Vegetable Soils of Different Planting Years

To ascertain the influence of prolonged planting on the distribution and accumulation of heavy metals in protected vegetable soil, samples from typical vegetable planting areas in Shenyang were gathered to evaluate the distribution features of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in such soil. The Hakanson index, heavy metal risk assessment standard, and secondary phase to primary ratio methods were employed to evaluate the ecological hazard of soil in the research area, while the human health risk model was utilized to evaluate the health of inhabitants. The findings indicated that：① The amount of heavy metals Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cd in the topsoil （0~20 cm） of protected vegetable land in the study region decreased successively, and the content of heavy metals in the topsoil increased with the extension of planting years, of which Cd, Zn, and Cu increased most obviously, with maximum increases of 219%, 189%, and 134%, respectively. ② Heavy metals Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb were mainly in the residual state, whereas Cd was mainly in the weak acidic state, with a maximum proportion of 53%. ③ The potential ecological risk index of Cd in the topsoil of the study area was 95.77, showing a medium ecological risk； however, the comprehensive potential ecological risk of the six heavy metals was not high. ④ The HI values of the six heavy metals in the study area were less than 1 and the risk of non-carcinogenesis was negligible； however, the carcinogenic risk of heavy metals in some sampling sites should not be ignored.

Pollution Characteristics and Ecological Risks of Fluorescent Whitening Agents in Surface Water of Hutuo River Basin

Fluorescent whitening agents （FWAs） are chemical additives that exhibit remarkable whitening effects and have been widely used in the production of detergents, paper, textiles, plastics, and coatings. The production and use of FWAs spans more than 60 years in China； however, the occurrence characteristics of FWAs in environmental water remain unknown. Therefore, a solid phase extraction-ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS） method for the trace determination of 11 non-ionic FWAs in surface water was developed. On this basis, the occurrence characteristics and potential ecological risks of these 11 non-ionic FWAs in the Shijiazhuang section of Hutuo River Basin were revealed. The results demonstrated good linear relationships between concentrations ranging from 0.10 ng·L-1 to 50.00 ng·L-1, with correlation coefficients （R2） exceeding 0.99 for all 11 FWAs tested. The limits of detection （LODs） ranged from 0.008 ng·L-1 to 1.00 ng·L-1, while the limits of quantification （LOQs） ranged from 0.01 ng·L-1 to 5.00 ng·L-1. The recoveries were within the range of 55.1%-105.0%, with intra-day relative standard deviations （RSDs） and inter-day RSDs ranging from 1.3%-16.1% and from 1.5%-16.8%, respectively. The concentrations were observed to be at ng·L-1 levels in Hutuo River, with total FWA concentrations reaching up to 182.25 ng·L-1. The concentration of FWAs showed the spatial distribution pattern of water source protection zone&gt;exploitation and utilization zone&gt;reservation zone&gt;buffer zone； especially in 7A, the highest FWAs concentrations were at 35.92 ng·L-1. FWA199 and OB-2 were classified as medium-to-high risk level substances based on their ecological risk quotient values （RQs）, and RQsum &gt; l were obtained from all samples indicating potential risks posed by these FWAs at each sampling site.

Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Ecological Risks of Typical Drugs in the Yongjiang River Basin

In recent years, due to large-scale production and widespread use, drugs have posed a potential threat to biological and human health and have received increasing attention. The occurrence and distribution of drugs in urban rivers are influenced by various factors, such as urbanization level, population density, regional geographical and climatic characteristics, and drug consumption habits. In October 2022, the Yongjiang River Basin was divided into four sub-basins： upstream, midstream, tributaries, and downstream. A total of 20 surface water and sediment samples were collected to explore the occurrence, spatial distribution, and ecological risks of drugs in water and sediment. Among the 40 target drugs, 22 drugs were detected in water samples, accounting for 55% of the target drugs, with a maximum concentration of 207.25 ng·L-1, and 12 drugs were detected in sediment, accounting for 30% of the target drug, with a maximum concentration of 153.63 μg·kg-1. The dominant species in water samples were metabolic drugs. In sediment, the dominant species in the upstream and midstream were quinolone antibiotics, while the dominant species in the tributaries and downstream were cardiovascular drugs. Nine drugs were detected in both water and sediment, with an apparent distribution coefficient Kd value of 5.0-385 029 L·kg-1. According to the average lgKoc value, the order from highest to lowest was： sertraline hydrochloride &gt; ofloxacin &gt; clarithromycin &gt; D,L-venlafaxine &gt; roxithromycin &gt; sulfamethoxazole &gt; fluoxetine &gt; metoprolol &gt; carbamazepine. Principal component analysis was used to analyze the source of drugs in water and four principal components explained 76.24% of the variation, corresponding to a source of medical wastewater, a mixed source of domestic wastewater and aquaculture wastewater, an untreated source of rural domestic wastewater, and an agricultural non-point source. Principal component analysis coupled multiple linear regression analysis well predicted the total concentration of drugs in 20 water samples （R2 = 0.868）. Three drugs were present in the water sample that posed ecological risks, with risk quotients in the order of 1,7-dimethylxanthine &gt; dehydrated erythromycin &gt; carbamazepine, whereas only carbamazepine in sediment posed ecological risks. The cumulative risk quotient of multiple drugs in the water at 20 sampling sites was 1.22-16.27, all of which belonged to high risk, while the cumulative risk quotient of multiple drugs in sediment was 0.009~0.064, with no risk at site S11 and low risk at all other sites. The research results can be used to analyze the distribution mechanism of drugs between water and sediment, providing a technical basis for the prevention and control of drug pollution and environmental risks in urban rivers.

Soil Fertility and Influencing Factors of Cultivated Land Based on the Geodetector

Taihe County in Jiangxi Province was chosen as the study area to analyze the soil fertility condition and affecting elements of cultivation at the county level. Classical statistics, geostatistics, and geodetector were utilized to examine soil fertility quality and investigate its primary affecting aspects based on experimental data from 206 cultivated soil samples. The results showed that： ① Taihe County had an average soil pH of 4.87, indicating slightly acidic soil. A total of 97.39% of the sample sites had CEC contents of four and five levels, and the EC content levels were concentrated in the second level, 63.48% of the SOC contents were in the medium levels, 73.92% of the TN contents were higher than 1.5 g·kg-1, 72.17% of the TP contents were lower than 0.6 g·kg-1, and the AP contents were in the high level, greater than 20 mg·kg-1, accounting for 86.09% of the sample sites. The soil fertility in the research area was poor, and the soil was of light and medium salinization, lacking organic matter and total phosphorus. The lump gold effect values of pH, EC, AP, SOC, TN, and TP were 0.17, 0.21, 0.18, 0.52, 0.45, and 0.59, respectively. The spatial correlation between soil pH, EC, and AP was strong, while soil SOC, TN, and TP had a moderate degree of spatial correlation. The spatial variation of soil fertility in Taihe County was influenced by both structural factors （topography, climate, and soil type） and random factors （fertilization, cultivation methods, soil pollution, etc.）. ② The results of the weight coefficients of farmland soil fertility were TN （0.210）, SOC （0.195）, EC （0.190）, CEC （0.171）, TP （0.170）, AP （0.117）, and pH （-0.053）. Soil TN, SOC, and EC were key indicators that affected farmland soil fertility in the study area. The comprehensive score grading of soil fertility quality showed that most of the soil fertility quality in the study area was level three, and the soil fertility in Shangmo Township was relatively fertile. The soil fertility quality level was Level 2 and Level 3. The soil fertility in Yanxi Town and Wanhe Town was relatively poor, and the soil fertility quality level was Level 3 and Level 4. ③ X54, X31, X32, X21, and X14 were the main driving factors affecting farmland soil fertility. The explanatory power of each factor interaction was greater than that of single factor interactions, manifested in two types： double factor enhancement and nonlinear synergistic effect. The soil fertility of farmland was the result of the joint action of multiple influencing factors. The results of the research revealed the status quo and spatial distribution characteristics of soil fertility in the study area, investigated the factors influencing soil fertility in farmland, and analyzed the foundation for improving the intrinsic quality and output capacity of cultivable land and the ecological environment of agriculture.

Physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters of soil under different tillage types.

Objective: To determine the effect on the chemical, physical and biological properties of soils under minimum tillage and conservation tillage in different locations in Sinaloa. Design/methodology/approach: The treatments were evaluated using a completely randomized experimental design, with a total of eight treatments or sampling sites, where five samples per site were collected at a depth of 30 cm. A total of 40 samples were obtained, which were preserved in a thermal box and were transferred to the microbiology laboratory of the Faculty of Agronomy (UAS). The variables evaluated included the quantification of bacteria on plates, where the number of total bacterial colonies (TB), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NF) and indole-promoting bacteria (IPB) were determined. In addition, organic matter, electrical conductivity and pH were determined. Results: Soils under minimum tillage modality significantly promoted higher percentage of organic matter, a greater number of bacterial colonies and higher electrical conductivity compared to soils with conventional tillage modality. Limitations on study/implications: Findings/conclusions: Agricultural tillage intervenes in the physical, chemical and microbiological properties of soils, as the sampling sites where minimum tillage is practiced show a higher concentration of organic matter and therefore leads to greater microbiology and electrical conductivity in those evaluated soils.

Heavy Metals and Associated Risks of Wild Edible Mushrooms Consumption: Transfer Factor, Carcinogenic Risk, and Health Risk Index

This research aims to investigate the heavy metals (i.e., Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb) in the fruiting bodies of six indigenous wild edible mushrooms including Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus campestris, Armillaria mellea, Boletus edulis, Macrolepiota excoriate, and Macrolepiota procera, correlated with various factors, such as the growth substrate, the sampling site, the species and the morphological part (i.e., cap and stipe), and their possible toxicological implications. Heavy metal concentrations in mushroom (228 samples) and soil (114 samples) were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma—Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). In the first part of the study, the soil contamination (index of geo-accumulation, contamination factor, and pollution loading index) and associated risks (chronic daily dose for three exposure pathways—ingestion, dermal, and inhalation; hazard quotient of non-cancer risks and the carcinogenic risks) were calculated, while the phytoremediation capacity of the mushrooms was determined. At the end of these investigations, it was concluded that M. procera accumulates more Cd and Cr (32.528% and 57.906%, respectively), M. excoriata accumulates Cu (24.802%), B. edulis accumulates Ni (22.694%), and A. mellea accumulates Pb (18.574%), in relation to the underlying soils. There were statistically significant differences between the stipe and cap (i.e., in the cap subsamples of M. procera, the accumulation factor for Cd was five times higher than in the stipe subsamples). The daily intake of toxic metals related to the consumption of these mushrooms with negative consequences on human health, especially for children (1.5 times higher than for adults), was determined as well.

Hydrogeochemical Characteristics and Genesis of Hot Springs in Da Qaidam Area, Northern Qaidam Margin of the Qaidam Basin

Hydrogeochemical research on fluids is an effective method to understand the formation mechanism, occurrence environment, and circulation process of groundwater. The groundwater sampling sites are located in the town of Dachaidan on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, which was selected as the study object. Samples were collected from hot and cold springs and surface water in the area. This study is based on the analysis of water chemistry and isotopes, and aims (1) to discuss the chemical characteristics of groundwater in Da Qaidam, (2) to estimate the deep reservoir temperatures, recharge elevation and circulation depth of geothermal waters, and (3) to figure out the heat source beneath the geothermal area and its genetic mechanism. The result showed the following: The hydrochemical type of the hot spring is Cl·SO4-Na and Cl-Na, and the hydrochemical type of cold spring is SO4·HCO3-Na·Ca and Cl·HCO3·SO4-Ca·Na. The main source of groundwater recharge is snow and ice melt water. The recharge elevation ranges from 4666.8 m to 5755.9 m. The geothermal reservoir temperature is about 119.15–126.6 °C. Ice and snow melt water infiltrate into the high mountainous areas on the north side of Da Qaidam and circulate underground through the developed deep and large fractures. Part of the groundwater migrates upwards under the water conduction of the Da Qaidam fault fracture zone to form cold springs, while another part is heated by deep circulation and exposed to the surface in the form of medium to low temperature tectonic hot springs. The research results can provide a scientific basis for geothermal resource exploitation and utilization in Qinghai Province.

The Evaluation of heavy metal contamination in soil samples in the region of Mitrovica

The industry is crucial for the economic development of the country, but at the same time, it is one of the biggest influences on the environment. The Mitrovica region faces numerous environmental problems due to the mining-industrial processes applied in the facilities of the industrial complex "Trepça". As a result of these processes, industrial waste with a toxic composition is created, which is considered a potential polluter of soil, air, water, and vegetation in this area. The study aims to determine the concentration of heavy metals including Pb, As, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Cd, and Cu in soil samples. Also, the level of soil pollution with heavy metals was examined, using pollution indicators, such as contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (Cd), modified degree of contamination (mCd), pollution load index (PLI), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo). To carry out this research, we selected 6 sampling sites in the period May - August 2024, which were characterized and evaluated as the most critical points. The concentration of heavy metals in soil samples was determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES Optima 2100 DV, Perkin-Elmer) by standard method US EPA 6010C. From the obtained results it was found that the level of heavy metals analyzed in this work, respectively the level of zinc (197.84 - 3456.14 mgkg-1), lead (204.75 - 3458.16 mgkg-1), and arsenic (30.76 – 634.56 mgkg-1) is relatively high and exceeds the allowed values ​​recommended by Kosovo and European Legislation.

Effect of spatial differentiation of plant communities on PM2.5 and O3 in urban green spaces in Beijing, China

Urban green space can improve the air quality of urban human settlements. This study aimed to investigate the spatial differences of air quality among the different plant community structures and types of urban park green spaces. We select 17 sample sites in Beijing Olympic Forest Park, and they are located in different areas of plant community structures and types. The study entailed an analysis of the interrelationships between the plant community structures, types, and PM2.5, O3, and PM2.5–O3 compound data. The results showed that PM2.5 was lower in tree-shrub-grass, tree-shrub, and tree-grass than in shrub-grass and grass plant community areas; PM2.5 was lower in evergreen coniferous, mixed coniferous and broadleaved, and deciduous broadleaved plant communities than that in grass or shrub ones. In different plant community structures, types areas, O3 was higher than 100 μg·m–3, and there were no significant differences among the plant community areas. The air quality index with PM2.5–O3 composite pollution value as the main parameter reached the level of “moderate pollution”, and the result that deserves further attention. The research results provide a basic scientific basis for the planning, design, and updating optimization of functional urban green spaces based on evidence-based design.

Application of multivariate statistical techniques in the assessment of long-term surface water quality in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam.

This study assessed the surface water quality in Dong Thap province during 2013-2023 using multivariate statistical techniques. Water quality index (WQI), Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA) were determined based on monitoring data for parameters. The findings showed that only some water samples had pH values below the permissible standard, while 95.5% of samples exceeded the standard of Escherichia coli in surface water. In some years, 100% samples having BOD5, TSS, NH4+, and E. coli exceeded the permissible limits. The PCA identified four, five, and seven major potential sources during 2013-2015, 2016-2020, and 2021-2023, respectively, explaining 75.9%, 63.0%, and 63.0% of variation in the corresponding duration times. For heavy metals, the number of water samples containing As, Cu, and Pb exceeding the water permissible limits were 15.5%, 21.4%, and 2.8% samples in 2021, respectively, but no heavy metal was above standard in 2022 and 2023. The evaluation of average water quality based on WQI showed that 79.31% and 76.19% of the sample sites were classified to be average during 2016-2020 and 2021-2023, respectively, and others were bad water quality. However, the water quality showed an improving trend with 70% of monitoring positions considered as good water quality in 2023. The results showed that anthropogenic activities and hydrological regime were the main source of pollution. This study provides guidance to policymakers in developing water management strategies to have proper actions to prevent water pollution.