Soil Samples Research Articles

Occurrence and distribution of Meloidogyne spp. in fields rotated with sweetpotato and host range of a North Carolina population of Meloidogyne enterolobii.

Root-knot nematodes (RKN, Meloidogyne spp.) are some of the most economically important and common plant parasitic nematodes in North Carolina (NC) cropping systems. Soil samples collected from fields planted with crops rotated with sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] in 39 NC counties in 2015-2018 were processed at the NC Nematode Assay Laboratory. The occurrence of second-stage juvenile (J2) RKN populations was examined based on collection year, month, county, and previous planted crop. The highest number of RKN positive samples originated from Cumberland (53%), Sampson (48%), and Johnston (48%) counties. The highest average RKN population density was detected in Sampson (147 J2/500 cm3 soil) and Nash (135 J2/500 cm3 soil) counties, while Wayne (7 J2/500 cm3 soil) and Greene (11 J2/500 cm3 soil) counties had the lowest average RKN population density. Meloidogyne enterolobii is a new invasive species that is impacting sweetpotato growers of NC. The host status of a NC population of M. enterolobii, the guava-root knot nematode, was determined by examining eggs per gram of fresh root (ER) and the final nematode egg population divided by the initial population egg count (reproductive factor, RF) in greenhouse experiments. This included eighteen vegetable, field, cover crops and weed species. The tomato 'Rutgers' was used as a susceptible control. Cabbage 'Stonehead', pepper 'Red bull', and watermelon 'Charleston gray' and 'Fascination' were hosts and had similar mean ER values to the positive control, ranging from 64 to 18,717. Among field crops, cotton, soybean 'P5018RX', and tobacco were hosts with ER values that ranged from 185 to 706. Members of the Poaceae family such as sweet corn (Zea mays) and sudangrass (Sorghum x drummondii) were non-hosts to M. enterolobii and the mean ER values ranged from 1.85 to 7. The peanut 'Tifguard' and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) also had lower ER values than the vegetable hosts. Growers should consider planting less susceptible or non-hosts such as peanut, sudangrass, sweet corn, and winter wheat in 2-3 year crop rotations to lower populations of this invasive nematode.

MINE SLOPE DESIGN SIMULATIONS USING SLIDE 6.0 SOFTWARE OF POST-MINING SLOPE STABILITY

Post-mining slopes are susceptible to landslides due to factors such as slope geometry, rock structure, physical and mechanical properties of rocks, and groundwater content. Monitoring of these slopes is essential to prevent broader environmental issues. This research aims to determine the stability of former mining slopes using soil samples from the Mataraman District, Banjar Regency. The technical analysis method focuses on the physical and mechanical properties of soil, supplemented with mine slope design simulations using Slide 6,0 software to ascertain the safety factors from various slope angles. Safety factor analysis considers the smallest cohesion and bulk density values to represent the material strength of the slope. Findings indicate that the post-mining slopes would remain stable and safe provided no additional destabilizing factors are introduced. The slopes maintain a safety factor greater than 2, implying stability even with a steepness up to 70°. Keywords: mining slope stability, safety factor

Biotransformation of aflatoxin B1 by a novel strain Brevundimonas sp. LF-1

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent mycotoxin and a common source of food and feed contamination, posing risks to both human and animal health. The biotransformation of AFB1 has been proven to be a promising approach to control AFB1 contamination. In this study, Brevundimonas sp. LF-1 capable of degrading AFB1 was isolated from a corn-planted soil sample. Strain LF-1 could degrade 86.90% of 2 mg L−1 AFB1 after incubation in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium at 30 °C for 72 h and exhibited high performance when exposed to up to 10.0 mg L−1 AFB1. The optimum pH and temperature were 7.0–10.0 and 30 °C, respectively. The results of the in vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that the degradation products had considerably (p < 0.05) less harmful effects than the parent AFB1. Additionally, strain LF-1 possessed the bioremediation potential of AFB1 contamination for biocontrol strategies in animal fodder. Two putative novel AFB1-degrading enzymes, peroxiredoxin 1 and peroxiredoxin 2, were identified in the genome of strain LF-1. Comparative genomics indicated that the peroxiredoxin enzyme was widely distributed in the genus Brevundimonas. The comprehensive examination of strain LF-1 has outstanding potential for the development of detoxifying agents for AFB1 in the food and feed industries.

Molecularly imprinted polymers using high-performance liquid chromatography to detect and determine ethion pesticide in apricot, grapes, strawberry and soil samples

ABSTRACT This paper demonstrates the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers-solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography method at room temperature using bulk polymerisation of ethion pesticide, by high sensitivity, low costs and high stability. By making MIP for ethion as ethion-MIP, which could be detected with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer at 276 nm, a functional monomer of acrylic acid with cross-linking ethylene glycol dimethyl acrylate. The high-performance liquid chromatography methods developed in this study are accurate, sensitive, and precise to apricot, grapes, strawberry and soil samples. The elution process to the template ethion from the ethion-MIP, caused by minimum volume using solution of 1.0 mL of methanol-acetic acid (9:1) was obtained. Different factors affecting the reaction were studied and optimised. The calibration plot is linear in the concentration range of (0.02 to 1.0 µg mL−1). The relative standard deviations of (±2.0%) and detection limit of the method are 0.02 µg mL−1, and the maximum imprinting factor of ethion-MIP was 6.8 mgg−1. The results obtained the evidence of efficiency and reliability of the method for the ethion pesticide analysis and estimation for the capacitance of molecular imprinted polymer, analytical technical method by molecularly imprinted polymer and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Evaluating and modeling the efficacy of Stipagrostis plumosa for the phytoremediation of petroleum compounds in crude oil-contaminated soil

ABSTRACT This study focused on using Stipagrostis plumosa for phytoremediation to eliminate total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and heavy metals (HMs) like cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) from oil-contaminated soil. Conducted over six months at a field-scale without artificial pollutants, soil samples were analyzed using gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GC‒MS) for TPHs and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‒OES) for HMs. Results after six months revealed that plots with plants had significantly higher average removal percentages for TPHs (61.45%), Cd (39.4%), Cr (46.1%), Pb (41.5%), and Ni (44.2%) compared to the control group (p <0.05). Increased microbial respiration and bacteria populations in planted plots indicated enhanced soil microbial growth. Kinetic rate models aligned well with the first-order kinetic rate model for all pollutants (R2 >0.9). Overall, the study demonstrates that S. plumosa can effectively reduce TPHs and HMs in oil-contaminated soil, making it a promising option for pollutant absorption.

Nutrients Status of Citrus Orchards of District Multan, Punjab, Pakistan

Citrus is important and leading fruit crops across Pakistan now facing the decline qualitatively and quantitatively which directly affecting the total production per unit area. The major reason for these changes seems to be improper fertilization of nutrients. In this regard, an experiment has been conducted on the citrus orchards of district Multan, to evaluate the present condition of nutrients in soil and citrus plants. The relationship between soil properties, available nutrients in soil, and plants were also investigated. In 24 orchards, the soil samples at three different soil depths (0-15cm, 15-30cm, 30-45 cm) with 4–6-month-old leaves of the plant were collected. In soils, the N (100%), P (50%), B (70.83%), Fe (16.67%) and Zn (33.33%) were deficient at upper soil layer (0-15cm). The deficiency of these nutrients decreases with increasing soil depth. The leaf analysis of citrus plants showed that there was a deficiency of N (70.83%), P (66.66%), K (12.5%), Zn (66.6%) and B (50%). Among soil properties, the pH is negatively and significantly related to N, P, Fe, and Mn, while CaCO3 and EC showed a negatively significant correlation to P and B respectively at upper soil layer. Organic matter was positive and significantly related to P and Cu at upper soil layer. The significant correlation between soil properties and nutrients decreases with increasing soil depth. The K and Fe in the soil are directly associated with increasing its contents in the leaf.

A novel easy-to-desorb eluant contributes to address environmental contamination of African swine fever virus

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly pathogenic and rapidly disseminated virus with strong viability in the environment, suggesting the importance of environmental detection for prevention and control in all the pig industry. However, the detection results of environmental swabs cannot always reflect the accurate status of viral pollution, leading to persistent ASFV environmental contamination. In this study, we developed an ASFV eluant with higher environmental ASFV detection efficiency relative to 0.85% saline solution, which obtains the patent certificate issued by the China Intellectual Property Office (patent number:202010976050.9). qPCR analysis showed that in the environmental swab samples, the number of viral copies was 100 times higher for the ASFV eluant treatment than the traditional eluant treatment (0.85% saline solution). And besides, the high sensitivity of the ASFV eluant had be verified in a slaughterhouse environmental sampling detection. In soil samples, the ASFV eluent showed the same extraction effect as the TIANamp Soil DNA Kit, in contrast to no extraction effect for 0.85% saline solution. Simultaneously, this eluent could protect ASFV from degradation and allow the transportation of samples at ambient temperature without refrigeration. In clinical practice, we monitored the environmental contamination condition of the ASFV in a large-scale pig farm. The results shown that the ASFV load decreased after every disinfection in environment. This study provides an effective solution for surveilling the potential threat of ASFV in environment.

Soil Chemical Properties and Nutrient Dynamics under Different Legume-based Agroforestry Systems in Semi-arid Conditions of Haryana

Background: In order to support livelihoods, enhance food security, restore ecosystem services, and reduce pressure on forests, soil fertility can be improved by utilizing alternative land-use systems, such as agroforestry. Methods: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of different agroforestry systems on soil chemical properties and nutrient availability (macro and micro) during different seasons in Hisar, Haryana. Different systems include Poplar (Populus deltoides), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Melia (Melia composita), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) based agroforestry system (Cowpea-Wheat) and sole cropping of Cowpea-Wheat (as control). Soil samples were collected from 0-15 and 15-30 cm of soil depth during five seasons i.e., winter, spring, summer, rainy and autumn. Result: Soil EC, SOC and available macronutrients and micronutrients were significantly affected by the depth of sampling, systems and seasons while soil pH was not significantly affected by seasons. Lower soil pH and EC was observed from agroforestry systems as compared to sole cropping. Soil Organic Carbon, availability of N, P, K and S was significantly higher under tree based systems as compared to control. Maximum DTPA extractable Mn, Zn and Cu was observed under poplar based system while highest DTPA extractable Fe was observed under Melia based system during both the years. Significantly higher SOC and nutrient availability was observed during autumn, rainy and spring seasons as compared to winter and summer seasons, while reverse trend was observed for soil pH and EC among the seasons. Soil Organic Carbon, availability of macro and micronutrients decreased with increase in soil depth. Overall, the soil chemical properties and nutrient status of soil were comparatively better under tree based systems than sole cropping of Cowpea-Wheat.

From field soil sampling to watershed model: Upscaling by integrating information entropy and interpolation method

Soil property data plays a crucial role in watershed hydrology and non-point source (H/NPS) modeling, but how to improve modeling accuracy with affordable soil samplings and the effects of sampling information on H/NPS modeling remains to be further explored. In this study, the number of sampling points and soil properties were optimized by the information entropy and the spatial interpolation method. Then the sampled properties were parameterized and the effects of different parameterization schemes on H/NPS modeling were tested using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The results indicated that the required sampling points increased successively for soil bulk density (SOL_BD), soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (SOL_K) and soil available water capacity (SOL_AWC). Compared to the traditional database (Harmonized world soil database), the NSE and R2 performance by new scheme increased by 22.8% and 10.5%, respectively. The entropy-based optimization reduced the sampling points by 13.2%, indicating a more cost-effective scheme. Compared to hydrological simulation, sampled properties showed greater effects on NPS modeling, especially for nitrogen. This proposed method/framework can be generalized to other watersheds by upscaling field soil sampling information to the watershed scale, thus improving H/NPS simulation.

Yield Maximization of Rice (Oryza sativa) through Integrated Nutrient Management

This experiment was conducted on a permanent layout at the west byde of BRRI farm, Gazipur during T. Aman 2019 to Boro 2021-22 to find out the suitable management practices for yield maximization of rice and soil health. Seven treatments in Randomized Complete Block (RCB) Design with three replications were imposed and each treatment was assigned in 5m × 4m sized plot. The treatments combinations were T1= Absolute Control (No nutrient supply), T2 = BRRI dose N-P-K-S@83-17-53-12 kg ha-1 in T. Aman and 138-21-75-21 kg ha-1 in Boro season, T3= Soil Test Based (STB) Fertilizer Dose N-P-K-S @ 67-10-40-10 kg ha-1 in T. Aman and 134-16-75-10 kg ha-1 in Boro, T4 = STB dose + 1 t ha-1 Cowdung, T5 = STB dose + 1 t ha-1 Poultry manure, T6 = STB dose + 1 t ha-1 Vermicompost and T7 = STB dose + 0.33 t ha-1 CD + 0.33 t ha-1 PM + 0.33 t ha-1 VC. Thirty-days old seedling of BRRI dhan87 in T. Aman and fourty-two days old seedling of BRRI dhan89 in Boro season were transplanted at 20 cm × 20 cm spacing in both seasons. All manures, soil and plant samples analysis were done by the help of soil Science Division BRRI, Gazipur. Initial soil (0-15 cm depth) properties were: soil texture, clay loam; pH, 6.94; organic Carbon, 1.59%; Nitrogen, 0.18%; Phosphorus, 21.88 ppm and Potassium, 0.19meq/100g soil. Thirty days old seedling of BRRI dhan87 in T. Aman and 42 days old seedling of BRRI dhan89 in Boro season were transplanted at 20cm x 20cm spacing. Grain yield, tiller number, panicle number, plant height and grain number were significantly affected by the different integrated nutrient management during both T. Aman and Boro season. Grain yield, tiller number, panicle number, plant height and grain number were significantly affected by the different nutrient management in both T. Aman and Boro season. Poultry manure related treatments and BRRI recommended dose performed better than the others in all the parameter except 1000-grain weight. On the other hand, Absolute Control (No nutrient supply) produced the lowest result. Every parameter, Poultry manure treatments have been performed the best. STB dose with one t ha-1 poultry manure is better for maximization of rice yield.

Biodiversity of Trichoderma species of healthy and Fusarium wilt-infected banana rhizosphere soils in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)

Banana (Musa acuminata) is the most important crop in the Canary Islands (38.9% of the total cultivated area). The main pathogen affecting this crop is the soil fungal Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense subtropical race 4 (Foc-STR4), for which there is no effective control method under field conditions. Therefore, the use of native biological control agents may be an effective and sustainable alternative. This study aims to: (i) investigate the diversity and distribution of Trichoderma species in the rhizosphere of different banana agroecosystems affected by Foc-STR4 in Tenerife (the island with the greatest bioclimatic diversity and cultivated area), (ii) develop and preserve a culture collection of native Trichoderma species, and (iii) evaluate the influence of soil chemical properties on the Trichoderma community. A total of 131 Trichoderma isolates were obtained from 84 soil samples collected from 14 farms located in different agroecosystems on the northern (cooler and wetter) and southern (warmer and drier) slopes of Tenerife. Ten Trichoderma species, including T. afroharzianum, T. asperellum, T. atrobrunneum, T. gamsii, T. guizhouense, T. hamatum, T. harzianum, T. hirsutum, T. longibrachiatum, and T. virens, and two putative novel species, named T. aff. harzianum and T. aff. hortense, were identified based on the tef1-α sequences. Trichoderma virens (35.89% relative abundance) and T. aff. harzianum (27.48%) were the most abundant and dominant species on both slopes, while other species were observed only on one slope (north or south). Biodiversity indices (Margalef, Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou) showed that species diversity and evenness were highest in the healthy soils of the northern slope. The Spearman analysis showed significant correlations between Trichoderma species and soil chemistry parameters (mainly with phosphorus and soil pH). To the best of our knowledge, six species are reported for the first time in the Canary Islands (T. afroharzianum, T. asperellum, T. atrobrunneum, T. guizhouense, T. hamatum, T. hirsutum) and in the rhizosphere of banana soils (T. afroharzianum, T. atrobrunneum, T. gamsii, T. guizhouense, T. hirsutum, T. virens). This study provides essential information on the diversity/distribution of native Trichoderma species for the benefit of future applications in the control of Foc-STR4.

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Verticillium dahliae from Soil Using LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a Technology

Cotton Verticillium wilt is mainly caused by the fungus Verticillium dahliae, which threatens the production of cotton. Its pathogen can survive in the soil for several years in the form of microsclerotia, making it a destructive soil-borne disease. The accurate, sensitive, and rapid detection of V. dahliae from complex soil samples is of great significance for the early warning and management of cotton Verticillium wilt. In this study, we combined the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with CRISPR/Cas12a technology to develop an accurate, sensitive, and rapid detection method for V. dahliae. Initially, LAMP primers and CRISPR RNA (crRNA) were designed based on a specific DNA sequence of V. dahliae, which was validated using several closely related Verticillium spp. The lower detection limit of the LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a combined with the fluorescent visualization detection system is approximately ~10 fg/μL genomic DNA per reaction. When combined with crude DNA-extraction methods, it is possible to detect as few as two microsclerotia per gram of soil, with the total detection process taking less than 90 min. Furthermore, to improve the method’s user and field friendliness, the field detection results were visualized using lateral flow strips (LFS). The LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a-LFS system has a lower detection limit of ~1 fg/μL genomic DNA of the V. dahliae, and when combined with the field crude DNA-extraction method, it can detect as few as six microsclerotia per gram of soil, with the total detection process taking less than 2 h. In summary, this study expands the application of LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a nucleic acid detection in V. dahliae and will contribute to the development of field-deployable diagnostic productions.

Survey on Optimal Crop Prediction using Soil and Weather Analysis

This survey paper provides a comprehensive overview of methodologies, technologies, and approaches for analyzing soil environments to optimize crop production. It covers traditional soil sampling, advanced techniques like remote sensing, and real-time monitoring using sensor networks. The integration of sensor data with IoT and machine learning for decision support is explored. Soil health assessment and site-specific management strategies enabled by precision agriculture are emphasized. Challenges such as data integration and sensor accuracy are addressed, along with future research directions including low-cost sensing solutions and improved data analytics. Overall, the paper serves as a valuable resource for optimizing crop production sustainably, contributing to efficient agricultural practices in a changing climate

The Heterogeneous Habitat of Taiga Forests Changes the Soil Microbial Functional Diversity

The soil contains abundant and diverse microorganisms, which interrelate closely with the aboveground vegetation and impact the structure and function of the forest ecosystem. To explore the effect of vegetation diversity on soil microbial functional diversity in taiga forests, we selected significantly different important values of Larix gmelinii as experimental grouping treatments based on plant investigation from fixed plots in Da Xing’anling Mountains. Following that, we collected soil samples and applied the Biolog-ECO microplate method to investigate differences in carbon source utilization, features of functional diversity in soil microorganisms, and factors influencing them in taiga forests. The AWCD decreased as the important value of Larix gmelinii grew, and soil microorganisms preferred carboxylic acids, amino acids, and carbohydrates over polymers, phenolic acids, and amines. The Shannon and McIntosh indexes decreased significantly with the increase of the important value of Larix gmelinii (p &lt; 0.05) and were positively correlated with soil SOC, MBC, C/N, and pH, but negatively with TN, AP, and AN. Redundancy analysis revealed significant effects on soil microbial functional diversity from soil C/N, SOC, AP, MBC, TN, pH, AN, and WC. To sum up, heterogeneous habitats of taiga forests with different important values altered soil microbial functional diversity.

Sinomonas terricola sp. nov., a plant-beneficial bacterium isolated from litchi rhizosphere soil in Guangdong, China.

A novel plant-beneficial bacterium strain, designated as JGH33T, which inhibited Peronophythora litchii sporangia germination, was isolated on Reasoner's 2A medium from a litchi rhizosphere soil sample collected in Gaozhou City, Guangdong Province, PR China. Cells of strain JGH33T were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile, bent rods. The strain grew optimally at 30-37 °C and pH 6.0-8.0. Sequence similarity analysis based on 16S rRNA genes indicated that strain JGH33T exhibited highest sequence similarity to Sinomonas albida LC13T (99.2 %). The genomic DNA G+C content of the isolate was 69.1 mol%. The genome of JGH33T was 4.7 Mbp in size with the average nucleotide identity value of 83.45 % to the most related reference strains, which is lower than the species delineation threshold of 95 %. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization of the isolate resulted in a relatedness value of 24.9 % with its closest neighbour. The predominant respiratory quinone of JGH33T was MK-9(H2). The major fatty acids were C15 : 0 anteiso (43.4 %), C16 : 0 iso (19.1 %) and C17 : 0 anteiso (19.3 %), and the featured component was C18 : 3 ω6c (1.01 %). The polar lipid composition of strain JGH33T included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, dimannosylglyceride, phosphatidylinositol and glycolipids. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomy analyses data, strain JGH33T represents a novel species of the genus Sinomonas, for which the name Sinomonas terricola sp. nov. is proposed, with JGH33T (=JCM 35868T=GDMCC 1.3730T) as the type strain.

Natural radioactivity, radon exhalation rates and radiation doses in the soil samples collected from the vicinity of Kolaghat thermal power plant, West Bengal, India

Natural radioactivity, radon exhalation rates and radiation doses in the soil samples collected from the vicinity of Kolaghat thermal power plant, West Bengal, India

Spatial variability and source analysis of soil heavy metals: A case study of the key planting area of special agricultural products in Cangxi County, China.

Heavy metal pollution in farmland soil represents a considerable risk to ecosystems and human health, constituting a global concern. Focusing on a key area for the cultivation of special agricultural products in Cangxi County, we collected 228 surface soil samples. We analyzed the concentration, spatial distribution, and pollution levels of six heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Hg) in the soil. Moreover, we investigated the sources and contribution rates of these heavy metals using Principal Component Analysis/Absolute Principal Component Scores (PCA/APCS) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) models. Our findings indicate that none of the six metals exceeded the pollution thresholds for farmland soils. However, the mean concentrations of Cr and Ni surpassed the background levels of Sichuan Province. A moderate spatial correlation existed between Pb and Ni, attributable to both natural and anthropogenic factors, whereas Zn, Cu, Hg, and Cr displayed a strong spatial correlation, mainly due to natural factors. The spatial patterns of Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni were similar, with higher concentrations in the northern and eastern regions and lower concentrations centrally. Hg's spatial distribution differed, exhibiting a broader range of lower values. The single pollution index evaluation showed that Cr and Ni were low pollution, and the other elements were no pollution. The average value of comprehensive pollution index is 0.994, and the degree of pollution is close to light pollution. Predominantly, higher pollution levels in the northern and eastern regions, lower around reservoirs. The PCA/APCS model identified two main pollution sources: agricultural traffic mixed source (65.2%) and natural parent source (17.2%). The PMF model delineated three sources: agricultural activities (32.59%), transportation (30.64%), and natural parent sources (36.77%). Comparatively, the PMF model proved more accurate and reliable, yielding findings more aligned with the study area's actual conditions.

Bacterial–fungal interactions and response to heavy metal contamination of soil in agricultural areas

IntroductionLong-term heavy metal contamination of soil affects the structure and function of microbial communities. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of soil heavy metal contamination on microorganisms and the impact of different heavy metal pollution levels on the microbial interactions.MethodsWe collected soil samples and determined soil properties. Microbial diversity was analyzed in two groups of samples using high-throughput sequencing technology. Additionally, we constructed microbial networks to analyze microbial interactions.ResultsThe pollution load index (PLI) &amp;lt; 1 indicates that the area is not polluted. 1 &amp;lt; PLI &amp;lt; 2 represents moderate pollution. PLI was 1.05 and 0.14 for the heavy metal contaminated area and the uncontaminated area, respectively. Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn, and Cu were identified as the major contaminants in the contaminated area, with the contamination factors were 30.35, 11.26, 5.46, 5.19, and 2.46, respectively. The diversities and compositions of the bacterial community varied significantly between the two groups. Compared to the uncontaminated area, the co-occurrence network between bacterial and fungal species in the contaminated area was more complex. The keystone taxa of the co-occurrence network in the contaminated area were more than those in the uncontaminated area and were completely different from it.DiscussionHeavy metal concentrations played a crucial role in shaping the difference in microbial community compositions. Microorganisms adapt to long-term and moderate levels of heavy metal contamination through enhanced interactions. Bacteria resistant to heavy metal concentrations may play an important role in soils contaminated with moderate levels of heavy metals over long periods of time.

Pollution characteristics and risk assessment of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in typical industrial parks in Southwest China.

As alternative substances of PBDEs, organophosphate esters (OPEs), an emerging organic pollutant, were increasingly produced and used in many kinds of industries and consumer products. However, OPEs also have various adverse toxic effects. Information on the pollution levels and exposure to OPEs in related industries is still limited. This study presented data on OPE contamination in the soil, leaf, and river water samples from seven typical industrial parks in Southwest China. Total concentration of seven OPEs (Σ7OPE) including tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), tris-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP), tris-(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), tris-(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP), triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), tris-(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) ester (TDCPP), and tris-(chlorisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) in the soil samples (36.2 ~ 219.7 ng/g) and the surrounding river water samples (118.9 ~ 287.7 ng/L) were mostly lower than those in other studies, while the Σ7OPE level in the leaves (2053.3 ~ 8152.7 ng/g) was relatively high. There were significant differences in the concentration and distribution of OPEs in the surrounding environment of different industrial parks. TDCPP, TnBP, and TCPP could be used as the characteristic compound in soil samples from auto industrial park, river samples from shoe making industrial park, and leaf samples from logistics park, respectively. The parameter m (the content ratio of chlorinated OPEs to alkyl OPEs) was suggested to distinguish the types of industrial park preliminary. When m ≥ 1, it mainly refers to heavy industries sources such as automobiles, electronics, and machinery, etc. When m<1, it mainly for the light industrial sources such as textile industry, transportation services, and resources processing, etc. For logistics park, furniture park and Wuhou comprehensive industrial park, the volatilization of materials was the main sources of OPEs in the surrounding environment, while more effort was required to strengthen the pollution control and management of the waste water and soil in the pharmacy industrial park, shoe making industrial park and auto industrial park. Risk assessment showed that there was a negligible non-cancer and carcinogenic risk in the soil, while high attention should be paid to the non-cancer risk for children.

Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease and its Association with Pesticide Exposure in Bargarh District, Odisha, India

Background: Bargarh, a district in Odisha, is known for intense agricultural activities because of uninterrupted irrigation from the Hirakud reservoir. The number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases in the district is increasing rapidly. The present study assesses the prevalence of CKD and CKDu (of unknown etiology) in the district and its association with pesticide application. Materials and Methods: A door-to-door survey was conducted to find out the CKD hotspots in the different blocks of the district with the help of primary and community health centers. The prevalence of CKD in the identified hotspot villages was assessed using a random clustered sampling method along with the collection of data related to age, sex, occupation and source of drinking water. Soil and water samples collected from identified hotspot and nonhotspot villages were analyzed to assess the presence of nephrotoxic pesticide residues. Results: A total of 16 villages were identified with high CKD prevalence rates and designated as hotspot villages. Data indicate that about 21% of males under ≥ 40 years age group were found to be suffering from CKD. Cases of CKDu (85%) were more prominent in these hotspot villages. Analysis of soil and water samples demonstrated the presence of seven different nephrotoxic pesticides above the maximum residues levels (MRLs) in hotspot villages compared to nonhotspot villages. Conclusion: The presence of nephrotoxic pesticides above MRLs in the hotspot villages indicates their possible association with the onset and progression of CKD among the exposed population. Further research is needed to establish their causative association with CKDu in the study region.