Trend Of Accumulation Research Articles

Effect of plastic roof and high tunnel on microclimate, physiology, vegetative growth and fruit characteristics of 'Santina' sweet cherry

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of plastic covers (roof and high tunnel) on microclimate, physiological response, vegetative growth, and physicochemical fruit characteristics of 'Santina' sweet cherry trees during two seasons. The study was conducted in a commercial orchard established in a Mediterranean climate in Chile. The covers reduced the incident solar radiation, generating a darker environment under the roof than under the high tunnel. At the upper tree level, the microclimate under both covers tended to be warmer and drier than in the open air; conversely, at the lower level, conditions under the roof were cooler and fresher than in the open air and high tunnel. These variations generated similar trends in thermal accumulation and environmental stress indicators in the two heights analyzed. Sweet cherry trees under both covers showed lower water stress in the first season, expressed as increased stomatal conductance and water potential compared to those grown in the open air; however, after harvest, stress was higher under both covers. Vegetative growth under the covers was affected only in one season. Fruit under the covers had slightly less intense color, and reduced firmness and titratable acidity: the differences were maintained after 30 days of storage in a modified atmosphere. Similarly, anthocyanin concentration in the fruit skin, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity in the edible fraction tended to be reduced. Fruit harvest was up to 29 days earlier in the high tunnels than in the open air. Considering that covers alter the physiological performance of the trees and fruit quality, adequate ventilation should be considered to avoid deteriorating the quality of the fruit and thus improve the crop's competitiveness in Chile's central zone.

Abstract 6342: Preclinical safety & pharmacokinetics of AFVT-2101, a tetravalent FRα x CD16A bispecific innate cell engager for the treatment of solid tumors

Abstract AFVT-2101 is a novel bispecific innate immune cell engager in development to treat solid tumors. It is comprised of bivalent folate receptor alpha (FRα) and CD16A (FcγRIIIA) binding domains with a silenced IgG1 Fc region. AFVT-2101 is engineered to exert potent and selective immune-mediated antitumor activity with minimal off-tumor toxicity by promoting NK cell and macrophage engagement of FRα-positive tumors. A comprehensive package of IND-enabling studies is currently in progress to support the preclinical safety profile of AFVT-2101. In agreement with target sequence homology, binding affinity of AFVT-2101 against human and cynomolgus monkey FRα and CD16A is highly similar, confirming non-human primate (NHP, specifically cynomolgus monkey) as the only pharmacologically relevant preclinical safety model. The toxicology program includes tissue cross-reactivity assessment against a panel of human and cynomolgus cryosections, single- and repeat-dose range finding (DRF) non-GLP studies and a 4-week IND-enabling GLP study with 4-week recovery period in NHPs. In a single-dose study AFVT-2101 demonstrated non-linear pharmacokinetics when administered as a 2-h IV infusion to male NHPs where the mean Cmax (85.1 and 1620 µg/mL) and AUC168hr (3,430 and 97,000 µg.h/mL) at 3 and 30 mg/kg, respectively, increased supra-proportionally with respect to dose, consistent with target-mediated drug disposition. Half-life was 103-155 h across doses. A DRF study was conducted to characterize toxicity, identify target organs, determine toxicokinetics (TK), immunogenicity (anti-drug antibodies, ADA), and to inform the dose selection of the subsequent 4-week study. AFVT-2101 was administered once-weekly to female NHPs via 2-h IV infusion for a total of 4 doses. Mean Cmax (1120, 3320, 7190 µg/mL) and AUC168hr (83,600, 209,000, 592,000 µg.h/mL) at 30, 75, and 150 mg/kg, respectively, increased in a generally dose-proportional manner with a trend for modest accumulation (<2-fold) upon repeated administration with a half-life of 80-230 h. Exposure did not appear to be impacted by any treatment-emergent ADA. AFVT-2101 was well-tolerated with no test article-related adverse effects on clinical observations, bodyweight, clinical chemistry, hematology, coagulation, anatomic pathology, or immunotoxicity parameters. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was determined to be 150 mg/kg under the conditions of the study. The safety profile is being further evaluated in an ongoing pivotal 4-week GLP study incorporating standard toxicology endpoints, safety pharmacology (CNS, CV, and respiratory), gross and anatomic pathology, as well as cytokine, immunophenotyping, receptor occupancy, TK, and ADA analyses. In conclusion, AFVT-2101 is well-tolerated in NHPs with a pharmacokinetic and safety profile consistent with its intended clinical application. Citation Format: Wendy Luo, Eric J. Gaukel, Janice A. Lansita, Stephen M. Laczko, Peter Sandy, Daniel J. O'Shannessy, Sudhir Penugonda, Bhavik Manocha, Daniel E. Patterson, Izabela Kozłowska, Séverine Sarlang, Stefan Knackmuss, Daniela Penston, Uwe Reusch, Zoë Johnson. Preclinical safety & pharmacokinetics of AFVT-2101, a tetravalent FRα x CD16A bispecific innate cell engager for the treatment of solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6342.

Bioenergy Model of Plant Raw Materials and Assessment of Feed Production Technologies

It is noted that the effectiveness of the technological processes in agriculture is usually evaluated according to economic, operational and relative criteria. Such an estimate often proves to be inaccurate for solving applied problems. The functioning of the biotechnical system "operator – feed – machine – animal" reveals this discrepancy to the highest extent. The paper confirms the necessity and relevance of a fact-based analysis of energy flows in the biotechnical system, as well as the energy flows interaction with each other and with the external environment. (Research purpose) To substantiate a methodological approach to assessing the fodder production efficiency based on a bioenergetic analysis of fodder production technologies. (Materials and methods) The research involves the comparative analysis of exchange energy accumulation by plants before harvesting and the parameters of its reduction in the plant raw materials, taking into account technological impacts. (Results and discussion) It is obtained that a one-megajoule input of mechanical energy in the cultivation of cereal-grass forage mixtures provides 121 megajoules of exchange energy. The exchange energy content in the cereal-grass forage mixture is calculated to be 44,850 megajoules per hectare (1950 megajoules per ton) while the specific mechanical energy consumption amounts to 370.6 megajoules per hectare (16.1 megajoules per ton) for the feed mixture cultivation. (Conclusions) It is established that the dynamics of energy accumulation during the vegetable raw material cultivation and the character of a decrease in its energy content during fodder preparation and storage have a sustainable common trend. The growth trend of energy accumulation is proved to have a linear character for both various types of fodder crops and the decrease in the feed energy content. Efficiency assessment criteria are proposed for the mechanical energy consumption during fodder crop cultivation, plant material processing and feed storage. A mathematical model is developed making it possible to study implicit variables in a complex system of accumulation and entropy of feed exchange energy, take optimal engineering decisions to justify and improve the technologies for feed cultivation, harvesting and preparation, as well as its effective use.

Temporal trends of sediment accumulation in the Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve (Ba Lat coastal area of the Red River, Vietnam) and implications for future coastal wetland development

Temporal trends of sediment accumulation in the Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve (Ba Lat coastal area of the Red River, Vietnam) and implications for future coastal wetland development

Metabolomic Study of Flavonoids in Camellia drupifera under Aluminum Stress by UPLC-MS/MS.

Aluminum (Al) affects the yield of forest trees in acidic soils. The oil tea plant (Camellia drupifera Lour.) has high Al tolerance, with abundant phenolic compounds in its leaves, especially flavonoid compounds. The role of these flavonoids in the Al resistance of oil tea plants is unclear. In this metabolomic study of C. drupifera under Al stress, ultra-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was utilized to identify metabolites, while principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were applied to analyze the data on the flavonoid metabolites. The leaf morphology of C. drupifera revealed significant damage by excess aluminum ions under each treatment compared with the control group. Under Al stress at 2 mmol/L (GZ2) and 4 mmol/L (GZ4), the total flavonoid content in C. drupifera leaves reached 24.37 and 35.64 mg/g, respectively, which are significantly higher than the levels measured in the control group (CK) (p < 0.01). In addition, we identified 25 upregulated and 5 downregulated metabolites in the GZ2 vs. CK comparison and 31 upregulated and 7 downregulated flavonoid metabolites in GZ4 vs. CK. The results demonstrate that different levels of Al stress had a significant influence on the metabolite profile of C. drupifera. It was found that the abundance of the 24 differential flavonoid metabolites was gradually elevated with increasing concentrations of Al stress, including catechin, epicatechin, naringenin-7-glucoside, astilbin, taxifolin, miquelianin, quercitrin, and quercimeritrin. Moreover, the most significant increase in antioxidant activity (about 30%) was observed in C. drupifera precultured in leaf extracts containing 7.5 and 15 μg/mL of active flavonoids. The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression levels of key genes involved in the synthesis of flavonoids were consistent with the accumulation trends of flavonoids under different concentrations of Al. Therefore, our results demonstrate the key role of flavonoid compounds in the oil tea plant C. drupifera in response to Al stress, which suggests that flavonoid metabolites in C. drupifera, as well as other aluminum-tolerant plants, may help with detoxifying aluminum.

Accumulation of Cadmium in Transplanted Lichen Pyxine cocoes (Sw.) Nyl., with Reference to Physiochemical Variation and Kinetics of Cadmium Biosorption

The present study aims to signify the role of Pyxine cocoes (Sw.) Nyl. (P. cocoes) as cadmium (Cd) biomonitor in atmosphere. This was achieved by quantifying the amount of Cd accumulated in transplanted P. cocoes, when stimulated with known concentrations of Cd (5µM, 50µM, 100µM, 150µM and 200µM) at increasing intervals of time up-to 40 days. All the five concentrations exhibited increasing trend of accumulation with time. As depicted by Pearson's Correlation (at p < 0.001), anti-oxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase r= -0.812, ascorbate peroxidase r= -0.802, catalase r= -0.757) and electrical conductivity (r = 0.693) were the most efficient parameters to depict increased Cd presence in atmosphere. In the current study, accumulation of Cd by transplanted lichen has been first time analyzed by biosorption kinetics. The uptake of Cd by P. cocoes followed pseudo-second-order kinetics (range of R22 value was 0.969-0.998). The marker parameters in combination with the ability to accrue Cd fortifies P. cocoes's role as a biomonitor.

The leaching behaviors of lead, zinc, and sulfate in pyrite ash contaminated soil: mineralogical assessments and environmental implications

Contaminated soil with high mobility of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) can threaten the environment and human health. Precisely quantifying trends in PTEs accumulation in the soil under changing pH conditions is essential to minimize potential exposure. However, this has long been a hard-to-monitor subject experimentally due to the relatively low content of PTEs and the lack of detailed knowledge of the minerals that control PTEs' leaching. Here we profoundly investigate the critical role of soil mineralogy in PTEs release and predict the leaching behavior of PTEs by exploiting the modeling approach. The investigated sample comes from a brownfield site devoted to fertilizers production. Hematite, jarosite, and gypsum are the major mineralogical phases, with zinc sulfate, anglesite, kintoreite, and Pb-bearing jarosite being identified as the dominant Pb and Zn phases. pH-dependent leaching tests in combination with geochemical modeling were used to reveal the potential leaching mechanisms and contaminants solubility-controlling phases at pH ranging from 1 to 12. The experimental and modeling results both demonstrated that Pb and Zn have an amphoteric leaching behavior, with the lowest leached concentrations at the neutral/alkaline region around pH values from 8.0 to 10.0. The calculated saturation indexes suggest that Pb retention is controlled by anglesite, cerussite, and hydrocerussite, while Zn retention is attributed to zinc carbonates and hydroxides. Further, jarosite and ferrihydrite may play a role in Pb and Zn retention. In comparison, the sulfate release increases with pH values, which is governed by the equilibrium of jarosite, gypsum, and anglesite. The overall results highlight the value of converging experimental-geochemical modeling approaches to gain a deeper understanding of PTEs' release and retention, which is difficult to reveal through experiments alone. These advances may be pivotal in the sustainable management and design of remediation strategies.

Estimation of Carbon Stocks and Stabilization Rates of Organic Matter in Soils of the «Ladoga» Carbon Monitoring Site

The establishment of a network of monitoring sites (term in Russian—«carbon polygons») for monitoring climatic processes as well as the emission and deposition of carbon compounds in various ecosystems is one of the priority tasks in the field of climate and biosphere conservation in the world. This paper presents the results of the study of the soil sections of the «Ladoga» carbon monitoring site. Folic Podzol (Arenic) and Fibric Histosol were considered. These soils are widely represented in the southern taiga subzone and can be used as benchmark monitoring soil sections. As a result of the analysis of chemical parameters, it was revealed that Fibric Histosol and Folic Podzol (Arenic) are characterized by an acidic reaction of pH, pronounced podsolization, and peat accumulation. Fibric Histosol stores a significant amount of soil organic matter (SOM) up to 42.95 kgC/m2. In the analysis of the molecular composition of humic acids (HAs) extracted from the studied soils, it was found that HAs from Fibric Histosol were characterized by a relatively high content of aromatic structural fragments (27–41%), while in Folic Podzol (Arenic), aliphatic structural fragments prevailed (up to 70%). The increase of aromatic structural fragments in the HAs composition indicates the stabilization and conservation of SOM. The creation of a monitoring network will make it possible to identify the main trends of SOM accumulation, determine the conditions under which accumulation occurs, and calculate its contribution to climate change on the planet.

Concentration of Toxic Heavy Metals and Phytochemicals in a Medicinal Plant (Asclepias fruticosa) Collected Around Mining Areas in Brits, Pretoria

The use of African traditional medicine in rural and peri-urban areas is common due to its affordability and accessibility. The study aimed to determine the levels of toxic heavy metals in the medicinal plant (Asclepias fruticosa) samples collected around three mining areas in Brits using ICP-OES. The phytochemical screening analysis was done to indicate the absence or presence of different phytochemicals in the medicinal plant. The results of the qualitative phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, proteins, and carbohydrates in Asclepias fruticosa collected from all the mining areas. The results of the heavy metals showed that the mean highest concentration for all the heavy metals was recorded for Mn from the leaves of the medicinal plants. The trend in the heavy metals accumulation was roots &gt; leaves &gt; stems from all the sites, and the differences were significant (p &lt; 0.05). The range of heavy metals in the plant was in the range Mn (12.33 ± 2.31-85.33 ± 51.07 μg.g-1), Zn (10.67 ± 0.58-60.33 ± 0.56 μg.g-1), Cr (3.43 ± 0.06 -34.90 ± 0.10 μg.g-1), Cu (8.67 ± 0.12-18.8 ± 1.57 μg.g-1), Ni (5.67 ± 0.12-23.23 ± 1.7 μg.g-1) and Pb (0.53 ± 0.013-1.59 ± 0.15 μg.g-1). The values of the heavy metals Cr, Zn, and Ni in the plant exceeded the recommended limits set by WHO for human consumption. Heavy metals in the medicinal plant were accumulated in the roots and not translocated to the stems and leaves. It is therefore recommended that communities staying around the mines should be discouraged from picking and using medicinal plants growing around the mines and should be educated on the safety of medicinal plants growing around the mines.

Impact of pandemic COVID-19 on solid waste compositional trends in pasar awam maharani Muar

The world was astounded by the emergence of the deadly virus COVID-19 at the end of 2019. In March 2020, Malaysia’s first Movement Control Order (MCO) was initiated to stop the spread of the virus that ended in June 2021. Hence, this paper was initiated to study the impact of the pandemic and MCO on the generation of waste in Pasar Awam Maharani Muar (PAMM). The waste generation rate and the trend of waste accumulation according to different categories were recognised. The PAMM operates 8 hours daily, and the area strictly observes Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) established by the government. The compositional study was performed two times for 14 days in a month. The solid waste was segregated, and the weight were measured accordingly. The average total solid waste generated from 30 stalls was around 1.5 tonnes daily. It was further established that 38.5% of the waste comprised of chicken and fish waste, 36.3% formed inorganic waste, and 25.2% constituted vegetable and fruit waste. Several limitations were acknowledged in this research which was the short operational time, unpredictable weather, public holidays, and the closure of PAMM on Sundays. Observations also showed that some stall owners were highly mindful of the solid waste segregation and some of the organic wastes were reused as ruminant feed and some for composting.

The study of carbohydrates of corn raw materials

The aim. The aim of the study was to study the content of polysaccharide fractions depending on the dissolution, qualitative composition and quantitative content of sugars in corn silk, leaves and roots.&#x0D; Materials and methods. To study different fractions of polysaccharides - water-soluble polysaccharides (WSPS), pectin substances (PS), hemicelluloses A (HC A) and B (HM B) used a gravimetric method based on the extraction of polysaccharide fractions with a suitable solvent followed by sedimentation and weighing of the sediment. Determination of the qualitative composition and quantitative content of monosaccharides in corn medicinal plant materials (MPM) was carried out by the method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS).&#x0D; Results. Conducted studies of corn silk, leaves and roots carbohydrates using the fractionation method indicate the following trend of BAS accumulation in the studied raw materials: the content of WSPS and PS in corn silk exceeded the content of these compounds in other types of raw materials – 4.07±0.14 % and 7.20±0.29 %, respectively; leaves accumulated the most HC A and HC B compared to the content of these fractions in other samples - 6.81±0.21 % and 21.20±0.84 %, respectively. It was established by the GC/MS method that 4 substances were identified in corn silk in the free state: arabinose, glucose, galactose and fructose. After hydrolysis 5 substances were identified in corm silk - arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose, galactose. Among the free sugars 3 compounds were found in corn leaves - glucose, fructose and sucrose. After hydrolysis, 4 compounds were identified in in corn leaves – arabinose, xylose, glucose and galactose. In corn roots 3 compounds are found in a free form - glucose, fructose and sucrose. After hydrolysis 4 compounds were identified in corn roots - arabinose, xylose, glucose and galactose.&#x0D; Conclusions. The obtained results indicate a significant content of polysaccharides and sugars in the raw materials of corn, which makes it possible to predict the anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, adsorbing, energetic activity of the studied types of corn plant raw materials

A multi-omics view of the preservation effect on Camellia sinensis leaves during low temperature postharvest transportation

Appropriate postharvest conditions protect freshly harvested plant products, preventing substantial economic losses. In this study, the effects of low temperature transportation on postharvest tea leaves were studied with widely targeted secondary metabolomics and transcriptomics. Compared with non-refrigerated tea leaves (30 ± 3 °C), there were 67-up and 41-down differentially regulated metabolites in refrigerated tea leaves (8 ± 2 °C), mainly consisting of flavonoids, amino acids, and purine alkaloids. The change of flavonoids was primarily due to degradation and differential accumulation, while the refrigerated environment effectively maintained galloylated catechins at a relatively high level. Branched-chain amino acids significantly increased in non-refrigerated condition, while purine alkaloids and their precursors showed a trend of accumulation in refrigerated condition. These differences were attributed to genes directly related to the metabolite revealed by RNA-seq analysis, as well as to the hub transcription factors (such as DOF and AP2/ERF) that related to response of environmental fluctuations explored by co-expression network. These important metabolites regulation mechanisms under low-temperature postharvest transportation will provide valuable information for optimizing postharvest transportation parameters and maintaining tea quality.

Ecological risk assessment and early warning of heavy metal cumulation in the soils near the Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area, Henan Province, central China

The Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area is rich in mineral resources and has a long history of mining. The environmental impact of long-term mining activities cannot be ignored. It is of great significance to study the ecological risk and the accumulation trends of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas for scientific prevention and control of heavy metal pollution. Taking the Taowanbeigou River Basin in the mine concentration area as the research object, the ecological pollution risk and cumulative effect of heavy metals in the soil of the basin were studied by using the comprehensive pollution index method, potential ecological risk assessment method and geoaccumulation index method. On this basis, the cumulative exceeding years of specific heavy metals were predicted by using the early warning model. The comprehensive potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil near the Luanchuan mine concentration area is moderate, and the single element Cd is the main ecological risk factor, with a contribution rate of 53.6%. The overall cumulative degrees of Cu and Pb in the soil are “none-moderate”, Zn and Cd are moderate, Mo has reached an extremely strong cumulative level, Hg, As and Cr risks are not obvious, and the overall cumulative risks order is Mo>Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Hg. According to the current accumulation rate and taking the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land as the reference standard, the locations over standard rates of Cu, Zn and Cd will exceed 78% in 90 years, and the over standard rate of Pb will reach approximately 57% in 200 years. The cumulative exceeding standard periods of As, Cr and Hg are generally long, which basically indicates that these elements do not pose a significant potential threat to the ecological environment. Mining activities will accelerate the accumulation of heavy metals in soil. With the continuous development of mining activities, the potential pollution risk of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas will also increase.©2023 China Geology Editorial Office.

How desirable is the medium? Effect of point accumulation scheme on consumer loyalty toward reward program

An accruable point scenario study was applied to examine the effect of the point-accumulation trend (diminishing vs. increasing) and the nominal value (small vs. large) of a medium for repeated consumption on program loyalty. The results showed that both factors affect consumer loyalty toward a reward program. Consumers who received a medium with an increasing accumulation trend and a large nominal value perceived a reward to be more valuable than those who received a diminishing trend and a small nominal value. The results confirmed that a large nominal value or an increasing accumulation trend increased the perception of reward and program loyalty. However, when the desirability of the medium was controlled, the effect of trend was reduced to almost negligible whereas that of the nominal value remained the same. These findings suggest how consumer perceptions of loyalty programs can be practically managed through point accumulation processes.

Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with fine aerosols in ambient atmosphere of high-altitude urban environment in Sikkim Himalaya

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds are ubiquitous in ambient air due to their persistence, carcinogenicity, and mutagenicity. Gangtok being one of the cleanest cities in India located in Eastern Himalayan region, witnesses high developmental activities with enhanced urbanization affecting the ambient air quality. The present study aims to measure PM2.5 and PAHs in the ambient atmosphere of the Sikkim Himalaya to understand the influence of natural and anthropogenic activities on aerosol loading and their chemical characteristics. The PM2.5 samples were collected and analysed for the duration from Jan 2020 to Feb 2021.The seasonal mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PAHs were observed to be high during autumn and low during summer season. Overall, the annual mean concentration of PM2.5 was found higher than the prescribed limit of World Health Organization and National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The concentration of the 16 individual PAHs were found to be highest during autumn season (55.26 ± 37.15 ng/m3). Among the different PAHs, the annual mean concentration of fluorene (3.29 ± 4.07 ng/m3) and naphthalene (1.15 ± 3.76 ng/m3) were found to be the highest and lowest, respectively. The Molecular Diagnostic Ratio (MDR) test reveals higher contribution from heavy traffic activities throughout the winter and autumn seasons. The other possible sources identified over the region are fossil fuel combustion, and biomass burning. The multivariate statistical analysis (Multifactor Principal Component Analysis) also indicates a strong association between PM2.5 /PAHs and meteorological variables across the region in different seasons. The precipitation and wind pattern during the study period suggests that major contribution of the PM2.5 and PAHs were from local sources, with minimal contribution from long-range transport. The findings are important for comprehending the trends of PAH accumulation over a high-altitude urban area, and for developing sustainable air quality control methods in the Himalayan region.

Accumulation of Atmospheric Metals and Nitrogen Deposition in Mosses: Temporal Development between 1990 and 2020, Comparison with Emission Data and Tree Canopy Drip Effects

Mosses are suitable for recording the bioaccumulation of atmospheric deposition over large areas at many sites. In Europe, such monitoring has been carried out every five years since 1990. Mosses have been collected and chemically analysed for metals (since 1990), nitrogen (since 2005), persistent organic pollutants (since 2010) and microplastics (2020). The aims of this study were the following: (1) to analyse the temporal trends of metal and nitrogen accumulation in mosses between 1990 or 2005, respectively, and 2020 in Germany; (2) to compare the accumulation trends with emission data; and (3) to determine the effect of tree canopy drip on metal and nitrogen accumulation in mosses. For the temporal trend analysis, the minimum sample number required for a reliable estimation of arithmetic mean values and statistical parameters based on it was calculated. It was only achieved for nitrogen, but not for metals. Therefore, the temporal trends of the bioaccumulation of metals and nitrogen were calculated on the basis of median values. For the analysis of tree canopy effects on element accumulation in mosses, 14 vegetation structure measures were used, which together with 80 other descriptors characterise each moss collection site and its environment. The comparison of the data obtained during the first monitoring campaign with those of the 2020 survey showed a significant decrease in metal bioaccumulation. However, in contrast to the emission data, an increase in the accumulation of some metals was observed between 2000 and 2005 and of all metals from 2015 to 2020. Trends in Germany-wide nitrogen medians over the last three campaigns (2005, 2015 and 2020) show that nitrogen medians decreased by −2% between 2005 and 2015 and increased by +8% between 2015 and 2020. These differences are not significant and do not match the emission trends. Inferential statistics confirmed significantly higher metals and nitrogen accumulation in mosses collected under tree canopies compared to adjacent open areas. Measured concentrations of metals and nitrogen were significantly higher under tree canopies than outside of them, by 18–150%.

Evaluation of subvisible particles in human immunoglobulin and lipid nanoparticles repackaged from a multi-dose vial using plastic syringes

The multi-dose vial (MDV) is widely used for most biopharmaceuticals that are repackaged in plastic syringes before use. However, subvisible particle formation with the use of plastic syringes containing silicone oil (SO syringes) for handling therapeutic proteins can be problematic. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of and trends in microparticle (>1 μm) formation and accumulation in repackaged syringes from MDVs containing human immunoglobulin (IgG) and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Light obscuration (LO) and flow imaging (FI) were used to analyze the microparticles. The number of microparticles observed with the use SO syringes was greater than that with SO-free syringes, and the number of microparticles continuously increased as did the number of times of repackaging in syringes for both drugs. However, a large variation was observed across different brands of SO syringes. In contrast, using a different technique of drug withdrawal from the vial significantly reduced the number of microparticles. Furthermore, the use of filter-integrated needles or the inclusion of stabilizers such as acetyl-arginine and Tween 20 into the formulation also helped reduce particle formation.

The migration and accumulation of typical pollutants in the growing media layer of bioretention facilities.

A series of complex physical and chemical processes, such as interception, migration, accumulation, and transformation, can occur when pollutants in stormwater runoff enter the growing media layer of bioretention facilities, affecting the purification of stormwater runoff by bioretention facilities. The migration and accumulation of pollutants in the growing media layer need long-term monitoring in traditional experimental studies. In this study, we established the Hydrus-1D model of water and solution transport for the bioretention facilities. By analyzing the variation of cumulative fluxes of NO3--N and Pb with time and depth, we investigated pollutant migration and accumulation trends in the growing media layer of bioretention facilities. It can provide support for reducing runoff pollutants in bioretention facilities. The Hydrus-1D model was calibrated and verified with experimental data, and the input data (runoff pollutant concentration) for the pollutant concentration boundary was obtained from the SWMM model. The results demonstrated that the cumulative fluxes of NO3--N and Pb increased with the passage of simulation time and depth of the growing media layer overall. From the top to the bottom of the growing media layer, the change rates of the peak cumulative fluxes of NO3--N and Pb were strongly linked with their levels in the runoff. An increase in rainfall decreased the content of NO3--N and Pb in the growing media layer, and this phenomenon was more obvious in the lower part of the layer.

Analysis of rainwater storage and use recommendations: From the perspective of DBPs generation and their risks

As a vital freshwater resource, rainwater is usually stored in water cellars in arid regions to solve the daily drinking water problems of the population. However, the status of disinfection by-products (DBPs) generation in cellar water under intermittent disinfection conditions is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the formation and distribution characteristics of DBPs in cellar water under intermittent disinfection conditions for the first time. The results demonstrated that six categories of DBPs were selected for detection after chlorination, including trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), haloketones (HKs), haloacetonitriles (HANs), halonitromethanes (HNMs), and nitrosamines (NAs), among which HAAs, HKs, and HANs were the major DBPs. Only bromoacetic acid (MBAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) showed an increasing trend of accumulation as the number of disinfections increased. Meanwhile, the precursor composition was gradually transformed from humic substances to amino acids, and both organic substances were the main precursors of HAAs. The health risk assessment showed that the main carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of cellar water were contributed by NAs and HAAs, respectively, and children are more susceptible to the risks than adults. The best time to drink cellar water is after approximately 12 days of storage, when the total carcinogenic risk is the minimum.

Large-scale spatiotemporal variations, sources, and risk assessment of banned OCPs and PAHs in suspended particulate matter from the Negro river, Argentina

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) threaten the environment due to their wide environmental resistance. Environmental paradigms coexist along the Negro River (NR) in Argentina, South America, which flows to the sea below the latitude of 40o S; however, this is the first environmental assessment of OCPs and PAHs in water of the NR for more than 15 years. With 21 sampling sites covering a range of 600 km of river extension, we assessed 16 OCPs and 16 PAHs in suspended particulate material (SPM) with regard to their levels, seasonality, sources, and potential biological risk assessment. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled with electron capture detection, we found an overall mean value for Σ16 OCPs of 648.56 ng. g−1, d.w. Despite a ban spanning 25 years, an increasing trend of accumulation of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and endosulfan was shown in the lower valley. The ɑ-HCH/ɤ-HCH and β-HCH/(ɑ + ɤ)-HCH ratios indicated a prevalent usage of technical HCH over lindane and recent HCH inputs. The most abundant compound, α-endosulfan, averaged 141.64 ng. g−1, d.w. and DDX (Σ 4,4′-DDE, 4,4′-DDD, and 4,4′-DDT) averaged 99.98 ng. g−1, d.w. Winter OCP loads in the NR reflected the runoff of the heaviest pesticide application period. We estimated the total discharge of DDT into the Atlantic ocean was 96 g.day−1, added to 458 g of HCHs and 257 g of endosulfans (ɑ + β + epoxide) adsorbed by the SPM. PAHs occurred widely along the river (38.83 ± 43.52 μg. g−1) and the highest levels coincided with locations with marked anthropogenic-related activity, such as petroleum/gas exploitation facilities. Risk quotient analysis showed a low risk posed by OCPs, but a high risk of potential effects on biota posed by the PAHs, highlighting the need for mitigation measures.