Effects of diesel exhaust particles on the health and survival of the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris after acute and chronic oral exposure.

The diesel-powered transportation sector is a major producer of environmental pollution in the form of micro- and nanoscale diesel exhaust particles (DEP). Pollinators, such as wild bees, may inhale DEP or ingest it orally through plant nectar. However, if these insects are adversely affected by DEP is largely unknown. To investigate potential health threats of DEP to pollinators, we exposed individuals of Bombus terrestris to different concentrations of DEP. We analysed the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content of DEP since these are known to elicit adverse effects on invertebrates. We investigated the dose-dependent effects of those well-characterized DEP on survival and fat body content, as a proxy for the insects' health condition, in acute and chronic oral exposure experiments. Acute oral exposure to DEP showed no dose-dependent effects on survival or fat body content of B. terrestris. However, we could show dose-dependent effects after chronic oral exposure with high doses of DEP where significantly increased mortality was observed. Further, there was no dose-dependent effect of DEP on the fat body content after exposure. Our results give insights into how the accumulation of high concentrations of DEP e.g., near heavily trafficked sites, can influence insect pollinators' health and survival.

Diesel exhaust particles alter gut microbiome and gene expression in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris.

Insect decline is a major threat to ecosystems around the world as they provide many important functions, such as pollination or pest control. Pollution is one of the main reasons for the decline, alongside changes in land use, global warming, and invasive species. While negative impacts of pesticides are well-studied, there is still a lack of knowledge about the effects of other anthropogenic pollutants, such as airborne particulate matter, on insects. To address this, we exposed workers of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris to sublethal doses of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) and brake dust, orally or via air. After 7 days, we looked at the composition of the gut microbiome and tracked changes in gene expression. While there were no changes in the other treatments, oral DEP exposure significantly altered the structure of the gut microbiome. In particular, the core bacterium Snodgrassella had a decreased abundance in the DEP treatment. Similarly, transcriptome analysis revealed changes in gene expression after oral DEP exposure, but not in the other treatments. The changes are related to metabolism and signal transduction, which indicates a general stress response. Taken together, our results suggest potential health effects of DEP exposure on insects, here shown in bumblebees, as gut dysbiosis may increase the susceptibility of bumblebees to pathogens, while a general stress response may lower available energy resources. Those effects may exacerbate under natural conditions where insects face a multiple-stressor environment.

Integration of microalgae systems at municipal wastewater treatment plants: implications for energy and emission balances.

Integrating microalgae systems (MAS) at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to produce of bioenergy offers many potential synergies. Improved energy balances provide a strong incentive for WWTPs to integrate MAS, but it is crucial that WWTPs maintain their barrier function to protect water resources. We perform a prospective analysis of energy and emission balances of a WWTP with integrated MAS, based on a substance flow analysis of the elements carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). These elements are the main ingredients of wastewater, and the key nutrients for algae growth. We propose a process design which relies solely on resources from wastewater with no external input of water, fertilizer or CO(2). The whole process chain, from cultivation to production of bioelectricity, takes place at the WWTP. Our results show that MAS can considerably improve energy balances of WWTPs without any external resource input. With optimistic assumptions, they can turn WWTPs into net energy producers. While intensive C recycling in MAS considerably improves the energy balance, we show that it also impacts on effluent quality. We discuss the importance of nonharvested biomass for effluent quality and highlight harvesting efficiency as key factor for energy and emission balances of MAS at WWTP.