Emergence of multidrug-resistant Bacillus spp. derived from animal feed, food and human diarrhea in South-Eastern Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance poses a huge risk to human health worldwide, while Bangladesh is confronting the most severe challenge between the food supply and the huge consumption of antibiotics annually. More importantly, probiotics containing Bacillus spp. are claimed to be an alternative to antimicrobial stewardship programs. However, their antibiotic resistance remains elusive. Thus, we employed the antimicrobial susceptibility test and PCR to assess the prevalence of resistance, including multidrug resistance (MDR) and resito-genotyping of isolated Bacillus spp. RESULTS: The phenotypic profile showed that Bacillus spp. were 100% sensitive to gentamicin (2 µg/mL), whereas lowered sensitivity to levofloxacin (67.8%, 0.5-1 µg/mL), ciprofloxacin (62.3%, 0.5-1 µg/mL), clindamycin (52.2%, 0.25-0.5 µg/mL), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (37.6%, 0.06 µg/mL), azithromycin (33.4%, 1-2 µg/mL), tetracycline (25.6%, 2-4 µg/mL), nitrofurantoin (21.1%, 16-32 µg/mL), co-trimoxazole (19.2%, 2 µg/mL), and erythromycin (18.8%, 0.25-0.5 µg/mL). The strains were completely resistant to penicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefixime, ceftriaxone, vancomycin, and co-trimoxazole, and a species-specific trend was seen in both phenotypic and genotypic resistance patterns. Genotypic resistance indicated prevalence of the bla1 (71.5%), tetA (33%), erm1 (27%), blaTEM (13.1%), blaCTX-M-1/blaCTX-M-2 /sul1 (10.1%), blaSHV (9.6%), and qnrS (4.1%) genes. The ß-lactamase resistance gene bla1 was found in all penicillin-resistant (MIC ≥ 32 µg/mL) Bacillus spp. One hundred ninety-one isolates (89.6%) were MDR, with 100% from diarrhea, 90.3% from food, and 88.7% from animal feed. CONCLUSION: Based on the MIC value and profile analysis of antibiotic resistance genes, this is the first study that Bacillus spp. antimicrobial susceptibilities have been identified in Bangladesh, and our study will shed light on the adverse effects of feed-borne Bacillus spp. emerging from animal feed to the food chain. A comprehensive investigation is urgently needed by policymakers on tolerance limits and harmful effects in the animal industry.

Shortened food chain length in a fished versus unfished coral reef.

Direct exploitation through fishing is driving dramatic declines of wildlife populations in ocean environments, particularly for predatory and large-bodied taxa. Despite wide recognition of this pattern and well-established consequences of such trophic downgrading on ecosystem function, there have been few empirical studies examining the effects of fishing on whole system trophic architecture. Understanding these kinds of structural impacts is especially important in coral reef ecosystems-often heavily fished and facing multiple stressors. Given the often high dietary flexibility and numerous functional redundancies in diverse ecosystems such as coral reefs, it is important to establish whether web architecture is strongly impacted by fishing pressure or whether it might be resilient, at least to moderate-intensity pressure. To examine this question, we used a combination of bulk and compound-specific stable isotope analyses measured across a range of predatory and low-trophic-level consumers between two coral reef ecosystems that differed with respect to fishing pressure but otherwise remained largely similar. We found that even in a high-diversity system with relatively modest fishing pressure, there were strong reductions in the trophic position (TP) of the three highest TP consumers examined in the fished system but no effects on the TP of lower-level consumers. We saw no evidence that this shortening of the affected food webs was being driven by changes in basal resource consumption, for example, through changes in the spatial location of foraging by consumers. Instead, this likely reflected internal changes in food web architecture, suggesting that even in diverse systems and with relatively modest pressure, human harvest causes significant compressions in food chain length. This observed shortening of these food webs may have many important emergent ecological consequences for the functioning of ecosystems impacted by fishing or hunting. Such important structural shifts may be widespread but unnoticed by traditional surveys. This insight may also be useful for applied ecosystem managers grappling with choices about the relative importance of protection for remote and pristine areas and the value of strict no-take areas to protect not just the raw constituents of systems affected by fishing and hunting but also the health and functionality of whole systems.

Fish microplastic ingestion may induce tipping points of aquatic ecosystems.

Microplastics can be ingested by a wide range of aquatic animals. Extensive studies have demonstrated that microplastic ingestion-albeit often not lethal-can affect a range of species life-history traits. However, it remains unclear how the sublethal effects of microplastics on individual levels scale up to influence ecosystem-level dynamics through cascading trophic interactions. Here we employ a well-studied, empirically fed three-species trophic chain model, which was parameterized to mimic a common type of aquatic ecosystems to examine how microplastic ingestion by fish on an intermediate trophic level can produce cascading effects on the species at both upper and lower trophic levels. We show that gradually increasing microplastics in the ingested substances of planktivorous fish may cause population structure effects such as skewed size distributions (i.e. reduced average body length vs. increased maximal body size), and induce abrupt declines in fish biomass and reproduction. Our model analysis demonstrates that these abrupt changes correspond to an ecosystem-level tipping point, crossing which difficult-to-reverse ecosystem degradation can happen. Importantly, microplastic pollution may interact with other anthropogenic stressors to reduce safe operating space of aquatic ecosystems. Our work contributes to better understanding complex effects of microplastic pollution and anticipating tipping points of aquatic ecosystems in a changing world. It also calls attention to an emerging threat that novel microplastic contaminants may lead to unexpected and abrupt degradation of aquatic ecosystems, and invites systematic studies on the ecosystem-level consequences of microplastic exposure.

The role of indirect interspecific effects in the stochastic dynamics of a simple trophic system.

Indirect interspecific effects (IIEs) occur when one species affects another through a third intermediary species. Understanding the role of IIEs in population dynamics is key for predicting community-level impacts of environmental change. Yet, empirically teasing apart IIEs from other interactions and population drivers has proven challenging and data-demanding, particularly in species-rich communities. We used stochastic population models parameterized with long-term time series of individual data to simulate population trajectories and examine IIEs in a simple high-arctic vertebrate food chain consisting of the wild Svalbard reindeer, its scavenger (the Arctic fox) and the barnacle goose, a migratory prey of the fox. We used the simulated population trajectories to explore co-fluctuations between the species within the food chain. Additionally, we adjusted the model in two ways: first, to isolate the impact of fluctuations in the abundance of a species by keeping its abundance constant; and second, to isolate the impact of a trophic interaction on the dynamics of other species by setting the abundance of the influencing species to zero. We found that fluctuations in reindeer carcasses shaped fox abundance fluctuations, which subsequently affected goose population dynamics. Reindeer and goose population growth rates were nevertheless only weakly correlated, probably in part due to demographic and environmental stochasticity, density dependence and lagged dynamics in the geese. However, removing the fluctuations in reindeer abundance or setting reindeer abundance to zero indeed demonstrated strong underlying IIEs on goose population dynamics and extinction probability. This study thus highlights the importance of species interactions, including IIEs, on species coexistence and communities in the long-term, that is beyond immediate effects and covariation in short-term fluctuations.

Conversion of Retinoids along the Marine Food Chain Contributes to Adverse Impacts on the Spine, Liver, and Intestinal Health of the Marine Medaka (Oryzias melastigma).

Marine microalgae serve as an aquaculture bait. To enhance algal cell growth and breeding profits, high-intensity light conditions are standard for cultivating bait microalgae, potentially altering microalgal metabolite production. This research revealed that Thalassiosira pseudonana, when subjected to high-intensity light conditions, accumulated significant quantities of retinal (RAL) that transferred through the food chain and transformed into all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) in marine medaka. The study further explored the toxic effects on individual fish and specific tissues, as well as the mechanisms behind this toxicity. The accumulation of atRA in the liver, intestine, and spinal column resulted in structural damage and tissue inflammation, as well as oxidative stress. It also down-regulated the gene transcription levels of key pathways involved in immune function and growth. Furthermore, it disrupted the homeostasis of the intestinal microbial communities. The implications for wildlife and human health, which are influenced by the regulation of microalgal metabolite accumulation and their transfer via the food chain, require further investigation and could hold broader significance.

Unveiling the Sources and Transfer of Mercury in Forest Bird Food Chains Using Techniques of Vivo-Nest Video Recording and Stable Isotopes.

Knowledge gaps in mercury (Hg) biomagnification in forest birds, especially in the most species-rich tropical and subtropical forests, limit our understanding of the ecological risks of Hg deposition to forest birds. This study aimed to quantify Hg bioaccumulation and transfer in the food chains of forest birds in a subtropical montane forest using a bird diet recorded by video and stable Hg isotope signals of biological and environmental samples. Results show that inorganic mercury (IHg) does not biomagnify along food chains, whereas methylmercury (MeHg) has trophic magnification factors of 7.4-8.1 for the basal resource-invertebrate-bird food chain. The video observations and MeHg mass balance model suggest that Niltava (Niltava sundara) nestlings ingest 78% of their MeHg from forest floor invertebrates, while Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassinus) nestlings ingest 59% from emergent aquatic invertebrates (which fly onto the canopy) and 40% from canopy invertebrates. The diet of Niltava nestlings contains 40% more MeHg than that of Flycatcher nestlings, resulting in a 60% higher MeHg concentration in their feather. Hg isotopic model shows that atmospheric Hg0 is the main Hg source in the forest bird food chains and contributes >68% in most organisms. However, three categories of canopy invertebrates receive ∼50% Hg from atmospheric Hg2+. Overall, we highlight the ecological risk of MeHg exposure for understory insectivorous birds caused by atmospheric Hg0 deposition and methylation on the forest floor.

Antibiotics and Pesticides Enhancing the Transfer of Resistomes among Soil-Bayberry-Fruit Fly Food Chain in the Orchard Ecosystem.

While substantial amounts of antibiotics and pesticides are applied to maintain orchard yields, their influence on the dissemination and risk of antibiotic resisitome in the orchard food chain remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the bacterial and fungal communities and differentiated both antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) in the soil, Chinese bayberry (matured and fallen), and fruit fly gut, collected from five geographic locations. Our results showed that fruit fly guts and soils exhibit a higher abundance of ARGs and VFGs compared with bayberry fruits. We identified 112 shared ARGs and 75 shared VFGs, with aminoglycoside and adherence factor genes being among the most abundant. The co-occurrence network revealed some shared microbes, such as Bacillus and Candida, as potential hosts of ARGs, highlighting the vector risks for both above- and below-ground parts of the orchard food chain. Notably, the elevated levels of antibiotics and pesticide residues in orchard soils increase ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and VFGs in the soil-bayberry-fruit fly food chain. Our study highlighted that agricultural management, including the overuse of antibiotics and pesticides, could be the key factor in accumulating resistomes in the orchard food chain.

Predicting PFAS fate in fish: Assessing the roles of dietary, respiratory, and dermal uptake in bioaccumulation modeling.

An increasing number of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposed to the environment may pose a threat to organisms and human beings. However, there is a lack of simulations comprehensively addressing and comparing the bioaccumulation of PFAS across all three major exposure routes (oral, inhalation, and dermal), especially for dermal uptake. In this study, we proposed a physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model for PFAS, aiming to predict bioaccumulation factors (BAF) in fish by considering these diverse exposure routes. 15 PFAS were used for model validation, and 11 PFAS from Taihu Lake were used for exposure contribution modeling. Approximately 64% of estimations fell within 10-fold model bias from measurements in Taihu Lake, underscoring the potential efficacy of the developed PBK model in predicting BAFs for fish. The dermal route emerges as a contributor to short-chain PFAS exposure. For example, it ranged widely from 46% to 75% (mean) for all modeling short-chain PFAS (C6-C7) in Taihu Lake. It indicated the criticality of considering dermal exposure for PFAS in fish, highlighting a gap in field studies to unravel cutaneous intake mechanisms and contributions. For longer carbon chains of PFAS (C8-C12), dermal exposure accounted for 2%-27% for all species of aquatic organisms. The fish's lipid fraction and water content played a significant role in the contribution of PFAS intake through cutaneous exposure and inhalation. Kow had a significant positive correlation with skin intake rate (p < 0.05) and gill intake rate (p < 0.001), while having a significant negative correlation with skin intake (p < 0.05) and skin intake contribution (p < 0.001). Based on the proposed modeling approach, we have introduced a simulation spreadsheet for projecting PFAS BAFs in fish tissues, hopefully broadening the predictive operational tool for a variety of chemical species.

Navigating the nexus: climate dynamics and microplastics pollution in coastal ecosystems.

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is an emerging environmental health concern, impacting soil, plants, animals, and humans through their entry into the food chain via bioaccumulation. Human activities such as improper solid waste dumping are significant sources that ultimately transport MPs into the water bodies of the coastal areas. Moreover, there is a complex interplay between the coastal climate dynamics, environmental factors, the burgeoning issue of MPs pollution and the complex web of coastal pollution. We embark on a comprehensive journey, synthesizing the latest research across multiple disciplines to provide a holistic understanding of how these inter-connected factors shape and reshape the coastal ecosystems. The comprehensive review also explores the impact of the current climatic patterns on coastal regions, the intricate pathways through which MPs can infiltrate marine environments, and the cascading effects of coastal pollution on ecosystems and human societies in terms of health and socio-economic impacts in coastal regions. The novelty of this review concludes the changes in climate patterns have crucial effects on coastal regions, proceeding MPs as more prevalent, deteriorating coastal ecosystems, and hastening the transfer of MPs. The continuous rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and strong storms result in habitat loss, decline in biodiversity, and economic repercussion. Feedback mechanisms intensify pollution effects, underlying the urgent demand for environmental conservation contribution. In addition, the complex interaction between human, industry, and biodiversity demanding cutting edge strategies, innovative approaches such as remote sensing with artificial intelligence for monitoring, biobased remediation techniques, global cooperation in governance, policies to lessen the negative socioeconomic and environmental effects of coastal pollution.

Poison in the water: Arsenic's silent assault on fish health.

Arsenic occurs across the world in freshwater and marine environments, menacing the survival of aquatic organisms. Organic and inorganic forms of this substance can be found, in which the inorganic form is more hazardous than the organic form. Most aquatic bodies contain inorganic arsenic species, but organic species are believed to be the dominant form of arsenic in the majority of fish. Natural and anthropogenic both are the sources of water contamination with arsenic. Its bioaccumulation and transfer from one trophic level to another in the aquatic food chain make arsenic a vital environmental issue. Continuous exposure to low concentrations of arsenic in aquatic organisms including fish leads to its bioaccumulation, which may affect organisms of higher trophic levels including large fishes or humans. Humans can be exposed to arsenic through the consumption of fish contaminated with arsenic. Hence, the present review facilitates our understanding about sources of arsenic, its bioaccumulation, food chain transfer, and its effect on the fish health. Also, "Poison in the Water: Arsenic's Silent Assault on Fish Health" serves as a wake-up call to recognize the pressing need to address arsenic contamination in water bodies. By understanding its devastating impact on fish health, we can strive to implement sustainable practices and policies that safeguard our precious aquatic environments and ensure the well-being of both wildlife and human communities that depend on them.

Exploring the environmental factor fulvic acid attenuates the ecotoxicity of graphene oxide under food delivery exposure.

There is limited understanding of nanoparticle potential ecotoxicity, particularly regarding the influence of environmental factors that can be transferred through the food chain. Here, we assessed the transfer behavior and the ecotoxicity of commercially manufactured graphene oxide nano-materials (GO, <100 nm) in a food chain perspective spanning from Escherichia coli (E. coli) to Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) under simulated environmental conditions. Our findings revealed that E. coli preyed upon GO, subsequently transferring it to C. elegans, with a discernible distribution of GO observed in the digestive system and reproductive system. Accumulated GO generated serious ecological consequences for the higher level of the food chain (C. elegans). More importantly, GO and the resulting injurious effects of germ cells could be transferred to the next generation, indicating that GO exposure could cause genetic damage across generations. Previous research has demonstrated that GO can induce degradation of both the inner and outer cell membranes of E. coli, which is then transmitted to C. elegans through the food chain. Additionally, fulvic acid (FA) possesses various functional groups that enable interaction with nanomaterials. Our findings indicated that these interactions could mitigate ecotoxicity caused by GO exposure via food delivery, and this approach could be extended to modify GO in a way that significantly reduced its toxic effects without compromising performance. These results highlighted how environmental factors could attenuate ecological risks associated with nanomaterial transmission through the food chain.

Toxicity and bioassimilation of lead and nickel in farm ruminants fed on diversified forage crops grown on contaminated soil.

The cultivation of forage crops on wastewater-irrigated soils, while common in many developing countries, poses significant risks due to heavy metal pollution, particularly Lead (Pb) and Nickel (Ni). This practice, aimed at addressing water scarcity challenges and providing affordable irrigation, was investigated for its ecological and human health implications across three diverse sites (site A, site B, and site C). Our study unveiled increases in Pb concentrations in contaminated soil, cultivated with Sesbania bispinosa showing the highest Pb accumulation. The Ni concentrations ranged from 5.34 to 10.43 across all forage crop samples, with S. fruticosa from site C displaying the highest Ni concentration and S. bicolor from site A exhibiting the lowest. Trace element concentrations in the specimens were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The Pb levels in the blood, hair, and feces of farm ruminants (cows, buffaloes, and sheep) varied across the sites, with buffaloes consistently displaying the highest Pb levels. Insights into daily Pb intake by ruminant's highlighted variations influenced by plant species, animal types, and sites, with site C, the cows exhibiting the highest Health Risk Index (HRI) associated with lead exposure from consuming forage crops. Soil and forage samples showed Pb concentrations ranging from 8.003 to 12.29 mg/kg and 6.69-10.52 mg/kg, respectively, emphasizing the severe health risks associated with continuous sewage usage. Variations in Ni concentrations across animal blood, hair, and feces samples underscored the importance of monitoring Ni exposure in livestock, with sheep at site B consistently showing the highest Ni levels. These findings highlight the necessity of vigilance in monitoring trace element (Pb and Ni) exposure in forage crops and livestock, to mitigate potential health risks associated with their consumption, with variations dependent on species, site, and trace element concentrations.

The inappropriate application of imidacloprid destroys the ability of predatory natural enemies to control pests in the food chain: A case study of the feeding behavior of Orius similis on Frankliniella occidentalis.

Insecticides are an indispensable and important tool for agricultural production. However, the inappropriate application of insecticides can cause damage to the food chain and ecosystem. Orius similis is an important predatory and natural enemy of Frankliniella occidentalis. Imidacloprid is widely used to control pests, but will inevitably exert adverse effects on O. similis. In order to determine the effect of different imidacloprid treatments on the ability of O. similis to prey on the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis, we determined the toxicity and predation of imidacloprid on different stages of O. similis under contact and ingestion treatments. In addition, we used the Holling disc equation to evaluate the ability of O. similis to search and exhibit predatory activity following contact and ingestion treatments. Analysis showed that the highest LC10 and LC20 values for imidacloprid contact and ingestion toxicity treatment were 17.06 mg/L and 23.74 mg/L, respectively. Both imidacloprid treatments led toa reduction in the predatory of O. similis on prey. The functional responses of the 3rd to 5th instar nymphs, along with female and male O. similis adults to the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis were consistent with the Holling type II response following contact and ingestion with imidacloprid. However, following imidacloprid treatment, the handing time (Th) of O. similis with single F. occidentalis was prolonged and the instantaneous attack rate (a) was reduced after imidacloprid treatment. The predatory capacity (a/Th) of female O. similis adults when treated with the LC10 concentration of imidacloprid by ingestion was 52.85; this was lower than that of the LC10 concentration of imidacloprid in the contact treatment (57.67). The extent of predation of O. similis on the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis was positively correlated with prey density, although the search effect was negatively correlated with prey density. The most extensive search effect was exhibited by adult O. similis females. Simulations with the Hessell-Varley interference model showed that an increase in the number of O. similis would reduce search efficiency regardless of whether they were treated with imidacloprid or not. Thus, O. similis, especially female adults, exhibited strong potential for controlling the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis. The toxicity of ingestion following treatment with the same concentration of imidacloprid in O. similis was greater than that of contact treatment. When using O. similis to control F. occidentalis in the field, we should increase the number of female adults released, and prolong the interval between imidacloprid treatment and O. similis exposure. This strategy will improve the control ability of O. similis, coordinate both chemical and biological control, reduce the impact of pesticides on the environment, and improve the efficiency of agricultural production.

Mercury biomagnification in the food chain of a piscivorous turtle species (Testudines: Chelidae: Chelus fimbriata) in the Central Amazon, Brazil.

Due to their natural history and ecological attributes, turtles are excellent organisms for studies of heavy metal contamination. Turtles have a large geographical distribution, occupy different aquatic habitats, and occupy various trophic levels. The present study investigated mercury bioaccumulation in the carnivorous chelonian Chelus fimbriata (Matamata turtle) and Hg biomagnification in relation to its aquatic food chain in the middle Rio Negro, AM-Brazil. Tissue samples of muscle, carapace and claws were collected from 26 C. fimbriata individuals, as well as collections of autotrophic energy sources found in the turtle's aquatic habitat area. The samples were collected in February-March/2014 and analyzed for THg concentrations and carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes. The highest THg levels were found in claws (3780 ng.g-1), carapace (3622 ng.g-1) and muscle (403 ng.g-1), which were found to be significantly different [F(2.73) = 49.02 p < 0.01]. However, THg concentrations in muscle tissue were below the consumption threshold indicated by the WHO and Brazilian Health Ministry. The average δ13C and δ15N values in Matamata samples were -31.7‰ and 11.9‰, respectively. The principal energy source sustaining the food chain of C. fimbriata was found to be terrestrial shrubs, with smaller contributions from emergent aquatic herbaceous plants and algae, while δ15N values showed its trophic position to be two levels above the autotrophic energy sources. There was a positive correlation between THg and turtle size, while a significant relationship was found between THg and δ15N, showing strong biomagnification in the food chain of C. fimbriata: y = 0.21x + 0.46; r2 = 0.45; p < 0.001, for which the slope presented a value of 0.21.

Eutrophication-driven infochemical dimethylsulfide accelerates carbon transfer in freshwater food chain.

Dimethylsulfide (DMS) is a major organic sulfide in aquatic ecosystems and an infochemical that is considered as a key predictor of changes in energy and material fluxes and stocks. It is largely unknown how DMS changes and affects the food webs and material cycles in eutrophicated freshwater. In this study, field monitoring and literature surveys were conducted to analyze the effects of eutrophication on DMS concentrations. Daphnia-zebrafish microcosms were then used to investigate the effects of DMS concentrations on carbon transfer. The results demonstrated that the concentration of DMS was increased by eutrophication related indicators (chlorophyll and phosphorus). Eutrophication driven DMS altered carbon transfer in the freshwater food chain. Low concentrations (0.1-1 nM) of DMS promoted the predation of daphnia by zebrafish compared to the 0.01 nM DMS, which further stimulated the total carbon transfer from daphnia to zebrafish and altered the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) distribution in water. High concentrations (10-100 nM) of DMS did not alter zebrafish predation on daphnia and carbon transfer. DOC excreted by zebrafish altered carbon emission potential, and DMS in water showed a unimodal relationship with the carbon emission potential, peaking at 0.40 nM DMS. Keeping the DMS in water at 1.82 nM may maintain a lower carbon emission potential. These results improved the understanding of the effects of eutrophication on DMS, demonstrated the ecological role of DMS on freshwater fish and the carbon cycle, estimated the effects of DMS on the carbon emission potential of fish, and offered new insights into the management of eutrophication.

Screening of mustard cultivars for phytoremediation of heavy metals contamination in wastewater irrigated soil systems.

The mustard (Brassica juncea L.) plant is a well-known and widely accepted hyper-accumulator of heavy metals. The genetic makeup of mustard's cultivars may significantly impact their phytoremediation capabilities. The present study aimed to investigate the growth performance, yield attributes, and heavy metal accumulation potential of B. juncea cv. Varuna, NRCHB 101, RH 749, Giriraj, and Kranti, cultivated in soil irrigated with wastewater (EPS) and bore-well water (MPS). EPS contributed more Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Ni to tested mustard cultivars than the MPS. EPS reduced morphological, biochemical, physiological, and yield attributes of tested mustard cultivars significantly (p < 0.05) than the MPS. Among the tested cultivars of mustard plants, Varuna had the highest heavy metal load with the lowest harvest index (35.8 and 0.21, respectively). Whereas NRCHB 101 showed the lowest heavy metal load with the highest harvest index (26.9 and 0.43, respectively). The present study suggests that B. juncea cv. Varuna and NRCHB 101 could be used for the phytoextraction of heavy metals and reducing their contamination in food chain, respectively in wastewater irrigated areas of peri-urban India. The outcomes of the present study can also be utilized to develop a management strategy for sustainable agriculture in heavy metal polluted areas resulting from long-term wastewater irrigation.

Analysis of the regulations concerning circular economy and its relationship to the reduction of food loss and waste on an international level: A review.

The term food loss and waste (FLW) refers to discarded food during the different stages of the food chain. Food loss occurs during the initial stages of the food chain, and food waste occurs during the final stages. The relation between FLW and circular economy (CE) is particularly important for countries which are beginning to implement actions or regulations on this topic. These proposals may have an impact in strategic sectors of their economy. The objective of this review document was to analyse the regulations of FLW and CE in some countries located throughout the European Union, Asia, Africa and Latin America. To fulfil this objective, FLW and CE regulations were identified and analysed in 12 countries located in the aforementioned regions. The analysis showed that France, Spain, Japan and Uruguay included objectives related to FLW in their CE legislations focusing on food waste reduction, whereas China, Chile, Argentina and Mexico did not include FLW in their CE legislations. African countries did not have CE legislations in place yet. France and Japan have had more success in the reduction of FLW. In conclusion, CE regulation should include FLW regulation to achieve more efficiency at reducing and reusing these residues.

Spatial heterogeneity of biomass turnover has contrasting effects on synchrony and stability in trophic metacommunities.

Spatial heterogeneity is a fundamental feature of ecosystems, and ecologists have identified it as a factor promoting the stability of population dynamics. In particular, differences in interaction strengths and resource supply between patches generate an asymmetry of biomass turnover with a fast and a slow patch coupled by a mobile predator. Here, we demonstrate that asymmetry leads to opposite stability patterns in metacommunities receiving localized perturbations depending on the characteristics of the perturbed patch. Perturbing prey in the fast patch synchronizes the dynamics of prey biomass between the two patches and destabilizes predator dynamics by increasing the predator's temporal variability. Conversely, perturbing prey in the slow patch decreases the synchrony of the prey's dynamics and stabilizes predator dynamics. Our results have implications for conservation ecology and suggest reinforcing protection policies in fast patches to dampen the effects of perturbations and promote the stability of population dynamics at the regional scale.

Towards a mechanistic understanding of variation in aquatic food chain length.

Ecologists have long sought to understand variation in food chain length (FCL) among natural ecosystems. Various drivers of FCL, including ecosystem size, resource productivity and disturbance, have been hypothesised. However, when results are aggregated across existing empirical studies from aquatic ecosystems, we observe mixed FCL responses to these drivers. To understand this variability, we develop a unified competition-colonisation framework for complex food webs incorporating all of these drivers. With competition-colonisation tradeoffs among basal species, our model predicts that increasing ecosystem size generally results in a monotonic increase in FCL, while FCL displays non-linear, oscillatory responses to resource productivity or disturbance in large ecosystems featuring little disturbance or high productivity. Interestingly, such complex responses mirror patterns in empirical data. Therefore, this study offers a novel mechanistic explanation for observed variations in aquatic FCL driven by multiple environmental factors.

Biofilms as protective cocoons against biocides: from bacterial adaptation to One Health issues.

Bacteria in the food chain mostly live in communities associated with surfaces known as biofilms, which confer specific survival and adaptive abilities. In such communities, the bacteria mostly exhibit higher tolerance to external stress, and their recurrent exposure along the food chain to biocides used during cleaning and disinfection procedures raises concern about the adaptation routes they develop, both at single-cell and communal levels. In recent years, an increasing number of research subjects have focused on understanding the specific features of biofilms that enable bacterial populations to adapt to biocide exposure within a 'protective cocoon'. The first part of this review concentrates on the diversity of adaptive strategies, including structural modulation of these biofilms, physiological response or the acquisition of genetic resistance. The second part discusses the possible side effects of biofilm adaptation to biocides on antimicrobial cross-resistance, virulence and colonization features from a One Health perspective.