Uncovering the physiology and distribution of thallium in Tl-hyperaccumulating and Tl-sensitive populations of Biscutella laevigata L.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Thallium (Tl) is extremely toxic to all lifeforms and an emerging pollutant. Plants in the Brassicaceae family, including edible crops, have an enhanced capacity for Tl accumulation, even from soils with low thallium concentration. The most extreme Tl hyperaccumulator is Biscutella laevigata, capable of attaining >32,000 µg Tl g-1 DW in its leaves. METHODS: Biscutella laevigata from a non-metallicolous accession (Feltre, Italy) and a metallicolous accession (Les Malines, France) were subjected to a dosing experiment in hydroponics (0, 5, 30 µM Tl), followed by synchrotron-based µXRF analysis to elucidate tissue and cellular-level Tl distribution. KEY RESULTS: Flow cytometric data on the two used accessions showed the Feltre accession has a genome size twice of that of the Les Malines accession (256 and 125 pg/2C respectively), suggesting they are phylogenetically distant populations. The Feltre accession does not accumulate Tl (125 µg Tl g-1 DW on average in leaves) at the 5 µM Tl dose level, whereas the Les Malines accession had a mean of 1750 µg Tl g-1 DW, with peaks of 24,130 µg Tl g-1 DW at the 30 µM Tl dose level. At 30 µM Tl the non-metallicolous accession did not grow, and at 5 µM Tl showed reduced biomasss compared to the metallicolous one. In Les Malines accession, the synchrotron-based µXRF analysis revealed that Tl is localised in the vacuoles of epidermal cells, especially underneath trichomes and in trichome basal cells. Thallium also occurs in solid crystalline deposits (3-5 µm in size, ~40 wt% Tl) that are mainly found in foliar margins and under trichome bases. CONCLUSIONS: Biscutella laevigata is an attractive model for studying Tl hypertolerance and hyperaccumulation on account of the extreme expression of this trait, and its marked intraspecific variability.

Microplastic Contamination of a Benthic Ecosystem in a Hydrothermal Vent.

Plastic contamination is a global pervasive issue, extending from coastal areas and open oceans to polar regions and even the deep sea. Microplastic (MP) contamination in hydrothermal vents, which are known for their high biodiversity even under extreme conditions, has remained largely unexplored. Here, we present, for the first time, MP pollution in a deep-sea hydrothermal vent at one of the biodiversity hotspots─the Central Indian Ridge. Not only the environment (seawater: 2.08 ± 1.04 MPs/L, surface sediments: 0.57 ± 0.19 MP/g) but also all six major benthic species investigated were polluted by MPs. MPs mainly consisted of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene fragments ≤100 µm and were characterized as being either transparent or white in color. Remarkably, bioaccumulation and even biomagnification of microplastics were observed in the top predators of the ecosystem, such as squat lobsters (14.25 ± 4.65 MPs/individual) and vent crabs (14.00 ± 2.16 MPs/individual), since they contained more MPs than animals at lower trophic levels (e.g., mussels and snails, 1.75-6.00 average MPs/individuals). These findings reveal MP contamination of an ecosystem in a hydrothermal vent, thereby suggesting that their accumulation and magnification can occur in top-level animals, even within remote and extreme environments.

Scalable and Consolidated Microbial Platform for Rare Earth Element Leaching and Recovery from Waste Sources.

Chemical methods for the extraction and refinement of technologically critical rare earth elements (REEs) are energy-intensive, hazardous, and environmentally destructive. Current biobased extraction systems rely on extremophilic organisms and generate many of the same detrimental effects as chemical methodologies. The mesophilic methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 was previously shown to grow using electronic waste by naturally acquiring REEs to power methanol metabolism. Here we show that growth using electronic waste as a sole REE source is scalable up to 10 L with consistent metal yields without the use of harsh acids or high temperatures. The addition of organic acids increases REE leaching in a nonspecific manner. REE-specific bioleaching can be engineered through the overproduction of REE-binding ligands (called lanthanophores) and pyrroloquinoline quinone. REE bioaccumulation increases with the leachate concentration and is highly specific. REEs are stored intracellularly in polyphosphate granules, and genetic engineering to eliminate exopolyphosphatase activity increases metal accumulation, confirming the link between phosphate metabolism and biological REE use. Finally, we report the innate ability of M. extorquens to grow using other complex REE sources, including pulverized smartphones, demonstrating the flexibility and potential for use as a recovery platform for these critical metals.

Integrated Transfer Learning and Multitask Learning Strategies to Construct Graph Neural Network Models for Predicting Bioaccumulation Parameters of Chemicals.

Accurate prediction of parameters related to the environmental exposure of chemicals is crucial for the sound management of chemicals. However, the lack of large data sets for training models may result in poor prediction accuracy and robustness. Herein, integrated transfer learning (TL) and multitask learning (MTL) was proposed for constructing a graph neural network (GNN) model (abbreviated as TL-MTL-GNN model) using n-octanol/water partition coefficients as a source domain. The TL-MTL-GNN model was trained to predict three bioaccumulation parameters based on enlarged data sets that cover 2496 compounds with at least one bioaccumulation parameter. Results show that the TL-MTL-GNN model outperformed single-task GNN models with and without the TL, as well as conventional machine learning models trained with molecular descriptors or fingerprints. Applicability domains were characterized by a state-of-the-art structure-activity landscape-based (abbreviated as ADSAL) methodology. The TL-MTL-GNN model coupled with the optimal ADSAL was employed to predict bioaccumulation parameters for around 60,000 chemicals, with more than 13,000 compounds identified as bioaccumulative chemicals. The high predictive accuracy and robustness of the TL-MTL-GNN model demonstrate the feasibility of integrating the TL and MTL strategy in modeling small-sized data sets. The strategy holds significant potential for addressing small data challenges in modeling environmental chemicals.

Differences in the accumulation of pentachloronitrobenzene and cadmium in vegetables grown in contaminated soils.

The capability of different vegetable species to accumulate Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) and cadmium (Cd) in soils varies significantly. Investigating these characteristics can guide the rational use of farmland contaminated with PCNB and Cd. The growth of five common vegetables (three vegetable species and three varieties of one species) in PCNB and Cd co-contaminated soils in Southwest China was investigated through a 100-day simulated contamination pot experiment. Interspecific and intervariety differences in the uptake and accumulation of PCNB and Cd were also examined. These vegetables included leafy types such as Lactuca sativa (CL), Lactuca sativa var. longifolia (RL), and Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis (BC), and root types such as Red Raphanus sativus (RR) and Lactuca sativa var. angustata (AL). Results showed that light to medium PCNB contamination (0.44-6.74 mg kg-1) promoted the growth of leafy vegetables, while severe contamination (9.88-9.96 mg kg-1) inhibited their growth. Root vegetables were inhibited by PCNB. Soil Cd contamination reduced the biomass of all five vegetables. In co-contamination soil (PCNB: 0.47-9.88 mg kg-1; Cd: 0.46-1.63 mg kg-1), vegetable growth was affected by the interaction between PCNB and Cd. In severely PCNB-contaminated soil, PCNB contents of CL, RL, BC, and AL leaves exceeded food safety limits, while those in RR and AL stems did not. The five vegetables showed varying Cd contamination, with AL leaves being the most contaminated, exceeding the standard by 60 times. PCNB accumulation followed the order: AL leaves > BC > AL stems > RL > CL > RR. Cd accumulation was highest in AL leaves, followed by stems, RR, BC, CL, and lowest in RL, with significant differences (P < 0.05). Co-contaminated soil did not promote PCNB and Cd uptake in vegetables. CL and RL, with low PCNB and Cd accumulation capacities, could be considered low-accumulation varieties for lightly contaminated soils.

Plants as effective bioindicators for heavy metal pollution monitoring.

This study investigated the bioindicator potential of Amaranthus retroflexus L., Plantago lanceolata L., Rumex acetosa L., and Trifolium pratense L. including the use of Lolium multiflorum L. as a reference species, for heavy metal pollution monitoring, in particular Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), and Lead (Pb). Controlled heavy metal contamination was applied through irrigation with metal nitrate solutions two levels of contamination (low and high). The study also focused on analyzing heavy metals concentration in plant tissues and related physiological responses. Distinct physiological responses to heavy metal stress were observed among the investigated species, highlighting unique variations in their reactions. Hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde content, and enzymatic activities emerged as reliable indicators of plant stress induced by heavy metal solutions. P. lanceolata displayed elevated Zn concentrations in both roots and leaves (3271 ± 337 and 4956 ± 82 mg kg-1). For Pb, L. multiflorum and P. lanceolata showed highest root concentrations (2964 ± 937 and 1605 ± 289 mg kg-1), while R. acetosa had higher leaf concentration (1957 ± 147 mg kg-1). For Ni, L. multiflorum had the highest root concentration (1148 ± 93 mg kg-1), and P. lanceolata exhibited the highest leaf concentration (2492 ± 28 mg kg-1). P. lanceolata consistently demonstrated the highest Cd concentrations in both roots (126 ± 21 mg kg-1) and leaves (163 ± 12 mg kg-1). These results provide valuable insights for selecting effective bioindicator species to establish control strategies for heavy metal pollution.

Metal cross-contamination relationships between sediments and loricariidae species (siluriform) in a neotropical riverine system.

Human activities have changed the natural rates at which metals are moved and accumulated in both land and water environments, resulting in negative impacts on local wildlife. In this study, concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, Co, and Zn were evaluated in water and riverbed sediment samples collected from the Verde River basin (VR), as well as in tissue samples from five native Loricariidae species. Sediment samples collected from the central section of the VR riverbed indicated the presence of metal concentrations, which were primarily attributed to scattered pollution sources linked to rural activities in the surrounding areas. The bioconcentration factor in the Loricariids liver presented the highest average values for Zn (1.27-58.21), Co (0.48-14.91) and Cu (1.15-11.14). The same pattern was observed in the muscle, but in a lower proportion. Regarding the bioaccumulation factor, Co (1.54-34.84), Cu (5.85-25.22) and Zn (0.64-18.08) attained the highest average values in the liver. The co-inertia analysis examined the spatial distribution of metal concentrations in riverbed sediments and in tissues of Loricariids from the upper, middle, and lower stretches of the river, including the river mouth. The analysis revealed varying patterns, with samples from some regions showing higher bioaccumulation levels. This suggests that riverbed sediments are a primary source of metal contamination in Loricariids from these areas. The pollution has had a significant impact on the bioaccumulation of metals in the VR' Loricariids, which are good indicators of sediment-associated metal bioaccumulation. The metal concentrations recorded in both the riverbed sediments and Loricariids surpassed international and Brazilian limits set for aquatic health and safe human consumption. Given the importance of the Verde River in terms of its ecological, social, cultural, and economic roles, it is essential to implement biomonitoring and control measures to safeguard both terrestrial and aquatic resources.

How effective is score-based data quality assessment? An illustration with fish BCF data.

Increasingly rigorous data quality (DQ) evaluations and/or screening practices are being applied to environmental and ecotoxicological datasets. DQ is predominantly evaluated by scoring given data against preselected criteria. This study provides the first examination on the effectiveness of score-based DQ evaluation in providing statistically meaningful differentiation of measurements using fish bioconcentration factor (BCF) dataset as an illustration. This is achieved by inspecting how log BCF differs with the built-in overall-DQ and specific-DQ evaluations, and how it is influenced by interactive effects and hierarchy of DQ criteria. Approximately 80-90% of analyzable chemicals show no statistical difference in log BCF between low-quality (LQ) and high-quality (HQ) measurements in overall evaluation (n = 183) or in individual evaluation of 6 DQ criteria (n = 53 to 101). Further examination shows that log BCF may/may not change with different combinations or total number of criteria violations. Tree analysis and nodal structures of deviation in log BCF also reveal the absence of common structural dependence on the criteria violated. Finally, simple averaging of all measurements without DQ differentiation yields comparable log BCFs as those derived using strictly HQ data with ≤0.5 log unit difference in over 93% of the chemicals (n = 158) and no dependence on number of measurements, fraction of LQ measurements, or bioaccumulation potential of the chemicals. For accurate log BCF, DQ appears no more important than having more independent measurements irrespective of their individual DQ statuses. This work concludes by calling for: (i) re-documentation of experimental details in legacy environmental and ecotoxicological datasets, (ii) examination of other DQ-categorized datasets using the tests and tools applied here, and (ii) a thorough and systematic reflection on how DQ should be assessed for modeling, benchmarking, and other data-based analyses or applications.

Ecological and health risk assessments of heavy metals and their accumulation in a peanut-soil system.

Heavy metals pollution is a notable threat to environment and human health. This study evaluated the potential ecological and health risks of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, and As) and their accumulation in a peanut-soil system based on 34 soil and peanut kernel paired samples across China. Soil As and Cd posed the greatest pollution risk with 47.1% and 17.6% of soil samples exceeding the risk screen levels, respectively, with 26.5% and 20.6% of the soil sites at relatively strong potential ecological risk level, respectively, and with the geo-accumulation levels at several soil sites in the uncontaminated to moderately contaminated categories. About 35.29% and 2.94% of soil sites were moderately and severely polluted based on Nemerow comprehensive pollution index, respectively, and a total of 32.4% of samples were at moderate ecological hazard level based on comprehensive potential ecological risk index values. The Cd, Cr, Ni, and Cu contents exceeded the standard in 11.76, 8.82, 11.76 and 5.88% of the peanut kernel samples, respectively. Soil metals posed more health risks to children than adults in the order As > Ni > Cr > Cu > Pb > Zn > Cd for non-carcinogenic health risks and Ni > Cr â‰« Cd > As > Pb for carcinogenic health risks. The soil As non-cancer risk index for children was greater than the permitted limits at 14 sites, and soil Ni and Cr posed the greatest carcinogenic risk to adults and children at many soil sites. The metals in peanut did not pose a non-carcinogenic risk according to standard. Peanut kernels had strong enrichment ability for Cd with an average bio-concentration factor (BCF) of 1.62. Soil metals contents and significant soil properties accounted for 35-74% of the variation in the BCF values of metals based on empirical prediction models.

Evaluation of the EMA log kow trigger for fish BCF testing based on data for several human pharmaceuticals.

In the European Medicines Agency (EMA) "Guideline for Environmental Risk Assessment of Medicinal Products for Human Use," a fish bioconcentration factor (BCF) study is triggered in Phase I for pharmaceuticals having log Kow >4.5, to support Persistence, Bioaccumulation and Toxicity (PBT) screening, and in Phase II to assess secondary poisoning and bioaccumulation ('B') potential when log Kow ≥3. The standard sampling schedule outlined in OECD Test Guideline 305 (TG305) may require assessment of approximately 200 fish following exposure to low- and high-test concentrations and a negative control. We report experimental log Kow and BCF values for 64 human pharmaceuticals that were used to evaluate the current BCF testing trigger of log Kow ≥3, and whether a single BCF exposure concentration allows accurate classification of bioaccumulation potential. Our data support raising the BCF testing trigger to log Kow ≥4, and use of a single test concentration. The resulting reduction in the use of fish is consistent with the 3 R s principle and did not adversely affect classification accuracy. An assessment of potential risk of secondary poisoning was also conducted for three drugs classified as either B or vB, and no risks were identified.

Assessment of trace element occurrence in Nile Tilapia from the Rosetta branch of the River Nile, Egypt: Implications for human health risk via lifetime consumption.

River pollution can harm human health through direct contact, drinking water, and the consumption of contaminated fish and irrigated agricultural products. Surface water and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) samples were collected monthly from July 2022 to June 2023 at three sites (El-Rahawy, Sabal, and Tala) along the Rosetta Nile branch in Egypt to monitor the presence of eight trace elements. The potential human health risks from consuming contaminated fish were also assessed. Iron and manganese were consistently detected in all water samples across most seasons and locations, with concentrations generally below the WHO permissible levels. All 72 analyzed fish muscle samples were found to contain trace elements. The mean concentrations of metals in the fish muscle samples, in descending order, were: iron > zinc > copper > manganese > tin > antimony > lead > mercury. Significant spatial and seasonal variations were observed in both water and fish samples. El-Rahawy was identified as the most contaminated site, with summer exhibiting the highest contamination rate compared to other seasons. Fish samples collected from El-Rahawy demonstrated the highest bioconcentration factor (BCF) values for most elements, particularly mercury, lead, iron, manganese, and antimony. Target hazard quotient (THQ) calculations for the trace elements in Nile tilapia muscles revealed that all trace elements, except antimony, had THQ values below 1, suggesting that consuming Nile tilapia from these sites is unlikely to cause adverse health effects. However, THQ values for antimony exceeded the threshold of 1, indicating a potential health risk for consumers. Although the detected trace elements in the fish were below the permissible toxicity limits, some could pose a future threat to human health, necessitating further studies, ongoing monitoring, and preventive measures.

Arabidopsis thaliana YUC1 reduced fluoranthene accumulation by modulating IAA content and antioxidant enzyme activities.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) can regulate plant growth and thus modulate the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, the effect of endogenous IAA on PAHs accumulation and its influencing factors remains unclear. To unravel this, two different IAA expression genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, i.e., IAA-underproducing yucca1D [YUC1] mutant and wild type [WT]) were selected and treated with different fluoranthene (Flu) concentrations (0 mg/L [CK], 5 mg/L [Flu5], and 20 mg/L [Flu20]) to reveal the impact mechanism of endogenous IAA on Flu uptake by plants. The results indicated that under Flu5 treatment, the bioconcentration factors (BCF) and translocation factors (TF) of Flu in WT were 41.4 % and 14.3 % higher than those in YUC1. Similarly, under Flu20 treatment, the BCF and TF of Flu in WT were also 42.2 % and 8.2 % higher than those in YUC1. In addition, the BCF and TF were 72.5 % and 35.8 % higher under Flu5 treatment compared to Flu20 treatment for WT, and 73.4 % and 28.6 % higher respectively for YUC1. Moreover, WT exhibited higher plant growth (biomass, root morphology indicators [root length, root area and number of tips]) and IAA content compared to YUC1 under identical Flu treatments. Plant growth and IAA content declined with the increase of Flu concentration in both YUC1 and WT leaves compared with CK treatment. Conversely, in WT roots, root biomass and morphology indicators promoted followed by a decrease as the concentration of Flu increased. Additionally, the antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, and CAT) of WT were 11.1 %, 16.7 %, and 28.9 % higher than those of YUC1 under Flu5 treatment, and 13.6 %, 12.9 %, and 26.5 % higher under Flu20 treatment. Compared with CK treatment, SOD and POD activities promoted with increasing Flu concentration, whereas CAT activities decreased. Variability separation analysis revealed that level of IAA primarily influenced Flu accumulation in WT or under Flu5 treatments, whereas antioxidant enzyme activity primarily affected Flu accumulation in YUC1 or under Flu20 treatments. Exploring the relationship between the IAA synthesis gene YUCCA and IAA levels, alongside Flu accumulation, could yield novel insights into the regulation of PAH accumulation in plants.

Gut microbiome as biomarker for triclosan toxicity in Labeo rohita: bioconcentration, immunotoxicity and metagenomic profiling.

Triclosan (TCS) is a lipophilic, broad spectrum antimicrobial agent commonly used in personal care products with a projected continuous escalation in aquatic environments in the post COVID 19 era. There is rich documentation in the literature on the alteration of physiological responses in fish due to TCS exposure; however, studies on gut associated bacteria of fish are still scarce. This is the first attempt to determine changes in bacterial community structure due to exposure of TCS on Labeo rohita, a commercially essential freshwater species, using 16S V3-V4 region ribosomal RNA (rRNA) next-generation sequencing (NGS). Chronic exposure of TCS at environmentally realistic concentrations viz. 1/5th (T1: 0.129 mg/L) and 1/10th (T2: 0.065 mg/L) of LC50 for 28 days resulted in the dose dependent bioconcentration of TCS in the fish gut. Prolonged exposure to TCS leads to disruption of gut bacteria evidenced by down regulation of the host immune system. Additionally, high-throughput sequencing analysis showed alternation in the abundance and diversity of microbial communities in the gut, signifying Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia as dominant phyla. Significant changes were also observed in the relative abundance of Chloroflexi and Gammatimonadetes phyla in TCS exposed groups. The study revealed that gut microbiome can be used as a biomarker in assessing the degree of TCS toxicity in commercially important fish species.

Inventing hyperaccumulator plants: improving practice in phytoextraction research and terminology.

Toxic metals and metalloids, especially from anthropogenic sources, now pollute substantial areas of our planet. Phytoextraction is a proven technology with the potential to reduce metal/metalloid pollution, and where financially viable, recover valuable metals ('phytomining'). Toward these aims, there has been a surge of publications over the last two decades. While important progress is being made, ongoing propagation of poor practice, and the resultant drain from funding sources, is hindering this promising research area. This includes mis-ascribing hyperaccumulator species, hydroponics with extremely high dose levels, misuse of Bioconcentration Factors, use of food or biomass crops with low accumulation for phytoextraction, the phenomenon of 'template papers' in which a known hyperaccumulator for element X is dosed with element Y, or a common weed species dosed with any variety of elements to make it 'hyperaccumulate'. Here we highlight these misconceptions with the hope that this will help to: (i) disseminate accurate definitions for in planta metal accumulation; (ii) quash the propagation of poor practice by limiting the inflation of unnecessary publications via the practice of 'template paper' writing; (iii) be used by journal editors and reviewers to validate their reasoning to authors; and (iv) contribute to faster progress in delivering this technology to in-the-field practitioners.

In this note, we highlight some common misconceptions with the hope that this will help to disseminate accurate definitions for hyperaccumulation, promote the appropriate use of hydroponics, and limit template paper writing.

Iodide- and electrochemical assisted removal of mercury by Cirsium arvense from gold tailings in the Amansie West District, Ghana.

Mercury (Hg) pollution in Ghana through mining has become a serious environmental challenge. This study investigates the potential of Cirsium arvense to photostabilize Hg using electrokinetic current with or without an iodide solution in gold mine tailings heavily contaminated through mining activities in southern Ghana. An initial Hg concentration of 9.60 mg/kg using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) was determined. The biological absorption coefficient, bioconcentration factor, and translocation factor of Hg have been presented. Cirsium arvense therefore had a higher bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 2.6-5.15 mg/kg, and a transfer factor (TF) of 0.24-0.36 indicating a higher efficiency for phytostabilization. Both the rate and time of extractions of Hg from the tailings by Cirsium arvense are efficiently improved in the combined electric current and iodide treatment. Plant and electric current combined treatment and plant and iodide combined treatment had only 60 and 50% phytostabilization rates, respectively. The combined plant, iodide, and electric current treatment has proven to be superior with about >90% Hg removal rate. Therefore, the combined plant, iodide, and electric current treatment resulted in a higher Hg removal efficiency by Cirsium arvense in a shorter period due to higher solubilization rate and electromigration effects on Hg species.

Merging Counter-Propagation and Back-Propagation Algorithms: Overcoming the Limitations of Counter-Propagation Neural Network Models.

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are nowadays applied as the most efficient methods in the majority of machine learning approaches, including data-driven modeling for assessment of the toxicity of chemicals. We developed a combined neural network methodology that can be used in the scope of new approach methodologies (NAMs) assessing chemical or drug toxicity. Here, we present QSAR models for predicting the physical and biochemical properties of molecules of three different datasets: aqueous solubility, acute fish toxicity toward fat head minnow, and bio-concentration factors. A novel neural network modeling method is developed by combining two neural network algorithms, namely, the counter-propagation modeling strategy (CP-ANN) with the back-propagation-of-errors algorithm (BPE-ANN). The advantage is a short training time, robustness, and good interpretability through the initial CP-ANN part, while the extension with BPE-ANN improves the precision of predictions in the range between minimal and maximal property values of the training data, regardless of the number of neurons in both neural networks, either CP-ANN or BPE-ANN.

Assessment of heavy metals accumulation by vegetables irrigated with different stages of textile wastewater for evaluation of food and health risk.

Wastewater irrigation for vegetable cultivation is greatly concerned about the presence of toxic metals in irrigated soil and vegetables which causes possible threats to human health. This study aimed to ascertain the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in edible parts of vegetables irrigated with different stages of textile dyeing wastewater (TDW). Bio-concentration factor (BCF), Estimated daily intake (EDI), and target hazard quotient (THQ) were computed to estimate human health risks and speculate the hazard index (HI) of adults and children with the consumption of HMs contaminated vegetables at recommended doses. Five vegetables (red amaranth, Indian spinach, cauliflower, tomato, and radish) in a pot experiment were irrigated with groundwater (T1) and seven stages of TDW (T2∼T8) following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Among the TDW stages, T8, T7, T4, and T5 exhibited elevated BCF, EDI, THQ, and HI due to a rising trend in the accumulation of Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni heavy metals in the edible portion of the red amaranth, followed by radish, Indian spinach, cauliflower, and tomato. The general patterns of heavy metal (HM) accumulation, regarded as vital nutrients for plants, were detected in the following sequence: Zn > Mn/Cu > Fe. Conversely, toxic metals were found to be Cd/Cr > Ni > Pb, regardless of the type of vegetables. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified T8, T7, and T4 of TDW as the primary contributors to the accumulation of heavy metals in the vegetables examined. Furthermore, the analysis of the heavy metals revealed that the BCF, THQ, and HI values for all studied metals were below 1, except for Pb. This suggests that the present consumption rates of different leafy and non-leafy vegetables, whether consumed individually or together, provide a low risk in terms of heavy metal exposure. Nevertheless, the consumption of T8, T7, and T4 irrigated vegetables, specifically Indian spinach alone or in combination with red amaranth and radish, by both adults and children, at the recommended rate, was found to pose potential health risks. On the other hand, T2, T3, and T6 irrigated vegetables were deemed safe for consumption. These findings indicated that the practice of irrigating the vegetables with T8, T7, and T4 stages of TDW has resulted in a significant buildup of heavy metals in the soils and edible parts of vegetables which are posing health risks to adults and children. Hence, it is imperative to discharge the T8, T7, and T4 stages of TDW after ETP to prevent the contamination of vegetables and mitigate potential health risks.

Antibiotics Uptake from Soil and Translocation in the Plants - Meta-analysis.

Antibiotics reach agricultural soils via fertilization with manure and biosolids as well as irrigation withwastewater and have the potential to be taken up by growing crops. The fate of antibiotics in terms of uptakefrom soil to plants, as well as translocation from root to leaves, is determined by a combination of antibiotic'sphysio-chemical (e.g. speciation, lipophilicity), soil (e.g. organic carbon content, pH) and plant (e.g.transpiration rates) characteristics. In this meta-analysis, a literature search was executed to obtain an overview of antibiotic uptake to plants, with an aim to identify uptake and translocation patterns of different antibiotic classes. Overall, we found that higher uptake of tetracyclines to plant leaves was observed compared to sulfonamides. Differences were also observed in translocation within the plants, where tetracyclines were found in roots and leaves with close to equal concentrations, while the sulfonamides represented a tendency to accumulate to the root fraction. The antibiotic's characteristics have a high influence on their fate, for example, the high water-solubility and uncharged speciation in typical agricultural soil pH ranges likely induces tetracycline uptake from soil and translocation in plant. Despite the advances in knowledge over the past decade, our meta-analysis indicated that the available research is focused on a limited number of analytes and antibiotic classes. Furthermore, fastgrowing plant species (e.g. spinach, lettuce, and radish) are overly represented in studies compared to crop species with higher significance for human food sources (e.g. corn, wheat, and potato), requiring more attention in future research.

Selected detrimental and essential elements in fruiting bodies of culinary and toxic medicinal macroscopic fungi growing in the Bohemian Forest, the Czech Republic.

Selected wild-growing edible fungi (Boletus edulis, Neoboletus luridiformis, Cantharellus cibarius, Macrolepiota procera, Amanita rubescens, Russula virescens, Lycoperdon perlatum, and Flammulina velutipes) along with the poisonous medicinal species Amanita muscaria were collected from five sites in the Bohemian Forest, the Czech Republic and analyzed regarding the contents of 19 elements (Ag, Al, As, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Tl, and Zn) in their fruiting bodies. The contents of the elements as well as bioconcentration factors (ratios of the element content in dry matter of the mushroom to the content in the soil; BCF) were significantly species dependent. In general, the analysis revealed the most intensive accumulation of Cd, Rb, Ag, Cu, Se, and Zn in the studied mushrooms. B. edulis accumulated Ag, Se, Cd, Rb, Cu, and Zn with average BCF of 31, 25, 18, 13, 3.9, and 2.6, respectively. On the other hand, A. rubescens accumulated Cd, Rb, Ag, Cu, Zn, and As (BCF of 41, 27, 4.8, 3.3, 2.1, and 1.4). The data concerning the detrimental elements in sporocarps of edible mushrooms indicate no negative effect on human health if the fungi are consumed occasionally or as a delicacy.

Evaluation of soil pollution effects on maize (Zea mays) at selected Pb-Zn and limestone mine sites in Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria.

This research examined soil contamination and the uptake of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by maize plants in mining communities. We collected 192 soil samples and 40 maize plant samples from two mining areas and a pristine site. We analyzed the physical properties and element content of the soil, including phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, Fe, Zn, Co, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni. We also measured the elemental concentrations in the maize plants. The study found higher levels of Zn, Cu, and Pb at the mining sites compared to the control areas. The pollution factor (CF) indicated pollution with Cu > Pb > and > Zn at both mine sites. The pollution index (PLI) showed no pollution in the Nkalagu mine and control sites, but heavy and moderate pollution at the Ameka mine and control sites, respectively. The Ameka mine site was enriched with Zn. The bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC) was < 1 except for Zn at the Nkalagu mine and control site. The transfer factor for Fe and Zn from root to shoot was > 1. Pb was > 1 in all study areas except the Ameka mining areas. The results suggest remediation is needed for the two mine sites, especially at Ameka.