Green and brown stream trophic food chains show specific responses to constant or hump-shaped inputs of copper.

The brown food chain (based on decomposers) co-exists in streams with the green food chain (based on primary producers). The two trophic chains perform specific ecosystem functions which may be altered by the effect of contaminants. Copper is a common contaminant with recognized effects on several compartments of the two trophic chains. We applied it in two separate mesocosm experiments, in which we tested the effects of copper after contrasting patterns of contaminant exposure (constant vs hump-shaped). The constant input simulated a chronic contamination (average of 20 µg/L Cu), while the hump-shaped simulated the steady arrival of copper, the occurrence of a peak (reaching ca. 60 µg/L Cu), and its progressive decrease (down to 10-15 µg/L Cu). In the green trophic food chain, copper exposure decreased the total chlorophyll-a as well as the basal fluorescence and the photosynthetic yield. The treatment receiving hump-shaped inputs caused the highest mortality of the green food chain consumer, the snail Radix balthica. In the chronic copper exposure, mortality achieved a maximum of 80% by the end of the experiment but occurred later than that in the hump-shaped treatment. Effects on the brown food chain were not so pronounced; the microbial decomposition rate of leaflitter decreased nearly ca. 50% after 14 days of copper exposure. Effects on decomposition translated into the ingestion performance of detritivores, which decreased in the two copper treatments. Our results provide evidence that copper affected the two trophic food chains. The hump-shaped arrival included a peak of high concentration, which caused lethal effects on the consumers, but also a decreasing limb, which allowed a partial recovery of the algal photosynthetic variables. Our results suggest the need to consider the different compartments and functions performed within the stream trophic web when evaluating the effects of a contaminant in a river ecosystem.

Tailored Mobility in a Zeolite Imidazolate Framework (ZIF) Antibody Conjugate*.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) hybrid fluorescent nanoparticles and ZIF antibody conjugates have been synthesized, characterized, and employed in lateral-flow immunoassay (LFIA). The bright fluorescence of the conjugates and the possibility to tailor their mobility gives a huge potential for diagnostic assays. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as label, proved the integrity, stability, and dispersibility of the antibody conjugates, LC-MS/MS provided evidence that a covalent link was established between these metal-organic frameworks and lysine residues in IgG antibodies.

Observation of early ZIF-8 crystallization stages with X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

The present study investigates early stages of ZIF-8 crystallization up to 5 minutes post mixing of precursor solutions. Dispersive X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (DXAS) provides a refined understanding of the evolution of the coordination environment during ZIF-8 crystallization. Linear Combination Analysis (LCA) suggests tetrakis(1-methylimidazole)zinc2+ to be a suitable and stable mononuclear structure analogue for some early stage ZIF-8 intermediates. Our results pave the way for more detailed studies on physico-chemical aspects of ZIF-8 crystallization to better control tailoring ZIF-8 materials for specific applications.

Covalently Fluorophore-Functionalized ZIF-8 Colloidal Particles as a Sensing Platform for Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Such as Phthalates Plasticizers.

We present the optical sensing of phthalate esters (PAEs), a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The sensing takes place as changes in the fluorescence emission intensity of aminopyrene covalently bound to the organic ligands of the metal-organic framework compound ZIF-8. In the presence of PAEs, a quenching of the fluorescence emission is observed. We evaluated strategies to engineer colloidal size distribution of the sensing particles to optimize the sensory response to PAEs. A thorough characterization of the modified ZIF-8 nanoparticles included powder X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and photophysical characterization. The presented capability of the fluorophore-functionalized ZIF-8 to sense PAEs complements established methods such as chromatography-based procedures, which cannot be used on-site and paves the way for future developments such as hand-held quick sensing devices.

Nitrogen dynamics in soil amended with manures composted in dynamic and static systems.

The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the stability of three different composts and to study the N dynamics in soil incubated with the composts under laboratory conditions. The composts were produced from sheep manure processed by static pile composting (C1) and from cattle and sheep manure processed by dynamic pile composting (C2 and C3 respectively). Laboratory incubation assays were carried out at 28 °C to determine the amount of N mineralized and N leached under extreme rainfall conditions in the first 30 days after application of doses of each compost equivalent to 170 and 450 kg ha(-1) of N. There were no differences in the values of these parameters in samples of the composts produced by the static (C1) and dynamic (C3) systems, and both composts behaved in the same way when applied to soil. The chemical characteristics of the three final composts, the respiration rates and the lack of stimulation of total microbial biomass indicated that the composts were stable. However, the final C/N ratio was slightly higher in C2 than in C1 and C3 (14 compared with 10 and 11) as was the respiration rate of the high dose of C2 indicating that C2 was more labile, and thus less stable than C1 and C3. Compost C2 generated the highest N mineralization rates after application of different doses (6.5 and 13.1%), as well as the highest N supplying potential (54.7 and 36.2%), and thus the highest rate of mineral N leaching (16.8 and 16.5 mg L(-1) of NO(3)-N), probably as a result of the slight difference in lability. The N release after compost application was very low and thus the leaching potential was also low, indicating that high doses of mature compost (>170 kg ha(-1) of N) could be applied to soil.