Aging of nanosized titanium dioxide modulates the effects of dietary copper exposure on Daphnia magna - an assessment over two generations.

Nanosized titanium dioxide (nTiO2) is widely used in products, warranting its discharge from various sources into surface water bodies. However, nTiO2 co-occurs in surface waters with other contaminants, such as metals. Studies with nTiO2 and metals have indicated that the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) can mitigate their toxicity to aquatic organisms. In addition, "aging" of nTiO2 can affect toxicity. However, it is a research challenge, particularly when addressing sublethal responses from dietary exposure over multiple generations. We, therefore exposed the alga Desmodesmus subspicatus to nTiO2 (at concentrations of 0.0, 0.6 and 3.0 mg nTiO2/L) in nutrient medium aged for 0 or 3 days with copper (Cu) at concentrations of 0 and 116 µg Cu/L and with NOM at concentrations equivalent to 0 and 8 mg total organic carbon (TOC) per litre. Subsequently, the exposed alga was fed to Daphnia magna for 23 days over two generations and survival, reproduction and body length were assessed as endpoints of toxicity. In parallel, Cu accumulation and depuration from D. magna were measured. The results indicate that the reproduction of D. magna was the most sensitive parameter in this study, being reduced by 30% (at both parental (F0) and filial (F1) generations) and 50% (at F0 but not F1) due to the dietary Cu exposure in combination with nTiO2 for 0 and 3 days aging, respectively. There was no relationship between the effects observed on reproduction and Cu body burden in D. magna. Moreover, D. magna from the F1 generation showed an adaptive response to Cu in the treatment with 3.0 mg nTiO2/L aged for 3 days, potentially due to epigenetic inheritance. Unexpectedly, the presence of NOM hardly changed the observed effects, pointing towards the function of algal exopolymeric substances or intracellular organic matter, rendering the NOM irrelevant. Ultimately, the results indicate that the transferability of the impacts observed during the F0 to the responses in the F1 generation is challenging due to opposite effect directions. Additional mechanistic studies are needed to unravel this inconsistency in the responses between generations and to support the development of reliable effect models.

Pesticide Mixtures in Surface Waters of Two Protected Areas in Southwestern Germany.

Pesticides enter non-target surface waters as a result of agricultural activities and may reach water bodies in protected areas. We measured in southwestern Germany pesticide concentrations after heavy rainfalls in streams of a drinking water protection area near Hausen (Freiburg) and in the catchment of the Queich (Landau), which originates from the biosphere reserve Palatinate Forest. On average, 32 (n = 21) and 21 (n = 10) pesticides were detected per sample and event in the area of Hausen (n = 56) and in the Queich catchment (n = 17), respectively. The majority of pesticides detected in > 50% of all samples were fungicides, with fluopyram being detected throughout all samples. Aquatic invertebrates exhibited highest risks with 16.1% of samples exceeding mixture toxicity thresholds, whereas risks were lower for aquatic plants (12.9%) and fish (6.5%). Mixture toxicity threshold exceedances indicate adverse ecological effects to occur at half of sites (50%). This study illustrates the presence of pesticide mixtures and highlights ecological risks for aquatic organisms in surface waters of protected areas in Germany.

The influence of season, hunting mode, and habitat specialization on riparian spiders as key predators in the aquatic-terrestrial linkage.

Freshwater ecosystems subsidize riparian zones with high-quality nutrients via the emergence of aquatic insects. Spiders are dominant consumers of these insect subsidies. However, little is known about the variation of aquatic insect consumption across spiders of different hunting modes, habitat specializations, seasons, and systems. To explore this, we assembled a large stable isotope dataset (n > 1000) of aquatic versus terrestrial sources and six spider species over four points in time adjacent to a lotic and a lentic system. The spiders represent three hunting modes each consisting of a wetland specialist and a habitat generalist. We expected that specialists would feed more on aquatic prey than their generalist counterparts. Mixing models showed that spiders' diet consisted of 17-99% of aquatic sources, with no clear effect of habitat specialization. Averaged over the whole study period, web builders (WB) showed the highest proportions (78%) followed by ground hunters (GH, 42%) and vegetation hunters (VH, 31%). Consumption of aquatic prey was highest in June and August, which is most pronounced in GH and WBs, with the latter feeding almost entirely on aquatic sources during this period. Additionally, the elevated importance of high-quality lipids from aquatic origin during fall is indicated by elemental analyses pointing to an accumulation of lipids in October, which represent critical energy reserves during winter. Consequently, this study underlines the importance of aquatic prey irrespective of the habitat specialization of spiders. Furthermore, it suggests that energy flows vary substantially between spider hunting modes and seasons.

Increased bat hunting at polluted streams suggests chemical exposure rather than prey shortage.

Streams and their riparian areas are important habitats and foraging sites for bats feeding on emergent aquatic insects. Chemical pollutants entering freshwater streams from agricultural and wastewater sources have been shown to alter aquatic insect emergence, yet little is known about how this impacts insectivorous bats in riparian areas. In this study, we investigate the relationships between the presence of wastewater effluent, in-stream pesticide toxicity, the number of emergent and flying aquatic insects, and the activity and hunting behaviour of bats at 14 streams in southwestern Germany. Stream sites were located in riparian forests, sheltered from direct exposure to pollutants from agricultural and urban areas. We focused on three bat species associated with riparian areas: Myotis daubentonii, M. cf. brandtii, and Pipistrellus pipistrellus. We found that streams with higher pesticide toxicity and more frequent detection of wastewater also tended to be warmer and have higher nutrient and lower oxygen concentrations. We did not observe a reduction of insect emergence, bat activity or hunting rates in association with pesticide toxicity and wastewater detections. Instead, the activity and hunting rates of Myotis spp. were higher at more polluted sites. The observed increase in bat hunting at more polluted streams suggests that instead of reduced prey availability, chemical pollution at the levels measured in the present study could expose bats to pollutants transported from the stream by emergent aquatic insects.

Effects of white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) nestling diet on mercury exposure dynamics in Kopacki rit Nature Park, Croatia.

The present study assessed for the first time the magnitude and dietary ecological source of total mercury (THg) exposure in a southern population of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), an apex predator species shown valuable for environmental biomonitoring. This population depends on the Kopacki rit Nature Park - the most important breeding site. We assessed THg exposure, using nestling body feathers collected between 2014-2019 (n = 72), and potential dietary ecological sources, proxied by prey remains and stable isotope analysis. Results show THg concentrations vary significantly over the years, though not showing any time trend. Prey remains analysis shows nests with aquatic prey remains to exhibit higher THg concentrations (median: 7.57 µg g-1 dw; min - max: 6.00-13.16 µg g-1 dw) compared to those with terrestrial remains (median: 3.94 µg g-1 dw; min - max: 0.28-12.04 µg g-1 dw) or evidencing a mixed diet (median: 7.43 µg g-1 dw; min - max: 3.38-12.04 µg g-1 dw). Nests with a predominant aquatic diet show elevated lower δ13C and higher δ15N values, indicating agreement between both dietary approaches. The model selection reveals a combination of year and δ15N best explain the variability in feather THg concentrations. Complementing these predictors with a dietary descriptor based on prey remains results in a poorer model fit and lowered explanatory power, similar to sexing the nestlings. The observed body feather THg concentrations (median: 6.99 µg g-1 dw; min - max: 0.27 - 17.16 µg g-1 dw) exceeded putative biogeochemical background levels (5.00 µg g-1 dw) in 71% of the nestlings, though, did not seem to exceed a threshold at which detrimental physiological effects are expected (40 µg g-1 dw). Continued monitoring is warranted as the studied population is likely exposed to a larger cocktail of contaminants while resident-protected bird areas.

Nitrogen retention in stream biofilms - A potential contribution to the self-cleaning capacity.

Surface waters are under increasing pressure due to human activities, such as nutrient emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Using the retention of nitrogen (N) released from WWTPs as a proxy, we assessed the contribution of biofilms grown on inorganic and organic substrates to the self-cleaning capacity of second-order streams within the biosphere reserve Vosges du Nord/Palatinate forest (France/Germany). The uptake of N from anthropogenic sources, which is enriched with the heavy isotope 15N, into biofilms was assessed up- and downstream of WWTPs after five weeks of substrate deployment. Biofilms at downstream sites showed a significant positive linear relationship between δ15N and the relative contribution of wastewater to the streams' discharge. Furthermore, δ15N substantially increased in areas affected by WWTP effluent (∼8.5‰ and ∼7‰ for inorganic and organic substrate-associated biofilms, respectively) and afterwards declined with increasing distance to the WWTP effluent, approaching levels of upstream sections. The present study highlights that biofilms contribute to nutrient retention and likely the self-cleaning capacity of streams. This function seems, however, to be limited by the fact that biofilms are restricted in their capacity to process excessive N loads with large differences between individual reaches (e.g., δ15N: -3.25 to 12.81‰), influenced by surrounding conditions (e.g., land use) and modulated through climatic factors and thus impacted by climate change. Consequently, the impact of WWTPs located close to the source of a stream are dampened by the biofilms' capacity to retain N only to a minor share and suggest substantial N loads being transported downstream.

Aquatic-terrestrial transfer of neonicotinoid insecticides in riparian food webs.

Current-use pesticides are ubiquitous in freshwaters globally, often at very low concentrations. Emerging aquatic insects can accumulate pesticides during their aquatic development, which can be retained through their metamorphosis into terrestrial adults. Emerging insects thus provide a potential, yet largely understudied linkage for exposure of terrestrial insectivores to waterborne pesticides. We measured 82 low to moderately lipophilic organic pesticides (logKow: -2.87 to 6.9) in the aquatic environment, emerging insects and web-building riparian spiders from stream sites impacted by agricultural land use. Insecticides, mainly neuro-active neonicotinoids were ubiquitous and had the highest concentrations in emerging insects and spiders (∑ insecticides: 0.1-33 and 1-240 ng/g, respectively), although their concentrations in water were low, even when compared to global levels. Furthermore, neonicotinoids, although not considered to be bioaccumulative, were biomagnified in riparian spiders. In contrast, concentrations of fungicides and most herbicides decreased from the aquatic environment to the spiders. Our results provide evidence for the transfer and accumulation of neonicotinoids across the aquatic-terrestrial ecosystem boundary. This could threaten food webs in ecologically sensitive riparian areas worldwide.

Technologies in Home-Based Digital Rehabilitation: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Due to growing pressure on the health care system, a shift in rehabilitation to home settings is essential. However, efficient support for home-based rehabilitation is lacking. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these challenges and has affected individuals and health care professionals during rehabilitation. Digital rehabilitation (DR) could support home-based rehabilitation. To develop and implement DR solutions that meet clients' needs and ease the growing pressure on the health care system, it is necessary to provide an overview of existing, relevant, and future solutions shaping the constantly evolving market of technologies for home-based DR. OBJECTIVE: In this scoping review, we aimed to identify digital technologies for home-based DR, predict new or emerging DR trends, and report on the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on DR. METHODS: The scoping review followed the framework of Arksey and O'Malley, with improvements made by Levac et al. A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library. The search spanned January 2015 to January 2022. A bibliometric analysis was performed to provide an overview of the included references, and a co-occurrence analysis identified the technologies for home-based DR. A full-text analysis of all included reviews filtered the trends for home-based DR. A gray literature search supplemented the results of the review analysis and revealed the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of DR. RESULTS: A total of 2437 records were included in the bibliometric analysis and 95 in the full-text analysis, and 40 records were included as a result of the gray literature search. Sensors, robotic devices, gamification, virtual and augmented reality, and digital and mobile apps are already used in home-based DR; however, artificial intelligence and machine learning, exoskeletons, and digital and mobile apps represent new and emerging trends. Advantages and disadvantages were displayed for all technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased use of digital technologies as remote approaches but has not led to the development of new technologies. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple tools are available and implemented for home-based DR; however, some technologies face limitations in the application of home-based rehabilitation. However, artificial intelligence and machine learning could be instrumental in redesigning rehabilitation and addressing future challenges of the health care system, and the rehabilitation sector in particular. The results show the need for feasible and effective approaches to implement DR that meet clients' needs and adhere to framework conditions, regardless of exceptional situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new sample preparation approach for the analysis of 98 current-use pesticides in soil and herbaceous vegetation using HPLC-MS/MS in combination with an acetonitrile-based extraction.

A simple acetonitrile-based extraction method for the determination of 98 current-use pesticides (CUPs) in soil and herbaceous vegetation using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS is reported. The method was optimized in terms of extraction time, buffer (ammonium formate) ratio, and graphitized carbon black (GCB) ratio for the clean-up of vegetation. The validated method yielded accuracy in terms of percentage recovery of 71-125% (soil) and 70-117% (vegetation) for the majority of 98 CUPs. The precision in terms of relative standard deviation was at 1-14% (soil), and 1-13% (vegetation). Matrix-matched calibration curves exhibited good linearities (R2 > 0.99). The limits of quantitation ranged between 0.008 and 21.5 µg kg-1 in soil and vegetation. The reported method was applied to soils and vegetation from 13 agricultural sites across Germany. Overall, 44 of the 98 common CUPs were detected in our samples and the qualitative load is well above the average for arable soils in the EU.

Tracer or toxicant: Does stable isotope labeling affect central processes in aquatic food webs?

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is an elementary technique in food web ecology, but its insights become increasingly ambiguous in complex systems. One approach to elevate the utility of SIA in such systems is the use of heavy isotope tracers (i.e., labeling). However, the fundamental assumption that the addition of such tracers does not affect in situ conditions has been challenged. This study tests if labeling is suitable for autotrophy-based and detritus-based aquatic food webs. For the former, the survival and reproduction of Daphnia magna fed with phytoplankton cultured at different levels of 15N addition were assessed. For the latter, the microbial decomposition of leaf litter was assessed at the same tracer levels. While no significant differences were observed, effect patterns were comparable to a previous study, supporting the isotopic redundancy hypothesis that postulates discrete quantum mechanical states at which the reaction speeds of metabolic processes are altered. Although physiology (reproduction) and activity (microbial decomposition) might not be altered to an ecologically significant level, labeling with heavy stable isotopes could potentially affect isotopic fractionation in biochemical processes and bias conclusions drawn from resulting SI ratios.

Subsidy Quality Affects Common Riparian Web-Building Spiders: Consequences of Aquatic Contamination and Food Resource.

Anthropogenic stressors can affect the emergence of aquatic insects. These insects link aquatic and adjacent terrestrial food webs, serving as high-quality subsidy to terrestrial consumers, such as spiders. While previous studies have demonstrated that changes in the emergence biomass and timing may propagate across ecosystem boundaries, the physiological consequences of altered subsidy quality for spiders are largely unknown. We used a model food chain to study the potential effects of subsidy quality: Tetragnatha spp. were exclusively fed with emergent Chironomus riparius cultured in the absence or presence of either copper (Cu), Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti), or a mixture of synthetic pesticides paired with two basal resources (Spirulina vs. TetraMin®) of differing quality in terms of fatty acid (FA) composition. Basal resources shaped the FA profile of chironomids, whereas their effect on the FA profile of spiders decreased, presumably due to the capacity of both chironomids and spiders to modify (dietary) FA. In contrast, aquatic contaminants had negligible effects on prey FA profiles but reduced the content of physiologically important polyunsaturated FAs, such as 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid) and 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid), in spiders by approximately 30% in Cu and Bti treatments. This may have contributed to the statistically significant decline (40%-50%) in spider growth. The observed effects in spiders are likely related to prey nutritional quality because biomass consumption by spiders was, because of our experimental design, constant. Analyses of additional parameters that describe the nutritional quality for consumers such as proteins, carbohydrates, and the retention of contaminants may shed further light on the underlying mechanisms. Our results highlight that aquatic contaminants can affect the physiology of riparian spiders, likely by altering subsidy quality, with potential implications for terrestrial food webs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1346-1358. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Does biocide treatment for mosquito control alter carbon dynamics in floodplain ponds?

Shallow lentic aquatic ecosystems, such as ponds, are important repositories of carbon (C) and hotspots of C cycling and greenhouse gas emission. Tube-dwelling benthic invertebrates, such as chironomids, may be key players in C dynamics in these water bodies, yet their role in the C-budget at ecosystem level remains unclear. We tested whether a 41 % reduction in chironomid abundance after application of the mosquito control biocide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) had implications for the C-fluxes to the atmosphere, C-pools, and C-transformation (i.e. organic matter decomposition) in ponds. Data were collected over one year in the shallow, deep and riparian zones of 12 experimental floodplain pond mesocosms (FPMs), half of them treated with Bti. C-fluxes were measured as CO2 and CH4 emissions, atmospheric deposition, and emerging insects. C-pools were measured as dissolved inorganic and organic C in surface and porewater, sediment organic C, C in plant and in macroinvertebrate biomass. Despite seasonal variability, treated FPMs, for which higher CH4 emissions have been reported, showed a trend towards less dissolved organic C in porewater, while no effect was observed for all remaining components of the C-budget. We attribute the effect of Bti on the C-budget to the reduction in macroinvertebrates biomass, the increase in CH4 emissions, and the input of C from the Bti excipients. This finding suggests that changes in tube-dwelling macroinvertebrates have a weak influence on C cycling in ponds and confirms the existence of long-lasting effects of Bti on specific components of C-budgets.

Impact across ecosystem boundaries - Does Bti application change quality and composition of the diet of riparian spiders?

Emerging aquatic insects link aquatic and adjacent terrestrial food webs by subsidizing terrestrial predators with high-quality prey. One of the main constituents of aquatic subsidy, the non-biting midges (Chironomidae), showed altered emergence dynamics in response to the mosquito control agent Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti). As riparian spiders depend on aquatic subsidy, they may be affected by such changes in prey availability. Thus, we conducted a field study in twelve floodplain pond mesocosms (FPMs), six were treated with Bti (2.88 × 109 ITU/ha, VectoBac WDG) three times, to investigate if the Bti-induced shift in chironomid emergence dynamics is reflected in their nutritional value and in the diet of riparian spiders. We measured the content of proteins, lipids, glycogen, and carbohydrates in emerged Chironomidae, and determined the stable isotope ratios of female Tetragnatha extensa, a web-building spider living in the riparian vegetation of the FPMs. We analysed the proportion of aquatic prey in spiders' diet, niche size, and trophic position. While the content of nutrients and thus the prey quality was not significantly altered by Bti, effects on the spiders' diet were observed. The trophic position of T. extensa from Bti-treated FPMs was lower compared to the control while the aquatic proportion was only minimally reduced. We assume that spiders fed more on terrestrial prey but also on other aquatic organisms such as Baetidae, whose emergence was unaffected by Bti. In contrast to the partly predaceous Chironomidae, consumption of aquatic and terrestrial primary consumers potentially explains the observed lower trophic position of spiders from Bti-treated FPMs. As prey organisms vary in their quality the suggested dietary shift could transfer previously observed effects of Bti to riparian spiders conceivably affecting their populations. Our results further support that anthropogenic stressors in aquatic ecosystems may translate to terrestrial predators through aquatic subsidy.

Neonicotinoid insecticides in global agricultural surface waters - Exposure, risks and regulatory challenges.

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides worldwide. However, the widespread usage of neonicotinoids has sparked concerns over their effects on non-target ecosystems including surface waters. We present here a comprehensive meta-analysis of 173 peer-reviewed studies (1998-2022) reporting measured insecticide concentrations (MICs; n = 3983) for neonicotinoids in global surface waters resulting from agricultural nonpoint source pollution. We used compound-specific regulatory threshold levels for water (RTLSW) and sediment (RTLSED) defined for pesticide authorization in Canada, the EU and the US, and multispecies endpoints (MSESW) to assess acute and chronic risks of global neonicotinoid water-phase (MICSW; n = 3790) and sediment (MICSED; n = 193) concentrations. Results show a complete lack of exposure information for surface waters in >90 % of agricultural areas globally. However, available data indicates for MICSW overall acute risks to be low (6.7 % RTLSW_acute exceedances), but chronic risks to be of concern (20.7 % RTLSW_chronic exceedances); exceedance frequencies were particularly high for chronic MSESW (63.3 %). We found RTLSW exceedances to be highest for imidacloprid and in less regulated countries. Linear model analysis revealed risks for global agricultural surface waters to decrease significantly over time, potentially biased by the lack of sensitive analytical methods in early years of neonicotinoid monitoring. The Canadian, EU and US RTLSW differ considerably (up to factors of 223 for RTLSW_acute and 13,889 for RTLSW_chronic) for individual neonicotinoids, indicating large uncertainties and regulatory challenges in defining robust and protective RTLs. We conclude that protective threshold levels, in concert with increasing monitoring efforts targeting agricultural surface waters worldwide, are essential to further assess the ecological consequences from anticipated increases of agricultural neonicotinoid uses.

Assessing Effects of Genetically Modified Plant Material on the Aquatic Environment Using higher-tier Studies.

Genetically modified organisms are used extensively in agriculture. To assess potential side effects of genetically modified (GM) plant material on aquatic ecosystems, only a very small number of higher-tier studies have been performed. At the same time, these studies are particularly important for comprehensive risk assessment covering complex ecological relationships. Here we evaluate the methods of experimental higher-tier effect studies with GM plant material (or Bt toxin) in comparison to those well-established for pesticides. A major difference is that nominal test concentrations and thus dose-response relationships cannot easily be produced with GM plant material. Another important difference, particularly to non-systemic pesticides, is that aquatic organisms are exposed to GM plant material primarily through their feed. These and further differences in test requirements, compared with pesticides, call for a standardisation for GM-specific higher-tier study designs to assess their potentially complex effects in the aquatic ecosystems comprehensively.

A temporal perspective on aquatic subsidy: Bti affects emergence of Chironomidae.

Emerging aquatic insects serve as one link between aquatic and adjacent riparian food webs via the flux of energy and nutrients. These insects provide high-quality subsidy to terrestrial predators. Thus, any disturbance of emergence processes may cascade to higher trophic levels and lead to effects across ecosystem boundaries. One stressor with potential impact on non-target aquatic insects, especially on non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae), is the widely used mosquito control agent Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti). In a field experiment, we investigated emerging insect communities from Bti-treated (three applications, maximum field rate) and control floodplain pond mesocosms (FPMs) over 3.5 months for changes in their composition, diversity as well as the emergence dynamics and the individual weight of emerged aquatic insects over time. Bti treatments altered community compositions over the entire study duration - an effect mainly attributed to an earlier (∼10 days) and reduced (∼26%) peak in the emergence of Chironomidae, the dominant family (88% of collected individuals). The most reasonable explanation for this significant alteration is less resource competition caused by a decrease in chironomid larval density due to lethal effects of Bti. This is supported by the higher individual weight of Chironomidae emerging from treated FPMs (∼21%) during Bti application (April - May). A temporal shift in the emergence dynamics can cause changes in the availability of prey in linked terrestrial ecosystems. Consequently, terrestrial predators may be affected by a lack of appropriate prey leading to bottom-up and top-down effects in terrestrial food webs. This study indicates the importance of a responsible and elaborated use of Bti and additionally, highlights the need to include a temporal perspective in evaluations of stressors in aquatic-terrestrial meta-ecosystems.

The multidimensional prognostic index in hospitalized older adults: practicability with regard to time needs.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is decisive in patient-centered medicine of the aged individual, yet it is not systematically used. AIM: The aim of this study was to provide precise practice-relevant time expenditure data for the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), a questionnaire-based frailty assessment tool. METHODS: MPI was determined in ninety older multimorbid adults in three geriatric departments (cohorts 1, 2 and 3). The time needed to perform the MPI (tnpMPI) was recorded in minutes. Follow-up data were collected after 6 months. RESULTS: The median tnpMPI was 15.0 min (IQR 7.0) in the total collective. In the last visited cohort 3, the median was 10.0 min and differed significantly from cohorts 1 and 2 with medians of 15.5 and 15.0 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate, that MPI, as a highly informative frailty tool of individualized medicine, can be performed in an adequately practicable time frame.

Pesticide occurrence in protected surface waters in nature conservation areas of Germany.

A complete ban on pesticide use in sensitive areas, such as nature conservation areas (NCA), is currently being debated in the EU as part of the Sustainable Use Regulation. NCA are strictly protected landscapes in Germany with minimal agricultural activity (<4.5 %) that serve as vital ecological refuges. However, it is largely unknown whether surface waters in German NCA are contaminated by pesticides. The current study uses extensive monitoring data (n = 3,822,553 measurements, 1998-2020, 208 pesticides) from the federal state of Saxony (18,416 km2), Germany, to characterize pesticide occurrence, contamination levels and risks (defined as exceedance of regulatory threshold levels) for surface waters in NCA (n = 68,277 measurements, mean size = 2.5 km2) in comparison to unprotected areas (n = 3,754,276). Pesticide detection frequencies show strong correlation between NCA and unprotected areas (UPA, R2= 0.70-0.92), but concentrations to be ∼40 % lower in protected areas. Ecological risk distributions for three major species groups are similar between NCA and UPA (fish = 79.8 % overlap in density distribution, invertebrates = 78.6 %, plants = 81.9 %). Threshold exceedances differ greatly among groups (fish = 0.9 %, aquatic invertebrates = 14.7 %, plants = 20.4 %). Based on principal component analysis, ecological risks for aquatic plants and aquatic invertebrates are strongly correlated with upstream agricultural land use (80.5-82.4 %) and are negatively correlated with upstream (semi)-natural land cover (90.1-97.3 %). Fluvial transport appears to be the most important pathway for contaminants into NCA surface waters, likely due to small conservation area size. Overall, surface waters in NCA are exposed to numerous organic contaminants causing ecological risks, highlighting the need to improve protection of these valuable water resources.

Trends of Total Applied Pesticide Toxicity in German Agriculture.

Expressing temporal changes in the use of pesticides, based not only on amounts (masses) but also on their toxicity for different species groups, was proposed as a sensible approach for evaluating potential environmental risks. Here, we calculated the total applied toxicity (TAT) between 1995 and 2019 for Germany, mapped it, and compared it to the US TAT and other risk indicators. Results show that the German TAT for terrestrial vertebrates decreased over time by about 20%. The TAT increased by a factor of three for fishes, largely due to insecticides, by a factor of two for soil organisms, largely due to fungicides and insecticides, and, to a lower extent, for terrestrial plants, solely due to herbicides. Other species groups showed no trends in TAT, which for pollinators likely results from neonicotinoid use restrictions. Many TAT trends from Germany and the US differ, partly due to different insecticide and fungicide uses. TAT, SYNOPS risk indicators, and the EU Harmonized Risk Indicators, currently being used to assess the German National Action Plan's goal to reduce risks by 30% by 2023, lead to clearly different risk perceptions. Validated approaches are needed for evaluation of risk quantifications at the national scale.