Phosphorus conditions change the cellular responses of Microcystis aeruginosa to perfluorooctanoic acid.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a widespread and emerging organic contaminant of aquatic environments, has high bioaccumulation potential and high toxicity. Consequently, major concerns have been raised worldwide regarding the management of this pollutant in aquatic ecosystems. To thoroughly understand PFOA's toxic effects on aquatic organisms, systematic investigations were conducted on the cellular responses of Microcystis aeruginosa to the environmental concentrations of PFOA under various concentrations as well as phosphorus (P) conditions (concentrations and forms). The results showed that P conditions remarkably affected cyanobacterial growth as well as photosynthetic pigment content, triggered oxidative stress to disrupt the function and structure of the cell membrane, and caused changes in the extracellular and intracellular contents of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). Furthermore, PFOA (100 µg/L) was absorbed by cyanobacterial cells through the stimulation of the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) by M. aeruginosa. After entering the cyanobacterial cells, PFOA inhibited photosynthesis, reduced P absorption, induced oxidative damage, lead to a loss of cell integrity evident in scanning electron microscope images, and increased mcyA gene expression to promote MC-LR production. Moreover, the limited P concentration and forms conditions led to increased PFOA absorption by cyanobacterial cells, which further upregulated mcyA gene expression and increased the risk of MC-LR diffusion into the aquatic environment. Our present study provided a theoretical basis and new ideas for understanding and addressing safety issues related to the presence of PFOA in aquatic environments with varying nutritional statuses.

Effects of eutrophic water with ammonium chloride, urea, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and sodium-ß-glycerophosphate on Myriophyllum verticillatum and epiphytic bacteria.

With the rapid development of industry and agriculture, excessive nitrogen and phosphorus released into natural surface water have caused eutrophication. Applying submerged plants to manage eutrophic water has attracted widespread attention. However, there are limited studies on the effects of different nitrogen and phosphorus in the water environment on submerged plants and their epiphytic biofilm. Therefore, this paper investigated the effects of eutrophic water with ammonium chloride (IN), urea (ON), potassium dihydrogen phosphate (IP), and sodium-ß-glycerophosphate (OP) on Myriophyllum verticillatum and epiphytic biofilms. The results showed that Myriophyllum verticillatum exhibited a good purification effect on the eutrophic water with inorganic phosphorus, the removal rates of IP were 68.0%, and the plants grew best in this condition. The fresh weight of the IN group and ON group increased by 12.24% and 7.12%, and the shoot length of the IN group and the ON group increased by 17.71% and 8.33%; the fresh weight of the IP group and OP group increased by 19.19% and 10.83%, the shoot length of the IP group and the OP group increased by 21.09% and 18.23%. In addition, the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, nitrate reductase, and acid phosphatase in plant leaves were significantly changed in eutrophic water with different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus. Finally, the analysis of the epiphytic bacteria showed that different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients could significantly alter the abundance and structure of microorganisms and microbial metabolism also had significant changes. This study provides a new theoretical basis for evaluating the removal of different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus by Myriophyllum verticillatum, and it also provides new insights for the subsequent engineering of epiphytic microorganisms to improve the capability of submerged plants to treat eutrophic water.

Distribution and potential ecological risks of microplastics in Zhushan Bay, China.

The interaction between microplastics (MPs) and microorganisms may alter the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water and increase the ecological risk of drinking water sources. To investigate the characteristics of MPs geographical distribution and its potential ecological risk in typical urban water, this study was conducted in Zhushan Bay, and we carried out a combination of tests to analyze the distribution of MPs and the migration changes of their surface microbial community composition and ARGs in different media by 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing, non-targeted metabolomics and qPCR genomics in the near-shore (I), middle area (Ⅱ) and near-lake (Ⅲ) of Zhushan Bay. The results showed that MPs in fibrous form were dominant in the aquatic environment of Zhushan Bay; Polyurethane (PU) and Silicone were the main MPs types in Zhushan Bay. The abundance of MPs in the water of Zhushan Bay was winter > summer > autumn > spring; and in the sediment was winter > summer > autumn > spring, respectively. The distribution results of MPs in geographical location are as follows: In the water I > â…¡ > â…¢, sediment exhibited Ⅱ > â…¢ > I. The results indicate that physicochemical factors will affect the geographical distribution of MPs and their surface microbial community composition in the aquatic environment of Zhushan Bay. More cooperative behaviors and increased metabolically important pathways occurred in the microbial network on water-MPs compared to sediment-MPs. However, the microbial community in the sediment-MPs was more stable and had higher abundance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). A total of 362 differential metabolites were detected, of which 193 were up-regulated and 19 down-regulated differential metabolites. blaTEM, Sul, and inti1 were prevalent in both the water and sediments of Zhushan Bay. Sul1 was most contaminated in ARGs. This study provides the latest field data and insights into MPs pollution in key aquatic environments.

Transcriptomic analysis of the effect of deferoxamine exposure on the growth, photosynthetic activity and iron transfer of Microcystis aeruginosa.

Deferoxamine (DFB) is a trihydroxamic acid siderophore that chelates with iron (Fe) to form iron-siderophore complexes. The existence of siderophores in nature changes the form of iron and affects the absorption and utilization of iron by organisms. However, the relationship between siderophores and the growth of Cyanobacteria is largely unknown. In this study, the cellular and transcriptomic responses to the addition of DFB were investigated. A high concentration of DFB (12 mg/L) significantly inhibited the growth of Cyanobacteria cells, reduced photosynthetic activity, and induced the production of peroxidase, with the highest inhibition rate of algal growth of 74.82%. These indexes were also affected for the low (3 mg/L) and medium concentration (6 mg/L) groups, but this difference is closely related to the growth stage of Cyanobacteria cells. This may be due to competition between the cell-associated iron-binding part/system and the extracellular Fe (Ⅲ)-DFB ligand. Transcriptome results showed that most of the genes involved in iron uptake and transport were down-regulated, and only the fur gene encoding the iron uptake regulator protein was significantly up-regulated. Most genes related to photosynthesis, glycolysis, and fatty acid metabolism were also down-regulated, while the obvious up-regulation of a few genes may be a complex regulation in response to the down-regulation of most genes. These findings will provide important insights into the effects of siderophores on iron bioavailability in algae.

Mechanism of cyanobacterial bloom control by magnetic lanthanum-based material.

In this study, the mechanism of magnetic P-inactivating material on cyanobacterial bloom control was investigated by adding magnetic lanthanum-based material (MLC-10) in different stages of cyanobacterial growth during a 30-day cultivation experiment. The results showed that adding MLC-10 could rapidly reduce the available phosphorus, achieve phosphorus limitation in water body, and inhibit cyanobacterial blooms in the water column. In particular, the addition of MLC-10 at the early stage of cyanobacterial growth (day 0) achieved 97.5% bloom control. Additionally, cyanobacteria was captured and precipitated by MLC-10, and the floating ability of cyanobacteria was reduced. The results of antioxidant enzyme activities showed that adding MLC-10 may cause damage to the activity of cyanobacteria and induce stress response of cyanobacterial cells, which increased with increasing of exposure time. Besides, the results of metabolomics further suggested that adding MLC-10 mainly affected the amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and tRNA synthesis of cyanobacteria, which lead to the damage to cells' activities and membrane transport. These results provide insight into the mechanism of MLC-10 as a magnetic P-inactivating material on cyanobacterial bloom control.

Seasonal source identification and formation processes of marine particulate water soluble organic nitrogen over an offshore island in the East China Sea.

Water soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) had great influences on the aerosol chemistry, hygroscopicity, marine primary productivity, as well as nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. Aerosol sampling was conducted over an offshore island in the East China Sea in four seasons of 2019, aiming to reveal the seasonal sources and secondary formation processes of marine WSON. The annual mean WSON concentration reached 1.05 ± 1.72 µg/m3 with a mean WSON/WSTN fraction of 27 %. In spring, WSON was associated with combustion emissions. The liquid-phase reaction of NH3/NH4+ with VOCs was a potential secondary formation process of WSON. In summer, WSON was mainly formed through the gaseous phase oxidation of marine biogenic precursors. In autumn, WSON showed miscellaneous sources from agricultural activities, biomass burning, and fossil fuel combustion. In addition to the contribution from primary urea, WSON could be also affected by the oxidation of biological proteinaceous matters. This explained the highest WSON concentrations and WSON/WSOC ratios in autumn. In winter, WSON was probably emitted from sea spray aerosols via the bubble-bursting processes. This study indicated that the sources of WSON over the coastal waters in the East China Sea were quite diverse, highlighting the need of more detailed characterization of marine WSON at the molecular level.

Combined toxic effects of enrofloxacin and microplastics on submerged plants and epiphytic biofilms in high nitrogen and phosphorus waters.

With the wide application of plastic products, microplastic pollution has become a major environmental issue of global concern. Microplastics in aquatic environments can interact with organic pollutants, causing a combined effect on submerged macrophytes. This study investigated the response mechanisms of the submerged plant Myriophyllum verticillatum and epiphytic biofilm to the antibiotic enrofloxacin, microplastics, and their combined exposure in a high nitrogen and phosphorus environment. The results indicated that Myriophyllum verticillatum was not sensitive to enrofloxacin of 1 mg L-1, while 10 and 50 mg L-1 enrofloxacin inhibited the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus by the plants, as well as triggered oxidative stress in the plant leaves, causing irreversible damage to the plant cells. In addition, enrofloxacin altered the structure of the leaf epiphytic biofilm community. Interestingly, 1, 5, and 20 mg L-1 microplastics had no significant effect on the plant, while they facilitated the aggregation of microorganisms, increasing the abundance of the leaf epiphyte biofilm. The combination of enrofloxacin and microplastics induced a synergistic effect on Myriophyllum verticillatum. Specifically, the rate of nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by the plant was reduced, the content of photosynthetic pigments decreased, and antioxidant enzyme activity was further increased. In addition, the diversity of the leaf epiphytic biofilm community was similar to the single enrofloxacin exposure. These results demonstrated the differences between single and combined exposures and provided a new theoretical basis to evaluate the harmful effects of enrofloxacin and microplastics on submerged macrophytes.

Shift of calcium-induced Microcystis aeruginosa colony formation mechanism: From cell adhesion to cell division.

Colony formation is an essential stage of cyanobacterial blooms. High calcium concentration can promote Microcystis aeruginosa aggregation behavior, but the mechanism of colony formation caused by calcium has rarely been reported. In this study, high calcium-induced colony formation was identified as a shift from cell adhesion to cell division, rather than only cell adhesion as previously thought. Algae responded to this calcium-induced environmental pressure by aggregating and forming colonies. Algal cells initially secreted large quantities of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and rapidly aggregated by cell adhesion. The highest aggregation proportion was up to 68.93%. However, high calcium concentrations cannot completely inhibit algal cell growth, but only delay the algae into the rapid growth phase. With adaption to calcium and existing high EPS content, the daughter cells reduced EPS synthesis and the aggregation proportion decreased. The increasing growth rate was also responsible for the decreased xylose content in EPS. The mechanism of colony formation changed to cell division. The downregulation of genes related to EPS secretion also supported this hypothesis. Overall, these results can benefit for our understanding of cyanobacterial bloom formation.

Single and combined toxicity effects of nanoplastics and bisphenol F on submerged the macrophyte Hydrilla verticillata.

Nano- and microplastics pose severe risks to the ecological environment. Nanoplastics (NPs) not only directly affect aquatic organisms, but also adsorb to other pollutants, resulting in compound pollution. Bisphenol F (BPF), an endocrine-disrupting chemical, is increasingly replacing bisphenol A (BPA) and is therefore widely distributed in the environment. In this study, the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and BPF and their combined exposure on the submerged macrophytes Hydrilla verticillata (H. verticillata) and leaf biofilms, were investigated. Results showed that 10 mg/L PS-NPs and combined exposure to 10 mg/L PS-NPs and 10 mg/L BPF significantly decreased the relative growth rate and chlorophyll content of H. verticillata, whereas BPF exposure alone had no impact on the growth and the contents of photosynthetic pigments in H. verticillata. Individual and combined exposure to PS-NPs and BPF can trigger antioxidant responses such as increased activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and malondialdehyde, as well as higher levels of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione and decreased catalase activity. The results of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the nanoplastics particles were adsorbed on the surface of plant leaves, explaining their toxic effects, whereas BPF increases the sorption of PS-NPs on the surface of H. verticillata, potentially leading to PS-NPs enrichment in the food chain. The diversity and richness of the microbial community were altered by exposure to PS-NPs and BPF individually and in combination. The current study is the first to assess the effects of PS-NPs and BPF exposure on the growth, physiological characteristics, and leaf biofilm properties of submerged macrophytes.

Response of Magnetite/Lanthanum hydroxide composite on cyanobacterial bloom.

Magnetite/lanthanum hydroxide composite (MLC-10) was applied in simulate natural water, sediment and cyanobacteria (WSC) system to evaluate its effect on cyanobacterial bloom in this study. According to the results, the addition of MLC-10 showed a good performance on inhibition of cyanobacterial bloom in systems. The cyanobacteria density of WSC-0.5 and WSC-1.0 (adding 0.5 g and 1.0 g MLC-10) at 30 day was 99.39% and 99.84% less than that in WSC-C (adding no MLC-10 in WSC system), respectively. The addition of MLC-10 could form a phosphorus-binding layer that adsorbed soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) in overlying water, improved the release of internal phosphorus (P) from sediment to pore water then blocked SRP release from pore water to overlying water, especially in WSC-0.5 and WSC-1.0. The results may be due to the high adsorption capacity of MLC-10 to phosphorus. Additionally, oxidative stress and oxidative damage of cyanobacteria were observed after exposing to MLC-10, and oxidative damage degree increased with the elevated amount of MLC-10. MLC-10 addition showed a slight effect on microbial community of surface sediment. Phosphorus limitation, cell damage and limited cells' floating performance were the possible mechanisms of cyanobacterial bloom controlling by MLC-10. Based on these results, MLC-10 could be used as a potential P-inactive material for cyanobacterial bloom controlling.

Ecological damage of submerged macrophytes by fresh cyanobacteria (FC) and cyanobacterial decomposition solution (CDS).

To investigate the deleterious ecological effects of cyanobacteria on submerged macrophytes, this study investigated the effects of different concentrations of fresh cyanobacteria (FC) and cyanobacteria decomposition solution (CDS) on an experimental group of submerged macrophytes (Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara and Myriophyllum verticillatum Linn.). The results showed that FC and CDS not only lead to decrease in biomass and significant changes in enzyme activity and chlorophyll content in tissue, but also affected the permeability of cell membranes. The extent of damage was in the order CDS > FC, and the comprehensive stress resistance of Vallisneria natans (2.994) was more than that of Myriophyllum verticillatum (2.895). In addition, semi-permeable membranes can reduce plant damage by FC and CDS, but cannot completely prevent it. FC and CDS mainly affected the relative distribution of microbial genera on the surface of aquatic plants (p < 0.05). Furthermore, CDS caused irreversible damage to plant cells and induced programmed cell death (PCD) of plants to accelerate their decline. Therefore, FC and CDS may be one of the main reasons for the decline in submerged vegetation. This study provides a scientific basis for evaluating the harmful effects of cyanobacteria on submerged macrophytes.

Enhanced anaerobic digestion with the addition of chelator-nickel complexes to improve nickel bioavailability.

Nickel (Ni) is one of the most essential trace elements in the anaerobic digestion system. In this study, green chelating agent Ethylenediamine-N, N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS), common chelating agents with low biodegradability nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were respectively used as ligands of Ni (II) to inspect the feasibility of enhancing methane production and reducing Ni dosage. In practice, continuous stirred-tank reactors (37 °C, 120 rpm) were operated with a mixture of pig manure and food waste as the substrate, and were supplied with extra Ni in the form of Ni (II) (0, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/L) or chelator­nickel (EDDS-Ni, NTA-Ni and EDTA-Ni) complexes (2.5 mg/L). The results showed that compared with that of adding Ni (2.5 mg/L) individually, the methane production increased of 23.34%, 31.26% and 16.07% with the addition of EDDS-Ni, NTA-Ni and EDTA-Ni complexes (2.5 mg/L), respectively. Accompanying with that, the EDDS-Ni and NTA-Ni supplementations both significantly increased the F430 concentration of 28% and 36% on the day of peak methane production (day five). The BCR sequential extraction analysis indicated that the sum of Ni in water soluble and exchangeable fractions after digestion were increased of 43.28%, 39.41%, and 24.29%, respectively. Further, the acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and the simultaneously extracted nickels (SEMNi) content in sediments confirmed that the chelator­nickel improved Ni bioavailability due to dissolution of nickel ions from their sulfides. This study demonstrated that the addition of chelator-Ni complexes was a practicable method to enhance methane production and reduced Ni dosage.

Damage of heavy metals to Vallisneria natans (V. natans) and characterization of microbial community in biofilm.

Heavy metals can cause a significant damage to submerged macrophytes and affect its periphyton biofilms in aquatic environments. This study investigated the effects of heavy metals such as copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and their mixture on physiological and biochemical responses and ultrastructure characteristics of Vallisneria natans (V. natans). Furthermore, differences in structures of microbial communities were observed in biofilms. The results showed that Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+ and their mixture could destroy cell structure and photosynthetic system, and directly caused oxidative damage to submerged macrophyte and induced antioxidant enzyme system. In general, biomass and total chlorophyll content of V. natans noticeably decreased, while the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase were enhanced by heavy metal stress inducement in restricted range, and the malondialdehyde content increased with the aggravation of the damage. The single heavy metal stress played a negative impact, however, the combined stress was not always synergistic effects on plants. High-throughput sequencing analysis suggested that heavy metals changed the abundance and structure of the microbial biofilm community. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidete were the dominant bacteria under heavy metal stress and other species and abundance of bacteria such as Firmicute, Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Chlamydiae were also present. These findings provided useful information for further understanding about submerged macrophytes and periphyton biofilms responsed to heavy metal stress in aquatic environments in the future.

Modeling solute transport in karst fissure dual porosity system and application: A case study in an arsenic contamination site.

Fractures and fracture networks are key conduits for migration of hydrothermal fluids, water and contaminants in groundwater systems Modeling is widely used to understand the environmental risk associated with migration of pollutant for different hydrogeological conditions. In this paper, we proposed a conceptual and mathematical model of flow and transport phenomena in fractured rock systems, and applied in a arsenic contaminate site as a case study. The groundwater flow model and arsenic migration model in fissure-matrix dual system were established. The results show that the velocity of groundwater is positively correlated with inlet pressure, but not with the porosity of the fracture. When the velocity of groundwater is relatively high, arsenic is transported along with the current in a finger-like manner. The distribution of arsenic concentration on the fracture surface is heterogeneous and the phenomenon of diffusion from the fracture to the matrix is not obvious. Indeed, when the velocity of groundwater is relatively small, the arsenic moves forward slowly, the concentration distribution on the crack surface is relatively uniform, and the diffusion phenomenon from the crack to the matrix is more significant.

Synthesis of magnetite/lanthanum hydroxide composite and magnetite/aluminum hydroxide composite for removal of phosphate.

Two magnetic adsorbents, magnetite/aluminum hydroxide composite (MAC) and magnetite/lanthanum hydroxide composite (MLC), were successfully synthesized by a simple one-pot method and their phosphate adsorption process was investigated. The properties of synthesized adsorbents were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics and the effects of solution pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the adsorption of phosphate in aqueous solution by MAC, MLC-2, MLC-10 and LMB were investigated to evaluate the difference in phosphate removal efficiency of the magnetic adsorbents and non-magnetic adsorbent. According to the results of this study, MLC-10 had a higher phosphate adsorption capacity (19.34 mg P g-1) than LMB (11.55 mg P g-1), MAC (10.48 mg P g-1) and MLC-2 (8.89 mg P g-1). MLC-10 showed a relative higher partition coefficient (PC) (1.74 mg g-1 µM-1) than other three adsorbents at initial P concentration of 15 mg L-1. Also, MLC-10 was less pH dependent than MAC and had higher phosphate adsorption capacities under different DOC concentrations (0-72 mg L-1) than LMB, MAC and MLC-2. Further, MLC-10 had excellent recyclability due to high magnetism. Electrostatic interaction and the inner-sphere surface complexation were the potential phosphate adsorption mechanisms employed by MLC-10. In summary, MLC-10 is a promising adsorbent for phosphate removal from eutrophication water.

Simultaneous nitrogen and carbon removal in a packed A/O reactor: effect of C/N ratio on microbial community structure.

In this research, a novel packed anoxic/oxic moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was established to achieve high-organic matter removal rates, despite the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 2.7-5.1 in the influent. Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) was investigated under a long sludge retention time of 104 days. The system exhibited excellent performance in pollutant removal, with chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen (TN) enhanced to 93.6-97.4% and 34.4-60%, respectively. Under low C/N conditions, the nitrogen removal process of A/O MBBR system was mainly achieved by anaerobic denitrification. The increase of C/N ratio enhanced SND rate of the aerobic section, where dissolved oxygen was maintained at the range of 4-6 mg/L, and resulted in higher TN removal efficiency. The microbial composition and structures were analyzed utilizing the MiSeq Illumina sequencing technique. High-throughput pyrosequencing results indicated that the dominant microorganisms were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes at the phylum level, which contributes to the removal of organics matters. In the aerobic section, abundances of Nitrospirae (1.12-29.33%), Burkholderiales (2.15-21.38%), and Sphingobacteriales (2.92-11.67%) rose with increasing C/N ratio in the influent, this proved that SND did occur in the aerobic zone. As the C/N ratio of influent increased, the SND phenomenon in the aerobic zone of the system is the main mechanism for greatly improving the removal rate of TN in the aerobic section. The C/N ratio in the aerobic zone is not required to be high to exhibit good TN removal performance. When C/NH4+ and C/TN in the aerobic zone were higher than 2.29 and 1.77, respectively, TN removal efficiency was higher than 60%, which means that carbon sources added to the reactor could be saved. This study would be vital for a better understanding of microbial structures within a packed A/O MBBR and the development of cost-efficient strategies for the treatment of low C/N wastewater.

Effects of different metal ions (Ca, Cu, Pb, Cd) on formation of cyanobacterial blooms.

Eastern China is a typical region that suffers from harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Numerous studies have focused on bloom formation mechanisms; however, the detailed mechanisms remained unclear. Our study explored the influence of four metal ions (Ca, Cu, Pb and Cd) on Microcystis aeruginosa to determine their effects on bloom formation. We found that Ca concentrations higher than 100 mg L-1 contributed to cyanobacterial bloom formation. The presence of Ca triggered the anti-oxidation process and promoted the secretion of extracellular polysaccharides, thus inducing aggregation of algal cells and enhancing their buoyancy 2.1-fold more than the control (p＜0.05). The reverse regulation of dissolved CO2 to bicarbonate by carbonic anhydrase formed a large amount of carbonate and decreased the growth rate by 38-56%. Cu (>0.1 mg L-1) presented significant toxicity to algal cells while Pb (>1 mg L-1) suppressed the algal growth rate due to the acidic condition. Cd (<0.1 mg L-1) exhibited no apparent toxicity to the algae. Furthermore, as the buoyancy increased, Cd was likely to facilitate the formation of cyanobacterial blooms, which needs further research. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for eutrophic lake management and contribute to the development of water quality and wastewater discharge standards.

Evaluation of the use of eucalyptus to control algae bloom and improve water quality.

Lakes represent an important source of drinking water resource for human beings. The presence of harmful algae blooms can pose a serious threat to lakes water quality. This study explored the feasibility of using eucalyptus plants and leaves extracts for controlling algae proliferation in an aquatic milieu. After 30 days of treatment, the inhibitory efficiencies were 85.8% and 20.9% for treatments planting eucalyptus and eucalyptus leaves extracts, respectively. The synergistic effects of allelopathy and competitive absorption for macro nutrients were attributed to the effective control of algae proliferation in the mesocosm systems. Moreover, the analysis of microbial community structures indicated that eucalyptus plants or leaves extracts had no adverse effect on species diversity and their relative abundance. The choice of using eucalyptus to control algae bloom will be dictated by environmental and economic considerations within a geographical region.

Allelopathically inhibitory effects of eucalyptus extracts on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa.

Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa), as the dominant algae in eutrophic water bodies, has caused a serious harm to the local eco-environment. A biological tool, employing allelopathic inhibitory of eucalyptus to control M. aeruginosa, has been receiving tremendous attention. This work presents the results of the allelopathic inhibitory effects of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus grandis × E.urophylla 'GLGU9') extracts of roots (ERE), stems (ESE), and leaves (ELE) on culture solutions of M. aeruginosa and its eco-physiological mechanism. The inhibitory effects of the extracts on the growth of M. aeruginosa varied greatly with ELE exhibiting the highest level of potency. Modes of action by which ELE inhibited M. aeruginosa growth were established. They involved reduction in photosynthesis, disruption of the cell membrane integrity, and inhibition of esterase activities of the cyanobacterial cells. However, ELE did not exhibit any gradients of toxicity towards zebrafish nor Washington grass plant. Species abundance and diversity in the systems remained likewise unaffected by ELE. The synergistic interaction between ELE and single-component allelochemicals (e.g., gallic acid and berberine) was ascribed to the increase in efficacy of allelochemicals in the various systems. The results of this study provide an underlying, novel, and attractive approach for controlling the growth of M. aeruginosa in aquatic environments.

Application of a combined approach including contamination indexes, geographic information system and multivariate statistical models in levels, distribution and sources study of metals in soils in Northern China.

The purpose of this study is to recognize the contamination characteristics of trace metals in soils and apportion their potential sources in Northern China to provide a scientific basis for basic of soil environment management and pollution control. The data set of metals for 12 elements in surface soil samples was collected. The enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index were used to identify the general geochemical characteristics of trace metals in soils. The UNMIX and positive matrix factorizations (PMF) models were comparatively applied to apportion their potential sources. Furthermore, geostatistical tools were used to study the spatial distribution of pollution characteristics and to identify the affected regions of sources that were derived from apportionment models. The soils were contaminated by Cd, Hg, Pb and Zn to varying degree. Industrial activities, agricultural activities and natural sources were identified as the potential sources determining the contents of trace metals in soils with contributions of 24.8%-24.9%, 33.3%-37.2% and 38.0%-41.8%, respectively. The slightly different results obtained from UNMIX and PMF might be caused by the estimations of uncertainty and different algorithms within the models.