Resource recovery from legacy waste dumpsites in India: A path towards sustainable waste management.

Legacy waste dumpsites have been a significant environmental concern in India for many years. These dumpsites are characterized by the uncontrolled disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and have led to various types of pollution and disease outbreaks. As India faces the challenges of rapid urbanization and increased waste generation and with over 3000 legacy waste dumpsites in the country, the need to address these legacy waste dumpsites has become paramount. As we continue to struggle extensively for waste management as well as space, landfill mining has been recognized as a promising way of recovering resources in our country by employing various technological and engineering advancements to extract valuable materials and energy from legacy waste streams. Unlike existing waste management approaches, this review explores the application of a novel Recovery Potential Index (RPI) for legacy waste dumpsites in India, which evaluates the feasibility of waste treatment facilities based on waste compositions and recovered material quantities. Depending on the RPI, recovered fine fractions can be sold as city compost or used as fill material, while recyclable, combustible, and inert fractions could be directed towards appropriate recycling or landfill uses. Unscientific and uncontrolled landfill mining practices could lead to unanticipated impacts on the nearby environment in the form of heavy contamination, thereby presenting this practice as a challenge in addition to the immense opportunities it provides.

Legacy nutrients in the Baltic Sea drainage basin: How past practices affect eutrophication management.

We have constructed a nutrient fate model for the Baltic Sea that links anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the catchment to the dynamics of waterborne loads to the Baltic Sea, covering the time-period from 1900 to present. During this period, nutrient inputs to the drainage basin approximately tripled to a peak in the 1980s, after which they declined. Our model accounts for temporary nutrient storage on land and in inland waters, forming active legacy pools that contribute to nutrient export to the Baltic Sea, and for nutrient removal by terrestrial and aquatic sinks. The model indicates that response times to changes in anthropogenic nutrient inputs to the drainage basin are approximately 4 years for riverine nitrogen and 6-18 years for riverine phosphorus loads. Mineral fertilizer use in agriculture dominates nutrient inputs to the drainage basin, whereas the composition of riverine loads also depends on the collection and treatment of domestic sewage. Removal by terrestrial and aquatic nutrient sinks was the dominant fate of both nitrogen and phosphorus in our model. The amount of nutrients currently stored in legacy pools is therefore much smaller than what the difference between cumulative nutrient inputs to the catchment and the export to the sea suggests. Nevertheless, mobilization from these storage pools is the primary contribution to current anthropogenic riverine nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea. For phosphorus, the legacy effects of past reductions in inputs to the catchment can entail a significant, yet unrealized contribution toward the load reductions stipulated by Baltic Sea management plans. Therefore, accounting for nutrient storage, time-lags, and legacy effects could notably reduce the need for additional future mitigation measures.

Methylmercury in commercial fish species from the Erhai Lake Basin, Southwest China: concentrations, health risk assessment, and implications for future monitoring.

Erhai Lake, a highland lake situated in Southwest China, provides critical aquatic protein sources for the local community, and its preservation is vital due to the sensitivity of alpine freshwater ecosystems to disturbance. However, there is a lack of research on the contamination status of methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic organisms of the Erhai Lake Basin. MeHg concentrations in important commercial fish species from the Erhai Lake were examined, and the potential health risks associated with human consumption were assessed. Our results showed significant inter-species differences in fish muscle MeHg: the carnivorous S. asotus exhibited the highest level (303 ng/g; ww), while that of the detritivorous R. ocellatus was the lowest (3.86 ng/g). Moreover, MeHg concentrations in P. fulvidraco and C. auratus collected from the Luoshi River (a major tributary of Erhai Lake) were significantly higher compared to those from the Erhai Lake, indicating possible river-based input of MeHg into the Erhai Lake. Additionally, our study revealed a significant positive correlation between the MeHg levels and the length as well as weight of the examined fish species. All the fish species analyzed in our study had MeHg concentrations within the limits of China's food safety standard. Nevertheless, a relatively low consumption quantity of 16 g per day of certain species (i.e., S. asotus) may still pose potential health risks especially for children. The present study provides baseline data for MeHg monitoring and risk assessment in the Erhai Lake Basin, and warrants continued monitoring and source investigation.

Legacy sources determine current water quality: Nitrogen and phosphorus in streams of Australia, China, Sweden and USA.

Waterborne nutrient loads to downstream ecosystems integrate contributions from both active and legacy sources. Effective mitigation of nutrient pollution and eutrophication around the world requires distinction of these, largely unknown, relative load contributions. Here, the active and legacy contributions to nitrogen and phosphorus loads are distinguished in numerous streams and associated hydrological catchments of Australia, China, Sweden, and USA. The legacy contributions overshadow the active ones in all countries during 2005-2020. China and USA, with higher population densities and related overall human-activity levels, also have substantial active contributions. The median values of legacy concentration contributions of total nitrogen range from 321 (in Sweden) to 1850 µg/L (in USA); whereas the active contributions range from 2.2 (in Australia) to 315 µg/L (in USA). In China, nitrogen data are available only for ammonia, with median concentration contributions of 294 µg/L for legacy and 352 µg/L for active sources. For total phosphorus, the median values of legacy concentration contributions range from 28.8 (in Sweden) to 270 µg/L (in USA), while the active ones range from 0.1 (in Australia) to 67.3 µg/L (in USA). For relatively fast mitigation responses, China and USA need to mitigate their current nutrient emissions, while Australia and Sweden need a shift in mitigation focus to targeting their dominant legacy source contributions. The data-driven method testing in this study supports the used source distinction-attribution approach. This enables consistent source identification and tailoring of targeted measures for effective nutrient load mitigation in various regional contexts.

Legacy in End-of-Life Care: A Concept Analysis.

Comprehending the significance of legacy in end-of-life (EoL) situations helps palliative care professionals enhance person-centered outcomes for those with a life-threatening illness and their families. Our purpose was to conduct a concept analysis of legacy in EoL care. By employing Walker and Avant's approach, we identified the concept's defining characteristics. Subsequently, we established the antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. After conducting a thorough review of titles and abstracts, a total of 30 publications were analyzed. These articles were sourced from three databases (CINAHL, Medline via PubMed, and Scopus) from 2002 to 2023. Our analysis identified several core attributes of legacy: (a) leave behind something of value that transcends death; (b) determine how people want to be remembered; (c) build and bestow across generations; (d) integrate advance care planning through EoL conversations and shared decision-making; and (e) develop strategies of dignity-conserving care. The consequences are related to improvements in spiritual and subjective well-being; coping with inevitable EoL existential issues; decreases in EoL suffering; engendering self-awareness, hope, gratitude, and peace; achieving and maintaining dignity; creating good memories; promoting mutually constructive and transformative relationships; and fostering the adjustment of bereaved people. Nevertheless, further effort is required to implement the key attributes of legacy that form the basis for creating legacy-oriented interventions near the EoL.

Arctic copepod copper sensitivity and comparison with Antarctic and temperate copepods.

The ongoing global climate crisis increases temperatures in polar regions faster and with greater magnitude than elsewhere. The decline of Arctic sea ice opens up new passages, eventually leading to higher anthropogenic activities such as shipping, fishing, and mining. Climate change and anthropogenic activities will increase contaminant transport from temperate to Arctic regions. The shipping industry uses copper as an antifouling coating. Copper is an essential element but becomes toxic at excess concentrations, and its use may inadvertently affect non-target organisms such as copepods. Copper affects copepods by lowering reproductive output, prolonging developmental time, and causing increased mortality. As data on copper sensitivity of polar copepods at low temperatures are rare, we conducted onboard survival experiments with the Arctic region's most common copepod species (Calanus finmarchicus, C. glacialis, C. hyperboreus). Acute survival tests were done for up to 8 days on individuals in 70 ml bottles at 1 °C with nominal copper concentrations ranging from 3 to 480 µg L-1. We used a reduced General Unified Threshold model for Survival (GUTS) to analyse the data, and placed our results in the context of the few published copper sensitivity data of the Antarctic and temperate copepod species at low temperatures. The sensitivity of Cu exposure was similar between the three Calanus species. However, a model comparison suggests that the tested C. glacialis population is less sensitive than the other two species in our experiments. Compared to published data, the three Arctic species appear slightly less sensitive to copper compared to their Antarctic counterparts but more compared to their temperate ones. Our literature search revealed only a few available studies on the copper sensitivity of polar copepods. In the future, this species group will be exposed to more pollutants, which warrants more studies to predict potential risks, especially given possible interactions with environmental factors.

Glycaemic control is still central in the hierarchy of priorities in type 2 diabetes management.

A panel of primary care and diabetes specialists conducted focused literature searches on the current role of glycaemic control in the management of type 2 diabetes and revisited the evolution of evidence supporting the importance of early and intensive blood glucose control as a central strategy to reduce the risk of adverse long-term outcomes. The optimal approach to type 2 diabetes management has evolved over time as the evidence base has expanded from data from trials that established the role of optimising glycaemic control to recent data from cardiovascular outcomes trials (CVOTs) demonstrating organ-protective effects of newer glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs). The results from these CVOTs were derived mainly from people with type 2 diabetes and prior cardiovascular and kidney disease or multiple risk factors. In more recent years, earlier diagnosis in high-risk individuals has contributed to the large proportion of people with type 2 diabetes who do not have complications. In these individuals, a legacy effect of early and optimal control of blood glucose and cardiometabolic risk factors has been proven to reduce cardiovascular and kidney disease events and all-cause mortality. As there is a lack of RCTs investigating the potential synergistic effects of intensive glucose control and organ-protective effects of newer GLDs, this article re-evaluates the evolution of the scientific evidence and highlights the importance of integrating glycaemic control as a pivotal early therapeutic goal in most people with type 2 diabetes, while targeting existing cardiovascular and kidney disease. We also emphasise the importance of implementing multifactorial management using a multidisciplinary approach to facilitate regular review, patient empowerment and the possibility of tailoring interventions to account for the heterogeneity of type 2 diabetes.

Nitrate trend reversal in Dutch dual-permeability chalk springs, evaluated by tritium-based groundwater travel time distributions.

Historical use of fertilizer and manure on farmlands is known to have a lasting impact on ecosystems and water resources, but few studies assess the legacy of nitrate pollution on groundwater and surface water after farming applications were reduced. We studied the response of nitrate in spring water to a reduction of nitrogen fertilizer applications in agriculture realized since the mid-1980s. We assessed the travel time distribution of groundwater based on a time series of tritium measurements for 90 springs and small brooks that drain a dual porosity chalk aquifer. The travel time distributions were constrained using the tritium data in combination with time series of nitrate concentrations, applying a shape-free travel time distribution model. A clear trend reversal of nitrate concentrations was observed and simulated for springs with a large fraction of young water (< 30 years old) whereas the nitrate response in springs with relatively older water was attenuated and delayed. We conclude that obtaining a time series of tritium data helps to constrain age distributions of water that is discharged from dual permeability aquifers. The fraction of water aged <30 years was a meaningful parameter to distinguish between different types of springs. Nitrate trends in springs that drain large fractions of young water (> 0.6) show higher peak concentrations, shorter lag-time between leaching and outflow peaks and steeper declines after trend reversal, relative to trends in springs which are dominantly fed by older groundwater. The study thus shows that the nitrate legacy of groundwater systems is strongly determined by the range of their travel time distributions, and trend reversal in receiving springs and surface waters may appear within 10 to 15 years after measures to reduce nitrate losses from farming.

Radiological Analyses of 226Ra and 238U in Surface Water and Sediments from the Jackpile Member of the Morrison Formation, Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico.

Surface water and sediments from the Jackpile mine, St. Anthony mine, Rio Paguate, Rio Moquino, and Mesita Dam areas near Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico, were analyzed for 226Ra and U using gamma (γ) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy, respectively. Activity ratios for 226Ra/238U for solid samples range from 0.34 ± 0.13 to 16 ± 2.9, which reflect uranium transport and accumulation (<1), relatively pristine material in secular equilibrium (1), and removal of uranium by weathering (>1). Concentrations ranging from 80 to 225 µg L-1 U were detected in unfiltered water samples near the Jackpile mine. Water samples upstream and downstream from the mine contained concentrations ranging from 12 to 15 µg L-1 U. Water samples collected from the North Pit standing pond in the Jackpile mine contained as much as 1560 pCi L-1 of 226Ra, and passing the water through a 0.2 µM filter did not substantially reduce the activity of 226Ra in the water. 234Th and 226Ra are in secular equilibrium in this water, while radon gas was lost from the water. The results of the current study provide insight into the distribution of U-series radionuclides in the Pueblo of Laguna area, including detection of high levels of radioactivity in water at some locations within the Jackpile mine.

Could flooding undermine progress in building climate-resilient crops?

Flooding threatens crop productivity, agricultural sustainability, and global food security. In this article I review the effects of flooding on plants and highlight three important gaps in our understanding: (i) effects of flooding on ecological interactions mediated by plants both below (changing root metabolites and exudates) and aboveground (changing plant quality and metabolites, and weakening the plant immune system), (ii) flooding impacts on soil health and microorganisms that underpin plant and ecosystems health, and (iii) the legacy impacts of flooding. Failure to address these overlooked aspects could derail and undermine the monumental progress made in building climate-resilient crops and soil-microbe-assisted plant resilience. Addressing the outlined knowledge gaps will enhance solutions developed to mitigate flooding and preserve gains made to date.

Phosphorus Availability and Balance with Long-Term Sewage Sludge and Nitrogen Fertilization in Chernozem Soil under Maize Monoculture.

A continuous long-term field experiment with maize monoculture was conducted to evaluate the P availability and balance, DM yield, P uptake, and P sorption parameters in chernozem soil after 27 years. A total of 2 doses of nitrogen (120 and 240 kg ha-1) were applied as mineral nitrogen (N120 and N240) and sewage sludge (SS120 and SS240) and compared with unfertilized control (Con). The aboveground biomass (DM) yields significantly increased in the order of Con < SS120 < SS240 < N120 < N240 treatments and the maximum P uptake was recorded for both N240 and SS240 (25.1 kg P ha-1) according to the nutrient application gradient. The N120 and N240 treatments positively influenced the DM yield but negatively influenced the P balance (-648 and -678 kg P ha-1 27 years-1), gradually bringing a risk of P deficiency in the soil. On the other hand, applications of SS120 and SS240 positively influenced the P availability and pseudototal (PAR) content in the soil, which resulted in a buildup of legacy P or an increase in P saturation greater than the environmental threshold value. Aluminum was found to be a major controlling sorption factor for P in our chernozem soil.

Storytelling to support legacy making for bereaved parents of children with cancer.

Honoring a child's legacy is an essential aspect of meaning-making for bereaved parents, yet little is known about storytelling as a mechanism. Through narrative analysis of 19 bereaved parent interviews focused on legacy, we examined the role of storytelling in creating and sustaining legacy. Most participants (89%) told stories centered around the child's impact and parent's coping, including the child's character and interpersonal relationships during and after their lifetime as well as how the child's legacy influenced parents' grief experiences. Future research is needed to explore the potential impact of storytelling initiatives to support legacy-making for bereaved caregivers.

Lingering legacies: Past growth and parental experience influence somatic growth in a fish population.

Body size and growth rate can influence individual and population success by mediating fitness. Understanding the factors that influence growth can be difficult to disentangle, however, because growth can be shaped by environmental conditions recently experienced, as well as legacy effects from conditions experienced earlier in life and by parents (via parental effects). To improve understanding of growth among annual cohorts (1982-2015) of Lake Erie Walleye (Sander vitreus), a species with life-history and growth characteristics similar to many other long-lived, iteroparous fishes, we determined the role of the following hypothesised factors: (H1) recent environmental conditions; (H2) traits and experiences of the cohort, including growth, in the previous year; (H3) early-life cohort density; (H4) early-life body size; and (H5) parental composition and environment. We evaluated the relative importance of these hypothesised factors using piecewise structural equation modelling in an information-theoretic framework. Our results indicated that cohort-specific growth of Lake Erie Walleye was most strongly influenced by traits (growth) and experiences of the cohort during the previous year (H2) and parental composition and environment (H5). The observed negative relationship with growth during the previous year may indicate that Walleye exhibit compensatory growth. The relationships with parental sizes and environments may mean that parental contributions to offspring affects cohorts into adulthood, with serious implications for the effects of climate change. Warm winters appear to negatively influence offspring growth performance for many years. Legacy effects had a stronger influence on cohort growth than recent environmental conditions, providing new understanding of how somatic growth is regulated in Lake Erie's Walleye population. Specifically, the parental composition and environment appear important via epigenetic and/or egg-provisioning legacies, with carryover effects modifying growth among years. Ultimately, our findings demonstrate that understanding recent growth in animal populations similar to Lake Erie Walleye may require knowledge of past conditions, including those experienced by parents.

Rapid adsorptive removal of emerging and legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from water using zinc chloride-modified litchi seed-derived biochar.

The present study successfully synthesized a novel biochar adsorbent (M-L-BC) using litchi seed modified with zinc chloride for PFASs removal in water. M-L-BC greatly enhanced removal of all examined PFASs (>95 %) as compared to the pristine biochar (<40 %). The maximum adsorption capacity was observed for PFOS, reaching 29.6 mg/g. Adsorption kinetics of PFASs followed the pseudo-second-order model (PSO), suggesting the predominance of chemical adsorption. Moreover, characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations jointly revealed involvement of surface complexation, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions in PFAS adsorption. Robust PFAS removal was demonstrated for M-L-BC across a wide range of pH (3-9), and coexisting ions had limited impact on adsorption of PFASs except PFBA. Furthermore, M-L-BC showed excellent performance in real water samples and retained reusability after five cycles of regeneration. Overall, M-L-BC represents a promising and high-quality adsorbent for efficient and sustainable removal of PFASs from water.

Staying isolated indoors means that nobody sees me": ontological (in)security and living with significant appearance concerns before, during, and 'since' COVID-19.

PURPOSE: Though a worldwide period of uncertainty (COVID-19) has 'ended', there exists a legacy of maladaptive experiences among people with significant appearance concerns (SAC) that requires care and attention. METHODS: Using Giddens' concept of ontological security, we explored how people experienced their SAC before, during and "since" COVID-19. Qualitative surveys allowed us to capture diverse perspectives from individuals transnationally, analysed with deductive reflexive thematic analysis using ontological security as our theoretical foundation. RESULTS: Themes named "More Mirror(ed) Time" and "Locked Out, Shut Down, and Shut Out" gave a contextual grounding for the embodied experiences of this group through times of social restrictions, and the theme "Redefining Relevance" explored the continued legacy of COVID-19 - and continued global uncertainties such as economic hardship and warfare - that impact the wellbeing of people with SAC. CONCLUSIONS: People with SAC are still 'locked out' from essential healthcare support as those providing healthcare are overworked, under-resourced and rely on efficient interactive methods such as tele-health that may be triggers for people with SAC. Care providers may consider expanding appearance concerns verbiage, look to involve trusted others in the care-seeking process, and utilize modalities beyond digital health to support people with SAC.

Organochlorine pesticides in Ethiopian waters: Implications for environmental and human health.

Despite the global ban on organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) since the 1970s, their use continues in many developing countries, including Ethiopia, primarily due to the lack of viable alternatives and weak regulations. Nonetheless, the extent of contamination and the resulting environmental and health consequences in these countries remain inadequately understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of reported concentrations (n=398) of OCPs (n=30) in distinct yet interconnected water matrices: water, sediment, and biota in Ethiopia. Our analysis revealed a notable geographical bias, with higher concentrations found in sediments (0.074-1161.2 µg/kg), followed by biota (0.024-1003 µg/kg) and water (0.001-1.85 µg/L). Moreover, DDTs, endosulfan, and hexachlorohexenes (HCHs) were among the most frequently detected OCPs in higher concentrations in Ethiopian waters. The DDT metabolite p,p'-DDE was commonly observed across all three matrices, with concentrations in water birds reaching levels up to 57 and 143,286 times higher than those found in sediment and water, respectively. The findings showed a substantial potential for DDTs and endosulfan to accumulate and biomagnify in Ethiopian waters. Furthermore, it was revealed that the consumption of fish contaminated with DDTs posed both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks while drinking water did not pose significant risks in this regard. Importantly, the issue of OCPs in Ethiopia assumes even greater significance as their concentrations were found to be eight times higher than those of currently used pesticides (CUPs) in Ethiopian waters. Consequently, given the ongoing concerns about OCPs in Ethiopia, there is a need for ongoing monitoring, implementation of sustainable mitigation measures, and strengthening of OCP management systems in the country, as well as in other developing countries with similar settings and practices.

Physiological carry-over effects of variable precipitation are mediated by reproductive status in a long-lived ungulate.

In the age of global climate change, extreme climatic events are expected to increase in frequency and severity. Animals will be forced to cope with these novel stressors in their environment. Glucocorticoids (i.e. 'stress' hormones) facilitate an animal's ability to cope with their environment. To date, most studies involving glucocorticoids focus on the immediate physiological effects of an environmental stressor on an individual, few studies have investigated the long-term physiological impacts of such stressors. Here, we tested the hypothesis that previous exposure to an environmental stressor will impart lasting consequences to an individual's glucocorticoid levels. In semi-arid environments, variable rainfall drives forage availability for herbivores. Reduced seasonal precipitation can present an extreme environmental stressor potentially imparting long-term impacts on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. We examined the effects of rainfall and environmental characteristics (i.e. soil and vegetation attributes) during fawn-rearing (i.e. summer) on subsequent glucocorticoid levels of female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in autumn. We captured 124 adult (≥2.5-year-old) female deer via aerial net-gunning during autumn of 2015, 2016 and 2021 across four populations spanning a gradient of environmental characteristics and rainfall in the semi-arid environment of South Texas, USA. We found for every 1 cm decrease in summer rainfall, faecal glucocorticoid levels in autumn increased 6.9%, but only in lactating females. Glucocorticoid levels in non-lactating, female deer were relatively insensitive to environmental conditions. Our study demonstrates the long-lasting effects of environmental stressors on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. A better understanding of the long-term effects stressors impart on an individual's glucocorticoid levels will help to evaluate the totality of the cost of a stressor to an individual's welfare and predict the consequences of future climate scenarios.

Practical applications of soil microbiota to improve ecosystem restoration: current knowledge and future directions.

Soil microbiota are important components of healthy ecosystems. Greater consideration of soil microbiota in the restoration of biodiverse, functional, and resilient ecosystems is required to address the twin global crises of biodiversity decline and climate change. In this review, we discuss available and emerging practical applications of soil microbiota into (i) restoration planning, (ii) direct interventions for shaping soil biodiversity, and (iii) strategies for monitoring and predicting restoration trajectories. We show how better planning of restoration activities to account for soil microbiota can help improve progress towards restoration targets. We show how planning to embed soil microbiota experiments into restoration projects will permit a more rigorous assessment of the effectiveness of different restoration methods, especially when complemented by statistical modelling approaches that capitalise on existing data sets to improve causal understandings and prioritise research strategies where appropriate. In addition to recovering belowground microbiota, restoration strategies that include soil microbiota can improve the resilience of whole ecosystems. Fundamentally, restoration planning should identify appropriate reference target ecosystem attributes and - from the perspective of soil microbiota - comprehensibly consider potential physical, chemical and biological influences on recovery. We identify that inoculating ecologically appropriate soil microbiota into degraded environments can support a range of restoration interventions (e.g. targeted, broad-spectrum and cultured inoculations) with promising results. Such inoculations however are currently underutilised and knowledge gaps persist surrounding successful establishment in light of community dynamics, including priority effects and community coalescence. We show how the ecological trajectories of restoration sites can be assessed by characterising microbial diversity, composition, and functions in the soil. Ultimately, we highlight practical ways to apply the soil microbiota toolbox across the planning, intervention, and monitoring stages of ecosystem restoration and address persistent open questions at each stage. With continued collaborations between researchers and practitioners to address knowledge gaps, these approaches can improve current restoration practices and ecological outcomes.

Trace metal accumulation through the environment and wildlife at two derelict lead mines in Wales.

Trace metal pollution is globally widespread, largely resulting from human activities. Due to the persistence and high toxicity of trace metals, these pollutants can have serious effects across ecosystems. However, few studies have directly assessed the presence and impact of trace metal pollution across ecosystems, specifically across multiple environmental sources and animal taxa. This study was designed to assess the environmental health impacts of trace metal pollution by assessing its extent and possible transfer into wildlife in the areas surrounding two abandoned metalliferous mine complexes in Wales in the UK. Water, sediment, and soil at the mine sites and in areas downstream had notably elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, and, to a lesser extent, Cd and Cu, when compared to nearby control sites. These high trace metal concentrations were mirrored in the body burdens of aquatic invertebrates collected in the contaminated streams both at, and downstream of, the mines. Wood mice collected in contaminated areas appeared to be able to regulate their Zn and Cu tissue concentrations, but, when compared to wood mice from a nearby control site, they had significantly elevated concentrations of Cd and, particularly, Pb, detected in their kidney, liver, and bone samples. The Pb concentrations found in these tissues correlated strongly with local soil concentrations (kidney: ρ = 0.690; liver: ρ = 0.668, bone: ρ = 0.649), and were potentially indicative of Pb toxicity in between 10 % and 82 % of the rodents sampled at the mine sites and in areas downstream. The high trace metal concentrations found in the environment and in common prey species (invertebrates and rodents) indicates that trace metal pollution can have far-reaching, ecosystem-wide health impacts long after the polluting activity has ceased, and far beyond the originating site of the pollution.

Greenhouse gas emission potential of tropical coastal sediments in densely urbanized area inferred from metabarcoding microbial community data.

Although benthic microbial community offers crucial insights into ecosystem services, they are underestimated for coastal sediment monitoring. Sepetiba Bay (SB) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, holds long-term metal pollution. Currently, SB pollution is majorly driven by domestic effluents discharge. Here, functional prediction analysis inferred from 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding data reveals the energy metabolism profiles of benthic microbial assemblages along the metal pollution gradient. Methanogenesis, denitrification, and N2 fixation emerge as dominant pathways in the eutrophic/polluted internal sector (Spearman; p < 0.05). These metabolisms act in the natural attenuation of sedimentary pollutants. The methane (CH4) emission (mcr genes) potential was found more abundant in the internal sector, while the external sector exhibited higher CH4 consumption (pmo + mmo genes) potential. Methanofastidiosales and Exiguobacterium, possibly involved in CH4 emission and associated with CH4 consumers respectively, are the main taxa detected in SB. Furthermore, SB exhibits higher nitrous oxide (N2O) emission potential since the norB/C gene proportions surpass nosZ up to 4 times. Blastopirellula was identified as the main responsible for N2O emissions. This study reveals fundamental contributions of the prokaryotic community to functions involved in greenhouse gas emissions, unveiling their possible use as sentinels for ecosystem monitoring.