First Insight into the Mobilization and Sequestration of Arsenic in a Karstic Soil during Redox Changes.

Karst terrains provide drinking water for about 25% of the people on our planet, particularly in the southwest of China. Pollutants such as arsenic (As) in the soil can infiltrate groundwater through sinkholes and bedrock fractures in karst terrains. Despite this, the underlying mechanisms responsible for As release from karst soils under redox changes remain largely unexplored. Here, we used multiple synchrotron-based spectroscopic analyses to explore As mobilization and sequestration in As-polluted karstic soil under biogeochemical conditions that mimic field-validated redox conditions. We observed that As in the soil exists primarily as As(V), which is mainly associated with Fe(oxyhydr)oxides. The concentration of the dissolved As was high (294 µM) and As(III) was dominant (∼95%) at low Eh (≤-100 mV), indicating the high risk of As leaching under reducing conditions. This As mobilization was attributed to the fact that the dissolution of ferrihydrite and calcite promoted the release and reduction of associated As(V). The concentration of the dissolved As was low (17.0 µM) and As(V) was dominant (∼68%) at high Eh (≥+100 mV), which might be due to the oxidation and/or sequestration of As(III) by the recrystallized ferric phase. Our results showed that the combined effects of the reductive release of As(V) from both ferric and nonferric phases, along with the recrystallization of the ferric phase, govern the redox-induced mobilization and potential leaching of As in soils within karst environments.

Physiology and molecular basis of thallium toxicity and accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Thallium (Tl) is a non-essential metal mobilized through industrial processes which can lead to it entering the environment and exerting toxic effects. Plants are fundamental components of all ecosystems. Therefore, understanding the impact of Tl on plant growth and development is of great importance for assessing the potential environmental risks of Tl. Here, the responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to Tl were elucidated using physiological, genetic, and transcriptome analyses. Thallium can be absorbed by plant roots and translocated to the aerial parts, accumulating at comparable concentrations throughout plant parts. Genetic evidence supported the regulation of Tl uptake and movement by different molecular compartments within plants. Thallium primarily caused growth inhibition, oxidative stress, leaf chlorosis, and the impairment of K homeostasis. The disturbance of redox balance toward oxidative stress was supported by significant differences in the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress and antioxidant defense under Tl exposure. Reduced GSH levels in cad2-1 mutant rendered plants highly sensitive to Tl, suggesting that GSH has a prominent role in alleviating Tl-triggered oxidative responses. Thallium down-regulation of the expression of LCHII-related genes is believed to be responsible for leaf chlorosis. These findings illuminate some of the mechanisms underlying Tl toxicity at the physiological and molecular levels in plants with an eye toward the future environment management of this heavy metal.

Mobilization, Methylation, and Demethylation of Mercury in a Paddy Soil Under Systematic Redox Changes.

Methylmercury (MeHg) contamination in paddy fields is a significant environmental issue globally since over half of the population of our planet consumes rice. MeHg is a neurotoxin produced by microorganisms in oxygen-limited environments. Microbial effect on MeHg production is a hotspot of research; however, it has been largely ignored how the oxidation-reduction potential (Eh) shapes MeHg formation. Here, we elucidated Hg (de)-methylation in a contaminated soil by increasing Eh stepwise from -300 to +300 mV using a sophisticated biogeochemical microcosm. At the Eh range from -300 to -100 mV, high MeHg concentration and dissolved total Hg (THg) concentration were found due to a high relative abundance of Hg-methylation bacteria (e.g., Desulfitobacterium spp.), acidification, and reductive dissolution of Fe(oxyhydr)oxides. At the Eh range from 0 to +200 mV, the formation of colloids leads to adsorption of Hg and as a result colloidal Hg increased. MeHg reduction with Eh (-300 to +200 mV) increase was mainly attributed to a reduced Hg methylation, as dissolved THg and relative abundance of Desulfitobacterium spp. decreased by 50 and 96%, respectively, at Eh of +200 mV as compared to Eh of -300 mV. Mercury demethylation might be less important since the relative abundance of demethylation bacteria (Clostridium spp.) also decreased over 93% at Eh of +200 mV. These new results are crucial for predicting Hg risks in paddy fields.

Indium Uptake and Accumulation by Rice and Wheat and Health Risk Associated with Their Consumption.

The increasing use of indium in high-tech industries has inevitably caused its release into the environment. However, knowledge of its environmental fate has been very limited so far. This study investigates the indium uptake and accumulation by two staple crops, rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and evaluates potential risks associated with their consumption. Rice and wheat were grown on three kinds of soil, including acidic soils spiked with a high indium concentration (1.0 mmol kg-1), which is considered the worst-case scenario, because high soil acidity promotes indium bioavailability. The results revealed that a large portion of soil indium was associated with iron hydroxides, even in acidic soils. Indium precipitates in soils resulted in relatively low availability at the plant root site. Most absorbed indium accumulated at the roots, with only a tiny portion reaching the grains. The corresponding Hazard Quotient indicated no adverse effects on human health. Due to the low translocation of indium from soil to grain, the consumption of rice and wheat grains harvested from indium-contaminated soils may pose an insignificant risk to human health. Further field studies are necessary to better elucidate the risks associated with consuming crops grown in indium-contaminated soils.

Fe2+/HClO Reaction Produces FeIVO2+: An Enhanced Advanced Oxidation Process.

The reaction between Fe2+ and HClO constitutes a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for removing pollutants from wastewater, and •OH has been considered the dominant reactive oxidant despite limited evidence for this. Herein, we demonstrate that the Fe2+/HClO reaction enables the production of FeIVO2+ rather than •OH in acid medium, a finding that is strongly supported by multiple lines of evidence. Both X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopic tests and Mössbauer spectroscopic tests confirmed the appearance of FeIVO2+ as the reactive intermediate in the reaction between Fe2+ and HClO. The determination of FeIVO2+ generation was also derived from the methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO)-based probe experiments with respect to the formation of PMSO2 without •OH adducts and the density functional theory studies according to the lower energy barrier for producing FeIVO2+ compared with •OH. A dual-anode electrolytic system was established for the in situ generation of Fe2+ and HClO that allows the production of FeIVO2+. The system exhibits an enhanced capacity for oxidizing a model pollutant (e.g., phosphite) from industrial wastewater, making it an attractive and promising AOP for the abatement of aqueous contaminants.

Effects of long-term paddy rice cultivation on soil arsenic speciation.

Geochemical behavior of arsenic (As) in rice paddy soils determines the availability and mobility of As in the soils, but little is known about the long-term effects of paddy rice cultivation on As speciation in the soils. In this study, surface soil samples were collected from a rice paddy land and its adjacent dry land with similar soil properties and known cultivation histories. The soils of the paddy land and dry land contained 378 and 423 mg As kg-1, respectively. The predominant As species in the soils were investigated using As K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in combination with two sequential chemical fractionation methods. The XAS results showed that the predominant As species in the soils were As(III)- and As(V)-ferrihydrite, As(V)-goethite and scorodite. In comparison to the dry land soil, the paddy land soil contained a higher proportion of As(V)-ferrihydrite and a lower proportion of scorodite. The results of chemical fractionation revealed that As in the paddy land soil was more labile than that in the dry land soil. It is therefore suggested that long-term rice cultivation enhances the mobility and availability of As in paddy soils.

Speciation and sorption of phosphorus in agricultural soil profiles of redoximorphic character.

Controlled drainage is considered as a soil management tool to improve water supply to crops and reduce nutrient losses from fields; however, its closure may affect phosphorus (P) mobilization in soil. To assess the P mobilization potential, three soil profiles with redoximorphic features were selected along a slight hill in Northern Germany. Soil samples from three depths of each profile were characterized for basic properties, total element content, oxalate- and dithionite-extractable pedogenic Al, Fe and Mn (hydr)oxides, P pools (sequential extraction), P species [P K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy] and P sorption behavior. In topsoil (~ 10 cm depth), labile P (H2O-P + resin-P + NaHCO3-P) accounted for 26-32% of total P (Pt). Phosphorus K-edge XANES revealed that up to 49% of Pt was bound to Al and/or Fe (hydr)oxides, but sequential fractionation indicated that > 30% of this P was occluded within sesquioxide aggregates. A low binding capacity for P was demonstrated by P sorption capacity and low Kf coefficients (20-33 [Formula: see text]) of the Freundlich equation. In the subsoil layers (~ 30 and ~ 65 cm depth), higher proportions of Al- and Fe-bound P along with other characteristics suggested that all profiles might be prone to P mobilization/leaching risk under reducing conditions even if the degree of P saturation (DPS) of a profile under oxic conditions was < 25%. The results suggest that a closure of the controlled drainage may pose a risk of increased P mobilization, but this needs to be compared with the risk of uncontrolled drainage and P losses to avoid P leaching into the aquatic ecosystem.

[A new macrocyclic phenolic glycoside from Sorghum vulgare root].

Eleven compounds were isolated and purified from Sorghum vulgare root extract, through column chromatography over silica gel, MCI gel, and preparative HPLC. Their structures were established by MS, 1 D NMR and 2 D NMR data as sorgholide A(1), ß-sitosterol(2), stigmastero(3), daucosterol(4), 4-methoxycinnamic acid(5), taxiphyllin(6), chlorogenic acid(7), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde(8), succini acid(9), trans-p-hydroxycinnamic acid(10), obtusalin(11). Compounds 4,5 and 9-11 were reported from this species for the first time, and compound 1 is the first 24 ring dimeric double lactonol glycoside formed by reverse polymerization of p-hydroxyphenylacetate glucoside, named sorgholide A.

Effect of Gallium Exposure in Arabidopsis thaliana is Similar to Aluminum Stress.

Although gallium (Ga) is a rare element, it is widely used in semiconductor devices. Ga contamination of the environment has been found in semiconductor-producing countries. Here, the physiological and molecular impacts of Ga in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated in medium culture. The primary symptom of Ga toxicity is inhibition of root growth. The increased production of malondialdehyde (MDA) suggests that Ga stress could cause oxidative damage in plants. Roots were the main Ga accumulating sites. The distinctive Ga granules were deposited within the intercellular space in roots. The granules are Ga(OH)3 precipitation, which indicates immobilization or limited translocation of Ga in A. thaliana. Ga stress induces root secretion of organic acids such as citrate and malate. The expression of the transporters AtALMT and AtMATE, responsible for citrate and malate secretion, respectively, were elevated under Ga stress, so the secretion may play a role in the resistance. Indeed, supplying exogenous citrate significantly enhanced Ga tolerance. The overall response to Ga exposure in A. thaliana is highly similar to that with aluminum stress. Our findings provide information for risk assessment in Ga-contaminated soil.

Chemical speciation and rice uptake of soil molybdenum-Investigation with X-ray absorption spectroscopy and isotope fractionation.

Molybdenum (Mo) contamination of farmland soils poses health risks due to Mo accumulation in crops like rice. However, the mechanisms regulating soil availability and plant uptake of Mo remain poorly understood. This study investigated Mo uptake by rice plants, focusing on Mo speciation and isotope fractionation in soil and rice plants. Soil Mo species were identified as sorbed Mo(VI) and Fe-Mo(VI) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Soil submergence during rice cultivation led to the reductive dissolution of Fe-associated Mo(VI) while increasing sorbed Mo(VI) and Ca-Mo(VI). Soil Mo release to soil solution was a dynamic process involving continuous dissolution/desorption and re-precipitation/sorption. Mo isotope analysis showed soil solution was consistently enriched in heavier isotopes during rice growth, attributed to re-sorption of released Mo and the uptake of Mo by rice plants. Mo was significantly associated with Fe in rice rhizosphere as sorbed Mo(VI) and Fe-Mo(VI), and around 60 % of Mo accumulated in rice roots was sequestrated by Fe plaque of the roots. The desorption of Mo from Fe hydroxides to soil solution and its subsequent diffusion to the root surface were the key rhizosphere processes regulating root Mo uptake. Once absorbed by roots, Mo was efficiently transported to shoots and then to grains, resulting in heavier isotope fractionation during the translocation within plants. Although Mo translocation to rice grains was relatively limited, human exposure via rice consumption remains a health concern. This study provides insights into the temporal dynamics of Mo speciation in submerged paddy soil and the uptake mechanisms of Mo by rice plants.

Evaluation and mitigation of potentially toxic elements contamination in mangrove ecosystem: Insights into phytoremediation and microbial perspective.

Mangroves, essential coastal ecosystems, are threatened by human-induced Potentially-toxic-elements (PTEs) pollution. This study analyzed PTEs distribution, phytoremediation potential, and rhizosphere microbial communities in Taiwan's Xinfeng mangrove forest. Significant variations in physicochemical and PTEs concentrations were observed across adjacent water bodies, with moderate contamination in the river, estuary, and overlying water of mangroves sediment. The partition-coefficient showed the mobility of Bi, Pb, Co, and Sr at the water-sediment interface. The geochemical-indices revealed high Bi and Pb contamination and moderate Zn, Sr, Cu, and Cd contamination in sediment. The overall pollution indices indicated the significant contamination, while moderate ecological risk was found for Cd (40 ≤ Eri < 80). Mangroves Kandelia obovata and Avicennia marina exhibited promising PTEs phytoremediation potential (Bi, Cd, Mn, Sr, and Co). Metagenomics indicated a diverse microbial community with N-fixation, P-solubilization, IAA synthesis, and PTEs-resistance genes. These findings underscore the need for targeted conservation to protect these critical habitats.

Speciation, phytoavailability, and accumulation of toxic elements and sulfur by humic acid-fertilized lemongrass and common sage in a sandy soil treated with heavy oil fly ash: A trial for management of power stations wastes.

Globally, power stations generate huge amounts of the hazardous waste heavy oil fly ash (HOFA), which is rich in Ni, V, Fe, S, and dumped into landfills. Thus, exploring new approaches for a safe recycling and sustainable management of HOFA is needed and of great environmental interest. The potential application of HOFA as an amendment to sandy soils has not been studied yet. This is the first research investigating the potentiality of using HOFA as a soil conditioner. To this end, we conducted a greenhouse experiment in order to investigate the impacts of HOFA addition (1.2, 2.4, 3.6 t ha-1) to sandy soil on the total and available content of nutrients (e.g., S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) and toxic elements (TEs; e.g., Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, V) in the soil and their phytoextraction and translocation by lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and common sage (Salvia officinalis). We also assessed the impact of humic acid (HA) foliar application (50 and 100 l ha-1) on the growth and elements accumulation by the two plants. The studied HOFA was acidic and highly enriched in S (43,268.0), V (3,527.0), Ni (1774.0), and Fe (15,159.0) (units in mg kg-1). The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) data showed that V in HOFA was composed primarily of V(IV) sorbed onto goethite, V(V) sorbed onto humic substances, in the forms of V2O3, and VCl4. Addition of the lower doses of HOFA (1.2 and 2.4 t ha-1) did not change significantly soil pH, salinity, and the total and available elements content compared to the unamended soil. Although the elements content in the 3.6 t ha-1 HOFA-treated soil was significantly higher than the untreated, the total content of all elements (except for Ni) was lower than the maximum allowable concentrations in soils. HOFA addition, particularly in the highest dose (3.6 t ha-1), decreased significantly the growth and biomass of both plants. Common sage accumulated more elements than lemongrass; however, the elements content in the plants was lower than the critical concentrations for sensitive plants. The foliar application of humic acid enhanced significantly the plant growth and increased their tolerance to the HOFA-induced stress. We conclude that the addition of HOFA up to 2.4 t ha-1 in a single application as amendment to sandy soils is not likely to create any TE toxicity problems to plants, particularly if combined with a foliar application of humic acid; however, repeated additions of HOFA may induce toxicity. These findings should be verified under field conditions.

Transformative and sustainable insights of agricultural waste-based adsorbents for water defluoridation: Biosorption dynamics, economic viability, and spent adsorbent management.

With the progression of civilization, the harmony within nature has been disrupted, giving rise to various ecocidal activities that are evident in every spheres of the earth. These activities have had a profound and far-reaching impact on global health. One significant example of this is the presence of fluoride in groundwater exceeding acceptable limits, resulting in the widespread occurrence of "Fluorosis" worldwide. It is imperative to mitigate the concentration of fluoride in drinking water to meet safety standards. While various defluoridation techniques exist, they often have drawbacks. Biosorption, being a simple, affordable and eco-friendly method, has gained preference for defluoridation. However, its limited commercialization underscores the pressing need for further research in this domain. This comprehensive review article offers a thorough examination of the defluoridation potential of agro-based adsorbents, encompassing their specific chemical compositions and preparation methods. The review presents an in-depth discussion of the factors influencing fluoride biosorption and conducts a detailed exploration of adsorption isotherm and adsorption kinetic models to gain a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the adsorption process. Furthermore, it evaluates the commercial viability through an assessment of regeneration potential and a cost analysis of these agro-adsorbents, with the aim of facilitating the scalability of the defluoridation process. The elucidation of the adsorption mechanism and recommendations for overcoming challenges in large-scale implementation offer a comprehensive outlook on this eco-friendly and sustainable approach to fluoride removal. In summary, this review article equips readers with a lucid understanding of agro-adsorbents, elucidates their ideal conditions for improved performance, offers a more profound insight into the fluoride biosorption mechanism, and introduces the concept of effective spent adsorbent management.

XANES evidence of arsenate removal from water with magnetic ferrite.

Arsenic (As) in groundwater and surface water is a worldwide problem possessing a serious threat to public health. In this study, a magnetic ferrite, was synthesized and investigated for its As(V) removal efficiency. The adsorption of As(V) by magnetic ferrite exhibited an L-shaped nonlinear isotherm, suggesting limiting binding sites on the adsorbent surface. The As K-edge X-Ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES) revealed that the adsorbed As(V) on ferrite was not reduced to more toxic As(III) by Fe(2+) in the ferrite structure. The maximum As adsorption capacity of ferrite was 14 mg/g at pH 3 and decreased with increasing pH due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion between As(V) and the adsorbent surface. Desorption of As(V) using six different acid and salt solutions showed that the desorption rate decreased in an order of H3PO4 > Na3PO4 > H2SO4 > Na2SO4 > HCl > HNO3. These results suggest that magnetic ferrite without surface modification is an effective adsorbent for removing As(V) from water, which was confirmed by the effective removal of As(V) from contaminated groundwater using this material. The used material can then be recovered using a magnet because of its paramagnetism; the adsorbed As(V) on the material can be recovered using H3PO4 or Na3PO4 solutions.

Soluble soil Pb minimized by thermal transformation to Pb-bearing feldspar.

Thermal transformation is an effective remediation measure to stabilize soil Pb and other heavy metals via transformation into less soluble compounds. This study aimed to determine the solubility of Pb in soils subjected to heating at a range of temperatures (100-900 °C) in relation to the changes in Pb speciation using XAFS spectroscopy. Lead solubility in the contaminated soils after thermal treatment corresponded well to the chemical species of Pb present. As the temperature was increased to 300 °C, cerussite and Pb associated with humus started to decompose in the soils. As the temperature was further increased to 900 °C, the amount of water and HCl extractable Pb decreased significantly from the soils, whereas Pb-bearing feldspar started to occur, accounting for nearly 70% of the soil Pb. During thermal treatment, Pb species in the soils were little affected by Fe oxides that showed a significant phase transformation into hematite. Our study proposes the following underlying mechanisms for Pb immobilization in thermally treated soils: i) thermally labile Pb species such as PbCO3 and Pb associated with humus start to decompose at temperatures around 300 °C, ii) aluminosilicates with crystalline and poorly ordered structures undergo thermal decomposition at temperatures around 400 °C, iii) liberating Pb in the soil is then associated with a Si and Al rich liquid derived from thermally decomposed aluminosilicates at higher temperatures, and iv) the formation of Pb-feldspar like minerals is enhanced at 900 °C.

Temporal transformation of indium speciation in rice paddy soils and spatial distribution of indium in rice rhizosphere.

Indium is a potentially toxic element that could enter human food chains, including soil-rice systems. The submerged environment in rice paddy soil results in temporal and spatial variations in the chemical properties of the rice rhizosphere and bulk soils, expected to cause changes in indium's chemical speciation and consequently affect its bioavailability. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate indium speciation and fractionation in soils at different periods of rice growth under continuous submergence using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and a sequential extraction method. The predominant indium species were identified as indium-associated Fe hydroxide, and indium hydroxide and phosphate precipitates. The reductive dissolution of indium-associated Fe hydroxides led to the release of indium into the soil solution under continuous submergence of soils, and the released indium concentration decreased with time due to re-sorption and re-precipitation. Meanwhile, indium hydroxide was found to be the predominant species in rice rhizosphere using µ-X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The relative depletion of indium-associated Fe hydroxides in the rice rhizosphere was attributed to the low mobility of indium from bulk soil to rice rhizosphere and the root uptake of indium associated with Fe hydroxide around rice roots. Consequently, indium uptake by rice roots was lower during the reproductive and grain-ripening stage of rice growth. Understanding the behavior of indium will help develop a strategy to minimize uptake into crops in indium-contaminated paddy soils.

L-DOPA induces iron accumulation in roots of Ipomoea aquatica and Arabidopsis thaliana in a pH-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia worldwide, particularly in countries with predominant plant-based diets. Plants constitute the main source of dietary iron. Increasing their iron concentration could reduce the occurrence of anemia. The water spinach Ipomoea aquatica is consumed as a vegetable throughout Asia and tolerates high iron concentrations making it an attractive candidate for iron biofortification. L-DOPA is an allelopathic molecule secreted by some legumes. L-DOPA can trigger the expression of Fe deficiency-inducible genes, and could potentially be used as a biostimulant to increase Fe concentration. RESULTS: L-DOPA significantly affected root growth of water spinach, and triggered a massive accumulation of Fe in roots. Both effects were exacerbated when L-DOPA was dissolved in KOH, which is surprising given that L-DOPA is less stable at high pH. To check whether a higher pH could indeed increase the bioactivity of L-DOPA, we used Arabidopsis thaliana, which grows at lower pH than water spinach, and subjected the plants to L-DOPA treatments at pH 5.5 and pH 6.0, which are both within the optimal range for Arabidopsis nutrition. At pH 6.0, the root growth of Arabidopsis was more strongly inhibited than at pH 5.5. We found that at higher pH, L-DOPA oxidizes to form a melanin precipitate. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the oxidation of L-DOPA that we observed upon solubilization in KOH, or in nutrient solutions at slightly higher pH produces melanin-related molecules that are more potent than L-DOPA itself to trigger the primary root growth inhibition, Fe uptake and root Fe accumulation in water spinach and Arabidopsis.

First principal observation documenting the three-dimensional uptake of cadmium and spatial distribution of cadmium hydroxyapatite mineral in bone char.

The 3-D matrix scale ion-exchange mechanism was explored for high-capacity cadmium (Cd) removal using bone chars (BC) chunks (1-2 mm) made at 500 °C (500BC) and 700 °C (700BC) in aqueous solutions. The Cd incorporation into the carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHAp) mineral of BC was examined using a set of synchrotron-based techniques. The Cd removal from solution and incorporation into mineral lattice were higher in 500BC than 700BC, and the diffusion depth was modulated by the initial Cd concentration and charring temperature. A higher carbonate level of BC, more pre-leached Ca sites, and external phosphorus input enhanced Cd removal. The 500BC showed a higher CO32-/PO43- ratio and specific surface area (SSA) than the 700BC, providing more vacant sites by dissolution of Ca2+. In situ observations revealed the refilling of sub-micron pore space in the mineral matrix because of Cd incorporation.The X-ray nanodiffraction (XND) analyses revealed that Cd was mainly removed from water by incorporation into the mineral lattice of 500BC via ion exchange, rather than surface sorption and precipitation, and the mineral phase was transformed from hydroxyapatite (HAp) to cadmium hydroxyapatite (Cd-HAp). The Rietveld's refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) data resolved up to 91% of the crystal displacement of Ca2+ by Cd2+. The specific phase and stoichiometry of the new Cd-HAp mineral was dependent on the level of ion exchange. This mechanistic study confirmed that 3-D ion exchange was the most important path for heavy metal removal from aqueous solution and immobilization in BC mineral matrix, and put forward a novel and sustainable remediation strategy for Cd removal in wastewater and soil clean-up.

The defects in cell wall integrity and G2-M transition of the ∆htl1 mutant are interconnected.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RSC (remodel the structure of chromatin) complex is involved in functions associated with the transcriptional regulation, cell cycle progression, DNA damage repair and cell wall integrity. Here we investigate the cellular functioning of HTL1, which encodes a non-essential subunit of the RSC complex. The results show that the ∆htl1 mutant displays a characteristic defect in cell wall integrity, and the phenotype of the ∆htl1 cells, which include the cell wall defect, temperature sensitivity and ploidy increase, are rescued by the osmotic stabilizer sorbitol but not by overexpression of PKC1, the signalling kinase important for the cell wall biogenesis and stress response. In addition, the expression level of Slt2p, the MAP kinase downstream of the cell wall integrity pathway, is upregulated in ∆htl1 cells. Furthermore, the mitotic arrest of the ∆htl1 mutant is moderated by 1 m sorbitol and deletion of SLT2. The present findings suggest that HTL1 may play a role that is different from other RSC components in terms of cell wall integrity and the G(2)-M transition. The results also suggest that the defects in cell wall integrity and the G(2)-M transition of the ∆htl1 mutant are interconnected.

Soil gallium speciation and resulting gallium uptake by rice plants.

Gallium (Ga) is widely used in high-tech industries and is an emerging contaminant in the environment. This study aimed to determine Ga speciation in soils and Ga accumulation in rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) grown in three Ga-contaminated soils. The results showed that, among the soils, the acidic soil with a coarse texture had the highest soil Ga availability, which enhanced Ga uptake by rice roots. The Ga K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure and sequential extraction results of the soils showed that the predominant species of Ga associated with iron hydroxides transformed to Ga(OH)3 precipitates, and the residue fraction increased with rice-growing time, resulting in lower Ga uptake by rice roots in the second half period of rice cultivation. A large fraction of Ga was accumulated in the rice roots, with only a small portion of Ga was transferred to the shoots and then to the rice grains. This study revealed that Ga speciation in soil-rice plant systems varied during rice cultivation and determined soil Ga availability to rice plants. Gallium accumulated in rice grains is distributed homogenously in the endosperm of the grains, suggesting a potential risk to public health via the intake of rice grains harvested from Ga-contaminated paddy fields.