Falkenbergmunck2983

Emphasizing the exposure characteristics of each of the organisms selected from the trophic levels can explain how particle stability impacts particle toxicity.Microplastic pollution is increasingly recognized as a prominent threat to marine life. Understanding the role of bioturbators is crucial to determine to what extent marine sediments can act as a microplastic sink. The presence of microplastics has been documented in holothurians, but no study has investigated how the ingestion-egestion process influences their bioavailability. Using the Mediterranean deposit-feeder, Holothuria tubulosa, as a model system, we assessed if, upon ingestion, plastic particles are accumulated in pseudofeces and if the passage through the digestive tract reduces their size. EGF816 To this end, the number, shape and colour of plastic particles was compared between pseudofeces and surrounding surficial sediments collected along the edges of a seagrass meadow. Pseudofeces were enriched in plastic fragments with respect to surficial sediments, suggesting a selective ingestion of fragments over fibres. By contrast, there was no difference in the size or colour of plastic particles between pseudofeces and sediments. In addition, by means of a laboratory experiment, we evaluated how microplastic resuspension rates from pseudofeces compares with those from surficial sediments. Under standard water movement conditions, the resuspension of labelled microplastics from pseudofeces was much greater than that from sediments (i.e., about 92% and 26% at the end of the experimental trial). Greater relative abundance of fine material (i.e., pelite) in pseudofeces than sediments could explain their physical instability and, hence, their lower microplastic retention. Our results suggest that pseudofeces of H. tubulosa not only represent a hotspot for plastic fragment concentration, but, due to their surficial deposition and rapid dissolution, they could also promote their transfer to the water column. Ingestion and egestion of microplastics by this sea cucumber, although not altering their size, may thus enhance their bioavailability.Exergy analysis is receiving considerable attention as an approach to be applied for making decisions toward moving to a sustainable and energy-efficient food supply chain. This study focuses on how the selection of variety affects the exergy flow of a paddy rice production system. In this regard, nine varieties of rice in Italy, the largest rice producer in Europe, were evaluated using the cumulative exergy analysis approach. Sensitivity analysis of inputs consumption and the exergy management scenarios of the most sensitive inputs are also provided in this study. The results indicated that the cumulative exergy consumption value of the investigated rice varieties ranges from 16.09 GJha-1 to 25.80 GJ ha-1. Fossil fuels and chemical fertilizer consumption were the most significant contributors to the total energy consumption in all investigated varieties. Luna variety, with the cumulative degree of perfection value of 7.96 and renewability indicator of 0.88, was identified as the most exergy-efficient variety of rice in Italy.The impacts of two ecological earthworms on the removal of chlortetracycline (CTC, 0.5 and 15 mg kg-1) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil were explored through the soil column experiments. The findings showed that earthworm could significantly accelerate the degradation of CTC and its metabolites (ECTC) in soil (P less then 0.05), with epigeic Eisenia fetida promoting degradation rapidly and endogeic Metaphire guillelmi exhibiting a slightly better elimination effect. Earthworms alleviated the abundances of tetR, tetD, tetPB, tetG, tetA, sul1, TnpA, ttgB and intI1 in soil, with the total relative abundances of ARGs decreasing by 35.0-44.2% in earthworm treatments at the 28th day of cultivation. High throughput sequencing results displayed that the structure of soil bacteria community was modified apparently with earthworm added, and some possible CTC degraders, Aeromonas, Flavobacterium and Luteolibacter, were promoted by two kinds of earthworms. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that the reduction of CTC residues, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes owing to earthworm stimulation was responsible for the removal of ARGs and intI1 in soil. Additionally, intI1 declined obviously in earthworm treatments, which could weaken the risk of horizontal transmission of ARGs. Therefore, earthworm could restore the CTC-contaminated soil via enhancing the removal of CTC, its metabolites and ARGs.Forecasting drought and determining relevant data to predict drought are an important topic for decision-makers and planners. It is critical to predicting drought in the south of Fars province, an important agricultural center in Iran located in arid and semi-arid climates. The purpose of this study was to generate a drought map in 2019 using 12 parameters altitude, aridity index, erosion, groundwater depth, land use, PET (Potential evapotranspiration), precipitation days, precipitation, slope, soil texture, soil salinity, and distance to river, and predict drought maps in 2030 and 2040 using the cellular automata (CA)-Markov model spatially. The fuzzy method was first used to homogenize the data. Next, by evaluating each parameter, the weight of each parameter was calculated using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and a map of drought-prone areas was generated. The results of the fuzzy-AHP method showed that the eastern and southeastern regions of the study area were prone to drought. The four most predictive parameters in causing drought, i.e., aridity index, PET, precipitation, and soil texture, were selected using the Best search method and were then chosen as the input to determine drought mapping using the fuzzy and AHP methods. Finally, the CA-Markov model was used to predict future drought maps, and the results showed that in 2030 and 2040 the drought situation in the east and south of the study area would intensify.Improper management of home sewage treatment systems (HSTS) presents major challenges in the developing world, and even in many parts of developed countries, which contribute to health, environmental, economic, and social problems. Hydrothermal treatment, a thermochemical conversion process that is particularly useful for wet wastes, can produce fertilizers from septic tank wastes while eliminating human pathogens. However, hydrothermal treatment requires high temperature and high pressure, which might need additional economical justification when targeted for rural communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the economic feasibility of a hydrothermal treatment facility that can treat septic waste generated in Athens County, Ohio, a rural Appalachian county in the U.S., where failing HSTS have been observed quite frequently. Two different cases were considered for economic analysis, where Case I assumed a decentralized facility and Case II assumed a centralized facility. Results showed that both cases are economically feasible, where Case I and II reached breakeven in years 4 and 6, respectively.