Human disturbance in the Arctic is increasing. Abrupt changes in vegetation may be expected, especially when spots without vegetation are made available; additionally, climate change alters competition between species. We studied whether 34- to 35-year-old seismic operations had left imprints on local vegetation and whether changes could be related to different soil characteristics. The study took place in Jameson Land in central east Greenland where winter seismic operations in search of oil took place from 1985 to 1989. This area is dominated by continuous dwarf shrub heath with Cassiope tetragona, Betula nana, and Vaccinium uliginosum as dominant species. Using point frame analyses, we registered vascular plants and other surface types in frames along 10-m transects in vehicle tracks (hereafter damages) and in undisturbed vegetation parallel to the track (hereafter references) at eleven study sites. We also measured temperature and pH and took soil samples for analysis. Damaged and reference vegetation types were compared with S & oslash;rensen similarity indices and detrended correspondence analyses. Although most vascular plant species were equally present in damaged vegetation and in references the detrended correspondence analyses showed that at ten out of eleven study sites the damages and references still differed from each other. Graminoids and the herb Polygonum viviparum had the highest occurrence in damages. Shrubs and the graminoid Kobresia myosuroides had the highest occurrence in references. Cassiope tetragona was negatively impacted where vehicles had compacted the snow. Moss, organic crust or biocrust, soil, and sand occurred more often in damages than in references, whereas lichens and litter had the highest occurrence in references. The richness of vascular plant species varied between the eleven study sites, but between damages and references the difference was only up to four species. Temperature was the soil parameter with the most significant differences between damages and references. Total recovery of the damaged vegetation will most likely not occur within several decades. The environmental regulations were important to avoid more serious impacts.

This study investigates the microhardness and geometric degradation mechanisms of interfacial transition zones (ITZs) in recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) exposed to saline soil attack, focusing on the influence of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Ten RAC mixtures incorporating fly ash (FA), granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), silica fume (SF), and metakaolin (MK) at 10 %, 15 %, and 20 % replacement ratios were subjected to 180 dry-wet cycles in a 7.5 %MgSO4-7.5 %Na2SO4-5 %NaCl solution. Key results reveal that ITZ's microhardness and geometric degradation decreases with exposure depth but intensifies with prolonged dry-wet cycles. The FAGBFS synergistically enhances ITZ microhardness while minimizing geometric deterioration, with ITZ's width and porosity reduced to 67.6-69.0 mu m and 25.83 %, respectively. In contrast, FA-SF and FA-MK exacerbate microhardness degradation, increasing porosity and amplifying microcrack coalescence. FA-GBFS mitigates the diffusion-leaching of aggressive/original ions and suppresses the formation of corrosion products, thereby inhibiting the initiation and propagation of microcracks. In contrast, FA-SF and FA-MK promote the formation of ettringite/gypsum and crystallization bloedite/glauberite, which facilitates the formation of trunk-limb-twig cracks.

The presence of exotic species of plants in a region is associated with anthropogenic activities due to their economic and commercial benefits. When these exotic species hinder the development of native species, they are considered invasive. In Brazil, two species stand out: Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp. Their presence within ecosystems may result in environmental imbalances caused by allelopathy. The allelochemicals released by these invasive species can enter the environment through rainfall, decomposition of plant material, root exudation, and volatilization. The high solubility of phenolic compounds produced by these plants allows them to reach water bodies and potentially affect aquatic organisms. In light of this, a toxicological evaluation was conducted by exposing Daphnia magna, Aliivibrio fischeri, Landoltia punctata, and Lactuca sativa seeds to soil elutriates from areas with exotic and native vegetation. The samples were collected in close proximity, with the primary difference being the type of vegetation cover. Upon characterization, the soil covered by native species was found to contain higher levels of organic matter and moisture, whereas the soil with exotic species appeared drier. Overall, the toxicological evaluation revealed that elutriates from native vegetation induced greater toxic effects on the aquatic organisms D. magna and A. fischeri. Conversely, elutriates from exotic vegetation showed lower concentrations of total phenolic compounds but still exhibited toxic effects on the development of L. sativa seeds and caused notable structural damage to the aquatic macrophyte L. punctata.. This study highlights the importance of investigating reforested areas dominated by exotic species to better understand the potential environmental impacts caused by invasive plants.

The bank protection measures of waterways shall become more environmentally friendly in the future including the use of plants instead of stones. The low levels of protection provided by plants in the early phase after planting requires a process-based understanding of soil-wave-interaction. One process that is considered essential is liquefaction where the soil undergoes a phase-change from solid-like to fluid-like behaviour which could reduce the safety of the system. The aim of this publication is to analyse the results of column experiments on wave-induced soil liquefaction and to develop a numerical model which is able to describe the entire process from the pre-liquefaction phase to the following reconsolidation in order to support the analysis of liquefaction experiments. Numerical simulations of the column experiments were done using a fully coupled hydro-mechanical model implemented in the open-source software FEniCS. A permeability model derived from granular rheology allows the simulation of dilute as well as dense suspensions and sedimented soil skeletons. The results of the simulations show a good agreement with the experimental data. Theoretical limits in the liquefied state are captured without the common modelling segmentation into pre-and post-liquefaction phase. Due to the modular structure of the implementation, the constitutive setting can be adjusted to incorporate more complex formulations in order to study the influence of wall friction and non-linearity in soil behaviour.

Background: Herbicides are chemical agents that promote plant and crop growth by killing weeds and other pests. However, unconsumed and excessively used herbicides may enter groundwater and agricultural areas, damaging water, air, and soil resources. Mesotrione (MT) is an extensively used herbicide to cultivate corn, sugarcane, and vegetables. Excessive consumption of MT residues pollutes the soil, water, and environmental systems. Methods: Henceforth, the potential electrocatalyst of the tungsten trioxide nanorods on the carbon microsphere (WO3/C) composite was synthesized for nanomolar electrocatalytic detection of MT. The electrocatalysts of WO3/C were synthesized hydrothermally, and the WO3/C composite was in-situ constructed by using the reflux method. Significant findings: Remarkably, the as-prepared WO3/C composite displayed a fantastic sensing platform for MT, characterized by an astonishingly nanomolar detection limit (10 nm), notable sensitivity (1.284 mu A mu M-1 cm-2), exceptional selectivity, and amazing stability. The actual sample test was carried out using MT added in food and environmental samples of corn, sugar cane, sewage water, and river water. The minimum MT response recovery in vegetable and water samples was determined to be approximately 97 % and 99 %, respectively. The results indicate that the WO3/C composite is an effective electrode material for real-time MT measurement in portable devices.

This study was carried out to evaluate the interaction between terrestrial food crop plants and microplastics (MPs) with a focus on understanding their uptake, effects on growth, physiological, biochemical, and yield characteristics of two different cultivars of Solanum tuberosum L. i.e., Variety-1, Astrix (AL-4) and Variety-2, Harmes (WA-4). Polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) spheres of size 5 mu m were applied to the soil at concentrations of 0 %, 1 %, and 5 %. Morphological parameters, including seed germination rate, shoot and root lengths, leaf area, and fresh and dry biomass of plants, got reduced significantly with the increase in MP concentration. PS MPs caused the most negative impact, particularly at 5 %, leading to the greatest decline in growth and Na, Mg, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Mn nutrient content. The highest DPPH scavenging activity was observed in the 5 % PS MPs treatment with approximately a 45.34 % increase from the control, indicating its potential to enhance antioxidant activity in response to stress caused by PS MPs. Both reducing and non-reducing sugar contents and total proteins were also decreased significantly. Vitamin C content exhibited a significant increase in response to MPs, with the highest levels recorded under 5 % PS MPs treatments. This suggests an adaptive antioxidant response to mitigate oxidative damage induced by MPs. SEM analysis revealed tissue infiltration of MP particles in shoots, leaves, and tubers of both varieties. Among MPs, PS had the most detrimental effects, followed by PP and PE, with higher concentrations increasing the negative impact.

Contact Lens (CLs) are often disposed of via toilet or sinks, ending up in the wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs). Millions of CLs enter WWTPs worldwide each year in macro and micro sizes. Despite WWTPs'ability to remove solids, CLs can persist and potentially contaminate watercourses and soils. This study evaluates whether different CLs degrade in WWTP aeration tanks. Six daily CLs (Nelfilcon A,Delefilcon A, Nesofilcon A, Stenfilcon A, Narafilcon A, Somofilcon A) and four monthly CLs (Lotrafilcon B,Comfilcon A, Senofilcon A, and Samfilcon A) were immersed in aeration tanks for twelve weeks. Theirphysical and chemical properties, including water content (WC), refractive index (RI), chemical prop-erties (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and mechanical properties were assessed. Results show that all CLs maintained their physical appearance after 12 weeks. Neither Nelfilcon A norNarafilcon A exhibited significant changes in WC and RI, (p>0.05, Tukey test), while other daily lensesshowed variations in at least one parameter. Among monthly CLs, only Senofilcon A showed significant differences in both WC (p0.05 Tukey test). However, Somofilcon A displayed significant changes in stress at break (p<0.0001,Tukey test), and Elongation at Break (p<0.05, Tukey test). No changes were found in the chemicalstructure of any CLs suggesting that twelve weeks in WWTP aeration tanks is insufficient for CLsdegradation. Thesefindings highlight CLs as a potential emerging pollutant, emphasizing their persis-tence in sludge or migration into watercourses and soils (c) 2025 The Authors. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. Thisis an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

This study developed a novel geopolymer (RM-SGP) using industrial solid wastes red mud and slag activated by sodium silicate, aiming to remediate composite heavy metal contaminated soil. The effects of aluminosilicate component dosage, alkali equivalent, and heavy metal concentration on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), toxicity leaching characteristics, resistivity, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) of RM-SGP solidified composite heavy metal contaminated soil were systematically investigated. Additionally, the chemical composition and microstructural characteristics of solidified soil were analyzed using XRD, FTIR, SEM, and NMR tests to elucidate the solidification mechanisms. The results demonstrated that RM-SGP exhibited excellent solidification efficacy for composite heavy metal contaminated soil. Optimal performance occurred at 15 % aluminosilicate component dosage and 16 % alkali equivalent, achieving UCS >350 kPa and compliant heavy metal leaching (excluding Cd in high-concentration groups). Acid/alkaline leaching tests revealed distinct metal behaviors: Cu/Cd decreased progressively, while Pb initially declined then rebounded. Microstructural analysis indicated that RM-SGP generated abundant hydration products (e.g., C-A-S-H, N-A-S-H gels), which acted as cementitious substances wrapping soil particles and filling and connecting pores, thereby increasing the soil's compactness and improving the solidification effect. Furthermore, heavy metal ions were solidified through adsorption, encapsulation, precipitation, ion exchange, and covalent bond et al., transforming their active states into less bioavailable forms, proving novel insights into the remediation of composite heavy metal contaminated soils and the resource utilization of industrial solid wastes.

Forest growth in tropical regions is regulated in part by climatic factors, such as precipitation and temperature, and by soil factors, such as nutrient availability and water storage capacity. We examined a decade of growth data from Eucalyptus clonal plantations from over 113,000 forest inventory plots across a 10 million-ha portion of Mato Grosso do Sul in southwestern Brazil. From this full dataset, three subsets were screened: 71,000 plots to characterize growth and yield across water table depth classes, 17,000 plots to build generalized models, and 50,000 plots for clone-based analyses. Average precipitation varied little across the region (1150 to 1270 mm yr(-1)), but water table depth ranged from less than 10 m to over 100 m. Where the water table was within 10 m of the surface, about 20 % of the total water used by trees came from this saturated zone. Water tables deeper than 50 m contributed very little to tree water use. Sites with a water table within 10 m averaged 47 m(3) ha(-1) yr(-1) in stem growth (mean annual increment, MAI) across a full rotation, compared to less than 37 m(3) ha(-1) yr(-1) for sites with water tables deeper than 50 m. Drought-induced canopy damage rose from 7 % to 30 % along the water tables depth gradient, while tree mortality rose nearly fourfold. The optimal stocking level was about 1360 trees ha(-1) where water tables were accessible, declining to 1080 trees ha(-1) where they were not. Among the 15 most planted Eucalyptus clones, increases in MAI from the lowest to highest water table depths ranged from + 4.8 to + 16.8 m(3) ha(-1) yr(-1) , reflecting significant genotype-environment interactions. On average, MAI decreased by 0.8 m(3) ha(-1) yr(-1) (ranging from 0.4 to 1.4) for every 10 m increase in water table depth. Similarly, the Site Index at base age 7 years declined from 31 m to 27 m, with an average reduction of 0.25 m per 10 m increase in water table depth. Physiographic modeling of water table depths offers useful information for forest management practices like forest inventory and planning, clonal allocation, optimized planting densities, fertilization strategies, coppice techniques, and other landscape-specific strategies like tree breeding zones.

With the continuous impact of human activities on the ecological environment, buprofezin and cadmium are frequently detected in soil, sediment, and aquatic environments, posing ecological risks to non-target aquatic organisms. However, limited research exists on the toxic effects and mechanisms of action of these pollutants on aquatic organisms. This study used Xenopus laevis tadpoles as model organisms to experiment with buprofezin and cadmium. Through biochemical parameters and multi omics analysis methods, the single and combined toxicity mechanisms were explored. The experiment used environmentally relevant exposure levels to monitor the growth indicators, movement parameters, oxidative stress biomarkers of tadpoles, and conducted metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis. The results indicate that cadmium inhibits the growth of tadpoles, leading to a decrease in weight, and mixed exposure has a similar effect. Under dark conditions, buprofezin and cadmium significantly alter the swimming behavior of tadpoles, decreasing distance and average speed. Moreover, tadpoles exposed to buprofezin and cadmium experienced oxidative stress, which was reflected in increased levels of malondialdehyde and decreased activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase. Metabolomics and transcriptomics results showed that the combined exposure group produced more differentially accumulated metabolites and differentially expressed genes than the single exposure group. These genes and substances mainly affect the energy metabolism and signal transduction processes of tadpoles. In summary, buprofezin and cadmium interfere with gene expression and alter metabolite levels in tadpoles. This study reveals the combined toxicity of buprofezin and cadmium at environmentally relevant exposure levels. The research results provide toxicological evidence for the risk assessment of environmental pollutants and offer new insights into the effects of complex mixtures.