Mechanistic Evidence for Hg Removal from Wastewater by Biologically Produced Sulfur.

A significant quantity of biologically produced sulfur (BPS) is generated as a by-product of chemical and biological desulfurization processes applied to landfill gas treatment. The beneficial upcycling of BPS has seen limited use in the environmental context. The effectiveness and underlying mechanism of BPS as an adsorbent for removing Hg from both solution and wastewater were elucidated based on experiments encompassing surface characterization, adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics.

Alginate-encapsulated biochar as an effective soil ameliorant for reducing Pb phytoavailability to lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

The alginate-biochar formulation for metal removal from aquatic environments has been widely tried but its use for lowering phytoavailability of metals in the soil-crop continuum is limited. Biochar has been increasingly used as a soil amendment due to its potential for soil carbon sequestration and sorption capacity. Handling of powdery biochar as a soil top-dressing material is, however, cumbersome and vulnerable to loss by water and wind.

Stakeholder analysis for effective implementation of water management system: Case of groundwater charge in South Korea.

Groundwater Charge was introduced in 2005 as one of the sustainable resource management measures in South Korea. The implementation rate, however, stagnated around 37 %, indicating that most local governments chose not to adopt this 'optional' regulation. While previous Stakeholder Analysis studies mainly blamed exclusion - or limited involvement - of stakeholders in the designing and structuring stage of policy-making process for policy failures, this study focused on the interest conflicts and dynamics hindered implementation process.

Effect of saline intrusion on rice production in the Mekong River Delta.

Saline intrusion is increasingly threatening the rice farming system in The Mekong River Delta (MRD). Identifying the impact of this disaster on rice farming and providing promptly adaptable solutions is an urgent issue. This study evaluates the influence of saline intrusion on rice productivity of households in the MRD.

Development of a Soil Moisture Prediction Model Based on Recurrent Neural Network Long Short-Term Memory (RNN-LSTM) in Soybean Cultivation.

Due to climate change, soil moisture may increase, and outflows could become more frequent, which will have a considerable impact on crop growth. Crops are affected by soil moisture; thus, soil moisture prediction is necessary for irrigating at an appropriate time according to weather changes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a future soil moisture (SM) prediction model to determine whether to conduct irrigation according to changes in soil moisture due to weather conditions.

GloSEM: High-resolution global estimates of present and future soil displacement in croplands by water erosion.

Healthy soil is the foundation underpinning global agriculture and food security. Soil erosion is currently the most serious threat to soil health, leading to yield decline, ecosystem degradation and economic impacts. Here, we provide high-resolution (ca.

Bioaccumulation and Mass Balance Analysis of Veterinary Antibiotics in an Agricultural Environment.

Veterinary antibiotics (VAs) released into the environment are a concern because of the possibility for increasing antibiotic-resistance genes. The concentrations of six VAs, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfathiazole, in manure-based compost, soil, and crops were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Mass balance analysis was conducted based on the measured antibiotic concentration, cultivation area, and amount of manure-based compost applied.

A Simplified Method for Anionic Surfactant Analysis in Water Using a New Solvent.

Anionic surfactants (AS) are becoming a major emerging contaminant of waters due to their widespread use in household and industrial products. The standard chloroform method for analysis of AS in water relies on chloroform extraction of a methylene blue active substance (MBAS), which contains ion pairs between methylene blue (MB) molecules (positively charged) and AS. Due to the poor extractability of chloroform, the procedure is complicated, time-consuming, and subject to anionic interferences.

Analysis of Major Bacteria and Diversity of Surface Soil to Discover Biomarkers Related to Soil Health.

The discovery of biomarkers for assessing soil health requires the exploration of organisms that can explain the core functions of soil and identification of species with major roles in these functions. However, identifying specific keystone markers within the soil microbiota is challenging. Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based molecular-biological methods have revealed information on soil biodiversity; however, whether this biodiversity is related to soil health remains unclear.

Effect of Combined Soil Amendment on Immobilization of Bioavailable As and Pb in Paddy Soil.

Heavy metal pollution in soil can have detrimental effects on soil ecosystems and human health. In situ remediation techniques are widely used to reduce the bioavailable fractions of heavy metals in soil. The main objective of this study was to examine the reduction of the bioavailable fractions of As and Pb in paddy soil with artificial lightweight material (ALM) manufactured from recycled materials.

Screening of a Novel Solvent for Optimum Extraction of Anionic Surfactants in Water.

Anionic surfactants (AS) are detrimental aquatic pollutants due to their well-characterized toxicity to aquatic organisms. The concentration of AS in aquatic environments is increasing because of their extensive use in many industries and households. The standard reference method for AS analysis is to determine a methylene blue active substance (MBAS) complex formed between AS and the methylene blue (MB) cation by using chloroform.

Biologically produced sulfur as a novel adsorbent to remove Cd from aqueous solutions.

Biological desulfurization processes of landfill gas yield an enormous amount of biologically produced S (BPS) as a byproduct. Capability of BPS to remove Cd from aqueous solutions was tested and its removal efficiency was compared to that of granular activated carbon (GAC). Kinetics of Cd removal by BPS was a two-stage process with an initial rapid adsorption showing 45% of initial Cd was removed within 5 min, followed by a slower adsorption.

Bottom Ash Modification via Sintering Process for Its Use as a Potential Heavy Metal Adsorbent: Sorption Kinetics and Mechanism.

Heavy metal pollution in the environment is a critical issue, engendering ecosystem deterioration and adverse effects on human health. The main objective of this study was to evaluate heavy metal adsorbents by modifying industrial byproducts. The bottom ash was sintered and evaluated for Cd and Pb sorption.

Soil erosion modelling: A bibliometric analysis.

Soil erosion can present a major threat to agriculture due to loss of soil, nutrients, and organic carbon. Therefore, soil erosion modelling is one of the steps used to plan suitable soil protection measures and detect erosion hotspots. A bibliometric analysis of this topic can reveal research patterns and soil erosion modelling characteristics that can help identify steps needed to enhance the research conducted in this field.

Land use and climate change impacts on global soil erosion by water (2015-2070).

Soil erosion is a major global soil degradation threat to land, freshwater, and oceans. Wind and water are the major drivers, with water erosion over land being the focus of this work; excluding gullying and river bank erosion. Improving knowledge of the probable future rates of soil erosion, accelerated by human activity, is important both for policy makers engaged in land use decision-making and for earth-system modelers seeking to reduce uncertainty on global predictions.

Correction to: Potential toxicity of trace elements and nanomaterials to Chinese cabbage in arsenic- and lead-contaminated soil amended with biochars.

Unfortunately, in the original publication of the article, Prof. Yong Sik Ok's affiliation was incorrectly published. The author's affiliation is as follows.

A DOC coagulant, gypsum treatment can simultaneously reduce As, Cd and Pb uptake by medicinal plants grown in contaminated soil.

The efficiency of gypsum, as a dissolved organic carbon (DOC) coagulator, for the simultaneous immobilization of two heavy metals (Cd and Pb) and one metalloid (As) in agricultural soils near an abandoned mining site was examined. The agricultural soil was defined as long-term contaminated as As (1540mgkg), Cd (55mgkg) and Pb (1283mgkg) concentrations exceeded the Korean guideline values for As (25mgkg), Cd (4mgkg), and Pb (200mgkg). Gypsum was incorporated into the contaminated soil at 3% (w/w).

Potential toxicity of trace elements and nanomaterials to Chinese cabbage in arsenic- and lead-contaminated soil amended with biochars.

To our knowledge, this is the first report on exploring the interactive effects of various biochars (BCs) and nanomaterials (NMs) on plant growth and bioavailability of trace elements in soil. This study evaluated the bioavailability and toxicity of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and NMs to cabbage plants. The BCs were produced from rice husk (RB), sewage sludge, and bamboo wood (WB).

A review of source tracking techniques for fine sediment within a catchment.

Excessive transport of fine sediment, and its associated pollutants, can cause detrimental impacts in aquatic environments. It is therefore important to perform accurate sediment source apportionment to identify hot spots of soil erosion. Various tracers have been adopted, often in combination, to identify sediment source type and its spatial origin; these include fallout radionuclides, geochemical tracers, mineral magnetic properties and bulk and compound-specific stable isotopes.

Effect of chemical amendments on remediation of potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) and soil quality improvement in paddy fields.

Remediation of potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) in paddy fields is fundamental for crop safety. In situ application of chemical amendments has been widely adapted because of its cost-effectiveness and environmental safety. The main purpose of this research was to (1) evaluate the reduction in dissolved concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) with the application of chemical amendments and (2) monitor microbial activity in the soil to determine the remediation efficiency.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Musculoskeletal Pain in Korean Farmers.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of musculoskeletal pain (MSK) pain in Korean farmers using initial survey data of Farmers' Cohort for Agricultural Work-Related MSK pain (FARM) study.

Methods: Farmers (534 females and 479 males; mean age 57.2±7.

Farmers' Cohort for Agricultural Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (FARM) Study: Study Design, Methods, and Baseline Characteristics of Enrolled Subjects.

Background: The ongoing Farmers' Cohort for Agricultural Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (FARM) study was developed to evaluate health status and related factors in farmers.

Methods: Farmers in Kangwon Province, South Korea, were recruited. Baseline characteristics were determined using questionnaires about sociodemographic and health characteristics and agricultural work-related factors.