All black: a microplastic extraction combined with colour-based analysis allows identification and characterisation of tire wear particles (TWP) in soils.

Unlabelled: While tire wear particles (TWP) have been estimated to represent more than 90% of the total microplastic (MP) emitted in European countries and may have environmental health effects, only few data about TWP concentrations and characteristics are available today. The lack of data stems from the fact that no standardized, cost efficient or accessible extraction and identification method is available yet. We present a method allowing the extraction of TWP from soil, performing analysis with a conventional optical microscope and a machine learning approach to identify TWP in soil based on their colour.

Microplastics in vineyard soils: First insights from plastic-intensive viticulture systems.

In the terrestrial environment, microplastics in specialty cropping systems have not been studied so far. Viticulture as a potential plastic-intensive management form and a land use with high erosion risks, plays an important role in transport and distribution of material to other terrestrial and aquatic systems. This paper is a first investigation of microplastics in vineyard soils, assessing the spatial distribution and composition of microplastics in organically and conventionally managed viticulture, and relates it to the macroplastic collected at the vineyards.

Root-exuded specialized metabolites reduce arsenic toxicity in maize.

By releasing specialized metabolites, plants modify their environment. Whether and how specialized metabolites protect plants against toxic levels of trace elements is not well understood. We evaluated whether benzoxazinoids, which are released into the soil by major cereals, can confer protection against arsenic toxicity.

After the sun: a nanoscale comparison of the surface chemical composition of UV and soil weathered plastics.

Unlabelled: Once emitted into the environment, macro- (MaP), micro- (MP) and nanoplastics (NP) are exposed to environmental weathering. Yet, the effects of biogeochemical weathering factors occurring in the soil environment are unknown. As the transport, fate, and toxicity of MP and NP depend directly on their surface properties, it is crucial to characterize their transformation in soils to better predict their impact and interactions in this environment.

Soil (microbial) disturbance affect the zinc isotope biogeochemistry but has little effect on plant zinc uptake.

Zinc (Zn) is an important micronutrient but can be toxic at elevated concentrations. We conducted an experiment to test the effect of plant growth and soil microbial disturbance on Zn in soil and plants. Pots were prepared with and without maize and in an undisturbed soil, a soil that was disturbed by X-ray sterilization and a soil that was sterilized but reconditioned with the original microbiome.

Geochemistry of groundwater and metal(loid) behavior in the costal aquifers of the Maharlu Lake, Iran.

Groundwater in coastal aquifers of the Maharlu Lake, southern Iran, has suffered from quality degradation and salinity increases in recent decades. These aquifers are important sources for drinking and agricultural uses in area around the lake. Hydrogeochemical analyses were carried out to identify the geochemical processes controlling groundwater chemistry and heavy metal concentrations in the coastal aquifer of the Maharlu Salt Lake.

Identification and characterisation of individual nanoplastics by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM).

Nanoplastics (NP) are of environmental and human health concern. We tested a novel NP extraction method and scanning transmission X-ray spectro-microscopy (STXM) in combination with near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) to image and identify individual NP in environmental and food matrices. We (1) discussed the potential of STXM compared to other methods potentially suitable for NP analysis, (2) applied the method on NP suspensions of eight of the most common polymers, (3) analyzed environmental water and soil samples spiked with NP and (4) characterized NP in tea water infused in plastic teabags and unspiked soil samples.

Microplastics in agricultural drainage water: A link between terrestrial and aquatic microplastic pollution.

Microplastic (MP) contamination has been reported to be higher in terrestrial compared to aquatic environments. This is probably due to the fact that plastic items are mostly produced and used in terrestrial environments and have a longer residence time. However, there are several links between the terrestrial and aquatic environments.

A Systematic Analysis of Metal and Metalloid Concentrations in Eight Zebrafish Recirculating Water Systems.

Metals and metalloids are integral to biological processes and play key roles in physiology and metabolism. Nonetheless, overexposure to some metals or lack of others can lead to serious health consequences. In this study, eight zebrafish facilities collaborated to generate a multielement analysis of their centralized recirculating water systems.

Tracing the fate of phosphorus fertilizer derived cadmium in soil-fertilizer-wheat systems using enriched stable isotope labeling.

Applying mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizers introduces a considerable input of the toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) into arable soils. This study investigates the fate of P fertilizer derived Cd (Cd) in soil-wheat systems using a novel combination of enriched stable Cd isotope mass balances, sequential extractions, and Bayesian isotope mixing models. We applied an enriched Cd labeled mineral P fertilizer to arable soils from two long-term field trials with distinct soil properties (a strongly acidic pH and a neutral pH) and distinct past mineral P fertilizer application rates.

Specific and conserved patterns of microbiota-structuring by maize benzoxazinoids in the field.

Background: Plants influence their root and rhizosphere microbial communities through the secretion of root exudates. However, how specific classes of root exudate compounds impact the assembly of root-associated microbiotas is not well understood, especially not under realistic field conditions. Maize roots secrete benzoxazinoids (BXs), a class of indole-derived defense compounds, and thereby impact the assembly of their microbiota.

Global distribution of oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mineral topsoils.

Hazardous oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) originate from combustion (primary sources) or postemission conversion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (secondary sources). We evaluated the global distribution of up to 15 OPAHs in 195 mineral topsoils from 33 study sites (covering 52° N-47° S, 71° W-118 °E) to identify indications of primary or secondary sources of OPAHs. The sums of the (frequently measured 7 and 15) OPAH concentrations correlated with those of the Σ16EPA-PAHs.

250-year records of mercury and trace element deposition in two lakes from Cajas National Park, SW Ecuadorian Andes.

Historical records of trace elements in lake sediments provide source-to-sink information about potentially toxic pollutants across space and time. We investigated two lakes located at different elevations in the Ecuadorian Andes to understand how trace element fluxes are related to (i) geology, (ii) erosion in the watersheds, and (iii) local point sources and atmospheric loads. In remote Lake Fondococha (4150 m a.

Variations of sedimentary Fe and Mn fractions under changing lake mixing regimes, oxygenation and land surface processes during Late-glacial and Holocene times.

Global spread of anoxia in aquatic ecosystems has become a major issue that may potentially worsen due to global warming. The reconstruction of long-term hypolimnetic anoxia records can be challenging due to lack of valid and easily measurable proxies. The sedimentary Mn/Fe ratio measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is often used as a proxy for past lake redox conditions.

A method for extracting soil microplastics through circulation of sodium bromide solutions.

Microplastics (MP) have been recently found in soil environments. These MP might have adverse effects at high concentrations and thus efficient extraction and analysis of MP from soil is needed. Here we propose a new method of NaBr solution circulation for extracting soil MP.

The Fate of Zn in Agricultural Soils: A Stable Isotope Approach to Anthropogenic Impact, Soil Formation, and Soil-Plant Cycling.

The supplementation of Zn to farm animal feed and the excretion via manure leads to an unintended Zn input to agricultural systems, which might compromise the long-term soil fertility. The Zn fluxes at three grassland sites in Switzerland were determined by a detailed analysis of relevant inputs (atmospheric deposition, manure, weathering) and outputs (seepage water, biomass harvest) during one hydrological year. The most important Zn input occurred through animal manure (1076-1857 g ha yr) and Zn mass balances revealed net Zn accumulations (456-1478 g ha yr).

Sorption kinetics of isotopically labelled divalent mercury (Hg) in soil.

Understanding the sorption kinetics of Hg is the key to predicting its reactivity in soils which is indispensable for environmental risk assessment. The temporal change in the solubility of Hg spikes (6 mg kg) added to a range of soils with different properties was investigated and modelled. The sorption of Hg displayed a biphasic pattern with a rapid initial (short-term) phase followed by a slower (time-dependent) one.

Towards an understanding of the Cd isotope fractionation during transfer from the soil to the cereal grain.

Cd in soils might be taken up by plants, enter the food chain and endanger human health. This study investigates the isotopic fractionation of major processes during the Cd transfer from soils to cereal grains. Thereto, soil, soil solution, wheat and barley plants (roots, straw and grains) were sampled in the field at three study sites during two vegetation periods.

Using isotopes to trace freshly applied cadmium through mineral phosphorus fertilization in soil-fertilizer-plant systems.

Applications of mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizer can lead to cadmium (Cd) accumulation in soils and can increase Cd concentrations in edible crop parts. To determine the fate of freshly applied Cd, a Cd source tracing experiment was conducted in three soil-fertilizer-wheat systems by using a mineral P fertilizer labeled with the radio isotope Cd and by exploiting natural differences in Cd stable isotope compositions (δCd). Source tracing with stable isotopes overestimated the proportion of Cd in plants derived from the P fertilizer, because the isotope ratios of the sources were not sufficiently distinct from those of the soils.

Zinc isotope fractionation during grain filling of wheat and a comparison of zinc and cadmium isotope ratios in identical soil-plant systems.

Remobilization of zinc (Zn) from shoot to grain contributes significantly to Zn grain concentrations and thereby to food quality. On the other hand, strong accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in grain is detrimental for food quality. Zinc concentrations and isotope ratios were measured in wheat shoots (Triticum aestivum) at different growth stages to elucidate Zn pathways and processes in the shoot during grain filling.

Sources and fate of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs, oxygenated PAHs and azaarenes) in forest soil profiles opposite of an aluminium plant.

Little is known about oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) and azaarenes (AZAs) in forest soils. We sampled all horizons of forest soils from five locations at increasing distances from an Al plant in Slovakia, and determined their polycyclic aromatic compound (PACs) concentrations. The ∑29PAHs concentrations were highest in the Oa and lowest in the Oi horizon, while the ∑14OPAHs and ∑4AZAs concentrations did not show a consistent vertical distribution among the organic horizons.

Microplastics in Swiss Floodplain Soils.

Microplastics (MPs) are small (<5 mm diameter) but have clear implications for the environment. These artificial particles are found in and pose threats to aquatic systems worldwide. MPs have terrestrial sources, but their concentrations and fates in the terrestrial environment are poorly understood.