Occurrence of emerging contaminants in biosolids in northern Queensland, Australia.

This study aims to identify and quantify different classes of emerging contaminants (ECs), such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), heavy metals (HMs), polycyclic musks (PMs) in biosolids from different sewage treatment plants (STPs) from regional councils across Northern Queensland, Australia. Biosolids samples were named BS1 to BS7 for each council. The results revealed significant variations in the concentrations of different ECs in biosolids which could be explained in some instances by the characteristics of the upstream sewage network.

Microbial and thermal treatment techniques for degradation of PFAS in biosolids: A focus on degradation mechanisms and pathways.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic chemicals detected in biosolids worldwide, which have become a significant concern for biosolids applications due to their increasing environmental risks. Hence, it is pivotal to understand the magnitude of PFAS contamination in biosolids and implement effective technologies to reduce their contamination and prevent hazardous aftermaths. Thermal techniques such as pyrolysis, incineration and gasification, and biodegradation have been regarded as impactful solutions to degrade PFAS and transform biosolids into value-added products like biochar.

Asking the Wrong Question in Explaining Tropical Diversity.

Enhancement of plant diversity via the Janzen-Connell mechanism is often measured relative to neutral models that ignore species' competitive differences. Recent modelling indicates this mechanism is ineffective when included in models incorporating species' demographic variations. This suggests we have been asking the wrong questions when measuring the effectiveness of diversity-enhancing mechanisms.

Sparing land for secondary forest regeneration protects more tropical biodiversity than land sharing in cattle farming landscapes.

Effectively managing farming to meet food demand is vital for the future of biodiversity. Increasing yields on existing farmland can allow the abandonment (sparing) of low-yielding areas that subsequently recover as secondary forest. A key question is whether such "secondary sparing" conserves biodiversity more effectively than retaining wildlife-friendly habitat within farmland ("land sharing").

Limited contributions of plant pathogens to density-dependent seedling mortality of mast fruiting Bornean trees.

Fungal pathogens are implicated in driving tropical plant diversity by facilitating strong, negative density-dependent mortality of conspecific seedlings (C-NDD). Assessment of the role of fungal pathogens in mediating coexistence derives from relatively few tree species and predominantly the Neotropics, limiting our understanding of their role in maintaining hyper-diversity in many tropical forests. A key question is whether fungal pathogen-mediated C-NDD seedling mortality is ubiquitous across diverse plant communities.

Land-sparing agriculture sustains higher levels of avian functional diversity than land sharing.

The ecological impacts of meeting rising demands for food production can potentially be mitigated by two competing land-use strategies: off-setting natural habitats through intensification of existing farmland (land sparing), or elevating biodiversity within the agricultural matrix via the integration of "wildlife-friendly" habitat features (land sharing). However, a key unanswered question is whether sparing or sharing farming would best conserve functional diversity, which can promote ecosystem stability and resilience to future land-use change. Focusing on bird communities in tropical cloud forests of the Colombian Andes, we test the performance of each strategy in conserving functional diversity.

Implementing the Florida KidCare open enrollment communications campaign: a framework for mobilizing community partners to reduce the number of uninsured children.

Florida ranks third among states with the lowest children's insurance coverage, due to constraints such as language barriers, multiple programs, documentation requirements, limited outreach, and short enrollment periods. In November 2004, Florida announced a 30-day children's health insurance enrollment period for January 2005 following an 18-month closure. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a communication plan creating coalitions between community partners, government agencies, and child advocacy groups to inform families.