Effects of cultivar, water condition and their interactions on Cd accumulation in rice grains.

Using low Cd accumulation cultivars and managing field water regimes are effective measures to mitigate Cd accumulations in rice grains. However, the effect of the cultivar-water condition interaction (CWI) on grain Cd accumulations has largely been ignored. To solve this problem, pot and hydroponic experiments were conducted using 14 rice cultivars and two contrasting water conditions.

Microbial community composition and cooccurrence patterns driven by co-contamination of arsenic and antimony in antimony-mining area.

In the current study, a typical Sb mine was selected to explore the microbial community composition and assembly driven by the cocontamination of As/Sb with geographic distance. Our results showed that environmental parameters, especially pH, TOC, nitrate, total and bioavailable As/Sb contents largely affected the microbial community diversity and composition. The total and bioavailable As/Sb levels were significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of Zavarzinella, Thermosporothrix and Holophaga, while the pH presented a significant negative correlation with the three genera, potentially implying they are important taxonomic groups in acid-mining soils.

Arsenic Elevated Groundwater Irrigation: Farmers' Perception of Rice and Vegetable Contamination in a Naturally Arsenic Endemic Area.

Arsenic (As) in groundwater and its accumulation in agricultural produces has caused serious threats to human health. The majority of current research on As mainly focuses on the technical aspects while bypassing the social perspectives. Farmers are the prime stakeholders as well as executors of agricultural strategies, and their adaptation largely depends on how they perceive the risk for which a mitigation strategy is proposed.

Safety evaluation of RNAi transgenic L. based on microbial diversity and metabonomic analysis.

Oleic acid desaturase () is the key enzyme that produces polyunsaturated fatty acids in rapeseed ( L), which is one of the main oil crops. RNA interference (RNAi) is an emerging technique that provides new opportunities for the generation of new traits in plants. To increase oleic acid content and reduce linoleic and linolenic acid content in rapeseed, we constructed an ihpRNA plant expression vector of the gene and obtained transgenic plants for multiple generations by stable inheritance.

Multiple geochemical and microbial processes regulated by redox and organic matter control the vertical heterogeneity of As and Cd in paddy soil.

The heterogeneity of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in paddy soils seriously hinders the assessment of contamination status and prediction of rice uptake. Their vertical patterns across different environmental conditions and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, maximum vertical differences of bioavailable As and Cd within 0-30 cm depth in paddy soils were 4.

Evaluating seasonal variations of fecal coliform colonization in Magallana hongkongensis and Crassostrea rhizophorae: A preliminary study of oyster quality grown in Hong Kong aquacultural farms.

The objective of this research is to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of bacteriological quality in raw oysters sampled from different aquacultural farms located in Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, Carp Gates, Lau Fau Shan, Ma Wan, and Mui Wo in Hong Kong. Magallana hongkongensis and Crassostrea rhizophorae were collected and analyzed for fecal coliforms. Throughout the 13-month monitoring period, all samples had generally high bacterial loads, ranging from 1.

Remediation of arsenic-contaminated paddy field by a new iron oxidizing strain (Ochrobactrum sp.) and iron-modified biochar.

Iron-oxidizing strain (FeOB) and iron modified biochars have been shown arsenic (As) remediation ability in the environment. However, due to the complicated soil environment, few field experiment has been conducted. The study was conducted to investigate the potential of iron modified biochar (BC-FeOS) and biomineralization by a new found FeOB to remediate As-contaminated paddy field.

Rhizosphere bacterial community composition affects cadmium and arsenic accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) contamination in paddy soils poses serious health risks to humans. The accumulation of Cd and As in rice (Oryza sativa L.) depends on their bioavailability, which is affected by soil physicochemical properties and soil microbial activities.

An assessment of heavy metal contamination in the marine soil/sediment of Coles Bay Area, Svalbard, and Greater Bay Area, China: a baseline survey from a rapidly developing bay.

The objective of this research is to investigate the pollution levels of tin (Sn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and zinc (Zn) of soil/sediment taken in Coles Bay Area (CBA), Svalbard, and Great Bay Area (GBA), China, in an attempt to evaluate the pollution potential related to recent development in the areas. A total of 150 soil/sediment samples were collected in each location. Heavy metal concentrations were detectable levels at all sites and the values of Cd of all soil/sediment samples were higher than Dutch Target and Intervention Values.

Planting a Seed of Experience - Long Term Effects of a Co-curricular Ecogarden-Based Program in Higher Education in Hong Kong.

This paper reports on the long-term effectiveness of a non-formal co-curricular educational program based on a campus ecogarden at a Hong Kong university in developing pro-sustainability awareness, attitudes and behavior among undergraduate students. This service-based, nature-based experiential learning program, termed the Ecogarden Farmer and Biodiversity Surveyor, has been running at the university since 2015. The program is divided into two consecutive phases: a training phase comprising various learning activities and a successive internship phase consisting of the all-round practical tasks involved in managing the garden.

The role of root apoplastic barriers in cadmium translocation and accumulation in cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.) with different Cd-accumulating characteristics.

The radial translocation of cadmium (Cd) from the root to the shoot is one of the major processes affecting Cd accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grains, but few studies have focused on Cd apoplastic transport in rice. The aim of this study was to determine how apoplastic barriers affect Cd translocation via the apoplastic pathway, Cd accumulation levels in upper parts (shoot and grains) of rice cultivars, and the possible mechanism involved.

Effects of Fe-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) on iron plaque formation, As concentrations and speciation in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Large areas of the paddy fields in South China are contaminated with arsenic (As), which causes serious problems, including high As concentrations in brown rice. Three As-resistant iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) namely, Bacillus sp. T2, Pseudomonas sp.

Behavioural toxicity studies of Cyclope neritea and Nassarius mutabilis exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The objective of the work was to study behavioural change of Cyclope neritea (sea snail) and Nassarius mutabilis (land snail) upon exposure to different levels of PAHs. Snail's behaviour was translated and expressed in Behavioural State Score (BSS) where the score ranged from "0" to "5" points refers to the ascending level of locomotion of a snail. A significant difference was found in snail's behaviour in 25.

The potential of Mikania micrantha (Chinese creeper) to hyperaccumulate heavy metals in soil contaminated by electronic waste.

The objective of this study is to investigate the contributions of Mikania micrantha (chinese creeper) to remediate heavy metal pollutants present in an e-waste-contaminated soil. Different proportions of e-waste soil (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% w/w) planted with Cynodon dactylon together with the test species were prepared for testing relative seed germination (RSG), relative root growth (RRG), and germination index (GI) tests. A significant higher value of GI (77.

Effects of root morphology and anatomy on cadmium uptake and translocation in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

A clear description of the certain mechanisms of cadmium (Cd) uptake and translocation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) may help to reduce Cd accumulation in rice grain. Hydroponic experiments were carried out to determine the effects of cultivation conditions (aerated and stagnant) on the uptake, translocation and subcellular distribution of Cd in relation to the morphology and anatomy of roots in two rice genotypes with different Cd accumulations in grains.

Variations in grain cadmium and arsenic concentrations and screening for stable low-accumulating rice cultivars from multi-environment trials.

In order to help mitigate widespread cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) co-contamination in paddy soils in China, screening and breeding of low-accumulating rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (excluders) have been widely adopted. However, the performance of rice cultivars for grain Cd and As accumulation may vary in different growing environments.

Remediation of arsenic-contaminated paddy soil by iron-modified biochar.

Arsenic contamination in paddy soils has aroused global concern due to its threats to food security and human health. Biochar modified with different iron materials was prepared for arsenic (As) immobilization in contaminated soils. Soil incubation experiments were carried to investigate the effects of biochar modified with Fe-oxyhydroxy sulfate (Biochar-FeOS), FeCl (Biochar-FeCl), and zero-valent iron (Biochar-Fe) on the pH, NaHCO-extractable As concentrations, and the As fractions in soils.

Growth and Cd uptake by rice (Oryza sativa) in acidic and Cd-contaminated paddy soils amended with steel slag.

Contamination of rice (Oryza sativa) by Cd is of great concern. Steel slag could be used to amend Cd-contaminated soils and make them safe for cereal production. This work was conducted to study the effects of steel slag on Cd uptake and growth of rice plants in acidic and Cd-contaminated paddy soils and to determine the possible mechanisms behind these effects.

Adverse child health impacts resulting from food adulterations in the Greater China Region.

Food adulteration has a long history in human society, and it still occurs in modern times. Because children are relatively vulnerable to food adulterants, studying the health impacts of food adulteration on children is important. This article provides an overview of the child health impacts of food adulterants in two recent food adulteration incidents in the Greater China Region: (1) a plasticizer incident in Taiwan and (2) a 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine (melamine)-tainted milk incident in China.

Effect of organic manure on Cd and As accumulation in brown rice and grain yield in Cd-As-contaminated paddy fields.

Large areas of paddy fields in mining areas in south China have been contaminated by mixed Cd and As. To test the possibility of using organic manure (OM) as a method of reducing Cd and As accumulation in brown rice and increase the grain yield in such paddy fields, two rice cultivars [Jianyou G2 (JY) and Fengyousimiao (FY)] and three amounts of OM (0, 0.5, 1.

Size distribution of stranded small plastic debris on the coast of Guangdong, South China.

Beach environments are known to be conducive to fragmentation of plastic debris, and highly fragmented plastic particles can interact with smaller organisms. Even through stranded plastic debris may not interact directly with marine organisms, backwash processes may transport this debris back to coastal waters, where it may affect a wide range of marine life at different trophic levels. This study analysed the size distribution of stranded plastic debris (<10 mm) collected from eight coastal beaches in Guangdong Province, China.

Effects of alkaline and bioorganic amendments on cadmium, lead, zinc, and nutrient accumulation in brown rice and grain yield in acidic paddy fields contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals.

Paddy soils and rice (Oryza sativa L.) contaminated by mixed heavy metals have given rise to great concern. Field experiments were conducted over two cultivation seasons to study the effects of steel slag (SS), fly ash (FA), limestone (LS), bioorganic fertilizer (BF), and the combination of SS and BF (SSBF) on rice grain yield, Cd, Pb, and Zn and nutrient accumulation in brown rice, bioavailability of Cd, Pb, and Zn in soil as well as soil properties (pH and catalase), at two acidic paddy fields contaminated with mixed heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Zn).

Mechanisms underlying the effect of acupuncture on cognitive improvement: a systematic review of animal studies.

Acupuncture has been reported to be beneficial in treating cognitive impairment in various pathological conditions. This review describes the effort to understand the signaling pathways that underlie the acupunctural therapeutic effect on cognitive function. We searched the literature in 12 electronic databases from their inception to November 2013, with full text available and language limited to English.