Evaluation of the effect of a novel substrate that is composed of landfill-mined-soil-like-fractions on plant growth and heavy metal accumulation.

In the pursuit of a safe, low-cost, and sustainable method for the reuse of landfill-mined-soil-like-fractions (LFMSFs), pot experiments were conducted using seven growth substrates consisting of LFMSFs, tea residue, and peat for the cultivation of Photinia × fraseri. Six of the substrates had 40 %:60 %, 60 %:40 %, and 80 %:20 % volume ratios of LFMSFs to tea residue or peat, and one substrate consisted entirely of LFMSFs. The physicochemical properties of the substrate, growth parameters of the plants, and heavy metal content in the different pots were determined after one year of growth.

Is the NH -induced growth inhibition caused by the NH form of the nitrogen source or by soil acidification?

Soil acidification often occurs when the concentration of ammonium (NH ) in soil rises, such as that observed in farmland. Both soil acidification and excess NH have serious adverse effects on crop growth and food production. However, we still do not know which of these two inhibitors has a greater impact on the growth of crops, and the degree of their inhibitory effect on crop growth have not been accurately evaluated.

A mycorrhiza-specific H -ATPase is essential for arbuscule development and symbiotic phosphate and nitrogen uptake.

Most land plants can form symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi to enhance uptake of mineral nutrients, particularly phosphate (Pi) and nitrogen (N), from the soil. It is established that transport of Pi from interfacial apoplast into plant cells depends on the H gradient generated by the H -ATPase located on the periarbuscular membrane (PAM); however, little evidence regarding the potential link between mycorrhizal N transport and H -ATPase activity is available to date. Here, we report that a PAM-localized tomato H -ATPase, SlHA8, is indispensable for arbuscule development and mycorrhizal P and N uptake.

Potential sources and associated risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in paddy soils of a combined urban and rural area.

The contamination of combined urban and rural area is a growing environmental issue due to rapid industrialization in China. This study investigated the eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs) arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in paddy fields in a combined urban and rural area in Shaoxing city, Zhejiang province. Concentrations of the PTEs were determined in 60 topsoil samples (0-20 cm) collected from paddy fields in a combined urban and rural area in Shaoxing city, Zhejiang province, southeast China.

Metagenomic insights into the abundance and composition of resistance genes in aquatic environments: Influence of stratification and geography.

A global survey was performed with 122 aquatic metagenomic DNA datasets (92 lake water and 30 seawater) obtained from the Sequence Read Archive (SRA). Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metal resistance genes (MRGs) were derived from the dataset sequences via bioinformatic analysis. The relative abundances of ARGs and MRGs in lake samples were in the ranges ND (not detected)-1.

Plastics in the marine environment are reservoirs for antibiotic and metal resistance genes.

Plastics have been accumulated offshore and in the deep oceans at an unprecedented scale. Microbial communities have colonized the plastisphere, which has become a reservoir for both antibiotic and metal resistance genes (ARGs and MRGs). This is the first analysis of the diversity, abundance, and co-occurrence of ARGs and MRGs, and their relationships within the microbial community, using metagenomic data of plastic particles observed in the North Pacific Gyre obtained from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information Sequence Read Archive database.

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in global lakes: A review and meta-analysis.

Lakes are an important source of freshwater, containing nearly 90% of the liquid surface fresh water worldwide. Long retention times in lakes mean pollutants from discharges slowly circulate around the lakes and may lead to high ecological risk for ecosystem and human health. In recent decades, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been regarded as emerging pollutants.

Effect of temperature on sulfonamide antibiotics degradation, and on antibiotic resistance determinants and hosts in animal manures.

Animal manure is a main reservoir of antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance. Here, the effect of temperature on sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs), sulfonamide-resistant (SR) genes/bacteria was investigated by aerobically incubating swine and chicken manures at different temperatures. In swine manure, the SAs concentration declined with increasing temperature, with a minimum at 60°C.

Antibiotic resistance genes in surface water of eutrophic urban lakes are related to heavy metals, antibiotics, lake morphology and anthropic impact.

Urban lakes are impacted by heavy human activities and represent potential reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes. In this study, six urban lakes in Wuhan, central China were selected to analyze the distribution of sulfonamide resistance (sul) genes, tetracycline resistance (tet) genes and quinolone resistance (qnr) genes and their relationship with heavy metals, antibiotics, lake morphology and anthropic impact. sul1 and sul2 were detected in all six lakes and dominated the types of antibiotic resistance genes, which accounted for 86.

Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Sediment of Honghu Lake and East Dongting Lake, China.

Sediment is an ideal medium for the aggregation and dissemination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The levels of antibiotics and ARGs in Honghu Lake and East Dongting Lake of central China were investigated in this study. The concentrations of eight antibiotics (four sulfonamides and four tetracyclines) in Honghu Lake were in the range 90.