Deciphering spread of quinolone resistance in mariculture ponds: Cross-species and cross-environment transmission of resistome.

Mariculture is known to harbor antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be released into marine ecosystems via oceanic farming ponds, posing a public health concern. In this study, metagenomic sequencing was used to decipher the profiles of quinolone-resistant microbiomes and the mechanisms of quinolone resistance in sediment, seawater, and fish gill samples from five mariculture ponds. Residues of both veterinary-specific (enrofloxacin and sarafloxacin) and prohibited quinolones (ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin, norfloxacin, and lomefloxacin) were detected.

Occurrence of sulfonamides and tetracyclines in the coastal areas of the Yangtze River (China) Estuary.

Antibiotics have attracted global attention due to the ecological risks to environment. In this paper, solid-phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were utilized to analyze the fugitive characteristics of 10 antibiotics of sulfonamides (sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfadimidine, sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole) and tetracyclines (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline) in the coastal waters and surfece sediments of the Yangtze River Estuary and the ecological risks of antibiotics in water were estimated using ecological risk assessment method. The results have showed that 7 of the 10 antibiotics were detected in the water, with total concentrations ranging from 0.

Mariculture affects antibiotic resistome and microbiome in the coastal environment.

Antibiotics are increasingly used and released into the marine environment due to the rapid development of mariculture, resulting in spread of antibiotic resistance. The pollution, distribution, and characteristics of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbiomes have been investigated in this study. Results showed that 20 antibiotics were detected in Chinese coastal environment, with predominance of erythromycin-HO, enrofloxacin and oxytetracycline.

Biotransformation of sulfamonomethoxine in a granular sludge system: Pathways and mechanisms.

The biotransformation of sulfamonomethoxine (SMM) was studied in an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) system to understand the role of sorption by microbial cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the role of functional microbe/enzyme biodegradation. Biodegradation played a more important role than adsorption, while microbial cells covered with tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) showed higher adsorption capacity than microbial cells themselves or microbial cells covered with both loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and TB-EPS. The binding tests between EPS and SMM and the spectroscopic analyses (3D-EEM, UV-Vis, and FTIR) were performed to obtain more information about the adsorption process.

The synergistic toxicity effect of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and plant growth disturbs the structure and function of soil microbes in the rhizosphere.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a dominant phthalic acid ester in the environment and commonly occurs at high concentration in agricultural soils. Its influence on the soil microbial community has been widely reported, while research related to its effects on microbial structure, function, and interactions in the rhizosphere, a microbial hotspot region in the terrestrial ecosystem, is still limited. This study investigated the response of microbes in the rhizosphere to DEHP contamination.

Converting Chrysotile Nanotubes into Magnesium Oxide and Hydroxide Using Lanthanum Oxycarbonate Hybridization and Alkaline Treatment for Efficient Phosphate Adsorption.

Magnesium oxide and hydroxide nanomaterials comprise a class of promising advanced functional metal nanomaterials whose use in environmental and material applications is increasing. Several strategies to synthesize these nanomaterials have been described but are unsustainable and uneconomic. This work reports on a processing strategy that turns natural magnesium-rich chrysotile into magnesium oxide and hydroxide nanoparticles via nanoparticle hybridization and an alkaline process while enabling La-based nanoparticles to coat the chrysotile nanotube surfaces.

A reversal in global occurrences of flash drought around 2000 identified by rapid changes in the standardized evaporative stress ratio.

Flash drought is characterized by a rapid rate of onset and intensification within a few weeks. It usually accompanies exhausted soil moisture and high-temperature stress and exerts detrimental impacts on the growth of crops and the ecosystem. However, the global occurrence characteristics of flash drought in the recent four decades remain unclear.

Phytoplankton Communities and Their Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Waters around Macau.

An investigation of the waters around Macau collected 43 phytoplankton species belonging to 29 genera and 5 phyla, including 32 species from 22 genera of Bacillariophyta, 7 species from 3 genera of Pyrrophyta, 2 species from 2 genera of Cyanophyta, and 1 genus and 1 species from both Euglenophyta and Chromophyta. The dominant phytoplankton species in the study areas were Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve, Aulacoseira granulata (Ehrenberg) Simonsen, Thalassiothrix frauenfeidii Grunow, and Thalassionema nitzschioides Grunow. The phytoplankton abundance in the waters around Macau was between 46,607.

Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes and microbial community in grouper mariculture.

Increasing use of feed and medicine in mariculture could cause negative environmental impacts such as habitat modification, microbial disease development and antibiotic resistance. Here we investigated contamination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and composition of microbial community in grouper mariculture systems in Hainan province, China. Results showed detection of various antibiotic residues with the dominance of fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines in the six grouper cultivation systems.

Accelerated atrazine degradation and altered metabolic pathways in goat manure assisted soil bioremediation.

The intensive and long-term use of atrazine in agriculture has resulted in serious environmental pollution and consequently endangered ecosystem and human health. Soil microorganisms play an important role in atrazine degradation. However, their degradation efficiencies are relatively low due to their slow growth and low abundance, and manure amendment as a practice to improve soil nutrients and microbial activities can solve these problems.

Variations of antibiotic resistome in swine wastewater during full-scale anaerobic digestion treatment.

Anaerobic digesters have been widely used to treat wastewaters in livestock farms. With the increasing risk of antibiotic resistance originated from livestock husbandry, removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) via anaerobic digesters deserved more attention. Here we investigated the removal of antibiotics and ARGs in swine wastewater by three on-farm full-scale anaerobic digesters, including buried biogas digester (BBD), up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and high density polyethylene covered biogas digester (HDPE-BD).

The fate of sulfonamides in the process of phytoremediation in hydroponics.

Phytoremediation has been proven to be an alternative in-situ treatment technique for sulfonamide polluted wastewater. However, the fate of sulfonamides in the phytoremediation process of multiple sulfonamides coexistence is unclear. Therefore, the possibility and mechanism of phytoremediation of ten sulfonamides by different wetland plants through hydroponics were investigated in this study.

Highly enhanced biodegradation of pharmaceutical and personal care products in a novel tidal flow constructed wetland with baffle and plants.

Research on decentralized wastewaters deserves special focus due to the potential abundance of emerging organic pollutants including pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), which might pose serious threats to the local water bodies and even to human health. Constructed wetland (CW) is a common decentralized wastewater treatment technology, with a certain ability to eliminate PPCPs. Nonetheless, PPCPs removal in common CWs is frequently challenging, besides, the removal mechanism remains elusive.

Occurrence and fate of androgens, progestogens and glucocorticoids in two swine farms with integrated wastewater treatment systems.

Steroid hormones are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can cause adverse effects even at trace levels. The information about steroid hormones in animal wastes is still very limited. Here we investigated the occurrence and fate of fourteen androgens, twenty-one progestogens, and five glucocorticoids in Farm Luo Cheng (LC) and Farm Shui Tai (ST) with integrated wastewater treatment systems (WTSs) in South China.

Optimized constructed wetlands enhance the removal and reduce the risks of steroid hormones in domestic wastewater.

Constructed wetland (CW) has been proved to be a reliable wastewater treatment technology for removal of various contaminants. However, the removal of specific contaminants such as steroid hormones by wetlands without optimized design parameters would be unstable. Here we investigated the removal mechanism of steroid hormones by constructed wetlands, and optimized various design parameters for the removal of these contaminants in wastewater.

Quantifying the change in streamflow complexity in the Yangtze River.

Hydrological processes of the Yangtze River have changed over the past decades due to environmental change and human activity. This paper uses sample entropy to investigate the spatial distribution and dynamic change in streamflow series complexity in the Yangtze River, China. In this study, the complexity of the streamflow series is quantified by entropy analysis.

Why Do Leaders Express Humility and How Does This Matter: A Rational Choice Perspective.

The utility of leader humility expressing behavior has been examined by several studies across multiple levels. However, our knowledge about why leaders express humility continues to be sparse. Drawing on rational choice theory, this paper proposes a model examining whether followers' capability triggers leader's humility expressing behavior and how followers' interpretations of it influence its effectiveness.

A simple high-throughput headspace gas chromatographic method for the determination of dissolved oxygen in aqueous samples.

This paper reports on a headspace gas chromatographic method (HS-GC) for the accurate determination of dissolved oxygen (DO) in domestic and industrial wastewater. It was based on GC measurement of oxygen in the headspace gas that is released from the dissolved oxygen in a liquid sample in a closed vial. The results show that the relative standard deviation of the method in quintuplicate testing was < 2.

[Phototaxis of Anguilla marmorata based on fish attracting technology of eel passage].

Light trap is commonly used in protecting Anguilla marmorata resource and improving the attraction of eel passage entrance. In this study, a self-made multifunctional round pool was used to explore the phototaxis of elvers (A. marmorata) under three conditions.

Assessment of potential changes in soil erosion using remote sensing and GIS: a case study of Dacaozi Watershed, China.

Soil erosion is a major global environmental problem. Therefore, a method of calculating potential soil erosion is necessary for soil and water resource management, as well as for assessing the risk of soil erosion. This study aimed to develop a simple method for calculating potential soil erosion change (PSEC) by combining the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Multifractality and cross-correlation analysis of streamflow and sediment fluctuation at the apex of the Pearl River Delta.

The fluctuation and distribution of hydrological signals are highly related to the fluvial and geophysical regime at estuarine regions. Based on the long daily streamflow and sediment data of Makou (MK) and Sanshui (SS) stations at the apex of the Pearl River Delta, the scaling behavior of the streamflow and sediment is explored by multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA). The results indicated that there was significant multifractal structure present in the fluctuations of streamflow and sediment.

A high-throughput headspace gas chromatographic technique for the determination of nitrite content in water samples.

This paper reports on a high-throughput headspace gas chromatographic method (HS-GC) for the determination of nitrite content in water sample, based on GC measurement of cyclohexene produced from the reaction between nitrite and cyclamate in a closed vial. The method has a relative standard deviation of <3.5%; The differences between the results of the nitrite measurements obtained by this method and those of a reference method were less than 5.

Evidence for the Importance of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition to Eutrophic Lake Dianchi, China.

Elevated atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has significantly influenced aquatic ecosystems, especially with regard to their N budgets and phytoplankton growth potentials. Compared to a considerable number of studies on oligotrophic lakes and oceanic waters, little evidence for the importance of N deposition has been generated for eutrophic lakes, even though emphasis has been placed on reducing external N inputs to control eutrophication in these lakes. Our high-resolution observations of atmospheric depositions and riverine inputs of biologically reactive N species into eutrophic Lake Dianchi (the sixth largest freshwater lake in China) shed new light onto the contribution of N deposition to total N loads.

Characteristic comparison of heavy metal contamination between road-deposited and roof-deposited sediments in suburban area.

Surface-deposited sediment in urban area is an essential environmental medium for assessing heavy metal contamination. A total of 10 sampling trips were conducted to collect road-deposited and roof-deposited sediments for the comparison of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and chromium (Cr) contamination characteristics. Results indicated that roof sediment appeared to have a finer size distribution than road sediments.

Using a high biomass plant Pennisetum hydridum to phyto-treat fresh municipal sewage sludge.

The study was carried out to investigate the use of a high biomass plant, Pennisetum hydridum, to treat municipal sewage sludge (MSS). An experiment composed of plots with four treatments, soil, fresh sludge, soil-sludge mixture and phyto-treated sludge, was conducted. It showed that the plant could not survive directly in fresh MSS when cultivated from stem cuttings.