Osmopriming with CaCl 2 improves wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) production under water-limited environments

Abstract

This 2-year field study investigates the potential of seed priming to mitigate losses caused by drought stress at different phenophases of wheat. Wheat seeds were soaked either in distilled water or in aerated solution of CaCl₂ (ψs −1.25 MPa) for 18 h to accomplish hydropriming and osmopriming, respectively. The soil moisture was maintained at 90–100% field capacity (well-watered) or 45–50% field capacity at vegetative (vegetative drought) and reproductive (terminal drought) phases. Allometric traits leaf area index, leaf area duration, and crop growth rate were initially more affected by vegetative drought; however, terminal drought was more severe at later stages. Drought at both phenophases, especially terminal drought, impaired the entire yield-related traits of wheat; however, osmopriming compensated the drought-induced losses up to a certain extent. Osmopriming improved the wheat grain yield, economic benefits, and allometric traits under vegetative and terminal drought as well as well-watered conditions. It is recommended that the physiological, biochemical, and genetic mechanisms of osmopriming must be explored to find more valuable insights for improving wheat productivity.

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Perfluoroalkyl substances with isomer analysis in umbilical cord serum in China

Abstract

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of widely used chemicals that have been detected in the environment and general population. However, the isomer patterns in human are poorly characterized. Previous studies observed the isomer-specific maternal-fetal transfer of PFASs in human. In our current study, we first examined the profile of PFASs and isomers, including 17 linear PFASs and 10 branched PFOS/PFOA isomers by using isotopic internal standards in umbilical cord serum samples from Guangzhou, China. We collected a total of 321 of cord blood serum samples from July to October in 2013, and analyzed the PFASs concentration with isomer-specific PFASs analysis method. The results showed that 9 out of 17 PFASs (linear PFASs) were detected (>50% detection rate). Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS, median 3.87 ng/mL) was the predominant, followed by total PFOS (median 2.99 ng/mL) and total PFOA (median 1.23 ng/mL) in cord serum. In addition, 1m-, iso-, ∑3+4+5m-PFOS and iso-PFOA were the branched PFASs detected in the current study. The proportion of linear PFOS (n-PFOS) was 75.16% of ∑PFOS which was similar to the proportion of electrochemical fluorination that produces ca. 70% linear PFOS and 30% branched. On the contrary, linear PFOA (n-PFOA) accounted for 98.69% ∑PFOA in cord serum samples. Our finding indicates distinct PFASs and PFOS/PFOA isomer profile in cord serum, suggesting there might be a different exposure pathway and metabolism of PFASs.

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Resilience potential of an Indian Ocean reef: an assessment through coral recruitment pattern and survivability of juvenile corals to recurrent stress events

Abstract

Coral reefs are degraded by the synergistic action of climate and anthropogenic stressors. Coral cover in the Palk Bay reef at the northern Indian Ocean largely declined in the past decade due to frequent bleaching events, tsunami and increased fishing activities. In this study, we carried out a comparative assessment to assess the differences in the recovery and resilience of three spatially distant reefs viz. Vedhalai, Mandapam and Pamban along Palk Bay affected by moderate, severe and low fishing pressure respectively. The assessment was based on the juvenile coral recruitment pattern and its survivability combined with availability of hard substratum, live coral cover and herbivore reef fish stock. The Vedhalai reef has the highest coral cover (14.6 ± 6.3%), and ≥90% of the live corals in Vedhalai and Mandapam were affected by turf algal overgrowth. The density of herbivore reef fish was low in Vedhalai and Mandapam reefs compared to the Pamban reef with relatively few grazing species. The juvenile coral diversity and density were high in the Pamban reef and low in Vedhalai and Mandapam reefs despite high hard substratum cover. In total, 22 species of juvenile corals of 10 genera were recorded in Palk Bay. Comparison of the species diversity of juvenile corals with adult ones suggested that the Pamban reef is connected with other distant reefs whereas Vedhalai and Mandapam reefs were self-seeded. There was no statistically significant difference in the survivability of juvenile corals between the study sites, and in total, ≥90% of the juvenile corals survived the high sedimentation stress triggered by the northeast monsoon and bleaching stress that occurred recurrently. Our results indicated that the human activities indirectly affected the juvenile coral recruitment by degrading the live coral cover and contributed to the spatial variation in the recovery and resilience of the Palk Bay reef. Low species diversity of the juvenile corals will increase the vulnerability of the Palk Bay reef to species-specific endemic threats.

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Processed milk waste recycling via thermal pretreatment and lactic acid bacteria fermentation

Abstract

Processed milk waste (MW) presents a serious problem within the dairy industries due to its high polluting load. Its chemical oxygen demand (COD) can reach values as high as 80,000 mg O₂ L⁻¹. This study proposes to reduce the organic load of those wastes using thermal coagulation and recover residual valuable components via fermentation. Thermal process results showed that the COD removal rates exceeded 40% when samples were treated at temperature above 60 °C to reach 72% at 100 °C. Clarified supernatants resulting from thermal treatment of the samples at the temperatures of 60 (MW₆₀), 80 (MW₈₀), and 100 °C (MW₁₀₀) were fermented using lactic acid bacteria strains without pH control. Lactic strains recorded important final cell yields (5–7 g L⁻¹). Growth mediums prepared using the thermally treated MW produced 73% of the bacterial biomass recorded with a conventional culture medium. At the end of fermentation, mediums were found exhausted from several valuable components. Industrial scale implementation of the proposed process for the recycling of industrial MWs is described and discussed.

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Effect of nutrients on Chlorella pyrenoidosa for treatment of phenolic effluent of coal gasification plant

Abstract

The ability of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, a freshwater microalga, to degrade phenolic effluent of coal-based producer gas plant under ambient conditions was investigated. C. pyrenoidosa was able to grow in high-strength phenolic effluent. Major contaminant present in the effluent was phenol (C₆H₅OH). The effluent has 1475.3 ± 68 mg/L of initial total phenolic concentration. The effect of nutrients used for algal cultivation in phenol degradation was analyzed by inoculating four different concentrations, viz.,1, 2, 3, and 4 g of wet biomass/L of raw effluent of C. pyrenoidosa mixed with effluent into two batches (with and without nutrients). C. pyrenoidosa was able to degrade more than 95% of the phenol (C₆H₅OH) concentration with the algal concentrations of 3 and 4 g/L when supplemented with nutrients. With effluent devoid of nutrients, the average percent reduction in total phenolic compounds was observed to a maximum of 46%. No physical changes in the C. pyrenoidosa were observed during degradation. C. pyrenoidosa was able to consume the organic carbon present in the phenolic compounds as carbon source for its growth despite the inorganic carbon supplemented externally.

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Korean Ministry of Environment’s web-based visual consumer product exposure and risk assessment system (COPER)

Abstract

With support from the Korean Ministry of the Environment (ME), our interdisciplinary research staff developed the COnsumer Product Exposure and Risk assessment system (COPER). This system includes various databases and features that enable the calculation of exposure and determination of risk caused by consumer products use. COPER is divided into three tiers: the integrated database layer (IDL), the domain specific service layer (DSSL), and the exposure and risk assessment layer (ERAL). IDL is organized by the form of the raw data (mostly non-aggregated data) and includes four sub-databases: a toxicity profile, an inventory of Korean consumer products, the weight fractions of chemical substances in the consumer products determined by chemical analysis and national representative exposure factors. DSSL provides web-based information services corresponding to each database within IDL. Finally, ERAL enables risk assessors to perform various exposure and risk assessments, including exposure scenario design via either inhalation or dermal contact by using or organizing each database in an intuitive manner. This paper outlines the overall architecture of the system and highlights some of the unique features of COPER based on visual and dynamic rendering engine for exposure assessment model on web.

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Toxicological assessment of tungsten oxide nanoparticles in rats after acute oral exposure

Abstract

Advances in and the rapid growth of the nanotechnology sector have escalated manufacture of nanoparticles (NPs), resulting in a significant increase in the probability of exposure of humans and wildlife to these materials. Many NPs have been found to exert genotoxicity. Therefore, genotoxicity studies are mandatory to assess the toxicity of NPs as a concern of succumbing to genetic diseases and cancers are universal. Tungsten oxide (WO₃) NPs are being explored extensively in various fields. However, the toxicological data of WO₃ NPs by oral route in mammals is limited. Hence, the goal of the current investigation was to evaluate the acute toxicity of WO₃ NPs and microparticles (MPs) after single oral administration with 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight doses in female Wistar rats. TEM, dynamic light scattering and laser Doppler velocimetry techniques were used to characterise the particles. The genotoxicity studies were conducted using comet, micronucleus and chromosomal aberration assays. Alterations in biochemical indices and metal distribution in various organs were also evaluated. The mean size of WO₃ NPs and MPs by TEM was 53.2 ± 1.91 nm and 5.17 ± 3.18 μm, respectively. The results revealed a significant increase in DNA damage and micronuclei and chromosomal aberrations after exposure to 1000 mg/kg dose of WO₃ NPs. Significant alterations in aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, reduced glutathione, catalase and malondialdehyde levels in serum and liver were found only at the higher dose of WO₃ NPs. Tungsten (W) biodistribution was observed in all the tissues in a dose-, time- and organ-dependent manner. In addition, the maximum concentration of W was found in the liver and the least in the brain was observed. The test substances were found to have a relatively low acute toxicity hazard. The data obtained gives preliminary information on the potential toxicity of WO₃ NPs and MPs.

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