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Vegetation Filters for brewery wastewater treatment: Results of a ‘lab-to-field’ procedure under Mediterranean conditions compared to a conventional WWTP
No full textInfluence of conventional and organic rice farming on aquatic biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions in a protected Mediterranean wetland
No full textCoastal wetlands face numerous threats from human activities, including habitat alteration for rice cultivation and contamination by agrochemicals. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different rice production practices on the structure of aquatic communities and greenhouse gas emissions in the Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain), one of the most important Mediterranean coastal wetlands. We monitored the diversity of aquatic bacteria and archaea, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrates over the rice cultivation period at four sampling sites: a water spring representing a natural (unimpacted) area, an organic rice field, and two conventional rice fields. Additionally, we measured CO� and CH� emissions at various stages of the rice cultivation period. Our study shows that areas dedicated to ecosystem preservation, such as water springs, support a higher diversity of bacteria and archaea and provide habitat for endemic and endangered macroinvertebrate species. Moreover, these areas exhibit the lowest relative greenhouse gas emissions from the water column, offering significant benefits for climate change mitigation. The study also reveals that the structure of aquatic communities is heavily influenced by rice farming practices, with organic rice farming supporting a larger abundance of pollution-resistant zooplankton and a higher diversity and biomass of emerging insects. However, organic rice farming was associated with the highest prevalence of fecal microorganisms and contributed more to greenhouse gas emissions during the rice cultivation period due to its manure fertilization regime. These findings underscore the need to carefully consider both the benefits and challenges of different farming practices, balancing ecological conservation and GHG emissions with sustainable agricultural production
Effects of the herbicide bentazone on the structure of plankton and benthic communities representative of Mediterranean coastal wetlands: a mesocosm experiment
No full textPesticide pollution poses one of the most
important threats for the ecological status of coastal
wetland ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated the
effects of the herbicide bentazone on aquatic communities
characteristic of Mediterranean coastal
wetlands using outdoor mesocosms. The herbicide
was applied weekly for four weeks at concentrations
of 0 (control), 25, 250, and 2500 μg/L in mesocosms
representing two different ecological conditions:
one with submerged macrophytes and one
without macrophytes. The impact of bentazone on
diverse taxonomic groups, including benthic diatoms,
phytoplankton, submerged macrophytes, zooplankton,
and aquatic macroinvertebrates, was examined
before the first bentazone application, after the last
application and sixty days after the last application.
The results show that benthic diatoms were the most
affected group in terms of community structure. Zooplankton
was the second most affected group, mainly
driven by indirect effects that resulted in the replacement
of large filter feeders by small filter feeders.
This suggests strong bottom-up effects caused by
the herbicide, altering the structure of the primary
producers’ community which, in turn, indirectly
affected key zooplankton taxa. Our study shows that
the exposure levels of bentazone measured in Mediterranean
coastal wetlands could result in long-term
direct and indirect impacts on the structure of aquatic
communities
Microbial biogeography along a 2578 km transect on the East Antarctic Plateau
No full textMicroorganisms are present in snow/ice of the Antarctic Plateau, but their biogeography and metabolic state under extreme local conditions are poorly understood. Here, we showthe diversityand distributionofmicroorganisms in air (1.5m height) and snow/ice down to 4m depth at three distant latitudes along a 2578km transect on the East Antarctic Plateau on board an envir- onmentally friendly, mobile platform. Results demonstrate the widespread distribution of microorganisms in the ice down to at least 4m depth. Data point to geochemical and bacterial geographic distribution that correlate with wind trajectory and speed, modulated by local gathering and recirculation of microorganisms through snow drifting. Reservoir effects and community selection appear to occur over time, favoring microorganisms best adapted to hypothermal and hyperarid conditions. A new cyanobacterial species (Gloeo- capsopsis sp) was isolated from 3 to 4mdepth. Our findings suggest that some microorganisms could exhibit transient, basal metabolic activity when asso- ciated to high salt particles, contributing to set biodiversity patterns and biogeographic compartmentalization on Antarctic Plateau ice
The introduction of surface oxygen groups on fluid-like electrodes enhances biofilm growth of Geobacter sulfurreducens allowing continuous operation
No full textMicrobial Electrochemical Fluidized Reactors (ME-FBR) changed the paradigm for growing electroactive bacteria from a biofilm strategy to a planktonic mode, while still performing direct extracellular electron transfer from oxidative metabolism in absence of redox mediators. Glassy carbon was the material selected for growing planktonic Geobacter sulfurreducens in ME-FBR. However, the material was unable to retain cells so applications implying continuous operation have been compromised. In this context, a tailor-made chemical strategy was followed considering the large amount of cytochromes C present on the outermost membrane of bacteria form of the Geobacter genus. In this work, a commercial glassy carbon (GC) was chemically modified with surface oxygen groups (SOGs) mainly carboxylic type with high affinity for heme group of cytochrome C. The functionalized material did conserve the structural and textural features and i) promoted the biofilm formation of Geobacter using acetate as sole carbon and electron donor source, and ii) increased the current density and acetate removal rate in comparison with pristine carbon. Thus, the new material enriched in carboxylic-type SOGs facilitates a-la-carte anchorage of electroactive bacteria to move on from a planktonic-based to a biofilm-based strategy, so ME-FBR operation could be expanded from batch to continuous mode, while electrical current was still possible
Procesos hidrológicos y análisis del origen de depresiones piezométricas naturales. Región de Chari-Baguirmi, Chad.
No full textEl acuífero cuaternario de Chari-Baguirmi (SE del lago Chad, África) presenta una depresión piezométrica natural de 17,761 km², con niveles freáticos que alcanzan hasta 50 m en su zona central. Las hipótesis más aceptadas de su génesis sugieren escasa infiltración por la lluvia y procesos de flujo ascendente (exfiltración) desde el acuífero. Para analizar los procesos hidrológicos en la zona, se utilizó el modelo HYDRUS-1D en un área representativa de la depresión situada en el centro. La simulación incluye suelo con vegetación (acacias) y sin cultivo. Para el periodo simulado, 2004–2015, la precipitación media anual fue de 715 mm. Los resultados indican un 12% de recarga en la zona central, debido a la presencia de suelos limosos poco permeables. El valor de la exfiltración es mínimo (1–2 mm/año). La simulación sugiere que la recarga actual es muy limitada y que la depresión actual es la consecuencia de procesos geológicos y climáticos de mayor aridez producidos a lo largo de miles de años
The introduction of surface oxygen groups on fluid-like electrodes enhances biofilm growth of Geobacter sulfurreducens allowing continuous operation
No full textMicrobial Electrochemical Fluidized Reactors (ME-FBR) changed the paradigm for growing electroactive bacteria from a biofilm strategy to a planktonic mode, while still performing direct extracellular electron transfer from oxidative metabolism in absence of redox mediators. Glassy carbon was the material selected for growing planktonic Geobacter sulfurreducens in ME-FBR. However, the material was unable to retain cells so applications implying continuous operation have been compromised. In this context, a tailor-made chemical strategy was followed considering the large amount of cytochromes C present on the outermost membrane of bacteria form of the Geobacter genus. In this work, a commercial glassy carbon (GC) was chemically modified with surface oxygen groups (SOGs) mainly carboxylic type with high affinity for heme group of cytochrome C. The functionalized material did conserve the structural and textural features and i) promoted the biofilm formation of Geobacter using acetate as sole carbon and electron donor source, and ii) increased the current density and acetate removal rate in comparison with pristine carbon. Thus, the new material enriched in carboxylic-type SOGs facilitates a-la-carte anchorage of electroactive bacteria to move on from a planktonic-based to a biofilm-based strategy, so ME-FBR operation could be expanded from batch to continuous mode, while electrical current was still possible