Degradation of polystyrene by tropical bacterial and fungal isolates

Plastic waste is one of the major contributing factors to the growth of municipal solid wastes globally. It is a threat to public health and negatively impact the aquatic and terrestrial animals due to its persistence in the environment. Bacterial and fungal isolates were tested for their ability to degrade polystyrene. The cultures were grown on mineral salts medium supplemented with polystyrene as the sole carbon source in 250 mL conical flasks. The polystyrene reduced from 1 g (week 0) to 0.7g (week 7). Statistical analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) shows a significant difference between the reduction in weight of polystyrene in the experimental flask compared to the control (P<0.05). Gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of biodegradation products shows that some toxic polystyrene constituents such as O-xylene, cis-9-hexadecenal and 3-phenol pentadecyl were removed

Geochemistry and health Kenyan stakeholder workshops 2022

This report summarises an exchange visit carried out by the British Geological Survey (BGS) to disseminate soil geochemical and public health data collated over the previous five years with partners from the University of Eldoret and Moi University to relevant stakeholders. A series of workshops provided a platform for the co-design of digital tool applications to ensure accessible data and to identify end-users with appropriate heads of agricultural and public health offices from 20 County governments. Workshop hubs were held in Kisii, Kisumu, and Eldoret between 23rd June and 3rd July 2022. This report describes a knowledge exchange visit to Kenya by BGS with partners at the University of Eldoret and Moi University leading on the dissemination of consortia data outputs and outcomes via coordinated workshops for leaders in agricultural and public health invited from each of 20 County governments (50+ attendees across three hubs), with additional practitioners familiar with the research-to-government-to-industry interaction in attendance. The geochemistry and public health data resulted from a comprehensive programme of data collection between 2016 and 2019 to inform the geochemical spatial influence on agricultural practices and for future use of a geochemical predictive model in determining the geospatial influence on non-communicable diseases (e.g. cancer, micronutrient deficiency). Additional focussed meetings with key stakeholders were undertaken to improve data uptake and outcomes, including the Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenyan Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation and Kenya Forestry Research Institute. Background for the project collation of the data can be found at: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/geology-projects/geochemistry-and-health

Workshop on dynamics of land to lake transfers in the Winam Gulf

This report describes a stakeholder engagement workshop carried out by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and research partners from the University of Eldoret and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute in December 2023. This workshop was co-funded by a Royal Society International Collaboration Grant (ICA\R1\191077 entitled ‘Dynamics of Environmental Geochemistry and Health in a Lake-wide Basin’) and a NERC NC-International grant (NE/X006255/1, entitled ‘Geoscience to tackle global environmental challenges’). The aim of this workshop was to disseminate our most recent research findings on soil erosion and sediment source apportionment in the Winam Gulf, Kenya. We also built upon previous stakeholder engagement meetings where discussions were held to identify the most effective methods of delivering outputs where they can be used to inform strategies to mitigate soil erosion and sediment transfers in the catchment resulting from poor land management. All the information collected from participants will be used to inform future workshops, planned for June 2024 and final data distribution tools. Furthermore, it was recommended by the workshop participants that the need for greater capacity building could be achieved through the formation of a committee which oversees and plans the coordination of land-lake activities through the communication and sharing of the latest activities, interests and needs of the combined land/lake communities in the Lake Victoria basin. The formation of such a committee could be facilitated through this research project and would be the first step towards creating an impactful management framework. This could provide an exemplar for other land-lake systems

Iodine soil dynamics and methods of measurement: a review

Iodine is an essential micronutrient for human health: insufficient intake can have multiple effects on development and growth, affecting approximately 1.9 billion people worldwide. Previous reviews have focussed on iodine analysis in environmental and biological samples, however, no such review exists for the determination of iodine fractionation and speciation in soils. This article reviews the geodynamics of both stable 127I and the long-lived isotope 129I (t1/2 ¼ 15.7 million years), alongside the analytical methods for determining iodine concentrations in soils, including consideration of sample preparation. The ability to measure total iodine concentration in soils has developed significantly from rudimentary spectrophotometric analysis methods to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Analysis with ICP-MS has been reported as the best method for determining iodine concentrations in a range of environmental samples and soils due to developments in extraction procedures and sensitivity, with extremely good detection limits typically <mg L_1. The ability of ICP-MS to measure iodine and its capabilities to couple on-line separation tools has the significance to develop the understanding of iodine geodynamics. In addition, nuclear-related analysis and recent synchrotron light source analysis are discussed

Dynamics of land to lake transfers in the Winam Gulf : stakeholder engagement meeting, June 2024

This report describes a stakeholder engagement workshop carried out by the British Geological Survey (BGS) co-funded by a Royal Society International Collaboration Grant (ICA\R1\191077 entitled ‘Dynamics of Environmental Geochemistry and Health in a Lake-wide Basin’) and a NERC NC-International grant (NE/X006255/1, entitled ‘Geoscience to tackle global environmental challenges’) with research partners from the University of Eldoret and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute as hosts in June 2024. This workshop was a follow-up to the first in-person stakeholder workshop in December 2023 that encompassed a broad spectrum of decision-makers, regulatory authorities, academia, government, industry and community representatives for land and lake management in the Lake Victoria catchment. This workshop developed further the goal from this group to establish a forum to coordinate multidisciplinary research that is communicable to decision makers to intervene in poor land management practices for end users both in the land and lake sectors, for which there has been little cross-over in the past. The workshop explored how an oversight framework could be established to better coordinate research to ensure impactful outcomes e.g. protect agricultural land from erosion and prevent flooding and influx of sediment to Lake Victoria that impacts the fisheries. We were also able to develop with the stakeholders partners who wish to use the research to improve, test or monitor land and lake management practices and can facilitate this process and who will be willing to participate in international funding proposals to broaden the collaborative team and scale of research from this project funded by the Royal Society and UK Natural Environment Research Council

Considerations for environmental biogeochemistry and food security for aquaculture around Lake Victoria, Kenya

The impact of population expansion through economic growth and development has been identified as one of the key drivers of both water and sediment contamination from potentially harmful elements (PHEs). This presents a major hazard not only to aquatic ecosystems but local riparian communities and beyond who rely heavily on this natural resource for drinking water and fish—a valuable source of dietary micronutrients and protein. The present study measured biogeochemical concentration of PHEs in water, sediment and fish from locations pooled into four zones within Winam Gulf and Lake Victoria area of Kenya. Captured fish were used as a sentinel receptor of lake health to evaluate potential risks to fisheries and aquaculture food security. In water, concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) were observed above the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) maximum contamination level drinking water guidelines (MCL), with aluminium (Al) observed above the Aquatic Life Criteria in all four zones. Similarly, sediment concentrations in all four zones exceeded the US EPA Effects range low (ERL) threshold guidelines for Cu, nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn) and Pb, with Cu, Zn and Pb classed at moderate contamination levels using the contamination factor. Fish tissue concentrations from the four zones were calculated using recommended daily intakes (RDI) and for PHEs as provisional maximum tolerable intakes (PMTIs) and indicated most macro- and micronutrients were at or below 10% RDI from aquaculture and wild fish, with Se indicating a greater RDI (16–29%) in all the zones. Contributions of PHEs to PMTIs were below threshold guidelines for both aquaculture and wild fish with only Cd, Cr and Pb levels being above the PMTI thresholds. There is a need to assess the long-term effects of persistent anthropogenic PHE input into Winam Gulf and the wider Lake Victoria basin. Continued monitoring of PHEs using both historical and more recent data will enable future management policies to be implemented through improved mitigation strategies to reduce their impact on water quality, fish health and subsequent human health

The Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH): building for the future of early career researchers

In a 2019 editorial entitled ‘The Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH): building for the future’ (Watts et al. 2019), SEGH President Dr Michael Watts and all current board members outlined their aspirations and initiatives for the Society’s expansion into the new decade and beyond. Central to these efforts was the establishment of a dedicated group of early career researchers (ECRs) within SEGH to foster interaction, collaboration, mentorship and ultimately the expansion of this demographic. SEGH defines ECRs as undergraduate or postgraduate (Masters/PhD) students or as scientists having received their highest degree (BSc, MSc or PhD) within the past 5 years. ECRs currently make up approximately 20% of SEGH memberships, and nurturing growth at grassroots level is a critical strategy in preserving the Society’s long-term future if it is to remain relevant in an ever more competitive research landscape. With this in mind, ECR representatives currently sitting on the board took the initiative to follow up the 2019 editorial from an ECR perspective, with contributions made exclusively by members of this group. Drawing from personal experiences, we focus on key aspects of SEGH as a society and a community, but more importantly as a wider discipline and career path. We highlight the unique selling points of SEGH membership to ECRs, while voicing our wishes for improvement with the overall aim of promoting the society, and the society’s core values. Our hope is that we can attract more ECRs to our diverse community and enhance the experience of our current members

Dynamics of environmental geochemistry and health in a lake-wide basin : stakeholder engagement meeting

This report describes a stakeholder engagement workshop carried out by the British Geological Survey (BGS) co-funded by a Royal Society International Collaboration Grant (ICA\R1\191077 entitled ‘Dynamics of Environmental Geochemistry and Health in a Lake-wide Basin’) and a NERC NC-International grant (NE/X006255/1, entitled ‘Geoscience to tackle global environmental challenges’) with research partners from the University of Eldoret and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute in February 2023. This workshop aimed to share progress of the project from 2019 to date and follows from stakeholder engagement in the design of data outputs to inform strategies to mitigate for land-to-lake transfers resulting from soil erosion. An update of data outputs was initially reported to guage the delivery of research data as an information tool to expand the cohort of stakeholders in lake-land management, the connections between the stakeholders, current information and its accessibility, and whether the data we are producing is useful and try to assess additional unforeseen uses of our outputs. All of the information collected from participants will be used to inform future workshops, planned for late 2023, May 2024 and final data distribution tools

Investigating the use of microdialysis and SEC-UV-ICP-MS to assess iodine interactions in soil solution

Element cycling in the terrestrial environment is heavily reliant upon processes that occur in soil solution. Here we present the first application of microdialysis to sample iodine from soil solution. In comparison to conventional soil solution extraction methods such as Rhizon™ samplers, centrifugation, and high-pressure squeezing, microdialysis can passively sample dissolved compounds from soil solution without altering the in-situ speciation of trace elements at realistic soil moisture conditions. In order to assess the suitability of microdialysis for sampling iodine, the permeability factors and effect of perfusion flowrate on I− and IO3− recovery was examined in stirred solutions. Furthermore, microdialysis was used to sample native soluble iodine at a range of water contents and iodine-enriched soils to investigate iodine soil dynamics. Total iodine concentrations were measured using ICP-MS. Inorganic species and the molecular weight distribution of organically bound iodine were determined by anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled to an ICP-MS, respectively. The most effective recovery rates in stirred solution were observed with the slowest perfusion flowrate yielding 66.2 ± 7.1 and 70.5 ± 7.1% for I− and IO3−, respectively. Microdialysis was proven to be capable of sampling dissolved iodine from the soil solution, which accounted for [less than] 2.5% of the total soil iodine and speciation followed the sequence: organic-I > I− > IO3−. The use of SEC coupled to (i) UV and (ii) ICP-MS analysis provided detail regarding the molecular weight distribution of dissolved org-I compounds. Dissolved org-I was detected with approximate molecular weights between 0.1 and 4.5 kDa. The results in this study show that microdialysis is a suitable technique for sampling dissolved iodine species from soils maintained at realistic moisture contents. In addition, inorganic iodine added to soils was predominately bound with relatively low molecular weight ([less than] 4.5 kDa) soluble organic matter

Iodine uptake, storage and translocation mechanisms in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

Iodine is an essential micronutrient for human health; phytofortification is a means of improving humans’ nutritional iodine status. However, knowledge of iodine uptake and translocation in plants remains limited. In this paper, plant uptake mechanisms were assessed in short-term experiments (24 h) using labelled radioisotopes; the speciation of iodine present in apoplastic and symplastic root solutions was determined by (HPLC)-ICP-QQQ-MS. Iodine storage was investigated in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) treated with I− and IO3−. Finally, translocation through the phloem to younger leaves was also investigated using a radioiodine (129I−) label. During uptake, spinach roots demonstrated the ability to reduce IO3− to I−. Once absorbed, iodine was present as org-I or I− with significantly greater concentrations in the apoplast than the symplast. Plants were shown to absorb similar concentrations of iodine applied as I− or IO3−, via the roots, grown in an inert growth substrate. We found that whilst leaves were capable of absorbing radioactively labelled iodine applied to a single leaf, less than 2% was transferred through the phloem to younger leaves. In this paper, we show that iodine uptake is predominantly passive (approximately two-thirds of total uptake); however, I- can be absorbed actively through the symplast. Spinach leaves can absorb iodine via foliar fertilisation, but translocation is severely limited. As such, foliar application is unlikely to significantly increase the iodine content, via phloem translocation, of fruits, grains or tubers