Elevated springtime atrazine concentrations in agricultural streams of the US Midwest highlight the need for conservation practices that reduce atrazine transport to surface waters. Blind inlets are a novel water control structure that is an alternative to conventional tile risers. Information is lacking on the effect of replacing tile risers with blind inlets on atrazine in channelized agricultural headwater streams at the watershed scale. Our research questions were as follows: (1) Does replacing tile risers with blind inlets reduce atrazine concentrations and loads during storm events within channelized agricultural headwater streams? (2) Do these effects differ seasonally? To answer these questions, we conducted an 8-year before-after-control-impact experiment in two channelized agricultural headwater streams in Northeastern Indiana. During the before period (2004-2009), when both watersheds had tile risers, eight atrazine response variables during spring storm events did not differ (p-value > 0.400) between streams. After replacing tile risers with blind inlets in the impact stream (2010-2011), mean and maximum atrazine concentrations, total atrazine loads, mean drinking water toxicity index scores, and mean fish chronic toxicity index scores during spring storm events were lower (p-value < 0.001) in the impact stream compared to the control stream. Additionally, replacing tile risers with blind inlets did not affect any of the atrazine response variables during summer and fall storm events. These results indicate that replacing conventional tile risers with blind inlets is an effective conservation practice for reducing elevated springtime atrazine concentrations and loads in channelized agricultural headwater streams in the US Midwest.

Plant-soil interactions play a central role in determining the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in terrestrial systems, where soil-derived PAHs are a major exposure source at contaminated sites and root-rhizosphere processes contribute to removal. Root sorption of PAHs increases with hydrophobicity, whereas translocation to shoots follows partition-based behavior with an intermediate logKOW optimum, achieved most readily by low-molecular-weight compounds and supplemented by evidence for a proton-coupled, carrier-mediated component in wheat; more hydrophobic high-molecular-weight compounds are retained mainly in roots and translocate poorly. Evidence for individual PAH transport proteins remains preliminary, drawn mainly from binding, proteomic, and docking evidence rather than in-planta loss-of-function tests. In the rhizosphere, root exudation, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and PAH-degrading microorganisms increase contaminant accessibility and degradation, though contributions vary with species and soil conditions. Foliar uptake via cuticular and stomatal pathways is a parallel atmospheric route, while cellular detoxification and sequestration act downstream of root and foliar inputs, with finite capacity. We organize these processes into three coupled trade-offs at the plant-soil interface: uptake versus exclusion, internal translocation versus rhizosphere processing, and detoxification versus storage. These trade-offs form a directional cascade in which the uptake-exclusion balance constrains all downstream processes, while rhizodeposition, canopy wash-off, and litter return feed back to the soil PAH pool. Because each balance point depends on hydrophobicity, plant traits, and soil conditions, this framework can guide plant-soil system design. It identifies the root-rhizosphere interface as the primary leverage point for phytoremediation and shows that remediation and food-safety objectives require different plant traits.

Modern agricultural production has detrimental effects on the environment including contributing toward current global climate and biodiversity crises. It is therefore necessary that our agroecosystems, and wider food systems, become sustainable, so that the growing population can be fed now and in the future. Agroecosystems are complex with multiple inputs, outputs and interactions, with consequent environmental effects and impacts. This complexity is mirrored in an equally complex "data ecosystem" that is utilized by different stakeholders to make decisions. New understanding and technologies are driving a data revolution. Data on the environmental impacts and performance of food production systems have undoubtedly grown in recent years, and we have a better understanding and more data on causal activities, environmental effects, and outcomes. However, we still often lack what is needed to provide a reliable and holistic picture of the environmental impacts of food production (covering all impacts on the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere), and a common picture of our food system to ensure that different stakeholders and their actions are pulling in the same direction. This is a complex topic with many scientific, technological, commercial, and social challenges. However, these also present opportunities to advance our understanding of environmental systems and identify the real changes needed to address sustainability issues. This paper explores these challenges and opportunities and their potential to facilitate a transition to sustainable food systems. It highlights that although many challenges remain, there are opportunities for real change to address food security and sustainability issues.

Naturally formed aquatic moss balls from Laguna Parrillar, Chilean Patagonia, have been described as a bryological phenomenon, but their elemental composition has not been evaluated. This technical note provides an initial characterization of their whole-aggregate trace-element signal. Ninety moss balls were collected from the same shoreline section in 2022-2024, and concentrations of 17 elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Data were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Fe, Al, and Mn dominated the elemental profile, whereas Hg, Mo, and Cd had the lowest median concentrations. Eleven elements differed among years, but their changes did not follow a common temporal direction. The first two principal components explained 53.4% of total variance, and sampling year accounted for 13.2% of multielement variation. The Al-Fe relationship and positive loadings of Al, Cr, Pb, and Fe were consistent with a substantial mineral or particulate contribution. These initial observations indicate that naturally formed moss balls retain measurable, structured, and interannually variable elemental profiles that may provide preliminary information relevant to water-quality assessment. However, the whole-aggregate signal combines biological and particulate components and cannot yet be interpreted as a measure of water quality. Paired analyses of water, sediment, retained particles, shoreline material, and cleaned moss tissue are required before monitoring applications can be assessed.

Most published manure nutrient concentration approximations (book values) used today were derived from manure data prior to 2003 and do not reflect potential differences across US regions. Using ManureDB data, the University of Minnesota database with manure total nitrogen (N), ammonium-N (NH4-N), phosphorus (P2O5), and potassium (K2O) data spanning from 1998 to 2023 from 15 laboratories across the United States, we analyzed nutrient data from 2012 to 2022. Eight common US poultry and livestock manure types were used in this analysis, which showed that 91% of the slurry/liquid and 66% of the semisolid/solid manure nutrient categories had significant regional differences. Liquid swine and liquid dairy manure in the Southeast (SE) region had significantly lower nutrient data than the Northeast (NE) and US Midwest (MW) regions every year for swine and 10 out of 11 years for dairy. Nutrient concentrations in the solid chicken manures were the most temporally volatile across the decade with 38% of the region-analyte combinations having significant trends. This was followed by liquid dairy (33%), solid dairy (25%), solid turkey (25%), solid beef (8%), liquid swine (8.3%), and liquid beef (no trends). The frequency of significant manure nutrient trends in the NE and SE regions was triple that of the MW region. Decreasing manure nutrient concentrations were four times more prevalent than increasing nutrient concentrations across 2012-2022, perhaps displaying the impact of precision animal nutrition on manure nutrient content. Updated US manure nutrient characteristics provide a revised baseline for farmers, consultants, and researchers, while simultaneously highlighting manure nutrient variability.

Upper US Midwest sediment-basin design commonly relies on parent-soil texture classes and texture-based settling-velocity defaults (Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Practice Standard Code 350), yet conservation-managed fields can export fine particles that bypass gravity settling. Runoff from 13 edge-of-field watersheds in Wisconsin and Indiana showed systematic divergence between particle size distribution representations: volume-weighted (mass-based) D50 ≈ 30 µm (coarser classification) versus number-weighted (count-based) D50 ≈ 3.5 µm (clay-rich suspension). A mixed-effects framework identified seasonality and water chemistry as stronger predictors than agronomy, including winter coarsening (β ≈ +4.35, p < 0.001), consistent with low-density organic flocs inflating apparent size without proportional settling benefit. Nutrient partitioning diverged by fraction, with total phosphorus yield decreasing with D50 (p < 0.001) while total nitrogen yield increased with D50 (p = 0.014), supporting phosphorus coupling to fine mineral particles and nitrogen association with larger organic aggregates. Fine-particle dominance limits gravity settling in sedimentation basins, so substantial reductions in suspended sediment and turbidity for agricultural runoff typically require coagulation/flocculation in addition to hydraulic detention.

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and geographical distribution were studied in drinking water from the industrial harbor of Fos-Berre, a highly industrialized area in southern France. An analytical method for 38 PFAS was developed, using large volume injection ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. To minimize the risk of contamination during preparation, samples were directly injected onto a SCIEX Triple Quad 7500 system after dilution in acidified methanol. Method limits of quantification ranged from 0.081 to 2.2 ng L[-1], except for 8:2 fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylic acid and perfluoropentanoic acid (5.4 ng L[-1]). The method was applied to 28 tap waters and two groundwater from 28 stations on the Crau groundwater table and Durance River. Eighteen PFAS were quantified in at least one sample, with concentrations from 0.14 for linear perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) to 62.85 ng L[-1] for 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid. Short-chain carboxylic acids (perfluorocarboxylic acids) and sulfonic acids (perfluorosulfonic acids) were the most frequently quantified, with perfluorohexanoic acid showing the highest frequency (73%), followed by perfluorooctane carboxylic acid, branched PFOS, branched perfluorooctane hexanoic acid (PFHxS), linear PFOS and linear PFHxS. Total PFAS ranged from <0.081 to 126 ng L[-1] and the sum of the 20 regulated PFAS remained below the 2020/2184 drinking water directive limit of 100 ng L[-1] except for one sample (119 ng L[-1]). Contamination levels and profiles varied across sites, reflecting catchment location, surrounding industrial activities, and groundwater flow, with higher concentrations detected downstream.

Clinical surveillance for respiratory viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A underestimates community transmission due to limited detection of asymptomatic infections and high resource requirements. Wastewater-based surveillance (WWS) provides a cost-effective, noninvasive approach for population-level monitoring. This study evaluated the concordance between wastewater and clinical surveillance for detection and genetic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A. Fortnightly wastewater samples (n = 649) were collected from March 2022 to June 2023 across 11 sewage treatment plants in Bhopal, India. Samples were concentrated using polyethylene glycol precipitation, followed by RNA extraction and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A. RT-PCR-positive samples underwent viral subtyping and whole genome sequencing. Clinical surveillance data were analyzed concurrently, and temporal trends and phylogenetic relationships were assessed. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 10 influent wastewater samples during April 2023, coinciding with a surge in reported COVID-19 cases. Influenza A RNA was detected in 32 wastewater samples, with trends aligning with seasonal influenza activity. Wastewater surveillance captured subtype transitions from H1N1pdm09 to H3N2 and identified persistent H1N1 circulation beyond its period of clinical predominance. Whole genome sequencing identified SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-lineages XBB.1 and XBB.1.16, matching variants circulating in patients. Phylogenetic analyses showed close clustering of wastewater-derived and clinical viral genomes, with no evidence of novel lineages. All treated effluent samples tested negative. WWS provided sensitive, near real-time insights into community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A, demonstrating strong temporal and genomic concordance with clinical data. WWS represents a valuable complementary surveillance tool for early outbreak detection, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Owing to intensive dairy farming, large amounts of animal waste accumulate in small areas, leading to various environmental problems. Solid separation technology and subsequent treatment of animal manure can facilitate manure handling, including composting of the solid fraction and land application of the liquid fraction. Removal of solids from manure slurry is expected to reduce the source of odorants; however, the specific compounds effectively mitigated remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of separation using screens with three different mesh sizes (10, 2, and 0.5 mm) on the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), representative odorants of dairy manure slurry, and on the persistence of Escherichia coli in raw and aerated liquid fractions stored for 45 days. We found that separation effectively reduced VFAs, particularly low-odor-threshold compounds (n-butyric and n-valeric acids). However, separation was not effective in reducing branched fatty acids (i-butyric and i-valeric acids), probably because these compounds originate from fine particles (<0.5 mm) containing protein. Separation significantly reduced E. coli counts during storage. The liquid fraction obtained using a 0.5 mm screen exhibited E. coli counts below detection limit in both raw and aerated treatments. This study provides evidence supporting the use of fine screen sizes to significantly reduce VFAs, which impact the olfactory sense and prevent spreading E. coli into the wider environment through slurry application.

Phosphorus (P) release from biosolids-amended soils poses risks to surface and groundwater quality, yet the controlling factors remain insufficiently quantified. This study compared biosolids from two wastewater treatment plants in South Florida and North Florida to identify chemical indicators of P stability and evaluate amendment strategies for reducing P losses. Controlled batch experiments were conducted in triplicate using calcium- and aluminum-based drinking water treatment residuals (Ca-DWTR and Al-DWTR), biochars, and commercial blends. Biosolids differed in P release behavior, which was associated with calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) content and phosphate mineralogy. Materials containing less soluble Ca- and Mg-associated phosphate phases released less P, whereas those dominated by more soluble phases exhibited higher mobility. Lower solution P:Ca and P:Mg molar ratios were consistently associated with reduced P release, indicating their potential as predictive indicators. Ca- and aluminum (Al)-based amendments reduced P release by up to 90%, while biochars achieved <40% reduction. These findings indicate that P release is influenced by phosphate mineralogy and its association with Ca and Mg, rather than total P content alone. The identified relationships provide a basis for predicting P release potential and selecting effective amendments. These conclusions are based on laboratory-scale batch experiments, and further validation under field conditions is needed to capture the complexities of hydrological flow and long-term soil interactions.

Efforts to cut fertilizer-related nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions require sustainable nitrogen (N) management that maintains crop productivity while reducing emissions. Technologies such as enhanced efficiency N fertilizers (EENFs) have potential to support best management practices by improving N use efficiency and lowering N2O emissions. This study (i) evaluated the effects of spring versus fall application of conventional urea and EENFs, including a polymer-coated urea (PCU; ESN), a nitrification inhibitor (NI; eNtrench), a dual urease inhibitor (Limus), and a urease and nitrification inhibitor (UNI; SuperU), on N2O emissions from spring wheat over two growing seasons in central Saskatchewan and (ii) compared soil nutrient supply rates among conventional urea and the EENFs to determine whether soil N dynamics reflected their differing modes of action. Results indicate that significant N2O emissions reductions can be achieved in rainfed cropping systems by using a urea-based EENF without crop yield penalties. In general, the greatest emissions reductions were achieved using EENF products that employ an NI; both the NI and the UNI reduced annual cumulative N2O emissions relative to urea by 8%-54% and 36%-64%, respectively (p < 0.05). Conversely, emissions from the PCU trended higher by 17%-41% relative to conventional urea, except when spring-applied in Year 1, when PCU reduced N2O emissions relative to urea. Across all treatments, spring N fertilizer applications led to the greatest N2O emissions reductions with EENFs compared to fall N fertilizer applications. Overall, NI-based EENFs show potential for reducing N2O emissions while maintaining wheat yields in Saskatchewan.