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Avila ASP, Bottezini SR, Diniz D, Bueno C, Perez L, de la Escalera GM, Piccini C, Leonhardt A, Garcia-Rodriguez F, Weschenfelder J. The effect of fluvial avulsion on the Holocene chronostratigraphic record and the agricultural signal of the world's largest coastal lagoonal system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 942:173757. [PMID: 38851329 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
This study identified the occurrence of Holocene chronology hiatuses in the sedimentary record of the Patos-Mirim system caused by river avulsion processes, as well as evidence of sharp anthropogenic changes in the surrounding region of the lagoon water bodies. The presence of chronology hiatuses demonstrates the importance of considering the disturbance effect of paleo-drainage processes on the paleoenvironmental resolution and expression of the sedimentary record of such coastal plains. Anthropogenic activities especially those related to agriculture and forestry have increased significantly during the great acceleration, resulting in modifications of both the landscape and the environmental conditions of the lagoon bodies. Such impacts were clearly reflected in the sedimentary record where abrupt changes in palynological trends, sedimentary DNA, isotopic and granulometric analyses were inferred. The climatic conditions combined with regressive sea level can explain the chronology hiatuses. Pollen analyses demonstrated changes in the landscape, particularly indicated by the shift from Cyperaceae to Poaceae dominance after the 1960 CE. Therefore, all proxies together demonstrate the modification in the landscape and changes in the environment, clearly influenced by anthropogenic action from unsustainable agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S P Avila
- Centro de Estudos de Geologia Costeira e Oceânica, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
| | - S R Bottezini
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - D Diniz
- Laboratório de Palinologia e Paloceoanografia, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | - C Bueno
- Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay
| | - L Perez
- Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay
| | - G Martínez de la Escalera
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana Acuática, Departamento de Microbiologia, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales del Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - C Piccini
- Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana Acuática, Departamento de Microbiologia, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales del Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A Leonhardt
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - F Garcia-Rodriguez
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil; Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Rocha, Uruguay
| | - J Weschenfelder
- Centro de Estudos de Geologia Costeira e Oceânica, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Fu H, Li M, Bao K, Zhang Y, Ouyang T. Environment change recorded by lake sediment magnetism in the Songnen Plain, northeastern China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170938. [PMID: 38354795 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Stratigraphic determination of the Anthropocene, the "Great Acceleration", requires more key globally synchronous stratigraphic markers which reflect the significant human impacts on Earth. Lacustrine sediment magnetic characteristics are of considerable importance in Anthropocene studies because they respond sensitively to environmental changes. There are many shallow lakes in the Songnen Plain (SNP) in northeast China, which are conducive to obtaining Anthropocene sedimentary records. This study explored magnetic materials in lacustrine sediment responses to environmental evolution impact by human activities on the SNP by measuring magnetic parameters in dated sediment cores from 5 shallow lakes in the SNP, northeast China. The results revealed that detrital magnetite and hematite dominated the magnetic minerals in lake sediments. The persistently low value of magnetic susceptibility might be caused by the low content of natural ferrimagnetic minerals in Quaternary fluvial deposits and humus-rich black soil in the catchment, and the loss of magnetic materials during the transport process. In Lake Longjiangpao (LJP), the magnetic concentrations significantly responded to regional precipitation, whereas in the other 4 lakes in the center of the plain, the parameters tended to reflect complex human activities. However, the isothermal remanent magnetization ratio (S-300), which is indicative of the ratio of hematite to magnetite, exhibited relatively consistent variations in the 5 studied lakes. After 1950, the "Great Acceleration", the increase of S-300 indicated a relative proportion of magnetite in sediments, and was positively correlated with the growth of human-activity proxies (Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population). Thus, this proxy can be regarded as a useful indicator of the beginning of the Anthropocene in the studied region. This study provides new insights into the estimation of local human activities in history and possible evidence for the global definition of the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Fu
- School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Mingkun Li
- School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Kunshan Bao
- School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yongdong Zhang
- School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
| | - Tingping Ouyang
- School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
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Jankauskas L, Pinho GLL, Sanz-Lazaro C, Casado-Coy N, Rangel DF, Ribeiro VV, Castro ÍB. Microplastic in clams: An extensive spatial assessment in south Brazil. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 201:116203. [PMID: 38422825 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution is becoming a continuously growing environmental concern, while bivalve mollusks are particularly vulnerable due to their sessile habits and feeding through water filtration processes. Microplastic incidence in soft tissues of the clam Amarilladesma mactroides was assessed along unconsolidated substrates distributed in extensive coastal regions of southern Brazil. Influence of urbanization levels, distance to rivers and local hydrodynamics on microplastic accumulation by the clam was tested. The average concentration of microplastics was high (3.09 ± 2.11 particles.g-1), considering 16 sampled sites. Particles were mainly composed by polyamide, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, while were mainly smaller, fibrous and colorless. High urbanization and closer proximity to rivers insured higher contamination, which is a trend observed globally. No influence of coastal hydrodynamics was seen. Considering obtained findings, A. mactroides presents good potential to be used as a valuable tool to assess microplastic contamination in unconsolidated substrates of beach areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jankauskas
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos Sanz-Lazaro
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (MIES), Universidad de Alicante, Spain
| | - Nuria Casado-Coy
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (MIES), Universidad de Alicante, Spain
| | | | | | - Ítalo Braga Castro
- Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil; Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, Brazil.
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Dimante-Deimantovica I, Saarni S, Barone M, Buhhalko N, Stivrins N, Suhareva N, Tylmann W, Vianello A, Vollertsen J. Downward migrating microplastics in lake sediments are a tricky indicator for the onset of the Anthropocene. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi8136. [PMID: 38381821 PMCID: PMC10881056 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Plastics are a recent particulate material in Earth's history. Because of plastics persistence and wide-range presence, it has a great potential of being a global age marker and correlation tool between sedimentary profiles. In this research, we query whether microplastics can be considered among the array of proxies to delimit the Anthropocene Epoch (starting from the year 1950 and above). We present a study of microplastics deposition history inferred from sediment profiles of lakes in northeastern Europe. The sediments were dated with independent proxies from the present back to the first half of the 18th century. Regardless of the sediment layer age, microplastic particles were found throughout the cores in all sites. Depending on particles' aspect ratio, less elongated particles were found deeper, while more elongated particles and fibers have reduced mobility. We conclude that interpretation of microplastics distribution in the studied sediment profiles is ambiguous and does not strictly indicate the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saija Saarni
- University of Turku, Department of Geography and Geology, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Marta Barone
- Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Riga LV-1007, Latvia
- Daugavpils University, The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Daugavpils LV-5401, Latvia
| | - Natalja Buhhalko
- Tallinn University of Technology, Department of Marine Systems, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | - Normunds Stivrins
- University of Latvia, Department of Geography, Riga LV-1004, Latvia
- Tallinn University of Technology, Department of Geology, Tallinn 19086, Estonia
| | | | - Wojciech Tylmann
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Gdańsk PL-80309, Poland
| | - Alvise Vianello
- Aalborg University, Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg 9220, Denmark
| | - Jes Vollertsen
- Aalborg University, Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg 9220, Denmark
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Rangel-Buitrago N, Ochoa FL, Rodríguez RDB, Moreno JB, Trilleras J, Arana VA, Neal WJ. Decoding plastic pollution in the geological record: A baseline study on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, north South America. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 192:114993. [PMID: 37167662 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the first report of plastics in the geological record (rocks and formations composed of plastics) along the central Caribbean Coast of Colombia, northern coast of South America. These novel records of pollution include two rock types (plastiglomerates and quartz plastisandstones), two altered plastic types (pyroplastics and plasticrusts), two soil types (plasticlasts and anthrosols), and a series of artifacts (fossils) found near human settlements. All of them were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Polyester, high-density polyethylene, and copolymers of alkyl acrylates or methacrylates were identified as the principal polymers forming these rocks. This research provides new insights into the petrology of these emerging new forms of pollution, for which humans are primarily responsible for their generation and distribution. Similarly, the results presented emphasize that plastics are generating a deluge of pollutants in terms of variety and volume, overwhelming natural environments globally. Controlling or even eliminating their use has become one of the most significant challenges of the 21st Century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Rangel-Buitrago
- Programa de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia.
| | - Felipe Lamus Ochoa
- Departamento de Física y Geociencias, Division de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Rubén Darío Beltrán Rodríguez
- Departamento de Física y Geociencias, Division de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Jose Brito Moreno
- Departamento de Física y Geociencias, Division de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Jorge Trilleras
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias Químicas, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Colombia; Programa de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Victoria Andrea Arana
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias Químicas, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Colombia; Programa de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - William J Neal
- Department of Geology, Grand Valley State University, The Seymour K. & Esther R. Padnos Hall of Science 213A, Allendale, MI, USA
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