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Li C, Zhu L, Ma Q, Ju J, Cheng J, Aquino-López MA, Zhang R, Kou Q, Lü X, Wang J. Relationship between human activities and environmental changes in the southern Tibetan Plateau since the Little Ice Age. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 943:173741. [PMID: 38857808 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173741] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is one of the most challenging areas for human long-term settlement due to its extreme living environment. Understanding the relationship between human activities and environmental changes in this extreme environment is important and can provide a historical reference for adapting to future climate change. In this study, we took the Angren Basin in the southern TP as a case study to elucidate the relationship since Little Ice Age (LIA). Using fecal stanol in feces, lake and river surface sediments, surface soils, and sediment core, we found that specific indices S1 and S2 from the composition of coprostanol, epicoprostanol, 5β-ethylcoprostanol and 5β-ethylepicoprostanol can reflect changes in human population and herbivores, respectively. Through the comparison between environmental changes determined by grain size, elements, sedimentation rate, and other climate records, the relationship between human activities and environmental changes was interpreted. Our results indicate that: (i) during 1480-1820 CE, the fecal stanols in lake sediments mainly originated from livestock, and the human population was low. In contrast, during 1820-2021 CE, the proportion and flux of S1 have been continuously increasing, indicating significant population growth. (ii) During the middle LIA, the cold-dry climate inhibited the development of agriculture and farming. However, the increased precipitation during the late LIA promoted that development, resulting in an increase in human population and livestock in a short term. (iii) Since 1951, people have reclaimed wasteland and developed husbandry, leading to increased soil erosion. (iv) Over the past 40 years, with a warm-humid climate and good policy support, human activities, such as agriculture and husbandry, have rapidly increased, but soil erosion has declined in the recent 20 years due to good soil-water conservation efforts. This study sheds light on the relationship between human activities and environmental changes and provides insights into future climate change responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunlin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liping Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Qingfeng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jianting Ju
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jiuju Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | | | - Run Zhang
- School of Land and Tourism, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
| | - Qiangqiang Kou
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xinmiao Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Junbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Gallant LR, Hargan KE, Kimpe LE, Michelutti N, Grooms C, Savelle JM, Smol JP, Blais JM. Sedimentary biomarkers and bone specimens reveal a history of prehistoric occupation on Somerset Island (Arctic Canada). Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232915. [PMID: 38981519 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaeological studies of pre-historic Arctic cultures are often limited to artefacts and architecture; such records may be incomplete and often do not provide a continuous record of past occupation. Here, we used lake sediment archives to supplement archaeological evidence to explore the history of Thule and Dorset populations on Somerset Island, Nunavut (Canada). We examined biomarkers in dated sediment cores from two ponds adjacent to abandoned Thule settlements (PaJs-3 and PaJs-13) and compared these to sediment cores from two ponds without past human occupation. Coprostanol and epicoprostanol, δ15N measurements, sedimentary chlorophyll a and the ratio of diatom valves to chrysophyte cysts were elevated in the dated sediment profiles at both sites during Thule and Dorset occupations. Periods of pronounced human impact during the Thule occupation of the site were corroborated by 14C-dated caribou bones found at both sites that identified intense caribou hunting between ca 1185 and 1510 CE. Notably, these sediment core data show evidence of the Dorset occupation from ca 200 to 500 CE at sites where archaeological evidence was heretofore lacking. We highlight the utility of lake sediments in assisting archaeological studies to better establish the timings, peak occupations and even lifestyle practices of the Dorset and Thule Arctic peoples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren R Gallant
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Kathryn E Hargan
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland , St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Neal Michelutti
- Department of Biology, Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Queen's University , Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Christopher Grooms
- Department of Biology, Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Queen's University , Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - James M Savelle
- Department of Anthropology, McGill University , Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T7, Canada
| | - John P Smol
- Department of Biology, Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Queen's University , Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
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Boithias L, Jardé E, Latsachack K, Thammahacksa C, Silvera N, Soulileuth B, Xayyalart M, Viguier M, Pierret A, Rochelle-Newall E, Ribolzi O. Village Settlements in Mountainous Tropical Areas, Hotspots of Fecal Contamination as Evidenced by Escherichia coli and Stanol Concentrations in Stormwater Pulses. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6335-6348. [PMID: 38530925 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Fecal bacteria in surface water may indicate threats to human health. Our hypothesis is that village settlements in tropical rural areas are major hotspots of fecal contamination because of the number of domestic animals usually roaming in the alleys and the lack of fecal matter treatment before entering the river network. By jointly monitoring the dynamics of Escherichia coli and of seven stanol compounds during four flood events (July-August 2016) at the outlet of a ditch draining sewage and surface runoff out of a village of Northern Lao PDR, our objectives were (1) to assess the range of E. coli concentration in the surface runoff washing off from a village settlement and (2) to identify the major contributory sources of fecal contamination using stanol compounds during flood events. E. coli pulses ranged from 4.7 × 104 to 3.2 × 106 most probable number (MPN) 100 mL-1, with particle-attached E. coli ranging from 83 to 100%. Major contributory feces sources were chickens and humans (about 66 and 29%, respectively), with the highest percentage switching from the human pole to the chicken pole during flood events. Concentrations indicate a severe fecal contamination of surface water during flood events and suggest that villages may be considered as major hotspots of fecal contamination pulses into the river network and thus as point sources in hydrological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie Boithias
- GET, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Emilie Jardé
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Keooudone Latsachack
- IRD, Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), P.O. Box 4199, Ban Nongviengkham, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Chanthanousone Thammahacksa
- IRD, Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), P.O. Box 4199, Ban Nongviengkham, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Norbert Silvera
- IRD, Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), P.O. Box 4199, Ban Nongviengkham, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Bounsamay Soulileuth
- IRD, Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), P.O. Box 4199, Ban Nongviengkham, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Mose Xayyalart
- IRD, Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), P.O. Box 4199, Ban Nongviengkham, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Marion Viguier
- IRD, Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM), P.O. Box 4199, Ban Nongviengkham, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Alain Pierret
- GET, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Emma Rochelle-Newall
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Est Créteil, IRD, CNRS, INRAE, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Ribolzi
- GET, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 31400 Toulouse, France
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Kissinger JA, Gregory BRB, Clarkson C, Libera N, Eickmeyer DC, Kimpe LE, Kurek J, Smol JP, Blais JM. Tracking pollution from fur farms using forensic paleolimnology. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 335:122307. [PMID: 37543072 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122307] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Eutrophication, which remains one of the greatest threats to water quality worldwide, is particularly acute in agricultural areas. Here we assessed long-term drivers of potential pollution inputs to lakes in southwest Nova Scotia (Canada), a region marked by fur farming (mainly mink) and other agricultural activities. We used a BACI (before-after-control-impact) study design with sediment cores collected from 14 lakes selected based on their proximity to mink farms. We combined economic data, mink faecal samples, and a series of geochemical markers in dated sediment cores, including sterols, δ15N, visible reflectance spectroscopy (VRS)-inferred chlorophyll-a, and heavy metals, to relate changes in sediment geochemistry to the growth of mink farms in the region. Sterol biomarkers (cholesterol and β-sitosterol) measured in a range of samples (i.e. mink faeces and feed, aquaculture feed), were elevated where mink farms were located close to each study lake. Mink-related sterols (cholesterol, β-sitoserol), δ15N measurements, VRS chlorophyll-a, and heavy metals As, Cu, Sr increased in the 1980s coeval with a ∼400% increase of mink farms in the region, especially near Nowlans Lake. Agricultural impacts were subtler in other lakes. Our study expands on prior applications of geochemical fingerprinting in forensic paleolimnology when direct monitoring data are incomplete. This multi-proxy approach has promising applications for environmental pollution assessments in other lake ecosystems experiencing water quality issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Kissinger
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Braden R B Gregory
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Chloe Clarkson
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nell Libera
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N, Canada
| | - David C Eickmeyer
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua Kurek
- Mount Allison University, 144 Main St., Sackville, NB, E4L 1A7, Canada
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Pvt., Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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5
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Pastore C, Angelini A, Mininni G, Braguglia CM. A new simpler and reliable method for determining mineral oil in sewage sludge: Influence of biogenic compounds for the quantitative analysis of C10-C40 hydrocarbons. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118533. [PMID: 37418922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118533] [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: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
The characterization of organic contaminants in sewage sludge is a fundamental step to address the relevant most appropriate management practice. In this perspective, C10-C40 hydrocarbon content was considered in Italy a crucial parameter to be considered, in spite of its irrelevance in the literature. The very complex mixture of organic substances of both biogenic and anthropogenic origin the sludge is made up of makes sewage sludge a matrix of uniqueness nature, and the analytic determination of hydrocarbon content through conventional procedures may be subjected to overestimation. In this work, optimization of two conventional protocols for the determination of mineral oil (EN14039 and IRSA CNR gravimetric method) were run with attention to anthropogenic compounds potentially affecting the C10-C40 mineral hydrocarbons determination. Effects from the first manipulations of sewage sludge samples to extraction procedure and clean-up operations were investigated. A new simple procedure was set up and tested on 30 samples from different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Through a simple extraction with hexane (12 mL per 2 g of dried sludge, acidified with HCl conc.) at room temperature for 2 h, followed by a clean-up on Florisil column (10 mL-2 g) a confident determination of C10-C40 were obtained with respect to conventional optimized procedures. Variability within the range 0.06-9.49% was calculated with respect to the average value determined using three different methods, with an average value of 2.48 ± 2.37%, demonstrating the robustness of the determination. Up to 3% of the total hydrocarbons were identified as naturally occurring, namely terpenes, squalenes and deoxygenized sterols, passed through the clean-up Florisil column. A significant incidence (up to 75%) of the final overall C10-C40 content was found to be related to the C10-C20 component, originally present in the commercial polyelectrolytes in emulsion, widely used for conditioning before mechanical dewatering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Pastore
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), via F. de Blasio 5, 70132, Bari, Italy.
| | - Antonella Angelini
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), via F. de Blasio 5, 70132, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mininni
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Strada Provinciale 35d, km 0.7, 00010, Montelibretti, Rome, Italy
| | - Camilla Maria Braguglia
- Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Strada Provinciale 35d, km 0.7, 00010, Montelibretti, Rome, Italy
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6
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Zhao W, Whelton HL, Blong JC, Shillito LM, Jenkins DL, Bull ID. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a rapid means for assessing the source of coprolites. iScience 2023; 26:106806. [PMID: 37255664 PMCID: PMC10225897 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The odor of rehydrated coprolites can be used as an informal means of fecal identification. To date, the analysis of volatiles emitted by coprolites from different sources has not been attempted, and the possibility of utilizing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as fecal biomarkers unexplored. VOCs released by coprolites from the Paisley Caves, were analyzed using solid-phase microextraction (SPME), to assess the variance of results from different coprolites (carnivores, herbivores, or humans). Coprolites from carnivores can be clearly distinguished from those produced by herbivores and humans; these latter two are separated to a lesser degree. Eight discriminatory compounds differentiated between the coprolite sources, and their identities were verified using reference standards. Coprolites and their associated sediments could not be differentiated between using this method, suggesting leaching of VOCs into the burial matrix. This work provides an alternative, more rapid way to assess coprolite origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyue Zhao
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Helen L. Whelton
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - John C. Blong
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, College Hall, Pullman, WA 99164-4910, USA
| | - Lisa-Marie Shillito
- School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Armstrong Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Dennis L. Jenkins
- Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Ian D. Bull
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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Sousa Queirós S, von der Lühe B, Silva-Bessa A, Machado Brito-da-Costa A, Morais Caldas I, Dawson L, Madureira-Carvalho Á. Lipidic compounds found in soils surrounding human decomposing bodies and its use in forensic investigations – a narrative review. Sci Justice 2023; 63:303-312. [PMID: 37169455 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Following decomposition of a human body, a variety of decomposition products, such as lipids, are released into the surrounding environment, e.g. soils. The long-lasting preservation in soils and their high diagnostic potential have been neglected in forensic research. Furthermore, little is known about the preservation, chemical transformation, or degradation of those human derived lipids in soils. To date, several studies identified various lipids such as long-chain free fatty acids and steroids in soils that contained decomposition fluids. Those lipids are preserved in soils over time and could serve as markers of human decomposition in forensic investigations, e.g. for estimating the post-mortem interval or identifying the burial location of a human body. Therefore, this review focuses on the current literature regarding fatty acid and steroid that have been detected in soils and associated with human body decomposition. After a short introduction about human decomposition processes, this review summarises fatty acid and steroid analysis applied in current case studies and studies related to taphonomic research. This review provides an overview of the available studies that have used fatty acids and steroids as identifiers of human decomposition fluid in soils in a forensic context and discusses the potential for developing this innovative field of research with direct application in a forensic context.
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Collins S, Stuart B, Ueland M. The use of lipids from textiles as soft-tissue biomarkers of human decomposition. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 343:111547. [PMID: 36608407 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The ability to determine the post-mortem interval (PMI) in complex death investigations involving human remains, is a vital task faced by law enforcement. Establishing the PMI in a case can significantly aid in the reconstruction of forensically relevant events surrounding that death. However, due to the complexities surrounding the decomposition of human remains, the determination of the PMI still remains a challenge in some cases. Thus, the identification of biomarkers of human decomposition are an emerging, and essential, area of research. Previous studies have also demonstrated great success in the use of textiles as a host to indirectly capture decomposition by-products. This study reports the successful adaptation and optimisation of an analytical chemical workflow for the targeted analysis of lipids from textiles associated with decomposing human remains using gas-chromatography (GC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). This study discusses novel information regarding the complex challenges of matrix effects observed with decomposition samples. In addition, the first lipid profiles obtained from textiles associated with two decomposing human donors from the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) using GC-MS/MS are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharni Collins
- Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Barbara Stuart
- Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Maiken Ueland
- Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
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Smith A, Oechsner A, Rowley-Conwy P, Moore AMT. Epipalaeolithic animal tending to Neolithic herding at Abu Hureyra, Syria (12,800–7,800 calBP): Deciphering dung spherulites. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272947. [PMID: 36103475 PMCID: PMC9473395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Excavations at Abu Hureyra, Syria, during the 1970s exposed a long sequence of occupation spanning the transition from hunting-and-gathering to agriculture. Dung spherulites preserved within curated flotation samples from Epipalaeolithic (ca. 13,300–11,400 calBP) and Neolithic (ca. 10,600–7,800 calBP) occupations are examined here alongside archaeological, archaeobotanical, and zooarchaeological data to consider animal management, fuel selection, and various uses of dung. Spherulites were present throughout the entire sequence in varying concentrations. Using a new method to quantify spherulites, exclusion criteria were developed to eliminate samples possibly contaminated with modern dung, strengthening observations of ancient human behavior. Darkened spherulites within an Epipalaeolithic 1B firepit (12,800–12,300 calBP) indicate burning between 500–700°C, documenting early use of dung fuel by hunter-gatherers as a supplement to wood, coeval with a dramatic shift to rectilinear architecture, increasing proportions of wild sheep and aurochsen, reduced emphasis on small game, and elevated dung concentrations immediately outside the 1B dwelling. Combined, these observations suggest that small numbers of live animals (possibly wild sheep) were tended on-site by Epipalaeolithic hunter-gatherers to supplement gazelle hunting, raising the question of whether early experiments in animal management emerged contemporaneously with, or pre-date, cultivation. Dung was used to prepare plaster floors during the Neolithic and continued to be burned as a supplemental fuel, indicating that spherulites were deposited via multiple human- and animal-related pathways. This has important implications for interpretations of archaeobotanical assemblages across the region. Spherulite concentrations dropped abruptly during Neolithic 2B (9,300–8,000 calBP) and 2C (8,000–7,800 calBP), when sheep/goat herding surpassed gazelle hunting, possibly corresponding with movement of animals away from the site as herd sizes increased. As hunter-gatherers at Abu Hureyra began interacting with wild taxa in different ways, they set in motion a remarkable transformation in the ways people interacted with animals, plants, and their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Smith
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Amy Oechsner
- Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Andrew M. T. Moore
- Rochester Institute of Technology, New Castle, NH, United States of America
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10
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Santos FR, Morais PCV, Nascimento RF, Cavalcante RM. Tracking the historical urban and rural sources of fecal pollution in a South American tropical semi-arid region using sterols and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156497. [PMID: 35675885 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156497] [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: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sterols and endocrine-disrupting chemicals were analyzed in two dated sediment cores collected in the Jaguaribe river to determine the recent decades' influence of urbanization and agropastoral activities on the inputs of fecal pollution in a semi-arid region of Brazil. Stigmasterol and sitosterol were the most abundant of the 6 sterols examined in both cores, indicating an important contribution of organic matter from mangrove forests to the study region. Coprostanol presented a continuous increase in concentrations from the 1930s to the 2000s in one core, however, showing higher concentrations (>100 ng g-1) in the upper layers of both cores. The sterols diagnostic ratios indicated fecal pollution through both cores, especially from the 1940s to 1970s. The coprostanol levels followed the variations in population growth in the state of Ceará. Estriol and estrone were the most abundant estrogenic hormones found in both cores. These compounds are probably related to the intense livestock activities in the Ceará state, especially after the 1970s. The baseline levels of fecal sterols and estrogen hormones found in this study possibly represent a previous unimpacted scenario and may be used for future evaluations of fecal pollution from urbanization and livestock activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe R Santos
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Abolição, 3207, 60165-081 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Pollyana C V Morais
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Abolição, 3207, 60165-081 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo F Nascimento
- Departamento de Química Analítica e Físico-Química, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60455-760 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Rivelino M Cavalcante
- Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Abolição, 3207, 60165-081 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
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Tripp M, Wiemann J, Brocks J, Mayer P, Schwark L, Grice K. Fossil Biomarkers and Biosignatures Preserved in Coprolites Reveal Carnivorous Diets in the Carboniferous Mazon Creek Ecosystem. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11091289. [PMID: 36138768 PMCID: PMC9495973 DOI: 10.3390/biology11091289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The reconstruction of ancient trophic networks is pivotal to our understanding of ecosystem function and change through time. However, inferring dietary relationships in enigmatic ecosystems dominated by organisms without modern analogues, such as the Carboniferous Mazon Creek fauna, has previously been considered challenging: preserved coprolites often do not retain sufficient morphology to identify the dietary composition. Here, we analysed n = 3 Mazon Creek coprolites in concretions for dietary signals in preserved biomarkers, stable carbon isotope data, and macromolecular composition. Cholesteroids, metazoan markers of cholesterol, show an increased abundance in the sampled coprolites (86 to 99% of the total steranes) compared to the surrounding sediment, indicating an endogenous nature of preserved organics. Presence of unaltered 5α-cholestan-3β-ol and coprostanol underline the exceptional molecular preservation of the coprolites, and reveal a carnivorous diet for the coprolite producer. Statistical analyses of in situ Raman spectra targeting coprolite carbonaceous remains support a metazoan affinity of the digested fossil remains, and suggest a high trophic level for the coprolite producer. These currently oldest, intact dietary stanols, combined with exquisitely preserved macromolecular biosignatures in Carboniferous fossils offer a novel source of trophic information. Molecular and biosignature preservation is facilitated by rapid sedimentary encapsulation of the coprolites within days to months after egestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Tripp
- Western Australian Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Correspondence: (M.T.); (K.G.)
| | - Jasmina Wiemann
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jochen Brocks
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Paul Mayer
- The Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Lorenz Schwark
- Western Australian Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, Institute of Geoscience, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Kliti Grice
- Western Australian Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre, The Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Correspondence: (M.T.); (K.G.)
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12
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Anglés A, He Q, Sánchez García L, Carrizo D, Rodriguez N, Huang T, Shen Y, Amils R, Fernández-Remolar DC. Biospeleothems Formed by Fungal Activity During the Early Holocene in the “Salar de Uyuni”. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:913452. [PMID: 35814676 PMCID: PMC9260512 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.913452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chiquini and Galaxias caves contain speleothems that are templated by long fungal structures. They have been associated with the carbonate lacustrine deposits in the margins of the Coipasa and Uyuni Salar basins. During a wetter episode, such carbonates formed at the end of the last glaciation raising the lake level to more than 100 m in the Tauca events (15–12 ky). Such an event flooded the caves that eventually became a cryptic habitat in the lake. The caves show bizarre speleothems framed by large (>1 m) fungal buildings covering the older algal mineralized structures. Although the origin of the caves is not fully understood, the occurrence of two carbonatic units with very distinctive fabric suggests that they formed in two separated humid events. In this regard, the mineralized algal structures, showing the same features as the lacustrine carbonates, likely formed during the Tauca flooding events in the terminal Pleistocene that inundated older caves. The different caves were exposed to the atmosphere after a drop in the lake level that promoted alluvial erosion by <12–10 ky (Ticaña episode) under arid conditions. A last humid episode rising the lake surface 10 m above the Salar level, which was not enough to inundate the caves a second time, drove the formation of the biospeleothems by fungi biomineralization. The abundance and size of the preserved fungal structures suggest that they were sustained by a stable hydrological activity plus a constant organic supply. While nutrients could have been primarily sourced from the vegetal communities that occupied the exhumated lake margins, they might have also been released from the lacustrine carbonatic unit. The combination of hydrology and biological activities were likely determinants for a fast rock dissolution and mineralization ending in the construction of the fungal biospeleothems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Anglés
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA) Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, United States
- *Correspondence: Angélica Anglés
| | - Qitao He
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA) Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
| | - Laura Sánchez García
- Centro de Astrobiología Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INTA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Carrizo
- Centro de Astrobiología Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INTA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Rodriguez
- Centro de Astrobiología Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INTA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ting Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA) Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
| | - Yan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA) Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
| | - Ricardo Amils
- Centro de Astrobiología Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (INTA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - David C. Fernández-Remolar
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA) Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
- Carl Sagan Center, The SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, United States
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13
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Intestinal parasites in the Neolithic population who built Stonehenge (Durrington Walls, 2500 BCE). Parasitology 2022; 149:1027-1033. [PMID: 35592918 PMCID: PMC10090631 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022000476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Durrington Walls was a large Neolithic settlement in Britain dating around 2500 BCE, located very close to Stonehenge and likely to be the campsite where its builders lived during its main stage of construction. Nineteen coprolites recovered from a midden and associated pits at Durrington Walls were analysed for intestinal parasite eggs using digital light microscopy. Five (26%) contained helminth eggs, 1 with those of fish tapeworm (likely Dibothriocephalus dendriticus) and 4 with those of capillariid nematodes. Analyses of bile acid and sterol from these 5 coprolites show 1 to be of likely human origin and the other 4 to likely derive from dogs. The presence of fish tapeworm reveals that the Neolithic people who gathered to feast at Durrington Walls were at risk of infection from eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish. When the eggs of capillariids are found in the feces of humans or dogs it normally indicates that the internal organs (liver, lung or intestines) of animals with capillariasis have been eaten, and eggs passed through the gut without causing disease. Their presence in multiple coprolites provides new evidence that internal organs of animals were consumed. These novel findings improve our understanding of both parasitic infection and dietary habits associated with this key Neolithic ceremonial site.
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Manley A, Collins AL, Joynes A, Mellander PE, Jordan P. Coupled steroid and phosphorus leaching from cattle slurry at lysimeter scale. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2022; 247:103979. [PMID: 35231779 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2022.103979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Water quality degradation can be caused by excessive agricultural nutrient transfers from fertilised soils exposed to wet weather. Mitigation measures within the EU Nitrates Directive aim to reduce this pressure by including 'closed' fertiliser spreading periods during wet months. For organic fertilisers such as slurry and manure, this closed period requires sufficient on-farm winter storage and good weather conditions to relieve storage at the end of the period. Therefore, robust scientific evidence is needed to support the measure. Incidental nutrient transfers of recently applied organic fertilisers in wet weather can also be complicated by synchronous transfers from residual soil stores and tracing is required for risk assessments. The combination of nutrient monitoring and biomarker analyses may aid this and one such biomarker suite is faecal steroids. Accordingly, this study investigated the persistence of steroids and their association with phosphorus during leaching episodes. The focus was on the coupled behaviour of steroids and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in sub-surface hydrological pathways. Cattle slurry was applied to monolith lysimeters either side of a closed period and concentrations of both steroids and TP were monitored in the leachate. The study showed no significant effect of the treatment (average p = 0.17), though tracer concentrations did significantly change over time (average p = 0.001). While the steroidal concentration ratio was validated for herbivorous faecal pollution in the leachate, there was a weak positive correlation between the steroids and TP. Further investigation at more natural scales (hillslope/catchment) is required to confirm tracer behaviours/correlations and to compliment this sub-surface pathway study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Manley
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB, UK; Agricultural Catchments Programme, Department of Environment, Soils and Landuse, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland; School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK.
| | - Adrian L Collins
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB, UK
| | - Adrian Joynes
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB, UK
| | - Per-Erik Mellander
- Agricultural Catchments Programme, Department of Environment, Soils and Landuse, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland
| | - Phil Jordan
- School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
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15
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Vane CH, Kim AW, Lopes Dos Santos RA, Moss-Hayes V. Contrasting sewage, emerging and persistent organic pollutants in sediment cores from the River Thames estuary, London, England, UK. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 175:113340. [PMID: 35124377 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sedimentary organic pollution in the urban reaches of the Thames estuary is changing from fossil fuel hydrocarbons to emerging synthetic chemicals. De-industrialisation of London was assessed in three cores from Chiswick (Ait/Eyot) mud island using pharmaceuticals, faecal sterols, hydrocarbons (TPH, PAH), Black Carbon (BC) and organotins (TBT). These ranked in the order; BC 7590-30219 mg/kg, mean 16,000 mg/kg > TPH 770-4301, mean 1316 mg/kg > Σ16PAH 6.93-107.64, mean 36.46 mg/kg > coprostanol 0.0091-0.42 mg/kg, mean of 0.146 mg/kg > pharmaceuticals 2.4-84.8 μg/kg, mean 25 μg/kg. Hydrocarbons co-varied down-profile revealing rise (1940s), peak (1950s -1960s) and fall (1980s) and an overall 3 to 25-fold decrease. In contrast, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, paracetamol) and hormone (17β-estradiol) increased 3 to 50-fold toward surface paralleling increasing use (1970s-2018). The anti-epileptics, carbamazepine and epoxcarbamazepine showed appreciable down-core mobility. Faecal sterols confirmed non-systematic incorporation of treated sewage. Comparison to UK sediment quality guidelines indicate exceedance of AL2 for PAH whereas TBT was below AL1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander W Kim
- British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK
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16
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Duda MP, Hargan KE, Michelutti N, Blais JM, Grooms C, Gilchrist HG, Mallory ML, Robertson GJ, Smol JP. Reconstructing Long-Term Changes in Avian Populations Using Lake Sediments: Opening a Window Onto the Past. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.698175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of long-term monitoring data for many wildlife populations is a limiting factor in establishing meaningful and achievable conservation goals. Even for well-monitored species, time series are often very short relative to the timescales required to understand a population’s baseline conditions before the contemporary period of increased human impacts. To fill in this critical information gap, techniques have been developed to use sedimentary archives to provide insights into long-term population dynamics over timescales of decades to millennia. Lake and pond sediments receiving animal inputs (e.g., feces, feathers) typically preserve a record of ecological and environmental information that reflects past changes in population size and dynamics. With a focus on bird-related studies, we review the development and use of several paleolimnological proxies to reconstruct past colony sizes, including trace metals, isotopes, lipid biomolecules, diatoms, pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs, invertebrate sub-fossils, pigments, and others. We summarize how animal-influenced sediments, cored from around the world, have been successfully used in addressing some of the most challenging questions in conservation biology, namely: How dynamic are populations on long-term timescales? How may populations respond to climate change? How have populations responded to human intrusion? Finally, we conclude with an assessment of the current state of the field, challenges to overcome, and future potential for research.
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17
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Are Sterols Useful for the Identification of Sources of Faecal Contamination in Shellfish? A Case Study. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12113076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
This work aimed to identify the major source(s) of faecal pollution impacting Salcott Creek oyster fisheries in the UK through the examination of the sterol profiles. The concentration of the major sewage biomarker, coprostanol, in water overlying the oysters varied between 0.01 µg L−1 and 1.20 µg L−1. The coprostanol/epicoprostanol ratio ranged from 1.32 (September) to 33.25 (February), suggesting that human sewage represents the key input of faecal material into the estuary. However, a correlation between the sterol profile of water above the oysters with that of water that enters from Tiptree Sewage Treatment Works (r = 0.82), and a sample from a site (Quinces Corner) observed to have a high population of Brent geese (r = 0.82), suggests that both sources contribute to the faecal pollution affecting the oysters. In identifying these key faecal inputs, sterol profiling has allowed targeted management practices to be employed to ensure that oyster quality is optimised.
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18
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Manley A, Collins AL, Joynes A, Mellander PE, Jordan P. Comparing Extraction Methods for Biomarker Steroid Characterisation from Soil and Slurry. WATER, AIR, AND SOIL POLLUTION 2020; 231:524. [PMID: 33088005 PMCID: PMC7547041 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-020-04871-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Clean water is a precious resource, and policies/programmes are implemented worldwide to protect and/or improve water quality. Faecal pollution can be a key contributor to water quality decline causing eutrophication through nutrient enrichment and pathogenic contamination. The robust sourcing of faecal pollutants is important to be able to target the appropriate sector and to engage managers. Biomarker technology has the potential for source confirmation, by using, for example the biomarker suite of steroids. Steroids have been used in the differentiation of human and animal faeces; however, there is no unequivocal extraction technique. Some of the methods used include (i) Soxhlet extraction, (ii) Bligh and Dyer (BD) extraction, and (iii) accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). The less costly and time intensive technique of ASE is particularly attractive, but a current research gap concerns further comparisons regarding ASE lipid extraction from soils/slurries compared with the more traditional Soxhlet and BD extractions. Accordingly, a randomised complete block experiment was implemented to assess differences between the three extraction methods, differences between the different sample types, and the interactions between these two factors. Following GC-MS, it was found that there was no significant difference between the results of the steroid extraction methods, regardless of the type of sample used, for the quantity of each steroid extracted. It was concluded that ASE could be used confidently instead of the more established steroid extraction methods, thereby delivering time and cost savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Manley
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB UK
- Agricultural Catchments Programme, Teagasc, Environment Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, Co., Wexford, Ireland
- School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA UK
| | - Adrian L. Collins
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB UK
| | - Adrian Joynes
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB UK
| | - Per-Erik Mellander
- Agricultural Catchments Programme, Teagasc, Environment Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, Co., Wexford, Ireland
| | - Phil Jordan
- School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA UK
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Cabral AC, Dauner ALL, Xavier FCB, Garcia MRD, Wilhelm MM, Dos Santos VCG, Netto SA, Martins CC. Tracking the sources of allochthonous organic matter along a subtropical fluvial-estuarine gradient using molecular proxies in view of land uses. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 251:126435. [PMID: 32169703 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sedimentary sterols and linear alkylbenzenes associated with allochthonous organic matter (AOM) inputs were studied in surface sediments along the Tubarão riverbed, South Brazil. These markers were analysed in terms of concentrations, diagnostic ratios and by using multivariate analyses to identify the main organic matter sources. It was necessary to integrate all these factors to distinguish the sources and determine sewage contamination. Phytosterols predominated over faecal sterols, but the contributions of livestock waste along the river (determined in 50% of the sites) were confirmed by the fingerprint analysis. Raw sewage contamination was verified at one site, according to the increased levels of sewage molecular markers and confirmed by the multivariate analyses and diagnostic ratios calibrated to this region. A possible synergistic effect between inorganic nanoparticles from coal mine waste and organic contaminants related to AOM input was suggested and should not be ignored since both activities severely contribute to the environmental changes in much of this fluvial-estuarine gradient from the South Atlantic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Caroline Cabral
- Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemas Costeiros e Oceânicos, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | - Ana Lúcia Lindroth Dauner
- Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemas Costeiros e Oceânicos, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Marina Reback Domingues Garcia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemas Costeiros e Oceânicos, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | - Marines Maria Wilhelm
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemas Costeiros e Oceânicos, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Sergio Antônio Netto
- Laboratório de Ciências Marinhas, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, 88704-900, Tubarão, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - César C Martins
- Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil.
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20
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Ranjbar Jafarabadi A, Mashjoor S, Mohamadjafari Dehkordi S, Riyahi Bakhtiari A, Cappello T. Steroid Fingerprint Analysis of Endangered Caspian Seal ( Pusa caspica) through the Gorgan Bay (Caspian Sea). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:7339-7353. [PMID: 32459473 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The profile of steroid congeners was evaluated in Caspian seals Pusa caspica by age, sex, and tissue-specific bioaccumulation, and compared with that of abiotic matrices (seawater, surface sediment, and suspended particulate materials, SPMs) from Miankaleh Wildlife/Gorgan Bay, (Caspian Sea, Iran). To identify the level of human fecal contamination, ∑25 sterol congeners were measured in all abiotic/biotic samples, revealing coprostanol, a proxy for human feces, as the most abundant sterol (seawater: 45.1-20.3 ng L-1; surface sediment: 90.2-70.3 ng g-1 dw; SPMs: 187.7-157.6 ng g-1 dw). The quantification of ∑25 sterols in seals followed the order of brain > liver > kidney > heart > blood > spleen > muscle > intestine > blubber > fur, and in both sexes coprostanol level (8.95-21.01% of ∑25s) was higher in blubber and fur, followed by cholesterol in brain, liver, kidney, heart, and blood, cholestanone in intestine and muscle, and β-sitosterol in spleen. Though no age/sex differentiation was observed, the mean concentration of ∑25s was higher in male than females and pup. Different diagnostic ratios revealed sterols originating from human and nonhuman sewage sources. Findings pinpoint the urgent necessity to investigate the ecotoxicity of fecal sterols in mammals, and consequent implications for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ranjbar Jafarabadi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran 14115-111, Iran
| | - Sakineh Mashjoor
- Department of Marine biology, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
- Marine Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Shirin Mohamadjafari Dehkordi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran 14115-111, Iran
| | - Alireza Riyahi Bakhtiari
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran 14115-111, Iran
| | - Tiziana Cappello
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina 98122, Italy
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Derrien M, Choi H, Jardé E, Shin KH, Hur J. Do early diagenetic processes affect the applicability of commonly-used organic matter source tracking tools? An assessment through controlled degradation end-member mixing experiments. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 173:115588. [PMID: 32059126 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the development of organic matter (OM) source tracking tools, it is critical to validate if (1) the tracers are conservative with source mixing, and (2) they can be conservative under diagenetic processes (e.g., microbial degradation). In this study, these two critical points were rigorously tested for three commonly-used source tracking tools (i.e., absorbance and fluorescence proxies, stable carbon isotopes and lipid biomarkers) via a controlled experiment at laboratory scale. To this end, two end-members (e.g., soil and algae), which represent the most common and contrasted sources of OM to sediments in an aquatic environment, were mixed in different ratios and then incubated under different oxygen conditions (oxic versus anoxic) in the dark at 25 °C for 60 days. The initial and final signals of the source tracking tools were analyzed and compared for each mixing ratio. Based on three evaluation criteria concerning the linearity of the relationships, discrimination sensitivity, and conservative mixing behavior, we evaluated the applicability of the tools to trace the sediment organic matter in the aquatic environment. Although most of the source tracking proxies evaluated in this study showed a conservative nature after incubation, there are only a few that demonstrated both conservative behaviors with the sources mixing and under early diagenetic processes. The fluorescence proxies such as the relative distribution of a humic-like component associated with refractory source material (Ex/Em: 220/430 nm), modified fluorescence index (YFI), humification index (HIX), and carbon stable isotope ratios were identified to be the most reliable tracers for tracking sedimentary OM sources under early diagenetic processes. This study provides strong insights into the validation of common OM source tracking tools for sediment and a reasonable guideline to select the optimum indices for source discrimination via end-member mixing analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Derrien
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul, 143-747, South Korea.
| | - Heybin Choi
- Department of Environmental Marine Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi do, 15588, South Korea
| | - Emilie Jardé
- University of Rennes 1, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, Rennes, France
| | - Kyung-Hoon Shin
- Department of Environmental Marine Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi do, 15588, South Korea
| | - Jin Hur
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul, 143-747, South Korea.
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