Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2018
Abstract
The awareness of sediment and nutrient loss from non-point sources are of increasing environmental concern as measures to reduce point source inputs to surface waters have been introduced. Mitigation efforts to reduce loss of particles and nutrients from agriculture in Norway and other countries have mainly focused on surface runoff, whereas sub-surface drainage has received little attention. However, research has shown that the sub-surface field drains are transporting both sediment and nutrients rapidly to the watercourses. Despite these established facts there has been little development of measures to reduce these losses. This article describes how Lightweight Aggregates (LWA), Leca®, can mitigate some of the environmental challenges connected to sub-surface field drains. A field experimental project was performed to assess the effects on drainage water quality hydrological performance and functionality of drainage systems based on Lightweight Aggregates compared to traditional pipe drains. Registrations of the performance of the systems were done in two separate periods, 1992–1993 and 1999–2000. After 2000 no measurement programme has run. The functionality of the drainage systems was registered in connection to ordinary farming activity. In 1999–2000 LWA drains showed particularly good performance with regard to reducing the content of Phosphorus, 40–90 % reduction in Total-P. The drainage water from the LWA drains contained less than half the amount of suspended solids compared to traditional pipe drains. The results from 1993 showed no significant difference between LWA drains and pipe drains with respect to Nitrogen. The results from 1999/2000 showed higher loss of Nitrogen through pipe drains with no envelope compared to all other systems. LWA drains may be particularly useful in reducing particles and nutrient loads from cultivated flat drained areas adjacent to environmentally sensitive and ecologically important water ecosystems. Further investigations are recommended to optimise the design of LWA drains.
Authors
Merethe Kleiven Lisa Magdalena Rossbach Julian Alberto Gallego-Urrea Dag Anders Brede Deborah H Oughton Claire CoutrisAbstract
Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, this study addresses the potential linkage between toxicity of NM300K Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), their particle size distribution and the presence of dissolved Ag in the test media. Of the three endpoints assessed (growth, fertility and reproduction), reproduction was the most sensitive, with 50% effect concentration (EC50) ranging from 0.26-0.84 mg Ag L-1 and 0.08-0.11 mg Ag L-1 for NM300K and AgNO3, respectively. Silver uptake by C. elegans was similar for both forms of Ag, while bioaccumulation was higher in AgNO3 exposure. The observed differences in toxicity between NM300K and AgNO3 did not correlate to bioaccumulated Ag, which suggests the toxicity to be a function of the type of exposing agent (AgNPs vs AgNO3) and their mode of action. Before addition of the food source, E. coli, size fractionation revealed that dissolved Ag comprised 13-90 % and 4-8 % of total Ag in the AgNO3 and NM300K treatments, respectively. No dissolved Ag was detectable in the actual test media, due to immediate Ag adsorption to bacteria. Results from the current study highlight that information on behavior and characterization of exposure conditions is essential for nanotoxicity studies.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Anastasia Georgantzopoulou Christian Vogelsang Claire Coutris Kuria Ndungu Patricia Almeida Carvalho Andy Booth Kevin V Thomas Ailbhe MackenAbstract
The majority of nanomaterials (NMs) used in industrial and commercial applications are likely to enter the wastewater stream and reach wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In Oslo, Norway, the WWTPs receive both municipal and industrial wastewater. The treated effluents are discharged to aquatic recipients and the stabilised sludges are applied on agricultural land, however, the transformation of the particles and the potential hazard they pose in these compartments are poorly understood. The overall goal of this study was to elucidate the behavior of Ag and TiO2 NPs during biological wastewater treatment, and investigate the subsequent effects of transformed particles present in the effluent and sludge relative to their pristine counterparts. A laboratory-scale wastewater treatment system was established and combined with a battery of ecotoxicological assays and characterization techniques. The system was based on activated sludge treatment with a pre-denitrification system and fed with synthetic wastewater spiked daily with 10 µg Ag NPs/L (PVP coated, 25 nm, nanoComposix) and 100 µg TiO2 NPs/L (5 nm, NM-101, JRC) over a period of 5 weeks. Samples from all reactors, including the effluent, were collected weekly and analyzed by sequential filtration and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the NP fractionation and partitioning. Transmission electron microscopy and single particle ICP-MS were performed on selected samples. The effects of transformed particles present in the effluents were assessed using a battery of bioassays including freshwater and marine algae (growth inhibition, reactive oxygen species -ROS- formation), crustaceans and in vitro models of relevance for NP toxicity assessment (RTgill-W1 cell line, metabolic activity, epithelial integrity, ROS formation, gene expression). The effects of the aged particles through biosolids application were evaluated using coelomocytes, primary cells involved in immune defense mechanisms, isolated from the exposed earthworms Eisenia fetida. The observed effects were organism-dependent, with bottom feeding organisms and algae being more sensitive. The in vitro models offered a useful tool for the assessment of environmental samples. Through a relevant exposure scenario, this study adds useful pieces to our still fragmentary understanding of the environmental fate of weathered NPs.
Authors
Anastasia Georgantzopoulou Christian Vogelsang Claire Coutris Fabio Polesel Benedek Plosz Kuria Ndungu Patricia Almeida Carvalho Ailbhe MackenAbstract
The increase in production and use of Ag and TiO2 nanomaterials has led to their release in wastewater streams and subsequently in the environment. Nanoparticles (NPs) can undergo transformations in environmental media such as wastewaters leading to an alteration in behavior, bioavailability and toxicity that may differ from their pristine counterparts and make predictions challenging. In this context, the overall goal of the study was to elucidate (i) the behavior and transformation of Ag and TiO2 NPs in realistic matrices such as wastewater effluents and activated sludge and (ii) the subsequent effects of transformed particles in comparison to their pristine counterparts. In this study, a laboratory-scale wastewater treatment system was established and combined with a battery of ecotoxicological assays and characterization techniques. The system contained activated sludge and was operated as a pre-denitrification system fed with synthetic wastewater spiked daily with 10 µg Ag NPs/L (PVP coated, 25 nm, nanoComposix) and 100 µg TiO2 NPs/L (nominal primary size of 5 nm, NM-101, JRC) over a period of 5 weeks. During that period the effluents were collected weekly and the excess sludge was stored for the evaluation of terrestrial toxicity. Samples from all reactors and effluents were collected weekly and analyzed by sequential filtration and ICP-MS to determine the partitioning of NPs and their transformation products. Transmission electron microscopy and sp-ICP-MS were performed on selected samples. The effects of aged particles were assessed using a battery of bioassays including freshwater and marine algae (growth inhibition and reactive oxygen species -ROS- formation), crustaceans, as well as in vitro models of relevance for NP toxicity assessement (RTgill-W1 cell line, effects on metabolic activity, epithelial integrity, ROS formation, gene expression). The extent of the observed effects was dependent on the organism exposed, with bottom feeding organisms and algae being more sensitive, while the in vitro model was a good tool for environmental samples. Furthermore, the biosolids generated from the lab-scale continuous system were used in terrestrial microcosm experiments, giving insight into the fate and potential accumulation in a model terrestrial system. Experimental data generated from the continuous-flow operation of the activated sludge system and the targeted batch experiments will be used to model the fate and the removal of NPs.
Authors
Anastasia Georgantzopoulou Claire Coutris Kuria Ndungu Patricia Almeida Carvalho Ana Catarina Almeida Ailbhe MackenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Eva BrodAbstract
Fosfor i husdyrgjødsel blir i dag dårlig utnyttet, og det er vanlig at fosfor akkumuleres i jorden i områder med høy husdyrtetthet. Det har blitt utviklet en rekke ulike behandlingsteknologier som gjør det mulig å transportere fosfor i husdyrgjødsel fra husdyrtette områder til områder med behov for fosforgjødsel. Denne rapporten er en gjennomgang av litteraturen på de viktigste behandlingsteknologiene og deres effekt på gjødselvirkningen av fosforet i produktene.
Abstract
Given the compound differences between tris(2-butoxyethyl)- and tris(2-cloroethyl) phosphate (TBOEP and TCEP, respectively), we hypothesized that exposure of juvenile salmon to TBOEP and TCEP will produce compound-specific differences in uptake and bioaccumulation patterns, resulting in potential formation of OHmetabolites. Juvenile salmon were exposed to waterborne TCEP or TBOEP (0.04, 0.2 and 1 mg/L) for 7 days. The muscle accumulation was measured and bioconcentration factor (BCF) was calculated, showing that TCEP was less accumulative and resistant to metabolism in salmon than TBOEP. Metabolite formations were only detected in TBOEP-exposed fish, showing seven phase I biotransformation metabolites with hydroxylation, ether cleavage or combination of both reactions as important metabolic pathways. In vitro incubation of trout S9 liver fraction with TBOEP was performed showing that the generated metabolite patterns were similar to those found in muscle tissue exposed in vivo. However, another OH-TBOEP isomer and an unidentified metabolite not present in in vivo exposure were observed with the trout S9 incubation. Overall, some of the observed metabolic products were similar to those in a previous in vitro report using human liver microsomes and some metabolites were identified for the first time in the present study. Toxicological analysis indicated that TBOEP produced less effect, although it was taken up faster and accumulated more in fish muscle than TCEP. TCEP produced more severe toxicological responses in multiple fish organs. However, liver biotransformation responses did not parallel the metabolite formation observed in TBOEP-exposed fish.
Abstract
The present work focuses on an assessment of the applicability of groundwater table (GWT) measures in the modelling of soil water retention characteristics (SWRC) using artificial neural network (ANN) methods. Model development, testing, validation and verification were performed using data collected across two decades from soil profiles at full-scale research objects located in Southwest Poland. A positive effect was observed between the initial GWT position data and the accuracy of soil water reserve estimation. On the other hand, no significant effects were observed following the implementation of GWT fluctuation data over the entire growing season. The ANN tests that used data of either soil water content or GWT position gave analogous results. This revealed that the easily obtained data (temperature, precipitation and GWT position) are the most accurate modelling parameters. These outcomes can be used to simplify modelling input data/parameters/variables in the practical implementation of the proposed SWRC modelling variants.
Authors
Krishna Reddy Kakumanu Yella Reddy Kaluvai M. Balasubramanian Sekhar Udaya Nagothu Gurava Reddy Kotapati Sunitha KaranamAbstract
Climate change adversely affects the determinants of agriculture. Adaptation serves as an important strategy to reduce the adverse effects of climate change (variability) and vulnerability of the people. Adaptation through an innovation programme was implemented for 4 years during 2012–2016 to improve the adaptive capacity in agriculture and the water sectors through capacity building and implementation in the Krishna River Basin, India. Primary data were collected from 178 farm households of the Nagarjuna Sagar Project command area covering both adopters and non‐adopters of water‐saving interventions from the study area. The double difference method was used to analyse the impact of adaptation through capacity building and implementation. The water‐saving interventions include alternate wetting and drying (AWD) in rice, a modified system of rice intensification (MSRI) and direct seeding of rice (DSR). The capacity building and water saving increased crop yields by 0.96, 0.93 and 0.77 t ha−1 through AWD, MSRI and DSR respectively. The three practices have increased farmers’ income and decreased the cost of cultivation in DSR by Rs.11 000 (US$169) ha−1. The methods can be more focused in canal commands on a larger scale for equal distribution of water to all the head, middle and tail‐end regions.