TY - JOUR AB - Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are ecosystems that are based on engineered soil and designed plant communities to manage stormwater on-site and to enhance infiltration, evapotranspiration, and cooling, thus reducing flooding and urban heat islands. In addition, SUDS may act as hotspots for biodiversity and could be more socially accepted if they work well and are multifunctional. However, we still lack a critical understanding of the techno-ecological basis to construct SUDS sustainably. Due to climate change and pollutants such as de-icing salts, SUDS are confronted with harmful environmental triggers that interfere with their sustainable development. Thus, the challenge is to combine stormwater treatment and urban drainage with principles of restoration ecology, while implementing expertise from soil science, microbiome research, and plant ecology. In this perspective paper, we will discuss the SUDS development and maintenance principle and the role of interdisciplinary research in reaching these goals. AU - Helmreich, B.* AU - Deeb, M.* AU - Eben, P.* AU - Egerer, M.* AU - Kollmann, J.* AU - Schulz, S. AU - Pauleit, S.* AU - Weisser, W.W.* AU - Schloter, M. C1 - 73351 C2 - 57014 CY - Avenue Du Tribunal Federal 34, Lausanne, Ch-1015, Switzerland TI - Converting infiltration swales to sustainable urban drainage systems can improve water management and biodiversity. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 12 PB - Frontiers Media Sa PY - 2025 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AU - Schröder, A. AU - Schloter, M. AU - Roccotiello, E.* AU - Weisser, W.W.* AU - Schulz, S. C1 - 71640 C2 - 56120 CY - Avenue Du Tribunal Federal 34, Lausanne, Ch-1015, Switzerland TI - Improving ecosystem services of urban soils – how to manage the microbiome of Technosols? JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 12 PB - Frontiers Media Sa PY - 2024 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a threat to agricultural soils and may induce a significant loss of the soil quality and services provided by these ecosystems. Studies in marine environments suggest that this impact is mediated by shifts in the microbiome. However, studies on the mode of action of MP materials on the soil microbiome are rare, particularly when comparing the effects of different MP materials. In this study, we characterized the microbiota colonizing two different MP materials, granules made of polypropylene (PP) and expanded polystyrene (ePS), introduced into arable soil and incubated for 8 weeks using a molecular barcoding approach. We further assessed the consequences on the microbiome of bulk soil. The complexity of the bacterial communities colonizing MP materials was significantly higher on ePS compared to PP. Many of the detected genera colonizing the MP materials belonged to taxa, that are known to degrade polymeric substances, including TM7a, Phenylobacterium, Nocardia, Arthrobacter and Streptomyces. Interestingly, in bulk soil samples amended with MP materials, microbial diversity was higher after 8 weeks compared to the control soil, which was incubated without MP materials. The composition of bacterial communities colonizing the MP materials and bulk soil differed. Mainly Acidobacteria were mostly found in bulk soil, whereas they were rare colonizers of the MP materials. Differences in diversity and community composition between the MP affected bulk soil samples were not found. Overall, our data indicate that MP materials form a new niche for microbes in soil, with a specific community composition depending on the materials used, strongly influencing the bulk soil microbiota in the short term. Long-term consequences for the soil microbiome and associated functions including different soils need to be further elaborated in the future for a proper risk assessment of the mode of action of MP materials in terrestrial ecosystems. AU - Kublik, S. AU - Gschwendtner, S. AU - Magritsch, T. AU - Radl, V. AU - Rillig, M.C.* AU - Schloter, M. C1 - 66248 C2 - 52728 CY - Avenue Du Tribunal Federal 34, Lausanne, Ch-1015, Switzerland TI - Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 10 PB - Frontiers Media Sa PY - 2022 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - To improve ambient air quality during the 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Chinese Government and Beijing's municipal government implemented comprehensive emission control policies in Beijing and its neighboring regions before and during this period. The goal of this study was to investigate the association between particulate air pollution and cause-specific respiratory mortality before, during and after the period of the Olympic Games. Further, we wanted to assess whether changes in pollutant concentrations were linked to changes in respiratory mortality. We obtained daily data on mortality due to respiratory diseases (coded as J00-J99 according to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th revision [ICD10]) and pneumonia (ICD10: J12-18), meteorology, particulate matter less than 10 mu m or 2.5 mu m in diameter (PM10, PM2.5) and particle number size distribution from official monitoring networks and sites located on the Peking University campus between May 20 and December 1, 2008. We assessed the effects of particulate air pollution on daily respiratory mortality using confounder-adjusted Quasi-Poisson regression models. Furthermore, we estimated air pollution effects for three periods-before (May 20 to July 20, 2008), during (August 1 to September 20, 2008) and after (October 1 to December 1, 2008)-by including interaction terms in the models. We found associations between different particle metrics and respiratory and pneumonia mortality, with more pronounced effects in smaller particle size ranges. For example, an interquartile range increase of 7,958 particles/cm(3) in ultrafine particles (particles <100 nm in diameter) led to a 16.3% (95% confidence interval 4.3%; 26.5%) increase in respiratory mortality with a delay of seven days. When investigating the sub-periods, results indicate that a reduction in air pollution during the Olympics resulted in reduced (cause-specific) respiratory mortality. This reduction was especially pronounced for pneumonia mortality. The findings suggest that even a short-term reduction in pollution concentrations may lead to health benefits and that smaller particles in the ultrafine size range may be particularly important for respiratory health. AU - Breitner-Busch, S. AU - Su, C. AU - Franck, U.* AU - Wiedensohler, A.* AU - Cyrys, J. AU - Pan, X.* AU - Wichmann, H.-E. AU - Schneider, A.E. AU - Peters, A. C1 - 62817 C2 - 50997 CY - Avenue Du Tribunal Federal 34, Lausanne, Ch-1015, Switzerland TI - The association between particulate air pollution and respiratory mortality in Beijing before, during, and after the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Media Sa PY - 2021 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - Ultrafine particles (UFP; diameter less than 100 nm) are ubiquitous in urban air, and an acknowledged risk to human health. At the same time, little is known about the immission situation at typical urban sites such as high-traffic roads, residential areas with a high amount of solid fuels for home heating or commercial and industrial areas due to missing legal requirements for measurements of UFP. Therefore, UFP were measured and evaluated in the (sub-)urban background as well as on spots influenced by these various anthropogenic local sources in the city of Augsburg, Germany, for the year 2017. In particular, the spatial and temporal correlations of the UFP concentrations between the seven measurement sites, the quantification and valuation of the contribution of local emitters with regard to their diurnal, weekly and seasonal variations and the influence of meteorological conditions on the formation and dispersion of UFP were investigated. Our analysis results demonstrate that urban UFP concentrations show a pronounced temporal and spatial variability. The mean concentration level of UFP varies between below 8,000 ultrafine particles/cm3 at the suburban background site and above 16,700 ultrafine particles/cm3 at the measurement station located next to a busy street canyon. At this particularly traffic-exposed measurement station, maximum concentrations of over 50,000 ultrafine particles/cm3 were measured. The additional UFP load caused by intensive traffic volume during evening rush hour in connection with the unfavourable exchange processes in the street canyon can be quantified to concentrations of 14,000 ultrafine particles/cm3 on average (compared to the immission situation of the urban background). An aggravating effect is brought about by inversion weather conditions in connection with air-polluted easterly winds, low wind speeds, lack of precipitation and very low mixing layer heights, such as over Augsburg at the end of January 2017, and cause peak concentrations of UFP. AU - Giemsa, E.* AU - Soentgen, J.* AU - Kusch, T.* AU - Beck, C.* AU - Münkel, C.* AU - Cyrys, J. AU - Pitz, M.* C1 - 61355 C2 - 49824 CY - Avenue Du Tribunal Federal 34, Lausanne, Ch-1015, Switzerland TI - Influence of local sources and meteorological parameters on the spatial and temporal distribution of ultrafine particles in Augsburg, Germany. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 8 PB - Frontiers Media Sa PY - 2021 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - Magnitude and timing of precipitation events within the growing season might be decisive for alterations in potential extracellular enzyme activity (PEEA), with consequences for nutrient cycle, and carbon storage in grassland ecosystems. Pattern of PEEA catalyzing major steps of the carbon cycle (β-glucosidase (β-gls), cellobiohydrolase (cel), glucuronidase (glr), and xylosidase (xyl), soil respiration rates and extractable organic carbon were analyzed in response to increased intra-annual precipitation variability in a European, mesic temperate grassland. The field experiment was carried out in three subsequent years by simulating recurrent drought events combined with heavy rainfall either early or late in the growing season (spring or summer) by rainout shelters and irrigation systems. Our data indicated comparable effects of the drought settings independent from the timing of the drought. Both for the simulated spring- and summer drought a decrease of enzymatic activities was observed compared to the control plots, with ß-gls activity after the summer drought being the only exception. However, response pattern toward rewetting differed depending on the seasonal timing of the drought being introduced. After spring drought, a fast recovery to control level was observed for PEEA of ß-gls and xyl, whereas cel and glr activity remained constantly lower. Rewetting after summer drought induced an increase of all enzymatic activities to values even higher compared to the controls. Overall, our data indicate a high resilience of PEEA toward drought and rewetting events in grassland soils, which is modulated by the seasonal timing of the extreme weather events. AU - Hammerl, V. AU - Grant, K.* AU - Pritsch, K. AU - Jentsch, A.* AU - Schloter, M. AU - Beierkuhnlein, C.* AU - Gschwendtner, S. C1 - 55341 C2 - 46332 TI - Seasonal effects of extreme weather events on potential extracellular enzyme activities in a temperate grassland soil. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 6 PY - 2019 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - Nitrite (NO2-) and hydroxylamine (NH 2 OH) are important intermediates of the nitrogen (N) cycle in soils. They play a crucial role in the loss of nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO) from soil due to their high reactivity. In this study, we collected soil samples from three ecosystems (grassland, arable land, and forest with a riparian zone) and explored the contribution of NO2- and NH 2 OH to N 2 O formation in the different soils after exposure to oxic or anoxic pre-treatment. In addition, the importance of abiotic processes on the N 2 O formation from the two intermediates was studied by irradiating the soil samples with γ-irradiation. Our results demonstrate that NO2- addition induced the largest N 2 O production in the grassland soil, followed by the forest and arable soils. Only 9-39% of the produced N 2 O after NO2- addition came from abiotic processes. NH 2 OH addition increased N 2 O emissions the most from the arable soil, followed by the grassland and forest soils. The conversion of NH 2 OH to N 2 O was mostly (73-93%) abiotic. Anoxic pre-treatment decreased N 2 O production from NH 2 OH remarkably, especially for the grassland soil, while it increased N 2 O production from NO2- for most of the soils. Correlation analysis showed that NO2- effects on N 2 O production were strongly correlated to NH4+ content in soils with anoxic pre-treatment, while NH 2 OH effects on N 2 O production were strongly correlated to soil Mn and C content in soils with oxic pre-treatment. Our results indicate that NH 2 OH plays an important role for abiotic N 2 O formation in soils with low C and high Mn content, while the effect of NO2- was important mainly during biotic N 2 O production. Anoxic periods prior to N addition may increase the contribution of NO2-, but reduce the contribution of NH 2 OH, to soil N 2 O formation. AU - Liu, S.* AU - Schloter, M. AU - Hu, R.* AU - Vereecken, H.* AU - Brüggemann, N.* C1 - 56060 C2 - 46801 TI - Hydroxylamine contributes more to abiotic N2O production in soils than nitrite. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 7 PY - 2019 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - Earthworms play a major role in litter decomposition, in processing soil organic matter and driving soil structure formation. Earthworm casts represent hot spots for carbon turnover and formation of biogeochemical interfaces in soils. Due to the complex microscale architecture of casts, understanding the mechanisms of cast formation and development at a process relevant scale, i.e. within microaggregates and at the interface between plant residues, microorganisms and mineral particles, remains challenging. We used stable isotope enrichment to trace the fate of shoot and root litter in intact earthworm cast samples. Surface casts produced by epi-anecic earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) were collected after 8 and 54 weeks of soil incubation in mesocosms, in the presence of 13C-labeled Ryegrass shoot or root litter deposited onto the soil surface. To study the alteration in the chemical composition from initial litter to particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MOM) in cast samples, we used solid-state 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (13C-CPMAS-NMR) and isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). We used spectromicroscopic approach to identify plant tissues and microorganisms involved in plant decomposition within casts. A combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) was used to obtain the distribution of organic carbon and δ13C within intact cast sample structures. We clearly demonstrate a different fate of shoot- and root-derived organic carbon in earthworm casts, with a higher abundance of less degraded root residues recovered as particulate organic matter on the short-term (8 weeks) (73 mg.g-1 in Cast-Root vs 44 mg.g-1 in Cast-Shoot). At the early stages of litter decomposition, the chemical composition of the initial litter was the main factor controlling the composition and distribution of soil organic matter within casts. At later stages, we can demonstrate a clear reduction of structural and chemical differences in root and shoot-derived organic products. After one year, MOM clearly dominated the casts (more than 85 % of the total OC in the MOM fraction). We were able to highlight the shift from a system dominated by free plant residues to a system dominated by MOM during cast formation and development. AU - Vidal, A.* AU - Watteau, F.* AU - Remusat, L.* AU - Mueller, C.W.* AU - Nguyen Tu, T.T.* AU - Buegger, F. AU - Derenne, S.* AU - Quenea, K.* C1 - 55957 C2 - 46682 TI - Earthworm cast formation and development: A shift from plant litter to mineral associated organic matter. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 7 PY - 2019 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - © 2018 Lori, Symanczik, Mäder, Efosa, Jaenicke, Buegger, Tresch, Goesmann and Gattinger. The majority of soil organic nitrogen (N) is bound in protein-like compounds and therefore its proteolysis in peptides and amino acids is considered the initial and rate limiting step of N mineralization. Proteolysis of N bound in organic fertilizer and subsequent provisioning for crops is a central element in agro-ecological intensification. Long-term farming system effects on N provisioning from organic fertilizer to crops and its underlying functional microbial communities were analyzed in experiments conducted in soils from the "DOK" system comparison trial (bio-Dynamic, bio-Organic, and "Konventionell") subjected to optimal and future projected drought scenarios. A plant nutrition experiment using 15N labeled lupine as a fertilizer (green manure) identified 30% higher amounts of N derived from fertilizer in ryegrass grown on organically compared to conventionally managed soil, but only when subjected to dry conditions. A second experiment, also amended with lupine green manure, assessed the effect of farming system and drought stress on N cycling microbes with a focus on alkaline (apr) and neutral (npr) metallopeptidase encoding microbial communities. apr encoding microbial communities were more strongly affected by farming system and water treatment than npr encoding communities. Differences in structure and diversity of apr encoding microbial communities showed concomitant patterns with distinct N provisioning from organic fertilizer in the plant nutrition experiment. It is suggested that conventionally managed systems are less capable in maintaining diversity and initial structure of apr encoding microbial communities when subjected to drought scenarios. Overall, we demonstrated organically managed soils to provide a more stable N provisioning potential from organic fertilizer under future drought scenarios, likely facilitated by a distinct and more adaptive proteolytic microbial community. This work contributes to an in-depth comprehension of yet poorly studied fundamental soil processes and helps developing strategies to maintain a versatile and functioning microbial community in a rapidly changing environment. AU - Lori, M.* AU - Symanczik, S.* AU - Mäder, P.* AU - Efosa, N.* AU - Jaenicke, S.* AU - Tresch, S.* AU - Buegger, F. AU - Goesmann, A.* AU - Gattinger, A.* C1 - 53657 C2 - 44781 TI - Distinct nitrogen provisioning from organic amendments in soil as influenced by farming system and water regime. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 6 IS - JUN PY - 2018 SN - 2296-665X ER - TY - JOUR AB - The need for filling information gaps while reducing toxicity testing in animals is becoming more predominant in risk assessment. Recent legislations are accepting in silico approaches for predicting toxicological outcomes. This article describes the results of Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) modeling efforts within Tox21 Data Challenge 2014 1 , which calculated the best balanced accuracy across all molecular pathway endpoints as well as the highest scores for ATAD5 and mitochondrial membrane potential disruption. Automated QSPR workflow systems, OCHEM (http://ochem.eu), the analytics platform, KNIME and the statistics software, CRAN R, were used to conduct the analysis and develop consensus models using 10 different descriptor sets. A detailed analysis of QSAR models for all 12 molecular pathways and the effect of underlying models' accuracy on the quality of the consensus model are provided. The resulting consensus models yielded a balanced accuracy as high as 88.1% ± 0.6 for mitochondrial membrane disruptors. Such high balanced accuracy and use of the applicability domain show a promising potential for in silico modeling to complement design HTS screening experiments. The comprehensive statistics of all models are publicly available online at https://github.com/amaziz/Tox21-Challenge-Publication while the developed consensus models can be accessed at http://ochem.eu/article/98009. AU - Abdelaziz, A.* AU - Spahn-Langguth, H.* AU - Schramm, K.-W. AU - Tetko, I.V. C1 - 49891 C2 - 41897 TI - Consensus modeling for HTS assays using in silico descriptors calculates the best balanced accuracy in Tox21 challenge. JO - Front. Env. Sci. VL - 4 PY - 2016 SN - 2296-665X ER -