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Section: Ecotoxicology & Environmental Chemistry ; Topics: Environmental sciences

Investigation of the combined influence of salinity and particle concentration on the adsorption of anionic and zwitterionic PFAS onto estuarine sediment using the RSM modelling approach

Gao, Chan; Budzinski, Hélène; Pardon, Patrick; Le Menach, Karyn; Labadie, Pierre

10.24072/pcjournal.645 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 5 (2025), article no. e124
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Salinity (S) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) are key factors influencing the sorption of micropollutants in estuaries, due to strong gradients in these ecosystems. Previous laboratory or field-based studies have typically investigated the impact of S or SPM separately. Thus, the combined effects of S and SPM as well as their interactions on the sorption of micropollutants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in estuarine environments still remain poorly understood. We initially investigated the adsorption kinetics of 11 anionic and zwitterionic PFAS onto estuarine sediment under one S/SPM combination in laboratory-controlled conditions, as well as their adsorption isotherms under two S/SPM combinations. We also determined their distribution coefficients (K_d) across 35 S/SPM combinations covering a wide range of estuarine conditions. The adsorption kinetics of PFAS could be described by a pseudo-second-order model (equilibrium time <24h). Sorption isotherms were fitted by both linear and Freundlich models; the linear sorption range was in the range 0.12–1.31 nM and K_d varied between 0.6 and 55271 L/kg. Based on response surface modelling, both S and SPM were significant factors, i.e. K_d was positively related to S (salting-out effect), while it was negatively related to SPM concentration (third-phase effect). SPM had a stronger effect than S for short-chain carboxylates, whereas S was the dominant factor for most other compounds. We also present, for the first time, evidence of a significant negative interaction between these two factors. This study therefore provides a new perspective to model the fate of PFAS at the land-sea interface.
Section: Evolutionary Biology ; Topics: Ecology, Evolution

Asymmetric performance in early life stages of hybrid Argiope bruennichi

Franke, Sebastian; Volquardsen, Alina; Schneider, Jutta M.

10.24072/pcjournal.649 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 5 (2025), article no. e123
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Hybridisation of different species or isolated populations is an important driver of animal speciation. Hybrid populations oftentimes outperform their parent populations due to novel genetic combinations, exhibiting hybrid vigour. Conversely, hybridisation can also lead to worse performance due to outbreeding depression. The wasp spider Argiope bruennichi has undergone a hybridisation event with Mediterranean and Asian populations mixing and resulting in a genetically distinct Northern European population. With this study we tested if hybrid offspring could outperform their parent populations under novel, disadvantageous conditions, namely climate and food availability. We found that spiders with a Mediterranean mother and an Asian father had very low hatching rates and high mortality and slow growth compared to the pure lines, and spiders with Asian mothers and Mediterranean fathers performed comparably to their parent populations. These results suggest mitonuclear incompatibility of the first combination and an increased role of the second in the stabilization process of a hybridising population. Additionally, we observed extreme developmental plasticity as a reaction to climatic cues in all backgrounds, which likely aided in the rapid historic poleward range expansion of this species.
Section: Ecology ; Topics: Ecology, Population biology

Unravelling the effects of heterogeneity in space use on estimates of connectivity and population size: Insights from spatial capture-recapture modelling

Kervellec, Maëlis; Gimenez, Olivier; Vanpé, Cécile; Quenette, Pierre-Yves; Sentilles, Jérôme; Palazón, Santiago; Afonso Jordana, Ivan; Jato, Ramón; Elósegui Irurtia, Miguel Mari; Milleret, Cyril

10.24072/pcjournal.646 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 5 (2025), article no. e122
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Spatial Capture-Recapture (SCR) models using least-cost path distance offer an unified framework to estimate landscape connectivity and population size from individual detection data, while accounting for individual and spatial heterogeneity in space use. In our case study on the Pyrenean brown bear population, two “outliers” individuals were detected more often over very large spatial extent compared to other individuals. The integration of such individuals made SCR modelling challenging, especially since it remains unclear how unmodelled heterogeneity in space use may bias connectivity and population size estimates. To address this gap, we used simulations reflecting the Pyrenean brown bear population, with two groups of individuals differing in their space use due to individual characteristics but also in their spatial responses to landscape structure. We compared six SCR model formulations that varied in whether individual and spatial heterogeneity in space use were (1) ignored, (2) explicitly modelled, or (3) handled by removing outliers. We then applied the same models to the empirical bear dataset. By combining simulations and sensitivity analyses, we highlight the challenges of choosing the appropriate modelling approach when multiple sources of heterogeneity in space use occur simultaneously. Our results show that the treatment of heterogeneity in space use should match the research objective: removing outliers supports accurate population size estimation, while explicitly modelling heterogeneity is essential for reliable connectivityassessment. Overall, we provide a practical framework for identifying and addressing heterogeneity in SCR applications, to guide practitioners in deciding when additional model complexity is warranted.
Section: Infections ; Topics: Ecology, Environmental sciences

Green cities and the risk for vector-borne disease transmission for humans and animals: a scoping review

Mercat, Mathilde; Bartholomee, Colombine; Fournet, Florence; Alcover Amengual, Magdalena; Bourquia, Maria; Bouhsira, Emilie; Cornel, Anthony; Fernandez-Cassi, Xavier; Fontenille, Didier; Ibanez-Justicia, Adolfo; Marti, Renaud; Moiroux, Nicolas; Niang, El Hadji; Smith, Woutrina; Spitzen, Jeroen; Visser, Tessa M.; Koenraadt, Constantianus J.M.; Simard, Frédéric

10.24072/pcjournal.641 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 5 (2025), article no. e121
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Greening cities is a nature-based strategy for sustainable urban development that integrates natural elements like plants or water bodies, to mitigate climate change impacts and enhance human well-being. However, urban green infrastructures (UGIs) can influence the distribution of disease vectors, potentially affecting vector-borne diseases (VBDs). UGIs may provide new suitable environments for urban vectors, while also creating opportunities to mitigate VBD risks through predation, competition, and dilution effects. This article examined the relationships between UGIs, vectors, and associated pathogens, impacting both human and animal health, highlighting knowledge gaps and identifying research priorities to support VBD risk mitigation measures and to guide smart urban planning and design. A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines in three databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science). Selected articles involved (i) any aspect of a urban vector system, (ii) in UGIs, and (iii) statistical analysis of the effects of UGIs on VBD risk. Methods employed to characterize UGIs and VBDs were described and the identified impacts were summarized by vector group. Among the 98 articles reviewed, most addressed mosquito-pathogen systems (66), tick-pathogen systems (29), and few other vector-borne pathogen systems (3), with studies often confined to a single city or several cities within the same country and focused on one vector group. Urban vegetation generally appeared to heighten the risk of tick-borne diseases. In contrast, the influence of UGIs on the risk of mosquito-borne diseases varied depending on the vector system and on the environmental and climatic context. The diversity of indicators used to assess UGIs and VBD risks may affect the observed impact on VBD risk. Given the increasing popularity of urban greening, it is crucial to investigate its potential implications for public health, and thereby urban planning decisions. However, the lack of standardized protocols complicates the accurate assessment of the effects of UGIs on the risk for VBD emergence and transmission and consequently, on potential mitigation measures.

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The network image was drawn by Martin Grandjean: A force-based network visualization CC BY-SA