Interactions with freshwater biofilms cause rapid removal of common herbicides through degradation – evidence from microcosm studies

Removal of triazine herbicides from freshwater systems using photosynthetic microorganisms.

The uptake of the triazine herbicides, atrazine and terbutryn, was determined for two freshwater photosynthetic microorganisms, the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. An extremely rapid uptake of both pesticides was recorded, although uptake rate was lower for the cyanobacterium, mainly for atrazine. Other parameters related to the herbicide bioco...

Shared ancestry influences community stability by altering competitive interactions: evidence from a laboratory microcosm experiment using freshwater green algae.

The impact of biodiversity on the stability of ecological communities has been debated among biologists for more than a century. Recently summarized empirical evidence suggests that biodiversity tends to enhance the temporal stability of community-level properties such as biomass; however, the underlying mechanisms driving this relationship remain poorly understood. Here, we report the results ...

Cancer therapy with phytochemicals: evidence from clinical studies

Cancer is still one of the major causes of mortality in both developing and developed countries. At this time, in spite of intensive interventions, a large number of patients have poor prognosis. Therefore, the effort for finding new anticancer agents with better efficacy and lesser side effects has continued. According to the traditional recommendations and experimental studies, numerous medic...

Rapid removal of nitrate and sulfate in freshwater wetland sediments.

Anaerobic microbial processes play particularly important roles in the biogeochemical functions of wetlands, affecting water quality, nutrient transport, and greenhouse gas fluxes. This study simultaneously examined nitrate and sulfate removal rates in sediments of five southwestern Michigan wetlands varying in their predominant water sources from ground water to precipitation. Rates were estim...

Adverse Effects of Herbicides on Freshwater Zooplankton