Browsing by Author "Pereira, S."
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- Beneficial effects of phytomanagement options on soil structural and functional microbial biodiversityPublication . Urra, J.; Epelde, L.; Kidd, P.; Becerril, J.M; Mench, M.; Oustrière, N.; Burges, A.; Castro, P.; Moreira, H. Gomes; Pereira, S.; Garbisu, C.Through the proper phytomanagement of contaminated sites, soil structural and functional microbial biodiversity can be restored, thereby enhancing soil functionality and the provision of vital ecosystem services. Here, a network of sites (located in Spain, France and Portugal) contaminated by metal(loid)s and organic compounds were subjected to a variety of phytomanagement options. Short- and long-term effects on soil microbial communities, as biological indicators of sol quality, were determined for assessing the beneficial effects of applied phytomanagement options on soil functionality and, concomitantly, soil ecosystem services. In particular, a variety of microbial parameters that provide in formation on the biomass (total bacteria and fungi by qPCR). activity (enzyme activities) and diversity (community. level physiological profiles with Biolog Fcoplates ™, 1GS +RNA amplicon sequencing, HT-qPCR of functional genes) were determined in soil samples. In general, phytomanagement treatments led to an improvement in soil functionality. 'The application of organic amendments resulted in a significant increase in soil microbial biomass, activity and diversity. A PCA analysis carried out with all the microbial parameters studied here differentiated the sites and phytomanagement treatments. Similarly, the composition of TU obtained from next generation sequencing data (16S RNA) varied significantly among the different sites and treatments. The data presented here provide insights into the structural and functional diversity of soil microbial communities subjected to phytomanagement. It was concluded that, during phytomanagement, a proper selection of the organic amendments and plants species is essential for the intended reduction in the adverse effects caused by contaminants on soil microbial diversity.
- Effect of commercial emerging nonthermal technologies on food products: microbial aspectsPublication . Alexandre, Elisabete M. C.; Inácio, R.S.; Ribeiro, A.C.; Lemos, A.; Pereira, S.; Castro, Sónia M.; Saraija, J.; Teixeira, Paula; Pintado, M. E.; Gomes, Ana M. P.
- Enhancing water reuse at a local scale: a constructed wetland case studyPublication . Magalhães, J.; Dolbeth, M.; Arenas, F.; Pereira, S.; Tsiamis, G.; Ntougias, S.; Calheiros, C.Constructed Wetlands (CW), as biological treatment systems, mimic the phytoremediation processes found in natural wetlands in an optimized configuration for the improvement of the water quality. They are considered nature-based solutions (NBS) that may support decentralized wastewater treatment providing several ecosystem services, including enhancing water availability and reducing water-related risks. The present study focuses on the performance and operation assessment of an implemented CW in a rural area that is applied to a tourism unit. Under the Project CIRQUA-Integrated Approaches at Local Scale for Enhancing Water Reuse Efficiency and Sustainable Soil Fertilization from Wastewater’s Recovered Nutrients, it is envisaged the upgrade of this CW using technological achievements, such as nanostructured filters and photocatalytic modules, precision irrigation principles, sensors and automation in operation and the integration of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Wastewater quality assessment and biodiversity characterization are being carried out in order to evaluate the upgrading of the system.
- Phytotechnology implementation in marine and freshwater environments: case study of floating wetlandsPublication . Octaviano, Ana L.; Nawaz, N.; Pereira, S.; IIarri, M.; Magalhães, J.; Calheiros, C.Phytotechnologies are plant-based approaches that solve or complement the solution of environmental problems, by remediating soil, water, and air or restoring ecosystem services in managed landscapes. Floating treatment wetlands (FWIs) are examples of a phytotechnology, also named nature-based solution, that provides water treatment and management with low capital costs, high success rate, low maintenance requirement, and aesthetic nature when compared to conventional solutions. They also promote biodiversity and ecosystem establishment, enabling creation of habitat, nursery spot or as stepping stone. FWIs comprise a floating platform, colonized by selected plants and an anchoring system. The selection of the plant species is very important for the success of a full coverage system and also to assure a full development of a rooting system for phytoremediation purposes. In the present study 4 FWIs were implemented (with different floating materials: 2 of cork and 2 of hand-assembled recycled material), in order to compare the performance and their establishment in two environments: saline and freshwater. The saline environment was associated to a port marina and the freshwater environment to a pond. Selected plant species were considered for each environment. Monitoring of the system is being carried out along time concerning the associated biodiversity, plant establishment and floatability evaluation of the floating platforms. Based on the analysis of these results, this work hopes that these nature-based solutions can contribute to better water management, in order to involve the conservation and rehabilitation of natural ecosystems.
- Phytotechnology implementation in marine and freshwater environments: case study of floating wetlandsPublication . Octaviano, A. L.; Nawaz, N.; Magalhães, J.; Pereira, S.; IIarri, M.; Gomes, C. R.; Imbernon, R.; Calheiros, C.Environmental biotechnology, such as bioremediation and phytoremediation, is a promising field that uses natural resources, including microorganisms and plants, to eliminate toxic organic contaminants from water, soils and air (Calheiros et al. 2020). This technology offers an attractive alternative to other conventional remediation processes due to its relatively low cost and environmentally friendly method. In this project, we used floating treatment wetland (FTW), an effective and sustainable technology for wastewater treatment. This method has been widely adopted for the treatment of various types of polluted waters, including agricultural runoff, stormwater, and industrial effluents. In FTWs, plants are vegetated on a floating mat while their roots are extended into contaminated water, acting as biological filters. Nutrients and potentially toxic metals/elements are absorbed from wastewater by plants through their roots, while organic matter is degraded by microorganisms forming biofilms on the roots and on the surface of the mat (Shahid et al. 2018). Thereby, in the present study it was implemented 4 FTW prototypes, of different materials and in different environments (marine and freshwater) to compare their efficiency and establishment on site.
- Transformations international experience and research network for sustainable futuresPublication . Pineda-Martos, R.; Roelich, K.; Calheiros, C. S. C.; Pereira, S.; Leventon, J. M.The overarching aim of TransformERS is to inform research, policy and practice for transformations that deliver justice in a changing global context by bringing together and positioning research relevant to societal transformation Such societal transformations are cited as highly necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss, and are called for in the IPCC and IPBES frameworks, as well as the European Green Deal However, current research into transformations is highly fragmented Pieces of relevant knowledge are held by policy makers, practitioners, and researchers, from within a range of contexts, disciplines, projects and perspectives, both within and outside of the sustainability research community There is a need to put these separate pieces together to 1 identify what transformation relevant knowledge is held and by whom 2 understand how the different pieces fit together 3 understand what the big picture is what we know about transformations collectively and 4 identify the missing pieces understand what we still need to create knowledge on TransformERS creates a networking infrastructure to meet these 4 needs with objectives to 1 inform transformation policy 2 shape transformations research and practice 3 train transformations researchers from across broad disciplines and topics