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  1. Fulltext Improving the Efficiency of New Automatic Dishwashing Detergent Formulation by Addition of Thermostable Lipase, Protease and Amylase
    Naganthran A, Masomian M, Rahman RNZRA, Ali MSM, Nooh HM
    Molecules, 2017 Sep 19;22(9).
    PMID: 28925972 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22091577
    The use of T1 lipase in automatic dishwashing detergent (ADD) is well established, but efficiency in hard water is very low. A new enzymatic environmentally-friendly dishwashing was formulated to be efficient in both soft and hard water. Thermostable enzymes such as T1 lipase from Geobacillus strain T1, Rand protease from Bacillussubtilis strain Rand, and Maltogenic amylase from Geobacillus sp. SK70 were produced and evaluated for an automatic dishwashing detergent formulation. The components of the new ADD were optimized for compatibility with these three enzymes. In compatibility tests of the enzymes with different components, several criteria were considered. The enzymes were mostly stable in non-ionic surfactants, especially polyhydric alcohols, Glucopon UP 600, and in a mixture of sodium carbonate and glycine (30:70) buffer at a pH of 9.25. Sodium polyacrylate and sodium citrate were used in the ADD formulation as a dispersing agent and a builder, respectively. Dishwashing performance of the formulated ADDs was evaluated in terms of percent of soil removed using the Leenert's Improved Detergency Tester. The results showed that the combination of different hydrolysis enzymes could improve the washing efficiency of formulated ADD compared to the commercial ADD "Finish" at 40 and 50 C.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  2. Fulltext Hypothetical Protein BPSL3393 of Burkholderia pseudomallei is Involved in Ethanolamine Catabolism
    Luan OG, Yam H, Samian R, Wajidi MFF, Mahadi NM, Mohamad S, et al.
    Trop Life Sci Res, 2017 Jul;28(2):57-74.
    PMID: 28890761 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2017.28.2.5
    Burkholderia pseudomallei is a soil-dwelling bacterium that causes a globally emerging disease called melioidosis. Approximately one third of the in silico annotated genes in its genome are classified as hypothetical genes. This group of genes is difficult to be functionally characterised partly due to the absence of noticeable phenotypes under conventional laboratory settings. A bioinformatic survey of hypothetical genes revealed a gene designated as BPSL3393 that putatively encodes a small protein of 11 kDA with a CoA binding domain. BPSL3393 is conserved in all the B. pseudomallei genomes as well as various in other species within the genus Burkholderia. Taking into consideration that CoA plays a ubiquitous metabolic role in all life forms, characterisation of BPSL3393 may uncover a previously over-looked metabolic feature of B. pseudomallei. The gene was deleted from the genome using a double homologous recombination approach yielding a null mutant. The BPSL3393 mutant showed no difference in growth rate with the wild type under rich and minimal growth conditions. An extensive metabolic phenotyping test was performed involving 95 metabolic substrates. The deletion mutant of BPSL3393 was severely impaired in its ethanolamine metabolism. The growth rate of the mutant was attenuated when ethanolamine was used as the sole carbon source. A transcriptional analysis of the ethanolamine metabolism genes showed that they were down-regulated in the BPSL3393 mutant. This seemed to suggest that BPSL3393 functions as a positive regulator for ethanolamine metabolism.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  3. Polyaniline-dicationic ionic liquid coated with magnetic nanoparticles composite for magnetic solid phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples
    Shahriman MS, Ramachandran MR, Zain NNM, Mohamad S, Manan NSA, Yaman SM
    Talanta, 2018 Feb 01;178:211-221.
    PMID: 29136814 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.09.023
    In this present study, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) nanocomposites modified with polyaniline (PANI) coated newly synthesised dicationic ionic liquid (DICAT) forming MNP-PANI-DICAT were successfully synthesised as new generation material for magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE). MNP-PANI-DICAT was characterised by FT-IR NMR, CHN, BET, SEM, TEM, and VSM techniques and the results were compared with MNP-PANI and native MNP. This new material was applied as a magnetic adsorbent for the pre-concentration and separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to the π-π interaction between polyaniline shell and dicationic ionic liquid (DICAT) with PAHs compounds. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method was evaluated and applied for the analysis of PAHs in environmental samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The validation method showed good linearity (0.005-500µgL-1) with the coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.999. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of the developed method (MNP-PANI-DICAT-MSPE) were in the range of 0.0008-0.2086µgL-1and 0.0024-0.6320µgL-1, respectively. The enrichment factor (EF) of PAHs on MNP-PANI-DICAT-MSPE were in the range of 7.546-29.632. The extraction recoveries of natural water, sludge, and soil samples were ranged from 80.2% to 111.9% with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 5.6%. The newly synthesised MNP-PANI-DICAT possess good sensitivity, reusability, and fast extraction of PAHs under the MSPE procedure in various environmental samples.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  4. Occurrence of Acanthamoeba genotypes in Central West Malaysian environments
    Basher MHA, Ithoi I, Mahmud R, Abdulsalam AM, Foead AI, Dawaki S, et al.
    Acta Trop, 2018 Feb;178:219-228.
    PMID: 29203378 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.11.015
    Acanthamoeba species are ubiquitous free-living protozoa that can be found worldwide. Occasionally, it can become parasitic and the causative agent of acanthamoebic keratitis (AK) and Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis (GAE) in man. A total of 160 environmental samples and 225 naturally-infected animal corneal swabs were collected for Acanthamoeba cultivation. Acanthamoeba was found to be high in samples collected from environments (85%, 136/160) compared to infected animal corneas (24.89%, 56/225) by microscopic examination. Analysis of nucleotide sequence of 18S rRNA gene of all the 192 cultivable Acanthamoeba isolates revealed 4 genotypes (T3, T4. T5 and T15) with T4 as the most prevalent (69.27%, 133/192) followed by T5 (20.31%), T15 (9.90%) and T3 (0.52%). Genotype T4 was from the strain of A. castellanii U07401 (44.27%), A. castellanii U07409 (20.83%) and A. polyphagaAY026243 (4.17%), but interestingly, only A. castellanii U07401 was detected in naturally infected corneal samples. In environmental samples, T4 was commonly detected in all samples including dry soil, dust, wet debris, wet soil and water. Among the T4, A. castellanii (U07409) strains were detected high occurrence in dry (45%) followed by aquatic (32.50%) and moist (22.50%) samples but however A. castellanii (U07401) strains were dominant in dry samples of soil and dust (93.10%). Subsequently, genotype T5 of A. lenticulata (U94741) strains were dominant in samples collected from aquatic environments (58.97%). In summary, A. castellanii (U07401) strains were found dominant in both environmental and corneal swab samples. Therefore, these strains are possibly the most virulent and dry soil or dusts are the most possible source of Acanthamoeba infection in cats and dogs corneas.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  5. Fulltext Climate change affecting oil palm agronomy, and oil palm cultivation increasing climate change, require amelioration
    Paterson RRM, Lima N
    Ecol Evol, 2018 01;8(1):452-461.
    PMID: 29321885 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3610
    Palm oil is used in various valued commodities and is a large global industry worth over US$ 50 billion annually. Oil palms (OP) are grown commercially in Indonesia and Malaysia and other countries within Latin America and Africa. The large-scale land-use change has high ecological, economic, and social impacts. Tropical countries in particular are affected negatively by climate change (CC) which also has a detrimental impact on OP agronomy, whereas the cultivation of OP increases CC. Amelioration of both is required. The reduced ability to grow OP will reduce CC, which may allow more cultivation tending to increase CC, in a decreasing cycle. OP could be increasingly grown in more suitable regions occurring under CC. Enhancing the soil fauna may compensate for the effect of CC on OP agriculture to some extent. The effect of OP cultivation on CC may be reduced by employing reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation plans, for example, by avoiding illegal fire land clearing. Other ameliorating methods are reported herein. More research is required involving good management practices that can offset the increases in CC by OP plantations. Overall, OP-growing countries should support the Paris convention on reducing CC as the most feasible scheme for reducing CC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  6. Local and transboundary factors' impacts on trace gases and aerosol during haze episode in 2015 El Niño in Malaysia
    Samsuddin NAC, Khan MF, Maulud KNA, Hamid AH, Munna FT, Rahim MAA, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2018 Jul 15;630:1502-1514.
    PMID: 29554768 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.289
    Southeast Asian haze is a semi-natural phenomenon that chokes the region each year during the dry monsoon season. Smoke-haze episodes caused by the vegetation and peat fires in Indonesia severely affected large parts of Malaysia during the 2015 El Niño phenomenon. This study aimed to evaluate the factors that influenced the concentrations of aerosol and trace gases during the 2015 haze and non-haze period on a semi-urban site in the southern part of Malaysian peninsula that facing Sumatra (Muar, Site A), and on an urban site near to Kuala Lumpur, influenced by the city centre (Cheras, Site B). Local land use data and the cluster of air mass weighted backward trajectory were used to identify the potential factors from local sources and the transboundary region, respectively. The annual median concentrations of PM10 for semi-urban and urban sites were 45.0μg/m3 and 47.0μg/m3, respectively for the study period (Jan-Dec 2015) from the hourly observation dataset. The highest PM10 concentrations during the haze were 358μg/m3 and 415μg/m3 for the two sites, respectively, representing absolutely unhealthy air. However, the trace gases were within the safe threshold. The average concentrations of PM10 and carbon monoxide were two fold higher during the haze than the non-haze episodes on both sites. Nitrogen dioxide was more influenced by haze compared with sulphur dioxide and ozone. The results of the land use change suggest that the local factor can also partially affect the air pollution on the urban area (Site B) but more visible in 2015. The results of the backward trajectory and the wildfire radiative power showed that the smoke-haze episodes that affected Malaysia in 2015 were mainly initiated in the Indonesian Sumatra and Kalimantan regions. This study provides a very useful information towards the impacted region during El Niño haze episode.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  7. Optimisation of culture composition for glyphosate degradation byBurkholderia vietnamiensisstrain AQ5-12
    Manogaran M, Shukor MY, Yasid NA, Khalil KA, Ahmad SA
    3 Biotech, 2018 Feb;8(2):108.
    PMID: 29430369 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-018-1123-4
    The herbicide glyphosate is often used to control weeds in agricultural lands. However, despite its ability to effectively kill weeds at low cost, health problems are still reported due to its toxicity level. The removal of glyphosate from the environment is usually done by microbiological process since chemical process of degradation is ineffective due to the presence of highly stable bonds. Therefore, finding glyphosate-degrading microorganisms in the soil of interest is crucial to remediate this glyphosate.Burkholderia vietnamiensisstrain AQ5-12 was found to have glyphosate-degrading ability. Optimisation of biodegradation condition was carried out utilising one factor at a time (OFAT) and response surface methodology (RSM). Five parameters including carbon and nitrogen source, pH, temperature and glyphosate concentration were optimised. Based on OFAT result, glyphosate degradation was observed to be optimum at fructose concentration of 6, 0.5 g/L ammonia sulphate, pH 6.5, temperature of 32 °C and glyphosate concentration at 100 ppm. Meanwhile, RSM resulted in a better degradation with 92.32% of 100 ppm glyphosate compared to OFAT. The bacterium was seen to tolerate up to 500 ppm glyphosate while increasing concentration results in reduced degradation and bacterial growth rate.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  8. Fulltext Characterisation of the semi-volatile component of Dissolved Organic Matter by Thermal Desorption - Proton Transfer Reaction - Mass Spectrometry
    Materić D, Peacock M, Kent M, Cook S, Gauci V, Röckmann T, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2017 Nov 21;7(1):15936.
    PMID: 29162906 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16256-x
    Proton Transfer Reaction - Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) is a sensitive, soft ionisation method suitable for qualitative and quantitative analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organic vapours. PTR-MS is used for various environmental applications including monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from natural and anthropogenic sources, chemical composition measurements of aerosols, etc. Here we apply thermal desorption PTR-MS for the first time to characterise the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM). We developed a clean, low-pressure evaporation/sublimation system to remove water from samples and coupled it to a custom-made thermal desorption unit to introduce the samples to the PTR-MS. Using this system, we analysed waters from intact and degraded peat swamp forest of Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, and an oil palm plantation and natural forest in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. We detected more than 200 organic ions from these samples and principal component analysis allowed clear separation of the different sample origins based on the composition of organic compounds. The method is sensitive, reproducible, and provides a new and comparatively cheap tool for a rapid characterisation of water and soil DOM.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  9. Fulltext The complete genome sequence of Ensifer meliloti strain CCMM B554 (FSM-MA), a highly effective nitrogen-fixing microsymbiont of Medicago truncatula Gaertn
    Nagymihály M, Vásarhelyi BM, Barrière Q, Chong TM, Bálint B, Bihari P, et al.
    Stand Genomic Sci, 2017;12:75.
    PMID: 29255570 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-017-0298-3
    Strain CCMM B554, also known as FSM-MA, is a soil dwelling and nodule forming, nitrogen-fixing bacterium isolated from the nodules of the legume Medicago arborea L. in the Maamora Forest, Morocco. The strain forms effective nitrogen fixing nodules on species of the Medicago, Melilotus and Trigonella genera and is exceptional because it is a highly effective symbiotic partner of the two most widely used accessions, A17 and R108, of the model legume Medicago truncatula Gaertn. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence, multilocus sequence and average nucleotide identity analyses, FSM-MA is identified as a new Ensifer meliloti strain. The genome is 6,70 Mbp and is comprised of the chromosome (3,64 Mbp) harboring 3574 predicted genes and two megaplasmids, pSymA (1,42 Mbp) and pSymB (1,64 Mbp) with respectively 1481 and 1595 predicted genes. The average GC content of the genome is 61.93%. The FSM-MA genome structure is highly similar and co-linear to other E. meliloti strains in the chromosome and the pSymB megaplasmid while, in contrast, it shows high variability in the pSymA plasmid. The large number of strain-specific sequences in pSymA as well as strain-specific genes on pSymB involved in the biosynthesis of the lipopolysaccharide and capsular polysaccharide surface polysaccharides may encode novel symbiotic functions explaining the high symbiotic performance of FSM-MA.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  10. Fulltext Recycling of phenolic compounds in Borneo's tropical peat swamp forests
    Yule CM, Lim YY, Lim TY
    Carbon Balance Manag, 2018 Feb 07;13(1):3.
    PMID: 29417248 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-018-0092-6
    BACKGROUND: Tropical peat swamp forests (TPSF) are globally significant carbon stores, sequestering carbon mainly as phenolic polymers and phenolic compounds (particularly as lignin and its derivatives) in peat layers, in plants, and in the acidic blackwaters. Previous studies show that TPSF plants have particularly high levels of phenolic compounds which inhibit the decomposition of organic matter and thus promote peat accumulation. The studies of phenolic compounds are thus crucial to further understand how TPSF function with respect to carbon sequestration. Here we present a study of cycling of phenolic compounds in five forests in Borneo differing in flooding and acidity, leaching of phenolic compounds from senescent Macaranga pruinosa leaves, and absorption of phenolics by M. pruinosa seedlings.

    RESULTS: The results of the study show that total phenolic content (TPC) in soil and leaves of three species of Macaranga were highest in TPSF followed by freshwater swamp forest and flooded limestone forest, then dry land sites. Highest TPC values were associated with acidity (in TPSF) and waterlogging (in flooded forests). Moreover, phenolic compounds are rapidly leached from fallen senescent leaves, and could be reabsorbed by tree roots and converted into more complex phenolics within the leaves.

    CONCLUSIONS: Extreme conditions-waterlogging and acidity-may facilitate uptake and synthesis of protective phenolic compounds which are essential for impeded decomposition of organic matter in TPSF. Conversely, the ongoing drainage and degradation of TPSF, particularly for conversion to oil palm plantations, reverses the conditions necessary for peat accretion and carbon sequestration.

    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  11. GIS-based groundwater potential analysis using novel ensemble weights-of-evidence with logistic regression and functional tree models
    Chen W, Li H, Hou E, Wang S, Wang G, Panahi M, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2018 Sep 01;634:853-867.
    PMID: 29653429 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.055
    The aim of the current study was to produce groundwater spring potential maps using novel ensemble weights-of-evidence (WoE) with logistic regression (LR) and functional tree (FT) models. First, a total of 66 springs were identified by field surveys, out of which 70% of the spring locations were used for training the models and 30% of the spring locations were employed for the validation process. Second, a total of 14 affecting factors including aspect, altitude, slope, plan curvature, profile curvature, stream power index (SPI), topographic wetness index (TWI), sediment transport index (STI), lithology, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land use, soil, distance to roads, and distance to streams was used to analyze the spatial relationship between these affecting factors and spring occurrences. Multicollinearity analysis and feature selection of the correlation attribute evaluation (CAE) method were employed to optimize the affecting factors. Subsequently, the novel ensembles of the WoE, LR, and FT models were constructed using the training dataset. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, standard error, confidence interval (CI) at 95%, and significance level P were employed to validate and compare the performance of three models. Overall, all three models performed well for groundwater spring potential evaluation. The prediction capability of the FT model, with the highest AUC values, the smallest standard errors, the narrowest CIs, and the smallest P values for the training and validation datasets, is better compared to those of other models. The groundwater spring potential maps can be adopted for the management of water resources and land use by planners and engineers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  12. Fulltext Phenol toxicity and phytoremediation
    Lee, Siew Yi, Janna Ong Abdullah
    The Pertanika Journal of Scholarly Research Reviews, 2017;3(3):107-118.
    MyJurnal
    Widespread applications of phenol in manufacturing industries and oil refineries had resulted in unprecedented leakage of phenol into the environment, which can cause serious health effects such as tissue necrosis and cardiac arrhythmia upon contact or ingestion. Plants exposed to phenol had reduced seed germination index, inhibited growth or even fatality. There are many technologies currently practised to remediate phenol pollution such as physiochemical methods (adsorption to activated carbon and chemical oxidation), biological methods (biodegradation by bacteria or fungus, and soil bioaugmentation), and phytoremediation method (using hairy roots of plants). As physiochemical and microbial phenol degradation are destructive and costly, phytoremediation is widely studied as an alternative phenol remediator which is environmental friendly and cost effective. Microorganisms can detoxify the aromatic xenobiotic through the aerobic or anaerobic pathway. Aerobic degradation of phenol is through either the meta- or ortho-pathway of catechol cleavage while anaerobic degradation occurs through the benzoate pathway. In plants, degradation of phenol is also through catechol cleavage as in microorganisms. However, different enzyme systems were utilised in the different pathways involved.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  13. Fulltext SCS-curve number in tropics: a review
    Faizalhakim, A.S., Nurhidayu, S., Norizah, K.
    The Pertanika Journal of Scholarly Research Reviews, 2017;3(2):73-96.
    MyJurnal
    Rainfall-runoff information is critical for water resource and river basin management. Runoff can be estimated by using two methods; gauged method (direct measurement) and ungauged method (indirect formula and equation). The in-situ measurement provides real-time and accurate yet required time-consuming operation and inaccessibility topography. Therefore, the runoff estimation modelling and equation was developed to overcome the limitation of in-situ measurement. SCS-CN is a simple model of ungauged method, where runoff volume (Q) resulting from rainfall (P) is formulated using equation of (Q= (P-Ia) 2 / (P-Ia + S). It was known as the best technique to be adopted for large basin study where time and manpower also accessibility are limited. SCS-CN method also is widely use in prediction software as it taken into consideration of the effects of soil, properties, land cover and antecedent moisture. Curve Number is well developed in USA for the agriculture purpose with many investigations to validate and calibrate the values of curve number. It was applied in numerous river basins in temperate and other regions e.g. US, Argentina, India, China, South Korea, Palestine and Malaysia. However, the reliability of the CN in the tropics is doubtable due to different land use characteristics, soil type, climate, geological features and rainfall pattern and variability. Based on the reviewed conceptual and applications of SCS-CN in temperate and tropics, numerous studies found the SCS-CN method is reliable and practical for runoff estimation in tropics region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  14. Fulltext Lurking in the dark: Cryptic Strongyloides in a Bornean slow loris
    Frias L, Stark DJ, Lynn MS, Nathan SK, Goossens B, Okamoto M, et al.
    Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl, 2018 Aug;7(2):141-146.
    PMID: 29988792 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.03.003
    Within host communities, related species are more likely to share common parasitic agents, and as a result, morphological similarities have led researchers to conclude that parasites infecting closely related hosts within a community represent a single species. However, genetic diversity within parasite genera and host range remain poorly investigated in most systems. Strongyloides is a genus of soil-transmitted nematode that has been reported from several primate species in Africa and Asia, and has been estimated to infect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, although no precise estimates are available. Here we describe a case of infection with a cryptic species of Strongyloides in a Bornean (Philippine) slow loris (Nycticebus menagensis) living within a diverse community of several primate species in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Malaysian Borneo. Fresh fecal samples were collected from five primate species and nematode larvae cultured from these samples were selected for phylogenetic analyses. Sequences obtained for most larvae were identified as S. fuelleborni, grouping into three different clusters and showing no aggregation within specific hosts or geographic location. In contrast, a set of parasite sequences obtained from a slow loris clustered closely with S. stercoralis into a different group, being genetically distinct to sequences reported from other primate hosts, humans included. Our results suggest that although S. fuelleborni infects all haplorrhines sampled in this primate community, a different species might be infecting the slow loris, the only strepsirrhine in Borneo and one of the least studied primates in the region. Although more data are needed to support this conclusion, we propose that Strongyloides species in primates might be more diverse than previously thought, with potential implications for ecological and evolutionary host-parasite associations, as well as epidemiological dynamics.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  15. From the High Arctic to the Equator: Do Soil Metagenomes Differ According to Our Expectations?
    Kerfahi D, Tripathi BM, Dong K, Kim M, Kim H, Ferry Slik JW, et al.
    Microb Ecol, 2019 Jan;77(1):168-185.
    PMID: 29882154 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1215-z
    Comparing the functional gene composition of soils at opposite extremes of environmental gradients may allow testing of hypotheses about community and ecosystem function. Here, we were interested in comparing how tropical microbial ecosystems differ from those of polar climates. We sampled several sites in the equatorial rainforest of Malaysia and Brunei, and the high Arctic of Svalbard, Canada, and Greenland, comparing the composition and the functional attributes of soil biota between the two extremes of latitude, using shotgun metagenomic Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencing. Based upon "classical" views of how tropical and higher latitude ecosystems differ, we made a series of predictions as to how various gene function categories would differ in relative abundance between tropical and polar environments. Results showed that in some respects our predictions were correct: the polar samples had higher relative abundance of dormancy related genes, and lower relative abundance of genes associated with respiration, and with metabolism of aromatic compounds. The network complexity of the Arctic was also lower than the tropics. However, in various other respects, the pattern was not as predicted; there were no differences in relative abundance of stress response genes or in genes associated with secondary metabolism. Conversely, CRISPR genes, phage-related genes, and virulence disease and defense genes, were unexpectedly more abundant in the Arctic, suggesting more intense biotic interaction. Also, eukaryote diversity and bacterial diversity were higher in the Arctic of Svalbard compared to tropical Brunei, which is consistent with what may expected from amplicon studies in terms of the higher pH of the Svalbard soil. Our results in some respects confirm expectations of how tropical versus polar nature may differ, and in other respects challenge them.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil/chemistry; Soil Microbiology*
  16. Fulltext Data on organochlorine concentration levels in soil of lowland paddy field, Kelantan, Malaysia
    Osman BE, Khalik WMAWM
    Data Brief, 2018 Oct;20:999-1003.
    PMID: 30225314 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.08.178
    The main goal of this research work is to measure the concentration levels of organochlorine residue in soil. The potential health risk of this pollutant on human was also determined. 10 samples were taken from a lowland paddy field situated in Kelantan, Malaysia. Physical parameters namely soil pH, organic carbon content, water content and particle size were identified to evaluate the quality of soil from the agriculture site. Soxhlet extraction and florisil clean-up process were applied to isolate 10 targeted organochlorine compounds prior to the final determination using a gas chromatography-electron capture detector. Soil from the lowland has characteristics such as slightly acidic, low organic carbon content, high water content and texture dominated by the sandy type. Concentration levels of six detected organochlorine pesticides were calculated in µg/kg. Hazard quotient value in all samples was less than the acceptable risk level HQ ≤ 1, thus reflecting the status of soil in the subjected area as unlikely to pose any adverse health effects.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  17. Fulltext Remotely sensed imagery data application in Mangrove forest: a review
    Zulfa, A.W., Norizah, K.
    Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2018;26(3):899-922.
    MyJurnal
    The mangrove forest ecosystem acts as a shield against the destructive tidal waves, preventing the coastal areas and other properties nearby from severe damages; this protective function certainly deserves attention from researchers to undertake further investigation and exploration. Mangrove forest provides different goods and services. The unique environmental factors affecting the growth of mangrove forest are as follows: distance from the sea or the estuary bank, frequency and duration of tidal inundation, salinity, and composition of the soil. These crucial factors may under certain circumstances turn into obstacles in accessing and managing the mangrove forest. One effective method to circumvent this shortcoming is by using remotely sensed imagery data, which offers a more accurate way of measuring the ecosystem and a more efficient tool of managing the mangrove forest. This paper attempts to review and discuss the usage of remotely sensed imagery data in mangrove forest management, and how they will improve the accuracy and precision in measuring the mangrove forest ecosystem. All types of measurements related to the mangrove forest ecosystem, such as detection of land cover changes, species distribution mapping and disaster observation should take advantage of the advanced technology; for example, adopting the digital image processing algorithm coupled with high-resolution image available nowadays. Thus, remote sensing is a highly efficient, low-cost and time-saving technique for mangrove forest measurement. The application of this technique will further add value to the mangrove forest and enhance its in-situ conservation and protection programmes in combating the effects of the rising sea level due to climate change.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  18. Controls on foliar aluminium accumulation among populations of the tropical shrub Melastoma malabathricum L. (Melastomataceae)
    Khairil M, Burslem DFRP
    Tree Physiol, 2018 11 01;38(11):1752-1760.
    PMID: 30137635 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpy082
    Aluminium (Al) accumulation is a common trait expressed in at least 60 plant families and particularly prevalent in tropical woody plants. However, the functional significance and genetic or physiological controls on Al accumulation are currently unknown. We tested the hypothesis that differential expression of Al accumulation among wild populations of the Al-accumulating tropical shrub Melastoma malabathricum L. is associated with habitat-related variation in total and exchangeable soil Al concentrations. Mature leaves and seeds were sampled from 20 populations of M. malabathricum growing in six habitats across Peninsular Malaysia, and soil was collected from each site. The seeds were grown in hydroponic solutions comprising 50% Hoagland's solution amended with Al in the form of 1.0 mM AlCl3 to test the hypothesis that differential expression of foliar Al accumulation is an inherited trait. Foliar Al concentrations varied significantly among populations, but were not consistently different among plants growing in different habitats and showed no relationship to total or exchangeable Al concentrations in soils collected at the 20 sites. Mean foliar Al concentration in wild plants was positively correlated with foliar calcium (Ca) concentrations, and with total soil nitrogen (N), Ca and magnesium (Mg) concentrations, across the 20 populations, and Al addition increased foliar concentrations of phosphorus, Ca, Mg and potassium in seedlings. The differential expression of Al accumulation in M. malabathricum populations is uncoupled to local variation in soil Al concentrations, but may be sensitive to local soil-related variation in the availability of other macro-nutrients, in particular N, Ca and Mg. Further research on the factors controlling Al uptake should focus on the plasticity of this trait within populations of Al accumulators and interactions with micro-habitat variation in the availability of the macronutrient cations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  19. Fulltext Isolation and characterization of a metal-reducing Pseudomonas sp. strain 135 with amide-degrading capability
    Yakasai, M.H., Rahman, M.F., Khayat, M.E., Shukor, M.Y., Shamaan, N.A., Rahim, M.B.H.A.
    Bioremediation Science and Technology Research, 2017;5(2):32-38.
    MyJurnal
    The presence of both heavy metals and organic xenobiotic pollutants in a contaminated site
    justifies the application of either a multitude of microbial degraders or microorganisms having
    the capacity to detoxify a number of pollutants at the same time. Molybdenum is an essential
    heavy metal that is toxic to ruminants at a high level. Ruminants such as cow and goats
    experience severe hypocuprosis leading to scouring and death at a concentration as low as
    several parts per million. In this study, a molybdenum-reducing bacterium with amide-degrading
    capacity has been isolated from contaminated soils. The bacterium, using glucose as the best
    electron donor reduces molybdenum in the form of sodium molybdate to molybdenum blue. The
    maximal pH reduction occurs between 6.0 and 6.3, and the bacterium showed an excellent
    reduction in temperatures between 25 and 40 oC. The reduction was maximal at molybdate
    concentrations of between 15 and 25 mM. Molybdenum reduction incidentally was inhibited by
    several toxic heavy metals. Other carbon sources including toxic xenobiotics such as amides
    were screened for their ability to support molybdate reduction. Of all the amides, only
    acrylamide can support molybdenum reduction. The other amides; such as acetamide and
    propionamide can support growth. Analysis using phylogenetic analysis resulted in a tentative
    identification of the bacterium as Pseudomonas sp. strain 135. This bacterium is essential in
    remediating sites contaminated with molybdenum, especially in agricultural soil co-contaminated
    with acrylamide, a known soil stabilizer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
  20. Fulltext Isolation and characterization of a molybdenum-reducing and Orange G-decolorizing Enterobacter sp. strain Zeid-6 in soils from Sudan
    Othman, A.R., Rahman, M.F., Shukor, M.Y., Abu Zeid, I.M., Ariffin, F.
    Bioremediation Science and Technology Research, 2015;3(2):13-19.
    MyJurnal
    Chemical toxins and organic contaminants such as hydrocarbons and dyes are major global
    contaminants with countless tones of those chemicals are created yearly with a significant
    amount release to the environment. In this work we screen the ability of a molybdenum-reducing
    bacterium isolated from contaminated soil to decolorize various azo and triphenyl methane dyes
    independent of molybdenum reduction. Biochemical analysis resulted in a tentative identification
    of the bacterium as Enterobacter sp. strain Zeid-6. The bacterium was able to decolorize the azo
    dye Orange G. The bacterium reduces molybdate to Mo-blue optimally at pH between 5.5 and
    8.0 and temperatures of between 30 and 37 oC. Other requirements include a phosphate
    concentration of 5 mM and a molybdate concentration of 20 mM. The absorption spectrum of the
    Mo-blue produced was similar to previous Mo-reducing bacterium, and closely resembles a
    reduced phosphomolybdate. Molybdenum reduction was inhibited by copper, lead, mercury and
    silver which showed 36.8, 16.9, 64.9 and 67.6% inhibition to Mo-reducing activity of
    Enterobacter sp. strain Zeid-6, respectively. The resultant molybdenum blue spectrum closely
    resembles the spectrum of molybdenum blue from the phosphate determination method. The
    ability of this bacterium to detoxify molybdenum and decolorize azo dye makes this bacterium
    an important tool for bioremediation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Soil
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