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Publications (255)
The scientific community warns that our impact on planet Earth is so acute that we are crossing several of the planetary boundaries that demarcate the safe operating space for humankind. Besides, there is mounting evidence of serious effects on people’s health derived from the ongoing environmental degradation. Regarding human health, the spread of...
Landfills and waste disposal sites in the Basque Country are summarized in the inventory of soils that either currently support or have supported potentially polluting activities or facilities (Law 4/2015). Notably, “Landfill 17,” located in Gernika-Lumo, has been receiving, for decades, sewage sludges from the local wastewater treatment plant (WWT...
The enhanced phytoremediation of metal contaminated soils holds great promise for the recovery of soil health and functionality, while providing a range of co-benefits, from an environmental and human health perspective, derived from the revegetation of the degraded sites and the concomitant delivery of ecosystem services. Due to diverse evolutiona...
The remediation of mixed contaminated soil is challenging as it often requires actions to minimize metal-induced risks while degrading organic contaminants. Here, the effectiveness of different bioremediation strategies, namely, rhizoremediation with native plant species, mycoremediation with Pleurotus ostreatus spent mushroom substrate, and biosti...
It is necessary to complement next‐generation sequencing data on the soil resistome with theoretical knowledge provided by ecological studies regarding the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in the abiotic and, especially, biotic fraction of the soil ecosystem. Particularly, when ARB enter agricultural soils as a consequence of the appli...
In anthropic savanna ecosystems from the Iberian Peninsula (i.e. dehesa), complex interactions between climate change, pathogen outbreaks and human land use are presumed to be behind the observed increase in holm oak decline. These environmental disturbances alter the plant–soil microbial continuum, which can destabilize the ecological balance that...
Antibiotic resistance represents one of the greatest threats to global health. The spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria occurs mostly through horizontal gene transfer via conjugation mediated by plasmids. This process implies a direct contact between a donor and a recipient bacterium which acquires the antibiotic resistance genes en...
The biological remediation of mixed contaminated soils is exceedingly challenging as it often requires actions to minimize metal-induced risks while degrading organic contaminants. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three biological remediation options (rhizoremediation, biostimulation, mycoremediation), applied together or separately,...
The use of animal manure as organic fertilizer is a common agricultural practice that can improve soil health and crop yield. However, antibiotics and their metabolites are often present in animal manure and, hence, in manure-amended soil. The aim of this study was to assess the induced development of oxytetracycline (OTC) tolerance in soil bacteri...
Mycoremediation with mushroom growth substrates can be used for the recovery of mixed contaminated soils due to the benefits derived from the physicochemical characteristics of the substrates, the activity of extracellular enzymes secreted by the fungi, and the presence of the fungal mycelia. The objective of this work was to assess the potential o...
Agricultural fertilization with organic amendments of animal origin often leads to antibiotic resistance dissemination. In this study, we evaluated the effect of different treatments (anaerobic digestion, biochar application, ozonation, zerovalent iron nanoparticle application, and spent mushroom substrate addition) on the resistome in dairy cow ma...
Metal(oid)-contamination of soils within or near recreational shooting ranges is an environmental problem that has worsened in recent decades. The constant fall of ammunition (composed mainly of lead -Pb-) into soils and its dispersal has resulted in areas with high total Pb concentrations, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of mg kg-1 dry...
Soil is a major reservoir of resistance genes for antibiotics (ARGs) such as tetracycline, streptomycin and ciprofloxacin. The spread of ARGs in soils is mainly attributed to intensive livestock farming and agricultural practices. In particular, the application of manures to soil is one of the most important pathways for the entry of ARGs into agri...
Industrial areas located in the west of Vitoria-Gasteiz caused ecological fragmentation in the territory due to their rapid urban growth. The area of work (Mendebaldea 30 ha) had derelict and polluted soils before the intervention, lacking of any public use or activity. The Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, the University of the Basque Country and the...
There is a growing concern about the risk of antibiotic resistance emergence and dissemination in the environment. Here, we evaluated the spatio-seasonal patterns of the impact of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents on antibiotic resistance in river sediments. To this purpose, sediment samples were collected in three river basins affected b...
Bioeconomy has been institutionally supported in many European regions as an opportunity to provide competitiveness and sustainability to regional economies. Here, we evaluated the potential and degree of development of forest-based bioeconomy in the Basque Country (northern Spain), paying special attention to a variety of key factors related to in...
Phytomanagement is a set of phytotechnologies combining (1) phytoremediation options based on the use of plants (trees, shrubs, and herbaceous) and associated microorganisms to control the pollutant linkages due to contaminant excess in soils at degraded sites, (2) the production of valuable biomass that can be locally processed to supply e.g., woo...
There is a growing concern about the fate of antibiotics in the environment since recent studies have evidenced that sublethal concentrations of those products may act as a selective pressure for the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG). Moreover, those molecules do not appear individu...
Soil is one of our most important natural resources. Regrettably, the expansion of human activities has resulted in the degradation of the soil resource due to contamination with a myriad of organic and inorganic compounds. The remediation of mixed contaminated soils, i.e. soils contaminated with both organic compounds and metals, is challenging as...
In recent years, the potential of the forest-based bioeconomy to provide competitiveness, differentiation, and sustainability to the European economy has often been claimed. Interestingly, regions, as territorial units with their own political and socioeconomic strategies, have been highlighted as the most suitable targets for the development of th...
Antibiotikoak ezinbesteko tresna bilakatu dira medikuntza eta albaitaritzan bakterio-infekzioei aurre egiteko. Antibiotikoak gehiegi eta oker erabiltzeak osasun-erronka garrantzitsuenetako bat azaleratu du, bakterioek antibiotikoekiko erresistentzia zabala garatu baitute. Mundu mailako arazo hau Osasun Bakarraren ikuspegitik aztertu behar da, antib...
The management of municipal solid waste is a major logistic and environmental problem worldwide. Nonetheless, the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a valuable source of nutrients which can be used for a variety of purposes, according to the Circular Economy paradigm. Among the possible applications, the bioproduction of a biodegr...
In cow farms, the interaction between animal and environmental microbiomes creates hotspots for antibiotic resistance dissemination. A shotgun metagenomic approach was used to survey the resistome risk in five dairy cow farms. To this purpose, 10 environmental compartments were sampled: 3 of them linked to productive cows (fresh slurry, stored slur...
Nature-based solutions (NBSs) enhance the potential for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in cities. Among the environmental benefits offered by these measures, enhanced biodiversity, increased carbon storage, reduction of extreme temperatures, and pluvial flood control are crucial. The purpose of this study was to establish an integrated...
The use of manure as a fertilizer is a common agricultural practice that can improve soil physicochemical and biological properties. However, antibiotics and their metabolites are often present, leading to the adaptation of soil bacterial communities to their presence. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the extensively used, broad-s...
This study aimed to estimate the environmental impact of barley production in the Basque Country, Northern Spain, using cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, as well as to assess how methodological choices (i.e., the use of IPCC 2019 Guidelines versus allocation methods) can influence such estimation. The production of mineral fer...
The field of soil biological remediation was initially focused on the use of microorganisms. For organic contaminants, biostimulation and bioaugmentation were the strategies of choice. For heavy metals, bioremediation was centered on the feasibility of using microorganisms to reduce metal toxicity. Partly due to the impossibility to degrade metals,...
The growing loss of soil functionality due to contamination by metal(loid)s, alone or in combination with organic pollutants, is a global environmental issue that entails major risks to ecosystems and human health. Consequently, the management and restructuring of large metal(loid)-polluted areas through sustainable nature-based solutions is curren...
The concept of bioeconomy is a topic of debate, confusion, skepticism, and criticism. Paradoxically, this is not necessarily a negative thing as it is encouraging a fruitful exchange of information, ideas, knowledge, and values, with concomitant beneficial effects on the definition and evolution of the bioeconomy paradigm. At the core of the debate...
Soils of abandoned and vacant lands in the periphery of cities are frequently subjected to illegal dumping and can undergo degradation processes such as depletion of organic matter and nutrients, reduced biodiversity, and the presence of contaminants, which may exert an intense abiotic stress on biological communities. Mycorrhizal-assisted phytorem...
Acidification can alter soil ecosystem functioning, thus jeopardizing the provision of valuable ecosystem services. Moreover, soil acidification can be accompanied by other soil threats, such as, for instance, metal pollution. The aim of this work was to assess to what extent acidification affects the functionality of metal polluted soils. To this...
Soybeans and soy-based products contain isoflavones which can be used for nutraceutical and medical applications. In soybeans and in unfermented soy foods, isoflavones are normally present as glycosides. Isoflavone glycosides can be enzymatically converted to isoflavone aglycones, thus releasing the sugar molecule. The effective absorption of isofl...
Fuels from renewable biological resources are currently being used as an alternative or complement to petroleum-derived fossil fuels. The objective of this work was to investigate the degradation dynamics of commercially-available biodiesel blends (containing 1, 5 or 16% biodiesel, i.e. B1, B5 and B16) in soil simultaneously polluted with metals an...
Pharmaceutical products are currently considered emerging contaminants whose production and consumption have escalated in recent years. Most active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are complex molecules that get only partially degraded within the human body and therefore, enter the sewage system as biologically active parent compounds and metaboli...
The application of sewage sludge (SS) to agricultural soil can help meet crop nutrient requirements and enhance soil properties, while reusing an organic by-product. However, SS can be a source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), resulting in an increased risk of antibiotic resistance dissemination. We studied...
Soil metal contamination in recreational shooting ranges represents a widespread environmental problem. Lead (Pb) is the primary component of traditional ammunition, followed by metalloids such as antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As). Lead-based bullets and pellets deposited on the soil surface are subject to steady weathering; hence, metal(loid)s are re...
The application of organic amendments to agricultural soil can enhance crop yield, while improving the physicochemical and biological properties of the recipient soils. However, the use of manure-derived amendments as fertilizers entails environmental risks, such as the contamination of soil and crops with antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistance...
Increased traditional dairy sheep production in the Basque Country of northern Spain could substantially affect pasture soils. This type of agricultural land performs vital functions and provides essential ecosystem services. Regenerative farming practices such as rotational grazing with prolonged resting periods are designed to improve farmland so...
Gaur egun ugariak dira mundu mailan zein Euskal Herri mailan aktibitate antropikoengatik kutsatuak dauden edo kutsatuta egon daitezkeen lurrak. Metal astun edo elementu organikoekin kutsatuta dauden lurzoru hauek erremediatzeko teknikak anitzak eta natura ezberdinetakoak dira. Alde batetik erremediazio teknika fisiko-kimiko klasikoak aurki daitezke...
The phytomanagement concept combines a sustainable reduction of pollutant linkages at risk-assessed contaminated sites with the generation of both valuable biomass for the (bio)economy and ecosystem services. One of the potential benefits of phytomanagement is the possibility to increase biodiversity in polluted sites. However, the unique biodivers...
Soils contaminated by organic and inorganic pollutants like Cr(VI) and lindane, is currently a main environmental challenge. Biological strategies, such as biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation and vermiremediation, and nanoremediation with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) are promising approaches for polluted soil health recovery. The...
Increasing soil loss and the scarcity of useful land requires new reusing strategies. Thus, recovery of polluted soils recovery offers a chance for economic and social regeneration. With this objective, different soil cleaning technologies have been developed during the last few decades. On one hand, classical physical and/or chemical technologies...
Agricultural practices may lead to a decline in the presence and abundance of natural arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF inoculation can be an environmental friendly alternative or complement to chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Initially, through ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) metabarcoding, we characterized the compositio...
Rapid urbanization followed by economic crisis frequently results in the presence of degraded abandoned urban plots inside or in the periphery of cities. Urban greening can be a low-cost solution for their reclamation but, inevitably, the necessary plants require an appropriate medium to grow and thrive. In this study, Technosols were explored as a...
Organic amendments are being increasingly applied to agricultural soils as alternatives or complements to inorganic fertilizers. Organic amendments can increase the content of soil organic matter, concomitantly improving soil physical, chemical and biological properties. We evaluated the effect of the application of commercial vs. farm-made ferment...
Chromium is considered an environmental pollutant of much concern whose toxicity depends, to a great extent, on its valence state, with Cr(VI) being more soluble, bioavailable, and toxic, compared to Cr(III). Nanoremediation is a promising strategy for the remediation of metal pollutants by changing their valence state. However, among other aspects...
Type IV Coupling Proteins (T4CPs) are essential elements in many type IV secretion systems (T4SSs). The members of this family display sequence, length, and domain architecture heterogeneity, being the conserved Nucleotide-Binding Domain the motif that defines them. In addition, most T4CPs contain a Transmembrane Domain (TMD) in the amino end and a...
The increase of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, together with the loss of effectiveness of currently available antibiotics, represents one of the most serious threats to public health worldwide. The loss of human lives and the economic costs associated to the problem of the dissemination of antibiotic resistance require immediate...
Gentle Remediation Options (GROs), such as biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation and vermiremediation, are cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solutions for soils simultaneously polluted with organic and inorganic compounds. This study assessed the individual and combined effectiveness of GROs in recovering the health of a soil...
The anaerobic decomposition of organic wastes might lead to the formation of organic-byproducts which can then be successfully used as organic fertilizers. This study evaluated the impact of the application of two fermented liquid organic amendments (commercial vs. farm-made) at two doses of application (optimal vs. suboptimal), compared to mineral...
Data regarding microbial properties from long-term phytomanaged field trials are pivotal to determine long-term sustainability of phytotechnologies and to demonstrate their efficiency in ecological restoration. Here, a former part of a wood preservation site with total topsoil Cu in the 198-1169 mg Cu kg-1 range was phytomanaged with the addition o...
Here, we aimed to bioremediate organically contaminated soil with Brassica napus and a bacterial consortium. The bioaugmentation consortium consisted of four endophyte strains that showed plant growth-promoting traits (three Pseudomonas and one Microbacterium) plus three strains with the capacity to degrade organic compounds (Burkholderia xenovoran...
The decline of industrial manufacturing left large areas of vacant land in the peri-urban belts of many European cities, becoming an economic, social and environmental concern. In the meantime, available fertile soils are being over-used to produce energy crops, and municipal organic wastes are accumulating in landfills, actions that hamper the dev...
At a former wood preservation site contaminated with Cu, various phytomanagement options have been assessed in the last decade through physicochemical, ecotoxicological and biological assays. In a field trial at this site, phytomanagement with a crop rotation based on tobacco and sunflower, combined with the incorporation of compost and dolomitic l...
Despite being a promising technology for remediating metal(loid)-contaminated land,
the success and effectiveness of phytotechnologies often face important challenges,
e.g. selection of suited plant species, budgetary restrictions, an upcoming climate
change scenario, or site-specific limitations for deploying best agronomic practices.
An ultimate...
The use of organic amendments in agriculture is a common practice due to their potential to increase crop productivity and enhance soil health. Indeed, organic amendments of different origin and composition (e.g., animal slurry, manure, compost, sewage sludge, etc.) can supply valuable nutrients to the soil, as well as increase its organic matter c...
The use of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles for soil remediation is gaining increased attention. However, there are concerns about the potential adverse effects of nZVI on soil microbial communities and, hence, soil quality. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the application of nZVI on soil microbial parameters (as b...
Technosols can be used to rehabilitate degraded land and reuse wastes. Ideally, these newly formed soils should also fulfil the main soil functions. In this study, initially, we characterized the physicochemical and microbial properties of different formulations and their ingredients (i.e., dirt from a waste recovery plant, recycled bentonite, sewa...
Livestock manure-derived amendments can be beneficial for agricultural soil quality, as they can increase the content of soil organic matter and nutrients, stimulate microbial activity and biomass, and enhance crop yield. Here, we studied the impact of six different manure-derived amendments, according to the origin (horse manure-derived vs. chicke...
The application of nanoscale zero-valent iron particles (nZVI) for the remediation of contaminated sites is very promising. However, information concerning the ecotoxicity of nZVI on soil microbial communities and, hence, soil quality, is still scarce. We carried out a three-month experiment to evaluate the impact of the application of different co...
Nowadays, soil functionality and productivity are severely impaired due, in great part, to the fact that most of the land is being intensively used for food production and urbanization purposes, with a consequent rise in the generation of wastes and consumption/degradation of fertile soils. These issues can be jointly addressed by an integrated and...
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 v...
Phytomanaging metal(loid)-contaminated soils can gradually result in an increase in microbial diversity, carbon sequestration, and soil quality and functionality. However, there is a lack of field evidence demonstrating the beneficial effect of phytomanagement on these ecosystem services. Here, we monitor the medium- to long-term effects of differe...
The long-term recovery of soil ecological functions underlying ecosystem services should lie at the core of the assessment of any phytomanagement initiative. Soil microbial properties have demonstrated a high potential as indicators of the effectiveness of phytomanagement of metal(loid)-contaminated soils, as they are key players in many of these s...