TY - JOUR A1 - Poliakova, A. A1 - Ciotti, G. A1 - Helman-Wazny, Agnieszka A1 - Fromm, J. T1 - Phytolith assemblages from palm leaves and palm-leaf manuscripts: what is the difference and what it could mean? N2 - We studied freshly collected, dried and herbarized leaf fragments of two palms, namely Borassus flabellifer L. and Corypha umbraculifera L., most commonly used for palm-leaf manuscript (PLM) production in South (S) and Southeast Asia (SE) in order to reveal differences in their phytolith assemblages. For each of the two palms, 25 leaf samples were taken from the two Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Dried leaf material was obtained from the fresh one by drying the leaves in air. Herbarium samples were obtained from two independent herbaria, specimen origin comprises S and SE Asia with the main focus on South India and Sri Lanka. Additionally, 25 manuscripts made of Borassus flabellifer leaves and 25 manuscripts made of Corypha umbraculifera leaves were investigated for phytoliths. All manuscripts are preliminary dated back to between the 16th and the beginning of the 20th century CE; most of them assumedly were produced in S India (Tamil Nadu and Kerala), Sri Lanka, Burma or Indonesia. Phytolith assemblages significantly differed between fresh, dry and herbarized palm leaves in comparison to PLM material, both qualitatively and quantitatively (mean r2 = - 0.61 ± 9.3 for Borassus samples and r2 = - 0.75 ± 5.3 for Corypha samples, at p &lt; 0.001). Fifty-three phytolith types described for PLM material were not observed in any of the fresh, dry or herbarized palm-leaf samples. Geographical analysis of PLM-specific phytoliths suggests that the combination of those phytoliths could be region-related. In this paper, we prove that the methods of palaeoecological reconstructions based on detailed microscopy of the PLMs surface and phytolith analysis applied in combination with methods of mathematical and computer data analysis can contribute to answer the questions posed by material codicology by revealing lost manuscript production recipes and by studying manuscript provenance in terms of the geographical origin of the artefacts. Our approach can potentially open a new perspective for palaeoecological studies expanding their traditional scope and making them applicable to a new research field. KW - Palm-leaf manuscripts KW - Material codicology KW - Palaeoecology PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-652517 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1482790 SN - 1664-462X VL - 15 SP - 1 EP - 29 PB - Frontiers Media SA AN - OPUS4-65251 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stohl, Leonie A1 - Tonon, Chiara A1 - Cook, Jake A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Dehn, Frank A1 - von Werder, Julia T1 - Understanding bioreceptivity of concrete: realistic and accelerated weathering experiments with model subaerial biofilms N2 - Vertical greening systems are a promising solution to the increasing demand for urban green spaces, improving environmental quality and addressing biodiversity loss. This study facilitates the development microbially greened algal biofilm facades, which offer a low maintenance vertical green space. The study focuses on concrete as a widely used building material and explores how physical surface characteristics impact its bioreceptive properties. Concrete samples, produced from the same mix but differing in surface structure, were subjected to a laboratory weathering experiment to assess their bioreceptivity. A novel inoculation method was employed, involving a single initial inoculation with either alga ( Jaagichlorella sp.) alone, or a model biofilm consisting of a combination of the alga ( Jaagichlorella sp.) with a fungus ( Knufia petricola). The samples underwent four months of weathering in a dynamic laboratory setup irrigated with deionized water to observe subaerial biofilm attachment and growth. The formation of subaerial biofilms was monitored with high resolution surface imaging, colorimetric measurements and Imaging Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometry (Imaging PAM-F), with Imaging PAM-F proving the most effective. Statistical analysis revealed that by impacting surface pH value and water retention capability, surface structures significantly influence microbial growth and that the concrete’s bioreceptivity can be influenced through thoughtful design of the materials surface. The inoculation of algae combined with a fungus facilitated the formation of a stable subaerial biofilm, enabling algae to colonize a surface structure that it could not colonize alone. This finding highlights the importance of modelling synergistic interactions present in natural biofilms. KW - Bioreceptivity KW - Concrete KW - Biofilm PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653105 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02864-x SN - 1359-5997 VL - 59 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65310 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Walsh, Michael A1 - Schenk, Gerhard A1 - Robinson, Nicole A1 - John, Samuel A1 - Dayananda, Buddhi A1 - Krishnan, Vithya A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Hermann, Ludwig A1 - Schmidt, Susanne T1 - The Circular Phosphorus Economy: Agronomic Performance of Recycled Fertilizers and Target Crops N2 - ABSTRACTBackgroundThe circular phosphorus (P) economy addresses economic and environmental penalties inherent to the current linear P economy. Phosphorus sources recovered from waste steams (recyclates) offer an alternative to conventional fertilizers.AimThis research aimed to assess the agronomic performance of P recyclates derived from wastewater (hazenite, struvite), treated sewage sludge ash (SSA) and compost (FOGO food organics/garden organics) with crops previously characterized for P use efficiency (PUE).MethodsPhosphorus was supplied as granules and benchmarked against conventional fertilizers or mineral solution. Grown in controlled conditions, crops received recyclates individually or as amalgamates, with or without additional water‐soluble P. We quantified P uptake, yield and phytate content, and calculated agronomic performance indicators.ResultsResults revealed that (1) crop genotypes with purportedly lower or higher PUE showed similar performance when grown with limiting P supply and/or less soluble P recyclates, (2) crop performance improved when less soluble P recyclates were combined with water‐soluble P, (3) crops produced similar yield and biomass when supplied with an organo‐mineral formulation, hazenite, or conventional fertilizer, (4) grain accumulated higher levels of the antinutrient phytate with excess soluble P.ConclusionWe conclude that suitably formulated P recyclates can supplement or replace conventional fertilizers, and that fertilizer design should consider the solubility of recyclates and a crop's ability to access less soluble P. This adds to the growing body of evidence that well‐formulated next‐generation fertilizers can efficiently nourish crops. Integrating insights from controlled experiments and field trials is a cost‐effective strategy to actualize the circular P economy. KW - Recycling fertilizer KW - Phosphate recovery KW - Sewage sludge ash KW - Struvite KW - Hazenite PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-627116 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202400299 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-62711 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Leers, K. A1 - Arnold, U. A1 - Herzel, Hannes A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Burkhardt, J. T1 - Thermochemically Treated Sewage Sludge Ash From Pilot-Scale Production as P-Fertilizer for Spring Wheat and Maize in Different Soil Conditions N2 - Background P-fertilizers made from sewage sludge ash (SSA) may be suitable substitutes for rock phosphate (RP)-based fertilizers and contribute to sustainable use of waste. In this context, the thermochemical AshDec treatment of SSA (TC-SSA) has been continuously improved and has emerged as a possible method to produce plant-available and low-pollutant P-fertilizers. Aim Evaluation of the P-fertilizer efficacy of TC-SSA produced in pilot trials in vegetation experiments with different plants, soils, and fertilizer doses. Methods TC-SSA was tested in pot experiments for spring wheat and maize on different soils and at two doses (0.2 and 0.4 g fertilizer P pot−1) and is compared to untreated SSA (USSA), RP, Struvite, triple superphosphate (TSP), and a control without P-fertilization (Zero P). Pot experiments are complemented by an analysis of fertilizer P-solubility. Results P-solubility of SSA with different extraction methods increased due to the thermochemical treatment, whereas the water-insoluble property remained. In contrast to RP or USSA, TC-SSA enriched calcium–acetate–lactate extractable soil P to the same extent as TSP. Plant biomass and P-uptake increased with TC-SSA compared to Zero P, RP, and USSA and were in most cases equal to TSP fertilization under different soil conditions. In contrast, the effects of RP and USSA varied among soils but, mostly, did not exceed plant biomass and P-uptake of the unfertilized control. Conclusion TC-SSA has an increased fertilizer efficacy compared to USSA and is an effective P-fertilizer for spring wheat and maize in different soil conditions. KW - Phosphorus KW - Fertilizer KW - Thermochemical KW - Maize PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-648251 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70035 SN - 1522-2624 VL - 189 IS - 1 SP - 81 EP - 93 PB - Wiley-VCH AN - OPUS4-64825 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meiers, Emelie A1 - Scholl, Juliane A1 - Droas, Morten A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Leube, Peter A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas A1 - Bagheri, A. A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Seubert, A. A1 - Koch, Matthias T1 - Development and evaluation of analytical strategies for the monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from lithium-ion battery recycling materials N2 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are well-known as “forever chemicals” and persistent pollutants released by different anthropogenic sources. The potential release of PFAS from accumulating electronic waste and lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling activities has gained increasing attention in the past years. This creates a need for analytical methods tailored for the determination of PFAS out of environmental matrices related to the named activities or directly out of the concerned materials. In this work, analytical strategies for the monitoring of PFAS in LIB recycling materials were explored for a group of legacy perfluoro sulfonic- and carbonic acids (PFSA and PFCA) and of fluorinated sulfonylimides suspected to be LIB electrolyte ingredients. These analytical strategies comprehend PFAS target approaches with a herein optimized liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method equipped with a HILIC (hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography) column in combination with the TOP (total oxidizable precursor) assay and an adapted sample preparation method for high-matrix LIB recycling materials. The validated target method was applied to a set of LIB recycling materials: end-of-life batteries, black masses from hydrometallurgical recycling, and gas absorption solutions from thermal treatment of black masses as part of the recycling procedure. Investigation results show that the LIB industry can be connected to the release of both “LIB”-PFAS, such as the target sulfonylimides, and “already-legacy” PFAS, like the PFSA and PFCA. Especially, the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as an emerging pollutant in every investigated LIB material type underlines the threat of PFAS emissions from LIB waste and recycling activities. KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Battery PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-647015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-025-06165-8 SN - 1618-2642 VL - 417 SP - 6567 EP - 6583 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64701 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kittner, Maria A1 - Bauer, Vanessa A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Kraft, Oliver A1 - Nordmann, Thomas A1 - Kalbe, Ute T1 - Mikroplastik-Austrage aus Kunststoffrasenplatzen ins Grundwasser N2 - Sportplätze aus Kunststoffrasen haben sich im Breitensport etabliert, weshalb ihre Anzahl jährlich zunimmt. Dabei werden Umwelt- und Gesundheitsrisiken, insbesondere durch Mikroplastik-Austräge, kontrovers diskutiert. Um die ungenügende Datenlage zur Menge des Austrages an Mikroplastik zu verbessern, haben sich zwei individuelle Studien mit dieser Forschungsfrage mit Fokus auf den Boden-Grundwasser-Pfad befasst, deren Ergebnisse hier erstmalig gemeinsam vorgestellt werden. Die erste Studie simulierte unter Laborbedingungen Mikroplastik-Emissionen von drei Kunststoffrasen-Szenarien in unterschiedlichen Alterungszuständen und analysierte thermoanalytisch. Die zweite Studie untersuchte Grundwasser-Proben von zwei Realsportplätzen, die 1 m unter dem Grundwasserspiegel entnommen und spektroskopisch untersucht wurden. Dies ermöglicht erstmalig einen Vergleich von Mikroplastik-Austrägen über das Sickerwasser in verschiedenen Bodentiefen. Die Labor-Ergebnisse ergaben je nach Alterungszustand des Kunststoffrasenplatzes Mikroplastik-Emissionen zwischen < 0,1 μg/L und 26,8 μg/L in 30 cm Bodentiefe. Wohingegen in den Grundwasser-Proben der Realsportplätze ab 4 m Bodentiefe keine Kunststoffrasen-Partikel detektiert wurden. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass vermehrt Mikroplastik durch Alterung aus Kunststoffrasen entsteht und im Sickerwasser ausgetragen wird, aber der Boden Mikroplastik- Partikel ≥ 5 μm durch Filtrationseffekte zurückhält, sodass diese im Grundwasser nicht nachweisbar waren. KW - Kunststoffrasen, Alterung, Mikroplastik, Elution, Schadstoffe PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.37307/j.1868-7741.2025.04.05 SN - 1868-7741 VL - 30 IS - 4 SP - 156 EP - 161 PB - Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co. KG AN - OPUS4-65098 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shafiey, H. A1 - Gogol-Döring, A. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Doublet, V. A1 - Disayathanoowat, T. A1 - Paxton, R. J. T1 - A new variant of slow bee paralysis virus revealed by transcriptome analysis N2 - Using NGS data from an RNA-seq library, we reveal a novel variant of slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV) in a pooled sample of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera) collected in southwest Germany. We provide its sequence (NCBI Accession No. PP100271) and demonstrate that it is infective for adult honey bees by feeding. KW - SBPV KW - Apis mellifera KW - +ss RNA virus KW - Iflaviridae KW - Transmission PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645577 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2024.2425912 VL - 64 IS - 1 SP - 56 EP - 59 PB - Taylor & Francis AN - OPUS4-64557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kupke, Johannes A1 - Brombach, Julian A1 - Fang, Yuwen A1 - Wolf, Silver A. A1 - Thrukonda, Lakshmipriya A1 - Ghazisaeedi, Fereshteh A1 - Kuropka, Benno A1 - Hanke, Dennis A1 - Semmler, Torsten A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Schreiber, Frank A1 - Tedin, Karsten A1 - Lübke-Becker, Antina A1 - Steiner, Ulrich K. A1 - Fulde, Marcus T1 - Heteroresistance in Enterobacter cloacae complex caused by variation in transient gene amplification events N2 - Heteroresistance (HR) in bacteria describes a subpopulational phenomenon of antibiotic resistant cells of a generally susceptible population. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms and phenotypic characteristics underlying HR to ceftazidime (CAZ) in a clinical Enterobacter cloacae complex strain (ECC). We identified a plasmid-borne gene duplication-amplification (GDA) event of a region harbouring an ampC gene encoding a β-lactamase bla DHA-1 as the key determinant of HR. Individual colonies exhibited variations in the copy number of the genes resulting in resistance level variation which correlated with growth onset (lag times) and growth rates in the presence of CAZ. GDA copy number heterogeneity occurred within single resistant colonies, demonstrating heterogeneity of GDA on the single-cell level. The interdependence between GDA, lag time and antibiotic treatment and the strong plasticity underlying HR underlines the high risk for misdetection of antimicrobial HR and subsequent treatment failure. KW - Antimicrobial surfaces KW - Biocides KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Standardization PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-627057 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44259-025-00082-7 VL - 3 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-62705 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vareschi, Silvia A1 - Jaut, Valerie A1 - Vijay, Srinivasan A1 - Allen, Rosalind J. A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - Antimicrobial efflux and biofilms: an interplay leading to emergent resistance evolution N2 - The biofilm mode of growth and drug efflux are both important factors that impede the treatment of bacterial infections with antimicrobials. Decades of work have uncovered the mechanisms involved in both efflux and biofilm-mediated antimicrobial tolerance, but links between these phenomena have only recently been discovered. Novel findings show how efflux impacts global cellular physiology and antibiotic tolerance, underpinned by phenotypic heterogeneity. In addition efflux can mediate cell-to-cell interactions, relevant in biofilms, via mechanisms including efflux of signaling molecules and metabolites, signaling using pump components and the establishment of local antibiotic gradients via pumping. These recent findings suggest that biofilm antibiotic tolerance and efflux are closely coupled, with synergistic effects leading to the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in the biofilm environment. KW - Evolution KW - Efflux KW - Antibiotics KW - Biofilms KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Phenotypic heterogeneity PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-632799 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2025.04.012 SN - 0966-842X SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63279 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lee, Mihyun A1 - Wiesli, Luzia A1 - Schreiber, Frank A1 - Ivask, Angela Ivask A1 - Ren, Qun T1 - Quantitative Assessment of Microbial Transmission onto Environmental Surfaces Using Thermoresponsive Gelatin Hydrogels as a Finger Mimetic under In Situ-Mimicking Conditions N2 - Surface-mediated transmission of pathogens plays a key role in healthcare-associated infections. However, proper techniques for its quantitative analysis are lacking, making it challenging to develop novel antimicrobial and anti-fouling surfaces to reduce pathogen spread via environmental surfaces. This study demonstrates a gelatin hydrogel-based touch transfer test, the HydroTouch test, to evaluate pathogen transmission on high-touch surfaces under semi-dry conditions. The HydroTouch test employs gelatin as a finger mimetic, facilitating testing with pathogenic bacteria under controlled conditions. The thermoresponsive sol–gel transition of gelatin allows easy recovery and quantification of bacteria before and after testing. The HydroTouch test demonstrates that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has a high transmission efficiency of ≈16% onto stainless steel, compared to <3% for Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Polyurethane surfaces exhibit strong resistance to bacterial contamination with a transmission efficiency of ≈0.6%, while polytetrafluoroethylene shows a transmission efficiency approximately four times higher than polyurethane. Additionally, quaternary ammonium-based antimicrobial coatings reduce the transmission efficiency of live bacteria on stainless steel to ≈4% of the original level. The HydroTouch test provides a reliable method for assessing pathogen transmission on various surfaces under semi-dry settings, supporting the development of effective antimicrobial, anti-transmission coatings to reduce healthcare-associated infections. KW - Antimicrobial surfaces KW - Biocides KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Standardization PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-624566 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202403790 SN - 2192-2659 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-62456 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -