This study analyzes the potential use of an Allium-derived compound, propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO), as a functional feed additive in aquaculture. Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles had their diet supplemented with this Allium-derived compound (150 mg/kg of PTSO) and were compared with control fish. The effects of this organosulfur compound were tested by measuring the body weight and analyzing the gut microbiota after 12 weeks. The relative abundance of potentially pathogenic Vibrio and Pseudomonas in the foregut and hindgut of supplemented fish significantly decreased, while potentially beneficial Lactobacillus increased compared to in the control fish. Shannon’s alpha diversity index significantly increased in both gut regions of fish fed with a PTSO-supplemented diet. Regarding beta diversity, significant differences between treatments only appeared in the hindgut when minority ASVs were taken into account. No differences occurred in body weight during the experiment. These results indicate that supplementing the diet with Allium-derived PTSO produced beneficial changes in the intestinal microbiota while maintaining the productive parameters of gilthead seabream juveniles.

Characterizing uranium (U) mine water is necessary to understand and design an effective bioremediation strategy. In this study, water samples from two former U-mines in East Germany were analysed. The U and sulphate (SO₄²⁻) concentrations of Schlema-Alberoda mine water (U: 1 mg/L; SO₄²⁻: 335 mg/L) were 2 and 3 order of magnitude higher than those of the Pöhla sample (U: 0.01 mg/L; SO₄²⁻: 0.5 mg/L). U and SO₄²⁻ seemed to influence the microbial diversity of the two water samples. Microbial diversity analysis identified U(VI)-reducing bacteria (e.g. Desulfurivibrio) and wood-degrading fungi (e.g. Cadophora) providing as electron donors for the growth of U-reducers. U-bioreduction experiments were performed to screen electron donors (glycerol, vanillic acid, and gluconic acid) for Schlema-Alberoda U-mine water bioremediation purpose. Thermodynamic speciation calculations show that under experimental conditions, U(VI) is not coordinated to the amended electron donors. Glycerol was the best-studied electron donor as it effectively removed 99% of soluble U, 95% of Fe, and 58% of SO₄²⁻ from the mine water, probably by biostimulation of indigenous microbes. Vanillic acid removed 90% of U, and no U removal occurred using gluconic acid.

Mining-related impacts on water are often more persistent, costly, and extensive than suggested by standard reporting practice which frequently omits the indirect impacts on third parties associated with mining-induced alterations to water flow and quality and rarely covers the associated economic knock-on effects (costs). Based on a literature review, this paper aims to identify and categorise such underreported impacts using 15 international case studies from nine countries covering surface and underground operations and a wide range of commodities. For each of the seven proposed water impact categories such as discharge of mine effluents, mine waste-related pollution, de- and rewatering, hydrological alterations, etc., corresponding case studies and associated key impact parameters are compiled. Linking mining-induced pollution to water quantity and costs is proposed as a potential means to curb the externalisation of costs. In addition to the literature data, original calculations are provided on how the creation of vast “lakescapes” in former lignite districts exacerbates water stress in two of Germany’s driest regions. The main objective is to strengthen the future licencing decisions of authorities and better anticipate mining-induced water impacts at a time when rising demand for energy transition metals intensifies the competition for limited water resources in many already water-stressed mining regions.

Uranium contamination is a major global concern, as its chemical and radiological effects threaten ecosystems and human health, particularly in mining-impacted regions. Pentavalent uranium is a key but often overlooked intermediate in U biogeochemistry, challenging the conventional view of a direct U(VI) to U(IV) transition and precipitation in natural waters. Here we demonstrate the formation and stability of U(V) under environmentally relevant mine-water conditions using advanced spectroscopic and microscopic analyses. Our data reveal concurrent U(VI) reduction to U(IV), as biogenic uraninite nanoparticles, and to U(V) as FeU ^(V) O₄ nanoparticles and U(V)-carbonate complexes. U(V) persists for at least 130 days under anoxic conditions and four weeks after exposure to oxygen. Microbial community analysis reveals enrichment of fermentative and sulphate-reducing taxa, consistent with redox conditions favouring U reduction. By demonstrating the stability of immobilised U(V) alongside U(IV), this work advances the understanding of uranium biogeochemistry and offers new insights for sustainable remediation strategies.