Increasing use of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles [Me(O)NPs] in products means many will inevitably find their way into marine systems. Their likely fate here is sedimentation following hetero-aggregation with natural organic matter and/or free anions, putting benthic, sediment-dwelling and filter feeding organisms most at risk. In marine systems, Me(O)NPs can absorb to micro-organisms with potential for trophic transfer following consumption. Filter feeders, especially bivalves, accumulate Me(O)NPs through trapping them in mucus prior to ingestion. Benthic in-fauna may directly ingest sedimented Me(O)NPs. In fish, uptake is principally via the gut following drinking, whilst Me(O)NPs caught in gill mucus may affect respiratory processes and ion transport. Currently, environmentally-realistic Me(O)NP concentrations are unlikely to cause significant adverse acute health problems, however sub-lethal effects e.g. oxidative stresses have been noted in many organisms, often deriving from dissolution of Ag, Cu or Zn ions, and this could result in chronic health impacts.

The main objective of this study was to understand the key factors and mechanisms controlling adsorption of sulfonamides to biochars. Batch adsorption experiments were performed for sulfamethoxazole and sulfapyridine to three pine-wood biochars prepared under different thermochemical conditions: pyrolysis at 400 °C (C400) and 500 °C (C500), and pyrolysis at 500 °C followed with hydrogenation (C500-H). For both sulfonamides, the adsorbent surface area-normalized adsorption was stronger to C500 than to C400. This is attributable to the enhanced π–π electron-donor–acceptor interaction with the carbon surface of C500 due to the higher degree of graphitization. Despite the relatively large difference in surface O-functionality content between C500 (12.2%) and C500-H (6.6%), the two biochars exhibited nearly identical adsorbent surface area-normalized adsorption, indicating negligible role of surface O-functionalities in the adsorption to these adsorbents. Effects of solution chemistry conditions (pH, Cu2+, and dissolved soil humic acid) on adsorption were examined.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) chiral signatures were measured in Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) and their potential prey in arctic marine food webs from Canada (Cumberland Sound) and Europe (Svalbard) to assess temporal and spatial variation in PCB contamination at the stereoisomer level. Marine mammals had species-specific enantiomer fractions (EFs), likely due to a combination of in vivo biotransformation and direct trophic transfer. Greenland sharks from Cumberland Sound in 2007–2008 had similar EFs to those sharks collected a decade ago in the same location (PCBs 91, 136 and 149) and also similar to their conspecifics from Svalbard for some PCB congeners (PCBs 95, 136 and 149). However, other PCB EFs in the sharks varied temporally (PCB 91) or spatially (PCB 95), suggesting a possible spatiotemporal variation in their diets, since biotransformation capacity was unlikely to have varied within this species from region to region or over the time frame studied.

The aim of this research was to study the association of the accumulated human exposure to persistent organic pollutants with serum lipid levels and obesity, in a cohort of 298 adults.In the multivariable analyses, HCB concentrations evidenced a significant quadratic association with levels of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and total serum lipids. Likewise, PCBs 138 and 180 were associated with triglycerides and total serum lipids, and PCB 153 with LDL. HCB, p,p′-DDE, and β-HCH showed quadratic associations with BMI. All quadratic models showed a positive trend at low exposure levels, while the slope decreased or even became negative at higher exposure levels. Additionally, PCB 138 was positively associated with BMI but in a linear manner. Our results suggest a potential relationship between historical POP exposure and serum lipids/obesity, which followed a non-linear pattern in most cases.

An indirect estimation method was followed to derive exposure levels of fifteen phthalate congeners in urban population of Delhi, India. The exposure media samples were collected from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and Okhla industrial area. GC–MS analysis of the samples indicated di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) to be the most abundant congener and its estimated total daily intake level reached upto 70 μg kg−1 d−1. Out of the studied congeners, intake doses for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and DEHP, reached levels near or above the established exposure limit. In JNU, DEHP, dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) had 69% share in combined daily intake of Σ15 phthalates (CDI15); whereas, in Okhla, DEHP, diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), DnBP and DMP shared 64% of the CDI15. Food was found to be the major source of exposure contributing 67% and 74% of the estimated CDI15 at JNU and Okhla respectively.

Zebrafish embryotoxicity and dioxin-like activity levels were tested for particulate air samples from an urban background site in Barcelona (Spain). Samples were collected during 14 months, and maximal values for both biological activities corresponded to samples collected during late autumn months, correlating with elevated PAH levels. Vehicle and combustion emissions appeared as the potentially most toxic sources, whereas total PM mass and mineral content appeared to be poor predictors of the biological activity of the samples. Samples simultaneously collected at different particle size cut-offs (10, 2.5, and 1 μm) did not differ significantly in dioxin-like PAH levels and biological activity, indicating that the sub-micron particle fraction (PM1) concentrated essentially all observed toxicity. Our results support the need for a tighter control on sub-micron particle emissions and show that total PM mass and, particularly, PM10, may not fully characterize the toxic potential of air samples.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) molecular diagnostic ratios (MDRs) are unitless concentration ratios of pair-PAHs with the same molecular weight (MW); MDRs have long been used as a tool for PAHs source identification purposes. In the present paper, the efficiency of the MDR methodology is evaluated through the use of a multimedia fate model, the calculation of characteristic travel distances (CTD) and the estimation of air concentrations for individual PAHs as a function of distance from an initial point source. The results show that PAHs with the same MW are sometimes characterized by substantially different CTDs and therefore their air concentrations and hence MDRs are predicted to change as the distance from the original source increases. From the assessed pair-PAHs, the biggest CTD difference is seen for Fluoranthene (107 km) vs. Pyrene (26 km). This study provides a strong indication that MDRs are of limited use as a source identification tool.

The Community Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system is used to investigate the response of atmospheric visibility to the emission reduction from different sectors (i.e. industries, traffic and power plants) in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Visibility improvement from exclusive reduction of NOx or VOC emission was most inefficient. Sulfate and organic aerosol would rebound if NOx emission was exclusively reduced from any emission sector. The most efficient way to improve the atmospheric visibility was proven to be the multi-pollutant control strategies. Simultaneous emission reductions (20–50%) on NOx, VOC and PM from the industrial and mobile sectors could result in 0.3–1.0 km visibility improvement. And the emission controls on both NOx (85%) and SO2 (90%) from power plants gained the largest visibility improvement of up to 4.0 km among all the scenarios. The seasonal visibility improvement subject to emission controls was higher in summer while lower in the other seasons.

This paper reports the results of an Open-Top Chambers experiment on the responses of two durum wheat cultivars (Neodur and Virgilio) exposed to two different levels of ozone (charcoal-filtered air and ozone-enriched air) and irrigation water salinity (tap water as control and a 75 mM NaCl solution once a week).The stomatal conductance of the flag leaves was measured on four dates during May. Flag leaf samples were collected to detect ozone visible leaf injuries. At the end of the growing season, the yield/biomass and grain quality parameters were assessed. Saline irrigation caused significant reductions in gs, yield and grain quality in Neodur, while Virgilio was more tolerant. The yield response to ozone was almost negligible, with Virgilio, despite the higher susceptibility to visible leaf injuries, being more productive than Neodur.The responses to the combined stress were not consistent, with the main tendencies undoubtedly driven by the saline irrigation factor.

The artificial sweeteners sucralose (SCL), acesulfame (ACS), saccharin (SAC), and cyclamate (CYC) have been detected in environmental waters in Europe and North America. Higher environmental levels are expected in view of the increasing consumption of these food additives. In this study, an isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for quantifying the four artificial sweeteners in boreal lakes (n = 3) and rivers (n = 12). The highest concentrations of ACS, SAC, CYC and SCL were 9,600, 490, 210 and 1000 ng/L, respectively. ACS and SAC were detected in all studied samples, and CYC and SCL in 98% and 56% of the samples. Seasonal trends of ACS and SAC were observed in some rivers. ACS and SCL concentrations in rivers correlated linearly with population equivalents of the wastewater treatment plants in the catchment areas, whereas SAC and CYC concentrations depend more on the source.