Coal mine dust continues to be a health and safety issue in underground coal mines. Coal seam water infusion was developed and widely applied in European coal mines for dust control, and was also a common practice in most Chinese coal mines. This method typically involves the infusion of water into the coal seam to increase its moisture content, and therefore reduce dust generation during mining operations. With the availability of other dust control methods such as water spraying systems, the water infusion method has not been considered as a viable means for dust mitigation in modern mines. However, the increase in production output and the deployment of more powerful equipment for coal cutting and transport and intensive gas drainage practices mean that workers could be exposed to more dust contaminations. Whilst the mine operators are committed to suppress and dilute airborne dust particles using these passive measures, there is a need to critically examine and subsequently develop this proactive dust control technology for practical applications in Chinese coal mines. The paper provides a critical review of the water infusion technologies in view of its technological advances and practical application limitations. The methods of water infusion, mechanism of water flow in coal, the role of surfactants and the key parameters influencing the effect of water infusion on dust control are identified and discussed. Existing problems and prospects for water infusion are analysed.

This research aims to study the effect on industrial carbon intensity by decomposing electricity consumption into electricity consumption volume and electric power intensity by using panel data of 27 China’s manufacturing sectors. An improved STIRPAT model is also developed by this article to identify the unexplored potential influencing factors. The research findings suggest that there exists a long-run equilibrium relationship between electricity consumption and carbon intensity and unidirectional causality from electricity consumption volume to carbon intensity. Regression results indicate that electricity consumption volume has a significantly negative effect on industrial carbon intensity for the full sample. However, due to the significantly positive influence that electric power intensity has on carbon intensity, we conclude that energy consumption and industrial economy failed to achieve the decoupling effect. The impacts of electricity consumption volume and electric power intensity have industrial heterogeneity. Electric power intensity impacts carbon intensity the most for resource intensive sectors. The effects of subgroups are further examined for sectors with high/low carbon emission volume and carbon intensity. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is conducive to reducing carbon intensity for sectors with high volume and sectors with high intensity. Industrialization level demonstrates a significantly positive effect on improving carbon intensity for sectors with low volume and sectors with low intensity. Finally, we put forward specific suggestions on the basis of these empirical findings.

Black liquor is generated from the pretreatment process of biomass-based bioethanol production and due its environmental impact, should be treated effectively before discharged to the water body. Chemical treatment using coagulation-flocculation method was commonly used for wastewater treatment. In the case of black liquor, chemical treatment is often insufficient and further treatment was needed to degrade lignin in order to reduce its black coloration. This present study investigated the two-step treatment to decolorize black liquor using chemical coagulation-flocculation and biological treatment using white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor INACC F200. The biological treatment was optimized by applying a response surface methodology (RSM) of the utilization of CuSO₄ concentration, Tween 80 concentration, and agitation. Furthermore, lignin degradation was also confirmed using FTIR and LC-MS. Initial chemical treatment using ferrous sulfate and polyacrylamide as coagulant-flocculant with a ratio of 3:3, resulted in black liquor decolorization at 80.9% and reduced the COD up to 90.77%. A full quadratic stepwise model was utilized with CuSO₄ inducer, Tween 80 mediator, and agitation speed as the independent variables. Optimum decolorization of 96.188% was predicted when using 2 mM CuSO₄, 2% Tween 80, and an agitation speed of 150 rpm. The highest enzyme activity during the decolorization process was lignin peroxidase (LiP). FT-IR and LC-MS profile showed that lignin-associated bond was eliminated and the molecular weight of lignin was decreased after the treatment. This study concludes the effective decolorization and delignification of black liquor by the two-step chemical and biological treatment.

The in vitro effect of enrofloxacin (EFZ) was tested on two experimental somatic bovine cells in vitro: peripheral lymphocytes (PLs) and cumulus cells (CCs). The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of this veterinary antibiotic were assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, and cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN cyt) assay. Cells were treated during 24 h, and three concentrations were tested (50 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL, 150 μg/mL). When EFZ was tested in PLs, the results demonstrated that the antibiotic was able to induce cell death and DNA damage with all concentrations. In addition, 50 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL EFZ increased frequencies of micronuclei (MNi). On the other hand, the highest EFZ concentration occasioned cellular cytotoxicity in CCs as evidenced by mitochondrial activity alterations. Nevertheless, EFZ was not able to induce DNA damage and MNi in CCs. These results represent the first experimental evidence of genotoxic and cytotoxic effects exerted by EFZ in bovine PLs and CCs.

Our study evaluated 163 individuals, being 74 soybean farmers, occupationally exposed to pesticides, and 89 individuals from Goias municipalities, Central Brazil, with similar conditions to the exposed group, comprising the control group. Of the 74 soybean farmers, 43 exposed directly to pesticides and 31 exposed indirectly. The exposed group consisted of individuals aged 19 to 63 years, 21 women and 53 men, and the control group had ages ranging from 18 to 64 years, being 36 women and 53 men. 18.9% of the exposed group were poisoned by pesticides, and the most common symptoms were headache and gastrointestinal problems. The genotype frequencies of the rs2031920 (T>C) polymorphism in the CYP2E1 gene present significant differences between the exposed and control groups (p = 0.02), showing that 24.3% of the exposed group were heterozygotes against 6.7% in the control group. For the OGG1 gene, two SNPs, rs1052133 (G>C) and rs293795 (T>C), were evaluated and the genotype frequencies were not statistically different between the exposed and control groups. The DNA damage was distinct (p < 0.05) in the three analyzed comet parameters (tail length, Olive tail moment, %DNA) between groups. However, there was no influence of age and alcohol consumption between the groups associated with the polymorphisms in the CYP2E1 and OGG1 genes and DNA damage. We also did not find altered hematological and biochemical parameters in the exposed group. Thus, this pioneering study at Goias State carried out an overview of the health of soybean farmers. We evaluated classic laboratory exams, associated with exposure markers (comet assay) and susceptibility markers (genetic polymorphisms), emphasizing the need to expand the Brazilian health assessment protocol. We found, in soybean farmers, increased DNA damage and a higher number of heterozygotes in CYP2E1 gene, compared with the control group, despite the lack of association with age, educational level, smoking, drinking habits, and genetic polymorphisms.

Mobile sources are considered to be one of the most important sources of air pollution among which are motor vehicles, recognized as the major contributor of air pollutants in urban areas. To determine the emissions for CO, SO₂, and NO₂ from motor vehicles as part of the attempt to realize the extent of traffic air pollution, measurements were carried out in two heavily traversed traffic tunnels in Tehran metropolitan area. The concentrations of pollutants and metrological and traffic data were collected through intensive measurements from September 27 to October 17, 2016. Resalat Tunnel fleet was composed of about 10% diesel-fueled vehicles and 90% non-diesel-fueled vehicles while throughout the entire duration of our campaign, only non-diesel-fueled vehicles traversed Niayesh Tunnel. Under an average traffic speed of 43 km h⁻¹, emission factors from Resalat Tunnel campaign were measured to be (6.59 ± 2.69)E+3, (1.42 ± 0.84)E+2, and 6.80 ± 4.99 mg km⁻¹ for CO, SO₂, and NO₂, respectively. These values were respectively 11% higher, 22% lower, and 40% higher than those from Niayesh Tunnel measurements which were recorded at a traffic speed of 30 km h⁻¹. Current results indicate that the vehicular emissions in certain countries, especially the developing ones and in this case, Iran, are quite different from those measured in developed countries and that the high emission levels of SO₂ in Iran are associated with the high sulfur content of the gasoline.

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in muscle and liver tissue of Haemulopsis axillaris and Diapterus peruvianus from the Eastern Pacific in Mexico and to assess the health risk to consumers. Fish were collected as bycatch on the continental shelf between the coasts of Sinaloa and Guerrero (Eastern Pacific). Cd and Pb were quantified in muscle and liver tissue using graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GF-AAS).Concentration of Cd was greater in muscle tissue than in liver tissue; with Pb, however, the opposite pattern was found. The highest concentration of Cd (0.177 μg g⁻¹) was found in muscle tissue of H. axillaris from Sinaloa. For Pb, the highest level (0.692 μg g⁻¹) was found in the liver tissue of H. axillaris also from Sinaloa. Levels of Cd and Pb in muscle tissue were both below Mexican Guidelines (0.5, 1.0 μg g⁻¹ wet weight for Cd and Pb respectively) and International Guidelines. The hazard index (HI) for both metals in the edible portion of studied considering metal levels in the edible portion and the rate of fish consumption by the Mexican population (in adults and children) was less than 1 (HI < 1), values which do not represent a health risk to consumers.

Li₂CuO₂ and different iron-containing Li₂CuO₂ samples were synthesized by solid state reaction. On iron-containing samples, atomic sites of copper are substituted by iron ions in the lattice (XRD and Rietveld analyses). Iron addition induces copper release from Li₂CuO₂, which produce cationic vacancies and CuO, due to copper (Cu²⁺) and iron (Fe³⁺) valence differences. Two different physicochemical conditions were used for analyzing CO₂ capture on these samples; (i) high temperature and (ii) low temperature in presence of water vapor. At high temperatures, iron addition increased CO₂ chemisorption, due to structural and chemical variations on Li₂CuO₂. Kinetic analysis performed by first order reaction and Eyring models evidenced that iron addition on Li₂CuO₂ induced a faster CO₂ chemisorption but a higher thermal dependence. Conversely, CO₂ chemisorption at low temperature in water vapor presence practically did not vary by iron addition, although hydration and hydroxylation processes were enhanced. Moreover, under these physicochemical conditions the whole sorption process became slower on iron-containing samples, due to metal oxides presence.

Acid rain is a global environmental problem that threatens agricultural production. Calcium (Ca), as a signal substance for physiological activities, has been known to regulate plant growth under abiotic stresses. To clarify whether calcium could be one of possible ways to alleviate the reduction caused by acid rain in agricultural production and investigate its regulating mechanism on adaptation of plants under acid rain stress, we studied the effect of exogenous Ca²⁺ (5 mM CaCl₂) on growth of soybean at different growth stages (seedling, flowering-podding, and filling stages) as well as yield and grain quality of soybean under simulated acid rain (pH 4.5 or pH 3.0) stress. We found that the application of Ca²⁺ could regulate the activity of plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase, for mitigating the increase of ammonium and the decrease of nitrate and phosphorus in soybean roots, which mitigated the inhibition on growth and improved the yield and grain quality of soybean under simulated acid rain stress. In addition, the alleviating effect of exogenous Ca²⁺ on soybean was the most significant at seedling stage. The results indicate that the exogenous Ca²⁺ could enhance the adaptation of soybean and facilitate the recovery of soybean productivity and grain quality under simulated acid rain stress by maintaining the uptake of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphorus.

Global trade plays an imperative role in the world economy that yields environmental degradation. Therefore, the current paper’s ambitions are to explore the trade–air pollution nexuses by introducing the value-added trade (VT) concept from a global value chain stance. The value-added trade (VT) indicator is constructed by the World Input-Output (WIOD) classifications database. Owing to scanty data accessibility, the sample set is reduced to 39 countries covering the period from 1995 to 2009. Furthermore, this paper is also contributing by including the eight different pathways of per capita air pollution in terms of ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), nitrous oxide (N₂O), sulphur oxides (SOₓ) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) respectively. The valuable outcomes from empirical analysis have been found; Firstly, it explores that the preliminary stage of the development of value-added trade (VT) has a positive impact on air-bonds pollution. However, in the later stage of the economic development, trade improves the environmental quality as the square of value-added trade (VT²) has a negative impact on air pollution. Moreover, it also elaborates that the magnitude impact of trade on carbon monoxide (CO) air pollution is more than the other seven air pollutants. Thirdly, the inverted U-shape in the trade–air pollution Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, the non-linear relationship between trade and pollution is also validated in all eight air pollutants indicators. Policy proposals for green economy that underlines the global value chain stance and environmental factors in the growing economy are proposed.