Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the overlying water is important in influencing internal phosphorus (P) release. However, the potentially associative effect of DO on the P adsorption and immobilization by La-modified bentonite (LMB) has not been quantified. This 80-day incubation experiment showed the synergistic effect of DO and LMB in the overlying water, which caused the reduction of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) by 51% (DO = 5 mg L⁻¹) and 77% (DO = 7 mg L⁻¹) on average, respectively, compared with the DO of 3 mg L⁻¹. In addition, the DIP in the pore water decreased from 1.12 mg P L⁻¹ (control) to 0.014 mg P L⁻¹ (5 mg L⁻¹) and 0.004 mg P L⁻¹ (7 mg L⁻¹). Besides, the Fe²⁺ and NH₄⁺ concentrations were also reduced significantly in the pore water, suggesting the rise in the redox potential in the sediment, which helped P immobilization. Chemical P-fractionation experiments indicate that the Fe-P reduction in sediment was the most significant, reduced by 14%, followed by NH₄Cl-P (12%), causing a reduction by 13% (3 mg L⁻¹), 23% (5 mg L⁻¹) and 27% (7 mg L⁻¹) of mobile P in the surface 7-cm sediment, respectively. However, the released P ions were rapidly adsorbed by the Al ions and Ca ions, as well as their compounds, thereby leading to the obvious rise in inert P in the sediment. Accordingly, it was suggested that DO and LMB had a synergistic effect on external P adsorption and immobilization.

In view of the sector-wide effect of the nCOVID-19 pandemic in the USA and the probable effect on certain over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products, the current study examined potential inflation in the pharmaceutical industry arising from the pandemic-related uncertainty. In this case, the USA’s producer price indexes vis-à-vis inflation of the immune-related pharmaceutical items: multivitamin, vitamins nutrients and hematinic (V-N-H), other vitamins (other-V), antidepressant, and antidiabetic were examined alongside the uncertainties arising from the world pandemic and economic policy. Thus, the (Diebold and Yilmaz in Int J Forecast 28(1): 57–66, 2012) result implied that the world pandemic uncertainty contributed a significantly huge shock to the examined pharmaceutical compounds, thus affirming the vulnerability of certain pharmaceuticals to pandemic-related uncertainty. The total spillover increased from 34.2% (with economic policy uncertainty) to 47.6% (when pandemic uncertainty is incorporated). In specific, there are negative net spillovers from the multivitamins, other vitamins, antidiabetic, and antidepressant especially due to high pandemic and economic policy uncertainties. However, the statistical evidence implied that higher uncertainty arising from the pandemic is responsible for the severity of shock received by the indicated pharmaceutical products as against economic policy uncertainty. Thus, a relevant policy inference is posited from the result of the study.

Firstly, we divided the existing environmental regulation policies into two types as “expense-type” and “investment-type” according to their characteristics. And then we analyzed the mechanism how the two kinds of environmental regulation policies acted on employment and tested the affected degree of two kinds of environmental regulation on employment through using the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2015. Finally, we did the empirical research by subdividing types of above 30 provinces according to the provincial heterogeneity in industrial structure and education level of the residents. Results showed that (1) the effect of expense-type environmental regulation on the provincial employment exhibited as “U” curve form and the intensity of environmental regulation in China were still on the decline phase of the “U” curve in “12•5” period. The effect of investment-type environmental regulation on the provincial employment was always positive, and it can indirectly increase provincial employment scale by rising provincial technology levels. (2) The effects of provincial economic development level, capital, and technology investment on regional employment were significantly positive. But due to the crowding-out effect of economic opening on indigenous technology, the effect of economic opening on regional employment wasn’t significant. (3) The upgraded provincial industrial structure to tertiary industry as the main industry and strengthening the education level of residents all could reduce the inflection point of the “U” curve and accelerate the realization of the “Win-win situation” between environmental improvement and employment growth.

Nitrate-denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (Nitrate-DAMO) process is a novel bioprocess which couples anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) with nitrite/nitrate reduction. In this study, one Nitrate-DAMO culture contains both DAMO bacteria (62.2%) and DAMO archaea (26.5%). The environmental conditions, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen were found to affect Nitrate-DAMO activity significantly. When temperature was below 35 °C, Nitrate-DAMO reaction rate dropped as temperature decreased, and when temperature was above 35 °C, Nitrate-DAMO reaction rate decreased as temperature rose; Nitrate-DAMO reaction rate reached maximum at 35 °C. When pH was below 6.5, Nitrate-DAMO reaction rate decreased with the decrease of pH, and when pH was above 7.5, Nitrate-DAMO reaction rate decreased as pH rose; the maximum Nitrate-DAMO reaction rate appeared at both pH 6.5 and 7.5. Nitrate-DAMO activity was inversely proportional to dissolved oxygen concentration, which meant the existence of dissolved oxygen inhibited Nitrate-DAMO process.

The role of capital abundance and income in the trade openness and environmental quality debate has long been a concern among academic researchers. The researchers of this paper empirically analyze the effects of trade and other core factors on emissions of four pollutants (SO₂, SM, VOC, and NHX), using panel data from 31 provinces in China from 2000 to 2015. Then the scale, composition, technique, and trade elasticities are calculated, based on lower and higher levels of capital abundance and relative income. Furthermore, the researchers calculate the province-specific trade elasticities and analyze the relationship between the province-specific trade elasticities and capital abundance and relative income, respectively. They find a negative effect of trade openness on pollutant emissions in China. The analysis of the elasticities in terms of China’s pollutant emissions shows that the scale and composition elasticities are positive, while technique and trade elasticities are negative. Moreover, provinces with lower capital abundance tend to have more negative trade elasticities, while provinces with higher relative income tend to have more negative trade elasticities. The result implies that both pollution haven effect and factor abundance effect may be at work in Chinese provinces, but the dominance of one effect over the other depends on a province’s level of capital abundance and income.

The risks of the health-associated problems of pesticide-exposed non-target organisms are ubiquitous, therefore an emerging concern to strike the balance between benefit and risk factors. In the present study, by elucidating multiple biomarkers, the effects of Phenthoate 50 EC on the acute toxicity tests and different pathophysiological changes of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings were studied in time- and concentration-dependent manners. The LC₅₀ of Phenthoate 50 EC for the fish was 7.39 (6.716–8.076) ppm at 96 h. As an indicator of neurotoxicity, compared to the control group, significant (P < 0.01) reduction in brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was observed, whereas plasma glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase (PGOT) and plasma glutamate pyruvate transaminase (PGPT) activities were increased significantly (P < 0.01) at the doses of 2.22 and 3.69 ppm of Phenthoate 50 EC, respectively. Histopathological changes in the insecticide-treated fish liver suggested the hepatic tissue damages, while alteration of the blood, gills and kidney morphology; progressive decrease (P < 0.05) in the serum calcium levels; and significantly (P < 0.01) decreased blood glucose level at 2.22 and 3.69 or 5.17 ppm of Phenthoate 50 EC demonstrated the oxidative stress and requirement of the up-surging energy demands due to the exposure of this organophosphate chemical. These results advice the modulation caused by this widely used agrochemical on the physiology of aquatic fauna by changing the enzymatic and biochemical indices at cellular level.

There is a worldwide concern regarding soil pollution caused by contamination of petroleum hydrocarbon, released during oil processing or production. Once a spill occurs, it disturbs the marine and freshwater ecosystem and greatly threatens human health. It usually requires complex technologies to remove it from soil. Petroleum hydrocarbons contain a range of chemicals which are extremely toxic and carcinogenic in nature. Although physical or chemical methods are widely employed for remediation, numerous studies revealed that bioremediation is a sustainable approach. Bioremediation is often preferred as clean and carbon-neutral solution. This review aims to provide series of sustainable solution for petroleum hydrocarbon degradation without exploiting the environment as well as opportunity to reuse treated media. Integrated and enhanced bioremediation technologies are more effective than natural degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in terms of shorter time period and percent removal efficiency. It comprehensively illustrates bioremediation assisted with bacteria, fungi, and algae either by integrated technologies or by enhancing the process. Most recent application methods of petroleum hydrocarbon bioremediation (in situ and ex situ) are also reported. There is dire need to explore different cost-effective biotechnological resources for degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon by the screening of novel microbial strains or by the creation of genetically engineered bacteria to survive in harsh environment.

Rio Grande (RS, Brazil) is a coastal municipality in which the climatic conditions are driven mainly by the wind regime. The city harbours important port and industrial activities that may affect residential areas. In this sense, the main goal of the present study was to investigate, for the first time, concentrations and ion composition of the atmospheric particulate matter (PM 2.5) in this peculiar city. Air samplers were installed in both urban and urban-industrial zones from October 2009 to May 2011, filtering particles < 2.5 μm one to three times a month. PM 2.5 concentrations and their ionic composition (Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, F⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, NO₂⁻, SO₄²⁻ and PO₄³⁻) were determined, as well as the contribution of natural (originated from the sea salt) and anthropogenic ions in the samples. PM 2.5 concentrations ranged from 6.74 to 88.14 μg m⁻³ in the urban-industrial area and from 11.24 to 53.44 g m⁻³ in the urban zone, exceeding quality criteria established by WHO and CONAMA in more than 50% of the samples collected, in both areas. Ion analysis in PM 2.5 evidenced a strong contribution of ions coming from industrial sources in the composition of PM 2.5, both in the industrial and the urban zone.

Riparian vegetation has a fundamental role in protecting water bodies due to its ability to retain potential contaminants. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of water according to the different land uses and state of conservation of forest vegetation in springs of tropical climate basins (Bahia, Brazil). Eighteen points at ten rural communities were selected in the Jacuípe and Joanes river basins. In relation to the degree of conservation, the areas were classified as preserved, disturbed or degraded. All the evaluated parameters presented values above the legal standards defined both by international legislation (USEPA and Decree-Law no 152/2017) and also by Brazilian legislation (CONAMA Resolution 357/05) for “degraded” zones. The aluminum concentration (Al³⁺) presented a variation of 0.01 to 4.20 mg L⁻¹, iron (Fe) of 0.01 to 4.50 mg L⁻¹, nitrogen (N) of 0.00 to 5.20 mg L⁻¹, nitrate (NO₃⁻) of 0.00 to 14.50 mg L⁻¹, nitrite (NO₂⁻) of 0.01 to 2.50 mg L⁻¹, phosphorus (P) of 0.00 to 2.22 mg L⁻¹, orthophosphate (PO₄³⁻) of 0.00 to 6.80 mg L⁻¹ and the pH presented a variation between 4.30 and 6.80. In general, it was observed that the values of water quality parameters are directly related to the state of conservation of the riparian zone. Based on this, it is concluded that the water quality monitoring permits to evaluate the influence of changes in the environment and the role of riparian zones in the protection of those water bodies.

The Diluvio Stream flows in an area with the highest population density in Southern Brazil, where there are indications that urbanization has been negatively affecting the quality of the sediments. In the final section with the highest population density, the stream is channeled, and this is the most waterproofed part of the watershed, without any riparian forest, and surrounded by one of the biggest avenues of the metropolitan city of Porto Alegre. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial variability of the sediment pollution, by potentially toxic metals and macronutrients, from the source to the mouth of Diluvio Stream. Sediment samples were collected in 15 sites, along the entire course of the Diluvio Stream—from its springs to its mouth (18 km). We evaluated the pH, bulk density, grain size, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon (TOC), total phosphorus (P), inorganic P and organic P, total nitrogen (N), and pseudototal elements (Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Mn, Ba, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, Cd). The sediments of Diluvio Stream are predominantly sandy, with higher pollution in the sites with smaller particles and more organic carbon, increasing levels of metals and phosphorus to the Lake Guaíba. The pollution increases from its sources to its mouth, with an anthropogenic origin linked to the releases of wastewater and sewage, the large waterproofed area, the lack of riparian forest, and the large flow of vehicles near to the watercourse. Values of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus indicate that most of this derive from anthropogenic activities (as sewage), carrying other pollutants together—such as potentially toxic metals (especially Zn, Cu, and Pb).