Polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs) are typical halogenated aromatic pollutants that have shown various toxicological effects on organisms. However, the contamination status of PCDEs in the fresh water lakes of China remains poorly researched. In this study, the levels of 15 congeners of PCDEs in the sediments, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and water of Chaohu Lake were determined. The results showed that the ranges of concentrations of total PCDEs (ΣPCDEs) in the sediment, SPM and water were 0.279 ng g−1 dry weight (d.w.)–2.474 ng g−1 d.w., 0.331 ng g−1 d.w.–2.013 ng g−1 d.w. and 0.351 ng L−1–2.021 ng L−1, respectively. The most abundant congeners found in sediments, SPM and water were 3,3′,4,4′-tetra-CDE, deca-CDE and 2,4,6-tri-CDE, with average contributive ratios of 17.36%, 15.48% and 20.63%, respectively. The medium and higher chlorinated PCDEs (e.g., penta- and deca-CDEs) were the dominant congeners in sediments and SPM. The percentages of lower chlorinated PCDEs (e.g., tri-CDEs) in the water were higher than those in the sediments. The combined input of ΣPCDEs from the eight main tributaries to Chaohu Lake was estimated at 6.94 kg y−1. Strong linear correlations between the concentrations of ΣPCDEs and organic carbon (OC) contents in three type samples from Chaohu Lake suggested OC could influence the distribution of PCDEs in Chaohu Lake substantially. In addition, the calculated average organic carbon normalized partition coefficients (logKoc) of 15 PCDEs between water and SPM were in the range of 4.55–5.45 mL g−1. This study confirmed that Chaohu Lake is contaminated by PCDEs.

Indoor air samples were collected from private homes and various occupational indoor environments using passive air sampler and analysed for fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) and cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMSs). The aim was to investigate their occurrence in indoor air, factors that may affect their presence and human daily exposure dose (DED) via inhalation. In general, levels of cVMSs were 3–4 orders of magnitude greater than the other compound classes. OPFRs concentration was found significantly higher than BFRs in indoor air. The most abundant compounds in each chemical class were 8:2 FTOH, 2,4,6-TBP, TNBP and TCEP and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5). Home samples contained higher level of FTOHs, BFRs and cVMSs than occupational environments, whereas concentration of OPFRs in office samples were higher. BFRs concentrations were significantly correlated with building age and with the number of electronic/electrical devices at the sampling sites. Moreover, significantly lower levels of FTOHs and cVMSs were observed in rooms with forced-ventilation system. Estimated DED via inhalation was significantly higher at home than in office and the total DED was on average 3–5 orders of magnitude lower than the reference value.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals, although controversial for different plant species. There exists a narrow line between essential, beneficial and toxic levels of Se to living organisms which greatly varies with Se speciation, as well as the type of living organisms. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor its solid- and solution-phase speciation, exposure levels and pathways to living organisms. Consumption of Se-laced food (cereals, vegetables, legumes and pulses) is the prime source of Se exposure to humans. Thus, it is imperative to assess the biogeochemical behavior of Se in soil-plant system with respect to applied levels and speciation, which ultimately affect Se status in humans. Based on available relevant literature, this review traces a plausible link among (i) Se levels, sources, speciation, bioavailability, and effect of soil chemical properties on selenium bioavailability/speciation in soil; (ii) role of different protein transporters in soil-root-shoot transfer of Se; and (iii) speciation, metabolism, phytotoxicity and detoxification of Se inside plants. The toxic and beneficial effects of Se to plants have been discussed with respect to speciation and toxic/deficient concentration of Se. We highlight the significance of various enzymatic (catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase) and non-enzymatic (phytochelatins and glutathione) antioxidants which help combat Se-induced overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The review also delineates Se accumulation in edible plant parts from soils containing low or high Se levels; elucidates associated health disorders or risks due to the consumption of Se-deficient or Se-rich foods; discusses the potential role of Se in different human disorders/diseases.

Complexation and coagulation of plant-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) by metal cations are important biogeochemical processes of organic matter in aquatic systems. Thus, coagulation and fractionation of DOM derived from aquatic plants by Ca(II), Al(III), and Fe(III) ions were investigated. Metal ion-induced removal of DOM was determined by analyzing dissolved organic carbon in supernatants after addition of these metal cations individually. After additions of metal ions, both dissolved and coagulated organic fractions were characterized by use of fluorescence excitation emission matrix-parallel factor (EEM-PARAFAC) analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Addition of Ca(II), Fe(III) or Al(III) resulted in net removal of aquatic plant-derived DOM. Efficiencies of removal of DOM by Fe(III) or Al(III) were greater than that by Ca(II). However, capacities to remove plant-derived DOM by the three metals were less than which had been previously reported for humic materials. Molecular and structural features of plant-derived DOM fractions in associations with metal cations were characterized by changes in fluorescent components and infrared absorption peaks. Both aromatic and carboxylic-like organic matters could be removed by Ca(II), Al(III) or Fe(III) ions. Whereas organic matters containing amides were preferentially removed by Ca(II), and phenolic materials were selectively removed by Fe(III) or Al(III). These observations indicated that plant-derived DOM might have a long-lasting effect on water quality and organisms due to its poor coagulation with metal cations in aquatic ecosystems. Plant-derived DOM is of different character than natural organic matter and it is not advisable to attempt removal through addition of metal salts during treatment of sewage.

Threatened species are susceptible to irreversible population decline caused by adverse sub-lethal effects of chemical contaminant exposure. It is therefore vital to develop the necessary tools to predict and detect these effects as early as possible. Biomarkers of contaminant exposure and effect are widely applied to this end, and a significant amount of research has focused on development and validation of sensitive and diagnostic biomarkers. However, progress in the use biomarkers that can be measured using non-destructive techniques has been relatively slow and there are still many difficulties to overcome in the development of sound methods. This paper systematically quantifies and reviews studies that have aimed to develop or validate non-destructive biomarkers in wildlife, and provides an analysis of the successes of these methods based on the invasiveness of the methods, the potential for universal application, cost, and the potential for new biomarker discovery. These data are then used to infer what methods and approaches appear the most effective for successful development of non-destructive biomarkers of contaminant exposure in wildlife. This review highlights that research on non-destructive biomarkers in wildlife is severely lacking, and suggests further exploration of in vitro methods in future studies.

A comprehensive study of the removal of selected biologically active compounds (pharmaceuticals and pesticides) from different water types was conducted using bare TiO₂ nanoparticles and TiO₂/polyaniline (TP-50, TP-100, and TP-150) nanocomposite powders. In order to investigate how molecular structure of the substrate influences the rate of its removal, we compared degradation efficiency of the initial substrates and degree of mineralization for the active components of pharmaceuticals (propranolol, and amitriptyline) and pesticides (sulcotrione, and clomazone) in double distilled (DDW) and environmental waters. The results indicate that the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of propranolol and amitriptyline was higher in environmental waters: rivers (Danube, Tisa, and Begej) and lakes (Moharač, and Sot) in comparison with DDW. On the contrary, degradation efficacy of sulcotrione and clomazone was lower in environmental waters. Further, of the all catalysts applied, bare TiO₂ and TP-100 were found to be most effective in the mineralization of propranolol and amitriptyline, respectively, while TP-150 appeared to be the most efficient in terms of sulcotrione and clomazone mineralization. Also, there was no significant toxicity observed after the irradiation of pharmaceuticals or pesticides solutions using appropriate catalysts on rat hepatoma (H-4-II-E), mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a), human colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29), and human fetal lung (MRC-5) cell lines. Subsequently, detection and identification of the formed intermediates in the case of sulcotrione photocatalytic degradation using bare TiO₂ and TP-150 showed slightly different pathways of degradation. Furthermore, tentative pathways of sulcotrione photocatalytic degradation were proposed and discussed.

Mass concentrations of chemical compounds in both PM2.5 (particle aerodynamic diameter, Dp < 2.5 μm) and PM2.5-10 (2.5 < Dp < 10 μm), and acidity of aerosol particles were measured at an urban site in western Japan using a continuous dichotomous Aerosol Chemical Speciation Analyzer (ACSA-12) throughout 2014. Mass concentrations of both PM2.5 and sulfate had distinct seasonal variabilities with maxima in spring and winter, mostly due to long-range transport with the prevailing westerly wind. Mass concentration of nitrate in PM2.5 (fNO3) showed an obvious warm-season-low and cold-season-high pattern as a result of both gas-aerosol phase equilibrium processes under high temperature conditions as well as transport. Nitrate in PM2.5-10 (cNO3) increased during long-range transport of dust, implying the great importance of heterogeneous processes at the surface of coarse mode particles. In this study, Δ[H+] (derived from the difference in pH of extract liquid with/without sampling) was used to indicate the acidity of particles. We found that acidity of particles in PM2.5 (fΔH) was mostly positive with a maximum in August because of the large fraction of nitrate and sulfate. Acidity of particles in PM2.5-10 (cΔH) was negative in winter and spring due to presence of alkaline matter from crustal sources. This study highlights the great importance of anthropogenic pollutants on the acidity of particles in the western Pacific Ocean and further impact on the marine environment and climate.

Mercury (Hg) is a potent neurotoxicant known to induce important adverse effects on fish, but a deeper understanding is lacking regarding how environmental exposure affects the brain morphology and neural plasticity of specific brain regions in wild specimens. In this work, it was evaluated the relative volume and cell density of the lateral pallium, hypothalamus, optic tectum and molecular layer of the cerebellum on wild Liza aurata captured in Hg-contaminated (LAR) and non-contaminated (SJ) sites of a coastal system (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal). Given the season-related variations in the environment that fish are naturally exposed, this assessment was performed in the winter and summer. Hg triggered a deficit in cell density of hypothalamus during the winter that could lead to hormonal dysfunctions, while in the summer Hg promoted larger volumes of the optic tectum and cerebellum, indicating the warm period as the most critical for the manifestation of putative changes in visual acuity and motor-dependent tasks. Moreover, in fish from the SJ site, the lateral pallium relative volume and the cell density of the hypothalamus and optic tectum were higher in the winter than in summer. Thus, season-related stimuli strongly influence the size and/or cell density of specific brain regions in the non-contaminated area, pointing out the ability of fish to adapt to environmental and physiological demands. Conversely, fish from the Hg-contaminated site showed a distinct seasonal profile of brain morphology, presenting a larger optic tectum in the summer, as well as a larger molecular layer of the cerebellum with higher cell density. Moreover, Hg exposure impaired the winter-summer variation of the lateral pallium relative size (as observed at SJ). Altogether, seasonal variations in fish neural morphology and physiology should be considered when performing ecotoxicological studies in order to better discriminate the Hg neurotoxicity.

PM₁ might be more hazardous than PM₂.₅ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 1 μm and ≤2.5 μm, respectively). However, studies on PM₁ concentrations and its health effects are limited due to a lack of PM₁ monitoring data.To estimate spatial and temporal variations of PM₁ concentrations in China during 2005–2014 using satellite remote sensing, meteorology, and land use information.Two types of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue (DB), were combined. Generalised additive model (GAM) was developed to link ground-monitored PM₁ data with AOD data and other spatial and temporal predictors (e.g., urban cover, forest cover and calendar month). A 10-fold cross-validation was performed to assess the predictive ability.The results of 10-fold cross-validation showed R² and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) for monthly prediction were 71% and 13.0 μg/m³, respectively. For seasonal prediction, the R² and RMSE were 77% and 11.4 μg/m³, respectively. The predicted annual mean concentration of PM₁ across China was 26.9 μg/m³. The PM₁ level was highest in winter while lowest in summer. Generally, the PM₁ levels in entire China did not substantially change during the past decade. Regarding local heavy polluted regions, PM₁ levels increased substantially in the South-Western Hebei and Beijing-Tianjin region.GAM with satellite-retrieved AOD, meteorology, and land use information has high predictive ability to estimate ground-level PM₁. Ambient PM₁ reached high levels in China during the past decade. The estimated results can be applied to evaluate the health effects of PM₁.

2,4,6-Tribromophenol is the most widely produced brominated phenol. In the present review, we summarize studies dealing with this substance from an environmental point of view. We cover concentrations in the abiotic and biotic environment including humans, toxicokinetics as well as toxicodynamics, and show gaps of the current knowledge about this chemical.2,4,6-Tribomophenol occurs as an intermediate during the synthesis of brominated flame retardants and it similarly represents a degradation product of these substances. Moreover, it is used as a pesticide but also occurs as a natural product of some aquatic organisms. Due to its many sources, 2,4,6-tribromophenol is ubiquitously found in the environment. Nevertheless, not much is known about its toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. It is also unclear which role the structural isomer 2,4,5-tribromophenol and several degradation products such as 2,4-dibromophenol play in the environment. Due to new flame retardants that enter the market and can degrade to 2,4,6-tribromophenol, this compound will remain relevant in future years – not only in aquatic matrices, but also in house dust and foodstuff, which are an important exposure route for humans.