Preoxidation of As(III) to As(V) is required for the efficient removal of total arsenic in the treatment of wastewater. In this work, the electro-Fenton oxidation of As(III) with a high efficiency was successfully achieved by using the system of the stainless steel net (SSN) coating with reduced graphene oxide (RGO@SSN) as the cathode and stainless steel net (SSN) as the sacrificial anode. The RGO@SSN was synthesized by electrophoretic deposition-annealing method. The carbon disorder and defects of RGO resulted from the remained oxygen-containing functional groups facilitated the electrocatalytically active sites for two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). A high concentration (up to 1000 μmol/L) of H₂O₂ was in-situ produced through two-electron oxygen reduction reaction of electro-catalysis, and then served as the electro-Fenton reagent for the oxidation of As(III). HO generated by H₂O₂ participating the electro-Fenton reaction or decomposed at the surface of RGO@SSN cathode at acid condition endowed the strong oxidizing ability for As(III). The electro-Fenton equipped with RGO@SSN cathode has a promising application in the oxidation and removal of organic or inorganic pollutants in wastewater.

In this study, the effectiveness of bioremediating 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA)-contaminated groundwater under different oxidation–reduction processes was evaluated. Microcosms were constructed using indigenous bacteria and activated sludge as the inocula and cane molasses and a slow polycolloid-releasing substrate (SPRS) as the primary substrates. Complete DCA removal was obtained within 30 days under aerobic and reductive dechlorinating conditions. In anaerobic microcosms with sludge and substrate addition, chloroethane, vinyl chloride, and ethene were produced. The microbial communities and DCA-degrading bacteria in microcosms were characterized by 16S rRNA-based denatured-gradient-gel electrophoresis profiling and nucleotide sequence analyses. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to evaluate the variations in Dehalococcoides spp. and Desulfitobacterium spp. Increase in Desulfitobacterium spp. indicates that the growth of Desulfitobacterium might be induced by DCA. Results indicate that DCA could be used as the primary substrate under aerobic conditions. The increased ethene concentrations imply that dihaloelimination was the dominate mechanism for DCA biodegradation.

Genetic and epigenetic changes were investigated in chronically irradiated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) populations from territories that were heavily contaminated by radionuclides as result of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. In comparison to the reference site, the genetic diversity revealed by electrophoretic mobility of AFLPs was found to be significantly higher at the radioactively contaminated areas. In addition, the genome of pine trees was significantly hypermethylated at 4 of the 7 affected sites.

Toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, selenium, thallium) are a group of contaminants that are known to elicit developmental, reproductive, general health, and immune system effects in reptiles, even at low concentrations. Reptiles, including marine turtles, are susceptible to accumulation of toxic elements due to their long life span, low metabolic rate, and highly efficient conversion of prey into biomass. The objectives of this study were to (1) document concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, selenium, and thallium in whole blood and keratin from nesting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from Casey Key, Florida and document correlations thereof and (2) correlate whole blood toxic element concentrations to various hematological and plasma biochemistry analytes. Baselines for various hematological and plasma analytes and toxic elements in whole blood and keratin (i.e., scute) in nesting loggerheads are documented. Various correlations between the toxic elements and hematological and plasma biochemistry analytes were identified; however, the most intriguing were negative correlations between arsenic, cadmium, lead, and selenium with and α- and γ-globulins. Although various extrinsic and intrinsic variables such as dietary and feeding changes in nesting loggerheads need to be considered, this finding may suggest a link to altered humoral immunity. This study documents a suite of health variables of nesting loggerheads in correlation to contaminants and identifies the potential of toxic elements to impact the overall health of nesting turtles, thus presenting important implications for the conservation and management of this species.

Toxicity of pesticides towards microorganisms can have a major impact on ecosystem function. Nevertheless, some microorganisms are able to respond quickly to this stress by degrading these molecules. The edaphic Bacillus megaterium strain Mes11 can degrade the herbicide mesotrione. In order to gain insight into the cellular response involved, the intracellular proteome of Mes11 exposed to mesotrione was analyzed using the two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) approach coupled with mass spectrometry. The results showed an average of 1820 protein spots being detected. The gel profile analyses revealed 32 protein spots whose abundance is modified after treatment with mesotrione. Twenty spots could be identified, leading to 17 non redundant proteins, mainly involved in stress, metabolic and storage mechanisms. These findings clarify the pathways used by B. megaterium strain Mes11 to resist and adapt to the presence of mesotrione.

A laboratory-based study was conducted to determine the basal carboxylesterase (CbE) activity in different tissues of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris, and its sensitivity to the organophosphate (OP) pesticide chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPx). Carboxylesterase activity was found in the pharynx, crop, gizzard, anterior intestine, wall muscle and reproductive tissues of L. terrestris, and multiple tissue-specific isozymes were observed by native gel electrophoresis. Esterase activity and sensitivity to CPx inhibition varied on a tissue- and substrate-specific basis, suggesting isoforms-specific selectivity to OP-mediated inhibition. Three practical issues are recommended for the use of earthworm CbE activity as a biomarker of pesticide exposure: (i) CbE should be measured using several routine substrates, (ii) it should be determined in selected tissues instead of whole organism homogenate, and (iii) earthworm CbE activity should be used in conjuncture with other common biomarkers (e.g., ChE) within a multibiomarker approach to assess field exposure of OPs, and potentially other agrochemicals. The measurement of carboxylesterase inhibition in earthworm is a sensitive and complementary biomarker of pesticide exposure.

The increasing production and use of graphene-based nanomaterials (e.g., graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO)) will lead to their environmental release. To date, transport of RGOs in saturated porous media is poorly understood. Here, we examined the transport behaviors of three RGO materials obtained by reducing a GO product with commonly used reducing agents – N₂H₄, NaBH₄ and L-ascorbic acid (referred to as N₂H₄-RGO, NaBH₄-RGO and VC-RGO, respectively). When the dominant background cation was Na⁺, K⁺ or Mg²⁺, the mobility of the RGOs and GO in saturated quartz sand correlated well with their surface C/O ratio. Interestingly, the lower mobility of the more reduced materials (the ones with higher C/O values) was not only the results of their less negative surface charges and larger particle sizes, but also the outcome of their greater hydrophobicity, in line with the calculated extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (XDLVO) profiles. Counterintuitively, when the background cation was Ca²⁺, the least reduced material among the three RGOs, VC-RGO, exhibited the lowest mobility. Analysis of electrophoretic and aggregation properties, as well as pH-effect experiments, indicated that the surprisingly low mobility of VC-RGO was attributable to the strong cation-bridging effect (primarily Ca²⁺-bridging between RGO and quartz sand) associated with this material, as VC-RGO contained the highest amount of surface carboxyl group (a strong metal-binding moiety). Notably, enhanced attachment (due to increased hydrophobic effect and cation-bridging) and particle aggregation appeared to work synergistically to increase RGO retention, as the attachment of large RGO aggregates significantly enhanced particle straining by narrowing the flow path. These observations reveal a largely overlooked link between the mobility of graphene-based materials and their key physicochemical properties.

The presence of pesticide residues in fresh fruits and vegetables poses a serious threat to human health. Brassinosteroids (BRs) can reduce pesticide residues in plants, but the underlying mechanisms still remain unclear. Here, we identified a tomato glutaredoxin gene GRXS25 which was induced by 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) and chlorothalonil (CHT) in a way dependent on apoplastic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Silencing of GRXS25 in tomato abolished EBR-induced glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) gene expression and activity, leading to an increased CHT residue. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed protein-protein interaction between GRXS25 and a transcription factor TGA2. Electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that TGA2 factor bound to the TGACG-motif in the GST3 promoter. While silencing of TGA2 strongly compromised, overexpression of TGA2 enhanced expression of GST genes and CHT residue metabolism. Our results suggest that BR-induced apoplastic ROS trigger metabolism of pesticide residue in tomato plants through activating TGA2 factor via GRXS25-dependent posttranslational redox modification. Activation of plant detoxification through physiological approaches has potential implication in improving the food safety of agricultural products.

The discovery that negatively charged aggregates of C60 fullerene (nC60) are stable in water has raised concerns regarding the potential environmental and health effects of these aggregates. In this work, we show that nC60 aggregates produced by extended mixing in the presence of environmentally relevant carboxylic acids (acetic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid) have surface charge and morphologic properties that differ from those produced by extended mixing in water alone. In general, aggregates formed in the presence of these acids have a more negative surface charge and are more homogeneous than those produced in water alone. Carboxylic acid identity, solution pH, and sodium ion concentration, which are all intricately coupled, play an important role in setting the measured surface charge. Comparisons between particle sizes determined by analysis of TEM images and those obtained by dynamic light scattering (DLS) indicate that DLS results require careful evaluation when used to describe nC60 aggregates. The effects of carboxylic acids on the formation of nC60 aggregates are discussed.