Human-induced temperature changes influence coastal regions, both via thermal pollution and ocean warming, which exerts profound effects on the chemistry of metals and the physiology of organisms. However, it remains unknown whether the increased temperature of discharged water or ocean warming, as a result of climate change, lead to an increase of human health risks associated with the consumption of sea foods. In this study, the influence of temperature on metal accumulation by oysters was studied in individuals collected from a coastal area affected by the thermal water discharge of the Houshi Power Plant, China. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and oral bioavailability (OBA) of metals in oysters was determined. Elevated temperatures led to an increase in BAF for Cu, Zn, Hg, and Cd (p < 0.05), but no change was observed for As and Pb (p > 0.05). The OBA for Cd, As, and Pb correlated positively to elevated temperatures (p < 0.05). However, for Cu and Zn, OBA was negatively correlated with increasing temperature (p < 0.05). As, Pb, and Cd in the trophically available metal (defined as a sum of heat-stable proteins, heat-denaturable proteins, and organelles) was significantly elevated at the highest temperature seawater site (site A) compared to the lowest seawater site (site B). Thus, the irregular variation of OBA for each metal may be the result of variations in the subcellular distribution of metals and the protein quality influenced by the increased temperature. Moreover, the increased temperature and increased the hazard quotient values of As and Cd (p < 0.05 for As, n = 6, p < 0.05 for Cd, n = 6), which provided an indication of the potential risks of the consumption of oysters or other seafood to future warming under climate change scenarios.

Characteristics and transformation of organic phosphorus in water are vital to biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus and support of blooms of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria. Using solution ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), combined with field surveys and lab analyses, composition and structural characteristics of dissolved phosphorus (DP), particulate phosphorus (PP) and organic P in algae were studied in two eutrophic lakes in China, Tai Lake and Chao Lake. Factors influencing migration and transformation of these constituents in lake ecosystems were also investigated. A method was developed to extract, flocculate and concentrate DP and PP from lake water samples. Results showed that orthophosphate (Ortho-P) constituted 32.4%–81.3% of DP and 43.7%–54.9% of PP, respectively; while monoester phosphorus (Mono-P) was 13.2%–54.0% of DP and 32.9%–43.7% of PP, respectively. Phosphorus in algae was mostly organic P, especially Mono-P, which was ≥50% of TP. Environmental factors and water quality parameters such as temperature (T), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, secchi depth (SD), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (CODcᵣ), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), affected the absolute and relative concentrations of various P components in the two lakes. Increased temperature promoted bioavailable P (Ortho-P and Mono-P) release to the lake waters. The results can provide an important theoretical basis for the mutual conversion process of organic P components between various media in the lake water environment.

Cadmium (Cd) and its forms has recently been a focus of attention due to its toxic effects on human health and the environment. We evaluated the atmospheric deposition of Cd during three consecutive winter seasons (2009–2011) at 10 mountain-top locations in the Czech Republic along the borders with Poland, Germany, Austria and Slovakia. Cadmium concentrations of soluble and insoluble forms in both horizontal (rime) and vertical (snow) deposition were determined using sector-field ICP-MS. Across the sites, 94% of the total winter Cd deposition occurred in the soluble (environmentally available) Cd form. Mean concentrations of soluble Cd in rime were six times higher than in snow (398 vs. 66 ng L⁻¹). Vertical deposition contributed as much as 41% to the total winter Cd input. Between-site variability in Cd deposition was large, ranging between 13 and 108 μg m⁻² winter⁻¹. Overall, Cd concentrations in winter deposition did not reach the drinking water limits and did not pose a direct threat for human health. Long-term trends (1996–2017) in winter Cd deposition were evaluated at six GEOMON sites (a monitoring network of small forested catchments). Since 1996, Cd input in winter atmospheric deposition decreased by 73–93%. Simultaneously, we found declines in between-site variability in winter Cd inputs. The highest recent winter Cd inputs were found at sites located in the northeast of the country. A north-south pollution gradient, which has frequently been mentioned in the literature, was not observed, with both northwestern sites and southern sites being among those with the lowest Cd pollution. Backward trajectories of the HYSPLIT model for fresh snow samples identified Poland and Germany as major transboundary Cd pollution sources for the Czech Republic.

The effects and mechanisms of biochars with different silicon (Si) contents on Cadmium (Cd) uptake, translocation and accumulation in rice plants are not fully understood. Herein, we report a pot study to disentangle the interaction mechanisms of Si-rich biochars (Sichar RH300, RH700) and Si-deficient biochars (WB300, WB700) with high-Si soil (HSS) and low-Si soil (LSS) on Cadmium (Cd) and Si accumulation in rice (including grains, straw, and roots). Sichar was found to be better than Si-deficient biochars in reducing Cd uptake and accumulation in rice, and RH300 amendment was better than the RH700 treatment. The surface complexation of Cd with carboxyl groups and Si from biochar led Cd immobilization in soil, as portrayed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The high Si content of biochars indicates a relatively lower bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor of Cd. The Sichar (e.g., RH300) treatment significantly increases the silicon concentration in rice (including grains, straw, and roots), but the Si concentrations of rice grains and roots decrease with WB700-amended LSS. Negative correlations between the concentrations of rice Si and Cd were observed, which could be related to lower expression as observed by Si transport genes (Lsi1 and Lsi3) in rice by Sichar amendment. These findings suggest that the Si released from Sichars can reduce the gene expression of Si transport channel of rice roots and inhibit the transport channel of Si, thus thereby inhibiting the Cd uptake, probably due to the utilization of same channel for Cd and Si. Integrative mechanisms of Sichar (RH300 and RH700) reduced Cd plant accumulation can be proposed by soil immobilization, inhibition of root transport, and prevention of plant translocation.

Solutions of technical polychlorinated naphthalene (PCN) Halowax formulations (Halowax 1014 and Halowax 1051) diluted with Milli-Q water and sealed in the Pyrex glass tubes and quartz tubes were subjected to artificial solar and natural solar irradiation under different time intervals and field conditions. In particular, the results of several field irradiation experiments have shown increased PCN photodegradation as altitude increases above sea level. Irradiation in artificial solar conditions caused a substantial change in the PCN congener profiles of Halowax 1014 and Halowax 1051 test solutions. Interestingly, in long-term experiments, the relative abundance of congeners that contribute to dioxin-like activity, i.e. the compounds such as 1,2,3,5,7- and 1,2,4,6,7-PentaCN (PeCNs #52/60), 1,2,3,4,6,7- and 1,2,3,5,6,7-HexaCN (HxCNs #66/67), and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7-HeptaCN (HpCN #73), temporally increased substantially. In the field photodegradation experiments, the PCNs #52/60 and #66/67 were formed, while a relative persistence of PCN #73 was evident. Highest chlorinated octachloronaphthalene (OcCN #75), exposed to strong UV radiation at high altitude, was much less stable than lower molecular mass PCNs. Photodegradation of the technical PCN formulations produced also an unidentified aromatic compound. We conclude, that photodegradation of PCNs, which are considered as a widespread anthropogenic pollutants, is not restricted to any specific environmental condition. It can also be observed at low altitudes.

WHO has presented a health-based guideline value for boron in drinking water. That fact indicates that a high level of boron is toxic for humans. However, there is no direct evidence of boron-mediated malignant transformation. In this study, human lung epithelial nontumorigenic BEAS-2B cells and tumorigenic A549 cells were used to investigate the tumorigenic toxicity of boron in vitro. Anchorage-independent growth, a hallmark of malignant transformation, was increased by boron at concentrations of 50, 250 and 500 μM in BEAS-2B cells, though the same concentrations of boron had no influence on anchorage-independent growth of A549 cells. Moreover, boron at concentrations of 250 and 500 μM activated the c-SRC/PI3K/AKT pathway of BEAS-2B cells. The results of our in vitro study suggest that exposure to high levels of boron promotes transforming activity of nontumorigenic cells.

F–53B and PFOS are two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) widely utilized in the metal plating industry as mist suppressants. Recent epidemiological studies have linked PFASs to cardiovascular diseases and alterations in heart geometry. However, we still have limited understanding of the effects of F–53B and PFOS on the developing heart. In this study, we employed a human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based cardiac differentiation system and whole transcriptomics analyses to evaluate the potential developmental cardiac toxicity of F–53B and PFOS. We utilized F–53B and PFOS concentrations of 0.1–60 μM, covering the levels detected in human blood samples. We demonstrated that both F–53B and PFOS inhibited cardiac differentiation and promoted epicardial specification via upregulation of the WNT signaling pathway. Most importantly, the effects of F–53B were more robust than those of PFOS. This was because F–53B treatment disrupted the expression of more genes and led to lower cardiac differentiation efficiency. These findings imply that F–53B may not be a safe replacement for PFOS.

With the constant quest for new sources of superfoods to supplement the largely nutrient deficient diet of the modern society, sea cucumbers are gaining increasing popularity. Three species of sea cucumbers, Cucumaria frondosa, Apostichopus californicus and Apostichopusjaponicus were collected from three geographical regions, Atlantic and Pacific coast of Canada and Yellow sea/ East China sea in China, respectively. These organisms were sectioned into parts (body wall, tentacles, internal organ, skin and muscle) and analysed for total arsenic (As) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and As species by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to ICP-MS. Normal and reversed sequential extractions were optimised to address As distribution between lipids (polar and non-polar) and water-extractable fractions. Two extraction methods for water-extractable As were compared in terms of the number and the amount of extracted species. The results revealed that total As concentration and As species distribution varies significantly between sea cucumbers species. Total As in studied body parts ranged between 2.8 ± 0.52 and 7.9 ± 1.2 mg kg⁻¹, with an exception of the muscle tissue of A. californicus, where it reached to 36 ± 3.5 mg kg⁻¹. Arsenobetaine (AsB) was the most abundant As species in A. californicus and A.japonicus, however, inorganic As represented over 70% of total recovered As in the body parts of C. frondosa. Arsenosugars-328 and 482 were found in all studied body parts whereas arsenosugar-408 was only found in the skin of A. californicus. This is the first time that such a variation in As species distribution between sea cucumber species has been shown.

Previous research has shown that Stenotrophomonas has the ability to reduce Cr(VI). In this study, we determined whether the reduction capacity of Cr(VI) is conserved in Stenotrophomonas rhizophila DSM14405ᵀ, a plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR). Our results show that S. rhizophila DSM14405ᵀ displays high Cr(VI) resistance at a minimal inhibitory concentration of 1000 mg/L. Furthermore, it completely reduced 50 mg/L Cr(VI) in 28 h at pH 7.5 at 30 °C. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the ability of S. rhizophila DSM14405ᵀ to convert Cr(VI) to Cr(III), and indicated the adsorption and intracellular accumulation of Cr(III). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that in the presence or absence of Cr(VI), transcriptomes upon short-term exposure showed more differentially expressed genes than those after long-term exposure. GO and KEGG analyses showed that most of the differentially expressed genes were related to Cr(VI) resistance, including genes related to iron homeostasis, central metabolism, DNA repair and anti-oxidative stress, and sulfur metabolism. Highly Cr(VI)-resistant and reductive abilities of this PGPR strain render it a suitable candidate for combined plant-microbe remediation of chromium contaminants from soil.