Concentrations of aqueous-phase nonylphenol (NP), a well-known endocrine-disrupting chemical, are shown to be reduced effectively via reaction with lignin peroxidase (LiP) or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide. We systematically assessed their reaction efficiencies at varying conditions, and the results have confirmed that the catalytic performance of LiP toward NP was more efficient than that of HRP under experimental conditions. Mass spectrum analysis demonstrated that polymerization through radical–radical coupling mechanism was the pathway leading to NP transformation. Our molecular modeling with the assistance of ab initio suggested the coupling of NP likely proceeded via covalent bonding between two NP radicals at their unsubstituted carbons in phenolic rings. Data from acute immobilization tests with Daphnia confirm that NP toxicity is effectively eliminated by LiP/HRP-catalyzed NP removal. The findings in this study provide useful information for understanding LiP/HRP-mediated NP reactions, and comparison of enzymatic performance can present their advantages for up-scale applications in water/wastewater treatment.

In the present investigation, batch experiments were undertaken in the laboratory for different initial phenol concentration ranging from 10 to 40 mg/L using various types of fine-grained soils namely types A, B, C, D, and E based on physical compositions. The batch kinetic data were statistically analyzed with a three-layered feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) model for predicting the phenol removal efficiency from the water environment. The input parameters considered were the adsorbent dose, initial phenol concentration, contact time, and percentage of clay and silt content in soils. The response output of the ANN model was considered as the phenol removal efficiency. The predicted results of phenol removal efficiency were compared with the experimental values as obtained from batch tests and also tests for goodness of fitting in ANN model with experimental results. The estimated values of coefficient of correlation (R = 0.99) and mean squared error (MSE = 0.006) reveals a reasonable closeness of experimental and predicted values. Out of five different types of soil, type E exhibited the highest removal efficiency (31.6 %) corresponding to 20 mg/L of initial phenol concentration. A sensitivity analysis was also carried out on the ANN model to ascertain the degree of effectiveness of various input variables.

Displacement of lindane presorbed on the pristine and OH-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by phenanthrene, naphthalene, and atrazine, and competition of these compounds with lindane on the aforementioned sorbents were investigated. Displacement of lindane presorbed on MWCNTs by atrazine, naphthalene, and phenanthrene, and competitive sorption effect of these chemicals with lindane on MWCNTs followed the same order: atrazine > naphthalene > phenanthrene. The lowest competition and displacement of lindane by phenanthrene were mainly because of the strong interactions between these two chemicals, whereas interaction of lindane with atrazine and naphthalene was quite low. The more pronounced displacement of lindane by atrazine than naphthalene and higher competitive sorption of lindane with atrazine than with naphthalene can be ascribed to the larger molecular volume of atrazine; thus, the steric hindrance effect is higher relative to naphthalene. This study is valuable for evaluating influence of the coexisting organic compounds on sorption of primary solute towards MWCNTs in the environment.

This study aims to determine the source apportionment of surfactants in marine aerosols at two selected stations along the Malacca Straits. The aerosol samples were collected using a high volume sampler equipped with an impactor to separate coarse- and fine-mode aerosols. The concentrations of surfactants, as methylene blue active substance and disulphine blue active substance, were analysed using colorimetric method. Ion chromatography was employed to determine the ionic compositions. Principal component analysis combined with multiple linear regression was used to identify and quantify the sources of atmospheric surfactants. The results showed that the surfactants in tropical coastal environments are actively generated from natural and anthropogenic origins. Sea spray (generated from sea-surface microlayers) was found to be a major contributor to surfactants in both aerosol sizes. Meanwhile, the anthropogenic sources (motor vehicles/biomass burning) were predominant contributors to atmospheric surfactants in fine-mode aerosols.

Birth weight may be influenced by environmental and socio-economic factors that could interact. The main objective of our research was to investigate whether area deprivation may modify the association between drinking water exposure to a mixture of atrazine metabolites and nitrates during the second trimester of pregnancy and prevalence of small for gestational age (SGA) neonates. We conducted a historic cohort study in Deux-Sèvres, France between 2005 and 2010, using birth records, population census and regularly performed drinking water withdrawals at community water systems. Exposure to an atrazine metabolite/nitrate mixture in drinking water was divided into six classes according to the presence or absence of atrazine metabolites and to the terciles of nitrate concentrations in each trimester of pregnancy. We used a logistic regression to model the association between SGA and mixture exposure at the second trimester while taking into account the area deprivation measured by the Townsend index as an effect modifier and controlling for the usual confounders. We included 10,784 woman–neonate couples. The risk of SGA when exposed to second tercile of nitrate without atrazine metabolites was significantly greater in women living in less deprived areas (OR = 2.99; 95 % CI (1.14, 7.89)), whereas it was not significant in moderately and more deprived areas. One of the arguments used to explain this result is the presence of competing risk factors in poorer districts.

The frequent co-existence of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) necessitates the investigation of clean-up technologies for multi-metal(loid)s. Field survey and hydroponic experiments were conducted to elucidate the co-accumulation of As and Pb in Pteris vittata L. The P. vittata population isolated from a Pb–Zn mine in Yunnan province, China is a potential extractor of As and Pb co-contamination. Hydroponic experiment found that the highest frond As and Pb concentrations in mining population of P. vittata reached 12.2 and 0.99 g kg⁻¹, respectively. The interaction between As and Pb in P. vittata was further more disclosed. Pb (2 mg L⁻¹) improved the frond As concentration by 60 to 150 % in mining populations of P. vittata. Micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that under the combined exposure of As and Pb, the As content in the rhizoid epidermis increased by about 10-fold, and the As(V) percentage increased in each rhizoid tissue, as compared with that under As exposure alone. The co-absorption of As and Pb on the epidermis and the enhanced transportation of As(V) from epidermis into the rhizoid were suggested to contribute to the increased As accumulation.

The objective of the study is to investigate the long-run relationship between climatic factors (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural methane emissions, and industrial nitrous oxide emission), air pollution (i.e., carbon dioxide emissions), and energy sources (i.e., nuclear energy; oil, gas, and coal energy; and fossil fuel energy) in the panel of 35 developed countries (including EU-15, new EU member states, G-7, and other countries) over a period of 1975–2012. In order to achieve this objective, the present study uses sophisticated panel econometric techniques including panel cointegration, panel fully modified OLS (FMOLS), and dynamic OLS (DOLS). The results show that there is a long-run relationship between the variables. Nuclear energy reduces greenhouse gases and carbon emissions; however, the other emissions, i.e., agricultural methane emissions and industrial nitrous oxide, are still to increase during the study period. Electricity production from oil, gas, and coal sources increases the greenhouse gases and carbon emissions; however, the intensity to increase emissions is far less than the intensity to increase emissions through fossil fuel. Policies that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases can simultaneously alter emissions of conventional pollutants that have deleterious effects on human health and the environment.

The present study examined the effects of oral exposure of 4,4′-dibromodiphenyl ether (BDE-15), 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl ether (CDE-15), and 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl ether (HODE-15) on hepatic oxidative stress (OS) and metal status in Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) male mice. Furthermore, the role of vitamin E in ameliorating potential OS caused by BDE-15, CDE-15, and HODE-15 was investigated. Three groups of mice were exposed to 1.20 mg/kg(body weight)/day of each of the three toxicants for 28 days. Results showed that none of the three toxicants altered growth rates of mice, but significantly increased (P < 0.05) relative liver weights and decreased relative kidney weights. Pathological changes including cell swelling, inflammation and vacuolization, and hepatocellular hypertrophy in livers were observed. Significant decreases (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and glutathione (GSH) levels, together with increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) content were recorded in all toxicant-treated groups. Hepatic copper levels increased in all toxicant-treated groups. Hepatic zinc levels decreased in the liver of BDE-15-treated mice, whereas they increased in the livers of CDE-15-treated and HODE-15-treated mice. In conclusion, daily exposure to the three toxicants perturbed metal homeostasis and increased OS in mouse liver. Experimental data indicated the hepatic oxidative toxicity of the three toxicants followed the order BDE-15 < HODE-15 < CDE-15. Moreover, the study proved that daily supplementation of 50 mg/kg vitamin E is effective to ameliorate the hepatic OS status and metal disturbance in mice.

Size segregated particulate samples of atmospheric aerosols in urban site of continental part of Balkans were collected during 6 months in 2008. Six stages impactor in the size ranges: Dp ≤ 0.49 μm, 0.49 < Dp ≤ 0.95 μm, 0.95 < Dp ≤ 1.5 μm, 1.5 < Dp ≤ 3.0 μm, 3.0 < Dp ≤ 7.2 μm, and 7.2 < Dp ≤ 10.0 μm was applied for sampling. ICP-MS was used to quantify elements: Al, As, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Na, Ni, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn. Two main groups of elements were investigated: (1) K, V, Ni, Zn, Pb, As, and Cd with high domination in nuclei mode indicating the combustion processes as a dominant sources and (2) Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, Cr, Ga, Co, and Li in coarse mode indicating mechanical processes as their main origin. The strictly crustal origin is for Mg, Fe, Ca, and Co while for As, Cd, K, V, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn dominates the anthropogenic influence. The PCA analysis has shown that main contribution is of resuspension (PC1, σ² ≈ 30 %) followed by traffic (PC2, σ² ≈ 20 %) that are together contributing around 50 % of elements in the investigated urban aerosol. The EF model shows that major origin of Cd, K, V, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As in the fine mode is from the anthropogenic sources while increase of their contents in the coarse particles indicates their deposition from the atmosphere and soil contamination. This approach is useful for the assessment of the local resuspension influence on element’s contents in the aerosol and also for the evaluation of the historical pollution of soil caused by deposition of metals from the atmosphere.

Acidic wastewater with high concentration of chloride ions was generated from washing elemental mercury (Hg⁰) existed in the roast flue gas by water. This process was simulated by mercury drops entering the electrolytes with its composition changed according to the characteristics of acidic wastewater. Electrocapillary curves of different electrolytes were determined by dropping mercury electrode to explore the formation mechanism of colloidal mercury in acidic wastewater. The changes of zeta (ζ) potentials were also obtained. The results indicate that chloride ions have a great impact on the formation of colloidal mercury. Thermodynamic calculation demonstrated that the main mercury species in acidic wastewater were HgCl₂(aq), HgCl₃⁻, and HgCl₄²⁻. Moreover, the model of colloidal mercury structure in acidic wastewater was established. Based on the changes of Gibbs free energy for ions passing through stern layer and metallic bond theory, it can be inferred that HgCl₄²⁻was preferentially over-adsorbed on the mercury interface by the weak π chemical bond, and then positive charge ions such as heavy metal ions and H⁺were adsorbed due to the electrostatic force; thus, the colloidal mercury was formed.