Precise prediction of uranium adsorption at water-mineral interface is of great significance for the safe disposal of radionuclides in geologic environments. Surface complexation modeling (SCM) as a very useful tool has been extensively investigated for simulating adsorption behavior of metals/metalloids at water-mineral interface. Numerous studies concerning the fitting of uranium adsorption on various adsorbents using SCM are well documented, but the systematic and comprehensive review of uranium adsorption using various SCM is not available. In this review, we briefly summarized the rationale of SCM, including constant-capacitance-model (CCM), diffuse-layer-model (DLM), triple-layer-model (TLM); The recent progress in the application of SCM on the fitting of uranium adsorption towards metal (hydr)oxides, clay minerals and soil/sediments was reviewed in details. This review hopefully provides the beneficial guidelines for predicting the transport and fate of uranium in geologic environments beyond laboratory timescales.

The typical alkyl organophosphorus flame retardant tributyl phosphate (TnBP) can leak from common products into the marine environment, with potential negative effects on marine organisms. However, risk assessments for TnBP regarding zooplankton are lacking. In this study, a marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, was used to analyze the effect of TnBP (0.1 μg/L, environmental concentration; 1 and 6 mg/L) on reproduction, population growth, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and metabolomics. Mortality increased as the TnBP concentration rose; the 24-h LC₅₀ value was 12.45 mg/L. All tested TnBP concentrations inhibited B. plicatilis population growth, with reproductive toxicity at the higher levels. Microstructural imaging showed ovary injury, the direct cause of reproductive toxicity. Despite elevated glutathione reductase activities, levels of reactive oxygen species and malonyldialdehyde increased under TnBP stress, indicating oxidative imbalance. TnBP induced mitochondrial malformation and activity suppression; the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine alleviated this inhibition, suggesting an internal connection. Nontargeted metabolomics revealed 398 and 583 differentially expressed metabolites in the 0.1 μg/L and 6 mg/L treatments relative to control, respectively, which were enriched in the pathways such as biosynthesis of amino acids, purine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. According to metabolic pathway analysis, oxidative stress from purine degradation, mitochondrial dysfunction, disturbed lipid metabolism and elevated protein synthesis were jointly responsible for reproduction and population growth changes. This study echoes the results previously found in rotifer on trade-off among different life processes in response to environmental stress. Our systematic study uncovers the TnBP toxic mode of action.

Pyrogenic char (biochar) with a high sorption capacity (B-HSC) can sequester hazardous chemicals (e.g., phenanthrene). However, when sorption inhibits bioavailability of some functional chemicals (e.g., the herbicidal efficacy of diuron in soil), biochar with a low sorption capacity (B-LSC) is required to prevent sorption effects. The pyrolytic B-HSC generation has been reported, but information on B-LSC formation is scarce. How fast B-HSC and B-LSC could be generated is unknown until now. Here, biochars were rapidly prepared (the shortest heating time reached 5 min and the cooling time reached < 30 min) by a direct-pyrolysis method by directly exposing packaged rice straw and pine wood to 350 °C, 500 °C and 700 °C and out-of-furnace cooling at room temperature. The sorption of diuron, phenanthrene, and twelve other chemicals was investigated. B–HSCs were obtained within 30 min of rice straw pyrolysis, and the biochar Kd values quickly increased to 7-730-fold that of the raw biomass as –OH and C–O–C in (hemi)cellulose of rice straw rapidly degraded, increasing hydrophobic interactions between the char and chemicals (solubility ≤ 82.8 g/L). In contrast, B-LSCs were generated within 30 min of PW pyrolysis, and the Kd values of the biochars were 0.2–3.0-fold that of the raw biomass, as the surface area development and hydrophobicity-driven sorption were probably delayed by the late degradation of lignin aromatic C–O and phenolic –OH. Biochar amendment revealed an enhancement effect of B-HSC but not of B-LSC on soil sorption. The fast formation of B-LSC and B-HSC provides a guide to develop time- and cost-effective technique in pyrolytically producing weakly or strongly sorbing biochars for organic chemical management.

Quinolones are ranked as the second most commonly used class of antibiotics in China, despite their adverse clinical and environmental effects. However, information on their cardiac developmental toxicity to zebrafish is limited. This study investigates the relationships between different quinolone structures and toxicity in zebrafish embryos using in vivo and in silico methods. All of the experimentally tested quinolones show cardiac developmental toxicity potential and present mortality and teratogenic effects in a dose-dependent manner. Theoretically, the acute toxicity values predicted using quantitative structure−toxicity relationship (QSTR) modeling based on previously reported LC₅₀ values are in good agreement with the in vivo results. Further investigation demonstrates that the hormetic concentration response of some quinolones may be related to methylation on the piperazine ring at the C-7 position. The amino group at the C-5 position, the methylated or ethylated piperazine group at the C-7 position, halogens at the C-8 position and a cyclopropyl ring at N1 position may be responsible for cardiac developmental toxicity. In terms of survival (key ecological endpoint), the naridine ring is more toxic than the quinoline ring. This combined approach can predict the acute and cardiac developmental toxicity of other quinolones and impurities.

Ambient ozone (O₃) pollution has become a big issue in China. Recent studies have linked long- and short-term O₃ exposure to several public health risks. In this study, we (1) characterize the long-term and short-term O₃-attributed health metric in China from 2015 to 2019; (2) estimate the surface O₃ trends; and (3) quantify the long-term and short-term health impacts (i.e. all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality) in 350 urban Chinese cities. In these 5-years, the national annual average of daily maximum 8 h average (AVGDMA8) O₃ concentrations and warm-season (April–September) 4th highest daily maximum 8 h average (4DMA8) O₃ concentrations increased from 74.0 ± 15.5 μg/m³ (mean ± standard deviation) to 82.3 ± 12.0 μg/m³ and 167 ± 37.0 μg/m³ to 174 ± 30.0 μg/m³ respectively. During this period, the DMA8 O₃ concentration increased by 1.9 ± 3.3 μg/m³/yr across China, with over 70% of the monitoring sites showing a positive upward trend and 19.4% with trends >5 μg/m³/yr. The estimated long-term all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory premature mortalities attributable to AVGDMA8 O₃ exposure in 350 Chinese cities were 181,000 (95% CI: 91,500–352,000), 112,000 (95% CI: 38,100–214,000) and 33,800 (95% CI: 0–71,400) in 2019, showing increases of 52.5%, 52.9% and 54.6% respectively compared to 2015 levels. Similarly, short-term all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory premature mortalities attributed to ambient 4DMA8 O₃ exposure were 156,000 (95% CI: 85,300–227,000), 73,500 (95% CI: 27,500–119,000) and 28,600 (95% CI: 14,500–42,800) in 2019, increases of 19.6%, 19.8% and 21.2% respectively compared to 2015. The results of this study are important in ascertaining the effectiveness of recent emission control measures and to identify the areas that require urgent attention.

This study reports seasonal variations of meteorological parameters, atmospheric dust and dust-borne heavy metals concentrations measured, over a period of two years, next to two major airports (Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. On-line monitoring stations were installed at each location next to dust samplers used to frequently collect PM2.5 and PM10 on Teflon filters for metal analysis. Clear seasonal variation in meteorological parameters were identified. The particulate matter concentrations depicted from the two locations were continuously monitored. The PM2.5 concentration ranged from 50 to 100 μg/m³ on normal days but reached 350–400 μg/m³ per day during mild storms. The PM10 levels ranged between 100 and 250 μg/m³ during normal days and spiked to 750 μg/m³ during mild storms. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDS) revealed the presence of significant amounts of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which pose potential harm to aircraft engines. ICP analysis showed the presence of heavy and toxic metals in concentrations that may pose harm to human health. Bulk sand samples from Abu Dhabi sites showed chemical similarities to the atmospheric dust samples. The concentrations of heavy metals, PM2.5, and PM10 are at levels that require further monitoring due to their impact on human health. The two years meteorological monitoring, with the seasonal variations, provided additional regional data in the Arabian Gulf. Furthermore, the study concluded that Sand and Dust storms (SDS) occur more frequently at the northern Arabian Gulf compared to its southern region. The chemical correlation between atmospheric dust and regional desert sand suggests the localized origin of the smaller dust particles that may form by breaking apart of the ground sand grains. As a result of the ongoing urbanization in the region, it is essential to collect additional data from various locations for a longer period of time.

Inhalation of airborne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can lead to antimicrobial resistance and potential health risk. In modern society, increasing individuals stay more indoors, however, studies regarding the exposure to airborne ARGs in indoor environments and the associated risks remain limited. Here, we compared the variance of aerosol-associated ARGs, bacterial microbiomes, and their daily intake (DI) burden in dormitory, office, and outdoor environments in a university in Tianjin. The results indicated that compared to outdoor aerosols, indoors exhibited significantly higher absolute abundance of both ARG subtypes and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (1–7 orders of magnitude), 16S rRNA genes (2–3 orders), and total culturable bacteria (1–3 orders). Furthermore, we observed that significantly different airborne bacterial communities are the major drivers contributing to the variance of aerosol-associated ARGs in indoor and outdoor aerosols. Notably, the high abundances of total bacteria, potential pathogenic genera, and ARGs (particularly those harbored by pathogens) in indoor and outdoor aerosols, especially in indoors, may pose an increased exposure risk via inhalation. The successful isolation of human pathogens such as Elizabethkingia anopheles, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Delftia lacustris resistant to the “last-resort” antibiotics carbapenems and polymyxin B from indoor aerosols further indicated an increased exposure risk in indoors. Together, this study highlights the potential risks associated with ARGs and their inhalation to human health in indoor environments.

There must be some uncertainty in the remediation areas delineated based on limited sample points, and resampling in the high-uncertainty areas is particularly necessary. In situ field portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (FPXRF), a rapid and cheap analysis method for soil heavy metals, is strongly affected by many spatially non-stationary soil factors. This study first delineated the high-uncertainty area (threshold-exceeding probabilities (PTE) between 30% and 70%) of soil Pb based on the 1000 realizations produced by sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS) with 93 ICP-MS Pb concentrations measured in a peri-urban agriculture area, China. Next, in situ FPXRF was used to increase sample density in this high-uncertainty area. Then, robust geographically weighted regression (RGWR) was used to correct the in situ FPXRF Pb, and the correction accuracies of RGWR, basic GWR, and traditionally-used ordinary least squares regression (OLSR) were compared. Finally, to explore the best way to combine these corrected in situ FPXRF concentrations in delineating the remediation area, we compared the following spatial simulation methods: basic SGS, sequential Gaussian co-simulation (CoSGS) with the RGWR-corrected in situ FPXRF Pb as auxiliary soft data (CoSGS-CorFPXRF), and SGS with the RGWR-corrected in situ FPXRF Pb as part of hard data (SGS-CorFPXRF). Results showed that (i) RGWR produced higher correction accuracy (RI = 71.5%) than GWR (RI = 59.68%) and OLSR (RI = 25.58%) for the in situ FPXRF Pb; (ii) SGS-CorFPXRF produced less uncertainty (G = 0.97) than CoSGS-CorFPXRF (G = 0.95) and SGS (G = 0.91) in the spatial simulation; (iii) High-uncertainty area (30%<PTE<70%) was reduced from 36.55% to 8.7% of the whole study area. It is concluded that the recommended methods are cost-effective to reduce the uncertainty in delineating the remediation areas of soil heavy metals.

Biochar substrates and tidal flow (TF) and intermittent aeration (IA) operation modes have recently been applied to improve the treatment performance of constructed wetlands (CWs), but their roles in regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from CWs are still unclear. In this preliminary study, CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes and associated microbial characteristics in four groups of subsurface-flow CWs, i.e., ceramsite CWs (C-CWs), biochar-amended CWs (B-CWs), intermittently aerated B-CWs (AB-CWs) and tide-flow B-CWs (TB-CWs), were comparatively investigated. The results showed that biochar amendment significantly mitigated CH₄ and N₂O fluxes from the CWs by supporting higher abundances of mcrA and nosZ genes and higher ratios of pmoA/mcrA and nosZ/(nirK + nirS), thus reducing global warming potential (GWP, a decrease of 55.8%), in addition to promoting total nitrogen (TN) removal by 41.3%, mainly by increasing the abundances and activities of nitrifiers and denitrifiers. The TF mode efficiently improved nitrogen removal, but it greatly increased GHG fluxes since large amounts of GHGs escaped from the empty CW matrix after water draining. IA abated GHG emissions from the CWs, mainly after aeration. TF and IA decreased the abundances of functional bacteria and archaea related to C and N transformation, except nitrifiers, and shaped the microbial community structures. The application of a biochar substrate and IA mode can facilitate the design and operation of CWs in a more ecologically sustainable way.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal).This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors and Corresponding Author.The authors have plagiarized part of a paper that had already appeared in Environmental and Experimental Botany, 179 (2020) 104227, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2020.104227. One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is that authors declare explicitly that their work is original and has not appeared in a publication elsewhere. Re-use of any data should be appropriately cited. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.