To deliver accurate particulate matter information to citizens, a detailed particulate matter dispersion model including factors such as land use and meteorological information was developed and used to create particulate matter concentration distribution maps for Daejeon Metropolitan City (South Korea). The results showed differences from existing particulate matter concentration distribution maps created using established methods. For PM2.5, approximately 3600 concentration maps were constructed. Taking a map as an example, according to existing methods, the PM2.5 concentration was “good” in 56% and “moderate” in 44% of areas. However, according to our modeling, the PM2.5 concentration was good in 31%, moderate in 26%, “unhealthy” in 28%, and “very unhealthy” in 15% of areas. Furthermore, the existing methods indicated that no portion of the population was exposed to poor particulate matter concentrations, while the proposed model found that over 170,000 people were exposed to such concentrations. These results will contribute to sustainable urban and environmental planning.

In the original publication’s Fig. 1b, the labels J and I, should be placed at approximately 2 ms and 30 ms respectively. Also, Fig. 3C y-axis title should be written as ψEₒ /(1- ψEₒ).

To remove the extra ammonium-nitrogen (NH₃-N) and phosphorus (P) from contaminated water, a novel granular adsorbent (GAZCA) was fabricated with zeolite powders and Al–Mn binary oxide (AMBO) via the compression method. The SEM-EDS and mapping and XRD results illustrated the microstructure of GAZCA: the homogeneous aggregation of zeolite and AMBO nanoparticles with their crystal integrity and the uniform distribution of Al/Mn/Si/O elements on the adsorbent surface. FTIR and XPS results demonstrated the existence of impregnated sodium cations and hydroxyl groups, which were responsible for the removal of NH₃-N and P, respectively. The results of BET analysis and compression tests exhibited a high surface area (14.4 m²/g) and a satisfactory mechanical strength of GAZCA. Kinetic adsorption results showed a fast adsorption rate for NH₃-N and P, and mutual inference was not observed between the adsorption kinetics of NH₃-N and P in the bi-component system. The adsorption isotherm results demonstrated that the maximum adsorption capacities of NH₃-N and P were calculated as 12.9 mg/g and 9.3 mg/g via the Langmuir model, respectively. In the bi-component system, the adsorption capacities of NH₃-N and P were maintained at low and moderate concentrations and decreased at high concentrations due to the blockage effects of NH₄MnPO₄·H₂O precipitates. The removal efficiency of NH₃-N could be maintained in a wide pH range of 4~10, while P adsorption was inhibited at alkali conditions. The solution of sodium bicarbonate (0.4 M) was used for the regeneration of saturated adsorbents, which permitted GAZCA to keep 98% and 78% of its adsorption capacity for NH₃-N and P even after three regeneration and reuse cycles. Dynamic experiments illustrated that a satisfactory performance was obtained for the in situ treatment of simulated N- and P-contaminated water by using a column reactor packed with GAZCA, thus further confirming its great potential for the control of eutrophication.

The current research reports an efficient methodology of new sorbent (SSBC) synthesis based on neglected sepia shells for the sequestration of cationic dye (Methylene blue, MB) and an anionic dye (Reactive black 5, RB5) from aqueous solutions. The as-synthesized SSBC was produced by reaction of sepia shell powder with urea in the presence of formaldehyde. In the first part of the work, the sorbent was scrutinized by using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and titration (for determining pHPZC). In the second step, the influence of several parameters including pH effect, sorbent dosage, temperature, and ionic strength on the two dyes’ sorption effectiveness was examined. The sorption isotherms and uptake kinetics were analyzed at the optimum pH. Outlined results showed that the dynamic experimental obtained data followed the Langmuir isotherm profile, while the kinetic profile fitted well to the pseudo-second-order rate equation. Maximum sorption capacities reach up to 0.794 mmol g⁻¹ (254.05 mg g⁻¹) for MB and 0.271 mmol g⁻¹ (269.18 mg g⁻¹) for RB5, at pH 10.5 and 2.3, respectively. By comparing the sorption properties at different temperatures, the endothermic nature of the sorption process was revealed. Sorption processing under microwave irradiation (microwave-enforced sorption, MES) enhanced mass transfer, and a contact time as low as 1 min is sufficient under optimized conditions (exposure time and power) reaching equilibrium, while 2–3 h was necessary for a “simple” sorption. Dye desorption was successfully tested using 0.5 M solutions of NaOH and HCl for the removal of RB5 and MB, respectively. The as-prepared sorbent can be reused for a minimum of 4 cycles of sorption/desorption. Finally, the sorbent was successfully tested on spiked tap water and real industrial wastewater.

There is a rising concern about the pollution of microplastics (plastic particles < 5 mm) in water due to their physicochemical properties, especially their interaction with organic contaminants; however, such knowledge is still limited. The mass production and consumption of medication for the treatment of infectious diseases in human and animals have led to the ubiquity of antibiotics in the environment. We studied the single and joint effects of microplastics (1-μm and 10-μm polystyrene particles, PS) and roxithromycin (ROX) on Daphnia magna through the acute and sublethal toxicity tests. The 48-h median effective concentration (EC₅₀) of 1-μm and 10-μm PS to D. magna was 66.97 mg/L and 199.94 mg/L, respectively, while the value of ROX was 20.28 mg/L. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the activities of four enzymatic biomarkers, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST), were further detected to assess the oxidative stress caused in D. magna caused. The results showed that 48-h exposure to PS (0.1 mg/L) or ROX (0.01 mg/L) alone activated the activities of CAT and GST and MDA levels. When compared with the ROX alone, the responses of GPx and MDA in D. magna co-exposed to 1-μm PS were significantly decreased, while co-exposure to 10-μm PS significantly decreased the responses of GST and MDA. Furthermore, the integrated biomarker response version 2 (IBRv2) analysis revealed that co-exposure to 1-μm PS and ROX led to the strongest biological responses in D. magna. Our findings underlined that microplastics should be a concern when they interact with the co-existence of pollutants in the aquatic environment.

Vibrio cholerae is a leading waterborne pathogen worldwide. Continuous monitoring of V. cholerae contamination in aquatic products and identification of risk factors are crucial for assuring food safety. In this study, we determined the virulence, antimicrobial susceptibility, heavy metal tolerance, and genetic diversity of 400 V. cholerae isolates recovered from commonly consumed freshwater fish (Aristichthys nobilis, Carassius auratus, Ctenopharyngodon idellus, and Parabramis pekinensis) collected in July and August of 2017 in Shanghai, China. V. cholerae has not been previously detected in the half of these fish species. The results revealed an extremely low occurrence of pathogenic V. cholerae carrying the major virulence genes ctxAB (0.0%), tcpA (0.0%), ace (0.0%), and zot (0.0%). However, high incidence of virulence-associated genes was observed, including the RTX toxin gene cluster (rtxA-D) (83.0–97.0%), hlyA (87.8%), hapA (95.0%), and tlh (76.0%). Meanwhile, high percentages of resistance to antimicrobial agents streptomycin (65.3%), ampicillin (44.5%), and rifampicin (24.0%) were observed. Approximately 30.5% of the isolates displayed multidrug resistant (MDR) phenotypes with 42 resistance profiles, which were significantly different among the four fish species (MARI, P = 0.001). Additionally, tolerance of isolates to heavy metals Hg²⁺ (49.3%), Zn²⁺ (30.3%), and Pb²⁺ (12.0%) was observed. The enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR)-based fingerprinting of the 400 V. cholerae isolates revealed 328 ERIC-genotypes, which demonstrated a large degree of genomic variation among the isolates. Overall, the results of this study support the need for food safety risk assessment of aquatic products.

The purpose of this study was the identification of the major factor for sustainable development in textile industries and preferred textile wastewater management practices for environmental protection. Moreover, a structural framework for sustainable textile wastewater management concept in the textile industry was developed, and further, the proposed model was examined based on the effect of economic performance, environmental impact, and operational performance in textile sectors. Therefore, to achieve the above issues, major factors were identified through exhaustive literature, and then a test was conducted for the reliability of the proposed constructs for validation. However, there was no specific study on the sustainability of textile wastewater management principle by using exploratory structural equation modeling (SEM). Finally, the proposed structural model was validated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling with the help of the SPSS software package.

As wood preservatives leach from exposed treated wood, they contaminate soil and water, creating an environmental problem that needs to be addressed. Treating this contamination is particularly challenging since it includes mixed compounds, such as heavy metals and trace elements, as well as xenobiotic organic pollutants like polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxin/furan congeners (PCDD/Fs) that are very toxic and are under very strict discharge regulations. Cultivating fast-growing willow shrubs, either in soil or in treatment wetlands, offers a flexible and inexpensive treatment option. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of a frequently used willow cultivar (Salix miyabeana ‘SX67’) to irrigation with leachate contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP) and chromated chromium arsenate (CCA), two important wood preservatives. We designed a mesocosms experiment with willow grown in three different substrates and irrigated over 12 weeks with three different leachate concentrations. Willow proved to be tolerant to irrigation with the raw leachate, with only leaf area decreasing with increasing leachate concentration. However, the type of growing substrate influenced willow ecophysiological responses and overall performance, and seemed to affect contaminant dynamics in the plant-soil system. All contaminants accumulated in willow roots, and Cu and PCDD/Fs were also translocated to aerial parts. Overall, this study suggests that Salix miyabeana ‘SX67’ could be a good candidate for treating water or soil contaminated with wood preservatives.

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as anthracene (AN) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), in water has become a problem of great concern due to the detrimental health effects caused to humans and living beings. In this work, the efficiency of the UV/H₂O₂ system for degrading the target compounds at ultra-trace levels in surface water has been evaluated. For this purpose, a previous optimization step using a face-centered central composite experimental design has been conducted, considering the effect of the UV-C irradiance and the initial concentration of H₂O₂. It was evidenced that under optimal operating conditions (11 mg L⁻¹ H₂O₂ and 0.63 mW cm⁻² irradiance), AN and BaP removal percentages were higher than 99.8%. Additionally, 69.3% of the organic matter, in terms of total organic carbon, was mineralized without the production of transformation by-products more harmful than the parent compounds. These findings demonstrate the oxidation capacity of the examined system in a natural matrix for degrading micropollutants that cannot be converted through conventional treatment processes. Consequently, new horizons are opened for the effective use of the UV/H₂O₂ system for drinking water production, providing the accomplishment of other regulated parameters related to water quality.