Diflubenzuron (DFB) is a widely used insecticide to control ectoparasites in fish farming. Although therapeutic concentrations (i.e., 50 to 100 mg/L) are safe as they fail to induce mortality, they can promote tissue changes. In Brazil, Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) is a native species used for commercial production, and it remains crucial to determine underlying mechanisms to mitigate the potential effects of pathogens on productivity. The aim of this study was to analyze the transaminase profile and histopathological changes in the liver of P. mesopotamicus exposed to a DFB bath. Hence, the fish were exposed to an immersion bath containing a 70 mg/L nominal concentration of Difluchem 240 SC® (24% (m/m) DFB) for 30 (n = 10), 60 (n = 10), and 120 min (n = 10), every 24 h for 3 days. Following exposure, plasma transaminases and liver histology were analyzed. In DFB-exposed fish, levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were elevated when compared with the control at 30 and 60 min. Furthermore, liver morphology was altered based on exposure times. Compared with controls, the degree of reversible damage (degree of tissue change (DTC)) demonstrated high scores for all exposure times, with no difference between individual groups. Irreversible changes were increased in the 60 and 120-min baths. These findings highlight the impact of the therapeutic DFB concentration (i.e., 70 mg/L), revealing that 60-min and 120-min bathing induces irreversible and progressive hepatic changes.

This study seeks to dissect the basic factors that can elucidate the efficiency and innovation in biomass utilization to control carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission and economic growth nexus particularly at the time that the worldwide CO₂ emission is at an all-time high and COVID-19 is ravaging the word. We use data principally from the World Bank Indicators covering the period 1990–2016 to study the nexus among biomass utilization, economic growth, and CO₂ emission based on the moderating role of biotechnology in China. On the basis of the results of our preliminary tests, we apply the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) for this analysis and employ the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) as a robust check and also deploy the vector error correction model (VECM) to determine the direction of causality. We find that long-run relationship exists among the factors in this study. We additionally find that biotechnology has a critical but negative relationship with CO₂ emission in China. Through hierarchical multiple regression analysis and PROCESS macro for mediation, moderation, and conditional process, we establish that biotechnology significantly moderates the relationship between biomass utilization and CO₂ emission in China. Again, we discover that biomass utilization significantly decreases CO₂ emission in China. Through the ARDL, NARDL, and VECM, we find empirical support for the growth hypothesis in China. We conduct a series of diagnostic tests that prove the robustness of our estimates. Based on our empirical evidence, this study recommends that China seeks sustainable economic development and environmental sustainability simultaneously by prioritizing biomass utilization and biotechnological innovation in the country.

Anthropogenic activities, such as mining, influence soil bacterial community composition and microbial distributions. In the current study, the patterns in microbial distribution and the environmental drivers shaping the soil bacterial community composition in the alpine mining area of the Tianshan Mountain region, China, were investigated, and the bacterial communities were analyzed using 16S rDNA pyrosequencing. The environmental factors and their relationships with the microbial community composition, structure, and diversity were also assessed. The soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration increased along the elevation gradient, with the highest concentration in the mining area, which increased microbial abundance and species richness. Some metals, like Ca, Cu, Pb, and Zn, accumulated significantly in the tailing area and were negatively correlated with the microbial community structure. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia were the dominant phyla; these dominant phyla were more abundant in the areas without mining than in the areas with mining at the same altitude. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia significantly increased along the elevation gradient, while that of Actinobacteria in the mining camp area was more than twice those in the other areas due to higher soil pH. Soil biomass was the highest in the valley. Collectively, these results elucidate the influence of anthropogenic mining activities on soil microbial communities in alpine mining soils and provide a basis for the future management of heavy metal-contaminated areas using the indigenous dominant bacterial phyla.

Poor sanitation facilities and deficiencies in infrastructure lead to a scenario of waterborne diseases, particularly in low-income regions. Point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) solutions may be potential interventions for a positive impact in public health, complying with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of safe and affordable water for all (SDG 6). Chlorination is a common POU practice, thus benchmarking disinfection against it could be beneficial for finding alternative household-scale approaches. Here, we explored hydrogen peroxide, a well-known and commercially available oxidant, as a standalone disinfectant targeting Escherichia coli and Phi X174 bacteriophage as a model of enteric viruses, common pathogens found in source waters. Oxidation of natural organic matter (NOM) was also assessed by photometric assays. A 30-min exposure to H₂O₂ at 0.3% provided > 6.5 log₁₀-inactivation of phage, whereas chlorine reached approximately 3.0. When exclusively targeting bacteria, both disinfectants were considered efficient, but, when Phi X174 was included, only H₂O₂ satisfied criteria. Chlorine oxidation performance was considered sufficient; however, NOM variations obtained by H₂O₂ treatments should be further assessed. Though some limitations are discussed, particularly considering residuals, these are taken as directions for investigating practical applications. Overall, results suggest H₂O₂ is a potential standalone POU disinfectant, encouraging research on context-specific household settings or emergency scenarios.

In Mediterranean forests, anthropogenic disturbances received little interest in regards to their shrub layer induced enlargement. We studied in the cork oak forest of Beni Métir and in undisturbed and disturbed sites, the relative contribution of the tree (LT, DLT) and shrub (LS, DLS) layers to litter fall, litter decomposition, and nutrients dynamic. Our results showed that disturbance significantly (p < 0.001) reduced (−43%) total litter fall in DS in comparison with S (583 g m⁻² year⁻¹); the increased (+ 54%) shrub layer contribution to site litter fall did not counterbalance the decreased input by the tree layer. Leaf litter decomposition was negatively affected (p < 0.001) by disturbance, the remaining mass value being after 2 years, approximately 14 and 33%, respectively, for S and DS. This resulted into a gain of above ground soil organic matter 1.3 higher in DS than it was in S whereas the shrub layer contribution to litter fall increased by 50%. The prevailing driver of decomposition was very probably not related to litter quality but rather site-dependent. Indeed, layers of the same site shared the same remaining mass in spite of significant differences (p < 0.05) in initial content of minerals (N, Ca, and Mn) implicated in biological decomposition. In the disturbed site, the nutrient input by the shrub layer increased by more than double, but its low nutrient quality drastically impaired litter decomposition and mineral return at the site level. In conclusion, this study highlighted the importance of shrub layer which must be taken into account when considering any disturbance assessment and management of Mediterranean forests.

Pyroligneous acid (PA) obtained from slow pyrolysis of palm kernel shell (PKS) has high total phenolic contents and exhibits various biological activities including antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal. In this study, PA obtained using slow pyrolysis method and fractionated using column chromatography was characterized (chemical and antioxidative properties) and investigated for its cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inhibition activities using the in vitro and in silico approaches. The F₉ PA fraction exhibited highest total phenolic content of 181.75 ± 17.0 μg/mL. Fraction F₂₁–₂₅ showed ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (331.80 ± 4.60 mg TE/g) and IC₅₀ of 18.56 ± 0.01 μg/mL towards COX-2 and 5.25 ± 0.03 μg/mL towards the 5-LOX enzymes, respectively. Molecular docking analysis suggested favourable binding energy for all chemical compounds present in fraction F₂₁–₂₅, notably 1-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-2-pentanone, towards both COX-2 (− 6.9 kcal/mol) and 5-LOX (− 6.4 kcal/mol) enzymes. As a conclusion, PA from PKS has the potential to be used as an alternative antioxidant and antiinflammatory agents which is biodegradable and a more sustainable supply of raw materials.

The present study aimed to probe the extent and mobility of contamination in wastewater and its impact on groundwater and human health in the Swabi region in Pakistan. Representative samples (n = 86) were collected from both wastewater streams and groundwater in an analogous environmental setting. The result showed that pH, color, hardness, alkalinity, chemical oxygen demand, chloride, suspended solids, total dissolved solids, Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mg, Na, Ca, and K in industrial wastewater were higher than the Pak-EPA (Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency) and the United State Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) devised standards. In groundwater, the concentration (μg L⁻¹) of trace elements, namely, Cd (1.16), Pb (17.4), Fe (12426), Mn (320), Mg (129784), Na (33630), Ca (177944), and K (9558) was significantly higher than the WHO (World Health Organization) acceptable level, showing decreasing tendency with increasing distance from the industrial zone. The study perceived that wastewater caused permanent hardness, while groundwater hardness was decreased from permanent to temporary at a distance from industries. Integrated health risk assessment revealed that Cu, Zn, and Co may cause low risk, Na, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Cr cause medium risk, whereas Cd, Fe, Mg, Ca, and K may cause a high health risk. Moreover, the average daily intake of Fe, Mn, Mg, Na, Ca, and K was comparably higher than Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Co in both adults and children. The mode of occurrence of contaminants in groundwater was due to the leaching of contaminated wastewater and the oxidation of metals. Furthermore, carbonates, chloride, and SAR (sodium adsorption ratio) precipitation have a key role in groundwater contamination and influencing the natural water quality. The study concluded that the health problems in the surrounding areas were due to the use of contaminated water for drinking and household purpose. The study suggests filtering the drinking water and treating the wastewater before releasing it into the environment.

Astronium graveolens is a native tree species from Atlantic Forest considered sensitive to O₃. This study aimed to determine which environmental factors, including air quality and meteorological conditions, have the most significant influence on gas exchange and the appearance of visible foliar symptoms in this species. Saplings were potted and exposed in a standardized manner in an open area in the southeastern city of São Paulo, Brazil. Gas exchange was measured weekly in the morning (9 am to 10 am), midday (11 am to 12 pm), and afternoon (2 pm to 3 pm) during the spring and summer seasons (n = 10). Data on O₃ concentration and meteorological conditions were obtained on-site. Principal component analysis identified that the morning hours provide the most favorable meteorological conditions for gas exchange. High temperature and VPD reduced gas exchange in the midday and afternoon. Although the AOT40 was high, there were no visible foliar symptoms, which was an unexpected result. We propose that the meteorological conditions, mainly the VPD and temperature, caused stomatal closure, and consequently prevented the absorption of O₃; therefore, there was no association between O₃ and reduction of gas exchange, nor manifestation of foliar visible symptoms. We consider that more studies are necessary for the proper use of A. graveolens as an O₃ bioindicator species.

Although fumonisins are toxic and carcinogenic mold products that contaminate feed, food, and water, their photodegradation has not yet been reported. In this work, the efficiency of photolysis (UV, UV/H₂O₂, and UV/[Formula: see text]) and photocatalysis (TiO₂ (Degussa P25/Wackherr) and ZnO) for the degradation of fumonisins in an aqueous medium were investigated. In the case of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) optimal conditions in terms of pH, the initial concentrations of H₂O₂/[Formula: see text] for UV, UV/H₂O₂, and UV/[Formula: see text] treatments were investigated. The photocatalytic degradation using TiO₂ Wackherr as catalyst at natural pH (about 8) proved to be the most efficient treatment for removal of FB₁ and FB₃. Namely, during the first 30 min of irradiation, 99% of FB₁ (1.39 μM) was degraded, while FB₃ (0.425 μM) was completely removed during the first 20 min of irradiation. In the case of FB₂ (0.687 μM), UV/[Formula: see text] was the most efficient treatment, and complete removal occurred in the first 90 min of irradiation. All applied treatments for fumonisins removal have followed pseudo-first-order kinetics under the relevant experimental conditions. Toxicity of fumonisins and their mixtures formed during photodegradation were investigated using mammalian cell lines (BHK, H-4-II-E, Neuro-2a, and MRC-5). The BHK cell line was the most sensitive to fumonisins, especially FB₂ and FB₃, and its photodegradation mixtures.

A bioenhancement strategy for improving the anaerobic degradation efficiency of ship domestic sewage under microaerobic conditions was proposed in this study. Strains Stenotrophomonas sp. MSPP05 and Prevotella sp. MSPP07 with high organic-degrading efficiency and extracellular hydrolase yield were used for the bioenhancement of activated sludge. In batch experiments, the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen reached 94.5% and 66.9% after 72 h of degradation. The activities of dehydrogenase, extracellular amylase, and protease in the treatment group were 1.2, 1.4, and 2.0 times higher than those in the control group. Microbial community analysis showed that exogenous enhanced strains competed with original microorganisms and became dominant. One-stage continuous stirred tank reactor with bioenhanced activated sludge ran steadily for 90 days with average effluent COD and TN concentrations of 87.5 and 14.6 mg/L. The feasibility of improving organic-degrading efficiency through bioenhancement by using exogenous hydrolase-producing strains was confirmed under microaerobic conditions. This work provided a theoretical basis for improving treatment effects and developing a new technique for ship domestic sewage treatment.