Microplastic polystyrene foam has been found widely in the environment and is readily transported by wind or water. Beached and virgin foams of size 0.45–1 mm were prepared as sorbents to study oxytetracycline sorption. Enhanced adsorption were found in the beached foams compared to the virgin foams, corresponding to the higher specific surface area, micropore area and the degree of oxidation of the former. The Freundlich Kf value was 894 ± 84 ((mg kg⁻¹) (mg L⁻¹)¹/ⁿ) for oxytetracycline adsorption on the beached foams, approximately twice as high as on the virgin foams. Effects of solution pH on adsorption to the beached foams were more pronounced to the virgin foams. Maximum adsorption occurred at pH 5 at which electrostatic repulsion between the microplastic surface and the oxytetracycline zwitterion was minimal, indicating that electrostatic interaction may have regulated adsorption. Moreover, H-bonding and multivalent cationic bridging mechanisms may also have affected the adsorption of oxytetracycline to the beached foams as reflected by the ionic effects. Adsorption was promoted more in the presence of humic acid than of fulvic acid, perhaps owing to π-π conjugation between the humic acid and the microplastic surface which led to enhanced electrostatic attraction for oxytetracycline. This study suggests that weathered polystyrene foams may act as carriers of antibiotics in the environment and their potential risks to ecosystem and human health merit further investigation.

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) is one of the leading risk factors for the mortality and morbidity burden in India. Health benefit expected from mitigation of emissions from individual sectors is the key policy information to address this issue. Here we quantify the relative shares of four major year-round anthropogenic sources to ambient PM₂.₅ in India using a chemical transport model and estimate premature deaths that could have been avoided due to complete mitigation of emissions from these sources at state level. Population-weighted all-India averaged (±1σ) annual ambient PM₂.₅ exposures due to residential, transport, industrial and energy sectors in 2010 are estimated to be 26.2 ± 12.5, 3.8 ± 4.3, 5.5 ± 2.7 and 2.2 ± 2.3 μg m⁻³, respectively. Complete mitigation of emissions from the transport, industrial and energy sectors combined would avoid 92,380 (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 40,918–140,741) premature deaths annually, primarily at the urban hotspots. For the residential sector, this would result in avoiding 378,295 (95% UI, 175,002–575,293) premature deaths due to a reduction in ambient PM₂.₅ exposure in addition to the benefit of avoiding all premature deaths from household exposure. Bihar and Goa are expected to have the largest (289) and smallest (48) premature mortality burden per 100,000 population due to anthropogenic PM₂.₅ exposure. From policy perspective, controlling residential sources should be prioritized in view of the effectiveness of implementing mitigation measures and the expected larger health benefit at a regional scale. However, additional mitigation measures are advised at the urban hotspots to curb emissions from the other sectors to get maximum possible health benefit.

A long-lasting high particulate matter (PM) concentration episode persisted over East Asia from May 24 to June 3, 2014. The Nested Air Quality Prediction Model System (NAQPMS) was used to investigate the mixing of dust and anthropogenic pollutants during this episode. Comparison of observations revealed that the NAQPMS successfully reproduced the time series PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ concentrations, as well as the nitrate and sulfate concentrations in fine (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) and coarse mode (2.5 μm < aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm). This episode originated from two dust events that occurred in the inland desert areas of Mongolia and China, and then the long-range transported dust and anthropogenic pollutants were trapped over the downwind region of East Asia for more than one week due to the blocked north Pacific subtropical high-pressure system over the east of Japan. The model results showed that mineral dust accounted for 53–83% of PM₁₀, and 39–67% of PM₂.₅ over five cities in East Asia during this episode. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the Qingdao and Seoul regions experienced dust and pollution twice, by direct transport from the dust source region and from dust detoured over the Shanghai area. The results of the NAQPMS model confirmed the importance of dust heterogeneous reactions (HRs) over East Asia. Simulated dust NO₃⁻ concentrations accounted for 75% and 84% of total NO₃⁻ in fine and coarse mode, respectively, in Fukuoka, Japan. The horizontal distribution of model results revealed that the ratio of dust NO₃⁻/dust concentration increased from about 1% over the Chinese land mass to a maximum of 8% and 6% respectively in fine and coarse mode over the ocean to the southeast of Japan, indicating that dust NO₃⁻ was mainly formed over the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea before reaching Japan.

Rivers in the arid Western United States face increasing influences from anthropogenic contaminants due to population growth, urbanization, and drought. To better understand and more effectively track the impacts of these contaminants, biologically-based monitoring tools are increasingly being used to complement routine chemical monitoring. This study was initiated to assess the ability of both targeted and untargeted biologically-based monitoring tools to discriminate impacts of two adjacent wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) on Colorado's South Platte River. A cell-based estrogen assay (in vitro, targeted) determined that water samples collected downstream of the larger of the two WWTPs displayed considerable estrogenic activity in its two separate effluent streams. Hepatic vitellogenin mRNA expression (in vivo, targeted) and NMR-based metabolomic analyses (in vivo, untargeted) from caged male fathead minnows also suggested estrogenic activity downstream of the larger WWTP, but detected significant differences in responses from its two effluent streams. The metabolomic results suggested that these differences were associated with oxidative stress levels. Finally, partial least squares regression was used to explore linkages between the metabolomics responses and the chemical contaminants that were detected at the sites. This analysis, along with univariate statistical approaches, identified significant covariance between the biological endpoints and estrone concentrations, suggesting the importance of this contaminant and recommending increased focus on its presence in the environment. These results underscore the benefits of a combined targeted and untargeted biologically-based monitoring strategy when used alongside contaminant monitoring to more effectively assess ecological impacts of exposures to complex mixtures in surface waters.

Recently it has been shown that there are two types of magnetite particles in the human brain, some, which occur naturally and are jagged in appearance, and others that arise from industrial sources, such as coal fired power plants, and are spherical. In order to confirm the latter, the magnetic component of coal ash is first purified and characterized by XRD, showing that it is magnetite with an average particle size of 211 nm. Studies confirm the coal ash magnetic behavior, and that the magnetite is not bound to the other components of coal ash but exist as an isolatable component. SEM studies confirm that in the process of burning coal at very high temperatures for industrial uses, the magnetite formed is spherically shaped, as recent studies of brain tissues of highly exposed urban residents have found. As such, the use of coal for industrial applications such as coking in the production of steel and in power plants is indicated to be a major source of the spherical magnetic combustion-associated magnetite fine particle and nanoparticle environmental pollution. The capacity of these magnetic particles to penetrate and damage the blood-brain-barrier and the early development of Alzheimer's disease hallmarks in exposed populations calls for detail analysis of magnetic fine and nanoparticle distribution across the world.Summation: Industrial coal usage produces spherical magnetic particles and nanoparticles, identical to those associated with neurological disorders.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites [dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane], hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), are widely detected in humans despite the considerable decline in environmental concentrations. To understand the placental transfer of OCPs and the possible maternal influence on them, we measured the concentrations of DDTs, HCHs, and HCB in 102 paired samples of maternal and cord sera, and placentas collected in Shanghai, China. The median concentrations of DDTs and HCHs were the highest in maternal sera (601, 188 ng g⁻¹ lipid), followed by umbilical cord sera (389, 131 ng g⁻¹ lipid), and placentas (65, 37 ng g⁻¹ lipid). 4,4′-DDE, β-HCH, and HCB were the predominant contaminants in the three matrices. The ubiquitous existence of OCPs, and the significant concentration relationships of DDTs, HCHs, and OCPs in the three matrices suggested placental transfer from mother to fetus. The lipid-based concentration ratios of 4,4′-DDE, β-HCH, and HCB in umbilical cord serum to those in maternal serum (F/M), and ratios of placenta to maternal serum (P/M) ranged from 0.66 to 1.01, and 0.12 to 0.25, respectively. Maternal variables affected the levels of fetal contamination. For primiparous women, significant correlations between maternal age and maternal HCHs, and between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and maternal HCHs were found. The negative effect of parity, and the positive effect of food consumption on maternal OCP concentrations were also observed, although there were no significant differences. The possible influence of parity on F/M and P/M of 4,4′-DDE suggested borderline significant differences between primiparous and multiparous women. Also, slight group differences were observed between elder and younger women, and between overweight and normal/underweight women. Parity seems to have a potential influence on transfer ratios of some OCP pollutants.

We investigated the concentrations and temporal variability of organophospate esters (OPEs), halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in indoor and outdoor urban air in Stockholm, Sweden over one year (2014–2015) period. The median concentrations of the three target chemical groups (OPEs, HFRs, PBDEs) were 1–2 orders of magnitude higher in indoor air than outdoor urban air. OPEs were the most abundant target FRs with median concentrations in indoor (Σ10OPE = 340 000 pg/m3) and outdoor urban (Σ10OPEs = 3100 pg/m3) air, being 3 orders of magnitude greater than for HFRs in indoor (Σ15HFRs = 120 pg/m3) and outdoor urban (Σ15HFRs = 1.6 pg/m3) air. In indoor air, PBDE concentrations (Σ17PBDEs = 33 pg/m3) were lower than for the HFRs, but in outdoor urban air, concentrations (Σ17PBDEs = 1.1 pg/m3) were similar to HFRs. The most abundant OPEs in both the indoor and outdoor urban air were tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate (TBOEP), tris(chloroisopropyl)phosphate (TCIPP), tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP), tri-n-butyl-phosphate (TnBP), triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) and tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl)phosphate (TDCIPP). TCIPP in indoor air was found in the highest concentrations and showed the greatest temporal variability, which ranged from 85 000 to 1 900 000 pg/m3 during the one-year sampling period. We speculate that activities in the building, e.g. floor cleaning, polishing, construction, introduction of new electronics and changes in ventilation rate could explain its variation. Some OPEs (TnBP, TCEP, TCIPP, TDCIPP and TPhP), HFRs/PBDEs (pentabromotoluene, 2, 3-dibromopropyl 2, 4, 6-tribromophenyl ether, hexabromobenzene, BDE-28, -47, and -99) in outdoor urban air showed seasonality, with increased concentrations during the warm period (p < 0.05, Pearson's r ranged from −0.45 to −0.91). The observed seasonality for OPEs was probably due to changes in primary emission, and those for the HFRs and PBDEs was likely due to re-volatilization from contaminated surfaces.

Although organic species are transported and efficiently transformed in clouds, more than 60% of this organic matter remains unspeciated. Using GCxGC-HRMS technique we were able to detect and identify over 100 semi-volatile compounds in 3 cloud samples collected at the PUY station (puy de Dôme mountain, France) while they were present at low concentrations in a very small sample volume (<25 mL of cloud water). The vast majority (∼90%) of the detected compounds was oxygenated, while the absence of halogenated organic compounds should be specially mentioned. This could reflect both the oxidation processes in the atmosphere (gas and water phase) but also the need of the compounds to be soluble enough to be transferred and dissolved in the cloud droplets. Furans, esters, ketones, amides and pyridines represent the major classes of compounds demonstrating a large variety of potential pollutants. Beside these compounds, priority pollutants from the US EPA list were identified and quantified. We found phenols (phenol, benzyl alcohol, p-cresole, 4-ethylphenol, 3,4-dimethylphenol, 4-nitrophenol) and dialkylphthalates (dimethylphthalate, diethylphthalate, di-n-butylphthalate, bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate, butylbenzylphthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate). In general, the concentrations of phthalates (from 0.09 to 52 μg L−1) were much higher than those of phenols (from 0.03 to 0.74 μg L−1). To our knowledge phthalates in clouds are described here for the first time. We investigated the variability of phenols and phthalates concentrations with cloud air mass origins (marine vs continental) and seasons (winter vs summer). Although both factors seem to have an influence, it is difficult to deduce general trends; further work should be conducted on large series of cloud samples collected in different geographic areas and at different seasons.

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas and tends to accumulate as an intermediate in the process of bacteria denitrification. To achieve complete reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) in bacteria denitrification, the structural gene nosZ encoding nitrous oxide reductase (N₂OR) was cloned from Alcaligenes denitrificans strain TB (GenBank JQ044686). The recombinant plasmid containing the nosZ gene was built, and the expression of nosZ gene in Escherichia coli was determined. Results show that the nosZ gene consisting of 1917 nucleotides achieves heterologous expression successfully by codon optimization strategy under optimal conditions (pre-induction inoculum OD₆₀₀ of 0.67, final IPTG concentration of 0.5 mM, inducing time of 6 h, and inducing temperature of 28 °C). Determination result of gas chromatography confirms that N₂O degradation efficiency of recombinant E. coli is strengthened by at least 1.92 times compared with that of original strain TB when treated with N₂O as substrate. Moreover, N₂OR activity in recombinant strain is 2.09 times higher than that in wild strain TB, which validates the aforementioned result and implies that the recombinant E. coli BL21 (DE3)-pET28b-nosZ is a potential candidate to control N₂O accumulation and alleviate greenhouse effect. In addition, the N₂OR structure and the possible N₂O binding site in Alcaligenes sp. TB are predicted, which open an avenue for further research on the relationship between N₂OR activity and its structure.

The occurrence, eliminations, enantiomeric distribution and intra-day variations of five chiral pharmaceuticals (three beta-blockers and two antidepressants) were investigated in eight major WWTPs in Beijing, China. The results revealed that metoprolol (MTP) and venlafaxine (VFX) were of the highest concentrations among the five determined pharmaceuticals with mean concentrations of 803 ng L⁻¹ and 408 ng L⁻¹, respectively in influents, and 354 ng L⁻¹ and 165 ng L⁻¹ in effluents, respectively. Their removal efficiencies, intra-day concentration changes and enantiomeric profiles during wastewater treatment were further analyzed. Loads of these two chiral pharmaceuticals were also studied to reveal drug use pattern. A/A/O+MBR (anaerobic/anoxic/oxic + membrane bio-reactor) followed by joint disinfection treatment process exhibited the high removal efficiencies. No or weak enantioselectivity was observed in most WWTPs. However, obvious enantiomeric fraction (EF) changing of MTP was observed in WWTP3 employing A/A/O+MBR. Intra-day concentration fluctuations of MTP were smaller than VFX. A quick response to sudden rise influent concentration of MTP was observed in WWTP1 effluent but EF response lagged behind. Similar bihourly EF variations in influents and effluents were also observed in most WWTPs for MTP and VFX in consideration of hydraulic residence time (HRT).