Coal mining and related industries each leave their characteristic “metal fingerprint” in the surrounding soils. Although geochemical investigations of such soils most often indicate heavy contamination with certain metals and bioassays point to their cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, the majority of studies are based on only one of the mentioned approaches. Here, the presented study investigated the effect of coal mining activities and related industry on surrounding soils by means of both geochemical and biological tools. The multielement composition of soils and associated eluates were used for the assessment of soil contamination level and the element bioavailable fractions, respectively. For cytotoxicity and genotoxicity evaluation, shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) roots were exposed to selected soil eluates. Root growth, frequency of mitosis, mitotic and chromosomal abnormalities in root meristem cells, level of lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage evaluated by a comet assay were scored as toxicity endpoints. The results point to significant differences in the composition of collected soils and a variety of factors that contribute not only to their total metal load but also to the observed cytotoxic and genotoxic effects; all of which emphasize the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach in assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on the environment, especially in historical mining areas.

Dam construction leads to both sediment discontinuities and the creation of internal phosphorus (P) loads in reservoirs capable of supporting eutrophication. Today, majority of large rivers are dammed and numerous of these infrastructures are constructed in cascade. However, few studies focus on the cumulative effect of the presence of dam on sediment P mobility and bioavailability in downstream reservoirs and rivers parts or throughout the continuum. The influence of three cascade dams has been studied herein on the sedimentary P distribution in surface bed sediments along a 17-km fluvial continuum of the Creuse River (Massif Central, France). The sediments (17 samples) were analyzed for their physical (grain size, specific surface area) and chemical (pH, contents of P, Fe, Al, Ca, Mn, organic matter (OM), and P fractionation) characteristics. Results indicated an amount of P 3 to 7 times higher in dam sediments (1.59 ± 0.51 mgP/g DW) than in free-flowing river sections (0.27 ± 0.11 mgP/g DW). Unexpectedly, sedimentary TP content did not decrease from the first to the third reservoir. The spatial variations of sediment characteristics between river and reservoirs were correlated with the retention of particles sized under 200 μm within the reservoirs. In reservoir sediment, P was mainly associated with the ascorbate fraction (P associated with the redox-sensitive Fe/Mn precipitates). Inside each dam reservoir, longitudinal variations of the sedimentary P distribution were mainly due to the increase of amorphous Fe precipitate content accumulated in fine sediments toward the dam, as characterized by a low Fe-Asc/P-Asc molar ratio. In the river sections, P distribution (mainly associated with HCl and ascorbate fractions) was not significantly influenced by cascade dams.

Slope aspect is an important topographic factor for a micro-ecosystem environment that may affect macro- and micronutrients in plants and soil. The south-, northwest-, and north-facing slopes were selected to investigate the influence of slope aspect on the concentrations, storage, and allocation of macro- and micronutrients in Artemisia sacrorum on the Loess Plateau in China. The concentrations of available manganese (Mn) in both rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils reached their maximum on the north-facing slope. The concentrations of available iron (Fe) in rhizosphere soil and available copper (Cu) in non-rhizosphere soil reached their maximum on the south-facing slope. Slope aspect significantly affected the total concentrations of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), Cu, and Mn in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils, and all of these elements reached their maximum on the northwest-facing slope. Slope aspect significantly influenced the concentrations of aboveground K, Ca, and Mg, sodium (Na), Mn, and belowground K in A. sacrorum, and the concentrations of aboveground K, Ca, Mg, and Na and belowground Mn, Na, Fe, Ca, and Mg in weed. Most elements in A. sacrorum and the weeds reached their maximum on the south-facing slope. Slope aspect significantly changed the aboveground-to-belowground concentration ratios of K, Ca, and Na in A. sacrorum and weed. Slope aspect significantly affected the storage of macro- and micronutrients in A. sacrorum and weed but not the storage in the plants of the entire plot. Slope aspect predominantly affected the storage allocation of macro- and micronutrients in A. sacrorum but not those in weed. Slope aspect is an important topographic factor that affects the macro- and micronutrients in plants and soil in micro-ecosystem environments.

Whether or not China can succeed at the forefront of international development in the coming decades will largely hinge on its ability to adapt to low-carbon economic development and its efforts to promote the Unified National Emission Trading System (UNETS). To understand the evolution of China’s carbon market, this paper firstly divides the development of China’s regional carbon markets into three phases: pilot construction (phase 1, before 31 May 2015), preparation for the UNETS (phase 2, 1 June 2015–19 December 2017), and formal construction of the UNETS (phase 3, 20 December 2017–present). Then this research reviews the trading performance and employs four robust variance ratio (VR) tests to capture structural changes and examine the efficiency of China’s eight regional carbon markets in different periods. Results show that compared to phase 1, smaller price volatility, larger daily trading volume, and higher market liquidity are more frequent at the later stages of majority markets. Despite these improvements, results from the VR tests indicate that the statistic in majority of China’s regional carbon markets is insignificant in any given period and, therefore, they are not weak-form efficient. The additional detrended cross-correlation analysis demonstrates that market liquidity affects market efficiency in the Hubei market only, which implies that Hubei, where the market liquidity reaches almost 100% in phase 3, is highly likely to be weak-form efficient shortly. Finally, several recommendations are provided to improve the efficiency and maturity of China’s carbon markets, including strengthening legislation, improving the market design, and constructing information platforms.

The goal of this study was to determine the potential exposure of much of the French population to nine phthalates and bis (2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) due to water consumption. The occurrence of these compounds was investigated in raw and treated water from public water systems. Water samples were collected in one sampling campaign equally distributed across 101 French départements (a French administrative unit) from November 2015 to July 2016. In all, 271 raw water samples and 283 treated water samples were collected. A specific sampling protocol was conducted in order to assess phthalate pollution during sampling and analysis, and to produce reliable results. Field blanks were thus collected at the same time as real samples at each sampling point. The contamination detected in field blanks was due to diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), which are common phthalate interferences in blanks. Their concentrations were never ten times higher than the limits of quantification (LOQ). In tap water, the most frequently detected compound was DBP, at a maximum concentration of 1300 ng/L. In raw water, however, DEP was the most frequently detected analyte with concentrations ranging from 255 to 406 ng/L, while DIBP was observed at a maximum concentration of 1650 ng/L. It is worth mentioning that DEHP—the most widely used phthalate—was only detected in one sample of raw water. Phthalates are not concentrated in any particular area of France in either raw or treated water.

The characteristics of biochar carriers prepared from different biomass (corncob, straw, and sawdust) were investigated, and the bioremediation performance of the biochar through microbial immobilization was analyzed. Corncob biochar had the highest specific surface area (157.11–312.30 m² g⁻¹) among the different biomass, and the specific surface area and total pore volume reached the maximum at 500 °C. The pore size was primarily micropore, which aided to the fixation of microorganisms and the adsorption of petroleum pollutants. With increased pyrolysis temperature, the polar functional groups in biochar decreased, and the aromatic functional groups gradually increased, thereby benefiting the adsorption of hydrophobic organic compounds. Corncob biochar had the highest zeta potential, i.e., from − 30.95 to − 6.43 mV, conducive to the electrostatic adsorption between carrier and microorganism. The highest oil-removal and microbial-immobilization rates of biochar CC500 (with corncob pyrolyzed at 500 °C) were about 70.7% and 71.2%, respectively. A strong recovery of microbial growth activity was also observed; recovery was 83.38% compared with free bacteria, and the fixed microorganisms reached logarithmic-growth period at 8–18 h.

The correct name of the 9th Author is shown in this paper.

The highest recorded hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence worldwide is in Egypt. A high prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in chronic liver disease has been reported. The aim of this study was to study prevalence, incidence, and outcome of HCV infection in an Egyptian Nile Delta village and the relation between HEV infection and HCV-related chronic hepatic affection. This prospective cohort study included 2085 Nagreej village residents. Mass HCV screening was conducted and testing for HEV antibodies among HCV-infected patients performed. The annual incidence of HCV was recorded. Five hundred five (24.22%) of the tested villagers were positive for HCV RNA. Prevalence escalated with age and male sex. The main recorded risk factors were a history of surgery, dental procedures, hospitalization, blood transfusion, and antischistosomal treatment. HEV IgG antibody was positive in 71.4% of individuals with chronic HCV and 96.1% with advanced liver disease (cirrhosis ± hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)). After 1 year, 29 of the 1390 HCV Ab negative villagers had a positive HCV PCR, placing an annual incidence of new HCV infections at 2.09%. The Egyptian HCV prevalence remains high with infection particularly among the elderly. The annual incidence in a small Nile Delta village is 2.086%. HCV-HEV co-infection may lead to a worse prognosis among Egyptians with chronic liver disease.

Abamectin has been widely used in agriculture and animal husbandry. It has been shown that abamectin exposure could induce multiple toxic effects on non-target organisms, but the underlying mechanism is still largely unknown. In the current study, the mechanism of abamectin-induced cytotoxicity was investigated in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. Abamectin treatment could cause oxidative stress in cells (beginning at 0.4 μg/ml, 0.5 μM) and the ROS overproduction was mainly induced by the impacts of abamectin on the activities of CAT (beginning at 4.4 μg/mL, 5 μM), SOD (beginning at 8.7 μg/mL, 10 μM), GPx (beginning at 4.4 μg/mL, 5 μM), and contents of GSH (beginning at 4.4 μg/mL, 5 μM), which are important components of the ROS elimination pathway in mammal cells. Abamectin could impair DNA integrity (as demonstrated by increased 8-OHdG/dG ratio) in cells, even at environmental level (0.4 μg/mL, NOAEL), and abamectin-induced oxidative stress was one of the main reasons for the DNA damage that occurred in cells. Moreover, pretreatment with the inhibitor of JNK and ATM/ATR signaling pathway could partially rescue the decreased cell viability, indicating that oxidative stress and DNA damage might be involved in abamectin-induced cytotoxicity. These findings could provide new insights into the mechanism of abamectin-induced cytotoxicity and should be useful for a more comprehensive assessment of the adverse effects of abamectin.

Environmental pollutants are recognized as one of the major concerns for public health and responsible for various forms of neurological disorders. Some of the common sources of environmental pollutants related to neurotoxic manifestations are industrial waste, pesticides, automobile exhaust, laboratory waste, and burning of terrestrial waste. Among various environmental pollutants, particulate matter, ultrafine particulate matter, nanoparticles, and lipophilic vaporized toxicant (acrolein) easily cross the blood–brain barrier, activate innate immune responses in the astrocytes, microglia, and neurons, and exert neurotoxicity. Growing shreds of evidence from human epidemiological studies have correlated the environmental pollutants with neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, myelin sheath disruption, and alterations in the blood–brain barrier anatomy leading to cognitive dysfunction and poor quality of life. These environmental pollutants also considerably cause developmental neurotoxicity, exhibit teratogenic effect and mental growth retardance, and reduce IQ level. Until now, the exact mechanism of pollutant-induced neurotoxicity is not known, but studies have shown interference of pollutants with the endogenous antioxidant defense system, inflammatory pathway (Nrf2/NF-kB, MAPKs/PI3K, and Akt/GSK3β), modulation of neurotransmitters, and reduction in long-term potentiation. In the current review, various sources of pollutants and exposure to the human population, developmental neurotoxicity, and molecular mechanism of different pollutants involved in the pathogenesis of different neurological disorders have been discussed.