In this study, nano-sized ITO supported Pt-Pd bimetallic catalyst was synthesized for the degradation of methyl parathion pesticide, a common extremely toxic contaminant in aqueous solution. On the characterization with different techniques, a beautiful scenario of honeycomb architecture composed of ultra-small nanoneedles or fine hairs was found. Average size of nanocatalyst also confirmed which was in the range of 3–5 nm. High percent degradation (94%) was obtained in 30 s using 1.5 × 10⁻ ¹ mg of synthesized nanocatalyst, 0.5 mM NaBH₄, and 110 W microwave radiations power. Recyclability of nanocatalyst was efficient till 4th cycle observed during study of reusability. The supported Pt-Pd bimetallic nanocatalyst on ITO displayed many advantages over conventional methods for degradation of methyl parathion pesticide, such as high percent degradation, short reaction time, small amount of nanocatalyst, and multitime reusability. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of reaction for degradation of methyl parathion

Faster spread of epidemics has turned local concerns into global crises; antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is being considered a major threat to public health in the twenty-first century. Antibiotic misuse plays a great role in accelerated AMR; thus, understanding and discussing consumption patterns has been a trend topic over the past years. Developing countries, such as Brazil, have high growth rates in antibiotic consumption, potentially impacting global environmental safety. This study presents the compiled information from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) on antibiotic dispensation across the country and maps the consumption trends between the years of 2013 and 2016. The most consumed substances were beta-lactams (amoxicillin and cephalexin) and macrolides (azithromycin). National relative growth consumption in the mentioned period was 18%. At the local level, growth of consumption ranged from 4 to 85%, with rampage growth concentrated in the North and Northeast regions. Brazilian laws, such as restriction of over-the-counter sales and mandatory report on dispensation, seem to have little effect on the national antibiotic consumption growth. This phenomenon growth is still elevated if compared with developed countries, demonstrating the need for further surveillance as well as coordinated efforts aiming at antibiotic use and AMR prevention.

This paper examines the impact of board characteristics on environmental accounting information disclosure for listed mining companies in China. Board characteristics were categorized into board size, independence characteristics, diversity characteristics, behavioral characteristics, and incentive characteristics. The study further extended to analyze the impact of board characteristics on environmental disclosure before and after the promulgation of Environmental Information Disclosure Degree (EIDD). Using multiple regression analysis with a sample of 34 listed mining companies from both Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges covering 2000–2018 period, we find a significant positive correlation between board size and Environmental Accounting Disclosure Index (EADI). Also, board independence measured by independent directors and the separation of the chief executive officer from board chairman revealed a positive and significant relationship with EADI. Similarly, behavioral characteristics measured by board meeting were positively correlated with EADI at 1% significant level. In terms of diversity characteristics, both females on board and foreign nationals revealed a negative and insignificant relationship with EADI, while incentive characteristics saw an inconclusive correlation with EADI. Our findings are useful to top managers and regulators who are interested in improving corporate governance practices and environmental information disclosure.

To solve the problem of dust production by the caving coal seam on the weather side of a fully mechanized coal face with a large mining height, this study proposes coal cutter onboard dust removal technology for the first time. In this work, taking the 12511 fully mechanized coal face of the Bulianta Coal Mine with a large mining height as an example, a mathematical model was built to study the influence of the onboard dust collector on airflow–dust dispersion pollution and the key technological parameters of the dust collector, and field tests were performed for verification. The results of numerical simulation showed that the dust-carrying airflow, after being blocked by the coal cutter, dispersed in the lateral direction, leading to an increase of airflow velocity on the walkway side to 1.75 m s⁻¹, and a dust concentration as high as 2500 mg m⁻³. At the same time, an airflow vortex area with the largest diameter of 3 m was formed near the surface of the coal cutter body, which attracted dust to gather there. However, after the application of the onboard dust removal technology, the lateral dispersion of dust-carrying airflow weakened, and the dust concentration on the walkway side was reduced to below 600 mg m⁻³. In addition, this technology also obviously reduced the influence scope of the vortex and the dust concentration area. It was also found that the installation height of the suction inlet of the dust collector and the air capacity had a large impact on the dust suppression efficiency. The optimum dust suppression efficiency was reached at an installation height of 1.15 m and air capacity of 120 m³ min⁻¹. Field test verification demonstrated that the dust concentration on the walkway side could be reduced by as much as 49.3% with the application of the proposed onboard dust removal technology.

The grey water footprint (GWF) can be used to connect wastewater quality and quantity, making it a powerful tool for policy makers and those responsible for managing wastewater systems. As a supplementary to existing GWF research, this study explores the GWF evolution of eight economic regions in China by taking into consideration the GWF of livestock feeding. In addition, we use the logarithmic mean division index method to study the background driving forces of GWF in primary industry for eight economic regions. Results show that the overall GWF in China fluctuates from 6082 billion m³ to 6238 billion m³ between the years 2003 and 2015. Primary industry contributes most to the GWF because of livestock feeding, particularly for the northwest economic region, accounting for 84.81% in 2015. The southwest economic region has the highest total GWF, and east coast region has the lowest total GWF. An analysis of driving forces shows that economic scale and industrial structure are the driving forces that best explain the GWF for the East coast, middle of Yellow River, Northwest, and Southwest economic regions. The effects of economic scale and pollution producing intensity are driving the GWF in the Northeast Regions. For the North coast and middle Yangtze River Regions, economic scale, industrial structure, and pollution producing intensity are driving forces for GWF. While for the South coast region, population is an important contributor apart from economic scale and industrial structure. Policy implications from perspective of the agriculture GWF and endowment of different regions were finally discussed.

This study was aimed to determine reference values (RVs) for the manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) in the whole blood (B) and serum (S) samples of the Serbian population. Blood specimens were collected from healthy persons (n = 295; women/men ratio = 149/146; mean age: 42 ± 2 years). The RVs were calculated as lower limit (LL) and upper limit (UL) of the 95% confidence interval (CI) and were expressed as percentiles (P) in the range from P2.5 to P97.5. The influences of sex, age, and smoking habits on element profiles were considered. It was found that the contents of B-Cu and S-Cu were higher in women, while the contents of B-Zn and S-Zn were higher in men. Both trace elements were significantly increased in a group of persons above 40 when compared to a younger persons (≤ 40 years). According to smoking habits, increased content was found only for S-Mn in the nonsmoker’s group (p < 0.05). Comparing our results to the results reported in other population groups worldwide, the Serbian population had significantly reduced content of Se in both types of samples. This finding could highlight the deficiency of Se in the investigated Serbian population and could contribute to the better understanding of the molecular basis for the increased incidence of thyroid and other diseases in which selenium plays a key role.

The long-term distribution of in situ optically active substances (OAS), accuracy assessment of satellite retrieved chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and its long-term trend has been carried out at a coastal site of the north-western Bay of Bengal. The temporal distribution of chl-a, total suspended matter (TSM) and absorption due to coloured dissolved organic matter at 440 nm (aCDOM440) discerned a common peak during southwest monsoon season (August–October). Chl-a also showed a prominent peak during pre-southwest monsoon period (March–April). The spatial variability of TSM and aCDOM440 was maximum during southwest monsoon, whereas in the case of chl-a, it was during pre-southwest monsoon. The accuracy assessment of chl-a retrieved from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer-Aqua (MODISA), Ocean Colour Monitor-2 (OCM-2) and Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) showed overestimation in nearshore waters. The error in satellite measurement of chl-a was within the range of 33 to 51%. The chl-a retrieved from MODISA was most accurate as indicated by statistical analysis. The long-term trend in satellite chl-a clearly indicated bi-modal distribution with a primary peak during pre-southwest monsoon attributed to recurrent phytoplankton bloom that was mostly confined to nearshore waters. Whereas, the secondary peak in chl-a, during the end of southwest monsoon, spreads far offshore.

In the present study, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly fabrication of silver and gold nanoparticles was performed by using aqueous extract of waste corn-cob. The formation of the metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) was optimized by UV–Vis method. The phytoconstituents were responsible for reduction of silver and gold ions to silver nanoparticles (CC-AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (CC-AuNPs) which were demonstrated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy while formation of AgCl was attributed to the presence of chloride ions in the aqueous extract. The crystalline nature of the AgNPs, AgCl, and AuNPs was confirmed using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns. Morphological studies showed that the synthesized CC-AgNPs existed in spherical shape with the size ranging from 2 to 28 nm possessing an average value of 11 nm while CC-AuNPs were present in the multiple shapes with size ranging from 5 to 50 nm possessing an average value of 35 nm. For studies on bioactive application, the CC-AgNPs exhibited a high antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains including Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the catalytic efficiency of MNPs was investigated for reduction of o-, m-, p-nitrophenols, and degradation of organic dyes including Eosin Y and Rhodamine 6G. The rate constants calculated from the kinetical data revealed that the biosynthesized nanoparticles are excellent catalysts in potential applications for treatment of wastewater. Graphical abstract .

Pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of two types of biochar (2% (w/w)), Pennisetum sinese Roxb biochar (PB) and coffee grounds biochar (CB), combined with iron fertilizer (1.3 g kg⁻¹ Fe) on the growth, quality, Cd/Pb accumulation in watercress, soil physicochemical properties, soil fertility, soil enzyme activities, and fraction distribution of Cd/Pb in soil. The results showed that the two types of biochar combined with iron fertilizer (BC-Fe) amendments could increase the shoot height, root length, plant biomass, soluble sugar and soluble protein of watercress, soil pH value, soil organic matter (SOM), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), available phosphorus, and available potassium. CB-Fe amendment enhanced soil urease, sucrose, and catalase activities, while PB-Fe amendment only enhanced soil urease activity among the three enzymes. The two BC-Fe amendments decreased exchangeable-Cd/Pb and reducible-Cd/Pb concentrations, while enhanced oxidizable-Cd/Pb and residual-Cd/Pb concentrations. Furthermore, the two BC-Fe amendments decreased significantly Cd and Pb accumulation in watercress root and shoot. The reduction rate for Cd and Pb in shoot by 42.9%, 20.0%, and 68.2%, 58.4% under PB-Fe and by 38.1%, 20%, and 62.5%, 48.8% under CB-Fe, respectively, for the first crop and the second crop. In conclusion, BC-Fe amendment could improve soil physicochemical properties and soil fertility, promote Cd and Pb transfer to the stable form, thus, reduce the bioavailability and mobility of Cd and Pb, and further, decrease Cd and Pb ecotoxicity and its accumulation in watercress and improve watercress quality.

In this study, refractory organic compounds from dinitrodiazophenol (DDNP) containing industrial wastewater were degraded through two ultraviolet (UV)-based advanced oxidation processes: UV/hydrogen peroxide (UV/H₂O₂) and UV/potassium persulfate (UV/PS) processes. In both processes, the synergistic effects, operational parameters (i.e., oxidant dosage and initial pH value), and pseudo first-order constant k were systematically studied. Moreover, the reactive oxygen species formed in the UV/H₂O₂ and UV/PS processes were identified, and the degradation of refractory organic compounds was characterized through UV-visible spectra analysis. The improvement in biodegradability of DDNP industrial wastewater after treatment by different processes was compared. Both the UV/H₂O₂ (synergistic coefficient F = 61.34) and UV/PS (synergistic coefficient F = 54.85) processes showed significant, highly synergistic effects. The increase in oxidant dosage was beneficial in organic compound removal in both the UV/H₂O₂ and UV/PS processes, but excessive H₂O₂ showed a stronger inhibition of the increase in organic compound removal than that in the UV/PS process. In addition, an acidic environment was more conducive to organic compound degradation in the UV/H₂O₂ process, whereas the initial pH value had less of an influence on the UV/PS process. Under optimal conditions for the UV/H₂O₂ and UV/PS processes, the CN and COD removal efficiencies were 99.71%, 66.35%, 99.69%, and 70.81%, respectively, and the k values for COD removal were 0.0804 and 0.0824 min⁻¹. Tests to identify reactive oxygen species showed that the hydroxyl radical was the predominant oxidizing species in the UV/H₂O₂ process, whereas the hydroxyl and sulfate radicals were both identified in the UV/PS process, and the sulfate radical contributed the most to the degradation of organic compounds. In addition, spectrum analysis revealed that the complex structure (e.g., benzene ring, nitro group, and diazo group) of refractory organic compounds from DDNP industrial wastewater was effectively destroyed by the UV/H₂O₂ and UV/PS processes, and both processes improved the biodegradability (biochemical oxygen demand for 5 days/chemical oxygen demand (BOD₅/COD)) of DDNP industrial wastewater from 0.052 to 0.665 and 0.717, respectively. Overall, both the UV/H₂O₂ and UV/PS processes effectively degraded the refractory organic compounds from DDNP industrial wastewater, and the UV/PS process exhibited a higher organic compound removal efficiency and better applicability.