The presence of polystyrene (PS) waste increases constantly. Styrofoam, the most popular form of PS, is one of the major plastic pollutants in the environment. An efficient and environmentally friendly method of PS recycling is still needed. The biodegradation of PS by insects has been presented by researchers as a promising alternative to chemical, mechanical and thermal methods. The main aim of this study was to assess the survival, growth, and development of yellow mealworms (the larvae of Tenebrio molitor) fed with PS to determine if the insects are able to use PS as a source of mass and energy. The Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model was used to analyze the effects of food type on the growth trajectory and metabolism of tested organisms. We investigated five possible modes of influence of PS diet on DEB model parameters including a decrease of food availability, an increase in somatic maintenance power, an increase in costs for structure, allocation of energy, and a decrease in somatic maintenance power. Our results show that changes in the development of larvae fed with PS are mainly caused by a decrease in reserves density and reaction of the organism to the insufficient food supply. The inability or difficulty in completing the life cycle of T. molitor larvae fed with PS raises doubts about the use of mealworms as an effective technology for utilizing polystyrene.

The present work reports microwave-assisted synthesis of SnO₂ nanoparticles via green route using Psidium Guajava extract. For the enhancement of catalytic activity, nanohybrids of SnO₂ were formulated using different ratios of polyaniline (PANI) via ultrasound-assisted chemical polymerization. Formation of nanohybrids was confirmed via IR and XPS studies. The UV–vis DRS spectra of PANI/SnO₂ revealed significant reduction in the optical band gap upon nanohybrid formation. Microwave-assisted catalytic efficiency of pure SnO₂, PANI, PANI/SnO₂ nanohybrids was investigated using DDT as a model persistent organic pollutant. The degradation efficiency of PANI/SnO₂ was found to increase with the increase in the loading of PANI. Around 87% of DDT degradation was achieved within a very short period of 12 min under microwave irradiation using PANI/SnO₂-50/50 as catalyst. The effect of DDT concentration was explored and the degradation efficiency of PANI/SnO₂-50/50 catalyst was noticed to be as high as 82% in presence of 100 mg/L of DDT. The effect of microwave power on the degradation efficiency revealed 79% degradation using the same nanohybrid when exposed to microwave irradiation for 5 min under 1110 W microwave power. Scavenging studies confirmed the generation of OH, O₂⁻ radicals. The fragments with m/z values as low as 86 and 70 were confirmed by LCMS analysis. Recyclability tests showed that PANI/SnO₂-50/50 nanohybrid exhibited 81% degradation of DDT (500 mg/L) even after the third cycle, which reflected high catalytic efficiency as well as remarkable stability of the catalyst. This green nanohybrid could therefore be effectively utilized for the rapid degradation of persistent organic pollutants.

Cigarette butts (CBs) are the most common littered items in the environment and may contain high amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from incomplete tobacco leave burning. The potential relevance of PAHs stemming from CBs for aquatic systems remain unclear since to date there is no systematic study on PAHs leaching from CBs. Therefore, in this study the leaching concentrations of 16 EPA-PAHs (except benzo(ghi)perylene) in 3 different types of water were measured. The concentrations of ΣPAHs leachates from 4 h to 21 days ranged from 3.9 to 5.7, 3.3–5.5, and 3.0–5.0 μg L⁻¹ for deionized, tap, and river waters, respectively. For all contact times, there were no substantial differences of the leachate concentrations of PAHs among different water types. Lighter PAHs had the highest concentrations among the detected PAHs and they were detected in the leachates already after 4 h. Concentrations of indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, and dibenz(a,h)anthracene were below the limit of detection in all water samples at different contact times. At all contact times naphthalene and fluorene had the highest concentrations among the studied PAHs. Tap and river water samples with addition of sodium azide as chemical preservative contained significantly higher concentration of ΣPAHs. Our leaching data showed that leached concentrations of PAHs exceeded the Water Framework Directive (WFD) standards and considering the number of CBs annually littered this may pose a risk to aquatic organisms and potentially also humans.

Soil application of Zn fertilizer is an effective approach to improve yield and Zn accumulation in wheat grain. However, it remains unclear whether repeated Zn application can result in high accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in soils and grains and thus represents a potential risk for human consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the health risk assessment of HMs in a wheat production system which had continuously received 8 years of Zn application at varying rates (0, 2.3, 5.7, 11.4, 22.7, 34.1 kg Zn ha⁻¹). The results showed that Zn application significantly increased the soil total Zn concentration without affecting concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Cu and Cr. Across Zn rates, Zn application increased grain concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cd by 75%, 51% and 14%, respectively, and reduced grain As concentration by 14%. The human health risk assessment revealed that the threshold hazard quotients for the individual HM were below 1, independent of Zn rates. The hazard index (HI) values at Zn rates of 11.4, 22.7 and 34.1 kg Zn ha⁻¹ were significantly greater than that at null Zn treatment. Furthermore, exposures to As, Cu and Zn accounted for 97% of HI at all Zn rates. Analysis of the threshold cancer risk with Pb and As showed that ingestion of wheat grain even from highest Zn application rate wouldn’t bring the lifetime carcinogenic risk. In contrast, long-term Zn application significantly reduced the carcinogenic risk of As by 9.7–26.5%. In conclusion, repeated soil applications of Zn at optimal rate (5.7 kg Zn ha⁻¹) didn’t cause health risk for Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr, and As, while improving productivity and grain Zn concentration of wheat to meet human recruitment. Our study highlights the importance of appropriate Zn fertilizer management in improving grain quality while reducing HMs risks from human consumption.

Epidemiology suggests ambient temperature is the triggers and potential activator of asthma. The role of high and low temperatures on airway inflammation of asthma, and the underlying molecular mechanism are not yet understood. A mouse model of asthma was adopted in our experiment. The BALB/c mice were exposed at different temperature for 4 h (2 h in the morning and 2 h in the afternoon) on weekday. The exposure temperatures were 10 °C, 24 °C and 40 °C. Ovalbumin (OVA) was used to sensitize the mice on days 14, 18, 22, 26, and 30, followed by an aerosol challenge for 30 min from day 32–38. After the final OVA challenge, lung function, serum protein and pulmonary inflammation were assessed. Comparing the OVA with the saline group at 24 °C, we saw a significant increase in: serum Total-IgE (p < 0.05); OVA-sIgE (p < 0.01); IL-4 (p < 0.05); IL-1β (p < 0.01); IL-6 (p < 0.01); TNF-α (p < 0.01); and the ratio of IL-4/IFN-γ (p < 0.01). At the same time, there was a significant decrease in IFN-γ (p < 0.01). As the temperature increase, there is a U shape for immune proteins and pro-inflammatory factors with a peak value at 24 °C, exception for IFN-γ (inverted U-shape). After the high and low temperature exposure, the Ri and Re increased significantly, while Cldyn decreased significantly compared with the 24 °C group. Histopathological analysis of the OVA groups showed airway remodeling, airway wall thickening and deforming, and subepithelial fibrosis. More obvious changes were found in the high and low temperature exposure groups. The immunohistochemistry suggested that TRPs changed with temperatures. High and low temperatures can aggravate airway inflammation in a mouse model of asthma. TRPs play an important role in temperature aggravation of allergic asthma. The results suggest that asthmatics should avoid exposure to high and low temperatures for too long time.

The application of reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation can effectively reduce the use of freshwater resources including groundwater, addressing the increasingly severe challenge of water shortage. However, reclaimed water irrigation will cause potential pollution risks to groundwater, which needs to be further studied to ensure the safety of reclaimed water irrigation. An integrated quantitative assessment system including the modified DRASTIC model was developed to evaluate the pollution risks caused by reclaimed water irrigation and scientific strategies were offered for the development of reclaimed water irrigation in water shortage areas to avoid groundwater pollution. The groundwater intrinsic vulnerability index, the hazards of the characteristic pollutants, and the groundwater values were quantified to obtain the pollution risks distribution map. In the Beijing plain of north China, the low groundwater pollution risk areas were located in the midstream of Chaobai river baisin, Beiyun river basin, and Yongding river basin, accounting for 48.3% of the total study area. These areas in low pollution risk can be considered as safety areas for reclaimed water irrigation. The moderate groundwater pollution risk areas accounting for 46.9% of the total study area were suggested to apply water-saving irrigation measures for preventing groundwater pollution. The reclaimed water irrigation should be prohibited in the high groundwater pollution risk areas, which accounted for 4.8% of the total study area. This study highlights the reasonable strategy for the development of reclaimed water irrigation in water shortage areas and lay a foundation for finding alternative water sources for agricultural irrigation.

Nanoplastics can be used in various fields, such as personal care products. Nevertheless, the effect of nanoplastic exposure on metabolism and its association with stress response remain largely unclear. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model, we determined the effect of nanopolystyrene exposure on lipid metabolism and its association with the response to nanopolystyrene. Exposure (from L1-larave to adult day-3) to 100 nm nanopolystyrene (≥1 μg/L) induced severe lipid accumulation and increase in expressions of mdt-15 and sbp-1 encoding two lipid metabolic sensors. Meanwhile, we found that SBP-1 acted downstream of intestinal MDT-15 during the control of response to nanopolystyrene. Intestinal transcriptional factor SBP-1 activated two downstream targets, fatty acyl CoA desaturase FAT-6 and heat-shock protein HSP-4 (a marker of endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response (ER UPR)) to regulate nanopolystyrene toxicity. Both MDT-15 and SBP-1 were involved in the activation of ER-UPR in nanopolystyrene exposed nematodes. Moreover, SBP-1 regulated the innate immune response by activating FAT-6 in nanopolystyrene exposed nematodes. In the intestine, function of MDT-15 and SBP-1 in regulating nanopolystyrene toxicity was under the control of upstream signaling cascade (PMK-1-SKN-1) in p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Therefore, our data raised an important molecular basis for potential protective function of lipid metabolic response in nanopolystyrene exposed nematodes.

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have attracted increasing attention due to their large consumption volumes, high bioactivity and potential ecotoxicity. In this study, a total of 150 commonly used drugs were investigated in sediments of Jiaozhou Bay (JZB). Twenty-five target compounds were detected, of which ten were discovered for the first time in marine sediments. The range of total PhAC content was 3.62–21.4 ng/g dry weight. Ketoprofen (2.49 ng/g), oxytetracycline (1.00 ng/g) and roxithromycin (0.97 ng/g) were the preponderant PhACs. PhACs gradually decreased from east to west, and the distribution of PhACs in the sediment was controlled by the source channel, seawater dynamic process and sediment composition. The diatom, organic matter, and clay proportions in the sediments and the nutrients in the overlying water were the most important environmental factors affecting the distribution of PhACs. PhAC pollution in the sediments of the JZB exhibited an increasing trend. Coprostanol could be used as a chemical indicator of the PhAC concentration in JZB sediments. PhACs were mainly derived from direct pollution due to human fecal excretion in the eastern region. Ofloxacin, tetracycline and oxytetracycline were found to pose high or medium risks to aquatic organisms. It is necessary and urgent to improve the treatment technology of drug residues in sewage treatment plants to decrease the pollution of PhAC residues. With the continuous aging of the global population, the use of PhACs will increase rapidly, which may cause more unpredictable threats to the marine ecosystem. Therefore, the monitoring of PhACs in the marine environment needs to be strengthened, and studies on PhAC occurrence and effects must be considered a priority in global environmental research.

Thallium (Tl) is a dispersed trace metal showing remarkable toxicity. Various anthropogenic activities may generate Tl contamination in river sediments, posing tremendous risks to aquatic life and human health. This paper aimed to provide insight into the vertical distribution, risk assessment and source tracing of Tl and other potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (lead, cadmium, zinc and copper) in three representative sediment cores from a riverine catchment impacted by multiple anthropogenic activities (such as steel-making and Pb–Zn smelting). The results showed high accumulations of Tl combined with associated PTEs in the depth profiles. Calculations according to three risk assessment methods by enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igₑₒ) and the potential ecological risk index (PERI) all indicated a significant contamination by Tl in all the sediments. Furthermore, lead isotopes were analyzed to fingerprint the contamination sources and to calculate their quantitative contributions to the sediments using the IsoSource software. The results indicated that a steel-making plant was the most important contamination source (∼56%), followed by a Pb–Zn smelter (∼20%). The natural parental bedrock was found to contribute ∼24%. The findings highlight the importance of including multiple anthropogenic sources for quantitative fingerprinting of Tl and related metals by the lead isotopic approach in complicated environmental systems.

Reservoirs are lentic man-made waterbodies resulting from river damming processes. Pollutants coming from adjacent areas can accumulate in the water and sediment of these modified freshwater environments. Fish are often found in reservoirs occupying several trophic niches. Biochemical biomarkers are early warning signals of environmental disturbance to an organism. It is essential to understand how pollutants, abiotic variables and biochemical biomarker responses behave throughout the seasons to implement biomonitoring programs. Loricariichthys anus and Geophagus brasiliensis were collected, and abiotic variables were seasonally measured for one year, at six sampling sites in Passo Real reservoir, in a subtropical region of Southern Brazil. Biochemical biomarkers were analyzed in four tissues of both fish species, as well as metal and pesticide concentrations in the reservoir’s water and sediment. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was carried out to find the temporal relationship between biomarkers and environmental variables. RDA has clearly shown the separation of seasons for both species. Azoxystrobin, simazine and propoxur were the pesticides mostly contributing to the variation, whereas metals had lesser contribution to it. Seasonality appears to be the main factor explaining biomarkers’ variability. PERMANOVA has confirmed the effect of temperature and dissolved oxygen on biomarkers of both fish species. Thus, it is hard to differentiate if the fluctuation in biomarkers’ responses only reflects the normal state of organisms or it is a biological consequence from negative effects of fish exposure to several types of pollution (sewage, pesticides, and fertilizers) entering this aquatic system. In this study, to circumvent the seasonality issue on biomonitoring, the analysis of biomarkers on these fish should not be carried out in organs directly affected by temperature (such as liver and gills), or during reproduction periods (mainly in Spring).