To investigate chemical characteristics, abatement mechanisms and regional transport of atmospheric pollutants during the COVID-19 outbreak control period in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, China, the measurements of air pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on non-control period (NCP, 24 December 2019–23 January 2020) and control period (CP, 24 January–23 February 2020) were analyzed at the urban Pudong Supersite (PD) and the regional Dianshan Lake Supersite (DSL). Due to the stricter outbreak control, the levels of PM₂.₅ and VOCs, and the occurrence frequencies of haze-fog episodes decreased substantially from NCP to CP, with average reduction rates of 31.6%, 38.9% and 35.1% at PD, and 34.5%, 50.7% and 37.9% at DSL, respectively. The major source for PM₂.₅ was secondary sulfate & nitrate in both periods, and the emission control of primary sources such as coal burning and vehicle exhaust decreased the levels of precursors gas sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which highly contributed to the abatement of PM₂.₅ from NCP to CP. The higher levels of ozone at both PD and DSL on CP might be due to the weak nitrogen monoxide titration, low relative humidity and high visibility compared with NCP. Vehicle exhaust and fugitive emission from petrochemical industry were the major contributors of ambient VOCs and their decreasing activities mainly accounted for VOCs abatement. Moreover, the high frequency of haze-fog events was closely impacted by medium-scale regional transport within Anhui and Jiangsu provinces. Therefore, the decreasing regional transported air pollutants coincided with the emission control of local sources to cause the abatement of haze-fog events in YRD region on CP. This study could improve the understanding of the change of atmospheric pollutants during the outbreak control period, and provide scientific base for haze-fog pollution control in YRD region, China.

In this study, a multidisciplinary approach investigated the enzymatic degradation of micropollutants in real, not modified, municipal wastewaters of a plant located in Italy. Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction combined to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric detection (SBSE-GC-MS) was applied to profile targeted pollutants in wastewaters collected after the primary sedimentation (W1) and the final effluent (W2). Fifteen compounds were detected at ng/L - μg/L, including pesticides, personal care products (PCPs) and drugs. The most abundant micropollutants were bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, diethyl phthalate and ketoprofen. Laccases of Trametes pubescens MUT 2400 were very active against all the target micropollutants: except few cases, their concentration was reduced more than 60%. Chemical analysis and environmental risk do not always come together. To verify whether the treated wastewaters can represent a stressor for the aquatic ecosystem, toxicity was also evaluated. Raphidocelis subcapitata and Lepidium sativum tests showed a clear ecotoxicity reduction, even though they did not evenly respond. Two in vitro tests (E-screen test and MELN assay) were used to evaluate the estrogenic activity. Treatments already operating in the plant (e.g. activated sludge) partially reduced the estradiol equivalent concentration, and it was almost negligible after the laccases treatment. The results of this study suggest that laccases of T. pubescens are promising biocatalysts for the micropollutants transformation in wastewaters and surface waters.

Attenuated backscatter profiles retrieved by the space borne active lidar CALIOP on-board CALIPSO satellite were used to measure the vertical distribution of smoke aerosols and to compare it against the ECMWF planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) over the smoke dominated region of Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), South Asia. Initially, the relative abundance of smoke aerosols was investigated considering multiple satellite retrieved aerosol optical properties. Only the upper IGP was selectively considered for CALIPSO retrieval based on prevalence of smoke aerosols. Smoke extinction was found to contribute 2–50% of the total aerosol extinction, with strong seasonal and altitudinal attributes. During winter (DJF), smoke aerosols contribute almost 50% of total aerosol extinction only near to the surface while in post-monsoon (ON) and monsoon (JJAS), relative contribution of smoke aerosols to total extinction was highest at about 8 km height. There was strong diurnal variation in smoke extinction, evident throughout the year, with frequent abundance of smoke particles at lower height (<4 km) during daytime compared to higher height during night (>4 km). Smoke injection height also varied considerably during rice (ON: 0.71 ± 0.65 km) and wheat (AM: 2.34 ± 1.34 km) residue burning period having a significant positive correlation with prevailing PBLH. Partitioning smoke AOD against PBLH into the free troposphere (FT) and boundary layer (BL) yield interesting results. BL contribute 36% (16%) of smoke AOD during daytime (nighttime) and the BL-FT distinction increased particularly at night. There was evidence that despite travelling efficiently to FT, major proportion of smoke AOD (50–80%) continue to remain close to the surface (<3 km) thereby, may have greater implications on regional climate, air quality, smoke transport and AOD-particulate modelling.

Approximately 3 billion people world-wide are exposed to air pollution from biomass burning. Herein, particulate matter (PM) emitted from artisanal cashew nut roasting, an important economic activity worldwide, was investigated. This study focused on: i) chemical characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxygenated (oxy-) PAHs; ii) intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS); iii) genotoxic effects and time- and dose-dependent activation of DNA damage signaling, and iv) differential expression of genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism, inflammation, cell cycle arrest and DNA repair, using A549 lung cells. Among the PAHs, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benz[a]anthracene showed the highest concentrations (7.8–10 ng/m³), while benzanthrone and 9,10-anthraquinone were the most abundant oxy-PAHs. Testing of PM extracts was based on B[a]P equivalent doses (B[a]Pₑq). IC₅₀ values for viability were 5.7 and 3.0 nM B[a]Pₑq at 24 h and 48 h, respectively. At these low doses, we observed a time- and dose-dependent increase in intracellular levels of ROS, genotoxicity (DNA strand breaks) and DNA damage signaling (phosphorylation of the protein checkpoint kinase 1 – Chk1). In comparison, effects of B[a]P alone was observed at micromolar range. To our knowledge, no previous study has demonstrated an activation of pChk1, a biomarker used to estimate the carcinogenic potency of PAHs in vitro, in lung cells exposed to cashew nut roasting extracts. Sustained induction of expression of several important stress response mediators of xenobiotic metabolism (CYP1A1, CYP1B1), ROS and pro-inflammatory response (IL-8, TNF-α, IL-2, COX2), and DNA damage response (CDKN1A and DDB2) was also identified. In conclusion, our data show high potency of cashew nut roasting PM to induce cellular stress including genotoxicity, and more potently when compared to B[a]P alone. Our study provides new data that will help elucidate the toxic effects of low-levels of PAH mixtures from air PM generated by cashew nut roasting.

Human exposure to particulate matter (PM) originating from air pollution is inevitable since more and more population is present in large cities that are characterized by poor air quality. The impact on human health is evident and we need to intensify research regarding this problem to get molecular insight into versatile effects of chronic exposure to PM inducing organism responses and initiating the development of selected disorders. Herein, the impact of standard PM representing urban pollution on the structure and function of human serum albumin (HSA) was evaluated by the application of various analytical techniques. HSA was selected due to its high likeliness of being exposed to PM because of the abundance of this protein in blood. The studies were focused mainly on the inorganic residue of PM resulting from removing organic components by a low-temperature plasma. To mimic physiological conditions, dialysis technique was used to simulate the release of nanoparticles and ions from PM to aqueous environment under, which in turn may interact with biomolecules inside the living system. Capture of metals from the bulk suspension was found for many metals like Al, Fe, Zn and Pb in quantities of more than 1 mol of metal ions per mole of HSA. No significant structural changes of the protein upon dialysis with PM were observed, however, an increase in the thermal stabilization of the HSA structure was observed. Moreover, the interaction of HSA dialyzed in the presence of PM with selected drugs (warfarin, aspirin) was negatively affected, indicating a lower affinity of drugs towards the protein, even though only small conformational changes of the PM exposed protein were observed. Our findings point to a possible interference of air pollutants with the drugs taken by patients living in highly polluted areas.

The application of wetland plants to purify surface rivers has gradually become an important means to control water pollution. However, there are many species of wetland plants which differ greatly in living conditions, water purification effects and pollutant migration paths. Therefore, it is necessary to select suitable wetland plants and quantitatively analyze the effects of different wetland plants on pollutant transport paths for the protection of water quality. In this research, the Typha orientalis C. Presl (T), Lemna minor L.(L) and Ceratophyllum demersum L.(C) were selected as typical wetland plants to conduct single-factor and multi-factor experiments under different water quality conditions. The results showed that wetland plants had significantly decreased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentration in two sewage bodies. The NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N removal efficiencies ranged from 71 to 96% and from 46% to 76%, and the PO₄³⁻-P removal efficiencies ranged from 79% to 94% . The concentration of nutrient in the sewage decreased rapidly in the early stage and then tended to reach a stable state. The total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies under two kinds of sewage ranked as follows: T+L+C>T>C>L. Under high concentration sewage, the TN removal efficiencies by wetland plants mostly attributed to the change in the microbial status of the water body, which ranged from 82% to 95%. Under low concentration sewage, the combination of wetland plants could optimize the purification effect of plant consumption and microbial decomposition, and the TN removal efficiencies ranged from 75% to 95%. The total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies of T and T+L+C were better in two concentration sewages. The research demonstrated that P in sewage was mainly accumulated in soil matrix and it was important to select the emergent plants with well-develoed roots and vigorous growth to purify sewage.

Plant microbiome, as the second genome of plant, and the interface between human and environmental microbiome, represents a potential pathway of human exposure to environmental pathogens and resistomes. However, the impact of host identity on the profile of resistomes in plant phyllosphere is unclear and this knowledge is vital for establishing a framework to evaluate the dissemination of antibiotic resistance via the plant microbiome. Here, we explored the phyllosphere microbiome and resistomes in 12 selected plant species. By using High-throughput quantitative PCR, we identified a total of 172 unique resistance genes in plant phyllosphere microbiome, which was significantly divergent from the profile of resistomes in associated soils (Adonis, P < 0.01). Host identity had a significant effect on the plant resistome, which was mainly attributed to the dissimilarity of phyllosphere bacterial phylogeny across different plants. We identified a core set of plant resistomes shared in more than 80% of samples, which accounted for more than 64% of total resistance genes. These plant core resistomes conferred resistance to antibiotics that are commonly administered to humans and animals. Our findings extend our knowledge regarding the resistomes in plant phyllosphere microbiome and highlight the role of host identity in shaping the plant associated antibiotic resistance genes.

Due to continuous spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide, long-term effective prevention and control measures should be adopted for public transport facilities, as they are increasing in popularity and serve as the principal modes for travel of many people. The human infection risk could be extremely high due to length of exposure time window, transmission routes and structural characteristics during travel or work. This can result in the rapid spread of the infection. Based on the transmission characteristics of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the nature of public transport sites, we identified comprehensive countermeasures toward the prevention and control of COVID-19, including the strengthening of personnel management, personal protection, environmental cleaning and disinfection, and health education. Multi-pronged strategies can enhance safety of public transportation. The prevention and control of the disease during the use of public transportation will be particularly important when all countries in the world resume production. The aim of this study is to introduce experience of the prevention and control measures for public transportation in China to promote the global response to COVID-19.

Indoor plants can be used to monitor atmospheric particulates. Here, we report the label-free detection of combustion-derived particles (CDPs) on plants as a monitoring tool for indoor pollution. First, we measured the indoor CDP deposition on Atlantic ivy leaves (Hedera hibernica) using two-photon femtosecond microscopy. Subsequently, to prove its effectiveness for using it as a monitoring tool, ivy plants were placed near five different indoor sources. CDP particle area and number were used as output metrics. CDP values ranged between a median particle area of 0.45 × 10² to 1.35 × 10⁴ μm², and a median particle number of 0.10 × 10² to 1.42 × 10³ particles for the indoor sources: control (greenhouse) < milling machine < indoor smokers < wood stove < gas stove < laser printer. Our findings demonstrate that Atlantic ivy, combined with label-free detection, can be effectively used in indoor atmospheric monitoring studies.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetically manufactured chemicals recognized to be toxic, bioaccumulative, and persistent. Previous studies on PFAS exposure and serum lipid levels have mainly focused on individual PFASs; however, the influence of multiple-PFAS exposure on the serum lipid profile remains unclear. This study was performed to evaluate the combined effects of multiple PFASs on serum lipid levels. Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2011–2014), we first established a linear regression model to estimate the association between single-PFAS exposure and the serum lipid profile. Then, a weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression model and a Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model were used to evaluate the effects of multiple-PFAS exposure on the serum lipid profile. A mediating effect model was used to assess how albumin mediates these effects. We found that PFASs were significantly associated with the levels of serum lipids, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol (TC). The WQS index was significantly correlated with the levels of HDL (β: 2.03, 95% CI: 0.74–3.32, P-value = 0.002), LDL (β: 4.16, 95% CI: 1.07–7.24, P-value = 0.008) and TC (β: 6.54, 95% CI: 3.00–10.1, P-value < 0.001). In the BKMR analysis, our results demonstrated that the effect of PFASs on serum lipids increased significantly when the concentrations of the PFASs were at their 60th percentiles or above compared to those at their 50th percentile. Mediation analysis showed that albumin mediated the effects of selected PFASs on the levels of serum lipids except for triglycerides (TG). PFAS exposure was correlated with the levels of serum lipids, and this correlation was mediated by albumin. Our results suggest that a comprehensive evaluation of multi-PFAS exposure could better characterize real-life exposure compared with single-PFAS exposure.