Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) are widely used worldwide. Glyphosate (GLP) is the main active component of GBHs. The presence of GBH residues in the environment has led to the exposure of animals to GBHs, but the mechanisms of GBH-induced nephrotoxicity are not clear. This study investigated the effects of GBHs on piglet kidneys. Twenty-eight healthy female hybrid weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average weight of 12.24 ± 0.61 kg were randomly divided into four treatment groups (n=7 piglets/group) that were supplemented with Roundup® (equivalent to GLP concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) for a 35-day feeding trial. The results showed that the kidneys in the 40-mg/kg GLP group suffered slight damage. Roundup® significantly decreased the activity of catalase (CAT) (P=0.005) and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P=0.029). Roundup® increased the level of cystatin-C (Cys-C) in the plasma (linear, P=0.002 and quadratic, P=0.015). The levels of neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL) in plasma increased linearly (P=0.007) and quadratically (P=0.003) as the dose of GLP increased. The mRNA expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the 20-mg/kg GLP group was increased significantly (P<0.05). There was a significant increase in the mRNA levels of pregnenolone X receptor (PXR), constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A3 (UGT1A3) (P<0.05). Our findings found that kidney nuclear xenobiotic receptors (NXRs) may play an important role in defense against GBHs.

Fifteen airborne particulate matter-bound metals were analyzed at 14 sites in four large cities (Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daegu) in South Korea, between August 2013 and June 2017. Among the seven sources resolved by positive matrix factorization, soil dust and marine aerosol accounted for the largest and second largest portions in the three cities; however, in Seoul, soil dust and traffic occupied the largest and the second largest, respectively. Non-carcinogenic risk assessed by inhalation of eight metals (Cd, Co, Ni, Pb, As, Al, Mn, and V) was greater than the hazard index (HI) of 1 at four sites located at or near the industrial complexes. Cumulative incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) due to exposure to five metals (Cd, Co, Ni, Pb, and As) exceeded the 10⁻⁶ cancer benchmark at 14 sites and 10⁻⁵ at six sites, which includes four sites with HI greater than 1. The largest contributor to ILCR was coal combustion in Seoul, Incheon, and Daegu, and industry sources in Busan. Moreover, industry sources were the largest contributors to non-carcinogenic risk in Seoul, Busan, and Daegu, and soil dust was in Incheon. Incheon had the highest HI in spring because of the higher contribution of soil dust sources than in other seasons. The higher ILCR in Incheon in spring and winter and higher ILCR and HI in Daegu in autumn were mainly due to the influence of industry or coal combustion sources. Statistically significant differences in the ILCR and HI values among the sampling sites in Busan and Daegu resulted from the higher contribution of industry sources at a certain site in the respective city.

The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) plays a crucial role in providing electricity for mega-cities across China. However, since the impoundment was completed in 2006, attention to environmental concerns has also been intensive. In order to determine the distribution, sources, and pollution status of trace elements in the water fluctuation zone of the TGR following ten years of repeated “submergence” and “exposure”, we systematically collected 16 paired surface sediment samples (n = 32) covering the entire main body of the TGR in March 2018 (following 6 months of submergence) and September 2018 (after 6 months of exposure), and quantitatively analyzed 13 elements (e.g., Mn, Fe, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, and Pb) using X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometry (XRF). The results showed that, except for Sr, concentrations of trace metals following submergence were generally higher than those after exposure due to the less settling of suspended solids at the faster flow velocity during the drawdown period. Assessment using enrichment factors (EFs) and a geo-accumulation index (Igₑₒ) both characterized a relatively serious anthropogenic pollution status of metals in the upper reaches of the TGR with respect to the middle-lower reaches. Source apportionment by positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis indicated that agricultural activities (24.8 and 24.3%, respectively) and industrial emissions (24.5 and 22.9%, respectively) were the two major sources in these two periods, followed by natural sources, domestic sewage, and ore mining. Ecological risk assessment showed that metalloid arsenic (As) could be the main potential issue of risk to aquatic organisms and human health. A new source-specific risk assessment method (pRI) combined with PMF revealed that agricultural activities could be the major source of potential ecological risk and should be prioritized as the focus of metal/metalloid risk management in the TGR.

Militarization is crucial for the sovereignty of a nation; however, there are many environmental hazards associated with increased military spending. Previous panel studies mainly captured the short-run effects of militarization on the environment. Limited scholars determined the long-run environmental impacts of militarization but they mostly ignored possible cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity problems in panel data. Our research highlights this deeply neglected area and examines the impact of militarization on the environment in 22 OECD countries by controlling economic growth, renewable energy, and fossil fuel consumption. Drawing on an extensive dataset from 1971 to 2020, we employed advanced econometric approaches robust against endogeneity, heterogeneity, and cross-sectional dependence. The results of the cross-sectional augmented autoregressive distribute lag (CS-ARDL) analysis indicate a positive contribution of militarization to CO₂ emissions implying that militarization is adding to the environmental degradation in OECD nations. This evidence proves the treadmill of destruction theory for OECD nations in the modern world. Economic growth and fossil fuels consumption increase CO₂ emissions, while renewable energy mitigates emissions. Moreover, economic growth Granger causes militarization. Our results suggest that reduction in militarization level and energy conservation strategies will not hamper the economic progress of selected OECD countries.

This systematic review aims to identify the sources of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), portioning, and human health risk assessment in Iran. The literature was searched in the international databases of Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and the national databases of SID and MagIran up to November 14, 2020. Among all 153 articles, 21 eligible papers were identified. Among them, only one article was related to drinking water, the rest was related to food and soil, and no article was found on ambient air. The corrected portion of each exposure source was determined to be 90% for food, 9% for water, and 1% for air. The total hazard quotient (HQ) was determined to be within an unsafe range, and the total excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was determined to be at a high risk of oral carcinogenesis. It is suggested that a comprehensive study be conducted in a specific period for all sources of exposure in all counties of Iran. Moreover, it is recommended that the policymakers set national standards for this pollutant in near future in some sources of exposure (e.g., drinking water) which have no standards in Iran.

Sunlight active blue emissive zirconium, nitrogen, and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (Zr-N-S-CDs) have been synthesized by microwave-induced pyrolysis for achieving efficient photocatalytic degradation of pollutant malachite green dye (MG) in water. Surface morphology studies using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of spherical-shaped CDs with an absorbance peak at 350 nm and emission peak at 437 nm in UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Surface functional groups, elemental composition, and metal/non-metal co-doping were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. To understand the photocatalytic performance of Zr-N-S-CDs, various parameters, such as the source of energy, concentration of dye, catalyst dosage, and change in pH, were investigated. MG dye (20 ppm) at a pH 7 with 0.5 mg/mL of Zr-N-S-CDs could be photodegraded efficiently in 90 min under sunlight (99%) compared to dark and artificial light conditions. Moreover, real-time analysis of degradation rate could be conveniently calculated by integrating the colorimetric responses of MG dye with RGB values obtained by the “Color Picker” app of a smartphone. The degradation rate obtained using a smartphone (97.89%) was found to be in agreement with the UV–vis spectroscopy (99%), thus, providing a new, handy, and instrument-free route for speedy and quantitative estimation of the degradation of hazardous MG dye by Zr-N-S-CDs.

Quantifying forest systems is of importance for ecological services and economic benefits in ecosystem models. This study aims to map the percent tree cover (PTC) of various forest stands in the Buyuk Menderes Basin, located in the western part of Turkey with different characteristics in the Mediterranean and Terrestrial transition regions Sentinel-2 data with 10-m spatial resolution. In recent years, some researches have been carried out in different fields to show the capabilities and potential of Sentinel-2 satellite sensors. However, the limited number of PTC researches conducted with Sentinel-2 images reveals the importance of this study. This study aimed to demonstrate reliable PTC data in landscape planning or ecosystem modeling by introducing an advanced approach with high spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution and more cost-effective. In this study, a regression tree algorithm, one of the popular machine learning techniques for ecological modeling, was used to estimate the tree cover’s dependent variable based on high-resolution monthly metrics’ spectral signatures. Six frames of TripleSat images were used as training data in the regression tree. Monthly Sentinel-2 bands and produced metrics including NDVI, LAI, fCOVER, MSAVI2, and MCARI were almost the first time used as predictor variables. Stepwise linear regression (SLR) was applied to select these predictor bands in the regression tree and a correlation coefficient of 0.83 was obtained. Result PTC maps were produced and the results were evaluated based on coniferous and broadleaf. The results were tested using high spatial resolution TripleSat images and higher model accuracy was determined in both forest types. The high correlation is due to the Sentinel 2 satellite’s band characteristics and the metrics are directly related to the tree cover. As a result, the high-accuracy availability of the Sentinel2 satellite is seen to map the PTC on a regional scale, including complex forest types between the Mediterranean and terrestrial transition climates.

Although green mergers and acquisitions (M&A) emerged recently as corporate green management actions, whether they can prompt corporations to achieve green transformation is unclear, as little is known about how green M&A affects strategic decisions on corporate environmental behavior. Based on legitimacy theory, we analyze Chinese heavy-polluting firms listed in the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2009 to 2017 to explore the impact of green M&A on corporate environmental governance. Results show that green M&A has a positive impact on corporate environmental management. Specifically, we find that the positive relationship between green M&A and corporate environmental governance is strong in firms in localities under considerable media scrutiny, as such firms face increased legitimacy benefits and illegitimacy penalties. Conversely, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) weaken this relationship, as such enterprises have natural political connections to undermine legitimacy benefits and avoid illegitimacy penalties. Thus, we argue that media scrutiny and SOEs influence the likelihood of an organization to implement green M&A as a sincere substantive strategic action. Finally, we summarize the green M&A implementation of an organization in environmental governance as a sincere green action rather than hypocritical greenwashing. Furthermore, we make contributions to legitimacy theory and the corporate environmental governance literature.

Organic and bioorganic fertilizers were increasingly used for agricultural soil. However, little is known on what kind of organic fertilizer application strategies can promote grape production well and how appropriate fertilization strategies improve soil properties and shift microbial community. This study investigated the improvement in soil physicochemical properties as well as their relations with microbial community structure and grape quality under different fertilization strategies. Our results found that (bio)organic fertilizer (CF1, CF2, and BF) especially combined application of organic and bioorganic fertilization (CBF) had smaller effects on electrical conductivity (EC) and pH, while it improved soil nutrients including N, P, K, and organic matter (OM) well, thereby promoting the grape quality comparing to the group without any fertilizer (CK) and with chemical fertilizer (NPK). Especially, the concentrations of Cr, Hg, Zn, and Cu were reduced by 13.63%, 12.50%, 12.52%, and 11.75% in CBF, respectively. Additionally, CF1, CF2, and BF, especially CBF, optimized the communities’ composition and increased the abundance of some plant probiotics such as Solirubrobacter and Lysobacter. Nevertheless, excessive application of organic fertilizer derived from livestock manure could cause the accumulation of heavy metals such as Zn and Cu in soil and leaves, which could further influence the grape quality. Additionally, the structure of microbial communities was also changed possibly because some bacterial genera showed distinct adaptability to the stress of heavy metals or the utilization capacity of N, P, K, and OM. Our results demonstrated that combined application of organic and bioorganic fertilization showed a great influence on soil physicochemical properties, whose positive changes could further optimize microbial communities and facilitate the promotion of grape quality.

Exposure to air pollution during physical exercise is a health issue because fine particulate matter (dimension < 10 μm; PM₁₀) includes several inhalable toxic metals. Body metal changes in athletes according to air pollution are poorly known. Urinary concentrations of 15 metals: beryllium (Be⁹), aluminum (Al²⁷), vanadium (V⁵¹), chromium (Cr⁵¹ + Cr⁵²), manganese (Mn⁵⁵), cobalt (Co⁵⁹), nickel (Ni⁶¹), copper (Cu⁶³), zinc (Zn⁶¹), arsenic (As⁷⁵), selenium (Se⁸²), cadmium (Cd¹¹¹ + Cd¹¹²), thallium (Tl¹²⁵), lead (Pb²⁰⁷), and uranium (U²³⁸) were measured before and after ten 2-h training sessions in 8 non-professional Italian American-football players (18–28 years old, body mass index 24.2–33.6 kg/m²). Collectively, post-training sessions, urinary concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Tl, and Zn were higher than pre-training sessions; Al, Be, Cr, and U did not change; conversely, V decreased. Subdividing training sessions according to air PM₁₀ levels: low (< 20 μg/m³), medium (20–40 μg/m³), and high (> 40 μg/m³), pre-session and post-session urinary concentrations of Be, Cd, Cu, and Tl were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in more polluted days, whereas V concentrations were lower (p < 0.001). All the remaining metals were unaffected. We first showed that PM₁₀ levels modulate urinary excretion of some toxic metals suggesting an effect of air pollution. The effects of toxic metals inhaled by athletes exercising in polluted air need further studies.