With the ever-increasing demand for lithium (Li) for portable energy storage devices, there is a global concern associated with environmental contamination of Li, via the production, use, and disposal of Li-containing products, including mobile phones and mood-stabilizing drugs. While geogenic Li is sparingly soluble, Li added to soil is one of the most mobile cations in soil, which can leach to groundwater and reach surface water through runoff. Lithium is readily taken up by plants and has relatively high plant accumulation coefficient, albeit the underlying mechanisms have not been well described. Therefore, soil contamination with Li could reach the food chain due to its mobility in surface- and ground-waters and uptake into plants. High environmental Li levels adversely affect the health of humans, animals, and plants. Lithium toxicity can be considerably managed through various remediation approaches such as immobilization using clay-like amendments and/or chelate-enhanced phytoremediation. This review integrates fundamental aspects of Li distribution and behaviour in terrestrial and aquatic environments in an effort to efficiently remediate Li-contaminated ecosystems. As research to date has not provided a clear picture of how the increased production and disposal of Li-based products adversely impact human and ecosystem health, there is an urgent need for further studies on this field.

As energy use in the building sector is increasing worldwide, building materials with characteristics that save energy are becoming increasingly important; in addition, there is an emerging need for high-performance insulation materials with low thermal conductivity. However, thermal insulation should consider thermal conductivity, which is the main performance parameter, in addition to the water adsorption rate, acidity, and deformation and expansion due to drying conditions. This study evaluated the main performance of 21 insulation materials used at construction sites to objectively and clearly evaluate their overall performance, including their thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity was measured by the heat flow meter method according to ASTM C518 and ISO 8301 standards; it was also evaluated according to the drying conditions. The water absorption rate was evaluated by ISO 2896 to ensure the sustainability and long-term thermal conductivity performance of the material. Acidity was evaluated with ASTM E861 to reduce the environmental load of the buildings and soil. The results of this study reviewed an appropriate method to measure the main performance according to the type of insulation.

During three sampling periods in 2014, systematic investigations were conducted into contamination profiles of ten organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) in both suspended particulate phase and water phase in the Yellow River (Henan Area). This research shows that OPFRs exist at lower concentrations in the suspended phase than in the water phase. The median concentration of 10 OPFRs (∑₁₀OPFRs) in the suspended particulate phase was 62.5 ng/g (fluctuating from ND to 6.17 × 10³ ng/g, dw), while their median concentration in the water phase was 109 ng/L (fluctuating from 35.6 to 469 ng/L). Among the selected 10 OPFRs, triethylphosphate (TEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) were the predominant compounds in the water phase (occupying 91.6% of the ∑₁₀OPFRs), while TCPP, TCEP, and tri-o-tolyl phosphate (o-TCP) were the most common in the suspended particulate phase, accounting for 90.1% of the ∑₁₀OPFRs. Across the three sampling periods, there was no significant seasonable variation for OPFRs either in the water phase or in the suspended particulate phase, except for TCEP and TCPP in the water phase. Compared with research findings relating to concentrations of OPFRs around China and abroad, the OPFRs of the Yellow River (Henan Area) in the water phase were at a moderate level. Suspended particles (SS) had a very important impact on the transportation of OPFRs in the studied area, with about 83.9% of ∑₁₀OPFRs inflow attributed to SS inflow and about 81.7% of ∑₁₀OPFRs outflow attributed to SS outflow. The total annual inflow and outflow of OPFRs were 7.72 × 10⁴ kg and 6.62 × 10⁴ kg in the studied area, respectively.

COVID-19 pandemic has led to concerns on the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment, its infectivity from the environment and, the relevance of transmission via environmental compartments. During 31 weeks, water samples were collected from a heavily contaminated stream going through an urban, underprivileged community without sewage collection. Our results showed a statistically significant correlation between cases of COVID-19 and SARS in the community, and SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in the water. Based on the model, if the concentrations of SARS-CoV-RNA (N1 and N2 target regions) increase 10 times, there is an expected increase of 104% [95%CI: (62–157%)] and 92% [95%CI: (51–143%)], respectively, in the number of cases of COVID-19 and SARS. We believe that differences in concentration of the virus in the environment reflect the epidemiological status in the community, which may be important information for surveillance and controlling dissemination in areas with vulnerable populations and poor sanitation. None of the samples were found infectious based cultures. Our results may be applicable globally as similar communities exist worldwide.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in rivers is mainly affected by natural conditions and human activities and can reflect the watershed pollution status to a certain extent. The Yellow River is one of the largest contributors to the global riverine sediment flux from the land to ocean, and there is a paucity of information on how the optical properties of CDOM have the potential to serve as an indicator of water quality for the sediment-laden Yellow River. In this study, a three-dimensional fluorescence parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis method was applied to investigate the seasonal and spatial variations in CDOM fluorescence components and spectral characteristics from the source region to the estuary in the mainstream of Yellow River. The relationships of CDOM with water quality indicators and trophic state were also analyzed. Six PARAFAC components (C1–C6) were identified and grouped into two categories: humic-like components (C1–C4), which accounted for 85.8 %, and protein-like components (C5 and C6), which accounted for only 14.2 %. The CDOM components, spectral parameters, and their clear correlations with the main ions (Na⁺ and Cl⁻) all indicated that the humic-like components may be primarily derived from nonpoint source erosion, and the protein-like components were mainly derived from point source discharges in the watershed. The combination of the CDOM absorption coefficient at 254 nm (a(254)), spectral slope ratio (SR), specific UV absorbance SUVA₂₅₄, and fluorescence index (FI) had a good predictive ability for the key water quality indicators (total nitrogen (TN), dissolved total nitrogen (DTN), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved total phosphorus (DTP), and chlorophyll a (Chl a)) and trophic state index (TSI). Therefore, some fluorophores and UV spectral parameters of CDOM in the Yellow River can be used for rapid water quality monitoring and pollution source indication, especially pollutants related to nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the basin.

An increase in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution poses significant challenges to human and ecosystem health in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) of the Yangtze River. Based on the combination of PAH analysis with qPCR and high-throughput sequencing of bacteria, 32 topsoil samples collected from 16 sites along the TGR were used to investigate the distribution and biodegradation pathways of PAHs in the water-level-fluctuation zone (WLFZ). The results indicated that the concentrations of PAHs were 43.8–228.2 and 30.8–206.3 ng/g soil (dry weight) under the high- and low-water-level (HWL and LWL) conditions, respectively. The PAH concentration in urban areas was higher than that in rural areas. Under both the HWL and LWL conditions, the abundance of the bamA gene, a biomarker of anaerobic PAH biodegradation, was significantly higher than that of the ring-hydroxylating-dioxygenase (RHD) gene, a biomarker of aerobic PAH biodegradation. The abundance of the bamA gene was significantly positively correlated with PAHs (R² = 0.8), and the biodegradation percentage of PAHs incubated anaerobically was greater than that in the aerobically incubated microcosm experiments. These data implicated a key role of the anaerobic pathway in PAH biodegradation. Co-occurrence network analysis suggested that anaerobic Anaerolineaceae, Dechloromonas, Bacteroidetes_vadin HA17 and Geobacter were key participants in the biodegradation of PAHs. The diversity analysis of functional bacteria based on the bamA gene and microcosm experiments further demonstrated that nitrate was the primary electron acceptor for PAH biodegradation. These findings provide a new perspective on the mechanism of PAH biodegradation in the TGR and knowledge that can be used to develop strategies for environmental management.

In this work, the ammonium-tolerant duckweed Landoltia punctata 0202 was used to study the effect of ammonium stress on carbon and nitrogen metabolism and elucidate the detoxification mechanism. The growth status, protein and starch content, and activity of nitrogen assimilation enzymes were determined, and the transcriptional levels of genes involved in ion transport and carbon and nitrogen metabolism were investigated. Under high ammonium stress, the duckweed growth was inhibited, especially when ammonium was the sole nitrogen source. Ammonium might mainly enter cells via low-affinity transporters. The stimulation of potassium transport genes suggested sufficient potassium acquisition, precluding cation deficiency. In addition, the up-regulation of ammonium assimilation and transamination indicated that excess ammonium could be incorporated into organic nitrogen. Furthermore, the starch content increased from 3.97% to 16.43% and 26.02% in the mixed-nitrogen and ammonium-nitrogen groups, respectively. And the up-regulated starch synthesis, degradation, and glycolysis processes indicated that the accumulated starch could provide sufficient carbon skeletons for excess ammonium assimilation. The findings of this study illustrated that the coordination of carbon and nitrogen metabolism played a vital role in the ammonium detoxification mechanism of duckweeds.

Pendimethalin (PDM) is a dinitroaniline crop pesticide that is extensively utilized worldwide. However, the reproductive toxicity and cellular mechanisms of PDM have not been identified. Therefore, we elucidated the adverse effects of PDM on the reproductive system using mouse testicular Leydig and Sertoli cells (TM3 and TM4 cells, respectively). Our results demonstrated that PDM suppressed the viability and proliferation of TM3 and TM4 cells. Additionally, PDM induced cytosolic calcium upregulation and permeabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential in both TM3 and TM4 cells. We also verified that PDM activates the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway and autophagy. Furthermore, we confirmed that activation of ER stress and autophagy were blocked by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) treatment. Finally, we confirmed PDM-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in TM3 and TM4 cells. Thus, we first demonstrated that PDM impedes the survival of testis cells, and further, their function.

Sedum alfredii is a Cd/Zn hyperaccumulator native to China, which was collected from a mined area where Mn content in soil was extremely high, together with Zn and Cd content. We investigated the tolerance and accumulation ability of Mn and its possible association with Cd hyperaccumulation in this plant species by using MP-AES, SR-μ-XRF, and RT-PCR. The results showed that the hyperaccumulating ecotype (HE) S. alfredii exhibited high tolerance to Mn and accumulating around 10,000 and 12,000 mg kg⁻¹ Mn in roots and shoots, respectively, without exhibiting toxicity under 5000 mg kg⁻¹ Mn treatment for 4 weeks. Exposure to Cd significantly reduced plant uptake of Mn. In contrast, exogenous Mn application significantly improved root uptake and root-to-shoot translocation of Cd, resulting in the increased Cd accumulation in the shoots of HE S. alfredii. SR-μ-XRF analysis demonstrated that high Mn (20 μM) exposure resulted in higher intensities of Cd localized in both stem vascular bundles and cortex, as well as leaf mesophyll cells, than in those treated with low Mn levels (0.2 μM or 2.0 μM). RT-PCR analysis of several genes possibly involved in Mn/Cd transportation showed that expression of SaNramp3 in roots was significantly reduced under high Mn exposure. These results suggested a significant interaction between Cd and Mn in the HE S. alfredii plants, possibly through their competition for transporters and theoretically provided a strategy to improve the efficiency of Cd extraction from polluted soils by this plant species, after using appropriate nutrient management of Mn.

Effluent is often treated with ozone before being discharged into a natural water environment. This process will change the interaction between effluent organic matter and pollutants in aquatic environment. The impact of ozonation on complexation between dissolved organic matter in such wastewater and sulfadimidine often found in natural water was studied in laboratory experiments using four types of real wastewater. Ozonation was found to decrease the proportion of organic matter with a molecular weight greater than 5 kDa as well as protein-like, fulvic-like and humic-like components, but except the proportion of hydrophilic components. The aromaticity of the dissolved organic matter was also reduced after ozonation. The complexation of tryptophan and tyrosine with sulfadimidine mainly depends on their hydrophobicity and large molecular weight. Ozonation of fulvic and humic acid tends to produce small and medium molecular weight hydrophilics. The complexation of humic and fulvic acids with sulfadimidine was enhanced by ozonation. Dissolved organic matter, with or without oxidation, were found to weaken sulfadimidine’s inhibition of microbial growth, especially for Aeromonas and Acinetobacter species. This finding will expand our understanding about the impact of advanced treatment processes on the dissolved organic matters’ properties in effluent.