Exposure models are needed to evaluate the chronic health effects of ambient ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm) (UFPs). We developed a land use regression model for ambient UFPs in Toronto, Canada using mobile monitoring data collected during summer/winter 2010–2011. In total, 405 road segments were included in the analysis. The final model explained 67% of the spatial variation in mean UFPs and included terms for the logarithm of distances to highways, major roads, the central business district, Pearson airport, and bus routes as well as variables for the number of on-street trees, parks, open space, and the length of bus routes within a 100 m buffer. There was no systematic difference between measured and predicted values when the model was evaluated in an external dataset, although the R² value decreased (R² = 50%). This model will be used to evaluate the chronic health effects of UFPs using population-based cohorts in the Toronto area.

This study investigated whether the rotavirus infection rate in children is associated with temperature and air pollutants in Hangzhou, China. This study applied a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to assess the effects of daily meteorological data and air pollutants on the rotavirus positive rate among outpatient children. There was a negative correlation between temperature and the rotavirus infection rate. The impact of temperature on the detection rate of rotavirus presented an evident lag effect, the temperature change shows the greatest impact on the detection rate of rotavirus approximate at lag one day, and the maximum relative risk (RR) was approximately 1.3. In 2015, the maximum cumulative RR due to the cumulative effect caused by the temperature drop was 2.5. Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10 were the primary air pollutants in Hangzhou. The highest RR of rotavirus infection occurred at lag 1–1.5 days after the increase in the concentration of these pollutants, and the RR increased gradually with the increase in concentration. Based on the average concentrations of PM2.5 of 53.9 μg/m3 and PM10 of 80.6 μg/m3 in Hangzhou in 2015, the cumulative RR caused by the cumulative effect was 2.5 and 2.2, respectively. The current study suggests that temperature is an important factor impacting the rotavirus infection rate of children in Hangzhou. Air pollutants significantly increased the risk of rotavirus infection, and dosage, lag and cumulative effects were observed.

Many perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. They have been widely used in production processes and daily-use products or may result from degradation of precursor compounds in products or the environment. India, with its developing industrialization and population moving from traditional to contemporary lifestyles, represents an interesting case study to investigate PFAS emission and exposure along steep environmental and socioeconomic gradients. This study assesses PFAS concentrations in river and groundwater (used in this region as drinking water) from several locations along the Ganges River and estimates direct emissions, specifically for PFOS and PFOA. 15 PFAS were frequently detected in the river with the highest concentrations observed for PFHxA (0.4–4.7 ng L⁻¹) and PFBS (<MQL – 10.2 ng L⁻¹) among PFCAs and PFSAs, respectively. Prevalence of short-chain PFAS indicates that the effects of PFOA and PFOS substitution are visible in environmental samples from India. The spatial pattern of C5–C7 PFCAs co-varied with that of PFOS suggesting similar emission drivers. PFDA and PFNA had much lower concentrations and covaried with PFOA especially in two hotspots downstream of Kanpur and Patna. PFOS and PFOA emissions to the river varied dramatically along the transect (0.20–190 and 0.03–150 g d⁻¹, respectively). PFOS emission pattern could be explained by the number of urban residents in the subcatchment (rather than total population). Per-capita emissions were lower than in many developed countries. In groundwater, PFBA (<MQL – 9.2 ng L⁻¹) and PFBS (<MQL – 4.9 ng L⁻¹) had the highest concentrations among PFCAs and PFSAs, respectively. Concentrations and trends in groundwater were generally similar to those observed in surface water suggesting the aquifer was contaminated by wastewater receiving river water. Daily PFAS exposure intakes through drinking water were below safety thresholds for oral non-cancer risk in all age groups.

To investigate the size distributions of chemical compositions and sources of particulate matter (PM) at ground level and from the urban canopy, a study was conducted on a 255 m meteorological tower in Tianjin from December 2013 to January 2014. Thirteen sets of 8 size-segregated particles were collected with cascade impactor at 10 m and 220 m. Twelve components of particles, including water-soluble inorganic ions and carbonaceous species, were analyzed and used to apportion the sources of PM with positive matrix factorization. Our results indicated that the concentrations, size distributions of chemical compositions and sources of PM at the urban canopy were affected by regional transport due to a stable layer approximately 200 m and higher wind speed at 220 m. The concentrations of PM, Cl− and elemental carbon (EC) in fine particles at 10 m were higher than that at 220 m, while the reverse was true for NO3− and SO42−. The concentrations of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl− and EC in coarse particles at 10 m were higher than that at 220 m. The size distributions of major primary species, such as Cl−, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and EC, were similar at two different heights, indicating that there were common and dominant sources. The peaks of SO42−, NH4+, NO3− and organic carbon (OC), which were partly secondary generated species, shifted slightly to the smaller particles at 220 m, indicating that there was a different formation mechanism. Industrial pollution and coal combustion, re-suspended dust and marine salt, traffic emissions and transport, and secondary inorganic aerosols were the major sources of PM at both heights. With the increase in vertical height, the influence of traffic emissions, re-suspended dust and biomass burning on PM weakened, but the characteristics of regional transport from Hebei Province and Beijing gradually become obvious.

Mercury contamination in the River Beni basin is an important health risk factor, primarily for indigenous communities that live along the river. Among them are the Tacana, living in their original territory with sustainable use of their natural resources, consuming fish, Caiman yacare, and other riverine resources as their main source of protein. To assess mercury exposure to Tacana people, total mercury (THg) was evaluated in the muscle of seven commercial fish, and Caiman yacare (yacare caiman) during 2007 and 2008. THg was extracted by acid digestion and concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean mercury concentrations in C. yacare was 0.21 ± 0.22 μg g−1Hg w.w. (wet weight), which is lower than expected given its high trophic level, and its long life-span. It is possible that mercury in C. yacare is accumulated in other organs, not included in this study; but it is also possible that physiological mechanisms are involved that help caimans get rid of ingested mercury, or simply that C. yacare’s diverse diet reduces THg accumulation. Carnivorous fishes (Pygocentrus nattereri, Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum, Zungaro zungaro, Plagioscion squamosissimus, and Leiarius marmoratus) had the highest total mercury concentrations, ranging from 0.35 to 1.27 μg g−1Hg w.w. moreover, most were above the limit recommended by WHO (0.5 μg g−1Hg w.w.); except for Leiarius marmuratus, which presented a mean of 0.353 ± 0.322 μg g−1Hg w.w. The two non-carnivorous fish species (Prochilodus nigricans, and Piaractus brachypomus) present mean concentrations of 0.099 ± 0.027, and 0.041 ± 0.019 μg g−1Hg w.w., respectively. Finally, recommendations on the consumption habits of Tacana communities are discussed.

The Cleveland airshed comprises a complex mixture of industrial source emissions that contribute to periods of non-attainment for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and are associated with increased adverse health outcomes in the exposed population. Specific PM sources responsible for health effects however are not fully understood. Size-fractionated PM (coarse, fine, and ultrafine) samples were collected using a ChemVol sampler at an urban site (G.T. Craig (GTC)) and rural site (Chippewa Lake (CLM)) from July 2009 to June 2010, and then chemically analyzed. The resulting speciated PM data were apportioned by EPA positive matrix factorization to identify emission sources for each size fraction and location. For comparisons with the ChemVol results, PM samples were also collected with sequential dichotomous and passive samplers, and evaluated for source contributions to each sampling site. The ChemVol results showed that annual average concentrations of PM, elemental carbon, and inorganic elements in the coarse fraction at GTC were ∼2, ∼7, and ∼3 times higher than those at CLM, respectively, while the smaller size fractions at both sites showed similar annual average concentrations. Seasonal variations of secondary aerosols (e.g., high NO3− level in winter and high SO42− level in summer) were observed at both sites. Source apportionment results demonstrated that the PM samples at GTC and CLM were enriched with local industrial sources (e.g., steel plant and coal-fired power plant) but their contributions were influenced by meteorological conditions and the emission source's operation conditions. Taken together the year-long PM collection and data analysis provides valuable insights into the characteristics and sources of PM impacting the Cleveland airshed in both the urban center and the rural upwind background locations. These data will be used to classify the PM samples for toxicology studies to determine which PM sources, species, and size fractions are of greatest health concern.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent and toxic organic pollutants, causing hazardous to ecosystems and human health but are difficult to remove from contaminated environments. The mechanism and kinetics of a Chlorella isolate to remove BDE-47 were investigated. This species isolated from the influent of wastewater treatment plants in Hong Kong was PBDE tolerant. More than 80% of BDE-47 was removed in short- and long-term experiments lasting 1 h and 7 days, respectively. The dominant removal process was adsorption on cell surfaces, with 73% of the spiked BDE-47 removed within five minutes of exposure. As the exposure prolonged, the adsorption became saturated. BDE-47 on cell surfaces was then gradually taken up into cells. At the end of the 7-day exposure, 17% of the spiked BDE-47 was within cells, while 27% was metabolized. Four metabolites, including BDE-28, 6-OH- and 5-OH-BDE-47, and 6-MeO-BDE-47, were produced from the debromination, hydroxylation and methoxylation of BDE-47. The removal kinetics of BDE-47 by freshwater microalgae could be explained by the multi-compartmental adsorption-uptake-metabolism model developed in this study.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were listed as persistent organic pollutants in the Stockholm Convention in 2015. Despite numerous studies on PCNs, little is known about their occurrence in atmospheric particulate matter of different sizes. In this study, 49 PCN congeners were investigated for their concentrations and size-specific distributions in an urban atmosphere, and preliminary exposure assessments were conducted. Ambient air samples were collected using a high-volume cascade impactor for division into a gas fraction and four particle size fractions. Samples were collected from October 2013 to June 2014 at an urban site in Beijing, China. The concentration range for PCNs in the atmosphere (gas + particle fractions) was 6.77–25.90 pg/m3 (average 16.28 pg/m3). The particle-bound concentration range was 0.17–2.78 pg/m3 (average 1.73 pg/m3). Therefore, PCNs were mainly found in the gas phase. The concentrations of PCNs in a fraction increased as the particle size decreased (dae > 10 μm, 10 μm ≥ dae > 2.5 μm, 2.5 μm ≥ dae > 1.0 μm and dae ≤ 1.0 μm). Consequently, PCNs were ubiquitous in inhalable fine particles, and the ΣPCNs associated with PM1.0 and PM2.5 reached 68.4% and 84.3%, respectively. Tetra-CNs and penta-CNs (the lower chlorinated homologues) predominated in the atmosphere. The homologue profiles in different size particles were almost similar, but the particulate profiles were different from those in the gas phase. Among the individual PCNs identified, CN38/40, CN52/60 and CN75 were the dominant compounds in the atmosphere. CN66/67 and CN73 collectively accounted for most of the total dioxin-like TEQ concentrations of the PCNs. Exposure to toxic compounds, such as PCNs present in PM1.0 or PM2.5, may affect human health. This work presents the first data on size-specific distributions of PCNs in the atmosphere.

Phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in an estuarine water column in a depth profile of five water layers (0.05 D, 0.20 D, 0.60 D, 0.80 D and 0.90 D, D = Depth, 10.7 ± 0.7 m) and their corresponding environmental parameters (tide, salinity and particle size) were investigated over a year. Water sample from each layer was further separated into three fractions, which were dissolved, coarse (SPM-D, Φ ≥ 2.7 μm) and fine (SPM-F, 2.7 μm > Φ ≥ 0.7 μm) suspended particulate matters. Most of EDCs in the water column were presented in the dissolved fraction. Vertical profiles of salinity fluctuations showed that the upper water layer was most influenced by upstream flow. Estriol (E3), mestranol (Mes) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) concentrations were significantly higher in ebb tide than in flood tide, indicating that EDCs mainly came from terrestrial source, the upstream flow. Dissolved EDCs also exhibited high levels in the surface layer (0.05 D) due to the upstream source and atmosphere deposition, followed by the bottom layer (0.90 D) owing to the re-suspension of EDCs-containing sediment. Compared to the dissolved phase, the contents of BPA, Mes and EE2 in the solid phase were affected by particle size and exhibited a trend of SPM-F > SPM-D > sediment. On the other hand, the concentrations of octylphenol (OP) and t-nonylphenol (NP), the degradation products from common nonionic surfactants, in sediment were higher than those in suspended particles, and NP concentration was higher in flood tide than that in ebb tide. For both SPM-D and SPM-F, their corresponding EDCs concentrations were negatively related to SPM concentrations due to particle concentration effect (PCE). Owing to the “salting-out effect”, salinity pushed EDCs from dissolved fraction to particulate or sedimentary phase.