Biospectroscopy is an emerging inter-disciplinary field that exploits the application of sensor technologies [e.g., Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy] to lend novel insights into biological questions. Methods involved are relatively non-destructive so samples can subsequently be analysed by more conventional approaches, facilitating deeper mechanistic insights. Fingerprint spectra are derived and these consist of wavenumber–absorbance intensities; within a typical biological experiment, a complex dataset is quickly generated. Biological samples range from biofluids to cytology to tissues derived from human or sentinel sources, and analyses can be carried out ex vivo or in situ in living tissue. A reference range of a designated normal state can be derived; anything outside this is potentially atypical and discriminating chemical entities identified. Computational approaches allow one to minimize within-category confounding factors. Because of ease of sample preparation, low-cost and high-throughput capability, biospectroscopy approaches herald a new greener means of environmental health monitoring in urban environments.

In this work, a recently developed urban-scale atmospheric dispersion model (DAUMOD-GRS) is applied to evaluate the ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations resulting from anthropogenic area sources of NOx and VOC in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (MABA). The statistical comparison of model results with observations (including new available data from seventeen sites) shows a good model performance. Estimated summer highest diurnal O3 1-h concentrations in the MABA vary between 15 ppb in the most urbanised area and 53 ppb in the suburbs. All values are below the air quality standard. Several runs are performed to evaluate the impact of possible future emission reductions on O3 concentrations. Under all hypothetical scenarios, the maximum diurnal O3 1-h concentration obtained for the area is slightly reduced (up to 4%). However, maximum diurnal O3 concentrations could increase at some less urbanised areas of MABA depending on the relative reductions of the emissions of NOx and VOC.

To understand the role of abundance of tfdA gene classes belonging to β- and γ-proteobacteria on phenoxy acid herbicide degradation, streambed sediments were sampled around three seepage meters (SMs) installed in a landfill-impacted groundwater–surface water interface. Highest herbicide mass discharge to SM3, and lower herbicide mass discharges to SM1 and SM2 were determined due to groundwater discharge rates and herbicide concentrations. SM1-sediment with the lowest abundance of tfdA gene classes had the slowest mineralization, whereas SM2- and SM3-sediments with more abundant tfdA genes had faster mineralization. The observed difference in mineralization rates between discharge zones was simulated by a Monod-based kinetic model, which confirmed the role of abundance of tfdA gene classes. This study suggests presence of specific degraders adapted to slow growth rate and high yield strategy due to long-term herbicide exposure; and thus groundwater–surface water interface could act as a natural biological filter and protect stream water quality.

Exposure to lead early in life may be a risk factor for fetal growth, but little is known about the effects of low-level prenatal lead exposure on birth outcomes. We measured maternal and cord blood lead levels and examined their associations with birth outcomes. Mother–infant pairs (n = 252) were recruited from a rural area located on the south coast of Laizhou Bay between 2010 and 2011. The median levels of maternal and cord blood lead were 3.20 and 2.52 μg/dL, respectively. Increasing maternal blood lead exposure was associated with decreasing birth weight (β = −148.99; 95% CI, −286.33 to −11.66), and a significant negative relationship was found between cord blood lead levels and birth length (β = −0.84; 95% CI, −1.52 to −0.16). Low-level prenatal lead exposure may adversely affect fetal growth. These results may be important for public health and have implications regarding the recommended blood lead levels.

Biological stress responses in individuals are used as indicators of pollution in aquatic ecosystems, but detecting ecologically relevant responses in whole communities remains a challenge. We developed an experimental approach to detect the effects of pollution on estuarine communities using field-based mesocosms. Mesocosms containing defaunated sediments from four estuaries in southeastern Australia that varied in sediment contamination were transplanted and buried in sediments of the same four estuaries for six weeks. Mesocosm sediment properties and metal concentrations remained representative of their source locations. In each estuary, fauna communities associated with sediments derived from the site with the highest metal concentrations were significantly different from other communities. This pattern was evident for some of the individual taxa, in particular the polychaete Capitella sp. Consistent responses across estuaries suggest numbers of individuals, and especially Capitella sp., could be used to identify contaminated sediments in estuaries with similar fauna and site characteristics.

Two mesotrophic grassland species, Ranunculus acris and Dactylis glomerata were exposed to a range of ozone treatments (16.2–89.5 ppb 24 h mean) and two watering regimes under naturally fluctuating photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and temperature. Stomatal conductance was measured throughout the experiments, and the combined data set (>1000 measurements) was analysed for effects of low and high ozone on responses to environmental stimuli. We show that when D. glomerata and R. acris were grown in 72.6–89.5 ppb ozone the stomata consistently lose the ability to respond, or have reduced response, to naturally fluctuating environmental conditions in comparison to their response in low ozone. The maximum stomatal conductance (gmax) was also significantly higher in the high ozone treatment for D. glomerata. We discuss the hypotheses for the reduced sensitivity of stomatal closure to a changing environment and the associated implications for ozone flux modelling.

High air concentrations of ammonium were detected at low and high altitude sites in Sweden, Finland and Norway during the spring 2006, coinciding with polluted air from biomass burning in eastern Europe passing over central and northern Fennoscandia. Unusually high values for throughfall deposition of ammonium were detected at one low altitude site and several high altitude sites in north Sweden. The occurrence of the high ammonium in throughfall differed between the summer months 2006, most likely related to the timing of precipitation events. The ammonia dry deposition may have contributed to unusual visible injuries on the tree vegetation in northern Fennoscandia that occurred during 2006, in combination with high ozone concentrations. It is concluded that long-range transport of ammonium from large-scale biomass burning may contribute substantially to the nitrogen load at northern latitudes.

We determined eleven PAHs and four NPAHs in particulates and regulated pollutants (CO, CO2, HC, NOx, PM) exhausted from motorcycles to figure out the characteristics of motorcycle exhausts. Fluoranthene and pyrene accounted for more than 50% of the total detected PAHs. Among four detected NPAHs, 6-nitrochrysene and 7-nitrobenz[a]anthracene were the predominant NPAHs and were highly correlated relationship with their parent PAHs (R = 0.93 and 0.97, respectively). The PM and HC emissions tended to be close to the PAH emissions. NOx and NPAHs were negatively correlated. Despite their small engine size, motorcycles emitted much more PM and PAHs, showed stronger PAH-related carcinogenicity and indirect-acting mutagenicity, but weaker NPAH-related direct-acting mutagenic potency than automobiles. This is the first study to analyze both PAHs and NPAHs emitted by motorcycles, which could provide useful information to design the emission regulations and standards for motorcycles such as PM.

Understanding the environmental transformation of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is important to their life cycle assessment and potential environmental impacts. We report that a bacterial community is capable of degrading 14C-labeled MWCNTs into 14CO2 in the presence of an external carbon source via co-metabolism. Multiple intermediate products were detected, and genotypic characterization revealed three possible microbial degraders: Burkholderia kururiensis, Delftia acidovorans, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. This result suggests that microbe/MWCNTs interaction may impact the long-term fate of MWCNTs.

C60 forms colloidally stable nanoparticles (nC60) via extended mixing or solvent exchange. Many studies on the environmental impacts of nC60 use aliquots from a large batch of nC60 suspension and either dilute them or subject them to other modifications under the assumption that the properties of the parent suspension remain stable over time and are unaltered by these manipulations. In the present study, nC60 produced via stirring in the presence of sodium citrate (cit/nC60) was characterized with respect to particle size, surface charge, and morphology following dilution. Counter-intuitively, the results show that the colloidal properties of diluted cit/nC60 are not fixed despite constant solution chemistry and are dependent upon the ratios of [C60] to [Na+] and [citrate]. In some cases, diluted nC60 had significantly different morphology. This study suggests that any experiment involving modifications of stock nC60 suspensions must take the altered colloidal properties of the diluted nC60 into consideration.