Fate and occurrence of 4 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, one serotonin-noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor and one noradrenergic-dopamineric reuptake inhibitor and their human metabolites were determined in a German municipal wastewater treatment plant as well as in the Rhine River and selected tributaries. The enantiomeric fractions of venlafaxine and its metabolites were not altered during wastewater treatment and were similar in all river samples underlining that no appreciable biodegradation occurs. In the Rhine catchment area highest concentrations were detected for venlafaxine, citalopram and their human metabolites. Projected future climate change would lead to an increased portion of treated wastewater in rivers due to reduced discharges during low flow situations by the end of the 21st century. However, the effect of climate change on the pattern and concentrations of antidepressants is predicted to be of minor importance in comparison to altered consumption quantities caused by demographic developments and changes in life styles.

Embryonic growth of the yellow-spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is enhanced by the presence of the green alga Oophila amblystomatis, in the egg capsule. To further assess potential impacts of herbicides on this relationship, A. maculatum egg masses were exposed to atrazine (0–338 μg/L) until hatching (up to 66 days). Exposure to atrazine reduced PSII yield of the symbiotic algae in a concentration-dependent manner, but did not significantly affect visible algal growth or any metrics associated with salamander development. Algal cells were also cultured in the laboratory for toxicity testing. In the 96-h growth inhibition test (0–680 μg/L), ECx values were generally greater than those reported for standard algal test species. Complete recovery of growth rates occurred within 96-h of transferring cells to untreated media. Overall, development of A. maculatum embryos was not affected by exposure to atrazine at concentrations and durations exceeding those found in the environment.

To derive O3 dose–response relationships (DRR) for five European forest trees species and broadleaf deciduous and needleleaf tree plant functional types (PFTs), phytotoxic O3 doses (PODy) were related to biomass reductions. PODy was calculated using a stomatal flux model with a range of cut-off thresholds (y) indicative of varying detoxification capacities. Linear regression analysis showed that DRR for PFT and individual tree species differed in their robustness. A simplified parameterisation of the flux model was tested and showed that for most non-Mediterranean tree species, this simplified model led to similarly robust DRR as compared to a species- and climate region-specific parameterisation. Experimentally induced soil water stress was not found to substantially reduce PODy, mainly due to the short duration of soil water stress periods. This study validates the stomatal O3 flux concept and represents a step forward in predicting O3 damage to forests in a spatially and temporally varying climate.

A series of experiments were performed to simulate the environmental behavior and fate of graphene oxide nanoparticles (GONPs) involved in the surface environment relating to divalent cations, natural organic matter (NOM), and hydraulics. The electrokinetic properties and hydrodynamic diameters of GONPs was systematically determined to characterize GONPs stability and the results indicated Ca2+ (Mg2+) significantly destabilized GONPs with high aggregate strength factors (SF) and fractal dimension (FD), whereas NOM decreased aggregate SF with lower FD and improved GONPs stability primarily because of increasing steric repulsion and electrostatic repulsion. Furthermore, the GONPs resuspension from the sand bed into overlying water with shear flow confirmed that the release would be restricted by Ca2+ (Mg2+), however, enhanced by NOM. The interaction energy based on Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory verifies the aggregation and resuspension well. Overall, these experiments provide an innovative look and more details to study the behavior and fate of GONPs.

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from macrophyte decomposition, and to study its complexation with Cu (II) and Cd (II). Both the protein-like and the humic-like components showed a marked quenching effect by Cu (II). Negligible quenching effects were found for Cd (II) by components 1, 5 and 6. The stability constants and the fraction of the binding fluorophores for humic-like components and Cu (II) can be influenced by macrophyte decomposition of various weight gradients in aquatic plants. Macrophyte decomposition within the scope of the appropriate aquatic phytomass can maximize the stability constant of DOM-metal complexes. A large amount of organic matter was introduced into the aquatic environment by macrophyte decomposition, suggesting that the potential risk of DOM as a carrier of heavy metal contamination in macrophytic lakes should not be ignored.

We assessed the eutrophication effects on leaf litter decomposition and primary production, and on periphytic algae, fungi and invertebrates. According to the subsidy-stress model, we expected that when algae and decomposers were nutrient limited, their activity and diversity would increase at moderate levels of nutrient enrichment, but decrease at high levels of nutrients, because eutrophication would lead to the presence of other stressors and overwhelm the subsidy effect. Chestnut leaves (Castanea sativa Mill) were enclosed in mesh bags and immersed in five streams of the Ave River basin (northwest Portugal) to assess leaf decomposition and colonization by invertebrates and fungi. In parallel, polyethylene slides were attached to the mesh bags to allow colonization by algae and to assess primary production. Communities of periphytic algae and decomposers discriminated the streams according to the trophic state. Primary production decomposition and biodiversity were lower in streams at both ends of the trophic gradient.

Six micro/nano-Cu2O crystals evolved from cubes to corner-truncated cubes, vertex-truncated octahedrons and ultimately to octahedrons were synthesized in this work, and the chronic toxicity of these crystal suspensions (10 μg L−1) for Daphnia magna was investigated over a 30-day period. Our results indicated that the octahedrons had the most evident toxic effect, but the cubes were minimally toxic. The mortality rate of the octahedral treatment was as high as 86.7%, whereas that of the cubic treatment was only 6.7%. Significant inhibitions in growth and reproduction were observed under octahedral exposure, with reduced impacts from vertex-truncated octahedrons, corner-truncated cubes, and cubic crystals. The chronic effects of different micro/nano-Cu2O crystals were related to their solubility in the gut of the organisms. The solubility of micro/nano-Cu2O crystals was influenced by surface atomic arrangement and diverse surface activity. Thus, the structure and intestinal solubility of nanocrystals should be evaluated for long-term toxicity.

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants are amongst the most prescribed pharmaceutical active substances throughout the world. Their presence, already described in different environmental compartments such as wastewaters, surface, ground and drinking waters, and sediments, and their remarkable effects on non-target organisms justify the growing concern about these emerging environmental pollutants. A comprehensive review of the literature data with focus on their footprint in the aquatic biota, namely their uptake, bioaccumulation and both acute and chronic ecotoxicology is presented. Long-term multigenerational exposure studies, at environmental relevant concentrations and in mixtures of related compounds, such as oestrogenic endocrine disruptors, continue to be sparse and are imperative to better know their environmental impact.

A new approach is proposed to quantify the evaporative vapor generation based on real parking activity data. As compared to the existing methods, two improvements are applied in this new approach to reduce the uncertainties: First, evaporative vapor generation from diurnal parking events is usually calculated based on estimated average parking duration for the whole fleet, while in this study, vapor generation rate is calculated based on parking activities distribution. Second, rather than using the daily temperature gradient, this study uses hourly temperature observations to derive the hourly incremental vapor generation rates. The parking distribution and hourly incremental vapor generation rates are then adopted with Wade–Reddy's equation to estimate the weighted average evaporative generation. We find that hourly incremental rates can better describe the temporal variations of vapor generation, and the weighted vapor generation rate is 5–8% less than calculation without considering parking activity.

The association between residential traffic exposure and change in C-reactive protein over 2-years was evaluated using multivariate linear regression including interaction models for traffic and diabetes medication use/type (insulin vs. oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs)).The study population was Puerto Rican adults (n = 356) residing in greater Boston with type 2 diabetes. Traffic was characterized as proximity to roads with >20,000 weekday traffic volumes, and multi-directional traffic density.Increases in CRP concentration were significantly associated with residence ≤100 m of a roadway (p = 0.009) or near multiple roadways (p < 0.001), vs. further away, for individuals using insulin in stratified models, with consistent results in interaction models (p = 0.071 and p = 0.002). CRP was significantly lower with highest traffic density exposure in stratified (p = 0.03) and interaction models (p = 0.024) for individuals using OHAs.Individuals on insulin experienced increased CRP concentrations with traffic exposure over a 2-year study period, while those using OHAs did not experience increases.