Despite the increasing occurrence of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, its molecular mechanism is poorly documented in higher plants compared to other environmental stress. In present study, the influence of supplemental UV-B radiation on photosynthetic performance and antioxidant enzymes in rice (Oryza sativa L.) was investigated. Supplemental UV-B radiation reduced net photosynthetic rate in rice flag leaves during senescence stage. By means of the JIP-test, it was found that the potential of processing light energy through the photosynthetic machinery was slightly inhibited by the increased thermal dissipation. Furthermore, 18 thylakoid membrane protein spots were differentially expressed (5-fold or greater variation compared to the control) in supplemental UV-B-treated rice. These identified proteins were involved in various cellular responses and metabolic processes including photosynthesis, stress defense, Calvin cycle, and others of unknown functions. Taken together, these results suggested that physiological changes that resulted from supplemental UV-B radiation were linked to the light reaction, carbon metabolism, and antioxidant enzymes in rice leaves during senescence stage.

The effects of different hydroponic conditions (such as concentration of thorium (Th), pH, carbonate, phosphate, organic acids, and cations) on thorium uptake by Brassica juncea var. foliosa were evaluated. The results showed that acidic cultivation solutions enhanced thorium accumulation in the plants. Phosphate and carbonate inhibited thorium accumulation in plants, possibly due to the formation of Th(HPO₄)²⁺, Th(HPO₄)₂, or Th(OH)₃CO₃⁻with Th⁴⁺, which was disadvantageous for thorium uptake in the plants. Organic aids (citric acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid) inhibited thorium accumulation in roots and increased thorium content in the shoots, which suggested that the thorium-organic complexes did not remain in the roots and were beneficial for thorium transfer from the roots to the shoots. Among three cations (such as calcium ion (Ca²⁺), ferrous ion (Fe²⁺), and zinc ion (Zn²⁺)) in hydroponic media, Zn²⁺had no significant influence on thorium accumulation in the roots, Fe²⁺inhibited thorium accumulation in the roots, and Ca²⁺was found to facilitate thorium accumulation in the roots to a certain extent. This research will help to further understand the mechanism of thorium uptake in plants.

Little is known about the biosorption and bioaccumulation capacity of thallium (Tl) by microorganisms that occur in Tl-polluted soil. The present study focused on characterizing the biosorption and bioaccumulation of Tl by Tl-tolerant fungi isolated from Tl-polluted soils. Preliminary data showed a positive correlation between the biomass and the biosorbed Tl content. The Tl-tolerant strains were capable of bioaccumulating Tl, up to 7189 mg kg⁻¹ dry weight. The subcellular distribution of Tl showed obvious compartmentalization: cytoplasm ≫ cell wall > organelle. The majority of Tl (up to 79 %) was found in the cytoplasm, suggesting that intracellular compartmentalization appeared to be responsible for detoxification. These findings further suggest the applicability of the fungal isolates for cleanup of Tl in Tl-polluted water and soil.

Monochloroacetic acid (MCA) is a chemically stable and biologically toxic pollutant. It is often generated during the production of the pesticide dimethoate. Conventional wastewater treatment processes have difficulty degrading it. In this work, the dechlorination effects of Ni-Fe bimetal prepared using ball milling (BM) technology for the high concentrations of MCA in wastewater were examined. The MCA in aqueous solution was found to be degraded efficiently by the Ni-Fe bimetal. However, S-(methoxycarbonyl) methyl O, O-dimethyl phosphorodithioate (SMOPD) in wastewater, a by-product of the dimethoate production process, significantly inhibited the reductive dechlorination activity of Ni-Fe bimetal. Increasing the reaction temperature in the MCA wastewater enhanced the reduction activity of the Ni-Fe bimetal effectively. Oxygen was found to be unfavorable to dechlorination. Sealing the reaction to prevent oxidation was found to render the degradation process more efficient. The process retained over 88 % efficiency after 10 treatment cycles with 50 g/L of Ni-Fe bimetal under field conditions.

Inhalation of silica (SiO₂) in occupational exposures can cause pulmonary fibrosis (silicosis), lung function deficits, pulmonary inflammation, and lung cancer. Current risk assessment models, however, cannot fully explain the magnitude of silica-induced pulmonary disease risk. The purpose of this study was to assess human health risk exposed to airborne silica dust in Taiwan ceramics manufacturing. We conducted measurements to characterize workplace-specific airborne silica dust in tile and commodity ceramic factories and used physiologically based alveolar exposure model to estimate exposure dose. We constructed dose–response models for describing relationships between exposure dose and inflammatory responses, by which health risks among workers can be assessed. We found that silica contents were 0.22–33.04 % with mean concentration ranges of 0.11–5.48 and 0.46–1763.30 μg m⁻³, respectively, in commodity and tile ceramic factories. We showed that granulation workers in tile ceramic factory had the highest total SiO₂ lung burden (∼1000 mg) with cumulative SiO₂ lung burden of ∼4 × 10⁴ mg-year. The threshold estimates with an effect on human lung inflammation and fibrosis are 407.31 ± 277.10 (mean ± sd) and 505.91 ± 231.69 mg, respectively. For granulation workers, long-term exposure to airborne silica dust for 30–45 years was likely to pose severe adverse health risks of inflammation and fibrosis. We provide integrated assessment algorithms required to implement the analyses and maintain resulting concentration of silica dust at safety threshold level in the hope that they will stimulate further analyses and interpretation. We suggest that decision-makers take action to implement platforms for effective risk management to prevent the related long-term occupational disease in ceramics manufacturing.

This study investigated the inactivation of two antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—sul1 and tetG, and the integrase gene of class 1 integrons—intI1 by chlorination, ultraviolet (UV), and ozonation disinfection. Inactivation of sul1, tetG, and intI1 underwent increased doses of three disinfectors, and chlorine disinfection achieved more inactivation of ARGs and intI1 genes (chlorine dose of 160 mg/L with contact time of 120 min for 2.98–3.24 log reductions of ARGs) than UV irradiation (UV dose of 12,477 mJ/cm²for 2.48–2.74 log reductions of ARGs) and ozonation disinfection (ozonation dose of 177.6 mg/L for 1.68–2.55 log reductions of ARGs). The 16S rDNA was more efficiently removed than ARGs by ozone disinfection. The relative abundance of selected genes (normalized to 16S rDNA) increased during ozonation and with low doses of UV and chlorine disinfection. Inactivation of sul1 and tetG showed strong positive correlations with the inactivation of intI1 genes (for sul1, R ² = 0.929 with p < 0.01; for tetG, R ² = 0.885 with p < 0.01). Compared to other technologies (ultraviolet disinfection, ozonation disinfection, Fenton oxidation, and coagulation), chlorination is an alternative method to remove ARGs from wastewater effluents. At a chlorine dose of 40 mg/L with 60 min contact time, the selected genes inactivation efficiency could reach 1.65–2.28 log, and the cost was estimated at 0.041 yuan/m³.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential microelement involved in various plant physiological processes. However, in excess, Zn becomes toxic and represents serious problem for plants resulting in Zn toxicity symptoms and decreasing biomass production. The effect of high Zn and its combination with silicon (Si) on ionome and expression level of ZmLsi genes was investigated in maize (Zea mays, L; hybrid Novania). Plants were cultivated hydroponically in different treatments: control (C), Zn (800 μM ZnSO₄ · 7H₂O), Si5 (5 mM of sodium silicate solution), and Si5 + Zn (combination of Zn and Si treatments). Growth of plants cultivated for 10 days was significantly inhibited in the presence of high Zn concentration and also by Zn and Si interaction in plants. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) and mineral element concentration in tissues, root ionome was significantly altered in both Zn and Si5 + Zn treatments in comparison to control. Mineral elements Mn, Fe, Ca, P, Mg, Ni, Co, and K significantly decreased, and Se increased in Zn and Si5 + Zn treatments. Shoot ionome was less affected than root ionome. Concentration of shoot Cu, Mn, and P decreased, and Mo increased in Zn and Si5 + Zn treatments. The PCA also revealed that the responsibility for ionome changes is mainly due to Zn exposure and also, but less, by Si application to Zn stressed plants. Expression level of Lsi1 and Lsi2 genes for the Si influx and efflux transporters was downregulated in roots after Si supply and even more downregulated by Zinc alone and also by Zn and Si interaction. Expression level of shoot Lsi6 gene was differently regulated in the first and second leaf. These results indicate negative effect of high Zn alone and also in interaction with Si on Lsi gene expression level and together with ionomic data, it was shown that homeostatic network of mineral elements was disrupted and caused negative alterations in mineral nutrition of young maize plants.

PAHs were analyzed for samples of seawater, sediment, and oyster (Saccostrea cucullata) collected from Yangshan Port, East China between 2012 and 2013. Concentrations of ∑PAHs in seawater (180–7,700 ng/L) and oyster (1,100–29,000 ng/g dry weight (dw)) fell at the higher end of the global concentration range, while sediment concentrations (120–780 ng/g dw) were generally comparable to or lower than those reported elsewhere. PAHs in the particulate phase accounted for 85 % (52–93 %) of the total PAHs in seawater. Congener profile analysis revealed that PAHs in waters originate mainly from petrogenic sources, while high-temperature combustion processes are the predominant sources for sediment. ∑PAHs in oyster well correlated with ∑PAHs in the particulate phase, suggesting particle ingestion as an important pathway for bioaccumulation of PAHs. Cancer risk assessment of PAHs in oyster indicated high human health risks posed by these chemicals to the coastal population consuming this seafood.

In this work, we report the adaptation of bacteria to stress conditions that induce instability of their cultural, morphological, and enzymatic characters, on which the identification of pathogenic bacteria is based. These can raise serious issues during the characterization of bacteria. The timely detection of pathogens is also a subject of great importance. For this reason, our objective is oriented towards developing an immunosensing system for rapid detection and quantification of Staphylococcus aureus. Polyclonal anti-S. aureus are immobilized onto modified gold electrode by self-assembled molecular monolayer (SAM) method. The electrochemical performances of the developed immunosensor were evaluated by impedance spectroscopy through the monitoring of the charge transfer resistance at the modified solid/liquid interface using ferri-/ferrocyanide as redox probe. The developed immunosensor was applied to detect stressed and resuscitate bacteria. As a result, a stable and reproducible immunosensor with sensitivity of 15 kΩ/decade and a detection limit of 10 CFU/mL was obtained for the S. aureus concentrations ranging from 10¹ to 10⁷ CFU/mL. A low deviation in the immunosensor response (±10 %) was signed when it is exposed to stressed and not stressed bacteria.

Activated carbon was prepared from date pits via chemical activation with H₃PO₄. The effects of activating agent concentration and activation temperature on the yield and surface area were studied. The optimal activated carbon was prepared at 450 °C using 55 % H₃PO₄. The prepared activated carbon was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area. The prepared date pit-based activated carbon (DAC) was used for the removal of bromate (BrO₃ ⁻). The concentration of BrO₃ ⁻ was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass tandem spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The experimental equilibrium data for BrO₃ ⁻ adsorption onto DAC was well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model and showed maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 25.64 mg g⁻¹. The adsorption kinetics of BrO₃ ⁻ adsorption was very well represented by the pseudo-first-order equation. The analytical application of DAC for the analysis of real water samples was studied with very promising results.