The present study focuses on the simultaneous analysis of metallic species and radionuclide data from January 2009 to December 2011 in the dust deposited on filters in Málaga (Spain). Some metallic elements (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni) and radionuclides (⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb) have been determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy and gamma spectrometry, respectively. For this analysis, daily variation of PM₁₀ mass concentration was additionally recorded at the nearest station belonging to the regional atmospheric pollution monitoring network. The comparison between ²¹⁰Pb, elemental lead, and PM₁₀ mass concentration reveals a different time variation for raining months, and an increase in the ²¹⁰Pb/Pb ratio indicates local sources of the particulate mass. Principal components analysis (PCA) applied to the datasets and calculation of enrichment factors relative to soil and seawater reveal that the atmospheric aerosol chemistry in this area of the Mediterranean is mostly influenced by crustal and marine sources rather than anthropogenic ones.

This paper proposes the study and comparison of two commercial photocatalysts of TiO₂ when applied as coating on a fibrocement roof tile. Are reported their respective photocatalytic activities, chemical, morphological, and textural characteristics. For that, commercial photocatalysts InterBrasil® FA-101 and Fotosan® were deposited on fibrocement support to perform photocatalytic activity tests and characterization analyses. The measurement of the photocatalytic activity of each sample was carried out through the efficiency of H₂S degradation, using artificial (UV lamp) and natural (solar lighting) radiation. The surfaces formed with this photocatalyst coating were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and Fourier infrared transformation using attenuated total reflection (ATR-FTIR). The volumetric flow rate and saturation time (deactivation) were evaluated as operational performance parameters of the degradation reaction. The X-ray diffraction shows that TiO₂ formed in the coatings correspond to the anatase phase. In addition, the pore volume of the coatings was from 4.9 to 9.0 × 10⁻³ g cm⁻³ and the superficial area was from 19.6 to 30.5 m² g⁻¹ that is considered relatively high. The results showed that, unlike the Fotosan®, the type of radiation used had a greater influence on the InterBrasil® FA-101, since there was a reduction of the photocatalytic activity when the solar radiation was used. The H₂S degradation efficiency of 80% was obtained for a residence time (RT) of 115 s using Fotosan®, whereas that for InterBrasil® FA-101 was reached 45% for the same RT. Lower on the photocatalytic activity was observed after 30 min and 390 min of reaction for the InterBrasil® FA-101 and Fotosan®, respectively. The sample containing Fotosan® was the most effective photocatalyst in comparison with InterBrasil® FA-101.

Nowadays, the current synthesis techniques used in industrial production of nanoparticles have been generally regarded as nonenvironmentally friendly. Consequently, the biosynthesis approach has been proposed as an alternative to reduce the usage of hazardous chemical compounds and harsh reaction conditions in the production of nanoparticles. In this work, pure, iron (Fe)-doped and silver (Ag)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized through the green route using Clitoria ternatea Linn. The optical, chemical, and physical properties of the biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles were then analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), zeta potential measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and surface analysis. The biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles were crystallized with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and possessed smaller particle sizes than those of commercially or chemically produced samples. The existence of biomolecules to act as reducing and stabilizing agents from C. ternatea Linn aqueous extract was confirmed using FTIR analysis. The biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles mainly comprised of negatively charged groups and responsible for moderately stable dispersion of the nanoparticles. All these properties were favorable for the sonocatalytic degradation of Congo red. Sonocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles was studied through the degradation of 10 mg/L Congo red using ultrasonic irradiation at 45 kHz and 80 W. The results showed that the sonocatalytic degradation efficiency of Congo red in the presence of biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles prepared at 50 °C for 1 h could achieve 88.76% after 1 h. The sonocatalytic degradation efficiency of Congo red in the presence of Ag-doped ZnO was accelerated to 94.42% after 10 min which might be related to the smallest band gap energy (3.02 eV) and the highest specific surface area (10.31 m²/g) as well as pore volume (0.0781 cm³/g). Lastly, the biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles especially Ag-doped ZnO offered significant antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli which indicated its ability to inhibit the normal growth and replication of bacterial cells. These results affirmed that the biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles could be used as an alternative to the current chemical compounds and showed a superior sonocatalytic activity toward degradation of Congo red.

We aimed to quantify the relationship between the outpatient visits of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and diurnal temperature range (DTR). The data of daily HFMD outpatient visits and meteorological parameters were obtained. A distributed lag nonlinear model combined with generalized linear model was used to estimate simultaneously nonlinear and delayed effects between DTR and daily HFMD outpatient visits after controlling confounding factors. A total of 15,275 HFMD visits were enrolled. DTR was significantly associated with HFMD outpatient visits in children. High DTR (P₇₅: 11.4 °C) and extreme DTR (P₉₅: 15.3 °C) were compared with 8.5 °C, and HFMD visits increased by a maximum of 3.93% (95% CI: 1.82 to 6.07%) and 4.47% (95% CI: 0.45 to 8.65%) in single-day lag effect, respectively. Furthermore, the extreme DTR effect decreased with the lag time and lasted for 10 days. Cumulative lag effects with markedly increasing percent of visits are over 64.88%. Furthermore, the effects were most pronounced among female children and children aged 0–2 years. Our study suggested that DTR changes were associated with HFMD outpatient visits, and populations of female and aged 0–2 years were more sensitive.

This review discusses a fresh pool of research findings reported on the multiple roles played by metal-based, magnetic, graphene-type, chitosan-derived, and sonicated nanoparticles in the treatment of pharmaceutical- and agrochemical-contaminated waters. Some main points from this review are as follows: (i) there is an extensive number of nanoparticles with diverse physicochemical and morphological properties which have been synthesized and then assessed in their respective roles in the degradation and mineralization of many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, (ii) the exceptional removal efficiencies of graphene-based nanomaterials for different pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals molecules support arguably well a high potential of these nanomaterials for futuristic applications in remediating water pollution issues, (iii) the need for specific surface modifications and functionalization of parent nanostructures and the design of economically feasible production methods of such tunable nanomaterials tend to hinder their widespread applicability at this stage, (iv) supplementary research is also required to comprehensively elucidate the life cycle ecotoxicity characteristics and behaviors of each type of engineered nanostructures seeded for remediation of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals in real contaminated media, and last but not the least, (v) real wastewaters are extremely complex in composition due to the mix of inorganic and organic species in different concentrations, and the presence of such mixed species have different radical scavenging effects on the sonocatalytic degradation and mineralization of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Moreover, the formulation of viable full-scale implementation strategies and reactor configurations which can use multifunctional nanostructures for the effective remediation of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals remains a major area of further research.

The presented work is devoted to the study of the ecological potential of Spirulina Arthrospira platensis to absorb copper ions from the water polluted by given heavy metal. The obtained data reveal the ability of Spirulina in a short time, in particular for 3 days to diminish 70% of Cu²⁺ ions of the initial incubation medium (100 ppm). The physiological parameters of Spirulina under the influence of copper on algae were also studied the highest concentration of Cu²⁺ ions cause inhibition of biomass accumulation by 15% and decrease of chlorophyll content by 30%. The presented results underline the capacity of Arthrospira platensis for the purification of water contaminations by copper.

The indoor air pollution (IAP) is one of the leading risk factors of childhood pneumonia in developing countries. This study makes the first attempt to examine the prevalence trend of pneumonia among under-five children in Pakistan in association with IAP-related factors, using bivariate and multivariate statistical methods. Three waves of Pakistan Demographic Health Survey for 2006–2007, 2012–2013, and 2017–2018 were used. Our study findings showed a steady decline in the prevalence of pneumonia synchronized with the decreased use of polluting fuel during the last decade (2006–2017). In bivariate regression, odd ratios of childhood pneumonia were 1.27 and 1.21 times higher in overcrowded houses in 2006–2007 and 2012–2013, respectively, and 1.25 times higher in families relying on biomass for cooking in 2017–2018. In the multivariate model, polluting fuel and overcrowded homes had higher adjusted odd ratios of pneumonia in all survey years, and children age 37–48 months, older mothers, and large birth sized children had lower AOR of pneumonia in 2006–2007 and 2012–2013. Countrywide promotion of IAP mitigation measures such as sponsoring cleaner fuels, separate place for cooking, and lessening home overcrowding may play a vital role in alleviating the prevalence of childhood pneumonia.

The Estância Velha stream integrates the Sinos River Basin that provides drinking water in one of the most important Brazilian centers, the “Capital of tanneries,” and it receives effluents from tannery industries. In Brazil, water quality is monitored only through physicochemical and microbiological parameters, and considering the biomarkers’ importance in complementing the analysis, the present study was aimed at evaluating the environmental quality of the Estância Velha stream also through cytogenotoxic criteria, at the stream source (site 1), as well as upstream (site 2) and downstream (site 3) of the demographically most dense area. The results for dissolved oxygen, color, total phosphorus, silver, and thermotolerant coliforms classified the Estância Velha stream as class 4 in general; that is, the water is suitable only for navigation and to landscape harmony. Overall, the water was classified as poor by Water Quality Index (WQI) and as hypereutrophic by Trophic State Index (TSI). The main genotoxic alterations (micronuclei and nuclear buds) were observed in site 2, in which were obtained the highest levels of aluminum, silver, iron, and manganese. Despite this, most of the effluents released from the region are not treated prior to being discharged into the stream, suggesting the requirement for effluent treatment to ensure the quality of the water source available.

Contamination of water sources with lead has been a problem because it is a toxic heavy metal. Detection and monitoring are important for both the environment and human health. In this paper, we present an application of cantilever nanobiosensors that can detect contamination traces of lead (Pb) in real river water samples. The urease and alkaline phosphatase enzymes are used in the device as a biological element with high sensitivity in Pb detection. By change in deflection of the cantilever nanobiosensor in contact with the liquid solution (water), the response was the detection of trace amounts of Pb in water. When using ultrapure water (white), the nanobiosensors did not demonstrate voltage response. The detection limit was in femtograms per milliliter (parts per trillion) for phosphatase alkaline and urease nanobiosensors with good recovery results. The matrix effect was minimized with the dilution of river water in the ratio 1:1 with the working solution. The nanobiosensors demonstrated are efficient in the detection of the presence of Pb in real samples. Thus, the developed cantilever nanobiosensors showed suitability for heavy metal detection in water and could be a promising tool in the environmental area. Graphical Abstract

The artificial radionuclide ⁹⁰Sr is the main radionuclide in radioactive environmental pollution. In this study, celery was cultured in a laboratory hydroponics system for 21 days with strontium (Sr) levels of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mM. The changes in the Sr contents in celery leaves and roots as well as the translocation factor (TF) values (ratio of the Sr concentration in aerial plant parts to that in roots) under different Sr concentrations were studied. Additionally, the effects of Sr stress on the absorption of six nutrients, the chlorophyll content, and the biomass of the celery were investigated. The results showed that the Sr contents in celery leaves and roots increased with the increasing Sr concentration in the hydroponic solution, but the increase of the Sr concentration in roots slowed under the 10 mM Sr treatment. The mean TF values ranged from 0.40 ± 0.01 to 1.12 ± 0.17. With the increase in Sr concentration in the hydroponic medium, the contents of calcium, iron, and potassium in the celery leaves were significantly reduced, and the absorption of calcium, iron, and magnesium by roots was significantly inhibited. Compared with the control, sulfur concentration in celery roots increased significantly under the Sr treatments increasing except the 10 mM Sr treatment. The changes in chlorophyll content were consistent with those of celery biomass, and the values of both these parameters were high under the 5 mM Sr treatment.