Residue analysis to detect thiophanate-methyl and its primary metabolite (carbendazim) during oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida) cultivation was done for two consecutive years 2017 and 2018. Wheat straw substrate was chemically treated with different treatments of thiophate-methyl, viz, thiophanate-methyl 30 ppm + formalin 500 ppm (T1), thiophanate-methyl 40 ppm + formalin 500 ppm (T2), thiophanate-methyl 50 ppm + formalin 500 ppm (T3), thiophanate-methyl 60 ppm + formalin 500 ppm (T4), and formalin 500 ppm (T5 as control and recommended concentration), and utilized for cultivation of oyster mushroom. Treatments T3 and T4 exhibited significant difference in pH levels during both the trials. Minimum spawn run, pinhead formation, and fruit body formation time were recorded in treatments T3 and T4. Significantly higher biological efficiency (%) was recorded in treatments T3 and T4 as compared with all other treatments. No incidence of competitor molds was recorded in T3 and T4. Pesticide residue analysis for detection of thiophanate-methyl and its metabolite (carbendazim) was done in the fruit body produced in T3 and T4 treatments using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method. No residue of thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim was detected at 50 ppm concentration of thiophanate-methyl during both the trials. However, in trial II, residue of carbendazim (5.39 μg/kg) was detected at 60 ppm. Based on the findings of the trials I and II, T3 (thiophanate-methyl 50 ppm + formalin 500 ppm) may be utilized for substrate sterilization for oyster mushroom cultivation and Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida could be recognized as microorganism which could play a role in degradation of thiophanate-methyl.

The concentration of PAHs among raw and cooked meat products (sausages and burgers), randomly collected from five regions of Tehran, Iran, was investigated by the aid of a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the risk assessment was conducted. The concentration of 16 types of PAHs in sausage and burger samples was found in the range of 8.08 to 29.55 and 10.18 to 29.85 μg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of some PAHs such as anthracene (A) (14.12 μg/kg) and acenaphthylene (Acl) (13.4 μg/kg) were higher than the European Standard (2 μg/kg). Among the meat products with different meat percentages (50, 70, and 90), the highest level of total PAHs was noted in the product containing 90% meat (19.34 μg/kg), while the highest mean level of PAHs was noted in fried meat products (23.31 μg/kg). A positive and significant correlation between cooking method and brand of product with the concentration of PAHs (p-value < 0.05) was noted. Also, no concern regarding the non-carcinogenic risk due to the ingestion of PAHs via consumption of the meat products was demonstrated by the health risk. However, the carcinogenic risk due to the consumption of sausage and burger was at the tolerable (1E−6 to 1E−4) and considerable (> 1E−4) risk levels, respectively. In this regard, further assessments to control and modify the cooking method among the Iranian population were recommended.

There have been numerous environmental geochemistry studies using chemical, geological, ecological, and toxicological methods but each of these fields requires more subject specialist rigour than has generally been applied so far. Field-specific terminology has been misused and the resulting interpretations rendered inaccurate. In this paper, we propose a series of suggestions, based on our experience as teachers, researchers, reviewers, and editorial board members, to help authors to avoid pitfalls. Many scientific inaccuracies continue to be unchecked and are repeatedly republished by the scientific community. These recommendations should help our colleagues and editorial board members, as well as reviewers, to avoid the numerous inaccuracies and misconceptions currently in circulation and establish a trend towards greater rigour in scientific writing.

The presence of galvanized pipe in drinking water distribution systems is known to be associated with heavy metal release, especially after the aging of zinc coating. This study examined release of lead and other heavy metals (e.g., cadmium, chromium) from galvanized steel coupons with a low-lead zinc coating. Metal release data were obtained in 12-week long jar tests which were conducted at varying temperatures and alkalinities. The morphology of the exposed surfaces was dominated by spherical and acicular formations. Exposures at 36 °C were associated with increased corrosion rates, accelerated depletion of zinc coating and faster development of corrosion scales, compared with 4 and 20 °C. The protective action of zinc coating was enhanced at increasing alkalinities. Metal release data showed a significant enrichment of Pb and Cd levels in the particulates released from the low-Pb galvanized steel.

Fucoidans (FUCs) are sulfated polysaccharides that have a wide range of bioactivities. The current study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of FUC against microcystin-LR (MC-LR)-induced toxicity. Five mice groups (n = 8) were used. Group 1 received saline, Group 2 received oral FUC 100 mg/kg/day for 21 days, Group 3 received i.p. MC-LR 10 μg/kg/day for 14 days, Group 4 received MC-LR plus FUC 50 mg/kg/day, and Group 5 received MC-LR plus FUC 100 mg/kg/day. The present study showed that MC-LR administration was associated with significant increases (p < 0.01) in serum concentrations of hepatic (aspartate transferase, alanine transferase, and alkaline phosphatase), renal (urea and creatinine), and cardiac (creatine kinase and CK-MB) injury biomarkers, as well as serum lactate dehydrogenase, cholesterol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukins-1β and 6, and tumor necrosis factor-α), compared with the control group. Further, MC-LR-intoxicated mice exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.01) hepatic, renal, and cardiac tissue levels of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, as well as lower tissue levels of reduced glutathione and activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzymes in comparison with control mice. Treatment by FUC significantly ameliorated all the above-mentioned alterations in a dose-dependent manner with frequent restoration of the normal ranges in the FUC 100 mg/kg/day dose group. Moreover, treatment by FUC alone at 100 mg/kg/day was not associated with significant negative alterations in the assessed biochemical parameters, highlighting its safety at this dose. In conclusion, treatment by FUC significantly ameliorated organ injury, induced by MC-LR in mouse hepatic, renal, and cardiac tissues.

Three-dimensional cubic ordered mesoporous carbon with chitosan (Ia3d-CS), which was synthesized via exothermic reaction between liquid potassium and carbon monoxide gas, was coated on the active carbon (AC) electrode as a capacitive deionization (CDI) disinfection electrode. The results showed that Ia3d-CS-2 as CDI electrode exhibited the quick ion diffusion and strong charge transfer performance, due to the three-dimensional pore structure and specific surface area. The electrode of Ia3d-CS-2 displayed a specific capacity of 191.22 F/g at a scan rate of 100 mV·s⁻¹ in 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution. In a CDI recycling system, Ia3d-CS-x electrode showed good cyclic stability, and the electrosorption capacity of Ia3d-CS-2 electrode can achieve 1.31 mg/g at 1.2 V in 100 mg/l NaCl aqueous solutions. Subsequently, Ia3d-CS-2 electrode had an excellent disinfection efficiency of killing about 99.99% Escherichia coli within 30 min during the CDI process at applied 1.2 V. Considering those excellent properties of the fabricated Ia3d-CS-x electrode, which should be a better candidate for high-performance deionization application.

Sludge pyrolysis is a complex process including complicated reaction chemistry, phase transition, and transportation phenomena. To better evaluate the use of syngas, the monitoring and prediction of a higher heating value (HHV) is necessary. This study developed an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict the HHV of syngas, with the process variables (i.e., sludge type, catalyst type, catalyst amount, pyrolysis temperature, and moisture content) as the inputs. In the first step, through optimizing various sets of parameters, a three-layer network including 8 input neurons, 15 hidden neurons, and 1 output neuron was established. Then, in the second step, an ANN model has been successfully used to predict the HHV of syngas, with a fitting correlation coefficient of 0.97 and a root mean square error (MSE) value of 14.62. The relative influence of input variables showed that the pyrolysis temperature and moisture content were the determining factors that affected the HHV of syngas. The results of optimization experiments showed that when temperature was 895 °C and the moisture content was 45.63 wt%, the highest HHV can be obtained as 438.22 kcal/m³-N. Moreover, the ANN model showed a higher prediction accuracy than other models like multiple linear regression and principal component regression. The model developed in this work may be used to predict the HHV of syngas using conventional operational parameters measured from in situ experiments, thus further providing predictive information for the use of syngas as energy and fuel.

Hydrogels (HGs) based on gelatin and crosslinked with gum Arabic have been prepared by the thaw–freezing method, employing two different concentrations of gum Arabic (15 and 50% w/w). Magnetic gels or ferrogels (FGs) were prepared by applying the breath in method to incorporate iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles to the HG matrix. The obtained HG and FG were characterized by XRD, FTIR, and SEM, and the FG composition was estimated by atomic absorption spectroscopy in terms of Fe content. The adsorption of crude oil onto HG and FG was explored achieving very satisfactory results. FG was regenerated by washing with toluene, maintaining efficiency of almost 90% after the fourth cycle. Equilibrium studies were performed to determine the capacity of the prepared FG for adsorption of crude oil from seawater synthetic solutions. The experiments were carried out as a function of different initial concentrations of oil residue (24 to 240 mg/L) exploring different contact times. Equilibrium data were found to fit very well with the Sips models. The kinetic data adsorption of oil onto the FG-15 was better fitted by a pseudo-second-order kinetic indicating that at the initial stages of adsorption, external mass transfer could control the whole rate of the crude oil uptake while intraparticle diffusion controlled the global rate of adsorption at later stages. The obtained results showed that the FG prepared by employing 15% of gum Arabic as the crosslinker (FG-15) has a high removal efficiency of crude oil reaching 1.53 g/g of FG at pH 5.5 and 0.59 g/g for oil/water emulsions in the order of 0.1 g/L. The magnetic properties extend its application. The reached data suggest that the materials presented here may be useful to further the design of systems or devices intended for the remediation of petroleum spills and/or its derivatives in marine water as well as other surfaces such as polluted rocks or soil.

In response to the Walloon Environment and Health Program, the Scientific Institute of Public Services (ISSeP) developed an integrated approach of environmental exposure assessment in the Walloon region, Belgium. The study presents an index-based approach to estimate the multiple environmental burdens at regional level and detailed local resolution. Indicators are based on environmental measurements of pollutants in ambient air and soil, and on stressors for citizens related to noise and radon. These indicators were mapped as proportions to obtain an accurate comparison between spatial units. In order to indicate the need for intervention, environmental indicators are calculated as the proportion of areas where the level of detrimental environmental factors exceeds threshold values from WHO guidelines and Walloon legal threshold values. In parallel, a spatial web tool based on GIS was developed to enable a flexible and weighted combination of the normalized indicators by computing the resulting composite index online. This interactive web tool designed for policy makers and experts eases the spatial analysis of results in order to identify geographic areas where hotspot exposures are a potential risk to human health. The next steps of this work aim to integrate more environmental indicators (stressors and benefits) and some sociodemographic and health indicators in order to detect vulnerable populations. A holistic assessment is essential to inform environmental justice debates and to ensure a health conducive equal environment. Finally, this environmental health tool will support decision makers focus resources and programs to improve the environmental health of Walloons living in areas disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.

Progressive rare earth element (REE) enrichment in aquatic environments worldwide and their resulting anthropogenic anomalies have highlighted the need for a better understanding of their biological effects, with a special emphasis on microbial cells since they play a crucial role in good ecosystem functioning. Therefore, the primary aim of this work was to achieve simultaneous characterization of the 16 REE toxicity effects on the growth kinetics of the commonly found Gram-negative bacterium E. coli (BW25113 strain). Bacterial growth curve modelling showed hormetic effects in the presence of REEs, while EC₅₀ determination (in the mid-log phase) indicated that the four HREEs from Er to Lu in addition to Y were the most toxic metals (EC₅₀ in the range of 8.3 to 3 μM), just after Sc (EC₅₀ of 1.1 μM). Additional subcellular parameter assessment revealed cell membrane lipid peroxidation as well as enhanced membrane depolarization and permeability in the presence of La, Gd, or Yb as representatives of LREEs and HREEs. These subcellular effects appeared to be more intense with Gd and Yb compared with La-exposed cells, in relation to the overall higher toxicity potential reported for HREEs on bacterial growth. Also, the cellular ATP production decreased after REE exposure at their EC₅₀. Finally, these results emphasize the importance of growth kinetic consideration as well as the complexity of REE biological effect mechanisms towards bacteria.