Diabetes is one of the typical chronic diseases, and its incidence is related to many environmental factors. At present, there is no radical cure for diabetes, so the prevention of diabetes is particularly important. In order to effectively prevent the occurrence of diabetes, it is necessary to understand the conditions leading to the occurrence of diabetes. Current studies have shown that long-term exposure to noise will increase the risk of diabetes. Literature was retrieved from Pubmed and Web of Science. The relationship between noise exposure and diabetes published in the past 10 years was retrieved from the literature. Two researchers screened the literatures and extracted the data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Endnote software was used to manage the literature, and NOS (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale) scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included literatures. Random effects meta-analysis was used to comprehensively evaluate the noise exposure of diabetic patients, and stata13.1 was used for data analysis. After adherence to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight studies on the association between noise and diabetes were selected, including five cohort studies and three cross-sectional studies, with a total of 514,570 participants and 23,708 diabetics. The results showed that exposure to noise increased the risk of developing diabetes (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.03 ~ 1.12). From the analysis of these selected articles, it can be seen that there is a positive correlation between noise and the occurrence of diabetes. As a result, it is necessary to strengthen routine blood tests for people who have been exposed to noise for a long time, especially those who have to be exposed to noise due to their occupations.

Passive sampling technology has been considered as a promising tool to measure the concentration of environmental contaminants. With this technology, sampling rate (Rₛ) is an important parameter. However, as experimental methods employed to obtain the Rₛ value of a given compound were time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. A cost-effective method for deriving Rₛ is urgent. In addition, considering the great dependence of Rₛ value on water matrix properties, the laboratory measured Rₛ may not be a good alternative for field Rₛ. Thus, obtaining the field Rₛ is very necessary. In this study, a multiparameter quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model was constructed for predicting the field Rₛ of 91 polar to semi-polar organic compounds. The determination coefficient (R²Tᵣₐᵢₙ), leave-one-out cross-validated coefficient (Q²LOO), bootstrap coefficient (Q²BOOT), and root mean square error (RMSETᵣₐᵢₙ) of the training set were 0.772, 0.706, 0.769, and 0.230, respectively, while the external validation coefficient (Q²EXT) and RMSEEXT of the validation set were 0.641 and 0.253, respectively. According to the acceptable criteria (Q² > 0.600, R² > 0.700), the model had good robustness, goodness-of-fit, and predictive performances. Therefore, we could use the model to fill the data gap for substances within the applicability domain on their missing Rₛ value.

MIL-100(Fe), an environmental-friendly and water-stable metal–organic framework (MOF), has caught increasing research and application attention in the recent decade. Thanks to its mesoporous structure and eximious surface area, MIL-100(Fe) has been utilized as precursors for synthesizing various porous materials under high thermolysis temperature, which makes the derivatives of MIL-100(Fe) pretty promising candidates for the decontamination of wastewater. Herein, this review systematically summarizes the versatile synthetic methods and conditions for optimizing the properties of MIL-100(Fe) and its derivatives. Then, diverse environmental applications (i.e., adsorption, photocatalysis, and Fenton-like reaction) of MIL-100(Fe) and its derivatives and the corresponding removal mechanisms are detailed in the discussion. Finally, existing knowledge gaps related to fabrications and applications are discussed to close and promote the future development of MIL-100(Fe) and its derivatives toward environmental applications. Graphical abstract

After the accidental release of crude oil in marine environment, dispersants are applied on sea surface transferring oil into the water column where it can be broken down by biodegradation, thereby reducing potential pollution to coastal areas. Before they can be used in the wild, the ecotoxicity of such dispersants is usually evaluated with toxicity assays using algae, crustacean and fishes. Nowadays, there is a need to find alternative species to reduce the use of vertebrates both for ethical considerations and for reducing the cost of bioassays. Ciona robusta is a solitary ascidian that inhabits shallow waters and marine coastal areas. This species has been recently adopted as valuable biological model for ecotoxicity studies, thanks to its rapid embryonic and larval development, resemblance to vertebrates, and low risk of ethical issues. On this ground, the lethal and sublethal toxicity of two dispersants has been evaluated on Ciona juveniles. At this stage, the organisms become filter-feeders and the morphological alterations of the organs can be easily observed. The median lethal concentrations at 96 h (96hLC₅₀) for Dispersant 1 (non-ionic surfactant) and for Dispersant 2 (mixture of non-ionic surfactants and anionic surfactants) are 41.6 mg/L (38.6–44.9) and 92.5 mg/L (87.7–97.5), respectively. The Ciona juvenile model was compared to Dicentrarchus labrax fish juveniles test, and it showed increased sensitivity for Ciona to these compounds. These results suggest that 96 h mortality test bioassay could be a good alternative method to 96 h mortality assay with D. labrax, limiting the use of vertebrates for dispersant toxicity.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and titanium-doped DLC coatings were prepared by hybrid PECVD/direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). In this study, we show that the operating conditions of titanium-doped DLC coatings used for implants in surgical devices significantly modify their surface properties and consequently their interaction with cells. The coatings showed uniform distribution on the substrate and their biocompatibility was tested by way of rat calvaria osteoblasts. Doping DLC with Ti changed the roughness and wettability of the film interface. The autoclaving of the samples led to the surface oxidation and the formation of TiO₂ on the top-most layers of Ti-doped DLC. This was quantitatively assessed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and revealed the presence of Ti³⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ species in redox reactions during their interactions with cells. By XPS analysis, the oxidative carbonaceous species C=O and O=C–C were detected during the bacterial inactivation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were identified on the sputtered samples and the ⦁OH radical was identified as the most important oxidative radical intermediate leading to bacterial disinfection. The position of the intra-gap of the oxidized C species is suggested within the TiO₂ bandgap.

Two different analytical methods for the determination of polycyclic musk fragrances (PMFs) in wastewater and in activated sludge were developed. PMFs in filtered water samples were determined by gas chromatography coupled with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Activated sludge samples were extracted using an ultrasonic bath and analysed using a GC-Ion trap. The developed methods respected a linear model (R² > 0.995). Detection limits of selected compounds (Celestolide, Galaxolide, Galaxolidone, Phantolide and Tonalide) varied from 1.7 to 80 ng L⁻¹ for water and from 0.1 ng g⁻¹ to 210 ng g⁻¹ for activated sludge considering laboratory contamination for each PMF. Recovery studies were performed on spiked water samples and, for sludges, on procedural blanks, showing recoveries above 70% for all the considered compounds, while recovery of the internal standard was always above limit of acceptance (30%). Proposed methods were used to determine PMFs concentrations in wastewaters and activated sludges of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Northern Italy. Concentrations in the range of μg L⁻¹ of Galaxolide and of its metabolite Galaxolidone were detected even in the WWTP effluent. Biotransformation of Galaxolide into Galaxolidone occurred during biological treatment with the consequent release of this compound through WWTP effluents. In activated sludges, concentrations of all PMFs except Galaxolidone were one order of magnitude higher than wastewaters, as expected according to their physicochemical properties. Present wastewater treatment technologies were confirmed to not be efficient in removing PMFs from influent wastewaters since with only ≃ 30% of Celestolide and Tonalide were removed.

As the largest carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitter, China exists obvious regional inequality in per capita CO₂ emissions. However, such inequality and its dynamic change for recent years have not been systematically studied. In this paper, we evaluate China’s regional inequality in per capita CO₂ emissions during 1997–2016 using the Theil index and decompose it into within-region and between-region components based on eight regions. Furthermore, we apply the decomposition analysis to explore the contribution of different factors to such inequality, including the carbonization index, energy intensity, energy structure, labor productivity, and employment rate. The results show that China’s overall inequality in per capita CO₂ emissions reduced first and increased thereafter during 1997–2016. Within-region inequality was the main source of overall inequality in 1997–2004, while between-region inequality contributed more during 2005–2016. Labor productivity and energy intensity were the two main drivers of overall inequality, but their contributions to the inequality between regions and within regions were quite different. Moreover, the impact of energy structure and carbonization index on regional inequality in per capita CO₂ emissions significantly increased during 2012–2016, which was related to the efforts made by local governments to improve the energy mix. Policy implications were given according to the above conclusions to improve regional inequality in per capita CO₂ emissions.

Pesticides are often found at high concentrations in small ponds near agricultural field where amphibians are used to live and reproduce. Even if there are many studies on the impacts of phytopharmaceutical active ingredients in amphibian toxicology, only a few are interested in the earlier steps of their life cycle. While their populations are highly threatened with extinction. The aim of this work is to characterize the effects of glyphosate and its commercial formulation Roundup® GT Max on the Xenopus laevis oocyte maturation which is an essential preparation for the laying and the fertilization. Glyphosate is an extensively used herbicide, not only known for its effectiveness but also for its indirect impacts on non-target organisms. Our results showed that exposures to both forms of glyphosate delayed this hormone-dependent process and were responsible for spontaneous maturation. Severe and particular morphogenesis abnormalities of the meiotic spindle were also observed. The MAPK pathway and the MPF did not seem to be affected by exposures. The xenopus oocyte is particularly affected by the exposures and appears as a relevant model for assessing the effects of environmental contamination.

The oxidation of sulfide ores is a common phenomenon. To better understand the current development and status of oxidation studies of sulfide ores (OSSO), a bibliometric analysis of OSSO was conducted by mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of the knowledge domain and the research focus using VOSviewer and Citespace tools. The data were derived from the Web of Science (WOS) core collection database from 2000 to 2018. Study emphases covered publication outputs, countries/regions, organizations, top journals, research focus and keyword co-occurrence network, and theme development. The results include the following findings: (1) The line of the 3-year moving average of publications (3-year MAP), h-index (3-year MAH), and authors (3-year MAA) increased from 2001 to 2018. Conversely, the h-index continuously declined. (2) Asia had the most publications, with 1052, followed by Europe, with 923, and America, with 767. China, the USA, and Australia are the most active countries. (3) The top 10 organizations with the most publications are five Chinese organizations and one organization from each of the following countries: Russia, Australia, France, and India. (4) Hydrometallurgy, Minerals Engineering, Ore Geology Reviews, Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, and Economic Geology are among the top 10 journals that researchers are most concerned about. (5) Cooperation among different organization or different countries is the most effective way to produce the most influential papers. (6) The OSSO is still focused on the process of oxidation by using different methods and techniques. In future work, it is necessary to progress new methods to understand the process of self-heating and prevent spontaneous combustion disaster of sulfide ore which result from OSSO.

Oil extraction is one of the causes of soil contamination with the total petroleum hydrocarbons. The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of Asteraceae plants on the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil. Initial soils with 40 and 90 g kg⁻¹ of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) were prepared. There were three treatments: (1) no addition, (2) addition of FeCl₃ and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) solution, and (3) addition of FeCl₃ + NTA and the cultivation of nine Asteraceae plants. The concentration of TPH was measured using infrared spectrophotometer, 2 and 3 months after transplanting (MAT). Shoot and root dry weights were measured 3 MAT. The concentration of TPH in soil cultivated with Cosmos caudatus was lower than that of the initial soil (40 g kg⁻¹ TPH), 2 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with Calendula officinalis, Callistephus chinensis, C. caudatus, and Tagetes sp. were also lower than that in the initial soil, 3 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with Achillea filipendulina, Anthemis tinctoria, Tagetes erecta, Chrysanthemum coronarium, C. officinalis, C. chinensis, and C. caudatus were lower than that in the initial soil (90 g kg⁻¹ TPH), 2 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with T. erecta, A. tinctoria, Zinnia elegans, C. chinensis, C. caudatus, and Tagetes sp. were lower than that in the initial soil, 3 MAT. A. filipendulina and C. coronarium died at both 40 and 90 kg⁻¹ TPH soils. These results suggest that the roots of Asteraceae plants degrade petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil and C. chinensis and Z. elegans are more suitable for using TPH remediation. Plant survival and extensive root system are important factors for the remediation of TPH in contaminated soil.