Organisms in aquatic environments are exposed to a number of pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues. As such, the aim of the present study is to achieve the Lethal Concentration (LC50) of Povidone-iodine (Betadine) for Cyprinus carpio. To do so, the study employs samples, weighing 4±1 [mean±SD] gr, and carries out an experiment in static condition. Based on OECD instructions, after a period of 4 days under controlled water, the physicochemical factors give the following results: pH= 8-8.3, BOD= 690 mg/l, total hardness= 210 mg, and CaCo3 and temperature= 17±0.1 °C. All fish are acclimatized for 10 days in an aquarium, 60×55×30 cm in size, which included the control group (no toxic concentration) as well as the treated aquariums, with Betadine concentration of 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 400, and 600 mg/l. LC10, LC20, LC30, LC40, LC50, LC60, LC70, LC80, LC90, and LC95 have been measured for 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours. LC50 24h Betadine for C. carpio has been 158.273 ml/l, showing no mortality after 24 hours (i.e. 48h, 72h, and 96h). Results of the present study suggest that Betadine is practically nontoxic and not irritant at low concentrations for this species and it has a short half-life in aquatic environments.

It is difficult to achieve simultaneous and efficient removal of heterocyclic drugs (HCDs) and total nitrogen (TN) in conventional denitrification biofilter (DNBF). Inspired by the effective degradation of refractory organic matter by cobalt-based advanced oxidation process and the need for in-situ upgrading of DNBF, peracetic acid (PAA)/cobalt-loaded ceramsite-based DNBF system was constructed for the first time to treat biochemical tailwater containing HCDs. Results showed that PAA/Co-DNBF had relatively high removal rates for the four HCDs with the order of CBZ > TMP > SDZ > SMX, and the optimal DNBF was H2 with 150 μg L⁻¹of PAA. Overall, TN and HCDs removal increased by 178%–455% and 2.50%–40.99% respectively. When the influent concentration of NO₃⁻-N, COD and each HCDs of 20 mg/L, 60 mg/L and 20 μg/L, below 15 mg/L of effluent TN and the highest average removal rate of SMX (67.77%) could be achieved, under HRT of 4 h in H2. More even distribution of microbial species and low acute toxicity of effluent were also achieved. More even distribution of microbial species and low acute toxicity of effluent were also achieved. In addition, high extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) content and Gordonia after the addition of PAA contributed to the degradation of HCDs. This study supplied a potentially effective strategy for the treatment of biochemical tailwater containing HCDs and provided new insight into the advance of denitrification technology.

In this study, we treated harmful Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacteria using chitosan-modified nanobubbles. The chitosan-modified nanobubbles (255 ± 19 nm) presented a positive zeta potential (15.36 ± 1.17 mV) and generated significantly (p < 0.05) more hydroxyl radicals than the negatively charged nanobubbles (−20.68 ± 1.11 mV). Therefore, the interaction between the positively charged chitosan-modified nanobubbles and negatively charged M. aeruginosa (−34.81 ± 1.79 mV) was favored. The chitosan-modified nanobubble treatment (2.20 × 10⁸ particles mL⁻¹) inactivated 73.16% ± 2.23% of M. aeruginosa (2.00 × 10⁶ cells mL⁻¹) for 24 h without causing significant cell lysis (≤0.25%) and completely inhibited the acute toxicity of M. aeruginosa toward Daphnia magna. The inactivation was correlated (r² = 0.97) with the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in M. aeruginosa. These findings indicated that the hydroxyl radicals generated by the chitosan-modified nanobubbles disrupted cell membrane integrity and enhanced oxidative stress (ROS formation), thereby inactivating M. aeruginosa. Moreover, the penetration of the chitosan-modified nanobubbles and cell alterations in M. aeruginosa were visually confirmed. Our results suggested that the chitosan-modified nanobubble treatment is an eco-friendly method for controlling harmful algae. However, further studies are required for expanding its practical applications.

Hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water (HF-FPW), which contains polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and numerous other potential contaminants, is a complex wastewater produced during the recovery of tight hydrocarbon resources. Previous studies on HF-FPW have demonstrated various toxicological responses of aquatic organisms as consequences of combined exposure to high salinity, dissolved organic compounds and particle/suspended solids-bound pollutants. Noteworthy is the lack of studies illustrating the potentially toxic effects of the FPW suspended solids (FPW-SS). In this study, we investigated the acute and sublethal toxicity of suspended solids filtered from six authentic FPW sample collected from two fracturing wells, using a sediment contact assay based on early-life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio). PAHs profiles and acute toxicity tests provided initial information on the toxic potency of the six samples. Upon exposure to sediment mixture at two selected doses (1.6 and 3.1 mg/mL), results showed adverse effects in larval zebrafish, as revealed by increased Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity. Transcriptional alterations were also observed in xenobiotic biotransformation (ahr, pxr, cyp1a, cyp1b1, cyp1c1, cyp1c2, cyp3a65, udpgt1a1, udpgt5g1), antioxidant response (sod1, sod2, gpx1a, gpx1b) and hormone receptor signaling (esr1, esr2a, cyp19a1a, vtg1) genes. The results demonstrated that even separated from the complex aqueous FPW mixture, FPW-SS can induce toxicological responses in aquatic organisms' early life stages. Since FPW-SS could sediment to the bottom of natural wetland acting as a continuous source of contaminants, the current findings imply the likelihood of long-term environmental risks of polluted sediments on aquatic ecosystems due to FPW spills.

It is highly likely that the toxicity of water accommodated fractions (WAF) will influence marine microalgae, and consequently lead to potential risk for the marine ecological environment. However, it was often neglected whether WAF can influence the transformation of relative compounds in organisms. The metabolism of amino acids (AAs) can be used to track physiological changes in microalgae because amino acids are the basis of proteins and enzymes. In this study, using marine Chlorophyta Platymonas helgolandica as the test organism, the effects of different concentrations of WAF on AA compositions and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) of individual AAs of Platymonas helgolandica were investigated. The results showed that the WAF of #180 fuel oil had an obvious suppressing effect on the growth and chlorophyll a content of microalgae. The growth inhibitory rate at 96 h was 80.66% at a WAF concentration of 0.50 mg L⁻¹ compared with the control. Furthermore, seven among the 16 AAs, including alanine, cysteine, proline, aspartic acid, lysine, histidine and tyrosine, had relatively high abundance. Under the glycolysis pathway, the cysteine abundance was higher than control, meaning that the biosynthesized pathway of alanine through cysteine as a precursor could be damaged. Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) was an important synthesis precursor of alanine (leucine) and aromatic AA family (Phenylalanine and tyrosine), and played an important role in δ¹³CAAₛ fractionation under the WAF stress. Under the TCA pathway, to protect cell metabolism activities under WAF stress, the δ¹³C value of threonine and proline abundance in microalgae with the increase in WAF stress. Therefore, δ¹³CAAₛ fractionation can be used as a novel method for toxicity evaluation of WAF on future.

The enantioselective toxic effect and environmental behavior of chiral pesticides have attracted increasing research attention. In this study, the enantioselective toxicity and residues of hexaconazole (HEX) in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were investigated. In the present study, significant enantioselective degradation characteristics were observed in artificial soil with the R-enantiomer preferentially degrading (p < 0.05); however, no significant enantioselective bioaccumulation was observed in the earthworms (p > 0.05). The acute toxicity of S-(+)-HEX was higher than that of R-(−)-HEX in earthworms, with 48-h LC₅₀ values of 8.62 and 22.35 μg/cm², respectively. At 25 mg/kg, enantiospecific induction of oxidative stress was observed in earthworms; moreover, S-(+)-HEX had a greater influence on the contents of malonaldehyde, cytochrome P450, and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine than R-(−)-HEX. These results were consistent with those of the enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes. The transcriptome sequencing results showed that S-(+)-HEX had a more significant influence on steroid biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, and cell cycle processes than R-(−)-HEX, leading to abnormal biological function activities. These results indicate that S-(+)-HEX may pose a higher risk to soil organisms than R-(−)-HEX. This study suggests that the environmental risk of chiral pesticides to nontarget organisms should be assessed at the enantiomeric level.

Biodiesel side stream waste glycerol was identified as a cheap carbon source for rhamnolipids (RLs) production which at the same time could improve the management of waste. The present study aimed to produce RLs by using Pseudomonas aeruginosa RS6 utilizing waste glycerol as a substrate and to evaluate their physico-chemicals properties. Fermentation conditions such as temperature, initial medium pH, waste glycerol concentration, nitrogen sources and concentrations resulted in different compositions of the mono- and di-RLs produced. The maximum RLs production of 2.73 g/L was obtained when P. aeruginosa RS6 was grown in a basal salt medium supplemented with 1% waste glycerol and 0.2 M sodium nitrate at 35 °C and pH 6.5. At optimal fermentation conditions, the emulsification index (E₂₄) values of cooking oil, diesel oil, benzene, olive oil, petroleum, and kerosene were all above E₂₄₌50%. The surface tension reduction obtained from 72.13 mN/m to 29.4–30.4 mN/m was better than the surface activity of some chemical-based surfactants. The RLs produced possessed antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with values ranging from 37% to 77% of growth inhibition when 1 mg/mL of RLs was used. Concentrations of RLs below 1500 μg/mL did not induce phytotoxicity effects on the tested seeds (Vigna radiata) compared to the chemical-based- surfactant, SDS. Furthermore, RLs tested on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos only exhibited low acute toxicity with an LC₅₀ value of 72.97 μg/mL at 48 h of exposure suggesting a green and eco-biochemical worthy of future applications to replace chemical-based surfactants.

In shallow eutrophic lakes, metal remobilization is closely related to the resuspension and eutrophication. An improved understanding of metal dynamics by biogeochemical processes is essential for effective management strategies. We measured concentrations of nine metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Fe, Al, Mg, and Mn) in water and sediments during seven periods from 2014 to 2018 in northern Lake Taihu, to investigate the metal pollution status, spatial distributions, mineral constituents, and their interactions with P. Moreover, an automatic weather station and online multi-sensor systems were used to measure meteorological and physicochemical parameters. Combining these measurements, we analyzed the controlling factors of metal dynamics. Shallow and eutrophic northern Lake Taihu presents more serious metal pollution in sediments than the average of lakes in Jiangsu Province. We found chronic and acute toxicity levels of dissolved Pb and Zn (respectively), compared with US-EPA “National Recommended Water Quality Criteria”. Suspended particles and sediment have been polluted in different degrees from uncontaminated to extremely contaminated according to German pollution grade by LAWA (Bund/Länder-Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser). Polluted particles might pose a risk due to high resuspension rate and intense algal activity in shallow eutrophic lakes. Suspended particles have similar mineral constituents to sediments and increased with increasing wind velocity. Al, Fe, Mg, and Mn in the sediment were rarely affected by anthropogenic pollution according to the geoaccumulation index. Among them, Mn dynamics is very likely associated with algae. Micronutrient uptake by algal will affect the migration of metals and intensifies their remobilization. Intensive pollution of most particulate metals were in the industrialized and down-wind area, where algae form mats and decompose. Moreover, algal decomposition induced low-oxygen might stimulate the release of metals from sediment. Improving the eutrophication status, dredging sediment, and salvaging cyanobacteria biomass are possible ways to remove or reduce metal contaminations.

In this paper, the acute toxicity of monobutyl phthalate (MBP), the main hydrolysis product of dibutyl phthalate, on adult zebrafish liver antioxidant system was studied. Compared the toxicity effect of MBP and DBP by histopathology and apoptosis experiments, we speculated that the toxic effects of DBP on animals may be caused by its metabolite MBP. The results indicated that the antioxidant Nrf2-Keap1 pathway was insufficient to resist MBP-induced hepatotoxicity and led to an imbalance of membrane ion homeostasis and liver damage. Decreased cell viability, significant tissue lesions and early hepatocyte apoptosis were observed in the zebrafish liver in MBP exposure at high concentration (10 mg/L). The activities of antioxidant enzymes and ATPases in zebrafish liver were inhibited with increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities. Integrated biomarker response (IBR) calculation results indicated that MBP mainly inhibited catalase (CAT) activity. Simultaneously, the expression of antioxidant-related genes (SOD, CAT, GPx, Nrf2, HO-1) was down-regulated, while apoptosis-related genes (p53, bax, cas3) were significantly up-regulated.

Hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells is a cost effective means for extracting oil and gas from low permeability formations. Hydraulic fracturing often produces considerable volumes of flowback and produced water (FPW). FPW associated with hydraulic fracturing has been shown to be a complex, often brackish mixture containing a variety of anthropogenic and geogenic compounds. In the present study, the risk of FPW releases to aquatic systems was studied using the model benthic invertebrate, Lumbriculus variegatus and field-collected FPW from a fractured well in Alberta. Acute, chronic, and pulse toxicity were evaluated to better understand the implications of accidental FPW releases to aquatic environments. Although L.variegatus is thought to have a high tolerance to many stressors, acute toxicity was significant at low concentrations (i.e. high dilutions) of FPW (48 h LC50: 4–5%). Chronic toxicity (28 d)of FPW in this species was even more pronounced with LC50s (survival/reproduction) and EC50s (total mass) at dilutions as low as 0.22% FPW. Investigations evaluating pulse toxicity (6 h and 48 h exposure) showed a significant amount of latent mortality occurring when compared to the acute results. Additionally, causality in acute and chronic bioassays differed as acute toxicity appeared to be primarily driven by salinity, which was not the case for chronic toxicity, as other stressors appear to be important as well. The findings of this study show the importance of evaluating multiple exposure regimes, the complexity of FPW, and also shows the potential aquatic risk posed by FPW releases.