Water scarcity, its necessity in food production, and environmental protection in the world have forced human beings to seek new water sources. Nowadays, application of unconventional water resources (wastewater) has been proposed in countries facing the crisis of water resources shortage; however, a few studies have dealt with this issue. The present study has evaluated the changes in the elements of the soil, irrigated with wastewater. For so doing, an experiment has been conducted on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Soil samples have been collected from the studied regions at two depths of 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm and the studied parameters have included sodium, total calcium, magnesium, some acidity, and electrical conductivity of the soil. Three regions of study (namely no irrigation, irrigation with treated wastewater, and irrigation with river waters) have been taken into consideration. Results have shown increased calcium, magnesium, and pH of the effluent from Zabol Wastewater Treatment Plant compared to the control; however, electrical conductivity and chloride have decreased in wastewater-irrigated soil. The electrical conductivity in the surface layer of wastewater samples, treated with an amount of 2.25 (ds/m), has had the most significant difference to the control and other treatments. It can be concluded that wastewater increases some soil properties, contributing to its restoration.

International audience | Calcium dissolved deposition shows an unusual spatial structure in France, probably due to the contribution of southern air masses from Mediterranean Sea and Saharan desert. These masses are often loaded with terrigenous particles that contain carbonates. However, no precise relationship has been quantified between dissolved Ca and mineral dust deposition (MDD). The database of the French network RENECOFOR, gathering atmospheric deposition <0.45 mu m in 27 sites near forests during 18 years, was used to determine the non-sea-salt atmospheric deposition over France. This study (1) explores the relationship between dissolved components to decipher their origin in atmospheric deposition nearby forests and (2) tests the use of dissolved Ca and Mg as proxies for MDD. In the RENECOFOR database, non-sea-salt Ca (nssCa) preferentially deposited between May and August. MDD observed in RENECOFOR was synchronic with high nssCa deposition, particularly in June 2008, when air mass highly loaded with Saharan dust covered France. The dissolution of this mineral dust likely contributed to the nssCa deposition of this period and suggested a relationship between the depositions of nssCa and MDD. Then, MDD was specifically sampled with dissolved deposition in four sampling sites. Encouraging relationships were found between MDD and the depositions of nssMg and nssCa, suggesting that the latter could be used as a proxy for MDD in regions where it is not monitored, and in a retrospective approach in order to calculate nutrient fluxes.

In four regions of Kazakhstan (Atyrau, Aralsk, Shymkent and Almaty), a survey on camel farms was achieved in order to study the variability of the physico-chemical composition of camel milk both in dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and Bactrian (Camelus bactrianus) camel as well as their hybrids. As the whole, 163 milk samples were analyzed for calcium, phosphorus and iron determination. In order to maximize the variance, the samples were done in four different seasons which expressed the feeding change and the physiological stage changes as the calving season was concentrated in few months. The mean values were respectively 1.232 ± 0.292 g/l, 1.003 ± 0.217 g/l and 2.02 ± 1.24 mg/l for calcium, phosphorus and iron. No species, season or region effect was observed on iron content in the milk. Calcium and phosphorus change significantly according to season and species, but only phosphorus was linked to region effect. Especially phosphorus content is high in Aralsk region (1.156 ± 0.279 g/l). Globally, it is noticeable to observe the high level of phosphorus in the camel milk of Kazakhstan compared to the literature's results. (Résumé d'auteur)

The association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and male reproductive dysfunction has attracted increasing attention. The purpose of this study was to compare the male reproductive toxicity of multiple PAHs and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. TM4 cells (mouse testicular Sertoli cells, SCs) were treated with benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), pyrene (Py), fluoranthene (Fl) and phenanthrene (Phe) (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 50, or 100 μM) for varying time points (4, 12, 24, or 48 h), and male C57BL/6 mice were administered BaP and Py (0, 10, 50, or 100 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days based on the cell experimental results. Histopathological examination, western blotting, ELISA, biochemical assays, RT–PCR, flow cytometry, JC-1 staining and trans-epithelium electrical resistance (TEER) measurements were used to assess apoptosis, blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity, intracellular calcium ([Ca²⁺]ᵢ) concentrations and oxidative stress (OS). The results revealed that the mRNA levels and enzymatic activities of CYP450 and GST family members; levels of ROS, MDA, cleaved caspase 3 (c-caspase 3), caspase 9, Bax, and cytochrome C (CytC); and numbers of TUNEL-positive cells were significantly increased by BaP and Py, while levels of AhR, GSH, SOD, CAT, Bcl-2 and ΔΨm were decreased. Additionally, BaP and Py notably interfered with tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs) in the BTB. Intriguingly, BaP, but not Py, induced [Ca²⁺]ᵢ overload and gap junction (GJ) destruction. There was no dramatic effect of Fl and/or Phe on any of the above parameters except that slight cytotoxicity was observed with higher doses of Fl. Collectively, these findings showed that BaP and Py elicited SC apoptosis and BTB disruption involving mitochondrial dysfunction and OS, but [Ca²⁺]ᵢ fluctuation and GJ injury were only observed with BaP-induced reproductive toxicity. The male reproductive toxicity of the selected PAHs was ranked in the order of BaP > Py > Fl > Phe.

In recent years, the cardiovascular toxicity of urban fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) has sparked significant alarm. Mitochondria produce 90% of ATP and make up 30% of the volume of cardiomyocytes. Thus knowledge of myocardial mitochondrial dysfunction due to PM₂.₅ exposure is essential for further cardiotoxic effects. Here, the mechanism of PM₂.₅-induced cardiac hypertrophy through calcium overload and mitochondrial dysfunction was investigated in vivo and in vitro. Male and female BALB/c mice were given 1.28, 5.5, and 11 mg PM₂.₅/kg bodyweight weekly through oropharyngeal inhalation for four weeks and were assigned to low, medium, and high dose groups, respectively. PM₂.₅-induced myocardial edema and cardiac hypertrophy were detected in the high-dose group. Mitochondria were scattered and ruptured with abnormal ultrastructural morphology. In vitro experiments on human cardiomyocyte AC16 showed that exposure to PM₂.₅ for 24 h caused opened mitochondrial permeability transition pore --leading to excessive calcium production, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, weakened mitochondrial respiratory metabolism capacity, and decreased ATP production. Nevertheless, the administration of calcium chelator ameliorated the mitochondrial damage in the PM₂.₅-treated group. Our in vivo and in vitro results confirmed that calcium overload under PM₂.₅ exposure triggered mTOR/AKT/GSK-3β activation, leading to mitochondrial bioenergetics dysfunction and cardiac hypertrophy.

Antimonate is the dominant form of antimony (Sb) in Sb mine water. The treatment of high-Sb mine water essentially reduces the discharge of antimonate oxyanions ([Sb(OH)₆]⁻) in it. Biochar obtained from phosphogypsum-modified anaerobic digested distillers’ grain (PADC) can effectively adsorb antimonate from water. In this work, using batch adsorption experiments, mathematical models, and characterization methods, the mechanism of Sb(V) adsorption by PADC was studied. Compared with pristine biochar, PADC biochar showed abundant lamellar and vesicular structures with significant calcium ion loading on the surface. The kinetics data of the adsorption of Sb(V) on the PADC biochar followed the Elovich equation (R² = 0.992), indicating that heterogeneous adsorption had occurred. The results also showed that intraparticle diffusion played an important role in controlling Sb(V) adsorption by PADC biochar. The Redlich–Peterson model best fit the Sb(V) adsorption isotherm (R² = 0.997), indicating that the adsorption was a combination of the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The maximum adsorption capacity of PADC biochar for Sb(V) is 8123 mg/kg, which is more than twice that of the pristine biochar (3487 mg/kg) and is sufficient for Sb(V) treatment in most mine water. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) analyses revealed that the dominant mechanism of Sb(V) removal by PADC biochar was the formation of Ca–O–Sb complexes or amorphous surface precipitation as well as electrostatic adsorption. This work demonstrated the potential of PADC biochar in the treatment of Sb-contaminated mine water.

The adsorption of microplastic (MPs) on aquifer media is affected by their own properties and environmental factors. Research results have shown that the adsorption capacity of MPs on the three media has the following order: fine sand > medium sand > coarse sand, and the adsorption equilibrium times are 8 h, 12 h and 24 h, respectively. The adsorption process has three stages (fast linear distribution, slow adsorption and equilibrium stability), and the action law is compounded by the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. After adsorption, MPs were observed on the three media, and there were single existence and aggregation phenomena. The energy spectrum analysis indicates that elemental carbon (C) appears on the surface of the medium after the action occurs, and the surface of the media adsorbs MPs to varying degrees. According to the results of infrared spectroscopy, after action, the peak areas of the absorption peaks at 680-880 cm⁻¹ and 1450-1620 cm⁻¹ increase. The absorption peaks are mainly C–H out-of-plane bending vibrations from aromatic hydrocarbons and C–H stretching vibrations on the benzene ring skeleton. As the initial concentration increases, the equilibrium adsorption capacity increases linearly. The isothermal adsorption of MPs in porous media conforms to the Freundlich model. The adsorption process is also affected by different anions and cations. The higher the ionic strength of NH₄⁺ is, the weaker the electrostatic effect of negatively charged MPs, thereby increasing the adsorption capacity of microplastics on porous media. Ca²⁺ can promote the adsorption of MPs by the media through the formation of ternary complexes between cations, MPs and surface functional groups. The increase in SO₄²⁻ and HCO₃⁻ concentrations gradually inhibits the adsorption of MPs.

1,2-Dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) is a highly toxic neurotoxicity, and the brain tissue is the main target organ. At present, long-term exposure to 1,2-DCE has been shown to cause cognitive dysfunction in some studies, but the mechanism is not clear. The results of this study showed that long-term 1,2-DCE exposure decreased learning and memory abilities in mice and impaired the structure and morphology of neurons in the hippocampal region. Moreover, except for the mRNA level of PAG, the enzymatic activities and protein levels of GS and PAG, as well as the mRNA level of GS were inhibited. With increasing dose of exposure, the protein and mRNA expression of GLAST and GLT-1 also decreased. Contrarily, there were protein and mRNA expression upregulation of GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B in the hippocampus, as well as increased levels of extracellular Glu and intracellular Ca²⁺. In addition, 1,2-DCE exposure also downregulated the protein expression levels of CaM, CaMKII and CREB. Taken together, our results suggest that long-term 1,2-DCE exposure impairs the learning and memory capacity in mice, which may be attributed to the disruption of Glu metabolism and the inhibition of CaM- CaMKII-CREB signaling pathway in the hippocampus.