Most microplastics are expected to sink and end up in marine sediments. However, very little is known concerning their potential impact on sediment-dwelling organisms. We studied the long-term impact of microplastic exposure on two sediment-dwelling bivalve species. Ennucula tenuis and Abra nitida were exposed to polyethylene microparticles at three concentrations (1; 10 and 25 mg/kg of sediment) for four weeks. Three size classes (4–6; 20–25 and 125–500 μm) were used to study the influence of size on microplastic ecotoxicity. Microplastic exposure did not affect survival, condition index or burrowing behaviour in either bivalve species. However, significant changes in energy reserves were observed. No changes were observed in protein, carbohydrate or lipid contents in E. tenuis, with the exception of a decrease in lipid content for one condition. However, total energy decreased in a dose-dependent manner for bivalves exposed to the largest particles. To the contrary, no significant changes in total energy were observed for A. nitida, although a significant decrease of protein content was observed for individuals exposed to the largest particles, at all concentrations. Concentration and particle size significantly influenced microplastic impacts on bivalves, the largest particles and higher concentrations leading to more severe effects. Several hypotheses are presented to explain the observed modulation of energy reserves, including the influence of microplastic size and concentration. Our results suggest that long-term exposure to microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations can impact marine benthic biota.

Graphene with atomic layer of sp²-hybridized carbon atoms in a hexagonal structure has attracted multidisciplinary attention since its discovery. Due to the inherent advantages of large specific surface area and abundant functional groups, its derivative graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials have achieved large-scale development in effective pollution treatment. In the past few years, novel GO-based nanomaterials through coupling with other nanomaterials have been synthesized with significant process and applied for efficient elimination of different kinds of pollutants. This paper aims to summarize recent research results on the excellent removal ability of GO-based nanomaterials for various heavy metal ions in aqueous solutions. The synthesis, adsorption process characteristics and interaction mechanism of the adsorbent are emphasized and discussed. The effects of various environmental conditions are outlined. At last, a brief summary, perspective and outlook are presented. This review is intended to provide some thrilling information for the design and manufacture of GO-based nanomaterials for the elimination of heavy metal ions from wastewater in environmental pollution management.

Nitrous acid (HONO) production from the heterogeneous photochemical reaction of NO₂ on several Chinese soils was performed in a cylindrical reactor at atmospheric pressure. The NO₂ uptake coefficient (γ) and HONO yield (YHONO) on different soils were (0.42–5.16) × 10⁻⁵ and 6.3%–69.6%, respectively. Although the photo-enhanced uptake of NO₂ on different soils was observed, light could either enhance or inhibit the conversion efficiency of NO₂ to HONO, depending on the properties of the soils. Soils with lower pH generally had larger γ and YHONO. Soil organics played a key role in HONO formation through the photochemical uptake of NO₂ on soil surfaces. The γ showed a positive correlation with irradiation and temperature, while it exhibited a negative relationship with relative humidity (RH). YHONO inversely depended on the soil mass (0.32–3.25 mg cm⁻²), and it positively relied on the irradiance and RH (7%–22%). There was a maximum value for YHONO at 298 K. Based on the experimental results, HONO source strengths from heterogeneous photochemical reaction of NO₂ on the soil surfaces were estimated to be 0.2–2.7 ppb h⁻¹ for a mixing layer height of 100 m, which could account for the missing daytime HONO sources in most areas.