The control of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from the flue gas in hazardous waste incinerators (HWIs) is an intractable problem. To figure out the formation mechanism of PCDD/Fs and reduce the emission, a field study was carried out in a full-scale HWI. Ca(OH)₂ & (NH₄)H₂PO₄ or CH₄N₂S & (NH₄)H₂PO₄ were injected into the quench tower, and the detailed inhibition effect on PCDD/Fs formation by the inhibitors coupled with quench tower was studied. Gas and ash samples were collected to analyze PCDD/Fs. XPS, EDS characterization and Principal component analysis were adopted to further analyze the de novo and precursors synthesis. The PCDD/Fs emissions reduced from 0.135 ng I-TEQ/Nm³ to 0.062 or 0.025 ng I-TEQ/Nm³ after the injection of Ca(OH)₂ & (NH₄)H₂PO₄ or CH₄N₂S & (NH₄)H₂PO₄, respectively. The quench tower was found mainly hindering de novo synthesis by reducing reaction time. CP-route was the dominant formation pathway of PCDD/Fs in quench tower ash. Ca(OH)₂ & (NH₄)H₂PO₄ effectively inhibit precursors synthesis and reduce proportions of organic chlorine from 4.11% to 2.86%. CH₄N₂S & (NH₄)H₂PO₄ show good control effects on both de novo and precursors synthesis by reducing chlorine content and inhibiting metal-catalysts. Sulfur-containing inhibitors can cooperate well with the quench tower to inhibit PCDD/Fs formation and will be effective to reduce dioxins formation in high chlorine flue gas. The results pave the way for further industrial application of inhibition to reduce PCDD/Fs emissions in the HWIs flue gas.

PFASs are highly persistent in both natural and living environment, and pose a significant risk for wildlife and human beings. The present study was carried out to determine the inhibitory behaviours of fourteen PFASs on metabolic activity of two major isoforms of carboxylesterases (CES). The probe substrates 2-(2-benzoyl-3-methoxyphenyl) benzothiazole (BMBT) for CES1 and fluorescein diacetate (FD) for CES2 were utilized to determine the inhibitory potentials of PFASs on CES in vitro. The results demonstrated that perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA) and perfluorooctadecanoic acid (PFOcDA) strongly inhibited CES1 and CES2. The half inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) value of PFDoA, PFTA and PFOcDA for CES1 inhibition was 10.6 μM, 13.4 μM and 12.6 μM, respectively. The IC₅₀ for the inhibition of PFDoA, PFTA and PFOcDA towards CES2 were calculated to be 9.56 μM, 17.2 μM and 8.73 μM, respectively. PFDoA, PFTA and PFOcDA exhibited noncompetitive inhibition towards both CES1 and CES2. The inhibition kinetics parameters (Kᵢ) were 27.7 μM, 26.9 μM, 11.9 μM, 4.04 μM, 29.1 μM, 27.4 μM for PFDoA-CES1, PFTA-CES1, PFOcDA-CES1, PFDoA-CES2, PFTA-CES2, PFOcDA-CES2, respectively. In vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) predicted that when the plasma concentrations of PFDoA, PFTA and PFOcDA were greater than 2.77 μM, 2.69 μM and 1.19 μM, respectively, it might interfere with the metabolic reaction catalyzed by CES1 in vivo; when the plasma concentrations of PFDoA, PFTA and PFOcDA were greater than 0.40 μM, 2.91 μM, 2.74 μM, it might interfere with the metabolic reaction catalyzed by CES2 in vivo. Molecular docking was used to explore the interactions between PFASs and CES. In conclusion, PFASs were found to cause inhibitory effects on CES in vitro, and this finding would provide an important experimental basis for further in vivo testing of PFASs focused on CES inhibition endpoints.

Biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane was examined in packed quartz and soil column flow-through systems. The inhibitory effects of co-contaminants, specifically trichloroethene (TCE), 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE), and copper (Cu²⁺) ions, were investigated in the columns either with or without bioaugmentation with a 1,4-dioxane degrading bacterium Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans CB1190. Results indicate that CB1190 cells readily grew and colonized in the columns, leading to significant degradation of 1,4-dioxane under oxic conditions. Degradation of 1,4-dioxane was also observed in the native soil (without bioaugmentation), which had been previously subjected to enhanced reductive dechlorination treatment for co-contaminants TCE and 1,1-DCE. Bioaugmentation of the soil with CB1190 resulted in nearly complete degradation at influent concentrations of 3–10 mg L⁻¹ 1,4-dioxane and a residence reaction time of 40–80 h, but the presence of co-contaminants, 1,1-DCE and Cu²⁺ ions (up to 10 mg L⁻¹), partially inhibited 1,4-dioxane degradation in the untreated and bioaugmented soil columns. However, the inhibitory effects were much less severe in the column flow-through systems than those previously observed in planktonic cultures, which showed near complete inhibition at the same co-contaminant concentrations. These observations demonstrate a low susceptibility of soil microbes to the toxicity of 1,1-DCE and Cu²⁺ in packed soil flow-through systems, and thus have important implications for predicting biodegradation potential and developing sustainable, cost-effective technologies for in situ remediation of 1,4-dioxane contaminated soils and groundwater.

Microplastics pose a great threat to entire marine ecosystems, but little is known about their impacts on phytoplankton, especially for the harmful dinoflagellates. In this study, effects of micro polyvinyl chloride (mPVC) on the growth, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency of the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi at different periods (0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h) were assessed using gradient concentrations (0, 5, 25, 50 and 100 mg L⁻¹) of mPVC with a size of 1 μm. PVC microplastics had dose-dependent adverse effects on K. mikimotoi growth, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency. The density of algal cell decreased with increasing mPVC concentrations and the highest inhibitory rate (IR) was 45.8% at 24 h under 100 mg L⁻¹ of mPVC. The total chlorophyll content and chlorophyll content in a single algal cell decreased at 96 h and the ФPSⅡ and Fv/Fm decreased 25.3% and 17.1%, respectively. The SEM images provided an intuitive visual method to observe the behaviors and interactions between microplastics and microalgae. It was found from the SEM images that microalgae was wrapped by microplastic beads. The physical blockage and aggregation were also responsible for the cytotoxicity of K. mikimotoi. Our study clarified that PVC microplastics can reduce algal growth, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency, and it is beneficial to evaluate the possible impact of plastics on aquatic ecosystems.

Recent advances in research on algae inhibition by using low-cost straw proposed a possible mechanism that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the solar irradiation of straw-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) might contribute to cyanobacteria inhibition. However, this process is not clearly understood. Here, DOM from three types of straw (barley, rice, and wheat) and natural organic matter (NOM) isolates were investigated in terms of their photochemical properties and ROS generating abilities. Results demonstrated that the DOM derived from the aeration decomposition of barley straw (A-DOMbs) yielded the best formation efficiencies of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) under solar-simulated irradiation in all organic matter samples. Correlation analysis implies that optical parameters and phenolic hydroxyl group contents can signify ROS generating abilities of different DOM solutions. Bioassay results show that A-DOMbs possesses the highest inhibition performance for M. aeruginosa in all DOM samples, much higher than those of NOM isolates. The addition of catalase greatly relieves the inhibition performance, making the loss of chlorophyll a content decreased from 37.14% to 7.83% in 2 h for A-DOMbs, which implies that for cyanobacteria growth inhibition, photochemically-produced H₂O₂ from SOM is far more important than singlet oxygen (¹O₂), •OH, and even SOM itself. Our results show that H₂O₂ photochemically generated from straw-derived DOM is able to result in rapid inhibition of M. aeruginosa in a relatively short period, furthering the understanding of complicated mechanisms of cyanobacteria inhibition by using low-cost straw in eutrophic waters.

Enzymatic conductometric biosensor, using immobilized Arthrospira platensis cells on gold interdigitated electrodes, for the detection of pesticides in water, was elaborated. Cholinesterase activity (AChE) was inhibited by pesticides and a variation of the local conductivity was measured after addition of the substrate acetylthiocholine chloride (AChCl). The Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) was evaluated to be 1.8 mM through a calibration curve of AChCl. Inhibition of AChE was observed with paraoxon-methyl, parathion-methyl, triazine and diuron with a detection limit of 10−18 M, 10−20 M, 10−20 M and 10−12 M, respectively and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was determined at 10−16 M, 10−20 M, 10−18 M and 10−06 M, respectively. An important decrease of response time τ90% was recorded for AChE response towards AChCl after 30 min cell exposure to pesticides. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed a degradation of the cell surface in presence of pesticides at 10−06 M.

The effects of polystyrene (PS) of different sizes of diameter (65 nm, 100 nm and 1 μm) with different treat concentrations (control, 1 mg L⁻¹ and 10 mg L⁻¹) on growth and oxidative stress for K. mikimotoi were assessed across PS short-term exposures (3 d) and long-term exposures (13 d). The endpoints of physiological parameters such as cell density, antioxidant enzyme activity of SOD and CAT, the content of MDA and ROS level were monitored. The results showed that the CAT activity, SOD activity, MDA content and the relative ROS level reached to 377 U mgprot⁻¹, 164 U mgprot⁻¹, 157 nmol mgprot⁻¹ and 10.8% when treated with 10 mg L⁻¹ PS of 65 nm diameter; the CAT activity, SOD activity and MDA content in single K. mikimotoi reached to 0.46 U mgprot⁻¹, 0.36 U mgprot⁻¹ and 0.16 nmol mgprot⁻¹ under 10 mg L⁻¹ PS of 65 nm diameter on the third day. The relative ROS level in single K. mikimotoi was 71% under 10 mg L⁻¹ PS of 100 nm diameter on the 13th day. The works found that the size of nano/micro-PS was a key factor that cannot be ignored. Smaller size had more serious negative effects on the growth, oxidative stress and cell microstructure. The potential cytotoxicity mechanisms were that monodisperse nanoscaled PS crossed the biological barriers and the agglomerate nanoparticles caused physical blockage, while microscaled PS may not have such an equally strong negative effects. Visualized SEM images also proved that exposing to nano/micro-PS of varies diameters led to apparent size-dependent effects. The arms race of systematic oxidative defensive and offensive between K. mikimotoi and nano/micro-PS would have considerable value in deliberating the relationship between nano/microplastics and marine phytoplankton.

The need for quantitative molecular methods is growing in environmental, food, and medical fields but is hindered by low and variable DNA extraction and by co-extraction of PCR inhibitors. DNA extracts from Enterococcus faecium, seawater, and seawater spiked with E. faecium and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were tested by qPCR for target recovery and inhibition. Conventional and novel methods were tested, including Synchronous Coefficient of Drag Alteration (SCODA) and lysis and purification systems used on an automated genetic sensor (the Environmental Sample Processor, ESP). Variable qPCR target recovery and inhibition were measured, significantly affecting target quantification. An aggressive lysis method that utilized chemical, enzymatic, and mechanical disruption enhanced target recovery compared to commercial kit protocols. SCODA purification did not show marked improvement over commercial spin columns. Overall, data suggested a general need to improve sample preparation and to accurately assess and account for DNA recovery and inhibition in qPCR applications.

Xenobiotic compounds are widely used in several industries; hence they frequently appear in industrial wastewaters. It is a well-known fact that even the discharge of conventionally treated wastewater may have adverse effects on the receiving water environment. Turkey, a developing EU applicant country, has many industrial sectors producing large amounts of xenobiotic-containing wastewaters. The problem is only enlarged by the lack of monitoring of these substances due to the deficiencies associated with their analysis and detection. Thus, studies in Turkey are based on the use of some collective parameters as a substitute for the xenobiotic itself. Biological, physicochemical, and integrated treatment technologies have been investigated for the removal and/or minimization of the possible adverse effects of xenobiotics in industrial wastewaters. In this respect, this paper provides an overview of the studies conducted on xenobiotic-containing wastewaters from specific industries in Turkey. Although the studies add invaluable information to the scientific background on the subject, new research on the exact biochemical mechanisms of xenobiotic biodegradation will further extend our understanding for improving treatment.