Characteristics and transformation of organic phosphorus in water are vital to biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus and support of blooms of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria. Using solution ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), combined with field surveys and lab analyses, composition and structural characteristics of dissolved phosphorus (DP), particulate phosphorus (PP) and organic P in algae were studied in two eutrophic lakes in China, Tai Lake and Chao Lake. Factors influencing migration and transformation of these constituents in lake ecosystems were also investigated. A method was developed to extract, flocculate and concentrate DP and PP from lake water samples. Results showed that orthophosphate (Ortho-P) constituted 32.4%–81.3% of DP and 43.7%–54.9% of PP, respectively; while monoester phosphorus (Mono-P) was 13.2%–54.0% of DP and 32.9%–43.7% of PP, respectively. Phosphorus in algae was mostly organic P, especially Mono-P, which was ≥50% of TP. Environmental factors and water quality parameters such as temperature (T), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, secchi depth (SD), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (CODcᵣ), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), affected the absolute and relative concentrations of various P components in the two lakes. Increased temperature promoted bioavailable P (Ortho-P and Mono-P) release to the lake waters. The results can provide an important theoretical basis for the mutual conversion process of organic P components between various media in the lake water environment.

The liverwort Lunularia cruciata was collected from the town of Acerra, in the heart of the so-called ‘Land of Fires’ a large area in the eastern part of Campania region of Italy affected by burning of waste and fraudulent dumping and one of the vertices of the “Italian Triangle of Death” so said for the high incidence and mortality from tumors. The data obtained from these samples were compared with samples collected in two other sites representing two different environmental conditions. The soil below the samples, and gametophytes, were collected and analyzed for the concentration of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V. DNA damage, Reactive Oxygen Species production and localization, activity of antioxidant enzymes and presence of chelating molecules were investigated. All biomarkers provided an answer closely related to the pollution conditions at the 3 sites. We discuss the data considering the possibility of using these biological changes as environmental pollution biomarkers. Finally, it is underlined the importance of phytochelatins due to of their specificity for metal pollution.

In recent days, garbage classification has become a hot topic in China, and Shanghai took the lead in the implementation of garbage classification legislation in China. Starting from the current situation of garbage classification in China, this study emphasizes the garbage classification in terms of law, amount, economy, management, resourcing and successful experience of garbage classification in China, so as to provide inspiration and guidance for garbage classification for other countries.

Recently, numerous studies concerning dye-labeled microplastic beads have reported on the end-of-life, environmental effects of microplastics because of their ubiquitous commercial usage. Less is understood about the toxicity and bioaccumulation of plastics other than microplastic beads, which can also harm the environment (e.g., fragments, fibers, foams, and films). Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is widespread in the environment owing to its many uses, however, limited research has been conducted on EPS foams. This study focuses on developing an efficient method for the preparation of micro-sized EPS foams for research purposes and compares it with previous microplastics preparation methods reported in 68 previous studies. It was demonstrated that the iced EPS block method (iced EPS block + water) generated larger quantities of smaller-sized EPS foams (20–200 and 200–500 μm) compared to the EPS + ice + water and EPS + water methods. The optimal protocol includes 1) iced EPS block preparation, 2) grinding and sieving, and 3) collecting. Additionally, it was confirmed that the iced EPS block method requires less money, labor, and time compared to previously reported methods in the literature. The method proposed in this research can assist future investigations into the environmental effects of EPS foams.

The prevalence of microplastic debris in aquatic ecosystems as a result of anthropogenic activity has received worldwide attention. Although extensive research has reported ubiquitous and directly adverse effects on organisms, only a few published studies have proposed the long-term ecological consequences. The research in this field still lacks a systematic overview of the toxic effects of microplastics and a coherent understanding of the potential ecological consequences. Here, we draw upon cross-disciplinary scientific research from recent decades to 1) seek to understand the correlation between the responses of organisms to microplastics and the potential ecological disturbances, 2) summarize the potential ecological consequences triggered by microplastics in aquatic environments, and 3) discuss the barriers to the understanding of microplastic toxicology. In this paper, the physiochemical characteristics and dynamic distribution of microplastics were related to the toxicological concerns about microplastic bioavailability and environmental perturbation. The extent of the ecological disturbances depends on how the ecotoxicity of microplastics is transferred and proliferated throughout an aquatic environment. Microplastics are prevalent; they interfere with nutrient productivity and cycling, cause physiological stress in organisms (e.g., behavioral alterations, immune responses, abnormal metabolism, and changes to energy budgets), and threaten the ecosystem composition and stability. By integrating the linkages among the toxicities that range from the erosion of individual species to the defective development of biological communities to the collapse of the ecosystem functioning, this review provides a bottom-up framework for future research to address the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of microplastics in aquatic environments and the substantial ecological consequences.

Deltamethrin (DLM) is an important member of the pyrethroid pesticide family, and its widespread use has led to serious environmental and health problems. Exposure to DLM causes pathological changes in the liver of animals and humans and can lead to liver fibrosis. However, the mechanism of DLM-induced liver fibrosis remains unclear. Therefore, to address its potential molecular mechanisms, we used both in vivo and in vitro methods. Quails were treated in vivo by intragastric administration of different concentrations of DLM (0, 15, 30, or 45 mg kg⁻¹), and the chicken liver cancer cell line LMH was treated in vitro with various doses of DLM (0, 50, 200, or 800 μg mL⁻¹). We found that DLM treatment in vivo induced liver fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner through the promotion of oxidative stress, activation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and phosphorylation of Smad2/3. Treatment of LMH cells with different concentrations of DLM similarly induced oxidative stress and also decreased cell viability. Collectively, our study demonstrates that DLM-induced liver fibrosis in quails occurs via activation of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Decades of large-scale production of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have resulted in their ubiquitous presence in the environment worldwide. Similarly to other persistent and bioaccumulative organic contaminants, some PFASs, particularly the long-chain congeners, can be biomagnified via food webs, making top predators vulnerable to elevated PFAS exposure. In this study, we measured seven classes of PFASs in bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) eggs for the first time. The eggs (n = 22) were collected from the North American Great Lakes in 2000–2012. The ranges of total concentrations of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (∑PFSAs) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (∑PFCAs) were 30.5–1650 and 5.4–216 ng/g wet weight (ww), respectively. In addition to these traditional PFAS compounds, 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS; median: 15.7 ng/g ww), perfluoro-4-ethylcyclohexanesulfonic acid (PFECHS; 0.22 ng/g ww), and 8-chloro-perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (Cl-PFOS, detected in wildlife for the first time; 0.53 ng/g ww) were also frequently detected. Bald eagle eggs from breeding areas located less than 8 km from a Great Lake shoreline or tributary had significantly greater total PFAS concentrations (∑PFASs) than those from breeding areas located further than 8 km (p < 0.05). In these samples, ∑PFASs rivalled the total concentration of brominated flame retardants, and were significantly greater than those of several other organic contaminants, such as dechlorane-related compounds, organophosphate esters, and flame retardant metabolites.

Oil-contaminated soils resulted from drilling activities can cause significant damages to the environment, especially for living organisms. Treatment and management of these soils are the necessity for environmental protection. The present study investigates the field study of seven oil-contaminated soils treated by different stabilization/solidification (S/S) methods, and the selection of the best treated site and treatment method. In this study, first, the ratios of consumed binders to the contaminated soils (w/w) and the treatment times for each unit of treated soils were evaluated. The ratios of consumed binders to the contaminated soils were between 6 and 10% and the treatment times for each unit of treated soils were between 4.1 and 18.5 min/m³. Physicochemical characteristics of treated soils were also determined. Although S/S methods didn’t change the water content of treated soils, they increased the porosity of soils. Unexpectedly, the cement-based S/S methods didn’t increase the pH of the treated soils. The highest and the lowest leaching of petroleum hydrocarbons was belonging to S/S using diatomaceous earth (DE) and the combination of Portland cement, sodium silicate and DE (CS-DE), respectively. The best acid neutralization capacity was obtained for soils treated using the combination of Portland cement and sodium silicate (CS). Based on the best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method (BWM-MCDM), the soils treated using CS-DE was select as the best. The BWM-MCDM can be used as an effective tool for the selection of the best alternative in all areas of environmental decontamination.

Decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) is a brominated flame retardant belonging to the group of polybrominated diphenyl ethers. DecaBDE has been widely used for various applications, such as plastics, textiles, and building and construction materials. Limited information on DecaBDE production and usage inventory has been elaborated, however. Therefore, this work aimed to produce a preliminary emissions inventory of DecaBDE in mainland China by estimating production and consumption amounts of DecaBDE, and characterizing its emission factors during production and usage, based on industrial investigation and theoretical prediction. It was indicated that the total production of DecaBDE reached 464.68 thousand metric tons (kt), of which 62.72 kt were exported, since the beginning of its production. Shandong and Jiangsu provinces dominate the production, with proportions of 77.95% and 18.45%, respectively. The production stage releases most of the DecaBDE to the atmosphere, with an emissions factor of 23 ± 1.9 kg/t, followed by 20 ± 0.9 kg/t DecaBDE to waste water and 16 ± 1.0 kg/t DecaBDE as solid residue. DecaBDE emissions in the consumption stage—namely the plastic production process—are 0.17 ± 0.06–0.23 ± 0.08 kg DecaBDE to the atmosphere and 1.72 ± 0.58–2.29 ± 0.77 kg DecaBDE to solid residue, for each metric ton of plastic produced. The total annual DecaBDE emissions to waste water are 93.98–1140.9 mg—negligible. The results showed that the sources of DecaBDE environmental pollution are its manufacturing and flame-retardant plastic modification plants, which are easily overlooked by both the government and the public. Yet DecaBDE emissions elimination and the environmentally sound management of the DecaBDE waste generated from these two processes are crucial for environmental protection.

In this study, levels of dechlorane plus (DP) in breast milk and matched adipose tissue samples were measured from 54 women living in Wenling, China. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured simultaneously for comparison. The levels of ∑DPs/∑PBDEs varied from less than one to several dozens of ng g⁻¹ lipid weight (lw) in matrices and the levels of ∑PCBs varied between several to hundreds of ng g⁻¹ lw. In the same matrix, ∑DPs and ∑PCBs/∑PBDEs showed a significant relationship (p < 0.05), indicating that they shared common sources. Accordingly, there was a strong association of lipid-adjusted concentrations of individual compounds (BDE-209 excluded) between matrices (p < 0.001), suggesting that breast milk could be a proxy for adipose tissue in human bioburden monitoring of these compounds. The predicted lipid-adjusted milk/adipose ratios varied from 0.62 to 1.5 but showed significant differences (p<0.001) between compounds, suggesting a compound-specific transfer between milk lipids and adipose tissue lipids. Specifically, the milk/adipose ratios for syn-DP and anti-DP (−1.40 and 1.3, respectively) were significantly higher than those of CB congeners and hexa/hepta-BDE congeners (p < 0.05). In addition, unlike PCBs/PBDEs (excluding BDE-209), DP’s hydrophobicity might not be responsible for its preferable distribution in milk lipids. Instead, the interaction with nonlipid factors played a key role. The fraction of anti-DP between the two kinds of matrices was not significantly different, suggesting that the biochemical transfer processes may not be efficient enough to distinguish DP isomers. Nevertheless, the congener patterns of PCBs/PBDEs gave a clue about the compound-specific transfer between milk and adipose tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first to report the relationships of DP between adipose tissue and breast milk. These results could provide useful and in-depth information on biomonitoring of DP and facilitate the understanding of the accumulation and excretion potentials of DP and its distribution-related mechanism in humans.