Transcriptomics is often used to investigate changes in an organism’s genetic response to environmental contamination. Data noise can mask the effects of contaminants making it difficult to detect responding genes. Because the number of genes which are found differentially expressed in transcriptome data is often very large, algorithms are needed to reduce the number down to a few robust discriminative genes. We present an algorithm for aggregated analysis of transcriptome data which uses multiple fold-change thresholds (threshold screening) and p values from Bayesian generalized linear model in order to assess the robustness of a gene as a potential indicator for the treatments tested. The algorithm provides a robustness indicator (ROBI) as well as a significance profile, which can be used to assess the statistical significance of a given gene for different fold-change thresholds. Using ROBI, eight discriminative genes were identified from an exemplary dataset (Danio rerio FET treated with chlorpyrifos, methylmercury, and PCB) which could be potential indicators for a given substance. Significance profiles uncovered genetic effects and revealed appropriate fold-change thresholds for single genes or gene clusters. Fold-change threshold screening is a powerful tool for dimensionality reduction and feature selection in transcriptome data, as it effectively reduces the number of detected genes suitable for environmental monitoring. In addition, it is able to unmask patterns in altered genetic expression hidden by data noise and reduces the chance of type II errors, e.g., in environmental screening.

Milk supplied to a dairy plant in Brescia City (Northern Italy) was found to be contaminated by dioxin like PCBs at levels above the European (EU) action limit (2 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat). As a consequence, 14 dairy farms were sampled individually, in order to identify and possibly eliminate the source of contamination. All the farms were located in Brescia or just nearby, an area that is characterized by a strong industrialization. Four out of the 14 farms showed contamination levels above the legal maximum limit set by European Commission at 5.5 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCBs. Concentrations of 8.16, 6.83, 5.71 and 5.65 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat were detected. In the three most polluted farms, cow ration was substituted with feed coming from uncontaminated areas and the time needed to reduce milk pollution was evaluated. In all the three farms, contamination levels dropped below the EU legal limit after only 1 month from the removal of the pollution source. In each sampled farm, DL-PCBs were the major contributors to the total WHO-TEQ level, with percentages up to 87 % in the most contaminated one. PCB 126 WHO-TEQ value explained by itself large part of this contamination, and its decrease was fundamental for the reduction of milk contamination levels. This study provides an example of an on-field successful emergency intervention that succeeded in decontamination of dairy cows, allowing a fast restart of their production activity.

Soil salinization affects 1–10 billion ha worldwide, threatening the agricultural production needed to feed the ever increasing world population. Phytoremediation may be a cost-effective option for the remediation of these soils. This review analyzes the viability of using phytoremediation for salt-affected soils and explores the remedial mechanisms involved. In addition, it specifically addresses the debate over plant indirect (via soil cation exchange enhancement) or direct (via uptake) role in salt remediation. Analysis of experimental data for electrical conductivity (ECe) + sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) reduction and plant salt uptake showed a similar removal efficiency between salt phytoremediation and other treatment options, with the added potential for phytoextraction under non-leaching conditions. A focus is also given on recent studies that indicate potential pathways for increased salt phytoextraction, co-treatment with other contaminants, and phytoremediation applicability for salt flow control. Finally, this work also details the predicted effects of climate change on soil salinization and on treatment options. The synergetic effects of extreme climate events and salinization are a challenging obstacle for future phytoremediation applications, which will require additional and multi-disciplinary research efforts.

The thermal desorption was combined with sodium hydroxide to remediate polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated soil. The experiments were conducted at different temperatures ranging from 300 to 600 °C with three NaOH contents of 0.1, 0.5, and 1 %. The results showed that thermal desorption was effective for PCB removal, destruction, and detoxication, and the presence of NaOH enhanced the process by significant dechlorination. After treatment with 0.1 % NaOH, the removal efficiency (RE) increased from 84.8 % at 300 °C to 98.0 % at 600 °C, corresponding to 72.7 and 91.7 % of destruction efficiency (DE). With 1 % NaOH content treated at 600 °C, the RE and DE were 99.0 and 93.6 %, respectively. The effect of NaOH content on PCB removal was significant, especially at lower temperature, yet it weakened under higher temperature. The interaction between NaOH content and temperature influenced the PCB composition. The higher temperature with the help of NaOH effectively increased the RE and DE of 12 dioxin-like PCBs (based on WHO-TEQ).

The efficiency of TiO₂ as a catalyst in the ozonation of humic acid (HA) was evaluated in a comprehensive manner. Ozonation, catalytic ozonation and adsorption experiments were conducted using both synthetic HA solution and natural water. HA degradation was evaluated in terms of DOC, VIS₄₀₀ and UV₂₅₄. It was shown that the addition of catalyst positively affects the mechanism of ozonation. An increase in HA degradation was observed for all these parameters. The impact of catalyst dose and initial pH value of HA on the efficacy of catalytic ozonation was investigated. The highest removal efficiencies were achieved with the dose of 1 g l⁻¹ of TiO₂ (Degussa P-25) and in the acidic pH region. The catalytic ozonation process was efficient also on natural water component although not at the same level as it was on synthetic water. The adsorptive feature of P-25 was considered to have a clear evidence of the catalytic ozonation mechanism. The mechanism of catalysis on the surface of metal oxides was elucidated with the help of quantum-chemical calculations. In the framework of Density Function Theory (DFT), the O₃ decomposition was calculated in the catalytic and non-catalytic processes. Donor–acceptor properties of the frontier (highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, HOMO/LUMO) orbitals are discussed. Electron density distribution and reaction mechanism of superoxide particles formation, which participate in the process of HA ozonation are analyzed.

Long-term agricultural development and cultivation conversions affect soil heavy metal balance and the regional environmental safety. In this study, heavy metal parameters were used to identify changes in soil properties in response to land use and cultivation conversions. The integrated soil quality index, which involves seven heavy metal indices, was proposed to assess the environmental risk of long-term human activities in Northeast China. We used the remote sensing and geographical data for the four-term land use distribution from 1979 to 2009 to identify the spatial patterns of regional land use conversions. Then, 41 samples from the top 20 cm of the soil at sites corresponding to these seven types of conversions were collected (permanent dry land, dry land converted from wetland, dry land converted from forest, permanent wetland, permanent forest, paddy land converted from dry land, and paddy land converted from wetland). Based on the local soil properties and tillage practices, the following seven heavy metal parameters were employed: Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn). The conversion of farmland from wetland resulted in an increase in the concentration of Pb and Cr in the soil. In contrast, the concentrations of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd decreased when wetland was converted into farmland because the tillage practices washed these heavy metals away. During the conversion of dry land and paddy land to wetland, the levels of Pb increased by approximately 28.6 % and 24.7 %, respectively. Under the same conditions, the concentration of As increased by 32.5 % and 14.1 %, respectively. The integrated index also demonstrated that the farmlands were not contaminated by the heavy metals during long-term agricultural development.

Air pollution has become a top environmental concern in China. In the present study, 9 years of PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ data from an urban monitoring station in Beijing was analyzed relative to other gaseous pollutants and several meteorological parameters. The levels and characteristics of particulate matters as well as the sources and factors affecting them were provided in the present study. During the 9-year observation period, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ showed high levels, with annual mean values of 138.5 ± 92.9 and 72.3 ± 54.4 μg/m³, respectively. Slight decreasing trends of annual mean PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ were observed; autumn was the main season that contributed to the decrease in annual mean PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅. Higher values for both PM fractions were generally observed in the spring and summer months, respectively, whereas lower values were found in the summer and spring months, respectively. Pronounced diurnal variations were found for PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅, which both displayed a bimodal pattern with peaks between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. as well as 7:00 and 11:00 p.m.; a minimum generally appeared at approximately noon. The seasonal and diurnal variations in particulate concentration are mostly dominated by the seasonal and diurnal variability of boundary layer and source emissions. A principal components analysis revealed that both the traffic-related emissions and combustion sources were major contributions to the particles; their contributions ranged between 35.5–75.1 %. Furthermore, a directional analysis shows a stronger association between particles and the southerly winds, the PM derived from sources south of Beijing, most likely secondary PM, significantly affects concentrations at the sampling site. To improve air quality in Beijing, mitigation measures including phasing out high energy-consuming industries and prioritize the use of clean energy sources should be designed to reduce emissions from both local and regional sources.

In this study, the concentrations of volatile organic compounds were measured by the use of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry, together with NO ₓ , NO, NO₂, SO₂, CO and PM₁₀ and meteorological parameters in an urban area of Belgrade during winter 2014. The multivariate receptor model US EPA Unmix was applied to the obtained dataset resolving six source profiles, which can be attributed to traffic-related emissions, gasoline evaporation/oil refineries, petrochemical industry/biogenic emissions, aged plumes, solid-fuel burning and local laboratories. Besides the vehicle exhaust, accounting for 27.6 % of the total mixing ratios, industrial emissions, which are present in three out of six resolved profiles, exert a significant impact on air quality in the urban area. The major contribution of regional and long-range transport was determined for source profiles associated with petrochemical industry/biogenic emissions (40 %) and gasoline evaporation/oil refineries (29 %) using trajectory sector analysis. The concentration-weighted trajectory model was applied with the aim of resolving the spatial distribution of potential distant sources, and the results indicated that emission sources from neighbouring countries, as well as from Slovakia, Greece, Poland and Scandinavian countries, significantly contribute to the observed concentrations.

Cellulose acetate monoliths (CAM) were used as the substrate for the deposition of TiO₂films to produce honeycombed photoactive structures to fill a tubular photoreactor equipped with a compound parabolic collector. By using such a setup, an efficient single-pass gas-phase conversion was achieved in the degradation of n-decane, a model volatile organic compound. The CAM three-dimensional, gas-permeable transparent structure with a rugged surface enables a good adhesion of the catalytic coating. It also provides a rigid structure for packing the tubular photoreactor, and maximizing the illuminated catalyst surface. The efficiency of the photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process on n-decane degradation was evaluated under different operating conditions, such as feeding concentration (73 and 146 ppm), gas stream flow rate (73, 150, and 300 mL min⁻¹), relative humidity (3 and 25 %), and UV irradiance (18.9, 29.1, and 38.4 WUVm⁻²). The results show that n-decane degradation by neat photolysis is negligible, but mineralization efficiencies of 86 and 82 % were achieved with P25-CAM and SG-CAM, respectively, for parent pollutant conversions above 95 %, under steady-state conditions. A mass transfer model, considering the mass balance to the plug-flow packed photoreactor, and PCO reaction given by a Langmuir-Hinshelwood bimolecular non-competitive two types of sites equation, was able to predict well the PCO kinetics under steady-state conditions, considering all the operational parameters tested. Overall, the performance of P25-CAM was superior taking into account mineralization efficiency, cost of preparation, surface roughness, and robustness of the deposited film.

Temporal variation of airborne particulate mass concentration was measured in terms of toxic organics, metals and water-soluble ionic components to identify compositional variation of particulates in Varanasi. Information-related fine particulate mass loading and its compositional variation in middle Indo-Gangetic plain were unique and pioneering as no such scientific literature was available. One-year ground monitoring data was further compared to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level 3 retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) to identify trends in seasonal variation. Observed AOD exhibits spatiotemporal heterogeneity during the entire monitoring period reflecting monsoonal low and summer and winter high. Ground-level particulate mass loading was measured, and annual mean concentration of PM₂.₅(100.0 ± 29.6 μg/m³) and PM₁₀(176.1 ± 85.0 μg/m³) was found to exceed the annual permissible limit (PM₁₀: 80 %; PM₂.₅: 84 %) and pose a risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Average PM₂.₅/PM₁₀ratio of 0.59 ± 0.18 also indicates contribution of finer particulates to major variability of PM₁₀. Particulate sample was further processed for trace metals, viz. Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Co, Mn, Ni, Cr, Na, K and Cd. Metals originated mostly from soil/earth crust, road dust and re-suspended dust, viz. Ca, Fe, Na and Mg were found to constitute major fractions of particulates (PM₂.₅: 4.6 %; PM₁₀: 9.7 %). Water-soluble ionic constituents accounted for approximately 27 % (PM₁₀: 26.9 %; PM₂.₅: 27.5 %) of the particulate mass loading, while sulphate (8.0–9.5 %) was found as most dominant species followed by ammonium (6.0–8.2 %) and nitrate (5.5–7.0 %). The concentration of toxic organics representing both aliphatic and aromatic organics was determined by organic solvent extraction process. Annual mean toxic organic concentration was found to be 27.5 ± 12.3 μg/m³(n = 104) which constitutes significant proportion of (PM₂.₅, 17–19 %; PM₁₀, 11–20 %) particulate mass loading with certain exceptions up to 50 %. Conclusively, compositional variation of both PM₂.₅and PM₁₀was compared to understand association of specific sources with different fractions of particulates.