Particulate matter exposure and related chemical changes in drinking water have been associated with health problems and inflammatory disorders. This study aimed to examine the effect of orally administered ash-water dilution on the gut of mice under normal and inflammatory conditions.Balb/c mice received ash-released soluble and dust-suspended components in the drinking water for 14 days. On day 7, animals were intrarectally instilled with TNBS in ethanol or flagellin from Salmonella typhimurium in PBS. At sacrifice, colon segments were collected and histologic damage, mRNA expression and cytokine levels in tissue were evaluated. In addition, these parameters were also evaluated in IL-10 null mice.We found that mice that received 5% w. fine-ash dilution in the drinking water worsened colitis signs. Weight loss, shortening of the colon, tissue edema with mucosa and submucosa cell infiltration and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were enhanced compared to control mice. A more pronounced inflammation was observed in IL-10 null mice. In addition, markers of NLRP3-dependent inflammasome activation were found in animals exposed to ash.In conclusion, ingestion of contaminated water with dust-suspended particulate matter enhanced the inflammatory response in the gut, probably due to alteration of the gut barrier and promoting an intense contact with the luminal content. This study critically appraises the response for fine particulate matter in uncommon illnesses reported for volcanic ash pollution. We suggest actions to enable better prediction and assessment the health impacts of volcanic eruptions.

With the continued increase of global ammonia emission, the damage to human or animal caused by ammonia pollution has attracted wide attention. The noncoding RNAs have been reported to regulate a variety of biological processes under different environmental stimulation via ceRNA (competing endogenous RNA) networks. Autophagy is a hallmark of tissue damage from air pollution. However, the specific role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the injury of intestinal tissue caused by autophagy remains unclear. Here, we established 42-days old ammonia-exposed broiler models and observed that autophagy flux in broiler jejunum was activated under ammonia exposure. Meanwhile, a total of eight significantly dysregulated expressed circRNAs were obtained and a circRNAs-miRNAs-genes interaction networks were constructed by bioinformatics analysis. Furthermore, an axis named circRNA-IGLL1/miR-15a/RNF43 was predicted to participate in the excessive autophagy by targeting RNF43. The target relationship was proved by dual-luciferase reporter assay in vitro. Mechanistically, downregulated circRNA-IGLL1 could suppress the expression of RNF43 in ammonia-exposed jejunum and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was activated. Inhibition of miR-15a reversed autophagy caused by downregulated circRNA-IGLL1. CircRNA-IGLL1 could competitively bind miR-15a to regulate RNF43 expression, thus modulating the occurrence of autophagy. Taken together, our results showed that circRNA-IGLL1/miR-15a/RNF43 axis is involved in ammonia-induced intestinal autophagy in broilers.

With the development of marine oil industry, oil spill accidents will inevitably occur, further polluting the intertidal zone and causing biological poisoning. The muddy intertidal zone and Boleophthalmus pectinirostris were selected as the research objects to conduct indoor acute exposure experiments within 48 h of crude oil pollution. Statistical analysis was used to reveal the activity changes of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the gills and liver of mudskipper. Then, integrated biomarker response (IBR) indicators were established to comprehensively evaluate the biological toxicity. The results showed that the activities of SOD, CAT and GST in livers were higher than those in gills, and the maximum induction multipliers of SOD, CAT and GPx in livers appeared earlier than those in gills. Both SOD and GPx activities were induced at low pollutant concentrations and inhibited at high pollutant concentrations. For the dose-effect, the change trends of CAT and SOD were roughly inversed. There was substrate competition between GPx and CAT, with opposite trends over time. The activating mechanism of GST was similar to that of GPx, and the activation time was earlier than that of GPx. In terms of dose-effect trends, the IBR showed that the antioxidant enzymes activities in biological tissues were induced by low and inhibited by high pollutant concentrations. Overall, SOD and GPx in gills and CAT and GST in livers of the mudskippers were suitable as representative markers to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the biotoxicity effects of oil pollution in the intertidal zone. The star plots and IBR values obtained after data standardization were consistent with the enzyme activity differences, which can be used as valid supplementary indexes for biotoxicity evaluation. These research findings provide theoretical support for early indicators of biological toxicity after crude oil pollution in intertidal zones.

Currently little is known about the adsorption behaviors of metalloids on microplastics (MPs) and their complex toxic effects on aquatic plants. Herein, we investigated the adsorption behaviors of arsenic (As(III) and As(V)) on three types of MPs (polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene) with four different particle sizes (100, 10, 1, and 0.1 μm). Compared with the short-term exposure experiment, co-toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and As on two submerged macrophytes (Vallisneria denseserrulata and Potamogeton crispus) were explored through two relatively longer 14-day-cultivation experiments in summer and spring, respectively. The adsorption results showed that As entered the internal surface adsorption site of MPs at 24 h and fully combined to reach equilibrium. The adsorption capacity also enhanced with the increase of MPs concentrations, which generated more adsorption sites for binding with MPs. The presence of PS-NPs increased the absorption of As on macrophytes by 36.2–47.2%. More serious damage of leaf structure by combined PS-NPs and As was observed by transmission electron microscope. The larger harms by the co-toxicity of MPs and As were also reflected by the changes in physiochemical characteristics (e.g. photosynthesis) and the enhancement of oxidative damage of macrophytes. This work provides a clear theoretical basis for the behavior of PS-NPs as carrier with other contaminants on submerged macrophytes, and clearly evaluates the co-toxicity of NPs and metalloids in complex aquatic environments.

Sewage sludges are rich in organic matter and several essential nutrients for plant growth, making them very appealing for application in agricultural soils. However, they may also contain a wide range of emerging pollutants, which has raised concerns about the potential risks of this practice to crops, the environment, and public health - accumulation in soils and/or plant uptake and translocation of contaminants. Therefore, there is a need to study plant-soil interactions and assess the uptake potential of these contaminants by food crops to better understand these risks. The main aim of this work was to assess the possible drawbacks of sludge application to cropland, by observing the impact on the growth and yield of a model crop (pea plant - Pisum sativum) grown over an 86-day greenhouse experiment and by assessing the uptake potential of synthetic musk fragrances. Different sewage sludge application rates (4–30-ton ha⁻¹) and initial concentrations of contaminants were tested. The application of sludge yielded benefits to the cultivated plants, finding improved crop productivity with an application rate of 30-ton ha⁻¹. At the end of the experiment, soil samples and plants separated into sections were analysed using a QuEChERS extraction methodology followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) quantification. Galaxolide (HHCB) and tonalide (AHTN) underwent uptake by the plant roots, having been detected in concentrations up to 346 ng g⁻¹ on a dry weight basis (dw), but only HHCB was detected in above ground tissues. At the end, a decrease in the levels of synthetic musks in the amended soils (>80% in several instances) was observed. Assuming the worst-case scenario, no risk to human health was observed from the ingestion of peas grown on sewage sludge-amended soils. However, a soil hazard quotient analysis yielded worryingly high quotient values for AHTN in nearly all tested conditions.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem for ecosystem health and public healthcare. Hence, the transmission of antibiotic resistance from human and animal origins to natural environments requires careful investigation. In this study, nine antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), three mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and their relations with antibiotics, heavy metals, and microbiota were investigated in 16 sample sites (Xinxiang, China). Fluoroquinolones (0.13–14.22 μg/L) were most abundant in hospital effluent and oxytetracycline (251.86–5817.47 μg/kg) in animal manure. Animal manure showed the highest levels of zinc (80.79–2597.14 mg/kg) and copper (32.47–85.22 mg/kg), possibly affecting the prevalence of intI1 and aac(6′)-Ib genes. Aminoglycoside and sulfonamide resistance genes (aac(6’)-Ib, aadA, and sul1) were the main ARGs in this area. In addition, the detected ARGs and MGEs were higher in animal manure than in hospital effluent, except for the sul1 gene. On the other hand, the incomplete removal of antibiotics (29.76–100%), heavy metals (31.25–100%), and ARGs (1–3 orders of magnitude) in MWWTPs resulted in the accumulation of these contaminants in the receiving river. Network analysis suggested that the potential hosts (Jeotgalibaca, Atopostipes, Corynebacterium_1, etc.) of ARGs were more predominant in animal manure rather than hospital effluent, indicating a higher ARG transfer potential in animal manure compared with hospital sources. These results provide useful insights into the different migration and dissemination routes of antibiotics, heavy metals, ARGs, and microbiota from anthropogenic and animal origins to their receiving environments via MWWTP discharge and manure fertilization.

Microplastics (MPs) present in non-negligible amounts in urban environments, where urban rivers serve as important transport channels for MPs. However, the footprint of MPs in urban rivers under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors is poorly understood. This study investigated the MPs organization, stability and pollution risk before and after rainfall in the Qing River, Beijing. Rainfall potentially diluted the MPs abundance, attributed to opening of barrages and increase of flow velocity. The proportion of small-sized MPs (SMPs, 48–300 μm) decreased slightly, whereas that of normal-sized MPs (NMPs, 300–1000 μm) and large-sized MPs (LMPs, > 1000 μm) increased. However, SMPs dominantly presented in the Qing River before and after rainfall. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polystyrene (PS) were main polymers observed in the Qing River. The proportions of PET and PS decreased, while PP and PE increased after rainfall. The main types of MPs introduced by stormwater were PP and PE. The elevated MP diversity integrated index after rain suggested that rainfall enriched the sources of MPs. Rainfall reduced the stability and fragmentation of MPs owing to the introduction of large debris. NMPs and LMPs were susceptible to further fragmentation and downsizing, implying that MPs abundance in the Qing River tended to rise and SMPs might enriched. In addition, alteration of MPs fragmentation and stability reflected that the likely input source was wastewater treatment plant and atmospheric deposition before rainfall, whereas soil and road dust were possible sources after rain. The pollution risk assessment defined the MPs pollution risk of Qing River as low level and decreased after rainfall. This study demonstrated that rainfall substantially influences MPs organization in urban river and provides empirical support for MPs environmental behavior under influence of natural and anthropogenic factors.

Unplanned urbanization and heavy automobile use by the rapidly growing population contribute to a variety of environmental issues. Roadside plants can mitigate air pollution by modifying their enzymatic activity, physiological and anatomical traits. Plant enzymes, physiological and anatomical traits play an important role in adaptation and mitigation mechanisms against vehicular emissions. There is a significant gap in understanding of how plant enzymes and anatomical traits respond or how they participate in modulating the effect of vehicular emissions/air pollution. Modulation of leaf anatomical traits is also useful in regulating plant physiological behavior. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of vehicular pollution on the enzymatic activity, physiological, and anatomical traits of plant species that grow in forests (S1) and alongside roads (S2-1 km away from the S1 site) during different seasons. The present study examines four commonly found roadside tree species i.e. Grevillea robusta, Cassia fistula, Quercus leucotrichophora and Cornus oblonga. The study found that the activities of catalase and phenylalanine ammonium enzymes were higher in G. robusta species of roadside than control site (S1). Non-enzymatic antioxidants such as flavonoid and phenol were also found in higher concentrations in roadside tree species during the summer season. However, the measured values of physiological traits were higher in Q. leucotrichophora tree species of S1 during the summer season. When compared to the other species along the roadside, Q. leucotrichophora had the highest number of stomata and epidermal cells during the summer season. Hence, we found that tree species grown along the roadside adapted towards vehicular emissions by modulating their enzymatic, physiological, and anatomical traits to mitigate the effect of air pollution.

Biodegradable plastic mulch film (BDM) is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional polyethylene mulch, and has been growingly used in agriculture. However, practical degradation performance of BDM, especially the widely used type of blended polylactic acid (PLA)/polybutylene adipate (PBAT) in different ratios, and microbial alteration in soil environments, remain largely unrevealed. In this study, four types of BDM blended with 40–80% PLA and 20–60% PBAT were comparatively investigated through microcosm soil incubation experiments for 105 days, and combined with conditions of different soil moisture or pH. Microbiome within film-surrounding soil were assayed using 16 S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Results showed a trend of increasing degradation efficiency with the increase of PLA proportion, and 70% PLA and 30% PBAT group presented the highest weight loss rate, i.e., 60.16 ± 5.86%. In addition, degradation and aging of PLA/PBAT varied among different soil moisture and pH values. A moderate moisture, i.e., 60% and a neutral pH7.0 caused significantly high degradation efficiency compared to other moisture or pH conditions. Moreover, bacterial abundance and community structure in the surrounding soil were related to soil moisture and pH. PLA/PBAT incubation treatment induced a remarkable increase in abundance of degradation-related species Pseudomonas and Sphingomonas. Bacterial richness and diversity in soil correspondingly respond to ratio-different PLA/PBAT's degradation under moisture/pH-different conditions through a redundancy analysis. Altogether, these findings indicate that practical degradation of PLA/PBAT film is closely related to soil environments and bacterial community. It is significant for the application of biodegradable plastics in agriculture on the perspective of soil sustainability.

This study investigated the effects of adding biochar (BC) on the fate of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and its related antibiotic tolerance (AT) in activated sludge. Three activated sludge reactors were established with different types of BC, derived from apple, pear, and mulberry tree, respectively, and one reactor with no BC. All reactors were exposed to an environmentally relevant level of CIP that acted as a definitive selective pressure significantly promoting AT to four representative antibiotics (CIP, ampicillin, tetracycline, and polymyxin B) by up to two orders of magnitude. While CIP removal was negligible in the reactor without BC, the BC-dosed reactors effectively removed CIP (70–95% removals) through primarily adsorption by BC and biodegradation/biosorption by biomass. The AT in the BC-added reactors was suppressed by 10–99%, compared to that without BC. The BC addition played a key role in sequestering CIP, thereby decreasing the selective pressure that enabled the proactive prevention of AT increase. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that the BC addition alleviated the CIP-mediated toxicity to community diversity and organisms related to phosphorous removal. Machine learning modeling with random forest and support vector models using AS microbiome data collectively pinpointed Achromobacter selected by CIP and strongly associated with the AT increase in activated sludge. The identification of Achromobacter as an important AT bacteria revealed by the machine learning modeling with multiple models was also validated with a linear Pearson's correlation analysis. Overall, our study highlighted Achromobacter as a potential useful sentinel for monitoring AT occurring in the environment and suggested BC as a promising additive in wastewater treatment to improve micropollutant removal, mitigate potential AT propagation, and maintain community diversity against toxic antibiotic loadings.