In this work, some trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb) were determined for the first time in the crustacean Sergio mirim (Decapoda: Thalassinidea: Callianassidae) from Southern Coast (Rio Grande, RS) of Brazil. The trace element determination was carried out by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Different microwave radiation-based sample digestion methods were evaluated. The analyte concentration ranged from 1.45 to 3.70 μg g⁻¹ for As, 0.615 to 0.942 μg g⁻¹ for Cd, 0.884 to 7.20 μg g⁻¹ for Cr, 122 to 275 μg g⁻¹ for Cu, and 0.390 to 0.916 μg g⁻¹ for Pb. The limits of quantification for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb were 0.12, 0.01, 0.16, 0.92, and 0.06 μg g⁻¹, respectively. The accuracy was evaluated by results comparison between GF AAS and ICP-MS techniques, as well as by analysis of certified reference materials of fish muscle and oyster tissue, with agreement from 92 to 108%. The feasibility of using Sergio mirim as a promising environmental bioindicator candidate was evaluated, since that it is an abundant organism in the studied area (South cost of Brazil) as well as in other places around the world.

The generation of solid waste has increased dramatically in China, owing largely to the rapid development and expansion of the Chinese economy. The management of solid waste is critical and becoming a challenge for some cities in China. Waste recycling is an effective solution to solid waste management and seeks to balance ecological sustainability with economic improvements. This study assessed the energy conservation and CO₂ emission reduction potential of solid waste using an embodied energy/carbon model from a life cycle perspective. The results showed that compared with the production of virgin materials, solid waste recycling results in a reduction of 294.2 Mtce in energy consumption, and 614.5 Mt in CO₂ emission is shown in 2017. The recycling of steel waste was the highest contributor, accounting for more than 45% of energy conservation and at least 62% of CO₂ reduction. If 100% recycling of recyclable waste like steel waste and plastic waste can be achieved, energy conservation and CO₂ reduction could reach 551.89 Mtce and 933.69 Mt, respectively, accounting for 12.29% of energy consumption and 8.46% of CO₂ emission. A robust recycling system must be established to achieve the purpose of environment production and resource conservation. The proposed evaluation framework could help in the decision-making process. The waste classification must be promoted to increase waste recovery rate and improve waste reproduction technology to maximize energy conservation and CO₂ emission reduction.

This study examines the impacts of economic growth, energy consumption, tourism, and natural resources on the ecological footprint in the ASEAN countries for spanning from 1995 to 2016. For this purpose, the cross-sectional dependent test, the second-generation unit root test, and the Westerlund cointegration test have been applied. The Driscoll-Kraay panel regression model has been used to check the long-run relationship among the series. Also, the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test is used to determine the paths of causal interactions. These tests help to overcome the problem of cross-sectional dependence in panel data analysis. The results showed an inverted U-shaped EKC behavior in ASEAN countries, hence a negative relation between tourism and natural resources with the ecological footprint. This implies that tourism and natural resources help to improve the environmental quality in ASEAN countries.

The problem of water pollution is a burning social issue even though sustainable efforts are being made in recent years. The discharged water from various industries contains a considerable amount of organic and inorganic pollutants. Heavy metals, dyes, and aromatic hydrocarbons constitute a significant portion of water contaminants, and it is challenging to remove contaminants at low concentration value. Cyclodextrin nanomaterials modified with carbon nanomaterials, polymer, and metal nanoparticles have been reported as promising and sustainable tools for water remediation through adsorption and catalytic degradation approaches. The cyclodextrin polymers have been developed as nanoporous and nanosponge materials using different bifunctional linking reagents, which are highly efficient in removing a wide variety of organic and inorganic waste from water bodies through adsorption. Various chemical modifications in cyclodextrin-based nanostructured materials have been reported to enhance its affinity for the contaminants. In the present review, recent advances in cyclodextrin-based nanostructured materials for water remediation application via different mechanisms have been discussed.

This paper re-investigates the time-varying impacts of economic growth on carbon emissions in the G-7 countries over a long history. In doing so, the historical data spanning the period from the 1800s to 2010 (as constructed) for each country is examined using the time-varying cointegration and bootstrap-rolling window estimation approach. Unlike the previous environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) studies, using this methodology gives us avenue to detect more than one, two, or more turning points for the economic growth-carbon emissions nexus. The empirical findings show that the nexus between economic growth and carbon emission seems over a long history to be M-shaped for Canada and the UK; N-shaped for France; inverted N-shaped for Germany; and inverted M-shaped (W-shaped) for Italy, Japan, and the USA. In addition, the possible validity of EKC hypothesis is examined for both the pre-1973 and post-1973 sub-periods. Based on this investigation, we found that an inverted U-shaped is confirmed only for the pre-1973 period in France, Italy, and the USA. These empirical evidences provide new insights to policy makers to improve environmental quality using economic growth as an economic tool for the long run by observing changes in the environmental impact of this growth from year to year.

The present study was conducted to investigate the responses of Lolium perenne L. species to lead ions. To do this, the effects of lead ions at five levels: control (blank), 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/kg or mg/L (depending on germination in the soil or petri dish) on the germination, initial growth, and physiological characteristics of Lolium perenne were investigated. The results showed that the difference between various lead concentrations was statistically significant at 1% confidence level in all of the germination, vegetative, and physiological characteristics. In addition, the results of translocation and stress factors indicated that there was a significant difference between the control treatment and the concentrations of 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/L of lead ions. Results show that the mean value of stress, which was 0.3196 in the control value, reached 0.4154 at the concentrations 1000 mg/L. Different levels of lead ions had significant effect on the estimated characteristics including germination percentage, seed vigor, germination index, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, root, and shoot. The average germination percentage in the control was 46.66%, which decreased by 5% at the highest lead concentration. In addition, the average of seed vigor, which was 34.06 in the control conditions, decreased to 0.72 at the highest lead concentration. Also, the chlorophyll a dropped from 0.5261 mg/g in the control conditions to 0.3149 mg/g. On the other hand, increase in lead ion concentration affected the physiological characteristics of Lolium perenne species. Results suggest that Lolium perenne is capable of accumulating lead and is well tolerant to lead in soil. Therefore, it is concluded that it can be used for sowing on lands which are polluted to this heavy metal (up to the concentration of 1000 mg/kg).

Triclosan (TCS) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that is broadly used in personal care products. It has been shown to cause the contamination of a variety of aquatic environments. Since algae has been the primary producers of aquatic ecosystems, understanding the toxicological mechanisms and the metabolic fate of TCS is vital for assessing its risk in an aquatic environment. In our study, 0.5–4 mg L⁻¹ TCS treatments for 72 h in a culture of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C. reinhardtii) showed progressive inhibition of cell growth and reduced the chlorophyll content. The EC₅₀ value of C. reinhardtii after 72 h was 1.637 mg L⁻¹, which showed its higher level of resistance to TCS in comparison with other algal species. The exposure to TCS led to oxidative injuries of algae in relation to the increment of malonaldehyde content, cell membrane permeability, and H₂O₂ levels. Furthermore, the oxidative stress from TCS stimulated a series of antioxidant enzyme activities and their gene expressions. Simultaneously, the accumulated TCS in C. reinhardtii arouses the detoxification/degradation-related enzymes and related gene transcriptions. In the medium, approximately 82% of TCS was removed by C. reinhardtii. Importantly, eight TCS metabolites were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry and their relative abundances were measured in a time-course experiment. Six of these metabolites are reported here for the first time. The metabolic pathways of triclosan via C. reinhardtii including reductive dechlorination, hydroxylation, sulfhydrylation, and binding with thiol/cysteine/GSH/glycosyl were manifested to broaden our understanding of the environmental fate of TCS. Graphical Abstract

Achieving the seventh Sustainable Development Goal which is clean energy at affordable prices depending on technological innovation is one of the most strategic objectives of Egypt, aiming at mitigating carbon dioxide emissions and enhancing sustainable economic growth (IRENA 2018b). Based upon this goal, the study explores the relationships among carbon dioxide emissions, technological innovation, alternative energy resources, economic growth, and financial development in Egypt over the period 1971–2014. Auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL), fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), Stock and Watson dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), and Toda-Yamamoto approaches are employed. The results show the existence of cointegration among the variables. Moreover, empirical results show that while technological innovation and alternative energy resources improve environmental quality, financial development and economic growth deteriorate it. The findings obtained from Toda-Yamamoto approach reveal the existence of bi-directional causal relation between environmental degradation and economic growth. Also, environmental degradation causes technological innovation and financial development causes environmental degradation and economic growth. Thus, several policy implications should be suggested to policymakers as enhancing the development of technological innovation especially in renewable energy sector to improve environmental quality.

Forest fires and biomass burning are known to generate aromatic hydrocarbons via incomplete combustions, due to high moisture, insufficient temperature, and oxygen content. These emission sources are particularly concerning because generated smokes cannot be treated and aromatic hydrocarbons can deposit on plant foods.The aim of this work was to study the potential deposition and absorption of monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in plant after exposure to smokes generated by burning wood. Thus, apples, used as a representative plant food model, were intentionally exposed to wood burning emissions for lengths of time varying from 1 to 2 h. Among benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, toluene appeared to be the most abundant compound. Concerning PAHs, linden wood combustion led to predominant deposition of compounds with molecular weights lower than 202 g/mol with the highest levels detected for phenanthrene.Aromatic hydrocarbons from wood combustion were mainly deposited on apple epicarp, and their transfer to the mesocarp was limited. Diagnostic ratio, used for the determination of PAHs emission source, was calculated with PAHs contents deposited on apple skin. Results were consistent with values proposed in the literature for the identification of biomass combustion.