Antibiotics as emerging pharmaceutical pollutants have seriously not only threatened human life and animal health security, but also caused environmental pollution. It has drawn enormous attention and research interests in the study of antibiotics removal from aqueous environments. Graphene, an interesting one-atom-thick, 2D single-layer carbon sheet with sp² hybridized carbon atoms, has become an important agent for removal of antibiotic, owing to its unique physiochemical properties. Recently, a variety of graphene-based nanomaterials (GNMs) are reported to efficiently remove antibiotics from aqueous solutions by different technologies. In this review, we summarize different structure and properties of GNMs for the removal of antibiotics by adsorption. Meanwhile, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as photocatalysis, Fenton process, ozonation, sulfate radical and combined AOPs by the aid of GNMs are summarized. Finally, the opportunities and challenges on the future scope of GNMs for removal of antibiotics from aqueous environments are proposed.

The fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) determines their potential risk in soil, which may be directly affected by abiotic conditions and indirectly through the changes in decomposer communities. In comparison, the indirect effects on the fate remain largely elusive. In this study, the fate of phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene and the corresponding bacterial changes were investigated in three contaminated farmland soils using a ¹⁴C tracer method and Miseq sequencing. The results showed that most benzo[a]pyrene was consistently extractable with dichloromethane (DCM) after the 60-day incubation (60.4%–78.2%), while phenanthrene was mainly mineralized to CO₂ during the 30-day incubation (40.4%–58.7%). Soils from Guangzhou (GZ) showed a different distribution pattern of ¹⁴C-PAHs exemplified by low mineralization and disparate bound residue formation. The PAH fate in the Shenyang (SY) and Nanjing (NJ) soils were similar to each other than to that in the GZ soil. The fate in the GZ soil seemed to be linked to the distinct edaphic properties, such as organic matter content, however soil microbial community could have influenced the distribution pattern of PAHs. This potential role of microorganisms was reflected by the unique changes in the copy numbers of Gram positive RHDα gene, and by the distinct shifts in bacterial community composition during the incubation. A quite different shift in bacterial communities was found in the GZ microcosms which may influence PAH mineralization and non-extractable residue (NER) formation.

A limited number of studies have addressed environmental inequality, using various study designs and methodologies and often reaching contradictory results. Following a standardized multi-city data collection process within the European project EURO-HEALTHY, we conducted an ecological study to investigate the spatial association between nitrogen dioxide (NO2), as a surrogate for traffic related air pollution, and ten socioeconomic indicators at local administrative unit level in nine European Metropolitan Areas. We applied mixed models for the associations under investigation with random intercepts per Metropolitan Area, also accounting for the spatial correlation. The stronger associations were observed between NO2 levels and population density, population born outside the European Union (EU28), total crimes per 100,000 inhabitants and unemployment rate that displayed a highly statistically significant trend of increasing concentrations with increasing levels of the indicators. Specifically, the highest vs the lowest quartile of each indicator above was associated with 48.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 42.9%, 54.8%), 30.9% (95%CI: 22.1%, 40.2%), 19.8% (95%CI: 13.4%, 26.6%) and 15.8% (95%CI: 9.9%, 22.1%) increase in NO2 respectively.The association with population density most probably reflects the higher volume in vehicular traffic, which is the main source of NO2 in urban areas. Higher pollution levels in areas with higher percentages of people born outside EU28, crime or unemployment rates indicate that worse air quality is typically encountered in deprived European urban areas. Policy makers should consider spatial environmental inequalities to better inform actions aiming to lower urban air pollution levels that will subsequently lead to improved quality of life, public health and health equity across the population.

In an attempt to evaluate the behavior of Dechlorane plus (DP) in soil-vegetable systems, this work investigated the uptake and translocation of DP by vegetables and the dissipation of DP in soil under greenhouse and conventional conditions. To address human dietary exposure to DP, estimated dietary intake via vegetable consumption was calculated. The uptake potential indexes of DP from soil into root for tomato and cucumber cultivated under different conditions ranged from 0.089 to 0.71. The ranges of uptake potential indexes of DP from resuspended soil particles into stem, leaf and fruit were 0.68–0.78, 0.27–0.42 and 0.39–0.75, respectively. The uptake potential indexes in greenhouse vegetables were generally higher than those in conventional vegetables when the vegetables had been planted in contaminated soil, indicating that greenhouse enhanced the uptake of DP with a high soil concentration by vegetables. The translocation factor (TF) values of DP in vegetables were in the range of 0.022–0.17, indicating that DP can be transported from root to fruit even though it has a high octanol water partition coefficient (KOW). The half-lives of DP dissipation in soil ranged from 70 to 102 days. The dissipation of DP in greenhouse soil was slightly slower than that in conventional soil. Higher estimated dietary intake (EDI) values of DP via greenhouse vegetables were observed due to the higher concentration of DP in greenhouse vegetables than conventional vegetables. These results suggested that greenhouses should not be adopted for vegetable production in contaminated regions.

While humans are exposed to mixtures of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), their risk assessment is usually based on a chemical-by-chemical approach. To assess the health effects associated with mixed exposures, knowledge on mixture toxicity is required. Several POPs are potential ligands of the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which involves in xenobiotic metabolism and controls many biological pathways. This study assesses AhR agonistic and antagonistic activities of 29 POPs individually and in mixtures by using Chemical-Activated LUciferase gene eXpression bioassays with 3 transgenic cell lines (rat hepatoma DR-H4IIE, human hepatoma DR-Hep G2 and human mammary gland carcinoma DR-T47-D). Among the 29 POPs, which were selected based on their abundance in Scandinavian human blood, only 4 exerted AhR agonistic activities, while 16 were AhR antagonists in DR-H4IIE, 5 in DR-Hep G2 and 7 in DR-T47-D when tested individually. The total POP mixture revealed to be AhR antagonistic. It antagonized EC₅₀ TCDD inducing AhR transactivation at a concentration of 125 and 250 and 500 fold blood levels in DR-H4IIE, DR-T47-D and DR-Hep G2, respectively, although each compound was present at these concentrations lower than their LOEC values. Such values could occur in real-life in food contamination incidents or in exposed populations. In DR-H4IIE, the antagonism of the total POP mixture was due to chlorinated compounds and, in particular, to PCB-118 and PCB-138 which caused 90% of the antagonistic activity in the POP mixture. The 16 active AhR antagonists acted additively. Their mixed effect was predicted successfully by concentration addition or generalized concentration addition models, rather than independent action, with only two-fold IC₅₀ underestimation. We also attained good predictions for the full dose-response curve of the antagonistic activity of the total POP mixture.

The application of compost in agriculture has led to the accumulation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and heavy metal resistance genes (MRGs) in the soil environment. In this study, the response of ARGs and MRGs to bamboo charcoal (BC) and bamboo vinegar (BV) during aerobic composting was investigated. Results showed that BC + BV treatment reduced the abundances of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) during the thermophilic period, as well as achieved the lowest rebound during the cooling period. BC + BV promoted the growth of Firmicutes, thereby facilitating the thermophilic period of composting. The rebound of ARGs and MGEs can be explained by increasing the abundance of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria at the end of composting. Composting reduced the abundances of MRGs comprising pcoA, tcrB, and cueO, whereas cusA and copA indicated the selective pressure imposed by heavy metals on bacteria. The fate of ARGs was mainly driven by MGEs, and heavy metals explained most of the variation in MRGs. Interestingly, nitrogen conversion also had an important effect on ARG and MRG profiles. Our current findings suggest that the addition of BC + BV during compost preparation is an effective method in controlling the mobility of ARGs and MRGs, thereby reducing the environmental problems.

Lipophilic marine toxins in shellfish pose significant threats to the health of seafood consumers. To assess the contamination status of shellfish by lipophilic marine toxins in the Bohai Sea, nine species of shellfish periodically collected from five representative aquaculture zones throughout a year were analyzed with a method of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Lipophilic marine toxins, including okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1), pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), yessotoxin (YTX), homo-yessotoxin (homo-YTX), azaspiracids (AZA2 and AZA3), gymnodimine (GYM), and 13-desmethyl spirolide C (13-DesMe-C), were detected in more than 95 percent of the shellfish samples. Toxins PTX2, YTX, 13-DesMe-C and GYM were predominant components detected in shellfish samples. Scallops, clams and mussels accumulated much higher level of lipophilic marine toxins compared to oysters. Toxin content in shellfish samples collected from different sampling locations showed site-specific seasonal variation patterns. High level of toxins was found during the stages from December to February and June to July in Hangu, while from March to April and August to September in Laishan. Some toxic algae, including Dinophysis acuminata, D. fortii, Prorocentrum lima, Gonyaulax spinifera and Lingulodinium polyedrum, were identified as potential origins of lipophilic marine toxins in the Bohai Sea. The results will offer a sound basis for monitoring marine toxins and protecting the health of seafood consumers.

The accumulation of 17 human pharmaceuticals (HPs) was investigated in the muscle of three fish species characteristic of the “Rio de la Plata Basin” with different feeding habits and of relevance for human consumption: Megaleporinus obtusidens, Salminus brasiliensis, and Prochilodus lineatus. Fish were sampled in fall and spring from 8 localities distributed along 500 Km of the Uruguay River. Atenolol and carbamazepine were the most frequently detected HPs (>50%), but at concentrations always below 1 μg/kg wet weight (w/w). Hydrochlorothiazide, metoprolol, venlafaxine, propranolol, codeine, and the carbamazepine metabolite, 2-hydroxycarbamazepine, were accumulated at higher levels showing maximum concentrations between 1 and 10 μg/kg (w/w), but infrequently (<50%). The other HPs were always below 1 μg/kg (w/w) and at frequencies lower than 50%. Distinctive accumulation patterns were observed among species at different trophic levels. However, biomagnification trends were not identified for any compound. The highest number and concentration of HPs were found in M. obtusidens (omnivorous), followed by P. lineatus (detritivorous), and lastly S. brasiliensis (piscivorous). The most recurrent HPs (i.e. carbamazepine and atenolol) were present in all species, but others exclusively in one. Geographical variations were only found for carbamazepine and atenolol in M. obtusidens and P. lineatus, showing higher concentrations in localities closer to the Rio de la Plata estuary. Differences in the HPs concentrations among seasons were not identified. Acceptable daily intake and predicted no effect concentrations would indicate that measured muscle concentrations in fish from the Uruguay River do not pose a serious risk for human consumption nowadays. Further studies will be necessary for assessing the potential adverse effects on studied fish species.

Marine fish are considered a source of high quality proteins and fatty acids. However, the consumption of fish may pose a health risk as it may have potentially toxic elements in high concentrations. In this study we quantify the multielemental composition of muscle and fins for three species of commercial marine fish from Brazil: Sphyraena guachancho (Barracuda), Priacantus arenatus (Common bigeye) and Genidens genidens (Guri sea catfish). We then assessed the potential risk of fish consumption by means of a Provisional Hazard Indices. Amongst the elements detected in fish tissue were potentially toxic elements such as Ag, Ba, Cd, Cr and Hg. Concentration differences were species-specific, and affected by the species trophic level, morphological characteristics and feeding habits. Results suggest the higher the trophic level of the fish, the higher the risk of consumption. Caution is recommended for the frequent ingestion of high trophic level fish species in Brazil.

The analysis of lipid disruption in invertebrates is limited by our poor knowledge of their lipidomes and of the associated metabolic pathways. For example, the mechanism by which exposure of the crustacean Daphnia magna to tributyltin, juvenoids, or bisphenol A increase the accumulation of storage lipids into lipid droplets is largely unknown/presently unclear. Here we analyze transcriptome changes subsequent to this lipid accumulation effect induced by either the pesticide pyriproxyfen (a juvenoid agonist), the plasticizer bisphenol A, or the antifouling agent tributyltin. Changes in the whole transcriptome were assessed after 8 and 24 h of exposure, the period showing the greatest variation in storage lipid accumulation. The three compounds affected similarly to a total of 1388 genes (965 overexpressed and 423 underexpressed transcripts), but only after 24 h of exposure. In addition, 225 transcripts became up-regulated in samples exposed to tributyltin for both 8 h and 24 h. Using D. melanogaster functional annotation, we determined that upregulated genes were enriched in members of KEGG modules implicated in fatty acid, glycerophospholipid, and glycerolipid metabolic pathways, as well as in genes related to membrane constituents and to chitin and cuticle metabolic pathways. Conversely, down-regulated genes appeared mainly related to visual perception and to oocyte development signaling pathways. Many tributyltin specifically upregulated genes were related to neuro-active ligand receptor interaction signaling pathways. These changes were consistent with the phetotypic effects reported in this and in previous studies that exposure of D. magna to the tested compounds increased lipid accumulation and reduced egg quantity and quality.