γ-Ferric oxide nanoparticles are synthesized through modern and facile ayurvedic route followed by normal and special purification steps, which are both cost-effective and eco-friendly. These synthesized γ-ferric oxide nanoparticles were applied on Solanum lycopersicum to search the effect on chlorophyll content. This process involves multiple filtration and calcination steps. The synthesized samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and particle size analysis (PSA) to identify the purification step’s influence on the structural, optical, morphological, magnetic, and particle size properties of ferric oxide nanoparticles (γ-phase). X-ray diffraction has revealed that ferric oxide nanoparticles have rhombohedral structure of α-phase (hematite) in initial purification process later transformed into cubic structure γ-phase (maghemite). UV-vis spectroscopy analysis has clearly shown that by repetitive purification steps, λₘₐₓ has increased from 230 to 340 nm. TEM result has an intercorrelation with XRD results. γ-Ferric oxide nanoparticles were tested on Solanum lycopersicum (tomato seeds). The changes in the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total carotene were studied using spectral measurements at two different dosages—0.5 and 2 M. As a result, at 0.5-M concentration, magnetic nanoparticles exhibit fruitful results by increasing the crop yield and being more resistant to chlorosis.

The solar flat plate collector operating under different convective modes has low efficiency for energy conversion. The energy absorbed by the working fluid in the collector system and its heat transfer characteristics vary with solar insolation and mass flow rate. The performance of the system is improved by reducing the losses from the collector. Various passive methods have been devised to aid energy absorption by the working fluid. Also, working fluids are modified using nanoparticles to improve the thermal properties of the fluid. In the present work, simulation and experimental studies are undertaken for pipe flow at constant heat flux boundary condition in the mixed convection mode. The working fluid at low Reynolds number in the mixed laminar flow range is undertaken with water in thermosyphon mode for different inclination angles of the tube. Local and average coefficients are determined experimentally and compared with theoretical values for water-based Al₂O₃ nanofluids. The results show an enhancement in heat transfer in the experimental range with Rayleigh number at higher inclinations of the collector tube for water and nanofluids.

Aerosol composition and properties variation under the advection of different air masses were investigated, as case studies, by contemporary measurements over the atmospheric column and at the ground in a semi-rural site in South Italy. The absence of local strong sources in this area allowed to characterize background aerosol and to compare particle mixing effects under various atmospheric circulation conditions. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ǻngström parameters from radiometric measurements allowed the detection and identification of polluted, dust, and volcanic atmospheric conditions. AODs were the input for a suitable model to evaluate the columnar aerosol composition, according to six main tmospheric components (water-soluble, soot, sea salt accumulation, sea salt coarse, mineral dus,t and biological). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of particulate sampled with a 13-stage impactor at the ground showed not only fingerprints typical of the different air masses but also the effects of transport and aging on atmospheric particles, suggesting processes that changed their chemical and optical properties. Background columnar aerosol was characterized by 72 % of water-soluble and soot, in agreement with ground-based findings that highlighted 60 % of contribution from anthropogenic carbonate particles and soot. In general, a good agreement between ground-based and columnar results was observed. Under the advection of trans-boundary air masses, water-soluble and soot were always present in columnar aerosol, whereas, in variable percentages, sea salt and mineral particles characterized both dust and volcanic conditions. At the ground, sulfates characterized the amorphous matrix produced in finer stages by the evaporation of solutions of organic and inorganic aerosols. Sulfates were also one of the key players involved in heterogeneous chemical reactions, producing complex secondary aerosol, as such clay-sulfate internally mixed particle externally mixed with soot chains.

Mercury contents in soil and olive tree leaves have been studied in 69 plots around three different source areas of this element in Spain: Almadén (Ciudad Real), Flix (Tarragona) and Jódar (Jaén). Almadén was the world’s largest cinnabar (HgS) mining district and was active until 2003, Flix is the oldest Spanish chlor-alkali plant (CAP) and has been active from 1898 to the present day and Jódar is a decommissioned CAP that was active for 14 years (1977–1991). Total mercury contents have been measured by high-frequency modulation atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman effect (ZAAS-HFM) in the soils and olive tree leaves from the three studied areas. The average soil contents range from 182 μg kg⁻¹ in Flix to 23,488 μg kg⁻¹ in Almadén, while the average leaf content ranges from 161 μg kg⁻¹ in Jódar to 1213 μg kg⁻¹ in Almadén. Despite the wide range of data, a relationship between soil–leaf contents has been identified: in Almadén and Jódar, multiplicative (bilogarithmic) models show significant correlations (R = 0.769 and R = 0.484, respectively). Significant correlations were not identified between soil and leaf contents in Flix. The continuous activity of the Flix CAP, which remains open today, can explain the different uptake patterns for mercury, which is mainly atmospheric in origin, in comparison to the other two sites, where activity ceased more than 10 years ago and only soil uptake patterns based on the Michaelis–Menten enzymatic model curve are observed.

The composition, seasonal variation, and potential sources of sulfate (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition in precipitation in the southwest of China from 2003 to 2013 were investigated. The results showed that the concentration of SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and NH₄⁺ in rainwater were 10.57–1360, 7.16–523.71, and 7.54-1020 μeq l⁻¹, with an annual volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentration of 103.99, 46.73, and 97.30 μeq l⁻¹, respectively. The annual wet deposition of SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and NH₄⁺ was 21.66, 8.16, and 17.49 kg S (N) ha⁻¹, respectively. The temporal variations of the ions showed that the abrupt decreasing breakpoints were in 2008 for SO₄²⁻ and in 2009 for NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺, and increasing trends were observed after 2010 for the three ions. These trends reflected the effect of economy recession and the policy of controlling SO₂ and NOₓ emissions. The acid rain type of precipitation was shifted from sulfur to a mixed one. The ions of SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and NH₄⁺ presented high values in winter and spring and low values in autumn and summer. A highly positive linear correlation between SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ (R ² = 0.71), SO₄²⁻ and NH₄⁺ (R ² = 0.74), and NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ (R ² = 0.84) existed while a strong negative correlation was found between the three main ionic concentrations and precipitation. The SO₄²⁻ was mainly from fossil fuel combustion (60.53 %), aged sea salt (19.03 %), agriculture (11.38 %), crust (6.66 %), and biomass burning (2.40 %); the NO₃⁻ was mainly from fossil fuel combustion (75.41 %), biomass burning (9.67 %), aged sea salt (7.97 %), and agriculture (6.96 %); and the NH₄⁺ was mainly from agriculture (86.38 %), fossil fuel combustion (10.52 %), and aged sea salt (3.09 %).

This study aimed to investigate the potential health risk associated with toxic metals in contaminated foodstuffs (fruits, vegetables, and cereals) collected from various agriculture fields present in chromite mining-affected areas of mafic and ultramafic terrains (northern Pakistan). The concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, and Pb were quantified in both soil and food samples. The soil samples were highly contaminated with Cr (320 mg/kg), Ni (108 mg/kg), and Cd (2.55 mg/kg), which exceeded their respective safe limits set by FAO/WHO. Heavy metal concentrations in soil were found in the order of Cr>Ni>Pb>Zn>Cd and showed significantly (p < 0.001) higher concentrations as compared to reference soil. The integrated pollution load index (PLI) value was observed greater than three indicating high level of contamination in the study area. The concentrations of Cr (1.80–6.99 mg/kg) and Cd (0.21–0.90 mg/kg) in foodstuffs exceeded their safe limits, while Zn, Pb, and Ni concentrations were observed within their safe limits. In all foodstuffs, the selected heavy metal concentrations were accumulated significantly (p < 0.001) higher as compared to the reference, while some heavy metals were observed higher but not significant like Zn in pear, persimmon, white mulberry, and date-plum; Cd in pear, fig and white mulberry; and Pb in walnut, fig, and pumpkin. The health risk assessment revealed no potential risk for both adults and children for the majority of heavy metals, except Cd, which showed health risk index (HRI) >1 for children and can pose potential health threats for local inhabitants. Graphical Abstract Heavy metals released from chromite mining lead to soil and foodstuff contamination and human health risk

This paper reports the results of the study of the efficiency of accumulation and distribution of mercury (Hg) in the fruiting bodies of fungus Suillus bovinus and the probable dietary intake of Hg and the potential health risk. Fungal fruiting bodies and soil materials were collected from 13 background areas in the northern part of Poland between 1993 and 2013. Mercury in the caps of fruiting bodies varied from 0.10 ± 0.06 to 0.79 ± 0.40 mg kg⁻¹ dry biomass and in the stipes from 0.083 ± 0.028 to 0.51 ± 0.22 mg kg⁻¹ dry biomass. The mean values of cap to stipe Hg content quotient varied from 1.3 ± 0.2 to 2.6 ± 0.6. The Hg content in the upper 0–10 cm layer of soil substrate varied from 0.015 ± 0.004 to 0.031 ± 0.019 mg kg⁻¹ dry biomass. S. bovinus could be considered as an efficient accumulator of Hg, at least from low level polluted soils, and the values of Hg bioconcentration factor (BCF) varied from 6.4 ± 2.2 to 45 ± 20 for caps and from 3.8 ± 1.4 to 29 ± 11 for stipes. A conventional meal (300 g) portion of S. bovinus foraged from background areas provides Hg dose far below the provisionally tolerable weekly intake or recommended reference dose set for this element by authorities. An examination of published data on Hg in fruiting bodies of fungi genus Suillus showed low contamination of specimens foraged from background areas. Also reviewed are published data on Hg in fungi genus Suillus collected worldwide.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of mangium bark and its biosorbent ability to reduce heavy metal ions in standard solutions and wastewater and to assess changes in bark characteristics after heavy metal absorption. The experiments were conducted to determine heavy metal absorption from solutions of heavy metals alone and in mixtures as well as from wastewater. The results show that mangium bark can absorb heavy metals. Absorption percentages and capacities from single heavy metal solutions showed that Cu²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Hg²⁺, while those from mixture solutions showed that Hg²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Ni²⁺. Wastewater from gold mining only contained Cu, with an absorption percentage and capacity of 42.87 % and 0.75 mg/g, respectively. The highest absorption percentage and capacity of 92.77 % and 5.18 mg/g, respectively, were found for Hg²⁺ in a mixture solution and Cu²⁺ in single-metal solution. The Cu²⁺ absorption process in a single-metal solution changed the biosorbent characteristics of the mangium bark, yielding a decreased crystalline fraction; changed transmittance on hydroxyl, carboxyl, and carbonyl groups; and increased the presence of Cu. In conclusion, mangium bark biosorbent can reduce hazardous heavy metal ions in both standard solutions and wastewater.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic metals and is widely distributed in freshwater and marine environments. It has received much attention from a toxicological perspective. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Cd in the peacock blenny Salaria pavo, a species of the family of blennies that was used as bioindicator of water pollution. We performed a sublethal contamination of fish to 2 mg CdCl₂ L⁻¹ during 1, 4, 10, and 15 days. Cd accumulation was measured in gills and liver and displayed a significant increase of its concentration throughout the experiment, with slightly higher levels in the liver, except after 4 days. Partial-length cDNA of mt1, mt2, mnsod, cuznsod, cat, and gpx were characterized. Results from mRNA expression levels displayed an up-regulation of mt2 and mnsod. Biomarker activities were determined in gills and liver. In gills, data displayed an inhibition of EROD and GST activities. Cd exposure significantly increased GPx activities but did not affect CAT levels throughout the experiment. No LPO induction was observed in gills of exposed fish. Regarding the liver, the activity of all enzymes and MDA levels increased significantly from the beginning of the experiment except EROD that increased after 15 days of contamination only. At the histological level, fish exhibited pathological symptoms in gills and liver with a predominance of circulatory disturbances in gills and regressive changes in the liver. Our results displayed that peacock blennies are able to survive Cd toxicity due to various physiological adaptation mechanisms.

The degradation kinetics and mechanism of the antiepileptic drug oxcarbazepine (OXC) by UV-activated persulfate oxidation were investigated in this study. Results showed that UV/persulfate (UV/PS) process appeared to be more effective in degrading OXC than UV or PS alone. The OXC degradation exhibited a pseudo-first order kinetics pattern and the degradation rate constants (k ₒbₛ) were affected by initial OXC concentration, PS dosage, initial pH, and humic acid concentration to different degrees. It was found that low initial OXC concentration, high persulfate dosage, and initial pH enhanced the OXC degradation. Additionally, the presence of humic acid in the solution could greatly inhibit the degradation of OXC. Moreover, hydroxyl radical (OH•) and sulfate radical (SO₄ ⁻••) were identified to be responsible for OXC degradation and SO₄ ⁻• made the predominant contribution in this study. Finally, major intermediate products were identified and a preliminary degradation pathway was proposed. Results demonstrated that UV/PS system is a potential technology to control the water pollution caused by emerging contaminants such as OXC.