Vanadium (V) is a potential toxic pollutant, and thus, V pollution in reservoir sediment should be scientifically evaluated because reservoirs are the main source of drinking water in China. However, the pollution assessment of V in reservoir sediment is often overestimated or underestimated due to the limitation for selecting local background values. In this study, the selection of the V background value in sediments was based on regional geochemical baseline (RGB) model. Multiple methods including geo-accumulation index (Igₑₒ), potential ecological risk index (EI), and health risk assessment were applied to evaluate V pollution in sediment cores collected from the Panjiakou–Daheiting Reservoirs (PDR). The results show that the mean value of V concentrations in the PDR sediment cores was 92.86 mg/kg (57.69–141.19 mg/kg), which is higher than the soil background in Hebei Province and stream sediment values in China. V concentrations in the Panjiakou Reservoir were higher than those in the Daheiting Reservoir. The RGB value of V was 96.33 mg/kg in the PDR sediments. A comparison of the V concentrations and RGB values in the sampling sites indicated that half of these sites are impacted by anthropogenic inputs. Among the sites influenced by human activity, the average anthropogenic contribution was 9.9%, suggesting that majority of V in the PDR sediments originated from natural source. The pollution assessments of V were evaluated using Igₑₒ and EI with RGB as the background value, and results indicated that the sediments in the PDR were not polluted with V. The environmental impact assessment model was also established for calculating V accumulation in fish due to sediment resuspension. Then, health risk assessment model was applied to further calculate the health risk to residents due to fish consumption. The evaluated target hazard quotient demonstrated that local fish consumption produced no adverse effect on human health during sediment disruption.

Including cultural ecosystem services (ES) in the management of an ecosystem can improve the social acceptance and legitimacy of management decisions. In order to adapt to the inherently fragile ecological environment, the Loess Plateau has formed a unique land-use mode and rural cultural landscape, yet the research on the cultural ES in this area is limited. The study of cultural ES from the supply and demand perspective will contribute to realize the sustainable cultural ES supply and meet people’s growing demand for a better life. This study conducted a questionnaire survey with 381 people in 42 villages of Shigou Township in the Loess Plateau to explore local residents’ demand (perceived importance) of 8 types of cultural ES. The 5-point Likert scale was used to quantify the relative level of residents’ demand of cultural ES. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between pairs of cultural ES. In addition, this study constructed the indicator system of cultural ES supply from two dimensions of cultural ES supply capacity and accessibility and used a redundancy analysis to explore the linkage between the cultural ES supply and demand. The results showed that residents had a higher demand for esthetics and sense of place, but lower demand for spiritual and religious in Shigou Township. There were significant and positive correlations between different types of cultural ES, and most of them were enjoyed in “bundles.” Each type of cultural ES was related to different types of percentage land cover, and geographical distance played an important role in cultural ES supply. Last, we proposed that local residents’ perceived importance of cultural ES should be included in decision-making to improve public support for ecosystem management, and managers should simultaneously pay attention to the supply capacity and accessibility of cultural ES to realize the sustainable cultural ES supply.

The short-term effects of ivermectin (IVMT) on the oxidative stress and biochemical parameters of Clarias gariepinus juvenile was assessed under semi-static conditions at concentrations of 9 to 25 μg L⁻¹ for up to 4 days. Juveniles were highly sensitive to ivermectin, with an LC₅₀ of 15 μg L⁻¹.The antioxidant enzyme profile assessed included glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT). General stress biomarkers such as serum glucose, protein, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were also determined at 24-h, 48-h, 72-h, and 96-h exposure durations. Lipid peroxidation showed significant (p < 0.05) decreases in higher concentrations (21 μg L⁻¹and 25 μg L⁻¹) and durations of exposure (72 h and 96 h). Significant concentration-dependent increases (p < 0.05) were recorded in the liver function enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) when compared to the control. GPx decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in higher concentrations (21 μg L⁻¹and 25 μg L⁻¹) and durations of exposure (48–96 h). Protein showed significant concentration-dependent decreases, while glucose recorded a mixed trend. The changes in the hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities and serum metabolites were indicative of oxidative stress induced by IVMT. This showed that IVMT is toxic to fish and should be used with utmost caution.

Glyphosate is the active component of several commercial formulations as in Roundup®. The present study was investigated the toxic effects of pure glyphosate or Roundup® on the liver and small intestine of chick embryos. On day 6, a total of 180 fertile eggs injected with deionized water (control group), 10 mg pure glyphosate, or 10 mg of the active ingredient glyphosate in Roundup®/kg egg mass. The results showed an increase in relative weights of the liver in embryos that treated with Roundup®. Furthermore, oxidative stress was observed in the embryos treated with glyphosate or Roundup®, increased total superoxide dismutase, and content of malondialdehyde in the liver and intestine; moreover, decrease of glutathione peroxidase in the liver with increased in the intestine compared with the control. Besides, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase was increased in Roundup® group compared with other groups. Moreover, histopathological alterations in the liver and intestine tissues were observed in treated groups. Suppression of hepatic CYP1A2, CYP1A4, CYP1B1, and MDR1 mRNA expression after exposed to Roundup®. Furthermore, inhibition of CYP1A4 in the duodenum, CYP1A4, and MRP2 in the jejunum in embryos exposed to glyphosate or Roundup®. In addition, glyphosate treatment caused an increase of CYP3A5, CYP1C1, and IFNY mRNA expression in the jejunum and CYP1A2 expression in the ileum, while IFN-Y gene increase in embryos treated with Roundup®. In conclusion, in ovo exposure to glyphosate caused histopathological alterations and induced oxidative stress in the liver and small intestines. Moreover, the expression of cytochrome P450, MDR1, and MRP2 transporters was also modulated in the liver and small intestines for chick embryos.

Heat stress is a major concern in broiler’s production, which can damage liver of broilers. This study investigated the protective effects of mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on heat stress–induced hepatic injury in broilers. A total of 144 day-old male chicks were allocated into three treatment groups. Broilers raised under normal ambient temperature were fed a basal diet (control group), and broilers under heat stress (32–33 °C for 8 h daily) were given the basal diet supplemented without MOS (heat stress group) or with 1 g/kg MOS (MOS group) for 42 days. Compared with the control group, heat stress reduced liver weight, whereas increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in the serum. It also reduced glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the serum and liver, GSH content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the liver, but increased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the serum and liver. Dietary MOS decreased serum ALT activity in heat-stressed broilers. MOS inclusion also decreased serum MDA content, but elevated hepatic GSH-Px and SOD activities, with MDA content and GSH-Px activity still being different from the control group, and SOD activity being similar to the control group. Heat stress increased concentrations of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the serum and liver, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the liver, and mRNA abundances of HSP70, TLR4, MyD88, TNF-α, and IL-1β in the liver of broilers. Serum TNF-α content and mRNA abundances of hepatic TLR4 and TNF-α in MOS group were lower than the heat stress group, whereas these indexes were still higher than the control group. Our results indicated that dietary MOS ameliorated hepatic damage in heat-stressed broilers through alleviation of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful method for predicting the release of pollutants in the workplace and has recently been used as a valuable tool by health authorities. The purpose of this study was to predict the distribution of lead fume in the workplace using computational fluid dynamics in the electronics manufacturing industry. A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted in the Neyshabur electronics industry (2019). Individual exposure to lead fume was measured by the OSHA121 method. Simulation and prediction of lead fume emission in the workplace were done using computational fluid dynamics and by the ANSYS16 software. The mean of personal exposure to lead fumes was 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/m³. The software predicted the distribution of lead fumes in the respiratory zone of the worker to be in the range of 0.04 to 0.07 mg/m³, which is very close to the real values. By doubling the suction power of the topical ventilation used, workers’ exposure to lead fumes was nearly halved and reached well below the recommended limit. The results showed that CFD is a useful tool for simulating individual contact with pollutants in a geometry. Also, given that the CFD shows the diffusion and distribution of pollutants in all points of a geometry, it is useful to indicate critical locations and conditions.

Landscape patterns in a watershed potentially have significant influence on the occurrence, migration, and transformation of pollutants, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in rivers. Human activities can accelerate the pollution and complicate the problem especially in a peri-urban watershed with different types of land use. To characterize the heterogeneous correlations between landscape patterns and seasonal variations of N and P in a peri-urban watershed located upstream of Tianjin metropolis, China, observations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) at 33 locations were performed in the wet and dry seasons from 2013 to 2016. The data from individual locations were averaged for the wet and dry seasons and analyzed with geographical detector to identify influential landscape indices on seasonal water quality variations. The geographically weighted regression method, capable of analyzing heterogeneous correlations, was used to evaluate the integrated effects from different landscape indices. The results demonstrated that the location-weighted landscape contrast index (LWLI), the ratio of urban areas, and the ratio of forest areas were major influential indicators that affected TN and TP in river water. These indices also had integrated effects on variations of TN and TP together with other indices such as Shannon diversity index, landscape shape index, largest patch index, and contagion index. The integrated effects were different in the wet and dry seasons because of different effects of flushing and dilution by rainwater and the heterogeneity in landscape patterns. The LWLI had a positive relationship to water quality in the areas with high ratio of urban areas, indicating that domestic wastewater can be a major source of N and P pollution. The approaches and findings of this study may provide a reference for characterizing the major factors and integrated effects that control nonpoint source pollution in a watershed.

Progressive rare earth element (REE) enrichment in aquatic environments worldwide and their resulting anthropogenic anomalies have highlighted the need for a better understanding of their biological effects, with a special emphasis on microbial cells since they play a crucial role in good ecosystem functioning. Therefore, the primary aim of this work was to achieve simultaneous characterization of the 16 REE toxicity effects on the growth kinetics of the commonly found Gram-negative bacterium E. coli (BW25113 strain). Bacterial growth curve modelling showed hormetic effects in the presence of REEs, while EC₅₀ determination (in the mid-log phase) indicated that the four HREEs from Er to Lu in addition to Y were the most toxic metals (EC₅₀ in the range of 8.3 to 3 μM), just after Sc (EC₅₀ of 1.1 μM). Additional subcellular parameter assessment revealed cell membrane lipid peroxidation as well as enhanced membrane depolarization and permeability in the presence of La, Gd, or Yb as representatives of LREEs and HREEs. These subcellular effects appeared to be more intense with Gd and Yb compared with La-exposed cells, in relation to the overall higher toxicity potential reported for HREEs on bacterial growth. Also, the cellular ATP production decreased after REE exposure at their EC₅₀. Finally, these results emphasize the importance of growth kinetic consideration as well as the complexity of REE biological effect mechanisms towards bacteria.

The oxidation of sulfide ores is a common phenomenon. To better understand the current development and status of oxidation studies of sulfide ores (OSSO), a bibliometric analysis of OSSO was conducted by mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of the knowledge domain and the research focus using VOSviewer and Citespace tools. The data were derived from the Web of Science (WOS) core collection database from 2000 to 2018. Study emphases covered publication outputs, countries/regions, organizations, top journals, research focus and keyword co-occurrence network, and theme development. The results include the following findings: (1) The line of the 3-year moving average of publications (3-year MAP), h-index (3-year MAH), and authors (3-year MAA) increased from 2001 to 2018. Conversely, the h-index continuously declined. (2) Asia had the most publications, with 1052, followed by Europe, with 923, and America, with 767. China, the USA, and Australia are the most active countries. (3) The top 10 organizations with the most publications are five Chinese organizations and one organization from each of the following countries: Russia, Australia, France, and India. (4) Hydrometallurgy, Minerals Engineering, Ore Geology Reviews, Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, and Economic Geology are among the top 10 journals that researchers are most concerned about. (5) Cooperation among different organization or different countries is the most effective way to produce the most influential papers. (6) The OSSO is still focused on the process of oxidation by using different methods and techniques. In future work, it is necessary to progress new methods to understand the process of self-heating and prevent spontaneous combustion disaster of sulfide ore which result from OSSO.

Based on the observed heavy metals in the Danshui River estuarine system, the concentration of manganese (Mn) exceeds the water quality standards. High concentrations of manganese in aquatic environment can cause disturbances in the sodium balance, disturb the metabolism of carbohydrates, and impair the immunological functions of fish. Therefore, a three-dimensional heavy metal transport model was developed and incorporated into the hydrodynamics, salinity, and suspended sediment transport model to evaluate the concentration distribution of the heavy metal manganese (Mn) in the Danshui River estuarine system of northern Taiwan. The model was validated with observational data for water level, tidal current, salinity, suspended sediment concentration, and heavy metal (Mn) concentration that was measured in 2015. The indicators of statistical error, including mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and skill score (SS), were adopted to evaluate the model performance. There was good quantitative agreement between the simulation results and measurements. Sensitivity analysis of suspended sediment and heavy metal transport model was carried out to understand which parameters were important to be cautiously determined. Furthermore, the validated model was used to investigate the influence of suspended sediment on the concentration distribution of heavy metals (Mn) in tidal estuaries. If the suspended sediment transport module was excluded in model simulations, the predicted results for the heavy metal (Mn) concentration underestimated the measured data. The modeling results showed that the inclusion of the suspended sediment transport module in the model simulations was critically important to the results of the heavy metal (Mn) concentration in the tidal estuarine system in Taiwan.