Water, sediment, and wild aquatic species were collected from an electronic waste (e-waste) polluted pond in South China. This study aimed to investigate the bioaccumulation, tissue distribution, and trophic transfer of organophosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) in these aquatic organisms. The concentrations of PFRs detected in the analyzed organisms were between 1.7 and 47 ng/g wet weight (ww). Oriental river prawn and snakehead exhibited the highest and lowest levels, respectively. Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) were dominant contaminants, accounting for approximately 86% of the total sum. The mean values of bioaccumulation factors (BCFs) and logarithmic biota-sediment accumulation factors (log BSAFs) for individual PFRs varied from 6.6 to 1109 and from −2.0 to 0.41, respectively. Both log BCFs and log BSAFs of PFRs were significantly and positively correlated with their octanol-water partitioning coefficient (log KOW). The concentrations of PFRs in tissues of large mud carp and snakehead were significantly and positively correlated with the lipid content (each p < 0.05) and the liver, kidney, and gill exhibited high PFR levels. When the concentration was expressed on a lipid basis, liver exhibited the lowest level, indicating the probable effects of metabolism. Significantly positive correlation was also found between lipid content and total PFR concentration in muscle of all aquatic organisms, given the strong correlation between lipid content and the concentration of TnBP. Trophic magnification factors (TMF) of TnBP and TPhP were lower than 1 (0.57 and 0.62), indicating that these PFRs undergo trophic dilution in this aquatic food web.

Hydrogen gas (H₂) has been shown as an important factor in plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, the effects of H₂ and its interaction with nitric oxide (NO) on alleviating cadmium (Cd) stress in Brassica campestris seedlings were investigated. NO donor (SNP) or hydrogen-rich water (HRW) treatment showed a significant improvement in growth of Cd-stressed seedlings. Cd treatment upregulated both endogenous NO and H₂ (36% and 66%, respectively), and the increase of H₂ was prior to NO increase. When treated with NO scavenger (PTIO) or NO biosynthesis enzyme inhibitors (L-NAME and Gln), HRW-induced alleviation under Cd stress was prevented. Under Cd stress, HRW pretreatment significantly enhanced the NO accumulation, and together up-regulated the activity of NR (nitrate reductase) and expression of NR. HRW induced lower reactive oxygen species (ROS), higher AsA content, enhanced activity of POD (peroxidase) and SOD (superoxide dismutase) in seedling roots were inhibited by PTIO, L-NAME and Gln. Through proteomic analysis, the level of 29 proteins were changed in response to H₂ and NO-induced amelioration of Cd stress. Nearly half of them were involved in oxidation-reduction processes (about 20%) or antioxidant enzymes (approximately 20%). These results strongly indicate that in Cd-stressed seedlings, pretreatment with HRW induces the accumulation of H₂ (biosynthesized or permeated), which further stimulates the biosynthesis of NO through the NR pathway. Finally, H₂ and NO together enhance the antioxidant capabilities of seedlings in response to Cd toxicity.

In the present investigation seaweeds of macroalgae like Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gracilaria salicornia and Gracilaria edulis used as novel biosorbent in native (KA, GS, GE) and ethanol modified (EKA, EGS, EGE) for Rhodamine B (RB) removal from aqueous solution in batch process. Effect of various biosorption parameters such as pH, initial concentration of RB, biosorbent dosage and contact time were studied. The maximum biosorption capacity determined as 9.84 (KA), 11.03 (GS), 8.96 (GE), 112.35 (EKA), 105.26 (EGS) and 97.08 mg/g (EGE), respectively towards the removal of RB from aqueous solutions. Better removal of RB was observed using EKA, EGS, and EGE biosorbents at 2.0 pH. The characterizations of the biosorbents were performed using Scanning Electron microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Biosorption equilibrium data evaluated using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Jovanovic isotherm model. The Langmuir isotherm model best suited the equilibrium data for all the biosorbents studied. The rate of RB removal subjected to kinetic analysis using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intra-particle diffusion and Elovich models. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model better described the experimental data of the RB biosorption. Desorption studies performed using 0.1 M sodium hydroxide as eluting agents for regeneration and recycle analysis. The recyclability of the six biosorbents showed consistent biosorption capacity towards RB removal up to the entire three cycles. The studied biosorbents sourced from large volume and easily available, further biosorption performance indicated that the KA, GS, GE, EKA, EGS and EGE could be used as efficient, alternative and eco-friendly biosorbents for the removal of harmful dyes in the environment.

The inorganic content of the well-preserved 3.2-m record of Las Conchas bog (NW Spain), covering 8000 cal yr BP., was analysed. To study natural vs. human contributions, we applied an innovative approach, namely the sequential study of multivariate statistics (factor analysis followed by clustering of the factor score matrix) and enrichment factors (EFs). The increasing weight of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as the geochemical association of Zn, Pb and Cd (EFs higher than 10, 20 and 40 in the last two centuries) was revealed, and corroborated by the contrast between the contents of anthropogenic Pb and total Rare Earth Elements (a suitable proxy for natural geogenic supplies). Furthermore, elements such as Hg, Tl and As also showed enrichment in the most recent samples of the study core. Some of them are commonly associated with global atmospheric transport; however, in this case, their increasing contents could also be explained by nearby industrial and mining activities.In summary, severe pollution was observed in the uppermost part of the record, thereby pointing to an important environmental concern. Given that local and regional sources of PTEs, such as mining and heavy industry, especially Zn smelting, were probably the main historical causes of this contamination and that some of these industries are still active, we consider that our findings deserve further attention.

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal derived mainly from industrial processes. In industrialized societies, individuals are exposed to a plethora of sources of Cd pollution. Cd can trigger serious diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by the over-activating immune system. As an effector mechanism in innate immunity, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) not only play an important role in defending against infection but also lead to tissue damage. However, the role of NETs in Cd-induced lung damage process has not been previously studied. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential effects of Cd-induced NETs on lung injury in vivo and further to clarify the molecular mechanisms of Cd-induced NETs formation. In vivo, Cd treatment destroyed the structural integrity of lung tissue and significantly increased the levels of NETs in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The known NETs inhibitor DNase I ameliorated pathologic changes and significantly decreased levels of NETs in BALF, which suggesting the curial role of NETs in Cd-induced lung injury. Further investigation showed that Cd could significantly trigger NETs formation, which is composed of DNA backbone decorated with histones (H3) and neutrophils elastase (NE). The inhibitors of NADPH oxidase, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK-signaling pathways significantly reduced the formation of NETs, and western blotting analysis also showed that Cd significantly increased the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Above results confirmed that NADPH oxidase, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK-signaling pathways were related to Cd-induced NETs formation. In conclusion, NETs was involved in Cd-induced lung injury, and the mechanisms of Cd-induced NETs formation was via activating NADPH oxidase, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK-signaling pathways, which might provide a new perspective in Cd-induced lung injury.

Lead (Pb) both in paints and children's Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) toys is a major public health concern which has attracted attention of the international community. Concentrations of Pb both in lead-based paints and children's PVC toys have been assessed through various studies across the globe. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to summarize the results reported in these studies and provide some comprehension on their implications to human health for law enforcement as well as for awareness raising to the general public. Highlights on identified gaps have been provided to pave ways for further research interventions in order to establish comprehensive information on the subject.Regardless of regulatory limits on the content of lead, both in paints and children's PVC toys existing in different countries in the world, some of the reviewed articles have revealed significant levels of lead in these two items far above the permissible limits.High lead levels in paints have been recorded in China (116,200 ppm), Cameroon (500,000 ppm), South Africa (189,000 ppm), Tanzania (120,862.1 ppm), Uganda (150,000 ppm), Thailand (505,716 ppm) and Brazil (170,258.4 ppm) just to mention a few.Lead poisoning cases in children have been reported in several countries including France, Morocco, South Africa and United States. Countries where high levels of lead in children's PVC toys have been recounted include; China (860,000 ppm), South Africa (145,000 ppm), United States (22,550 ppm), Thailand (4,486.11 ppm), Palestine (6,036 ppm) and India (2,104 ppm).Awareness raising among parents is vital to impart them with knowledge on the matter so that they can take strenuous measures to protect their children from lead poisoning emanating from playing with toys and paint dust. Law enforcement on phasing out lead-based paints and control of lead content in children's PVC toys worldwide is also highly recommended.

To differentiate the source of aeolian dust between the desert sources from Pan-third pole and high mountain glaciers, therefore, we investigated the spatial variability of aeolian dust sources in the Pan-third polar region. The question of whether such changes reflect variable transport pathways from a unique source in the western China area was addressed. That is, the SrNd radiogenic isotope composition of modern desert samples do not support the hypothesis of a single dust provenance at higher elevation mountain glaciers by long-distance transport; regional sources also play a significant role. Based on previous studies and the data from this study, the five isotopic regions were divided, which are controlled by the geological characteristics in western China. The results suggest that mineral dust deposited into the high-mountain glaciers originated from the free ice region because of glacier melting and the physical and chemical erosion of rocks from the surrounding mountains by local wind systems. The Pb isotopic data further demonstrated that natural dust is the source of Pb for the high-mountain glaciers of Pan-third pole. These results provide an exhaustive documentation of the isotopic signature of the regional dust reaching the glacier regions.

With the increased numbers of nuclear power plants constructed along the east coast of China, it is important to know radioactive sources and transport pathways between land and sea, in order to better understand the impact of these nuclear facilities to the marine environment. Two sediment cores collected from the East China Sea dated to 1959–2010 were analyzed for long-lived radioactive 129I and stable 127I. It was observed that 129I levels (129I/127I ratio of (15.0–75.0) × 10−12) were significantly increased compared to the pre-nuclear value (129I/127I = 1.5 × 10−12). Some 129I peaks were observed in layers of 1959, 1966, 1971 and 1976 (1977), corresponding to the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests at Pacific Proving Grounds and Lop Nor. The high values of 129I after the late 1970s are attributed to the releases from the European reprocessing plants. In addition to ocean current transport, the atmospheric dispersion through the interaction of the Westerlies with East Asia monsoon is the important pathway of large-scale transport of pollutants from high latitude West Europe to middle latitude East Asia. Riverine input is the main transport pathway of radioactive pollutants released from Lop Nor to the East China Sea through the atmospheric dispersion, deposition and runoff processes.

The aim of this work was to develop a new modified graphite felt (GF) as carbonaceous cathode for electro-Fenton (EF) application loaded with nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) carbonized by zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanocrystals as carbon precursor. At initial pH 7, the highest generation rate of H₂O₂ was 0.74 mg h⁻¹ cm⁻² by applying 12.5 mA cm⁻² by modified cathode, but in the same condition, the GF only had 0.067 mg h⁻¹ cm⁻². The production efficiency increased 10 times. Additionally, phenol (50 mg L⁻¹) could be largely removed by NPC modified cathode, the mineralization ratio and TOC reached 100% and 82.61% at 120 min of optimization condition, respectively. The NPC cathode kept its stability after 5 cycles. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The results demonstrated that a homogenous NPC covered the carbon-based material GF. The existing graphitic-N and sp² carbon of NPC promoted the electron transfer between carbon surface and oxygen molecules, as well as accelerated the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the modified graphite felt had much higher electrocatalytic activity. In this work, several manufacturing parameters like the current, pH and load of NPC were optimized. The optimized design could improve the efficiency of new cathode with in situ electro-chemical production of H₂O₂ and significantly offer a potential material for degradation of organic pollutants.

The control of agricultural pests is key to maintain economically viable crops. Increasing environmental awareness, however, is leading to more restrictive European policies regulating the use of certain pesticides due to their impact on human health and the soil system. Given this context, we evaluated the efficacy of three alternatives to the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), which is currently banned in Europe: two non-fumigant nematicides [oxamyl (OX) and fenamiphos (FEN)] and the soil fumigant dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). We analysed the efficiency of these pesticides against root-knot nematodes and soil fungal pathogens (determined by qPCR) as well as the soil biological quality after treatments application (estimated by enzyme activities). Among treatments, 1,3-D and DMDS significantly reduced nematode populations. FEN was more effective in sandy soil, while OX had no effect in any soil. OX and FEN had no effect on fungal pathogens, whereas DMDS reduced the abundance of Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani at the root level in clay-loam soil. Soil quality decreased after treatment application but then recovered throughout the experiment, indicating the possible dissipation of the pesticides. Our findings support DMDS as a potential sustainable alternative for controlling root-knot nematodes and fungal pathogens due to its effectiveness in both studied soils, although its negative impact on soil biological quality in sandier soils must be taken into account.Main finding of the work. DMDS is a reliable alternative to 1,3-D for controlling agricultural pest but its inhibitory effect on soil enzyme activities varied according to the soil characteristics.