Advances in drilling techniques have facilitated a rapid increase in hydrocarbon extraction from energy shales, including the Williston Basin in central North America. This area overlaps with the Prairie Pothole Region, a region densely populated with wetlands that provide numerous ecosystem services. Historical (legacy) disposal practices often released saline co-produced waters (brines) with high chloride concentrations, affecting wetland water quality directly or persisting in sediments. Despite the potential threat of brine contamination to aquatic habitats, there has been little research into its ecological effects. We capitalized on a gradient of legacy brine-contaminated wetlands in northeast Montana to conduct laboratory experiments to assess variation in survival of larval Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata) reared on sediments from 3 local wetlands and a control source. To help provide environmental context for the experiment, we also measured chloride concentrations in 6 brine-contaminated wetlands in our study area, including the 2 contaminated sites used for sediment exposures. Survival of frog larvae during 46- and 55-day experiments differed by up to 88% among sediment sources (Site Model) and was negatively correlated with potential chloride exposure (Chloride Model). Five of the 6 contaminated wetlands exceeded the U.S. EPA acute benchmark for chloride in freshwater (860 mg/L) and all exceeded the chronic benchmark (230 mg/L). However, the Wetland Site model explained more variation in survival than the Chloride Model, suggesting that chloride concentration alone does not fully reflect the threat of contamination to aquatic species. Because the profiles of brine-contaminated sediments are complex, further surveys and experiments are needed across a broad range of conditions, especially where restoration or remediation actions have reduced brine-contamination. Information provided by this study can help quantify potential ecological threats and help land managers prioritize conservation strategies as part of responsible and sustainable energy development.

Receptor models were typically used in air pollution studies and few publications are available for Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) that consider the details of parameters and procedures in evaluating the trace organic pollutants in sediments. In this study, environmental fate and source composition of Lake Eymir sediments contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were explored by applying two PMF models, Paatero's PMF2 and United States Environmental Protection Agency's (US EPA) EPA-PMF3. PMF2 and EPA-PMF3 rely on different algorithms; Paatero's algorithm and multilinear engine algorithm, respectively. Here, the approaches of two PMF models were compared for the identification of PCB patterns taking into consideration the effects of various uncertainty matrices, residual matrices and goodness-of fit parameters. As a result of the study, it was understood that both models resolved five factors and indicated Clophen A60 as the source of PCBs. These results were consistent with the results resolved by Chemical Mass Balance model applied to the same data set in a previous study. However, source contributions identified by two models differed in quantity, but with similar patterns. This study indicates a way in understanding behavior, fate and global source of persistent organic pollutants in sediment by applying and comparing with a special data including high percentage of below detected value (38.2%) to understand the dynamics of PMF model parameters.

We investigated the occurrence of disinfection by-products (DBPs) with genotoxic potential in plant effluent and distribution water samples from four drinking water treatment plants in two Chinese cities using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–quadrupole mass spectrometry. We tested the samples for 37 DBPs with genotoxic potential, which we had previously identified and prioritized in water under controlled laboratory conditions. Thirty of these DBPs were found in the water samples at detection frequencies of between 10% and 100%, and at concentrations between 3.90 and 1.77 × 103 ng/L. Of the DBPs detected, the concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloropropan-2-one were highest, and ranged from 299 to 1.77 × 103 ng/L with an average of 796 ng/L. The concentrations of 6-chloro-2-N-propan-2-yl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine and 2,6-ditert-butylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione were also much higher, and ranged from 107 to 721 ng/L, and from 152 to 504 ng/L, respectively. Concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloropropan-2-one, 2-chloro-1-phenylethanone, 2,2-dichloro-1-phenylethanone and 6-chloro-2-N-propan-2-yl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine were highest at or near the treatment plants and decreased with increasing distance from the plants. Patterns in the concentrations of benzaldehyde, 2-phenylpropan-2-ol, and 1-methylnaphthalene differed between plants. The levels of DBPs such as 4-ethylbenzaldehyde, (E)-non-2-enal, and 1-phenylethanone were relatively constant within the distribution systems, even at the furthest sampling points (20 km < d < 30 km). A risk assessment showed that there was no risk to human health. It is, however, important to note that, because of limited availability of toxicity data, only five DBPs were evaluated in this study. The risks to health associated with exposure to the target potentially genotoxic DBPs should not be ignored because of their prolonged existence in drinking water.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a ubiquitous environmental persistent organic pollutant and a well-known endocrine disruptor. BaP exposure could alter the steroid balance in females. Endometrium decidualization and decidual angiogenesis are critical events for embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance during early pregnancy and are modulated by steroids. However, the effect of BaP on decidualization is not clear. This study aimed to explore the effects of BaP on decidualization and decidual angiogenesis in pregnant mice. The result showed that the uteri in the BaP-treated groups were smaller and exhibited an uneven size compared with those in the control group. Artificial decidualization was detected in the uteri of the controls, but weakened decidualization response was observed in the BaP-treated groups. BaP significantly reduced the levels of estradiol, progesterone, and their cognate receptors ER and PR, respectively. The expression of several decidualization-related factors, including FOXO1, HoxA10, and BMP2, were altered after BaP treatment. BaP reduced the expression of cluster designation 34 (CD34), which indicated that the decidual angiogenesis was inhibited by BaP treatment. In addition, BaP induced the downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor A. These data suggest that oral BaP ingestion compromised decidualization and decidual angiogenesis. Our results provide experimental data for the maternal reproductive toxicity of BaP during early pregnancy, which is very important for a comprehensive risk assessment of BaP on human reproductive health.

This study examines the spatio-temporal trends obtained from decade long (Jan 2003–Dec 2014) satellite observational data of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) on carbon monoxide (CO) concentration over the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) region. The time sequence plots of columnar CO levels over the western, central and eastern IGP regions reveal marked seasonal behaviour, with lowest CO levels occurring during the monsoon months and the highest CO levels occurring during the pre-monsoon period. A negative correlation between CO levels and rainfall is observed. CO vertical profiles show relatively high values in the upper troposphere at ∼200 hPa level during the monsoon months, thus suggesting the role of convective transport and advection in addition to washout behind the decreased CO levels during this period. MOPITT and AIRS observations show a decreasing trend of 9.6 × 1015 and 1.5 × 1016 molecules cm−2 yr−1, respectively, in columnar CO levels over the IGP region. The results show the existence of a spatial gradient in CO from the eastern (higher levels) to western IGP region (lower levels). Data from the Census of India on the number of households using various cooking fuels in the IGP region shows the prevalence of biomass-fuel (i.e. firewood, crop residue, cowdung etc.) use over the eastern and central IGP regions and that of liquefied petroleum gas over the western IGP region. CO emission estimates from cooking activity over the three IGP regions are found to be in the order east > central > west, which support the existence of the spatial gradient in CO from eastern to the western IGP region. Our results support the intervention of present Indian government on limiting the use of biomass-fuels in domestic cooking to achieve the benefits in terms of the better air quality, household health and regional/global climate change mitigation.

The aim of the study was to investigate abiotic and biotic factors influencing the accumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) in mussels Mytilus trossulus from the Gulf of Gdansk (Southern Baltic). The key abiotic factor influencing BPA, OP and NP accumulation in mussels is their hydrophilicity/lipophilicity, which affects their main assimilation routes - by digestive tract for the more lipophilic OP and NP, and additionally by the gills for the less lipophilic BPA. As a result, high condition index (i.e. higher soft tissue weight) is more often correlated with high concentrations of OP and NP in mussels than with BPA. Furthermore, alkylphenols have 6–8 times greater accumulative potential than BPA. Concentration of the studied compounds was lower in females than in males following spawning, and the effect lasted longer for BPA than for alkylphenols. The influence of season and hydrological conditions on BPA, OP, NP in the mussel was more pronounced than the proximity of external sources of these compounds. An increase in water temperature in summer probably stimulated the solubility of BPA, the least lipophilic of the studied compounds, and led to increased assimilation of this compound from water (through gills). On the other hand, high OP and NP concentrations in mussels occurred in spring, which was caused by increased surface run-off and sediments resuspension.

Much effort has been made to standardise sampling procedures, laboratory analysis, data analysis, etc. for semi volatile organic contaminants (SVOCs). Yet there are some unresolved issues in regards to comparing measurements from one of the most commonly used passive samplers (PAS), the polyurethane foam (PUF) disk PAS (PUF-PAS), between monitoring networks or different studies. One such issue is that there is no universal means to derive a sampling rate (Rs) or to calculate air concentrations (Cair) from PUF-PAS measurements for SVOCs. Cair was calculated from PUF-PAS measurements from a long-term monitoring program at a site in central Europe applying current understanding of passive sampling theory coupled with a consideration for the sampling of particle associated compounds. Cair were assessed against concurrent active air sampler (AAS) measurements. Use of “site-based/sampler-specific” variables: Rs, calculated using a site calibration, provided similar results for most gas-phase SVOCs to air concentrations derived using “default” values (commonly accepted Rs). Individual monthly PUF-PAS-derived air concentrations for the majority of the target compounds were significantly different (Wilcoxon signed-rank (WSR) test; p < 0.05) to AAS regardless of the input values (site/sampler based or default) used to calculate them. However, annual average PUF-PAS-derived air concentrations were within the same order of magnitude as AAS measurements except for the particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Underestimation of PUF-derived air concentrations for particle-phase PAHs was attributed to a potential overestimation of the particle infiltration into the PUF-PAS chamber and underestimation of the particle bound fraction of PAHs.

Regional haze pollution has become an important environmental issue in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. Regional transport and inter-influence of PM2.5 among cities occurs frequently as a result of the subtropical monsoon climate. Backward trajectory statistics indicated that a north wind prevailed from October to March, while a southeast wind predominated from May to September. The temporal relationships of carbon and nitrogen isotopes among cities were dependent on the prevailing wind direction. Regional PM2.5 pollution was confirmed in the YRD region by means of significant correlations and similar cyclical characteristics of PM2.5 among Lin'an, Ningbo, Nanjing and Shanghai. Granger causality tests of the time series of PM2.5 values indicate that the regional transport of haze pollutants is governed by prevailing wind direction, as the PM2.5 concentrations from upwind area cities generally influence that of the downwind cities. Furthermore, stronger correlation coefficients were identified according to monsoon pathways. To clarify the impacts of the monsoon climate, a vector autoregressive (VAR) model was introduced. Variance decomposition in the VAR model also indicated that the upwind area cities contributed significantly to PM2.5 in the downwind area cities. Finally, we attempted to predict daily PM2.5 concentrations in each city based on the VAR model using data from all cities and obtained fairly reasonable predictions. These indicate that statistical methods of the Granger causality test and VAR model have the potential to evaluate inter-influence and the relative contribution of PM2.5 among cities, and to predict PM2.5 concentrations as well.

Africa's economy is growing faster than any other continent and it has been estimated that the middle class in Africa now exceeds 350 million people. This has meant a parallel increase in the importation of consumer goods and in the implementation of communication and information technologies (ICT), but also in the generation of large quantities of e-waste. However, inadequate infrastructure development remains a major constraint to the continent's economic growth and these highly toxic residues are not always adequately managed. Few studies have been conducted to date assessing the possible association between socioeconomic development factors, including e-waste generation, and blood levels of inorganic elements in African population. To disclose the role of geographical, anthropogenic, and socioeconomic development determinants on the blood levels of Ag, Al, As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, and V —all of them frequently found in e-waste—, an immigrant population-based study was made including a total of 245 subjects from 16 countries recently arrived to the Canary Islands (Spain). Women presented higher levels of blood elements than men, and Northern Africans (Moroccans) were the most contaminated. People from low-income countries exhibited significantly lower blood levels of inorganic elements than those from middle-income countries. We found a significant association between the use of motor vehicles and the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the level of contamination. Immigrants from the countries with a high volume of imports of second-hand electronic equipment, telephone and internet use had higher levels of inorganic elements. In general terms, the higher level of economic development the higher the blood levels of inorganic pollutants, suggesting that the economic development of Africa, in parallel to e-waste generation and the existence of informal recycling sites, have directly affected the level of contamination of the population of the continent.