A scientific campaign was undertaken along the Western sector of the Mediterranean Sea in the summer 2015 (26th Jun to 13th Jul), with the goal of gathering information about organic contaminants affecting marine aerosol over the Italian seas and with a special focus on changes in composition due to sources. 24 PM₁₀ atmospheric samples in total were chemically characterized, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aliphatic hydrocarbons (n-alkanes) and phthalate esters. Contemporarily, regulated gaseous toxicants (i.e. ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide) and meteorological parameters were recorded. Samplings were carried out inshore in front of harbors (N = 7) and along the cruise, both during the vessel shipping (N = 11, transects) and at its stops offshore (N = 6). Total PAH concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 1.94 ng/m³ and raised close to harbors and coastal sites, confirming that continental sources were responsible for the strong increase of pollution levels there compared to offshore. The percent composition and diagnostic ratio rates of PAHs were different for harbors, while transects were in agreement with offshore stops, possibly due to the different impact of pollution sources. n-Alkanes (C₂₁C₃₈) and the corresponding carbon preference index rates (CPI) were assessed; their values ranged 8.7–90 ng/m³ and 1.1–2.9 respectively, which suggested that fossil fuel combustion was the dominant source, though biogenic emission could contribute. Alkyl phthalates revealed wide variability in concentrations among aerosol samples. Moreover, long-range atmospheric transport and particle ageing effect induced by photo-oxidants were important factors controlling the composition of organic aerosols in the Mediterranean Sea air.

Rapid industrialization has led to high levels of mercury (Hg) releases from anthropogenic sources in China. When deposited to terrestrial ecosystems, Hg has a high affinity for natural organic carbon. This means that Hg concentrations will vary naturally as a function of the total organic carbon (TOC) content of different soils and sediment. Thus, Hg to TOC ratios in topsoil and surface sediment provides a useful normalized tracer of the anthropogenic impact on Hg contamination. We compiled literature-documented Hg and total organic carbon (TOC) data for topsoil (n = 957) and surface sediment (n = 1142) in China. Topsoil samples (n = 100) were also collected in this study to broaden the spatial coverage. We found large differences in Hg:TOC ratios among topsoil from background sites, agricultural and urban areas, and mining sites and surface sediment from fluvial, coastal, and marine environments. Specifically, a significant increase in Hg:TOC ratios occurred between soils from background sites (median: Hg:TOC = 21.1; Inter-Quartile Range (IQR): 9.67 to 40.7) and agricultural areas (median: 34.1; IQR: 22.1 to 58.7), urban areas (median: 62.1 ng g−1; IQR: 34.2 to 154) and mining sites (median: 2780; range: 181 to 43500). Urban and mining sites show the largest increase in Hg:TOC ratios, reflecting elevated anthropogenic Hg inputs in these areas. Fluvial sediment showed higher Hg:TOC ratios (median: 197; IQR: 109 to 389) than coastal (median: 88.3; IQR: 46.8 to 168) and marine sediment (median: 89.7; IQR: 53 to 138), indicating decreased anthropogenic Hg input from rivers to coastal and marine regions. Results of our study suggest Hg:TOC ratios are a useful normalized indicator of the influence of anthropogenic Hg releases on Hg enrichment in topsoil and surface sediment.

The application of nanoscale zero-valent iron is one of the most widely used remediation technologies; however, the potential environmental risks of this technology are largely unknown. In order to broaden the knowledge on this subject, the present work consists of a bibliometric study of all of publications related to the toxicity of zero-valent iron nanoparticles used in soil remediation available from the Scopus (Elsevier) and Web of Science (Thompson Reuters) databases. This study presents a temporal distribution of the publications, the most cited articles, the authors who have made the greatest contribution to the theme, and the institutions, countries, and scientific journals that have published the most on this subject. The use of bibliometrics has allowed for the visualization of a panorama of the publications, providing an appropriate analysis to guide new research towards an effective contribution to science by filling the existing gaps. In particular, the lack of studies in several countries reveals a promising area for the development of further research on this topic.

Biodegradable plastics have been introduced and widely used as a promising alternative to traditional nondegradable plastics. However, the differences in sorption behavior of pesticides on nondegradable and biodegradable microplastics has been insufficiently studied. Here, four types of nondegradable [polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP)] and two types of biodegradable [polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS)] microplastics were selected to investigate the sorption mechanism of fipronil based on their sorption kinetics and isotherms. The results indicated that the sorption rates of PLA and PBS were much higher than those of PE, PP, PVC and PS and that the sorption capacities of fipronil on microplastics followed the order of PBS > PLA > PP > PE > PS > PVC. The sorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order kinetics model (R² = 0.953–0.998) for all tested microplastics. External mass transport and intraparticle diffusion were the main rate controlling steps of the sorption of fipronil on microplastics. Furthermore, isotherm results indicated that a Langmuir model provided the best fit for fipronil sorption on PE, PS, PVC and PP (R² = 0.997–0.999), while a Freundlich model was the most appropriate model for PLA and PBS (R² = 0.998–0.999). The presence of surface O-containing functional groups and the spatial arrangement of rubbery domains are likely to affect the sorption process. The results from this work suggest that microplastics, especially biodegradable ones, may play an important role in the fate and transport of pesticides, and their effects on soil organisms (e.g., earthworms) require further investigation.

The associations between bisphenol analogues (BPs) exposure and oxidative damage was explored in this 3-year longitudinal study of 275 school children in East China. Nine BPs in first morning urine samples were measured to assess BPs exposure, and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-OHG) were measured as biomarkers of oxidative DNA and RNA damage. Linear mixed model (LMM) was used for repeated measures analysis. School children were mainly exposed to BPA, BPS, BPF, and BPAF (detection frequencies: 97.9%, 42.2%, 13.3%, and 12.8%) with median concentrations of 1.55, 0.355, 0.236 and 0.238 μg g⁻¹Cᵣₑ, respectively. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in urinary BPA was significantly associated with 12.9% (95% CI: 6.1%, 19.6%) increase in 8-OHdG and 19.4% (95% CI: 11.7%, 27.1%) increase in 8-OHG, and for total of BPs (the sum of BPA, BPS, BPF, and BPAF), they were 17.4% (95% CI: 8.9%, 26.0%) for 8-OHdG and 25.9% (95% CI: 16.1%, 35.7%) for 8-OHG, respectively. BPS was positively associated with 8-OHG, but not with 8-OHdG. The study found positive associations of urinary levels of BPA and total BPs with 8-OHdG and 8-OHG and indicated that BPs exposure might cause oxidative RNA damage.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a nonregulated brominated flame retardant with a high production volume, and it is applied in a wide variety of consumer products. TBBPA is ubiquitous in abiotic matrices, wildlife and humans around the world. This paper critically reviews the published scientific data concerning the disposition, metabolism or kinetics and toxicity of TBBPA in animals and humans. TBBPA is rapidly absorbed and widely distributed among tissues, and is excreted primarily in the feces. In rats, TBBPA and its metabolites have limited systemic bioavailability. TBBPA has been detected in human milk in the general population. It is available to both the developing fetus and the nursing pups following maternal exposure. It has been suggested that TBBPA causes acute toxicity, endocrine disruptor activity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity in animals. Cell-based assays have shown that TBBPA can induce reactive oxygen species in a concentration-dependent manner, and it promotes the production of inflammatory factors such as TNF α, IL-6, and IL-8. Cells exposed to high levels of TBBPA exhibit seriously injured mitochondria and a dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum. This review will enhance the understanding of the potential risks of TBBPA exposure to ecological and human health.

Research on hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) has increased since its listing in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2011. However, thorough reports on recent data regarding this topic are lacking. Moreover, potential associations between HCBD and some chlorinated organics have usually been ignored in previous research. In this review, possible formation pathways and sources, current environmental occurrences and human exposure risks of HCBD are discussed, as well as the association with several organochlorine compounds. The results reveal that unintentional production and emission from industrial activities and waste treatments are the main sources of HCBD. Similar precursors are found for HCBD and chlorobenzenes, indicating the presence of common sources. Although recent data indicates that levels of HCBD in the environment are generally low, risks from human exposure to HCBD, together with other pollutants, may be high. More attention in the future needs to be paid to the mixed contamination of HCBD and other pollutants from common sources.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the contamination of sewage sludge produced by municipal waste treatment plants in Poland by viable eggs of intestinal parasites of the genera Ascaris, Toxocara and Trichuris (ATT). Ninety-two municipal, mechanical-biological sewage treatment plants located within Poland were selected. These plants belonged to types of agglomerations: group 0 (large), group 1 (medium), group 2 (smaller) and group 3 (small). Samples were collected at the final stage of sewage treatment after the addition of flocculent to sludge, followed by dehydration. The samples were examined by a method adjusted to examine sewage sludge dehydrated using polyelectrolytes. The viability of the isolated eggs was evaluated based on incubation in a moist chamber. Live eggs of intestinal nematodes were found in 99% of samples. Most samples were contaminated by the eggs of Ascaris spp. (95%) and Toxocara spp. (96%). However, Trichuris spp. eggs were detected in 60% of samples. The mean number of eggs in 1 kg of dry mass (eggs/kg d.m.) was 5600 for Ascaris, 3700 for Toxocara and 1100 for Trichuris. The highest number of ATT eggs was detected in samples from sewage treatment plants located in south-eastern and central Poland. The highest number of ATT eggs was found in sewage sludge produced in large sewage treatment plants (agglomeration Groups 0 and 1), with mean values of 15,000 and 8900 eggs/kg d.m. The present study is the first parasitological investigation conducted on a large number of samples (92 samples) taken from various types of municipal sewage treatment plants located throughout Poland (16 regions) after the common introduction of polyelectrolytes during sewage sludge dehydration. The results of this study indicate that sludge produced in municipal sewage treatment plants is highly contaminated with parasite eggs.

Neonicotinoid insecticides have been widely used throughout the world over the last two decades. In the present study, we investigated the degradation of neonicotinoid insecticides nitenpyram (NIT) and dinotefuran (DIN) by the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624. While NIT was completely degraded by P. sordida YK-624 under ligninolytic conditions, only a 20% decrease was observed under nonligninolytic conditions. On the other hand, P. sordida YK-624 degraded 31% of DIN under ligninolytic conditions after a 20-day incubation, while it did not degrade DIN under nonligninolytic conditions. We found that cytochromes P450 played a key role in the biotransformation of NIT and DIN by P. sordida YK-624. A novel NIT metabolite (E)-N-((6-chloropyridin-3-yl)methyl)-N-ethyl-N′-hydroxy acetimidamide (CPMHA) and a novel DIN metabolite N-((4aS,7aS,E)-1-methylhexahydrofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2(1H)-ylidene)nitramide (PHPF) were identified in this study. In addition, to evaluate neurotoxicity, the effects of NIT, DIN and their metabolites on the viability of human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y were determined. PHPF showed higher neurological toxicity than DIN, whereas the metabolite of NIT, CPMHA, showed no toxic effect. Our results indicated that the neurological toxicity of NIT could be effectively removed by P. sordida YK-624.

The prevalence and proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has been identified as an emerging contaminant of concern and a crucial threat to public health worldwide. To determine the occurrence and distribution of ARGs in artificial agricultural irrigation systems, we designed eight sample sites of farmland drainage in the Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia, China. Results indicated that the distribution of ARGs in sub-drainage canals is influenced by the local urban area, agriculture, and animal husbandry structure. The blaTEM gene was predominant in the water samples (up to 8.98 ARG copies/16S rRNA genes). The average ARG abundance in drainage channel sampling sites was significantly higher than the influent water from the Yellow River, which means that the artificial agricultural irrigation system enhances the abundance of resistance genes in the study area. Moreover, the effluent water of the whole irrigation system presented a lower abundance of ARGs than the influent water. This demonstrates that the Wuliangsuhai watershed ecosystem plays an important role in regulating the abundance of ARGs in the area. In our study, the mobile gene elements correlated with trB, emrD, mexF, and vanC (P < 0.001) in the irrigation system. Additionally, different correlations exist between other special subtypes of ARGs. These findings provided deeper insights into mitigating the propagation of ARGs and the associated risks to public health.