The potential risks and exposure of Qinling giant pandas to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in a semi-urban site: temporal variation, risk assessment, source identification, and estimation of levels in diverse environments

This study evaluates atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in a semi-urban area, Görükle, Turkey, from June 2021 to February 2022. The average concentration of ∑16 PAHs was 24.85 ± 19.16 ng/m3, ranging from 6.70 to 59.11 ng/m3. Seasonal variations were observed, with winter concentrations approximately five times higher than those in summer, driven by increased residential heating emissions and adverse meteorological effects. The results were compared to literature values, revealing lower PAH levels than those found in other urban and industrial areas. Meteorological factors were statistically analyzed. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations exhibited an inverse relationship with temperature and mixing height, while relative humidity showed a positive linear correlation. The study also estimated PAH concentrations in various environmental media using gas-particle partitioning and equilibrium models. The concentrations of PAHs in the particulate phase were minimal, suggesting that most PAHs were present in the gas phase. Additionally, the equilibrium concentrations of PAHs in soil, leaves, bark, and water were modeled, emphasizing the accumulation of heavier PAHs in these media yet 2- and 3-ring PAHs were predominant in the ambient air samples. Source apportionment and principal component analysis studies identified vehicle emissions and combustion for heating purposes as the primary sources of pollution. However, air mass trajectory analysis indicated contributions from Kocaeli, an area with significant industrial activity. The cancer risk assessment yielded low risks for both adults and children.

Dynamic estimation of the soil environmental carrying capacity for Benzo(a)pyrene in an industrial city, China: Insight from both duration and rate of regional emission

An in-depth investigation of the maximum environmental load is crucial for soil security and pollution prevention. This research focused on soil environmental carrying capacity (SECC) for different risk receptors in a Chinese industrial city. By determining risk threshold for various land use types, we integrated mass balance and iterative models to capture dynamic net input fluxes with spatial heterogeneity. This enabled quantitative characterization of Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) SECC through top-down and bottom-up approaches (corresponding to duration (D) and rate of regional emission, respectively). The thresholds were in the order of agricultural land < residential land < forest < industrial land < park. The top-down analysis showed D increased ∼1.5x with a 5% input flux decline until 2031. The bottom-up analysis suggested industrial emissions decreased by approximately 10% as the pollution control period was extended from 20 to 50 years. Both methods showed that at maximum background values (C0), D was ∼4x and the industrial emission rate was ∼10% higher than at minimum C0. SECC values near industrial areas significantly decreased, even reaching negative values, signifying complete carrying capacity loss. This study provided an approach to the dynamics of SECC under diverse scenarios, aiding informed decision-making for sustainable land management.

Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollutants in industrial parks under valley landforms in Tibetan Plateau: Spatial pattern, ecological risk and interaction with soil microorganisms

The spatial patterns of pollutants produced by industrial parks are affected by many factors, but the interactions among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and soil microorganisms in the valley landforms of the Tibetan Plateau are poorly understood. Thus, this study systematically investigated the distribution and pollution of metals and PAHs in soil around an industrial park in the typical valley landform of the Tibetan Plateau and analyzed and clarified the interaction among metals, PAHs, and microorganisms. The results were as follows: metal and PAH concentrations were affected by wind direction, especially WN-ES and S-N winds; Cd (2.86-54.64 mg·kg-1) had the highest soil concentrations of the metals screened, followed by variable concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn; the pollution levels of metals and PAHs in the S-N wind direction were lower than those in the WN-ES wind direction; the Cd content of Avena sativa in the agricultural soil around the factory exceeded its enrichment ability and food safety standards; the closer to the center of the park, the higher the ecological risk of PAHs; and the TEQ and MEQ values of the PAHs were consistent with their concentration distributions. The results of the soil microbial diversity and co-occurrence network in the dominant wind direction showed that metal and PAH pollution weakened the robustness of soil microbial communities. Additionally, the diversity and robustness of soil microbial communities at the S wind site were higher than those at the ES wind site, which might be attributed to the lower metal content of the former than the latter, which plays a negative role in the biodegradation of PAHs. The results of this study provide insights into the site selection, pollutant supervision, and environmental remediation of industrial parks in typical landforms.

Annona Muricata L. extract restores renal function, oxidative stress, immunohistochemical structure, and gene expression of TNF-α, IL-β1, and CYP2E1 in the kidney of DMBA-intoxicated rats

Introduction: 7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA) is a harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derivative known for its cytotoxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects in mammals and other species. Annona muricata, L. (Graviola; GRV) is a tropical fruit tree traditionally well-documented for its various medicinal benefits. This investigation is the first report on the potential antioxidant and antinfammatory reno-protective impact of GRV against DMBA-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Methods: Forty male albino rats were allocated into four equal groups (n = 10). The 1st group served as the control, the 2nd group (GRV) was gastro-gavaged with GRV (200 mg/kg b.wt), the 3rd group (DMBA) was treated with a single dose of DMBA (15 mg/kg body weight), and the 4th group (DMBA + GRV) was gastro-gavaged with a single dose of DMBA, followed by GRV (200 mg/kg b.wt). The GRV administration was continued for 8 weeks. Results and Discussion: Results revealed a significant improvement in renal function, represented by a decrease in urea, creatinine, and uric acid (UA) in the DMBA + GRV group. The antioxidant potential of GRV was confirmed in the DMBA + GRV group by a significant decline in malondialdehyde (MDA) and a significant increase in catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S transferase (GST), and reduced glutathione (GSH) compared to DMBA-intoxicated rats; however, it was not identical to the control. Additionally, the antiinflammatory role of GRV was suggested by a significant decline in mRNA expression of cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily e, polypeptide 1 (CYP2E1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) in the DMBA + GRV group. Moreover, GRV improved the histopathologic and immunohistochemical expression of TNF-α, CYP450, and IL1β in DMBA-intoxicated kidney tissue. Conclusively, GRV is a natural medicinal product that can alleviate the renal injury resulting from environmental exposure to DMBA. The reno-protective effects of GRV may involve its anti-inflammatory and/or antioxidant properties, which are based on the presence of phytochemical compounds such as acetogenins, alkaloids, and flavonoids.

Integrated Insights into Source Apportionment and Source-Specific Health Risks of Potential Pollutants in Urban Park Soils on the Karst Plateau, SW China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) pose risks to environmental and human health. Identification of priority control contaminants is important in guiding the management and control of these synchronous pollutants. A total of 247 soil samples were collected from 64 urban parks in the karst plateau city of Guiyang in SW China to determine the concentrations, spatial distributions, and health risks of PAHs and HMs. The results indicate that dibenz(ah)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene are the main PAHs species of high ecological risk, and Cr, Mn, and Ni pose elevated ecological risk among the HMs. Four sources were identified for PAHs (biomass burning, coke oven, traffic sources, and coal burning) and HMs (traffic sources, coal burning, industrial sources, and natural sources). The non-carcinogenic risk (NCR) and total carcinogenic risk (TCR) of PAHs were all determined to be negligible and at acceptable levels, several orders of magnitude below those of HMs. The NCR and TCR values of HMs were relatively high, especially for children (11.9% of NCR > 1; 79.1% of TCR > 10-4). Coal burning and natural sources make the greatest contributions to the NCR and TCR values from karst park soils in Guiyang. Considering HMs bioavailability, NCR and TCR values were rather low, due to the high residual HM fractions. Integrated insights into source specific ecological and human health risk indicate future directions for management and control of synchronous PAH and HM pollution, particularly for karst plateau areas.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12403-023-00534-3.

Evaluating Different Extraction Approaches for GC-MS Based Metabolomics Analysis of the Giant Pandas' Fur

Giant pandas in zoo captivity are situated in residential areas, where environmental pollutants and anthropogenic factors have an impact on their health. Hair metabolomics has been applied in numerous environmental toxicological studies. Therefore, the panda fur metabolome could be a reliable approach to reflect endogenous and exogenous metabolic changes related to environmental exposure. However, there is no established extraction protocol to study the fur metabolome of pandas. The aim of this research was to optimize the extraction of panda fur metabolome for high-throughput metabolomics analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fur samples were collected from five pandas. Eight different extraction methods were investigated and evaluated for their reproducibility, metabolite coverage, and extraction efficiency, particularly in relation to the biochemical compound classes such as amino acids, tricarboxylic acid cycle derivatives, fatty acids, and secondary metabolites. Our results demonstrated that HCl + ACN were the superior extraction solvents for amino acid and secondary metabolite extraction, and NaOH + MeOH was ideal for fatty acid extraction. Interestingly, the metabolomic analysis of panda fur was capable of discriminating the longitudinal metabolite profile between black and white furs. These extraction protocols can be used in future study protocols for the analysis of the fur metabolome in pandas.