COF-based membranes for liquid phase separation: Preparation, mechanism and perspective

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new kind of crystalline porous materials composed of organic molecules connected by covalent bonds, processes the characteristics of low density, large specific surface area, adjustable pore size and structure, and easy to functionalize, which have been widely used in the field of membrane separation technology. Recently, there are more and more researches focusing on the preparation methods, separation application, and mechanism of COF membranes, which need to be further summarized and compared. In this review, we primarily summarized several conventional preparation methods, such as two-phase interfacial polymerization, in-situ growth on substrate, unidirectional diffusion method, layer-by-layer assembly method, mixed matrix membranes, and so on. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are briefly summarized. The application potential of COF membrane in liquid separation are introduced from four aspects: dyeing wastewater treatment, heavy metal removal, seawater desalination and oil-water separation. Then, the mechanisms including pore structure, hydrophilic/hydrophobic, electrostatic repulsion/attraction and Donnan effect are introduced. For the efficient removal of different kind of pollutions, researchers can select different ligands to construct membranes with specific pore size, hydrophily, salt or organic rejection ability and functional group. The ideas for the design and preparation of COF membranes are introduced. Finally, the future direction and challenges of the next generation of COF membranes in the field of separation are prospected.

Siderophores and metallophores: Metal complexation weapons to fight environmental pollution

Siderophores are small molecules of organic nature, released by bacteria to chelate iron from the surrounding environment and subsequently incorporate it into the cytoplasm. In addition to iron, these secondary metabolites can complex with a wide variety of metals, which is why they are commonly studied in the environment. Heavy metals can be very toxic when present in large amounts on the planet, affecting public health and all living organisms. The pollution caused by these toxic metals is increasing, and therefore it is urgent to find practical, sustainable, and economical solutions for remediation. One of the strategies is siderophore-assisted bioremediation, an innovative and advantageous alternative for various environmental applications. This research highlights the various uses of siderophores and metallophores in the environment, underscoring their significance to ecosystems. The study delves into the utilization of siderophores and metallophores in both marine and terrestrial settings (e.g. bioremediation, biocontrol of pathogens, and plant growth promotion), such as bioremediation, biocontrol of pathogens, and plant growth promotion, providing context for the different instances outlined in the existing literature and highlighting their relevance in each field. The study delves into the structures and types of siderophores focusing on their singular characteristics for each application and methodologies used. Focusing on recent developments over the last two decades, the opportunities and challenges associated with siderophores and metallophores applications in the environment were mapped to arm researchers in the fight against environmental pollution.

Rapid authenticity assessment of PGI Hongyuan yak milk based on SICRIT-QTOF MS

Hongyuan (HY) yaks live in a pollution-free environment, making HY yak milk a green food, but their short milk production period and low milk yield make yak milk precious and expensive. The phenomenon of counterfeiting HY yak milk with ordinary milk from other origins has already occurred, so the authenticity assessment of HY yak milk is necessary. This study developed a rapid soft ionisation by chemical reaction in transfer quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SICRIT-QTOF MS) for HY yak milk differences assessment. Principal component analysis and orthogonal least squares discriminant analysis showed differences between HY milk and the other three origins. Twenty-eight differential compounds were screened out by variable importance in projection, fold change, P-value, and database matching. Furthermore, six characteristic compounds (proline, 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid, and l-isoleucine, etc.) of HY samples were putatively identified. The study demonstrated that SICRIT-QTOF MS has great potential for rapidly distinguishing the milk origin.

Environmental Justice and Health in Nigeria

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified 17 goals to achieve by the year 2030, with many of these goals directly or indirectly linked to environmental justice. Health outcomes remain poor in Nigeria; the country ranks low in environmental quality despite supporting environmental treaties and laws. The burden of diseases in the country is in part related to poor environmental quality and is linked to environmental justice issues, such as mining, energy exploration, transport emission, poor waste management, and proliferation of slum settlement.

RECENT FINDINGS

Previous studies found that living in proximity to mines and environmental degradation of land and water disrupts means of livelihood and causes poor health outcomes among children and adults. Specifically, health issues like respiratory illness, malaria, kidney disease, and high blood pressure are likely consequences of proximity to mine waste. Few published studies are available for a developing country like Nigeria, although the link between environmental justice and health in Nigeria is clear enough to require action on the part of the government and polluting industries. This paper reviewed the concept and coverage of environmental justice in the Nigerian context and its impact on health. Addressing environmental injustices related to mining and other environmental issues can accelerate health gains through conscious and concerted efforts towards preserving the environment. Also, the right of everyone to a sustainable city regardless of socioeconomic class and geographical location can only be secured through environmental justice.

A review on the alternatives to antibiotics and the treatment of antibiotic pollution: Current development and future prospects

Antibiotics, widely used in the fields of medicine, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and agriculture, pose a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. To prevent antibiotic pollution, efforts have been made in recent years to explore alternative options for antibiotics in animal feed, but the effectiveness of these alternatives in replacing antibiotics is not thoroughly understood due to the variation from case to case. Furthermore, a systematic summary of the specific applications and limitations of antibiotic removal techniques in the environment is crucial for developing effective strategies to address antibiotic contamination. This comprehensive review summarized the current development and potential issues on different types of antibiotic substitutes, such as enzyme preparations, probiotics, and plant extracts. Meanwhile, the existing technologies for antibiotic residue removal were discussed under the scope of application and limitation. The present work aims to highlight the strategy of controlling antibiotics from the source and provide valuable insights for green and efficient antibiotic treatment.

Current situation and prospects for the clean utilization of gold tailings

Gold tailings are characterized by low-grade, complex composition, fine embedded particle size, environmental pollution, and large land occupation. This paper describes the mineralogical properties of gold tailings, including chemical composition, phase composition, particle size distribution, and microstructure; summarizes the recycling and utilization of components such as mica, feldspar, and valuable metals in gold tailings; reviews harmless treatment measures for harmful elements in gold tailings; and adumbrated the research progress of gold tailings in the application fields of building materials, ceramics, and glass materials. Based on these discussions, a new technology roadmap that combines multistage magnetic separation and cemented filling is proposed for the clean utilization of all components of gold tailings.

Evolutionary approach for pollution study: The case of ionizing radiation

Estimating the consequences of environmental changes, specifically in a global change context, is essential for conservation issues. In the case of pollutants, the interest in using an evolutionary approach to investigate their consequences has been emphasized since the 2000s, but these studies remain rare compared to the characterization of direct effects on individual features. We focused on the study case of anthropogenic ionizing radiation because, despite its potential strong impact on evolution, the scarcity of evolutionary approaches to study the biological consequences of this stressor is particularly true. In this study, by investigating some particular features of the biological effects of this stressor, and by reviewing existing studies on evolution under ionizing radiation, we suggest that evolutionary approach may help provide an integrative view on the biological consequences of ionizing radiation. We focused on three topics: (i) the mutagenic properties of ionizing radiation and its disruption of evolutionary processes, (ii) exposures at different time scales, leading to an interaction between past and contemporary evolution, and (iii) the special features of contaminated areas called exclusion zones and how evolution could match field and laboratory observed effects. This approach can contribute to answering several key issues in radioecology: to explain species differences in the sensitivity to ionizing radiation, to improve our estimation of the impacts of ionizing radiation on populations, and to help identify the environmental features impacting organisms (e.g., interaction with other pollution, migration of populations, anthropogenic environmental changes). Evolutionary approach would benefit from being integrated to the ecological risk assessment process.

Rapid and sensitive in situ detection of heavy metals in fish using enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Heavy metals have been widely applied in industry, agriculture, and other fields because of their outstanding physics and chemistry properties. They are non-degradable even at low concentrations, causing irreversible harm to the human and other organisms. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop high accuracy and sensitivity as well as stable techniques for their detection. Raman scattering spectroscopy and atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) were used parallelly to detect heavy metal ions such as Hg, Cd, and Pb of different concentrations in fish samples. The concentration of the heavy metals is varied from 5 ppb to 5 ppm. Despite the satisfactory recoveries of AAS, their drawbacks are imperative for an alternative technique. In Raman scattering spectroscopy, the intensities and areas of the characteristic peaks are increased with increasing the concentration of the heavy metals. For Hg concentration ≥ 1 ppm, a slight shift is observed in the peak position. The obtained values of peak intensity and peak area are modeled according to Elvoich, Pseudo-first order, Pseudo-second order, and asymptotic1 exponential model. The best modeling was obtained using the Elovich model followed by the asymptotic1 exponential model. The introduced Raman spectroscopy-based approach for on-site detection of trace heavy metal pollution in fish samples is rapid, low-cost, and simple to implement, increasing its visibility in food safety and industrial applications.

Restoration of degraded estuarine and marine ecosystems: A systematic review of rehabilitation methods in Europe

This article provides a comprehensive study of ecosystem rehabilitation methods widely used in the 21st century, focusing on Europe. The review covers the evolution and trends in scientific article publication, identification of European countries demonstrating high publication outputs, collaboration patterns, leading journals, and thematic areas. Additionally, it examines primary stressors in European aquatic ecosystems, and different methods and treatments commonly employed for remediation purposes. The analysis of selected articles revealed a significant increase in studies over time, driven by public awareness and financial incentives from national, European and global organizations. Italy, Portugal and Spain were the leading countries in degraded ecosystem rehabilitation studies, mainly focusing on remediating contaminated areas where metals were identified as the primary stressor (chemical pollution). Chemical remediation method emerged as the most used, closely followed by biological remediation method, which have gained prominence in recent years due to their ecological, economic, and social combined benefits. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate a growing trend towards the combined use of more than one treatment/method to rehabilitate ecosystems, particularly with biological treatments. This combined approach has the potential for synergistic effects in achieving more effective rehabilitation and their sustainability in the long term, thus, a focus for future research.

The impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic bacteria on peanuts under the combined pollution of cadmium and microplastics

It remains unclear how symbiotic microbes impact the growth of peanuts when they are exposed to the pollutants cadmium (Cd) and microplastics (MPs) simultaneously. This study aimed to investigate the effects of endophytic bacteria Bacillus velezens SC60 and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis on peanut growth and rhizosphere microbial communities in the presence of Cd at 40 (Cd40) or 80 (Cd80) mg kg-1 combined without MP or the presence of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and poly butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT). This study assessed soil indicators, plant parameters, and Cd accumulation indicators. Results showed that the application of R. irregularis and B. velezens significantly enhanced soil organic carbon and increased Cd content under the conditions of Cd80 and MPs co-pollution. R. irregularis and B. velezens treatment increased peanut absorption and the enrichment coefficient for Cd, with predominate concentrations localized in the peanut roots, especially under combined pollution by Cd and MPs. Under treatments with Cd40 and Cd80 combined with PBAT pollution, soil microbes Proteobacteria exhibited a higher relative abundance, while Actinobacteria showed a higher relative abundance under treatments with Cd40 and Cd80 combined with LDPE pollution. In conclusion, under the combined pollution conditions of MPs and Cd, the co-treatment of R. irregularis and B. velezens effectively immobilized Cd in peanut roots, impeding its translocation to the shoot.

Impact of nano- and micro-sized polystyrene beads on larval survival and growth of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

This study successionally monitored how nano- and micro-sized polystyrene beads (MNPs) influence larval mortality, growth, and attachment behavior of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas related to MNP diameter and concentration. D-shaped larvae were sequentially exposed to three-diameter MNPs (0.55, 3.00, 6.00 µm) at five concentrations (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10, 20 μg/mL), and their mortality, growth stages and attachment were observed daily until they die. In addition, MNP intake and accumulation in larvae at each growth stage were determined using fluorescent beads. Deterioration in larval growth and survival was observed under all the exposure conditions, while significant negative effects on the growth parameters were defined with smaller MNPs at lower concentrations. Fluorescent signals were detected in larval digestive tracts at all except D-shaped larval stage, and on the mantle and foot in pediveligers. Therefore, MNP intake adversely affects larval physiological conditions by the synchronal effects of MNP size and concentration. Our findings highlight the implications of MNP characteristics on Pacific oyster larvae, emphasizing the interplay between size, concentration, and physiological responses, crucial for mitigating nanoparticle pollution in marine ecosystems.

Sulfur-containing iron carbon nanocomposites activate persulfate for combined chemical oxidation and microbial remediation of petroleum-polluted soil

In this study, sulfur-containing iron carbon nanocomposites (S@Fe-CN) were synthesized by calcining iron-loaded biomass and utilized to activate persulfate (PS) for the combined chemical oxidation and microbial remediation of petroleum-polluted soil. The highest removal efficiency of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) was achieved at 0.2% of activator, 1% of PS and 1:1 soil-water ratio. The EPR and quenching experiments demonstrated that the degradation of TPHs was caused by the combination of 1O2,·OH, SO4·-, and O2·-. In the S@Fe-CN activated PS (S@Fe-CN/PS) system, the degradation of TPHs underwent two phases: chemical oxidation (days 0 to 3) and microbial degradation (days 3 to 28), with kinetic constants consistent with the pseudo-first-order kinetics of chemical and microbial remediation, respectively. In the S@Fe-CN/PS system, soil enzyme activities decreased and then increased, indicating that microbial activities were restored after chemical oxidation under the protection of the activators. The microbial community analysis showed that the S@Fe-CN/PS group affected the abundance and structure of microorganisms, with the relative abundance of TPH-degrading bacteria increased after 28 days. Moreover, S@Fe-CN/PS enhanced the microbial interactions and mitigated microbial competition, thereby improving the ability of indigenous microorganisms to degrade TPHs.

Who will Spend more Pollution Abatement Costs: does Size Matter?

This paper looks at the relationship between enterprise size and pollution abatement costs using firm-level datasets in China, where size-dependent distortions may exist in the distribution of enterprises of different sizes. We find that the pollution abatement costs decrease with enterprise size. Compared to the smallest size, the magnitudes of marginal decreases in pollution abatement costs per 1000 CNY of industrial output in the largest size are 3.29 CNY, 0.54 CNY and 2.60 CNY for gas, SO2 and dust, respectively. Moreover, we further explore the potential mechanisms for the decrease of pollution abatement costs from three perspectives: environmental protection-related investment, regulation intensity, and technological capability. Our findings suggest that the decrease in the intensity of environmental protection-related investment for large enterprises may be directly reduce the intensity of pollution abatement costs. Although large enterprises have low intensity of pollution abatement costs, this does not mean that they are subject to weaker environmental regulation. More importantly, we find that large enterprises may have more adoption of abatement technologies. For SO2 and dust, the pollutant removal efficiency of the largest enterprises is 4.92% and 1.82% higher than that of the smallest enterprises, respectively. Our results are robust to different specifications. These findings help us enact appropriate policies for enterprises based on their size, thereby improving the efficacy of pollution abatement and achieving the optimal level of pollution abatement for the entire society.

Public Attitudes toward the Final Disposal of Radioactively Contaminated Soil Resulting from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident

Radioactively contaminated soil from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station accident in 2011 is required by law to be finally disposed of outside Fukushima Prefecture by 2045. To gain public acceptance of this policy, it is essential to promote understanding and nationwide discussion. We conducted a web-based survey of 2000 people in Japan to examine public attitudes toward final disposal of the contaminated soil outside Fukushima Prefecture. Results show that policy approval was negatively correlated with perceived risk of a final disposal site, sense of inequity associated with building a final disposal site near residential areas, and values that are absolutely non-negotiable or protected from trade-offs with other values (protected values). Policy approval was positively correlated with high levels of interest in the Fukushima accident and subjective knowledge of decontamination and the policy. Respondents' comments and opinions about the policy indicated that respondents who approved of the policy accepted burden sharing, while those who disapproved were unconvinced by the rationale behind disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture and were dissatisfied by the lack of information disclosure and transparency. While the government's efforts to disseminate information about the current status and future of Fukushima have been effective to a certain extent, they are insufficient to achieve widespread public understanding of the policy. Our results indicate that attention needs to be paid to procedural fairness and explanations of risks.

Global discharge of microplastics from mechanical recycling of plastic waste

The increasing production of plastic products and generation of plastic waste have had increasingly negative environmental impacts. Although recycling could reduce plastic pollution, microplastics can be generated during the process of crushing plastic products during mechanical recycling. We conducted crushing tests with 13 different plastics and documented the size distribution of particles generated. We then estimated the discharge of microplastics associated with recycling and their removal in wastewater treatment plants. We estimated that the global discharge of microplastics would increase from 0.017 Mt in 2000 to 0.749 Mt in 2060. Although mechanical recycling was estimated to account for 3.1% of the total emissions of microplastics for 2017, discharges of microplastics from plastic recycling may increase, even if plastic pollution from well-known sources decreases. Non-OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Asia could be a major discharging region and would play a vital role in reducing discharges of microplastics. Reduction of the discharge of microplastics will require less use of plastic products and upgrading wastewater treatment in many countries.

Effects of microplastics on sedimentary geochemical properties and microbial ecosystems combined with hydraulic disturbance

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is widely investigated owing to its potential threats to river ecosystems. However, it remains unclear whether hydraulic disturbance deepens or mitigates the effects of MPs-contaminated sediments on the river environment. Herein, we studied the impact of sediment aggregates, organic matter, and enzyme activity, with emphasis on microbial community structure and function in sediments exposed to MPs (1 %, 5 %, and 10 % w/w) in conjunction with hydraulic disturbance. The experimental results showed that the influence of MPs on the sediment under hydraulic disturbance is more significant than that of static culture, especially for various environmental factors (MWD, MBC, and sucrase activity etc.). The proportions of the >0.05 mm-fraction aggregates increased from 74-76 % to 82-88 % in the sediment throughout the entire disturbance process. It has been found that the disturbance generally promotes the interaction between MPs and sediments. FAPROTAX analysis demonstrated that the disturbance reduced the difference in effects on microbial functional genes between the control group and the MPs-added groups by up to 10 times, suggesting that the effects of disturbance on MPs-contaminated sediments are relatively complex. This work provides new insights into the effects of hydraulic disturbance on physicochemical properties and microbial communities of MPs-contaminated sediment.

State-of-art of the legislation on odour emissions with a focus on the Italian studies

This review would like to point out the state-of-art of the European legislation for the odour pollution determination and management. Odour is generated by a mixture of more or less volatile and persistent compounds that surround us in daily life. European directives impose the use of corresponding technical standards for the application of the limits imposed. The different approaches (chemicals and/or olfactometries) and integrated evaluation methods for measuring and characterizing odour, even if in a very different way in the European territories, will be reviewed and commented. Specifically, the authors will describe and comment the main procedures for odour concentration determination (e.g., multigas sensors, electronic sensors for odour monitoring). It is important to note that the definition of odour does not take into account if an odour is "good" or "bad", but only if it exists. The limit value must guarantee a total equivalent level of environmental protection and does not involve a greater polluting load in the environment. Further, a deep revision of the Italian situation in terms of legislation and studies, will complete the paper.

Evolutionary game analysis of factors influencing green innovation in Enterprises under environmental governance constraints

The key to controlling environmental pollution is to promote green innovation in relevant enterprises and achieve a healthy development of the environmental governance system. This paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model of environmental protection enterprises, polluting enterprises, and governments, and conducts in-depth research on the influencing factors that promote green innovation in two types of enterprises. MATLAB software is used to analyze the impact of different degrees of influencing variables on system evolution. It has found that (1) increasing the intensity of environmental governance and the level of innovation subsidies by the government can effectively promote green innovation in both types of enterprises. (2) The varying degrees of innovation compensation from polluting enterprises to environmental protection enterprises have a significant impact on system evolution. (3) The initial intention and population size of two types of enterprise entities will have a significant impact on system evolution. In the initial state, subjects with more green innovation are less willing to change their strategies during the evolution process, while the willingness of the other party to green innovation will be suppressed.

Thermal sensitivity of Rhinella arenarum tadpole at low concentrations of dimethoate pesticides

One of the main causes of contamination of aquatic environments, which affects biotic communities, is the use of pesticides in agricultural regions. Amphibians are considered good bio-indicators of aquatic pollution, because they are one of the most susceptible groups to pollution. Several studies suggest that both pollution and climate change produce synergistic effects in amphibians which amplify the toxicity afecting survival, and malformations with an increase in temperature. We studied the sensitivity of sublethal concentrations of dimethoate in Rhinella arenarum tadpoles on two fitness related thermal traits including locomotor swimming performance and thermal tolerance limits (CTmax = critical thermal maximum and CTmin = critical thermal minimum). The locomotor performance of R. arenarum tadpoles decreased with increasing sublethal dimethoate concentrations up to ∼60 % at intermediates dimethoate concentration. The tadpoles showed a tendency to decrease their tolerance to high temperatures (CTmax) with increasing dimethoate concentration around ∼0.5 °C, however no significant differences were found among treatments. Similarly, tadpoles showed decreases in their cold resistance (CTmin) with dimethoate concentrations, around 1 °C the high concentrations of dimethoate. The increase of atypical climatic events, such as heat waves may put R. arenarum tadpoles at greater risk when exposed to dimethoate. Our results show that the sublethal concentrations of the dimethoate pesticide may affect the fitness and survival of the larvae of R. arenarum in natural, and seminatural enviroments.

Exploring the hidden environmental pollution of microplastics derived from bioplastics: A review

Bioplastics might be an ecofriendly alternative to traditional plastics. However, recent studies have emphasized that even bioplastics can end up becoming micro- and nano-plastics due to their degradation under ambient environmental conditions. Hence, there is an urgent need to assess the hidden environmental pollution caused by bioplastics. However, little is known about the evolutionary trends of bibliographic data, degradation pathways, formation, and toxicity of micro- and nano-scaled bioplastics originating from biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and starch-based plastics. Therefore, the prime objective of the current review was to investigate evolutionary trends and the latest advancements in the field of micro-bioplastic pollution. Additionally, it aims to confront the limitations of existing research on microplastic pollution derived from the degradation of bioplastic wastes, and to understand what is needed in future research. The literature survey revealed that research focusing on micro- and nano-bioplastics has begun since 2012. This review identifies novel insights into microbioplastics formation through diverse degradation pathways, including photo-oxidation, ozone-induced degradation, mechanochemical degradation, biodegradation, thermal, and catalytic degradation. Critical research gaps are identified, including defining optimal environmental conditions for complete degradation of diverse bioplastics, exploring micro- and nano-bioplastics formation in natural environments, investigating the global occurrence and distribution of these particles in diverse ecosystems, assessing toxic substances released during bioplastics degradation, and bridging the disparity between laboratory studies and real-world applications. By identifying new trends and knowledge gaps, this study lays the groundwork for future investigations and sustainable solutions in the realm of sustainable management of bioplastic wastes.

Impact of airborne iron oxide nanoparticles on Tillandsia usneoides as a model plant to assess pollution in heavy traffic areas

Due to the increasing evidence of widespread sub-micron pollutants in the atmosphere, the impact of airborne nanoparticles is a subject of great relevance. In particular, the smallest particles are considered the most active and dangerous, having a higher surface/volume ratio. Here we tested the effect of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (IONPs) with different mean diameter and size distribution on the model plant Tillandsia usneoides. Strands were placed in home-built closed boxes and exposed to levels of airborne IONPs reported for the roadside air, i.e. in the order of 107 - 108 items m-2. Plant growth and other morpho-physiological parameters were monitored for two weeks, showing that exposure to IONPs significantly reduced the length increment of the treated strands with respect to controls. A dose-dependence of this impairing effect was found only for particles with mean size of a few tens of nanometers. These were also proved to be the most toxic at the highest concentration tested. The IONP-induced hamper in growth was correlated with altered concentration of macro- and micronutrients in the plant, while no significant variation in photosynthetic activity was detected in treated samples. Microscopy investigation showed that IONPs could adhere to the plant surface and were preferentially located on the trichome wings. Our results report, for the first time, evidence of the negative effects of airborne IONP pollution on plant health, thus raising concerns about related environmental risks. Future research should be devoted to other plant species and pollutants to assess the impact of airborne pollution on plants and devise suitable attenuation practices.

Effects of carbon emission trading system on corporate green total factor productivity: Does environmental regulation play a role of green blessing?

Extant studies focus on the impact of environmental regulation on regional economic growth or environmental pollution, and a lot of research outcomes have been made. However, from the perspective of corporate green sustainable development, the question of whether carbon emission trading represents a "green blessing" remains unclear. To address this issue, we employ a staggered difference-in-differences model to investigate the effects and mechanisms of the carbon emissions trading pilot policy (CETPP) on the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of listed manufacturing companies in China. Our results demonstrate that: a) CETPP can effectively promote corporate GTFP, and the robustness of this result is verified through a series of checks; b) the mediating role of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is critical in the relationship between CETPP and corporate GTFP, with environmental and governance performance serving as two key transmission channels; and c) CEO green experience and public environmental concern both play the moderating roles on the relationship between CETPP and GTFP; d) CETPP has a stronger positive impact on GTFP of private enterprises and enterprises in the maturity life cycle; and e) CETPP has a spatial spillover effect on GTFP, and the effect will decay as spatial distance increases. Our study offers both theoretical and practical implications for enterprises to achieve their green economic development objectives, so as to promote China's high-quality development.

Toxicological Research on Nano and Microplastics in Environmental Pollution: Current Advances and Future Directions

This review explains the sources of nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs), their release, fate, and associated health risks in the aquatic environment. In the 21st century, scientists are grappling with a major challenge posed by MPs and NPs. The global production of plastic has skyrocketed from 1.5 million tons in the 1950s to an astonishing 390.7 million tons in 2021. This pervasive presence of these materials in our environment has spurred scientific inquiry into their potentially harmful effects on living organisms. Studies have revealed that while MPs, with their larger surface area, are capable of absorbing contaminants and pathogens from the surroundings, NPs can easily be transferred through the food chain. As a result, living organisms may ingest them and accumulate them within their bodies. Due to their minuscule size, NPs are particularly difficult to isolate and quantify. Furthermore, exposure to both NPs and MPs has been linked to various adverse health effects in aquatic species, including neurological impairments, disruption of lipid and energy metabolism, and increased susceptibility to cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. It is alarming to note that MPs have even been detected in commercial fish, highlighting the severity of this issue. There are also challenges associated with elucidating the toxicological effects of NPs and MPs, which are discussed in detail in this review. In conclusion, plastic pollution is a pressing issue that governments should tackle by ensuring proper implementation of rules and regulations at national and provincial levels to reduce its health risks.

Fine-tuning the use of moss transplants to map pollution by Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in urban areas

Mosspheres are a kind of moss transplants which offer a novel approach for detecting atmospheric pollution using devitalized mosses, as they reflect the atmospheric deposition of certain elements and polycyclic hydrocarbons. However, due to the unique features of the mosspheres such as the low elemental concentrations in the cultured material, the data treatment needs to be different from that of conventional biomonitoring studies. In this article, our objectives are to identify the best parameter for expressing the levels of chemical elements accumulated by mosspheres, and to apply a recently developed method to assess the probability of pollution of each sample and of the study area. To do this, we used data from a study in which 81 mosspheres were exposed in a medium-sized city in southwestern Europe. Comparing different pollution indices, we selected the enrichment rate (ER) as the most useful, as it is resilient to fluctuations in the initial concentrations and takes into account the time factor, allowing for greater comparability among studies. Then, we determined that the statistical distribution of the ERs of most elements fitted a normal distribution, showing that most samples did not differ significantly from the background concentrations for these elements. On the other hand, for Ni, Pb and Zn there was a subpopulation of samples above background values. In these cases, we determined the probability of pollution of each sample. Finally, we used indicator kriging to calculate the probability of pollution across the study area, identifying the polluted areas, which for some elements match the distribution of the main industries and highways, indicating that this is a suitable protocol to map elemental pollution in urban areas.

Environmental copper exposure, placental cuproptosis, and miscarriage

Copper pollution has become global environmental concern. Widespread Cu pollution results in excessive Cu exposure in human. Epidemiological studies and animal experiments revealed that Cu exposure might have reproductive toxicity. Cuproptosis is a newly reported Cu-dependent and programmed cell death formTsvetkov et al., 2022. However, whether copper exposure at real environmental exposure dose might cause placental cuproptosis and induce miscarriage was completely unexplored. In this study, we found that Cu exposure during pregnancy induced miscarriage or complete pregnancy loss by inducing placenta cuproptosis in CuCl2-exposed pregnant mice. Notably, Cu exposure at 1.3 mg/kg/d (a real environmental exposure dose) was enough to cause placenta cuproptosis. CuCl2 exposure disrupts the TCA cycle, causes proteotoxic stress, increases Cu2+ ion import/decreases Cu2+ export, and results in the loss of Fe-S cluster proteins in mouse placenta, which induces placenta cuproptosis. Moreover, we also identified that Cu exposure down-regulates the expression levels of mmu-miR-3473b, which interacts with Dlst or Rtel1 mRNA and simultaneously positively regulates Dlst or Rtel1 expression, thereby disrupting the TCA cycle and resulting in the loss of Fe-S cluster proteins, and thus epigenetically regulates placental cuproptosis. Treatment with TTM (a cuproptosis inhibitor) suppressed placental cuproptosis and alleviated miscarriage in CuCl2-exposed mice. This work provides novel reproductive toxicity of Cu exposure in miscarriage or complete pregnancy loss by causing placental cuproptosis. This study also provides new ways for further studies on other toxicological effects of Cu and proposes a new approach for protection against Cu-induced reproductive diseases.

Zinc shields against copper phytotoxicity in a contaminated soil

While zinc protects plants from copper in hydroponics, its behavior in soil remains unclear. We investigated the potential of zinc sulfate to protect ryegrass from copper toxicity in contaminated soil. Twelve soil treatments combined varying levels of copper oxide (CuO) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4). Increasing CuO significantly stunted ryegrass, but adding ZnSO4 mitigated the effects at each CuO level. ZnSO4 had no effect in unpolluted conditions. These results, supported by the Terrestrial Biotic Ligand Model, indicate that zinc competes with copper for binding sites, reducing copper uptake by ryegrass and mitigating its toxicity. Application of zinc sulfate to copper-contaminated soils appears promising for ryegrass growth, although field studies are critical to confirm real-world efficacy.

On the vertical structure of non-buoyant plastics in turbulent transport

Plastic pollution is overflowing in rivers. A limited understanding of the physics of plastic transport in rivers hinders monitoring, the prediction of plastic fate and restricts the implementation of effective mitigation strategies. This study investigates two unexplored aspects of plastic transport dynamics across the near-surface, suspended and bed load layers: (i) the complex settling behaviour of plastics and (ii) their influence on plastic transport in river-like flows. Through hundreds of settling tests and thousands of 3D reconstructed plastic transport experiments, our findings show that plastics exhibit unique settling patterns and orientations, due to their geometric anisotropy, revealing a multimodal distribution of settling velocities. In the transport experiments, particle-bed interactions enhanced mixing beyond what established turbulent transport theories (Rouse profile) could predict in low-turbulence conditions, which extends the bed load layer beyond the classic definition of the bed load layer thickness for natural sediments. We propose a new vertical structure of turbulent transport equation that considers the stochastic nature of heterogeneous negatively buoyant plastics and their singularities.

Transdisciplinary science and the importance of Indigenous knowledge

As we move ever closer to the brink of global environmental collapse, it is vital that we work collaboratively and collectively as global, national, and local communities to design multiscale change. Protecting future generations and reversing (or substantively slowing) the current trends require rapid sustainable progress at the required scale. It is more urgent than ever that we understand and more fully realize the power of transdisciplinary (Td) research to support sustainable practice. A defining factor of Td is the focus on collaboration and codesign and the extent that participation and attention to local context is integral to the knowledge building. Specifically, there is greater ability for community knowledge, values, and aspirations to influence and shape research inquiries to effect meaningful change in real-world decision-making and outcomes. Business-as-usual (BAU) approaches that perpetuate unequal knowledge sharing and dismiss other forms of knowledge beyond traditional science no longer suffice. Transdisciplinary approaches seek to achieve and support sustainable change, but the extent of transformation required to meet ecological protection and regenerative sustainability requires very different operating models for knowing and doing science than the limited traditions of positivist science. However, these powerful defaults and operating paradigms are more deeply ingrained than we might realize, and so challenges persist. This article illustrates how Td science differs from typical research paradigms, particularly in terms of the underlying epistemology; the focus on knowledge and/or power; attention to boundaries and scope; and the degree to which local knowledge, context, and community participation underpin the research process. Active conversations are required to better identify and overcome fundamental challenges for science and Td research approaches to support the necessary transformational change. Importantly, we suggest that Indigenous partnerships, knowledge, and values are vital in achieving the potential of Td research to provide transformational interventions to address complex social and environmental issues such as pollution. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:805-816. © 2023 SETAC.

Impact of meteorological factors on Cd availability and average concentration prediction in rice growth cycle

During the rice growth cycle, the average available cadmium concentration (CA-Cd) in the soil determines the Cd content in rice plant. Given defined soil properties and rice varieties, the meteorological factors play a crucial role in soil's available cadmium concentration (CCd) during the rice growth cycle. Thus, it is significant to investigate the influence of meteorological factors in CCd during the rice growth cycle and develop a predictive model for CA-Cd. The rice was cultivated under seven different sowing dates in Cd and As-contaminated soil in Hunan Province. Studied the impact of meteorological factors on paddy soil. The results showed that accumulated temperature (AT) and total precipitation (TP) were key factors affecting the soil CCd. The correlation coefficients between AT and TP with soil CA-Cd were 0.98 and -0.94 (p < 0.01), respectively. However, there was no significant correlation with CAs. AT mainly influenced the CCd during the grouting and maturity stages. A straightforward empirical prediction model was developed, capable of accurately forecasting CA-Cd during the rice growth cycle by considering meteorological factors and the initial soil CCd. This study supported a novel foundation for the precise prediction of Cd content in rice.

Floating photocatalysts as promising materials for environmental detoxification and energy production: A review

The oxygenation process of the catalyst surface, the incident-light harvesting capability, and facile recycling of utilized photocatalysts play key role in the outstanding photocatalytic performances. The typical existing photocatalysts in powder form have many drawbacks, such as difficult separation from the treated water, insufficient surface oxygenation, poor active surface area, low incident-light harvesting ability, and secondary pollution of the environment. A great number of scientific works introduced novel and fresh ideas related to designing floating photocatalytic systems by immobilizing highly active photocatalysts onto a floatable substrate. Thanks to direct contact with the illuminated light and oxygen molecules in the interface of water/air, the photocatalytic performance is maximized through production of more reactive species, employed in the photocatalytic reactions. Furthermore, facile recovering of the utilized photocatalysts for next processes avoids secondary pollution as well as diminishes the process's price. This review highlights the performance of developed floating photocatalysts for diverse applications. Furthermore, different floating substrates and possible mechanisms in floating photocatalysts are briefly mentioned. In addition, several emerging self-floating photocatalytic systems are taken attention and discussed. Specially, coupling photo-thermal and photocatalytic effects seems to be a good strategy for introducing a new class of floating photocatalyst to utilize the free, abundant, and green sunlight energy for the aims of water desalination and purification. Despite of a large number of attempts about the floating photocatalysts, there are still plenty of rooms for more in-depth research to be carried out for attaining the required characteristics of the large scale utilizations of these materials.

Using emerging science to inform risk characterizations for wildlife within current regulatory frameworks

Many jurisdictions have regulatory frameworks that seek to reduce the effects of environmental exposures of anthropogenic chemicals on terrestrial wildlife (i.e., mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians). The frameworks apply for new and existing chemicals, including pesticides (prospective assessments), and to environmental contamination from releases (retrospective risk assessments). Relatively recently, there have been many scientific advances that could improve risk estimates for wildlife. Here, we briefly describe current regulations from North America (United States and Canada) and from Europe that include risk assessments for wildlife to ascertain whether they are conducive to the use of emerging science and new methods. We also provide examples where new and emerging science may be used to improve wildlife risk characterization and identify areas in need of future research. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:765-779. © 2024 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management © 2024 Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Global producer responsibility for plastic pollution

Brand names can be used to hold plastic companies accountable for their items found polluting the environment. We used data from a 5-year (2018-2022) worldwide (84 countries) program to identify brands found on plastic items in the environment through 1576 audit events. We found that 50% of items were unbranded, calling for mandated producer reporting. The top five brands globally were The Coca-Cola Company (11%), PepsiCo (5%), Nestlé (3%), Danone (3%), and Altria (2%), accounting for 24% of the total branded count, and 56 companies accounted for more than 50%. There was a clear and strong log-log linear relationship production (%) = pollution (%) between companies' annual production of plastic and their branded plastic pollution, with food and beverage companies being disproportionately large polluters. Phasing out single-use and short-lived plastic products by the largest polluters would greatly reduce global plastic pollution.

Analyzing green and sustainable land use in China's coal cities: Insights from industrial transformation

Driven by the goal of achieving sustainable development and carbon neutrality. Addressing environmental pollution and remediating land damage have become critical challenges in resource-based cities and regions with low land use efficiency. As a response, this study focuses on the 23 provinces where China's coal resource-based cities are situated. Utilizing data from 2014 to 2020, this research employs the SBM-Undesirable model, which considers undesirable outputs in efficiency calculations, and the Tobit regression test. It aims to explore the spatio-temporal variations in industrial transformation within resource-based cities and its impact on the efficiency of green space utilization. Furthermore, it analyzes the characteristics and the extent of the influence of factors such as industrial structure adjustments on urban land use efficiency, maximizing the output of land as a factor of production. The results show that: (1) Over the 7-year period studied, China consistently made nationwide adjustments to land area and land use structure to meet the needs of urban development (2) The regression test results show that the industrial transformation of resource-based cities can promote the improvement of green space utilization efficiency. The positive influence coefficient is 0.064 and is significant at a 1% level. (3) Environmental regulation, government expenditure, international trade, and green cover play a positive role in promoting green land use. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners seeking to foster sustainable development in resource-based cities.

Identifying potential high-risk zones for land-derived plastic litter to marine megafauna and key habitats within the North Atlantic

The pervasive use of plastic in modern society has led to plastic litter becoming ubiquitous within the ocean. Land-based sources of plastic litter are thought to account for the majority of plastic pollution in the marine environment, with plastic bags, bottles, wrappers, food containers and cutlery among the most common items found. In the marine environment, plastic is a transboundary pollutant, with the potential to cause damage far beyond the political borders from where it originated, making the management of this global pollutant particularly complex. In this study, the risks of land-derived plastic litter (LDPL) to major groups of marine megafauna - seabirds, cetaceans, pinnipeds, elasmobranchs, turtles, sirenians, tuna and billfish - and a selection of productive and biodiverse biogenic habitats - coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass, saltmarsh and kelp beds - were analysed using a Spatial Risk Assessment approach. The approach combines metrics for vulnerability (mechanism of harm for megafauna group or habitat), hazard (plastic abundance) and exposure (distribution of group or habitat). Several potential high-risk zones (HRZs) across the North Atlantic were highlighted, including the Azores, the UK, the French and US Atlantic coasts, and the US Gulf of Mexico. Whilst much of the modelled LDPL driving risk in the UK originated from domestic sources, in other HRZs, such as the Azores archipelago and the US Gulf of Mexico, plastic originated almost exclusively from external (non-domestic) sources. LDPL from Caribbean islands - some of the largest generators of marine plastic pollution in the dataset of river plastic emissions used in the study - was noted as a significant input to HRZs across both sides of the Atlantic. These findings highlight the potential of Spatial Risk Assessment analyses to determine the location of HRZs and understand where plastic debris monitoring and management should be prioritised, enabling more efficient deployment of interventions and mitigation measures.

PFAS Contamination in Europe: Generating Knowledge and Mapping Known and Likely Contamination with "Expert-Reviewed" Journalism

While the extent of environmental contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has mobilized considerable efforts around the globe in recent years, publicly available data on PFAS in Europe were very limited. In an unprecedented experiment of "expert-reviewed journalism" involving 29 journalists and seven scientific advisers, a cross-border collaborative project, the "Forever Pollution Project" (FPP), drew on both scientific methods and investigative journalism techniques such as open-source intelligence (OSINT) and freedom of information (FOI) requests to map contamination across Europe, making public data that previously had existed as "unseen science". The FPP identified 22,934 known contamination sites, including 20 PFAS manufacturing facilities, and 21,426 "presumptive contamination sites", including 13,745 sites presumably contaminated with fluorinated aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) discharge, 2911 industrial facilities, and 4752 sites related to PFAS-containing waste. Additionally, the FPP identified 231 "known PFAS users", a new category for sites with an intermediate level of evidence of PFAS use and considered likely to be contamination sources. However, the true extent of contamination in Europe remains significantly underestimated due to a lack of comprehensive geolocation, sampling, and publicly available data. This model of knowledge production and dissemination offers lessons for researchers, policymakers, and journalists about cross-field collaborations and data transparency.

Spatiotemporal variations in soil pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over a 20-year economic boom in different districts of a heavy industrial city in North China

Urbanization-related human activities, such as population aggregation, rapid industrial expansion, and intensified traffic, are key factors that impact local polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions and their associated health risks. Consequently, regions with varying degrees of urbanization within a megacity may exhibit diverse spatiotemporal patterns in the presence and distribution of soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, resulting in different levels of ecological risks for local inhabitants following the same period of development. In this study, we measured the concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil samples collected from industrial district and rural district in Tianjin (China) in 2018, and compared with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon data in 2001 from a previous study to characterize these regional variations in occurrence, source, and human risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induced by urbanization with time and space. The results indicate the 20-year rapid urbanization and industrialization has differentially affected the composition, distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils from different economic functional zones in Tianjin. Additionally, its impact on health risks in rural district appeared to be more significant than that in industrial district.

The impact of EID policy and trade on the environmental effects of Chinese paper enterprises from the perspective of financial constraints

Accompanying China's accession to the World Trade Organization, the rapid development of the Chinese economy has led to increasingly serious environmental issues. However, the inherent mechanisms underlying the impact of Environmental Information Disclosure (EID) policy and trade on the environmental effects of Chinese paper enterprises remain unclear in the context of the era's requirement for a resource-conserving and environmentally-friendly society. The pollution problem in the papermaking industry has received attention worldwide, and how to balance the environmental and development issues of papermaking enterprises is an urgent issue that needs to be solved in the academic community. This study explores the impact mechanisms of EID policy and trade on the environmental effects of enterprises from the perspective of financial constraints. Utilizing the PSM-DID model, the study investigates the moderating effects of financial constraints on the EID policy and import-export trade. The findings reveal that both external and internal financial constraints have negative, detrimental effects on the environmental effects of the EID policy and trade. These constraints impede research and development investment and technological upgrades, hinder productivity improvement, and hamper the realization of "regulatory and trade innovation effects". This study enriches our understanding of the mechanisms by which trade affects the environmental effects of Chinese paper enterprises and further identifies the impacts of Chinese EID policy and trade on pollution emissions by enterprises, providing a theoretical basis and practical foundation for the government in formulating financial, environmental, and trade policies.

Can arsenic bioavailability be predicted in soils using in vitro gastro-intestinal simulation?

Many gastrointestinal simulation methods have been used to predict bioavailability, but the suitability of different methods for the same metal(loid)s varies widely, which inevitably affects the accuracy of human health risk assessment. Arsenic is a common and important contaminant in many contaminated land situations. It can be readily absorbed and has teratogenic and mutagenic toxicity. Therefore, in this study, four the most commonly used in vitro simulation methods (the Physiologically Based Extraction Test (PBET), In Vitro Gastrointestinal Method (IVG), Soluble Bioavailability Research Consortium (SBRC), the Unified BARGE Method (UBM)) were tested against an in vivo animal live model, to evaluate their effectiveness for the prediction of soil As bioavailability in 10 industrially contaminated soils. The soil As relative bioavailability (RBA) varied between 15% and 68% in the different soils. As bioaccessibility differed between the 4 gastro-intestinal simulation methods. Gastric phase of UBM (UBMG) predicted As relative bioavailability the best of the 4 assays (R2 = 0.81). This study provides theoretical and technical support to refine human health risk assessment of As in soils from urban industrial legacy contaminated sites.

Quantifying potential marine debris sources and potential threats to penguins on the West Antarctic Peninsula

Marine pollution is becoming ubiquitous in the environment. Observations of pollution on beaches, in the coastal ocean, and in organisms in the Antarctic are becoming distressingly common. Increasing human activity, growing tourism, and an expanding krill fishing industry along the West Antarctic Peninsula all represent potential sources of plastic pollution and other debris (collectively referred to as debris) to the region. However, the sources of these pollutants from point (pollutants released from discrete sources) versus non-point (pollutants from a large area rather than a specific source) sources are poorly understood. We used buoyant simulated particles released in a high-resolution physical ocean model to quantify pollutant loads throughout the region. We considered non-point sources of debris from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Bellingshausen Sea, Weddell Sea, and point source pollution from human activities including tourism, research, and fishing. We also determined possible origins for observed debris based on data from the Southern Ocean Observing System and Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research program. Our results indicate that point source pollution released in the coastal Antarctic is more likely to serve as a source for observed debris than non-point sources, and that the dominant source of pollution is region-specific. Penguin colonies in the South Shetland and Elephant Islands had the greatest debris load from point sources whereas loads from non-point sources were greatest around the southernmost colonies. Penguin colonies at Cornwallis Island and Fort Point were exposed to the highest theoretical debris loads. While these results do not include physical processes such as windage and Stokes Drift that are known to impact debris distributions and transport in the coastal ocean, these results provide critical insights to building an effective stratified sampling and monitoring effort to better understand debris distributions, concentrations, and origins throughout the West Antarctic Peninsula.

Does patent pledge reduce pollution and carbon emissions? Evidence from China

The existing literature has extensively examined the impact of green innovations, such as patents, on pollution and carbon emissions. However, there has been comparatively less emphasis on the debt financing of green innovation by using patents as collateral. This oversight may have implications for the realization of pollution and carbon emissions reduction goals. Using a natural experiment based on the patent pledge pilot policy in China, this study investigates the impact of patent pledge on pollution and carbon emissions. We find that a significant reduction in the emissions of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide attributable to the patent pledge pilot policy, particularly in cities with lower initial green patent rates, and these results still hold after an array of robustness checks. We show that the encouragement of green innovation and the stimulation of environmental entrepreneurship are the mechanisms underlying these emission reduction effects. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the impact of patent pledges on emission reduction is more pronounced in cities characterized by higher levels of government-reported environmental concern, public engagement in environmentally related searches, pollution information transparency indices, and green development evaluation indices.

Associations between transport modes and site-specific cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Physical inactivity is a global public health problem. A practical solution would be to build physical activity into the daily routine by using active modes of transport. Choice of transport mode can influence cancer risk through their effects on levels of physical activity, sedentary time, and environmental pollution. This review synthesizes existing evidence on the associations of specific transport modes with risks of site-specific cancers.

METHODS

Relevant literature was searched in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus from 1914 to 17th February 2023. For cancer sites with effect measures available for a specific transport mode from two or more studies, random effects meta-analyses were performed to pool relative risks (RR) comparing the highest vs. lowest activity group as well as per 10 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) hour increment in transport-related physical activity per week (∼150 min of walking or 90 min of cycling).

RESULTS

27 eligible studies (11 cohort, 15 case-control, and 1 case-cohort) were identified, which reported the associations of transport modes with 10 site-specific cancers. In the meta-analysis, 10 MET hour increment in transport-related physical activity per week was associated with a reduction in risk for endometrial cancer (RR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-0.997), colorectal cancer (RR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.99) and breast cancer (RR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.89-0.996). The highest level of walking only or walking and cycling combined modes, compared to the lowest level, were significantly associated with a 12% and 30% reduced risk of breast and endometrial cancers respectively. Cycling, compared to motorized modes, was associated with a lower risk of overall cancer incidence and mortality.

CONCLUSION

Active transport appears to reduce cancer risk, but evidence for cancer sites other than colorectum, breast, and endometrium is currently limited.

Evaluation of soil pollution by heavy metal using index calculations and multivariate statistical analysis

This study aims to assess the extent of heavy metals (HMs) pollution in soil and identify its potential sources using single and integrated pollution index calculations, and multivariate statistical analysis. The HM concentrations of soil samples were analyzed using ICP-MS. The concentrations (mg/kg) of arsenic (As) ranged from 2.8 to 208.1, cadmium (Cd) from 0.1 to 0.3, cobalt (Co) from 1.9 to 20.5, copper (Cu) from 3.7 to 17.7, nickel (Ni) from 14.7 to 110.6, and lead (Pb) from 6.7 to 37.3. High levels of As contents and physicochemical parameters were found in the northeastern parts of the study area, while levels of other HMs were high in the remaining parts. The HM contents of some soil samples exceeded the average values of basalt and limestone in the study area, as well as the upper, bulk, and lower continental crusts, shale, and soil (worldwide). Multiple index methods were used to assess the pollution risk, and it was determined that some soil samples were moderately to considerably contaminated with varying levels of As, Cd, Co, Ni, and Pb. Multivariate statistical analyses provided that the source of HMs contamination in the soil was a result of geogenic and/or anthropogenic activities. Geogenic sources were associated with weathering rock units, while anthropogenic sources were linked to industrial activities, traffic emissions, and agricultural applications. The findings are useful for detecting contamination by HMs in soil, and they could contribute to future monitoring programs to prevent soil contamination and protect the health of living organisms.

Representation of investigation results of microplastics on sandy beaches-accumulation rate and abundance in the entire study site

Long-term microplastics (MPs) environmental pollution trends cannot be understood only by investigating their presence on beaches. Without estimating MPs for the entire beach, comparisons between multiple beaches cannot be made. In this study, Nagasaki Prefecture was selected as the study site, we measured MPs accumulation rate to express the MPs pollution trend and weighted the measurement results to enable comparison of MPs content among multiple sandy beaches. The MPs accumulation rate in the study site was measured by periodic investigation at fixed spots. The average in the supratidal zone was 1.5 ± 0.9 mg-MPs/(m2-sand⋅ d) (n = 15). The weighting of the MPs content in hot spots and non-hot spots by their respective areas enabled us to obtain the representative value and the dispersion of the MPs content in the entire study site. The MPs contents in the three beaches were 298 ± 144, 1,115 ± 518, and 4,084 ± 2,243 mg-MPs/(m2-sand), respectively. Using these values, it is possible to compare the MPs contents of multiple beaches.

Pollution levels and probability risk assessment of potential toxic elements in soil of Pb-Zn smelting areas

Soil pollution around Pb-Zn smelters has attracted widespread attention around the world. In this study, we compiled a database of eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs) Pb, Zn, Cd, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Mn in the soil of Pb-Zn smelting areas by screening the published research papers from 2000 to 2023. The pollution assessment and risk screening of eight PTEs were carried out by geo-accumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological risk index (PERI) and health risk assessment model, and Monte Carlo simulation employed to further evaluate the probabilistic health risks. The results suggested that the mean values of the eight PTEs all exceeded the corresponding values in the upper crust, and more than 60% of the study sites had serious Pb and Cd pollution (Igeo > 4), with Brazil, Belgium, China, France and Slovenia having higher levels of pollution than other regions. Besides, PTEs in smelting area caused serious ecological risk (PERI = 10912.12), in which Cd was the main contributor to PREI (86.02%). The average hazard index (HI) of the eight PTEs for adults and children was 7.19 and 9.73, respectively, and the average value of total carcinogenic risk (TCR) was 4.20 × 10-3 and 8.05 × 10-4, respectively. Pb and As are the main contributors to non-carcinogenic risk, while Cu and As are the main contributors to carcinogenic risk. The probability of non-carcinogenic risk in adults and children was 84.05% and 97.57%, while carcinogenic risk was 92.56% and 79.73%, respectively. In summary, there are high ecological and health risks of PTEs in the soil of Pb-Zn smelting areas, and Pb, Cd, As and Cu are the key elements that cause contamination and risk, which need to be paid attention to and controlled. This study is expected to provide guidance for soil remediation in Pb-Zn smelting areas.

Effect of Biofilm Forming on the Migration of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate from PVC Plastics

Plastic additives, represented by plasticizers, are important components of plastic pollution. Biofilms inevitably form on plastic surfaces when plastic enters the aqueous environment. However, little is known about the effect of biofilms on plastic surfaces on the release of additives therein. In this study, PVC plastics with different levels of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) content were investigated to study the effect of biofilm growth on DEHP release. The presence of biofilms promoted the migration of DEHP from PVC plastics to the external environment. Relative to biofilm-free controls, although the presence of surface biofilm resulted in 0.8 to 11.6 times lower DEHP concentrations in water, the concentrations of the degradation product, monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) in water, were 2.3 to 57.3 times higher. When the total release amounts of DEHP in the biofilm and in the water were combined, they were increased by 0.6-73 times after biofilm growth. However, most of the released DEHP was adsorbed in the biofilms and was subsequently degraded. The results of this study suggest that the biofilm as a new interface between plastics and the surrounding environment can affect the transport and transformation of plastic additives in the environment through barrier, adsorption, and degradation. Future research endeavors should aim to explore the transport dynamics and fate of plastic additives under various biofilm compositions as well as evaluate the ecological risks associated with their enrichment by biofilms.

Methylated derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in road dust, green belt soil and parking lot dust: occurrence, spatial distribution and emission sources

Convenient transportation facilities not only bring the higher standard of living to big cities, but also bring some environmental pollution problems. In order to understand the presence and sources of methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Me-PAHs) in environmental samples and their association with total organic carbon (TOC), 49 Me-PAHs were analyzed in road dust, green belt soil and parking lot dust samples in Harbin. The results showed that the ranges of the total Me-PAHs (ΣMe-PAHs) content in road dust were 221-5826 ng/g in autumn and 697-7302 ng/g in spring, and those in green belt soil were 170-2509 ng/g and 155-9215 ng/g in autumn and spring, respectively. And ΣMe-PAHs content in parking lot dust ranged from 269 to 2515 ng/g in surface parking lots and from 778 to 10,052 ng/g in underground parking lots. In these samples, the composition profile of Me-PAHs was dominated by 4-ring Me-PAHs. The results of diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that petrogenic and pyrogenic sources were the main sources of Me-PAHs in the samples. Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was no correlation for Me-PAHs in road dust and green belt soil on the same road. Furthermore, there was a significant positive relationship (0.12 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.67, P < 0.05) between Me-PAHs concentrations and the TOC content. This study demonstrated the presence of Me-PAHs with high concentrations in the road environment samples of Harbin.

Comparative analysis of sediment quality indices using different reference values in an environmental protection area in Southeastern Brazil

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a concerning environmental issue, given their persistence, toxicity potential, and ability to accumulate in living organisms. Several studies have been conducted to assess the contamination of aquatic ecosystems by PTEs, using pollution and ecological risk indices that rely on the concentration of these elements in aquatic sediments. However, many of these studies use global reference values for calculating the indices, which can lead to misleading interpretations due to substantial variations in PTEs concentrations influenced by the geological characteristics of each region. Therefore, the use of regional reference values is more appropriate when available. This study aimed to investigate variations in the results of five indices, employing global, regional, and quality reference values, based on sediment samples collected from rivers in the Ipanema National Forest, a protected area in Brazil exposed to various anthropogenic pressures. The results revealed that elements such as Al, Fe, and Mn exceeded the limits allowed by legislation in water samples, while As and Cr surpassed the limits in sediment samples. Comparative analysis highlighted significant discrepancies in the results of the indices when global reference values were used compared to regional and quality reference values, especially for As and Ba. Thus, this study underscores the importance of establishing specific regional values for an accurate assessment of sediment quality and the risks associated with contamination by PTEs in different regions worldwide.

Effect of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAH & Polar-PAC) availability on their ecotoxicity towards terrestrial organisms

The exposure of terrestrial organisms to soils freshly contaminated by polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs, including PAHs and polar-PACs) is known to cause significant toxicity effects. However, historically contaminated soils, such as former coking plant soils, usually induce a limited toxic impact, due to the "aging" phenomenon which is the result of several processes causing a reduction of PAC availability over time. For a better understanding of these behaviors, this study aimed to compare the toxic responses of terrestrial organisms exposed to aged contaminated soils and their counterparts submitted to a moderate heating process applied to increase PAC availability. Two aged "raw" soils (limited PAC availability) were selected for their representativeness of former industrial soils in terms of PAC contamination. These soils were submitted either to moderate heating (expected PAC availability increase) or solvent-extraction (expected PAC removal). Physico-chemical parameters, contamination levels and availability were determined for these three soil modalities. Additionally, standardized limit bioassays on plants and earthworms were performed to assess soil ecotoxicity. The findings demonstrated that historically contaminated soils exposed to moderate heating induced the highest ecotoxic responses from terrestrial organisms. Heating increased PAC (bio)availability, without modifying any other soil physico-chemical properties. These results pointed out the importance of considering the contamination availability parameter in risk evaluation and also provide a possible tool for protective long-term risk assessment.