ALBERT

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 235〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sanober Kahkashan, Xinhong Wang, Jianfang Chen, Youcheng Bai, Miaolei Ya, Yuling Wu, Yizhi Cai, Siquan Wang, Monawwar Saleem, Javed Aftab, Asif Inam〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface sediments were investigated from the Bering Sea, the Chukchi Sea and adjacent Arctic Ocean in 2010. Total concentrations (dry weight) of Σ〈sub〉14〈/sub〉PFAS in surface sediments (0.85 ± 0.22 ng g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) of the Bering Sea were lower than that in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent Arctic Ocean (1.27 ± 0.53 ng g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). Perfluoro-butanoic acid (PFBS) and perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA) were the dominant PFAS in these areas. The concentrations of Σ〈sub〉15〈/sub〉OCPs in the sediment of the Bering Sea (13.00 ± 6.17 ng g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) was slightly higher than that in the Chukchi and Arctic Ocean (12.05 ± 2.27 ng g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). The most abundant OCPs were hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites. The composition patterns of HCHs and DDTs indicated that they were mainly derived from the early residues via river runoff. Increasing trends of PFAS, HCHs and DDTs in surface sediments from the Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean were found, indicating oceanic transport. In summary, the concentrations of OCPs were orders of magnitude greater than the observed PFAS concentrations, and the concentrations of PFAS and OCPs in surface sediments from the Bering Sea to the Chukchi Sea and adjacent Arctic Ocean are at the low to moderate levels by comparing with other coastal and marine sediments worldwide.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 235〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Misganaw Alemu Zeleke, Dong-Hau Kuo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Methylene blue dye is among the toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic pollutants. Hence, its treatment via photocatalytic degradation is an important remediation method for the sake of a healthy environment. Herein, the V〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉5〈/sub〉-CeO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanocomposite catalysts were synthesized via a simple precipitation-thermal decomposition approach and used for the photodegradation of methylene blue in the presence of H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 as an effective electron scavenger under visible light illumination. The nanocomposite catalysts were systematically characterized to investigate the effects of V〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉5〈/sub〉 with the aids of X-ray, morphology, light absorption, catalytic activity, and charge transfer properties of the nanocomposite catalysts. The VC-2 nanocomposite prepared with NH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉VO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉:CeO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 molar ratios at 0.15:1 was found to be the best efficient catalyst where ≥98% of methylene blue was degraded within 25 min irradiation time. From the kinetics analysis, its rate constant was found to be higher than those of the pure V〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉5〈/sub〉 and CeO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 catalysts by a factor of 12.0 and 13.5, respectively. The plausibly mechanistic elucidation of charge transfer and utilization of reactive species are conspicuous allegations of the combined effects of the nanocomposite catalyst, H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 sacrificial agent, and visible light for the photodegradation of the dye.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519314717-fx1.jpg" width="294" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 235〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Noreen Khalid, Atifa Masood, Ali Noman, Muhammad Aqeel, Muhammad Qasim〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Various physiological and biochemical responses of two good biomonitor plant species i.e. 〈em〉Datura alba〈/em〉 and 〈em〉Ricinus communis〈/em〉 were studied along two roads in the Punjab, Pakistan. Chlorophyll 〈em〉a〈/em〉, 〈em〉b〈/em〉, total chlorophylls, carotenoids, total free amino acids, total soluble proteins, total antioxidant activity, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, internal CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration, transpiration rate, and water use efficiency of 〈em〉D. alba〈/em〉 and 〈em〉R. communis〈/em〉 were examined at different sites along both roads. Photosynthetic rate of both plant species was found to be affected. Reduced transpiration rate and stomatal conductance were also noted. However, elevated internal CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration and water use efficiency were recorded. Total soluble proteins got reduced, but, we found a tremendous increase in total antioxidant activity and total free amino acids in both plant species. 〈em〉D. alba〈/em〉 was found to be more affected by the adverse effects of roadside air borne pollutants. Although 〈em〉R. communis〈/em〉 was also affected but it showed minimal variation in all parameters compared to the control. Hence, our results suggest that 〈em〉R. communis〈/em〉 is more resistant to urban roadside air pollution compared to 〈em〉D. alba〈/em〉 and would be a good choice as phytoremediator of traffic borne pollutants, whereas, 〈em〉D. alba〈/em〉 could be a better biomonitoring plant.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 235〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Houjuan Xing, Muqiao Peng, Zhuo Li, Jianqing Chen, Hongfu Zhang, Xiaohua Teng〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Ammonia is a known environmental pollutant around the world. It leads to the deterioration of air quality and has adverse effects on human health. Although previous studies have demonstrated that ammonia caused some health problems to chickens, it is still unclear whether ammonia causes cardiac toxicity. The functional autophagy is very important for cardiac homeostasis. Therefore, the role of autophagy was investigated in the mechanism of chicken heart damage induced by environmental contaminant ammonia in our present study. The results from the oxidative stress index (SOD, GPx, H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, and MDA), NO content, iNOS activity, and transmission electron microscopy indicated that excess ammonia induced oxidative stress and autophagy in the chicken heart. The expression results from miR-202-5p and PTEN/AKT/mTOR (PTEN, LC3-I, LC3-II, p-AKT, AKT, Beclin1, Dynein, ATG5, p-mTOR and mTOR) signaling pathway-related genes further confirmed that excess ammonia induced cardiac autophagy. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that excess ammonia can cause cardiac damage and mediate mir-202-5p to regulate autophagy through PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway in the chicken heart injury. Our findings will provide a new insight for better assessing the toxicity mechanism of environmental pollutants ammonia on the heart.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519314766-fx1.jpg" width="304" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: November 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 235〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Can Chen, Xu Wang, Jianlong Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this paper, the growth of 〈em〉S. bicolor〈/em〉 in Cd-polluted sandy clay loam soil in north China, Cd accumulation in plant and the corresponding soil microbial community were characterized when the plant matured (140 d of growth). Cadmium promoted the growth of mature 〈em〉S. bicolor〈/em〉 with higher height and heavier dry mass, especially at the spiked level of 1 mg kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 soil (P 〈 0.05). The higher microbial diversity was found under Cd stress at the spiked level of 15 mg kg〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, which basically corresponded with its influence on the plant growth. High-throughput sequencing data demonstrated that the predominant bacterial phyla include 〈em〉Proteobacteria〈/em〉 (35.99% for Cd-polluted soil and 35.22% for the control soil), 〈em〉Chloroflexi〈/em〉 (21.33% and 20.58%), 〈em〉Actinobacteria〈/em〉 (12.00% and 12.89%), 〈em〉Acidobacteria〈/em〉 (7.47% and 11.14%), 〈em〉Bacteroidetes〈/em〉 (7.37% and 6.96%), 〈em〉Gemmatimonadetes〈/em〉 (5.60% and 6.65%), 〈em〉Firmicutes〈/em〉 (2.82% and 1.86%), 〈em〉Planctomycetes〈/em〉 (2.47% and 0.95%), 〈em〉Saccharibacteria〈/em〉 (1.26% and 1.11%). The predominant fungal phyla was 〈em〉Ascomycota〈/em〉, with the relative abundance of 89.96% for the control soil and 86.2% for the Cd-polluted soil. 〈em〉S. bicolor〈/em〉 could grow well in sandy clay loam soil in northern China at low Cd lvel, but it could not accumulate cadmium at higher cadmium level. 〈em〉S. bicolor〈/em〉 could be used for phytoextraction of cadmium from the lightly Cd-polluted soil.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Liheng Liu, Dongwei He, Fei Pan, Rong Huang, Hua Lin, Xuehong Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉In this study, Fe/Cu, Fe/Al/Cu, Fe/Cu/C and Fe/Al/Cu/C internal electrolysis systems (IESs) were constructed and used to treat methylene blue dye (MB) wastewater. The effects of filler mass ratio, filler dosage, solution pH, reaction time and reaction temperature on COD removal were discussed, while the kinetics, thermodynamics and mechanism of COD removal were also investigated. The results showed that when the COD removal rates were basically the same, the reaction times of Fe/Al/Cu, Fe/Cu/C and Fe/Al/Cu/C IESs were shorter, and the filler dosages were lower. For the four systems, the appropriate pH was around 5, while the suitable reaction temperature was in the range of 20–25 °C. The COD removals of these four IESs were generally greater than 90%. The COD removal processes of the four systems could be better described by the improved pseudo-second-kinetic model, and the liquid film diffusion was the rate-controlling step. Moreover, the COD removal was a spontaneous and endothermic process. MB was degraded into inorganic substances in four steps. In addition, the FTIR characterization of the fillers before and after reaction suggests the four IESs have good stability.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yong-Tao Li, Dan Li, Lian-Jue Lai, Yu-Hang Li〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study investigates the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil using activated persulfate (PS) with ultrasound (US) and US/Fe. Various controlling factors including different PS dosage, ultrasonic power, pH, soil water ratio and soil particle size were considered. It was found that petroleum hydrocarbon degradation efficiency achieved up to 56.41% and 82.23% in US/PS and US/Fe/PS system, respectively. Based on the experimental results, the reaction rate of US/Fe/PS system was faster than US/PS system and the degradation efficiency enhanced significantly with the increasing ultrasonic power. Changing initial solution pH influenced the petroleum hydrocarbon reaction rate and the best performance would be achieved at pH of 5. The present work identified the main components of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants in shale gas sites. The mechanism of petroleum hydrocarbon degradation on US/Fe/PS system were analyzed.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Muhammad Adrees, Zahra Saeed Khan, Shafaqat Ali, Muhammad Hafeez, Sofia Khalid, Muhammad Zia ur Rehman, Afzal Hussain, Khalid Hussain, Shahzad Ali Shahid Chatha, Muhammad Rizwan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Excess amount of cadmium (Cd) in arable soils and shortage of good quality water are the major abiotic factors affecting the crop yield which needs immediate solution to feed the increasing population worldwide. Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in various industries including agriculture which is due to the unique properties of NPs. Among NPs, iron (Fe) NPs might be used to alleviate the abiotic stresses in crops but limited informations are available in the literature about the role of Fe-NPs in crops under metal stress. The present study was designed to highlight the efficiency of Fe-NPs on Cd accumulation in Cd and drought-stressed wheat. Wheat plants were grown in Cd-contaminated soil after the supply of different levels of Fe-NPs and two water regimes were introduced in the soil in latter growth stages of the plants. Cadmium and drought stress negatively affected the wheat photosynthesis, yield and caused oxidative stress in leaves with excess accumulation of Cd in grains and other plant tissues. The NPs improved the photosynthesis, yield, Fe concentrations and diminished the Cd concentrations in tissues. The NPs alleviated the oxidative stress in leaves and the efficiency depends on the NPs concentrations applied in the soil. The results obtained indicated that Fe-NPs may be employed aiming to get wheat grains with excess Fe and decreased Cd contents. However, field investigations with various sizes, shapes and levels of NPs are needed before final recommendations to the farmers.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hidehiro Ishizawa, Yuka Ogata, Yoshiyuki Hachiya, Ko-ichiro Tokura, Masashi Kuroda, Daisuke Inoue, Tadashi Toyama, Yasuhiro Tanaka, Kazuhiro Mori, Masaaki Morikawa, Michihiko Ike〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are considered a promising tool to improve biomass production and water remediation by the aquatic plant, duckweed; however, no effective methodology is available to utilize PGPB in large hydroponic systems. In this study, we proposed a two-step cultivation process, which comprised of a “colonization step” and a “mass cultivation step,” and examined its efficacy in both bucket-scale and flask-scale cultivation experiments. We showed that in the outdoor bucket-scale experiments using three kinds of environmental water, plants cultured through the two-step cultivation method with the PGPB strain, 〈em〉Acinetobacter calcoaceticus〈/em〉 P23, yielded 1.9 to 2.3 times more biomass than the control (without PGPB inoculation). The greater nitrogen and phosphorus removals compared to control were also attained, indicating that this strategy is useful for accelerating nutrient removal by duckweed. Flask-scale experiments using non-sterile pond water revealed that inoculation of strain P23 altered duckweed surface microbial community structures, and the beneficial effects of the inoculated strain P23 could last for 5–10 d. The loss of the duckweed growth-promoting effect was noticeable when the colonization of strain P23 decreased in the plant. These observations suggest that the stable colonization of the plant with PGPB is the key for maintaining the accelerated duckweed growth and nutrient removal in this cultivation method. Overall, our results suggest the possibility of an improved duckweed production using a two-step cultivation process with PGPB.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Isaac Sánchez-Montes, José F. Pérez, Cristina Sáez, Manuel A. Rodrigo, Pablo Cañizares, José M. Aquino〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Significance of surface and ground water contamination by synthetic organic compounds has been pointed out in a very high number of papers worldwide, as well as the need of application of treatment technologies capable to assure their complete removal. Among these processes, the electrochemical advanced oxidation is an interesting option, especially when irradiated with UVC light (photo-electrochemical, P-EC) to promote homolysis of electrogenerated oxidants. In this work, the herbicide glyphosate (GLP) was used as model compound and it was electrochemically treated under UVC irradiation in the presence of NaCl and using a DSA® and BDD anodes. Total organic carbon concentration was measured throughout the electrolysis, as well as the concentration of short chain carboxylic acids and inorganic ions (NO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉, PO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉3−〈/sup〉,ClO〈sup〉−〈/sup〉, ClO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 and ClO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉). The synergism of the P-EC was more pronounced when using a DSA® electrode, which led to complete GLP mineralization in 1 h (0.52 A h L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉), as also confirmed by the stoichiometric formation of NO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 and PO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉3−〈/sup〉 ions, with an energy consumption as low as 1.25 kW h g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Unexpectedly, the concentration evolution of oxyhalides for the P-EC process using both anodes, especially for DSA® at 10 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉, showed the production of ClO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉, whereas detection of ClO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 species was only found when using BDD at 100 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉 for the electrochemical process. Finally, small amounts of carboxylic acids were detected, including dichloroacetic acid, especially when using a BDD electrode.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Zhao Jiang, Jianing Chen, Jiaojiao Li, Bo Cao, Yukun Chen, Di Liu, Xinxin Wang, Ying Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Enhancing the biodegradation efficiency of atrazine, a kind of commonly applied herbicide, has been attracted much more concern. Here, Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 which has long been considered essential in adjusting cell physiological status was selected to investigate its role on the biodegradation of atrazine by 〈em〉Arthrobacter〈/em〉 sp. DNS10 as well as the transmembrane transport of atrazine during the biodegradation period. The results of gas chromatography showed that the atrazine removal percentages (initial concentration was 100 mg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) in 0.05 mM Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 and 1.0 mM Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 treatments were 94.42% and 86.02% respectively at 48 h, while there was also 66.43% of atrazine left in the treatment without exogenous Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 existence. The expression of atrazine chlorohydrolase gene 〈em〉trz〈/em〉N in the strain DNS10 cultured with 0.05 mM and 1.0 mM Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 was 7.30- and 4.67- times respectively compared with that of the non-zinc treatment. In addition, the flow cytometry test suggests that 0.05 mM of Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 could better adjust the membrane permeability of strain DNS10, meanwhile, the amount of atrazine accumulation in the strain DNS10 co-cultured with this level Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 was 2.21 times of that of the strain without Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉. This study may facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms that exogenous Zn〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 enhances the biodegradation of atrazine by 〈em〉Arthrobacter〈/em〉 sp. DNS10.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318181-egi10JM2SCGSQ7.jpg" width="281" alt="Image 1027" title="Image 1027"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Daisuke Inoue, Tsubasa Tsunoda, Kazuko Sawada, Norifumi Yamamoto, Kazunari Sei, Michihiko Ike〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study evaluates the effects of various metals on 1,4-dioxane degradation by the following four bacteria: 〈em〉Pseudonocardia〈/em〉 sp. D17; 〈em〉Pseudonocardia〈/em〉 sp. N23; 〈em〉Mycobacterium〈/em〉 sp. D6; and 〈em〉Rhodococcus aetherivorans〈/em〉 JCM 14343. Eight transition metals [Co(II), Cu(II), Fe(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Mo(VI), Ni(II), and Zn(II)] were used as the test metals. Results revealed, for the first time, that metals had not only inhibitory but also stimulatory effects on 1,4-dioxane biodegradation. Cu(II) had the most severe inhibitory effects on 1,4-dioxane degradation by all of the test strains, with significant inhibition at concentrations as low as 0.01–0.1 mg/L. This inhibition was probably caused by cellular toxicity at higher concentrations, and by inhibition of degradative enzymes at lower concentrations. In contrast, Fe(III) enhanced 1,4-dioxane degradation by 〈em〉Mycobacterium〈/em〉 sp. D6 and 〈em〉R. aetherivorans〈/em〉 JCM 14343 the most, while degradation by the two 〈em〉Pseudonocardia〈/em〉 strains was stimulated most notably in the presence of Mn(II), even at concentrations as low as 0.001 mg/L. Enhanced degradation is likely caused by the stimulation of soluble di-iron monooxygenases (SDIMOs) involved in the initial oxidation of 1,4-dioxane. Differences in the stimulatory effects of the tested metals were likely associated with the particular SDIMO types in the test strains.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 22 August 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yunfeng Ma, Xiaoqing Lin, Zhiliang Chen, Xiaodong Li, Shengyong Lu, Jianhua Yan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Studies are carried out in two wet scrubbing systems (WSSs) subordinated to two similar full-scale (30 t h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators to explore the influence factors and mass balance of memory effect on polychlorinated-ρ-dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) emissions. The results show that the memory effect on two WSSs notably increases the TEQ concentrations by 13.6 and 3 times, respectively, through increase in the total mass concentration and the proportions of low-chlorinated PCDD/Fs, directly resulting in the PCDD/F emissions of 1# MSW incinerator over the national standard. PCDD/F adsorption/desorption in WSSs is the reasonable acting mechanisms of memory effect. In addition, memory effect mainly influences gaseous PCDD/F emissions by elevating the percentage of PCDFs, while slightly affects PCDD/Fs in residuals. A mass balance of PCDD/Fs is established to further analyze the influence factors of memory effect on WSSs, indicating filling as the largest potential source discharging PCDD/Fs into outlet flue gas. The results pave the way for further industrial optimization of WSSs design, such as the filling materials with less adsorption capacity on PCDD/Fs and more reasonable operation.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 22 August 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Hana Stiborova, Michal Strejcek, Lucie Musilova, Katerina Demnerova, Ondrej Uhlik〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉Despite wastewater treatment, sewage sludge is often contaminated with multiple pollutants. Their impact on the phylogenetic composition and diversity of prokaryotic communities in sludge samples remains largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the phylogenetic structure of bacterial communities and diversity in sludge from six waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) and linked this information with the pollutants identified in these samples: eight potentially toxic metals (PTMs) and four groups of organic pollutants [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyromantic hydrocarbons (PAHs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organic halogenated compounds (OCPs)].〈/p〉 〈p〉Alpha diversity measures and the distribution of dominant phyla varied among the samples, with the community from the thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD)-stabilized sample from Prague being the least rich and the least diverse and containing on average 36% of 16S rRNA gene sequence reads of the thermotolerant genus 〈em〉Coprothermobacter〈/em〉 of the class Clostridia (phylum Firmicutes). Using weighted UniFrac distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA), we found that a collection of 5 PTMs: Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and a pair of BFRs: hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and tribromodiphenyl ethers (triBDEs) were significantly associated with the bacterial community structure in mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD)-stabilized samples, whereas PCBs were observed to be marginally significant. Altogether, 85% of the variance in bacterial community structure could be ascribed to these pollutants. The data presented here contribute to a greater understanding of the ecological effects of combined pollution on the composition and diversity of bacterial communities, hence have the potential to aid in predicting ecosystem functions and/or disruptions associated with pollution.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Sang-Ho Lee, Yoshio Takahashi〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The present study provides the starch-mediated carbothermal preparation of magnetic-responsible ferrihydrite (MFHP) based on Fe-rich precipitates which is recovered by mine drainage for immobilization of arsenate and antimonate in water. Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) represented partial transformation from ferrihydrite to magnetite in MFHP due to the carbothermal reduction process, resulting in an effective saturation magnetism (= 19.2 emu/g). As and Sb K-edge EXAFS revealed that arsenate ion combines onto the surface of MFHP as inner-sphere binuclear bidentate surface complex, and antimonate forms inner-sphere mononuclear bidentate complex. In addition, the leachability by toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) implies the environmental friendly preparation method for preparing magnetic-responsible adsorbents using mining waste.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317138-fx1.jpg" width="499" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Masao Togao, Shouta M.M. Nakayama, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Hazuki Mizukawa, Yoshiki Makino, Ayano Kubota, Takehisa Matsukawa, Kazuhito Yokoyama, Takafumi Hirata, Mayumi Ishizuka〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Lead (Pb) pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems and has attracted worldwide attention. Pb causes hematological, central nervous system, as well as renal toxicity, and so on. Although many investigations about Pb in blood to evaluate pollution status and toxic effects have been reported, there are open question about biological behavior of Pb. In order to reveal any toxicological mechanisms or influences, we focused on the local distribution of Pb in mice organs. Lead acetate (100 mg/L and 1000 mg/L) in drinking water were given to the BALB/c mice (male, seven weeks of age, N = 24) for three weeks. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis revealed a homogenous distribution of Pb in the liver and inhomogeneous distribution in the kidney and brain. The hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus had higher concentrations than other areas such as the white matter. Surprisingly, in the kidney, Pb tended to accumulate in the medulla rather than the cortex, strongly suggesting that high sensitivity areas and high accumulation areas differ. Moreover, distribution of stromal interacting protein 1 (STIM1) which is candidate gene of Pb pathway to the cells was homogenous in the liver and kidney whereas inhomogeneous in the brain. In contrast to our hypothesis, interestingly, Pb exposure under the current condition did not induce mRNA expressions for any candidate channel or transporter genes. Thus, further study should be conducted to elucidate the local distribution of Pb and other toxic metals, and pathway that Pb takes to the cells.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318053-fx1.jpg" width="293" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): P. Finkbeiner, G. Moore, R. Pereira, B. Jefferson, P. Jarvis〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Three different source waters were investigated using virgin and pre-used anion exchange resins, coagulation, and ion exchange combined with coagulation (IEX&Coagulation). The hydrophobicity, size distribution and charge of natural organic matter (NOM) were used to evaluate its removal. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal by pre-used IEX resin was 67–79%. A consistent ratio of different hydrophobicity fractions was found in the removed DOC, while the proportion and quantity of the molecular weight fraction around 1 kDa was important in understanding the treatability of water. For pre-used resin, organic compounds were hypothesised to be restricted to easily accessible exchange sites. Comparatively, virgin resin achieved higher DOC removals (86–89%) as resin fouling was absent. Charge density and the proportion of the hydrophobic fraction were found to be important indicators for the specific disinfection byproduct formation potential (DBP-FP). Treatment of raw water with pre-used resin decreased the specific DBP-FP by between 2 and 43%, while the use of virgin resin resulted in a reduction of between 31 and 63%. The highest water quality was achieved when the combination of IEX and coagulation was used, reducing DOC and the specific DBP-FP well below that seen for either process alone.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318570-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Nathalie Lécrivain, Antoine Duparc, Bernard Clément, Emmanuel Naffrechoux, Victor Frossard〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Point pollution sources may differently impact lakes littoral, possibly leading to local ecological risks. The concomitant chemical analysis of littoral-benthic organisms and sediment can provide insights into the bioavailability and thus the ecological risk of contaminants. In this study, the autochthonous Corbicula fluminea was used to assess the sources and transfer of six trace metals (TMs) and fourteen Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the littoral-benthic biota of a large lake. The contaminant concentrations spatially varied with a value scale from 1 to 280 000 times along the lake littoral in both the sediment and clams. Multiple linear regressions were performed to explain the spatial variability of 〈em〉Corbicula fluminea〈/em〉 contamination by considering both watershed and in-lake sources. The concentration of the sum of PAHs in clams was significantly correlated with sediment contamination, suggesting that PAHs contamination of the benthic biota mainly occur from the sediment. Most of the internal TM concentrations of clams were significantly correlated with stormwater drainage areas in the lake watershed, highlighting the importance of stormwater runoffs in the littoral biota contamination. The transfer of TMs and PAHs was assessed through the bioconcentration factor defined as the ratio of internal and sediment concentrations. As, Cd, Cu, Zn and light molecular weight PAHs were more bioconcentrated in 〈em〉C. fluminea〈/em〉 than Pb, Sn and heavy molecular weight PAHs, suggesting differences in their bioavailability. This study underlines the relevance of using autochthonous organisms as bioindicators of lake littoral biota contamination concomitantly with sediment matrices, and illustrates the challenge of tracking pollution sources in lakes.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Divina A. Navarro, Mélanie Kah, Dusan Losic, Rai S. Kookana, Mike J. McLaughlin〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Graphene-based nanomaterials (GNMs) have been touted as miracle materials due to their extraordinary properties that can benefit many industries, including in agriculture and for environmental remediation. While improvement in nutrient delivery and the ability to adsorb environmental contaminants have been demonstrated, what happens to GNMs in soil is a question that has not been addressed. The main aim of this study was to investigate their degradation in soil to have a better understanding of their environmental fate. Using radioisotope techniques, this study assessed the potential mineralisation and release of graphene oxide (GO), one of the most commonly used forms of graphene. Results revealed that the conversion of GO to carbon dioxide was negligible (〈2%) in microbially-active soils. GO remaining in soil was also not readily released by water extractions. The lack of mineralisation and release is indicative of GO's high (bio)degradation stability which is likely due to its limited availability resulting from its rapid homo/hetero-aggregation. Over-all, the results provide new and important information on the environmental fate of graphene nanomaterials applied to soils.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317825-fx1.jpg" width="495" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Silvia Casabianca, Samuela Capellacci, Antonella Penna, Michela Cangiotti, Alberto Fattori, Ilaria Corsi, Maria Francesca Ottaviani, Riccardo Carloni〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Plastics are the most abundant marine debris globally dispersed in the oceans and its production is rising with documented negative impacts in marine ecosystems. However, the chemical-physical and biological interactions occurring between plastic and planktonic communities of different types of microorganisms are poorly understood. In these respects, it is of paramount importance to understand, on a molecular level on the surface, what happens to plastic fragments when dispersed in the ocean and directly interacting with phytoplankton assemblages. This study presents a computer-aided analysis of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of selected spin probes able to enter the phyoplanktonic cell interface and interact with the plastic surface. Two different marine phytoplankton species were analyzed, such as the diatom 〈em〉Skeletonema marinoi〈/em〉 and dinoflagellate 〈em〉Lingulodinium polyedrum〈/em〉, in absence and presence of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments in synthetic seawater (ASPM), in order to 〈em〉in-situ〈/em〉 characterize the interactions occurring between the microalgal cells and plastic surfaces. The analysis was performed at increasing incubation times. The cellular growth and adhesion rates of microalgae in batch culture medium and on the plastic fragments were also evaluated. The data agreed with the EPR results, which showed a significant difference in terms of surface properties between the diatom and dinoflagellate species. Low-polar interactions of lipid aggregates with the plastic surface sites were mainly responsible for the cell-plastic adhesion by 〈em〉S. marinoi〈/em〉, which is exponentially growing on the plastic surface over the incubation time.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317849-fx1.jpg" width="337" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 20 August 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Junyuan Guo, Yuling Zhou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This work investigated the improvement performances and mechanisms of waste activated sludge (WAS) dewaterability and the transformation behavior of heavy metals (HMs, including Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cr) by jointly conditioning of Fe〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉-activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) oxidation and rice straw biochar (RS-BC). Experimental results showed that at original WAS pH of 6.5, the joint conditioning was the most effective when PMS dosage was 0.6 mmol·(g-volatile solids (VS))〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, Fe〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉/PMS molar ratio was 0.6 and RS-BC dosage was 120 mg·(g-VS)〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Under this condition, the lowest moisture content (MC) was 38.5% and the standardized-capillary suction time (SCST) was as high as 8.74. For the improvement mechanism, Fe〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉-activated PMS oxidation can significantly disintegrate the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) composing WAS to release EPS-bound water, and the RS-BC was helpful to form porous structures to improve WAS compressibility, facilitating the subsequent dewatering. In addition, Fe〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉-activated PMS oxidation can obviously improve the solubilization and reduce the leaching toxicity of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cr, which was further enhanced by RS-BC. Therefore, the joint application of Fe〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉-activated PMS oxidation and RS-BC can be a feasible way to improve WAS dewaterability and reduce HMs risk during WAS dewatering.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318521-fx1.jpg" width="438" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: Available online 19 August 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Fuzhen Liu, Yin Xu, Baisong Zhang, Yalu Liu, Hui Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract:〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉An eco-friendly material, activated carbon cloth (ACC) was used as the heterogeneous catalyst in activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) for the efficient degradation of organic pollutant in water. Besides, the effects of several parameters in the ACC/PDS process including initial pH, PDS concentration, reaction temperature, stirring speed and co-existing anions were investigated. Under optimum conditions, almost complete removal (98.6%) of AO7 in 60 min and 67.4% of total organic carbon (TOC) removal within 180 min were obtained, accompanied by the remarkable destruction of azo band and naphthalene ring on AO7. The electron paramagnetic resonance and radical quenching experiments were carried out to identify the reactive radicals in the ACC/PDS process. Surface characteristic techniques such as XRD, BET, SEM, FTIR, XPS were applied to analysis the change of crystal structure, surface area, surface morphology, functional groups on the surface of fresh and spent ACC samples. Hydroxyl groups (C‒OH) and π-π transitions significantly affected the catalytic activity of ACC. The intermediate products of AO7 oxidation were identified by LC-MS and the corresponding degradation pathway was proposed.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318351-fx1.jpg" width="365" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Carla Patrícia Silva, Cindy Oliveira, Ana Ribeiro, Nádia Osório, Marta Otero, Valdemar I. Esteves, Diana L.D. Lima〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉Among pharmaceuticals, the occurrence of antibiotics in the environment is a subject of special concern due to their environmental impact, namely the development of bacterial resistance. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is one of the most commonly used antibiotics and it is regularly found, not only in effluents from sewage treatment plants (STPs), but also in the aquatic environment. Photodegradation appears as an alternative process for the removal of this type of pollutants from contaminated waters. In order to be used for a remediation purpose, its evaluation under continuous flow mode is essential, as well as the determination of the final effluent antibacterial activity, which were assessed in this work.〈/p〉 〈p〉As compared with batch operation, the irradiation time needed for SMX elimination under continuous flow mode sharply decreased, which is very advantageous for the target application. Moreover, the interrelation between SMX removal, mineralization and antibacterial activity was evaluated before and during photodegradation in ultrapure water. Although mineralization was slower than SMX removal, bacterial activity increased after SMX photodegradation. Such increase was also verified in environmental water matrices. Thus, this study has proven that photodegradation is an efficient and sustainable process for both (i) the remediation of waters contaminated with antibiotics, and (ii) the minimization of the bacterial resistance.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318375-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mohammad Behzadi Tayemeh, Milad Esmailbeigi, Iman Shirdel, Hamid Salari Joo, Seyed Ali Johari, Ashkan Banan, Hossein Nourani, Hamed Mashhadi, Mohammad Javad Jami, Mona Tabarrok〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study assesses and compares the influence of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and silver nitrate (AgNO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉) on the fatty acid composition, pigments, and growth indices of 〈em〉Chlorella vulgaris〈/em〉. Toxicity testing was carried at the estimated and/or above predicted environmental concentrations of AgNPs and AgNO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉. AgNO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 treatments impaired the population growth of 〈em〉C〈/em〉. 〈em〉vulgaris〈/em〉 about 2–183 times more than the respective AgNPs ones. The pigments displayed a concentration-dependent decrease in response to both forms of silver; however, AgNO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 displayed higher severity to the pigments than AgNPs. In exposure to 10 μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 AgNO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉, the contents of chlorophyll 〈em〉a〈/em〉, chlorophyll 〈em〉b〈/em〉, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid, respectively, demonstrated a reduction of about 5, 3, 4, and 4 times when compared with the same respective concentration of AgNPs. Total amounts of saturated (∑SFA), monounsaturated (∑MUFA), and polyunsaturated (∑PUFA) fatty acids as well as the ratio of unsaturated to saturated ones (Unsat./Sat.) displayed somewhat similar-concentration responses. ∑SFA exhibited a hormesis response, and ∑MUFA, ∑PUFA, and Unsat./Sat. did a decreasing trend with increasing concentration of AgNPs and AgNO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉. Myristoleic acid, nervonic acid, and eicosadienoic acid revealed the highest sensitivity. Pearson analysis illustrated the highest correlation among myristoleic acid, eicosenoic acid, and nervonic acid as well as among palmitic acid, stearic acid, palmitoleic acid, and oleic acid. Taken together, AgNPs and the released ions could disrupt physiological health state of microalgae through perturbation in the fatty acid composition (especially MUFAs and PUFAs) and other macromolecules. These types of bioperturbations could change the good health state of aquatic ecosystems.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318004-fx1.jpg" width="246" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ashour M. Ahmed, Fatma Mohamed, Abdallah M. Ashraf, Mohamed Shaban, Aftab Aslam Parwaz Khan, Abdullah M. Asiri〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Hydrogen production from water splitting by a photocatalytic process is one way that can be used to solve global problems related to energy depletion and environmental pollution. This work aims to design and characterize a novel photocatalyst nanohybrid carbon nanotubes@TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 nanoribbons (CNTs@TNRs) for enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting in different electrolytes under visible light irradiance. Here, hydrothermal and chemical vapor deposition (HT-CVD) were combined to grow CNTs @ the nanopits of TNRs producing network of nanohybrid CNTs@TNRs. The structural, morphological, optical, and photocatylatic properties of the TNRs and CNTs@TNRs nanohybrid were characterized by different techniques. The crystallite size is increased from 14.86 nm for TNRs to 21.61 nm for CNTs@TNRs nanohybrid. The CNTs@TNRs nanohybrid has well-resolved nanopits on the surface of the TNRs with an average diameter of 10 nm. The absorption edge of CNTs@TNRs relative to TNRs was strongly shifted to the visible light region. The band gap values are 3.78 and 2.07 eV for TNRs and CNTs@TNRs, respectively. The TNRs and CNTs@TNRs were used for the photocatalytic water splitting under visible light irradiance in Na〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉3〈/sub〉, HCl and KOH electrolytes of different concentrations. The calculated incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) was 97% at 510 nm. These values are higher than those previously reported for different photoelectrodes. The number of hydrogen moles was calculated to be 300 μmol h〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉. Therefore, our work demonstrates a feasible route for efficient PEC water splitting under sunlight irradiation utilizing the novel CNTs@TNRs photocatalyst.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Boyuan Zhu, Hao Cheng, Jianfeng Ma, Yong Kong, Sridhar Komarneni〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract:〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Novel ZnS–ZnFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 composites were successfully synthesized via a simple and green hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the synthesized composite proved the presence of both ZnS and ZnFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉. The other characteristics of the composites were further characterized in detail using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The performance of ZnS–ZnFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 in the presence of persulfate (PS, K〈sub〉2〈/sub〉S〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉8〈/sub〉) as a co-catalyst was tested for degrading rhodamine B (RhB) under UV light illumination. ZnS–ZnFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 composites could remove about 97.67% of RhB in 90 min, which was much higher removal than either ZnS or ZnFe〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉4〈/sub〉 alone. Moreover, the recovery of catalyst and its recycling performance were found to be good after testing three times. A feasible mechanism analysis of RhB degradation was validated by simple classical quenching experiments. The enhanced performance was attributed to the high-efficiency separation rate of photo induced electron-hole pairs and highly active free radicals of O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉, OH〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉 and SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈img src="https://sdfestaticassets-eu-west-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317710-egi107D9V20FFZ.jpg" width="342" alt="Image 107920" title="Image 107920"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jingjing Zhao, Yu Yang, Chen Li, Jing Liang, Li-an Hou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study evaluated the effects of co-existing cations (Na〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 or Ca〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉) on the lamellar structure of cross-linked graphene oxide (GO) layers and GO modified membrane performance in terms of their fouling behaviours and retention for single-model organic matter, namely, bull serum albumin (BSA), sodium alginate (SA), humic acid (HA) and tannic acid (TA). In the absence of co-existing cations, the GO layers mitigated membrane fouling for large molecules (SA, BSA, and HA) but led to severer pore blocking for small molecules (TA) compared with pristine membrane. Na〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 and Ca〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 altered the performance impacts of the GO modified membrane due to different interactions with the cross-linked GO layers. Low concentrations of Na〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 (〈0.4 mM) enlarged interlayer spacing of the GO layers and caused a decrease in flux after physical cleaning, but the GO layers maintained the uniform lamellar structure. High concentrations of Na〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 (〉0.4 mM) promoted the aggregation of cross-linked GO layers through charge shielding and reduced the uniformity of lamellar structure, which weakened the antifouling performance for large molecules and promoted the passage of small molecules through the membrane. However, Ca〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 complexed with GO sheets and reinforced the uniform lamellar structure of the GO layers, leading to a better antifouling performance for the filtration of large molecules than the pristine membrane but aggravated TA fouling.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317680-fx1.jpg" width="308" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yuk Hang Chan, Ka Hou Chu, King Ming Chan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉To characterize the potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment that interact with the crustacean ecdysone receptor (EcR), we established a method involving 〈em〉in silico〈/em〉 modeling/molecular docking and 〈em〉in vitro〈/em〉 reporter gene assay. Cherry shrimp (〈em〉Neocaridina davidi〈/em〉) EcR (NdEcR) and retinoid X receptor (NdRxR) were identified and cloned for use in this method. A theoretical 3D model of NdEcR ligand-binding domain (LBD) was built 〈em〉in silico〈/em〉 based on sequence homology with the established X-ray structure of insect EcR. The interaction of the NdEcR LBD with ecdysteroids, diacylhydrazine (DAH) pesticides, and other potential EDCs was evaluated using molecular docking programs. The results revealed that the ligand-binding pocket in the NdEcR LBD was flexible and adaptive for accommodating ligands of different shapes. The agonistic and antagonistic activities of the candidate compounds were further assessed by 〈em〉in vitro〈/em〉 reporter gene assay using human cell lines transiently transfected with NdEcR and NdRxR expression plasmids and a reporter plasmid containing synthesized ecdysone response element. The assay was validated by the dose-dependent responses of EcR-mediated gene transcription after treating the transfected cell lines with ecdysteroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and ponasterone A. Examination of the candidate compounds using the reporter gene assay revealed restricted functional specificity to ecdysteroids and DAHs. Three of the tested DAH pesticides originally targeting the insect EcR were found to be weak agonists and strong antagonists of NdEcR. These results suggest that DAHs are potential EDCs for crustaceans that disrupt their ecdysteroid signals by functioning as EcR agonists or antagonists.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317758-fx1.jpg" width="272" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mathieu Gosselin, Gerald J. Zagury〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Field-collected chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-contaminated soils and associated particulate matter (PM) were characterized for their total metal(loid)s content (As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) and physicochemical properties. Copper, Ni, Pb and Zn fractionation (using sequential extraction) and inhalation bioaccessibility (using two lung fluids) of trace elements were assessed in PM samples. In Gamble's solution (GS), low average bioaccessibility (up to 12%) was observed for As, Cu, Mn, and Ni. A strong correlation (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.92, p 〈 0.005, n = 9) between the soluble and exchangeable fraction (F1) and bioaccessibility in GS was observed for Cu. Inhalation bioaccessibility in artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) was higher for Cu (avg. 78.5 ± 4.2%), Mn (avg. 56.8 ± 12.1%), Zn (avg. 54.8 ± 24.5%) and As (avg. 45.4 ± 18.8%). Strong correlations between inhalation bioaccessibility in ALF and the mobile (i.e. F1+F2) metal fraction were observed for all tested metals (i.e. (Cu (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.95, p 〈 0.005), Ni (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.79, p 〈 0.05), Pb (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.92, p 〈 0.005) and Zn (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.98, p 〈 0.005)), n = 9). The oxidative potential (OP) of PM was also assessed using an ascorbate (AA) depletion assay (OP〈sub〉AA〈/sub〉). Mobile Cu fractions were deemed to be the main factor influencing OP〈sub〉AA〈/sub〉 ((F1 (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.99, p 〈 0.005), F2 (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.97, p 〈 0.005)), n = 9) in PM samples. A strong correlation (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.94, p 〈 0.005, n = 10) was also observed between Cu bioaccessibility in GS and OP〈sub〉AA〈/sub〉.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317813-fx1.jpg" width="357" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Raougina-Laouisa Bachour, Oksana Golovko, Martin Kellner, Johannes Pohl〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Pharmaceuticals are emerging as environmentally problematic compounds. As they are often not appropriately removed by sewage treatment plants, pharmaceutical compounds end up in surface water environments worldwide at concentrations in the ng to μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 range. There is a need to further explore single compound and mixture effects using e.g. 〈em〉in vivo〈/em〉 test model systems. We have investigated, for the first time, behavioral effects in larval zebrafish (〈em〉Danio rerio〈/em〉) exposed to a binary mixture of an antidepressant drug (citalopram) and a synthetic opioid (tramadol). Citalopram and tramadol have a similar mode of action (serotonin reuptake inhibition) and are known to produce drug-drug interactional effects resulting in serotonin syndrome (SS) in humans. Zebrafish embryo-larvae were exposed to citalopram, tramadol and 1:1 binary mixture from fertilization until 144 h post-fertilization. No effects on heart rate, spontaneous tail coiling, or death/malformations were observed in any treatment at tested concentrations. Behavior (hypoactivity in dark periods) was on the other hand affected, with lowest observed effect concentrations (LOECs) of 373 μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 for citalopram, 320 μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 for tramadol, and 473 μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 for the 1:1 mixture. Behavioral EC〈sub〉50〈/sub〉 was calculated to be 471 μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 for citalopram, 411 μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 for tramadol, and 713 μg L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 for the 1:1 mixture. The results of this study conclude that tramadol and citalopram produce hypoactivity in 144 hpf zebrafish larvae. Further, a 1:1 binary mixture of the two caused the same response, albeit at a higher concentration, possibly due to SS.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jae Kwan Kim, Adnan Khan, Seongha Cho, Jinhyuk Na, Yeseung Lee, Geul Bang, Wook-Joon Yu, Ji-Seong Jeong, Sun Ha Jee, Youngja H. Park〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉High exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) in children has been associated with the outcomes of several diseases, including those related to developmental problems. To elucidate the mechanism of BPA mediated developmental toxicity, plasma and urine from rats exposed to BPA was analyzed with high resolution metabolomics, beginning from post-natal day 9, for 91 days. Female and male rats were orally administered 5 different BPA doses to elucidate dose- and sex-specific BPA effects. Regarding dose-specific effects, multivariate statistical analysis showed that metabolic shifts were considerably altered between 5, 50 and 250 mg BPA/kg bw/day in treated rats. A nonmonotonicity and monotonicity between BPA dose and metabolic response were major trajectories, showing overall metabolic changes in plasma and urine, respectively. Metabolic perturbation in the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway was significantly associated with dose- and sex-specific BPA effects. Intermediate metabolites in the rate-limiting step of steroid hormone biosynthesis down-regulated steroid hormones in the 250 mg treatment. Further, our study identified that BPA increased urinary excretion of vitamin D〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 and decreased its concentration in blood, suggesting that perturbation of vitamin D〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 metabolism may be mechanistically associated with neurodevelopmental disorders caused by BPA. Three metabolites showed a decrease in sex difference with high BPA dose because female rats were more affected than males, which can be related with early puberty onset in female. In brief, the results demonstrated that BPA induces dose- and sex-specific metabolic shifts and that perturbation of metabolism can explain developmental problems.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519316935-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jinyue Liu, Xiaoqin Li, Xing Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The abuse of ciprofloxacin (CIP) may cause serious side effects and the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Here, we determinate the 48 h, 72 h and 96 h 〈em〉LC〈/em〉〈sub〉〈em〉50〈/em〉〈/sub〉 values of CIP to 〈em〉Drosophila melanogaster〈/em〉 and demonstrate a series of adverse effects after 〈em〉D. melanogaster〈/em〉 was exposed to CIP at a sublethal concentration (3.2 mg mL〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉). Treated individuals showed shorter lifespan, delayed development and many of the treated larvae failed to pupate or hatch. Smaller body size was observed at every life stage when exposed to CIP and the size of pupae, the weight of third-instar larvae exhibited a perfectly dose-response relationship that the larger concentration exposed to, the smaller body size or lighter weight is. Moreover, reduction in fat body cell viability, elevated oxidative stress markers (SOD and CAT) and down-regulation of 〈em〉diap1〈/em〉, 〈em〉ex〈/em〉, two target genes of Yorkie (Yki), was observed in response to CIP exposure. Most importantly, we found two types of black spot in 〈em〉Drosophila〈/em〉 and the proportion of larvae with a black spot was positively related to the treatment dose, which is new in the field. This study provides a scientific basis for the potential harm caused by abuse of quinolones with the goal of urging cautious use of antibiotics.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317667-egi10LJ69F2H02.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Abdullah M. Al-Salem, Quaiser Saquib, Maqsood A. Siddiqui, Javed Ahmad, Rizwan Wahab, Abdulaziz A. Al-Khedhairy〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Tricresyl phosphate (TCP) is one of the organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) used as plasticizer in consumer products and mixed as a lubricant in commercial jet engine oil, reportedly induce neurotoxicity and aerodynamic syndrome. No studies have been attempted so far on TCP to induce hepatotoxicity in human cells. This study for the first time confirms the hepatotoxic potential and activation of cancer pathways in TCP treated human hepatocellular cells (HepG2). MTT and NRU data showed 39.3% and 49.85% decline in HepG2 survival when exposed to the highest concentration of TCP (400 μM) for 3 days. Comet assay showed 27.1-fold greater DNA damage in cells treated with TCP (400 μM). Flow cytometric analysis revealed an upsurge in the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) production in cells, affirming oxidative stress. TCP (400 μM) exposure resulted in 27% reduction in Rh123 fluorescence, indicating dysfunction of mitochondrial membrane potential (〈em〉ΔΨm〈/em〉). Cell cycle analysis exhibited 62.53% cells in the subG1 apoptotic phase after TCP (400 μM) treatment, also a massive increase in Ca〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 influx validate the on-set of apoptosis in cells. Immunofluorescence of TCP exposed cells showed activation of p53, caspase3, caspase9 reaffirming the involvement of mitochondrial-dependent intrinsic apoptotic signaling. qPCR array of 84 genes unravel the transcriptomic alterations in HepG2 cells after TCP treatment. mRNA transcripts of 〈em〉ATP5A1〈/em〉, 〈em〉GADD45A, IGFBP5, SOD1, STMN1〈/em〉 genes were prominently upregulated providing candid evidence on TCP mediated activation of human cancer pathways to orchestrate the apoptotic death of HepG2 cells, specifying hepatotoxic potential of TCP.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317436-fx1.jpg" width="461" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Na Chen, Shuangyi Tao, Keke Xiao, Sha Liang, Jiakuan Yang, Lizhi Zhang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Sewage sludge dewatering is an efficient approach to reduce the volume of sludge for the subsequent disposal. In this study, a novel one-step acidification sludge dewatering method was developed with using oxalic acid as a conditioner. In laboratory-scale experiments with the dosage of 200 mg/g dry solid (DS), the normalized capillary suction time and the specific resistance to filtration were respectively decreased by 78.7% and 60.0% after 30 min of oxalic acid conditioning, much more efficient than those conditioned with sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid at the same pH value. This superior dewatering performance was attributed to two factors. One was that oxalic acid could more efficiently promote the hydrolysis of polysaccharide, especially pectins, to release bound water. The other was that OA could dissolve more Fe〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 and Al〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉, as well as form precipitate with Ca〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 in sludge, which may act as flocculants or co-precipitator for the subsequent sludge particles coagulation. In pilot-scale experiments, the water content of oxalic acid conditioned sludge cake was reduced to 60% under the optimum conditions, while the reagent cost was as low as 110.0 USD/t DS. This work provides a cost-effective and easy-operated sewage sludge disposal technique, and also sheds light on the potential of oxalic acid in environmental waste treatment.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318223-fx1.jpg" width="279" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Manuel Sierra Aragón, Yasuo Mitsui Nakamaru, Minerva García-Carmona, Francisco Javier Martínez Garzón, Francisco José Martín Peinado〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The addition of organic amendment in soils affected by residual pollution of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) is evaluated. The area was polluted twenty years ago and remediation actions were intensively applied, but evidence of pollution are still detected in some sectors. The amendment application produces significant changes in the main soil properties and modifies the mobility and availability of the pollutants. In general, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, showed a significant reduction in soluble and exchangeable forms after the vermicompost addition (percentage of reduction ranging from 59% for soluble Pb to 95% for exchangeable Zn), both in highly (UVS) as in moderately (VS1) polluted soils. This reduction is strongly related to the rise in OC content and pH. Arsenic presented no significant reduction or even an increase in soluble forms in moderately polluted soils (VS1), where the competing effects of OC and phosphorous could be responsible for this increase. Pb also showed an increase in availability after vermicompost application, probably related to the competing effect of Mg〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 coming from the organic amendment. The less mobile forms (those extracted with oxalic-oxalate, pyrophosphate and EDTA), indicate that vermicompost application reduce medium-long term mobility to similar values of those found in less polluted soils (VS2); anyway, an increase in available forms of Pb and As was detected in some cases, indicating a potential risk of toxicity that should be monitored over time.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yingjie Dai, Jingjing Li, Dexin Shan〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉This study investigated the adsorption of tetracycline (TC) on biochar (BC) derived from waste 〈em〉Auricularia auricula〈/em〉 dregs obtained at different pyrolysis temperatures. The characterization of BC and batch experiment results showed that BC prepared at a higher temperature was more suitable for removing TC, where the maximum adsorption capacities of BC samples prepared at 300 °C, 500 °C, and 700 °C were 7.22 mg/g, 9.90 mg/g, and 11.90 mg/g, respectively. A pseudo-first order kinetics model and Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models fitted well to the adsorption data. Liquid film diffusion was the rate-controlling step. In addition, π–π electron donor–acceptor interactions may have played a dominant role in the adsorption mechanism between the enone structure of TC and aromatic C of BC. These results may facilitate further investigations of the adsorption mechanism and optimization of the process.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Joana M.C. Fernandes, Rose Marie O.F. Sousa, Irene Fraga, Ana Sampaio, Carla Amaral, Rui M.F. Bezerra, Albino A. Dias〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The wastewaters from distilleries of winemaking by-products, a scarcely studied type of vinasse, were treated by white-rot fungal strains from species 〈em〉Irpex lacteus〈/em〉, 〈em〉Ganoderma resinaceum〈/em〉, 〈em〉Trametes versicolor〈/em〉, 〈em〉Phlebia rufa〈/em〉 and 〈em〉Bjerkandera adusta〈/em〉. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate fungal performance during vinasse biodegradation, their enzyme patterns and ecotoxicity evolution throughout treatment. Despite all strains were able to promote strong (〉80%) dephenolization and reduction of total organic carbon (TOC), 〈em〉P. rufa〈/em〉 was less affected by vinasse toxicity and exhibit better decolorization. In batch cultures at 28 °C and pH 4.0, the first phase of 〈em〉P. rufa〈/em〉 biodegradation kinetics was characterized by strong metabolic activity with simultaneous depletion of TOC, phenolics and sugars. The main events of second phase are the increase of peroxidases production after the peak of laccase activity, and strong color removal. At the end of treatment, it was observed highly significant (p 〈 0.001) abatement of pollution parameters (83–100% removal). Since water reclamation and reuse for e.g. crop irrigation is a priority issue, vinasse ecotoxicity was assessed with bioindicators representing three different phylogenetic and trophic levels: a marine bacterium (〈em〉Aliivibrio fischeri〈/em〉), a freshwater microcrustacean (〈em〉Daphnia magna〈/em〉) and a dicotyledonous macrophyte (〈em〉Lepidium sativum〈/em〉). It was observed significant (p 〈 0.05) reduction of initial vinasse toxicity, as evaluated by these bioindicators, deserving special mention an almost complete phytotoxicity elimination.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): David Nos, Joan Navarro, Enric Saiz, Juan C. Sanchez-Hernandez, Montserrat Solé〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a brominated flame retardant used in synthetic polymers and electronics, is present in the aquatic environment and recent evidence suggests it can be potentially biomagnified in the marine ecosystem. However, the toxicity of TBBPA in the marine biota has not been investigated in detail. In this study we aimed to understand the role of carboxylesterases (CEs) in xenobiotic metabolism under the exposure of marine organisms to a chemical of environmental concern, TBBPA. Specifically, we tested for 〈em〉in vitro〈/em〉 inhibition of CE activity in a range of marine organisms covering different ecological niches, from species from low (mussels and copepods), medium (sardines and anchovies) and high trophic levels (tuna). The results revealed that the highest inhibition of CE activity to 100 μM TBBPA was recorded in mussels (66.5% inhibition) and tunids (36.3–76.4%), whereas copepods and small pelagic fish showed comparatively lower effects (respectively, 30% and 36.5–55.6%). Our results suggest that CE-mediated detoxification and physiological processes could be compromised in TBBPA-exposed organisms and could ultimately affect humans as many of them are market species.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318168-fx1.jpg" width="381" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mohammad Hosein Sinkakarimi, Eisa Solgi, Abasalt Hosseinzadeh Colagar〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Earthworms are often used as test subjects in toxicological studies, due to their ubiquitousness and sensitivity to contaminant exposure. Such testing is typically conducted using 〈em〉Eisenia fetida〈/em〉 as the test subject, but continued use of 〈em〉E. fetida〈/em〉 (eco) toxicology is questionable. Therefore, in this study three earthworm species, 〈em〉Aporrectodea rosea, Aporrectodea trapezoides〈/em〉 and 〈em〉E. fetida〈/em〉, were exposed to lethal and sublethal concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) nitrate in artificial soil for 7, 14 and 28 days. A biomarker of genotoxicity (TUNEL assay), biochemical markers [malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)], weight loss, lethal toxicity (LC〈sub〉50〈/sub〉) and subcellular partitioning were assessed. Cadmium and Pb caused significant inhibition in TAC and growth and significant increases in DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in the earthworms. Acute toxicity rank (14 days) for both Cd and Pb were 〈em〉E. fetida〈/em〉 〉 〈em〉A. trapezoides〈/em〉 〉 〈em〉A. rosea〈/em〉. Subcellular partitioning of Cd and Pb in the earthworms were cytosol 〉 debris 〉 granules and debris 〉 granules 〉 cytosol, respectively. Comparison of biomarker responses between study species showed that 〈em〉E. fetida〈/em〉 proved to be less susceptible to Cd and Pb exposure than 〈em〉A. rosea〈/em〉 and 〈em〉A. trapezoides〈/em〉. Therefore, this study confirms that 〈em〉A. rosea〈/em〉 and 〈em〉A. trapezoides〈/em〉 are more suitable as subjects than 〈em〉E. fetida〈/em〉 for the soil toxicity tests, because of both their greater susceptibility to toxicants and in their abundance in the field.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519318193-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yahya Jani, Juris Burlakovs, Anna Augustsson, Marcia Marques, William Hogland〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉More than 34 old glasswork sites in the southeastern part of Sweden pose a permanent threat to human and environmental health due to the presence of toxic trace elements in open dumps with glass waste. The possibility of leaching of trace elements from different fractions of the disposed waste needed to be assessed. In the present investigation, leachate from a mixture of soil and waste glass of particle sizes of less than 2 mm (given the name fine fraction) was characterized by analyzing the pH (7.3), total organic content (TOC 〈 2%), organic matter content (4.4%), moisture content (9.7%), chemical oxygen demand (COD, 163 mg/kg) and trace elements content, being the values in accordance to the Swedish guidelines for landfilling of inert materials. However, very high trace elements content was found in the fine fraction as well as in all colors of waste glass, whose values were compatible to hazardous waste landfill class. Tests with 〈em〉Lepidium sativum〈/em〉 growing in the fine fraction as substrate revealed chronic toxicity expressed as inhibition of root biomass growth in 11 out of 15 samples. Additionally, leachate from fine fractions posed acute toxicity to genetically modified 〈em〉E. coli〈/em〉 (Toxi-Chromotest). This study highlights the importance of combining physicochemical characterization with toxicity tests for both solid waste and leachate obtained from different waste fractions for proper hazardousness assessment supporting decision making on remediation demands.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Chi-Hang Chow, Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Permanganate/bisulfite (PM/BS) is a relatively new advanced oxidation process that can degrade organic micropollutants at extraordinary high rates. In this study, the degradability of PM/BS process towards different representative types of compounds was studied by investigating the kinetics, reaction site specificity and transformation chemistry. Acesulfame (ACE) and carbamazepine (CBZ) were two typical compounds containing olefinic moieties. Sucralose (SUC) was selected as a reference compound, and it is without aromatic and olefinic moieties. The kinetics results indicated that ACE and CBZ were effectively degraded while SUC was not. Preferred reaction sites of Mn〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 species was elucidated by identification of the ACE-transformation products (TPs) and CBZ-TPs with UHPLC-QTOF-MS. Seventeen ACE-TPs including two new compounds and eleven CBZ-TPs produced during the PM/BS process were identified and characterized. Transformation pathways revealed that cleavage of olefinic double bonds was the main reaction mechanism. Chemical structures containing electron-donating groups preferentially reacted with electrophilic Mn〈sup〉3+〈/sup〉 species during the process. In addition, transformation products of ACE and CBZ during PM/BS process did not induce higher toxicity. This study provides a preliminary interpretation on the selectivity of PM/BS process according to the micropollutants’ chemical structures, which hope to shed light on the future development of PM/BS treatment.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Da Li, Linlin Huang, Tongtong Liu, Jia Liu, Liang Zhen, Jing Wu, Yujie Feng〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Electrochemical reduction of CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 has been demonstrated as one of the promising technologies to reduce the greenhouse effect. In this study, nano-prism assembled hierarchical CuO microspheres (Prism-CuO) were designed and used for CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 electroreduction. The Prism-CuO coated gas diffusion electrode showed high activity for CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉-to-formate conversion with overpotential as low as ∼200 mV, and achieved maximum faradaic efficiency of 65.1% at −1.6 V 〈em〉vs〈/em〉. Ag/AgCl. Moreover, it maintained the stable performance for continuous 20 h of electrolysis. The better performance was mainly attributed to the unique prism feature as it provided abundant corner- and edge-based low-coordinated active reaction sites. These sites could further arouse strong local-electric field to lower the barrier of CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 adsorption and motivate CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 activation by accelerating charges transfer process. The result implied designing the nano-prism constructed hierarchical framework would be an efficient strategy to develop the advanced electrocatalyst for efficient CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 reduction in aqueous solution.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317515-fx1.jpg" width="301" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Mario Ančić, Ana Huđek, Iva Rihtarić, Mario Cazar, Višnja Bačun-Družina, Nevenka Kopjar, Ksenija Durgo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Waste landfills represent a global problem, which is more pronounced in developing countries because of the lack of resources to implement procedures that include separation and waste processing. The aim of this research was to analyze leachate and ground waters samples at the site, upstream and downstream from the landfill during different year seasons on a registered non-hazardous waste dump and to conduct physico-chemical and biological assays to determine potential risk for the ecosystem. Potential cytotoxic, prooxidative and mutagenic effects of leachates and water samples were evaluated on human laryngeal cell line (HEp2). Leachates collected at landfill site caused genotoxic effect and had a higher pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and elevated concentrations of phosphorus, chloride, nitrogen compounds and sulphate. Genotoxicity of the leachate was increased in samples collected in dry and warm period of the year. These results are in accordance to the physico-chemical analysis which revealed that during summer period, because of intense degradation process at high temperatures increased concentrations of different chemicals can be found in leachate. Groundwater collected downstream and upstream from landfill did not show statistically significant (geno)toxic effect, irrespective of the sampling season. Chemical analysis revealed that all compounds in groundwater were below permitted values. Purification process at landfill is effective and compounds that reach groundwater do not represent a toxicological threat.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Cong Liu, Fangfang Ma, Jonas Elm, Zihao Fu, Weihao Tang, Jingwen Chen, Hong-Bin Xie〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Atmospheric oxidation of NH〈sub〉〈em〉x〈/em〉〈/sub〉-containing (〈em〉x〈/em〉 = 1, 2) compounds can produce N-center radicals, a precursor of toxic nitrosamines. The reaction rate constant (〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉O2〈/sub〉) with O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 has been considered as an important parameter to determine the nitrosamines yield in the subsequent reactions of N-center radicals. However, available 〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉O2〈/sub〉 values of N-center radicals are limited. Here, a three-step scheme including mechanistic analysis and kinetics calculation of the reactions of 28 various N-center radicals with O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, and model development was taken to solve the 〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉O2〈/sub〉 data shortage. Mainly employed tools include highly cost-expensive coupled-cluster theory (CCSD(T)), kinetic model and statistics. The results indicate that the direct H-abstraction pathway is the most favorable for the reactions of all considered N-center radicals with O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. The specific molecular conformation and the C–H bond energy of the N-center radicals are two important factors to determine 〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉O2〈/sub〉 values. Based on the mechanistic understanding of 〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉O2〈/sub〉 values, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model of 〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉O2〈/sub〉 values was developed. The model has satisfactory goodness-of-fit, robustness and predictive ability. The determined 〈em〉k〈/em〉〈sub〉O2〈/sub〉 values and the 〈em〉in silico〈/em〉 methods provide a scientific base for assessing formation risk of toxic nitrosamines in the atmosphere.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519316327-fx1.jpg" width="457" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Joseph T. Buchman, Thomas Pho, Rebeca S. Rodriguez, Z. Vivian Feng, Christy L. Haynes〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Here, we investigate the impact of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and mesoporous silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (msIONPs) on 〈em〉Shewanella oneidensis〈/em〉 in an aerobic environment, which is likely the main environment where such nanoparticles will end up after use in consumer products or biomedical applications. Monitoring the viability of 〈em〉S. oneidensis〈/em〉, a model environmental organism, after exposure to the nanoparticles reveals that IONPs promote bacterial survival, while msIONPs do not impact survival. These apparent impacts are correlated with association of the nanoparticles with the bacterial membrane, as revealed by TEM and ICP-MS studies, and upregulation of membrane-associated genes. However, similar survival in bacteria was observed when exposed to equivalent concentrations of released ions from each nanomaterial, indicating that aqueous nanoparticle transformations are responsible for the observed changes in bacterial viability. Therefore, this work demonstrates that a simple mesoporous silica coating can control the dissolution of the IONP core by greatly reducing the amount of released iron ions, making msIONPs a more sustainable option to reduce perturbations to the ecosystem upon release of nanoparticles into the environment.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317357-fx1.jpg" width="354" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Siqi Liu, Ruiqian Liu, Yonghao Zhang, Weiqing Han, Jiansheng Li, Xiuyun Sun, Jinyou Shen, Lianjun Wang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Inability to remove biologically toxic and persistent contaminants is a critical issue in traditional water treatment processes. In this study, a novel 3D macroporous RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (3D-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) electrode with uniform and interconnected cavities has been fabricated via templated electrodeposition approach for treatment of persistent pyrazole. The physicochemical properties of the electrodes are characterized by means of SEM, BET, XRD, LSV and CV measurements. The results show that structural features of the 3D-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 play important roles in the electrocatalysis performance. Thanks to the abundant crystal defect sites, 3D-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 electrode possesses more mesopores within the skeleton, resulting in 17.9 and 2.2 times larger specific surface area compared to traditional flat thermal-deposited (TF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) and electrodeposited RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (EF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) respectively. At a current density of 5 mA cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉, the pyrazole removal rate on 3D-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 is 1.7 times and 1.3 times that of TF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and EF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. The energy consumption for 50% of pyrazole removal on 3D-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 is 0.05 kWh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉pyrazole, much lower than that of TF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (0.11 kWh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉pyrazole) and EF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 (0.075 kWh g〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉pyrazole). The improved removal performance of 3D-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 electrode is attributed to its strong electro-adsorption capacity (270.3 μg cm〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉), leading to enhanced mass transfer of pollutants to the electrode surface. The mass transfer coefficient (κ〈sub〉m〈/sub〉) is estimated as 2.4 × 10〈sup〉−6〈/sup〉 m s〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉 for 3D-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, which is 3.9 and 2.3 times as much as that of TF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and EF-RuO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉. Finally, contribution of different electron transfer approaches to pyrazole degradation under anodic polarization was investigated by ROS scavenging experiments.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519316959-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Ruichang Zhang, Haibo Zhang, Chen Tu, Yongming Luo〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The complexity of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) motivates the determination of how DOM from diverse sources affects the environmental behaviors of engineered nanoparticles. Here, three types of DOM, DOM extracted from swine manure (SWDOM), sludge (SLDOM) and sediment (SEDOM), were characterized, and their effects on the transport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NPs, 30 nm in diameter) were evaluated and compared with those of humic acid (HA). Characterization tests showed differences in the aromaticity and weight-average molecular weight (M〈sub〉w〈/sub〉) properties among the three extracted DOM solutions, and greater distinctions were found between the extracted DOM and HA. All the extracted DOM facilitated TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NPs transport in acidic porous media. Nevertheless, the enhancing effects varied among the different extracted DOM types. SWDOM had a promoting effect on TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NPs mobility that was equivalent to that of SEDOM and much higher than that of SLDOM. However, the facilitating effects of all three extracted DOM types were limited compared to that of HA. Based on the combined analysis of DOM properties and TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NPs transport behaviors, it could be concluded that aromaticity and M〈sub〉w〈/sub〉 were the key properties determining the limited promoting effects of DOM on TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NPs mobility, and the specific UV absorbance at 280 nm (normalized by concentration, SUVA〈sub〉280〈/sub〉) was a facile and useful indicator of the DOM-promoted transport of TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 NPs. These findings revealed that transport potential in the presence of DOM would be overestimated if either HA or fulvic acid were chosen as the DOM model in studies.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Dipti Karmakar, Pratap Kumar Padhy〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The present study was performed on 〈em〉Shorea robusta〈/em〉 Gaertn., 〈em〉Acacia auriculiformis〈/em〉 Benth., 〈em〉Eucalyptus globulus〈/em〉 Labill., 〈em〉Azadirachta indica〈/em〉 A. Juss in two tropical forests [including one (Barjora), situated adjacent to heavy pollution sources and the other, as control, Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary (BWLS)] of West Bengal, India, to measure the heavy metals accumulation capacity in their leaves and their levels of tolerance in a polluted environment. Site wise and seasonal variations in air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and anticipated performance index (API) were assessed in the aforesaid four plants. Highest APTI value was observed in 〈em〉S. robusta〈/em〉 (34.62 ± 1.47) at polluted site during winter. 〈em〉S. robusta〈/em〉 anticipated as an excellent performer on the basis of API score in all the three seasons in BWLS. The metal accumulation index (MAI) values ranged from 3.06 to 7.68 and 9.48–9.82; 2.65–4.96 and 4.29–6.08; 3.35–8.14 and 5.04–11.65; 3.59–4.64 and 5.21–7.98 at BWLS and Barjora forest for 〈em〉S. robusta〈/em〉, 〈em〉A. auriculiformis〈/em〉, 〈em〉E. globulus〈/em〉 and 〈em〉A. indica〈/em〉 respectively. Two-way ANOVA test showed a site and season wise significant difference in the biochemical and physiological parameters between the two forests. The results indicated that air pollution played an important role, which affected the biochemical and physiological parameters of plants in tropical forest located at a polluted site. The species with highest MAI and APTI value could be used in sound green space management for reducing the levels of atmospheric pollution. Higher levels of ascorbic acid content, at polluted site as compared to control site, were an indication of stress condition.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Jia-cheng Xu, Li-min Huang, Chengyu Chen, Jing Wang, Xin-xian Long〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Lead can be immobilized in contaminated soils by phosphate rock (PR) amendment, but its efficiency is generally limited by low solubility of PR. Our study aimed to elucidate whether phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can promote Pb immobilization through PR solubilization. Results showed that 〈em〉P. ananatis〈/em〉 HCR2 and 〈em〉B. thuringiensis〈/em〉 GL-1 could effectively solubilize PR by producing citric, glucose, and 〈em〉α〈/em〉-Ketoglutaric acids. In broth assay, phosphate solubilized from PR by PSB rapidly reacted with Pb〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 and formed insoluble lead compounds, as confirmed by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Pot experiment using lettuce (〈em〉Lactuca sativa〈/em〉 L.) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) verified the effectiveness of soil remediation using PR amendment and PSB inoculation, as plant shoot biomass and net photosynthetic rate as well as soil bioavailable phosphate concentration have significantly increased, while the phytoavailability of Pb, Cd, and Zn greatly reduced. This study suggested that PR amendment combined with PSB inoculation could be applied for remediation of agricultural fields contaminated with multiple heavy metals.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317643-fx1.jpg" width="500" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Peng Xu, Hao Xu, Dayang Zheng, Jingwei Ma, Baolin Hou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉A novel system combined with photocatalytic fuel cell and electrochemical system assisted by reverse electrodialysis (PREC) is proposed for H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 production and electricity generation. Results demonstrated the H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 concentration increased gradually with time and reached around 940 mg/L at 24 h. The optimum air flow rate was 15 L/min. The current efficiency was 31.3%. The maximum short-circuit current density, maximum open-circuit voltage and maximum power density were 0.95 mA/cm〈sup〉2〈/sup〉, 1.52 V and 68 W/m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉. The salinity-driven potential, created with the five pairs of the HC and LC cells in the PREC, was calculated to be 0.72 V. Additionally, the energy efficiency (η〈sub〉E〈/sub〉) was 40.5%. The integrated system is confirmed to be serviced as an efficient technology for H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 electro-genneration and salinity-gradient energy utilization simultaneously.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317333-egi10QJ9KXF1H8.jpg" width="311" alt="Image 10918" title="Image 10918"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: January 2020〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 238〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Yuzhi Liu, Yu Gao, Bing Yao, Donglei Zou〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Nano micro-electrolysis materials (nMETs) have been used to degrade refractory pollutants in batch experiments. The reasonable formation mechanism of nMETs was given through DMXY digital biomicroscopy. Based on the kinetic data of Chlortetracycline (CTC) removal by nMETs in batch experiments, combined with the binomial distribution equation of CTC reduction by nano materials an experimental-scale fluidized bed (ESFB) was designed. The effects of CTC removal performance, pH and iron ion concentration were investigated. Under pure CTC solution environment, the experimental data showed that the average removal rates of CTC by nMET and nano micro-electrolysis material with loading copper (Cu-nMET) are 90.0% and 95.7% in ESFB, respectively. In the presence of nitrate, although the consumption of two kinds of nano-materials increased, their removal efficiencies of pollutants have 2.2%, 0.2% increase compared with the nitrate-free ESFB. At the same time, the CTC degradation pathway and the enhanced removal mechanism by Cu-nMET was proposed. Through microelectrolysis reaction, complexation reaction and the active substances produced, the intermediate products can be degraded completely to NH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉+〈/sup〉, CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, H〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O and so on. This study aims to provide a theoretical basis for the environmental application of nMETs.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317679-fx1.jpg" width="395" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Marianna Pinzone, France Damseaux, Loïc N. Michel, Krishna Das〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉 〈p〉The Mediterranean Sea remains a complex system for mercury (Hg) cycling and accumulation in marine vertebrates. The extremely high levels these animals present demand for an urgent understanding of such processes and the development of new analytical techniques that go beyond the simple contamination monitoring. It was often proposed that prey selection or habitat use may affect Hg contamination in animals; however, it was never possible to measure which factor influences more rates and pathways of contamination. In this paper, we directly integrate toxicological information (Hg levels) and ecological tracers (stable isotopes of C, N and S) into a common data analysis framework (isotopic niches), with the aim of quantifying the influence of species’ trophic behaviour on Hg contamination. The analysis was conducted on skin biopsies of fin whales 〈em〉Balaenoptera physalus〈/em〉, long-finned pilot whales 〈em〉Globicephala melas〈/em〉 and sperm whales 〈em〉Physeter microcephalus.〈/em〉 Their different trophic modes and residency in the area make them model species for the analysis of Hg accumulation along NWMS food webs. We measured Total Hg (T-Hg) concentrations through absorbance spectrometry with the DMA80 Milestone. Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope compositions were measured via mass spectrometry in an IRMS coupled to an Elemental Analyser (EA) Isoprime.〈/p〉 〈p〉Comparison of ecological and contamination niches allowed to explain Hg accumulation in Mediterranean marine predators. Factors such as food web complexity, trophic position, hunting distribution or habitat use (e.g., foraging depth) did not influence Hg exposure. It is rather the selection of prey type, which determines the range of potential Hg sources and as a consequence the rates of accumulation in whales’ tissues. A generalist piscivorous species such as the pilot whales will bioaccumulate more Hg than specialised sperm whales feeding mostly on cephalopods.〈/p〉 〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519316728-fx1.jpg" width="353" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Bingqing Zuo, Cong Liu, Renjie Chen, Haidong Kan, Jian Sun, Jing Zhao, Can Wang, Qian Sun, Hongjian Bai〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Scarce evidence existed on the association between short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉) and asthma in China. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship of PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 with acute asthma exacerbation in a coastal city of China. Cases of acute asthma exacerbation were identified from hospital outpatient visits in Yancheng, China, from 2015 to 2018. We utilized the generalized additive model linked by a quasi-Poisson distribution to assess the association between PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 and daily acute asthma exacerbation. Different lag structures were built, and we conducted stratification analyses by gender, age, and season. Two-pollutant models were fitted, and concentration-response (C-R) curves were pooled. A total of 3,520 cases of acute asthma exacerbation were recorded, with a daily average of 3. We observed positive and significant associations of PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 on lag 1, 2, lag 02, and lag 03 day. For each 10-μg/m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 increase in PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 (lag 02), the associated increment in asthma was 3.15% (95% CI: 0.99%, 5.31%). The association remained after adjusting for gaseous co-pollutants. We observed significant PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉-asthma associations in males, patients ≤64 years, and during cold seasons. The C-R curves were positive and almost linear for total and strata-specific associations. In conclusion, this study provided robust evidence on the association of PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉 with acute asthma exacerbation, which may benefit future prevention strategy and policy making.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0045653519317217-fx1.jpg" width="270" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Josilene de Jesus Menk, Ashiley Ingrid Soares do Nascimento, Fernanda Gomes Leite, Renan Angrizani de Oliveira, Angela Faustino Jozala, José Martins de Oliveira Junior, Marco Vinícius Chaud, Denise Grotto〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Residues from pharmaceutical products are found in effluents and in other environmental matrices such as soil and surface waters. Chitin and chitosan are highly adsorptive substances present in mushrooms such as champignon (〈em〉Agaricus bisporus〈/em〉) and shiitake (〈em〉Lentinula edodes〈/em〉). This study evaluated the adsorption efficiency of shiitake and champignon stalks, and shiitake substrate in water contaminated with paracetamol and 17 α-ethynyl estradiol (EE2). Stalks and substrate were dried and ground. Particles were physically evaluated and chemically characterized. Adsorption kinetic and isotherms were carried out for EE2 and paracetamol. Shiitake and champignon stalks had high percentage of porosity, closed and open pores. All bioproducts from mushroom had chemical groups similar to chitosan standard. However, the degree of deacetylation of chitosan was higher in shiitake (28.3%). In EE2 adsorption kinetics, shiitake and champignon stalks showed 100% removal in 20 and 30 min, respectively. Shiitake substrate showed 80% removal. In paracetamol adsorption kinetics, all bioproducts presented more than 95% removal. In EE2 adsorption isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacities (q〈sub〉max〈/sub〉) to shiitake and champignon stalks and shiitake substrate were 5.62, 18.95 and 0.31 mg〈sub〉EE2〈/sub〉/g, respectively. For paracetamol adsorption isotherm, q〈sub〉max〈/sub〉 to shiitake and champignon stalks were 34.20 and 338.08 mg〈sub〉paracetamol〈/sub〉/g, respectively. In conclusion, shiitake and champignon stalks (specially champignon) had the best results regarding the adsorption of EE2 and paracetamol. Reuse of discarded mushroom waste reduces the environmental impact and can add value to the product.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Leo W.Y. Yeung, Nobuyoshi Yamashita, Jerzy Falandysz〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Isaac A. Adedara, Michael A. Abiola, Adedayo N. Adegbosin, Ajibola A. Odunewu, Ebenezer O. Farombi〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉Several evidences from the literature showed that the coexistence of nickel and zinc in polluted waters is related to the similarity in their geogenic and anthropogenic factors. Although most environmental exposures to metals do not occur singly, there is a paucity of scientific knowledge on the effects of zinc and nickel co-exposure on mammalian reproductive health. The present study investigated the influence of co-exposure to nickel and zinc on male reproductive function in rats. Experimental rats were co-exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of waterborne nickel (75 and 150 μg NiCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) and zinc (100 and 200 μg ZnCl〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 L〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉) for 45 successive days. Subsequently, reproductive hormones were assayed whereas the hypothalamus, epididymis and testes of the rats were processed for the assessment of oxidative stress and inflammation indices, caspase-3 activity and histology. Results indicated that co-exposure to nickel and zinc significantly (p 〈 0.05) abolished nickel-mediated diminution of antioxidant defense mechanisms while diminishing levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and lipid peroxidation in the hypothalamus, epididymis and testes of the exposed rats. Additionally, co-exposure to zinc abated nickel-mediated diminutions in luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, serum and intra-testicular testosterone with concomitant enhancement of sperm production and quality. Further, zinc abrogated nickel-mediated elevation in inflammatory biomarkers including nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta as well as caspase-3 activity. The protective influence of zinc on nicked-induced reproductive toxicity was well supported by histological data. Overall, zinc ameliorated nickel-induced reproductive dysfunction 〈em〉via〈/em〉 its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and spermato-protective activities in rats.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Gang Wen, Qiqi Wan, Xiaoli Deng, Ruihua Cao, Xiangqian Xu, Zhuhao Chen, Jingyi Wang, Tinglin Huang〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The occurrence of fungi in water supply systems causes many environmental problems (e.g., odor, taste, turbidity, formation of mycotoxins); it has been an area of increasing concern in recent years. Ultraviolet irradiation can inactivate fungi efficiently. However, its reactivation poses further challenges in water purification. The reactivation characteristics of waterborne fungi under different environmental conditions have rarely been reported. In this study, the effects of temperatures and dark delay on the reactivation of three genera of fungal spores (〈em〉Trichoderma harzianum〈/em〉, 〈em〉Aspergillus niger〈/em〉, 〈em〉Penicillium polonicum〈/em〉) were evaluated. The reactivation levels among these fungal spores were compared in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and in real groundwater. It was found that lower temperature can inhibit the photoreactivation of fungi, whereas higher temperatures would promote the process. A long-term dark delay can inhibit the photoreactivation of fungi effectively. The dark repair of fungal spores almost do not occur neither in PBS nor in real groundwater. Finally, the photoreactivation percentage in real groundwater was higher than that in PBS. This study will provide a basis for controlling the reactivation of fungi in water.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉 〈h5〉Graphical abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉〈figure〉〈img src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S004565351931714X-fx1.jpg" width="316" alt="Image 1" title="Image 1"〉〈/figure〉〈/p〉〈/div〉

Description: 〈p〉Publication date: December 2019〈/p〉 〈p〉〈b〉Source:〈/b〉 Chemosphere, Volume 237〈/p〉 〈p〉Author(s): Kai Wang, Yonghong Liu, Zhengguo Song, Di Wang, Weiwen Qiu〈/p〉 〈div xml:lang="en"〉 〈h5〉Abstract〈/h5〉 〈div〉〈p〉The use of degradable chelating agent to enhance phytoextraction is a promising and low-cost method for remediation of heavy metals-polluted soil. However, very limited information is available regarding the effect of chelating agent combinations on plant growth and its capacity to extract metals. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the applicability of [N, N]-bis glutamic acid (GLDA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), [S, S]- ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), and citric acid (CA) alone and in combination to enhance the phytoextraction efficiency of amaranth (〈em〉Amaranthus hypochondriacus〈/em〉 L.) in two Cd-contaminated agricultural soils (S〈sub〉1〈/sub〉 soil 2.12 mg/kg and S〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 soil 2.89 mg/kg; the environmental standard value of Cd in agricultural soils in China is lower than 0.8 mg/kg). The results showed that, except for EDDS, other treatments had no obvious effect on plant biomass, and even promoted biomass increase to reach 1.06 (S1), 2.07 (S2) g/pot. The increase in total Cd extraction amount by 5 mM of single chelators GLDA and NTA reached 3.87 and 2.81 (S1), and 3.28 and 2.50 (S2) times that of the control group, respectively. For complexed chelating agents, G-N (GLDA + NTA) combinations (GLDA = 3 mM, NTA = 2 mM) extracted the highest amount of Cd compared with other treatments, reaching 0.36 and 0.52 mg/pot (4.50 and 3.71 times that of the control group), respectively. The order of extraction amount was G-N 〉 GLDA 〉 NTA 〉 G-E (GLDA + EDDS) 〉 G-C (GLDA + CA) 〉 CA (5 mM total Cd concentration). Moreover, soil enzyme activity of G-N treatment increased significantly compared to that of the control group, indicating the great application potential of a composite chelating agent relative to a single chelating agent. Therefore, degradable chelators, especially the G-N combination, can effectively increase the available Cd content and greatly enhance the ability of plants to absorb and transport Cd in soils.〈/p〉〈/div〉 〈/div〉