Environmental Technology & Innovation最新文献

A special dust storm characterized by high PM₁₀ mass concentrations (921.9 ± 632.3 μg m⁻³) and high relative humidity (RH; 60.1 % ± 11.1 %) was observed on March 22–24, 2023 at a coastal city of North China. Aerosol particles of PM₁₀ were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray and an ion chromatograph. The results showed that individual mineral particles were dominated by clay minerals, followed by quartz, feldspar, and carbonate. Bulk water-soluble inorganic ions analysis showed that SO₄^2- mass concentrations varied from 3.7 μg m⁻³ to 23.3 μg m⁻³ with an average value of 12.4 μg m⁻³. However, their mass ratios to PM₁₀ were relatively stable, being 1.15–2.01 % with an average value of 1.49 % ± 0.25 %, similar to the value near the dust sources (Tengger Desert). Although S-containing individual mineral dust varied from 5.2 % to 70.7 %, the average weight ratio of S on individual mineral dust was 2.1 %, much lower than that of non-dust periods (11.0 %). The results suggested limited sulfate formation on mineral dust surfaces even under high RH. In contrast, NO₃^-, which was very limited in dust sources, varied from 0.21 % to 4.11 % of the total PM₁₀ with an average value of 1.61 % ± 1.07 %. The research highlighted that nitrate formation has exceeded sulfate formation during severe dust storm episodes, which might because the atmospheric compositions in China have changed significantly with a high mass ratio of NO₂/SO₂ after the implementation of the strict emission control measures.

Determining the hyperaccumulation mechanism of Solanum nigrum L., which exclusively accumulates cadmium (Cd), presents significant challenges due to the difficulty in identifying its unique characteristics. While some metabolic pathways related to Cd accumulation can be explored, there are no methods to ascertain if other heavy metals may share the same pathways. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) were employed to investigate the metabolic pathways associated with Cd hyperaccumulation and Cu accumulation (non-Cu hyperaccumulator) by comparing differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The results showed that 27 intersecting DEPs reflecting relative metabolic pathways related to Cd accumulation were identified by comparing DEPs in leaves and roots, including carbon metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, phagosome, peroxisome, as well as starch and sucrose metabolism. These pathways might be responsible for the values of Cd enrichment factor (EF) and translocation factor (TF) exceeding 1, associated with key proteins participated in phosphoenolpyruvate, carboxylase, chloroplastic catalytic activity, and granule-bound starch synthase I. The combined metabolic pathways identified by 2 intersecting DEPs related to Cu accumulation could result in Cu EF >1 in the 0.2 Cu mg kg⁻¹ treatment, EF <1 in the 5 mg kg⁻¹ treatment, and TF<1 in both treatments, associated with key proteins, which might concern photosynthesis-antenna proteins and hydroxymethylbilane synthase. No metabolic pathways related to simultaneous accumulation of Cd and Cu has been identified. The identified DEPs were validated using Western blotting with five key proteins. Additionally, Western blotting and yeast mutant confirmed the presence of proteins related to carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, carbon metabolism, peroxisome, as well as starch and sucrose metabolism. Photosynthetic, O₂^•−, H₂O₂ and non-enzymatic antioxidants indices reflecting protein-related differences indirectly supported the above results. These findings are crucial for further exploration of the Cd hyperaccumulation mechanism.

Shortening the initial activation time and extending the duration of the thermophilic phase are key to improving compost product quality in cold-climate regions. This study set up three treatments that cattle manure (CM), manure with rice straw (MR), and manure with maize straw (MM) in the field with ambient temperature ranging from –6–7 ℃. Compared with traditional manure composting, composting with straw performed more effectively, and the effect of the addition of maize straw surpassed that of the addition of rice straw. Straw additives markedly increased the compost pile temperature and extended the thermophilic phase duration. In addition, straw addition improved compost product maturity, as indicated by the humic-like substance content, absorbance ratio, and germination index. To further illustrate this result, the microbial community structure during the composting process was studied. During the thermophilic phase, straw additives, especially maize straw, improved the formation of a diverse aerobic bacterial community and a unitary thermophilic fungal community, and promoted a stronger relationship between the bacterial and fungal communities, as revealed by co-inertia analysis. The abundance of functional genes indicated that straw addition increased the activities of organic carbon degradation and transformation. This study demonstrated the necessity of enhancing the interaction between thermophilic–aerobic bacteria and thermophilic fungi to improve compost product quality.

The disparities in exposure to environmental hazards have fueled the environmental justice movement, which has garnered increasing attention and momentum over the past few decades. However, research addressing exposure disparities pertaining to chemicals remains notably limited. Here, leveraging data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning the period from 1999 to 2018, we unveiled that the perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) exhibited the highest concentration in human biomonitoring in general U.S. population, with a mean value of 14.54 ± 19.59 ng/ml. Subsequently, the mean concentrations of Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were 3.33 ± 3.19, 2.29 ± 3.13, 1.07 ± 1.30, and 0.34 ± 0.71, respectively. Meanwhile, although females or Non-hispanic White exhibited relatively higher levels for most per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) compared to other groups. The individuals with higher household incomes demonstrated elevated exposure to PFASs. Interestingly, despite lower exposure burdens were observed in Non-Hispanic Black individuals, females, and individuals with low family income, we identified relatively higher exposure disparities in these populations. In particular, exposure disparities for general U.S. population exposure to PFOS exhibited an approximate 50 % increase from 1999 to 2018, despite a concurrent decline of 84 % in biomonitoring levels. Meanwhile, the population aging has led to an exacerbation of human exposure to PFOS by 12.4 %. Our findings underscore the necessity of ensuring equitable protection from PFAS exposure for all populations, although further investigation is required to understand the underlying mechanisms driving these disparities.

Microplastics have now become an emerging contaminant with high concern in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region. Here, the Kongsfjorden system in the Arctic has been investigated for abundance, distribution, and characteristic of microplastics in surface seawater. Eighteen samples were collected using an in-situ filtration sampling method, and then analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The average abundance of microplastics in surface seawater was 3.6 items m⁻³, with an abundance range of 0.0—10.0 items m⁻³. The highest abundance of microplastics was located adjacent to the eddy in Kongsfjorden, where a microplastic accumulation zone might have formed. Microplastics transported by ocean currents and those from local discharges might converge in this zone. Two sampling stations were set up at the wastewater treatment plant outfall, which showed an abundance range of 4.0—6.0 items m⁻³, slightly higher than the average abundance. Of the six polymer types identified, rayon, polyester and polyamide were the most common composition. Proportions in fiber form in surface water was 84.6 %, and blue (28.2 %) and transparent (25.6 %) were predominant colors. Most microplastics (>90.0 %) were less than 1 mm in the longest dimension. This study provided important baseline data as well as a practical microplastic sampling method for polar marine environments.

This review article intends to report the advances in the production and application of biochar from macroalgae and microalgae and its utilization in anaerobic digestion (AD), aiming to achieve zero waste and promote a circular economy. Biochar, a carbon-rich material derived through pyrolysis or gasification, offers environmental and agricultural benefits due to its stability and porosity. By incorporating biochar into AD systems, improved process efficiency, enhanced microbial activity, and nutrient retention can be achieved. An integrated approach on its production and application can minimize biomass disposal impacts, generate renewable energy, and improve the soil and nutrient management. The use of macroalgae and microalgae for biochar production aligns with the sustainability principles, as these resources have high growth rates and there is no direct competition with the arable land. Thus, the focus of this article is to highlight the advances in algal biochar production with emphasis to the factors influencing biochar properties, structure, characterization, mechanism of biochar action, and the impact of biochar addition on AD. It also evaluates the economic and environmental benefits, featuring the role of this approach in achieving a zero-waste paradigm and supporting circular economy development.

Fomesafen is mainly used in soybean and peanut fields to control annual and perennial broad-leaved weeds with strong selectivity and good weed control effects. However, fomesafen has strong persistence and a slow degradation rate in soil. This greatly affects grain yield and the adjustment of agricultural planting structure. In this study, the fomesafen degradation gene cyp57A1 from Fusarium verticillioides, which can be stably expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3), was cloned and transformed into the engineered bacterium P. The degradation rate of fomesafen was explored via high-performance liquid chromatography technology. High-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was used to separate and identify the degradation products of fomesafen in different conditions, and microbial degradation pathways of fomesafen were proposed. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the conditions of the engineered bacteria, and the optimal degradation conditions for the strains were a temperature of 37 °C, a pH of 6.0, and 5 % inoculation. The engineered bacteria successfully degraded 5–500 mg/L fomesafen, and the degradation rate was 82.65 % when the concentration of fomesafen was 100 mg/L. The degradation products were isolated and identified by HPLC-MS, and a total of 8 degradation products were obtained. It was inferred that benzene ring dechlorination, S-N bond cleavage, phenoxy group cleavage, C-N bond cleavage, nitro reduction, amino acetylation, defluorination and other pathways were involved. The excavation of engineered bacteria is highly valuable for resolving the residual fomesafen in the environment.

Innovative fertilizer technology is an effective solution to enhance food security while achieving environmental sustainability. However, current fertilizer technologies aiming to consider the interaction of fertilizer-crop-environment are still insufficient. Here, we designed an innovation fertilizer technology of simple, safe, and biodegradable coating with differentiated release, and then proven the effectiveness to address abovementioned challenges. Our study provides a reference for promoting the innovation, transformation and upgrade of fertilizer industry.

The remediation of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) contaminated water is now a global research priority. The concept of "treating waste with waste" by modifying and recycling acid mine drainage sludge (AMDs) for treating As and Sb-contaminated wastewater is widely supported by scholars worldwide. In this study, a novel composite material (MnOx@AMDs) was synthesized via co-precipitating Mn oxides with AMDs. Characterization and adsorption results indicated that, after optimal Mn oxide loading (Mn²⁺: MnO₄^- = 0.075: 0.05 (mol)), MnOx@AMDs-1 exhibited a significant increase in specific surface area and surface positive potential, as well as the formation of abundant mesoporous structures and functional hydroxyl groups. The adsorption of As(V) and Sb(V) onto MnOx@AMDs-1 was best described by the Pseudo-second-order (R² = 0.96 and 0.95) kinetics and Langmuir (R² = 0.99 and 0.96) models, indicating a monolayer homogeneous chemisorption process. The maximal theoretical adsorption capacities at 25°C were 49.31 mg g⁻¹ for As(V) and 155.12 mg g⁻¹ for Sb(V). Post-adsorption characterization revealed that the predominant adsorption mechanisms include complexation, electrostatic attraction, and hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, MnOx@AMDs-1 sustained a removal efficiency exceeding 75 % for As(V) and Sb(V) over five consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles, while the maximum concentration of dissolved Mn (1.87 mg L⁻¹) remained under the 2 mg L⁻¹ threshold set by GB 18918–2002 standards. In conclusion, MnOx@AMDs-1, as a novel adsorbent with high efficiency and environmental friendliness, demonstrates significant potential for application in treating As(V) and Sb(V) contaminated wastewater.

Wastewater from agricultural activities poses significant environmental risks and requires proper treatment before discharge. Phytoremediation using microalgae offers a compelling solution by removing contaminants and generating valuable biomass. This study aimed to optimize glucose and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentrations to maximize pollutant treatment and microalgal biomass production using Chlorella sp. AARL G049 in hydroponic wastewater from lettuce cultivation without added nitrogen and phosphorus. The results showed that Chlorella sp. effectively converted pollutants in undiluted wastewater into biomass, achieving a maximum yield of 1.32 g/L (0.12 g/L/day) with 10.89 g/L of glucose and 10.15 mg/L of IAA. Pollutant removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand, ammonium-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and phosphate-phosphorus exceeded 92 %. An integrated zero-waste biorefinery process produced three value-added products from the microalgal biomass: functional pigments, biodiesel, and biofertilizer. The extracted pigment demonstrated significant antioxidant activity, with DPPH activity of 0.05 mg GAE/g-extract, ABTS activity of 0.31 mg TE/g-extract, and FRAP activity of 0.28 mg GAE/g-extract, as well as high-efficiency UV protection. The lipids extracted contained biodiesel-quality fatty acids with a cetane number of 54 and a high heating value of 40 KJ/kg. Additionally, the residual biomass, post-extraction, contained essential nutrients with an N-P-K ratio of 4.87–0.03–0.68 and 76 % organic matter, making it suitable for plant growth and soil fertilization. Therefore, integrating wastewater treatment with a microalgal biomass-based zero-waste biorefinery demonstrates significant potential for enhancing profitability and sustainability, promoting the sustainable development of the Food-Energy-Agriculture-Environment Nexus.