Environmental Geochemistry and Health最新文献

In this paper, sediment samples from the HT and QS profiles of the Ganjiang River are selected to represent the river reach that does not enter and entered the Nanchang City urban area, respectively. Environmental magnetism, granulometry, and heavy metal of these samples were analyzed to assess the relationship between magnetic properties and heavy metal. The results showed that the mean χ value of QS profile is 20.32 × 10^-8m³/kg, which is higher than that in HT profile (3.80 × 10^-8m³/kg), indicating the higher magnetic mineral concentrations. The relatively higher S_-100mT, S_-300mT, and lower χ_ARM/χ, χ_ARM/SIRM values of QS profile suggest the lower imperfect antiferromagnetic mineral proportion and the coarser magnetic minerals grains, respectively. The heavy metals (i.e., As, Cd, Sb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb) concentration of QS profile is markedly higher than that of HT profile. The PLI of QS profile ranges from 0.5 to 3.33, higher than that in HT profile (0.22 to 2.02), revealing the more serious pollution in urban areas and would be attributed to human activities. In QS and HT profile, the concentration-dependent magnetic parameters (e.g., χ, SIRM, HIRM) are significantly positively correlated with heavy metals and PLI. We also found that with a similar particle size composition, the sediment samples with higher pollution levels exhibit higher χ, SIRM, S_-100mT, S_-300mT, and lower χ_ARM/χ, χ_ARM/SIRM values, indicating the response of magnetic properties to heavy metal pollution. Magnetic parameters can be used as a heavy metal pollution indicator in the Ganjiang River.

Fluoride contamination is a serious environmental problem in lepidolite hydrometallurgy wastewater. The treatment of fluoride-bearing wastewater is challenging because of the presence of coexisting ions including lithium (Li⁺), rubidium (Rb⁺), silicate (SiO₃^2-), sulfate radical (SO₄^2-). However, aluminum-modified zeolite (Al@zeolite) with sufficient hydroxyl groups and high adaptability has unique advantages for eliminating fluoride from lepidolite hydrometallurgy wastewater. Al@zeolite was prepared on natural zeolite by an atmospheric process and then used for the adsorption of fluorine from fluoride-bearing wastewater produced by the lepidolite hydrometallurgy process. The results of material characterization confirmed the successful immobilization of aluminum within the zeolite pores and indicated the formation of zeolite-Al-OH. The zeolite host significantly enhanced the chemical stability of Al@zeolite against pH changes for a wide pH range of 2.0-10.0. The adsorbent had a surface area of 33.46 m²/g and demonstrated excellent capacity and selectivity for fluoride adsorption. Notably, a maximum adsorption of 98.6% was observed at a pH value of 6.0 for a duration of 20 min with a fluoride content of 20 mg/L, and the equilibrium concentration decreased to 0.4 mg/L. The results of fluorine adsorption showed that fluoride uptake onto Al@zeolite agreed well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. The reusability of the substance was evaluated for up to eight cycles following consecutive regeneration with 0.2 mol/L AlCl₃. The exhausted Al@zeolite was effectively regenerated through simple alkaline treatment for recycling. The above results verified that Al@zeolite is a new kind of efficient defluoridation adsorbent for lepidolite hydrometallurgy wastewater with practical application prospects.

Lipid metabolism disorders pose a significant threat to human health. However, the relationship between heavy metal mixed exposure and lipid metabolism remains poorly understood. This study recruited 1717 residents living near a chromium factory in northeast China. The concentrations of blood Cr, Mn, Cd, Pb, V, and serum CHOL, TG, LDL and HDL levels were measured. Generalized linear model (GLM), quantile g-computation (Qg-comp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were simultaneously employed to investigate the associations between heavy metal mixed exposure and lipid markers levels. GLM analysis revealed significant associations between blood Cr concentration and HDL (β =  -0.07; 95%CI:  -0.09,  -0.05), LDL (β =  -0.06; 95%CI:  -0.11,  -0.02), and CHOL (β = 0.07; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.12) levels. V concentration was positively associated with HDL (β = 0.12; 95%CI: 0.06, 0.18) and LDL (β = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.04, 0.30) levels. Qg-comp analysis indicated a negative association between heavy metal mixed exposure and HDL (β =  -0.040; 95%CI:  -0.073,  -0.006) level. BKMR model further confirmed the negative relationship between heavy metal mixed exposure and HDL, with the interaction between blood Cr (> 1.05 μg/L) and blood V (> 5.16 μg/L) contributing to decreased HDL levels. Our findings suggested that heavy metal mixed exposure had impacts on HDL and CHOL levels, and the Cr and V may mutually play a predominant role in the observed abnormal HDL levels.

Disinfectants can kill pathogenic microorganisms, effectively block the spread of infectious diseases, and are widely used during epidemics. However, a little has been studied about the environmental hazards caused by the heavy use of disinfectants. In this paper, the residual situation of chlorine ions in the soil, possible disinfection by-products (DBPs), and effects on soil enzyme activities after using 84 disinfectants (main component: sodium hypochlorite) and hypochlorite disinfectant (main component: hypochlorous acid) were investigated. It was found that the residual rates were generally higher than 92% for the 84 disinfectant treatment and between 80% ~ 90% for the hypochlorite disinfectant treatments. The overall change in chlorine ion concentration in the soil-leaching solution of the hypochlorite disinfectant treatments was relatively small and stable compared to the 84 disinfectant treatments. Several types of trihalomethanes (THMs) were detected after 24 h of disinfection. The generation concentration of THMs was higher for the 84 disinfectant than for the hypochlorite disinfectant. The generation of trichloromethane was the highest, ranging from 1000 to 3000 μg/L. Soil enzyme activities changed much when the soil was treated with the disinfectant for 28 days. The above results indicated that hypochlorite disinfectant was safer and more stable than 84 disinfectants, and trichloromethane should be strictly controlled as a key indicator among the disinfection by-products. In addition, the long-term application of disinfectants affects soil enzyme activities obviously.

Connective tissue diseases (CTD) encompass a spectrum of autoimmune disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjogren's syndrome (SS), inflammatory myopathy (IIM), systemic sclerosis (SSc), among others. Recent research has highlighted the significant role of trace metals in the pathogenesis of connective tissue diseases. This article provides an overview of recent advancements in understanding the correlation between common trace metals such as iron, copper, zinc and CTD, aiming to offer novel insights for the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. Iron is implicated in the pathogenesis of SLE through various mechanisms, including alterations in serum iron concentration, disturbances in iron metabolism and homeostasis, as well as involvement in ferroptosis. Disorders affecting iron metabolism, ferroptosis, and the expression and regulation of associated genes and proteins contribute to the development and progression of RA. Elevated serum copper levels are observed in patients with both SLE and RA compared to healthy controls. Cuproptosis, a novel form of cell death, is also considered to be linked to their pathogenesis. Decreased serum zinc concentration is evident in patients with SLE, RA, and SS. Zinc finger proteins play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Electrokinetic remediation (EKR) is a proficient, environmentally friendly separation technology for in-situ removal of contaminants in soil/sediment, distinguished for its ease of implementation and minimal prerequisites compared to other remediation technologies. To comprehensively understand the research focus and progress related to EKR of contaminated soil/sediment, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on 1593 publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. This analysis utilized data mining and knowledge discovery techniques through Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace software. The results revealed a rising trend in annual publication numbers, with China leading in the number of publications. The primary journals in this field included the Journal of Hazardous Materials, Chemosphere, and Separation and Purification Technology. The primary disciplines contributed to this field included "Environmental Sciences", "Engineering, Environmental", "Engineering, Chemical", and "Electrochemistry". Keyword co-occurrence and burst analysis indicated that current EKR-related research mainly focuses on the remediation of soil/sediments contaminated by heavy metals (HMs) and organic pollutants (OPs). Furthermore, the EKR remediation improvement method emerged as the prevailing and future research hotspots and development directions. Future research could integrate numerical simulations and various methodologies to predict and assess the migration of pollutants and the efficiency of remediation efforts. Additionally, these studies could explore the effects of EKR on the physicochemical properties and microbial diversity of soil/sediment to provide a theoretical foundation for applying EKR in soil/sediment remediation.

Despite the beneficial role of aquatic food, bioaccumulation of trace metals can increase health risk for consumers. We conducted a comprehensive study to understand the levels of various trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn) in fish (Nematalosa nasus, Gerres filamentosus, Arius arius, Gerres erythrourus, Sardinella fimbriata, Caranx ignobilis, Etroplus suratensis, Mugil cephalus, Sillago sihama, and Euryglossa orientalis) and crab (Portunus pelagicus and Scylla serrata) species collected from Netravathi-Gurupur estuary, India and evaluated the potential health risks to humans by measuring target health hazard (THQ), hazard index (HI), estimated daily (EDI) and weekly (EWI) intake and cancer risk (CR). The hierarchy of toxic metal content in studied species was Fe>Pb>Cr>Mn>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cd>Co. The concentration of heavy metals were distinctly lower than the threshold value as suggested by World Health Organization and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, except for Cr and Pb in few species. THQ values were below the acceptable limit. However, the estimated mean HI values were >1 for children, indicating they may be vulnerable to health risk due to continuous consumption of contaminated aquatic species from the study area. In contrast, the cancer risk for Cr, Cd, and Pb was below the acceptable range. Principal component analysis (PCA) discerned nearby petrochemical industry, electroplating industry, pesticides and fertilizer from agricultural runoff, as the potential sources of metal bioaccumulation in different tissues. Although the study reveals that metal contamination in aquatic species does not pose any immediate human health effect, continuous monitoring of the study area is recommended, as some metals have demonstrated their ability to accumulate in the tissues.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of phytoremediation strategies in mitigating the environmental impacts of gold mine tailings through a bibliometric and systematic review. Utilizing the PRISMA methodology, 45 primary research articles were selected and analyzed, highlighting key rends and insights in phytoremediation research. The review spans over two decades of research, with a notable annual growth rate of 2.81% and significant contributions from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Africa. Key findings emphasize the variability in phytoremediation success based on plant species, site conditions, and remediation techniques. Prominent plants identified include vetiver grass, Siam weed, and water hyacinth, which demonstrate significant potential in heavy metal uptake and soil stabilization. The study also underscores the importance of optimizing plant-microbe interactions and employing site-specific approaches to enhance remediation efficiency. Future research opportunities are identified, focusing on genetic engineering of plants, field trials, and integration of advanced monitoring technologies. Overall, this comprehensive review highlights the promising potential of phytoremediation as a sustainable and effective strategy for managing gold mine tailings, advocating for continued research and policy support to advance this green technology in environmental management.

With the excellent water quality, abundant water quantity and convenient and economical exploitation conditions, groundwater has become an important water source for the social and economic development and people's livelihood in the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau in China. This study employed geostatistics, mineral saturation index, Gibbs diagram, ion ratio coefficient, chloralkali index and other methods to reveal the chemical distribution characteristics, evolution law and hydrogeochemical formation mechanism of groundwater in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that the contents of main chemical components of groundwater in Beichuan increased continuously from 1980 to 2020 complicating the types of hydrochemistry due to intensive groundwater exploitation and potential pollution from chemical plants. In contrast, Xinachuan, Xichuan, and Nanchuan witnessed an initial increase followed by a decrease in chemical components, simplifying hydrochemical types. The groundwater exhibited a spatial pattern of widespread high-quality water with sporadic banded and island brackish water. Chemical concentrations gradually rose along the groundwater flow direction. The leaching intensity of minerals by groundwater follows the order: halite > gypsum > calcite > dolomite. Leaching, cation exchange, and human activities are identified as the primary drivers of the chemical field evolution in the Xining area. The presence of Tertiary strata, rich in soluble salts like gypsum and halite, influences water-rock interactions, leading to downstream TDS increases and gradual salinization. Centralized pumping well exploitation altered groundwater runoff intensity and direction, contributing to high TDS areas near water sources and industrial parks, exacerbated by artificial pollution. The above conclusions are of great theoretical and practical significance to realize sustainable utilization of water resources and important for urban development in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.

Although microplastic pollution is a global concern, information on the distribution of microplastics in petroleum and petrochemical urban soils is limited. In this study, we investigated the occurrence, ecological risk, and human exposure risk of microplastics in different land-use types of soil in Daqing Administrative region, a prominent petroleum and petrochemical industrial base in China. Stereoscopic microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) were used to study the chemical composition and distribution characteristics of microplastics. We found that the abundance of microplastics in Daqing soil ranged from 714 to 11,122 items/kg, with the highest value in educational land and the lowest in parks and green land. The dominant particle size of microplastics was < 1 mm (65.7%), and the shape was mainly fiber (55.1%), with white (28.9%) and black (25.6%) as the predominant colors. The most common polymer types were rayon, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Using the potential ecological risk index (RI) and polymeric risk index (H), we found that all land-use types, except woodland (Level I), were classified into Level V of ecological risk, with the highest risk in industrial land (RI = 14,959.85, H = 588.31). The daily exposure of infants to microplastics was much higher than that of adults. These findings provide valuable data for the pollution and potential risk assessment of microplastics in urban and rural environments, suggesting the importance of taking action to minimize its harmful effects on ecological and human health. In order to control the pollution caused by microplastics, we suggest that people should reduce the unnecessary use of single-use plastic items, such as water bottles, plastic shopping bags, straws, etc. In addition, the government needs to strengthen rubbish collection to prevent plastic waste from leaking into the environment during the period from the rubbish bins to the landfills, and to build recycling systems to increase the recycling rate.