Environmental Geochemistry and Health最新文献

Total concentrations, toxicity, and health risks of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in street dust from Warsaw (Poland) in 6 granulometric fractions were investigated. Street dust was collected from 149 sampling points distributed among Area 1 (central districts, left bank of the Vistula River, mostly traffic-related pollution) and Area 2&3 (suburb area, mostly residential, right bank of the river). Street dust was investigated before ("all") and after separating into 5 size-dependent samples: (1-0.8 mm) "0.8", (0.8-0.6 mm) "0.6", (0.6-0.4 mm) "0.4", (0.4-0.2 mm) "0.2", and (below 0.2 mm) " < 0.2". ΣPAH mean concentration was 3.21 mg/kg for Area 1 and 0.89 mg/kg for Area 2&3. ∑BaP_TPE values calculated collectively for Area 1&2&3 were observed to be 318.3, 83.5, 131.1, 81.4, 164.3, and 339.7 ng/g for "all", "0.6", "0.4", "0.2", and " < 0.2", respectively. Significant differences in ∑BaP_TPE values were observed between fractions and specific areas. The cancer risk levels for children and adults, for all particulate size fractions, were comparable for dermal contact and by ingestion and ranged from 10^-5 to 10^-4, whereas the cancer risk levels via inhalation always ranged from 10^-10 to 10^-8. Therefore, inhalation of resuspended street dust is almost negligible compared to other pathways. Environmental implication. Street dust pollution in cities is one of the most important issues in the world and it negatively affects the quality of the environment and people's health. This study contributed to filling the gap in knowledge about the characteristics of PAH contaminants in the subject of the grain size of street dust from Poland and assessing the potential health risks. Therefore, our work has provided new significant information on PAH pollution, methods of measuring PAHs content and assessing the risk to human health, which may be useful to the scientific community, policymakers, and the general public.

Tetracycline (TC), as a new type of environmental pollutant, poses a great threat to human food safety and health, thus becoming the focus of human environmental protection issues. In this study, we selected an environmentally friendly microbial remediation method to degrade the residual TC in soil. An experiment was conducted with Funneliformis mosseae (F. mosseae) and artificial TC-contaminated soil to analyze the physiology, antimicrobial enzyme activities, and TC residues in soybean plants and rhizomatous soil. The results showed that the presence of TC in the soil inhibited the enzyme activities of soybean root system and soil, and suppressed the biomass of soybean. Inoculation of F. mosseae in TC-contaminated soil promoted the degradation of TC in the soil, enhanced soil resistance enzyme and urease activities (12.53-43.48%) around the root soil, and enhanced the soil resistance enzymes and promoted the uptake of nutrients in the soybean root system.We conclude that F. mosseae may reduce antibiotics or promote nutrient uptake to enhance plant resistance by altering inter-root enzyme activity. Therefore, this study provides a new theoretical basis for using AMF to remediate TC-contaminated soil and retard the stress of TC on the growth of soybean.

Road-Deposited Sediments (RDS) samples were collected from four different roads in Beijing, and the distribution of pollutants in RDS with various particle sizes was compared. In this study, the cumulative mass of RDS exhibited a positive correlation with the number of dry days, and the RDS load below 75 μm was also influenced by road traffic volume. As traffic volume escalated, there was a corresponding increase in the load of these smaller RDS. Most pollutants accumulated within RDS with sizes below 150 μm, rendering them the primary contributors to the pollution. In terms of the antecedent dry-weather days, fifteen days emerged as a potentially pivotal point, with both the rate of pollutant accumulation and the contribution of pollution sources to RDS having stabilized after this duration. The origins of pollutants in roads of different functional areas exhibited certain disparities. The pollutants on major roads with high traffic volume were attributed to frequent vehicular activities. The pollutants on residential roads stemmed from soil particles and fallen leaves in the roadside green belts as well as from human activities. And the pollutants on urban-rural crossroad might be attributed to the industrial contamination with factories located on one side.

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.