Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A-toxic\/hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering最新文献

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) are hazardous for human and ecosystem health due to their non-biodegradable nature. In this study we investigated the concentrations of PTEs, including As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb and V in sediments of Lake Tuz around the salt pans for possible contamination. Lake Tuz is a shallow saline lake where halite (table salt) production is carried out in the salt pans and has significant geo and eco-tourism potential due to its unique ecosystem and natural beauty. The extent of pollution level and ecological risk were evaluated by geochemical indices and guideline values. According to the Geoaccumulation Index (I_geo), Enrichment Factor (EF) and Contamination Factor (Cf) indices Cr, Mo, As and occasionally Ni accumulated in moderate to strong levels. Intensity maps of Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Modified Degree of Contamination (mCdeg) indicated pollution hotspots in the neck region and in the eastern shore of the lake respectively. The Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) values indicated low and moderate levels of ecological risk. Statistical analyses including Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) suggested that Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni and V are of geogenic origin and As and Pb are of anthropogenic origin. Provenance analysis suggested that host rocks for geogenic PTEs were granodiorites and ophiolites situated in the catchment area of the lake. Anthropogenic PTEs were most likely related to agrochemicals used in surrounding farmlands.

Core-shell Fe₃O₄@poly(acrylic acid)/chitosan (Fe₃O₄@PAA/CS) submicrospheres were synthesized through the polymerization of acrylic acid in CS solution, using uniformly sized magnetite colloid nanocrystal clusters (MCNCs) as the core materials. The obtained submicrospheres were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier-transform infrared, thermo-gravimetric, vibrating sample magnetometer, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The results confirmed that the submicrospheres with the Fe₃O₄ nano-core located in the central region and encapsulated by a CS shell exhibited superparamagnetic behavior. The removal efficiency of Congo red (CR) dye by magnetic submicrospheres was determined by investigating several factors, including pH, adsorbent dose, contact time, and dye concentrations. Over 97.4% of CR (90 mg L^-1) was removed at a dosage above 1.2 g L^-1. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from the Langmuir isotherm model for CR was 143 mg g^-1 at 290 K. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm data were well described by the pseudo‑second‑order and Langmuir models, respectively. Furthermore, the submicrospheres were successfully regenerated and, subsequently, reused for four adsorption-desorption cycles without any noticeable loss of stability. The exceptional removal performance of magnetic submicrospheres on CR renders it a highly appealing adsorbent for the treatment of dye-containing wastewaters.

Monitoring nitrate and fluoride levels in drinking water is essential due to their potential adverse health effects. While studies have assessed these contaminants across Iran, comprehensive analyses of their spatial-temporal distribution and probabilistic health risks remain scarce for Maragheh County. This study addresses this gap by applying Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and principal component analysis (PCA) to 132 drinking water samples collected from 2018 to 2023. This novel framework identifies contamination sources and quantifies risks across demographic groups. Results revealed that 97% of nitrate and 96% of fluoride concentrations met World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limits. PCA explained 76.5% of total variance, with EC, TH, TDS, and Ca²⁺ as dominant factors. The water quality index (WQI) rated over 88% of samples as excellent and less than 1.5% as poor. Fluoride posed negligible health risks (HQ < 1), but nitrate exposure yielded elevated hazard indices (HI > 1) for children, signaling potential non-carcinogenic effects. Overall, findings underscore the need for ongoing monitoring, better wastewater and fertilizer management, and targeted protections for vulnerable groups in agricultural regions.

Diclofenac (DCF) is one of the emerging compounds in the environment. There are many sources of diclofenac, such as effluent of pharmaceutical industries, wastewater treatment plant effluent, and domestic wastewater. It requires advanced treatment because it cannot be removed from water and sludges using the conventional wastewater treatment process. Catalytic and free radical methods also known as advanced oxidation process (AOP) can degrade large and complex organic compounds into smaller ones. In this review, each AOP method is critically assessed for the removal of DCF in water.

This study evaluated the levels and carcinogenic risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the breast milk of lactating mothers. Breast milk biomonitoring provides insights into human exposure levels of PAHs from increasing environmental sources, which is scantily reported in Nigeria. Twenty-eight breast milk samples were obtained from lactating mothers with written informed consent, and lifestyle data was elicited with a structured questionnaire. Eight PAH compounds were analyzed using Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector. Detected PAH levels significantly exceed the European Union maximum permissible limits for human exposure (0.001 mg/kg) in all samples. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (1.07 mg/kg) was the highest, and lowest was benzo[b]naphtho[2,1-d]thiophene (BNT) (0.07 mg/kg), which was higher than the average concentrations reported in most studies globally. This may suggest substantial risks of acute and chronic health effects to vulnerable groups (lactating mothers and newborns). The carcinogenic risk assessment indicates that 60% of infants may develop carcinogenic health risks due to the ingestion of PAH-contaminated breast milk. Low birth weight, preterm birth, and fetal loss were experienced by the participating mothers. Findings highlight the potential health risk posed by the elevated levels of PAHs, thus necessitating timely interventions that would mitigate the risks of PAHs.

The scientific investigation of employing heterotrophic/autotrophic (mixotrophic) denitrification to address the issue of wastewater containing elevated levels of nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^--N) has garnered significant attention. This study utilized sulfur-based denitrification with iron-process (SDIP) supplemented with ethanol to enhance the heterotrophic denitrification. The iron compounds used in this study were obtained from treatment of acid mine drainage wastewater with calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)₂. The sludge thus formed contained a high quantity of iron compounds along with calcite deposits on its surface. The effectiveness of mixotrophic denitrification was found to be superior in reactors with iron supplementation as compared to the sulfur only reactor. Even at a very low C/N ratio, high concentration of nitrate can be removed through this novel combination. The SDIP system maintains the pH levels during the denitrification process, eliminating the need for additional alkalinity sources and thereby reducing operating costs. Furthermore, the SDIP system effectively eliminated the smell of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) throughout its operation.

Football is one of the most popular, widely participated in, and age-spanning sports in the world. The role of scientific management in football is crucial for safeguarding the health of the athletes.However, There is limited understanding of the potential relationship between microbiota and athletes. This study employed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the microbiota on football surfaces used by different user groups (schools of different grade levels.). The results indicate that there were no significant differences in the α-diversity of football surface microbiota among different groups, however, there were significant differences in β-diversity and microbial co-occurrence network patterns. Enterobacteriaceae spp and Stenotrophomonas were the designated microbial markers within the primary school (PS). The designated microbial markers in middle school (MS) were Lactobacillus, Escherichia, Bacteroides, and Staphylococcus. In university (UN), Serratia serve as the indicative microorganisms. Nursery school (NS) was characterized by Pantoea and Exiguobacterium as its microbial markers, while Acinetobacter was the designated microbial marker in residential quarters (RQ). These microbial markers are even opportunistic pathogens. Storage temperature, storage relative humidity, and the frequency of utilization will accelerate the reproduction of opportunistic human pathogens. This study suggests disinfection management for footballs.

Escherichia coli O157 H7, a Shiga toxin-producing enterohemorrhagic strain, poses serious health risks and has increasingly acquired multidrug resistance (MDR) through extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases. This study investigated the molecular characteristics of E. coli O157:H7 isolated from drinking and surface wastewater in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A total of 205 water samples (97 drinking and 108 wastewater) were collected from Addis Ketema and Akaki/Kality sub-cities between May and July 2023. Isolation was performed using membrane filtration and confirmed by latex agglutination. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing followed CLSI (2023) guidelines, and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect virulence (stx1, stx2, eaeA, hlyA), ESBL (blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M), and carbapenem-resistance (blaNDM, blaKPC, blaOXA-48) genes. Among 28 confirmed isolates, 32.1% originated from drinking water and 67.9% from wastewater. Virulence genes were found in 35.7-57.1% of isolates, with eaeA and stx2 being the most frequent. ESBL genes were dominated by blaCTX-M and blaTEM (85% each). Carbapenemase genes were present in 28.6% of isolates, mainly blaNDM and blaKPC. Gene prevalence was significantly higher in Akaki/Kality (p < 0.05). These findings reveal wastewater as a major reservoir of pathogenic and resistant E. coli O157 H7 and highlight the urgent need for improved wastewater treatment and regular molecular surveillance.

This study applies total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) to assess multielement contamination in river sediments from a small urban basin in western Paraná, Brazil. Eleven elements (Al, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb) were quantified using an internal standard, and the concentration data were evaluated using Spearman correlation, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Cu, Zn and especially Pb reached concentrations up to 703, 349 and 344 mg kg^-1, with several values exceeding Brazilian guideline thresholds for soils impacted by anthropogenic activities. Multivariate results indicate that Ti, Cr and Fe form a predominantly lithogenic assemblage related to the basalt-derived parent material, whereas Cu and Zn define a distinct anthropogenic group associated with urban, industrial and wastewater inputs; Mn, Ni, Ca and Pb show mixed origin. The combined use of TXRF and multivariate tools thus provides a robust, resource-efficient framework for sediment monitoring, source differentiation and support of pollution control strategies in contaminated aquatic environments.

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air is mainly linked to anthropogenic activities, particularly fossil fuel use and residential wood combustion, posing risks to human health. This study evaluated atmospheric PAHs in Temuco, Chile, characterized their spatial and seasonal distribution, and investigated the in vitro effects of environmentally relevant PAH mixtures on human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Passive air samplers equipped with polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed at two urban sites (Universidad Católica de Temuco and Padre Las Casas) and one rural site (Maquehue sector). Sampling covered summer and fall-early winter, with seasonal assessment conducted in Padre Las Casas. PAHs were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and cell viability was assessed using the MTS assay after exposure to defined PAH mixtures. Spatial variability was observed, with phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene predominating in urban areas and increasing during winter, while dibenzo(a,h)anthracene was detected exclusively in the rural sector. In BEAS-2B cells, PAH exposure caused a dose and time-dependent reduction in viability, reaching significance at 20 and 28 µM after 48 and 72 h. These findings highlight PAH persistence and potential adverse effects on respiratory epithelial cells, underscoring the need to reduce population exposure.