ACS Environmental Au最新文献

Reactions between skin oil and ozone are a substantial source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the human body, yet factors influencing these reactions and emissions have only recently begun to be investigated. In this study, we conducted single-person chamber experiments involving three volunteers to systematically assess the influence of various factors, including temperature, relative humidity (RH), personal hygiene (bathing frequency and clothing soiling), and clothing coverage. We found that chamber air temperature and RH, within the range of 22–31 °C and 40–70% respectively, had negligible effects on ozone-driven VOC emissions, likely due to the body’s regulation of its surface temperature and humidity. This finding contrasts with the pronounced RH dependence reported for ozone reaction with skin oil constituents or skin-oil-soiled materials in the absence of such surface regulation. Refraining from changing clothes for 3 days increased the total emissions of key products by ∼25%, while refraining from showering for 3 days showed minimal effect, likely because skin oil on body surfaces rapidly re-equilibrates. In addition, compared with wearing freshly laundered t-shirts and shorts, wearing clothing that covered more of the body decreased the summed surface yield by nearly 50%. These findings provide new insights into skin oil chemistry adjacent to the body, highlighting the body’s role in regulating the surface environment where exogenous chemistry occurs. The results suggest that a simple model that does not account for variations in bathing frequency, indoor air temperature, and humidity, might be sufficient to describe ozone-dependent dermal emission of VOCs.

This study investigated the feasibility of foam-enhanced air sparging (FEAS) for remediating trichloroethylene (TCE) dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) in water. Various surfactants, including polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (TW80), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium α-olefin sulfonate (AOS), and TW80/SDS and TW80/AOS combinations, were used to generate foam, which were evaluated for foam stability and quality. AOS (32 mM) exhibited the highest foam stability (∼345 min) and quality (∼99.6%) under controlled conditions. Phase contrast microscopy analysis showed foam sizes of 290–400 μm with thin film thicknesses of 6–9 μm. FEAS was tested with and without sodium persulfate (SPS) oxidant (oxidative foam) to treat approximately 10 g of TCE DNAPL in 1 L of water. Injecting AOS foam (32 mM) or oxidative foam AOS (32 mM)/SPS (50 or 1700 mM) for 2 h dissolved 60–82% of TCE, compared to only 4–7% with N₂ injection. The surfactant-stabilized interface in foam facilitated TCE adsorption, increasing its partitioning into bubbles, leading to enhanced volatilization. In the lamella region, surfactant layers promoted TCE dissolution, while SPS aided its mineralization. With oxidative foam at a higher SPS concentration (1700 mM) and an extended reaction time (240 h), TCE mineralization increased to 40–74% across different foam injection rates. These results highlight oxidative FEAS as a promising improvement over conventional air sparging, significantly enhancing TCE dissolution, volatilization, and oxidation.

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-based biopesticides represent promising tools for target-oriented pest and pathogen control. However, their compatibility with beneficial organisms used in biological control programs is not clear. In this study, the potential interactions between two dsRNA formulations─naked and minicell-encapsulated (ME-dsRNA)─and different commercialized bacterial, fungal, and insect biocontrol agents (BCAs) were examined. There was no toxicity of either of the two dsRNA formulations toward Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Trichoderma harzianum, or Ulocladium oudemansii, based on growth assays. ME-dsRNA significantly enhanced fungal BCA growth, likely due to improved uptake or protection. Coapplication trials on strawberry fruit and foliage showed that coapplication of dsRNA and BCAs was efficacious with no evidence of synergistic or antagonistic effects. Insect bioassays demonstrated that dsRNA sprays had no adverse effects on predatory mite populations (Amblyseius swirskii and Phytoseiulus persimilis). Additionally, in silico off-target analysis detected minimal potential matches in T. harzianum and Tetranychus urticae, none of which corresponded to in vivo toxicity. Markedly, greenhouse and in vitro assays confirmed that neither dsRNA formulation interfered with the biocontrol efficacy of BCAs on Botrytis cinerea in strawberry. Overall, this study provides strong evidence that dsRNA-based products, including ME-dsRNA, are compatible with key BCAs and pose minimal ecological risk.

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are synthetic polychlorinated n-alkanes produced as mixtures of a range of C_xCl_yH_2x–y+2 formulas. CPs have numerous industrial applications but are toxic, long-lived, and environmentally ubiquitous with environmental releases occurring throughout their production, use, and disposal. Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs, C_10–13) have been regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency since 2009 and by the Stockholm Convention since 2017. SCCP regulation is expected to cause increased production of medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs; C_14–17), which are currently under consideration for Stockholm Convention regulations. Thus, there is a need to improve the understanding of MCCP environmental transport, distribution, and fate. Existing measurements are limited in their spatial and temporal coverage. Measurements of CP atmospheric loading are particularly scarce. Historically, these measurements have required long sampling times, obscuring the temporal behavior of atmospheric CPs. We report real-time in situ measurements of 18 gas-phase MCCPs. These measurements were made in the United States Southern Great Plains with nitrate ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (NO₃–CIMS). The estimated average lower-limit concentration of MCCPs is on the order of single-digit ng/m³. MCCP diel behavior is partially explained by gas-particle partitioning with implications for MCCP transport and lifetimes.

The seafood sector plays a key role in global nutrition but is confronted with significant sustainability challenges including overfishing, marine debris, and the impacts of climate change. In response, several measures have been implemented, such as the introduction of fishing quotas, restrictions on fishing zones, expansion of aquaculture, increased monitoring, and promotion of sustainable consumption. In this context, ecolabels are recognized as tools to encourage sustainable consumption by influencing consumer behavior. However, their effectiveness is hindered by limited consumer awareness, regulatory inconsistencies, and incomplete integration of environmental and social impacts into their criteria. In this Perspective, we explore how these key challenges are incorporated into ecolabel standards and evaluate their potential to influence consumer behavior toward sustainable choices Through a review and insights from a life cycle perspective, we identify critical gaps in current ecolabeling schemes, such as a lack of representativeness, incomplete evaluation, and unclear or nonintuitive communication to consumers, and outline a potential roadmap for their improvement. Addressing these gaps is essential for fostering trust and advancing sustainability in the seafood sector.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging is a highly sensitive, spatially resolved tool for biological and environmental analysis. SERS imaging combines molecular fingerprinting with real-time, in situ detection, with the capacity to address key questions around analyte identification, concentration, and distribution. In biological systems, SERS imaging has enabled sensitive detection of nucleic acids, proteins, and biomarkers. Notable progress includes the detection of miRNAs through nanoassembly and disassembly techniques, as well as bioorthogonal chemistry and antibody-conjugated methods for protein and enzyme imaging. These approaches, along with integration of complementary imaging techniques, have improved SERS imaging for in vivo studies in plant and animal cells. Additionally, SERS imaging of pathogens reveals their distribution and behavior in cellular environments. For environmental applications, SERS imaging has been used to track pesticides, nanoparticles, and heavy metal ions, providing critical insights into contaminant transport and transformation. Furthermore, SERS-based pH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) imaging delivers spatially resolved data on reactive species in biological and environmental microenvironments, aiding in understanding their dynamic roles in various processes. Despite its advantages, SERS imaging faces several challenges. By addressing its limitations, SERS imaging holds promise for broad application in contaminant monitoring, clinical diagnostics, and real-time biological analysis.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of commonly used compounds, known particularly for their hydrophobic, nonstick properties. Their unique chemistry has also led to their use in ski waxes. While competition rules and some regions have recently banned the use of fluorinated waxes, the persistence of PFAS means they could still be detected for years. Given the hazards and concern about PFAS contamination, this study investigated if PFAS could be detected at a ski area that supports a high-level race program, where these waxes would have been in use for many years. Samples were collected from a variety of locations within a ski area in New Hampshire, USA, to investigate the levels and trends of PFAS in this type of environment. While previous studies have focused on targeted analysis for known PFAS, this study utilized both targeted and nontargeted analysis with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and ion mobility to look for new and unexpected PFAS. In the nontargeted analysis, detected peaks were first compared to an internal HRMS PFAS library for identification, and unknown peaks were selected for further scrutiny based on their detected drift time in the ion mobility dimension. An ion mobility filter was created to look for PFAS based on the unique trendlines of collisional cross section (CCS) vs m/z exhibited by halogenated molecules and applied to the list of detected peaks. Using this filter, a number of homologous series of PFAS were tentatively identified, in addition to those found with suspect screening. Two of the series included dioic perfluorinated acids and monohydrogen-substituted perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (H-PFCAs). While authentic standards were not available for many of the tentative identifications, two standards were purchased and compared with experimental data to confirm the proposed structures of shorter chain compounds in these series, thus increasing the evidence that identification of the homologous series in these cases was correct. This preliminary study, based on a limited number of water samples, indicated that PFAS contamination could be detected at the ski area. The inclusion of nontargeted analysis provided a more thorough understanding of the contamination’s extent by identifying new species that would be overlooked using targeted methodologies.