Environmental Research最新文献

In the last two decades, cage culture industries have developed in Iranian seas, supplying a portion of the needed protein and contributing to food security. In this paper, environmental impacts of cage culture are investigated, focusing on the physical, hydrodynamical, chemical, geological, and biological oceanographic aspects at the Abbas Abad fish farm in the southern Caspian Sea. Multidisciplinary field measurements were conducted from fall 2018 to late summer 2019 in different oceanographic aspects. Results showed that the cages have not significantly affected the hydrodynamics and physical parameters of the aroundwater, and have actually caused a slight decrease in current speed within a few 10 m of the cage. The maximum levels of inorganic phosphates, total phosphorus, total organic phosphorus, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, total nitrogen, silicate, BOD₅ and COD were 22 ppb, 34.91 ppb, 26.92 ppb, 6 ppb, 103.69 ppb, 69.5 ppb, 1423.99 ppb, 679.06 ppb, 1.9 mg/l, 80 mg/l respectively. The water quality is considered safe and not concerning based on levels of phosphate, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, BOD₅, and COD. Also, planltonic (phyto and zooplankton) and benthic communities and benthic around the cages were the same with sourounding waters. This paper presented comprehensive information about the effects of cage culture farms on the surrounding waters of the Caspian Sea.

Fulvic acid (FA) derived from composting functions can act as electron shuttle, facilitating and expediting the redox reaction during the composting process. However, limited research has been conducted on the redox capacity and structural transformation of FA during composting with different biowastes. The Fe (II) production quantity of the single S. oneidensis MR-1 (MR-1), MR-1 with FA derived from lignocellulose-rich and lignin-rich composting after 300 h inoculation were up to 2.28, 3.67 and 2.52 mmol/L, indicating the redox capacity of FA in lignocellulose-rich composts was stronger than that in lignin-rich composting. Furthermore, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy revealed that FA derived from lignocellulose-rich composting exhibited a layer-by-layer structure, characterized by aromatic functional groups and other groups. In contrast, FA obtained from lignin-rich composting displayed an arrangement where the inner aromatic functional groups were obstructed by the methyl group. The structural equation model revealed that the high relative abundance and aromatic functional groups of FA derived from lignocellulose-rich composting process exert a direct influence on the reduction of Fe (III)-citrate, and the methyl groups of FA obtained from lignin-rich composting process also directly linked to the reduction of Fe (III)-citrate. The present study thus posited that the quantity of aromatic functional groups within outer of FA structure during composting constituted a crucial factor influencing its redox capacity. The findings offer novel insights into the transformation mechanism of FA derives from diverse biowastes and its redox characteristics, thereby providing significant guidance for the application of FA in mitigating environment pollutants.

Background: There is growing concern about climate impacts on human health. However, empirical evidence is lacking regarding future projections of heat-related asthma hospitalizations. This study aimed to project excess emergency hospitalizations for heat-related asthma exacerbation in Japan.

Methods: Using Japanese nationwide administrative data from 2011 to 2019, we conducted an ecological time-series quasi-Poisson regression analysis to estimate the heat-related relative risk of emergency hospitalization for asthma over a lag of 0-3 days during the warm season (June to September). Heat exposure was defined as the region-specific daily mean temperature exceeding the locally defined minimum morbidity temperature percentile (MMP). Heat-related excess hospitalizations for asthma were projected under future climate and demographic change scenarios based on Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs).

Results: We identified 75,829 emergency hospitalizations for asthma. The heat-related relative risk of hospitalization was 1.22 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.33) at the 99th percentile temperature relative to the MMP, with the highest estimates for cases aged 0-14 years. Heat-related excess hospitalizations were projected to increase by 6.78 (95%CI: 5.84-7.67) times in 2091-2099 versus 2011-2019 along SSP5-8.5 when constant population structure was assumed. The increasing trend persisted even when the future population decline was considered (4.19 (95%CI: 3.53-4.85) times in 2091-2099 versus 2011-2019 under SSP5-8.5).

Conclusion: Future heat-related impacts on asthma exacerbation are expected to increase in Japan toward the end of this century, even when the future demographic change is considered. Our projections will contribute to resilient health systems adapting to ongoing climate change.

Metal oxides-catalyzed peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation systems show promise in decomposing organic pollutants, whereas the critical challenges such as catalyst aggregation and metal ion leaching significantly impact the stability and reusability of catalysts and thus limit widespread application. To address these issues, an effective self-supported three-dimensional PMS activator consisted of spinel cobalt molybdate (CoMoO₄) and nickel foam (NF) (CoMoO₄/NF) is fabricated through hydrothermal and annealing processes. The cooperative redox interaction between Co and Mo metal sites in CoMoO₄/NF play a crucial role in efficiently activating PMS to degrade 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Specifically, the CoMoO₄/NF/PMS system achieves a 95% degradation rate for 4-NP within 35 min. Attributing to the unique columnar structure and strong connection between CoMoO₄ and NF, the catalyst/PMS system maintains high efficiency after five cycles. Furthermore, the system demonstrates broad applicability for degrading various organic pollutants and resistance to interference from different pH levels, inorganic anions, and humic acid. This study proposes radical/non-radical degradation pathways by identifying active species and investigates the degradation mechanism and toxicity of intermediate products for 4-NP. These findings offer valuable insights for designing and synthesizing self-supported catalysts to eliminate pollutants through PMS activation.

There is a diversity of chemicals to which humans are potentially exposed. Few of these chemicals have linked human biomonitoring data, and most have very limited neurotoxicity testing. Of particular concern are environmental exposures impacting children, who constitute a population of heightened susceptibility due to rapid neural growth and plasticity, yet lack biomonitoring data compared to other age/population subgroups. This study set out to develop a prioritized list of neuroactive substances, titled the Environmental NeuRoactIve CHemicals (ENRICH) list, to be used as a defined screening library in the evaluation of human biological samples, with emphasis on early childhood-relevant environmental exposures. In silico database mining approaches were used to prioritize chemicals based upon likelihood of neuroactivity, human exposure, and feasible detection in biological samples. Evidence of neuroactivity was compiled across in vitro high-throughput screening, animal testing, and/or human epidemiological findings. Chemicals were considered for their likelihood of human exposure and detection presence in biological samples (including metabolites), with additional evidence indicating presence within child-relevant products. The resulting list of 1827 chemicals were ranked using a Chemical Prioritization Index. Manual inclusion/exclusion criteria were employed for the top-ranking chemical candidates to ensure that chemicals were within the study's scope (i.e., environmentally relevant) and, for the purposes of biomonitoring, had properties amenable to mass spectrometry methods. These elements were combined to produce the ENRICH list of 250 top-ranking chemicals, spanning pesticides and those used in home maintenance, personal care, cleaning products, vehicles, arts and crafts, and consumer electronics, among other sources. Chemicals were additionally evaluated for high-throughput toxicokinetics to predict how much of a chemical and/or its metabolite(s) may reach urine, as an example biological matrix for practical use in biomonitoring efforts. This novel study couples databases and in silico-based predictions to prioritize chemicals in the environment with potential neurological impacts for future study.

Background: Early life exposure to single organophosphate esters (OPEs) and replacement brominated flame retardants (RBFRs) has been associated with adverse childhood respiratory outcomes, but the effects of OPE and RBFR mixtures are unknown.

Methods: 377 pregnant women were recruited to the Health Outcomes and Measures of Environment (HOME) Study from 2003 to 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio and later delivered singleton infants. We measured house dust OPEs and RBFRs prenatally at 20 weeks of gestation and postnatally at child age of 12 months and urinary OPEs prenatally at 16 and 26 weeks of gestation and at delivery and postnatally at child ages of 12 and 24 months. We performed Quantile G-computation (QG-computation) and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) to assess the association of the exposure mixtures with wheeze and hay fever by child age of 5 years and evaluate the individual exposure effects and their interactions within the mixtures.

Results: In QG-computation, a quartile increase in all urinary OPEs sampled at age 12 months was associated with 16% higher risk of wheeze (RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.35). In BKMR, mixtures of prenatal OPEs and RBFRs, urinary OPEs at 16 weeks of gestation or 12 months of age and prenatal average urinary OPEs were associated with higher risk of childhood wheeze. Mixtures of prenatal average urinary OPEs were positively associated with childhood hay fever. When other exposures were fixed at their median value, prenatal dust tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and urinary bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP) were associated with higher hay fever risk, while dust prenatal tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) was associated with lower risk.

Conclusions: These results suggest that early life exposure to OPE and RBFR mixtures may be risk factors for adverse respiratory outcomes in childhood.