Current Pollution Reports最新文献

Purpose of Review

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the technological developments in polarized laser single particle measurement technology (PLSMT), as well as the results and findings obtained by PLSMT in field observations and laboratory studies. This overview of the measurement methods, theoretical simulations, and data mining emphasizes the importance of exploring future prospects for the application of PLSMT in atmospheric research.

Recent Findings

In recent years, the advancement of theoretical simulation methods and instrument measurement techniques has led to the application of PLSMT in the study of dust aerosols, anthropogenic pollution aerosols, atmospheric ice crystals, and bioaerosols. Moreover, researchers have achieved promising results in areas such as air quality modeling and forecasting, large-scale dust transport processes, cloud microphysical processes, and fine aerosol identification using observation data obtained from PLSMT. PLSMT enhances our understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols.

Summary

Atmospheric aerosols play a crucial role in various physical and chemical processes, and their properties are influenced by their morphology and chemical composition. The optical scattering method is a classical approach for determining the size of atmospheric aerosols, and the morphology of particulate matter can be determined based on the polarization distribution of backscattered light (90–180°). PLSMT, which was developed based on the optical scattering method, is an efficient in situ detection technique for determining the particle size and mixing state of aerosols.

Purpose of Review

Antibiotic resistance has become a significant challenge around the world, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have also been recognized as emerging pollutants because of their wide distribution and adverse impacts on human health. Several approaches have been proposed to alleviate ARGs. However, limited knowledge exists on the summary of various strategies and their differences. To resolve these issues, we reviewed the elimination effects of ARGs in different ways and clarified the main molecular mechanisms.

Recent Findings

ARGs resistant to tetracyclines (tet) and sulfonamides (sul) have been found in many locations. In addition, various environmental factors, such as temperature, pH, and salinity may influence the removal of ARGs. Various traditional, emerging, and combined approaches have been used to eliminate ARGs, mainly associated with DNA damage, decrease in reactive oxygen species levels, and downregulated expression of ARGs-related function genes.

Summary

Collectively, this review systematically summarizes the environmental factors and strategies for ARGs removal. A comparison among these methods is made with a focus on performance and efficiency. Furthermore, we elucidate the main molecular mechanisms to eliminate ARGs. Ultimately, in terms of current studies, several advisable suggestions are proposed for further work.

Graphical Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review aims to critically assess contemporary challenges and prospective avenues in the sustainable handling and management of organic waste (OW), elucidating its environmental ramifications and exploring techno-economic perspectives. Reviewing current knowledge is synthesized to provide insights that will help develop innovative strategies and policies. These strategies and policies foster a holistic approach to mitigating the environmental impacts associated with OW while also addressing economic issues.

Recent Findings

The imperative of integrating advanced technologies and holistic environmental considerations into OW management is underscored by recent findings. Environmental footprints can be minimized through innovations such as decentralized processing systems. Further, understanding techno-economic dynamics reveals the potential for sustainable practices, indicating a shift towards circular economies. By integrating environmental and economic aspects of OW management, we can enhance waste management strategies.

Summary

The focus of this review is the significance of OW generation and management, including agricultural, municipal, and green sources, as well as microbial treatment platforms as a critical factor. The report discusses the benefits of anaerobic digestion and composting in OW treatment and the advantages of biotransformation in sustainable waste management through biofuel and biofertilizer (BioF) production. To maximize OW potential as a valuable resource for sustainable development, the review integrates environmental concerns with techno-economic perspectives. To unlock the full potential of OW as a valuable resource in sustainable development, this review addresses barriers. It advances future directions in OW handling and management by integrating environmental considerations with techno-economic perspectives.

Graphical Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the atmosphere, with an average lifetime of 1 week to several weeks. They originate from various sources, including direct emissions from industrial activities, fragmentation of larger plastic debris, and transport from terrestrial and aquatic environments. Atmospheric MPs (AMPs) have been reported to play vital impacts on human health, climate forcing, and air quality. It could absorb and release harmful chemicals, potentially affecting human health through ingestion or inhalation. Additionally, it could contribute to the absorption and scattering of solar radiation, potentially altering the Earth’s radiation balance. However, there is great uncertainty about their health and climate effects, mainly due to MPs undergoing complex physical, chemical, or biological aging in the atmosphere, which results in great changes in their chemical composition and morphonology. Therefore, the transformation mechanisms of AMPs are still poorly understood, hampering our ability to model responses to changes in AMPs.

This review summarizes the current knowledge on AMPs, focusing on their sources, characteristics, and detection methods. The variety of the detection techniques used to measure and characterize the AMPs present in literature makes it complex to compare the results. In addition, previous studies were mainly focused on fiber plastics in atmospheric deposition samples, whereas only few studies have been found in the literature about the identification of other types of plastics. We highlight the challenges associated with assessing the distribution, abundance, and composition of AMPs and discuss the need for standardized sampling and analytical protocols.

Purpose of Review

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is a complex mixture of various toxic constituents. Compared with abundance of studies on PM_2.5 total mass, limited evidence is available on the health effects of PM_2.5 constituents on human health outcomes. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent publications over five years on the short-term and long-term health effects of PM_2.5 constituents on human mortality, morbidity, and subclinical biomarkers.

Recent Findings

PM_2.5 constituents mainly include organic carbon (OC), black carbon (BC), sulfate (SO₄²⁻), nitrate (NO₃⁻), ammonia (NH₄⁺), and heavy metals, all of which were significantly associated with various mortality and morbidity. Exposure to BC, OC, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and NH₄⁺ mainly affected mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases and might influence subclinical markers such as blood pressure and serum cytokines. NO₃⁻, OC, and BC were reported to be associated with increased risk of diabetes, cancer, and infant mortality.

Summary

This review systematically summarized the study evidence on the effects of the constituents of PM_2.5 on population health in recent years. BC, OC, soil dust, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and NH₄⁺ were significantly associated with multisystem health outcomes. We found that the majority of studies were investigating the short-term effects, and mainly focusing on mortality and morbidity endpoints, while there were relatively few literatures on subclinical indicators and other endpoints like adverse birth outcomes. Future studies should be supplemented in this area.

Purpose of Review

The air quality in Taiwan is significantly impacted by ambient ozone (O₃) pollution, which poses a challenge in terms of control due to the involvement of precursors and influencing factors in its photochemical process. This review investigates the measures that have been implemented in Taiwan over the past two decades to address this issue and evaluate their effectiveness in reducing O₃ concentrations. Furthermore, it highlights relevant studies that have employed advanced methods to examine the O₃ problem.

Recent Findings

Comprehending the complex formation of O₃ and its driving factors is crucial in efficiently managing O₃ pollution. Nevertheless, accurately quantifying the impacts of these factors can be challenging due to their interconnections. To bridge this gap in knowledge, conducting a robust causality analysis becomes imperative to accurately quantify the causal influence of major factors. Furthermore, eliminating seasonal variations can improve the precision and accuracy of trend analyses concerning long-term changes in O₃ concentrations. Deep learning, in particular, holds significant advantages in predicting O₃ concentrations as it can capture non-linear and long-term memory characteristics effectively.

Summary

In summary, attaining acceptable O₃ levels in Taiwan is challenging due to its geographical location, which makes it susceptible to air pollution from both local sources as well as distant upwind areas. The utilization of advanced methods is essential for comprehensively studying the evolution of O₃ and formulating effective mitigation measures. While there is a necessity to develop new analytical methods, implementing existing robust methodologies can also provide valuable insights into the dynamics and impacts of O₃. By leveraging these approaches, we can enhance our comprehension of O₃ pollution in Taiwan and develop effective strategies to mitigate its harmful effects on air quality.

Purpose of Review

Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) have attracted considerable interest in multiple industries because of their distinct properties and wide range of potential applications. However, concerns regarding their potential adverse health effects have prompted extensive research efforts to understand their toxicity and develop appropriate safety guidelines.

Recent Findings

Recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to NiO NPs can induce harm in a variety of animal models, plants, ecological systems, and in vitro cell models. Research on the mechanism of signaling pathways implicated in respiratory system toxicity and hepatotoxicity has shown that NiO NPs can lead to organ damage by triggering downstream signaling through the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/Smad, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K/AKT), and hedgehog signaling pathways. High-throughput RNA sequencing has been used in toxicity studies to detect important changes in the transcriptome at the mRNA and pathway levels. Additionally, NiO NPs have been found to cause NiO NPs induce neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, and ecotoxicity in plants and earthworms, potentially through mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammatory factors.

Summary

This review provides a comprehensive summary of current research progress on the health effects of NiO NPs, focusing on their application, routes of exposure, and potential toxicity mechanisms. The study also evaluates evidence on the impact of NiO NPs on organ systems, including the respiratory, liver, nervous, genotoxic, reproductive and developmental effects. Lastly, the review suggests further research directions to improve understanding of the toxic effects and mechanisms of NiO NPs for safer application.

Purpose of Review

This review examines recent publications on rare earth elements (REE) in soils, critically evaluating their role as emerging soil contaminants. We emphasized new findings and main gaps using a previous review paper published in 2016 by our research group as a reference point. Three major subjects were prioritized: (1) sources, background levels, and behavior of REE in soils; (2) plant development and metabolism as affected by REE exposure; and (3) environmental and human health risk assessments of REE in the soil environment.

Recent Findings

Publications addressing the occurrence and fate of REE in the soil environment have more than tripled in the last decade. Coincidentally, global REE exploration has more than doubled in the past 7 years. Because of their unique features, the global demand for REE is expected to increase by at least 50% in the next 10 years. As soils are the main sink of contaminants, we must continue to investigate the consequences of the unceasing addition of these elements in soil ecosystems.

Summary

We highlighted the main sources of REE, their background levels in selected global soils, and their physicochemical behavior. The relationship between REE and plants revealed potential benefits such as environmental stress tolerance. Finally, ecological and human health risk assessment data for REE in soils were carefully discussed in terms of their potential adverse effects on biota. We conclude with a survey in which prominent authors working with REE answered questions about challenges and opportunities for innovative research on REE in soil-plant-animal/human systems.

Graphical Abstract