Environmental Chemistry Letters最新文献

Microplastics have multidimensional traits, as compared to other emerging contaminants, presenting a concern to terrestrial, aquatic life and humans through inhalation or ingestion. Hazardous chemicals adsorbed on microplastics could potentially be transferred to the environment or consumed by living organisms. We review the transformation of plastic waste in the environment, the origin and transportation of microplastics, the regulatory measures for plastic and microplastic pollution, and the fate of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants. Plastic debris is building up in the environment despite legislative attempts by many countries. Accumulated plastic waste from a range of sources breaks down into smaller fragments and microplastics through chemical, physiochemical and biodegradation mechanisms. This review also discusses personal protective equipment in relation to COVID-19 as a source of microplastics. Millions of microplastics are discharged into the environment through effluents and biosolids. Daily microplastic emissions to the environment from effluent range about 0.46 million to 140 billion. Previous studies had only explored the existence of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, with limited visualization of how microplastics interact with the various treatment technologies used in wastewater treatment plants.

Rainfall and land-use interactions drive temporal shifts in suspended sediment sources, yet the magnitude of such changes remains poorly understood due to the lack of land-use specific source tracers. We investigated α,ω-dicarboxylic fatty acid root-specific biomarkers, as diagnostic tracers for apportioning sources of time-integrated suspended sediment samples collected from a grassland dominated agricultural catchment in the southwest of England during the wet winter period. Applying fatty acids-specific stable carbon isotope analysis and a Bayesian isotope mixing model, we show that stream banks contributed most of the sediment in the early winter, i.e. October–December, while winter cereal-dominated arable land contributed more than half of the sediment during the late winter, i.e. January–March. The dominant sediment source shifted in conjunction with a period of prolonged consecutive rainfall days in the later period suggesting that intervention required to mitigate soil erosion and sediment delivery should adapt to changing rainfall patterns. Our novel findings demonstrate that isotopic signatures of α,ω-dicarboxylic fatty acids are promising tracers for understanding the resistance of agricultural soils to water erosion and quantifying the interactive effects of extreme rainfall and land use on catchment sediment source dynamics.

Human exposure to environmental arsenic induces cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmias, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. Here, we review the toxicological and cardiovascular impacts of arsenic in in vitro cardiac and vascular models. The mechanism of arsenic-induced cardiovascular impairments includes oxidative stress, epigenetic modifications, chromatin instability, subcellular damage, and premature aging. The different types of cardiac and vascular cells exhibit distinct responses to arsenic exposure. Arsenic causes arrhythmias, which involve alteration of cardiomyocyte potassium channels and, in turn, repolarization issues. This is mainly due to redox signals that cause epigenetic modifications of potassium channels. On the other hand, vascular lesions, such as damage to blood vessels, occur mainly due to an imbalance in redox levels. This imbalance leads to premature senescence of cells and stop the cell cycle. Furthermore, intracellular accumulation of calcium and ferrous ions plays a major role in arsenic-induced vascular cell apoptosis and cardiomyocyte ferroptosis, respectively.

Algae play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems, contributing to oxygen production and serving as a foundational component of the food chain. Environment stress and contamination can lead to harmful algal blooms, depleting oxygen levels and creating dead zones in water bodies. When exposed to contaminants such as industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, heavy metals, and synthetic nano/microparticles, algae can exhibit adverse responses, disrupting the balance of aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, environmental issues related to ecotoxicology responses of algae include the disruption of biodiversity and the loss of crucial habitats, which can lead to health issues. We reviewed the response of algae exposed to contaminants in the aquatic environments, including ecotoxicology and environmental stresses. The major points are: (1) The accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food chains and ecosystems and their uptake is widely revealed as a major concern for environmental health and human beings. (2) Bisphenol A can negatively impact algae by inhibiting biochemical and physiological processes, in which half maximal effective concentration varies from 1.0 mg L^-1 to 100 mg L^-1. (3) Though the level of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment is generally low, ranging from ng L^-1 to mg L^-1, the combined contaminant exposure leads to significantly more significant toxic effects than individual compounds. (4) An exposure level of 1000ng L is unsafe for the ecosystems, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances could lead to algal growth inhibition, e.g., damage to the photosynthetic, inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid replication, and reactive oxygen species metabolism. (5) The ecotoxicity of chemicals to algae is influenced by chemical, biological, and physical factors, creating complex effects at the biological community level. (6) This research indicated the importance of the ecotoxicology response of algae to contaminants, emphasizing the necessity for monitoring and strategic interventions to protect the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.

Building construction requires important amounts of freshwater, thus depleting the already stressed natural water resources. This issue could be addressed by using recycled water in construction and in building systems. However, integrating greywater recycling systems is limited by complexity, costs, vulnerability to environmental fluctuations, and coordination of policymakers, developers, and construction practitioners. Here, we review recycled water systems in buildings with focus on case studies of successful implementations, policies, recycled water treatment in buildings, and health aspects. Compared to conventional tap water, the incorporation of recycled water enhances the consistency and workability of reclaimed water concrete by 12–14%, and it increases concrete viscosity by 11% and yield stress by 25%. We discuss the intricacies of building water recycling systems, with emphasizing on conserving water, mitigating environmental impact, and enhancing economic efficiency. Challenges include water quality assurance, dual piping infrastructure, and regulatory compliance. Government interventions, including incentives, mandates, and subsidy policies, emerge as drivers for widespread adoption. Technological advancements, such as membrane filtration and advanced oxidation processes, are examined for strengths and limitations.

Green chemistry aims at replacing toxic solvents by safer solvents such as supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂), which displays zero surface tension, outstanding transport properties, high diffusivity, and tuned solubilization by changing the pressure and temperature, or adding cosolvents. Nonetheless, the practical application of scCO₂-based technologies under supercritical conditions requires sophisticated systems for optimal operation. Here, we review scCO₂-based systems with focus on dyeing, extraction, chromatographic, and cleaning systems. All scCO₂-based systems consist of a CO₂ supply and pump part, a cosolvent providing part, and a parameters controlling part, yet there are different reaction vessels depending on solute types and practical functions. Developing more normalized, intelligentized, and durable scCO₂-based systems should render the scCO₂-based technologies be more economic, controllable, flexible, and suitable for wider applications.

Indoor pollution is a major health issue. In particular, urea pollution is drawing significant attention. Herein, we designed functional wooden window with the unique ability to photocatalytically degrade indoor pollutants, specifically urea. The transparent wooden window has been prepared via one-pot hydrothermal polymerization on a chemical-treated wood in order to incorporate resorcinol–formaldehyde. A hybrid wood denoted as resorcinol–formaldehyde-wood composite capable of photocatalytically degrading urea has been obtained. Mechanism study shows that the urea is degraded on composite interface via the as-formed hydroxyl radicals (·OH) generated from hydrogen peroxide. Further employing a large-scale (150 mm × 200 mm) resorcinol–formaldehyde-wood window for control of toilet urea pollution, a 100% urea removal efficiency was achieved in less than one hour.

Abstract

Sensitizers are used to prepare photosensitive materials for ink-printing and thermal-recording media. Typical sensitizers contain an aromatic ring and exhibit aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated activity. They can accumulate in aquatic biota, leading to the disruption of ecosystems. Effluent from paper recycling plants has been identified as a source of contamination, and the presence of sensitizers in toilet paper may represent a new source of contamination in aquatic environments. To examine possible sources of contamination by sensitizers, this study investigated the levels of sensitizers in recycled toilet paper. We also studied the prevalence of sensitizers in rivers receiving effluents from sewage treatment plants in Japan, from 2020 to 2022. We detected eight sensitizers and related compounds in both toilet paper and river water samples; their total concentrations ranged from 0.78 to 34 µg/g (mean: 12 µg/g) in toilet paper and 58–1167 µg/L (median: 77 µg/L) in water. In the water samples, sensitizers were partitioned between liquid and suspended solid phases, and in suspended solids, sensitizers accounted for an average of 42% of the total. Correlation analysis showed a high correlation between sensitizer composition in the water from a river receiving sewage treatment plant effluents and toilet paper. Since these compounds were also detected in the river water analyzed in this study, toilet paper should be considered a novel source of sensitizers contamination in sewage treatment systems.

The rising food waste generation induces major issues of food security, pollution, and depletion of resources and arable land, thus calling for novel recycling practices such as converting food waste into fuels. Here we review the production of dihydrogen, thereafter named ‘hydrogen,’ and biodiesel from food waste, with focus on food waste composition and hydrolysis, hydrogen production and biodiesel production. Hydrogen production is done by dark fermentation and photofermentation. Biodiesel is produced by production of lipid-rich biomass using food waste and transesterification. We discuss lipids accumulation in oleaginous microorganisms and in black soldier fly larvae. Upscaling of hydrogen and biodiesel production is also presented. Optimal hydrogen yield ranges from 1 to 7 mol H₂/mol hexose. After fermentation, the residual glucose should be less than 10% and volatile fatty acids should be less than 40%. Biomass lipids containing less than 1% polyunsaturated fatty acids is ideal for biodiesel production.