Environmental Science and Pollution Research最新文献

In the Anthropocene, coastal ecosystems are rapidly changing to improve global ecosystem services. These changes lead to significant disruption of ecosystem functions and subsequent loss of ecosystem productivity. Remote sensing tools such as NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) is a widely accepted as a standard tool for monitoring vegetation health in terrestrial ecosystems; however, its application in predicting habitat disturbances in intertidal mudflats remains limited. In the present study, LISS III satellite imagery (2008-2019) was used to extract NDVI data for classifying intertidal areas along the Gujarat coast based on degree of disturbances (stable, moderately stable, and unstable). NDVI anomaly and aggregation index were further applied to infer sediment stability at each site. It was observed that lower NDVI and negative anomaly values were associated with reduced sediment stability, particularly at the disturbed site. Later, this site-wise habitat disturbance was further validated with the vertical distribution pattern of benthic macroinvertebrates as they play crucial role in benthic ecosystem functioning. Polychaetes as the most dominant macrobenthic group exhibited a clear vertical niche shift into deeper sediment strata under disturbed conditions. Hence, the study establishes NDVI as a potential tool to monitor habitat stability as well disturbances and identify respective ecological responses which can ultimately provide a scalable framework for coastal management and policy applications.

Environmental pollution is a growing concern. Here, we assessed the occurrence of two groups of persistent organic pollutants (POPs-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and microplastics (MPs)) and bacterial populations in the topsoil of three tourist spots located at the Alqueva's edges during 1 year, once per season. Soil chemical analysis revealed low content of total organic carbon, pH close to neutrality, and nitrogen and phosphorus levels consistent with acquisition of these nutrients only by atmospheric deposition. PAH's concentrations were in the range of ng/kg, being significantly below the "reference values" for contaminated soils. Nevertheless, potentially carcinogenic PAHs, detected at all locations, raise ecotoxicological concerns. Polyamide, polyester, polystyrene, and styrene acrylonitrile resin MPs were found. Six bacterial phyla constitute the core microbiome in the three locations and include genera of bacteria reported as plastic degraders, such as Bacillus, Exiguobacterium, Paenibacillus, and Pseudomonas. The presence of POPs, even at low levels, in the soil at the edges of a water reservoir should be monitored. The identification of bacteria reported as plastic degraders in the soil, and previously in the water, is promising, and their ability to spontaneously ensure the detoxification of the ecosystem should be further investigated.

The leather industry generates substantial solid waste, with shaving and buffing dust comprising approximately 20% of total tannery residues. Improper disposal of this protein-rich chromium-containing waste leads to significant environmental pollution. The feasibility of incorporating leather shaving and buffing dust, combined with rice husk ash (RHA) and river sand, into non-fired bricks, aiming to convert waste into sustainable construction materials, was investigated. Bricks were fabricated by partially replacing clay (0-20 wt%) with a mixture of leather dust and RHA in varying proportions, with and without cement, and were cured for 7, 14, and 28 days. Comprehensive characterization, including FT-IR, XRD, WD-XRF, TGA/DTG, XPS, and leaching tests, was conducted to evaluate physicochemical, mechanical, and environmental performance. The presence of chromium predominantly in the stable trivalent state (Cr³⁺) and its effective encapsulation within the brick matrix was confirmed by XPS analysis. The optimal composition, containing 10% leather dust and RHA with Gazipur Clay and 15% cement, achieved a compressive strength of 20.03 MPa at 28 days, meeting ASTM and BDS standards. Chromium leaching remained well below permissible limits, indicating effective immobilization. A time-dependent increase in chromium leaching was observed (0.1562 ppm at 7 days to 0.40195 ppm at 28 days), reflecting a diffusion-controlled release, yet remained well below permissible limits, demonstrating effective immobilization. Circular economic principles are supported by this approach by transforming hazardous waste into value-added construction materials. The findings suggest significant potential for industrial-scale application of leather waste-based bricks, contributing to sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly building material production.

The borehole salt mine "Łężkowice" extracted salt from 1968 to 1992 from the heavily tectonically disturbed deposit is of Miocene age. Quaternary aquifer overlies the salt deposit. Despite the decommissioning of the mine and the backfilling of goafs, infiltrating rainwater leaches salt and migrates into Quaternary waters, which flow towards the Raba River and result in its local contamination. Surveys conducted in 2010, 2017 and 2024 show no reduction in the intensity of this process. Despite the passage of over 30 years since the decommissioning of the mine and the convergence of backfilled solution chambers, followed by land subsidence, water from the surface continues to infiltrate into the deposit. As a result, Quaternary waters contain 28 to over 10,000 mg/dm³ of chlorides and river water 17-34 mg/dm³. Changes in chloride concentrations at individual points and their spatial distribution are random in nature but coincide with broader directional trends related to the flow of groundwater towards the Raba River. This indicates the need for further monitoring studies until the environmental effects of the solution mining extraction cease.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmental pollutants linked to neurological impairments by mechanisms involving the gut microbiome. This study examines the effects of maternal exposure to a PCB mixture on the gut microbiome of post-weaning mouse dams. Female C57BL/6 J mice were exposed daily to PCBs at different doses (0, 0.1, 1, or 6 mg/kg body weight/day) before mating, and throughout gestation and lactation. Post-weaning intestinal contents from dams were analyzed to assess microbiome abundance and quantify PCBs and their metabolites. PCB exposure affected the composition of microbial taxa, though not significantly. However, topic modeling analysis identified a distinct microbial community that was significantly more prevalent in the control group compared to post-weaning mouse dams exposed to the MARBLES mixture at medium and high doses. Complex PCBs and metabolite mixtures were detected in the intestinal contents. Certain PCBs and their metabolites were associated with changes in bacterial abundance, as determined by network analysis. These findings show that individual PCBs and their metabolites can affect gut microbial communities, potentially contributing to neurological impairments in mice exposed to PCBs during gestation and lactation.

Asphalt is a viscous liquid derived from the distillation of crude oil. It is mainly used on road pavements and roof patching. To recycle waste tires and improve the performance of asphalt, researchers have incorporated components in waste tire-polymers into asphalt mixtures and applied them on road pavement. To understand the modification effect in molecular details, different polymers were mixed with model asphalt and the major physical and mechanical properties of the polymer modified asphalt systems were predicted and compared to the original asphalt using molecular dynamics simulation methods. In total, four kinds of common polymers were selected as additives, including polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), to mix with the model asphalt. Different asphalt systems were set up and modelled over the temperature range from the room temperature to the hot-mix asphalt temperature using all-atom LAMMPS molecular dynamic simulations. The density, diffusion coefficients of components, radial distribution function, thermal conductivity, correlation function, and viscosity of different asphalt systems were predicted, besides the radius of gyration of polymer in both the pure systems and in asphalt systems. It was found that the diffusion coefficients of components in different asphalt systems had a similar dependence on temperature, and the packing of asphalt molecules was modified by the polymer. The addition of PS, SBS or SBR increases the density of asphalt binder, while PE lowers it. The thermal conductivity of the asphalt binder system decreased upon incorporation of a polymer. These results can help to understand both the modification effects of different polymers on asphalt and the structure and properties of polymers in different media, which can help to design the optimum strategy to recycle waste tires on asphalt road pavements.

As an immediate countermeasure against cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic systems, on-site pulverization of cyanobacterial slurry may stimulate trophic transfer by enhancing the utilization of cyanobacteria by zooplankton. We verified the efficiency and effects of pulverizing cyanobacteria using an impinging jet device in a river connected to Lake Taihu, China. Colonies of Microcystis (mainly M. aeruginosa), ranging in size from 100 to 2000 μm in the surface scums, were dispersed into single cells smaller than 10 μm by the treatment, which consequently reduced Microcystis cell density at the surface of the treated site. Nevertheless, intact cells were often observed, suggesting that the dissociated cells retained their vesicles/vacuoles and buoyancy, which are typically damaged by other techniques (e.g., ultrasound, hydraulic cavitation). Microcystins in the ambient water did not increase after the treatment, which also indicates that the cell damage and subsequent release of toxins were limited. A laboratory experiment using dispersed Microcystis cells revealed that their edibility increased for bottom-dwelling Ostracoda, whereas it decreased for the completely planktonic Daphnia magna, probably because the cells were damaged and deposited in the experiment using ultrasound. These results suggest that the impinging jet can pulverize cyanobacteria with minimal cell damage and increase their edibility for zooplankton, particularly when the cells are retained in the water column.

Reduced graphene oxide and iron nanoparticles were prepared through a one-pot green route with eucalyptus leaf extract as a reducing agent and immobilized into chitosan beads (m-rGO@CS). In this study, the adsorption performance of these m-rGO@CS beads towards anthracene (ANT) and fluoranthene (FLT) was assessed through adsorption equilibrium, adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic analyses. An adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g/L and pH 8 was determined as the best operating conditions through a full-factorial design. The adsorption kinetic data of the contaminants were well-described by the pseudo-second-order model and indicated that the process might involve film and intraparticle diffusions as the main controlling steps. The equilibrium time for ANT and FLT adsorption was 360 and 1320 min, respectively. The Sips isothermal model best fitted the equilibrium data. The maximum removal capacity towards ANT and FLT was 16.97 and 12.19 mg/g, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the ANT and FLT adsorption processes are spontaneous and exothermic. The regeneration tests indicated that the material presented a decrease of 2% and 8% in the adsorption capacity of ANT and FLT, respectively, after three adsorption-desorption cycles.

Communities are facing extreme pressure to provide safe water to the fast-growing population, especially in urban regions. Wastewater is a valuable resource which must be used to curb water shortage; otherwise, it would become a lost opportunity. However, the implementation of an effective water reuse scheme faces many techno-economic and social challenges, stressing the need for an integrated approach. This study presents a decision support framework for implementing water reuse in India by synthesizing and evaluating treatment trains for various applications. Compared to previous DSS (Decision Support System) techniques, the study integrates lifecycle cost and performance estimation using MCDM (Multi-Criteria Decision Making) technique and formulates treatment train synthesis to the Indian context. A total of 40 treatment trains have been generated for reuse in agriculture, horticulture, toilet flushing/vehicle washing, environmental, recreational, surface, and groundwater recharge. It can be observed that for agricultural reuse, the optimum treatment train is based on extended aeration followed by the tertiary process with an annual lifecycle cost of USD 3.1 billion (B)/m³/day of wastewater treatment capacity and moderate performance. The results indicate that the treatment requirement and associated life cycle costs vary with the type of reuse application. The evaluation of performance reliability and cost assessment further provides robustness to the developed approach.

Surrogate broodstock development offers a practical route to reproduce species that resist captive breeding, shorten generation time, and conserve valuable genetic resources. We review current methods for isolation and enrichment of primordial germ cells and gonial cells, recipient sterilization options, transplantation routes and stages, cryopreservation practices, and the role of genome editing to create optimized hosts. Evidence from salmonids, cyprinids, and marine teleosts shows that donor germ cells retain genetic identity while the recipient gonadal environment determines gamete type, but recipient germline status, donor cell dose, and phylogenetic distance jointly set the proportion of donor-derived progeny. Sterile recipients such as triploids or dead-end knockouts produce near-exclusive donor output, whereas fertile recipients yield mixed cohorts unless donor dominance is enforced by high cell dose or host ablation. Practical applications span restoration of endangered stocks, rapid dissemination of elite germplasm, reduced broodstock cost, and accelerated trait validation through edited germline cells. Remaining challenges include variable colonization efficiency in distant xenotransplants, cryo viability for oogonia, regulatory and ethical constraints, and the need for routine parentage verification and welfare safeguards. We conclude with recommended best practice elements for applied programs and priorities for research to broaden species coverage, improve efficiency, and ensure responsible deployment of surrogate broodstock for conservation and commercial aquaculture.