Environmental science. Advances最新文献

Antibiotic resistance poses an escalating threat to global health, with environmental reservoirs being pivotal areas of concern, as well as opportunities for potential mitigation. Stormwater systems are an important type of environmental reservoir in the urban water cycle with a dearth of research related to impacts on antibiotic resistance. In particular, there has been limited research exploring the impact of diverse antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) carried by stormwater from various land uses on surface water, nor has there been an examination of the role played by green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in mitigating this impact. Therefore, this study sought to elucidate the variability of ARGs across diverse land uses and evaluate the efficacy of GSI in mitigating ARG dissemination. Five distinct stormwater samples—representing mixed, residential, urban, and GSI-treated effluents—were taken to assess variations in ARG resistomes based on land use types. The ARGs in stormwater collected from different land uses were found to be similar in composition and represent a similar level of diversity. A GSI system with a rock swale and bioretention cell connected in series, was also sampled to see how GSI impacted ARGs, and this GSI system did substantially alter the diversity of ARGs. Moreover, the bioretention cell was found to reduce ARG concentrations by 30%. This research also sought to assess the impact of all five stormwater samples on the resistome of surface water via lab-scale microcosm experiments. The urban and residential stormwater significantly (p < 0.05) altered the resistome of surface water, while the mixed-land use sample did not. This finding underscored stormwater's pivotal role in introducing distinct ARG resistome compositions into downstream waters, heightening the chances for development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The effluent stormwater from the GSI system, however, had less of an impact on the resistome of surface water in the microcosm experiments in comparison to the influent (untreated) stormwater. In managing stormwater runoff through GSI systems, this study's findings highlight the potential of GSI designs and practices to limit the dissemination of diverse and abundant ARGs, safeguard public health, and contribute to sustainable stormwater management by minimizing the impact on downstream surface waters.

As an alternative to the anthraquinone process that can be used directly on site without storage and transport, electrochemical peroxide synthesis is a promising technology to produce reagents for water remediation via Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP). The focus of research here is on anodic peroxide production, since cathodic synthesis is already at a high degree of maturity. Different materials and electrolytes have been reported for the anode reactions so far. It has also been shown that some electrolytes such as carbonate-based ones lead to the formation of secondary peroxides such as percarbonates which are well-suited as oxidants for AOP. Herein, these materials and electrolytes are evaluated under different conditions with particular focus on the actual oxidation power of the formed product mixtures.

Fog is a common atmospheric event in northern India. Frequently, dense and prolonged fog envelops the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), especially in the winter season. During winter, conducive atmospheric conditions also facilitate the accumulation of airborne particulates near the earth surface, significantly reducing atmospheric visibility in the presence of water vapour and gases. Besides, fog formation can also change the characteristics of the biological component of the air (bioaerosols). The Anderson six-stage bioaerosol cascade impactor was therefore used to collect bioaerosols during winter-specific foggy and non-foggy days to assess how fog formation affects the loading and characteristic of bioaerosols. It has been found that the concentration of bioaerosols increases during foggy days (2223 ± 553 CFU m⁻³) compared to non-foggy days (days including both before and after fog; 1478 ± 490 CFU m⁻³). Nearly, a 50% rise in the total culturable microbe concentration was noted during foggy days as compared to non-foggy days in an urban habitat over the central IGP. Approximately 46% and 55% increase in bacterial and fungal bioaerosol concentration, respectively, was found to be associated with foggy days. The size of bioaerosols also varied with the change in atmospheric conditions. During foggy days, bacterial and fungal concentration increased in the coarse size fraction (4.7–7.0 μm) compared to fine (0.65–7.0 μm) particles. The presence of bacteria such as Bacillus; Enterobacter; Cocci and fungi such as Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium were found during foggy days. The measured concentration of bioaerosols did not exhibit strong association with meteorological variables and other atmospheric co-pollutants. Health risk assessment of the exposure to bioaerosols revealed strong possibility to cause adverse human health effects in the exposed population.

In recent years, the issues pertaining to the micro-/nano-plastics (MNP) pollution in urban water have escalated due to their detrimental environmental consequences, which not only disrupt aquatic habitats and harm marine life but also serve as vectors for toxic pollutants, potentially entering the food chain and posing risks to human health. Although conventional techniques such as filtration, sedimentation, and electrocoagulation have been extensively utilized for MNP removal, ongoing concerns persist regarding their effectiveness, sustainability, and cost implications. Hence, it is imperative to critically assess the performance of conventional techniques in addressing MNP-induced pollution and to shed light on the potential of some emerging technologies as promising next-generation solutions. However, the dearth of standardized approaches and the scarcity of comprehensive data contribute to the disturbing extent of uncertainties in utilizing such techniques to address MNP pollution. Therefore, the current review theoretically emphasizes on innovative use of biochar, electrospun fibers, and aerogels as sustainable adsorbents for managing MNP pollution. Further, it offers a systematic overview elucidating the foundational understanding pertaining to the sources, fate, and transport dynamics of microplastics within the environment. Apart from this, the article explores the integration of such adsorbents into existing water treatment systems and examines the associated challenges and future perspectives in real-world applications. Thus, the contextual review provides valuable insights into designing next-generation technologies aimed at controlling MNP pollution in water systems which not only enhances the understanding of the fate and transport mechanisms of emerging MNP pollutants treatment of water to make it portable but also assists material designers in evaluating and refining existing methodologies and thereby promoting a multi-faceted and synergistic approach to combat the complex issue of MNP pollution.

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Valuing the ecosystem services provided by nature is essential for estuarine habitat conservation and restoration. Recreational fisheries rely on fish stocks that are dependent on productivity derived from the plants that comprise estuarine habitats, however the value of these habitats to recreational fishing is rarely considered. Here, we consider expenditure on recreational fishing activities as an indicator of coastal wetland habitat value, by synthesising data on routinely collected recreational effort, catch, and expenditure from telephone surveys alongside trophic subsidy models within a simple framework. The approach is demonstrated for the Clarence River and the Hunter River estuaries (New South Wales, Australia). Expenditure on recreational fishing activities was apportioned to mangrove and saltmarsh habitats via the ‘trophic subsidy’ (or nutrition) originating from primary producers in these habitats that fuels the biomass of important recreational species. The values estimated exceeded that of similarly apportioned commercial fisheries revenue, with the biggest difference observed for saltmarsh in the Clarence River (∼$17 million AUD per annum [recreational expenditure] compared to ∼$8 million AUD per annum [commercial fisheries total output]). When considered in an additive fashion and standardised by habitat extent, the values attributable to coastal wetland productivity were as high as $86 459 per hectare per annum for saltmarsh, and $20 611 per hectare per annum for mangroves. These values reflect the dependency of fisheries activities on the extent and condition of coastal wetland habitats, and the framework presented here is widely applicable for considering the economic value of these activities i.e., fishing) as an indicator of habitat value.

The stability of pharmaceutical active ingredients (APIs) and their resistance to conventional treatment methods necessitates the development of degradation methods as point-source treatment before mixing with municipal wastewater. Advanced oxidation processes utilize oxidants such as H₂O₂ or persulfate (PS) to treat organic contaminants and have shown promising results for eliminating APIs from wastewater. This research investigated the degradation of tramadol (TRA), a fully synthetic opioid, in a UVC/PS system, which was selected after evaluating thermal and simulated solar activation techniques. Different concentrations of PS were tested, and the UVC/PS system with [PS]₀ = 0.4 mM achieved complete degradation of 10 mg L⁻¹ [TRA]₀ in 6 min with k_obs of 0.90 min⁻¹ and was chosen for this study. The system was evaluated under different conditions and showed a decrease in reaction rate under acidic conditions and in the presence of bicarbonates or competing natural organic matter. Additionally, high levels of chlorides and nitrates inhibited the degradation. Building on insights from batch treatment experiments, a pilot-scale treatment plant was developed utilizing elements from commercially available UV water-disinfection kits for continuous-flow treatment of pharmaceutical industry effluent. After optimization, the system achieved full degradation of 360 L per day of 10 mg L⁻¹ [TRA]₀ at a cost of $0.296 per m³.

This paper considers elements of the dynamic process of production dispersal and monitoring of persistent organic pollutants in the environment that has unfolded over the past 100 years. The interactions between science, industry, policy making and public health have taken many different forms in different parts of the world over time. The current state of affairs of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the global environment is only partially understood and in flux because the components act in a distributed and asynchronous manner. We argue that the work under the Stockholm Convention (SC) since 2004 can be seen as synthesis of what has been done so far and a blueprint of what challenges lie ahead. The framework of UNEP, with the invaluable help of the Secretariat, has strung together over two decades a global network of scientists, indigenous groups, policy makers and other stakeholders interacting through meetings, documents and decisions, this effort has yielded an open, transparent and reliable method of work and a large repository of publicly available technical and scientific information. In this paper we consider in some detail the methods and the outcomes for screening substances of new potential concern, the methods and outcomes of monitoring trends in the context of effectiveness evaluation of the SC and the urgent need to converge in concept and quantification with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC).

In Europe the Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) for nickel in freshwaters was set in 2013 based on the best available evidence at the time. Since then, additional information about the toxicity of nickel to aquatic organisms and the effects of water chemistry conditions on nickel bioavailability have become available, and there is much more information available about the water chemistry conditions that affect nickel toxicity in freshwaters. This study has taken the updated information about nickel ecotoxicity and bioavailability and evaluates how this could potentially affect the EQS for nickel if it was to be updated. Although the sensitivity of freshwaters to nickel based on the update is very similar to the EQS on a site-specific basis, the thresholds derived are slightly lower. A broader range of water chemistry conditions can be covered by the update than are currently covered by the existing EQS. An updated standard of 2.9 μg L⁻¹ bioavailable nickel could be derived based on the UK dataset evaluated here, which is slightly lower than the existing EQS of 4 μg L⁻¹ bioavailable nickel. Consequently, a slightly higher number of potential compliance failures would be expected based on the update. A simple and practical approach toward the incorporation of local nickel background concentrations into the compliance assessment process for sites that fail the bioavailability based EQS is also proposed. Initial assessments suggest that compliance with the existing EQS could potentially result in more than 5% of species in freshwater aquatic ecosystems being affected, but that with the exception of a very small number of cases the proportion of potentially affected species would be less than 8% of species in the ecosystem. In regions where the existing EQS is not fully implemented, particularly through limited consideration of bioavailability, the adoption of the updated standard is likely to be less beneficial than focusing on better implementation of the existing EQS. However, in regions where the existing EQS has been implemented extensively for some time the updated standard offers a refinement in terms of the coverage of a higher proportion of surface waters and a slightly higher level of protection for sensitive species than the existing EQS.

This review paper, titled “Greening the waves: experimental and chemometric approaches in spectroscopic methods for organic pollutant determination in natural waters,” provides a comprehensive exploration of innovative strategies to enhance the sustainability and efficacy of water quality monitoring. The global prevalence of organic pollutants in natural waters poses significant environmental challenges, necessitating the development of analytical methods that are not only sensitive and accurate but also environmentally friendly. The concept of green analytical chemistry serves as the foundation for this review, focusing specifically on experimental and chemometric approaches within the realm of spectroscopic methods. The introductory section establishes the urgency of adopting green methodologies and outlines the limitations of conventional techniques for organic pollutant determination. Subsequently, the review delves into recent experimental innovations in spectroscopic methods, including UV-vis, FTIR, and fluorescence. These advancements not only improve the precision of detection but also align with the principles of green chemistry by minimizing resource consumption and waste generation. A significant portion of the review is dedicated to exploring the role of chemometric approaches in enhancing the reliability and interpretability of spectroscopic data. Various tools, such as multivariate analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares (PLS), are scrutinized for their ability to extract meaningful information, leading to more robust determinations of organic pollutants in natural waters. Case studies and applications are presented to illustrate successful implementations of the discussed experimental and chemometric approaches in real-world scenarios. These examples showcase the versatility and adaptability of the proposed methods across diverse environmental settings, providing tangible evidence of their efficacy in water quality monitoring. The review concludes with a forward-looking perspective, discussing ongoing research directions, emerging trends, and potential challenges in the field. The integration of artificial intelligence and big data into chemometric analyses is highlighted as a promising avenue for future development, emphasizing the role of these technologies in shaping the landscape of sustainable water quality analysis. Thus, “Greening the Waves” aims to consolidate knowledge on experimental and chemometric strategies in spectroscopic methods, offering a roadmap for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to adopt more environmentally conscious approaches in the critical task of organic pollutant determination in natural waters.