Journal of hazardous materials letters最新文献

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been found in toilet paper in Europe, the United States, and Africa; however, their presence in Chinese household paper has not been investigated. In this study, 21 legacy and 30 emerging PFASs were analyzed in tissue and toilet paper from China, including 48 samples of different origins and materials. Median concentrations of chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonates (Cl-PFESAs), hexafluoropropylene oxide homologs (HFPOs), and p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzenesulfonate (OBS) were 0.32, 0.19, and 0.10 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. The detection frequencies (DFs) of Cl-PFESAs and OBS both were greater than 96%, followed by hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TrA, DF: 85%). Notably, the level of HFPO-TrA in one sample was as high as 540 ng/g dw, indicating a potential environmental risk to humans. In addition, the concentrations of Cl-PFESAs in toilet paper were significantly higher than that in tissue (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the concentrations of PFASs in tissue and toilet paper from different materials and origins. This suggests that PFASs, particularly emerging PFASs, are widely detected in tissue and toilet paper products across China, and their presence is a potential source of landfill contamination and human exposure.

Objectives

This study addresses the critical issue of Cd contamination in agricultural soils, posing substantial risks to crop productivity and food safety. While prior pot experiment has undertook this issue on a small scale, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy of selected best soil amendments, at a large-scale field experiment.

Methodology

Press mud and humic acid were applied at 0.5%, while gypsum and Fe₂O₃ were applied at 5 mg/kg alone and with foliar application of Fe nanoparticles at 5 mg/L.

Analysis

Comparative analysis with control revealed the immobilization efficiency of all amendments in descending order of effectiveness as follows: 100, 102, 104, 104, 105, 102, 105, and 105% for PM, HA, GYP, Fe, PM + Fe Nps, HA + Fe Nps, GYP + Fe Nps, and Fe + Fe Nps. Additionally, reduced growth, photosynthetic activities, and elevated levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide, indicative of oxidative damage in control plant.

Findings

Application of these amendments with foliar spraying of Fe Nps effectively mitigates Cd toxicity in maize crops, leading to improved growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant enzyme activities.

Novelty/Improvement

These findings highlight the significance of exploring innovative approach of combining different amendments with foliar application of nanoparticles to mitigate Cd contamination and enhance soil health, thereby contributing to global efforts in ensuring food safety and security.

Bioremediation is a promising approach for mitigating commingled contaminations of chlorinated ethenes (CEs) and 1,4-dioxane (DX). However, aerobic bioremediation to simultaneously remove CEs and DX remains challenging. This study aimed to explore the ability of Pseudonocardia sp. D17 (D17) to aerobically degrade CEs and its applicability for concurrent removal of CEs and DX. Aerobic degradation experiments of individual CEs revealed that D17 could degrade trichloroethene (TCE), three isomers of dichloroethene (DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC), and the trend of its degradation ability was cis-1,2-DCE (cDCE) > VC > TCE > trans-1,2-DCE > 1,1-DCE. Notably, the CE-degrading activity of D17 was expressed even without any auxiliary substrates. Further, when TCE, cDCE, or VC was co-present with DX (each at 1 mg/L), D17 could degrade both compounds without any significant inhibition (for TCE and cDCE) or with only a transient and reversible suspension of its DX degradation ability (for VC). These findings indicated that D17 is a promising agent for the aerobic bioremediation of CEs and DX co-contamination and provide novel insights into the future development of efficient aerobic bioremediation strategies.

Arsenic is a trace element and a metalloid which is prominently known as an environmental hazard. At present, rising health apprehensions are linked to emanating from a wide array of industrial, chemical, residential, agricultural, and technological sources, leading to extensive pollution of water, soil, and air ecosystems including flora, fauna and humans. It poses significant harm to biological organisms upon acute and chronic exposure. In this review, we delve into the reported experimental data that elaborates on arsenic as a toxicant, with particular emphasis on its occurrence, metabolism and diverse molecular mechanisms involved. It also includes the major molecular mechanisms leading to systemic toxicity with special emphasis on shedding light on the intricate ways it disrupts the nervous system.

Nanomaterials (NMs) have revolutionized food packaging by offering unique properties such as enhanced barrier functions, antimicrobial activity, and prolonged shelf life. However, concerns over the potential adverse effects of these materials on human health and the environment have prompted extensive research. This review explores the toxicological implications of NMs used in food packaging, focusing on their migration mechanisms, interactions with biological systems, and environmental impact. NMs, due to their small size and high surface area-to-volume ratio, can migrate from packaging materials into food under various conditions, potentially leading to human exposure through ingestion. Studies have highlighted the ability of certain NMs, such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs), and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), to induce oxidative stress, inflammation, genotoxicity, and cellular dysfunction in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the environmental release of NMs during manufacturing, use, and disposal stages poses risks to ecosystems and human health. This review synthesizes current knowledge, identifies research gaps, and discusses regulatory challenges associated with the safe use of NMs in food packaging. Future research directions are proposed to enhance the understanding of NM toxicity, improve risk assessment methodologies, and develop sustainable packaging alternatives. By addressing these issues, stakeholders can effectively manage the risks while harnessing the benefits of nanotechnology in food packaging innovation.

Plastic waste accumulation is a significant environmental concern as it promotes microbial growth and acts as a carrier for heavy metals. This study focuses on a Bacillus sp. strain isolated from the surface of a used plastic bottle, tolerant to various potential toxic elements (PTEs) such as chromium, nickel, cobalt, copper, zinc, arsenite [As(III)], but sensitive to uranium (U) and arsenate [As(V)] toxicity. The strain demonstrates growth under different abiotic stress conditions, with the optimal pH range of 5.0–8.0 and a temperature of 30 °C. It shows remarkable removal capabilities, removing > 23.3% of U, > 38% of As(III)), and > 22.6% of As(V) from an initial dose of 100 mg L⁻¹ in an aqueous solution. The biosorption capacity for U, As(III), and As(V) is 3.12, 3.1, and 1.8 mg g⁻¹ of biomass, respectively. Kinetic modelling suggests that the biosorption of U and As(V) follows a pseudo-second-order mechanism, while As(III) biosorption follows a pseudo-first-order mechanism. Moreover, the strain has the ability to precipitate > 38.1% and ∼67% of U using bacterially released phosphate from inorganic and organic sources, respectively. These findings highlight the strain's potential for bioremediation of PTE-contaminated environments, providing valuable insights for optimizing metal removal and immobilization processes in future research.

Water pollution is a major challenge in the industrial era that gained the attention of researchers, especially for dye wastewater. Membrane technology is applied to address this issue due to its efficient and effective process. MIL-100(Cr) is a metal-organic framework that becomes an interesting material in membrane technology due to its highly porous characteristics (pore sizes of 24 Å and 29 Å), large surface area, and decent stability. In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was modified with MIL-100(Cr) to fabricate PVDF/MIL-100(Cr) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for congo red (CR) dye removal. Furthermore, the membrane performances were determined by its permeability, selectivity, and antifouling properties. The results show that adding MIL-100(Cr) could enhance the membrane’s porosity and average pore size, which led to a boost in membrane permeability. Interestingly, the rejection of the membrane is maintained at a remarkably high level, above 95%, because of the electrostatic repulsion between the membrane surface with anionic congo red. The optimum concentration of MIL-100(Cr) is 1% (w/w), with a permeability of 50.90 L m⁻² h⁻¹ and rejection of 99.9%. Moreover, the flux recovery ratio (FRR) is around 90%, showing notable resistance to the fouling phenomena.