Chemosphere最新文献

The binding interaction of food preservatives and pesticides has emerged as a matter of paramount importance as it not only presents potential health hazards but also carries substantial consequences for food processing and preservation. Herein, the mechanism of interaction between lysozyme and Amitraz was explored through spectroscopic and computational techniques. Spectral investigations indicated the spontaneous nature and stability of the lysozyme-Amitraz complex. The corresponding CD and FT-IR studies proved the structural changes of lysozyme. The presence of amitraz led to a notable decrease in both the enzymatic activity and thermal stability of lysozyme. Molecular docking demonstrated the preferred mode of interaction, and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of the resultant complex. In conclusion, the alarming findings of the lysozyme-Amitraz interaction underscore its detrimental impact on food safety and human health. Accordingly, urgent measures are imperative to address and mitigate the potential hazards posed by such interactions in food production.

Bentonite is regarded as an adequate buffer material in deep geological repositories and its swelling properties serve to prevent the penetration of groundwater into the repository and to minimize the release of radionuclides. However, bentonite is rarely effective in removing anionic radionuclides due to its permanent negative surface charge. The aim of this study was to enhance the anion removal ability of bentonite by incorporating layered double hydroxides (LDH) with a high anion exchange capacity. The functionalization of CuAlBi LDH on bentonite (CuAlBi LDH@Ben) revealed an effective approach for removing both cesium and iodine from aqueous solutions. The peak shift of the Si-O stretching band to higher frequencies, the vertically oriented platelet morphology, and the increase in specific surface area provide confirmation that LDH platelets grow on the surface of montmorillonite. The CuAlBi LDH@Ben demonstrates enhanced anion retention performance in bentonite without impacting its retention behavior toward cations, as evidenced by K_d values of 1943.1 mL/g for Cs⁺, 442.4 mL/g for I^-, and 650.7 mL/g for IO₃^-, respectively.

Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), a widely used egg parasitoid of lepidopteran pests in various crops, has developed very high levels of resistance when treated with chlorantraniliprole under laboratory conditions. This study assessed and characterized its mode of inheritance, degree of dominance, realized heritability (h²), and cross-resistance. Toxicity bioassays were performed on T. chilonis adults using a dry film residue method. The chlorantraniliprole resistant strain (Chlr-R) of T. chilonis showed >25000-fold resistance as compared with chlorantraniliprole susceptible strain (Chlr-S). The chlorantraniliprole resistance in T. chilonis was characterized as incompletely dominant and governed by multiple autosomal genes. Additionally, the resistance of T. chilonis to chlorantraniliprole shifted from functionally dominant (at lower applied doses) to functionally recessive (at highest applied dose). Parameters regarding the h² of chlorantraniliprole resistance in T. chilonis predicted 10-fold rise in the initial LC₅₀ after 14.28 generations with continuous selections (at h² = 0.24). No obvious cross-resistance to cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos and a very low cross-resistance to flonicamid were detected. These findings are helpful to improve the field-based effectiveness and integration of these wasps with chemical control.

Environmental mercury (Hg) follows a biogeochemical cycle resulting in a variety of Hg species. Therefore, human exposure to the three Hg species inorganic Hg via crops and air, methyl Hg through fish consumption and ethyl Hg due to the use as antiseptic agent in medical applications is a rising concern. Especially pregnant women and their developing fetus present a vulnerable population. However, little is known about its transfer and toxicity in placental barrier building cells. Here, Hg species-specific transfer and toxicity in placental trophoblasts, which are the main cell type involved in nutrient transfer, were investigated by using the established BeWo b30 in vitro model. The transfer of inorganic Hg was much lower compared to the organic Hg species and all three species were able to perturb barrier integrity. This was accompanied by a less pronounced cytotoxicity of HgCl₂ compared to the two organic species. The energy charge value indicated an increase for inorganic Hg and a decrease for organic Hg compounds. Regarding antioxidative defense, inorganic Hg elevated GSSG levels, while organic Hg decreased GSH. Activity of antioxidative defense related enzymes showed a decrease upon Hg species treatment and all three species induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death.

Biochar is an environmentally friendly adsorbent material with excellent adsorption performance due to its extensive pore structure, large specific surface area, and numerous surface functional groups. It is commonly used to treat inorganic and organic pollutants. In recent years, with increasing focus on controlling soil pollution caused by heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), the potential application of biochar has attracted much attention. This review used Citespace to quantitatively analyze the literature on the application of biochar from 2021 to 2024. It then explains the preparation techniques of unmodified and modified biochar and presents the physical and chemical properties and adsorption capacity of different biochar types for Cd and Pb. It also illustrates and compares the preparation process, modification methods, and adsorption mechanisms of biochar. Additionally, it evaluates the impacts of biochar application on heavy metal removal from rice, wheat, and corn, as well as their yields. This article contributes to the identification of the most effective materials and methods for biochar synthesis. It provides suggestions for remediation of soil heavy metal pollution and yield increase.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal). < This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors-in-Chief. A journal-wide investigation by Elsevier's Research Integrity & Publishing Ethics team identified violations of the journal's policies on authorship and conflict of interest related to the submission and review of this paper. An authorship change was made during the revision of this paper; the author Kathirvel Brindhadevi was added to the revised paper without validation or authorisation and credited with preparing the original draft. Review of this submission was handled by Guest Editor Thamaraiselvi Kaliannan despite an extensive record of collaboration, including co-publication, with one of the paper co-authors (Arivalagan Pugazhendhi). Acceptance of the article was partly based upon the positive advice of reviewers who were closely linked to one of the authors (Pugazhendhi). This compromised the editorial process and breached the journal's policies. The authors disagree with this retraction and dispute the grounds for it.>.

The approximately 850,000 recreational boats in Sweden, has shown to have a significant impact on the marine environment of the Swedish west coast. The extensive weather-protected archipelagos and fjords with minor tidal activity, offers excellent conditions to uncover traces of leisure boats exhaust from the background. In this study we focus on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from boat exhausts in surface sediments and water (using SPMD) in a busy harbour and a pristine fjord. The PAH analyses were performed using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry after suitable extraction procedures. Concentrations of total PAHs in water and sediments was 4-8 ng/L and 200-5500 ng/g respectively. In addition to PAH measurements, we used the number of documented motorboat passages together with residence time of water, to quantify the concentration enhancement of up to 40% due to recreational boating. Here we have for the first time succeeded in distinguishing the leisure boat PAH signature in coastal marine environments. This by combining our data and observed compositions from lakes where emissions from leisure boats is documented as a dominating source of pollution. Comparisons with Environmental Quality standards (EQS) showed elevated levels of up to more than five times in the most exposed sediments, while the water concentrations were below the EQS. The study concludes that boating activities significantly contribute to PAH-levels in these coastal environments, with implications for environmental management and pollution mitigation strategies.

The effect of zero-valent iron (ZVI) dosage on medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) production from sewage sludge fermentation was explored. ZVI within a dosage of 2-20 g/L favored MCFAs production. Adding 20 g/L ZVI (ZVI20) increased the MCFAs and long-chain alcohols (LCAs) production to 4079.0 mg/L and 93.1 mg/L, the electron transfer efficiency of MCFAs and MCFAs selectivity were also increased by over 40% and 25% than the control. This may be due to the enriched MCFAs-producing genera, like Romboutsia and Paraclostridium. 2 g/L ZVI favorably strengthened the RBO pathway and facilitated intracellular electron generation. Moreover, ZVI facilitated the extracellular electron transfer, and cytochrome C was most enriched by ZVI20. The low MCFAs production in the ZVI50 group might be due to the inhibition of acetyl-CoA and ATP synthesis. These results provided a deep insight into the effects of ZVI dosage on MCFAs production and the specific mechanisms.

Gravity-driven membrane (GDM) systems are increasingly recognized as sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for decentralized water treatment. However, membrane fouling, particularly by organic matter, remains a significant operational challenge, necessitating regular chemical cleaning to maintain performance. The present study was undertaken to investigate the cleaning efficiency of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) tablets, a novel solid-state alternative to conventional liquid cleaning agents such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), acetic acid, and citric acid. NaDCC tablets, originally developed for drinking water disinfection, offer advantages in terms of transport, storage, and safety compared with conventional liquid formulations. A comparative evaluation of cleaning agents was conducted on hollow fiber membranes used in GDM systems, with the concentration and contact times optimized for each chemical. NaOCl demonstrated the highest permeability recovery, reaching 48.29% at 500 mg L^-1 after 12 h, followed closely by NaDCC, with a recovery of 46.55% under similar conditions. Conversely, SLS, acetic acid, and citric acid presented significantly lower recovery rates, with maximum flux restorations of 14.57%, 14.90%, and 16.73%, respectively. These results highlight the comparable performance of NaDCC and NaOCl in addressing organic fouling while offering practical advantages such as greater stability and reduced chemical handling risks. This study highlights the efficacy of NaDCC as a viable detergent for GDM systems, and also provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the water permeability performances of commercial detergents such as NaOCl, which cause various ecotoxicities, and suggests the feasibility of NaDCC as a chemical detergent in practical membrane processes. Our findings contribute to the development of more sustainable and cost-effective membrane-cleaning protocols that enhance long-term operational efficiency and minimize environmental impacts.