Journal of hazardous materials最新文献

Selenium (Se) is an essential yet potentially toxic micronutrient for human health, and its distribution in cultivated soils is fundamentally linked to ecosystem safety. This study evaluated the spatial distribution of Se in China's surface cultivated soils by integrating a reviewed database with field surveys. Using random forest-Shapley additive explanations and structural equation modeling, we analyzed 22 environmental factors to identify the dominant drivers and their interactive mechanisms. The results showed that the mean Se content of cultivated soil in China was 0.283 mg·kg^-1, with a coefficient of variation of 51.6%. Although the classic spatial pattern persists, Se-sufficient and Se-rich soils have expanded markedly, covering 55.6% and 19.8% of the total area, respectively. Mean annual precipitation (MAP), aridity index (AI), net primary productivity (NPP), and evapotranspiration (ET) emerged as the primary determinants, confirming the predominant role of climate at the national scale. Notably, substantial interaction effects were observed between ≥ 0℃ accumulative temperature (ATT0) and MAP, and between ATT0 and AI, highlighting that hydrothermal interactions exert primary control on soil Se distribution. Additional climate-soil couplings, specifically AI with pH, and AI with cation exchange capacity (CEC), further reinforced this spatial differentiation. Furthermore, NPP served as a key biogeochemical intermediary, with its biologically driven pathway exerting a greater total effect on soil Se than that mediated by soil properties. This work provides quantitative evidence of the key drivers shaping Se distribution in cultivated topsoils across China and offers practical guidance for the sustainable soil Se management and public nutritional health protection.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has garnered significant attention for its structural stability and tunability, yet its industrial application remains constrained by difficulties in recovering powder catalysts and insufficient activity in BN granule catalysts. Herein, we report a metal-free oxidative desulfurization catalyst developed by ammonium oxalate (AO) modification of macroscopic BN granules. This strategy synergistically constructs a hierarchical micro/mesoporous architecture with an ultrahigh surface area (1585.01 m² g^-1) and concurrently introduces nitrogen vacancies and lattice oxygen species. These structural modifications exhibit synergistic effects as the interconnected mesoporous network induces a confinement effect, promoting the enrichment and efficient diffusion of reactants (DBT and O₂), thereby significantly enhancing mass transfer. Concurrently, the introduced nitrogen defects and lattice oxygen synergized as highly active sites, driving molecular oxygen activation into superoxide radicals (·O₂^-) and accelerating interfacial electron transfer. The optimized catalyst achieves complete conversion of dibenzothiophene (DBT) within 80 min and exhibits broad applicability to recalcitrant sulfides such as 4-hydroxydimethyl-dibenzothiophene (4-MDBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT). It maintained outstanding long-term stability over 37 consecutive reaction cycles, significantly reducing chemical consumption and waste. This study establishes a novel design paradigm for metal-free catalysts through synergistic pore and defect engineering, providing an economically viable and industrially scalable solution for sustainable fuel desulfurization.

This study examined the effects of two biodegradable mulch films (BM1, BM2) and a plastic mulch film (PM) on soil C-cycle microorganisms and functional genes through field experiments. Biodegradable mulch films significantly enhanced α diversity of C-cycle microorganisms after one month (effects disappeared by the seventh month), with the maximum increase in community richness exceeding 32%. Biodegradable mulch films made of dissimilar components exhibited distinct effects. BM1 (PBAT/PLA) suppressed genes related to most carbon fixation pathways while BM2 (PBAT/lignin) tended to enhance certain pathways. BM1 notably elevated carbon degradation genes (e.g., an 87.2% increase in pectin degradation), and inhibited methane metabolism genes, while BM2' effects were much weaker. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that mulching reduced both the diversity of C-cycle microorganisms and complexity of their interactions, while simultaneously strengthening synergistic relationships among microbes. BM1 treatment increased the proportion of positive microbial interactions to a maximum of 63.28%. Soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (AP), and soil organic carbon (SOC) were identified as the key environmental factors shaping the C-cycle microbial community. This study demonstrates that biodegradable mulch films significantly influence the expression of C-cycle functional genes and soil carbon transformation processes by modifying soil microenvironment and microbial community structure.

Nanoplastics (NPs) and heat stress co-occur in agricultural systems, yet their interactive effects on crops under different heat regimes remain unclear. Here, we investigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) responses to polystyrene NPs under chronic (CH; 36°C, 10 d) and acute (AH; 45°C, 3 h) heat stress using integrated transcriptomics, metabolomics, and alternative splicing analyses. Combined stressors produced additive biomass reductions; however, molecular responses exhibited regime-dependent non-additivity. Under CH, NPs induced widespread antagonistic interactions, suppressing the transcriptional acclimation program by ∼50%. Rather than alleviating stress, this antagonism reflected a systemic failure of heat defense activation, mediated by the disruption of a core regulatory module governing cell wall biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid production, and oxidative stress responses. This resulted in depletion of structural phospholipids and defense compounds (e.g., sakuranetin). Under AH, NPs altered the alternative splicing of circadian clock genes (OsCRY1, OsPRR73, OsGI). These findings reveal that NPs induce regime-specific, non-additive molecular effects despite additive phenotypic responses, demonstrating that traditional organism-level endpoints (e.g., biomass) lack the sensitivity to detect substantial disruption of molecular acclimation programs. This work highlights the need for integrating quantitative interaction modeling and systems-level analyses into multi-stressor risk assessments for agricultural systems facing concurrent pollution and climate stress.

Understanding the environmental fate of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) is essential for assessing their persistence, mobility, and associated risks within the One Health framework. Here, the degradation kinetics of three representative eARGs were quantified under varied water quality conditions using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Temperature, pH, and heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) were identified as dominant factors influencing eARG degradation. Elevated temperature, deviation from neutral pH, and increased microbial abundance significantly accelerated degradation, yielding first-order rate constants of 0.13-0.54 day^-1. Transformation frequencies of circular eARGs declined to undetectable levels within nine days-well before the disappearance of total DNA-revealing a temporal decoupling between genetic persistence and biological activity. A nonlinear multivariate model integrating temperature, pH, and HPC accurately predicted eARG degradation rate constants k (R² > 0.75) across diverse aquatic systems. This framework quantitatively links environmental conditions to eARG persistence and offers a scalable tool for rapid environmental risk evaluation and informed water quality management aimed at mitigating antibiotic resistance dissemination.

Oil pollution from accidental crude oil spills and industrial oily wastewater, poses serious challenges in the advancement of effective oil-water separation technologies. Herein, a biomass-derived sodium alginate/gelatin composite aerogel (SGRG) was prepared via directional freeze-casting to form a peculiar corrugated-board structure with vertically aligned channels. The aerogel was crosslinked with tannic acid and in situ hydrophobic modified with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS). Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was incorporated to provide photothermal functionality. The peculiar "corrugated-board" structure significantly reduces pore tortuosity and enhances capillary-driven oil adsorption, facilitating faster liquid infiltration and improving the overall adsorption performance. This structure also contributes to the aerogel's excellent mechanical robustness, allowing it to maintain stable compressive performance over 30 cycles at 60% strain. Benefiting from its unique porous structure and strong photothermal conversion induced by the incorporation of rGO, SGRG exhibits remarkable adsorption capacities toward various oils, organic solvents and even highly viscous crude oil (30.9-76.8 g g^-1), and after 10 cycles, it retains 91.89% of its initial adsorption capacity. Additionally, SGRG enables efficient purification of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by surfactants, achieving separation efficiencies above 98% across diverse oil types, surfactants, and pH conditions, demonstrating strong cycling durability. This research offers a high-performance and biomasss-derived solution that simultaneously achieves efficient adsorption of viscous crude oil and emulsion purification in oily wastewater.

Despite rapidly growing research activity, the effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) on plant photosynthesis remain inconsistently described, with major discrepancies across species, particle types, sizes, and experimental conditions. Current literature lacks an integrated synthesis that identifies general physiological patterns and quantifies the magnitude of MNP-induced disruptions. To address this gap, this review combines a structured literature review with quantitative evaluation of extracted experimental data to assess MNP-induced changes in photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence, as well as associated metabolic and genetic responses. Our data analysis shows that PS was the most frequently reported polymer, followed by PE, PVC, PET, PP, and PES, while plant representation was dominated by Poaceae and Cucurbitaceae. Chlorophyll declined most strongly under 0.1-1 µm particles at high concentrations and under PS exposure, with median reductions of 8 and 12%, reflecting disruptions in pigment synthesis, degradation, and thylakoid damage. Carotenoids proved even more sensitive, showing the largest decreases under > 100 µm particles, high concentrations, and PS treatments, particularly in aquatic systems, yet they also displayed occasional stimulation at low doses, consistent with their dual role in both protection and photochemistry. Gas-exchange responses pointed to biochemical limitations at high MNP levels, with PS again exerting the strongest suppression of stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis. Among fluorescence parameters, ETR emerged as the most sensitive indicator of MNP stress. The review concludes by shedding light on the possibilities that may help alleviate impact of MNPs and pointing toward the studies still needed to fully understand how MNPs alter photosynthetic function.

Arsenic (As) contamination in paddy soils poses a serious threat to rice safety and human health. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), as highly reactive species, have attracted increasing attention for their role in regulating As migration and transformation in soil systems. The quantitative understanding of how EPFRs influence As speciation and bioavailability in paddy soils remains limited, particularly regarding the role of EPFRs in stabilizing As within mineral and organic complexes. As a result, predicting the impacts of EPFRs on As bioavailability under specific agricultural management practices remains challenging. In this review, we systematically summarize recent advances in the characterization and formation mechanisms of EPFRs, key factors governing their generation and stability, and their effects on As speciation and bioavailability in paddy soils, emphasizing: (i) the oxidation of more mobile and toxic As(III) to less mobile As(V) via pathways such as EPFR-mediated electron transfer; (ii) the enhancement of As immobilization through iron plaque formation and mineral surface modification; (iii) the mediation of As bioavailability by influencing its speciation and partitioning. Building on this synthesis, we propose future research directions for elucidating the role of EPFRs in regulating As geochemical behavior. This review aims to advance the theoretical framework of EPFR-mediated interfacial reactions involving As in paddy soils and to provide a scientific basis for developing effective As pollution control strategies.

Disinfectants, such as sodium hypochlorite, are routinely applied in healthcare settings to prevent healthcare-associated infections; however, their implications for occupational exposure to airborne particles and chlorine during routine disinfection activities remain poorly characterized. This study experimentally quantifies particle and chlorine emissions during surface disinfection under varying environmental conditions, including temperature, illumination, and the presence of organic contaminants. Occupational exposure of healthcare workers, as well as potential patient exposure in a typical healthcare environment, was subsequently modelled using a mass balance approach based on measured emission rates. Results indicate that high temperature (38 °C) and strong illumination (1200 lux) lead to the highest exposure to ultrafine particles, with concentrations of about 2.0 × 10⁵ part. cm^-3 under poor ventilation conditions. The presence of such high particle concentrations is attributed to nucleation, which generates new ultrafine particles with a mode diameter of 10-30 nm. In contrast, emissions from surfaces with contaminants were substantially lower. Chlorine emissions and resulting concentrations in the healthcare scenario were highest in the presence of vomit and urine. For both particle and chlorine exposure, ventilation plays a significant role; at high air exchange rates, their concentrations are reduced. Overall, this study provides a toxicological exposure assessment relevant to occupational health, highlighting the role of environmental conditions and ventilation in mitigating exposure to particles and chlorine during sodium hypochlorite-based disinfection in healthcare settings.

Nearly four decades after the Chornobyl accident, the structural stability of dispersed nuclear fuel particles is still not fully understood, limiting accurate environmental risk assessment. To date, no phase analyses of these particles have been published. We present a comprehensive phase analysis of individual nuclear fuel hot particles and crystal diffraction data that have not been previously reported in literature. By combining high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction with triple-axis rotation, we were able to collect full Bragg reflection data and determine which phases remained stable in real-world conditions. The analysis revealed the presence of UO₂, U₃O₈, U₄O₉ and Zr-mixed phases. The detection of largely intact UO₂ and U₄O₉ suggests their structural frameworks have remained stable and are likely to continue acting as containment matrices for incorporated fission products and actinides in the near future. These results provide a basis for further investigation into the extent to which uranium oxide matrices have retained their integrity after long-term environmental exposure in soil and asphalt within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) and support further development of contamination models and waste management strategies at nuclear accident sites.