Journal of hazardous materials最新文献

Background: Indoor environmental factors during early life may influence susceptibility to respiratory infections, but their relationship with COVID-19 outcomes in children and parents remains unclear.

Objectives: This study investigates associations between early-life household exposures (fuel type, heating methods, ventilation patterns, redecoration, dampness/mold, incense, and mosquito coil use) and COVID-19 infection and sequelae in children and their parents.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter survey among 20,012 preschool children and their parents (total 60,036 participants) from nine cities in China between December 2019 and May 2023. Logistic regression models were applied, adjusting for sociodemographic and environmental covariates. Sensitivity analyses included adjustment for outdoor air pollutants and climatic factors.

Results: Household factors such as solid fuel use, insufficient ventilation, and indoor dampness/mold were associated with higher odds of COVID-19 infection among children and parents. Use of mechanical ventilation and clean heating systems were associated with lower odds. Associations with long COVID (n = 20 child cases) were exploratory and imprecise.

Conclusions: Indoor household exposures may influence COVID-19 outcomes in children and parents, independent of outdoor air pollution. These findings highlight the potential of improving indoor environments as a preventive measure, but longitudinal studies with clinical verification are needed.

Driven by rapid industrial development, manganese (Mn²⁺) and microplastic pollution pose serious threats to aquatic ecosystems and human neurological health, highlighting the urgent need for effective control strategies. Bioremediation has gained increasing attention in recent years owing to its high efficiency and environmentally friendly nature. In this study, we isolated a Mn²⁺-resistant strain, Bacillus sp. A260, from deep-sea cold seep sediments. This strain displayed exceptional tolerance to 300 mM Mn²⁺ and produced significant quantities of manganese carbonate (MnCO₃). Notably, elevated Mn²⁺ concentrations promoted biofilm formation by strain A260. Further mechanistic investigations revealed a coordinated regulatory network in Bacillus sp. A260, involving MntR-mediated Mn²⁺ homeostasis, YkoY/YceF-dependent Mn²⁺ efflux, and PerR/Fur-regulated Fe/Mn uptake. This network was accompanied by changes in energy metabolism, activation of oxidative stress response, and Spo0A-mediated biofilm synthesis, all of which contributed to the resilience of the strain under Mn²⁺ stress. In addition, Mn²⁺ induced biofilm formation enhanced the microplastic adsorption capacity of strain A260, enabling the simultaneous removal of Mn²⁺ and microplastics. Strain A260 achieved 97 % Mn²⁺ and 96 % microplastic removal at pH 7 and 37 ℃ within 14 days, and exhibited strong adaptability to pH and temperature variations. Thus, Bacillus sp. A260 serves as a robust model for studying microbial metal resistance and is a promising candidate for the simultaneous bioremediation of Mn²⁺ and microplastic contaminants in aquatic environments.

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) have been increasingly used as fungicides in agriculture for decades. Penflufen (PEN) is a widely used chiral fungicide and the acute toxic concentration of S-(+)-PEN was 54 times higher than R-(-)-PEN in zebrafish. However, the toxic effects of rac-PEN and its enantiomers on mammals remain unclear. Here, 7-week-old C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 30 mg/kg bw/d or 100 mg/kg bw/d of rac-PEN and enantiomers for 28 days. Compared with R-(-)-PEN, S-(+)- and rac-PEN significantly decreased the relative weights of the kidney, spleen and testis. The integrated hepatic transcriptomic and non-target metabolomic results suggested that PEN exposure induced oxidation stress, caused glucose metabolism disorder, and disrupted steroid hormones. The specific binding modes in CYP450s might be related to the higher residue and toxic effects of S-(+)-PEN than R-(-)-PEN. Moreover, PEN exposure disrupted hepatic hormones including fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21) and steroid hormone. The changed levels of hepatic pregnenolone, cortisol, and cortisone might be also associated with kidney function. Overall, these results indicated that S-(+)-PEN caused more toxic effects on different endpoints than R-(-)-PEN. These findings would be significant in providing novel insights for understanding the potential health risk of rac-PEN and its enantiomers in mammals.

Surface Water Foam (SWF) and underlying Surface Water (SW) were collected from six distinct sites across Michigan using a novel sampling device. PFAS were detected in all SWF samples (Σ41 compounds, n = 14; Avg total PFAS=54,895 ng/L). SWF samples were enriched in high and intermediate molecular volume PFAS relative to SW samples (n = 10) which were dominated by low molecular volume, short-chain PFAS (Avg total PFAS=21 ng/L). Ultra-long-chain and rarely detected PFAS were quantified in SWF that were not detected in SW. Wet and dry SWFs were distinguished by appearance, liquid content, and PFAS composition. Dry SWFs had higher total PFAS concentrations than wet SWFs (Avg total PFAS difference =158,330 ng/L). Intermediate molecular volume PFAS constituted a greater percentage of total PFAS concentrations in wet SWFs, whereas dry SWFs were dominated by high molecular volume PFAS. Principal component and cluster analyses show distinct compositional differences between SW, wet SWF, and dry SWF. A conceptual model is proposed to describe changes in PFAS composition during the evolution and aging of SWFs. Bubbles created from turbulence in surface waters initially accumulate to form wet SWFs. Liquid drains as wet SWFs evolve towards dry SWFs and lower molecular weight PFAS with lower air-water interface (AWI) adsorption drain with the liquid. This enriches dry SWFs with higher molecular volume PFAS that have higher AWI adsorption (up to five orders of magnitude). This study demonstrates the value of SWFs as a complementary sampling matrix for quantifying high and intermediate volume PFAS in natural surface water systems.

The remediation of multicomponent wastewater containing high-valent heavy metals and organic pollutants remains a significant environmental challenge. Visible-light-driven photocatalysis holds promise for concurrent pollutants decontamination, but is often hindered by sluggish interfacial charge transfer, rapid electron-hole recombination, and inadequate redox-active carriers. In this work, we present a dual-vacancy-incorporated Bi₂WO₆ (V-BWO) photocatalyst, featuring strategically introduced oxygen vacancies (OVs) and bismuth vacancies (BiVs), to overcome these constraints. Integrated theoretical and experimental investigations uncover a defect-mediated charge dynamics mechanism: OVs function as shallow electron traps enabling ultrafast charge capture, while BiVs function as deep relaxation sites that-under Cr(VI)-induced electron quenching-synergistically stabilize holes and extend their lifetime. This synergistic vacancy modulation achieves exceptional performance: a ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation rate constant of 3.3 × 10^-2 min^-1 with concurrent Cr(VI)-to-Cr(III) conversion (0.036 mmol/L reduced after 60 min). Notably, the catalyst sustains robust > 80.6 % contaminant removal efficiency in continuous-flow operation across diverse pollutants including CIP, bisphenol A (BPA), and rhodamine B (RhB). These findings elucidate the pivotal role of dual-defect states in tuning carrier dynamics and establishes a robust platform for integrated photocatalytic detoxification of multicomponent wastewater streams.

Green electrospinning of fully bio-based nanofibrous membranes holds significant promise for sustainable development. However, the complex molecular structures and functional groups inherent in bio-based materials often lead to strong intermolecular interactions. It may cause nozzle clogging and hinder the stretching and thinning of electrospinning jets, thereby adversely affecting performance optimization and scalable manufacturing of fibers. This study proposes an innovative "small-molecule barrier" strategy by introducing small molecules with controlled hydrogen bonds to shield strong polymer interactions. It reduced the jetting resistance of the microjet, significantly improving the electrospinning efficiency and the fiber formation quality. Resveratrol (RV) and naringin (NRG) were selected as the most suitable small molecules, which increased the jetting continuity of zein solution by 5.75 times and also achieved multifunctional integration. Furthermore, a sheath gas-assisted 8-nozzle electrospinning device was used to significantly increase production efficiency by 11.2 times. Most importantly, high-efficiency electrospinning of bio-based materials using water and ethanol as green solvents has become possible. The zein/RV/NRG membrane showed better filtration performance than the N95 mask core layer, with antibacterial rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus over 97 %, and a ultraviolet protection factor of 107.51. This study advances the green manufacturing of high-performance multifunctional composite nanofibers.

The co-occurrence of fluoride (F⁻) and nutrient pollutants in wastewater poses a significant challenge for treatment processes due to their distinct physicochemical behaviors. Constructed wetlands (CWs), as ecologically adaptive systems, offer nature-based solutions for the integrated attenuation of multifaceted contaminant mixtures. This study evaluated five types of CWs with varying substrates under micro-oxygen regulation, focusing on iron-carbon (Fe-C) micro-electrolysis for enhanced removal and the microbial response of F⁻, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) under continuous flow conditions. The Fe-C CWs (CW-E) achieved the highest F⁻ removal efficiency (40.14 ± 15.81 %) and sustained total phosphorus (TP) removal (up to 99 %) under F^- stress, while maintaining moderate total nitrogen (TN) removal (72 %). Comparative analysis showed that CW-E outperformed other configurations in simultaneous multi-pollutant removal. However, CW with separately filled Fe-C substrates (CW-D) showed more stable nitrogen removal, indicating that substrate combination affects specific pollutant behavior. Fe-C micro-electrolysis CW under F^- and nutrient stress reduced microbial diversity but enriched key electroactive and functional bacteria (Bacillus, Desulfomicrobium) associated with extracellular electron transfer, N transformation, and P accumulation. Functional genes related to electron transfer (e.g., cyt c, pili, NADH dehydrogenase) and quorum sensing (QS) were upregulated, indicating that micro-electrolysis reshaped microbial community structure and function. Moreover, QS was significantly positive (P < 0.001) with the direct electron transfer (DET) process, indicating the role of DET in microbial cooperation. This work demonstrated that Fe-C micro-electrolysis CWs enhanced microbial function toward pollutant stress, providing a potential intensification strategy for multi-pollutant treatment in decentralized wastewater systems.

Microplastics (MPs) in biosolids used as soil amendments are of growing concern. The purpose of this study was to improve the characterization of MPs in complex biosolid matrices by optimizing sample preparation for morphological and chemical analyses with different spectroscopic techniques. We compared extraction procedures involving Fenton oxidation (F), Fenton plus sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and Fenton plus cellulase (FE). We performed partial particle sample counting along with a helical shape, corresponding to 56 % of sample area, and total particle counting. Chemical characterization was performed using sub-micron optical-photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy, and the results were compared with those obtained via commonly employed Raman and Fourier transform infrared absorption microspectroscopy technique (µ-FTIR). Our FE protocol yielded a slightly higher total sample mass removal (97 %±0.3 %) compared to other pre-treatment methods. No significant difference was observed in the total MPs count between the two approaches, indicating a homogeneous distribution across the filter and supporting reliable quantification using only half the filter in the helical method. O-PTIR's high spatial resolution (down to 0.5 µm) and absence of spectral artefacts compared to Raman and µ-FTIR enabled accurate identification of fine fibers (2 µm wide) and small particles (∼5 µm). Single-frequency O-PTIR imaging revealed well-defined particles clearly separated from their surroundings, highlighting the technique's potential for particle identification. The findings highlight the need to combine effective sample pre-treatment with high-resolution chemical analysis to improve understanding of plastic fate in the environment and supporting future policy development or regulatory updates on plastic content in biosolids.

Background: Emerging plasticizers are increasingly detected in environmental and human biological samples, yet data regarding human exposure and associated health risks remain limited.

Objectives: This study uniquely assesses human exposure to emerging plasticizers by simultaneously quantifying 26 metabolites and 8 serum lipid biomarkers. It aims to explore their associations with lipid metabolism, providing new insights into the potential metabolic disruptions caused by these compounds.

Methods: Biomonitoring was conducted among 1514 participants from Jiangsu Province, Eastern China. Spearman's correlation was used to assess the influence of gender and age on metabolite levels. Generalized additive models examined associations between plasticizers and lipid biomarkers; quantile-based g-computation evaluated joint effects, and Bayesian benchmark dose analysis determined benchmark doses and hazard quotients.

Results: Six plasticizers, namely dibutyl fumarate (DBF), diethyl succinate (DES), trihexyl trimellitate (THTM), dimethyl adipate (DMA), and two isomers of diisobutyl adipate (DiBA & DnBA), were identified as significantly associated with lipid biomarkers, suggesting their potential to disrupt lipid metabolism. Notably, THTM was identified as a plasticizer that may pose a potential health risk to the general population (hazard quotient > 1), a finding not previously highlighted in the literature.

Conclusion: This study identifies six emerging plasticizers associated with lipid metabolism disruption, with THTM potentially posing a health risk. The simultaneous assessment of plasticizer metabolites and lipid biomarkers represents a novel approach that provides valuable insights for future research and risk management, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used plastic whose poor degradability has led to serious environmental pollution. In recent years, it was shown that the engineered enzyme FAST-PETase can efficiently catalyze the hydrolysis of PET into monomers; however, large-scale production and low-cost application of this enzyme remain challenging. In this study, we successfully produced FAST-PETase at a large scale using the silk gland expression system of Bombyx mori and integrated an optimized FAST-PETase gene into the B. mori genome using genetic engineering technology. The content of recombinant FAST-PETase reached 53.3 mg per gram of cocoon weight, and approximately 22 % of which can be extracted using mild extraction conditions. The analysis revealed that rFAST-PETase, when extracted from cocoon crude extracts, efficiently and completely hydrolyzes PET plastics into terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). Notably, the extraction method did not affect the spinning properties of the silk. Furthermore, a unique N-glycosylation modification of rFAST-PETase in the silkworm system was identified, which led to a significant enhancement in its thermostability. In comparison with conventional hydrolysis strategies for PET plastics, the cost of the proposed method is reduced by a minimum of 72 %, and the TPA hydrolysis product with 99 % purity can be recycled through an acid precipitation method. These findings indicate that this genetically engineered silk material has potential for use in PET plastic waste recycling.