Impacts of atmospheric particulate matter deposition on phytoplankton: A review.

In many rapidly urbanizing and industrializing countries, atmospheric pollution causes severe environmental problems and compromises the health of humans and ecosystems. Atmospheric emissions, which encompass gases and particulate matter, can be transported back to the earth's surface through atmospheric deposition. Atmospheric deposition supplies chemical species that can serve as nutrients and/or toxins to aquatic ecosystems, resulting in wide-ranging responses of aquatic organisms. Among the aquatic organisms, phytoplankton is the basis of the aquatic food web and is a key player in global primary production. Atmospheric deposition alters nutrient availability and thus influences phytoplankton species abundance and composition. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the physiological responses of phytoplankton resulting from the atmospheric deposition of trace metals, nitrogen-containing compounds, phosphorus-containing compounds, and sulfur-containing compounds in particulate matter into aquatic ecosystems. Knowledge gaps and critical areas for future studies are also discussed.

Impact of environmental factors changes induced by marine heatwaves and heavy precipitation on antibiotic toxicity to Isochrysis galbana: Implications for climate change adaptation.

Isochrysis galbana, a crucial primary producer and food source in aquatic ecosystems, faces increasing challenges from climate change and emerging contaminants like antibiotics. This study investigates the combined effects of sudden temperature increase (representing marine heatwaves) and rapid salinity change (representing extreme precipitation events) on the toxicity of tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) to I. galbana. Short-term experiments reveal heightened antibiotic toxicity at 31 °C or salinities of 18 PSU, surpassing algal tolerance limits. Long-term tests show decreased inhibition of algal growth on day 9, indicating algal adaptation to the environment. Analyses of photosynthesis II efficiency, pigment content, and macromolecular composition support this, suggesting adaptation mechanism activation. While algae acclimate to the environment during long-term antibiotic exposure, extreme weather conditions may compromise this adaptation. These findings have implications for managing antibiotics in aquatic environments under climate change.

Effects of light quality on microalgae cultivation: bibliometric analysis, mini-review, and regulation approaches.

The ever-increasing concern for energy shortages and greenhouse effect has triggered the development of sustainable green technologies. Microalgae have received more attention due to the characteristics of biofuel production and CO2 fixation. From the perspective of autotrophic growth, the optimization of light quality has the potential to promote biomass production and bio-component accumulation in microalgae at low cost. In this study, bibliometric analysis was used to describe the basic features, identify the hotspots, and predict future trends of the research related to the light quality on microalgae cultivation. In addition, a mini-review referring to regulation methods of light quality was provided to optimize the framework of research. Results demonstrated that China has the greatest interest in this area. The destination of most research was to obtain biofuels and high-value-added products. Both blue and red lights were identified as the crucial spectrums for microalgae cultivation. However, sunlight is the most affordable light resource, which could not be fully utilized by microalgae through the photosynthetic process. Hence, some regulation approaches (e.g., dyes, plasmonic scattering, and carbon-based quantum dots) are proposed to increase the proportion of beneficial spectrum for enhancement of photosynthetic efficiency. In summary, this review introduces state-of-the-art research and provides theoretical guidance for light quality optimization in microalgae cultivation to obtain more benefits.

Toxicity and mechanism of nanoplastics to phytoplankton in high-latitude aquatic ecosystems of Canadian prairie: Effects of multiple environmental factors.

The potential ecological risks of nanoplastics (NPs) may be inaccurately assessed in some studies as they fail to consider the impact of environmental factors and their interactive effects. Here, the effects of six representative environmental factors (N, P, salinity, DOM (dissolved organic matter), pH and hardness) on NPs' toxicity and mechanism to microalgae are investigated based on the surface water quality data in Saskatchewan watershed, Canada. Our 10 sets of 26-1 factorial analysis reveal the significant factors and their interactive complexity towards 10 toxic endpoints from cellular and molecular levels. This is the first time to study the toxicity of NPs to microalgae under interacting environmental factors in high-latitude aquatic ecosystems of Canadian prairie. We find that microalgae become more resistant to NPs in N-rich or higher pH environments. Surprisingly, with the increase of N concentration or pH, the inhibitory effect of NPs on microalgae growth even became a promotion effect with the decreased inhibition rate from 10.5 % to -7.1 % or from 4.3 % to -0.9 %, respectively. Synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared spectromicroscopy analysis reveals that NPs can induce alterations in the content and structure of lipids and proteins. DOM, N*P, pH, N*pH and pH*hardness have a statistically significant effect on NPs' toxicity to biomolecular. The toxicity levels of NPs across Saskatchewan watersheds are evaluated and we find that NPs could have the greatest inhibition on microalgae growth in Souris River. Our findings indicate that multiple environmental factors should be considered during the ecological risk assessment of emerging pollutants.

Rethinking the effects of micro/nanoplastics from the global environmental change and systematic perspective: An aquatic environmental system-based comprehensive assessment approach of micro/nanoplastic impacts.

The study on micro/nanoplastic pollution should embrace complexity. Here, we aim to develop an aquatic environmental system-based comprehensive assessment approach of micro/nanoplastic impacts (ACAM) to evaluate the effects of micro/nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems from the global environmental change (GEC) and systematic perspective. A case study for freshwater systems in Saskatchewan, Canada was conducted to evaluate the comprehensive effects of multiple GEC factors (polystyrene-nanoplastics (PS-NPs), N, P, salinity, dissolved organic matter (DOM), pH, hardness) on Asterococcus superbus based on ten ecologically relevant endpoints. It is found that at the cellular level, PS-NPs and N had an antagonistic interaction on microalgal growth in the Saskatchewan freshwater ecosystem; at the molecular level, the PS-NP-induced changes in lipid composition in microalgae were regulated by P, DOM, and pH. The significance ranking of factor effects suggested that instead of PS-NPs pollution, the fluctuations in pH level, DOM and N concentrations should be paid attention to first in Saskatchewan. Under the combined impact of PS-NPs and other GEC factors, microalgae at station 14 (Qu'Appelle River near highway 56) might have the minimum growth rate with [-0.048, 0.094] d-1 in Saskatchewan. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of the developed ACAM in a more comprehensive and context-specific assessment of MNP risks, providing new insight for the management of MNP pollution.

Promoted aerobic denitrification through denitrifying fungal communities: Co-occurrence patterns and treatment of low C/N micro-polluted water.

Despite the growing interest in using mixed-culture aerobic denitrifying fungal flora (mixed-CADFF) for water remediation, there is limited research on their nitrogen removal performance in low C/N polluted water bodies. To address this knowledge gap, we isolated three mixed-CADFFs from overlying water in urban lakes to evaluate their removal performance. The total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies were 93.60 %, 94.64 %, and 95.18 %, while the dissolved organic carbon removal efficiencies were 96.64 %, 95.12 %, and 96.70 % for mixed-CADFF LN3, LN7, and LN15, respectively in the denitrification medium under aerobic conditions at 48 h cultivation. The three mixed-CADFFs could utilize diverse types of low molecular weight carbon sources to drive the aerobic denitrification processes efficiently. The optimal C/N ratio for the mixed-CADFFs were C/N = 10, and then C/N = 15, 7, 5, and 2. The high-throughput sequencing analysis of three mixed-CADFFs indicated that Eurotiomycetes, Cystobasidiomycetes, and Sordariomycetes were the dominant class in the communities at class level. The network analysis showed that the rare fungal species, such as Scedosporium dehoogii Saitozyma, and Candida intermedia presented positively co-occurred with the TN removal and organic matter reduction capacity. Immobilization mixed-CADFFs treatment raw water experiments indicated that three mixed-CADFFs could reduce nearly 62.73 % of TN in the low C/N micro-polluted raw water treatment. Moreover, the cell density and cell metabolism indexes were also increased during the raw water treatment. This study will provides new insight into resource utilization of the mixed-culture aerobic denitrifying fungal community in field of environment restoration.

A critical review on the interaction of polymer particles and co-existing contaminants: Adsorption mechanism, exposure factors, effects on plankton species.

This review considers the interaction of microplastics (MPs)/nanoplastics (NPs) and co-existing contaminants, including organic contaminants, potentially toxic elements (PTEs), and metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles. Stronger adsorption between plastic particles and co-existing contaminants can either facilitate or prevent more contaminants to enter plankton. The characteristics of MPs/NPs, such as polymer type, size, functional groups, and weathering, affect combined effects. Mixture toxicity is affected by those factors simultaneously and also affected by the type of co-existing contaminants, their concentrations, exposure time, dissolved organic matter, and surfactant. For co-exposure involving organics and metal nanoparticles, marine Skeletonema costatum generally had antagonistic effects, while marine Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Platymonas subcordiformis, and Tetraselmis chuii, showed synergistic effects. For co-exposure involving organics and PTEs, both Chlorella sp. and Microcystis aeruginosa generally demonstrated antagonistic effects. Freshwater Chlorella reinhardtii and Scenedesmus obliquus had synergistic effects for co-exposure involving metal/metal oxide nanoparticles. Zooplankton shows more unpredicted sensitivity towards the complex system. Different co-existing contaminants have different metabolism pathways. Organic contaminants could be biodegraded, which may enhance or alleviate mixture toxicity. PTEs could be adsorbed and desorbed under changing environments, and further affect the combined effects. The presence of metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles is more complicated, since some may release ion metals, increasing contaminant composition.

Binary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and polybrominated diphenyl ethers to Arctic Cyanobacteria under ambient and future climates.

Cyanobacteria are the predominant biota in the Arctic. Interactive effects on Arctic cyanobacteria between climate-change-shifting parameters and anthropogenic contaminants are largely unknown. We utilized a fractional factorial experiment and Arctic cyanobacteria Pseudanabaena biceps Strain PCCC_O-153 to capture the complexity of interacting climate factors, nano-polystyrene (nano-PS) and 2,2´,4,4´-tetrabromodipenyl ether (BDE-47). The short-term binary toxicity of nano-PS and BDE-47 was then examined through experiments, toxicity units, and reference models. The toxic mechanism was further revealed through biochemical analyses and multivariate statistics. We found that BDE-47 and nano-PS had more hazardous effects than changing climate conditions. The mixture had antagonistic effects on PCCC_O-153, attributing to the aggregation of nano-PS, the adsorption of BDE-47, and the wrapping of both contaminants by released extracellular polymeric substances. Binary toxicity was caused by the chain reactions triggered by combining individual contaminants. Total protein was a sensitive target and positively correlated to chlorophyll pigment. Oxidative stress for the mixture mainly resulted from the presence of nano-PS. This is the first study to access the hazardous effects of a mixture of anthropogenic contaminants on Arctic cyanobacteria under ambient and future climates.

Photocatalytic disinfection for point-of-use water treatment using Ti3+ self-doping TiO2 nanoparticle decorated ceramic disk filter.

The challenge from pathogenic infections still threatens the health and life of people in developing areas. An efficient, low-cost, and abundant-resource disinfection method is desired for supplying safe drinking water. This study aims to develop a novel Ti3+ doping TiO2 nanoparticle decorated ceramic disk filter (Ti3+/TiO2@CDF) for point-of-use (POU) disinfection of drinking water. The production of Ti3+/TiO2@CDF was optimized to maximize disinfection efficiency and flow rate. Under optimal conditions, the log reduction value (LRV) could reach up to 7.18 and the flaw rate was 108 mL/h. The influences of environmental factors were also investigated. Natural or slightly alkaline conditions, low turbidity, and low concentration of humic acid were favorable for the disinfection of Ti3+/TiO2@CDF, while co-existing HCO3- ions and diatomic cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) exhibited the opposite effect. Furthermore, the practicability and stability of Ti3+/TiO2@CDF was demonstrated. Ti3+/TiO2@CDF showed high disinfection efficiency for E. coli and S. aureus under a range of concentrations. Long-term experiment indicated that Ti3+/TiO2@CDF was stable. The underlying disinfection mechanisms were investigated and concluded as the combination of retention, adsorption, and photocatalytic disinfection. The developed Ti3+/TiO2@CDF can provide an effective and reliable disinfection tool for POU water treatment in remote area.

Insights into toxicity of polychlorinated naphthalenes to multiple human endocrine receptors: Mechanism and health risk analysis.

This study explored the combined disruption mechanism of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) on the three key receptors (estrogen receptor, thyroid receptor, and adrenoceptor) of the human endocrine system. The intensity of PCN endocrine disruption on these receptors was first determined using a molecular docking method. A comprehensive index of PCN endocrine disruption to human was quantified by analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy analysis. The mode of action between PCNs and the receptors was further identified to screen the molecular characteristics influencing PCN endocrine disruption through molecular docking and fractional factorial design. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were established to investigate the toxic mechanism due to PCN endocrine disruption. The results showed that the lowest occupied orbital energy (ELUMO) was the most important factor contributing to the toxicity of PCNs on the endocrine receptors, followed by the orbital energy difference (ΔE) and positive Millikan charge (q+). Furthermore, the strategies were formulated through adjusting the nutritious diet to reduce health risk for the workers in PCN contaminated sites and the effectiveness and feasibility were assessed by molecular dynamic simulation. The simulation results indicated that the human health risk caused by PCN endocrine disruption could be effectively decreased by nutritional supplementation. The binding ability between PCNs and endocrine receptors significantly declined (up to -16.45%) with the supplementation of vitamins (A, B2, B12, C, and E) and carotene. This study provided the new insights to reveal the toxic mechanism of PCNs on human endocrine systems and the recommendations on nutritional supplements for health risk reduction. The methodology and findings could serve as valuable references for screening of potential endocrine disruptors and developing appropriate strategies for PCN or other persistent organic pollution control and health risk management.

Microplastic and oil pollution in oceans: Interactions and environmental impacts.

Microplastics (MPs) have been found in oil-polluted oceans, but studies on MPs and oil were still focused on their respective transport, biodegradation, and bioaccumulation. The interactions between MPs and oil in the marine environment remain unknown. MPs would incorporate with oil to form MP-oil agglomerate (MOA), the behaviors of MOA were thus discussed in this study. It was found that the MOA formation resulted in the decreased oil dispersion efficacy and affect marine oil spill response operations. Moreover, oil biodegradation rate would be changed when oil existed as the form of MOA. The slow vertical transport of MOA might lead to wider ocean contamination. MOA would cause much worse impacts on phytoplankton, zooplankton, and high trophic species in the marine environment than MPs or oil individually. MOA assembling with phytoplankton in oceans may reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) transport to deep seas. Exploring the interactions between MPs and oil in the marine environment opened a door for understanding MPs and oil as co-contaminants.

Microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates in the marine environment: Formation mechanism and impact on oil dispersion.

Microplastics (MPs) can interact with spilled oil to form MP-oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODAs) in oceans. This study investigated the MODA formation mechanism and its impact on oil dispersion during marine oil spill responses. Two types of agglomerates, MODA-1 (MP-in-oil) and MODA-2 (MP-oil droplet-embedded), were identified. The 12 µm-MPs only formed MODA-1, while 45 µm-MPs and 125 µm-MPs formed MODA-1 and MODA-2 due to the surface free energy minimization principle. Impacts of MODA on oil dispersion under different mixing energy levels and seawater salinities were explored. We found that MODA reduced oil dispersion effectiveness under different mixing energy levels. Among three MP sizes, 12 µm-MPs caused the greatest reduction in dispersion effectiveness due to the formation of MODA-1. Pristine 12 µm-MPs reduced dispersion effectiveness by 21.95% under 5.62 × 10-1 W/kg, while pristine 45 µm-MPs and pristine 125 µm-MPs decreased it by 5.85% and 1.83%, respectively. In addition, MODA formed by pristine MPs has a larger impact on oil dispersion effectiveness than that of aged MPs under different salinities. Under 20psu, pristine 12 µm-MPs reduced dispersion effectiveness by 33.68%, while aged 12 µm-MPs decreased it by 24.61%. This study is the first report on the MODA formation mechanism, which is essential for exploring MODA transport and toxicity through marine trophic levels.

Machine Learning-Aided Causal Inference Framework for Environmental Data Analysis: A COVID-19 Case Study.

Links between environmental conditions (e.g., meteorological factors and air quality) and COVID-19 severity have been reported worldwide. However, the existing frameworks of data analysis are insufficient or inefficient to investigate the potential causality behind the associations involving multidimensional factors and complicated interrelationships. Thus, a causal inference framework equipped with the structural causal model aided by machine learning methods was proposed and applied to examine the potential causal relationships between COVID-19 severity and 10 environmental factors (NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, average air temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and wind speed) in 166 Chinese cities. The cities were grouped into three clusters based on the socio-economic features. Time-series data from these cities in each cluster were analyzed in different pandemic phases. The robustness check refuted most potential causal relationships' estimations (89 out of 90). Only one potential relationship about air temperature passed the final test with a causal effect of 0.041 under a specific cluster-phase condition. The results indicate that the environmental factors are unlikely to cause noticeable aggravation of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also demonstrated the high value and potential of the proposed method in investigating causal problems with observational data in environmental or other fields.

Trophic transfer potential of nTiO2, nZnO, and triclosan in an algae-algae eating fish food chain.

Little is known about the trophic transfer of nanoparticles and personal care products via dietary exposure in an algae-algae eating fish food chain. The bioaccumulation of nano-TiO2 (P25 - nTiO2), nano-ZnO (nZnO), and triclosan (TCS) in eight different combinations were explored in this study through algae, Asterococcus superbus, to fish, Gyrinocheilus aymonieri. Results found the bioaccumulation of TCS changed with algal biomass, while the bioaccumulation of Ti and Zn varied with the amount of lipids and proteins in algal cells. In algae, Ti was in the form of nTiO2 and Zn in the form of zinc ion. Due to dietary exposure, Ti and Zn quantity in fish was closely related to that in algae. The quantity of Ti and Zn in algae and fish exposed to the interaction of nTiO2 * nZnO* TCS was higher than that in other treatments. The uptake of Ti and Zn in algae exposed to the interaction of nTiO2 * nZnO had been inhibited, and the corresponding fish also had less Ti and Zn in their tissues. nTiO2-containing treatments had higher Ti proportion in muscle than gill in fish. Treatment nZnO had the most Zn in gill, whereas nZnO * TCS-containing treatments had higher Zn proportion in gut than other tissues. No observation of TCS in fish in all treatments suggested the removal and metabolism of TCS might be induced by tissue recovery and acclimation. This is the first report on trophic transfer of mixed nanoparticles and personal care product in an algae-algae eating fish two-stage food chain.

Exploring the effects of microalgal biomass on the oil behavior in a sand-water system.

This study focused on the impact of microalgal biomass on the oil behavior in a sand-water system. The microalgal biomass was characterized, and the interaction between microalgal biomass and oil was analyzed through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The effects of different conditions including microalgal biomass dose, pH, temperature, and salinity on the oil behavior were investigated. A two-level factorial analysis was also used to further explore the interactions of these conditions. The microalgal biomass was found to be the most influential parameter for the residual crude oil on sand. Higher microalgal biomass dose resulted in less residual oil on sand. The remaining oil decreased with increasing solution pH from 4 to 7, and an increase of remaining oil was observed when the pH was further increased above 7. In addition, temperature and salinity could affect the removal of crude oil in the presence of microalgal biomass. Increasing the temperature could result in less residual oil on sand and there was higher oil removal at the high salinity. The effects of microalgal biomass on the oil behavior could also be impacted by environmental conditions. The results of this study indicate that the presence of algae in the oiled shoreline can be considered in the comprehensive evaluation of spill risk and prediction of oil fate.

Economic sensitivity analysis of dual perspectives induced by energy scarcity for energy-dependent region.

Rapid industrialization leads to potential energy scarcity. The formulation of energy intervention can alleviate the economic losses caused by insufficient energy inputs in advance. In this study, the energy dependency and sensitivity quantification model (EDSQ) is firstly developed to evaluate the impacts of insufficient energy support on economic development under network-based perspective and sector-based perspective. A special case study for the Province of Shanxi, China, is conducted to illustrate the potential benefits of its use in the formulation of energy intervention for energy-dependent regions. Seven energy groups are explored to gain more insights into the impacts of specific energy groups on energy metabolism and the complicated interactions among sectors. It is found that the energy metabolism of Shanxi is under an unhealthy state. The internal flows are dominated by exploitation and competitive relationships, which is not conducive to effective energy metabolism. The hierarchy analysis indicates that the pulling force is hardly affected by the classified energy groups but the driving force is sensitive, which further reveals that the producers can choose different energy sources according to their production structure. Faced with potential energy scarcity, the shortage of coal may bring considerable economic losses. The energy intervention should be formulated for the sectors that are less dependent on energy. However, it is not recommended to curb energy use in the petroleum, coking, nuclear fuel processing and coal mining sectors, because their sectoral losses can impose significant losses to the entire network. Thus, the scientific results of this study can provide academic support for quantifying the impact of potential energy scarcity, and guide the formulation of energy intervention to achieve sustainable development for energy-dependent regions.

Exploring the decentralized treatment of sulfamethoxazole-contained poultry wastewater through vertical-flow multi-soil-layering systems in rural communities.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is the most widely distributed sulfonamide antibiotics detected in decentralized poultry wastewater in rural communities. As an economically-feasible and eco-friendly technology for decentralized wastewater treatment in rural areas, vertical-flow multi-soil-layering (MSL) system was promising to mitigate the ecological and human health risks from SMX in such areas. The treatment of SMX-contained poultry wastewater by using MSL systems was investigated for the first time, and the main and interactive effects of related multiple variables on system performance were explored through factorial analysis, including material of permeable layer, concentration of SMX, and pH of influent. Results indicated that SMX concentration and pH of influent showed significantly negative effects on SMX removal. Medical stone used in MSL systems with larger surface area could intensify the SMX removal compared to anthracite. MSL systems showed stable performances on SMX removal with the best SMX removal efficiency more than 91%. A novel stepwise-cluster inference (SCI) model was developed for the first time to map the multivariate numeric relationships between state variables and SMX removal under discrete and nonlinear complexities. It was demonstrated that the effect of SMX in wastewater with high concentration was significant on the differentiation of soil bacteria composition in MSL systems based on microbial diversity analysis. These results can help better understand the mechanism of SMX removal in MSL systems from perspectives of factorial analysis, numeric modeling, and microbiological change.

Exploration of nanocellulose washing agent for the green remediation of phenanthrene-contaminated soil.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are hazardous contaminants existing ubiquitously in polluted soil. In this study, using nanocellulose (CNC) fluid as an eco-friendly agent was proposed for the first time in the remediation of phenanthrene (PHE) contaminated soil. The effects of environmental factors on the mobilization of PHE in soil by CNC nanofluid was investigated using factorial analysis. The results showed that temperature and ionic strength had a significant influence on PHE removal, which were associated with the viscosity and zeta potential change in the nanofluid. The analysis based on two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy integrated with FTIR and synchrotron-based XRF imaging revealed that metals and minerals in soil played important roles in PHE detachment. The hydroxyl groups on CNC bonded with Fe-O, Si-O, and Mn-O in soil as time went on, and eventually achieved PHE mobilization through the interruption of PHE/SOM-metal/mineral linkages. The complexation and transport of PHE/SOM-metals/minerals from soil particles to the aqueous phase could be the primary PHE removal mechanism. Besides, the biotoxicity study displayed a detoxification effect of CNC nanofluid on PHE contaminants in soil. This study offers new insight into a cost-effective and biodegradable nanocellulose washing agent, which can be a good alternative to the available site remediation options.

Interactions between microplastics and oil dispersion in the marine environment.

Microplastics (MPs) and spilled oil are both major concerns in the marine environment. In this study, we investigated if and how MPs would interact with crude oil and potentially reduce the effectiveness of oil dispersants applied during oil spill response operations. With the addition of dispersant, MPs and oil (covered by dispersants through their hydrophobic tails) formed MPs-oil-dispersant agglomerates that were found to exist from the surface layer to the bottom of the seawater column. Their resurfacing and sinking led to a decrease in oil dispersion effectiveness. Effects of MP concentration, MP aging, and dispersant-to-oil volumetric ratios (DORs) on oil dispersion were examined. We found that the dispersion effectiveness of light oil and heavy oil decreased 38.26 % and 38.25 %, respectively, with an increased MP concentration. The dispersion effectiveness of light oil and heavy oil was 82.86 ± 10.87 % and 40.39 ± 4.96 % with pristine MPs and increased up to 109.75 ± 0.71 % and 58.30 ± 0.00 % when using MPs aged for 56 days. MPs reduced oil dispersion effectiveness under different DORs. The findings of this first report to understand the interactions among MPs, oil and dispersants have provided fundamental insights that may influence future decision making on the selection and use of oil spill response strategies.

Review of aquatic toxicity of pharmaceuticals and personal care products to algae.

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) have been frequently detected in the environment around the world. Algae play a significant role in aquatic ecosystem, thus the influence on algae may affect the life of higher trophic organisms. This review provides a state-of-the-art overview of current research on the toxicity of PPCPs to algae. Nanoparticles, contained in personal care products, also have been considered as the ingredients of PPCPs. PPCPs could cause unexpected effects on algae and their communities. Chlorophyta and diatoms are more accessible and sensitive to PPCPs. Multiple algal endpoints should be considered to provide a complete evaluation on PPCPs toxicity. The toxicity of organic ingredients in PPCPs could be predicted through quantitative structure-activity relationship model, whereas the toxicity of nanoparticles could be predicted with limitations. Light irradiation can change the toxicity through affecting algae and PPCPs. pH and natural organic matter can affect the toxicity through changing the existence of PPCPs. For joint and tertiary toxicity, experiments could be conducted to reveal the toxic mechanism. For multiple compound mixture toxicity, concentration addition and independent addition models are preferred. However, there has no empirical models to study nanoparticle-contained mixture toxicity. Algae-based remediation is an emerging technology to prevent the release of PPCPs from water treatment plants. Although many individual algal species are identified for removing a few compounds from PPCPs, algal-bacterial photobioreactor is a preferable alternative, with higher chances for industrial applications.