When solid recovered fuel (SRF) production and consumption maximize environmental benefits? A life cycle assessment.

Solid recovered fuel (SRF) from non-recyclable waste obtained from source separation and mechanical treatments can replace carbon coke in cement plants, contributing to the carbon neutrality. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of the SRF production from non-recyclable and selected waste was conducted in an Italian mechanical treatment plant to estimate the potential environmental impacts per ton of SRF produced. The analysis would contribute to evaluate the benefits that can be obtained due to coke substitution in best- and worst-case scenarios. The avoided impacts achieved were assessed, together with an evaluation of the variables that can affect the environmental benefits: SRF biogenic carbon content (in percentage of paper and cardboard); transportation distances travelled from the treatment plant to the cement kiln; the renewable energy used in the mechanical facility. On average, about 35.6 kgCO2-eq are generated by the SRF transportation and production phase. These impacts are greatly compensated by coke substitution, obtaining a net value of about -1.1 tCO2-eq avoided per ton of SRF. On balance, the global warming potential due to SRF production and consumption ranges from about -542 kgCO2-eq to about -1729 kgCO2-eq. The research recommended the use of SRF to substitute coke in cement kilns also in low densely-populated areas to mitigate environmental impacts and achieve carbon neutrality at a global level.

Spatial distribution, environmental behavior, and health risk assessment of PAHs in soils at prototype coking plants in Shanxi, China: Stable carbon isotope and molecular composition analyses.

To investigate the environmental behavior of and carcinogenic risk posed by 16 priority-controlled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), soil samples and air samples from the coke oven top were collected in two prototype coking plants (named PF and JD). The PF soils contained more PAHs than the JD soils because the PF plant employed the side-charging technique and had a lower coke oven height. The soils from both plants contained enough PAHs to pose a carcinogenic risk, and this risk was higher in the PF plant. Data were collected on the source characteristic spectrum of stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of PAHs emitted from the coke oven top (δ13C values of -36.02‰ to -32.05‰ for gaseous PAHs and -34.09‰ to -25.28‰ for particulate PAHs), and these data fill a research gap and may be referenced for isotopic-technology-based source apportionment. Diagnostic ratios and isotopic technology revealed that the coking plant soils were mainly influenced by the coking process, followed by vehicle exhaust; the soils near the boundary of each plant were slightly affected by C3 plant burning. For most PAHs [excluding fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene, and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene], the dominant migration process was the net volatilization of PAHs from soil to air. In the PF plant, 13C was depleted in gaseous PAHs during volatilization.

Occurrence of BTX and PAHs in underground drinking water of coking contaminated sites: Linkage with altitude and health risk assessment by boiling-modified models.

The safety of underground drinking water has received widespread attention. However, few studies have focused on the occurrence and health risks of pollutants in underground drinking water of coking contaminated sites. In this study, the distribution characteristics, sources, and human health risks of benzene, toluene, xylene (BTX) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in underground drinking water from a typical coking contaminated site in Shanxi of China were investigated. The average concentrations of BTX and PAHs in coking plant (CP) were 5.1 and 4.8 times higher than those in residential area (RA), respectively. Toluene and Benzene were the main BTX, while Acenaphthene, Fluorene, and Pyrene were the main PAHs. Concentrations of BTX/PAHs were negatively correlated with altitude, revealing altitude might be an important geological factor influencing spatial distribution of BTX/PAHs. PMF model demonstrated that the BTX/PAHs pollution in RA mainly originated from coking industrial activities. Health risk assessments were conducted by a modified US EPA-based model, in which environmental concentrations were replaced by residual concentrations after boiling. Residual ratios of different BTX/PAHs were determined by boiling experiments to be 9.4-93.8 %. The average total carcinogenic risks after boiling were decreased from 2.6 × 10-6 to 1.4 × 10-6 for adults, and from 4.3 × 10-6 to 2.1 × 10-6 for children, suggesting boiling was an effective strategy to reduce the carcinogenic risks from BTX/PAHs, especially for ingestion pathway. Monte Carlo simulation results matched well with the calculated results, suggesting the uncertainty was acceptable and the risk assessment results were reliable. This study provided useful information for revealing the spatial distribution of BTX/PAHs in underground drinking water of coking contaminated sites, understanding their linkage with altitude, and also helped to more accurately evaluate the health risks by using the newly established boiling-modified models.

Trace elements assessment in Cerastoderma glaucum from port areas in the Tunisian Mediterranean coast: The influence of parasites on bioaccumulation.

In the present study, the seasonal concentration of seven trace elements was investigated in sediment and the cockle Cerastoderma glaucum tissues from two port areas in the North-East and South of Tunisia comparing cockles non-parasitized (NP) and parasitized (P) with digenean parasites. Elements concentration in sediments analyzed in both sites revealed that Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), and Lead (Pb) were the most abundant ones, while Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) were less abundant. The bioaccumulation of trace metals and Arsenic (As) in the tissues of cockles seems to be modulated by both the infection state and the parasite species. The relationship between bioaccumulation of metals and As, trematode species and abiotic parameters showed that the availability of certain metals for uptake by P cockles of both sites was influenced by the salinity and temperature of the water. Our results corroborate the possibility of using digenean infecting bivalves in biomonitoring aquatic ecosystems.

Distribution characteristics, risk assessment, and relevance with surrounding soil of heavy metals in coking solid wastes from coking plants in Shanxi, China.

Heavy metal concentrations represent important pollution evaluation indices, and it is necessary to assess the potential environmental and health risks from heavy metals associated with coking wastes from coking plants. In this study, coking sludge (CS), tar residue (TR), coke powder (CP), and sulfur paste (SP) from three coking plants (Plant A, Plant B, and Plant C) in central, western, and southern Shanxi Province and from soils surrounding Plant A were selected as the research objects, and the distributions of Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, and Cr were determined. The results showed that Cd in the four solid wastes far exceeded the soil background value by a factor of 16~195, and the contents of Pb in TR (three plants) and CS (Plant C) exceeded the soil background values 19.70-, 23.57-, 14.46-, and 12.56-fold, respectively. Similarly, the concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Cd in soils were higher than the background values by factors of 31.18, 8.35, 34.79, 29.48, and 3.43, respectively. In addition, the Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cr in the four solid wastes and soils mainly existed in the residual state. As depth increased, the overall Ni, Pb, Mn, and Cd concentrations in soils increased. The high ecological risks associated with the four solid wastes were mainly due to the enrichment of Cd. Workers in coking plants face certain Cr health risks. This study provides theoretical support for the coking industry with respect to the treatment, disposal, and management of solid wastes.

Source apportionment and source specific health risk assessment of HMs and PAHs in soils with an integrated framework in a typical cold agricultural region in China.

A new innovative methodology system framework for source apportionment and source-specific risk assessment has been proposed and actively applied to identify the contamination characteristics, oriented sources and health risks associated with contamination levels of Heavy metals (HMs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils, a typical cold agricultural region in Northeastern China. To achieve this meaningful goal, a large-scale dataset including 1780 top soil samples, 10 HMs and 16 priority PAHs has been organized and collected from a typical study area in China. The total concentrations of the 10 selected HMs in study area range from 0.05 to 2147.40 mg/kg, with an average of 549.25 ± 541.37 mg/kg. The average concentrations of PAHs for (3-6)-rings are 16.60 ± 18.90, 26.40 ± 28.20, 9.51 ± 13.00 and 1.99 ± 5.30 ng/g, respectively. On the base of optimized literature source fingerprints for HM and PAH, a widely used receptor model, positive matrix factorization (PMF) has been applied to apportion the contamination sources HMs and PAHs in soils. Then source-specific health risk of soil HMs and PAHs have been assessed using the probabilistic incremental lifetime cancer risk model incorporated with source apportionment results data. Fertilizer residues/coke oven comprise the primary contamination source contributors of HMs and PAHs with corresponding contributions of 32.23 % and 27.93 % for HMs and 37.94 % for PAHs. Fertilizer/pesticide residues contributes most to the risks of soil HMs (28.8 %), followed by fossil fuel combustion (24.6 %), mining activities (20.2 %), traffic and vehicle emission (16.3 %) and electroplating/dyeing (14.1 %). Meanwhile, the ranking of health risks from the five identified contamination sources of soil PAHs are resident discharge, coal-fired boilers, coke oven emission, gasoline combustion and power plant, with the contribution of 27.1 %, 25.3 %, 17.3 %, 15.5 % and 14.8 %. And relatively, source-specific risk assessment demonstrates fossil fuel and coal combustion contribute the greatest impact to the total risk of HMs and PAHs (61.7 % and 56.1 %), respectively. This study provides a good example of how the source specific health risk assessment can be utilized to reduce the contamination in soils.

Atmospheric occurrences and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives in a typical coking facility and surrounding areas.

Coking facilities release large quantities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives into the ambient air. Here we examined the profiles, spatial distributions, and potential sources of atmospheric PAHs and their derivatives in an industrial coking plant and its surrounding environment (gaseous and particulate). The mean concentrations of PAHs, nitrated PAHs (NPAHs), chlorinated PAHs (ClPAHs), and brominated PAHs (BrPAHs) in the air of the coking facility were 923, 23.8, 16.7 and 4.25 ng m-³, respectively, 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than those in the surrounding area and the control area. Linear regressions between contaminant concentrations and distance from the coking facility suggested that the concentrations of PAHs (r2 = 0.82, p < 0.05), NPAHs (r2 = 0.77, p < 0.01), and BrPAHs (r2 = 0.62, p < 0.01) were negatively correlated with distance. Additionally, the particle-bound fractions of PAHs and their derivatives were significantly correlated with their molecular weights (p < 0.01). Based on the calculation of the gas/particle partitioning coefficients (log KP) for PAHs and their derivatives and the corresponding subcooled liquid vapor pressures (log PL), the slope values for PAHs, NPAHs, ClPAHs, and BrPAHs ranged from -1 to -0.6, indicating that deposition of PAHs and their derivatives occurred through both adsorption and absorption. Five emissions sources were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), including coking emissions, oil pollution, industrial and combustion sources, secondary formation, and traffic emissions, with coking emissions accounting for more than 50% of total emissions. Furthermore, the results of the health risks assessment suggested that atmospheric PAHs and their derivatives in the coke plant and surrounding area negatively impacted human health.

Assessment of toxic metal pollution in Yueqing Bay and the extent of metal-induced oxidative stress in Tegillarca granosa raised in this water.

Yueqing Bay is an important economic shellfish culture zone in Zhejiang Province, China. However, increased pollution in the water caused by toxic metals has led to the bioaccumulation of toxic metals in cockles such as Tegillarca granosa, and the consequence of toxic metal-associated toxicity in these animals. This study aimed to assess the concentration of toxic metals in the water and sediment in four different sites (Baisha, Qingjiang, Nanyue, and Wengyang) within Yueqing Bay and to evaluate the extent of metal bioaccumulation in T. granosa raised in the aquaculture farms located within the four sites, as well as the changes in biomarkers in T. granosa in response to the metals. The assessment was carried out at two different times of the year, January and July. The water and sediment samples taken from the aquaculture farms in Baisha (S1), Qingjiang (S2) and Nanyue (S3) were found to have a comprehensive toxic metal pollution index (Pc) <1, indicating that these farms were not polluted. However, the water and sediment samples taken from the aquaculture farm in Wengyang (S4) had a Pc between 1 and 2, indicating mild toxic metal pollution. The edible risk assessments (HQ) of T. granosa in all four farms were <1, and therefore, these cockles could be considered safe for human consumption. The toxic metal enrichment in T. granosa exhibited a strong correlation with the toxic metal content in the sediment. In all four farms, CAT and SOD activity levels in the visceral mass of T. granosa were higher than those found in the foot, and a significantly higher level of CAT activity was detected in July compared with January. Similarly, MDA and H2O2 contents in the visceral mass were also higher in July than in January. Tegillarca granosa individuals taken from S4 and S3 farms exhibited significantly higher levels of metallothionein (MT) mRNA and MDA compared with individuals from S1 and S2 farms. Furthermore, the levels of MDA and MT mRNA showed significant positive correlations with Cd, Cr, Hg, and Cu. Elevation of lipid peroxidation in these cockles coincided with increasing levels of endogenous antioxidants. The visceral mass of T. granosa and its MDA level could be used as a tissue indicator and a biochemical marker, respectively, for detecting toxic metal pollution. MT mRNA might also be used as a molecular marker of toxic metal pollution. The integrated biomarker response version 2 (IBRv2) values of the four aquaculture farms in Yueqing Bay showed the order S4 > S3 > S2 > S1, indicating that S4 had the most serious metal-induced stress. Furthermore, the IBRv2 values correlated with the Nemerow composite index (Pc) for all the cockles examined. Thus, as far as the contamination of aquaculture farms in Yueqing Bay by toxic metals is concerned, the aquaculture farm in Wengyang (S4) was mildly contaminated by toxic metals. However, the contamination was relatively low, presenting a low risk for the local population of T. granosa.

Benchmark Dose Assessment for Coke Oven Emissions-Induced Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Damage Effects.

Objective: The study aimed to estimate the benchmark dose (BMD) of coke oven emissions (COEs) exposure based on mitochondrial damage with the mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) as a biomarker. Methods: A total of 782 subjects were recruited, including 238 controls and 544 exposed workers. The mtDNAcn of peripheral leukocytes was detected through the real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Three BMD approaches were used to calculate the BMD of COEs exposure based on the mitochondrial damage and its 95% confidence lower limit (BMDL). Results: The mtDNAcn of the exposure group was lower than that of the control group (0.60 ± 0.29 vs. 1.03 ± 0.31; P < 0.001). A dose-response relationship was shown between the mtDNAcn damage and COEs. Using the Benchmark Dose Software, the occupational exposure limits (OELs) for COEs exposure in males was 0.00190 mg/m 3. The OELs for COEs exposure using the BBMD were 0.00170 mg/m 3 for the total population, 0.00158 mg/m 3 for males, and 0.00174 mg/m 3 for females. In possible risk obtained from animal studies (PROAST), the OELs of the total population, males, and females were 0.00184, 0.00178, and 0.00192 mg/m 3, respectively. Conclusion: Based on our conservative estimate, the BMDL of mitochondrial damage caused by COEs is 0.002 mg/m 3. This value will provide a benchmark for determining possible OELs.

[Analysis on Contamination Characteristics, Pollution Source Identification and Ecological Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons of Groundwater in a Large Coking Plant Site of Province].

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as a highly toxic persistent organic pollutant, are commonly found in soil and water environments. In recent years, the pollution of PAHs in groundwater has attracted wide attention from scientists. To study the pollution characteristics and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in groundwater of the coking site, 16 PAHs priorly controlled by the US EPA were analyzed and discussed. In this study, we identified the contamination characteristics of PAHs in groundwater, analyzed the pollution sources of PAHs, and evaluated the ecological risk of PAHs in the coking site by combining statistical techniques, the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, and risk quotient (RQ) methods. The results indicated that the total detection rate of PAHs in groundwater of the coking plant was 46.7%. The concentrations of PAHs in groundwater of the coking plant ranged from below the detection limit to 444.9 µg·L-1, with the average value of 1.88 µg·L-1. The concentration of PAHs in the groundwater of different production workshops was significantly different. The most polluted workshop was in the tar-refining area, and the concentration of 16 PAHs was 444.9 µg·L-1. Based on the PMF model, we identified the two primary contamination sources of PAHs in groundwater of the coking plant:① oil combustion and ② coal and biomass combustion and oil leakage. The contribution ratios of the two sources to PAHs of groundwater were 38.6% and 61.4%, respectively. The results of the ecological risk assessment indicated that Σ16PAHs in groundwater of the coking plant had high ecological risk, and the ecological risk of single PAHs in 53.4% of the groundwater sampling site was at a high ecological risk level. In conclusion, it is urgent to carry out the treatment and restoration of the groundwater environment in the coking plant site.

Spatial distribution, source identification, and human health risk assessment of PAHs and their derivatives in soils nearby the coke plants.

The coking industry can generate large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives, which may negatively impact the environment and human health. In this study, soils nearby a typical coking plant were sampled to assess the impact of coke production on the surrounding residential areas and human health. The mean concentration of PAHs and their derivatives in residential area soils nearby the coke plant was 4270 ng/g dw, which was 1 order of magnitude higher than that observed in areas far from the coke plant and approximately 4 times lower than that revealed the coke plant. In addition, the results showed that coking processing area was the most contaminant area of the coke plant (mean: 74.4 µg/g dw), where was also the main source of pollutants in residential areas. In terms of vertical soils in coking plant, the maximum levels of chemicals (mean: 205 µg/g dw) were presented at the leakage of underground pipelines, where were much higher than those in surface soils, and decreased with the increase of depth. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed obvious differences in the concentrations of 6-nitrochrysene between the plant, residential areas and control areas. Meanwhile, 6-nitrochrysene had potential cancer risk (CR) for human in the coking site. Thus, 6-nitrochrysene was the most noteworthy PAH derivatives. Furthermore, the CR (mean: 5.94 × 10-5) and toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs) (mean: 14.8 µg·TEQ/g) of PAHs and their derivatives was assessed in this study. This finding suggested that PAHs and their derivatives especially those extremely toxic chemicals (Nitro-PAHs (NPAHs) and Br/Cl-PAHs (XPAHs)) might pose a potential health risk to residents nearby the coke plant. The current study provides further insights into the pollution characteristics of PAHs and their derivatives in coke plants and potential risks to the workers and surrounding residents.

Levels, source apportionment, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vegetable bases of northwest China.

Dietary consumption of contaminated vegetables is the main route of human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, there is a lack of research on PAHs in vegetables from northwest China. In this study, the concentrations, sources, and risk assessment of PAHs in the soil and vegetables of Urumqi, an urbanized city in Xinjiang, China, were investigated. The total concentrations of 16 PAHs in soil and vegetable samples ranged 10.58-77.20 and 93.7-1071.8 ng/g, with average values of 2.86 and 242.76 ng/g, respectively. Among vegetable samples, the concentrations were in the order: leafy vegetables (299.08 ng/g) > fruits (192.65 ng/g) > vegetable roots (152.05 ng/g). The source apportionment of PAHs was identified using positive matrix factorization. The primary sources of PAHs in soil samples are oil spills, traffic emissions, coal combustion, and coke combustion. The main sources of PAHs in vegetable samples are oil spills and burning of grass, wood, coal, and coke. In soil samples, the ecological risk caused by PAHs is at a safe level, and the incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) of ingestion exposure exceed 1.0 × 10-6, which will pose potential risks to human body. The ILCRs of vegetable samples revealed that all groups had potential risks from onion and cabbage consumption (ILCRs > 1.0 × 10-6). In particular, adult women had a higher risk of cancer (ILCRs > 1.0 × 10-4). These results emphasize the importance of combating PAHs pollution in vegetable bases.

Spatial variability and risk assessment of heavy metals in the soil surrounding solid waste from coking plants in Shanxi, China.

Heavy metal pollution in the soil surrounding solid wastes from coking plants poses potential threats to human health and has attracted widespread attention. This study is the first to assess the spatial variability and risks of heavy metals in the soil surrounding solid waste from coking plants. The results showed that the concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cd in the soil were much higher than the background value of the soil. Solid waste had a clear influence on the contents of Ni, Cd, Mn, Pb, and Cr in the soil. The ecological risk assessment of heavy metal pollution demonstrated that the pollution degree of Cu, Pb, and Cd was more serious than others, and the ecological risk of heavy metals was mainly caused by Cd in the soil. The human health risk assessment showed that adults and children near coking plants might face carcinogenic risk from exposure to Cr. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and management of soil heavy metal pollution surrounding solid waste in coking plants.

Unveiling Urinary Mutagenicity by the Ames Test for Occupational Risk Assessment: A Systematic Review.

Occupational exposure may involve a variety of toxic compounds. A mutagenicity analysis using the Ames test can provide valuable information regarding the toxicity of absorbed xenobiotics. Through a search of relevant databases, this systematic review gathers and critically discusses the published papers (excluding other types of publications) from 2001-2021 that have assessed urinary mutagenicity (Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium) in an occupational exposure context. Due to the heterogeneity of the study methods, a meta-analysis could not be conducted. The characterized occupations were firefighters, traffic policemen, bus drivers, mail carriers, coke oven and charcoal workers, chemical laboratory staff, farmers, pharmacy workers, and professionals from several other industrial sectors. The genetically modified bacterial strains (histidine dependent) TA98, TA100, YG1041, YG1021, YG1024 and YG1042 have been used for the health risk assessment of individual (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and mixtures of compounds (e.g., diesel engine exhaust, fire smoke, industrial fumes/dyes) in different contexts. Although comparison of the data between studies is challenging, urinary mutagenicity can be very informative of possible associations between work-related exposure and the respective mutagenic potential. Careful interpretation of results and their direct use for occupational health risk assessment are crucial and yet complex; the use of several strains is highly recommended since individual and/or synergistic effects of complex exposure to xenobiotics can be overlooked. Future studies should improve the methods used to reach a standardized protocol for specific occupational environments to strengthen the applicability of the urinary mutagenicity assay and reduce inter- and intra-individual variability and exposure source confounders.

Positive effect of adding probabilistic models to traditional models in the application of risk assessment of Chinese coking plants.

To date, the known models applied in China to risk assessment and cleanup level estimation still have uncertainties. To solve this problem, this study combined the advantages of the traditional model and the probabilistic risk assessment model to create a new model that fits China's exposure scenarios and enhance the accuracy of health risk assessment and cleanup level estimation. The results of applying the traditional model to the health risk assessment and cleanup level estimate in coking plants showed that the selection of point estimates influenced the results, which increased the uncertainty in the outcome of the risk assessment and cleanup level estimates. The risk assessment result of the new model adopted the 95th percentile distribution range to establish a confidence interval to solve the uncertainty of the traditional model. The cancer risk results calculated using the new model were one-fifth to one-third of those calculated using the traditional model. The results showed that using the new model could eliminate the conservativeness of the traditional model. For the cleanup level estimation, the cleanup levels calculated by the new model can control the risk by 95% for the coking plant, but the results calculated by the traditional model can only control the risk by 69-80%. Therefore, the cleanup levels obtained using the traditional model may underestimate the exposure risk of pollutants. The concentration of contaminants in the surface soil was the most sensitive variable in terms of risk outcomes, but the most important parameter for cleanup level estimation was exposure duration. This study highlighted the positive role of the new model in improving the accuracy of risk assessments and cleanup level estimation.

Genomic Survey and Resources for the Boring Giant Clam Tridacna crocea.

The boring giant clam Tridacna crocea is an evolutionary, ecologically, economically, and culturally important reef-dwelling bivalve targeted by a profitable ornamental fishery in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. In this study, we developed genomic resources for T. crocea. Using low-pass (=low-coverage, ~6×) short read sequencing, this study, for the first time, estimated the genome size, unique genome content, and nuclear repetitive elements, including the 45S rRNA DNA operon, in T. crocea. Furthermore, we tested if the mitochondrial genome can be assembled from RNA sequencing data. The haploid genome size estimated using a k-mer strategy was 1.31-1.39 Gbp, which is well within the range reported before for other members of the family Cardiidae. Unique genome content estimates using different k-mers indicated that nearly a third and probably at least 50% of the genome of T. crocea was composed of repetitive elements. A large portion of repetitive sequences could not be assigned to known repeat element families. Taking into consideration only annotated repetitive elements, the most common were classified as Satellite DNA which were more common than Class I-LINE and Class I-LTR Ty3-gypsy retrotransposon elements. The nuclear ribosomal operon in T. crocea was partially assembled into two contigs, one encoding the complete ssrDNA and 5.8S rDNA unit and a second comprising a partial lsrDNA. A nearly complete mitochondrial genome (92%) was assembled from RNA-seq. These newly developed genomic resources are highly relevant for improving our understanding of the biology of T. crocea and for the development of conservation plans and the fisheries management of this iconic reef-dwelling invertebrate.

External Exposure to BTEX, Internal Biomarker Response, and Health Risk Assessment of Nonoccupational Populations near a Coking Plant in Southwest China.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) have raised increasing concern due to their adverse effects on human health. In this study, a coking factory and four communities nearby were selected as the research area. Atmospheric BTEX samples were collected and determined by a preconcentrator GC-MS method. Four biomarkers in the morning urine samples of 174 participants from the communities were measured by LC-MS. The health risks of BTEX exposure via inhalation were estimated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of external BTEX exposure on the internal biomarker levels and quantitatively evaluate the health risk of populations near the coking industry. The results showed that the average total BTEX concentration in residential area was 7.17 ± 7.24 µg m-3. Trans,trans-muconic acid (T,T-MA) was the urinary biomarker with the greatest average level (127 ± 285 µg g-1 crt). Similar spatial trends can be observed between atmospheric benzene concentration and internal biomarker levels. The mean values of the LCR for male and female residents were 2.15 × 10-5 and 2.05 × 10-5, respectively. The results of the risk assessment indicated that special attention was required for the non-occupational residents around the area.

Human health risk assessment in PM10 -bound trace elements, seasonal patterns, and source apportionment study in a critically polluted coking coalfield area of India.

Jharia Coalfield (JCF) has been affected by coalmine fire and subsidence problems for several years. The emission of particulate pollutants is due to the history of unscientific and unregulated coal mining in the JCF area. In the present study (conducted in the year 2019), seasonal variations, possible causes, and human health hazards of particulate matter (PM10 )-bound trace metals like Cd, Cu, Fe, Cr, Ni, Mn, Co, Pb, Zn, and As were estimated. The mean concentration of PM10 (418 ± 67 µg/m3 ) exceeded the limit of NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards India, 2009) by a factor of 4.18. PM10 -bound trace metal concentrations were found in the order of Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn > Cr > Pb > Co > Ni > Cd > As. The maximum trace metal concentrations of all the metals studied were observed at the mining areas of JCF affected by coalmine fire. Human health carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks in children and adults were estimated through exposure pathways, ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation. The cancer risk was evaluated as excess cancer risk (ECR). Noncancer risk estimates were evaluated as the hazard index (HI) and the hazard quotient (HQ). The HI and HQ values for Cr, Cu, Cd, As, and Pb at coalmine-fire-affected areas were observed to be higher than the value of safe dose (≤1), showing a possible noncarcinogenic risk to the inhabitants as a result of multielemental toxicity. The ECR values (>10-6) in JCF areas suggested a carcinogenic risk to the populace of the area, owing to inhalation of PM10 -linked Cd. Active mine fire (related to mining activities), higher transportation load, and resuspended particulate matter from road transportation were identified as the possible causes of the estimated risks based on principal component analysis and Pearson correlation analyses. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:469-478. © 2021 SETAC.

Vertical profile and assessment of soil pollution from a typical coking plant by suspect screening and non-target screening using GC/QTOF-MS.

A comprehensive workflow for suspect screening and non-target screening with gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/QTOF-MS) was used to characterize the pollution characteristics of soil samples in a typical coking plant in China. Suspect screening confirmed 57 chemicals including PAHs, alkyl PAHs, and phthalates contained in high-resolution personal compound database and library (PCDL). Non-target screening detected 88 chemicals from soil samples in the NIST 17 library. A total of 122 chemicals were screened in soil samples, and many of them were of emerging concern. Their presence in the soil obtained from coking operations has been underestimated, such as the oxygenated PAHs (naphtho[2,1-b]furan and 9H-fluoren-9-one), and the alkyl biphenyls compounds (4,4'-dimethylbiphenyl, 3,3'-dimethylbiphenyl, 4-methyl-1,1'-biphenyl and 2,2',5,5'-tetramethyl-1,1'-biphenyl). Toxicity assays by luminescent bacteria proved that the extracts from soil samples at different depths showed varying toxicity to V. qinghaiensis sp.-Q67. Soil extracts from a depth of 20-40 cm exhibited the greatest toxicity to luminescent bacteria compared with the other six-layered soil samples, which was correlated with the number of detectable pollutants and total organic carbon content. This study provided a screening method for suspect and non-target contaminants in urban industrial soil sites, which was important in identifying localized contamination sources.

Assessment of carbamazepine acute toxicity in the cockle Cerastoderma edule through chemical, physiological and biochemical tools / Avaliação da toxicidade aguda da carbamazepina no berbigão Cerastoderma edule por meio de ferramentas químicas, fisiológicas e bioquímicas

The cockle Cerastoderma edule was exposed to four concentrations (5, 10, 20 and 70 μg L-¹) of carbamazepine (CBZ). This anticonvulsant was found to alter the mussel behavior of by reducing its clearance rate (CR). Analysis of CBZ accumulation in tissues of C. edule was carried out using HPLC-UV after 48 or 96 hours of exposure. In addition, an overproduction of H2O2 by the bivalves was detected following exposure to CBZ but nitrite levels remained unchanged. Moreover, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities showed a significant increase in relation to their contact with CBZ. The activity of the biotransformation enzyme gluthatione-S-transferase did not change during exposure. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels indicating cellular damage, increased when bivalves were exposed to 20 and 70 μg l-¹ of carbamazepine for 96 h CBZ. The results also indicate that acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) was inhibited in all CBZ concentrations during the 48 h exposure period. However, during the 96 h exposure period, AChE was only inhibited at the highest concentration. Further studies are needed now for more exploration of the toxicity of CBZ since it could be bioaccumulable throughout the food web and may affect non-target organisms.

O berbigão Cerastoderma edule foi exposto a quatro concentrações (5, 10, 20 e 70 μg L-¹) de carbamazepina (CBZ). Este anticonvulsivante alterou o comportamento do mexilhão, reduzindo sua taxa de depuração (CR). A análise do acúmulo de CBZ nos tecidos de C. edule foi realizada por HPLC-UV após 48 ou 96 horas de exposição. Além disso, uma superprodução de H2O2 pelos bivalves foi detectada após a exposição à CBZ, mas os níveis de nitrito permaneceram inalterados. Além disso, as atividades de superóxido dismutase e catalase apresentaram aumento significativo em relação ao contato com CBZ. A atividade da enzima de biotransformação glutationa-S-transferase não se alterou durante a exposição. Os níveis de malondialdeído (MDA), indicando dano celular, aumentaram quando os bivalves foram expostos a 20 e 70 μg l-1 de carbamazepina por 96 h CBZ. Os resultados também indicam que a atividade da acetilcolinesterase (AChE) foi inibida em todas as concentrações de CBZ durante o período de exposição de 48 horas. No entanto, durante o período de exposição de 96 horas, a AChE foi inibida apenas na concentração mais alta. Mais estudos são necessários agora para uma maior exploração da toxicidade da CBZ, uma vez que pode ser bioacumulável em toda a cadeia alimentar e pode afetar organismos não alvo.