Rapid static feeding combined with Fe2+ addition for improving the formation and stability of aerobic granular sludge in low-strength wastewater.

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) needs a long start-up time and always shows unstable performance when it is used to treat low-strength wastewater. In this study, a rapid static feeding combined with Fe2+ addition as a novel strategy was employed to improve the formation and stability of AGS in treating low-strength wastewater. Fe-AGS was formed within only 7 days and showed favorable pollutant removal capability and settling performance. The ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration in the effluent were lower than 5 mg/L and 50 mg/L after day 23, respectively. The sludge volume index (SVI) and mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) was 37 mL/g and 2.15 g/L on day 50, respectively. Rapid static feeding can accelerate granules formation by promoting the growth of heterotrophic bacteria, but the granules are unstable due to filamentous bacteria overgrowth. Fe2+ addition can inhibit the growth of filamentous bacteria and promote the aggregation of functional bacteria (eg. Nitrosomonas, Nitrolancea, Paracoccus, Diaphorobacter) by enhancing the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). This study provides a new way for AGS application in low-strength wastewater treatment.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Formal [4+1] Cyclization of Benzyl Alcohols and Benzaldimines: Facile Access to Silicon-Stereogenic Heterocycles.

The carbon-to-silicon switch in formation of bioactive sila-heterocycles with a silicon-stereogenic center has garnered significant interest in drug discovery. However, metal-catalyzed synthesis of such scaffolds is still in its infancy. Herein, a rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective formal [4+1] cyclization of benzyl alcohols and benzaldimines has been realized by enantioselective difunctionalization of a secondary silane reagent, affording chiral-at-silicon cyclic silyl ethers and sila-isoindolines, respectively. Mechanistic studies reveal a dual role of the rhodium-hydride catalyst. The coupling system proceeds via rhodium-catalyzed enantio-determining dehydrogenative OH silylation of the benzyl alcohol or hydrosilylation of the imine to give an enantioenriched silyl ether or silazane intermediate, respectively. The same rhodium catalyst also enables subsequent intramolecular cyclative C-H silylation directed by the pendent Si-H group. Experimental and DFT studies have been conducted to explore the mechanism of the OH bond silylation of benzyl alcohol, where the Si-O reductive elimination from a Rh(III) hydride intermediate has been established as the enantiodetermining step.

Anoxygenic phototrophic arsenite oxidation by a Rhodobacter strain.

Microbially mediated arsenic redox transformations are key for arsenic speciation and mobility in rice paddies. Whereas anaerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis coupled to arsenite (As(III)) oxidation has been widely examined in arsenic-replete ecosystems, it remains unknown whether this light-dependent process exists in paddy soils. Here, we isolated a phototrophic purple bacteria, Rhodobacter strain CZR27, from an arsenic-contaminated paddy soil and demonstrated its capacity to oxidize As(III) to arsenate (As(V)) using malate as a carbon source photosynthetically. Genome sequencing revealed an As(III)-oxidizing gene cluster (aioXSRBA) encoding an As(III) oxidase. Functional analyses showed that As(III) oxidation under anoxic phototrophic conditions correlated with transcription of the large subunit of the As(III) oxidase aioA gene. Furthermore, the non-As(III) oxidizer Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003 heterologously expressing aioBA from strain CZR27 was able to oxidize As(III), indicating that aioBA was responsible for the observed As(III) oxidation in strain CZR27. Our study provides evidence for the presence of anaerobic photosynthesis-coupled As(III) oxidation in paddy soils, highlighting the importance of light-dependent, microbe-mediated arsenic redox changes in paddy arsenic biogeochemistry.

Natural Microbial Reactor-Based Sensing Platform for Highly Sensitive Detection of Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Grains.

Rice is a major dietary source of inorganic arsenic (iAs), a highly toxic arsenical that accumulates in rice and poses health risks to rice-based populations. However, the availability of detection methods for iAs in rice grains is limited. In this study, we developed a novel approach utilizing a natural bacterial biosensor, Escherichia coli AW3110 (pBB-ArarsR-mCherry), in conjunction with amylase hydrolysis for efficient extraction, enabling high-throughput and quantitative detection of iAs in rice grains. The biosensor exhibits high specificity for arsenic and distinguishes between arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] by modulating the concentration of PO43- in the detection system. We determined the iAs concentrations in 19 rice grain samples with varying total As concentrations and compared our method with the standard technique of microwave digestion coupled with HPLC-ICP-MS. Both methods exhibited comparable results, without no significant bias in the concentrations of As(III) and As(V). The whole-cell biosensor demonstrated excellent reproducibility and a high signal-to-noise ratio, achieving a limit of detection of 16 µg kg-1 [As(III)] and 29 µg kg-1 [As(V)]. These values are considerably lower than the maximum allowable level (100 µg kg-1) for infant rice supplements established by the European Union. Our straightforward sensing strategy presents a promising tool for detecting iAs in other food samples.

Capgras Syndrome in the Young: Schizophrenia or Alzheimer Disease?

This is a case report of an atypical presentation of early onset Alzheimer disease (EOAD) in a young patient with Capgras syndrome and cognitive impairment. The concurrent onset of psychiatric and cognitive symptoms prompted a detailed evaluation for a neurodegenerative disease. A 50-year-old male lawyer presented with low mood, apathy, delusions, and auditory hallucinations over 18 months. He considered his wife as an imposter and would require her text message to confirm her identity. He became more forgetful and had to give up his law practice. His neuropsychological assessment was impaired in all domains. Genetic testing revealed homozygosity for APOEe4 alleles. His magnetic resonance imaging showed predominant parietal and medial temporal atrophy, [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed frontal, parietal and posterior temporal hypometabolism and [18F]Flutemetamol positron emission tomography was positive for amyloid deposition, leading to the diagnosis of EOAD. This case highlights EOAD as a differential diagnosis in young patients who present with Capgras syndrome.

Microbial Processes Mediating the Evolution of Methylarsine Gases from Dimethylarsenate in Paddy Soils.

Arsenic (As) biovolatilization is an important component of the global As biogeochemical cycle. Soils can emit various methylarsine gases, but the underlying microbial processes remain unclear. Here, we show that the addition of molybdate (Mo), an inhibitor of sulfate-reducing bacteria, greatly enhanced dimethylarsine evolution from dimethylarsenate [DMAs(V)] added to two paddy soils. Molybdate addition significantly affected the microbial community structure. The aerobic enrichment cultures from both soils volatilized substantial amounts of dimethylarsine from DMAs(V) in the presence of Mo, whereas the anaerobic enrichment cultures did not. A Bacillus strain (CZ-2) capable of reducing DMAs(V) to dimethylarsine was isolated from the aerobic enrichment culture, and its volatilization ability was enhanced by Mo. RNA-seq analysis identified 10 reductase genes upregulated by Mo. Addition of the reducing agent NADH increased dimethylarsine volatilization by strain CZ-2, suggesting that DMAs(V) reductase is an NADH-dependent enzyme. The strain could not methylate arsenite or convert monomethylarsenate and DMAs(V) to trimethylarsine. Our results show that dimethylarsine evolution from DMAs(V) is independent of the As methylation pathway and that Mo enhances dimethylarsine evolution from paddy soils by shifting the microbial community structure and enhancing the reduction of DMAs(V) to dimethylarsine, possibly through upregulating the expression of DMAs(V) reductase gene(s).

Long-Term Impact of Field Applications of Sewage Sludge on Soil Antibiotic Resistome.

Land applications of municipal sewage sludge may pose a risk of introducing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from urban environments into agricultural systems. However, how the sewage sludge recycling and application method influence soil resistome and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) remains unclear. In the present study, high through-put quantitative PCR was conducted on the resistome of soils from a field experiment with past (between 1994 and 1997) and annual (since 1994) applications of five different sewage sludges. Total inputs of organic carbon were similar between the two modes of sludge applications. Intrinsic soil resistome, defined as the ARGs shared by the soils in the control and sludge-amended plots, consisted of genes conferring resistance to multidrug, ß-lactam, Macrolide-Lincosamide-Streptogramin B (MLSB), tetracycline, vancomycin, and aminoglycoside, with multidrug resistance genes as the most abundant members. There was a strong correlation between the abundance of ARGs and MGE marker genes in soils. The composition and diversity of ARGs in the five sludges were substantially different from those in soils. Considerable proportions of ARGs and MGE marker genes in the sludges attenuated following the application, especially aminoglycoside and tetracycline resistance genes. Annual applications posed a more significant impact on the soil resistome, through both continued introduction and stimulation of the soil intrinsic ARGs. In addition, direct introduction of sludge-specific ARGs into soil was observed especially from ARG-rich sludge. These results provide a better insight into the characteristics of ARG dissemination from urban environment to the agricultural system through sewage sludge applications.

Phyllosphere bacterial community of floating macrophytes in paddy soil environments as revealed by illumina high-throughput sequencing.

The phyllosphere of floating macrophytes in paddy soil ecosystems, a unique habitat, may support large microbial communities but remains largely unknown. We took Wolffia australiana as a representative floating plant and investigated its phyllosphere bacterial community and the underlying driving forces of community modulation in paddy soil ecosystems using Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform-based 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The results showed that the phyllosphere of W. australiana harbored considerably rich communities of bacteria, with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes as the predominant phyla. The core microbiome in the phyllosphere contained genera such as Acidovorax, Asticcacaulis, Methylibium, and Methylophilus. Complexity of the phyllosphere bacterial communities in terms of class number and α-diversity was reduced compared to those in corresponding water and soil. Furthermore, the bacterial communities exhibited structures significantly different from those in water and soil. These findings and the following redundancy analysis (RDA) suggest that species sorting played an important role in the recruitment of bacterial species in the phyllosphere. The compositional structures of the phyllosphere bacterial communities were modulated predominantly by water physicochemical properties, while the initial soil bacterial communities had limited impact. Taken together, the findings from this study reveal the diversity and uniqueness of the phyllosphere bacterial communities associated with the floating macrophytes in paddy soil environments.

Effect of arsenite-oxidizing bacterium B. laterosporus on arsenite toxicity and arsenic translocation in rice seedlings.

Arsenite [As (III)] oxidation can be accelerated by bacterial catalysis, but the effects of the accelerated oxidation on arsenic toxicity and translocation in rice plants are poorly understood. Herein we investigated how an arsenite-oxidizing bacterium, namely Brevibacillus laterosporus, influences As (III) toxicity and translocation in rice plants. Rice seedlings of four cultivars, namely Guangyou Ming 118 (GM), Teyou Hang II (TH), Shanyou 63 (SY) and Minghui 63 (MH), inoculated with or without the bacterium were grown hydroponically with As (III) to investigate its effects on arsenic toxicity and translocation in the plants. Percentages of As (III) oxidation in the solutions with the bacterium (100%) were all significantly higher than those without (30-72%). The addition of the bacterium significantly decreased As (III) concentrations in SY root, GM root and shoot, while increased the As (III) concentrations in the shoot of SY, MH and TH and in the root of MH. Furthermore, the As (III) concentrations in the root and shoot of SY were both the lowest among the treatments with the bacterium. On the other hand, its addition significantly alleviated the As (III) toxicity on four rice cultivars. Among the treatments amended with B. laterosporus, the bacterium showed the best remediation on SY seedlings, with respect to the subdued As (III) toxicity and decreased As (III) concentration in its roots. These results indicated that As (III) oxidation accelerated by B. laterosporus could be an effective method to alleviate As (III) toxicity on rice seedlings.

Association of the glucokinase gene promoter polymorphism -30G > A (rs1799884) with gestational diabetes mellitus susceptibility: a case-control study and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Several studies have examined the association between glucokinase (GCK)-30G > A polymorphism and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, the results are still controversial. We performed the case-control study to investigate whether GCK-30G > A polymorphism correlates with the susceptibility of GDM in Chinese populations, and then conducted a meta-analysis by combining the previous studies. METHODS: We recruited 948 GDM patients and 975 controls from May 2011 to August 2013. All the subjects were genotyped using the PCR-based invader assay. The differences of allelic frequencies and genotype distributions between GDM patients and controls were investigated in case-control study. A systematic search of all relevant studies was conducted. The observational studies that were related to an association between the glucokinase (GCK)-30G > A polymorphism and GDM were identified. The association between the glucokinase (GCK)-30G > A polymorphism and GDM susceptibility was assessed using genetic models. RESULTS: The case-control study showed that GCK-30G > A polymorphism was associated with the susceptibility of GDM in a Chinese population. Furthermore, other six previously reported studies were included to perform meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that GCK-30G > A polymorphism was associated with GDM in Caucasian and Asian. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that GCK-30G > A polymorphism may be associated with the susceptibility of GDM in a Chinese population. The further meta-analysis provides additional evidence supporting the above result that the risk allele of the GCK-30G > A polymorphism may increase GDM risk.

Arsenite oxidation by the phyllosphere bacterial community associated with Wolffia australiana.

Speciation is a key determinant in the toxicity, behavior, and fate of arsenic (As) in the environment. However, little is known about the transformation of As species mediated by floating macrophytes and the phyllosphere bacteria in aquatic and wetland environment. In this study, Wolffia australiana, a rootless floating duckweed, was cultured with (W+B) or without (W-B) phyllosphere bacteria to investigate its ability in arsenite (As(III)) oxidation. Results showed that sterile W. australiana did not oxidize As(III) in the growth medium or in plant tissue, whereas W. australiana with phyllpsphere bacteria displayed substantial As(III) oxidation in the medium. Quantitative PCR of As redox-related functional genes revealed the dominance of the arsenite oxidase (aioA) gene in the phyllosphere bacterial community. These results demonstrate that the phyllosphere bacteria were responsible for the As(III) oxidation in the W+B system. The rapid oxidation of As(III) by the phyllosphere bacterial community may suppress As accumulation in plant tissues under phosphate rich conditions. The aioA gene library showed that the majority of the phyllosphere arsenite-oxidizing bacteria related either closely to unidentified bacteria found in paddy environments or distantly to known arsenite-oxidizing bacteria. Our research suggests a previously overlooked diversity of arsenite-oxidizing bacteria in the phyllosphere of aquatic macrophytes which may have a substantial impact on As biogeochemistry in water environments, warranting further exploration.

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to mitochondrial damage and differential expression of associated circRNA in rat hepatocytes.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is one of the four major causes of mortality globally. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanism underlying liver injury following exposure to PM2.5 and the involvement of circRNA in its regulation. A PM2.5 respiratory tract exposure model was established in SPF SD male rats with a dose of 20 mg/kg, and liver tissue of rats in control group and PM2.5-exposed groups rats were detected. The results of ICP-MS showed that Mn, Cu and Ni were enriched in the liver. HE staining showed significant pathological changes in liver tissues of PM2.5-exposed group, transmission electron microscopy showed significant changes in mitochondrial structure of liver cells, and further mitochondrial function detection showed that the PM2.5 exposure resulted in an increase in cell reactive oxygen species content and a decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential, while the expression of SOD1 and HO-1 antioxidant oxidase genes was upregulated. Through high-throughput sequencing of circRNAs, we observed a significant down-regulation of 10 and an up-regulation of 17 circRNAs in the PM2.5-exposed groups. The functional enrichment and pathway analyses indicated that the differentially expressed circRNAs by PM2.5 exposure were primarily associated with processes related to protein ubiquitination, zinc ion binding, peroxisome function, and mitochondrial regulation. These findings suggest that the mechanism underlying liver injury induced by PM2.5-exposure may be associated with mitochondrial impairment resulting from the presence of heavy metal constituents. Therefore, this study provides a novel theoretical foundation for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying liver injury induced by PM2.5 exposure.

Assessing intracellular and extracellular distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in the commercial organic fertilizers.

Compost-based organic fertilizers often contain high levels of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Previous studies focused on quantification of total ARGs and MGEs. For a more accurate risk assessment of the dissemination risk of antibiotic resistance, it is necessary to quantify the intracellular and extracellular distribution of ARGs and MGEs. In the present study, extracellular ARGs and MGEs (eARGs and eMGEs) and intracellular ARGs and MGEs (iARGs and iMGEs) were separately analyzed in 51 commercial composts derived from different raw materials by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and metagenomic sequencing. Results showed that eARGs and eMGEs accounted for 11-56% and 4-45% of the total absolute abundance of ARGs and MGEs, respectively. Comparable diversity, host composition and association with MGEs were observed between eARGs and iARGs. Contents of high-risk ARGs were similar between eARGs and iARGs, with high-risk ARGs in the two forms accounting for 6.7% and 8.2% of the total abundances, respectively. Twenty-four percent of the overall ARGs were present in plasmids, while 56.7% of potentially mobile ARGs were found to be associated with plasmids. Variation partitioning analysis, null model and neutral community model indicated that the compositions of both eARGs and iARGs were largely driven by deterministic mechanisms. These results provide important insights into the cellular distribution of ARGs in manure composts that should be paid with specific attention in risk assessment and management.

Cloning of TPO gene and associations of polymorphisms with chicken growth and carcass traits.

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO), which located on the apical membrane surface of thyrocytes, is the key enzyme involved in thyroid hormone synthesis, mainly catalyses the iodination of tyrosine residues and the coupling of iodotyrosines on thyroglobulin to form thyroxine and triiodothyronine. The objectives of this study were to identify genetic polymorphisms of the chicken TPO gene and to analyze potential association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and growth and carcass traits in chicken. Partial sequences of TPO gene were cloned firstly. The nucleotide sequence was found to have 72 % identity with that of humans. The chicken TPO amino acid sequence was 71 %. Through polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing methods, three novel mutations of the chicken TPO gene were detected in the F2 resource population from Gushi chickens and Anka broilers. The association analysis indicated that all of the three SNPs showed association with chicken growth at different periods. The g.29996C>T polymorphisms was significantly associated with body weight, breast bone length, pectoral angle at 12 weeks, claw weight and leg muscle weight (P < 0.05). In addition, individuals with the TT genotype had higher value for almost all the traits than CC and CT genotype. Meanwhile for CLW, the additive effects were significant (P < 0.05). Hence, we suggest that genotype TT can be regarded as a potential molecular marker for later growth and carcass traits in chicken.

Sulfamethoxazole impact on pollutant removal and microbial community of aerobic granular sludge with filamentous bacteria.

In this study, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was employed to investigate its impact on the process of aerobic granule sludge with filamentous bacteria (FAGS). FAGS has shown great tolerance ability. FAGS in a continuous flow reactor (CFR) could keep stable with 2 µg/L of SMX addition during long-term operation. The NH4+, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and SMX removal efficiencies kept higher than 80%, 85%, and 80%, respectively. Both adsorption and biodegradation play important roles in SMX removal for FAGS. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) might play important role in SMX removal and FAGS tolerance to SMX. The EPS content increased from 157.84 mg/g VSS to 328.22 mg/g VSS with SMX addition. SMX has slightly affected on microorganism community. A high abundance of Rhodobacter, Gemmobacter, and Sphaerotilus of FAGS may positively correlate to SMX. The SMX addition has led to the increase in the abundance of the four sulfonamide resistance genes in FAGS.

Micro-polluted water resources treatment by PVDF-TiO2 membrane combined with Fe2+/sodium dithionite (DTN)/O2 pre-oxidation process.

Modifying PVDF membrane by blending hydrophilic nano TiO2 has been highly concerning, but its practical application is not well investigated. In this study, PVDF-TiO2 membrane was employed in two modes to treat micro-polluted raw water for the first time, direct membrane filtration and pre-oxidation assists membrane filtration. At two filtration modes, the PVDF-TiO2 membrane had comparable rejection capability to the unmodified PVDF membrane, as the removal of permanganate index (CODMn) was 0.26-0.72 mg/L, UV254 was 0.0070-0.0618 cm-1, turbidity was 1.60-4.49 NTU, and the total number of colonies was 360-23,780 CFU/mL. As for raw water treatment, using Fe2+/sodium dithionite (DTN)/O2 system as the pre-oxidation process to assist the filtration of the PVDF-TiO2 membrane was feasible. After optimization, the applicable conditions of the Fe2+/DTN/O2 process were DTN dosage at 100 mg/L and a CFe/CDTN of 1:4. As a result, the effluent qualities of the PVDF-TiO2 membrane significantly improved. It was investigated that atrazine (ATZ), CODMn, UV254, and turbidity reduced, which was realized by the synergic effects of the pre-oxidation by free radicals and flocculation by iron. Pre-oxidation of the Fe2+/DTN/O2 process could also enhance the permeability of the PVDF-TiO2 membrane from 53.6 to 58.0 L/(m2·h), nearly two times the PVDF membrane. Besides, the practical fouling of the PVDF-TiO2 membrane was stably alleviated by the reduced Rt, Rre, and Rir, mainly due to constraining the internal pore fouling effectively.

Highly-efficient heterojunction solar cells based on 2D Janus transition-metal nitride halide (TNH) monolayers with ultrahigh carrier mobility.

Symmetry breaking has a crucial effect on electronic band structure and subsequently affects the light-absorption coefficient of monolayers. We systematically report a family of two-dimensional (2D) Janus transition-metal nitride halides (TNHs, T = Ti, Zr, Hf, Fe, Pd, Pt, Os, and Re; H = Cl and F) with breaking of both in-plane and out-of-plane structural symmetry. The dynamical, thermal and mechanical stabilities are calculated to check the stability of the Janus TNHs. The electric properties of ten TNHs are studied via the HSE06+SOC method and the band gaps range from 0.93 eV (PdNCl) to 4.74 eV (HfNCl). Desirable light adsorption coefficients of up to 105 cm-1 are obtained for the Janus TNHs with no central symmetry. The Janus OsNCl monolayer shows excellent electrical transport properties and ultrahigh carrier mobility (104 cm2 V-1 s-1). Heterojunctions formed by stacking two Janus TNH monolayers are further investigated for solar cell applications. Eight of the heterojunctions have type-II band alignments. Surprisingly, the OsNCl/FeNCl heterojunction has a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.45%, which is a larger value compared to the PCE of GeSe/SnSe heterostructures (21.47%). The optical properties and the built-in electric field of the OsNCl/FeNCl heterojunction are investigated. These results indicate that the stable Janus TNH monolayers have potential applications in photoelectric devices, and the vertical heterojunctions can be used in solar cells.

Variations of quality and volatile components of morels (Morchella sextelata) during storage.

The postharvest senescence of morels was observed to be easily affected by temperature fluctuations. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of various storage temperatures on the postharvest senescence of morels. The study evaluated the variations of water content, respiration, nutrients substances, cell membrane permeability, and volatile compounds in morels stored at 20 °C and 4 °C. Results showed that low-temperature storage suppressed the loss of water and firmness, delayed the time of respiration and ethylene peak, and reduced the loss of nutrients and cell membrane permeability. Furthermore, the content of volatile compounds increased and then decreased during storage. The characteristic aroma substances of 1-octen-3-ol were identified using odor activity values and OPLS-DA analysis. The study observed a decrease in the content and changes of aroma compounds during low-temperature storage. This decrease may be attributed to the decreased activities of lipoxygenase (LOX) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH).

Dietary intake of household cadmium-contaminated rice caused genome-wide DNA methylation changes on gene/hubs related to metabolic disorders and cancers.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in food has raised broad concerns in food safety and human health. The toxicity of Cd to animals/humans have been widely reported, yet little is known about the health risk of dietary Cd intake at the epigenetic level. Here, we investigated the effect of a household Cd-contaminated rice (Cd-rice) on genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) changes in the model mouse. Feeding Cd-rice increased kidney Cd and urinary Cd concentrations compared with the Control rice (low-Cd rice), whereas supplementation of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid iron sodium salt (NaFeEDTA) in the diet significantly increased urinary Cd and consequently decreased kidney Cd concentrations. Genome-wide DNAm sequencing revealed that dietary Cd-rice exposure caused the differentially methylated sites (DMSs), which were mainly located in the promoter (32.5%), downstream (32.5%), and intron (26.1%) regions of genes. Notably, Cd-rice exposure induced hypermethylation at the promoter sites of genes Caspase-8 and interleukin-1ß (Il-1ß), and consequently, their expressions were down-regulated. The two genes are critical in apoptosis and inflammation, respectively. In contrast, Cd-rice induced hypomethylation of the gene midline 1 (Mid1), which is vital to neurodevelopment. Furthermore, 'pathways in cancer' was significantly enriched as the leading canonical pathway. Supplementation of NaFeEDTA partly alleviated the toxic symptoms and DNAm alternations induced by Cd-rice exposure. These results highlight the broad effects of elevated dietary Cd intake on the level of DNAm, providing epigenetic evidence on the specific endpoints of health risks induced by Cd-rice exposure.