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1.
Sci Total Environ ; 954: 176473, 2024 Sep 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39343404

ABSTRACT

The inevitable increase in the human population's reliance on natural resources necessitates practical, and result-oriented solutions and strategies to enhance human's standard of living while minimizing its impact on essential resources. The global water resource depletion has spurred discourse among key international stakeholder in uniting efforts to achieve sustainability. For decades, the application of a combination of key strategies which relies on designing cities to promote the sustainable use of water and water resources have received global endorsement. The roadmap towards designing water-wise infrastructure in urban areas has derived from preexisting water conservation schemes. Green infrastructure (GI) is based on the key principle of the harmonious integration of natural elements and ecological processes to sustainably conserve natural resources. This paper aims to analyze and assess the development of sustainable and effective solutions for urban water quality management, by providing a comprehensive review of the concept of GI. We further digest the components and strategies of GI, its historical evolution, the rate of adoption and application on a regional scale and future prospects. GI with continued innovation and refinement, holds immense potential to mitigate the detrimental effects of urbanization on water resources and promote sustainable urban water management.

2.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 17616, 2024 07 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39080472

ABSTRACT

Because of the lack of good seedling positioning during vegetable grafting, there are issues such as high labor costs and long grafting time. This article proposes a negative pressure suction seedling positioning method for seed leaves based on the characteristic parameters of cucumber spike wood, and designs a flexible adsorption positioning mechanism for spike wood. Firstly, the ventral surface curve trajectories of cucumber cotyledons were extracted using Matlab software, and then a shape-adaptive design was applied to the attachment surface of the flexible suction positioning mechanism, and a computational fluid dynamics model of the airflow field was established. By combining Fluent simulation analysis with orthogonal experiments, the effect of suction hole diameter, vacuum negative pressure value, suction hole quantity, and suction hole depth on the adsorption effect of the suction head was analyzed, the main and secondary factors and operational indicators that affect the adsorption effect are evaluated. The optimal parameter combination: suction hole diameter of 1.5 mm, vacuum negative pressure value of 2 kPa, suction hole quantity of 42, and suction hole depth of 2 mm, has been found. A verification experiment was conducted on a test bench, and the experimental results show that the success rate of leaf absorption using the optimal parameter combination is 97.69%, which indicates that the suction head is designed reasonably and meets the requirements of grafting.


Subject(s)
Cucumis sativus , Plant Leaves , Computer Simulation , Adsorption , Vegetables , Seedlings , Vacuum
3.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0302530, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38905184

ABSTRACT

At present, the mechanism of fluorosis-induced damage to the hepatic system is unclear. Studies have shown that excess fluoride causes some degree of damage to the liver, including inflammation. The SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling axis has been reported to have an impact on the regulation of inflammation in human cells. In this study, we investigated the role of the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling axis and related inflammatory factors in fluorosis through in vitro experiments on human hepatic astrocytes (LX-2) cultured with sodium fluoride. CCK-8 assays showed that the median lethal dose at 24 h was 2 mmol/l NaF, and these conditions were used for subsequent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. The protein expression levels of SDF-1/CXCR4 and the related inflammatory factors nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) were detected by ELISAs from the experimental and control groups. The mRNA expression levels of these inflammatory indicators were also determined by qPCR in both groups. Moreover, the expression levels of these factors were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at both the protein and mRNA levels (P < 0.05). Excess fluorine may stimulate the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling axis, activating the inflammatory NF-κB signaling pathway and increasing the expression levels of the related inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1ß. Identification of this mechanism is important for elucidating the pathogenesis of fluorosis-induced liver injury.


Subject(s)
Chemokine CXCL12 , Hepatocytes , Receptors, CXCR4 , Sodium Fluoride , Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism , Receptors, CXCR4/genetics , Humans , Chemokine CXCL12/metabolism , Chemokine CXCL12/genetics , Sodium Fluoride/toxicity , Sodium Fluoride/pharmacology , Hepatocytes/metabolism , Hepatocytes/drug effects , Signal Transduction/drug effects , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Cell Line , Interleukin-1beta/metabolism , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism , Interleukin-6/metabolism , Interleukin-6/genetics , Inflammation/metabolism , Inflammation/chemically induced
4.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 3205, 2024 Apr 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38615015

ABSTRACT

Defence against pathogens relies on intracellular nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) in plants. Hormone signaling including abscisic acid (ABA) pathways are activated by NLRs and play pivotal roles in defence against different pathogens. However, little is known about how hormone signaling pathways are activated by plant immune receptors. Here, we report that a plant NLR Sw-5b mimics the behavior of the ABA receptor and directly employs the ABA central regulator PP2C-SnRK2 complex to activate an ABA-dependent defence against viral pathogens. PP2C4 interacts with and constitutively inhibits SnRK2.3/2.4. Behaving in a similar manner as the ABA receptor, pathogen effector ligand recognition triggers the conformational change of Sw-5b NLR that enables binding to PP2C4 via the NB domain. This receptor-PP2C4 binding interferes with the interaction between PP2C4 and SnRK2.3/2.4, thereby releasing SnRK2.3/2.4 from PP2C4 inhibition to activate an ABA-specific antiviral immunity. These findings provide important insights into the activation of hormone signaling pathways by plant immune receptors.


Subject(s)
Abscisic Acid , Signal Transduction , Inhibition, Psychological , Protein Domains , Hormones
5.
Eur J Med Res ; 29(1): 166, 2024 Mar 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38475882

ABSTRACT

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most common reproductive tumors in women, whereas current treatment options are limited. ß-lactamase-like-protein 2 (LACTB2) has been observed to be associated with various cancers, but its function in OC is unknown. Therefore, we evaluate the prognostic value and the underlying function of LACTB2 in OC. In this study, high expression of LACTB2 was observed in OC compared with normal controls. Kaplan-Meier Plotter analysis revealed that overexpressed LACTB2 is strongly correlated with poor prognosis. We conducted GO/KEGG analysis to investigate the potential biological function of LACTB2 in OC. GESA analysis showed that LACTB2 was closely related to immune-related pathways. Subsequently, we explored the relationship between LACTB2 and 24 types of immune cells in OC. The results suggested that LACTB2 was positively associated with multiple tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Importantly, LACTB2 may modulate immune cell infiltration in OC to influence prognosis. In conclusion, LACTB2 can be used as a promising prognostic biomarker and immunotherapy target for OC.


Subject(s)
Ovarian Neoplasms , Humans , Female , Prognosis , Computational Biology , Immunotherapy , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , beta-Lactamases
6.
Sensors (Basel) ; 24(3)2024 Jan 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38339619

ABSTRACT

We propose a piezoelectric-piezoresistive coupling electric field sensor capable of performing large dynamic range AC electric field measurements. The electric field sensor utilizes direct coupling between piezoelectric (PE) materials and piezoresistive (PR) strain gauges, in conjunction with an external signal conditioning circuit, to measure AC electric fields effectively. We verified the feasibility of the scheme using a finite element simulation, fabricated a prototype of the electric field sensor, and characterized the properties of the prototype. The testing results indicate that the sensor exhibits an ac resolution of 50 V/m and a linear measurable electric field range of 0 to over 200 kV/m, which keeps the linearity at less than 0.94% from 1 Hz to over 5 kHz. Furthermore, the sensor also has advantages, such as a small size and low power consumption. The sensor can enhance the comprehensive observability and measurability of digital power grids.

7.
Sci Total Environ ; 918: 170654, 2024 Mar 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38331284

ABSTRACT

Microplastics (MPs) are now prevalent in aquatic ecosystems, prompting the use of constructed wetlands (CWs) for remediation. However, the interaction between MPs and CWs, including removal efficiency, mechanisms, and impacts, remains a subject requiring significant investigation. This review investigates the removal of MPs in CWs and assesses their impact on the removal of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The analysis identifies crucial factors influencing the removal of MPs, with substrate particle size and CWs structure playing key roles. The review highlights substrate retention as the primary mechanism for MP removal. MPs hinder plant nitrogen uptake, microbial growth, community composition, and nitrogen-related enzymes, reducing nitrogen removal in CWs. For phosphorus and carbon removal, adverse effects of MPs on phosphorus elimination are observed, while their impact on carbon removal is minimal. Further research is needed to understand their influence fully. In summary, CWs are a promising option for treating MPs-contaminated wastewater, but the intricate relationship between MPs and CWs necessitates ongoing research to comprehend their dynamics and potential consequences.


Subject(s)
Nitrogen , Waste Disposal, Fluid , Phosphorus , Microplastics , Plastics , Wetlands , Ecosystem , Carbon , Nutrients
8.
BMC Cancer ; 24(1): 267, 2024 Feb 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38408960

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Significant advancements in improving ovarian cancer (OC) outcomes have been limited over the past decade. To predict prognosis and improve outcomes of OC, we plan to develop and validate a robust prognosis signature based on blood features. METHODS: We screened age and 33 blood features from 331 OC patients. Using ten machine learning algorithms, 88 combinations were generated, from which one was selected to construct a blood risk score (BRS) according to the highest C-index in the test dataset. RESULTS: Stepcox (both) and Enet (alpha = 0.7) performed the best in the test dataset with a C-index of 0.711. Meanwhile, the low RBS group possessed observably prolonged survival in this model. Compared to traditional prognostic-related features such as age, stage, grade, and CA125, our combined model had the highest AUC values at 3, 5, and 7 years. According to the results of the model, BRS can provide accurate predictions of OC prognosis. BRS was also capable of identifying various prognostic stratifications in different stages and grades. Importantly, developing the nomogram may improve performance by combining BRS and stage. CONCLUSION: This study provides a valuable combined machine-learning model that can be used for predicting the individualized prognosis of OC patients.


Subject(s)
Nomograms , Ovarian Neoplasms , Humans , Female , Adult , Prognosis , Ovarian Neoplasms/diagnosis , Ovarian Neoplasms/surgery , Algorithms , Machine Learning
9.
Sci Total Environ ; 915: 170127, 2024 Mar 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38242487

ABSTRACT

PFAS, recognized as persistent organic pollutants, present risks to both the ecological environment and human health. Studying PFASs in surface water yields insights into pollution dynamics. However, existing research on PFASs surface water pollution in China often focuses on specific regions, lacking comprehensive nationwide analyses. This study examined 48 research papers covering PFAS pollution in Chinese surface water, involving 49 regions and 1338 sampling sites. The results indicate widespread PFAS contamination, even in regions like Tibet. Predominant PFAS types include PFOA and PFOS, and pollution is associated with the relocation of industries from developed to developing countries post-2010. The shift from long-chain to short-chain PFASs aligns with recent environmental policy proposals. Geographic concentration of PFAS pollution correlates with industry distribution and economic development levels. Addressing point source pollution, especially from wastewater plant tailwater, is crucial for combating PFAS contamination. Greater emphasis should be placed on addressing short-chain PFASs.

10.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int ; 31(8): 11559-11575, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38225491

ABSTRACT

The research on constructed wetland (CW) and microbial fuel cell (MFC) has been separate studies worldwide with crucial achievements being made in both fields. Due to environmentally friendly feature (of CW) and rich microbial population and excellent electrode catalytic activity (of MFC), CW and MFC have their own anticipated application prospect in wastewater purification and biological electricity generation. More significantly, the idea of embedding MFC into CW to form CW-MFC expands the scope for both of them and this has received much interest in recent years due to its striking features of sewage treatment efficiency, electricity generation, sustainability, and environmental friendliness. The increasing interest and the lack of soul of CW-MFC emerging to the new researchers reflect the need to recall the idea and summarize its development with regard to achieving its reality via some key issues This forms the basis of the paper. The paper also includes how to enhance the efficiency of electricity generation and supplement energy consumption, the degradation of emerging pollutants, and the degradation mechanism as well as the potential joint application of CW-MFC with other treatment technique. A mass of CW-MFC design parameters has been synthesized from the literature. Challenges and potential directions of CW-MFC in the future are prospected. It is expected that the paper can serve as a linkage for bridging knowledge gaps for further studies of CW-MFC.


Subject(s)
Bioelectric Energy Sources , Wetlands , Wastewater , Electricity , Electrodes
11.
J Environ Manage ; 351: 119907, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38157575

ABSTRACT

Microplastics (MPs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have drawn great attention as emerging threats to aquatic ecosystems. Although the literature to study the MPs and PFASs alone has grown significantly, our knowledge of the overlap and interactions between the two contaminations is scarce due to the unawareness of it. Actually, numerous human activities can simultaneously release MPs and PFASs, and the co-sources of the two are common, meaning that they have a greater potential for interactions. The direct interaction lies in the PFASs adsorption by MPs in water with integrated mechanisms including electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, plus many influence factors. In addition, the existence and transportation of MPs and PFASs in the aquatic environment have been identified. MPs and PFASs can be ingested by aquatic organisms and cause more serious combined toxicity than exposure alone. Finally, curbing strategies of MPs and PFASs are overviewed. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be an effective place to remove MPs from wastewater, while they are also an important point source of MPs pollution in water bodies. Although adsorption has proven to be a successful curbing method for PFASs, more technological advancements are required for field application. It is expected that this review can help revealing the unheeded relationship and interaction between MPs and PFASs in aquatic environments, thus assisting the further investigations of both MPs and PFASs as a whole.


Subject(s)
Fluorocarbons , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Humans , Microplastics , Plastics , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Ecosystem , Fluorocarbons/analysis , Water
12.
Cell Oncol (Dordr) ; 2023 Dec 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38082211

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among women. CSGALNACT2 is a vital Golgi transferase and is related to a variety of human diseases. However, its expression pattern and function in ovarian cancer remain uncertain. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas and GEPIA databases were used to assess the expression of CSGALNACT2 in ovarian cancer patients. RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, and IHC were used to verify the expression of CSGALNACT2 in ovarian cancer tissues. Then, in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of CSGALNACT2 in the progression of ovarian cancer. RNA-seq and GSEA were used to reveal the potential biological function and oncogenic pathways of CSGALNACT2. RESULTS: We demonstrated that the mRNA expression and protein level of CSGALNACT2 were significantly downregulated in ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer metastatic tissues. CSGALNACT2 can significantly inhibit the migration, invasion, and clonogenic growth of ovarian cancer in vitro and is progressively lost during ovarian cancer progression in vivo. CSGALNACT2 suppresses ovarian cancer migration and invasion via DUSP1 modulation of the MAPK/ERK pathway through RNA-seq, KEGG analysis, and Western blotting. Moreover, CSGALNACT2 expression was correlated with immune cell infiltration and had prognostic value in different immune cell-enriched or decreased ovarian cancer. In addition, patients with CSGALNACT2 downregulation are less likely to benefit from immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: As an ovarian cancer suppressor gene, CSGALNACT2 inhibits the development of ovarian cancer, and it might be used as a prognostic biomarker in patients with ovarian cancer.

13.
Epigenetics ; 18(1): 2231222, 2023 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37393582

ABSTRACT

DNA methylation (DNAme) alterations are known to initiate from the precancerous stage of tumorigenesis. Herein, we investigated the global and local patterns of DNAme perturbations in tumorigenesis by analysing the genome-wide DNAme profiles of the cervix, colorectum, stomach, prostate, and liver at precancerous and cancer stages. We observed global hypomethylation in tissues of both two stages, except for the cervix, whose global DNAme level in normal tissue was lower than that of the other four tumour types. For alterations shared by both stages, there were common hyper-methylation (sHyperMethyl) and hypo-methylation (sHypoMethyl) changes, of which the latter type was more frequently identified in all tissues. Biological pathways interrupted by sHyperMethyl and sHypoMethyl alterations demonstrated significant tissue specificity. DNAme bidirectional chaos indicated by the enrichment of both sHyperMethyl and sHypoMethyl changes in the same pathway was observed in most tissues and was a common phenomenon, particularly in liver lesions. Moreover, for the same enriched pathways, different tissues may be affected by distinct DNAme types. For the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway, sHyperMethyl enrichment was observed in the prostate dataset, but sHypoMethyl enrichment was observed in the colorectum and liver datasets. Nevertheless, they did not show an increased possibility in survival prediction of patients in comparison with other DNAme types. Additionally, our study demonstrated that gene-body DNAme changes of tumour suppressor genes and oncogenes may persist from precancerous lesions to the tumour. Overall, we demonstrate the tissue specificity and commonality of cross-stage alterations in DNA methylation profiles in multi-tissue tumorigenesis.


Subject(s)
DNA Methylation , Precancerous Conditions , Male , Female , Humans , Organ Specificity , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics , Precancerous Conditions/genetics , Carcinogenesis/genetics
14.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces ; 15(25): 30793-30803, 2023 Jun 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37307295

ABSTRACT

High-performance flexible sensors are essential for real-time information analysis and constructing noncontact communication modules for emerging human-machine interactions. In these applications, batch fabrication of sensors that exhibit high performance at the wafer level is in high demand. Here, we present organic nanoforest-based humidity sensor (NFHS) arrays on a 6 in. flexible substrate prepared via a facile, cost-effective manufacturing approach. Such an NFHS achieves state-of-the-art overall performance: high sensitivity and fast recovery time; the best properties are at a small device footprint. The high sensitivity (8.84 pF/% RH) and fast response time (5 s) of the as-fabricated organic nanoforests are attributed to the abundant hydrophilic groups, the ultra-large surface area with a huge number of nanopores, and the vertically distributed structures beneficial to the transfer of molecules up and down. The NFHS also exhibits excellent long-term stability (90 days), superior mechanical flexibility, and good performance repeatability after bending. With these superiorities, the NFHS is further applied as a smart noncontact switch, and the NFHS array is used as the motion trajectory tracker. The wafer-level batch fabrication capability of our NFHS provides a potential strategy for developing practical applications of such humidity sensors.


Subject(s)
Organic Chemicals , Humans , Humidity , Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
15.
Funct Integr Genomics ; 23(2): 198, 2023 Jun 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37273114

ABSTRACT

Programmed cell death (PCD) resistance is a key driver of cancer occurrence and development. The prognostic relevance of PCD-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, there is still a lack of efforts to compare the methylation status of different types of PCD genes in HCC and their roles in its surveillance. The methylation status of genes related to pyroptosis, apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis was analyzed in tumor and non-tumor tissues from TCGA. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data of paired tumor tissue and buffy coat samples were used to filter the potential interference of blood leukocytes in cell-free DNA (cfDNA). The WGBS data of healthy individuals' and early-stage HCC patients' cfDNA were analyzed to evaluate the distinguishing ability. The average gene body methylation (gbDNAme) of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) was significantly altered in HCC tissues relative to normal tissues, and their distinguishing ability was higher compared to the other types of PCD-related genes. The gbDNAme of NLRP7, NLRP2, and NLRP3 was reflective of the hypomethylation in HCC tissues, and methylation levels of NLRP3 correlated positively with its expression level (r=0.51). The candidate hypomethylated PRGs could discriminate between early HCC patients and healthy controls in cfDNA analysis with high accuracy (area under the receiver operation curve, AUC=0.94). Furthermore, the hypomethylation of PRGs was associated with poor prognosis of HCC. Gene body hypomethylation of PRGs is a promising biomarker for early HCC detection, monitoring of tumor recurrence, and prognosis prediction.


Subject(s)
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing , Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Liver Neoplasms , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein , Humans , Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics , Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism , Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/genetics , Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/metabolism , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Cell-Free Nucleic Acids , Liver Neoplasms/genetics , Liver Neoplasms/metabolism , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism , Pyroptosis/genetics
16.
Sci Total Environ ; 892: 164599, 2023 Sep 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37271387

ABSTRACT

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a variant of the bioelectrochemical system that uses microorganisms as biocatalysts to generate bioenergy by oxidizing organic matter. Due to its two-prong feature of simultaneously treating wastewater and generating electricity, it has drawn extensive interest by scientific communities around the world. However, the pollution purifying capacity and power production of MFC at the laboratory scale have tended to remain steady, and there have been no reports of a performance breakthrough. In recent years, research related to MFC has demonstrated a new trend, namely the coupling of MFC with other wastewater treatment technologies to create a 1 + 1 > 2 impact. MFC-based coupling/hybrid technologies such as sediment MFC (SMFC), constructed wetland MFC (CW-MFC), membrane bioreactor MFC (MBR-MFC), microbial desalination cell (MDC), and MFC coupled nutrient recovery technology, etc. have been increasingly studied. Therefore, this review aims to overview these already-emerging MFC coupling technologies and explores their development trends and challenges to serve as a guide for determining priority research topics in this area. Among these MFC-based coupling/hybrid technologies, literature seems to support that CW-MFC is a good example of integrated MFC technology where CWs are already employed at the field level for wastewater treatment application. MFC-Electroflocculation and MBR-MFCs are typical emerged hybrid systems to own promising potential. However, scalability and practical application potential of these integrated technologies are the challenge towards their reality except for ideal performance in small scale trials.


Subject(s)
Bioelectric Energy Sources , Water Purification , Electrodes , Electricity , Wastewater , Wetlands
17.
Sci Total Environ ; 878: 163028, 2023 Jun 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36963676

ABSTRACT

Microplastics (MPs) and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are receiving global attention due to their widespread presences and considerable level in the environment. Although the occurrence and fate of MPs and PFASs alone have been extensively studied, little was known about their unheeded connection and overlap between the two. Therefore, this review attempts to reveal it for the purpose of providing a new view from joint consideration of the two in the future studies. Initially, the critically examined data on the co-sources and existence of MPs and PFASs are summarized. Surprisingly, some products could be co-source of MPs and PFASs which are general in daily life while the distribution of the two is primary influenced by the human activity. Then, their interactions are reviewed based on the fact that PFASs can be sorbed onto MPs which are regarded as a vector of contaminations. The electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic contact are the predominant sorption mechanisms and could be influenced by environmental factors and properties of MPs and PFASs. The effects of MPs on the transport of PFASs in the environments, especially in aquatic environments are then discussed. Additionally, the current state of knowledge on the combined toxicity of MPs and PFASs are presented. Finally, the existing problems and future perspectives are outlined at the end of the review. This review provides an advanced understanding of the overlap, interaction and toxic effects of MPs and PFASs co-existing in the environment.

18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36833551

ABSTRACT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across the globe since the end of 2019, posing significant challenges for global medical facilities and human health. Treatment of hospital wastewater is vitally important under this special circumstance. However, there is a shortage of studies on the sustainable wastewater treatment processes utilized by hospitals. Based on a review of the research trends regarding hospital wastewater treatment in the past three years of the COVID-19 outbreak, this review overviews the existing hospital wastewater treatment processes. It is clear that activated sludge processes (ASPs) and the use of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are the major and effective treatment techniques applied to hospital wastewater. Advanced technology (such as Fenton oxidation, electrocoagulation, etc.) has also achieved good results, but the use of such technology remains small scale for the moment and poses some side effects, including increased cost. More interestingly, this review reveals the increased use of constructed wetlands (CWs) as an eco-solution for hospital wastewater treatment and then focuses in slightly more detail on examining the roles and mechanisms of CWs' components with respect to purifying hospital wastewater and compares their removal efficiency with other treatment processes. It is believed that a multi-stage CW system with various intensifications or CWs incorporated with other treatment processes constitute an effective, sustainable solution for hospital wastewater treatment in order to cope with the post-pandemic era.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Water Purification , Humans , Wastewater , Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Hospitals , Water Purification/methods , Wetlands
19.
Chemosphere ; 320: 138087, 2023 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36754303

ABSTRACT

Soil microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been increasingly studied in recent years and have attracted significant attention as an environmentally sustainable bioelectrochemical technology. However, the poor conductivity of the soil matrix and the neglect of the cathodic function have limited its application. In this study, quartz sand and activated carbon were subjected to investigation on their influence on atrazine degradation. Atrazine was introduced in different layers (cathode, upper layer) to explore the cathodic effect on atrazine removal. The results revealed that activated carbon could reduce the internal resistance (693 Ω) and generate the highest power density (25.51 mW/m2) of the soil MFCs, and thus increase the removal efficiency (97.92%) of atrazine. The dynamic degradation profiles of atrazine were different for different adding layers. The cathode electrode acted as an electron donor could increase the distance of the effective influence of the soil MFCs' cathode from the middle to the cathode layer. The cathode (region) and the region close to the cathode could degrade atrazine with the atrazine removal efficiencies ranging from 60.67% to 92.79%, and the degradation ability of the cathode was stronger than that of other layers. The degradation effect followed the order: cathode > upper > lower > middle). Geobacter, Desulfobulbus, and Desulfuromonas belonging to the δ-Proteobacteria class were identified as the dominant electroactive microorganisms in the anode layer, while their relative abundances are quite low in the upper and cathode layers. Pseudomonas is an atrazine-degrading bacterium, but its relative abundance was only 0.13-0.51%. Thus, bioelectrochemistry rather than microbial degradation was the primary driving force.


Subject(s)
Atrazine , Bioelectric Energy Sources , Bioelectric Energy Sources/microbiology , Charcoal , Soil/chemistry , Electrodes
20.
Bioresour Technol ; 367: 128240, 2023 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36332867

ABSTRACT

Pyrrhotite is a promising electron donor for autotrophic denitrification. Using pyrrhotite as the substrate in constructed wetlands (CWs) can enhance the nitrogen removal performance in carbon-limited wastewater treatment. However, the role of plants in pyrrhotite-integrated CW is under debate as the oxygen released from plant roots may destroy the anoxic condition for autotrophic denitrification. This study compared pyrrhotite-integrated CWs with and without plants and identified the effects of plants' presence in nitrogen removal, pyrrhotite oxidized dissolution, and microbial community. The results show that plants enhanced the TN removal significantly (from 41.6 ± 3.9 % to 97.1 ± 2.6 %). Plants can accelerate the PAD in CW through the strengthening of pyrrhotite dissolution. Enriched functional (Thiobacillus and Acidiferrobacter) and a more complex bacterial co-occurrence network has been found in CW with plants. This study identified the role of plants in PAD acceleration, providing an in-depth understanding of pyrrhotite in CW systems.


Subject(s)
Nitrogen , Wetlands , Denitrification , Autotrophic Processes , Plants , Wastewater , Waste Disposal, Fluid
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