Plasmon-enhanced fluorescence combined with aptamer sensor based on Ag nanocubes for signal-amplified detection of berberine hydrochloride.

Plasmon enhanced fluorescent (PEF) with more "hot spots" play a critical role in signal amplified technology to avoid the intrinsic limitation of fluorophore which ascribed to a strong electromagnetic field at the tip structure. However, application of PEF technique to obtain a highly sensitive analysis of medicine was still at a very early stage. Herein, a simple but versatile Ag nanocubes (Agcubes)-based PEF sensor combined with aptamer (Agcubes@SiO2-QDs-Apt) was proposed for highly sensitive detection of berberine hydrochloride (BH). The distance between the plasma Agcubes and the red-emitted CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were regulated by the thickness of silica spacer. The three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) simulation further revealed that Agcubes have a higher electromagnetic field than Ag nanospheres. Compared with PEF sensor, signal QDs-modified aptamer without Agcubes (QDs-Apt) showed a 10-fold higher detection limit. The linear range and detection limit of the Agcubes@SiO2-QDs-Apt were 0.1-100 µM, 87.3 nM, respectively. Furthermore, the PEF sensor was applied to analysis BH in the berberine hydrochloride tablets, compound berberine tablet and urine with good recoveries of 98.25-102.05%. These results demonstrated that the prepared PEF sensor has great potential for drug quality control and clinical analysis.

From disinfection to pathogenicity: Occurrence, resistome risks and assembly mechanism of biocide and metal resistance genes in hospital wastewaters.

Hospital wastewaters (HWWs) represent critical reservoir for the accumulation and propagation of resistance genes. However, studies on biocide and metal resistance genes (BMRGs) and their associated resistome risks and driving mechanisms in HWWs are still in their infancy. Here, metagenomic assembly was firstly used to investigate host pathogenicity and transferability profiles of BMGRs in a typical HWWs system. As a result, genes conferring resistance to Ethidium Bromide, Benzylkonium Chloride, and Cetylpyridinium Chloride dominated biocide resistance genes (BRGs), whereas Cu resistance gene was the largest contributor of metal resistance genes (MRGs). Most BMRGs experienced significant reduction from anoxic-aerobic treatment to sedimentation stages but exhibited enrichment after chlorine disinfection. Network analysis indicated intense interactions between BMRGs and virulence factors (VFs). Polar_flagella, belonging to the adherence was identified to play important role in the network. Contig-based analysis further revealed noteworthy shifts in host associations along the treatment processes, with Pseudomonadota emerging as the primary carrier, hosting 91.1% and 85.3% of the BRGs and MRGs. A total of 199 opportunistic pathogens were identified to carry 285 BMRG subtypes, which mainly included Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Pseudomonas lundensis, and Escherichia coli. Notably, ruvB conferring resistance to Cr, Cetylpyridinium Chloride, and Dodine were characterized with the highest frequency carried by pathogens. Diverse co-occurrence patterns between BMRGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were found from the raw influent to final effluent. Overall, 10.5% BRGs and 8.84% MRGs were mobile and among the 4 MGEs, transposase exhibited the greatest potential for the BMRGs dissemination. Furthermore, deterministic processes played a dominant role in bacterial communities and BMRGs assembly in HWWs. Bacterial communities contributed more than MGEs in shaping the resistome. Taken together, this work demonstrated widespread BMRGs pollution throughout the HWWs treatment system, emphasizing the potential for informing resistome risk and ecological mechanism in medical practice.

Exposure to Short- and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins and the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Nested Case-Control Study in Eastern China.

Toxicological studies have indicated that exposure to chlorinated paraffins (CPs) may disrupt intracellular glucose and energy metabolism. However, limited information exists regarding the impact of human CP exposure on glucose homeostasis and its potential association with an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Here, we conducted a prospective study with a nested case-control design to evaluate the link between short- and medium-chain CP (SCCPs and MCCPs) exposures during pregnancy and the risk of GDM. Serum samples from 102 GDM-diagnosed pregnant women and 204 healthy controls were collected in Hangzhou, Eastern China. The median (interquartile range, IQR) concentration of SCCPs was 161 (127, 236) ng/mL in the GDM group compared to 127 (96.9, 176) ng/mL in the non-GDM group (p < 0.01). For MCCPs, the GDM group had a median concentration of 144 (117, 174) ng/mL, while the control group was 114 (78.1, 162) ng/mL (p < 0.01). Compared to the lowest quartile as the reference, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of GDM were 7.07 (95% CI: 2.87, 17.40) and 3.34 (95% CI: 1.48, 7.53) in the highest quartile of ∑SCCP and ∑MCCP levels, respectively, with MCCPs demonstrating an inverted U-shaped association with GDM. Weighted quantile sum regression evaluated the joint effects of all CPs on GDM and glucose homeostasis. Among all CP congeners, C13H23Cl5 and C10H16Cl6 were the crucial variables driving the positive association with the GDM risk. Our results demonstrated a significant positive association between CP concentration in maternal serum and GDM risk, and exposure to SCCPs and MCCPs may disturb maternal glucose homeostasis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the health risks of CP exposure and the role of environmental contaminants in the pathogenesis of GDM.

Cleaner production evaluation system for textile industry: An empirical study from LCA perspectives.

The contradiction between the rapid textile expansion and intensive energy consumption, highly environmental pollution calls for the adoption of cleaner production (CP). However, current evaluation system mainly targeted on CP at production stage, guidance and support on the life cycle assessment is still in its infancy. Meanwhile few studies brought the combination of water conservation and carbon reduction into considerations. This study compared the existing CP evaluation systems including guidelines for the whole industry, standards for textile industry and indicators for the dyeing and finishing sector by quantifying the differences of indicator score compositions. Comparisons analysis from six aspects suggested that all the evaluation systems had relevant indicators regarding "pollutant emissions". "Management", "process equipment and techniques" and "resource and energy consumption" have also been well concerned while "product characteristic" seemed to be overlooked at current stage. From the perspective of whole life cycle, the key of textile processing is the "printing and dyeing" (44.23 %) followed by "fabric manufacturing"(28.85 %) and setting (15.38 %). With regards to the environmental impacts, resources depletion gained the highest attention since their indicator scores reached up to 25.71 %, 18.47 % and 20.62 % for EMAS, ERG 2018 and HJ-1852006. Cleaner production awareness and social impact also played significant roles in ISO 14031:2021 and WMG. Subsequently, a set of new comprehensive CP evaluation indicator system was established, including 3 scopes and 7 goals. The newly-built indicator system incorporated with life cycle perspectives gave a powerful tool to measure the CP level in textile industry and of CP will benefit from water reuse and energy utilization with high efficiency.

Spatial distribution, isomer signature and air-soil exchange of legacy and emerging poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances.

Widespread occurrences of various poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in terrestrial environment calls for the growing interest in their transport behaviors. However, limited studies detected PFAS with structural diversity in tree barks, which reflect the long-term contamination in atmosphere and play a vital role in air-soil exchange behaviors. In this study, 26 PFAS congeners and typical branched isomers were investigated in surface soils and tree barks at 28 sites along the Taihu Lake, Taipu River, and Huangpu River. Concentrations of total PFAS in soils and tree barks were 0.991-29.4 and 7.99-188 ng/g dw, with PFPeA and PFDoA were the largest contributors in the two matrices. The highest PFAS levels were found in the Taihu Lake watershed, where textile manufacturing and metal plating activities highly prosper. With regard to the congener and isomer signatures, short-chain homologs dominated in soils (65.5%), whereas long-chain PFAS showed a major proportion in barks (41.9%). The composition of linear isomers of PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS implied that precursor degradation might be an important source of PFAS in addition to the 3M electrochemical fluorination (ECF). Additionally, the distance from the emission source, total organic carbon (TOC), logKOA and logKOW were considered potential influencing factors in PFAS distributions. Based on the multi-media fugacity model, about 71% of the fugacity fraction (ffs) values of the PFAS were below 0.3, indicating the dominant deposition from the atmosphere to the soil. The average fluxes of air-soil exchange for PFAS were -0.700 ± 11.0 ng/(m2·h). Notably, the estimated daily exposure to PFAS ranged from 9.57 × 10-2 to 8.59 × 10-1 ng/kg·bw/day for children and 3.31 × 10-2 to 3.09 × 10-1 ng/kg·bw/day for adults, suggesting low risks from outdoor inhalation and dermal uptake. Overall, results from distribution with structural diversity, air-soil exchange and preliminary risk assessment. This study provided in-depth insight of PFAS in multi-medium environment and bridged gaps between field data and policy-making for pollution control.

Environmental impacts of carbon fiber production and decarbonization performance in wind turbine blades.

The application of carbon fiber in the wind power industry is of great interest in declining CO2 emissions but the carbon fiber manufacturing process is still a long way heading cleaner production. Since little to no information clarifies the dual effects from carbon fiber production to application, this study carried out a life cycle assessment (LCA) to recognize the environmental performances of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber production and explore the decarbonization effects of carbon fiber application in wind turbine blades. Based on on-site data from a leading carbon fiber production chain in China, potential environmental impacts of carbon fiber production predominantly originated from the precursor spinning stage (accounted for 13-91%). Fossil depletion (20.24 kg oil eq.), climate change (67.79 kg CO2 eq.), terrestrial ecotoxicity (165.63 kg 1,4-DCB eq.) and photochemical ozone formation (0.14 kg NOx eq.) were the four noteworthy areas to improve the sustainable development. Different scenarios in energy and advanced technology were set to explore the potential improvement of the environmental performance of carbon fiber products. Energy structure (wind power) can improve an average of 22.58% environmental benefit compared with the background scenarios. Regarding the decarbonization effects, the energy payback time and the carbon payback time were estimated to be 0.73 and 0.37 months respectively. Therefore, carbon fiber is a trustworthy material in the strategy to achieve sustainable development from a life cycle perspective.

Short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in agricultural and industrial soils from Shanghai, China: surface and vertical distribution, penetration behavior, and health risk assessment.

The widespread contamination of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) of the soil environment has raised global concern due to their highly persistent and toxic properties. However, little information is available regarding these industrial toxicants' spatial-vertical distribution and penetration potentials. In this study, short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs, respectively) were analyzed in pooled surface and core soils (0-45 cm) samples collected from agricultural and industrial areas in Shanghai. ∑SCCP concentrations in agricultural and industrial surface soils ranged from 52.6 to 237.6 and 98.3 to 977.1 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. ∑MCCP levels were comparatively higher and ranged from 417.2 to 1690.8 and 370.9 to 10,712.7 ng/g dw in agricultural and industrial soils, respectively. C10Cl5-10 SCCPs and C14-15Cl5-7 MCCPs were the predominant homologues in all samples. Analysis of the soil vertical profiles revealed that MCCP concentrations decreased significantly with depth (P < 0.01). SCCPs more efficiently penetrated into the soils than MCCPs because of their higher water solubility and less octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) values. A preliminary risk assessment suggested no potential health risks caused by non-dietary exposure. The daily exposure doses of CPs via ingestion were significantly (P < 0.01) higher for children (5.41 ± 2.11 × 10-3 and 1.68 ± 1.03 × 10-2 µg kg-1 day-1) and adults (2.56 ± 0.99 × 10-4 and 7.94 ± 4.87 × 10-4 µg kg-1 day-1) than dermal permeation exposure. Furthermore, CPs at current levels posed low ecological risks (0.1 ≤ RQ < 1) according to the risk quotient model. This study enhanced our understanding of the fates and behaviors of CPs in the terrestrial environment.

[Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics and Metal Elements in the Surface Water of Huangpu River and Their Associations with Metal Resistance Genes].

Urban rivers have been regarded as the "hotspots" for microplastic (MPs) and metal contamination as they play important roles in pollution migration. However, as important sinks and sources of resistance genes, there has been little to no research investigating the associations between MPs, metal contaminations, and metal resistance genes (MRGs). Ten water samples were collected from the Huangpu River in situ; along with metal elements, MPs characteristics analyzed. Metal resistance genes and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in waters and MPs were detected using metagenomic technology. As a result, the highest metal concentration was that of Sb in surface water (3.16±0.419) µg·L-1. The average abundance of MPs was (1.78±0.84) n·L-1, and the peak levels located in industrial and densely populated areas, which was significantly higher than those in agricultural and low population density areas. Fibrous, small-size (<0.5 mm), and transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were the largest contributors of MPs. Eighteen MRGs were detected in all the samples. The relative abundance of MRGs in water was 1.68±0.21. The most dominant MRGs subtypes were merR and ruvB, which are subtypes resistant to mercury and Multi_metals. Correlation analysis showed that chromium and nickel in waters were significantly positively associated with MRG-Cr, MRG-Ni, and Multi_metals resistance genes. For MPs particles, the relative abundance of MRGs was 1.63±0.53. The most dominant MRGs subtypes were merT-P and copB, which also belong to mercury-resistant and Multi_metals. The Multi_metals resistance gene, ctpC, cueA, czrA, kmtR, etc., had significant positive associations with Ni, Cr, and Sb in waters. Compared with water samples, MPs selectively enriched merT-P, copB, ziaA, sodA, and dmeF. Additionally, the co-occurrence patterns of MRGs and MGEs were explored based on network analysis. In water samples, the transposases (tnpA_1 and tnpA_2), integrase (qacEdelta), and insertion sequence (IS91) were the major contributors of the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of specific MRGs. Multiple subtypes resistant to copper and Multi_metals resistance genes on MPs were positively associated with IncFIC(FII), Rep7, rep7, and rep13, which were subtypes of plasmids. The presence of MPs exerted a significant impact on HGT of specific MRGs mediated by plasmids.

Environmental assessment of fabric wet processing from gate-to-gate perspective: Comparative study of weaving and materials.

Textile industry has yet to be developed beyond low efficiency, high resources consumption, and toxic emissions, with wet processing process a dominant contributor to resources consumption and pollution emissions. Recognition of the environmental impact of the representative wet processing is essential to achieve eco-friendly development of textile industry. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), this study addressed the environmental impacts of wet processing of woven/knitted cotton and polyester fabrics from 4 textile enterprises in China by deploying gate to gate system boundary. One ton of grey cloth was chosen as the functional unit. Eighteen midpoint impact categories and three endpoint impact categories were assessed via ReCiPe 2016 v1.1 (H) method. The results indicated "dyeing unit" as the dominant unit for all the impact categories at the midpoint, which was mainly derived from electricity consumed by cotton wet processing and detergents used in polyester wet processing. Among 4 different fabric wet processing, woven polyester wet processing exhibited the highest impact, while the least impact was assigned to knitted cotton. In the midpoint categories of water use, dyeing unit was also the major contributor in wet processing of knitted cotton (41.20 m3) and knitted polyester (44.70 m3). Pretreatment accounted for an overwhelming percentage of water use in woven cotton (48.00 %) and woven polyester (56.00 %). Woven polyester wet processing was also the most energy-intensive and resource-consuming industry among all scenarios, with a 3.37-fold higher fossil resource scarcity per ton of fabric compared with woven cotton. The results recommend measures for cleaner production in the wet processing.

In utero exposure to per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs): Preeclampsia in pregnancy and low birth weight for neonates.

Per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been linked to preeclampsia with inconsistent directions for outcomes. However, information regarding the joint effects of PFASs mixtures on preeclampsia as well as their associations with the low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) is nascent. The present study included 82 women with preeclampsia and 169 healthy participants from Hangzhou, China. Fifteen PFASs were analyzed in maternal serum before delivery. PFOA and 6:2Cl-PFESA were associated with higher incidence of preeclampsia both linearly and by tertile. Each log-unit increase in serum PFOA (OR:5.29, 95% CI: 1.05, 26.7, p = 0.044) and 6:2 Cl-PFESA (OR:1.02, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.48, p = 0.045) concentrations were associated with increased risks of preeclampsia. These effects were more profound among primiparous women carrying female fetuses. Both PFOA and PFUnDA concentrations were significantly associated with higher odds of early-onset preeclampsia, but the associations tended to be null for late-onset. In addition, each logarithmic increment in PFOA concentrations were significantly associated with a 0.262 and 0.224 mmHg increase in systolic (95% CI: 0.147, 0.377) and diastolic (95% CI: 0.133, 0.314) blood pressures. Using Bayesian kernel machine regressions (BKMR), the overall effects of PFASs mixture concentrations on preeclampsia showed an increasing trend, with PFOA being the largest contributor. With regard to birth weight, the Cox proportional hazards model indicated that significantly higher risks of the LBW were associated with preeclampsia than normal pregnancy (OR: 4.56, 95% CI: 2.44, 6.68, p = 0.000). Increased LBW risks were found for the higher PFOA exposure both linearly and by tertile. Besides, serum PFOA and PFUnDA concentrations were significantly associated with higher odds of SGA development. Nevertheless 4:2 FTS and ADONA were inversely associated with LBW and SGA incidences. Further adverse birth outcomes should be explored to elucidate the health implications of PFASs exposure and preeclampsia development.

Perfluoroalkyl Mixture Exposure in Relation to Fetal Growth: Potential Roles of Maternal Characteristics and Associations with Birth Outcomes.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exposure is suggested to interfere with fetal growth. However, limited investigations considered the roles of parity and delivery on PFASs distributions and the joint effects of PFASs mixture on birth outcomes. In this study, 506 birth cohorts were investigated in Hangzhou, China with 14 PFASs measured in maternal serum. Mothers with higher maternal ages who underwent cesarean section were associated with elevated PFASs burden, while parity showed a significant but diverse influence. A logarithmic unit increment in perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorononane sulfonate (PFNS) was significantly associated with a reduced birth weight of 0.153 kg (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.274, -0.031, p = 0.014), 0.217 kg (95% CI: -0.385, -0.049, p = 0.012), and 0.137 kg (95% CI: -0.270, -0.003, p = 0.044), respectively. Higher perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and perfluoroheptane sulphonate (PFHpS) were associated with increased Apgar-1 scores. PFOA (Odds ratio (OR): 2.17, 95% CI: 1.27, 3.71, p = 0.004) and PFNS (OR:1.59, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.50, p = 0.043) were also risk factors to preterm birth. In addition, the quantile-based g-computation showed that PFASs mixture exposure was significantly associated with Apgar-1 (OR: 0.324, 95%CI: 0.068, 0.579, p = 0.013) and preterm birth (OR: 0.356, 95% CI: 0.149, 0.845, p = 0.019). In conclusion, PFASs were widely distributed in the maternal serum, which was influenced by maternal characteristics and significantly associated with several birth outcomes. Further investigation should focus on the placenta transfer and toxicities of PFASs.

Deciphering the mechanisms shaping the plastisphere antibiotic resistome on riverine microplastics.

Microplastics in urban rivers provide bacterial niches and serve as dispersal vectors for antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) dissemination, which may exacerbate risks in the aquatic systems. However, whether MPs in the river would also selectively enrich ARGs and the underlying mechanisms shaping the resistome on MPs remains largely unknown. In this study, we explored the occurrence of ARGs, bacterial communities, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) on MPs and in waters from the Huangpu River in China. Microplastics were widely distributed in the river (1.78 ± 0.84 items/L), with overwhelming percentages of polyethylene terephthalate fibers. Although reduced ARG abundances were observed on MPs than in waters, MPs selectively enriched the ARGs resistant to Rifamycin and Vancomycin. A clear variation for ARG profiles was elucidated between water and MPs samples. Network analysis suggested that MPs created a unique niche for the genus Afipia to colonize, potentially contributing to the vertical dissemination of ARGs. Additionally, the co-occurrence between ARGs and MGEs revealed that the MPs favor the propagation of some plasmid-associated ARGs mediated by horizontal gene transfer. The null model-based stochasticity ratio and the neutral community model suggested that the ARG assembly on MPs was dominantly driven by stochastic process. The results further indicated that microbial communities and MGEs played significant roles in shaping ARG profiles and dynamics on MPs. Our findings provided new insights into the ecological processes of antibiotic resistome of the aquatic plastisphere.

Wiping conditions and fabric properties influenced the microfiber shedding from non-woven products.

Disposable wipes and masks have come to be considered as underestimated sources of microfiber generation since the emergence of COVID-19. However, research into the creation of microfibers due to wiping with these non-woven products is scarce, and the potential effects of fabric properties on shedding behavior are unclear. This study investigated microfiber release from 7 wet wipes, 5 dry wipes, and 4 masks in response to the use of simulated daily wiping conditions on artificial skin. The dry wipes (77-568 p per sheet) shed more microfibers than the wet ones (21-190 p per sheet) after 2, 10, or 50 wiping cycles under a 9.8 N wiping force. In addition, an average of 56 microfibers could be released from per gram of wipe, and each square centimeter of wipe could release about 1.18 microfibers during wiping. Masks shed fewer microfibers than wipes due to the excellent shedding resistance of spunbond nonwoven fabrics and the strengthened mechanical properties granted by bonding points. Cellulose, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP) were the major polymers in the microfibers shed by wipes, and the microfibers from masks were all PP. With regard to the influencing factors, the number of microfibers shed from wipes was positively associated with the number of wiping cycles (r = 0.983 and 0.960, p < 0.01) and wiping force (r = 0.980, p < 0.05), while it was negatively correlated with the moisture content (r = -0.992, p < 0.01). Interestingly, a stronger fiber entanglement degree in the wipes significantly improved the resistance to microfiber generation (r = -0.664, p < 0.05). The results highlighted for the first time that the bending coefficient (ß = -5.05; 95% CI: -7.71, -2.40; p = 0.002) and fiber extraction force (ß = -0.077; 95% CI: -0.123, -0.030; p = 0.005) significantly reduced the tendency for microfiber shedding. Although the number of microfibers shed from wiping was lower than those from domestic washing, there is still an urgent need to control the microfiber shedding tendencies of non-woven products through improving the manufacturing processes.

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus through interference with glucose homeostasis.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are hypothesized to trigger gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) through modulation of glucose metabolism. However, studies investigating links between joint PFASs to GDM are limited and led to discrepant conclusions. This study included 171 women with GDM development in pregnancy and 169 healthy controls from Hangzhou, China between October 2020 and September 2021. By using the solid-phase extraction (SPE)-ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem-mass-spectrometry (UPLC/MS-MS), 15 PFASs were detected to be widely distributed in maternal serum, with highest median concentrations of 7.43, 4.23, and 3.64 ng/mL for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonates (6:2 Cl-PFESA). Multivariable logistic regressions suggested that the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of GDM for second and highest tertiles of PFOA were 2.57 (1.24, 4.86), p = 0.001 and 1.98 (1.06, 3.65), p = 0.023. Compared with the reference tertile, the ORs of GDM were also significantly increased at the highest tertile of perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), PFOS and 6:2Cl-PFESA. Multiple linear regressions further indicated that exposure to these PFASs congeners were positively associated with continuous glycemic outcomes of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 1-h, and 2-h glucose after 75 g oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) test as well as glycohemoglobin (HbA1c). Nevertheless, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), 4:2 fluorotelomer sulfonates (FTSs), and 3H-perfluoro-3-[(3-methoxy-propoxy) propanoic acid] (ADONA) exhibited protective effects on some of these glycemic outcomes. When assessing the PFASs as mixtures by conducting the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), the risks of GDM and values of glycemic outcomes increased significantly as the concentrations of the PFASs mixture increased, with PFOA being the largest contributor. We therefore propose that although the effects on glucose homeostasis varied between different PFAS congeners, the elevated combined exposures to PFASs may be associated with substantially increased GDM risks by altering glucose metabolism.

Spatio-vertical distribution of riverine microplastics: Impact of the textile industry.

Microplastics (MPs) contamination in rivers and lakes is of paramount environmental importance as freshwater systems transport MPs from land to ocean. However, information regarding the spatio-vertical distributions of MPs in rivers, and their associations with surrounding industrial activities, is scarce and unclear. This study investigated MPs in the Taipu River, where there is a highly developed textile industry in Yangtze River Delta, China. Results showed a widespread occurrence of MPs particles with concentrations in the range of 0.65-6.07 items/L and 0.30-3.63 items/L in surface and bottom waters. A higher abundance of MPs was observed in surface waters than in bottom waters (t = 5.423, p = 0.024). The MPs distributions varied markedly in space, with the highest abundances being found in textile manufacturing zones as a consequence of industrial release (F = 14.642, p < 0.001). Transparent fibers were the major MPs compositions with 100-500 µm in size. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) accounted for 71.4% and 59.73% of the total MPs identified in surface and bottom water, respectively. These PET polymers were predominantly presented in "fibrous" shapes, further reflecting the point sources of textile wastewater. Moreover, polyvinyl acetate (PVAC), used as fabric coating and resin matrix to form nonwoven fabrics, was firstly highlighted at a watershed scale. Although risk assessments revealed a light to moderate risks of MPs in the Taipu River, textile wastewater appears to cause a high "grey water" footprint and increase the risks of MPs pollution from textile life-cycle production. This study bridged gaps between field data and policy-making for MPs control and shed insight into the cleaner production of the textile industry.

Selective adsorption and fluorescence sensing of tetracycline by Zn-mediated chitosan non-woven fabric.

Nowadays, numerous studies have focused on the newly developed technologies for the thorough removal of tetracyclines (TCs). The efficient removal of trace-amount pollutants requires the development of improved materials with higher adsorption capacity and increased adsorption selectivity. Zn(II)-mediated chitosan nonwoven fabric (Zn-CSNW) adsorbent with coordination capability was explored for the effective and selective removal of TC. The adsorption of TC to Zn-CSNW could reach equilibrium in about 30 min with a maximum adsorption capacity of 195.9 mg/g. It exhibited high anti-interference performance for TC adsorption at low concentrations, with good regeneration and effective reuse. Except for citrate, organic materials similar in structure to TC or common ions in aqueous solutions did not show obvious competition for the adsorption of low concentrations of TC. Additionally, the inherent fluorescence of chitosan and the fluorescence sensitization effect of Zn2+ for TC enabled function of Zn-CSNW as an indicator of the adsorption of TC by changes in fluorescence color and intensity under UV light (365 nm). It can indicate the saturation state of the Zn-CSNW, which will bring convenience to the use of the adsorbent. The Zn(II)-mediated coordination interaction plays a vital role in both the selective recognition of TC and the fluorescence sensing of adsorption amount, demonstrating an affordable and effective strategy for the treatment of water containing low amounts of antibiotics.

Metals pollution from textile production wastewater in Chinese southeastern coastal area: occurrence, source identification, and associated risk assessment.

The metals used in textile wet processing are of significant concern for the environment and human health. However, our understanding of metals released by the Chinese textile industry and their potential risks to ecology is limited. This work quantified the concentrations of seven metals in 199 wastewater samples from 77 textile enterprises in the southeastern coastal area of China. In the water discharged after end-of-pipe treatment, the mean concentrations of Sb, Hg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, and As were 0.289, 0.009, 0.579, 0.277, 0.035, 0.016, and 0.013 mg/L, respectively. Alkali deweighting effluents, dyeing effluents, and influents into regulation tanks were observed to be "hotspots" for metal distributions. Among the seven target metals, only Sb was found to be significantly correlated with COD, NH3-N, TN, and TP. The results of one-way ANOVA suggested that the Sb mainly came from the processing of polyester fibers. Overall, the majority of discharged wastewater samples were at safe levels, according to six health indicators. Sb posed elevated risks in comparison to other elements, which necessitated further concern. The findings can help decision-makers prevent hazardous metal contamination in the textile and dyeing industry, and provide a basis for the further study of the mechanisms of metal migration in the environment.

The bioaerosols emitted from toilet and wastewater treatment plant: a literature review.

The aerosols harboring microorganisms and viruses released from the wastewater system into the air have greatly threatened the health and safety of human beings. The wastewater systems, including toilet and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), are the major locations of epidemic infections due to the extensive sources of aerosols, as well as multifarious germs and microorganisms. Viruses and microorganisms may transport from both toilet and hospital into municipal pipes and subsequently into WWTP, which accounts for the main source of bioaerosols dispersed in the air of the wastewater system. This review aims to elaborate the generation, transmission, and diffusion processes of bioaerosols at toilet and WWTP. Moreover, the main factors affecting bioaerosol transmission and the corresponding prevention strategies for the airborne and inhaled bioaerosols are also discussed. Collectively, this review highlights the importance of managing bioaerosol occurrence in the wastewater system, which has aroused increasing concern from the public.

Are we underestimating the sources of microplastic pollution in terrestrial environment?

Microplastics (MPs, plastic particles < 5 mm) are an ever-increasing global issue due to their widespread occurrence in the environment and negative effects on organisms. Currently, more than 96 % of MPs studies are related to marine systems. However, the majority of marine MPs pollution has been confirmed to originate from land-based sources, evidence of MPs in the terrestrial system cannot be overlooked. In this manuscript, up-to-date knowledge regarding the sources and occurrence of MPs from the terrestrial system is comprehensively reviewed. According to the different studies both in China and abroad, microfibers derived from textile washing attributed approximately 35 % of the MPs identified in the aquatic system. Additionally, personal care and cosmetic products, tires, agricultural plastic films, artificial turfs and road paints, landfill, littering, packaging and construction industry can also release MPs to the environment. The aquatic system plays an important role in MPs transport. By using a one-way ANOVA test, polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) accounted for significantly higher percentages than other polymer compositions in surface water. Polyamide (PA) and PP accounted for the majority of polymers in soils. PP, PE, and polystyrene (PS) presented an overwhelming proportion in sediment. Atmospheric deposition presents a new vehicle for entering into the wider environment. More research is urgently required on the topic of exposure risk of atmospheric MPs via inhalation. Morphological characteristics including shapes, sizes, and colors have been discussed among waters, soils, sediments and airborne. These source-occurrence implications continuum summaries can bring us new insights that we cannot underestimate the severity of MPs from land-based sources and should pay more attention to MPs contamination in the terrestrial ecosystem.

The enhanced degradation and detoxification of chlortetracycline by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Nowadays, numerous studies have focused on the newly developed technologies for the thorough removal of tetracyclines (TCs). However, it is often ignored that the parent TCs have limited stability in aquatic environments. Thus, this study selected green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with high chlorophyll content to rapidly degrade chlortetracycline (CTC) into products with low toxicity. As the results shown, the half-life times of CTC (1 × 10-6 mol/L) decreased from 10.35 h to 2.55 h by the presence of C. reinhardtii at 24±1 °C with 12/12 h dark/light cycle. The main transformation products were iso-chlortetracycline (ICTC), 4-epi-iso-chlortetracycline (EICTC), and other degradation products with lower molecular weight. The toxicity evaluation shows that the negative effects of CTC on growth rate and soluble protein content of green algae were significantly alleviated after the enhanced degradation treatment, while the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant response in algal cells returned to normal levels. The chlorophyll of algae played an important role of photosensitizer, which catalyzed the photo-induced electron/energy transfer of CTC degradation. The ROS generation of algae also was also inseparable from the enhanced degradation of CTC, especially when the chlorophyll was damaged at the high CTC concentration. Based on these results, we can better select suitable algal species to further strengthen the degradation of antibiotics and effectively reduce the environmental risk of CTC in aqueous system.