Long-distance social relationships can both undercut and promote local natural resource management.

The management of large common-pool resources, like fisheries and forests, is more difficult when more people and more communities can access them-a particular problem given increased population sizes, higher mobility and globalized trade in the Anthropocene. Social relationships spanning communities, such as kin relationships, business or trade relationships and friendships, can make management even more challenging by facilitating and transmitting norms of overharvesting. However, these long-distance relationships can also bolster management by transmitting norms for sustainability, promoting interdependence and laying the groundwork for nested management systems. Here, we review the negative and positive impacts of long-distance relationships on local natural resource management (NRM), providing illustrative examples from our field research on forest and fisheries management in Tanzania. Drawing on the evolutionary literature, the development literature and our field data, we offer suggestions for how development partners can avoid the pitfalls of long-distance relationships and how they can use or even deliberately foster long-distance relationships to promote successful local NRM. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis'.

Elucidating the mechanisms of rapid O3 increase in North China Plain during COVID-19 lockdown period.

Ozone (O3) levels in North China Plain (NCP) suffered from rapid increases during the COVID-19 period. Many previous studies have confirmed more rapid NOx reduction compared with VOCs might be responsible for the O3 increase during this period, while the comprehensive impacts of each VOC species and NOx on ambient O3 and their interactions with meteorology were not revealed clearly. To clarify the detailed reasons for the O3 increase, a continuous campaign was performed in a typical industrial city of NCP. Meanwhile, the machine-learning technique and the box model were employed to reveal the mechanisms of O3 increase from the perspective of meteorology and photochemical process, respectively. The result suggested that the ambient O3 level in Tangshan increased from 18.7 ± 4.63 to 45.6 ± 8.52 µg/m3 (143%) during COVID-19 lockdown, and the emission reduction and meteorology contributed to 54 % and 46 % of this increment, respectively. The lower wind speed (WS) coupled with regional transport played a significant role on O3 increase (30.8 kg/s). The O3 sensitivity verified that O3 production was highly volatile organic compounds (VOC)-sensitive (Relative incremental reactivity (RIR): 0.75), while the NOx showed the negative impact on O3 production in Tangshan (RIR: -0.59). It suggested that the control of VOCs rather than NOx might be more effective in reducing O3 level in Tangshan because it was located on the VOC-limited regime. Besides, both of ozone formation potential (OFP) analysis and observation-based model (OBM) demonstrated that the alkenes (36.3 ppb) and anthropogenic oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) (15.2 ppb) showed the higher OFP compared with other species, and their reactions released a large number of HO2 and RO2 radicals. Moreover, the concentrations of these species did not experience marked decreases during COVID-19 lockdown, which were major contributors to O3 increase during this period. This study also underlined the necessity of priority controlling alkenes and OVOCs across the NCP.

Leaching of heavy metals from polyester microplastic fibers and the potential risks in simulated real-world scenarios.

Heavy metals have been incorporated as additives into synthetic textiles to enhance their functional properties. However, these fibers are susceptible to shedding due to mechanical wear, and the release of heavy metals from microplastic fibers (MFs) remains largely uncharacterized. Therefore, this study sought to quantify the levels of heavy metals in textiles, evaluate their leaching capabilities under various scenarios, and ultimately assess the potential health risks associated with MFs ingestion. First, we determined the metal content in eight commonly used polyester textiles. Subsequently, we estimated the metal leaching capacities of specific MFs sourced from carpets, curtains, sweaters, and scarves in freshwater, human saliva, human lung fluid, and fish gastric fluid at distinct time intervals. The results indicated that carpets contained the highest amount of total metals, with a concentration of 218 ± 8 mg/kg. Ultraviolet weathering, coupled with longer exposure durations, led to surface coarsening of MFs, which may be the primary reason for the enhanced leaching of metals in freshwater. Furthermore, our findings revealed that carbonyl index was unsuitable for characterizing aging because polyester inherently contains carbonyl groups. Instead, the O/C ratio emerged as a more suitable indicator. The leached concentrations and percentages of metals from MFs exhibited the following order in biofluids: Sb>Mn>Cr and Cr>Mn>Pb in biofluids, respectively. Finally, the estimated daily intake of metals was significantly below the tolerable thresholds (0.0014-0.14 mg/kg/d for fish and 0.0036-1.0 mg/kg/d for humans), indicating a negligible risk of heavy metal exposure through MFs for both fish and humans. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: In recent years, the ecological risks posed by heavy metal contaminants loaded onto microplastic fibers have become an increasing concern. Therefore, our study sought to characterize the accumulation of heavy metals on plastic fabrics and the potential for these loaded heavy metals to be released when microplastic fibers originating from these fabrics enter freshwater environments and interact with organisms. This vector-like behavior underscores the importance of investigating the ecological hazards associated with microplastic fibers carrying contaminants in both environmental and organismal contexts.

Energetic, bio-oil, biochar, and ash performances of co-pyrolysis-gasification of textile dyeing sludge and Chinese medicine residues in response to K2CO3, atmosphere type, blend ratio, and temperature.

Hazardous waste stream needs to be managed so as not to exceed stock- and rate-limited properties of its recipient ecosystems. The co-pyrolysis of Chinese medicine residue (CMR) and textile dyeing sludge (TDS) and its bio-oil, biochar, and ash quality and quantity were characterized as a function of the immersion of K2CO3, atmosphere type, blend ratio, and temperature. Compared to the mono-pyrolysis of TDS, its co-pyrolysis performance with CMR (the comprehensive performance index (CPI)) significantly improved by 33.9% in the N2 atmosphere and 33.2% in the CO2 atmosphere. The impregnation catalyzed the co-pyrolysis at 370°C, reduced its activation energy by 77.3 kJ/mol in the N2 atmosphere and 134.6 kJ/mol in the CO2 atmosphere, and enriched the degree of coke gasification by 44.25% in the CO2 atmosphere. The impregnation increased the decomposition rate of the co-pyrolysis by weakening the bond energy of fatty side chains and bridge bonds, its catalytic and secondary products, and its bio-oil yield by 66.19%. Its bio-oils mainly contained olefins, aromatic structural substances, and alcohols. The immersion of K2CO3 improved the aromaticity of the co-pyrolytic biochars and reduced the contact between K and Si which made it convenient for Mg to react with SiO2 to form magnesium-silicate. The co-pyrolytic biochar surfaces mainly included -OH, -CH2, C=C, and Si-O-Si. The main phases in the co-pyrolytic ash included Ca5(PO4)3(OH), Al2O3, and magnesium-silicate.

Atmospheric oxidation capacity and O3 formation in a coastal city of southeast China: Results from simulation based on four-season observation.

The pollution of atmospheric ozone in China shows an obvious upward trend in the past decade. However, the studies on the atmospheric oxidation capacity and O3 formation in four seasons in the southeastern coastal region of China with the rapid urbanization remain limited. Here, a four-season field observation was carried out in a coastal city of southeast China, using an observation-based model combining with the Master Chemical Mechanism, to explore the atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC), radical chemistry, O3 formation pathways and sensitivity. The results showed that the average net O3 production rate (14.55 ppbv/hr) in summer was the strongest, but the average O3 concentrations in autumn was higher. The AOC and ROx levels presented an obvious seasonal pattern with the maximum value in summer, while the OH reactivity in winter was the highest with an average value of 22.75 sec-1. The OH reactivity was dominated by oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) (30.6%-42.8%), CO (23.2%-26.8%), NO2 (13.6%-22.0%), and alkenes (8.4%-12.5%) in different seasons. HONO photolysis dominated OH primary source on daytime in winter, while in other seasons, HONO photolysis in the morning and ozone photolysis in the afternoon contributed mostly. Sensitivity analysis indicated that O3 production was controlled by VOCs in spring, autumn and winter, but a VOC-limited and NOx-limited regime in summer, and alkene and aromatic species were the major controlling factors to O3 formation. Overall, the study characterized the atmospheric oxidation capacity and elucidated the controlling factors for O3 production in the coastal area with the rapid urbanization in China.

Correlations between China's socioeconomic status, disease burdens, and pharmaceuticals and personal care product levels in wastewater.

The presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in domestic wastewater can potentially indicate socioeconomic status and disease burdens. However, current knowledge is limited to the correlation between specific pharmaceuticals and diseases. This study aims to explore the associations between socioeconomic status, disease burdens, and PPCP levels in domestic wastewater at a national level. Samples from 171 wastewater influents across China were used to measure PPCPs, and the per capita consumption of PPCPs was calculated. Results showed that the 31 targeted PPCPs were widely present in wastewater with varying occurrence characteristics. The mean consumption levels of different PPCPs varied greatly, ranging from 0.03 to 110723.15 µg/d/capita. While there were no significant regional differences in the overall pattern of PPCP consumption, 22 PPCPs showed regional variations between Northern China and Southern China. PPCPs with similar usage purposes exhibited similar distribution patterns. Disease burden (70.1%) was the main factor affecting most PPCP consumption compared to socioeconomic factors (26.4%). Through correlation analyses, specific types of PPCPs were identified that were highly associated with socioeconomic status and disease burdens, such as hypertension-bezafibrate, brucellosis-quinolones, sulfonamides, hepatitis-triclosan, triclocarban, socioeconomic development-fluoxetine, and people's living standards-gemfibrozil. Despite some uncertainties, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between PPCPs in domestic wastewater and socioeconomic status and human health.

The dynamics of persistent organic pollutant (POP) transfer from female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to their calves during lactation.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are lipophilic compounds that can accumulate in high concentrations in the blubber of marine mammals, which are long-lived, top-level predators in their ecosystems. These compounds, which include DDTs, PCBs, PBDEs, HCHs, and CHLDs, impact mammalian health, including neurological effects, reduced immune system efficiency, and reproductive failure. POPs are transferred from females to their offspring during gestation and lactation, which have implications for the health of newborn marine mammals, particularly first-born offspring who receive higher concentrations. The dynamics of POP transfer during lactation have been studied in a few pinniped species, but there are no comparable studies on living cetaceans. Because life history strategies and behavior of lactating phocids differ from dolphins, a study on delphinid maternal transfer is warranted. To accomplish this, placenta and longitudinally collected blood and milk samples were taken concurrently from trained bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, mother/calf pairs to assess the dynamics of maternal contaminant transfer. Initial POP levels in placenta, blood serum, and milk varied by individual and were related to the age and reproductive history of the females. Regardless of initial POP levels, maternal serum and milk concentrations decreased while calf serum POP levels increased over time. Pollutant transfer varied by POP class and by congener. Contaminant transfer efficiency to calves was most apparent for 4- to 6­chlorine PCBs, DDT isomers p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDD, and o,p'-DDE, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, heptachlor epoxide, nonachlor III, and oxychlordane. By the end of the lactation period, calf serum POP levels were considerably greater than those of their mothers, particularly for compounds with fewer chlorines. POP levels were most biomagnified in the calf born to the primiparous female. These results provide critical information on one component of contaminant transfer in the marine ecosystem and for understanding potential risks of POP exposure to developing odontocete calves.

Constructing urban ecological corridors to reflect local species diversity and conservation objectives.

Ensuring bird diversity can secure key ecosystem services within cities. Building ecological corridors into urban planning is an effective way to protect urban birds, but existing corridor construction methods often ignore locality and diversity of species, leading to homogenization of corridor construction results and orientation. We proposed a corridor construction model that combines local bird surveys and bird threat levels. After constructing differentiated corridors for each bird species by assessing their habits and flight abilities, we used three weighted scenarios (original, weighted abundance, weighted abundance, and phylogeny) to assess the conservation priorities of birds and overlaid them to derive a comprehensive bird corridor model. Our results show significant differences in conservation priority and corridor pattern among different bird species, thus demonstrating the importance of local bird surveys and knowledge of threat levels in accurate corridor simulations. This study provides differential simulation of corridors for each bird species and the identification of important conservation species, and uses these to extend the theory of ecological corridor planning to urban bird populations. These results can be applied to guide biodiversity management, evaluate green space policies, and provide practical assistance for sustainable urban development and management.

Locally acquired strongyloidiasis in remote Australia: why are there still cases?

In Australia, strongyloidiasis primarily affects returned travellers, Vietnam veterans and refugees or asylum seekers, and First Nations people. Non-overseas acquired cases are seen almost exclusively in Australian First Nations remote communities. Australian First Nations communities have one of the highest rates of strongyloidiasis in the world. Our work has shown that strongyloidiasis is a disease of poverty. Acknowledging this is important-we need to shift the lens to socioeconomic factors, particularly environmental health hardware such as working toilets and sewerage systems, showers and laundries, and effective wastewater and rubbish removal. The rates of strongyloidiasis in First Nations communities is a result of decades of inadequate, poorly constructed and/or poorly maintained housing, and poor environmental health hardware (hereafter hardware). The solution lies in adequate funding, resulting in well designed and maintained housing and appropriate hardware. Governments need to allow First Nations communities themselves to take the lead role in funding allocation, and design, construction and maintenance of their housing and hardware. This will ensure housing and hardware fulfils cultural and physical needs and desires, and protects health. Improving housing and hardware will also improve other health outcomes. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Strongyloides: omics to worm-free populations'.

Migration testing of microplastics from selected water and food containers by Raman microscopy.

The migration of microplastics (MPs) from plastic food packaging has received increasing attention. Despite numerous studies quantifying MPs released from food packaging, there is lack of systematic investigation on migration of MPs from food packages under US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s guidance for food contact substances. Herein, we aimed to determine the quantity and size distribution of MPs migrating from water and food plastic containers following US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s guidance using Raman microscopy. Six commonly used water and food containers made of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) were treated using distilled water and food stimulants (10% and 50% ethanol) under various conditions. A range of 23,702 to 490,330 particles per liter MPs with 77%- 92% smaller than 5 µm were detected, in which the PP food container exhibited the highest release of MPs when incubated with 50% ethanol at 130 °C for 15 min (equivalent to heating fatty food in a microwave). The temperature and food types were key attributes for elevating MP migration in general. Further comparison observed direct microwave (534,109 particles per liter) heating led to a significantly higher release of MPs compared to the FDA-suggested method (155,572 particles per liter). Part of MPs (12-63%) failed to be identified by Raman microscopy due to small particle size. Our estimation suggests that individuals might inhale up to 4511 MPs per kg per day. This research offers vital insights into MP migration from food and water containers, aiding in the development of relevant guidelines and facilitating MPs' risk assessment and management.

Discovery and occurrence of organophosphorothioate esters in food contact plastics and foodstuffs from South China: Dietary intake assessment.

A recent study revealed the presence of non-pesticide organothiophosphate esters (OTPEs) - precursors to organophosphate esters (OPEs) contaminants - in river water. Since OPEs have demonstrated adverse reproductive outcomes in humans, this accentuates the urgency to explore the prevalence of non-pesticide OTPEs in other potential human exposure matrices. In this study, a nontarget screening method based on high-resolution mass spectrometry was used to identify OTPEs in food contact plastic (FCP) samples collected from South China. O,O,O-triphenyl phosphorothioate (TPhPt) and O,O,O-tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphorothioate (AO168 = S) were unequivocally identified (Level 1), while O,O-di(di-butylphenyl) O-methyl phosphorothioate (BDBPMPt) was tentatively identified (Level 2b, indicating probable structure based on diagnostic evidence). Among n = 70 FCP samples, AO168 = S emerged with the highest detection frequency and median concentration of 74 % and 111 ng/g, respectively. Significant Pearson correlations were observed in log-transformed peak areas of AO168 = S and TPhPt in FCPs with their respective oxons, respectively. Occurrences of AO168 = S and TPhPt were further investigated in n = 100 foodstuff samples using a market basket method. AO168 = S and TPhPt exhibited detection frequencies of 43 % and 44 % in all food items with mean concentrations of 2.17 ng/g wet weight (ww) (range: <0.53-67.8 ng/g ww) and 0.112 ng/g ww (range: <0.006-2.39 ng/g ww), respectively. The highest mean concentrations for AO168 = S and TPhPt were found in vegetables (4.62 ng/g ww) and oil (3.00 ng/g ww), respectively. The median estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of AO168 = S and TPhPt via diet were calculated as 10.4 and 1.51 ng/kg body weight/day, respectively. For AO168 = S, only meat and vegetables contributed to the median EDI, whereas for TPhPt, oil was identified as the principal contributor to the median EDI. This study for the first time evaluated human exposure to OTPEs via diet, providing new insights to overall human exposure to OPEs.

Ultra-low esfenvalerate exposure may disrupt interspecific competition.

Field and mesocosm studies repeatedly show that higher tier processes reduce the predictive accuracy of toxicity evaluation and thus their value for pesticide risk assessment. Therefore, understanding the influence of ecological complexity on toxicant effects is crucial to improve realism of aquatic risk assessment. Here we investigate the influence of repeated exposure to ecologically realistic concentrations of esfenvalerate on the two similarly sensitive species Daphnia magna and Culex pipiens in a food limited and highly competitive environment. We show that significant perturbations in population development are only present at 100 ng/L (close to the EC50). In contrast, interspecific competition between species is already reduced at 0.1 ng/L (≤ 3 orders of magnitude below the acute lethal EC50). We conclude that extremely low, environmentally relevant concentrations can disrupt species interactions. This toxicant mediated alteration of competitive balances in ecological communities may be the underlying mechanism for shifts in species distribution at ultra-low pesticide concentrations. A realistic risk assessment should therefore consider these processes in order to predict potential pesticide effects on the structure of communities.

Distribution, fate and removal efficiency of anthelmintic drugs in wastewater treatment plants.

The distribution and fate of 19 anthelmintic drugs (ADs) were investigated in two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using different wastewater treatment technologies, including anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic (A2/O) biological process and cyclic activated sludge system (CASS) process. All the 19 ADs were found in the two WWTPs, with concentrations ranging from N.D. to 324.6 ng/L in the influent and from N.D. to 1579.2 ng/L in the effluent. Benzimidazoles were the primary pollutants in the wastewater and suspended particulate matter, accounting for more than half of the total concentration. The concentrations of macrocyclic lactones in the sludge were significantly higher than that of other two media. The ADs removal efficiency of A2/O ranged from -330 % (albendazole sulfoxide) to 100 % (fenbendazole, mebendazole and pyrantel). While the ADs removal efficiency of CASS process ranged from -425 % (albendazole sulfoxide) to 100 % (abamectin, moxidectin and ivermectin). There was no significant difference in the average removal efficiency of the ADs between the two processes (64 % and 63 %, except albendazole sulfoxide). The removal efficiencies of the ADs in the biodegradation stage were better than them in the sedimentation stage. The load per capita of the 19 ADs in two WWTPs ranged from 0 (moxidectin) to 36 µg.d-1.p-1 (albendazole), and the emission in the effluent ranged from 0 (moxidectin) to 163 µg.d-1.p-1 (albendazole sulfoxide). This study provided the first comprehensive data on the occurrence and fate of the 19 ADs and evaluated the removal efficiencies of the 19 ADs in two WWTPs using A2O process and CASS process in the city.

Interface engineering of 0D/2D Cu2O/BiOBr Z-scheme heterojunction for efficient degradation of sulfamethoxazole: Mechanism, degradation pathway, and DFT calculation.

Constructed heterojunction has been considered an efficient strategy to enhance the migration and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers. Herein, a Z-scheme Cu2O/BiOBr heterojunction with 0D/2D structure was fabricated by microwave hydrothermal method. It was found that the optimal composites photocatalyst showed excellent activity for sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) illumination, and the removal rate reached 90.7%, which was higher than pristine Cu2O (53.0%) and BiOBr (60.0%). Subsequently, the operational parameters such as catalyst dosage, concentrations of pollutants, and pH of solution were investigated. According to the ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRs), Mott-Schottky curve, and density functional theory (DFT) analysis, the Z-scheme degradation mechanism of Cu2O/BiOBr heterostructure was proposed. Among them, the interface structure of 0-dimensions/2-dimensions (0D/2D) can significantly increase the number of heterojunctions in the composite catalyst, and Z-scheme heterostructures can accelerate the generation and migration of photoinduced charge carriers, which has a facilitation effect on improving the decomposition activity of the photocatalyst. Moreover, three possible pathways for SMZ degradation were inferred. This study provides a promising strategy for constructing novel heterojunctions with high photocatalytic performance.

Tunnel vision in the drinking water research field - Time for non-targeted analysis implementation?

A plethora of compounds can reach our drinking water and possibly affect human health. Still, mostly notorious pollutants like pesticides and disinfection by-products are monitored and regulated. With the increasing availability of high-resolution mass spectrometers (HRMS), non-targeted analyses of environmental samples have become possible. Pilot studies demonstrating the applicability of this approach in the drinking water research field were published. We would like to highlight these studies and appeal to researchers focused on water quality to better exploit the potential of HRMS instruments and broaden the scale of studied pollutants. In addition, the data and experience should be further shared, and the quality standard for the analytical procedures should be set. With advanced knowledge of compounds reaching the drinking water, potential threats would be revealed, and the comprehensive results on water pollution might also act as impulses for associated research branches, including toxicity assessment or development of water treatment technologies, and/or for policy-making.

Wheat yield response to elevated O3 concentrations differs between the world's major producing regions.

Ground-level ozone (O3) concentration is rising in Asia, which accommodates the world's top-two wheat producers (China and India). Because wheat is among the species of high O3 sensitivity, yield loss due to rising O3 in Asia is a major threat to global wheat supply. We estimated the relationships between O3 dose on AOT40 (accumulated daytime O3 concentrations above 40 ppb for 90 days) and relative wheat yield for four wheat producing regions: China, India, Europe and North America using results of O3 elevation experiments conducted therein. When compared on the same AOT40, the estimated yield loss was greatest in China followed by India, Europe, and North America in this order. In China, Europe and North America, the yield loss was primarily due to the reduction of single grain weight, whereas in India reduction of the number of grains contributed more to the yield loss than single grain weight. The greater response of the number of grains to O3 in India can be explained by the earlier start of O3 elevation, but the seasonal change in O3 concentrations cannot explain the lower yield loss in North America than China and India. Referring to the past reports of lower yield sensitivity to O3 in older cultivars, we compared the year of release of cultivars between the regions. In North America, they used cultivars released in 1980s or earlier, whereas in China they used cultivars released in 2000s. In Europe and India, most cultivars were released between those in North America and China. The difference in cultivars could therefore be a cause the differential yield response among the regions. We argue that the O3-induced yield loss should be quantified using the dose-response relationships for each region accounting for the effects of seasonal change in O3 concentrations, cultivars and climate on the yield response.

Vertical decentralization, environmental regulation, and enterprise pollution: An evolutionary game analysis.

Achieving sustainable economic development and mitigating climate change require effective green transformation management. This study builds an evolutionary game model for industrial enterprises, local governments, and the central government, analyzing the dynamic interactions among vertical decentralization, environmental regulation, and enterprise pollution. Our research reveals that increasing environmental taxes can incentivize industrial enterprises to adopt green transformation practices and promote governments at all administrative levels to supervise and enforce environmental regulations. Moreover, in the context of vertical decentralization, financial incentives provided by the central government to local governments become critical drivers for promoting green transformation. Furthermore, the additional social benefits resulting from local government supervision and governance are key factors in green transformation management, while the negative social effects of industrial enterprises not rectifying their actions are noteworthy. Our study emphasizes the need for an integrated framework incorporating these critical elements for successful green transition management. The findings of this research provide valuable insights for developing nations seeking to enhance their governance capacity throughout the green transformation process.

Latent pesticide effects and their mechanisms.

Short pulses of toxicants can cause latent effects that occur long after the contamination event and are currently unpredictable. Here, we introduce an analytical framework for mechanistically predicting latent effects considering interactive effects of multiple stressors and hormetic effect compensation. We conducted an extensive investigation using high temporal resolution microcosm data of the mayfly Cloeon dipterum exposed to the pyrethroid pesticide esfenvalerate for 1 h. For 6 pesticide concentrations and 3 food levels we identified daily general stress information and predicted their synergistic interactions using the Stress Addition Model (SAM). Our analysis revealed that, especially at low concentrations, latent effects contributed most to the overall effect. At low concentrations ranging from 1/100 to 1/10,000 of the acute LC50, resulting in a 30-15 % mortality, latent effects prevailed, accounting for 92 % to 100 % of the observed effects. Notably, the concentration causing 15 % mortality 29 days post-exposure was 1000 times lower than the concentration causing the same mortality 4 days post-exposure, emphasizing the time-dependent nature of this Latent-Effect-Amplification (LEA). We identified both acute mortality and latent effects of pesticides on emergence. Furthermore, we observed pesticide-induced compensation mechanisms at both individual and population levels, transforming the initial monotonic concentration-response relationship into a hormetic, tri-phasic response pattern. Combining these processes enabled a quantification of the underlying causes of latent effects. Our findings highlight that short-term pesticide exposures can lead to latent effects of particular significance, especially at low effect concentrations.

Arsenic pollution cycle, toxicity and sustainable remediation technologies: A comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis.

Arsenic pollution and its allied impacts on health are widely reported and have gained global attention in the last few decades. Although the natural distribution of arsenic is limited, anthropogenic activities have increased its mobility to distant locations, thereby increasing the number of people affected by arsenic pollution. Arsenic has a complex biogeochemical cycle which has a significant role in pollution. Therefore, this review paper has comprehensively analysed the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic which can dictate the occurrence of arsenic pollution. Considering the toxicity and nature of arsenic, the present work has also analysed the current status of arsenic pollution around the world. It is noted that the south of Asia, West-central Africa, west of Europe and Latin America are major hot spots of arsenic pollution. Bibliometric analysis was performed by using scopus database with specific search for keywords such as arsenic pollution, health hazards to obtain the relevant data. Scopus database was searched for the period of 20 years from year 2003-2023 and total of 1839 articles were finally selected for further analysis using VOS viewer. Bibliometric analysis of arsenic pollution and its health hazards has revealed that arsenic pollution is primarily caused by anthropogenic sources and the key sources of arsenic exposure are drinking water, sea food and agricultural produces. Arsenic pollution was found to be associated with severe health hazards such as cancer and other health issues. Thus considering the severity of the issue, few sustainable remediation technologies such as adsorption using microbes, biological waste material, nanomaterial, constructed wetland, phytoremediation and microorganism bioremediation are proposed for treating arsenic pollution. These approaches are environmentally friendly and highly sustainable, thus making them suitable for the current scenario of environmental crisis.

Modelling the air pollution induced health effects of energy consumption across varied spaces in OECD countries: An asymmetric analysis.

The air pollution-induced health effects of energy consumption remain a grey area in the extant literature. As of yet, there are very limited studies on the subject matter for countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). To this end, we employ panel data from 1990 to 2019 for 37 OECD countries and panel estimation techniques that control for distributional asymmetry. We also utilize a composite variable of mortality and morbidity to capture the full spectrum of air pollution-induced health burdens. Our findings reveal that renewable energy ameliorates the health burden of air pollution in indoor spaces, evidence for the ameliorating effects of renewable energy in outdoor and occupational spaces was however weak. We also show that income has an ameliorating effect on air pollution-induced health burdens across all spaces and that the effect of non-renewable energy is asymmetric and disparate across all spaces. Furthermore, while technological innovation ameliorates the health burden of air pollution in indoor spaces, it exacerbates the health burden of air pollution in both occupational and outdoor spaces. These findings thus show that the positive health implications of renewable energy policy interventions have more traction in indoor spaces. Capacity needs to be built in the renewable energy sector to reduce the pollution-inducing health burdens emanating from ambient and occupational spaces.