Impact of land use on shallow groundwater quality characteristics associated with human health risks in a typical agricultural area in Central China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Groundwater pollution seriously threatens water resource safety due to high-intensity land use throughout the world. However, the relationship between...     

The effects of autophagy in rat tracheal epithelial cells induced by silver nanoparticles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The massive use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is potentially harmful to exposed humans. Although previous studies have found that AgNPs can induce...     

Experimental study on static and dynamic mechanical properties of phosphogypsum

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phosphogypsum (PG) is a solid waste product of the wet-process phosphoric acid industry that accumulates in large amounts on the ground, forming PG...     

Exploring the spatial-temporal variations and policy-based driving force behind groundwater contamination and remediation research in past decades

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Groundwater has been recognized as one of the most critical and vulnerable natural sources which is utilized in potable water supply, agricultural...     

Dynamic characteristics of chlorine dispersion process and quantitative risk assessment of pollution hazard

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study was to analyze dispersion behavior characteristics and pollution hazard risk after a release of liquid chlorine. A full-scale...     

Combined toxic impacts of thiamethoxam and four pesticides on the rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus)

To examine pesticide mixture toxicity to aqueous organisms, we assessed the single and combined toxicities of thiamethoxam and other four pesticides (chlorpyrifos, beta-cypermethrin, tetraconazole, and azoxystrobin) to the rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus). Data from 96-h semi-static toxicity assays of various developmental phases (embryonic, larval, juvenile, and adult phases) showed that beta-cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, and azoxystrobin had the highest toxicities to G. rarus, and their LC₅₀ values ranged from 0.0031 to 0.86 mg a.i. L^?1, from 0.016 to 6.38 mg a.i. L^?1, and from 0.39 to 1.08 mg a.i. L^?1, respectively. Tetraconazole displayed a comparatively high toxicity, and its LC₅₀ values ranged from 3.48 to 16.73 mg a.i. L^?1. By contrast, thiamethoxam exhibited the lowest toxic effect with LC₅₀ values ranging from 37.85 to 351.9 mg a.i. L^?1. Rare minnow larvae were more sensitive than embryos to all the pesticides tested. Our data showed that a pesticide mixture of thiamethoxam–tetraconazole elicited synergetic toxicity to G. rarus. Moreover, pesticide mixtures containing beta-cypermethrin in combination with chlorpyrifos or tetraconazole also had synergetic toxicities to fish. The majority of pesticides are presumed to have additive toxicity, while our data emphasized that the concurrent existence of some chemicals in the aqueous circumstance could cause synergetic toxic effect, leading to severe loss to the aqueous environments in comparison with their single toxicities. Thence, the synergetic impacts of chemical mixtures should be considered when assessing the ecological risk of chemicals.

     

Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs): a new cause for concern?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the increasingly serious pollution of plastics, biodegradable plastics (BDPs) have attracted attention as a new material that can replace...     

Morphology and composition of particles emitted from conventional and alternative fuel vehicles

Size, morphology, and composition of airborne particles strongly affect human health and visibility, precipitation, and the kinetic characteristics of particles. In this study, the morphology and chemical composition of particles emitted from conventional (diesel and gasoline) and alternative (CNG and methanol) fuel vehicles were characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). The SEM images revealed that the size of primary particles (without agglomeration) was approximately 10 nm in the exhaust from all the tested vehicles. The particles emitted from gasoline vehicle (GV), CNG vehicle (CNGV), and methanol vehicle (MV) had the same median diameter, 62 nm, which was smaller than those from heavy diesel vehicle (HDV) and light diesel vehicle (LDV). Soot was observed in the HDV, LDV, and GV samples but not in the CNGV and MV. The fractal dimension, which was used to quantify the degree of irregularity of soot, was 1.752 ± 0.014, 1.789 ± 0.076, and 1.769 ± 0.006 in the exhaust from HDV, LDV, and GV samples, respectively. The particles discharged by all tested vehicles contained the elements C, O, Fe, and Na. The main element in the samples of HDV, LDV, and GV was C, while O was the main element in the samples of alternative fuel vehicles. The profiles of minor elements were more complex in the emissions of alternative fuel vehicles than those in the emissions of conventional fuel vehicles. The results improved our understanding of the morphology and elemental composition of particles emitted from vehicles powered by diesel, gasoline, CNG, and methanol.

     

Habitat changes in the most important stopover sites for the endangered red-crowned crane in China: a large-scale study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) is an endangered bird species that has been listed as one of the Class I National Key Protected Wild Animals...