Bioaccumulation,subcellular, and molecular localization and damage to physiology and ultrastructure in Nymphoides peltata (Gmel.) O. Kuntze exposed to yttrium

Bioaccumulation, subcellular distribution, and acute toxicity of yttrium (Y) were evaluated in Nymphoides peltata. The effects of Y concentrations of 1–5 mg L^?1 applied for 4 days were assessed by measuring changes in photosynthetic pigments, nutrient contents, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, and ultrastructure. The accumulation of Y in subcellular fractions decreased in the order of cell wall > organelle > soluble fraction. Much more Y was located in cellulose and pectin than in other biomacromolecules. The content of some mineral elements (Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Mo) increased in N. peltata, but there was an opposite effect for P and K. Meanwhile, ascorbate, and catalase activity decreased significantly for all Y concentrations. In contrast, peroxidase activity was induced, while initial rises in superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione content were followed by subsequent declines. Morphological symptoms of senescence, such as chlorosis and damage to chloroplasts and mitochondria, were observed even at the lowest Y concentration. Pigment content decreased as the Y concentration rose and the calculated EC₅₀ and MPC of Y for N. peltata were 2 and 0.2 mg L^?1 after 4 days of exposure, respectively. The results showed that exogenous Y was highly available in water and that its high concentration in water bodies might produce harmful effects on aquatic organisms. N. peltata is proposed as a biomonitor for the assessment of metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems.     

台北与厦门城市固体废弃物管理体系比较研究

城市固体废弃物的综合处置与管理是城市可持续发展的核心问题之一。选取海峡两岸的厦门市和台北市,论述和比较2个城市固体废弃物管理的历史沿革、发展概况、管理框架、收集运输系统、经济手段及最终处置方法等,发现台北在城市固体废弃物管理方面已达国际领先水平,而厦门正处于台北曾经历过的理论探索、系统完善阶段。对比2个城市的管理经验,可以为厦门及中国其它城市提供重要借鉴。最后在相关数据分析的基础上,提出了厦门城市固体废弃物管理的政策建议。     

A signal-amplified whole-cell biosensor for sensitive detection of Hg2+ based on Hg2+-enhanced reporter module

A signal-amplified mercury sensing biosensor with desired sensitivity was developed through firstly using the GFP mutant with fluorescence increasing response towards Hg²⁺ as the reporter module. The developed biosensor showed response for Hg²⁺ in a relatively wide range of 1–10,000 nmol/L, and the detection limit was improved one or two orders of magnitude in comparison with most metal-sensing biosensors in similar constructs. In addition, the biosensor could distinguish Hg²⁺ easily from multiple metal ions and displayed strong adaptability to extensive pH conditions (pH 4.0–10.0). More importantly, the developed biosensor was able to provide an initial assessment of Hg²⁺ spiked in the environmental water with the recoveries between 85.70% and 112.50%. The signal-amplified strategy performed by the modified reporter module will be widely applicable to many other whole-cell biosensors, meeting the practical requirements with sufficient sensing performance.     

Ecological utilization of leather tannery waste with circular economy model

Circular economy (CE) focuses on resource-productivity and eco-efficiency improvement in a comprehensive way, especially on the industrial structure optimization of new technology development and application, equipment renewal and management renovation. The leather industry on the one side boosts the local economic development, on the other side however leads to the tremendous environment pollution and biological chains destruction. The CE model has been implemented as a new way of raw materials, water and energy consumption reduction in the leather industry. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover of the tannery effluents have been discussed in detail according to the different operation processes. The successful treatment approaches with analysis in the aspects such as wastewater, solid waste, sulfide, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), ammonium salt, chloride and chrome of the leather tannery with CE model provide guidance for the sustainable development of leather industry in the future.     

Associations between co-exposure to multiple metals and renal function: a cross-sectional study in Guangxi,China

The association between co-exposure to multiple metals and renal function is poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the individual and joint effects of metal exposure on renal function in this study. We performed a cross-sectional study including 5828 participants in Guangxi, China, in 2019. Urine concentrations of 17 metals were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were applied to investigate the association of individual metal exposure with renal dysfunction. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to assess the co-exposure effects of the metals. Participants with the highest quartile of urinary Cu were at 1.84-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20–2.87) increased risk of renal dysfunction compared with the lowest quartile. The highest quartiles of urinary Sr, Cs, V, Ba, and Se were associated with 0.27-fold (95% CI: 0.17–0.43), 0.33 (95% CI: 0.19–0.53), 0.41 (95% CI: 0.25–0.65), 0.58 (95% CI: 0.36–0.90), and 0.33 (95% CI: 0.19–0.56) decreased risk of renal dysfunction compared with their lowest quartile, respectively. Furthermore, urinary Ba and Cu were non-linearly correlated with renal dysfunction. The WQS analysis showed that mixed metal exposure was inversely associated with renal dysfunction (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.35–0.62), and Sr accounted for the largest weight (52.2%), followed by Cs (32.3%) in the association. Moreover, we observed a potential interaction between Cu, Cs, and Ba for renal dysfunction in BKMR model. Exposure to Se, Sr, Cs, V, and Ba is associated with decreased risk of renal dysfunction, whereas an increased risk is associated with Cu exposure. Co-exposure to these metals is negatively associated with renal dysfunction, and Sr and Cs are the main contributors to the associations.

     

Technologies for pollutant removal and resource recovery from blackwater: a review

● Blackwater is the main source of organics and nutrients in domestic wastewater. ● Various treatment methods can be applied for resource recovery from blackwater. ● Blackwater treatment systems of high integration and efficiency are the future trend. ● More research is needed for the practical use of blackwater treatment systems. Blackwater (BW), consisting of feces, urine, flushing water and toilet paper, makes up an important portion of domestic wastewater. The improper disposal of BW may lead to environmental pollution and disease transmission, threatening the sustainable development of the world. Rich in nutrients and organic matter, BW could be treated for resource recovery and reuse through various approaches. Aimed at providing guidance for the future development of BW treatment and resource recovery, this paper presented a literature review of BWs produced in different countries and types of toilets, including their physiochemical characteristics, and current treatment and resource recovery strategies. The degradation and utilization of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) within BW are underlined. The performance of different systems was classified and summarized. Among all the treating systems, biological and ecological systems have been long and widely applied for BW treatment, showing their universality and operability in nutrients and energy recovery, but they are either slow or ineffective in removal of some refractory pollutants. Novel processes, especially advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), are becoming increasingly extensively studied in BW treatment because of their high efficiency, especially for the removal of micropollutants and pathogens. This review could serve as an instructive guidance for the design and optimization of BW treatment technologies, aiming to help in the fulfilment of sustainable human excreta management.     

Concentration,sources, influencing factors and hazards of heavy metals in indoor and outdoor dust: A review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Heavy metals are a common class of toxic contaminants in soil, water and air, yet their occurrence in indoor environments is less known. Heavy metals enter...