Comprehensive ecological risk assessment for heavy metal pollutions in three phases in rivers

Literature lacked in providing a comprehensive research on heavy metal detection in aquatic, biological and sedimentary states of rivers. The present study was imparted with all these three components of the river. Heavy metal toxicity or pollution index was used as a tool for ecological risk assessment by considering the single state studies conducted by many researchers. An intensive ecological risk assessment model was constructed and heavy metals were indicated as a serious threat to the environment. The model was applied to determining five toxic heavy metals in three states of the Songhua River. According to the ecological risk index, heavy metal pollution in three phases was categorized as aquatic〉biological〉sedimentary, while the overall descending order of heavy metal ecological risk index was as Cd〉Hg〉As〉Pb〉Cr. Cd and Hg were selected as the priority pollutants of Songhua River.

A Comparison between Fossil and Nuclear Power Plants Pollutions and Their Environmental Effects

New researches on serious public health problems such as respiratory disease, heart attacks, and premature deaths, show the threat of air and environmental pollution on human＇s health. Exhausting greenhouse gases for electrical energy production in fossil fueled power plants is one of the major reasons of environmental pollutions. Increasing energy demand has made global concerns about the environmental pollutions of fossil power plants. In this article, fossil power plant productive pollutants such as Sulfur Dioxide, Mercury, and Carbon Dioxide, are investigated. On the other hand, nuclear power plant and its produced waste are discussed as the future power generation source. In this article, fossil and nuclear power plants are compared as power sources, pollutants, and their environmental effects. First, investigations are made on fossil power plants and their effects on environment and climate changes. On the other hand, nuclear power plants are discussed as a possible replacement for fossil power plants. In this part, effects of radiation on human health and environment like important nuclear accidents are investigated. This paper summarizes several types of power plants and it is deduced that the nuclear power plant is more clean energy producer in comparison to other power plants.

Assessment of Agricultural and Mining Pollutions of Waterbodies within the NakanbéBasin (Burkina Faso): The Case of the Goinré, Ziga and BagréReservoirs

Agriculture is harming its own future through soil degradation and pollution of the water that it generates. The different chemical analyses carried out on surface waters and the land surveys carried out in the Nakanbé basin have shown that agricultural practices contribute to water pollution. The monitoring of nitrate, orthophosphate and BOD5 levels in the dams of Goinré, Ziga and Bagré during the period from August to December revealed that agricultural practices lead to variation in these parameters. The average values for nitrates are 0.833 mg/L in the Goinré fresh waterbody, 1.372 mg/L in the Ziga reservoir, and 1.267 mg/L in the Bagré fresh waterbody. As for ortho phosphate, mean values are 0.357 mg/L in the Goinré reservoir, 0.157 mg/L in the Ziga reservoir and 0.123 mg/L in the Bagré reservoir. These average values are higher than the norms established by Nisbet and Vernaux (1970) for eutrophication. Nitrates and orthophosphate are the elements that contribute to the eutrophication of water surfaces in the Nakanbé basin, although this eutrophication is of low intensity. Of all pesticides encountered in our study sites, 45% are registered by the Sahelian Pesticides Committee (CSP): 35% are non-accredited and 20% are unknown in the global list authorized by the CSP in 2010.

Proteomic responses induced by metal pollutions in oysters Crassostrea sikamea

There exist severe metal pollutions along the Jiulongjiang estuary in South China. In order to unravel the biological eff ects caused by metal pollutions, proteomic responses were investigated by two-dimensional electrophoresis-based proteomics in oysters Crassostrea sikamea from metal pollution sites, Jinshan (JS) and Baijiao (BJ), and a relatively clean site, Jiuzhen (JZ), along the Jiulongjiang estuary. Results indicated that metal pollutions mainly induced cellular injuries, oxidative and immune stresses, and disturbed ion homeostasis in oysters C . sikamea from both JS and BJ sites via diff erential pathways. Furthermore, metal pollution enhanced transcriptional initiation in oysters from JS site. In addition, the Cu and Fe pollution might be indicated by the 78 kDa glucose regulated protein and ferritin GF1 in oysters C . sikamea , respectively. The study confirms that proteomics is a promising approach to characterize the underlying mechanisms of responses to metal pollution in oysters.

Investigation of Environmental and Biological Effects of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) with a Special Focus on Industrial and Mining Pollutions in Iran:A Review

The present article is a review study on the types of rare earth elements(REEs),environmental and biological effects as well as the sources of emission of these elements as pollution in nature.The purpose of this study is to provide a vision in environmental planning and control of pollution caused by REEs.The evaluation of rare earth elements was studied in human life and its environmental and biological effects,which have particular importance and are entering the life cycle through industrial and mining pollution sources.Since mining activities intensify the dispersion of these elements in the environment and the existence of industrial factories located around urban drainage system plays a unique role in creating and spreading pollution caused by rare earth elements;As a result,two case studies were conducted on two mining and industrial areas.The first case is the Choghart mine in Yazd province as an example of mining pollution,and the second case study is performed on the Kor river as an example of industrial pollution which is caused by industrial activities around it,Then the results are well explained to show both two environments of litho and hydro.Due to this fact that produced environmental pollution can cause exchange pollutant compounds with the surrounding environment besides its long-lasting destructive effects;It can cause irreversible biological effects on living organisms.By targeting this evaluation,several techniques can be proposed to prevent the entry and dispersal of rare earth elements from pollution sources besides methods to reduce the damage of these elements to the ecosystem.

Methods for Controlling and Reduction of Pollutions by Using Electromagnetic Field

Man made activities are changing environment of our planet earth.Various methods are used to reduce the environmental pollution.In this paper the methods of air/water/soil pollution mitigation/reduction using electromagnetic fields is discussed.Air/water/soil contains ions and the energy transfer for living organisms takes place by ion exchange processes.Ions are affected by electric/magnetic fields.Many investigators

Impact of Surface Water and Groundwater Pollutions on Irrigated Soil, El Minia Province, Northern Upper Egypt

Current research has been focused on heavy metals pollution in surface water and groundwater and effect on irrigated soil from El Minia Province, north Upper Egypt. Concentration of heavy metals (e.g., As, Co, Hg, Ni, Se, Cd and Cr) in surface water, groundwater and irrigated soil samples is most significantly affected by leachate of many pollutants as the factories, agricultural activities, urban and natural processes. Microbiological parameters and microscopic investigations are revealed that some localities are common by micro-organisms, which are unsuitable for drinking waters.

Posting of Graphical Bills: An Analytical Perception of Environmental Pollutions in Nigerian Cities

More than ever before, environmental preservation has been a critical issue for the survival of the world’s habitat. An attempt to explore global trends in environmental monitoring using numerous ways based on different techniques is an exercise in the right direction. This is expedient, given the recent overwhelming growing rate of environmental pollution of advertisement graphical bills worldwide. Posting of advertisement graphical bills constitutes one of the biggest threats to man and his environment as it now appears and as we live in an age of growing sensitivity to environmental cleanliness. Pollution of the Nigerian cities through advertisement bills assumes the general term of outdoor advertising ranging from hand-printed signs, posters, painted bulletins and spectaculars. However this paper discusses the trends of posting graphic advertisement bills in Nigerian cities. Its impact on aesthetics, as well as the pollution problems associated with the urban development. The study areas are Abuja, Akure, Ibadan and Lagos. In order to ensure that each unit of the population is represented, random sampling technique was used to get the necessary information from the samples. The findings emphasize the importance of strict control and market regulations in posting of advertisement bill in built environment and eradication of pollution of the environment.

Effective Removal of Air Pollutions by the Electrical Discharge

The objectives of this study were to understand the effects of different electrical and reactor＇s parameters on the removal efficiency of air pollution and to optimize the parameters to achieve the highest removal efficiency. The surface discharge was applied to dielectric barrier discharge reactors and the voltage, current, frequency and the electrode shape were employed to the reactor as main variables. In general, it has been known that the removal efficiency is decided by the applied power, which is calculated by multiplication of the applied voltage and current. However, the removal efficiency was significantly changed by the composition ratio of the applied voltage and current even though the experimental conditions were not changed with the same applied power. It means that the removal effectiveness should be affected not by the discharge power but by the applied voltage and current separately. From the experimental and statistical analysis, the discharge current was the most important factor to control the removal efficiency regardless of different types of the reactors and the frequency is not the direct function to control the removal rate.

Waste Related Pollutions and Their Potential Effect on Cancer Incidences in Lebanon

Pollution represents an important threat to human health. Waste pollution with its adverse health risks, mainly cancer incidences, is one of the main issues present in Lebanon. Random disposal of wastes is instilling a complex and challenging situation that is affecting the entire population. Here, a comprehensive study is presented along with collected data addressing the correlation between long-term exposure to the different forms of pollution and the chances of being affected with cancer. Lebanon, a country currently facing an extensive garbage crisis, is undergoing alarming surges in pollution rates. Inevitably, these environmental factors become chief elements in influencing disease statistics. It is therefore of urgent importance to seek all solutions possible while raising awareness in order to reduce life threatening risks.

Microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and risk of diabetes mellitus

The issue of plastic pollutants has become a growing concern.Both microplastics(MPs)(particle size<5 mm)and nanoplastics(NPs)(particle size<1μm)can cause DNA damage,cytotoxicity,and oxidative stress in various organisms.The primary known impacts of microplastic/nanoplastic are observed in the liver and respiratory system,leading to hepatotoxicity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Although research on the effects of MPs and NPs on diabetes is still in its early stages,there are potential concerns.This editorial highlights the risk to diabetics from co-exposure to contaminants and MPs/NPs,supported by evidence from animal studies and the various chemical compositions of MPs/NPs.

Severe Global Environmental Issues Caused by Canada’s Record-Breaking Wildfires in 2023

Due to the record-breaking wildfires that occurred in Canada in 2023,unprecedented quantities of air pollutants and greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere.The wildfires had emitted more than 1.3 Pg CO_(2)and 0.14 Pg CO_(2)equivalent of other greenhouse gases(GHG)including CH4 and N_(2)O as of 31 August.The wildfire-related GHG emissions constituted more than doubled Canada’s planned cumulative anthropogenic emissions reductions in 10 years,which represents a significant challenge to climate mitigation efforts.The model simulations showed that the Canadian wildfires impacted not only the local air quality but also that of most areas in the northern hemisphere due to long-range transport,causing severe PM_(2.5)pollution in the northeastern United States and increasing daily mean PM_(2.5)concentration in northwestern China by up to 2μg m-3.The observed maximum daily mean PM_(2.5)concentration in New York City reached 148.3μg m-3,which was their worst air quality in more than 50 years,nearly 10 times that of the air quality guideline(i.e.,15μg m-3)issued by the World Health Organization(WHO).Aside from the direct emissions from forest fires,the peat fires beneath the surface might smolder for several months or even longer and release substantial amounts of CO_(2).The substantial amounts of greenhouse gases from forest and peat fires might contribute to the positive feedback to the climate,potentially accelerating global warming.To better understand the comprehensive environmental effects of wildfires and their interactions with the climate system,more detailed research based on advanced observations and Earth System Models is essential.

GAMYB transcription factor LoMYB65 from lily plays a vital role in pollen development

Lily(Lilium spp.)is an important horticultural crop,but its use is limited due to serious pollen contamination problems.There are many studies on pollen development in model plants,but few on flower crops such as lilies.Gibberellin(GA)is a large class of hormones and plays an important role in plant vegetative growth and reproductive development.GAMYB is a group of the R2R3-MYB family upregulated by gibberellin,and plays an important role in anther development.Here,we isolated a novel GAMYB,named LoMYB65,from lily,which was closely related to the AtMYB65 and AtMYB33 in Arabidopsis.Fluorescence quantitative PCR results showed that LoMYB65 was mainly expressed in lily anthers.LoMYB65 could be activated by 288μmol·L^(-1)GA3treatment and the LoMYB65 protein was located in the nucleus and cytoplasm,and had transactivation in yeast and tobacco leaf cells.The conserved motif within 226 amino acids of the C-terminal of LoMYB65 contributed to its transactivation.Overexpression of LoMYB65 caused dwarf phenotype,unnormal tapetum development,less seeds of siliques in transgenic Arabidopsis plants,the transgenic plants showed partly male sterile.Simultaneously,silencing of LoMYB65 with VIGS(Virus Induced Gene Silencing)in lily anthers caused unnormal pollen development and reduced the pollen amount.Overexpression of LoMYB65 in Arabidopsis and silencing of LoMYB65 in lily resulted in decreased pollen counts,so we speculate that LoMYB65 may be dose-dependent.Overall,these findings suggest that LoMYB65 may play an important role in anther development and pollen formation in lily.LoMYB65 may provide a useful candidate gene for pollenless breeding of lily.

2D S-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalyst

The application of photocatalytic technology in H_(2) production,CO_(2) reduction,H_(2)O_(2) production,and pollutant degradation provides a promising approach to the alleviation of energy shortage and environmental issues 1-3.However,hindered by the easy recombination of electron-hole pairs,single-component photocatalysts usually exhibit inferior performance.Constructing heterojunction photocatalysts is a valid method which can improve charge separation and attain high catalytic efficiencies4.

Remote sensing of air pollution incorporating integrated-path differential-absorption and coherent-Doppler lidar

An innovative complex lidar system deployed on an airborne rotorcraft platform for remote sensing of atmospheric pollution is proposed and demonstrated.The system incorporates integrated-path differential absorption lidar(DIAL) and coherent-doppler lidar(CDL) techniques using a dual tunable TEA CO_(2)laser in the 9—11 μm band and a 1.55 μm fiber laser.By combining the principles of differential absorption detection and pulsed coherent detection,the system enables agile and remote sensing of atmospheric pollution.Extensive static tests validate the system’s real-time detection capabilities,including the measurement of concentration-path-length product(CL),front distance,and path wind speed of air pollution plumes over long distances exceeding 4 km.Flight experiments is conducted with the helicopter.Scanning of the pollutant concentration and the wind field is carried out in an approximately 1 km slant range over scanning angle ranges from 45°to 65°,with a radial resolution of 30 m and10 s.The test results demonstrate the system’s ability to spatially map atmospheric pollution plumes and predict their motion and dispersion patterns,thereby ensuring the protection of public safety.

Cell Wall Fixation,Translocation,and Vacuolar Detoxification of Cadmium Contribute to Differential Grain Cadmium Accumulation in Two Rice Cultivars

Cadmium(Cd)toxicity in rice is a major concern for human health and the environment,as it can accumulate in rice grains when grown in Cd-contaminated soils.To mitigate the risk of Cd toxicity,it is crucial to cultivate rice varieties with low grain Cd accumulation.In the summers of 2021 and 2022,we conducted Cd analysis on two rice cultivars,Tianyouhuazhan(TYHZ)and Xiushui 14,grown in fields with varying Cd pollution levels.These cultivars were also subjected to hydroponic treatment with or without 1μmol/L Cd for 7 d to assess Cd accumulation,nitric oxide(NO)production。

Research on the Relationship Between Environmental and Economic Coupling Systems in Bohai Bay Area Based on a Vector Autoregression(VAR)Model

This study analyzed the impact of land-based contaminants and tertiary industrial structure on economic development in the selected Bohai Bay area,China.Based on panel data spanning 2011-2020,a vector autoregressive(VAR)model is used to analyze and forecast the short-run and long-run relationships between three industrial structures,pollutant discharge,and economic development.The results showed that the environmental index had a long-term cointegration relationship with the industrial structure economic index.Per capital chemical oxygen demand(PCOD)and per capita ammonia nitrogen(PNH_(3)N)had a positive impact on delta per capita GDP(dPGDP),while per capita solid waste(PSW),the secondary industry rate(SIR)and delta tertiary industry(dTIR)had a negative impact on dPGDP.The VAR model under this coupling system had stability and credibility.The impulse response results showed that the short-term effect of the coupling system on dPGDP was basically consistent with the Granger causality test results.In addition,variance decomposition was used in this study to predict the long-term impact of the coupling system in the next ten periods(i.e.,ten years).It was found that dTIR had a great impact on dPGDP,with a contribution rate as high as 74.35%in the tenth period,followed by the contribution rate of PCOD up to 3.94%,while the long-term contribution rates of PSW,SIR and PNH3N were all less than 1%.The results show that the government should support the development of the tertiary industry to maintain the vitality of economic development and prevent environmental deterioration.

An Integrated Analysis on the Synergistic Reduction of Carbon and Pollution Emissions from China’s Iron and Steel Industry

Decarbonization and decontamination of the iron and steel industry(ISI),which contributes up to 15%to anthropogenic CO_(2) emissions(or carbon emissions)and significant proportions of air and water pollutant emissions in China,are challenged by the huge demand for steel.Carbon and pollutants often share common emission sources,indicating that emission reduction could be achieved synergistically.Here,we explored the inherent potential of measures to adjust feedstock composition and technological structure and to control the size of the ISI to achieve carbon emission reduction(CER)and pollution emission reduction(PER).We investigated five typical pollutants in this study,namely,petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants and chemical oxygen demand in wastewater,particulate matter,SO_(2),and NO_(x) in off gases,and examined synergies between CER and PER by employing cross elasticity for the period between 2022 and 2035.The results suggest that a reduction of 8.7%-11.7%in carbon emissions and 20%-31%in pollution emissions(except for particulate matter emissions)could be achieved by 2025 under a high steel scrap ratio(SSR)scenario.Here,the SSR and electric arc furnace(EAF)ratio serve critical roles in enhancing synergies between CER and PER(which vary with the type of pollutant).However,subject to a limited volume of steel scrap,a focused increase in the EAF ratio with neglection of the available supply of steel scrap to EAF facilities would lead to an increase carbon and pollution emissions.Although CER can be achieved through SSR and EAF ratio optimization,only when the crude steel production growth rate remains below 2.2%can these optimization measures maintain the emissions in 2030 at a similar level to that in 2021.Therefore,the synergistic effects between PER and CER should be considered when formulating a development route for the ISI in the future.

Monitoring and evaluation of the water quality of the Lower Neches River, Texas, USA

Increasing bacteria levels in the Lower Neches River caused by Hurricane Harvey has been of a serious concern.This study is to analyze the historical water sampling measurements and real-time water quality data collected with wireless sensors to monitor and evaluate water quality under different hydrological and hydraulic conditions.The statistical and Pearson correlation analysis on historical water samples determines that alkalinity,chloride,hardness,conductivity,and pH are highly correlated,and they decrease with increasing flow rate due to dilution.The flow rate has positive correlations with Escherichia coli,total suspended solids,and turbidity,which demonstrates that runoff is one of the causes of the elevated bacteria and sediment loadings in the river.The correlation between E.coli and turbidity indicates that turbidity greater than 45 nephelometric turbidity units in the Neches River can serve as a proxy for E.coli to indicate the bacterial outbreak.A series of statistical tools and an innovative two-layer data smoothing filter are developed to detect outliers,fill missing values,and filter spikes of the sensor measurements.The correlation analysis on the sensor data illustrates that the elevated sediment/bacteria/algae in the river is either caused by the first flush rain and heavy rain events in December to March or practices of land use and land cover.Therefore,utilizing sensor measurements along with rainfall and discharge data is recommended to monitor and evaluate water quality,then in turn to provide early alerts on water resources management decisions.

Exploring the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide and semen quality parameters:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To investigate the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide(SO2)exposure and semen quality parameters.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating the association between SO2 exposure and semen quality parameters.This search encompassed the timeframe from January 2000 to May 2023 and included electronic databases such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,PubMed,Cochrane,and Scopus.Pooled effect estimates with 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated using percent changes(PC).The meta-analysis included seven studies with 6711 participants and 15087 semen samples.Results:The results revealed a significant negative association between ambient SO2 exposure and certain semen quality parameters.In particular,SO2 exposure was associated with a significant decrease in progressive motility(PC=0.032;95%CI:-0.063 to-0.001;P=0.044)and sperm concentration(PC=-0.020;95%CI:-0.036 to-0.005;P=0.012).However,no statistically significant associations were observed for total sperm count(PC=-0.038;95%CI:-0.079 to 0.003;P=0.070),seminal fluid volume(PC=-0.009;95%CI:-0.048 to-0.030;P=0.662)and sperm motility(PC=-0.17;95%CI:-0.363 to 0.022;P=0.830).In addition,the results of the subgroup analysis revealed specific variables that were associated with the decrease in relevant sperm parameters.Conclusions:This systematic review and meta-analysis provides compelling evidence supporting a consistent negative association between exposure to ambient SO2 and semen quality parameters.