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Paper receipt has been documented as one major source of bisphenol A (BPA) for human exposure but little has been done by researchers to elaborate the potential health risk caused by handling paper receipt up to date. In the present study, BPA was analyzed in 42 supermarket receipts collected from Shenzhen, China. BPA was detected in all samples at concentrations ranging from 2.58 to 14.7mgg(-1). In most cases, the total amount of BPA on the receipt was at least one thousand times the amount found in the epoxy lining of a food can, another controversial use of the chemical. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of BPA via handling of supermarket receipt ranged from 2 to 347μgday(-1) (mean, 40.4μgday(-1)) for a supermarket cashier and from 0.24 to 3.98μgday(-1) (mean, 0.69μgday(-1)) for general population. Based on the cumulative probability distribution of the calculated daily exposure to BPA via handling supermarket receipt, the EDI at the 0.1th and 1th percentile for supermarket cashier and general population, were already larger than 100ng (kgbw)(-1)day(-1), while at the 0.2th and 71th percentile, the EDI for both populations reached 1000ng (kgbw)(-1)day(-1). Considering the adverse endocrine disruptive effects of BPA and the dosage exposure level (from tens to hundreds ng (kgbw)(-1)day(-1)), human exposure to BPA in Shenzhen deserves more attention. Sensitivity analysis result showed that the handling time and frequency of supermarket receipts are the most important variables that contributed to most of the total variance of exposure., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Industrial wastewater discharge has become the main cause of water pollution in China. However, the spatial interaction mechanism between industrial structure and water pollution is still unclear. Accordingly, we evaluated and analyzed spatiotemporal changes of the agglomeration pattern of pollution-intensive industrial enterprises and the evolution of the water environmental pollution pattern, as well as the correlation between them. The study results show that the polluting industrial enterprises were located mainly along the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake Basin in southern Jiangsu in 2013 and 2018. However, we observed a spatial trend of pollution transfer to northern Jiangsu. The industrial water pollution discharge presents the distribution pattern of facing rivers, seas, lakes and cities. Papermaking and paper products industry are the leading factors of COD and NH 3 –N pollution, with explanatory power of 0.3666 and 0.6201 respectively. The spatial positive coupling effect between the concentration degree of polluting enterprises and the intensity of water environment pollution discharge is 94.95% of the region. The spatial agglomeration of polluting industrial enterprises is an important cause of water environment pollution. They promote and couple each other, proving the existence of "Pollution haven" and "Porter hypothesis". [Display omitted] • The polluting industrial enterprises are located mainly along the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake Basin. • Papermaking and paper products industry are the leading factors of COD and NH 3 –N pollution. • The spatial agglomeration of polluting industrial enterprises is a significant cause of water environment pollution. • This study proves the existence of "Pollution haven" and "Porter hypothesis". • This study fills the gap in the spatial response mechanisms of different industrial structures and pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the amount of phosphogypsum (PG) has exceeded 250 million tons with more than 55 million tons of growth rates each year. As the micro constituent, fluorine and phosphorus restrict the resourceful disposal of PG. This paper focused on chemical looping gasification (CLG) which used PG as an oxygen carrier, systematically investigated the gasification performance and chemical behavior of fluorine and phosphorus contained in PG during CLG process. Main conclusions are as follows. The main pollutant of chemical looping gasification process was HF, which was transformed from NaF. Phosphorus transformed from water-soluble phosphorus (Ca(H 2 PO 4) 2 , Ca(HPO 4)) into insoluble Ca 3 (PO 4) 2.20 reducing-oxidizing cycles were investigated, and a less and less fluorine content in oxygen carrier was found because its phase transformation from solid NaF to gaseous HF, and the phosphorus content in oxygen carrier changed slightly under the current conditions. The Ca 3 (PO 4) 2 particle layers existed in both the middle of the reduced solid particles and the middle of the cycled oxygen carrier particles, confirmed to actually act as a glue between the particles. Furthermore, transformation routes of fluorine and phosphorus during the CLG process were discussed and the generation of syngas in CLG process needed to be purified. Image 1 • Evaluate the gasification performance and fluorine and phosphorus chemical behavior in CLG using PG as an oxygen carrier. • The main pollutant was gaseous HF in CLG, which was transformed from NaF. • The Ca 3 (PO 4) 2 particle layer existed in the middle of the solid particles, acting as a glue between the particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of dye-containing wastewater generated from textile industries is still a challenge, and various technologies, including physical, chemical and biological ones have been used. In recent years, the ionizing radiation (usually including gamma ray generated by radionuclide, such as 60Co and 137Cs, and electron beam generated by electron accelerator) technology has received increasing attention for degrading refractory or toxic organic pollutants in wastewater because of its unique advantages, such as no chemical additives, fast reaction rate, strong degradation capacity, high efficiency, flexibility, controllability. Compared to the conventional wastewater treatment processes, ionizing radiation technology, as a disruptive wastewater treatment technology, is more efficient for the decolorization and degradation of dyes and the treatment of dye-containing wastewater. In this paper, the recent advances in the treatment of dye-containing wastewater by ionizing radiation, in particular by electron beam (EB) radiation were summarized and analyzed, focusing on the decolorization and degradation of various dyes. Firstly, the formation of various reactive species induced by radiation and their interactions with dye molecules, as well as the influencing factors on the removal efficiency of dyes were discussed. Secondly, the researches on the treating dye-containing wastewater by electron beam radiation technology were systematically reviewed. Then, the decolorization and degradation mechanisms by electron beam radiation were further discussed in detail. And the integrated processes that would contribute to the advancement of this technology in practical applications were examined. More importantly, the recent advances of electron beam radiation technology from laboratory to application were reviewed, especially successful operation of dye-containing wastewater treatment facilities in China. And eventually, current challenges, future research directions, and outlooks of electron beam radiation technology were proposed for further advancing this technology for the sustainable development of water resources. [Display omitted] • The treatment of dye-containing wastewater is still a challenge. • Advances in dye-containing wastewater treatment by EB were summarized and analyzed. • Mechanisms of dye decolorization and degradation by EB were discussed in detail. • EB is more efficient for the decolorization and degradation of dyes. • Challenges, future directions and outlooks of EB technology were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the status and trends of chemical treatment for wastewater, the patents analysis from both structured and unstructured data was performed in this study. 35,838 patents recorded in the Derwent Innovation Index database were adopted. The results showed that China was the country with the largest number of patents in the field, and the United States was the main exporter of international technology flows. Chemical processes combined with biological and physical processes was the mainstream, and ozonation and electrochemical treatment were the major single technologies. Technology evolution path generally showed the transition from biological process-combined chemical treatment to electrochemical treatment and finally to physical process-combined chemical treatment. Furthermore, future trends were revealed from both patents and papers. It demonstrated that efficient removal of ammonia nitrogen, green water treatment agents and resourcezation of wastewater were the key innovation directions, and technologies with regard to efficient use of energy (including photocatalytic technology and microbial fuel cell) were the main research hotspots. Overall, this study provided a comprehensive understanding for the research and application of chemical treatment for wastewater technologies. [Display omitted] • 35,838 patents on chemical treatment for wastewater were analyzed. • Patent analysis from both structured and unstructured data. • Chemical process combined with biological and physical processes was the mainstream. • Technology evolution path was elucidated in three stages. • Future trends were revealed from both patents and papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the growth of S. bicolor in Cd-polluted sandy clay loam soil in north China, Cd accumulation in plant and the corresponding soil microbial community were characterized when the plant matured (140 d of growth). Cadmium promoted the growth of mature S. bicolor with higher height and heavier dry mass, especially at the spiked level of 1 mg kg−1 soil (P < 0.05). The higher microbial diversity was found under Cd stress at the spiked level of 15 mg kg−1, which basically corresponded with its influence on the plant growth. High-throughput sequencing data demonstrated that the predominant bacterial phyla include Proteobacteria (35.99% for Cd-polluted soil and 35.22% for the control soil), Chloroflexi (21.33% and 20.58%), Actinobacteria (12.00% and 12.89%), Acidobacteria (7.47% and 11.14%), Bacteroidetes (7.37% and 6.96%), Gemmatimonadetes (5.60% and 6.65%), Firmicutes (2.82% and 1.86%), Planctomycetes (2.47% and 0.95%), Saccharibacteria (1.26% and 1.11%). The predominant fungal phyla was Ascomycota , with the relative abundance of 89.96% for the control soil and 86.2% for the Cd-polluted soil. S. bicolor could grow well in sandy clay loam soil in northern China at low Cd lvel, but it could not accumulate cadmium at higher cadmium level. S. bicolor could be used for phytoextraction of cadmium from the lightly Cd-polluted soil. • Cd in low level could promote the growth of S. bicolor in Cd-polluted soil. • The extractable Cd content increased linearly with the added Cd in soil. • High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the predominant microbial phyla. • The predominant fungal phyla was Ascomycota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In freshwater aquaculture ecosystems with high-frequency occurrences of cyanobacteria blooms, a chronic neurotoxic cyanobacteria toxin, β- N -methylamino- l -alanine (BMAA), is a new pollutant that affects the normal growth, development, and reproduction of aquaculture organisms. BMAA poses a great threat to the food quality and food safety of aquatic products. In this paper, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to detect the contents of BMAA in the edible portions of six representative freshwater aquaculture products (Corbicula fluminea, Anodonta arcaeformis, Macrobrachium nipponense, Eriocheir sinensis, Ctenopharyngodon idella, and Mylopharyngodon piceus) from Taihu Lake Basin in China. Noncarcinogenic health risks were assessed with reference to the model recommended by the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society and based on the biomagnification characteristics of BMAA in the various aquaculture products investigated by the stable nitrogen isotope technique. The average BMAA concentrations in the edible portions of the six freshwater culture products were from 2.05 ± 1.40 to 4.21 ± 1.26 μg g−1 dry weight (DW), and the difference was significant (p < 0.05), such a difference increased with the increase in the trophic level in the aquaculture products. Although a biomagnification indication was observed, the trophic magnification factor (TMF) was only 1.20 which exhibited a relatively low biomagnification efficiency. The annual health risk values of BMAA in all the measured aquatic products were within the maximum tolerable range (<1 × 10−6 a−1), and the health risk increased with the increase in the trophic level. The risk values of BMAA in the six freshwater aquaculture products for children was slightly higher than the negligible level (<1 × 10−7 a−1), thus there might have potential health risks for children's long-term consumption. Considering China's national conditions, the guidance values of BMAA based on the quality and safety of freshwater aquaculture products were proposed to be 7.2 μg g−1 DW for adults and 1.8 μg g−1 DW for children. Image 1 • BMAA in freshwater aquaculture products (FAPs) were investigated. • Biomagnification characteristics of BMAA in FAPs were revealed. • Noncarcinogenic health risks of BMAA in FAPs were assessed. • Guidance values of BMAA were proposed to ensure the quality and safety of FAPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 62 urban soil samples were collected in the city of Xi'an in Northwest China, and analyzed for six U.S. Environmental Protection Agency priority phthalate esters (PAEs). Unlike earlier studies on PAEs in agricultural soil as well as urban soil in humid climates, this paper for the first time comprehensively assessed pollution characteristics and health risks of human exposure to PAEs in urban soil in a typical semi-arid climate. The total concentrations of the six PAEs (Σ6PAEs) in the urban soil varied between 193.0 and 19146.4 μg kg −1 with a mean of 1369.3 μg kg −1 . The PAEs were dominated by di- n -butyl phthalate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Magnetic susceptibility and soil texture were controlling factors influencing the concentrations of PAEs in the urban soil. The concentrations of benzyl butyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and Σ6PAEs increased from the first to third ring roads, while the concentrations of di- n -octyl phthalate decreased. Relatively higher levels of PAEs were observed in industrial, traffic, and residential areas. The PAEs in the urban soil originated mainly from the application of plasticizers or additives, use of cosmetics and personal care products, emissions of construction materials and home furnishings, industrial processes, and atmospheric deposition. The concentrations of some PAEs in the urban soil exceeded soil allowable concentrations and environmental risk levels. The non-cancer and carcinogenic risks of human exposure to the PAEs were relatively low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of economy, air pollution has become increasingly serious nowadays in China, especially for the PM2.5. In this paper, the Spatio-temporal variations of PM2.5 emission over the past decade, from 2005 to 2014, were researched by cartograms. Meanwhile, a complex network technology was adopted to study the spatial auto-correlation of PM2.5 emission. The results showed that every province in China suffered a disparate increment in PM2.5 emission during the past ten years and also indicated that provinces in the same region had a huge influence on each other. There were three sectors including the thermal power, biomass burning and building materials that constituted the major sources of PM2.5 emission and they had different changing trends. There existed a dramatic difference in the east and west of China considering that the amount of PM2.5 was closely related to gross domestic product (GDP) and population. With higher GDP and population, eastern provinces emitted the most amount of PM2.5. Normalization results proposed that most of the provinces were PM2.5 exporting provinces in the southeast of China while most in the northwest were importing provinces. This study can help the policy-makers understand the distribution characteristics of PM2.5 emission and propose the effective strategy to mitigate the pollution of haze. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, heavy metals (i.e., V, Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Sb) in soils from a tannery waste lagoon, Hebei, north China were investigated. Element concentrates were determined by a portable X-ray fluorescence in situ and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the lab. Two sets of indexes, including geological accumulation index, contamination factor, and pollution load index, and hazard quotient and total carcinogenic risk were adopted to evaluate the pollution and health-risk of heavy metals. A scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to observe chromium occurrence and speciation. With an average of 6493.11 mg/kg, chromium contents in the lagoon soils reached up to 12971.19 mg/kg, 211-times higher than the threshold of Chinese soils (61.00 mg/kg). Elevated Cr contents resulted in significantly high pollution and noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks in the studied area. Chromium in most soils occurred predominately as Cr3+ (60–74%), and to a lesser extent, Cr6+. The mechanism responsible for decreasing Cr6+ percentages in soils with increasing depth was summarized: Cr6+ favors aqueous environment; soil moisture decreased with increasing depth; in soils especially in the lower portion, Cr6+ was reduced by Fe0 and Fe2, transforming into Cr3+ and Fe3+. In addition, the alkaline condition promoted Cr3+ to precipitate, resulting more Cr3+ absorbing in soils. The intimate association of Cr and Fe in soils (i.e., Cr mainly occurred in Fe oxides and dolomite) further confirmed our assumptions. A combined application of microorganism (e.g., Aeromonas hydrophila) and biochar (prepared from maize stalk or peanut shells) were recommended to alleviate Cr pollution in the soils. [Display omitted] • Chromium contents in lagoon soils are much higher than those of soils from the leather tanning districts worldwide. • The average I geo of Cr from studied soils is 7.59, higher than the threshold (>5) for significant pollution. • The Cr3+ percentages ranged from 60 to 74% in most soils, except for 42% in soils kb2 1–10 and kb3 1–10. • Chromium contents and Cr3+ percentages increased with the increasing depth. • Chromium occurs mainly in dolomite and Fe oxides; while no Cr was found in calcite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algal pollution in water sources has posed a serious problem. Estimating algal concentration in advance saves time for drinking water plants to take measures and helps us to understand causal chains of algal dynamics. This paper explores the possibility of building a short-term algal early warning model with online monitoring systems. In this study, we collected high-frequency data for water quality and weather conditions in shallow and eutrophic Lake Taihu by an in situ multi-sensor system (BIOLIFT) combined with a weather station. Extracted chlorophyll- a from water samples and chlorophyll- a fluorescence differentiated according to different algal classeses verified that chlorophyll- a fluorescence continuously measured by BIOLIFT only represent chlorophyll- a of green algae and diatoms. Stepwise linear regression was used to simulate the chlorophyll- a fluorescence changing rate of green algae and diatoms together (ΔChl a-f %) and phycocyanin fluorescence concentration (blue-green algae) on the water surface layer (CyanoS). The results show that nutrients (total N, NO 3 –N, NH 4 –N, total P) were not necessary parameters for short-term algal models. ΔChl a-f % is greatly influenced by the seasons, so seasonal partition of data before modeling is highly recommended. CyanoS max and ΔChl a-f % were simulated by only using multi-sensor and meteorological data (R 2 = 0.73; 0.75). All the independent variables (wave, water temperature, relative humidity, depth, cloud cover) used in the model were measured online and predictable. Wave height is the most important independent variable in the shallow lake. This paper offers a new approach to simulate and predict the algal dynamics, which also can be applied in other surface water. Image 1 • Chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin fluorescence can be predicted using online sensor data. • Wave is the leading factor for the short-term changes of algae in shallow lakes. • Nutrients are not important factors in short-term algal simulation in eutrophic lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse vegetable production (GVP) has become an important source of public vegetable consumption and farmers' income in China. However, various pollutants can be accumulated in GVP soils due to the high cropping index, large agricultural input, and closed environment. Ecological toxicity caused by excessive pollutants' accumulation can then lead to serious health risks. This paper was aimed to systematically review the current status of soil environmental quality, analyze their impact factors, and consequently to propose integrated management strategies for GVP systems. Results indicated a decrease in soil pH, soil salinization, and nutrients imbalance in GVP soils. Fungicides, remaining nutrients, antibiotics, heavy metals, and phthalate esters were main pollutants accumulating in GVP soils comparing to surrounding open field soils. Degradation of soil ecological function, accumulation of major pollutants in vegetables, deterioration of neighboring water bodies, and potential human health risks has occurred due to the changes of soil properties and accumulation of pollutants such as heavy metals and fungicides in soils. Four dominant factors were identified leading to the above-mentioned issues including heavy application of agricultural inputs, outmoded planting styles with poor environmental protection awareness, old-fashion regulations, unreasonable standards, and ineffective supervisory management. To guarantee a sustainable GVP development, several strategies were suggested to protect and improve soil environmental quality. Implementation of various strategies not only requires the concerted efforts among different stakeholders, but also the whole lifecycle assessment throughout the GVP processes as well as effective enforcement of policies, laws, and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, due to the intensification of human activities, water ecological problems are gradually increasing. As the third largest freshwater lake in China, Lake Taihu is an important drinking water source for several densely populated cities in China. The prominent water ecological problem in this area is mainly Cyanobacteria Bloom. Cyanobacterial blooms have been erupting which have affected local residents' drinking water and caused losses to the national economy. Based on the interpretation results of MODIS data in the Lake Taihu region from 2004 to 2014, this paper analyzes the main driving factors of cyanobacterial bloom are phosphorus and potassium through the correlation analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and cyanobacteria area, normalizes nutrient, and identifies that the water level of Lake Taihu is the influencing factor of cyanobacterial bloom. A Lake Taihu cyanobacteria bloom hazard function is constructed to quantitatively assess the losses (economic losses) caused by cyanobacterial blooms from 2001 to 2012, supporting for cyanobacteria control management in Lake Taihu. [Display omitted] • The S-shaped curve shape of cyanobacteria bloom outbreak process is deduced. • Establish the disaster function relationship, clarify the physical meaning of relevant parameters. • The cyanobacteria disaster function of Taihu Lake is constructed to quantitatively evaluate the disaster loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socio-economic analysis (SEA) plays an important role in decision-making on risk management actions for certain chemicals under Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in developing countries. This paper showed the first holistic and quantitative SEA case study on that by developing a country-specific SEA framwork and methodologies and applying the case of HBCD phase-out in China under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The study indicates that, under the possible scenarios of 10 years and 5 years , the economic costs of HBCD phase-out in China would be between 9.032 and 19.021 billion RMB. Although the total economic costs seems to be significant, it would only have a marginal impact on the house building industry with a likely cost increase by about 0.07‰–0.14‰. Meanwhile, the HBCD phase-out may render significant environmental and health benefits, including about 23–29 tons of HBCD release prevented to the environment, 1.142–1.469 million tons of potentially HBCD contained hazardous wastes avoided, along with significant reduction from 58% up to almost 100% in local environmental concentrations of HBCD, and about 0.0996–0.128 million workers at risk avoided and at least 3.067–4.033 billion RMB of the health care savings. While the scenario of phasing out HBCD over 10 years would be less costly than the scenario of that over 5 years, the later scenario suggested much greater environmental and health benefits for China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) which were detected extensively in environmental and biota samples worldwide, have raised significant concerns during past decades for their persistence, bioaccumulation and potential toxicity to ecological environment and human health. In this paper, we have compiled and reviewed existing literature on the contamination status of BFRs in abiotic and biotic environments in China, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane, tetrabromobisphenol A and new BFRs. Temporal trends were also summarized and evaluated. Based on this review, it has been concluded that (1) high concentrations of PBDEs were generally related to the e-waste disposal processing, while the spatial distribution pattern of other BFRs was not necessarily in accordance with this; (2) extremely high concentrations of BFRs in indoor dust emphasized the importance of indoor contamination to human body burdens, while more work need to be done to confirm its contribution; (3) PBDEs in electronics dismantling workers were higher compared to the general population, indicating the occupational exposure should be of particular concern; (4) more data are now becoming available for BFRs in aquatic and terrestrial organisms not previously studied, while studies that consider the occurrence of BFRs in organisms of different trophic levels are still of urgent need for evaluating the fate of BFRs in the food web; and (5) limited data showed a decreasing trend for PBDEs, while more data on time trends of BFR contamination in various matrices and locations are still needed before the impact of regulation of BFRs can be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a currently intensively used brominated flame retardant (BFR), is employed primarily as a reactive flame retardant in printed circuit boards but also has additive applications in several types of polymers. TBBPA is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that is observed in both abiotic and biotic matrices. This paper summarizes and critically reviews the published scientific data concerning the current pollution status of TBBPA in China. To provide an indication of the seriousness of the pollution levels of TBBPA in China, the data are compared with available existing data from other countries of the world. According to the available data, the sources of TBBPA in China are mainly derived from the primitive e-waste dismantling, TBBPA manufacturing and processing of TBBPA-based materials. The most serious cases of TBBPA pollution in China are in Guiyu, Guangdong (primitive e-waste dismantling site) with concentrations of TBBPA reaching 66,010–95,040 pg m −3 in air, Shouguang, Shandong (TBBPA manufacturing site) with concentrations of TBBPA reaching 1.64–7758 ng g −1 dry weight in soil, and Chaohu Lake, Anhui (industry concentration site) with concentrations of TBBPA reaching 850–4870 ng L −1 in water. In general, China is the most polluted region as affected by TBBPA compared with other countries. The present review preliminarily reveals the research status of TBBPA in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the levels of 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K and 137 Cs in the edible parts of 11 different marine species collected from the Qingdao coast of China. The activities of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K ranged from 0.08 ± 0.03 to 1.65 ± 0.60 Bq kg −1 w.w., 0.09 ± 0.02 to 1.44 ± 0.10 Bq kg −1 w.w., 26.89 ± 1.25 to 219.25 ± 5.61 Bq kg −1 w.w., respectively. Artificial 137 Cs was undetectable or close to the detection limit in the biota sampled. To link radioactivity to possible impact on health, we calculated radiation doses to both the marine biota and human beings. We showed that doses in all cases were dominated by naturally occurring 40 K and that 137 Cs doses were negligible compared with 40 K-derived doses. The total doses to marine biota ranged between 16.55 and 62.41 nGy h −1 among different biota species, which were below the benchmark level of aquatic organism. The committed effective dose to humans through seafood consumption varied from 10.55 to 36.17 μSv y −1 , and the associated lifetime cancer risks ranged from 5.93E−05 to 9.49E−05 for different age and gender groups. Both the dose and cancer risk to humans were at the acceptable range. Despite the significant amount of radionuclides released as a result of the Fukushima accident, their impact on the seafood in Qingdao coast appears to be negligible based on our measurements of concentrations of radionuclide activity and internal dose estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, emerging contaminants have been found in the wastewater, surface water, and even drinking water, which should be treated to ensure the safety of our living environment. In this study, we provide a comprehensive summary of wastewater treatment and emerging contaminants research from 1998 to 2021 by using the bibliometric analysis. This study is conducted based on the Web of Science Core Collection Database. The bibliometix R-package, VOSviewer and CiteSpace software are used for bibliometric analysis and science mapping. A dataset of 10, 605 publications has been retrieved. The analysis results show that China has produced the most publications. China and the United States have the closest cooperation. Analysis of the most cited papers reveals that the purification or removal techniques such as ozonation or membrane filtration can effectively remove pharmaceutical compounds from the water environment. We also found that the efficient detection of emerging contaminants and the optimization of removal methods are current challenges. Finally, future research directions are discussed. Co-occurrence network of keywords. [Display omitted] • 10,605 publications of wastewater treatment and emerging contaminants were analyzed. • China and the United States have the closest cooperation. • China, United States, and Spain have the most documents. • The publication published by Heberer (2002) receives the most citations. • Removal is a popular keyword in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental information in recovery of waste plastic in a certificated factory in industrial park in Eastern China is provided in this paper. The process involves raw material storage, washing, closed crushing, closed regeneration, product storage, and waste storage. Particulate matters, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyis (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) emitted from the production process are analyzed. A total of 25 atmospheric samples, 6 soil samples, and 2 water samples are sampled in and around the factory. The following conclusions could be concluded: (1) the concentrations of Cu and Pb are significantly higher than that of Ni, Cr and Cd in total suspended particulate matters; (2) PHE, DghiP, NAP and FLA are the main PAHs components in the air; PHE, FLA, DghiP, NAP, and PYR are the main congeners of PAHs in both washing wastewater and surface water; PHE, NAP, FLA, and CHR are the major congeners in the soil samples; (3) PCB-18, PCB-17 and PCB-31,28 are the main congeners in the air samples; PCB-70 and PCB-110 are the main congeners in soil samples; PCB-49 and PCB-52 are the main congeners in both surface water and washing wastewater; (4) DBDPE and BDE-209 are the main congeners for the all air, water and soil samples. Washing process and crushing process are identified as the main sources of all the above pollutants releases, and management strategies are provided to reduce the pollutants emission and the environmental hazardous caused by the waste plastic recovery process. [Display omitted] • TSP, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, PAHs, PCBs, and PBDEs were all detected. • Cu and Pb are the main species of heavy metals released to the environment. • PHE, NAP and FLA are the main congeners of PAHs in air, water and soil. • DBDPE and BDE-209 are the main congeners of PBDEs released. • Washing process and crushing process are the main sources of pollutants releases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water, sediment and fish were analyzed from a subtropical river, Jiulong River in the southeast of China, to character the sources, seasonal variations, bioconcentration and potential risk. PFAS in water, sediment, muscle and liver tissues of fish ranged from 2.5 to 410 ng L−1, 0.24–1.9 ng g−1 dw, 25–100 and 35–1100 ng g−1 ww, respectively. Generally, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) was the dominant compound in water, while, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were the dominant compounds in sediment and fish tissues. High concentrations of PFAS in water were found near the machinery manufacturing and paper packaging plants in the north branch of Jiulong River. PFAS during the dry season were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than that during the normal season and wet season. The K d of PFAS increased with the carbon chain length, and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) exhibited higher K d values than perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), indicating these long chain PFAS tended to be adsorbed by sediment. Long chain PFAS exhibited high bioconcentration factors (BCFs), while short and medium carbon chain PFAS had weak bioconcentration capacity. The hazard ratios (HR) suggested that frequent consumption of river fish may pose health risks to local population. [Display omitted] • PFAS exhibited different composition profiles in water, sediment and fish. • Industrial activities contributed PFAS to the Jiulong River. • Carbon chain length and functional groups affected K d values. • PFAS tended to accumulate in the liver of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), extensively used as flame retardants, are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that are found in both abiotic and biotic environmental samples. Sufficient evidence shows that PBDEs have been rapidly accumulating in the environment of China, especially in the Southeast regions. This paper summarizes and critically reviews the published scientific data on PBDEs in China, including the levels of PBDEs in the air, soil, water, sediment, the terrestrial and marine organisms, and human samples in China. The data preliminarily reveal the state of PBDEs in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The concentrations, spatial distribution and compositional patterns of extensively used hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) in urban dustfall in a metropolis-Beijing are presented in this paper. The potential sources are discussed and soil burdens are predicted based on the fluxes. The hotspots in commercial areas are identified by spatial distribution maps and the fractional value isomers indicates that dustfall in urban Beijing are affected by both current and historical usage of DDTs. It is worth noticing that there is possible application “dicofol-type of DDTs” in Beijing. The measured atmospheric deposition flux is 1.14×105 ngh−1 m−2 for HCHs and 1.47×105 ngh−1 m−2 for DDTs, respectively. However, when compared with atmospheric deposition flux, the volatilization flux estimated from concentrations in soils by fugacity model is significantly lower for HCHs (2.41ngh−1 m−2) and DDTs (0.07ngh−1 m−2). The net atmospheric flux to the soil suggests that the levels of HCHs and DDTs in soil are dominated by atmospheric deposition and the urban soil in Beijing would be a sink for HCHs and DDTs in the long term. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Increasing fertilizer phosphorus (P) application in agriculture has greatly contributed to the increase of crop yields during the last decades in China but it has also increased P flows in food production and consumption. The relationship between P use efficiency and P flow is not well quantified at national level. In present paper we report on P flows and P use efficiencies in rice, wheat, and maize production in China using the NUFER model. Conservation strategies for P utilization and the impact of these strategies on P use efficiency have been evaluated. Total amounts of P input to wheat, rice, and maize fields were 1095, 1240, and 1128Gg, respectively, in China, approximately 80% of which was in chemical fertilizers. The accumulation of P annually in the fields of wheat, rice, and maize was 29.4, 13.6, and 21.3kgha−1, respectively. Phosphorus recovered in the food products of wheat, rice, and maize accounted for only 12.5%, 13.5%, and 3.8% of the total P input, or 3.2%, 2.6%, and 0.9% of the applied fertilizer P, respectively. The present study shows that optimizing phosphorus flows and decreasing phosphorus losses in crop production and utilization through improved nutrient management must be considered as an important issue in the development of agriculture in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The iron foundry industry is considered to be a potential source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This study investigated the emission factors and total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) from iron foundries in China. The concentrations and the World Health Organization toxicity equivalents (WHO-TEQs) are presented and the congener profiles are discussed in this paper. In the present work, 26 fly ash samples were collected and tested to quantify the PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs generated by 14 plants of different scales, and five stack gas samples were collected from two (named as EFG and LFG) of those plants. The emission levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs indicated that hot-air cupolas had lower emissions than cold-air cupolas. When iron ore lump and sinter were used as raw material, the emission factors were about 250ng TEQt−1 of product. However, if the raw material was scrap, the emission factors varied owing to the different contents of organic materials in the raw materials. It was found that the mean WHO-TEQ values of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were 144 and 34.2pgNm−3 in stack gas and 20.0 and 1.58pgg−1 in fly ash. In multiple tests, it was estimated that the mean emission factors of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were 365 and 10.9ng WHO-TEQt−1 released to residue and 2719 and 555ng TEQt−1 released to air. The total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs from Chinese iron foundries with cupola furnaces released to residue and air were 16.8 and 146g WHO-TEQ in 2008, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A number of approaches have been proposed for screening level ecological risk assessment. In this paper, we first established a mass spectrum library including 50 phenols using retention time locking (RTL) technology and deconvolution reporting software (DRS). Distribution of phenols in surface water of the Taihu Lake was screened. Among the 22 identified phenols, 14 phenols were quantified. The concentrations of total phenols ranged 675.2–3346.1ngL−1. The distributions of ecological effect quotients (EEQs) of 14 phenols were characterized in terms of the exposure concentration distributions (ECDs) and species sensitivity distributions (SSDs). Those phenols with EEQs exceeding the threshold proposed by Water Environment Research Foundation of Alexandria were selected as priorities. As a result, 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), p-chloro-m-xylenol (PCMX) and pyrocatechol were determined as potential ecological risk stressors in surface water of the Taihu Lake. Results of the present study suggested that the proposed approach is feasible for the screening level ecological risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Currently, soil contamination by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) at e-waste recycling sites in China is of significant environmental concern and requires the identification of appropriate remediation technologies. In this paper, photodestruction of a model PBDE congener (BDE-99) in selected UV/surfactant systems was investigated, using a RPR-200 Rayonet photochemical reactor equipped with two low-pressure mercury lamps. BDE-99 photodegradation in the micellar solutions of nonionic surfactants of Brij 35 and Brij 58 all followed pseudo first-order kinetics and the photodegradation quantum yields were 1.8–2.4 times as high as that in water alone. The photodegradation was comparably enhanced by Brij 35 and Brij 58, and the quenching effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) was eliminated in their presence. Mono- to tetra-BDEs were identified as one group of BDE-99 photoproducts, indicating that one of BDE-99 photodegradation pathways was through a sequential loss of Br. The pattern of PBDE photoproducts showed the photodebromination of BDE-99 readily occurred on the more heavily substituted phenyl ring. Mono- to tetra-polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDFs) were identified as another group of photoproducts, indicating BDE-99 can also photodegrade through a dibenzofuran-type ring closure process via an intramolecular elimination of HBr. In addition, the formation of these more toxic photoproducts (PBDFs) was not related to the presence of DO. Finally, the later disappearance of mono-BDEs and mono-BDFs suggested the UV exposure time would be an important technical parameter if the technology of UV photodestruction of PBDEs in surfactant micellar solutions is applied to PBDE-contaminated soil remediation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper spatially analyzed human health risk associated with ingesting manganese (Mn) contents in groundwater and vegetables irrigated with contaminated pond water in Huangxing Town, Middle China. The combination of monitoring data and sequential indicator simulation (SIS) was used to determine Mn exposure distributions in pond water and groundwater. Hazard quotient (HQ) associated with ingesting Mn was calculated to evaluate the risk to human health. Many HQs determined from risks exceed 1 in the region, indicating that the use of groundwater and pond water poses potential risk to human health. Lower risk areas are located in the northwest and partly southeast of the region. The probabilistic risk assessment formulated suitable references for pollution remedy and control in Huangxing Town. Safe areas in 75th percentile of HQ map are suggested to be safe for use and, the manganese residues in the unsafe areas of the 25th percentile of HQ map is to be treated firstly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes seasonal changes of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and its glutathione (MC-LR-GSH) and cysteine conjugates (MC-LR-Cys) in three aquatic animals – snail (Bellamya aeruginosa), shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponensis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) collected from Lake Taihu, China. MC-LR, MC-LR-GSH, and MC-LR-Cys were determined by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrum (LC–ESI-MS). The mean MC-LR concentrations in the hepatopancreas of snail and shrimp and liver of silver carp were 6.61, 0.24, and 0.027μgg−1 dry weight (DW), respectively; while the average MC-LR-Cys concentrations were 0.50, 0.97, and 5.72μgg−1 DW, respectively. MC-LR-GSH was usually not detectable in these samples. The above results suggest that: (1) in aquatic animals, especially fish, the main excretion form of MC-LR could be MC-LR-Cys, but not MC-LR-GSH, whereas MC-LR-Cys might play an important role in detoxication of MC-LR and (2) that efficiency of MC-LR-Cys formation differs among species. The main detoxication pathway of MC-LR in aquatic animals is suggested as follows: when MC-LR enters into liver/hepatopancreas, it firstly conjugates with polypeptide or protein (including GSH, PP-1 and 2A) containing Cys residues, perhaps also some free cysteine; subsequently, MC-LR-Cys is degraded from these polypeptide or protein; and finally is excreted from animals by the compound of MC-LR-Cys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The secondary metallurgy industry is considered as one source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This study investigated the emission factors and total emissions amounts of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dioxin-like PCBs) released from secondary aluminum and copper metallurgy industries in China. The congener patterns are shown and the formation mechanism is also discussed in this paper. The toxic equivalency (TEQ) emission factor of PCDD/Fs is higher for secondary copper production, at 14802ng TEQt−1 than for secondary aluminum production, at 2650ng TEQt−1. However, the TEQ emission factor of dioxin-like PCBs of secondary aluminum production, with 193ng TEQt−1, is higher than that of secondary copper production with 98.1ng TEQt−1. The total estimated emission amount of PCDD/Fs released to air from the production of 2.75million tons secondary aluminum and 2million tons secondary copper in 2007 are 7.3 and 37.5g TEQyr−1, respectively, the corresponding dioxin-like PCBs total emission amounts being 0.53 and 0.2g TEQyr−1 respectively. In general, the emission factors and the total emission amounts of the secondary aluminum and copper metallurgies in China stay in the middle level compared to values reported for other countries. The most abundant congener of PCDD/Fs is 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and the most abundant congener of dioxin-like PCBs is CB-126 in samples collected from both secondary aluminum and copper metallurgies. According to the distribution of organochlorocompounds (PCDF>PCDD>PCB, PCDF/PCDD>>1) and the dominant contribution of higher chlorinated congeners, the de novo synthesis is assumed to be the main formation pathway of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in the secondary copper and aluminum metallurgies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Microplastics exist widely in water environment. The microplastic distribution in sediments can better reflect the long-term microplastic pollution, especially the vertical distribution. However, the vertical microplastic distribution in sediments is diverse and unclear. This paper is the first study on vertical microplastic distribution in estuary sediment of Fuhe River, the main upstream river flowing to Baiyangdian Wetland in the northern China. The typical feature of Fuhe River is that the effluent of municipal wastewater treatment plants is its main water source. Microplastics in 15 sampling sites and different depths (0–50 cm) were examined. Results showed that the microplastic content decreased with the increase of sediment depth, and the highest content was 1049 ± 462 items/kg in the topmost sediment layer (0–5 cm). The particle size of microplastics was smaller in deeper sediment layers. The proportion of colored microplastics in deeper sediment layers was larger than that in shallower layers. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were the main plastic polymer types in all sediment samples. The spatial distribution characteristics of microplastics in sediments were closely related to human activities, and the microplastic content was higher in the areas with more intense human activities. This study is helpful to understand the detailed distribution characteristics of microplastics in typical rivers in the northern China, and can provide guidance for reducing microplastic pollution. [Display omitted] • Microplastics in Fuhe River estuary sediments mainly came from wastewater and wastes. • Microplastic content decreased with the increase of sediment depth. • Vertical distribution of microplastic size was related with sedimentation behaviors. • PE and PP were the dominant microplastics due to high production and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, seawater desalination based on air-water interface solar heating has triggered significant research interests because it effectively makes use of the solar energy and avoids fossil fuel consumption. However, to prevent the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from volatilizing with water vapor which later will liquefy and enter the condensed freshwater is still a challenge. In this work, a g-C 3 N 4 /MoS 2 based floating solar still (CM-FSS) combined with thermal/light activation of persulfate (PS) at air-water interface was applied for clean freshwater production for the first time. The CM-FSS was composed of a g-C 3 N 4 /MoS 2 top layer for solar absorption, simultaneous thermal/light activation of PS and then VOCs degradation at air-water interface, a floating layer of expandable polyethylene (EPE) foam for heat isolation, and a transport channel of air-laid paper (ALP) for seawater and PS solution delivery. The water evaporation rate of the CM-FSS was measured at 1.23 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 kW m−2, which is 4.09 times higher than that of pure water without an evaporator. With the assistance of g-C 3 N 4 /MoS 2 photocatalytic degradation and thermal/light activation of PS at the air-water interface, a high removal efficiency of a selected model VOCs pollutant of nitrobenzene (NB) could reach to 98.2% in condensed freshwater. Finally, when real seawater samples were employed as source water for solar distillation, the typical water-quality indices such as salinity, turbidity, anions, cations and organics of the condensed freshwater were below the limit values of the Standards for Drinking Water Quality in WHO, US EPA and China. A g-C 3 N 4 /MoS 2 based floating solar still combined with heat/light activated persulfate for continuous clean water production based on air-water interface solar heating. [Display omitted] • A g-C 3 N 4 /MoS 2 based floating solar still (CM-FSS) was fabricated. • The CM-FSS was applied for water evaporation based on interfacial solar heating. • VOCs were reduced by g-C 3 N 4 /MoS 2 photocatalysis and thermal/light activation of PS. • The quality of condensed freshwater below the limit values of WHO, EPA and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Government ratified the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on 25 June 2004. As a party to the Convention, China is preparing its National Implementation Plan (NIP), which must be finished and submitted to the Conference of the Parties before November 11, 2006. The emission inventory and strategy for reducing unintentionally formed products is a very complex and difficult part of the NIP. In this paper, we analyzed the potential sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in China and calculated their possible emissions. We included municipal solid waste incineration, hazardous and medical waste incineration, pulp bleaching, sodium pentachlorophenate production and usage, illegal electrical and electronic waste (“e-waste”) recycling, and ferrous and non-ferrous metal production, and prepared a preliminary analysis of dioxin emissions in China. The results show that ferrous metal production (104.2–6648.3g TEQ), non-ferrous metal production (2.6–3389.8g TEQ), and sodium pentachlorophenate production and usage (120–368.0g TEQ) should be major potential sources of dioxins and furans. Moreover, municipal solid waste and hazardous and medical waste incineration (35.5g TEQ) should also be considered high priority sources owing to a rapidly increasing incineration ratio anticipated for the near future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although ozone is widely used as a pre-oxidant before coagulation in water treatment, the effect of pre-ozonation on optimized coagulation for removal of particle and natural organic matter (NOM) is still not fully understood. In this paper, pilot-scale investigation was conducted to examine the impact of pre-ozonation on coagulation for particle and NOM removal. Changes in the particle and NOM distributions were characterized by various methods, including laser light granularity system, particle counter, ultrafiltration, and resin absorbent fractionation. A novel composite flocculant–HPAC was compared with the traditional ferric chloride coagulant in terms of coagulation efficiency under the influence of pre-ozonation. Typical micro-polluted North China surface water was used for pilot coagulation tests. The results show that the effect of pre-ozonation on coagulation is associated with the dosage of ozone, coagulant type, and water contamination characteristics. For FeCl3, pre-ozonation acts as a coagulation aid at low dosage (1.0 mg L−1 O3) for turbidity and UV254 removal; while at higher dosage (2.0 mg L−1 O3), pre-ozonation is detrimental to UV254 removal although it is still beneficial for turbidity removal. In the case of composite flocculant–HPAC, pre-ozonation demonstrates negligible influence on both turbidity and UV254 removal. Ozone can simultaneously aggregate fine particles and break down large ones, making them more mineralized and easier to remove. NOM with intermediate molecular weight and hydrophobic neutral property increases at lower ozone dosage, favoring removal by coagulation. At higher ozone dosages, NOM becomes more hydrophilic and its molecular weight becomes smaller, decreasing NOM removal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although the sorption mechanism of hydrophobic organic pollutants on soils or sediments has been widely studied, the effects of coexisting heavy metals are seldom reported, especially the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in sorption interactions involving heavy metals. This paper investigates the sorption interactions of phthalate esters (diethyl phthalate, DEP, and di-n-butyl phthalate, DnBP) and copper on Yellow River sediment in the presence of DOC. The results indicate that the sorption hardly varies for DEP but increases up to 20% for DnBP as the copper concentration increases in a water-sediment system with extremely low concentration of DOC. The copper-induced sorption of DnBP could be due to its complexation with copper, as well as its hydrophobicity. In a water-sediment system with the addition of 6.34mgl−1 of commercial humic acid (HA), the sorption of DEP is decreased by up to 37%, and that of DnBP is enhanced by up to 41%, as copper is gradually added. This finding is also consistent with the results for a river water-sediment system containing 8.1mgl−1 natural DOC. The copper-influenced sorption of DEP and DnBP are found to be due to the binding of copper to DOC that leads to the configuration change of DOC and thus to its enhanced sorption to sediment. By using polarograph and fluorescence spectrograph techniques, the complexation competition among coexisting phthalates, copper and DOC is examined. The resulting data confirm the significant role of DOC in sorption interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vehicle populations in China have been increasing sharply since 1990s. Vehicle emissions including various gaseous pollutants and particulate matter cause deterioration of air quality. However, measurements of particulate mater from on-road vehicles in China are scarcely reported, and thus the chemical compositions of particles emitted from vehicles in China are unknown. In this research, tunnel experiments were performed to measure PM2.5 in the Wutong tunnel, Shenzhen, China. Detailed PM2.5 chemical compositions, with organic compounds determined by GC/MS, in the tunnel were presented. Elemental carbon and organic matter composed 63% and 34% of the total PM2.5 mass in the Wutong tunnel, respectively. Alkanes, PAHs, hopanes, fatty acids, and dicarboxylic acids were the major identified organic compounds, and their source profiles in the PM2.5 in the Wutong tunnel were characterized. The comparisons of our measurements with those in the literature were also made to demonstrate the characteristics of the vehicle source profiles in the Wutong tunnel. The experimental results in this paper can improve understanding of particulate matter emitted from vehicles in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The acclimation of sludge from Hangzhou citrate factory and Hangzhou municipal wastewater treatment plant for degradation dechlorination of chlorophenols (CPs) compounds, and its biodegradation kinetics were studied in batch process with or without addition of sucrose. Three monochlorophenols (2-CP; 3-CP; 4-CP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) were concurrently fed to different bioreactors. The parameters that were monitored included biogas production, biogas composition and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The results showed that acclimation with chlorophenol can increase the degradation activity of anaerobic sludge and degradation rate of chlorophenolic compounds, and reduce the lag time. Degradation dechlorination activity of the acclimated sludge strongly depended on sludge source, microorganism population and chlorophenol congener. 2-CP was more easily acclimated than 3-CP and 4-CP. Among the four tested compounds, 4-CP was the most difficult to be acclimated. The observed degradation rate with presence of sucrose was higher than that with absence of sucrose, suggesting that addition of the external carbon source can stimulate the formation of acclimated sludge which could effectively degrade chlorophenols. Kinetic equations of biodegradation of chlorophenols were also presented in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rapid economic development in The Pearl River delta region (PRDR) has exerted serious potential pollution threats to areas in the vicinity, which have complicated the task of environmental protection in Hong Kong and Macau. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical pollutant transport model coupled with a synchronised numerical hydrodynamic model, is developed and employed to simulate the unsteady transport of a representative water quality variable chemical oxygen demand in The Pearl River Estuary. It is demonstrated that there exists a transboundary pollutant transport action between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong for the pollutants in the wastewater discharged from PRDR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Most developing countries in the world face the common challenges of reducing air pollution and advancing the process of sustainable development, especially in China. Air pollution research is a complex system and one of the main methods is through numerical simulation. The air quality model is an important technical method, it allows researchers to better analyze air pollutants in different regions. In addition, the SCB is a high-humidity and foggy area, and the concentration of atmospheric pollutants is always high. However, research on this region, one of the four most polluted regions in China, is still lacking. Reviewing the application of air quality models in the SCB air pollution has not been reported thoroughly. To fill these gaps, this review provides a comprehensive narration about i) The status of air pollution in SCB; ii) The application of air quality models in SCB; iii) The problems and application prospects of air quality models in the research of air pollution. This paper may provide a theoretical reference for the prevention and control of air pollution in the SCB and other heavily polluted areas in China and give some1inspirations for air pollution forecast in other countries with complex terrain. [Display omitted] • Current situation of air pollution in the Sichuan Basin of China is reviewed. • The development and classification of air quality models are summarized. • Application of air quality models in the study of Sichuan Basin air pollution are discussed. • Problems in the application and future research directions of air quality models are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) poses a great threat to public health in China. To this end, the Chinese government promulgated the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (the Action Plan) in 2013. However, the health benefits of the Action Plan have not been well explained. In this paper, the underlying causes of changes in premature mortality attributable to PM 2.5 pollution and the response of this mitigation policy in China were explored using sensitivity analysis. The simulated annual average PM 2.5 concentration reduced by 24.9% over mainland China from 2008 to 2016. Subsequently, national premature mortality would decrease by 14.4% from 1.14 million (95% CI: 0.54, 1.55) in 2008 to 0.98 million (95% CI: 0.44, 1.38) in 2016. Specifically, premature mortality reduced by 209,600 cases (−18.3%) owing to PM 2.5 reduction during 2008–2016, of which 188,500 cases were from 2014 to 2016 due to the Action Plan in 2013. Note that the health benefits were limited when compared with air quality improvements, mainly due to that the IER functions have a stable curve at higher concentration intervals. Meanwhile, premature mortality would have increased by 14.2% from 2008 to 2016 owing to demographic changes, substantially weakening the impact of the decrease in PM 2.5 and baseline mortality. The effectiveness of China's new air pollution mitigation policy was proved through the research. However, considering the non-linear response of mortality to PM 2.5 changes and the aggravation of demography trends, stronger emission control steps should be further taken to protect public health in China. Image 1 • Trends of PM 2.5 and attributable mortality before and after control policies were contrasted. • Underlying causes of changes in PM 2.5 -related deaths were analyzed comprehensively. • The influence of different factors on PM 2.5 -related deaths were analyzed in detail. • The implementation of the Action Plan has brought substantial health benefits. • Demographic and baseline mortality also play a part in changes in PM 2.5 -related deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamics between basalt weathering and heavy metal accumulation through a comparative study of 37 small basaltic watersheds within different climate zones in the Yungui (the Pearl River Basin in southwest China), Xuyi (the Huaihe River Basin in east China) and Leiqiong regions (Hainan Island in south China). From a comprehensive sampling regime of stream water, riverbed sediments and bedrock, this study shows that the concentrations of heavy metals in river water are far below the national surface water quality standard and WHO quality standard for drinking water, indicating no significant ecological risk for water body in these basaltic areas. In contrast, the riverbed sediments exhibit varying degrees of heavy metal enrichment in the process of weathering from bedrock to sediments: without enrichment for Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn, but significant enrichment for Cd, As and Pb. Cd exhibits the largest ecological risk of all the heavy metals in the basaltic watersheds especially in the Yungui region, which can be mainly attributed to the high geological background values in this area. Comparative studies of some major basalt watersheds in the world show that temperature, runoff and elevation differences significantly affect the chemical weathering rates and thus the accumulation of heavy metals. Image 1 • High water discharge and steep river slope promote chemical weathering of basalt. • Natural weathering of basalt did not cause heavy metal pollution in the water bodies. • The basaltic watersheds with high physical erosion cause enrichment of heavy metals. • Contamination of Cd in sediments is mainly from high geological background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited studies focus on the occurrence, removal rate and seasonal variation of substituted diphenylamine antioxidants (SDPAs) in surface water and wastewater in China. In this paper, the detection method of SDPAs was established by the ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Daily variations suggested that significant variations were found for the concentrations of some SDPAs in the influent. It was found that the SDPAs could be detected in all the effluent samples and C8/C8-DPA was the predominant compound in two WWTPs. The levels of most SDPAs in the effluent were much lower than that of influent, with the removal efficiencies of total SDPAs ranged from 57.9% to 84.2%. There were significant differences with the SDPA concentrations in the influent between different seasons. Higher concentrations of SDPAs were found at downstream than those of upstream. The results of this study provide more environmental occurrence data and new insights into the research on the environmental fate of these compounds. Image 1 • Antioxidants SDPAs were frequently detected in two full-scale WWTPs and receiving river water. • Concentrations of SDPAs in the influent were significantly different among 24 h. • Removal efficiencies of SDPAs ranged from 57.9% to 84.2% for the two WWTPs. • Greater concentrations of SDPAs were found at downstream than that of upstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus is highly consumed in China and considered a major source of pesticide carrier in human diet. In this paper, pesticide residues in mandarins, tangerines and oranges from China were evaluated, as well as the quality and long-term dietary risks for the Chinese consumers. Temporal variations for eight MRL non-compliant pesticides were also investigated. 106 pesticides were analyzed using QuEChERS procedure and UPLC-MS/MS, GC-MS and GC methods. Forty different pesticides were detected in 86% of the 2922 samples from 2013 to 2018. Chlorpyrifos was the most frequently detected pesticide with a detection rate of 40%. Residues of eight pesticides in 3.8% of the total samples exceeded their MRLs. The most severely excessive pesticide was bifenthrin with 283% MRL. The occurrences and exceeding rates of eight pesticides presented clear temporal variations during the six harvesting years. Isocarbophos, carbofuran and triazophos were the main risk factors threatening the citrus safety pre-2015, whereas profenofos and bifenthrin gradually became dominant after 2016, coinciding with government control measures. The index of quality for residues (IqR) levels of 88% of the samples were below 1.0, which indicated a satisfactory quality of citrus fruits in China, although 70% of the samples contained two or more residues. The cumulative chronic dietary risks were acceptable for both the Chinese general population and children and would not pose health risks. However, more strictly enforced control measures for methidathion and isocarbophos, and reduced usage of triazophos, quinalphos, profenofos and bifenthrin should be pursued to further improve the safety of citrus fruits. Image 1 • 40 out of 106 different pesticides were detected in 2922 citrus samples and 3.8% of samples exceeded their MRLs. • Occurrence and MRL exceedance of eight pesticides presented clear temporal variations from 2013 to 2018. • The IqR level for 88% of the samples below 1.0 indicated a satisfactory quality of citrus fruits on the whole. • The cumulative chronic dietary intakes did not pose health risks for Chinese general population and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first national-scale assessment of chromium (Cr) contamination in China's agricultural soils was performed based on 1625 sites analysed with 1799 previously published papers. Spatial and temporal variations were assessed, and the ecological risk was estimated. The range of Cr concentrations in farmland soil is 1.48–820.24 mg/kg. At approximately 4.31% and 0.12% of the sampling sites, Cr concentrations exceeded the screening value (150 mg/kg) and the control value (800 mg/kg), respectively (GB15618-2018). Cr concentrations decreased in the following order: Southwest > Northwest > East > South > Northeast > Central > North China. Moreover, the Cr accumulation rate in agricultural soils may have decreased during 2011–2016, possibly due to government-led changes in China's industrial structure and policies limiting the discharge of polluted industrial wastes. Linear correlations were observed between the application amounts of fertilizers and Cr concentrations in the soil, indicating that the application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers is an important contributor of Cr in agricultural soils. Additionally, geoaccumulation index (I geo) values for Cr showed that more than 83.4% of the sampling sites were uncontaminated, with high I geo values distributed in some areas, especially those with mining and electroplating industries. Overall, this study details the Cr contamination status of agricultural soils in China and provides insights for policymakers enacting measures to prevent pollution. • Cr pollution in agricultural soil of China (1989–2016) were systematically analysed. • Soil Cr concentrations varied greatly in different periods and regions. • The Cr accumulation rate has gradually declined during 2011–2016. • Fertilizers were important Cr sources for agricultural soils in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predatory bug Orius sauteri (Poppius) is currently one of the most important beneficial arthropods in Northeast Asia and used as a biological control agent of several small pest arthropods including Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Two neonicotinoid chemical insecticides, acetamiprid and imidacloprid, mainly used in China as chemical control on F. occidentalis , although applied at sublethal concentrations in the field or greenhouse to protect beneficial arthropods, still may affect the predator O. sauteri. The objective of present work is to assess the long-term effects of 24-h exposure time to these two insecticides on the life-cycle of O. sauteri at application rates similar to the laboratory 24-h LC 10, LC 20 and LC 30 of O. sauteri. Results showed that acetamiprid and imidacloprid at all tested concentrations significantly decreased the fecundity of O. sauteri females, while the effect of acetamiprid was higher than that of imidacloprid. Moreover, the oviposition period and longevity of O. sauteri to both insecticides shortened. The sublethal effects on the first progeny (F1 generation) were also found to increase nymphal mortality, shorten adult longevity and reduce fecundity. However, all treatments of acetamiprid and imidacloprid at the concentration of LC 10 , LC 20 and LC 30 caused no significant effect on the developmental time of different nymphal stages and sex ratio of the F1 generation. This paper is the first one that assesses the compatibility between neonicotinoid insecticides and O. sauteri , and shows that the application of acetamiprid and imidacloprid likely interferes with the population dynamic of O. sauteri. • Neonicotinoid insecticides, acetamiprid and imidacloprid, significantly decrease fecundity of O. sauteri females. • At sublethal concentrations, both insecticides shorten ovipositional period and longevity of O. sauteri. • Sublethal effects on F1 generation increase nymphal mortality, shorten adult longevity and reduce fecundity. • No significant effect on nymphal stage and sex ratio of F1 generation was observed. • Application of acetamiprid and imidacloprid interferes with population dynamic of O. sauteri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution are known to have negative impacts on human health and the ecosystem, and it also contributes to climate change. Hence, prevention and control of air pollution is an urgent need in China, and air pollution prediction can provide reliable information for this process. Therefore, it is essential to establish effective air pollution prediction with an early warning model. Currently, one widely used air pollution prediction technology is the error correction model. However, this traditional method does not use data preprocessing technology. Therefoere, this paper presents an improved hybrid model named CEEMD-SLM-ECM (Complementary Set Empirical Mode Decomposition-Statistical Learning Model-Error Correction Model), which used the CEEMD data preprocessing technology together with statistical learning models. Furthermore, selected AQI (air quality index) data of 17 port cities in the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Economic Belt were selected to test the forecasting ability of the proposed model. Data analysis shows that the CEEMD-SLM-ECM model has much higher accuracy compared with the traditional error correction model. So, the CEEMD-SLM-ECM is a very effective predictive model that can provide accurate prediction for air quality early warning. • A new improved error correction model CEEMD-SLM-ECM is established. • Data preprocessing is helpful for improving the prediction accuracy. • CEEMD-SLM-ECM is effective for AQI forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia is one of the two mandatory indexes for China's water environment pollution control. The current China ammonia water quality standard does not reflect the effect of water quality parameters on ammonia toxicity. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China just released the China National Aquatic Life Criteria Report for ammonia. This paper discusses the technical route, formulation process and results of the national ammonia criteria. Based on China's own technical guidelines, a total of 259 acceptable acute and 44 acceptable chronic data for ammonia were adopted. The temperature of the water body corresponding to the ammonia criteria was divided into 6 grades, and the pH was divided into 12 grades, which constitutes 72 groups of water quality conditions. Based on the empirical formulas recommended by USEPA, the ammonia toxicity data was adjusted, and the optimal fitting model was used to derive the 72 short-term criteria and the 72 long-term criteria for ammonia. In terms of criteria derivation, the method used by the USEPA to extrapolate at the criteria level has been improved and replaced with extrapolation at the species level, making the final criteria value more accurate. • The study demonstrates the deriving of China national ammonia criteria. • The U.S. ammonia criteria deriving methodology was optimized. • One hundred and forty-four ammonia water quality values were established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining is a common industrial activity and significant source of soil heavy metal (HM) pollution. However, nearly all studies on the effects of mining activities on soil environmental quality have entailed field monitoring of small regions or bibliometric analyses. This study therefore investigated the pollution of surface soils surrounding 135 large opencast coal mining pits in China. A total of 1772 surface soil samples were collected, and the concentrations of eight major HMs were determined. The HM concentrations in this study were relatively lower than the published HM concentrations of coal mine soils from 50 typical Chinese coal mines. However, pollution assessments indicated that Cd, Cu, and As concentrations were concerning. Significant correlations existed between all of the HMs and mining pit area (p < 0.01), as well as between the Pb and Zn concentrations and direction (p < 0.05). Climate conditions had large influences on the HM concentrations. The concentrations of all studied HMs, except for Ni, were highest in Anthrosols and lowest in hydromorphic soils. The concentrations of all HMs, except for Hg, in land use types showed a descending trend of cultivated land > garden plot > grassland. Significantly negative correlations (p < 0.01) between all HM concentrations and elevation were observed. Cr, Zn, and Ni were significantly and positively correlated with the slope, and no HMs, except Cr, showed significant correlations with the parcel area. This paper provides insights for the policymakers regarding soil pollution control and management strategies near coal mine pits. • Heavy metal contamination was studied at opencast coal mining pits in China. • Among the metals studied, Cd exceeded the risk screening level the most frequently. • Climate and soil type influenced the heavy metal concentrations. • The results should be valuable for the development of soil remediation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalates have been strictly banned in children's products in many countries. However, as a product with a high frequency of daily contact with children, stationery is not strictly regulated for phthalates in many countries and the occurrences and risks of phthalates in stationery are rarely reported. In this study, the contents of sixteen types of common phthalates in stationery were determined and the exposure risk of these phthalates to children was also estimated. The total contents of phthalates in all stationery ranged from 5.56 to 3.46 × 105 μg/g, with a median value of 1.48 × 104 μg/g. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) desk mats (DMs) contained the highest contents of phthalates among all types of stationery. Percutaneous absorption and hand-to-mouth ingestion levels of phthalates for school-age children from the DMs were 2.03 × 10−5 - 10.14 μg/kg-Bw/day and 2.14 × 10−5 - 10.67 μg/kg-Bw/day, respectively. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) had the highest proportion, detection rate, and exposure level among all measured phthalates. Our study revealed that phthalates in PVC stationery, especially classroom DMs, at both contents and exposure risks, were higher than those in many other children's plastic products. It was necessary to strengthen the management of plastic stationery from the perspective of materials and phthalates addition. [Display omitted] • High levels of phthalates have been found in stationery for children in China. • The highest phthalate content was found in PVC desk mats. • DEHP predominated among the detected phthalates. • Percutaneous exposure of DEHP from desk mats contributed greatly to the daily exposure dose for school-age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipophilic shellfish toxins (LSTs) are widely distributed in marine environments worldwide, potentially threatening marine ecosystem health and aquaculture safety. In this study, two large-scale cruises were conducted in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, China, in spring and summer 2023 to clarify the composition, concentration, and spatial distribution of LSTs in the water columns and sediments. Results showed that okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) and/or pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2) were detected in 249 seawater samples collected in spring and summer. The concentrations of ∑LSTs in seawater were ranging of ND (not detected) -13.86, 1.60-17.03, 2.73-17.39, and 1.26-30.21 pmol L -1 in the spring surface, intermediate, bottom water columns and summer surface water layers, respectively. The detection rates of LSTs in spring and summer seawater samples were 97% and 100%, respectively. The high concentrations of ∑LSTs were mainly distributed in the north Yellow Sea and the northeast Bohai Sea in spring, and in the northeast Yellow Sea, the waters around Laizhou Bay and Rongcheng Bay in summer. Similarly, only OA, DTX1 and PTX2 were detected in the surface sediments. Overall, the concentration of ∑LSTs in the surface sediments of the northern Yellow Sea was higher than that in other regions. In sediment cores, PTX2 was mainly detected in the upper sediment samples, whereas OA and DTX1 were detected in deeper sediments, and LSTs can persist in the sediments for a long time. Overall, OA, DTX1 and PTX2 were widely distributed in the water column and surface sediments in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, China. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of spatial distribution of LSTs in seawater and sediment environmental media and provide basic information for health risk assessment of phycotoxins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)