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There is no doubt that the diversity and stability of freshwater ecosystems have suffered dramatic changes as a result of intensified human activities. However, the relationship between community diversity and stability is still debated. In this study, we used biological and geochemical records from the recent sediments of two lakes to test the hypothesis that different aspects of the diversity of the chironomid community have different relationships with community stability. Yangzong Lake (YZ) and Chenghai Lake (CH) are large and deep alpine lakes in SW China. We conducted a multi-proxy study of the sedimentary records spanning the last 200 years from the two lakes. Our focus was on subfossil chironomid remains, but analyses of chemical elements, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) were also conducted. The principal results are as follows: 1) Both nutrient and chironomid assemblages underwent a critical transition in 1990 at YZ and in 1998 at CH. 2) The response of species richness varied between the two lakes, but the trends of their respective β diversity indices are consistent, despite the fact that the contributors to β diversity are different. 3) The stability of the chironomid communities has decreased in both lakes since the mid-20th century. 4) The relationship between diversity and stability varies in relation to the type of diversity. Overall, our results emphasize the importance of considering the complex nature of diversity and stability when studying community assemblages. Unlabelled Image • Chironomid in two lakes were used for assessing community diversity and stability. • Chironomid communities experienced critical transitions in 1990s. • Definition of diversity determines its relationship with stability. • β diversity partitioning revealed the mechanisms behind this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As global changes begin to affect the biosphere profoundly, the impacts on ecosystem health will become more significant. Understanding the sequence of functional species loss along an environmental or ecological gradient remains a research priority for ecosystem conservation. In this paper, nestedness, β-diversity and its components in diatom communities are used as ecological indicators of the dynamic change in functional species along environment gradients in 76 lakes of the lower Yangtze River basin, China. The results indicate that species turnover is typically the dominant component of β-diversity and that the influence of nestedness is generally low. However, changes in nestedness denote a significant threshold of lake eutrophication at a total phosphorus (TP) level of 0.06 mg/l, which is lower than the threshold indicated by diatom diversity. This finding was coupled with theoretical predictions about the successive proportional loss of 'canary' and 'keystone' species, which are replaced by 'weedy' species. These results show that nestedness of diatom communities can provide an additional metric for evaluating lake ecosystem health in this region. As management targets for nutrient control have already been introduced in the region, a revision of the identified critical phosphorus level (i.e., TP = 0.087–0.1 mg/l) to TP = 0.06 mg/l is proposed to keep lakes under low risk. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Structural indicators are seldom used to assess ecosystem health. • Diatom in 76 lakes is used for assessing lakes' health based on nestedness. • Nestedness reveals a lower total phosphorus threshold than diatom diversity. • The total phosphorus threshold should be lowered to 60 μg/l for lakes in LYB, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of 19 biocides in the aquatic environments (including runoffs) of a highly urbanized region, and then analyze the sources and ecological risks of target biocides in the river system. The investigated results showed that 19 target biocides were universally detected in surface water (17), sediment (19) and rainfall runoff (18). The tributaries of the river system were seriously contaminated by the biocides compared to the main stream. The prominent biocides in the riverine environment were methylparaben, climbazole and N , N -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) for surface water, climbazole, triclosan and triclocarban for sediment, and DEET and carbendazim for rainfall runoff. The biocides source analysis based on the mass contribution suggested that domestic wastewater was a dominant input source for most biocides in the riverine environment, while rainfall runoff was another crucial input source for some biocides, especially for DEET and carbendazim. The ecological risk assessment revealed that some high levels biocides (e.g. clotrimazole, carbendazim, and triclosan) could pose potential ecological risks to aquatic organisms. Therefore, it is essential that some efficient measures should be taken to reduce the input of biocides to river system from different sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater indicator is a useful tool for evaluating the wastewater impact on natural water, but there is little information about the suitability of wastewater indicators for different regions. This study aimed to select suitable wastewater indicators in the Pearl River Delta region, south China by screening a range of wastewater related organic compounds. The screening campaign was carried out by investigating the occurrence and removal efficiencies of 93 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 5 artificial sweeteners (ASs) in nine wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the region, and the occurrence of these target compounds in the contaminated and clean surface water of the Pearl River. An ideal wastewater indicator should be hydrophilic, source-specific for domestic wastewater, ubiquitous in contaminated surface water with detection frequency (DF) > 80% and absent in background water samples. For liable indicators, high removal rates (> 90%) should be observed in WWTPs and they should be detected in all the influent samples at concentrations fifty times higher than their limits of quantification. For conservative indicators, low removal rates (< 50%) should be observed in WWTPs and they should be detected in all the effluent samples at concentrations fifty times higher than their limits of quantification. Based on the above criteria, sucralose and fluconazole were selected as conservative indicators in the region, while cyclamate, saccharin, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, paracetamol, salicylic acid and caffeine were selected as liable indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a comprehensive method for the identification of the unknown halogenated DBPs (X-DBPs, X = Cl, Br, and I) in the tap water of Wuhan, China via liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was developed. 123 X-DBPs were identified through the stepwise procedure, 94 of them were newly identified, and 3 of them were confirmed by standards. Most X-DBPs were aliphatic compounds and highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds, some X-DBPs contained multiple halogen atoms and rich in carboxyl groups, such as C 2 H 2 O 2 BrCl, C 2 H 2 O 2 Br 2 , and C 2 H 2 O 2 ClI. It was worth noting that the concentration of some X-DBPs had the same trend with time. Most Cl-DBPs remained stable and I-DBPs were detected occasionally by monitoring the change of concentration of these X-DPBs with the time during three consecutive months. The results demonstrate that the proposed method could provide valuable molecular formula and structure information on unknown multiple halogenated DBPs, or be used for the identification of other multiple halogenated organic compounds in different media. Unlabelled Image • A method to analyze unknown halogenated disinfection byproduct (DBPs) is proposed. • The halogenated DBPs have multiple halogen atoms. • 123 halogenated DBPs are identified, 94 of them are newly identified. • The contents of some halogenated DBPs change over time with the same trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of livestock and poultry manures was the predominant source of heavy metals in agricultural soils, particularly in China. It is important to systematically compare the pollution characteristics, emission situations and mass loads for heavy metals in the manures of different livestock and poultry in China. According to analysis and estimation based on the reported concentration levels of eight heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg, As, and Ni) and the feed quantities of livestock (pig, cattle, and sheep) and poultry in 2017, the concentrations of Zn and Cu and the over-standard frequencies of Zn, Cu, Cd, and As were much higher than those of other heavy metals, especially in pig manure. In 2017, the total emission of livestock and poultry manure in China was 1.64 × 109 t (FW), which was mainly excreted from cattle (45.77%); while the total emission of heavy metals sourced from manures was 2.86 × 105 t (DW), with the predominant contribution originating from pig manure (71.52%). The highest mass loads of manures and heavy metals were observed in Shandong, Tianjin, Henan, and Shanghai, where heavy metal contamination may be occurring (especially for Zn and Cu). The heavy metal concentrations in livestock and poultry manures of China were similar to other countries; however, more heavy metals were discharged into agricultural land through manure (especially for Zn and Cu). For many countries, abundant Zn and Cu exist in agricultural soils, principally contributed by livestock and poultry manures. These heavy metals originate from their addition to livestock and poultry feeds. Therefore, reducing the addition of Zn and Cu in feeds is an effective measure to lower their input into agricultural soils. Unlabelled Image • Zn, Cu, Cd, and As occur as fairly serious pollution in the pig manure of China. • Similar concentrations to other countries, but higher heavy metal emissions in China. • Heavy metals emission in China from livestock and poultry manures was up to 2.86 × 105 t. • Southeastern provinces of China presented high mass loads of manures and heavy metals. • Zn and Cu in agricultural soils principally contributed by livestock and poultry manures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of long-term (1988–2013; 26 years) total phosphorus (TP) concentration trends in 81 Swedish boreal lakes subject to minimal anthropogenic disturbance. Near universal increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and a widespread but hitherto unexplained decline in TP were observed. Over 50% of the lakes (n = 42) had significant declining TP trends over the past quarter century (Sen's slope = 2.5% y − 1 ). These declines were linked to catchment processes related to changes in climate, recovery from acidification, and catchment soil properties, but were unrelated to trends in P deposition. Increasing DOC concentrations appear to be masking in-lake TP declines. When the effect of increasing DOC was removed, the small number of positive TP trends (N = 5) turned negative and the average decline in TP increased to 3.9% y − 1 . The greatest relative TP declines occurred in already nutrient poor, oligotrophic systems and TP concentrations have reached the analytical detection limit (1 μg L − 1 ) in some lakes. In addition, ongoing oligotrophication may be exacerbated by increased reliance on renewable energy from forest biomass and hydropower. It is a cause of significant concern that potential impairments to lake ecosystem functioning associated with oligotrophication are not well handled by a management paradigm focused exclusively on the negative consequences of increasing phosphorus concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We used a hybrid precipitation method to simultaneously extract and analyze 24 personal care products (PCPs), including 16 biocides, 4 synthetic musks, and 4 benzotriazoles, in the plasma of fish. The method's performance was validated for plasma samples with and without β -glucuronidase/aryl-sulfatase hydrolysis. The recoveries were in the range of 70–120% for most of the PCPs, except N , N -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), clotrimazole (CTZ), miconazole and itraconazole at spiking concentration of 20 and 5 ng/mL. The quantification limits ranged between 0.89 and 17.9 ng/mL (hydrolyzed plasma) and 0.85–18.5 ng/mL (non-hydrolyzed plasma), except CTZ at 77.5 ng/mL and 76.3 ng/mL. Totally, 13 PCPs were detected in plasma samples of fish collected from the Yangtze River, with a maximum concentration of 58.4 ng/mL (galaxolide). Compounds with the phenol hydroxyl groups of parabens or triclosan in hydrolyzed plasma showed higher concentrations than those in unhydrolyzed plasma with the ratio of conjugation (glucuronides + sulfates) forms up to 86%. The median values for the logarithm of bioaccumulation factors were between 1.39 and 4.15, which were 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than the theoretical logarithm of bioconcentration factors. Using the fish plasma model, the effect ratios (effect concentration/measured plasma concentration ratios) of tonalide, galaxolide, benzotriazole, triclosan, and DEET reached 0.35, 4.15, 3.78, 7.52, and 9.24, respectively. These are recognized as priority chemicals for further risk assessment. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A method was developed to determine personal care products (PCPs) in fish plasma. • The MQLs of most PCPs ranged at 0.85–18.5 ng/mL (except clotrimazole at 77.5 ng/mL). • Thirteen PCPs were detected in plasma from fish collected from the Yangtze River. • Parabens and triclosan with OH group showed high ratio of conjugation up to 86%. • Five PCPs are recognized as the priority attended chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Antibiotics are widely used in animals for disease treatment and prevention. After use, these antibiotics end up in manure. Here we investigated the fate of veterinary antibiotics in animal manure during composting and their residues in manure-applied soils. The results showed that 64.7% of the detected veterinary antibiotics were removed after composting for 171 days, which mainly occurred at the thermophilic phase in the second week, followed by a long stable stage with limited variations. The removal rates for lincomycin, trimethoprim and the macrolides during the composting were >89.7%, while those for the sulfonamides, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones were less than <63.7%. The dissipation of antibiotics during the composting was related to the change of compost physicochemical properties, especially moisture and C/N ratio. The application of compost products with antibiotic residues could still lead to soil contamination, which may pose risks of resistance selection to the soil ecosystem. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • 17 veterinary antibiotics were detected during the 171 days of composting. • Tetracyclines and lincomycin were predominant in initial compost. • 64.7% of detected antibiotics were removed during composting. • The removal of antibiotics mainly occurred in thermophilic phage. • Usage of compost product posed high risk of resistance selection in soil ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are widely applied in livestock industry to prevent or treat animal diseases. However, those antibiotics are poorly metabolized in livestock animals, most of them being excreted via feces or urine. Hence we need to understand the removal of antibiotics in swine farm wastewater treatment systems. This study investigated occurrence and fate of various antibiotics in two full-scale swine farm wastewater treatment systems (Farm A: anaerobic digester-A 2 /O-lagoon; Farm B: upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)-(A/O) 2 -lagoon). The results showed the presence of 25 antibiotics out of 40 target antibiotics in the wastewater and sludge samples from the two farms. In Farm A, sulfamonomethoxine, sulfachlorpyridazine, oxytetracycline and lincomycin were predominant in the influent with concentrations up to 166 ± 3.64 μg/L, while in the dewatered sludge chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline and norfloxacin were the predominant target compounds with concentrations up to 29.2 ± 3.74 μg/g. In Farm B, high concentrations (up to 3630 ± 1040 μg/L) of sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfamonomethoxine and lincomycin were detected in the influent, and the predominant target antibiotics detected in the dewater sludge were similar to those in Farm A, with concentrations up to 28.6 ± 0.592 μg/g. The aqueous removal rates for the total antibiotics were >99.0% in the wastewater treatment plants of both farms. Among a series of treatment units, the anaerobic digester in Farm A and UASB in Farm B made a significant contribution to the elimination of the target antibiotics from the animal wastewater. The daily mass loadings of total antibiotics in the manure, influent, dewatered sludge and effluent were 17.1, 28.0, 2.53, and 0.0730 g/d for Farm A and 24.5, 354, 3.17, and 0.293 g/d for Farm B. The full-scale swine wastewater treatment facilities could effectively remove antibiotics from swine wastewater, but the dewatered sludge needs to be further treated before disposal on land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal care products (PCPs) are widely applied in our daily life, however, little is known about their occurrence in wild fish. We investigated the bioaccumulation and potential risks of 24 PCPs in muscle and liver tissues of wild fish collected from two large rivers of Pearl and Yangtze Rivers in China. The results showed the detection of a total of 13 PCPs including 9 biocides, 2 synthetic musks and 2 benzotriazoles in at least one type of fish tissue from 12 fish species. The compounds with high detection frequencies (> 50%) in fish muscle or liver tissues were N , N -diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, carbendazim, climbazole, miconazole (MCZ), methylparaben, propylparaben, triclosan (TCS), tonalide, galaxolide (HHCB) and 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5-TT). Among biocides, synthetic musks and benzotriazoles, TCS, HHCB and benzotriazole showed the maximum concentrations of 79.5 ng/g wet weight (ww), 299 ng/g ww and 3.14 ng/g ww, respectively, in muscle tissue, while MCZ, HHCB and 5-TT showed the maximum concentrations of 432 ng/g ww, 2619 ng/g ww and 54.5 ng/g ww, respectively, in liver tissue. The median values of logarithm of bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for the detected 13 PCPs were ranged 0.8–3.35 in muscle and 0.85–4.58 in liver. The log BAF values of the PCPs displayed good linear relationships with log K ow and log D ow (pH-dependent K ow ). The health hazard assessment of 10 detected PCPs in the muscle indicated no appreciable risk to human via consumption of the wild fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We systematically investigated the occurrence and distribution of 93 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 5 artificial sweeteners (ASs) in surface water and groundwater of Dongjiang River basin in south China. In surface water, 52 compounds were detected with median concentrations ranging from 0.06 ng/L to 504 ng/L, while in groundwater, 33 compounds were detected with concentrations up to 4580 ng/L for acesulfame. PPCPs and ASs were widely detected in the surface water and groundwater samples, which indicated contamination by domestic wastewater in the surface water and groundwater of Dongjiang River basin. Temporal and spatial variations of the detected chemicals were observed in surface water. Acesulfame, sucralose and cyclamate can be used as wastewater indicators to imply contamination in groundwater caused by domestic wastewater due to their hydrophilicity, anthropogenic sources and ubiquity in groundwater. Moreover, the detection of the readily degradable ASs, cyclamate, was a strong indication of untreated wastewater in groundwater. Sucralose was found to be a suitable wastewater indicator to reflect domestic wastewater contamination in surface water and groundwater qualitatively and quantitatively, and it can be used to evaluate wastewater burden in surface water and groundwater of Dongjiang River basin. The wastewater burden data from this survey implied serious contamination in surface water and groundwater by domestic wastewater at Shima River, a tributary of the Dongjiang River. The findings from this study suggest that the selected labile and conservative chemicals can be used as indication of wastewater contamination for aquatic environments qualitatively and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric pollution, one of the leading environmental problems in South and East Asia, and its impact on the terrestrial environmental quality remain poorly understood particularly in alpine areas where both historical and present-day mining and smelting operations might leave an imprint. Here, we reconstructed atmospheric trace metals pollution during the past century using core sediments from a large and deep alpine lake in Southwest China. The implication of in lake and/or in watershed sediment focusing in pollution quantification is discussed by analyzing 15 sediment cores. Factor analysis and enrichment factor indicated Cd, Pb and Sb as the typical pollutants. Distinct peaks of Pb and Sb pollution were observed around the 1920s, but little Pb pollution was detected in recent decades, different from other studies in similar regions. Cadmium pollution was observed until the mid-1980s synchronized with Sb. The distinctive variations in atmospheric trace metal pollution process in Southwest China highlight the regional and sub-regional sources of metal pollutants, which should be primarily attributed to non-ferrous metal smelting emissions. Both natural and anthropogenic metals showed wide concentration ranges though exhibited similar temporal trends in the 15 cores. Spatial variations of anthropogenic metals were influenced by the in-watershed pollutants remobilization, whereas, natural metals were regulated by the detrital materials in the sub-basin. In-lake sediment focusing had little influence on the spatial distributions of all metals, different from the traditional sediment focusing pattern observed in small lakes. Anthropogenic Cd accumulation in sediments ranged from 1.5 to 10.1 mg m − 2 in a specific core with an average of 6.5 mg m − 2 for the entire lake, highlighting that a reliable whole-lake pollutant budget requires an analysis of multiple cores. Our study suggests that the management of aquatic ecosystem health should take the remobilization of in-watershed stored pollutants into consideration especially under increasing human perturbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dynamics of ecosystem services (ESs) is crucial for sustainable resource management. Palaeolimnological records have a great potential to reveal long-term variations and dynamic interactions in ESs, especially supporting/regulating services, which are not easily quantified by documentary records. To elucidate the variations between eight important ESs in shallow lake ecosystems, we combined documentary records with palaeolimnological proxies (covering the past 100 years) from two typical lakes (Lakes Taibai and Zhangdu) of the Yangtze River basin. Although all supporting services and some provisioning services have increased, the regulating services of the two lakes have markedly declined, in particular since the 1950s. Human activities, including hydrological intervention, nutrient input and land-use change, were identified as the main factors behind the observed variations. Both in Lake Taibai and Zhangdu, primary production and biodiversity (supporting services) have increased (synergies), whereas climate and water purification (regulating services) have significantly decreased (tradeoffs) since the 1950s when attempts were made by the local population to reach a higher land/fish ESs level. By considering long-term records, dynamic tradeoff and synergy relationship between various ESs relative to different types of human “modification” in a temporal perspective, we suggest valuable information can be gained in future lake management initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climbazole is an antidandruff active ingredient commonly used in personal care products, but little is known about its environmental fate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fate of climbazole in water, sediment, soil and air compartments of the whole China by using a level III multimedia fugacity model. The usage of climbazole was calculated to be 345 t in the whole China according to the market research data, and after wastewater treatment a total emission of 245 t was discharged into the receiving environment with approximately 93% into the water compartment and 7% into the soil compartment. The developed fugacity model was successfully applied to estimate the contamination levels and mass inventories of climbazole in various environmental compartments of the river basins in China. The predicted environmental concentration ranges of climbazole were: 0.20–367 ng/L in water, and 0.009–25.2 ng/g dry weight in sediment. The highest concentration was mainly found in Haihe River basin and the lowest was in basins of Tibet and Xinjiang regions. The mass inventory of climbazole in the whole China was estimated to be 294 t, with 6.79% in water, 83.7% in sediment, 9.49% in soil, and 0.002% in air. Preliminary risk assessment showed high risks in sediment posed by climbazole in 2 out of 58 basins in China. The medium risks in water and sediment were mostly concentrated in north China. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report on the emissions and multimedia fate of climbazole in the river basins of the whole China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Forty passive air samplers were deployed to study the occurrence of gas and particulate phase PAHs in remote, rural village and urban areas of Beijing–Tianjin region, North China for four seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter) from 2007 to 2008. The influence of emissions on the spatial distribution pattern of air PAH concentrations was addressed. In addition, the air–soil gas exchange of PAHs was studied using fugacity calculations. The median gaseous and particulate phase PAH concentrations were 222ng/m3 and 114ng/m3, respectively, with a median total PAH concentration of 349ng/m3. Higher PAH concentrations were measured in winter than in other seasons. Air PAH concentrations measured at the rural villages and urban sites in the northern mountain region were significantly lower than those measured at sites in the southern plain during all seasons. However, there was no significant difference in PAH concentrations between the rural villages and urban sites in the northern and southern areas. This urban–rural PAH distribution pattern was related to the location of PAH emission sources and the population distribution. The location of PAH emission sources explained 56%–77% of the spatial variation in ambient air PAH concentrations. The annual median air–soil gas exchange flux of PAHs was 42.2ng/m2/day from soil to air. Among the 15 PAHs measured, acenaphthylene (ACY) and acenaphthene (ACE) contributed to more than half of the total exchange flux. Furthermore, the air–soil gas exchange fluxes of PAHs at the urban sites were higher than those at the remote and rural sites. In summer, more gaseous PAHs volatilized from soil to air because of higher temperatures and increased rainfall. However, in winter, more gaseous PAHs deposited from air to soil due to higher PAH emissions and lower temperatures. The soil TOC concentration had no significant influence on the air–soil gas exchange of PAHs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hyperandrogenism is the main cause of infertility as a result of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Long-term and continuous exposure to hyperandrogen can cause follicular developmental disorders. Ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) are critical in shaping the follicular development. To clarify how excessive androgen suppresses folliculogenesis and ovulation, we constructed PCOS mice by implantation of a 35-d testosterone (T) continuous-release pellet. Ovarian toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression and serum IL-6 and IL-1β levels were dramatically increased in T-treated mice. In addition, the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in the ovary of T-treated mice suggests that pyroptosis may play an essential role in follicular dysfunction. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been extensively studied for activating cells by binding to TLR4. In this study, we demonstrated that LPS-induced inflammation leads to activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome with consequent impacts on follicular dysfunction. Herein we showed that LPS treatment upregulated the expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and androgen receptor (AR), while suppressed follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) expression in vitro. Moreover, we overexpressed NLRP3 using nigericin or lentiviral particles in GCs. The protein and mRNA levels of pyroptotic factors were highly enhanced with NLRP3 overexpression. As expected, the expression of Cyp19α1, Cyp11α1, 3β-HSD and FSHR at both the protein and mRNA levels was also markedly increased with excessive NLRP3. After inhibiting NLRP3, dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-treated GCs demonstrated markedly decreased NLRP3, the inflammasome adapter protein ASC, C-terminal fragment of gasdermin D (GSDMD-C), AR and Cyp19α1 at the protein level. Furthermore, with NLRP3 overexpression, the expression of fibrotic factors in ovarian cells was dramatically increased, such as TGF-β, CTGF, α-SMA, β-catenin, collagen I and collagen IV. These findings suggest that hyperandrogen stimulates chronic low-grade inflammation in the ovary to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, further inducing a series of pathologies including ovarian GC pyroptotic death, follicular dysfunction and ovarian interstitial cell fibrosis. Unlabelled Image • Hyperandrogen induced chronic inflammation in ovary is mediated by inflammasome activation. • Exposure to hyperandrogen induces NLRP3 activation in ovarian granulosa cells. • LPS treatment induces ovarian systemic inflammation and promotes NLRP3 activation. • NLRP3 activation promotes the ovarian granulosa cell pyroptotic death. • NLRP3 activation destroys follicular functions and drives ovarian fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioremediation of pharmaceutical-contaminated wastewater using microalgae has attracted increasing attention. Cyanobacteria, which are important prokaryotic microalgae, are widely distributed in different water environments, and have the advantages of simple culture and a fast growth rate. However, studies on either the toxicity of pharmaceutical contaminants (PhCs) to cyanobacteria or the removal of PhCs by cyanobacteria are scarce. In this study, carbamazepine (CBZ) and Spirulina platensis were selected as model PhCs and cyanobacteria, respectively. CBZ (>1 mg/L) had toxicity effects on S. platensis , showing maximal growth inhibition (34.0%) at 100 mg/L after 10 days of cultivation. At CBZ < 25 mg/L, S. platensis showed a trend similar to that of eukaryotic microalgae in increasing superoxide dismutase and catalase activities and content of chlorophylls, carotenoids, carbohydrates, and lipids. These results indicated that S. platensis had a similar protective mechanism to CBZ toxicity as that of the eukaryotic microalgae. Increasing CBZ concentration (50–100 mg/L) significantly decreased these biochemical characteristics and photosynthetic activity owing to the serious damage of the structure and function of S. platensis. However, with increasing cultivation time, the growth and photosynthetic activity of S. platensis recovered from the toxicity of CBZ. S. platensis showed a maximum of 30.97 ± 1.30% removal of CBZ (1 mg/L), mainly through biodegradation. Addition of 0.3 mg/L glucose enhanced this removal efficiency to 50.13 ± 2.51% via co-metabolism. These findings indicated that S. platensis can be used for the removal of CBZ or other PhCs from wastewater. Unlabelled Image • Carbamazepine inhibited S. platensis growth when concentration exceeds 1 mg/L. • 96 h EC 50 of carbamazepine for S. platensis was 173.82 mg/L. • S. platensis showed recovery ability facing carbamazepine toxicity. • Glucose enhanced the carbamazepine removal by S. platensis via co-metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]