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Our study aimed to quantify the exposure-lag-response effects of the diurnal temperature range (DTR) on other infectious diarrhea (OID) in Tongcheng city and examine the vulnerable populations. Distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) and generalized additive model (GAM) were applied jointly to quantify the association between DTR and the daily number of OID cases compared with the median DTR. Stratified analysis was performed by gender, age, and seasons of onset. There are a total of 8231 cases during this decade. We observed a j-shaped relationship between DTR and OID, with a peak point at the maximum DTR (RR: 2.651, 95% CI: 1.320–5.323) compared to the median DTR. As DTR increased from 8.2 to 10.9 °C, we found the RRs started to decrease and then rise from day 0, and the minimum value occurred on day 7 (RR:1.003, 95% CI: 0.996–1.010). From stratified analysis, we observed that females and adults are more likely to be affected by high DTR significantly. In addition, the influence of DTR was different in cold and warm seasons. High DTR in warm seasons affects the number of OID daily cases, but no statistical significance was identified in cold seasons. This study suggests a significant relationship between high DTR and the incidence risk of OID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composting industry has been growing rapidly in China because of a boom in the animal industry. Therefore, a rapid and accurate assessment of the quality of commercial organic fertilizers is of the utmost importance. In this study, a novel technique that combines near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with partial least squares (PLS) analysis is developed for rapidly and accurately assessing commercial organic fertilizers quality. A total of 104 commercial organic fertilizers were collected from full-scale compost factories in Jiangsu Province, east China. In general, the NIR-PLS technique showed accurate predictions of the total organic matter, water soluble organic nitrogen, pH, and germination index; less accurate results of the moisture, total nitrogen, and electrical conductivity; and the least accurate results for water soluble organic carbon. Our results suggested the combined NIR-PLS technique could be applied as a valuable tool to rapidly and accurately assess the quality of commercial organic fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) affects the toxicity, mobility and bioavailability of metals in aquatic environment. In this study, the interactions between two metals of environmental concern [Cu(II) and Fe(III)] with DOM in a euthrophic algae-rich lake (Lake Taihu, China), including dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) and algal extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), were studied using fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) quenching titration combined with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Obvious protein-like peaks were detected in algal EPS matrix, while both protein- and humic-like peaks can be found in NOM. PARAFAC analysis identified four fluorescent components, including one humic-, one tryptophan- and two tyrosine-like components, from 114 EEM samples. It was shown that fluorescent tyrosine- (log K M >5.21) and humic-like substances (log K M >4.84) in NOM fraction exhibited higher metal binding capacities than those in EPS matrix, while algal EPS was characterized with a high metal-tryptophan-like substances affinity (log K M >5.08). Moreover, for the eutrophic algae-rich lakes, fluorescent tryptophan- and humic-like substances were responsible for Cu transportation, whereas the mobility of Fe would be related with the tyrosine-like substances. The results facilitate a further insight into the biogeochemical behaviors of metals in eutrophic algae-rich ecosystems as well as other related aquatic environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The abrupt change of climate has led to an increasing trend of hospitalised patients in recent years. This study aimed to analyse the temperature variability (TV) associated with respiratory disease (RD) hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. The generalized linear model combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to investigate the association between TV and RD hospitalisations. TV was determined by measuring the standard deviation of maximum and minimum temperatures for the current day and the previous 7 days. RD hospitalisations data were obtained from three major tertiary hospitals in Huaibei City, namely, the Huaibei People's Hospital, the Huaibei Hospital Of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Huaibei Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital. First, using a time series decomposition model, the seasonality and long-term trend of hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD were explored in this warm temperate sub-humid monsoon climate. Second, robust models were used to analyse the association between TV and RD hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. In addition, this study stratified results by sex, age and season. Third, using the attributable fraction (AF) and attributable number (AN), hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD attributed to TV were quantified. Overall, 0.013% of hospitalisations were attributed to TV 0-1 (i.e. TV at the current day and previous 1 day), corresponding to 220 cases, 1603 days of hospital stays and 1,308,000 RMB of hospital expenses. Females were more susceptible to TV than males, and the risk increased with longer exposure (the highest risk was seen at TV 0-7 [i.e. TV at the current day and previous 7 days] exposure). Higher AF and AN were observed at ages 0–5 years and ≥65 years. In addition, it was also found that TV was more strongly linked to RD in the cool season. The hot season was positively associated with hospital stays and hospital expenses at TV 0-3 to TV 0-7 exposure. Exposure to TV increased the risk of hospitalisations, longer hospital stays and higher hospital expenses for RD. The findings suggested that more attention should be paid to unstable weather conditions in the future to protect the health of vulnerable populations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nationwide survey of animal manure-based composts was carried out in China. Two hundred and twelve samples were collected and analyzed for the concentrations of 9 heavy metals or metalloids and arsenic (As) speciation. The concentrations of heavy metals vary widely (Zn 11.8–3692, Cu 3.6–916, Cr 0.7–6603, Ni 0.7–73, Pb 0.05–189, As 0.4–72, Co 0.1–94, Cd 0.01–8.7 and Hg 0.01–1.9 mg kg −1 dry weight). Compared with the maximum permissible values of the Chinese standard for organic fertilizers, 13.7% and 2.4% of the composts exceeded the limits for As (15 mg kg −1 ) and Cd (3 mg kg −1 ), respectively. Some samples contained very high concentrations of Zn and Cu, although no limits have been set for these two metals in China. Further analysis showed that As was present mainly as arsenate (As Ⅴ ), with dimethylarsenate (DMA) and monomethylarsenate (MMA) as the minor species in composts. There were significant correlations between the concentrations of Zn, Cu and As, suggesting co-contamination of these elements in some composts. Monte Carlo simulations based on the distributions of metal concentrations and application rate showed that repeated applications of compost likely increase the concentrations of Zn, Cu, Cd and Hg in soil significantly compared with the soil background levels. This study highlights a need to minimize the concentrations of Zn, Cu, Cd, Hg and As in animal manures to ensure their safe recycling to agricultural soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils play a vital role in the global carbon (C) cycle, yet little is known about the calcium (Ca)-mediated stabilization of soil organic carbon (SOC) in calcareous soils. With wet sieving, density fractionation and an incubation experiment from field soils, we investigated the effects of long-term fertilization on the Ca-mediated stabilization of aggregate-associated organic C and on the SOC stock at a soil depth of 0–20 cm in a reclaimed Cambisol on the Loess Plateau of China. Compared to the initial soil, after ten years the SOC stock increased by 50%, 76%, 94% and 110% in soils amended with no fertilizer (control), 100% chemical fertilizer, 50% chemical fertilizer plus 50% chicken manure compost and 100% chicken manure compost, respectively. The specific C mineralization rate (SCMR, rate per unit SOC) decreased as silt and clay > macroaggregate > microaggregate, indicating that SOC in microaggregates was more stable than in macroaggregates and the silt and clay fraction. The exchangeable Ca in the bulk soil (P < 0.001) and soil aggregates (P < 0.001) were positively correlated with the SOC, whereas the Ca carbonate (CaCO 3) was negatively correlated with the SCMR (P < 0.001). The application of compost not only increased the exogenous C inputs but also promoted the transformation of CaCO 3 to exchangeable Ca compared with the sole chemical fertilization. Furthermore, organic fertilization significantly increased the organic C in the heavy fraction (> 2.0 g cm−3) compared with the sole chemical fertilization, which was positively correlated with the mass proportion of macroaggregates (P < 0.001). These results indicate that organic fertilization can enhance the availability of Ca for C binding possibly by forming organo-Ca complexes, which in turn improve soil aggregation, and thus contribute to a long-term SOC sequestration in reclaimed soils of the Loess Plateau of China. • Exchangeable Ca was positively correlated with soil organic carbon (C). • CaCO 3 was negatively correlated with the specific C mineralization rate. • Organic C in microaggregates was relatively stable. • The formation of organo-Ca complexes improved soil aggregation. • Organic fertilization promoted soil aggregation and enhanced C sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the combined effect of sluices and sea tide, the sluice-controlled coastal plain river would be characterized by both trophic state and salinity gradients, affecting the spatiotemporal optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM). In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal variation of water quality parameters and optical properties of DOM in the Haihe River, a representative sluice-controlled coastal plain river in Tianjin, China. A significant salinity gradient and four trophic states were observed in the water body of the Haihe River. Two humic- and one protein-like substances were identified from the DOM by the three-dimensional fluorescence spectra combined with the parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Pearson's correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the salinity significantly affected the abundance of chromophoric DOM (CDOM) but did not cause significant changes in the fluorescence optical characteristics. In addition, the effect of Trophic state index (TSI) on the CDOM abundance was greater than that on the fluorescence intensity of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM). In the water body with both salinity and trophic state gradients, TSI posed a greater influence than salinity on the CDOM abundance. Our results fill the research gap in spatiotemporal DOM characteristics and water quality variation in water bodies with both salinity and trophic state gradients. These results are beneficial for clarifying the joint influence of saline intrusion and sluices on the DOM characteristics and water quality in sluice-controlled coastal plain rivers., 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 © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

With the advancement of urbanization, the harm caused to human health by PM 2.5 pollution has been receiving increasing attention worldwide. In order to increase public awareness and understanding of the damage caused by PM 2.5 in the air and gain the attention of relevant management departments, Changsha City is used as the research object, and the environmental quality data and public health data of Changsha City from 2013 to 2017 are used. All-cause death, respiratory death, cardiovascular death, chronic bronchitis, and asthma were selected as the endpoints of PM 2.5 pollution health effects, according to an exposure-response coefficient, Poisson regression model, and health-impact-assessment-related methods (the Human Capital Approach, the Willingness to Pay Approach, and the Cost of Illness Approach), assessing the health loss and economic loss associated with PM 2.5 . The results show that the pollution of PM 2.5 in Changsha City is serious, which has resulted in extensive health hazards and economic losses to local residents. From 2013 to 2017, when annual average PM 2.5 concentrations fell to 10 μg/m 3 , the total annual losses from the five health-effect endpoints were $2788.41 million, $2123.18 million, $1657.29 million, $1402.90 million, and $1419.92 million, respectively. The proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the current year was 2.69%, 1.87%, 1.34%, 1.04% and 0.93%, respectively. Furthermore, when the concentration of PM 2.5 in Changsha City drops to the safety threshold of 10 μg/m 3 , the number of affected populations and health economic losses can far exceed the situation when it falls to 35 μg/m 3 , as stipulated by the national secondary standard. From 2013 to 2017, the total loss under the former situation was 1.48 times, 1.54 times, 1.86 times, 2.25 times, and 2.33 times that of the latter, respectively. Among them, all-cause death and cardiovascular death are the main sources of health loss. Taking 2017 as an example, when the annual average concentration dropped to 10 μg/m 3 , the health loss caused by deaths from all-cause death and cardiovascular disease was 49.16% of the total loss and 35.73%, respectively. Additionally, deaths as a result of respiratory disease, asthma, and chronic bronchitis contributed to 7.31%, 7.29%, and 0.51% of the total loss, respectively. The research results can provide a reference for the formulation of air pollution control policies based on health effects, which is of great significance for controlling air pollution and protecting people's health.