Aging of Polystyrene Micro/Nanoplastics Enhances Cephalosporin Phototransformation via Structure-Sensitive Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding.

Beyond their roles in adsorbing and transporting pollutants, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs), particularly polystyrene variants (PS-M/NPs), have emerged as potential accelerators for the transformation of coexisting contaminants. This study uncovered a novel environmental phenomenon induced by aged PS-M/NPs and delved into the underlying mechanisms. Our findings revealed that the aged PS-M/NP particles significantly amplified the photodegradation of common cephalosporin antibiotics, and the extent of enhancement was tightly correlated to the molecular structures of cephalosporin antibiotics.

Production of Reactive Oxygen Species during Redox Manipulation and Its Potential Impacts on Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Processes.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are ubiquitous in redox-fluctuating environments, exerting profound impacts on biogeochemical cycles. However, whether ROS can be generated during redox manipulation in activated sludge wastewater treatment processes (AS-WTPs) and the underlying impacts remain largely unknown. This study demonstrates that ROS production is ubiquitous in AS-WTPs due to redox manipulation and that the frequency and capacity of ROS production depend on the operating modes.

Comparison and chemometrics analysis of phenolic compounds and mineral elements in Artemisia Argyi Folium from different geographical origins.

The quality of Artemisia Argyi Folium (AAF), a traditional Chinese food ingredient, is intrinsically linked to its geographical origin, which this study explores through phenolic compounds and mineral elements. The contents of 17 phenols and 18 minerals differed significantly between geographically distinct samples according to UHPLC and ICP-MS, respectively. Chemometrics indicated that a supervised model, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), outperformed unsupervised methods at classifying AAF samples by their origins.

PBAT biodegradable microplastics enhanced organic matter decomposition capacity and CO emission in soils with and without straw residue.

Recent studies show that biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) could increase soil CO emission, but whether altered carbon emission results from modified soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition remains underexplored. In this study, the effect and mechanisms of BMPs on CO emission from soil were investigated, using poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT, the main component of agricultural film) as an example. Considering that straw returning is a common agronomic measure which may interact with microplastics through affecting microbial activity, both soils with and without wheat straw were included.

Centennial Records of Microplastics in Lake Cores in Huguangyan Maar Lake, China.

Microplastic records from lake cores can reconstruct the plastic pollution history. However, the associations between anthropogenic activities and microplastic accumulation are not well understood. Huguangyan Maar Lake (HML) is a deep-enclosed lake without inlets and outlets, where the sedimentary environment is ideal for preserving a stable and historical microplastic record.

Strong Substance Exchange at Paddy Soil-Water Interface Promotes Nonphotochemical Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species in Overlying Water.

Photochemically generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) are widespread on the earth's surface under sunlight irradiation. However, the nonphotochemical ROS generation in surface water (e.g.

Key role of hydrogen atoms in the preparation of sulfidated zero valent iron.

Sulfidated zero valent iron (ZVI) is a popular material for the reductive degradation of halogenated organic pollutants. Simple and economic synthesis of this material is highly demanded. In this study, sulfidated micro/nanostructured ZVI (MNZVI) particles were prepared by simply heating MNZVI particles and sulfur elements (S) in pure water (50℃).

Insight into the adsorption behaviors and bioaccessibility of three altered microplastics through three types of advanced oxidation processes.

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can significantly alter the structural properties, environmental behaviors and human exposure level of microplastics in aquatic environments. Three typical microplastics (Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS)) and three AOPs (Heat-KSO (PDS), UV-HO, UV-peracetic acid (PAA)) were adopted to simulate the process when microplastics exposed to the sewage disposal system. 2-Nitrofluorene (2-NFlu) adsorption experiments found the equilibrium time decreased to 24 hours and the capacity increased up to 610 μg g, which means the adsorption efficiency has been greatly improved.

Preparation of Fe/Cu bimetals by ball milling iron powder and copper sulfate for trichloroethylene degradation: Combined effect of FeS and Fe/Cu alloy.

The addition of a secondary metal (such as Cu, Co, Ni and Pd) to form iron-based bimetallic particles could enhance the reactivity of zero valent iron (ZVI). This study proposed a new synthesis method for preparing Cu-Fe bimetals (Cu-Fe (CuSO)) by ball milling mZVI and CuSO. During ball-milling process, 40% of Cu can be reduced to Cu, which formed galvanic couple with Fe in a way of Fe/Cu alloy structure.

Insights into adsorption mechanisms of nitro polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on common microplastic particles: Experimental studies and modeling.

Nitro polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) and microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants that pose a threat to the aquatic ecosystem. Knowledge of the NPAHs and MPs interaction will help the understanding of their fate and risks in natural environment. Here, the adsorption behavior and mechanism of typical NPAHs on microplastics were investigated.

Photocatalysis Combined with Microalgae to Promote the Degradation and Detoxification of Tetracycline Hydrochloride.

The continuous discharge of antibiotics into the environment poses a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. In this study, photocatalysis and microalgae were combined to study the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and its photodegradation intermediates in water. The results showed that after photocatalytic treatment, the removal rate of TCH reached 80%, but the mineralization rate was only 17.

Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of NPAHs in soils using in vitro-in vivo assays: Comparison of laboratory and outdoor environmental aging effect.

Aging process is one of the most important factors that markedly reduces bioaccessibility and bioavailability (bioac-bioav) of organic contaminants. However, only few data on comparison of the effects of laboratory artificial aging (LAA) and outdoor environmental aging (OEA) processes on nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) bioac-bioav are available. In the current study, oral bioac-bioav of NPAHs in LAA and OEA soils (aging time intervals: 0, 45, 90, 120 and 150 d) were measured by in vitro traditional Fed ORganic Estimation human Simulation Test (FOREhST) and Tenax improved FOREhST (TI-FOREhST) methods, and in vivo mouse model.

Anti-passivation ability of sulfidated microscale zero valent iron and its application for 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane degradation.

The performance of sulfidated zero valent iron (ZVI) for the degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons under aerobic conditions remains unclear. In this study, sulfidated microscale ZVI (S-mZVI) was prepared for 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TeCA) degradation under aerobic conditions. Compared with mZVI, S-mZVI showed excellent passivation resistance during the degradation of TeCA and its hydrolysis/reduction products.

Occurrence, partition behavior, source and ecological risk assessment of nitro-PAHs in the sediment and water of Taige Canal, China.

Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are widespread organic pollutants that possess carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, so they may pose a risk to the environment and human health. In this study, the concentrations of 15 NPAHs and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 30 surface water samples and 26 sediment samples were measured in 2018 from the Taige Canal, one of the main rivers flowing into Taihu Lake, China. The total NPAH concentrations in water and sediment ranged from 14.

Community structure and co-occurrence network analysis of bacteria and fungi in wheat fields vs fruit orchards.

Soil microorganisms play a vital role in biogeochemical processes and nutrient turnover in agricultural ecosystems. However, the information on how the structure and co-occurrence patterns of microbial communities response to the change of planting methods is still limited. In this study, a total of 34 soil samples were collected from 17 different fields of 2 planting types (wheat and orchards) along the Taige Canal in Yangtze River Delta.

Inactivation Mechanism of Algal Chlorophyll by Allelochemical Quercetin.

Cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) are a global concern. Application of allelochemicals is a promising solution for cyanobacteria control, due to its high efficiency, low cost and ecological safety. Flavonoids (natural polyphenols produced by aquatic plants) are reported capable of effectively inhibiting the growth of algae; however, the molecular mechanism of algae chlorophyll inactivation is still unclear.

Biotic Process Dominated the Uptake and Transformation of Ag by MR-1.

Silver ions (Ag) directly emitted from industrial sources or released from manufactured Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in biosolid-amended soils have raised concern about the risk to ecosystems. However, our knowledge of Ag toxicity, internalization, and transformation mechanisms to bacteria is still insufficient. Here, we combine the advanced technologies of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to visualize the potential formed AgNPs inside the bacteria and evaluate the contributions of biological and non-biological processes in the uptake and transformation of Ag by MR-1.

Microplastics altered soil microbiome and nitrogen cycling: The role of phthalate plasticizer.

Microplastics are emerging contaminants that are increasingly detected in soil environment, but their impact on soil microbiota and related biogeochemical processes remains poorly understood. In particular, the mechanisms involved (e.g.

Dibutyl phthalate release from polyvinyl chloride microplastics: Influence of plastic properties and environmental factors.

In recent years, great efforts have been made to understand the capacity of microplastics to adsorb environmental pollutants; however, relatively little is known about the ability of microplastics to release inherent additives into peripheral environments. In this study, we investigated the leaching behavior of phthalate plasticizer from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics, in aqueous solutions relevant to aquatic and soil environments. It was found that plastic properties, such as particle size, plasticizer content and aging of plastics had a great effect on the leaching of dibutyl phthalate (DnBP).

Distribution Characteristics and Relevance of Heavy Metals in Soils and Colloids Around a Mining Area in Nanjing, China.

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils poses a direct threat to food safety and human health. It has been shown that the colloids is the carrier of heavy metal transport in the polluted soil by heavy metals, but the sources of heavy metals in the soil and colloids and their interrelations are not transparent at present. This study aims to investigate the distribution characteristics of heavy metals in agricultural soils near mining areas, and reveal the relevance of heavy metal content in colloids with total content in soils and their chemical species in soils.

Pyrogenic Carbon Initiated the Generation of Hydroxyl Radicals from the Oxidation of Sulfide.

Sulfide is one of the most abundant reductants in the subsurface environment, while pyrogenic carbon is a redox medium that widely exists in sulfide environment. Previous studies have found pyrogenic carbon can mediate the reductive degradation of organic pollutants under anoxic sulfide conditions; however, the scenario under oxic sulfide conditions has rarely been reported. In this study, we found that pyrogenic carbon can mediate hydroxyl radicals (OH) generation from sulfide oxidation under dark oxic conditions.

Reactive oxygen species formation in thiols solution mediated by pyrogenic carbon under aerobic conditions.

Previous studies have demonstrated that pyrogenic carbon can mediate the reductive degradation of pollutants in solutions containing reducing reagents under anaerobic conditions. However, few studies have investigated oxidative species formation and pollutants transformation directly mediated by pyrogenic carbon under aerobic conditions. In this study, we found that activated carbon (AC) can not only mediate reductive hexachloroethane degradation in the absence of O but also mediate the oxidation of As(III) and sulfanilamide in L-Cysteine (Cys, a naturally abundant thiol compound) solution under aerobic conditions.

Airborne Microplastics: A Review on the Occurrence, Migration and Risks to Humans.

As emerging environmental contaminants, microplastics may cause potential hazard to global ecosphere (including water, soil and air) and human health. To date, the occurance and ecological effects of microplastics in water and soil were systematically summarized. However, there are few reviews of microplastics in air (i.