Dustfall-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) over the fifth largest Chinese lake: residual levels, source apportionment, and correlations with suspended particulate matter (SPM)-bound PAHs in water.

Residual levels and temporal-spatial distribution characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in dustfall were studied at the seasonal scale between June 2010 and May 2011 in the fifth largest shallow lake in China. PAHs flux of atmospheric deposition and the impact on the PAHs in the lake water column were estimated. The major sources of PAHs were identified by multiple methods.

Residual concentrations and ecological risks of neonicotinoid insecticides in the soils of tomato and cucumber greenhouses in Shouguang, Shandong Province, East China.

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) are the most widely used insecticides in China and worldwide. Continuous use of NNIs can lead to their accumulation in soil, causing potential ecological risks due to their relatively long half-life. We used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate the residual levels of nine neonicotinoids in greenhouse soils in Shouguang, East China, at different soil depths and with different crops (tomato and cucumber) after varying periods of cultivation.

Impacts of anthropogenic activities on spatial variations of phthalate esters in water and suspended particulate matter from China's lakes.

In the largest developing country, China, plastic has become a serious environmental issue because of its overuse and non-treatment. In fact, plasticizers, such as phthalate esters (PAEs), are more toxic than plastic, and their global awareness is rising. To determine the response of sensitive PAE congeners to the anthropogenic activities in a typical lake ecosystem of China, in the present study, 12 PAEs in the water and the suspended particulate matter (SPM) phases of 46 lakes in China were measured.

Effects of pesticide residues on bacterial community diversity and structure in typical greenhouse soils with increasing cultivation years in Northern China.

The understanding of soil microbiome is important for sustainable cultivation, especially under greenhouse conditions. Here, we investigated the changes in soil pesticide residues and microbial diversity and community structure at different cultivation years under a greenhouse system. The 9-to-14 years sites were found to have the least diversity/rich microbial population as compared to sites under 8 years and over 16 years, as analyzed with alpha diversity index.

Comparisons of tissue distributions and health risks of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in two fish species with different trophic levels from Lake Chaohu, China.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are a type of persistent organic pollutants that are widely distributed in multiple environmental media and organisms and have a teratogenic effect on and toxicity to animals and humans. The residual levels of seventeen PFAAs in the tissues of two regular consumption fish species, Culter erythropterus and Aristichthys nobilis in Lake Chaohu were measured by a high-performance liquid chromatograph - mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS). The distributions of PFAAs and the effect of the lipid contents were analyzed, and the health risks of typical PFAAs were evaluated.

Impact of organic matter and meteorological factors on the long-term trend, seasonality, and gas/particle partitioning behavior of atmospheric PBDEs.

We extended our knowledge of the impact of organic matter (OM) and meteorological factors on the long-term trend, seasonality and gas/particle partitioning behavior of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In Lake Chaohu, PBDEs had an increasing trend, with a doubling time of 13.4 years at the urban site, and a decreasing trend, with a halving time of 6.

Subcellular distribution of cadmium in a novel potential aquatic hyperaccumulator - Microsorum pteropus.

Microsorum pteropus is a novel potential Cd (cadmium) aquatic hyperaccumulator. In the present study, hydroponic experiments were conducted to assess the accumulation and subcellular distribution of Cd in the root, stem and leaf of M. pteropus.

A general-applicable model for estimating the binding coefficient of organic pollutants with dissolved organic matter.

The binding constant (K) of organic pollutants (OPs) with dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important parameter in determining the partitioning of OPs in the aquatic environment. Most estimation models have focused on calculating the K of a specific group of OPs but failed to obtain K values of different OPs effectively over the last three decades. In this study, we attempted to build a general-applicable K model based on various organic compounds' K values from the literature since 1973.

Effects of fluorescent dissolved organic matters (FDOMs) on perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in lake and river water.

This study presents the effects of fluorescent dissolved organic matters (FDOM) on perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in western Lake Chaohu and its inflow rivers. The surface water samples from the 27 sites in western Lake Chaohu and its inflow rivers were collected in March and September 2013. The contents of PFAAs and the FDOM in the water samples were measured by a high-performance liquid chromatograph - mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS) and by a fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively.

Cadmium accumulation capacity and resistance strategies of a cadmium-hypertolerant fern - Microsorum fortunei.

Microsorum fortunei (M. fortunei), a close relative to the cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator Microsorum pteropus, is an epiphytic Polypodiaceae fern with strong antioxidant activity. The Cd-accumulation capacities and Cd-resistance mechanisms of M.

Differential expression of proteins in the leaves and roots of cadmium-stressed Microsorum pteropus, a novel potential aquatic cadmium hyperaccumulator.

Microsorum pteropus is a fully or partially submerged Polypodiaceae fern that has been proven to be a potential Cd aquatic hyperaccumulator. Proteomic analysis was used in this study to investigate the resistance mechanisms of M. pteropus root and leaf tissues under Cd stress.

The spatial distribution of phosphorus and their correlations in surface sediments and pore water in Lake Chaohu, China.

The study presents the spatial distribution of different forms of phosphorus in the sediments in Lake Chaohu, a large eutrophic Chinese lake, and their correlation with phosphorus content in pore water. The sediment and pore water samples were taken from 19 sampling sites. A sequential extraction was used to determine the contents of different forms of phosphorus in the sediments.

Comparisons of cadmium bioaccumulation potentials and resistance physiology of Microsorum pteropus and Echinodorus grisebachii.

To better monitor and remediate environments contaminated by cadmium (Cd), plants are used as hyperaccumulators or biomonitors; however, few have been identified for aquatic Cd pollution. In our study, two aquatic ornamental plants, Microsorum pteropus (Blume) Copel. and Echinodorus grisebachii Small, were studied for their Cd accumulation capacity, morphological characteristics, and leaf physiological indexes.

Resistance mechanisms and their difference between the root and leaf of Microsorum pteropus - A novel potential aquatic cadmium hyperaccumulator.

Microsorum pteropus (M. pteropus), an aquatic Polypodiaceae fern, was identified as a novel potential cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator in our previous study. This study reveals the Cd-resistance mechanisms and their difference between the root and leaf of M.

Bias and association of sediment organic matter source apportionment indicators: A case study in a eutrophic Lake Chaohu, China.

The sources of sediment organic matter (SOM) could be explained by various indicators. To test their biases and associations, the present study determined multiple indicators for SOM source apportionment, including elemental analysis (carbon and nitrogen, and their stable isotope δC and δN), n-alkanes compositions as well as derivative indicators (e.g.

Current status and historical variations of DDT-related contaminants in the sediments of Lake Chaohu in China and their influencing factors.

The temporal-spatial distributions of DDT-related contaminants (DDXs), including DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) and DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane), in the sediments of Lake Chaohu and their influencing factors were studied. p,p-DDE and p,p-DDD were found to be the two dominant components of DDXs in both surface and core sediments. The parent DDT compounds were still detectable in sediment cores after the late 1930s.

Occurrence, spatial distribution, sources, and risks of polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals in surface sediments from a large eutrophic Chinese lake (Lake Chaohu).

Surface sediment from large and eutrophic Lake Chaohu was investigated to determine the occurrence, spatial distribution, sources, and risks of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals in one of the five biggest freshwater lakes in China. Total concentration of PCBs (Σ34PCBs) in Lake Chaohu was 672 pg g(-1) dry weight (dw), with a range of 7 to 3999 pg g(-1) dw, which was lower than other water bodies worldwide. The majority of heavy metals were detected at all sampling locations, except for Sr, B, and In.

Current status and historical variations of phthalate ester (PAE) contamination in the sediments from a large Chinese lake (Lake Chaohu).

The residual levels of phthalate esters (PAEs) in the surface and two core sediments from Lake Chaohu were measured with a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The temporal-spatial distributions, compositions of PAEs, and their effecting factors were investigated. The results indicated that di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were three dominant PAE components in both the surface and core sediments.

Influences of binding to dissolved organic matter on hydrophobic organic compounds in a multi-contaminant system: Coefficients, mechanisms and ecological risks.

The complexation flocculation (CF) method was successfully employed to identify binding coefficients (Kdoc) of specific organic contaminants to dissolved organic matter (DOM, often indicated by dissolved organic carbon, DOC) in a multi-contaminant hydrophobic organic contaminant (HOC) system. Kdoc values were obtained for most of the evaluated 33 HOCs, indicating the feasibility and applicability of the CF method in a multi-contaminant system. Significant positive correlations were observed between binding coefficients and octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) for organic halogen compounds, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (R(2) = 0.

Toxic Effects of Ethyl Cinnamate on the Photosynthesis and Physiological Characteristics of Chlorella vulgaris Based on Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Flow Cytometry Analysis.

The toxic effects of ethyl cinnamate on the photosynthetic and physiological characteristics of Chlorella vulgaris were studied based on chlorophyll fluorescence and flow cytometry analysis. Parameters, including biomass, F(v)/F(m) (maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII), Ф(PSII) (actual photochemical efficiency of PSII in the light), FDA, and PI staining fluorescence, were measured. The results showed the following: (1) The inhibition on biomass increased as the exposure concentration increased.

Temporal-spatial distributions and ecological risks of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in the surface water from the fifth-largest freshwater lake in China (Lake Chaohu).

To investigate the residues, compositions, distributions and potential ecological risks of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), water samples were collected seasonally between August 2011 and November 2012 from 20 sites in Lake Chaohu and its tributary rivers. The mean concentration of total PFAAs (TPFAAs) was 14.46 ± 6.

Distribution, partitioning and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the water-SPM-sediment system of Lake Chaohu, China.

The residual levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the water, suspended particular matter (SPM) and sediment from Lake Chaohu were measured with a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The spatial-temporal distributions and the SPM-water partition of PAHs and their influencing factors were investigated. The potential sources and contributions of PAHs in the sediment were estimated by positive matrix factorization (PMF) and probabilistic stable isotopic analysis (PSIA).

Atmospheric PBDEs at rural and urban sites in central China from 2010 to 2013: residual levels, potential sources and human exposure.

Atmospheric polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were monitored monthly from 2010 to 2013 at rural and urban sites near a large shallow Chinese lake (Lake Chaohu). The urban areas had higher air PBDEs than the rural areas because of endogenic pollution. The highest and lowest concentrations of Σ13BDEs were observed in the winter and in the summer, respectively.

Water quality benchmarking (WQB) and priority control screening (PCS) of persistent toxic substances (PTSs) in China: necessity, method and a case study.

The priority control screening (PCS) and water quality benchmarking (WQB) of toxic chemicals in water are key steps to ensure the safety of drinking water and aquatic ecosystem that is the crucial goal of water environment management. Owing to the different levels of social-economic development in different countries and regions, the PCS and WQB of toxic chemicals must be determined in accordance with their specific water environment situations. However, in China, the PCS and WQB of toxic chemicals in water were mainly introduced from the other countries.