Publications by authors named "Hengbo Liu"

Exposure to vanadium (V) occurs through the ingestion of contaminated water, polluted soil, V-containing foods and medications, and the toxicity and absorption during the small intestine phase after oral ingestion play crucial roles in the ultimate health hazards posed by V. In this study, the human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells were selected as an intestinal absorption model to investigate the uptake and cytotoxicity of vanadyl sulfate (VOSO) and sodium orthovanadate (NaVO). Our results confirmed the cytotoxic effects of V(IV) and V(V) and revealed a greater toxicity of V(IV) than V(V) towards Caco-2 cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ferrovalley materials are generally hexagonal lattice systems with a ferromagnetism-valley coupling, in which the intrinsic ferromagnetism can induce valley polarization. However, as of now the number of ferrovalleys found is still limited. In this article, TlX (X = Cl/Br/I) single-layers (SLs) are proposed with a tetragonal lattice structure as well as ferroelectricity-valley coupling.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals widely coexist in agricultural soils, posing significant risks to soil-plant ecosystems. This study explores the effects of five common MPs-polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and polylactic acid (PLA)-and environmental-simulating microplastics (EMPs), composed based on the composition of local MPs in agricultural soils, on the bioavailability and phytotoxicity of Cd and Cr in soils. Pot experiments demonstrated that MPs, particularly PE and EMPs at a 5 % dosage, markedly decreased soil pH, water-holding capacity, and soil organic carbon content.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The widespread usage of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has caused great concern due to their potential toxicology to human and environmental health. However, there have been limited investigations on the vertical distribution of PFAS in fluorine (F) contaminated soils. In this study, the spatial and vertical distribution of metals, total F, and PFAS in the soil profiles were investigated at different areas in an industrial city.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF