[Pollution Characteristics and Ecological Risks of Fluorescent Whitening Agents in Surface Water of Hutuo River Basin].

Fluorescent whitening agents （FWAs） are chemical additives that exhibit remarkable whitening effects and have been widely used in the production of detergents, paper, textiles, plastics, and coatings. The production and use of FWAs spans more than 60 years in China； however, the occurrence characteristics of FWAs in environmental water remain unknown. Therefore, a solid phase extraction-ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS） method for the trace determination of 11 non-ionic FWAs in surface water was developed.

[Content and Health Risks of Microplastics and Phthalate Esters in Bottled Water].

To study the content and health risks of microplastics （MPs） and phthalate esters （PAEs） in bottled water, a quantitative analysis of MPs was conducted by using Rose Bengal staining and stereomicroscopy. Seven PAEs were quantified by using gas chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry （GC-MS/MS）. The daily intake of MPs was estimated and the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of PAEs were evaluated through a health risk assessment model.

Analysis of dissolved organic matter characteristics in pharmaceutical wastewater via spectroscopy combined with Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Studying the changes in organic matter and characteristic pollutants during the treatment of penicillin-containing pharmaceutical wastewater, which can be reflected by changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM), is crucial for improving the effectiveness of wastewater treatment units and systems. Herein, water quality indicators, spectroscopic methods, and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry were utilized to characterize the general molecular compositions and specific molecular changes in DOM during the treatment of typical penicillin-containing pharmaceutical wastewater, including in each of the influent, physicochemical treatment, biological treatment, oxidation treatment, and effluent stages. The influent exhibited a high organic matter content (concentration of dissolved organic carbon >10,000 mg·L), its DOM mainly contained protein- and lignin-like substances composed of CHON and CHONS molecules, and the relative intensity (RI) of penicillin was extremely high (RI = 0.

Hydrogen bonding-mediated interaction underlies the enhanced membrane toxicity of chemically transformed polystyrene microplastics by cadmium.

The global attention on microplastic pollution and its implications for human health has grown in recent years. Additionally, the co-existence of heavy metals may significantly alter microplastics' physicochemical characteristics, potentially amplifying their overall toxicity-a facet that remains less understood. In this study, we focused the membrane toxicity of modified polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) following cadmium (Cd) pretreatment.

[Antibiotic Pollution and Its Effects on the Spatiotemporal Variation in Microbial Community Structure and Functional Genes in Sediment of Baiyangdian Lake].

Microbial communities play an important role in water quality regulation and biogeochemical cycles in lakes, and their community structure and function are affected by environmental factors. Therein, antibiotics affect the abundance, diversity, composition, and function of microbial communities. In this study, Baiyangdian Lake was selected as the study area.

[Pollution Characteristics and Source Apportionment of VOCs in Urban Areas of Shijiazhuang in Spring].

Samples of ambient volatile organic compounds （VOCs） were collected using SUMMA canisters at three Country Control Sites in Shijiazhuang during the spring of 2019, 2021, and 2022, which were detected using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry （GC/MS）. To investigate the characteristics and temporal variations of VOCs mass concentration levels, the online monitoring data of ozone （O） and PM at the same site were also collected. Subsequently, the ozone formation potential （OFP） and secondary organic aerosol formation potential （SOAFP） were utilized to assess the chemical activity of VOCs.

Occurrence, migration and health risks of fluorescent whitening agents and phthalates in bottled water.

The occurrence and health risks of fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) in bottled water were reported for the first time. FWA184 and FWA393 were the most frequently detected FWAs, with mean concentrations of 3.99-17.

[Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Different River Sediments in Typical Cities: A Case Study of Shijiazhuang].

Rivers are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, most current studies have focused on the temporal and spatial distribution, and data on the differences in the species and abundance of ARGs between urban and rural rivers is still lacking for certain areas. In view of this, two rural rivers and three urban rivers were selected in Shijiazhuang City.

Source apportionment and specific-source-site risk of quinolone antibiotics for effluent-receiving urban rivers and groundwater in a city, China.

There is a large surface-groundwater exchange downstream of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and antibiotics upstream may influence sites downstream of rivers. Thus, samples from 9 effluent-receiving urban rivers (ERURs) and 12 groundwater sites were collected in Shijiazhuang City in December 2020 and April 2021. For ERURs, 8 out of 13 target quinolone antibiotics (QNs) were detected, and the total concentration of QNs in December and April were 100.

Occurrence and Fate of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Atmosphere: Size-Dependent Gas-Particle Partitioning, Precipitation Scavenging, and Amplification.

The concerns about the fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the atmosphere are continuously growing. In this study, size-fractionated particles, gas, and rainwater samples were simultaneously collected in Shijiazhuang, China, to investigate the multiphase distribution of PFAS in the atmosphere. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) dominated the total concentration of PFAS in atmospheric media.

[Spectral Characteristics and Sources of Dissolved Organic Matter in Inflow Rivers of Baiyangdian Lake Water in Summer Flood Season].

DOM is the largest reservoir of organic carbon in the world, and it plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles of natural water bodies. A river is a transition area connecting source water and receiving water that controls the DOM exchange between them. Therefore, in this study, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) were used to analyze the spectral characteristics and sources of dissolved organic matter in the Fuhe River, Xiaobai River, Baigouyin River, and Puhe River of Baiyangdian.

Trophic transfer of antibiotics in the benthic-pelagic coupling foodweb in a macrophyte-dominated shallow lake: The importance of pelagic-benthic coupling strength and baseline organism.

In lake ecosystems, pelagic-benthic coupling strength (PBCS) is closely related to foodweb structure and pollutant transport. However, the trophic transfer of antibiotics in a benthic-pelagic coupling foodweb (BPCFW) and the manner in which PBCS influences the trophic magnification factor (TMFs) of antibiotics is still not well understood in the whole lake. Herein, the trophic transfer behavior of 12 quinolone antibiotics (QNs) in the BPCFW of Baiyangdian Lake were studied during the period of 2018-2019.

Antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements in different rivers: The link with antibiotics, microbial communities, and human activities.

Rivers as a critical sink for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and the distribution and spread of ARGs are related to environmental factors, human activities, and biotic factors (e.g. mobile genetic elements (MGEs)).

Prediction model on hydrolysis kinetics of phthalate monoester: A density functional theory study.

As primary degradation products of phthalate esters, phthalate monoesters (MPEs) have been widely detected in various aquatic environments and drawn growing toxicological concerns. Hydrolysis kinetics that is of importance for assessing environmental persistence of chemicals remain elusive for MPEs. Herein, kinetics of base-catalyzed and neutral hydrolysis for 18 MPEs with different leaving groups was investigated by density functional theory calculation.

[Spatial-temporal Changes and Driving Factors of Soil Microbial Communities in a Typical City of North China Plain].

The structure and function of microbial communities are affected by several environmental factors. To clarify the spatial-temporal changes and main influencing factors of soil microbial communities in a typical pharmaceutical city, it is urgent to study the spatial-temporal changes in microbial communities in soils for typical cities. Shijiazhuang City was selected as the study area, and 12 sampling sites were selected.

[Nitrogen Removal Characteristics and Metabolism Mechanism of High-Efficiency Cold-Tolerant Heterotrophic Nitrification-Aerobic Denitrification Bacterium sp. WS1 for Various Nitrogen Sources at Low Temperature].

For resolving the problems of poor nitrogen removal efficiency and substandard effluent quality in wastewater treatment plants during winter, a cold-tolerant strain sp. WS1, with heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification ability, was isolated from activated sludge. The functional genes for nitrogen conversion of strain WS1 were amplified by PCR, and the nitrogen removal characteristics of the strain were verified under different nitrogen sources at 15℃.

[Source Apportionment and Source-specific Risk of Typical Antibiotics in Baiyangdian Lake].

The current situation of antibiotic pollution in lakes is critical. At present, most of the previous studies on antibiotics in lakes have focused on the spatiotemporal distribution and risk assessment, while less attention has been paid to the source apportionment. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentration of tetracyclines (TCs), sulfonamides (SAs), and quinolones (QNs) in the samples.

[Source Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Groundwater of Shijiazhuang, a Typical City in North China Plain].

Increasing attention has been paid to the heavy metal pollution in groundwater. The source analysis and risk assessment of heavy metals will provide data and method support for the targeted control of heavy metal pollution in groundwater. In this study, 20 sampling sites were selected in Shijiazhuang City.

[Pollution Characteristics and Transport contributions of Ambient Ozone and Volatile Organic Compounds in Southern Hebei Cities].

The "14 Five-Year Plan" period is the key stage for southern Hebei cities (Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, and Handan) to be removed from the bottom ten of the Air Quality Composite Index. The hourly ozone (O) data of 15 country-controlled monitoring stations in the southern cities of Hebei Province from April to October 2020, hourly data of three volatile organic compound (VOCs) supersites, and the meteorological data of the same period were used for analysis, combined with the spatiotemporal succession, O formation potential (OFP), backward trajectory modeling, and spatial statistical modeling. The results showed the following:firstly, the temporal variations in O in southern cities of Hebei Province from April to October presented an inverted "U" shape, and the spatial distribution was high in the south and low in the north.

Implication of ferroptosis in hepatic toxicity upon single or combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium.

Microplastics (MPs) are a newly emerging type of pollutants. To date, MPs have been found in the atmosphere, soil, water, and even in human samples, posing a non-negligible threat to humans. Furthermore, multiple heavy metals have been found to co-exist with MPs or be absorbed by MPs.

Pollution characteristics, ecological and health risks of herbicides in a drinking water source and its inflowing rivers in North China.

This study measured the pollution characteristics and ecological and health risks of 19 herbicides found in drinking water sources and their inflowing rivers. The targeted herbicides were prevalent in the study area, but most concentrations were well below 10 ng L. Acetochlor and atrazine were the dominant herbicides, although their levels were much lower than previously reported.

Effects of microplastics and tetracycline on intestinal injury in mice.

Microplastics (MPs) and tetracycline are both emerging environmental pollutants that threaten human health. The toxic impacts of their single and coexposure on the intestine and gut microbiota have not been well studied in mammals. Given the spatial functional characteristics of the intestine, it is important to know whether the toxicities of MPs and tetracycline in different intestinal segments are distinct.

[Spatial-temporal Distribution and Risk Assessment of Quinolones Antibiotics in Soil of Shijiazhuang City].

Due to their importance in human medicine, quinolones (QNs), as a typical class of antibiotics, are considered to be the "highest priority critically important antimicrobials" by the World Health Organization (WHO). In order to clarify the spatial-temporal variation and risk of QNs in soil, 18 representative topsoil samples were respectively collected in September 2020 (autumn) and June 2021 (summer). The contents of QNs antibiotics in soil samples were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), and the ecological risk and resistance risk were calculated using the risk quotient method (RQ).

Hexabromocyclododecanes in surface soil-maize system around Baiyangdian Lake in North China: Distribution, enantiomer-specific accumulation, transport, temporal trend and dietary risk.

This study investigated the occurrence of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in soil-maize system around Baiyangdian Lake. The total concentration of ΣHBCDs was in the order of industrial area > residential area > marginal area > Fuhe River estuary in soil. γ-HBCD was predominated in soils, roots and stems, while α-HBCD was the main diastereoisomer in leaves and kernels.