Gestational exposure to carbon black nanoparticles triggered fetal growth restriction in mice: The mediation of inactivating autophagy-lysosomal degradation system in placental ferroptosis.

Carbon black nanoparticles (CBNPs) are ubiquitous in our daily ambient environment, either resulting from tobacco combustion or constituting the core of PM. Despite the potential risk of trafficking CBNPs to the fetus, the underlying toxicity of nano-sized carbon black particles in the placenta remains unambiguous. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice received intratracheal instillation of 30 nm or 120 nm CBNPs.

The association between ozone exposure and blood pressure in a general Chinese middle-aged and older population: a large-scale repeated-measurement study.

Background: The relationship between ozone (O) exposure and blood pressure (BP) remains inconclusive. Given the scarcity of Chinese epidemiological data, more research on this association is of paramount importance, particularly among middle-aged and older Chinese populations.

Methods: This study involved 10,875 participants (median age: 60.

Establishing a nutrition calculation model for catering food according to the influencing factors of energy and nutrient content in food processing.

Objective: This study aimed to establish an accurate and efficient scientific calculation model for the nutritional composition of catering food to estimate energy and nutrient content of catering food.

Methods: We constructed a scientific raw material classification database based on the Chinese food composition table by calculating the representative values of each food raw material type. Using China's common cooking methods, we cooked 150 dishes including grains, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and vegetables and established a database showing the raw and cooked ratios of various food materials by calculating the ratio of raw to cooked and the China Total Diet Research database.

Identification and quantification of microplastics in salts by complementary approaches using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (Py-GC/QTOFMS) and laser direct infrared (LDIR) chemical imaging analysis.

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have been suspected as contaminants in various foodstuffs, including salts, all over the world. Regarding the different sizes and polymer types, the mass concentrations of actual plastic particles in salt are not very clear. The purpose of this study is to develop a scalable method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of MPs and NPs by using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Quadrupole-Time of Flight mass spectrometry (Py-GC/QTOFMS) to detect their mass concentrations in salt samples.

Arsenic exposure induced renal fibrosis via regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and the NLRP3-TGF-β1/SMAD signaling pathway.

Environmental arsenic exposure is one of the major global public health problems. Studies have shown that arsenic exposure can cause renal fibrosis, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Integrating the in vivo and in vitro models, this study investigated the potential molecular pathways for arsenic-induced renal fibrosis.

Human respiratory syncytial virus subgroups A and B outbreak in a kindergarten in Zhejiang Province, China, 2023.

Background: In May-June 2023, an unprecedented outbreak of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) infections occurred in a kindergarten, Zhejiang Province, China. National, provincial, and local public health officials investigated the cause of the outbreak and instituted actions to control its spread.

Methods: We interviewed patients with the respiratory symptoms by questionnaire.

Profiles and transplacental transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in maternal and umbilical cord blood: A birth cohort study in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can pass through the placental barrier and pose health risks to fetuses. However, exposure and transplacental transfer patterns of emerging PFAS remain unclear. Here, 24 PFAS were measured in paired maternal whole blood (n = 228), umbilical cord whole blood (n = 119) and serum (n = 120).

Simultaneous speciation analysis of arsenic and iodine in human urine by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry-based method was developed for the simultaneous determination of four iodine species (i.e. iodate, 3-iodo-tyrosine, 3,5-diiodo-tyrosine, and iodide) and six arsenic species (i.

Impacts of shipyard oil leakage on the PAHs and PCBs occurrence in Xiangshan Bay, China.

Here, we studied the shipyard impacts on the distribution of PAHs and PCBs in the semi-enclosed Xiangshan Bay, an important mariculture zone in China. The results showed that the shipyard caused a pollution plume for PAHs but not for PCBs. As characteristic pollutants of oil leakage, the PAHs had concentrations of up to 55.

Higher ecological risks and lower bioremediation potentials identified for emerging OPEs than legacy PCBs in the Beibu Gulf, China.

The production and use of organophosphate esters (OPEs) as substitutes for traditional halogenated flame retardants is increasing, resulting in greater global concern related to their ecological risks to marine environments. In this study, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and OPEs, representing traditional halogenated and emerging flame retardants, respectively, were studied in multiple environmental matrices in the Beibu Gulf, a typical semi-closed bay in the South China Sea. We investigated the differences in PCB and OPE distributions, sources, risks, and bioremediation potentials.

Raman spectra characterization of size-dependent aggregation and dispersion of polystyrene particles in aquatic environments.

Aqueous environments are generally thought to be a source of pooling and re-distribution for both micro-plastics (MPs) and nano-plastics (NPs); however, significantly less data on NPs than MPs have been reported. The occurrence of salts, proteins, and other organic matter may promote or inhibit the aggregation of NPs to form agglomeration particles, making their detection more difficult. In this study, 80 and 500 nm polystyrene nano-plastics (PS-NPs) modified by four different functional groups (PS-Bare, PS-COOH, PS-NH, and PS-CHO-500 nm) were selected to mimic the flocculation and/or sedimentation of NPs in salts (NaCl, CaCl, and NaSO) and protein solutions.

Urbanization-land-use interactions predict antibiotic contamination in soil across urban-rural gradients.

Antibiotics ubiquitously occur in soils and pose a potential threat to ecosystem health. Concurrently, urbanization and land-use intensification have transformed soil ecosystems, but how they affect antibiotic contamination remain largely unknown. Therefore, we profiled a broad-scale pattern of antibiotics in soil from agricultural lands and green spaces across urbanization gradients, and explored the hypothetical models to verify the effects of urbanization and land-use intensity on antibiotic contamination.

Molecular insights of 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone-induced cytotoxicity in zebrafish embryo: Activation of ROS-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (2,6-DCBQ), as an emerging disinfection by-product, has been frequently detected in waters, posing potential health risk on public health. Although some studies have pointed out that 2,6-DCBQ exposure can induce cytotoxicity, limited information is available for underlying mechanism for 2,6-DCBQ-induced cytotoxicity. To explore this mechanism, we assessed the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), acridine orange (AO) staining, and the mRNA transcriptions of genes (Chk2, Cdk2, Ccna, Ccnb and Ccne) involved in cell-cycle and genes (p53, bax, bcl-2 and caspase 3) involved in apoptosis in zebrafish embryo, after exposed to different concentrations (10, 30, 60, 90 and 120 μg/L) of 2,6-DCBQ for 72 h.

Oxidative Stress Responses and Gene Transcription of Mice under Chronic-Exposure to 2,6-Dichlorobenzoquinone.

2,6-Dichlorobenzoquinone (2,6-DCBQ), as an emerging disinfection by-production, was frequently detected and identified in the drinking water; however, limited information is available for the toxic effect of 2,6-DCBQ on mice. In the present study, adult mice were used to assess the impact of 2,6-DCBQ via measuring the responses of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)), the key genes (Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and glutamate-L-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC)) in the Nrf2-keap1 pathway, and lipid peroxidation (malonaldehyde, MDA). Our results clearly indicated that 2,6-DCBQ decreased the activities of SOD and CAT, repressed the transcriptional levels of key genes in Nrf2-keap1 pathway, further caused oxidative damage on mice.

A preliminary cumulative risk assessment of Diethylhexyl phthalate and Dibutyl phthalate based on the inhibition of embryonic development via the PPARγ pathway.

Background: Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are the two most widely used plasticizers (PAEs) that may act as endocrine disruptors and cause developmental toxicity.

Methods: We measured intrauterine exposure to DEHP and DBP which are the two most widely used phthalates (PAEs) in the cord blood of 50 postpartum women using ultra-HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry and solid-phase extraction. The embryotoxicity of DEHP and DBP was evaluated using the human embryonic stem cell test (hEST).

Can agricultural land use alter the responses of soil biota to antibiotic contamination?

Antibiotics accumulate in soils via various agricultural activities, endangering soil biota that play fundamental roles in maintaining agroecosystem function. However, the effects of land-use heterogeneity on soil biota tolerance to antibiotic stresses are not well understood. In this study, we explored the relationships between antibiotic residues, bacterial communities, and earthworm populations in areas with different land-use types (forest, maize, and peanut fields).

Association Between Air Pollutants and Pediatric Respiratory Outpatient Visits in Zhoushan, China.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the time-series relationship between air pollutants and the number of children's respiratory outpatient visits in coastal cities.

Methods: We used time series analysis to investigate the association between air pollution levels and pediatric respiratory outpatient visits in Zhoushan city, China. The population was selected from children aged 0-18 who had been in pediatric respiratory clinics for eight consecutive years from 2014 to 2020.

Veterinary antibiotics can reduce crop yields by modifying soil bacterial community and earthworm population in agro-ecosystems.

Veterinary antibiotics are intensively and widely used in animal farming to treat or prevent diseases, as well as improve growth rate and feed efficiency. Animal manure is an important reservoir of veterinary antibiotics due to their high excretion rates, and thus manure application has been a critical source of veterinary antibiotics in agro-ecosystems. However, how veterinary antibiotics affect agroecosystem functions is still unclearly understood.

Association Between the Ambient Fine Particulate Pollution and the Daily Internal Medicine Outpatient Visits in Zhoushan, China: A Time-Series Study.

There has been a recent worsening of air pollution in China, which poses a huge threat to public health by inducing and promoting circulatory and respiratory diseases. This study aimed to explore the association between the concentration of air pollution and daily internal medicine outpatient visits registered for the treatment of circulatory and respiratory symptoms in Zhoushan, China using a time-series method. We validated and acquired the daily internal medicine outpatient visits records between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019, from the Zhoushan Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Zhejiang, China.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of arsenic induces apoptosis in the early life stage of zebrafish.

Arsenic (As) in the aquatic environment is a considerable environmental issue, previous studies have reported the toxic effects of low concentrations (≤ 150 μg/L) of As on fish. However, limited information is available regarding the impact of low levels of As on apoptosis. To evaluate this, zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 150 μg/L) of As (arsenite [AsIII] and arsenate [AsV]) for 120 h.

Seroprevalence of coxsackievirus A16 antibody among people of various age groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Coxsackie virus group A type 16 (CoxA16) is the main pathogen and usually an alternative to or joins in prevalence with enterovirus 71 (EV71) causing hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of CoxA16 antibody among people of various age groups by a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: The literature of seroprevalence of CoxA16 antibody among people has been systematically searched through databases from the date of their establishment to Jan.

Mercury uptake by Paspalum distichum L. in relation to the mercury distribution pattern in rhizosphere soil.

Paspalum distichum L. was tested to evaluate their phytoremediation capacity for Hg contaminated soil through analyzing the dissipation of Hg in soil through a greenhouse study by using self-made rhizos box. Original soil samples were collected at Hg mining site with serious Hg contamination and a control site, respectively.