Environmental Science and Pollution Research最新文献

Isocyanic acid (ICA), the simplest monoisocyanate, is formed mainly as a by-product through thermal degradation of nitrogen-containing materials. Although ICA participates in protein carbamoylation, human health data remain limited. Existing studies have shown that certain industrial processes may generate substantial ICA emissions but other occupational settings have not been studied. Environmental concentrations are lower than industrial but have not been studied in Europe. This study aimed to survey ICA concentrations in a wide range of occupational and environmental settings in Sweden. In total, 173 air samples were collected in 16 environments. Both stationary and personal sampling were performed. Concentrations were compared to the only existing occupational exposure limit (OEL, 18 µg/m³ 8 h mean) to aid interpretation. High ICA concentrations were consistently observed in industries using urea-based binders at elevated temperatures, with maximum stationary levels exceeding 250 µg/m³. Newly installed mineral wool insulation during initial heating phases generated elevated emissions up to 64 µg/m³. Thermal processing of polyurethane produced lower but spatially widespread concentrations throughout large work areas. In contrast, ICA levels in newly investigated environments-including restaurants, food industries, linoleum welding, diathermy procedures, asphalt work and lawn mowing-were generally well below OEL or below detection limits. Outdoor air measurements in Gothenburg, Sweden, showed uniformly low concentrations (mean 0.12 µg/m³). Extremely high ICA levels were confirmed in direct cigarette smoke (4300 µg/m³), while side-stream exposure was considerably lower. Overall, the survey shows that higher ICA concentrations are mainly associated with industrial high-temperature handling of urea- or polyurethane-based materials, as well as cigarette smoke. Other investigated occupational settings showed low or negligible ICA levels under the conditions measured.

In the academic year 2024/25, the EuChemS Division on Chemistry and the Environment (DCE) conducted a Europe-wide survey of higher education programmes that include Environmental Chemistry, either as the principal discipline or as embedded content in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary curricula. Information on 300 programmes was collected from universities in 31 countries, i.e. 113 at the 1st, 156 at the 2nd and 31 at the 3rd study level. Respectively, 42%, 35% and 19% of the programmes shared details on the contents, teaching tools used, needs and future plans, while the rest of the responding programmes shared only basic information. With basic information on additional 159 1st and 2nd study level programmes based on web search by the authors (mostly for non-responsive countries), in total, 428 programmes at the 1st and the 2nd study level were identified. Since response rate varied dramatically across countries, the representativeness was severely undermined the findings for Europe as a whole. From the information collected from programmes which responded, it was found that multidisciplinary and/or environmental compartment-related approaches are present in programmes' design early, even from 1st level of education and more diverse at the 2nd level. Environmental Chemistry is taught in science programmes containing the terms 'environment(-al)', 'Chemistry', 'Geoscience' and 'Toxicology', but also quite frequently in engineering programmes. The water, climate, protection and sustainability themes are very common. A wide variety of programmes clearly reflects the importance of knowledge about the behaviour and effects of chemicals (including accompanying substances and waste products) in the environment for the training of experts in a variety of professions and occupational fields. The analysis of the contents of programmes with Environmental Chemistry as their principal discipline suggests that there is no uniform understanding of what exactly constitutes the discipline as a main or important topic within an interdisciplinary curriculum, most probably as a consequence of very broad discipline's boundaries. Greater consistency and better comparability of the content, skills and qualifications offered by degree programmes to be acquired therein could be achieved through a coordinated effort which would better define core contents.

Haloxyfop-R-methyl is a grass-selective aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicide whose gestational exposure is toxicologically important because maternal xenobiotic burden can coincide with fetal organogenesis, placental transfer, and hepatic metabolic stress. The present investigation evaluated organ-specific accumulation of haloxyfop-R-methyl in pregnant Wistar rats and their fetuses following exposure on GD3, GD13, or GD17. It also assessed the corrective efficacy of narcissin and sophoroflavonoside (SFL) against pesticide-induced alterations in maternal hepatic biomarkers. Pregnant rats received haloxyfop-R-methyl orally at a sublethal dose equivalent to 1/10 LD₅₀ on gestational day (GD) 3, 13, or 17. Maternal and fetal liver, lung, spleen, and brain were collected on GD20-GD21 for LC-MS-based residue quantification. A parallel experiment measured maternal plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin. These biomarkers were assessed after haloxyfop-R-methyl exposure alone or combined with narcissin or SFL. LC-MS calibration showed strong linearity, with slopes of 93,384.20 and 97,181.37 and uncentered R² values of 0.99993 and 0.99978. Haloxyfop-R-methyl was absent from controls but was detected in all examined maternal and fetal tissues. Residue concentrations differed among exposure-timing groups at terminal sampling. Maternal liver and lung showed the highest concentrations in the GD17-dosed group, reaching 0.619 ± 0.050 and 0.529 ± 0.041 µg g⁻¹, respectively. Fetal liver and lung also showed the highest concentrations in the GD17-dosed group, reaching 0.419 ± 0.035 and 0.405 ± 0.020 µg g⁻¹. Fetal-to-maternal residue ratios were highest in several organs in the GD17-dosed group, particularly lung, liver, and brain. Haloxyfop-R-methyl increased maternal ALT, AST, and total bilirubin across all exposure windows. The highest values occurred in the GD17-dosed group at terminal sampling. However, all groups were sampled on GD20-GD21, resulting in different intervals between dosing and sampling. Therefore, the observed differences cannot distinguish gestational stage effects from effects of time elapsed since exposure. Narcissin and SFL reduced pesticide-induced biochemical alterations. SFL showed greater protective efficacy across most endpoints, particularly bilirubin on GD3 and AST on GD13. Standardized effect-size analysis confirmed large haloxyfop-R-methyl-associated effects and measurable biochemical correction following flavonoid treatment. The integrated residue-biomarker framework characterizes exposure window-associated maternal-fetal residue distribution and flavonoid-mediated biochemical correction during pregnancy.

The One Health approach has emerged as one of the most influential approaches for addressing contemporary challenges at the human-animal-environment interface. Although its conceptual foundation is based on the premise that human, animal, and environmental health are equally interconnected, concerns have recently been raised regarding persistent anthropocentric tendencies within its scientific and institutional implementation. This discussion article examines whether the three pillars of One Health are receiving equivalent attention within contemporary scientific production and governance structures. To explore this question, we combined a brief exploratory assessment of 490 articles indexed in the Web of Science containing the term "One Health" in their titles and published in 2026. Articles were evaluated according to research areas, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and departmental affiliations and an article-level assessment of their substantive human, animal, and environmental health beneficiaries. We argue that the principal challenge facing One Health may no longer be conceptual, but institutional. Advancing the framework will require moving from conceptual integration toward governance systems capable of supporting balanced participation of human, animal, and environmental sectors. Without such transformation, One Health risks remaining conceptually integrated while structurally asymmetrical.

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment represents an emerging risk to human health, with growing evidence of detection in human biological matrices. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the detection, quantification, and characterization of MPs in human biological matrices. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Original research articles published in English up to 2025 that involved human participants were included, specifically selecting observational studies. The 40 included studies confirmed MPs in multiple human biological matrices, including blood, urine, feces, placenta, breast milk, semen, lung, and heart tissue. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality and risk of bias of the individual studies. Substantial methodological heterogeneity was observed in analytical techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy (μFTIR), micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman), laser direct infrared spectroscopy (LDIR), and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), as well as in the reporting units and limits of detection. Most studies reported fragments and fibers, with a predominance of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). NOS assessment showed that 52.5% of studies were of moderate quality, indicating that while the frequent detection of these particles suggests widespread human contact, significant methodological shortcomings and potential analytical overestimations limit the accurate quantification of systemic exposure and the strength of causal inferences. The widespread detection of MPs raises public health concerns regarding chronic exposure and potential health implications. However, current evidence remains insufficient to establish causal relationships, underscoring the urgent need for rigorous epidemiological studies.

Environmental pollution due to leachate infiltration from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill is a grave problem in many developing countries. A pioneer study was undertaken to assess the impact of the Lamdeng Municipal Solid Waste Management Plant in Manipur, Northeast India on the soil and surface water quality of the surrounding areas and its associated human health risk. For the study, leachate, soil, and surface water physico-chemical characteristics were assessed during 2022-2023. Heavy metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd concentrations in leachate, soil and surface water from the surrounding areas were quantified. The surface water characteristics such as EC, TDS, turbidity, DO, alkalinity, total hardness, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, NO₃^-, and PO₄^3- showed values beyond WHO thresholds. The Water Quality Index (WQI) values calculated for surface water in the surrounding areas ranged from 130.56 to 511.74, which is in the unsuitable category for drinking. Moreover, the crops cultivated in the agricultural fields near the facility are exposed to high EC, TDS, salinity, and magnesium ions. The health risk assessment of locals via metal exposure from the landfill leachate showed that the carcinogenic risk due to cadmium was 1.77 × 10^-6 for adults and 7.08 × 10^-6 for children, which is > 1 per 1,000,000 inhabitants, indicating an acceptable carcinogenic risk. However, the locals, oblivious of the current scenario, practice agriculture and fishing, extract wild edibles, and depend on the surface water from the surrounding areas of the waste management facility.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical for advanced technologies, and their demand is expected to exceed current supply in the coming years. This study presents an integrated enrichment-adsorption strategy for recovering Y, La, Ce, Eu, and Tb from waste fluorescent lamp phosphor powder containing ~6 wt% REEs. A three-cycle alkali roasting process at 800 °C transformed phosphate phases into oxides, facilitating subsequent hydrometallurgical treatment. Sequential two-stage leaching comprising 2 mol L^-1 H₂SO₄ at 40 °C followed by brine leaching (2.5 mol L^-1 NaCl, pH 5, 90 °C, 90 min) reduced Ca content from 36.74 to 8.06 wt%, corresponding to a 78.1% decrease and significant enrichment of the REEs. The enriched solution was treated with EDTA-functionalized chitosan under optimized conditions (pH 5, 50 °C, 24 h), achieving maximum adsorption efficiencies of 82.4% (Tb), 79.15% (Y), 74.10% (Ce), 60.13% (La), and 31.87% (Eu). Langmuir isotherm fitting demonstrated monolayer adsorption with maximum capacities (q_max) of 179.54 mg g^-1 (Tb), 106.45 mg g^-1 (Y), 115.35 mg g^-1 (Ce), 77.68 mg g^-1 (La), and 28.47 mg g^-1 (Eu). The integrated pre-concentration and bio-based adsorption strategy provides a technically efficient route for selective REE recovery, contributing to sustainable and circular economic development.

This study presents a 30-month full-scale evaluation of a parallel-unit downflow hanging sponge (DHS) system with adaptive downsizing capability at the Susaki Sewage Treatment Plant, Japan. The DHS reactor comprised ten identical units operated in parallel, allowing capacity adjustment by varying the number of active units. The system (primary sedimentation tank → DHS → moving bed biological filter) was monitored under normal, low-temperature (winter), partial downsizing, and sponge sheet installation (upper part of the sponge media-filled segment) conditions. Dichromate-based chemical oxygen demand (COD_Cr), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, total nitrogen, and Escherichia coli were analyzed weekly and monthly to evaluate organic removal, nitrification, and microbial reduction. DHS effluent (77-85% COD_Cr, BOD removal, and a 1.5 log₁₀ reduction in E. coli) consistently met Japanese discharge standards. Downsizing to nine units, that is, reducing the hydraulic retention time, maintained effluent quality, confirming the system's flexibility under declining inflows. Statistical comparison among operational periods showed no significant difference in NH₄⁺-N loading rate, whereas NH₄⁺-N removal efficiency was significantly higher after sponge sheet installation. The sponge sheet enhanced hydraulic dispersion and nitrification, reducing NH₄⁺-N from 16-19 to 9 mg N·L⁻¹ and promoting NO₃⁻-N accumulation. Compared to the conventional activated sludge process previously employed, DHS used 83% less power and reduced excess sludge generation, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable, energy-efficient alternative for small- to medium-scale sewage treatment facilities with aging infrastructure. These findings highlight DHS as a resilient and socially viable solution for regions with declining populations, ensuring reliable wastewater treatment despite demographic and economic challenges.

Solar interfacial evaporation offers a sustainable route for seawater desalination but remains limited owing to solar availability. Here, a curved photoelectrothermal evaporator was fabricated using surface-modified hydrophilic carbon fabric supported by two melamine sponges. The curved configuration exposes both fabric surfaces and supplies water from both ends. Flat and curved evaporators were compared, and span distances of 3-6 cm were systematically evaluated. The treated carbon fabric absorbed a water droplet within 100 ms and exhibited more than 85% light absorption over 200-2500 nm. A span distance of 4 cm provided the best balance among solar absorption, joule heating, and capillary water transport. Under 1 sun and an applied voltage of 3 V, the optimized 8 cm × 2 cm evaporator achieved evaporation rates of 7.81 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ for deionized water and 7.23 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ for 3.5 wt% artificial seawater. Five consecutive saline-water tests using the same specimen, with water rinsing between cycles, retained approximately 99% of the initial evaporation rate. Outdoor tests yielded water collection rates above 3 kg m⁻² h⁻¹, while the major-ion concentrations in the collected water were reduced by three to four orders of magnitude. These laboratory and outdoor test results identify span distance as a key design parameter for curved photoelectrothermal evaporator and demonstrate recoverable seawater desalination with rinsing.

The environmental persistence and widespread occurrence of hazardous plastic additives, such as bisphenol A, phthalates, and brominated flame retardants, pose serious risks to ecosystems and human health. Due to their persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation in a variety of environmental matrices, remediation is urgently needed. This review provides a critical analysis of recent trends in the estimation, risk assessment, and engineered nanomaterial-based remediation strategies for these contaminants. The previous literature review discusses the removal of additives based on chemical oxidation, photolysis, thermal degradation, advanced oxidation processes, and added microbial remediation. These approaches have some disadvantages which are overcome by photocatalysis, an eco-friendly and sustainable method for the removal of additives. This research review assesses photocatalysis-based degradation by nanomaterials of common polymer additives as an effective method. Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), such as TiO₂ and ZnO, have shown high photocatalytic degradation efficiencies, with TiO₂ achieving > 95% degradation of BPA within 180 min (rate constant 0.031 min⁻¹) under UV light, and ZnO achieving 85% within 240 min (rate constant 0.025 min⁻¹) under visible light. TiO₂-ZnO composites further enhance degradation efficiency to 96%. Degradation routes and active species involved in photocatalysis mechanism of additives are also discussed. Despite these advancements, key challenges remain, including the long-term stability, and scalability of ENMs, the toxicity of degradation by-products, and lack of studies and standardized risk-assessment protocols. Addressing these gaps requires further research and regulatory efforts to ensure the safe and effective application of nanomaterials for environmental remediation.