Environmental Research

The use of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash, commonly referred to as "fly ash", as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), has been explored to mitigate the CO2 emissions resulting from cement production. Nevertheless, the incorporation of fly ash as an SCM in mortar has been shown to weaken its compressive strength and increase the risk of heavy metal leaching. In light of these challenges, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate the influence of CO2 pressure, temperature, and residual water/binder ratio on the CO2 uptake and compressive strength of mortar when combined with fly ash...

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with reduced antibody response to childhood vaccinations. Previous studies have mostly focused on antibodies against diphtheria or tetanus, while fewer studies have assessed antibodies toward attenuated viruses, such as measles, mumps or rubella (MMR). Therefore, we set out to determine associations between prenatal and early postnatal PFAS exposure and vaccine-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the background-exposed Odense Child Cohort...

Limiting the negative impact of climate change on nature and humans is one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century. Meanwhile, people in modern society spend most of the day indoors. It is therefore surprising that comparatively little attention has been paid to indoor human exposure in relation to climate change. Heat action plans have now been designed in many regions to protect people from thermal stress in their private homes and in public buildings. However, in order to be able to plan effectively for the future, reliable information is required about the long-term effects of climate change on indoor air quality and climate...

The present study involved monitoring the distribution of two widely consumed parabens (methyl paraben (MeP) and butyl paraben (BuP)) and their transformation products in indoor dust from different categories of settlement (urban, semi-urban, rural, and tribal homes). The results revealed a prevalent occurrence of parabens in all the settlement categories. A non-normal distribution pattern for MeP and BuP levels across the sampling sites was noted. While comparing the residence time of parabens in dust samples, it was found that the half-lives of the analytes were greater in the dust from urban (MeP t1/2 : 47...

Developing efficient and effective photocatalysts is essential for organic dyes and antibiotic degradation in wastewater. Ni-doped α-Fe2 O3 /g-C3 N4 (NFGCN) photocatalysts were synthesised through a simple co-precipitation technique and used for the ciprofloxacin (CIP) and methylene blue (MB) degradation through photocatalysis. The XRD data indicated the crystallinity of the synthesised iron oxide and its composites with rhombohedral structures with the nature of high purity. The morphology of the NFGCN composite revealed the construction of Ni-doped α-Fe2 O3 (NFO) nanoparticles onto the g-C3 N4 (GCN) sheet surface along with the close interface that induced a Z-scheme heterojunction...

Land use/land cover (LULC) is a crucial factor that directly influences the hydrology and water resources of a watershed. In order to assess the impacts of LULC changes on river runoff in the Danjiang River source area, we analyzed the characteristics of LULC data for three time periods (2000, 2010, and 2020). The LULC changes during these periods were quantified, and three Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models were established and combined with eight LULC scenarios to quantitatively analyze the effects of LULC changes on river runoff...

BACKGROUND: Humans have been moving from rural to urban environments for decades. This process may have important consequences for our health and well-being. Most previous studies have focused on visual input, and the auditory domain has been understudied so far. Therefore, we set out to investigate the influence of exposure to natural vs urban soundscapes on brain activity and behavior. METHODS: Resting-state fMRI data was acquired while participants (N = 35) listened to natural and urban soundscapes...

Microplastic (MP) pollution raises urgent concerns about the environmental well-being and the safety of the food supply for humans. Mussels are essential filter-feeding organisms that may be highly susceptible to MPs uptake due to their global distribution and sedentary lifestyle. There is also a knowledge gap regarding MP levels in commercially-farmed and wild-sourced mussels for human consumption, creating gaps in risk identification for food safety. This study aims to fill this gap in understanding by (a) investigating the presence and abundance of MPs in both wild and aquacultured mussels collected from six different stations in the Sea of Marmara, (b) comparing the levels of MPs between aquacultured and wild mussels, and (c) evaluating the potential health risks associated with the consumption of these contaminated mussels...

Anaerobic fermentation of organic waste to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production is a relatively mature technology. VFAs can be used as a cheap and readily available carbon source by photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) to produce high value-added products, which are widely used in various applications. To better enhance the VFAs obtained from organic wastes for PSB to produce high value-added products, a comprehensive review is needed, which is currently not available. This review systematically summarizes the current status of microbial proteins, H2 , poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 ), and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) production by PSB utilizing VFAs as a carbon resource...

Agricultural low-carbon production emerges as a pivotal function for achieving sustainable green development. However, there remains insufficient empirical evidence regarding the effect of environmental regulations and green subsidies upon the low-carbon production behavior of new agricultural entities. In this study, a questionnaire survey was administered to 268 respondents representing new agricultural entities in Guangdong Province, P.R.C. Subsequently, a structural equation model had been employed for validation analysis...

This research was performed to assess the influence of Cd and Cr metals on growth, pigments, antioxidant, and genomic stability of Oryza sativa indica and Oryza sativa japonica were investigated under hydroponic conditions. The results revealed that significant metal influence on test crop growth, pigment content, metal stress balancing antioxidant activity in a dose dependent manner. Since, while at elevated (500 ppm) concentration of Cd as well as Cr metals the pigment (total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids) level was reduced than control; however antioxidant activity (total antioxidant, H2 O2 , and NO) was considerably improved as protective mechanisms to combat the metal toxicity and support the plant growth...

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.) is an ideal crop for cadmium (Cd) pollution remediation due to its advantages of both remediating and utilizing, however, it is mainly carried out in dry land, whose restoration effect is relatively slow. Previously, we found that the ramie plants cultivated by hydroponics has several tens of times higher Cd absorption capacity than that planted in soil. However, the issue of how to use hydroponic ramie to remediate Cd contaminated paddy fields needs to be addressed. In this study, we innovatively developed the ramie floating island technology and studied its remediation model on simulated Cd contaminated paddy fields...

The interplay between Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management and data science unveils a panorama of opportunities and challenges, set against the backdrop of rising global waste and evolving technological landscapes. This article threads through the multifaceted aspects of incorporating data science into MSW management, unearthing key findings, novel knowledge, and instigating a call to action for stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, local authorities, waste management professionals, technology developers, and the general public) across the spectrum...

This paper describes a simple phyto-remediation of feather-like silver/copper bi-matrix (BMs) was constructed by employing pommagrant waste peel extract as crucial role of reducing agent and chelating agents. Numerous strategies, including UV-Visible, XRD, SEM-EDX, and TEM and BET isotherm were used to analysis the optical, structural, surface area and functional properties. Ag/Cu BPNMs of TEM characterization shows feather-like architectural features with constrained size and shape. The Ag/Cu co-catalytic nanoparticles have a particle size of 34-64 nm...

BACKGROUND: Urban green spaces have been consistently shown to have important human health benefits across a range of outcomes. These benefits are thought to be achieved, in part, because urban greenness provides opportunities for participation in recreational activity. However, the findings from studies that have assessed links between exposure to greenness and physical activity have been mixed. To date, few studies have examined association between greenness and specific types of recreational physical activities...

In this study, a novel magnetic nanocomposite of Ru@Fe3 O4 /rGO was successfully synthesized by a simple hydro-thermal method. The Ru@Fe3 O4 /rGO particles were assembled and immobilized for innovative magnetically assembled electrode (MAE) without any binder, and the electrode was further applied in heterogeneous electro-Fenton (hetero-EF) process for the degradation of diclofenac (DCF). The results showed that rGO could remarkably enhance the conductivity and catalyze the two-electron oxygen reduction, which greatly improved the generation of H2 O2 ...

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of vermicompost on the biological and microbial properties of lettuce rhizosphere in an agricultural field in Samsun, Turkey. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomised design (CRD) and included four vermicompost dosages (0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%) and two application methods (with and without plants). Batavia lettuce was selected as the test plant due to its sensitivity to environmental conditions and nutrient deficiencies. The study evaluated the changes in organic matter (OM), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), carbon dioxide (CO2), dehydrogenase activity (DHA), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and catalase activity (CA) in the rhizosphere of lettuce plants treated with different vermicompost levels (0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%)...

Mineral processing wastewater contains a lot of organic matter and heavy metal ions, and poor self-degradation ability makes it a key treatment object in environmental treatment. Photocatalysis is a promising technology to efficiently mineralize refractory contaminants from wastewater. In this work, 3D flower-like S-scheme N-Bi2 O2 CO3 /g-C3 N4 heterostructures were successfully constructed by hydrothermal method with the auxiliary of ionic liquids. The photocatalytic experiments show that the catalytic activity of heterojunction photocatalysts was significantly higher than that of bare g-C3 N4 and N-Bi2 O2 CO3 for the degradation of two pollutants...

Biochar is a growing tool for bioremediation and soil improvement applications. Researchers are focusing on biochar due to its efficacy, eco-friendly composition, and cost-effective solutions to a variety of environmental issues. In recent times biochar has been used in enhancing the soil, increasing nutrient content, and sequestering carbon in paddy cultivation soils. India and Southeast Asian countries consume paddy as a major source of food in large quantities. Therefore, improving the growth condition of paddy fields using an easily available and safe technique will help increase the production rate...

Oil spills and micropollutants have become thorny environmental issues, posing serious threat to ecosystem and human health. To settle such dilemma, this study successfully constructed a robust and environmentally-friendly MOFs-COFs hybrid-based membrane (FS-50/COF(MATPA)-MOF(Zr)/PDA@PVDF) for the first time through solution synthesis and solvothermal method, combined with surface modification of FS-50 molecule. Importantly, we employed a simple two-step strategy to obtain the high-aspect-ratio MOFs fibers: (1) solvent regulation to generate smaller needle-like whiskers during the in-situ growth of MOFs on COFs; (2) high pressure induced directional crystallization in filtration process...