Environmental Science & Technology

The Sustainable Development Goals emphasize coordination and integration between sectors. Solar-powered submersible water pumping systems are versatile technology that help address community drinking water, irrigation, and electricity needs. Stakeholders external to the community, particularly solar photovoltaic experts, are vital in ensuring continued system services; however, there has been no comprehensive assessment of different solar-powered water pumping system support efforts. This review is the first to systematically evaluate external support for solar-powered systems from multiple regions and implementing organizations...

Although phthalate exposure has been linked with multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes, their underlying biological mechanisms are not fully understood. We examined associations between biomarkers of phthalate exposures and metabolic alterations using untargeted metabolomics in 99 pregnant women and 86 newborns [mean (SD) gestational age = 39.5 (1.5) weeks] in the PROTECT cohort. Maternal urinary phthalate metabolites were quantified using isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), while metabolic profiles in maternal and cord blood plasma were characterized via reversed-phase LC-MS...

Biofiltration is a simple and low-cost method for the cleanup of contaminated water. However, the reduced availability of dissolved chemicals to surface-attached degrader bacteria may limit its efficient use at certain hydraulic loadings. When a direct current (DC) electric field is applied to an immersed packed bed, it invokes electrokinetic processes, such as electroosmotic water flow (EOF). EOF is a surface-charge-induced plug-flow-shaped movement of pore fluids. It acts at a nanometer distance above surfaces and allows the change of microscale pressure-driven flow profiles and, hence, the availability of dissolved contaminants to microbial degraders...

Decarbonizing road transportation is an important task in achieving China's climate goals. Illustrating the mitigation potentials of announced policies and identifying additional strategies for various vehicle fleets are fundamental in optimizing future control pathways. Herein, we developed a comprehensive analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions from on-road vehicles as well as their mitigation potentials based on real-world databases and up-to-date policy scenarios. Total CO2 emissions of China's road transportation are estimated to be 1102 million tons (Mt) in 2022 and will continue to increase if future strategies are implemented as usual...

Saltmarsh wetlands are recognized as some of the most ecologically valuable yet vulnerable ecosystems globally. However, since the 1970s, saltmarsh wetlands in coastal China have been seriously threatened by the invasive Spartina alterniflora . Although the Chinese government has initiated a nationwide S. alterniflora removal project, the potential benefits and risks of this project remain unknown. Here, we focus on the Yangtze River Estuary Saltmarsh Wetland (YRESW) and simulate its future ecosystem structure, function, and quality under three scenarios based on remote sensing and field investigation data...

The consumption of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has considerably increased over the past decade, leading to a rapid increase in the number of spent LIBs. Exposing spent LIBs to the environment can cause serious environmental harm; however, there is a lack of experimentally obtained information regarding the environmental impacts of abandoned cathode materials. Here, we report the interactions between Shewanella putrefaciens , a microorganism commonly found in diverse low-oxygen natural settings, and LiNi0.6 Co0...

Anammox bacteria are obligate anaerobic bacteria that exist widely in nature with sufficient amounts of dissolved oxygen. However, whether anammox bacteria can grow under aerobic conditions remains unclear. In this study, we found that the production of nitrate in the anammox system under aerobic conditions was significantly higher than that under anaerobic conditions without total nitrogen loss. Anammox bacteria can grow by oxidizing nitrite and dehydrogenating hydrazine to produce electrons for carbon fixation...

Commercial herbicides, particularly sulfonylureas, are used worldwide and pose a significant challenge to environmental sustainability. The efficient degradation of sulfonylurea herbicides is critical. SulE, an esterase isolated from the bacterial strain Hansschlegelia zhihuaiae S113, shows degradation activity toward sulfonylurea herbicides. However, the detailed catalytic mechanism remains vague to a large extent. Herein, we decipher the SulEP44R -catalyzed degradation mechanism of sulfonylurea herbicides using hybrid quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics approaches...

Soil contamination by multiple metals is a significant concern due to the interlinked mobilization processes. The challenges in comprehending this issue arise from the poorly characterized interaction among different metals and the complexities introduced by spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil systems. We delved into these complexities by incubating size-fractionated paddy soils under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions, utilizing a combination of techniques for aqueous and colloidal analysis. The contaminated paddy soil predominantly consisted of particles measuring <53, 250-53, and 2000-250 μm, with the <53 μm fractions exhibiting the highest concentrations of multiple metals...

Water electrolysis for green H2 production traditionally requires a stable supply of renewable electricity and pure water. However, spatial separation of renewables and water resources as well as water scarcity per capita in China necessitate unconventional water resources for electrolysis. Reclaimed water produced from municipal wastewater treatment plants is widely distributed with quality improved significantly in recent years, which may be a promising alternative to feedstock. However, there are few reports on the direct use of this wastewater for H2 production...

High-resolution characterization of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) derived from coal combustion activities is crucial to better understand their health-related risks. In this study, size distribution and elemental composition of individual MNPs from various coal fly ashes (CFAs) collected from a representative coal-fired power plant were analyzed using a single-particle inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique. Majority (61-80%) of MNPs were identified as multimetal (mm)-MNPs, while the contribution of single metal (sm)-MNPs to the total increased throughout all the CFAs, reaching the highest in fly ash escaped through the stack (EFA)...

The detrimental environmental effects of surfactant-like contaminants (SLCs) with distinctive amphiphilic structures have garnered significant attention, particularly since perfluorooctanesulfonate was classified as a persistent organic pollutant. Despite the numerous absorbents developed for SLCs removal, the underlying interaction mechanisms remain speculative and lack experimental validation. To address this research gap, we elucidate the mechanistic insights into the selective removal of SLCs using mesoporous polydopamine nanospheres (MPDA) fabricated via a novel soft-template method...

Photooxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are widely observed in atmospheric particulate matter (PM), largely determines their atmospheric fate. In the environment, PAHs are highly complex in chemical composition, and a great variety of PAHs tend to co-occur. Despite extensive investigation on the photochemical behavior of individual PAH molecules, the photochemical interaction among these coexisting PAHs is still not well understood. Here, we show that during photooxidation, there is a strong photochemical synergistic effect among PAHs extracted from soot particles...

Rising environmental concerns associated with the domestic use of solid biofuels have driven the search for clean energy alternatives. This study investigated the in vitro toxicological characteristics of PM2.5 emissions from residential biomass pellet burning using the A549 epithelial cell line. The potential of modern pellet applications to reduce PM2.5 emissions was evaluated by considering both mass reduction and toxicity modification. PM2.5 emissions from raw and pelletized biomass combustion reduced cell viability, indicative of acute toxicity, and also protein expression associated with epithelial barrier integrity, implying further systemic toxicity, potentially via an oxidative stress mechanism...

Resistant bacteria have always been of research interest worldwide. In the urban water system, the increased disinfectant usage gives more chances for undesirable disinfection-resistant bacteria. As the strongest oxidative disinfectant in large-scale water treatment, ozone might select ozone-resistant bacteria (ORB), which, however, have rarely been reported and are inexplicit for their resistant mechanisms and physiological characteristics. In this study, six strains of ORB were screened from a water reclamation plant in Beijing...

Hydroxyl radical (HO• ) and chlorine atom (Cl• ) are common reactive species in aqueous environments. However, the intrinsic difference in their reactions with organic compounds has not been revealed. This study compared the reaction mechanisms of HO• and Cl• with 13 aromatic and 11 aliphatic compounds by quantum chemical calculation and laser flash photolysis. Both HO• and Cl• can spontaneously react with aromatic compounds via radical adduct formation (RAF), hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), and single electron transfer (SET) pathways...

The East Palestine, Ohio train derailment released toxic vinyl chloride (VC) and butyl acrylate (BA), which entered the watershed. Streambed sediment, surface water, and private well water samples were collected 128 and 276 days postaccident to assess the natural attenuation potential of VC and BA by quantifying biodegradation biomarker genes and conducting microcosm treatability studies. qPCR detected the aerobic VC degradation biomarkers etnC in ∼40% and etnE in ∼27% of sediments collected in both sampling campaigns in abundances reaching 105 gene copies g-1 ...

This paper describes one of the first studies applying wastewater surveillance to monitor Chlamydia and Syphilis and back-estimate infections in the community, based on bacterial shedding and wastewater surveillance data. Molecular biology laboratory methods were optimized, and a workflow was designed to implement wastewater surveillance tracking Chlamydia and Syphilis in the Detroit metro area (DMA), one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. Untreated composite wastewater samples were collected weekly from the three main interceptors that service DMA, which collect wastewater and discharge it to the Great Lakes Water Authority Water Resource Recovery Facility...

Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the major air pollutants that may cause ecological imbalance and severe human disease. However, the removal of NO faces challenges of low efficiency, high energy consumption, and production of toxic NO2 byproducts. Herein, we report an efficient *OOH intermediate-involved NO oxidation route with high NO3 - selectivity via a gas phase photo-Fenton system. Fe single atoms (Fe SAs)-anchored NH2 -UiO-66(Zr) (Fe SAs@NU) was synthesized. The five-coordinated Fe SAs undergo a transient structure reconstitution during the photo-Fenton process, which enables a novel heterolytic cleavage pathway of H2 O2 to derive specific ·OOH/·O2 - radicals as reactive oxygen species...

The antifoulant 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (DCOIT) is an emerging pollutant in the marine environment, which may disrupt the thyroid endocrine system. However, DCOIT toxicity in relation to thyroid endocrine disruption and the underlying mechanisms remains largely unclear. In this study, in vivo , in silico , in vitro , and ex vivo assays were performed to clarify DCOIT's thyroid toxicity. First, marine medaka ( Oryzias melastigma ) were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of DCOIT for an entire life cycle...