Environmental Safety Evaluation Research Articles

Conversion of recovered phosphorus tailings into high-value lightweight ceramic materials and evaluation of environmental safety

In recent years, the substantial production and underutilization of phosphorus tailings have prompted an intensified search for innovative strategies to mitigate their accumulation and the associated hazards they present. This investigation the utilization of phosphorus tailings as a raw material for the cost-effective production of lightweight ceramic materials using the foaming-gel casting method. The impact of the stirring process on lightweight ceramic materials was investigated, encompassing mineral composition, pore structure, properties, and environmental safety assessment. The investigation utilized slurry volumetric foaming rate, XRD, SEM, ICP-MS, and potential ecological risk index (RI) for analysis. The findings suggested that the lightweight ceramic material, obtained by stirring at 1300 rpm for 15 min, exhibited the densest structure and excellent properties. It had a porosity of 79.19 %, a bulk density of 0.59 g/cm3, and a compressive strength of 6.08 MPa. Besides, the leaching concentration and RI of lightweight ceramic materials complied with national (GB 8978–1996) and US EPA standards. This study aimed to enhance the sustainable production capacity of lightweight ceramic materials and offered data support for the value-added application and performance optimization of phosphorus tailings in the production of lightweight ceramic materials.

Innovations in recycled construction materials: paving the way towards sustainable road infrastructure

The expansive development of infrastructure has led to increased consumption of virgin aggregates in road construction, resulting in significant environmental impacts. To address this issue, there is a pressing need for sustainable alternatives that utilize recycled materials in pavement applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of a decade-long research program focused on the development and evaluation of sustainable pavement materials, such as recycled and waste aggregates, industrial by-products, and natural fibers. The research encompassed a wide range of innovative materials and technologies, such as geopolymer-stabilized recycled aggregates, cement-stabilized waste materials, natural additive-modified cement stabilization, and recycled aggregate-geogrid reinforcement systems. The experimental framework employed a combination of mechanical testing, durability assessment, microstructural analysis, and environmental safety evaluation to assess the performance and sustainability of these materials. The key findings demonstrated the superior mechanical properties, improved durability, and environmental suitability of the recycled materials compared to conventional virgin aggregates. The successful implementation of these sustainable solutions in real-world projects highlights their potential to reduce the environmental footprint of road infrastructure development. Furthermore, the paper discussed the practical implications of the research outcomes for pavement design and construction, as well as future research directions to further advance the field of sustainable pavement engineering. The findings of this research report can be used as guidance for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to upcycle the widespread adoption of recycled materials in road application and contribute to the development of a more sustainable and resilient transportation infrastructure.

Long term environmental safety evaluation of incineration fly ash and its use as admixture after freeze-thaw

Extensive research has been conducted on the short-term performance of incineration fly ash resource utilization. However, research on the long-term leaching characteristics of heavy metals under external environmental conditions is limited. Therefore, the frost resistance of cement prepared with incineration fly ash as an admixture focused on the leaching characteristics of heavy metals from incineration fly ash and mortar after freeze-thaw were studied by XRD, MIP, SEM, and ICP-MS. The results showed that after 100 freeze-thaw cycles, Cd (HJ 299–2007) in incineration fly ash leached heavy metals exceeding 42.07 % of the GB 18598-2019 limit value. 5 % incineration fly ash enhanced the compressive strength of cement, but exceeding 5 % led to a decrease in compressive strength. After freeze-thaw, incineration fly ash increased the mortar mass loss, strength loss, and porosity. The leaching concentration of heavy metals from incineration fly ash increased under three environment, with the leaching concentration of Ni (HJ 300–2007) after 200 freeze-thaw and the leaching concentration of Cd exceeding 2323.87 % of the limit of GB 16889-2008. Although the concentration of heavy metals in mortar increased with the number of freeze-thaw, the leaching concentration was only 1.73 % of the standard limit, posing no risk of exceeding the limit. Therefore, resource utilization could effectively mitigate the leaching of heavy metals from incineration fly ash under external environmental conditions.

In vitro impacts of polystyrene microplastics and environmental pollutants on ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase and glutathione S-transferase activity in Mossambica tilapia

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a potential threat to marine organisms. In vitro toxicity of MPs and other pollutants, such as pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), has been understudied. This study aimed to investigate the effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) with different particle sizes on two biomarkers: ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in tilapia liver homogenates. The study also examined the combined effects of PS-MPs with various environmental contaminants, including three metal ions (Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+), three BFRs, and six PhACs. PS-MPs alone had no remarkable effects on the two biomarkers at the selected concentrations. However, PS-MPs combined with other pollutants significantly affected the two biomarkers in most situations. For EROD activity, PS + metal ions (except Zn2+ at 1000 μg/L), PS + BFRs (except decabromodiphenyl oxide (BDE-209)) or PS+ trimethoprim (TMP) significantly inhibited activity values, whereas PS+ 4-acetaminophen (AMP) induced EROD activity. For GST, PS together with most tested pollutants (except PS+ ibuprofen (IBF)) greatly decreased the activities. Accordingly, future research should focus on combined toxicity of mixtures to set more reasonable environmental safety evaluation standards.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe for simultaneous detection of pH and viscosity

In this work, we developed a ratiometric fluorescent probe (NT) based on ICT framework in near-infrared (NIR) which could detect pH and viscosity simultaneously. Long emission wavelength in NIR could protect the probe from interference of background fluorescence and improve the accuracy of the test. Due to the presence of thiazole-salt, the probe possessed good water solubility and could respond immediately to pH in water system. The pH values measured by NT in the actual samples were not much different from that measured by the pH meter, therefore, NT could give excellent accuracy. NT realized the reversible detection of pH by protonation and deprotonation. NT was used successfully to detect the pH of actual water samples, human serum and meat, as well as the viscosity variation caused by thickeners. Additionally, NT could monitor the changes of pH and viscosity in living cells. Therefore, the novel probe exhibited potential application in the fields of the environment, human health and food safety evaluation.

Research on Environmental Safety Evaluation of Urban Parks Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process: A Case Study of Four Urban Parks in Fuzhou City

In this study, Analytic Hierarchy Process was used to construct the environmental safety evaluation level of physical spatial layout, social environment guidance and security technical means as the evaluation criteria. In addition, using the complete evaluation index system constructed after the weight value is given, the environmental safety of the four research object urban parks in Fuzhou city is evaluated, and the comprehensive evaluation grade is divided. The results show that: 1) The each evaluation index in the criterion layer is ranked from high to low as physical spatial layout (0.4097), security technical means (0.3244), social environment guidance (0.2659); 2) In the factor layer, the top 5 places in the overall weight value order of the evaluation index factors are CCTV monitoring (0.1040), organization of social activities (0.0840), lighting (0.0827), plant furnishing (0.0806), mixed crowd (0.0743); 3) In terms of environmental safety construction of the four research object urban parks in Fuzhou city, the comprehensive evaluation results are that Wenquan park is in Grade I (Very Good), Xihu Park and Chating Park are in Grade Ⅱ (Good), and Wangzhuang Nanhu Park is in Grade III (Average).

Study on establishment of residual analysis methods and residue degradation regulation of natural pyrethrin in barley plants and soil on Qinghai Plateau

The purpose of this study is to develop an accurate and efficient assay for the detection of pyrethroid residues and degradation in barley and soil in the Qinghai Plateau region. A sensitive and selective method was developed for the determination of pyrethrin residues in highland barley (kernel, stem, and root) and soil in the Qinghai Plateau by liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS). Multi-residue analysis of pyrethrin in samples involves simple extraction with acetonitrile, salt-out with NaCl, MgSO4 absorption of water, cleaning with GCB and PSA, respectively, followed by separation with XR-ODS II column, and multi-reaction detection mode detection using a positive mode electrospray ionization source (ESI + ). The results showed that the 6 different components of pyrethrin had a good detection effect in the concentration range of 0.01 ∼ 1.0 mg/L, and the correlation coefficient was greater than 0.9990. The limits of quantitation of each component on each substrate were 0.01 ∼ 0.05 mg/kg, the average daily recoveries were 87.58 ∼ 95.44 %, and the relative standard deviations were 0.4 ∼ 3.8 %. The half-life of pyrethrin in barley grains, stems and soil was 0.77 ∼ 2.57 d. In soil and highland barley, the maximum dose of pyrethrin and twice the maximum dose of pyrethrin were applied, and the final residue 7 days after treatment was less than 0.2 mg/kg. The degradation behavior of pyrethrin in soil at three test sites showed that organic carbon and pH were important factors affecting the degradation of pyrethrin, and the effect of pH on the degradation of six pyrethrin components was greater than that of organic carbon. These studies provide theoretical basis for environmental safety evaluation caused by pyrethrin use in the Qinghai Plateau.

Design of a sustainable light-up flavonol probe for dual-ratiometric fluorescent sensing and visual differentiating ammonia and hydrazine.

Ammonia (NH3) and hydrazine (N2H4) present potential risks to human health, food and environmental safety. A sustainable flavonol-based probe, quercetin pentaacetate (QPA, weak blue emission 417nm), was fabricated for dual-ratiometric fluorescent sensing and visual differentiating NH3 and N2H4. Excited state intramolecular proton transfer-on products with green (487nm) and yellow (543nm) emissions occurred as meeting with NH3 and N2H4, respectively, for their different nucleophilicities. Such a promising response offered a great opportunity of QPA to discriminatively detect NH3 and N2H4 with large Stokes shifts (>122nm), high sensitivity (limit of detection: 35.4μM and 0.70ppm for NH3 solution and gas; 0.26μM for N2H4 solution), excellent accuracy (spiked recoveries from 98.6 % to 105 %), and superior selectivity. Importantly, QPA was utilized for monitoring NH3 vapor in fish spoilage procedures and detecting N2H4 in water samples for food and environmental safety evaluation.

Insights into the impacts of chloride ions on the oxidation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene using ferrous activated persulfate: Removal efficiency, reaction mechanism, transformation pathway, and toxicity assessment

Persulfate/Fe2+-based advanced oxidation processes are widely used to treat water contaminated with 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT). However, the oxidation of DNT by persulfate/Fe2+ in the presence of the chloride ion (Cl⁻) has not been addressed, and the transformation pathways and toxicities of the intermediate products remain unclear. In this study, the effect of different Cl⁻ concentrations on the oxidation of DNT was investigated by persulfate/Fe2+. After the addition of 1.0 mM Cl⁻ and 6 h of oxidation, the removal efficiency of DNT increased by 68.5%. Scavenging experiments and an electron spin resonance analysis suggested that Cl⁻ caused hydroxyl radicals to increase in content in the persulfate/Fe2+ system, thus promoting the removal of DNT. Eight intermediate products of DNT were accurately detected using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the transformation pathways of DNT were proposed, including hydroxylation/oxidation, elimination of the nitro group, and chlorination process. The acute and chronic toxicities of the intermediate products decreased during the oxidation process, but chlorinated by-products posed a higher toxicological risk. This result is vital for the practical application and environmental safety evaluation of persulfate/Fe2+-based advanced oxidation.

Occurrence and risk assessment of three chloroamide herbicides in water and soil environment in northeastern, eastern and southern China

Chloroamide herbicides can cause adverse effects on nontarget organisms, but there is limited information about their occurrence in the environment of major cropland growing regions. In this study, a total of 1012 soil samples, 617 surface water samples and 737 groundwater samples were collected from 2020 to 2021 in three regions of China to evaluate the occurrence and risk of three important chloroamide herbicides alachlor, acetochlor and butachlor using the improved QuEChERS extraction method and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that residues of the three chloroamide compounds in surface water and groundwater ranged from 0.1 to 176.0 μg L−1, of which acetochlor was frequently detected from surface water (17.5%). As for the soil, mass fraction was varied between 1.0 and 1540.3 μg kg−1, similarly acetochlor had the highest detection frequency (49.6%). Timewise, the median mass fraction of selected chloroamide herbicides in soil in 2021 (7.8 μg kg−1) was significantly lower than that in 2020 (10.9 μg kg−1). Spatially, there were regional differences in the content of environmental residues, and the overall level of residues in the northeast was relatively high. The environmental risk assessment based on the improved Risk Quotient (RQ) method indicated that the selected herbicides were currently within an acceptable range for human health risks in the soil and water environment in various regions, but acetochlor and butachlor had contributed to the RQ values of fish and earthworms (0.01＜RQ＜0.1) in recent years, respectively, which might pose a certain risk of oral exposure to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. This study provides valuable data and ideas for the rational application, pollution control and environmental safety evaluation of chloroamide herbicides in China.

Sensitivity enhancement of paper-based sandwich immunosensor via nanobody immobilization instead of IgG antibody, taking aflatoxingenetic fungi as an analyte example

Aflatoxingenetic fungi producing highly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins and threatening human health widely exist in our living environment and food. Taking aflatoxingenetic fungi as an analyte example, here we report a way to improve the sensitivity of paper-based sandwich immunosensor for macromolecule. With a biomarker-specific nanobody and polyclonal antibody (IgG), two modes of paper-based immunosensors were constructed, immobilization nanobody mode and immobilization IgG mode. It was found that the sensitivity of the immobilization nanobody mode was at least 500 times higher than that of the immobilization IgG mode. The reasons for the large difference in sensitivity were also theoretically. Under the optimized conditions, the immobilization nanobody mode sensitivity reached 0.035 μg/mL aflatoxingenetic mycelia, each assay was finished within 15 min, and the spiked recoveries of aflatoxingenetic mycelium reference in peanuts were 77.0∼91.6%. And then, two important application cases were successfully demonstrated to identify the abundance of aflatoxingenetic fungi in market peanuts and peanut rhizosphere soil for environmental safety evaluation. This is the first report of time-resolved paper-based sandwich immunosensor for aflatoxingenetic fungi with nanobody immobilization, and the first sensitivity comparison between nanobody immobilization and IgG immobilization, which provides a new approach to develop highly sensitive immunosensor for macromolecular hazard materials.

Application of modified Gaussian plume algorithm in hazard assessment of toxic chemicals in nuclear power plants

The leakage or explosion of hazardous chemicals will seriously affect the operation safety of nuclear power plants. Therefore, in the nuclear safety review, it has been clearly proposed that the environmental risks of off-site toxic chemicals should be evaluated. When calculating the toxic chemical leakage accident, as HABIT model calculation result is based on the 2 min concentration limit condition assumed in RG1.78, and the longest duration is only 7.5 min, so it cannot be applied to the safety assessment of offsite toxic hazards. This paper presents a detail analysis of the impact on toxic chemical release using modified Gaussian plume algorithm model in ALOHA. The Gaussian plume algorithm is mainly used to calculate the plume diffusion emitted by continuous point sources, assuming that its concentration distribution obeys the empirical model of normal distribution. The plume is transported downwind at an average wind speed, ignoring turbulent diffusion downwind, with vertical and horizontal lateral diffusion described by diffusion parameters. The Gaussian plume algorithm has many advantages such as high computational efficiency and simple calculation method. Therefore, it has a wide application in the field of atmospheric diffusion. Calculation shows for the chlorine and ammonia leakage accident, chlorine’s influence area is much larger than ammonia. For ammonia, safe distance is about 3.5 km, but for chlorine, hydrogen fluoride and hydrazine, with the increase of storage capacity, their safety distance change slower at 8 km, which is consistent with HAD101/04. The storage amount of liquid ammonia shows an exponential increase, indicating that for liquid ammonia, the chemical safety control distance will not exceed 3.5 km. Conclusion of this paper has a long last meaning to NPP environmental assessment and safety evaluation, and full filled area of toxic chemicals quantitative analysis.

Environmental safety issues and challenges and geodynamic monitoring at the Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field

Purpose. Environmental safety evaluation and geodynamic monitoring of the Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field (KOGCF) explored on the north board of the Pre-Caspian depression in order to predict the consequences of long-term operation of this field. Methodology. Synthesis and system analysis of the articles and archival literature on environmental hazards and geodynamic monitoring of the complex methods, repeated levelling process, GPS-measurements, high-precision gravimetry and seismological monitoring. Findings. At a qualitative and quantitative level, the activation of vertical and horizontal movements of rock masses, changes in the field of local gravity anomalies, more frequent earthquakes whose hypocentres are located at depths comparable to the intervals of field development are substantiated. Trends and tendencies in the study on the relationship between the continuously changing geodynamic state of the subsoil and field-geological processes are outlined. All these manifestations in one way or another find manifestations in the environmental risks of the area of the exploited deposit. In the conclusions, it is recommended to carry out a set of measures to reduce environmental risks. Originality. The results of geodynamic monitoring at the KOGCF for the northern board of the Pre-Caspian depression for the first time made it possible to obtain convincing evidence in favour of noticeable seismic-deformation processes in the upper part of the earths crust under the influence of hydrocarbon production processes. Practical value. The conclusions obtained in the work confirm the necessity and binding of geodynamic monitoring in order to study and assess the possibility of different scenarios of geodynamic situations related to the development of hydrocarbon fields, are recommended for levelling factors of potential geodynamic risk at the KOGCF.

Study on degradation characteristics of imazamox by Streptomycetaceae

The residues of imazamox (IMX) will cause phytotoxicity to subsequent crops after long-term use, and will also pollute the soil and its surrounding environment. This study isolates and identifies two strains of Streptomycetaceae JX02 and JX06 that can effectively degrade IMX. Use response surface method Box–Behnken design to optimize physicochemical parameters. The optimal degradation conditions of strains JX02 and JX06 are obtained and verified: IMX concentration is 150 mg L−1, the initial dosage is 9.9%, 9.1% (OD600 = 0.1), the temperature is 26.4 and 27.5 °C, and pH value is 7.0 and 7.7, respectively. The degradation rates of 150 mg L−1 IMX detected by HPLC within 4 d were 99 and 94%, respectively. After adding strains JX02 and JX06, the half-life of IMX in the soil is shortened to 11 d and 13 d, indicating that Streptomycetaceae had a positive effect on the remediation of soil. It is expected to provide scientific information for the rational use, environmental safety evaluation of IMX, and provide a basis for future research and development of microbial agents.

A smartphone integrated ratiometric fluorescent sensor for point-of-care testing of fluoride ions.

In view of the high toxicity and widespread availability, it is of great importance to develop accurate, sensitive, and convenient assays for fluoride ion (F-) detection. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescent system is established for point-of-care testing (POCT) of F- with a smartphone as analyzer. The sensing system of calcein-QDs-Eu3+ contains two fluorescent probes of calcein (green emission) and ZnCdSe/ZnS QDs (red emission). The sensing system only presents red emission in that the calcein emission is quenched due to the combination between calcein and Eu3+. When F- is introduced, the fluorescence of calcein is recovered due to the stronger interaction between F- and Eu3+, which changes the emission from red to green. The ratiometric strategy offers an obvious fluorescence color change of the system, which eliminates interference and improves the detection accuracy. Specifically, the sensing system has excellent selectivity in that Eu3+ is more inclined to bind with F- rather than other anions. The developed assay was further used to prepare a test paper and hydrogel for POCT. To further improve the detection sensitivity and realize quantitative analysis, a smartphone installed with a color scan app is integrated as signal reader and analyzer, which is used for POCT of F- in real samples, showing great application potential in environmental protection and food safety evaluation.

Hydroxyl group-enriched microporous organic network for high-performance solid-phase extraction of triazine herbicides: Experiment and DFT calculation on adsorption behavior

High-efficiency monitoring of triazine herbicides residues is vital in the evaluation of environmental and agro-food safety. Herein, we fabricated a spherical hydroxylated microporous organic network (OH–MON) with high surface area, high stability and rich hydrogen-bonding affinity sites suitable as an advanced solid-phase extraction (SPE) adsorbent for efficient adsorption of triazine herbicides. Density–functional theory calculations and competitive enrichment tests confirmed that hydrogen bonding played a vital role to the enrichment of triazine herbicides by OH–MON. This OH–MON SPE cartridge showed satisfactory reproducibility, maintaining its adsorption capacity after 10 adsorption–desorption cycles. Furthermore, we developed a sensitive analytical approach for determining triazine herbicides residues in water and fruit juice samples. Desirable linear correlations within 0.50–250 ng⋅L-1, an ultra-low detection limit (0.03–0.15 ng⋅L-1 for water; 0.04–0.21 ng⋅L-1 for fruit juice), good precision and high enrichment factor for triazine herbicides were achieved. A preliminary practical application of the developed method was proved by the efficient detection of triazine herbicides in water and fruit samples with good recoveries (72.8%−100.4% and 72.0%−97.7% for water and juice samples, respectively). This study serves as a good reference for designing the high-functionalized MON to capture contaminants and address environmental and agro-food safety issues.

Effect of Long-Term Biodegradable Film Mulch on Soil Physicochemical and Microbial Properties.

Biodegradable mulches have become the focus of attention, as pollution caused by leftover plastic mulch material becomes increasingly severe. However, the impact of biodegradable mulches to the soil needs to be further investigated. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of no-mulch, biodegradable film mulch (BM) and polyethylene film mulch (PM) on the soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties after six years (2013–2019) of mulching in garlic growing season in a garlic-maize rotation. Results showed that the soil bulk density of the 10–20 cm soil layer under BM decreased by 12.09–17.17% compared with that under PM. The soil total nitrogen content increased significantly by 14.75–28.37%, and the soil available phosphorus and potassium content increased by 64.20% and 108.82%, respectively. In addition, BM increased the soil’s microbial, soil urease, and soil catalase activities compared with those for PM. To sum up, BM can reduce soil bulk density, and long-term use of BM does not cause a decrease in soil nutrient content and microbial activity. On the contrary, it can improve soil quality. This study helps accumulate data for the environmental safety evaluation of BM and provides theoretical and technical support for the large-scale promotion of biodegradable mulches.

Recording of Falls in Elderly Fallers in Northern Greece and Evaluation of Aging Health-Related Factors and Environmental Safety Associated with Falls: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Elderly falls constitute a global problem with huge social and economic aspects. Fall risk factors are both intrinsic (physical and psychological) and extrinsic (related with environmental safety). Aim To record both intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors and their correlation in elderly fallers in order to suggest specific guidelines for their medical care and environmental modification inside and outside the home. Method The study involved 150 elderly fallers (median age 70 (67-74)), who completed a record containing information on known risk factors related to their health status, as well as information on the conditions and causes that led to the fall. Each fall was considered an independent event, while measurements were performed regarding balance, strength, their functional ability, and the fear of a possible fall. Descriptive analysis and frequency analysis were used to record the health and activity status of the participants as well as the fall-related environmental factors. Severity of each fall event across a variety of locations was examined using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression was applied to examine the effect of the mean values of functional tests and medical records on the number of fall events. Results In the span of 12 months, a total of 304 fall events were recorded. Regarding location, 77.6% occurred indoors; more frequent were the bedroom (28.6%) and the bathroom (28%). The interior stairs (10.5%), the kitchen (4.9%), and the living room (3.3%) were the less frequent locations. Concerning danger, falling on the interior stairs caused the longest hospitalization, followed by the kitchen and the bathroom. Extrinsic factors that led to both indoor and outdoor falls were the administration of psychotropic medication, poor space ergonomics, lack of basic safety standards, and poor lighting conditions. Vision problems and dizziness resulted in more falls than other intrinsic factors. Furthermore, reduced performance in the FICSIT-4 test and the 30-Second Chair Stand Test, as well as high scores in the CONFbal–GREEK questionnaire and the Short FES-I, shows a linear relationship with an increased number of falls. Conclusions Ergonomic interventions can help prevent indoor elderly falls. Poor construction and lack of adequate lighting mainly cause outdoor falls. Regular eye examinations, management of vertigo, improvement of the balance and strength of the lower limbs, and reduction of fear of impending falls are the intrinsic factors that help prevent falls the most.

Challenges in Nanomaterial Characterization - From Definition to Analysis.

Nanomaterials have outstanding properties and have several applications, ranging from foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals to energy, construction, etc. As with all novel products, the benefits of nanomaterials use must be weighed against its health and environmental impact. They have different origins, natural, incidental, or engineered, they are widespread, and they need to be classified and characterized for various purposes, including nanotoxicology studies and risk assessment, workplaces and environment safety evaluation, consumer products evaluation, as well as manufacturing process control. To properly characterize nanomaterials, a consensual definition of nanomaterial is needed, and several analyses using the available characterization techniques must be performed. Various properties are relevant in the characterization process and many of them, namely size, are still a challenge that the research community is facing. The measurement of physical and chemical properties is very important in the case of nanomaterials. In view of this, in this chapter, available analytical techniques are reviewed based on nanomaterials classification, regulatory demands and toxicology assessment. Additionally, some of the current major challenges and gaps in nanomaterials characterization are identified and listed.

Cytotoxicity profiling of decabromodiphenyl ethane to earthworm (Eisenia fetida): Abnormity-recovery-dysregulation physiological pattern reflects the coping mechanism

Response of terrestrial invertebrates to decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) is an emerging field of research nowadays, while cytotoxicity of DBDPE and self-defense strategies of invertebrates are poorly understood. In this study, earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were incubated in the DBDPE-spiked soil system (10, 30, 50, 70, and 100 mg kg−1 dw) for 28-d uptake. The bioaccumulation and distribution of DBDPE, a series of biomarkers associated with lysosomes/mitochondria, and the apoptosis rate of coelomocytes have been evaluated on the 7th, 14th, 21th, and 28th day. At experimental endpoint, the autophagy/apoptosis phenomena have been observed under transmission electron microscopy and the expression levels of six target genes have been explored. Findings in this paper revealed that: bioaccumulation factors decreased with the incremental DBDPE concentrations in the soil. Intestinal ingestion, but not epidermal contact predominated the absorption of DBDPE. The fluctuations of biomarkers and the apoptosis rate were described as the “abnormity-recovery-dysregulation” pattern. Intense oxidative stress, energy demands, membrane-system damage, pathological organelles, and apoptosis were observed in the treated groups. Conclusively, the cytotoxicity of DBDPE initiated the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway which affected the physiological status of lysosomes, autophagy, and the expression of genes. The coping mechanisms of Eisenia fetida to DBDPE included activating mitochondrial electron transport processes, reorganizing actin cytoskeleton, and initiating autophagy. Earthworms resisted the cytotoxicity of DBDPE to a certain extent, while long-term exposure still resulted in apoptosis of coelomocytes. This study works as a laboratory simulation for the environmental safety evaluation of DBDPE and the detoxification mechanisms for earthworm.