Oil mist and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are common industrial pollutants that pose serious health risks to exposed workers. However, the emission characteristics and combined health impacts of these pollutants across different industrial processes remain inadequately understood. This study investigated four representative processes: one cold process (furniture spraying, FS) and three hot processes (plastic material calendering, PMC; carpet printing, CP; polyvinyl chloride glove drying, PGD). We characterized oil mist and VOC emissions through both average and instantaneous concentration measurements and evaluated health impacts using three key metrics: deposition flux (DF), lifetime cancer risk (LCR) and hazard quotient (HQ). Results showed that particle number concentrations (>0.3 μm) ranged from 1.24 × 108-1.25 × 109 particles m-3, and mass concentrations varied between 1.148 and 5.654 mg·m-3. The FS process emitted the highest VOC concentration (41.250 mg·m-3), significantly exceeding the other three processes (1.878-3.319 mg·m-3). Oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) were commonly detected across all processes. Only the FS process exhibited a measurable LCR of 6.92 × 10-5, primarily attributable to ethylbenzene. The FS process also showed the highest comprehensive health risk, with elevated HQ values for both oil mist (0.077) and VOCs (2.496) even under the application of air filtration, while the HQ values for the other three processes can be reduced to below 1 with effective air filtration. These findings offer important insights for developing targeted risk mitigation strategies based on process-specific emission profiles and pollutant characteristics.

Effects of social determinants of health in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing and allergic rhinitis management: Social determinants on SDB and AR outcomes.

Industrial facilities dispose of millions of pounds of chemical waste in U.S.-based landfills, surface impoundments, and underground injection wells annually, but information on populations living in proximity to these releases is limited. We quantified on-site land disposals of known and suspected human carcinogens and evaluated population characteristics associated with disposals in the 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. We linked land releases of known and suspected carcinogenic chemicals from regulatory data (2010-2018) to 2010 census tract data overall and by region. We estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for associations of population characteristics with land releases of arsenic, asbestos, benzene, beryllium, cadmium, formaldehyde, nickel, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), cobalt, lead, and styrene, comparing tracts with the highest releases ( > median or 4th quartile) to those with zero releases using population density-adjusted multinomial logistic regression models. Known carcinogens with releases mostly to land included arsenic, asbestos, beryllium, cadmium, formaldehyde, nickel, and PCBs. Probable carcinogens included acrylamide, acrolein, cobalt, and hydrazine. Land disposal amounts were highest in the West and South. The tract proportion of Black population was associated with 8-31% higher odds of the highest land disposals of lead, cadmium, and formaldehyde. Increases in Hispanic and Latino population were associated with 29-33% higher odds of a tract having the highest disposals of benzene, asbestos, PCBs, and styrene. Measures of lower socioeconomic status were associated with the highest disposals, including 16-72% higher odds of tracts having the highest disposals per 10% increase in the proportion of families experiencing poverty. Our findings highlight differences between populations living in areas with industrial land disposals compared to areas without them. As most studies of industrial pollution focus on air exposure, this study illustrates the need to consider land disposals as potential sources of environmental exposure to known and suspected carcinogens. This evaluation showed that millions of pounds of carcinogenic chemicals and metals from industrial sources are disposed of on land annually across the U.S. Over 70% of industrial releases of asbestos, formaldehyde, polychlorinated biphenyls, and metals like beryllium, cadmium, and nickel occur as on-site land disposals to landfills, surface impoundments, and underground wells, with most occurring in the Southern and Western U.S. The highest volume disposals of these chemicals and metals occurred in census tracts with higher proportions of population with lower levels of educational attainment and family income and higher levels of poverty and unemployment.

Freshwater systems are vital in the control of biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, and deliver valuable ecosystem services. Some of the most significant processes, which support these ecosystems, include benthic-pelagic nutrient interactions and air-water gaseous exchange. The processes are important in the nutrient availability, primary productivity, and greenhouse gases. The research will measure the effects of anthropogenic processes, such as agricultural runoff and industrial pollution, in a tropical freshwater ecosystem on these coupled processes. Field sampling, laboratory, and statistical methods are used to estimate the seasonal nutrient fluxes, gaseous exchange rates, and the association between anthropogenic stress and ecosystem functioning. The findings indicate that there are considerable seasonal differences in physicochemical characteristics, nutrient levels, and gaseous exchange. In particular, the nutrient fluxes were the most intense during the monsoon season: nitrogen flux 43.9 mg m2/day and phosphorus flux 15.9 mg m2/day. The CO2 flux was higher in the monsoon of 272.6 mg m2/day compared to the winter of 118.5 mg m2/day, and the methane flux varied between 8.1 and 22.8 mg m 2/day. Statistical results indicated that there were strong relationships among biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and nutrient fluxes that supported the effects of nutrient loading by human activities on the microbial activity and greenhouse gas emissions. The study finds that the anthropogenic effects are greatly contributing to the cycling of nutrients, greenhouse gases, and the stress of the ecosystem, especially when there is a high level of nutrient loading. The research should be extended to long-term monitoring and sensor integration in real-time to enhance ecosystem management and sustainability in the future.

Towards zero-waste cities: Can energy conservation and emission reduction fiscal policy reduce industrial solid waste pollution?

Background: Urban and industrial air pollution releases harmful substances that threaten human health. Fine particulate matter (PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10) is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, while gases such as NOx and CO disrupt oxygen transport and increase poisoning risk. The World Health Organization reports that 99% of the global population is exposed to polluted air, contributing to approximately 6.5 million premature deaths annually. Air pollution also affects neurological and reproductive health, increasing risks of developmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and mental health problems. Objective: This study aims to describe the development of air quality monitoring technologies for detecting pollution. Methods: A descriptive Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted using PRISMA guidelines, analyzing national and international publications from databases such as Google Scholar and ResearchGate. Results: IoT-based monitoring systems and digital sensors effectively measure pollutants in real time with high accuracy. These technologies support early warning systems, policy-making, and public awareness. Conclusion: IoT-based air quality monitoring offers an efficient solution for improving environmental health, although challenges remain in implementation and accessibility. Keywords: Air pollution, public health, technology, monitoring, IoT.

This essay focuses on a series of radical, never-built “garden” designs from 1969 by the artist-turned-landscape-architect Patricia Johanson (1940–2024), which proposed sites in and around New York City that would confront the public with complex human–ecological interrelationships of the day, often posing thorny questions about them. In all, she composed 150 drawings and 7 related essays, sparked by a misguided commission from House & Garden magazine, which envisioned everything from skyscrapers retrofitted with plant trellises to filter water; to the conversion of a highway interchange into a clover field for honey production; fissures sliced into asphalt to allow the release and observation of subterranean steam; and a river dyed to highlight, rather than conceal, ongoing industrial pollution. I revisit this ambitious, multidisciplinary body of work not only in relation to its original context, when a modern ecology movement was gaining momentum, American cities were becoming ever more privatized, and a number of fellow artists began making large-scale outdoor artworks that would come to dominate art historical accounts of land and environmental art, but also, through the lens of its continued, and arguably heightened, relevance in our own moment of spiraling climate breakdown, corporate geo-engineering schemes, and further enclosures of various commons, as well as an ever-growing field of eco-art history, to which this special journal issue is a testament.

This study compared zooplankton community structure and its relationship with environmental factors in coastal rivers of eastern and western Guangdong, based on a survey of 18 sampling sites across nine rivers in March 2021. The study found significant differences in key environmental parameters (water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen) between the rivers in eastern and western Guangdong. However, no corresponding geographical pattern was detected in the α-diversity indices of the zooplankton communities. Notably, zooplankton diversity in western Guangdong rivers was significantly positively correlated with salinity and total phosphorus (TP), with the Pielou evenness index showing particular sensitivity to TP. Self-organizing map (SOM) analysis demonstrated distinct geographical clustering patterns in zooplankton communities between the two regions. Furthermore, the random forest model identified 15 bioindicators whose abundances were closely associated with environmental factors such as water temperature and nutrient levels. According to the study, industrial pollution and hydrological regulation are the primary factors affecting rivers in eastern Guangdong, while agricultural non-point source pollution plays a more significant role in western Guangdong. These findings highlight potential associations between abiotic factors, human activities, and zooplankton communities, providing insights into the differential regulatory mechanisms that may operate in these systems.

This study investigated the chemical elements released by the Tunisian Chemical Company into the Gabes Gulf and assessed their impact on the surrounding soils and plants. Three naturally growing plant species, Cakile maritima (I), Arthrocaulon meridionale (II) and Zygophyllum album (III), were collected from three stations located 0km (S1), 15km (S2), and 25km (S3) from the industrial discharge area. Soil samples associated with each species were also collected. Sampling was conducted in the Gabes Gulf region, southern Tunisia, at varying distances from a chemical industrial complex. Plant organs (roots, stems, and leaves) and corresponding soil samples were analyzed for their mineral composition using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Element accumulation patterns were examined with respect to plant species and distance from the pollution source. The findings revealed that the accumulation of several trace metal elements (TMEs) varied significantly among plant species, whereas others were primarily influenced by proximity to the pollution source. A third group of elements showed combined effects of both factors. Leaves represented the main destination for most mineral compounds. High concentrations of heavy metals were detected in soils and plant tissues, with the greatest accumulation observed in Cakile maritima (species I) at station S1, suggesting potential environmental contamination and possible implications for human health that warrant further risk assessment. Species I (C. maritima) demonstrated considerable accumulation capacity and may serve as a promising candidate for phytoremediation applications in polluted coastal zones.

N-Nitrosamines make up a class of carcinogenic industrial pollutants that lack well-characterized physicochemical properties. Classical approaches to determine octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) values are laborious, slow, and challenged by experimental error. Alternative methods include quantum chemical estimation (e.g., COSMO-RS), quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models, and high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) measurements; however, systematic compound-by-compound comparisons of these methods for chemical classes remain lacking. This study evaluates the performance of four methods (shake-flask, HPLC retention time, QSPR, and COSMO-RS estimation) for the log Kow determination. Shake-flask measurements for N-nitrosodiemthylamine (-0.54), N-nitrosomorpholine (-0.54), N-nitrosopiperidine (0.64), and N-nitrosodibutylamine (2.54) were compared to previously reported values, where the omission of quality control procedures (i.e., mutual solvent saturation and sufficient equilibration time) led to variations in measurements up to 0.64 log units. Among alternative methods, the COSMO-RS calculation in this study performed the best, relative to direct experimental measurement, with a root mean absolute error (RMSE) of 0.12 and improved accuracy compared to previous estimations. QSPR determination was comparable to that of COSMO-RS (RMSE of 0.14). Two methods of HPLC determination demonstrated the worst performance (RMSEs of 0.27 and 0.45). This study highlights the weaknesses in using the presented HPLC methods for compound classes that include polar molecules, demonstrates improved performance of theoretical calculations, and reports partitioning data for known (n = 8) and recently characterized (n = 7) N-nitrosamines found in the environment.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), an attractive metal-free photocatalyst, has received significant interest for the treatment of wastewater due to its high chemical stability and visible light responsiveness. The photocatalytic effectiveness of pure g-C3N4 (GCN) is limited due to its low surface area a3nd fast recombination of charge carriers generated by photons. In this work, the physicochemical properties of bulk GCN were systematically modified by direct thermal exfoliation to the thermally exfoliated GCN. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized samples was assessed through the degradation of food dyes Carmoisine (CM) and Indigo Carmine (IC) under UV, visible, and natural sunlight exposure. Structural and morphological analysis (i.e., FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, EDAX, BET, and UV-DRS) revealed the improved surface properties and optical characteristics of the material. BET surface area measurements significantly increased from 5. 03m²/g (bulk GCN) to 26.2m²/g for exfoliated GCN (GCN 550 ˚C). Radical trapping experiments revealed that the superoxide radicals (•O2-) exerted more significant effects on degradation than hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and photoinduced holes (h+) did. The photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results indicated that exfoliated GCN had lower charge carrier recombination and higher interfacial charge transfer. Moreover, the catalyst displayed remarkable recyclability with only a slight decrease in activity from 92% to 86% across five cycles. The obtained results demonstrate that the exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride is an efficient, stable, and sustainable photocatalyst for wastewater treatment applications.

A West Eugene, OR community has a history of odor complaints, anecdotally linked to a nearby wood preservative facility using creosote, a known source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The community also experiences elevated cancer risks. In response to concerns about industrial air pollution, Beyond Toxics (BT) and Oregon State University (OSU) initiated a community-engaged study to characterize residential PAH exposure. Stationary passive samplers were deployed in residential and commercial areas at 17 locations in three rings around the facility: inner (0.25-mile, n = 4), middle (0.5-mile, n = 5), and outer (1 mile, n = 8), for seven days. Twelve residents also wore personal passive wristband samplers (WBs), with eight hosting both a wristband and stationary sampler. All samplers were analyzed for 64 PAHs. Daily activity logs were collected to assess co-variate exposures. Results were shared through individual and community reports and in-person meetings. Thirty-eight PAHs were detected in stationary samplers. The five most abundant were naphthalene (169 ng/m³), acenaphthene (165 ng/m³), 2-methylnaphthalene (160 ng/m³), 1-methylnaphthalene (87.0 ng/m³), and fluorene (40.4 ng/m³). Seventeen PAHs were detected across the 12 wristbands, with phenanthrene, 2-methylnaphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, and naphthalene as the most abundant. PAHs were highest in the inner ring and northeastern area, downwind of the facility, followed by the east, near an industrial railway. The exposure patterns observed reflect community reports of odors in the northeast. The most abundant PAHs in both sampler types are associated with creosote. All wristband PAHs were also observed in stationary samplers, suggesting a common exposure source. This community-engaged study identified higher exposures near the industrial source in both ambient and personal samples- supporting long-standing community concerns. Residents in an environmental justice community raised concerns about air pollution from industrial sources. A community-engaged research study used passive samplers to characterize and quantify ambient and personal exposure to vapor phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

ABSTRACT This study empirically investigates the impact and mechanism of the data elements marketization on firm entry through the quasi-natural experiment of the ‘data-trading platform’ pilot. The study finds that the data elements marketization of promotes firm entry, as evidenced by the significant increase in the number of new firms in pilot cities due to the data-trading platform, and this effect exhibits notable spatial spillovers. The mechanism analysis reveals that the data elements marketization enhances regional market efficiency, expands regional market size, and stimulates regional innovation vitality, thereby creating favourable conditions for new firms to enter the regional market. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the marketization of data factors mainly promotes the entry of private enterprises, individual businesses, and firms in the secondary and tertiary industries. This effect is stronger in cities with lower administrative levels, better business environments, smaller populations, and in non-resource-based cities. Further, this study finds that the data elements marketization has facilitated structural transformations across regions, promoting both the ‘industrial pollution relocation’ and the regional industrial transformation and upgrading. Moreover, data elements marketization reinforces market competition and resource reallocation through the dynamic process of firm entry and exit, thereby promoting the dynamic optimization of market structure.

Advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) have been extensively investigated for the removal of a wide range of organic contaminants, including dyes, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial pollutants. However, systematic evaluations of synergistic effects among different AOP configurations remain limited. This study investigated the synergistic interactions between AOPs for the degradation and mineralization of Rhodamine B, a dye widely used as a model compound for industrial effluents. Solutions were treated using photolysis (UV), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), UV/H2O2, Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2), and photo-Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2/UV) processes. H2O2 concentrations ranged from 1.6 to 43.2 mmol/L when applied alone and from 0.53 to 4.8 mmol/L in Fenton and photo-Fenton systems, using Fe2+/H2O2 ratios of 1:5 and 1:10. The results revealed that the UV/H2O2 achieved 69% degradation within 2 h at 14.4 mmol/L of H2O2, outperforming the individual treatments. The photo-Fenton process exhibited superior efficiency, achieving complete degradation in half the time required by the Fenton process at 0.5 mmol/L of H2O2 and an Fe2+/H2O2 ratio of 1:5. Furthermore, mineralization increased by 20% when UV was incorporated. This study demonstrates that integrating AOPs enhances the performance, supporting the optimization of the treatments for dye-containing wastewaters and reinforcing the importance of synergistic strategies for environmental remediation.

One of the primary sources of environmental contamination is the textile industry, which releases a lot of wastewater that contains dyes. Because textile dye effluents contain complex synthetic colors that are hard to break down, they can have negative effects on the environment and human health when released into natural water bodies. Conventional physical and chemical treatment methods are sometimes expensive and can result in secondary pollutants. Microbial bioremediation has therefore emerged as a practical, economical, and ecologically acceptable method of treating textile dye effluents. Microbial bioremediation has therefore emerged as a practical, economical, and ecologically acceptable method of treating textile dye effluents. In microbial bioremediation, pigments present in wastewater are removed or broken down by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. These bacteria decolorize textile colors by a number of methods, including biosorption, biodegradation, and enzymatic degradation. Enzymes like azoreductase, laccase, and peroxidase break down complex color molecules into simpler, less dangerous compounds. Microbial species that have shown significant promise for dye decolorization include Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Aspergillus, and Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Numerous environmental factors, such as pH, temperature, dye concentration, oxygen availability, and nutrient delivery, affect how well microbial dye degradation works. Both aerobic and anaerobic treatment techniques can successfully decolorize textile effluents. Microbial treatment reduces the toxicity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and biological oxygen demand (BOD) of wastewater in addition to removing color. Microbial bioremediation is therefore an environmentally beneficial and sustainable way to treat textile dye effluents and is essential for reducing industrial pollution and protecting aquatic habitats. In this scenario, attempts are made to isolate and examine microorganisms that break down dyes.

ABSTRACT While existing literature extensively debates the environmental impacts of foreign direct investment (FDI), it often overlooks the increasing prevalence of joint ventures experience (JVE) as a more liberalized investment vehicle. This study introduces the concept of ‘joint venture imprint’ to identify and analysis the often-overlooked long-term environmental spillover effects of JVE on Chinese firms that have transitioned to wholly owned foreign enterprises. We discover that JVE significantly reduces SO2 and industrial wastewater pollution intensity, which is robust across replacing dependent variables, replacing regression model, controlling for inter-firm spillover effects, cross-fixed effects and exclusion of other policy impacts. And we apply Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjusted (IPWRA) estimation, placebo test, Heckman two-step, PSM and IV method to mitigate endogeneity issues. Furthermore, this environmental spillover effect peaks 3–4 years after transition before gradually diminishing. Mechanistically, this environmental benefit is driven by enhanced innovation capabilities, improved management efficiency, and increased environmental investment. Heterogeneity tests reveal that this effect is more pronounced in capital-intensive, cleaner and larger-scale firms. These findings provide valuable insights for host countries’ foreign investment policies, industrial policies and environmental regulations.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2), a typical industrial byproduct and hazardous pollutant, requires efficient capture for environmental protection and resource recovery. However, existing adsorbents face challenges such as unsatisfactory selectivity and performance degradation at elevated temperatures in complex flue gas environments. This study presents the judicious construction of isostructural metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) (Cu-L, Cu-L-FA, Cu-L-BA) using a pyrazine tetracarboxylate linker and copper ions, with formic/benzoic acid modulators retained to fine-tune adsorption performance. The resulting MOFs exhibit a rare 4,4-connected mfj topology. These isostructural Cu-L variants demonstrate substantial SO2 uptake capacity and performance retention at relatively high temperatures. Notably, the formate-modulated variant (Cu-L-FA) achieves an SO2 adsorption capacity of 4.5 mmol·g-1 at 298 K and 1bar, and retains 97% of its capacity at 313 K, significantly outperforming conventional physisorbents. Mechanistic studies reveal that the adsorption process is governed by reversible coordination to Cu(II) sites and multifaceted interactions with basic pyrazine nitrogen atoms. The incorporation of modulators not only optimizes the trade-off between adsorption and regeneration energy but also triggers SO2-induced dynamic modulator-node interactions, leading to instant high SO2 uptake at low pressures and enhanced cooperative adsorption. This work provides a novel strategy for designing SO2 adsorbents with salient performance for flue gas desulfurization.

Urbanization of river systems introduces novel environmental stressors-such as industrial pollutants and domestic wastewater-that impose selective pressures on aquatic species and reshape fish community structure. This study investigates the effects of urbanization on fish community in the Pearl River Basin, comparing the highly urbanized Huadi River with the relatively natural Zengjiang River. We conducted field surveys of fish assemblages at 44 sampling sites along both urbanized and natural rivers during summer and winter-spring in 2024, measuring environmental variables and fish functional traits. Indicator value analysis was utilized to identify species linked to specific river types. R-L-Q analysis (RLQ) was performed on the relationships between environmental factors and functional traits, and structural equation model (SEM) was used to test causal pathways between key environmental factors, trait combinations, and community diversity. Results showed marked differences in fish community structure between urban and natural rivers. Urban rivers were dominated by a few tolerant species (e.g., Oreochromis niloticus), while natural rivers supported more diverse and balanced assemblages. RLQ and SEM results indicated that dissolved oxygen was the primary environmental filter in urban rivers, selecting for tolerant, low-oxygen-adapted, bottom-dwelling species and thereby driving the low-diversity pattern in urban river reaches. In contrast, natural rivers maintained higher diversity due to a broader range of environmental factors. This study demonstrates that urbanization, primarily through hypoxic stress, promotes trait convergence and biotic homogenization, while natural rivers preserve greater diversity. Targeted management to alleviate hypoxia and control pollution-tolerant invasive species is essential for restoring native ecosystem in urban rivers.

The stress of multiple factors leads to the decline of oyster reefs: a case study of Tianjin Dashentang oyster reefs.

Intergenerational inheritance and business carbon emissions