Pollution Health Risk Research Articles

Characteristics, sources, and health risks of volatile organic compounds in different functional regions of Shenyang

The concentration of 56 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient air of Shenyang was continuously monitored at four sites in 2021. The characteristics, sources, secondary pollution potential and health risks of VOCs in different functional regions of Shenyang were discussed. The results indicate that the concentration of VOCs in industrial regions was significantly higher than that in non-industrial regions, with a mean of 41.09 ± 69.82 parts per billion volumes (ppbv) compared to 19.99 ± 17.86 ppbv (commercial & residential region in urban fringe), 27.51 ± 28.81 ppbv (educational & scenic region) and 29.71 ± 23.97 ppbv (commercial & residential region in urban center). The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was utilized to assign the sources of VOCs in Shenyang, and six factors were recognized: gasoline vehicles (34.8 %), diesel vehicles (28.3 %), combustion (11.4 %), biogenic emissions (9.7 %), industrial processes (8.2 %), and fuel evaporation (7.7 %). The results of the reactivity evaluation indicated that the ozone (O3) formation potential (OFP) was primarily influenced by industrial processes (29.2 %), diesel vehicles (25.7 %), biogenic emissions (17.0 %). These three factors were also the top three contributors to secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAP), accounting for 44.2 %, 9.4 % and 30.3 %, respectively. At the all four sites, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of VOCs ranged from 1.6 × 10−2 to 3.8 × 10−2 and from 2.3 × 10−6 to 3.3 × 10−6, respectively. And the main risks can be attributed to emissions from industrial processes and gasoline vehicles. These findings suggested to strengthen the control of vehicle emissions throughout all regions in Shenyang and industrial processes emissions in industrial regions.

Effects of atmospheric deposition on heavy metal contamination in paddy field systems under different functional areas in ChangZhuTan, Hunan Province, China

In recent decades, the problem of heavy metal contamination in rice paddies has attracted widespread attention. However, most studies on heavy metal contamination in paddy fields are biased towards soil and/or rice plants, without taking atmospheric deposition into account. In this study, atmospheric deposition, paddy soil, and rice samples were collected from three functional areas (area proximity to factories, along the roadside, and suburban) in ChangZhuTan, Hunan Province. The pollution characterization, translocation, and health risk of heavy metals were reassessed. The findings revealed that Cd and As contamination in the study area's soils was more severe, with point exceedance rates reaching 70 % and 35.9 %, respectively. The highest concentrations of As, Ni, Cd, and Pb in atmospheric deposition were found along the roadside, with 1.42 μg/m2/day, 3.21 μg/m2/day, 0.34 μg/m2/day, and 8.28 μg/m2/day, respectively. In area proximity to factories, As and Ni in atmospheric deposition showed to be lowest, whereas Cd and Pb concentrations showed lowest in suburban areas. Furthermore, the accumulation of Cd and Pb in rice grains in regions proximity to factories was significantly higher than in other regions. The human health risk assessment indicated the health risk caused by rice intake in areas proximity to factories was the highest and requires attention, which was mainly due to Cd accumulation, with HQ value reached 3.19. Correlation tests indicate that atmospheric deposition has a positive effect on heavy metal enrichment in rice grains. Further Random Forest analysis revealed that the transport of heavy metals from atmospheric deposition to leaves and shells were important influencing factors for As, Cd, Ni and Mg accumulation in rice grain. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the effects of atmospheric deposition on the accumulation of heavy metals in paddy fields in order to maintain the production safety of crops.

Analyses of industrial air pollution and long-term health risk using different dispersion models and WRF physics parameters

AbstractThis study consists of three main sections. The first section delves into a performance analysis centered around modeling PM10, NOx, and CO emissions from a cement factory. It examines the effectiveness of various factors, including meteorological data, physics models, and air quality dispersion models, in producing accurate results for atmospheric simulations. The second section covers the dispersion direction and concentrations obtained by visualizing the dispersion maps. The third section covers an analysis of heavy metals emitted from the facility, taking into account potential risks in the region such as cancer, acute and chronic effects, and long-term respiratory risks. This study made use of meteorological models (WRF, AERMET, and CALMET), air quality dispersion models (AERMOD and CALPUFF), a health risk analysis model (HARP), and various sub-models (MMIF and CALWRF). Satellite meteorological data were obtained from NCEP and ERA, with the majority of meteorological data based on the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS)/Final Operational Global Analysis (FNL) from Global Tropospheric Analyses and Forecast Grids used for the WRF model. In the daily results, AERMOD showed the highest concentration values, but CALPUFF had greater concentrations throughout the annual period. The winter season had the highest concentrations of pollutants. Although there are differences among the physics models used in this research, the conclusions produced are consistent. Analysis of the data from the HARP model suggested that cancer risk levels exceeded the threshold of one person per million. However, the proportion of exceedance instances is rather small in comparison to the receptor points.

Research Progress of Heavy-Metal-Free Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

At present, heavy-metal-free quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) have shown great potential as a research hotspot in the field of optoelectronic devices. This article reviews the research on heavy-metal-free quantum dot (QD) materials and light-emitting diode (LED) devices. In the first section, we discussed the hazards of heavy-metal-containing quantum dots (QDs), such as environmental pollution and human health risks. Next, the main representatives of heavy-metal-free QDs were introduced, such as InP, ZnE (E=S, Se and Te), CuInS2, Ag2S, and so on. In the next section, we discussed the synthesis methods of heavy-metal-free QDs, including the hot injection (HI) method, the heat up (HU) method, the cation exchange (CE) method, the successful ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method, and so on. Finally, important progress in the development of heavy-metal-free QLEDs was summarized in three aspects (QD emitter layer, hole transport layer, and electron transport layer).

Pollution Characteristics, Source, and Health Risk Assessment of Metal Elements in PM2.5 Between Winter and Spring in Zhengzhou

A total of 18 metal elements in ambient PM2.5 in Zhengzhou were continuously determined using an online heavy metal observation instrument in January and April, 2021, and the changes in element concentrations were analyzed. Metal elements were traced via enrichment factors, positive matrix factorization (PMF), and a characteristic radar chart. The US EPA health risk assessment model was used to assess the health risks of heavy metals, and the backward trajectory method and the concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) method were used to evaluate the potential source regions of health risks. The results showed that the element concentrations were higher in spring, and the sum of Fe, Ca, Si, and Al concentrations accounted for 89.8% and 87.5% of the total element concentrations in winter and spring, respectively. Cd was enriched significantly, which was related to human activities. The concentrations of Pb, Se, Zn, Ni, Sb, and K in winter and Cr, Ni, Fe, Mn, V, Ba, Ca, K, Si, and Al in spring increased with the increasing pollution level. The results of PMF and the characteristic radar chart showed that the main sources of metal elements in winter and spring were industry, crust, motor vehicles, and mixed combustion, with industry and mixed combustion pollution occurring more often in winter and crust pollution occurring more often in spring. Significant non-carcinogenic risks existed in both winter and spring with more severe health risks in winter, and Mn caused significant non-carcinogenic risks. The health risks in winter were mainly influenced by Zhengzhou and surrounding cities and long-distance transport in the northwest, and the health risks in spring were mainly influenced by Zhengzhou and surrounding cities.

Accumulation of typical persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in bioretention facilities: Distribution, risk assessment, and microbial community impact

Bioretention facilities have proven highly effective in removing pollutants from runoff. However, there is a concerning paucity of research on the contamination characteristics and associated risks posed by refractory pollutants in these facilities following long-term operation. This research focuses on the distribution, sources, microbial community impact, and human health risks of pollutants in eight bioretention facilities that have been operational for 5–11 years. The results showed that the distribution of Cu, Zn, and Cd was closely related to anti-seepage measures. PAHs, PCBs, and OCPs primarily accumulated in the surface, with concentrations ranging from 7.42 to 20.34 mg/kg, 31.8–77.3 μg/kg, and 60.5–163.6 μg/kg, respectively. Their concentrations inversely correlate with the depth of the media. Although the majority of contaminants remained below their respective risk thresholds, their concentrations typically exceeded those of background soil values, indicating an enrichment phenomenon. Source analysis revealed that PAHs primarily originate from oil combustion, PCBs were linked to their related industrial products, DDTs had their main sources in technical DDx and residues from the use of dicofol, while HCHs were traced back to historical residues from agricultural activities. Microbial α-diversity (Chao 1 and Shannon) decreased by 8.3–23.4% and 0.8–4.4%, respectively, in different facilities after long-term operation. The most dominant microbial phylum in the facilities was Proteobacteria (all relative abundances >48%). The total relative abundance of dominant genera was 6.7–34.3% higher than the control site, and Pseudomonas, a typical POPs-heavy metal degrading bacterium, had the highest relative abundance (>1.2%). Cu, Zn, and Cd present no non-carcinogenic risks and have low potential ecological risks. However, the lifetime cancer risk for PAHs is 10−6 ∼10−4 in most facilities and is of concern. The cancer risk for PCBs is acceptable, while OCPs pose a low cancer risk only for children.

Pollution, spatial distribution, and health risks assessment of nutrient concentration in surface water resources of Maroon-Jarahi Basin in southwestern Iran.

Nowadays, the introduction of nutrients caused by human activities is considered an environmental issue and a significant problem in river basins and coastal ecosystems. In this study, the concentration of nutrients ( and ) in the surface water sources of the Maroon-Jarahi watershed in the southwest of Iran was determined, and the pollution status and health risk assessment were done. The average concentration of nitrate and phosphate in Ludab, Maroon, Zard, Allah, Jarahi rivers, and Shadegan wetland were obtained at 2.25-0.59, 4.59-1.84, 4.07-2.02, 5.40-2.81, 11.51-4.67, 21.63 and 6.20 (mg/l), respectively. A comparison of the results with the World Health Organization (WHO) limit showed that nitrate was lower than in all stations, but phosphate was higher than the limit in some stations of the Maroon, Allah, Jarahi rivers, and Shadegan wetland. Calculation of linear regression analysis showed significant positive relationships between nitrate and phosphate in all surface water sources (except Ludab) and based on the N/P ratio, nitrogen was estimated as the limiting factor in phytoplankton growth (N/P < 16). The evaluation of the status of the Nutrient pollution index (NPI) was observed as: Shadegan > Jarahi > Allah > Maroon > Zard > Ludab that the Jarahi River and Shadegan wetland were in the medium pollution class (1 < NPI ≤ 3) and other waterbodies were in the non-polluted to low pollution state (NPI < 1). Calculation of the chronic daily intake (CDI) showed that water body nutrients cause more non-carcinogenic health risks through the oral route than dermal exposure, and according to HI, children's health is more at risk than adults. Findings showed that surface water resources especially downstream of the Maroon-Jarahi watershed are at eutrophication risk, and to control the nearby human activities and as a result increase the nutrients in these water resources, measures should be taken.

Evaluating Health Risks of Volatile Organic Compounds in Various UK Environments: Insights from Health Indices

The health risks of twelve volatile organic compounds (VOCs) across three sites in the UK were analysed across an 11-year period (2013–2023) using US EPA proposed health indices; Inhalation Unit Risk (IUR) and Reference Concentration (RfC) for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk, respectively. Significant decreases in carcinogenic risk were observed over the study period for 1, 3-butadiene, with reductions of 63%, 36%, and 45% at urban traffic, suburban background and rural background sites, respectively. Similar decreases in the carcinogenic risk associated with benzene (52%, 28% and 27%) and toluene (50%, 38% and 51%) are found for the three site types, respectively. However, the carcinogenic risk of these three pollutants still exceeds the acceptable threshold of 1 × 10-6 at the urban traffic and suburban background sites, necessitating further emission control strategies. Conversely, the carcinogenic risk associated with isoprene has increased at the urban traffic site over the study period. The study revealed a decrease of 51%, 39% and 37% of the total non-carcinogenic risk at all three sites over the study period. The seasonal variations in carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of pollutants with anthropogenic origin exhibit winter maxima and summer minima. Moreover, diurnal variations of pollutants with anthropogenic origin demonstrate a bimodal distribution reflecting that of traffic flow, e.g., peaks around 08:00 LT and 18:00 LT, corresponding with rush hours. This trend demonstrates the influence of traffic sources supported by the characteristic species ratio whereby Toluene/Benzene (T/B) ratios were less than two (0.72, and 0.42 at suburban and rural background sites, respectively), illustrating the influence of vehicular emissions. Despite following the same bimodal trend suggesting the dominance of vehicular emission sources, mean T/B ratios at urban traffic sites were consistently above 2 for all years considered (average 2.76) suggesting other VOC sources are becoming more dominant at this site.

First retrieval of daily 160 m aerosol optical depth over urban areas using Gaofen-1/6 synergistic observations: Algorithm development and validation

The satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD), which can provide continuous spatial observations of aerosol loadings, is widely adopted to estimate atmospheric environmental quality and evaluate its risk for human health. However, current satellite-retrieved AOD products characterized by a comparatively coarse spatial resolution (≥1 km) can hardly analyze the structure of atmospheric pollution or its correlation with urban landscapes over populated urban areas. Existed studies have tried to address this deficiency by retrieving high-resolution AOD using Landsat images, whose long revisit period (16 days nominally), however, largely limits its applications related to urban air pollution research. To achieve both high spatial resolution and expected revisit period from satellite observation, in this study, a comprehensive AOD retrieval framework is developed for Wide-Field-of-View (WFV) satellite sensors to yield a daily AOD dataset over urban areas with 160 m spatial resolution, based on the Gaofen-1 and Gaofen-6 synergistic observations. To address the crucial challenge that the high spatial resolution and complex urban landscape both contribute a dramatic variation of land surface bidirectional reflectance, a Simulated-Annealing-coupled Semiempirical Modified Rahman-Pinty-Verstraete (SAS-MRPV) scheme is proposed to model and estimate the land surface reflectance (LSR) in the AOD retrieval framework, where the SAS-MRPV scheme is implemented using simulated annealing iteration initialized by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) as a priori knowledge. The validation results demonstrate that the Gaofen WFV AOD retrievals exhibit good agreement with the ground-based AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) and SONET (Sun-sky radiometer Observation NETwork) AOD, demonstrating the correlation coefficient and the expected error (EE)±(0.05 + 0.15AODAERONET/SONET) ratio respectively reaching up to 0.97 and over 80 %, and only slight bias fluctuations are found under different land cover types, aerosol loading, and seasonal conditions. Moreover, the validation results of Gaofen WFV AOD retrievals, with LSR estimated based on the SAS-MRPV scheme, the MODIS BRDF Products, and the Minimum Reflectance Technique (MRT) method, demonstrate better accuracy and completeness of AOD retrievals using the SAS-MPRV scheme over both natural and impervious land surfaces, indicating the stability and reliability of proposed SAS-MRPV LSR determination scheme in WFV AOD retrieval. In addition to that, the error analyses and quality control results demonstrate that the SAS-MRPV scheme is effective and necessary to guarantee the reliability and accuracy of land surface bidirectional reflectance estimation by identifying and excluding the land surface pixels unsuitable for LSR modeling, which mitigates the uncertainty and yield better accuracy in the final WFV AOD products. Furthermore, the inter-comparison between WFV-derived AOD against the operational MODIS Deep Blue (10 km), Dark Target (3 km), and Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC, 1 km) AOD products demonstrates that the 160 m WFV AOD retrievals, on the basis of obtaining similar aerosol overall descriptions as MODIS AOD retrievals, possess the capability to characterize the spatial distribution of atmospheric pollution at a finer scale with smoother variation under both clean and polluted conditions. With outstanding accuracy and reliable performance, the developed comprehensive high-resolution AOD retrieval framework exhibits substantial potential for operational AOD retrieval of Gaofen WFV satellite observations, which could be directly applied to other urban areas supporting further studies related to air pollution emission management and health risk assessment at extra-fine spatial scale.

Study of pollution status and health risks for selected metals in PM10 from Islamabad, Pakistan

Study of pollution status and health risks for selected metals in PM10 from Islamabad, Pakistan

Insights into anthropogenic impact on atmospheric inorganic aerosols in the largest city of the Tibetan Plateau through multidimensional isotope analysis

Particulate inorganic nitrogen aerosols (PIN) significantly influence air pollution and pose health risks worldwide. Despite extensive observations on ammonium (pNH4+) and nitrate (pNO3−) aerosols in various regions, their key sources and mechanisms in the Tibetan Plateau remain poorly understood. To bridge this gap, this study conducted a sampling campaign in Lhasa, the Tibetan Plateau's largest city, with a focus on analyzing the multiple isotopic signatures (δ15N, ∆17O). These isotopes were integrated into a Bayesian mixing model to quantify the source contributions and oxidation pathways for pNH4+ and pNO3−. Our results showed that traffic was the largest contributor to pNH4+ (31.8 %), followed by livestock (25.4 %), waste (21.8 %), and fertilizer (21.0 %), underscoring the impact of vehicular emissions on urban NH3 levels in Lhasa. For pNO3−, coal combustion emerged as the largest contributor (27.3 %), succeeded by biomass burning (26.3 %), traffic emission (25.3 %), and soil emission (21.1 %). In addition, the ∆17O-based model indicated a dominant role of NO2 + OH (52.9 %) in pNO3− production in Lhasa, which was similar to previous observations. However, it should be noted that the NO3 + volatile organic component (VOC) contributed up to 18.5 % to pNO3− production, which was four times higher than the Tibetan Plateau's background regions. Taken together, the multidimensional isotope analysis performed in this study elucidates the pronounced influence of anthropogenic activities on PIN in the atmospheric environment of Lhasa.

Soil pollution indices and health risk assessment of metal(loid)s in the agricultural soil of pistachio orchards

Elevated levels of metal(loid)s in soil may pose potential threats to the ecosystem and can be harmful for human health. The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr and Ni were determined in agricultural soil collected from 45 pistachio orchards around Feizabad city, Khorasan Razavi province, Iran using ICP-OES. Also, soil pollution indices including contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were evaluated. In addition, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk indices were estimated. The mean concentrations of metal(loid)s were in the order of Ni = 466.256 > Cr = 120.848 > Pb = 12.009 > As = 5.486 > Cd = 0.394 mg/kg. Concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in the soil samples were within their respective permissible limits set by World Health Organization (WHO). But concentrations of Cr and Ni in 84.4 and 100% of the samples, respectively exceeded the WHO allowable limits. The CF, PLI and Igeo showed that soil of some of the pistachio orchards was contaminated with some metals. The possible sources of the metals in the soil are application of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, manures as well as irrigation water. Hazard quotient (HQ) ad Hazard index (HI) values from soil of all the orchards were found to be well below the respective threshold limit (1), suggesting that there is no immediate non-cancer threat arising from the contamination at all the orchards with metal(loid)s for children and adults. The highest cancer risk values (1.13E-02 for children and 1.25E-03 for adults) were estimated for Ni in the soil. Collectively, this study provides valuable information to improve the soil in the pistachio orchards to reduce metal(loid)s contamination and minimize the associated health risks to the population in the area.

Unveiling the Rising Threat of Cadmium Pollution and Alarming Health Risks Associated with the Consumption of 15 Commercially Important Fish Species in the Middle Stretch of River Ganga, at Patna, India.

Among environmental contaminants, the rising level of cadmium in freshwater ecosystems is one of the most significant global concerns. The study addresses the current pollution status of cadmium in the middle stretch of River Ganga and explores the potential hazard associated with the consumption of 15 commercially important fish species by the inhabitants. Together 72 water and sediment samples were analyzed from the four representative sampling sites of River Ganga after the surveillance of major anthropogenic stressors. The concentration of cadmium ranges from 0.003 to 0.011mg/l and 0.2 to 3.48mg/kg in water and sediment respectively in 2022. The average concentration of cadmium was recorded to be the highest in Channa punctatus (1.35mg/kg), followed by Rita rita = Johnius coitor (1.15mg/kg), and the lowest in Labeo bata (0.2mg/kg). The finding highlights greater exposure duration and feeding preferences of fish species have played a significant role in the bioaccumulation of the metal in the riverine system. Notably, the domestic effluents, agricultural runoffs, and pollutants brought along by the tributaries of River Ganga are identified as the main anthropogenic stressors for the moderate to considerably polluted status of the River Ganga. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and target carcinogenic risk (TCR) have revealed a higher susceptibility to cadmium contamination in children followed by females, and males. In addition, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) has noted intake of Rita rita, Channa punctata, Puntius sophore, and Johnius coitor could be more detrimental to children's health than adults.

Particle-size correlation and prediction models of atmospheric heavy metals

The infinitely variable size of atmospheric particulate matter raises a huge challenge for accurately assessing the health risks of pollutants of different particle sizes. Currently, the majority of studies have concentrated on PM2.5-bound heavy metals (PM2.5-HMs) and their associated health risks, greatly ignoring the risks caused by heavy metals in other particle sizes such as PM10 and total suspended particulate (TSP). In this study, Pearson correlation analysis was used for the first time to explore the concentration correlation of 10 heavy metals (HMs) (Cd, Cr, As, Pb, Zn, Cu, V, Mn, Ni, Co) in PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and TSP, utilizing 91876 PM samples from China from 2000 to 2022. The results of the Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the correlation coefficients between PM2.5-HM and PM10-HM, PM10-HM and TSP-HM, and PM2.5-HM and TSP-HM were all above 0.82, with statistical significance (P < 0.001). Due to the sample size limitation of PM1-HM (n < 15), the Pearson correlation coefficients of PM1-HM with other particle-size HM may not be robust enough. Then generalized linear models (GLM) and generalized additive models (GAM) were used to exclude the interference of covariates (sampling time and sampling city), and 16 univariate inter-prediction models which are not affected by temporal and spatial factors for PM2.5, PM10, and TSP binding HM concentration were further constructed. The regression diagnostics of these prediction models indicate normally distributed data and strong linear trends, and the influential points in the modeled data were all within acceptable limits (n ≤ 1). The R2s of the prediction models were almost greater than 0.8, indicating that the prediction models were effective and robust. This study reveals for the first time the particle-size correlation of PM2.5-HM, PM10-HM, and TSP-HM, offering a novel approach for the prediction of heavy metal concentration and health risk assessment of atmospheric particle-size fractionated heavy metal.

Pollution Indices and Health Risks Associated with Toxic Trace Elements in Road Dust in Southern Tehran

Pollution Indices and Health Risks Associated with Toxic Trace Elements in Road Dust in Southern Tehran

Pollution status and health risk assessment of heavy metals in the soil of Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district of Punjab, India and its source apportionment

The threat of heavy metals in soil due to rapid urbanization, intensive agricultural practices, vehicular emission, and industry-related activities is increasing day by day, causing high risk to environmental health. The present study assessed the heavy metal pollution (Cr, Co, Ni, Co, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) in the soil of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar District, Punjab, India, through the index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), contamination factors (CF), degree of contamination (DC), pollution load index (PLI), ecological risk factor (Er) and potential ecological risk indices (PRI). The results showed the concentration of heavy metals in the soil in the order of Pb > Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu > As > Co > Cd. The pollution risk assessment indices: Igeo, CF, and Er indicated that most soil samples were moderately contaminated with Pb. The village Majra showed considerable contamination as evidenced by the Cd. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed the anthropogenic sources (agricultural practices and discharges from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) industries) to be the possible sources of Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. The health risk assessment studies indicated that carcinogenic risks were higher for children than the adults. The cancer risk (CR) for all heavy metals in decreasing order is As > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cd. Likewise, the non-carcinogenic risks calculated as HQ followed the order of Pb > As > Cr > Cd > Ni > Cu > Co > Zn. The significant disparities in heavy metal concentrations underscore the necessity of establishing appropriate baseline levels for toxic trace metals in soils.

Spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and risk assessment of heavy metals in groundwater of Pingshuo mining area.

Groundwater pollution in the Pingshuo mining area is strongly associated with mining activities, with heavy metals (HMs) representing predominant pollutants. To obtain accurate information about the pollution status and health risks of groundwater, 189 groups of samples were collected from four types of groundwater, during three periods of the year, and analyzed for HMs. The results showed that the concentration of HMs in groundwater was higher near the open pit, waste slag pile, riverfront area, and human settlements. Except for Ordovician groundwater, excessive HMs were found in all investigated groundwater of the mining area, as compared with the standard thresholds. Fe exceeded the threshold in 13-75% of the groundwater samples. Three sources of HMs were identified and quantified by Pearson's correlation analysis and the PMF model, including coal mining activities (68.22%), industrial, agricultural, and residential chemicals residue and leakage (16.91%), and natural sources (14.87%). The Nemerow pollution index revealed that 7.58% and 100% of Quaternary groundwater and mine water samples were polluted. The health risk index for HMs in groundwater showed that the non-carcinogenic health risk ranged from 0.18 to 0.42 for adults, indicating an acceptable level. Additionally, high carcinogenic risks were identified in Quaternary groundwater (95.45%), coal series groundwater (91.67%), and Ordovician groundwater (26.67%). Both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were greater for children than adults, highlighting their increased vulnerability to HMs in groundwater. This study provides a scientific foundation for managing groundwater quality and ensuring drinking water safety in mining areas.

Dual-response fluorescent probe for simultaneously detecting HOCl and Zn2+ in environmental water samples and evaluating the oxidative stress in the zebrafishes induced by pollutants via fluorescence imaging

Both of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and Zn2+ ions play important roles in fundamental biological processes. They not only simultaneously exist in the biological organisms, but also coexist in the environment. Thus, developing a novel method for simultaneous detection of HOCl and Zn2+ is very necessary. Herein, the nitrogen- and sulfur-codoped carbon dots (N,S-CDs) were synthesized through a simple and rapid microwave method, it emits dual-emission fluorescence centered at 452 nm and 685 nm, which has specific recognition to HOCl and Zn2+, respectively, and they do not interfere with each other. A dual-emission and dual-response fluorescent probe was thus developed for the simultaneous detection of HOCl and Zn2+ in the environment and fluorescence imaging in the zebrafishes. The limits of detection for HOCl and Zn2+ are 27.0 nM and 13.0 nM, respectively. It has been successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of HOCl and Zn2+ in real water samples. The sensing mechanisms of the N,S-CDs to HOCl and Zn2+ were also discussed in detail. Moreover, the fluorescent probe not only can be used to real-time dynamic monitoring of HOCl and Zn2+ in the zebrafishes, but also can be applied to evaluate the oxidative stress in the zebrafishes induced by pollutions via fluorescence imaging. This work provided a new strategy for developing multifunctional fluorescent probes, and a potential application prospect for environmental monitoring and evaluating the health risks of environmental pollutants to organisms.

Identification of groundwater pollution sources and health risk assessment in the Fengshui mining area of Central Shandong, China.

The crux of groundwater protection lies in a profound understanding of the sources of pollutants and their impacts on human health. This study selected 47 groundwater samples from the Fengshui mining area in central Shandong Province, China, employing advanced hydrogeochemical techniques, positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo analysis methods, aimed at unveiling the characteristics, origins, and health risks of water pollutants. The results indicated that the majority of samples exhibited a slightly alkaline nature. Notably, the concentrations of fluoride (F-) and nitrate (NO3-) exceeded China's safety standards in 40.43% and 23.40% of the samples, respectively. Moreover, a water quality index (WQI) below 50 was observed in approximately 68.09% of the sites, suggesting that the water quality in these areas generally met acceptable levels. However, regions with higher WQI values were predominantly located in the northern and southern parts of the mining area. PMF analysis revealed that regional geological and industrial activities were the primary factors affecting water quality, followed by mining discharges, fundamental geological and agricultural processes, and leachate enrichment activities. The health risk assessment highlighted the heightened sensitivity of the youth demographic to fluoride, with a more pronounced non-carcinogenic risk compared to nitrate, affecting about 31.89% of the youth population. Hence, it is imperative for local authorities and relevant departments to take prompt actions to remediate groundwater contamination to minimize public health risks.

Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of fine particulate matter and its metal elements during Chinese New Year

The Chinese Lunar New Year is a significant festival in China that leads to indoor and outdoor air pollution with distinct characteristics compared to normal times. In this study, indoor and outdoor air samples were collected and analysed to investigate the indoor and outdoor pollution of PM2.5 and its metal elements during the Chinese New Year. The findings reveal that there is a notable positive correlation between indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations during the Chinese New Year, with outdoor concentrations being higher on average. The levels of PM2.5 concentrations indoors and outdoors started to increase on Chinese New Year’s Eve and peaked after the early hours of the Chinese New Year. The total concentrations of six metal elements (Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb and Zn) in indoor and outdoor PM2.5 during the Chinese New Year in 2022 were 738.73 ± 134.93 mg/kg and 1124.38 ± 553.14 mg/kg, respectively. Principal component analysis suggests that the main sources of indoor metal elements were from outdoor combustion sources and human activities, while outdoor sources were fireworks displays and emissions from coal combustion. Based on the U.S. EPA risk assessment carried out, both indoor and outdoor PM2.5 metal elements could pose a carcinogenic risk to adults.