The study aims to assess the heavy metals such as cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cupper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) from 25 surface sediment samples at ...different sites of the Emerald Lake, Tamilnadu, India using spatial distribution and multivariate techniques like Pearson correlation matrix and principal component analysis. From the result, the ranges of Fe, Cu, Cr, Mn, Zn, Ni, Co, and Pb are noticed to be 78,128 to 132,876; 314 to 462; 336 to 523; 520 to 701; 20.1 to 53.21; 128 to 215; 91 to 129.9; and 151 to 158 μg g
−1
, respectively. The order of the average heavy metals concentration is Fe > Mn > Cr > Cu > Pb > Zn > Co > Ni. From the result, Ni, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Cd are found to be considerably correlated as they are usually related to anthropogenic activities, wastewater, and sewage. From the principal corresponding analysis (PCA) results retrieved from PC3 suggest that Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Ni have common origin and are mainly due to anthropogenic input, inorganic fertilizers in agriculture, human activities, sewage effluents, traffic, and boat activities. The study relatively provides a significant approach for heavy metal pollution origin in the surface sediment in the Emerald Lake.
The potential effects of heavy metals on human health have attracted increasing attention as most people spend up to 90% of their time indoors. Human exposure to heavy metals in indoor dust have only ...been characterised for limited regions in China, and full-scale data for different functional areas are not available. Therefore, this review analysed the concentrations, contamination characteristics, and potential health risks of seven heavy metals (including zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd)) in indoor dust at 3392 sampling sites in 55 cities across 27 provincial regions of China based on literature data. Results revealed that the median heavy metal concentrations in indoor dust throughout China decreased in the following order: Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Ni > As > Cd. Traffic emissions and decorative materials are the primary sources of heavy metal pollution in indoor dust. No considerable non-carcinogenic risk was found for Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Cd in indoor dust, while Pb and As exhibited potential non-carcinogenic risks to children, primarily distributed in cities across Southern China. Meanwhile, the carcinogenic risks posed by Cr and Ni were higher than those posed by As and Cd, especially in Southern China. Therefore, effective measures in Southern China should prioritised for controlling Pb, Cr, Ni and As pollution in indoor dust to reduce human health risk. This review is useful for policy decision-making and protecting human from exposure to heavy metals in indoor dust across China.
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•The contaminations of heavy metals in Southern China were significantly higher than Northern China.•The concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Cr during 2014–2021 were significantly lower than those in 1998–2013.•Cd contamination level was the highest compared to other metals.•Traffic emissions and decorative materials are the primary sources of heavy metals in indoor dust.•More attention should be paid to the non-carcinogenic risk of Pb and As and cancer risk of Cr, Ni, and As.
•Effect of strawberry addition in nutritional and functional properties of yoghurt.•Antioxidant capacity of strawberry pulp was reduced after addition in yoghurt.•Yoghurt showed important decrease of ...polyphenols and whey proteins along storage.•The behaviour of specific phenolics and proteins were different throughout storage.•Potential interaction between proteins, hydrocolloid and polyphenols was observed.
An immediate decrease in the total antioxidant activity (23%) and total phenolic content (14%) was observed after addition of strawberry preparations to yoghurt. The total anthocyanin content did not change immediately, but decreased 24% throughout the yoghurt shelf-life.
The individual compounds, (+)-catechin (60%), (−)-epicatechin (60%), kaempferol (33%) and quercetin-3-rutinoside (29%) decreased after 24h in the yoghurt made with the strawberry preparation. During the remaining period of storage these compounds increased by 47%, 6%, 4% and 18%, respectively. Pelargonidin-3-glucoside decreased 49% after 28d.
Immediately after the addition of the strawberry preparation to yoghurt, β-lactoglobulin decreased to values lower than the limit of detection and α-lactalbumin by approximately 34%, and was reduced further slowly throughout yoghurt self-life. An immediate interaction between the carrageenan present in the strawberry preparation and β-LG was observed. The variations of both polyphenols and protein in the presence of carrageenan and the potential interactions were discussed.
This paper introduces a detailed method to apply metabolic profiles conducting on tangerine peels (Citrus reticulata 'Dahongpao') at three maturity stages from July to December. Principal component ...analysis not only demonstrated the metabolic footprints of tangerine peels during ripening but also revealed the compounds (D-limonene and linalool) that mostly contributed to it. Furthermore, some other characteristic compounds were screened to further reveal the chemical features of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (PCR) and Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride (PCRV). In particular, compounds such as 4-carene (r = -0.94), 3-carene (r = -0.91), β-pinene (r = -0.85) and γ-terpinene (r = -0.87) were screened as major components for the pungent smell of PCRV. Geranyl acetate (r = 0.81), farnesyl acetate (r = 0.87) and three alcohols (6-hepten-1-ol, 3-methyl-1-hexanol, 1-octanol) may lead to the pleasant odour of PCR. We therefore propose that the metabolomics analysis focusing on ripening process will be an effective strategy for quality control of closely related herbal medicines.
•BFRs were analysed in plastics from household waste, virgin and recycled plastics.•Half (50%) of household waste plastics contained BFRs.•Concentrations up to 26,000,000ngTBBPA/g were measured in ...some recycled plastics.•Widespread presence of BFRs indicated unintended addition or chemical degradation.
Flame retardants are chemicals vital for reducing risks of fire and preventing human casualties and property losses. Due to the abundance, low cost and high performance of bromine, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have had a significant share of the market for years. Physical stability on the other hand, has resulted in dispersion and accumulation of selected BFRs in the environment and receiving biota. A wide range of plastic products may contain BFRs. This affects the quality of waste plastics as secondary resource: material recycling may potentially reintroduce the BFRs into new plastic product cycles and lead to increased exposure levels, e.g. through use of plastic packaging materials. To provide quantitative and qualitative data on presence of BFRs in plastics, we analysed bromophenols (tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), dibromophenols (2,4- and 2,6-DBP) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (2,4,6-TBP)), hexabromocyclododecane stereoisomers (α-, β-, and γ-HBCD), as well as selected polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in samples of household waste plastics, virgin and recycled plastics. A considerable number of samples contained BFRs, with highest concentrations associated with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS, up to 26,000,000ngTBBPA/g) and polystyrene (PS, up to 330,000ng∑HBCD/g). Abundancy in low concentrations of some BFRs in plastic samples suggested either unintended addition in plastic products or degradation of higher molecular weight BFRs. The presence of currently restricted flame retardants (PBDEs and HBCD) identified in the plastic samples illustrates that circular material flows may be contaminated for extended periods. The screening clearly showed a need for improved documentation and monitoring of the presence of BFRs in plastic waste routed to recycling.
It has been recognized that wildfire, followed by large precipitation events, triggers both flooding and debris flows in mountainous regions. The ability to predict and mitigate these hazards is ...crucial in protecting public safety and infrastructure. A need for advanced modeling techniques was highlighted by re-evaluating existing prediction models from the literature. Data from 15 individual burn basins in the intermountain western United States, which contained 388 instances and 26 variables, were obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). After randomly selecting a subset of the data to serve as a validation set, advanced predictive modeling techniques, using machine learning, were implemented using the remaining training data. Tenfold cross-validation was applied to the training data to ensure nearly unbiased error estimation and also to avoid model over-fitting. Linear, nonlinear, and rule-based predictive models including naïve Bayes, mixture discriminant analysis, classification trees, and logistic regression models were developed and tested on the validation dataset. Results for the new non-linear approaches were nearly twice as successful as those for the linear models, previously published in debris flow prediction literature. The new prediction models advance the current state-of-the-art of debris flow prediction and improve the ability to accurately predict debris flow events in wildfire-prone intermountain western United States.
Recently, the subsoils of ephemeral stream (arroyos) floodplains in the northern Chihuahuan Desert were discovered to contain large naturally occurring NO3− reservoirs (floodplain: ~38,000 kg ...NO3-N/ha; background: ~60 kg NO3-N/ha). These reservoirs may be mobilized through land use change or natural stream channel migration which makes differentiating between anthropogenic and natural groundwater NO3− sources challenging. In this study, the fate and sources of NO3− were investigated in an area with multiple NO3− sources such as accidental sewer line releases and sewage lagoons as well as natural reservoirs of subsoil NO3−. To differentiate sources, this study used a large suite of geochemical tools including δ15NNO3, δ18ONO3, δ15NN2, δ13CDIC, 14C, tritium (3H), dissolved gas concentrations, major ion chemistry, and contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) including artificial sweeteners. NO3− at sites with the highest concentrations (25 to 229 mg/L NO3-N) were determined to be largely sourced from naturally occurring subsoil NO3− based on δ15NNO3 (<8 ‰) and mass ratios of Cl−/Br− (〈100) and NO3−/Cl− (>1.5). Anthropogenic NO3− was deciphered using mass ratios of Cl−/Br− (>120) and NO3−/Cl− (<1), δ15NNO3 (>8 ‰), and CEC detections. Nitrogen isotope analyses indicated that denitrification is fairly limited in the field area. CEC were detected at 67 % of sites including 3H dead sites (<1 pCi/L) with low percent modern carbon-14 (PMC; <30 %). Local supply wells are 3H dead with low PMC; as 3H does not re-equilibrate and 14C is very slow to re-equilibrate during recirculation through infrastructure, sites with low PMC, 3H < 1 pCi/L, and CEC detections were interpreted as locations with substantial anthropogenic groundwater recharge. Neotame was used to identify locations of very recent (<15 years before present) or ongoing wastewater influxes to the aquifer. This work shows the important influence of naturally occurring subsoil NO3− reservoirs on groundwater in arid regions and the major contribution of artificial recharge.
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•Major ions, isotopes, and CECs are used to decipher natural and anthropogenic NO3−.•Subsoil NO3− reservoirs in arroyo floodplains are major source of groundwater NO3−.•Artificial recharge in arid regions can be deciphered using 3H, 14C, and CECs.
This is the first study on the distribution and characteristics of plastic debris found in the sediments of Rameswaram Island, Gulf of Mannar, India. Studies on the distribution of plastics and ...microplastic content in highly populated coral islands and their impact on the coral ecosystem are very scarce. For this purpose, marine sediment samples were collected from 20 locations along the coastal areas of the study region. The distribution and characterization study was carried out by visual examination followed by FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed abundance of white-colored and irregular-shaped plastic debris in this study area. Polypropylene was identified as a dominant polymer variety, followed by polyethylene, polystyrene, nylon, and polyvinyl chloride. Tourist activities and fishing practices were found to be the possible sources of the microplastic debris. Additionally, the distribution of the plastics was found to be dominantly controlled by the aeolian process and the nature of the coast.
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•The present study was carried out to assess the distribution and characterization of the plastic debris, Rameswaram Island.•The white colored and irregular shaped plastic debris was dominated in this study area.•The polymer showing following dominant order: Polypropylene > Polyethylene > polystyrene > Nylon > Polyvinyl chloride•The source of the plastics of tourist, fishing activities and distributed by Aeolian process and nature of the coast
The current study was conducted to (1) examine seasonal and spatial distribution of heavy metals and metalloid in sediment from the Saigon River and (2) apportion and quantify their pollution ...sources. Ninety-six sediment samples were taken in the rainy and dry season on 13 sampling sites, distributed over the lower reaches of the River, to analyze for exchangeable concentration of 11 heavy metals and metalloid (Al, B, Cd, Co, Fe, In, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn), pH, EC, organic carbon content, and particle-size distribution. Generally, the concentration of 11 elements was ranked in the order Mn > Al > Fe > Zn > Sr > In > B > Ni > Co > Pb > Cd. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped 13 sampling sites into two parts based on the similar concentration of the 11 elements. Three-way analysis of variance showed that the total exchangeable concentration of 11 elements was significantly higher in the rainy season than in the dry season and in the upper part than in the lower part of the river. Principal component analysis/factor analysis and correlation analysis revealed that three pollution sources (PS) may contribute to enriching the 11 examined elements in the sediment. These sources included (PS1) from catchment through water erosion over natural areas, explaining 83%, (PS2) mixed sources from catchment through water erosion over agricultural fields and inside Ho Chi Minh City, accounting for 6%, and (PS3) mixed sources from lowland areas, explaining 7.8% of the total variance of the elements. In brief, the sediment concentration of 11 metals and metalloid varied with season and space and three major pollution sources from river catchment, inside Ho Chi Minh City, and lowland contributively enriched the elements in the sediment of the River.
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•Sediment can serve as a sink/source of heavy metals (HM) for aquatic ecosystems.•11-HM concentrations in sediment from the Saigon River varied with season and space.•Rainy season had significantly higher concentration of 11 HMs than the dry season.•River catchment, inside Ho Chi Minh City, and lowland were major sources of 11 HMs.
Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) of soft tissue is a rare sarcoma with morphologic similarities to malignant melanoma but a distinct genetic background including a chromosomal translocation, ...t(12;22)(q13;q12), or a resultant EWSR1-ATF1 fusion gene. In addition, the tumors occurring in the gastrointestinal tract may have a variant fusion gene EWSR1-CREB1. This study analyzed the clinicopathologic and molecular genetic features of 33 CCSs of soft tissue. The patients' ages ranged from 13 to 73 years (median, 30 y), and there was a male predominance (20 males, 13 females). The tumors were located in the deep soft tissues of the extremities (N=25) or in the trunk or limb girdles (N=8). The median tumor size was 4 cm (range, 1 to 15 cm). The tumor cells were either spindle or epithelioid, and they were arranged predominantly in a short fascicular (N=19) or a solid sheetlike growth pattern (N=14). Minor histologic variations included the existence of rhabdoid cells (N=8), bizarre pleomorphic cells (N=6), alveolar structures due to loss of cellular cohesion (N=3), and a seminomalike pattern (N=2). Tumor necrosis was evident in 14 tumors, and the mitotic activity ranged from 0 to 43 mitotic figures (MF)/10 high-power fields (HPF) (mean: 4 MF/10 HPF). Immunohistochemically, the tumors were consistently positive for S-100 protein (33/33) and variably or focally for HMB45 (32/33), microphthalmia transcription factor (26/32), Melan A (23/32), CD57 (25/33), bcl-2 (30/32), synaptophysin (14/32), CD56 (7/32), epithelial membrane antigen (12/33), cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) (1/32), CD34 (3/32), c-erbB-2 (10/32), c-kit (5/32), and c-met (5/32). alpha-Smooth muscle actin, desmin, and cytokeratin (CAM5.2) were negative. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using RNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues demonstrated transcripts of the EWSR1-ATF1 (31/33) or EWSR1-CREB1 fusion gene (2/33). In 26 cases with available clinical information, local recurrences and metastases developed in 2 and 15 patients, respectively. Ten patients were dead of the disease, and the overall survival rate was 63% at 5 years. However, no clinicopathologic or molecular variables associated with the patients' prognosis were identified. This study confirms that CCS is an aggressive soft tissue tumor with a melanocytic phenotype and wider morphologic variations than had been generally considered. In cases with unusual histologic findings, molecular detection of the EWSR1-ATF1/CREB1 fusion genes provides critical information regarding the diagnosis of the tumor.
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