Despite its reputation as one of the cleanest regions globally, recent studies have identified the presence of various persistent toxic substances (PTSs) in the environmental matrices collected from ...Svalbard. This study investigated the chronological distribution and potential sources of 81 PTSs in soils from the glacier foreland of Midtre Lovénbreen. Soil samples (n = 45) were categorized by age based on exposure to the atmosphere due to glacier retreat in July 2014 into five age groups: 80–100 years (n = 7), 60–80 years (n = 12), 40–60 years (n = 16), 20–40 years (n = 7), and <20 years (n = 3). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, n = 32) in soils varied with age, ranging from 0.29 to 0.74 ng g−1 dw. In addition, the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, n = 28), perylene, and alkyl-PAHs (n = 20) in soils ranged from 21 to 80 ng g−1 dw, 2.9–62 ng g−1 dw, and 73–420 ng g−1 dw, respectively. The concentrations of PTSs were observed to be greater in older soils. Principal component analysis revealed that PCBs in soils originated from various product sources. Positive matrix factorization modeling estimated the association of PAHs in soils with potential origins, such as diesel emissions, petroleum and coal combustion, and coal. Potential sources of PAHs were mainly coal in younger soils and diesel emissions and petroleum combustion in older soils. Alkyl-PAH compositions in the soil were similar to those of bituminous coal, with a noteworthy degree of weathering observed in older soils. The accumulation rate and flux of PTSs in soils exhibited compound-specific patterns, reflecting factors such as long-range transport, fate, origin, and recent inputs. These findings can serve as baseline data for protecting and preserving polar environments.
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•PTS concentrations were higher in older soils than in younger soils.•PAH sources were mainly coal in younger soils and diesel emissions in older soils.•Alkyl-PAHs originated from bituminous coal and were highly weathered in older soils.•Accumulation rate and flux of PTSs in soils exhibited compound-specific patterns.
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•Zr-MOFs show great potential application in the field of sensing.•Different types of Zr-MOF sensors in fluorescent sensing have been classified.•The important progress in ...fluorescence sensing of Zr-MOFs has been summarized.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of inorganic–organic hybrid crystalline materials composed of metal cations/clusters and organic ligands. Zirconium-based MOFs (Zr-MOFs) are considered to be one of the most promising families of MOF materials for practical applications due to their structural diversity, incomparable stability, and interesting properties. Therein luminescent Zr-MOFs with suitable metal nodes, ligands, and encapsulated guest molecules exhibit unique fluorescence responses. They could achieve efficient and sensitive detection of various harmful pollutants and dangerous goods, which is significant to human health and environmental protection. In this review, the synthetic strategies, types of sensors, and applications of Zr-MOF sensors were summarized, including progress in sensing ions, nitroaromatic compounds, toxic substances, biosensing and bioimaging in recent years. This review is expected to guide the design, synthesis and practical application of Zr-MOFs in chemical and biological sensing, enrich the library of Zr-MOF sensors, and expand their application scope for more detrimental species.
In this paper, the characteristics of persistent toxic substances (PTSs) in soil of Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic during the 10th Chinese Arctic (Arctic Ocean) scientific investigation were quantitatively ...analyzed. The sources and toxicity risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil was also analyzed. No obvious spatial distribution of PAHs was identified in the study area. LMW-PAHs are the main PAHs in this region, mainly tricyclic PAHs. The results of characteristic ratio method and PCA showed that the PAHs in soil mainly came from petroleum source and petroleum combustion source, and incomplete combustion of coal and wood, and atmospheric transport contributed to some extent. Ecological risk assessment results showed that the PAHs in soil did not bring toxicity risk, and the possibility of ecological risk was very low in Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic.
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•Distribution characteristics of PTSs in soils of Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic.•Sources apportionment and Ecological risk assessment for PTSs in soils.•Risk levels of PTs and recommendations for prevention and control.
This study investigated the large-scale distributions of persistent toxic substances (PTSs) and heavy metals in sediments of the Yellow Sea, collected from six transects between latitudes 32 and 37 ...degrees north (n = 35). Elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were detected near the mainland, with a predominance of low-chlorinated congeners (di to tetra, ∼60%), indicative of atmospheric deposition. Analysis of traditional and emerging polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (t-PAHs and e-PAHs) revealed notable enrichment in the Central Yellow Sea Mud Zone (CYSM), attributing fossil fuel combustion as the significant source. Styrene oligomers and alkylphenols exhibited notable accumulation near the Han River Estuary in South Korea and the Yangtze River Estuary in China, respectively. The accumulation of heavy metals was predominantly observed in the CYSM, with element-specific distribution patterns. Cluster analysis revealed distinct distribution patterns for PTSs and metals, highlighting their source-dependent and grain size-dependent behaviors. In addition, the distribution and accumulation of PTSs tended to depend on their partitioning coefficients, such as the octanol-air partition coefficient (log KOA) and octanol-water partition coefficient (log KOW). This study offers valuable insights into the sources, transport, and fate of hazardous substances in the Yellow Sea, emphasizing the necessity for targeted environmental management strategies.
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•The distribution of PTSs and metals in sediments exhibited a compound-specific manner.•PCBs, styrene oligomers, and alkylphenols were accumulated near their sources.•PAHs, originating from fossil fuel combustion, mainly accumulated in CYSM.•Metals accumulated in CSYM similarly to PAHs and showed a grain size-dependent trend.•The fate of PTSs was dependent on partition coefficients, such as log KOW and log KOA.
Toxic substances in cosmetic preparations Batinić, Ana; Tegeltija, Anamarija; Stolica, Martina ...
Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju,
01/2021, Letnik:
72
Journal Article
Hexavalent chromium ion (Cr6+) is one of the most toxic substances for plants, for animals, and is a confirmed human respiratory carcinogen. However, so far, there are few independent and efficient ...colorimetric methods for detection of Cr6+. Here, we introduce a convenient, label-free, catalysis-based, and efficient strategy for quantification of Cr6+ by using a colorimetric sensing probe 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). In the presence of a trace amount of gold amalgam nanocomposites (Au@Hg) and Cr6+, TMB can be oxidized to oxTMB and the color changed to an intense blue that was observed by naked-eye and absorption spectroscopic method. In addition, the colorimetric method shows the high selectivity against 34 other interfering substances, and it can be performed at room temperature, in water, and requires only ∼5 min. Thus, the catalysis-based colorimetric assay for accurate and ultrahigh selective identification of Cr6+ will find widespread use in the world.
The biota of European rivers are affected by a wide range of stressors impairing water quality and hydro‐morphology. Only about 40% of Europe's rivers reach ‘good ecological status’, a target set by ...the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and indicated by the biota. It is yet unknown how the different stressors in concert impact ecological status and how the relationship between stressors and status differs between river types. We linked the intensity of seven stressors to recently measured ecological status data for more than 50,000 sub‐catchment units (covering almost 80% of Europe's surface area), which were distributed among 12 broad river types. Stressor data were either derived from remote sensing data (extent of urban and agricultural land use in the riparian zone) or modelled (alteration of mean annual flow and of base flow, total phosphorous load, total nitrogen load and mixture toxic pressure, a composite metric for toxic substances), while data on ecological status were taken from national statutory reporting of the second WFD River Basin Management Plans for the years 2010–2015. We used Boosted Regression Trees to link ecological status to stressor intensities. The stressors explained on average 61% of deviance in ecological status for the 12 individual river types, with all seven stressors contributing considerably to this explanation. On average, 39.4% of the deviance was explained by altered hydro‐morphology (morphology: 23.2%; hydrology: 16.2%), 34.4% by nutrient enrichment and 26.2% by toxic substances. More than half of the total deviance was explained by stressor interaction, with nutrient enrichment and toxic substances interacting most frequently and strongly. Our results underline that the biota of all European river types are determined by co‐occurring and interacting multiple stressors, lending support to the conclusion that fundamental management strategies at the catchment scale are required to reach the ambitious objective of good ecological status of surface waters.
We analyzed the effects of multiple stressors on ecological status of more than 50,000 European river catchments. Hydro‐morphological degradation showed the strongest effects, followed by nutrient enrichment and toxic substances. Interactive stressor effects were prominent. Our findings highlight the role of multiple stressors acting on Europe's rivers and call for fundamental restorative management strategies at the catchment‐scale.
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This article describes the composition of root exudates, how these metabolites are released to the rhizosphere and their importance in the recruitment of beneficial microbiota that ...alleviate plant stress.
Metabolites secreted to the rhizosphere by roots are involved in several processes. By modulating the composition of the root exudates, plants can modify soil properties to adapt and ensure their survival under adverse conditions. They use several strategies such as (1) changing soil pH to solubilize nutrients into assimilable forms, (2) chelating toxic compounds, (3) attracting beneficial microbiota, or (4) releasing toxic substances for pathogens, etc. In this work, the composition of root exudates as well as the different mechanisms of root exudation have been reviewed. Existing methodologies to collect root exudates, indicating their advantages and disadvantages, are also described. Factors affecting root exudation have been exposed, including physical, chemical, and biological agents which can produce qualitative and quantitative changes in exudate composition. Finally, since root exudates play an important role in the recruitment of mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), the mechanisms of interaction between plants and the beneficial microbiota have been highlighted.