Investigating the ternary relationship among nanoparticles (NPs), their immediate molecular environment, and test organisms rather than the direct interaction between pristine NPs and test organisms ...has been thrust into the mainstream of nanotoxicological research. Diverging from previous work that predominantly centered on surrounding molecules affecting the toxicity of NPs by modulating their nanoproperties, this study has unveiled a novel dimension: surrounding molecules altering bacterial susceptibility to NPs, consequently impacting the outcomes of nanobio interaction. The study found that adding nitrate as the surrounding molecules could alter bacterial respiratory pathways, resulting in an enhanced reduction of ceria NPs (nanoceria) on the bacterial surfaces. This, in turn, increased the ion-specific toxicity originating from the release of Ce3+ ions at the nanobio interface. Further transcriptome analysis revealed more mechanistic details underlying the nitrate-induced changes in the bacterial energy metabolism and subsequent toxicity patterns. These findings offer a new perspective for the deconstruction of nanobio interactions and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of NPs’ environmental fate and ecotoxicity.
Accumulating evidence linked extreme temperature events (ETEs) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM); however, it remained unknown if and how ETEs and PM2.5 ...interact to trigger CMM occurrence. Merging four Chinese national cohorts with 64,140 free-CMM adults, we provided strong evidence among ETEs, PM2.5 exposure, and CMM occurrence. Performing Cox hazards regression models along with additive interaction analyses, we found that the hazards ratio (HRs) of CMM occurrence associated with heatwave and cold spell were 1.006–1.019 and 1.063–1.091, respectively. Each 10 μg/m3 increment of PM2.5 concentration was associated with 17.9% (95% confidence interval: 13.9–22.0%) increased risk of CMM. Similar adverse effects were also found among PM2.5 constituents of nitrate, organic matter, sulfate, ammonium, and black carbon. We observed a synergetic interaction of heatwave and PM2.5 pollution on CMM occurrence with relative excess risk due to the interaction of 0.999 (0.663–1.334). Our study provides novel evidence that both ETEs and PM2.5 exposure were positively associated with CMM occurrence, and the heatwave interacts synergistically with PM2.5 to trigger CMM.
Reducing air pollutants and CO2 emissions from energy utilization is crucial for achieving the dual objectives of clean air and carbon neutrality in China. Thus, an optimized health-oriented strategy ...is urgently needed. Herein, by coupling a CO2 and air pollutants emission inventory with response surface models for PM2.5-associated mortality, we shed light on the effectiveness of protecting human health and co-CO2 benefit from reducing fuel-related emissions and generate a health-oriented strategy for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Results reveal that oil consumption is the primary contributor to fuel-related PM2.5 pollution and premature deaths in the YRD. Significantly, curtailing fuel consumption in transportation is the most effective measure to alleviate the fuel-related PM2.5 health impact, which also has the greatest cobenefits for CO2 emission reduction on a regional scale. Reducing fuel consumption will achieve substantial health improvements especially in eastern YRD, with nonroad vehicle emission reductions being particularly impactful for health protection, while on-road vehicles present the greatest potential for CO2 reductions. Scenario analysis confirms the importance of mitigating oil consumption in the transportation sector in addressing PM2.5 pollution and climate change.
Air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), is a significant environmental pollution worldwide. Studying the chemical, environmental, and life-related cellular physical characteristics of ...size-fractionated PMs is important because of their different degrees of harmful effects on human respiratory tracts and organ systems, causing severe diseases. This study evaluates the chemical components of size-fractionated PMs down to PM0.1 collected during a biomass-burning episode, including elemental/organic carbon and trace elements. Single particle sizes and distributions of PM0.1, PM0.5–0.1, PM1.0–0.5, and PM2.5–1.0 were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and Zeta sizer. Two commonly used cell lines, e.g., HeLa and Cos7 cells, and two respiratory-related cell lines including lung cancer/normal cells were utilized for cell cytotoxicity experiments, revealing the key effects of particle sizes and concentrations. A high-speed scanning ion conductance microscope explored particle-stimulated subcellular physical characteristics for all cell lines in dynamics, including surface roughness (SR) and elastic modulus (E). The statistical results of SR showed distinct features among different particle sizes and cell types while a E reduction was universally found. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the chemical, environmental, and cellular physical characteristics of size-fractionated PMs and sheds light on the necessity of controlling small-sized PM exposures.
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are biphenyl- or cyclohexane-based organic chemicals used in electronic digital displays, and several of them possess bioaccumulative and toxic properties. Little is ...known about their occurrence in indoor dust from the United States. We analyzed 60 LCMs in 104 residential indoor dust samples collected from 16 states across the United States. Forty-seven of 60 LCMs were detected in dust samples at a median ∑LCM concentration of 402 ng/g (range: not detected to 4300 ng/g). Trans-4-propylcyclohexyl trans,trans-4′-propylbicyclohexyl-4-carboxylate (MPVBC) and (trans,trans)-4-fluorophenyl 4′-pentyl-1,1′-bi(cyclohexane)-4-carboxylate (FPeBC) were frequently detected in dust samples. We investigated potential sources of LCMs in dust by determining concentrations and profiles of these chemicals in smartphone screens, desktop and laptop computer monitors, and displays of other electronic devices and found that profiles in smartphones matched closely with those found in dust. The calculated median daily intake of ∑LCM through dust ingestion was 1.19 ng/kg bw/d for children, whereas that through dermal absorption was 0.18 ng/kg bw/d for adults in the United States.
Southern Hemisphere humpback whales accumulate persistent and toxic chemicals, which are transported to Antarctica through distant sources and in situ usage. The extreme seasonal migration-associated ...fast of humpback whales results in the remobilization of persistent and lipophilic environmental contaminants from liberated fat stores. Mitochondria play a key role in lipid metabolism, and any disruption to mitochondrial function is expected to influence whole-organism bioenergetics. It is therefore of interest to advance understanding of the impact of known contaminants of the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem upon humpback whale cellular bioenergetics. Using cell line-based in vitro testing, this study employed the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer to study cellular metabolic activity in live humpback whale fibroblast cells. The assay, based on oxygen consumption rate, provides insights into the cause of cellular bioenergetic disruption. Immortalized skin fibroblasts were exposed to four priority environmental chemicals found in the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. Our findings reveal chemical-dependent functional alterations and varying bioenergetic profile responses. Chlorpyrifos was observed to decrease mitochondrial basal oxygen consumption; dieldrin increased basal oxygen consumption; trifluralin’s impact was dose-specific, and endosulfan displayed no effect. Our results provide unique insights into environmental chemical mechanisms of action on cellular bioenergetics, generating much-needed taxa-specific chemical effect data in support of evidence-based conservation policy and management.
The increasing level of O3 pollution in China significantly exacerbates the long-term O3 health damage, and an optimized health-oriented strategy for NO x and VOCs emission abatement is needed. Here, ...we developed an integrated evaluation and optimization system for the O3 control strategy by merging a response surface model for the O3-related mortality and an optimization module. Applying this system to the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), we evaluated driving factors for mortality changes from 2013 to 2017, quantified spatial and temporal O3-related mortality responses to precursor emission abatement, and optimized a health-oriented control strategy. Results indicate that insufficient NO x emission abatement combined with deficient VOCs control from 2013 to 2017 aggravated O3-related mortality, particularly during spring and autumn. Northern YRD should promote VOCs control due to higher VOC-limited characteristics, whereas fastening NO x emission abatement is more favorable in southern YRD. Moreover, promotion of NO x mitigation in late spring and summer and facilitating VOCs control in spring and autumn could further reduce O3-related mortality by nearly 10% compared to the control strategy without seasonal differences. These findings highlight that a spatially and temporally differentiated NO x and VOCs emission control strategy could gain more O3-related health benefits, offering valuable insights to regions with severe ozone pollution all over the world.
The biomolecular responses of bacteria to 2D nanosheets that result from nano–bio interfacial interactions remain to be thoroughly examined. Herein, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) multivariate and ...2D correlation analyses were performed to assess the composition and conformational changes in bacterial biomacromolecules (lipids, polysaccharides, and carbohydrates) upon exposure to Ti3C2T x nanosheets. General toxicity assays, 3D excitation–emission matrix fluorescence analyses, extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory interaction calculations, and isothermal titration calorimetry were also performed. Our results demonstrate that Ti3C2T x nanosheets considerably impact Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis), causing oxidative damage and inactivation by preferentially interacting with and disrupting the cell walls. The bilayer membrane structure of Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) endows them with increased resistance to Ti3C2T x nanosheets. The unmodified nanosheets had a higher affinity to bacterial protein components with lower toxicity due to their susceptibility to oxidation. Surface modification with KOH or hydrazine (HMH), particularly HMH, induced stronger dispersion, antioxidation, and affinity to bacterial phospholipids, which resulted in severe cell membrane lipid peroxidation and bacterial inactivation. These findings provide valuable insight into nano–bio interfacial interactions, which can facilitate the development of antimicrobial and antifouling surfaces and contribute to the evaluation of the environmental risks of nanomaterials.
During the past 50 years, the human population has more than doubled and global agricultural production has similarly risen. However, the productive arable area has increased by just 10%; thus the ...increased use of pesticides has been a consequence of the demands of human population growth, and its impact has reached global significance. Although we often know a pesticide's mode of action in the target species, we still largely do not understand the full impact of unintended side effects on wildlife, particularly at higher levels of biological organization: populations, communities, and ecosystems. In these times of regional and global species declines, we are challenged with the task of causally linking knowledge about the molecular actions of pesticides to their possible interference with biological processes, in order to develop reliable predictions about the consequences of pesticide use, and misuse, in a rapidly changing world.
