Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts最新文献

{"title":"Plasticizers: distribution and impact in aquatic and terrestrial environments†","authors":"Danushika C. Manatunga, Madushika Sewwandi, Kalani Imalka Perera, Methmini Dilhara Jayarathna, Dinusha L. Peramune, Rohan S. Dassanayake, Sammani Ramanayaka and Meththika Vithanage","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00317A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00317A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Plasticizers, essential additives for enhancing plastic properties, have emerged as significant environmental and health concerns due to their persistence and widespread use. This study provides an in-depth exploration of plasticizers, focusing on their types, structures, properties, production methods, environmental distribution, and associated risks. The findings reveal that petroleum-based phthalates, particularly di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), are prevalent in aquatic and terrestrial environments, primarily due to the gradual degradation of plastic polymers. In the analysis of 39 studies on water contamination during the period of 2022–2023, only 22 works could be extracted due to insufficient details on the numerical value of plasticizer concentrations. Similarly, soil and sediment contamination studies were fewer, with only 11 studies focusing on sediments. These studies reveal that high plasticizer concentrations, notably in industrial and urban areas, often exceed recommended environmental limits, posing risks to ecological integrity and human health through bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation of these compounds in soil and water could negatively affect the microbial communities, nutrient cycling, and could destabilize the overall ecological integrity. Concerns about their direct uptake by plants and potential risks to human health and food safety are highlighted in this study due to the high concentrations exceeding the threshold values. The review evaluates current treatment technologies, including metal–organic frameworks, electrochemical systems, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and microbial degradation, noting their potential and challenges related to cost and energy consumption. It underscores the need for improved detection protocols, cost-effective treatments, stricter regulations, public awareness, and collaborative research to mitigate the adverse impacts of plasticizers on ecosystems and human health.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 12","pages":" 2114-2131"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the interactions of glyphosate in soil: the sorption scenario upon soil depletion and effect on waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) growth","authors":"Paul N. Diagboya, Bamidele I. Olu-Owolabi and Rolf-Alexander Düring","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00433G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00433G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The pesticide glyphosate has contributed immensely to the ease of farming and high yields. However, the ever-increasing environmental input of pesticides is of particular interest due to several unintended effects on non-target organisms. In soil, the sorption, transport, possible uptake, and effect on plant growth are still not well understood, and much so for the sub-Sahara. Sorption processes are contingent on the soil composition, characteristics, and ambient conditions, and these are becoming increasingly affected by climate change in a way that may alter pesticide fate. Hence, representative sub-Saharan whole soil (WS) treated to eliminate organic matter (OMR) and iron oxides (IOR) was employed to ascertain the contributions of these major constituents to glyphosate sorption processes, as well as ascertain the effect of glyphosate in soil on the growth of <em>Talinum triangulare</em>–waterleaf. Glyphosate sorption for all treatments was rapid with equilibrium at around 720 min. The sorption decreased as pH increased, and was concentration-dependent, gradually increasing with glyphosate concentration. The process was endothermic, and sorption data were better described by the fractal pseudo-second-order and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models, suggesting a complex interplay of interactive sorption forces. The IOR sample (with iron oxide depleted but organic matter intact) exhibited higher sorption than the OMR and WS, highlighting the contribution of organic matter in glyphosate sorption. Hysteresis was high for all samples and increased with temperature. Considering the unregulated usage of glyphosate in the sub-Sahara, the poor sorption, especially in treated soils, observed in this study suggests a high possibility of glyphosate leaching into the aquifer and poisoning of this water source, while the high hysteresis implied the bio-availability of glyphosate in surface soil for plant absorption, hence affecting growth; as confirmed in the waterleaf growth study where growth in the organic-matter/iron-oxide-depleted soils was substantially stunted. Hence, glyphosate affects waterleaf growth, especially in organic-matter/iron-oxide-depleted soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 11","pages":" 2051-2061"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142386447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of extracellular polymeric substances production and antioxidant defences in periphytic communities exposed to effluent contaminants†","authors":"Carlos Silva, Etelvina Figueira, Diana Matos, Carina Sá, Tânia Vidal, Fernando José Mendes Gonçalves, Nelson Abrantes and Joana Luísa Pereira","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00446A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00446A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Periphyton is frequently used in the evaluation of the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems using diatoms as a proxy. However, periphyton has a particularity, the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which might play a protective role against exposure to harmful environmental contaminants. Effluents originating in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) constitute some of the most complex mixtures of contaminants, to which aquatic ecosystems are frequently exposed, often containing tens to hundreds of different chemicals. In such challenging scenarios, a putative protective role of EPS may obscure the bioindicator value of diatoms. To address this problem, we sampled periphyton upstream and downstream of the effluent outfall from three different WWTPs, quantifying EPS production and simultaneously evaluating general stress responses in the community (protein and sugar content, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzyme activity and oxidative damage). By combining these endpoints with a characterization of the sediments of the riverine systems receiving the effluents made in a previous study (metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals and personal care products), we aimed to elucidate whether effluent contaminants trigger negative effects, which may be mitigated by EPS layers protecting the communities. Our results indicated that under a comparatively milder contamination burden, EPS production is enhanced in samples collected downstream of the effluent outfall; under a higher contamination burden, EPS production is hampered. Stress-coping mechanisms were activated by environmental contaminants, including the antioxidant defense, particularly through catalase and superoxide dismutase activity. The findings support the generally assumed protective effect of EPS, but also suggest that EPS production depends on the contamination burden and that protective effects should be in place under specific scenarios of, for example, relatively low contamination levels. Overall, the integrative approach used in this study contributes to a better understanding of the complex interplay of interactions between effluent-driven contamination and thriving periphytic communities inhabiting recipient waterways, including evolved protection mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 11","pages":" 2090-2102"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamics of residential indoor gas- and particle-phase water-soluble organic carbon: measurements during the CASA experiment.","authors":"Marc Webb, Glenn Morrison, Karsten Baumann, Jienan Li, Jenna C Ditto, Han N Huynh, Jie Yu, Kathryn Mayer, Liora Mael, Marina E Vance, Delphine K Farmer, Jonathan Abbatt, Dustin Poppendieck, Barbara J Turpin","doi":"10.1039/d4em00340c","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4em00340c","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous time-integrated (2 h to 4 h) measurements show that total gas-phase water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC_g) is 10 to 20 times higher inside homes compared to outside. However, concentration dynamics of WSOC_g and total particle phase WSOC (WSOC_p)-are not well understood. During the Chemical Assessment of Surfaces and Air (CASA) experiment, we measured concentration dynamics of WSOC_g and WSOC_p inside a residential test facility in the house background and during scripted activities. A total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer pulled alternately from a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) or a mist chamber (MC). WSOC_g concentrations (215 ± 29 μg-C m^-3) were generally 36× higher than WSOC_p (6 ± 3 μg-C m^-3) and 20× higher than outdoor levels. A building-specific emission factor (<i>E</i>_f) of 31 mg-C h^-1 maintained the relatively high house WSOC_g background, which was dominated by ethanol (46 μg-C m^-3 to 82 μg-C m^-3). When we opened the windows, WSOC_g decayed slower (2.8 h^-1) than the air change rate (21.2 h^-1) and <i>E</i>_f increased (243 mg-C h^-1). The response (increased <i>E</i>_f) suggests WSOC_g concentrations are regulated by large near surface reservoirs rather than diffusion through surface materials. Cooking and ozone addition had a small impact on WSOC, whereas surface cleaning, volatile organic compound (VOC) additions, or wood smoke injections had significant impacts on WSOC concentrations. WSOC_g concentration decay rates from these activities (0.4 h^-1 to 4.0 h^-1) were greater than the normal operating 0.24 h^-1 air change rate, which is consistent with an important role for surface removal.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142379531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined temperature and salinity effects on the passive sampling of PAHs with an assessment of impacts to petroleum toxicity†","authors":"Ibukun Ola, Carsten Drebenstedt, Robert M. Burgess, Lane Tidwell, Kim Anderson, Nils Hoth and Christoph Külls","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00133H","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00133H","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p &gt;In equilibrium-based passive sampling applications, the accuracy of estimating freely dissolved concentration (&lt;em&gt;C&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;free&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;) of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) relies on the passive sampler–water partition coefficient (&lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PS–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;) values applied. The vast majority of &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PS–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; are generated under standard conditions: 20 °C in deionized or freshwater. Few empirically derived values are available for non-standard conditions. In this study, polyethylene (PE)–water partitioning coefficients (&lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PE–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;) were experimentally determined for 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, comprising 9 parent and 6 alkylated compounds) under three different temperature (10, 20, 30 °C) and salinity (0, 18 and 36‰) regimes, the &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PE–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; values were found to correlate strongly with a variety of molecular parameters (&lt;em&gt;e.g.&lt;/em&gt;, octanol–water partition coefficients (&lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;OW&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;), molecular weight (MW) and molecular volume (&lt;em&gt;M&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;VOL&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;)). The effects of temperature and salinity on the magnitude of &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PE–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; were found to be substantial. For temperature, the values range between −0.005 and −0.023 log units per °C; these values indicate that every 10 °C rise in temperature would potentially decrease the &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PE–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; by a factor of between 0.4 to 1.6. For salinity, the values range from 0.0028 to 0.0057 log units per unit ‰, indicating that an 18‰ increase in salinity would likely increase the &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PE–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; by a factor of between 0.28 and 0.82. Moreover, temperature and salinity were shown to be independent of each other and non-interacting. Temperature effects were chemical-specific and moderately dependent on hydrophobicity (expressed as the &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;OW&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;), whereas salinity effects were independent of hydrophobicity. We also assessed the combined impact of temperature and salinity, which showed increasing effects with the hydrophobicity of the PAHs studied. Based on the results, &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PE–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; values adjusted for site-specific temperature and salinity can be calculated. The impact of applying such site-specific values was demonstrated using a PE-based field monitoring dataset for PAHs from coastal waters of Grand Isle (LA, USA) collected during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. When &lt;em&gt;K&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;PE–W&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; values were adjusted to 10 °C and 30 °C, the final freely dissolved concentrations (&lt;em&gt;C&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;free&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;) decreased or increased depending on the adjustment. Use of the results of this investigation allow for adjusting existing PE-based datasets to site-specific conditions resulting in more accurate &lt;em&gt;C&lt;/em&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;free&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; values for estimating exposure and a","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 11","pages":" 2076-2089"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/em/d4em00133h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142379530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indoor air concentrations of PM_2.5 quartz fiber filter-collected ionic PFAS and emissions to outdoor air: findings from the IPA campaign.","authors":"Naomi Y Chang, Clara M A Eichler, Daniel E Amparo, Jiaqi Zhou, Karsten Baumann, Elaine A Cohen Hubal, Jason D Surratt, Glenn C Morrison, Barbara J Turpin","doi":"10.1039/d4em00359d","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4em00359d","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are prevalent in consumer products used indoors. However, few measurements of ionic PFAS exist for indoor air. We analyzed samples collected on PM_2.5 quartz fiber filters (QFFs) in 11 North Carolina homes 1-3 times in living rooms (two QFFs in series), and immediately outside each home (single QFF), for 26 ionic PFAS as part of the 9 months Indoor PFAS Assessment (IPA) Campaign. All targeted PFAS, except for PFDS and 8:2 monoPAP, were detected indoors. PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxA, PFOA, PFOS, and 6:2 diPAP were detected in >50% of indoor samples. PFHxA, PFOA, and PFOS had the highest detection frequency (DF = 80%; medians = 0.5-0.7 pg m^-3), while median PFBA concentrations (3.6 pg m^-3; DF = 67%) were highest indoors. Residential indoor air concentrations (sum of measured PFAS) were, on average, 3.4 times higher than residential outdoor air concentrations, and an order of magnitude higher than regional background concentrations. Indoor-to-outdoor emission rate estimates suggest that emissions from single unit homes could be a meaningful contributor to PFBA, PFOA, and PFOS emissions in populated areas far from major point sources. Backup QFFs were observed to adsorb some targeted PFAS from the gas-phase, making reported values upper-bounds for particle-phase and lower-bounds for total air (gas plus particle) concentrations. We found that higher concentrations of carbonaceous aerosol were associated with a shift in partitioning of short chain PFCAs and long chain PFSAs toward the particle phase.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142363525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Finding non-fluorinated alternatives to fluorinated gases used as refrigerants†","authors":"Juliane Glüge, Katharina Breuer, Armin Hafner, Christian Vering, Dirk Müller, Ian T. Cousins, Rainer Lohmann, Gretta Goldenman and Martin Scheringer","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00444B","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00444B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and so-called hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) are used as refrigerants in air conditioning, refrigeration, chillers, heat pumps and devices for dehumidification and drying. However, many HFCs, including R-134a and R-125, have a high global warming potential and some of the HFCs and HFOs degrade atmospherically and form trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a persistent degradation product. Rising levels of TFA around the globe reveal an urgent need to replace fluorinated refrigerants with non-fluorinated working fluids to avoid direct emissions due to leakage, incorrect loading or removal. It is important, however, also to select refrigerants with high efficiencies to avoid increasing indirect CO<small>₂</small> emissions due to higher energy consumption during the use phase. The present study investigates the available non-fluorinated alternatives to fluorinated refrigerants and shows that a transition to non-fluorinated refrigerants, in general, is possible and has happened in many sectors already. Technically, there are only slight barriers to overcome in order to replace fluorinated refrigerants in almost all newly developed systems conforming to existing standards. Additionally, we show that alternatives are available even for some use cases for which derogations have been proposed in the EU PFAS restriction proposal and suggest making these derogations more specific to support a speedy transition to non-fluorinated refrigerants in all sectors.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 11","pages":" 1955-1974"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11448211/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142363524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of indoor airborne microbiome with lung function: evidence from a randomized, double-blind, crossover study of microbial intervention†","authors":"Yetong Zhao, Shan Liu, Wanzhou Wang, Luyi Li, Wenlou Zhang, Xuezhao Ji, Di Yang, Xinbiao Guo and Furong Deng","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00392F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00392F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Microorganisms constitute an essential component of the indoor ecosystem and may pose potential health risks after inhalation. However, evidence regarding the impact of indoor airborne microbiome on general respiratory health is scarce. Additionally, while air purification has been shown to be an effective strategy for controlling culturable bioaerosols, its impact on indoor airborne microbiome remains unclear. To determine the impact of indoor airborne microbial exposure on lung function, and whether and how air purification can modify indoor airborne microbiome, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, crossover study employing air purification intervention among 68 healthy young adults in Beijing, China. Indoor airborne bacteria and fungi were characterized using amplicon sequencing technology and quantified by qPCR. Our results indicated positive associations between indoor airborne microbial α-diversity and lung function indices; however, adverse effects from total microbial load were observed. Males were more susceptible to microbial exposure than females. Beneficial effects from richness in Actinobacteria, Bacteroidia, Oxyphotobacteria, Bacilli, Clostridia, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Dothideomycetes, and Sordariomycetes, and detrimental effects from five Proteobacteria genera, including <em>Dechloromonas</em>, <em>Hydrogenophaga</em>, <em>Klebsiella</em>, <em>Pseudomonas</em>, and <em>Tolumonas</em>, were also identified. Air purification contributed to decreased fungal diversity and total fungal load, but not the overall microbial community structure. Our study demonstrates the significant role of indoor airborne microbiome in regulating human respiratory health and provides inspiration for improving health through manipulation of indoor microbiome. Meanwhile, our study also underscores the importance of balancing the potential benefits from decreased microbial load and the underlying risks from reduced microbial diversity while applying environmental microbial interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 11","pages":" 2020-2035"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142360781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physicochemical properties and their impact on ice nucleation efficiency of respiratory viral RNA and proteins†","authors":"Mattie Hibbs, Devendra Pal, Gorjana Barudzija and Parisa A. Ariya","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00411F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00411F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Ice nucleation processes in the earth's atmosphere are critical for cloud formation, radiation, precipitation, and climate change. We investigated the physicochemical properties and ice nucleation potential of selected viral aerosols, including their RNA and proteins, using advanced techniques such as scanning-transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), particle analyzers, and a peltier chamber. The experiments revealed that RNA particles obtained from MS2 bacteriophage had a mean freezing point of −13.9 ± 0.3 °C, comparable to the average ice nucleation temperature of global dust particles, which is approximatively −15 °C. RNA from MS2, Influenza, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated average ice nucleation temperatures of −13.9 ± 0.3 °C, −13.7 ± 0.3 °C, −13.7 ± 0.3 °C, and −15.9 ± 0.4 °C, respectively. SAXS analysis indicated a high local crystallinity value of 0.5 of MS2 RNA particles, hinting that high crystalline nature may contribute to their effectiveness as ice nuclei. Dilution experiments show that viral RNA consistently catalyzes ice nucleation. The addition of dust-containing particles, such as Fe<small>₂</small>O<small>₃</small>, CuO, and TiO<small>₂</small>, to MS2 bacteriophage droplets enhanced ice nucleation, as did UV radiation. We herein discuss the implications of this work on ice nucleation and freezing processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 11","pages":" 2010-2019"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/em/d4em00411f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142337475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differences in phytoplankton population vulnerability in response to chemical activity of mixtures†","authors":"Talles Bruno Oliveira dos Anjos, Quyen Nham, Sebastian Abel, Elin Lindehoff, Clare Bradshaw and Anna Sobek","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00249K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00249K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) affect phytoplankton at cellular to population levels, ultimately impacting communities and ecosystems. Baseline toxicants, such as some HOCs, predominantly partition to biological membranes and storage lipids. Predicting their toxic effects on phytoplankton populations therefore requires consideration beyond cell uptake and diffusion. Functional traits like lipid content and profile can offer insights into the diverse responses of phytoplankton populations exposed to HOCs. Our study investigated the vulnerability of five phytoplankton species populations to varying chemical activities of a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Population vulnerability was assessed based on intrinsic sensitivities (toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic), and demography. Despite similar chemical activities in biota within the exposed algae, effects varied significantly. According to the chemical activity causing 50% of the growth inhibition (Ea<small>₅₀</small>), we found that the diatom <em>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</em> (Ea<small>₅₀</small> = 0.203) was the least affected by the chemical exposure and was also a species with low lipid content. In contrast, <em>Prymnesium parvum</em> (Ea<small>₅₀</small> = 0.072) and <em>Rhodomonas salina</em> (Ea<small>₅₀</small> = 0.08), both with high lipid content and high diversity of fatty acids in non-exposed samples, were more vulnerable to the chemical mixture. Moreover, the species <em>P. parvum</em>, <em>P. tricornutum</em>, and <em>Nannochloris</em> sp., displayed increased lipid production, evidenced as 5–10% increase in lipid fluorescence, after exposure to the chemical mixture. This lipid increase has the potential to alter the intrinsic sensitivity of the populations because storage lipids facilitate membrane repair, reconstitution and may, in the short-term, dilute contaminants within cells. Our study integrated principles of thermodynamics through the assessment of membrane saturation (<em>i.e.</em> chemical activity), and a lipid trait-based assessment to elucidate the differences in population vulnerability among phytoplankton species exposed to HOC mixtures.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 11","pages":" 2062-2075"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/em/d4em00249k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142453618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}