Background The epidemiological evidence on the associations between prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and thyroid hormones in newborns was inconclusive. Objectives We aimed to estimate associations of fetal exposure to PFAS individually and in mixtures with thyroid function of newborns. Methods A total of 490 mother-newborn pairs were included from Sheyang Mini Birth Cohort Study

Novel iron activated biochars (FA-BCs) were prepared via simultaneous pyrolysis and activation of FeCl3-pretreated bermudagrass (BG) for removing microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in aqueous solution. Compared to the raw BC (without activation), the surface area and adsorption capacity of FA-BC at iron impregnation ratio of 2 (2 g FeCl3/g BG) were enhanced from 86 m2/g and 0.76 mg/g to 835 m2/g and 9.00 mg/g

Recovery and recycle of wastewater are essential because of the need of huge quantities of water everywhere in this world. Presence of heavy metals in wastewater such as iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), silver (Ag), antimony (Sb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pd), uranium (U),

Nucleation particle growth plays a major role in the occurrence of fine particles, yet the mechanism of new particle formation (NPF) remains ambiguous in the complex atmosphere of megacities and hinders the development of measures to mitigate PM2.5 pollution. In this study, the chemistry of ultrafine particles during the growth phase of nucleation events was investigated in urban Beijing from 15 Nov

Along the industrial process devoted to the production of titanium dioxide pigments by using ilmenite as main raw material, small residues amounts are generated, remaining clearly enriched in natural radionuclides and chemical pollutants. Between them, we can remark the scales enriched in both radium isotopes and lead, which are formed in the internal walls of pipes and some equipment. These scales

The degradation potential of microplastics remains a critical issue for researching marine litter, and it is one of the most important factors that can be used for calculating the persistence time of microplastics in certain conditions. However, there are lack of standard or approved methods for estimating the ageing stage of environmental microplastics. In this study, the potential of spectral-image

This study deals with the effect of aeration control strategies on the nitrogen removal efficiency and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in a partial nitritation–anammox reactor with granular sludge. More specifically, dissolved oxygen (DO) control, constant airflow and effluent ammonium (NH4+) control strategies were compared through a simulation study. Particular attention was paid to the effect of flocs

South African surface waters are subject to various forms of pollution. Recent findings in aquatic systems suggest an association exists between yeast diversity, chemical pollutants and land coverage, which are important water quality determinants. Yeast abundance and diversity, as well as antifungal agents in two river systems in South Africa, were investigated and related to the existing land coverage

The decomposition of chemical warfare agent simulant, dimethyl methylphophonate (DMMP) vapor, was investigated on an ultrathin film titania (TiO2) photocatalytic light absorber. The light absorber contains an aluminum (Al) reflector and the TiO2 thin film with different thicknesses, sequentially deposited on a supportive glass substrate. The designed structure constructs a nanocavity that exhibits

Cr(VI) is widely used in industry and often large quantities have been accidently or due to lack of precautions released at the environment. The presence of high concentrations of Cr(VI) in waste streams causes concern due to its toxicity and solubility. However the Cr(III) is a useful micronutrient in human diet. The reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) is a promising technology for a clean environment

Though sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation at the low or medium concentration (SMX< 30 mg/L) has been reported in the microbial fuel cell (MFC), further exploration is still urgently required to investigate how the high concentration of SMX affect the anode biofilm formation. In this study, the degradation mechanism of SMX and the response of microbial community to SMX at different initial concentrations

Neonicotinoid insecticides are the most widely used insecticides in the world. However, some experiments in vivo and vitro have shown association between neonicotinoids exposure and adverse effects in non-target mammals. The aims of this study were to 1) develop a robust method for simultaneous quantification of urinary neonicotinoids with a wide water solubility range by modified solid-phase extraction–ultrahigh

The analysis of solute transport characteristics in soil is of great significance in understanding nutrient cycling and pollutant migration in the Earth’s Critical Zone. The objective of this study was to investigate the transport characteristics and the influencing factors of Cl− in soils with different textures (sandy-S and loamy-L), and covered by different vegetation types (arbor-AR, shrub-SH and

Low permeability zones (LPZs) are typically bypassed when remedial reagents are injected into heterogeneous aquifers, which hinders the in situ remediation. Although shear-thinning polymers have emerged as promising tools to meet this challenge, their applicability in complex remedial systems remains unconfirmed. We investigated the sweeping efficiencies of calcium polysulfide (CPS) into Cr(VI)-contaminated

Humanitarian demining is a worldwide effort and the range of climates and environments prevent any one detection method being suitable for all sites, so more tools are required for safe and efficient explosives sensing. Landmines emit a chemical flux over time, and honeybees can collect the trace residues of explosives (as particles or as vapour) on their body hairs. This capability was exploited using

Produced water, a by-product generated from the oil and gas extraction processes, represents a major challenge in the oil and gas industry as it is generally characterized with a very high salinity and oil content. Currently used ceramic membranes for oil-water separation suffer from the low water flux in spite of their several distinctive advantages. To overcome this limitation and to increase the

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been well acknowledged for its endocrine disruption and associated metabolic diseases, leading to the search for safer industrial alternatives including di-isononyl phthalate (DINP). However, safety data for the latter chemical has been relatively scarce particularly regarding potential damage to the kidney at low doses. Five-week-old ICR male mice were exposed

A novel Z-scheme heterojunction C@WS2/g-C3N4 composite was prepared with carbon as a bridge for improving the photocatalytic property. The results of composition and structure studies demonstrate that the introduced carbon was deposited on the surface of WS2 with a film form in the ternary composites. The analysis of optical and photo-electrochemical properties reveals that the carbon film played as