Leachate from landfills is a product of complex biological and physicochemical processes occurring during waste storage. In the present study, the toxicity of landfill leachate (LL) to human and bacterial cells was investigated for better understanding of LL environmental toxicity. Studies regarding LL physicochemical properties and cytotoxicity analysis were conducted. In Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas

In this study, soil washing is applied for the remediation of heavy-metal (Pb, Cu and Zn) contaminated paddy soil located near an abandoned mine area. FeCl3 washing solutions were used in bench-scale soil washing experiments at concentrations in the range of 0.1 to 1 M. The strong acid, HCl was also used in this study for comparison. The washing process was performed at room temperature, mixing at

Mineral water from the Changbai Mountain basalt area is China's most important source of drinking water. Mineral water with abundant output and enriched trace elements has driven the rapid development of the local economy. However, the extensive exploitation of mineral water and the neglect of ecological base flows threaten interdependent river ecosystems. In order to ensure the sustainable use of

In the context of global climate change, understanding the relationships between climate and groundwater is increasingly important. This study in the NW Alps represents the first regional-scale investigation of the groundwater feature variation in mountain aquifers due to climate variability. The analysis of groundwater temperature and discharge in 28 natural mineral water springs and meteorological

Geochemical modeling has been employed in several fields of science and engineering in recent years. This review seeks to provide an overview of case studies that applied geochemical modeling in the 2019 year, which includes over 250 articles. This review is intended to inform new users on the possibilities that geochemical modeling brings, while also informing existing and past users on its latest

The Riardo basin hosts groundwater exploited for the production of high quality, naturally sparkling, bottled water (e.g., Ferrarelle water), and circulating in a system constituted by highly fractured Mesozoic carbonates, overlain by more impervious volcanic rocks of the Roccamonfina complex. The two formations are locally in hydraulic connection and dislocated by deep-rooted faults. The study aimed

The abandoned Malachov deposit belongs among the most important historic Hg deposits in the world. The soil, groundwater, surface water, plants, and animals are still heavily contaminated by potentially toxic elements such as As and Cd, but mainly by Hg. This article is focused on the Hg contamination of aquatic plants and animals in the Malachov creek. Mercury concentrations were measured in fresh

Selenium (Se) biofortification of staple cereal crops can improve the Se nutritional status of populations. A field trial employing an enriched stable isotope of Se (77Se) was undertaken over three consecutive cropping seasons in a coarse-textured, calcareous soil in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The objectives were to (1) assess the feasibility and efficiency of Se biofortification, (2) determine the

In recent years, the study of the influence of nanoparticles (NPs) on the environment has attracted much interest as nanotechnology is becoming the key technology of the future generation. The comparative studies on the effects of macro- and nanosized copper oxide (CuO) on plants rarely cover the state and behaviour of CuO in the soil–plant system. This work considers the transformation of CuO in Haplic

One of the significance parts of ecosystem is the soil, and it is often modified due to man activities. The objective of this work examined the extent of occurrence of elements in the soil and also to identify the soil contamination level via enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor/pollution index. The enrichment value was computed using five elements (Ti, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr) and iron (Fe) as reference

Assessment of spatial patterns of potentially toxic metals is one of the most urgent tasks in soil chemistry. In this study, descriptive statistics and three methods of multivariate statistical analysis, such as the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), correlation analysis, and conditional inference tree (CIT), were used to identify patterns and potential sources of heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Cr, Pb

This study aimed to determine the status of groundwater contamination with faecal coliform and nitrate in the rural areas of Mardan district, Pakistan. Both analytes require regular monitoring according to the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) of Pakistan. Groundwater samples (n = 100) were collected from 25 villages across four zones. Samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters

Khat (Catha edulis) chewing is widespread in the region of East Africa. Even low levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in khat could induce public health concern. In a market-based study, from five popular khat varieties, a total of 35 composite khat samples were analyzed for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its main transformation products, and four hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers

In the original publication of the article, the affiliation of the first author.

Various hydrogeochemical processes can modify the quality of river water during riverbank filtration (RBF). Identifying the subsurface processes responsible for the bank-filtered water quality is challenging, but essential for predicting water quality changes and determining the necessity of post-treatment. However, no systematic approach for this has been proposed yet. In this study, the subsurface

Children (n = 240) between the ages of 2 and 17 years were randomly selected from three cities in China. The total amount of soil and dust (SD) on their hands was measured and ranged from 3.50–187.39 mg (median = 19.49 mg). We screened for seven elements (Ce, V, Y, Al, Ba, Sc, and Mn), and Ce levels were used to calculate hand SD by variability and soil elements. The main factors affecting SD amount

In this work, we report metals concentrations in 80 PM10 samples collected at four sites in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA): Tlalnepantla (NE), Xalostoc (NE), Merced (C), and Pedregal (S), during the dry/cold season (October to January) for the 2004–2014 period. Mean PM10 mass concentration (66.1 µg m−3) significantly exceeds the annual mean air quality guidelines recommended by the World

The composition and distribution of airborne particles in different locations in a salt mine were determined in terms of their origin, the distance from the air inlet, and the adaptation of post-mining chambers and corridors for tourists and general audience. The composition of aerosols in air was also evaluated from the perspective of human health. Air samples were collected on filters by using portable

One of the main sources of potential chronic exposure to potentially toxic elements is household dust, especially in an environment with known point sources of PTE pollution. The literature review clearly shows that the total concentrations of an element in the environment do not provide information to predict its bioavailability. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the oral and inhalation

A total of 475 representative cultivated land and 435 crop samples from 11 provinces of China were collected, and lead and cadmium in 6 polluted areas by wastewater irrigation and metallurgy industry were analyzed. Rice is the major cash crop and staple food of Chinese residents. Cabbage is also a common food in Chinese daily life. Pollution levels and spatial distribution of soil, rice, and cabbage

Objectives As the largest organ of the human body, the skin is the major exposure route of NO2. However, the evidence for a relationship between NO2 exposure and dermatologic diseases (DMs) is limited. This time-series study was conducted to assess the short-term effect of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure on DMs outpatient visits in Xinxiang, China. Methods Daily recordings of NO2 concentrations, meteorological

Distribution of arsenic (As) in tissues and gonads of the Indo-Pacific sailfish Istiophorus platypterus and the dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus from the SE Gulf of California was evaluated. The bioaccumulation patterns of As were the same in the two species. In I. platypterus, As levels (mg kg−1, wet weight) were gonads (7.4 ± 1.1) > liver (3.1 ± 0.1) > kidney (2.7 ± 0.1) > muscle (1.6 ± 0.1); in C

Epidemiological studies have suggested that particulate matter (PM) pollution seriously affects human health, particularly it is closely associated with respiratory diseases. The aim of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the effect of PMs (PM10 and PM2.5) on emergency room (ER) visits for respiratory diseases in Lanzhou, a valley basin city in northwest China. Based on the data of the ER visits

Heavy metal pollution significantly reduces the quality of the environment and threatens human health, especially in industrial cities. This study investigated toxic metals concentrations, pollution levels and human health risks assessment of urban soils in Yazd City, as an industrial city in center of Iran. Soil surface samples (0–10 cm) were collected from 30 points in the area for geochemical analysis

Numerous studies had focused on the association between air pollution and health outcomes in recent years. However, little evidence is available on associations between air pollutants and premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Therefore, we performed time-series analysis to evaluate the association between PROM and air pollution. The daily average concentrations of PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 were 54.58 μg/m3

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and phenolic compounds (PCs) are persistent organic compounds. Contamination of these potentially toxic organic pollutants in soils and sediments is most studied environmental compartments. In recent past, studies were carried out on PAHs, OCPs and PCs in various soils and sediments in India. But, this is the first study on these

Although exposure to antibiotics at a critical developmental time window has been implicated in mental health in observational and experimental studies, very limited bio-monitoring data are available for exposure to antibiotics associated with child mental disorders. The goal of our study was to examine the association between urinary exposure of children to antibiotics and mental health. The participants

From a public health point of view, years of life lost (YLL) is a more important index than the number of deaths to evaluate the effect of risk factors. The objective of the present study was to estimate the burden of disease including years of life lost (YLL) and expected life remaining (ELR) attributed to long-term exposure to PM2.5 in Ahvaz, one of the most polluted cities of the world, during March

Geogenic arsenic enrichment in soil and river sediments of Tibet compared to its upper crustal abundance has been observed, raising the question whether other trace elements are also enriched and thus may pose ecological risks. Because human activities are limited, the reservoir sediments after the recent construction of the Shiquan dam on the Singe Tsangpo (ST) and the Zam dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo

Industrial horticulture can release pesticides and trace metals/metalloids to terrestrial and aquatic environments. To assess long-term and more recent land contamination from an expanding horticultural region, we sampled soils from chemical mixing, crop production, and drainage areas, as well as retention reservoirs (dam) sediments, from 3 blueberry farms with varying land-use history in subtropical

Periodontal disease is common in Chinese adolescents. There is little information about the effect of different altitudes on gingival health. This study aimed to investigate the gingival status at different altitudes and to identify relative factors that affect adolescents' gingival status. A total of 1033 adolescents aged 12–14 years were included in this cross-sectional study in Ganzi (plateau, 1400 m

Elimination of hazardous metals is of extreme worry for their toxicity at trace levels and accumulation in the biosystem. Polyacrylonitrile ball clay nanocomposite was prepared by gamma irradiation at 20 kGy. Different analytical tools were applied to prove morphology, functional groups, and chemical structure for prepared composite; SEM, TEM, IR, XRD, and XRF. From TEM and XRD data expose the studied

Soil contamination with Cd and Pb is a worldwide problem which not only degrades the environment but also poses a serious threat for human and animal health. Phytoremediation of these contaminated soils using halophytic plants like quinoa presents an opportunity to clean the soils and use them for crop production. The current experiment was performed to evaluate the Cd and Pb tolerance potential of

Lindane and DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane) are pesticides from the group of persistent organic pollutants. These compounds, due to lipophilic properties, accumulate in tissues of organisms, are transmitted through the food chain and ultimately threaten human health. The long-term use of pesticides led to soil and water pollution. Microbial degradation of organochlorine compounds

Pollution caused by swine wastewater is a growing concern in many countries. In the developing countries, swine wastewater is not properly collected and treated, the wastewater from swine farm pollutes the ecosystem. Especially for small swine farms, they could not afford to have wastewater treatment system. Therefore, farmers need cheap, sustainable technology for future mixed farming. Vermifiltration

Production of acid mine drainage may occur during mining operations and may continue for many years after closure. In some cases, especially when host rock is capable of reacting with acidic drainage, metal concentrations may decrease over time and distance. Seasonal variations in water flow rate also play an important role in metals concentration both in surface and groundwater. The present study

European Union Council Directive 2013/51/EURATOM recently sets out so-called indicator parameters for: radon, tritium and indicative dose of water intended for human consumption. The aim of this research was to elaborate an effective procedure for determination of radon and radium 226,228Ra isotopes (which are potentially the main contributors to the internal dose from drinking and cooking water) and

A greenhouse experiment was performed to elucidate the potency of Prosopis juliflora charcoal (PJC) and banana waste compost (BWC) to improve soil fertility and enhance plant growth rate. Plantlets of Ricinus communis were grown in 0, 400, and 800 mg kg−1 Pb-spiked soil ameliorated with P. juliflora charcoal and banana waste compost at 0, 5%, and 10% (w/w) for 60 days. PJC and BWC significantly (p < 0

In recent years, concern around the impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) on the environment has grown. In order to investigate the influence of tourists on emissions and ecological risk of PPCPs, the concentrations of thirty PPCPs were measured in influent and effluent from the four largest wastewater treatment plants, as well as surface river water at six sites in a famous

The main purpose of this study was to assess the human health risk of heavy metals in the urban-peri-urban soils from Huelva Township. The soils present high concentrations of potentially toxic elements well beyond the regional screening soil concentration. A site-specific health risk assessment of exposure (oral ingestion, oral inhalation and dermal contact) was conducted according to the regulatory

Humans spend most of their time in indoor environments, thus a thorough understanding of indoor and outdoor PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) origins for accurate assessment of health risks is required. In the present study, 84 pairs of PM2.5 samples from indoor (laboratory) and outdoor (campus) locations were collected from April to December 2018 in Caofeidian, China. The annual

Coal is the most aggressive energy sources in the environment. Several adverse outcomes on children’s health exposure to coal pollutants have been reported. Pollutants from coal power plants adversely affect the intellectual development and capacity. The present study aimed to evaluate the intellectual development and associated factors among children living a city under the direct influence (DI) and

Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) are highly toxic and carcinogenic metal(loid)s. The present study evaluated the human exposure risk via estimating As and Pb uptake and physiological/biochemical modifications inside spinach plant grown under metal(loid)-contaminated growth medium. Plants were treated with three levels of each metal(loid) (0, 25 and 125 µM) for four weeks. The spinach plants accumulated high

BTEX are the consistently found air contaminants in indoor and outdoor environments. In order to investigate the exposure levels of BTEX, the indoor and outdoor air was analyzed during winter season at homes located at four selected sites of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, which comprised residential, roadside, industrial and agricultural areas. BTEX were sampled with a low-flow pump (SKC model 220)

The nevado-filábride complex (NFC) (southern Spain) is well known for its widespread mining and quarrying activities. Serpentinite and metabasite rocks are extracted, processed and traded as building and ornamental stones. Due to the possible presence of natural occurrence of asbestos (NOA) in these rocks, the aim of this paper is to conduct an in-depth characterisation of fibrous minerals. To this

To characterize trace elements from inhalable particles and to estimate human health risks, airborne particles at an urban area of Ningbo city during haze and non-haze periods from November 2013 to May 2014 were collected by a nine-stage sampler. Seventeen trace elements (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb) were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The results of field, analytical, and experimental research at a number of production facilities reflect the properties of oil-contaminated soils in 3 landscapes: the permafrost treeless Arctic ecosystem, boreal forest, and temperate-climate grassland-woodland ecotone. Laboratory studies have revealed the concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in soils, ranging from medium levels of 2000–3000 mg/kg

Celery and parsley are recognized as medicinal herbs and nutraceutical vegetables due to their valuable pharmacological properties and numerous health benefits. However, in recent years, soil loadings with various PTEs have become a serious concern across the world, leading to plants pollution, which can consequently diminish their quality and safety for human consumption. Therefore, we attempted to

The study deals with the analyses of springs and wells at the base of Montepugliano Hill that represents the SE edge of the wide carbonate Matese massif (Campania, southern Italy). At the base of the hill, from west to east and for almost one kilometre, cold springs HCO3-Ca type (Grassano springs, ~ 4.5 m3/s; TDS: about 0.45 g/L) pass to hypothermal, HCO3-Ca type, sulphurous and CO2-rich springs (~ 1 m3/s

The present study was aimed to investigate brilliant green (BG) dye sorption onto soybean straw biochar (SSB) prepared at 800 °C and further understanding the sorption mechanism. Sorption kinetic models such as pseudo-first and pseudo-second order were executed for demonstrating sorption mechanism between the dye and biochar. Results of kinetics study were fitted well to pseudo-second-order kinetic

Soils in the Lower Swansea Valley, (United Kingdom) contain elevated level of metals, enough to cause direct or indirect effects on human health. This study assesses the severity of soil pollution and bioavailability of Cu and other metals (Ni, Zn, Co, Pb and Cr) in soils with various distances from a Ni refinery. We compare Cu concentrations in operationally defined soil fractions (bioavailable, bound

The presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulphonic acid (PFOS) in crops is an important consideration for food safety. The soil organic matter (SOM) content may affect the adsorption potential of PFOA and PFOS in water and soil and their subsequent uptake in crops. To better understand these dynamics, the adsorption and uptake of PFOA and PFOS in lettuce were investigated using