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Signal readout technologies that do not require any instrument are essential for improving the convenience and availability of paper-based sensors. Thanks to the remarkable progress in material science and nanotechnology, paper-based sensors with instrument-free signal readout have been developed for multiple purposes, such as biomedical detection, environmental pollutant tracking, and food analysis. In this review, the developments in instrument-free signal readout technologies for paper-based sensors from 2020 to 2023 are summarized. The instrument-free signal readout technologies, such as distance-based signal readout technology, counting-based signal readout technology, text-based signal readout technology, as well as other transduction technologies, are briefly introduced, respectively. On the other hand, the applications of paper-based sensors with instrument-free signal readout technologies are summarized, including biomedical analysis, environmental analysis, food analysis, and other applications. Finally, the potential and difficulties associated with the advancement of paper-based sensors without instruments are discussed.

This paper looks at the relationship between enterprise size and pollution abatement costs using firm-level datasets in China, where size-dependent distortions may exist in the distribution of enterprises of different sizes. We find that the pollution abatement costs decrease with enterprise size. Compared to the smallest size, the magnitudes of marginal decreases in pollution abatement costs per 1000 CNY of industrial output in the largest size are 3.29 CNY, 0.54 CNY and 2.60 CNY for gas, SO 2 and dust, respectively. Moreover, we further explore the potential mechanisms for the decrease of pollution abatement costs from three perspectives: environmental protection-related investment, regulation intensity, and technological capability. Our findings suggest that the decrease in the intensity of environmental protection-related investment for large enterprises may be directly reduce the intensity of pollution abatement costs. Although large enterprises have low intensity of pollution abatement costs, this does not mean that they are subject to weaker environmental regulation. More importantly, we find that large enterprises may have more adoption of abatement technologies. For SO 2 and dust, the pollutant removal efficiency of the largest enterprises is 4.92% and 1.82% higher than that of the smallest enterprises, respectively. Our results are robust to different specifications. These findings help us enact appropriate policies for enterprises based on their size, thereby improving the efficacy of pollution abatement and achieving the optimal level of pollution abatement for the entire society., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In the context of pursuing carbon neutrality and balancing the use of fossil fuels with renewable energy, the transportation industry faces the challenge of accurately predicting energy demand, related emissions, and assessing the effectiveness of energy technologies and policies. This is crucial for formulating energy management plans and reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and atmospheric pollutant emissions. Currently, research on energy consumption and emission forecasting primarily relies on energy consumption quantities and emission factors, which lack precision. This study employs the low emissions analysis platform (LEAP) model, utilizing a "bottom-up" modeling approach combined with scenario analysis to predict and analyze the energy demand and related emissions in the transportation industry. Compared to previous studies, the methodological framework proposed in this research offers higher precision and can explore energy-saving and emission-reduction pathways for different modes of transport, providing a valuable energy forecasting tool for transport policy formulation in other regions. The forecast results indicate that under the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, by 2049, the energy consumption and related emissions in Shaanxi Province's transportation industry are expected to increase by 1.15 to 1.85 times compared to the baseline year. In the comprehensive (CP) scenario, the industry is projected to reach a carbon peak around 2033. The study also finds that energy consumption and emissions predominantly originate from private passenger vehicles, highway freight, and civil aviation passenger, which have the greatest potential for emission reduction under the transport structure optimized (TSO) scenario. Therefore, policymakers should consider regional development characteristics, combine different transportation modes, and specifically analyze the emission reduction potential of the transportation industry in various regions, formulating corresponding reduction policies accordingly., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Despite their high persistence in the environment, organochlorines (OC) are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, in plastics, and in the manufacture of pesticides, among other applications. These compounds and the byproducts of their decomposition deserve attention and efficient proposals for their treatment. Among sustainable alternatives, the use of ligninolytic enzymes (LEs) from fungi stands out, as these molecules can catalyze the transformation of a wide range of pollutants. Among LEs, laccases (Lac) are known for their efficiency as biocatalysts in the conversion of organic pollutants. Their application in biotechnological processes is possible, but the enzymes are often unstable and difficult to recover after use, driving up costs. Immobilization of enzymes on a matrix (support or solid carrier) allows recovery and stabilization of this catalytic capacity. Agricultural residual biomass is a passive environmental asset. Although underestimated and still treated as an undesirable component, residual biomass can be used as a low-cost adsorbent and as a support for the immobilization of enzymes. In this review, the adsorption capacity and immobilization of fungal Lac on supports made from residual biomass, including compounds such as biochar, for the removal of OC compounds are analyzed and compared with the use of synthetic supports. A qualitative and quantitative comparison of the reported results was made. In this context, the use of peanut shells is highlighted in view of the increasing peanut production worldwide. The linkage of methods with circular economy approaches that can be applied in practice is discussed., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The core of the concept of nature-based solutions (NBS) is ecological protection, which is the same direction as China's double-carbon goal and has attracted much attention in China. Ecological ditch sewage treatment technology has been widely used in controlling agricultural non-point source pollution because of its advantages of high pollutant removal efficiency and low energy consumption. Suppose the NBS concept of sustainable management, restoration, and ecological protection is integrated into the research and development and application of ecological ditch technology. In that case, it can not only improve the effective removal of pollutants, achieve the purpose of recycling water resources and nutrient elements, but also realize economic, environmental, and social benefits. This paper describes the ecosystem service functions provided by ecological ditches in detail, evaluates their economic values through literatures review, so as to raise people's awareness of natural resource conservation and realize the sustainable management of ecological ditches., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In the current context of water environmental monitoring and pollution control, there's a crucial need for rapid and simple methods to detect multi-pollutant. We herein report an easy one-step hydrothermal synthesis method to produce Eu-based metal-organic frameworks (Eu MOFs), which was used as a fluorescent probe to detect the aquatic environmental pollutants of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and aluminum ions (Al 3+ ). This fluorescent sensor enabled the cascade detection of CIP and Al 3+ through fluorescence enhancement and ratio fluorescence response, respectively. The introduction of CIP significantly turned on the characteristic fluorescence of Eu MOFs at 595 nm and 616 nm through the "antenna effect". Based on this, the sensor enables quantitative detection of CIP within a linear range of 0-120 μM with a LOD as low as 50.421 nM. In the presence of Al 3+ , the fluorescence emission of Eu MOFs-CIP was sharply turned off due to strong Al 3+ coordination with CIP, while the blue fluorescence emission of CIP was remarkably enhanced. And thus allowing ratio fluorescence quantitative detection of Al 3+ (LOD = 2.681 μM). The introduction of CIP and Al 3+ in cascade resulted in distinct fluorescence color changes from colorless to red and eventually to blue, exhibiting pronounced fluorescence characteristics. This observable phenomenon enables the visual detection of CIP and Al 3+ in both aqueous phase and paper test strips. By combining the analysis of fluorescence chromaticity with the use of a smartphone, the fluorescence color of test papers allows for simple quantitative determination, which provides a convenient and accessible approach for quantifying CIP and Al 3+ in water environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Clay minerals are abundant on Earth and have been crucial to the advancement of human civilization. The ability of clay minerals to absorb chemicals is frequently utilized to remove hazardous compounds from aquatic environments. Moreover, clay-based adsorbent products are both environmentally acceptable and affordable. This study provides an overview of advances in clay minerals in the field of groundwater remediation and related predictions. The existing literature was examined using data and information aggregation approaches. Keyword clustering analysis of the relevant literature revealed that clay minerals are associated with groundwater utilization and soil pollution remediation. Principal component analysis was used to assess the relationships among clay mineral modification methods, pollutant properties, and the Langmuir adsorption capacity (Q max ). The results demonstrated that pollutant properties affect the Q max of pollutants adsorbed by clay minerals. Systematic cluster analysis was utilized to classify the collected data and investigate the relationships. The pollution adsorption mechanism of the unique structure of clay minerals was investigated based on the characterization results. Modified clay minerals exhibited changes in surface functional groups, internal structure, and pH pzc . This review provides a summary of recent clay-based materials and their applications in groundwater remediation, as well as discussions of their challenges and future prospects., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Mother's breast milk is a natural and complete food for infants but can be a main source of exposure to toxic pollutants. These pollutants can negatively affect the health of the infant. Therefore, conducting biomonitoring surveys is essential to evaluate such health effects in toxicological research. This study aimed to estimate the probable health risks for infants exposed to essential and non-essential trace elements through breast milk ingestion. This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was performed on 90 breastfeeding mothers referred to the health centers in Mashhad, Iran in January 2021. The health risk assessments (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk) were estimated using chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and lifetime carcinogenic risk (CR), which were recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The results of the HQ values of trace elements through ingestion exposure for arsenic (90%), copper (90%), zinc (40%), and iron (10%) exceeded the threshold of HQ, and arsenic (66.59%), copper (16.91%), and zinc (9.68%) and iron (4.57%) had the highest contribution to increasing the HI index. The average value of CR was 5. 08 × 10 -3 . Chromium and iron showed significant relationships (P<0.05) with education level and disease background in this study, and the concentration of chromium, iron, and zinc in the breast milk samples significantly changed during lactation stages (P<0.05). Overall, the risk of carcinogenicity through exposure to breast milk for infants was higher than the safety level of US EPA risk. Therefore, there could be a potential health risk of trace elements, particularly arsenic, copper, and zinc for infants in Mashhad, Iran through the consumption of mothers' breast milk. More efforts are required to control and reduce routes of receiving trace elements in breastfeeding mothers by the competent authorities., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Mono and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are widely distributed and severely pollute the aqueous environment due to natural and human activities, particularly human activity. It is crucial to identify and address them in order to reduce the dangers and threats they pose to biological processes and ecosystems. In the fields of sensor detection and water treatment, electrochemistry plays a crucial role as a trustworthy and environmentally friendly technology. In order to accomplish trace detection while enhancing detection accuracy and precision, researchers have created and studied sensors using a range of materials based on electrochemical processes, and their results have demonstrated good performance. One cannot overlook the challenges associated with treating aromatic pollutants, including mono and polycyclic. Much work has been done and good progress has been achieved in order to address these challenges. This study discusses the mono and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sensor detection and electrochemical treatment technologies for contaminants in the aqueous environment. Additionally mentioned are the sources, distribution, risks, hazards, and problems in the removal of pollutants. The obstacles to be overcome and the future development plans of the field are then suggested by summarizing and assessing the research findings of the researchers., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Plastics, especially polystyrene nanoplastic particles (PSNPs), are known for their durability and absorption properties, allowing them to interact with environmental pollutants such as di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP). Previous research has highlighted the potential of these particles as carriers for various pollutants, emphasizing the need to understand their environmental impact comprehensively. This study focuses on the subchronic exposure of male Swiss albino mice to PSNP and DBP, aiming to investigate their reproductive toxicity between these pollutants in mammalian models. The primary objective of this study is to examine the reproductive toxicity resulting from simultaneous exposure to PSNP and DBP in male Swiss albino mice. The study aims to analyze sperm parameters, measure antioxidant enzyme activity, and conduct histopathological and morphometric examinations of the testis. By investigating the individual and combined effects of PSNP and DBP, the study seeks to gain insights into their impact on the reproductive profile of male mice, emphasizing potential synergistic interactions between these environmental pollutants. Male Swiss albino mice were subjected to subchronic exposure (60 days) of PSNP (0.2 mg/m, 50 nm size) and DBP (900 mg/kg bw), both individually and in combination. Various parameters, including sperm parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, histopathological changes, and morphometric characteristics of the testis, were evaluated. The Johnsen scoring system and histomorphometric parameters were employed for a comprehensive assessment of spermatogenesis and testicular structure. The study revealed non-lethal effects within the tested doses of PSNP and DBP alone and in combination, showing reductions in body weight gain and testis weight compared to the control. Individual exposures and the combination group exhibited adverse effects on sperm parameters, with the combination exposure demonstrating more severe outcomes. Structural abnormalities, including vascular congestion, Leydig cell hyperplasia, and the extensive congestion in tunica albuginea along with both ST and Leydig cell damage, were observed in the testis, underscoring the reproductive toxicity potential of PSNP and DBP. The Johnsen scoring system and histomorphometric parameters confirmed these findings, providing interconnected results aligning with observed structural abnormalities. The study concludes that simultaneous exposure to PSNP and DBP induces reproductive toxicity in male Swiss albino mice. The combination of these environmental pollutants leads to more severe disruptions in sperm parameters, testicular structure, and antioxidant defense mechanisms compared to individual exposures. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding the interactive mechanisms between different environmental pollutants and their collective impact on male reproductive health. The use of the Johnsen scoring system and histomorphometric parameters provides a comprehensive evaluation of spermatogenesis and testicular structure, contributing valuable insights to the field of environmental toxicology., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)