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Cobalt (Co 2+ ) is a beneficial microelement for plants but toxic to metabolism in higher amounts. This study determined the influence of sublethal Co 2+ level (0.5 mM) on the growth of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids; Hycorn 11 plus (Co 2+ sensitive) and P-1429 (Co 2+ tolerant) and its alleviation with foliar spray of pre-optimized levels of stress protective chemicals (SPCs), i.e., salicylic acid (SA, 0.5 mM), thiourea (TU, 1.0 mM), and ascorbic acid (AsA, 0.5 mM) applied at seedling, vegetative, and late vegetative stages. Plants were harvested at early vegetative, late vegetative, and silking stages. Co 2+ stress caused a decrease in shoot and root length, dry weight, leaf area, and culm diameter, reduced the activities of enzymatic antioxidants and concentrations of AsA and soluble phenolics more in root than shoot, but P-1429 was more tolerant of Co 2+ than Hycorn 11 plus. SPCs spray alleviated oxidative damage by enhancing the antioxidant activity, AsA and soluble phenolics, sulfate-S and nitrate-N contents, which were significantly increased in roots than in shoots; P-1429 displayed better response than Hycorn 11 plus. Principal component analysis and correlation matrix revealed the profound roles of SPCs spray in improving Co 2+ resistance in root leading to robust growth of hybrids. AsA was highly promising in reducing Co 2+ toxicity while vegetative and silking stages were more sensitive. Results revealed that after translocation to root, the foliar-applied SPCs had individualistic modes of action in mitigating Co 2+ toxicity on roots. In crux, the metabolism and phloem transport of the SPCs from shoot to root are plausible mechanism for Co 2+ tolerance in maize hybrids., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Heavy metals (HMs) are not destroyable or degradable and persist in the environment for a long duration. Thus, eliminating and counteracting the HMs pollution of the soil environment is an urgent task to develop a safe and sustainable environment. Plants are in close contact with the soil and can play an important role in soil clean-up, and the process is known as phytoremediation. However, under HM contaminated conditions, plants suffer from several complications, like nutrient and mineral deficiencies, alteration of various physiological and biological processes, which reduces the plant's growth rate. On the other hand, the bioavailability of HMs is another factor for reduced phytoremediation, as most of the HMs are not bioavailable to plants for efficient phytoremediation. The altered plant growth and reduced bioavailability of HMs could be overcome and enhance the phytoremediation efficiency by incorporating either nanotechnology, i.e., nanoparticles (NPs) or plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) along with phytoremediation. Single incorporation of NPs and PGPR might improve the growth rate in plants by enhancing nutrient availability and uptake and also by regulating plant growth regulators under HM contaminated conditions. However, there are certain limitations, like a high dose of NPs that might have toxic effects on plants. Thus, the combination of two techniques such as PGPR and NPs-based remediation can conquer the limitations of individual techniques and consequently enhance phytoremediation efficiency. Considering the negative impacts of HMs on the environment and living organisms, this review is aimed at highlighting the concept of phytoremediation, the single or combined integration of NPs and PGPR to help plants deal with HMs and their basic mechanisms involved in the process of phytoremediation. Additionally, the complications of using NPs and PGPR in the phytoremediation process are discussed to determine future research questions and this will assist to stimulate further research in this field and increase its effectiveness in practical application., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the toxic effects of CoCl 2 -induced hepatotoxicity and fatty acid changes in juvenile Cyprinus carpio. Fish were divided into six experimental groups in duplicate. The first group served as controls. The second group received the lowest exposure dose at 2.5 µg/L. In the third group, fish were exposed to 25 µg/L of CoCl 2 . The fourth group was exposed to 50 µg/L of CoCl 2 . The last two groups were exposed to the highest doses, 100 and 500 µg/L of CoCl 2 . Total antioxidant activities were estimated using a colorimetric method. Liver fatty acid compositions were analyzed by high-performance gas chromatography (GC). Hepatopathy was identified through microscopic analysis. Exposure of C. carpio to CoCl 2 resulted in hepatotoxicity, indicated by increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), protein carbonyls (PCO), and alterations in the ferric reducing antioxidant power system (FRAP). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), metallothioneins (MTs), and low thiol levels (L-SH) significantly increased, particularly under exposure to the highest CoCl 2 doses (100 and 500 µg/L). Acetylcholinesterase activity decreased significantly in C. carpio exposed to graded CoCl 2 doses. Additionally, there was a decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), primarily n-3 PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), while an increase in monounsaturated (MUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA), including palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), palmitoleic (C16:1), and oleic (C18:1) acids, was observed. Histopathological examination of the liver confirmed hepatopathy revealing characteristic tissue changes such as leucocyte infiltration, hepatic cell membrane degradation, vacuolization, and lipid inclusions. The study provided ethnophysiology insights into the responses of C. carpio to CoCl 2 -induced oxidative stress and lipidomic alteration, underscoring its potential as a bioindicator for assessing environmental impacts and metal contamination., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Cobalt exposure has adverse health effects on the cardiovascular system in occupational and laboratory studies, but these effects have not been assessed in the general population. We aimed to determine whether serum cobalt levels had relationship with the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2015-2016), we performed the cross-sectional study. We analyzed the baseline characteristics of 3389 participants (1623 men and 1766 women). Generalized linear models and restricted cubic spline plots curve were undertaken to elucidate the relationship. Stratified subgroup analysis was tested to exclude interaction between different variates and cobalt. Our results showed that the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD prevalence across the quartiles of cobalt were 0.94 (0.67, 1.30), 1.55 (1.15, 2.10), and 1.74 (1.28, 2.35) compared with lowest quartile. The restricted cubic spline curve also suggested nonlinear and positive association between cobalt and CVD (P for nonlinearity = 0.007). In summary, our cross-sectional results verify that higher cobalt levels are associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Cobalt (Co) is widely used in many industrial fields such as batteries and paints. Cobalt, a dangerous heavy metal, can be found in high concentrations in natural and human habitats. Although cobalt is an important micronutrient, it is toxic to living organisms when exposed to high amounts. Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is a tree native to The Mediterranean region. Carob bean, which has high nutritional and economic value, is used against cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. In addition, the antioxidant properties of carob are gaining importance in recent years. In this study, the protective effects of carob extract against the toxicity of cobalt on Allium cepa L. were investigated. For this purpose, 150 mg/L and 300 mg/L carob extract solutions and 5.5 mg/kg cobalt solutions were applied to A. cepa L. bulbs. Root emergence, weight gain, root elongation, and mitotic index (MI) decreased, while the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities (CAs) and micronucleus (MN) increased as a result of Co application. Furthermore, Co treatment triggered a noticeable rise in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA) amount and the abnormalities in the meristematic cells. On the other hand, applications of carob extracts mitigated cobalt-induced damages in a dose-dependent manner in all parameters. Therefore, the current study showed that the strong preventive potential of carob extract against phytotoxicity and genotoxicity is caused by Co in a model plant. The protective effects of carob extract on Co-induced toxicity were demonstrated for the first time in terms of reducing genotoxicity and oxidative stress response.

Heavy metals/-metalloids can result in serious human health hazards. Phytoremediation is green bioresource technology for the remediation of heavy metals and arsenic (As). However, there exists a knowledge gap and systematic information on duckweed-based metal phytoremediation in an eco-sustainable way. Therefore, the present review offers a critical discussion on the effective use of duckweeds (genera Landoltia and Lemna)-based phytoremediation to decontaminate metallic contaminants from wastewater. Phytoextraction and rhizofiltration were the major mechanism in 'duckweed bioreactors' that can be dependent on physico-chemical factors and plant-microbe interactions. The biotechnological advances such as gene manipulations can accelerate the duckweed-based phytoremediation process. High starch and protein contents of the metal-loaded duckweed biomass facilitate their use as feedstock in biorefinery. Biorefinery prospects such as bioenergy production, value-added products, and biofertilizers can augment the circular economy approach. Coupling duckweed-based phytoremediation with biorefinery can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and human well-being., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Here, the impact of irrigation using untreated wastewater (WW) on carrots (Daucus carota L.) was examined. We hypothesized that the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), dry algal powder (Spirulina platensis or Chlorella vulgaris), and Salix alba leaves powder would function as chelators for harmful contaminants in wastewater. The findings showed that irrigation of carrot plants with the sampled untreated wastewater led to significant decreases in the shoot lengths, fresh, dry weights of shoots and roots at stage I, the diameter of roots, pigment content, carotenoids, total soluble carbohydrate content, and soluble protein content. Furthermore, a significantly increased level of proline, total phenols, and the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) was identified in stage I samples. In contrast to the stage I, the length of the roots, the number of leaves on each plant, wet and dry weights of the stage II roots were all greatly enhanced. In spite of the increased yield due to the wastewater irrigation, carrot roots irrigated with wastewater had significantly more cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and lead (Pb) than is considered safe. Our data clearly show that the application of Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, EDTA, and leaves powder of salix was able to alleviate the toxicity of wastewater on carrot plants. For example, we recorded a significant decrease in the accumulation of carrot's Cd, Ni, Co, and Pb contents. We conclude that the treatments with Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris can be utilized as eco-friendly tools to lessen the damaging effects of wastewater irrigation on carrot plants., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) have great potential to enhance the crop productivity and sustainability of agriculture. Still, a thorough understanding is lacking about its essentiality or toxicity and precise dose for the safe cultivation of oilseed crops. Thus, we assessed the dual effects of MgO NPs (control, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 200 mg/L) on the seed germination, growth performance, photosynthesis, total soluble protein, total carbohydrates, oxidative stress markers (hydrogen peroxide as H 2 O 2 and superoxide anion as O 2 ), lipid peroxidation as MDA, and antioxidant defence machinery (SOD, CAT, APX, and GR activities, and GSH levels) of seven different oilseeds (Brassica napus L.) cultivars (ZY 758, ZD 649, ZD 635, ZD 619, GY 605, ZD 622, and ZD 630). Our findings revealed that low doses of MgO NPs (mainly at 10 mg/L) markedly boosted the seed germination, plant growth (shoot and root lengths) (15‒22%), and biomass (fresh and dry) (11‒19%) by improving the levels of photosynthetic pigments (14‒27%), net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm), total soluble protein and total carbohydrates (16‒36%), antioxidant defence, and reducing the oxidative stress in B. napus tissues. Among all B. napus cultivars, these beneficial effects of MgO NPs were pronounced in ZD 635. ile, elevated levels of MgO NPs (particularly at 200 mg/L) induced oxidative stress, impaired antioxidant scavenging potential, photosynthetic inhibition, protein oxidation, and carbohydrate degradation and lead to inhibit the plant growth attributes. These inhibitory effects were more pronounced in ZD 622. Collectively, low-dose MgO NPs reinforced the Mg contents, protected the plant growth, photosynthesis, total soluble carbohydrates, enzyme activities, and minimized the oxidative stress. While, the excessive MgO NP levels impaired the above-reported traits. Overall, ZD 622 was highly susceptible to MgO NP toxicity and ZD 635 was found most tolerant to MgO NP toxicity.•‒ ), lipid peroxidation as MDA, and antioxidant defence machinery (SOD, CAT, APX, and GR activities, and GSH levels) of seven different oilseeds (Brassica napus L.) cultivars (ZY 758, ZD 649, ZD 635, ZD 619, GY 605, ZD 622, and ZD 630). Our findings revealed that low doses of MgO NPs (mainly at 10 mg/L) markedly boosted the seed germination, plant growth (shoot and root lengths) (15‒22%), and biomass (fresh and dry) (11‒19%) by improving the levels of photosynthetic pigments (14‒27%), net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm), total soluble protein and total carbohydrates (16‒36%), antioxidant defence, and reducing the oxidative stress in B. napus tissues. Among all B. napus cultivars, these beneficial effects of MgO NPs were pronounced in ZD 635. ile, elevated levels of MgO NPs (particularly at 200 mg/L) induced oxidative stress, impaired antioxidant scavenging potential, photosynthetic inhibition, protein oxidation, and carbohydrate degradation and lead to inhibit the plant growth attributes. These inhibitory effects were more pronounced in ZD 622. Collectively, low-dose MgO NPs reinforced the Mg contents, protected the plant growth, photosynthesis, total soluble carbohydrates, enzyme activities, and minimized the oxidative stress. While, the excessive MgO NP levels impaired the above-reported traits. Overall, ZD 622 was highly susceptible to MgO NP toxicity and ZD 635 was found most tolerant to MgO NP toxicity., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Cobalt (Co) is considered an essential element in agriculture as it is an important constituent of vitamin B 12 . Due to natural and anthropogenic factors, heavy metals, especially Co, accumulate in agricultural fields, but their high exposure produces ramifications in crop plants, thereby reducing crop yield and biomass. Excessive Co in plants causes oxidative stress, and as the stress progresses, Co competes with iron (Fe) thereby decreasing chlorophyll content and resulting in Fe deficiency in plants. A major concern is to counter the Co toxicity. Therefore, the current study aimed to mitigate Co-stress or Co-toxicity by using siderophore producing microbes and simultaneously mobilize Co and iron (Fe) in required amounts. In this study, 250 bacteria were isolated from agricultural and non-agricultural soils and screened for siderophore production. Initial siderophore screening revealed that 28.8% of the isolates produced siderophore. Subsequent screening for Co-tolerance showed that 16 isolates were tolerant to up to 20,000 ppm of Co and produced ACC deaminase, siderophore (96.82-99.67%), indole-3-acetic acid (15.15-70.55 µg/mL) and phosphate solubilisation (39.33-142.67 µg/mL). A plate assay (200 mM Co stress) revealed that four isolates (KSBTS 12, SBTS 12, CWTS 5 and CWTS 10) enhanced the growth of black gram (Vigna mungo L.). Furthermore, evaluation in pot studies (2000 ppm Co stress) revealed enhanced root (60.69-174.24%) and shoot length (3.27-143.96%) compared to the control. Inoculated plants also enhanced the uptake of nitrogen (37.33-42.36 mg/g) and phosphorous (3.12-3.92 mg/g), chlorophyll content (7.60-22.97 mg/g), siderophore quantity in the soils (282.41-331.53%) and the soil respiration activity such as hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (11.33-24.88 µg/g), dehydrogenase enzyme (109.76-197.26 µg/g) and alkaline phosphatase (631.53-918.20 µg/g). In conclusion, CWTS 5 (Bacillus subtilis) and CWTS 10 (Bacillus albus) can be used to mitigate Co-stress and mobilize Co and Fe in plants., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The rampant rise in world population, industrialization, and urbanization expedite the contamination of water sources. The presence of the non-biodegradable character of heavy metals in waterways badly affects the ecological balance. In this modern era, the unavailability of getting clear water as well as the downturn in water quality is a major concern. Therefore, the effective removal of heavy metals has become much more important than before. In recent years, the attention to better wastewater remediation was directed towards adsorption techniques with novel adsorbents such as carbon nanomaterials. This review paper primarily emphasizes the fundamental concepts, structures, and unique surface properties of novel adsorbents, the harmful effects of various heavy metals, and the adsorption mechanism. This review will give an insight into the current status of research in the realm of sustainable wastewater treatment, applications of carbon nanomaterials, different types of functionalized carbon nanotubes, graphene, graphene oxide, and their adsorption capacity. The importance of MD simulations and density functional theory (DFT) in the elimination of heavy metals from aqueous media is also discussed. In addition to that, the effect of factors on heavy metal adsorption such as electric field and pressure is addressed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The rapid trend of industrialization and urbanization can lead to greater exposure of the general population to chromium, cobalt, and nickel. Their total body burden from all routes of recent exposure, as well as interindividual variability in exposure levels, metabolism, and excretion rates, are reflected in the blood metal concentrations. The main goals in this study were as follows: observing the reference levels of chromium, cobalt, and nickel in the blood of the population living in Belgrade, identification of individual and sociodemographic factors that most affect their blood levels, and comprehension of recent exposure to chromium, cobalt, and nickel. Blood was sampled from 984 participants, voluntary blood donors, who agreed to participate in this study. Individual and sociodemographic data were collected using questionnaire adapted for different subpopulations. Blood metal analyses were measured using ICP-MS method (7700×, Agilent, USA). Our study provided reference values of chromium, cobalt, and nickel in blood for adult population (18-65 years) and confirmed that blood cobalt and nickel levels were mostly influenced by age and gender, and age, respectively. Furthermore, weight status affected blood chromium and cobalt levels, while national origin affected blood chromium levels. The present study highlighted the importance of human biomonitoring studies to monitor exposure status and identify subpopulations with increased exposure to chromium, cobalt, and nickel., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Plants develop several external and internal mechanisms to increase their tolerance to heavy metals (HMs) toxicity including cadmium (Cd). Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) is one of the plants' strategies to tolerate HMs toxicity. Nitric oxide (NO), as a signaling molecule, is also involved in physiological responses of plants to various stresses. The present work was conducted as a factorial completely randomized design with three replications to study the effects of Funneliformis mosseae fungi and Sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 100 mM) as a donor of NO alone, in combination (AMF + SNP) on corn plant growth, and internal detoxification mechanisms of Cd toxicity in a Cd-contaminated calcareous soil (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg Cd kg -1 ). The results showed that under Cd stress, AMF inoculation and/or foliar application of SNP significantly increased plant growth (32% to 103% for shoot and 44% to 84% for root) by decreasing Cd concentration in corn plant tissues (23% to 46% for shoot and 19% to 40% for root). Cd-induced oxidative stress was mitigated by AMF and/or SNP by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and concentration of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatin (PC). Increasing the tolerance index (TI) and decreasing the transfer factor (TF) in the corn plants treated with AMF and/or SNP, confirm the efficient role of SNP and AMF in stimulating the detoxification mechanisms of Cd within the plant cells, which was more pronounced at the lowest Cd level (25 mg Cd kg -1 ). In conclusion, symbiotic associations of corn plants with AMF alone or in combination with SNP mitigated the detrimental effect of Cd toxicity in corn grown in Cd-contaminated calcareous soil. The corn's internal detoxification mechanisms lowered the Cd concentration in plant tissue which resulted in the improvement of the corn's growth parameters., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Soil contamination with toxic heavy metals (such as arsenic (As)) is becoming a serious global problem due to rapid development of social economy, although the use of silicon (Si) and sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) has been found effective in enhancing plant tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses including the As toxicity. For this purpose, a pot experiment was conducted using the different levels of As toxicity in the soil, i.e., (0 mM (no As), 50, and 100 µM) which were also supplied with the different exogenous levels of Si, i.e., (0 (no Si), 1.5, and 3 mM) and also with the NaHS, i.e., (0 (no NaHS), 1, and 2 mM) on growth, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange characteristics, oxidative stress biomarkers, antioxidant machinery (enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants), and their gene expression, ion uptake, organic acid exudation, and As uptake of maize (Zea mays L.). Results from the present study showed that the increasing levels of As in the soil significantly (P < 0.05) decreased plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attributes, sugars, and nutritional contents from the roots and shoots of the plants. In contrast, increasing levels of As in the soil significantly (P < 0.05) increased oxidative stress indicators in terms of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and electrolyte leakage and also increased organic acid exudation patter in the roots of Z. mays, although the activities of enzymatic antioxidants and the response of their gene expressions in the roots and shoots of the plants and non-enzymatic such as phenolic, flavonoid, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanin contents were initially increased with the exposure of 50 µM As, but decreased by the increasing the As concentration 100 µM in the soil. The negative impact of As toxicity can overcome the application of Si and NaHS, which ultimately increased plant growth and biomass by capturing the reactive oxygen species and decreased oxidative stress in Z. mays by decreasing the As contents in the roots and shoots of the plants. Our results also showed that the Si was more sever and showed better results when we compared with NaHS under the same treatment of As in the soil. Research findings, therefore, suggest that the combined application of Si and NaHS can ameliorate As toxicity in Z. mays, resulting in improved plant growth and composition under metal stress, as depicted by balanced exudation of organic acids., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Although various studies have reported the bioaccumulation of metals in bivalves of commercial interest from the Gulf of California (GC), the risk associated with their consumption remains poorly understood. In this study, our own and bibliographic concentrations of 14 elements in 16 species of bivalves from 23 locations were used to investigate (1) the species-specific and regional accumulation of metals and arsenic in bivalves, (2) the human health risks by age and sex, and (3) the maximum allowable consumption rates (CRlim). The assessments were done according to the US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The results indicate that the bioaccumulation of elements varies markedly between groups (oysters > mussels > clams) and localities (higher on Sinaloa due to intense anthropogenic activities). However, consuming bivalves from the GC remains safe for human health. To prevent health effects for residents or consumers on the GC, we recommend (1) following the CRlim proposed herein; (2) monitoring levels of Cd, Pb, and As (inorganic) in bivalves, as the elements of top concern, mainly when are consumed by children; (3) calculating CRlim for more species and locations, including at least: As, Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn; and (4) determine the regional consumption rates of bivalves., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

To determine whether urine cobalt (Co) is associated with the prevalence of kidney stones, we conducted a cross-sectional study of participants (≥ 20 years) involved in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007 and 2018. The urine Co level was divided into four groups: 0.02-0.22, 0.22-0.36, 0.36-0.58, and 0.58-37.40 μg/L. The independent correlation between urine Co and prevalence of kidney stones was determined by logistic regression analyses. A total of 10,744 participants aged over 20 years that were not pregnant were eligible. Among them, 1041 participants reported ever having developed kidney stones. Patients with kidney stones developed significantly higher urine Co than the non-stone participants. The kidney stone patients were more likely to have been smoking ≥ 100 cigarettes in life; have hypertension, diabetes, and cancer; and engage in heavy activity. Multivariate logistic regression indicated a significantly positive relationship between the urine Co level and occurrence of kidney stones (OR 1.059, 95% CI 1.018-1.102, P = 0.00430). Moreover, the outcome remained unchanged after some sophisticated factors were adjusted (OR 1.059, 95% CI 1.001-1.120, P = 0.04635), and kidney stones were significantly related to a higher level of Co (OR (95% CI) = 0.22-0.36 μg/L: 1.111 (0.869, 1.421); 0.36-0.58 μg/L: 1.392 (1.095, 1.770); 0.58-37.40 μg/L: 1.712 (1.351, 2.170), and P for trend < 0.00001). So, urine Co concentration is positively associated with the prevalence of kidney stones. However, more high-quality prospective studies are needed to elucidate the causal correlation between Co level and kidney stones., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Globally, potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and bacterial contamination pose health hazards, persistency, and genotoxicity in the groundwater aquifer. This study evaluates PTE concentration, carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic health hazards, groundwater quality indexing (GWQI-model), source provenance, and fate distribution in the groundwater of Hindukush ranges, Pakistan. The new estimates of USEPA equations record new research dimensions for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic hazards. The principal component analysis (PCA), mineral phases, and spatial distribution determine groundwater contamination and its impacts. The average concentrations of PTEs, viz., Cd, Cu, Co, Fe, Pb, and Zn, were 0.06, 0.27, 0.07, 0.55, 0.05, and 0.19 mg/L, and E. coli, F. coli, and P. coli were 27.5, 24.0, and 19.0 CFU/100 ml. Moreover, the average values of basic minerals, viz., anhydrite, aragonite, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, halite, and hydroxyl apatite, were 0.4, 2.4, 2.6, 5.1, 0.6, and - 4.0, 11.2, and PTE minerals like monteponite, tenorite, cuprite, cuprous ferrite, cupric ferrite, ferrihydrite, goethite, hematite, lepidocrocite, maghemite, magnetite, massicot, minium, litharge, plattnerite, and zincite were - 5.5, 2.23, 4.65, 18.56, 20.0, 4.84, 7.54, 17.46, 6.66, 9.67, 22.72, - 3.36, 22.9, 3.16, - 18.0, and 1.46. The groundwater showed carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health hazards for children and adults. The GWQI-model showed that 58.3% of samples revealed worse water quality. PCA revealed rock weathering, mineral dissolution, water-rock interaction, and industrial effluents as the dominant factors influencing groundwater chemistry. Carbonate weathering and ion exchange play vital roles in altering CaHCO 3 type to NaHCO 3 water. In this study, E. coli, F. coli, P. coli, EC, turbidity, TSS, PO 4 3─ , Na + , Mg +2 , Ca +2 , Cd, Co, Fe, and Pb have exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic impacts of PTEs and bacterial contamination declared that the groundwater is unfit for drinking and domestic purposes., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Heavy metals in higher concentrations are often encountered in domestic sewage of developing and under-developed countries. High metallic concentrations can stress reactor sludge biomass morphology impeding its performance in organics reduction. However, the extent of damage and ability of sludge biomass to recover from the metallic stress is not fully understood. Also, there is no protocol to identify and prevent the sludge biomass from metallic stress in fully functional sewage treatment plants (STPs). This study investigates performance, metabolic activity, morphology, and settling characteristics of the sludge biomass under different Co(II) stress conditions. The extent of recovery in biomass, when the supply of Co(II) metal ion was discontinued in the inlet stream, was explored. The study also proposed a protocol based on simple settling characteristics of sludge biomass to get an early indication of metal infiltration to prevent potential damage to the biomass morphology. Four sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with Co(II) ion concentrations of 0 (designated as RCo0), 5 (RCo5), 25 (RCo25), and 75 mg/L (RCo75) in the feed were operated with a cycle time of 12 h. Reactors were operated for 35 days with Co(II) in the feed (termed as stressed phase operation) followed by 24 days of operation without Co(II) in the feed (termed as recovery phase operation). Results show that COD removal in reactor RCo75 reduced to 48% on the 10th day of stressed phase operation, showing a lag in COD removal due to metallic stress. The activity of biomass in reactors RCo5, RCo25, and RCo75 was reduced by 39%, 45%, and 49%, respectively, in the stressed phase compared to the biomass in control reactor. Recovery in COD removal efficiency and specific biomass activity were observed in all the reactors after the removal of metallic stress. The settleability of sludge biomass in reactors RCo25 and RCo75 was significantly affected. Transformation in the shape of flocs in reactor RCo25 and RCo75 biomasses revealed the prolonged effect of metallic stress, which was observed to be irreversible even during the recovery phase operation., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The present study was undertaken to appraise the efficacy of exogenous taurine in alleviating boron (B) and chromium (Cr) toxicity. Taurine protects cell membranes from lipid peroxidation due to its function as a ROS scavenger. However, there exists no report in the literature on the role of taurine in plants under abiotic stresses. The present investigation indicated the involvement of exogenous taurine in mediating plant defense responses under B and Cr toxicity. Wheat plants manifested a significant drop in growth, chlorophyll molecules, SPAD values, relative water content, nitrate reductase activity, and uptake of essential nutrients under B, Cr, and combined B-Cr toxicity. Plants showed significant oxidative damage due to enhanced cellular levels of superoxide radicals (O 2 •- ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), malondialdehyde (MDA), relative membrane permeability, and activity of lipoxygenase (LOX). Additionally, a significant negative correlation existed in B and Cr levels with the uptake of essential nutrients. Taurine substantially improved growth, photosynthetic pigments, and nutrient uptake by regulating ROS scavenging, secondary metabolism, and ions homeostasis under stress. Taurine protected plants from the detrimental effects of B and Cr by upregulating the production of nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide, glutathione, and phenolic compounds., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

It is increasingly being recognized that biotic ligand models (BLMs) can successfully predict the toxicity of divalent metals toward aquatic biota applied to temperate freshwater ecosystems. However, studies on the eutrophic lakes in tropical regions toward native tropical organisms, including Moina, are relatively limited. In this study, Moina dubia, the native organism of the Hanoi eutrophic urban lakes, were used in toxicological studies of lead (Pb); 24-h EC 50 value of Pb was 523.19 µg/L under optimal living conditions for M. dubia in the laboratory. The constant binding of Pb 2+ on M. dubia surface sites (log K PbBL  = 2.38) was significantly low. Other stability constants were obtained under experiments as logK CaBL  = 2.48, logK MgBL  = 2.80, logK NaBL  = 2.35, logK KBL  = 2.49, and logK HBL  = 3.026. A BLM was developed to calculate the acute toxicity (EC 50 -24 h) of lead on M. dubia based on the condition of the urban lakes of Hanoi. Validation with toxicity data in synthetic medium showed a coefficient determination of 79.16% and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 10.2%, while the validation with the toxicity data with natural water medium from 11 Hanoi lakes showed a coefficient determination of 73.7% and a MAPE of 13.66%. The BLM worked well with water at a pH of 7.0 to 8.0, but failed with water at a pH above 8.0. Eutrophic conditions proved to have a significant effect on the toxicity of lead on local zooplankton., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The present study verified the potential of volcanic rock powder residues originating from the extraction of semi-precious rocks in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, as precursors or adsorbents for dyes and metallic ion removal from water. In this way, it is possible to add value and give an adequate destination to this waste. Volcanic rock powder residues from Ametista do Sul (AME) and Nova Prata (NP) were the starting materials. These were used naturally or submitted to the alkaline activation process at 60 °C and alkaline fusion at 550 °C. The analysis of the starting samples by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) revealed that they are mainly composed of aluminum, calcium, iron, and silicon oxides, which corroborates the presence of numerous crystalline phases observed in the X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD). Moreover, by XRD analysis of the synthesized samples, alkaline fusion proved to be more efficient in the dissolution of crystalline phases and consequently in the formation of the amorphous phase (more reactive). Furthermore, the adsorption tests with acid green and acid red dyes and Ag + , Co 2+ , and Cu 2+ ions indicated the viability of using residual volcanic rock powder as raw material for the production of adsorbents functionalized with sodium hydroxide, being that the samples synthesized by alkaline fusion showed better results of removal and adsorption capacity for all the contaminants used in the study., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Excessive cobalt exposure has been shown to induce various adverse health effects in animal and human toxicity studies. However, the relationships between cobalt exposure and obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic-related disorders are rarely studied in epidemiological studies. This study aimed to explore the dose-response relationships between urinary cobalt concentrations and obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic-related disorders. Adult participants (≥20 years) from the 2005 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. Restricted cubic splines and the log-binomial regression were adopted. Multivariate adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) comparing extreme quartiles of urinary cobalt concentrations were 1.43 (1.29-1.57) for obesity, 1.43 (1.10-1.86) for insulin resistance, 1.21 (1.09-1.34) for metabolic syndrome, 1.16 (1.10-1.23) for elevated waist circumference, 1.20 (1.09-1.33) for elevated triglycerides, 1.14 (1.01-1.29) for reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), 1.06 (0.98-1.15) for elevated blood pressure, and 0.91 (0.79-1.06) for elevated fasting glucose, respectively. Results from the restricted cubic splines showed that an initial steep increase in risk was followed by a weaker increase in risk or a platform beyond 1.0 µg/L for obesity (prevalence ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.41 (1.29-1.55)), insulin resistance (1.33 (1.07-1.65)), metabolic syndrome (1.18 (1.11-1.31)), elevated waist circumference (1.18 (1.11-1.25)), elevated triglycerides (1.21 (1.11-1.33)), and reduced HDL-C (1.15 (1.01-1.30)), respectively. In conclusion, the prevalence of obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, elevated waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, and reduced HDL-C progressively increased with increasing urinary cobalt concentrations. The above associations are non-linear and there is not a "safe threshold" below which there are no toxic effects of cobalt., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this study, 18 plasticizer (phthalates, adipates, sebacates, and others) residues in sixteen medicines available in Tunisian pharmaceutical markets are evaluated by MSPD combined with GC-MS. In parallel, in this research, UPLC-MS/MS technique was performed to detect bisphenol A, and cadmium, lead, chromium, cobalt, nickel, mercury, selenium, and arsenic levels were determined by ICP-MS. The maximum daily ingested mass of mineral elements was calculated and compared with permissible daily exposure limits published by USP NF 2013. Our results demonstrated that the 50% of drugs contained similar concentrations of di-ethyl adipate. Di-isobutyl phthalate was found in a single sample with a high concentration (1.07mgkg -1 ). Di-methyladipate was also present in only one sample. Diethyl phthalate was detected in three medicines: the highest concentration (17.03mgkg -1 ) was found in capsules. The other plasticizers and bisphenol A levels were below the limits of quantification in the all samples. All tested products were safe for use, except two clay-originated products. Concentrations and the maximum daily ingested mass of lead and arsenic were higher than recommended limits. The use of these medicines should require more attention taking into account the serious hazards of heavy metals to human health., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Excessive doses of toxic metals such as cobalt may cause detrimental hazards to exposed organisms. Six groups of onion bulbs were formed to investigate the therapeutic effects of grape seed extract (GSE) against cobalt(II) nitrate (Co(NO 3 ) 2 ) exposure in Allium cepa L. root tips. Control group was irrigated with tap water, while the latter groups were exposed to 150 mg/L GSE, 300 mg/L GSE, 5.5 ppm Co(NO 3 ) 2 , 5.5 ppm Co(NO 3 ) 2  + 150 mg/L GSE and 5.5 ppm Co(NO 3 ) 2  + 300 mg/L GSE, respectively. Co(NO 3 ) 2 treatment seriously inhibited the root growth, germination and weight gain of the bulbs. Mitotic index was significantly decreased, whereas the chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei incidence exhibited a remarkable increase. In addition, Co(NO 3 ) 2 induced a variety of anatomical disorders in onion roots. Lipid peroxidation levels of the cellular membranes were assessed measuring the malondialdehyde content (MDA). MDA amount in Co(NO 3 ) 2 -treated group reached the highest level among all groups. Co(NO 3 ) 2 treatment enhanced the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase. The addition of GSE to Co(NO 3 ) 2 solution substantially suppressed the negative effects of Co(NO 3 ) 2 in a dose-dependent manner by strengthening the antioxidant defence system and reducing the cytotoxicity. Moreover, there was a significant recovery in growth parameters following the grape seed addition to Co(NO 3 ) 2 . GSE had a remarkable reduction in genotoxicity when treated as a mixture with Co(NO 3 ) 2 . Overall data obtained from this investigation proved that GSE, as a promising functional by-product, had a protective effect on Allium cepa L. against the toxic effects of Co(NO 3 ) 2 .

Nanomaterial applications are a fast-developing field. In spite of their powerful advantages, many open questions regarding how these small-sized chemicals may influence the environment and human health. However, scarce reports are available on the potential hazards of combined nanoparticles, taken into consideration that nickel oxide (NiO) and cobalt (II, III) oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles (NPs) are already used together in many applications. Hence, the present work was designed to study the probable changes in some biological, hematological, and serum biochemical variables throughout 2 weeks following an oral administration of 0.5 g and 1.0 g of NiO-NPs or/and Co 3 O 4 -NPs per kilogram body weight of rats. As compared with the controls, the exposure to NiO-NPs or Co 3 O 4 -NPs solely caused significant elevations in the relative weights of brain (RBW), kidney (RKW) and liver (RLW), water consumption (WC), red blood cells (RBCs) count, hemoglobin (Hb) content, packed cell volume (PCV), and serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), glucose, creatinine, urea, and uric acid as well as serum activities of aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (ASAT and ALAT). In addition, remarkable declines in the total body weight (TBW), feed consumption (FC), white blood cells (WBCs) count, serum levels of total protein (TP), albumin, albumin/globulin ratio, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were caused by administration of NiO-NPs or Co 3 O 4 -NPs, separately. On contrary, the co-administration of NiO-NPs and Co 3 O 4 -NPs together caused less noticeable changes in most of studied variables as compared with those administered NiO-NPs or Co 3 O 4 -NPs, individually. In conclusion, the exposure to a combination of NiO-NPs and Co 3 O 4 -NPs suppressed the adverse effects of the individual NPs on the studied variables.

The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of soil application of manure, clay, charcoal, zeolite, and calcium oxide in remediation of soil polluted with cobalt (0, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 mg Co kg -1 of soil). The following were determined: weight of harvested plants as well as the content of cobalt in grain, straw, and roots of oat. In addition, tolerance index (Ti), cobalt bioconcentration (BCF), translocation (TF), and transfer (TFr) coefficients were derived. In the series without amendments, the increasing doses of cobalt had a significant effect by decreasing the yields of oat grain and straw and the mass of its roots. Also, lower tolerance index values were noted in the objects polluted with cobalt, especially with its highest dose. The application of manure had the strongest effect on increasing the mass of particular organs of the test plant, while the application of charcoal led to a significant decrease in this respect. The application of all substances to the soil, and especially manure and calcium oxide, resulted in higher tolerance index Ti values. The growing contamination of soil with cobalt caused a significant increase in the content of this element in oat and in the values of the translocation coefficient, in contrast to the effects noted with respect to the bioconcentration and transfer coefficients. All the substances applied to soil reduced the content of cobalt and its bioconcentration in oat straw, in opposition to grain and roots, limited its translocation, but elevated the transfer of this element from soil to plants. Soil contamination with cobalt promoted the accumulation of lead and copper in grain, cadmium, lead, nickel, zinc, manganese, and iron in straw, as well as cadmium, nickel, zinc, and manganese in oat roots. As the cobalt dose increased, the content of other trace elements in oat organs either decreased or did not show any unambiguous changes. Of all the tested substances, the strongest influence on the content of trace elements was produced by calcium oxide in straw and roots and by zeolite in roots, whereas the weakest effect was generated by manure in oat grain. Oat is not the best plant for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with cobalt.

The use of wastewater in irrigation weakens the beneficial properties of the soil and leads to a threat to food safety standards. The present research was designed to explore the cobalt toxicity associated with the ingestion of wastewater irrigated wheat. Wheat plants of five different varieties were collected from 7 different sites of Punjab, Pakistan, which were irrigated with three different sources of water. The sampling was done in two cropping years. The cobalt values in water, soil and wheat samples (root, shoot, grain) ranged from 0.46 to 1.24 mg/l, 0.15 to 1.20, 0.29 to 1.30, 0.08 to 0.76 and 0.12 to 0.57 mg/kg, respectively. All the water samples showed high cobalt concentration than the maximum permissible value. However, all the soil and wheat plant samples were found within the maximum allowable range. The high cobalt concentration in irrigating water showed that the continuous usage of such type of water may lead to cobalt toxicity in living organisms with the passage of time and may results in severe health risks.