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Emerging evidence points out that the responses of soil organic carbon (SOC) to nitrogen (N) addition differ along the soil profile, highlighting the importance of synthesizing results from different soil layers. Here, using a global meta‐analysis, we found that N addition significantly enhanced topsoil (0–30 cm) SOC by 3.7% (±1.4%) in forests and grasslands. In contrast, SOC in the subsoil (30–100 cm) initially increased with N addition but decreased over time. The model selection analysis revealed that experimental duration and vegetation type are among the most important predictors across a wide range of climatic, environmental, and edaphic variables. The contrasting responses of SOC to N addition indicate the importance of considering deep soil layers, particularly for long‐term continuous N deposition. Finally, the lack of depth‐dependent SOC responses to N addition in experimental and modeling frameworks has likely resulted in the overestimation of changes in SOC storage under enhanced N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As coastal ecosystems become widely recognized for their capacity to sequester carbon (blue carbon), standard accounting methodologies for the generation of carbon credits are being developed. To ensure the applicability of these standards across blue carbon ecosystems, we investigated organic carbon provenance and burial in salt marshes and seagrass meadows of an arid, upwelling‐dominated Eastern Pacific lagoon. We found low carbon density in benthic sediments of Bahía de San Quintín (5.9 ± 0.5 mg C cm−3), only marginally higher in Zostera marina beds (6.9 ± 0.5 mg C cm−3), likely due to remineralization and hydrodynamically driven export of seagrass material, resulting in low carbon burial rates (4.5 ± 2.5 g C m−2 yr−1). Sediment organic carbon is mainly controlled by the fraction of fine sediment and its source is largely allochthonous, although sources differ spatially. Salt marshes at San Quintín derive 40% of their organic matter from autochthonous material and exhibit higher carbon burial rates (up to 414.7 ± 28.6 g C m−2 yr−1) and sediment carbon densities (32.0 ± 0.7 mg C cm−3) compared to benthic sediments. This study emphasizes the connectivity of blue carbon habitats with marsh plant detritus supplementing benthic carbon burial and incorporation of detrital eelgrass in marsh sediments. Our findings highlight the importance of allochthonous organic matter for carbon sequestration in blue carbon habitats, suggesting standard accounting practices that deduct allochthonous organic matter would miss the full potential for carbon burial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased human‐derived nitrogen (N) loading in terrestrial ecosystems has caused widespread ecosystem‐level phosphorus (P) limitation. In response, plants and soil micro‐organisms adopt a series of P‐acquisition strategies to offset N loading‐induced P limitation. Many of these strategies impose costs on carbon (C) allocation by plants and soil micro‐organisms; however, it remains unclear how P‐acquisition strategies affect soil C cycling. Herein, we review the literature on the effects of N loading on P limitation and outline a conceptual overview of how plant and microbial P‐acquisition strategies may affect soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization and decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems.Excessive input of N significantly enhances plant biomass production, soil acidification, and produces plant litterfall with high N/P ratios, which can aggravate ecosystem‐level P limitation.Long‐term N loading can cause plants and soil micro‐organisms to alter their functional traits to increase P acquisition. Plants can release carboxylate exudates and phosphatases, modify root morphological traits, facilitate the formation of symbiotic associations with mycorrhizal fungi and stimulate the abundance of P‐mineralizing and P‐solubilizing micro‐organisms. Releasing carboxylate exudates and phosphatases could accelerate SOC decomposition, whereas changing symbiotic associations and root morphological traits (e.g. an increase in fine root length) may contribute to higher SOC stabilization. Increased relative abundances of P‐mineralizing and P‐solubilizing bacteria can accelerate P mining and SOC decay, which may decrease microbial C use efficiency and subsequently lower SOC sequestration.The trade‐offs between different plant P‐acquisition strategies under N loading should be among future research priorities due to their cascading impacts on soil C storage. Quantifying ecosystem thresholds for P adaption to increased N loading is important because P‐acquisition strategies are effective when N loading is below the N threshold. Moreover, understanding the response of P‐acquisition strategies at different levels of native soil N availability could provide insight to divergent P‐acquisition strategies across sites and ecosystems. Altogether, P‐acquisition strategies should be explicitly considered in Earth System Models to generate more realistic predictions of the effects of N loading on soil C cycling. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased human‐derived nitrogen (N) deposition to terrestrial ecosystems has resulted in widespread phosphorus (P) limitation of net primary productivity. However, it remains unclear if and how N‐induced P limitation varies over time. Soil extracellular phosphatases catalyze the hydrolysis of P from soil organic matter, an important adaptive mechanism for ecosystems to cope with N‐induced P limitation. Here we show, using a meta‐analysis of 140 studies and 668 observations worldwide, that N stimulation of soil phosphatase activity diminishes over time. Whereas short‐term N loading (≤5 years) significantly increased soil phosphatase activity by 28%, long‐term N loading had no significant effect. Nitrogen loading did not affect soil available P and total P content in either short‐ or long‐term studies. Together, these results suggest that N‐induced P limitation in ecosystems is alleviated in the long‐term through the initial stimulation of soil phosphatase activity, thereby securing P supply to support plant growth. Our results suggest that increases in terrestrial carbon uptake due to ongoing anthropogenic N loading may be greater than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to combat the threat of drought, China constructed the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP), the biggest water transfer project in terms of volume with the largest beneficiary population in the world. Reports have shown that massive water diversion projects have had detrimental environmental consequences including water quality decline and freshwater habitat degradation. However, few reports have assessed the impact of the transfer project on sediment quality, which is highly susceptible to allogenic and local anthropogenic pollution. We examined the distribution characteristics of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in surface sediment of the largest reservoir along the East Route of SNWTP, Nansihu Lake, followed by positive matrix factorization (PMF) to determine their potential sources. We utilized enrichment factor, multiple sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), and potential ecological risk index (RI) to determine metal accumulation or pollution risk. The results show the mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn were slightly lower than in samples collected in 2003, 2010 and 2012, while the mean concentrations of Cr and Ni were significantly higher than samples from previous years. Among the six metals, Cr, Cu and Ni are of higher ecological risk according to SQGs; but Cd is of higher ecological risk according to RI. PMF analysis shows that industrial production and shipping are important sources of Cr, Cu, and Ni. PMF analysis also shows that a considerable amount of trace metals, especially Cd, Cr, Pb and Zn, mainly comes from the use of pesticide fertilizers and biomass sources in farmland, and may partly enter Nansihu Lake from SNWTP. This study reveals the possible sources of trace metals to the Nansihu Lake which is part of SNWTP; the results of the study may serve as a reference for better understanding the impact of future water diversion projects on metals distribution. Unlabelled Image • Water transfer is likely a new source of trace metals in sediment of Nansihu Lake. • Industry and agricultural sources contributed to metals in the lake significantly. • Pollutions are expected to occur especially from Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb according to SQGs. • Cd posed a considerable potential ecological risk according to RI. • SQGs and RI are short for pollution or ecological risk assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypersaline tidal flats (HTFs) represent transitional ecosystems where the ocean, land, and freshwater meet. These places are globally widespread and their soils are an important environmental component controlling chemical reactions in wetland ecosystems. Here, we present a pedogenic study of two HTFs on the Brazilian coast (northeast and southeast) based on the solid-phase geochemistry of Fe and Mn and morphological studies. Broken and irregular topographies and strong expression of redoximorphic concentrations (e.g., mottles, nodules, and pore linings) are present throughout the soil profiles. Although lepidocrocite is the most abundant Fe fraction in these soils (more than 50% of all extractions), deeper horizons show pyrite as the main Fe fraction caused by the presence of buried mangrove soils. The more oxidizing conditions in these deeper horizons indicate that pyrite is not stable and is undergoing degradation. Iron released in this process is moving upward and precipitating as Fe oxides in more oxidized portions of the soil profile. Coprecipitation of Mn and ferrihydrite seems to be an important process controlling the geochemistry of Mn in HTFs. Our data indicate that deeper horizons have been transforming, driven mainly by water table oscillation and, consequently, redox processes. This process allows translocation of Mn2+ and Fe2+ throughout the soil profile, followed by oxidation and precipitation of Mn3+/4+ and Fe3+ oxides in preferential sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to optimize soil management practices that can help mitigate terrestrial carbon emissions, biochar has been applied to a wide range of soil environments to examine its effect on soil greenhouse gas emissions. Such studies have shown that the soil methane (CH4) flux response can vary widely leading to both increase and decrease in CH4 flux upon biochar amendment. To address this discrepancy, multiple meta-analysis studies have been performed in recent years to determine the key factors that may control the direction of CH4 flux upon biochar treatment. However, even comparing across conclusions from meta-analyses reveals disagreement upon which factors ultimately determine the change in direction and magnitude of CH4 flux due to biochar addition. Furthermore, using multiple observations from a single study can lead to misinterpretation of the influence of a factor within a meta-analysis due to non-independence. In this study, we use a multivariate meta-regression approach that allows factor interactions to investigate which biochar, soil, and management practice factors in combination or individually best explain the CH4 flux response in past biochar amendment studies. Our results show that the interaction of multiple soil factors (i.e., water saturation, soil texture, and soil organic carbon content) best explains the soil CH4 flux response to biochar addition (minimum deviance information criterion (DIC) value along with lowest heterogeneity) as compared to all models utilizing individual factors alone. These findings provide insight into the specific soil factors that should be taken into account simultaneously when optimizing the CH4 flux response to biochar amendments and building empirical models to quantitatively predict soil CH4 flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing access to safe drinking water is a global challenge, for which groundwater is increasingly being used throughout the world. However, geogenic contaminants limit the suitability of groundwater for domestic purposes over large geographic areas across most continents. Geogenic contaminants in groundwater are often evaluated individually, but here we demonstrate the need to evaluate multiple contaminants to ensure that groundwater is safe for human consumption and agricultural usage. We compiled groundwater chemical data from three aquifer regions across the world that have been reported to have widespread As and Mn contamination including the Glacial Aquifer in the U.S., the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Mehta Basin within Bangladesh, and the Mekong Delta in Cambodia, along with newly sampled wells in the Yangtze River Basin of China. The proportion of contaminated wells increase by up to 40% in some cases when both As and Mn contaminants are considered. Wilcoxon rank-sum analysis indicates that Mn contamination consistently occurs at significantly shallower depths than As contaminated wells in all regions. Arsenic concentrations in groundwater are well predicted by redox indicators (Eh and dissolved oxygen) whereas Mn shows no significant relationship with either parameter. These findings illustrate that the number of safe wells may be drastically overestimated in some regions when Mn contamination is not taken into account and that depth may be used as a distinguishing variable in efforts to predict the presence of groundwater contaminants regionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addition of biochar to soils has been shown to increase crop yield and aid in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the extent of soil methane (CH4) flux. Previous studies utilizing metaanalysis to better understand the impact of environmental and management factors on CH4 flux from biochar treated soil systems have provided contrasting results, ranging from significant increase, decrease, to no change in methane flux after amendment. We hypothesized that these discrepancies could be explained by separating studies into two major land use categories, upland and paddy, prior to analysis so that the overall redox conditions are more comparable across studies upon which statistical comparisons are made. Furthermore, past studies did not consider potentially critical soil properties including soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/N, and soil texture; a number of biochar properties including biochar pH and C/N; and five additional management and experimental factors. In this study, Hedge's d metric was calculated and Wilcoxon analyses were used in a meta-analysis to determine the impact of these additional factors on methane flux from biochar-amended upland versus paddy soils. We demonstrate that variations in soil characteristics including SOC, C/N, and pH significantly influences the methane flux from biochar treated soils, while biochar characteristics and management practices have less to no effect as determined by the magnitude of the Hedge's d metric. Soils with low SOC, total nitrogen, C/N, acidic or alkaline pH exhibited lowest CH4 emission rates/highest CH4 uptake rates, whereas soils with higher SOC content, C/N, and circumneutral pH exhibited higher CH4 emission with biochar addition. Several possible mechanisms are suggested to explain the role of these variables in CH4 cycling. Results from this study will be used to evaluate the input parameters for building a linear additive model to quantitatively predict soil methane flux in response to biochar additions. Ultimately, implementation of the linear additive model can be extremely valuable for advising agricultural practices toward minimize methane emissions or maximizing methane sink strength. We suggest that additional field and controlled experiments be performed to better define the reaction network that controls methane flux from biochar treated soils, with particular attention to paddy soils where studies are still lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of groundwater containing >10 µg L-1 arsenic (As) adversely impacts more than 100 million people worldwide. Multiyear trends in aquifer As concentrations have been documented, but strong seasonal variations are not commonly observed. Here we report dramatic seasonal changes in As concentrations and aquifer chemistry within the Jianghan Plain of the Yangtze River, China. At some wells, concentrations fluctuate by more than an order of magnitude within a single year (100-1200 µg L-1). Groundwater extraction and sustained water levels of surface channels during the dry season induces a strong downward hydraulic gradient, seasonally supplying oxidizing (oxygen, nitrate) water to the otherwise anoxic aquifer. Oxygen and/or nitrate addition promotes a transient drop in As concentrations for 1-3 months. When recharge ceases, reducing, low-arsenic conditions are reestablished by reactive, endogenous organic carbon. Temporal variability in As concentrations is especially problematic because it increases the probability of false-negative well testing during low-arsenic seasons. However, periods of low As may also provide a source of less toxic water for irrigation or other uses. Our results highlight the vulnerability and variability of groundwater resources in the Jianghan Plain and other inland basins within Asia to changing geochemical conditions, both natural and anthropogenic, and reinforce that continued monitoring of wells in high-risk regions is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of As(V) and Fe(III) is commonly the dominant process controlling the fate and transport of As in soils and sediments. However, the physical structure of such environments produces complex heterogeneity in biogeochemical processes controlling the fate and transport of As. To resolve the role of soil and sediment physical structure on the distribution of biogeochemical processes controlling the fate and transport of As, we examined the biogeochemical transformations of As and Fe within constructed aggregates--a fundamental unit of soil structure. Spherical aggregates were made with As(V)- or As(III)-bearing, ferrihydrite-coated quartz that was fused with agarose and placed in a cylindrical reactor; advective flow of anoxic solutes was then initiated around the aggregates to examine As release from a dual-pore domain system. To examine the impact of biotic As(V) and Fe(III) reduction, constructed aggregates having As(V)-bearing, ferrihydrite-coated quartz inoculated with Shewanella sp. ANA-3 were placed in flow-through reactors under anoxic and aerated advective flow. Consistent with desorption from advective columns, As(III) is released to adverting water more prevalently than As(V) within abiotic aggregate systems, indicating a greater lability and concomitant enhanced propensity for transport of As(III) relative to As(V). During reaction with Shewanella, As release to adverting water was similar between anoxic and aerated systems for the first 20 d; thereafter, the anoxic adverting solutes increased As release relative to the aerated counterpart. With aerated adverting solutes, Fe remained oxidized (or was oxidized) in the aggregate exterior, forming a protective barrier that limited As release to the advective channel. However, anaerobiosis within the aggregate interior, even with aerated advective flow, promotes internal repartitioning of As to the exterior region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aggregate-based structure of soils imparts physical heterogeneity that gives rise to variation in microbial and chemical processes which influence the speciation and retention of trace elements such as As. To examine the impact of distributed redox conditions on the fate of As in soils, we imposed various redox treatments upon constructed soil aggregates composed of ferrihydrite- and birnessite-coated sands presorbed with As(V) and inoculation with the dissimilatory metal reducing bacterium Shewanella sp. ANA-3. Aeration of the advecting solution surrounding the aggregates was varied to simulate environmental conditions. We find that diffusion-limited transport within high dissolved organic carbon environments allows reducing conditions to persist in the interior of aggregates despite aerated advecting external solutes, causing As, Mn, and Fe to migrate from the reduced aggregate interiors to the aerated exterior region. Upon transitioning to anoxic conditions in the external solutes, pulses of As, Mn and Fe are released into the advecting solution, while, conversely, a transition to aerated conditions in the exterior resulted in a cessation of As, Mn, and Fe release. Importantly, we find that As(III) oxidation by birnessite is appreciable only in the presence of O2; oxidation of As(III) to As(V) by Mn-oxides ceases under anaerobic conditions apparently as a result of microbially mediated Mn(IV/III) reduction. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering redox conditions and the physical complexity of soils in determining As dynamics, where redox transitions can either enhance or inhibit As release due to speciation shifts in both sorbents (solubilization versus precipitation of Fe and Mn oxides) and sorbates (As). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) oxides are ubiquitous solids in terrestrial systems that have high sorptive capacities for many trace metals, including arsenic (As). Although numerous studies have characterized the effects of As adsorption onto Fe and Mn oxides individually, the fate of arsenic within mixed systems representative of natural environments has not been completely resolved. Here, we examine oxidation and competitive retention of As on goethite and birnessite using a Donnan reactor, where each oxide is isolated by a semi-permeable membrane through which arsenic can migrate. To initiate the Donnan reactor experiments, As(III) was simultaneously added to both chambers. Arsenic(III) injected into the birnessite chamber is rapidly oxidized to As(V) and then slowly redistributes across both chambers, while that added to the goethite chamber undergoes rapid adsorption; the adsorbed As(III) on goethite subsequently undergoes desorption and diffusion into the birnessite chamber followed by oxidation to As(V). With increased reaction time, As(V) is generated and preferentially partitioned onto goethite due to higher adsorption affinity compared to birnessite. Furthermore, the dissolved concentration of As(V) is controlled by the adsorption capacity of the goethite surface, which when saturated, leads to increased aqueous As concentrations; despite an increase in As(V) loading on birnessite with increasing initial As(III) concentration, the resulting aqueous As(V) concentration increase appreciably once the goethite surface is saturated. Our findings show that Mn oxides in soils act as a temporary sorbent of As, but operate primarily as strong oxidants responsible for transformation of As(III) to As(V), which can then strongly adsorb on the surrounding Fe oxide matrix. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The speciation and partitioning of arsenic (As) in surface and subsurface environments are controlled, in part, by redox processes. Within soils and sediments, redox gradients resulting from mass transfer limitations lead to competitive reduction—oxidation reactions that drive the fate of As. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to determine the fate and redox cycling of As at the interface of birnessite (a strong oxidant in soil with a nominal formula of MnOx, where x ≈ 2) and dissimilatory As(V)-reducing bacteria (strong reductant). Here, we investigate As reduction-oxidation dynamics in a diffusively controlled system using a Donnan reactor where birnessite and Shewanella sp. ANA-3 are isolated by a semipermeable membrane through which As migrates. Arsenic(III) injected into the reaction cell containing birnessite is rapidly oxidized to As(V). Arsenic(V) diffusing into the Shewanella chamber is then reduced to As(III), which subsequently diffuses back to the birnessite chamber, undergoing oxidation, and establishing a continuous cycling of As. However, we observe a rapid decline in the rate of As(III) oxidation owing to passivation of the birnessite surface. Modeling and experimental results show that high [Mn(II)] combined with increasing [CO32-] from microbial respiration leads to the precipitation of rhodochrosite, which eventually passivates the Mn oxide surface, inhibiting further As(III) oxidation. Our results show that despite the initial capacity of birnessite to rapidly oxidize As(III), the synergistic effect of intense As(V) reduction by microorganisms and the buildup of reactive metabolites capable of passivating reactive mineral surfaces—here, birnessite—will produce (bio)geochemical conditions outside of those based on thermodynamic predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Fe-rich tailings adsorbed high Mn contents in its way to the estuary. • Redox fluctuations led to precipitation of Mn oxides and poorly crystalline Fe oxides. • Both Mn and Fe reduction in estuarine soils increased Mn contents in water. • Dissolved Mn increased in 880% posing a risk to environmental and human health. Manganese (Mn) is an abundant element in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems and an essential micronutrient in the metabolic processes of plants and animals. Mn is generally not considered a potentially toxic element due to its low content in both soil and water. However, in coastal ecosystems, the Mn dynamic (commonly associated with the Fe cycle) is mostly controlled by redox processes. Here, we assessed the potential contamination of the Rio Doce estuary (SE Brazil) by Mn after the world's largest mine tailings dam collapse, potentially resulting in chronic exposure to local wildlife and humans. Estuarine soils, water, and fish were collected and analyzed seven days after the arrival of the tailings in 2015 and again two years after the dam collapse in 2017. Using a suite of solid-phase analyses including X-ray absorption spectroscopy and sequential extractions, our results indicated that a large quantity of MnII arrived in the estuary in 2015 bound to Fe oxyhydroxides. Over time, dissolved Mn and Fe were released from soils when FeIII oxyhydroxides underwent reductive dissolution. Due to seasonal redox oscillations, both Fe and Mn were then re-oxidized to FeIII, MnIII, and MnIV and re-precipitated as poorly crystalline Fe oxyhydroxides and poorly crystalline Mn oxides. In 2017, redox conditions (Eh: −47 ± 83 mV; pH: 6.7 ± 0.5) favorable to both Fe and Mn reduction led to an increase (~880%) of dissolved Mn (average for 2015: 66 ± 130 µg L-1; 2017: 582 ± 626 µg L-1) in water and a decrease (~75%, 2015: 547 ± 498 mg kg−1; 2017: 135 ± 80 mg kg−1) in the total Mn content in soils. The crystalline Fe oxyhydroxides content significantly decreased while the fraction of poorly ordered Fe oxides increased in the soils limiting the role of Fe in Mn retention. The high concentration of dissolved Mn found within the estuary two years after the arrival of mine tailings indicates a possible chronic contamination scenario, which is supported by the high levels of Mn in two species of fish living in the estuary. Our work suggests a high risk to estuarine biota and human health due to the rapid Fe and Mn biogeochemical dynamic within the impacted estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetting dry soil triggers emission of nitric oxide (NO), which can harm air quality and influence ecosystem N balance. NO released after wetting may be derived from two primary mechanisms: (1) abiotic decomposition of nitrite (NO 2 −) present in the dry soil and (2) biologically-mediated production of NO. The relative contributions of these mechanisms to NO emission are challenging to partition. To differentiate the two mechanisms, we made continuous observations of NO emission from a range of soils that varied in texture, pH, and exchangeable cations. We coupled NO gas exchange measurements with automated, non-destructive high-resolution sampling of inorganic N species via microdialysis. We identified two distinct phases of NO production (1) an initial phase that reached its maximum less than 30 min after rewetting; and (2) a second phase lasting up to 36 h. The magnitude of the initial phase of NO production was correlated with the initial nitrous acid concentration (calculated from NO 2 − concentrations and soil pH) and soil exchangeable calcium. The second phase of NO emission coincided with a peak in NO 2 − that preceded NO 3 − accumulation. Together, these results suggest that NO emissions following wetting are defined by an initial pulse of abiotic NO formation mediated by soil acidity at mineral surfaces, followed by a prolonged pulse of NO emission driven by a lag between the biological processes of ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation. These results can inform mechanistic models of NO emissions from soils to improve predictions of the terrestrial N cycle and atmospheric chemistry. • After wetting dry soil, nitric oxide (NO) is emitted in two distinct phases. • Chemodenitrification of NO 2 − drives NO emission immediately after wetting. • NO 2 − build up contributes to NO emission later after wetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining rare earth elements (REEs) can release large amounts of metal(loid)-rich dust, which can pose significant health risks to local residents. However, compared to other types of particulates, toxicity of mining dust has been largely overlooked. To provide experimental evidence on toxicity of REE mine dust, the study assessed the oxidative stress potential and genotoxicity of inhalable particles collected in a REE mining area, and associated toxicological response with source compositions. Both source types (i.e., mine and tailing area) and distances from source (i.e., industrial and residential areas) were considered when selecting the 44 sampling sites. The particle samples contained 2.3–3.5 folds higher concentrations of tested metal(loid)s than background concentrations in soil. Specially, elevated Fe, REEs, Cd, Pb were found. In spite of low cytotoxicity in lung epithelial A549 cells, there was increased cellular ROS production by of particle exposure. Samples with higher mining-originated source contributions (Provenance Index <0.3) had higher cellular ROS production (1.72 fold, 95%CI: 1.66–1.79 fold) than samples with lower mining contributions (1.58 fold, 95%CI: 1.52–1.65 fold). The factors soil (~46%), mine (~22%), and heavy metal (~20%) sources were recognized by source apportionment analysis as the main contributors to cellular ROS production; importantly, mine and heavy metal sources counted more in industrial samples. While samples generated genotoxicity, there were no differences in DNA damage between the location groups of sampling. Collectively, the results indicate that particles in mining areas may cause ROS production and DNA damage in lung cells depending on mine dust. Coupled with the long-range transportation potential of mine dust, safety measures on open pit and dust disposal sites should be adopted. Unlabelled Image • Particles around rare earth mine and tailing areas were rich in metallic components. • The particles induced cellular ROS production and genotoxicity. • Particles collected in industrial areas induced more cellular ROS than in residential areas. • Soil , mine and heavy metal sources were the main contributors to ROS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) is currently regulated as a secondary contaminant in California, USA; however, recent revisions of the World Health Organization drinking water guidelines have increased regulatory attention of Mn in drinking water due to increasing reports of neurotoxic effects in infants and children. In this study, Mn concentrations reported to California's Safe Drinking Water Information System were used to estimate the potentially exposed population within California based on system size. We estimate that between 2011 and 2021, over 525,000 users in areas with reported Mn data are potentially exposed to Mn concentrations exceeding the WHO health-based guideline (80 μg L -1 ), and over 34,000 users are potentially exposed to Mn concentrations exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health-advisory limit (300 μg L -1 ). Water treatment significantly decreased Mn concentrations compared to intake concentrations for all system sizes. However, smaller water systems have a wider range and a higher skew of Mn concentrations in finished water than larger systems. Additionally, higher Mn concentrations were found in systems above the maximum contaminant levels for chromium and arsenic. The treatment of these primary contaminants appears to also remove Mn. Lastly, data missingness remains a barrier to accurately assess public exposure to Mn in very small, small, and medium community water system-delivered water., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Ceramic water filters (CWFs) are produced globally using local clay sources and can effectively remove bacterial pathogens during point-of-use water treatment. The ceramic production process involves firing clay mixed with burnout material at temperatures of 800-1100 °C, which induces mineralogical changes leading to increased arsenic (As) leaching from CWF material compared to source clay. Unfired clay and fired CWFs from Cambodia, Canada, and Mexico, CWF from Laos, and test-fired clay from the United States were analyzed to determine the extent of As leaching from CWFs that range in As (<1 to 16 mg kg -1 ) and iron (Fe) (0.6 to 5%) content. Deionized water, NaOH, HCl, and oxalate extractions showed that firing increased As solubility and decreased Fe solubility compared to unfired clay, with up to 8 mg kg -1 of water-soluble As in Cambodian CWFs. X-ray absorption spectra of the Cambodian clay and CWF showed a decrease in the Fe-O distance from 2.01 to 1.91 Å and decreased Fe coordination number from 6.3 to 4.6 after firing, indicating a decrease in Fe-O coordination. Arsenic(V) was the dominant species in Cambodia clay and CWF, existing primarily as a surface complex with average As-Fe distance of 3.28 Å in clay while in CWF As was either an outer-sphere As(V) phase or a discrete arsenate phase with no significant As-Fe scattering contribution within the resolution of the data. Improved understanding of molecular-scale processes that cause increased As leaching from CWFs provides a basis for assessing As leaching potential prior to CWF factory capital investment as well as engineered solutions (e.g., modified firing temperature, material amendments, and leaching prior to distribution) to mitigate As exposure from CWFs.

The Salton Sea Basin in California suffers from poor air quality, and an expanding dry lakebed (playa) presents a new potential dust source. In 2017-18, depositing dust was collected approximately monthly at five sites in the Salton Sea Basin and analyzed for total elemental and soluble anion content. These data were analyzed with Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). The PMF method resolved seven dust sources with distinct compositional markers: Playa (Mg, SO 4 2- , Na, Ca, Sr), Colorado Alluvium (U, Ca), Local Alluvium (Al, Fe, Ti), Agricultural Burning (K, PO 4 3- ), Sea Spray (Na, Cl - , Se), Anthropogenic Trace Metals (Sb, As, Zn, Cd, Pb, Na), and Anthropogenic Copper (Cu). All sources except Local Alluvium are influenced or caused by current or historic anthropogenic activities. PMF attributed 55 to 80% of the measured dust flux to these six sources. The dust fluxes at the site where the playa source was dominant (89 g m -2 yr -1 ) were less than, but approaching the scale of, those observed at Owens Lake playas in the late 20th century. Playa emissions in the Salton Sea region were most intense during the late spring to early summer and contain high concentrations of evaporite mineral tracers, particularly Mg, Ca, and SO 4 2- .