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Timely and rapid detection of antibiotic residues in the environment is conducive to safeguarding human health and promoting an ecological virtuous cycle. A foldable paper-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor was successfully developed for the detection of ampicillin (AMP) based on glutathione/zirconium dioxide hollow nanorods/aptamer (GSH@ZrO 2 HS@apt) modified cellulose paper as a reactive zone with laser direct-writing lead sulfide/cadmium sulfide/graphene (PbS/CdS/LIG) as photoelectrode and cobalt hydroxide (CoOOH) as a photoresist material. Initially, AMP was introduced into the paper-based reaction zone as a biogate aptamer, which specifically recognized the target and then left the ZrO 2 HS surface, releasing glutathione (GSH) encapsulated inside. Subsequently, the introduction of GSH into the reaction region and etching of CoOOH nanosheets to expose the PbS/CdS/LIG photosensitive material increased photocurrent. Under optimal conditions, the paper-based PEC biosensor showed a linear response to AMP in the range of 5.0 - 2 × 10 4 pM with a detection limit of 1.36 pM (S/N = 3). In addition, the constructed PEC sensing platform has excellent selectivity, high stability and favorable reproducibility, and can be used to assess AMP residue levels in various real water samples (milk, tap water, river water), indicating its promising application in environmental antibiotic detection., 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.)

Counterfeiting has caused great concern all over the world. What's more, the fluorescent materials play an important role in technological research and development for high-security. In this work, lead-metal-organic framework (Pb-MOF) and perovskite (MAPbBr 3 ) were used in papers to achieving fluorescence counterfeiting. Pb-MOF, as the template or precursor of MAPbBr 3 , were in-situ generated on the surface of cellulose fibers (CFs) to preparing into hand sheets (Pb-MOF@CFs). Through the analysis of experimental results, it was found that ligands, reaction systems, addition sequences of drugs, time, etc. would affect the deposition of Pb-MOF on the surface of CFs. Using CH 3 NH 3 Br (MABr) as the anti-counterfeiting ink to write on Pb-MOF@CFs, the orange writing leaped across the paper, which caused by Pb in Pb-MOF chemically reacting with MABr forming MAPbBr 3 . The orange writing displayed green fluorescence under 365 nm ultraviolet lamp excitation. The orange writing with green fluorescence could be extinguished and reconstructed, which had promise for reuse. In addition, fluorescent security papers (MAPbBr 3 @Pb-MOFs@CFs) were prepared by immersing Pb-MOF@CFs in MABr solution. The fluorescence of MAPbBr 3 @Pb-MOFs@CFs opened when the surface of it was scraped under 365 nm ultraviolet lamp. This unique fluorescence property was very important in improving the security of products. Consequently, the ongoing research on perovskite and MOFs materials is of great significance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Novel miniaturized Pb(II) paper-based potentiometric sensors are described using coumarin derivatives I and II as electroactive ionophores and nano vanadium pentoxide as a solid contact material for the sensitive and selective monitoring of trace lead ions. Density functional theory (DFT) confirms optimum geometries, electronic properties, and charge transfer behaviors of 1:2 Pb(II): coumarin complexes. The sensors are prepared by using two strips of 20 × 5 mm filter paper with two circular orifices. One orifice is coated with vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanoparticles in colloidal conductive carbon as a solid-contact, covered by a PVC membrane containing coumarin ionophore to act as a sensing probe. The other orifice is treated with Ag/AgCl in a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) film, to act as a reference electrode. Sensors with ionophores (I) and (II) exhibit Nernstian slopes of 27.7 ± 0.2 and 30.2 ± 0.2 mV/decade over the linear concentration range 4.5 × 10−7 to 6.2 × 10−3 M and 8.5 × 10−8 to 6.2 × 10−3 M, with detection limits of 1.3 × 10−7 M (26.9 ppb) and 2.1 × 10−8 M (4.4 ppb), respectively. The sensors are satisfactorily used for accurate determination of lead ions in drinking water, lead-acid battery wastewater, and electronic waste leachates. The results compare favourably well with data obtained by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good drainage of the pulp suspension is vitally important for stable papermaking. Although the addition of lignocellulosic nanofibers (LNFC) in pulp could highly reinforce the end paper sheets, the application of LNFC could diminished the pulp drainage. To solve this problem, the impact of the zeolite-chitosan and bentonite-chitosan microparticle drainage aid systems on the LNFC-reinforced recycled pulp was systematically investigated. Results indicated that the mentioned microparticle systems improved the drainage and retention especially in applying 1% chitosan with 0.3% zeolite. In mechanical properties, applying the microparticle systems, not only did not deteriorate these properties, but also improved most of them, especially in treatment containing zeolitechitosan. It seems that the improved pulp drainage and the mechanical properties of the end papers was due to successful mission of microparticle system and synergistic interactions of pulp fibres, LNFC, chitosan, and zeolite, which could also lead to denser and more uniform structure of handsheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the impacts of cumulative lead exposure on the short-run discipline and academic achievement of elementary school students. An exogenous, heterogeneous shock of lead-in-water levels within classrooms at Flint Community Schools provides the treatment variation used to focus on the understudied, short-run effects of lead on older children. At the mean level of classroom lead exposure disciplinary actions increased by 8 actions per grade within each school, and the share of students proficient in both math and reading declined. These results may help explain observed disparities in both behavior and academic achievement for underprivileged groups., (© 2023 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Trace metal pollution of soils is a widespread consequence of anthropogenic activity. Land slugs can be used as bio-indicators of the metals' pollution in the soil, so the present study aimed to determine the metal in the soil and Laevicaulis stuhlmanni land slug tissues by studying its effects on different physiological parameters. Slugs and soil samples were collected from fields in Abu-Rawash, Giza, Egypt. Slugs were identified, and the metals were determined in slug tissues and soil samples. On the other hand, slugs were reared in the laboratory and the new generation was fed on lettuce dipped in 0.027 µg/ml lead (Pb) for 10 days. The results revealed that the soil and slug tissues contained copper, manganese, lead, and zinc; the lead metal bioaccumulation factor was the highest. Also, the results showed that the hemocytes' count, testosterone, and estradiol hormones were significantly decreased. At the same time, the phagocytic index was increased considerably, and some morphological alterations in the granulocytes and hyalinocytes were observed after treatment with 0.027 µg/ml lead compared to untreated slugs. On the other hand, all the oxidative stress parameters were significantly increased in the treated slugs compared with the control. Concerning the histopathological studies, lead caused a rupture, vacuolation, or degeneration in the digestive cells of treated slugs. Finally, it can be concluded that the land slugs were sensitive to lead which was reflected by endocrine disruption, immunotoxicity, and increased oxidative stress parameters with histopathological damages. Hence, Laevicaulis stuhlmanni can be used as a metal accumulation bio-indicator to reflect the metal pollution in the soil., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

For the serious situation of heavy metal pollution, the use of cheap, clean, and efficient biochar to immobilize heavy metals is a good treatment method. In this paper, SA@ZIF-8/BC was prepared for the adsorption of Pb 2+ in solution using sodium alginate (SA) and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) modified corn cob biochar. The results showed that the specific surface area of modified biochar was greatly improved, with good adsorption capacity for Pb 2+ , strong anti-interference ability, and good economy. At the optimal adsorption pH of 5, the adsorption model of Pb 2+ by SA@ZIF-8/BC was more consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. This indicates that the adsorption of Pb 2+ by SA@ZIF-8/BC is chemisorption and monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption of modified biochar was 300 mg g -1 , which was 2.38 times higher than that of before modified BC (126 mg g -1 ). The shift in binding energy of functional groups before and after adsorption of SA@ZIF-8/BC was studied by XPS, and it was found that hydroxyl and carboxyl groups played an important role in the adsorption of Pb 2+ . It was demonstrated that this novel adsorbent can be effectively used for the treatment of Pb pollution in wastewater., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The document is a contents list for the journal "Dalton Transactions: An International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry," published by The Royal Society of Chemistry. It includes various articles covering topics such as synthetic approaches and applications of inorganic compounds, electrode materials, metal-organic frameworks, and catalytic investigations. Additionally, the document includes a correction notice for an article titled "Molybdenum-maltolate as a molybdopterin mimic for bioinspired oxidation reaction." The correction notice provides the correct information for the article, including the names of the authors and the correct page numbers. [Extracted from the article]

Lead in the environment remains a matter of grave concern for public health. Lead has been associated with some traditional medicines and has been linked to cases of lead poisoning. A comprehensive compilation of these reports has not previously been conducted. The objective of this review is to explore how common is lead exposure after traditional medicine use, and which countries, systems and/or products are of most concern when it comes to lead contamination. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Ovid and EMBASE for studies published between 2005 and 2020. A grey literature search was conducted. Search terms related to lead and traditional medicine were developed for each database, and there were no limitations on language. Studies were included if they examined elevated lead in humans resulting from the use of traditional medicines reported in case reports, case-series, or observational studies. Of the papers discussing lead exposure, 85 case reports were identified and synthesized for the current review. Several themes were identified in the included studies. Traditional medicine has been used in the many parts of the world, however use is more common in South and Southeast Asian countries. The level of detectable lead in products varied widely by region and product types. Consumers of traditional medicines sought products for a wide variety of symptoms and ailments. The symptoms of lead poisoning from traditional medicine use reflected the typical symptom profile of lead poisoning, highlighting the need for awareness of traditional medicine products as a source of lead exposure. Traditional medicine usage remains an important part of health care in many regions, however there is a risk of lead exposure from several products. Health care practitioners in all regions of the world should be aware of the risk and explore the potential for traditional medicine use for patients presenting with elevated blood lead levels. Countries with a strong traditional medicine culture should explore policies for reducing lead exposure from traditional medicine products. JG, LO and MNBD are staff members of the World Health Organization. The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy, or views of the World Health Organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inconsistencies in standards and codes result in confusion, increased costs, and do not promote the efficient use of concrete. In addition to inconsistencies, the lack of science-based approaches and data used for defining criteria in these standards and codes can limit the reliability and trust of these requirements. A review of industry documents indicates that inconsistencies and lack of science-based approaches exist across many documents, both throughout the industry and within ACI, relating to the corrosion of steel reinforcement embedded in concrete. This paper proposes to address five key issues to promote science-based standardization of requirements necessary for reinforced concrete systems exposed to corrosive conditions. These five issues include the need for: 1) standardization of chloride testing methods and requirements; 2) standardization of chloride reporting units; 3) standardization of terminology for specifying chlorides in cementitious systems; 4) standardization of exposure classifications for corrosive conditions; and 5) standardization of allowable chloride limits. This paper presents current inconsistencies in guide documents and codes for each of the items listed previously and then proposes an approach to standardize each using either available data and/ or a scientifically based approach. Recommendations for testing, reporting, definition of exposure classifications, and allowable chloride limits are then proposed. It is hoped that the systematic approach used herein will lead to standardization and consistency, less confusion, and will promote the efficient use of durable and economical concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extended STIRPAT model was constructed to explore the impact of green consumption behaviors on carbon emission. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2019, this paper analyzed the effect of green consumption behaviors, regional population size, economic development level and technological level on carbon emission, and then forecasted the carbon emission in eastern, central and western China from 2020 to 2035. The results demonstrate that carbon emission increases with the expansion of population size; green consumption behaviors have a significant moderating effect on carbon emission and alleviate the pressure of population growth on carbon emission; instead of following the environmental Kuznets curve, the trend of carbon emission shows an inverted "N" curve with economic growth; There is a positive correlation between technological progress and carbon emission; the increase in the level of consumers' expenditure and the ratio of the secondary industry output value over the total GDP lead to an increase in carbon emission, while the improvement of the urbanization level reduces carbon emission. Policy implications and prospects are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Face masks have emerged as a significant source of microplastics (MPs) under the influence of biotic and abiotic interactions. However, the combined effects of abiotic photoaging and biofilm-loading on mask-derived MPs as carriers of metal ions are not clear. We investigated the Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption onto polypropylene (PP) and polyurethane (PU) mask-derived MPs treated by photoaging, biofilm-loading, and both combinations, evaluating the composite risks. PU mask-derived MPs (1.157.47 mg/g) exhibited greater Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption capacity than PP mask-derived MPs (0.842.08 mg/g) because of the presence of intrinsic carbonyl functional groups. Photoaging (30.5%, 88.4%), biofilm-loading (110.7%, 87.1%), and both combinations (146.7%, 547.0%) of PP and PU masks enhanced Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption compared to virgin mask-derived MPs due to the increase of oxygen-containing functional groups. High-throughput sequencing indicated that the structural morphology and chemical composition of masks significantly affected the microbial community. Adsorption mechanisms involved electrostatic force and surface complexation. A combination of photoaging and biofilms increased the ecological risk index of mask-derived MPs in freshwater, showing the risk level to be high (PP mask) and very high (PU mask). This research highlights the crucial role of photoaging combined with biofilms in controlling metal ion adsorption onto mask-derived MPs, thereby increasing the composite risks., 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.)

Lead (Pb) poisoning is estimated to account for 1 % of the global disease burden. The gold standard for diagnosing lead poisoning in human body relies on blood lead level (BLL), which is always performed in hospitals using expensive instruments. However, there are still many countries and regions with a lack of medical resources (without enough professional medical staff and analytical instruments). To achieve a facile diagnosis of lead poisoning by ordinary residents (without any expertise), this study conducted a research study on 810 participants to discover and validate a new lead poisoning indicator (creatinine-corrected urinary lead level, cULL) beyond BLL in non-invasive samples. A point-of-care testing (POCT) device to measure cULL was developed, equipped with liquid-phase microextraction and electromembrane extraction on a paper-based analytical device for on-site separation of lead and creatinine in the urine, using a smartphone for the quantification of analytes. The cULL as a novel indicator and the POCT device developed could be effective in reducing the risk of damage from lead contamination., 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.)

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a widely occurring substance in rivers that can strongly complex with heavy metal ions (HMIs), severely interfering with the electrochemical signal of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and reducing the detection accuracy of HMIs in water. In this study, we investigated a novel advanced oxidation process (AOP) that involves the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) using low-pressure ultraviolet (LPUV) radiation and CoFe 2 O 4 photocatalysis. This novel AOP was used for the first time as an effective pretreatment method to break or weaken the complexation between HMIs and DOM, thereby restoring the electrochemical signals of HMIs. The key parameters, including the PMS concentration, CoFe 2 O 4 concentration, and photolysis time, were optimized to be 6 mg/L, 12 mg/L, and 30 s for eliminating DOM interference during the electrochemical analysis of HMIs via LPUV/CoFe 2 O 4 -based photolysis. Investigations of the microstructure, surface morphology, specific surface area, and pore volume of CoFe 2 O 4 were conducted to reveal the exceptional signal recovery capability of LPUV/CoFe 2 O 4 /PMS-based photolysis in mitigating interference from DOM during HMIs analysis. The PMS activation mechanism, which is critical to the signal recovery process, was elucidated by analyzing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the surface elemental composition of CoFe 2 O 4 . Additionally, the degradation and transformation behavior of humus-HMIs complexes were analyzed to study the mechanism of ASV signal recovery further. Notably, the detection results of HMIs in actual water samples obtained using the proposed pretreatment method were compared with those obtained from ICP-MS, yielding an RMSE less than 0.04 μg/L, which indicated the satisfactory performance of the proposed pretreatment method for the ASV detection of HMIs in complex actual samples., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel adsorbent, calcium alginate-modified HAP (Hydroxyapatite)-wood ear mushroom sticks biochar (CA-HAP MB ), was synthesized to enhance the immobilization of Cd and Pb in soil. Over 150 days, applying CA-HAP MB at concentrations of 0%-3% in contaminated soils from Chenzhou City in Hunan Province (CZ) and Shenyang City in Liaoning Province (SY) resulted in decreased effective concentrations of Cd and Pb. Specifically, in CZ soil, Cd and Pb decreased by 30.9%-69.3% and 31.9%-78.6%, respectively, while in SY soil, they decreased by 27.5%-53.7% and 26.4%-62.3%, respectively. Characterization results, obtained after separating CA-HAP MB from the soil, indicate that complexation, co-precipitation, and ion exchange play crucial roles in the efficient immobilization of Cd and Pb by CA-HAP MB . Additionally, adjusting the amount of CA-HAP MB added allows modulation of soil pH, leading to increased soil organic matter and nutrient content. Following treatment with CA-HAP MB for immobilizing Cd and Pb, soil bacteria abundance and diversity increased, further promoting heavy-metal immobilization., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lead contaminated soil is a persistent global threat to the health of animal populations. Nevertheless, links between soil lead and its adverse effects on exposed wildlife remain poorly understood. Here, we explore local geographic patterns of exposure in urban birds along a gradient of lead contamination in Broken Hill, an Australian mining city. Soil lead concentrations are linked to co-located blood lead measurements in rock pigeons (Columba livia), house sparrows (Passer domesticus), crested pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes) and white-plumed honeyeaters (Lichenostomus ornatus). Median blood lead levels were highest in crested pigeons (59.6 μg/dL), followed by house sparrows (35.2 μg/dL), rock pigeons (35.1 μg/dL), and white-plumed honeyeaters (27.4 μg/dL). Blood lead levels in all species declined away from mining areas, the primary source of lead contamination in Broken Hill. Blood lead increased significantly and at the greatest rate relative to soil lead in the three ground foraging species (crested pigeons, house sparrows, rock pigeons). For these species, soil lead concentrations below 200 mg/kg and 900 mg/kg were needed to maintain a median blood lead concentration under the lower threshold of the subtoxic (20-50 μg/dL) and toxic (≥50 μg/dL) effect ranges previously identified for some bird species. We also investigated the effects of lead exposure on blood haemoglobin levels as a general measure of physiological condition in birds exposed to different levels of soil lead contamination. Overall, for every 1 μg/dL increase in blood lead, haemoglobin decreased by 0.11 g/L. The rate of this decrease was not significantly different between species, which supports the measurement of haemoglobin as a consistent though insensitive measure of physiological condition in chronically lead exposed birds. Our findings reflect the importance of lead contaminated soil as a widespread source of elevated blood lead and supressed haemoglobin levels in birds inhabiting urbanised and mining impacted environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Simon C Griffith reports financial support was provided by Australian Research Council. Simon C Griffith reports financial support was provided by New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. Mark Patrick Taylor reports a relationship with New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority that includes: consulting or advisory and funding grants. Mark Patrick Taylor reports a relationship with Broken Hill Environmental Lead Program that includes: consulting or advisory and funding grants. Mark Patrick Taylor reports a relationship with Australian Federal Government that includes: consulting or advisory and funding grants. Mark Patrick Taylor reports a relationship with Australian Building Codes Board that includes: consulting or advisory and funding grants. Mark Patrick Taylor reports a relationship with Environmental Protection Authority Victoria that includes: employment. Mark Patrick Taylor has undertaken work for, and received funding from, the Broken Hill Environmental Lead Program of the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA). He has received funding for lead and other trace metal related work from the Australian Federal Government. He has also prepared commissioned reports and provided expert advice on environmental contamination and human health for a range of bodies, including the Australian Building Codes Board (lead in plumbing fittings and materials), lawyers, governments, union agencies, and private companies. He has also served as an expert in plaintiff cases of childhood lead poisoning relating to Mount Isa, Queensland and Kabwe, Zambia. No other authors declare a competing interest. If there are other authors, they 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rhizosphere bacteria are critical for supporting plant performance in stressful environments. Understanding the assembly and co-occurrence of rhizosphere bacterial communities contributes significantly to both plant growth and heavy metal accumulation. In this study, Ligustrum lucidum and Melia azedarach were planted in soils with simulated varying levels of Pb-Zn contamination. The Rhizosphere bacterial communities were investigated by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The impacts of Pb-Zn contamination on the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere bacterial community were found to be greater than those of both tree species. The variation in bacterial community structure in both trees was mainly driven by the combinations of Pb-Zn and soil properties. Deterministic processes (non-planted, 82 %; L. lucidum, 73 %; M. azedarach, 55 %) proved to be the most important assembly processes for soil bacterial communities, but both trees increased the importance of stochastic processes (18 %, 27 %, 45 %). The rhizosphere co-occurrence networks exhibited greater stability compared to the non-planted soil networks. Rare taxa played a dominant role in maintaining the stability of rhizosphere networks, as most of the keystone taxa within rhizosphere networks belonged to rare taxa. Dissimilarities in the structure and network complexity of rhizosphere bacterial communities were significantly associated with differences in tree biomass and metal accumulation. These variations in response varied between both trees, with L. lucidum exhibiting greater potential for phytoremediation in its rhizosphere compared to M. azedarach. Our results offer valuable insights for designing effective microbe-assisted phytoremediation systems., 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.)

A label-free fluorescent sensing strategy for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of Pb 2+ was developed by integrating Pb 2+ DNAzyme-specific cleavage activity and a tetrahedral DNA nanostructure (TDN)-enhanced hyperbranched hybridization chain reaction (hHCR). This strategy provides accelerated reaction rates because of the highly effective collision probability and enriched local concentrations from the spatial confinement of the TDN, thus showing a higher detection sensitivity and a more rapid detection process. Moreover, a hairpin probe based on a G-triplex instead of a G-quadruplex or chemical modification makes hybridization chain reaction more controlled and flexible, greatly improving signal amplification capacities and eliminating labeled DNA probes. The enhanced reaction rates and improved signal amplification efficiency endowed the biosensors with high sensitivity and a rapid response. The label-free detection of Pb 2+ based on G-triplex combined with thioflavin T can be achieved with a detection limit as low as 1.8 pM in 25 min. The proposed Pb 2+ -sensing platform was also demonstrated to be applicable for Pb 2+ detection in tap water, river water, shrimp, rice, and soil samples, thus showing great potential for food safety and environmental monitoring., 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.)

Omnipresent in terrestrial ecosystems, microplastics (MPs) represent a hazard to soil biota and human health, while their relationship with other environmental contaminants remains poorly acknowledged. This study investigated MPs prevalence in (sub)urban soils of Serbia and its impact on Cd, As, and Pb mobility in the soil-medicinal plant Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik system. Soil physicochemical parameters (pH, Eh, SOM, and texture) were analyzed alongside the Cd, As, and Pb pseudo-total (aqua regia) and phytoavailable (EDTA) contents. Toxic elements' concentrations in soil fractions and C. bursa-pastoris roots and shoots were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Pseudo-total Cd, As, and Pb contents in soils ranged from 0.16 to 2.23 μg g -1 , 2.00-36.92 μg g -1 , and 0.18-65.54 μg g -1 , respectively. Using an optimized density separation method with 30% H 2 O 2 and 5% NaClO, we found an average abundance of 489 MPs per kg of soil. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of seven polymer types, whereby the main contributors were polystyrene (PS) - 28.57% and cardanol prepolymer (PCP) - 23.81%. The dominant associated pollution sources were road networks and industrial activities. Spearman correlation analysis revealed the interconnection among soil MPs, physicochemical variables, and Cd, As, and Pb mobility. We identified significant positive correlations between MPs' abundance and phytoavailable concentrations of Cd, As, and Pb (ρ = 0.82, 0.95, and 0.63). Moreover, soil MPs strongly positively correlated with Cd contents in roots (ρ = 0.61) and shoots of C. bursa-pastoris (ρ = 0.65). These findings underscore the synergistic effects of MPs and toxic metals in urban environmental pollution, with possible implications for human health. Further research is required to deepen our understanding of the impact of MPs on element mobility in complex plant-soil systems and to elucidate the broader consequences of induced alterations., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Currently, the use of natural adsorbent for the elimination of pollutants, such as heavy metals, from water has been extensively investigated. However, the low adsorption capacity of these natural adsorbents has led researchers towards the use of synthetic surfactants, which themselves can become environmental pollutants. In this research, an investigation was conducted to examine the impact of a surfactant obtained from the Seidlitzia rosmarinus plant on the adsorption properties of Pumpkin seed shell (PSS), a natural adsorbent. As a result, a modified version of PSS, known as functionalized Pumpkin seed shell (FPSS), was developed, and the effect of these two adsorbents on the elimination of Pb 2+ has been investigated. FESEM, EDS, FTIR, and BET analyses were conducted to get detailed information of the adsorbent. Additionally, the effects of contact time, dosage of the adsorbent, pH of the solution, and temperature on the adsorbent were studied. The experimental data was fitted using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Jovanovic isotherms. The PSS adsorbent was fitted best with the Langmuir isotherm, showing an adsorption capacity of 160.80 mg g -1 , while the FPSS adsorbent was fitted with the Jovanovic isotherm, exhibiting an adsorption capacity of 553.57 mg g -1 . Furthermore, kinetic modeling results indicated that the data for these adsorbents follow pseudo-second-order kinetic. Finally, the impact of coexisting ions and reusability was examined, with the FPSS adsorbent outperforming PSS. Therefore, the investigation of all these aspects demonstrated that the use of this natural surfactant significantly improves the performance of the adsorbent., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The adsorption of heavy metals on iron oxides generally increases with pH and is almost complete at neutral to slightly alkaline pH. However, almost complete adsorption on a linear scale does not imply sufficient removal of the heavy metals in terms of their toxicity. Here, we elucidated the chemical reactions that determine the solid-liquid partitioning of Pb(II) and Cd(II) on goethite at high pH. While the removal of both heavy metals was almost complete on a linear scale above pH 7 for Pb(II) and pH 9 for Cd(II), the dissolved metal concentrations decreased on a logarithmic scale with pH, reaching minima at around pH 10 for Pb(II) and pH 10-11 for Cd(II), and then they increased with pH thereafter. The XAFS spectra of Pb(II)- or Cd(II)-adsorbed goethite prepared at pH > 11 were almost the same as those at neutral pH, suggesting that removal of the heavy metals from solution was achieved by a single adsorption reaction over the entire pH range. Based on the observed macroscopic and microscopic adsorption behaviors at high pH, a robust surface complexation model was developed to predict the solid-liquid partitioning of divalent heavy metals over the entire pH range., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pb toxicity is linked to cardiovascular and nephrotoxicity issues. Exposure to this heavy metal can occur through food and drinking water. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate Pb exposure and assess health risks in Korean adults using a physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model. Human blood Pb concentrations were monitored using the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) Cycle 4. The average Pb exposure in Korean adults was 0.520 μg/kg bw/day. The PBTK results were compared with scenario-based results from the 2021 risk assessment report of five heavy metals, including Pb, conducted by the MFDS. Exposure determined through reverse dosimetry was approximately two times higher than scenario-based exposure (0.264 μg/kg bw/day). The higher exposure levels obtained during PBTK analysis may be attributed to sustained exposure within historically more contaminated living environments and the long half-life of Pb. These findings suggest that the PBTK-based method can quantify aggregated exposure levels in the body over time, potentially serving as a complementary tool to address the constraints of scenario-based assessment methods for integrated risk assessment. Moreover, this model is convenient and cost-effective compared with scenario-based exposure estimation. These findings can facilitate the application of model for tracking continuous national changes in hazardous substance levels., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Metal exposure and depression have each been associated with adverse metabolic diseases, but no study has examined the potential interaction between them. We examined the interaction of depression on the association between metals and metabolic diseases among adults., Study Design: The interaction of depression in the relationship between metal and metabolic disease in adults was investigated using NHANES, a cross-sectional survey design., Methods: By employing data from the NHANES database spanning the years 2007-2018, regression models were employed to investigate the independent impacts of heavy metals (cadmium, lead, and mercury) and depression on metabolic diseases (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome). Subsequently, the association between metals and metabolic diseases was explored stratified by depression, and the interaction between heavy metals and depression was explored. Because of the complex NHANES design, statistical evaluations were adjusted through weighting to represent the populace of the United States., Results: We found log transformed-urinary lead was significantly associated with type 2 diabetes (OR: 2.33; 95 % CI: 1.23, 4.41) in adults with depression. Log transformed-urinary lead was not associated with type 2 diabetes (OR: 0.84; 95 % CI: 0.56, 1.27) in adults without depression. The interaction between Pb and depression in type 2 diabetes was significant (P for interaction = 0.033). Log transformed-urinary lead * depression was significantly associated with type 2 diabetes (OR: 1.82; 95 % CI: 1.01, 3.34) in adults. There was no significant interaction between cadmium and mercury exposure and depression in patients with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome (P for interaction > 0.05)., Conclusions: The presence of depression positively modified the adverse associations between urinary lead and type 2 diabetes., 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 GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the fastest-growing neurodegenerative diseases and has been linked to the exposure to numerous environmental neurotoxins. Although lead (Pb) exposure has been related to the development of PD, the molecular target of Pb to cause the onset of PD is insufficiently investigated. Herein, we explored the effects of Pb exposure on behavior, pathophysiology, and gene expression of wild-type (WT) fly (Drosophila melanogaster) by comparison with its PD model. After exposure to Pb, the WT flies showed PD-like locomotor impairments and selective loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons, displaying similar phenotypes to fly PD model (PINK1). Transcriptomic analysis showed the similarity in gene expression profiles between Pb treatment WT flies and PINK1 mutant flies. Moreover, Pb exposure resulted in endogenous dopamine deficits in WT flies. Analyses of gene expression and enzyme activity confirmed that Pb exposure reduced tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and led to failure of dopamine synthesis. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation confirmed that Pb was adsorbed by TH and subsequently inhibited the enzymatic activity. Exogenous injection of L-dopa and melatonin could partially rescue the pathological phenotypes of Pb-exposed flies and PD fly model. Antagonist injection of microRNA-133, which negatively regulated the expression of TH gene, ultimately rescued in the manifestation of PD phenotypes in flies. Involvement of TH overexpression mutants of fly strongly promoted the resistance to Pb exposure and rescued both behavior and the number of DAergic neurons. Therefore, our study elucidates the Pb molecular target in dopamine pathway and mechanism underlying the risks of Pb exposure on the occurrence of PD at environmentally-relevant concentrations., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Given that Agaricus bisporus, an edible mushroom, has demonstrated antioxidant properties, our investigation aimed to assess whether Agaricus bisporus could mitigate the toxic effects of lead (Pb) on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model. A dose-response study was conducted involving Pb and Agaricus bisporus to determine appropriate doses. Subsequently, a co-exposure study utilizing C. elegans strains N2 and CL2166 was implemented, with groups designated as Control, Pb, Agaricus bisporus, and Pb + Agaricus bisporus. Our findings revealed that co-exposure to Pb + 100 mg/mL Agaricus bisporus resulted in reduced embryonic and larval lethality, increased brood size, and enhanced motility compared to nematodes exposed solely to Pb. Notably, our observations indicated a transfer of reproductive toxicity from nematode parents to their offspring. Thus, Agaricus bisporus may play a significant role in Pb detoxification, suggesting its potential as a natural antioxidant for neutralizing the detrimental effects of Pb on reproductive health., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Soil remediation poses significant challenges due to its spatial heterogeneity, surpassing the complexities of atmospheric and water remediation. This study introduces an innovative approach to prevent soil heavy metal pollution by developing three phosphorus slow-release heavy metal soil prophylactic agents (SLPs) - Sap-11, Sap-12, and Sap-21. At a liquid-to-solid ratio of 1:20, the three types of SLPs achieve phosphorus sustained slow release amounts of 1.586 g/L, 4.259 g/L, and 1.444 g/L within 30 days, respectively. Over a cultivation period of 120 days, after amendment with the three SLPs, the surface soil demonstrates stabilization capacities for Pb of 29.56 mg/g, 46.24 mg/g, and 25.77 mg/g, respectively, representing enhancements of 283.64 %, 500.12 %, and 250.74 % compared to the control. Firstly, the direct contribution of P (up to 3.778 mg/g) released from SLPs chemically binding with Pb, and secondly, a significant proportion of the indirect contribution originating from the microbial activity and soil organic matter. In summary, SLP emerges as an effective strategy for soil heavy metal management, stabilizing heavy metals by stimulating the soil's inherent physiological and biochemical reactions. This approach provides a practical solution for the application of P-containing materials and introduces novel perspectives for soil heavy metal management strategies., 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.)

Lead-based ammunition is a significant source of environmental lead and threatens species that scavenge lead-shot carcasses, particularly in areas with intensive shooting. With the impacts of lead on avian scavengers well established, there is increasing focus on the effects of lead on mammalian scavengers. We investigated lead exposure in a morphologically specialized mammalian scavenger, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), by analyzing their blood lead levels (BLLs) before and after a marsupial culling program using linear mixed effects models. We compared lead isotope signatures in devil blood to those in the culling ammunition to inform potential source attributions. We sampled 23 devils before culling and 15 after culling, finding no significant difference in mean BLLs pre and post-culling. However, devils captured closer to forestry coupes where culling had occurred had higher BLLs, and a greater proportion of devils displayed elevated BLLs post-culling (33 % compared to 18 % pre-culling). The highest BLL (7.93 μg/dL) was found in a devil post-culling and this individual had lead isotope signatures that matched the ammunition samples analyzed, suggesting the individual was exposed to lead from scavenging on culled carcasses. While 18 % of the devil blood lead samples had isotope signatures consistent with the ammunition samples, most were measurably different, indicating other sources of lead in the landscape. BLLs in our study landscape were similar to published BLLs for wild devils across Tasmania. That said, lead isotope signatures in the blood of individual devils sampled both before and after culling shifted closer to those of ammunition samples post-culling. Our results indicate that while some individual devils may have been exposed to lead from culling, most devils in the landscape did not show evidence of recent exposure. However, even low lead levels can adversely impact wildlife health and immunity, a particular concern for devils, a species endangered by disease., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Traditional cement solidifying or stabilizing heavy metal-contaminated sites often face issues like alkalinity loss, cracking, and poor long-term performance. Therefore, bentonite-supported nano-zero-valent iron (B-nZVI) was introduced to optimize the remediation effect of cement in this paper. The effects of B-nZVI, ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and B-nZVI + OPC on the chemical stability of heavy metals and the physical strength of lead-contaminated soil were compared using semi-dynamic leaching methods, BCR tests, unconfined strength analysis, and micro-assisted analysis. Results demonstrated that the addition of B-nZVI effectively enhanced the remediation efficacy of OPC on lead-contaminated soil. The combination of B-nZVI and OPC exhibited a synergistic repair effect, offering superior physical strength and chemical stability for lead remediation. B-nZVI facilitated the adsorption and enrichment of Pb 2+ , thereby reducing oxidizable lead and enhancing short-term stabilization. Meanwhile, OPC precipitation and silicate gelling stabilized exchangeable lead into the residual form, necessitating repeated hydration gelling. Additionally, B-nZVI's sealing effect via water absorption delayed the leaching of exchangeable lead, thereby reducing lead migration. Even with only 1% B-nZVI added to the 12% OPC base, the leaching amount of Pb 2+ decreased significantly from 67.6 to 6.59 mg/kg after 7 d of curing. The unconfined strength of contaminated soil treated with the composite solidifying agent for 7 d was 12.87% higher than that of OPC alone, and for 28 d, it was 36.48% higher. This optimization scheme presents a promising approach for effective and sustainable remediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Herein, an enzyme-free fluorescent aptasensor was introduced for the ultrasensitive quantification of lead (Pb 2+ ) ion as a hazardous pollutant of the environment and foodstuffs. A nanocomposite of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 and gold nanoparticles (ZIF-8@AuNPs) was utilized as an efficient quencher of the fluorescence intensity of carboxyfluorescein (FAM) signal reporter. The establishment of a hybrid structure between attached aptamer on ZIF-8@AuNPs nanocomposite, and its FAM-tagged complementary (CP) strand decreased the fluorescence response. The preferential binding between the aptamer and Pb 2+ released CP strands, which retrieved the fluorescence signal. The aptasensor could assess Pb 2+ in the linear concentration range of 1 pM-1 nM with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.24 pM. Besides, it could quantify Pb 2+ in various samples, including fish, shrimp, tap water, milk, and serum samples. The developed aptasensor with the superiorities of easiness, cost-effectiveness, easy-to-operate, and rapidness is promising for controlling marine foodstuff safety., 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.)

Lead (Pb) pollution in sediments remains a major concern for ecosystem quality due to the robust interaction at the sediment/water interface, particularly in shallow lakes. However, understanding the mechanism behind seasonal fluctuations in Pb mobility in these sediments is lacking. Here, the seasonal variability of Pb concentration and isotopic ratio were investigated in the uppermost sediments of a shallow eutrophic drinking lake located in southeast China. Results reveal a sharp increase in labile Pb concentration during autumn-winter period, reaching ∼ 3-fold higher levels than during the spring-summer seasons. Despite these fluctuations, there was a notable overlap in the Pb isotopic signatures within the labile fraction across four seasons, suggesting that anthropogenic sources are not responsible for the elevated labile Pb concentration in autumn-winter seasons. Instead, the abnormally elevated labile Pb concentration during autumn-winter was probably related to reduction dissolution of Fe/Mn oxides, while declined labile Pb concentration during spring-summer may be attributed to adsorption/precipitation of Fe/Mn oxides. These large seasonal changes imply the importance of considering seasonal effects when conducting sediment sampling. We further propose a solution that using Pb isotopic signatures within the labile fraction instead of the bulk sediment can better reflect the information of anthropogenic Pb sources., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Lead ion pollution has become a serious public health concern worldwide. Therefore, sensitive detection of Pb 2+ is critical to control lead pollution, assess risks, and safeguard the health of vulnerable populations. This study reports a highly sensitive labelling-free electrochemical aptasensor for Pb 2+ detection. The aptasensor employs silver-platinum nanoparticles/graphene oxide (AgPt/GO) and Exonuclease III (Exo III) for signal amplification. GO provides high surface area and conductivity for immobilizing AgPt NPs, facilitating the immobilization of aptamer (Apt) probes on the electrode surface. Exo III enzymatically cleaves DNA strands on the electrode surface, releasing DNA segments to amplify the signal further. The synergistic amplification by AgPt/GO and ExoIII enables an extremely wide linear detection range of 0.05 pM-5 nM for Pb 2+ , with a low detection limit of 0.019 pM. Additionally, the G-quadruplex structure ensures excellent selectivity for Pb 2+ detection, resulting in high reproducibility and stability of the aptasensor. The aptasensor was successfully applied to detect spiked Pb 2+ in tap water samples, achieving recovery rates ranging from 96 to 108.4 %. By integrating nanomaterials, aptamers and enzymatic amplification, the aptasensor facilitates highly sensitive and selective detection of Pb 2+ , demonstrating potential for practical applications in environmental monitoring., 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.)

Microplastics (MPs) have attracted widespread attention because they can lead to combined toxicity by adsorbing heavy metals from the environment. Exposure to lead (Pb), a frequently adsorbed heavy metal by MPs, is common. In the current study, the coexistence of MPs and Pb was assessed in human samples. Then, mice were used as models to examine how co-exposure to MPs and Pb promotes aortic medial degeneration. The results showed that MPs and Pb co-exposure were detected in patients with aortic disease. In mice, MPs and Pb co-exposure promoted the damage of elastic fibers, loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and release of inflammatory factors. In vitro cell models revealed that co-exposure to MPs and Pb induced excessive reactive oxygen species generation, impaired mitochondrial function, and triggered PANoptosome assembly in VSMCs. These events led to PANoptosis and inflammation through the cAMP/PKA-ROS signaling pathway. However, the use of the PKA activator 8-Br-cAMP or mitochondrial ROS scavenger Mito-TEMPO improved, mitochondrial function in VSMCs, reduced cell death, and inhibited inflammatory factor release. Taken together, the present study provided novel insights into the combined toxicity of MPs and Pb co-exposure on the aorta., 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.)

Chronic lead (Pb) exposure causes neurodysfunction and contributes to the development of neurodegenerative disease. However, the mechanism of Pb-induced neurological dysfunction have yet to be fully elucidated. This study determined the role pyroptosis plays in Pb-induced neurodysfunction in neurons. We used both in vitro and in vivo approaches to explore whether Pb exposure induces caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis in neurons and its relationship to Pb-induced neurological disorders. Our findings showed that caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis in Pb-exposed neurons activated glycogen synthase kinase 3 protease activity by disrupting Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II/cAMP-response element binding protein pathway, leading to neurological disorders. Moreover, the caspase-1 inhibition VX-765 or the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug sodium para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS-Na) attenuated the Pb-induced neurological disorders by alleviating caspase-1 mediated neuronal pyroptosis. Our novel studies suggest that caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis in neurons represents a potential mechanism for Pb-induced neurodysfunction, identifying a putative target for attenuating the neurodegenerative effects induced by this metal., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Inappropriate handling of lead (Pb)-containing wastewater that is produced as a result of smelting activities threatens the surrounding environment and human health. The microbial-induced phosphate precipitation (MIPP) technology was applied to immobilize Pb 2+ in an aqueous solution considering bacterial phosphorolysis ability and Ca-mediated alleviation of lead toxicity. Pb immobilization was accompanied by sample characterization in order to explore the inherent mechanism that affected the immobilization efficiency. Results showed that Ca 2+ use elevated the immobilization efficiency through the prevention of bacterial physisorption and chemisorption, an enhancement to the phosphatase activity and the degree of SGP hydrolysis, and the provision of nucleation sites for Pb 2+ to attach. The formation of the Pb-GP complex helped the bacteria to maintain its activity at the commencement of catalyzing SGP hydrolysis. The nucleated minerals that were precipitated in a columnar shape through a directional stacking manner under MIPP featured higher chemical stability compared to non-nucleated minerals. As a result, there were three pathways, namely, bacterial physisorption, bacterial chemisorption, and substrate chelation, applied for Pb immobilization. The immobilization efficiency of 99.6% is achieved by precipitating bioprecipitates including Pb 5 (PO 4 ) 3 Cl, Pb 10 (PO 4 ) 6 Cl 2 , and Ca 2 Pb 3 (PO 4 ) 3 Cl. The findings accentuate the potential of applying the MIPP technology to Pb-containing wastewater remediation., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between blood levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury and anxiety in American adults., Methods: Blood metals and self-reported anxiety days were extracted from laboratory data and questionnaire data, respectively, using NHANES data from 2007-2012. Weighted logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between cadmium, lead and mercury with anxiety. Restricted cubic spline was used to visualize the non-linear relationship between metal concentrations and anxiety. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to investigate the effect of combined exposure to the three metals on anxiety., Results: The prevalence of anxiety in adults was 26.0%. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, cadmium levels in the highest quartile (Q4) were associated with a higher risk of anxiety compared to the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR = 1.279, 95% CI: 1.113-1.471, p < 0.01). Restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a positive association between blood cadmium levels and anxiety. Furthermore, co-exposure to multiple heavy metals was positively associated with anxiety risk (WQS positive: OR = 1.068, 95% CI: 1.016-1.160, p < 0.05), with cadmium contributing the most to the overall mixture effect. Compared to the Light RPA, the Vigorous/Moderate RPA group had a relatively low risk of anxiety after cadmium exposure., Conclusion: High levels of blood cadmium are positively associated with the development of anxiety disorders, which needs to be further verified in future studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Bai, Wen, Zhu, Jama, Sawmadal and Chen.)

Heavy metal pollution in the environment has become a significant global concern due to its detrimental effects on human health and the environment. In this study, we report an electrochemical aptasensor for the simultaneous detection of Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ . Gold nanoflower/polyethyleneimine-reduced graphene oxide (AuNFs/PEI-rGO) was introduced on the surface of a gold electrode to improve sensing performance. The aptasensor is based on the formation of a T-Hg 2+ -T mismatch structure and specific cleavage of the Pb 2+ -dependent DNAzyme, resulting in a dual signal generated by the Exo III specific digestion of methylene blue (MB) labeled at the 3' end of probe DNA-1 and the reduction of the substrate ascorbic acid (AA) catalyzed by the signal label. The decrease of MB signal and the increase of AA oxidation peak was used to indicate the content of Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ , respectively, with detection limits of 0.11 pM (Hg 2+ ) and 0.093 pM (Pb 2+ ). The aptasensor was also used for detecting Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ in water samples with good recoveries. Overall, this electrochemical aptasensor shows promising potential for sensitive and selective detection of heavy metals in environmental samples., 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.)

Microbiologically induced CaCO 3 precipitation (MICP) has been proposed as a potential bioremediation method to immobilize contaminating metals. In this study, carbonate mineralizing bacteria HJ1 and HJ2, isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil, was employed for Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ immobilization with or without β-tricalcium phosphate addition. Compared with the only treatments amended with strains, the combined application of β-tricalcium phosphate and HJ1 improved the immobilization rates of Cd and Pb by 1.49 and 1.70 times at 24 h, and the combined application of β-tricalcium phosphate and HJ2 increased the immobilization rates of Cd and Pb by 1.25 and 1.79 times. The characterization of biomineralization products revealed that Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ primarily immobilized from the liquid phase as CdCO 3 and PbCO 3 , and the addition of β-tricalcium phosphate facilitated the formation of Ca 4.03 Cd 0.97 (PO 4 ) 3 (OH) and Pb 3 (PO 4 ) 2 . Also, the calcium source was related to the speciation of carbonate precipitation and improved the Cd and Pb remediation efficiency. This research demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of MICP combined with β-tricalcium phosphate in immobilization of Cd and Pb, which will provide a fundamental basis for future applications of MICP to mitigate soil heavy metal pollutions., 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.)

Lake Nansi, primarily dominated by macrophytes, faces threats from heavy metals and antibiotics due to human activity. This study investigated sediment dissolved organic matter (SDOM) characteristics and complexation of lead (Pb) and tetracycline (TC) in barren zone (BZ) and submerged macrophytes zone (PZ). Additionally, a microbial degradation experiment was conducted to examine its impact on the regional variations in complexation. SDOM abundance and protein-like materials in PZ was significantly greater than in BZ, indicating a probable contribution from the metabolism and decomposition of submerged macrophytes. Both zones exhibited a higher affinity of SDOM for Pb compared to TC, with all four components participating in Pb complexation. Protein-like materials in PZ had a higher binding ability (LogK Pb =4.19 ± 1.07, LogK TC =3.89 ± 0.67) than in BZ (LogK Pb =3.98 ± 0.61, LogK TC =3.69 ± 0.13), suggesting a potential presence of organically bound Pb and TC due to the higher abundance of protein-like materials in PZ. Although microbial communities differed noticeably, the degradation patterns of SDOM were similar in both zones, affecting the binding ability of SDOM in each. Notably, the fulvic-like component C4 emerged as the dominant binding material for both Pb and TC in both zones. Degradation might increase the amount of organically bound TC due to the increase in the LogK TC ., 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.)

The prolonged exposure of agricultural soils to heavy metals from wastewater, particularly in areas near industrial facilities, poses a significant threat to the well-being of living organisms. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established standard permissible limits for heavy metals in agricultural soils to mitigate potential health hazards. Nevertheless, some agricultural fields continue to be irrigated with wastewater containing industrial effluents. This study aimed to assess the concentration of lead in soil samples collected from agricultural fields near industrial areas. Subsequently, we determined the lethal concentration (LC50) of lead (Pb) and other heavy metals for two Collembola species, namely Folsomia candida, a standard organism for soil ecotoxicity tests, and comparing it with Proisotoma minuta. The research further examined the toxic effects of lead exposure on these two species, revealing depletion in the energy reservoirs and alterations in the tissue histology of both organisms. The study revealed that lead can induce genotoxic damage as it evidently has moderate binding affinity with the ct-DNA and hence can cause DNA fragmentation and the formation of micronuclei. Elevated lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and protein carbonylation levels were observed, alongside a reduction in antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD & GPx). These findings suggest that lead disrupts the balance between oxidants and the antioxidant enzyme system, impairing defense mechanisms and consequential derogatory damage within microarthropods. The investigation elucidates a complex network of various signaling pathways compromised as a result of lead toxicity. Hence, it presents a novel perspective that underscores the pressing necessity for implementing an integrated risk assessment framework at the investigated site., 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.)

Introduction: Lead poisoning contributes to a significant burden of disease as a toxic substance found in air, soil, and water. In Indonesia, the risk of exposure is high due to the inappropriate recycling of used lead batteries. The objective was to investigate the factors that influence lead levels in children's blood., Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed blood lead levels (BLLs) in children aged 12-59 months in four communities exposed to used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) recycling activities, comparing them to a control area. The study employed a threshold level of 20 μg/dL to identify high BLLs and utilized a sample size of 324 children from exposed sites and 240 from control sites. Questionnaires, blood lead tests and a home-based assessment for environmental exposures were applied., Results: The study participants comprised 295 boys and 269 girls, with an average age of 35 months. Significant disparities in soil lead concentrations median: Q1-Q3 were found between exposed (6581.7 : 2432.6-16647.1) ppm and control areas (253.5 : 158.8-417.1) ppm. Children in exposed areas had 3.9 times higher odds of BLL ≥20 μg/dL. Fathers with BLL ≥20 μg/dL had children with similarly elevated BLLs. Multivariate analysis identified socioeconomic status, study areas, environmental factors (cookware, food ware, spices, house cleaning), and children's behavior (breastfeeding duration) as determinants of elevated BLLs. Reported environmental factors had notable impact on BLLs, with aluminum cookware (aOR = 1.4, 95%CI [1.2-1.6]), food ware materials (aOR = 1.15, 95%CI [1.0-1.3]), type of spices (aOR = 2.7, 95%CI [1.7-48.0]), and house cleaning method (aOR = 2.9, 95%CI [1.2-7.1])., Conclusion: This study highlighted key risk factors affecting children's blood lead levels (BLL) and emphasized the urgency of employing effective strategies to remediate lead-contaminated soils in exposed regions. The findings underscore the need for prompt medical intervention and monitoring for children in these areas, with additional research essential to fully understand lead poisoning pathways in the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Pb-contaminated soil poses significant environmental and health risks as well as soil stability issues. Research on sandy soils highlights CO 2 -enhanced reactive MgO as a promising solution for improving the solidification of Pb-contaminated soils. However, carbonation effects can differ markedly between soil types owing to varying soil properties. In this study, we evaluated the effects of CO 2 -enhanced reactive MgO on the engineering and environmental characteristics of Pb-contaminated red clay and explored its mechanism of carbonation solidification. The results showed that CO 2 -enhanced reactive MgO increased the strength of Pb-contaminated red clay to over 3 MPa within 1 h, which was approximately 25 times the strength of untreated soil (0.2 MPa) and significantly higher than that of reactive MgO-treated, uncarbonated soil (0.8 MPa). The pH of the carbonated soil (9-10) facilitated Pb 2+ immobilization, and the increase over the initial parameter elevated the electrical conductivity value. Moreover, CO 2 -enhanced reactive MgO reduced the Pb 2+ leaching concentration to below 0.1 mg/L, even at high Pb concentrations (10,000 mg/kg). Pb 2+ transformed into lead carbonates during the carbonation process, with the hydrated magnesium carbonates forming a dense internal structure. This solidification mechanism included chemical precipitation, physical adsorption, and encapsulation. Notably, the carbonation time should be controlled within 1 h to prevent soil expansion. Together, these findings support the potential of CO 2 -enhanced reactive MgO for efficient and low-carbon application in the solidification of Pb-contaminated red clay., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The impact of functionality of biochar on pressing environmental issue of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) co-contamination in simultaneous soil and water systems has not sufficiently reported. This study investigated the impact of Fe- and Mg-functionalized wheat straw biochar (Fe-WSBC and Mg-WSBC) on Cd and Pb adsorption/immobilization through batch sorption and column leaching trials. Importantly, Fe-WSBC was more effective in adsorbing Cd and Pb (82.84 and 111.24 mg g -1 ), regeneration ability (removal efficiency 94.32 and 92.365), and competitive ability under competing cations (83.15 and 84.36%) compared to other materials (WSBC and Mg-WSBC). The practical feasibility of Fe-WSBC for spiked river water verified the 92.57% removal of Cd and 85.73% for Pb in 50 mg L -1 and 100 mg L -1 contamination, respectively. Besides, the leaching of Cd and Pb with Fe-WSBC under flow-through conditions was lowered to (0.326 and 17.62 mg L -1 ), respectively as compared to control (CK) (0.836 and 40.40 mg L -1 ). In short, this study presents the applicable approach for simultaneous remediation of contaminated water and soil matrices, offering insights into environmentally friendly green remediation strategies for heavy metals co-contaminated matrices., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Soil pollution by microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles <5 mm, and heavy metals is a significant environmental issue. However, studies on the co-contamination effects of MPs and heavy metals on buckwheat rhizosphere microorganisms, especially on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community, are limited. We introduced low (0.01 g kg -1 ) and high doses of lead (Pb) (2 g kg -1 ) along with polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) MPs, both individually and in combination, into soil and assessed soil properties, buckwheat growth, and rhizosphere bacterial and AMF communities in a 40-day pot experiment. Notable alterations were observed in soil properties such as pH, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), and the available Pb (APb). High-dose Pb combined with PLA-MPs hindered buckwheat growth. Compared to the control, bacterial Chao1 richness and Shannon diversity were lower in the high dose Pb with PLA treatment, and differentially abundant bacteria were mainly detected in the high Pb dose treatments. Variations in bacterial communities correlated with APb, pH and AN. Overall, the AMF community composition remained largely consistent across all treatments. This phenomenon may be due to fungi having lower nutritional demands than bacteria. Stochastic processes played a relatively important role in the assembly of both bacterial and AMF communities. In summary, MPs appeared to amplify both the positive and negative effects of high Pb doses on the buckwheat rhizosphere bacteria., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The pollution of Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ in both irrigation water and soil, coupled with the scarcity of vital mineral nutrition, poses a significant hazard to the security and quality of agricultural products. An economical potassium feldspar-derived adsorbent (PFDA) was synthesized using potassium feldspar as the main raw material through ball milling-thermal activation technology to solve this problem. The synthesis process is cost-effective and the resulting adsorbent demonstrates high efficiency in removing Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ from water. The removal process is endothermic, spontaneous, and stochastic, and follows the quasi-second-order kinetics, intraparticle diffusion, and Langmuir model. The adsorption and elimination of Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ is largely dependent on monolayer chemical sorption. The maximum removal capacity of PFDA for Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ at room temperature is 417 and 56.3 mg·g -1 , respectively, which is superior to most mineral-based adsorbents. The desorption of Pb 2+ /Cd 2+ on PFDA is highly challenging at pH≥3, whereas PFDA and Pb 2+ /Cd 2+ are recyclable at pH≤0.5. When Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ coexisted, Pb 2+ was preferentially removed by PFDA. In the case of single adsorption, Pb 2+ was mainly adsorbed onto PFDA as Pb 2 SiO 4 , PbSiO 3 ·xH 2 O, Pb 3 SiO 5 , PbAl 2 O 4 , PbAl 2 SiO 6 , PbAl 2 Si 2 O 8 , Pb 2 SO 5 , and PbSO 4 , whereas Cd 2+ was primarily adsorbed as CdSiO 3 , Cd 2 SiO 4 , and Cd 3 Al 2 Si 3 O 12 . After the complex adsorption, the main products were PbSiO 3 ·xH 2 O, PbAl 2 Si 2 O 8 , Pb 2 SiO 4 , Pb 4 Al 2 Si 2 O 11 , Pb 5 SiO 7 , PbSO 4 , CdSiO 3 , and Cd 3 Al 2 Si 3 O 12 . The forms of mineral nutrients in single and complex adsorption were different. The main mechanisms by which PFDA removed Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ were chemical precipitation, complexation, electrostatic attraction, and ion exchange. In irrigation water, the elimination efficiencies of Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ by PFDA within 10 min were 96.0 % and 70.3 %, respectively, and the concentrations of K + , Si 4+ , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ increased by 14.0 %, 12.4 %, 55.7 %, and 878 %, respectively, within 60 min. PFDA holds great potential to replace costly methods for treating heavy metal pollution and nutrient deficiency in irrigation water, offering a sustainable, cost-effective solution and paving a new way for the comprehensive utilization of potassium feldspar., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bidens pilosa frequently forms a symbiotic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This plant species can grow in Pb-polluted soils, accumulating Pb in its tissues. The aims of the study were to determine whether Pb accumulated in the tissues of B. pilosa can be transferred to the soil through AMF and to compare the role of AMF communities that have a history of exposure to the contaminant with those that have never been exposed. The experiment combined plants with and without Pb accumulated in their tissues, and inoculated with AMF collected from the rhizosphere of B. pilosa in soils contaminated and not contaminated with Pb. The results showed that AMF participate in the removal of Pb that had entered the plant and release it into the soil, as evidenced by the presence of Pb in the AMF spores and in the glomalin produced by AMF. We propose that Pb accumulation in AMF spores would be a protection mechanism that interrupts Pb uptake by the plant; however, that mechanism would not be fully exploited in detoxification, whereas the production of Pb-enriched glomalin could be an important detoxification mechanism to eliminate Pb already taken up by plants. AMF with a history of Pb exposure achieved only higher rates of root colonization, while AMF without previous exposure showed higher Pb concentration in the spores and higher glomalin production, and successfully removed Pb from both the roots and aboveground parts of the plant. The use of AMF communities not adapted to Pb may be a more effective option for microbe-mediated phytoremediation methods in which detoxification mechanisms are desirable., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Salazar M.J. reports financial support was provided by Fund for Scientific and Technological Research. Becerra A.G. reports financial support was provided by Fund for Scientific and Technological Research. Salazar M.J. reports financial support was provided by National Scientific and Technical Research Council. If there are other authors, they 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Millions of adults and children are exposed to high levels of lead, a neurotoxicant, each year. Recent evidence suggests that lead exposure may precipitate neurodegeneration, particularly if the exposure occurs early or late in life, with unique alterations to the structure or function of specific subfields of the hippocampus, a region involved in memory and Alzheimer's disease. It has been proposed that specific hippocampal subfields may thus be useful biomarkers for lead-associated neurological disease. We turned to a population-representative New Zealand birth cohort where the extent of lead exposure was not confounded by social class (the Dunedin Study; born 1972-1973 and followed to age 45) to test the hypothesis that early life lead exposure (blood-lead level at age 11 years) is associated with smaller MRI-assessed gray matter volumes of specific subfields of the hippocampus at age 45 years. Among the 508 Dunedin Study members with childhood lead data and adult MRI data passing quality control (93.9 % of those with lead data who attended the age-45 assessment wave, 240[47.2 %] female), childhood blood-lead levels ranged from 4 to 31 µg/dL (M[SD]=10.9[4.6]). Total hippocampal volumes were lower among adults with higher childhood blood-lead levels (b=-102.6 mm 3 per 5 ug/dL-unit greater blood-lead level, 95 %CI: -175.4 to -29.7, p=.006, β=-.11), as were all volumes of the 24 hemisphere-specific subfields of the hippocampus. Of these 24 subfields, 20 demonstrated negative lead-associations greater than β=-.05 in size, 14 were statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons (p FDR <.05), and 9 remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders and multiple comparisons. Children exposed to lead demonstrate smaller volumes across all subfields of the hippocampus in midlife. The hypothesis that lead selectively impairs specific subfields of the hippocampus, or that specific subfields may be markers for lead-associated neurological disease, requires further evaluation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests. Ahmad Hariri reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. If there are other authors, they 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Understanding the heavy metals (HMs) tolerance mechanism is crucial for improving plant growth in metal-contaminated soil. In order to evaluate the lead (Pb) tolerance mechanism in Brassica species, a comparative proteomic study was used. Thirteen-day-old seedlings of B. juncea and B. napus were treated with different Pb(NO 3 ) 2 concentrations at 0, 3, 30, and 300 mg/L. Under 300 mg/L Pb(NO 3 ) 2 concentration, B. napus growth was significantly decreased, while B. juncea maintained normal growth similar to the control. The Pb accumulation was also higher in B. napus root and shoot compared to B. juncea. Gel-free proteomic analysis of roots revealed a total of 68 and 37 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in B. juncea and B. napus-specifically, after 300 mg/L Pb exposure. The majority of these proteins are associated with protein degradation, cellular respiration, and enzyme classification. The upregulated RPT2 and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway-associated proteins maintain the cellular homeostasis and photosynthetic rate in B. juncea. Among the 55 common DAPs, S-adenosyl methionine and TCA cycle proteins were upregulated in B. juncea and down-regulated in B. napus after Pb exposure. Furthermore, higher oxidative stress also reduced the antioxidant enzyme activity in B. napus. The current finding suggests that B. juncea is more Pb tolerant than B. napus, possibly due to the upregulation of proteins involved in protein recycling, degradation, and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All 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 Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, researchers have increasingly focused on the development of multiphase trimetallic nanocomposites (TMNC) incorporating ternary metals or metal oxides, which hold significant potential as alternatives for combatting biofilms and bacterial infections. Enhanced oral health is ensured by the innovative techniques used to effectively prevent bacterial adherence and formation of biofilm on dental sutures. In this investigation, TMNC, which consists of Pb, Ag, and Cu, was synthesized using an autoclave-assisted sonochemical technique. Following synthesis, TMNC were characterized using FTIR, XRD, BET, XPS, TGA, and Raman spectroscopy to analyze their shape and microstructure. Subsequent evaluations, including MTT assay, antibacterial activity testing, and biofilm formation analysis, were conducted to assess the efficiency of the synthesized TMNC. Cytotoxicity and anti-human oral squamous cell carcinoma activities of TMNC were evaluated using the Human Oral Cancer cell line (KB) cell line through MTT assay, demonstrating a dose-dependent increase in anti-human oral squamous cell carcinoma activity against the KB cell line compared to the normal cell line, resulting in notably high cell viability. Furthermore, an ultrasonic probe was employed to incorporate TMNC onto dental suturing threads, with different concentrations of TMNC, ultrasonic power levels, and durations considered to determine optimal embedding conditions that result in the highest antibacterial activity. The inhibitory effects of TMNC, both in well diffusion assays and when incorporated into dental suturing threads, against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria on Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA) were assessed using various concentrations of TMNC. The results of the study indicated that the efficacy of TMNC in inhibiting bacterial growth on dental suturing threads remained impressive, even at low concentrations. Moreover, an evaluation of their potential to destabilize biofilms formed by S. aureus and E. coli, the two pathogens in humans, indicated that TMNC would be a promising anti-biofilm agent., 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 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) contaminated soils, caused by Pb and zinc (Zn) smelting activities, pose an urgent environmental issue. Magnetic biochar (MB) has been regarded as an increasingly appealing candidate for the remediation of multi-metals in contaminated soils or their leachate. Finding economically feasible preparation methods for MB and demonstrating its remediation potential is desperately required for the remediation of such complex smelting sites. In this study, a modified MB was prepared using an optimized co-precipitation method, and its application potential for Pb/As simultaneous removal based on the basic properties of a typical Pb/Zn smelting site was evaluated. The surface modifications of MB facilitated the encapsulation of various ultrafine iron oxide particles, predominantly γ-Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 , whilst notably enhancing the presence of oxygen-containing surface functional groups. The adsorption of Pb(II) and As(III) by MB was well-described using the pseudo-second-order adsorption and Langmuir models. The existence of SO 4 2- and Ca 2+ in the soil leachate competed with the adsorption sites for Pb(II) and As(III). Notably, within the pH range of 5-9, the adsorption efficiency of Pb(II) by MB increased with the rising solution pH, whereas alterations in pH minimally affected the removal rate of As(III), maintaining a consistent removal rate exceeding 95%. Furthermore, dissolved organic matter (DOM) abundant in organic functional groups, particularly CO and CC groups, significantly augmented the adsorption affinity for both Pb(II) and As(III). An application rate of 2 g/L could effectively reduce the concentration of Pb(II) and As(III) in soil leachate to <0.05 mg/L. The findings demonstrated the potential of the prepared MB for simultaneous removal of As(III) and Pb(II) in soil leachate, which should be beneficial to multi-metals polluted soil remediation in Pb/Zn smelting sites., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Childhood exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or lead (Pb) is associated with epigenetic modifications. However, the effects of their co-exposures on IGF1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1) methylation and the potential role in child physical growth are unclear., Methods: From our previous children study (N = 238, ages of 3-6), 75 children with higher total concentrations of urinary ten hydroxyl PAH metabolites (∑ 10 OH-PAHs) from an e-waste recycling area, Guiyu, and 75 with lower ∑ 10 OH-PAHs from Haojiang (reference area) were included. Pb and IGF1 P2 promoter methylation in peripheral blood were also measured. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to estimate individual associations, overall effects and interactions of co-exposure to OH-PAHs and Pb on IGF1 methylation were further explored using Bayesian kernel machine regression., Results: Methylation of IGF1 (CG-232) was lower (38.00 vs. 39.74 %, P < 0.001), but of CG-207 and CG-137 were higher (59.94 vs. 58.41 %; 57.60 vs. 56.28 %, both P < 0.05) in exposed children than the reference. The elevated urinary 2-OHPhe was associated with reduced methylation of CG-232 (B = -0.051, 95 % CI: -0.096, -0.005, P < 0.05), whereas blood Pb was positively associated with methylation of CG-108 (B = 0.106, 95 %CI: 0.013, 0.199, P < 0.05), even after full adjustment. Methylations of CG-224 and 218 significantly decreased when all OH-PAHs and Pb mixtures were set at 35th - 40th and 45th - 55th percentile compared to when all fixed at 50th percentile. There were bivariate interactions of co-exposure to the mixtures on methylations of CG-232, 224, 218, and 108. Methylations correlated with height, weight, were observed in the exposed children., Conclusions: Childhood co-exposure to high PAHs and Pb from the e-waste may be associated with IGF1 promoter methylation alterations in peripheral blood. This, in turn, may interrupt the physical growth of preschool children., 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 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)