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CO 2 and NO x emissions from aviation transportation are critical components of overall transportation-related emissions, significantly impacting both climate and air quality. To implement more targeted and effective measures for mitigating emissions in this sector, it is essential to conduct empirical analyses that deepen our understanding of the factors influencing aviation emissions. Previous studies have predominantly focused on emissions from the entire transportation sector, with limited research specifically addressing aviation emissions. Notably, past research has often overlooked the existence of spatial autocorrelation patterns in aviation emissions. Here, we developed a civil aviation emission inventory at the provincial scale for China using a bottom-up approach based on daily flight schedules from 2012 to 2019. By utilizing the STIRPAT and spatial Durbin models, we identified key factors affecting civil aviation CO 2 and NO x emissions and assessed their spatial effects at the provincial level in China. Spatial-temporal analysis revealed distinct patterns and spatial non-stationarity in CO 2 and NO x emissions from civil aviation. The results also highlighted that GDP, per capita GDP, the transportation price index, and per capita consumption expenditure positively drive. The results emphasize the importance of close collaboration among different provinces to effectively decarbonize and reduce pollution in the civil aviation sector given the significant observed spatial dependencies. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in formulating strategies to reduce aviation emissions and understanding the influence of different socioeconomic activities on emissions., 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 © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nontargeted screening (NTS) of halogenated contaminants in biota is part of the routine monitoring of the Great Lakes ecosystem. NTS can give insight into new chemicals with possible persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) properties and help quantify known PBT's degradation and transformation products. The most common ionization technique for NTS is electron impact ionization (EI) due to the consistent and easily standardized fragmentation patterns. This research uses electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) as a complementary technique to broaden the range of halogenated contaminants detected in the Great Lakes. ECNI has higher sensitivity and selectivity to halogenated compounds compared to EI. GC × GC-HR-ToF MS with a multimode ion source (MMS) offers consecutive runs in EI and ECNI modes using the same chromatographic setup, facilitating retention time alignment. The exact mass measurements help in identifying compounds found only in ECNI. A total of 85 novel halogenated features were detected, 78% of which were detected only in ECNI. Only 9% of the features were detected in both modes, indicating that ECNI is a necessary complementary technique for NTS of halogenated features.

We examined associations between seven source-specific PM 2.5 concentrations and rates of asthma and COPD hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits in New York State and compared the changes in excess rates (ERs) between pre- (2014-2016) and post-implementation (2017-2019) of the Tier 3 automobile emission controls on new vehicles policy. A modified time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression were employed to estimate the ERs of asthma and COPD hospitalizations and ED visits associated with interquartile range (IQR) increases in source-specific PM 2.5 concentrations. The 7 PM 2.5 sources were spark-ignition emissions (GAS), diesel (DIE), biomass burning (BB), road dust (RD), secondary nitrate (SN), secondary sulfate (SS), and pyrolyzed organic rich (OP). Residual PM 2.5 (PM 2.5 - specific source [e.g., GAS]), daily temperature, relative humidity, weekday, and holidays were included in the model. IQR increases in GAS, SS, RD, BB, and SN were associated with increased ERs of asthma ED visits (highest ERs: 0.5 %-3.1 %), while a negative association was observed with DIE and OP. The rate of asthma hospitalizations was associated with increased RD concentrations (ERs: 1.3 %-1.7 %). Both COPD ED visit and hospitalization rates were associated with increased OP (ERs: 2.1 %-3.4 %), and increased SS was positively associated with COPD ED visits (ER = 3.8 %). In summary, after Tier 3 implementation (2017-2019), we found lower ERs for COPD admissions associated with BB, RD, SN, and SS compared to 2014-2016. However, rates of asthma ED visits associated with source-specific PM 2.5 concentrations were generally higher for all sources, except DIE, post- versus pre-implementation, requiring further research for validation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: David Rich reports financial support was provided by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Local land-sea breezes play an important role in coastal air quality because they circulate air between coastal/urban and marine areas, potentially causing the accumulation of pollutants. This has been observed for the secondary photochemical pollutant ozone. However, particulate matter (PM) also warrants investigation. To understand the complicated interactions between coastal urban air quality and a local land-sea breeze, we analyzed historical monitoring data from Houston, Texas, which is the fourth most populous city in the United States. Using k-means clustering algorithms to analyze wind data from Houston, we successfully identified a sea breeze recirculation cluster. Additionally, we performed positive matrix factorization on PM 2.5 (2.5 μm in diameter or smaller) composition data for 2010-2018 from Houston Deer Park #2 monitoring site, 5 km south of the industrialized Houston Ship Channel. The resulting eight factors indicated a variety of anthropogenic, natural, primary and secondary sources. Emphasizing the PM 2.5 sources in each of the wind clusters for June, July, and August, we discovered that on southernly wind and sea breeze recirculation days, the PM 2.5 concentrations are ∼30% higher than those under other wind patterns. Under southerly wind, 53% of PM 2.5 was attributed to long-range transport of soil and 15% to aged and fresh sea salt. In contrast, on days identified as being impacted by a sea breeze, 60% of PM 2.5 was attributed to anthropogenic emissions and only 15% to soil sources. Secondary organic aerosol from multiple sources also appeared to be important on sea breeze days., 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: Sex steroid hormones are critical for maintaining pregnancy and optimal fetal development. Air pollutants are potential endocrine disruptors that may disturb sex steroidogenesis during pregnancy, potentially leading to adverse health outcomes., Methods: In the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development pregnancy cohort (Rochester, NY), sex steroid concentrations were collected at study visits in early-, mid-, and late-pregnancy in 299 participants. Since these visits varied by the gestational age at blood draw, values were imputed at 14, 22, and 30 weeks gestation. Daily NO 2 and PM 2.5 concentrations were estimated using random forest models, with daily concentrations from each 1-km 2 grid containing the subject's residence. Associations between gestational week mean NO 2 and PM 2.5 concentrations and sex steroid concentrations were examined utilizing distributed lag nonlinear models., Results: Each interquartile range (IQR = 9 ppb) increase in NO 2 during weeks 0-5 was associated with higher early-pregnancy total testosterone levels (cumulative β = 0.45 ln[ng/dl]; 95% CI = 0.07, 0.83), while each IQR increase in NO 2 during weeks 12-14 was associated with lower early-pregnancy total testosterone levels (cumulative β = -0.27 ln[ng/dl]; 95% CI = -0.53, -0.01). Similar NO 2 increases during gestational weeks 0-14 were associated with higher late-pregnancy estradiol concentrations (cumulative β = 0.29 ln[pg/ml]; 95% CI = 0.10, 0.49), while each IQR increase in NO 2 concentrations during gestational weeks 22-30 was associated with lower late-pregnancy estradiol concentrations (cumulative β = -0.18 ln[pg/ml]; 95% CI = -0.34, -0.02). No associations with PM 2.5 were observed, except for an IQR increase in PM 2.5 concentrations (IQR = 4 µg/m 3 ) during gestational weeks 5-11 which was associated with lower late-pregnancy estriol levels (cumulative β = -0.16 ln[ng/ml]; 95% CI = -0.31, -0.00)., Conclusions: Residential NO 2 exposure was associated with altered sex steroid hormone concentrations during pregnancy with some indication of potential compensatory mechanisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with regard to the content of this report., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The Environmental Epidemiology. All rights reserved.)

Cigarette filter microplastics are composed of cellulose acetate that does not undergo biological or photo-degradation. These microplastics are readily dispersed and can be found abundantly in water, soil, and air. These fibers possess high absorption capabilities, allowing them to collect and retain pollutants such as toxic elements. As a result, they are regarded as potential dangers to living organisms. The purpose of this study was to analyze the immune response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) when exposed to cigarette filter microfibers, measuring the secretion of the inflammatory cytokines TNFα (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and IL-6 (interleukin-6). In this study, we examined how used cigarette cellulose acetate microfibers affect the viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in an appropriate culture medium at three concentrations: 50, 100, and 200 µg/ml. In addition, this study investigated the release of inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL6 from PBMCs exposed to 200 µg/ml cigarette filter cellulose acetate. The results showed that increasing the concentration of cellulose acetate fibers of one of the brands in the culture medium has a significant effect on reducing cell viability. The 200 µg/ml in DW is more effective than 50 and 100 µg/ml in reducing cell viability. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed an inflammatory immune response when exposed to 200 µg/ml cellulose acetate from cigarette filters. They produced inflammatory cytokines that showed a significant increase compared to the control sample. In general, it can be concluded that cellulose acetate fibers in contact with body cells stimulate them and cause an inflammatory response., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Advanced receptor models can leverage the information derived from optical and chemical variables as input by a variety of instruments at different time resolutions to extract the source specific absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) from aerosol absorption. The multilinear engine (ME-2), a Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) solver, serves as a proficient tool for performing such analyses, thereby overcoming the constraints imposed by the assumptions in current optical source apportionment methods such as the Aethalometer approach since the use of a-priori AAE values introduces additional uncertainty into the results of optical methods. Comprehensive PM 2.5 chemical speciation datasets, and aerosol absorption coefficients (b abs , λ) at seven wavelengths measured by an Aethalometer (AE33), were used in multi-time source apportionment (MT-PMF). The study focused on two locations in the Los Angeles (LA) Basin: Central LA (CELA, Main St.), an urban area surrounded by major freeways, and Rubidoux (RIVR), a residential area surrounded by local roads. Factor profiles and temporal variations of their contributions were obtained. Additionally, factor displacements (DISP) and profile constraints were applied. Five-factor solutions were obtained at both sites. At CELA, the resolved factors included traffic + crustal matter (traffic+ Cr_M), secondary sulfate + nitrate (SSN), biomass burning (BB), diesel emissions (DIE) and aged sea salt (ASS). Moreover, source-dependent AAE values at CELA were obtained without a-priori assumption, with values of 1.46 for traffic+ Cr_M, 1.45 for DIE and 2.37 for BB. At RIVR, the resolved factors were traffic+ Cr_M (AAE = 1.24), particulate sulfate, particulate nitrate, BB (AAE = 3.00) and aged sea salt. PM 2.5 composition differed at both locations. SSN accounted for the largest fraction of the ambient PM 2.5 mass concentration, their sum at the CELA site averaged 40 % of the PM 2.5 mass while the same species represented 77 % at RIVR., 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.)

Water samples were collected during each of the 2012-2019 Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) cruises aboard the U.S. EPA R/V Lake Guardian as part of the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP) lower food web contaminant assessment. The CSMI rotates around each of the Great Lakes in a 5-year cycle providing top-to-bottom biological, chemical, and physical environmental assessments, including dissolved-phase surface water studies at two sample locations. Average polychlorinated biphenyl (∑PCB) concentrations across the Great Lakes was 268 pg/L with a station range of 72 pg/L (Keweenaw Point-Lake Superior) to 834 pg/L (Middle Bass Island-Lake Erie). The highest average Great Lakes concentration (pg/L-sample year) were measured in Lake Erie (645 pg/L-2014) and decreased in the order of Lake Huron (378 pg/L-2012) > Lake Erie (364 pg/L-2019) > Lake Ontario (300 pg/L-2013) > Lake Michigan (125 pg/L-2015) > Lake Huron (123 pg/L-2017) > Lake Superior (74 pg/L-2016). Lake Erie registered a 44 % reduction over the 2014-2019 period, attributed to sediment remediation in the late-1990's on the Detroit River, whereas Lake Huron exhibited a 67 % decrease over the 2012-2017 sample period. Our results indicate that dissolved-phase PCB water concentrations in Lake Ontario have significantly increased, rebounding from a low-point in the late-1990's likely due to the bioenergetic diversion of dissolved- and particulate-phase PCBs into the benthic food web by invasive zebra and quagga mussel colonization. Trend analyses uncovered breakpoints in the early 1990's documenting significantly slowing rates of PCB declines for both Lakes Superior and Michigan., 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.)