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Consumer demand for healthier and more sustainable foods has led to a multitude of innovative food products. The aim of the work was to monitor the physico-chemical quality parameters (color, taste, smell, infestation, granularity, humidity, gluten index, falling number, alveographic properties, ash content, hectoliter mass of wheat) for the raw material: wheat, for the flours resulting from the milling, and for different types of flours and resulting mixtures. The mixtures were made with wheat flour and carob, oats, rice, buckwheat, and coconut flour added in proportions of 5%, 10%, and 20%. Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu) were also determined for different types of flour. The metal content was determined by the atomic absorption method using a GBC Avanta PM atomic absorption spectrometer. The detection and quantification limits were evaluated using calibration curves. The degree of coloring of the flours differs depending on the degree of extraction and, therefore, also depends on the amount of ash contained. As for infestation contamination, it was not identified in any of the analyzed flour. Rheological properties indicate the quality of flours. Flour types 480 and 550 recorded exceptional values of the rheological parameters, presenting a deformation energy (W) above 200 10-4J and a curve configuration ratio (P/E) of 1.08. The metal concentrations were between the permissible limits defined by the FDA/WHO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, the problem of environmental pollution from metallurgical waste is gaining momentum. In particular, these are metallurgical wastes containing residual metals. However, with the help of innovative methods of processing lead-containing slags, they can be turned into valuable resources with minimal impact on the environment. This article discusses the importance of recycling lead-containing slag and describes various methods of recycling. The scientific novelty of the article is to analyze the influence of the content of toxic metals, such as lead, chromium, zinc, and copper, in the products obtained after roasting around the waste storage. The results of the optimization of experimental data allowed to specify the composition of the mixture temperature of the process of ignition of residual and corrosion-protective metals chromium and nickel, with the indicators of dependencies in the three-dimensional model. The results of the mathematical planning of the processing of waste slag and galvanic sludge showed that the recovery of lead reached 93-95%, chromium-94-96% nickel-93%, and copper-90%. The obtained product is identified as a composite material by its elemental composition and microstructure. In the general structure of the surface, firing products are characterized by the presence of the aluminosilicate minerals melilite, merwinite, and ockermanite, as well as calcium monosilicates, in the form of irregular forms of light gray lamellar crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing mining industry has led to environmental pollution, primarily from mining waste known as acid mine drainage (AMD). To effectively address AMD, a combination of constructed wetland and biochar treatment is necessary. This study aims to assess the ability of biochar in combination with wetland sediment to reduce sulfate and cadmium (Cd) heavy metals in AMD. The research method involved a laboratory-scale constructed wetland in a microcosmos and a treatment of: T1, biochar mixed with wetland sediment; T2, sediment; T3, biochar; and T4, control with no treatment. Observations included sulfate content, pH determination, heavy metal concentration, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the biochar. Results after 30 days of observation showed that T1 reduced sulfate concentration by 72.03%, compared to 63.33% for T2, 63.33% for T3, and 2.50% for T4. The reduction in sulfate was accompanied by a consecutive increase in pH, with T1 at pH 6.9, T2 at pH 6.6, T3 at pH 6.4, and T4 at pH 3.6 after 30 days. T1 treatment reduced heavy metal Cd by 80.16% after 30 days, while T2 of 55.46%. T3 of 65.83% and T4 of 2.31%. This indicates that the constructed wetland method, combined with biochar, is more effective in reducing sulfate and the heavy metal Cd in AMD, compared to using only biochar or wetland sediment treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal stress can lead to slow growth and dwarfing of hyperaccumulators, limiting their effectiveness in remediating soil heavy metal pollution. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization can enhance plant growth, biomass, and stress resistance. We hypothesize that N and P fertilization could improve the soil heavy metal remediation efficiency of Bidens pilosa (B. pilosa). We conducted a greenhouse experiment with four treatments: control (CK), nitrogen fertilization (NF), phosphorus fertilization (PF), and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization (NPF). Then, we analyzed the growth status, heavy metal content, and accumulation of B. pilosa under various treatments to explore the impact of N and P fertilization on its potential to remediate soil heavy metal pollution. The shoot height, root length, and shoot biomass of B. pilosa significantly improved under NF and NPF treatments (P<0.05). The root tolerance index of B. pilosa in the NF and NPF treatments also increased, exceeding 1. The NF and NPF treatments significantly increased the accumulation of heavy metals Cd, Cu, and Pb in the shoots of B. pilosa ( P<0.05). The transfer coefficient of these heavy metals also increased in the NF and NPF treatments. Accordingly, N and NP fertilization can promote the growth of B. pilosa, increase the accumulation of heavy metals Cd, Cu, and Pb in B. pilosa, and improve the remediation efficiency of these heavy metals. In the context of rising global soil heavy metal pollution, our findings indicate that B. pilosa can aid in the remediation of soil heavy metal pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important staple food crops, and its sustained production and nutritional security have attracted much attention. Cadmium, a heavy metal toxic to plants and humans, can enter wheat in various ways. Foliar fertilization can reduce the cadmium content in plants, but how different fertilizers reduce the cadmium toxicity of plants is still unclear. In this study, the effects of foliar application of fertilizers on spring wheat yield, cadmium accumulation, and trace element contents were studied by applying three kinds of fertilizers (multi-element compound fertilizer, manganese-zinc micro fertilizer, and foliar silicon fertilizer) to spring wheat planted in mildly and moderately cadmium polluted areas. The results showed that the yield of wheat when fertilized with multi-element compound fertilizer, manganese-zinc micro fertilizer, and silicon fertilizer increased by 17.1%, 15.7%, and 16.9%, respectively, compared with the control. In addition, all three foliar fertilizers reduced the cadmium content in wheat grains to below the standard value of food pollutants (≤0.1mg/kg), and significantly reduced the transport of cadmium from glume to grain, among which manganesezinc micro fertilizer had the best effect, with a cadmium reduction rate of 41.7%. At the same time, manganese-zinc micro fertilizer significantly increased the absorption of trace elements in wheat organs. These results indicated that the foliar application of manganese-zinc micro fertilizer could be an effective way to increase wheat yield, inhibit cadmium accumulation, and increase nutrient absorption in mildly to moderately cadmium-polluted areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The related issues with the heavy metals in the different water bodies have been widespread, causing concern around the world. In this study, the single-factor pollution index, Nemerow composite pollution index, health risk assessment (AHP model), multivariate statistical analysis, including correlation analysis, and principal component analysis were conducted to depict the pollution appraisal, the health risk assessment, and the source apportionment of the reservoirs in Northern Anhui Province, China. The results showed that the mean concentration order was as follows: Mn>Zn>As>Ni>Cr> Cu>Co>Cd. The coefficient of variation of Cr and Mn indicated the high degree of anthropogenic activities, and the remaining heavy metals implied that they were relatively stable. The single factor pollution index and Nemerow’s pollution index consistently showed that only sampling site R06 was slightly polluted, and the remaining 13 sampling points were free-pollution. The average annual health risk value of chemical carcinogens in the human body is much higher than that of chemical non-carcinogens, and children are more likely to be threatened by heavy metals than adults. Under the route of drinking water and skin contact, the maximum annual health risk caused by Cr exceeds the maximum acceptable risk level 1x10-4 issued by USEPA. The correlation analysis suggested that the correlation coefficients between Mn-Co, Co-Ni, As-Cd, and Cr-Ni revealed a significant positive correlation. When combined with the principal component analysis, the three principal components may be related to the discharge of domestic wastewater, automobile exhaust emissions, and pesticides and fertilizers, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is the most common heavy metal contaminant in the environment, and its concentration is continuously increasing owing to anthropogenic activities. Phytoremediation is a green technique used globally to remediate polluted soils. The role of weeds as potential phytoremediation agents has rarely been reported in the literature. Weeds are more tolerant to abiotic stress; hence, it was hypothesized that these can serve the purpose more efficiently. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of five winter weeds, namely Avena fatua, Phalaris minor, Coronopus didymus, Chenopodium murale, and against various levels of Pb stress: control, 100 and 200 ppm. Results depicted that all the weeds could survive under higher levels of Pb; nonetheless, exposure to 200 ppm Pb stress reduced shoot dry weight (29%-69%) across all weeds. The internal CO2 concentration, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate decreased (5-60%) among all weeds with increasing Pb stress levels. However, Avena fatua, Phalaris minor, and Chenopodium murale depicted better gas exchange attributes than other weeds. Moreover, increased (4-60%) antioxidant activity was observed in all weeds at 100 ppm Pb level; nevertheless, it decreased at 200 ppm Pb. Additionally, Pb concentration was highest in Avena fatua, Phalaris minor, and Coronopus didymus (60-75 ppm), and the bio-accumulation factor showed that Avena fatua and Coronopus didymus were the accumulators of Pb. The translocation factor of Phalaris minor was more than 1, depicting that Pb was translocated more into shoots from roots; all other weeds accumulated more Pb in their roots than shoots. Thus, it can be concluded that different winter weeds can thrive under Pb stress, and Avena fatua and Coronopus didymus can serve the purpose of phytoremediation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, concentrations of Fe, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Cu in blood and muscle samples and maternal transfer of these elements to eggs and hatchlings were investigated for hawksbill turtles on Ommolgorm, Nakhiloo, and Kharko Islands from the Persian Gulf. The results indicate a significant difference (p≤0.05) between the accumulations of the elements between the rookeries. On three islands, the highest and lowest concentrations of Fe were observed in the yolk and albumin, respectively. The highest concentrations of Zn were found in yolk and maternal muscle from Ommolgorm and Nakhiloo islands, and the lowest concentration of Zn was found in hatchling and abnormal albumin at Kharko Island. The highest amount of As was present in maternal blood, and the lowest was in an abnormal egg on three islands. The highest amount of Hg was in maternal blood and muscle, and the lowest was in normal and abnormal eggs. The highest Pb concentration was in yolk and the lowest was in maternal muscle and blood in Ommolgorm and Nakhiloo Island; however, at Kharko Island, the highest and lowest concentrations were in yolk and normal albumin, respectively. Cd and Cu were ND in the most tissues. Fe, As, Hg, and Pb were higher than Cd and Cu in the maternal blood. The accumulation of heavy metals in the yolk, blood, and hatchling was higher than in other tissues. The accumulation of some elements in samples from Kharko Island was higher than on the other two islands. Based on the results, a significant relationship was found among the concentrations of elements in the maternal blood, yolk, and hatchling tissue. Our results showed a positive correlation between the concentrations in the maternal blood and yolk and hatchling tissue, which confirms maternal transfer of the elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important issues considered in ecotoxicology is the elevated accumulation of different elements in soil as a consequence of anthropogenic activities. In this paper, determination of nine elements in soil obtained from three different forest complexes (sycamore, beech, and spruce) in urbanized and non-urbanized regions of Tatra National Park is presented. Additionally, a comprehensive presentation of detailed results of correlation analyses between individual elements in accordance to each valley, as well as to selected species of trees, is shown. Speciation studies included chemical forms of the following elements: Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, Co. Soil extracts were obtained in accordance with Rudd’s methodology and all species were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The study compares the content of selected chemical forms (exchangeable and adsorbed, organic solutions and carbonates) of chosen metals in soil of four valleys of Tatra National Park: Chochołowska, Strążyska, Mała Łąka, and Kościeliska. The first three (group A) are considered as non-urbanized areas, whereas the last four (group B), on the account of many home fireplaces located there, as urbanized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development and modernization of rural economies, the integration of agriculture, cultural tourism, and other fields has gradually become a new driving force for promoting rural revitalization. However, in recent years, the development of mines and the utilization of resources have led to severe heavy metal pollution of farmland soil, causing significant food safety risks and economic losses, which pose serious challenges to the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism. Therefore, China has invested a lot of attention in addressing the issue of soil remediation in abandoned rural mining areas. The study focuses on an abandoned mining area polluted by heavy metals such as Cd, Zn, and Cu in a certain area. Two materials, biochar and compost, were added to the soil in the polluted area, and the weight ratios of biochar and compost were set to 0:100, 10:90, 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, and 100:0. A new type of biochar was prepared by mixing two materials at high temperatures, and its effects on the pH and organic carbon content of soil in heavy metal polluted rural abandoned mining areas were explored. The effective removal and adsorption of heavy metals in the soil were also investigated, as was the promotion of crop growth in the soil area. This indicates that the use of biochar and compost can significantly repair heavy metal contaminated soil in mining areas and improve soil availability. Meanwhile, research has found that the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism provides a unique perspective on soil remediation technology, which may involve maintaining rural cultural traditions, enhancing the attractiveness of rural tourism, and ensuring food safety and agricultural sustainability. Therefore, the selection and implementation of repair technologies need to consider multiple factors to ensure the triple benefits to the economy, society, and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater ecosystems are being polluted in many ways with heavy metal (loid)s, mostly due to human activities that affect aquatic biota and threaten human health. Water and surface sediment samples were collected from different sites of the Mohlapitsi River, South Africa, during the high flow and low flow seasons. The samples were analyzed for As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn levels using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). In the water, only Fe, Mn, and Zn were detected, but the concentrations were below the standard guideline values except for Mn. However, in the sediment, all the metal (loid)s were detected in considerable concentrations. The mean concentrations of the metal (loid)s were higher during high flow than low flow, except for Fe. The enrichment factor (EF) of the heavy metal (loid)s ranged from low enrichment to moderate enrichment. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) Shows moderate contamination levels with Cr and Mn. The main sources of contamination are attributed to discharges from agricultural fields and grazing areas in the catchment. The results provide baseline information on metal (loid) contamination in the Mohlapitsi River for management purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to summarize the research progress on the application of biochar in the remediation of heavy metals in tailings soil. Through combing and analyzing the related literature, this paper summarizes the preparation and influencing factors of biochar, its main properties, the effect of remediation of soil heavy metal pollution and the remediation mechanism, as well as the application of biochar in the remediation of heavy metals in tailings soil. The study shows that biochar has good adsorption and passivation of heavy metals, which can significantly reduce the content of heavy metals in the soil and thus improve the soil environment. However, there are certain shortcomings in the study, such as the aging, regeneration and economy of biochar need to be further investigated. Therefore, future studies should deeply investigate the optimal conditions, economic feasibility and technical application of biochar in soil heavy metal remediation, with a view to providing new ideas and methods for the remediation of heavy metal pollution in tailings soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal and marine areas have huge ecosystem values. However, intensive anthropogenic activities have largely changed coastal landscapes. In this research investigation, sediment and water samples were collected to clarify the distribution patterns and sources of heavy metals in the rapid growing urbanization areas of Haizhou Bay in China's Jiangsu Province. The physical and chemical properties of the water and sediment were tested. Meanwhile, the ecological toxicity levels of heavy metals were also examined using the Igeo accumulation index, and the potential ecological risk index (PERI), respectively. The results revealed that the water and sediments of the marine ecosystems had an unpolluted status, with the element concentrations not exceeding the threshold effect levels. In terms of the spatial distribution patterns of the heavy metal concentrations in the water samples, it was determined that the Cd concentration was only 0.10 µg/L in the western area, and the highest concentration value was found in the northeastern area. The concentration levels of As in the sediments exhibited higher concentrations mainly in the southern area of Haizhou Bay. The results obtained in this study can help increase the awareness of the mitigating actions that coastal areas naturally provide against pollution and also provide valuable information for the design of future plans and policies that will progress toward a more sustainable development of the such areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst water has been served as a vital drinking water source for approximately a quarter of the global population. Due to the development of cities and the accompanying drinking water usage, the assessments of heavy metal pollution in these karst waters have become relevant. Therefore, this study assessed the heavy metal (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, and Pb) pollution levels and water quality characteristics of in sixteen water samples, which were collected from three typical karst reservoirs in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Southwest China, including Guishi Reservoir, Lingdong Reservoir, and Lingshui Lake. We also analyzed the possible sources of heavy metals in water and evaluated the ecological risks caused by these compounds using heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), while hazard quotient (HQ) was used to assess human health risk due to the use of these waters. The result showed that Manganese (Mn) contents in Sites G-K1 (Guishi Reservoir) and LD-K7 (Lingdong Reservoir) were high than others, with values of 110.93 and 159.25 μg/L, respectively, which exceeded the value of 100 μg/L specified in China's Surface Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (GB3838-2002). However, the calculation results of HPI (low pollution, <15), HEI (low pollution, <10), and HQ (no health risks, <1) of all water samples showed that these reservoirs were not polluted by heavy metals and showed no risk to human health. The heavy metals detected in these regions primarily originated from the natural environment, while the exceedance of Mn concentrations in some areas may have been influenced by surrounding anthropogenic activities. Additionally, our findings may aid in comprehending the behavior of heavy metals in typical karst reservoir water under human activity's influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we compared the sorption of copper and zinc on three adsorbents - bentonite, zeolite, and dewatered digested sludge from a wastewater treatment plant. Sorption was carried out at 27℃ and subsequently at a reduced temperature of 10℃ and the results were compared. The reduced temperature positively affected the sorption efficiency and increased the adsorption capacity of the monolayer of each sorbent. Regardless of the temperature, the sorption progression was not linear. In the initial phase, the sorption proceeded rapidly, but after about 90 min the system reached equilibrium and the concentrations of metals in solution did not change significantly. The size of the specific surface area of the sorbents did not directly correlate with the removal efficiency of Cu2+ and Zn2+. Copper sorption by bentonite reached a level of almost 100% at reduced temperature and 80% at room temperature. The efficiency of zinc removal by bentonite was found to be 40% at reduced temperature. The efficiency of copper removal using zeolite was approximately 90% at both laboratory and reduced temperature. For bentonite and zeolite, we confirmed their good sorption properties. The sludge showed low Cu2+ sorption efficiency, but Zn2+ removal efficiency was higher than bentonite and zeolite. In both cases, the reduced temperature had a positive effect on the sorption capacity of the sludge. Sludge as a waste material could be used for heavy metal removal by modifying the sorption conditions or its modifying, which should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental air pollution directly affects human health, increasing the prevalence of mortality that results from cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of air pollution results from the Erbil steel factory on oxidative stress markers, blood erythropoietin hormone (EPO) concentration, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The study included 250 male samples (150 workers worked in different locations in the Erbil steel factory and 100 healthy males were used as a control group which was selected in the rural area away from the steel factory). A significantly higher concentration of the oxidative marker malondialdehyde MDA and EPO hormone was observed in the serum of workers who work near the furnace part of the factory when compared with control, manager, and scrap parts of the factory. The higher concentration of the MDA and EPO hormone was found in the groups of more than 11-15 years working when compared with the groups of less than 6-10 years working. The results found a significant positive correlation between Pb (r = 0.85<0.01), Co (r = 0 .70<0.01), H g (r = 0 .74<0.01) and As (r = 0 .60<0.05) with M DA. The workers indifferent locations parts of the factory showed significantly lower values of red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, and forced vital capacity (FVC) and higher red cell distribution width (RDW), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and heart rate as compared with the control group. The decrease and increase of the above-mentioned studies' parameters are time-dependent and differ according to the years of working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the rainwater qualities in eight sites located in the oil refinery region within Erbil province were evaluated for irrigation and drinking goals. Rainwater specimens (n = 24) were collected once a time on 21 October 2022. The index for quality of water (WQI), Index for irrigation water quality (IWQI), also Heavy Metals Pollution Indice (HPI) were used in the current study to evaluate the rainfall quality for drinking and irrigation purposes. Physical, and chemical parameters and some heavy metals were determined for assessing the quality of rainwater. The results showed that higher turbidity, pH, hardness, magnesium, potassium, and phosphate were recorded in the nearest sites around the polluted region which was considered higher than the guideline of the WHO organization for drinking uses. The value of the studied heavy metals including iron, manganese, lead, cobalt, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium was higher than the permissible value for drinking purposes in all sites. Based on the calculated WQI, 62.5% of sample sites are poor for drinking, and 37.5% of samples are good for drinking. The nearest sites are poor for drinking water in comparison to remote sites from oil refineries. The values of IWQI varied from 74.06 (low restriction) in site 2 to 55.10 (moderate restriction) in site 4 respectively. According to the HPI of the studied area are polluted and unsuitable for drinking purposes according to the HPI index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the adsorption capacity of waste-based ceramsite, this study proposed to use acid-alkali surface modification to enhance the adsorption capacity of ceramsite for heavy metals. In acid treatment, the ceramsite surface generated a composite pore structure, thus the specific surface area of ceramsite is significantly increased through acid treatment. In alkaline treatment, hydroxyl functional groups were loaded on the surface of the ceramsite, therefore the adsorption capacity for heavy metals was significantly improved. The surface of modified ceramic particles carries a negative charge, which is beneficial for the adsorption of cations. Taking lead ions as an example, the adsorption performance of ceramic particles on heavy metals was tested, and the maximum adsorption capacity reached 33.2 mg/g. Furthermore, the modified ceramic particles exhibit good desorption and regeneration properties. The modified ceramsite offers advantages in terms of raw material sources and production costs compared to natural zeolite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important hidden source of soil heavy metal pollution was the discharge of wastewater and waste rock during mining production activities. Numerous processes could result in the buildup of heavy metals in soil, and exposure to these metals could irreversibly harm a person's health. The source, distribution and quantity of historical waste residue in a pyrite mining area were described, and the nature of the waste residue was determined based on the results of toxic leaching identification in this study. The study showed that the pH value of the leaching solution of the waste residues was less than 6. Therefore, these waste residues was the second category of general industrial solid waste. The soil around the waste residues was basically acidic. Also, the content of arsenic, cadmium and copper in farmland soil around the waste residues exceeded the screening value in the Soil Environmental Quality Standard Risk Control of Soil Pollution in Farmland (GB15618-2018). Therefore, the arsenic, cadmium and copper in the waste residue could migrate with rainwater and cause some pollution to the neighboring farmland soil. The surface water was acidic and the arsenic concentration in the surface water exceeded the standard limit. Therefore, surface water was affected by acidic wastewater. However, the impact of project wastewater on groundwater was not significant. Through the analysis of the pollution status, comprehensive treatment countermeasures and secondary pollution prevention measures for the waste residue were proposed, as well as the issues that need attention when formulating specific treatment plans, which could provide a reference for similar projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compounded assessment of heavily polluted areas can be a challenge, especially in mostly heavy industrial region such Upper Silesia (Poland). The main and the biggest river flowing through this region is Kłodnica River. This study presents an application of multivariate data analysis in the field of river sediments pollution. The dataset consists of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb, and Zn contents in sediment samples collected from the Kłodnica River (Poland) in sampling campaigns (2013 and 2014). As chemometric statistic tools cluster analysis (CA), multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis (MVDA) and factor analysis (FA) were used to investigate the matrix of 32 sampling points. The cluster analysis presents that pollution can be distinguished into three groups which were strongly dependent of the contamination's concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and the localization of the samples. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis confirms the results from the CA. This method was used also to apply real reduction in the tested matrix dimension by use of forward strategy. In the 4th step of that strategy the variables As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn are sufficient to describe the variability in the river sediments and to separate the groups of sampling points. Two factors obtained from the factor analysis explained approximately 61 % of the total variance of the river system and allow distinguish of the dominant anthropogenic pollution sources in the river system. Factor 1 describes 36.74 % of the common variance and is highly loaded by As, and Cd. Factor 2 induces pollution with Cu, Pb and Zn and explains 24.67 % of the common variance. The interpretation of factor analysis was presented by the representation of factor scores as a function of the Kłodnica River-kilometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jordan has recently observed a gradual shift in vegetable production from open-fields to greenhouses with mounting consumer concerns about food quality and safety. We investigated heavy metals in soil collected from greenhouse vegetable production area in northern Jordan. Sixty-one surface soil samples were collected, of which forty-seven from plastic-covered greenhouses and fourteen were sampled from the adjacent open-field land, with both designated for vegetable production. The average concentrations of Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn were 26.1, 26.8, 0.81, 53.0, 49.3, 139.1 mg/kg, and 19.1, 19.3, 0.66, 49.7, 46.7, 104.9 mg/kg for greenhouse and open-field soils, respectively. While the accumulation of heavy metals was consistently higher in greenhouse than in open-fields, both soils revealed a similar metal ranking with a few exceptions. Greenhouse soils revealed relatively lower pH values with higher variabilities. In greenhouse cultivated soils, CaCO3 content averaged 21.4% compared to 23% measured in open-field soils. Soil salinity showed greater values for greenhouse samples (averaging 1118.6 µs/cm) than those observed in open-field agricultural soils (a mean of 503.6 µs/cm). The soil organic matter (TOM) exhibited values in the range of 1.06-3.35% relative to 0.59-2.41% found in open-field area. The spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations for greenhouse soils revealed higher levels in the northern soils, whereas the least was found in the southern sampling points. The Enrichment results showed 23.4% of sampling sites were moderately contaminated with Pb, and 38.3% were moderately contaminated with Cd, of which 8.5% indicating moderately severe contamination. The Igeo results indicate 25.5% of greenhouse soils were moderately contaminated with Pb and 38.3% were heavily polluted with Cd. The contamination factors showed 25.5% and 38.3% of greenhouse sampling soils were considerably contaminated with Pb and Cd, respectively. 2% indicate very high contamination for Cd and 2% showed considerable contamination for Zn. PLI indicates that only two sampling sites are polluted. The ecological risk assessment showed low Ei values for all heavy metals suggesting slight risks, except for Cd which indicate strong risk. Total potential ecological risks values showed low risk to the local environment. Cd accounts for most of the total risks (72.27-82.67%) followed by Pb (11.49-14.87%). Some greenhouse soils were non-compliant with soil quality standards especially for Ni, Cd, and Pb. The observed levels of heavy metals are attributable to agricultural activities including long-term application of pesticides, phosphatic and nitrogen fertilizers, sewage sludge, wastewater irrigation and chicken manure in addition to industrial dust and traffic related emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the speciation characteristics of soil Zn and its distribution in different tillage layers during paddy and drought rotation. Taking the cultivated soil under rice-rape rotation in Bozhou District, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province as the research object, the speciation characteristics and driving factors of soil Zn during rice-rape rotation were studied. In the process of rice-rape rotation, the total amount of heavy metal Zn in surface soil was greater than that in bottom soil. In the depth of 0-40 cm soil layer, the exchangeable fraction of Zn in soils was small, and residue fraction was the greatest. The exchangeable fraction of Zn in surface soils was positively correlated with carbonate bounded fraction and iron-manganese oxide bounded fraction, and negatively correlated with residue fraction. While the exchangeable fraction of Zn in bottom soil was positively correlated with iron-manganese oxide bounded fraction and organic bounded fraction, and positively correlated with residue fraction. During rice-rape rotation process, the content of Zn showed a significant surface aggregation, and was affected by different forms and contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the pollution characteristics, potential ecological risks and health risks of heavy metals in the soil of the north vegetable base in Suzhou, Anhui, surface soil samples were collected from three vegetable growing areas in the urban (Northern) area, the contents of seven heavy metal elements (Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn and Pb) in the samples were analyzed, the accumulation and potential risk of heavy metals in soil were evaluated by using soil heavy metal pollution index, potential ecological risk assessment and health risk assessment. The results show that there are middle and light Zn enrichment and heavy Pb enrichment in this area according to the evaluation method of Pollution Index. According to the result of potential ecological risk assessment, the light ecological risk is the main risk in the study area. According to the health risk assessment, there is a non-carcinogenic risk from skin inhalation and a carcinogenic risk from hand, mouth and skin contact in adults and children, areas A and C of the site are major areas for reducing pollution and protecting human health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of heavy metal pollution in soil mass relies mainly on index methods. Choosing suitable methods to process indexes is key to obtaining accurate and reasonable evaluation results. Connection cloud models have been commonly used to evaluate pollution indexes. However, generating a cloud at each grade for each index is a tedious calculation. To address the randomness and fuzziness of soil heavy metal pollution evaluation indicators, we propose a comprehensive connection cloud model that couples the connection clouds of all indicators at each grade as sub-clouds. We establish the model by combining the weights of each indicator to determine the soil heavy metal pollution grade. The proposed model is effective and feasible for the evaluation of soil heavy metal pollution, as demonstrated through examples and comparisons with other methods. The comprehensive connection cloud model overcomes the traditional cloud models’ defect of requiring normal distribution for evaluated indicators and considers the interaction between indicators. Thus, it provides a novel route for uncertainty analysis, considering the fuzzy randomness between multiple interrelated indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectomycorrhizal fungi can absorb heavy metals and allow host plants to develop resistance to heavy metal stress, but their heavy metal tolerance is not fully understood. In this study, the ability of Suillus bovinus (Sb) and Suillus placidus (Sp) to tolerate cadmium (Cd) was evaluated. Sb and Sp were treated with different Cd concentrations (0 (control), 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mg/L) under pure culture conditions, and the biomass, osmotic adjustment substance contents (soluble sugar and soluble protein), antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)), pH and conductivity were examined. Sb biomass, soluble protein content and SOD activity first increased (0.2 mg/L and 0.4 mg/L Cd) and then decreased (0.8 mg/L Cd). Sp showed a similar change rule but a smaller range. Cd treatment increased the CAT activity of Sb and Sp but significantly reduced soluble sugars in Sb mycelium, whereas 0.2 mg/L Cd significantly increased soluble sugars in Sp mycelium. The pH and conductivity in the medium of Sb treated with different Cd concentrations showed more significant changes than those of Sp. The pH of Sp at 0 mg/L Cd and conductivity at 0.8 mg/L Cd were significantly lower than those of Sb. Correlation analysis suggested that Cd affected Sb more than Sp. In general, Cd treatment had less effect on the indexes of Sp, and Sp tolerated Cd better than Sb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific and reasonable evaluation of heavy metals pollution in estuarine sediments is crucial for characterizing the environmental quality of the lake, however, it is still unavailable due to the lack of local geochemical baseline concentrations (GBCs) and thus applying background values of soils. In this study, the statistical method of cumulative frequency was employed to obtain the GBCs, which were applied as reference standards for the pollution assessment of heavy metals and source apportionment in estuary sediments of northwestern Taihu Lake. The results showed that the GBCs of Cd, Cu and Zn were higher than soil background values in Jiangsu Province while Ni and Pb displayed a small gap between GBCs and background values. Cd, Ni and Zn presented a degree of moderate pollution or moderate to strong pollution according to geo-accumulation index (Igeo). The pollution load index (PLI) showed that 75% of samples ranged from non-pollution to moderate pollution level while 2.94% of samples exhibited a moderate to high pollution level. The possible sources of heavy metals in the estuary sediments were quantitatively identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), including agricultural source (23%), the combined contribution of natural sources and traffic emissions (36%) and industrial source (41%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impact of industrial activities on the environmental accumulation and the health risks to humans of heavy metals in urban soils, the cultivated soil samples around different industrial areas were collected and analyzed. The heavy metal concentrations in the soil samples were in the decreasing order Mn>Zn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Pb>As>Sn>Cd>Hg, and the average concentrations of all heavy metals exceeding the corresponding background values. In addition to Cd and Hg, all the other eight metals were classified as low ecological risk; Cd had low, moderate, and considerable ecological risk and Hg were in low, high, and very high ecological risk. The proportion of RI in the four ecological risk levels of low risk, moderate risk, considerable risk and high risk were 69.6%, 13%, 8.7% and 8.7%, respectively. All Mn and some Cr pose non-carcinogenic risk to children primarily through inhalation exposure. Carcinogenic risk is Cr>Ni>As>Pb>Cd, and the exposure route is mainly by ingestion. For children, Cr, Ni and As were high carcinogenic risk and Pb, Cd were acceptable carcinogenic risk; for adults, Cr and Ni were high risk, As was acceptable risk, and Pb and Cd were no risk. The results of the APCS-MLR receptor model showed that the percentages of vehicle emission sources, coal transport industrial sources, coal-fired power plant sources and natural sources were 27.8%, 25.2%, 8.7% and 38.3%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of various heavy metals may influence the transformation of many organics by anaerobes under anaerobic conditions. Sometimes, the coexistence of both heavy metals and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) may cause an inhibitory impact on microbial species involved in such biotransformation. These toxic mixtures create disturbances in the bioreactors by inhibiting the ability of the microorganism to degrade the waste. To keep the anaerobic process horizontal, it is essential to know the concentrations of the heavy metals and VFAs during the wastewater treatment operations, otherwise, it would result in halting various operations. Other methods are time-consuming. However, the Microtox analysis provides quick and reliable information about the toxic concentrations of the mixtures by calculating the IC50 15 min luminosity inhibition through Photobacterium phosphoreum T3S. The current research work aimed to assess the impacts of Pb, Cd, Cu, and VFAs on luminescent anaerobic microbial species P. phosphoreum under laboratory conditions. The individual and combined acute toxicity assays were conducted following standard protocols. The results revealed that the combined treatments of individual heavy metals along VFAs caused partly additive toxic effects. The effects of two heavy metals along VFAs resulted in the synergistic type of toxic effects. The application of tri-mixtures of metals along VFAs also caused synergistic effects. The current data would be quite handy to conclude P. phosphoreum as a potential biosensor for metals and volatile fatty acids toxicity and to optimize various bioreactors against different heavy metals and VFA shocks by taking timely corrective measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduced the red mud as a filter of heavy metal ions in cement mortar by partial cement replacement. The raw red mud and thermally activated red mud at three different temperatures, 650, 700, and 750ºC represented as RM650, RM700, and RM750 were comprehensively analyzed to find an optimum processing temperature as a better cement replacement for metal extraction. The Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopic (AAS) process evaluated the metal extraction capacity of raw and thermally treated red mud from their respective standard solutions. The optimum processing temperature of red mud was decided by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and pozzolanic activity. Test results show that the temperature stimulates the formation of CaO, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, which decides the pozzolanic activity of the material. Red mud calcined at 700ºC (RM700) was found as an optimum calcination temperature with reactive, crystalline compounds. RM700 showed the maximum pozzolanic activity and better heavy metal ion extraction capacity. The extraction ability of all red mud samples was in the sequence of Cr>Cd>Pb>Cu. The experimental results of metal extraction capacity and the pozzolanic activity were analyzed and validated by establishing linear regression models to predict a statistically significant mathematical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External anthropogenic factors of influence are: industry, agriculture, hunting and forestry, recreation and other factors, which are responsible for the increasing insularity of most nature reserves. In addition, rural areas have expanded in the last 15 years more than in previous years, indicating a further deterioration of the forest structure and biodiversity of Kazakhstan's important island forests. The study provides a review of research on the study of anthropogenic impact on the components of the forest ecosystem of the Bayanaul forest of Kazakhstan. The degradation of phytocenoses due to the impact of anthropogenic factors has been established. It is shown that the main source of anthropogenic factors is atmospheric air pollution near the highway, forest recreation and the expansion of settlements. In the anthropogenically disturbed areas, soil contamination with heavy metals, a decrease in species diversity, a decrease in projective coverage, and annual growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L), as well as a decrease in renewable forests over the past 50 years, are noted. The average disturbance of the forest was revealed. Further influence of anthropogenic factors may lead to further deterioration of the forest structure and biodiversity of important natural pine forests of the Kazakh Uplands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term presence of waste tires in the soil brings negative effects and risks for the environment. Waste tires can be found in the open nature long after they have been left there. Their chemical composition and components are degradable and contaminate the environment. The research is focused on the evaluation of chemical changes in soils exposed to the long-term action (disposal) of waste tires and on the determination of the degree of phytotoxicity of such soils. Soil samples were collected from 4 sites in the territory of the Czech Republic. The samples were subjected to chemical analyses in an accredited laboratory. The analyses revealed markedly exceeded limits for heavy metals, namely Pb, Zn and Hg in some soil samples, as compared with the Decree No. 153/2016 Coll. Ranges of exceeded limits were from 40% to 26 566%. Then the samples were evaluated by means of microbiotests (acute phytotoxicity by means of Phytotoxkit test set, 72 hours) and also by means of long-term phytotoxicity test using the subchronic container test (28 days). The tests of phytotoxicity were made with the seeds of Sinapis alba L. and Lepidium sativum L. Results of subchronic container tests showed the percentage of germination (PG) in the soil samples ranging from 74.36%-90.48%. A sample with the PG value lower than 90% was evaluated as phytotoxic compared with the control substrate (100%). In the acute microbiotest, the soil samples exhibited values of root growth inhibition (IR) ranging from 5.12%-50.98%. Substrates with the IR value (%) over 0 showed inhibition/retardation of root growth in the tested plant, and the soil is considered to be phytotoxic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the importance of exploration on current toxic element contamination in dryland soils and its health risks for preventing toxic element pollution, this paper studied the Weigan and Kuqa rivers oasis in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, China, and investigated 98 plow soil samples of different land-use types, to explore the accumulation characteristics of risk element (As) and five heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu) in soils. Specifically, pollution index (Pi), Nemerow composite pollution index (Pn), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were used to understand the spatial distribution of six elements; while correlation, principal component, and cluster analysis to evaluate the health risk. Results show the average concentrations (mg·kg-1) of six elements in the cultivated layer: Zn (71.09), Cr (52.24), Cu (24.74), Pb (15.57), As (11.67), and Cd (0.15), among which As, Cr, Cd, and Zn were higher than the background value of Xinjiang soils by 1.04, 1.06, 1.25, and 1.03 times, respectively. Such pollution mainly troubles the eastern and northeastern parts, i.e., around the city of Kuqa, and the pollution indices from large to small were Cd, Cr, As, Zn, Cu, and Pb. Besides, despite the absence of non-carcinogenic risk, cancer risk is above the acceptable level, with children being the more vulnerable group. The non-carcinogenic risk can be largely explained by Zn and the carcinogenic risk by Cr, so the toxic element pollution mostly results from the petroleum processing industry and vehicular traffic, followed by input from other anthropogenic sources and natural soil formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals can accumulate in nearby farmland soil through leakage of tailings and suspended dust, thereby posing a threat to local agriculture and human health. This study measured the heavy metal content (mercury, Hg; copper, Cu; zinc, Zn; lead, Pb; cadmium, Cd; selenium, Se; manganese, Mn) of farmland soils and wheat from twelve villages near a tailing dam in Baotou, China to evaluate the potential risks to the local ecosystem and human health. The results of the Contamination Factor (Cf) and Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) indicated serious soil Hg, Se, and Cu contamination. Nemerow Composite Index (NCI) values showed that ±75% of the total sampling sites suffered heavy metal pollution. Soil Potential Ecological Risk Index (IRs) to the west of the tailings exceeded those to the southwest, demonstrating higher levels of Hg and Cd. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) of Mn for adults and children exceeded 3.0, whereas the HQ of Cu for children exceeded 1.0; the Hazard Index (HIs) for both adults and children exceeded 2.0. The results indicate that long-term consumption of wheat grains contaminated with heavy metals in the study area may result in adverse non-carcinogenic health risks, in particular among children. The accumulation of Cd posed carcinogenic risks to human health in two villages (>1 × 10-4). There is an urgent need to regulate the pollution of farmland soil near the tailings dams to mitigate risks to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the pollution, ecological risk and health risk of heavy metals and risk elements in the surface farmland of the cold black soil area in Northeast China, the main grain production area in China, based on the collection and analysis of samples in 2010 and 2021, the soil heavy metals and risk element in this area were assessed by using the method of Geo accumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological hazard index (RI) and health risk assessment (HRA) model. The results show that there are heavy metals and risk element pollution in the soil, which is accumulated year by year. The average contents of Hg, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, As and Cu in the soil in this area are higher than the background values of Qianjin town. The heavy metals and risk element in the black soil and farmland in the cold area are obviously affected by human activities. There are different degrees of regional variability, and the coefficient of variation of Hg is 79%; Some elements have ecological risk, and Hg and Cd are the main influencing elements of soil ecological risk in shallow farmland; Heavy metals and risk element have non-carcinogenic health risks to children. The carcinogenic risk index of adults and children exceeded the soil treatment benchmark value of 10-6 proposed by EPA, As is the element that contributes the most to non-carcinogenic health risk and carcinogenic health risk in adults and children. In view of the continuous accumulation of heavy metals and risk element in farmland soil, it is necessary to improve ideological understanding, improve laws and regulations, formulate norms and standards, develop methods and technologies, and scientifically prevent and control heavy metals and risk element pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the usefulness of kitchen waste as compost for rice production, three groups of kitchen compost dosage gradients (15 t/hm2, 30 t/hm2, and 45 t/hm2) were established on the basis of field plot experiments, and the local common chemical fertilizer of equivalent nitrogen (1.88 t/hm2) and chicken manure compost (13.49 t/hm2) were used as controls for fertilization treatments. We measured and assessed rice yield, rice quality, soil nutrients and heavy metal content. The findings demonstrated that rice yields in the kitchen waste compost treatment were greater than the chemical fertilizer treatment in the equivalent nitrogen fertilizer condition. Comparing kitchen waste compost to chemical fertilizer and chicken manure compost treatments, kitchen waste compost greatly decreased the chalkiness of rice and significantly enhanced flavor quality. The 15 t/hm2 kitchen waste compost treatment greatly decreased the Hg concentration in rice in terms of safety quality. There was no discernible difference between the treatments in terms of the other residual rice heavy metal content, which was within the Chinese national standard's allowable limits. The addition of kitchen waste compost to the soil improved the soil's organic matter and fast-acting potassium contents. Regarding the safety of the soil, none of the treatments went beyond the heavy metals limit, and the levels were substantially below the maximum allowed by the Chinese national standard and were within the safe range. This demonstrates that, in line with national requirements, kitchen waste compost is an acceptable substitute for chemical fertilizers that provide the same amount of nitrogen for rice growing and is safe for agricultural soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution characteristics of heavy metal content in the soil of Guizhou real estate hook vine under different land use methods were explored, and the basic data for the high-quality and efficient cultivation of URM producing areas in Guizhou real estate was explored. Taking the soil of the hook vine production area as the research object, the contents of six heavy metals (Cu, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Cr) in the root zone and non-root zone of the hook vine production area under different land use patterns were studied, and the pollution characteristics of heavy metals were evaluated by single factor and Nemerow composite index. The results showed that contents of heavy metals in URM producing areas in Guizhou are different under different forms of land use. The contents of Cu, As, Hg, Pb and Cr are invariably the highest in URM bases. It is found from the grading of soil heavy metal contents in URM producing areas, contents of all other heavy metals except Cd in forest land are compliant with standards. Under different forms of land use, only forest land is contaminated by heavy metal Cd. A certain antagonistic or synergistic action exhibits among different heavy metals. In general, soil heavy metal contents in URM producing areas in Guizhou are relatively low. Specifically, heavy metal contents in URM bases are significantly higher than those in forest land and waste land, which is mainly attributed to massive fertilization. Therefore, fertilization should be reduced in the practical production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a legacy left behind by abandoned and active mines that affects all environmental media. Contamination of water resources by AMD presents significant challenges to aquatic ecosystem stability and on the abundance and diversity of aquatic species. Aquatic organisms react and are affected differently by these conditions. Several studies have reported on how AMD affects aquatic organisms with most of these studies focusing on a specific group of organisms or characteristic of the water. This review paper presents a holistic view on how aquatic organisms cope with, and are affected by the high acidity, high heavy metals content and precipitation of oxides of iron and aluminium which are characteristic of AMD contaminated freshwater ecosystems. Mechanisms of tolerance and the effects of high acidity, high heavy metals content, and precipitates of oxides of iron and aluminium on diatoms, algae, fish, and amphibians are discussed. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of AMD contamination of aquatic environments on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recommendations on possible future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the feasibility of reusing solid waste to stabilize high-content arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) tailings, red mud, fly ash, dried sludge, ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), and rice husk ash (RHA) were used as the stabilizer to stabilize the Sb tailings in Qing Long and Du Shan. The combined treatment with 5% red mud, 10% fly ash, 5% dried sludge, 1% FeSO4, and 1% rice husk ash had the best stabilization effects on As and Sb, the leaching concentrations of As and Sb decreased considerably under neutral conditions, this indicates that the leaching behavior of As and Sb is controlled by the alkaline and acid-retarding capacity of the materials. In addition, the leaching of heavy metals decreases with the formation of (C-S-H) and calcite (CaCO3), indicating that heavy metals exist in the form of metal hydration or hydroxide and precipitate on the surface of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and calcite particles. Leaching of heavy metals in stabilized materials can be considered as a pH-dependent and control process of stabilization products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the place where students live for the longest time, the levels, sources and health risks of heavy metals in road dust from university campuses have not been widely studied. In the present study, 41 road dust samples were collected and analyzed by ICP-MS for Zn, V, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cu. The isotopic composition of Pb was analyzed by MC-ICP MS. These heavy metals were specifically analyzed using enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, principal component analysis, iso-sources model and health risk assessment model. Zn and Pb pollution levels were high in road dust, and they were defined as moderate enrichment and contaminated. The sources of Pb in road dust from university campus were traffic exhaust, steel smelting, soil, and fly ash, accounting for 59.4%, 23.2%, 12.2%, and 5.2%, respectively. The non-carcinogenic risk of female and male university students is safe, but the carcinogenic risk of Cr needs to be concerned by the authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetables cultivated in cities, carry the risk of absorbing pollutants generated by anthropogenic activities, increasing the health risk of those who consume them. Heavy metal concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb) were analyzed in water, soil and in plant parts of lettuce (roots and leaves) and cherry tomatoes (roots, stem, leaves and tomato fruit) lettuce and cherry tomatoes, cultivated in urban gardens in Mexico City. In none of the studied sites was the heavy metal concentration in the soil above the permitted limits. In irrigation water, Cr surpassed the permitted limit in 5 sites and that of Cd in one site. Ni surpassed the established limit for lettuce and cherry tomato in the rank among 0.7 and 31.15 mg kg-1 in 9 sites, Cr exceeded the allowed limits 1.45-38 mg kg-1 in 11 sites, As go beyond the established limits between 5-52 mg kg-1 in 4 sites and to a lesser extent, Pb was above the allowed limits between 15.5 and 26 mg kg-1. According to the translocation factor, lettuce and cherry tomato could be an important phytoextractors of Cr and Cd respectively. The compound risk value for lettuce (TTHQ) was greater than one in three sites for lettuce and five sites for cherry tomato. Also, in gardens A, D, E and J, the Hazard Index (HI) showed a potential risk (HI>1), which reveals the danger of consuming both vegetables given the conditions of soil, water and air and taking into account all paths of exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through this research, we have carried out monthly water quality monitoring in Lake Badovci using microbiological, physico-chemical and diatomic indicators of algae, in order to provide credible data regarding the quality of water in Lake Badovci. The monitoring took place between December 2020 and May 2021. Three sample sites were selected: at the entrance, in the center and in the catchment area. Total coliforms, fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, aerobic mesophyllic bacteria, and actinomycetes were all analyzed microbiologically. Dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, water temperature, pH value, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrates organic carbon, total hardness, total hardness of calcium and magnesium, chlorides, fluorides, M-alkalinity, bicarbonates and heavy metals such as Fe, Pb, Mn, Cu and Cd. The highest levels of physicochemical and microbiological indices were found in January and lasted until February at the first sample location. This is due to the torrential rains that have resulted in increased inflows from the rivers that flow into this lake. According to diatomic indices (Descry, Rott SI, IDG, IPS, IBD, and CEE), water has an excellent ecological status and is oligo-mesotrophic, except for some indices that showed a moderate ecological status and mesotrophic level. The activities of monitoring, planning, and management of the waters in this lake, which is used for drinking water supply, washing, and fishing, have to be done regularly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A higher concentration of airborne micro-organisms and toxic trace metals in the air is a potential risk for human and environmental health. Suspended dust and microbes in the air are the main inducers of respiratory symptoms. This study aimed to estimate and characterize the microflora and heavy metal contaminants in the car cabin filters (CAFs) dust of Lahore, Pakistan. Moreover, toxicological characterization of the dust was done using relevant cell culture of Human Lung Alveolar Epithelial Cells A-549 through MTT assay. Culturable bacteria and fungi populations were quantified using the standard spread plate method and heavy metals lead, chromium, and cadmium concentrations were checked through atomic absorption spectroscopy. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of the isolated bacterial species. The mean concentration of culturable bacteria and fungi was 4X106 and 5X105 CFU/g of dust respectively. Both Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative bacterial species with substantial antibiotic resistance were present in the dust. The bacteria present in the CAFs dust were resistant to ampicillin, cefoxitin and gentamycin while susceptible to ciprofloxacin and gentamycin. The heavy metal concentrations were as high as 273 mg/kg for Pb, 192 mg/kg for Cr and 11.4 mg/kg for Cd. The cell viability decreased significantly with the increase in dust concentration from 100 to 400 µg/mL. The findings of this study will be useful to policymakers and health care professionals to develop and implement effective interventions to prevent adverse health impacts of bioaerosols and trace metals on the local population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhaotong City, at the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces in China, is rich in mineral resources, and high-intensity mining has brought great challenges to the mine geological environment. The evaluation of mine geological environment quality is still a complex and systematic work. The geological environment of different regions is very different, and it is difficult to adopt a unified standard for quantification. Therefore, a general evaluation method has not been formed 22 factors, including cumulative value of surface subsidence, earthquake intensity, debris flow source volume, ground crack length, fault density, number of mine pits, ponding area, aquifer thickness, annual rainfall, groundwater level drop, river erosion area, groundwater impact range, proportion of goaf area, soil heavy metal concentration, water pollution volume, PM2.5, integrity factor, weathering coefficient, joint density, uniaxial compressive strength, population density, annual per capita GDP, which affect the geological environment quality of the mine, are selected as evaluation factors. By applying the principles and methods of fuzzy evaluation, The geological environment quality of Maoping lead-zinc mine is divided into four grades: excellent, good, commonly and inferior. The evaluation results can provide decision-making reference for the current geological environment protection research and future renovation planning of Maoping lead-zinc mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic activities, especially due to agricultural practices, tourism, and other land-use forms, have resulted in serious pollution of Bukit Merah reservoir (BMR), the oldest artificial reservoir in Malaysia since the 1980s. This study assessed the past ecological conditions of the reservoir using 210Pb, dating techniques, selected metals, and physicochemical analysis of the sediment core to better manage the reservoir. 210Pb results indicated 34 years of human impact on the reservoir, with arsenic recording the least concentrations in the 1980s and the highest concentrations in 2016 and 2018. The minimum and maximum concentrations of lead and cadmium were found in 1990 and 2009. Whereas Copper and Zinc, concentrations peaked in 2012. The mean EF values of metals in the sediment core were above 1 (EF>1), indicating anthropogenic sources. The Igeo values of Arsenic and Cadmium ranged from uncontaminated to strongly contaminated, uncontaminated to moderately contaminated for Lead, Zinc, and Copper. Overall, the dated sediment of BMR revealed that human population growth and increasing economic and agricultural activities coupled with poor land-use forms at the catchment area are the main source of pollution to the reservoir. Therefore, regular monitoring and the enforcement of relevant environmental laws are needed to manage the reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effects of metal mineralization and mine operation on surrounding ecological environment and human health, 69 farmland soil samples of study area were collected, tested with seven heavy metals and analyzed with environmental risk assessment, spatial distribution, and source identification. The Igeo values of Cu and Pb indicated light-moderate pollution level and Co belonged to moderate pollution level. The EF values of Co represented moderately severe enrichment level, and Cu and Pb belonged to moderate enrichment level. The Er i values were in decreasing order of Co>Cu>Pb>Cr>Zn>Mn>Fe, moreover both Er i and RI values of seven heavy metals were at low ecological risk level. The spatial distribution of Fe, Zn, Cr and Mn showed a trend "high in northwest and low in southeast", and Co and Cu were similar with the characteristics "the closer to Chating copper ore, the higher the value", and points with higher content for Pb were distributed along the roads beside Gucheng Lake and irrigation canal. Pearson correlation analysis (CA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HACA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were adopted to gradually identified the characteristics, interactions, classifications and possible sources. PC1 was explained by Fe, Cr, Mn and Zn and might be the natural source influenced by the crust and soil parent material; PC2 was dominated by Pb and Zn and might be derived from transportation and mechanical operations; PC3 was loaded by Cu and might be greatly affected by copper mining activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollution of heavy metals in agricultural soil poses a dangerous health risk to nearby residents. This study presents a method to assess the health risks of heavy metal pollution using Monte Carlo simulations. Soil samples from an agate dyeing village were collected and their heavy metal contents were analyzed. The results indicate the contamination of heavy metals in the study area soil, the singlefactor index values of Pb, Cu, Cr, and Ni were found to indicate mild pollution, and the Nemerow complex index values of all investigated metals were ranked at level IV, indicating moderate pollution. The health assessment indicates an unacceptable total carcinogenic risk for adults and children and noncarcinogenic hazard quotient for adults. Oral ingestion was found to be the main exposure pathway, and the most sensitive factors were the adherence factor, soil ingestion rate, and body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of excessive heavy metals in farmland soil, there is a pressing need for research effort to screen for the soil passivator materials. The effects of combined passivators on cadmium (Cd) availability in soils and uptake by pakchoi have been investigated based on the passivator screening and pot experiment. The results indicated that sepiolite, calcined lime and polyacrylamide (PAM) could significantly decrease the available Cd content in soils among eight kinds of inorganic and organic passivators, which were declined by 28.64%, 40.06% and 74.55%, respectively. Therefore, sepiolite, calcined lime and PAM were identified as the components of the combined passivators to grow pakchoi. The pakchoi planting experiment results of combined passivators showed that the combination of "calcined lime+PAM+sepiolite" was the most effective in decreasing the available Cd content in soils, which can reduce it by 39.83% (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the increases in ratio of weak organic bound or iron and manganese oxidation fractions in soils were responsible for the transformation of soil available Cd to the more stabilized fraction after applying of combined passivators. The positive passivation responses of "calcined lime+PAM+sepiolite" for Cd transfer to the aboveground of pakchoi and "calcined lime+PAM" for Cd absorption by pakchoi root demonstrated that these combined passivators could reduce Cd uptake by pakchoi. Thus, application of combined passivator of "calcined lime+PAM+sepiolite" can effectively reduce the Cd availability and Cd uptake by pakchoi in this study. Based on the results of the present research would provide a useful reference to remediate Cd contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the health risk of heavy metals in soil and blueberry fruits in the blueberry growing area of Guizhou Province, the contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were measured in nine blueberry parks. Using GB15618-2018, GB2762-2017, and GB2762-2012 as evaluation criteria, the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index method, potential ecological risk index method, and bio-concentration factors were used to evaluate the risk of planting soil and fruit in the producing areas. The results showed that the average values of As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Zn in soil were higher than the background values in Guizhou Province, and 30.00%, 27.14%, 11.43%, 11.43%, 8.57%, and 7.14% of the As, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Zn values exceeded the control values, respectively. According to the Nemerow pollution index and potential ecological risk index, soil in the study area was mildly polluted, while the comprehensive potential ecological risk revealed a slight or medium pollution level. The heavy metal content in blueberry fruits in the study area did not exceed the standard and the enrichment coefficient was less than 1. The overall degree of soil pollution degree and risk was low, revealing blueberry fruit to be safe for consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential risks to people's health should receive much more attention with an increasing compound pollution in urban river ecological landscape. In this paper, the concentrations of 8 heavy metals (HMs, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, As and Pb), black carbon (BC, char and soot) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in soils and river sediments collected from 72 sampling sites along the Chan-Ba River, and also were evaluated, concerning source analysis and health risks. The results indicate that the concentrations of BC and PAHs varied seasonally, and the concentration of HMs showed little seasonal variation. The concentration of BC was higher in winter than in summer, while that of PAHs was higher in summer than in winter. These pollutants were spatial heterogeneity. The concentrations of these pollutants in the middle reaches of the Ba River were much higher than those in the upper and lower reaches. These changes are attributed to the spatial-temporal distribution of local pollutant emissions and the characteristics of regional pollutant transportation and deposition. Source and cluster analysis revealed that BC, HMs and PAHs were pyrogenic (including coal and biomass combustions, vehicular emissions). The evaluation of health risk of PAHs and HMs revealed that the cancer risk for adults and children was higher than the 10-6 and lower than 10-4 implying low to moderate risk, and it is noted that there are higher potential risks of Phe and Flu at the middle reaches in summer and As at the lower reaches in Autumn. Therefore, pollution prevention and monitoring, classification management and control mechanisms in designated river basins are necessary to ensure the quality and safety of the ecological environment in the Chan & Ba River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to determine the heavy metal concentrations in the surface sediment between 2019-2020 in Munzur Stream, Turkey. The impact of pollution level in the study area was evaluated by geoaccumulation index (Igeo), Contamination Factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), pollution ecological risk (PER) index, and pollution load index (PLI). The average amount of heavy metals detected in sediment in the study in mg/kg was, in descending order, Fe>Al>Mn>Ni>Cr>Zn >Cu>Pb>Cd>Hg. The data evaluated by several statistical methods indicated that the metals with a positive relationship between them in the Pearson correlation analysis and the elements of the same factor in the factor analysis were mostly the same. The comparison of the results with the sediment quality criteria showed that only the mean value of Mn and Ni exceeded the values of PEL. Heavy metal levels in Munzur Stream sediment exposed to domestic and agricultural wastes, agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, and mines were not high enough to pose a threat to aquatic life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]