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As a sink and a source of chemicals, house dust represents a relevant medium to assess indoor exposure to metal(loid)s via incidental ingestion or inhalation. However, nationally representative indoor data are scarce. Results from the Canadian House Dust Study (CHDS, 2007-2010; n = 1025) provide nationally representative mean, median and 95 th percentile concentrations for 38 elements in typical urban house dust, along with their gastric bioaccessibility. Total concentrations (median/95 th percentile) of carcinogenic metal(loid)s in Canadian house dust (μg g -1 ) are as follows: As (9.0/40), Be (0.4/0.9), Cd (3.5/17), Co (5.6/19), Cr (99/214), Ni (62/322) and Pb (100/760). Total As and Pb concentrations in house dust exceed residential soil guidelines for the protection of human health in about one-third of Canadian homes. Percent bioaccessibilities (median) are: Cd (65%) > Pb (63%) > Be ∼ Ni (36%) > Co (35%) > As (20%) > Cr (15%). Lead, Cd and Co concentrations are significantly greater in older houses (< 1976). Data from two pilot studies (n = 66 + 51) further demonstrate the distinct geochemistry of house dust compared to soils, notably enrichment of carcinogenic metal(loid)s and their increased bioaccessibility. These results provide essential baseline values to refine risk assessment and inform on health risk at contaminated 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., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Photoinitiators (PIs) are chemical additives that generate active substances, such as free radicals to initiate photopolymerization. Traditionally, polymerization has been considered a green technique that seldomly generates contaminants. However, many researches have confirmed toxicity effects of PIs, such as carcinogenicity, cytotoxicity, endocrine disrupting effects. Surprisingly, we found high levels of PIs in indoor dust. Our analysis revealed comparable levels of PIs in dust from printing shops (geometric mean, GM: 1.33 ×10 3 ng/g) and control environments (GM: 874 ng/g), underscoring the widespread presence of PIs across various settings. Alarmingly, in dust samples from nail salons, PIs were detected at total concentrations ranging from 610 to 1.04 × 10 7 ng/g (GM: 1.87 ×10 5 ng/g), significantly exceeding those in the control environments (GM: 1.43 ×10 3 ng/g). Nail salon workers' occupational exposure to PIs through dust ingestion was estimated at 4.86 ng/kg body weight/day. Additionally, an in vitro simulated digestion test suggested that between 10 % and 42 % of PIs present in ingested dust could become bioaccessible to humans. This is the first study to report on PIs in the specific environments of nail salons and printing shops. This study highlights the urgent need for public awareness regarding the potential health risks posed by PIs to occupational workers, marking an important step towards our understanding of environmental pollution caused by PIs., 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 concentrations, sources, and risk of twenty organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in soils and dusts from a typical urban setting in the Niger Delta of Nigeria were examined. The Σ20 OCP concentrations (ng g -1 ) varied from 4.49 to 150 with an average value of 32.6 for soil, 4.67 to 21.5 with an average of 11.7 for indoor dust, and 1.6 to 96.7 with an average value of 23.5 for outdoor dust. The Σ20 OCP concentrations in these media were in the order: soil > outdoor dust > indoor dust, which was in contrast with the order of the detection frequency, i.e., indoor dust (95 to 100 %) > soil (60 to 90 %) > outdoor dust (30 to 80 %). The concentrations of the different OCP classes in these media followed the order: aldrin + dieldrin + endrin and its isomers (Drins) > chlordanes > dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) > hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs) > endosulfans for outdoor dust and soil, while that of the indoor dust followed the order: Drins > chlordanes > endosulfans > DDTs > HCHs. The cancer risk values for human exposure to OCPs in these sites exceeded 10 -6 which indicates possible carcinogenic risks. The sources of OCPs in these media reflected both past use and recent inputs., 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.)

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are widely used as alternatives to brominated flame retardants in a variety of consumer products and their consumption has continuously increased in recent years. However, their concentrations and human exposures in indoor microenvironments, particularly in a university environment, have received limited attention. In this study, the concentrations and seasonal variations of 15 OPFRs were assessed in typical microenvironments of two universities, including dormitories, offices, public microenvironments (PMEs: classroom, dining hall, gymnasium and library), and laboratories on the northern coast of China. Analysis of the OPFRs in both air and dust samples indicated widespread distribution in college campuses. The average concentration of ∑ 15 OPFRs in the winter (12,774.4 ng/g and 5.3 ng/m 3 for dust and air, respectively) was higher than in the summer (2460.4 ng/g and 4.6 ng/m 3 for dust and air, respectively). The dust and air samples collected from PMEs and laboratories exhibited higher concentrations of OPFRs, followed by offices and dormitories. An equilibrium was reached between dust and air in all collected microenvironments. The daily intakes of OPFRs were significantly lower than the reference dose. Dust ingestion was the primary intake pathway in the winter, while inhalation and dust ingestion were the main intake pathways in the summer. The non-carcinogenic hazard quotients fell within the range of 10 -7 -10 -3 in both the summer and winter, which are below the theoretical risk threshold. For the carcinogenic risk, the LCR values ranged from 10 -10 to 10 -8 , indicating no elevated carcinogenic risk due to TnBP, TCEP, and TDCP in indoor dust and air., 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.)

Bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) have been widely spread in the global environment. However, for conjugated BPA and BPS metabolites, limited studies have investigated their occurrence in environmental matrices. We collected paired indoor and outdoor dust (n = 97), as well as human urine (n = 153) samples, from residential houses in Quzhou, China, and measured these samples for 8 conjugated BPA and BPS metabolites. Three BPA metabolites were found in collected indoor and outdoor dust, with BPA sulfate (mean 0.75 and 1.3 ng/g, respectively) and BPA glucuronide (0.13 and 0.26 ng/g) being more abundant. BPA conjugates accounted for a mean of 42 and 56% of total BPA (sum of conjugated BPA and BPA metabolites) in indoor and outdoor dust, respectively. BPS sulfate (mean 0.29 and 0.82 ng/g, respectively) had consistently higher concentrations than BPS glucuronide (0.13 and 0.27 ng/g) in indoor and outdoor samples. BPS conjugates contributed a mean 32% and 45% of total BPS (sum of BPS and BPS metabolites) in indoor and outdoor dust, respectively. Moreover, conjugated BPA and BPS metabolites in indoor or outdoor dust were not significantly correlated with those in urine from residents. Overall, this study first demonstrates the wide presence of conjugated BPA and BPS metabolites, besides BPA and BPS, in indoor and outdoor dust. These data are important for elucidating the sources of conjugated BPA and BPS metabolites in the human body., 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.)

Automotive interiors have been identified as significant sources of various chemicals, yet their occupational hazards for end-of-life vehicle (ELV) dismantlers remain poorly characterized. Herein, eight classes of plasticizers, including 11 phthalates esters (PAEs) and 16 non-phthalates esters (NPAEs), were detected in dust samples from inside and outside ELV dismantling workshops. Moreover, indoor dust from ordinary households and university dormitories was compared. The indoor dust from the ELV dismantling workshops contained the highest concentrations of plasticizers (median: 594 μg/g), followed by ordinary households (296 µg/g), university dormitories (186 µg/g), and outdoor dust (157 µg/g). PAEs remained the dominant plasticizers, averaging 11.7-fold higher than their NPAE alternatives. Specifically, diisononyl phthalate and trioctyl trimellitate were notably elevated in workshop dust, being 15.5 and 4.78 times higher, respectively, than in ordinary household dust, potentially indicating their association with ELV dismantling activities. The estimated daily intake of occupational ELV dismantling workers was up to five times higher than that of the general population. Moreover, certain dominant NPAEs demonstrated nuclear receptor interference abilities comparable to typical PAEs, suggesting potential toxic effects. This study is the first to demonstrate that ELV dismantling activities contribute to the co-emission of PAEs and NPAEs, posing a substantial risk of exposure to workers, which warrants further investigation., 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.)

Microbially-mediated arsenic biotransformation plays a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic; however, the presence of arsenic biotransformation genes (ABGs) in urban dust remains unclear. To investigate the occurrence and spatiotemporal distributions of ABGs, a total of one hundred and eighteen urban dust samples were collected from different districts of Xiamen city, China in summer and winter. Although inorganic arsenic species, including arsenate [As(V)] and arsenite [As(III)], were found to be predominant, the methylated arsenicals, particularly trimethylarsine oxide [TMAs(V)O] and dimethylarsenate [DMAs(V)], were detected in urban dust. Abundant ABGs were identified in urban dust via AsChip analysis (a high-throughput qPCR chip for ABGs), of which As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase genes (arsM), As(V) reductase genes (arsC), As(III) oxidase genes (aioA), As(III) transporter genes (arsB), and arsenic-sensing regulator genes (arsR) were the most prevalent, collectively constituting more than 90 % of ABGs in urban dust. Microbes involved in arsenic methylation were assigned to bacteria (e.g., Actinomycetes and Alphaproteobacteria), archaea (e.g., Halobacteria), and eukaryotes (e.g., Chlamydomonadaceae) in urban dust via the arsM amplicon sequencing. Temperature, a season-dependent environmental factor, profoundly affected the abundance of ABGs and the composition of microbes involved in arsenic methylation. This study provides new insights into the presence of ARGs within the urban dust., 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.)

A total of 138 samples including urban soil, surface dust, atmospheric dustfall, and commercial food were collected from the semi-arid industrial city of Lanzhou in Northwest China, and 22 phthalate esters (PAEs) were analyzed in these samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the pollution characteristics, potential sources, and combined exposure risks of PAEs. The results showed that the total concentration of 22 PAEs (Ʃ 22 PAEs) presented surface dust (4.94 × 10 4  ng/g) ≫ dustfall (1.56 × 10 4  ng/g) ≫ food (2.14 × 10 3  ng/g) ≫ urban soil (533 ng/g). Di-n-butyl phthalate (DNBP), di-isobutyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di-isononyl phthalate/di-isodecyl phthalate were predominant in the environmental media and commercial food, being controlled by priority (52.1%-65.5%) and non-priority (62.1%) PAEs, respectively. Elevated Ʃ 22 PAEs in the urban soil and surface dust was found in the west, middle, and east of Lanzhou. Principal component analysis indicated that PAEs the urban soil and surface dust were related with the emissions of products containing PAEs, atmosphere depositions, and traffic and industrial emissions. PAEs in the foods were associated with the growth and processing environment. The health risk assessment of United States Environmental Protection Agency based on the Chinese population exposure parameters indicated that the total exposure dose of 22 PAEs was from 0.111 to 0.226 mg/kg/day, which were above the reference dose (0.02 mg/kg/day) and tolerable daily intake (TDI, 0.05 mg/kg/day) for DEHP (0.0333-0.0631 mg/kg/day), and TDI (0.01 mg/kg/day) for DNBP (0.0213-0.0405 mg/kg/day), implying that the exposure of PAEs via multi-media should not be ignored; the total non-carcinogenic risk of six priority PAEs was below 1 for the three environmental media (1.21 × 10 -5 -2.90 × 10 -3 ), while close to 1 for food (4.74 × 10 -1 -8.76 × 10 -1 ), suggesting a potential non-carcinogenic risk of human exposure to PAEs in food; the total carcinogenic risk of BBP and DEHP was below 1 × 10 -6 for the three environmental media (9.13 × 10 -10 -5.72 × 10 -7 ), while above 1 × 10 -4 for DEHP in food (1.02 × 10 -4 ), suggesting a significantly carcinogenic risk of human exposure to DEHP in food. The current research results can provide certain supports for pollution and risk prevention of PAEs., 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.)

Biochar is currently garnering interest as an alternative to commercial fertilizer and as a tool to counteract global warming. However, its use is increasingly drawing attention, particularly concerning the fine dust that can be developed during its manufacture, transport, and use. This work aimed to assess the toxicity of fine particulate Biochar (10 ) via in-vitro and in-vivo experiments as a first step for the evaluation of toxicity values. As in-vitro experiments, cell lines showed inhibition of proliferation following the reduction of expression genes involved in cell cycle control, increase in the production of ROS and IL-8, and decrease in intracellular ATP. In-vivo rat exposure induced hyperemia, edema, and inflammatory phenomena with infiltrations of neutrophil granulocytes and macrophages at the alveolar and bronchiolar levels. Both in-vitro and in-vivo studies highlighted how exposure to Biochar particulates leads to an inflammatory condition and oxidative stress., 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.)

Chemical dust suppression is typically associated with high economic costs, unclear efficacy, and poor degradability. In this study, sodium alginate (SA) was extracted from kelp and cross-linked with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyacrylamide (PAM). Sulfonated castor oil (CAS) was subsequently added to generate a three-dimensional network hydrogel dust suppressant (PVA-SA-PAM/CAS). Using single-factor experiments, the optimal reaction temperature (60 °C) and dosages of PVA, PAM, and the cross-linking agent (2.5, 4.5, and 0.1 g, respectively) were determined. The viscosity and compressive strength of the prepared hydrogel were 86 mPa·s and 218 kPa, respectively, which meet the requirements for mine dust suppression. Various analyses revealed the hydrogel's reaction process and microstructure changes. Additionally, thermogravimetric experiments proved that the hydrogel had good thermal stability. The specific surface area and pore size of the hydrogel were 0.0278 m 2 /g and 11.8 nm, respectively, improving its adsorption capacity. Additionally, PVA-SA-PAM/CAS exhibited a good water retention rate. The dust suppression efficiency of PVA-SA-PAM/CAS was >98 % under strong winds (12 m/s). Moreover, the degradation rate of PVA-SA-PAM/CAS was 37 % after eight cycles (56 d) under environmental conditions. Therefore, PVA-SA-PAM/CAS exhibits good wetting, dust suppression, and degradation properties, which can effectively alleviate mine dust pollution., 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.)

Objectives: The aim of this estudy was to investigate the influence of allergen exposure levels and other risk factors for allergic sensitization, asthma, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in workers exposed to laboratory animals., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed at two universities, 123 workplaces with 737 subjects. Dust samples were collected from laboratories and animal facilities housing rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, or hamsters and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure allergen concentrations. We also sampled workplaces without animals. Asthma was defined by both symptoms and BHR to mannitol. The concentrations of allergens were tested for association with a skin prick test, respiratory symptoms, spirometry data, and BHR. This multivariate analysis was performed by using Poisson regression to estimate the relative risk (RR) for the exposed group., Results: Our sample comprised students and workers, with 336 subjects in the nonexposed group and 401 subjects in the exposed group. Sixty-nine subjects (17%) had positive results in the skin prick test for animal allergens in the exposed group; in the nonexposed group, 10 subjects had positive results (3%) (p<0.001). Exposure to laboratory animals over 2.8 years was associated with atopic sensitization (RR=1.85; 95% confidence interval: 1.09-3.15; p=0.02). Allergen concentration was not associated with sensitization, asthma, or BHR., Conclusion: Exposure to laboratory animals was associated with atopic sensitization. However, we did not find a cutoff allergen concentration that increased the risk for sensitization. Duration of exposure seems to be more relevant to sensitization than concentration of allergens in dust.

Brominated flame retardants, considered emerging contaminants, are widespread and persist in the environment. This study investigated the contamination of legacy and novel brominated flame retardants in paired outdoor settled dusts and pine needles sampled from a megacity in the Eastern China. The measured total concentrations of PBDEs (∑ 27 PBDEs) in outdoor settled dusts and pine needles were in the range of 77.4-345.2 ng/g dw and 20.7-120.0 ng/g dw, respectively, and equivalent ranges for novel brominated flame retardants (∑ 11 NBFRs) were 25.7-1917.2 ng/g dw and 9.4-38.7 ng/g dw, respectively. BDE-209 and DBDPE dominated PBDEs and NBFRs profiles, respectively, in both dusts and pine needles. Outdoor settled dusts exhibited greater potentials to accumulate high-brominated PBDE homologues and EH-TBB while pine needles tended to accumulate low-brominated PBDE homologues, BTBPE and TBC. The plant uptake of BFRs was interpreted by McLachlan's framework on the assumption that the levels of BFRs in outdoor settled dusts and particle phase of air were positively correlated. The accumulation of PBDEs in pine needles was dominated by equilibrium partitioning between the vegetation and the gas phase when log K OA values <10 and by particle-bound deposition when log K OA values >13. However, NBFRs exhibited more complicated accumulation behavior. The predicted 50th percentile of the estimated daily intakes of ∑ 27 PBDEs via outdoor settled dusts exposure for adults and children were 3.5 × 10 -2 and 1.4 × 10 -1  ng/kg body weight (bw)/day, respectively, and equivalent values for ∑ 11 NBFRs were 1.6 × 10 -2  ng/kg bw/day and 6.3 × 10 -2  ng/kg bw/day, respectively. The calculated hazard index (HI) values were far <1, indicating exposure of BFRs via outdoor settled dust intake would not pose potential non-carcinogenic health risks to both adults and 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 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mediterranean lakes are facing heightened exposure to multiple stressors, such as intensified Saharan dust deposition, temperature increases and fluctuations linked to heatwaves. However, the combined impact of dust and water temperature on the microbial community in freshwater ecosystems remains underexplored. To assess the interactive effect of dust deposition and temperature on aquatic microbes (heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton), a combination of field mesocosm experiments covering a dust gradient (five levels, 0-320 mg L -1 ), and paired laboratory microcosms with increased temperature at two levels (constant and fluctuating high temperature) were conducted in a high mountain lake in the Spanish Sierra Nevada, at three points in time throughout the ice-free period. Heterotrophic bacterial production (HBP) increased with dust load regardless of the temperature regime. However, temperature regime affected the magnitude and nature of the interactive Dust×T effect on HBP. Specifically, constant and fluctuating high temperature showed opposing interactive effects in the short term that became additive over time. The relationships between HBP and predictor variables (soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), excreted organic carbon (EOC), and heterotrophic bacterial abundance (HBA)), coupled with an evaluation of the mechanistic variable photosynthetic carbon use efficiency by bacteria (%CUEb), revealed that bacteria depended on primary production in nearly all treatments when dust was added. The %CUEb increased with dust load in the control temperature treatment, but it was highest at intermediate dust loads under both constant and fluctuating high temperatures. Overall, our results suggest that while dust addition alone strengthens algae-bacteria coupling, high temperatures lead to decoupling in the long term at intermediate dust loads, potentially impacting ecosystem function., 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.)

The ingestion of soil and dust by children and adults is a potential source of exposure to environmental contaminants. To advance beyond the simple averaging of estimates used in the U.S. EPA's Exposure Factors Handbook (EFH), we describe a novel meta-analysis of all available studies that provided soil or dust ingestion estimates for children or adults conducted in the United States and Canada. Using meta-analytic techniques, we estimate the mean total soil plus dust ingestion rates and confidence intervals (CIs) for eleven age groups (0 - <1 month (m), 1 - <3 m, 3 - <6 m, 6 - <12 m, 1 - <2 years (y), 2 - <3 y, 3 - <6 y, 6 - <11 y, 11 - <16 y, 16 - <21 y, and 21+ y). These age groups were selected for consistency with the EFH update to Chapter 5 and the U.S. EPA's Age Grouping Guidance. For each age group, we calculated best estimates for the three main types of ingestion studies: tracer studies based on the aluminum tracer, biokinetic studies, and activity pattern (modeling) studies, as well as overall estimates for all three study types combined. Our meta-analysis combined study estimates using the alternative statistical approaches of the fixed effect method (inverse variance method, "I-V") and two random effects methods, DerSimonian and Laird's method of moments ("DSL") and the restricted maximum likelihood method ("MIXED"). For each approach, the mean total soil plus dust ingestion rate estimates for each study type generally aligned well with the EFH, ranging from 36 to 68 mg/day for infants, 56-72 mg/day for young children, and 12-32 mg/day for adolescents and adults. When all three study types were combined, the upper bounds of the 95% CI were generally the lowest for the I-V method and the highest for the MIXED method. The estimates produced here can be used for stochastic risk assessments and provide a better estimate of soil and dust ingestion rates across age groups., 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., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study investigates river dust episodes along the Choshui and Kaoping Rivers in Taiwan, focusing on their spatiotemporal distribution and correlation with hydrometeorological factors (temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and wind speed). Using the Improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (ICEEMDAN) algorithm and time-dependent intrinsic correlation (TDIC) analysis, we identified significant annual and diurnal correlations between PM10 concentrations and these factors. The analysis revealed that wind speed at Lunbei station had a positive annual correlation with PM10, while other factors exhibited significant negative correlations. Seasonal variations in PM10 correlations with temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were observed, aligning with the prevailing seasons of river dust episodes. Wind motion analysis highlighted diurnal associations with land-sea breezes and annual correlations with the winter monsoon. Specifically, the Choshui River's dust events coincided with the northeast monsoon, whereas the Kaoping River's events occurred during the northwest and southwest monsoons. The study also uncovered that downstream stations (Lunbei and Daliao) were more prone to severe dust events than upstream stations (Douliu and Pingtung). These findings enhance our understanding of the dynamics and environmental impacts of river dust episodes, providing valuable insights for air quality management and health risk mitigation., 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.)

Plants are known for their significant dust retention capacity and are widely used to alleviate atmospheric pollution. Urban green plants are exposed to periodic particulate matter pollution stress, and the time intervals between periods of pollution exposure are often inconsistent. The impact of stress memory and pollution intervals on plant dust retention capacity and physiological characteristics during periodic stress is not yet clear. In this study, the common urban landscaping species Nerium oleander L. was selected as the test plant, and stable isotope ( 15 NH 4 Cl) tracing technology and aerosol generators were used to simulate periodic PM 2.5 pollution. This study included two particulate pollution periods (each lasting 14 days) and one recovery period with three different durations (7, 14, and 21 days). The results indicated that periodic particulate matter pollution-induced stress decreased the dust retention capacity of N. oleander leaf surfaces, but particle adsorption to the wax layer was more stable. As the duration of the recovery period increased, leaf particle absorption, which accounted for the greatest proportion of total dust retention, increased, indicating that leaves are the primary organ for dust retention in Nerium oleander L. Root absorption also increased with increasing recovery periods. Prior pollution stress increased oleander physiological and morphological responses, and the plant's air pollution tolerance significantly improved after a recovery period of >14 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Multi-source ferrous metallurgical dust and sludge are significant components of iron-containing solid waste in the iron and steel industry. It is crucial for the sustainable operation of steel enterprises to recycle iron from ferrous metallurgical dust and sludge (FMDS) for use in steel smelting. However, besides Fe, FMDS also contains valuable elements such as Zn, Pb, K, and Na, among others. While these valuable elements hold high recovery value, they impede the direct reuse of FMDS by iron and steel enterprises. This paper introduces the compositional characteristics of multi-source ferrous metallurgical dust and sludge, analyzes the main recycling technologies associated with FMDS at the present stage of development, and discusses the characteristics of different technologies. In view of this, a new idea of the "cooperative treatment of multi-source ferrous metallurgical dust and sludge—full quantitative recovery of valuable elements" is put forward. This new idea integrates a variety of treatment processes to directly recycle FMDS within the steel plant, enhancing the adequacy of dust and sludge recovery and reducing the risk of environmental pollution. This paper provides a reference for achieving the full quantification and utilization of high-value-added FMDS in steel plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An earlier study evaluating dust life cycle in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Atmosphere Model version 1 (EAMv1) has revealed that the simulated global mean dust lifetime is substantially shorter when higher vertical resolution is used, primarily due to significant strengthening of dust dry removal in source regions. This paper demonstrates that the sequential splitting of aerosol emissions, dry removal, and turbulent mixing in the model's time integration loop, especially the calculation of dry removal after surface emissions and before turbulent mixing, is the primary reason for the vertical resolution sensitivity reported in that earlier study. Based on this reasoning, we propose a revised numerical process coupling scheme that requires the least amount of code changes, in which the surface emissions are applied before turbulent mixing instead of before dry removal. The revised scheme allows newly emitted particles to be transported aloft by turbulence before being removed from the atmosphere, and hence better resembles the dust life cycle in the real world. Sensitivity experiments show that the revised process coupling substantially weakens dry removal and strengthens vertical mixing in dust source regions. It also strengthens the large-scale transport from source to non-source regions, strengthens dry removal outside the source regions, and strengthens wet removal and activation globally. In transient simulations of the years 2000–2009 conducted using 1 ∘ horizontal grid spacing, 72 vertical layers, and unchanged tuning parameters of emission strength, the revised process coupling leads to a 40 % increase in the global total dust burden and an increase of dust lifetime from 1.8 to 2.5 d in terms of 10-year averages. Weakened dry removal and increased mixing ratios are also seen for other aerosol species that have substantial surface emissions, although the changes in mixing ratio are considerably smaller for the submicron species than for dust and sea salt. Numerical experiments confirm that the revised coupling scheme significantly reduces the strong and non-physical sensitivities of model results to vertical resolution in the original EAMv1. This provides a motivation for adopting the revised scheme in EAM as well as for further improvements on the simple revision presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental context: Dust is a heterogeneous material deposited on the ground surface and is a source and sink for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) originating from the air and soil. Tracking the distribution and effects of PTEs in an abandoned mining area is critical as few studies have quantified the speciation and bioavailability of PTEs contained in dust and PM2.5. In this paper, we track the distribution of PTEs in an abandoned mining area, quantifying the mobility of PTEs using the speciation of PTEs in dust and PM2.5 and quantitatively assess the environmental and ecological risks of PTE in a mining area. Rationale: This study aimed to gain a better understanding of the distribution, speciation, mobility and ecological risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in an abandoned mining area by measuring the PTEs in dust (indoor or atmospheric) and particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) simultaneously. Methodology: The particle size of dust, PTEs and the speciation of PTEs in dust and PM2.5 were determined. The risk assessment code (RAC) was used to analyse the mobility of PTEs, and the geo-accumulation index (I geo), pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (RI) were used to assess the ecological risks of PTEs. Results: The results showed that the particle size of dust was mainly distributed in the range of 0–2.5 µm (61–81%). Cd, Mn, Cu and Zn in dust were mainly distributed in the acid extractable fraction, whereas other PTEs were distributed in the residual fraction. Most PTEs in PM2.5 were distributed in the acid extractable fraction, but V and As were distributed in the reducible fraction. The risk of Cd, Zn and Mn in dust and PM2.5 was very high (RAC > 50%). I geo values showed that the dust were practically uncontaminated by most of the PTEs, whereas the PM2.5 was moderately to highly contaminated by most of the PTEs. The PTE in dust and PM2.5 with the highest ecological risk was Cd (E i  >  320). The PLI showed a potential deterioration in environmental quality (1.30 < PLI < 3.17) and the further away from the mining centre, the less environmental degradation. Discussion: There is a potential for PTEs contamination and a high ecological risk in abandoned mining areas, which deserves serious attention. Environmental context. Dust is a heterogeneous material deposited on the ground surface and is a source and sink for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) originating from the air and soil. Tracking the distribution and effects of PTEs in an abandoned mining area is critical as few studies have quantified the speciation and bioavailability of PTEs contained in dust and PM2.5. In this paper, we track the distribution of PTEs in an abandoned mining area, quantifying the mobility of PTEs using the speciation of PTEs in dust and PM2.5 and quantitatively assess the environmental and ecological risks of PTE in a mining area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacitive sensors show promising applications for human–computer interface due to their potential capabilities of both pressure and proximity sensing. However, the sensitivity loss at large strain and the complicated process of fabrication technology limit related applications. Herein, inspired by gradient and hierarchical structures in biological systems and using porous materials with different stiffness, a capacitive flexible sensor with both proximity and pressure sensing abilities is proposed. Such hierarchical structures effectively reduce the attenuation of sensitivity as the pressure increases, realizing an ultrawide detection range with high sensitivity. A theoretical mathematical model is developed and the corresponding capacitive sensor is fabricated by using the high‐performance porous impregnated dust‐free paper as the electrode and expandable polyethylene (EPE)/loofah‐like polyurethane sponge (LPS) as double‐layer porous dielectric. This sensor has an ultrawide detection range up to 3000 kPa with a significantly low sensitivity loss of 0.0195% kPa−1 and the noncontact sensing mode reaches a sensing range up to 28 cm (0.122 cm−1). Notably, a strategy is provided to design the high sensitivity sensor over an ultrawide detection range from approaching to pressuring, and eventually its promising application is presented as human–computer interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the phytoplankton community response, with emphasis on ecophysiology and succession, after two experimental additions of Saharan dust in the surface layer of a low-nutrient low-chlorophyll ecosystem in the Mediterranean Sea. Three mesocosms were amended with evapocondensed dust to simulate realistic Saharan dust events while three additional mesocosms were kept unamended and served as controls. Experiments consisted in two consecutive dust additions and samples were daily collected at different depths (-0.1, -5 and -10m) during one week, starting before each addition occurred. Data concerning HPLC pigment analysis on two size classes (<3 and >3 µm), electron transport rate (ETR) versus irradiance curves, non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (NPQ) and phytoplankton cell abundance (measured by flow cytometry), are presented and discussed in this paper. Results show that picophytoplankton mainly respond to the first dust addition, while the second addition leads to an increase of both pico- and nano-/microphytoplankton. Ecophysiological changes in the phytoplankton community are revealed, and an increase in NPQ development, as well as in pigment concentration per cell, follows the dust additions. ETR does not show large variations between dust-amended and control conditions, while biomass increases in response to the dust additions. Furthermore, the biomass increase observed during this mesocosm experiment allows us to attempt a quantitative assessment and parameterization of the onset of a phytoplankton bloom in a nutrient-limited ecosystem. These results are discussed focusing on the adaptation of picophytoplankton to such a nutrient-limited mixed layer system, as well as on size-dependent competition ability in phytoplankton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental pollution caused by mineral exploitation and energy consumption poses a serious threat to ecological security and human health, particularly in resource-based cities. To address this issue, a comprehensive investigation was conducted on potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in road dust from different seasons to assess the environmental risks and influencing factors faced by Datong City. Multivariate statistical analysis and absolute principal component score were employed for source identification and quantitative allocation. The geo-accumulation index and improved Nemerow index were utilized to evaluate the pollution levels of PTEs. Monte Carlo simulation was employed to assess the ecological-health risks associated with PTEs content and source orientation. Furthermore, geo-detector and random forest analysis were conducted to examine the key environmental variables and driving factors contributing to the spatiotemporal variation in PTEs content. In all PTEs, Cd, Hg, and Zn exhibited higher levels of content, with an average content/background value of 3.65 to 4.91, 2.53 to 3.34, and 2.15 to 2.89 times, respectively. Seasonal disparities were evident in PTEs contents, with average levels generally showing a pattern of spring (winter) > summer (autumn). PTEs in fine road dust (FRD) were primarily influenced by traffic, natural factors, coal-related industrial activities, and metallurgical activities, contributing 14.9-33.9 %, 41.4-47.5 %, 4.4-8.3 %, and 14.2-29.4 % to the total contents, respectively. The overall pollution and ecological risk of PTEs were categorized as moderate and high, respectively, with the winter season exhibiting the most severe conditions, primarily driven by Hg emissions from coal-related industries. Non-carcinogenic risk of PTEs for adults was within the safe limit, yet children still faced a probability of 4.1 %-16.4 % of unacceptable risks, particularly in summer. Carcinogenic risks were evident across all demographics, with children at the highest risk, mainly due to Cr and smelting industrial sources. Geo-detector and random forest model indicated that spatial disparities in prioritized control elements (Cr and Hg) were primarily influenced by particulate matter (PM 10 ) and anthropogenic activities (industrial and socio-economic factors); variations in particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) and meteorological factors (wind speed and precipitation) were the primary controllers of seasonal disparities of Cr and Hg., 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.)

In this study, we examined the persistent pollutant contents [harmful elements (HEs), cadmium (Cd, 0.1 mg/kg) ∼ barium (Ba, 881.1 mg/kg)] and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs; Acenaphthylene (Acy), Acenaphthene (Ace), Fluorene (Flu), Benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) (0 mg/kg) ∼ BaP (10.2 mg/kg)] in bus stop dust (BSD) from Qingyang, Northwest China. The Nemerow composite pollution index of the eight types of PAHs and ∑ 16 PAHs indicated severe pollution. The carcinogenic risk of the persistent pollutant in BSD to adults was 1.6 times greater than the acceptable upper limit for the human body, while the noncarcinogenic risk was small to five daily bus passenger groups. Clustering and principal component analysis showed that 12 kinds of HEs were mainly derived from coal and fuel combustion and 16 kinds of PAHs were mainly derived from biomass combustion, organic matter decomposition, and chemical applications., 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 Ltd.)

Although desert dust promotes morbidity and mortality, it is exempt from regulations. Its health effects have been related to its inflammatory properties, which can vary between source regions. It remains unclear which constituents cause this variability. Moreover, whether long-range transported desert dust potentiates the hazardousness of local particulate matter (PM) is still unresolved. We aimed to assess the influence of long-range transported desert dust on the inflammatory potency of PM 2.5 and PM 10 collected in Cape Verde and to examine associated constituents. During a reference period and two Saharan dust events, 63 PM 2.5 and PM 10 samples were collected at four sampling stations. The content of water-soluble ions, elements, and organic and elemental carbon was measured in all samples and endotoxins in PM 10 samples. The PM-induced release of inflammatory cytokines from differentiated THP-1 macrophages was evaluated. The association of interleukin (IL)-1β release with PM composition was assessed using principal component (PC) regressions. PM 2.5 from both dust events and PM 10 from one event caused higher IL-1β release than PM from the reference period. PC regressions indicated an inverse relation of IL-1β release with sea spray ions in both size fractions and organic and elemental carbon in PM 2.5 . The PC with the higher regression coefficient suggested that iron and manganese may contribute to PM 2.5 -induced IL-1β release. Only during the reference period, endotoxin content strongly differed between sampling stations and correlated with inflammatory potency. Our results demonstrate that long-range transported desert dust amplifies the hazardousness of local air pollution and suggest that, in PM 2.5 , iron and manganese may be important. Our data indicate that endotoxins are contained in local and long-range transported PM 10 but only explain the variability in inflammatory potency of local PM 10 . The increasing inflammatory potency of respirable and inhalable PM from desert dust events warrants regulatory measures and risk mitigation 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Household products, in response to regulations, increasingly incorporate phthalate (PAE) alternatives instead of traditional PAEs. However, limited information exists regarding the fate and exposure risk of these PAE alternatives and their monoesters in indoor environments. The contamination levels of PAE alternatives and their monoesters in indoor dust might vary across regions due to climate, population density, industrial activities, and interior decoration practices. By analyzing indoor dust samples from six geographical regions across China, this study aims to shed light on concentrations, profiles, and human exposure to 12 PAE alternatives and 9 their monoesters. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (DEHTP), tributyl 2-acetyloxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate (ATBC), and tris(2-ethylhexyl) benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylate (TOTM) were the main PAE alternatives in dust across all regions. The total concentrations of 12 PAE alternatives ranged from 0.125 to 4160 μg/g in indoor dust. High molecular weight PAE alternatives had significantly correlated concentrations (p < 0.05) based on Spearman analysis, suggesting their co-use in heat-resistant plastic products. A collective of nine monoesters were identified in most samples, with total concentrations ranging from 0.048 to 29.6 μg/g. The median concentrations of PAE alternatives were highest in North China (66.8 μg/g), while those of monoesters were highest in Southwest China (6.93 μg/g). A significant correlation (p < 0.05) between the concentrations of DEHTP and its monoester suggested that degradation could be a potential source of monoesters. Although hazard quotients (HQs) have been calculated to suggest that the current exposure is unlikely to pose a significant health risk, the lack of toxicity threshold data and the existence of additional exposure pathways necessitate a further confirmation., 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.)

The human health risk assessment through the dermal exposure of metal (loid)s in dust from low latitude and high geological background plateau cities was largely unknown. In this study, the road dust samples were harvested from a typical low-latitude plateau provincial capital city Kunming, Southwest China. The total concentration and dermal bioaccessibility of heavy metal (loid)s in road dust were determined, and their health risks as well as cytotoxicity on human skin keratinocytes were also assessed. The average concentrations of As (28.5 mg/kg), Cd (2.65 mg/kg), Mn (671 mg/kg), and Zn (511 mg/kg) exceeded the soil background values. Arsenic had the highest bioaccessibility after 2 h (3.79%), 8 h (4.24%), and 24 h (16.6%) extraction. The dermal pathway when bioaccessibility is considered has a higher hazard quotient than the conventional method using total metal(loid)s in the dust. In addition, toxicological verification suggested that the dust extracts suppressed the cell viability, increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and DNA damage, and eventually activated the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway, evidenced by the upregulation of Caspase-3/9, Bax, and Bak-1. Cadmium was positively correlated with the mRNA expression of Bax. Taken together, our data indicated that both dermal bioaccessibility and cytotoxicity should be considered for accurate human skin health risk assessment of heavy metal(loid)s in road dust, which may provide new insight for accurate human health risk assessment and environmental management., 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.)

An increasing number of silicosis cases have been reported related to the use of silica agglomerates. Many studies agree on the severity of this disease, which often presents with severe clinical forms in young workers and after a short latency period. Are there differences in the composition of dust generated by cutting and polishing with silica agglomerates versus granite and marble? Does the use of water injection reduce the risk associated with the use of these materials? We carried out a comparative observational-analytical study, measuring the concentration of dust generated during different machining operations on three different materials: granite, marble, and silica agglomerates. The effect of water injection on dust generation was evaluated. Personal sampling pumps were used, connected to a cyclone with polyvinyl chloride filters. The flow rate of the pumps was adjusted using a piston flowmeter. Measurements with a cascade impactor were made to assess the size distribution of respirable crystalline silica particles within the respirable fraction. In addition, environmental measurements with a spectrometer were made. 10 tests were carried out on granite and silica agglomerates for each procedure. In the case of marble, with very low silica content, only 2 tests of each type were carried out. Duration of each measurement was between 6 and 25 min. Cleaning times were set for each of the operations. The amount of dust collected in the respirable fraction was 70.85, 32.50 and 35.78 mg/m 3 for dry cutting; 6.50, 3.75 and 3.95 mg/m 3 for wet cutting; and 21.35, 13.68 and 17.50 mg/m 3 for dry polishing, for granite, marble, and silica agglomerates respectively. Dry procedures in marble, silica agglomerates and granite showed higher dust concentration of particles smaller than 0.5 μm. Silica agglomerates showed higher concentrations of respirable crystalline silica particles than granite and marble, mainly with dry procedures. The greater production of small particles in dry and wet procedures with silica agglomerates shows that water injection is an insufficient preventive measure., 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.)

The use of surfactants is crucial for the prevention and control of coal dust pollution in coal mining operation areas, yet there still exist many challenges in the control of coal dust pollution. In this paper, the green biomass-based amino acid surfactant sodium myristoyl glutamate (SMG) and the anionic surfactant sodium α-alkenyl sulfonate (AOS) were selected to investigate the improvement of coal dust wettability by single and binary solutions from the macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. Molecular simulations were used to reveal the microscopic mechanism of the wettability of coal dust by the different solutions. Experimental measurements showed that the contact angle of the AOS + SMG aqueous solution was as low as 13.8° on a coal surface. Coating the coal dust with the AOS + SMG solution reduced the surface tension by 12.02% compared to coating the coal with a single component solution. Additionally, the use of the binary AOS + SMG solution increased the hydrophilic group content in the coating by 11.77% compared to a single component solution, and the linkage between hydrophilic groups was enhanced, which pulls the water molecules to wet the coal dust. These research results should provide a new way to promote more environmentally friendly coal dust pollution control technology., 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.)

Household-related microbiome is closely related with human health. However, the knowledge about profiles of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) which are carried by microbes inside homes and their temporal dynamics are rather limited. Here we monitored the seasonal changes of bacterial community (especially pathogenic bacteria), ARGs, and VFGs in household dust samples during two years. Based on metagenomic sequencing, the dust-related bacterial pathogenic community, ARGs, and VFGs all harbored the lowest richness in spring among four seasons. Their structure (except that of VFGs) also exhibited remarkable differences among the seasons. The structural variations of ARGs and VFGs were almost explained by mobile genetic elements (MGEs), bacterial pathogens, and particulate matter-related factors, with MGEs explaining the most. Moreover, the total normalized abundance of ARGs or VFGs showed no significant change across the seasons. Results of metagenomic binning and microbial network both showed that several pathogenic taxa (e.g., Ralstonia pickettii) were strongly linked with numerous ARGs (mainly resistant to multidrug) and VFGs (mainly encoding motility) simultaneously. Overall, these findings underline the significance of MGEs in structuring ARGs and VFGs inside homes along with seasonal variations, suggesting that household dust is a neglected reservoir for ARGs and VFGs., 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.)

This study investigates the presence of biocides and other semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in cleaning products used in daycare centers and health impact through ingestion of settled dust by young children. In Paris metropolitan area, 106 daycares area were investigated between 2019-2022. Fifteen substances were analyzed in settled indoor dust by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Detection rates and concentrations ranged from 5 to 100%, and

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are a class of plasticizers that are readily released from plastic products, posing a potential exposure risk to human body. At present, much attention is paid on PAE concentrations in indoor dust with the understanding of PAEs toxicity. This study collected 8187 data on 10 PAEs concentrations in indoor dusts from 26 countries and comprehensively reviewed the worldwide distribution, influencing factors, and health risks of PAEs. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the predominant PAE with a median concentration of 316 μg·g -1 in indoor dust. Polyvinyl chloride wallpaper and flooring and personal care products are the main sources of PAEs indoor dust. The dust concentrations of DEHP show a downward trend over the past two decades, while high dust concentrations of DiNP are found from 2011 to 2016. The median dust contents of 8 PAEs in public places are higher than those in households. Moreover, the concentrations of 9 PAEs in indoor dusts from high-income countries are higher than those from upper-middle-income countries. DEHP in 69.8% and 77.8% of the dust samples may pose a potential carcinogenic risk for adults and children, respectively. Besides, DEHP in 16.9% of the dust samples may pose a non-carcinogenic risk to children. Nevertheless, a negligible risk was found for other PAEs in indoor dust worldwide. This review contributes to an in-depth understanding of the global distribution, sources and health risks of PAEs in indoor dust., 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.)

To enhance the real-time monitoring and early-warning capabilities for dust disasters in underground coal mine, this paper presents a novel WGAN-CNN-based prediction approach to predict the dust concentration at underground coal mine working faces. Dust concentration, wind speed, temperature, and methane concentration were collected as the original data due to their nonlinear relationship. The consistency between the generated and original data distributions was verified through PCA dimensionality reduction analysis. The predictive performance of this approach was assessed using five metrics (R 2 , EVS, MSE, RMSE, and MAE) and compared with three other algorithms (Random Forest Regressor, MLP Regressor, and LinearSVR). The findings indicate that a majority of the generated data falls within the distribution range of the real dataset, exhibiting reduced levels of volatility and dispersion. The R 2 values of prediction results are all above 98%, and the MSE values are between 0.0007 and 0.0106. The proposed approach exhibits superior predictive accuracy and robust model generalization capabilities compared to alternative algorithms, thereby enhancing the real-time monitoring and early-warning level of dust disasters in underground coal mine. This will facilitate the realization of advanced prevention and control measures for dust disasters, showcasing a wide range of potential applications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in industry and have been linked to various adverse health effects. Communities adjacent to sites where PFAS are manufactured, stored, or used may be at elevated risk. In these impacted communities, significant exposure often occurs through contaminated drinking water, yet less is known about the role of other pathways such as residential exposure through house dust. We analyzed a paired serum and house dust dataset from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's PFAS Exposure Assessments, which sampled eight United States communities with a history of drinking water contamination due to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) use at nearby military bases. We found that serum PFAS levels of residents were significantly positively associated with the dust PFAS levels in their homes, for three of seven PFAS analyzed, when accounting for site and participant age. We also found that increased dust PFAS levels were associated with a shift in the relative abundance of PFAS in serum towards those chemicals not strongly linked to AFFF contamination, which may suggest household sources. Additionally, we analyzed participant responses to exposure questionnaires to identify factors associated with dust PFAS levels. Dust PFAS levels for some analytes were significantly elevated in households where participants were older and had lived at the home longer, cleaned less frequently, used stain resistant products, and had carpeted living rooms. Our results suggest that residential exposure to PFAS via dust or other indoor pathways may contribute to overall exposure and body burden, even in communities impacted by AFFF contamination of drinking water, and the magnitude of this exposure may also be influenced by demographic, behavioral, and housing factors., 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., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Exposure to indoor dust is of concern since dust may be contaminated by various toxic chemicals and people spend considerable time indoors. Factors impacting human exposure risks to contaminants in indoor dust may differ from those affecting the loadings of contaminants, but the dominant factors have not yet been well clarified. In this study, the occurrence, human exposure, and related influencing factors of several classes of legacy and emerging contaminants in residential dust across Beijing were investigated, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and three types of flame retardants (FRs), i.e., organophosphate esters (OPEs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and novel halogenated FRs (NHFRs). OPEs (median: 3847 ng/g) were the most abundant group, followed by PBDEs (1046 ng/g) and NHFRs (520 ng/g). PFASs (14.3 ng/g) were one to two orders of magnitude lower than FRs. The estimated daily intakes of these contaminants were relatively higher for toddlers than other age groups, with oral ingestion being the main exposure pathway compared with dermal contact. Higher human exposure risks were found in new buildings or newly finished homes due to the elevated intake of emerging contaminants (such as OPEs). Furthermore, higher risks were also found in homes with wooden floors, which were mainly associated with higher levels of PFASs, chloroalkyl and alkyl OPEs, compared with tile floors. Citizens in the urban area also showed higher exposure risks than those in the suburban area. The quantity of household appliances and finishing styles (simple or luxurious) showed an insignificant impact on overall human exposure risks despite their significant effect on the levels of some of the dust contaminants. Results in this study are of importance in understanding human exposure to the co-existence of multiple contaminants in indoor dust., 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 present document is intended to fill the knowledge gap on spatiotemporal variation of suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration and composition by collecting samples from 26 stations during two contrasting seasons of summer and winter. The horizontal distribution of surface SPM is characterized by hotspots (up to 4.0 mg/l) along the river estuaries which sharply declined to <1 mg/l in the offshore region. The average SPM concentration for surface, 25 m, and near-bottom decreased from summer to winter by a factor of 1.1, 1.3, and 1.7, respectively. In the offshore region, the particle composition was dominated by particulate organic matter which accounted for 66 % of bulk SPM. The concentration of opaline silica increased from summer to winter presumably from the bloom of diatoms. The concentration of particulate trace elements in winter decreased in the order of Fe ≫ Ba > Mn ≈ Zn > Ni ≈ Cr ≫ Pb > Cd. The non-crustal portion is the predominant fraction for most trace metals and shows enrichment relative to the upper continental crust, local soil background, and deposited dust that is highest for Cd and lowest for Mn., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Hamid Ershadifar reports administrative support was provided by Iran National Environment Fund. Hamid Ershadifar reports administrative support was provided by Iran National Science Foundation. 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.)

The microbial carbon (C) flux in the ocean is a key functional process governed by the excretion of organic carbon by phytoplankton (EOC) and heterotrophic bacterial carbon demand (BCD). Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels in upper mixed layers and increasing atmospheric dust deposition from arid regions may alter the degree of coupling in the phytoplankton-bacteria relationship (measured as BCD:EOC ratio) with consequences for the C-flux through these compartments in marine oligotrophic ecosystem. Firstly, we performed a field study across the south-western (SW) Mediterranean Sea to assess the degree of coupling (BCD:EOC) and how it may be related to metabolic balance (total primary production: community respiration; PP T :CR). Secondly, we conducted a microcosm experiment in two contrasting areas (heterotrophic nearshore and autotrophic open sea) to test the impact of UVR and dust interaction on microbial C flux. In the field study, we found that BCD was not satisfied by EOC (i.e., BCD:EOC >1; uncoupled phytoplankton-bacteria relationship). BCD:EOC ratio was negatively related to PP T :CR ratio across the SW Mediterranean Sea. A spatial pattern emerged, i.e. in autotrophic open sea stations uncoupling was less severe (BCD:EOC ranged 1-2), whereas heterotrophic nearshore stations uncoupling was more severe (BCD:EOC > 2). In the experimental study, in the seawater both enriched with dust and under UVR, BCD:EOC ratio decreased by stimulating autotrophic processes (particulate primary production (PP P ) and EOC) in the heterotrophic nearshore area, whereas BCD:EOC increased by stimulating heterotrophic processes [heterotrophic bacterial production (HBP), bacterial growth efficiency (BGE), bacterial respiration (BR)] in the autotrophic open sea. Our results show that this spatial pattern could be reversed under future UVR × Dust scenario. Overall, the impact of greater dust deposition and higher UVR levels will alter the phytoplankton-bacteria C-flux with consequences for the productivity of both communities, their standing stocks, and ultimately, the ecosystem's metabolic balance at the sea surface., 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.)

Numerous studies reported the concentration of agonists of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in indoor dust by target chemical analysis or the biological effects of activating the AhR by indoor extracts, but the major AhR agonists identification in indoor dust were rarely researched. In the present study, the indoor dust samples were collected for 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) assay and both non-targeted and targeted chemical analysis for AhR agonists by gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Coupled with non-targeted analysis and toxicity Forecaster (ToxCast)/Tox21 database, 104 ToxCast chemicals were screened to be able to induce EROD response. The combination of targeted chemical analyses and biological effects evaluation indicated that PAHs, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and Cypermethrin might be the important AhR-agonists in different indoor dust and mainly contributed in 1.84%-97.56 % (median: 26.62%) of total observed biological effects through comparing toxic equivalency quotient derived from chemical analysis with biological equivalences derived from bioassay. DBP and cypermethrin seldom reported in the analysis of AhR agonists should raise great concern. In addition, the present results in experiment of synthetic solution of 4 selected AhR-agonists pointed out that some unidentified AhR agonists existed in indoor dust., 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.)

Considering that microplastics (MPs) are classified as ubiquitous pollutants, that air quality affects human health, and that people remain indoors most of the time, the need has arisen to evaluate the exposure to MPs within the suspended dust in indoor environments. With this objective, the present study carried out passive sampling to analyze the precipitation of microparticles in some indoor residential environments (2 apartments) and workplaces (an office, a pastry shop, a gift shop, and a paint shop) in Barranquilla, Colombia. The quantification and physical characterization of microparticles were carried out under a stereomicroscope, and the chemical characterization was carried out by infrared microspectroscopy (μFTIR). The highest average concentration of MPs in the apartments was found in the air-conditioned rooms (1.1 × 10 4  MP/m 2 /day), and concerning the workplaces, the gift shop and the paint shop were the spaces with a higher proportion of MPs (6.0-6.1 × 10 3  MP/m 2 /day), with polyesters being the main synthetic polymers, but being semi-synthetic particles the predominant among the samples. Regarding its morphology, fibers were the most abundant shape (>90%), grouping mainly in the 1000-5000 μm range, while the few fragments found were mostly grouped below 50 μm. Exposure by inhalation of MPs in adults was estimated between 1.7 × 10 2 -1.6 × 10 3  MP/kg/day, while by ingestion it ranged between 2.7 × 10 2 -2.4 × 10 3  MPs/kg/day. On the other hand, within our research, a significant presence of non-plastic microparticles was found, which reached up to 69% in analyzed samples, corresponding mainly to cotton and cellulose, so we suggest that these should also be included in future studies that aim to estimate potential health implications from exposure to suspended micropollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Victoria A. Arana reports financial support, equipment, and supplies were provided by FONDO DE CIENCIA, TECNOLOGÍA E INNOVACIÓN DEL SISTEMA GENERAL DE REGALÍAS and Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación (Minciencias). 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.)

E-waste recycling is an increasingly important activity that contributes to reducing the burden of end-of-life electronic and electrical apparatus and allows for the EU's transition to a circular economy. This study investigated the exposure levels of selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in workers from e-waste recycling facilities across Europe. The concentrations of seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) congeners were measured by GC-MS. Workers were categorized into five groups based on the type of e-waste handled and two control groups. Generalized linear models were used to assess the determinants of exposure levels among workers. POPs levels were also assessed in dust and silicone wristbands (SWB) and compared with serum. Four PCB congeners (CB 118, 138, 153, and 180) were frequently detected in serum regardless of worker's category. With the exception of CB 118, all tested PCBs were significantly higher in workers compared to the control group. Controls working in the same company as occupationally exposed (Within control group), also displayed higher levels of serum CB 180 than non-industrial controls with no known exposures to these chemicals (Outwith controls) (p < 0.05). BDE 209 was the most prevalent POP in settled dust (16 μg/g) and SWB (220 ng/WB). Spearman correlation revealed moderate to strong positive correlations between SWB and dust. Increased age and the number of years smoked cigarettes were key determinants for workers exposure. Estimated daily intake through dust ingestion revealed that ΣPCB was higher for both the 50th (0.03 ng/kg bw/day) and 95th (0.09 ng/kg bw/day) percentile exposure scenarios compared to values reported for the general population. This study is one of the first to address the occupational exposure to PCBs and PBDEs in Europe among e-waste workers through biomonitoring combined with analysis of settled dust and SWB. Our findings suggest that e-waste workers may face elevated PCB exposure and that appropriate exposure assessments are needed to establish effective mitigation 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the occurrence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in house dust samples from six regions across four continents. PFASs were detected in all indoor dust samples, with total median concentrations ranging from 17.3 to 197 ng/g. Among the thirty-one PFAS analytes, eight compounds, including emerging PFASs, exhibited high detection frequencies in house dust from all six locations. The levels of PFASs varied by region, with higher concentrations found in Adelaide (Australia), Tianjin (China), and Carbondale (United States, U.S.). Moreover, PFAS composition profiles also differed among regions. Dust from Australia and the U.S. contained high levels of 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate ester (6:2 diPAP), while perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were predominant in other regions. Furthermore, our results indicate that socioeconomic factors impact PFAS levels. The assessment of human exposure through dust ingestion and dermal contact indicates that toddlers may experience higher exposure levels than adults. However, the hazard quotients of PFASs for both toddlers and adults were below one, indicating significant health risks are unlikely. Our study highlights the widespread occurrence of PFASs in global indoor dust and the need for continued monitoring and regulation of these chemicals., 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.)

Fusion energy investigation has stepped to a new stage adopting deuterium and tritium as fuels from the previous stage concentrating hydrogen plasma physics. Special radiation safety issues would be introduced during this stage. In addition to industrial and military uses, tungsten is also regarded as the most promising plasma facing material for fusion reactors. During the operation of fusion reactors, tungsten-based plasma facing materials can be activated via neutron nuclear reaction. Meanwhile, activated tungsten dust can be produced when high-energy plasma interacts with the tungsten-based plasma facing materials, namely plasma wall interaction. Activated tungsten dust would be an emerging environmental pollutant with radiation toxicity containing various radionuclides in addition to the chemical toxicity of tungsten itself. Nonetheless, the historical underestimation of its environmental availability has led to limited research on tungsten compared to other environmental contaminants. This paper presents the first systematic review on the safety issue of emerging activated tungsten dust, encompassing source terms, environmental behaviors, and health effects. The key contents are as follows: 1) to detail the source terms of activated tungsten dust from aspects of tungsten basic properties, generation mechanism, physical morphology and chemical component, radioactivity, as well as potential release pathways, 2) to illustrate the environmental behaviors from aspects of atmospheric dispersion and deposition, transformation and migration in soil, as well as plant absorption and distribution, 3) to identify the toxicity and health effects from aspects of toxicity to plants, distribution in human body, as well as health effects by radiation and chemical toxicity, 4) based on the research progress, research and development issues needed are also pointed out to better knowledge of safety issue of activated tungsten dust, which would be beneficial to the area of fusion energy and ecological impact caused by the routine tungsten related industrial and military applications., 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.)

Dust pollution from storage and handling of materials in dry bulk ports seriously affects air quality and public health in coastal cities. Accurate prediction of dust pollution helps identify risks early and take preventive measures. However, there remain challenges in solving non-stationary time series and selecting relevant features. Besides, existing studies rarely consider impacts of port operations on dust pollution. Therefore, a hybrid approach based on data decomposition and deep learning is proposed to predict dust pollution from dry bulk ports. Port operational data is specially integrated into input features. A secondary decomposition and recombination (SDR) strategy is presented to reduce data non-stationarity. A dual-stage attention-based sequence-to-sequence (DA-Seq2Seq) model is employed to adaptively select the most relevant features at each time step, as well as capture long-term temporal dependencies. This approach is compared with baseline models on a dataset from a dry bulk port in northern China. The results reveal the advantages of SDR strategy and integrating operational data and show that this approach has higher accuracy than baseline models. The proposed approach can mitigate adverse effects of dust pollution from dry bulk ports on urban residents and help port authorities control dust pollution., 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.)