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Obesity is becoming a global health problem. Visceral adiposity is the main cause of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Dietary improvement is the key to controlling obesity. We hypothesized that a higher Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI) was associated with a lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area. In this cross-sectional study, 10,389 adults were selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2018. CDAI was calculated based on 6 micronutrients: zinc, selenium, total carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. VAT area was determined by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. Linear regression models were constructed to evaluate the association between CDAI and VAT area. Subgroup analyses were also performed. The mean age of participants was 39.68 years, 5240 were male, and 3841 of those were non-Hispanic White. The inverse associations were observed in all models. In model 3, CDAI was inversely associated with VAT area as a continuous variable, β (95% confidence interval), –0.56 (–0.85 to –0.27). When compared with the first tertile, the third tertile of CDAI was also inversely associated with VAT area, β (95% confidence interval), –6.72 (–10.44 to –2.99). No interactions were found in the subgroup analyses. In conclusion, an inverse association between CDAI and VAT area was found among U.S. adults aged 20 to 59 years. These results suggest the possible benefit of an antioxidant diet in relieving visceral obesity. More prospective studies are needed to identify this dietary benefit. In this cross-sectional study, a higher CDAI consisting of Vitamins A, C, and E, and zinc, selenium, and carotenoid was found to be negatively associated with visceral adipose tissue in U.S. adults.Abbreviation: CDAI, Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The works of literature evaluating the eco-environmental risks posed by metals in agricultural areas in developing countries remains limited. This study sought to evaluate the environmental and ecological risks posed by metals in the intensively cultivated areas of the Amik Plain as well as to determine the origins of the metals. For this purpose, 137 soil samples were taken from agricultural production areas of the Amik Plain, and 11 metals (Al, Fe, Ni, Pb, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd and As) were examined in the samples. As Ni had the highest average enrichment factor (EF) value (8.04) when compared with the other metals, the soils were found to be significantly enriched with Ni. The Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed that the Zn concentration was controlled by lithogenic sources, while the Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu concentrations were controlled by both anthropogenic and lithogenic sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive function has inevitable decline with advancing age in nature, and age-related cognitive decline (ARCD) is of increasing concern to aging population. Scarce study has involved the associations between hair trace elements and ARCD in older adults, especially in centenarians and oldest-old adults. This study was to investigate the associations between hair trace elements and ARCD in centenarians and oldest-old adults. Methods: Based on the household registration information of centenarians and oldest-old adults provided by the Civil Affairs Department of Hainan Province, China, the investigators conducted a one-to-one household survey among centenarians (≥100 years old) and oldest-old adults (80–99 years old). All 50 centenarians had a median age of 103 years and females accounted for 68.0%. All 73 oldest-old adults aged 80–99 years had a median age of 90 years and females accounted for 82.2%. Basic information were obtained with questionnaire interview, physical examination, biological test and hair collection by pre-trained local doctors and nurses. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer was used to measure hair trace elements. All data in this study comes from China. Age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, smoking, drinking, hemoglobin, albumin, fasting blood pressure, zinc, chromium, copper, selenium, iron, manganese, strontium, lead, magnesium, potassium, and barium were simultaneously included in multivariate Logistic regression analysis. One adjusted model was done with all hair trace elements together. Results: Zinc and chromium levels were significantly lower in participants with ARCD than those without ARCD (P < 0.05 for all). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that zinc [odds ratio (OR): 0.988, 95%confidence interval (95%CI): 0.977–0.999] and chromium (OR: 0.051, 95%CI: 0.004–0.705) were associated with a reduced likelihood of ARCD (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Hair zinc and chromium levels were associated with a reduced likelihood of ARCD in centenarians and oldest-old adults. Further studies are necessary to verify if zinc and chromium supplementation has the potential to improve cognitive function and prevent ARCD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: Prostate cancer is known to lose the capability to absorb and secrete zinc compared to normal prostate tissue, suggesting that the evaluation of zinc in prostate secretion can be a tool to identify the risk of developing cancer. In our study, we observed that the average amount of zinc detectable in urine after a prostatic massage is lower in patients with prostate cancer than in healthy subjects. Moreover, there is an inverse correlation between the concentration of urinary zinc and the tumor stage. This evidence suggests that the evaluation of urinary zinc may be a parameter for better diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men worldwide, with 1.4 million diagnoses and 310,000 deaths in 2020. Currently, there is an intense debate regarding the serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) test as a diagnostic tool in PCa due to the lack of specificity and high prevalence of over-diagnosis and over-treatments. One of the most consistent characteristics of PCa is the marked decrease in zinc; hence the lost ability to accumulate and secrete zinc represents a potential parameter for early detection of the disease. We quantified zinc levels in urine samples collected after a standardized prostatic massage from 633 male subjects that received an indication for prostate biopsy from 2015 and 2019 at AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino Hospital. We observed that the mean zinc levels were lower in the urine of cancer patients than in healthy subjects, with a decreasing trend in correlation with the progression of the disease. The combination of zinc with standard parameters, such as PSA, age, digital rectal exploration results, and magnetic resonance findings, displayed high diagnostic performance. These results suggest that urinary zinc may represent an early and non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Schiff base chemosensor (SNN) detected dual ions, Al 3+ and Zn 2+ ions selectively. Fluorescence spectrum investigations showed that Al 3+ ions increased fluorescence intensity, notably at 493 nm. Introducing Zn 2+ ions caused a significant blue shift of roughly ∼65 nm at a wavelength of 434 nm, resulting in a notable change in fluorescence intensity. When binding Al 3+ /Zn 2+ ions, the SNN receptor uses three methods. Inhibition of photoinduced electron transfer (PET), excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and restriction of CN isomerization. The jobs plot method found that SNN + Al 3+ and SNN + Zn 2+ complexations had a 1:1 stoichiometry. DFT, LC-HRMS, and 1 H NMR titration confirm this conclusion. The probe SNN's limit of detection (LOD) for Al 3+ /Zn 2+ ions was 3.99 nM and 1.33 nM. Latent fingerprint (LFP), food samples, pharmaceutical products, and E. coli pathogen bio-imaging have all used the SNN probe to identify Al 3+ and Zn 2+ ions., 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.)

Floating Vegetated System (FVS) emerged as a green and sustainable technology, presenting a viable solution for treating heavy metals (HMs) contaminated water without disrupting the food web. Pistia stratiotes has been used in the design of FVS due to its abundance of aerenchyma tissues, which contribute to its ability to remain buoyant. FVS exhibited significant HMs removal efficiencies, with Pb top at average 84.4 %, followed by Zn (81.1 %), Cr (78.5 %), Cu (76.5 %) and Ni (73 %). Bio-concentration Factor (BCF) and Translocation Factor (TF) values evaluated the plant's adeptness in metal uptake. For plants treated with Cu, the highest post-treatment chlorophyll content of 9 ± 1 mg.ml -1 was observed while Zn induced plant shows the lowest content of 7.1 ± 0.4 mg.ml -1 . Using Box-Behnken Design (BBD), the system achieved 81.48 % Pb removal under optimized conditions such as initial Pb conc. of 9.25 mg. l -1 , HRT of 24.49 days and a water depth of 26.52 cm. ANOVA analysis highlighted the significant impact of all the factors such as initial HM conc., HRT and wastewater depth on FVS performance. Kinetic analysis estimated a closer observance to the zero-order model, supported by high determination coefficient (R 2 ) values. In conclusion, the FVS, as one of the most eco-friendly technologies, demonstrates higher potential for treating polluted water bodies, offering a sustainable remedy to global metal pollution challenges. Research on FVS for HMs removal is an area of ongoing interest and there are several potential future studies that could be pursued to further understand and optimize their effectiveness such as optimization of plant species, enhancement of plant-metal interactions, effects of environmental factors, economic feasibility studies, disposal of heavy metals accumulated plant, scale-up and application in real-world settings, etc., 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Heavy metals (HMs) are common contaminants with major concern of severe environmental and health problems. This study evaluated the effects of organo-mineral amendments (mesquite biochar (MB), zeolite (ZL) and bentonite (BN) alone and in combination) applied at different rates to promote the maize (Zea mays L.) growth by providing essential nutrient and improving the soil physio-chemical properties under zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) contamination. Result revealed that the incorporation of organo-mineral amendments had significantly alleviated Pb and Zn contamination by maize plants and improved the physiological and biochemical attributes of plants. Combined application of organo-mineral amendments including BMA-1, BMA-2 and BMA-3 performed excellently in terms of reducing Pb and Zn concentrations in both leaves (19-60%, 43-75%, respectively) and roots (24-59%, 42-68%, respectively) of maize. The amendments decreased the extractable, reducible, oxidisable and residual fractions of metals in soil and significantly reduced the soil DTPA-extractable Pb and Zn. BMA-1 substantially improved antioxidant enzyme activities in metal-stressed plants. This study indicated that combined use of organo-mineral amendments can effectively reduce the bioavailability and mobility of Pb and Zn in co-contaminated soils. Combined application of organo-mineral amendments could be viable remediation technology for immobilization and metal uptake by plants in polluted soils., 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.)

Mercury is a well-recognized environmental contaminant and neurotoxin, having been associated with a number of deleterious neurological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. To investigate how mercury and other metals behave in the brain, we used synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence to map the distribution pattern and quantify concentrations of metals in human brain. Brain tissue was provided by the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center and samples originated from individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and without cognitive impairment. Data were collected at the 2-ID-E beamline at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory with an incident beam energy of 13 keV. Course scans were performed at low resolution to determine gross tissue features, after which smaller regions were selected to image at higher resolution. The findings revealed (1) the existence of mercury particles in the brain samples of two subjects; (2) co-localization and linear correlation of mercury and selenium in all particles; (3) co-localization of these particles with zinc structures; and (4) association with sulfur in some of these particles. These results suggest that selenium and sulfur may play protective roles against mercury in the brain, potentially binding with the metal to reduce the induced toxicity, although at different affinities. Our findings call for further studies to investigate the relationship between mercury, selenium, and sulfur, as well as the potential implications in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Swine farming produces large quantities of nutrient-rich wastewater, which often contains metals such as Cu and Zn, used as feed additives for pigs. These metals must be removed from the wastewater before discharge but their retention in the biomass can limit its subsequent utilization. Photobioreactors are a very promising alternative for swine wastewater treatment, as the consortium of microalgae and bacteria growing symbiotically in these reactors allows high nutrient and metal removal efficiency at moderate costs. This work studies the mechanisms of removal of Cu(II) and Zn(II) by the two types of microorganisms growing in these photobioreactors. A microalga commonly used in wastewater treatment (Scenedesmus almeriensis) and an activated sludge were kept in contact with synthetic wastewater containing 100 mg/L of Cu and Zn. After 72 h, Scenedesmus almeriensis removed 43% of Cu and 45% of Zn, while activated sludge removed 78% of Cu and 96% of Zn. Single and sequential extractions of the biomasses using different extracting reagents revealed that biosorption on protonable groups is the dominant removal mechanisms. Mild reagents solubilized 69% of Cu and 94% of Zn from the microalgae and 76% of Cu and 93% of Zn from the activated sludge. Low metal concentrations in the oxidizable and residual fractions evidenced minimal bioaccumulation inside the cells. FTIR and ESEM-EDX analysis confirmed biosorption by ion exchange and complexation as the main metal remediation mechanisms. The weak bonds of the biosorbed Cu and Zn ions are beneficial for the valorization of biomass and the obtaining of safe bioproducts., 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.)

The risk assessment of heavy metals in tea is extremely imperative for the health of tea consumers. However, the effects of varietal variations and seasonal fluctuations on heavy metals and minerals in tea plants remain unclear. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to evaluate the contents of aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), boron (B), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and antimony (Sb) in the two categories of young leaves (YL) and mature leaves (ML) of tea (Camellia sinensis) cultivars throughout the growing seasons. The results showed significant variations in the contents of the investigated nutrients both among the different cultivars and growing seasons as well. Furthermore, the average concentrations of Al, Mn, Mg, B, Ca, Cu, Co, Fe, Na, Zn, As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sb in YL ranged, from 671.58-2209.12, 1260.58-1902.21, 2290.56-2995.36, 91.18-164.68, 821.95-5708.20, 2.55-3.80, 3.96-25.22, 37.95-202.84, 81.79-205.05, 27.10-69.67, 0.028-0.053, 0.065-0.127, 2.40-3.73, 10.57-12.64, 0.11-0.14 mg kg -1 , respectively. In ML, the concentrations were 2626.41-7834.60, 3980.82-6473.64, 3335.38-4537.48, 327.33-501.70, 9619.89-13153.68, 4.23-8.18, 17.23-34.20, 329.39-567.19, 145.36-248.69, 40.50-81.42, 0.089-0.169, 0.23-0.27, 5.24-7.89, 18.51-23.97, 0.15-0.19 mg kg -1 , respectively. The contents of all analyzed nutrients were found to be higher in ML than in YL. Target hazard quotients (THQ) of As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sb, as well as the hazard index (HI), were all less than one, suggesting no risk to human health via tea consumption. This research might provide the groundwork for essential minerals recommendations, as well as a better understanding and management of heavy metal risks in tea., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no competing financial interest or personal relationship that could have appeared to influence the work reported in the article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) are essential nutrients for plants. Mg deficiency often occurs in rice plants grown in Zn-polluted soil. However, the mechanism for this correlation is unclear. Here, we performed culture experiments on rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) and used Mg isotopes to investigate mechanisms of Zn stress on plant Mg deficiency. Our results show that excess Zn can significantly reduce the uptake of Mg in rice tissues. The root displays positive Δ 26 Mg plant-nutrient values (δ 26 Mg plant -δ 26 Mg nutrient ; 1.90 ‰ to 2.06 ‰), which suggests that Mg enters the root cells mainly via Mg-specific transporters rather than non-selective diffusion. The decreased Δ 26 Mg plant-nutrient values with increasing Zn supply can be explained by the competition between Zn and Mg, both of which combine with same transporters in roots. In contrast, the shoots (stem and leaf) display much lower δ 26 Mg values than roots, which suggests that the transport of Mg from roots to aerial biomass is mainly via free Mg ions, during which Zn cannot competitively inhibit the movement of Mg. Our study suggests that the Mg deficiency in rice plants can be caused by high Zn-levels in soils and highlights the necessity of soil Zn-remediation in solving Mg deficiency problems in rice plants., 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.)

Selenium (Se) accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has become a major global concern. Se offers multiple health benefits in humans; however, its inadequate or excessive intake can be harmful. Therefore, determining the factors driving Se abundance and bioavailability in paddy soils is essential to ensure the safety of human Se intake. This study investigated the accumulation, bioavailability, and distribution of Se in 820 paddy soil and rice grain samples from Luxi County, China to assess how soil properties (soil organic matter [SOM], cation exchange capacity [CEC], and pH), geographical factors (parent materials, elevation, and mean annual precipitation [MAP] and temperature [MAT]), and essential micronutrients (copper [Cu], zinc [Zn], and manganese [Mn]) govern Se accumulation and bioavailability in paddy soils. Results showed that the average soil Se content was 0.36 mg kg -1 , which was higher than that in China (0.29 mg kg -1 ). Alternatively, the average rice grain Se content was 0.032 mg kg -1 , which was lower than the minimum allowable content in Se-rich rice grains (0.04 mg kg -1 ). Five studied parent materials all had a significant effect on soil Se content but had little effect on Se bioavailability (p < 0.05). CEC, elevation, and SOM, as well as the soil contents of Cu, Zn, and Mn were positively correlated with soil Se content, but pH, MAP, and MAT were negatively correlated. Correspondingly, Se bioavailability was negatively correlated with SOM and soil Zn content, but positively correlated with MAP and grain contents of Cu, Zn, and Mn. Furthermore, partial least squares path analysis revealed the interactive impacts of the influencing factors on Se accumulation and bioavailability in soils. On this basis, prediction models were established to predict Se accumulation and bioavailability in paddy soils, thereby providing theoretical support for developing efficient control measures to meet Se challenges in agriculture., 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The lack of understanding of heavy metal speciation and solubility control mechanisms in smelting soils limits the effective pollution control. In this study smelting soils were investigated by an advanced mineralogical analysis (AMICS), leaching tests and thermodynamic modelling. The aims were to identify the partitioning and release behaviour of Pb, Zn, Cd and As. The integration of multiple techniques was necessary and displayed coherent results. In addition to the residual fraction, Pb and Zn were predominantly associated with reducible fractions, and As primarily existed as the crystalline iron oxide-bound fractions. AMICS quantitative analysis further confirmed that Fe oxyhydroxides were the common dominant phase for As, Cd, Pb and Zn. In addition, a metal arsenate (paulmooreite) was an important mineral host for Pb and As. The pH-stat leaching indicted that the release of Pb, Zn and Cd increased towards low pH values while release of As increased towards high pH values. The separate leaching schemes were associated with the geochemical behaviour under the control of minerals and were confirmed by thermodynamic modelling. PHREEQC calculations suggested that the formation of arsenate minerals (schultenite, mimetite and koritnigite) and the binding to Fe oxyhydroxides synchronously controlled the release of Pb, Zn, Cd and As. Our results emphasized the governing role of Fe oxyhydroxides and secondary insoluble minerals in natural attenuation of heavy metals, which provides a novelty strategy for the stabilization of multi-metals in smelting sites., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This research examines the concentration of 10 trace elements including arsenic (As), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al) from among 36 different samples of coffee (3 brands and 2 types of simple and instant) and mixed coffee (3 brands and 4 types of simple, creamy, chocolate and sugar free) collected from market of Iran's and analyzed by using ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry). The recovery, limit of quantification (LOQ), and limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 93.4 to 103.1%, 0.06 to 7.22, and 0.018 to 2.166 µg/kg, respectively. The findings showed that the highest and lowest average concentrations were 498.72 ± 23.07 μg/kg (Fe) and 3.01 ± 1.30 μg/kg (As) in coffee and mixed coffee samples. Also, in all samples, the maximum concentration of trace elements was related to Fe (1353.61 µg/kg) and the minimum concentration was related to Al, As, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn that were not detected (ND). The samples of mixed coffee had highest levels of trace elements compared to coffee samples. In coffee samples, type of instant coffee had highest levels of trace elements compared to simple coffee and mixed coffee samples. The type of creamy mixed coffee had highest levels of trace elements (except Ni and Cr) compared to other type of mixed coffee samples. Finally, trace elements were less than the standard levels of Iran and other countries (in all samples); therefore, it does not threaten Iranian consumers., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Innate immune systems alter the concentrations of trace elements in host niches in response to invading pathogens during infection. This work reports the interplay between d-block metal ions and their associated biomolecules using hyphenated elemental techniques to spatially quantify both elemental distributions and the abundance of specific transport proteins. Here, lung tissues were collected for analyses from naïve and Streptococcus pneumoniae-infected mice fed on a zinc-restricted or zinc-supplemented diet. Spatiotemporal distributions of manganese ( 55 Mn), iron ( 56 Fe), copper ( 63 Cu), and zinc ( 66 Zn) were determined by quantitative laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The murine transport proteins ZIP8 and ZIP14, which are associated with zinc transport, were also imaged by incorporation of immunohistochemistry techniques into the analytical workflow. Collectively, this work demonstrates the potential of a single instrumental platform suitable for multiplex analyses of tissues and labelled antibodies to investigate complex elemental interactions at the host-pathogen interface. Further, these methods have the potential for broad application to investigations of biological pathways where concomitant measurement of elements and biomolecules is crucial to understand the basis of disease and aid in development of new therapeutic approaches., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Meloxicam (MLX) is a novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, but on the other hand, it has become one of the common microcontaminants in surface waters and sewage. Herein, we report the preparation of a ternary-metal Zn(II)-Cd(II)-Eu(III) nanocluster 1 for the response of MLX through the enhancement of lanthanide luminescence. The luminescence sensing behavior of 1 is expressed by the equation I 615nm = 3060 × [MLX] + 46,604, which can be used in the quantitative analysis of MLX concentrations in meloxicam dispersible tablets. Filter paper strips bearing 1 can be used to qualitatively detect MLX by a color change to red under a UV lamp. The luminescence response time is no more than five s, and the detection limit is as low as 2.31 × 10 -2 nM.

A nine-metal Zn(II)-Eu(III) nanoring 1 with a diameter of about 2.3 nm was constructed by the use of a long-chain Schiff base ligand. It shows a luminescence response to neopterin (Neo) through the enhancement of lanthanide emission with high selectivity and sensitivity, which can be used to quantitatively analyze the concentrations of Neo in fetal calf serum and urine. The luminescence sensing of 1 to Neo is temperature-dependent, and it displays more obvious response behavior at lower temperatures. Filter paper strips bearing 1 can be used to qualitatively detect Neo by the color change from chartreuse to red under a UV lamp. The limit of detection is as low as 3.77 × 10 -2 nM.

In recent years, the rapid development of pig farming has led to a large quantity of heavy metal-polluted wastewater. Thus, it was desirable to develop a simple heavy metal detection method for fast monitoring of the wastewater from the pig farms. Therefore, there was an urgent need to develop a simple method for rapidly detecting heavy metal ions in pig farm wastewater. Herein, a simple electrochemical method for simultaneous detection of Cu 2+ and Zn 2+ was developed and applied to pig farm wastewater. With a glassy carbon electrode and anodic stripping voltammetry, simultaneous detection of Cu 2+ and Zn 2+ in water was achieved without the need for complicated electrode modification. Furthermore, it was found that the addition of Cd 2+ can enhance the response current of the electrode to Zn 2+ , which increased the signal by eight times. After systematic optimization, the limit of detection (LOD) of 9.3 μg/L for Cu 2+ and 45.3 μg/L for Zn 2+ was obtained. Finally, it was successfully applied for the quantification of Cu 2+ and Zn 2+ with high accuracy in pig farm wastewater. This work provided a new and simple solution for fast monitoring of the wastewater from pig farms and demonstrated the potential of electrochemical measurement for application in modern animal husbandry.

The study investigated the influence of a National Highway (NH) traversing tea estates (TEs) on heavy metal (HM) contamination in the top soils of Upper Assam, India. The dispersion and accumulation of six HMs, viz. cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), within tea-growing soils were assessed using diverse indices: contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (DC), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (I geo ), modified degree of contamination (MDC), Nemerow pollution index (PI Nemerow ), pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk factor (E r i ), and potential ecological risk index (RI). The order of HM prevalence was Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cd. Elevated Cd levels near the NH prompted immediate attention, while Cd and Zn showed moderate pollution in CF, EF, and RI. The remaining metals posed minimal individual risk (E r i < 40), resulting in an overall contamination range of "nil to shallow," signifying slight contamination from the studied metals. From MDC values for investigated metals, it was found to be "zero to very low degree of contamination" at all locations except the vicinity of NH. Soil pollution, as determined by PLI, indicated unpolluted soils in both districts, yet PI Nemerow values indicated slight pollution. The statistical analysis revealed that there is a significant decrease in most of the indices of HM as the distance from NH increases. The application of multivariate statistical techniques namely Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis showed the presence of three distinct homogenous groups of distances based on different indices. This investigation underscores NH-associated anthropogenic effects on TE soil quality due to HM deposition, warranting proactive mitigation measures., 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.)

With the transformation and upgrading of industries, the environmental problems caused by industrial residual contaminated sites are becoming increasingly prominent. Based on actual investigation cases, this study analyzed the soil pollution status of a remaining sites of the copper and zinc rolling industry, and found that the pollutants exceeding the screening values included Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, total petroleum hydrocarbons and 6 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon monomers. Based on traditional analysis methods such as the correlation coefficient and spatial distribution, combined with machine learning methods such as SOM + K-means, it is inferred that the heavy metal Zn/Pb may be mainly related to the production history of zinc rolling. Cu/Ni may be mainly originated from the production history of copper rolling. PAHs are mainly due to the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels in the melting equipment. TPH pollution is speculated to be related to oil leakage during the industrial use period and later period of vehicle parking. The results showed that traditional analysis methods can quickly identify the correlation between site pollutants, while SOM + K-means machine learning methods can further effectively extract complex hidden relationships in data and achieve in-depth mining of site monitoring data., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The goal of the study was to analyse the concentrations of chemical elements (Fe, Ni, As, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, Zn) which are important for the determination of environmental toxins (e.g. resulting from smoking, exposure to harmful agents at work) in Polish patients with prostate cancer. The study covered 66 patients with diagnosed prostate cancer and 64 healthy volunteers over 50 years old. The analysis of the concentrations of selected chemical elements in whole blood was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In their blood, the patients with cancer had a significantly higher concentration of only one of the examined elements: arsenic. Additionally, the study group had lower concentrations of chromium, zinc, but also cadmium and lead, which are commonly regarded as carcinogenic. Taking into consideration the control group of healthy subjects of this study, we can assume that the subjects with prostate cancer were exposed to higher levels of arsenic, and that exposure to this element may be associated with an increased risk of cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of caffeine residues in the Nile River according to drainage of treated wastewater at Assiut, Egypt, and the effects of physicochemical parameters and zinc on its concentration. Four different sites were selected to perform the study: S, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) canal (source site); J, a junction site between WWTP canal and the Nile; R, a reference site in the Nile before J site; and A, a site located after J site in the Nile. Water and sediment samples were collected in Summer 2022 and Winter 2023. Caffeine and Zn concentrations and physicochemical parameters were measured in the collected samples. The caffeine concentrations in water samples ranged from 5.73 to 53.85 μg L -1 at S in winter and summer, respectively, while those in sediment ranged from 0.14 mg kg -1 at R in winter to 1.54 mg kg -1 at S in summer. Caffeine and Zn concentrations were higher in summer samples. The Water Quality Index (WQI) of the collected samples recorded the lowest values in winter season at S and J sites. The study found that caffeine and zinc concentrations are positively correlated with water temperature and conductivity, while negatively correlated with pH. The association between caffeine and Zn highlights the environmental impact of heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues, and stresses the need for future research on these interactions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Understanding the metal concentrations in oysters is important because of its relevance to human health and biomonitoring. However, metal concentrations in oysters are highly variable in nature and not well explained by metal exposure. This study examined the metal contamination in farm oysters Crassostrea hongkongensis grown in Qinzhou Bay, south China. Cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu) concentrations in the oysters varied between 7.9 and 72.2, 282-17003, 0.37-47.7 and 37-4012 μg g -1 , respectively, showing large metal variability among different individuals. Oyster metal concentrations decreased with increasing body size and significantly higher levels were observed in wet season. Low salinity and slower oyster growth due to inferior growth conditions could be responsible for the elevated metal concentrations in the wet season. Biokinetic modeling showed that the coupling of ingestion rate and growth can cause 2.8-4.2 folds differences in the oyster Cd and Zn concentrations, respectively, suggesting the significant role of oyster bioenergetics in contributing to the metal variability. Modeling data revealed that Cd and Zn concentrations in oyster tissues reach maximum levels when oysters have their lowest growth efficiency. This suggests that any factors influencing the energy budget in oysters could simultaneously alter their metal concentrations, which might be the reason why oyster metal concentrations are so variable in the natural environment., 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.)

Historical pesticide use in agriculture and trace metal accumulation have long term impact on soil, sediment, and water quality. This research quantifies legacy and current-use pesticides and trace metals, assessing their occurrence and toxicological implications on a watershed scale in the Sogamoso River basin, tributary of the Magdalena River in Colombia. Organochlorine pesticides (22), organophosphates (7), and azole fungicides (5), as well as trace metals cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were analyzed in croplands and along the river. Toxic units (TU) and hazard quotients (HQ) were calculated to assess the mixture toxicity. Organochlorines were detected in 84% of soils, 100% of sediments, and 80% of water samples. Organophosphates were found in 100% of soil and sediment samples, as well as in 70% of water samples. Azole fungicides were present in 79% of soils, 60% of sediments, and in 10% of water samples. Total pesticide concentrations ranged from 214.2 to 8497.7 μg/kg in soils, 569.6-12768.2 μg/kg in sediments, and 0.2-4.1 μg/L in water. In addition, the use of partition coefficient (K d ) and organic carbon fraction (f oc ) allowed the distribution analysis for most of the pesticides in sediments, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and water systems, but not for soils. Concentrations of trace metals Cu, Zn, Pb, and Zn exceeded international quality guidelines for agricultural soils in 16% of the samples. Furthermore, Cu and Zn concentrations exceeded sediment quality guidelines in 50 and 90% of the samples, respectively. These findings demonstrate the broad distribution of complex mixtures of trace metals, legacy organochlorines, and current-use pesticides across the basin, indicating that conventional agriculture is a significant source of diffuse pollution. Sustainable agricultural practices are needed to mitigate adverse impacts on ecosystems and human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Heavy metal pollution is a serious environmental problem worldwide, creating the necessity to find eco-friendly strategies for monitoring and remediating environments. This study aimed to evaluate morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses as indicative of Zn tolerance in Limonium brasiliense and to determine the ability of this halophyte to accumulate different concentrations of Zn (0, 100, and 200 μM) in hydroponic conditions. The leaf shape at high Zn concentration showed enlarged petioles and lanceolate blades, whereas the leaf size was reduced. Water content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and pigment content decreased with Zn addition. Of the antioxidant activities, only APx increased 75% compared to the control by Zn stress. Zn concentration was higher in aerial structures than in roots (BAC> 1 and TF> 1), suggesting that L. brasiliense could function as an accumulator of Zn. Its great ability to resist metal stress and its strong capacity to protect itself against high Zn concentration postulate it as a good phytoremediation of environments enriched with Zn. The study emphasizes using leaf morphology as an early biomonitoring tool for detecting Zn pollution, providing more evidence of their potential use as a biomarker for evaluating and assessing ecosystem health in biomonitoring programs., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Rice consumption is a key Cd exposure pathway, which poses a health risk to humans. Reducing cadmium (Cd) concentrations in rice remains challenging. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to examine the effects of foliar spray of Zn combined with organic matters (including Zn-lysine (Zn-Lys), Zn-fulvic acid (Zn-FA), Zn-amino acid (Zn-AA), and Zn combined with glutathione (Zn + GSH)) on Cd accumulation in rice grains. Compared with the control group, all treatment groups exhibited reduced Cd concentration in rice grains, while improving plant growth, and reducing Cd transport from other tissues to the grains. Zn-FA was found to be the most effective fertilizer, which considerably reduced Cd concentrations in grains from 0.77 ± 0.068 to 0.14 ± 0.021 mg/kg and yielded reductions of up to 81%, which is within the Chinese food maximum tolerable limit of 0.2 mg/kg. Furthermore, the analysis of the chemical forms of Cd of rice tissues indicated that the treatment groups had increased proportions of integrated with pectates and protein in the stems. Except for the group treated with Zn-Lys spray, the percentages of undissolved Cd phosphate in the leaves were increased in all treatment groups, which reduced Cd toxicity to rice plants. The foliar application of Zn combined with organic matters may be a promising strategy to decrease Cd concentration in rice grains cultivated in severely Cd-contaminated agricultural soil, particularly in the karst area in southwest China with limited available cultivable agricultural land., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are bromine-bearing additives added to the polymeric fraction in various applications to impede fire ignition. The Stockholm Convention and various other legislations abolished legacy BFRs usage and hence, the so-called novel BFRs (NBFRs) were introduced into the market. Recent studies spotlighted their existence in household dust, aquifers and aquatic/aerial species. Co-pyrolysis of BFRs with metal oxides has emerged as a potent chemical recycling approach that produces a bromine-free stream of hydrocarbon. Herein, we investigate the debromination of two prominent two NBFRs; namely tetrabromobisphenol A 2,3-dibromopropyl ether (TD) and tetrabromobisphenol A diallyl ether (TAE) through their co-pyrolysis with zinc oxide (ZnO) and franklinite (ZnFe 2 O 4 ). Most of the zinc content in electrical arc furnace dust (EAFD) exists in the form of these two metal oxides. Conversion of these metal oxides into their respective bromides could also assist in the selective extraction of the valuable zinc content in EAFD. The debromination potential of both oxides was unveiled via a multitude of characterization studies to analyze products (char, gas and condensates). The thermogravimetric analysis suggested a pyrolytic run up to 500 °C and the TAE treatment with ZnO produced only a trivial amount of brominated compounds (relative area, 0.83%). Phenol was the sole common compound in condensable products; potentially formed by the β-scission debromination reaction from the parental molecular skeleton. Inorganic compounds and methane were the major constituents in the gaseous products. The pyrochar analyses confirmed the presence of metal bromides retained in the residue, averting the bromine release into the atmosphere. The ion chromatography analysis portrayed <8% of HBr gas release into the atmosphere upon pyrolysis with ZnO. The ZnO dominance herein envisaged further probes into other spinel ferrites in combating brominated polymers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lead-zinc (Pb-Zn) tailings ponds carry the risk of multiple heavy metals (HMs) contamination and pile destabilization. This poses requirements for in-situ applicable, low-distribution, and effective stabilization/solidification (S/S) methods. For this, the novel enzymatically induced phosphate precipitation (EIPP) method was implemented in this study. Its mechanism and performance on stabilization of composite Pb, Zn, and cadmium (Cd) in tailings were explored and evaluated under typical erosion conditions for the first time. Results show that the EIPP stabilized HMs by chemically transforming the unstable carbonate-bound HMs to stable phosphate precipitates and by physically encapsulating tailings particles with newberyite precipitates. The stabilization effect on the three HMs was ranked as Pb > Zn > Cd. Comparing magnesium resources for the EIPP reactants, the EIPP utilizing Mg(CH 3 COO) 2 was more effective at decontamination than MgCl 2 because its special pre-activation and re-precipitation function enhanced the chemical transformation function of EIPP. The EIPP stabilization was confirmed to reduce simulated acid rain-leachable and bio-extractive HMs by about 90% and 60%, respectively. Under the prolonged acid attack, treated HMs were ultimately leached through the dissolution mechanism. Zn exhibited significant instability in highly acidic conditions (pH = 2.5-3.5), where its cumulative leaching toxicity after long-term dissolution warrants attention. Overall, EIPP presents a novel and effective strategy for on-site mitigation of composite HMs pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jiangshan Li reports financial support was provided by Department of Science and Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. 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.)

Zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) stable isotopic compositions have been analyzed in various species of bivalve mollusks worldwide, but no comprehensive systematic interspecies comparison exists. Thus, we assessed isotope differences between species harvested in emblematic French coastal ecosystems to unveil biologically driven Cu and Zn isotope fractionation patterns. Inter-species isotopic variability of Cu is larger than Zn, with organisms that regulate internal concentrations displaying preferential bioaccumulation of heavy isotopes. The degree of internal isotope fractionation decreases from mussels > clams > oysters, affecting Cu more than Zn. The less pronounced Zn inter-specie variability helps preserve source information more reliably. Spatial analysis of a single oyster species denotes thus an important isotope variability of environmental Zn sources, including natural, anthropogenic and dietary components. Overall, results highlight the importance of considering systematic offset in Cu and Zn isotope values when comparing data from different bivalve species., 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.)

Heavy metals are naturally omnipresent in aquatic systems. Excess amounts of heavy metals can accumulate in organisms of pollution impacted systems and transfer across a food web. Analysing the food web structure and metal contents of the organisms can help unravel the pathways of biomagnification or biodilution and gain insight in trophic linkages. We measured heavy metals and other elements in mussel bank detritus and organisms of the Biesbosch reservoirs (the Netherlands) and linked those to stable isotopic signatures. The heavy metal contents (cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc) were often lowest in benthivorous, omnivorous and piscivorous species (mainly fish); whereas, phosphorus contents were lower in the autotrophs. Mussel bank detritus contained the highest amounts of heavy metals. The heavy metals were negatively correlated with δ 15 N values. For selenium no clear trend was observed. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between fish length and some heavy metals. Based on all 20 analysed elemental contents, similarities between species became apparent, related to niche or habitat. This study confirms that elemental contents of species can differ between feeding guilds and/or species, which can be attributed to metabolic and physiological processes. The organisms in higher trophic levels have adaptations preventing metal accumulation, resulting in lower contents. Within the fish species biodilution occurs, as most metal contents were lowest in bigger fish. Overall, the metals did not seem to biomagnify, but biodilute in the food web. Metal analyses combined with isotopic signatures could thus provide insights in metal transfer and possible trophic linkages within a system., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The relationship between long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and mortality is well-established; however, the role of individual species is less understood., Objectives: In this study, we assess the overall effect of long-term exposure to PM 2.5 as a mixture of species and identify the most harmful of those species while controlling for the others., Methods: We looked at changes in mortality among Medicare participants 65 years of age or older from 2000 to 2018 in response to changes in annual levels of 15 PM 2.5 components, namely: organic carbon, elemental carbon, nickel, lead, zinc, sulfate, potassium, vanadium, nitrate, silicon, copper, iron, ammonium, calcium, and bromine. Data on exposure were derived from high-resolution, spatio-temporal models which were then aggregated to ZIP code. We used the rate of deaths in each ZIP code per year as the outcome of interest. Covariates included demographic, temperature, socioeconomic, and access-to-care variables. We used a mixtures approach, a weighted quantile sum, to analyze the joint effects of PM 2.5 species on mortality. We further looked at the effects of the components when PM 2.5 mass levels were at concentrations below 8 μg/m 3 , and effect modification by sex, race, Medicaid status, and Census division., Results: We found that for each decile increase in the levels of the PM 2.5 mixture, the rate of all-cause mortality increased by 1.4% (95% CI: 1.3%-1.4%), the rate of cardiovascular mortality increased by 2.1% (95% CI: 2.0%-2.2%), and the rate of respiratory mortality increased by 1.7% (95% CI: 1.5%-1.9%). These effects estimates remained significant and slightly higher when we restricted to lower concentrations. The highest weights for harmful effects were due to organic carbon, nickel, zinc, sulfate, and vanadium., Conclusions: Long-term exposure to PM 2.5 species, as a mixture, increased the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Joel D Schwartz reports financial support was provided by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Joel D Schwartz reports a relationship with US Department of Justice that includes: paid expert testimony. 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Zinc (Zn) deficiency in soil is a serious constraint affecting the yield and nutritional quality of wheat and, in turn, human health. Zn fertilization for enhancing its density in grains is a prominent technological solution for the problem. Accordingly, the present study (pot experiment) was undertaken to (i) assess the impacts of different Zn fertilization technologies on yield, concentrations of Zn, phytic acid (PA), iron (Fe) and also the bioavailability of Zn in grains and (ii) determine the optimised Zn fertilization technology that balances all the above attributes. To achieve this, six Zn fertilization technologies, namely, soil fertilization alone, combined soil and foliar fertilization at maximum tillering, jointing, flowering, dough stages and also foliar fertilization alone were tested and compared with control (no Zn) in forty different soil series representing two distinct soil orders, Inceptisols and Alfisols . Results showed that relative effectiveness of different Zn fertilization technologies varied for the crop attributes studied. Soil + foliar fertilization was superior in increasing grain yield (10-13% over the control). Moreover, for an optimum balance among all the tested attributes including bioavailability of Zn to human, foliar Zn fertilization at later crop growth stage (i.e. dough) combined with soil fertilization was the best. It was found that biofortified wheat grains obtained through Zn fertilization, on an average, could supply about 1.5 times more bioavailable Zn than the normal grains. Therefore, the outcomes of this study can provide a guideline for sustainable and quality wheat production, which will help address the malnutrition challenge.

This study aimed to analyze the serum and salivary levels of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn) and the Cu/Zn ratio and investigate the association between LOX gene variants (rs18800449 and rs2288393) and oral submucosal fibrosis (OSMF). A total of 250 subjects were included in the study: OSMF patients (n = 50), areca nut chewers without OSMF (n = 100) and controls (n = 100). Trace metals were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, while LOX gene variants were genotyped using the tetra primer amplification refractory mutation system (tetra ARMS) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The results showed significant variations in serum and salivary Cu, Zn, Fe and Cr levels and serum Mn concentrations among the three groups (p < 0.0001). Serum Cu levels were significantly higher in OSMF patients, while serum Zn levels were significantly lower. Both serum and salivary Cu/Zn ratios demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001) and diagnostic potential to differentiate OSMF from chewers and controls. However, LOX gene variants did not show an association between OSMF and chewers, except for rs1800449 genotypes, which showed a significant and increased risk with the AA genotype in OSMF patients compared to controls (OR = 7.58; 95%CI 2.30-24.97). The study suggests that trace elements and genetic variants may impact the etiology of OSMF. The findings may aid in early diagnosis, suitable treatment, and as a prognostic indicator for disease progression., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Zinc (Zn) deficiency in humans is of worldwide concern. The objective of this study was to investigate the Zn intake gap in Chinese adults and identify the potential role of biofortification technologies for wheat and rice, including crop nutrient management and breeding, in filling the gap., Results: We use data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2011 to identify food consumption patterns and dietary Zn intake of 4512 adults to define and quantify the Zn intake gap in the population. The dietary Zn intake gap of surveyed adults ranged from -0.8 to 6.53 mg day -1 across nine provinces and differences were associated with differences in food consumption patterns. Both dietary Zn intake and Zn gap for males were higher than for females. The potential of changes in five management strategies (improved nitrogen fertilization, improved phosphorus fertilization, foliar Zn fertilization, improved water management and growing varieties reaching the grain Zn breeding target) was analyzed. Breeding and foliar Zn fertilization were shown to be the two most effective management strategies that could increase dietary intake by 1.29 to 5 mg Zn day -1 dependent on sex and province., Conclusion: This study shows that the Zn gap varied across regions in China, with some large enough to warrant interventions. Wheat and rice as two major Zn sources could be targeted without a direct need for dietary diversification. By promoting both biofortification breeding of wheat and rice and Zn fertilization, dietary Zn intake could be enhanced to contribute to human health improvement in China. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Cation and anion sensing is vital owing to their universal dispersion in ecosystems and biological functions. It has been shown that fluorescent receptors based on organic platforms are efficient for detecting a number of ions and have many advantages such as low cost, superior sensitivity and simplicity in installation. This study demonstrates the design and synthesis of a novel receptor ( E )-3-[(3,5-di- tert -butyl-2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino]-2-(pyren-1-yl)-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1 H )-one (DTQ) for the rapid recognition of Zn(II) ions. DTQ exhibited a significant fluorometric "turn-on" characteristic towards Zn(II) at λ max 444 nm in aqueous acetonitrile by inhibiting the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) and -CN- process. The ESI-MS analysis and Job's plot experimental results confirmed stoichiometric 1 : 1 complex formation between DTQ and Zn(II). Fluorometric investigations revealed the detection limit and association constant of DTQ towards Zn(II), which were found to be 13.4 nM and 1.47 × 10 5 M -1 , respectively. DTQ was employed to sense Zn(II) on low-cost test strips. The present research findings imply that DTQ can function as an effective sensor for Zn(II).

Trace metals are naturally occurring metals found in very small concentrations in the environment. In the context of fish flesh, metals such as copper, calcium, potassium, sodium, zinc, iron, and manganese are absorbed by fish and play vital roles in various physiological functions. However, if these metals exceed the recommended limits set by WHO/FAO, they are termed 'toxic metals' due to their harmful impacts on both the fish and its consumers. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze the levels of protein, lipids, and certain metals-Aluminum (Al), Sodium (Na), Zinc (Zn), Titanium (Ti), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Potassium (K), and Calcium (Ca) in three commercially important marine fishes i.e. Rastrelliger kanagurta, Sardinella abella, and Otolithes ruber. The study also aims to assess their potential impact on human health. The macro-Kjeldhal method and Soxhlet apparatus were used to estimate protein and lipid contents, while atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to estimate trace metals found in fishes. The study found that these fish species are valuable sources of protein, lipids, and certain essential minerals. The protein content (CP) in these three species ranged from 63.35 to 86.57%, while lipid content was from 21.05 to 23.86%. The overall results of the trace metal concentrations analyzed in the present study revealed that Aluminum (Al), Sodium (Na), Zinc (Zn), Titanium (Ti), Copper (Cu), Potassium (K), and Calcium (Ca) were found in low concentration or traces and also within suitable ranges as set by WHO/FAO. However, Iron (Fe) was absent in all three species. Moreover, both copper and potassium were found in all three species, while Zinc was present in Rastrelliger kanagurta and Sardinella abella, calcium in Sardinella abella, and sodium in Otolithes ruber only. Titanium was recorded for the first time in S. abella. However, the total health risk assessment associated with these fish food consumption was measured by THQ and TTHQ and found to be less than 1, which shows no potential risk related to trace metals found in these fishes on human health upon their consumption. In conclusion, these commercially important marine fish species were found valuable sources of protein, lipids, and essential trace minerals that are necessary for human health. Thus, the current study provides useful information for the local population to make informed decisions about their daily diets and highlights the importance of sustainable fishing practices to maintain these valuable marine resources by periodical monitoring of their ecosystem., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Agriculture in highly weathered tropical soils often requires considerable application of lime and fertilizers to ensure satisfactory plant nutrient levels. The consequences of these continue long-term applications is not well understood may induce changes in soil chemical properties, the abundance, and speciation of potentially toxic trace element and as well as of micronutrients in agriculture soils. In this study, we evaluated the adsorption (at pH 5) and speciation of Zn in tropical soils (both agricultural and native vegetation) as a function of fertilization and contact time using chemical fractionation analyses and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The soils overall had high Zn adsorption capacities (∼ 700 mg kg -1 ), but the agricultural soil was approximately 30 % higher than of the soil under native vegetation, and the proportion of Zn in the mobile fraction was 35 % in native vegetation and 21 % in agricultural soils. Zn speciation via linear combination analysis showed a strong relationship with soil mineralogical composition and reveled that Zn associated with organic matter decreased while Zn associated with P increased after the conversion of soils from native vegetation to highly fertilized soil. Aluminosilicate soil minerals were identified as major sinks of soil Zn, accounting for 34 % of total Zn retention regardless of soil origin and land use. Association of Zn with phosphate (i.e., hopeite) was observed in the agricultural soil samples, which might be an unexpected Zn-bearing mineral in highly weathered tropical soils and could have impacts on Zn plant nutrition., 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.)

Background: Some researchers have suggested that zinc (Zn) could reduce the risk of prostate cancer (PC). However, research from observational studies on the relationship between PC risk and biomarkers of Zn exposure shows conflicting results., Objectives: To evaluate the association between toenail Zn and PC, considering tumour extension and aggressiveness, along with a gene-environment approach, exploring the interaction of individual genetic susceptibility to PC in the relationship between toenail Zn and PC., Methods: In MCC-Spain study we invited all incident PC cases diagnosed in the study period (2008-2013) and recruited randomly selected general population controls. In this report we included 913 cases and 1198 controls with toenail Zn determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. To measure individual genetic susceptibility, we constructed a polygenic risk score based on known PC-related single nucleotide polymorphisms. The association between toenail Zn and PC was explored with mixed logistic and multinomial regression models., Results: Men with higher toenail Zn had higher risk of PC (OR quartile 4 vs.1: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.07-1.85). This association was slightly higher in high-grade PC [(ISUP≤2 Relative risk ratio (RRR) quartile 4 vs.1: 1.36; 1.01-1.83) vs. (ISUP3-5 RRR quartile 4 vs.1: 1.64; 1.06-2.54)] and in advanced tumours [(cT1-cT2a RRR quartile 4 vs.1: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.05-1.89) vs. (cT2b-cT4 RRR quartile 4 vs.1: 1.59; 1.00-2.53)]. Men with lower genetic susceptibility to PC were those at higher risk of PC associated with high toenail Zn (OR quartile 4 vs.1: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.08-4.40)., Discussion: High toenail Zn levels were related to a higher risk for PC, especially for more aggressive or advanced tumours. This effect was stronger among men with a lower genetic susceptibility to PC., 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study was carried out to determine the mineral content and nutritional properties of five wild fruits Rhus vulgaris , Rosa abyssinica , Rhus natalensis , Euclea racemosa , and Ficus sur . The proximate composition parameters (moisture, ash, crude fiber, crude fat, and crude protein) and antinutritional factors were evaluated using methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists and elemental analysis using the atomic absorption spectroscopy technique. Among the five wild edible fruit species, Rhus vulgaris had the highest carbohydrate content (83.3 ± 0.28 g/100 g) and a high total energy (344.5 ± 2.21 kcal/100 g). Euclea racemosa was found to have the maximum ash content (12.8 ± 0.37 g/100 g), protein content (3.22 ± 0.01 g/100 g), and moisture (16.24 ± 0.003 g/100 g), respectively. Rhus natalensis showed the highest fiber content (9.54 ± 0.003 g/100 g). Mineral analysis showed that local wild fruits contained a considerable amount of minerals. The calcium concentration ranged from 99.51 mg/100 g in Euclea racemosa to 160.12 mg/100 g in Ficus sur . Potassium concentration varied from 54.34 mg/100 g in Euclea racemosa to 234 mg/100 g in Rhus vulgaris . Iron ranges from 21.4 mg/100 g in Rosa abyssinica to 41 mg/100 g in Rhus natalensis , and zinc ranges from 2.3 mg/100 g in Rhus vulgaris to 4.2 mg/100 g in Ficus sur. A high saponin content (2.12 mg/100 g) and a low tannin content (0.23 mg/100 g) were obtained in Rosa abyssinica. The phytate content (1.52 mg/100 g) and the oxalate content (0.9 mg/100 g) were high in Rhus natalensis. In conclusion, the present study shows that wild fruits can be used as food supplementation in food in a safe area., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yalew Yiblet.)

Although maize is sensitive to zinc (Zn) deficiencies, the responses of maize cultivars to the foliar application of Zn sulfate (ZnSO4) may vary significantly. Here, we quantified the responses of grain yields and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) absorption to ZnSO4 using 22 modern maize cultivars. The results revealed that 40.9% of the cultivars were not affected by foliar ZnSO4, whereas only 45.5% of the cultivars responded positively to ZnSO4, which was evidenced by increased grain numbers and shortened bald tip lengths. The impact of Zn fertilizer might be manifested in the dry biomass, from the 8-leaf stage (BBCH 18). For Zn-deficiency resistant cultivars, the foliar application of ZnSO4 enhanced N accumulation by 44.1%, while it reduced P and K absorption by 13.6% and 23.7%, respectively. For Zn-deficiency sensitive maize cultivars, foliar applied ZnSO4 improved the accumulation of N and K by 27.3% and 25.0%, respectively; however, it lowered their utilization efficiency. Hence, determining the optimized application of Zn fertilizer, while avoiding Zn toxicity, should not be based solely on the level of Zn deficiency in the soil, but also, take into consideration the sensitivity of some cultivars to Zn, Furthermore, the supplementation of Zn-deficiency sensitive maize cultivars with N and K is key to maximizing the benefits of Zn fertilization., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Xin et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The monitoring of essential and toxic elements in patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) undergoing methadone treatment (MT) is important, and there is limited previous research on the urinary levels of these elements in MT patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze certain elements in the context of methadone treatment compared to a healthy group. In this study, patients with opioid use disorder undergoing MT (n = 67) were compared with a healthy group of companions (n = 62) in terms of urinary concentrations of some essential elements (selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), calcium (Ca)) and toxic elements (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and chromium (Cr)). Urine samples were prepared using the acid digestion method with a mixture of nitric acid and perchloric acid and assessed using the ICP-MS method. Our results showed that the two groups had no significant differences in terms of gender, education level, occupation, and smoking status. Urinary concentrations of Se, Cu, and Fe levels were significantly lower in the MT group compared to the healthy subjects. However, the concentrations of Pb, Cd, As, Mn, Cr, and Ca in the MT group were higher than in the healthy group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was established between the levels of Zn in the two groups (p = 0.232). The results of regression analysis revealed that the differences between the concentration levels of all metals (except Zn) between two groups were still remained significant after adjusting for all variables (p < 0.05). The data obtained in the current study showed lower urinary concentrations of some essential elements and higher levels of some toxic elements in the MT group compared to the healthy subjects. These findings should be incorporated into harm-reduction interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Caseinophosphopeptides have shown great potential to increase zinc bioavailability from phytate-rich diets, but the mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, caseinophosphopeptides from a sodium caseinate hydrolysate dose-dependently retained zinc in solution against calcium phytate coprecipitation under physiologically relevant conditions. The 3 kDa ultrafiltration separation unveiled no added low-molecular-weight chelates of zinc and calcium by caseinophosphopeptides. Tyndall effect, dynamic light scattering measurements, transmission electron microscopy observation, electron diffraction pattern, X-ray diffraction spectrum, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis demonstrated the caseinophosphopeptides-mediated formation of single-crystal zinc/calcium phytate nanocomplexes (Zn/CaPA-NCs) with a size and ζ-potential of 10-30 nm and -25 mV, respectively. Caseinophosphopeptides-stabilized Zn/CaPA-NCs were found to deliver bioavailable nanoparticulate zinc in mouse jejunal loop ex vivo model and polarized Caco-2 cells, and the treatments with specific inhibitors revealed that intestinal zinc absorption from Zn/CaPA-NCs invoked macropinocytosis, lysosomal release into the cytosol, and transcytosis. Overall, our study proposes a new paradigm for the benefit of caseinophosphopeptides for zinc bioaccessibility and bioavailability in phytate-rich diets.

Organic amendments are commonly used in assisted phytostabilization of mine wastes by improving their physicochemical and biological properties. These amendments are susceptible to leaching and degradation, resulting in the generation of dissolved organic matter (DOM), which significantly influences the geochemical behaviour of heavy metals (HMs). However, the geochemical behaviour of HMs in metal smelting slag driven by organic amendment-derived DOM remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of cow manure-derived DOM on the release behaviour, bioavailability, and speciation of HMs (Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd) in zinc smelting slag using a multidisciplinary approach. The results showed that DOM enhanced the weathering of the slag, with a minimal impact on the slag's mineral phases, except for causing gypsum dissolution. The DOM addition resulted in a slight increase in HM release from the slag during the initial inoculation period, followed by a reduction in HM release during the later period. Furthermore, the DOM addition increased the diversity and relative abundance of the bacterial community. This, in turn, led to a decrease in the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content and enhanced the transformation of labile DOM compounds into recalcitrant compounds. The variation in HM release during various inoculation periods can be attributed to the bacterial decomposition and transformation of DOM, which further enhanced the transformation of HM fractions. Specifically, during the later period, DOM promoted the conversion of a portion of the reducible and oxidizable fractions of Cu, Pb, and Zn into the acid-soluble and residual fractions. Moreover, it partially transformed the reducible, oxidizable, and residual fractions of Cd into the acid-soluble fraction. Overall, this study provides new insights into the geochemical behaviour of HMs in slag governed by the coupling effect of DOM and the bacterial community. These findings have implications for the use of organic amendments in assisted phytostabilization of metal smelting slag. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Metal smelting slag is hazardous due to its high levels of HMs, and its improper disposal has serious consequences for the ecosystem. Organic amendments are employed in assisted phytostabilization of the slag site by improving its microecological properties. However, the impact of organic amendment-derived DOM on HM migration and transformation in slag remains unclear. This study indicated that the coupling effects of DOM and microbes governed the geochemical behaviour of HMs in slag. These findings provide new insights into how organic amendments impact the geochemical behaviour of HMs in slag, contributing to the development of phytostabilization 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The environment in India is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to the occurrence of large anthropogenic activities, i.e., fuel combustion, mineral roasting, and biomass burning. Hence, 13 toxic PAHs were detected: phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and benz(a) anthracene, ben-zo; (b) fluoranthene, benzo(k) fluoranthene, benzo(a) pyrene, benzo(ghi)perylene, dibenz (ah) anthracene, indeno1,2,3-(cd) pyrene, coronene and coronene in the environment (i.e., ambient particulate matter, road dust, sludge, and sewage) of the most industrialized area. Pollutants such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons co-contaminate the soil and pose a significant hazard to the ecosystem because these pollutants are harmful to both humans and the environment. Phytoremediation is an economical plant-based natural approach for soil clean-up that has no negative impact on ecosystems. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pyrene (500 mg kg -1 ), Zn (150 mg kg -1 ), Pb (150 mg kg -1 ), and Cd (150 mg kg -1 ) alone and in combination on the phytoextraction efficiency of Medicago sativa growing in contaminated soil. Plant biomass, biochemical activities, translocation factors, accumulation of heavy metals, and pyrene removal were determined. After 60 days of planting, compared with those of the control plants, the growth parameters, biomass, and chlorophyll content of the M. sativa plants were significantly lower, and the reactive oxygen species activity, such as proline and polyphenol content and metallothionein protein content, was markedly greater in the pyrene and heavy metal-polluted soils. Furthermore, the combined toxicity of pyrene and all three metals on M. sativa growth and biochemical parameters was significantly greater than that of pyrene, Zn, Pb, or Cd alone, indicating the synergistic effect of pyrene and heavy metals on cytotoxicity. Pyrene stress increased Cd accumulation in M. sativa. After pyrene exposure alone or in combination with Zn-pyrene, a greater pyrene removal rate (85.5-81.44%) was observed than that in Pb-pyrene, Cd-pyrene, and Zn-Pb-Cd-pyrene polluted soils (62.78-71.27%), indicating that zinc can enhance the removal of pyrene from contaminated soil. The resulting hypotheses demonstrated that Medicago sativa can be used as a promising phytoremediation agent for co-contaminated soil., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

To determine the sources and pathways of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in river sediments contaminated with metals from mining and smelting activities, metal concentrations and Pb and Zn isotope ratios were measured in river water and sediment, and potential metal contaminant samples (imported Zn concentrates, smelting wastes, soils around the smelter, mine ores, and riverside tailings). Zn and cadmium (Cd) concentrations in river water and sediment samples were 30- and 11-25-fold higher, respectively, near the smelter than upstream, while a 6-fold increase in sediment Pb concentrations was detected over the same region. Sediment samples near the smelter ( 207 Pb/ 206 Pb = 0.8638 and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb = 2.0960) were observed to have a different Pb isotopic composition from upstream of the smelter ( 207 Pb/ 206 Pb = 0.8322 and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb = 2.0502), with δ 66 Zn values increasing from -0.01 to 0.82‰. Analysis of Pb and Zn isotopes and concentrations revealed that dust-contaminated soils were a major Pb source, and baseline sediments were found to be contaminated by regional mining tailings. For Zn in sediments, the main Zn sources were groundwater-derived Zn (δ 66 Zn = 1.02 ± 0.43‰, n = 4), dust-contaminated soils (δ 66 Zn = -0.18 ± 0.08‰, n = 3), and tailings-contaminated sediments (δ 66 Zn = 0.01 ± 0.07‰, n = 10). Endmember mixing model results showed that dust-contaminated soils contributed 78% and 64% of sediment Pb and Zn, respectively, within 2 km of the Zn smelter, decreasing to negligible levels after 47.1 km downstream. Downstream of the smelter, groundwater-derived Zn contributed 54% of sediment Zn, whereas tailings contaminated sediments contributed 70% and 25% of Pb and Zn, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) have negative environmental impacts as they accumulate in the soil after pig manure is spread. Cu and Zn are essential elements in pig nutrition but due to their low retention rate, more than 90% of ingested Cu and Zn are excreted. A better understanding of the behaviour of these elements throughout the animal-manure-soil continuum according to feed composition and manure management chain is thus required to propose alternative ways to reduce these environmental impacts. The aim of this study was to determine the fate of Cu and Zn throughout this continuum by studying the effect of Cu and Zn contents in animal feed and in the manure management chain based on anaerobic digestion and composting. Faeces were collected from 24 finishing pigs fed with 4 different Cu and Zn dietary levels and sources of supplementation. Samples of faeces were exposed to mesophilic anaerobic digestion or to 5-week composting with straw. Concentrations of Cu and Zn in the faeces were highly dependent on dietary supplies and ranged from 38 to 188 mg Cu/kg DM and from 191 to 728 mg Zn/kg DM. Degradation of a significant fraction of organic matter during treatment led to a significant increase in Cu and Zn concentration relative to the product's dry matter (DM) content, which. Cu and Zn concentrations relative to DM content were twice as high after treatment whatever the content and the form of Cu and Zn dietary supplementation. Otherwise, effluent treatment tended to reduce the possible availability of Cu and Zn in final organic products according to water-extractible contents. This study clearly shows that feed management is the main lever for reducing the amount of Cu and Zn amount in pig effluents and hence in the soil. Appropriate treatment could also facilitate the supply of organic fertilisers to areas with soil deficiency, but feed strategies need to be adapted to the treatment chain to enable the production of good quality organic products that respect EU regulations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:De Quelen reports financial support was provided by The French Agency for Ecological Transition. Monteiro reports a relationship with Animine that includes: employment. Gourlez reports a relationship with Animine that includes: employment. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Atmospheric cadmium (Cd) deposition contributes to the accumulation of Cd in the soil-plant system. Sedum plumbizincicola is a Cd and Zn hyperaccumulator commonly used for the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil. However, studies on the effects of atmospheric Cd deposition on the accumulation of Cd and physiological response in S. plumbizincicola are still limited. A Cd solution spraying pot experiment was conducted with S. plumbizincicola at three atmospheric Cd deposition concentrations (4, 8, and 12 mg/L). Each Cd concentration levels was divided into two groups, non-mulching (foliar-root uptake) and mulching (foliar uptake). The soil type used in the experiment was reddish clayey soil collected from a farmland. The results showed that compared with the non-mulching control, the fresh weight of S. plumbizincicola in non-mulching with high atmospheric Cd deposition (12 mg/L) increased by 11.35%. Compared with those in the control group, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the non-mulching and mulching S. plumbizincicola groups increased by 0.88-11.06 nmol/L and 0.96-1.32 nmol/L, respectively. Compared with those in the non-Cd-treated control group, the shoot Cd content in the mulching group significantly increased by 11.09-180.51 mg/kg. Under high Cd depositions, the Cd in S. plumbizincicola mainly originated from the air and was stored in the shoots (39.7-158.5%). These findings highlight that the physiological response and Cd accumulation of S. plumbizincicola were mainly affected by high Cd deposition and suggest that atmospheric Cd could directly be absorbed by S. plumbizincicola. The effect of atmospheric deposition on S. plumbizincicola cannot be ignored., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The uptake and distribution of copper, zinc, arsenic, and lead was examined in two rare Australian saltmarsh species, Tecticornia pergranulata and Wilsonia backhousei. The bioconcentration factors and translocation factors were generally much lower than one, except for the Zn translocation factors for T. pergranulata. When compared to other Australian saltmarsh taxa, these species generally accumulated the lowest levels observed among taxa, especially in terms of their BCFs. Essential metals tended to be regulated, while non-essential metals increased in concentration with dose during transport among compartments, a pattern not previously observed in Australian saltmarsh taxa. The uptake of metals into roots was mainly explained by total sediment metal loads as well as more acidic pH, increased soil organic matter, and decreased salinity. The low uptake and limited translocation observed in these rare taxa may offer a competitive advantage for their establishment and survival in the last urbanised populations, where legacy metal contamination acts as a selective pressure., 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.)