Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Hazard Mater 2019 Feb 3;369:279-289. Epub 2019 Feb 3.

Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Chungli 320, Taiwan. Electronic address:

The detoxification of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash dioxins urgently requires an effective treatment technology. In this study, we adopted a single-mode microwave (MW)-based pyrolysis to treat MSWI fly ash under N atmosphere and further elucidated the main influencing factors, including the chemical inhibitor, for dioxin control. The results show that (1) the detoxification process was optimized with a mass ratio of fly ash to SiC of 1:9, 23. Read More

Indian J Med Res 2018 Dec;148(6):697-704

Food & Drug Toxicology Research Centre, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.

The impact of environmental pollution, especially chronic low exposures of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr, etc.) on nutritional status and health of human and livestock, has become a cause of concern. It is established that malnutrition inhibits enzyme system, alters neurotransmitter levels, degenerate myelin, glial and neural elements, lowering of IQ scores as well as impairment of fine and gross motor coordination. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Feb 14;172:547-555. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia.

Many marine invertebrates reproduce through broadcast spawning, where sperm and eggs are released into the water column and are vulnerable to toxicants present in the environment. The potential impacts of toxicants on spawning success are often assessed through laboratory-based fertilization tests. In most cases, these tests assess toxicant impacts at a single, pre-defined sperm density, based on a sperm:egg ratio that ensures high fertilization success (≥70-80%) in a filtered seawater control. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Feb 13;172:538-546. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Faculty of Soil Science, Lomonosov Moscow State University, bld. 1/12, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991, Russia.

The objective of this research is to find correlations between traffic-related contaminants in the roadside soils and their ecotoxicity. The study was conducted in Moscow in the vicinity of a highway of 125 000 vehicles per day. The topsoils (0-3 cm depth) were sampled perpendicular to the road at 1-, 6-, 10-, 18- and 50-m distances from the roadbed. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Feb 12;173:63-70. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.

Chemical contaminants are known to accumulate in marine megafauna globally, but little is known about how this impacts animal health. In vitro assays offer an ethical, reproducible and cost-effective alternative to live animal toxicity testing on large, long-lived or threatened species, such as sea turtles. However, using a cell culture from a single animal raise the question of whether the toxicity observed adequately represents the toxicity in that species. Read More

J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Poultry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

Heavy metals have enormous variety of deleterious effects on many organs in the body. This study demonstrated the toxic influences of lead on the growth, biochemical, cellular and molecular aspects of developing rabbits. Seventy-five rabbits (New Zealand NZW) were divided into five equal groups as follows; control (C) and four treatment groups (T1-4) orally administered lead acetate solution as follow T1: 20, T2: 30, T3: 50 and T4: 70 mg/kg body weight. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA.

The stainless steel pickling residue (SSPR) produced from the stainless steel industries in China contains large amounts of heavy metals such as chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). The study found that the hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) was the primary contributor to the leaching of Cr in the toxicity character leaching test. A chemical fixation with sodium sulfide was used to treat the SSPR, and the response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the process. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030000, China.

Phytoremediation combined with amendments and stabilization technologies are two crucial methods to deal with soil contaminated with heavy metals. Copper (Cu) contamination in soil near Cu mines poses a serious threat to ecosystems and human health. This study investigated the effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and biochar (BC) on the accumulation and subcellular distribution of Cu in Amaranthus retroflexus L. Read More

Ecotoxicology 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh.

Nickel (Ni), an essential nutrient of plant but very toxic to plant at supra-optimal concentration that causes inhibition of seed germination emergence and growth of plants as a consequence of physiological disorders. Hence, the present study investigates the possible mechanisms of Ni tolerance in rice seedlings by exogenous application of silicon (Si). Thirteen-day-old hydroponically grown rice (Oryza sativa L. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Feb 30;653:748-757. Epub 2018 Oct 30.

Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China.

A survey was conducted to investigate the pollution and health risks of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and zinc (Zn) in 60 Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) collected from a market in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China. Furthermore, eight CHMs (Cyathulae radix, Drynariae rhizoma, Peucedani radix, Homalomenae rhizoma, Dryopteris setosa, Polygonati rhizoma, Lilii bulbus, and Linderae radix) containing high Cd concentrations were selected to further analyse their Cd chemical forms. Additionally, the dissolution rates of six heavy metals in decoction liquid were also analysed for four CHMs (Typhonii rhizoma, Linderae radix, Homalomenae rhizoma, and Cyathulae radix), and the health risks of heavy metals in CHMs were evaluated. Read More

Ecotoxicology 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, 202002, India.

Heavy metal pollution destruct soil microbial compositions and functions, plant's performance and subsequently human health. Culturable microbes among many metal abatement strategies are considered inexpensive, viable and environmentally safe. In this study, nitrogen fixing bacterial strain CAZ3 recovered from chilli rhizosphere tolerated 100, 1000 and 1200 µg mL of cadmium, chromium and nickel, respectively and was identified as Azotobacter chroococcum by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Read More

Environ Sci Technol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Iron is present in all types of wastewater, however besides acid mine drainage, where it is a major constituent of concern, it is usually neglected in other types of wastewaters. However, in all constructed wetlands iron plays important role in removal of organics, phosphorus and does have an impact on transformation of nitrogen and sulphur. The biogeochemistry of iron is well understood in natural wetlands but knowledge about iron impact on microbiological and chemical transformations during wastewater treatment in constructed wetlands is very limited. Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2019 Feb 8:1-10. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

c Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM) , Bangkok , Thailand.

Phytoremediation with vetiver was investigated in relation to heavy metal contaminated soil in Thailand. The work compared the performance of two species of vetiver named Songkhla 3 (Chrysopogon zizaniodes) and Prachuap Khiri Khan (Chrysopogon nemoralis) in absorbing lead, zinc, and cadmium in contaminated soils. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and Allium tests were conducted to determine toxicity of treated soil. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

College of Metrology and Measurement Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.

Four different mixed fuels consisted of leather waste, coal, and sewage sludge were combusted in a lab-scale entrained flow fluidized bed furnace. The influence of blending ratio on emission characteristics of SO, NO, HCl, particulate matter (PM), heavy metals, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) was studied. Results showed that the mixing of coal with sewage sludge had a complex effect on the emission characteristics. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Feb 2;172:326-333. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Federal University of Lavras, Soil Science Department, 3037, 37200000 Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address:

Excess heavy metal concentrations in mining areas is a worldwide problem due to their toxicity and persistence. Applying amendments to those areas is a cost-effective remediation technique that would aid revegetation efforts. The aim of this work was to study the ability of sewage sludge-derived biochar (SSB), wood charcoal powder (hereafter named wood biochar - WB), raw sewage sludge (SS), and their blending (WB/SS) to improve soil properties and to immobilize Cd, Pb, and Zn after their addition to heavy-metal contaminated soils from a Zn-mining area. Read More

Environ Pollut 2019 Jan 29;247:706-715. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

ECIMAT, University of Vigo, Illa de Toralla, E-36331, Vigo, Galicia, Spain; Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36200, Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

Microplastics are defined as plastic fragments <5 mm, and they are found in the ocean where they can impact on the ecosystem. Once released in seawater, microplastics can be internalized by organisms due to their small size, moreover they can also leach out several additives used in plastic manufacturing, such as plasticizers, flame retardants, etc., resulting toxic for biota. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

College of Energy and Environment, the Key Laboratory of Clean Energy in Liaoning Province, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang, China.

A lightweight aggregate (LWA) was manufactured from municipal sewage sludge, gangue, and coal ash. The product performance and environmental safety of the sintered material were evaluated by changing the sludge blending ratio and sintering temperature. The distribution and migratory transformation characteristics of heavy metals in LWA were examined by BCR sequential extraction in combination with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Read More

Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Medical School, Dalian University, Dalian, 116622, China.

We present an automatic design process for microfluidic dilution network towards marine ecological toxicity assessment on microalgae. Based on the hydraulic-electric circuit analogy, we defined an abstract specification using computer-aided designing system. Several approaches, especially circuit partition, were applied to minimize design effort. Read More

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.

The leaf-shredding crustacean Hyalella azteca, which is indigenous to Northern and Central America, is used to assess environmental risks associated with (metal-)contaminated sediments and to propose sediment quality standards also in Europe. Yet, it is unknown if H. azteca is protective for European crustacean shredders. Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2019 Jan 30:1-8. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

a Department of Environmental Sciences & Engg , Guru Jambheshwer University of Sciences & Technology , Hisar , Haryana , India.

Phytoremediation potential of Lemna gibba was evaluated for chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd) under laboratory conditions for variable metal load of 1 mg/l, 3 mg/l, 5mgl, 7 mg/l and 9 mg/l, respectively, for 7 and 15 days of treatment period. Effects of both metals on structural attributes of L. gibba were also analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) study. Read More

Waste Manag 2019 Feb 13;84:364-372. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic.

The article evaluates the effect of small selected doses of biochar addition (0%, 1.5%, 3% and 5%, wet weight) on the composting process of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with a low initial C/N ratio under real conditions. The low C/N composting mixtures with addition of biochar at low rates can have a positive effect on the compost quality and on the reduction of N losses in compost. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Jan 22;662:414-421. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, PR China.

Currently, the pollution of metals and metalloids in the soil has attracted considerable attention. Phytoremediation is considered an environmentally friendly means of remediating pollution, but often takes a long time to perform. Therefore, the combination of plants and nanomaterials in environmental management has attracted the attention of many researchers because some nanomaterials can promote the germination of plant seeds and the growth of whole plants. Read More

J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng 2019 Jan 26:1-10. Epub 2019 Jan 26.

a Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Centro de Ciencias Básicas , Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes , Aguascalientes , AGS , México.

Although chydorids are the most diverse cladocerans in the world, there is still little information available related to their biology and even less with respect to their susceptibility to toxicants. Therefore, this work aimed to implement protocols with Alona guttata for acute, chronic, and sublethal toxicity tests, using the environmental concern toxicants deltamethrin (DM) and lead (Pb2+), which are commonly used due to agriculture and vector control or for the automotive industry, respectively. Once the results of LC50 (0. Read More

Front Microbiol 2018 9;9:3297. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Heavy metal pollution has become an increasingly serious problem worldwide. Co-contamination with toxic mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) presents a particularly difficult bioremediation trouble. By oxidizing the greenhouse gas methane, methanotrophs have been demonstrated to have high denitrification activity in eutrophic waters, indicating their possible potential for use in bioremediation of Hg(II) and As(V) in polluted water. Read More

J Hazard Mater 2019 Jan 22;368:336-344. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10673, Taiwan; NTU Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Incinerating recycled aggregate (IRA) produced using bottom ash generated from the incineration of municipal solid wastes can be reused as construction materials and cement-based solidification/stabilization (S/S) can be employed to improve their environmental compatibility. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) is commonly used to evaluate heavy metal leachability before reuse. However, the applicability of TCLP to IRA and their S/S products can be limited because of their alkaline nature which may cause underestimation of metal release. Read More

Talanta 2019 May 15;196:456-478. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Faculty of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood 3619995161, Iran. Electronic address:

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are a member of carbon nanostructures family which have received increasing attention for their photoluminescence (PL), physical and chemical stability and low toxicity. The classical semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor particles that are able to emit fluorescence by excitation. The CQDs is mainly referred to photoluminescent carbon nanoparticles less than 10 nm, with surface modification or functionalization. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Mar 10;657:1409-1418. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. Electronic address:

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that has been increasingly regulated over the past few decades. The main exposure routes for the general public are the consumption of certain foods and the inhalation of cigarette smoke. However, additional exposure may occur through the current and historical use of the metal in consumer products. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Mar 11;657:1382-1388. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Pure Earth, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 860, New York, NY 10025, USA; College of Global Public Health, New York University, 41 East 11(th) Street, New York, NY 10003, USA.

While lead-based paint has been banned for use in residential settings in most high-income countries, it remains commonly available in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite its continued availability, little is known about the specific exposure risk posed by lead-based paint in LMICs. To address this knowledge gap, an assessment of home and preschool dust and paint was carried out in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Apr 17;661:432-440. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, Punjab 147004, India. Electronic address:

Environmental pollution through heavy metals is an upcoming universal problem that relentlessly endangers human health, biodiversity and ecosystems. Hence remediating these heavy metal pollutants from the environment by engineering soil microbiome through metatranscriptomics is befitting reply. In the present investigation, we have constructed size fractionated cDNA libraries from eukaryotic mRNA of cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil and screened for Cd tolerant genes by yeast complementation system by using Cd sensitive ycf1 mutant. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Apr 15;661:276-284. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

CNRS UMR 7360, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux (LIEC), Université de Lorraine, Metz 57070, France.

Lanthanide (LNs) release into the environment is expected to greatly increase in the coming years due to a high demand for new technologies. However there is a gap in the ecological risk assessment of these metals because most of the ecotoxicological studies have been performed with only one element, although they are usually found in nature as a group. This research evaluated the effects of mixtures of three lanthanides, cerium (Ce), gadolinium (Gd), and lutetium (Lu), representative of the light, middle and heavy rare earth elements, respectively, on seven aquatic species (A. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Jan 21;16(2). Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palermo, via Ugo la Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.

We collected and analysed 58 samples of groundwater from wells in the Barcellona-Milazzo Plain, one of the most important coastal aquifers of Sicily (Italy), to determine major, minor, and trace element concentrations. In this area, geogenic and anthropogenic sources of heavy metals and other pollutants co-act, making the individuation of the main pollution sources difficult. Our work was aimed at the application of geostatistical criteria for discriminating between these pollution sources. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Jan 18;20(2). Epub 2019 Jan 18.

RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehirocho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.

Heavy metal ions, including toxic concentrations of essential ions, negatively affect diverse metabolic and cellular processes. Heavy metal ions are known to enter cells in a non-selective manner; however, few studies have examined the regulation of heavy metal ion transport. Plant cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs), a type of Ca-permeable-channel, have been suggested to be involved in the uptake of both essential and toxic cations. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Jan 18;16(2). Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.

Phytotoxicity thresholds for heavy metals are derived from dose⁻response curves, which show the relationships between exposure dose and toxicity response. However, the results of tests or observations are commonly based on total heavy metal concentration, not the exposure dose that causes phytotoxicity; additionally, the phytotoxicity response differs with plant species. In the present study, the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-extractable copper (Cu) concentration was determined in order to evaluate Cu extractability. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Jan 19;172:26-32. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.

Enhancing industrial sludge detoxification is of scientific and practical significance in confronting urban development and stringent environmental regulations. A strategy combining ultrasound (US) with the zero-valent iron/EDTA/Air (ZEA) process was proven to be eco-friendly, being efficient in the removal of toxic compounds from textile dyeing sludge in our previous studies. In this paper, therefore, the detoxification effects of three advanced oxidation processes (US, ZEA, US/ZEA) on textile dyeing sludge were comparatively evaluated for the first time through alteration of the sludge's physico-chemical parameters (e. Read More

Chem Commun (Camb) 2019 Feb;55(12):1766-1769

Department of Chemistry and Nano Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 120-750, Korea.

Owing to the extreme toxicity of mercury, methods for its selective and sensitive sensing in solutions, and in live cells and tissues are in great demand. In this study, we developed a naphthalimide-based diphenylphosphinothioyl group-containing fluorescent and colorimetric probe that selectively detects mercury (Hg2+). Upon addition of mercury (Hg2+) to a solution of the probe, both a colorimetric change from colorless to yellow and a fluorescence change from blue to green (under a 365 nm hand-held UV lamp) occur, both of which can be observed using the "naked-eye". Read More

J Environ Sci (China) 2019 Apr 19;78:63-73. Epub 2018 Jul 19.

Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China. Electronic address:

Screening potential plant species is a crucial consideration in phytoremediation technology. Our previous study demonstrated that Rhus chinensis Mill. seedlings had potentials for phytoremediation of Pb contaminated soil. Read More

J Environ Sci (China) 2019 Apr 26;78:257-266. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), Campus Florestal, Florestal, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The revegetation of mined areas poses a great challenge to the iron ore mining industry. The initial recovery process in degraded areas might rely on the use of Fe-resistant grasses. Tropical grasses, such as Paspalum densum and Echinochloa crus-galli, show different resistance strategies to iron toxicity; however, these mechanisms are poorly understood. Read More

Int J Nanomedicine 2019 8;14:393-405. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Institute of Environmental Medicine for Green Chemistry, Dongguk University Biomedi Campus, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea,

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in industrial and household applications, arousing concern regarding their safety in humans. The risks posed by stabilizer-coated AgNPs continue to be unclear, and assessing their toxicity is for an understanding of the safety issues involved in their use in various applications.

Purpose: We aimed to investigated the long-term toxicity of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles (cAgNPs) in liver tissue using several toxicity tests and transcriptomic analysis at 7 and 28 days after a single intravenous injection into rabbit ear veins (n=4). Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2019 Mar 11;136:118-126. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, I-39100, Bolzano, Italy.

Azospirillum brasilense was reported to up-regulate iron (Fe) uptake mechanisms, such as Fe reduction and rhizosphere acidification, in both Fe sufficient and deficient cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.). Strategy I plants take up both Fe and copper (Cu) after their reduction mediated by the ferric-chelate reductase oxidase (FRO) enzyme. Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2019 Jan 18:1-8. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

f Department of Forestry and Range Management , University of Agriculture , Faisalabad , Pakistan.

Phytoremediation is an important technique to remove heavy metals from contaminated soils due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The present study was conducted to assess the synergistic role of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and citric acid (CA) in improving the phyto-extraction of chromium (Cr) by sunflower. Sunflower plants were grown in soil, spiked with different concentrations of Cr (0, 5, 10, 20 mg kg). Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2019 Jan 18:1-8. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

b Sustainable Development Study Center, Government College University , Lahore , Pakistan.

Untreated industrial wastewater (IWW) creates a number of problems in ecosystem. This study highlights the possibility of using IWW for forest irrigation. Five tree species were selected for this study, Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia purpurea, Dalbergia sissoo, Millettia peguensis, and Pongamia pinnata, and these species were grown in pots and were irrigated with different concentrations of IWW, rich in heavy metals. Read More

Toxicol Ind Health 2019 Jan 17:748233718814975. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

2 Department of Environmental Sciences, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

The populations of wild animals are declining in many parts of the world in response to man-made alterations in the environment. Environmental contamination due to heavy metals discharge from industry may contribute to the decline of wild animal populations by impacting their reproduction, growth, and development. In the leather tanning industry, chromium (Cr) is used as a basic component, but it is a potent toxicant that can affect many of the physiological functions of animals. Read More

Redox Biol 2019 Feb 8;21:101102. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Magnetic Resonance Center - CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy; Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy. Electronic address:

Cadmium is a toxic pollutant that in recent decades has become more widespread in the environment due to anthropogenic activities, significantly increasing the risk of exposure. Concurrently, a continually growing body of research has begun to enumerate the harmful effects that this heavy metal has on human health. Consequently, additional research is required to better understand the mechanism and effects of cadmium at the molecular level. Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2018 17;20(14):1389-1399. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

d Guizhou Institute of Prataculture , Guiyang , Guizhou , China.

Phytoremediation is a kind of efficient strategy for remediating soils polluted with heavy metals. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) on the phytoremediation potential of Ricinus communis in Cd- and Zn-polluted soil. We treated the soil with SMS before growing plants and analyzed the contents, distribution of heavy metals, and response of plants after growth. Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2018 17;20(14):1380-1388. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

a Department of Soil Science , Federal University of Santa Maria , Santa Maria , Brazil.

Forest species Angico-Vermelho (Parapiptadenia rigida (Bentham) Brenan) is an alternative for the revegetation of areas contaminated with high levels of heavy metals such as copper (Cu). However, excess Cu may cause toxicity to plants, which is why the use of soil amendments can facilitate cultivation by reducing the availability of Cu in the soil. The aim of this study was to assess how the use of amendment can contribute to growth and nutritional status as well as reduce oxidative stress in Angico-Vermelho grown in Cu-contaminated soil. Read More

Environ Monit Assess 2019 Jan 15;191(2):76. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Division of Environmental Sciences, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Shalimar, Kashmir, 190025, India.

Blood lead toxicity has been prominently related to vehicular emissions. The lead is a carcinogenic metal systematically damages bones and central nervous system. The present investigation is focused on likely impacts of environmental and socioeconomic factors on the concentration of blood lead levels in children. Read More

Mol Autism 2019 9;10. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

1Centre for Arctic Health & Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Background: Evidence has indicated that some non-inherited factors such as exposure to environmental pollutants are associated with neurodevelopment disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies report that endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), including polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and some metals, have adverse effects on the fetal neurodevelopment. The aim of this study was to measure the amniotic fluid (AF) levels of EDCs and metals as well as the receptor transactivities induced by AF and investigate the possible link between prenatal exposure to EDCs and heavy metals and ASD risk. Read More

Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2019 Jan 15;32(1):41-50. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Unit of Animal Experimentation "Cantacuzino" National Institute for Medico-Military Research and Development, Bucharest, Romania.

Objective:  We investigated the benefits of a local preventive therapy based on copper beads against severe bone infection using a rabbit open tibial fracture model.

Materials And Methods:  Cotton mesh balls soaked in a very high concentration of ATCC 6538 culture were inoculated in drilled holes of the tibiae of treated and control groups. The treated group was also implanted with small copper beads simultaneously, as prevention therapy. Read More

Nanoscale 2019 Jan;11(4):2027-2036

Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education and Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.

An innovative tungsten-based multifunctional nanoplatform composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified tungsten nitride nanoparticles (WN NPs) is constructed for tumor treatment. The PEG-WN NPs not only possess strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance, high photothermal conversion efficiency, and excellent photothermal stability, but also effectively inhibit tumor cells upon 808 nm laser irradiation. After coating with thiolated (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (MUA-CD) on the surface, such a nanoplatform can also be used for drug delivery (such as DOX) and presents a synergistic tumor inhibition effect both in vitro and in vivo. Read More