This study aimed to investigate the association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) mixture exposure and hypertension risk, and to assess the mediating role of estradiol. We investigated these questions in 5175 adults from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2011–2020). Serum concentrations of six PFAS and estradiol were quantified. Using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, we evaluated the joint effect of the PFAS mixture on hypertension (2017 ACC/AHA criteria). Restricted cubic splines (RCS) characterized exposure–response shapes, and causal mediation analysis tested estradiol as a potential mechanistic pathway. After full adjustment, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) exhibited the strongest association with hypertension (odds ratio per ln-unit increase, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06–1.27). WQS regression identified PFNA as the primary driver of the mixture effect (weighted contribution, 37.5%). Crucially, estradiol significantly mediated 4.68% of the association between PFNA and hypertension, and 4.22% for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Sex-stratified analyses revealed that the associations of PFNA and PFOA with hypertension were significant only in females. All analyses accounted for the complex survey design and were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors. Our integrated analytical approach identifies PFNA, a long-chain PFAS, as a key driver of hypertension risk within environmental PFAS mixtures. The finding that estradiol reduction mediates this association provides novel evidence for an endocrine-disruption mechanism and explains observed female-specific susceptibility. These results highlight the importance of compound-specific prioritization and sex-aware frameworks in environmental risk assessment.
Abstract This study evaluated physicochemical parameters and heavy metal contamination in the Dehloran watershed during the dry (September 2020) and wet (March 2021) seasons. Surface water samples (n = 62) were selected based on natural conditions and river accessibility, and groundwater samples (n = 10) were collected from low-lying areas. Physicochemical parameters covering organic load, ionic composition, nutrients, and salinity (e.g., BOD, COD, DO, EC, pH, TDS, major cations–anions, and turbidity) and heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn) were analyzed using standard methods and ICP‑MS. Paired t-test revealed significant (p < 0.05) seasonal contrasts: EC, TDS, Ca, Cl, SO4, Cu, Cr, and As were elevated in the dry season, whereas DO, TH, HCO3, and Mg increased during the wet season. Surface water had higher quality (IRWQISC = 36.4) than groundwater (IRWQIGC = 15.5), likely reflecting agricultural and anthropogenic impacts, with better quality observed upstream than downstream. Toxic parameter values were also slightly higher in surface water (IRWQIST = 55.3) than in groundwater (IRWQIGT = 54.3). PCA extracted four principal components in both seasons, dominated by salinity hardness and heavy metal factors. Piper plots revealed Ca–SO4 facies associated with gypsum rich Gachsaran formation and regional sulfur and bituminous springs. Wilcox classification showed over 60% of samples as highly saline, limiting irrigation suitability. Results from the heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) and contamination index (Cd) consistently indicated overall low levels of heavy metal contamination. These findings provide quantitative evidence supporting targeted mitigation and sustainable water resource management in semi-arid basins.
Abstract The growing urgency to transition toward clean energy systems has heightened interest in marine renewable energy (MRE) as a sustainable solution for coastal regions facing environmental degradation from fossil fuel use. This study applies the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method to evaluate and rank MRE options, offshore wind, tidal, and wave energy, based on four key criteria: Efficiency, Cost, Emissions, and Resource Availability. Expert judgment was used to derive weighted preferences, and a structured decision matrix facilitated performance scoring and ranking. The analysis identified Efficiency as the most influential factor, with offshore wind energy emerging as the top alternative due to its strong performance and scalability. The results offer a practical, adaptable framework for supporting energy planning in coastal zones, enabling decision-makers to balance environmental protection and operational feasibility.
Fenton process and activated carbon are widely used for water treatment, yet both encounter significant challenges, such as slow Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion and rapid adsorbent saturation. Herein, a category of hitherto overlooked dynamic single-atom sites on heteroatom-doped carbons (HDCs) that mitigate the above problems was observed by coupling Fenton and activated carbon. Specifically, the defects on the carbon surface, particularly the heteroatom defects, coordinated with Fe3+ in the bulk solution to form dynamic single-atom sites that simultaneously suppress the Fe3+ hydrolysis and promote the Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion. This synergy sustains the efficient oxidation process of the coupled system through up to 5 cycles due to the optimized Fe3+/Fe2+ cycling. Moreover, dynamic single-atom sites enable the continuous removal of adsorbates from the carbon surface, extending the time before adsorption saturation and maintaining nearly 100% efficiency for 480 h. Mechanistic analysis revealed that dynamic single-atom sites optimize the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycle through forming a carbon → ligand atoms → Fe ↔ H2O2 electron flux pathway. Their bidirectional electron flux with H2O2 enhances OH· production, thereby improving the Fenton oxidation process. These findings offer crucial insights for overcoming challenges in environmental engineering technologies and underscore the potential superiority of coupled systems in practical applications.
Justin H. K. Man, Zexiao Zheng, Xiaoying Wang
et al.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as persistent environmental pollutants, require advanced degradation technologies beyond conventional adsorption to mitigate their ecological and health risks. With notable adsorptive and catalytic properties, carbonaceous materials have emerged as a potential group of candidates capable of enhancing the PFAS degradation. Hence, a comprehensive understanding of the roles of carbonaceous materials in PFAS degradation is crucial to paving the way for developing efficient and applicable PFAS degradation technologies. This critical review systematically evaluates the physicochemical properties of carbonaceous materials, reveals their roles in different PFAS degradation technologies, and identifies challenges for real-world application. This study reveals that tailored hydrophobicity, surface functionalization, and porosity in carbonaceous materials significantly improve PFAS adsorption, and the rapid charge transfer and generation of charge carriers enable catalytic activity for PFAS degradation. However, limited material stability during application, interference from complex water matrices, toxicity from material leaching, PFAS degradation intermediates, and chemical additives, along with limited system expandability, remain key challenges. By bridging material science with environmental engineering, this review discusses actionable strategies for developing innovative degradation technologies using carbonaceous materials as well as advancing the technologies toward practical applications.
With the increasing exploration and utilization of marine resources worldwide, the demand for high‐performance marine materials continues to grow. While, increasingly strict restrictions on carbon emission, climate change, and increasing care about marine biodiversity raise the requirement for materials used in the ocean. The study of marine materials is crucial for advancing marine science and technology, ensuring the safety and reliability of marine engineering structures, improving efficiency, reducing CO2 emission, and protecting the marine ecological environment. To solve the challenges of the marine engineering, this article comprehensively reviews the current research progress of various types of marine materials, including the composite structural materials, the surface strengthen materials, and the intelligent materials, with a particular focus on the development of high‐performance, environmentally friendly, and sustainable aspect of materials. This review provides meaningful attempts of the new marine material development to meet the requirements of era background, it is hoped that researchers in this field can grab the latest achievements and get some inspiration to design better marine materials.
Marta Jaskulak, Malwina Zimowska, Marta Rolbiecka
et al.
The prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, posing a significant public health concern due to its association with various chronic diseases and healthcare costs. In addition to traditional risk factors such as diet and physical activity, emerging evidence suggests that environmental pollutants, termed obesogens, may contribute to the obesity epidemic. Obesogens are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that can alter lipid homeostasis, promote adipogenesis, and disrupt metabolic regulation, leading to increased adiposity and obesity risk. This review explores available data from human studies published in the last decade, along with the mechanisms underlying obesogenic action, including their effects on adipocyte differentiation, adipose tissue development, and metabolic regulation. Overall, 75 studies were analyzed. Early-life exposure during critical developmental windows has been shown to increase obesity risk later in life, potentially through epigenetic modifications and transgenerational effects. Epidemiological studies provide evidence of associations between prenatal or early-life exposure and increased obesity risk in offspring. Additionally, study found more consistent associations between exposure to some EDCs (including phthalates, parabens, and bisphenols) and obesity or metabolic outcomes in children and women, while results for other chemicals (i.e. PFAS and organochlorine pesticides) were more heterogeneous, especially in adolescents and adults. Key findings indicate consistent associations between phthalate exposure and obesity in children, with mixed results for adults. Future research should focus on elucidating the full spectrum of obesogens, their mechanisms of action, and their implications for obesity risk across generations. This knowledge will inform preventive strategies and public health interventions aimed at addressing the obesity epidemic and its associated health burden.
Background: Exposure to arsenic increases the risk of hypertension. Indeed, a high level of arsenic in human serum, a reliable biomarker of arsenic exposure, was shown to be linked to increased prevalence of hypertension among a study of Japanese residents. However, no beneficial food that decreases the risk of arsenic-mediated hypertension has been determined by considering intake scores of multiple foods. Methods: The comprehensive effects of combined beverage intake on the risk of hypertension, mediated by decreased levels of total arsenic in fasting serum, were investigated among the same group of 2706 residents. Results: Our generalized linear regression analysis for each beverage showed significant negative associations of serum arsenic levels with milk and vegetable juice intake scores among 11 beverages. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analyses of combined beverage intake scores reveal that milk was the beverage most strongly associated with lower serum arsenic levels. Subsequent causal mediation analysis further showed that increased milk intake reduced the prevalence of arsenic-mediated hypertension by lowering serum arsenic levels. Additionally, our cell-free assay revealed the adsorption-modifying effect of milk on arsenic components in a popular fish meat. An in vivo assay confirmed that milk intake significantly decreased total serum arsenic levels in mice. Conclusions: Our multidisciplinary approach, combining epidemiological, chemical and animal studies, suggests that milk consumption has a beneficial effect in reducing the prevalence of arsenic-induced hypertension by decreasing arsenic absorption. Considering the global trend for increased consumption of fish meat with high levels of total arsenic, milk may be globally useful for reducing the risk of arsenic-mediated hypertension.
One of the urgent issues worldwide is infectious waste, which impacts both the environment and health. Infectious waste includes various types of medical waste, such as disposable diapers and sanitary pads contaminated with hazardous materials like blood, bodily fluids, and other pathogens. If not properly managed, infectious waste can lead to the spread of diseases. The village of Tanjungrejo, located in the Ngombol subdistrict, has a well-managed TPS3R Waste Bank, but one of the issues they face is the lack of a management method for infectious waste like disposable diapers and sanitary pads. In Tanjungrejo, infectious waste is often disposed of by being dumped into streams or burned along with other waste due to the lack of proper facilities for managing infectious waste. This method of waste management can lead to the transmission of diseases and environmental pollution, such as water, air, and soil contamination. Based on these issues, the aim of this community service project is to develop technologies and innovations to help address environmental problems, including the management of infectious waste. The project will use the Design Thinking method, which includes the stages of empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.
Friedrich Boeing, Thorsten Wagener, Andreas Marx
et al.
Central Europe, including Germany, has faced exceptional multi-year terrestrial water storage (TWS) deficits since 2018, negatively impacting various sectors such as forestry, energy production, and drinking water supply. Currently, the understanding of the recovery dynamics behind such extreme events is limited, which hampers accurate water management decisions. We used a simulation of the mesoscale hydrological model (mHM) over the last 257 years (1766–2022) to provide the first long-term perspective on the dynamics of the TWS deficit recovery in Germany. The results show that severe TWS deficits surpassing a peak deficit of −42 mm (−15 km ^3 ) exhibit large variability in recovery times (3–31 months). The 2018–2021 TWS deficit period was unprecedented in terms of recovery time (31 months), mean intensity and the associated negative 30-year TWS trend. In recent decades, we identified increased evapotranspiration ( E ) fluxes that have impacted TWS dynamics in Germany. Increased E flux anomalies contributed to prolonged TWS recovery, given that the TWS deficit did not quickly recover through above-average precipitation ( P ). An extreme TWS deficit similar to that in 2018 was recovered by above-average P within three months in the winter of 1947–1948. Our research contributes to an improved understanding of the dynamics and drivers of TWS deficit recovery.
Nikolay S. Ivanov, Arlan Z. Abilmagzhanov, Oleg S. Kholkin
et al.
This article presents the results of the study of the morphological composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) from the landfill of Atyrau city, and the waste’s energy characteristics and presence of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. This study was carried out under a government order to determine the feasibility of recycling accumulated and incoming waste into electricity and its hazard to the environment and the workers involved in handling it. At the moment, there is no MSW recycling in Kazakhstan, which has led to the accumulation of more than 125 million tons of waste with an annual increase of 5 million tons. The research included four major cities (Almaty, Shymkent, Atyrau and Astana), which were selected not only on the basis of population, but also because the cities were located in different climatic zones. Samples were collected at the city landfills: 10 samples with an average distance of 100 m from each other were collected to provide a maximum coverage of both recently received waste and long-time stored waste. The research showed that neither climatic conditions nor the population size had a significant impact on MSW density, the values of which ranged from 120.1 kg/m<sup>3</sup> to 145.4 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, as this indicator directly depends on the quality of life. The mass of the combustible fraction ranged from 39.41% to 54.62% and was mainly represented by plastic, textile and paper waste. The average value for the four cities was 50.30%. The higher calorific value fell in the range of 24.22–30.49 MJ/kg, with an average value of 26.71 MJ/kg. Microbiological studies showed little difference in average composition regardless of climatic conditions. Thus, no sharp differences in MSW composition, its energy characteristics and microbiological composition were found. The results of this study may be useful for optimising MSW recycling and disposal processes, as well as for developing measures to reduce their negative impact on the environment and human health.
Mangrove forests in Surabaya's estuaries and coastal areas are designated by the government as protected areas. However, in the last decade, water pollution in the estuary and coastal areas of Surabaya has increased. This is due to rivers and tributaries that lead to the estuary carrying garbage and waste, as a result the waters in the mangrove area began to be polluted. The purpose of this study was to map water pollution in the Mangrove area, using the plankton diversity index. This diversity is based on the sensitivity of plankton, so it is used as a bioindicator of water pollution. This study, conducted in the estuary and along the East Coast of Surabaya. The results showed 70% of phytoplankton abundance in Wonorejo Mangrove is influenced by the value of COD, TSS, salinity, and phosphate. The estuary and coastal Mangrove Gunung Anyar 92% is influenced by the parameter values of temperature, COD, current strength, and salinity. Bacillariophyceae and Coscinodiscophyceae were the dominant phytoplankton in the Wonorejo and Gunung Anyar mangrove areas, respectively. The dominance of these two plankton, which were able to survive, indicates that the water quality in the Wonorejo and Gunung Anyar estuaries is polluted.
As an environmental enrichment, music can positively influence the immune function, while noise has an adverse effect on the physical and mental health of humans and animals. However, whether music-enriched environments mitigate noise-induced acute stress remains unclear. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of music on the immune organs of broiler chickens under conditions of early-life acute noise stress, 140 one-day-old white feather broilers (AA) were randomly divided into four groups: control (C), the music stimulation (M) group, the acute noise stimulation (N) group, the acute noise stimulation followed by music (NM) group. At 14 days of age, the N and NM groups received 120 dB noise stimulation for 10 min for one week. After acute noise stimulation, the NM group and M group were subjected to continuous music stimulation for 14 days (6 h per day, 60 dB). At 28 days of age, the body temperature of the chicks, the histopathological changes, quantification of ROS-positive density and apoptosis positivity in tissues of spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius (BF) were measured. The results showed that acute noise stimulation led to an increase in the number and area of splenic microsomes and the cortex/medulla ratio of the detected immune organs. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) of immune tissues of broilers in N group were decreased compared to the broilers in C group, while the mRNA levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-1β increased. In addition, the gene and protein expression levels of IKK, NF-κB, and IFN-γ of three immune organs from broilers in the N group were increased. Compared to the C and N group, chickens from the NM group showed a decrease in the number and area of splenic follicles, an increase in the activities of SOD and GSH-Px, and a decrease in the expression levels of MDA, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-1β. Therefore, a music-enriched environment can attenuate oxidative stress induced by acute noise stimulation, inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and consequently alleviating the inflammatory response in immune organs.
Abstract This study aims to critically analyze the integration of environmental health features into the design and construction processes of healthcare facilities in Slovenia, evaluate their impact on the well-being of patients and staff, and develop more holistic and sustainable design approaches. A mixed-methods research approach was employed, beginning with a qualitative analysis of national and international legal requirements and recommendations for constructing healthcare facilities in Slovenia, focusing on environmental health. The second step involved qualitative research through a case study, including short interviews with stakeholders to gather insights on applying environmental health criteria in construction projects. In the third step, recommendations for constructing healthcare facilities were defined, synthesizing findings from previous steps. By applying the six-step engineering design methodology and evidence-based approach, we presented the most critical areas of environmental health using the example of a 400-bed hospital. Our research results have significant practical value for all phases of healthcare facility construction, effectively raising stakeholder awareness
Accurate and rapid censuses can provide detailed basic information for a country, which is useful for resource allocation, disease control, disaster prevention, urban planning, and business management. However, traditional censuses often take up much time, manpower, and financial resources. Population maps are created by national statistical institutes at statistical units. Remote sensing imagery combined with end-to-end deep learning models makes it possible to estimate a wide range of populations at a low cost. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a local–global dual attention network (LGANet) for population estimation using remote sensing images. The LGANet contains a local attention embranchment and a global attention embranchment on the top of the backbone to adaptively learn and integrate two discriminative features simultaneously. To enhance the precision of population estimation, the outputs from the two attention modules are combined. This method utilizes daytime remote sensing images as input, complemented by nighttime light data, to estimate the population on 1 km grids. Our method exhibits superior accuracy compared to other deep learning methods, as evidenced by an experimental comparison between the estimated population and the ground-truth population in 1 km grids.
Environmental sciences, Environmental effects of industries and plants
I 2015, the United Nations (UN) unveiled an ambitious plan, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at providing guidelines, applicable universally to all nations, for equitable and responsible development, respectful of humans and ecosystems. The SDGs plan sets a clear agenda to be achieved by 2030 (Agenda 2030), composed of 17 goals and 169 targets, that promotes economic growth, environmental protection, social inclusion, and human well-being. This framework has been adopted by many governmental agencies, foundations, and companies in order to articulate specific actions in the broader context of sustainable development. The global scientific community has also established connections to the SDGs, highlighting the central role that sustainable chemistry and engineering must play to realize them. In particular, the SDGs are a powerful way to focus on how chemicals are used. The central role and impact of advanced technologies on global well-being and sustainability are further recognized by the declaration of a United Nations International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development in 2022. Time-bound action based on specific policies in different regions is critical for achieving Agenda 2030. For example, the successes of India, China, and Brazil, among the most populous countries, in achieving the SDGs will hugely contribute to the global outcomes. Efforts are underway to quantify progress, such as the SDG India Index. Directed actions to achieve the SDGs will be region specific. For example, it has been suggested that combating environmental pollution will be key in achieving the SDGs in China. Advances in science, technology, and education are critical to successfully address the various challenges and achieve the SDGs. Within ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (ACS SCE), we encourage authors to connect their research to the SDGs (Figure 1), identifying societal, environmental, and healthrelated benefits within submitted manuscripts where appropriate. The editors of ACS SCE are currently publishing a series of editorials on effective practices to incorporate sustainability assessments in submitted papers. We believe that the SDGs offer an opportunity to assess reported discoveries in a uniform and easily recognizable way. Specifically, sustainability advances reported in manuscripts can be used to benchmark progress against published 2030 SDG targets. This approach provides a framework to guide and trigger advances in sustainable chemistry and engineering, in a way similar to the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and the 12 Principles of Green Engineering. It must be noted that all these frameworks call for a holistic view of sustainability, whereby advances should lead to progress in all criteria, not in just one or a few at the expense of others. We encourage authors to adopt such an approach when critically assessing their reported advances. We also welcome perspective-type manuscripts on the topic of the SDGs in the context of chemistry and engineering research, education, chemistry enterprise, public agencies, etc. While several such articles have appeared since the launch of the SDGs, the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is reinforcing the urgency to work toward these goals. COVID19 has had a major impact on human health and well-being (Goal 3) globally, yet the difference in the abilities of nations to effectively respond to the pandemic is revealing disparities across the globe in a number of SDG areas such as poverty (Goal 1), hunger (Goal 2), education (Goal 4), clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), and economic growth (Goal 8). Our ability to produce and consume responsibly has been drastically affected by disrupted supply chains, impaired mobility for people and goods, and increased reliance on disposables (Goal 12). The use of disposable masks, alongside already widespread use of single use plastics, is impacting habitats both on land and in the ocean (Goals 14 and 15). Some governments have seized this opportunity to cast ambitious plans for a post pandemic economic recovery to provide a boost to clean and affordable energy (Goal 7),