Thallium (Tl) is a highly toxic rare element, and zinc hydrometallurgy is a main anthropogenic source of Tl pollution in the environment. A comprehensive understanding of Tl metabolism throughout the entire process is critical for effective control and management. This study established a process-level substance flow analysis (SFA) model for Tl in the zinc hydrometallurgy system, incorporating both main and auxiliary processes, to systematically analyze Tl flow and distribution characteristics. Two key Tl fate pathways-purification residue (PR) and high-fluorine-chlorine dust (HFCD)-were evaluated for environmental risks, transfer costs and benefits. And a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was employed to prioritize the two fate pathways under different policy-driven scenarios from a techno-enviro-economic collaborative perspective. Results revealed that under identical system inputs, Tl was mainly introduced via mixed zinc concentrates (97.79% of the total Tl input mass in the zinc hydrometallurgical process) and predominantly enriched in PR (86.07% with an enrichment ratio of 547.50 relative to the mixed zinc concentrates) or HFCD (82.33% with an enrichment ratio of 441.60 relative to the mixed zinc concentrates). And policy scenarios influenced pathway preferences: under baseline and pollution-control-oriented scenarios, the HFCD fate pathway emerged as the superior option, whereas the PR fate pathway slightly excelled in the resource-recovery-oriented scenario. These findings provide useful and theoretical insights for decision-makers in zinc hydrometallurgy enterprises to prioritize Tl fate pathways, and promote a balanced integration of technological feasibility, economic practicality and environmental sustainability in Tl enrichment regulation.

Limited sample sizes and regional differences in pollution characteristics and soil properties often obscure the characteristic bands of soil heavy metal (SHM), thereby reducing the stability, accuracy, and generalizability of prediction models. These limitations ultimately hinder the engineering application of hyperspectral remote sensing in SHM detection. To overcome this, a Near-standard Soil Spectral Library (NSSL) was innovatively developed by producing near-standard soil samples for cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As). Furthermore, the effectiveness of characteristic bands identified from NSSL was assessed through different machine learning models using both laboratory and field in-situ spectra from mining and agricultural scenarios. Additionally, the capability of NSSL as prior spectral knowledge was further examined to enhance the accuracy of prediction models and to improve model transferability. The results indicated the characteristic bands of SHM were identified as 405-501, 769-994, 1130-1142, 1196-1278, 1376-1468, 1670-1782 and 1949-2374 nm for Cd, 409-540, 1813-2060 and 2214-2354 nm for Pb, and 403-578, 1890-1898, 2053-2067, 2263-2266 and 2307-2356 nm for As. As prior spectral knowledge, NSSL significantly improved model accuracy based on field in-situ spectra under limited sample sizes, improving Rv2 values from 0.68 to 0.79 for Cd, from 0.69 to 0.78 for Pb, and from 0.72 to 0.80 for As. The performance (Rv2) of model transferability was enhanced from 0.57 to 0.79 for Cd, from 0.53 to 0.73 for Pb, and from 0.29 to 0.57 for As. These results emphasize the reliability of NSSL in supporting hyperspectral remote sensing for SHM detection and constitute a milestone in advancing the field.

Previous studies have shown that the vast majority of insects, including the Apis mellifera, synthesize R-juvenile hormone III (R-JH III) to regulate critical biological functions such as metamorphosis and reproduction. However, Sclerodermus guani specifically synthesizes S-JH III. The primary function of pyriproxyfen (existing as R- and S-enantiomers) is to disrupt insect JH III titers. However, the stereoselective interference of pyriproxyfen enantiomers with different JH III stereoisomers and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Our study revealed that S-pyriproxyfen exhibited higher acute toxicity to both insects. R-pyriproxyfen more effectively suppressed JH levels in A. mellifera (R-JH III), while S-pyriproxyfen exerted a stronger inhibitory effect on JH in S. guani (S-JH III), demonstrating clear stereoselectivity in their activity. S-pyriproxyfen significantly reduced A. mellifera queen egg-laying (45.4%) and S. guani parasitism rate (67.7%), fecundity (43.8%) via downregulating vitellogenin. Mechanistically, the enantiomers exhibited distinct regulatory patterns on key JH pathway genes. In A. mellifera, R-pyriproxyfen significantly inhibited the terminal JH synthesis enzyme CYP15A1 and upregulated the JH receptor Met and its downstream target Kr-h1, with a concentration-associated effect in worker bees. In contrast, in S. guani, S-pyriproxyfen markedly induced the JH degradation enzyme JHEH and upregulated JHBP and Met, while R-pyriproxyfen showed no significant effects. These findings reveal that the stereoselective action of exogenous pyriproxyfen is associated with the JH III stereochemistry of target insects. This correspondence between pesticide activity and stereochemical configuration may stem from the selective preference of functional proteins in insects for specific stereoisomers. We hypothesize that the stronger interference activity of pyriproxyfen enantiomers with JH of the same configuration may result from enhanced stereoselective deception. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the rational application of chiral pesticides.

Oysters extensively farmed in China represent a critical but under-investigated pathway for human exposure to antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study employed metagenomic analysis of 75 samples from representative Chinese oyster farms to explore ARGs distribution in oysters and their surrounding environments, alongside assessing their health risk. Results exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity and marked ARG enrichment in oyster compared to surrounding seawater along the Chinese coastline, with an enrichment factor 2.60 ± 2.43 folds higher. This enrichment is primarily driven by selective retention of specific microbes, particularly the opportunistic pathogen Vibrio, which emerged as a dominant ARG host. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of mobile genetic elements and diverse ARGs, particularly IS91 and tnpA, suggests a high potential for horizontal gene transfer within oyster bacteriome, potentially exacerbating the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. From a public health perspective, the mean estimated daily intake (EDI) of ARGs via oyster consumption was calculated at 1.7E-1 ± 1.7E-1 copies/16S/g/individual. Given that oyster can be consumed raw and harbor pathogenic Vibrio, this ARG exposure may underscores potential health risk for consumers. Integrating the EDI with a resistome scoring system, the Risk Index (RI) demonstrated site-specific health threats that necessitate differentiated management priorities. Collectively, these results provide critical evidence of how marine aquaculture serves as a reservoir for ARGs and highlight the urgent need for integrated surveillance under the One Health approach to mitigate the transmission of antibiotic resistance from marine environments to the human food chain.

Arsenic (As) contamination poses a serious threat to the safety and medicinal quality of Panax notoginseng, a high-value medicinal herb rich in triterpenoid saponins. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve plant tolerance to metal(loid) stress, but how AMF coordinate rhizosphere processes with host metabolic regulation to reduce As accumulation while maintaining medicinal quality remains poorly understood. Here, we integrated physiological assays, As partitioning and subcellular fractionation, rhizosphere microbiome profiling, root exudate metabolomics, phytohormone quantification, transcriptomics, proteomics, and partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM) to investigate the effects of Entrophospora etunicatum inoculation on P. notoginseng under As stress. AMF colonization alleviated As-induced toxicity by improving plant growth, photosynthetic performance, and antioxidant capacity. Notably, AMF reduced As accumulation in medicinal taproot, while promoting As retention in fibrous roots and immobilization in cell wall-associated fractions. AMF also reshaped the rhizosphere bacterial community, enhanced glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) accumulation and soil enzyme activities, and altered root exudate and endogenous hormone profiles. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses indicated coordinated regulation of detoxification, transport, carbon metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and secondary metabolism. In parallel, AMF promoted the accumulation of major notoginseng saponins, suggesting that As detoxification was coupled with preservation of medicinal quality rather than a growth-defense trade-off. PLS-PM supported linkages among AMF colonization, rhizosphere reassembly, As sequestration, host metabolic reprogramming, and saponin accumulation. Overall, our results reveal a multiscale mechanism by which AMF reduce As risk in medicinal tissues while sustaining bioactive compound biosynthesis, providing promising biological strategy for safe production of medicinal plants in As-contaminated soils.

Sulfite photolyzed with far-UVC light is increasingly used for the dehalogenation of halogenated contaminants due to its high yields of hydrated electron (eaq[-]), but hydrogen radicals (•H) were always overlooked in previous studies. This work first revealed the critical roles of •H in rapid reductive degradation and dehalogenation of florfenicol (FLO) under near-neutral conditions. Results demonstrated that sulfite activated by far-UVC process achieved 95.2% degradation of FLO within 15 min and the defluorination and dechlorination efficiency were 92.4% and 100.0% within 30 min, respectively. Increasing pH value from 5.0 to 9.0 improved the FLO degradation and dehalogenation efficiency owing to the increase in quantum yield of sulfite, from 0.077 to 0.178 mol Einstein[-1]. The second-order rate constants of eaq[-] and •H with FLO were determined as 1.26 × 10[9] and 2.82 × 10[8] M[-1]s[-1], respectively. Kinetic modeling coupled with probe experiments quantified the contributions of •H and eaq[-] to FLO degradation as 56.4% and 18.2% at pH 7.5, respectively. Furthermore, •H contributed 47.3% and 41.8% to FLO dechlorination and defluorination at pH 7.5, respectively. While Cl[-] and SO4[2-] had minimal effect on FLO degradation, HA and bicarbonate slightly inhibited FLO degradation by quenching reactive species or/and light shielding. Products analysis revealed that •H promotes defluorination through both direct H/F exchange and indirect facilitation via accelerated dechlorination. This work offers an innovative perspective on the potential of •H for dehalogenation of halogenated pollutants under near-neutral conditions in far-UVC/sulfite process.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), particularly superoxide radicals (•O2[-]) and singlet oxygen ([1]O2), are widely recognized as key intermediates in carbon nitride (CN)-based photocatalysis for environmental remediation. However, the generation of ROS in such systems is inherently constrained by the limited availability of dissolved oxygen in oxygen-depleted aquatic environments. To address this limitation, we developed an ordered-disordered CN interface composite (HCCN) by incorporating defect-rich amorphous hydrothermal carbonation carbon derived from lignin (HTCC-L) into polymeric CN, enabling efficient oxygen-independent, hole-dominated photocatalytic degradation of sulfonamides (SAs). The HCCN composite markedly promotes exciton dissociation and charge carrier migration under visible light irradiation, achieving a hole migration efficiency of 59.5%, compared to 33.3% for pristine CN. Meanwhile, the intrinsic defects introduced by HTCC-L act as electron traps that effectively suppress electron-hole recombination, facilitating the accumulation of long-lived photogenerated holes at surface reactive sites. Furthermore, HCCN exhibits enhanced adsorption affinity toward SAs, enriching target pollutants at the hole-accumulated surface and thereby boosting direct hole-mediated oxidation. The system demonstrates synergistic adsorption-photocatalytic performance for SAs with different heterocyclic substituents, maintaining high degradation efficiency even under hypoxic conditions, while showing strong resistance to coexisting inorganic anions. This study overcomes the inherent dependency of conventional photocatalysis on dissolved oxygen and presents a promising strategy for the remediation of recalcitrant organic pollutants in complex natural water bodies.

Breast milk is a key source of infant per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure, yet its influence on longitudinal child growth and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this prospective study of 286 mother-child pairs from the Nanjing Birth Cohort (2021-2022), 23 PFASs were measured in breast milk. Child weight, length, and head circumference were assessed at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months and converted to age-specific z-scores. Group-based trajectory modeling identified growth patterns, and their associations with PFAS were evaluated using multinomial logistic regression. A metabolome-wide association study (MWAS) with mediation analysis was performed to explore potential mechanisms. Fifteen PFASs were detected. Elevated levels were associated with a low-stable trajectory for weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) and a high-stable trajectory for length-for-age z-score (LAZ), a pattern supported by mixture analysis. For weight-for-length z-score (WLZ), perfluorocarboxylic acid (∑7PFCAs) was linked to a low-falling trajectory, while emerging PFASs showed an inverse association with a high-falling trajectory. Emerging PFASs were also associated with a low-stable trajectory for head-circumference-for-age z-score (HCZ). MWAS identified 123 metabolites associated with both PFAS exposure and growth trajectories. Enrichment analysis highlighted the "Biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids" pathway, which significantly mediated the effects of ∑7PFCAs and ∑15PFAS on the WLZ low-falling trajectory, accounting for 25.5% and 37.8% of the total effects, respectively. In conclusion, lactational PFAS exposure is associated with distinct growth trajectories, including lower weight, greater length, declining weight-for-length, and smaller head circumference. These effects appear partially mediated by breast milk metabolomic perturbations, providing novel mechanistic insights.

To address the efficient capture of volatile organic compounds such as 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), this study proposes a directed design strategy for deep eutectic solvents (DESs) driven by the synergy of quantum chemical calculations and experimental validation. Based on theoretical calculations of solvation free energy and binding energy, systematic screening was conducted on numerous combinations of hydrogen bond acceptors and donors, identifying triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (DEGBE) as optimal pairings. Experimental validation demonstrated that TPP-DEGBE (1:4) achieved an equilibrium absorption efficiency of 98.69% for 1,2-DCA under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, with efficiencies remaining above 97% after twelve absorption-desorption cycles. Combined molecular dynamics simulations and spectroscopic analysis further confirmed that C-H···π interactions between chlorine atoms of 1,2-DCA and TPP, together with hydrogen bonding between TPP and DEGBE, synergistically constitute the core mechanism enhancing absorption performance. The design strategy established in this study provides a novel approach for the design of efficient solvents for capturing chlorinated volatile organic compounds.

Anthropogenic activities increasingly influence trace metal(loid)s (TMs) inputs to inland waters, yet the large-scale drivers of their distribution and ecological risks remain insufficiently understood. Here, we quantified 13 TMs in surface waters from 45 lakes across China to investigate spatial patterns, identify pollution sources, evaluate ecological risks, and assess predictive performance using machine learning models. TMs concentrations showed clear regional clustering, with southern lakes enriched in Ag, Cu, Fe, and Mn, while northern and northeastern lakes exhibited higher levels of As, Cr, and Ni. Positive matrix factorization indicated that Cu and Ni originated from combined agricultural, industrial, and natural sources; Cr was predominantly controlled by natural sources; and As reflected mixed contributions from natural, agricultural, and industrial inputs. Species sensitivity distribution (SSD)-based assessment identified Ag and Cu as the primary ecological risk contributors, with moderate risks occurring in 82.22% and 75.56% of lakes, respectively, and high risks observed in up to 24.44% of lakes. Risk quotient (RQ) analysis further revealed localized ecological risk hotspots for Cu, Fe, and Mn in northeastern China rather than widespread elevated risks. To support large-scale monitoring and prediction, machine learning models were developed. Among the tested algorithms, Random Forest achieved the highest predictive accuracy, highlighting the potential of machine learning approaches for as supportive tools for preliminary screening of lakes that may require enhanced monitoring or further pollution-source investigation. These results provide a large-scale cross-regional perspective on TMs contamination and support risk-based management of lake ecosystems.

Freshwater plastispheres are dynamic microbial interfaces that form on plastic debris, one of the most pervasive anthropogenic pollutants in freshwater ecosystems. Despite their environmental relevance as vectors for microbial dispersal, pollutant transfer, and plastic degradation, their role in early-stage polymer transformation remains poorly understood. This study combined in situ freshwater incubation, laboratory enrichment, isolation, screening, and chemical profiling to investigate microbial succession and early transformation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polylactic acid (PLA). Amplicon sequencing revealed a two-phase succession, in which early colonizers were replaced by later-stage plastic-associated taxa, with functional prediction indicating transformation-related metabolic potential. Subsequent enrichment and isolation yielded 135 culturable isolates, from which hydrolytically active strains were selected for controlled polymer incubation. Scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, reactive oxygen species imaging, and non-target metabolite profiling showed polymer-specific transformation signatures, gradual oxidation-associated modification in LDPE and more limited hydrolysis-oriented alteration in PLA. The field and isolate-based results highlight distinct LDPE and PLA responses and the need to evaluate plastic persistence under realistic freshwater conditions, not by material classification alone.

Manual polarized light microscopy (PLM) is widely used for asbestos screening in soil, yet the technique remains labor-intensive and susceptible to inter-analyst variability and mineralogical interferences. We developed a chrysotile-focused, deep learning-assisted PLM workflow that links field-of-view (FOV) detections to sample-level screening decisions under regulatory-style sampling designs. The method combines a two-stage instance-segmentation pipeline with rotation-assisted paired imaging and recovery (0°/90°) to mitigate optical extinction and retain auditable optical evidence. FOV-level errors are propagated through slide- and sample-level consensus rules using an occupancy parameter q, defined as the probability that a given FOV contains detectable fibers, together with a dataset-calibrated proxy to approximate mass-fraction interpretation. Under a baseline design (3 slides per sample; 20 FOVs per slide), and assuming a 10% sample-level prevalence, strict consensus supported confirmatory performance near moderate occupancy (q≈0.20; ∼0.05% w/w under the present proxy) under the observed workflow-specific false-positive rate. Sustaining confirmatory performance at lower occupancy required increasing the number of scanned FOVs. Below q ≈ 0.07 (approximately 0.017% w/w under the present proxy calibration), confirmatory performance could not be jointly maintained under the present workflow assumptions and estimated background-error structure. These results are translated into an operational triage framework: samples satisfying the strict consensus criterion support a confirmatory-positive call; samples with only one consensus-positive slide trigger targeted additional scanning and/or complementary analysis; and consensus-negative samples support a negative screen within the protocol's confirmable range are reported as "not detected under this protocol".

Biofilms, ubiquitous in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, strongly regulate arsenic (As) cycle. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) can stimulate the development and activity of microbial communities, thus enhancing arsenic biogeochemical processes. However, how DOM regulates groundwater biofilms to drive arsenic migration and transformation remains unclear. Incubation experiments were integrated with biofilm characterizations, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, qPCR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to explore the behaviors and potential mechanisms of arsenic under the mediation of biofilms and fulvic acid (FA), a representative molecule of DOM in groundwater. FA induced a 7.5‑fold increase in EPS secretion, characterized by a marked enrichment of α‑configuration polysaccharides, which provided additional binding sites and steric hindrance, thereby enhancing arsenic adsorption by 21.98%. Biofilms enhanced As(III) oxidation potentially via aoxA/B, regardless of FA presence. Subsequent As(V) reduction was mainly driven by FA‑enriched N and S cycling bacteria in biofilms. The reductive products of these bacteria, especially NH4[+], enhanced arrA, thereby promoting arsenate reduction. FA-Ca-As ternary complexes likely further contributed to arsenic sequestration. Additionally, the electron shuttle function of FA potentially accelerated As(V)/As(III) inter-conversion. To the best of our knowledge, this study initially revealed the importance of DOM and biofilms on groundwater arsenic fate, and provided new insights into environmental arsenic cycles.

This study presents the first systematic analysis of the distribution, migration characteristics, and sources of the anthropogenic radionuclide [236]U in the vertical but distinct vegetation zones of Changbai Mountain (CBM) in northeastern China. Previous research in the CBM region has detected elevated levels of radionuclides, yet the behavior and inventory of [236]U remain unclear. To address this, a total of 19 surface soil samples and 6 core samples were collected from different vertical vegetation zones in the CBM region, along with 5 comparative samples from northeastern China. These samples were chemically processed using a borate fusion method and analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The results show that the [236]U concentration in the surface soils of CBM region ranges from 0.34 × 10[8]-9.56 × 10[8] atoms/g, significantly higher than those in the comparative regions of northeastern China. Spatial heterogeneity analysis among different vegetation zones indicates that post-depositional redistribution of [236]U is jointly controlled by soil pH, organic matter content, and freeze-thaw erosion. The atomic ratio of [236]U to [239]Pu in the soil cores is 0.175 ± 0.008, which falls within the characteristic range for global fallout. Vertical profile analysis indicates a strong retention effect of [236]U in the upper soil layers. These findings reveal the influence of terrain, climate, soil properties, and vegetation types on the migration behavior of [236]U in complex forest vegetation zones.