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Environmental Science. Processes &... Dec 2022Submicron soot particles (<1.0 μm in aerodynamic diameter) are responsible for global warming and health burdens worldwide. However, studies on bio-monitoring of...
Submicron soot particles (<1.0 μm in aerodynamic diameter) are responsible for global warming and health burdens worldwide. However, studies on bio-monitoring of submicron soot particles and their associated sources by using tree leaves are not comprehensively illustrated. Here, we determined the seasonal trends of submicron soot particles on the leaves of the collected from two cities (Lu'an, Anhui Province, and Nanjing, Jiangsu Province) in the Yangtze River Delta region, China. The source apportionment of submicron soot particles was performed using stable carbon isotopic analyses. Significant seasonal trends of submicron soot particles were observed in two cities with averaged levels of 0.41-1.36 mg m in cold seasons and averaged levels of 0.13-0.24 mg m in warm seasons. The levels of C for submicron soot at the suburban site of Lu'an city were observed to be in the range of -25.6‰ to -18.2‰ with fossil fuels dominated (∼58%) in summer and -23.0‰ to -15.6‰ with biomass burning dominated in winter (∼67%). In comparison, the ranges in the levels of C in submicron soot were found to be from -26.5‰ to -20.4‰ in winter, and -24.2‰ to -17.9‰ in summer at the urban site of Nanjing. Fossil fuels accounted for a large fraction of submicron soot with average contributions of 53% in winter and 73% in summer, respectively. These findings demonstrate that trees could be used as an effective and low-cost bio-monitoring tool for monitoring the pollution status of submicron soot and associated source contribution.
Topics: Soot; Trees; Air Pollutants; Environmental Monitoring; Fossil Fuels; Carbon; Seasons; China; Aerosols; Particulate Matter
PubMed: 36278318
DOI: 10.1039/d2em00328g -
Particle and Fibre Toxicology Apr 2023Microbial dysbiosis is a potential mediator of air pollution-induced adverse outcomes. However, a systemic comparison of the lung and gut microbiome alterations and...
BACKGROUND
Microbial dysbiosis is a potential mediator of air pollution-induced adverse outcomes. However, a systemic comparison of the lung and gut microbiome alterations and lung-gut axis following air pollution exposure is scant. In this study, we exposed male C57BL/6J mice to inhaled air, CB (10 mg/m), O (2 ppm) or CB + O mixture for 3 h/day for either one day or four consecutive days and were euthanized 24 h post last exposure. The lung and gut microbiome were quantified by 16 s sequencing.
RESULTS
Multiple CB + O exposures induced an increase in the lung inflammatory cells (neutrophils, eosinophils and B lymphocytes), reduced absolute bacterial load in the lungs and increased load in the gut. CB + O exposure was more potent as it decreased lung microbiome alpha diversity just after a single exposure. CB + O co-exposure uniquely increased Clostridiaceae and Prevotellaceae in the lungs. Serum short chain fatty acids (SCFA) (acetate and propionate) were increased significantly only after CB + O co-exposure. A significant increase in SCFA producing bacterial families (Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Eubacterium) were also observed in the gut after multiple exposures. Co-exposure induced significant alterations in the gut derived metabolite receptors/mediator (Gcg, Glp-1r, Cck) mRNA expression. Oxidative stress related mRNA expression in lungs, and oxidant levels in the BALF, serum and gut significantly increased after CB + O exposures.
CONCLUSION
Our study confirms distinct gut and lung microbiome alterations after CB + O inhalation co-exposure and indicate a potential homeostatic shift in the gut microbiome to counter deleterious impacts of environmental exposures on metabolic system.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Male; Ozone; Soot; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Lung; Microbiota; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 37085867
DOI: 10.1186/s12989-023-00528-8 -
The Science of the Total Environment Dec 2023Carbon black (CB), a component of environmental particulate pollution derived from carbon sources, poses a significant threat to human health, particularly in the...
Carbon black (CB), a component of environmental particulate pollution derived from carbon sources, poses a significant threat to human health, particularly in the context of lung-related disease. This study aimed to investigate the detrimental effects of aggregated CB in the average micron scale on lung tissues and cells in vitro and in vivo. We observed that CB particles induced lung disorders characterized by enhanced expression of inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis-related factors in vivo. In alveolar epithelial cells, CB exposure resulted in decreased cell viability, induction of cell death, and generation of reactive oxidative species, along with altered expression of proteins associated with lung disorders. Our findings suggested that the damaging effects of CB on the lung involved the targeting of lysosomes. Specifically, CB promoted lysosomal membrane permeabilization, while lysosomal alkalization mitigated the harmfulness of CB on lung cells. Additionally, we explored the protective effects of alkaloids derived from Nelumbinis plumula, with a focus on neferine, against CB-induced lung disorders. In conclusion, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the pathophysiological effects of CB particles on the lungs and propose a potential therapeutic approach for pollution-related diseases.
Topics: Humans; Soot; Lung; Inflammation; Lysosomes; Carbon
PubMed: 37742976
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167200 -
Journal of Pharmaceutical and... Nov 2022The outstanding electronic properties of carbon black (CB) and its economic advantages have fueled its application as nanostructured electrode material for the... (Review)
Review
The outstanding electronic properties of carbon black (CB) and its economic advantages have fueled its application as nanostructured electrode material for the development of new electrochemical sensors and biosensors. CB-based electrochemical sensing devices have been found to exhibit high surface area, fast charge transfer kinetics, and excellent functionalization. In the present work, we set forth a comprehensive review of the recent advances made in the development and application of CB-based electrochemical devices for pharmaceutical and biomedical analyses - from quantitative monitoring of drug formulations to clinical diagnoses - and the underlying challenges and constraints that need to be overcome. We also present a thorough discussion about the strategies and techniques employed in the development of new electrochemical sensing platforms and in the enhancement of their analytical properties and biocompatibility for anchoring active biomolecules, as well as the combination of these sensing devices with other materials aiming at boosting the performance and efficiency of the sensors.
Topics: Biosensing Techniques; Electrochemical Techniques; Nanostructures; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Soot
PubMed: 36152488
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.115032 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Sep 2023Impact of COrona VIrus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) restrictive measures on aerosol optical depth (AOD) and black carbon (BC) concentration is investigated for the western,...
Impact of COrona VIrus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) restrictive measures on aerosol optical depth (AOD) and black carbon (BC) concentration is investigated for the western, central, and eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) using satellite-based observations. Due to COVID-19-induced lockdown measures, a noticeable decline in AOD and BC concentrations was observed across the IGP when compared to pre-lockdown period of 2020 and the lockdown concurrent period of 2015-2019. During the total lockdown period, a maximum drop in AOD and BC was observed in the central IGP (26.5 % and 10.1 %), followed by western IGP (24.9% and 5.2%) and eastern IGP (23.2 % and 4.9 %) with respect to the same period of 2015-2019. We have removed seasonal influences on aerosol properties during the COVID-19 lockdown, by taking average seasonal variations during the period of 2015-2019 as reference and projecting the hypothetical AOD and BC for the lockdown period under normal scenario. The difference between the hypothetical AOD and BC (under normal scenario) and the retrieved AOD and BC for the lockdown period is the absolute percentage change in AOD and BC concentration due to the lockdown alone. This elimination of seasonal influence is a novel approach. Central IGP showed an absolute decrease in AOD and BC of 38.5% and 18.2% during the lockdown period followed by western IGP (34.6% and 7.7%) and eastern IGP (25.9% and 11.5%). The observed absolute reduction in AOD, 26-39 %, is significantly higher than the global average reduction in AOD of 2-5%. CALIPSO-derived aerosol sub-types over major location of the western, central, and eastern IGP suggests prevalence of anthropogenic activities during pre- and post-lockdown periods. During the lockdown, IGP was influenced by aerosols from natural sources, with mineral dust and polluted dust in the western and central IGP, and aerosols from marine regions in the eastern IGP. Replenishment of aerosols within the boundary layer were far quicker when compared to total column during post-lockdown. Overall, the study reveals a reduction in anthropogenic emissions during the COVID-19-induced lockdowns, leading to temporary improvements in air quality over the IGP. Our study presents a comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 lockdown impact on aerosols properties over the IGP and highlights unprecedented reductions in AOD (~ 40 %) and BC (~ 20 %), due to imposition of lockdown and subsequent cessation of aerosol sources, by removing seasonal influences.
Topics: Humans; Air Pollutants; Environmental Monitoring; COVID-19; Communicable Disease Control; Respiratory Aerosols and Droplets; Dust; Soot; India
PubMed: 37632617
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29449-x -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Oct 2023Environmental air pollutants (black carbon (BC), nitrogen oxides (NO), particulate matter with diameter < 2.5 μm (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO), particulate matter with... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Environmental air pollutants (black carbon (BC), nitrogen oxides (NO), particulate matter with diameter < 2.5 μm (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO), particulate matter with diameter <10 μm (PM), and ozone (O)) are one of the major menaces to mankind's health globally. This analysis reviews the association between exposure to these air pollutants and the chance of developing brain tumors in adults (total brain tumors, malignant brain tumors, and benign brain tumors). Studies published by April 2022 were searched. Raw effect sizes were converted to standardized effect sizes per 10 μg/m increase. Random effect models were applied to calculate combined effect size and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. A total of 8 articles were included for meta-analysis. The pooled effect size (ES) for per 10 μg/m BC intake was 1.67 (95% CI: 1.25, 2.22), P = 0.449. For every 10 μg/m rise in NO concentration, ES was 1.03 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.05), P = 0.319. Meanwhile, there was a boundary association between NO and adult brain tumors (ES and 95% CI: 1.01; 1.00, 1.01/10 μg/m; P = 0.716). While there was no conjunction between PM, PM, O (PM: ES and 95% CI: 1.04; 0.99, 1.08/10 μg/m; P = 0.834; PM: ES and 95% CI: 1.01; 0.97, 1.04/10 μg/m; P = 0.627; O: ES and 95% CI: 0.97; 0.94, 1.00/10 μg/m; P = 0.253). This research shows testimony of a significant link between air pollutants and brain tumors in adults, especially when exposed to BC, NO, and NO. This evidence emphasizes the importance of improving air quality as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent the occurrence and deterioration of brain tumors.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Nitrogen Dioxide; Environmental Exposure; Air Pollution; Air Pollutants; Particulate Matter; Soot; Brain Neoplasms
PubMed: 37783991
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29955-y -
Environmental Science & Technology Dec 2022Combustion-derived black carbon (BC) is an important component of sedimentary carbon pool. Due to different physicochemical properties, determining the source of char...
Combustion-derived black carbon (BC) is an important component of sedimentary carbon pool. Due to different physicochemical properties, determining the source of char and soot is crucial for BC cycling, especially for nonhomologous char and soot in the Tibetan Plateau (TP). This study analyzed the sequestration and source of BC, char, and soot in the Dagze Co (inner TP) sediment core via the content and δC, revealing the biomass and fossil fuel driving on nonsynchronous char and soot and their response to local anthropogenic activities and atmospheric transmission. The results showed that BC concentration increased from 1.19 ± 0.35 mg g (pre-1956) to 2.03 ± 1.05 mg g (after 1956). The variation of char was similar to BC, while nonhomologous growth was detected in char and soot ( = 0.29 and > 0.05). The source apportionment showed that biomass burning for 71.52 ± 10.23% of char and promoted char sequestration. The contribution of fossil fuel combustion to soot (46.67 ± 14.07%) is much higher than char (28.48 ± 10.23%). Redundancy analysis confirmed that local anthropogenic activities significantly influenced BC burial and atmospheric transport from outside TP-regulated BC burial. The contribution of biomass and fossil fuels to nonsynchronous char and soot is conducive to understanding the anthropogenic effect on BC burial in the TP.
Topics: Carbon Isotopes; Tibet; Lakes; Soot; Environmental Monitoring; Carbon; Fossil Fuels; Air Pollutants
PubMed: 36454627
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07916 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Apr 2023Abandoned brownfields represent a challenge for their recovery. To apply sustainable remediation technologies, such as bioremediation or phytoremediation, indigenous...
Abandoned brownfields represent a challenge for their recovery. To apply sustainable remediation technologies, such as bioremediation or phytoremediation, indigenous microorganisms are essential agents since they are adapted to the ecology of the soil. Better understanding of microbial communities inhabiting those soils, identification of microorganisms that drive detoxification process and recognising their needs and interactions will significantly improve the outcome of the remediation. With this in mind we have carried out a detailed metagenomic analysis to explore the taxonomic and functional diversity of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities in soils, several mineralogically distinct types of pyrometallurgic waste, and groundwater sediments of a former mercury mining and metallurgy site which harbour very high levels of arsenic and mercury pollution. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities were identified, which turned out to be more diverse in the surrounding contaminated soils compared to the pyrometallurgic waste. The highest diversity loss was observed in two environments most contaminated with mercury and arsenic (stupp, a solid mercury condenser residue and arsenic-rich soot from arsenic condensers). Interestingly, microbial communities in the stupp were dominated by an overwhelming majority of archaea of the phylum Crenarchaeota, while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi comprised the fungal communities of both stump and soot, results that show the impressive ability of these previously unreported microorganisms to colonize these extreme brownfield environments. Functional predictions for mercury and arsenic resistance/detoxification genes show their increase in environments with higher levels of pollution. Our work establishes the bases to design sustainable remediation methods and, equally important, to study in depth the genetic and functional mechanisms that enable the subsistence of microbial populations in these extremely selective environments.
Topics: Mercury; Arsenic; Soot; Microbiota; Eukaryota; Soil; Soil Microbiology; Soil Pollutants; Ascomycota
PubMed: 36804142
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121305 -
Nature Communications Feb 2022Black carbon (BC) from fossil fuel and biomass combustion darkens the snow and makes it melt sooner. The BC footprint of research activities and tourism in Antarctica...
Black carbon (BC) from fossil fuel and biomass combustion darkens the snow and makes it melt sooner. The BC footprint of research activities and tourism in Antarctica has likely increased as human presence in the continent has surged in recent decades. Here, we report on measurements of the BC concentration in snow samples from 28 sites across a transect of about 2,000 km from the northern tip of Antarctica (62°S) to the southern Ellsworth Mountains (79°S). Our surveys show that BC content in snow surrounding research facilities and popular shore tourist-landing sites is considerably above background levels measured elsewhere in the continent. The resulting radiative forcing is accelerating snow melting and shrinking the snowpack on BC-impacted areas on the Antarctic Peninsula and associated archipelagos by up to 23 mm water equivalent (w.e.) every summer.
Topics: Antarctic Regions; Carbon; Carbon Footprint; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Snow; Soot
PubMed: 35194040
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28560-w -
The Science of the Total Environment Jan 2023Light-absorbing aerosols (LAA), including black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC), profoundly impact regional and global climate. Vehicle emission is an important...
Light-absorbing aerosols (LAA), including black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC), profoundly impact regional and global climate. Vehicle emission is an important source of LAA in urban areas, but real-world emission features of LAA from the urban vehicle fleet are not fully understood. This study evaluates traffic-related BC and BrC emission factors (EFs) and their vehicular emission inventories via road tunnel measurements in Tianjin, China, in 2017 and 2021. The distance-based and fuel-based EFs of BC for the mixed fleet were 1.05 ± 1.28 mg km veh and 0.057 ± 0.057 g (kg-fuel), respectively, in 2021, with a dramatic decrease of 80.6 % compared to those in 2017. The BC EFs for gasoline vehicles (GVs, including traditional gasoline and hybrid vehicles) and diesel vehicles (DVs) were 0.55 ± 0.065 mg km veh and 10.5 ± 2.52 mg km veh, respectively, in 2021. Compared to 2017, the BrC EFs also decreased significantly in 2021, by 10.8-53.6 %, with 0.32 ± 0.45 mg km veh and 0.018 ± 0.020 g (kg-fuel) of distance-based and fuel-based EFs for mixed fleet. The BrC EFs for GVs and DVs were 0.091 ± 0.024 mg km veh and 3.06 ± 0.91 mg km veh, respectively, in 2021. Based on the BC and BrC EFs for GVs and DVs and annual mileage for each vehicle category, the annual vehicular LAA emission inventories were estimated. From 2017 to 2021, the annual vehicular LAA emissions in Tianjin have been significantly reduced, by 69 % for BC and 10 % for BrC. DVs account for a small amount of the vehicle population (8.4 %), but contribute to most of the BC (83 %) and BrC (86 %). Our study demonstrates the significant reduction of vehicular light-absorbing aerosols emission due to vehicle pollution prevention and control in China.
Topics: Air Pollutants; Particulate Matter; Gasoline; Environmental Monitoring; Vehicle Emissions; Aerosols; Soot; China; Carbon
PubMed: 36206905
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159212