Harnessing bromide ions to boost peroxymonosulfate for reactive yellow 145 dye degradation.

Bromide (Br-) was found in the fresh waters at concentrations from 0.1 to 1 mg/L and can be used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) as a widely used chemical oxidation agent. In the present study, the reaction between PMS and Br- ions (PMS/Br- process) for the effective degradation of reactive yellow 145 (RY-145) dye was investigated by changing operational parameters vis solution pH, dosage of Br- ions and PMS, RY-145 concentration, and reaction time. Based on the results, the simultaneous presence of PMS and Br- ions in the solution led to efficient degradation of RY-145 with a synergistic index of 11.89. The degradation efficiency of RY-145 was decreased in severe basic pH and the presence of CO32- ions as a coexisting anion. Likewise, 4 mg/L of humic acid (HA), used as a classic scavenger, led to a 26.53% decrease in the RY-145 degradation efficiency. The free bromine (HOBr/OBr-), superoxide radical (●O2-), and singlet oxygen (1O2) was the dominant oxidation agents in RY-145 degradation, which confirmed the nonradical degradation pathway. In addition, PMS/Br- process showed excellent ability in mineralizing RY-145 in different aqueous solutions (total organic carbon (TOC) decreased 86.39% in deionized water and 78.23% in tap water). Although pollutants such as azo dyes can be effectively removed in the PMS/Br- process, the formation of byproducts should be strategically controlled and special attention should be paid when the PMS-based advance oxidation process is applied to treat Br- containing solutions.

Unique effect of bromide ion on intensification of advanced oxidation processes for pollutants removal: A systematic review.

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been developed to decompose toxic pollutants to protect the aquatic environment. AOP has been considered an alternative treatment method for wastewater treatment. Bromine is present in natural waters posing toxic effects on human health and hence, its removal from drinking water sources is necessary. Of the many techniques advanced oxidation is covered in this review. This review systematically examines literature published from 1997 to April 2024, sourced from Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases, focusing on the efficacy of AOPs for pollutant removal from aqueous solutions containing bromide ions to investigate the impact of bromide ions on AOPs. Data and information extracted from each article eligible for inclusion in the review include the type of AOP, type of pollutants, and removal efficiency of AOP under the presence and absence of bromide ion. Of the 1784 documents screened, 90 studies met inclusion criteria, providing insights into various AOPs, including UV/chlorine, UV/PS, UV/H2O2, UV/catalyst, and visible light/catalyst processes. The observed impact of bromide ion presence on the efficacy of AOP processes, alongside the AOP method under scrutiny, is contingent upon various factors such as the nature of the target pollutant, catalyst type, and bromide ion concentration. These considerations are crucial in selecting the best method for removing specific pollutants under defined conditions. Challenges were encountered during result analysis included variations in experimental setups, disparities in pollutant types and concentrations, and inconsistencies in reporting AOP performance metrics. Addressing these parameters in research reports will enhance the coherence and utility of subsequent systematic reviews.

New insights on the decolorization of waste flows by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain - A systematic review.

One of the common causes of water pollution is the presence of toxic dye-based effluents, which can pose a serious threat to the ecosystem and human health. The application of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) for wastewater decolorization has been widely investigated due to their efficient removal and eco-friendly treatments. This review attempts to create an awareness of different forms and methods of using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) for wastewater decolorization through a systematic approach. Overall, some suggestions on classification of dyes and related environmental/health problems, and treatment methods are discussed. Besides, the mechanisms of dye removal by S. cerevisiae including biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biodegradation and cell immobilization methods such as adsorption, covalent binding, encapsulation, entrapment, and self-aggregation are discussed. This review would help to inspire the exploration of more creative methods for applications and modification of S. cerevisiae and its further practical applications.

Comprehensive dataset on fluoride removal from aqueous solution by enhanced electrocoagulation process by persulfate salts.

Depending on the quantity and concentration, drinking water containing fluoride (F-) ions can have either favorable or unfavorable impacts on individuals and the environment. High levels of F- (over 2 to 4 mg/L) can cause skeletal problems, dental fluorosis, and brain damage in children. Conventional F- removal is often complex and thus causes an adverse effect on the environment and financial burdens. The use of persulfate salts to enhance the electrocoagulation process is one of the most recent advances in the removal of F- from water. To investigate the efficacy of F- removal, a laboratory-scale electrochemical batch reactor with iron and aluminum electrodes was employed with various persulfate doses, pH values, current intensities, and supporting electrolyte concentrations. It was observed that the performance of the enhanced electrocoagulation process by persulfate increased over time, and it worked well in a certain range of pH. Also, for the initial F- concentration of 10 mg/L, increasing the supporting electrolyte concentration to 1.5 g/L improved fluoride removal efficiency from 80 to 91.2%, but higher concentrations (2.5 g/L) reduced efficiency to 71%. The most effective removal of F- was found to occur at a persulfate dose of 0.2 mg/L. At this dose, F- removal efficiency exceeded 92% for all studied F- concentrations. Overall, electrocoagulation using persulfate salts proved more efficient than electrocoagulation alone at removing fluoride from water sources.

Evaluation of health risk of glyphosate pesticide intake via surface and subsurface water consumption: A deterministic and probabilistic approach.

As the usage of pesticides for both agricultural and non-agricultural uses increases, it is more important than ever to employ probabilistic methods rather than deterministic ones to calculate the danger to human health. The current work demonstrates the application of deterministic and probabilistic approaches to assess the human health risk related to glyphosate during the consumption of surface and groundwater by different population groups. To that aim, the concentration of glyphosate pesticide in the surface and groundwater was measured and human health risk for three population groups including children, teens, and adults was evaluated. Overall, the probabilistic approach via Monte Carlo simulation showed a valid result for the estimation of human health risk and determination of dominant input parameters.•The health risk of glyphosate exposure during water consumption for various population groups were evaluated using deterministic and probabilistic methods.•The modeling is performed by Crystal Ball (11.1.2.4) software, as open access software, and requires a limited number of inputs.•The probabilistic method could reliably assess the risks of glyphosate by considering the variability and uncertainty in input variables.

Hydrodynamic cavitation coupled with zero-valent iron produces radical sulfate radicals by sulfite activation to degrade direct red 83.

In the present research, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and zero-valent iron (ZVI) were used to generate sulfate radicals through sulfite activation as a new source of sulfate for the efficient degradation of Direct Red 83 (DR83). A systematic analysis was carried out to examine the effects of operational parameters, including the pH of the solution, the doses of ZVI and sulfite salts, and the composition of the mixed media. Based on the results, the degradation efficiency of HC/ZVI/sulfite is highly dependent upon the pH of the solution and the dosage of both ZVI and sulfite. Degradation efficiency decreased significantly with increasing solution pH due to a lower corrosion rate for ZVI at high pH. The corrosion rate of ZVI can be accelerated by releasing Fe2+ ions in an acid medium, reducing the concentration of radicals generated even though ZVI is solid/originally non-soluble in water. The degradation efficiency of the HC/ZVI/sulfite process (95.54 % + 2.87%) was found to be significantly higher under optimal conditions than either of the individual processes (<6% for ZVI and sulfite and 68.21±3.41% for HC). Based on the first-order kinetic model, the HC/ZVI/sulfite process has the highest degradation constant of 0.035±0.002 min-1. The contribution of radicals to the degradation of DR83 by the HC/ZVI/sulfite process was 78.92%, while the contribution of SO4•- and •OH radicals was 51.57% and 48.43%, respectively. In the presence of HCO3- and CO32- ions, DR83 degradation is retarded, whereas SO42- and Cl- ions promote degradation. To summarise, the HC/ZVI/sulfite treatment can be viewed as an innovative and promising method of treating recalcitrant textile wastewater.

Hydrothermally improved natural manganese-containing catalytic materials to degrade 4-chlorophenol.

Natural manganese-containing mineral (NMM) was used as a catalyst in heterogeneous catalytic ozonation for 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation. The surface and structural properties of NMM were modified by the hydrothermal aging process and called H-NMM. The catalytic activity of NMM and H-NMM were evaluated for the catalytic ozonation process (COP). The synergistic effect of NMM and H-NMM in ozonation processes for 4-CP degradation under optimal conditions (pH of 7, 1 g/L of NMM and H-NMM, 0.85 mg/min of O3, and 15 min of reaction time) was measured by 3.04 and 4.34, respectively. During the hydrothermal process, Mn4+ and Fe2+ were converted to Mn2+ and Fe3+, which caused better performance of the H-NMM than the NMM. During the catalytic ozonation process, Mn2+ is completely oxidized, which increases the production of Hydroxyl radical (•OH). The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in the system were identified using radical scavenging experiments. •OH, superoxide radical (•O2-), and singlet oxygen (1O2) represented the dominant reactive species for 4-CP degradation. The O3/H-NMM process indicated a powerful ability in the mineralization of 4-CP (66.31% of TOC degradation). H-NMM exhibited excellent stability and reusability in consecutive catalytic cycles, and the NMM exhibited desirable performance. This study offers NMM and H-NMM as effective, stable, and competitive catalysts for hastening and enhancing the ozonation process to mitigate environmentally related pollutants of high concern.

Degradation of 2,4-diclorophenol via coupling zero valent iron and hydrodynamic cavitation for sulfite activation: A turbulence modeling.

The 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) is an important chemical precursor that can affect human endocrine system and induce pathological symptoms. This research reports the degradation of 2,4-DCP using lab-scale hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) approach, which is considered a green and effective method. To promote the degradation efficiency, the zero-valent iron (Fe0) as the catalyst for sulfate radical (SO4•-) generation via activation of sulfite (SO32-) salts was simultaneously used. Degradation efficiency was favorable in acidic pH than the alkaline pH due to higher production of active radicals and was dependent on the dose of Fe0 and SO32-. Under optimal condition, degradation efficiency by Fe0/HC/sulfite (96.67 ± 2.90%) was considerably enhanced compared to HC alone (45.37 ± 2.26%). Quenching experiments suggested that SO4•-, •OH, 1O2, and O2•- radicals were involved in the degradation of 2,4-DCP by Fe0/HC/sulfite process, but the dominant role was related to •OH (70.09% contribution) and SO4•- (29.91% contribution) radicals. From the turbulence model, turbulent pressure at venturi throat decreased from -0.42 MPa to -2.02 MPa by increasing the inlet pressure from 1.0 to 4.0 bar and increase in pressure gradient has intensified bubble collapse due to higher turbulence tension.

Degradation of 4-chlorophenol using MnOOH and γ-MnOOH nanomaterials as porous catalyst: Performance, synergistic mechanism, and effect of co-existing anions.

Transition metal catalysts have been proven to be a highly-potent catalyst for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The present work aimed to synthesizes the γ-MnOOH and MnOOH based on the one-pot hydrothermal method as PMS activators for efficient degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The effect of operational parameters including solution pH, γ-MnOOH and MnOOH dose, PMS dose, 4-CP concentration, and also mixture media composition was elaborated. The results showed that the combination of MnOOH and γ-MnOOH with PMS noticeably creates a synergistic effect (SF) in 4-CP degradation by both PMS/MnOOH and PMS/γ-MnOOH process, with a SF value of 48.14 and 97.42, respectively. In both systems, the removal of 4-CP decreased in severely alkaline and acidic conditions, while no significant changes were observed in pH 5 to 9. Also, coexisting PO43- significantly reduced the removal efficiency of both systems. In addition, the effect of humic acid (HA) as a classical scavenger was investigated and showed that presence of 4 mg/L HA reduced the removal efficiency of 4-CP in the PMS/MnOOH process from 97.44% to 79.3%. The three consecutive use of both catalysts turned out that MnOOH has better stability than γ-MnOOH with lower Mn ions leaching. More importantly, quenching experiment showed that both non-radical (1O2 and O2-) and radical (SO4- and OH) pathways are involved in 4-CP degradation and non-radical pathway was the dominant one in both systems.

New combination of pulsed light and iron (II) for carbonate radical production to enhanced degradation of bisphenol A: Parameter optimization and degradation pathway.

Bisphenol A(BPA) is a common industrial chemical with significant adverse impacts on Environment and human health. The present work evaluates the efficacy of pulsed light (PL) and Fe2+ ions in activation of sodium percarbonate (SPC) to produce hydroxyl (OH•) and carbonate (CO3•-) radicals for efficient degradation of BPA. The effects of operational parameters such as solution pH, SPC and Fe2+ dose as well as the mixture composition were analyzed and the decomposition pathway of BPA proposed. The BPA was successfully degraded at the initial concentration of 15.0 mg/L and optimized conditions by the PL/Fe2+/SPC process (99.67 ± 0.29%). A rapid reduction in the degradation of BPA was observed with increasing pH due to OH• radicals quenching and also the precipitation of Fe2+. Under the optimized conditions, degradation of BPA by PL/Fe2+/SPC process was five-times faster than the individual process. The quenching experiments revealed that radical and non-radical pathways on BPA degradation was accomplished with OH•, CO3•-, O2•-, and 1O2, while OH• and CO3•- radicals (as a dominant radicals) have the contributions of 80.23% and 8.30%, respectively. Based on the detected byproducts, ring cleavage can be considered as the main transformation mechanism of BPA by the PL/Fe2+/SPC process.

Assessment of heavy metals accumulation in agricultural soil, vegetables and associated health risks.

Industrialization plays a vital role in the development of a country's economy. However, it also adversely affects the environment by discharging various unwanted and harmful substances such as heavy metals into the surface and subsurface aquifers. The current research work investigates the identification, characterization, and evaluation of specific heavy metals in industrial wastewater (IWW) and different composite samples of soil and vegetables (onion, pumpkin, lady finger, and green pepper) collected from selected agricultural fields irrigated with canals fed IWW in Mingora city of Swat (Pakistan). Obtained results were compared with the tube well water irrigated soil and vegetables grown in it. Heavy metals accumulation was tested through wet digestion method and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The metal transfer factor (MTF) of heavy metals from soil to vegetables was also determined along with the health index (HI) to assess the potential health risk of the metals towards consumers using Monte Carlo simulation technique. Analysis of water samples showed that the concentration in mg l-1 of heavy metals in IWW follows the trend Fe (6.72) > Cr (0.537) > Pb (0.393) > Co (0.204) > Mn (0.125) > Ni (0.121). Analysis of the soil samples irrigated with IWW followed the order of Fe (47.27) > Pb (2.92) > Cr (2.90) >Ni (1.02) > Mn (0.90) > Co (0.68) and Fe (17.12) > Pb (2.12) > Cr (2.03) >Ni (0.76) > Co (0.49) > Mn (0.23) irrigated with TWW. Heavy metals concentration values found in soil irrigated with IWW were higher than the soil irrigated with TWW. Similar trends were found for agricultural produces grown on soil irrigated with IWW and found higher than the normal allowable WHO limits, indicating higher possibilities of health risks if continuously consumed. MTF values were found higher than 1 for ladyfinger and green pepper for Pb intake and pumpkin for Mn intake. The current study suggests the continuous monitoring of soil, irrigation water and agricultural products to prevent heavy metals concentration beyond allowable limits, in the food chain. Thus, concrete preventive measures must be taken to reduce heavy metal accumulation through wastewater irrigation to protect both human and animal health in the study area of Mingora Swat Pakistan.

Direct red 89 dye degradation by advanced oxidation process using sulfite and zero valent under ultraviolet irradiation: Toxicity assessment and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems modeling.

Sulfate-based advanced oxidation process mediated by zero-valent iron (ZVI) and ultraviolet radiation for the decomposition of sulfite salts resulted in the formation of strong oxidizing species (sulfate and hydroxide radicals) in aqueous solution is reported. Degradation of direct red 89 (DR89) dye via UV/ZVI/sulfite process was systematically investigated to evaluate the effect of pH, ZVI dose, sulfite, initial DR89 concentration, and reaction time on DR89 degradation. The synergy factor of UV/ZVI/sulfite process was found to be 2.23-times higher than the individual processes including ZVI, sulfite and UV. By increasing the ZVI dose from 100 mg/L to 300 mg/L, dye degradation was linearly enhanced from 67.12 ± 3.36% to 82.40 ± 4.12% by the UV/ZVI/sulfite process due to enhanced ZVI corrosion and sulfite activation. The highest degradation efficiency of 99.61 ± 0.02% was observed at pH of 5.0, [ZVI]0 = 300 mg/L, and [sulfite]0 = 400 mg/L. Toxicity assessment by Lepidium sativum demonstrated that treated dye solution by UV/ZVI/sulfite was within the non-toxic range. The application of optimal adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to predict DR89 degradation indicated high accuracy of ANFIS model (R2 = 0.97 and RMSE = 0.051) via the UV/ZVI/sulfite process. It is suggested that UV/ZVI/sulfite process is suitable for industrial wastewater treatment.

Treatment of synthetic dye containing textile raw wastewater effluent using UV/Chlorine/Br photolysis process followed by activated carbon adsorption.

This study investigated the efficiency and feasibility of ultraviolet (UV)-assisted photolysis of synthetic dye containing textile raw wastewater effluent. For a said purpose, in-house developed UV/Chlorine/Br process was followed in the presence of activated carbon (AC) which additionally facilitate the dye adsorption. In UV/Chlorine process Cl•, Cl2•-, and HO• are generated in the solution and destroyed compounds that cannot be oxidized by the conventional oxidant. In this process, free bromine is formed and photolyzed by UV radiation and generate Br• and Br2•- that can enhance the rate of pollutant degradation. In the present study, the dye removal efficiency was contributed by dark bromide (7.18%), UV irradiation (26.8%), dark chlorination (78.67%), and UV/Chlorine/Br (87.01%), respectively. With increasing pH from 3.0 to 8.30, the dye removal efficiency was enhanced but decreased by further increasing pH values. In addition, magnetized activated carbon from pomegranate husk using dual-stage chemical activation was used for post-adsorption of the residual dye and its degradation byproducts. The adsorption of the dye residues by AC followed the second-order kinetics with the rate constant of 1.7 × 10-3. The phytotoxicity of the treated textile wastewater by UV irradiation, dark chlorination, and UV/Chlorine/Br was assessed by seed germination of Lepidium sativum seeds. The highest inhibition effect on seed germination was related to treated wastewater by UV irradiation (more than 90% inhibition) that alleviated to less than 10% when this effluent diluted to 5% v/v. The highest germination was observed when the seeds were irrigated by the effluent of the UV/Chlorine/Br process. The significant reduction in the toxicity of the treated wastewater revealed that the UV/Chlorine/Br process has a considerable potential to effectively detoxify textile wastewater. Graphical abstract.

High surface area acid-treated biochar from pomegranate husk for 2,4-dichlorophenol adsorption from aqueous solution.

In the present study, zinc chloride (ZnCl2) followed by acid treating was employed for the fabrication of activated biochar from pomegranate husk (APHBC) for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) adsorption from an aqueous solution. The batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of solution pH, APHBC dose, initial 2,4-DCP concentration, contact time, and ionic strength. The APHBC showed a well-developed pore with specific surface areas of 1576 m2/g due to explosive characteristics of ZnCl2. In addition, the XRD analysis showed that the diffraction peaks between 15 and 35° corresponded to amorphous carbon. The pore size distribution results showed that APHBC was dominantly mesoporous materials. The pHpzc value of APHBC was 6.15 ± 0.15. According to batch experiments, the optimum adsorption conditions were pH of 3.0, contact time 60 min, APHBC dose of 1.75 g/L and without ionic strengths. The absorption capacity of 2,4-DCP at the initial concentration of 150.0 mg/L promptly decreased from 259.5 ± 12.9 to 74.5 ± 3.7 mg/g as the APHBC dose increased from 0.50 to 2.00 g/L. The isotherm and kinetics study of 2,4-DCP adsorption by APHBC revealed that Liu and Avrami fractional-order well fitted with experimental data, respectively.

Health risk assessment of exposure to chlorpyrifos in pregnant women using deterministic and probabilistic approaches.

Since chlorpyrifos (CPF), a major organophosphorus pesticide, is widely used for agricultural and domestic purposes, thus, humans may be exposed to these toxic compounds through multiple sources. In recent years, significant concerns have been raised regarding the deleterious effects of exposure to CPF on human health, especially growing fetus. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the health risks of exposure to CPF among pregnant women living in Isfahan province, Iran, using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. The urinary concentration of 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), the most common metabolite of CPF, was measured as the biomarker of current exposure to CPF. For this purpose, spot urine samples were taken from 110 pregnant women and the urinary concentrations of TCP were quantified. The estimated daily intake and hazard quotient (HQ) for CPF exposure were measured according to the reference values set by World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) for acute and chronic exposure to CPF. Based on the results, TCP was detected in more than 70% of samples (3.8 ± 2.72 µg/L). The estimated daily intake for some participants was found to be higher than the suggested reference dose by USEPA for chronic exposure to CPF. Furthermore, the HQ>1 was obtained for 20% of the study population in Monte-Carlo analysis using USEPA chronic reference dose, indicating that chronic toxic effects are expected at least for a part of the target population. Based on the findings, proper measures should be taken to reduce the exposure of Iranian pregnant women to CPF and resultant health risks.

The Association between Exposure to Air Pollution and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to overview the observational studies on the association of exposure to air pollution and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Materials and Methods: Based on PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases to determine the association of air pollution exposure and T1DM. Quality assessment of the papers was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for observational studies. The odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the strength of the associations between air pollutants (gases and particulate matter air pollutants including PM10, PM2.5, NO2, volatile organic compound, SO4, SO2, O3) and T1DM. Results: Out of 385 initially identified papers, 6 studies were used for this meta-analysis. Fixed effects meta-analysis showed a significant association between per 10 µg/m3 increase in O3 and PM2.5 exposures with the increased risk of T1DM (3 studies, OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.26, 1.80, I 2 = 83.5% for O3 and two studies, OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.05, I 2 = 76.3% for PM2.5). There was no evidence of association between increased risk of T1DM and exposure to PM10 (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.99-1.06, I 2 = 59.4%), SO4 (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.91-1.49, I 2 = 93.8%), SO2 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.83-1.06, I 2 = 85.0%), and NO2 (OR = 0.995,95% CI: 1.05-1.04, I 2 = 24.7%). Conclusion: Recent publications indicated that exposure to ozone and PM2.5 may be a risk factor for T1DM. However, due to limited available studies, more prospective cohort studies are needed to clarify the role of air pollutants in T1DM occurrence.

Bisphenol A exposure and abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis.

In the present work, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to examine the probable relation between maternal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), as estrogen-disrupting compounds, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). We comprehensively searched three electronic databases to retrieve published studies on maternal exposure to BPA and GDM/IGT, through February 2021. Cochran's Q test and I2 statistics were employed for testing heterogeneity across studies. DerSimonian and Liard random-effects model was used to determine the pooled estimates. Otherwise, the fixed-effects model with inverse-variance weights was applied. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the robustness of the results by excluding each study from the pooled estimate. The potential publication bias was examined using Begg's and Egger's tests. The pooled odds ratio did not show BPA exposure to be a significant risk factor for GDM (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.62-1.33, I2: 50.7%). Also, no significant association was observed between BPA exposure and risk of IGT (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.40-2.18, I2: 11.5%). Based on the findings of this study, no association was found between exposure to BPA during pregnancy and the risk of GDM/IGT. Albeit no heterogeneity was found between studies.

Association of maternal exposure to bisphenol A with her ß-hCG level and neonatal anthropometric measures.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the organic compounds that might interfere with estrogenic receptors, which would make difficulties in pregnancy hormones and fetal growth. Human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) is one of the important pregnancy hormones that might be affected by environmental pollutants. The aim of this study is to investigate the probable impacts of maternal exposure to BPA on anthropometric measures of newborns. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019-2020 in Isfahan, Iran. During the first trimester of pregnancy, we measured the urinary BPA concentration and serum ß-hCG level of 120 pregnant women, who were randomly selected from participants of a birth cohort. BPA concentration was measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Serum blood sample was derived and used for ß-hCG analysis. Anthropometric measurement of neonates was conducted at the time of birth. BPA and ß-hCG level were grouped by quartiles, and their associations with birth weight, height, and head circumference were tested using multiple linear regression model. The adjustment was done for urine creatinine, gender, and gestational age, as well as maternal age, body mass index, and education level. Data of 119 pairs of mothers and infants were available for the present study. The mean (SD) age of mothers was 29.19 (5.75) years; 56.3% of newborns were boys. Geometric mean of urinary BPA and ß-hCG concentrations were 0.36 ng/g crea. (creatinine) and 17736 mIU/ml, respectively. Across the BPA tertiles, the differences in mean values were not significant for none of the anthropometric measurements and gestational age (GA). Furthermore, no significant association existed between unadjusted and adjusted tertiles of BPA and ß-hCG with abovementioned birth outcomes. It seems that the non-significant association found in this study is because of low levels of urinary BPA levels than in other studies; the adverse effects on infants might be related to high concentration of BPA passed from placenta. Future longitudinal studies with large sample size are necessary to document the adverse health effects of maternal exposure to endocrine disruptor chemicals including BPA.

Application of UV/chlorine processes for the DR83:1 degradation from wastewater: Effect of coexisting anions.

In the present work, effect of coexisting anions on the degradation performance of UV/chlorine (UV/Cl) processes as an advanced oxidation treatment for the dye containing wastewater was investigated. The results showed that by increasing pH of the solution from 3 to 11, degradation efficiency of UV/Cl process was reduced from 96.2 ± 1.4% to 62.9 ± 3.1%. In the case of 100 mg/L of DR83:1, the removal efficiency was improved from 30.2 ± 1.5% to 93.3 ± 4.7% when the chlorine dose was increased from 100 to 1000 µM. The HCO3- and Br- ions were the main inhibitor and promotor anions responsible for the degradation of DR83:1. The relative contribution of Cl• was higher than that for HO• and UV, which was about three-times higher than that for HO•. The lowest and highest amounts of trihalomethanes were generated at acidic and alkaline conditions as well as low disinfection by products at low pH due to the generation of more HO• radicals at acidic pH in comparison to higher pH such that less intermediates were remained to react with chlorine.

Associations between exposure to heavy metals and the risk of chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the relationship between heavy metals (HMs) exposure and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Databases of Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE, and Scopus were searched through June 2020 to identify studies assessing the relationships between exposure to HMs (i.e. cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury) and the risk of CKD, evaluated by decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and/or increased proteinuria risks in adults (≥18 years). Data were pooled by random-effects models and expressed as weighted mean differences and 95% confidence intervals. The risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). Twenty-eight eligible articles (n = 107,539 participants) were included. Unlike eGFR risk (p = 0.10), Cadmium exposure was associated with an increased proteinuria risk (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.61; p < 0.001; I2 = 79.7%). Lead exposure was associated with decreased eGFR (OR = 1.12; 95%CI: 1.03, 1.22; p = 0.008; I2 = 87.8%) and increased proteinuria (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.49; p = 0.02; I2 = 79.6) risks. Further, arsenic exposure was linked to a decreased eGFR risk (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.28; p = 0.03; I2 = 89.1%) in contrast to mercury exposure (p = 0.89). Only two studies reported the link between arsenic exposure and proteinuria risk, while no study reported the link between mercury exposure and proteinuria risk. Exposure to cadmium, lead, and arsenic may increase CKD risk in adults, albeit studies were heterogeneous, warranting further investigations. Our observations support the consideration of these associations for preventative, diagnostic, monitoring, and management practices of CKD.