Unraveling the hydrogeochemical characteristics and pollution sources of groundwater in an intensive industrial area, East China.

It is challenging to interpret hydrogeochemical datasets with complex natural and anthropogenic genesis in intensive industrial areas. This paper elucidates the hydrogeochemical characteristics and pollution sources of groundwater in an industrial park, East China, combining the self-organizing map (SOM), hydrochemical graphs, and correlation analysis. The results show that the total dissolved solids of groundwater range from 73.45 to 997.92 mg/L and can be regarded as freshwater. The pH varies greatly from 6.44 to 9.90, most of samples belonging to weakly acidic-weakly alkaline. The groundwater can be classified into five clusters by SOM, representing the non- or least-polluted groundwater (cluster D), high salt groundwater (cluster A), high NH4+-N and HCO3- groundwater (cluster B), high Fe and Mn groundwater (cluster C), and high pH groundwater (cluster E), which were contaminated by industrial salts, historical agriculture activity, industrial reducing substances, and industrial alkali, respectively. The natural evolution of groundwater (cluster D) in the study area is mainly controlled by mineral weathering/dissolution. The contributions of calcite, dolomite, gypsum, halite, and silicate mineral to groundwater solute are 55.8-66.3%, 15.1-18.0%, 9.0-10.7%, 2.5-10.1%, and 2.3-9.4%, respectively, based on the mass conservation. The contaminated groundwaters (all other clusters except for cluster D) have different hydrochemical characteristics associated with the pollution sources. In addition, the relatively reductive environment in quaternary flu-lacustrine sediments favored the formation of high level of Fe, Mn, and NH4+-N in groundwater. This study provides a new insight into the characteristic contaminants and their distributions in groundwater and the associated pollution sources based on the large datasets in an intensive industrial area. The data evaluation methods and results of this study could be useful to the groundwater usage management and pollution control in this area and other industrial areas.

Human biomonitoring of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in women living in a Northern Italy industrial area.

In Brescia , a highly industrialized city in the Lombardy Region (Northern Italy) classified as a SIN (Contaminated Site of National Interest), a human biomonitoring study was carried out on breast milk of two groups of women residing in areas with presumably different levels of exposure to polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorodibenzofurans, and polychlorobiphenyls. This study was aimed at evaluating the possible difference between women living in Brescia and women living far from it but in the same Region. Between 2016 and 2018, 82 women were enrolled (41 "exposed" subjects and 41 "not exposed"), breast milk samples were collected, and a specific questionnaire was administered to the donors. Data obtained were processed by robust regression and Principal Component Factor Analysis. The differences in concentration between the two groups were significant for all the classes of analytes (except for PCDDs). The concentration increase rates from the not exposed to the exposed group resulted highly significant: some PCB congeners showed increase rates more than 1000 ng/g lb per one-unit change of the independent variable. Among the variables significantly associated with the observed concentrations, age showed the greatest influence, while BMI showed a counteracting effect. Consumption of vegetable oil and fruit resulted to possibly influence the chemicals body burden. For the not exposed group, the levels appear to be in line with the decreasing trend (2001-2018) observed for these contaminants in Italy.

Hazard estimation in urban home garden soils in an industrial area using microarthropods, soil properties and GIS modelling: an integrated approach.

The use of soil microarthropods as indicators of soil pollution in home gardens of an industrial area has been covered in this study. Soil samples were collected from 25 home gardens in three zones in Eloor during summer and North East monsoon from 2014 to 2018, for the study of soil microarthropods, soil properties, soil nutrients, and trace elements. The relationships among QBS-ar, microarthropod abundance, soil properties, and soil nutrients, were used to estimate the pollution hazard of the industrial area. The microarthropods present in the study area were Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diplopoda, and Araneae. A prominent study area feature was the absence of Collembola and Acari. The QBS-ar index score in these regions showed that the home gardens located adjacent to the industrial area showed low soil quality, with soil quality class values ranging from 1 to 2 throughout the study period. Discriminant analysis of soil nutrients with soil properties and microarthropod abundance showed that in Zone 1 and Zone 2, the data in 2018 was very well discriminated compared to other years. The hazard assessment in the Eloor region showed various levels of hazard zonation: Zone 1 with high-hazard and medium-hazard areas, Zone 2 with medium-hazard areas, and Zone 3 with low- and medium-hazard areas. The study is one of the first kinds that have used QBS-ar scores and soil properties along with soil nutrients and trace elements for estimating the level of hazard in home garden agroecosystems and thus points to an easy, simple, and practical approach in the monitoring and management of soil ecosystems.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their halogenated derivatives in soil from Yellow River Delta: Distribution, source apportionment, and risk assessment.

The distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated PAHs (HPAHs) in surface soils from the petroleum industrial area of the Yellow River Delta (YRD) in China were investigated. The total concentrations of 16 PAHs ranged from 19.6 to 1560 ng/g, while 22 HPAHs ranged from 2.44 to 14.9 ng/g. Moreover, a high degree of spatial distribution heterogeneity was observed for both PAHs and HPAHs, which is likely attributed to the distinct industrial activities in studied area. The combustion of biomass and petroleum were identified as primary sources of soil PAHs and HPAHs in the YRD. Furthermore, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene exhibited high ecological risks (with risk quotients of 1.47, 1.44, and 1.02, respectively) in specific sites within the YRD. Considering the high toxicity of HPAHs and their potential joint environmental effects with PAHs, continuous attention should be directed towards the environmental risks associated with both PAHs and HPAHs.

The Environmental Impacts of Radio Frequency and Power Line Communication for Advanced Metering Infrastructures in Smart Grids.

In the neighborhood area network (NAN), the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) enables a bidirectional connection between the smart meter (SM) and the data concentrator (DC). Sensors, such as smart meter nodes or environmental sensor nodes, play a crucial role in measuring and transmitting data to central units for advanced monitoring, management, and analysis of energy consumption. Wired and wireless communication technologies are used to implement the AMI-NAN. This paper delves into a novel approach for optimizing the choice of communication medium, air for radio frequency (RF) or power lines for power line communication (PLC), between the SM and DC in the context of the AMI-NAN. The authors methodically select the specific technologies, RF and NB-PLC (narrowband power line communication), and meticulously characterize their attributes. Then, a comparative analysis spanning rural, urban, and industrial settings is conducted to evaluate the proposed method. The overall reliability performance of the AMI-NAN system requires a packet error rate (PER) lower than 10%. To this end, an efficient approach is introduced to assess and enhance the reliability of NB-PLC and RF for AMI-NAN applications. Simulation results demonstrate that wireless communication is the optimal choice for the rural scenario, especially for a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) lower than 25 dB. However, in urban environments characterized by higher SNR values and moderately dense networks, NB-PLC gains prominence. In denser networks, it outperforms wireless communication, exhibiting a remarkable 10 dB gain for a bit error rate (BER) of 10-3. Moreover, in industrial zones characterized by intricate network topologies and non-linear loads, the power line channel emerges as the optimal choice for data transmission.

[Composition Characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds and Associated Contributions to Secondary Pollution in Shenyang Industrial Area in Summer].

Based on the observation data of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the industrial area of Shenyang during the summer of 2019 and 2020, the composition characteristics and sources of VOCs were preliminarily studied. The ozone formation potential (OFP) and aerosol formation potential (AFP) of VOCs were also estimated using the max incremental reactivity (MIR) and aerosol formation coefficient (FAC) methods, respectively. The results showed that the average concentration of VOCs was 41.66 µg·m-3, and the proportions of alkanes, olefins, aromatics, and acetylene were 48.50%, 14.08%, 15.37%, and 22.05%, respectively. The top ten species of VOCs were primarily C2-C5 alkanes, also including acetylene, ethylene, and some aromatics, accounting for 69.25% of the total VOCs. VOCs showed obvious diurnal variation characteristics with a high concentration in the morning and evening (at 06:00 and 22:00) and a low concentration in the afternoon (11:00-16:00). According to the value of toluene/benzene (T/B) and isopentane/n-pentane, the atmosphere of the industrial area was mainly affected by vehicle exhaust emissions, solvent use, combustion sources, and LPG/NG. The total AFP of VOCs was up to 41.43×10-2 µg·m-3, and aromatics were the largest contributor. The total OFP of VOCs reached 117.59 µg·m-3, in which the alkenes contributed the most.

[Correlation Between the Diversity Characteristics of Groundwater Bacterial Community and Environmental Factors in Typical Industrial Areas].

In order to investigate the composition and diversity of groundwater bacterial communities in typical industrial areas in Shanghai, the Illumina MiSeq high-throughput technology was adopted to explore the correlation and response mechanism of groundwater bacterial communities and environmental factors in typical industries, combined with the analysis of groundwater tri-nitrogen, heavy metals, organic matter, and other indicators. The results showed that the ammonia nitrogen in the groundwater of the petrochemical industry was 64.49%, 32.46%, and 113.91% higher than that of the textile industry, metal products industry, and other industries (P<0.05), respectively. The main detectable indicators of organic matter were total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and volatile phenol. The mass concentration of volatile phenol in groundwater of the petrochemical industry was significantly higher than that of the textile industry, metal products industry, and other industries (P<0.05). The mass concentration of arsenic in the metal products industry was 49.26% and 50.59% higher than that in the petrochemical industry and other industries (P<0.05), respectively. Chloride, manganese, sulfate, etc., were significantly different in different industries (P<0.05). The Shannon index of groundwater in the textile industry was the highest at 3.14, whereas the Shannon index and Ace index of the groundwater in the metal products industry were as low as at 2.42 and 960.46, respectively. The dominant bacterial phylum in groundwater in the industrial area was Proteobacteria, accounting for 80.05%-86.18%. Arsenic, mercury, TPH, etc. were the main influencing factors in groundwater in industrial areas, whereas the nitrifying bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, and organic matter-degrading bacteria were mostly related to groundwater environmental factors. The results of this study can provide theoretical support for groundwater pollution risk management and microbial remediation in petrochemical and metal product industrial areas.

The Health Risk and Source Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Soil of Industrial Cities in India.

Industrial areas play an important role in the urban ecosystem. Industrial site environmental quality is linked to human health. Soil samples from two different cities in India, Jamshedpur and Amravati, were collected and analyzed to assess the sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in industrial areas and their potential health risks. The total concentration of 16 PAHs in JSR (Jamshedpur) varied from 1662.90 to 10,879.20 ng/g, whereas the concentration ranged from 1456.22 to 5403.45 ng/g in the soil of AMT (Amravati). The PAHs in the samples were dominated by four-ring PAHs, followed by five-ring PAHs, and a small percentage of two-ring PAHs. The ILCR (incremental lifetime cancer risk) of the soil of Amravati was lower compared to that of Jamshedpur. The risk due to PAH exposure for children and adults was reported to be in the order of ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation while for adolescents it was dermal contact > ingestion > inhalation in Jamshedpur. In contrast, in the soil of Amravati, the PAH exposure path risk for children and adolescents were the same and showed the following order: dermal contact > ingestion > inhalation while for the adulthood age group, the order was ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation. The diagnostic ratio approach was used to assess the sources of PAHs in various environmental media. The PAH sources were mainly dominated by coal and petroleum/oil combustion. As both the study areas belong to industrial sites, the significant sources were industrial emissions, followed by traffic emissions, coal combustion for domestic livelihood, as well as due to the geographical location of the sampling sites. The results of this investigation provide novel information for contamination evaluation and human health risk assessment in PAH-contaminated sites in India.

Trends, Extreme Events and Long-term Health Impacts of Particulate Matter in a Southern Indian Industrial Area.

The present study uses various statistical tools to understand the behaviour of PM2.5 and PM10 in the Kanjikode industrial area of Southern India. Annual PM2.5 and PM10 average concentrations in 2018-2020 were three times more than the World Health Organization-specified standards (5 and 15 µg m-3). The statistical distribution analysis suggested well-fitted lognormal and gamma distributions of 24-h average PM2.5 concentrations and gamma distributions of 24-h average PM10 concentrations. Trend analysis observed a notable monotonic increasing trend for 24-h average PM2.5 concentrations with an increasing magnitude of 0.43 µg m-3 per annum. A downward trend was found for 24-h average PM10 concentrations, with a decreasing magnitude of 0.2 µg m-3 per year. Extreme event analysis of PM2.5 and PM10 has provided the highest concentration levels expected in the coming 10 years, 193 and 165 µg m-3, respectively, higher than the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards and considered a public health threat. The health risk assessment by AirQ + emphasized that more than 15, 34, and 27 premature deaths caused by total mortality in 2018, 2019, and 2020 could have been prevented if PM2.5 concentrations in the Kanjikode industrial area did not exceed 10 µg m-3. Statistical analysis and health risk assessment suggested adopting various constructive and multipronged approaches to reduce pollution levels and develop a health risk management plan in the industrial region. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11270-023-06302-y.

[Compositional Characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds in Typical Industrial Areas of the Pearl River Delta: Importance of Oxygenated Volatile Organic Compounds].

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key components of tropospheric chemistry, of which industrial emissions are an important source of atmospheric VOCs. In this study, online measurements of 74 VOCs were made in a typical industrial area of the Pearl River Delta in southern China during the early summer of 2021. The mean volume mixing ratio of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) was (81.9±45.4)×10-9 during the campaign. Among them, oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) accounted for the largest fraction of TVOC, with an average of 51.5%, followed by aromatics, accounting for 19.4% of TVOC. The proportion of OVOCs in TVOC gradually increased with the increase in TVOC concentration. Industry-related emissions were the main contributors to aromatics and OVOCs in this region. Aromatics and OVOCs were the two major contributors to the ozone formation potential (OFP), accounting for 56.4% and 26.7%, respectively. Furthermore, OVOCs also contributed 40.0% of the total ·OH reactivity from VOCs. Xylenes, toluene, acrolein, and ethyl acetate had a greater contribution to the formation of secondary pollution; thus, these species should be given priority for controlling secondary pollution. Our results underscore the severity of OVOCs pollution in industrial areas and the important roles of OVOCs in secondary pollution.

Source apportionment of PM2.5 before and after COVID-19 lockdown in an urban-industrial area of the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal.

The lockdowns held due to the COVID-19 pandemic conducted to changes in air quality. This study aimed to understand the variability of PM2.5 levels and composition in an urban-industrial area of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and to identify the contribution of the different sources. The composition of PM2.5 was assessed for 24 elements (by PIXE), secondary inorganic ions and black carbon. The PM2.5 mean concentration for the period (December 2019 to November 2020) was 13 ± 11 µg.m-3. The most abundant species in PM2.5 were BC (19.9%), SO4 2- (15.4%), NO3 - (11.6%) and NH4 + (5.3%). The impact of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the PM levels was found by comparison with the previous six years. The concentrations of all the PM2.5 components, except Al, Ba, Ca, Si and SO4 2-, were significantly higher in the winter/pre-confinement than in post-confinement period. A total of seven sources were identified by Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF): soil, secondary sulphate, fuel-oil combustion, sea, vehicle non-exhaust, vehicle exhaust, and industry. Sources were greatly influenced by the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with vehicle exhaust showing the sharpest decrease. Secondary sulphate predominated in summer/post-confinement. PM2.5 levels and composition also varied with the types of air mass trajectories.

Source apportionment of ambient PM2.5 in an industrialized city using dispersion-normalized, multi-time resolution factor analyses.

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) data were collected in the lower City of Hamilton, Ontario to apportion the sources of this pollutant over an 18-month period. Hamilton has complex topographical features that may result in worsened air pollution within the lower city, thus, dispersion-normalized, multi-time resolution factor analysis (DN-MT-FA) was used to identify and quantify contributions of factors in a manner that reduced the influence of local meteorology. These factors were secondary organic aerosols type 1 (SOA_1), particulate nitrate (pNO3), particulate sulphate (pSO4), primary traffic organic matter (PTOM), Steel/metal processing and vehicular road dust emissions (Steel & Mobile) and, secondary organic aerosols type 2 (SOA_2) with origins ranging from mainly regional to mainly local. Factors that were mainly local (PTOM, Steel & Mobile, SOA_2) contributed up to 17% of the average PM2.5 mass while mixed local/regional factors (pNO3, pSO4) made up 43% on average, indicating the potential for further reduction of harmful PM concentrations locally. Of particular interest from a health protection perspective, was the composition of PM2.5 on days when an exceedance of the 24-hr WHO air quality guideline for this pollutant was observed. In general, SOA_1 was found to drive summer exceedances while pNO3 dominated in the winter. During the summer period, SOA_1 was attributable to wildfires in the northern parts of Canada while local traffic sources in winter contributed to the high levels of pNO3. While local, industrial factors only had minor relative mass contributions during exceedances, they are high in highly oxidized organic species (SOA_2) and toxic metals (Steel & Mobile). Thus, they are likely to have more impacts on human health. The methods and results described in this work will be useful in understanding prevalent sources of particulate matter pollution in the ambient air in the presence of complex topography and meteorological effects.

Pollution Characteristics, Source Identification, and Health Risk of Heavy Metals in the Soil-Vegetable System in Two Districts of Bangladesh.

The consequences of climate change, food security, and self-sufficiency goals are driving excessive human activity onto vegetable farms in Bangladesh, and harmful heavy metal exposure is spreading. So, the study assessed the toxic metals (Pb, Cd, and Cr) exposure, characteristics, and human health risk regarding the soil-vegetable system of two distinct locations in Bangladesh using atomic absorption spectrometry. The average concentration of metals in soil and fertilizer/pesticide samples followed the same order (Cr > Pb > Cd), but for vegetable samples, the order was Pb > Cr > Cd, with some extra Pb compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) allowable limit (0.3 mg/kg). Low levels of pollution with negligible ecological concerns were predicted for both locations by the soil quality indexing. But industrial influence boosted the Pb content in location B, and common sources (fertilizer/pesticide) for both locations might be responsible for a moderate level of Cd. The toxic metals transferred to vegetables followed the trend of Cd > Pb > Cr. However, the human health risks arising from harmful metals exposure at both locations were ineffective (< 1) in evaluating noncarcinogenic risk patterns through the target hazard quotient (THQ), total THQ, and hazard index (HI). Again, considering probable carcinogenic risk patterns, vegetable consumption with studied exposure levels of toxic metals followed within the acceptable range (between 1.0E-04 and 1.0E-06). Overall, location B is slightly more vulnerable than location A by considering metal exposure, pollution distribution, and risk evaluation in the study area (significant at p < 0.05). So, systematic monitoring and protective measures are required to ensure food safety and sustainable vegetable production.

Distribution, sources, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Kaokaowusu river sediments near a coal industrial zone.

This study systematically analyzed the contents, compositions, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in river sediments near an important energy and chemical base in northwest China. In addition, their possible adverse effects on the ecology and human health were assessed. The PAH concentrations in this study area ranged from 2641.28 to 16783.72 (ng/g dw). PAHs of medium molecular weight (3-ring and 4-ring) showed the largest proportion, followed by PAHs of higher molecular weight (5-ring and 6-ring). The results of molecular diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis revealed that PAHs in the region have complex sources, with incomplete combustion of local fossil fuels and traffic exhaust factors being the main sources. The total toxic equivalent concentration of PAHs varied from 10.05 to 760.26 ng/g, and according to the sediment quality guidelines, PAHs have high potential ecological risk in the lower reaches of the river. The mean effect range-median quotient for the region was 0.46, and the combined ecological risk was at moderate to high levels (21% probability of toxicity). The lifetime carcinogenic risks for adults and children exposed to PAHs were 2.95 × 10-3 and 1.87 × 10-2, respectively, which are much higher than the limit of 10-4, indicating moderate to high potential cancer risks. Therefore, the local government should consider taking some environmental remediation measures. This study can provide theoretical support for pollution prevention measures and ecological restoration strategies for rivers in resource-rich areas.

A comparative monitoring of maternal and cord serum polychlorinated biphenyls levels from Iranian pregnant women between industrial and urban areas.

The aim of this study was to compare maternal and fetal exposure to PCBs in pregnant women from a petrochemical and gas area (PGA) and an urban area (UA), by the analyses of serum samples from mother (MS) and cord (CS). After liquid-liquid extracting, samples were analyzed for 12 PCBs congeners by gas chromatography mass spectrometer. Adjusted multiple linear regression models showed the mean levels (µg/L) of total PCBs in the MS and CS samples from the PGA (1.70 ± 0.81 and 1.19 ± 0.43) were significantly higher than those from UA (1.64 ± 0.75 and 1.07 ± 0.38). PCB 44 was predominant in both MS and CS serum samples, and in both PGA (0.80 ± 0.70 and 0.76 ± 0.67) and UA (0.79 ± 0.39 and 0.67 ± 0.34). A negative correlation was found for PCB 52 as one-unit increase in the cord serum levels was associated with 0.024 g decrease in newborn weight. Similarly, one-unit increase in the maternal serum PCB 18 concentrations were associated with 0.09 and 0.086 cm decrease in newborn height and head circumference. The serum levels of PCB 18 and 52 in the mothers who consumed meat and milk at least 1 meal/week were higher than these who consumed meat and milk never or less than 1 meal/month. The findings in this study indicated that higher maternal exposure to PCBs, as result of living in an industrialized area, leads to higher PCBs accumulation in cord blood, which consequently passes to the developing fetus. These events may cause harmful effects on both them in-utero and afterbirth growth and development.

Evaluation of groundwater for drinking and irrigation applications concerning physicochemical and ionic parameters through multiple indexing approach: a case study around the industrial zone, Punjab, India.

The seasonal quality of groundwater and its appropriateness for drinking and irrigation were assessed using a multiple indexing approach in this study. Physicochemical and ionic parameters were examined in groundwater samples near the industrial zone of Rupnagar, Punjab. To assess groundwater quality, water quality index (WQI) and pollution index were used. The Durov's, piper, wilcox and stiff diagrams were plotted to understand the hydro-chemistry. Similarly, the irrigation indices, i.e., salinity hazard, sodium adsorption ratio, soluble sodium percentage (Na%), magnesium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, permeability index and Kelley's ratio were applied to ascertain the water quality for agricultural purposes. As a result, total hardness, calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) and fluoride (F-) were found above the standard permissible limits. WQI analysis showed 12% samples of pre-monsoon (PRE-M) and 28% samples of post-monsoon (POS-M) were of poor quality, which may pose health risks. Hydrochemistry revealed the predominance of Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+ and HCO3- ions in the groundwater attributed to natural and anthropogenic sources. Piper diagram revealed Ca2+-Mg2+-Cl-, Na+-Cl-, Ca2+-Na+- HCO3-, Ca2+- HCO3- and Ca2+-Cl, Ca2+-HCO3- water types exist in the study area. USSL diagram showed that the samples from both seasons come under the low salinity hazard. In addition, total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity showed a strong positive association, indicating the saline nature of groundwater. Furthermore, hierarchical clustering classified groundwater into three groups (I, II and III), revealing that groundwater quality varies due to natural and anthropogenic effects. Based on the findings, the groundwater was found marginally suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes. It is therefore recommended that the groundwater is examined on a regular basis in order to maintain its quality.

Persistent Organic Pollutants and Suspended Particulate Matter in Snow of Eastern Siberia in 2009-2023: Temporal Trends and Effects of Meteorological Factors and Recultivation Activities at Former Industrial Area.

Suspended particulate matter (SPM), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCP) were studied in the snow cover at urban and suburban localities in the Irkutsk region, Eastern Siberia for their temporal variations in 2009-2023, daily deposition fluxes (DDFs), and effects of some meteorological factors, as well as the effects of different technogenic activities in the industrial area of the former organochlorine enterprises of Usol'ekhimprom. SPM loads at both stations were found to be at a low level of pollution. The levels of HCB, α + γ-HCH, and ∑p,p'-DDX were lower than Russian maximum permissible levels (MPLs) in drinking water, groundwater, and surface water for household drinking and cultural purposes. The sums of all organochlorine compounds studied in snow were higher than the MPL in freshwater water bodies for fishery purposes. The levels of the DDFs of HCHs, DDTs, and heptachlorinated PCB decreased, di- and trichlorinated PCB levels increased, and HCB levels changed at a polynomial line during 2009-2023. The change in the relative composition of PCBs was found as a result of recultivation activities at the industrial area of the former organochlorine enterprise of Usol'ekhimprom. The air humidity and temperature are the key meteorological factors affecting the DDFs of PCBs and OCPs.

Increased allergic and asthmatic risks in children residing in industrial areas by surveying the pre-inflammatory (IgE, IL-4 and IL-13) biomarkers.

Toxic metal(loid)s can lead to high damages on human. This work was conducted to investigate the levels of metal(loid)s in PM2.5 and a total of 123 male children's (aged 6-9 years) blood chosen from different areas in Ahvaz and their association with the pre-inflammatory (Immunoglobulin E and cytokines: IgE, IL-4 and IL-13) responses in serum cells. Six metal(loid)s (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nickel and lead) in three regions including industrial (Padad), vehicle traffic (Golestan) and reference (Kianpars) areas were studied. Results showed the concentrations of As, Cr, Cd, Ni and Hg in the ambient air of industrial area (Padad) (P < 0.001), and Pb in vehicle traffic area (Golestan) were higher (p < 0.001). Moreover, the mean levels of IgE (mean = 146.44 pg/200landa, P < 0.003), IL-4 (mean = 548.23 pg/200landa, P < 0.001) and IL-13 (mean = 53.21 pg/200landa, P < 0.001) in Padad were higher than Golestan and Kianpars. Our results suggest that living in industrial areas leads to accelerated synthesis of IgE, IL-4 and IL-13 in blood. The spatial distribution of children's serum IgE, IL-4 and IL-13 concentrations showed an abnormal increase of 240 to 400 pg/200landa for IgE, 950 to 1400 pg/200landa for IL-4 and 90 to 128 pg/200landa for IL-13. Our results indicate children in the industrial area are prone to asthma, allergy, miRNA mutation, and other chronic diseases.

The Association Between Living Area in Childhood and Respiratory Disease Mortality in Adulthood.

Objective: No studies have examined the association between characteristics of urban areas and future respiratory disease mortality. We examined whether the type of living area during childhood was associated with all-cause and respiratory disease mortality in adulthood. Methods: A total of 81,413 Japanese participants aged 40-79 years old completed a lifestyle questionnaire including the type of childhood living areas. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate the multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause and respiratory disease mortality. Results: Living in large city areas in childhood was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality [HR = 1.05 (95% CI, 1.01-1.10)], but not with respiratory disease mortality [HR = 1.04 (95% CI, 0.92-1.18)] compared to rural and remote areas. The excess risk of all-cause and respiratory disease mortality was primarily found in industrial areas among men; the respective multivariable HRs were 1.28 (95% CI, 1.00-1.64) and 1.90 (95% CI: 1.10-3.29). Conclusion: Eliminating childhood health hazards associated with living in industrial areas suggested to reduce the risk of mortality from respiratory diseases in adulthood.

[Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Farmland Soils and Crops in Luancheng, Shijiazhuang City].

In order to explore the distribution characteristics of heavy metal contamination of farmland soil surrounding Luancheng town, Shijiazhuang City, Henan province, the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the surface soil and crops were determined and assessed. The principal components were also analyzed for source apportionment. The heavy metal concentrations in crops were further detected, and the non-carcinogenic health risks in the study area were evaluated using the probabilistic risk assessment method, as to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment, prevention, and control of heavy metal pollution in farmland soil in Luancheng. According to the results, ω(Cd), ω(Cr), ω(Cu), ω(Pb), and ω(Zn) in the soils were 0.06-1.08, 22.14-473.47, 12.83-150.74, 10.75-577.72, and 62.23-652.78 mg·kg-1, which exceeded the standard with over-standard rates reaching 1.83%, 1.22%, 0.61%, 0.61%, and 1.22%, respectively. Further, Cd and Pb were transported into crops, in which Cd concentrations exceeded the standard in some corn samples, and Cd and Pb concentrations exceeded the standard in some wheat samples. The total non-carcinogenic health risks (TTHQ) to the human body caused by the consumption of heavy metals in corn grown in the study area were all less than 1, with no obvious negative effects, and TTHQ was higher than 1 in wheat, increasing the likelihood of negative impacts on the human body. With the influence of the distribution of pollution-related enterprises in the industrial zone, heavy metal concentrations were higher in the south, west, and middle directions of the study area. Among them, the study area soil was slightly contaminated by Cd (Level 1). Cd and Hg had a slight potential ecological risk (Level 2), whereas other heavy metals had low potential ecological risk (Level 1). In general, most of the surface cultivated soil was not obviously polluted by heavy metals in the study area. According to the PMF results and survey, we speculated that soil heavy metals mainly came from soil parent material (52.05%), artificial pollution sources (historical sewage irrigation and industrial manufacture) (32.98%), and atmospheric deposition (14.97%). To summarize, the study area should be divided into a priority protection category and safe utilization category. The input of pollution sources should be strictly controlled for the priority protection category, and alternative planting, rotating, and fallow should be implemented for the safe utilization category to reduce the risk of standard-exceeding agricultural products.