Article
Environmental Sciences
Jinze Wang, Shanshan Zhang, Yan Chen, Ye Huang, Zhenglu Wang, Kang Mao, Weijian Liu, Wei Du
Summary: Emissions from residential coal combustion play a significant role in air pollution and human health, prompting the need for better understanding of emission factors. Field measurements showed that honeycomb briquette combustion emits less pollutants than coal chunk combustion, highlighting the potential for using honeycomb briquettes as a more environmentally friendly fuel alternative.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Huimin Zhong, Cong Jiang, Jiahui Zou, Guancheng Zhu, Yanyan Huang
Summary: In this study, CeO2-based porous carbonaceous frameworks (CeO2 PCFs) were used as antioxidant nanozymes to scavenge reactive oxygen species and absorb benzo[a]pyrene. CeO2 PCFs exhibited excellent superoxide dismutase-like and catalase-like activity, effectively eliminating superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide. The 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) free radical scavenging assay confirmed the free radical scavenging ability of CeO2 PCFs. Furthermore, CeO2 PCFs with large surface area and porous structure efficiently adsorbed benzo[a]pyrene. The designed CeO2 PCFs can serve as new antioxidant nanozymes for scavenging reactive oxygen species and adsorbing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Pradhi Rajeev, Pravesh Chandra Shukla, Gyanesh Kumar Singh, Darpan Das, Tarun Gupta
Summary: Increasing health problems due to air pollution, specifically in regions with high particulate matter, have become a major concern. This study focuses on the evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a carcinogen in ambient particulate matter and their dominant sources, including diesel emissions, coal combustion, agricultural waste burning, wood burning, and cow-dung cake burning.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Karl Ljung, Petra L. Schoon, Marcus Rudolf, Laurie M. Charrieau, Sha Ni, Helena L. Filipsson
Summary: Black carbon, SCP, and PAH are carbonaceous pollutants that have impacts on climate, environment, and human health. By measuring pollution levels in sediment sequences, we can extend our understanding of historical emission rates and observe the effects of changes in energy production on the delivery of carbonaceous pollution.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Marceau Lecasble, Laurent Remusat, Jean-Christophe Viennet, Boris Laurent, Sylvain Bernard
Summary: Carbonaceous chondrites contain various soluble compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The origin of PAHs in these chondrites is debated, but they may provide information about accretion and alteration processes. The size and isotopic composition of PAHs can reveal information about these processes.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Du, Jinze Wang, Shaojie Zhuo, Qirui Zhong, Wei Wang, Yuanchen Chen, Zhenglu Wang, Kang Mao, Ye Huang, Guofeng Shen, Shu Tao
Summary: Residential solid fuel combustion is a major source of PAH emissions in developing countries, with coal having lower PAH emissions compared to biomass. Field tests showed significantly higher emission factors compared to laboratory tests, indicating underestimation in inventories based on laboratory data.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andras Hoffer, Adam Toth, Beatrix Jancsek-Turoczi, Attila Machon, Aida Meiramova, Attila Nagy, Luminita Marmureanu, Andras Gelencser
Summary: Plastics are increasingly used in various industries and their combustion results in the generation of vast amounts of waste, some of which are burned in households worldwide. This study examined the combustion of different types of plastics and wood samples in a controlled environment, identifying potential tracer compounds and their emission factors. Results showed that certain aromatic polymers emitted higher levels of 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene, and new tracers were proposed for specific waste types such as PET and furniture plates.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
P. Knigawka, P. Pianko-Oprych, K. Krpec, L. Kubonova
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the emissions generated from combustion of different processed fuels, showing that smokeless processed coals can reduce gaseous and particulate emissions. Results indicated that smokeless briquette 1 and smokeless pellets had the lowest emissions of NOx, SO2, and CO.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiangjing Meng, Yanhua Wang, Ting Wang, Bo Jiao, Hua Shao, Qiang Jia, Huawei Duan
Summary: Compared with animal studies, there is limited research on the impairments of T-cell response and exposure-response from particulate matter (PM) and its components in the human population. This study found that PM and its bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals can induce immune impairments by altering T lymphocytes and genes of T-bet and GATA3. Additionally, CD4+ T lymphocytes were found to mediate the associations of PM2.5 with T-bet expression.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wenjie Ren, Haoran Liu, Tingyu Mao, Ying Teng, Rui Zhao, Yongming Luo
Summary: This study investigated the use of graphene oxide-immobilized bacterial pellets for the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soil. The results showed that these immobilized bacterial pellets significantly improved the removal rate of PAHs and enhanced the abundance of degrading bacteria in the soil. They also enriched potential indigenous degrading bacteria and functional genes involved in PAHs degradation. Overall, this nanocomposite bacterial pellets provide a novel microbial immobilization option for remediating organic pollutants in harsh soil environments.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiangtao Jiang, Niki Conner, Kaijun Lu, Jace W. Tunnell, Zhanfei Liu
Summary: Nurdles, also known as plastic resin pellets, are a major source of plastic pollution on beaches globally. This study collected nurdles from 24 sites in the coastal bend region of south Texas and investigated their morphologies and associated pollutants. The results showed variations in color, shape, polymer composition, and oxidation degree of the nurdles. PAHs and mercury were detected on nurdles at some sampling sites, indicating potential risks of pollutant exposure to marine organisms in ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hisam Samae, Surajit Tekasakul, Perapong Tekasakul, Masami Furuuchi
Summary: Data on emission of particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from combustion of 11 types of biomass and bituminous coal were analyzed, showing that emission factors were influenced by the moisture content of biomass. Higher emissions were observed from Avicennia alba Blume, Xylocarpus moluccensis, and bituminous coal.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ting Wang, Yanhua Wang, Mengmeng Xu, Zhenjie Wang, Nan Wu, Fang Qi, Jiayang Song, Yufei Dai, Huanqiang Wang, Xin Sun, Sheng Gao, Wenrui Wang, Yanbo Li, Rui Chen, Zhiwei Sun, Qiang Jia, Xinwei Li, Huawei Duan, Zhong Liu
Summary: This study investigated the impact of PM on respiratory health in Chinese boarding schoolchildren, finding higher levels of CC16 and toxic metal components in the high-PM exposed group. It also suggested that PAH and its adduct may play a key role in lung injury during PM exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiangtao Jiang, Kaijun Lu, Jace W. Tunnell, Zhanfei Liu
Summary: Nurdles, pre-production plastic pellets, are a significant source of plastic pollution in marine environments, primarily made of polyethylene and polypropylene with sorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Heavily weathered nurdles tend to have higher concentrations of organic pollutants, and the bioaccessibility of PAHs is higher in lightly weathered nurdles compared to heavily weathered ones. This study provides valuable insights for toxicity assessment and resource management of plastic debris in coastal environments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yusuke Nakakuki, Takashi Hirose, Hikaru Sotome, Min Gao, Daiki Shimizu, Ruiji Li, Jun-Ya Hasegawa, Hiroshi Miyasaka, Kenji Matsuda
Summary: Helically twisted conductive nanocarbon materials are suitable for optoelectronic and electromagnetic molecular devices on the nanometer scale, showing a large effective conjugation length and ultrafast decay dynamics. The extended π-helicenes achieved a large effective conjugation length through helical fusion, leading to an absorption edge in the near-infrared region.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu Luo, Xilong Wang, Weiming Hu, Yan Peng, Chaoqin Wang, Ting Yu, Sidi Cheng, Jing Li, Yimiao He, Chunfang Gan, Shuang Luo, Qiang Zhu
Summary: In this study, inherently chiral 6,7-diphenyldibenzo[e,g][1,4]diazocine (DDD) was synthesized enantioselectively for the first time using chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) as a catalyst. The reaction yielded 82% of the desired product with a 98% enantiomeric excess. The method could also be applied to racemic biaryl diamines through kinetic resolution. DDD's high energy barriers and chemical stability make it an ideal platform for developing new chiral ligands and catalysts.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Xilong Wang, Bei Le, Na Zhang, Kathrine H. Bak, Yuhao Zhang, Yu Fu
Summary: Collagen peptides from fish have excellent bioactive and functional properties, making them important functional ingredients in the food industry. However, the off-flavour in fish collagen peptides limits their application. Therefore, researching the removal of off-flavour compounds from fish collagen peptides is of great importance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiong Yang, Yuqing Wang, Ying Liu, Junfeng Liu, Xiurong Hu, Jianmin Ma, Xuejun Wang, Yi Wan, Jianying Hu, Zhaobin Zhang, Xilong Wang, Shu Tao
Summary: The high-speed rail (HSR) network in China has rapidly developed since the 2000s. The future expansion of the railway network and construction of an HSR system will have significant impacts on regional development and air pollutant emissions. This study uses a transportation network-multiregional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to analyze the dynamic effects of HSR projects on economic growth, regional disparities, and air pollutant emissions in China. The results show that HSR system improvement can stimulate positive economic impact but also increase emissions, and different regions experience varying effects on GDP growth and air pollution emissions due to HSR investment.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yongping Kou, Chaonan Li, Bo Tu, Jiabao Li, Xiangzhen Li
Summary: The assembly mechanisms of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities along an altitudinal gradient were investigated. The study found that the alpha-diversity of AOA communities decreased monotonically with increasing elevation, while a sinusoidal pattern was observed for AOB communities. Mean annual temperature was the most influential factor for the alpha-diversity of AOA communities, while plant richness, soil conductivity, and total nitrogen made comparable contributions to the alpha-diversity of AOB communities. Additionally, beta-diversity of AOA and AOB communities were divided into two distinct clusters by elevation, mainly attributed to soil pH and variations in plant richness. AOB communities contributed more to soil nitrification potential in the low-altitude section, while AOA communities were more important in the high-altitude section.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shuai Wang, Yipin Lv, Xilong Wang, Daowei Gao, Aijun Duan, Huaiqing Zhao, Peng Zheng, Guozhu Chen
Summary: A well-designed catalyst with platinum and gold encapsulated in zeolite was studied for semi-hydrogenation reaction. Gold nanoparticles and zeolite surface were identified as the active sites for the reaction, with the gold active site showing preferable selectivity for phenylacetylene and 1,5-cyclooctadiene.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ke Jiang, Yatai Men, Ran Xing, Bo Fu, Guofeng Shen, Bengang Li, Shu Tao
Summary: Fuel combustion provides basic energy for the society but also produces CO2 and incomplete combustion products that threaten human survival, climate change, and global sustainability. This study evaluates the absolute and relative contributions of different fuels, sectors, and regions to combustion emission-associated climate forcing using updated emission inventories and an earth system model. The results have important implications for energy transition and emission reduction actions to combat climate change, as different fuels and sectors have distinct climate efficiencies and spatial heterogeneity requires differentiated energy utilization strategies and pollution control policies by region and sector.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bin Wang, Yiming Pang, Kexin Li, Jianjun Jiang, Yibing Zhu, Zhenjiang Li, Bo Pan, Le Zhang, Yali Zhang, Rongwei Ye, Zhiwen Li
Summary: Through a relatively large case-control study and additional population study and rat model, we found a significant positive association between maternal hair germanium concentration and the risk of neural tube defects. We also discovered that maternal germanium exposure may increase oxidative stress and the likelihood of fever or flu among pregnant women, both of which are related to NTD risk.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yatai Men, Yaojie Li, Zhihan Luo, Ke Jiang, Fan Yi, Xinlei Liu, Ran Xing, Hefa Cheng, Guofeng Shen, Shu Tao
Summary: This study conducted a wintertime field campaign in northern China to assess indoor PM2.5 variations. It was found that indoor PM2.5 concentration was about 60% lower in households using clean heating approaches compared to those burning traditional fuels. The results also showed that a transition to clean coals or biomass pellets could reduce indoor PM2.5 by 20%, and further switching to clean modern energies would reduce it an additional 30%, highlighting the significant benefits of promoting clean transitions in household heating activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yaqi Zhu, Xiaoqiao Jiao, Wenjun Meng, Xinyuan Yu, Hefa Cheng, Guofeng Shen, Xuejun Wang, Shu Tao
Summary: Access to safe drinking water is a significant concern in China, particularly in rural areas. While the government has made efforts to increase access to tap water, the rate is still considerably lower than in urban areas and unevenly distributed across the country. Additionally, electricity, mainly electric kettles, contributes to the boiling of water, with 69% of households using this method. Further intervention and investment are necessary to improve drinking water safety in poor and remote rural areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wenjun Meng, Lei Zhu, Zhuang Liang, Haoran Xu, Wenxiao Zhang, Jin Li, Yuanzheng Zhang, Zhihan Luo, Guofeng Shen, Huizhong Shen, Yilin Chen, Hefa Cheng, Jianmin Ma, Shu Tao
Summary: A clean heating campaign in northern China replaced coal with electricity or natural gas among 13.9 million rural households, resulting in significant reductions in PM2.5 emissions and exposure, as well as a decrease in premature deaths attributable to residential emissions. However, the benefits and costs were unevenly distributed, with residents in mountainous areas experiencing less benefit but paying more due to higher costs. Targeted investment and subsidies in less developed areas, as well as promoting less expensive alternatives, could help achieve improved air quality, reduced health impacts, and reduced inequity in future clean heating interventions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xinlei Liu, Yaojie Li, Zhihan Luo, Ran Xing, Yatai Men, Wenxuan Huang, Ke Jiang, Lu Zhang, Chao Sun, Longjiao Xie, Hefa Cheng, Huizhong Shen, Yuanchen Chen, Wei Du, Guofeng Shen, Shu Tao
Summary: Through long-term field monitoring using low-cost sensors, we evaluated the variations of indoor PM2.5 in rural areas. We found large variations of household PM2.5 across different homes and within households. Factors such as outdoor PM2.5, outdoor temperature, and indoor-outdoor temperature difference have significant impacts on the variation of indoor PM2.5.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jinjian Zhang, Huizhong Shen, Yilin Chen, Jing Meng, Jin Li, Jinling He, Peng Guo, Rong Dai, Yuanzheng Zhang, Ruibin Xu, Jinghang Wang, Shuxiu Zheng, Tianyang Lei, Guofeng Shen, Chen Wang, Jianhuai Ye, Lei Zhu, Haitong Zhe Sun, Tzung-May Fu, Xin Yang, Dabo Guan, Shu Tao
Summary: The iron and steel industry is significant for socio-economic progress but also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of global emissions from the industry over the past 60 years and predicts future trends up to 2050. The findings highlight the different trends for various pollutants, such as a consistent decrease in PM2.5 emissions from 1970 to 2000 and recent declines in NOx and SO2 emissions due to stricter controls. Projections suggest that developing nations (excluding China) will contribute a larger share of global PM2.5 emissions by 2050.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Economics
Dawit Guta, Hisham Zerriffi, Jill Baumgartner, Abhishek Jain, Sunil Mani, Darby Jack, Ellison Carter, Guofeng Shen, Jennifer Orgill-Meyer, Joshua Rosenthal, Katherine Dickinson, Rob Bailis, Yuta Masuda
Summary: Household solid fuel use is detrimental to health and the environment. The Indian government's PMUY subsidy has successfully promoted the adoption of LPG by millions of households. However, there is limited understanding of the decision-making process to reduce solid fuel use after transitioning to cleaner fuels. This study found that factors such as household wealth, social status, education level, and the prevalence of LPG use in the village are positively associated with LPG consumption and the discontinuation of solid fuel use. On the other hand, factors such as distance to LPG refill delivery, household size, and the PMUY subsidy are negatively associated with the share of LPG use.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenxiao Zhang, Haoran Xu, Xinyuan Yu, Jin Li, Yuanzheng Zhang, Rong Dai, Shuxiu Zheng, Wenjun Meng, Huizhong Shen, Yilin Chen, Guofeng Shen, Jianmin Ma, Bengang Li, Junfeng Liu, Xuejun Wang, Shu Tao
Summary: Following actions taken in China, there has been a significant reduction in annual mean fine particle (PM2.5) concentrations since 2013. However, some cities still exceed the national air quality standard. A study evaluated the trends of PM2.5 from 2014 to 2022 and found a continuous decline, but at a decreasing rate despite increasing pollution control investments. The study suggests implementing more rigorous standards in regions where the current standards have been met to further strengthen abatement efforts.
