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Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Pollution Prevention, Mitigation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 10832

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chi-Wei Huang

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Guest Editor

Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Interests: environmental toxicology; environmental engineering; ecological risk assessment; environmental microbiology and biotechnology; greenhouse gas emissions resulting from emerging contaminants
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Prof. Dr. Hung-Yin Lin

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Interests: biomimetic materials; polymeric smart materials; composition materials; biosensors; CRISPR/Cas9 systems; regeneration medicine
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Dr. Yi-Shiou Chiou

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Guest Editor

College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Interests: toxicology; functional food; tumor biology; cancer; chemoprevention and chemotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Anthropogenic pollution such as air, water, and marine pollution threatens human health and ecosystems. The adverse effects on human and environmental organisms hinder achieving SDG 3, SDG 6, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 14, and SDG 15 of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) regarding the aquatic environment, terrestrial environment, marine environment, and urban areas. In order to lower the impacts of environmental contaminants, more research assessing the adverse effects of anthropogenic pollution is needed. This Special Issue, therefore, encourages the submission of original articles and reviews on advances in assessing the adverse effects of anthropogenic pollution and ecological risk assessment. Hopefully, this high-quality research will broaden our knowledge about the challenges of anthropogenic pollution and sustainability. We are interested in the following topics, among others:

Environmental toxicity assessment of anthropogenic pollutants.
Ecological risk assessment of aquatic, terrestrial, marine, and urban environments.
Effects of anthropogenic pollution on greenhouse gas emissions.
Assessment of the effects of restoration, remediation, and corrective actions on environmental organisms or ecosystems.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Toxics.

Dr. Chi-Wei Huang
Prof. Dr. Hung-Yin Lin
Dr. Yi-Shiou Chiou
Guest Editors

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Keywords

environmental toxicity
ecological risk
sustainable development goals
anthropogenic pollution
greenhouse gas emissions

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2171 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Heavy Metal(loid) Pollution Evaluation, Risk Assessment, and Source Analysis of a Mineral Processing Plant

by Wenping Luo, Pingtang Wei, Yan Zhang and Chengshuai Sun

Sustainability 2024, 16(12), 5271; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125271 - 20 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 946

Abstract

Yunnan Province is rich in mineral resources. Early mining, processing, metallurgy, and other mining activities produce three industrial wastes (waste water, waste gas, and waste residue) causing environmental pollution. Considering the legacy site of a mineral processing plant in Yunnan as the research object, 21 sampling points in the study area and 12 control sampling points in the periphery were set up to determine the contents of the heavy metal(loid)s As, Hg, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Cr in the soil. The spatial distribution of heavy metal(loid)s was interpolated and analyzed using Arcmap10.8, and combined with the single-factor index, Nemero Comprehensive Pollution Index, and the health risk assessment method for the heavy metal(loid) pollution status and health risk of the soil were evaluated. The soil in the study area was acidic, with the largest average value of elemental As and the largest percentages of control and screening values. The results of the single-factor and Nemero composite pollution index showed the following trend: As > Pb > Cd > Cu > Ni > Hg. Cd, Cu, and Pb mainly originate from mining and metallurgy and Hg from the combustion of fossil fuels, while soil-forming substrates are the main sources of Ni. Pollution by As was the most prominent element, whereas pollution by Cd, Cu, and Pb in some areas also cannot be ignored to prevent negative impacts on residents. It is recommended to remediate and treat the soil on site for public events; therefore, this study fills the gap in studying potential ecological risks, human health risk assessments, and sources of exposure (oral ingestion, respiratory ingestion, dermal contact). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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26 pages, 3270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Analysis and Environmental Risk Assessment of Benzotriazoles in Airport Stormwater: A HS-SPME-GC × GC-TOF-MS-Based Procedure as a Tool for Sustainable Airport Runoff Water Management

by Anna Maria Sulej-Suchomska, Krystyna Koziol and Żaneta Polkowska

Sustainability 2024, 16(12), 5152; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125152 - 17 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1033

Abstract

Despite the numerous benefits of intensive air transport development, many activities associated with the operation of airports contribute to environmental pollution. The purpose of this research was the development, optimization, and validation of a headspace–solid-phase microextraction–comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time of flight–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC × GC-TOF-MS)-based procedure for determining anti-corrosive compounds in airport stormwater. Optimized HS-SPME conditions include: 45 min extraction time, 100 °C temperature, 1.0 g salt addition, and 10 min desorption time at 270 °C. The developed procedure is sensitive, selective, accurate (recoveries ≥ 80.0%), and precise (the coefficient of variation (CV) ≤ 14.9%), making it a highly suitable tool for extensive airport stormwater quality monitoring. The validated analytical protocol was successfully used to detect pollutants, including 1H-BT, 4-MeBT, 5-MeBT, and 5,6-diMe-1H-BT, in stormwater from various European airports with different flight capacities. Throughout the sampling period at the investigated airports, 1H-benzotriazole was found in the highest concentrations, ranging from below the MQL to 467 mg/L. An ecotoxicological risk assessment revealed that 69% of the sites exhibited high risk levels (Risk Quotient ≥ 1). The developed procedure and carried out environmental risk assessments of benzotriazoles in airport stormwater enable an evidence-based approach to sustainable airport stormwater management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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14 pages, 50038 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Mercury Pollution of Hainan Island, China: Patterns, Influencing Factors, and Health Risks

by Yan Sun and Canchao Yang

Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 3083; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16073083 - 8 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1264

Abstract

Due to the rapid expansion of tourism, mining, and manufacturing, the economy of Hainan Island in southern China has experienced swift growth. However, it also brings the risk of soil pollution by mercury (Hg) as a result of increased traffic and mineral processing activities. In order to investigate the characteristics of soil Hg pollution in Hainan Island and assess the health risk, a total of 239 samples were gathered from five representative regions across the island. The findings indicate considerable fluctuations in the soil Hg concentration across the five sub-study areas, which are influenced by factors such as wind direction, mining activities, and economic development. Changjiang Li Autonomous County, situated in the downwind direction (NW) and rich in mineral resources, shows the highest soil Hg concentration (10.00–1582.50 ng·g⁻¹). Following closely are Haikou and Sanya, the two most economically developed cities on the island, with soil Hg concentrations of 8.33–321.50 ng·g⁻¹ and 6.04–180.50 ng·g⁻¹, respectively. Wuzhishan Nature Reserve and Lingshui Li Autonomous County, located in the upwind area (SE), show the lowest concentrations, ranging between 10.70–104.67 ng·g⁻¹ and 9.43–84.00 ng·g⁻¹, respectively. Both the Single Pollution Index method and the Geo-accumulation Index method were employed to assess the level of Hg pollution. The results indicate that nearly half of the sampling sites are contaminated, in which the proportion of contaminated sites in Sanya and Haikou are the highest, but the level of contamination is low; the heavily contaminated sites are predominantly found in Changjiang Li Autonomous County. However, the low Health Risk Index (HI) ranging from 0.0001 to 0.0334 suggests that although the soil is contaminated with Hg, it does not pose a substantial non-carcinogenic risk to human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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14 pages, 2029 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toxicological Response of Zebrafish Exposed to Cocktails of Polymeric Materials and Valproic Acid

by Alexandra Savuca, Ionut-Alexandru Chelaru, Ioana-Miruna Balmus, Alexandrina-Stefania Curpan, Mircea Nicusor Nicoara and Alin Stelian Ciobica

Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 2057; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052057 - 1 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1344

Abstract

Microplastic pollution represents an emerging problem of great interest in the public domain in the last decade; in addition, it overlaps with another delicate problem—pollution with pharmaceutical products that can have negative effects on the environment and people, even in small amounts. The main purpose of this study was to assess the biochemical and behavioral effects of exposure of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and valproic acid (VPA), respectively to their mixtures—possible situations in natural aquatic environments. In terms of behavioral responses, sociability appears to be more impaired in the PP group after 5 days of exposure. The mechanisms affected are more those of swimming performance than of sociability. Even more, VPA increases presence in the arm with conspecifics but decreases mobility and locomotion, indicating a possible anxiety mechanism. The mixtures decrease the aggressiveness, especially in the case of the PE+VPA group, where it reaches a super low level compared to the control, which could endanger the species in nature. Regarding the anxiogenic effect, PP and PE act differently: if PE has an anxiogenic effect, on the opposite side is the PP group, which shows a bolder and more agitated behavior. All four variants showed behavioral changes indicative of toxicity from the first dose. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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17 pages, 1412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Survey of Antifungal in Surface- and Groundwater: A Portuguese Environmental Case Study

by Cristina De Mello-Sampayo, Paula Viana, Ana Lopes, Rita Carvalho da Silva, Rosário de Jesus, Georgina Sarmento, Anabela Almeida and Leonor Meisel

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020594 - 10 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1535

Abstract

Antifungals support modern medical and agricultural practices, and extensive screening environmental data are missing. This work aims to survey antifungals for medical and agricultural purposes in surface- and groundwater in Portugal. A passive sampling technique and a high-resolution chromatographic system were used. Antifungals applied in medical practice were not detected as only antifungals for agricultural purposes (fungicides). Thirty-nine different fungicide molecules were found; its detection frequency in surface- and groundwater was dominated by rabenzazole (61%, 92%) and ethoxyquin (54%, 77%); among the five fungicides with similar surface- and groundwater catching rates, ferimzone was the most polluting (54%, 54%); oxadixyl (61%), kresoxim-methyl (61%) and fenamidone (46%) were primarily designated surface water contaminants; for azoles, the occurrence in surface water ranged from a residual (10%) to a moderate detection rate for two compounds (31%—propiconazole and tebuconazole). Surprisingly, only 51% of detected fungicides are authorised. The frequently detected fungicides that are either not authorised (ethoxyquin and its impurity, furmecyclox, oxadixyl), without data in the EU (rabenzazole, ferimzone), or authorised at the national level (fenamidone), should be included in environmental monitoring programmes and followed as emerging (micro)contaminants. Policy makers should gather their efforts to allow the implementation of proper risk management and effective contamination control strategies to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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19 pages, 1395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Organochlorine Pesticides in Dairy Cows’ Diet and the Carryover into Milk in NW Romania

by Mirela Miclean, Erika Andrea Levei and Oana Cadar

Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010434 - 3 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1594

Abstract

Since modern agriculture relies on high volumes of chemical pesticides, monitoring the exposure to these dangerous substances in feed and the food chain is crucial. This study investigates the transfer of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) from water, soil, and feed to milk in free-range dairy cows using the carryover rates (CORs) and biotransfer factors (BTFs) from feed to milk as tools that can be used for human and animal risk assessments. BTFs can predict the transfer of OCPs into milk due to cows’ ingestion of contaminated feed. Samples were collected from ten small-scale dairy cow farms located near Baia Mare city, NW Romania, identified for distributing fresh milk in the local market. After the appropriate extraction was performed, the OCP concentrations were measured by gas chromatography equipped with an electron capture detector and randomly confirmed using mass spectrometry. The most prominent compounds in the soil, feed, and milk samples were hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites. The concentrations of OCPs were lower than the maximum admissible values in feed, water, soil, and milk. The CORs of OCPs varied over four orders of magnitudes, from 0.10% (2,4′–dichlorodiphenylchloroethylene, 2,4′–DDE) to 250% (4,4′–dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, 4,4′–DDT). Similar to CORs, the values of BTFs varied largely, from 0.0001 to 1.408. Additionally, the values higher than the unit for some BTFs could be due to the accumulation and biomagnification of these organochlorine compounds in the animal body. The cows’ dietary exposure was evaluated by the estimated daily intake (EDI), considering the three components of ingestion (feed, water, and soil), and varied in the range of 0.0008–0.3509 µg/day/body weight (bw). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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20 pages, 4314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Identification and Hotspots of Ecological Risk from Heavy Metals in Urban Dust in the City of Cartagena, SE Spain

by Pura Marín-Sanleandro, María José Delgado-Iniesta, Anthony Felipe Sáenz-Segovia and Antonio Sánchez-Navarro

Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010307 - 28 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1112

Abstract

In the present work, a study has been carried out on the contamination of heavy metals in urban dust deposited on the roads of the city of Cartagena (Spain) in order to know the content of metals such as Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu. Likewise, the possible relationship between the concentration of heavy metals and the color of the sample, level of magnetism and traffic density was studied. Contamination was evaluated using several indices such as contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollutant load index (PLI) and ecological risk index (RI). A total of 88 samples were taken in the urban area of Cartagena, and the metals were determined by acid digestion and measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The concentration of heavy metals in urban dust from Cartagena was Zn (672 mg kg⁻¹) > Cu (248.9 mg kg⁻¹) > Pb (227 mg kg⁻¹) > Cr (82.7 mg kg⁻¹) > Ni (47.7 mg kg⁻¹) > Cd (4.1 mg kg⁻¹). Contamination levels were high in Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu, according to environmental indices. A correlation was found between magnetism and metal concentration, which was repeated for all metals except Cd. Dark-colored samples contained higher metal concentrations than light-colored samples. Meanwhile, streets with medium and low traffic intensity were found to have higher concentrations of heavy metals. This study’s objective was to identify pollution hotspots caused by heavy metals in dust in the urban ecosystem of Cartagena city. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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16 pages, 4051 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Monitoring of Phosphorus Compounds in the Influence Zone Affected by Nuclear Power Plant Water Discharge in the Styr River (Western Ukraine): Case Study

by Pavlo Kuznietsov, Olha Biedunkova and Yuliia Trach

Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16316; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316316 - 26 Nov 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1302

Abstract

The main causes of surface water pollution with phosphate ions are various human activities. Monitoring the content of phosphorus compounds in surface waters is important for the management of water bodies. Phosphorus is an essential element for the life of flora and fauna, but in excessive amounts it can have a harmful effect on the environment. The inflow of phosphorus compounds into the Styr River (Western Ukraine) occurs as a result of the discharge of cooling water from the Rivne NPP’s cooling water system. This article has three purposes: (1) The inflow of phosphorus compounds to the Styr River occurs with the discharge of cooling water using 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP); (2) phosphorus compounds (phosphate ions, HEDP, and total phosphorus in surface waters of the Styr River) are monitored and analyzed, and the analysis of the quality of river water is carried out in accordance with environmental standards for the content of phosphorus compounds in the zone of influence of the Rivne NPP; (3) in terms of phosphorus content, the quality of the water of the Styr River, after the discharge of the Rivne NPP’s cooling water, is characterized as “satisfactory” and belongs to Class III. A seasonal trend of changes in the content of phosphate ions and total phosphorus was found, and the concentration of HEDP in the water of the Styr River depends on the technological dosage mode during the corrective treatment of the Rivne NPP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Assessing the Adverse Effects of Anthropogenic Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment)

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