The Photodegradation Process of PP Plastics in Tidal Flat Environments: The Role and Mechanism of Chloride Ions.

Mudflats are sites of plastic accumulation and a source of microplastics. Moreover, light and chloride ions are important factors affecting plastic aging and microplastic formation in mudflat zones. In this study, the role and mechanism of Cl in the photodegradation process of polypropylene (PP) in the mudflat environment were investigated by laboratory simulations and field verification.

Influence and mechanism of NaOH concentration on the dissolution of cellulose and extraction of CNF in alkaline solvents at 15 °C.

Alkaline aqueous solutions facilitate the rapid extraction of high-performance cellulose nanofiber (CNF) at 15 °C. However, the role and mechanism of NaOH in this process remain unclear. This study investigated the dissolution process of cellulose by controlling the NaOH concentration (1-7 wt%) at 15 °C and explored the effect and underlying mechanism of the NaOH concentration on cellulose dissolution in alkaline solvents.

Simulation of the dynamic processes of microplastic suspension and deposition in a lake sediment-water system.

The occurrence of microplastics in aquatic environments has attracted increasing interest from both the public and scientists, especially their migration behaviors. Although several environmental behaviors of microplastics have been studied, the issue of microplastic suspension and deposition in lake sediment-water systems remains to be elucidated. In this study, we built an indoor sediment-water system with input and output rivers that simulated the actual situations in lakes, and aimed to explore the suspension and deposition behavior of microplastics using eight group experiments.

Study on the photoaging process and metal ion release of plastic films with two kinds of structures in marine environment: Aliphatic and aromatic polymers.

The prevalence of plastics in the oceans has significantly intensified microplastic pollution, contributing to broader marine secondary pollution issues. This paper examines how plastic structure affects the aging characteristics of plastics and the release of metal ions, to better understand this secondary source of marine pollution. This study simulate the photoaging of plastics in natural environments, focusing on aliphatic and aromatic polymers.

Biodegradable cellulose/curcumin films with Janus structure for food packaging and freshness monitoring.

The development of renewable, hydrophobic, and biodegradable intelligent packaging materials as an alternative to petroleum-based plastic products has become a new research focus in recent years, but remains a challenge. Herein, regenerated cellulose/curcumin composite films were fabricated by dispersing hydrophobic curcumin uniformly in a hydrophilic cellulose matrix using an aqueous alkali/urea solvent based on the pH-driven principle of curcumin. In addition, a unilateral hydrophobic modification was carried out using chemical vapor deposition of methyltrichlorosilane to obtain Janus structure.

Microscopic dissolution process of cellulose in alkaline aqueous solvents and its application in CNFs extraction - Investigating temperature as a variable.

The target of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the micro-dissolution process of cellulose in alkaline aqueous solutions and to develop a novel method for extracting cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). Herein, the dissolution process of cellulose in alkaline aqueous solutions will be controlled by varying the temperature, and the undissolved cellulose will be analyzed to reveal the microscopic dissolution process of cellulose, and a novel process for extracting cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) will be developed based on the findings. The crystalline structure of cellulose was gradually disrupted as the dissolution progressed, and the crystal form of cellulose changed gradually from cellulose I to cellulose II during the dissolution process, while all undissolved cellulose crystals remained as cellulose I.

Multidecadal heavy metals and microplastic deposition records in an urban lake: the ecological risk assessments and influencing factors.

With the development of urbanization and economic growth, the urban lake ecosystem faces many challenges derived from external factors. As pollutants in the aquatic environment, heavy metals and microplastics negatively influence the urban lake ecosystem due to their intrinsic properties. To understand the distribution patterns and multidecadal deposition characteristics of heavy metals and microplastics, six sediment cores were collected in March 2021 from a Chinese urban lake, Xinghu Lake, and the isotopic composition of cesium-137 and lead-210 was analyzed for the chronology of the sediment core.

Source or sink role of an urban lake for microplastics from Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area, China.

Plastic production and consumption in China are larger than others in the world, and the challenge of microplastic pollution is widespread. With the development of urbanization in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China, the environmental pollution of microplastics is becoming an increasingly prominent issue. Here, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics, sources, and ecological risks of microplastics were analyzed in water from an urban lake, Xinghu Lake, as well as the contribution of rivers.

Occurrence and sources of microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of Svalbard, Arctic.

Due to the distinct environment condition and geographic location, Svalbard has been recognized as a potential pollution reservoir in the Arctic. In this study, 8 surface sediment samples were collected from two fjords in Svalbard (Kongsfjorden and Rijpfjorden) in 2017, and they were searched for microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs were also investigated in 10 soil samples of Ny-Ålesund for local anthropogenic source analysis.

Protein-coated microplastics corona complex: An underestimated risk of microplastics.

Traditionally, toxicity of microplastics is ascribed to the chemicals adsorbed on them. However, microplastics can also interact with biomolecules, such as secretory proteins from aquatic organisms, and form protein-coated microplastics corona complex with unknown toxic effects. Here, we investigated the toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) coated PS corona complex (PS + BSA) on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) intestines.

Microplastics contamination in bivalves from the Daya Bay: Species variability and spatio-temporal distribution and human health risks.

Microplastic contamination is an emerging global threat for various marine organisms. Marine invertebrates such as bivalve mollusks are more susceptible to the widespread presence of microplastics due to their limited abilities to escape from pollution exposure and they can readily ingest environmental pollutants like microplastics through their filter-feeding behaviors. In this study, microplastic contamination in bivalves related to species, spatial, and temporal variability were conducted.

Effects of different treatment processes in four municipal wastewater treatment plants on the transport and fate of microplastics.

The behavior of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants has been investigated, but specific effects of treatment process on microplastics' fate are still unclear due to varied analysis methods and regional differences. In this study, four wastewater treatment plants in Ningbo of southeastern China with different treatment processes were selected to investigate transport and fate of microplastics. Based on number of microplastic particles, fibers and fragments were the main microplastics types in wastewater, while synthetic cellulose represented the largest fraction.

Injectable thermo-sensitive and wide-crack self-healing hydrogel loaded with antibacterial anti-inflammatory dipotassium glycyrrhizate for full-thickness skin wound repair.

Severe skin injuries are hard to repair and susceptible to bacterial infection. Development of a versatile antimicrobial anti-inflammatory hydrogel dressing that eliminates concern over antibiotic resistance is urgently needed but remains an elusive goal. Our research, described herein, the design and fabrication of a new family of supramolecular hydrogels based on hydroxypropyl chitosan (HPCS) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) may prove to be that goal.

Human activities affect the multidecadal microplastic deposition records in a subtropical urban lake, China.

Microplastic deposition in subtropical lakes and the influences of human activities remain to be deeply and fully understood. Owing to the intensification of urban construction and population growth, urban lakes serving as significant freshwater resources for sustainable development of the regional economy are becoming degraded, especially due to microplastic pollution. To understand the deposition characteristics of microplastics in lake sediments from the China's subtropical city, six sediment core samples were collected from Xinghu Lake of Guangdong Province.

Release of the additive metals from 3 commonly used plastics during the degradation under the treatment of UV irradiation.

Additive metals are continuously released into the environment during the photo-degradation of plastics into microplastics, but this phenomenon has not been reported by many studies. Herein, we investigated the surface morphology changes along with the release of additive metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, and Pb) during the degradation of three types of plastics, i.e.

Low level of microplastic contamination in wild fish from an urban estuary.

Microplastic accumulation in estuarine environments is considered the dominant input of land-based plastics into the oceans. In this study, the level of microplastic contamination was evaluated in 26 species of wild fish from the Pearl River Estuary, South China. Results showed that microplastics abundance ranged from 0.

How biofilms affect the uptake and fate of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in microplastic: Insights from an In situ study of Xiangshan Bay, China.

Microplastic (MP) has been identified as an emerging vector that transports hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) across aquatic environments due to its hydrophobic surfaces and small size. However, it is also recognized that environmental factors affect MP's chemical vector effects and that attached biofilms could play a major role, although the specific mechanisms remain unclear. To explore this issue, an in situ experiment was conducted at Xiangshan Bay of southeastern China, and dynamics of HOCs (i.

A chromosome 1q22 microdeletion including is associated with intellectual disability in a Chinese family.

Background: Copy number variants (CNVs) associated with developmental delay and intellectual disability (DD/ID) continue to be identified in patients. This article reports identification of a chromosome 1q22 microdeletion as the genetic cause in a Chinese family affected by ID.

Case Presentation: The proband was a 19-year-old pregnant woman referred for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis at 18 weeks of gestation.

Microplastics in mangrove sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, South China: Correlation with halogenated flame retardants' levels.

Marine microplastic pollution of intertidal mangrove ecosystem is a matter of concern. However, the relationship between microplastic distribution and other pollutants such as halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) is unknown. In this study, forty-eight sediment samples were collected from three mangrove wetlands of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China to investigate the distribution of microplastic and discuss the possible relationship between HFRs and microplastic abundance in mangrove sediments.

Correction to: Characteristic of microplastics in the atmospheric fallout from Dongguan City, China: preliminary research and first evidence.

Unfortunately, the original version of this article contained two mistakes.

Internal Biomechanical Study of a 70-Year-Old Female Human Lumbar Bi-Segment Finite Element Model and Comparison with a Middle-Aged Male Model.

The main purpose of this article is to study the biomechanics of spine tissue in elderly female. In this study, the L3-L5 lumbar bi-segmental finite element model for elderly female was obtained from the Advanced Human Modeling Laboratory of the Bioengineering Center at Wayne State University. The effects of flexion and extension on bone geometry, distribution of ligament fibers, location of nucleus, and changes in intervertebral disc height were studied by comparing the results obtained before and after the update of older female and middle-aged male models.

Microplastics and associated PAHs in surface water from the Feilaixia Reservoir in the Beijiang River, China.

Microplastics have been a prevalent and persistent contamination problem in the global aquatic environment. In particular, microplastics that can adsorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and therefore transfer these POPs to organisms in the aquatic environment have received much attention. In this study, an investigation of microplastics in the surface water of the Feilaixia Reservoir (Guangdong Province, China), which is an important part of people's daily lives in Guangdong Province was carried out, mainly focusing on the characteristics and spatial distribution of microplastics, as well as microplastics and their adsorded PAHs in the surface water of the Feilaixia Reservoir were investigated.

The uptake of microfibers by freshwater Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) varies based upon physicochemical properties.

Microplastic is an umbrella term that covers particles with various physical and chemical properties. However, microplastics with a consistent shape, polymer type and size are generally used in exposure studies (e.g.

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in an urban river: A case study in the Pearl River along Guangzhou City, China.

Microplastics, as emerging contaminants in the global environment, have become a cause for concern for both academics and the public. The present understanding of microplastic pollution is primarily focused on marine environments, and less attention has been given to freshwater environments, in particular, to urban rivers. In this study, microplastics were sampled from surface water and sediments in 14 sites located in the lower course of the Pearl River.

Microplastic pollution in China's inland water systems: A review of findings, methods, characteristics, effects, and management.

The pollution of marine environments and inland waters by plastic debris has raised increasing concerns worldwide in recent years. China is the world's largest developing country and the largest plastic producer. In this review, we gather available information on microplastic pollution in China's inland water systems.