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The review has also considered the potential role of two other aspects not sufficiently explored in this relationship the production of endogenous H2S that is a gasotransmitter producing beneficial effects on cardiovascular function at low concentration and the intake of H2S-releasing drugs for the treatment of patients affected by hypertension, inflammatory diseases, and CVD. Thus, a threshold effect of H2S and the shift of action as beneficial/adverse determinant given by the synergy of exogenous exposure and endogenous production cannot be excluded. In this complex scenario, an effort is warranted in the future to include a more comprehensive evaluation of risk for CVD in relation to H2S emissions, especially in geothermal areas.Renewable energy projects (REPs) are constructed to contribute to the eradication of global warming and supporting a sustainable aspect of economies. However, due to their entrepreneurial nature, such REPs are quite prone to severe project variations. Mostly, REPs deviate from their allocated plans, which lead them to the time and cost overrun outcomes alongside numerous other hindering impacts. The current research was intended to understand the critical impacts of project variations during the building activities of REPs. Utilizing a sample of 253 field experts engaged with such REPs at Pakistan, we employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze and confirm our propositions. It was found that cost-related effects were the most significant outcomes in the REPs and their severity was higher than other variation consequences of time-overrun effects, productivity-related effects, risk-related effects, and reputation related effects. Nevertheless, an unexpected outcome was observed regarding the variations, which do not show their negative effects on reputation related aspects in the REPs of Pakistan. Considering its critical findings, this research is a useful tool for project executives that they can formulate certain techniques to tackle such variations and their consequences in REPs. This research likewise aimed to add and extend pertinent literature for REPs by following the outcomes of the current research concerning the impacts of project variations.In paddy soil, the root exudates strongly influence the microbial activity and soil organic matter (SOM) mineralisation. However, the stoichiometric regulation of the mineralisation of root exudates and their priming effect on paddy soil remains unclear. Thus, we used manipulative laboratory incubations to measure the mineralisation of root exudates and the subsequent priming effect in paddy soil under different stoichiometric conditions. In this study, root exudates (simulated by 13C-labelled glucose, alanine, and oxalic acid) were added to the paddy soil along with four different amounts of N and P. The addition of simulated root exudates (SREs) enhanced the total CO2 and CH4 emissions. The mineralisation of SREs decreased by 20-45% after the addition of N and P when compared with exclusive SREs application. The addition of N and P inhibited the SREs-derived CH4 emissions when compared with SREs application alone. The mineralisation of soil organic matter (SOM) increased with SREs application, thereby generating a positive priming effect for CO2 and CH4 emissions. However, the priming effect for CO2 and CH4 emissions was reduced with increased amounts of N and P. Furthermore, the addition of SREs with increasing N and P significantly enhanced the microbial SREs-derived C-use efficiency. Structural equation models indicated that NH4+-N and Olsen P negatively influenced the priming effect, whereas the microbial biomass and enzyme stoichiometry positively influenced the priming effect. In conclusion, our data suggest that SREs combined with increasing amounts of N and P could meet microbial stoichiometric demands and regulate microbial activity, which finally inhibited the mineralisation of SREs-C and the priming effect on paddy soil and positively affected C sequestration.Disinfection by-products (DBPs) generated by ballast water treatment pose a potential threat to marine environment which aroused widespread concern. In recent years, emerging iodinated DBPs have attracted widespread attention because of their stronger cytotoxicity and genotoxicity than brominated/chlorinated DBPs. In this study, the effects of different natural organic matter species, total residual oxidant (TRO) concentrations, storage time, temperature, pH, bromide and iodide concentrations on the generation of iodinated trihalomethanes (I-THMs) during ozonation process of ballast water were investigated. The results showed that bromochloroiodomethane and diiodochloromethane (DICM) were not detected under all conditions during ozonation of humaic acid (HA). Different kinds of precursors had a significantly effect on the formation of I-THMs. For algal cells as precursor, DICM were detected (1.22 μg/L), while DICM were not detected from oxidation of 1,3-etonedicarboxylic acid, fulvic acid (FA), phenol, resorcinol, hydroquinone and HA as precursors. The yields of I-THMs from oxidation of algal cells, FA and phenol were higher than other precursors. Linear relationships were observed between the formation of I-THMs and TRO concentrations. The yields of I-THMs reached a peak at 48 h (180 μg/L) after ozonation treatment of ballast water, and then decreased with storage time extension. An increase in temperature enhanced the formation of dibromoiodomethane and bromodiiodomethane, while wakened the formation of iodoform and dichloroiodomethane. The formation of I-THMs was complicatedly affected by different pH values in the range from 4 to 9. The more bromide concentrations, the more brominated I-THMs were formed. The concentrations of I-THMs increased with increasing iodide concentrations, and low concentrations of iodide had greater effect on the production of I-THMs than high concentrations of iodide.Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) are constantly shed into the aquatic environment, with hospital wastewater potentially acting as an important source for resistance spread into the environment. A systematic review was conducted aiming to investigate the role of hospital wastewater on dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in the aquatic environment. Studies included in the review compared the prevalence of ARB and/or ARGs in hospital versus community wastewater. Data were extracted on ARB and/or ARG prevalence. Data on sampling techniques, microbiological methodology and risk of bias of included studies were recorded. Thirty-seven studies were included. Higher frequencies of antibiotic resistance determinants were found in hospital wastewater compared to community sources in 30/37 (81%) of included studies. However, trends for specific multi-drug-resistant bacteria differed. Antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative were more prevalent in hospital compared to community wastewaters, with higher concentrations of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing pathogens and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in hospital sources in 9/9 studies and 6/7 studies, respectively. Hospitals did not contribute consistently to the abundance of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE); 5/10 studies found higher abundance of VRE in hospital compared to community wastewaters. Reporting on sampling methods, wastewater treatment processes and statistical analysis were at high risk of bias. Extreme heterogeneity in study methods and outcome reporting precluded meta-analysis. Current evidence concurs that hospital wastewater is an important source for antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments, mainly multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Future research is needed to assess the effect of wastewater treatment processes on overall antibiotic resistance in the aquatic environment.The impacts of climate change on precipitation and the growing demand for water have increased the water risks worldwide. Water scarcity is one of the main challenges of the 21st century, and the assessment of water risks is only possible from spatially distributed records of historical climate and levels of water reservoirs. Dubermatinib inhibitor One potential method to assess water supply is the reconstruction of oxygen isotopes in rainfall. We here investigated the use of tree-ring stable isotopes in urban trees to assess spatial/temporal variation in precipitation and level of water reservoirs. We analyzed the intra-annual variation of δ13C and δ18O in the tree rings of Tipuana tipu trees from northern and southern Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), Brazil. While variation in δ13C indicates low leaf-level enrichments from evapotranspiration, δ18O variation clearly reflects precipitation extremes. Tree-ring δ18O was highest during the 2014 drought, associated with the lowest historical reservoir levels in the city. The δ18O values from the middle of the tree rings have a strong association with the mid-summer precipitation (r = -0.71), similar to the association between the volume of precipitation and its δ18O signature (r = -0.76). These consistent results allowed us to test the association between tree-ring δ18O and water-level of the main reservoirs that supply the MASP. We observed a strong association between intra-annual tree-ring δ18O and the water-level of reservoirs in the northern and southern MASP (r = -0.94, r = -0.90, respectively). These results point to the potential use of high-resolution tree-ring stable isotopes to put precipitation extremes, and water supply, in a historical perspective assisting public policies related to water risks and climate change. The ability to record precipitation extremes, and previously reported capacity to record air pollution, place Tipuana tipu in a prominent position as a reliable environmental monitor for urban locations.This paper assesses the applicability of a new carob waste-derived powdered activated carbon (PAC) obtained by steam activation for pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) removal in urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with activated sludge (AS) secondary treatment. The new carob-derived PAC presents chemical and textural properties similar to a high-performing commercial PAC produced from vegetable source by physical activation. The adsorption isotherms of three target PhCs, carbamazepine, diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole, spiked (at around 100 μg/L) in mixed liquor (ML) and in clarified-ML from the AS-bioreactor of a WWTP show (i) minor reduction of PAC capacity with real MLs compared to clarified MLs; (ii) the higher the PhC hydrophobicity, the higher the PAC adsorption capacity in both water matrices; (iii) hydrophobic interactions probably overweight electrostatic interactions between the PhCs and the slightly positively charged PAC in these real water matrices with background organics and inorganics. The PhC adsorption results with ML and clarified-ML are used to calibrate the IAST-based tracer model (TRM) and predict the new PAC performance when added to AS-bioreactor vs. in post-secondary treatment, at the PhC naturally-occurring trace concentrations. The modelling projections show (i) one needs higher PAC doses than those reported in the literature, particularly in post-treatment, and (ii) the benefits of PAC dosing to the bioreactor, with only a slightly higher PAC dose being needed when compared to its post-secondary dosing and minimising the capital investment.