Lin Wang

This study, based on data from the 2024 Zhengzhou Statistical Yearbook, used the ARCGIS spatial analysis methods to evaluate the biomass energy utilization potential and emission reduction benefits of major crop straws and livestock manure in Zhengzhou. The results showed that the total biomass energy utilization potential of agricultural waste in Zhengzhou in 2024 was approximately 3.58×10⁵ t of standard coal, with crop straw accounting for about 3.07×10⁵ t and livestock manure for about 0.51×10⁵ t. Using crop straw and livestock manure as fuel, compared to standard coal, could reduce SO₂ and NOₓ emissions by 4.52×10² t and CO₂ emissions by approximately 1.99×10⁷ t. Specifically, the utilization of crop straw can reduce SO₂ and NOₓ emissions by 2.69×10² t and CO₂ emissions by approximately 8.17×10⁵ t, while the utilization of livestock manure can reduce SO₂ and NOₓ emissions by 1.83×10² tons and CO₂ emissions by approximately 1.91×10⁷ t. Through spatial analysis, the study revealed the spatial distribution characteristics of the biomass energy utilization potential and emission reduction benefits of agricultural waste, showing that agricultural waste resources in Zhengzhou were concentrated in major crop production areas and large-scale livestock farming zones, with high-value areas mainly concentrated in the eastern and southwestern regions. This study provided a quantitative analytical foundation for optimizing Zhengzhou’s agricultural waste resource utilization and biomass energy development strategies, and offered scientific support for promoting local green energy development and achieving the “dual carbon” goals.

The co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals in agricultural ecosystems poses emerging threats, yet their combined ecotoxicological effects on crop plants remain poorly understood. To address this gap, a hydroponic exposure experiment was conducted to evaluate the individual and combined effects of 50 mg·L⁻¹ polystyrene (PS) microplastics, lead (Pb, 35 mg·L⁻¹), and cadmium (Cd, 20 mg·L⁻¹) on the phenotypic growth, biomass accumulation, and peroxidase (POD) activity of rice seedlings. The results indicated that: (1) Individual polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) treatment did not induce morphological inhibition; rather, it exhibited a growth-promoting trend, with a significant increase in fresh weight and a non-significant increasing trend in dry weight compared to the control. (2) The phenotypic impact of PS-MPs on the toxicity of heavy metals was element-specific. In the PS + Cd co-exposure system, microplastics significantly alleviated Cd-induced inhibition of fresh weight relative to the single Cd treatment, although this recovery effect was not observed in dry weight. Conversely, in the PS + Pb system, microplastics aggravated the phenotypic toxicity of Pb, with biomass showing a numerical decrease relative to the single Pb treatment, though the difference did not reach statistical significance. (3) The plant antioxidant system exhibited organ-specific responses to the combined stresses. Under PS + Pb co-exposure, root POD activity was significantly up-regulated while shoot POD activity was notably suppressed, revealing an asynchrony in physiological responses between roots and shoots. In contrast, the decrease in root POD activity under the PS + Cd system was consistent with phenotypic recovery in fresh weight. In conclusion, PS-MPs can significantly alter the phenotypic and physiological responses of rice seedlings to heavy metals, with the direction of modulation being element-specific. While the underlying mechanisms require further elucidation, this study provides a phenotypic and physiological basis for assessing the early ecological risks associated with the co-exposure of microplastics and heavy metals.

The accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in saline environments poses a threat to ecological security; however, the elimination of PAHs from saline environments is difficult. In this study, a constructed microbial consortium, designated NOMA, was constructed from Novosphingobium sp. J3 and Martelella sp. E4 via a “bottom-up” method. Consortium NOMA degraded phenanthrene within 7 days at 5% salinity and retained phenanthrene-degradation activity across the tested salinity, pH, and Cd²⁺ gradients (pH values of 5–10, salinities of 1–20%, and Cd²⁺ concentrations of 0–50 mg/L). PAH-degrading genes in both strains were annotated based on the genomic information. Based on the genomic information and intermediate detection, a cross-feeding model of the phenanthrene degradation process by consortium NOMA was proposed. Strain J3 was responsible for the upstream degradation of phenanthrene, and strain E4 promoted multiple downstream degradation pathways to increase the rate of intermediate transfer. Genome-scale metabolic model (GSMM) predictions suggested a potential interspecies cross-feeding mechanism: J3 supplies upstream aromatic intermediates, whereas E4 provides complementary nutritional and cofactor-related support to J3. This study deepens the understanding of the cross-feeding pattern of PAHs in saline environments and provides a biological resource for the bioremediation of PAH under saline and cadmium stress conditions.

Elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) is expected to enhance crop productivity but may simultaneously reduce nutritional quality through nutrient dilution. However, responses among crop species with contrasting functional traits and the associated plant–soil responses remain insufficiently understood. Using a multi-crop Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) platform, we investigated the effects of eCO₂ on per-plant biomass and yield-component traits, nutritional quality, soil properties, and mineral element dynamics in four representative crops with contrasting functional traits: soybean, peanut, maize, and sweet potato. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased several per-plant biomass and yield-component traits, with the magnitude of these responses varying among crop species and soybean showing pronounced increases in multiple measured traits. Protein concentration decreased significantly by 11.47% in maize and also declined in sweet potato, whereas it remained stable in soybean and increased in peanut, demonstrating crop-specific differences in nutritional responses to eCO₂. Bulk soil responses also differed among crop types, with soybean and sweet potato showing significant decreases in soil pH and crop-specific changes in the total concentrations of Zn and Cu; however, these changes were not consistently accompanied by corresponding increases in elemental concentrations in the harvested plant tissues. These findings indicate that changes in total soil elemental concentrations do not necessarily correspond to higher elemental concentrations in edible organs. Overall, the four crop species exhibited distinct responses to eCO₂, highlighting the importance of integrating crop nutritional quality, nutrient dynamics, and plant–soil interactions when developing adaptive agricultural management strategies under future climate change.

Taking Lankao County as a case study, this study extends the established StrawFeed framework by linking NHPI-derived harvest dates to spatially differentiated straw release and seasonal equipment scheduling. Time-series Sentinel-2 observations were used to characterize harvest timing, while observed road routes were used to calibrate the detour parameter. The mapped harvest progression was compared with reported aggregate harvest progress and provided spatially differentiated timing inputs for logistics simulation. The results demonstrate that: (1) The spatial-economic framework effectively refine the spatial representation of traditional models in complex fragmented plots. (2) Under the annual shared-fleet baseline, the simulated delivered cost was 28.40 USD t⁻¹. (3) Route calibration yielded a road-detour coefficient of 1.36, demonstrating the effect of road geometry on transport distance. The simulated cost represents the result under the specified demand, road, equipment, and price assumptions rather than a causal penalty attributable to land fragmentation. Consequently, we suggest that land management policies should shift toward “precision-targeted” subsidies, and rural spatial planning should prioritize the layout of decentralized pre-processing hubs to optimize spatial logistics efficiency and economic viability.

To address the environmental evolution and management needs of emerging contaminants in the Yellow River Basin (Henan Section), China, nine typical functional cross-sections, covering industrial outfalls, sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents, human activity-dense areas, and baseline tributaries, were selected to systematically investigate the occurrence, potential sources, and multi-dimensional risks of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in surface water. The results indicated a 100% detection rate of the target pollutants across all sites, with PFOA (0.45–7.46 ng/L) being the absolute dominant analogue. The spatial distribution exhibited an evident industrial point-source-driven pattern, where the pollution loads at the Jili District industrial outfall (S7) and STP effluent (S5) were significantly higher than those in non-point sources and natural baseline waters. Source apportionment suggested that direct wastewater discharge and secondary release from regional industrial clusters were likely key contributors to PFAS spatial heterogeneity. Multi-dimensional risk assessments revealed that the current ecological risk quotients (RQ < 0.01) for aquatic organisms and the human health risk values (HR < 0.1) via drinking water ingestion for various age groups were well within safe and controllable ranges. However, PFOS contributed significantly more to the ecological risk than PFOA, and children exhibited slightly higher health exposure vulnerability than adults. Although the overall risk is minimal, PFOA concentrations at high-load cross-sections have exceeded the latest stringent maximum contaminant level (4.0 ng/L) mandated by the US EPA in 2024. This study suggests an urgent need to establish a dynamic, life-cycle monitoring network for PFASs in the basin and to prioritize targeted deep-reduction strategies for high-risk industrial point sources.

This study investigates the effects of polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) and copper (Cu), applied individually and in combination, on the growth (root and shoot length, fresh and dry biomass), peroxidase (POD) activity, and Cu accumulation of rice seedlings. A hydroponic experiment was conducted with four treatments: control (CK), PP, Cu, and PP+Cu. Exposure to PP-MPs slightly promoted seedling growth, whereas Cu markedly inhibited growth and induced chlorosis. Compared with Cu alone, co-exposure to PP-MPs and Cu (PP+Cu) partially improved shoot growth and alleviated Cu-induced suppression of shoot POD activity. In contrast, root POD activity showed the strongest reduction under PP+Cu (91.7% decrease), revealing a pronounced root–shoot divergence in antioxidant responses. Moreover, total Cu accumulation in seedlings increased by 12.3% in PP+Cu relative to Cu alone, implying that PP-MPs may influence Cu bioavailability and/or internal partitioning. However, Cu speciation and subcellular distribution were not quantified in this study and should be examined in future work. Overall, PP-MPs may simultaneously enhance Cu uptake while partially mitigating shoot-level toxicity, underscoring the complexity of microplastic–metal co-contamination in rice seedling systems.

Polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs) represent a persistent class of marine pollutants due to their hydrophobicity, high crystallinity, and resistance to environmental degradation. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the environmental behavior, physicochemical aging, and ecotoxicological risks of PP-MPs, with emphasis on microbial degradation pathways involving bacteria, fungi, algae, and filter-feeding invertebrates. The biodegradation of PP-MPs is jointly regulated by environmental conditions, polymer properties, and the structure and function of plastisphere communities. Although photo-oxidation and mechanical abrasion enhance microbial colonization by increasing surface roughness and introducing oxygenated functional groups, overall degradation rates remain low in marine environments. Emerging mitigation strategies include biodegradable polymer alternatives, multifunctional catalytic and adsorptive materials, engineered microbial consortia, and integrated photo–biodegradation systems. Key research priorities include elucidating molecular degradation mechanisms, designing programmable degradable materials, and establishing AI-based monitoring frameworks. This review provides a concise foundation for developing ecologically safe and scalable approaches to PP-MP reduction and sustainable marine pollution management.