Due to the high toxicity of iodinated disinfection byproducts (I-DBPs), their discovery becomes crucial for drinking water safety. In this study, we identified and quantified a previously predicted yet analytically unclear I-DBP, dichloroiodoacetic acid (DCIAA), which was overlooked in electrospray ionization because of the in-source fragmentation. The molecular formula of DCIAA was confirmed through high-resolution mass spectrometry full scan analysis after the formation, and its structure was determined by product ion scan characterization. 2-iodophenol was selected as the optimal precursor for DCIAA yield during chlorination at pH 8.0. Following isolation and purification, the synthesized DCIAA was quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, with subsequent employment for calibration standard. DCIAA remained stable for two months across pH 2.0-12.0, suggesting its potential persistence in drinking water distribution systems post-formation. The quantification method was developed using multiple reaction monitoring with the optimized m/z transitions at 208.8/126.9, showing superior selectivity through MS/MS confirmation, and Oasis WAX cartridges exhibited optimal recovery for solid-phase extraction of DCIAA. DCIAA concentrations was detected at 18.4-38.8 ng/L and 129.8- 463.1 ng/L in real tap water samples in Japan and chlorinated raw waters prepared in laboratory, respectively, which revealed the prevalent existence and importance of DCIAA in drinking waters.

Dhaka, the capital and only megacity of Bangladesh, is exposed to multiple types of climate-
induced hazards including variations in temperature, excessive and erratic rainfall, water
logging, heat and cold waves. These hazards negatively effect on city life and livelihoods
of the poor. This study is a quantitative study conducted at Dhaka to review climate change
effects on the slum people. This study uses two slums in Dhaka- Karail slum at Mohakhali,
Basila slum at Mohammadpur, for climate change impacts of the poor livelihood. The study
conducted on slum of Dhaka with purposive sample survey, face to face interview of slum
people while purposive sample size of 50. The study uses semi-structured interview
schedule to collect data from local people in two slums. The result shows that the poor slum
dwellers livelihood are usually vulnerable to extreme temperature as well as water logging
due to urban institutional inefficiencies. Climate change makes them more vulnerable. The
study also shows the trend of gradual and extreme weather change is particularly negative
for the livelihood of the urban poor in Dhaka. The major impacts of climate change are
damaging of shelter and other household assets, unavailability and polluting of water,
suffering from diseases like diarrhea, scabies and fever etc. problem of sanitation and loss
of work or income.
To cope up with the climate impacts they use saving and sometimes cut off their daily meal.
They somehow sustain with the situation as the extreme events are unstoppable and cannot
be changed. The increasing problem of water logging, sewerage and sanitation in Dhaka
city can be improved by ensuring pre planed urbanization. The study suggests a harsh need
to address these challenges institutional and policy perspective.

Microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals are emerging environmental contaminants of increasing concern due to their potential synergistic impacts on subsurface ecosystems. This study examined the combined influence of MPs—polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—on the adsorption–desorption dynamics and vertical migration of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in aquifer systems underlying municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Batch experiments demonstrated that red-bed soils exhibited a high adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) (101.83 mg·kg⁻¹), primarily governed by chemisorption and partial reduction to Cr(III). However, the presence of MPs disrupted these processes, reducing adsorption efficiency by up to 16.46% while enhancing desorption by 20.92%. Column transport experiments further revealed that MPs significantly accelerated Cr(VI) migration, particularly at higher concentrations (5–10%) and with larger particle sizes. The maximum migration rate reached 0.079 cm·h⁻¹, representing a 51.92% increase compared with the control, while the penetration time was reduced to 25 days. Redox analysis indicated that MPs inhibited the transformation of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), thereby weakening the natural attenuation capacity of the soil. Collectively, these results demonstrate that MPs intensify the mobility and persistence of toxic heavy metals in subsurface environments of landfill systems. The findings underscore the potential environmental risks associated with co-contamination, highlighting the need for integrated risk assessments and management strategies that account for interactions between MPs and heavy metals in landfill-affected aquifers.

Public concern about the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in drinking water has been increasing. In this study, we examined the occurrence of MPs from raw to finished water to better understand how they behave at each unit process in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). For this purpose, 100-L water samples were collected at unit processes from eleven DWTPs nationwide. Four of the 11 DWTPs consist of conventional treatment processes, five have additional advanced treatment processes (i.e., ozonation and granular activated carbon filter) before chlorination, and two are based on membrane filtration. At all DWTP sites, the same sampling and filtering protocol was applied. During sampling, MPs in water were fractionated using an on-site filtration system capable of sequentially separating particles at 100, 20, and 5 µm. Fractions of MPs sized ≥ 20 µm were analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy, and 5–20 µm by Raman microscopy. Using the results of the analyses, the performance of DWTPs was evaluated in terms of MP removal efficiency. In addition, MPs detected at different unit processes were characterized for particle size, morphology, and polymer types, and their fates across unit processes were evaluated. In short, DWTPs efficiently reduce MPs in raw water before supplying finished water to consumers. The results will be discussed in more detail at the conference.

In the contemporary world, there is a growing demand for renewable energy sources as well as a pressing need for a sustainable organic waste management strategy. These have brought anaerobic digestion (AD), which transforms organic waste to biogas, to the forefront of this global discussion, promising to be a one-stop solution to both desires. However, existing industry practices face persistent technical issues resulting in lower biogas yield, substrate conversion efficiency, and effective management of challenging wastes high in protein and fat. Slaughterhouse waste, in particular, remains underutilized in biogas systems due to its complex and recalcitrant matrix making degradation of protein and lipids difficult. To address these challenges, a lab-scale AD reactor has been constructed to co-digest slaughterhouse waste with food waste. Before the waste is digested, it is pretreated with ball-milling and subsequent thermal hydrolysis (TH). Ball milling mechanically grinds slaughterhouse waste into small particles, which can be more easily hydrolyzed by a TH process. Structurally breaking-down the waste and solubilizing are aimed, in this pre-treatment stage, eventually to result in better biogas production. This approach collectively improves substrate bioavailability and digestion kinetics, and increases methane yield, compared to conventional substrate pretreatment strategies which are being practiced in the relevant industry.

The problem of petroleum pollution in soil has raised significant concerns, with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) being typical pollutants in oil-contaminated soil. Salt-alkaline soil, in particular, exacerbates the PAH pollution issue due to nutrient deficiencies, low microbial abundance, and salinization. Microbial remediation technology is currently a promising in-situ remediation technique for contaminated soil, with broad application prospects. Manganese-oxidizing bacteria (MnOB) are a type of microorganisms that can form biogenic manganese oxides (BMOs). BMO is a type of mineral with oxidation ability second only to O₂ and the most reactive. BMO produced by MnOB, along with the highly oxidative intermediates released (superoxide, Mn(III), H₂O₂, etc.), exhibit strong oxidation and adsorption capabilities, efficiently removing various pollutants such as arsenic, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, pesticides, etc. However, there is relatively little research on the performance of MnOB in degrading PAHs in saline-alkali soil. Consequently, this study isolated and purified two salt-tolerant MnOB strains, Halobacillus marinus strain YJT-1 and Bacillus cereus strain TX-1, through enrichment culture and gradient dilution. Analyzed their Mn(II) oxidation ability under different salinities, varying Mn(II) concentrations, and different carbon sources. Opted for saline-alkali soils from Xinjiang, Ningxia, and Shandong as the research specimens. Study the degradation capability of salt-tolerant MnOB towards Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). Identified the primary constraints on BaP degradation by salt-tolerant MnOB through the application of statistical techniques like principal component analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Elucidated the functional genes and microbial community changes in MnOB degradation of PAHs through quantitative Q-PCR, high-throughput sequencing, and metagenomics techniques. The results showed that YJT-1 exhibited the highest biological manganese oxidation (BMO) yield (97.83 mg/L) at 100 mg/L Mn(II), 3.5% salinity, and L-glutamic acid as the carbon source, while TX-1 reached 85.21 mg/L under similar conditions. During soil remediation trials, YJT-1 and TX-1 both significantly facilitated the BaP in Xinjiang soil (39% on day 7) and Ningxia soil (53% on day 14) respectively, surpassing the control and the model strain, Pseudomonas putida MnB1. Analysis of microbial communities indicated that YJT-1 and TX-1 showed enrichment of functional genera (Stutzerimonas, Aromatoleum, Pseudomonas) and elevated levels of crucial metabolic pathways (naphthalene/benzoate degradation, oxidative phosphorylation). Functional genes confirmed the involvement of phe, pcaGH, and benAB-xylY in PAH degradation, as well as manganese transport (sit, mnt) and Na⁺ transport (maeN, oadA) genes. Salt-tolerant MnOB can degrade PAHs pollution in saline-alkali soil through mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species (·O₂⁻, H₂O₂, ·OH) and enzyme-catalyzed oxidation (multicopper oxidase, peroxidase).This study provides a feasible strategy for using salt-tolerant MnOB in PAH-contaminated soil with salinity.

Globally, the consumption of illegal drugs is increasing rapidly. However, we have witnessed physical enforcement alone has not been able to effectively identify and control illicit drug use and trade. Recently, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a good alternative for objectively and rapidly identifying the spread of illegal drug use in a local community. In the EU, WBE is applied more for the influent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), which can provide information about socioeconomic characteristics of illegal drug (or narcotics) use in the WWTP service area. In fact, possession or use of illegal drugs is no longer considered as a crime in the EU. Therefore, WEB is utilized to understand regional distribution of illegal drug use: so-called epidemiological information.

However, in a country like Korea where trade, possession, or use of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited, survey of domestic wastewater for identifying illegal content is being performed from a different perspective with the consideration of the fact that only limited number of people have the access to the drugs. The WBE for illegal drugs is being evolved to wastewater-based forensic (WEF) in Korea. In WEF, the sources of wastewater with high content of illegal drugs are tracked to develop a more effective interventions for the users. For the purpose, local sewer networks along with regional socio-economical development are analyzed using a geographic information system. Based on the information obtained by the sewer network analysis, wastewater collection sites are determined; wastewater samples collected at these sites are analyzed for determining contents of different drugs. In addition, past drug-related crimes in the region are analyzed together with the socio-economic information and the result from the analysis of wastewater samples using an AI-based statistical tool for better understanding the sources of illegal drugs in the region. In the conference, we will present in detail how we are carrying out WEF for identifying and understanding the trade and use of illicit drugs in Korea.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are generally defined as any substance used for personal health care or wellbeing, such as painkillers, antibiotics, contrast media, antipsychotics, stimulants, cosmetics, fragrances, etc. Their continuous use and improper disposal result in contamination of soil and water environments; they are introduced to the environment via various routes, posing potential risks, highlighting the need for developing effective management strategies. One of the main sources of PPCPs is wastewater. As unmetabolized or unused, they are disposed to wastewater, which is collected and flows into a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In this study, more than 30 WWTPs in Korea have been investigated for the occurrence of 46 residual PPCPs. The detected PPCPs are analyzed with respect to (i) substance type, (ii) sampling period, and (iii) wastewater characteristics. Among the PPCP groups, painkillers exhibit the highest concentration (48.09 μg/L), followed by contrast agents (12.74 μg/L), antiepileptics (9.05 μg/L), antacids (5.53 μg/L), antibiotics (4.99 μg/L), other compounds (16.33 μg/L). Seasonally, more PPCPs are observed in the Summer, comparing to those in the Fall or the Winter. In Summer, increased prevalence of infectious diseases (enteritis, respiratory tract, and skin disorders) and higher bacterial exposure lead to elevated use of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents

Regrettable substitutions underscore the need for green toxicology to guide safer plasticizer substitution, particularly for phthalates. Although toxicology data link phthalates to neuroendocrine disruption, comprehensive, systematic evaluations of alternative candidates remain scarce. This study assessed and compared the neuroendocrine-disrupting potential of representative conventional plasticizers (CPs) and alternative plasticizers (APs), and evaluated whether the cyclohexane-based, non-phthalate substitute di(2-ethylhexyl) cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DEHCH) merits consideration for sustainable substitution. We integrated three complementary approaches: (i) in vivo zebrafish larvae (locomotor activity, mRNA expression of nine endocrine-related genes, and levels of five neurosteroids by LC–MS/MS); (ii) in vitro ERα/AR transactivation (OECD TG 455/458) using stably transfected reporter lines; and (iii) in silico molecular docking to ERα, AR, GR, and TRα/β. Comparators included two CPs—di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP)—and two APs—1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) and di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHTP). In vivo, DEHCH did not alter locomotor activity, expression of the nine target genes, or any of the five neurosteroids, whereas DINCH, DEHP, and DEHTP induced hyperactivity; excluding DEHCH, the other plasticizers significantly upregulated at least one target gene. DINCH increased cortisol, and DEHP increased progesterone, allopregnanolone, and cortisol. In vitro, none of the tested plasticizers—including DEHCH—showed ERα or AR agonist/antagonist activity across tested concentrations. In silico, DEHCH did not rank as a top-affinity ligand for any receptor in the panel. To more comprehensively characterize DEHCH’s neuroendocrine impact, future work should incorporate developmental stage– and sex-specific endocrine endpoints and delineate parent-compound/metabolite kinetics under longer-term exposures. Overall, this integrated three-approach framework can help identify suitable alternatives and inform plasticizer substitution within green and sustainable chemistry.

Despite the rapidly growing body of scientific literature on microplastics (MPs), the field continues to lack an efficient and reliable framework for their detection and characterization. Conventional MP analysis relies heavily on collecting and interpreting spectra from individual particles, a process that is not only highly labor-intensive but also impractical when dealing with complex environmental or biological samples. In many cases, a single filter may contain millions of particles, rendering manual spectral collection and analysis prohibitively time-consuming and error-prone. These methodological bottlenecks limit the scalability of current approaches and pose significant challenges to advancing our understanding of MP prevalence, composition, and potential health impacts. To address this challenge, we propose two machine learning-driven strategies to advance MP analysis.

First, we introduce a support vector machine (SVM) model trained on a selected subset of four wavenumbers. This model demonstrates strong predictive performance, achieving 91.33% accuracy in classifying nylon versus non-nylon MP particles. By streamlining the classification process, this approach markedly improves both the speed and reliability of MP analysis.

Second, we present a deep learning-based automated detection and localization workflow. Using a YOLO (You Only Look Once) v8 model trained on optical images, we achieve a mean average precision (mAP) of 93.8% for particle recognition. To further enhance automation, we developed a Python script to directly acquire YOLO-derived coordinates and extract corresponding spectra. This integrated workflow not only improves the accuracy of MP detection but also minimizes manual intervention, thereby enhancing efficiency and scalability.