Chaoyang Wei

• Chinese Academy of Sciences

The urban water environment, an integral component of the terrestrial hydrosphere, is closely linked to human activities and serves as a fundamental resource for industrial and agricultural development. Sedimentary organic matter in water bodies contains rich biological, physical, and chemical information, playing a central role in nutrient cycling...

Phosphate has been proven to be effective in remediating soils contaminated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs); however, the potential release of phosphorus (P) through runoff and the impact on PTEs’ transport in this process have never been assessed. A rainfall simulation study was conducted to investigate P runoff loss and its impact on the s...

Aim Soil organic carbon preservation is crucial for mitigating global warming and achieving sustainable agricultural development. However, little is known about how dry–wet cycles impact stable soil organic carbon fraction such as mineral associated organic carbon (MAOC) and microbial necromass carbon after wheat straw and nitrogen co-addition. Me...

Arsenic (As) metabolism in freshwater algae at different growth phases has rarely been documented. To address this gap, this study was conducted to assess the intra- and extracellular As metabolism, along with speciation changes, in Microcystis aeruginosa across three growth phases. The treatment involved varying concentrations of As (0, 0.4, 0.6,...

Hydrographic connectivity stands as a crucial indicator for analyzing the structural dynamics within river and lake systems. Nevertheless, the impact of changes in hydrographic connectivity, including structural and functional connectivity within extensive river basins, on the progression of agriculture, industry, and habitation remain scarcely exp...

Heap leaching ionic rare earth tailings might be prone to nourish sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), but the SRB community in terrestrial ecosystems, such as tailings, has never been studied. This work was conducted to investigate the SRB communities in revegetated and bare tailings in Dingnan county, Jiangxi province, China, incorporating with indoo...

Bioaccumulation through diet is the predominant source of metal(loid)s in fishes; however, the trophic transfer of metal(loid)s from the diet to aquatic organisms remains largely unclear. In this study, aquatic organisms and five potential food sources (leaf litter, coarse and fine particulate organic matter (CPOM and FPOM, respectively), epilithon...

Purpose Soils contaminated with As and Cd complex pose a serious threat to human health and the ecological environment. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient element in farmland soil, and it is of great significance to study the effects of different types of phosphate on the compound pollution of As and Cd in soil. Methods Four types of phosphates,...

The exploitation of ionic rare earth ore using ammonium sulfate extractant in China caused serious soil degradation and nitrogen compounds pollution in surrounding water. It was critical to improve soil properties and eliminate the nitrogen compounds and prevent their diffusion from the rare earth tailings. Here, we addressed this issue by conducti...

Ionic rare earth mining has resulted in large amounts of bare soils, and revegetation 20 success plays an important role in mine site rehabilitation and environmental management. 21 However, the mining soils still maintain high NH 4 + concentrations that inhibit plant growth and 22 NH 4 + toxicity thresholds for restoration plants have not been est...

Mining activities can result in severe heavy metal contamination in freshwater ecosystems and lead to significant health risks. In this study, eight heavy metal concentrations in the water, sediments and aquatic organisms, including eighteen fish species, two shrimp species, one crab species and one amphibian frog species of the abandoned Shimen Re...

The mining of ionic rare earth elements in Ganzhou left large area of barren tailings with severe vegetation destruction in pressing needs of remediation. However, the remediating effects of soil additives combined with revegetation on the preservation of nutrients in the tailings and microbial communities were rarely studied. For this purpose, pil...

Tea is the main commercial crop grown in China, and excessive application of chemical fertilizers in tea plantations is common. However, the potential to reduce chemical fertilizer use in tea plantations is unclear. In this study, Zhejiang Province was selected as the research object to systematically analyze the potential for tea plantation chemic...

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) inputs to farmland via fertilizer application are potential sources of C and N that influence soil acidification and water eutrophication. A pilot study was conducted to compare the effects of compound fertilizer and rapeseed cake organic fertilizer on C and N preservation in the soils and runoff of a tea plantation as w...

The bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of As along food webs in freshwater ecosystems remain largely unknown. In this study, multiple environmental and biological samples were collected from a closed realgar mining area in South China. The As concentrations in the surface water, sediments and soils in the mining area were 0.62–3293 μg/L, 9.53–454...

Home-grown cage-free chickens were collected from two residents’ backyards around the Shimen Realgar Mine, Hunan province, China, which were then analysed for arsenic (As) concentrations and its species in various organs/tissues. The total As concentrations (dry weight) are in the range as, muscle (0.82–1.23), feathers (7.05–15.80), liver (1.35–1.6...

To obtain a general understanding of heavy metal contamination in peri-urban agricultural soils in China, this study investigates the concentrations of eight heavy metals, i.e., Cd, Pb, Zn, As, Cu, Cr, Hg, and Ni, in the peri-urban agricultural soils of 31 provincial capital cities in China. The data were obtained via exhaustive literature searches...

Knowing the characteristics and relationships that are important in the accumulation and transfer of heavy metals among native wild plants is beneficial for screening potential accumulator plants and guiding remediation. In this research, nine native wild plants were collected from the Xikuangshan mine in Hunan Province, and the content of heavy me...

Tea tree (Camellia sinensis) is a valuable and popular cash crop widely planted in tropical and subtropical areas of China. To increase tea yield and quality, high rates of chemical fertilizer and pesticide application have generally been used; however, increasing usage of fertilizers and pesticides does not always proportionally increase tea yield...

Activated carbon (AC) is commonly used in faucet and pitcher filters for lead (Pb(II)) removal in homes. This study evaluated the Pb(II) removal performance of AC and metal oxides (e.g. Fe(OH)3 and TiO2), as well as the co-existing ions' effect on Pb(II) removal. Results showed that metal oxides had higher adsorption capacity (28.9-51.5 mg/g) than...

This study was carried out using indoor controlled experiments to study the arsenic (As) uptake, biotransformation, and release behaviors of freshwater algae under growth stress. Three freshwater algae, Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena flosaquae, and Chlorella sp., were chosen. Two types of inhibitors, e.g., Cu²⁺ and isothiazolinone, were employed...

In this study, multiple types of samples, including soils, plants, litter and soil invertebrates, were collected from a former arsenic (As) mine in China. The total As concentrations in the soils, earthworms, litter and the aboveground portions of grass from the contaminated area followed the decreasing order of 83-2224 mg/kg, 31-430 mg/kg, 1-62 mg...

Birds are at a higher level in the food chain; however, the potential bioaccumulation and biotransformation of arsenic (As) in birds in As mines has rarely been studied. In this study, four passerine bird species (tree sparrow [Passer montanus], light-vented bulbul [Pycnonotus sinensis], Garrulax canorus [Leucodioptron canorus], and magpie [Pica pi...

This study measured the elemental and species concentrations of arsenic (As) in the water, sediments and food webs of two shallow Chinese freshwater lakes. Organic As species were widely detected in various organisms from the two lakes (60%–100% of the total). Among these organisms, dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) was predominant in most of the samples....

The intrinsic physicochemical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) may affect the mobility and toxicity of arsenic in aquatic environments. In the present study, the humic acid (HA) was ultra-filtered into five fractions according to molecular weight, and their physicochemical properties were characterized. Complexation of HA fractions with...

Total arsenic (As) in suspended particulate matter (SPM) of lacustrine ecosystems has been extensively documented, but knowledge on the distribution of As between the particle and aqueous phases in freshwater lakes remains largely unknown. The present study employed a rapid method to determine the total and dissolved As and As in SPM at sites cover...

The objective of this study was to explore potential plant candidates to act as phytoremediators of various heavy metals in different subareas of land use around the Xikuangshan mine, Lengshuijiang County, Hunan Province, China. Native plants including Imperata cylindrical (L) Rumex patientia L. Fagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don) Fagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don)...

This study was conducted to explore the single and interactive effects of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) on the accumulation and transformation of As and Sb in Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata L.) at tissue and sub-cellular levels. The results indicated that both single and co-treatment of As and Sb decreased the biomass of Boston fern, while incr...

Arsenic pollution and its toxicity to aquatic organisms have attracted worldwide attention. The bioavailability and toxicity of arsenic are highly related to its speciation. The present study investigated the difference in bioaccumulation and oxidative stress responses in an aquatic organism, Daphnia magna, induced by two inorganic arsenic species...

The study of the partition of heavy metals in suspended solids and water phase is important. It is highly significant to understand the sources, migration and transformation as well as ecological and healthy effects of heavy metal in aquatic system. Arsenic in water has caused serious damages to human health which has raised concerns over last deca...

The objective of this study was to examine whether a single model could be used to predict the bioaccessibility of heavy metals in soils in two adjacent areas and to determine the feasibility of using existing data sets of total metal concentrations and soil property parameters (e.g., pH, total organic carbon, and soil texture) when predicting heav...

A soil survey was conducted in urban areas from five sites, including Beijing, Baotou, Datong, Fuyang, and Xiantao in China. The objective was to explore the most significant factors that may impact the bioaccessibility of heavy metals (Bio-HMs), including As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn, in soils. Twenty to 30 composite soil samples were collected at each...

Water samples were collected at a site in Lake Taihu in January 2014 at the depth of 0.1 m, 1.0 m and 1.8 m, representing the surface, middle and bottom layer, respectively, with wind speeds of 0.8, 1.8, 2.7, 3.2 m·s-1 and 4.0 m·s-1. The water quality parameters and arsenic contents in water and suspended solids were determined and the partition co...

In the present study, Pteris cretica 'Albo-Lineata' (PC), Pteris fauriei (PF), Humata tyermanii Moore (HT), and Pteris ensiformis Burm (PE), were selected to explore additional plant materials for the phytoremediation of As and Sb co-contamination. To some extent, the addition of As and Sb enhanced the growth of HT, PE, and PF. Conversely, the addi...

The speciation changes of antimony (Sb) in soil-plant system are largely unknown as compared with those of arsenic (As). In this study, indigenous plants and associated soils were sampled at the Xikuangshan Sb mine (XKS), China. The Sb in the soils (441-1472mg/kg) were far greater than As (32-354mg/kg), and the Sb and As availabilities in the soils...

Arsenic is a ubiquitous and carcinogenic element found in various species in the terrestrial aquatic environment, coming from both of natural geogenic and anthropogenic sources. During the past decades,numerous reports have documented that residents being exposed to excessive levels of arsenic through drinking water and food chain, may result in se...

Antimony (Sb) toxicity and contamination have become a growing concern in recent years. Remediation of Sb contamination using plants may be an effective approach. One set of hydroponic trials was conducted using Pteris cretica and Brassica Juncea. Plants were grown for 2 weeks in nutrient solution containing different rates (P. cretica: 30 and 50 m...

Elevated levels of arsenic (As) have been found in lakes and rivers due to intensive anthropogenic activities. However, information on the occurrence of As in large freshwater lakes has scarcely been available. This study aimed at integrated exploration of the occurrence of As in multiple media of the limnetic ecosystems, mainly waters, sediments,...

Aims Selenium (Se) can be used to detoxify antimony (Sb); however, the associated mechanisms are not fully understood, in particular, the responses of essential elements to co-exposure to Se and Sb. Methods To resolve the above question, two nested hydroponic experiments based on a two-factor, five-level central composite design, were performed us...

Selenium (Se), an essential element for animals and humans, has also been found to be beneficial to plants. In some countries around the world, such as China and Egypt, Se deficiency in the diet is a common problem. To counteract this problem, Se compounds have been used to increase the Se content in the edible parts of crops, through foliar sprays...

The aim of this study was to explore the evidence of arsenic hyperaccumulation in plant rhizosphere solutions. Six common fern plants were selected and grown in three types of substrate: arsenic (As) -tailings, As-spiked soil, and soil-As-tailing composites. A rhizobox was designed with an in-situ collection of soil solutions to analyze changes in...

Purpose Contaminations by multiple heavy metals in antimony (Sb) mines produce serious environmental and health problems; however, the spatial variations in various heavy metals relative to the sources and transportation of Sb have rarely been documented. To resolve this problem, we conducted a survey in an old Sb mine in Xikuangshan (XKS), China,...

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of selenium (Se) on the uptake and translocation of cadmium (Cd) and essential elements in paddy rice (Oryza sativa L., Shuangyou 998). Selenium could alleviate/aggravate Cd toxicity in paddy rice, which depended on the dosages of Se and/or Cd. When Cd treatment level was as low as 35.6 μM, ≤12....

This study was conducted to develop a method for the simultaneous separation and detection of antimonite (SbIII), antimonate (SbV) and trimethyl antinmony (TMSb) species in soils, using ultrasonic-aided citric acid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry separation and detection. The extrac...

The aim of this study was to estimate the geochemical baseline concentrations of various heavy metals in the surface sediments of two large freshwater lakes in Taihu and Dianchi, China, and to assess the character and history of heavy metal contamination around the two lakes. Heavy metal concentrations in the sediments were obtained by field survey...

Selenium (Se) contamination due to industrial activities has received increasing concerns. Phytoremediation has been suggested to be an efficient and feasible way to remove Se from Se-contaminated environment. Recently, an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. (Chinese Brake fern) was found to be a Se accumulator. This study was carried o...

During a heavy algal bloom in 2009, we collected lake water, surface sediment, sediment cores and porewater samples from Dianchi Lake to investigate the effect of eutrophication and different aquatic habitats (algal and macrophytic) on mercury (Hg) distribution and speciation in hypereutrophic lake. The total Hg (THg) concentration in the sediment...

The spatial variation of arsenic, including arsenic speciation changes under the influence of water quality parameters in lake Dianchi, China was investigated. The water quality parameters were found to differ between the two basins of the lake (Caohai vs. Waihai), consistent with the eutrophic status. Arsenic in Caohai was greater than that in Wai...

Due to the fast development of industry and the overuse of agrichemicals in past decades, Lake Taihu, an important source of aquatic products for Eastern China, has simultaneously suffered mercury (Hg) contamination and eutrophication. The objectives of this study are to understand Hg transfer in the food web in this eutrophic, shallow lake and to...

Arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and bismuth (Bi) are metalloids that share similar chemical properties, the objective of this study was to characterize the uptake and accumulation of these metalloids by plants colonized on heavy contaminated sites in an old Sb mine. Sixty-five plant samples from seven species as well as the associated soil samples wer...

This study was conducted to investigate the arsenic levels in the waters of lake Taihu, a huge, shallow, and very important lake which has been suffered with serious eutrophication in China. Unexpected great difference was detected for arsenic levels between the collected water samples of three successive surveys in Taihu in May 2009, Fall 2009, an...

Antimony (Sb) contamination has become a growing concern in recent years. Strategies for reducing Sb contamination and its related health risks are urgently desired. This study was conducted to explore the possibility of selenium (Se) detoxification on Sb toxicity in paddy rice in order to find a feasible method to reduce the health risk of Sb poll...

Arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) show similar chemical properties and often present together in sulfide ores. Currently, phenomenon of co-contamination of As and Sb at some sites of the world has been increasingly emerged. The present study was conducted to explore the potential of Pteris cretica L. (Cretan brake fern), an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulat...

The spatial variation of heavy metals in the soils in Shuikoushan mining-smelting area, Hunan Province, China, was investigated using multivariate and geo-statistic analysis. A total of 106 composite soil samples were collected in an area of about 100 km2. Concentrations of total As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cr were measured using inductively coupled pla...

Selenium has been proven to be an antioxidant in plants at low dosages. To understand better the mechanisms of Se toxicity and benefit to plants, more investigations about effects of Se on the uptake of essential elements in plants would be desirable. In this study, hydroponic (nutrient solution culture) and pot (soil culture) experiments were simu...

The interactive effects of selenium (Se) and arsenic (As) on plant uptake of Se and As have rarely been documented. In this study, the interactive effects of As and Se on their uptake by Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata), an As-hyperaccumulator and Se-accumulator, were explored in two hydroponic experiments based on a two-factor, five-level centr...

Antimony (Sb) toxicity and contamination has become a growing concern in recent years. Remediation of Sb contamination using plants may be an effective approach. This study aimed to investigate the potential of antimony (Sb) tolerance and accumulation by plants, as well as to understand the antioxidative responses to Sb. One set of hydroponic trial...

This study compared the factors influencing arsenic (As) accumulation by Pteris vittata at two sites, one containing As along with Au mineralization and the other containing Hg/Tl mineralization. The soils above these two sites contained high As concentrations (26.8-2955 mg kg(-1)). Although the As concentration, pH, soil cation exchange capacity a...

Municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash is world-widely defined as hazardous waste because of its high concentration of heavy metals and high toxic equivalents of dioxin-like compounds. Therefore, if not properly disposed, it would pose a risk of being released into the environment including soil and groundwater. Heavy metals in the MSWI f...

Pot experiment was conducted to understand the effect of phosphorus on arsenic accumulation in As-hyperaccumulator Chinese brake (Pteris vittata L.). It is shown that arsenic concentrations in the fronds and rhizoids, the arsenic bioaccumulation factor, and the total arsenic in the fronds were not influenced significantly under low levels of phosph...

An arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. (Chinese brake) was first discovered in China by means of field survey and greenhouse cultivation. Field survey showed that Chinese brake had large accumulating capacity to arsenic; the orders of arsenic content in different parts of the fern were as follows: leaves>leafstalks>roots, which is totally di...