The water filtering capacity, and the potential to accumulate contaminants such as heavy metals, make marine sponges suitable candidates for biomonitoring of marine ecosystems. Sponges also harbor a variety of endosymbionts, including fungi, which could be affected by the accumulation of contaminants. This work examined the bioaccumulation factors of heavy metals by sponges from coastal waters from Puerto Rico. Fungal communities associated with marine sponges were assessed to determine if their composition co-varied with heavy metals in sponge tissue. All sponges in our study where found to bioaccumulate arsenic, cadmium and copper. Fungi associated with the sponges showed variations in community composition among localities and sponge species. Our results suggest that sponges, specially Tedania ignis, could be used as a complementary component for biomonitoring of arsenic, cadmium and copper; and that members of the harbored fungal communities could be negatively affected by the accumulation of heavy metals in the sponges.Lead dioxide (PbO2) is an important form of lead mineral scales in drinking water pipes. Iodide (I-) widely presents in source waters and can be thermodynamically oxidized by PbO2 to the reactive iodine species (I2/HOI). Biofilm extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are nonnegligible precursors of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The aim was to study the oxidation of I- by PbO2 and formation of iodinated DBPs (I-DBPs) from EPS. At a high molar ratio of PbO2 to I- (> 100), the observed rate constants of I- oxidation decreased as pH increased from 6.0 to 9.0 with an H+ dependence of 0.79, and the rate constant (k) was 1.6 × 1011 M-2.79 s-1. Most of formed I2/HOI (> 92%) was transformed to organic iodine in the presence of EPS. EPS had a lower formation potential (FP) of carbonaceous I-DBPs (C-IDBPs), while a higher that of nitrogenous I-DBPs (N-IDBPs) than HA, resulting in a higher Chinese Hamster Ovary cell cytotoxicity. Generally, the formation of I-DBPs decreased with the increase of pH due to the reduction of surface positive charge and electrochemical driving force. PbO2 dose and I- concentration also had a significant effect on the I-DBPs formation. EPS proteins had a higher FP of both C- and N-IDBPs than polysaccharides on account of more electrophilic sites and higher nitrogen content. In proteins, aspartic acid was the main contributor to triiodomethane and iodoacetic acids formation, whereas aspartic acid, asparagine and tyrosine were the major precursors of diiodoacetonitrile and diiodoacetamide. The study helps to improve the control strategy of I-DBPs when biofilm outbreaks in lead-containing water pipes.Comprehensive identification of byproducts including intermediate transformation products (TPs) of micropollutants in source water is challenging and paramount for assessment of drinking water quality and treatment technologies. Here, we have developed a nontargeted analysis strategy coupled with computational toxicity assessment to identify indistinguishable TPs including isomers with large differences in toxicity. The new strategy was applied to study the UV treatment of water containing micropollutant 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT), and it enabled successful identification of a total of 22 organic TPs. Particularly, the structures of nine new TPs were identified for the first time; in addition, three isomers (P2, P3, and P4) were distinguished from the toxic contaminant 2-hydroxybenzothiazole (2-OH-BT). OX04528 price Computational assessments indicate that estrogenic activity of the three isomers (P2-P4) is higher than that of 2-OH-BT. Mass balance study shows that the 22 organic products accounted for 70% of the 2-MBT degraded, while 30% may degrade to inorganic products. Most TPs are resistant to UV photolysis. Computational toxicity assessment predicted the TPs to increase inhibition of human thyroperoxidase activity although they have lower aquatic toxicity compared to original 2-MBT. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring the 2-MBT photodegradation products and the overall toxicity of finished water whose production included a UV light-based treatment process.Novel control strategies for membrane biofouling with eco-friendly photocatalytic technology are critically needed in practical operation of membrane bioreactors (MBRs). In this study, a metal-organic frameworks (MOF) based photocatalytic membrane was firstly applied in an anammox MBR for a long-term biofouling control, where bacteria were inactivated and foulants were degraded simultaneously, with environmentally friendly and renewable visible light energy. By physicochemical characterization, the synthesized photocatalyst of CdS/MIL-101 showed superior visible-light photocatalytic ability, and the 1 wt% CdS/MIL-101 modified membrane C2 showed enhanced hydrophilicity and water permeability compared with the pristine membrane C0. In the long-term operation of anammox MBRs under waterproof lights irradiation, the filtration cycles of C2 (25-26 d) were obviously extended compared with C0 (10-14 d), while their average total nitrogen removal efficiencies were comparable up to 84%, indicating an excellent biofoulng processes by simultaneous bacteria inactivation and foulants degradation. The findings offer a novel insight into the biofouling controlling in MBRs by simultaneous bacteria inactivation and foulants degradation with an eco-friendly method.Psychiatric hospitalizations could be reduced if mental illnesses were detected and treated earlier in the primary care setting, leading to the World Health Organization recommendation that mental health services be integrated into primary care. The mental health services provided in primary care settings may vary based on how physicians are incentivized. Little is known about the link between physician remuneration and psychiatric hospitalizations. We contribute to this literature by studying the relationship between physician remuneration and psychiatric hospitalizations in Canada’s most populous province, Ontario. Specifically, we study family physicians (FPs) who switched from blended fee-for-service (FFS) to blended capitation remuneration model, relative to those who remained in the blended FFS model, on psychiatric hospitalizations. Outcomes included psychiatric hospitalizations by enrolled patients and the proportion of hospitalized patients who had a follow-up visit with the FP within 14 days of discharge.