Background: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progressed globally, school closures and home quarantine may cause an increase in problematic Internet use among students in universities. Such a traumatic stress event may also contribute to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive, and anxiety symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms as well as the predictive role of problematic Internet use in the above-mentioned psychological problems in university students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey of 8,879 students in China between April 20 and April 26, 2020. The presence of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms and problematic Internet use were evaluated using PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression 9-item scale, the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale, and the Young diagnostic questionnaire, respectively. Sociodemographic information and the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 data were also collected.Results: A total of 4,834 (54.4%) participants were female, and 7,564 (85.2%) were undergraduate students. A total of 615 students (6.9%) reported PTSD symptoms; 5.2% (465) and 10.1% (896) reported moderate to severe depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The problematic Internet use was significantly associated with higher risk of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms (odds ratio 2.662 [95% CI, 2.239–3.165], odds ratio 4.582 [95% CI, 3.753–5.611], odds ratio 3.251 [95% CI, 2.814–3.757], respectively; all P < 0.001). Lower attitude and practice scores also contributed to the risk of depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Psychological problems should be paid more attention, and problematic Internet use may be a predictor when screening high-risk students for psychological problems. Our results will aid in timely psychological screening, which is meaningful in the prevention and intervention of psychological problems.

Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, 1999 agricultural soil samples were collected from 11 cities in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2020, and the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of 3 of the most important heavy metals, i.e., lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) were analyzed. The results showed that Cd had a slightly higher sample over-standard rate of 12.06%. Spatial distribution and temporal trends showed that the Pb concentrations overall increased from 2016 to 2020 and mainly accumulated in southern Zhejiang. In addition, multiple exposure routes were evaluated for human health risks. Children are more susceptible to the adverse effects of heavy metals in agricultural soils, and oral ingestion was the major exposure route. Cr poses higher human health risks to humans than Pb and Cd in agricultural soils. Therefore, more rigid environmental monitoring and related soil remediation counter-measures for some sites with high concentrations of heavy metals are necessary to limit the potential threat to human health.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution of food safety is a prominent food safety concern worldwide. The concentration of Cd in six aquatic food categories collected from 2018 to 2022 was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the Cd exposure levels were calculated by combining the Cd concentration and food consumption data of 18913 urban and rural residents in Zhejiang Province in 2015–2016. The mean Cd concentration was 0.699 mg/kg and the mean Cd exposure of aquatic foods was 0.00951 mg/kg BW/month for the general population. Marine crustaceans were the largest Cd contributor, corresponding to 82.7%. The regional distribution results showed that the average Cd exposure levels of 11 cities did not exceed the provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI). According to the subgroups, the Cd mean exposure level of 2–3-year-old children was significantly higher than that of the other age groups but did not exceed the PTMI. Health risk classification assessment demonstrated that the final risk score was six, and the health risk level of Cd exposure in aquatic products in the Zhejiang population was medium. These results demonstrated that the risk of Cd exposure in certain food types or age groups should be given more concern.

Objectives: Our study aimed to compare the quality of life (QoL) between Chinese developmental dyslexia (DD) and healthy children. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: The participants were recruited from grades 3–6 in six primary schools in Tianmen, a city of Hubei Province, China. Participants: A total of 5679 students were recruited. After excluding children with visual and auditory dysfunction or psychiatric diseases or with a response rate on the scales or questionnaires of less than 90%, 5352 children were finally included in the analysis. DD children were diagnosed according to their clinical symptoms, which were mainly assessed by the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children and the Pupil Rating Scale Revised Screening for Learning Disabilities. Outcome measures: The QoL for DD and healthy children was appraised by the Quality of Life Scale for Children and Adolescents (QLSCA). Outcome measures included its four domain scores (psychosocial function, physiological and mental health, living environment and satisfaction with QoL) and total score. Results: A total of 186 children were diagnosed with DD. The distribution of DD children in five levels of QoL was statistically different from that of healthy children (χ²=57.63, p<0.001). Compared with healthy children, the proportion of poor or worse QoL in DD was higher, and the proportion of moderate, better or good QoL was lower. The total QLSCA score in DD children was 3.475 lower than that in healthy children (B=−3.475, p=0.006). Psychosocial function, physiological and mental health, living environment and satisfaction with QoL of DD children were also inferior to those of healthy children. Conclusion: The QoL of DD was significantly lower than that of healthy children, prompting more public efforts to improve DD QoL.

This study investigated the occurrence, sources, and health risks of 21 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in commercially available shellfish and crustaceans from Zhejiang Province, China. Among the 306 samples analyzed, 87.9% contained at least one detectable PFAS. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the most frequently detected PFAS (64.7%), followed by perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (53.8%), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (52.9%), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) (50.0%). The total PFAS in shellfish and crustaceans ranged from ND to 0.86 to 173 ng/g wet weight, with a median of 4.11 ng/g ww; the median concentration of total PFAS followed this order: marine crustaceans > fresh-water crustaceans > bivalves. Estimation of the human intake of adult consumers, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of Σ₂₁ PFAS ranged from 0.01 to 15.7 ng/kg bw/day; 0.31% of the adult study population had Σ₄PFAS exposure levels resulting in Hazard Quotient (HQ) values > 1, which may represent a potential public health concern for these individuals. Long-term exposure risks for specific PFCAs such as perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA) and perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) merit concern.