Although the ecological risk of emerging contaminants is currently a research hotspot in China and abroad, few studies have investigated the ecological risk of pesticide pollutants in Chinese coastal sediments. In this study, nine pesticide pollutants included in the “List of New Key Pollutants for Control (2023 Edition)” issued by the Chinese government were used as the research objects, and the environmental exposure of pesticide pollutants in China’s coastal sediments was analyzed. The baseline sediment quality criteria were deduced using the balanced distribution method, and a multi-level ecological risk assessment of pesticides in sediment was performed. The results showed that the nine pesticide pollutants were widespread in Chinese coastal sediments, with concentrations ranging from 0.01 ng·g⁻¹ to 330 ng·g⁻¹. The risk quotient assessment showed that endosulfan and DDT posed medium environmental risks to the Chinese coastal sediment environment, and PCBs posed medium risks in some bays of the East China Sea. The semi-probabilistic, optimized semi-probability evaluation and joint probability curve (JPC) assessments all show that endosulfan and DDT pose a certain degree of risk to the environment.

The reuse of reclaimed water (RW) for irrigation and recharge is a promising approach to mitigate water scarcity and promote efficient water resource management. Nevertheless, there is increasing concern regarding the ecological and environmental impacts of soil and groundwater contamination resulting from the irrigation and recharge of RW. To understand the current state of research on the ecological risk of soil and groundwater during RW reuse, a bibliometric analysis of 1109 publications throughout 2002-2021 in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database about the research topic was conducted. Through the use of HistCite Pro and Citespace, this study analyzed and visualized the number of publications, authors, citation frequency, keywords, institutions, journals, and countries where these publications have appeared. The results of this research showed an ongoing rise in the total number of publications during the 20 years prior. China was identified as the most prominent country in terms of production in this field, while the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed the highest level of productivity among institutions. Water has been identified as the most productive journal, while Li YK was identified as the most productive author. This current research focuses on the migration and transformation of RW contaminants in the soil-groundwater system and their ecological effects on soil and plants, whereas future research will concentrate on the risk assessment and health effects of emerging contaminants (ECs). The analysis presented in this study provides insights into research orientations, historical trends, and current research hotspots in the field of study. The aforementioned findings will offer valuable insights for formulating development strategies pertaining to RW reuse. Additionally, they will serve as guidance for decision-making processes within governmental management organizations

Phosphorus is the primary contributor to eutrophication in water bodies, and identifying phosphorus sources in rivers is crucial for controlling phosphorus pollution and subsequent eutrophication. Although phosphate oxygen isotopes (δ¹⁸O_P) have the capacity to trace phosphorus sources and cycling in water and sediments, they have not been used in small- to medium-sized watersheds, such as the Xiaodongjiang River (XDJ), which is located in an agricultural watershed, source–complex region of southern China. This study employed phosphate oxygen isotope techniques in combination with a land-use-based mixed end-member model and the MixSIAR Bayesian mixing model to quantitatively determine potential phosphorus sources in surface water and sediments. The δ¹⁸O_P values of the surface water ranged from 5.72‰ to 15.02‰, while those of sediment ranged from 10.41‰ to 16.80‰. In the downstream section, the δ¹⁸O_P values of the surface water and sediment were similar, suggesting that phosphate in the downstream water was primarily influenced by endogenous sediment control. The results of the land-use–source mixing model and Bayesian model framework demonstrated that controlling phosphorus inputs from fertilizers is essential for reducing phosphorus emissions in the XDJ watershed. Furthermore, ongoing rural sewage treatment, manure management, and the resource utilization of aquaculture substrates contributed to reduced phosphorus pollution. This study showed that isotope techniques, combined with multi-model approaches, effectively assessed phosphorus sources in complex watersheds, offering a theoretical basis for phosphorus pollution management to prevent eutrophication.

Based on panel data from 14 prefectures in Xinjiang from 2004 to 2022, this study employs the Super-SBM model and panel threshold regression to assess how urbanization and industrial growth influence industrial water resource utilization efficiency (IWRUE). Xinjiang exhibits a distinct “high-north–low-south” spatial pattern: Urumqi and other northern regions show continuous improvement and Tacheng maintains long-term superiority, while southern areas such as Kizilsu and Hotan remain persistently low. Although IWRUE increases overall, regional trajectories diverge considerably. Two significant thresholds are identified—industrial output value and urbanization rate. Below these thresholds, water consumption strongly suppresses IWRUE, industrial employment exerts a negative effect, and investment plays a positive role. Once the thresholds are exceeded, the negative effect of water consumption weakens, industrial employment turns positive, and investment becomes insignificant. Policy implications suggest that regions below the thresholds should strengthen investment in water-saving technologies and productive capital, whereas regions beyond the thresholds should focus on enhancing labor quality, promoting green innovation and improving refined management to stabilize IWRUE and foster coordinated regional development.