Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-24DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.030
Kunlong Hui, Jinhang Song, Beidou Xi, Ying Yuan, Wenbing Tan
Landfill leachate, derived from municipal solid waste landfills, is generated by external factors (e.g., rainfall erosion, solar radiation) and internal processes (e.g., physical sedimentation, chemical reactions, biodegradation). With high concentrations of heavy metals, organic pollutants, pathogens, microplastics (MPs), and antibiotics, this highly toxic effluent seriously threatens surrounding environments (soil, groundwater, etc.) and human health if improperly discharged/leaked. Thus, this paper systematically reviews the generation mechanisms, environmental behaviors, and treatment technologies of conventional pollutants (e.g., COD, BOD5, ammonia nitrogen) and emerging contaminants (e.g., MPs, PFASs, PPCPs) in leachate. To date, various technologies (e.g., adsorption, AOPs, microbial treatment, phytoremediation) have been developed to reduce leachate ecotoxicity and meet discharge standards: membrane separation and AOPs perform well among physicochemical methods, while anaerobic-aerobic coupled systems and constructed wetlands excel in biological approaches. However, leachate composition is highly heterogeneous (pollutant types/concentrations affected by landfill age, climate, etc.), greatly challenging treatment efficiency—this reduces conventional process effectiveness and raises operational time/costs. Thus, future research should focus on developing efficient, low-consumption collaborative systems, optimizing process combinations, and enhancing leachate full-life-cycle management to support sustainable landfill environmental governance.
{"title":"Generation mechanisms, environmental behaviors, and treatment technologies of conventional and emerging contaminants in landfill leachate: A review","authors":"Kunlong Hui, Jinhang Song, Beidou Xi, Ying Yuan, Wenbing Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Landfill leachate, derived from municipal solid waste landfills, is generated by external factors (e.g., rainfall erosion, solar radiation) and internal processes (e.g., physical sedimentation, chemical reactions, biodegradation). With high concentrations of heavy metals, organic pollutants, pathogens, microplastics (MPs), and antibiotics, this highly toxic effluent seriously threatens surrounding environments (soil, groundwater, etc.) and human health if improperly discharged/leaked. Thus, this paper systematically reviews the generation mechanisms, environmental behaviors, and treatment technologies of conventional pollutants (e.g., COD, BOD5, ammonia nitrogen) and emerging contaminants (e.g., MPs, PFASs, PPCPs) in leachate. To date, various technologies (e.g., adsorption, AOPs, microbial treatment, phytoremediation) have been developed to reduce leachate ecotoxicity and meet discharge standards: membrane separation and AOPs perform well among physicochemical methods, while anaerobic-aerobic coupled systems and constructed wetlands excel in biological approaches. However, leachate composition is highly heterogeneous (pollutant types/concentrations affected by landfill age, climate, etc.), greatly challenging treatment efficiency—this reduces conventional process effectiveness and raises operational time/costs. Thus, future research should focus on developing efficient, low-consumption collaborative systems, optimizing process combinations, and enhancing leachate full-life-cycle management to support sustainable landfill environmental governance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 319-338"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rapid industrial growth has heightened concerns about environmental contamination and related public health impacts. This study examines the spatial distribution, ecological threats, and human health risks of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Zn, Fe, Mn, V) and naturally occurring radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) in surface soils collected from 27 regencies and 8 cities in East Java Province, Indonesia. Heavy metals were analyzed using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF), while gamma spectrometry was used to measure radioactivity. Cadmium (Cd) concentrations exceeded the WHO safety limit (>1 mg.kg−1) at all sites (50–245 mg.kg−1), with the highest level recorded in Tuban. The Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) showed extreme ecological risk (>1200) in most locations, driven mainly by Cd contamination. Non-carcinogenic risks were identified based on Hazard Index values exceeding 1 (HI > 1) pose a concern for children at nearly all sites, except Bondowoso, while carcinogenic risks (TCR > 10−4) were especially high in Tuban and Probolinggo. Ingestion was the main exposure route, with children's intake up to four times higher than that of adults. Radioactivity levels of 226Ra (0.8–41 Bq.kg−1), 232Th (2.6–50 Bq.kg−1), and 40K (6.9–357 Bq.kg−1) were generally within or slightly above global averages, with higher 226Ra and 232Th in Bangkalan and Sumenep. However, the radiological risk assessment indicated that both AEDE (0.01–0.08 mSv.yr−1) and ELCR (2.33 × 10−5– 2.67 × 10−4) posed no significant radiological concern. Overall, these findings highlight the urgent need for targeted environmental controls and early risk mitigation, particularly to reduce Cd exposure for children in Tuban's industrial zones.
{"title":"Spatial distributions and risk assessments of heavy metals and naturally occurring radionuclides in soils of East Java, Indonesia","authors":"Dikdik Sidik Purnama , Intan Nur'azizah Rahman , Muhayatun Santoso , Arie Dipareza Syafei , Diah Dwiana Lestiani , Syukria Kurniawati , Indah Kusmartini , Feni Fernita Nurhaini , Woro Yatu Niken Syahfitri , Djoko Prakoso Dwi Atmodjo , Moch. Faizal Ramadhani , Endah Damastuti , Ahmad Ghozi Al Ammar , Dani Muliawan , Nurul Fazriyah Mulyana , Agustina Ircha Winda , Fikri Ilmi","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid industrial growth has heightened concerns about environmental contamination and related public health impacts. This study examines the spatial distribution, ecological threats, and human health risks of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Zn, Fe, Mn, V) and naturally occurring radionuclides (<sup>226</sup>Ra, <sup>232</sup>Th, and <sup>40</sup>K) in surface soils collected from 27 regencies and 8 cities in East Java Province, Indonesia. Heavy metals were analyzed using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF), while gamma spectrometry was used to measure radioactivity. Cadmium (Cd) concentrations exceeded the WHO safety limit (>1 mg.kg<sup>−1</sup>) at all sites (50–245 mg.kg<sup>−1</sup>), with the highest level recorded in Tuban. The Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) showed extreme ecological risk (>1200) in most locations, driven mainly by Cd contamination. Non-carcinogenic risks were identified based on Hazard Index values exceeding 1 (HI > 1) pose a concern for children at nearly all sites, except Bondowoso, while carcinogenic risks (TCR > 10<sup>−4</sup>) were especially high in Tuban and Probolinggo. Ingestion was the main exposure route, with children's intake up to four times higher than that of adults. Radioactivity levels of <sup>226</sup>Ra (0.8–41 Bq.kg<sup>−1</sup>), <sup>232</sup>Th (2.6–50 Bq.kg<sup>−1</sup>), and <sup>40</sup>K (6.9–357 Bq.kg<sup>−1</sup>) were generally within or slightly above global averages, with higher <sup>226</sup>Ra and <sup>232</sup>Th in Bangkalan and Sumenep. However, the radiological risk assessment indicated that both AEDE (0.01–0.08 mSv.yr<sup>−1</sup>) and ELCR (2.33 × 10<sup>−5</sup>– 2.67 × 10<sup>−4</sup>) posed no significant radiological concern. Overall, these findings highlight the urgent need for targeted environmental controls and early risk mitigation, particularly to reduce Cd exposure for children in Tuban's industrial zones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1243-1255"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.002
Chunlong He , Xiaocong Cao , Zhihan Tu , Yihua Lyu , Kai Tang , Jiamin Lin , Hao Su , Shanhu Hu , Xin Zhang , Zhaoqun Liu , Zhi Zhou
Microplastics (MPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants prevalent in coral reef ecosystems. MPs may exacerbate PAH bioaccumulation and toxicity via a “Trojan horse effect”, yet their combined impacts on coral holobionts remain poorly understood. This study used the scleractinian coral Pocillopora acuta as the model organism, deployed polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) in situ in the waters off Xidao Island to assess their PAH enrichment capacity, and subsequently exposed the coral to the resulting contaminated complex to investigate its toxicological effects on the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis relationship. The total PAH concentrations in seawater near the dock of Xidao Island, Sanya, was 50.65 ng/L, dominated by low-molecular-weight PAHs. PE-MPs incubated in situ for three months showed significantly elevated absorbed PAH levels, particularly anthracene (ACE), phenanthrene (PHE), and pyrene (PYR). Exposure to these PE-MPs carrying PAHs significantly increased PAH accumulation in both coral hosts and their algal symbionts, with higher levels in the algae. PE + PAHs exposure also triggered oxidative stress, energy metabolism disruption, and enhanced apoptosis. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis showed that cellular energy allocation in corals and Symbiodiniaceae was strongly negatively correlated with ΣPAHs. Strong correlations between host and symbiont responses indicate a coordinated stress mechanism. These findings demonstrate that PE-MPs enhanced the bioavailability and toxicity of PAH, ultimately destabilizing the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis and posing ecological risks to the coral reef ecosystem.
{"title":"Microplastic-mediated enrichment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their toxic effects on coral symbionts: Evidence from oxidative stress and energy metabolic disturbance","authors":"Chunlong He , Xiaocong Cao , Zhihan Tu , Yihua Lyu , Kai Tang , Jiamin Lin , Hao Su , Shanhu Hu , Xin Zhang , Zhaoqun Liu , Zhi Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics (MPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants prevalent in coral reef ecosystems. MPs may exacerbate PAH bioaccumulation and toxicity via a “Trojan horse effect”, yet their combined impacts on coral holobionts remain poorly understood. This study used the scleractinian coral <em>Pocillopora acuta</em> as the model organism, deployed polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) in situ in the waters off Xidao Island to assess their PAH enrichment capacity, and subsequently exposed the coral to the resulting contaminated complex to investigate its toxicological effects on the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis relationship. The total PAH concentrations in seawater near the dock of Xidao Island, Sanya, was 50.65 ng/L, dominated by low-molecular-weight PAHs. PE-MPs incubated in situ for three months showed significantly elevated absorbed PAH levels, particularly anthracene (ACE), phenanthrene (PHE), and pyrene (PYR). Exposure to these PE-MPs carrying PAHs significantly increased PAH accumulation in both coral hosts and their algal symbionts, with higher levels in the algae. PE + PAHs exposure also triggered oxidative stress, energy metabolism disruption, and enhanced apoptosis. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis showed that cellular energy allocation in corals and Symbiodiniaceae was strongly negatively correlated with ΣPAHs. Strong correlations between host and symbiont responses indicate a coordinated stress mechanism. These findings demonstrate that PE-MPs enhanced the bioavailability and toxicity of PAH, ultimately destabilizing the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis and posing ecological risks to the coral reef ecosystem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 497-510"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-29DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.034
Meng Qin , Wan-Li Ma , Chuan-Long Zhang , Li-Yan Liu , Pu-Fei Yang
Atmospheric pollutants exhibit seasonal variations in their concentrations and associated exposure risk due to seasonal alternations. The influencing mechanisms of multiple factors on the seasonal variation of concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in atmosphere were studied in cold region of China by a multimedia fugacity model (S-L4MF Model). The significant seasonal variations were found: gaseous PBDEs exhibited higher concentration in summer and lower concentration in winter, while particulate PBDEs presented opposite trend. The influencing mechanisms of eight key driving factors on PBDEs concentrations were identified that zonal wind, air emission and snow as predominant factors governing gaseous concentration fluctuations, whereas air temperature, TSP and precipitation emerged as primary factors on particulate concentration variations. Subsequently, the seasonal differences in internal exposure risk of PBDEs were investigated by constructing a fugacity-based human model. Similarly, the internal exposure risk of PBDEs also presented seasonal variations. Notably, the internal exposure risk of particulate PBDEs demonstrated distinct size-distribution characteristics: the unimodal pattern in summer versus the bimodal pattern in winter. The study provided new insights into the understanding of seasonal variations and influencing mechanisms of atmospheric pollutants, which provided significant implications for developing seasonal-specific risk assessment frameworks.
{"title":"Influencing mechanisms of multiple factors on seasonal variation of atmospheric polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their internal exposure risk in cold region","authors":"Meng Qin , Wan-Li Ma , Chuan-Long Zhang , Li-Yan Liu , Pu-Fei Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Atmospheric pollutants exhibit seasonal variations in their concentrations and associated exposure risk due to seasonal alternations. The influencing mechanisms of multiple factors on the seasonal variation of concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in atmosphere were studied in cold region of China by a multimedia fugacity model (S-L4MF Model). The significant seasonal variations were found: gaseous PBDEs exhibited higher concentration in summer and lower concentration in winter, while particulate PBDEs presented opposite trend. The influencing mechanisms of eight key driving factors on PBDEs concentrations were identified that zonal wind, air emission and snow as predominant factors governing gaseous concentration fluctuations, whereas air temperature, TSP and precipitation emerged as primary factors on particulate concentration variations. Subsequently, the seasonal differences in internal exposure risk of PBDEs were investigated by constructing a fugacity-based human model. Similarly, the internal exposure risk of PBDEs also presented seasonal variations. Notably, the internal exposure risk of particulate PBDEs demonstrated distinct size-distribution characteristics: the unimodal pattern in summer versus the bimodal pattern in winter. The study provided new insights into the understanding of seasonal variations and influencing mechanisms of atmospheric pollutants, which provided significant implications for developing seasonal-specific risk assessment frameworks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 456-465"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Algal blooms contribute significantly to dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) formation. The distribution and products of DMSP play a vital role in the marine food chain and global climate regulation. Understanding these processes can help in clarifying the oceanic factors involved in cooling the planet. Dimethysulfide (DMS) produced by the breakdown of DMSP, is one of the largest natural sources of biogenic sulfur in the atmosphere and serve as the primary precursor for the formation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). This process acts as a crucial link between marine biological processes and atmospheric chemistry through the marine sulfur cycle. The degradation product of DMSP contribute to microbial carbon production and oceanic pH levels, thereby promoting the growth of phytoplankton. This review focuses on the positive aspects of algal bloom, in particular DMSP production and its various roles in the ecosystem. DMSP-producing organisms, their distribution, source, fate, and their effects on the ecosystem are widely discussed.
{"title":"Ecological and climatic significance of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) Beyond Algal Bloom: A comprehensive review","authors":"Jyotsna Bora , Monika Joshi , Subhasha Nigam , Harish , Ajay Kumar , Laurent Dufossé","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Algal blooms contribute significantly to dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) formation. The distribution and products of DMSP play a vital role in the marine food chain and global climate regulation. Understanding these processes can help in clarifying the oceanic factors involved in cooling the planet. Dimethysulfide (DMS) produced by the breakdown of DMSP, is one of the largest natural sources of biogenic sulfur in the atmosphere and serve as the primary precursor for the formation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). This process acts as a crucial link between marine biological processes and atmospheric chemistry through the marine sulfur cycle. The degradation product of DMSP contribute to microbial carbon production and oceanic pH levels, thereby promoting the growth of phytoplankton. This review focuses on the positive aspects of algal bloom, in particular DMSP production and its various roles in the ecosystem. DMSP-producing organisms, their distribution, source, fate, and their effects on the ecosystem are widely discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 225-237"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145571847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.035
Hongmin Lu , Ruoqi Wang , Xin Zhang, Yuze Dong, Hao Liu, Yunfan Zhang, Chengxue Ma, Mingwei Xing
Chronic exposure to fluoride and phenanthrene is recognized as a significant risk factor for neurobehavioral toxicity, and the gut-brain axis has been identified as a key mechanism in the development of anxiety behaviors following prolonged toxic insult. Nevertheless, the connections between gut microbiota disruption, serotonin (5-HT) production, and neurobehavioral toxicity induced by long-term co-exposure to fluoride and phenanthrene remain unclear. In this study, co-exposure model of phenanthrene and fluoride at environmentally relevant concentrations was established in zebrafish. Through comparative database analysis, anxiety behavior tests, 16S rRNA sequencing, metabolomics, qPCR, Western blotting, ELISA, flow cytometry, comet assay, histological analysis, and immunohistochemistry, the neurotoxic effects of fluoride or/and phenanthrene were investigated. In this study, neurobehavioral toxicity was observed in zebrafish following co-exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoride and phenanthrene, characterized by diminished swimming capacity and heightened anxiety behavior. The toxic mechanism was mediated through disruption of the microbiome–gut–brain axis homeostasis and suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Specifically, co-exposure decreased intestinal synthesis of 5-HT and impaired the blood–brain barrier. As the intestine serves as the primary source of 5-HT, its impairment (histopathological alterations, gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolomics) led to dysregulation of the 5-HT system. Histopathological analysis of brain tissue revealed synaptic loss, nuclear pyknosis, and the presence of apoptotic bodies. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms indicated that fluoride or/and phenanthrene inhibited Wnt signalling, promoted β-catenin degradation, and induced neurological dysfunction, as evidenced by reductions in SYP and MAP2, which subsequently activated pro-apoptotic genes (Bax, Caspase9, and Caspase3) and inflammatory responses (decreased IL-10, elevated NF-κB, IL-6, TNF-α, and cleaved IL-1β). These alterations ultimately contributed to neurobehavioral deficits. Collectively, these findings indicate that fluoride and phenanthrene induce anxiety behavior and neurotoxicity, associated with perturbations in 5-HT metabolism, gut microbiota composition, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neuroinflammation.
{"title":"Assessing the health risks of environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoride and phenanthrene: Neurobehavioral toxicity induced in zebrafish through disruption of the microbiome-gut-brain axis and suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling","authors":"Hongmin Lu , Ruoqi Wang , Xin Zhang, Yuze Dong, Hao Liu, Yunfan Zhang, Chengxue Ma, Mingwei Xing","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chronic exposure to fluoride and phenanthrene is recognized as a significant risk factor for neurobehavioral toxicity, and the gut-brain axis has been identified as a key mechanism in the development of anxiety behaviors following prolonged toxic insult. Nevertheless, the connections between gut microbiota disruption, serotonin (5-HT) production, and neurobehavioral toxicity induced by long-term co-exposure to fluoride and phenanthrene remain unclear. In this study, co-exposure model of phenanthrene and fluoride at environmentally relevant concentrations was established in zebrafish. Through comparative database analysis, anxiety behavior tests, 16S rRNA sequencing, metabolomics, qPCR, Western blotting, ELISA, flow cytometry, comet assay, histological analysis, and immunohistochemistry, the neurotoxic effects of fluoride or/and phenanthrene were investigated. In this study, neurobehavioral toxicity was observed in zebrafish following co-exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoride and phenanthrene, characterized by diminished swimming capacity and heightened anxiety behavior. The toxic mechanism was mediated through disruption of the microbiome–gut–brain axis homeostasis and suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Specifically, co-exposure decreased intestinal synthesis of 5-HT and impaired the blood–brain barrier. As the intestine serves as the primary source of 5-HT, its impairment (histopathological alterations, gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolomics) led to dysregulation of the 5-HT system. Histopathological analysis of brain tissue revealed synaptic loss, nuclear pyknosis, and the presence of apoptotic bodies. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms indicated that fluoride or/and phenanthrene inhibited Wnt signalling, promoted β-catenin degradation, and induced neurological dysfunction, as evidenced by reductions in SYP and MAP2, which subsequently activated pro-apoptotic genes (Bax, Caspase9, and Caspase3) and inflammatory responses (decreased IL-10, elevated NF-κB, IL-6, TNF-α, and cleaved IL-1β). These alterations ultimately contributed to neurobehavioral deficits. Collectively, these findings indicate that fluoride and phenanthrene induce anxiety behavior and neurotoxicity, associated with perturbations in 5-HT metabolism, gut microbiota composition, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neuroinflammation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 352-367"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.019
Jie Fu , Boyuan Hu , Duo Bu , Kai Huang , Pengyang Li , Qiangying Zhang , Haiyan Zhang , Xiaomei Cui , Zhihong Ye , Yong Liang , Aiqian Zhang , Jianjie Fu , Guibin Jiang
The understanding of organophosphate ester (OPE) trophic transfer in terrestrial food chains remains limited. In present study, sixteen tri-OPEs and ten di-OPEs in soil, plant, plateau pika, and eagle samples from the Tibetan Plateau were collected and analyzed to investigate the trophic transfer of OPEs in terrestrial ecosystem. Mean ∑ di-OPEs in soil (2.3 ng/g dw), plants (5.7 ng/g dw), plateau pikas (7.4 ng/g dw) and eagles (7.8 ng/g dw) were comparable to those ∑ tri-OPEs in corresponding samples (2.0, 5.6, 8.7 and 4.6, respectively). The trophic magnification factors (TMFs) of tri-OPEs (0.05–0.7) and di-OPEs (0.3–0.8) indicated their low biomagnification potential in the terrestrial food chain. Positive correlations (p = 0.004–0.06) between the logarithmic transformed molar ratio of alkyl di-OPE to tri-OPE and trophic levels, indicated an enhancing metabolic transformation of OPEs at higher trophic levels, thus resulting in trophic dilution. Metabolic transformation of OPEs demonstrates distinct structural specificity, as evidenced by the significantly higher log (ndi-OPEs/ntri-OPEs) ratio for alkyl OPEs (mean = 0.5) than chlorinated OPEs (mean = 0.2; p = 0.005) and aryl OPEs (mean = 0.08; p < 0.005). The present study highlighted the significance of metabolism to OPEs trophic transfer potential along terrestrial food chain.
{"title":"Trophodynamic and its contributing factors of organophosphate tri-esters and di-esters in a typical terrestrial food chain from the Tibetan Plateau","authors":"Jie Fu , Boyuan Hu , Duo Bu , Kai Huang , Pengyang Li , Qiangying Zhang , Haiyan Zhang , Xiaomei Cui , Zhihong Ye , Yong Liang , Aiqian Zhang , Jianjie Fu , Guibin Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The understanding of organophosphate ester (OPE) trophic transfer in terrestrial food chains remains limited. In present study, sixteen tri-OPEs and ten di-OPEs in soil, plant, plateau pika, and eagle samples from the Tibetan Plateau were collected and analyzed to investigate the trophic transfer of OPEs in terrestrial ecosystem. Mean ∑ di-OPEs in soil (2.3 ng/g dw), plants (5.7 ng/g dw), plateau pikas (7.4 ng/g dw) and eagles (7.8 ng/g dw) were comparable to those ∑ tri-OPEs in corresponding samples (2.0, 5.6, 8.7 and 4.6, respectively). The trophic magnification factors (TMFs) of tri-OPEs (0.05–0.7) and di-OPEs (0.3–0.8) indicated their low biomagnification potential in the terrestrial food chain. Positive correlations (<em>p</em> = 0.004–0.06) between the logarithmic transformed molar ratio of alkyl di-OPE to tri-OPE and trophic levels, indicated an enhancing metabolic transformation of OPEs at higher trophic levels, thus resulting in trophic dilution. Metabolic transformation of OPEs demonstrates distinct structural specificity, as evidenced by the significantly higher log (n<sub>di-OPEs</sub>/n<sub>tri-OPEs</sub>) ratio for alkyl OPEs (mean = 0.5) than chlorinated OPEs (mean = 0.2; <em>p</em> = 0.005) and aryl OPEs (mean = 0.08; <em>p</em> < 0.005). The present study highlighted the significance of metabolism to OPEs trophic transfer potential along terrestrial food chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1138-1147"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.027
Lina Cao , Zhenxing Zhang , Jörg Rinklebe , Michael S. Bank , Hongyong Xiang
As emerging contaminants, microplastic (MP) pollution in freshwater environments has received increasing attention due to their potential hazardous effects on human and environmental health. However, there is still limited understanding on variability of MP diversity and distribution patterns in riverine ecosystem compartments and field data are also lacking. This has hindered understanding and science-based information regarding mechanisms of fate and transport in freshwater environments. Hence, our study focused on reporting variability of MP diversity and distribution patterns in riverine ecosystem compartments. By undertaking MP community analyses, we found that distribution and variation in MP characteristics and communities among ecosystem compartments differed significantly. Moreover, structural characteristics of MP communities across compartments were distinct but not fully isolated, reflecting a balance between dispersion and niche differentiation (environmental filtering). Specifically, surface water and sediments mainly accumulated a greater abundance of smaller-sized, low-density, and fibrous MPs. MP distribution patterns were similar and mainly affected by population density, flow velocity, and precipitation. The distance-decay relationship of MP communities in surface water was stronger (p < 0.001) compared to sediments and soils. The longitudinal connectivity of the river, input of pollution sources and tributaries also facilitated transport of MP particles. Meanwhile, the retention of MPs in sediment was significantly influenced by MP characteristics and sediment grain size; and higher observed diversity (1.82) and abundance of MPs (130.32 items/kg) deposited in sediment also suggested continuous accumulation. The transport of MPs in riparian soils revealed a preference via vertical pathways and to adjacent sites. Considering limited transport capacity and significant correlations between topsoil and water/sediment, riparian soil may act as a potential long-term sink for river MPs. Our case-specific results are analyzed within a wider framework to further understand fate and transport dynamics of MPs within global riverine ecosystems.
{"title":"Towards sustainable management of riverine ecosystems: Variability of microplastic diversity and distribution patterns in ecosystem compartments","authors":"Lina Cao , Zhenxing Zhang , Jörg Rinklebe , Michael S. Bank , Hongyong Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As emerging contaminants, microplastic (MP) pollution in freshwater environments has received increasing attention due to their potential hazardous effects on human and environmental health. However, there is still limited understanding on variability of MP diversity and distribution patterns in riverine ecosystem compartments and field data are also lacking. This has hindered understanding and science-based information regarding mechanisms of fate and transport in freshwater environments. Hence, our study focused on reporting variability of MP diversity and distribution patterns in riverine ecosystem compartments. By undertaking MP community analyses, we found that distribution and variation in MP characteristics and communities among ecosystem compartments differed significantly. Moreover, structural characteristics of MP communities across compartments were distinct but not fully isolated, reflecting a balance between dispersion and niche differentiation (environmental filtering). Specifically, surface water and sediments mainly accumulated a greater abundance of smaller-sized, low-density, and fibrous MPs. MP distribution patterns were similar and mainly affected by population density, flow velocity, and precipitation. The distance-decay relationship of MP communities in surface water was stronger (<em>p</em> < 0.001) compared to sediments and soils. The longitudinal connectivity of the river, input of pollution sources and tributaries also facilitated transport of MP particles. Meanwhile, the retention of MPs in sediment was significantly influenced by MP characteristics and sediment grain size; and higher observed diversity (1.82) and abundance of MPs (130.32 items/kg) deposited in sediment also suggested continuous accumulation. The transport of MPs in riparian soils revealed a preference via vertical pathways and to adjacent sites. Considering limited transport capacity and significant correlations between topsoil and water/sediment, riparian soil may act as a potential long-term sink for river MPs. Our case-specific results are analyzed within a wider framework to further understand fate and transport dynamics of MPs within global riverine ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 866-880"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.006
Shahid Iqbal , Jianchu Xu , Fiona Ruth Worthy , Muhammad Saleem Arif , Awais Shakoor , YunJu Li
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agroecosystems is a global concern, due to its negative influence on soil health and crop performance. Regenerative strategies have been widely recognised as vital to improve soil quality and crop yields. Yet strategies are needed that also mitigate rather than exacerbate the impacts of Cd contamination. In this context, interactions between regenerative strategies, and edaphic, climatic and topographic factors are poorly understood. This study presents a meta-analysis with effect size statistics, evaluating the interactions between regenerative strategies (biochar, manure and compost), non- regenerative strategies (sewage-sludge and fertilizer), soil properties (pH, SOM and Cd levels), climatic factors (temperature and precipitation), and elevation. In acidic or high SOM soils, fertilizer increased Cd uptake by 50% to 76%. However, biochar or compost addition in these soils reduced Cd uptake. Under high Cd contamination, biochar application increased shoot biomass, but fertilizer application decreased shoot-biomass. The application of fertilizer or sewage-sludge under higher temperatures increased Cd uptake, whereas biochar reduced Cd uptake. At wet sites, fertilizer addition increased soil Cd accumulation. At high elevations, biochar was more effective than manure at reducing Cd accumulation. We conclude that there are complex interactions between regenerative strategies and environmental conditions; determining impacts on soil and crop health. The interactions between environmental factors and use of sewage-sludge or fertilizer could exacerbate soil and plant Cd toxicity. Regenerative strategies, especially biochar, could mitigate Cd toxicity in agroecosystems.
{"title":"Interactions between regenerative strategies and edaphic, climatic and topographic factors mediate mitigation or exacerbation of soil and crop toxicity in global cadmium contaminated lands","authors":"Shahid Iqbal , Jianchu Xu , Fiona Ruth Worthy , Muhammad Saleem Arif , Awais Shakoor , YunJu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agroecosystems is a global concern, due to its negative influence on soil health and crop performance. Regenerative strategies have been widely recognised as vital to improve soil quality and crop yields. Yet strategies are needed that also mitigate rather than exacerbate the impacts of Cd contamination. In this context, interactions between regenerative strategies, and edaphic, climatic and topographic factors are poorly understood. This study presents a meta-analysis with effect size statistics, evaluating the interactions between regenerative strategies (biochar, manure and compost), non- regenerative strategies (sewage-sludge and fertilizer), soil properties (pH, SOM and Cd levels), climatic factors (temperature and precipitation), and elevation. In acidic or high SOM soils, fertilizer increased Cd uptake by 50% to 76%. However, biochar or compost addition in these soils reduced Cd uptake. Under high Cd contamination, biochar application increased shoot biomass, but fertilizer application decreased shoot-biomass. The application of fertilizer or sewage-sludge under higher temperatures increased Cd uptake, whereas biochar reduced Cd uptake. At wet sites, fertilizer addition increased soil Cd accumulation. At high elevations, biochar was more effective than manure at reducing Cd accumulation. We conclude that there are complex interactions between regenerative strategies and environmental conditions; determining impacts on soil and crop health. The interactions between environmental factors and use of sewage-sludge or fertilizer could exacerbate soil and plant Cd toxicity. Regenerative strategies, especially biochar, could mitigate Cd toxicity in agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 997-1014"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.012
Zhilei Liu , Xiang Zhong , Xuan Zeng , Yuxian Liu , Yanmei Wu , Yongxin Mai , Yiping Feng , Yanpeng Cai , Zhihao Xu , Qingping Du , Jingchuan Xue
Strobilurin fungicides (SFs), a class of novel pesticides extensively applied in agricultural production, have raised growing concerns because of their escalating usage and persistent environmental presence. This study investigated the occurrence, fate, mass balance, and ecological risks of SFs in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in a megacity in southern China, Guangzhou. Nineteen SFs were detected in the aqueous phase, suspended particulate matter, sludge and surface water. The concentrations of individual SFs in the influent were determined to be 0.04–13.9 ng/L. In the effluent, their concentrations decreased to 0.01–7.68 ng/L. The average removal efficiency for individual SFs varied between −19% and 93% across the WWTPs, indicating that a considerable proportion of these contaminants may not be fully eliminated through the current processing technologies. Analysis of mass balance as well as parent-metabolite pairs in different processing units in the WWTPs indicate the generation of unknown transformation products in the treatment system, suggesting neglected environmental burden of SFs. Mass balance analysis also revealed that the daily mass loads of the individual SFs ranged from 1.04 mg/d to 20,384 mg/d, with per-capita emissions spanning 0.01–8.43 mg/d/1000 persons. Risk assessment showed that the pyraclostrobin, famoxadone, and azoxystrobin in the effluent could pose moderate ecological risks for the aquatic environment. These findings demonstrate that WWTP effluents serve as critical pathways for SFs into aquatic environments, and conventional treatment cannot fully mitigate their ecological risks.
{"title":"Strobilurin fungicides in four wastewater treatment plants and the receiving river in Guangzhou, China: Occurrence, fate, and ecological risk","authors":"Zhilei Liu , Xiang Zhong , Xuan Zeng , Yuxian Liu , Yanmei Wu , Yongxin Mai , Yiping Feng , Yanpeng Cai , Zhihao Xu , Qingping Du , Jingchuan Xue","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Strobilurin fungicides (SFs), a class of novel pesticides extensively applied in agricultural production, have raised growing concerns because of their escalating usage and persistent environmental presence. This study investigated the occurrence, fate, mass balance, and ecological risks of SFs in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in a megacity in southern China, Guangzhou. Nineteen SFs were detected in the aqueous phase, suspended particulate matter, sludge and surface water. The concentrations of individual SFs in the influent were determined to be 0.04–13.9 ng/L. In the effluent, their concentrations decreased to 0.01–7.68 ng/L. The average removal efficiency for individual SFs varied between −19% and 93% across the WWTPs, indicating that a considerable proportion of these contaminants may not be fully eliminated through the current processing technologies. Analysis of mass balance as well as parent-metabolite pairs in different processing units in the WWTPs indicate the generation of unknown transformation products in the treatment system, suggesting neglected environmental burden of SFs. Mass balance analysis also revealed that the daily mass loads of the individual SFs ranged from 1.04 mg/d to 20,384 mg/d, with per-capita emissions spanning 0.01–8.43 mg/d/1000 persons. Risk assessment showed that the pyraclostrobin, famoxadone, and azoxystrobin in the effluent could pose moderate ecological risks for the aquatic environment. These findings demonstrate that WWTP effluents serve as critical pathways for SFs into aquatic environments, and conventional treatment cannot fully mitigate their ecological risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 952-960"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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