Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.024
Ju Yuan, Yiqi Chen, Zhenbang Li, Baijian Li, Chuanxing Wu, Guorong Xin, Chuntao He
The potential phytotoxicity of nanomaterials has raised concerns regarding their widespread application. Here, we systematically investigated cultivar-specific detoxification mechanisms in water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) cultivars (QLQ and T308) exposed to CuO NPs and CuSO4, integrating microstructural observations, subcellular Cu distribution, and multi-omics analyses. At environmentally relevant concentrations (1 mg/L), CuO NPs induced markedly less root damage than CuSO4, a disparity linked to subcellular Cu localization and cultivar-specific genetic variation. CuO NPs were primarily sequestered within metal-rich granules that restricted their apoplastic mobility in QLQ. In contrast, CuSO4 was mainly absorbed as ionic Cu2+ and accumulated in the cytoplasm via stress-induced transporters in both cultivars. QLQ prioritized phenylpropanoid pathways activation for lignin-mediated immobilization of CuO NPs in cell walls, whereas T308 activated flavonoid biosynthesis to chelate free Cu2+ into vacuoles. These findings reveal cultivar-specific strategies governing CuO NPs uptake, translocation, and detoxification in leafy vegetables, offering critical insights into the safe agronomic application of metal-based nanomaterials.
{"title":"Molecular evidence of phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis modulation for copper oxide nanoparticles exposure in water spinach","authors":"Ju Yuan, Yiqi Chen, Zhenbang Li, Baijian Li, Chuanxing Wu, Guorong Xin, Chuntao He","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The potential phytotoxicity of nanomaterials has raised concerns regarding their widespread application. Here, we systematically investigated cultivar-specific detoxification mechanisms in water spinach (<em>Ipomoea aquatica</em>) cultivars (QLQ and T308) exposed to CuO NPs and CuSO<sub>4</sub>, integrating microstructural observations, subcellular Cu distribution, and multi-omics analyses. At environmentally relevant concentrations (1 mg/L), CuO NPs induced markedly less root damage than CuSO<sub>4</sub>, a disparity linked to subcellular Cu localization and cultivar-specific genetic variation. CuO NPs were primarily sequestered within metal-rich granules that restricted their apoplastic mobility in QLQ. In contrast, CuSO<sub>4</sub> was mainly absorbed as ionic Cu<sup>2+</sup> and accumulated in the cytoplasm via stress-induced transporters in both cultivars. QLQ prioritized phenylpropanoid pathways activation for lignin-mediated immobilization of CuO NPs in cell walls, whereas T308 activated flavonoid biosynthesis to chelate free Cu<sup>2+</sup> into vacuoles. These findings reveal cultivar-specific strategies governing CuO NPs uptake, translocation, and detoxification in leafy vegetables, offering critical insights into the safe agronomic application of metal-based nanomaterials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 669-679"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839474","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 : 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.008
Andreas Gradwohl , Tobias Danzl , Victoria Brauneis , Markus Rumpel , Katharina Sansone , Wolfgang Kandioller , Michael Schagerl , Franz Jirsa
The task-specific ionic liquid di-[trioctyl-(8-phenyloctyl)-phosphonium] pamoate, [TOPP]2[PAM], was designed as a highly hydrophobic substance for “greener” metal extraction. During metal extraction, it exhibits considerably reduced leaching into the aqueous phase compared to similar phosphonium-based ionic liquids. In order to assess the ecotoxicological potential of this novel compound, we investigated its algal toxicity towards the three freshwater green algae species Acutodesmus obliquus, Chlorella vulgaris and Raphidocelis subcapitata. In addition, algal toxicity was compared to commercially available ionic liquids Aliquat® 336, Cyphos® IL 101 and the task-specific ionic liquid trihexyltetradecylphosphonium 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate, [P66614][HNA], over a prolonged period (7 days). In order to reach sufficient IL concentrations in the testing media, [TOPP]2[PAM] was leached either with or without support of ultrasonication. When leaching was supported by ultrasonication, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for [TOPP]2[PAM] ranged from 0.05 mg L−1 for C. vulgaris, 0.23 mg L−1 for A. obliquus to 0.45 mg L−1 for R. subcapitata. This classifies the substance as a short-term (acute) aquatic hazard in the category ‘Acute 1’. Yet, during leaching without ultrasonication, these concentrations were reached only for C. vulgaris, yielding an IC20 for A. obliquus and an IC10 for R. subcapitata instead. This demonstrates a clear advantage over Aliquat® 336 and Cyphos® IL 101, where IC50 values were easily reached. The results show a significantly reduced growth inhibition compared to commercial compounds when applying [TOPP]2[PAM] according to suggested metal extraction procedures. Further comparisons to [P66614][HNA] demonstrated the advantage of using ILs with functional anions to reduce toxic effects on freshwater green algae. Evaluating the algal vitality with pulse-amplitude modulated fluorescence also demonstrated the lower impact of ILs with functional, hydrophobic anions.
{"title":"Comparative algal toxicity assessment of a novel hydrophobic ionic liquid used in metal extraction processes","authors":"Andreas Gradwohl , Tobias Danzl , Victoria Brauneis , Markus Rumpel , Katharina Sansone , Wolfgang Kandioller , Michael Schagerl , Franz Jirsa","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The task-specific ionic liquid di-[trioctyl-(8-phenyloctyl)-phosphonium] pamoate, [TOPP]<sub>2</sub>[PAM], was designed as a highly hydrophobic substance for “greener” metal extraction. During metal extraction, it exhibits considerably reduced leaching into the aqueous phase compared to similar phosphonium-based ionic liquids. In order to assess the ecotoxicological potential of this novel compound, we investigated its algal toxicity towards the three freshwater green algae species <em>Acutodesmus obliquus</em>, <em>Chlorella vulgaris</em> and <em>Raphidocelis subcapitata</em>. In addition, algal toxicity was compared to commercially available ionic liquids Aliquat® 336, Cyphos® IL 101 and the task-specific ionic liquid trihexyltetradecylphosphonium 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate, [P<sub>66614</sub>][HNA], over a prolonged period (7 days). In order to reach sufficient IL concentrations in the testing media, [TOPP]<sub>2</sub>[PAM] was leached either with or without support of ultrasonication. When leaching was supported by ultrasonication, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC<sub>50</sub>) for [TOPP]<sub>2</sub>[PAM] ranged from 0.05 mg L<sup>−1</sup> for <em>C. vulgaris</em>, 0.23 mg L<sup>−1</sup> for <em>A. obliquus</em> to 0.45 mg L<sup>−1</sup> for <em>R. subcapitata</em>. This classifies the substance as a short-term (acute) aquatic hazard in the category ‘Acute 1’. Yet, during leaching without ultrasonication, these concentrations were reached only for <em>C. vulgaris</em>, yielding an IC<sub>20</sub> for <em>A. obliquus</em> and an IC<sub>10</sub> for <em>R. subcapitata</em> instead. This demonstrates a clear advantage over Aliquat® 336 and Cyphos® IL 101, where IC<sub>50</sub> values were easily reached. The results show a significantly reduced growth inhibition compared to commercial compounds when applying [TOPP]<sub>2</sub>[PAM] according to suggested metal extraction procedures. Further comparisons to [P<sub>66614</sub>][HNA] demonstrated the advantage of using ILs with functional anions to reduce toxic effects on freshwater green algae. Evaluating the algal vitality with pulse-amplitude modulated fluorescence also demonstrated the lower impact of ILs with functional, hydrophobic anions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 577-589"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736543","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 : 2025-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.007
Guoqing Hou , Tianhui Zhao , Rui Zhang , Mengyuan Fang , Lin Niu , Qitao Lei , Qiang Li , Zhi Tang , Xiaoli Zhao , Fengchang Wu
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and readily adsorb surrounding pollutants during transport. Upon ingestion, these pollutant-laden MPs may release their adsorbed contaminants in the human gastrointestinal tract, posing potential health risks. This study investigates the interactions between phenanthrene (Phe) and MPs in simulated digestive fluids using batch adsorption/desorption experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. Results showed that Phe undergoes rapid desorption in the early stages of digestion, strongly influenced by enzyme type and concentration. Among the tested enzymes, mucin exhibited the highest desorption efficiency, followed by trypsin, lipase, and pepsin, attributable to differences in molecular structure, surface activity, and binding affinity. Maximum desorption efficiencies reached 39.1 % for polyethylene (PE) and 55.4 % for polystyrene (PS) in mucin-containing gastric fluid. The enzymes facilitated Phe desorption by competing for adsorption sites, enhancing solubility, and weakening Phe-MPs interactions. PS showed higher than PE due to its lower sorptive affinity and distinct surface properties. Risk assessment indicated that the carcinogenic risk of desorbed Phe was below safety thresholds but could increase notably in highly contaminated real-world settings. These findings highlight the critical but underappreciated role of digestive enzymes in mediating pollutant release from MPs and underscore the need to reevaluate their health risks in biological systems.
{"title":"Digestive enzyme-driven desorption of phenanthrene from microplastics in a simulated human gut","authors":"Guoqing Hou , Tianhui Zhao , Rui Zhang , Mengyuan Fang , Lin Niu , Qitao Lei , Qiang Li , Zhi Tang , Xiaoli Zhao , Fengchang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and readily adsorb surrounding pollutants during transport. Upon ingestion, these pollutant-laden MPs may release their adsorbed contaminants in the human gastrointestinal tract, posing potential health risks. This study investigates the interactions between phenanthrene (Phe) and MPs in simulated digestive fluids using batch adsorption/desorption experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. Results showed that Phe undergoes rapid desorption in the early stages of digestion, strongly influenced by enzyme type and concentration. Among the tested enzymes, mucin exhibited the highest desorption efficiency, followed by trypsin, lipase, and pepsin, attributable to differences in molecular structure, surface activity, and binding affinity. Maximum desorption efficiencies reached 39.1 % for polyethylene (PE) and 55.4 % for polystyrene (PS) in mucin-containing gastric fluid. The enzymes facilitated Phe desorption by competing for adsorption sites, enhancing solubility, and weakening Phe-MPs interactions. PS showed higher than PE due to its lower sorptive affinity and distinct surface properties. Risk assessment indicated that the carcinogenic risk of desorbed Phe was below safety thresholds but could increase notably in highly contaminated real-world settings. These findings highlight the critical but underappreciated role of digestive enzymes in mediating pollutant release from MPs and underscore the need to reevaluate their health risks in biological systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 565-576"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736445","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 : 2025-12-07DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.006
Sobarathne Senel Sanjaya , Wisurumuni Arachchilage Hasitha Maduranga Karunarathne , Jinkuk Park , Cheng-Yun Jin , Yung Hyun Choi , Gi-Young Kim
Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), increasingly detected in aquatic environments, raise health concerns for humans and animals. However, their specific cellular effects remain incompletely characterized. This study identifies a mechanistic pathway by which PS-MPs impair osteogenic differentiation via organelle-specific stress responses in zebrafish larvae and MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts. PS-MP exposure delayed vertebral mineralization and downregulation of key osteogenic makers. Mechanistically, PS-MPs were internalized through clathrin-mediated endocytosis, transported via the endo-lysosomal system, and accumulated within lysosomes. Lysosomal accumulation of PS-MPs induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization, indicated by increaed colocalization of galectin-3 and lysosomeassociated membrane protein 1, leading to oxidative stress. The resulting mitochondrial dysfunction included initial compensatory fusion responses, followed by impaired mitochondrial dynamics and suppressed mitochondrial biogenesis. These effects were accompanied by activation of PTEN-induced kinase 1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and exacerbated lysomal stress. Notably, pharmacological activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling with MHY1485 restored mitochondrial abundance, upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha, reduced mitophagy, and stabilized lysomal membrane integrity–without altering PS-MP uptake. Collectively, these findings reveal a novel organelle-to-organelle stress axis initiated by PS-MP exposure and suggest mTOR activation as a potential therapeutic approach to mitigate PS-MP-induced cellular dysfunction.
{"title":"Polystyrene microplastics disrupt osteogenic differentiation via lysosome-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction: Protective role of mTOR signaling","authors":"Sobarathne Senel Sanjaya , Wisurumuni Arachchilage Hasitha Maduranga Karunarathne , Jinkuk Park , Cheng-Yun Jin , Yung Hyun Choi , Gi-Young Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), increasingly detected in aquatic environments, raise health concerns for humans and animals. However, their specific cellular effects remain incompletely characterized. This study identifies a mechanistic pathway by which PS-MPs impair osteogenic differentiation via organelle-specific stress responses in zebrafish larvae and MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts. PS-MP exposure delayed vertebral mineralization and downregulation of key osteogenic makers. Mechanistically, PS-MPs were internalized through clathrin-mediated endocytosis, transported via the <em>endo</em>-lysosomal system, and accumulated within lysosomes. Lysosomal accumulation of PS-MPs induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization, indicated by increaed colocalization of galectin-3 and lysosomeassociated membrane protein 1, leading to oxidative stress. The resulting mitochondrial dysfunction included initial compensatory fusion responses, followed by impaired mitochondrial dynamics and suppressed mitochondrial biogenesis. These effects were accompanied by activation of PTEN-induced kinase 1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and exacerbated lysomal stress. Notably, pharmacological activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling with MHY1485 restored mitochondrial abundance, upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha, reduced mitophagy, and stabilized lysomal membrane integrity–without altering PS-MP uptake. Collectively, these findings reveal a novel organelle-to-organelle stress axis initiated by PS-MP exposure and suggest mTOR activation as a potential therapeutic approach to mitigate PS-MP-induced cellular dysfunction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 521-536"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736446","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 : 2025-12-06DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.005
Mohammed Alsafran, Mariam Mohamed Razavi, Kamal Usman, Najeeb Ullah, Muhammad Rizwan
Vanadium (V) is a key element for multiple industrial applications due to its exceptional physicochemical properties. Nevertheless, the extensive utilization of V has raised significant environmental issues, posing substantial risks to ecosystem, particularly through uncontrolled emissions and soil deposition. This review provides a comprehensive overview and thoroughly examines the occurrence, sources, and speciation of V in soil system, with particular emphasis on its complex behavior, mobility and transformation in response to soil pH, redox potential, and organic matter content. Furthermore, the role of microbial processes and the impact of V on plant growth are also discussed in detail. Additionally, potential human health risks associated with dietary and environmental exposure to V are examined. This paper uniquely integrates soil geochemistry, plant-microbe interactions, and human health perspectives to provide a general understanding of V behavior in soil-plant systems. Integrating current advances in V research, this review aims to expand our understanding of its fate in the environment and toxicology and to contribute to guiding future work and the development of long-term effective soil remediation technology.
{"title":"Vanadium in agroecosystems: Toxicity across the soil-microbe-plant-human continuum","authors":"Mohammed Alsafran, Mariam Mohamed Razavi, Kamal Usman, Najeeb Ullah, Muhammad Rizwan","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vanadium (V) is a key element for multiple industrial applications due to its exceptional physicochemical properties. Nevertheless, the extensive utilization of V has raised significant environmental issues, posing substantial risks to ecosystem, particularly through uncontrolled emissions and soil deposition. This review provides a comprehensive overview and thoroughly examines the occurrence, sources, and speciation of V in soil system, with particular emphasis on its complex behavior, mobility and transformation in response to soil pH, redox potential, and organic matter content. Furthermore, the role of microbial processes and the impact of V on plant growth are also discussed in detail. Additionally, potential human health risks associated with dietary and environmental exposure to V are examined. This paper uniquely integrates soil geochemistry, plant-microbe interactions, and human health perspectives to provide a general understanding of V behavior in soil-plant systems. Integrating current advances in V research, this review aims to expand our understanding of its fate in the environment and toxicology and to contribute to guiding future work and the development of long-term effective soil remediation technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 606-617"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145789685","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 : 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.004
Yan Zhou , Yudong Xing , Xin Zhang , Xingyan Zhou , Peng Liu , Huijun Chen , Hian Kee Lee , Zhenzhen Huang
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in consumer manufacturing, but their occurrence in stationery products and the associated exposure risk to children in educational environments remain unclear. A total of 17 PFAS (Σ17 PFAS) were quantitatively detected in 53 children's stationery from four categories with the overall detection frequency of 64.5 %. The concentrations of Σ17 PFAS ranged up to 70.9 ng/g, with a median value of 0.16 ng/g. The precursors in these products were confirmed by total oxidizable precursor assay. Exposure assessment showed that estimated maximum PFAS intake from pen grips via hand-to-mouth contact (0.57 ng/kg-bw/day) approached the tolerable daily intake for children established by the European Food Safety Authority (0.63 ng/kg-bw/day), highlighting a potential concern from the sources in educational environment. To further investigate the potential mechanism of PFAS dermal adsorption, molecular docking analysis was performed to evaluate the affinities of PFAS compounds toward 12 representative tight junction proteins in human skin. The emerging PFAS alternative, perfluorooctylphosphonic acid, demonstrated significantly stronger binding affinity (p < 0.05) to these tight junction proteins compared to the other analytes. This work preliminarily indicates that childhood exposure to PFAS in educational environments may occur through the use of stationery products, with computational results suggesting a potential role for tight junctions in the dermal absorption and subsequent toxicity of these compounds.
{"title":"Childhood exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in educational environments: Arising from stationery and implications for health","authors":"Yan Zhou , Yudong Xing , Xin Zhang , Xingyan Zhou , Peng Liu , Huijun Chen , Hian Kee Lee , Zhenzhen Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Per</em>- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in consumer manufacturing, but their occurrence in stationery products and the associated exposure risk to children in educational environments remain unclear. A total of 17 PFAS (Σ<sub>17</sub> PFAS) were quantitatively detected in 53 children's stationery from four categories with the overall detection frequency of 64.5 %. The concentrations of Σ<sub>17</sub> PFAS ranged up to 70.9 ng/g, with a median value of 0.16 ng/g. The precursors in these products were confirmed by total oxidizable precursor assay. Exposure assessment showed that estimated maximum PFAS intake from pen grips via hand-to-mouth contact (0.57 ng/kg-bw/day) approached the tolerable daily intake for children established by the European Food Safety Authority (0.63 ng/kg-bw/day), highlighting a potential concern from the sources in educational environment. To further investigate the potential mechanism of PFAS dermal adsorption, molecular docking analysis was performed to evaluate the affinities of PFAS compounds toward 12 representative tight junction proteins in human skin. The emerging PFAS alternative, perfluorooctylphosphonic acid, demonstrated significantly stronger binding affinity (<em>p</em> < 0.05) to these tight junction proteins compared to the other analytes. This work preliminarily indicates that childhood exposure to PFAS in educational environments may occur through the use of stationery products, with computational results suggesting a potential role for tight junctions in the dermal absorption and subsequent toxicity of these compounds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 511-520"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736542","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 : 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":"2025-12-02","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.001
Yuyao Jiang , Yanru Guan , Ruidong Chen , Jason T. Magnuson , Zexin Wen , Zijie Ding , Leyi Zhang , Wumuerzati Maermaer , Yuanyuan Liu , Shuying Li , Wenjun Gui , Daniel Schlenk
Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, is used throughout the world, with frequent detections being reported in both surface and ground water. The neurotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos have been thoroughly investigated. However, chlorpyrifos-induced cardiotoxicity has also been observed in fish and remains poorly understood. In the present study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae (7 days post hatch) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of chlorpyrifos ranging from 0.01 to 100 μg/L. A decline in heart rate was observed in animals treated with 10 and 100 μg/L (8.57 % and 15.13 %, respectively). Using in silico bioinformatics of the transcriptome following exposure, the top enriched pathways were predicted to be involved in cardiac and immune dysfunction. Consistent with impacts predicted by transcriptional changes, statistical, but non-concentration-dependent increases were also observed in macrophage number, IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and phagocytic function. Since chlorpyrifos-induced immune effects were associated with Rho GTPase pathways identified in bioinformatic predictions, treatments with the positive control, N-Acetylneuraminic acid, or a Rac family small GTPase antagonist (EHT 1864), respectively enhanced and reversed cardiotoxicity. This indicated a potential role for Rho GTPase signaling in chlorpyrifos-induced cardiotoxic and immune response effects. The data presented underscores the interaction between cardiotoxic and immune functional responses following exposure to environmentally relevant levels of chlorpyrifos and the potential role of immune system alterations as a key event in adverse outcome pathways for cardiotoxicity.
{"title":"Chlorpyrifos cardiotoxic responses may be mediated by phagocytic activation in larval zebrafish","authors":"Yuyao Jiang , Yanru Guan , Ruidong Chen , Jason T. Magnuson , Zexin Wen , Zijie Ding , Leyi Zhang , Wumuerzati Maermaer , Yuanyuan Liu , Shuying Li , Wenjun Gui , Daniel Schlenk","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, is used throughout the world, with frequent detections being reported in both surface and ground water. The neurotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos have been thoroughly investigated. However, chlorpyrifos-induced cardiotoxicity has also been observed in fish and remains poorly understood. In the present study, zebrafish (<em>Danio rerio</em>) larvae (7 days post hatch) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of chlorpyrifos ranging from 0.01 to 100 μg/L. A decline in heart rate was observed in animals treated with 10 and 100 μg/L (8.57 % and 15.13 %, respectively). Using in silico bioinformatics of the transcriptome following exposure, the top enriched pathways were predicted to be involved in cardiac and immune dysfunction. Consistent with impacts predicted by transcriptional changes, statistical, but non-concentration-dependent increases were also observed in macrophage number, IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and phagocytic function. Since chlorpyrifos-induced immune effects were associated with Rho GTPase pathways identified in bioinformatic predictions, treatments with the positive control, N-Acetylneuraminic acid, or a Rac family small GTPase antagonist (EHT 1864), respectively enhanced and reversed cardiotoxicity. This indicated a potential role for Rho GTPase signaling in chlorpyrifos-induced cardiotoxic and immune response effects. The data presented underscores the interaction between cardiotoxic and immune functional responses following exposure to environmentally relevant levels of chlorpyrifos and the potential role of immune system alterations as a key event in adverse outcome pathways for cardiotoxicity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 477-485"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684252","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.003
Shan He , Junjie Wang , Xingyu Guo , Kunyu Wei , Siyi Li , Jia He , Fengchang Wu
The neurotoxicological risks associated with liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), widely used in display technologies, have raised significant ecological and health concerns, yet they remain insufficiently understood. This study systematically investigated three prevalent LCMs – tFPO-CF2-dF3B, 2OdFP3bcH, and TPrCB - for their neurotoxic potential in zebrafish. Exposure to these LCMs induced distinct behavioral impairments, including anxiety-like thigmotaxis and hyper-reactivity to stimuli. At the molecular level, LCMs disrupted key neurotransmitter systems, significantly elevating dopamine, serotonin, and GABA while reducing glutamate. Mechanistic investigation revealed that LCMs bind with high affinity to D2 and 5HT1A receptors via molecular docking, while integrated transcriptomic and neurotransmitter analyses demonstrated concurrent disruption of calcium signaling and mitochondrial function. These findings establish that LCMs induce neurotoxicity through coordinated disruption of multiple neurological pathways, and the identified neurochemical disruptions share features with pathways implicated in human neurological conditions, highlighting the need for rigorous neurotoxic risk assessment of display technology materials and offering important insights for environmental health protection.
{"title":"Neurotoxicity of typical liquid crystal monomers in zebrafish: Disruption of neurotransmitter pathways and underlying mechanisms","authors":"Shan He , Junjie Wang , Xingyu Guo , Kunyu Wei , Siyi Li , Jia He , Fengchang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The neurotoxicological risks associated with liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), widely used in display technologies, have raised significant ecological and health concerns, yet they remain insufficiently understood. This study systematically investigated three prevalent LCMs – tFPO-CF2-dF3B, 2OdFP3bcH, and TPrCB - for their neurotoxic potential in zebrafish. Exposure to these LCMs induced distinct behavioral impairments, including anxiety-like thigmotaxis and hyper-reactivity to stimuli. At the molecular level, LCMs disrupted key neurotransmitter systems, significantly elevating dopamine, serotonin, and GABA while reducing glutamate. Mechanistic investigation revealed that LCMs bind with high affinity to D2 and 5HT1A receptors <em>via</em> molecular docking, while integrated transcriptomic and neurotransmitter analyses demonstrated concurrent disruption of calcium signaling and mitochondrial function. These findings establish that LCMs induce neurotoxicity through coordinated disruption of multiple neurological pathways, and the identified neurochemical disruptions share features with pathways implicated in human neurological conditions, highlighting the need for rigorous neurotoxic risk assessment of display technology materials and offering important insights for environmental health protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 466-476"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684297","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.040
Ren Ding , Yun Lu , Dongbin Wei , Yinhu Wu , Zhuo Chen , Zitong Liao , Huanan Gao , Xin Liu , Zhenguang Yan , Hong-Ying Hu
Aquatic environment protection faces escalating challenges from emerging contaminants, which present complex ecological risks. Cladocera, ecologically pivotal crustacean zooplankton in lentic freshwater ecosystems, are characterized by a short life cycle and parthenogenetic reproduction. They exhibit broad geographic distribution, high toxicant sensitivity, and significant interspecific variability, underscoring their critical role in water quality criteria (WQC) and ecological risk assessment. Traditional toxicity testing, however, cannot meet the growing demand for extensive data due to regulatory limitations, scalability issues, and narrow species coverage. This review examines computational toxicology methods to enhance cross-species extrapolation of toxicity sensitivity in Cladocera. We evaluate the Interspecies Correlation Estimation (ICE) model, methods based on Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) processes, and Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) frameworks. Each method's application, strengths, and limitations for predicting interspecies toxicity variations are critically assessed. Furthermore, we propose two novel extrapolation frameworks: “ADME-Trait-TK” (quantifying toxicokinetic differences using traits to forecast internal contaminant concentrations) and “AOP-Gene-TD” (leveraging gene sequences and AOP to extrapolate toxicodynamic responses), outlining their parameters and use cases. Key research gaps are identified, including limited invertebrate AOP development, sparse trait and genomic data for non-model Cladocera, and insufficient integration of environmental variables into predictive models. Future priorities include establishing Cladocera-specific AOP databases, developing multi-scale TK/TD models integrated with omics data, fostering collaboration among ecotoxicologists, computational biologists, and ecologists, and advancing international data-sharing initiatives to address ecological risk assessment complexities.
{"title":"Bridging interspecific sensitivity gaps in Cladocera: A review of computational frameworks for ecological risk assessment","authors":"Ren Ding , Yun Lu , Dongbin Wei , Yinhu Wu , Zhuo Chen , Zitong Liao , Huanan Gao , Xin Liu , Zhenguang Yan , Hong-Ying Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.040","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aquatic environment protection faces escalating challenges from emerging contaminants, which present complex ecological risks. Cladocera, ecologically pivotal crustacean zooplankton in lentic freshwater ecosystems, are characterized by a short life cycle and parthenogenetic reproduction. They exhibit broad geographic distribution, high toxicant sensitivity, and significant interspecific variability, underscoring their critical role in water quality criteria (WQC) and ecological risk assessment. Traditional toxicity testing, however, cannot meet the growing demand for extensive data due to regulatory limitations, scalability issues, and narrow species coverage. This review examines computational toxicology methods to enhance cross-species extrapolation of toxicity sensitivity in Cladocera. We evaluate the Interspecies Correlation Estimation (ICE) model, methods based on Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) processes, and Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) frameworks. Each method's application, strengths, and limitations for predicting interspecies toxicity variations are critically assessed. Furthermore, we propose two novel extrapolation frameworks: “ADME-Trait-TK” (quantifying toxicokinetic differences using traits to forecast internal contaminant concentrations) and “AOP-Gene-TD” (leveraging gene sequences and AOP to extrapolate toxicodynamic responses), outlining their parameters and use cases. Key research gaps are identified, including limited invertebrate AOP development, sparse trait and genomic data for non-model Cladocera, and insufficient integration of environmental variables into predictive models. Future priorities include establishing Cladocera-specific AOP databases, developing multi-scale TK/TD models integrated with omics data, fostering collaboration among ecotoxicologists, computational biologists, and ecologists, and advancing international data-sharing initiatives to address ecological risk assessment complexities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 551-564"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736448","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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