Toxics最新文献

Methanol is a widely used industrial and household alcohol that poses significant health risks upon exposure. Despite its extensive use, methanol poisoning remains a critical public health concern globally, often resulting from accidental or intentional ingestion and outbreaks linked to contaminated beverages. Methanol toxicity stems from its metabolic conversion to formaldehyde and formic acid, leading to severe metabolic acidosis and multiorgan damage, including profound CNS effects and visual impairments. Epidemiological data underscore the widespread impact of methanol poisoning, with alarming case fatality rates reported in various countries. Comprehensive prevention and effective management strategies are urgently needed to address the significant morbidity and mortality associated with methanol poisoning. The clinical manifestations of methanol toxicity vary between adult and pediatric populations and between acute and chronic exposure. Adults typically present with gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, whereas pediatric patients often exhibit more severe outcomes due to differences in metabolism and body weight. The diagnosis of methanol poisoning involves a combination of clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, and advanced diagnostic techniques. The identification of metabolic acidosis, elevated anion and osmolal gaps, and confirmation through methanol and formate levels are critical for accurate diagnosis. Timely intervention is crucial, and the management of methanol poisoning includes securing the airway, breathing, and circulation; addressing metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate; administering antidotes such as fomepizole or ethanol; and administering hemodialysis, which plays a pivotal role in eliminating methanol and its toxic metabolites, especially in severe cases. The complexity of methanol poisoning necessitates a comprehensive approach encompassing early recognition, prompt intervention, and coordinated care among healthcare providers. Increased awareness, effective prevention strategies, and timely treatment protocols are essential to mitigate severe health consequences and improve patient survival and recovery.

The acute and chronic toxicity of lead to Anabas testudineus was determined in this study using static replacement bioassay testing. During the chronic toxicity studies, an experiment on the bioremediation of lead toxicity using Ocimum sanctum leaf powder was conducted. The 96 h LC₅₀ values of lead for Anabas testudineus was 1.08 mg/L. Different biomarkers, such as the hepatosomatic index, gonadosomatic index, and fecundity, were significantly lower in fish subjected to 10% and 20% of the 96 h LC₅₀ values of lead, compared to controls. The 45-day chronic exposure of fish to lead concentrations of 0.2 mg/L and above significantly lowered the number of total RBC, hemoglobin content, HCT (%), plasma protein, and cholesterol while decreasing the level of total WBC, plasma glucose, creatinine, serum AST and serum ALT. The leaf powder of Ocimum sanctum plays a significant role in ameliorating lead toxicity.

Recently, 7-diethylamino-4-methylcoumarin (DEAMC) has been identified as a potent antiandrogenic compound in the surface water; however, little is known about the antiandrogenic potentials of other synthetic coumarins and their occurrence in the aquatic ecosystem. In this study, for the first time, we observed that 7-dimethylamino-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC) elicited androgen receptor (AR) antagonistic activity with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 1.46 µM, which is 14.3 times more potent than that observed for DEAMC (IC₅₀ = 20.92 µM). We further collected abiotic (water and sediment) and biotic (plant, plankton, and fish) samples (n = 208) from a subtropical freshwater ecosystem, the Dongjiang River basin, in southern China, and determined the concentrations of the two coumarins in these samples. Overall, DAMC was the predominant compound found in the sediment, plant, algae, zooplankton, and fish muscle samples, with median concentrations at 0.189, 0.421, 0.832, 0.798, and 0.335 ng/g dry wt. (DW), respectively, although it was not detected in any surface water sample. For DEAMC, the median concentrations observed in the surface water, sediment, plant, algae, zooplankton, and fish muscle samples were 0.105 ng/L, 0.012, 0.051, 0.009, 0.008, and 0.181 ng/g DW, respectively. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values of DAMC and DEAMC in the algae, zooplankton, and fish muscle exceeded 5000 L/kg, suggesting that the two coumarins may have significant bioaccumulation potentials in aquatic biota. Additionally, the mean daily intake (EDI) of coumarins through fish consumption was estimated as 0.19 ng/kg BW/day for male toddlers. This is the first field study to illustrate the antiandrogenic potential of DAMC and document the widespread occurrence of the two synthetic coumarins in aquatic ecosystems.

Organophosphorus pesticides are the most extensively utilized agrichemicals in the world. They play a crucial role in regulating crop growth, immunizing against pests, and improving yields, while their unregulated residues exert serious detrimental effects on both the environment and human health. Many efforts have been made in the world to monitor organophosphorus pesticides and solve the issues caused by them. Nanozymes, as one kind of enzyme mimic that is artificially designed to simulate the function of natural enzymes, have aroused a lot of attention due to their unparalleled advantages. Nanozymes inherit both the unique properties of nanomaterials and catalytic functions, which could overcome the limitations inherent in natural enzymes and have great versatile and adaptable application prospects. This review presents a recent advancement in synthesizing multifunctional nanozymes with enzymatic-like activities by using various nanomaterials to degrade and detect organophosphorus pesticides. It mainly encompasses metal-based nanozymes, carbon-based nanozymes, metal-organic-framework-based nanozymes, and single-atom-based nanozymes. Additionally, this paper discusses the potential of nanozymes as novel functional environmental materials.

The coexistence of microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in the environment, and their interactions within agricultural soils in particular, have garnered widespread attention. This study focused on the early-stage interactions between microplastics and BaP, aiming to uncover their initial adsorption mechanisms. Despite the significant environmental toxicity of both pollutants, research on their mutual interactions in soil is still limited. This study conducted adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics experiments to explore the effects and mechanisms of various microplastics (polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) on the adsorption of BaP. Using advanced techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, this study explored the surface characteristics of microplastics and their interactions with BaP. The results demonstrated that PVC microplastics exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for BaP, which was primarily due to π-π interactions and increased hydrophobicity. In the soil-microplastic blend systems, BaP was predominantly found on microplastics, enhancing the soil's adsorption capacity for BaP, particularly PVC, which showed an adsorption capacity 3.69 times greater than that of soil alone. Density functional theory (DFT) simulation calculations indicated that the binding energy of BaP for PVC pretreated with soil was -59.16 kJ/mol, whereas it was -53.02 kJ/mol for untreated PVC, -39.35 kJ/mol for PE, and -48.84 kJ/mol for PS. These findings suggest that soil pretreatment enhances the adsorption stability of PVC for BaP, further elucidating the potential mechanisms behind the increased adsorption capacity in the soil-microplastic system. These findings confirm that microplastics serve as effective vectors for organic pollutants such as BaP, significantly influencing their environmental behavior in soils, and provide essential theoretical support for assessing the environmental toxicity and migration behaviors of microplastics and associated organic contaminants.

Sewage sludge is recognized as both a source and a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Within an anaerobic digestion (AD) system, the presence of microplastics (MPs) has been observed to potentially facilitate the proliferation of these ARGs. Understanding the influence of MPs on microbial behavior and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) within the AD system is crucial for effectively managing the dissemination of ARGs in the environment. This study utilized metagenomic approaches to analyze the dynamics of various types of ARGs and potential microbial mechanisms under exposure to MPs during the AD process. The findings indicated that MPs in the AD process can enhance the proliferation of ARGs, with the extent of this enhancement increasing with the dosage of MPs: polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polylactic acid (PLA) MPs increased the abundance of ARGs in the anaerobic digestion system by up to 29.90%, 18.64%, and 14.15%, respectively. Additionally, the presence of MPs increased the relative abundance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) during the AD process. Network correlation analysis further revealed that plasmids represent the predominant category of MGEs involved in the HGT of ARGs. Propionibacterium and Alicycliphilus were identified as the primary potential hosts for these ARGs. The results of gene function annotation indicated that exposure to MPs led to an increased the relative abundance of genes related to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), alterations in membrane permeability, ATP synthesis, and the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). These genes play crucial roles in influencing the HGT of ARGs.

Xuanwei and the neighboring Fuyuan (XF) counties in Yunnan Province have the highest lung cancer incidence rates in China. Previous studies suggest that the nano-minerals released during the combustion of locally sourced "smoky" (bituminous) coal are the primary contributors to these elevated cancer rates. The coal ash generated during combustion predominantly consists of nano-minerals, which can be resuspended into the atmosphere during routine ash-handling activities. In this study, coal ash samples from XF counties and four additional provinces with lower lung cancer incidence rates were resuspended to simulate ash-handling activities and subsequently collected using a cascade PM_2.5 sampler. Individual particles were analyzed using a high-resolution scanning electron microscope coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Based on their morphology and elemental composition, the particles were categorized into five major types: quartz, Si- and Al-rich (SiAl-rich), Ca-rich, Ca- and Mg-rich (CaMg-rich), and Fe-rich particles. The relative abundance of crystalline quartz particles was significantly higher in Xuanwei (22.2%) and Fuyuan (13.7%) compared to the other provinces, where quartz was also detected in lower concentrations. Similarly, the proportion of Fe-rich particles was notably higher in Xuanwei (10.9%) and Fuyuan (5.1%) than in other regions. These findings highlight the potential role of quartz and Fe-rich particles in contributing to the high lung cancer rates observed in XF counties. Further research is warranted to elucidate the toxicological mechanisms underlying the health effects of these particle types.

Background: Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are a type of widespread pollutant that can be transmitted through particulate matter, such as dust in the air, and have been associated with various adverse health effects, such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. However, there is limited research on the link between exposure to mixtures of BFRs and depression in the general population.

Methods: To analyze the association between exposure to BFRs and depression in the population, nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 2005-2016) were used. In the final analysis, a total of 8138 adults aged 20 years and older were included. To investigate the potential relationship between BFRs and outcomes, we used binary logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), quantile-based g computation (QGC), and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression.

Results: The findings showed that serum BFR concentrations were associated with depressive symptoms over a broad spectrum. Binary logistic regression and RCS analysis showed that certain BFRs, particularly PBB153, were significantly and positively associated with the incidence of depression, even after adjustment for various confounders (p < 0.05). Mixed exposure to BFRs was also found to be associated with depression in the population, with a stronger association in men. The two most influential BFRs, PBB153 and PBDE85, were identified in both mixed exposure models and are potential risk factors of concern.

Conclusion: Our study identified new insights into the relationship between BFRs and depression, but sizable population-based cohort studies and toxicology mechanism studies will be needed to establish causality.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants that can lead to adverse health effects in aquatic organisms, including reproductive toxicity and developmental abnormalities. To assess the ecological health risk of PFAS in Pennsylvania stream surface water, we conducted a comprehensive analysis that included both measured and predicted estimates. The potential combined exposure effects of 14 individual PFAS to aquatic biota were estimated using the sum of exposure-activity ratios (ΣEARs) in 280 streams. Additionally, machine learning techniques were utilized to predict potential PFAS exposure effects in unmonitored stream reaches, considering factors such as land use, climate, and geology. Leveraging a tailored convolutional neural network (CNN), a validation accuracy of 78% was achieved, directly outperforming traditional methods that were also used, such as logistic regression and gradient boosting (accuracies of ~65%). Feature importance analysis highlighted key variables that contributed to the CNN's predictive power. The most influential features highlighted the complex interplay of anthropogenic and environmental factors contributing to PFAS contamination in surface waters. Industrial and urban land cover, rainfall intensity, underlying geology, agricultural factors, and their interactions emerged as key determinants. These findings may help to inform biotic sampling strategies, water quality monitoring efforts, and policy decisions aimed to mitigate the ecological impacts of PFAS in surface waters.

Nanoparticles of neodymium oxide (NPs-Nd₂O₃) can induce respiratory-related diseases, including lung tissue injury when entering the organism through the respiratory tract. However, it is currently unclear whether they can induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung tissue and the related mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the function of circ_009773 in the process of EMT induced by NPs-Nd₂O₃ in lung tissue from in vivo as well as in vitro experiments. The findings showed that NPs-Nd₂O₃ induced EMT in 16HBE cells and SD rat lung tissues. This was characterised by a decrease in epithelial markers and an increase in mesenchymal markers. Additionally, circ_009773 expression was found to decrease in 16HBE cells infected with NPs-Nd₂O₃ and also decreased in the lung tissues of SD rats. Relevant experiments showed that circ_009773 inhibited EMT in NPs-Nd₂O₃-treated 16HBE cells and SD rat lung tissues. The previous experiments revealed that circ_009773 was localised in the cytoplasm and functioned at the post-transcriptional level. With the EMT-related pathway used as the basis for circ_009773-related competing endogenous (ce)RNA mechanisms, our observations indicate that circ_009773 is capable of binding to and regulating the expression of miR-135b-5p. In summary, we found that circ_009773 inhibits the EMT induced by NPs-Nd₂O₃ in lung tissues, and this process likely occurs through competitive binding to miR-135b-5p.