Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127664
Valentin Mingo, Manousos Foudoulakis, James R Wheeler
{"title":"Corrigendum to 'Mechanistic modelling of amphibian body burdens after dermal uptake of pesticides from soil' [Environ. Pollut. volume 346 (2024), 123614].","authors":"Valentin Mingo, Manousos Foudoulakis, James R Wheeler","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127664","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127664","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"393 ","pages":"127664"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146117327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127797
Leopold Alezra, Emilie Le Floch, Christine Felix, David Rosain, Elena Gomez, Frederique Courant, Eric Fouilland, Giulia Cheloni
In the last years great effort was made by the scientific community to investigate the role of phytoplankton in contaminants stress responses and metabolism. However, biotransformation pathways remain underexplored in phytoplankton groups, such as diatoms, that play important ecological roles in natural environment and that are routinely used in biotechnological processes. The present study adopted a multi-omics approach to investigate diclofenac (DCF) physiological effects, transcriptional responses and metabolism in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum with the aim of getting an insight on biotransformation pathways. DCF resulted in mild physiological effects on P. tricornutum but gene expression analysis indicated that multiple molecular functions and biological processes were altered during exposure. Transcriptomic analysis suggested increased nutrients and energy requirements possibly associated with the contaminant stress and detoxification metabolism. DCF bioconcentration factor (BCF) was low and varied between 3.9 and 2.7 L Kg-1 depending on the exposure concentration. In total 6 DCF metabolites were detected of which 4’-Hydroxydiclofenac, a metabolite generally associated with Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymatic activity. Involvement of CYPs in biotransformation was suggested via indirect evidences. The five additional DCF metabolites detected presented high molecular weight. These metabolites were not previously described in the literature and were hypothesized to be generated via amino acid (or peptides) conjugation. Gene ontology analysis indicated that amino acid and peptide biosynthetic pathways were regulated upon DCF exposure supporting a possible correlation between organic contaminants detoxification responses and amino acid and protein metabolism in this diatom. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into contaminant detoxification and contribute to highlight the diversity of biotransformation pathways in phytoplankton.
近年来,科学界对浮游植物在污染物胁迫反应和代谢中的作用进行了大量的研究。然而,硅藻等浮游植物群的生物转化途径仍未得到充分探索,它们在自然环境中起着重要的生态作用,并经常用于生物技术过程。本研究采用多组学方法研究双氯芬酸(DCF)在海洋硅藻三角藻(Phaeodactylum tricornutum)中的生理效应、转录反应和代谢,旨在了解其生物转化途径。DCF对tricornutum有轻微的生理影响,但基因表达分析表明,DCF对tricornutum的多种分子功能和生物学过程产生了影响。转录组学分析表明,增加的营养和能量需求可能与污染物胁迫和解毒代谢有关。DCF生物浓度因子(BCF)较低,随暴露浓度变化在3.9 ~ 2.7 L Kg-1之间。共检测到6种DCF代谢物,其中4′-羟基双氯芬酸是一种通常与细胞色素P450 (CYP)酶活性相关的代谢物。通过间接证据表明CYPs参与了生物转化。另外5个检测到的DCF代谢物呈现高分子量。这些代谢物以前没有在文献中描述过,假设是通过氨基酸(或肽)偶联产生的。基因本体论分析表明,暴露于DCF后,氨基酸和肽的生物合成途径受到调控,支持有机污染物解毒反应与该硅藻氨基酸和蛋白质代谢之间可能存在相关性。我们的发现为污染物解毒提供了机制见解,并有助于突出浮游植物生物转化途径的多样性。
{"title":"Diclofenac stress responses and biotransformation pathways in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum","authors":"Leopold Alezra, Emilie Le Floch, Christine Felix, David Rosain, Elena Gomez, Frederique Courant, Eric Fouilland, Giulia Cheloni","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127797","url":null,"abstract":"In the last years great effort was made by the scientific community to investigate the role of phytoplankton in contaminants stress responses and metabolism. However, biotransformation pathways remain underexplored in phytoplankton groups, such as diatoms, that play important ecological roles in natural environment and that are routinely used in biotechnological processes. The present study adopted a multi-omics approach to investigate diclofenac (DCF) physiological effects, transcriptional responses and metabolism in the marine diatom <ce:italic>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</ce:italic> with the aim of getting an insight on biotransformation pathways. DCF resulted in mild physiological effects on <ce:italic>P. tricornutum</ce:italic> but gene expression analysis indicated that multiple molecular functions and biological processes were altered during exposure. Transcriptomic analysis suggested increased nutrients and energy requirements possibly associated with the contaminant stress and detoxification metabolism. DCF bioconcentration factor (BCF) was low and varied between 3.9 and 2.7 L Kg<ce:sup loc=\"post\">-1</ce:sup> depending on the exposure concentration. In total 6 DCF metabolites were detected of which 4’-Hydroxydiclofenac, a metabolite generally associated with Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymatic activity. Involvement of CYPs in biotransformation was suggested via indirect evidences. The five additional DCF metabolites detected presented high molecular weight. These metabolites were not previously described in the literature and were hypothesized to be generated via amino acid (or peptides) conjugation. Gene ontology analysis indicated that amino acid and peptide biosynthetic pathways were regulated upon DCF exposure supporting a possible correlation between organic contaminants detoxification responses and amino acid and protein metabolism in this diatom. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into contaminant detoxification and contribute to highlight the diversity of biotransformation pathways in phytoplankton.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"111 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127792
Yuzhi Lan, Tao You, Xiaoyan Feng, Jiajun Guo, Hengyi Xu
With growing toxicological research on microplastics (MPs), scientific attention has shifted from their single toxicity to their combined toxicity with other pollutants. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a common synthetic plasticizer, may co-occur with MPs through intrinsic association during production or through exogenous environmental pathways, posing the significant risk of co-exposure to organism. Oral exposure represents the primary route for MPs and DEHP, which traverse the gastrointestinal tract and target the enterohepatic system through direct intestinal interaction and systemic circulation. However, their combined toxicity, especially enterohepatic, remains poorly studied in the mammals. In this study, adult C57/BL6J mice were employed and exposed to polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs), DEHP or both for eight weeks. It was revealed that co-exposure to PS-MPs and DEHP induced more significant enterohepatic toxicity than the single exposures, involving enhanced enterohepatic inflammatory response and oxidative stress, as well as intestinal microbial disturbance. Furthermore, after fecal microbiota transplantation, the recipient mice developed similar trends of enterohepatic toxicity to those observed in the corresponding donor mice, revealing the key function played by intestinal microbiota. This study highlighted the crucial link of the gut-liver axis in the combined effects of PS-MPs and DEHP-induced enterohepatic toxicity in mammals and provided a mechanism insight of co-exposure to MPs and other environmental pollutants.
{"title":"Combined Enterohepatic Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics and Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate in Mice: Gut Microbiota-Dependent Synergistic Effects","authors":"Yuzhi Lan, Tao You, Xiaoyan Feng, Jiajun Guo, Hengyi Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127792","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127792","url":null,"abstract":"With growing toxicological research on microplastics (MPs), scientific attention has shifted from their single toxicity to their combined toxicity with other pollutants. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a common synthetic plasticizer, may co-occur with MPs through intrinsic association during production or through exogenous environmental pathways, posing the significant risk of co-exposure to organism. Oral exposure represents the primary route for MPs and DEHP, which traverse the gastrointestinal tract and target the enterohepatic system through direct intestinal interaction and systemic circulation. However, their combined toxicity, especially enterohepatic, remains poorly studied in the mammals. In this study, adult C57/BL6J mice were employed and exposed to polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs), DEHP or both for eight weeks. It was revealed that co-exposure to PS-MPs and DEHP induced more significant enterohepatic toxicity than the single exposures, involving enhanced enterohepatic inflammatory response and oxidative stress, as well as intestinal microbial disturbance. Furthermore, after fecal microbiota transplantation, the recipient mice developed similar trends of enterohepatic toxicity to those observed in the corresponding donor mice, revealing the key function played by intestinal microbiota. This study highlighted the crucial link of the gut-liver axis in the combined effects of PS-MPs and DEHP-induced enterohepatic toxicity in mammals and provided a mechanism insight of co-exposure to MPs and other environmental pollutants.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127791
Tao Sun, Huifeng Wu
Micro/Nanoplastics (MNPs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging environmental contaminants of global concern. This study assessed the acute and multigenerational toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its alternative, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, also commercially known as GenX), in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, in the presence of 80 nm and 5 μm MNPs. Acute toxicity tests demonstrated that MNPs enhanced the lethality and reproductive toxicity of both PFOA and GenX in a size-dependent manner. At the population level, MNPs exacerbated the inhibitory effects of these compounds on population growth. In multigenerational assays, fecundity was identified as the most sensitive life-history trait, exhibiting cumulative multigenerational impairments that were more pronounced in the presence of NPs. This trend aligned with the expression patterns of reproduction-related genes. Transcriptomic analysis further showed that co-exposure to NPs increased the number of differentially expressed genes, particularly those involved in metabolic and steroid biosynthesis pathways, suggesting elevated energy demands and reproductive toxicity. Collectively, these findings highlight the necessity of incorporating mixture toxicity and multigenerational effects into risk assessment frameworks to achieve more realistic chemical risk characterization and management.
{"title":"Micro/Nanoplastics enhance multigenerational reproductive toxicity of legacy and alternative per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis","authors":"Tao Sun, Huifeng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127791","url":null,"abstract":"Micro/Nanoplastics (MNPs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging environmental contaminants of global concern. This study assessed the acute and multigenerational toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its alternative, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, also commercially known as GenX), in the marine rotifer <ce:italic>Brachionus plicatilis</ce:italic>, in the presence of 80 nm and 5 μm MNPs. Acute toxicity tests demonstrated that MNPs enhanced the lethality and reproductive toxicity of both PFOA and GenX in a size-dependent manner. At the population level, MNPs exacerbated the inhibitory effects of these compounds on population growth. In multigenerational assays, fecundity was identified as the most sensitive life-history trait, exhibiting cumulative multigenerational impairments that were more pronounced in the presence of NPs. This trend aligned with the expression patterns of reproduction-related genes. Transcriptomic analysis further showed that co-exposure to NPs increased the number of differentially expressed genes, particularly those involved in metabolic and steroid biosynthesis pathways, suggesting elevated energy demands and reproductive toxicity. Collectively, these findings highlight the necessity of incorporating mixture toxicity and multigenerational effects into risk assessment frameworks to achieve more realistic chemical risk characterization and management.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"93 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Two-dimensional MXenes, particularly titanium carbide (Ti3C2) and titanium carbonitride (Ti3CN), have garnered increasing interest for applications spanning from green energy storage to biomedicine. However, their inevitable exposure to aqueous or physiological environments during use and disposal induces oxidative aging, potentially altering their physicochemical properties and biological effects. Here, we systematically compared the cytotoxicity and mechanistic pathways of pristine and aged Ti3C2 and Ti3CN MXenes in human colonic epithelial cells. Material characterization revealed that aging promoted surface oxidation, partial TiO2 formation, and aggregation, with more pronounced changes in Ti3C2. Cellular assays demonstrated that pristine MXenes, particularly Ti3CN, induced significant mitochondrial swelling, disruption of cristae, lysosomal perturbation, overproduction of reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis. In contrast, aged MXenes exhibited attenuated cellular uptake, reduced oxidative stress, and diminished mitochondrial damage, correlating with lower apoptosis rates. These findings suggest that oxidative aging serves as an intrinsic detoxification process by modulating the surface reactivity of MXene and its subcellular interactions. This work highlights the necessity of incorporating environmental transformation into MXene safety assessments and provides mechanistic insights for designing safer, application-relevant 2D nanomaterials.
{"title":"Surface Aging of Ti-Based MXene Attenuates Mitochondrial Toxicity via Suppressed Cellular Uptake and Reactivity","authors":"Rui Zhang, Xiaodi Li, Yujiao Liu, Xuan Mao, Yongyi Wei, Yu Wang, Xiaofei Zhou, Jianbo Jia","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127793","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127793","url":null,"abstract":"Two-dimensional MXenes, particularly titanium carbide (Ti<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>C<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>) and titanium carbonitride (Ti<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>CN), have garnered increasing interest for applications spanning from green energy storage to biomedicine. However, their inevitable exposure to aqueous or physiological environments during use and disposal induces oxidative aging, potentially altering their physicochemical properties and biological effects. Here, we systematically compared the cytotoxicity and mechanistic pathways of pristine and aged Ti<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>C<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> and Ti<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>CN MXenes in human colonic epithelial cells. Material characterization revealed that aging promoted surface oxidation, partial TiO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> formation, and aggregation, with more pronounced changes in Ti<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf>C<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>. Cellular assays demonstrated that pristine MXenes, particularly Ti3CN, induced significant mitochondrial swelling, disruption of cristae, lysosomal perturbation, overproduction of reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis. In contrast, aged MXenes exhibited attenuated cellular uptake, reduced oxidative stress, and diminished mitochondrial damage, correlating with lower apoptosis rates. These findings suggest that oxidative aging serves as an intrinsic detoxification process by modulating the surface reactivity of MXene and its subcellular interactions. This work highlights the necessity of incorporating environmental transformation into MXene safety assessments and provides mechanistic insights for designing safer, application-relevant 2D nanomaterials.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127786
Michael J. Ormsby, Luke Woodford, James J. Mwesiga, Winnie Ernest, Dativa Shilla, Daniel Shilla, Richard S. Quilliam
Rapid urbanisation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) has driven the expansion of urban and peri-urban farming to enhance food security. However, these systems are highly vulnerable to contaminated irrigation waters, urban runoff, open defecation and inadequate sanitation, and anthropogenic pollution, such as plastic and microplastic waste. Here, we investigated the role of plastic debris as a reservoir and vector for multidrug-resistant (MDR) enteric bacterial pathogens in a real-world agronomic setting. Focusing on two peri-urban agricultural sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we analysed 140 environmental samples (soil, water, vegetation, and surface and buried plastic debris) for the presence of four key enteric pathogens: E. coli, Salmonella spp., V. cholerae, and K. pneumoniae. The concentration of total culturable pathogens was higher on plastic debris compared to soil, water and vegetation, with presumptive E. coli loads of ∼1x103 CFU per individual piece of plastic debris. Importantly, plastic debris harboured a greater proportion of MDR strains; specifically, 69% of E. coli isolates were resistant to two or more antimicrobials, with plastics at one site accounting for over half of all MDR E. coli. While MDR E. coli were absent from soil, plastic debris supported strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae that were resistant to critically important antimicrobials (e.g., ciprofloxacin and cefixime)..This study provides robust evidence that in a real-world setting, plastic waste can act as an ecological reservoir which concentrates and facilitates the survival of MDR pathogens. Therefore, the widespread presence of contaminated plastic in agricultural systems could pose significant occupational health risks for farmers, in addition to a potential environment-to-food risk for consumers.
{"title":"Plastic debris facilitates the survival of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens in an urban agricultural environment.","authors":"Michael J. Ormsby, Luke Woodford, James J. Mwesiga, Winnie Ernest, Dativa Shilla, Daniel Shilla, Richard S. Quilliam","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127786","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127786","url":null,"abstract":"Rapid urbanisation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) has driven the expansion of urban and peri-urban farming to enhance food security. However, these systems are highly vulnerable to contaminated irrigation waters, urban runoff, open defecation and inadequate sanitation, and anthropogenic pollution, such as plastic and microplastic waste. Here, we investigated the role of plastic debris as a reservoir and vector for multidrug-resistant (MDR) enteric bacterial pathogens in a real-world agronomic setting. Focusing on two peri-urban agricultural sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we analysed 140 environmental samples (soil, water, vegetation, and surface and buried plastic debris) for the presence of four key enteric pathogens: <em>E. coli</em>, <em>Salmonella</em> spp., <em>V. cholerae</em>, and <em>K. pneumoniae</em>. The concentration of total culturable pathogens was higher on plastic debris compared to soil, water and vegetation, with presumptive <em>E. coli</em> loads of ∼1x10<sup>3</sup> CFU per individual piece of plastic debris. Importantly, plastic debris harboured a greater proportion of MDR strains; specifically, 69% of <em>E. coli</em> isolates were resistant to two or more antimicrobials, with plastics at one site accounting for over half of all MDR <em>E. coli</em>. While MDR <em>E. coli</em> were absent from soil, plastic debris supported strains of <em>E. coli</em> and <em>K. pneumoniae</em> that were resistant to critically important antimicrobials (e.g., ciprofloxacin and cefixime)..This study provides robust evidence that in a real-world setting, plastic waste can act as an ecological reservoir which concentrates and facilitates the survival of MDR pathogens. Therefore, the widespread presence of contaminated plastic in agricultural systems could pose significant occupational health risks for farmers, in addition to a potential environment-to-food risk for consumers.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127795
Silvia Royano, Juan Escobar-Arnanz, Irene Navarro, Adrián de la Torre, María Ángeles Martínez
Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are recognized as important emerging pollutants in aquatic environments. Despite growing concern, an increasing number of new pharmaceuticals are being authorized each year, reaching the environment and compromising the quality and health of ecosystems. However, comprehensive multi-matrix investigations integrating water, sediments, biota, and wastewater systems remain scarce. In this study, a comprehensive HRMS-based suspect screening workflow was implemented using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). Through a multi-compartment approach involving water (n=89), sediments (n=28), fish (n=24), wastewater (n=16), and sewage sludge (n=16) matrices collected during 2020-2022, this study identified 153 PhACs (136 active ingredients and 17 metabolites or transformation products). Cardiovascular, psychotropic, pain management, and other nervous system drugs were the dominant therapeutic families, accounting for 63% of all identifications. Surface water contained the highest number of compounds (122), followed by effluents (85). Although influents presented fewer compounds, they showed significantly higher total input (p < 0.05). Solid matrices such as sediments and sludge accumulated highly hydrophobic substances (e.g., telmisartan, citalopram), whereas aqueous matrices contained more polar compounds (e.g., tramadol) and metabolites. Fish exhibited the lowest number of PhACs (11). Regarding spatial distribution, sites more strongly influenced by human activities displayed higher (p < 0.05) normalized areas and number of compounds. Overall, this study provides one of the most comprehensive multi matrix suspect screening assessments of PhACs to date. The holistic evaluation of the riverine ecosystem highlights the value of HRMS based workflows for identifying and prioritizing emerging contaminants, supporting the development of regulatory strategies to control pharmaceutical pollution and enabling early detection of newly marketed drugs.
{"title":"Pharmaceutical footprint in the river ecosystem: suspect screening approach with high resolution mass spectrometry","authors":"Silvia Royano, Juan Escobar-Arnanz, Irene Navarro, Adrián de la Torre, María Ángeles Martínez","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127795","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127795","url":null,"abstract":"Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) are recognized as important emerging pollutants in aquatic environments. Despite growing concern, an increasing number of new pharmaceuticals are being authorized each year, reaching the environment and compromising the quality and health of ecosystems. However, comprehensive multi-matrix investigations integrating water, sediments, biota, and wastewater systems remain scarce. In this study, a comprehensive HRMS-based suspect screening workflow was implemented using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). Through a multi-compartment approach involving water (n=89), sediments (n=28), fish (n=24), wastewater (n=16), and sewage sludge (n=16) matrices collected during 2020-2022, this study identified 153 PhACs (136 active ingredients and 17 metabolites or transformation products). Cardiovascular, psychotropic, pain management, and other nervous system drugs were the dominant therapeutic families, accounting for 63% of all identifications. Surface water contained the highest number of compounds (122), followed by effluents (85). Although influents presented fewer compounds, they showed significantly higher total input (p < 0.05). Solid matrices such as sediments and sludge accumulated highly hydrophobic substances (e.g., telmisartan, citalopram), whereas aqueous matrices contained more polar compounds (e.g., tramadol) and metabolites. Fish exhibited the lowest number of PhACs (11). Regarding spatial distribution, sites more strongly influenced by human activities displayed higher (p < 0.05) normalized areas and number of compounds. Overall, this study provides one of the most comprehensive multi matrix suspect screening assessments of PhACs to date. The holistic evaluation of the riverine ecosystem highlights the value of HRMS based workflows for identifying and prioritizing emerging contaminants, supporting the development of regulatory strategies to control pharmaceutical pollution and enabling early detection of newly marketed drugs.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The increasing consumption of plastic in our society has led to the dissemination of microplastics in the environment, which, by diffusing into the food chain and across terrestrial compartments, results in human exposure to a wide diversity of particulate plastics. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of a realistic mixture of microplastics on the colon. Environmental samples composed of the four predominant polymers were cryoground. Irregularly shaped micro-fragments of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polyethylene (45–100 μm) were mixed and incorporated into the mouse diet at three doses (5, 50, and 500 μg/g) to reproduce the proportions found in human stool. A 30-day exposure to the microplastic mixture induced dose-dependent alterations of the colonic transcriptome, with downregulation of heat-shock proteins. T-cell activation and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathways were dysregulated at all three doses. This was accompanied by immune dysfunction in the mesenteric lymph nodes. A 30-day exposure worsened the development of colonic inflammation in the DSS-induced colitis model, with increases in the colon weight-to-size ratio, myeloperoxidase activity, and cytokines transcript levels at the medium dose. A 75-day exposure exacerbated tumorigenesis in the AOM/DSS-induced colorectal cancer model at the high dose, as evidenced by worse endoscopic, macroscopic, and histologic scores of tumorigenesis, and increased Cyclin D1 and MYC protein expression. In mice, oral exposure to an environmentally sourced microplastic mixture that reproduces the size, shape, polymer types, and relative proportions of microplastics detected in human stool leads to colonic transcriptomic dysregulation and increased susceptibility to inflammation and tumorigenesis.
{"title":"Ingestion of a human-relevant mixture of environmentally sourced microplastics promotes inflammation and tumorigenesis in the mouse colon.","authors":"Madjid DJOUINA, Muriel PICHAVANT, Christophe WAXIN, Alexandre DEHAUT, Suzie LOISON, Emeline DRIENCOURT, Amélie DEBORGHER, Capucine BALESDENT, David LAUNAY, Laurent DUBUQUOY, Guillaume DUFLOS, Mathilde BODY-MALAPEL","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127794","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127794","url":null,"abstract":"The increasing consumption of plastic in our society has led to the dissemination of microplastics in the environment, which, by diffusing into the food chain and across terrestrial compartments, results in human exposure to a wide diversity of particulate plastics. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of a realistic mixture of microplastics on the colon. Environmental samples composed of the four predominant polymers were cryoground. Irregularly shaped micro-fragments of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polyethylene (45–100 μm) were mixed and incorporated into the mouse diet at three doses (5, 50, and 500 μg/g) to reproduce the proportions found in human stool. A 30-day exposure to the microplastic mixture induced dose-dependent alterations of the colonic transcriptome, with downregulation of heat-shock proteins. T-cell activation and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathways were dysregulated at all three doses. This was accompanied by immune dysfunction in the mesenteric lymph nodes. A 30-day exposure worsened the development of colonic inflammation in the DSS-induced colitis model, with increases in the colon weight-to-size ratio, myeloperoxidase activity, and cytokines transcript levels at the medium dose. A 75-day exposure exacerbated tumorigenesis in the AOM/DSS-induced colorectal cancer model at the high dose, as evidenced by worse endoscopic, macroscopic, and histologic scores of tumorigenesis, and increased Cyclin D1 and MYC protein expression. In mice, oral exposure to an environmentally sourced microplastic mixture that reproduces the size, shape, polymer types, and relative proportions of microplastics detected in human stool leads to colonic transcriptomic dysregulation and increased susceptibility to inflammation and tumorigenesis.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"315 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-08DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127776
Shuo Zhang, Lijia Qu, Xintong Li, Ye Lu, Yang Cui, Jianwei Dong, Hui Xie
Muddy and sandy coastlines account for approximately 45% of the world's ice-free coastlines, facing significant ecological risks from antibiotic pollution due to overuse. This study elucidates how fundamental differences in sediment composition govern the distinct transport and fate of antibiotics in these contrasting coastal systems. Muddy coasts primarily consisted of fine-grained sediments with higher water contents, whereas sandy coasts are characterized by coarse-grained sand and gravel with better water permeability. Porewater acts as a bridge between overlying water and sediment, playing a crucial role in contaminant transport. This study compared the antibiotic pollution patterns and revealed the regulatory mechanisms of coastal sediment on the antibiotic source - sink processes. Results showed that antibiotic concentrations in the porewater of mangroves (18.4-182 ng/L) were significantly higher than those (13.3-30.4 ng/L) in sandy beaches. However, higher proportions of tetracyclines in sandy sediment than muddy sediment were found. Spatially, the lowest antibiotic concentrations within the mangrove ecosystem occurred in natural areas. Source analysis indicated that antibiotics in mangroves were predominantly derived from localized sewage and wastewater, whereas in sandy beaches, they were primarily attributed to non-point sources via rainfall runoff and tidal forcing. Our findings revealed that sediment properties govern the spatial distribution and ecological risks of antibiotics in coastal zones. The contrasting retention capacities of muddy and sandy coasts dictate divergent ecological risk patterns. An accurate assessment of the environmental risks posed by antibiotics must account for their specific behavior in water-sediment systems. Consequently, management for muddy coasts should emphasize source control, while for sandy coasts, priority should be given to intercepting transport pathways.
{"title":"Contrast antibiotic activities from muddy and sandy coasts and their potential controls","authors":"Shuo Zhang, Lijia Qu, Xintong Li, Ye Lu, Yang Cui, Jianwei Dong, Hui Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127776","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127776","url":null,"abstract":"Muddy and sandy coastlines account for approximately 45% of the world's ice-free coastlines, facing significant ecological risks from antibiotic pollution due to overuse. This study elucidates how fundamental differences in sediment composition govern the distinct transport and fate of antibiotics in these contrasting coastal systems. Muddy coasts primarily consisted of fine-grained sediments with higher water contents, whereas sandy coasts are characterized by coarse-grained sand and gravel with better water permeability. Porewater acts as a bridge between overlying water and sediment, playing a crucial role in contaminant transport. This study compared the antibiotic pollution patterns and revealed the regulatory mechanisms of coastal sediment on the antibiotic source - sink processes. Results showed that antibiotic concentrations in the porewater of mangroves (18.4-182 ng/L) were significantly higher than those (13.3-30.4 ng/L) in sandy beaches. However, higher proportions of tetracyclines in sandy sediment than muddy sediment were found. Spatially, the lowest antibiotic concentrations within the mangrove ecosystem occurred in natural areas. Source analysis indicated that antibiotics in mangroves were predominantly derived from localized sewage and wastewater, whereas in sandy beaches, they were primarily attributed to non-point sources via rainfall runoff and tidal forcing. Our findings revealed that sediment properties govern the spatial distribution and ecological risks of antibiotics in coastal zones. The contrasting retention capacities of muddy and sandy coasts dictate divergent ecological risk patterns. An accurate assessment of the environmental risks posed by antibiotics must account for their specific behavior in water-sediment systems. Consequently, management for muddy coasts should emphasize source control, while for sandy coasts, priority should be given to intercepting transport pathways.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"199 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid is an unsafe substitute to perfluorooctanoic acid: the perspectives of intestinal microflora and hepatotoxicity in frog","authors":"Xindi Ye, Wei Cai, Xin Zheng, Sihan Zhang, Wanze Ouyang, Zhiquan Liu, Hangjun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127782","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127782","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}