Pyrethroid pesticides are extensively applied in agriculture and public health, leading to considerable environmental contamination and human exposure. D-tetramethrin is a widely used household insecticide frequently encountered by humans. Although considered low-toxicity, its potential to induce neurotoxicity and motor dysfunction remains poorly defined. Here, we evaluated the developmental neurotoxicity of D-tetramethrin using zebrafish embryos and human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. In vivo, exposure caused impaired development with increased malformations and reduced locomotor activity. Neurobehavioral testing revealed weakened touch and light–dark responses, anxiety-like behavior, and neuronal abnormalities, indicative of developmental neurotoxicity. Biochemical analyses demonstrated decreased ATPase and AChE activities, reduced GABA levels, compromised antioxidant defenses (SOD, CAT, GSH), and elevated ROS and MDA, consistent with oxidative stress. Transcriptomic profiling identified differentially expressed genes enriched in pathways related to neurodevelopment, neurotransmission, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. To further validate these findings, SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to D-tetramethrin and showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, ROS accumulation, and apoptosis, consistent with transcriptomic predictions. In summary, D-tetramethrin disrupts neurodevelopment, neurotransmitter balance, and antioxidant defenses while promoting oxidative stress and apoptosis, leading to neurotoxicity and locomotor dysfunction in zebrafish embryos, further supported by in vitro validation.
{"title":"Mechanisms of D‑tetramethrin‑induced neurotoxicity and locomotor abnormalities in zebrafish embryos revealed by transcriptomic analysis","authors":"Yuanhai Xie , Yunlong Meng , Yu Chen , Kangyu Liu , Lirong Huang , Xingkun Tang , Haining Li , Jianjun Chen , Zilin Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pyrethroid pesticides are extensively applied in agriculture and public health, leading to considerable environmental contamination and human exposure. <span>D</span>-tetramethrin is a widely used household insecticide frequently encountered by humans. Although considered low-toxicity, its potential to induce neurotoxicity and motor dysfunction remains poorly defined. Here, we evaluated the developmental neurotoxicity of <span>D</span>-tetramethrin using zebrafish embryos and human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. In vivo, exposure caused impaired development with increased malformations and reduced locomotor activity. Neurobehavioral testing revealed weakened touch and light–dark responses, anxiety-like behavior, and neuronal abnormalities, indicative of developmental neurotoxicity. Biochemical analyses demonstrated decreased ATPase and AChE activities, reduced GABA levels, compromised antioxidant defenses (SOD, CAT, GSH), and elevated ROS and MDA, consistent with oxidative stress. Transcriptomic profiling identified differentially expressed genes enriched in pathways related to neurodevelopment, neurotransmission, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. To further validate these findings, SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to <span>D</span>-tetramethrin and showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, ROS accumulation, and apoptosis, consistent with transcriptomic predictions. In summary, <span>D</span>-tetramethrin disrupts neurodevelopment, neurotransmitter balance, and antioxidant defenses while promoting oxidative stress and apoptosis, leading to neurotoxicity and locomotor dysfunction in zebrafish embryos, further supported by in vitro validation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141082"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145908882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141086
Yu-Long Ren , Kai Chen , Yue Li , Yan-Zhan Jia , Hao Wang , Lin Wang
The escalating global incidence of male infertility is closely linked to environmental endocrine disruptors, particularly pesticides. Glyphosate (GLY) is a widely used pesticide with endocrine-disrupting activity and has been recognized to pose substantial public health risks. However, its impact on male reproductive health and the underlying mechanisms remains poorly defined. Thus, the present study established a 24-week mouse model of chronic GLY exposure to investigate its effects on spermatogenesis systematically. Pathological analysis revealed that GLY exposure damaged seminiferous tubules and induced sperm acrosomal defects. These defects originated from GLY-induced disruption of the Golgi apparatus, which impaired the accumulation and fusion of proacrosomal vesicles on spermatid nuclei. Integrated network toxicology and transcriptomics showed that autophagy is a critical mediator of GLY-induced Golgi damage and suppression of vesicle biosynthesis. Further analysis demonstrated that GLY triggered Golgi fragmentation and reduced proacrosomal vesicles via activating Golgiphagy. Importantly, knockdown of Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3), a novel Golgiphagy receptor, markedly attenuated GLY-induced Golgiphagy and restored the Golgi structure. Taken together, chronic GLY exposure compromises acrosome biogenesis during spermatogenesis by activating GOLPH3-mediated Golgiphagy, thereby impairing sperm quality. These findings provide a feasible therapeutic strategy to counteract the reproductive health threats posed by GLY and analogous environmental pollutants.
{"title":"Environmental glyphosate exposure compromises sperm quality in mice by impairing acrosome biogenesis via GOLPH3-mediated golgiphagy","authors":"Yu-Long Ren , Kai Chen , Yue Li , Yan-Zhan Jia , Hao Wang , Lin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141086","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141086","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating global incidence of male infertility is closely linked to environmental endocrine disruptors, particularly pesticides. Glyphosate (GLY) is a widely used pesticide with endocrine-disrupting activity and has been recognized to pose substantial public health risks. However, its impact on male reproductive health and the underlying mechanisms remains poorly defined. Thus, the present study established a 24-week mouse model of chronic GLY exposure to investigate its effects on spermatogenesis systematically. Pathological analysis revealed that GLY exposure damaged seminiferous tubules and induced sperm acrosomal defects. These defects originated from GLY-induced disruption of the Golgi apparatus, which impaired the accumulation and fusion of proacrosomal vesicles on spermatid nuclei. Integrated network toxicology and transcriptomics showed that autophagy is a critical mediator of GLY-induced Golgi damage and suppression of vesicle biosynthesis. Further analysis demonstrated that GLY triggered Golgi fragmentation and reduced proacrosomal vesicles via activating Golgiphagy. Importantly, knockdown of Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3), a novel Golgiphagy receptor, markedly attenuated GLY-induced Golgiphagy and restored the Golgi structure. Taken together, chronic GLY exposure compromises acrosome biogenesis during spermatogenesis by activating GOLPH3-mediated Golgiphagy, thereby impairing sperm quality. These findings provide a feasible therapeutic strategy to counteract the reproductive health threats posed by GLY and analogous environmental pollutants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141086"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141080
Yanping Zhang , Xu Li , Youzhao Wang , Fuxin Yang , Chaoyue Zhao , Shujie Hou , Bingzhen Li , Ziwei Dai , Yang Yun , Feng Ma , Liying Hao , Tong Zhu
The aging of microplastics (MPs) during composting is traditionally attributed to microbially driven biodegradation. However, the direct role of heat on MPs in composting has not been fundamentally understood. Here, we reveal for the first time that the composting heat drives MPs aging by directly disentangling polymer chains. We conducted a comparative experiment between hyperthermophilic composting (HTC) and thermophilic composting (TC), and combined it with molecular dynamics simulations and the Boruta machine-learning algorithm. During the early stage of HTC (90°C), van der Waals forces between PBAT molecular chains decreased to −2616.36 kcal/mol, the free volume fraction increased to 14.38 %, and the hydroxyl radical diffusion coefficient increased to 5.38 × 10−3 Å2/ps. In addition to molecular chain disentanglement, composting aging resulted in significant changes in surface physicochemical properties of PBAT-MPs. Elemental analysis showed an increased surface oxidation degree, with the C/O ratio decreasing from 2.67 to 1.78 in HTC (compared to 2.02 in TC). After the molecular chain disentanglement, HTC further facilitated the development of a plastisphere core microbiota (Oceanobacillus and unclassified_f_Bacillaceae reached relative abundances of 9.19 % and 20.31 %), which boosted microbial degradation efficiency during late stage. We confirm that the direct disentangling effect induced by high temperature is pivotal for the aging process within the high-molecular-weight fractions of PBAT-MPs. These results revise the microorganism-dominant aging paradigm in composting, demonstrating that thermal energy directly disentangles polymeric molecular chains to drive MPs aging. This study provided new insights into the underlying mechanisms governing MPs aging in composting environments.
{"title":"Thermally driven polymer disentanglement: An overlooked Key pathway in PBAT-microplastic aging during composting","authors":"Yanping Zhang , Xu Li , Youzhao Wang , Fuxin Yang , Chaoyue Zhao , Shujie Hou , Bingzhen Li , Ziwei Dai , Yang Yun , Feng Ma , Liying Hao , Tong Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aging of microplastics (MPs) during composting is traditionally attributed to microbially driven biodegradation. However, the direct role of heat on MPs in composting has not been fundamentally understood. Here, we reveal for the first time that the composting heat drives MPs aging by directly disentangling polymer chains. We conducted a comparative experiment between hyperthermophilic composting (HTC) and thermophilic composting (TC), and combined it with molecular dynamics simulations and the Boruta machine-learning algorithm. During the early stage of HTC (90°C), van der Waals forces between PBAT molecular chains decreased to −2616.36 kcal/mol, the free volume fraction increased to 14.38 %, and the hydroxyl radical diffusion coefficient increased to 5.38 × 10<sup>−3</sup> Å<sup>2</sup>/ps. In addition to molecular chain disentanglement, composting aging resulted in significant changes in surface physicochemical properties of PBAT-MPs. Elemental analysis showed an increased surface oxidation degree, with the C/O ratio decreasing from 2.67 to 1.78 in HTC (compared to 2.02 in TC). After the molecular chain disentanglement, HTC further facilitated the development of a plastisphere core microbiota (<em>Oceanobacillus</em> and <em>unclassified_f_Bacillaceae</em> reached relative abundances of 9.19 % and 20.31 %), which boosted microbial degradation efficiency during late stage. We confirm that the direct disentangling effect induced by high temperature is pivotal for the aging process within the high-molecular-weight fractions of PBAT-MPs. These results revise the microorganism-dominant aging paradigm in composting, demonstrating that thermal energy directly disentangles polymeric molecular chains to drive MPs aging. This study provided new insights into the underlying mechanisms governing MPs aging in composting environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141080"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141083
Yu-Kang Li , Ge-Yi Fu , Zhen Rong , Jun-Qing Chen , Zhi-Hao Ding , Zu-Xin Zhang , Hua-Hua Jian , Wen-Sheng Shu , Yue-Hong Wu , Xue-Wei Xu
Ferromanganese nodule deposits represent unique deep-sea habitats characterized by metal-rich environments. However, the composition and ecological functions of viral communities inhabiting the regions remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the composition, distribution patterns, and potential ecological roles of viral community in both sediments and nodules from ferromanganese nodule deposits. Our results indicated that viral community distribution was influenced by sediment depth, habitat type, and microbial community. Furthermore, viruses may enhance the environmental adaptability of microbial hosts by encoding auxiliary metabolic genes, thereby indirectly influencing the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur. Notably, viral genomes in ferromanganese nodule deposits contained a high frequency of metal resistance genes (MRGs). At the viral operational taxonomic unit (vOTU) level, the proportion of MRG- encoding vOTUs was 2.46–67.50 times higher in deep-sea habitats than in other marine environments, suggesting potential horizontal gene transfer of MRGs between hosts in sediments and ferromanganese nodules. Laboratory experiments confirmed that some virus-encoded MRGs could significantly enhance microbial metal resistance. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive characterization of viral communities in ferromanganese nodule deposits, highlighting their role in microbial adaptation and providing valuable insights for environmental impact assessments of deep-sea mining.
{"title":"Unique ecological functions of viral communities potentially influence microbial adaptability in deep-sea ferromanganese nodule deposits","authors":"Yu-Kang Li , Ge-Yi Fu , Zhen Rong , Jun-Qing Chen , Zhi-Hao Ding , Zu-Xin Zhang , Hua-Hua Jian , Wen-Sheng Shu , Yue-Hong Wu , Xue-Wei Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ferromanganese nodule deposits represent unique deep-sea habitats characterized by metal-rich environments. However, the composition and ecological functions of viral communities inhabiting the regions remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the composition, distribution patterns, and potential ecological roles of viral community in both sediments and nodules from ferromanganese nodule deposits. Our results indicated that viral community distribution was influenced by sediment depth, habitat type, and microbial community. Furthermore, viruses may enhance the environmental adaptability of microbial hosts by encoding auxiliary metabolic genes, thereby indirectly influencing the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur. Notably, viral genomes in ferromanganese nodule deposits contained a high frequency of metal resistance genes (MRGs). At the viral operational taxonomic unit (vOTU) level, the proportion of MRG- encoding vOTUs was 2.46–67.50 times higher in deep-sea habitats than in other marine environments, suggesting potential horizontal gene transfer of MRGs between hosts in sediments and ferromanganese nodules. Laboratory experiments confirmed that some virus-encoded MRGs could significantly enhance microbial metal resistance. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive characterization of viral communities in ferromanganese nodule deposits, highlighting their role in microbial adaptation and providing valuable insights for environmental impact assessments of deep-sea mining.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141083"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141087
Jianyu Qu , Xin Jiang , Ying Ma , Xin Sheng , Changyi Pi , Yuanbin Wang , Qiurong Xu , Rican Li , Peiran Wang , Dongping Qian , Ji Wang , Zili Yi , Jine Yi , Lixin Wen , Shuiping Liu
Arsenic, a pervasive environmental contaminant in groundwater, poses a severe global threat to public health. Chronic arsenic exposure has been linked to neurological impairment, however, its specific pathogenic mechanism and whether the gut-brain axis plays a key role remain unclear. This study investigated the role of gut microbiota and its metabolite indoxyl sulfate (IS) in mediating chronic exposure to arsenic-induced cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like pathology, with a specific focus on microglial pyroptosis. We found that chronic arsenic exposure induced cognitive dysfunction and intestinal barrier injury, disrupted gut microbiota composition, promoted IS accumulation in serum and brain, and activated the AhR/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway, triggering microglial pyroptosis and elevating AD-like pathological markers in mice. Meanwhile, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from arsenic-exposed mice recapitulated cognitive impairment, elevated IS levels, and neuroinflammation in recipient mice. Furthermore, arsenic upregulated hepatic IS-synthesis genes (CYP2E1, Sult1d1) and downregulated renal IS-excretion gene (ABCG2). In vitro, arsenic and IS co-exposure promoted M1 polarization and enhanced pyroptosis by activating the AhR/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway, while suppressing phagocytosis-related proteins (TREM2, SYK and CD36). Furthermore, SiAhR treatment could alleviated microglial inflammatory injury and enhancing the microglia’s phagocytic capacity induced by arsenic and IS co-exposure in BV2 cells through inhibiting the AhR/NF-κB/NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis signaling pathway. In conclusion, chronic arsenic exposure induced cognitive impairment and AD-like pathological via the gut microbiota-AhR-pyroptosis cascade, where in IS accumulation served a key mediator. These findings provide new insights into preventing arsenic-related cognitive damage.
{"title":"Unveiling the gut-brain axis: How chronic exposure to arsenic-induced microglial pyroptosis drives Alzheimer's disease-like pathology","authors":"Jianyu Qu , Xin Jiang , Ying Ma , Xin Sheng , Changyi Pi , Yuanbin Wang , Qiurong Xu , Rican Li , Peiran Wang , Dongping Qian , Ji Wang , Zili Yi , Jine Yi , Lixin Wen , Shuiping Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arsenic, a pervasive environmental contaminant in groundwater, poses a severe global threat to public health. Chronic arsenic exposure has been linked to neurological impairment, however, its specific pathogenic mechanism and whether the gut-brain axis plays a key role remain unclear. This study investigated the role of gut microbiota and its metabolite indoxyl sulfate (IS) in mediating chronic exposure to arsenic-induced cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like pathology, with a specific focus on microglial pyroptosis. We found that chronic arsenic exposure induced cognitive dysfunction and intestinal barrier injury, disrupted gut microbiota composition, promoted IS accumulation in serum and brain, and activated the AhR/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway, triggering microglial pyroptosis and elevating AD-like pathological markers in mice. Meanwhile, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from arsenic-exposed mice recapitulated cognitive impairment, elevated IS levels, and neuroinflammation in recipient mice. Furthermore, arsenic upregulated hepatic IS-synthesis genes (<em>CYP2E1</em>, <em>Sult1d1</em>) and downregulated renal IS-excretion gene (<em>ABCG2</em>). <em>In vitro</em>, arsenic and IS co-exposure promoted M1 polarization and enhanced pyroptosis by activating the AhR/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway, while suppressing phagocytosis-related proteins (TREM2, SYK and CD36). Furthermore, SiAhR treatment could alleviated microglial inflammatory injury and enhancing the microglia’s phagocytic capacity induced by arsenic and IS co-exposure in BV2 cells through inhibiting the AhR/NF-κB/NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis signaling pathway. In conclusion, chronic arsenic exposure induced cognitive impairment and AD-like pathological <em>via</em> the gut microbiota-AhR-pyroptosis cascade, where in IS accumulation served a key mediator. These findings provide new insights into preventing arsenic-related cognitive damage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141087"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141075
Hao Wu , Ruiqi Weng , Jiyuan Wang , Yihan Chen , XinTong Chen , Jialu Xu , Yijie Zhang , Hairun Li , Xinyi Fei , Ruke Wang , Yuqing Shao , Anni Jin , Xiaodong Yao , Huiliang Zou , Hongyu Li , Keda Chen
Malachite Green hydrochloride is an N-methylated diamine triphenylmethane dye widely used in aquaculture, food coloring, and additives. However, due to its significant toxic properties, the use of Malachite Green hydrochloride has been strictly regulated or banned in many countries. Despite this, illegal use of the dye still persists, posing a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. This study uses the gastropod mollusk Biomphalaria glabrata as a model organism. We systematically evaluated the ecotoxicological effects of Malachite Green hydrochloride in adults, newly hatched snails, and embryos. We analyzed cellular and tissue structures to assess toxicity. These analyses revealed marked toxic effects of Malachite Green hydrochloride in B. glabrata. They also helped clarify the biological harm caused by this dye. The results indicated substantial toxicity of Malachite Green hydrochloride to B. glabrata. The LC50 for embryos at 216 h was 0.047 mg/L (R² = 0.84). The LC50 for newly hatched snails at 96 h was 1.1 mg/L (R² = 0.8879). The LC50 for adults at 96 h was 4.4 mg/L (R² = 0.7640). Malachite Green hydrochloride caused significant structural damage to hemocytes, gonads, and hepatopancreas tissues in B. glabrata. The toxic effects exhibited a clear dose–response relationship. Especially when the exposure concentration reaches 1.0 mg/L or higher, significant toxicological changes can be observed in both acute and chronic exposure experiments on adults. These findings provide strong experimental evidence for the toxic damage of Malachite Green hydrochloride to aquatic mollusks. They also support environmental risk assessment and regulatory control of this dye.
{"title":"Toxicological effects of malachite green hydrochloride on the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata: An ecological risk assessment","authors":"Hao Wu , Ruiqi Weng , Jiyuan Wang , Yihan Chen , XinTong Chen , Jialu Xu , Yijie Zhang , Hairun Li , Xinyi Fei , Ruke Wang , Yuqing Shao , Anni Jin , Xiaodong Yao , Huiliang Zou , Hongyu Li , Keda Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141075","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141075","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Malachite Green hydrochloride is an N-methylated diamine triphenylmethane dye widely used in aquaculture, food coloring, and additives. However, due to its significant toxic properties, the use of Malachite Green hydrochloride has been strictly regulated or banned in many countries. Despite this, illegal use of the dye still persists, posing a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. This study uses the gastropod mollusk <em>Biomphalaria glabrata</em> as a model organism. We systematically evaluated the ecotoxicological effects of Malachite Green hydrochloride in adults, newly hatched snails, and embryos. We analyzed cellular and tissue structures to assess toxicity. These analyses revealed marked toxic effects of Malachite Green hydrochloride in <em>B. glabrata</em>. They also helped clarify the biological harm caused by this dye. The results indicated substantial toxicity of Malachite Green hydrochloride to <em>B. glabrata</em>. The LC<sub>50</sub> for embryos at 216 h was 0.047 mg/L (R² = 0.84). The LC<sub>50</sub> for newly hatched snails at 96 h was 1.1 mg/L (R² = 0.8879). The LC<sub>50</sub> for adults at 96 h was 4.4 mg/L (R² = 0.7640). Malachite Green hydrochloride caused significant structural damage to hemocytes, gonads, and hepatopancreas tissues in <em>B. glabrata</em>. The toxic effects exhibited a clear dose–response relationship. Especially when the exposure concentration reaches 1.0 mg/L or higher, significant toxicological changes can be observed in both acute and chronic exposure experiments on adults. These findings provide strong experimental evidence for the toxic damage of Malachite Green hydrochloride to aquatic mollusks. They also support environmental risk assessment and regulatory control of this dye.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141075"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145919815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Pesticides are emerging pollutants that have attracted global concern due to their environmental risks. However, the presence of pesticides and their ecological impacts remain unclear, especially in rivers within hill-to-plain transitional zones. This study examined seasonal changes and environmental risks of pesticides, along with their relationships with land use and sediment bacterial communities in a river at the upper Lake Taihu basin. Among the 119 current-use pesticides, 22 were found in overlying water and 54 in sediment. The mean detection rates (DFs) of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides were, respectively, 74 %, 70 %, and 82 % in overlying water sampled in three (wet, normal and dry) seasons. The average total pesticide concentrations in water peaked in the wet season (11, 598 ng/L), followed by the normal (342.26 ng/L), and dry seasons (130.55 ng/L). Pearson correlation analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling show that land use directly affected water quality and pesticide levels. Positive matrix factorization analysis indicated that insecticides, bactericides, and herbicides contributed 45 %, 32 %, and 23 % of the pesticide residual in water, respectively. Notably, in surface water, isoprothiolane, isocarbophos, carbendazim, and metolachlor posed moderate risks both in the wet and dry seasons. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed decreasing bacterial interaction strength along the upstream-to-plain gradient, with Actinobacteria and Firmicutes members likely aiding pesticide degradation in sediments. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of how land use influences pesticide behavior and microbial communities, providing valuable insights for pesticide management in small watersheds of the Lake Taihu basin.
{"title":"Occurrence and environmental risk of pesticides in a hill-to-plain transitional river: Impacts of land use, seasonal dynamics, and sediment bacterial community","authors":"Yaqi Jiang , Songhe Zhang , Shuaijie Jiang , Edwin Hena Dawolo , Tilang Zhang , Jianfei Wanyan","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141073","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141073","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pesticides are emerging pollutants that have attracted global concern due to their environmental risks. However, the presence of pesticides and their ecological impacts remain unclear, especially in rivers within hill-to-plain transitional zones. This study examined seasonal changes and environmental risks of pesticides, along with their relationships with land use and sediment bacterial communities in a river at the upper Lake Taihu basin. Among the 119 current-use pesticides, 22 were found in overlying water and 54 in sediment. The mean detection rates (DFs) of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides were, respectively, 74 %, 70 %, and 82 % in overlying water sampled in three (wet, normal and dry) seasons. The average total pesticide concentrations in water peaked in the wet season (11, 598 ng/L), followed by the normal (342.26 ng/L), and dry seasons (130.55 ng/L). Pearson correlation analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling show that land use directly affected water quality and pesticide levels. Positive matrix factorization analysis indicated that insecticides, bactericides, and herbicides contributed 45 %, 32 %, and 23 % of the pesticide residual in water, respectively. Notably, in surface water, isoprothiolane, isocarbophos, carbendazim, and metolachlor posed moderate risks both in the wet and dry seasons. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed decreasing bacterial interaction strength along the upstream-to-plain gradient, with Actinobacteria and Firmicutes members likely aiding pesticide degradation in sediments. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of how land use influences pesticide behavior and microbial communities, providing valuable insights for pesticide management in small watersheds of the Lake Taihu basin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141073"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145902973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141077
Lianghong Li , Chun Lv , Qijia Zhou , Qiaoguo Tan , Haiying Lin , Qingge Feng , Xiaohong Song , Xianghua Wu , Qiuyan Hu , Lixin Huang , Jie He , Guanjian He , Yujiang Fan
The ubiquitous microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments were easily accessible to the highly toxic Hg(II) to form a complex co-pollutant scenario. The bioaccumulation patterns and toxicological effects of such Hg(II)-adsorbed MPs complexes were not clearly revealed and require in-depth investigation. This study employed oysters (Crassostrea hongkonggensis) as a model organism to investigate the joint effect of aged Hg(II)-adsorbed polyethylene MPs (A-PEs) and tire MPs (A-TMPs). Under medium (200 μg L−1) and high (2 mg L−1) levels, significant accumulation of A-MPs and Hg(II) was observed in the gill and digestive gland, reaching up to 45–57.18 μg g−1. The oysters possessed a self-protection mechanism that relied on follicular exclusion and digestive encapsulation, expelling portions of A-MPs and Hg(II). The accumulation of Hg(II) and A-MPs featured the pattern of a rapid initial increase, a peak during mid-to-late stages, and eventual stabilization or gradual decline in organ burdens. Moreover, A-TMPs exhibited accumulation levels generally 3–6 times higher than those of A-PEs. More importantly, the bioaccumulated Hg(II) was predominantly derived from the food phase via the significant vector of the MPs based on the toxicokinetic model. Furthermore, medium and high concentrations induced oxidative damage, immune dysfunction, and the downregulation of associated gene expression. It was noteworthy that the oysters showed neither significant accumulation of A-MPs and Hg(II) nor notable alterations in the enzyme activities after 25 days of exposure at an environmentally relevant low level (20 μg L−1). These findings offered critical insights into the vector effects of MPs and their synergistic toxic mechanisms with metals in filter-feeding organisms.
{"title":"The bioaccumulation characteristics and combined toxicity effects of aged microplastics with adsorbed Hg(II) in oysters","authors":"Lianghong Li , Chun Lv , Qijia Zhou , Qiaoguo Tan , Haiying Lin , Qingge Feng , Xiaohong Song , Xianghua Wu , Qiuyan Hu , Lixin Huang , Jie He , Guanjian He , Yujiang Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141077","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141077","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ubiquitous microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments were easily accessible to the highly toxic Hg(II) to form a complex co-pollutant scenario. The bioaccumulation patterns and toxicological effects of such Hg(II)-adsorbed MPs complexes were not clearly revealed and require in-depth investigation. This study employed oysters (<em>Crassostrea hongkonggensis</em>) as a model organism to investigate the joint effect of aged Hg(II)-adsorbed polyethylene MPs (A-PEs) and tire MPs (A-TMPs). Under medium (200 μg L<sup>−1</sup>) and high (2 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) levels, significant accumulation of A-MPs and Hg(II) was observed in the gill and digestive gland, reaching up to 45–57.18 μg g<sup>−1</sup>. The oysters possessed a self-protection mechanism that relied on follicular exclusion and digestive encapsulation, expelling portions of A-MPs and Hg(II). The accumulation of Hg(II) and A-MPs featured the pattern of a rapid initial increase, a peak during mid-to-late stages, and eventual stabilization or gradual decline in organ burdens. Moreover, A-TMPs exhibited accumulation levels generally 3–6 times higher than those of A-PEs. More importantly, the bioaccumulated Hg(II) was predominantly derived from the food phase via the significant vector of the MPs based on the toxicokinetic model. Furthermore, medium and high concentrations induced oxidative damage, immune dysfunction, and the downregulation of associated gene expression. It was noteworthy that the oysters showed neither significant accumulation of A-MPs and Hg(II) nor notable alterations in the enzyme activities after 25 days of exposure at an environmentally relevant low level (20 μg L<sup>−1</sup>). These findings offered critical insights into the vector effects of MPs and their synergistic toxic mechanisms with metals in filter-feeding organisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141077"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145902978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141076
Xuanpeng Liu , Jilian Li , Chuan Ma
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a highly carcinogenic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus fungi, has been increasingly identified as a global contaminant in bee pollen. Chronic exposure of honeybees (Apis mellifera) to AFB1-contaminated pollen poses substantial threats to colony health, yet its toxicological impacts remain poorly characterized despite the critical ecological role of these pollinators. In this study, we employed a multidimensional approach to investigate the toxicological effects of sublethal AFB1 exposure on honeybee midgut by integrated morphological, transcriptomic, and metagenomic analyses. Histopathological examination revealed severe midgut epithelium damage, including nuclear disintegration and enhanced apoptosis. Transcriptomic profiling coupled with enzyme activity assays unveiled significant dysregulation in immune response and oxidative stress-related pathways. Furthermore, metagenomic sequencing indicated substantial midgut microbiota alterations, characterized by a pronounced reduction in microbial diversity and beneficial microbe levels. These findings elucidate sublethal AFB1-induced honeybee health deterioration at cellular, molecular, and microbial levels, advancing our understanding of mycotoxin impacts on pollinators.
{"title":"Sublethal aflatoxin B1 exposure triggers multidimensional damage in honeybee (Apis mellifera) midgut: Integrative evidence from histomorphology, transcriptomics, and metagenomics","authors":"Xuanpeng Liu , Jilian Li , Chuan Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a highly carcinogenic mycotoxin produced by <em>Aspergillus</em> fungi, has been increasingly identified as a global contaminant in bee pollen. Chronic exposure of honeybees (<em>Apis mellifera</em>) to AFB1-contaminated pollen poses substantial threats to colony health, yet its toxicological impacts remain poorly characterized despite the critical ecological role of these pollinators. In this study, we employed a multidimensional approach to investigate the toxicological effects of sublethal AFB1 exposure on honeybee midgut by integrated morphological, transcriptomic, and metagenomic analyses. Histopathological examination revealed severe midgut epithelium damage, including nuclear disintegration and enhanced apoptosis. Transcriptomic profiling coupled with enzyme activity assays unveiled significant dysregulation in immune response and oxidative stress-related pathways. Furthermore, metagenomic sequencing indicated substantial midgut microbiota alterations, characterized by a pronounced reduction in microbial diversity and beneficial microbe levels. These findings elucidate sublethal AFB1-induced honeybee health deterioration at cellular, molecular, and microbial levels, advancing our understanding of mycotoxin impacts on pollinators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 141076"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145902971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141070
Ji-Young Kim, Jung-Woong Kim
Environmental exposures are increasingly recognized as key modulators of the epigenome, contributing to both immediate and long-term disease risk. The field of toxicoepigenomics, which investigates how environmental toxicants alter epigenetic regulation, has demonstrated that exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and air pollutants can disrupt gene expression through changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNA expression, and higher-order chromatin structure. Additionally, lifestyle factors—including diet, physical activity, stress, and sleep—interact with these exposures to shape individual epigenetic profiles and influence health trajectories across the lifespan. This review synthesizes current evidence across major pollutant classes and molecular pathways, emphasizing both well-characterized and emerging mechanisms. Retained introns represent post-transcriptional consequences of chromatin-based epigenetic regulation and serve as sensitive indicators of environmentally induced disruptions in transcriptional elongation and splicing fidelity. We also highlight recent advances in high-throughput technologies, including whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, single-cell epigenomics, and epigenetic clock models, which are rapidly enhancing biomarker discovery and mechanistic understanding. By integrating multilayered epigenetic insights across diverse exposure contexts, this review advances the field of toxicoepigenomics and lays the groundwork for developing robust, exposure-responsive biomarkers of environmental disease. These insights offer significant promise for guiding mechanistic research, improving exposure surveillance, and informing the design of precision strategies in environmental health.
{"title":"Toxicoepigenomics: Epigenetic disruption by environmental exposures and implications for biomarker development","authors":"Ji-Young Kim, Jung-Woong Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141070","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental exposures are increasingly recognized as key modulators of the epigenome, contributing to both immediate and long-term disease risk. The field of toxicoepigenomics, which investigates how environmental toxicants alter epigenetic regulation, has demonstrated that exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and air pollutants can disrupt gene expression through changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNA expression, and higher-order chromatin structure. Additionally, lifestyle factors—including diet, physical activity, stress, and sleep—interact with these exposures to shape individual epigenetic profiles and influence health trajectories across the lifespan. This review synthesizes current evidence across major pollutant classes and molecular pathways, emphasizing both well-characterized and emerging mechanisms. Retained introns represent post-transcriptional consequences of chromatin-based epigenetic regulation and serve as sensitive indicators of environmentally induced disruptions in transcriptional elongation and splicing fidelity. We also highlight recent advances in high-throughput technologies, including whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, single-cell epigenomics, and epigenetic clock models, which are rapidly enhancing biomarker discovery and mechanistic understanding. By integrating multilayered epigenetic insights across diverse exposure contexts, this review advances the field of toxicoepigenomics and lays the groundwork for developing robust, exposure-responsive biomarkers of environmental disease. These insights offer significant promise for guiding mechanistic research, improving exposure surveillance, and informing the design of precision strategies in environmental health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 141070"},"PeriodicalIF":11.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145919816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}