Liver disease has become a growing health burden, and little is known about the impairment of liver function caused by exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs) in adolescents aged 12–19 years in the United States. To investigate the relationship between urinary metabolites of OPEs including diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP), bis(1-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCPP), bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), and dibutyl phosphate (DBUP) and liver function in US adolescents aged 12–19 years. Liver function tests (LFTs) include aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TBIL), total protein (TP), and AST/ALT. Meanwhile, potential confounding and interaction effects were assessed. The study sample included 592 adolescents aged 12–19 from two consecutive NHANES cycles (2011–2012, 2013–2014). A composite statistical strategy combining traditional linear regression with advanced multi-pollutant models quantile based g-computation (QGC) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) regression was used to analyze the joint effects of multiple OPEs on liver function indicators, and to describe the interaction between different OPEs in detail. 592 adolescent participants were 15 (14–17) years old, with similar numbers of males and females (304 vs. 288). The analysis results showed that (1) in the linear regression model, individual DPHP, BCEP exposure and ALP changes, BCEP and AST/ALT changes were positively associated. DPHP, BDCPP were negatively associated with TP changes. (2) The combined effects of various OPEs on ALB, ALT, ALP, GGT, TBIL, TP, and AST/ALT were statistically significant. (3) There is no potential interaction between different OPEs. Several OPEs and their combinations are closely related to the 8 LFT indicators. In addition, data suggest that exposure to OPEs in adolescents may be associated with liver damage. Due to limited evidence in the literature and potential limitations of the current study, our findings require more studies to confirm.

Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), as one of the most widely used new brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), can pose a potential threat to human health and the environment. An integrated transcriptome and proteome was performed for investigating the toxicological molecular mechanisms of Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) during the biodegradation of DBDPE at the concentrations of 5 and 20 mg/L. A total of 1193/1018 and 92/126 differentially expressed genes/proteins (DEGs/DEPs) were found, respectively, with DBDPE exposure at 5 and 20 mg/L. These DEGs and DEPs were mainly involved in the cellular process as well as metabolic process. DEPs for oxidation-reduction process and hydrolase activity were up-regulated, and those for membrane, lipid metabolic process and transmembrane transport were down-regulated. The DEGs and DEPs related to some key enzymes were down-regulated, such as NADH dehydrogenase/oxidoreductase, succinate dehydrogenase, cytochrome C1 protein, cytochrome-c oxidase/reductase and ATP synthase, which indicated that DBDPE affected the oxidative phosphorylation as well as tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) might be involved in DBDPE degradation through hydroxylation and oxidation. Some stress proteins were induced to resist DBDPE toxicity, including major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter, superoxide dismutase (SOD), molecular chaperones, heat shock proteins (HSP20, HSP26, HSP42), 60S ribosomal protein and histone H4. The findings help revealing the toxicological molecular mechanisms of DBDPE on P. ostreatus, aiming to improve the removal of DBDPE.

The presence of Per-, Poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in aquatic ecosystems has drawn broad concerns in the scientific community due to their biological toxicity. However, little has been explored regarding PFASs' removal in phytoplankton-dominated environments. This study aimed to create a simulated bacteria-algae symbiotic ecosystem to observe the potential transportation of PFASs. Mass distributions showed that sand (63–2000 μm), silt & clay (0–63 μm), the phycosphere (>3 μm plankton), and the free-living biosphere (0.22–3 μm plankton) contained 19.00, 7.78, 5.73 and 2.75% PFASs in their total mass, respectively. Significant correlations were observed between carbon chain lengths and removal rates (R² = 0.822, p < 10⁻⁴). Structural equation models revealed potential PFAS transportation pathways, such as water-phycosphere- free-living biosphere-sand-silt&clay, and water-sand-silt&clay (p < 0.05). The presence of PFASs decreased the bacterial density but increased algal density (p < 0.01) in the planktonic environment, and PFASs with longer carbon chain lengths showed a stronger enhancement in microbial community successions (p < 0.05). In algal metabolisms, chlorophyll-a and carotenoids were the key pigments that resisted reactive oxygen species caused by PFASs. PFBA (perfluorobutyric acid) (10.38–14.68%) and PFTeDA (perfluorotetradecanoic acid) (10.33–15.96%) affected bacterial metabolisms in phycosphere the most, while in the free-living biosphere was most effected by PFPeA (perfluorovaleric acid) (13.21–13.99%) and PFDoA (perfluorododecanoic acid) (10.04–10.50%). The results of this study provide new guidance measures for PFAS removal and management in aquatic environments.

Antibiotics are omnipresent in the environment due to their widespread use, and they have wide-ranging negative impacts on organisms. Virus resistance differs substantially between domesticated Apis mellifera and wild Apis cerana, although both are commonly raised in China. Here, we investigated whether antibiotics can increase the sensitivity of honey bees to viral infection using the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) and tetracycline as representative virus and antibiotic. Although IAPV multiplied to lower levels in A. cerana than A. mellifera, resulting in decreased mortality (P < 0.01), there was no significant difference in immune responses to viral infection between the two species. Adult worker bees (A. cerana and A. mellifera) were treated with or without tetracycline to demonstrate the prominent role of gut microbiota against viral infection, and found Lactobacillus played a vital antiviral role in A. cerana. In A. cerana but not A. mellifera, tetracycline treatment reduced clearly bee survival and increased susceptibility to IAPV infection (P < 0.01). Our findings revealed that long-term antibiotic treatment in A. mellifera had altered the native gut microbiome and promoted the sensitivity to viral infection. We highlight the effects of antibiotics exposure on resistance to microbial and viral infection.

The adverse effects of fine atmospheric particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters of ≤2.5 μm (PM₂.₅) are closely associated with particulate chemicals. In this study, PM₂.₅ samples were collected from highway and industry sites in Hangzhou, China, during the autumn and winter, and their cytotoxicity and pulmonary toxicity and endocrine-disrupting potential (EDP) were evaluated in vitro and in vivo; the particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalate esters (PAEs), and heavy metals were then characterized. The toxicological results suggested that the PM₂.₅ from highway site induced higher cytotoxicity (cell viability inhibition, intracellular oxidative stress, and cell membrane injury) and pulmonary toxicity (inflammatory response (IR) and oxidative stress (OS)) than the samples from industry site, while the PM₂.₅ from industry site exhibited higher EDP (estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity). The cytotoxicity and pulmonary toxicity of PM₂.₅ in the winter were higher than those in the autumn, while no seasonal difference in the endocrine-disrupting potential was observed (p > 0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis between the biological effects and particulate chemicals revealed that the PM₂.₅-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress were closely associated with the particulate PAHs and heavy metals (Pearson correlation coefficients: rIR, PAHₛ = 0.822–0.988, rIR, ₕₑₐᵥy ₘₑₜₐₗₛ = 0.895–0.971, rOS, PAHₛ = 0.843–0.986, and rOS, ₕₑₐᵥy ₘₑₜₐₗₛ = 0.887–0.933), while particulate di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) substantially contributed to the EDP of PM₂.₅ (rEDP, DEHP = 0.981). This study indicated that the toxicity and EDP of PM₂.₅ could vary with the surrounding environment and season, which was closely associated with the variations of particulate chemicals. Further studies are needed to clarify the associations between the harmful effects of PM₂.₅ and other contributing factors.

Oil pollution remains a prominent local hazard to coral reefs, but the sensitivity of some coral life stages to oil exposure remains unstudied. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), ubiquitous on coral reefs, may significantly increase oil toxicity towards these critical habitat-forming taxa. Here we present the first data on the sensitivity of two distinct post-settlement life stages of the model coral species Acropora millepora to a heavy fuel oil (HFO) water accommodated fraction (WAF) in the absence and presence of UVR. Assessment of lethal and sublethal endpoints indicates that both 1-week-old and 2-month-old recruits (1-wo and 2-mo) were negatively affected by chronic exposures to HFO (7 and 14 days, respectively). Relative growth (1-wo and 2-mo recruits) and survival (1-wo recruits) at end of exposure were the most sensitive endpoints in the absence of UVR, with no effect concentrations (NEC) of 34.3, 5.7 and 29.3 μg L⁻¹ total aromatic hydrocarbons (TAH; ∑39 monocyclic- and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), respectively. On average, UVR increased the negative effects by 10% for affected endpoints, and latent effects of exposure were evident for relative growth and symbiont uptake of recruits. Other sublethal endpoints, including maximum quantum yield and tissue colour score, were unaffected by chronic HFO exposure. A comparison of putative species-specific sensitivity constants for these ecologically relevant endpoints, indicates A. millepora recruits may be as sensitive as the most sensitive species currently included in oil toxicity databases. While the low intensity UVR only significantly increased the negative effects of the oil for one endpoint, the majority of endpoints showed trends towards increased toxicity in the presence of UVR. Therefore, the data presented here further support the standard incorporation of UVR in oil toxicity testing for tropical corals.

Additives are considered a promising approach to accelerate the composting process and alleviate the dissemination of pollutants to the environment. However, nearly all previous articles have focused on the impact of additive amounts on the reduction of HMs, which may not fully represent the main factor shaping HMs bioavailability status during composting. Simultaneously, previous reviews only explored the impacts, speciation, and toxicity mechanism of HMs during composting. Hence, a global-scale meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the response patterns of HMs bioavailability and compost parameters to different additives, composting duration, and composting factors (additive types, feedstock, bulking agents, and composting methods) by measuring the weighted mean values of the response ratio "[ln (RR)]" and size effect (%). The results revealed that additives significantly lessened HMs bioavailability by ≥ 40% in the final compost products than controls. The bioavailability decline rates were −40%, −60%, −57%, −55%, −42%, and −44% for Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, and Cd. Simultaneously, additives significantly improved the total nitrogen (TN) (+16%), pH (+5%), and temperature (+5%), and decreased total organic carbon (TOC) (−17%), moisture content (MC) (−18%), and C/N ratio (−19%). Furthermore, we found that the prolongation of composting time significantly promoted the effect of additives on declining HMs bioavailability (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, increasing additive amounts revealed an insignificant impact on decreasing the HMs bioavailability (p > 0.05). Eventually, using zeolite as an additive, chicken manure as feedstock, sawdust as a bulking agent, and a reactor as composting method had the most significant reduction effect on HMs bioavailability (p < 0.05). The findings of this meta-analysis may contribute to the selection, modification, and application of additives and composting factors to manage the level of bioavailable HMs in the compost products.

The toxicity of nano-sized particles of mercury (NP–Hg), which are thought to be generated during the detoxification of methyl mercury (MeHg), may differ from that of MeHg, elemental Hg (Hg⁰), and inorganic Hg (I–Hg). From a human health perspective, it is important to evaluate the presence of NP-Hg in seafoods. We investigated the in vivo formation of NP-Hg in fish and shellfish, which are the main sources of Hg exposure in humans. NP-Hg was measured in 90 fish samples with single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) after enzyme degradation with pancreatin and lipase. In addition to NP-Hg, total Hg (T-Hg), MeHg, and selenium (Se) concentrations were evaluated. Transient Hg signals were detected as nanoparticles from almost all samples by using spICP-MS. Higher particle number concentrations (CPN) were observed in the tuna–swordfish group than in the shellfish group (17.7 × 10⁷ vs. 1.2 × 10⁶ particles/g, respectively). Although the CPN and maximum particle mass increased significantly with increasing T-Hg concentration, the increase in CPN was greater than those in maximum particle mass. Assuming that the NP-Hg detected was HgSe (tiemannite) and spherical based on previous reports, the maximum particle diameter was estimated to be 89 nm. The mean dietary exposures to NP-Hg, T-Hg, and MeHg were estimated to be 0.067, 5.75, and 5.32 μg/person per day, respectively. Generation of NP-Hg was inferred to be widespread in marine animals, with a preferential increase in the number of particles rather than an increase in particle size. The mean dietary exposure to NP-Hg in Japanese people was estimated to be 1.2 ng/kg body weight (BW) per day. Compared to PTWI of 4 μg/kg BW per week (0.57 μg/kg BW per day) derived by JECFA (2011), the health risk from redissolved I–Hg from NP-Hg is small.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used by manufacturers and in consumer products. Its release in the environment may affect male reproductive function. In this study, we examined the effect of low dose (0.1 mg/kg BW), short term exposure during puberty (PD21-35) on adult rat male reproduction. The results indicated that such exposure reset growth hormone (GH) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) homeostasis and resulted in a significantly higher level of serum testosterone without affecting serum luteinizing hormone level. QPCR and Western blot results showed that BPA significantly up-regulated selective genes/proteins in the Leydig cell steroidogenic pathway, including steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, cytochrome P450 11A1, cytochrome P450 17A, and low-density lipoprotein receptor. RNA-Seq analysis of testicular RNAs showed that BPA significantly affected the gene profiles of multiple testicular interstitial populations without affecting germ cells. Also, GO- and KEGG-analysis suggested that IGF1-related PI3K/AKT signaling was activated, which was confirmed by the increased phosphorylation of IRS1, AKT1 and CREB. The results indicated that a low-dose, short-term BPA exposure during puberty affected the adult male rat pituitary (GH and FSH) and testis (testosterone) homeostasis.

Melatonin (MT) and selenium (Se) application known to decrease heavy metal uptake and toxicity in plants. By mixing the Se in MT medium a new complex MT-Se nanoparticles (MT-Se NPs) was synthesized and we investigated the role of MT-Se NPs on B. napus growth and tolerance against As stress. The MT-Se particles significantly enhanced the plant growth and other associated physiological attributes under As stress. The As treatment at 80 μM was more phytotoxic, however MT-Se NPs application resulted in a substantial increase in leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, biomass accumulation, and decreased ROS relative to As stressed plants. The use of MT-Se NPs to As stressed plants reduced photosynthetic inhibition and oxidative stress and attenuated the increase in MDA and H₂O₂ contents. The application of MT-Se NPs also boosted the antioxidant enzymes activities such as SOD, POD and CAT as well as the APX, GR and GSH activates under As stress. The results also showed MT-Se NPs treatments alleviated the growth inhibition induced by As and reduced the accumulation of As in leaves and roots of B. napus seedlings. Moreover, treatment with MT-Se NPs improved the plant growth more successfully than treatment of MT and Se alone. This study explored the mechanism of melatonin and selenium efficiency in the composition can be jointly encouraged to exert synergistic effects and boost plant enzymatic activities.