The aim of this study was to assess the soil contamination caused by potentially toxic elements (Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, V, and Zn) using various indices and the associated risk of human health for adults and children in selected soils from Germany (Calcic Luvisols, Tidalic Fluvisols, Haplic Gleysols, and Eutric Fluvisols) and Egypt (Haplic Calcisols, Sodic Fluvisols, and Eutric Fluvisols). Soil contamination degree has been assessed using indices such as contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (Igₑₒ), and enrichment factor. We also assessed the health risk for children and for male and female adults. Chromium, Cu, As, Mo, Ni, Se, and Zn in the German Fluvisols had high CF of >6, while in the Egyptian Fluvisols Se, Mo, As, and Al revealed a high CF. The PLI (1.1–5.2) was higher than unity in most soils (except for Tidalic Fluvisols), while the most important contributor was Se, followed by Mo and As in the Egyptian Fluvisols, and by Cr, Cu, and Zn in the German Fluvisols. The median value of hazard index (HI) for children in the studied soils indicated an elevated health risk (higher than one), especially in the German Fluvisols (HI = 4.0–29.0) and in the Egyptian Fluvisols (HI = 2.2–5.2). For adults, median HIs in all soils were lower than unity for both males and females. The key contributor to HI was As in the whole soil profiles, accounting for about 59% of the total HIs in all three person groupings. Our findings show that in the studied multi-element contaminated soils the risk for children’s health is higher than for adults; while mainly As (and Al, Cr, Cu, and Fe) contributed significantly to soil-derived health risk.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a highly pervasive chemical in consumer products with its ascribed endocrine-disrupting properties. Several studies have shown the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic property of BPA over a multitude of tissues. Although BPA exposure has earlier been implicated in female infertility, the underlying molecular mechanisms explaining the toxicity of BPA in the ovary remains less understood. In the present study, a plausible correlation between redox balance or inflammatory signaling and reproductive fitness upon BPA exposure has been examined in zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovary. Congruent with significant alteration of major antioxidant enzymes (SOD1, SOD2, catalase, GPx1α, GSTα1) at the transcript level, 30 d BPA exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations (1, 10 and 100 μg L⁻¹) promotes ovarian ROS/RNS synthesis, lipid peroxidation but attenuates catalase activity indicating elevated stress response. BPA promotes a sharp increase in ovarian p38 MAPK, NF-κB phosphorylation (activation), inducible nitric oxide synthase (Nos2a), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) expression, the reliable markers for inflammatory response. Congruent to an increased number of atretic follicles, BPA-exposed zebrafish ovary reveals elevated Bax/Bcl2 ratio, activation of caspase-8, -3 and DNA breakdown suggesting heightened cell death. Importantly, significant alteration in nuclear estrogen receptor (ER) transcripts (esr1, esr2a, and esr2b) and proteins (ERα, ERβ), gonadotropin receptors, and markers associated with steroidogenesis and growth factor gene expression in BPA-exposed ovary correlates well with impaired ovarian functions and maturational response. Collectively, elevated oxidative/nitrosative stress-mediated inflammatory response and altered ER expression can influence ovarian health and reproductive fitness in organisms exposed to BPA environment.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in consumer products due to their antibacterial property; however, their potential toxicity and release into the environment raises concern. Based on the limited understanding of AgNPs aggregation behavior, this study aimed to investigate the toxicity of uncoated (uc-AgNP) and coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-AgNP), at low concentrations (0.5–100 ng/mL), under dark and visible-light exposure, using a plant test system. We exposed Allium cepa seeds to both types of AgNPs for 4–5 days to evaluate several toxicity endpoints. AgNPs did not cause acute toxicity (i.e., inhibition of seed germination and root development), but caused genotoxicity and biochemical alterations in oxidative stress parameters (lipid peroxidation) and activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) in light and dark conditions. However, the light exposure decreased the rate of chromosomal aberration and micronuclei up to 5.60x in uc-AgNP and 2.01x in PVP-AgNP, and 2.69x in uc-AgNP and 3.70x in PVP-AgNP, respectively. Thus, light exposure reduced the overall genotoxicity of these AgNPs. In addition, mitotic index alterations and morphoanatomical changes in meristematic cells were observed only in the dark condition at the highest concentrations, demonstrating that light also reduces AgNPs cytotoxicity. The light-dependent aggregation of AgNPs may have reduced toxicity by reducing the uptake of these NPs by the cells. Our findings demonstrate that AgNPs can be genotoxic, cytotoxic and induce morphoanatomical and biochemical changes in A. cepa roots even at low concentrations, and that visible-light alters their aggregation state, and decreases their toxicity. We suggest that visible light can be an alternative treatment to remediate AgNP residues, minimizing their toxicity and environmental risks.

Microplastics have attracted much attention in recent years because they are able to interact with other pollutants including pesticides, with implications for the potential risks to biota. However, the sorption behavior of pesticides on microplastics, especially on biodegradable microplastics which are promising alternatives to conventional polymers, has been insufficiently studied. In this study, triadimefon and difenoconazole were selected as model triazole fungicides, and their sorption behavior on a typical biodegradable microplastics (PBS: polybutylene succinate) and two conventional polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics was investigated with batch experiments in an aqueous solution. PBS presented the highest sorption capacity for triadimefon (104.2 ± 4.8 μg g⁻¹) and difenoconazole (192.8 ± 2.3 μg g⁻¹), which was 1.8- and 1.3-fold that on PE and 4.4- and 7.4-fold that of PVC, respectively. The results of sorption kinetic and isotherm modeling were better fit by a pseudo-second order model and linear model, respectively. More importantly, the effects of environmental factors (pH, salinity and dissolved organic matter) on the sorption behavior were investigated. Fungicide sorption on PBS was generally not affected by salinity, pH or dissolved organic matter. However, in contrast, salinity and dissolved organic matter both significantly decreased sorption on PE and PVC. The results showed that not only the sorption capacities of biodegradable microplastics but also their responses to environmental factors are quite different from those of conventional microplastics. This finding highlights the importance of the role played by biodegradable microplastics in the accumulation and transportation of organic pollutants.

The industrial and agricultural activities based on phosphorous can increase the F content in the surrounding area, causing a widespread adverse effect on the organisms. However, the current information on the superposed health risk posed by the multi-exposure to the F contamination in an area jointly affected by agricultural and industrial activities (DA) is limited. Herein, the F distribution in multi-environmental media and the exposure risk to humans by ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact pathways are studied in an DA. The content of soil water-soluble fluorine (WF) was higher in the DA than in the area individually affected by agricultural activities (SA). This indicated a superposed contribution of the industrial and agricultural activities to increase the F toxicity in the soil. The correlation of the soil pH and the organic matter content with the soil WF concentration in DA suggested an inter-relationship between the soil physicochemical properties and the toxicity of F in the soil by industrial and agricultural activities. Irrigation water was not a major anthropogenic source of the cropland soil F. The large variation in F concentration in the crops (101.8–195.6%) might have originated from the discrepancies in the soil F content and air F concentration. The air F pollution (0.6–1.6 μg dm⁻² d⁻¹) in the area particularly influenced by intensive industrial activities should be important. The exposure of residents to F was mainly from the ingestion of F-enriched crops. The higher exposure of adults to F than that of children could be attributed to more industrial and agricultural outdoor activities, larger exposure area of the skin, and more daily ingestion of F-enriched food by adults. Overall, present insights into the distribution of and the multi-exposure to F may be beneficial for decreasing the adverse F effects on the residents in DAs worldwide.

Fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) concentrations exhibit distinct spatiotemporal heterogeneity, mainly due to the natural environment and human activities. Yunnan Province of China was selected as the research area, and a real-time measured PM₂.₅ concentration dataset was acquired from 41 monitoring stations in 16 major cities from February 2013 to December 2018. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and data on four meteorological variables from 2000 to 2018 were employed. A novel hybrid model was constructed to estimate the historical missing PM₂.₅ values from 2000 to 2012, calculate the missing PM₂.₅ concentrations from 2012 to 2014 in some major cities, and analyze the driving factors of the PM₂.₅ concentration changes and causes of key pollution events in Yunnan Province over the past 19 years. The temporal analysis results indicate that the annual mean PM₂.₅ concentration in Yunnan Province exhibited three stages: continuous stability, a rapid increase and a rapid decrease. The year 2013 was an important breakpoint in the trend of the concentration change. The spatial analysis results reveal that the annual mean PM₂.₅ concentration in the north was lower than that in the south, and there was a significant difference between the east and the west. In addition, springtime biomass burning in Southeast Asia was found to be the main cause of PM₂.₅ pollution in Yunnan Province in spring.

Environmental health is increasingly compromised by persistent toxic substances, which may have serious implications in food safety and, thus, in human health. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are anthropogenic contaminants with endocrine disruption abilities and are commonly found in seafood, the main route of human exposure. Growing evidence points out that the human gut microbiota interacts with xenobiotics, which may lead to impairment of host homeostasis if functions of microbiota become compromised. The aim of this study was to ascertain if the physiological balance of human gut microbiome is affected by the presence and degree of exposure to PBDEs. Fermentation was performed in a batch closed-system using an inoculum made from fresh human stool. The volatolomic profile was analysed by solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mesophilic, Gram-negative bacteria and coliforms were quantified by classic plating methods. Changes in the gut microbiome were evaluated after DNA extraction followed by deep sequencing of the 16S rDNA region. The exposure to PBDEs resulted in an imbalance in sulfur, short-chain fatty acids and aromatic organic compounds, changing the microbial volatolome in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Slight deviations in the microbial structure of human gut occurred in the presence of PBDEs, especially for high doses of exposure. For the first time, the impact of PBDEs on the microbial homeostasis of human gut microbiota was taken into consideration, revealing noteworthy modifications with serious health implications even at oral exposure doses considered as safe by worldwide regulatory entities.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol F (BPF) are widely distributed in the environment and daily consumptions, leading to exposure toward human and environmental animals. The potential risk of bisphenol analogs on pigment and skin health is not well documented. In this study, we found that 0.05 mg/L BPF (tolerated daily intake (TDI) value of BPA) affected the particle size and color density of zebrafish melanin. While BPA caused less depigmentation effect toward zebrafish with effective concentration of 5.0 mg/L. The downregulation of melanin synthases induced by BPF is associated with the reduction in melanin. Molecular dynamics indicated that both BPF and BPA could act as ligands of zebrafish and human Tyr family proteins; however, these compounds have completely different energetics and spatial steric effects, potentially explaining their varying depigmentation effects. Additionally, an in vitro assay using A375 melanoma cells demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of BPF on human melanin production was primarily attributed to Tyr inhibition. These findings provide an important basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms of BPF and BPA in melanin inhibition, and the results reflect the skin pigmentation interference risk of these compounds, which are ubiquitous in everyday personal products.

Maternal blood glucose level is associated with fetal growth, therefore, its role in the associations between air pollution and birth weight deserves investigation. We examined the mediation effect of maternal blood glucose on the associations between maternal air pollution exposure and birth weight. A total of 10,904 pregnant women in Foshan, China during 2015–2019 were recruited. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered to each participant after late trimester 2. Air pollution data at the monitoring stations in residential districts was used to estimate exposures of each participant during trimester 1 and trimester 2. Mixed-effects linear models were used to estimate the associations between air pollution and birth weight. After controlling for ten covariates, the direct effect of PM₂.₅ and SO₂ (each 10 μg/m³ increment) on birth weight was −15.7 g (95% CI: −29.4, −4.8 g) and −83.6 g (95% CI: −134.8, −33.0 g) during trimester 1. The indirect effect of PM₂.₅ and SO₂ (each 10 μg/m³ increment) on birth weight by increasing maternal fasting glucose level was 6.6 g (95% CI: 4.6, 9.1 g) and 22.0 g (95% CI: 4.1, 44.0 g) during trimester 1. Our findings suggest that air pollution might affect the birth weight through direct and indirect pathway, and the indirect effect might be mediated by maternal blood glucose.

Halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (HPAH) concentrations in tissues from three tuna species Thunnus albacares (yellowfin tuna), Katsuwonus pelamis (skipjack tuna), and Auxis thazard (frigate tuna) were determined by high-resolution gas chromatography Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The tuna samples were collected from the Indian Ocean. The instrument conditions gave high mass accuracy at 0.9 m/z isolation width of the mass filter and a mass error of <±1.0 ppm for many HPAHs. A total of 29 of the 30 targets chlorinated PAHs (ClPAHs) and 20 of the 21 targets brominated PAHs (BrPAHs) were detected in the tuna muscle samples. The mean total ClPAH, BrPAH and PAH concentrations for tuna were 127.2, 156.6 and 682.8 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. The mean total ClPAH and BrPAH concentrations (ng/g lipid weight) in the tuna were considerably lower than that of PAH concentrations. The mean total ClPAH, BrPAH and PAH concentrations in T. albacares respectively were 185.8, 249.2 and 784.1 ng/g lipid weight, irrespective of the body sizes. The mean total ClPAH, BrPAH and PAH concentrations in K. pelamis respectively were 45.1, 24.8 and 555.6 ng/g lipid weight. The mean total ClPAH, BrPAH and PAH concentrations in A. thazard respectively were 34.09, 4.73 and 433.24 ng/g lipid weight. The total ClPAH concentrations and body weights significantly positively correlated for T. albacares. The mean total ClPAH concentration in white muscles was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for large than for small T. albacares. This suggests ClPAHs could bioaccumulate in T. albacares, possibly because they are poorly metabolized. The chlorinated phenanthrene and pyrene concentrations indicated tuna accumulate these compounds increasingly effectively as the tuna grow. This was the first time large numbers of HPAHs were found in biological samples. HPAHs may adversely affect the health of humans consuming tuna.