As agriculture expands to provide food and wellbeing to the world’s growing population, there is a simultaneous increasing concern about the use of agrochemicals, which can harm non-target organisms, mainly in the aquatic environment. The fungicide Mancozeb (MZ) has been used on a large-scale and is a potent inducer of oxidative stress. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of more sensitive biomarkers designed to earlier biomonitoring of this compound. Here we tested the hypothesis that behavioral changes induced by sublethal MZ concentrations would occur first as compared to biochemical oxidative stress markers. Embryos at 4 h post-fertilization (hpf) were exposed to Mancozeb at 5, 10 and 20 μg/L. Controls were kept in embryo water only. Behavioral and biochemical parameters were evaluated at 24, 28, 72, and 168 hpf after MZ exposure. The results showed that MZ significantly altered spontaneous movement, escape responses, swimming capacity, and exploratory behavior at all exposure times. However, changes in ROS steady-stead levels and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were observable only at 72 and 168 hpf. In conclusion, behavioral changes occurred earlier than biochemical alterations in zebrafish embryos exposed to MZ, highlighting the potential of behavioral biomarkers as sensitive tools for biomonitoring programs.

Widespread soil contamination threatens living standards and weakens global efforts towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Detailed soil mapping is needed to guide effective countermeasures and sustainable remediation operations. Here, we review visible and infrared reflectance spectroscopy (VIRS) based detection methods in combination with machine learning. To date, proximal, airborne and spaceborne carrier devices have been employed for soil contamination detection, allowing large areas to be covered at low cost and with minimal secondary environmental impact. In this way, soil contaminants can be monitored remotely, either directly or through correlation with soil components (e.g. Fe-oxides, soil organic matter, clay minerals). Observed vegetation reflectance spectra has also been proven an effective indicator for mapping soil pollution. Calibration models based on machine learning are used to interpret spectral data and predict soil contamination levels. The algorithms used for this include partial least squares regression, neural networks, and random forest. The processes underlying each of these approaches are outlined in this review. Finally, current challenges and future research directions are explored and discussed.

To reduce direct discharges of surface runoff to receiving waters, separate sewer systems have been implemented, with runoff retention basins (RRB) for pollutant pretreatment by sedimentation and infiltration. However, due to frequent and intense precipitation events, most RRBs are overwhelmed by runoff resulting in overflow into the receiving freshwater bodies. Hence, the present study evaluates the impact of traffic-related runoff overflow on metal concentrations in sediment and Gammarus sp. Downstream of the RRB outfall in the receiving stream. Samples were collected from the RRB, upstream (reference site) and at different distances downstream from the RRB outfall in the stream. The samples were analyzed for the presence and distribution of metals using ICP-MS. Furthermore, ecotoxicological effects of the overflow on benthic species were assessed using Lumbriculus variegatus exposed to the field sediments. Our findings reveal that overflow of the RRB results in elevated traffic-related metal concentrations in sediment and biota of the stream. Within the first 50 m downstream increased sediment metal concentrations were found. The gammarids downstream of the RRB outfall showed an increased accumulation of several metals. Similarly, the metals were found to be taken up by the endobenthic L. variegatus under laboratory conditions and the bioaccumulation pattern was related to the sediment concentrations. Bioaccumulation by both organisms is an indication that overflow of the RRB also leads to uptake of increased element amounts in organisms downstream. Laboratory-based studies addressing standard toxicity endpoints showed no clear toxic effects on growth and reproduction. However, elevated levels of metallothioneins were measured in the annelids during the test period. This indicates a physiological response induced by increased metal concentrations due to RRB overflow. Hence, the results of this study show that discharges by the RRB increase the metal concentration in the receiving stream with the possibility of adverse effects on organisms.

In East Asia, air quality has been recognized as an important public health problem. In particular, the surface concentrations of air pollutants are closely related to human life. This study aims to develop models for estimating high spatial resolution surface concentrations of NO₂ and O₃ from TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) data in East Asia. The machine learning was adopted by fusion of various satellite-based variables, numerical model-based meteorological variables, and land-use variables. Four machine learning approaches—Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boost (XGB), and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM)—were evaluated and compared with Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) as a base statistical method. This study also modeled the NO₂ and O₃ concentrations over the ocean surface (i.e., land model for scheme 1 and ocean model for scheme 2). The estimated surface concentrations were validated through three cross-validation approaches (i.e., random, temporal, and spatial). The results showed that the NO₂ model produced R² of 0.63–0.70 and normalized root-mean-square-error (nRMSE) of 38.3–42.2% and the O₃ model resulted in R² of 0.65–0.78 and nRMSE of 19.6–24.7% for scheme 1. The indirect validation based on the stations near the coastline for scheme 2 showed slight decrease (~0.3–2.4%) in nRMSE when compared to scheme 1. The contributions of input variables to the models were analyzed based on SHapely Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values. The NO₂ vertical column density among the TROPOMI-derived variables showed the largest contribution in both the NO₂ and O₃ models.

Cuttings are the main solid residues which are generated from drilling operations. Due to the presence of heavy and radioactive elements, the environment risk posed by cuttings has attracted increasing attention. In this work, a short-term static immersion experiment was carried out to investigate the leaching of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from oil-based residues of shale gas drilling cuttings. Furthermore, the effects of some relevant environmental factors controlling the leaching behavior were evaluated, including the different particle sizes, pH, extraction time, solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio and dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration. The results showed that (1) the concentrations of leached PAHs gradually increased with prolonged leaching time, but the cumulative amount of PAHs released during leaching was less than 3% of the total. (2) The Elovich, parabolic diffusion and power function models were found to fit the experimental data better than the first-order kinetic equation, indicating that the leaching of PAHs was controlled by the coupling of diffusion and chemical reactions at the source surface. (3) Different environmental factors had different impacts on the leaching of PAHs: the shaking time and presence of DOM increased leachability, the particle size and S/L ratio decreased leachability, and the pH did not affect the leachability of PAHs. Therefore, PAHs leaching was a complex process, and it is of scientific and environmental interest to conduct the leaching tests under the simulated environmental conditions.

The two forage species used in New Zealand pastoral agricultural systems, chicory (Cichorium intybus) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata) show differential ability to absorb and translocate cadmium (Cd) from roots to shoots. Chicory can accumulate Cd from even low Cd soils to levels that might exceed regulatory guidelines for Cd in fodder crops and food. Chicory and plantain were grown in soil-filled rhizocolumns under increasing Cd levels (0 (Control), 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 mg Cd/kg soil) for 60 days and showed variable secretion of oxalic, fumaric, malic and acetic acids as a function of Cd treatment. Plant roots secrete such Low Molecular Weight Organic Acids into the rhizosphere soil, which can influence Cd uptake. Chicory showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower secretion of fumaric acid, and higher secretion of acetic acid than plantain at all Cd treatments. We propose that the significant secretion differences between the two species can explain the significantly (P < 0.05) higher shoot Cd concentration in chicory for all Cd treatments. Understanding the mechanism for increased uptake in chicory may lead to breeding or genetic modification which yield low Cd uptake cultivars needed to mitigate the risk of Cd accumulation in pastoral agricultural food chains from this increasingly important fodder crop.

Arsenic (As) is one of the most toxic and cancer-causing metals which is generally entered the food chain via intake of As contaminated water or food and harmed the life of living things especially human beings. Therefore, the reduction of As content in the food could be of great importance for healthy life. To reduce As contamination in the soil and food, the evaluation of plant-based As uptake and transportation mechanisms is critically needed. Different soil factors such as physical and chemical properties of soil, soil pH, As speciation, microbial abundance, soil phosphates, mineral nutrients, iron plaques and roots exudates effectively regulate the uptake and accumulation of As in different parts of plants. The detoxification mechanisms of As in plants depend upon aquaporins, membrane channels and different transporters that actively control the influx and efflux of As inside and outside of plant cells, respectively. The xylem loading is responsible for long-distance translocation of As and phloem loading involves in the partitioning of As into the grains. However, As detoxification mechanism based on the clear understandings of how As uptake, accumulations and translocation occur inside the plants and which factors participate to regulate these processes. Thus, in this review we emphasized the different soil factors and plant cell transporters that are critically responsible for As uptake, accumulation, translocation to different organs of plants to clearly understand the toxicity reasons in plants. This study could be helpful for further research to develop such strategies that may restrict As entry into plant cells and lead to high crop yield and safe food production.

Sludge landscaping after compost stabilization is a popular recycling process; however, until trace elements (TEs) are extracted by plants and reduced to safe concentrations, they present a potential exposure risk. Three garden plants, Liriope platyphylla Wang et Tang (L. platyphylla), Iris tectorum Maxim (I. tectorum), and Photinia x fraseri Dress (P. x fraseri), were selected for field experiments, and their ability to phytoremediate TEs and the promotion effect of citric acid (CA) were studied over 3 months of observation. Among the three kinds of plants, L. platyphylla had the highest biomass per unit soil area, and the CA treatment further increased the biomass of this plant per unit soil area as well as the uptake of TEs. When treated with 3 mmol kg⁻¹ CA, L. platyphylla showed increases in the bioconcentration factors of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd by 24%, 63%, 27%, and 123%, respectively. Because of the large biomass and high concentrations of TEs, L. platyphylla had high phytoremediation indexes for Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Cd, which reached 18.5, 3.7, 3.2, 2.2, and 0.4 mg m⁻², respectively, and were further improved by 60%–187% by the CA treatment. These advantages indicate the potential usefulness of L. platyphylla for phytoremediation. The results provide basic data and technical support for the use of sludge-based compost and phytoremediation by garden plants.

Infectious diseases of humans and wildlife are increasing globally but the contribution of novel artificial anthropogenic entities such as nano-sized plastics to disease dynamics remains unknown. Despite mounting evidence for the adverse effects of nanoplastics (NPs) on single organisms, it is unclear whether and how they affect the interaction between species and thereby lead to ecological harm. In order to incorporate the impact of NP pollution into host-parasite-environment interactions captured in the “disease triangle”, we evaluated disease outcomes in the presence of polystyrene NP using an ecologically-relevant host-parasite system consisting of a common planktonic cyanobacterium and its fungal parasite. NP at high concentrations formed hetero-aggregates with phytoplankton and inhibited their growth. This coincided with a significant reduction in infection prevalence, highlighting the close interdependency of host and parasite fitness. Lower intensity of infection in the presence of NP indicates that reduced disease transmission results from the parasite’s diminished ability to establish new infections as NP formed aggregates around phytoplankton cells. We propose that NP aggregation on the host’s surface acts as a physical barrier to infection and, by reducing host light harvesting, may also hamper parasite chemotaxis. These results demonstrate that the consequences of NP pollution go well beyond toxic effects at the individual level and modulate the intensity of species interactions, thereby potentially eliciting diverse cascading effects on ecosystem functioning.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the general population’s exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) substitutes is ubiquitous. Bisphenol F (BPF), one of the main BPA substitutes, is increasingly replacing BPA in plastics for food and beverage applications. Accumulating evidence suggests that BPA exposure is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-like changes. However, the potential effects of BPF on lipid homeostasis remain poorly understood. In the present study, an epidemiological analysis with LC-MS-MS revealed that the BPF concentrations in the serum of NAFLD patients were significantly higher than those in a control group. Supporting this result, using Oil Red O, BODIPY 493/503, LipidTox Deep Red staining and gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) assays, we found that BPF exposure induced NAFLD-like changes, with obvious lipid droplet deposition, triglyceride (TG) and fatty acids increase in mouse livers. Meanwhile, lipid droplet deposition and TG increase induced by BPF were also observed in HepG2 cells, accompanied by autophagic flux blockade, including autophagosome accumulation and the decreased degradation of SQSTM1/p62. Using adenoviruses dual-reporter plasmid RFP-GFP-LC3, RFP-GFP-PLIN2 transfection, AO staining, and EGFR degradation assays, we demonstrated that BPF treatment impaired lysosomal degradative capacity, since BPF treatment obviously impaired lysosomal acidification, manifested as decreased lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin L (CTSL) and mature cathepsin D (CTSD) in HepG2 and mouse liver issues. Additionally, v-ATPase D, a multi-subunit enzyme that mediates acidification of eukaryotic intracellular organelles, significantly decreased after BPF exposure in both the vitro and in vivo studies.This study ascertained a novel mechanism involving dysfunctional of lysosomal degradative capacity induced by BPF, which contributes to lipophagic disorders and causes lipid droplet deposition. This work provides evidence that lysosomes may be a target organelle where BPF exerts its potential toxicity; therefore, novel intervention strategies targeting lysosome are promising for BPF-induced NAFLD-like changes.