The ubiquity of pollutants, such as agrochemicals and heavy metals, constitute a serious risk to human health. To evaluate the induction of DNA damage and programmed cell death (PCD), root cells of Allium cepa and Vicia faba were treated with two organophosphate insecticides (OI), fenthion and malathion, and with two heavy metal (HM) salts, nickel nitrate and potassium dichromate. An alkaline variant of the comet assay was performed to identify DNA breaks; the results showed comets in a dose-dependent manner, while higher concentrations induced clouds following exposure to OIs and HMs. Similarly, treatments with higher concentrations of OIs and HMs were analyzed by immunocytochemistry, and several structural characteristics of PCD were observed, including chromatin condensation, cytoplasmic vacuolization, nuclear shrinkage, condensation of the protoplast away from the cell wall, and nuclei fragmentation with apoptotic-like corpse formation. Abiotic stress also caused other features associated with PCD, such as an increase of active caspase-3-like protein, changes in the location of cytochrome C (Cyt C) toward the cytoplasm, and decreases in extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) expression. Genotoxicity results setting out an oxidative via of DNA damage and evidence the role of the high affinity of HM and OI by DNA molecule as underlying cause of genotoxic effect. The PCD features observed in root cells of A. cepa and V. faba suggest that PCD takes place through a process that involves ERK inactivation, culminating in Cyt C release and caspase-3-like activation. The sensitivity of both plant models to abiotic stress was clearly demonstrated, validating their role as good biosensors of DNA breakage and PCD induced by environmental stressors.

In this study, we reported the occurrence of eight organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in the East China Sea. Forty samples were collected and analysed with a high volume solid phase extraction method (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE) in the early summer of 2020. All the target OPPs were detected in the surface water at one or more stations in the East China Sea, and the concentrations of ΣOPPs were in the range 0.0775–3.09 ng/L (mean: 0.862 ± 0.624 ng/L). Terbufos sulfone and fenthion were the main pollutants in this area, probably resulting from pesticide use in China and other countries. The off-shore input from coastal regions was suggested to be a major source of OPP pollution in the East China Sea, and the movement of ocean currents played an important role in their transportation because around 0.86 t OPPs passed through the Tsushima Strait from the East China Sea each month. An ecological risk assessment showed that these OPPs presented a high risk to species in the East China Sea, whereas they posed no health risk to humans under both the median and high exposure scenario.

Adsorption of six neutral (chlorpyrifos, α-endosulfan, fenthion, parathion, parathion metyl, and cis permethrin) and six basic (pirimicarb, prochloraz, prometryn, pirimiphos ethyl, quinoxyfen, and triadimefon) pesticides was measured in ten natural soils in order to unravel the parameters influencing soil sorption. Linear regression confirmed that organic carbon content of soil is the determinant factor of soil sorption along with a secondary role of clay in the case of basic pesticides. Concerning pesticides themselves, their potential to be absorbed is governed by hydrophobic, electrostatic, and polar interactions. Electrostatic interactions can be expressed by considering the molecular fraction of positively charged species (F⁺). The combination of these parameters led to good prediction models, where the two expressions of lipophilicity, octanol-water partition (logP) and distribution coefficient (logD), showed similar performance. Finally, the role of electrostatic interactions to soil sorption and their successful expression by F⁺ parameter was further confirmed using artificial adjustment of the acidity of one soil at different pH values not covered by the natural acidity of the investigated soils.

This study presents a complementary approach for the evaluation of water quality in a river basin by employing active and passive sampling. Thirty-eight hydrophilic organic compounds (HpOCs) (organohalogen herbicides, organophosphorous pesticides, carbamate, triazine, urea, pharmaceuticals, phenols, and industrial chemicals) were studied in grab water samples and in passive samplers POCIS collected along Strymonas River, Northern Greece, at three sampling campaigns during the year 2013. Almost all the target compounds were detected at the periods of high rainfall intensity and/or low flow rate. The most frequently detected compounds were aminocarb, carbaryl, chlorfenviphos, chloropropham, 2,4-D, diflubenzuron, diuron, isoproturon, metolachlor, and salicylic acid. Bisphenol A and nonylphenol were also occasionally detected. The use of POCIS allowed the detection of more micropollutants than active sampling. Low discrepancy between the concentrations obtained from both samplings was observed, at least for compounds with >50 % detection frequency; thus, POCIS could be a valuable tool for the selection and monitoring of the most relevant HpOCs in the river basin. Results showed relatively low risk from the presence of HpOCs; however, the potential risk associated with micropollutants such as carbaryl, dinoseb, diuron, fenthion, isoproturon, metolachlor, nonylphenol, and salicylic acid should not be neglected.

The production of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Brazil exhibits the highest growth rate in the world and represents approximately 45% of the total fish production. The objective of the present study was to assess the risk for human health due the consumption of tilapia farmed in net cages in eight aquaculture parks in Brazil. The concentrations of pesticides (40 compounds), metals (Mn, Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Sn), arsenic, and cyanotoxins (microcystins) were evaluated in 16 fish from each park. Among analyzed pesticides, pyraclostrobin (0.18–0.32 mg/kg) and fenthion (0.0026–0.0037 mg/kg) exhibited values above the limit of quantification in the tilapia from Aracoiaba, Castanhão, and Ilha Solteira. The highest concentrations of As (0.44 μg/g) in fish tissues were found in Juara, Mn (0.21 μg/g) in Castanhão, and Zi (11.5 μg/g) were found in Três Marias. Furnas and Linhares exhibited the lowest metal concentrations. The estimated daily intake of muscle by the average Brazilian with 70 kg body weight is below the reference dose for all studied metals in all parks. Total free microcystins showed an accumulation pattern (muscle < gill < liver). The highest concentration in muscle was found in Castanhão (1043 μg/kg) samples. The results showed that fish exhibited metal, As, and pesticide tolerable daily intake (TDI) below the limit and pose low risk for human consumption. Otherwise, TDI for microcystins in fish of all studied parks was above the maximum level recommended by the World Health Organization, indicating that there exists a toxicity risk of fish consumption.