The interference of nonylphenol (NP) with humans and animals, especially in hormone systems, has been well-studied. There is rarely any record of its effect on bacteria, which dominate in various environments. In our study, we employed Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 as a model microorganism and took its common lifestyle biofilm, mainly regulated by quorum sensing (QS), as a cut-in point to investigate the effect of NP (1, 5, 10 mg L⁻¹) on bacteria. The results showed that more than 5 mg L⁻¹ of NP did interfere with biofilm formation and affected bacterial QS. In detail, the LasI/R circuit, but not the RhlI/R circuit, was considerably obstructed. The decrease in lasI and lasR expression resulted in a significant reduction in N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl homoserine lactone (3OC₁₂-HSL) signals and the downstream production of elastases. Docking results indicated the binding of NP with LasR protein, simulating the binding of 3OC₁₂-HSL with LasR protein, which explained the obstruction of the LasIR circuit. We concluded that NP competed with 3OC₁₂-HSL and blocked 3OC₁₂-HSL binding with the LasR protein, resulting in a direct interference in bacterial biofilm formation. This is the first report of NP interference with bacterial signaling, which is not only helpful to understand the effect of NP on various ecosystems, but is also beneficial to enrich our knowledge of inter-kingdom communication.

Heavy metal contamination is a serious environmental problem commonly monitored in various organisms. Small wild rodents are ideal biological monitors to show the extent of environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of marble and stone quarries on the Levant vole, Microtus guentheri, inhabiting some polluted sites. In this context, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to analyze distribution of thirteen heavy metals (Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, B, Pb, As, Co, Cd, and Hg) in the organs (skins, bones, muscles, livers and kidneys) of the biological specimens, and the comet assay revealed DNA damage in blood lymphocytes for the first time. This study was conducted at close to the marble and stone quarries at Korkuteli, Antalya-Turkey during spring, summer, autumn (2017) and winter (2018) seasons. In spring and summer, genetic damage in blood lymphocytes from all polluted sites (sites 1–5) was significantly higher than that of controls, while in autumn it was higher in samples from three sites (sites 3–5). In terms of heavy metal distribution in organs, we found depositions of Fe, Al, Zn, Ni, Mn, Cr, Co, As and Pb primarily in the skin with its derivatives, Cu and Cd deposits in the kidney, Cu, Cd and B deposits in the liver, and As and Pb depositions in the bones. The study shows that certain organs (especially skin with its derivatives) and blood lymphocytes of Levant vole can be used as ideal indicators of heavy metal pollution. Our results suggest that the Korkuteli area could already be under the threat of heavy metal pollution.

Two farmed freshwater fish species Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and jade perch (Scortum barcoo) were cultured with food waste-based diets and compared with commercial formulated control diet for a period of six months. Sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the diets and cultured fish meat were tested by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. No significant differences of ∑PAHs were observed between Nile tilapia and jade perch fed with food waste-based diets and control diet (p > 0.05). However, there were significantly higher concentration of ∑PAHs in market fish compared with the same species of fish fed by food waste-based diets (p < 0.05). Thus, the food waste-based diets have a potential to lower the PAH concentrations in farmed fish when compared with market fish. Based on the PAH concentrations, a human health risk assessment was made. The results indicated there were no non-cancer and very low cancer risks of consuming fish cultured with food waste-based diets at the 95th centile (Nile tilapia: hazard index (HI adult) = 0.343 × 10−3, HI children = 0.614 × 10−3 and cancer risk value = 0.943 × 10−6; jade perch: HI adult = 0.456 × 10−3, HI children = 0.814 × 10−3 and cancer risk value = 0.291 × 10−6). In general, the fish fed with food waste-based diets were unlikely to cause adverse health effects, based on the concentrations of PAHs. There is great potential for using food waste-based diets as an alternative to commercial feeds for cultivating freshwater fish.

Numerous studies suggested that phthalates might be associated with increased risk of spontaneous pregnancy loss. However, these results were conflicting and inconclusive. Thus we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the relationship between phthalate exposure and risk of pregnancy loss. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and major Chinese literature databases for studies investigating phthalates and spontaneous pregnancy loss. Pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confident interval (CI) were calculated for risk estimate. A total of 8 studies involving 4713 participants (including 651 cases and 4062 controls) were enrolled in the present meta-analysis. Our pooled results showed that spontaneous pregnancy loss was associated with higher urinary levels of monobutyl phthalate (MBP) (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.04–1.72), mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.29–1.90), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.23–2.07) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.15–1.89). Indirect estimate of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) levels, which were pooled from molar sum of urinary DEHP metabolites and hair DEHP, were also correlated with elevated risk of spontaneous pregnancy loss (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.27–2.53). No significant association was found regarding urinary concentrations of monomethyl phthalate (MMP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) or mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP). Our findings indicate that phthalate exposure might be a risk factor for spontaneous pregnancy loss. Given indirect estimate of phthalate exposure by evaluating its metabolite levels, our results should be interpreted with caution.

Microplastics with extremely high abundances are universally detected in marine and terrestrial systems. Microplastic pollution in the aquatic environment, especially in ocean, has become a hot topic and raised global attention. However, microplastics in soils has been largely overlooked. In this paper, the analytical methods, occurrence, transport, and potential ecological risks of microplastics in soil environments have been reviewed. Although several analytical methods have been established, a universal, efficient, faster, and low-cost analytical method is still not available. The absence of a suitable analytical method is one of the biggest obstacles to study microplastics in soils. Current data on abundance and distribution of microplastics in soils are still limited, and results obtained from different studies differ significantly. Once entering into surface soil, microplastics can migrate to deep soil through different processes, e.g. leaching, bioturbation, and farming activities. Presence of microplastics with high abundance in soils can alter fundamental properties of soils. But current conclusions on microplastics on soil organisms are still conflicting. Overall, research on microplastics pollution in soils is still in its infancy and there are gaps in the knowledge of microplastics pollution in soil environments. Many questions such as pollution level, ecological risks, transport behaviors and the control mechanisms are still unclear, which needs further systematical study.

Multiple types of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), can be unintentionally released from combustion or thermal industrial processes, which are speculated to be the main sources of these contaminants, as they were banned on production and use since several decades ago. In this study, concentrations and sources of 40 PCBs, 39 PCNs, and HCB were analyzed in air samples collected during the period 2012–2015 at a background site in east China. ΣPCBs, ΣPCNs, and HCB were in the range of 9–341 pg/m³, 6–143 pg/m³, and 14–522 pg/m³, respectively. Seasonal characteristics with high levels in winter and low levels in summer were observed for PCNs and HCB. PCBs also exhibited slightly higher levels in winter. Source apportionment was conducted, using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as combustion sources indicator, combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. The results indicated that the legacy of past produced and used commercial PCBs was the dominant contributor (∼56%) to the selected PCBs in the atmosphere in east China. PCNs were mainly emitted from combustion sources (∼64%), whereas HCB almost entirely originated from combustion process (>90%).

Eating fish provides numerous health benefits, but it is also a dominant pathway for human exposure to contaminants. Many studies have examined mercury (Hg) accumulation in fish, but fewer have considered other elements, such as arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr). Recently, freshwater fish from several pristine boreal systems across northern Ontario, Canada, have been reported with elevated concentrations of As and Cr for reasons that are not well understood. Our goal was to investigate the ecological and environmental influences over concentrations of As, Cr, and other elements in these fish to better understand what affects metal uptake and the risk to consumers. We measured 10 elements (including As, Cr, Hg) as well as carbon (δ¹³C), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N), and sulfur (δ³⁴S) stable isotopes in 388 fish from 25 lake and river sites across this remote region. These data were used to determine the effect of: 1) trophic ecology; and 2) watershed geology on piscine elemental content. Overall, most element concentrations were low, often below provincial advisory benchmarks (ABs). However, traces of Hg, As, Cr, and selenium (Se) were detected in most fish. Based on their exceedance of their respective ABs, the most restrictive elements on fish consumption in these boreal systems were Hg > As > Cr. Arsenic and Se, but not Cr concentrations were related to fish size and trophic ecology (inferred from δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N), suggesting bioaccumulation of the former elements. Fish with enriched δ³⁴S values, suggestive of anadromous behaviour, had marginally lower Hg but higher Se concentrations. Modeling results suggested a strong effect of site-specific factors, though we found weak trends between piscine elemental content and geological features (e.g., mafic intrusions), potentially due to the broad spatial scale of this study. Results from this study address gaps in our understanding of As and Cr bioaccumulation and will help to inform fish consumption guidelines.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a classic environmental pollutant, is reported to accumulate in brain and induce neurotoxicity. However, little is known the route and mechanism of its entrance in brain. In the present study, ICR mice were treated with PFOS for 28 days, the cerebral PFOS were measured and the morphological and ultrastructural changes of blood–brain barrier (BBB) were observed. Also, the expression and localization of the proteins related to the cerebral damages, tight junctions (TJs) and p38 activation were detected. Additionally, U87 cells were used to explore the role of p38 in PFOS-induced damages of astrocytes. PFOS significantly decreased the expression of TJ-related proteins (ZO-1, Claudin-5, Claudin-11, Occludin) in endothelial cells and disrupted BBB, which subsequently led PFOS to astrocytes and increased the expression of the proteins related to astrocytic damages (Aquaporin 4 and S100β). These results aggravated BBB disruption and further increased the cerebral PFOS levels. Besides, phosphorylated p38 activation was involved into PFOS-induced astrocytic damages in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, the crosstalk between endothelial cells and astrocytes facilitated the BBB disruption and increased the accumulation of PFOS in brain. Our findings provided a new insight into the toxicological and physiological profiles of PFOS-induced neurotoxicity.

Coal mining activities may increase residential exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but personal PAH exposures have not been studied in mining areas. We used silicone wristbands as passive personal samplers to estimate PAH exposures in coal mining communities in Central Appalachia in the United States. Adults (N = 101) wore wristbands for one week; 51 resided in communities within approximately three miles of surface mining sites, and 50 resided 10 or more miles from mining sites. Passive indoor polyurethane foam (PUF) sampling was conducted in residents’ homes, and a sample of 16 outdoor PUF samples were also collected. Nine PAH congeners were commonly detected in wristbands (mean ± standard deviation), including phenanthrene (50.2 ± 68.7 ng/g), benz[a]anthracene (20.2 ± 58.2 ng/g), fluoranthene (19.4 ± 24.1 ng/g) and pyrene (15.2 ± 18.2 ng/g). Controlling for participant characteristics and season, participants living closer to mining sites had significantly higher levels of phenanthrene, fluorene, fluoranthene, pyrene and ∑PAHs in wristbands compared to participants living farther from mining. Indoor air showed no significant group differences except for pyrene, but outdoor air showed significant or marginally significant differences for phenanthrene, fluorene, pyrene and ∑PAHs. The results suggest that mining community residents face exposure to outdoor mining-related pollutants, and demonstrate that personal silicone wristbands can be deployed as effective passive sampling devices.