Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology最新文献

{"title":"Comparative algal toxicity assessment of a novel hydrophobic ionic liquid used in metal extraction processes","authors":"Andreas Gradwohl ,&nbsp;Tobias Danzl ,&nbsp;Victoria Brauneis ,&nbsp;Markus Rumpel ,&nbsp;Katharina Sansone ,&nbsp;Wolfgang Kandioller ,&nbsp;Michael Schagerl ,&nbsp;Franz Jirsa","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The task-specific ionic liquid di-[trioctyl-(8-phenyloctyl)-phosphonium] pamoate, [TOPP]₂[PAM], was designed as a highly hydrophobic substance for “greener” metal extraction. During metal extraction, it exhibits considerably reduced leaching into the aqueous phase compared to similar phosphonium-based ionic liquids. In order to assess the ecotoxicological potential of this novel compound, we investigated its algal toxicity towards the three freshwater green algae species <em>Acutodesmus obliquus</em>, <em>Chlorella vulgaris</em> and <em>Raphidocelis subcapitata</em>. In addition, algal toxicity was compared to commercially available ionic liquids Aliquat® 336, Cyphos® IL 101 and the task-specific ionic liquid trihexyltetradecylphosphonium 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate, [P₆₆₆₁₄][HNA], over a prolonged period (7 days). In order to reach sufficient IL concentrations in the testing media, [TOPP]₂[PAM] was leached either with or without support of ultrasonication. When leaching was supported by ultrasonication, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) for [TOPP]₂[PAM] ranged from 0.05 mg L⁻¹ for <em>C. vulgaris</em>, 0.23 mg L⁻¹ for <em>A. obliquus</em> to 0.45 mg L⁻¹ for <em>R. subcapitata</em>. This classifies the substance as a short-term (acute) aquatic hazard in the category ‘Acute 1’. Yet, during leaching without ultrasonication, these concentrations were reached only for <em>C. vulgaris</em>, yielding an IC₂₀ for <em>A. obliquus</em> and an IC₁₀ for <em>R. subcapitata</em> instead. This demonstrates a clear advantage over Aliquat® 336 and Cyphos® IL 101, where IC₅₀ values were easily reached. The results show a significantly reduced growth inhibition compared to commercial compounds when applying [TOPP]₂[PAM] according to suggested metal extraction procedures. Further comparisons to [P₆₆₆₁₄][HNA] demonstrated the advantage of using ILs with functional anions to reduce toxic effects on freshwater green algae. Evaluating the algal vitality with pulse-amplitude modulated fluorescence also demonstrated the lower impact of ILs with functional, hydrophobic anions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 577-589"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the cleaning effect of a typhoon on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the upper-ocean of the Northern South China Sea","authors":"Yicheng Li ,&nbsp;Yali Li ,&nbsp;Wenbo Wang ,&nbsp;Qiong Xia ,&nbsp;Ying Yang ,&nbsp;Shichun Zou ,&nbsp;Weidong Zhai","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Typhoons can largely alter hydrodynamic conditions and air-sea exchange processes in the upper ocean, thereby influencing the environmental behavior of organic pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Nonetheless, the comprehensive magnitude and mechanisms of these influences remain inadequately characterized. The passage of Typhoon <em>Chaba</em> through the South China Sea (SCS) in 2022 provided a unique opportunity to investigate PAH dynamics in response to typhoons. Field sampling was conducted one week pre-typhoon and one-week post-typhoon. In surface seawater, the total concentration of 15 US EPA priority PAHs (TPAHs) decreased markedly by 45%, from 220 ± 160 ng/L in the pre-typhoon region to 120 ± 42.5 ng/L in the post-typhoon region. Conversely, the water-particle partition coefficient (K_d) increased by 73%. Source apportionment revealed consistent PAHs origins between the two regions, primarily derived from fossil fuel combustion (51%), followed by petroleum leakage (38%), and biomass burning (11%). At a continuous 24-h monitoring site within the post-typhoon region, TPAH concentrations were higher in the surface layer than at the bottom of the upper mixed layer, while the K_d values showed the inverse trend. The observed decline in PAH levels confirms that typhoons promote the removal of these pollutants from the mixed layer. A proposed mechanism involves typhoon-enhanced partitioning of dissolved PAHs (particularly 4-ring compounds) to particulate phase, subsequently removed by particle sinking. The total mass of PAHs removed by the typhoon was estimated to be 703 kg within the upper mixed layer across the 2.65 × 10⁴ km² study area over 24 h. This study provides the first fine-scale elucidation of the cleansing effect of typhoons on organic pollutants, underscoring their critical role in regulating the fate of PAHs in upper ocean.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1195-1206"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microplastics in agricultural soils: Impacts on soil microbial communities, nutrient cycling, earthworm health, and soil ecosystem functions","authors":"Iqra Aslam ,&nbsp;Nabi Bux ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Yu ,&nbsp;Mengfei Bi ,&nbsp;He Guo ,&nbsp;Yali Niu ,&nbsp;Qiuling Ma ,&nbsp;Tiecheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global plastic production has increased exponentially since the mid-20th century, leading to the widespread accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in terrestrial ecosystems. Agricultural soils have become major sinks for MPs due to inputs from plastic mulching, sewage sludge, compost, irrigation with reclaimed water, and atmospheric deposition. MPs alter soil physicochemical characteristics, affect nutrient cycling, and disrupt microbial diversity, structure, and enzymatic activities. They also interact with co-occurring pollutants, facilitating the transport and bioavailability of heavy metals and organic contaminants. Earthworms, as key soil engineers, are particularly vulnerable to MP exposure, exhibiting growth inhibition, oxidative stress, intestinal damage, and alterations in gut microbiota composition. Moreover, MPs enhance greenhouse gas emissions by influencing microbial metabolism and soil redox conditions, further impacting ecosystem stability. Human exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact raises additional health concerns. This review demonstrates that MPs function as integrated stressors in terrestrial ecosystems, compromising soil health through physicochemical degradation of soil structure, destabilization of microbial communities, and direct toxicity to keystone soil fauna. Impact severity is highly context-dependent, governed by MP properties (size, polymer type), soil characteristics, and exposure duration. Without immediate source control and remediation strategies, continued MP accumulation will irreversibly impair critical soil ecosystem services, threatening agricultural productivity and food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1157-1175"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HFPO-DA and PFOA exert differential combined toxicity with Cd in Paramecium: growth, behavior and molecular insights","authors":"Congjun Li ,&nbsp;Yu Fu ,&nbsp;Eleni Gentekaki ,&nbsp;Lifang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) has come into use as an alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), but it remains elusive whether their comparative toxicities in aquatic organisms under co-occurring heavy metals like cadmium (Cd), particularly one ecologically important microorganism, the protists. Here, we compared the combined toxicity of PFOA and HFPO-DA in euryhaline ciliate <em>Paramecium duboscqui</em> under Cd-contaminated conditions. Chronic exposure (14 days) to field-realistic concentrations of Cd (50 μg/L) and PFOA/HFPO-DA (1 μg/L) revealed similarly adverse effects on growth performance. When combined with Cd, HFPO-DA caused greater disruption to membrane permeability thus enhancing Cd availability in ciliates, and amplifying oxidative stress and apoptosis activation. Moreover, combining HFPO-DA and Cd significantly reduced the motility distance, mean and max velocity in ciliates compared to PFOA. Transcriptomic analysis consequently revealed that disruptions in the core energy metabolism pathways were likely responsible for the insufficient supply of ATP energy in <em>P. duboscqui</em>. Additionally, the simultaneous downregulation of ciliary motility-related gene set and pathway, with the most pronounced suppression observed under HFPO-DA and Cd co-exposure mechanistically linked transcriptional changes to behavioral consequences. Our findings suggest that the combined effects of PFOA/HFPO-DA and Cd pose compounded ecological risks, underscoring the need to consider PFOA and its alternative HFPO-DA in regulatory frameworks along with heavy metals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 339-351"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct bacterial community structure, assembly and functions between aged and multiple petroleum-contaminated sites","authors":"Tingting Teng ,&nbsp;Xinzi Wang ,&nbsp;Yueqiao Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaohui Zhao ,&nbsp;Yujiao Sun ,&nbsp;Aizhong Ding ,&nbsp;Jiayuan Pan ,&nbsp;Dayi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Petroleum contamination threatens soil ecosystems, but microbial responses in multi-contaminated area (MCA) and aged-contaminated area (ACA) remain unclear. This study compared bacterial communities in MCA and ACA at China's Lanzhou Petrochemical Site using 16S rRNA sequencing, network analysis and PICRUSt2. MCA had 12-fold higher total petroleum hydrocarbons than ACA, and MAHs and PAHs in MCA were 201-fold and 10-fold higher. PAHs drove bacterial communities in MCA, while those in ACA were shaped by ecological toxicity assessed by whole-cell bioreporter. The network structure of MCA was complex (more modules, positive edges and keystone taxa), whereas that of ACA was relatively simplified. Bacterial community assembly in MCA involved both stochastic (83.09 %) and deterministic (16.91 %) processes, whereas there was only stochastic process in ACA. Bacteria in MCA exhibited stronger carbohydrate metabolic capabilities related to fresh hydrocarbon utilization, whereas those in ACA were more inclined toward amino acid metabolism and membrane transport functions. Our study provides a thorough exploration of soil bacterial response and assembly mechanisms under various petroleum pollution scenarios, offering guidance for developing customized bioremediation strategies in oil-contaminated environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 408-417"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The hidden mediator between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and cognitive function of elder adults: FT3/FT4 ratio","authors":"Yafei Gao ,&nbsp;Chenran Cai ,&nbsp;Han Li ,&nbsp;Lu Cheng ,&nbsp;Hongkai Zhu ,&nbsp;Hongwen Sun ,&nbsp;Yang Peng ,&nbsp;Hongzhi Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are neurotoxicants that may induce cognitive deficits via thyroid dysfunction. Older adults, due to physiological decline, are more susceptible to such toxicants. This cross-sectional study involving 433 elderly adults examined the relationships between PAH exposure, cognitive decline and thyroid-mediated pathways. Urinary PAH metabolites were measured and cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Participants were categorized into low-risk (n = 367) and high-risk mild cognitive impairment (MCI) groups (n = 66) based on MMSE scores. Logistic regression results indicated that the odds of MCI risk increased with each one-unit increase in log-transformed levels of 2-OHNap, 2-OHFlu, and 3-OHFlu. Linear modeling further revealed that these metabolites (OH-Nap and OH-Flu) were dose-dependently negatively associated with orientation, attention and memory. In addition, there was a nonlinear dose-response relationship between 1-OHNap and verbal ability, and ΣOH-PAHs and attention/memory. Critically, mediating effect analysis showed that the FT3/FT4 ratio mediated the association between PAH metabolites and MMSE scores with a contribution of 22.5 %–26.3 %. This study reveals the mechanism by which PAHs exposure may mediate cognitive decline in the elderly by interfering with thyroid function, providing an important scientific basis for the prevention of environmental factor-induced neurodegenerative diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 418-429"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Male-biased sensitivity to wastewater effluent exposure in Harpagifer antarcticus from Fildes Bay, King George Island","authors":"Karen Fabres ,&nbsp;Elvira Vergara ,&nbsp;Ivan Sola ,&nbsp;María José Díaz ,&nbsp;Fabio Blanco-Murillo ,&nbsp;Fernando Valenzuela ,&nbsp;Diana M. Cárdenas ,&nbsp;Mark R. Servos ,&nbsp;Mario Sanhueza ,&nbsp;Gustavo Chiang ,&nbsp;Paulina Bahamonde","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antarctica has experienced a growing human presence in recent decades, with year-round scientific and military stations concentrated along the coast. Wastewater effluents from these settlements represent a growing concern, as they contain pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) capable of disrupt endocrine functions in aquatic organisms at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study evaluated the impact of wastewater exposure on the gonadal transcriptome of the Antarctic fish <em>Harpagifer antarcticus</em>, collected nearby human settlements and research stations in Fildes Bay, King George Island. Chemical analysis revealed bioaccumulation of diclofenac, carbamazepine, and fluoxetine in fish muscle. Morphological endpoints indicate significant decreases in male gonadosomatic index (GSI) at impacted sites. Molecular analysis suggested disruption of genes related to reproduction. Females displayed significant overexpression of <em>zp</em> at impacted sites, while males from contaminated areas showed increased expression of both <em>zp</em> and <em>esr1</em>.Transcriptomic analysis revealed a male-biased response, with enriched GO terms associated to sperm motility, nervous system function, and immune and inflammatory regulation, as well as chemical homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Females were less impacted, exhibiting transcriptomic alterations mainly linked to metabolic homeostasis. Together, these findings suggest that male <em>H. antarcticus</em> are particularly sensitive to wastewater-derived contaminants, with transcriptional shifts serving as early warning signals of impaired reproduction, physiology, and population resilience. This study highlights the vulnerability of Antarctic coastal ecosystems to anthropogenic pressures and underscores the urgent need for improved wastewater management in this fragile environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 834-845"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The sustainable synthesis of functionalized magnetic carbon nanotube adsorbent derived from steel waste for high-efficiency sequestration of tetracycline: Optimization, kinetics, isotherms and regeneration performance","authors":"Kamil Kayode Katibi ,&nbsp;Rabaah Syahidah Azis ,&nbsp;Ibrahim Garba Shitu ,&nbsp;Ismayadi Ismail ,&nbsp;Muhammad Aliyu ,&nbsp;Nor Kamilah Saat ,&nbsp;Nurul Huda Osman ,&nbsp;Abiodun Abdulhameed Amusa ,&nbsp;Raphael Terungwa Iwar ,&nbsp;Abba Mohammed Umar","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic pollution from tetracycline (TC) poses severe environmental and public health hazards. This study investigates the synthesis, characterization, and adsorptive performance of sustainable, magnetically recoverable functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (FMWCNTs) adsorbent catalyzed by steel-mill waste. The adsorbent exhibits superior surface area (385 m²/g), mesoporosity (2.2 nm), and superparamagnetic behaviour (30 emu/g), enabling efficient TC adsorption and facile recovery. Optimization using response surface methodology yielded 98.7% TC removal under optimal conditions (400 mg/L FMWCNTs, 45 mg/L TC, pH 6.5, 23 min). Adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm (maximum capacity: 21.7 mg/g at 303 K), with thermodynamic analysis indicating a spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-driven process. The adsorbent material retained 87% efficiency after four regeneration cycles and achieved over 90% TC removal from simulated municipal effluent. Adsorption mechanisms included π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, and surface complexation. These findings demonstrate the promising potential of low-cost, regenerable FMWCNTs as practical adsorbents for antibiotic-polluted water.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1256-1274"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurotoxicity of typical liquid crystal monomers in zebrafish: Disruption of neurotransmitter pathways and underlying mechanisms","authors":"Shan He ,&nbsp;Junjie Wang ,&nbsp;Xingyu Guo ,&nbsp;Kunyu Wei ,&nbsp;Siyi Li ,&nbsp;Jia He ,&nbsp;Fengchang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The neurotoxicological risks associated with liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), widely used in display technologies, have raised significant ecological and health concerns, yet they remain insufficiently understood. This study systematically investigated three prevalent LCMs – tFPO-CF2-dF3B, 2OdFP3bcH, and TPrCB - for their neurotoxic potential in zebrafish. Exposure to these LCMs induced distinct behavioral impairments, including anxiety-like thigmotaxis and hyper-reactivity to stimuli. At the molecular level, LCMs disrupted key neurotransmitter systems, significantly elevating dopamine, serotonin, and GABA while reducing glutamate. Mechanistic investigation revealed that LCMs bind with high affinity to D2 and 5HT1A receptors <em>via</em> molecular docking, while integrated transcriptomic and neurotransmitter analyses demonstrated concurrent disruption of calcium signaling and mitochondrial function. These findings establish that LCMs induce neurotoxicity through coordinated disruption of multiple neurological pathways, and the identified neurochemical disruptions share features with pathways implicated in human neurological conditions, highlighting the need for rigorous neurotoxic risk assessment of display technology materials and offering important insights for environmental health protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 466-476"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First in situ application of a non-invasive sampling approach to assess pesticide effects on amphibian enzymatic activities","authors":"Alexandre J.W. Michel ,&nbsp;Julie Tonial ,&nbsp;Soline Bettencourt-Amarante ,&nbsp;Cédric Chaumont ,&nbsp;Mathieu Girondin ,&nbsp;Julien Tournebize ,&nbsp;Alienor Jeliazkov ,&nbsp;Jérémie D. Lebrun","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to pesticide exposures, according to numerous laboratory and field studies. Enzymatic activities in biological tissues and body condition are usually proposed as relevant biomarkers for studying the effects of pesticides on these organisms, especially in agricultural context. Nevertheless, measuring enzymatic activities in animals often requires invasive sampling methods, such as blood sampling or destruction of individuals, in the case of juveniles in particular. Limiting the harmful effects of invasive methods and developing non-invasive approaches is crucial to the ethical principles that aim to minimize the impact on individuals. We aimed to test a non-invasive sampling approach, namely buccal swabbing, to investigate the effects of pesticides on the enzymatic activities of two native amphibian species, the common toad (<em>Bufo bufo</em>) and the green frog (<em>Pelophylax</em> sp.), in six ponds distributed along a pesticide contamination gradient. We also performed morphometric measurements to determine the body condition of the swabbed individuals. Our results show that buccal swabbing effectively allows quantifying the activities of 6 enzymes present in the saliva of wild amphibians and involved in neurological, non-specific immunity, and nutrition processes, supporting the relevance of this approach to assess their enzymatic responses <em>in situ</em>. Enzymatic levels of acetylcholinesterase, β-galactosidase, and β-glucosidase, as well as cytotoxic biomarkers, such as glutathione S-transferase, and peroxidases, were either significantly correlated with pesticide concentrations, or responsive to synchronic-antagonistic effects of pesticide fluxes occurring in an agricultural constructed wetland. These results suggest that buccal swabbing in amphibians is applicable in the field for this purpose and that agricultural constructed wetlands could have the potential to affect aquatic fauna. Body condition was similar between ponds, regardless of the pesticide pressure level, probably because this variable reacts on longer time scales than enzymatic activities, or because of absence of effects, especially as this trait may be driven by other environmental factors. Our study highlights the relevance of using buccal swabbing to study the effects of pesticides on amphibians in the field while having limited impacts on animal welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 430-455"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}