Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology最新文献

{"title":"Chlorpyrifos cardiotoxic responses may be mediated by phagocytic activation in larval zebrafish","authors":"Yuyao Jiang ,&nbsp;Yanru Guan ,&nbsp;Ruidong Chen ,&nbsp;Jason T. Magnuson ,&nbsp;Zexin Wen ,&nbsp;Zijie Ding ,&nbsp;Leyi Zhang ,&nbsp;Wumuerzati Maermaer ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Liu ,&nbsp;Shuying Li ,&nbsp;Wenjun Gui ,&nbsp;Daniel Schlenk","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, is used throughout the world, with frequent detections being reported in both surface and ground water. The neurotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos have been thoroughly investigated. However, chlorpyrifos-induced cardiotoxicity has also been observed in fish and remains poorly understood. In the present study, zebrafish (<em>Danio rerio</em>) larvae (7 days post hatch) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of chlorpyrifos ranging from 0.01 to 100 μg/L. A decline in heart rate was observed in animals treated with 10 and 100 μg/L (8.57 % and 15.13 %, respectively). Using in silico bioinformatics of the transcriptome following exposure, the top enriched pathways were predicted to be involved in cardiac and immune dysfunction. Consistent with impacts predicted by transcriptional changes, statistical, but non-concentration-dependent increases were also observed in macrophage number, IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and phagocytic function. Since chlorpyrifos-induced immune effects were associated with Rho GTPase pathways identified in bioinformatic predictions, treatments with the positive control, N-Acetylneuraminic acid, or a Rac family small GTPase antagonist (EHT 1864), respectively enhanced and reversed cardiotoxicity. This indicated a potential role for Rho GTPase signaling in chlorpyrifos-induced cardiotoxic and immune response effects. The data presented underscores the interaction between cardiotoxic and immune functional responses following exposure to environmentally relevant levels of chlorpyrifos and the potential role of immune system alterations as a key event in adverse outcome pathways for cardiotoxicity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 477-485"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684252","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":"Urinary nitrogen flame retardants and renal dysfunction: Population evidence with ferroptosis-related mediation","authors":"Ke Xu ,&nbsp;Yumeng Shi ,&nbsp;Yarui Liu ,&nbsp;Siyu Liu ,&nbsp;Mengqi Yan ,&nbsp;Yujie Ma ,&nbsp;Hongkai Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen flame retardants (NFRs) are a class of emerging environmental pollutants with nephrotoxic effects, yet their mechanistic contributions to kidney stone formation remain unclear. In this case-control study of 123 patients with kidney stones and 77 healthy adults in China, we quantified seven urinary NFRs and assessed their associations with renal biomarkers. Kidney stones patients had significantly elevated total urinary NFR levels (median: 94.3 vs 28.9 ng/mL). Melamine (MEL) predominated in cases, while cyanuric acid (CYA) was most abundant in controls. MEL and ammelide (AMD) were positively associated with serum proteins and inversely associated with urinary markers of tubular and glomerular injury. Notably, AMD showed the strongest and most consistent associations with multiple renal injury markers, suggesting a potent and previously underrecognized nephrotoxic effect. Mixture modeling further revealed that combined NFR exposures exerted consistent joint effects on renal function. Crucially, mediation analyses showed that the associations between CYA and renal injury biomarkers were fully mediated by ferroptosis-related oxidative stress markers—ferrous iron and malondialdehyde. Furthermore, we report the first detection of 2,4,6-trimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine in human urine. These findings provide epidemiological evidence linking internal NFR exposure to early renal damage and suggest ferroptosis as a plausible mechanism with implications for mixture risk assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 258-266"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145571845","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":"Urinary synthetic phenolic antioxidants exposure and plasma microRNA signatures: A profile and functional analysis in a Chinese population-based study","authors":"Yuxin Xu ,&nbsp;Zirui Zhang ,&nbsp;Xulin Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiajia Zhu ,&nbsp;Rui Zeng ,&nbsp;Wending Li ,&nbsp;Xuedan Xu ,&nbsp;Lulu Wang ,&nbsp;Pinpin Long ,&nbsp;Tao Jing ,&nbsp;Tangchun Wu ,&nbsp;Yu Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs), recognized as contaminants of emerging concern, have been implicated in potential adverse health outcomes. Nevertheless, their epigenetic effects, particularly on plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) in humans, remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to investigate the associations between urinary concentrations of SPAs and plasma miRNA profiles, and further explore their potential biological functions. We quantified nine urinary SPAs in 142 Chinese adults by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Multivariate linear regression was employed to assess single-chemical relation, while multi-chemical associations were evaluated using two-way orthogonal partial least-squares analysis and weighted quantile sum regression. To explore the potential origin of SPA-related plasma miRNAs, we analyzed associations between miRNA levels in plasma and leukocytes. Leveraging leukocyte mRNA sequencing data and public databases, we performed pathway enrichment analysis to identify the pathways associated with SPA-associated miRNAs. We found that urinary 4-tert-Octylphenol and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2,5-cyclohexadienone were significantly associated with 2 and 7 plasma miRNAs, respectively (False discovery rate &lt; 0.10). Furthermore, mixed exposure to SPAs was associated with five miRNAs (miR-3135b, miR-769-5p, miR-548k, miR-3188, miR-7705) in both two models. Notably, miR-769-5p and miR-3135b demonstrated consistent associations across all analytical approaches. The positive associations between plasma levels of miR-769-5p, miR-548k, and miR-3188 and their corresponding intra-leukocyte levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) suggested that leukocytes might serve as a potential source of these miRNAs. Functional analyses identified that SPA-related miRNAs were involved in pathways related to neurotoxicity and cancers, which may inform future environmental risk assessments and support the development of evidence-based strategies for reducing population exposure to SPAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 642-651"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839475","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":"Periphytic biofilm at saline soil-water interface captured more cadmium than at non-saline ones: process, mechanism, and implication","authors":"Lingyuan Chen ,&nbsp;Wanying Li ,&nbsp;Shuai Pan ,&nbsp;Yanyun Han ,&nbsp;Dongmei Zhou ,&nbsp;Yinlong Zhang ,&nbsp;Junzhuo Liu ,&nbsp;Yonghong Wu ,&nbsp;Jiangang Han ,&nbsp;Imran Ali ,&nbsp;Haiying Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinity inhibits rice growth and enhances cadmium (Cd) mobility, threatening rice production and human health. Periphytic biofilm (PB), widely distributed at the soil-water interface of paddy filed, exhibits strong Cd capture capability. However, PB at saline soil-water interface (SPB) and its capability for Cd capture remain unclear. Herein, SPB from coastal mudflat-reclaimed paddy filed was sampled to evaluate its Cd captured process and mechanism by advanced technologies. Results showed that the process of Cd capture by SPB was a spontaneous physical adsorption process driven mainly by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which contributed over 90%. Among different EPS layer of SPB, the soluble EPS (S-EPS) accounting more than 50% for Cd adsorption. The maximum Cd adsorption capability of SPB was 619.7 mg/kg, which was 69% higher than PB grown on non-saline soil (NPB). The enhanced Cd adsorption capability of SPB was mainly attributed to the higher amount of EPS, which contained more CHON and CHONS compounds. Furthermore, non-invasive micro-test technique (NMT) analysis indicated ion exchange process occurring in SPB was 3 times higher than that in NPB. Finally, microbial metagenomic sequencing analysis showed that SPB possessed higher abundances of metal-tolerant taxa (e.g., <em>Coleofasciculus chthonoplastes</em>) and enhanced expression of Cd-related (e.g., <em>cmtR</em>) and EPS-related genes (e.g., <em>lptG</em>, <em>mleP</em>). These findings expand the understanding of Cd biogeochemistry in saline wetland with PB, but highlight the potential of SPB for Cd pollution remediation in paddy fields.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1069-1078"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077151","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":"PFAS bioaccumulation in food crops: Structure-informed machine learning and mechanistic evidence for priority control","authors":"Yuhan Cui ,&nbsp;Wenyu Xiao ,&nbsp;Yisu Fang ,&nbsp;Beicheng Li ,&nbsp;Maosheng Zheng ,&nbsp;Yu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Per</em>- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), as globally emerging persistent organic pollutants, pose severe threats to agroecosystems due to their ubiquity and bioaccumulation potential. In this study, 108 environmentally detected PFASs were systematically evaluated using molecular docking to characterize their accumulation in wheat, tomato, and strawberry root-stem tissues. A hierarchical evaluation framework was established to generate prioritized control lists, identifying 15, 16, and 8 high-risk PFASs in wheat, tomato, and strawberry, respectively, with 16 compounds consistently detected across crops. Source apportionment revealed food packaging, wastewater, landfill leachate, personal care products, and paints as key entry pathways into agricultural environments. Building on this foundation, a machine learning prediction model was constructed to extend the evaluation to 6203 PFASs. The results highlighted that emerging structural features, including cyclic, heterocyclic, quaternary ammonium, and amphoteric groups, substantially enhance crop bioaccumulation effects. Furthermore, for the first time, crop-specific adverse outcome pathway (AOP) frameworks were established, providing mechanistic insights into PFAS bioaccumulation in crops. Protein-ligand docking further demonstrated that highly bioaccumulative PFASs engage in stronger hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions with key receptors, thereby validating structure-activity relationships underlying their enhanced accumulation. This study provides robust mechanistic evidence and predictive insight into the environmental fate and bioaccumulation behavior of PFASs in agroecosystems, offering a scientific basis for exposure assessment and ecological risk management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1043-1056"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077236","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":"Long-term carbon disulfide exposure impairs pulmonary function in urban adults: Prevention insights from genetic susceptibility and lifestyle improvement in a repeated-measured cohort","authors":"Jiahao Song ,&nbsp;Yongfang Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuhui Wan ,&nbsp;Xiaojie You ,&nbsp;Wei Liu ,&nbsp;Linling Yu ,&nbsp;Yueru Yang ,&nbsp;Ruyi Liang ,&nbsp;Le Hong ,&nbsp;Zhiying Huo ,&nbsp;Qing Liu ,&nbsp;Bin Wang ,&nbsp;Weihong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2026.01.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Efforts on interactions of carbon disulfide (CS₂) exposure, genetic susceptibility, and lifestyle on pulmonary function that are critical to prevention are lacking.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Urinary CS₂ metabolite (2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, TTCA) and pulmonary function parameters for 4409 observations from 2025 individuals were measured at baseline and two follow-ups in the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort. The polygenic risk score (PRS) was derived from 1020 pulmonary function-associated genetic variants, and the healthy lifestyle score (HLS) was comprehensively constructed using life habits including smoking, drinking, physical exercise, and diet status. Linear mixed-effects models with interaction plots were employed to estimate the independent and interaction effects of TTCA, PRS, and HLS on pulmonary function.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Elevated urinary TTCA, elevated PRS, and decreased HLS were significantly associated with reduced ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity (FEV₁/FVC) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) (all <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Notably, the estimated adverse effect of urinary TTCA on PEF interactively became more pronounced with increasing PRS or/and decreasing HLS (<em>P</em> _interaction &lt; 0.05). Particularly, the most substantial effects of urinary TTCA on PEF were observed in participants with high PRS and low HLS in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, with the estimated effects of −90.56 mL/s (95% confidence interval: −146.66, −34.71) for continuous TTCA cross-sectionally and −406.31 mL/s (−746.61, −64.63) for persistently high TTCA longitudinally.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings highlight that reducing CS₂ exposure and improving lifestyle, particularly in individuals with higher genetic susceptibility to pulmonary function decline, may help in the early prevention of pulmonary injury from CS₂ exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 1091-1101"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077235","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":"Assessment of As, Pb, Cr and Cd in surface water systems accounting for dry and wet season and ecotoxic effect in Elodea canadensis in the historic mining district of Taxco, Mexico","authors":"Araceli Cisneros-Castro ,&nbsp;Fabiola S. Sosa-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;René H. Lara ,&nbsp;G. Alfonso Anguiano-Vega ,&nbsp;Roberto Briones-Gallardo ,&nbsp;Beatriz Bonola","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The article examines the seasonal dynamics of As, Pb, Cr, and Cd in the surface waters of the Taxco mining district in Guerrero, located in southwestern Mexico. It quantifies the concentrations of these metals via Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and assesses spatial source influences through ArcGIS-based geostatistical mapping. Ecotoxicological responses were assessed in the submerged macrophyte <em>Elodea canadensis</em>, focusing on genotoxic effects and the decline of chlorophyll <em>a</em>, chlorophyll <em>b</em>, and total chlorophyll over a 30-day exposure period at mixed-metal hotspot sites. Seasonal contrasts showed that As, Pb, Cr, and Cd concentrations were higher during the wet season, consistent with enhanced hydrologic mobilization and runoff from mine wastes. Conversely, As levels concentrations peaked in the dry season, likely due to reduced dilution and greater aqueous aqueous persistence relative to particulate partitioning. Despite generally low genotoxic signals, the highest Pb exposure produced approximately 60–65 % DNA damage, indicating a dominant contribution of Pb to mixture toxicity. The overall toxicity ranking followed the order Pb &gt; Cr &gt; Cd &gt; As at both 15-day and 30-day exposures. The parallel decreases in total and individual chlorophyll fractions reflect photosynthetic impairment under mixed-metal stress. However, the moderate pigment loss and time-dependent recovery suggest compensatory physiological mechanisms, such as antioxidant activation and pigment remodeling, that partially offset cumulative damage—particularly under Cr-rich conditions. The spatial clustering of metals near mine-waste discharges zones, combined with seasonally modulated exposure, underscores thejoint influence of source proximity and hydrologic regime on ecological risk. The agreement between geochemical gradients and the physiological responses of <em>E. canadensis</em> supports its use as a reliable bioindicator for mixture toxicity screening in mining-impacted tropical dry-forest watersheds. Overall, the results emphasize: (i) the need to prioritize Pb-dominated mixtures in management actions; (ii) the importance of seasonally targeted monitoring and flow-awere mitigation strategies (e.g., enhance controls during storm season), and (iii) the potential of phytorestoration strategies employing metal-tolerant macrophytes to reduce contaminant loading at the source.Future work focusing on redox/speciation (As(III)/As(V), Cr(VI)/Cr(III)) and bioaccumulation dynamics will refine risk assessments and inform the design pathway-based remediation approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 142-154"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145521030","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":"Adsorption and fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from landfill leachate onto aquifer media under the influence of dissolved organic matter","authors":"Kunlong Hui,&nbsp;Haohao Li,&nbsp;Chang Xing,&nbsp;Beidou Xi,&nbsp;Ying Yuan,&nbsp;Wenbing Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a primary solid waste treatment method, landfills risk groundwater pollution via leachate leakage, which aids pollutant transport through aquifer media. However, research on the adsorption mechanisms of emerging pollutants in aquifer media and Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM)’s impact on <em>per</em>- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) adsorption remains limited. This study investigated four short-chain PFASs in three landfills of different ages (AD &gt; SY &gt; ZT) via adsorption equilibrium experiments, examining the effects of leachate DOM (ultrafiltered into &lt;5, 5–10, &gt;10 kDa fractions) and typical coexisting ions (Cl⁻-Mg²⁺, SO₄²⁻-Mg²⁺, SO₄²⁻-Na⁺) on PFAS migration, with key factors identified via spectral analysis. Results showed leachate DOM and coexisting ions significantly affected PFAS adsorption capacity: &lt;5 kDa DOM increased adsorption by 32 % on average (vs. 8 %–12 % for 5–10 kDa DOM); Cl⁻-Mg²⁺ had a 1.6-fold stronger synergistic effect than SO₄²⁻-Na⁺. Adsorption equilibrium took 24 h (pure water) vs. 20 h (leachate). AD landfill DOM (SUVA₂₅₄: 4.1 L/(mg·m)) had 51.9 % higher aromaticity than ZT (2.7 L/(mg·m)), regulating PFAS adsorption better. These results confirm adsorption mode is linked to DOM molecular weight and ion type, which determine PFAS adsorption efficiency. Additionally, leachate DOM promotes adsorption via hydrophobic interactions/complexation (regulatory effect depends on its molecular weight); aquifer media adsorption efficiency improves in leachate, highlighting DOM's role in pollutant migration. DOM composition changes with landfill age also affect PFAS adsorption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 13-28"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145521021","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":"Exposure risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and potential targets and mechanisms for lung and skin cancer induction: An integrated study based on GBD 2021 and computational toxicology","authors":"Xuanpan Ding,&nbsp;Qingdian Hou,&nbsp;Dongchao Lv,&nbsp;Guangmin Zhang,&nbsp;Xin Cheng,&nbsp;Qiuyue An,&nbsp;Shuai Zhang,&nbsp;Haotian Yang,&nbsp;Wenjing Jiao,&nbsp;Yuan Zhao,&nbsp;Honggang Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.11.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental carcinogens with significant but poorly quantified global health impacts. Integrating Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data, network toxicology, molecular simulations, and animal validation, this study systematically reveals the carcinogenic mechanisms of PAHs. Analyses show a marked increase in PAH-attributable disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for lung and skin cancers from 1990 to 2021, with the highest burden concentrated in rapidly industrializing regions such as China. Age-stratified trends indicate exponentially elevated risks in the elderly, suggesting cumulative exposure effects. Multi-platform bioinformatics identifies TP53, TNF, MMP9, and INS as core targets mediating PAH toxicity, functionally enriched in oxidative stress, inflammation, and extracellular matrix reorganization. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrate stable, high-affinity PAH-target interactions driven by hydrophobic and hydrogen bonds. Animal experiments further confirm that benzo[<em>a</em>]pyrene (BaP) induces pulmonary damage and upregulates key targets (TNF-α, INSR, EGFR, KRAS, IL6), validating predicted mechanisms. Notably, previously unrecognized PAH-nuclear receptor interactions indicate potential endocrine-disruption effects. This work establishes a novel framework linking population-level disease patterns to molecular pathogenesis, offering biomarkers for exposure monitoring and precision prevention strategies to mitigate cancer risks in high-exposure populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 169-184"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145521026","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 differential cardiotoxicity effects and molecular mechanisms induced by two emerging organophosphorus flame retardants (EHDPP and DPHP) with similar parent structures in zebrafish","authors":"Miaocui Xi,&nbsp;Xue Bai,&nbsp;Lu Fang,&nbsp;Xuedong Wang,&nbsp;Jin Yan,&nbsp;Qiuhui Qian,&nbsp;Zejun Wang,&nbsp;Huili Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enceco.2025.12.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Herein, we systematically compared the cardiotoxicity effects of two structurally similar organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs; EHDPP and its major metabolite DPHP) using zebrafishi as a model organism. Predictive toxicity data from two aquatic species, together with empirical LC₅₀ values obtained in zebrafish larvae, consistently demonstrated that 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) is substantially more toxic than diphenyl phosphate (DPHP). At LC₅₀-scaled concentrations, both contaminants induced the reduced heart rate, pericardial edema, and cardiac malformations, in concomitant with enhanced activities of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and downregulated cardiac transcription factors (<em>gata4</em> and <em>Nkx2.5</em>) and upregulated structural gene <em>cmlc2</em>. Even at low concentrations, EHDPP triggered apoptosis and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cardiac and pericardial tisues, along with prominent lipid accumulation in the heart, vasculature, and intersegmental arteries. It activated multiple pathways including MAPK, calcium signaling, and excitation-contraction coupling, while DPHP primarily affected cardiac function via calcium pump regulation and neuro-signaling pathways. Disease ontology (DO) enrichment analysis revealed that both EHDPP and DPHP associated target genes were most significantly enriched in cardiovascular-related diseases. Pharmacological rescue experiments using pathway-specific agents (Y-27632 and isoproterenol) further validated the functional roles of key signaling pathways in mediating the observed cardiotoxicity. Albeit differing in only one alkyl chain, EHDPP and DPHP displayed significantly differential cardiotoxicity and molecular mechanisms in zebrafish. These observations are conducive to illustrating OPFRs' structure-activity relationship and their health risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100480,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 780-793"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924317","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}