Emerging Contaminants最新文献

{"title":"Insights into the occurrence and environmental behavior of legacy and emerging PFAS in the Three Gorges Reservoir region: Tributary deserves further attention","authors":"Yongxia Hu,&nbsp;Hui Chen,&nbsp;Ying Chen,&nbsp;Yi Tang,&nbsp;Tao Jin,&nbsp;Zongrui Li,&nbsp;Shengjun Wu,&nbsp;Yunjiang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Yangtze River is a growing concern because the river provides drinking water for over 400 million people. However, tributary PFAS inputs to the Yangtze River remain poorly characterized, and the potential risks in numerous tributaries are largely unknown. In this study, 29 legacy and emerging PFAS were quantified in water (13.3–316 ng/L), suspended particulate matter (SPM) (0.67–40.2 ng/L), and sediment (0.52–387 ng/g) collected from the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region of the Yangtze River and its tributaries. Perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA) was the most abundant individual PFAS in water, whereas perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS) were the predominant compounds in SPM and sediment, respectively. Our analysis reveals that PFAS discharge from tributaries is a dominant contributor to PFAS accumulation in receiving waters. While larger tributaries in the TGR region generally exhibit lower aqueous PFAS concentrations than smaller tributaries, they account for the majority of the total PFAS flux entering the Yangtze River. Our results demonstrate that PFAS alternatives, including PFBA, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and 6:2 FTS, are growing in relative prominence as replacement compounds for legacy PFAS. PFBA and PFOA were found to pose potential ecological and human health risks in tributary water, highlighting the need for future regulatory measures concerning these PFAS compounds in the tributaries of the TGR region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100727"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Freeze-thaw aged tire wear particles enhance the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in black soil","authors":"Yang Yang,&nbsp;Hengle Niu,&nbsp;Zhichao Kang,&nbsp;Guanghui Xu,&nbsp;Jian Wang,&nbsp;Yong Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are recognized as new biological pollutants, posing serious threat to human health and ecological security. Tire wear particles (TWPs), a typical type of microplastics, have caused increasing concerns due to their detrimental effects in recent years. TWPs are frequently detected in various ecosystems, yet the ecological impact of TWPs on soil ARGs under the natural freeze-thaw condition remains unclear. The study employed a soil incubation experiment to explore soil ARGs composition and diversity by adding pristine and freeze-thaw aged TWPs. Results depicted that the addition of aged TWPs increased the abundance and diversity of ARGs conferring resistance to vancomycin, multidrug, bacitracin, fosmidomycin, and Macrolides-Lincosamides-Streptogramins (MLS) compared to pristine TWPs. Besides, the abundance of <em>intI1</em> in aged TWPs soil was significantly enhanced in response to freeze-thaw cycles, thereby promoting the mobility and spread of ARGs. Network analysis identified Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota as key bacterial phyla potentially hosting ARGs. Partial least squares path modeling indicated that ARGs variations are primarily driven by virulence factors. This study holds significant implications for future assessments of environmental risks associated with TWPs-induced antibiotic resistance selection and emphasizes the necessity of considering TWPs when designing appropriate strategies to mitigate the persistent dissemination of ARGs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100729"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human biomonitoring of PFAS and metals in relation to diabetic kidney disease: Evidence from NHANES and machine learning interpretation","authors":"Ya Gao,&nbsp;Yuqian Guo,&nbsp;Changsheng Guo,&nbsp;Jian Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100734","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) represents a growing health burden as the prevalence of diabetes continues to rise. Beyond traditional metabolic risk factors, environmental exposures may provide additional information for DKD characterization and prediction. We used data from NHANES 2005–2016 to examine the associations of heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with DKD among adults with diabetes. Survey-weighted logistic regression was combined with Boruta feature selection, machine learning models, and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) to evaluate both adjusted associations and predictive patterns. In unadjusted models, Pb and Cd were positively associated with DKD, but these associations did not persist after adjustment. In the fully adjusted model, PFOA and PFHxS remained significant and both showed inverse associations. These inverse associations require cautious interpretation and should not be read as evidence of protective effects because NHANES cannot establish temporal order. SHAP analysis showed that clinical and metabolic factors were the main source of predictive information. Environmental variables accounted for 24.18% of the total mean absolute SHAP importance in the RF model, with PFOA ranking highest among the exposure variables. This percentage represents the relative distribution of model-based importance and should not be interpreted as a causal contribution or attributable fraction. Other pollutants also retained model importance, reflecting a broader classification structure involving non-linear and correlated information across predictors. Environmental biomonitoring may provide complementary information for DKD risk characterization, but it should not replace established clinical and metabolic indicators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100734"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating direct Total Oxidizable Precursor (dTOP) assay with suspect and non-target screening methods for analysis of PFAS in highly contaminated soils","authors":"Oliver Salangad,&nbsp;Anass Bouchikhi,&nbsp;Francesca Cappelli,&nbsp;Fabian Simon,&nbsp;Jodie Buytaert,&nbsp;Thimo Groffen,&nbsp;Lieven Bervoets,&nbsp;Adrian Covaci","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fluorochemical production (FCP) sites are key hotspots for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), persistently contaminating nearby soils. Most studies on FCP-impacted environments have relied on targeted analyses, which may overlook emerging and unknown PFAS, such as precursors that can transform into stable products. To address this gap, an integrated analytical workflow combining the direct total oxidizable precursor (dTOP) assay with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based suspect and non-target screening (SS/NTS) was performed on PFAS-contaminated soils collected at and near an FCP site in Flanders, Belgium. The dTOP assay conditions was optimized through Design of Experiment, which identified relative quantities of sodium hydroxide and potassium persulfate as significant factors (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), along with temperature and reaction time, applicable in both moderately and highly contaminated soils (oxidation efficiency &gt; 99.3%). SS/NTS of post-dTOP samples also showed efficient oxidation of emerging PFAS classes (e.g., 95% oxidation of pentafluorosulfide perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid), but also revealed increases in emerging non-target PFAS (NT-PFAS), which are oxidation products of other precursors. This study enabled the examination of the behavior of several NT-PFAS and the estimation of PFAS precursors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100718"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A 20-year bibliometric analysis of emerging contaminant research in China: A comparative perspective from global trends and the POPs forum","authors":"Yu Ma,&nbsp;Kaiyuan Ma,&nbsp;Ziyi Lin,&nbsp;Bin Wang,&nbsp;Dan Zhang,&nbsp;Shuo Zheng,&nbsp;Yuxi Ge,&nbsp;Qianxin Zhang,&nbsp;Minghui Zheng,&nbsp;Jianxin Hu,&nbsp;Zheng Peng,&nbsp;Zhongjun Zhu,&nbsp;Gang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100726","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100726","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As China transitions toward the systematic risk prevention of emerging contaminants (ECs), understanding its evolving scientific capacity is essential for global environmental governance. This study employs a bibliometric framework to analyze two decades (2006–2025) of proceedings from the Forum on Persistent Organic Pollutants in China (POPs Forum), benchmarking them against global Web of Science data. Results indicate that global EC publications follow a logistic growth pattern with a maturation phase after 2019, whereas the POPs Forum continues to exhibit exponential growth, reflecting sustained domestic research expansion. Network analysis reveals a dual-core global structure dominated by China and the United States (US), with China increasingly acting as a hub between developed and emerging economies. At the institutional level, the POPs Forum demonstrates strong overlap with the most productive domestic research organizations, reflecting its representativeness. Thematic evolution analysis indicates a consistent shift from legacy POPs to ECs, alongside a transition from occurrence-based studies to risk assessment and remediation-oriented research. Overall, the POPs Forum provides a representative lens through which to understand the evolution of EC research in China and its alignment with global trends. Future research is expected to advance toward non-target screening, high-throughput assessment, and integrated risk-based management frameworks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100726"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endless remediation? The legal paradox of PFAS stabilisation in Sweden","authors":"Malin Johansson,&nbsp;Jurate Kumpiene","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Swedish environmental practice exhibits a paradox where excavation and landfilling dominate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation despite evidence that in situ stabilisation achieves equivalent exposure risk reduction at substantially lower cost. This article examines whether legal uncertainty rather than technical or economic factors drives this pattern. Through traditional legal method, the analysis identifies structural ambiguities in the Swedish Environmental Code (SFS 1998:808) (SEC) that systematically favour technically inferior approaches. Two distinct gaps create legal uncertainty: Swedish law provides no clear criteria for distinguishing between preventive measures under Chapter 2 and remediation under Chapter 10 when stabilisation requires long-term active management. Additionally, Chapter 10 establishes no framework for determining when remediation obligations are fulfilled if contaminants remain in place under indefinite management while risks are adequately controlled. These gaps create asymmetric liability exposure where stabilisation achieves superior environmental outcomes but generates indefinite legal obligations, whereas excavation provides definitive liability termination despite relocating rather than managing contamination. The findings demonstrate that operators may rationally optimise individual liability management rather than environmental protection when legal frameworks cannot accommodate technical realities. Resolving this paradox does not require untested legal innovation. Swedish law's nuclear waste and mining liability structures demonstrate that indefinite management can be operationalised through financial assurance and graduated responsibility. While PFAS present a distinct challenge requiring tailored statutory design, these frameworks suggest structural principles for enabling regulatory closure without assuming complete remediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100728"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of nickel oxide nanoparticles on the toxicity and accumulation of atrazine in soybean","authors":"Guanghui Xu,&nbsp;Wenqi Gao,&nbsp;Yong Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO-NPs) could impact the behavior of contaminants in the environment and affect nutrient uptake and growth of plants. In this work, we have studied the effects and mechanisms of NiO-NPs on the accumulation of atrazine by soybeans. The results revealed that NiO-NPs inhibited the uptake of ATZ in soybeans. The effects of NiO-NPs on ATZ accumulation and soybean stress responses were concentration dependent. At 5 and 50 mg/kg, NiO-NPs decreased ATZ accumulation and alleviated ATZ-induced oxidative stress in soybean, whereas at 100 mg/kg, they increased ATZ accumulation and aggravated oxidative stress. Metabolomic profiling revealed treatment-associated changes in soybean root metabolic profiles. Metagenomic analysis showed that co-exposure altered rhizosphere microbial community composition and reduced alpha diversity. Compared with ATZ alone, the 50 mg/kg NiO-NPs + ATZ treatment was associated with higher relative abundances of Nitrospirales and selected nitrogen-cycling genes; however, these shifts indicate changes in community composition and functional potential rather than direct evidence of enhanced nitrogen-cycling activity. Our findings demonstrate that NiO-NPs exerted concentration-dependent effects on ATZ accumulation and stress responses in soybean, highlighting the importance of dose when evaluating their interactions with herbicides in plant–soil systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100720"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subchronic ephedrine exposure suppresses PPAR signalling and impairs neurobehaviour in adult zebrafish","authors":"Yanghui Deng,&nbsp;Xingxing Yin,&nbsp;Changsheng Guo,&nbsp;Ya Gao,&nbsp;Chuanguang Wang,&nbsp;Jian Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100710","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100710","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pharmaceutical contamination of freshwater systems by psychoactive compounds has intensified globally, yet the sub-lethal neurological consequences for resident aquatic fauna remain largely unresolved. Ephedrine (EPH), a centrally active psychoactive compound and controlled precursor substance, is routinely detected in wastewater effluents and surface waters at concentrations from ng/L to μg/L, raising unaddressed questions about its toxicity to fish. Using adult zebrafish as a vertebrate model, we examined the effects of fourteen-day waterborne EPH exposure at two environmentally relevant concentrations (0.05 and 1 μg/L) and one supra-environmental concentration (20 μg/L). Behavioural assessment revealed concentration-dependent locomotor inhibition, heightened anxiety-like behaviour, spatial learning deficits, and impaired social preference. Targeted neurotransmitter profiling identified biphasic alterations of cholinergic, monoaminergic, and amino-acid transmitter pools in brain tissue. Histopathological examination revealed mild changes at the environmentally relevant concentrations and pronounced neuronal injury at 20 μg/L. Whole-brain transcriptomic analysis identified suppression of PPAR signalling as one of the most prominently affected pathways, with marked downregulation of fatty acid oxidation genes (<em>cpt1ab</em>, <em>cpt1cb</em>, <em>acaa1</em>), suggesting disruption of the neuronal energy supply required for synaptic maintenance. These findings indicate that EPH exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations is associated with neurobehavioural, neurochemical, and molecular alterations in adult zebrafish, and provide mechanistic evidence to support the inclusion of stimulant alkaloids in aquatic environmental hazard identification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 3","pages":"Article 100710"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monitoring and assessing the association of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and flame retardants (Dechlorane Plus and DBDPE) with parental lifestyle factors in a mother–child cohort of the Finnish population (NUGEN)","authors":"Soha Salah ,&nbsp;Päivi Myllynen ,&nbsp;Petra Přibylová ,&nbsp;Petr Kukučka ,&nbsp;Liisa Laatio ,&nbsp;Elina Sieppi ,&nbsp;Maria Kummu ,&nbsp;Saranya Palaniswamy ,&nbsp;Khaled Abass","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Human exposure to flame retardants, particularly PBDEs, is detectable in maternal plasma and linked to various adverse health outcomes, but the influence of parental lifestyle and diet on these levels remains poorly understood.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To monitor PBDEs in maternal and cord plasma samples and examine their relationships with parental health determinants - specifically dietary intake, environmental exposure, and lifestyle factors-in a Northern Finland population for the first time.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Maternal and cord plasma samples from 102 NUGEN cohort pairs were collected during caesarean sections at Oulu University Hospital. Plasma samples were analysed for PBDE congeners (BDE-47, BDE-66, BDE-85, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154, BDE-183, BDE-209), DBDPE, and chlorinated flame retardants (sDP, aDP), with lipid adjustment. Total cord BFRs were calculated as the sum of all congeners quantified in cord plasma, and total maternal BFRs were calculated analogously using maternal plasma.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PBDE congeners with the highest detection frequencies were maternal BDE-28 (42 %), BDE-47 (42 %), BDE-153 (100 %); and cord BDE-28 (50 %), BDE-47 (52 %), BDE-153 (95 %), BDE-154 (33 %). Maternal smoking was inversely associated with cord BDE-28 (−0.80 [−1.50, −0.09]). Higher paternal education was negatively associated with cord BDE-28 (−0.93 [−1.58, −0.27]), BDE-153 (−0.21 [−0.43, −0.005]), and BDE-154 (−4.34 [−8.00, −0.68]). High vegetable intake was inversely associated with cord BDE-154 (−3.99 [−7.76, −0.22]), while high meat intake was positively associated with total cord BFRs (0.42 [0.06, 0.78]), cord BDE-47 (0.67 [0.13, 1.21]), and maternal BDE-47 (0.77 [0.16, 1.37]).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>PBDE levels were higher in cord than maternal samples but lower than in other European countries. Findings support maternal-to-child PBDE transfer and reveal associations with lifestyle, diet, and sociodemographic factors, including paternal variables-a notable gap in prior research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 1","pages":"Article 100596"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145518824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-occurrence and ecological risk assessment of microplastics and heavy metals in hyporheic-zone sediments of the Bhairab-Rupsha River, Bangladesh","authors":"Nishat Salsabil,&nbsp;Md Tauhiduzzaman,&nbsp;Tapos Kumar Chakraborty,&nbsp;Gopal Chandra Ghosh","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2026.100629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study assesses microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals (HMs) in hyporheic-zone sediments of the Bhairab-Rupsha River in Bangladesh. Nine cores from upstream to downstream were divided into upper, middle, and lower layers. MPs were isolated by density separation with wet peroxide oxidation and identified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). HM concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry following USEPA 3050B acid digestion. Seven ecological risk indices (PLI, PHI, RI, Igeo, EF, CF, ER) quantified sediment contamination. MPs peaked in the upper layer (1700–5700 items/kg; mean 3600 items/kg), declining to 2744 and 1177 items/kg in middle and lower layers. Fragments (51 %), fibers (26 %), and films (18 %) dominated, and 106–355 μm particles comprised nearly half of all MPs. FTIR detected seven polymers, led by polyethylene (23 %), polystyrene (21 %), and polypropylene (18 %). The PHI values for MPs predominantly fell within Category III across all sediment layers, identifying polycarbonate and thermoplastic polyurethane as the most hazardous polymers. The PLI values indicated minor pollution across most sites and layers, except for the upper layer at RR6, which exhibited a medium risk (11.40). In contrast, the PERI assessment revealed markedly higher ecological concern, with upper-layer risk scores mostly ranging from 641 to 1405, corresponding to Class IV and Class V risk levels. HMs followed Cr &gt; Ni &gt; Cu &gt; Pb &gt; Cd, with urban outfalls as hotspots. Igeo, EF, CF, and PLI showed moderate-to-high anthropogenic impact, especially for Ni and Pb; ER flagged Cd and Ni as primary threats. These results underscore the need for integrated monitoring, tighter pollution controls, and targeted remediation to safeguard the Bhairab-Rupsha River and downstream Sundarbans mangroves. This multi-layered assessment provides a critical baseline for long-term riverine pollution management and ecosystem health planning in subtropical deltaic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"12 1","pages":"Article 100629"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147538442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}