Emerging Contaminants最新文献

{"title":"Current status and risk assessment of perfluoroalkyl acids in surface water and sediments of the Yellow River in Shandong, China","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Yellow River is the main source of water for urban and rural area and agricultural irrigation in northern China. Herein, the distribution and risk assessment of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were investigated from the Yellow River in Shandong Province, China. The total concentration of PFAAs (∑PFAAs) in surface water and sediments were 37.5–2128 ng/L (mean: 167 ng/L) and not detected−6.95 ng/g dry weight (dw) (mean: 1.02 ng/g dw), respectively. Short-chain PFAAs-perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) were the most prevalent PFAAs in surface water. Source analysis showed that firefighting foam (proportion: 31.3 %) and textile treatments and food packaging (proportion: 30.3 %) were the main sources of PFAAs in water. Based on the concentration of PFAAs in water, ecological and potential human health risks were assessed. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) posed nonnegligible ecological risk for some aquatic organisms. Levels of PFAAs (e.g., PFOA, PFNA, and PFDA etc.) in some water samples were higher than the advisory guidelines of PFAAs concentrations in water worldwide, indicating a potential human health risk. Therefore, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, and PFUnDA are the key focus of pollutants in the water of the Yellow River in Shandong Province, and the standards and limits of these PFAAs in environments including surface water and sediment should be promoted.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000921/pdfft?md5=0a7328455dda0bafb1d99cef6281cddd&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000921-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141848001","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":"Emergence of antibiotic resistance due to the excessive use of antibiotics in medicines and feed additives: A global scenario with emphasis on the Indian perspective","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100389","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Antibiotics were discovered for medicinal applications, notably in the last century and since then, they have been prevalently employed for prophylactic purposes in various sectors in the last few decades. Due to the non-judicial usage of antibiotics in sectors like agriculture, aquaculture, and animal husbandry, and as therapeutic substances, antibiotics have started to become a nuisance for the environment and human beings. Furthermore, the accumulation of antibiotics in the biosphere has led to the development of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms making it difficult to treat a growing number of infections. Hereafter to understand the holistic picture of the impacts associated with antibiotics on the environment, the evolution of individual antibiotic pathways for therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes needs to be studied along with their effect on the environment. Most of the recent reviews on antibiotics either concentrate on a particular source, pathway or environmental impact; however, the present state-of-the-art review attempts to summarize and update the possible sources of antibiotics, usage, their impact on humans, and environmental health on a global scale with a special emphasis on India. Also, there is a critical discussion about the various methods employed for the removal of antibiotics from an array of sources, on both water and soil matrix. The review finally emphasize that the implication of stringent regulation and selection of appropriate technology are required to alleviate antibiotics menace from the environment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000908/pdfft?md5=b92165a30aa8a976a40531e8b57f6c6f&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000908-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141704516","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":"Application and efficacy of beidellite clay for the adsorption and detoxification of deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin)","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The incidence of mycotoxin occurrence throughout the entire lifespan of some agricultural products could be due to climatic conditions and environmental factors (including high temperature, drought, and heavy rainfall) that enhance growth of fungi. Deoxynivalenol (DON) which is also referred to as vomitoxin is a mycotoxin produced from many Fusarium species. DON ranks high among the prominent mycotoxins in cereal products and is a ubiquitous toxin in livestock feeds. DON's adverse effects present major health challenges in both livestock and humans. The use of natural sorbents including smectite clays, is an economically feasible strategy to mitigate mycotoxin toxicities. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of edible clays as protective components of human food and animal feed to alleviate toxicity associated with short-term exposure to mycotoxins including DON. Hence, this study was designed to investigate the sorption mechanisms of DON onto the binding surfaces of beidellite clay, assessing essential binding parameters such as enthalpy, free energy, binding capacity, affinity, and plateau surface density. These markers were used to predict availability of DON under the experimental conditions. Furthermore, the protection of beidellite clay against DON-induced toxicity was carried out using living organisms susceptible to DON toxicity, including <em>Hydra vulgaris</em> and <em>Lemna minor</em>. These studies investigated the dose-dependent detoxification of DON by 0.05–2 % inclusion of beidellite. Beidellite exhibited more than 75 % protection in <em>Lemna minor</em> and 53 % in <em>Hydra vulgaris</em> validating that this clay is effective in detoxifying DON. During emergencies, or after disasters, inclusion of edible clay like beidellite in food, water or capsules could reduce bioavailability of DON and halt potential exposures to humans and animals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240566502400091X/pdfft?md5=16129059715bdd05ac03dd2fe6756188&pid=1-s2.0-S240566502400091X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141714658","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":"Understanding the environmental impact and risks of organic additives in plastics: A call for sustained research and sustainable solutions","authors":"Zehui Wang ,&nbsp;Gang Liang ,&nbsp;Shanxue Jiang ,&nbsp;Fang Wang ,&nbsp;Haifeng Li ,&nbsp;Bingru Li ,&nbsp;Hong Zhu ,&nbsp;Anxiang Lu ,&nbsp;Wenwen Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100388","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The pervasive use of plastics in modern society necessitates the incorporation of organic additives to enhance their performance. However, the leachability of these additives and their potential adverse effects on environmental and biological health have raised significant concerns. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the factors influencing the release of organic additives from plastics and examines their detrimental impacts on organisms and humans. It discusses effective degradation techniques, such as photodegradation and biodegradation, to mitigate these adverse effects. Furthermore, this review explores recent advancements in eco-friendly plastic additives, including bio-based plasticizers, flame retardants, antioxidants, and environmentally friendly non-biobased additives. It highlights their potential as alternatives to traditional additives. This review integrates the latest research findings and emerging trends, underscoring the need for continued research and development of sustainable solutions. It aims to facilitate the transition to environmentally friendly degradation techniques and greener plastic additives. This effort contributes to environmental protection and sustainable development, providing crucial guidance and insights for future research and practical applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000891/pdfft?md5=30b8067a5f66741f010e118448b9961b&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000891-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141583441","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":"Environmental genotoxicity assessment of nanoparticles using human airway epithelial model","authors":"Sirirak Hemmaphan ,&nbsp;Kotchapawn Somprasong ,&nbsp;Narisa K. Bordeerat","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100386","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Because of the growing use of nanoparticles (NPs) in manufacturing consumer goods, it is essential to identify new <em>in vitro</em> approaches to assess their toxicity and improve risk assessment. Humans are exposed to NPs from contaminated aerosol via multiple routes, such as inhalation, ingestion, and dermal absorption. Human airway epithelial cells are a promising tool for assessing the genotoxicity of NPs <em>in vitro</em>. This study aims to evaluate the genotoxic effects of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO), and silver oxide (AgO) NPs on human bronchial/tracheal epithelial cells (HBTECs) using the comet assay. The exposure duration was set to 24 h, and two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid models were used. The genotoxicity of TiO₂ NPs in 2D and 3D HBTEC cells was not statistically significant based on the concentration points examined <em>in vitro</em>. ZnO NPs at concentrations ranging from 10 to 50 μg/mL, when exposed to 2D HBTEC cultures for 24 h, did not show any genotoxic effects. However, genotoxicity was observed at higher concentrations. In contrast, treatment of 2D HBTEC cultures with AgO NPs increased the percentage of tail DNA damage from 50 to 100 μg/mL in a concentration-dependent manner. Within a controlled laboratory environment, ZnO and AgO NPs exhibited a reduction in the length of the tail in 3D spheroid cells. When evaluating genotoxicity, spheroids (3D) represent <em>in vivo</em>-like cell behavior more accurately than monolayer cultures (2D). Collectively, our findings illustrate the harmful effects of NPs on genetic material and emphasize the significance of employing cell culture models to evaluate the risk of toxicity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000878/pdfft?md5=a3503e6b0acd0c962874a059db274da1&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000878-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141542722","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":"Unlocking the potential: A comprehensive review on blast furnace slag and silica analog adsorbents for sustainable industrial and pharmaceutical pollution control and resource utilization","authors":"Qing-Guo Dong ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Zhi-Qing Kang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Imran Anwar ,&nbsp;Muhammad Asad ,&nbsp;Baoji Miao ,&nbsp;Shuanghu Wang ,&nbsp;Ayesha Younas","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100387","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Blast furnace slag (BFS) is a secondary material generated during the process of producing iron in blast furnaces, prompting scholars to concentrate on its efficient management and broad application for the creation of valuable commodities. This study examines the mineral composition, adsorption characteristics, and utilization of BFS and its silica counterparts. Recent developments in the application of BFS and its functionalized materials for pollution mitigation are examined, specifically concentrating on the elimination of nitrogen, phosphorus, metal ions, pharmaceutical effluents, waste oils, and dye molecules from wastewater. Moreover, these inexpensive adsorbents exhibit significant specific surface areas, possess microporous configurations, and contain alkaline components like calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, and aluminum oxide. This review further elucidates the present state of BFS-based adsorbents in the absorption of acid gases, with a specific focus on CO₂. The problems associated with widespread BFS usage are analyzed, and potential solutions for effective resource utilization are discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240566502400088X/pdfft?md5=41d23923a9bc42ffb40b425fb5bbf4ae&pid=1-s2.0-S240566502400088X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141542723","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":"Genomic insights into resistome, virulome, and mobilome as organic contaminants of ESKAPE pathogens and E. coli recovered from milk, farm workers, and environmental settings in Hainan, China","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The ESKAPE pathogens and <em>E. coli</em> are of significant public health concern and are listed among the top priorities of the World Health Organization. These pathogens are equally important for animal and public health, but their interaction with animal, human, and environmental aspects needs to be sufficiently studied. We investigated the comprehensive molecular characterization of three ESKAPE pathogens and <em>E. coli</em> recovered from milk, farm workers, and environmental settings in Hainan province. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), extended-spectrum β-lactamase production, and biofilm production were performed per set standard protocols. The isolates were further processed by PCR and sequencing to detect resistome, virulome, and mobilome. The study found four <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em> species (<em>E. coli</em>, n=32; <em>K. pneumoniae</em>, n=13; <em>E. cloacae</em>, n=3; <em>E. aerogenes</em>, n=1) among n=49 bacterial isolates from the study area. Most of the strains exhibited resistance against tetracycline (71.4%), ampicillin (61.2%), florfenicol (44.9%), and ciprofloxacin (42.9%), while none of the strains was resistant against meropenem and amikacin. The MDR and ESBL-production percentages were 55.1% and 34.7 %, respectively. The resistance determinants for β-lactams (<em>bla</em>_TEM<em>, bla</em>_OXA-2<em>, bla</em>_SHV<em>, bla</em>_CTX-M), aminoglycosides (<em>aac(3ʹ)-IIa</em>), quinolones (<em>qnrB, qnrS</em>), tetracyclines (<em>tetA, tetD</em>), florfenicol (<em>floR</em>), sulfonamides (<em>sul1</em>, <em>sul2</em>), trimethoprim (<em>dfrA14</em>), and MDR efflux pumps (<em>oqxA, oqxB</em>) were detected along with diverse plasmid replicon types and integrons (<em>intl3</em>, 55.1%; <em>intl1</em>, 18.4%). The detection of virulence determinants was noted at a higher rate, and most of the strains were identified as biofilm producers by genotype (85.7%). The current study findings revealed diversified resistance and virulence determinants along with mobilome in ESKAPE pathogens and <em>E. coli</em>, which may pose a significant threat to human health through the food chain and environmental exposure and need immediate attention.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000866/pdfft?md5=769bf4e36a472c5b0e8572c33fa5ea44&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000866-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141731927","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":"Review and assessment of mercury contamination and risk in sediment and food chain near a chlor-alkali plant","authors":"Sedigheh Mohamadi ,&nbsp;Mohsen Saeedi","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100384","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mercury pollution from a chlor-alkali plant has caused a long-term impact on the northwest of the Persian Gulf. In this article, the history of mercury concentration in Musa estuary, Iran, is summarized from previous research and reports and used to estimate the health risk assessment. Despite the closure of the chlor-alkali plant in 2016, the mercury level in sediments and biota is still higher than the acceptable standards in some parts of the estuary. Mercury concentrations and bioaccumulation in the food chain, including fish, crustaceans, birds, and humans, were evaluated. Health risk assessments indicate that consuming some fish species may put children and adults at risk of mercury exposure. Further study is required to fill the gaps for mercury monitoring and recovery.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000854/pdfft?md5=6d36d5e426aa4164306b8d2e6b970769&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000854-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141480965","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":"New insights into the environmental photochemistry of common-use antibiotics in ice and in water: A comparison of kinetics and influencing factors","authors":"Linke Ge ,&nbsp;Siyuan Wang ,&nbsp;Crispin Halsall ,&nbsp;Xuanyan Li ,&nbsp;Dongxiao Bai ,&nbsp;Shengkai Cao ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100382","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The photochemistry of organic contaminants present in ice is receiving growing attention, given the wide presence of ice during winter in temperate regions as well as Polar and mountain environments. Differences between ice photochemistry and aqueous photochemistry, however, influence the quantitative fate and transformation of organic chemicals present in freshwater, marine and ice-cap environments and these differences need to be explored. Here we comparatively studied the ice and aqueous photochemistry of three antibiotics [levofloxacin (LVX), sulfamerazine (SM), and chlortetracycline (CTC)] under the same simulated sunlight (<em>λ</em> &gt; 290 nm). Their photodegradation in ice/water followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, whereby the photolytic rates of LVX in ice and water were found to be similar, SM photodegraded faster in ice, while CTC underwent slower photodegradation in ice. Whether individual antibiotics underwent faster photodegradation in ice or not depends on the specific concentration effect and cage effect coexisting in the ice compartment. In most cases, the fastest photodegradation occurred in freshwater ice or in fresh water, and the slowest photolysis occurred in pure-water ice or in pure water. This can be attributed to the effects of key photochemical reactive constituents of Cl⁻, HA, NO₃⁻ and Fe(III), that exist in natural waters. These constituents at certain levels showed significant effects (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.1) on the photolysis, not only in ice but also in water. However, these individual constituents at a given concentration, serve to either enhance or suppress the photoreaction, depending on the specific antibiotic and the matrix type (e.g., ice or aqueous solution). Furthermore, extrapolation of the laboratory findings to cold environments indicate that pharmaceuticals present in ice will have a different photofate compared to water. These results are of particular relevance for those regions that experience seasonal ice cover in fresh water and coastal marine systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000830/pdfft?md5=ca8241ea96433e34154d59beb0d58ae6&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000830-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141484395","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":"Spatial distribution, morphology, and risk assessment of microplastics in sediment from the Pearl River Estuary, China","authors":"Kaiqiang Xu ,&nbsp;Asfandyar Shahab ,&nbsp;Jörg Rinklebe ,&nbsp;He Xiao ,&nbsp;Jieyue Li ,&nbsp;Feng Ye ,&nbsp;Yanhong Li ,&nbsp;Dunqiu Wang ,&nbsp;Michael S. Bank ,&nbsp;Gangjian Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microplastics (MPs) (&lt;5 mm) are a growing environmental problem and have garnered significant global interest from scientists and policy makers. Coastal ecosystems are vulnerable to MP pollution, and assessing their sources, fate, and transport in the environment is imperative for marine ecosystem health. Data for marine sediment are still limited, particularly in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) ecosystem in China. Here, we assessed the abundance, characteristics, and risks of MPs in marine sediment from PRE. MPs abundance ranged from 2.05 × 10³ items ·kg⁻¹ to 7.75 × 10³ items ·kg⁻¹ (dry weight), and white and black MPs were the dominant colors. The majority (&gt;64.12 %) of detected MPs were &lt;0.85 mm and primarily consisted of pellets (36.84 %) and fragments (29.65 %). Three polymer types of MPs were identified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) including polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP). Polyurethane (PU) sponge was reported for the first time in this study area. Observations of the surface morphology of typical MPs using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that all MPs exhibited varying degrees of erosion, characterized by cracks, folds, and bumpy structures. Based on type and quantity of MPs and the polymers identified, we assessed and classified the risk of MP contamination in PRE sediment as category III, indicating severe ecosystem contamination. Our results may serve as an effective model for other estuaries facing similar pollution regimes and provides valuable information for marine sediment risk assessment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000842/pdfft?md5=2877e9f3ddfc16bdd322e9a85cf366ad&pid=1-s2.0-S2405665024000842-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141487353","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}