Emerging Contaminants最新文献

{"title":"Disruption of gluconeogenesis as a key mediator of male infertility in rats exposed to nanoplastics: In vivo evidence and molecular docking analysis","authors":"Sasanaqia Maulidah ,&nbsp;Febriyansyah Saputra ,&nbsp;Alfiah Hayati ,&nbsp;Mochammad Aqilah Herdiansyah ,&nbsp;Manikya Pramudya ,&nbsp;Firli Rahmah Primula Dewi ,&nbsp;Raden Joko Kuncoroningrat Susilo ,&nbsp;Vuanghao Lim ,&nbsp;Azzah Dyah Pramata","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanoplastics (NPs) have become widespread environmental pollutants with established toxicological impacts on several biological systems. This study investigates the impact of gluconeogenesis disruption in mediating infertility in rats exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics. Adult male rats were randomly assigned to five groups and orally administered NPs at concentrations of 0, 100, 200, 400, or 800 μg/kg body weight daily for 55 consecutive days to simulate subchronic exposure. NPs exposure induced excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), which triggered upregulation of non-coding RNAs (TCONS_00074622 and TCONS_00083977), RNA methyltransferase DNMT2, activated intrinsic apoptosis via BAX, cytochrome <em>c</em> release, and elevated caspase-9 expression, impairing spermatogenesis and reducing sperm quality. Additionally, NPs exposure activated hepatic NF-κB signalling, increased serum pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6), and caused hepatocellular damage, as demonstrated by increased serum AST and ALT levels. Insulin downregulation and altered expression of key gluconeogenic and glycogen metabolism genes (PCK1, G6PC1, GYS2, GLUT4, and PYGL). Molecular docking and dynamics revealed strong, stable binding of NPs to key metabolic proteins (G6PC1, GLUT4, PCK-1, and PYGL), supporting their involvement in metabolic dysregulation. Taken together, these findings provide significant in vivo and in silico evidence that disruption of hepatic gluconeogenesis serves as a central mediator of NP-induced male infertility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100581"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216798","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":"Microfiber release during apparel manufacturing process – A greater concern than domestic laundering","authors":"S. Raja Balasaraswathi,&nbsp;R. Rathinamoorthy","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microfibers released from textile materials have recently become a pressing concern as one of the most significant anthropogenic pollutants in recent times. Although domestic laundry has been reported as a major source of microfiber release, researchers stress the potential of manufacturing stage to contribute equally. However, limited research has been conducted on the manufacturing stage. To bridge this gap, the current study aimed to analyze microfiber release from different knitted fabrics during the cutting process in the apparel manufacturing industry. Microfibers released during cutting were collected using the atmospheric deposition method both inside and outside the industry. The findings revealed that the cutting process caused an average microfiber deposition of 2.86 × 10⁶ ± 6.02 × 10⁵ microfibers per square meter of cutting floor per day. A strong linear relationship was observed between the length of the fabric been cut and microfiber deposition (r = 0.96). Regarding fabric properties, strong positive correlations (r = 0.80 to 0.99) were noted with stitch density, thickness, areal density, and yarn count, indicating that increase in these parameters led to increased microfiber emissions. Conversely, a negative correlation was reported for loop length (r = −0.79), and an insignificant correlation was found with the tightness factor (r = 0.49). The majority of the released fibers (55.84 %) measured between 300 and 800 μm in length. The results showed that fabrics with compact structures released more short microfibers than those with loose structures. The study's findings indicated that cutting a medium-sized T-shirt can release up to 1.09 × 10⁶ microfibers, which is approximately 50 times higher than that released during laundry, with 40–70 % of the fibers transported outside the factory. With this alarming quantity, future research should focus on understanding the occupational hazards of cutting operators exposed to large quantities of microfibers. Moreover, studies should focus on developing cost-effective alternative cutting methods and microfiber-capturing systems that can be implemented in the industry to control the release of microfibers into the external environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100559"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903441","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":"Characterizing human exposure to multi-class antibiotics through urine biomonitoring in a Chinese population","authors":"Yuting Ling ,&nbsp;Min Hu ,&nbsp;Yunhong Zeng ,&nbsp;Qinrong Mao ,&nbsp;Weihao Deng ,&nbsp;Yujie Ben ,&nbsp;Charles B. Andrews ,&nbsp;Zhiming Xu ,&nbsp;Ming Hung Wong ,&nbsp;Chunmiao Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance to global public health underscores the urgent need for biomonitoring of human exposure to antibiotics in the environment, for which data are currently limited in the general population. In this study, we developed a new and reliable multi-class method, utilizing enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), solid-phase extraction (SPE), and HPLC-MS/MS, to simultaneously analyze 77 antibiotics in human urine. The method was applied to assess antibiotic body burden in 755 individuals from the general population of Shenzhen, China. In these samples, 51 antibiotic compounds were detected, and at least one compound was found in 93 % of participants, with up to 13 in a single sample. After excluding outliers, the mean total concentration of antibiotics was 7.77 ng/mL (median: 2.14; P75: 7.65; P95: 35.3). Sulfonamide concentrations were significantly higher in males than in females, and varied notably across age groups. The average estimated daily intakes (EDIs) for 13 frequently detected antibiotics (detection frequency &gt;5 %) ranged from 0.030 to 11.9 ng/kg-bw/day, comparable to dietary-based EDIs derived from antibiotics in drinking water and food samples. These finds indicate that urine is a reliable biological matrix for biomonitoring human exposure to environmental antibiotics and that diet is the predominant exposure route. Further research is warranted to elucidate the health implications of environmental antibiotic exposure, particularly its potential impact on the human gut microbiome.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100587"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145358603","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":"PPARα-dependent lipid metabolic disruption mediates triphenyl phosphate–induced hepato- and neurotoxicity in zebrafish","authors":"Congying Luo ,&nbsp;Qiong Zhang ,&nbsp;Han Xie ,&nbsp;Dinghui Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoling Shi ,&nbsp;Yanhong Huang ,&nbsp;Yimin Zhang ,&nbsp;Kusheng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The extensive use of triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) has resulted in its ubiquity in aquatic ecosystems, raising significant concerns about its escalating risks to aquatic organisms. In this study, we employed adult and larval zebrafish (<em>Danio rerio</em>) as model organisms to assess the adverse effects of TPhP exposure on aquatic life. The objectives were to evaluate TPhP-induced hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity and the role of lipid metabolism in mediating these toxic effects. The results demonstrated that TPhP exposure led to alterations in body weight, length, and body mass index (BMI), along with changes in brain and liver somatic indices in zebrafish. Through comprehensive analyses of histopathological changes, transcriptional profiles, biochemical markers, and neurobehavioral assays, TPhP was shown to induce both morphological and functional impairments in the brain and liver. In TPhP-exposed larvae, reduced tissue integrity and altered spatial distribution of brain and hepatic tissues were observed. Notably, changes in the expression of neurodevelopmental and lipid metabolism-related genes in larvae mirrored those detected in adult zebrafish, indicating conserved toxic mechanisms across life stages. Mechanistically, TPhP exposure induced oxidative stress in both brain and liver tissues and suppressed the expression of PPARα, as well as its downstream genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and lipid homeostasis. Consequently, hepatic triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (T-CHO) levels were significantly decreased, whereas free fatty acid (FFA) content was elevated. Thus, TPhP inhibits PPARα signaling via oxidative stress, leading to lipid metabolic dysfunction and subsequent damage to neural and hepatic tissues. This study provides robust evidence of TPhP-induced hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity in zebrafish, and elucidates the critical role of PPARα-mediated disruption of lipid metabolism in these toxic pathways, thereby enhancing our understanding of the ecological risks posed by organophosphate flame retardants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100561"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921673","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":"PFOA promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell progression by suppressing ferroptosis via the ATF4/SLC7A11/PDK4 axis","authors":"Wenli Hu ,&nbsp;Yu Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaohang Guo ,&nbsp;Zhuang Zhang ,&nbsp;Ping Zhu ,&nbsp;Xiushan Wu ,&nbsp;Xin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent pollutants with emerging hepatotoxic and tumor-promoting concerns. Differences in effects between long- and short-chain PFAS on liver tumor progression remain unclear. We examined transcriptomic and functional effects of PFOA (long-chain), GenX (short-chain), and their 1:1 mixture on HepG2 cells exposed to a nominal total concentration of 0.02 mg/L. Using RNA-Seq, qPCR, and assays for proliferation, migration and invasion, we found that PFOA induced the largest number of differentially expressed genes and markedly promoted proliferation, migration and invasion via activation of TNF and insulin-resistance pathways. PFOA also suppressed ferroptosis through upregulation of the ATF4/SLC7A11/PDK4 axis, supported by decreased BODIPY-C11 lipid peroxidation and lower labile Fe²⁺. GenX showed substantially weaker effects, and the mixture produced intermediate responses consistent with a concentration-addition (dose-dilution) explanation. These findings indicate that PFOA promotes malignant phenotypes of existing liver cancer cells in vitro rather than demonstrating de-novo carcinogenesis, and highlight the need to evaluate tumor-promoting and hepatotoxic effects of PFAS under both single-compound and mixed exposures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 100556"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903440","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":"Salmon as an ecological pathway of contaminants into Alaskan food webs","authors":"Miranda Brohman ,&nbsp;Gretchen H. Roffler ,&nbsp;Dimitrios Giarikos ,&nbsp;David W. Kerstetter ,&nbsp;Amy C. Hirons","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salmon are important fish taxa for humans and animals in hemiboreal and subarctic ecosystems. The presence of trace elements and their bioaccumulation across a marine food web raises potential health risk concerns associated with human consumption. Sixteen trace element concentrations and their health risk assessments were determined in seven different tissues from two Southeast Alaska salmon species. Chum salmon consistently had higher trace element concentrations which may be attributed to a wider variety of diets, generally longer lifespans, and more ocean time compared to pink salmon. Chum kidney and liver samples exceeded the tolerable daily intake for arsenic, indicating a significant risk to wildlife. However, muscle tissues revealed a low risk for human consumption. The target hazard quotients for chronic toxicological risk of all tissue samples did not exceed the hazardous threshold, and the carcinogenic risk values for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead all indicate a negligible cancer risk from human consumption. These results highlight the critical need for continuous monitoring of trace elements in salmon and the potential implications for both human and animal health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 3","pages":"Article 100541"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587897","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":"Unveiling the presence of toxic transformation products and microfibers on end-of-life RO membranes","authors":"M.K. Akhil Nazim ,&nbsp;Amitha Unnikrishnan ,&nbsp;Anastasia Penkova ,&nbsp;Charuvila T. Aravindakumar ,&nbsp;Usha K. Aravind","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Point-of-use (PoU) drinking water treatment systems using reverse osmosis (RO) are becoming increasingly popular. Over time, the membrane cartridges in these systems accumulate a concentrated layer of contaminants on their surfaces. This study focuses on analysing this fouling layer by performing autopsies on spent membrane cartridges from PoU units. Four used RO membranes were collected from rural and urban locations in Kerala, India. Two of these membranes treated groundwater in rural areas, while the other two were supplied by municipal water and groundwater in urban settings. The foulants desorbed from the membrane surfaces were analysed using a combination of spectroscopic, microscopic, and chromatographic methods. Non-target analysis (NTA) revealed the presence of micropollutants, including herbicides, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals. Toxic transformation products of diuron, namely 3,4-dichloroaniline and 3,4-dichlorophenyl-N-methylurea, were also detected. Raman spectroscopy identified polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and cotton microfibers, while inorganic foulants such as calcium, iron, silicon, and aluminium were also found. Infrared spectra confirmed that the membranes were composed of polypropylene, polysulfone, and polyurethane. Improper disposal of these end-of-life membranes risks reintroducing these contaminants into the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 3","pages":"Article 100538"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144500865","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":"Occurrence, bioaccumulation, and ecological risk assessment of contaminants of emerging concern using native and invasive species as biomonitors","authors":"Diana P. Manjarrés-López ,&nbsp;Claudia Martínez-Megías ,&nbsp;Dyana Vitale ,&nbsp;Yolanda Picó ,&nbsp;Andreu Rico ,&nbsp;Sandra Pérez","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditionally, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) monitoring have focused on assessing their occurrence in abiotic compartments and in native fish species. The use of non-native species in environmental quality studies has recently proven to be a key tool for evaluating the CECs exposure and their ecological risks. In this study, the use of different native and invasive species was proposed to assess the environmental quality of a coastal Mediterranean wetland. A biomonitoring assessment was conducted at ten locations within the Albufera Natural Park (Spain), including irrigation channels, the lake, and the artificial wetland. The bioaccumulation of 171 CECs was evaluated in the Asian clam, the American red swamp crayfish, and the pumpkinseed sunfish, which are primary invasive species in this ecosystem. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was done with the native clam to verify whether invasive species could provide equivalent information. A total of 35 CECs were detected in at least one of the species analyzed. The Asian clam exhibited the highest number of detected compounds (23), as well as the highest chemical concentrations, particularly for pharmaceuticals. The ecological risk assessment performed with internal concentrations of CECs also pointed at the Asian clam as the most suitable species for chemical biomonitoring in this area. The compounds that had the highest contribution to the calculated ecological risk were sertraline, fluoxetine, terbuthylazine, caffeine, and oseltamivir. At most exposure sites HI values revealed high risk, indicating strong pressure from mixtures of CEs for both native and invasive species. This study shows that the analysis of chemical concentrations in invasive species can be considered a complementary tool to determine the ecological status of coastal wetlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 3","pages":"Article 100533"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144270755","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":"Tackling per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in the North African Environment: Slight progress amidst significant challenges","authors":"Badreddine Barhoumi ,&nbsp;Hassan Alshemmari ,&nbsp;Abdulla M. Al-Rawabdeh ,&nbsp;Lassaad Chouba ,&nbsp;Mohamed Ridha Driss ,&nbsp;Soufiane Touil ,&nbsp;Philippe Bersuder ,&nbsp;Imma Tolosa","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100546","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100546","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have attracted global attention due to their persistence, potential for bioaccumulation, and adverse effects on both human health and the environment. However, the extent and implications of PFAS contamination in North Africa remain insufficiently explored. This review addresses this regional knowledge gap by critically evaluating the occurrence, sources, and potential impacts of PFAS in environmental and human matrices across North Africa. Based on a comprehensive review of credible scientific sources, this analysis consolidates evidence of PFAS contamination across various environmental and human matrices. All examined matrices, including water, biota, air, foodstuffs, food packaging materials, and human samples, were contaminated by at least one PFAS compound. Potential sources of PFAS are discussed in relation to the known applications of specific compounds. Although PFAS levels reported in the North African environment are generally lower than those observed in more urbanized and industrialized countries, the findings clearly demonstrate the presence and widespread distribution of PFAS in the region. Notably, fish livers collected from Sudan exhibited the highest PFAS concentrations, with perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) levels reaching up to 331 ng g⁻¹ wet weight (ww), substantially exceeding the recommended Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) for PFOS in biota set at 9 ng g⁻¹ ww. Identified sources of PFAS contamination include both industrial activities (e.g., manufacturing discharges, aqueous film-forming foams) and consumer-related sources (e.g., municipal landfills, electronic waste, port operations, and precursor degradation). Although toxicological assessments currently suggest a generally low risk to human and ecological health, this may be due to limited monitoring data rather than an actual absence of PFAS. Overall, this review enhances the regional understanding of PFAS pollution in North Africa, highlights critical data gaps, and outlines priorities for future research and policy development aimed at monitoring, regulating, and mitigating PFAS exposure in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 3","pages":"Article 100546"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738552","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":"Influence of aging and colorants on environmental degradation of polyolefins","authors":"Vaibhav Budhiraja ,&nbsp;Prashant Mani Shandilya ,&nbsp;Luka Pavko ,&nbsp;John I. Garver ,&nbsp;Andrej Kržan","doi":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.emcon.2025.100516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plastic litter breaks down into microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics over time, but their environmental lifespan remains largely unknown. Understanding the degradation of plastic litter in the environment remains a fundamental question in MP research. This study highlights the significant role of colorants in the degradation process by analyzing forty-four naturally aged polyethylene (PE) lobster trap tags collected from the marine environment and an old, heavily degraded polypropylene (PP) product. The lobster trap tags, marked with their production year, indicate their time in the marine environment, with the oldest dating back to 1983, while the PP tub, over forty years old, had undergone extensive photodegradation in sunlight. Chemical, thermal, mechanical and surface property analyses revealed that the aging of PE tags is not directly proportional to their environmental degradation. Among the eight different tag colors, blue and green were the least degraded, while red showed the most degradation, emphasizing the influence of colorants. In contrast, the PP sample exhibited severe surface degradation, with significant fragmentation leading to MP formation, while its interior remained relatively intact. These findings underscore the complex interactions between environmental factors and material properties in plastic degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11539,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Contaminants","volume":"11 3","pages":"Article 100516"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144195528","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}