Laura M Zoutendijk, Zenzi Matla, Hanna M Dusza, Barbara M Scholz-Böttcher, Bert M Weckhuysen, Laurens D B Mandemaker, Florian Meirer
{"title":"Development of a reliable preprocessing protocol for fluorescent micro- and nanoplastic analysis in human placental tissue.","authors":"Laura M Zoutendijk, Zenzi Matla, Hanna M Dusza, Barbara M Scholz-Böttcher, Bert M Weckhuysen, Laurens D B Mandemaker, Florian Meirer","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf177","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concerns are arising about potential health risks of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) to human life, as their presence has been reported in human blood, stool, liver, lung tissue, breast milk, and placenta. However, little is known about particle numbers and morphology, which is essential information for developing reliable risk assessment. Therefore, such characterization of MNPs in human tissue is an important yet difficult task, which involves sample digestion as an essential step in the pretreatment of organic matrices. Successful digestion enables accurate characterization of MNPs using micro-spectroscopy. In this study, eight different enzymes or enzyme mixtures commonly used in digestion protocols were tested in four different buffers, to select the best combinations of enzymes and buffers for the preprocessing of human placental tissue for MNP (spectro-)microscopic analysis. Placenta tissue was spiked with fluorescent 200 nm, 500 nm, 1 μm, and 10 μm polystyrene (PS) MNPs to analyze morphological stability throughout the digestion and to determine recovery rates (RRs). For the optimal protocol, RRs of 98% ±6 (200 nm), 148% ±8 (500 nm), 147% ±8 (1 μm), and 81% ±8 (10 μm) were determined using confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM). We explain values >100% by dye leaching and hypothesize that the leached dye can bind to organic residue from tissue with a similar size as the fluorescent PS particles, causing false positives when counting MNPs. Morphological changes were not observed for the final digestion protocol both with CFM and scanning electron microscopy. Hence, we demonstrate an optimized enzymatic digestion protocol to digest (placental) tissue and report on the accuracy of the characterization of model MNPs using micro-spectroscopy, which will enable further research with an emphasis on sub-micron (<1 µm) sized plastic particles.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2818-2831"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144612069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Kyra Ricci, Emily Ronan, Grascen Shidemantle, Nicholas Buss, Devin DiGiacopo, Katarzyna Affek, Ivan Gomez-Mestre, Jessica Hua
{"title":"Effects of body mass and legacy of pesticide contamination on oxidative stress biomarkers in larval Rana sylvatica under baseline and sodium chloride-contaminated conditions.","authors":"Kyra Ricci, Emily Ronan, Grascen Shidemantle, Nicholas Buss, Devin DiGiacopo, Katarzyna Affek, Ivan Gomez-Mestre, Jessica Hua","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf162","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf162","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Monitoring biomarkers of physiological stress (e.g., oxidative stress) in sensitive wildlife populations can allow conservationists to identify, quantify, and make predictions about the impacts of global change. However, interpretation of stress responses can be complicated by multiple interacting factors (e.g., individual development, evolved physiological tolerance to stressors) which alter biomarker expression. To better understand the relative influences of these factors, we used wood frog (Rana sylvatica) populations with known variation in ontogenetic and contaminant tolerance traits. We examined how both individual ontogenetic traits and population-level tolerance traits influence oxidative stress responses under baseline and sodium chloride (NaCl)-contaminated environmental conditions. We exposed tadpoles from six noninteracting populations with known variation in ontogeny, pesticide tolerance, and NaCl tolerance to either baseline or NaCl-contaminated conditions and evaluated five biomarkers of oxidative stress. We found that individual body mass was a significant predictor of two oxidative stress biomarkers (catalase and glutathione reductase) in baseline conditions only, such that greater mass predicted lower enzyme activity. Separately, population pesticide tolerance was a significant predictor of one oxidative stress biomarker (glutathione peroxidase) in NaCl-contaminated conditions only, such that higher pesticide tolerance predicted higher enzyme activity. Our results demonstrate that both individual traits (mass) and population history (selection for pesticide tolerance) can explain some variation in oxidative stress biomarkers. However, these associations are largely dependent on the environmental conditions experienced. Our findings demonstrate that individual development and population history influence stress responses. This underscores the need for future applications of oxidative stress biomarkers to consider both historical and contemporary environmental contexts to improve their use as indicators of change.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2927-2935"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144495362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Dragana Bartolić, Branka Živanović, Mira Stanković, Dušan Nikolić, Zoran Marković, Sladjana Spasić, Sandor Kasas, Ksenija Radotić
{"title":"Rapid assessment of bisphenol A toxicity on fish eggs using optical nanomotion detection.","authors":"Dragana Bartolić, Branka Živanović, Mira Stanković, Dušan Nikolić, Zoran Marković, Sladjana Spasić, Sandor Kasas, Ksenija Radotić","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf165","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fish have a vital role in environment and human nutrition worldwide. Assessing the health of fish reproductive cells is crucial for both wild populations and aquaculture, serving as a key indicator of ecosystem health and the safety of seafood. Bisphenol A (BPA), a plastic monomer, emerges as an environmental pollutant with toxic effects on aquatic organisms, particularly disrupting reproduction. Traditional biomarkers for sperm and egg quality can be complex and resource-intensive, prompting the need for simpler, rapid testing methods. This study utilizes a nanomotion-based technique to assess the viability of carp (Cyprinus carpio) eggs exposed to BPA. Nanomotion measures cell oscillations, which cease on viability loss. Unfertilized and fertilized carp eggs were exposed to varying BPA concentrations, and x-y motions were recorded. Statistical analyses showed significant changes in unfertilized and fertilized egg nanomotion on BPA exposure, indicating increased cell activity in contaminated samples. The second-order polynomial model characterizes the dose-response of cellular nanomotion to increasing BPA concentrations. The estimation indicates that maximum nanomotion occurs at a BPA concentration of 0.03 mM in both unfertilized and fertilized eggs. According to our knowledge, this study reports for the first time use of an optical nanomotion method for direct assessment of the effect of a pollutant on fish eggs. This method showed that both unfertilized and fertilized eggs are sensitive to BPA exposure. By mimicking natural fertilization conditions, it deepens our understanding of aquatic ecosystems and helps to protect fisheries and global food security. This method offers a simple, rapid, and effective tool for assessing the impact of environmental contaminants on fish reproductive health.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2967-2971"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144559537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Kevin J Barnard, Michael G Ikonomou, Christopher J Lowe
{"title":"Partitioning of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in secondary wastewater treatment and estimated loadings and potential effects to the receiving environment.","authors":"Kevin J Barnard, Michael G Ikonomou, Christopher J Lowe","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/etojnl/vgaf245","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thirty pharmaceuticals and personal care products were measured in the liquid (influent and effluent) and solid (influent solids and sludge) streams in a conventional activated sludge secondary wastewater treatment plant, and their loadings to the receiving environment and potential toxicity levels were assessed. Most compound loadings were reduced by treatment, though there were none that were completely degraded by the process, and five were higher in the output than input (Carbamazepine, Clarithromycin, Diltiazem, Oxytetracycline, and Warfarin). The treatment process did result in the partitioning of some influent liquid phase compounds to the sludge, though the highest potential loadings to the receiving environment were via the final effluent liquid phase. Concentrations of all compounds were well below predicted and known toxicity levels for aquatic and terrestrial receiving environments suggesting they are not likely to be toxic in the marine environment around the treatment plant outfall. The treatment plant did have a net positive impact on the reduction of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater resulting in lower concentrations and loadings being discharged to the receiving environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145198797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Shihori Tanabe, Tanja Burgdorf, Judy Choi, Nathalie Delrue, Stephen W Edwards, Julija Filipovska, Rex FitzGerald, Sabina Halappanavar, Virginia K Hench, Travis Karschnik, Carlie LaLone, Brigitte Landesmann, Cinzia La Rocca, Mirjam Luijten, Bette Meek, Jason M O'Brien, Edward J Perkins, Magdalini Sachana, Stefan Scholz, You Song, Olga Tcheremenskaia, Russell Thomas, Knut Erik Tollefsen, Daniel L Villeneuve, Barbara Viviani, Maurice Whelan, Clemens Wittwehr, Carole Yauk
{"title":"Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Coaching Program-how it functions and contributes to a more harmonized approach to AOP development and construction of AOP networks with regulatory utility.","authors":"Shihori Tanabe, Tanja Burgdorf, Judy Choi, Nathalie Delrue, Stephen W Edwards, Julija Filipovska, Rex FitzGerald, Sabina Halappanavar, Virginia K Hench, Travis Karschnik, Carlie LaLone, Brigitte Landesmann, Cinzia La Rocca, Mirjam Luijten, Bette Meek, Jason M O'Brien, Edward J Perkins, Magdalini Sachana, Stefan Scholz, You Song, Olga Tcheremenskaia, Russell Thomas, Knut Erik Tollefsen, Daniel L Villeneuve, Barbara Viviani, Maurice Whelan, Clemens Wittwehr, Carole Yauk","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf173","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework contributes to understanding how specific and measurable biological perturbations cause adverse effects on human and environmental health. Recognizing the value of AOPs to support regulatory decisions around the world, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched the AOP Programme in 2012, which sought to promote and guide the development of AOPs to ensure their suitability for the downstream applications in the context of regulatory safety assessment. The OECD published the initial guidance on AOP development and assessment in 2013, which has been expanded as practices have evolved and matured. Adverse outcome pathway development requires adherence to specific principles and considerations for identifying and describing key events (KEs) and representing and assessing the weight of evidence for the key event relationships. Ultimately, the structured and consistent application of the principles helps build confidence in the applicability of the knowledge represented in the AOP for decision-making in the regulatory context. To assist new AOP developers, in 2019, the OECD introduced a coaching program. This program primarily aims to pair novices with experienced AOP developers (i.e., coaches). International partnerships in the coaching program contribute to harmonizing and promoting AOP development according to OECD guidance. Coaches have also helped to identify and initiate \"gardening\" efforts that remove redundant/synonymous KEs in the AOP-Wiki, allowing for improved AOP network creation, promoting the reuse of extensively reviewed KEs, and ensuring the development of high-quality AOPs. The AOP Coaching Program represents the latest international activity to ensure that AOPs are developed in a consistent manner that is designed to enhance their use for supporting public health decisions around the world.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2725-2732"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144583454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Correction to: Acetylcholinesterase activity and hematological parameters in individuals exposed to pesticides in a Brazilian state: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf115","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf115","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"3067"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144689649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Oihane Del Puerto, Sidney Behringer, Kristin Höfer, Marta Baccaro, Neil Sherborne, Nico van den Brink, Roman Ashauer
{"title":"Evaluating the impact of experimental duration on toxicokinetic parameters and bioaccumulation factors in earthworm (Eisenia fetida) studies.","authors":"Oihane Del Puerto, Sidney Behringer, Kristin Höfer, Marta Baccaro, Neil Sherborne, Nico van den Brink, Roman Ashauer","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/etojnl/vgaf154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Earthworms contribute to soil health and nutrient cycling and serve as a crucial food source for higher trophic organisms. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 317 bioaccumulation test investigates the potential for chemicals to bioaccumulate in earthworms, where a kinetic bioaccumulation factor (BAF) is calculated as the ratio between the uptake and elimination rate constants, assuming first-order kinetics. This implies that steady state conditions are not necessary, suggesting independence of experimental durations. If valid, the kinetic BAF could be estimated within a shorter timeframe than recommended by the 6-week OECD guideline. However, there is limited data to validate this. This study aimed to determine whether toxicokinetic (TK) rate constants and BAF depend on experimental duration. Individual Eisenia fetida were exposed to three organic compounds in two parallel experiments labeled \"short\" and \"long.\" The short experiment involved a 7-day exposure and 14-day elimination phase, and the long experiment entailed a 21-day exposure and 14-day elimination phase. A one-compartment TK model estimated uptake and elimination rate constants from exposure to bulk soil and water extractable fraction, from which kinetic BAFs were derived. Our findings indicated fast kinetics for all compounds. Importantly, in five out of six cases, kinetic rate constants from the short experiments fell within the confidence intervals of those from the long experiment, suggesting comparable results. Three of the six kinetic BAF values in the short treatment were within the 95% confidence interval of the long treatment. In conclusion, a 3-week bioaccumulation study can predict the outcome of a 5-week study. However, additional studies are needed before recommendations can be made regarding the applicability of shorter experimental approaches for earthworm bioaccumulation studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":"44 10","pages":"2900-2910"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Sara Martínez-Pérez, Theresa Schell, Daniel Franco, Sam van Loon, Paula E Redondo-Hasselerharm, Virtudes Martínez-Hernández, Cornelis A M van Gestel, Andreu Rico
{"title":"Effects of environmentally relevant mixtures of microplastics on soil organisms.","authors":"Sara Martínez-Pérez, Theresa Schell, Daniel Franco, Sam van Loon, Paula E Redondo-Hasselerharm, Virtudes Martínez-Hernández, Cornelis A M van Gestel, Andreu Rico","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf168","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf168","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soil ecosystems are considered important sinks for microplastics (MPs). However, the effects of environmentally relevant mixtures of MPs on soil organisms have rarely been assessed. This study aimed to evaluate the chronic effects of a mixture of MPs on two model soil organisms, the earthworm Eisenia andrei and the springtail Folsomia candida. The MP mixture was composed of polymers and shapes frequently found in agricultural soils amended with sewage sludge, including high-density polyethylene and polypropylene fragments, and polyester fibers. The organisms were exposed in LUFA 2.2 soil to MP concentrations of 0%-1% dry soil for E. andrei, and 0%-5% for F. candida. This study shows that particle ingestion by E. andrei was proportional to MP exposure levels, and the size distribution taken up was similar to that observed in the exposure medium, suggesting nonselective uptake behavior. In contrast, very low ingestion levels of MPs were found for F. candida, even at the highest test concentration. No significant effects were found on survival, growth, or reproduction of E. andrei. However, significant adverse effects were found on the reproductive output (number of juveniles) and juvenile dry weight for F. candida, with a reduction of approximately 30% in both endpoints at the highest test concentration, and calculated No Observed Effect Concentrations of 0.4% and 1%, respectively. These adverse effects may have been caused by changes in soil properties, mobility reduction, and/or the presence of plastic additives, instead of MP uptake. The comparison of MP exposure concentrations in soils obtained from the literature with the threshold concentrations derived for F. candida indicates insignificant environmental risks at current exposure levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2936-2947"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144539604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Nadine Kiefer, Judith Klein, Felix Beyer, Benita Burghardt, Mirko Rohr, Michael Klein, Michael Burkhardt, Matthias Noll, Stefan Kalkhof
{"title":"Experimental and computational identification of essential parameters governing biocide distribution in soil.","authors":"Nadine Kiefer, Judith Klein, Felix Beyer, Benita Burghardt, Mirko Rohr, Michael Klein, Michael Burkhardt, Matthias Noll, Stefan Kalkhof","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf156","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biocides conventionally contained in building materials can leach out and penetrate the environment. Simulating the concentration and persistence of substances in environmental habitats is an effective approach to risk assessment. Although the modeling has been effectively applied for risk assessments of pesticide input into the soil environment, the release of biocides from facades notably differs from those in agricultural use. The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of adapted simulation approaches to approval procedures. Herein, a preliminary pesticide leaching model (PELMO)-generated simulation was compared against an experimental setup to identify the key parameters and optimization thereof of biocide soil distribution. A 5-day soil column experiment was performed to address the higher application dilutions of biocides. Based on the adapted parameters in the preliminary findings, a 90-day experimental study was compared against the corresponding simulation. Experimentally, the presence of hydrophobic and slowly degradable biocides in soil layers up to 25 cm was observed, which was in contrast to the maximum of a 5-7.5 cm of soil layer depth identified via the PELMO simulation. Furthermore, weather events, such as dry periods or heavy rain events, were shown to influence the biocide distribution, which is a parameter excluded from the simulation. The main finding herein was that adjustment of the dispersion length standalone is not sufficient to approximate the biocide application scenario. The adjustment of the adsorption parameter should be adapted in the simulation accompanied by the water-substance application. Finally, these adaptions should be evaluated against a field study, because a laboratory set-up does not represent all aspects of natural weathering events.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"3037-3050"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144511715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Adrian M H de Bruyn, Jordana L Van Geest, Jennifer C Arens, Jennifer S Ings, Nick A Manklow, Kevin V Brix, Mariah C Arnold
{"title":"Calibration of a laboratory-based chronic toxicity model to nickel effects on stream invertebrates in the field.","authors":"Adrian M H de Bruyn, Jordana L Van Geest, Jennifer C Arens, Jennifer S Ings, Nick A Manklow, Kevin V Brix, Mariah C Arnold","doi":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf159","DOIUrl":"10.1093/etojnl/vgaf159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Predicting effects of metals on stream invertebrate communities can be hindered by spatial and temporal variation in toxicity-modifying factors, a paucity of laboratory toxicity data for stream taxa (mainly insects), and variation in benthic invertebrate community structure related to habitat and factors other than the stressor of interest. We addressed these challenges by combining laboratory-based chronic toxicity data with field-based biological monitoring data to build a lab-to-field stressor-response relationship. A laboratory-based toxicity model for Ceriodaphnia dubia was used to translate field nickel (Ni) concentrations into predicted toxicity, and a quantile regression model of field data from a mine-affected watershed was then used to describe the limiting effect of Ni toxicity on the benthic invertebrate community. Many taxa showed no evidence of Ni effects up to the highest studied exposure (30 µg/L dissolved Ni, or 92% effect to C. dubia reproduction). The most sensitive metric was percent Ephemeroptera, reflecting declines in abundance of some sensitive mayflies (e.g., Baetis, Epeorus) and concurrent increases in abundance of some tolerant non-mayfly taxa (e.g., Rheocricotopus, Eukiefferiella) across the gradient of Ni toxicity in the field. The field 10% effect concentration for percent Ephemeroptera occurred at a 22% effect of Ni to C. dubia reproduction. This finding supports previous estimates of 20% as a critical effect size in laboratory test organisms that could be predictive of discernible effects on sensitive invertebrates in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":11793,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2972-2982"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144282969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}