Md Abdur Rahman Forhad, Naeema Jihan Zinia, Carlos Muñoz Piña, Nasim Aziz, Mohammad Nur Nobi
{"title":"Valuing recreational ecosystem services: A case study for Sal (Shorea robusta) forests.","authors":"Md Abdur Rahman Forhad, Naeema Jihan Zinia, Carlos Muñoz Piña, Nasim Aziz, Mohammad Nur Nobi","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf136","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study estimates the recreational value of the Sal forests (Shorea robusta) ecosystem services, focusing on Bhawal National Park in Bangladesh. We employ the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) for a safer and improved nature-based recreational area. A sample of 418 visitors was randomly selected and surveyed during peak and off-peak tourism seasons. A probit regression model was used to estimate the inverse relationship between visit likelihood and potential entrance prices. Subsequently, the Double Bounded Dichotomous Choice (DBDC) CVM was applied to estimate the WTP. The estimated average WTP was 188.99 Bangladeshi Taka (USD 1.72), at least nine times higher than the current fees. Visitors are willing to pay approximately 91% more for entrance fees during peak seasons than off-peak seasons. As a foundational study in valuing the Sal forest, this study is crucial for informing ecotourism management policies to sustain this ecosystem's health and recreational value.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199188","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":"Alternatives in environmental impact assessment: A taxonomy.","authors":"Álvaro Enríquez- de-Salamanca","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The consideration of alternatives is central to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as decisions cannot be made without options to choose from. Despite its significance, the treatment of alternatives in EIA practice has inadequacies, driven by factors such as lack of interest, predefined options, and limited understanding of the possibilities. An essential requirement for alternatives is that they must be reasonable; we identify three types of unreasonable alternatives, false, contrived, and subtle, which may distort the EIA process. To address ambiguities in existing literature, we propose a taxonomy classifying alternatives into seven groups: implementation, spatial, timing, functional, design, constructive, and operational, answering the questions why, where, when, what, and how. The aim of this taxonomy is to enhance the consideration of alternatives in EIA practice by improving knowledge of the existing possibilities. Early integration of alternatives, particularly during the scoping phase, and a proactive approach are essential to strengthening EIA; otherwise, the process risks becoming a mere environmental authorisation rather than a robust decision-making tool.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191387","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":"Low-cost environmental traceability of pesticides is essential for safety.","authors":"Martina G Vijver, Geert R de Snoo, Marco D Visser","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We issue a call to action: in the context of safe design, all pesticides must be traceable via low-cost methods that are accessible for routine environmental monitoring by public institutions. Insights into the far-reaching impacts of pesticides depend on our ability to detect these chemicals in the environment. Once a pesticide is authorized for use, environmental monitoring serves as a critical warning system that complements risk assessments. Postregistration monitoring is recognized by different policy frameworks like e.g. the Water Framework Directive and the European Green Deal. However, we highlight an urgent concern: despite formal requirements for detectability in registration, novel pesticides are becoming progressively undetectable in practice. We demonstrate how mandated reductions in pesticide use measured as volume can drive chemical innovations that unintentionally undermine environmental accountability and safety. For example, volume can be decreased while maintaining effectiveness by increasing the specificity or toxicity of the pesticide. This phenomenon is analogous to 'analytical homeopathy,' where active ingredients remain effective even at extremely low dosages, rendering them undetectable by standard analytical chemistry. This issues a significant challenge: higher toxicity can imply lower environmental quality standards near detection limits. This leads to the troubling problem of \"known unknowns\": risks posed by active ingredients whose emissions remain unquantified under current field monitoring conditions. In response to this emerging threat, we propose a foundational principle: all synthetic pesticides should be detectable in the environment at the concentration of their active ingredients, enabling cost-effective and reliable monitoring. If neglected then the credibility and function of monitoring as a warning system for unintended biodiversity harm is increasingly undermined, regardless of formal analytical capabilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145124047","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}
Louis A Tremblay, Graham Sevicke Jones, James M Ataria, Minna Saaristo, Paul Leahy, Doug J Booker, Bram T M Mulling, Kohji Muraoka, Carolyn Mander, Grant L Northcott
{"title":"Outcomes and recommendations from workshops to design a survey for monitoring emerging contaminants in New Zealand freshwater.","authors":"Louis A Tremblay, Graham Sevicke Jones, James M Ataria, Minna Saaristo, Paul Leahy, Doug J Booker, Bram T M Mulling, Kohji Muraoka, Carolyn Mander, Grant L Northcott","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf131","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emerging contaminants (ECs) comprise classes of natural and anthropogenic chemicals that are increasingly detected in the environment especially waterways. The risk of ECs in the environment is recognised as an issue of concern in New Zealand. Environmental managers commissioned two virtual workshops to design a national survey of ECs in New Zealand where the largely primary production-based economy depends upon uncontaminated natural resources and the ecosystem services they provide. Two 2 hour virtual workshops were commissioned to discuss the design of a national survey of ECs in New Zealand's waterways. The aim of these workshops was to hold initial discussions supporting the design and establishment of a national ECs survey of New Zealand rivers taking consideration of key technical aspects. The Ministry for the Environment and local authorities (regional councils) acknowledged the uncertainty associated with assessing the impacts of ECs on the New Zealand environment and developing protective actions and policy to minimise risk. Environmental managers, regulators research scientists from Australasia and Māori participants agreed that many knowledge gaps remain to fully characterise and assess the hazards of ECs both in New Zealand and globally. The importance of involving Māori is paramount when addressing ECs issues and to develop sustainable solutions incorporating indigenous knowledge and values. A key conclusion was that the large number of potential contaminants requires an approach for ranking ECs. As such, further research is needed to better characterise the type, quantities, sources and fate of ECs in the environment as a first step towards identifying high-risk priority ECs. This would underpin an effective monitoring frameworks and inform policy that will ensure the sustainable management of ECs. It was recognised that collaboration across academic, industry and government organisations is needed to coordinate and conduct effective ECs research by enabling prioritisation and optimisation of the resources and capability.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145091490","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}
Alice Vardaro, Francesco Arfelli, Fabrizio Passarini, Daniele Cespi
{"title":"Methanol to Polypropylene: Life Cycle Assessment and a Preliminary Social Impact Analysis.","authors":"Alice Vardaro, Francesco Arfelli, Fabrizio Passarini, Daniele Cespi","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf129","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) are currently essential tools for evaluating the sustainability of products and industrial systems. While LCA is systematically applied today and is considered a stable methodology, supported by material-specific guidelines and rich databases, S-LCA remains immature in certain aspects. In the presented case study, LCA was applied to compare 11 methanol synthesis processes, all based on reverse Water-Gas Shift, but characterised by different sources of CO2 and H2 supply, to identify the most promising. Accordingly, the model was then integrated with that of propylene production (methanol to propylene-MtP), identified as a molecule of interest for the current and future market. Then, the authors propose an innovative approach to enhance the application of S-LCA in the industrial chemistry sector. The climate change impact of the different methanol production scenarios varies significantly: the most impactful is the methanol synthesis via coal gasification (2.76 kg CO2 eq), while the most promising are via CO2 generated by wood chips waste or dedicated biomass by employing hydrogen produce with wind electrolysis which show the negative impacts of -0.40 kg CO2 eq thanks to cogeneration and the use of hydrogen from renewable sources. On the social level, the database shows a preference for productions occurring in Europe, across all the categories analyzed. The proposal of a sector-specific guideline represents a step forward that could facilitate the future application of the methodology. Moreover, the integration of LCA and S-LCA proves effective in delivering a richer and more comprehensive understanding of the issues addressed, offering valuable insights for stakeholders. The LCA should be applied to assess the environmental sustainability of alternative production routes in chemical processes, while the complexity of Social-LCA can be mitigated by initiating preliminary assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145091465","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":"Sustainable Water Footprint Management in Agriculture: A Review of Linear Programming-Based Models and Future Directions.","authors":"Amjad Mizyed","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf130","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The sustainable management of water resources in agriculture is a global imperative as climate change, population growth, and competing demands increasingly strain freshwater systems. This review systematically analyzes 58 peer-reviewed studies that utilize linear programming (LP) and its advanced variants to optimize agricultural water use, with a specific emphasis on improving water footprint (WF) efficiency. Applications are categorized into three core domains: crop allocation and land use, irrigation scheduling, and economic optimization. The findings reveal that while LP continues to dominate, alternative models-such as mixed-integer programming (MILP), weighted and fuzzy goal programming (WGP, FGP), and fractional programming-are gaining traction for their ability to address real-world complexities and multi-objective decision environments. However, critical gaps remain, particularly in the integration of WF indicators, climate variability, and socio-economic dynamics. This review not only maps the existing optimization landscape but also proposes a forward-looking research agenda. Key directions include the development of hybrid models, the explicit incorporation of WF metrics into objective functions, and the integration of decision-support systems for policy and farm-level planning. WF-aware optimization is thus positioned not merely as a technical instrument, but as a transformative tool for advancing agricultural sustainability-enhancing resilience, equity, and ecological stewardship in water-scarce regions and beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145091488","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}
Porush Kumar, Mahendra Pratap Choudhary, Anil K Mathur
{"title":"Analyzing the relationship between municipal solid waste generation and urban land use using integrated geospatial and spatial statistical techniques.","authors":"Porush Kumar, Mahendra Pratap Choudhary, Anil K Mathur","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf128","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the spatial variability of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation is critical for informed urban planning and sustainable waste management. This study examines the relationship between land use patterns and MSW generation across the urban ecosystem of Kota City, India, to identify spatial clusters and assess the influence of urban form and density. An integrated geospatial-statistical approach was applied to 146 urban wards using Hotspot Analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*), Global and Local Moran's I, overlay analysis, and zonal statistics. Waste generation data were spatially linked with land use typologies and population density to detect statistically significant patterns. Daily waste generation ranged from 0.43 to 11.13 metric tons (t/day) across wards. High-intensity hotspots were found in densely populated and mixed-use zones, such as Ward 15 (0.61 kg/person/day) and Ward 5 (0.88 kg/person/day). Spatial autocorrelation analysis confirmed significant clustering (Global Moran's I = 0.056, z = 2.59, p = 0.009), with prominent hotspots identified in Wards 12, 13 (Kota-North) and Wards 16, 17 (Kota-South) at 99% confidence. Residential zones contributed the highest MSW load (541.97 t/day), followed by industrial (55.69 t/day) and commercial areas (50.20 t/day). Urban land use, population density, and mixed-use zoning significantly influence waste generation patterns. The spatial-statistical framework developed herein provides a scalable decision-support tool for waste planning, zoning policy, and sustainable resource management in rapidly urbanizing cities.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145091185","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}
Natalie Burden, Catherine Aubee, Jacqueline Augusiak, Marta Baccaro, Svenja Boehler, Francois Brion, Rebecca J Brown, Katherine K Coady, Zhichao Dang, Elke Eilebrecht, Teresa Fagundes, Tom Fisher, Mike Fryer, Zhenglei Gao, Tracey Goodband, Markus Hecker, Henrik Holbech, Stefan Hoeger, Miriam Jacobs, Ioanna Katsiadaki, Philippa Kearney, Oliver Koerner, Julie Krzykwa, Joseph Marini, Richard Maunder, Samuel K Maynard, Frank Mikkelsen, Valentin Mingo, Grace H Panter, Audrey Pearson, Francesca Pellizzato, Edward R Salinas, Suzanne Z Schneider, Amy Snow, Fiona Sewell, Petra Stahlschmidt, Karen Thorpe, Daniel L Villeneuve, Lennart Weltje, James R Wheeler, Hiroshi Yamamoto
{"title":"Workshop Report: Scoping for the Development of a Proposal for an OECD Guidance Document on Fish Vitellogenin Assessment.","authors":"Natalie Burden, Catherine Aubee, Jacqueline Augusiak, Marta Baccaro, Svenja Boehler, Francois Brion, Rebecca J Brown, Katherine K Coady, Zhichao Dang, Elke Eilebrecht, Teresa Fagundes, Tom Fisher, Mike Fryer, Zhenglei Gao, Tracey Goodband, Markus Hecker, Henrik Holbech, Stefan Hoeger, Miriam Jacobs, Ioanna Katsiadaki, Philippa Kearney, Oliver Koerner, Julie Krzykwa, Joseph Marini, Richard Maunder, Samuel K Maynard, Frank Mikkelsen, Valentin Mingo, Grace H Panter, Audrey Pearson, Francesca Pellizzato, Edward R Salinas, Suzanne Z Schneider, Amy Snow, Fiona Sewell, Petra Stahlschmidt, Karen Thorpe, Daniel L Villeneuve, Lennart Weltje, James R Wheeler, Hiroshi Yamamoto","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This report summarises discussions of an international workshop in May 2024, aiming to scope the development needs of a proposal for an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidance Document on vitellogenin (VTG) analysis and assessment. VTG, an egg-yolk precursor protein in oviparous species, is an informative marker of possible chemical-induced endocrine activity (particularly estrogenicity). Vitellogenin measurement is included in several standardised Test Guidelines published by the OECD and United States Environmental Protection Agency for the assessment of endocrine activity of chemicals in fish (and one in amphibians). However, in vivo VTG data across and within fish species can be highly variable and influenced by both technical and biological factors, affecting the reliability and interpretation of results. This poses a challenge for regulatory decision making and can trigger potentially unnecessary vertebrate studies or prevent necessary further investigations. The workshop brought together 42 experts from different sectors and geographies, to discuss three key aspects regarding VTG assessment: 1) technical/laboratory factors and VTG quantification; 2) data handling and statistics, and 3) interpreting the biological relevance of VTG responses. The workshop participants discussed the development and needs of a Guidance Document to provide harmonised recommendations, best practices, quality assurance criteria, and minimum reporting standards for VTG assessment in regulatory studies across the different test guidelines. Several areas were identified where further work and discussion are needed to inform on the development of the Guidance Document, such as the use of historical control data, the identification of potential outliers, the presentation of data, and analysis of case study examples. Provision of such a Guidance Document will further support the use of VTG as a relevant marker for a key aspect of endocrine activity assessment for regulatory decision making. A formal project was subsequently accepted onto the OECD Test Guideline workplan in April 2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145091423","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":"Assessing Soil Pollution Potential through Spatial Heavy Metal Bioaccessibility for Health Risk Evaluation.","authors":"Yen-Tzu Fan, Ying-Lin Wang, Ming-Chien Tsou, Zeng-Yei Hseu, Hsing-Cheng Hsi, Ling-Chu Chien","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf124","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf124","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Incorporating bioaccessibility into health risk assessments enhances the accuracy of exposure estimates for heavy metal (HM) pollution, supports targeted remediation, and informs public health and policy decisions, particularly for vulnerable populations. Because HM bioaccessibility depends on local soil and geographic characteristics, identifying its relationship with soil properties is crucial for assessing soil pollution potential. Although HM concentrations can be measured relatively easily, bioaccessibility requires complex laboratory procedures, limiting routine applications in regulatory contexts. Integrating spatial information with bioaccessibility-based risk assessments can help identify pollution hotspots and better protect at-risk groups. This study developed a novel approach that spatially integrates HM bioaccessibility into health risk assessment. Using the simple bioaccessibility extraction test (SBET), farmland soils from 98 sites across Taiwan were analyzed to establish predictive equations for six common HMs: cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). These equations were combined with previous soil survey data to generate spatial SBET maps across all agricultural regions in Taiwan. Results showed clear geographic variations: high Cd SBET (50%-100%) occurred in northern Taiwan with acidic soils, while elevated Cu and Zn SBET (45%-60%) were found in southern Taiwan with lower clay contents. We further applied the spatial SBET maps to Changhua County, a representative agricultural region. Infants and children exhibited higher non-carcinogenic risks (hazard index >0.01), especially in western villages, while adults had lower risks (<0.005). Seniors showed concerns of carcinogenic risks (total cancer risk index >1.0E-6). This study presents a practical and scalable framework for integrating soil bioaccessibility into spatial risk assessments, helping policymakers identify high-risk areas, prioritize remediation, and optimize healthare resource allocation, supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of good health and well-being (SDG 3) and life on land (SDG 15).</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145029720","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}
Marelize Marsay, Paul J van den Brink, Collins Nimako, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Mayumi Ishizuka, Victor Wepener
{"title":"Effects of Imidacloprid on Afrotropical Aquatic Ecosystems: A South African Microcosm Study.","authors":"Marelize Marsay, Paul J van den Brink, Collins Nimako, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Mayumi Ishizuka, Victor Wepener","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pesticides are widely used to meet the food demands of a growing population, with various types used to control pests depending on the crops grown. Rainfall, overspray, and runoff from agricultural fields can wash these insecticides into water bodies, posing documented environmental risks. Imidacloprid is commonly used in Afrotropical regions such as South Africa, yet limited information is available on its toxicity to aquatic ecosystems within this climate region. To address this, a 16-week outdoor microcosm study was conducted, exposing aquatic communities to 0.1, 10 and 250 µg/L imidacloprid under natural conditions. Physicochemical parameters, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and various others, were monitored regularly. The microbial community, organic decomposition and zooplankton were largely unaffected by the exposure to imidacloprid. In contrast, 10 and 250 µg/L of imidacloprid led to long-term effects on the macroinvertebrate community, while short-term effects were found in the 0.1 µg/L treatment. Families such as Coenagrionidae were affected across all treatments, while Caenidae and Notonectidae were only affected in the highest treatment. Changes in the community structure resulted in reduced predator abundance (such as Coenagrionidae, Libellulidae and Notonectidae) and increased filter feeders (Culicidae). High temperatures likely increase the toxicity to arthropods when compared to similar studies with lower light intensities and temperatures. Recovery was limited during the post-exposure period, with some families (Baetidae) rebounding quickly, while others, Caenidae and Coenagrionidae, showed delayed recovery. Full recovery of the macroinvertebrate community systems did not occur during the 8-week recovery period, highlighting the importance of unexposed refuges for recolonization. This study provides important field-realistic evidence of the ecological risks associated with imidacloprid use in Southern African freshwater systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145015154","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}