Environment & Health最新文献

{"title":"Prenatal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants Is Associated with Altered Lipid and Metabolomic Profiles in Mothers and Newborns","authors":"Samira Salihovic,&nbsp;Tim Sinoja,&nbsp;Suvi M. Virtanen,&nbsp;Matej Orešič,&nbsp;Mikael Knip,&nbsp;Tuulia Hyötyläinen","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.6c00104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.6c00104","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Maternalexposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has beenlinked with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, yet the underlyingbiological pathways involved remain poorly characterized. In thisstudy, we examined associations between POP concentrations in maternalplasma and cord blood and metabolomic and lipidomic profiles of pregnantwomen and their newborns and further assessed relationships with neonatalbirth weight. A total of 257 mother–infant dyads were included.Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorinepesticides (OCs) were quantified using gas chromatography coupledwith atmospheric pressure tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS).Metabolomic profiling was performed using gas chromatography coupledwith quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC–QTOFMS)and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–QTOFMS (UHPLC–QTOFMS).In maternal plasma, POP exposure was predominantly associated withvariations in free fatty acids, phospholipids, and triacylglycerols.The strongest associations were observed for <em>p</em>,<em>p</em>′-DDE and <em>trans</em>-nonachlordane,with <em>p</em>,<em>p</em>′-DDE also positivelyassociated with the gut microbiota-derived metabolite indole-3-propionicacid. Several PCB congeners (74, 163, 170, and 180) showed pronouncedassociations with individual lipid species, particularly those containingpolyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acyl chains. Although nosignificant associations were observed between POP exposure and neonatalbirth weight, POP exposure was significantly associated with the cordblood metabolome, characterized by predominantly inverse associationswith polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing lipids. Overall, thesefindings provide insights into metabolic pathways potentially linkingmaternal POP exposure with alterations in lipid and metabolomic profilesduring pregnancy and early life.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 9","pages":"2106–2118"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148980768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal Patterns of Age at Menarche or Spermarche in Chinese Children and Adolescents and Socioeconomic and Environmental Determinants: Findings from a Series of Nation-Wide Surveys, 1995 to 2019","authors":"Meiqi Hao,&nbsp;Di Shi,&nbsp;Yunfei Liu,&nbsp;Jiajia Dang,&nbsp;Shan Cai,&nbsp;Yang Shen,&nbsp;Chao Song,&nbsp;Hualiang Lin,&nbsp;Jing Li,&nbsp;Peijin Hu,&nbsp;Jun Ma,&nbsp;Zilong Zhang,&nbsp;Yi Song","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00793","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00793","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background:</strong> Early puberty has been associatedwithvarious adverse health outcomes. We aimed to characterize the spatiotemporalpatterns of age at menarche or spermarche in China and to identifypotential associated factors. <strong>Methods:</strong> We leveraged datafrom six consecutive nation-wide cross-sectional surveys in Chinaconducted in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2014, and 2019. A total of 519940 girls aged 9 to 18 years and 392 813 boys aged 11 to 18 yearsfrom 30 provinces in Mainland China were included. Probabilistic analysiswas used to estimate the median ages at spermarche or menarche assurrogate measures of pubertal development. We used Bayesian spatiotemporallyvarying series models with the spatiotemporal variance partitioningindex to assess the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of ages at menarcheor spermarche across 30 provinces and to quantify the relative contributionsof the socioeconomic and environmental factors. <strong>Results:</strong> Almost all provinces experienced decreases in the median ages atspermarche and menarche during the study period. Regional disparitieswere identified, as a faster decreasing trend was generally observedin eastern provinces when compared with western provinces. Socioeconomicfactors explained 34.58% of the spatiotemporal heterogeneity for boysand 34.17% for girls, while environmental factors explained 55.68and 56.22%, respectively. Among these, temperature, nighttime light,nitrogen dioxide, relative humidity, and illiteracy rate showed thelargest contributions (each &gt;5%). In general, higher levels ofeconomicindicators and environmental stressors were observed in provinceswith lower initial ages at spermarche and menarche and/or faster decliningtrends. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> A significant trend toward earlypuberty was observed in China over the past 25 years, especially ineastern provinces. Both socioeconomic and environmental factors werestrongly associated with the observed spatiotemporal patterns.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 9","pages":"2013–2023"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148980770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of Nighttime Heatwave on Poststroke Disability in Subtropical Cities of China","authors":"Di Wu,&nbsp;Chuan Li,&nbsp;Sujuan Chen,&nbsp;Xuelong Gu,&nbsp;Xuan Yang,&nbsp;Dejian Zhao,&nbsp;Zhenping Zhao,&nbsp;Ni Xiao,&nbsp;Ye Wang,&nbsp;Xueyan Zheng,&nbsp;Guanhao He,&nbsp;Tao Liu,&nbsp;Maigeng Zhou,&nbsp;Jiansen Li,&nbsp;Jianxiong Hu,&nbsp;Wenjun Ma","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.6c00078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.6c00078","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Although short-term exposure to heatwaves has been linkedto anelevated risk of stroke onset, evidence regarding the long-term impactof heatwave exposure on poststroke disability remains limited, particularlyfor nighttime heatwaves. We conducted a cross-sectional study thatincluded 29,447 participants from the Guangdong Province High-RiskPopulation Screening and Intervention Project for Stroke (2016–2021).Using a generalized additive model, we compared the effects of long-termexposure to heatwaves between daytime and nighttime on poststrokedisability, as measured by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. Furthermore,we projected the future burden of poststroke disability attributableto heatwave changes under different climate change scenarios. Bothlong-term exposure to daytime and nighttime heatwaves increased poststrokedisability risk. Specifically, each additional day of nighttime heatwavewas associated with an excess risk (ER) of 4.62% (95% CI: 4.36%–4.89%)in poststroke disability, which is higher than daytime heatwave (ER= 3.71%, 95% CI: 3.46%–3.97%). Similarly, for each 1 °Cincrease in heatwave intensity, the risk was also greater for nighttimeheatwaves (ER = 4.36%, 95% CI: 4.01%–4.72%) than for daytimeevents (ER = 1.60%, 95% CI: 1.45%–1.76%). Subgroup analysesrevealed similar patterns. Projections indicate that global warmingwill escalate heatwave-related poststroke disability burden, withgreater burden for nighttime heatwaves than daytime events. For instance,under the SSP5-8.5 scenario by the 2080s, the projected increasesin the attributable fraction (AF) for both nighttime heatwave duration(15.63%, 95% eCI: 13.39%–17.99%) and intensity (14.86%, 95%eCI: 12.73%–17.11%) were higher than those for daytime heatwaves(5.22%, 95% eCI: 4.47%–6.01% for heatwave duration; 12.68%,95% eCI: 10.86%–14.60% for heatwave intensity). These findingshighlight nighttime heatwave as a critical and underaddressed riskfactor for poststroke outcomes in the context of climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 9","pages":"1930–1940"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148985230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Skin Types and Microenvironment of Dermal Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Derivatives and Heavy Metals","authors":"Siying Liu,&nbsp;Xinxin Li,&nbsp;Wanting Liang,&nbsp;Yinzuo Liu,&nbsp;Ting Wang,&nbsp;Hongjun Mao,&nbsp;Lei Wang","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00843","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00843","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dermalexposure is one of the main ways for the human body to adsorbatmospheric pollutants, and different skin types significantly affectthe adsorption of pollutants. This study established a simulationdevice using polyethylene balloons coated with different doses ofglycerol trioleate to simulate oily skin, neutral skin, and dry skintypes and investigated the adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) and their derivatives (NPAHs and OPAHs) and metal elementson different skin types. The results show that (1) the adsorptionof NPAHs and OPAHs with different ring numbers conforms to the first-orderkinetic model. The adsorption concentration of NPAHs and OPAHs byballoon-simulated skin is the highest on the oily surface, followedby the neutral surface, and the lowest on the dry surface. (2) Inthe four scenarios analyzed in this study, the adsorption of NPAHsand OPAHs by the skin showed that the adsorption amount was the highestin dusty weather and the lowest in the indoor area of the campus.In the indoor and outdoor environments of the campus, the adsorptionamount of NPAHs was greater than that of OPAHs. (3) Among the 11 heavymetals detected, Cu was detected only in sand–blowing weather,while As, Zn, V, and Ti were detected in four cases, and their adsorptioncapacity was accorded with the order of V &gt; Zn &gt; As &gt; Ti.Therefore,the health risks associated with skin contact with pollutants on oilyskin and during sandy weather should be given more attention, andappropriate protective measures should be implemented.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 9","pages":"1965–1976"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148985232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabolomics-Driven Discovery of Targets for Hepatocytotoxicity Induced by Triphenyltin Chloride through Mitochondrial Function Involving HSD17B10 and HADH","authors":"Yanwei Wang,&nbsp;Jiahui Zhao,&nbsp;Shanshan Pan,&nbsp;Xuesong Liu,&nbsp;Yong Chen,&nbsp;Tengfei Xu,&nbsp;Mingliang Fang","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00823","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00823","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Triphenyltinchloride (TPTC), a member of the organotin family,has been widely restricted due to its endocrine-disrupting effects.Nevertheless, TPTC continues to be detected in aquatic environmentsand poses potential health risks owing to its persistence and bioaccumulation.Although previous studies have shown that triphenyltin compounds candisrupt lipid homeostasis through nuclear receptor pathways involvingretinoid X receptor (RXR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors(PPARs), whether TPTC exerts hepatocytotoxicity through direct metabolictargets remains unclear. This study employed a metabolomics-driventarget discovery strategy to analyze intracellular metabolite extractsfrom HepG2 cells exposed to TPTC for 24 h, aiming to investigate theunderlying molecular mechanisms of TPTC-induced metabolic toxicity.Untargeted global metabolomics analysis revealed that TPTC exposurecaused significant disturbances in hepatic lipid metabolism, characterizedby the accumulation of medium- and long-chain fatty acids and depletionof key metabolites associated with fatty acid β-oxidation. Pathwayenrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction networkanalysis further indicated that two mitochondrial dehydrogenases involvedin fatty acid catabolism─hydroxysteroid 17β-dehydrogenase10 (HSD17B10) and hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HADH)─arepotential metabolic targets responsible for the observed alterations.Molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance, and cellular thermalshift assays confirmed direct interactions between TPTC and both HSD17B10and HADH, with binding affinities at the micromolar level. Functionalvalidation demonstrated that TPTC disrupts mitochondrial respiratoryfunction and redox balance by interfering with HADH- and HSD17B10-dependentgeneration of acetyl-CoA and NADH, leading to mitochondrial dysfunctionand oxidative stress. In summary, this study reveals a previouslyunderappreciated mechanism of TPTC toxicity involving mitochondrialmetabolism, extending the current understanding of its toxicologicalpathways beyond nuclear receptor-mediated signaling to include directdisruption of mitochondrial energy and redox metabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 9","pages":"1987–1998"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148985292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microplastic-Induced DRP1-BAX Interaction Contributes to Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Lung Epithelial Cells","authors":"Xiaoqi Hu,&nbsp;Xinyi Yuan,&nbsp;Xue Cao,&nbsp;Jingran Su,&nbsp;Ping Zhang,&nbsp;Yuting Guo,&nbsp;Fang Zhang,&nbsp;Wenjun Ding","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00830","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00830","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As pervasive environmental pollutants, microplastics(MPs)havebeen identified in marine ecosystems, food, air, and drinking water,prompting serious consideration of their probable adverse effectson public health. Emerging evidence associates MPs with respiratoryrisks, yet their toxic mechanisms in lung tissue remain poorly elucidated.In this investigation, C57BL/6n mice were exposed to 10 mg/kg polystyrenemicroplastics (PS-MPs) with varying sizes (0.2 μm, 1 μm)individually or combined every 2 days for 14 days. The results exhibitedthat PS-MPs exposure induced the size-dependent respiratory dysfunctionin mice, characterized by oxidative stress and pulmonary epithelialapoptosis. In vitro experiments revealed that PS0.2 internalizationof MLE-12 cells triggered apoptosis via increasing BAX-mediated cytochromeC release and caspase-3 activation. Mechanistically, PS0.2 promotedDRP1-dependent mitochondrial fission, leading to membrane potentialcollapse and respiratory chain impairment. The administration of Mdivi-1/si-DRP1inhibition of DRP1 effectively attenuated mitochondrial fragmentationand apoptosis. Additionally, molecular docking analysis and coimmunoprecipitationrevealed that DRP1 directly interacts with BAX to facilitate oligomerizationof this pro-apoptotic protein, promoting the release of cytochromeC. These findings establish a novel DRP1-BAX signaling axis in MPs-inducedpulmonary toxicity and the first molecular link between PS-MP sizeand mitochondrial apoptosis via DRP1-BAX oligomerization into environmentalparticle-related respiratory pathogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 9","pages":"1999–2012"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148985293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Speciation of Arsenic in Urine from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS) Revealing New Arsenic Species and Individual Variability","authors":"Tetiana Davydiuk,&nbsp;Jagdeesh S. Uppal,&nbsp;Juanjuan Fu,&nbsp;Xiufen Lu,&nbsp;Lin Tong,&nbsp;Habibul Ahsan,&nbsp;Brandon Pierce,&nbsp;X. Chris Le","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00880","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00880","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Morethan 100 million people around the world are exposed to arsenicin drinking water that exceeds the World Health Organization guidelinelevel of 10 μg/L. Ingestion of water and food is the main routeof human exposure to arsenic. Arsenic species excreted into urineserve as a useful biomarker of exposure and a potential marker ofsusceptibility, which requires speciation of arsenic in populationstudies. We report here the determination of arsenic species in 1873urine samples from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study(HEALS) in Araihazar, Bangladesh. This double-blind research involveddetection of inorganic arsenite (iAs^III), arsenate (iAs^V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA),arsenobetaine (AsB), tetramethylarsonium ion (TMI), and 12 new arsenicspecies that are yet to be fully identified. The total arsenic concentrationsin urine, ranging from 0.9 to 2634 μg/L, were in good agreement(<em>R</em>² = 0.99) with the sum of all arsenicspecies. DMA was the major arsenic metabolite, and its concentrationsranged from 0.3 to 1599 μg/L, with a mean of 79 μg/L.The mean concentration of MMA was 12 μg/L, and its maximum concentrationwas 278 μg/L. The mean and maximum concentrations of inorganicarsenic (the sum of iAs^III and iAs^V) were 16and 611 μg/L, respectively. There was no statistically significantdifference in urinary concentrations of arsenic species between thefemale (<em>n =</em> 1156) and male (<em>n =</em> 714)participants. On average, the relative proportions of individual arsenicspecies were 71.7% DMA, 11.0% MMA, 14.8% iAs (sum of iAs^III and iAs^V), 1.9% AsB, and 1.6% unidentified arsenic species.Unidentified arsenic species were detected in 751 urine samples (40%of the 1873 urine samples), and their concentrations ranged from 0.4to 42 μg/L (mean 1.8 μg/L). A subset of participants (<em>n =</em> 76) with skin lesions, compared to those (<em>n =</em> 74) without skin lesions, had higher urinary concentrationsof DMA (4.1–728 vs 1.4–354 μg/L, <em>p</em> = 0.013), MMA (1.2–278 vs 0.3–87 μg/L, <em>p</em> = 0.0048), inorganic arsenic (sum of iAs^III + iAs^V) (not detectable to 141 μg/L vs 0.3–83μg/L, <em>p</em> = 0.016), and total arsenic (7.1–1231vs 3–581 μg/L, <em>p</em> = 0.0093). These resultsof individual arsenic species in human urine, arsenic speciation patterns,and arsenic metabolite profiles, along with observations of healthoutcomes, demonstrate potential for establishing biomarkers of effectand susceptibility.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 9","pages":"2084–2092"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148980793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ambient PM2.5 Induced Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling via MSC-Mediated Cellular Senescence in Pulmonary Arterial Endothelial Cells","authors":"Qingping Liu,&nbsp;Yizhe Yang,&nbsp;Yujia Xie,&nbsp;Mengqi Zou,&nbsp;Mengruo Wang,&nbsp;Jingyuan Wang,&nbsp;Lili Shi,&nbsp;Yaxian Pang,&nbsp;Lei Bao,&nbsp;Yujie Niu,&nbsp;Rong Zhang","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00595","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00595","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ambientfine particulate matter (PM_2.5) wasrecognizedas one of the most pressing environmental challenges confronting publichealth. There was a strong association between PM_2.5 andpulmonary vascular diseases, the primary feature of which was pulmonaryvascular remodeling. However, the underlying mechanisms by which PM_2.5 induces pulmonary vascular remodeling have not been clarified.To address this gap, we established an environmental PM_2.5-exposed mouse model and an <em>in vitro</em> cell model.Bioinformatics-based approaches were employed to identify potentialregulators associated with pulmonary vascular remodeling, followedby an investigation into their potential roles in regulating pulmonaryarterial function. Our results showed that PM_2.5 exposureinduced elevated pulmonary artery pressure and increased pulmonaryartery wall thickness in mice. PM_2.5 exposure induced cellularsenescence in mouse pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (MPAECs) <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em>, and PM_2.5 treatment promoted mitochondrial dysfunction in MPAECs. Next, weused bioinformatics methods and experimental validation to identifyMSC as potential regulator for mitochondrial dysfunction. And overexpressionof MSC alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction-associated senescence(MiDAS) induced by PM_2.5. In the mechanism, as a transcriptionfactor, MSC regulated its downstream target gene NDUFB3, thereby facilitatingPM_2.5-induced MIDAS. This study offered novel insightsinto the molecular mechanisms underlying PM_2.5-inducedpulmonary vascular diseases and presented strategies for the preciseintervention of pulmonary vascular injury triggered by atmosphericenvironmental factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 8","pages":"1804–1817"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148810281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between Microplastic Exposure and Hepatic Dysfunction in Humans: A Cross-Sectional Study of Occupationally Exposed Individuals","authors":"Yongjie Lu,&nbsp;Nannan Tu,&nbsp;Hongcheng Zhang,&nbsp;Boya Li,&nbsp;Guangzi Qi,&nbsp;Shen Chen,&nbsp;Yaqin Pang,&nbsp;Liping Chen","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00716","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00716","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microplastics(MPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutantsthataccumulate in human liver tissue, yet their hepatotoxicity in humansremains incompletely defined. To investigate the association betweenoccupational MPs exposure and hepatic dysfunction in humans, we recruited141 participants from the Health Examination Centre of Guangxi Workers’Hospital, China, including 43 plastic-factory workers with ≥6months of occupational exposure and 98 occupationally unexposed controls.An eight-item questionnaire-derived exposure risk score (0–8)was used to quantify MPs exposure levels. Linear and logistic regressionmodels, adjusted for smoking, alcohol consumption, dust exposure,body mass index (BMI), and physical activity, were employed to analyzerelationships between exposure (occupational status/risk score) andliver-function markers. Exposed workers exhibited higher risk scores(1.9 ± 1.1 vs 1.4 ± 0.9, <em>P</em> = 0.013) andtwice the prevalence of abnormal liver function (48.8% vs 26.5%, <em>P</em> = 0.013). Each one-point increase in the risk score wasassociated with a significant elevation in aspartate aminotransferase(AST) by 2.82 U/L (β = 2.82, 95% CI: 0.27–5.38,<em>P</em> = 0.031) and total bilirubin (T-Bil) by 1.05 μmol/L(β = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.34–1.76,<em>P</em> = 0.004).Occupational exposure independently predicted abnormal liver function(OR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.64–10.3, <em>P</em> = 0.041),with longer exposure duration linked to higher AST elevation rates.These results demonstrate that occupational MPs exposure impairs liverfunction, providing evidence for health-risk assessment of microplastics.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 8","pages":"1664–1673"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148810379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ambient Ultrafine Particles and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Mediation Analysis of Homocysteine in a Birth Cohort","authors":"Feng Wang,&nbsp;Yingya Zhao,&nbsp;Lin Zhu,&nbsp;Liyi Zhang,&nbsp;Yuyan Gui,&nbsp;Yuhao Wei,&nbsp;Yashuo Xie,&nbsp;Yue Zhao,&nbsp;Weizhao Cao,&nbsp;Jialin Li,&nbsp;Xirong Xiao,&nbsp;Jing Cai,&nbsp;Yunhui Zhang","doi":"10.1021/envhealth.5c00760","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00760","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While the link between ambient air pollution and hypertensivedisordersof pregnancy (HDP) is well-established, evidence regarding ultrafineparticulate matter (UFP), which may exhibit greater toxicity thanPM_2.5, remains limited, and the underlying mechanisms arepoorly understood. We examined the associations of prepregnancy andgestational exposure to UFP and the risk of HDP and its subtypes.Additionally, we investigated the potential mediating role of homocysteine(Hcy) and assessed effect modification by Hcy-related nutrients. Weanalyzed data from a birth cohort conducted in Shanghai, China, between2017 and 2018 (<em>N</em> = 7569). Individual UFP exposurewas estimated using a high-spatiotemporal-resolution prediction modelbased on participants’ residential addresses. Data on HDP diagnosisand subtypes were obtained from the Hospital Information System. Thelevels of serum Hcy, folic acid, and vitamin B12 (VB12) were measuredduring early pregnancy. Poisson regression models with robust errorvariance were used to evaluate associations between UFP exposure andHDP and its subtypes. Mediation analysis was performed to assess therole of Hcy during the first trimester in the association betweenUFP and pre-eclampsia (PE). Stratified analysis was conducted to examinepotential effect modification by B-group vitamins. Positive associationswere observed between UFP exposure during the prepregnancy period,the first trimester, and the second trimester, and the risks of HDPand PE. Per interquartile range (IQR) increase in UFP, relative risks(RRs) ranged from 1.15 to 1.23 for HDP and 1.29 to 1.41 for PE. UFPexposure during prepregnancy and the first trimester was positivelyassociated with Hcy levels, which in turn were associated with increasedPE risk (RR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04–2.13). Mediation analysisindicated that Hcy mediated 8.87% and 2.51% of the associations betweenPE and prepregnancy and first-trimester UFP exposure, respectively.Stratified analysis by VB12 levels showed that the association betweenUFP and PE was significant only in the low-VB12 group and not in thehigh-VB12 group. Ambient UFP exposure is associated with an increasedrisk of HDP and PE. Hcy partially mediates the relationship betweenUFP exposure and PE. Adequate VB12 levels in early pregnancy may mitigatethe risk of UFP-related HDP.</p>","PeriodicalId":29795,"journal":{"name":"Environment & Health","volume":"4 8","pages":"1697–1707"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148810439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}