Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety最新文献

{"title":"Quantification of an integrated approach to heavy metal source apportionment and probabilistic health risk assessment in the black soil region of central Jilin Province, China","authors":"Peng Sun ,&nbsp;Yue Chen ,&nbsp;Xinyu Wang ,&nbsp;Zegang Zhou ,&nbsp;Xiaoguang Zhu ,&nbsp;Shijun Sun ,&nbsp;Jianling Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118358","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The northeast black soil region is critical for grain production in China but has experienced significant heavy metals (HMs) contamination due to intensive agriculture. This study investigates the levels of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, As, Pb, and Hg in agricultural soils within the black soil region of central Jilin Province. Enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) indicate that Ni and Cr are significantly affected by human activities, with notable pollution levels. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identifies four primary pollution sources: coal combustion, traffic emissions, and soil parent material (24.70 %); fertilizers and pesticides (24.50 %); mining (27.81 %); and organic fertilizers combined with soil parent material (22.99 %). The potential ecological risk assessment results reveal a generally low potential ecological risk in the study area, although Hg and Cd contribute notably to the overall risk. The human health risk assessment (HHRA) results show that non-carcinogenic risk for all populations are below the threshold of 1, while the average carcinogenic risk for all populations exceed the acceptable threshold of 1E-6. Children face higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks compared to adults. By integrating the PMF results with potential ecological and health risk assessments, it was found that coal combustion and mining activities contribute most significantly to potential ecological and health risks, respectively. This study investigates the pollution characteristics, sources, and ecological and health risks of HMs in agricultural soils in the black soil region. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers in developing effective environmental management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118358"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107395","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":"Accelerated placental aging mediated the association between prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and small-for-gestational age newborns","authors":"Yijun Fan ,&nbsp;Liyan Guo ,&nbsp;Chang Gao ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Fang ,&nbsp;Qiang Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhicai Xia ,&nbsp;Chengrui Wang ,&nbsp;Ruolan Wang ,&nbsp;Jia Lv ,&nbsp;Lin Tao ,&nbsp;Mingliang Fang ,&nbsp;Mei Zhao ,&nbsp;De-Xiang Xu ,&nbsp;Yichao Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118338","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118338","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Whether prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a risk factor for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates remain elusive, yet even less is known on the role of premature placental aging in this potential adverse effect. In this analysis of 1046 maternal-infant dyads, 30 legacy and emerging PFAS were measured from maternal serum. Associations between (co-)exposure to PFAS and the incidence of SGA were determined using logistic regression, Bayesian Kernal Machine Regression (BKMR) and quantile-based g-computation (QGC) for single and mixture effect, respectively. Despite the legacy PFAS, prenatal exposure to short-chain emerging PFAS, including perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS, per log 10 unit: OR=2.91, 95 %CI=1.63–5.27) and perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA, per log 10 unit: OR=3.02, 95 %CI=1.50–6.31) were associated with higher SGA odds. Co-exposure to these highly prevalent PFAS were associated with increased odds of delivering SGA infants, with both models showing emerging PFAS PFHxS and perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) being the primary contributors. Further in a 1:2 case-control setting, it was found placental relative telomere length (TL) was shorter in mothers bearing SGA than those with AGA (0.82 vs 0.99, <em>P</em> = 0.001), showing negative association with SGA birth (OR: 0.33, 95 %CI: 0.14–0.76). Mediation analysis revealed that placental TL mediated 17.7 % of the relationship between PFHxS exposure and the risk of SGA birth, respectively. Prenatal PFAS exposure, especially the short-chain congeners, was positively associated with the odds of SGA, and the relationship was partially mediated by shortened placental TL, indicating a need for targeted health management in pregnant mothers at higher risk of SGA due to high PFAS exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118338"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107302","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":"Combined effect of heatwaves and residential greenness on the risk of stroke among Chinese adults: A national cohort study","authors":"Nuerguli Tuerdi ,&nbsp;Xue Cao ,&nbsp;Haosu Tang ,&nbsp;Yujie Zhang ,&nbsp;Congyi Zheng ,&nbsp;Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Chenye Chang ,&nbsp;Yixin Tian ,&nbsp;Xue Yu ,&nbsp;Xuyan Pei ,&nbsp;Ye Tian ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Gang Huang ,&nbsp;Zengwu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heatwaves have been associated with an increased risk of stroke, while residential greenness may offer protective benefits. This prospective cohort study examined 22,702 participants aged 35 years or older, with no prior history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), from the China Hypertension Survey (CHS) conducted between 2012 and 2015. Participants were followed up between 2018 and 2019. Heatwaves were defined as daily maximum temperatures exceeding the 92.5th percentile of the warm season for at least three consecutive days. Residential greenness was quantified using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within buffers of 300, 500, and 1000 m from participants' residences. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models evaluated the independent and combined effects of heatwaves and greenness on stroke risk, while restricted cubic spline analyses explored nonlinear relationships. Interaction effects were assessed using both multiplicative and additive Cox regression models. During follow-up, 597 stroke events occurred. Each additional 3-day increase in heatwave days was associated with an increased stroke risk (HR: 1.19, 95 % CI: 1.08–1.31). Interaction analyses demonstrated a synergistic effect between heatwaves and lower residential greenness (NDVI_300 m, NDVI_500 m and NDVI_1000 m) on stroke risk, with significant additive(RERI &gt; 0, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and multiplicative interactions (HR &gt; 1, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The strongest protective effects of greenness were observed within a 500 m buffer zone, particularly for individuals under 60 years, rural residents, and those with higher educational attainment. This study highlights the potential benefits of enhancing greenness for cardiovascular health and provides valuable insights for environmental governance and public health policy in China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118356"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107303","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":"Integrating machine learning and reliability analysis: A novel approach to predicting heavy metal removal efficiency using biochar","authors":"Mohammad Sadegh Barkhordari ,&nbsp;Chongchong Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118381","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118381","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil contamination with heavy metals (HMs) presents critical environmental and public health risks due to their long-term persistence and tendency to bioaccumulate. Biochar has gained recognition as an effective amendment for HM immobilization, owing to its cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and multifunctional properties. Nevertheless, consistent removal efficiency remains challenging to achieve due to the inherent variability of biochar and its interactions with complex environmental factors. This research introduces an advanced machine learning (ML) framework, utilizing deep forest (DF) algorithms, to predict and optimize the efficiency HM removal through biochar applications. The framework addresses key challenges by employing data imputation to manage missing information, data augmentation to overcome limitations of small datasets, and reliability analysis to assess predictive uncertainties, thereby improving the model’s reliability and generalization capability. The findings reveal that the DF model surpasses conventional ML approaches, achieving a testing dataset coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.88. Additionally, probabilistic reliability analysis offers valuable insights into the likelihood of reaching various levels of remediation efficiency (RE). For lower RE thresholds, such as 20–30 %, the model predicts a high probability (over 80 %) of substantial HM removal, confirming biochar’s effectiveness in mitigating contamination. However, as the target RE thresholds rise to moderate levels (50–70 %), the probability drops significantly (to below 5 %), highlighting the increasing difficulty of achieving higher remediation efficiencies. Furthermore, this study has developed an accessible and intuitive web-based application, enabling engineers to input relevant parameters and receive immediate predictive outputs, thus facilitating the practical application of advanced ML models in real-world scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118381"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107394","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":"Toxic metals and trace elements, markers of inflammation, and hyperandrogenemia in women and testosterone deficiency in men: Associations and potential mediating factors","authors":"Yingying Lu ,&nbsp;Lulu Geng ,&nbsp;Dan Zhou ,&nbsp;Yan Sun ,&nbsp;Haoyi Xu ,&nbsp;Xinyi Du ,&nbsp;Qing Xu ,&nbsp;Miaoxin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is evidence suggesting that toxic metal and trace element exposure disrupts androgen levels. However, specific effects of such exposure on hyperandrogenemia (HA) in women and testosterone deficiency (TD) in men remain unclear. The study investigated associations between toxic metal and trace element exposure and HA in women and TD in men, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2013 and 2016, and included 2205 women and 2621 men. Single-exposure analyses found lead (Pb) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.19, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.04–1.36) and cadmium (Cd) (aOR 1.20, 95 % CI 1.03–1.39) were positively associated with HA, especially strong in women over the age of 35. Manganese (Mn) was positively associated with TD (aOR 1.15, 95 % CI 1.03–1.28), especially strong in men aged between 45 and 50 years and obese men. A grouped weighted quantile sum (GWQS) model was performed to assess the effects of combined exposure, and found toxic metal mixture was positively associated with HA, particularly Cd (0.59) and Pb (0.40), and trace element mixture was positively associated with TD, particularly Mn (0.78). Mediation analyses demonstrated inflammation, particularly monocyte count and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) mediated 7.5–11.76 % of the associations. These findings provide insights to inform interventions for reducing exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118352"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144123789","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":"Investigating the associations of blood lead and cadmium with smoking-related DNA methylation and mortality among U.S. adults","authors":"Yu-Wei Fang ,&nbsp;Ching-Way Chen ,&nbsp;Ta-Chen Su ,&nbsp;Chikang Wang ,&nbsp;Chien-Yu Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Lead and cadmium have been linked to alterations in DNA methylation (DNAm) and increased mortality. However, the role of smoking-related DNAm in the link between these heavy metals and mortality remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Approach and results</h3><div>We analyzed data from 2110 participants aged 50 and older from the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), linked to mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) with follow-up through 2019. Our study examined the associations between blood lead and cadmium levels, DNA methylation-predicted pack years of smoking (DNAmPackYrs), and mortality outcomes. Our analysis found that higher natural logarithm (Ln)-transformed lead and cadmium levels were positively associated with ln-DNAmPackYrs, with a percent change of 11.34 % (P = 0.001) for lead and 35.57 % (P &lt; 0.001) for cadmium. Participants with both heavy metals above the 50th percentile had the highest DNAmPackYrs, with P for trend &lt; 0.001. Weighted Cox regression analysis demonstrated both ln-lead and ln-DNAmPackYrs were linked to an elevated risk of all mortality outcomes, while ln-cadmium specifically predicted all-cause mortality. A significant interaction between lead and cadmium in relation to all-cause mortality was observed (P for interaction = 0.036). Additionally, significant interactions between DNAmPackYrs and both heavy metals were found in relation to all-cause mortality (P for interaction = 0.001 for lead; P for interaction = 0.013 for cadmium).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Drawing from a nationally representative cohort of older U.S. adults, this study provides robust evidence linking blood lead and cadmium levels to smoking-related DNAm and increased mortality risk. Moreover, the analysis revealed additive effects of these metals on smoking-related DNAm, as well as synergistic impacts on all-cause mortality. Additionally, smoking-induced DNAm may play a role in mediating the connection between heavy metal exposure and mortality risk. Additional research is required to investigate the underlying mechanisms of these associations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118360"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107301","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":"Association of PM2.5 and its elemental components with plasma metabolome in healthy older adults: Evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies","authors":"Quan Zhou ,&nbsp;Liangping Chen ,&nbsp;Chenzhou He ,&nbsp;Xiaoying Liu ,&nbsp;Wenli Wang ,&nbsp;Shuling Kang ,&nbsp;Yu Jiang ,&nbsp;Jianjun Xiang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyang Zhang ,&nbsp;Chuancheng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118378","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118378","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Previous studies have found that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is associated with metabolic alterations, but the specific effects of its composition on metabolic changes remain unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To identify key metabolites associated with PM_2.5 exposure and its elemental components, with validation through animal experiments.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 112 healthy older adults were enrolled in the cross-sectional study between winter 2020 and summer 2021. Individual PM_2.5 exposure levels were quantified by personal samplers, and ten trace elements in PM_2.5 were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Animal experiments were conducted on male rats to validate the associations between PM_2.5, its elemental composition, and metabolomic changes. Fasting venous blood samples from participants and rat heart blood were collected for non-targeted metabolomic analysis using Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) and pathway enrichment analysis via MetaboAnalyst 5.0.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PM_2.5 exposure was significantly associated with changes in 218 plasma metabolites (p &lt; 0.05). Non-targeted metabolomic analysis identified 29 and 7 metabolic pathways associated with PM_2.5 exposure and trace elements, respectively, primarily associated with lipid metabolism, including linoleic acid metabolism. Significant overlaps of metabolomic pathways were observed in chromium (Cr) and PM_2.5. A total of 29 human metabolic pathways affected by PM_2.5 exposure were identified in the human study, of which 17 common to both humans and rats, including glycerophospholipid metabolism. These metabolites and pathways are related to metabolic disorders, with PM_2.5-related metabolites showing associations with diseases like diabetes (<em>P</em> = 0.049).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings highlight the important role of Cr in PM_2.5-induced metabolic changes, emphasizing the need to monitor specific PM_2.5 components for assessing health risks and informing public health policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118378"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107311","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":"Screening for endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with autoimmune encephalitis","authors":"Songyi Huang ,&nbsp;Li Xiao ,&nbsp;Minqi Luo ,&nbsp;Jiehao Li ,&nbsp;Xiaojie Li ,&nbsp;Chenyan Zeng ,&nbsp;Lixin Zhou ,&nbsp;Baohua Cao ,&nbsp;Yajie Gong ,&nbsp;Pan Yang ,&nbsp;Yaqing Shu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humans are exposed to a variety of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as organophosphate esters (OPEs) and phthalate ester (PAE) metabolites. Although EDCs can cross the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) to the brain, their effects on autoimmune encephalitis (AE) remain unclear. Therefore, the association between EDC exposure and AE were determined. The study recruited 106 patients with AE and 119 patients without AE. Using paired serum-CSF samples, we quantified 8 categories of 17 EDCs. The penetration of some EDCs was evaluated through two indices: calculated the blood-brain barrier (BBB) index and the paired serum-CSF concentration ratio. Further, we investigated the association of EDC exposure with AE by the conditional logistic regression analysis. Antioxidants, PAE metabolites, and OPEs were identified as the most dominant EDC in the ∑8 categories of EDCs. The median EDC ratios (<em>R</em>_EDC = EDC_CSF/EDC_Serum) ranged from 0.040 % for methyl paraben (MeP) to 3.808 % for ethyl paraben (EtP). AE patients are more likely to have BBB disruption. The associations between AE and some EDCs were found. For example, serum EtP and butyl paraben (BuP) levels [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.69; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 2.27; OR = 1.51; 95 % CI: 1.14, 2.00), and CSF MeP levels (OR =1.54; 95 % CI: 1.30, 1.84) were both associated with an increased risk of AE. We identified that exposure to certain environmental EDCs may be a risk factor for the development of AE. Our findings support an evidence base for the effects of specific chemicals may impair neural functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118399"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144123788","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":"Maternal lead exposure impairs offspring growth and intestinal microbiota via AMPK/ULK1 pathway activation","authors":"Yuanyuan He ,&nbsp;Miaosen Wang ,&nbsp;Miao An ,&nbsp;Md. F. Kulyar ,&nbsp;Ming Li ,&nbsp;Huifen Xu ,&nbsp;Yaping Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118345","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The pervasive presence and bioaccumulation of lead (Pb^2 +) in living organisms pose a significant risk to human health. Extensive research has been conducted on the neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity of lead, but the impact of maternal lead exposure on subsequent generations still needs to be addressed. Therefore, we aimed to explore the adverse effects and mechanisms of lead exposure in pregnant mice on the next generation. The present study indicated that lead exposure decreased growth performance and impaired the function of the colon, spleen, testes, and kidneys in the next generation of mice. Furthermore, we found that lead exposure activated autophagy by regulating the AMPK/ULK1 pathway and reduced the relative expression levels of tight junction proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the composition of the gut microbiota showed significant alterations compared to the control group. These changes were characterized by a marked reduction in the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, including <em>Variovorax</em>, <em>Harryflintia</em>, and <em>Romboutsi</em>, while the abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as <em>Mucispirillum</em> and <em>Klebsiella</em> was significantly increased. Such shifts in microbial composition indicated a disruption in microbial homeostasis, contributing to health impairments. In summary, our study indicated that lead exposure in pregnant mice not only decreased the growth performance and impaired multiple organs in the next generation of mice but also disrupted gut microbial homeostasis and induced autophagy via activating the AMPK/ULK1 pathway, resulting in adverse health outcomes in offspring. Additionally, the current study provides a solid experimental foundation for environmental agencies worldwide to implement effective strategies to mitigate lead contamination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118345"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107293","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":"Physiological and biochemical responses of pepper (Capsicum annuum) to cadmium stress: The mitigating effects of exogenous abscisic acid","authors":"Dehui Tu ,&nbsp;Xiao Tian ,&nbsp;Chuangjing Liang ,&nbsp;Peng Zhou ,&nbsp;Yongping Wang ,&nbsp;Dan Xing ,&nbsp;Yizhang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118370","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118370","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The production of pepper is increasingly challenged by cadmium (Cd) contamination. Abscisic acid (ABA) is supposed to alleviate Cd-induced toxicity and reduce the accumulation of Cd. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms by which ABA regulates Cd tolerance remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigates the mitigation of Cd toxicity in pepper exposed to Cd stress through the application of exogenous ABA under hydroponic conditions. The analysis focused on the subcellular distribution of Cd in the root, its localization in cell wall polysaccharide components, and the associated physiological indices. The results showed that ABA treatment significantly reduced Cd accumulation in pepper roots and shoots, which suggests that ABA effectively decreases Cd translocation from roots to aboveground tissues. This was accompanied by enhanced antioxidant activity, as evidenced by increased peroxidase and catalase activities. Furthermore, ABA regulated the subcellular distribution of Cd in root tissues, decreased Cd content in the cell wall and thereby mitigating Cd toxicity at the cellular level. The addition of ABA also reduced the content of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, indicating a reduction in lipid peroxidation and cell membrane damage. These findings highlight that ABA can enhance plant tolerance to Cd stress by modifying Cd distribution within the plant, boosting the antioxidant defense mechanism, and altering cell wall composition to limit Cd absorption. This study suggests that exogenous ABA could be a potential strategy for improving Cd resistance in pepper and reducing Cd contamination in crops.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"299 ","pages":"Article 118370"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107292","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}