Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety最新文献

{"title":"Formation of environmentally persistent free radicals on molecular sieves: The role of Lewis acid sites","authors":"Hao Li,&nbsp;Wenjun Duan,&nbsp;Hao Jiang,&nbsp;Manling Zhang,&nbsp;Di Lang,&nbsp;Wei Du,&nbsp;Zhaofeng Chang,&nbsp;Peng Zhang,&nbsp;Bo Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) generated on metal oxide surfaces have garnered significant research interest due to their environmental persistence and biological toxicity. While the catalytic role of Lewis acid sites (LAS) in EPFR formation has been hypothesized, the specific mechanisms underlying LAS-mediated generation at ambient temperature remain poorly understood. This investigation systematically elucidates the critical role of LAS concentration in molecular sieves for EPFR formation through polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) adsorption under ambient conditions. Our results demonstrate that EPFR generation efficiency follows a distinct hierarchy among ultra-stable Y-type (USY) molecular sieves: USY(5.4) &gt; USY(11) &gt; USY(8), showing a strong positive correlation (p &lt; 0.05) with LAS concentration. The absence of detectable EPFR signals on silica controls confirms LAS as essential active sites for radical stabilization. The concentration of EPFRs generated by different PAHs on the molecular sieve follows the order of pyrene (PYR) &gt; anthracene (ANT) &gt; phenanthrene (PHE) &gt; naphthalene (NAP), which was negatively correlated (p &lt; 0.05) with the ionization potential (IP) of PAHs. This indicates that the electron transfer ability of PAH also affects the generation of EPFRs. In addition, the acute toxicity of EPFRs was evaluated using Photobacterium phosphoreum T3 (PPT₃), and the inhibition rate of the luminescent bacteria was positively correlated with concentration of EPFRs and the mediated generation of ROS. The results of this study can contribute to the understanding of the generation mechanism and environmental risks of EPFRs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119121"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145156154","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":"Mechanistic modeling of chemical bioaccumulation in aquatic invertebrates: A shrimp-based demonstration","authors":"Shaorong Chen,&nbsp;Jie Xiong,&nbsp;Zijian Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the mechanisms of chemical bioaccumulation in aquatic invertebrates is fundamental to ecological toxicology, as contaminant retention in key species shapes exposure pathways and trophic transfer within aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we developed a physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model to quantify the bioaccumulation factors (BAF) of 101 organic contaminants in adult white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The model subdivides the organism into hemolymph, digestive tract, gills, muscle, shell, and eggs, and simulates uptake through gill respiration and dietary intake, together with elimination via respiratory exchange, fecal excretion, growth dilution, molting, and spawning. Predictions showed overall good agreement with reported BAF, with 50–80 % of chemicals deviating by less than one order of magnitude. Performance was highest for brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and other hydrophobic compounds (Log K_ow 4–6), whereas substantial biases occurred for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and certain pesticides, likely due to unmodeled metabolic processes and sediment–water interactions. Simulations identified gill and egg tissues as major accumulation sites, reflecting their lipid content and direct environmental exposure. Exposure pathways were chemical-specific: gill uptake dominated for most hydrophobic pollutants (&gt;94 %), while dietary intake was the principal contributor to PFAS accumulation in the digestive system (&gt;90 %). The nonlinear relationship between bioconcentration factor (BCF) and Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient (K_ow) suggested a threshold effect in bioavailability. Overall, this shrimp-based PBK model enhances mechanistic understanding of contaminant dynamics in crustaceans and provides a basis for evaluating chemical risks and exposure heterogeneity in aquatic ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119101"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145156269","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":"Sex-specific analyses of early-life tobacco smoke exposure and later-life irritable bowel syndrome: Sensitive window, mediation pathway, and genetic predisposition","authors":"Wenya Bai ,&nbsp;Yudan Zheng ,&nbsp;Yuru Pan ,&nbsp;Miaohong Zhuang ,&nbsp;Yiqiang Zhan ,&nbsp;Weiqing Chen ,&nbsp;Miao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tobacco smoke can relax colonic smooth muscles and increase intestinal permeability, but whether early-life exposure affects later-life irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its underlying pathway remain unknown. We obtained the data from a large-scale cohort study in UK biobank, including information on age of smoking initiation (in utero period, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood), levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), genetic risk score (GRS), and IBS onset. We employed Cox proportional hazards models to examine the association between tobacco smoke exposure at different stages of life and incident IBS, and recognize the sensitive window. We further analyzed the interaction and joint effects of tobacco smoke exposure and GRS on IBS, as well as the mediation of CRP. Participants with initiating exposure to tobacco smoke in utero showed a higher IBS risk with hazard ratio (HR) of 1.149 (95 % CI: 1.093, 1.207), compared to unexposed individuals. Those who started smoking in childhood showed a greater risk with HR of 1.274 (95 % CI: 1.161, 1.399) than never smokers. Dose-response relationship showed the incident IBS increased with the earlier initiation and the longer duration of tobacco smoke. Notably, joint effect of initiating tobacco smoke at different stages presented participants initiating in utero and childhood had the strongest impact on IBS onset, with HR of 1.516 (95 % CI: 1.313, 1.751). The relations of early-life tobacco smoke exposure and IBS differed with genetic susceptibilities, being stronger in individuals with higher GRS. Furthermore, CRP partially mediated the associations of early-life tobacco smoke exposure at different stages of life with the incident IBS, with mediating proportions ranging from 5.73 % to 9.10 %. What’s more, these aforementioned relationships are more pronounced in females than males. Accordingly, early-life tobacco smoke exposure, particularly during utero period and childhood in females, elevated the IBS onset, differing with genetic predisposition and mediated by the inflammation pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119099"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119865","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":"Single-cell RNA sequencing across diverse cell types to identify PFOA-induced ovarian cellular senescence","authors":"Ning Li ,&nbsp;Jiahao Hu ,&nbsp;Yuhan Zhao ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Tian ,&nbsp;Qiang Li ,&nbsp;Lin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119089","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119089","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a persistent environmental pollutant that has been associated with reproductive dysfunction, yet cellular mechanism underlying its ovarian toxicity remain poorly understood. From the perspective of cellular senescence, we conducted this study by establishing a murine (female ICR mice) PFOA exposure (10 mg/kg/day administered orally via gavage for 28 consecutive days), then examined changes in ovarian structure, cellular composition, and transcriptional profiles. Compared with the control group, we found significant reductions in follicle numbers across all developmental stages following PFOA exposure. To understand mechanisms underlying PFOA induced ovarian dysfunction, we performed single-cell RNA ovarian tissues and obtained 29,000 + cells with 8 distinct cell populations, where cumulus cells showed particular vulnerability to PFOA-induced depletion. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated widespread G1 phase accumulation, most prominently in granulosa and cumulus cells. Differential gene expression analysis revealed cell type-specific upregulation of senescence markers such as <em>Cdkn1a, Smoc2, and Igfbp4</em> in follicular somatic cells. Integration of transcriptional profiling with cell cycle analysis established a mechanistic link between PFOA exposure, cell cycle arrest, and premature cellular senescence, which directly corresponded to the observed follicular depletion and structural abnormalities in histological analysis. In conclusion, PFOA exposure triggers ovarian pathology partially through induction of cell type-specific senescence programs that disrupt normal follicular development and function, which highlights cellular senescence as a potential contributor to environmental pollutant-mediated reproductive dysfunction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119089"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145147247","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":"Metagenomic profiling of antibiotic resistance genes in terrestrial ecosystems across China","authors":"Yulong Duan ,&nbsp;Junbiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Evangelos Petropoulos ,&nbsp;Jianhua Zhao ,&nbsp;Yun Chen ,&nbsp;Lilong Wang ,&nbsp;Xuyang Wang ,&nbsp;Rongliang Jia ,&nbsp;Fasi Wu ,&nbsp;Yuqiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119096","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119096","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil represents a significant reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), yet their distribution across diverse terrestrial ecosystems remains poorly characterized. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a large-scale, cross-regional soil survey spanning 4300 km in China, collecting samples at 42 intervals across six distinct terrestrial ecosystems. High diversity (18 ARG types and 129 ARG subtypes) and abundance (mean value: 724.9 [coverage, ×/Gb]) of ARGs were observed in the topsoil (0–20 cm depth) across the six terrestrial ecosystems, with tetracycline resistance and efflux pump being the prevailing class and resistance mechanism respectively. Notably, only <em>aac</em> (6′)-I ranked among the highest-risk ARGs (Rank I), indicating that merely 0.78 % of detected ARGs pose a severe pathogenic threat. Meanwhile, horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is likely the primary transmission mechanism for ARGs in these soils. While most ARGs currently present minimal direct public health risks, their high transmission potential warrants attention. Furthermore, stochastic processes dominate the spread of soil ARGs, though both stochastic and deterministic processes contribute to the spread of their hosts. Collectively, these results provide timely insights into the resistance mode of soil ARGs in terrestrial ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119096"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145147303","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":"Combining dissolved organic matter correlation and water quality parameters to unravel the fate of organophosphate esters in Uliastai Lake","authors":"Yu Qiao ,&nbsp;Weiying Feng ,&nbsp;Chenglian Feng ,&nbsp;Bo Ren ,&nbsp;Yao Li ,&nbsp;Jing Xue ,&nbsp;Shu Liu ,&nbsp;Wenhong Fan ,&nbsp;Su Kong Ngien ,&nbsp;Jos´e Manuel Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Isabel Maria Duarte","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental risk of organophosphate esters (OPEs) have garnered increasing attention as emerging contaminants in the global world. However, there is limited understanding regarding the concentration of OPEs and the impact of eutrophication lakes. Therefore, this study comprehensively examined the distribution characteristics of OPEs in water and sediments of Uliastai Lake, analysed their potential sources and pathways, explored the correlations between OPEs and dissolved organic matter (DOM) and water quality parameters, and conducted a risk assessment of OPEs. The study revealed that the average concentration of Σ₁₁OPEs in the water was 694.71 ng/L, and the Σ₁₂OPEs in the sediments was 105.99 ng/g (dw). OPEs primarily originated from domestic and tourism-related waste, boat and architectural coatings, wastewater treatment plants, industrial effluent discharge and transportation emissions. Triethyl phosphate (TEP) showed significant negative correlations with dissolved oxygen and turbidity (p &lt; 0.05), whereas TEP, Tri (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), Tri (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) and alkyl-OPEs showed significant positive correlations with conductivity (p &lt; 0.05). In addition, alkyl-OPEs exhibited a significant negative correlation with the fluorescence index of DOM and a significant positive correlation with the freshness index. The risk assessment results indicated that TEP and TECP have ecological risks and require strengthened management and control. This study comprehensively analysed the environmental behaviour of OPEs, providing new insights into the migration and transformation of emerging contaminants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119061"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145147244","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":"Chloroacetic acids induce skin aging via cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway in HaCaT cells, human explants and rats","authors":"Hui Yu ,&nbsp;Jingjing Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Dan Liu ,&nbsp;Ye Cheng ,&nbsp;Xuebing Xu ,&nbsp;Xiangyu Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119093","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119093","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chloroacetic acids, including monochloroacetic acid (MCA), dichloroacetic acid (DCA), and trichloroacetic acid (TCA), are non-volatile disinfection by-products. They are frequently detected at high concentrations in swimming pools, raising concerns about potential detrimental effects on skin health. However, the mechanisms underlying their toxicity remain poorly understood. In this study, we established a full-thickness skin model to replicate realistic environmental conditions and investigated the signaling pathways involved in chloroacetic acid-induced skin aging at multiple levels. In HaCaT cells, exposure to chloroacetic acids, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), triggered the release of inflammatory factors, induced cell cycle arrest, and activated senescence markers. In human skin explants, such exposure reduced the expression of skin barrier proteins and caused epidermal contraction, indicating barrier disruption. Furthermore, in a rat model, treatment with chloroacetic acids led to scab formation, inflammatory infiltration, and histological alterations exhibiting aging-like features. Further more, our findings reveal that chloroacetic acids impair skin health via activation of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)–stimulator of interferon genes (STING)–nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. These findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of chloroacetic acid exposure and underscore the urgent need for environmental regulations to mitigate their harmful effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119093"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119866","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":"Occupational exposure to pesticides reveals a miRNAs expression profile indicating multiple disease risks","authors":"Luiza Flavia Veiga Francisco ,&nbsp;Willian Garcia Birolli ,&nbsp;Welinton Hirai ,&nbsp;Ana Julia Aguiar de Freitas ,&nbsp;Paula Rohr ,&nbsp;Caroline Rocha Nunes ,&nbsp;Álvaro José dos Santos Neto ,&nbsp;Fernando Barbosa Junior ,&nbsp;Márcia Maria Chiquitelli Marques ,&nbsp;Henrique C.S. Silveira","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Growing evidence links pesticide exposure to health issues, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. This study analyzed microRNA (miRNAs) expression in pesticide-exposed individuals and predicted the biological functions of these miRNAs through target gene analysis. A cohort of 23 pesticide applicators and 23 non-exposed individuals were recruited in Brazil. Serum pesticide quantification revealed a significant difference in the concentration of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) between the two groups. Cellular analysis revealed increased frequencies of micronucleated, binucleated, pyknotic, and karyolytic cells in the exposed group. Plasma analysis identified 30 differentially expressed miRNAs, of which 20 were selected for further study based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis (AUC ≥ 0.75, p &lt; 0.005). These miRNAs targeted a total of 1004 validated target genes. The application of functional analysis yielded a total of 213 biological processes, 131 cellular components, and 170 molecular functions. Furthermore, 91 enriched pathways and 107 diseases with the most prevalent being neurological disorders, arthritis, and cancer, were associated with the predicted target genes. This study reveals biological pathways affected by pesticide exposure and highlights the critical role of miRNAs in disease pathogenesis, particularly for neurological conditions and cancers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119065"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119864","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":"Retention and transport of PFAS precursor 6:2 FTS in heterogeneous variably saturated porous media","authors":"Haiying Hu ,&nbsp;Ni Yan ,&nbsp;Hang Yin ,&nbsp;Mark L. Brusseau ,&nbsp;Yao Liu ,&nbsp;Yujing Ma ,&nbsp;Heng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119084","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many widely detected perfluoroalkyl contaminants are transformation products of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) precursors, whose transport behavior has received minimal attention. This study provides the first experimental investigation of spatially resolved retention of 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS) in a variably saturated porous medium, influenced by adsorption at the air-water interface (AWI) and porous-medium heterogeneities. An instrumented column apparatus was constructed, equipped with 5 ports to collect in-situ porewater samples and 5 accompanying sensors to measure water content. This approach allowed quantification of in-situ retardation factors (R) at multiple depths across a wide range of water saturations (S_w, 0.2–1.0). The R values remained consistently low (1.5) under saturated conditions, whereas they were significantly greater under unsaturated conditions (e.g., R = 19.7 at S_w = 0.21). The enhanced retention was due to adsorption at the AWI, which is the dominant retention mechanism for this system. The spatial variation in S_w led to a sharp decrease in R with depth, decreasing from ∼20–2, demonstrating spatially heterogeneous retention even over small distances, a phenomenon that has not been reported before. Non-ideal transport (early breakthrough and tailing) was observed at low S_w in contrast to ideal transport at higher S_w, which was attributed to rate-limited air-water interfacial adsorption (AWIA) due to constrained access to AWI under low saturations. This interpretation was supported by the results of a Damkohler Number analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119084"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109346","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":"Inhaled pollutants and neurological health via the lung-brain axis","authors":"Hailong Li ,&nbsp;Haixi Bian ,&nbsp;Xingxing Yuan ,&nbsp;Qing Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119091","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.119091","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The lung-brain axis is a communication network that links the lungs and the brain. Inhaled pollutants like tobacco smoke, asbestos, and nanoparticles can exploit this axis to cause neurological damage. They do this by triggering systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which can lead to neurocognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and cancer.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This review compares how two major types of inhaled pollutants, tobacco smoke and environmental chemicals, affect neurological health via the lung-brain axis. We evaluate their shared and distinct biological mechanisms, contrast their associated health outcomes such as neuropsychiatric disorders versus cancers, and identify critical gaps in current research.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Both smoking and chemical pollutants harm the brain through the lung-brain axis but via different primary mechanisms. Smoking primarily disrupts nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) signaling, reinforcing addiction. In contrast, environmental chemicals often rely on the physical translocation of particles to cause genotoxicity and direct inflammation. Key research limitations include a lack of long-term human data and an incomplete understanding of the bidirectional nature of this axis. Future studies should use integrated multi-omics and advanced models like organ-on-a-chip to better understand these exposure dynamics. From a policy perspective, prioritizing smoking cessation, stricter pollution controls, and occupational safety is crucial. Future interventions must also account for genetic vulnerabilities and sex-specific differences to effectively reduce the global burden of pollution-related neurological diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":303,"journal":{"name":"Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety","volume":"304 ","pages":"Article 119091"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109343","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}