{"title":"High microplastic exposure affects survival and health of Dreissena spp. mussels: implications for freshwater pollution monitoring","authors":"Adèle Wolinski, Miléna Ferret, Isabelle Calvès, Loïc Tettling, Audrey M. Pruski, Edouard Lavergne, Anne-Leïla Meistertzheim, Franck Lartaud","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127123","url":null,"abstract":"The occurrence and concentrations of microplastics in freshwater environments are far less studied than in marine ecosystems, despite rivers being the receptacle of plastic pollution from terrestrial activities. Since microplastics impact aquatic organisms at multiple levels, the development of reliable and efficient methods for their quantification is crucial to improve ecological risk assessment and support regulatory efforts. In this study, we investigated the potential of <em>Dreissena</em> spp. mussels as bioindicators for microplastic pollution by exposing them to fluorescent polyethylene microbeads (10 – 20 μm) for two months at two environmental concentrations (200 and 2000 MPs L<sup>-1</sup>). Both microplastic uptake and health indicators (survival rates, condition index, and energy reserves) were assessed. Our results confirmed microplastic uptake by dreissenids under both exposure concentrations. Exposure to 2000 MPs L<sup>-1</sup> led to a decrease in condition index and energy reserves within 15 days, resulting in increased mortality, whereas exposure to 200 MPs L<sup>-1</sup> had no significant effect. These findings support the use of <em>Dreissena</em> spp. mussels as bioindicators for microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems, highlighting the bioaccessibility of MPs to filter-feeders and allowing the assessment of both microplastic accumulation in tissues and associated health effects.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145056911","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}
C. Petalas, J.F. Provencher, Z. Lu, R.A. Lavoie, K.H. Elliott
{"title":"BLOOD UV ABSORBENTS IN URBAN BREEDING HERRING GULLS: ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, NOT ANTHROPOGENIC HABITAT USE, DRIVE EXPOSURE","authors":"C. Petalas, J.F. Provencher, Z. Lu, R.A. Lavoie, K.H. Elliott","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127118","url":null,"abstract":"Urban-adapted wildlife foraging in coastal areas are exposed to mixtures of synthetic contaminants, including ultraviolet absorbents (UVAs), such as benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BZT-UVs) and organic UV filters (UVFs). Herring gulls (<em>Larus argentatus</em>), known for their foraging plasticity, are particularly susceptible to UVA exposure due to their reliance on anthropogenic habitats, including landfills, known as sinks of products containing UVAs. However, the impact of foraging habitat on exposure is unknown. We aimed to investigate this relationship in gulls along the St. Lawrence estuary near the industrial center of Québec City (QC, Canada) over two breeding seasons (2023 and 2024). Eight BZT-UVs and five UVFs were measured in the plasma and red blood cells (RBC) of breeding adults. We detected UVAs in both blood compartments of the gulls sampled, with two BZT-UVs (UV-328 and UV-P) and two UVFs (BP-3 and HMS) being the most prevalent. Year was a strong predictor for most frequently detected UVA concentrations, while both year and temperature influenced ΣBZT-UVs, ΣUVFs, HMS, and UV-P. Specifically, one year had colder environmental conditions, which contributed to higher concentrations. This study is the first to demonstrate blood compartmentalization of UVAs between plasma and RBC, with higher concentrations found in RBC. Despite UVA exposure among all individuals and predominant foraging in anthropogenic terrestrial habitats, primarily agricultural fields, we found no association between habitat types and concentrations. Our findings suggest that UVA pollution is pervasive across diverse anthropogenic habitats, highlighting the complex pathways of exposure in urban-adapted wildlife and the need for broader monitoring.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"67 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043001","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}
Ping Gong, Hong Xu, Xiaoping Wang, Lun Luo, Xinyue Liu, Chuanfei Wang
{"title":"Release of organochlorine pollutants from forest fires: 2. Possible long-term migration from ash and burnt soil","authors":"Ping Gong, Hong Xu, Xiaoping Wang, Lun Luo, Xinyue Liu, Chuanfei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127116","url":null,"abstract":"The ash and burnt soil could release pollutants in a long term after forest fires, which poses health risks to ecosystems and human population. To date, our understanding of residues and release of organochlorine pollutants (OCPs) from ash and burnt soil after forest fires remains limited. In this study, a simulated fire via the burning of litter, grass, and humus was conducted in the Tibetan forest, while ashes and soil profiles after an actual fire event were sampled in half a year and three years after the fire. It was found that the ash-residue OCPs accounted up to 40% of the total observed OCPs (both in ash and in air) after fire, and with the subsequent continuous release, the concentrations of OCPs in ash and burnt soil decreased more than one order of magnitude in the three years after the fire. The burning enhanced the migrations of OCPs on and in soil, and also pushed the redistribution of OCPs between soil organic matters and black carbon. Rainfall was considered as the key driving factor of OCP migration and re-partitioning, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) might be the primary “carrier” of OCPs migration and redistribution. These results highlight the role of ash and burnt soil in the OCP releases, and under the situation of OCP reduction globally, the long-term sources of OCPs from forest fires cannot be ignored.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"72 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043010","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}
Yujin Yuan, Qiaoting Zeng, Meixian Cao, Wanqiang Cai, Cong Ma, Anyi Hu, Qian Sun
{"title":"Distribution patterns and source contributions of emerging contaminants in urban wastewater systems: from pumping stations to wastewater treatment plants","authors":"Yujin Yuan, Qiaoting Zeng, Meixian Cao, Wanqiang Cai, Cong Ma, Anyi Hu, Qian Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127120","url":null,"abstract":"Sewage pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serve as critical nodes through which emerging pollutants (ECs) migrate from urban and industrial sources into aquatic environments. However, research on the co-occurrence, source dynamics, and fate of ECs within integrated pumping station–WWTP system remains limited, particularly spatial heterogeneity and source-sink relationship. This study addresses this gap by proposing a multi-model analytical framework based on the \"fingerprint features\" of pollutants, integrating self-organizing maps (SOM), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and the XGBoost machine learning algorithm. This framework is applied to investigate the distribution patterns, coexistence characteristics, and potential sources of over 80 ECs in 7 WWTPs and 47 pumping stations in a coastal city in China. Results show high consistency in EC abundance between WWTPs and pumping station, with co-occurrence frequency strongly influenced by their physical-chemical properties and spatial distribution. Acetaminophen (893 ng/L), caffeine (278 ng/L), and norfloxacin (269 ng/L) exhibited the highest average concentrations in pumping stations. Despite incomplete removal of ECs during treatment, wastewater processes effectively mitigate the complex co-occurrence of ECs. Interactions such as competitive adsorption led to fluctuations in their transport behavior, particularly over long distances. The distinctive “fingerprint” characteristics of ECs, which reflect their unique distribution patterns, were leveraged in source apportionment using advanced techniques such as self-organizing mapping, positive matrix factorization, and the XGBoost model. These methods provided critical insights into the spatial heterogeneity of pollution sources, which are mainly driven by human activities and regional economic development. The results emphasized the impact of local wastewater infrastructure, human activities and regional economic development on EC spatial distributions, providing a basis for informed environmental management planning for ECs.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043364","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}
Bohui Xu, Xiaoliang Chen, Changbo Zhang, Wei Luo, Lin Deng
{"title":"Regression model and artificial neural network model to predict halonitromethane formation from amino acids during UV/monochloramine disinfection in bromide-containing real water","authors":"Bohui Xu, Xiaoliang Chen, Changbo Zhang, Wei Luo, Lin Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127117","url":null,"abstract":"Halonitromethanes (HNMs) were high-toxicity nitrogenous disinfection byproducts generated by amino acids (AAs) during UV/monochloramine (UV/NH<sub>2</sub>Cl) disinfection in bromide-containing water. HNM concentrations fell over time, highlighting disinfection time optimization as an effective control strategy. Using specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm characterizing aromatic carbon composition, a single equation predicted HNM concentrations generated by three AAs (including tyrosine, tryptophan and aspartic acid) in bromide-containing real water and distilled water combined with NH<sub>2</sub>Cl dose, disinfection time, Br<sup>-</sup>, HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> and pH. Utilizing a second-order polynomial for disinfection time whose coefficients incorporated NH<sub>2</sub>Cl dose and water quality parameters, regression model successfully described HNM concentrations, with improved accuracy by introducing nitrate. Due to excellent non-linear fitting abilities, back propagation (BP) and radial basis function (RBF) artificial neural network (ANN) models were applied, followed by principal components analysis (PCA) for data preprocessing and genetic algorithm (GA) for model structure optimization. The predictive performance in descending order was RBF ANN, regression model and BP ANN, with GA optimization outperforming PCA optimization. GA-RBF ANN model achieved R<sup>2</sup>=0.90, mean absolute error=0.39, mean relative error=20% and root-mean-square error=0.68, demonstrating better generalization and 12% fewer hidden layer neurons than RBF ANN model. It was further simplified by removing insignificant pH and HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>. HNM-associated cytotoxicity/genotoxicity calculated by the additivity of toxicity, respectively damaging cells/DNA, had a strong positive linear correlation (R<sup>2</sup>>0.9) with its concentrations. It confirmed HNM concentration control as effective toxicity management. Heatmaps of HNM generation in bromide-containing real water showed that both low NH<sub>2</sub>Cl doses (e.g., <6×10<sup>-5</sup> M) and high NH<sub>2</sub>Cl doses (e.g., (1.5-2.5)×10<sup>-4</sup> M) combined with high UV doses (e.g., >1684.8 mJ·cm<sup>-2</sup>) could reduce HNM generation.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145056958","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":"Non-negligible health risks from atmospheric carbonyls in Tibetan Plateau’s anthropogenic hotspots: Evidence from a summertime case study in Lhasa","authors":"Xinmei Guo, Daocheng Gong, Xujun Mo, Xiaoxiao Ding, Jun Chen, Zhuangxi Liu, Jiangyong Li, Shuo Deng, Qinqin Li, Chengliang Zhang, Hao Wang, Boguang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127115","url":null,"abstract":"Atmospheric carbonyls, particularly aldehydes and ketones, are key intermediates in tropospheric chemistry, pose escalating health threats in ecologically-fragile and climate-sensitive regions like the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, studies characterizing the source, toxicity, and health risks of speciated carbonyls remain sparse in TP’s anthropogenic hotspots, particularly during the photochemically active summer period. Here, we present the most extensive carbonyl dataset for the TP to date, quantifying 37 species (25 aldehydes and 12 ketones) during summertime in urban and rural Lhasa, the most urbanized and densely populated city in TP. Total carbonyl concentrations were comparable between sites (urban: 5.70 ± 3.43 ppbv; rural: 5.86 ± 3.80 ppbv), with meta-analysis revealed a substantial increase for urban (99.8%) and rural (82.7%) from 2010 to 2022, primarily driven by low-carbon aldehydes (formaldehyde and acetaldehyde). Positive Matrix Factorization identified secondary formation and biomass burning as the dominant source of aldehydes and ketones, respectively. Compound-specific toxicity evaluations revealed that aldehydes contributed 87% to total toxicity, with formaldehyde alone accounting for >60%. Health risk assessments indicated daytime carcinogenic risks for formaldehyde exceeded the safety threshold (1 × 10<sup>-6</sup>), reaching (2.8 ± 0.8) × 10<sup>-5</sup> (urban) and (2.6 ± 0.9) × 10<sup>-5</sup> (rural), respectively. Acetaldehyde’s carcinogenic risk also surpassed safety thresholds. Our findings demonstrate that comprehensive speciation of carbonyls is critical to unravel pollution drivers and health impacts in fragile ecosystems, urging prioritized control of low-carbon aldehydes in TP’s anthropogenic hotspots.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042997","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":"Negative impact of broflanilide on non-target organisms: A comprehensive assessment in male zebrafish through in vivo and in vitro approaches","authors":"Shufan Chen, Junjiang Yao, Meng-en Lu, Zhihui Liu, Yuanyuan Li, Xiaoyu Li, Junguo Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127103","url":null,"abstract":"Broflanilide is a relatively new meta-diamide insecticide that has been continually detected in aquatic ecosystems, yet the negative effects and potential mechanisms to aquatic species remains unclear. In this experiment, the hepatotoxicity effects and mechanisms of broflanilide in male zebrafish and ZFL cells were investigated. Broflanilide exposure induced pathological damage and lipid accumulation in the liver, increased the levels of ALT and AST, altered the T-CHO content, and elevated TG levels. Furthermore, broflanilide exposure promoted ROS production, upregulated MDA and 8-OHdG contents, and increased TNF-α and IL-1β levels in the liver, while no significant changes were observed in caspase-3, suggesting that oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the toxic mechanisms of broflanilide. Additionally, broflanilide exposure elicited cell cycle arrest, induced apoptosis, decreased MMP, promoted ROS production, increased MDA and 8-OHdG levels, elevated TNF-α and IL-1β levels, and resulted in lipid accumulation in ZFL cells, suggesting that broflanilide exhibits cytotoxicity. Moreover, RNA-Seq results of ZFL cells further elucidated the intricate mechanisms underlying the hepatotoxicity induced by broflanilide. Overall, these findings provide robust evidence of hepatotoxicity from broflanilide, which not only enhances our understanding of its non-target biotoxicity but also furnishes crucial data for assessing the environmental risks posed by this pesticide.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043069","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}
Lorrany Marins Mota, João Vitor M. Bravo, Boscolli Barbosa Pereira
{"title":"Urban Environmental Risk Assessment through biomonitoring: a Multivariate Approach using Mangifera indica, lichens, and air pollutants","authors":"Lorrany Marins Mota, João Vitor M. Bravo, Boscolli Barbosa Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127102","url":null,"abstract":"Biomonitoring using vegetation and epiphytic lichens has gained prominence as a low-cost and integrative approach to assess air quality impacts on ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate the bioaccumulation and physiological responses of <em>Mangifera indica</em> leaves and epiphytic lichens across nine monitoring stations in southeastern Brazil, and to develop a predictive environmental risk index based on pollutant concentrations. Heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn) were quantified in soil, leaf, and lichen samples, and Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) was calculated using foliar biochemical parameters. Data from São Paulo State Environmental Agency (CETESB) air quality stations, including PM<sub>10</sub>, NO, NO<sub>2</sub>, and NO<sub>X</sub>, were integrated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA), and linear regression modeling. PCA revealed that Cr, Cu, and Zn in foliar and lichen tissues, along with APTI and fluoride, accounted for most of the biological variation. CCA identified nitrogen oxides (NO, NOx) as the primary environmental drivers of biological response. A robust regression model (based on CCA results) was developed to predict a composite biological risk score using air pollution data alone. This model was used to construct an Environmental Risk Index that accurately classified sites into high, moderate, or low-risk categories. The approach demonstrated here offers a transferable, biologically grounded framework for assessing environmental risk, particularly in urban-industrial contexts, and supports the integration of biomonitoring into environmental and public health policies.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043363","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}
Fuyu Wu, Jieling Li, Shijia Chen, Jianchu Ma, Jun Li, Shizhen Zhao, Qian Zheng, Gan Zhang
{"title":"Halogenated flame retardants contamination in Chinese teas: levels, sources, and human exposure","authors":"Fuyu Wu, Jieling Li, Shijia Chen, Jianchu Ma, Jun Li, Shizhen Zhao, Qian Zheng, Gan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127119","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), and dechlorane plus (DP) in seven categories of tea samples collected from major tea-producing regions across China. Halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) were detected in all samples, with total concentrations ranging from 0.14 to 83.79 ng/g dry weight (dw) (mean: 19.39 ng/g dw). Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE; n.d.–61.91 ng/g dw) and BDE-209 (n.d.–32.44 ng/g dw) emerged as the dominant contaminants. Geographical analysis revealed significant regional disparities in HFR contamination, with the highest levels observed in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces. Key factors influencing HFR accumulation included source distribution, fermentation processes, storage duration, and total organic carbon (TOC) content. Significant correlations between PBDEs and NBFRs suggested their similarly environmental behaviors (<em>p</em> < 0.05). Risk assessment indicated that dietary exposure to HFRs through tea consumption poses minimal health risks to children and adults. These findings enhance understanding of HFR distribution in tea ecosystems and support evidence-based food safety strategies.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043011","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":"Source apportionment of trace elements in urban atmospheric particulates using tree bark biomonitoring with receptor modeling: A case study from Hangzhou, China","authors":"Yiying Li, Bo Wang, Xiuxiu Zhang, Xin Chen, Xiao-han Sun, Jia Jia","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127114","url":null,"abstract":"To investigate the characteristics and sources of elemental pollution in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in Hangzhou City, bark samples of <em>Cinnamomum camphora</em> (n = 172) were collected as a biomonitoring medium. Concentrations of 28 elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Enrichment factors (EF) and geospatial analysis were applied to assess elemental enrichment and spatial patterns, while absolute principal component scores–multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) were employed for quantitative source apportionment. Results showed that, except for Na, which primarily originated from natural sources, all elements were influenced by anthropogenic activities, with Ca and Cd exhibiting high enrichment, indicating significant anthropogenic impact. Cross-regional comparisons revealed that bark elemental concentrations in the study area were intermediate between those of heavily industrialized cities and low-pollution regions, confirming the element enrichment characteristics in bark serves as a reliable indicator of regional pollution conditions. APCS-MLR identified six major sources: mixed natural-combustion sources (44.4%), traffic emissions (17.8%), mixed industrial activities (10.4%), natural source (11.4%), metallurgical dust (8.4%), and construction dust (7.7%). PMF yielded broadly consistent results but separated the mixed natural–combustion source into distinct sources: natural source (20.4%), construction dust (18.8%), mixed industrial activities (4.9%), metallurgical dust (24.4%), traffic emissions (14.3%), and combustion sources (17.3%). The agreement between models demonstrates the robustness of combining receptor models for quantitative source identification. By integrating single-species bark biomonitoring with multi-receptor modeling, this study achieved high spatial resolution source apportionment of PM elements, providing a scientific basis for enhancing urban monitoring networks and formulating targeted pollution control strategies.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145043114","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}