Jingwei Wu, Yuting Shao, Xin Hua, Yunhui Li, Dayong Wang
{"title":"Photo-aged polylactic acid microplastics causes severe transgenerational decline in reproductive capacity in C. elegans: Insight into activation of DNA damage checkpoints affected by multiple germline histone methyltransferases","authors":"Jingwei Wu, Yuting Shao, Xin Hua, Yunhui Li, Dayong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126697","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126697","url":null,"abstract":"At parental generation (P0-G), photo-aged polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs) could cause severe toxicity on nematodes. However, their transgenerational toxicity and underlying mechanism remain largely unknown. Severe transgenerational decline in reproductive capacity was observed in nematodes after exposure to 1-100 μg/L photo-aged PLA-MPs. This transgenerational reproductive toxicity was not related to leachates of photo-aged PLA-MPs, and only partially related to their transgenerational accumulation. The photo-aged PLA-MPs caused transgenerational decline in reproductive capacity was associated with transgenerational reduction in mitotic cell number in gonads and germline apoptosis induction. As upregulators of genes governing germline apoptosis, transgenerational activation of DNA damage checkpoint was induced by photo-aged PLA-MPs. Moreover, after photo-aged PLA-MPs exposure, 9 germline histone methyltransferase (HMTs) genes were identified to exhibit transgenerational change of their expressions. Among them, photo-aged PLA-MPs induced germline apoptosis and DNA damage checkpoint activation were strengthened by <em>mes-2</em>, <em>set-27</em>, <em>set-24</em>, <em>set-28</em>, <em>set-31</em>, and <em>set-2</em> RNAi, and suppressed by <em>met-2</em>, <em>set-3</em>, and <em>set-6</em> RNAi. Therefore, our results suggested exposure risk of photo-aged PLA-MPs in the range of μg/L in inducing severe transgenerational toxicity on reproductive capacity, which was driven by germline HMTs controlled DNA damage checkpoints activation.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"93 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144311975","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}
Vanderville Villegas, Amruta Rajarajan, Elisabeth Funke, Mbedi Susan, Sarah Sparmann, Jeffrey Paulo H. Perez, Benjamin Schupp, Justyna Wolinska
{"title":"Nanoplastics diversify and reshape Daphnia microbiomes in parasite-infected and uninfected hosts","authors":"Vanderville Villegas, Amruta Rajarajan, Elisabeth Funke, Mbedi Susan, Sarah Sparmann, Jeffrey Paulo H. Perez, Benjamin Schupp, Justyna Wolinska","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126698","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126698","url":null,"abstract":"Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging contaminants of concern that may interact with natural biotic stressors (such as parasites) to disrupt host-associated microbiomes, which play a crucial role in the health and ecological dynamics of aquatic animals. Here, we investigate the effects of polystyrene NP beads and parasite infection on the microbiome diversity and composition of the model plankton organism <em>Daphnia magna</em>. We exposed <em>D</em>. <em>magna</em> to two NP sizes (50 nm and 100 nm) at two concentrations (1 mg L<sup>-1</sup> and 5 mg L<sup>-1</sup>), both with and without infection by the yeast parasite <em>Metschnikowia bicuspidata</em> and sequenced the microbiomes of gut and body tissues using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. High concentrations of 50 nm NPs significantly increased bacterial richness in both gut and body tissue, with shifts exceeding those induced by parasite infection. In the gut, the relative abundances of Burkholderiales and Chitinophagales decreased, while Caulobacterales, Rhizobiales, and Salinisphaerales increased. In body tissues, Chitinophagales declined, whereas Burkholderiales, Caulobacterales, Rhizobiales, and Salinisphaerales were enriched. NP size, concentration and interaction with infection, significantly influenced gut and body microbiome alpha diversity. Bray-Curtis dissimilarity analysis confirmed that 50 nm NPs drove distinct shifts in bacterial community composition, independent of parasite infection. Overall, NP-size and concentration had a stronger influence on the <em>Daphnia</em> microbiome than parasite infection. Given the critical roles of the <em>Daphnia</em> microbiome in nutritional support and stress tolerance, our findings highlight the potential ecological impacts of NPs on aquatic ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144311977","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}
Ronnilda Maria Gonçalves Araujo, Diogo Ramos Pacheco, Ana Marta Schafascheck, Cinara Wanderléa Felix Bezerra, Mario Antonio Navarro-Silva, Luiz Carlos Pinho, Bruno Renaly Souza Figueiredo
{"title":"Exposure to grassland fire ash alters the life-history traits and causes morphological deformities in the aquatic insect Chironomus xanthus","authors":"Ronnilda Maria Gonçalves Araujo, Diogo Ramos Pacheco, Ana Marta Schafascheck, Cinara Wanderléa Felix Bezerra, Mario Antonio Navarro-Silva, Luiz Carlos Pinho, Bruno Renaly Souza Figueiredo","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126694","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126694","url":null,"abstract":"Wildfires generate large amounts of ash that can contaminate watercourses, with potentially harmful effects on aquatic biodiversity that are not fully understood. This study experimentally evaluated the influence of environmentally relevant concentrations of grassland ash on aquatic biota, using the freshwater non-biting midge <em>Chironomus xanthus</em> as a model organism. Specifically, we assessed the toxicity of ash on oviposition and emergence patterns, changes in body and head capsule sizes, and deformities in the mentum and mandible of 4th-instar larvae and the wings of adult <em>C</em>. <em>xanthus.</em> The tested ash concentrations were 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 g/L, allowing, for the first time, the use of a geometric morphometric approach to evaluate deformities in immature and adult chironomids as sublethal implications of ash exposure. Our results showed a concentration-dependent decrease in the proportion of individuals undergoing pupation and emerging as Geometric morphometry also revealed that males' and females' wings were significantly smaller and narrower, with females exhibiting asymmetric differences between the right and left wings under higher ash concentrations. These findings demonstrate that environmentally relevant concentrations of grassland ash impair the development of <em>C. xanthus</em> larvae and adults, reducing body size and reproductive capacity. Given the key ecological role of chironomids as prey for higher trophic levels and as benthic ecosystem engineers, such impairments raise concerns about population declines and potential disruptions to freshwater food web dynamics after grassland fires.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144305177","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}
María Paula Carrillo, Maria Vila-Costa, Carlos Barata
{"title":"Micro-Bioplastic Impact on Gut Microbiome, Cephalic transcription and Cognitive Function in the aquatic invertebrate Daphnia magna.","authors":"María Paula Carrillo, Maria Vila-Costa, Carlos Barata","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126690","url":null,"abstract":"The role of the gut microbiome-brain axis on contaminant effects in invertebrates is limited by our poor knowledge of gut microbiome neurological regulatory pathways. This study investigates the influence of microplastics on the gut microbiome composition and assess subsequent alterations in the cephalic transcriptome, feeding patterns, and overall behaviour of the organism. <em>D. magna</em> individuals were exposed to low and high levels of bioplastic particles and kaolin natural particles and under starving conditions. Feeding and behavioral effects were assessed using previously well-established assays. Changes in gut microbiome composition, cephalic transcription and their functional interpretation were studied by <em>16S rRNA</em> gene sequencing and cephalic D magna RNA high-throughput sequencing, respectively, and using appropriate bioinformatic pipelines. Only exposures to high concentrations of bioplastic microparticles inhibited feeding and impacted behavioural responses in <em>D. magna</em>, resembling effects observed under starvation. Microbiome analysis revealed shifts in taxonomic composition and functional profiles across the tested microplastic concentrations, which become more notable at higher ones. Functional changes in the gut microbiome indicated that bioplastics at high concentrations altered to a greater extent short-chain fatty acid biosynthesis and tryptophan and L-glutamate metabolism pathways than at low concentrations. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that microplastics up-regulated neurological pathways, cell turnover, and differentiation. In summary exposure to microplastics resulted in gut dysbiosis and increased biosynthesis of short-chain fatty acid signalling pathways in the gut, altered neurological pathways in the cephalic transcriptome and disrupted behavioural responses, altogether supporting the role of the microbiota-gut-brain crosstalk on neurological disorders.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144311978","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":"Intestinal Barrier Disruption by Cadmium and Microplastics: Mechanistic Insights from Integrated Metabolomic and Proteomic Analysis in Mice","authors":"Jiajie Yang, Danni Wang, Junyu Huang, Ting Zhao, Maoting Chen, Shengxuan Lin, Xinqi Yu, Falong Yang, Haifeng Liu, Shiwen Xu, Dechun Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126696","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126696","url":null,"abstract":"The continuous accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and microplastics (MPs) in the environment, coupled with their increasing usage and insufficient recycling measures, has increasingly severe impacts on human health, particularly by disrupting the integrity of the intestinal barrier. To investigate the mechanisms underlying intestinal damage in mice exposed to Cd and MPs simultaneously, we conducted a study involving 60 male Kunming mice, aged 8 weeks. The mice were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group (administered 0.2 mL of saline), the Cd group (administered 0.2 mL of 5 mg/kg CdCl<sub>2</sub>·2.5H<sub>2</sub>O), and the mixed exposure group (administered 0.2 mL of a mixture containing 5 mg/kg CdCl<sub>2</sub>·2.5H<sub>2</sub>O and 1 mg/d MPs). After euthanizing the mice at day 43 via cervical dislocation, we performed histopathological sections of colon tissue, proteomics analysis, metabolomics analysis, and multi-omics integrated analysis. Our findings demonstrate that co-exposure to Cd and MPs disrupts the expression levels of key molecules including glutamate (Glu), transcription factor SP1 (SP1), and ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 (ABCG2). This perturbation alters metabolic pathways such as choline metabolism and central carbon metabolism, ultimately compromising intestinal barrier integrity and promoting cancer cell proliferation and invasion.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144305131","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}
Bo Ren , Yufei Zhao , Xiangrui Wang , Mengjing Wang , Ying Wang , Xiaomin Li , Wen-Hong Fan
{"title":"Pollutant distribution in vertebrates across scales: Organs, cells, and organelles","authors":"Bo Ren , Yufei Zhao , Xiangrui Wang , Mengjing Wang , Ying Wang , Xiaomin Li , Wen-Hong Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126680","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126680","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pollutant accumulation patterns are essential for understanding their toxicity mechanisms and health risks. Accurately identifying pollutant accumulation sites and toxicity targets requires an integrated understanding of their distribution across multiple scales. This review systematically examines recent advances in the multi-scale distribution of environmental pollutants in vertebrates, spanning organ, cellular, and subcellular levels. It highlights the influence of exposure pathways (inhalation, ingestion, dermal) and partition coefficients on pollutant biodistribution, while also emphasizing the uncertainties arising from pollutant biotransformation. Compared to metals and small-molecule organics, nanomaterials (NMs) generally exhibit lower partition coefficients, and their distributions are much susceptible to the exposure pathway. While traditional studies focus on organ-level distribution, emerging high-resolution techniques (e.g., single-cell sequencing) are increasingly revealing pollutant dynamics at the cellular scale. However, only limited studies have explored pollutant distribution at the cell population and subcellular levels. Most research has concentrated on the cellular distribution of pollutants in the blood, intestine, liver, and gill/lung. The remaining works are largely limited to the multi-scale distribution of NMs. Future research should prioritize cross-scale imaging technologies, computational predictive models, and a greater focus on pollutant speciation in blood and subcellular compartments. By bridging the gap between macroscopic accumulation and microscopic toxicity mechanisms, this review provides a framework for advancing risk assessment and targeted interventions in environmental health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"382 ","pages":"Article 126680"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144296306","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}
Chen Tang, Lide Su, Fanzheng Xue, Yiwen Sun, Fucong Zhang, Chengyong He, Zhenghong Zuo, Zonghong Liu
{"title":"Neburon induced cardiotoxicity in embryonic and adult male zebrafish via over-activation of the Ahr-Notch1 signaling pathway","authors":"Chen Tang, Lide Su, Fanzheng Xue, Yiwen Sun, Fucong Zhang, Chengyong He, Zhenghong Zuo, Zonghong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126684","url":null,"abstract":"Neburon is a phenylurea herbicide that is mainly used in the growth of crops such as wheat. It may accumulate through the food chain and harm the health of organisms and even humans. However, there are limited studies on its toxicity, especially in terms of cardiac health. This study employed acute neburon exposure (early developmental stage) and chronic neburon exposure (full life cycle) to assess its cardiac effects across distinct life stages in zebrafish. Exposure to 0.1 μg/L, 1 μg/L, and 10 μg/L neburon for 72 hours caused dose-dependent increases in cardiac malformations, heart rate, and decreased cardiac function, with significant effects at 10 μg/L. When exposure was extended through to adulthood (150 days) under the same concentration gradient, even the lowest dose (0.1 μg/L) induced significant increases in ventricular cavity size, average ventricular wall thickness, and fibrosis levels in male zebrafish. Additionally, heart body ratio and myocardial density decreased dose-dependently, with notable changes at 1 μg/L and 10 μg/L. Mechanistic investigations revealed that neburon-induced cardiotoxicity likely involved aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) nuclear translocation, over-activation of Notch (Drosophila) homolog 1 (Notch1) signaling, and suppression of critical downstream genes, such <em>as bone morphogenetic protein 10</em> (<em>bmp10</em>), <em>neuregulin</em>-<em>1</em>-<em>human epidermal growth factor receptor 2</em> (<em>nrg1</em>-<em>erbb2</em>), and <em>ephrin b2</em> (<em>efnb2a</em>), which were essential for cardiomyocyte proliferation and trabecular development. Moreover, co-exposure of zebrafish embryos to neburon with the Ahr antagonist CH223191 or the Notch1 inhibitor DAPT during the embryonic stage demonstrated significant rescue effects on cardiac malformation rates, heart rate, and cardiac function. This study provided new insights into neburon-induced cardiotoxicity, offering valuable data for understanding pollutant-related cardiac diseases.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144296307","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":"Exposure of Polystyrene Nanoplastics Led to Ferroptosis on Cardiomyocytes","authors":"Huifang Niu, Wen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126685","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126685","url":null,"abstract":"Recent studies have revealed that nanoplastics (nm-sized nanoplastics may induce oxidative stress) can translocate into human cardiovascular tissues and potentially contribute to pathophysiological processes through mechanisms involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. However, the exact role of these materials in inducing iron-related diseases such as ferroptosis remains unclear. In this investigation, we demonstrated that 100 nm polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) can be taken up by primary rat cardiomyocytes and induce mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation, mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, ferrrous iron accumulation, and lipid peroxidation. These changes ultimately result in significant reduction of cell viability alongside upregulation of pro-ferroptotic proteins such as COX2, ACSL4, and downregulation of antioxidant proteins like GPX4. Furthermore, ferrous deferoxamine (DFO) effectively restored cellular viability by inhibiting the increase in ferrrous iron and lipid peroxidation. Additionally, autophagy and NF-κB-IL6 signaling pathways were activated in response to PS-NPs exposure. These findings suggest that PS-NPs may serve as a novel agent inducing ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144305132","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":"Efficient adsorption mechanism of ciprofloxacin by Zn-enriched hyperaccumulator derived biochar","authors":"Zenghui Li, Yaji Huang, Zhiyuan Li, Zhicheng Zhu, Yixuan Xiao, Hao Liu, Qi Zhou, Tong Tian, Hu Pan, Wentao Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126619","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126619","url":null,"abstract":"Zn-doped biochar has gained significant attention due to its excellent antibiotic adsorption performance. The Zn content in the phytoremediation residue of <em>Sedum plumbizincicola</em> (SP) reached 18.515 mg/g, possesses both resource and pollutant characteristics. This research is the first attempt to prepare biochars (PBCx, where x represents the pyrolysis temperature) from the Zn-enriched SP for ciprofloxacin (CIP) adsorption. PBC500 demonstrated an exceptional adsorption capability, reaching 254.14 mg/g, which outperforms the majority of traditional biochars modified with Zn salts. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model provided the most accurate description of the adsorption process. Further analysis of FTIR and XPS elucidated that the effective adsorption was attributable to an intricate interplay of forces, not only involved the conventional roles of pore filling, electrostatic adsorption, hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, and reduction reaction but also benefited from the Zn-N/O coordination. Across a wide pH range (4–11), the concentrations of Zn leached into the solution post-adsorption complied with the strict drinking water safety standards. Research indicates that biochar produced from Zn-enriched SP, serves as an effective and environmentally benign material for the remediation of water contaminated with CIP.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144305180","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}
Yujie Wang, Aoyu Wang, Longfei Jiang, Beibei Hu, Chunling Luo
{"title":"The influence of Copper and Soil type on the Uptake, Translocation of Organophosphate Esters by Corn","authors":"Yujie Wang, Aoyu Wang, Longfei Jiang, Beibei Hu, Chunling Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126681","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126681","url":null,"abstract":"Recent studies have highlighted the potential risks of organophosphate esters (OPEs) accumulating in the food chain; however, the key factors governing their uptake and translocation in plants remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the primary drivers influencing the fate of OPEs in corn (Zea mays L.). Our results show that log <em>Kow</em>, DOC content, and Cu concentration play critical roles in regulating OPEs uptake. Specifically, log <em>Kow</em> values were negatively correlated with both the shoot concentration factor (SCF, R<sup>2</sup> > 0.70) and translocation factor (TF, R<sup>2</sup> > 0.42), indicating that less hydrophobic OPEs are more readily translocated to plant tissues. Corn grown in magalitic soil accumulated OPEs at levels averaging 24% higher than those grown in krasnozem, corresponding to 2.2 times greater DOC content in magalitic soil. Cu addition (1600 mg/kg) led to a 181% and 47% increase in OPE accumulation in roots grown in krasnozem and magalitic soils, respectively, likely due to Cu-induced disruption of root cell membrane permselectivity. Plants in krasnozem soil experienced more severe Cu-induced toxicity, attributed to its lower pH (4.47), resulting in greater OPE accumulation than in magalitic soil. Moreover, enhanced correlations between SCF (R<sup>2</sup> > 0.70), TF (R<sup>2</sup> > 0.58), and log <em>Kow</em> following Cu exposure suggest that Cu may inhibit active transport while promoting passive diffusion. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of OPE behavior in the plant-soil system and provide important insights for evaluating the environmental risk of OPE contamination in crops.","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144296309","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}