Deep D. Dudiya , Pranav J. Pandya , Barathan Balaji Prasath , Subhash I. Parmar , Ketankumar Yogi , A.M. Elsawah , Darwin Ramteke , Sebaj H. Gori
{"title":"A statistical analysis–driven assessment of heavy metal risks in coastal sediments of the Gulf of Kutch, India: Integrating field data with meta-analysis","authors":"Deep D. Dudiya , Pranav J. Pandya , Barathan Balaji Prasath , Subhash I. Parmar , Ketankumar Yogi , A.M. Elsawah , Darwin Ramteke , Sebaj H. Gori","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126860","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126860","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a comprehensive assessment of heavy metal contamination in the coastal sediments of the Gulf of Kutch (GoK), India, using integrated statistical techniques and meta-analysis. Sediment samples were collected from eight intertidal locations (Jakhau, Kathda/Mandvi, Modhva, Luni, Kandla, Navlakhi, Rozi Port, and Sikka), representing a gradient of anthropogenic influence. A total of 72 sediment cores were analyzed using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and pollution was evaluated through indices including the Contamination Factor (CF), Enrichment Factor (EF), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), Pollution Load Index (PLI), and Modified Degree of Contamination (mCd). The results revealed the presence of 28 trace elements, with dominant concentrations in the order: Ca > Al > Fe > Na > K > Sr > Mn > Ba > Zr > V > Cr > Zn > Ni > Nd > Cu > Sm > Y > Ga > Th > Co > As > U > Ta > Hg > Se > Pb > Ag > Cd. Mercury (Hg) exhibited localized enrichment, particularly at industrial and port-influenced sites. Statistical analysis (ANOVA, M-estimation) revealed significant spatial variability in metal concentrations, whereas depth-wise analysis indicated limited vertical differentiation, likely due to bioturbation and hydrodynamic mixing. The Pollution Load Index was found to be 1.25 across most sites, indicating pollution load. Among the analyzed contaminants, mercury (Hg) was observed to have Igeo value between 3 and 5 with average mercury concentration of 0.79 ppm indicating matter of concern coinciding with the threshold limits. A meta-analysis of regional studies further contextualized the observed metal levels within broader environmental trends. These findings underscore the need for continued monitoring and mitigation of trace metal inputs to protect marine ecosystems and human health in this sensitive coastal zone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126860"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144664523","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}
Xian Zhou , Pengfei Li , Fredrick Owino Gudda , Chao Qin , Ahmed Mosa , Wanting Ling , Jian Wang
{"title":"GRSP-induced diversity change of dissolved organic matter enhances the availability of PAHs in soil","authors":"Xian Zhou , Pengfei Li , Fredrick Owino Gudda , Chao Qin , Ahmed Mosa , Wanting Ling , Jian Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The positive effects of glomalin related soil protein (GRSP) on soil ecological environment functions have been widely reported. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying GRSP-enhanced availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils remain poorly understood. The desorption of both phenanthrene and pyrene from soils increased significantly with rising GRSP concentrations across the tested range (0–1000 mg/L), demonstrating a dose-responsive relationship. The results from Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and UV–vis spectrophotometry revealed that GRSP addition altered the molecular diversity of dissolved organic matter (DOM), enriched phenyl structures and high-molecular-weight compounds in the retained DOM. This modification promoted DOM-PAH associations in solution and further enhanced PAH desorption from soil, thereby elucidating a potential molecular mechanism for GRSP-mediated PAH availability. These results further clarify the role of GRSP in reduction and control PAH-contaminated risks in soil, enrich people's understanding of the environmental functions of GRSP, and also provide a theoretical basis for regulating the pollution risk of PAHs by increasing the GRSP content in the soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126858"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144664526","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}
Yintao Ye , Wei Zhong , Lijuan Liang , Ruyi Han , Jiangeng Han , Chunwei Wang , Lei Chen , Junqiang Qian
{"title":"Assessing the toxicological impact of DEGDB plasticizer exposure on glioblastoma multiforme via network toxicology, machine learning and in vitro methods","authors":"Yintao Ye , Wei Zhong , Lijuan Liang , Ruyi Han , Jiangeng Han , Chunwei Wang , Lei Chen , Junqiang Qian","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126843","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diethylene glycol dibenzoate (DEGDB) is a novel environmentally friendly plasticizer. However, toxicological studies on DEGDB remain limited, and its potential harmful effects on the malignant progression of glioblastoma are still unclear. Further systematic evaluation of its toxicity is warranted. The network toxicology, machine learning algorithm and molecular docking techniques were used to study the toxicological mechanisms of DEGDB-induced glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The five core targets (CEBPB, CNR1, FASN, NPY and SCD) were screened out by ChEMBL, PubChem, SwissADME, CTD, STRING, TCGA and GTEx databases. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses suggested that DEGDB could affect cancer and immune related pathways. The multi-level evidence for core genes was provided in GBM as potential molecular biomarkers. The TCGA, GEPIA, UALCAN, KM plotter, and TIMER databases were used to evaluate the prognosis of five core targets in GBM. The expression of CEBPB, SCD and age were shown as independent prognostic factors in GBM progression. The expression level of five core genes were significantly associated with the immune microenvironment. Molecular docking technology confirmed the strong binding affinity of DEGDB with five core targets. Moreover, DEGDB could stimulate proliferation on GBM cells, and significantly affect the protein expression levels of CEBPB and SCD. To sum up, DEGDB may accelerate the malignant progression of GBM by regulating cell proliferation, fatty acid metabolism, and immune response. These studies will provide a theoretical basis for preventing malignant diseases progression and for evaluating the related health risk strategies of novel plasticizers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126843"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144664522","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}
Judith Riedo , Juan F. Dueñas , Susan Mbedi , Sarah Sparmann , Matthias C. Rillig
{"title":"Abrupt versus gradual application of pesticides: effects on soil bacterial and fungal communities","authors":"Judith Riedo , Juan F. Dueñas , Susan Mbedi , Sarah Sparmann , Matthias C. Rillig","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pesticides are a major anthropogenic input to the environment and a factor in global change that puts pressure on soil microbial communities. However, the effects of different rates of pesticide application on soils remain poorly understood. This study investigates how abrupt versus gradual pesticide applications influence soil bacterial and fungal communities. Employing high-throughput sequencing, we examined the microbial diversity and community composition in response to ten commonly used pesticides. Bacterial communities exhibited minimal changes across treatments, whereas fungal communities responded strongly to pesticide exposure. Gradual applications reduced the relative abundance of dominant fungal taxa, resulting in an overall increase in community evenness. This effect was particularly pronounced for two herbicides and a triazole fungicide, which induced substantial shifts in fungal composition. Conversely, abrupt pesticide applications resulted in transient disruptions but did not promote the long-term proliferation of rare fungal variants. These findings suggest that prolonged exposure to pesticides exerts strong selective pressures on fungi, potentially altering fundamental soil functions such as nutrient cycling and decomposition. Future research should focus on the long-term responses of soil microbial communities to pesticide application and the cumulative effects of chronic low-dose exposure to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how they shape microbial communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126859"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652170","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}
Jose A. Godoy-Lugo , Daniel Hicks , Salma Durra , Emma R. Massey , Kristina Shkirkova , Ariel I. Sauri , Elizabeth Kerstiens , Selena Chen , Lifu Zhao , Constantinos Sioutas , William J. Mack , Caleb E. Finch , Max A. Thorwald
{"title":"Air pollution decreases postsynaptic PSD-95 and NMDA receptor subunits in synaptosomes from mouse cerebral cortex","authors":"Jose A. Godoy-Lugo , Daniel Hicks , Salma Durra , Emma R. Massey , Kristina Shkirkova , Ariel I. Sauri , Elizabeth Kerstiens , Selena Chen , Lifu Zhao , Constantinos Sioutas , William J. Mack , Caleb E. Finch , Max A. Thorwald","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126845","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126845","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Air pollution (AirP) increases the risk of accelerated cognitive decline, dementia, and behavioral disorders associated with oxidative damage in humans. These AirP responses are shared with rodent models. The underlying impact of AirP-mediated molecular changes on synapses remains unexplored. We examined synaptosomes extracted from cerebral cortex of mice chronically exposed to inhaled diesel exhaust particles (DEP) for 8 weeks. DEP selectively decreased postsynaptic proteins (PSD-95; p = 0.04, SAP97; p = 0.01) by at least 20 % and NMDA receptor subunits (GluN1; p = 0.03, N2A; p = 0.009, N2B; p = 0.01) by 15 %, without altering the evaluated pre-synaptic proteins. Antioxidant enzymes for oxidized phospholipid repair (GPx4; p = 0.015), iron metabolism (HMOX1; p = 0.04), and glutathione synthesis (GCLC; p = 0.008), which participate in mitigating ferroptosis, a form of cell death present in Alzheimer's disease, increased by at least 15 %. These findings suggest subcellular responses to AirP in glutamatergic synapses. Further analyses of the impact of AirP on synapses may consider protective mechanisms by antioxidant enzymes to enhance cognitive health at all ages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126845"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144645293","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}
Rahul Kumar , Ashwin Chinala , Dhruv Grandhe , S. Joseph Endicott PhD , Marcus A. Garcia Pharm.D , Matthew J. Campen PhD, MSPH , Rama R. Gullapalli MD, PhD
{"title":"Metals in the human liver: An underappreciated risk factor of hepatic insulin resistance and associated pathophysiology","authors":"Rahul Kumar , Ashwin Chinala , Dhruv Grandhe , S. Joseph Endicott PhD , Marcus A. Garcia Pharm.D , Matthew J. Campen PhD, MSPH , Rama R. Gullapalli MD, PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126844","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126844","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Insulin resistance is a major pathophysiological process underlying a variety of human metabolic disorders such as type II diabetes, obesity and metabolic (dysfunction) associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The etiology of insulin resistance and human metabolic disorders is complex, involving an interplay of genetics, gut microbiome, dietary intake, sedentary behavior, and environmental exposures. Of these, the role of environmental exposures is perhaps the least explored in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance. Due to a multitude of causal factors implicated in the etiopathogenesis of insulin resistance, it has been difficult to delineate specific roles of individual risk factors. However, from a biochemical and pathophysiological perspective, there are common cellular drivers that are universally accepted as key drivers of insulin resistance. These include-altered cell signaling, abnormal reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial dysfunction, and sustained bioenergetic imbalances. Target cell dysfunction is a common theme driving insulin resistance irrespective of the organ (e.g., liver, muscle and adipose tissue). While humans are exposed to numerous chemicals on a routine basis, some of the most potent environmental exposures implicated in chronic disease causation fall into the category of heavy metals. This review explores the role of sustained, low-dose heavy metal exposures in the specific context of hepatic insulin resistance. Despite being a major site for heavy metal accumulation with decades-long half-lives, our understanding of the long-term impacts of these heavy metals on human liver health remains minimal at the current time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126844"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652173","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}
Xuchao Liu , Jing Zhao , Guohua Zhang , Sheng Wei , Xiaolong Song , Daqiang Yin
{"title":"Deep learning-based screening approach for priority pollutants: a case study on retired power battery recycling","authors":"Xuchao Liu , Jing Zhao , Guohua Zhang , Sheng Wei , Xiaolong Song , Daqiang Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126849","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126849","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rapid increase in the production of retired power batteries, the potential environmental risks during recycling must urgently be identified and assessed. This study presented a novel screening framework for pollutant prioritization utilizing deep learning algorithms coupled with hierarchical clustering analysis. An integrated model for pollutant screening called McA was constructed based on five deep learning methods with performance-based weighting. Compared to traditional machine learning models, both the accuracy and reliability of the McA model were significantly improved (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.9999, MSE = 0.300, and MAE = 0.220 for the test set). By applying this approach to the retired power battery recycling, 13 pollutants were identified and divided into four priority levels: level I (highest priority), including 1 pollutant; level II (high priority), including 6 pollutants; level III (medium priority) including 1 pollutant; level IV (low priority) including 5 pollutants. Finally, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) visualization was performed to reveal the differences in risk priority by identifying the primary influencing factors, including acute toxicity, irritation and corrosivity, and endocrine disruption. The results of the study provide constructive schemes and insights for screening priority pollutants in the recycling process of retired power battery, suggesting the high potential to develop and implement deep learning methods in pollutant prioritization and risk management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126849"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144645294","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}
Wei-Kang Deng , Zi-Hao Yu , Yi-Heng Deng , Shi-Hua Niu , Jing-Yuan Chen , Xin-Di Liao , Si-Cheng Xing
{"title":"Multi-omics reveals manure-borne doxycycline and fragmented oversized microplastics co-disrupt pak choi growth and amplify antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems","authors":"Wei-Kang Deng , Zi-Hao Yu , Yi-Heng Deng , Shi-Hua Niu , Jing-Yuan Chen , Xin-Di Liao , Si-Cheng Xing","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126832","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126832","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intensification of livestock farming and plastic consumption has led to widespread co-contamination of agricultural soils with veterinary antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline, DOX) and microplastics (MPs). This study employed an integrative multi-omics approach (transcriptomics, metabolomics, microbiome analysis, qPCR) to investigate the synergistic effects of fragmented oversized microplastics (OMPs; 5–20 mm) and manure-borne DOX on pak choi growth and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) dissemination in a realistic rhizobox system simulating manure-amended soil. We observed that co-exposure to DOX and OMPs significantly reduced pak choi biomass by approximately 29 % compared to controls. This co-exposure induced synergistic stress responses, altering root transcriptomes and causing metabolic disturbances in both plants and rhizosphere soil. Crucially, OMPs acted as “dual carriers”, not only concentrating DOX but also facilitating ARG dissemination. Co-exposure amplified total ARG abundance in rhizosphere soil by 2.8-fold and implicated key hosts like <em>Lysobacter</em> for tetracycline ARGs. Furthermore, microbial community restructuring occurred, marked by a decline in beneficial taxa like <em>Pseudomonas</em> and an increase in potentially detrimental genera like <em>Brevundimonas</em>. These findings demonstrate intricate synergistic interactions where OMPs enhance DOX bioavailability, exacerbating phytotoxicity and ARG spread. This poses significant risks to crop productivity and environmental health. Our results underscore the critical need for long-term monitoring, pre-treatment of manure to remove plastics/antibiotics and adoption of biodegradable mulches, among other measures, to ensure sustainable agriculture and mitigate public health risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126832"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144640635","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}
Xiaoyu Liang, Jianfei Peng, Yan Liu, Jinsheng Zhang, Lin Wu, Hongjun Mao
{"title":"Refinement of vehicle emission factor estimation in tunnel experiments using CFD and field measurement","authors":"Xiaoyu Liang, Jianfei Peng, Yan Liu, Jinsheng Zhang, Lin Wu, Hongjun Mao","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tunnel experiments are widely used to determine fleet-average vehicle emission factors (EFs) under real-world conditions. However, limited sampling locations often lead to inaccuracies due to spatial heterogeneity in wind and pollutant dispersion. This study integrates CFD modeling with tunnel measurements to quantify and correct such errors. Simulations reveal that EFs derived from field measurements alone can be underestimated by up to 40 %, particularly under low traffic density and weak natural wind conditions. The estimated correction schemes for EFs were evaluated and validated using practical case studies. The results showed that the average EFs of NOx, CO, and PM<sub>2.5</sub> for the tunnel fleet were underestimated by approximately 24.50, 161.66, and 3.33 mg km<sup>−1</sup>·veh<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. Although the corrected EFs for diesel vehicles remain significantly higher than those for petrol vehicles, their relative contribution to the fleet-average EFs is notably reduced. The CFD analysis also highlights that external atmospheric conditions strongly influence internal tunnel flows, especially within 200 m of the entrance, offering valuable guidance for tunnel siting and sampling strategies. This study enhances the reliability of tunnel-derived EFs and supports the standardization of tunnel experiment protocols, contributing to more accurate emission inventories and targeted air quality management policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126835"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144640634","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}
Chunyu Zhang , Xiongfei Wang , Yakun Song , Shangpeng Wang , Zixuan Wu , Yuke Bu , Hongrui Li , Xue Zhang , Jiquan Zhang , Yuying Sun
{"title":"Impacts of cadmium and microplastics on Neocaridina denticulata sinensis: Survival, growth, biochemistry, histopathology and gut microbiome","authors":"Chunyu Zhang , Xiongfei Wang , Yakun Song , Shangpeng Wang , Zixuan Wu , Yuke Bu , Hongrui Li , Xue Zhang , Jiquan Zhang , Yuying Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126829","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Toxicological interactions between microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd) in aquatic life have received extensive attention. However, the mechanism of combined toxicity is still unclear, and most studies have focused on high-concentration stress, while there are relatively few studies on long-term low-concentration stress and the self-recovery ability of organisms. In this research, <em>Neocaridina denticulata sinensis</em> were exposed to low and high concentration of MPs (L-MPs: 2 × 10<sup>4</sup> item/L, H-MPs: 2 × 10<sup>7</sup> item/L, environmental concentration: 20 item/L), Cd (1 μg/L) and their combination (Cd + L-MPs, Cd + H-MPs) for 14 d, and then recovered in a clean environment for 7 d. This study indicates that MPs and Cd may enhance toxic effects through the following pathways: (1) Synergistic physical and chemical damage: MPs may act as a Cd carrier, promoting the migration of metal ions across the gill barrier and inducing oxidative stress in the hepatopancreas; (2) Tissue barrier disruption: MPs mechanically wears down the tissue cells of the intestine, hepatopancreas and gills; (3) Imbalance of gut microbiota: The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the abundance of potential beneficial bacteria (<em>ZOR006</em>, <em>Aurantimicrobium</em>, <em>Chitinibacter</em> and <em>Pseudorhodobacter</em>) has decreased. The abundance of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria (<em>Flavobacterium</em> and <em>Polynucleobacter</em>) has increased. After 7 d of recovery, the indicators of oxidative damage and the diversity of the microbiota returned to the levels of the control, indicating that <em>N</em>. <em>denticulata sinensis</em> have a certain self-repair ability against the stress of long-term low-concentration MPs and Cd.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":311,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Pollution","volume":"383 ","pages":"Article 126829"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144640664","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}