Armando Zarrelli, Elena Orlo, Antonio Medici, Giovanni Di Fabio, Giovanni Luongo, Margherita Lavorgna, Chiara Russo, Marina Isidori
{"title":"Hypochlorination of Loratadine: Chemical identification and ecotoxicological effects of derivative byproducts.","authors":"Armando Zarrelli, Elena Orlo, Antonio Medici, Giovanni Di Fabio, Giovanni Luongo, Margherita Lavorgna, Chiara Russo, Marina Isidori","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180753","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180753","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Loratadine (LORA) is a second-generation antihistamine widely used since its approval by the FDA in 1993. The significant excretion of LORA (approximately 40 % in urine and 42 % in feces) contributes to its frequent occurrence in wastewaters and subsequently in aquatic environments, where it is typically detected at ng/L levels. This study investigates the possible formation of LORA degradation byproducts (DBP) under neutral hypochlorination, a common water disinfection process. Eight DBPs were generated, and they were isolated via HPLC and fully characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Among them, 5 compounds have been reported here for the first time. Formation pathways were proposed for all identified DBPs. The acute and chronic toxicity of LORA and its DBPs was evaluated using ecotoxicological assays with freshwater species representing different trophic levels: the microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata (primary producer) and the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus (primary consumer). Acute effects of the DBPs occurred at concentrations of hundreds of μg/L. Regarding chronic toxicity, algae showed low sensitivity to both LORA and its derivatives, while rotifers were more susceptible to the DBPs, with effective concentrations ranging from a few ng/L to hundreds of ng/L range. Conversely, LORA induced only a 38 % effect at 2000 ng/L, indicating higher chronic toxicity of DBPs compared to the parent compound. These results underscore the environmental relevance of LORA DBPs, which may pose a higher chronic risk to aquatic organisms than the parent compound, especially under typical water treatment conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"180753"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Anastasia E Karnaeva, Aleksey L Milyushkin, Kseniya P Khazanova, Dmitry V Rostanets
{"title":"Effects of imidazole and triazole on burr medic and oilseed rape seedlings: Phytotoxicity, transformation, and bioaccumulation.","authors":"Anastasia E Karnaeva, Aleksey L Milyushkin, Kseniya P Khazanova, Dmitry V Rostanets","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180772","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180772","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pesticides are chemical substances of natural or synthetic origin used to control pests and insects. Environmental pollution occurs when pesticide contamination spreads away from the target plants. Pesticides and their transformation products can have adverse effects on both target and non-target plants and organisms. Azole antifungals, which are imidazole and 1H-1,2,4-triazole derivatives, are the most commonly used agents for treating invasive fungal infections. Imidazole and 1H-1,2,4-triazole are important degradation products of these substances. In this study, Brassica napus (oilseed rape) and Medicago polymorpha (burr medic) were used as test plants for imidazole and 1H-1,2,4-triazole accumulation and leaching experiments, and the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda was used to determine their toxicity. Burr medic was found to absorb more 1H-1,2,4-triazole, whereas oilseed rape absorbed imidazole more rapidly with increasing concentrations. Imidazole leached from both species over time in the absence of an external pollutant source significantly faster than 1H-1,2,4-triazole. The algae experiment showed that 1H-1,2,4-triazole was more toxic than imidazole, and a mixture of imidazole and 1H-1,2,4-triazole at low concentrations was more toxic than the individual substances. Using GC-MS/MS, HPLC-MS/MS and machine learning methods, previously unknown imidazole metabolites in oilseed rape tissues were detected and their structures determined.</p>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"180772"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Francesca Gori , Adriana Damato , Mario Anselmi , Ilaria Baneschi , Marino Domenico Barberio , Maurizio Barbieri , Andrea Billi , Tiziano Boschetti , Manuel Curzi , Giorgia Lucianetti , Matteo Salvadori , Alessandra Sciarra , Marco Petitta
{"title":"Combined impact of climate and seismic activity on groundwater hydrogeochemistry in the Eastern Southern Alps, Italy","authors":"Francesca Gori , Adriana Damato , Mario Anselmi , Ilaria Baneschi , Marino Domenico Barberio , Maurizio Barbieri , Andrea Billi , Tiziano Boschetti , Manuel Curzi , Giorgia Lucianetti , Matteo Salvadori , Alessandra Sciarra , Marco Petitta","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180771","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180771","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater systems can be perturbed by natural events such as climatic extremes and earthquakes, two complex phenomena that may also interact. This multidisciplinary study investigates their combined effect on groundwater in the Eastern Southern Alps (Italy), an active compressional zone, using hydrogeological, hydrogeochemical, and seismological data. Between May 2022 and May 2024, thirteen springs were monitored annually, with five sampled monthly for chemical-physical parameters, major and trace ions. Most springs show a Ca-HCO₃ facies, indicative of shallow karst circulation, whereas two (Canal and Colesei) exhibit a Ca-SO₄ facies, characterized by elevated Na, Cl, and temperatures, suggesting contributions from deeper sources. Stable isotopes of water and dissolved gases confirm meteoric origin for all springs, while <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr, trace elements, and geothermometers further support deep inputs at Canal and Colesei. Statistical analyses (Principal Component Analysis and Change Point Detection) identified geochemical anomalies possibly linked to (i) prolonged drought, which reduced aquifer recharge and enhanced ion concentrations, and (ii) seismicity, notably a M<sub>w</sub> 5.8 earthquake ∼245 km away, potentially varying mixing between shallow and deep systems. These results highlight the outstanding need for integrated monitoring to understand and manage groundwater resources, particularly in tectonically active and densely populated areas facing climate change and extreme events.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"Article 180771"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Victor Lion, Bastian Robran, Frederike Kroth, Natascha Oppelt
{"title":"The adjacency effect in optical remote sensing: A review on emergence, implications, and corrections for aquatic high-contrast environments.","authors":"Victor Lion, Bastian Robran, Frederike Kroth, Natascha Oppelt","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180769","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180769","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The adjacency effect (AE) in optical remote sensing emerges from atmospheric scattering of photons reflected from surrounding areas into the sensor's instantaneous field of view (IFOV). This leads to spectral blending over heterogeneous surfaces with high contrast, expanding over horizontal distances of several kilometers and distorting the target signal. Therefore, AE can cause significant errors in quantitative retrieval of surface reflectance in high-contrast environments and further derived information, such as pixel-based chlorophyll-a concentration. This review aims to make the niche topic of AE in optical remote sensing more accessible to a broader audience. It provides non-specialists with an understanding of AE emergence, implications, and correction methods suitable for aquatic high-contrast environments. We summarized key advancements in the field, highlighting studies that introduced correction methods. We guide readers on how these studies theoretically and practically work, emphasizing their strengths and weaknesses. In the highly dynamic research field, some promising AE correction algorithms have been published recently. RAdCor and T-Mart stand out with their promising results and freely accessible nature. We applied both methods to a case study of the Osterseen Lake District south of Munich (Germany), demonstrating their application and effectiveness in correcting AE in the near-infrared (NIR) while identifying room for improvement in the visible light (VIS). These findings also reflect the broader conclusions of this review. While recent algorithms mainly concentrate on operational applicability, future research could focus on expanding AE correction to non-vegetated surfaces and regions beyond mid-latitudes.</p>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"180769"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Peter Olusakin Oladoye, Oluwatosin Sarah Shokunbi, Abayomi Bamisaye, Toyin Adedayo Oreofe, Kehinde Oluwasiji Olorunfemi, Mutiat Oyedolapo Bamigboye, Oluwapelumi Micheal Ajiboye, Mohammed Kadhom, Segun D Oladipo
{"title":"Assessing the occurrence and ecotoxicology of ciprofloxacin in aquatic environments: Insights into clay-based adsorptive remediation measures.","authors":"Peter Olusakin Oladoye, Oluwatosin Sarah Shokunbi, Abayomi Bamisaye, Toyin Adedayo Oreofe, Kehinde Oluwasiji Olorunfemi, Mutiat Oyedolapo Bamigboye, Oluwapelumi Micheal Ajiboye, Mohammed Kadhom, Segun D Oladipo","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180738","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180738","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is one of the emerging contaminants of environmental concern because of its continual and heavy use. Concerns about CIP are ascribed to its persistence and incomplete degradation in the environment, which could lead to the spread of drug-resistant bacterial strains. Adsorption of CIP has played a remarkable role in the treatment of CIP-laden (waste)water, and the role of clay adsorbents has increasingly emerged. However, limited studies have been reported on the use of clay-based adsorbents for CIP adsorption, compared to the use of other adsorbents. Second, the lack of understanding of interaction pathways and the effectiveness of clays might limit its practical application in wastewater treatment. Given this gap, this paper present state-of-the-art review on the adsorption of CIP using clay-based adsorbents. Our findings revealed that composite of graphene oxide-kaolinite and activated montmorillonite-kaolin are synergistically effective to remove CIP sorption with demonstrated sorption capacities of 408.16 mg/g and 344.82 mg/g, respectively. Bentonite-based composites showed the best performance, particularly ZnO/CuO-bentonite, with 451 mg/g experimentally and about 1249.3 mg/g calculated capacity, with a removal efficiency of nearly 99 %. Overall, pH was found to play dominant role in controlling CIP adsorption as well as the electrostatic attraction as dominant mechanism of uptake. Isotherm modelling suggested that the best fit model was Langmuir isotherm (r<sup>2</sup>>0.96-0.99) which confirms chemisorption as the dominant mechanism. This state-of-the-art synthesis recommends the adoption of clay and clay-composites for further interdisciplinary research in order to optimize adsorption systems for probable real-world applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"180738"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Reza Esmaeilnezhad, Kamran Zeinalzadeh, Sina Besharat, Hossein Kheirfam
{"title":"Field study on the hydraulic behavior of heavy soil: Effects of biochar application rates.","authors":"Reza Esmaeilnezhad, Kamran Zeinalzadeh, Sina Besharat, Hossein Kheirfam","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180752","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180752","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The amount of biochar applied in soil amendment significantly influences environmental impact, cost-efficiency, and soil improvement effectiveness. However, there is limited understanding of how varying biochar application rates affect the hydraulic performance of fine-textured soils under field conditions. A field-scale evaluation was conducted to determine how various rates of poplar wood waste biochar (0, 25, 50, and 75 t ha<sup>-1</sup>) influence the hydraulic characteristics of clay loam soil. Key soil physical and hydraulic properties were assessed, including mean weight diameter (MWD), bulk density (BD), average infiltration rate, soil moisture, flow dynamics in different pore classes, and both saturated and near-saturated hydraulic conductivity. The results showed that biochar application at 50 and 75 t ha<sup>-1</sup> significantly increased MWD by 13.0 % and 17.7 %, field capacity by 3.7 % and 7.5 %, and permanent wilting point by 3.0 % and 6.1 %, respectively, while reducing BD by 14.5 % and 17.8 % compared to the control. A clear positive trend was observed between biochar application rate and average infiltration rate, with the highest rates (50 and 75 t ha<sup>-1</sup>) yielding the most substantial improvements in water infiltration. Applying biochar at 50 t ha<sup>-1</sup> significantly improved saturated and near-saturated hydraulic conductivity in fine-textured soils by enhancing macropore flow, indicating beneficial changes to soil pore structure. This rate provided the best balance between improving soil hydraulic properties and resource efficiency, highlighting its potential as a sustainable practice to boost water infiltration and retention in water-limited agricultural systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"180752"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Identification of pollution properties in typical tropical island watershed and their significant for source apportionment: A case study of Sanya, China.","authors":"Chen Zhang, Yuanjun Peng, Xinzhi Li, Ling Mo, Licheng Wang, Zhiping Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180737","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180737","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tropical coastal watersheds face complex pollution challenges due to heterogeneous land-use patterns and seasonal anthropogenic activities. This study developed a multi-dimensional pollution fingerprinting framework to resolve source contributions in Central Fishing Port, Sanya, China. We integrated four analytical tiers: (1) multivariate statistical screening of water quality parameters represented pollution sources, (2) seasonal analysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM) with three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC), (3) pollution apportionment using receptor model based on multi-source variables, and (4) validation of pollution sources at molecular-level with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Comparative modeling demonstrated that PCA-APCS-MLR outperformed PMF in traceability accuracy (R<sup>2</sup> > 0.82 vs. >0.65), particularly in resolving overlapping fishery and domestic sewage contributions. Key findings demonstrated that there was strong spatiotemporal heterogeneity in pollution source contributions due to the fishing activities, and complementary capabilities of EEM-PARAFAC and FT-ICR MS for qualitative source identification. Based on the integration of physicochemical parameters of water quality, fluorescence spectra and mass spectrometry, the traceability and apportionment accuracy of complex and overlapping pollution sources were effectively improved. This integrated approach highlighted the synergistic value of multi-parameter integration (physicochemical-optical-mass spectrometric) for coastal receptor modeling, providing a transferable template for tropical estuary pollution management.</p>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"180737"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Rachael Clayton , Anthony Banford , Andrea Chierici , Paolo Finocchiaro , Rosa Lo Frano , Laurence Stamford
{"title":"Environmental and economic assessment of the implementation of an automated nuclear interim waste store using novel monitoring platforms","authors":"Rachael Clayton , Anthony Banford , Andrea Chierici , Paolo Finocchiaro , Rosa Lo Frano , Laurence Stamford","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180690","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180690","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Automation of radioactive waste stores could enable medium-long range monitoring in real-time or set intervals, increasing safety by reducing the need for manual inspections by workers. This study evaluates the environmental and economic impact of implementing two monitoring technologies – SiLiF/SciFi and LoRa – over the lifespan of an interim storage facility, from construction to end-of-life dismantling, including detailed analysis of the production, operational and disposal of the monitoring systems. Results show that the climate change impact of the full life cycle is 4741 t CO<sub>2</sub> eq. for LoRa and 4837 t CO<sub>2</sub> eq. for SiLiF/SciFi (95 and 97 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq. per drum, respectively): the 2 % lower impact of the LoRa platform is due to its lower operational energy consumption. Store construction is the biggest contributor to overall environmental impacts, followed by production of the monitoring systems. Reducing the number of monitored drums and the size of the monitor support system could together reduce environmental impacts by 9 %. Replacing steel with HDPE for the monitor support system reduces the impact from 17.8 to only 1.9 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq. (−89 %), plus >95 % reduction in all toxicity categories, metal depletion and land use.</div><div>Evaluation of two scaled-up scenarios based on test configuration mock-ups reveals that monitoring costs an additional €9.5 M (LoRa) to €24 M (SiLiF/SciFi). Data herein allows real-world configurations to be evaluated based on case-specific sensor performance and operational requirements.</div><div>Saving one mSv of worker dose is found to incur a carbon ‘cost’ of 23–37 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq. and an economic cost of ~€18.48–48.42. The latter falls well within sectoral guidelines on dose reduction expenditure. Future research should explore the optimisation of monitor numbers, alternative materials and energy sources, long-term system reliability, and the socio-economic implications of saving worker dose vs incurring environmental costs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"Article 180690"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Rui Zhang , Dongdong Guo , Ruixiu Jiang , Honglin Cao , Yunjia Wu , Lirong Kou , Meng Wang , Linwei Xi , Yang Liu , Haimei Wang , Jianyin Xiong
{"title":"Formaldehyde emissions in tanker truck cabins: Observation, deep learning prediction and health risk assessment","authors":"Rui Zhang , Dongdong Guo , Ruixiu Jiang , Honglin Cao , Yunjia Wu , Lirong Kou , Meng Wang , Linwei Xi , Yang Liu , Haimei Wang , Jianyin Xiong","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tanker trucks are indispensable for petroleum distribution, with driver comfort and health in the cabin microenvironment closely tied to road safety. However, long-term monitoring and prediction methods for in-cabin air quality in tanker trucks remain underexplored. This study makes the first attempt to quantify formaldehyde emission dynamics and identify key influencing factors in a new tanker truck cabin. Over one month of field campaign, the time-resolved formaldehyde concentrations in the cabin were obtained and analyzed, revealing an exceeding rate of 83.5 % according to the threshold (0.1 mg/m<sup>3</sup>) of WHO guidelines. Higher and more widely distributed formaldehyde concentrations were observed on sunny days, with lower levels on cloudy and rainy days. Material surface temperature was identified as the primary factor driving formaldehyde emissions via feature importance analysis. We then developed a deep learning model to predict long-term formaldehyde dynamics, which demonstrated excellent prediction accuracy by compared with traditional models. Exposure assessment among varied vehicle cabins highlighted significant health risks in truck cabins. This study provides the first real-world data and modelling on formaldehyde dynamics in tanker trucks, indicating the necessity of source characterization and control to keep drivers healthy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"Article 180740"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Bioavailability, accumulation, translocation and transformation of Cd depend on the molar ratio of soil Se-to-Cd: Evidence from a natural SeCd rich soil-corn system.","authors":"Zezhou Zhang, Yidan Wang, Wenyao Shi, Shihua Qi, Linxi Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180758","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The existing understanding of the critical interactions between selenium and cadmium in crops grown in naturally Se-Cd-rich soils remains limited. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigated agricultural systems in naturally Se-Cd-rich areas within the Wumeng Mountain region of Guizhou, China. Samples of roots, stems and leaves, along with the corresponding rhizosphere soils of corn (Zea mays L.) in the grain-filling stage, were collected and analysed for Se and Cd concentrations and speciations. Results demonstrated significant inverse relationships among rhizosphere-soil Cd bioavailability, Cd accumulation in corn plant compartments, and increasing bioavailable Se:Cd molar ratios in soil (p < 0.05). Notably, the soil Se:Cd molar ratio was inversely correlated with Cd translocation from soil to roots (p < 0.01) while showing no significant effects on aboveground translocation (root-to-stem and stem-to-leaf, p > 0.05). These outcomes suggest that the soil Se:Cd molar ratio primarily regulates Cd accumulation at the soil-root interface, with limited impact on subsequent translocation within plant compartments. Moreover, the transformation of Cd into Cd-SeCys and Cd-SeMet occurred more frequently in the stem and leaf compared with that in the root. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism was conceptualised as comprising 'three barriers': SeCd complex formation in the rhizosphere (Barrier 1), Cd sequestration by the selenohydryl group (-SeH) in plant cells (Barrier 2) and Cd inhibition by phloem and nodes (Barrier 3). These findings support the use of Se:Cd molar ratios as indicators for sustainable crop safety in SeCd co-contaminated regions. This study advances the understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying the Se:Cd molar ratio and its influence on Cd toxicity in natural environments. Based on these findings, the Se:Cd molar ratios serve as an effective indicator for sustainable management of Cd contamination in agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"1004 ","pages":"180758"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145353328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}