NPJ emerging contaminants最新文献

Molecular clustering enhances perfluorocarboxylic acid bioaccumulation in lactuca sativa by disrupting the tricarboxylic acid cycle 分子聚类通过破坏三羧酸循环增强了全氟羧酸在油菜中的生物积累

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2026-01-07 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-025-00016-y

Quan Chen, Changping Zhao, Pengfei Wang, W. B. Zhang, Shuyue Zheng, Shuoyu Wang, Jihong Dong, Min Wu, Hong-Zhe Li, Bo Pan

{"title":"Molecular clustering enhances perfluorocarboxylic acid bioaccumulation in lactuca sativa by disrupting the tricarboxylic acid cycle","authors":"Quan Chen, Changping Zhao, Pengfei Wang, W. B. Zhang, Shuyue Zheng, Shuoyu Wang, Jihong Dong, Min Wu, Hong-Zhe Li, Bo Pan","doi":"10.1038/s44454-025-00016-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44454-025-00016-y","url":null,"abstract":"Molecular clustering of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) is chain-length dependent, yet its biological consequences in crops remain unclear. The plants were hydroponically exposed to PFCA clusters at concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 μmol/L for 14 days, with untreated controls. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, they were analyzed using atomic force microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, and integrated omics approaches to examine how PFCA clustering affects bioaccumulation and metabolic disruption. The results indicate that longer-chain PFCA (C10) formed larger, more stable clusters (122–194 nm) than shorter chain (C4, 35–95 nm). C10 clusters exhibited 5.5-fold higher root accumulation but 50% reduced shoot translocation compared to C4 clusters. Metabolomics revealed 664 significantly altered metabolites for C10 versus 545 for C4, predominantly downregulated. Further proteomic evidence showed that C10 exposure induced a greater number of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) compared to C4, indicating broader protein-level disruption and more profound impairment of mitochondrial function. Most critically, C10 clusters severely impaired the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, reducing intermediates by up to 48% and downregulating associated enzymes. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding between PFCA clusters and metabolic enzymes (−6.3 to −6.4 kcal·mol⁻¹). These findings indicate that larger PFCA clusters are associated with greater phytotoxicity compared to smaller clusters, suggesting important implications for crop safety. Results highlight urgent needs for cluster-aware monitoring strategies and revised risk assessment frameworks accounting for aggregation phenomena.","PeriodicalId":521230,"journal":{"name":"NPJ emerging contaminants","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44454-025-00016-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147914322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 2

Evaluating the geographic distribution of rural PFAS contamination and potential dietary sources of exposure. 评估农村PFAS污染的地理分布和潜在的饮食暴露源。

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-09-02 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-026-00055-z

Haeseung Yi, Crystal So, Tammy A Flores, Haley L Motola, Jill Hubert-Simon, Stella Yi, Vittorio Albergamo, Lorna E Thorpe, Leonardo Trasande, David C Lee

{"title":"Evaluating the geographic distribution of rural PFAS contamination and potential dietary sources of exposure.","authors":"Haeseung Yi, Crystal So, Tammy A Flores, Haley L Motola, Jill Hubert-Simon, Stella Yi, Vittorio Albergamo, Lorna E Thorpe, Leonardo Trasande, David C Lee","doi":"10.1038/s44454-026-00055-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44454-026-00055-z","url":null,"abstract":"Aside from specific occupational exposures, ingestion is believed to be the primary route of exposure to PFAS, a class of forever chemicals known for their ability to repel oil and water, reduce friction, and resist high temperatures. The goal was to explore the geographic distribution of PFAS water contamination versus human exposure and identify dietary factors that may explain high PFAS levels among rural residents. We performed PFAS analyses among 160 rural participants, who provided blood samples and survey responses in our chemical exposure cross-sectional study. We mapped the geographic distribution of PFAS contamination based on water testing versus human samples results. We also used health surveys and food frequency questionnaire data to identify factors associated with high PFAS levels. The geographic mismatch between the distribution of PFAS water contamination and human exposure highlights the need to assess other potential sources, which identified potential dietary sources of these chemical hazards.","PeriodicalId":521230,"journal":{"name":"NPJ emerging contaminants","volume":"2 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13538073/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148890105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Impacts of environmental stressors on fertility and fecundity across taxa, with implications for planetary health. 环境压力源对各分类群的生育力和繁殖力的影响及其对地球健康的影响。

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-04-23 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-026-00032-6

Susanne M Brander, Shanna H Swan, Alvine C Mehinto, Karen A Kidd, Judith S Weis, Scott M Belcher, Jamie C DeWitt, Stacey L Harper, Caren C Helbing

引用次数: 0

A community-guided approach to monitoring contaminants of emerging concern in freshwater systems using passive samplers. 使用被动采样器监测淡水系统中新出现的令人关注的污染物的社区指导方法。

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-07 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-025-00021-1

Alexandra K Richardson, Stav Friedman, Leon P Barron

{"title":"A community-guided approach to monitoring contaminants of emerging concern in freshwater systems using passive samplers.","authors":"Alexandra K Richardson, Stav Friedman, Leon P Barron","doi":"10.1038/s44454-025-00021-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44454-025-00021-1","url":null,"abstract":"Chemical pollution in the aquatic environment is a global issue, representing a threat to human and environmental health, especially for unregulated contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Identifying and prioritising pollution sources requires high spatio-temporal resolution data and strategic site selection; here, local knowledge provides valuable insight. This study evaluated a community-guided approach for monitoring CECs in freshwater systems using a miniaturised 3D-printed passive sampler device (3D-PSD). Seventeen citizen scientists from Sheffield, Norwich, and London (England) selected sites along their local rivers and were trained to deploy 3D-PSDs and collect water samples. A total of 51 CECs were quantified in the water and passive sampler extracts, with ketamine, lidocaine, tramadol, and venlafaxine occurring in over 50% of samples. All compounds were present below the medium-risk threshold. Results were shared via an online meeting and a public-facing report. Participants highlighted the importance of rivers and other blue-green spaces in their daily lives and reported spending up to four hours at their local rivers per visit. They identified key areas for improving the field deployment procedure and the data collection system. This work demonstrates the applicability of the 3D-PSD to large-scale citizen science and other community engagement projects for freshwater monitoring.","PeriodicalId":521230,"journal":{"name":"NPJ emerging contaminants","volume":"2 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12863633/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Soil enzyme dynamics under PFAS contamination in arid and Mediterranean soils. 干旱和地中海土壤PFAS污染下土壤酶动力学研究

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-08-03 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-026-00050-4

Juan C Sanchez-Hernandez, Natividad I Navarro Pacheco, Ximena Andrade Cares, Jaroslav Semerád, Tomáš Cajthaml, Mallavarapu Megharaj

{"title":"Soil enzyme dynamics under PFAS contamination in arid and Mediterranean soils.","authors":"Juan C Sanchez-Hernandez, Natividad I Navarro Pacheco, Ximena Andrade Cares, Jaroslav Semerád, Tomáš Cajthaml, Mallavarapu Megharaj","doi":"10.1038/s44454-026-00050-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44454-026-00050-4","url":null,"abstract":"Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent contaminants increasingly detected in agricultural soils, yet their effects on extracellular enzyme activities remain poorly resolved. This study examined the short- and long-term effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTSA) on the biochemical functioning of Mediterranean and arid agricultural soils. Soils were spiked with environmentally relevant concentrations (10, 50, and 250 ng g⁻¹ dry soil) and incubated for 210 days. The tested PFAS concentrations were selected to span literature-reported levels, ranging from typical to highly contaminated conditions. In the arid soil, both PFAS markedly impaired biochemical functioning, with Treated-Soil Quality Index values declining below 70% of control levels. In particular, 6:2 FTSA strongly inhibited β-glucosidase and alkaline phosphomonoesterase activities (up to 81.7%). The Mediterranean soil showed little enzymatic response to PFAS exposure. Eco-enzymatic stoichiometric modeling revealed PFAS-induced shifts in microbial enzyme allocation, particularly in the arid soil after prolonged exposure. PFOA remained stable throughout incubation, whereas 6:2 FTSA dissipated with the formation of perfluoroheptanoic acid. Overall, the arid soil was more biochemically sensitive to both PFAS compounds, suggesting that repeated applications of PFAS-contaminated biosolids or composts pose a greater biochemical risk in dryland agricultural systems.","PeriodicalId":521230,"journal":{"name":"NPJ emerging contaminants","volume":"2 1","pages":"30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13433283/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148674926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Nanoplastic concentration and potential transport in the Arctic Ocean. 北冰洋纳米塑料浓度及其潜在输送。

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-09 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-025-00024-y

Huiwen Cai, Charlotte Carrier-Belleau, Caroline Guilmette, Philippe Massicotte, Adèle Luthi-Maire, Julien Gigault

{"title":"Nanoplastic concentration and potential transport in the Arctic Ocean.","authors":"Huiwen Cai, Charlotte Carrier-Belleau, Caroline Guilmette, Philippe Massicotte, Adèle Luthi-Maire, Julien Gigault","doi":"10.1038/s44454-025-00024-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44454-025-00024-y","url":null,"abstract":"Plastic contamination in the Arctic originates from local anthropogenic activities and long-range transport mediated by oceanic and atmospheric circulation, with nanoplastics representing a major emerging concern. Yet, quantitative data on their environmental distribution remain scarce. Here, we present the first multi-matrix, multi-site, and multi-year assessment of nanoplastics distribution in the Arctic Ocean. We found that polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene nanoplastics are widely distributed across different matrices from the Svalbard region to the central Arctic Ocean. The total concentrations of polystyrene and polypropylene ranging from 10 up to 900 ng L⁻¹. Coastal areas may be more influenced by local human activities, whereas remote regions are likely affected by atmospheric transport and inputs associated with the Transpolar Drift. The extent to which each source contributes remains uncertain and may vary spatially. Differences in distribution across environmental matrices were also observed, with higher concentrations in snow and surface ice than at the ice-sea interface. The sea ice act as a temporary reservoir and secondary source of nanoplastics through redistribution processes across the snow-ice-seawater interface. These findings indicate the necessity for multi-scale, multi-temporal, and multi-spatial investigations, which are crucial for understanding the sources, transport pathways, and environmental fate of nanoplastics within the Arctic ecosystem.","PeriodicalId":521230,"journal":{"name":"NPJ emerging contaminants","volume":"2 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12863634/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Enriching microbes capable of fluorotelomer acid defluorination: thermodynamic constraints and experimental challenges. 富微生物能够氟端粒酸脱氟：热力学限制和实验挑战。

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-01 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-026-00034-4

Dan Wang, Bei Yan, Nancy N Perreault, Jinxia Liu

{"title":"Enriching microbes capable of fluorotelomer acid defluorination: thermodynamic constraints and experimental challenges.","authors":"Dan Wang, Bei Yan, Nancy N Perreault, Jinxia Liu","doi":"10.1038/s44454-026-00034-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44454-026-00034-4","url":null,"abstract":"Fluorotelomer compounds are a major class of polyfluoroalkyl substances that can undergo partial microbial transformation via the one‑carbon removal pathway, which has the potential to achieve deep defluorination. However, the microorganisms and mechanisms driving this pathway remain elusive. We focus on 5:3 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (5:3 FTCA) because, although its structure suggests susceptibility to biodegradation, it exhibits high environmental persistence, making it a useful model for probing the feasibility and constraints of the one‑carbon removal pathway. In this study, we combine density functional theory (DFT)‑based thermodynamic modeling with extensive experimental screening to evaluate the feasibility of enriching microorganisms capable of n:3 fluorotelomer acid (n:3 FTCA) defluorination. DFT calculations reveal that the overall pathway is energetically favorable under alkaline conditions, with dehydrogenation and hydroxylation, rather than defluorination, likely serving as rate‑limiting steps. Despite extensive screening of activated sludge and soils, pure bacterial cultures, and extreme-pH-tolerant enriched consortia, no individual degraders were identified, indicating that such microbes are rare and likely dependent on cooperative community interactions. Limited biotransformation of 5:3 FTCA to 4:3 FTCA was observed in mixed consortia containing a methylotroph, confirming the co‑metabolic nature of this process and demonstrating the limitations of high‑throughput assays for cultivating kinetically constrained degraders. To address these challenges, we propose a dual-stage enrichment strategy decoupling survival from functional selection: initial maintenance followed by targeted co-metabolic enrichment. Overall, this study clarifies the energetic basis and enrichment constraints of fluorotelomer degradation and provides a framework for cultivating microbes capable of the one-carbon removal pathway.","PeriodicalId":521230,"journal":{"name":"NPJ emerging contaminants","volume":"2 1","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13226065/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148160453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A novel pretreatment method for fluorinated alternatives in soil and sediment using accelerated solvent extraction 土壤和沉积物中氟替代品的加速溶剂萃取预处理新方法

NPJ emerging contaminants Pub Date : 2025-10-01 DOI: 10.1038/s44454-025-00013-1

Rui Wang, Yixiang Wang, Shitao Hu, Xinliang Ding, Haoyu Zhang, Zongqi Hu, Jinsong Liu, Quan Zhang

{"title":"A novel pretreatment method for fluorinated alternatives in soil and sediment using accelerated solvent extraction","authors":"Rui Wang, Yixiang Wang, Shitao Hu, Xinliang Ding, Haoyu Zhang, Zongqi Hu, Jinsong Liu, Quan Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s44454-025-00013-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44454-025-00013-1","url":null,"abstract":"Due to the widespread industrial use and presumed lower toxicity, fluorinated alternatives are increasingly detected in soils and sediments. Nevertheless, their detection remains challenging due to structural diversity, wide variations in physical and chemical properties, and significantly complex matrix effects. A sensitive and cost-effective approach for quantifying fluorinated alternatives in soil and sediment were developed using accelerated solvent extraction combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This method showed high sensitivity (LOD/LOQ: 0.14–0.80 ng/g) with satisfactory accuracy (recoveries of 85.4–95.5%) and precision (RSD < 10%), demonstrating strong reliability for environmental analysis. Notably, the optimized pre-treatment approach cost only 23 min per sample reducing processing time by at least two hours compared with the oscillatory or ultrasonic extraction method. Both 6:2 chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFAES) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS) were detected in 37 soil and 23 sediment samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.24 to 749 ng/g.","PeriodicalId":521230,"journal":{"name":"NPJ emerging contaminants","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44454-025-00013-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147333199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0