Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health最新文献

{"title":"Environmental DNA signatures as a tool to trace the groundwater contamination mechanisms and its associated biodiversity; Applications, limitations and future directions","authors":"Amjad Al-Rashidi ,&nbsp;Chidambaram Sabarathinam ,&nbsp;Dhanu Radha Samayamanthula ,&nbsp;Bedour Alsabti ,&nbsp;Nazima Habibi ,&nbsp;Nithyanandan Manickam","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental DNA (eDNA) signatures are indicative of various conditions in nature. Groundwater systems are vital for diverse ecosystems, presenting unique challenges and opportunities for environmental DNA (eDNA) applications. Ecosystem monitoring, conservation management, and biodiversity evaluation in groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) rely heavily on eDNA. Groundwater eDNA sources, including plant and animal life, are discussed in this article, along with their applications in determining salinity, water quality, and ecosystem dynamics. In groundwater ecosystems, eDNA is invaluable in detecting species that are otherwise difficult to monitor due to the subterranean nature of the habitat. Interpretation limitations (e.g. lack of reference databases) and technical challenges (e.g. contamination, extraction and detection techniques) are key concerns in GDE. The review also suggests numerous future possibilities, such as integrating eDNA with other techniques like aquifer matrix, hydrogeochemistry, isotopes, and hydrological modeling to improve our understanding of groundwater ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100622"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143899532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of invasive alien species as bioindicators for environmental pollution","authors":"Paolo Pastorino ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Esposito ,&nbsp;Marino Prearo ,&nbsp;Christian Sonne","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive alien species (IAS) are significant drivers of biodiversity loss, threatening ecosystems through predation, competition, disease transmission, and habitat alteration. Recently, IAS have been proposed as bioindicators in environmental chemistry, offering an innovative approach to chemical pollution monitoring. Their adaptability, resilience, and widespread distribution enable the assessment of contaminant bioaccumulation, particularly in degraded habitats where native species are rare or protected, minimizing additional ecological stress. This mini-review examines the emerging use of IAS, such as bivalves, crustaceans, fish, mammals, and plants, in detecting a wide range of contaminants. A targeted literature search (2022–2024) identified 15 peer-reviewed studies demonstrating the potential of IAS in monitoring trace elements, persistent pollutants, and emerging contaminants. For instance, bivalves such as <em>Dreissena polymorpha</em> accumulate mercury, crustaceans like <em>Procambarus clarkii</em> reflect microplastic pollution, and semiaquatic mammals such as <em>Myocastor coypus</em> provide insights into wetland microplastic contamination through fecal analysis. However, IAS are not yet integrated into established biomonitoring programs and are currently used only in individual case studies or research efforts. The main limitation lies in physiological and ecological differences between IAS and native species, which can lead to variable bioaccumulation patterns and complicate ecological risk assessments. Additional challenges include ethical considerations, regulatory constraints, and methodological inconsistencies across studies. Addressing these challenges through refined protocols, molecular tools, and appropriate risk mitigation will be crucial for integrating IAS into environmental monitoring frameworks. This strategy can complement existing methods, improving chemical pollution tracking while supporting global efforts to manage contamination and protect biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100620"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143895646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of micro- and nano-plastics in altering biogeochemical cycles","authors":"Nguyễn Hoàng Ly ,&nbsp;Lalitha Gnanasekaran ,&nbsp;Tejraj M. Aminabhavi ,&nbsp;Yasser Vasseghian ,&nbsp;Sang-Woo Joo","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recently, plastic products have played a significant role in life-supporting appliances, but after their shelf life, they are causing ubiquitous micro- and nano-plastic (MNP) pollution in natural environments. Scientific studies have proved that MNP contamination significantly contributes to global climate change to alter biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (N), carbon (C), and phosphorus (P). These elements are essential for all living organisms to function properly, but their excessive amounts can negatively affect the ecosystem. Thus, biogeochemical cycles should be investigated to maintain a sustainable environment. This mini review aims to summarize the existing knowledge on how the biogeochemical cycles have been affected by MNP pollution at terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric levels. MNP presence may affect environmental matrix properties or the physiology of the microorganisms and plants/animals, resulting in changes in plant uptake and metabolic efficiency. These insights will help researchers frame comprehensive strategies and fruitful engineering solutions to address environmental and climatic risks in the foreseeable future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100621"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143912981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence and accumulation characteristics of antibiotics in soil and effects of carbon and nitrogen cycle","authors":"Kexin Guo ,&nbsp;Lei Han ,&nbsp;Jingyang Luo ,&nbsp;Guanghua Lu ,&nbsp;Yiping Li ,&nbsp;Jianchao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic contamination has become a global environmental issue, particularly in soils, where the accumulation of antibiotics negatively impacts soil health and microbial communities. Recent studies have shown high detection rates of tetracyclines and sulfonamides in soil, which significantly disrupt nitrogen and carbon cycling. They also alter microbial structures and reduce soil biological activity and fertility. While existing research highlights the detrimental effects of antibiotics on soil ecosystems, studies on their long-term environmental behavior and ecological risks remain limited. This review summarizes the accumulation characteristics of antibiotics in soil and their impacts on carbon and nitrogen cycles, highlighting the need for further research into the long-term effects of antibiotics on soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100619"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143882952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RNAi applications toward environmentally sustainable food security","authors":"Jonathan Willow ,&nbsp;Guy Smagghe","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100612","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advancing agricultural production in an environmentally sustainable manner will be a vital component in meeting food security needs of the future. Targeted messenger RNA (mRNA) downregulation, relying on <em>in planta</em> or sprayed applications of specifically tailored RNA molecules, represents an expanding field of nucleotide sequence-specific management of agricultural pests/pathogens. Here we discuss several current commercial RNA interference (RNAi) applications toward improving food security. We also discuss and highlight additional emerging approaches within RNAi-based management of pests/pathogens that affect food security, focusing on studies that represent a diverse array of potential applications, conceptual hurdles, focal environments, and taxonomic groups (regarding both food resource and pest/pathogen). This discussion is intended to showcase both well- and lesser-known RNAi applications currently being implemented in support of food security; and promote further research and development into some interesting recent areas of exploration, especially those regarding underrepresented areas of inquiry and those backed by recent and highly promising research findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100612"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143830369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green revolution to clinical burden: Connecting the dots between pesticide consumption and cancer incidents in India","authors":"Siddhant Dash ,&nbsp;Priyansha Gupta ,&nbsp;Manish Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pesticide poisoning through contaminated water, soil, or food is often linked to the widespread use of chemical pesticides in Indian agriculture. While many studies have reported the association between pesticide exposure and human health impacts, it has been challenging to disseminate this information to a broader population at state and national levels. Consequently, no state-level database exists correlating pesticide use with cancer rates in India. Here, we provide a comprehensive outlook focusing on the challenges of correlating these factors to develop a comprehensive geospatial database at the national level. A data-mining approach can help identify cancer hotspots, supporting informed policymaking.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100617"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nonylphenol in agricultural soil system: sources, effects, fate, and bioremediation strategies","authors":"Qilu Cheng ,&nbsp;Junwei Ma ,&nbsp;Yuyi Yang ,&nbsp;Hui Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nonylphenol (NP), a persistent endocrine-disrupting compound, has emerged as a widespread contaminant in terrestrial ecosystems. While extensive research has delineated NP pollution in aquatic environment, its behavior in soil remains underexplored. This review advances the contamination pathways, ecotoxicological impacts, fate determinants, and bioremediation strategies of NP in agricultural soils. NP primarily enters farmlands through sludge amendment, wastewater irrigation, pesticide application, and atmospheric deposition. It induces multilevel soil dysbiosis and phytotoxicity via morphological, physiological, and metabolic disruptions. The abiotic and biotic processes, particularly indigenous microbial degradation and plant uptake, that influence the fate of NP in soil are also addressed. Furthermore, emerging bioremediation strategies, mainly bioaugmentation, phytoremediation, and earthworm-assisted technologies, show potential in enhancing NP bioremoval in the field. Additional research is necessary to strengthen legislation, establish toxicity endpoints, and regulate contamination of soil NP through agroecosystem-relevant field trials, incorporating realistic exposure scenarios and crops-specific human health risk assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100616"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143792232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"BiVO4-based photoanodes for the photoelectrocatalytic removal of trace organic pollutants from water: A mini review on recent developments","authors":"Agha Zeeshan Ali ,&nbsp;Sanjeeb Mohapatra ,&nbsp;Jan Peter van der Hoek ,&nbsp;Henri Spanjers","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This mini review explores the potential of visible light–driven bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄)-based photoanodes for removing trace organic pollutants from water. It highlights the advantages of using BiVO₄-based photoanodes over conventional UV-driven photoanodes in water treatment. The mechanism of reactive species generation through water oxidation is discussed. The review also highlights the role of sulfate and sulfite radicals in enhancing pollutant degradation. Furthermore, it evaluates how heterojunction formation improves the removal efficiency of BiVO₄-based photoanodes by reducing charge carrier recombination. Limited research on BiVO₄-based photoanodes for the simultaneous removal of multiple organic pollutants at low concentrations (&lt;1 mg L⁻¹) from real wastewater is identified as a key knowledge gap. Addressing this gap could advance the application of BiVO₄-based photoanodes in photoelectrocatalytic-based advanced oxidation processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100615"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of interventions in enhancing indoor environmental quality in higher education institutions for student well-being and academic performance","authors":"Cristina Andrade ,&nbsp;Stavros Stathopoulos ,&nbsp;Sandra Mourato ,&nbsp;Edna N. Yamasaki ,&nbsp;Anastasia Paschalidou ,&nbsp;Hermano Bernardo ,&nbsp;Loizos Papaloizou ,&nbsp;Iris Charalambidou ,&nbsp;Souzana Achilleos ,&nbsp;Kyriaki Psistaki ,&nbsp;Ernestos Sarris ,&nbsp;Francisco Carvalho ,&nbsp;Flávio Chaves","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Students spend 30 % of their lives indoors; therefore, a healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial for their well-being and academic performance in Higher Education Institutions. This review highlights the interventions for improving Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in Higher Education Institutions classrooms considering climate change by discussing ventilation techniques, phytoremediation, and building features designed to improve noise levels, thermal comfort, lighting and to reduce odor. Awareness and literacy are enhanced through the student's engagement by offering real-time monitoring knowledge of Indoor Environmental Quality using inexpensive smart sensors combined with IoT technology. Eco-friendly strategies are also highlighted to promote sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100611"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143817485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sensors for detection and monitoring of contaminants in wastewater","authors":"Manura Weerasinghe ,&nbsp;Keshani Jayathilaka ,&nbsp;Meththika Vithanage","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wastewater contamination with hazardous materials poses a serious risk to the environment and public health and hence wastewater must be comprehensively monitored. Therefore, sensors have become essential instruments for identifying and measuring contaminants in wastewater. Sensors are of different types: chemical, electrochemical (nickel-based materials, carbon electrode with immobilized silver hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles), optical (cellulose membrane-based sensors, optical fluorescents), and biosensors (acetylcholinesterase, urease). Compared to the conventional electrochemical, optical and biosensors, real-time monitoring is more readily transportable, robust, affordable, and has a longer battery life. The future of wastewater monitoring is becoming more sensitive, smart, efficient, and resilient due to developments in sensor technologies and analytics, due to the involvement of real-time systems involving artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. These developments have the potential to improve the reliability and precision of contaminants detection even further, creating the path to more secure environmental procedures and successful public health protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100609"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}