Maria Luiza Cunha e Souza Ferreira , Marko D. Prokić , Lilian Lund Amado
{"title":"Amphibians in ecotoxicology: Recent advances across diverse regions","authors":"Maria Luiza Cunha e Souza Ferreira , Marko D. Prokić , Lilian Lund Amado","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past decade, amphibians have increasingly been used as model organisms to study a variety of environmental factors and contaminants, along with their effects at different developmental stages. Significant advancements, such as the standardization of research techniques, the development of specific biomarkers, and the introduction of new species for experimental purposes, have greatly enhanced the field of amphibian ecotoxicology. This review discusses recent advancements in ecotoxicological studies on amphibians, with particular emphasis on species from South America, methodological aspects, and the latest effect assessments of metals, pesticides, and other emerging pollutants (micro/nanoplastics, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100633"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144229586","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}
Saurabh Shukla , Ramsha Khan , Federico G.A. Vagliasindi , Gregory V. Korshin , Paolo Roccaro
{"title":"Effects of microplastics on water disinfection and formation of disinfection by-products","authors":"Saurabh Shukla , Ramsha Khan , Federico G.A. Vagliasindi , Gregory V. Korshin , Paolo Roccaro","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The presence of microplastics (MPs) in water systems has emerged as a significant concern due to their persistence, ubiquity, and potential to interfere with treatment processes. While some studies have investigated the interactions of MPs with disinfectants and MPs’ potential to act as precursors for disinfection by-products (DBPs), most have relied on laboratory setups that employ unrealistically high concentrations of MPs and disinfectants doses. These conditions fail to replicate the complex effects of background chemistry, the presence of microbial communities, and other aspects of environmental dynamics typical of actual water treatment plants (WTPs) and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The results from such studies cannot be used to unambiguously understand and predict the real-world scenarios of MP effects, thereby limiting real-world applicability of the model experiments. Another aspect of MP-associated effects is their role as carriers for pathogens, antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), and disinfectant-resistant genes (DRGs), along with their capacity to interfere with disinfection efficacy while forming a potential habitat for microbial communities. The study calls for a paradigm shift towards more realistic field-representative studies that are needed to bridge the gap between lab and field results and ultimately accurately assess the risks that MPs pose in water treatment contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100632"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144241687","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 health burden of wildfire smoke in a changing climate: Exposure, risks, and strategies for mitigation","authors":"Myriam Lopes , Alexandra Monteiro , Petros Mouzourides , Panayiotis Κouis","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildfires are projected to become more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting under climate change, substantially elevating population exposure to wildfire smoke. Future projections suggest that health impacts of wildfire smoke will peak during the mid-21st century under high-emission scenarios; however, persistent uncertainties in exposure assessment and concentration-response relationships need to be addressed. Effective mitigation of increasing health impacts requires long-term planning, based on the integration of climate modelling, exposure assessment, and evidence from epidemiology. Wildfire smoke exposure reduction approaches including early warning systems, indoor air filtration, and other measures can be embedded within a broader public health and climate adaptation policy framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100631"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144213222","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}
David Soler-Segovia , Victor Guerra-Ruíz , Marc Massa , María-Florencia Pilia , María-Jesús Cruz , Xavier Muñoz
{"title":"Consequences of climate change for asthma: Reviewing the evidence","authors":"David Soler-Segovia , Victor Guerra-Ruíz , Marc Massa , María-Florencia Pilia , María-Jesús Cruz , Xavier Muñoz","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100630","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100630","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effects of climate change on human health are supported by extensive scientific evidence. There is a close association between global warming, air pollution, and asthma. Patients with asthma are particularly vulnerable to the environmental alterations associated with climate change. This review summarizes the research from the past decade (2013–2024) on how climate change influences asthma, examining its direct and indirect effects such as alterations in air quality, allergen exposure, and extreme weather events. The review highlights the complex interplay between climate change and asthma and underscores the need for integrated public health strategies to mitigate these impacts. This review also highlights the novel insights of synergistic effects between air pollutants and allergens, which are exacerbated by climate change, in worsening asthma symptoms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100630"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144190230","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":"Carbon-based catalysts in advanced oxidation processes for sulfonamide degradation: Environmental challenges and innovations","authors":"Md Abdullah Al Masud , Hasara Samaraweera","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100628","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100628","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The widespread presence of sulfonamide (SFA) antibiotics in the environment, due to their extensive use in medicine, poses significant ecological and health risks, including bioaccumulation and the promotion of antibiotic resistance. Various techniques for removing SFA antibiotics from water and wastewater have been investigated, encompassing biological, physical, and chemical methods. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), noted for their rapid reaction rates and potent oxidation capabilities, have been increasingly recognized as effective for degrading SFA in aquatic environments. In this review paper, the potential of carbocatalytic remediation is highlighted, showcasing an innovative approach that utilizes carbon-based catalysts for the degradation of SFA. In AOPs, the role of a carbocatalyst is crucial for the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and electron transfer, which contribute to the efficient breakdown of SFA. The study further identifies and delineates multiple research gaps, proposing them as key areas for future investigational directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100628"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144169877","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}
Ainoa Míguez González, Andreia Oliveira Rodrigues, Raquel Cela Dablanca, Ana Barreiro, Esperanza Álvarez-Rodríguez, María J. Fernández-Sanjurjo, Avelino Núñez-Delgado
{"title":"Alternatives to face anticoccidial ionophore antibiotics as emerging environmental pollutants","authors":"Ainoa Míguez González, Andreia Oliveira Rodrigues, Raquel Cela Dablanca, Ana Barreiro, Esperanza Álvarez-Rodríguez, María J. Fernández-Sanjurjo, Avelino Núñez-Delgado","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This short review/opinion text includes a selection of recently published papers dealing with environmental pollution caused by anticoccidial antibiotics (with an especial focus on ionophores) and on remediation alternatives to retain/remove these contaminants from affected areas. More in-depth details and comments are provided for those works that the authors of the review considered of higher relevance in this field. As scientific search tools, the authors used Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus. These tools provided results for selected lags of time to focus on those being more recent, as well as for not limited time periods, thus allowing both time-specific and more extended views. The overall results indicated that the assessment of environmental pollution due to anticoccidial antibiotics is an underdeveloped and emerging field of research, with many aspects still needing to be further explored and subjected to more detailed scrutiny in the coming future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100629"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144169876","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":"Epidemiological insights into the health impacts of dust storms","authors":"Stefania Papatheodorou , Souzana Achilleos","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100626","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sand and dust storms are frequent environmental events characterized by high winds lifting large amounts of dust, reducing visibility and affecting air quality globally. While natural sources such as deserts are the primary contributors to dust emissions, human activities like deforestation and unsustainable agriculture, compounded by climate change, significantly enhance soil erosion, increasing dust storm prevalence. These storms carry high concentrations of pollutants across large distances, posing serious health risks. This review summarizes the different health impacts of dust storms using the most recent epidemiological evidence across several regions. Recent advancements in epidemiological research can guide future research to mitigate these effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"46 ","pages":"Article 100626"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147557","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}
Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama , Néstor Y. Rojas , Andrea Pineda Rojas , S. Enrique Puliafito , María Cazorla , Thiago Nogueira , Caroline Wikuats
{"title":"Health impacts of air pollution in South America: Recent advances and research gaps","authors":"Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama , Néstor Y. Rojas , Andrea Pineda Rojas , S. Enrique Puliafito , María Cazorla , Thiago Nogueira , Caroline Wikuats","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100627","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100627","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>South American cities experience high levels of air pollution. Studies on its health impacts, however, are scarce when compared with those in wealthier regions. This review focuses on recent research on air pollution and health impacts in this continent, including studies that have been focused on vulnerable groups such as infants and children, lower-income groups, and rural and indigenous populations. Impacts of household air pollution are also discussed. South America would greatly benefit from expanded monitoring networks, improved air quality modeling, and detailed health data to better understand exposure–health relationships and multipollutant interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100627"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134769","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}
Yuan Chang , Liping Zhang , Long D. Nghiem , Yuquan Wei
{"title":"Enhanced microbial strategies to mitigate microplastic transfer via composting to agricultural ecosystems—A short review","authors":"Yuan Chang , Liping Zhang , Long D. Nghiem , Yuquan Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants of critical concern, acting as substrates for microbial colonization while releasing toxic compounds. Composting, a key method for organic waste recycling, serves as a major pathway for MPs to enter agricultural ecosystems but MPs disturb decomposition processes and alter microbial successions. This review explores interactions between MPs and microbial communities in composting, focusing on plastisphere dynamics and ecological implications. Microbial strategies including biostimulation, bioaugmentation, advanced composting technologies, and innovations in synthetic biology are highlighted for mitigating MP impacts. Advanced approaches, including hyperthermophilic or mineral-supplemented composting paired with plastic-degrading microbes, are viable options in practical composting. Future research should prioritize microbial interactions in the composting plastisphere, enzyme identification, and biosynthetic pathway optimization by interdisciplinary approaches to achieve sustainable organic waste management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100625"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072662","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}
Fabrizio Lisi, Gaetano Siscaro, Antonio Biondi, Lucia Zappalà, Michele Ricupero
{"title":"Non-target effects of bioinsecticides on natural enemies of arthropod pests","authors":"Fabrizio Lisi, Gaetano Siscaro, Antonio Biondi, Lucia Zappalà, Michele Ricupero","doi":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coesh.2025.100624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As synthetic insecticides impair the ecosystem services provided by beneficial arthropods, bioinsecticides are gaining interest worldwide as a more sustainable approach to agricultural pest management. Although supposedly considered safe for non-target species, bioinsecticides can still have adverse effects on arthropod natural enemies. This review aims to summarise the literature of the last two years on the non-target effects of botanical and microbial bioinsecticides focussing on the evaluation of lethal and sublethal toxicity to predators and parasitoids. Essential oils show promising compatibility with parasitoids, but their effects on predators are variable. Among microbials, most of the experiments have been conducted with fungi followed by bacteria and viruses with different endpoints, resulting in a general compatibility with biocontrol agents but some results are controversial. Further laboratory studies should be carried out to improve bioinsecticide formulations. Extensive field studies are needed to assess more complex sublethal endpoints at the individual and community levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52296,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article 100624"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099791","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}