Environmental Chemistry Letters最新文献

{"title":"Microplastic pollution of natural wetlands by reclaimed water","authors":"Diwen Sun,&nbsp;Yiwen Wang,&nbsp;Xiaofeng Wen,&nbsp;Haoran Zhang,&nbsp;Xiuzhen Nie,&nbsp;Jiayi Tian,&nbsp;Xiang Long,&nbsp;Ziyi Qiu,&nbsp;Haojie Chen,&nbsp;Wenming Wang,&nbsp;Hui Wang,&nbsp;Lingshi Yin","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01918-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01918-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Reclaimed water is an important contributor to natural water resources, particularly for irrigation, yet microplastics from reclaimed water may contaminate natural waters. Here we studied microplastic removal in a reclaimed water plant. Results show that the removal efficiency of the reclaimed water plant reached 94.1%. However, the effluents still contained 9.0 ± 1.0 microplastic/L, corresponding to a contamination of approximately 3.6 × 10⁴ microplastic/day to the receiving wetland. Ecological risk assessment indicated low risk levels of 0.012 for rexclaimed water and 0.074 for the receiving wetland. However, localized points showed moderate risk levels, suggesting that microplastics in the wetland primarily originate from internal processes, such as surface runoff, rather than rexclaimed water input. </p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"711 - 718"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148409044","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}

{"title":"Deep soil inorganic carbon, an overlooked carbon sink in alkaline croplands","authors":"Yingjie Yin,&nbsp;Jianying Shang,&nbsp;Zhangliu Du,&nbsp;Kesi Liu,&nbsp;Bingzi Zhao,&nbsp;Hongbo He,&nbsp;Xudong Zhang,&nbsp;Dan Wei,&nbsp;Tusheng Ren,&nbsp;Baoguo Li,&nbsp;Chao Liang","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01916-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01916-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil carbon sequestration should mitigate climate change, yet the dynamics of deep soil carbon are poorly known. Here, we conducted a 12-year field experiment in a Fluvic Cambisol under a wheat–maize rotation system, comparing straw return with straw removal, and quantified carbon stocks across a 0–200 cm soil profile. We traced carbon sources using both natural ¹³C abundance, and ¹³C-labeled glucose in a 60-day laboratory incubation experiment. Results show that straw return increased soil inorganic carbon stocks by 57.6 t ha⁻¹ in the 100–200 cm layers. Pedogenic carbon increased by 96.6% in the 0–20 cm topsoil and by 97.7% in the 120–140 cm deep soil, whereas lithogenic carbon remained stable, indicating that soil inorganic carbon gains originated primarily from pedogenic carbonate formation. 72.23% of the added ¹³C-glucose was mineralized to CO₂, while 17.27% was transformed into soil inorganic carbon, suggesting that exogenous carbon reaching the 120–140 cm soil layer can enhance pedogenic carbonate formation. Straw return increased microbial biomass carbon by 192% in topsoil and 144% in deep soil, and increased carbonic anhydrase activity by 43% and 73%, respectively. These findings reveal a previously overlooked, microbially-mediated mechanism for deep soil inorganic carbon accumulation, highlighting deep soil inorganic carbon as a stable carbon sink in alkaline croplands.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"737 - 742"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965239","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}

{"title":"Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on soil microbial biomass","authors":"Chunyang Li,&nbsp;Heping Shang,&nbsp;Zeyu Cai,&nbsp;Weili Jia,&nbsp;Yini Cao,&nbsp;Xiupei Zhou,&nbsp;Jie Zhang,&nbsp;Sixiang Zhuang,&nbsp;Ziqin Lin,&nbsp;Anqi Liang,&nbsp;Lanfang Han,&nbsp;Jason C. White,&nbsp;Chuanxin Ma,&nbsp;Baoshan Xing","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01917-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01917-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Nanoplastics are globally emerging contaminants of soil health, yet the mechanisms by which they disrupt microbial biomass in the rhizosphere soil are poorly understood. We investigated rhizosphere soil microbial network and function using Europium-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics applied at 0-100 mg/Kg for 30 days in greenhouse pot experiments. Rhizosphere metabolite profile and functional genes were analyzed using metabolomic and metagenomic techniques. Results showed that nanoplastics upregulated nitrification gene expression, e.g., <i>amoC</i>, <i>amoA</i>, <i>nxrB,</i> by 90–248%, prompting ammonia to nitrate conversion. Phylogenetic analysis showed that nanoplatics altered plastic degradation gene expression by 39–63%, e.g., <i>O-PVA</i> with linkage to the clade of <i>gntK</i>, and <i>PHB_PP</i> with linkage to the clade of <i>fghA</i> and <i>cysE</i>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"719 - 735"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965479","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}

{"title":"Lack of efficacy of reported plant metabolites to inhibit soil biological nitrification","authors":"Alexia Antoniou,&nbsp;Fabian Beeckman,&nbsp;Laure Annetta,&nbsp;Tom Beeckman,&nbsp;Hans Motte","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01908-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01908-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Adding plant-derived metabolites to soils has been proposed to inhibit microbial nitrification and, in turn, to improve crop production. However, the efficiency of the proposed inhibitors remains debated. Here we developed a miniaturized high-throughput soil assay to assess the ammonium retention and nitrification inhibition potential of 18 representative inhibitors including isothiocyanates; phenylpropanoids such as vanillin, caffeic acid, methyl ferulate, syringic acid, and umbelliferone; linoleic acid and linolenic acid; 1,9-decanediol; limonene; a benzoxazinoid; and the synthetic nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole. Potential non-target effects were studied using the Microtox assay. Results show that none of the tested compounds showed strong nitrification inhibition in soil. Only isothiocyanates and 6-methoxy-2(3H)-benzoxazolone induced clear effects, but these were transient, required unrealistically high application rates and were associated with non-target effects. These results challenge current assumptions regarding the relevance and societal value of currently proposed biological nitrification inhibitors. Our findings suggest that genuine biological nitrification inhibition activity may be driven by other, yet unidentified metabolites.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"691 - 698"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10311-026-01908-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Generation of iron(VII) oxide in aqueous solution, a new oxidant in water treatment","authors":"Virender K. Sharma,&nbsp;Aliaksandra Lisouskaya,&nbsp;Tomer Zidki,&nbsp;Gayathri Jeevanandham,&nbsp;Dalya Gitin,&nbsp;Maxim Kolesnikov,&nbsp;Haya Kornwetz,&nbsp;Dan Meyerstein","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01913-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01913-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Current oxidation methods for water treatment are limited due to the presence of recalcitrant contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, requiring new stronger and safe oxidants. Here we synthesized a novel iron oxide in oxidation state + 7, Fe^VIIO₄⁻, in water by one-electron oxidation of ferrate(VI) by an hydroxyl radical. The kinetics and spectral measurements were collected using a pulse radiolysis technique under mild alkaline condition. Fe^VIIO₄⁻can be produced in microseconds with a visible spectrum maximizing at 680 nm. The formation of Fe^VIIO₄⁻ in water is supported by density-functional theory calculations. The calculated standard redox potential of ~ 1.7 V suggests its potential in treating water efficiently.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"685 - 690"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10311-026-01913-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into exogenous sources and localized secondary release of polychlorinated biphenyls in Ny-Ålesund","authors":"Qingyu Guo,&nbsp;Shuting Liu,&nbsp;Guorui Liu,&nbsp;Wenbin Liu,&nbsp;Lili Yang,&nbsp;Minghui Zheng","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01914-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01914-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Arctic glacier retreat and climate warming are reshaping the environmental cycling of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), yet the relative contributions of secondary release and long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) sources for typical POPs such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) remain poorly understood. This study, conducted in Ny-Ålesund and Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, systematically analyzed the source-sink dynamics of PCBs using 32 mixed glacier and marine sediment samples collected during the 2017 and 2023 Chinese Arctic Expeditions, combined with Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modeling and fugacity analysis. The findings revealed spatiotemporal heterogeneity in PCB concentrations, with a notable increasing trend in the proportions of PCB-126 and PCB-169 (from 2% to 11% in 2017 to 10%–33% in 2023), indicating growing contributions from combustion sources such as industrial activities and waste incineration. While LRAT remained the dominant input pathway (48.5%) for low-chlorinated PCBs, e.g., PCB-28, PCB-52, localized anthropogenic activities such as ship emissions (18.7%) and research station leaks, significantly altered regional chemical signatures. Fugacity analysis confirmed that Arctic soils continue to act as a net sink for most congeners despite warming, with glacier retreat serving as a localized secondary input source and volatilization restricted to human activity hotspots. Priority should be given to controlling combustion sources such as open burning and ship emissions in polar regions. This study elucidates the coupled effects of natural processes and human disturbances across the source-transport-sink continuum, providing a scientific basis for ecological risk assessment and global collaborative management of POPs under accelerated Arctic warming.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"743 - 749"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965267","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}

{"title":"The dynamics and regulation of microplastics in Canada: a review","authors":"Dongchang Yang,&nbsp;Brian Youden,&nbsp;Naizhen Yu,&nbsp;Maria Donato,&nbsp;Claudia Hodson,&nbsp;Kehinde Oni,&nbsp;Mark Servos,&nbsp;Anthony Mazzocca,&nbsp;Ken Oakes,&nbsp;Xu Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01912-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01912-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microplastics generated through the degradation of discarded plastics are pervasive environmental contaminants. Over the past two decades, growing scientific evidence has informed regulatory responses worldwide, with international efforts coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme towards a legally binding global plastics waste treaty (2022-present). In line with this evolving landscape, Canada has implemented a suite of measures to reduce (micro)plastic pollution and advance a circular plastics economy, including leadership in the 2018 G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, national restrictions on select single-use plastics, and regional extended producer responsibility programs. However, regulatory authority in Canada is distributed across federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous governments, enabling diverse policy approaches but contributing to uneven policy implementation and enforcement. Additionally, the rapid expansion of microplastics research has not been effectively integrated into regulatory decision-making, resulting in policies that are informed by incomplete and fragmented evidence. Here, we synthesize Canada’s expanding microplastics evidence base alongside its evolving regulatory framework to identify critical knowledge gaps and their implications for environmental management. Microplastics have now been detected across the country’s vast and diverse environmental compartments, with high concentrations near urban centers, coastal regions, the Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence River. In parallel, aquatic biota, including zooplankton, bivalves, fish, and seabirds, frequently ingest microplastics, and trophic transfer has been observed, raising concerns for ecosystem integrity and food security. However, inconsistent methodologies, ecotoxicological results, and geographical monitoring, particularly northern, mountainous, and rural regions, have hindered both regional and national assessments and limit evaluations of policy effectiveness. Microplastics in terrestrial biota are also largely unexplored. Addressing these knowledge gaps through standardized analytical protocols, expanded geographic monitoring, mechanistic ecotoxicology studies, and effective community partnerships will improve and support evidence-based risk assessments, management, and regulation of microplastics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"577 - 609"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965394","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}

{"title":"X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for the quantification and the mapping of metal(loid)s in animal samples: a review","authors":"Noah Casañas,&nbsp;Aurélie Pelfrêne,&nbsp;Maxime Louzon","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01909-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01909-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The increasing release of metal(loid)s into ecosystems due to industrial, agricultural, and urban activities raises major concerns for environmental and human health. Understanding how these elements are taken up by organisms, distributed among organs, and stored over time is essential for evaluating exposure, bioaccumulation, and long-term risks. However, conventional analytical methods such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, rely on destructive sample preparation and laboratory-based workflows, limiting their suitability for rapid screening, spatially resolved analysis, or the preservation of valuable biological material. In this context, the expanding use of X-ray fluorescence reflects the growing demand for non-destructive, multi-elemental approaches applicable to ecotoxicology, biomedical sciences, wildlife monitoring, and forensic investigations. Key scientific challenges remain, notably matrix effects, calibration strategies, and the quantification of trace elements in heterogeneous biological matrices such as soft tissues, hard tissues, and fluids. Recent advances in portable instruments, micro-focused beams, and synchrotron sources have enhanced sensitivity, spatial resolution, and methodological robustness, improving prospects for integrated risk assessment. Here we review three decades of X-ray fluorescence applications in animal samples, including humans, for quantifying and mapping metal(loid)s. The main points are: (1) a synthesis of analytical considerations including sample preparation, matrix effects, detection limits, and calibration, across distinct X-ray fluorescence configurations, describing their respective strengths, limitations, and suitability for biological matrices; (2) identification of trends, knowledge gaps, and methodological developments across studies published from 1994 to 2026, encompassing diverse tissues and fluids, as well as spatially resolved elemental imaging. We show that X-ray fluorescence offers unique opportunities for non-destructive multi-elemental analysis, environmental monitoring, medical and veterinary applications, and forensic authentication, while underlining the need for improved standardisation, calibration, and cross-validation to strengthen its role as a complementary tool to conventional analytical techniques. </p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"647 - 684"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965303","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}

{"title":"Marine plastic pollution and bioplastic alternatives: a review","authors":"Wajid Ali,&nbsp;Périne Doyen,&nbsp;Rachid Amara","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01906-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01906-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Marine environments are polluted by plastics debris originating from land sources and from plastics used in maritime sectors such as fisheries and aquaculture, shipping, and offshore energy infrastructures. Here we review marine plastic pollution with emphasis on plastic sources, socioeconomic impact on marine industries, regulations, circular economy, and the use of bioplastics to mitigate pollution. Marine pollution sources include fisheries, aquaculture, shipping, boat industries, tourism, offshore energy plants, and artificial reefs. Fisheries and aquaculture use about 2.1 million tons of plastic annually and contribute approximately 18% of marine-based plastic pollution, primarily through lost, abandoned, or discarded fishing gear. Maritime transport contributes to plastic pollution through waste discharge, accidental container losses, and emissions from paint coatings. Marine coatings alone account for approximately 3.7% of primary microplastics entering the ocean. Coastal and marine tourism, and cruise ships generate plastic pollution via single-use plastic waste and greywater release. Artificial reefs generate plastic pollution via weathering of underwater structures. The use of bioplastics in marine and coastal tourism is increasing, particularly for single-use packaging. Bioplastics are being tested in prototype gear and nets. Nonetheless, there are limitations in the use of bioplastics because some of them are not or hardly biodegradable, some of them are not biobased, and bioplastic-derived microplastics have been detected in marine environments and biota with ecotoxicological effects comparable to those of conventional microplastics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"611 - 646"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10311-026-01906-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Substantial underestimated quantities of analytes following analyte filtration","authors":"Jie Han,&nbsp;Huachen Ma,&nbsp;Longkai Qiao,&nbsp;Aiqin Wang,&nbsp;Shuangshuang Wei,&nbsp;Yilong Ren,&nbsp;Ya Liu,&nbsp;Eric Lichtfouse","doi":"10.1007/s10311-026-01905-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10311-026-01905-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":541,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Chemistry Letters","volume":"24 5","pages":"563 - 576"},"PeriodicalIF":25.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965458","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}