Environmental Sciences Europe最新文献

{"title":"Geospatial physiologically based demographic modeling and analysis of thirteen invasive species in Africa: why the biology matters","authors":"Andrew Paul Gutierrez,&nbsp;Luigi Ponti,&nbsp;Markus Neteler,&nbsp;Federica Stocchino,&nbsp;Jose Ricardo Cure,&nbsp;Peter E. Kenmore,&nbsp;George Simmons","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01084-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01084-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Globally, research and policy groups often lack the expertise to develop models to analyze invasive and native species of agroecological and veterinary/human health importance; models to inform management and policy under extant and climate change scenarios at various geographic scales. Species distribution models (SDMs) correlate weather and other variables to species presence records and are currently the mainstay for predicting the geographic distribution of species, but SDMs do not predict the underpinning dynamics required to develop policy and management strategies. Weather-driven physiologically based demographic models (PBDMs) of single and multi-trophic dynamics based on sound biological data can bridge much of this gap. The development of web platform software is proposed to assist non-experts in formulating PBDMs to help solve agroecological and veterinary/human health pest problems.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>PBDMs are time-varying life tables (TVLTs) that capture the weather-driven biology of per capita resource acquisition and allocation to growth and reproduction in age-mass structured trophic settings independent of time and place. Two approaches are used to parameterize PBDMs: (1) mass/energy acquisition and allocation, and (2) biodemographic functions fitted to vital rates estimated from age-specific life table studies conducted under a range of abiotic conditions; vital rates that result from resource acquisition and allocation under experimental conditions. To outline the development and demonstrate the utility of this approach as web platform software for nonexperts, PBDMs for thirteen species of agroecological and medical/veterinary importance to Africa are developed and used to predict prospectively their geographic distribution, relative abundance, and dynamics across the continent. Where possible, PBDM predictions are compared to published studies and references are made to their use in management and policy development.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The development and utility of web platform software based on the PBDM paradigm is outlined, which aims to guide non-experts in formulating realistic models and gathering the biological data to parameterize them while providing links to relevant weather data for running the models and tools for GIS mapping and statistical analysis of model output for policy and management development. Numerous published heritage PBDMs that the web platform software would make available are summarized in the Supplementary Information.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01084-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143883682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Diversifying endpoints in biodegradation testing of microplastics","authors":"Eva-Maria Teggers,&nbsp;Jonas Hardebusch,&nbsp;Boris Meisterjahn,&nbsp;Markus Simon,&nbsp;Dieter Hennecke,&nbsp;Roman Heumann,&nbsp;Holger Egger,&nbsp;Philipp Dalkmann,&nbsp;Andreas Schäffer,&nbsp;Annika Jahnke","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01096-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01096-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To counteract microplastic (MP) pollution the European Commission adopted a restriction of intentionally adding synthetic polymer microparticles to products, such as detergents, rinse-off cosmetics, controlled-release fertilizers or pesticides. Exempted are particles consisting of polymers that, e.g., meet the (bio)degradability pass criteria of the available test methods. The main criterion for proving biodegradability is the particle’s mineralization rate, as set out, amongst others, in OECD testing guidelines 301B  referenced by the REACH regulation of the European Union. Since present test methods are designed and validated to test low-molecular, soluble compounds adaptations regarding MP biodegradability testing are of high interest. In this study, the biodegradability of a polyurea (PUA) microcapsule suspension was tested using a standard degradation test method (OECD test guideline (TG) 301B). Since the polymeric component comprised less than 1% of the suspension, besides the aromatic solvent inside the microcapsule (8.6%) and water (90.9%), ¹⁴C-labeling of the polymer was essential for specific detection throughout the experiments. Particle size determination of the tested PUA microcapsules indicated a bias in the test results due to the presence of a soluble ¹⁴C-compound, a byproduct of synthesis, identified using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS) coupled with radioactivity detection. This study highlights the need for proper characterization and purification of the tested particles prior to biodegradation testing and suggests how to diversify future regulatory testing for a comprehensive assessment of the biodegradation of MPs.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01096-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143875475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter interacting with individual conditions increase breast cancer incidence: a large-scale Chinese cohort","authors":"Yue Sun,&nbsp;Xia Meng,&nbsp;Dong Sun,&nbsp;Jian-yi Zhao,&nbsp;Canqing Yu,&nbsp;Meng Zhu,&nbsp;Liang Shi,&nbsp;Mingyi Sang,&nbsp;Ling Yang,&nbsp;Yiping Chen,&nbsp;Huaidong Du,&nbsp;Zhengming Chen,&nbsp;Hongbing Shen,&nbsp;Liming Li,&nbsp;Jun Lv,&nbsp;Haidong Kan,&nbsp;Qiang Ding,&nbsp;Dianjianyi Sun,&nbsp;the China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01105-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01105-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the impact of long-term fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) exposure on breast cancer incidence in a cohort of 281,152 women from the China Kadoorie Biobank who were initially free of breast cancer.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>PM_2.5 concentrations were estimated using a high-resolution satellite-based model, and breast cancer cases were ascertained through national databases. Over a median follow-up of 11.12 years, 2393 new breast cancer cases were reported. Analyses using Cox proportional hazard and restricted cubic spline models demonstrated a non-linear association between PM_2.5 exposure and breast cancer incidence, with a marked increase in risk observed once PM_2.5surpassed 53.6 μg/m³. For every 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5, the hazard ratio for breast cancer incidence was 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.12). Furthermore, interactions were noted between PM_2.5, physical activity, and life satisfaction, indicating that high pollution levels may diminish the protective benefits of exercise and positive psychological well-being.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>These findings highlight the need for stringent air pollution control measures and underscore the importance of integrated strategies that consider environmental, lifestyle, and psychological factors to reduce the burden of breast cancer.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01105-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143877742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Nitrogen application and mowings improve chromium phytoextraction efficiency of Leersia hexandra Swartz","authors":"Mengting Lin,&nbsp;Xusheng Jiang,&nbsp;Shiqi Chen,&nbsp;Chao Xiao,&nbsp;Jie Liu","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01102-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01102-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phytoextraction is a promising option for Cr-contaminated soil, but the long remediation period remains a primary hindrance to its large-scale application. This study is the first to assess the combined effects of nitrogen addition and mowings (NM) on the growth and Cr extraction of <i>Leersia hexandra</i> Swartz. A 1-year plot experiment was conducted, revealing that NM promoted the growth of <i>L. hexandra.</i> Compared to the control, NM significantly increased shoot biomass of <i>L. hexandra</i> by 111% (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The shoot biomass harvested from the second and third mowing sessions was 1.35 and 3.34 times higher than that from the first mowing session, respectively. In addition, chlorophyll content, root activity, and auxin content were significantly higher in NM treatment than those in control. These results indicate that a single addition of ammonium sulfate provides nutrients for <i>L. hexandra</i> shoot regeneration and maintains good growth after mowing. Furthermore, the extracted Cr amount in the shoot of NM reached 25.4 g/m², an increase of 48.3% compared with control (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The soil Cr removal rate in NM was 1.85 times that of control (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). These findings indicated that, compared with the phytoremediation technology using only <i>L. hexandra</i>, NM is a promising method for promoting Cr phytoextraction, suggesting its potential for large-scale ecological restoration at a lower cost.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01102-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143875303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Promoting sustainable development via stakeholder engagement in higher education","authors":"Walter Leal Filho,&nbsp;Tiago F. A. C. Sigahi,&nbsp;Rosley Anholon,&nbsp;Bianca Gasparetto Rebelatto,&nbsp;Inga Schmidt-Ross,&nbsp;Susanne Hensel-Börner,&nbsp;Dirk Franco,&nbsp;Thomas Treacy,&nbsp;Luciana Londero Brandli","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01101-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01101-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Higher education institutions (HEI) are uniquely positioned to contribute to sustainable development through education, research, community engagement, and policy influence. In this context, stakeholder engagement is recognised as an important strategy, since involving diverse groups in decision-making processes, HEIs can harness a wealth of perspectives, expertise, and resources, fostering more inclusive, innovative, and effective approaches to sustainability. There is a perceived need for studies that explore the contribution of various stakeholders in higher education, and suggest ways to optimise their participation in processes. Against this background, this paper seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks of stakeholder engagement and practical applications within the context of sustainable development in higher education. </p><h3>Results</h3><p>By examining 29 real-world case studies and best practices, this paper provides actionable insights and guidance for HEIs to enhance their sustainability efforts. Findings from the analysis of cases in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America were consolidated into ten guidelines for HEIs seeking to promote sustainable development through stakeholder engagement. The analysis of trends identified three clusters: (i) HEI’s role in sustainable development through stakeholder engagement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); (ii) human-centred sustainability via transformative learning and community empowerment; and (iii) education and interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The nature of the work performed, and the scope of the activities of HEIs put them in a key position to drive sustainable development by engaging diverse stakeholders across academic and societal contexts, including students, faculty, administration, industry partners, and the broader community. Inclusive participation and interdisciplinary educational programmes that integrate sustainability across curricula are key to effective stakeholder engagement. In addition, institutional commitment, including strong leadership and strategic policies, is essential for advancing sustainability initiatives, while partnerships with local communities and industries amplify the practical impact of sustainability efforts while addressing real-world challenges. </p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01101-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143875308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Chemical stress assessment in large rivers using the average biomarker response approach with caged fish in situ: a case study on the Danube River in Novi Sad (Serbia)","authors":"Dina Tenji,&nbsp;Sonja Kaišarević,&nbsp;Bojana Mićić,&nbsp;Mirna Velki,&nbsp;Tobias Schulze,&nbsp;Martin Krauss,&nbsp;Muhammad Arslan Kamal Hashmi,&nbsp;Werner Brack,&nbsp;Ivana Teodorović","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01095-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01095-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Exposure assessment of aquatic biota to complex chemical mixtures from anthropogenic sources and evaluating potential impacts are crucial for mitigating toxic pressure and improving ecological status. The study focused on a section of the Danube River impacted by untreated municipal wastewater from the city of Novi Sad, Serbia, as well as partly treated industrial effluents and agricultural runoffs. This research aimed to implement average biomarker response (ABR) approach and use it as one of the multiple lines of evidence (LOE) to assess the ecological impact of pollution in complex scenarios, such as those in large rivers with multiple stressors.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Cage-exposed specimens of native fish species, <i>Cyprinus carpio</i>, were analyzed for a wide range of biomarkers. Biomarker responses from caged fish were integrated with the biomarker responses of fish from wild populations of <i>Abramis brama</i> into an ABR value and interpreted using supporting evidence such as chemical analyses, effect-based methods and biomonitoring. Higher ABR values at pollution-impacted sites confirmed the presence of chronic toxic pressure caused by mixtures of chemicals at sublethal concentrations. Certain groups of biomarkers, such as those indicating neurotoxic effects, pointed to specific types of pollution confirmed by chemical analyses. Combined with other lines of evidence, ABR provided biologically plausible evidence of ecological impact of pollution at this hot spot and proved that pollution originating from the urban zone of the city of Novi Sad represents a significant pressure on the Danube ecosystem.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The integrated approach effectively assesses complex exposure scenarios in large rivers, evaluating pollution impact and underscoring the chronic toxic stress from anthropogenic sources. The assessment of biomarker responses in situ, whether based on caging experiments or sentinel biota, requires a comprehensive range of biomarkers and is overly resource-intensive for regular monitoring. Still, ecological relevance of the results justifies the efforts when the ecological impact of pollution needs to be assessed. ABR copes with high sample variability typical for in situ experiments, enables integration of inconsistent biomarker response patterns and facilitates the interpretation of the results and potentially wider acceptance of in situ tools in decision-making.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01095-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143861410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Evaluation of the treatment effects of pesticide production wastewater under direct and indirect discharge modes","authors":"Ziqian An,&nbsp;Qian Dong,&nbsp;Yanna Lu,&nbsp;Chunmeng Ma,&nbsp;Hui Wang,&nbsp;Yan Liu","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01108-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01108-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The wastewater treatment of pesticide enterprises is one of the key issues in terms of environmental protection and cleaner agricultural production. Fully understanding the water quality characteristics and treatment processes of pesticide production wastewater is of great significance to the management of stable and compliant discharge up to standards for pesticide enterprises. In this study, the water qualities, treatment processes and removal efficiencies of wastewater from six typical pesticide enterprises under two dominant discharge modes across China were investigated. The results revealed that the organic pollution of pesticide production wastewater was serious and their biodegradability were generally bad (B/C ≤ 0.25). Among them, the situation in enterprises producing paraquat was the most obvious. The concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD_Cr), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), total organic carbon (TOC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) in the wastewater of this enterprise reached 95,600 mg/L, 48,400 mg/L, 16,400 mg/L and 336,000 mg/L, respectively. The sewage discharge limits for direct discharge enterprises (DDEs) were stricter than those for indirect discharge enterprises (IDEs). As a result, the sewage treatment processes of DDEs were more complex, leading to a higher average pollutant removal efficiency (DDEs, 85.50%; IDEs, 73.13%) and a higher compliance rate (DDEs, 100%; IDEs, 75%). Finally, the wastewater treatment processes of the six pesticide enterprises were evaluated and suggestions were given on the improvement of pollutant removal efficiencies and avoidance of resource waste. It was suggested that DDEs should add corresponding adsorption process in the pretreatment stage, and that the chemical industry parks (CIPs), where IDEs were located should conduct water quality assessment upstream, classify enterprises according to pollution degree, and add toxicity index assessment to pesticide industry standards. The results of this study systematically and comprehensively revealed the current situation of pesticide wastewater treatment in China, and provided important references for the formulation of national pesticide industry discharge standards.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01108-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143861409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Landslide vulnerability mapping using GIS-based statistical model for sustainable ecosystem management in the Himalayan region of Teesta River basin, India","authors":"Subodh Chandra Pal,&nbsp;Tanmoy Biswas,&nbsp;Sumit Ghorai,&nbsp;Chaitanya Baliram Pande,&nbsp;Aznarul Islam,&nbsp;Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul Islam,&nbsp;Edris Alam","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01107-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01107-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Landslides are recognized as major natural geological hazards in the mountainous region, and they are accountable for enormous human causalities, damage to properties, and environmental issues in the Teesta River basin, Sikkim, India. GIS approaches are widely used in landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) that can help relevant authorities to mitigate landslide risk. The binary logistic regression is applied to estimate the landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) in the upper Teesta River basin areas. The landslide inventory data are subdivided into training data sets (70%) for applying algorithms in models and testing data sets (30%) for testing model accuracy. The LSZ mapping is designed after analyzing multicollinearity test of 14 landslide CFs and the result shows that the VIF value is less than 10, and TOL is greater than 0.1, respectively. There is no multicollinearity for the 14 conditioning landslides factors. The upper Teesta River basin is categorized into five groups: very low-to-very high landslide susceptibility zones. The results highlighted that most of the middle and southern parts of the study region are highly prone to landslides compared to the other parts. The susceptibility of landslide in the upper Teesta River basin areas validated by performing the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve, which showed an 83% confidence level. The present research demonstrated landslide vulnerability circumstances for the Teesta River basin, Sikkim, an area prone to landslides, emphasizing the need for an effective mitigation and management roadmap.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01107-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143856553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Analysis of the current state of sewage sludge treatment from the perspective of current European directives","authors":"Jozef Salva,&nbsp;Michal Sečkár,&nbsp;Marián Schwarz,&nbsp;Dagmar Samešová,&nbsp;Martina Mordáčová,&nbsp;Juraj Poništ,&nbsp;Darina Veverková","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01097-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01097-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Due to its produced quantity, sewage sludge is a serious environmental problem not only in Slovakia, but also on a global scale. The submitted study deals with the current state of sewage sludge treatment with a focus on assessing the advantages and disadvantages of selected technologies. The main objective of the review study is to evaluate the advantages and limitations of individual sewage sludge processing technologies. Based on the evaluation of the advantages and limitations, another objective of the study was to determine the most suitable, less suitable, or unsuitable technologies for sewage sludge processing. Another objective of the study was to evaluate innovative technologies (not only commonly used ones). The purpose of this objective was to monitor the most current trends in sewage sludge processing technologies and, by evaluating them, to expand knowledge in this scientific field. The presented analysis of sewage sludge treatment was carried out in accordance with current European directives. The main novelty of the review study is a comprehensive assessment of sludge processing technologies with a focus on their main advantages and limitations. Another novelty is the focus of the study on innovative methods of sewage sludge processing. As part of the analysis, the evaluated sludge treatment technologies were divided into three categories: conventional, alternative, and innovative. As a conventional method, composting is currently the dominant method of sewage sludge management in the Slovak Republic. Mono-incineration, which is one of the conventional methods, allows for an effective reduction of the volume of sewage sludge while removing all unwanted hazardous components at the same time. However, this sludge treatment technology causes simultaneously the loss of most of the valuable nutrients, contained in sewage sludge. Pyrolysis and gasification as alternative technologies are effective in terms of removing hazardous components, but they are complex technologies, and their economic viability depends on their ability to maximise efficiency and produce high-value energy carriers. Hydrothermal liquefaction has a major advantage over all other thermal sewage sludge treatment processes because it does not require sludge drying. Innovative methods of sewage sludge treatment such as bio-electrochemical system, supercritical water oxidation, and biodiesel production require a more detailed examination by the scientific community to implement these methods in practice due to the lack of information from operational experiments. Given the extensiveness of the sludge treatment issue, we plan to address the economic aspect of the technologies in a separate study in the future.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01097-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Associations of prenatal co-exposure to phthalate metabolites and bisphenols with neural tube defects","authors":"Sainan Li,&nbsp;Haiyan Zhu,&nbsp;Yongyan Chen,&nbsp;Qianhui Cheng,&nbsp;Chen Yang,&nbsp;Jufen Liu,&nbsp;Lei Jin,&nbsp;Zhiwen Li,&nbsp;Aiguo Ren,&nbsp;Linlin Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12302-025-01099-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12302-025-01099-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><p>Neural tube defects (NTDs) are one of the most common birth defects. Phthalates and bisphenols are ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which can disrupt the endocrine system by altering hormone levels. However, there is no study on the associations between co-exposure to phthalate metabolites and bisphenols and risk of fetal NTDs.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>A case–control study was conducted among 286 participants in China from 2005 to 2016. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect the levels of 25 EDCs in placenta. Logistic regression and multipollutant models were used to evaluate the single and co-exposure effects of EDCs on NTD risk, with maternal age, gestational weeks at placenta collection, pre-pregnancy body mass index, history of birth defects, folate supplementation during pregnancy, and smoking status as covariates. This study also assessed whether gestational exposure to mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) in pregnant mice induces NTDs in offspring.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Individual exposure to high levels of MEHP, mono-octyl phthalate, and mono-cyclohexyl phthalate was associated with increased NTD risk [odds ratio (OR) = 2.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 7.43; OR = 3.00, 95% CI: 1.15, 7.85; OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.08, 7.18]. Multipollutant models showed a positive correlation between the EDCs mixture levels and NTD risk, with MEHP and bisphenol Z as the main contributors. In animal experiments, NTD rates increased with MEHP dosage, showing a statistically significant trend.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This is the first study to evaluate the single and co-exposure effects of phthalate metabolites during pregnancy on NTD risk. Our findings suggest that exposure to phthalate metabolites and bisphenols during pregnancy may increase the risk of NTDs, and policies regarding phthalates and bisphenols exposure in the environment should be strengthened.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":546,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Sciences Europe","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12302-025-01099-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}