Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts最新文献

{"title":"Carbon and nutrient mobilization across inundation gradients in an emerging freshwater delta","authors":"Matthew J. Berens, Geoff Schwaner and Elizabeth M. Herndon","doi":"10.1039/D6EM00129G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6EM00129G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Emerging freshwater deltas are comprised of gradients of soil age and inundation frequency that influence biogeochemical processes. Differences in inundation patterns coupled with soil chemical properties may affect whether carbon and nutrients transported from inland watersheds are stored in delta soils or released into the atmosphere or open ocean. This study uses laboratory incubations to evaluate the responses of soil, porewater, and headspace parameters to different inundation patterns in soils collected from two elevation transects of an emerging deltaic island in the Wax Lake Delta in Louisiana, USA, an active freshwater delta forming along the Louisiana coast in response to water diversions. In general, soils from the older region of the island exhibited higher CO<small>₂</small> release and solute mobilization relative to soils from the younger delta region. In addition, persistent inundation was associated with significantly lower solute (DOC, Fe, P) and CO<small>₂</small> release than soil exposed to persistently drained conditions or periodic flood–drain cycles. Our results indicate that biogeochemical processes, such as organic matter decomposition and microbial Fe cycling, may be limited by inundated conditions in subtidal zones but vary in response to differences in soil chemical properties (<em>e.g.</em>, C and N content) across supratidal and intertidal regimes. These results demonstrate that hydrogeomorphic development, in addition to inundation patterns, regulate biogeochemical processes that produce solutes and gases in coastal systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 6","pages":" 1653-1666"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/em/d6em00129g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147938964","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":"Prioritizing emerging organic pollutants in rivers of Thailand using suspect screening analysis with high-resolution mass spectrometry","authors":"Ittikorn Palee, Futoshi Kurisu and Phanwatt Phungsai","doi":"10.1039/D6EM00031B","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6EM00031B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Efforts to regulate emerging organic pollutants (EOPs) as new chemicals enter the market are often inadequate, and many potentially harmful EOPs remain unregulated especially in Thailand. Wastewater treatment plants, which are ineffective at eliminating EOPs, act as key sources of these substances in aquatic environments. In this study, four river water samples from different regions of Thailand were analyzed using a suspect screening approach based on a suspect list of 951 EOP compounds. More than 200 suspect features were matched with suspect lists, and 185 features out of them were found in all river samples, which indicates the widespread presence of EOPs in these water sources. Among the detected features, 43 had agreement with product ion spectra in the mzCloud database. The concentration was estimated using machine learning tool, and five compounds exceeded predicted no effect concentration (PNECs). Subsequent analyses using reference standards confirmed the presence of 17β-estradiol (3–15 ng L<small>⁻¹</small> in the four river water samples), 17β-trenbolone (98–282 ng L<small>⁻¹</small>), imidacloprid (9–24 ng L<small>⁻¹</small>), buprofezin (1–4 ng L<small>⁻¹</small>), and triphenylphosphine oxide (16–86 ng L<small>⁻¹</small>). Most of these results exceeded their PNECs, which is consistent with the machine learning tool, indicating potential ecological risks. These findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring of high-risk EOPs. Overall, this study presents a practical framework for wide-scope screening and prioritization of unregulated micropollutants, particularly applicable to environmental management in developing countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 5","pages":" 1566-1583"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147939106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Calibration factors of SidePak AM520 and PurpleAir monitors for tobacco and marijuana aerosols","authors":"Kai-Chung Cheng, Alvaro Medina Perez, Linda Lara-Jacobo and Miguel Angel Zavala Perez","doi":"10.1039/D6EM00113K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6EM00113K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We conducted 24 experiments inside a residential room to determine the “<em>calibration factors</em>” – the ratios of gravimetric to optical PM2.5 – for SidePak and PurpleAir monitors to accurately measure tobacco and marijuana sources. Five SidePak AM520 and seven PurpleAir Zen monitors alongside two gravimetric filter samplers simultaneously measured tobacco (cigarette, cigar and vape), and marijuana (sativa joint, indica joint and vape) sources, each at 4 distinct source levels for linear regression. We included one SidePak AM510 (a prior version) and an Optical Particle Sizer (OPS3330) in some experiments for comparison. SidePak AM520 calibration factors for tobacco and marijuana smoking were comparable (0.13–0.14); they were smaller than marijuana vape (0.17). PurpleAir calibration factors showed the same trend but with larger values (0.41–0.44; 0.51). Tobacco vape calibration factors could not be determined by our filter samples. Therefore, we used an alternative density-based approach for calibration, involving the OPS monitor. We found marked, systematic differences between SidePak AM520 <em>versus</em> AM510 calibration factors. A separate experiment examined how much measurement errors can be reduced by predetermined calibration factors, using filter samples for validation. Compared to PurpleAir, SidePak AM520 more accurately estimated the gravimetric PM2.5 level after calibration (mean error = 4% <em>versus</em> 16%).</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 5","pages":" 1224-1232"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147939325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"A critical review of septic tanks as a pathway for active pharmaceutical ingredients to the aquatic environment – existing knowledge and future perspectives on their monitoring and management","authors":"Kai Wilschnack, Elise Cartmell, Kyari Yates and Bruce Petrie","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00568J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00568J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are present in aquatic environments at concentrations that can impact ecosystems. Their major pathway to the environment is in the discharge of wastewater effluents from centralised wastewater treatment works (WWTWs). However, in most rural areas where houses are not connected to a public sewage network, single households or groups of houses rely on onsite wastewater treatment works (OWTWs), mainly septic tanks (STs). Therefore, STs are reviewed as a pathway for APIs to the aquatic environment. Despite STs being extensively used globally, there is a geographical bias in available data with most studies conducted in the USA. Furthermore, studies focus on a few APIs (<em>e.g.</em>, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole and paracetamol) and the impact of STs to groundwater. Previous reliance on grab sampling and the heterogenous composition of influent wastewater characterised by the small contributing populations makes assessing ST removal efficiency challenging. Available data suggests little or no removal of APIs in the anaerobic environment of STs. Conducting an intensive monitoring approach (<em>e.g.</em>, continuous 24 h composite sampling) for durations several times the ST hydraulic retention time will help benchmark their performance for API removal against other processes. Recent studies show surface waters receiving ST discharges have API concentrations exceeding their predicted no effect concentration (PNEC, the concentration below which no adverse effect is expected). Mean concentrations of 17β-estradiol, ampicillin, ibuprofen, memantine, palmitamid, paracetamol and trihexyphenidyl all exceeded their PNEC by up to 50 times. However, there is a lack of data for several APIs identified to be of possible environmental concern in prioritisation watch lists such as those outlined by the EU (<em>e.g.</em>, amoxicillin, clarithromycin, desmethylvenlafaxine and clindamycin). Receiving surface waters can be small ecologically important streams, demanding the need for further monitoring and intervention. Other than adopting secondary treatment (<em>e.g.</em>, constructed wetlands where possible) or alternative OWTWs which achieve greater API removal, sustainable medicine use is proposed as a viable means of reducing the environmental impact of ST discharges where risks are identified. Utilising environmentally informed prescribing and other ‘upstream’ interventions such as return schemes for unused pharmaceuticals, have great potential for success where small populations of people can be specifically targeted.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 5","pages":" 1191-1215"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/em/d5em00568j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147939288","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":"Effects of fluorinated ski wax bans on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations in indoor dust from ski waxing workspaces","authors":"Kathyrn A. Crawford, Nicola Hartmann, Emilia Andersen, Celeste Alden, Divya Gudur and Bharat Chandramouli","doi":"10.1039/D6EM00024J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6EM00024J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Consumer products such as ski and snowboard (“ski”) wax can contain very high concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS; up to 100% by mass), attracting attention from scientific experts and the general public alike about exposure risk among consumers. Policies to regulate the use of PFAS in consumer products and guidance for how to clean indoor spaces where PFAS were heavily used are two common strategies to reduce people's overall exposure risk, but data on the efficacy of such interventions are lacking. Recent restrictions on PFAS in ski wax represent an import opportunity to evaluate the impact of such exposure reduction initiatives. We quantified PFAS in waxroom dust collected before (2020) and after (2023) fluorinated wax bans to evaluate their impact on exposure risk among people occupying areas where waxing had occurred. We detected PFAS in all dust wipe samples, though ∑PFAS concentrations were approximately two orders of magnitude higher before (8.08–150 ng cm<small>⁻²</small>) compared to after (0.013–0.735 ng cm<small>⁻²</small>) the implementation of wax bans. Legacy carboxylic acids were dominant in most samples, though the replacement compound Gen-X was most abundant in select samples spanning both years. The source of PFAS in 2023 dust wipe samples is unknown, but the presence of these compounds at measurable concentrations in all samples implies an ongoing, albeit greatly reduced, exposure risk for people occupying these indoor areas. These findings highlight a discrepancy between the apparent protection afforded by exposure interventions and reality, which signifies a need for improved risk communication among consumers.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 6","pages":" 1632-1641"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147938981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Effect of carbon black nanoparticles on the albumin secondary structure","authors":"Yuta Takahashi, Samal Kaumbekova, Naoya Sakaguchi, Atsuto Onoda, Toshiyuki Watanabe and Masakazu Umezawa","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00868A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00868A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Nano-particulate air pollutants—particularly fine particle matter (PM2.5)—may cause several health issues, such as the accumulation of misfolded proteins in developing brains. However, the physicochemical molecular mechanism underlying nanoparticle (NP) toxicity remains poorly understood. This study investigates the effects of carbon black (CB) NPs (CB-NPs), with different surface properties and particle sizes, on the secondary structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA) using Fourier transform infrared and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic techniques, complemented by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The BSA sample incubated with CB-NPs exhibited no significant change when analyzed with excess BSA unbound to the NPs; however, CD spectroscopy revealed that Printex 90—a CB-NP with a smaller primary particle size and a more defective graphene structure—induced a notable change in the secondary structure of the adsorbed BSA. This change was characterized by a decrease in α-helix content and an increase in β-sheets. MD simulations further supported these findings, signifying that BSA monomers were adsorbed onto the CB-NP surface, leading to restricted protein mobility. This study provides crucial molecular-level insight into the role of carbonaceous NPs in triggering protein unfolding, a crucial step in NP toxicity.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 6","pages":" 1776-1785"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/em/d5em00868a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147985826","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":"Emerging investigator series: metagenomic insights into microbial controls of carbon cycling in alpine soils","authors":"Kristina Bright, Bence Dienes, Bart van Dongen, Ilya Strashnov, Xingguo Han and Meret Aeppli","doi":"10.1039/D5EM01047K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM01047K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Alpine riparian zones span topographic gradients from wet soils on the plain near streams to drier soils on adjacent slopes. These differences in soil moisture are generally associated with shifts in the soil redox state from anoxic on the plain to oxic on the slope. In anoxic plain soils, soil organic carbon (SOC) may accumulate due to thermodynamic constraints on microbial activity. Here, we used shotgun metagenomics to examine how microbial diversity and functional potential vary across differing redox conditions on plain and slope soils in two catchments in the Swiss Alps. We complemented these analyses with soil physicochemical characteristics and information on the chemical composition of organic matter. Plain soils had higher SOC stocks and higher relative abundance of phenol compounds relative to slope soils, consistent with SOC preservation and preferential mineralisation of easily degradable organic compounds under anoxic conditions. Microbial communities in plain soils further exhibited greater taxonomic and functional diversity, including increased potential for anaerobic respiration pathways. Genes for nitrate, iron, and sulfate reduction were linked to the <em>Chloroflexota</em>, <em>Acidobacteria</em>, and <em>Desulfobacterota</em> phyla, respectively. Based on NMDS correlations, electron accepting capacity, calcium content, and pH shaped microbial community composition. Slope soils, by contrast, supported less diverse microbial communities, determined mainly by electron donating capacity and clay content. Our work demonstrates how soil redox conditions and microbial functional potential shape carbon cycling across landscape positions in alpine riparian zones. This mechanistic understanding is critical to anticipate changes in carbon cycling in alpine ecosystems in a changing climate.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 6","pages":" 1692-1703"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13175029/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147939132","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":"Comparative toxicity and molecular recognition of galaxolide and its phototransformation product galaxolide lactone in Daphnia magna","authors":"Kunting Li, Chuanyang Chen, Dali Wang, Hongjie Huang, Zixuan Yuan and Jing You","doi":"10.1039/D6EM00059B","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6EM00059B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Galaxolide (HHCB) is a synthetic musk that has been widely detected in the environment. While the adverse effects of HHCB have raised significant concern, the potential ecological impacts of its transformation product, galaxolide lactone (HHCB-lac), remain largely overlooked. In this study, we conducted a comparative study on the toxicity of HHCB and HHCB-lac using <em>Daphnia magna</em> as a model organism. Photodegradation experiments showed that, while HHCB concentrations decreased rapidly due to phototransformation into HHCB-lac, the acute toxicity of the system did not decline correspondingly. The 48 h LC<small>₅₀</small> values for HHCB and HHCB-lac were 150.8–350.2 µg L<small>⁻¹</small> and 138.4–464.9 µg L<small>⁻¹</small>, respectively, indicating comparable acute toxicity between the two compounds. In chronic exposure tests, both HHCB and HHCB-lac (6–60 µg L<small>⁻¹</small>) increased molting frequency, advanced the time to first brood, elevated total offspring production, and reduced the body length in <em>D. magna</em>. Notably, the chronic effects of HHCB-lac were greater than those of HHCB. This finding was further supported by molecular docking simulations, which revealed a higher binding tendency of HHCB-lac compared with HHCB to the nuclear receptors ecdysone receptor (EcR) and estrogen-related receptor (ERR). The C<img>O group in HHCB-lac provided a key site for forming hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues of the nuclear receptors. Our work demonstrates that the photodegradation products of HHCB can exhibit ecological toxicity comparable to or even greater than that of the parent compound, highlighting the necessity of incorporating transformation products into environmental risk assessments of synthetic musks.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 5","pages":" 1534-1543"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147865989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Shifts in soil microbiome surrounding a thermal treatment facility for hazardous waste: the hidden impact of environmentally persistent free radicals","authors":"Fan Zhang, Myron L. Lard, Lavrent Khachatryan, Chuqi Guo, Aiyanah Sandifer, Nora M. Villafuerte, Divine B. Nde, Robert L. Cook, Stephania A. Cormier and Jennifer Richmond-Bryant","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00439J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00439J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The disposal of hazardous materials from Superfund sites often involves thermal treatment (TT), generating environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). While substantial evidence links EPFR exposure to negative health outcomes, its effects on the soil microbiome remain underexplored. Since the mid-1980s, a TT facility in Colfax, LA, has employed open-burn and open-detonation to process hazardous waste. In 2023, we collected soil samples from 13 residential sites within a 17-km radius of the TT facility and analyzed microbial communities and EPFR content. Our findings revealed a distinct microbial community near the TT facility (within 5-km), characterized by reduced bacterial abundance and increased fungal presence. Soil EPFR concentrations ranged from 0.81 × 10<small>¹⁶</small>–4.39 × 10<small>¹⁶</small> spins per g with <em>g</em>-factor values of 2.0033–2.0040, indicating a mixture of carbon-centered radicals with adjacent oxygen and oxygen-centered radicals. Correlation analysis identified bacterial taxa, particularly <em>Alpha-proteobacteria</em> and <em>Actinobacteria</em>, positively associated with EPFR abundance. <em>In vitro</em> tests showed that laboratory generated EPFRs more strongly inhibited bacterial growth than fungal growth, though some bacterial isolates from the study sites exhibited resistance to EPFR exposure. The differences in microbial responses to EPFR exposure may contribute to the shifts in microbial communities near the TT facility. Our study advances the understanding of EPFR impacts on the soil microbiome and suggests potential long-term effects on environmental and community health.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 5","pages":" 1479-1490"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13113242/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147757700","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":"Release of microplastics and metals from antifouling paint during weathering in simulated cold climates","authors":"Guadalupe Santos, Georgina C. Kalogerakis, Jun-Ray Macairan, Laura M. Hernandez, Houssame-Eddine Ahabchane, Jennifer F. Provencher, Kevin J. Wilkinson and Nathalie Tufenkji","doi":"10.1039/D6EM00126B","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D6EM00126B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Marine antifouling paints are often overlooked as a source of microplastic pollution in the aquatic environment even though they may release microplastics and metals, including metallic nanoparticles, into the environment, especially following exposure to environmental stressors. Notably, photodegradation <em>via</em> sunlight and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles are impactful weathering processes that can affect boat hulls in cold climates. In this study, steel coupons coated with marine antifouling paint were submerged in water and exposed to three laboratory-controlled weathering treatments, namely, UV irradiation (UV), freeze–thaw (FT), and UV irradiation combined with freeze-thaw (UV-FT) over 42 days. Water samples were analyzed using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), single particle ICP-MS, and microscopic imaging in order to quantify microplastics, metals and inorganic nanoparticles released from the painted surfaces. Weathering treatments released microplastics through photochemical degradation (UV) and ice abrasion. Meanwhile, for heavy metals, Cu was dominantly released in its microplastic-bound form and Zn in its dissolved form. UV-exposed paint likely underwent oxidative degradation, whereas FT exposure likely caused damage <em>via</em> ice abrasion, resulting in the production of paint microplastics in both cases. The IR and Raman signals showed that paint microplastics generally had high similarity to their respective painted coupons, except for the UV treatment, indicating that paint microplastics can be traced to their original source. Of the three treatments, the combined treatment of UV and FT released the highest concentrations of Cu and Zn over 42 days (49 000 ± 20 000 µg g<small>⁻¹</small> and 14 000 ± 7000 µg g<small>⁻¹</small>, respectively). Cu was released at higher concentrations under weathering conditions that involved abrasion (<em>i.e.</em>, UV-FT and FT). In contrast, more Zn was measured in the UV, HC, and CC treatments. Our findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to the release of paint-derived contaminants into the environment and further highlight the risks posed by the extensive use of marine antifouling paints.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 5","pages":" 1448-1462"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/em/d6em00126b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147757733","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}