Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts最新文献

{"title":"Nanoplastics enhance florfenicol toxicity by disturbing detoxification and metabolic processes in nematodes","authors":"Caijiao He, Shuang Zhang, Jie Hou, Yi Chi, Jing Wang, Jiang Xu and Daohui Lin","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00371G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00371G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Nanoplastics (NPs) and antibiotics are ubiquitous contaminants that frequently coexist and undergo interactions in various environments. While their combined toxicity is known to depend on NP physicochemical properties, the mechanistic basis of their toxicological interactions, particularly how surface charge and particle size modulate combined effects, remains unclear. Using <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> as a model, we investigated the combined toxicity of florfenicol (FF) with four polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) differing in size (100 nm (PS-100) and 500 nm (PS-500)) and surface modification (–NH<small>₂</small> (PS-NH<small>₂</small>) and –COOH (PS-COOH)), and the mechanisms were explained through integrated analyses of bioaccumulation, detoxification gene expression, and metabolic homeostasis. The results revealed that while the NP coexposures did not significantly alter analyte bioaccumulation in <em>C. elegans</em>, they suppressed detoxification genes, with PS-100 and PS-NH<small>₂</small> causing more severe dysfunction than PS-500 or PS-COOH. Metabolomic perturbations in the combined exposures were 2.12- to 4.86-fold greater than those in the FF exposure alone, with different NPs exacerbating oxidative stress and toxicity <em>via</em> divergent metabolic pathway disruptions. Building upon these transcriptomic and metabolomic mechanisms, the positively charged PS-NH<small>₂</small> and smaller-sized PS-100 amplified FF toxicity, as quantified through both survival rate and body length reductions, more than their negatively charged (PS-COOH) and larger-sized (PS-500) counterparts. The findings advance the mechanistic understanding of NP-antibiotic interactions, supporting evidence-based environmental risk assessment of co-occurring pollutants.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 9","pages":" 2955-2967"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936362","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":"Environmentally relevant concentrations of 6-PPDQ disrupt vitamin D3 adsorption and receptor function in Caenorhabditis elegans","authors":"Jingwei Wu, Liane Li, Dayu Hu, Ran Liu, Qian Bian and Dayong Wang","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00358J","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00358J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >As a derivative of the antioxidant of <em>N</em>-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-<em>N′</em>-phenyl-<em>p</em>-phenylenediamine (6-PPD), 6-PPD quinone (6-PPDQ) is frequently found in environments and the bodies of organisms. Vitamin D3 is an important vitamin that needs to be absorbed from the intestine. In <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em>, vitamin D3 content was reduced by 0.1–10 μg L<small>⁻¹</small> of 6-PPDQ. Meanwhile, 6-PPDQ (0.1–10 μg L<small>⁻¹</small>) decreased the expressions of <em>lrp-2</em>, <em>scl-12</em>, <em>scl-13</em>, and <em>ifo-1</em>, and their RNAi decreased the vitamin D3 content in 6-PPDQ-exposed animals. 6-PPDQ (0.1–10 μg L<small>⁻¹</small>) further decreased the <em>nhr-8</em> expression and increased the <em>daf-12</em> expression, and the expression of these 2 vitamin D3 receptor genes could be changed by RNAi of <em>lrp-2</em>, <em>scl-12</em>, <em>scl-13</em>, and <em>ifo-1</em> after 6-PPDQ exposure. The 6-PPDQ toxicity was increased by the RNAi of <em>lrp-2</em>, <em>scl-12</em>, <em>scl-13</em>, <em>ifo-1</em>, and <em>nhr-8</em> and inhibited by the RNAi of <em>daf-12</em>. Moreover, after 6-PPDQ exposure, SOD-3 and HSP-6 expressions were decreased by <em>nhr-8</em> RNAi and increased by <em>daf-12</em> RNAi. Therefore, 6-PPDQ potentially caused damage to the adsorption of vitamin D3 and the function of its receptors, and these effects were related to the toxicity induction of 6-PPDQ.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 9","pages":" 2798-2808"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144815278","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":"Controls on the apparent quantum yield for photomineralization of dissolved organic matter in arctic freshwaters","authors":"Emma C. Rieb, Catherine A. Polik, George W. Kling and Rose M. Cory","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00293A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00293A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The oxidation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to carbon dioxide by sunlight (photomineralization) can account for up to 30% of carbon dioxide (CO<small>₂</small>) emitted from inland surface waters in the Arctic. Water-column photomineralization rates depend on the magnitude and shape of the photomineralization apparent quantum yield spectrum (φ<small>_PM,λ</small>), which few studies have quantified directly. Here, we used a light-emitting diode (LED)-based approach to directly quantify φ<small>_PM,λ</small> of CO<small>₂</small> from photomineralization in arctic surface waters exposed to increasing amounts of narrow-banded light at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. Waters with the highest aromatic DOM and dissolved iron had the highest φ<small>_PM,λ</small> at all wavelengths. The magnitude of φ<small>_PM,λ</small> at all wavelengths decreased by up to 92% with increasing cumulative light absorbed by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in a given water, consistent with the rapid depletion of a photo-labile DOM fraction. Together, the results suggest that the extent of light absorption by CDOM, aromatic carbon content, and iron concentration control the magnitude and shape of φ<small>_PM,λ</small>, which in turn strongly influences rates of photomineralization and CO<small>₂</small> production in inland surface waters. Experiments to quantify φ<small>_PM,λ</small> should consider that greater cumulative light absorbed leads to underestimates of φ<small>_PM,λ</small> and photomineralization rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 9","pages":" 2755-2769"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/em/d5em00293a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144787849","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: release and phototransformation of benzophenone additives from polystyrene plastics exposed to sunlight†","authors":"Casey Smith, D. Howard Fairbrother and Carsten Prasse","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00292C","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00292C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >There are increasing concerns about the human and environmental health impacts of plastic exposure, which include the risks associated with plastic additives. However, despite their presence in most plastic products, the factors governing the release and transformation of chemical additives in the aquatic environment are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the simultaneous release and transformation behavior of four benzophenone-type chemical additives from polystyrene (PS) under natural and accelerated photochemical weathering conditions. Liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution-mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) quantitatively determined additive concentrations in plastic leachates and identified the formation of phototransformation products. Although the passive release of benzophenones from PS followed a time<small>^0.5</small> dependence, the presence of sunlight (active release) altered the concentration of leached benzophenones in solution depending on the relative photostability of the compounds. In accelerated lab-based studies using &gt;300 nm irradiation, a second stage of increased additive release was observed for prolonged irradiation times, an effect ascribed to distinct stages of PS photodegradation. LC-HRMS analysis identified various photodegradation products, including carboxylic acids and hydroxylated species. Quencher experiments indicated that these transformation products were produced by the formation of excited triplet states and hydroxyl radicals generated by benzophenone photoexcitation. Hydroxyl radicals are also likely responsible for the complete mineralization of irradiated benzophenones as evidenced by total organic carbon analysis. This work identifies the impact of photolysis on both additive release and transformation of benzophenones.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 9","pages":" 2673-2684"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/em/d5em00292c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144726110","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":"Distinct impact of polystyrene microplastics on six species of common pathogenic and probiotic bacteria and their boosting support to Vibrio cholerae proliferation†","authors":"Tingting Gu, Yue Liu, Yongjie Wang, Huajun Zheng and Lanming Chen","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00219B","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00219B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Along with the widespread application of plastics, the release of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) into the environment raises concerns about the risks of PS-MPs to human health. Hence, in this study, we investigated for the first time the impact of PS-MPs with different diameters on six species of common pathogenic and probiotic bacteria and further deciphered molecular mechanisms underlying the boosting support of PS-MPs for <em>Vibrio cholerae</em> proliferation. The results revealed that PS-MPs (100 nm to 5 μm, 0.1–100 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>) promoted the reproduction of <em>V. cholerae</em>, but blocked the growth of <em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</em>, <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em>, <em>Klebsiella oxytoca</em>, <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, and <em>Lactobacillus plantarum</em>, showing different size- and concentration-dependent action modes. The PS-MPs (100 nm to 5 μm, 100 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>) significantly reduced the negative charge on the cell surface of <em>V. cholerae</em> and consequently increased the bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity and membrane fluidity, biofilm formation and self-aggregation capacity (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Comparative transcriptome analysis uncovered significantly up-regulated metabolic pathways in <em>V. cholerae</em> after exposure to the PS-MPs (100 nm, 100 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>) for 8 h, leading to enhanced chemotaxis, flagellar motility, biofilm formation, energy metabolism and antioxidant defense. <em>In vitro</em> cell model experiments showed that the pre-exposure significantly increased the adhesion and invasion percentages of <em>V. cholerae</em> on human Caco-2 cells (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Overall, the results of this study not only fill the gaps in the interaction between the PS-MPs and common bacteria, but also highlight the amplified hazard of co-pollution by PS-MPs and <em>V. cholerae</em>, a leading waterborne pathogen worldwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 8","pages":" 2353-2366"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697138","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":"Urine volatile organic compounds in predicting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk in a national observational study†","authors":"Shuojia Xie, Junfeng Huang, Gengjia Chen, Huiting Luo, Yuexi Chen, Xiaowen Zhong, Linhang Yang, Ziwen Zheng, Zhaowei Yang, Shiyue Li, Linwei Tian and Ruchong Chen","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00181A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00181A","url":null,"abstract":"<p > <em>Background</em>: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease caused by genetic and environmental factors, but the contribution of urine volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the risk of COPD remains unclear. This study aims to use the NHANES data to explore the potential value of urine VOCs in predicting COPD. <em>Methods</em>: an epidemiological study including 782 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2018 was performed to evaluate the association between urine VOCs and COPD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of urine VOCs on COPD. <em>Results</em>: seven urine VOCs were associated with an increased risk of COPD [odds ratio (OR&gt;1; <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05)]. The dose–response relationship was also statistically significant between them. Meanwhile, urine VOCs can lead to the occurrence of COPD through the inflammatory effects. The area under the ROC curves for the combined urine VOC models as a predictor for COPD was 0.90. <em>Conclusions</em>: association between urine VOCs and an increased risk of COPD was found in the NHANES data. Inflammatory factors play an important role in the association of urine VOCs and COPD. In addition, urine VOCs could be useful in predicting COPD risk. More studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms and clinical application values underlying the association between urine VOCs and COPD.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 8","pages":" 2588-2600"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697139","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":"Selective ultra-trace atmospheric passive sampling of gaseous perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids†","authors":"Eric Vanhauwaert, Lindy Carmichael, Irina Nistorescu, Leigh R. Crilley, Chubashini Shunthirasingham, Hayley Hung, Cora J. Young and Trevor C. VandenBoer","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00297D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00297D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Acidic pollutants have long been known to have detrimental impacts on remote ecosystems. They have been subject to assessment through long-term monitoring with low cost methodologies, such as passive sampling. Atmospheric oxidation is becoming recognized as a source of persistent perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) derived from volatile poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substance (PFAS) precursors. In this work, nylon substrate passive air samplers that are selective for atmospheric acids are described. Their PFCA suitability is verified through extensive quality assurance and control tests, including controlled chamber tests for sampling rates. The sampling rate for gaseous trifluoroacetic acid (TFA; C2) is established experimentally, with ultra-trace detection limits at parts per quadrillion by volume mixing ratios (ppqv; 10<small>⁻¹⁵</small> mol mol<small>⁻¹</small>) for a sampling period of one week. Sampling rates for the C3–C6 homologues of the PFCA family were then derived from two diffusion theories of varying complexity. Proof-of-concept measurements were performed at urban, rural continental, and remote marine sites in Canada for over a year. All PFCA homologues from C2–C6 were detected above the method detection limits, with abundance decreasing with increasing chain length and from urban to rural to remote locations. Atmospheric abundance was dominated by TFA, which also showed trends consistent with known sources of precursors and atmospheric oxidation chemistry. This new PFCA-specific passive air sampling method represents a promising new option for the study of PFCA formation, transport, and fate in the atmosphere.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 9","pages":" 2785-2797"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/em/d5em00297d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144797668","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":"Interplay between oxidative potential and health risk of PM_2.5-bound metals at a site of the Indo-Gangetic Plain-exploring the influence of biomass burning.","authors":"Muskan Agarwal, Isha Goyal, Anita Lakhani","doi":"10.1039/d5em00340g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5em00340g","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biomass burning (BB) contributes to deteriorating air quality, particularly elevated haze periods during winter. This study investigates the impact of BB aerosols on PM_2.5 composition and toxicity at a suburban site in Agra, India, during both haze and non-haze periods. Satellite and model retrievals alongside meteorological parameters were studied to estimate air mass trajectories and total fire events to assess the contribution of long-range transported BB aerosols. The samples were collected and analyzed for metal composition using ICP-OES and oxidative potential using dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The total PM_2.5 mass was significantly found higher in haze periods (236.6 ± 19.9 μg m^-3) compared to non-haze periods (137.1 ± 45.7 μg m^-3). Potassium (K), a signature marker of BB, dominated the metal composition along with carcinogenic metals Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb and was also prominent during haze periods. The DTT assay showed higher ability to generate oxidative stress during haze periods, strongly correlating with metals, Cr (<i>r</i> = 0.81), Cu (<i>r</i> = 0.65), Mn (<i>r</i> = 0.67), Fe (<i>r</i> = 0.66), and Zn (<i>r</i> = 0.50), along with BB-related metals, K (<i>r</i> = 0.90), Na (<i>r</i> = 0.91), and Mg (<i>r</i> = 0.81), indicating their role in ROS generation. The health risk was estimated through health risk assessment (HRA) that aligns with OP measurements, indicating inhalation as the primary exposure pathway and adults as the higher risk group (HI = 2.9, CR = 4.3 × 10^-4) due to elevated exposures mainly to Cr, Cd, Mn, Ni, and Pb. This suggests increased non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks due to the contribution of BB-derived metals to oxidative stress. Positive matrix factorization identified agricultural dust and BB (46.9%) as the major contributors to PM_2.5. Thus, based on these findings, implementing effective mitigation policies to control BB emissions, particularly during winter which contributes to haze periods, is crucial.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144673401","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":"Characterization of commercial eco-glitters derived from modified regenerated cellulose after laboratory exposure in two aquatic media†","authors":"Marta Doval-Miñarro, Antonio López-Vivancos, Joaquín López-Castellanos and Javier Bayo","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00105F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00105F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Due to their size and composition, glitter particles can be classified as primary microplastics. Their widespread use in crafts and textiles often leads to uncontrolled release into the environment, with most particles eventually reaching seawater. The European Union recently banned certain microplastics, including glitter for specific uses. Recent developments in eco-friendly glitters, primarily based on modified regenerated cellulose, claim biodegradability in aquatic environments. In this study, we assessed the degradation of commercial biodegradable glitter in purified water and seawater under laboratory conditions over 96 days, as well as the acute toxicity of their leachates on <em>Aliivibrio fischeri</em>. Although no toxicological effects were observed, the glitter particles retained their shape, and their chemical changes were minimal, evidencing that complete biodegradation was far from occurring, thereby posing a potential risk to higher species.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 8","pages":" 2329-2340"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/em/d5em00105f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144673399","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 effects of air pollutants and meteorological factors on upper respiratory tract infection outpatients in Gansu Province†","authors":"Hongran Ma, Furong Qu, Jiyuan Dong and Jiancheng Wang","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00748D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00748D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The effects of meteorological factors and air pollutants on upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) varied across different regions depending on climate zones. Previous studies have identified potential interactions between air pollutants and meteorological factors (temperature and relative humidity, <em>i.e.</em>, RH) on URTI morbidity. However, research in the inland provinces of Northwest China remains limited. Variations in air pollution levels, pollutant composition, climatic conditions, and population susceptibility across regions contribute to substantial heterogeneity in findings, rendering existing evidence inapplicable to Northwest inland provinces. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct region-specific investigations in representative cities within this area. In this study, we selected cities from different climatic zones in Gansu Province for analysis (temperate continental climate: Jiuquan; temperate semi-arid continental climate: Dingxi; temperate subhumid climate: Tianshui). This study explored several major meteorological factors, including air pollution, temperature and RH, to identify potential modifiable risk factors and their interactive effects on URTI in the three cities in different climate zones. Data from 2017 to 2019 on URTI outpatient visits, air pollutants, and weather in three cities with varying climates were analyzed using generalized additive models and distribution lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to assess the delayed impact of meteorological factors on URTI. Further, bivariate and stratified models explored the interaction between pollutants and meteorological factors on URTI outpatient visits. Our results indicated that PM<small>_2.5</small>, PM<small>₁₀</small>, NO<small>₂</small>, and CO were significantly associated with increased hospital outpatient visits for URTI, with lagged effects observed. The maximum relative risks (RRs) of PM<small>_2.5</small> were 1.134 (95% CI: 1.057, 1.218) in Jiuquan (lag014), 1.118 (95% CI: 1.069, 1.168) in Dingxi (lag014), and 1.035 (95% CI: 1.013, 1.057) in Tianshui (lag03). For PM<small>₁₀</small>, the maximum RRs were 1.045 (95% CI: 1.026, 1.064) in Jiuquan (lag014) and 1.020 (95% CI: 1.005, 1.035) in Tianshui (lag010), while PM<small>₁₀</small> has no significant association in Dingxi. For NO<small>₂</small>, the maximum RRs were 1.118 (95% CI: 1.022, 1.224) in Jiuquan (lag011) and 1.158 (95% CI: 1.104, 1.215) in Tianshui (lag011), while NO<small>₂</small> has no significant association in Dingxi. For CO, the maximum RRs were 5.433 (95% CI: 2.818, 10.475) in Jiuquan (lag014), 2.289 (95% CI: 1.659, 3.156) in Dingxi (lag014), and 1.835 (95% CI: 1.509, 2.231) in Tianshui (lag012). Stratified analyses indicated that the associations were stronger in males and children (0–14 years). Furthermore, the associations were stronger in cold season than in warm season. Our results also revealed that bo","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 8","pages":" 2564-2578"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144673398","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}