Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts最新文献

{"title":"Seasonal variations in groundwater chemistry and quality and associated health risks from domestic wells and crucial constraints in the Pearl River Delta†","authors":"Xingyu Zhou, Jia Sun, Hulong Yi, Tiancai Ye, Yanping Zhao, Yuzhong Yang, Zijun Liu, Changhang Liang, Jiawei Huang, Jingcheng Chen, Tangfu Xiao and Jinli Cui","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00622D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00622D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Groundwater quality is strongly compromised by polluted surface water recharge in rapidly developing urban regions. However, gaps still remain in the understanding of the critical contaminants controlling water quality and the health risks associated with groundwater consumption, particularly considering seasonal and climate changes in rainfall. This work focused on changes in groundwater quality and critical contaminants in domestic wells in the fast-developing Pearl River Delta (PRD) from the wet season to the dry season. The stable isotope <em>δ</em>D and <em>δ</em><small>¹⁸</small>O values indicated that groundwater was largely impacted by precipitation and has experienced strong evaporation. The groundwater generally exhibited oxidizing and slightly alkaline properties and was predominantly of the Ca-HCO<small>₃</small> type. Owing to the dominant water type of Ca-HCO<small>₃</small> and the high concentrations of Ca, concerns related to hard water arose, particularly during the wet season, which promotes the need for water softening before groundwater use. Although the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and water quality index (WQI) indicated excellent or good water quality, 34% and 47% of the groundwater samples presented elevated concentrations of arsenic and nitrate, respectively, compared with the WHO recommended levels, and the contamination level was elevated during the dry season. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report the fluoride concentrations in the PRD groundwater, with median values below 0.5 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>, underscoring the need for dietary fluoride supplementation. Health risk assessment confirmed the presence of both noncarcinogenic risks from arsenic and nitrate and cancer risk from arsenic in local populations resulting from groundwater consumption in the PRD region. This research emphasizes the importance of critical contaminants that constrain groundwater quality from different seasons with large variations in rainfall. Our work highlights the urgent need for the construction of adequate sanitation systems and for the control of agricultural nonpoint source pollution in rapidly urbanizing areas to safeguard both surface water and groundwater resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 4","pages":" 936-949"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539653","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":"Identification of novel tetrabromobisphenol A byproducts in industrial chemicals and the environment near a manufacturing site: an overlooked source of novel pollutants†","authors":"Weihao Xu, Xiaoxuan Han, Yong Tian, Jiakui Liang and Yanfeng Zhang","doi":"10.1039/D5EM00030K","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5EM00030K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >To evaluate the migration, transformation, and fate of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in the environment, the transformation/degradation (T/D) products of TBBPA and byproducts of industrial production should be distinguished. Herein, 7 reported T/D products (R1–R7) and 7 novel byproducts (N1–N7) of TBBPA were identified in industrial-grade TBBPA chemicals by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled ion trap mass spectrometry and high-resolution mass spectrometry with a suspect screening strategy. The possible formation pathways of these byproducts were attributed to the bromination, debromination, methylation, demethylation, hydroxylation, substitution, and radical coupling reactions of bisphenol A (BPA), BPA impurities, and TBBPA. The detection frequencies of R1–R7 and N3 (80–100%) were higher than those of N1, N2, and N4–N7 (20–60%) in industrial-grade TBBPA chemicals, with contents extended to 2.29% and 0.0989%, respectively. In the soils and sediments near the TBBPA plants, R1–R4 and N1 were detected with the highest concentration of 1.56 × 10<small>²</small> ng g<small>⁻¹</small> dry weight, while in the river waters, only R1–R4 were detected with the highest concentration of 4.57 × 10<small>²</small> ng L<small>⁻¹</small>. An <em>in silico</em> analysis indicated the potential toxicity of these compounds, including their hepatotoxicity and carcinogenicity. To accurately estimate the environmental effects of the T/D products of TBBPA, the contributions of byproducts in industrial-grade TBBPA chemicals should be considered separately.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 4","pages":" 950-959"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539604","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":"Enantiomeric fraction evaluation for assessing septic tanks as a pathway for chiral pharmaceuticals entering rivers†","authors":"Kai Wilschnack, Elise Cartmell, Vera Jemina Sundström, Kyari Yates and Bruce Petrie","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00715H","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00715H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Septic tanks (STs) are an important pathway for chiral pharmaceuticals entering rivers. Therefore, the enantiospecific compositions of 25 chiral human pharmaceuticals and metabolites were investigated in five community STs over 12 months in Scotland. Large variability in pharmaceutical concentrations and enantiomeric fractions (EFs) were observed in wastewater owing to the small contributing populations. Pharmaceuticals prescribed in enantiopure and racemic forms had the greatest EF variability. For example, citalopram generally had EFs &lt; 0.5 through consumption of the racemate and preferential metabolism of <em>S</em>(+)-citalopram. However, several samples had EFs &gt; 0.7 from comparatively greater use of enantiopure escitalopram. Direct down-the-drain disposal was indicated for citalopram and venlafaxine, where elevated concentrations and pharmaceutical–metabolite-ratios were observed (at least 19-fold). Overall, EF differences between influent and effluent were small, suggesting no enantioselectivity occurred in anaerobic environments of STs. Therefore, EFs in ST effluent were notably different to those from aerobic wastewater treatment works (WWTWs). For instance, naproxen EFs (≥0.990 when both enantiomers detected) were like those of untreated wastewater but outside the range for aerobic WWTWs effluent caused by a lack of inversion from <em>S</em>(+)- to <em>R</em>(−)-naproxen in STs. This suggests naproxen can be used to identify its pathway into the environment, which was strengthened by river water microcosm studies. At the study locations the environmental risk of enantiomers was low due to sufficient dilution of effluents. Nevertheless, greater impact of individual practices towards medicine use and disposal on ST wastewater and receiving water composition demands enantioselective analysis to better appreciate the sources, fate and impact of pharmaceuticals.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 3","pages":" 779-793"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/em/d4em00715h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143481761","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":"Straw mineralization and carbon dioxide emissions in soils with different salinity levels","authors":"Cailing Shi, Jing Zhang, Haibo Zhang, Lei Xu, Wenjun Xie, Weiming Li, Lichang Zhang and Yu Sun","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00698D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00698D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Straw application is widely used to reclaim saline soils. However, the characteristics of straw mineralization and its induced priming effects (PE) in saline soil are largely unknown. Thus, we conducted a 180-day saline soil incubation experiment to observe the characteristics of straw mineralization and CO<small>₂</small> emissions. Four salinity levels, <em>i.e.</em>, 3.0 g kg<small>⁻¹</small> (BS), 5.0 g kg<small>⁻¹</small> (LS), 10.0 g kg<small>⁻¹</small> (MS), and 15.0 g kg<small>⁻¹</small> (HS), were established, to which <small>¹³</small>C-labeled maize straw was added at a rate of 5.0%. Results showed that the straw mineralization rate and the amount of potentially mineralized straw significantly decreased with increasing salinity (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Compared with BS, the cumulative CO<small>₂</small> emissions, PE, and the amount of mineralized straw in LS, MS, and HS decreased by 3.6%–26.8%, 3.4%–26.5%, and 2.7%–15.6%, respectively. Simultaneously, increasing soil salinity prompted the earlier occurrence of the peak straw mineralization and PE. The contribution of straw mineralization to CO<small>₂</small> emissions on the 1st day significantly decreased with rising salinity levels (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), while the opposite change was observed from 5 days to 120 days. Although PE significantly decreased with increasing salinity, the duration of the effect of straw input on soil organic matter mineralization increased substantially in high-salinity soils. These findings reveal the influence of soil salinity levels on the straw mineralization process and CO<small>₂</small> emission, which will help us assess and boost carbon sequestration in saline soils under straw input conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 3","pages":" 794-803"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143522100","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":"Soil contamination by environmentally persistent free radicals and dioxins following train derailment in East Palestine, OH†","authors":"Myron L. Lard, Sarah E. Eichler, Peng Gao, Kuldeep Singh, Joseph D. Ortiz, Robert L. Cook, Slawomir Lomnicki, Stephania A. Cormier and Jennifer Richmond-Bryant","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00609G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00609G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The Norfolk Southern train derailment on February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio, prompted concerns about the health impacts from the chemical spills and open-air combustion. We hypothesize that the combustion of chemicals, including vinyl chloride, in the presence of transition-metal oxides from the train, tracks, and soil minerals were conducive to the formation of hazardous byproducts including environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), dioxins, and furans. We also hypothesize that these harmful byproducts of combustion have a shared origin and thus will have elevated concentrations in soil samples collected close to the derailment site when compared to concentrations in background soils. This study examined the co-occurrence of these soil contaminants from samples collected August 14–17, 2023, within a two-mile radius of the incident site to assess the concentration of EPFRs, dioxins, and furans. We measured elevated levels of EPFRs (average: 3.00 × 10<small>¹⁷</small> spins per g) and dioxin/furan toxic equivalence (TEQ) (average: 32.8 pg g<small>⁻¹</small>) near the derailment area compared to background levels (EPFRs: 1.33 × 10<small>¹⁷</small> spins per g; TEQ: 10.7 pg g<small>⁻¹</small>). Significant positive correlations (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.002) between EPFRs and specific dioxin/furan congener concentrations (0.63–0.74) indicated robust associations between EPFRs and dioxin/furan congeners, the first such observations in field-collected soil samples. These results highlight the environmental health impact of the derailment and associated combustion, underscoring the need for comprehensive longitudinal monitoring and remediation efforts in the affected area and similar industrial accident sites. This study also offers insights into the formation mechanisms and persistence of EPFRs, dioxins, and furans.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 3","pages":" 729-740"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11843876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143466477","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":"Water quality implications of post-wildfire erosion control with polymeric additives†","authors":"Alishan Ahmed, Amanda K. Hohner, Peter R. Robichaud and Idil Deniz Akin","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00334A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00334A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Post-wildfire erosion to downstream surface waters can deteriorate water quality to levels that can create challenges for aquatic life and drinking water treatment. Polymeric additives, xanthan gum (XG) and polyacrylamide (PAM), have been demonstrated to be effective for controlling erosion in the presence of hydrophilic ash. However, with repeated rainfall applications, some of the applied XG and PAM may mobilize with the runoff and enter surface waters, which may pose water quality concerns. In this study, indoor rainfall simulation experiments were performed on plots containing wildfire-burned soil overlaid by hydrophilic ash collected after the 2021 Green Ridge Wildfire near Walla Walla, WA. The plots were treated with three concentrations (11, 33, and 60 kg ha<small>⁻¹</small>) of XG or PAM and subjected to three wet–dry cycles. Runoff water samples were collected at 5 min intervals during each wetting event. The pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and settled water turbidity (SWT) were measured for runoff water samples. The presence of XG in runoff from XG-treated plots increased SWT by up to 247% and DOC to as high as 16.6 mg<small>_C</small> L<small>⁻¹</small>. PAM treatment also increased DOC (up to 24.5 mg<small>_C</small> L<small>⁻¹</small>) and TDN (up to 5.8 mg<small>_N</small> L<small>⁻¹</small>) in runoff. DOC and TDN concentrations in runoff from treated plots increased with an increase in treatment concentrations and were generally greatest in the first wetting event. The results suggest that benefits of using polymeric additives for erosion reduction should be evaluated together with an assessment of dilution of downstream water bodies to alleviate the negative impacts of the additives on downstream water quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 3","pages":" 752-762"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143481781","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":"Spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of physicochemical properties of waste plastics with different landfill age and depth†","authors":"Fei Yu, Wei Chu, Leilihe Zhang, Youcai Zhao and Jie Ma","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00799A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00799A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Plastics are widely used for their excellent properties, and the primary disposal method is sanitary landfilling. Waste plastics, persisting in landfills for long periods, change their surface physicochemical properties. However, research on the physicochemical changes of plastics after landfilling is scarce. This study analyzes the physicochemical characteristics of discarded plastics in landfills, focusing on depths (2–8 meters) and ages (0–30 years). The spatiotemporal distribution of waste plastics was studied using the 3D-Smoothe model. The results revealed that polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were the predominant constituents of landfilled plastics. The carbonyl index (CI) and hydroxyl index (HI) accelerated with landfill age but increased and then decreased with landfill depth. Furthermore, the hydrophilicity of waste plastics increases with the landfill age, which is realized as 2 m &gt; 5 m &lt; 8 m in depth. The 3D model analysis indicates that PP displays a wavy downward trend in its spatiotemporal distribution, whereas PE exhibits a vortex-like downward trend. The toughness and strength of waste plastics rapidly decline in the early stages of landfilling and then stabilize. However, variations are noted at a depth of 5 m. The influence of landfill age on the mechanical properties of waste plastics is more significant than that of landfill depth by 3D model analysis. As the age and depth of landfills increase, there is a corresponding rise in the number of surface cracks and defects, a rise in surface roughness, and an increase in the abundance of surface elements. This study provides a scientific basis for understanding the environmental risks of landfilled waste plastics.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 3","pages":" 623-633"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143481778","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":"Arsenic source-sink dynamics under phosphorus competition in sediments from river–lake connected systems†","authors":"Yongsheng Chang, Wang Shuhang, Feifei Che, Xiaoshuang Dong, Xixi Yang, Haojie Chen and Wei Huang","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00707G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00707G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Multiple factors in the river–lake connected system can affect the transport and transformation of arsenic (As) in sediments. In this study, As source and sink characteristics under phosphorus (P) competition in sediments from river (R), lake (L) and lake-centre (LC) of river–lake connected system were analyzed, and the As release regionality and continuity were also discussed. The study showed that the ORP of the sediments at each site was negative with a mean value of −151 mV. The sediments in the R region were weakly acidic and those in the LC region were weakly alkaline. The R region had relatively high EAsC<small>₀</small> concentrations, while the LC region had the largest EPC<small>₀</small> value of 0.17 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>. As in the sediments competed very strongly with P for sources and sinks, with the sediments in the R region as a source of strong As and weak P, in the L region as a source of weak As and weak P, and in the LC region as an As sink and P source. Regions of high risk of As release from sediments were the R and L regions. Sediments in the L and LC regions had a high value of DAsS (the degree of As saturation), 8.9–13.1% and 8–13%, respectively, and the P release risk and saturation were inversely proportional to this result. The contribution analysis showed that surface sediments provided the largest contribution of As release, and the release contribution of As(<small>V</small>) was greater than that of As(<small>III</small>). In addition, the microbial community analysis identified Proteobacteria as the most abundant species in the sediments, with a relative abundance ranging from 42.4% to 53.2%. This bacterium, known for its As-metabolizing capabilities, was found to be positively correlated with the risk of As release. The analysis of As content in sediments revealed a gradient of R region &lt; L region &lt; LC region, confirming that rivers are significant contributors of As contamination to the lake.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 3","pages":" 706-717"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143431998","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":"Long-term prediction of climate change impacts on indoor particle pollution - case study of a residential building in Germany.","authors":"Jiangyue Zhao, Tunga Salthammer, Alexandra Schieweck, Erik Uhde, Tareq Hussein","doi":"10.1039/d4em00663a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4em00663a","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extreme weather phenomena are increasing in nature, which affects indoor air quality and especially particle concentrations in several ways: (1) changes in ambient pollutant concentrations, (2) indoor particle formation from gas-phase reactions, (3) building characteristics, (4) particle dynamic processes, and (5) residential behavior. However, there are only a few studies that have examined future indoor particle concentrations in relation to climate change, even though indoor spaces are intended to protect people from local climate influences and health risks posed by pollutants. Consequently, this work focuses on the expected long- and short-term concentrations of airborne particles in residences. For this purpose, we applied the computer-based Indoor Air Quality Climate Change (IAQCC) model to a residential building as part of a case study. The selected building physics data represent a large part of the German building structure. The long-term prediction is based on the shared socio-economic pathway (SSP) scenarios published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). When assuming that the activities of residents remain unchanged, our long-term simulations (by 2100) show that the decreasing outdoor particle concentration will compensate for the indoor chemistry driven particle increase, leading to an overall decreasing trend in the indoor particle concentration. Nevertheless, outdoor air pollution events, such as dust storms and ozone episodes, can significantly affect indoor air quality in the short term. It becomes clear that measures are needed to prevent and minimize the effects of outdoor pollutants under extreme weather conditions. This also includes the equipment of buildings with regard to appropriate construction design and smart technologies in order to ensure the protection of human health.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389541","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":"Sex differences in cardiac fibrosis induced by gestational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics in mice offspring†","authors":"Xin Li, Haotian Cao, Qianqian Yang, Siqi Yu, Lizheng Huang, Qiao Liu, Xinyi Xiao, Siqi Chen, Jialing Ruan, Xinyuan Zhao, Liling Su and Yihu Fang","doi":"10.1039/D4EM00642A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EM00642A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The increasing accumulation of plastics in the environment has raised concerns regarding their potential health hazards. Nanoplastics (NPs) can get transported across the placental barrier, resulting in detrimental effects on developing offspring. To date, the effects of maternal exposure to NPs during pregnancy on the cardiac toxicity in adult offspring have not been conclusively evaluated. Herein, the potential for cardiac injury in the progeny of adult mice that were gestationally exposed to 80 nm polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs) at different doses (0, 0.5, 1, and 5 µg µL<small>⁻¹</small>) through oropharyngeal aspiration was investigated. Gestational exposure to PS-NPs resulted in cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and induced an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in adult offspring hearts, which were sex-specific and dose-dependent. The mRNA expression levels of estrogen receptor (ER)-related genes, such as <em>Esr1</em>, <em>Esr2</em>, and <em>GPER1</em>, were found to be significantly decreased on exposure to low-dose PS-NPs but elevated on exposure to high-dose PS-NPs in offspring hearts. Furthermore, the magnitude of this elevation in male offspring significantly exceeded compared to that of the female offspring. Additionally, the expression levels of <em>Esr2</em> and <em>GPER1</em> in male offspring that were gestationally exposed to high-dose PS-NPs were found to be higher than those observed in female offspring. The observed sex difference in cardiac fibrosis may be correlated with oxidative stress and changes in ER-related gene expression in the offspring's heart. Overall, our study demonstrated that gestational PS-NP exposure induces significant cardiac injury in adult offspring, providing crucial data on the transgenerational effects of PS-NP exposure in mice.</p>","PeriodicalId":74,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts","volume":" 3","pages":" 694-705"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389542","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}