Dos Santos AR, de Oliveira FS, da Silva AG
… +22 more, Gleriani JM, Gonçalves W, Moreira GL, Silva FG, Branco ERF, Moura MM, da Silva RG, Juvanhol RS, de Souza KB, Ribeiro CAAS, de Queiroz VT, Costa AV, Lorenzon AS, Domingues GF, Marcatti GE, de Castro NLM, Resende RT, Gonzales DE, de Almeida Telles LA, Teixeira TR, Dos Santos GMADA, Mota PHS
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42379917
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Bolan S, Sharma S, Mukherjee S
… +16 more, Kumar M, Rao CS, Nataraj KC, Singh G, Vinu A, Bhowmik A, Sharma H, El-Naggar A, Chang SX, Hou D, Rinklebe J, Wang H, Siddique KHM, Abbott LK, Kirkham MB, Bolan N
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42379912
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Kwon D, Shao K, O'Sharkey K
… +4 more, Yu Y, Su J, Bronstein JM, Ritz B
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42378886
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Growing evidence links air pollution to Parkinson's disease (PD), yet most research focuses on criteria pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO) and fine particulate matter (PM), which cannot pinpoint specific toxic constit...Growing evidence links air pollution to Parkinson's disease (PD), yet most research focuses on criteria pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO) and fine particulate matter (PM), which cannot pinpoint specific toxic constituents driving the association. This population-based case-control study from the counties of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern in central California (764 patients, 798 controls) investigated whether specific air toxics - metals with mobile-source/industrial contributions (nickel, zinc), vehicle-exhaust volatile organic compounds (benzene, 1,3-butadiene), and industrial/urban metals (lead, chromium) - are associated with PD. Using land-use regression models linked to participants' full residential and workplace address histories, we estimated 10-year, 5-year, and 1-year average pollutant exposures preceding diagnosis (patients) or interview year (controls). Associations were assessed via logistic regression, adjusting for sociodemographics and pesticide exposure. For nickel we estimated the strongest and most consistent effect across all averaging periods, with a 10-year residential odds ratio (OR) of 1.63 (95% CI = 1.04-2.55) and a nearly three-fold increase in the odds of PD due to ambient exposure at the workplace (OR = 2.89, 95% CI = 1.48-5.80) per interquartile range increase. Zinc showed a positive 10-year residential address association (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.98-2.10). The volatile organic compounds benzene (5-year workplace OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.16-2.93) and 1,3-butadiene (1-year workplace OR = 4.56, 95% CI = 2.86-7.49) exhibited stronger associations at shorter averaging windows, particularly at workplace addresses. In co-pollutant models, air toxics associations persisted after adjustment for NO or PM, while criteria pollutant associations attenuated. No associations were observed for lead or chromium in these predominantly agricultural counties. Our findings highlight that traffic-related and industrial air toxics from both non-exhaust and exhaust sources may contribute to PD risk, underscoring the importance of evaluating pollutant sources and components when assessing environmental determinants of PD.
Wahl CF, Day NK, Schmidt TS
… +3 more, Roberts JJ, Brandt JE, Stricker CA
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42378885
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Environmental contaminants and non-native species introductions negatively affect aquatic ecosystem conservation. Mercury (Hg) accumulates within food webs where it can biomagnify to toxic concentrations, which can be af...Environmental contaminants and non-native species introductions negatively affect aquatic ecosystem conservation. Mercury (Hg) accumulates within food webs where it can biomagnify to toxic concentrations, which can be affected by altered trophic relationships from non-native species. This study examined Hg concentrations (n samples = 655) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope (n = 746) compositions in native (n = 313) and non-native (n = 342) species among four river subbasins (Gunnison, Lower Green, Colorado-Dolores, and White-Yampa), in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) during 2016 and 2017 to inform the potential combined effects of Hg exposure and non-native species interactions on native fishes of conservation concern. We assessed Hg biomagnification at the fish assemblage level, compared concentrations to risk thresholds for fish and human health, and evaluated niche overlap among trophic levels across subbasins. The generalist-invertivores feeding guild had the lowest Hg concentrations (0.001-0.191 μg g wet weight), and no individuals exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aquatic life criterion (0.225 μg g). Piscivores had the highest concentrations (0.008-1.840 μg g), and 74% of individuals exceeded the criterion. Biomagnification across trophic levels was observed throughout the UCRB, yet varied by subbasin, with higher magnification factors in the Lower Green and White-Yampa subbasins which also had the highest proportion of non-native species. Stable isotope compositions revealed niche overlap among native and non-native species. Additionally, trophic position varied within species among the subbasins. The proliferation of non-native species has likely reshaped food webs and may have intensified the potential threat Hg poses to native fish recovery and conservation. This study documented increased Hg concentrations relative to past assessments, suggesting that continued monitoring could assist in evaluating trends in Hg accumulation. Particularly studies that focus on sources entering the food web, vectors for accumulation, and competitive interactions among native and non-native species.
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42378884
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Effective management of grasslands is necessary to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions therefrom. I used closed chambers to conduct an 11-year field study (November 2004-November 2015) to quantify cumulative nitrous oxide...Effective management of grasslands is necessary to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions therefrom. I used closed chambers to conduct an 11-year field study (November 2004-November 2015) to quantify cumulative nitrous oxide (NO) and methane (CH) emissions from grasslands in Nasu, Japan. Treatments comprised farmyard manure plus supplemental synthetic fertilizer (FYM + F plots) and synthetic fertilizer only (F plots); plots with no added nitrogen (no-N) were introduced after the first renovation. Plots underwent grassland renovation with full-inversion tillage in September 2007 and again in September 2012. Supplemental synthetic N fertilizer rates for FYM + F plots were set by a numerical model that simulated inorganic N release from decomposition of FYM. Over the observation period, cumulative NO emissions were comparable between FYM + F and F plots, a pattern attributable to stepwise reductions of annual synthetic N inputs to FYM + F plots. Renovation by full-inversion tillage was followed by reductions in annual NO emissions in subsequent years. The positive correlation between interannual NO and CH emissions suggested that these fluxes may be influenced by common environmental or microbial drivers; however, the underling mechanisms remain unclear and warrant further investigation. Annual CH balances were generally near zero or negative, which indicates net oxidation of CH under most conditions. These results indicated that annual application of FYM combined with reduced application of synthetic N can sustain herbage production without increasing NO emissions, provided synthetic N inputs are adjusted to account for FYM mineralization. Managing soil fertility to minimize inorganic N surplus therefore emerges as an effective strategy for mitigating NO emissions from grasslands, and periodic renovation to restore productivity can further reduce emissions. This long-term dataset highlights the importance of integrating organic amendments, adaptive synthetic N management, and targeted renovation in strategies aimed at reconciling forage production with mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42378883
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Agricultural nutrient runoff remains the primary driver of eutrophication in the Oslofjord, despite decades of mitigation efforts that have failed to reverse ecological decline. Agriculture accounts for approximately 39%...Agricultural nutrient runoff remains the primary driver of eutrophication in the Oslofjord, despite decades of mitigation efforts that have failed to reverse ecological decline. Agriculture accounts for approximately 39% of the total nitrogen load entering the fjord, yet regulatory interventions have not translated compliance into measurable ecological improvement. This persistent challenge is partly attributable to interventions that focus on isolated practices rather than the interconnected social, economic, and soil-system processes underlying nutrient losses. To address this gap, this study employs qualitative causal loop modelling (CLM), applied here for the first time to the Oslofjord catchment, to integrate insights from agronomy, soil science, agricultural economics, and Norwegian policy documents into a unified causal loop diagram (CLD) of the agricultural nutrient runoff subsystem. The model illustrates how farm profitability pressures, soil degradation pathways, and long-term incentives for farm enlargement and specialisation collectively reinforce nutrient runoff. The analysis demonstrates that well-intentioned regulations, such as restrictions on autumn tillage, may inadvertently intensify runoff by inducing soil compaction or promoting yield-maximising behaviours. Simultaneously, the model identifies balancing mechanisms that reduce the nutrient runoff. The analysis identifies four feedback loops, two reinforcing and two balancing, with farm profitability emerging as the dominant structural leverage point. By exposing hidden feedback and unintended consequences, the CLD serves as both an analytical and communication tool, demonstrating that effective nutrient management in the Oslofjord requires co-designed economic and environmental policies rather than the sequential layering of compliance instruments on unaddressed structural conditions.
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42378882
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Phytoremediation harnesses plants efficiently to mitigate environmental pollutants, providing an eco-friendly alternative to conventional remediation technologies. Despite of decades physiological and molecular research,...Phytoremediation harnesses plants efficiently to mitigate environmental pollutants, providing an eco-friendly alternative to conventional remediation technologies. Despite of decades physiological and molecular research, phytoremediation performance often remains context-dependent and challenging to predict, partly due to an incomplete understanding of chemically mediated interactions among plants, microbes, and contaminants in complex soil and water environments. This review synthesizes insights from chemical ecology to evaluate how root exudates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and allelochemicals orchestrate rhizosphere dynamics, microbial community assembly, and contaminant speciation and transformation. We focus on key knowledge gaps, including limited mechanistic validation of metabolite-microbe-pollutant interactions, insufficient integration of multi-omics datasets with ecological and physicochemical variables, and methodological challenges in field translation. While recent multi-omics approaches have expanded molecular resolution, their integration with ecological context and spatiotemporal dynamics remains limited. By highlighting emerging approaches and interdisciplinary strategies, this review outlines key research directions toward mechanistic, predictive, and ecologically grounded phytoremediation frameworks. It is a roadmap for advancing predictive, ecologically informed phytoremediation systems.
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42378881
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Urban trees constitute a fundamental biotic component of urban ecosystems, mediating local climate through shading, evapotranspiration and modification of radiative and aerodynamic processes. While their cooling role is...Urban trees constitute a fundamental biotic component of urban ecosystems, mediating local climate through shading, evapotranspiration and modification of radiative and aerodynamic processes. While their cooling role is widely acknowledged, the ecological mechanisms governing vertical and seasonal microclimatic regulation within urban tree canopies remain insufficiently quantified, particularly in Mediterranean cities. This study investigates how tree functional traits, canopy structure and phenology interact with urban ecosystem typologies to regulate near-surface air temperature. Continuous air temperature measurements were conducted at two vertical levels (3 m and 6 m above ground) beneath four representative urban tree species-Tilia europaea, Platanus × hispanica, Quercus robur (deciduous broadleaf) and Cupressus sempervirens (evergreen conifer)-across contrasting urban ecosystems in Coimbra, Portugal, including open parks, a street canyon and a densely built square. Results demonstrate that dense deciduous canopies function as effective ecological regulators during summer, reducing pedestrian-level air temperature by approximately 1-5 °C and generating consistent daytime vertical thermal stratification, with warmer air retained in the upper canopy and cooler air maintained below. This stratification vanished during winter leaf-off conditions, highlighting the dominant role of phenology in seasonal ecosystem functioning. Urban ecosystem typology strongly mediated canopy performance, with open park systems maximising cooling benefits and confined street canyons constraining ecosystem functioning. These findings provide empirical evidence that microclimate regulation in cities emerges from the coupled effects of tree functional traits, vertical canopy structure and urban ecosystem configuration, reinforcing the role of urban trees as key components of climate-regulating ecosystem services in Mediterranean environments. The results carry direct implications for urban heat island mitigation, public health adaptation strategies and the evidence-based design of nature-based solutions in climate-vulnerable cities.
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42372547
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Ukraine is currently the most heavily mined country in the world, with nearly 30% of its territory affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which is creating long-term constraints for agricultural recovery. Humanit...Ukraine is currently the most heavily mined country in the world, with nearly 30% of its territory affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which is creating long-term constraints for agricultural recovery. Humanitarian demining restores access to land but may also introduce secondary contamination by releasing and redistributing potentially toxic elements. In this study, we assessed the concentrations, spatial distributions, and ecological risks of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium, copper, manganese, cobalt (Co), barium and aluminium in agricultural soils from mined, manually demined, and detonation sites in southern Ukraine. Fifty topsoil samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, alongside measurements of pH, electrical conductivity, and particle size distribution. Contamination was evaluated using multiple pollution indices, including the contamination factor, enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, pollution load index, and potential ecological risk index. The concentrations of potentially toxic elements at detonation sites substantially exceeded natural background values, with some values more than 25 times the natural background level. Manually demined sites showed greater spatial variability in the concentrations of potentially toxic elements, while mined but uncleared sites showed more stable geochemical conditions. Overall, 68% of samples exceeded regional background or regulatory threshold values for at least one element. Potential ecological risk index values indicated the ecological risk was predominantly low. Localised moderate-risk cases occurred more frequently at detonation sites than at other sites. These findings demonstrate that different demining-related land conditions generate distinct contamination patterns and highlight the need for risk-based prioritisation of post-clearance soil monitoring. Integrating geochemical diagnostics, spatial analysis, and updated environmental standards is essential for ensuring safe and sustainable post-conflict land restoration.
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42372546
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This study presents a transdisciplinary framework for forecasting environmental protection expenditure (EPE), validated within the Turkish macro-institutional context. The research integrates econometric forecasting with...This study presents a transdisciplinary framework for forecasting environmental protection expenditure (EPE), validated within the Turkish macro-institutional context. The research integrates econometric forecasting with environmental policy and resource management to project national and domain-specific EPE, bridging the gap between abstract econometric modeling and actionable institutional policy recommendations. Novel GDP-based and trend continuation models were developed to address the global challenge of financing environmental protection and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The robust GDP-based models, which align closely with historical data, project Türkiye's total EPE to reach 11.2 to 20.8 billion US$ by 2029. This significantly contrasts with trend continuation forecasts of 5.5 to 11.1 billion US$, highlighting an imminent green funding gap and the critical role of economic growth in funding sustainable transitions. Considering Türkiye's 2023 expenditure of 9.4 billion US$, these projections offer practical implications for strategic planning, fiscal tools like green bonds, and resource allocation. Domain-specific forecasts, such as those for waste and wastewater management, underscore areas vital for local environmental quality. This scalable methodology provides a crucial tool for institutional policymakers, informing evidence-based decisions and accelerating environmental innovations to achieve national and global sustainability goals.
Manning VA, Moore PA, Medina AR
… +1 more, Trippe KM
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42364365
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Ammonia emissions from animal feeding operations are a major source of nitrogen loss and environmental pollution. Nitrifying bacteria used within ammonia scrubbers offers a promising strategy to recover nitrogen for fert...Ammonia emissions from animal feeding operations are a major source of nitrogen loss and environmental pollution. Nitrifying bacteria used within ammonia scrubbers offers a promising strategy to recover nitrogen for fertilizer; however, the acidic environment within air scrubbers generally inhibits nitrification and sustained nitrification at low pH remains poorly understood. Here, we present a genome-resolved analysis of an acid-tolerant nitrifying community (ATNC) enriched from a laboratory bioreactor operating at pH values between 4 and 4.6 that was previously shown to support nitrification. Long-read metagenomic sequencing yielded 12 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes accounting for 94.7% of community abundance, including four phylogenetically distinct Nitrospira representing both comammox and canonical nitrite-oxidizing lineages, alongside heterotrophic species of Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and a filamentous Ktedonobacterales strain. Genomic reconstruction suggested niche partitioning in nitrogen cycling, with comammox Nitrospira encoding the capacity for complete nitrification and Rhodanobacteraceae harboring genes associated with denitrification. Acid tolerance and biofilm persistence were associated with diverse ion-transport systems, alternative respiratory complexes, extracellular polymeric substance biosynthesis, and expanded repertoires of secreted proteases and carbohydrate-active enzymes that facilitate matrix turnover and carbon scavenging. Within the biofilm, Chloroflexi likely contribute structural scaffolding, while heterotrophs appear to be adapted for extracellular organic matter turnover and to act as metabolic partners. Together, these findings suggest that metabolic cooperation, functional redundancy, and biofilm-mediated resource sharing may support nitrification under acidic conditions. This work provides genome-resolved insight into the microbial processes potentially underpinning nitrification-enhanced ammonia capture and identifies candidate genomic features relevant to optimizing nitrogen recovery while minimizing denitrification-driven losses in engineered systems.
Ruto D, Vincent C, Jang Z
… +4 more, Cornejo P, Leverenz H, Mehl S, Orner K
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42364364
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Excess nitrogen and phosphorus discharges from wastewater lagoons pose persistent challenges for small communities, potentially contributing to eutrophication, and regulatory non-compliance. While lagoons remain popular...Excess nitrogen and phosphorus discharges from wastewater lagoons pose persistent challenges for small communities, potentially contributing to eutrophication, and regulatory non-compliance. While lagoons remain popular due to operational simplicity and cost effectiveness, they often achieve limited nutrient removal relative to some alternative technologies. This study evaluated nine nutrient management scenarios for small community lagoons in the U.S. using life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis. Scenarios included a baseline clay-lined facultative lagoon, a membrane-lined facultative lagoon, an aerated lagoon with maturation pond, and six aerated lagoon-maturation pond configurations with either biodomes, iron-dosed upflow reactor, packed-bed biofilm reactor, moving bed biofilm reactor, constructed wetland, or an algal pond. Environmental impacts were assessed as global warming potential (GWP) and freshwater and marine eutrophication potential (FEP and MEP, respectively), while economic performance was measured as present worth of costs (PWC) over a 20-year system lifetime. Baseline lagoons were cost effective ($0.20-$0.30/m) but exhibited the highest GWP (~3 kg CO eq/m), FEP (~0.015 kg P/m), and MEP (~0.009 kg N/m). Packed-bed reactor and iron-dosed upflow reactor scenarios achieved 70% reductions in both FEP and MEP, with moderate GWP (0.8-1.0 kg CO eq/m), though at high costs ($0.86-$1.19/m). Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses identified effluent nutrient concentrations, design flow, and capital costs as dominant factors influencing outcomes. Overall, this study offers a robust framework for comparing treatment alternatives beyond upfront costs alone, guiding the selection of environmentally responsible, economically viable, and locally appropriate nutrient management solutions for small communities.
Sci Total Environ
· 2026 Jun · PMID 42361393
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Wildfires are dominant drivers of biosphere-atmosphere exchange and ecosystem turnover, yet the statistical frameworks underpinning fire-risk assessment commonly assume power-law (scale-invariant) distributions for fire...Wildfires are dominant drivers of biosphere-atmosphere exchange and ecosystem turnover, yet the statistical frameworks underpinning fire-risk assessment commonly assume power-law (scale-invariant) distributions for fire sizes. Here we examine whether this assumption holds for fire cluster area-the contiguous burned-area extent of individual fire events, measured in MODIS 500-m pixels (1 pixel≈21.5ha) and serving as our primary metric of event magnitude. We fitted discrete power-law and truncated lognormal distributions to 23 years (2001-2023) of MODIS MCD64A1 Collection6.1 burned-area data across four sentinel regions representing Mediterranean (California, Greece, Portugal) and Boreal (Central Siberia) biomes. Of 92 region-year combinations, 81 (88%) provided sufficient tail samples (n≥50 fire clusters above the lower fitting threshold x) for robust inference. In every valid case, the lognormal distribution significantly outperformed the power-law model: the mean log-likelihood ratio was R=12.8±8.2 (all Vuong p<0.001; mean ΔAIC=24.8±16.4). Despite this lognormal preference, fitted power-law exponents remained in the heavy-tailed regime in 98.8% of cases (α<2; mean α=1.73±0.11), confirming that catastrophically large fire clusters dominate total burned area. No significant temporal trend in tail exponents was detected over the study period (p=0.42), suggesting that the statistical mechanics of fire-cluster growth have remained stable even as overall fire activity has intensified. A counterfactual simulation using Central Siberian parameters quantified the "inflationary bias" introduced by unconstrained power-law extrapolation: at theoretical continental scales, power-law models overestimate cumulative burned area by a factor of ≈8.3 relative to a physically constrained lognormal model. These results call for the adoption of lognormal-based frameworks in environmental risk assessment and carbon-budget modelling for fire-prone biomes.