Sci. Total Environ. [JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Longitudinal wastewater-based surveillance of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci in tertiary-care hospitals.
Au E, Acosta N, Waddell BJ … +28 more , Lee J, Du K, Weyant RB, Bautista M, McCalder J, Van Doorn J, Low K, Stefani S, Visser G, Clark R, Pitout J, Kim J, Missaghi B, Larios O, Kanji J, Vayalumkal J, Leal J, Westlund P, Quinn RR, James MT, Lee B, Pang XL, Dalton B, Frankowski K, O'Grady C, Conly JM, Hubert CRJ, Parkins MD
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42217846 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is an important cause of healthcare-associated infections. We adapted wastewater-based surveillance as a tool to longitudinally monitor VRE in hospitals through the dete...
OBJECTIVE: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is an important cause of healthcare-associated infections. We adapted wastewater-based surveillance as a tool to longitudinally monitor VRE in hospitals through the detection of vancomycin resistance genes vanA and vanB. METHODS: Wastewater from four tertiary-care hospitals (three adult and one pediatric, totaling >2300 inpatient beds) and all three municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Calgary, Canada (∼1.8 million) was sampled weekly (March to September 2022) and every other week (September 2022 to March 2023). Wastewater pellets were collected, DNA extracted, and vanA and vanB quantified by qPCR. vanA and vanB gene copies were assessed as raw (copies/mL) and normalized with three different fecal biomarkers - total bacterial 16S-rRNA, Bacteroides HF183 16S-rRNA, and human 18S-rRNA. Raw and normalized vanA and vanB abundance from each site was compared with clinically identified infections, vancomycin prescribing and hemodialysis services. RESULTS: The abundance of vanA was up to 1085-fold higher (p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney) and vanB up to 32-fold higher (p < 0.01, Mann-Whitney) in adult hospitals compared to an aggregate municipal signal and exhibited significantly greater variation. Strong correlations between each method of fecal normalization and raw-measured vanA and vanB were observed, and no normalization method proved superior (Spearman's r = 0.50-0.96, p < 0.0001). vanA abundance was strongly correlated with hemodialysis provision (Spearman's r = 0.8357, p < 0.0001) but not vancomycin prescribing. CONCLUSIONS: Wastewater-based surveillance is a comprehensive tool capable of longitudinal real-time hospital surveillance for VRE with the potential to transform the ability of infection control and antimicrobial stewardship programs to dynamically track, understand, and mitigate nosocomial antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
Short-term, high-end environmentally -relevant diazepam exposure induces sex-specific behavioral and molecular alterations in adult zebrafish.
Grisotto J, Tavakolian Haghighi S, Moretti U … +1 more , Paolone G
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42214206 · Publisher ↗
Pharmaceuticals with psychoactive properties are increasingly recognized as emerging pollutants, raising concern due to their persistent release and long-term stability in aquatic environments. We investigated the behavi...
Pharmaceuticals with psychoactive properties are increasingly recognized as emerging pollutants, raising concern due to their persistent release and long-term stability in aquatic environments. We investigated the behavioral and molecular effects of continuous 24-h exposure to diazepam (DZP) at worst-case environmentally relevant (12 μg/L) and one order of magnitude higher concentration (120 μg/L) in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behavioral investigations, performed 24-h post exposure, revealed sex-specific responses: females exposed to 12 μg/L showed reduced dark preference and freezing time, indicative of anxiolytic effect, while males at 120 μg/L exhibited increased light avoidance, suggesting anxiogenic behavior, while locomotor parameters remained unchanged, and anxiety-related indices in the novel tank test (NTT) further confirmed that DZP, at these concentrations, did not exert sedative effects. At the molecular level, gabra1 gene expression was upregulated in females exposed to the lower concentration and downregulated in males exposed to the higher dose. In line with this finding, histological analyses revealed increased expression of GABA-A receptor subunit α in the telencephalon of females. These findings revealed that short-term, low-concentration DZP exposure induces pronounced sex-specific behavioral and neurochemical alterations in adult zebrafish, highlighting the ecological risk of benzodiazepine contamination and the relevance of sex differences research to environmental risk assessment.
Seasonally dynamic thresholds enhance identification of hydrologic and water-quality critical source areas.
Shukla R, Rudra R, Daggupati P … +1 more , Goel P
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42214205 · Publisher ↗
Agricultural phosphorus and sediment losses remain major water quality concerns in the Great Lakes Basin, necessitating improved identification of Critical Source Areas (CSAs). This study evaluates a modified SWAT-VSA fr...
Agricultural phosphorus and sediment losses remain major water quality concerns in the Great Lakes Basin, necessitating improved identification of Critical Source Areas (CSAs). This study evaluates a modified SWAT-VSA framework against the standard Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for seasonal CSA delineation in an agricultural watershed in Southern Ontario, Canada. The SWAT-VSA model integrates Variable Source Area (VSA) hydrology using the Soil Topographic Index (STI) and applies seasonally dynamic thresholds supported by a storm erosion index to capture the timing of sediment and phosphorus export. Both models reasonably reproduced observed streamflow and water-quality trends, though total water yield was underestimated; subsurface flow dominated the hydrologic balance (∼73%). Compared with SWAT, and SWAT-VSA generated higher surface runoff consistent with VSA-driven processes and produced lower and conceptually more consistent estimates of sediment (3.4 t/ha yr) and phosphorus (2.08 kg/ha yr), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Seasonal CSA mapping identified winter and spring as peak risk periods, minimal contributions during summer, and moderate risks in fall. The results demonstrate that coupling VSA hydrology with season-specific thresholds improves the spatial and temporal identification of CSAs and provides a more effective basis for targeting best management practices. The results demonstrate that coupling VSA hydrology with season-specific thresholds improves the spatial and temporal identification of CSAs and provides a more effective basis for targeting best management practices.
Fencing off critical source areas reduces faecal contamination and reshapes microbial communities in agricultural headwater catchments.
Cookson AL, Collis RM, Soni A … +2 more , Srey F, Muirhead RW
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42214204 · Publisher ↗
Agricultural headwater catchments are critical sources of microbial contamination to surface waters, yet the effectiveness of mitigation practices in these small, dynamic systems is not well defined. A paired-catchment e...
Agricultural headwater catchments are critical sources of microbial contamination to surface waters, yet the effectiveness of mitigation practices in these small, dynamic systems is not well defined. A paired-catchment experimental design was used to assess the effects of permanent fencing of critical source areas (CSAs) in ephemeral streams within deer-grazed pastures. Faecal, soil, and freshwater samples were collected over four years, comprising two years of baseline monitoring and two years following mitigation. Viable Escherichia coli concentrations were measured in faeces, soil and water alongside high-resolution microbiome profiling and microbial source tracking. Microbiomes of freshly voided faeces were dominated by anaerobic taxa (Bacteroidia, Clostridia and Spirochaetia) which were significantly reduced (p < 0.001) in aged faeces and replaced by aerotolerant Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria (p < 0.001). Fencing reduced E. coli concentrations in CSA soils by 87.4% (p < 0.0001) and by 47.0% (p = 0.041) in storm event flows, with the strongest effects in water during baseflow conditions with a 60.6% (p < 0.0004) reduction in E. coli. Freshwater microbial alpha diversity increased in the treated catchment, while soil microbiomes remained stable. Beta diversity analyses indicated distinct shifts in freshwater communities after the permanent fenced treatment, but shifts in the CSA soil microbiomes after fencing were not observed. Source tracking indicated reduced CSA soil contributions (p < 0.001), with a greater relative influence of aged faeces during storm events (p < 0.0001). These results demonstrate that fencing off CSAs can lower faecal inputs and alter aquatic microbial communities. Culture-based and sequencing approaches provided complementary insights into contamination patterns, linking observed reductions in E. coli concentrations to changes in microbial diversity and community structure. This work highlights how mitigation targeting CSAs can influence both water quality and freshwater microbiomes, and underscores the value of integrating traditional monitoring with molecular methods in evaluating agricultural management practices.
Probabilistic assessment of heavy metal risks in sewage sludge using BCR speciation and Bayesian networks.
Janaszek-Kowalik A, Kowalik R, da Silva AF … +3 more , Nešović A, Kozłowski T, Kanuchova M
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42214203 · Publisher ↗
The environmental risk associated with heavy metals in sewage sludge is commonly assessed using total metal concentrations; however, this approach fails to account for differences in metal mobility and bioavailability go...
The environmental risk associated with heavy metals in sewage sludge is commonly assessed using total metal concentrations; however, this approach fails to account for differences in metal mobility and bioavailability governed by chemical binding forms. In this study, an integrated probabilistic framework was developed to assess heavy metal mobility in sewage sludge by combining BCR sequential extraction, speciation-based risk indices, and Bayesian network modelling. Sewage sludge samples collected from multiple municipal wastewater treatment plants under different seasonal and operational conditions were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties, total metal content, and chemical speciation. The application of conventional risk indices revealed substantial inconsistencies in risk classification, reflecting their divergent conceptual foundations and limited ability to provide coherent decision support. The Bayesian network model integrated heterogeneous inputs, including metal speciation fractions, risk indices, and operational factors, to generate probability-based assessments of overall metal mobility risk. The results demonstrated that metals associated with labile fractions exhibited the highest probability of elevated mobility risk, while metals predominantly bound to stable fractions were consistently classified as low risk across scenarios. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that chemical speciation was the dominant driver of mobility risk, with physicochemical and operational factors influencing risk indirectly through their effect on metal binding behavior. The proposed framework advances sewage sludge risk assessment beyond deterministic and retrospective approaches by explicitly accounting for uncertainty and enabling scenario-based evaluation. By providing probabilistic, decision-oriented insights, the integrated approach offers a robust tool for supporting sustainable sewage sludge management and can be adapted to other complex environmental systems. This study represents one of the first attempts to integrate chemical speciation and Bayesian inference into a unified probabilistic framework for sewage sludge risk assessment.
Mercury reduction in water by engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs): Effects of light irradiation and humic acid coating of AgNPs.
Oladoye PO, Liu G, Cai Y
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42214202 · Publisher ↗
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), due to their electrochemical capability of reducing mercury (Hg), amalgamation potential with elemental Hg (Hg(0)), and surface plasmon properties under light, may play important roles in Hg...
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), due to their electrochemical capability of reducing mercury (Hg), amalgamation potential with elemental Hg (Hg(0)), and surface plasmon properties under light, may play important roles in Hg redox transformation and cycling when coexisting in the environment. However, the potential effects of AgNPs on the aqueous reduction of Hg(II) are still largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the reduction of 5 mg/L and 250 μg/L Hg(II) by bare AgNPs and humic acid coated-AgNPs (HA-AgNPs) under dark condition and light irradiation for 30 min using acetate buffer as matrix. In addition, we examined the potential role of AgNPs in Hg(II) reduction in wastewater using incubation experiments. We found that coating impacted on the total Hg(0) generated from redox reaction of the nanoparticles with Hg(II), with higher amount in bare AgNPs compared to HA-AgNPs under dark condition. Under light irradiation, coating significantly reduced Hg(0) obtained, suggested to be as a result of photo-production of Hg(0)-oxidants by the humic acid coating. Hg(0) generated was found to amalgamate readily with the solid phase (AgNPs/HA-AgNPs), with little released as purgeable Hg(0). Overall, the concentrations of purgeable Hg(0) obtained from AgNPs and HA-AgNPs suspensions under light irradiation were significantly higher than under dark condition. Results from incubation experiment demonstrated the potential of AgNPs to play key role in Hg(II) reduction in wastewaters under light irradiation than dark condition. This study highlighted the potential roles of AgNPs and HA-AgNPs to act as a sink for Hg(0) (via amalgamation) or a facilitator of reduction (via redox reactions) of Hg(II) in different environmental compartments, thereby playing important roles in the biogeochemical cycling of Hg.
Impacts of artificial light at night on interactions between four trematode parasites and their marine invertebrate hosts: species-specific effects?
Li QL, Poulin R, Li CH
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42214201 · Publisher ↗
Parasitism is influenced by anthropogenic stressors, among which artificial light at night (ALAN) remains understudied. With the expansion of urban areas and the development of lighting technology, the range and intensit...
Parasitism is influenced by anthropogenic stressors, among which artificial light at night (ALAN) remains understudied. With the expansion of urban areas and the development of lighting technology, the range and intensity of ALAN's effects on host-parasite interactions are increasing. Trematodes, with their complex life cycles, are particularly sensitive to anthropogenic stressors, especially during the transmission of motile cercariae (infective stages) from the first to the second intermediate host while exposed to external conditions. We examined how three types of ALAN (warm white LED, cold white LED, ultraviolet fluorescent light) affect: (1) the cercarial output of four trematode species (Acanthoparyphium sp., Galactosomum otepotiense, Maritrema novaezealandense, and Philophthalmus attenuatus) from snail hosts; (2) the light attraction of snails infected by different trematode species; (3) the light attraction of cercariae of the four trematodes; and (4) the transmission of M. novaezealandense cercariae from snails to amphipod second intermediate hosts. We observed strong species-specific differences in cercarial output among ALAN treatments. Snails consistently avoided light containing UV radiation, while their responses to other light types varied depending on the trematode species infecting them. Cercariae of different species differed in their attraction to light. Transmission success of M. novaezealandense to amphipods was highest under UV light and lowest under cold white light. The interspecific differences observed can be explained by divergence among the phylogenetically-unrelated trematodes, whereas impacts on M. novaezealandense transmission success may reflect the amphipods' susceptibility under different ALAN conditions. Light pollution represents an underestimated anthropogenic stressor whose effects on host-parasite interactions demand greater recognition.
Multicriteria environmental vulnerability modeling in hydropower basins of the southern Amazon using the AHP-Delphi approach.
da Conceição RP, de Souza Costa CEA, Gomes EP … +3 more , Lisboa EG, Canteras FB, Progênio MF
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42214200 · Publisher ↗
Hydropower development in the Amazon intensifies land use changes and environmental pressures, especially where multiple dams operate and exert cumulative influence. Understanding how these dynamics affect environmental...
Hydropower development in the Amazon intensifies land use changes and environmental pressures, especially where multiple dams operate and exert cumulative influence. Understanding how these dynamics affect environmental vulnerability is essential for territorial planning. This study assesses environmental vulnerability in the areas of influence of the São Manoel and Teles Pires hydroelectric plants, located in the southern Amazon, integrating land use dynamics, climate variability, topographic conditions, vegetation, and anthropogenic factors. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Delphi method was combined with geoprocessing and land use change modeling (CA-ANN) to analyze vulnerability in 2013 and 2023 and project conditions for 2050. The CA-ANN model demonstrated high predictive performance (Kappa = 0.8432; overall accuracy = 90.23%), enabling simulations for future land use. Forest loss and the expansion of agricultural and pasture areas between 2013 and 2023 resulted in an increase in vulnerability classes from moderate to very high, particularly in areas with highly dissected and rugged terrain, shallow soils, and recurring fire activity. The projection for 2050 indicates a spatial redistribution of vulnerability, with a tendency toward intensification in areas associated with high rainfall, intense relief dissection, and low vegetation cover. These findings highlight the interdependence between land conversion processes, precipitation patterns, and geomorphological stability, reinforcing the need for strategic conservation actions, such as the implementation of Environmental Protection Areas (APAs) to mitigate cumulative impacts and maintain the ecological and operational resilience of the hydroelectric system.
From wastewater treatment to energy devices: A comprehensive review on biochar utilization and reuse pathways.
Gururani P, Bhatnagar P, Rawat P … +4 more , Kimothi S, Joshi NC, Pant M, Joshi R
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42208482 · Publisher ↗
In current years, the elimination of heavy metals from wastewater systems has become a global concern due to persistent adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Adsorption technique has gained much attention for t...
In current years, the elimination of heavy metals from wastewater systems has become a global concern due to persistent adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Adsorption technique has gained much attention for the removal of heavy metals from aquatic environments because of advantages like great efficiency, cost-effectiveness and simple operation. Biochar, a carbonaceous material, has been extensively applied for removing heavy metals from aqueous systems due to its low cost and eco-friendly nature. However, numerous existing studies are focusing on elimination of heavy metals from wastewater by using biochar as an adsorbent, but very few emphasize on re-utilization of spent biochar, which is a crucial concern. This is because if spent biochar is discharged or landfilled untreated into the environment can increase the risk of secondary pollution thus harming the ecosystem and mankind. Therefore, the present paper critically reviews the recent applications of biochar in removing heavy metals from wastewater along with potential electrochemical applications of metals loaded biochar in developing super-capacitors or other energy storage devices. The review also comprehensively discussed the characteristics of different biomass feedstock, methods used for biochar production and various physical, chemical and biological biochar engineering techniques. The key mechanisms involved in adsorption of heavy metals from aquatic systems through biochar have been reviewed. The paper also highlighted technical barriers, benefits-cost analysis, market status, future directions and scope of biochar as an adsorbent. Hence, the review will assist the successful development of highly efficient biochar-based adsorption techniques for eliminating heavy metals from aqueous environments.
A systematic typology and synthesis of aquatic refuges in freshwater ecosystems.
Lucchini M, Trutin L, Beisel JN … +1 more , Staentzel C
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42208481 · Publisher ↗
Aquatic refuges play a crucial role in ecosystem resilience because they can provide suitable conditions for species during periods of environmental stress. This is particularly important as freshwater ecosystems are hig...
Aquatic refuges play a crucial role in ecosystem resilience because they can provide suitable conditions for species during periods of environmental stress. This is particularly important as freshwater ecosystems are highly vulnerable to global change drivers, including extreme hydraulic and thermal variations, pollution and the fragmentation of species ranges. Despite their importance, the identification and characterization of refuges remain limited by the lack of a unified conceptual framework and clear operational definitions. To provide a reproducible framework for understanding aquatic refuges, we conducted a literature review using the Web of Science databases and the PECO framework aligned with systematic review standards. From 208 papers, we extracted 530 records describing refuge characteristics in freshwater ecosystems, including hydrosystem type, terminology used, qualitative definitions, mitigated threats, protected biota, and key biotic and abiotic factors involved. The analysis highlighted two major conceptual gradients shaping how refuges are interpreted in literature. The first spans refuges defined as context-dependent habitat patches to refuges defined by biotic persistence and functional roles. The second extends from refuges linked to dynamic hydrology and short-term or seasonal survival to those providing thermal stability and supporting long-term persistence. Within this conceptual space, we identified seven types of aquatic refuges -hydrological, climatic, anthropic, biological, thermal, hydromorphological and water quality- each associated with a distinct mitigated threat. Together, these results provide a unified basis for characterizing aquatic refuges and support their integration into freshwater biodiversity management under global change.
Reduced nitrogen fertilization combined with microbial bio-inputs restores soil bacterial functional profiles and sustains wheat performance.
Pecourt A, Bertrand A, Catterou M … +7 more , Rochex A, Arnauld S, Lacoux J, Sarazin V, Leclère V, Dubois F, Duclercq J
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42208480 · Publisher ↗
Nitrogen (N) fertilization is a major driver of wheat productivity but also entails significant environmental costs, underscoring the need for strategies that reduce N inputs without compromising yield. Microbial bio-inp...
Nitrogen (N) fertilization is a major driver of wheat productivity but also entails significant environmental costs, underscoring the need for strategies that reduce N inputs without compromising yield. Microbial bio-inputs are increasingly proposed as complementary tools to improve N use efficiency, yet their effects on soil microbial communities and functions under reduced N fertilization remain poorly documented in wheat agrosystems. In this study, we investigated the effects of two microbial bio-inputs, Sphingomonas sediminicola Dae20 and the cell-free supernatant of Bacillus velezensis GA1, applied alone or in combination under reduced N fertilization, on wheat performance, soil microbial functioning and bacterial community structure. A field experiment was conducted with five management treatments, including conventional or reduced N fertilization and reduced N combined with each bio-input or their combination. Grain yield and quality were measured, alongside soil microbial metabolic activity, functional richness, and bacterial community structure at tillering, stem elongation and ripening. Reducing N fertilization resulted in a yield decrease of approximately 20%, while grain quality remained unaffected. Both bio-inputs partially compensated for yield losses, and their combined application restored yields obtained under conventional fertilization, without increasing grain N and protein concentrations. Bio-input effects were mainly functional, as bacterial diversity remained stable across treatments. In contrast, microbial metabolic activity and functional richness declined sharply at the end of the crop cycle in untreated soils but were maintained in bio-input-treated soils. These late-season effects coincided with wheat senescence, suggesting that bio-inputs stabilize microbial functioning when rhizosphere resources become limiting. Together, our results indicate that microbial bio-inputs do not reshape soil bacterial diversity but act as functional buffers of the soil microbiome, contributing to improved crop performance under reduced N fertilization and highlighting the importance of integrating functional and temporal indicators when evaluating bio-input strategies for sustainable agroecosystems.
Comparative evaluation of Tobit and Free Ion Activity Models for optimizing genotype-specific permissible arsenic limits in rice soil and irrigation water.
Sinha A, Bhattacharyya K, Sengupta S … +3 more , Kumar PD, Golui D, Thakur S
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42208479 · Publisher ↗
Arsenic (As) contamination in soil and irrigation water poses a significant threat to food safety, particularly in rice-growing regions of Gangetic West Bengal, where As-enriched groundwater is widely used for irrigation...
Arsenic (As) contamination in soil and irrigation water poses a significant threat to food safety, particularly in rice-growing regions of Gangetic West Bengal, where As-enriched groundwater is widely used for irrigation. Rice cultivation under flooded, anaerobic conditions promotes As mobilization through reductive dissolution of Fe/Mn hydroxides and the conversion of arsenate [As(V)] to the more mobile arsenite [As(III)], which is readily taken up by rice roots via silicic acid transporters. Although inorganic As species dominate, small amounts of methylated As (MMA, DMA) from microbial transformations may also contribute to bioavailability. However, scientifically validated threshold values for arsenic in both soil and irrigation water remain poorly defined for rice-based agroecosystems. This study quantified the permissible limits of As in soil and irrigation water for safe Boro rice cultivation using a combination of controlled pot experiments and predictive modelling. Soils from five arsenic-affected districts of Gangetic West Bengal were spiked with graded As concentrations and cultivated with rice, followed by analysis of As in soil, irrigation water, and rice grains. Two modelling approaches were employed: Tobit regression, which accounts for censored dietary risk thresholds, and the solubility-based Free Ion Activity Model (FIAM), which integrates soil pH and organic carbon effects on As mobility. The novelty of this study lies in the comparative application of a censored regression model and a mechanistic solubility-based model to derive regulatory thresholds for arsenic in rice cultivation systems. The Tobit model predicted higher permissible limits, suggesting a maximum soil Olsen extractable As content of 4.00 mg kg under As-free irrigation water, while FIAM explained 88.09% of the variation in grain As. The Tobit approach provided more practical and flexible regulatory limits across irrigation scenarios, whereas FIAM offered a conservative, process-based assessment driven by soil chemical properties. Together, the two models complement each other by combining empirical threshold prediction with mechanistic risk evaluation. These findings provide a mechanistic and statistical framework for defining safe As thresholds, supporting evidence-based management and policy development for sustainable rice cultivation in As-affected agroecosystems.
Cord-blood black carbon burden is associated with coordinated inflammatory and heme-metabolic transcriptional programs at birth in Bradford, United Kingdom.
Kahroba H, Vanbrabant K, van Herwijnen M … +9 more , Kamps R, Waiblinger D, Walker M, Ameloot M, Roeffaers M, Wright J, Nawrot T, de Kok TM, Krauskopf J
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42202538 · Publisher ↗
Prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution has been linked to adverse perinatal and childhood outcomes, yet the molecular consequences of fetal black carbon (BC) exposure remain poorly characterized. In this prospective...
Prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution has been linked to adverse perinatal and childhood outcomes, yet the molecular consequences of fetal black carbon (BC) exposure remain poorly characterized. In this prospective study nested within the Born in Bradford's Better Start cohort and the wider Born in Bradford data linkage cohort, we examined the association between cord-blood BC burden and neonatal cord-blood gene expression at birth. BC particles were quantified in cord blood using label-free femtosecond pulsed-laser microscopy, and transcriptomic profiling was performed with the BioSpyder TempO-Seq whole-transcriptome platform. Of 109 mother-infant pairs with exposure measurements and metadata, 83 samples passed transcriptomic quality control and were included in the analysis. Gene-level associations with log10-transformed BC were evaluated using limma-voom models adjusted for library batch, infant sex, cohort source, and maternal age. Pathway-level analyses were performed using CAMERA, with fry as sensitivity analysis, and robustness of pathway-contributing genes was assessed using 100 repeated 20% holdout analyses. No individual genes remained significant after false discovery rate correction across 9941 tested genes. In contrast, CAMERA identified two enriched Hallmark pathways associated with higher cord-blood BC: negative enrichment of heme metabolism and positive enrichment of TNFα signaling via NF-κB. These two pathways showed concordant directions in fry analysis, although they did not reach statistical significance in that framework. Additional Hallmark, GO Biological Process, and Reactome signals were directionally consistent but did not survive multiple-testing correction. Of 233 directional genes extracted from the two significant Hallmark pathways, 184 remained stable across repeated holdout analyses. These exploratory findings suggest that fetal BC exposure may be associated with coordinated inflammatory activation and suppression of heme-metabolic transcriptional programs at birth, warranting replication in independent cohorts.
Prototype of a global model for regulating ecosystem services of inland wetlands.
de Klein JJM, Janse JH, van Dam AA … +4 more , Hes EMA, van Beek R, Wallnöfer I, Verhoeven JTA
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42202537 · Publisher ↗
Natural wetlands deliver a range of ecosystem services like water, food and fibre provisioning, carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, and support for biodiversity. With respect to climate change, wetlands may act as...
Natural wetlands deliver a range of ecosystem services like water, food and fibre provisioning, carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, and support for biodiversity. With respect to climate change, wetlands may act as a carbon sink or source, depending on management conditions. Despite their value, wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate, and threatened by hydrological alteration, pollution and climate change. For an effective wetland policy there is a need to relate the state of wetlands to regional and global land-use and climate change projections, and to relate ecosystem services to wetland processes. Wetlands are, however, generally under-represented in global models and assessments. Here we present a model that estimates vegetation biomass production, carbon emissions, and water quality of freshwater wetlands on a global scale with different hydrological and climate conditions. The main hydro-ecological processes are described in a generic way, accounting for climate zones, water level fluctuations and main hydrological types: rain-/groundwater fed (ponded) wetlands and surface water-fed floodplain wetlands (flooded). The model is coupled to global hydrological (PCR-GLOBWB) and climate and land-use (IMAGE-GNM) models. It estimates the wetlands ecosystem services, in particular regulating ecosystem services like water availability, carbon sequestration/emission and nutrient retention that are difficult to quantify otherwise. The model was applied to several wetland types in widely varying climate regions (Sweden, Germany, Spain, subtropical China, tropical Brazil and Kenya). Results show that the model generates plausible results compared to measured data of greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient concentrations. Furthermore, the model can discriminate between wetlands with different environmental conditions, resulting in wetlands being either a sink or a source of carbon. A regionalized parameterization is in progress. Further potential applications of model outcomes include regional assessments of wetland ecosystem services, determining ecosystem services under alternative management, climate and land use scenarios, and link these to conditions for biodiversity.
Winter inversions and summer smoke: A season-dependent approach to PM₂.₅ modeling with low-cost sensors in complex terrain.
Swanson A, Orr A, Holden ZA … +2 more , Bocinsky K, Landguth EL
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42202536 · Full text
Accurate PM monitoring in complex terrain is challenged by sparse regulatory networks and distinct seasonal pollution sources, like winter temperature inversions and summer wildfires. This study develops and evaluates a...
Accurate PM monitoring in complex terrain is challenged by sparse regulatory networks and distinct seasonal pollution sources, like winter temperature inversions and summer wildfires. This study develops and evaluates a hybrid modeling framework that integrates bias-corrected low-cost sensor data to improve spatial and temporal PM mapping in Montana, USA. We first applied a local, observation-based bias correction to dense PurpleAir sensor network, substantially improving agreement with reference monitors (R increased from 0.750 for a generic correction to 0.838). This corrected data was used to create high-resolution smog potential (smogP) surface, a static layer representing terrain-driven pollution accumulation, which explained 59.5% of the spatial variance of mean PM during wintertime inversion events. Daily 600 m resolution PM grids were then generated using geographically weighted regression framework. Cross-validation revealed a strong seasonal dichotomy in model performance: during the winter inversion season (November-March), models incorporating the smogP layer were critical and consistently outperformed other approaches. Conversely, during the summer wildfire season (May-September), the high density of sensor data alone was often sufficient, with simpler spatial interpolation models proving as effective at capturing the diffuse nature of large smoke plumes than models constrained by static covariates like smogP or satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD). We conclude that the optimal strategy for PM mapping in complex terrain is season-dependent, and this work provides a framework for leveraging citizen-science data to enhance air quality forecasting in these challenging environments. SYNOPSIS: Effective PM monitoring/modeling in complex terrain requires a seasonally adaptive strategy, using a terrain-based smog potential model for winter inversions and flexible spatial interpolation of dense sensor data for summer wildfire smoke.
Hydrodynamic drivers of circulation and exchange dynamics in large interconnected Lake Michigan-Huron system: Insights into mixing and transport processes.
Rashid F, Fisk AT, Saber A
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42190358 · Publisher ↗
Large, interconnected lake systems exhibit complex hydrodynamics driven by atmospheric forcing, basin morphology, and inter-lake exchange flows. This complexity is particularly evident in the Lake Michigan-Huron system,...
Large, interconnected lake systems exhibit complex hydrodynamics driven by atmospheric forcing, basin morphology, and inter-lake exchange flows. This complexity is particularly evident in the Lake Michigan-Huron system, where Lakes Michigan and Huron function as a single hydraulically connected basin linked through the Straits of Mackinac. This study investigates the lakes' dynamics, including seasonal thermal structure, stratification stability, vertical mixing intensity, inter-lake exchange dynamics, and circulation patterns, using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model rigorously validated against observational data. Results indicated a predominantly dimictic thermal regime, with occasional periods of inverse stratification during late winter (February-March), particularly in Lake Huron. Lake Michigan sustains stronger summer stratification and higher epilimnetic temperatures than Lake Huron. Exchange-flow analysis revealed highly oscillatory daily motion through the straits with a mean bidirectional flow magnitude of 13,449 m s, while monthly net transport remained consistently eastward from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron with a mean flow rate of 2060 m s. Power spectral density analysis identified dominant Helmholtz oscillations at a 2.83-day period, with winter oscillatory energy exceeding summer values by nearly an order of magnitude. Seasonal transition from barotropic winter circulation to baroclinic summer flow fundamentally alters inter-lake exchange structure at the straits, shifting from depth-uniform in winter to two-layer bidirectional transport in summer. These findings demonstrate that, despite their hydraulic continuity, the two lakes function as thermally and dynamically distinct systems. The process-level insights could provide a robust foundation for improved understanding of contaminant transport, climate variability assessment, and ecosystem management in large, interconnected lake systems.
CNNs vs. transformers: A benchmark for multi-class marine debris identification.
Termass B, Hamdi Y, Fnadi M … +2 more , Lee CC, Farhaoui Y
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42190357 · Publisher ↗
Marine debris presents serious threats to aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity, and human livelihoods, with most carrying plastic wastes. This study addresses the urgent need for effective marine debris classification throug...
Marine debris presents serious threats to aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity, and human livelihoods, with most carrying plastic wastes. This study addresses the urgent need for effective marine debris classification through advanced deep learning models. Performance of Convolutional Neural Networks like InceptionV3, ResNet-50, and VGG-16 was evaluated and compared with that of the Vision Transformer (ViT-Base/16), a novel candidate in marine debris classification. The approach utilizes a custom dataset of debris images, and integrates robust preprocessing, feature extraction, and evaluation metrics to analyze model performance. While InceptionV3 and ResNet-50 achieved marginally higher classification accuracies (99.32% vs. 98.80% for ViT(ViT-Base/16)), this difference is small and should be interpreted with caution pending formal statistical significance testing. This work provides a significant reference for the classification of surface marine debris by fine-grained categories and suggests ViT(ViT-Base/16) as a promising alternative to the conventional architecture, warranting further investigation in larger-scale and real-world deployment settings.
Update of vegetative filter strip scenarios for pesticide risk assessment in Europe.
Reichenberger S, Sur R, Pohlert T … +4 more , Olivares-Rivas J, Pietsch K, Robinson P, Muñoz-Carpena R
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42184690 · Publisher ↗
Environmental risk assessment procedures for the authorization of pesticides at European Union (EU) and national level must keep pace with scientific progress and must be updated regularly. The standardized FOCUS (FOrum...
Environmental risk assessment procedures for the authorization of pesticides at European Union (EU) and national level must keep pace with scientific progress and must be updated regularly. The standardized FOCUS (FOrum for the Co-ordination of pesticide fate models and their USe) approach for pesticide exposure assessment in surface waters consists of four steps. Mitigation measures for spray drift and surface runoff (vegetative filter strips, VFS) can be assessed in Step 4. The SWAN (Surface Water Assessment eNabler) tool for higher-tier exposure assessment implements fixed VFS efficiencies according to the FOCUS Landscape and Mitigation report. Since 2012, SWAN has also included the option to apply runoff mitigation using the mechanistic, event-based model VFSMOD. Since then, substantial scientific efforts have been made to further improve VFSMOD and its underlying assumptions and process descriptions. Moreover, new EU soil profile and land cover data have become available. The objective of this study was therefore to derive updated SWAN-VFSMOD scenarios for Europe. VFSMOD was run for 1897 combinations of FOCUS scenario and soil profile, two rainfall/runoff events, two example compounds, a VFS length of 10 m and two different lower boundary options. Spatial cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of pesticide load reduction efficiency ∆P were subsequently calculated for each scenario. The four CDFs corresponding to the most relevant input factor combination were selected. In each case, the soil profile corresponding to the 10th percentile ∆P was used for parameterizing VFSMOD in SWAN. The new SWAN-VFSMOD scenarios were found to be more conservative than the previous ones. The largest proportion of the observed decrease in ∆P was due to the replacement of the pesticide trapping equation. Compared with the current standard fixed efficiency approach, the new approach yielded predominantly less conservative, but occasionally more conservative ∆P and exposure estimates, which reflects an increase in realism and accuracy.
Neurotoxic effects of representative pharmaceutical mixtures from Mediterranean rivers impacted by waste water treated effluents.
Romero-Alfano I, Prats E, Raldúa D … +2 more , Gómez-Canela C, Barata C
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42184689 · Publisher ↗
Mixture toxicity studies on neuroactive chemicals remain scarce and often rely on simplified combinations of compounds with known modes of action (MoA), despite the frequent non-monotonicity of neuroactive responses. Fur...
Mixture toxicity studies on neuroactive chemicals remain scarce and often rely on simplified combinations of compounds with known modes of action (MoA), despite the frequent non-monotonicity of neuroactive responses. Furthermore, real environmental mixtures are far more complex, containing chemicals with diverse MoAs, concentrations, and effect directions. This study identified environmentally relevant neuroactive mixtures in Mediterranean rivers by integrating behavioural and cardiovascular assays in Daphnia magna and zebrafish embryos with mixture-based laboratory tests and field sample comparisons. Lowest effect concentrations (LOECs) were determined for 19 of 24 pharmaceuticals across ten behavioural and physiological endpoints, with 78% of compounds eliciting significant bioactivity and 35% producing non-monotonic responses. Nine artificial mixtures-some containing up to 16 compounds-were designed using equitoxic ratios. Most joint effects were additive or less-than-additive and conservatively predictable using concentration addition. Comparisons with solid-phase extracts from two Mediterranean rivers showed that approximately half (3 out of 6) of the tested mixtures partially or fully explained field toxicity patterns on D. magna antipredator responses (Max and visual motor activity and phototaxis) and Basal activity in zebrafish embryos, while the remaining mixtures failed to reproduce effects-particularly D. magna feeding inhibition and cardiac effects in both species-indicating additional, unmeasured contaminants contributed to joint toxicity. Metabolomic analyses revealed that artificial and field mixtures shared 36-70% of enriched neurological KEGG pathways and up to 84% of deregulated metabolites in D. magna, highlighting convergent disruption of cholinergic, catecholaminergic, serotonergic, GABAergic and related pathways. Overall, the study demonstrates that a subset of pharmaceuticals can account for observed neurobehavioral impairments in river water, but additional unknown mixture components likely contribute to excess toxicity, supporting the need for broader chemical screening and non-target approaches in environmental monitoring.
Spatial-multivariate modelling of seagrass ecological quality index (SEQI) in Central to Eastern Indonesia.
Ambo-Rappe R, Muhlis M, Selamat MB … +15 more , La Nafie YA, Mashoreng S, Widhah SF, Artika SR, Sila HBD, Lestari AE, Amri K, Lanuru M, Nurhabni F, Yusuf M, Sitadevi L, Tular B, Rumaisha A, Munier MT, Mukti A
Sci Total Environ · 2026 Jul · PMID 42184688 · Publisher ↗
Indonesia is home to 660,156 ha of seagrass meadows, with 90% of these meadows located in the central to eastern zone, highlighting the importance of this area as a blue carbon reservoir in the country. Despite this exte...
Indonesia is home to 660,156 ha of seagrass meadows, with 90% of these meadows located in the central to eastern zone, highlighting the importance of this area as a blue carbon reservoir in the country. Despite this extensive distribution, the ecological quality and spatial organization of seagrass ecosystems remain unevenly documented. We quantified the Seagrass Ecological Quality Index (SEQI) from five indicators: seagrass species richness (St), seagrass cover (Ct), water clarity (Wt), macroalgae cover (Mt), and epiphyte cover (Et), and combined spatial statistics with multivariate analyses to identify ecological gradients and local clusters. Spatial dependence was tested per region using Global Moran's I with adaptive neighborhood weights, followed by Local Moran's I (LISA) and Getis-Ord Gi* to map significant hotspots, coldspots, and outliers. Multivariate structure was evaluated with K-means clustering, PCA, and NMDS, and cluster robustness was assessed via silhouette width and permutation testing. Global Moran's I detected significant SEQI autocorrelation only in the central zone (I = 0.2632, p = 0.023), where LISA confirmed a clear local mosaic of High-High hotspots, Low-Low coldspots, and High-Low/Low-High outliers. K-means produced four clusters with weak global separation (silhouette = 0.158) but significant non-random structure (p = 0.0005), including one highly stable and distinctive cluster (silhouette = 0.773). PCA and NMDS indicated that SEQI variation is dominated by the seagrass species richness, seagrass cover, and water quality gradient. In contrast, the epiphyte cover represents an orthogonal stress axis, and the macroalga cover contributes minimally. Overall, the seagrass landscape in these zones is characterized by overlapping ecological gradients, with localized, statistically significant clustering restricted to the central zone. This highlights the hotspot areas for conservation, while the coldspot and outlier areas that degraded require targeted restoration to mitigate carbon-loss vulnerability.
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