Integr Environ Assess Manag
September 2025
The One Health concept strongly brings into focus the important connections for human and ecosystem health. However, the incorporation of behaviour method guidelines in risk assessment and regulation/policy is not equal between human and ecological disciplines. A survey was conducted on the perceptions and role of behavioural (eco)toxicology in the protection of the human and ecosystem health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHarmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins are shown to be associated with Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) progression. Several studies link the HAB toxin microcystin to hepatic inflammasome activation, but the role of cylindrospermopsin (CYN) in Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) pathology remains unknown. Using a mouse model of MASLD, we show that CYN exposure served as a second hit for MASLD to MASH progression, as shown by histopathology and NAS scoring.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThough bioconcentration of ionizable pharmaceuticals has received increased attention in fish and invertebrates, an understanding of bioconcentration of these contaminants of emerging concern by amphibians is lacking. Here, we investigated the bioconcentration, elimination and metabolism of a model weak base, the antihistamine diphenhydramine (DPH), at different developmental stages in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), a well-established amphibian model. These developmental stages of X.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBenzodiazepines (BZDs) are a group of psychoactive pharmaceuticals that are used to treat a variety of medical conditions. Due to the widespread usage of this class of medicines, BZDs have been frequently reported in aquatic systems. We performed a critical review of the refereed literature to better understand the prevalence of BZDs in aquatic matrices and associated water quality hazards.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite structural and functional conservation across vertebrate species, the glucocorticoid receptor has been minimally studied in comparison to other biological targets for endocrine-disrupting compounds in aquatic systems. Because prolonged use of pharmaceutical glucocorticoids in humans has been linked to osteoporosis and impaired bone growth, we hypothesized that the ability of teleost fish to regenerate fins following damage may be inhibited by exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids in the environment. In the present study, we examined fin regeneration following a 7 days waterborne exposure of juvenile fathead minnows () to the synthetic glucocorticoids, fluticasone propionate and dexamethasone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Toxicol Chem
July 2025
Due to the ubiquitous contamination of water resources by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), there has been growing interest in understanding the disposition of PFAS in the environment. However, bioaccumulation dynamics remain poorly understood for many substances within this group of chemicals, and kinetic-based information is limited, particularly for fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), a common ecotoxicology model that is not commonly utilized during bioaccumulation studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine uptake of 19 PFAS by adult fathead minnows over 7 days at levels that did not elicit standardized adverse effects in larval fish.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFollowing human and animal consumption, pharmaceuticals often remain incompletely metabolized, entering aquatic ecosystems via sources like wastewater discharges, landfill leachates, and aquaculture farms, thereby eventually reaching the ocean through estuaries. This influx poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems. The Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme, endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), aims to establish a standardized method for monitoring pharmaceuticals in the world's estuaries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Over the last decade, pharmaceutical pollution in aquatic ecosystems has emerged as a pressing environmental issue. Recent years have also seen a surge in scientific interest in the use of behavioural endpoints in chemical risk assessment and regulatory activities, underscoring their importance for fitness and survival. In this respect, data on how pharmaceuticals alter the behaviour of aquatic animals appears to have grown rapidly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntegr Environ Assess Manag
March 2025
Chemicals play an important role in maintaining our quality of life. Unfortunately, inappropriate chemicals and waste management result in the accumulation of contaminants in our environment that pose a risk to exposed biota and humans. Being cognizant of Indigenous knowledge and values within the management of chemicals and waste represent key components of environmental justice, but they are not being included in current global programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Toxicol Chem
September 2025
Due to its increasing affordability and efforts to understand transcriptional responses of organisms to biotic and abiotic stimuli, transcriptomics has become an important tool with significant impact on toxicological investigations and hazard and risk assessments, especially during development and application of new approach methodologies (NAMs). Data generated using transcriptomic methodologies have directly informed adverse outcome pathway frameworks, chemical and biological read across, and aided in the identification of points of departure. Using data reporting frameworks for transcriptomics data offers improved transparency and reproducibility of research and an opportunity to identify barriers to adoption of these NAMs, especially in environmental toxicology and ecotoxicology with aquatic models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe global detection and impact of cylindrospermopsin (CYN), a cyanotoxin produced by several freshwater cyanobacteria, has increased in recent decades. CYN, a reported hepatotoxin, has become the subject of increasing concern due to linkages to human and wildlife poisonings, adversely affecting human health, agricultural animals, and the environment. However, it remains relatively understudied compared to other cyanotoxins despite its increasing prevalence and limited toxicological information.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs global populations escalate and the demand for food and feed intensifies, the generation of agri-food waste is becoming an increasingly critical issue. Addressing this challenge is crucial for optimizing food production and advancing sustainable waste management practices. In this context, insects, including the Black Soldier Fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens), present opportunities for circularity through the bioconversion of organic waste.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Toxicol Chem
September 2025
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is present in almost every vertebrate cell and is utilized in many biological processes. Despite an abundance of mammalian data, the structural conservation of the receptor and cross-species susceptibility, particularly for aquatic species, has not been well defined. Efforts to reduce, refine, and/or replace animal testing have increased, driving the impetus to advance development of new approach methodologies (NAMs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Res
February 2025
Fish and seafood are considered a major source of human dietary exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In this study, we examined levels of 35 PFAS in fish samples of brown trout and mottled sculpin, which occupy different trophic positions, collected in 2014 from East Canyon Creek in Utah, USA. We observed 20 PFAS with ∑PFAS ranging from 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnatoxin-a is a globally occurring, yet understudied, chiral cyanobacterial toxin that threatens public health and the environment. It has led to numerous dog. livestock and bird poisonings and although it has been studied in rodent models, comparatively little research has occurred in aquatic species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBehavioural analysis has been attracting significant attention as a broad indicator of sub-lethal toxicity and has secured a place as an important subdiscipline in ecotoxicology. Among the most notable characteristics of behavioural research, compared to other established approaches in sub-lethal ecotoxicology (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInput of pollutants to estuaries is one of the major threats to marine biodiversity and fishery resources, and pharmaceuticals are one of the most important contaminants of emerging concern in aquatic ecosystems. To synthesize pharmaceutical pollution levels in estuaries over the past 20 years from a global perspective, this review identified 3229 individual environmental occurrence data for 239 pharmaceuticals across 91 global estuaries distributed in 26 countries. The highest cumulative weighted average concentration level (WACL) of all detected pharmaceuticals in estuarine water was observed in Africa (145,461.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent efforts in the study of vector-borne parasitic diseases (VBPDs) have emphasized an increased consideration for preventing drug resistance and promoting the environmental safety of drugs, from the beginning of the drug discovery pipeline. The intensive use of the few available antileishmanial drugs has led to the spreading of hyper-resistant strains, resulting in a chronic burden of the disease. In the present work, we have investigated the biochemical mechanisms of resistance to antimonials, paromomycin, and miltefosine in three drug-resistant parasitic strains from human clinical isolates, using a whole-cell mass spectrometry proteomics approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe global interest in edible insects as sustainable protein sources raises concerns about the bioaccumulation of contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), to problematic levels. Understanding the accumulation dynamics of PAHs in edible insects is highly relevant due to the widespread sources and toxicological profiles; however, the bioaccumulative potential of PAHs in edible insects is unexplored. This study examined the uptake and elimination dynamics of benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), a representative and carcinogenic PAH, in yellow mealworm larvae (YMW, Tenebrio molitor).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThough bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals by aquatic organisms continues to receive scientific attention, the internal disposition of these contaminants among different tissue compartments of fish species has been infrequently investigated, particularly among fish at different trophic positions. We tested a human to fish biological read-across hypothesis for contaminant disposition by examining tissue-specific accumulation in three understudied species, longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus; piscivore), gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum; planktivore/detritivore), and smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus; benthivore), from a river influenced by municipal effluent discharge. In addition to surface water, fish plasma, and brain, gill, gonad, liver, and lateral muscle fillet tissues were analyzed via isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBertram and colleagues introduce the One Health concept, an interdisciplinary framework that aims to sustainably advance and safeguard the health of humans, animals, and the environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAgricultural applications of nanotechnologies necessitate addressing safety concerns associated with nanopesticides, yet research has not adequately elucidated potential environmental risks between nanopesticides and their conventional counterparts. To address this gap, we investigated the risk of nanopesticides by comparing the ecotoxicity of nanoencapsulated imidacloprid (nano-IMI) with its active ingredient to nontarget freshwater organisms (embryonic , , and ). Nano-IMI elicited approximately 5 times higher toxicity than IMI to zebrafish embryos with and without chorion, while no significant difference was observed between the two invertebrates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFish photolocomotor behavioral response (PBR) studies have become increasingly prevalent in pharmacological and toxicological research to assess the environmental impact of various chemicals. There is a need for a standard, reliable statistical method to analyze PBR data. The most common method currently used, univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA), does not account for temporal dependence in observations and leads to incomplete or unreliable conclusions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnvironmental pollution is escalating due to rapid global development that often prioritizes human needs over planetary health. Despite global efforts to mitigate legacy pollutants, the continuous introduction of new substances remains a major threat to both people and the planet. In response, global initiatives are focusing on risk assessment and regulation of emerging contaminants, as demonstrated by the ongoing efforts to establish the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention.
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