Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastics in freshwater ecosystems.

Microplastics (MPs) are one of the most widespread environmental pollutants, but their risk assessment to freshwater ecosystems has not been clearly investigated. Risk assessment has been constrained by the absence of MP concentration in some environment, the diverse types and shapes of MPs, and limitations of polystyrene (PS)-biased toxicity studies. This study examined exposure to MPs in rivers and lakes worldwide, including China (the Three Gorges Dam & Yangtze River (TGD & YR) and the lakes of Wuhan city (WL)), Vietnam (seven lakes of Da Nang city (7UL)), Europe (the Rhine River (RR)), Finland (Kallavesi Lake (KL)), Argentina (nine lakes in the Patagonia region (9LP)), Brazil (Guaiba Lake (GL)), and South Korea (Nakdong River (NR), Han River (HR), and Anyang Stream (AS)), and assessed the risks to aquatic ecosystems based on the toxicity information and morphology of MPs.

Identification of aquatic ecological risk of bisphenol S in four Asian countries based on the SSD and alternative toxicity data of model species Danio rerio.

Bisphenol S (BPS), an organic compound and bisphenol analog, is commonly used as a substitute for bisphenol A. BPS is widely used in epoxy glues, can coatings, and thermal receipt papers; however, its risks have not been fully determined and the probability of its toxicity has been continuously suggested. In this study, we conducted BPS toxicity tests on aquatic plants (acute), cladocerans (acute and chronic), and fish (chronic) to determine its adverse effects, and calculated the toxicity values.

Inhalation exposure by cigarette smoke: Effects on the progression of bleomycin- and lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injuries in rat models.

The toxic substances of cigarette smoke (CS) induce inflammatory responses in the lung by recruiting inflammatory cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of CS on the progression of lung disease in bleomycin (BLM) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury rat models. Briefly, rats were exposed to CS via inhalation (nose-only) for 28 consecutive days, for 4 h per day.