Non-target metabolomic approach of the toxic effects of glyphosate in zebrafish (D. rerio).

Glyphosate (GLY) is the most widely used herbicide globally and is frequently detected in aquatic environments at low concentrations, raising concerns about its potential long-term effects on non-target organisms. However, the systemic metabolic disruptions of chronic GLY exposure in aquatic vertebrates remain poorly understood, especially at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study investigates the metabolic disruptions of GLY exposure in zebrafish (D.

Optimizing maize late wilt disease management: A comparative assessment of bacterial biocontrol and Azoxystrobin alone and in combination.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's most widely cultivated and economically important cereal crop, serving as a staple food and feed source in over 170 countries. However, its global productivity is threatened by late wilt disease (LWD), a disease caused by Magnaporthiopsis maydis, that spreads through soil and seeds and can cause severe yield losses.

Airborne microplastics and plastic additives in a school environment: identification, quantification, and associated inhalation risks.

Indoor and outdoor air pollution is related to adverse human health effects, especially in children due to their ongoing physical development. This study assesses airborne microplastics (MP) concentrations and associated inhalation risks in a school in Estarreja, Portugal, near a large industrial complex producing polyvinylchloride (PVC). PM samples were collected over two campaigns (winter and spring) in four classrooms (ages 3-11 years) and adjacent outdoor areas.

Development of a strategy for sampling, preservation, and analysis of classical and emerging flame retardants and plasticizers in air samples.

This study presents a methodology for sampling, preserving, and analyzing 15 organophosphate esters (OPEs), 11 phthalate esters (PEs), and 6 alternative plasticizers (APs) in indoor air. Accurate quantification is essential, given their widespread use in household items and adverse health effects associated with exposure. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, collecting both gaseous and particulate phases, connected to a low-volume pump were used for the collection of air samples.

Maize Crops Under Rising Temperatures: Bacterial Influence on Biochemical and Lipidomic Changes Induced by Heat.

Rising global temperatures are increasingly affecting plant performance, leading to reduced growth, altered metabolism, and compromised membrane integrity. Although plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) show promise in enhancing thermotolerance, the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently explored. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of PGPB inoculation on under control (26 °C) and heat stress (36 °C) conditions.

Firefighter exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and black carbon during prescribed burns and wildfires.

Prescribed burns are valuable tools for landscape management, which reduce wildfire risk in fire-prone ecosystems. However, they generate smoke emissions containing hazardous pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and black carbon (BC). Here, PAHs were analyzed in atmospheric particulate matter (PM) filters in firefighter's personal real-time BC monitors during prescribed burns and wildfires between 2022 and 2024 in Catalonia (NE Spain).

Windows of susceptibility of prenatal and childhood exposure to air pollution and lung function at 6-8 years in the Spanish INMA (INfancia y Medio Ambiente) birth cohort.

Background: Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood has been linked to lung development deficits in children, however, few studies have identified potential windows of susceptibility to air pollution exposure from conception to early childhood on lung function.

Objectives: To identify potential windows of susceptibility to the effects of prenatal and childhood exposure to air pollution and lung function.

Methods: We included 1029 mother-child pairs from the INMA (INfancia y Medio Ambiente) birth cohort.

DESERT DUST, SANDSTORMS, AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: A SCOPING REVIEW.

Desert dust and sandstorms influence air quality by elevating particulate matter concentrations and transporting anthropogenic pollutants, microorganisms, and toxic biogenic allergens. Although there is increasing concern about their role in spreading infectious diseases, the evidence remains limited. This scoping review synthesizes epidemiological literature on the association between desert dust exposure and infectious disease and identifies critical research gaps.

Spatially resolved lipid disruption induced in Daphnia magna by environmentally relevant exposure to obesogens tributyltin and pyriproxyfen.

Environmental pollutants, particularly endocrine disruptors, are known to significantly dysregulate lipid homeostasis, causing severe health issues. However, their obesogenic effects on invertebrate species, such as the planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna, remain poorly understood. Previous research suggested that compounds such as organotin tributyltin and the insecticide pyriproxyfen promote lipid accumulation, particularly triacylglycerol species.

Health Risk Assessment of Metal(loid) Contamination in Raw Cow's Milk from the Colombian Caribbean Region.

Milk is a daily source of essential nutrients, but the presence of trace metals raises significant health concerns about the quality of dairy products. This study investigated the presence of and human health exposure to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in raw cow milk produced in the Caribbean region of Colombia, during both dry and rainy seasons. A total of 100 samples were collected from farms in five zones and analysed for toxic metal(loid)s, including Pb, Cr, Hg and As.

Methodological approach for a simultaneous determination of persistent and non-persistent organic pollutants in human blood (serum/plasma) using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques.

Human biomonitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) remains essential for tracking long-term exposure, evaluating health risks, and assessing the effectiveness of regulatory bans. For this purpose, an experimental and analytical methodology has been optimized allowing the determination of 47 POPs, encompassing chlorinated cyclodienes, chlorobenzenes, cyclohexanes, polychlorodiphenyl derivatives, several congeners of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs, including the deca-BDE), as well as three non-persistent chemicals (namely quintozene, tecnazene and vinclozolin). The method uses a single liquid-liquid extraction procedure with 500 µL of serum/plasma.

Influence of food sources and trace elements in the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from white stork nestlings (Ciconia ciconia).

Foraging in landfills enhances the probability of acquiring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wildlife and increases exposure to pollutants like metal(loid)s, pharmaceuticals and caffeine. Exposure to metal(loid)s in the environment may cause selective pressure on bacteria, inducing metal resistance genes that drive antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) through co-resistance and cross-resistance mechanisms. Hence, white storks fed in landfills could increase AMR acquisition through the combined effect of urban-waste and pollutants.

EU regulation: An unprecedented opportunity to protect children's and wildlife health from the toxic effects of lead ammunition.

Lead is highly toxic to humans and other animals; thus, many uses have been restricted. One exception is lead ammunition, which remains a source of dietary exposure to humans and wildlife. In February 2025, the European Commission published draft regulations for habitat-wide lead ammunition restrictions to protect wildlife and human, particularly children's, health.

Assessing neurological and cardiovascular effects caused by pharmaceuticals in river water: Insights from Daphnia magna and Danio rerio embryos.

Pharmaceutical residues in surface waters are an emerging environmental and public health issue, yet their biological impacts on aquatic life remain poorly understood. This study presents a cost-effective bioanalytical framework using Daphnia magna juveniles and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to evaluate neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects of pharmaceutical mixtures in rivers downstream of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. Water samples from three rivers in north-eastern Spain (Besòs, Llobregat, and Onyar) were concentrated up to 5- and 20-fold using solid-phase extraction.

Effects of water temperature increase on gene expression, biochemical, and histopathological responses of the bivalve species Mytilus galloprovincialis to the antineoplastic drug 5-fluorouracil.

The present study aimed to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an antineoplastic already found in aquatic ecosystems, towards the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis, considering actual and warming temperature scenarios. To this end, organisms were exposed for 28 days to increasing 5-FU concentrations (10, 100, and 500 ng/L) at control (17 ± 1.0 °C) and warming (21 ± 1.

High-resolution modelling of particulate matter chemical composition over Europe: brake wear pollution.

In today's rapidly evolving society, the sources of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) emissions are shifting significantly. Stringent regulations on vehicle tailpipe emissions, in combination with a lack of control of non-exhaust vehicular emissions, have led to an increase in the relative contribution of non-exhaust PM in Europe. This study analyzes the spatial distribution, temporal trends, and impacts of brake wear PM pollution across Europe by modeling copper (Cu) concentrations at a high spatial resolution of ∼250 m which is a key tracer of brake-wear emissions.

Contaminants in fish and seafood from the marine environment: A global overview of current status and future perspective.

The contamination of marine environments by chemical pollutants poses a significant threat to both ecosystem health and human food safety, affecting marine One Health by disrupting the interconnected well-being of organisms, ecosystems, and humans. A diverse array of contaminants including metals, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, among others, can accumulate in fish and seafood, raising concerns over dietary exposure. While regulations like the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) establish limits for certain contaminants, many emerging pollutants remain unregulated, and their long-term impacts are poorly understood.

Micro-bioplastic impact on gut microbiome, cephalic transcription and cognitive function in the aquatic invertebrate Daphnia magna.

The role of the gut microbiome-brain axis on contaminant effects in invertebrates is limited by our poor knowledge of gut microbiome neurological regulatory pathways. This study investigates the influence of microplastics on the gut microbiome composition and assess subsequent alterations in the cephalic transcriptome, feeding patterns, and overall behaviour of the organism. D.

Effect of Fertigated Water Consumption on the Immune Responsiveness and Antipredator Behavior of Red-Legged Partridge Chicks.

Fertigation practices are common in dry agricultural areas, and nitrate exposure through fertigation water consumption could pose significant risks to farmland birds. This study simulated a realistic exposure scenario to evaluate the effects of drinking nitrate-contaminated water on the growth, physiology, and antipredator behavior of red-legged partridge () chicks. Hatchlings were exposed to two nitrate concentrations commonly used in fertigation (100 and 500 mg/L) through drinking water over a 28-day period.

Improving Regions of Interest Multivariate Curve Resolution: Development of an Empirical Metric System through the Study of Passive Sampling Extracts of Wastewater in Antarctica.

The huge potential of liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) still comes along with the challenges of data analysis. Regions of interest multivariate curve resolution (ROIMCR) is a valid chemometric tool when working in data-independent acquisition (DIA), since it provides a link between precursor and product ions based on chromatographic and spectral profiles. Still, the quality of the ROIMCR models should be carefully evaluated for a consequent reliable annotation of non-target chemicals.

Field evaluation of grit supplementation as a tool to mitigate poisoning from lead shot legacy in waterbirds.

The ban of lead shot for hunting over wetlands at national and continental scales is essential to reduce the risk of lead poisoning in waterbirds, but the high persistence of lead shot in wetland sediments highlights the need for exploring additional mitigation measures. Grit supplementation has been proposed as a method to reduce the probability of lead shot ingestion by waterbirds, that would add to the regulatory actions. Here we hypothesize that (1) the lead shot ban would reduce lead shot ingestion and (2) grit supplementation would reduce overall shot ingestion (lead + steel) in waterfowl.

Validation of a large volume-solid phase extraction methodology for biotoxicity assessment of pharmaceuticals in aquatic organisms.

The growing scarcity of freshwater has intensified the need for alternative water sources, which often require advanced treatments to eliminate contaminants. Among emerging pollutants, pharmaceuticals have become a significant concern due to their persistence and potential impact, making their detection essential. However, analysing these contaminants is challenging due to the extremely low concentrations at which they are present.

Phenotypic and lipidomic alterations in lung cells induced by organophosphate flame retardants.

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are widely used as additives in plastics, electronics, and construction materials due to their flame-retardant properties. However, previous evidence suggests that OPFRs may pose potential respiratory health risks, including airway hyperresponsiveness, impaired lung function, and potential carcinogenic effects. This study evaluated the effects of seven OPFRs-TBOEP, TPhP, EHDPhP, TDCPP, TEHP, TCP, and TCEP-on the phenotype and lipidomic profile of A549 lung cancer cells, using both 2D and 3D culture models.

Assessing cisplatin-induced acute toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio): a multi-organ perspective at realistic concentrations.

Cisplatin, a widely used platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent, has been detected in hospital effluents and wastewater treatment plant discharges, raising concerns about its potential ecological impact, particularly on aquatic organisms. Despite its significant presence in environmental matrices, limited studies have investigated the effects of cisplatin at concentrations within the lower range of those reported in wastewater treatment plant effluents (< 150 μg/L) on fish health. This study aimed to assess the impact of cisplatin (2, 5, 10 μg/L) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) by evaluating oxidative stress responses and gene expression alterations in critical organs, including the liver, brain, gut, and gills.

Ultra-sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of 31 neurochemicals in zebrafish larvae and brain.

The precise determination of neurotransmitters and their metabolites in biological matrices is critical for research on neurological disorders, including those originated by the exposure to neurotoxic chemicals. This study presents an optimized liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for 31 neurochemicals, including neurotransmitters, their metabolites and precursors. The method is aimed at achieving lower limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) compared to those currently available, while simultaneously expanding the number of compounds analyzed.