Alps at risk: High-mountain lakes as reservoirs of persistent and emerging contaminants.

Despite their remote locations, high-mountain lakes located in the Alps are vulnerable to chemical pollution. This discussion explores the important aspects of these lakes as repositories of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), elucidating their sources and implications for both the environment and human health. In terms of the presence of POPs in high-altitude lakes of the Alps, 14 studies have been identified examining the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane an its metabolites, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The bulk of research on POPs in high-mountain lakes is concentrated in the Italian Alps (63%), followed by Switzerland (22%), Austria (12%), and France (3%), respectively. Sediment is predominantly investigated (65%), followed by fish (33%) and water (2%). Similarly, in relation to the presence of CECs in high-mountain lakes of the Alps, six studies have been identified investigating the occurrence of musks, perfluorinated compounds, and microplastics. Investigations into CECs predominantly occur in Switzerland (42%), France (33%), and Italy (25%), with fish samples (muscle and liver) being the primary focus (46%), followed by sediment (17%) and water (17%). Other compartments like zooplankton, frog/tadpoles, and snow remain less explored. The discussion also shed light on various pathways through which pollutants reach these remote landscapes, including atmospheric transport, glacial meltwater, and human activities. Protecting these pristine peaks demands concerted efforts encompassing ongoing research, vigilant monitoring, and dedicated conservation initiatives.

Vertical variations and environmental heterogeneity drove the symphony of periphytic protozoan fauna in marine ecosystems.

Periphytic protozoa are esteemed icons of microbial fauna, renowned for their sensitivity and role as robust bioindicators, pivotal for assessing ecosystem stress and anthropogenic impacts on water quality. Despite their significance, research exploring the community dynamics of protozoan fauna across diverse water columns and depths in shallow waters has been notably lacking. This is the first study that examines the symphony of protozoan fauna in different water columns at varying depths (1, 2, 3.5 and 5 m), in South China Sea. Our findings reveal that vertical changes and environmental heterogeneity plays pivotal role in shaping the protozoan community structure, with distinct preferences observed in spirotrichea and phyllopharyngea classes at specific depths. Briefly, diversity metrics (i.e., both alpha and beta) showed significantly steady patterns at 2 m and 3.5 m depths as well as high homogeneity in most of the indices was observed. Co-associations between environmental parameters and protozoan communities demonstrated temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and pH, are significant drivers discriminating species richness and evenness across all water columns. Noteworthy variations of the other environmental parameters such as SiO3-Si, PO4--P, and NO2--N at 1 m and NO3--N, and NH4+-N, at greater depths, signal the crucial role of nutrient dynamics in shaping the protozoan communities. Moreover, highly sensitive species like Anteholosticha pulchara, Apokeronopsis crassa, and Aspidisca steini in varying environmental conditions among vertical columns may serve as eco- indicators of water quality. Collectively, this study contributes a thorough comprehension of the fine-scale structure and dynamics of protozoan fauna within marine ecosystems, providing insightful perspectives for ecological and water quality assessment in ever-changing marine environments.

Decoding the molecular concerto: Toxicotranscriptomic evaluation of microplastic and nanoplastic impacts on aquatic organisms.

The pervasive and steadily increasing presence of microplastics/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) in aquatic environments has raised significant concerns regarding their potential adverse effects on aquatic organisms and their integration into trophic dynamics. This emerging issue has garnered the attention of (eco)toxicologists, promoting the utilization of toxicotranscriptomics to unravel the responses of aquatic organisms not only to MPs/NPs but also to a wide spectrum of environmental pollutants. This review aims to systematically explore the broad repertoire of predicted molecular responses by aquatic organisms, providing valuable intuitions into complex interactions between plastic pollutants and aquatic biota. By synthesizing the latest literature, present analysis sheds light on transcriptomic signatures like gene expression, interconnected pathways and overall molecular mechanisms influenced by various plasticizers. Harmful effects of these contaminants on key genes/protein transcripts associated with crucial pathways lead to abnormal immune response, metabolic response, neural response, apoptosis and DNA damage, growth, development, reproductive abnormalities, detoxification, and oxidative stress in aquatic organisms. However, unique challenge lies in enhancing the fingerprint of MPs/NPs, presenting complicated enigma that requires decoding their specific impact at molecular levels. The exploration endeavors, not only to consolidate existing knowledge, but also to identify critical gaps in understanding, push forward the frontiers of knowledge about transcriptomic signatures of plastic contaminants. Moreover, this appraisal emphasizes the imperative to monitor and mitigate the contamination of commercially important aquatic species by MPs/NPs, highlighting the pivotal role that regulatory frameworks must play in protecting all aquatic ecosystems. This commitment aligns with the broader goal of ensuring the sustainability of aquatic resources and the resilience of ecosystems facing the growing threat of plastic pollutants.

Microplastics in the environment: analytical chemistry methods, sorption materials, risks and sustainable solutions.

This Feature Article reports general and more specific aspects about microplastic (MP) contamination in continental and marine waters as well as in terrestrial environment. It describes a critical vision of the analytical methods commonly used for MP characterization and determination, including recommendations on green analytical chemistry (GAC) protocols. Insights into MPs as sorption materials and carriers for a variety of emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals and pesticides are highlighted. Risks to biota living in aquatic and terrestrial environments and human-health-related effects with specific examples of surface and groundwater used for drinking water sources near contaminated sites like landfills are summarized. Lastly, sustainable solutions for how to improve the analysis and comparison of MP detection at the global level is given, including the need for standardized analytical protocols as well as the performance of additional interlaboratory exercises. Additional recommendations include a global database on MP levels made available to all authors to better compare their data qualitatively with that previously published. Policy and remediation actions on how to reduce and mitigate MP pollution may include different types of actions like an improved waste management and reuse system, the development of bioplastics and new plastic materials, as well as legally binding additional funding to cope with increasing plastic pollution at the global scale.

Microplastics, their abundance, and distribution in water and sediments in North Chennai, India: An assessment of pollution risk and human health impacts.

Plastic particles, measuring <5 mm in size, mainly originate from larger plastic debris undergoing degradation, fragmenting into even smaller fragments. The goal was to analyze the spatial diversity and polymer composition of microplastics (MPs) in North Chennai, South India, aiming to evaluate their prevalence and features like composition, dimensions, color, and shape. In 60 sediment samples, a combined count of 1589 particles were detected, averaging 26 particles per 5 g-1 of dry sediment. The water samples from the North Chennai vicinity encompassed a sum of 1588 particles across 71 samples, with an average of 22 items/L. The majority of MPs ranged in size from 1 mm to 500 µm. The ATR-FTIR results identified the predominant types of MPs as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene in sediment and water. The spatial variation analysis revealed high MPs concentration in landfill sites, areas with dense populations, and popular tourist destinations. The pollution load index in water demonstrated that MPs had contaminated all stations. Upon evaluating the polymeric and pollution risks, it was evident that they ranged from 5.13 to 430.15 and 2.83 to 15,963.2, which is relatively low to exceedingly high levels. As the quantity of MPs and hazardous polymers increased, the level of pollution and corresponding risks also escalated significantly. The existence of MPs in lake water, as opposed to open well water, could potentially pose a cancer risk for both children and adults who consume it. Detecting MPs in water samples highlights the significance of implementing precautionary actions to alleviate the potential health hazards they create.

Microplastics in different municipal solid waste treatment and disposal systems: Do they pose environmental risks?

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a significant worldwide environmental and health challenge. Municipal solid waste (MSW) can be an important source of MPs in the environment if treated and disposed of inappropriately, causing potential ecological risks. MSW treatment and disposal methods have been gradually shifting from landfilling/dumping to more sustainable approaches, such as incineration or composting. However, previous studies on MP characteristics in different MSW treatment and disposal systems have mainly focused either on landfills/dumpsites or composts. The lack of knowledge of multiple MSW treatment and disposal systems makes it difficult to ensure effective MP pollution control during MSW treatment and disposal. Therefore, this study systematically summarizes the occurrence of MPs in different MSW treatment and disposal systems (landfill/dumpsite, compost, and incineration) on the Eurasian scale, and discusses the factors that influence MPs in individual MSW treatment and disposal systems. In addition, the paper assesses the occurrence of MPs in the surrounding environment of MSW treatment and disposal systems and their ecological risks using the species sensitivity distribution approach. The study also highlights recommendations for future research, to more comprehensively describe the occurrence and fate of MPs during MSW treatment and disposal processes, and to develop appropriate pollution control measures to minimize MP pollution.

Urine biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: A new opportunity for wastewater-based epidemiology?

While Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis, management, and care have become priorities for healthcare providers and researcher's worldwide due to rapid population aging, epidemiologic surveillance efforts are currently limited by costly, invasive diagnostic procedures, particularly in low to middle income countries (LMIC). In recent years, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a promising tool for public health assessment through detection and quantification of specific biomarkers in wastewater, but applications for non-infectious diseases such as AD remain limited. This early review seeks to summarize AD-related biomarkers and urine and other peripheral biofluids and discuss their potential integration to WBE platforms to guide the first prospective efforts in the field. Promising results have been reported in clinical settings, indicating the potential of amyloid ß, tau, neural thread protein, long non-coding RNAs, oxidative stress markers and other dysregulated metabolites for AD diagnosis, but questions regarding their concentration and stability in wastewater and the correlation between clinical levels and sewage circulation must be addressed in future studies before comprehensive WBE systems can be developed.

Occurrence, behaviors, and fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in typical municipal solid waste disposal sites.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have become a crucial environmental concern owing to their exceptional persistence, ability to bioaccumulate within ecosystems, and potential to adversely affect biota. Products and materials containing PFASs are usually discarded into municipal solid waste (MSW) at the end of their life cycle, and the fate of PFASs may differ when different disposal methods of MSWs are employed. To date, limited research has focus on the occurrence, behaviors, and fate of PFASs emitted from various MSW disposal sites. This knowledge gap may lead to an underestimation of the contribution of MSW disposal sites as a source of PFASs in the environment. In this review, we collated publications concerning PFASs from typical MSW disposal sites (i.e., landfills, incineration plants, and composting facilities) and explored the occurrence patterns and behaviors of PFASs across various media (e.g., landfill leachate/ambient air, incineration plant leachate/ash, and compost products) in these typical MSW disposal sites. In particular, this review highlighted ultrashort-chain perfluoroalkyl acids and "unknown"/emerging PFASs. Additionally, it meticulously elucidated the use of non-specific techniques and non-target analysis for screening and identifying these overlooked PFASs. Furthermore, the composition profiles, mass loads, and ecological risks of PFASs were compared across the three typical disposal methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review regarding the occurrence, behaviors, and fate of PFASs in typical MSW disposal sites on a global scale, which can help shed light on the potential environmental impacts of PFASs harbored in MSWs and guide future waste management practices.

HRMS-based suspect screening of pharmaceuticals and their transformation products in multiple environmental compartments: An alternative to target analysis?

The comprehensive monitoring of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in the environment is challenging given the myriad of substances continuously discharged, the increasing number of new compounds being produced (and released), or the variety of the associated human metabolites and transformation products (TPs). Approaches such as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based suspect analysis have emerged to overcome the drawbacks of classical target analytical methods, e.g., restricted chemical coverage. In this study, we assess the readiness of HRMS-based suspect screening to replace or rather complement target methodologies by comparing the performance of both approaches in terms of i) detection of PhACs in various environmental samples (water, sediments, biofilm, fish plasma, muscle and liver) in a field study; ii) PhACs (semi)quantification and iii) prediction of their environmental risks. Our findings revealed that target strategies alone significantly underestimate the variety of PhACs potentially impacting the environment. However, relying solely on suspect strategies can misjudge the presence and risk of low-level but potentially risky PhACs. Additionally, semiquantitative approaches, despite slightly overestimating concentrations, can provide a realistic overview of PhACs concentrations. Hence, it is recommended to adopt a combined strategy that first evaluates suspected threats and subsequently includes the relevant ones in the established target methodologies.

Harnessing probiotics and prebiotics as eco-friendly solution for cleaner shrimp aquaculture production: A state of the art scientific consensus.

In recent years, the advancement and greater magnitude of products, which led to the intensification in shrimp aquaculture is the result of utilization of modern tools and synchronization with other fields of science like microbiology and biotechnology. This intensification led to the elevation of disorders such as the development of several diseases and complications associated with biofouling. The use of antibiotics in aquaculture is discouraged due to their certain hazardous paraphernalia. Consequently, there has been a growing interest in exploring alternative strategies, with probiotics and prebiotics emerging as environmentally friendly substitutes for antibiotic treatments in shrimp aquaculture. This review highlighted the results of probiotics and prebiotics administration in the improvement of water quality, enhancement of growth and survival rates, stress resistance, health status and disease resistance, modulation of enteric microbiota and immunomodulation of different shrimp species. Additionally, the study sheds light on the comprehensive role of prebiotics and probiotics in elucidating the mechanistic framework, contributing to a deeper understanding of shrimp physiology and immunology. Besides their role in growth and development of shrimp aquaculture, the eco-friendly behavior of prebiotics and probiotics have made them ideal to control pollution in aquaculture systems. This comprehensive exploration of prebiotics and probiotics aims to address gaps in our understanding, including the economic aspects of shrimp aquaculture in terms of benefit-cost ratio, and areas worthy of further investigation by drawing insights from previous studies on different shrimp species. Ultimately, this commentary seeks to contribute to the evolving body of knowledge surrounding prebiotics and probiotics, offering valuable perspectives that extend beyond the ecological dimensions of shrimp aquaculture.

Sustainable bioremediation technologies for algal toxins and their ecological significance.

The emergence of algal toxins in water ecosystems poses a significant ecological and human health concern. These toxins, produced by various algal species, can lead to harmful algal blooms, and have far-reaching consequences on biodiversity, food chains, and water quality. This review explores the types and sources of algal toxins, their ecological impacts, and the associated human health risks. Additionally, the review delves into the potential of bioremediation strategies to mitigate the effects of algal toxins. It discusses the role of microorganisms, enzymes, and algal-bacterial interactions in toxin removal, along with engineering approaches such as advanced oxidation processes and adsorbent utilization. Microbes and enzymes have been studied for their environmentally friendly and biocompatible properties, which make them useful for controlling or removing harmful algae and their toxins. The challenges and limitations of bioremediation are examined, along with case studies highlighting successful toxin control efforts. Finally, the review outlines future prospects, emerging technologies, and the need for continued research to effectively address the complex issue of algal toxins and their ecological significance.

Mapping and assessment of ecosystem health in the Vilnius functional zone (Lithuania).

Urban expansion is a global phenomenon that impacts biodiversity loss and climate change. Soil sealing increases land degradation and the ecosystem services supply. This degradation also negatively affects ecosystem health, essential to make cities more sustainable and liveable. This work aims to study the ecosystem health spatiotemporal evolution (1990, 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018) in the Vilnius (Lithuania) functional zone, using the vigour, organisation and resilience (VOR) method. The results showed that ecosystem health model validation was acceptable (r = -0.761; p < 0.01). Between 1990 and 2018, an increase (18.37 %) in ecosystem vigour was observed. The values were significantly higher in 2006, 2012 and 2018 than in 1990 and 2000. We identified a decrease between 1990 and 2018 regarding ecosystem organisation (7.15 %) and resilience (9.92 %). However, no significant differences between the years were identified. Ecosystem health decreased (11.49 %) between 1990 and 2018, mainly between 2012 and 2018. Ecosystem health values in 2018 were significantly lower than those identified in the previous years. The lowest values of ecosystem vigour, organisation and resilience were identified in the Vilnius city centre, while the highest was observed in the Vilnius functional zone. From 1990 to 2018, ecosystem vigour increased in some elderships located on the fringe of the studied area due to land abandonment and forest plantations. Simultaneously, a decrease in ecosystem organisation and resilience in the elderships located in Vilnius city centre was observed due to urban sprawl and the consequent landscape fragmentation. This negatively impacted ecosystem health, overshadowing the positive trend observed in ecosystem vigour. Different processes (e.g., urban sprawl, land abandonment, forest plantations) occurred in the Vilnius functional zone. It is essential to halt urban expansion and its adverse impacts on ecosystem health, city sustainability and liveability.

Microplastics and their environmental effects.

Microplastics (MPs) are acknowledged as emerging contaminants that pose a substantial threat to the environment. The adverse impacts of MP pollution extend across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, covering regions from the Tropics to the Poles. Although our comprehension of MP behavior has progressed in recent years, it is still difficult to predict exposure hotspots or exposure scenarios. Despite a noteworthy increase in data concerning MP occurrence in different environmental compartments and species, there is a noticeable scarcity of experimental data on MP uptake, accumulation, and effects. This Virtual Special Issue (VSI) received a total of 19 contributions from 11 countries, with a significant majority originating from Italy, India, Spain, and China. These contributions were categorized into three main themes: the occurrence and effects of MPs on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, the presence of chemical additives in plastics, and review articles summarizing previously published research on MPs.

Shotgun proteomics to characterize wastewater proteins.

Classically, the characterization of wastewater components has been restricted to the measurement of indirect parameters (chemical and biological oxygen demand, total nitrogen) and small molecules of interest in epidemiology or for environmental control. Despite the fact that metaproteomics has provided important knowledge about the microbial communities in these waters, practically nothing is known about other non-microbial proteins transported in the wastewater. The method described here has allowed us to perform a large-scale characterization of the wastewater proteome. Wastewater protein profiles have shown to be very different in different collection sites probably reflecting their human population and industrial activities. We believe that wastewater proteomics is opening the doors to the discovery of new environmental and health biomarkers and the development of new, more effective monitoring devices for issues like monitorization of population health, pest control, or control of industry discharges. The method developed is relatively simple and combines procedures for the separation of the soluble and particulate fractions of wastewater and their concentration, and conventional shotgun proteomics using high-resolution mass spectrometry for protein identification. •Unprecedented method for wastewater proteome characterization.•Proteins as new potential biomarkers for sewage chemical-information mining, wastewater epidemiology and environmental monitoring.•Wastewater protein profiles reflect human and industrial activities.

Synthesis of Bis-Chalcones and Evaluation of Its Effect on Peroxide-Induced Cell Death and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Cytokine Production.

Plant secondary metabolites are important sources of biologically active compounds with wide pharmacological potentials. Among the different classes, the chalcones form integral pharmacologically active agents. Natural chalcones and bis-chalcones exhibit high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in various experiments. Studies are also underway to explore more biologically active bis-chalcones by chemical synthesis of these compounds. In this study, the effects of six synthetic bis-chalcones were evaluated in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6); further, the anti-inflammatory potentials were studied in lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production in macrophages. The synthesized bis-chalcones differ from each other first of all by the nature of the aromatic cores (functional group substitution, and their position) and by the size of a central alicycle. The exposure of IEC-6 cells to peroxide radicals reduced the cell viability; however, pre-treatment with the bis-chalcones improved the cell viability in these cells. The mechanism of action was observed to be the increased levels of glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activities. Further, these bis-chalcones also inhibited the LPS-stimulation-induced inflammatory cytokine production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Overall, the present study indicated the cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory abilities of synthetic bis-chalcones.

Microplastic pollution in organic farming development cannot be ignored in China: Perspective of commercial organic fertilizer.

Commercial organic fertilizer, an essential fertilizer for developing organic farming in China, has been identified as a potentially important source of microplastics (MPs) on farmland. However, little is known about the occurrence of MPs in commercial organic fertilizers and their potential ecological risks nationwide. Here, stereoscopy and laser-infrared imaging spectrometry were used to comprehensively investigate the abundance, size, type and morphology of MPs in commercial organic fertilizers collected from mainland China, assess the ecological risks, and predict MP contamination. Commercial organic fertilizers contained many MPs (8.88 ×103 to 2.88 ×105 items/kg), especially rich in small-size MPs (<100 µm), accounting for 76.53%. The highest MP pollution load value was observed in fertilizers collected from East China. Chlorinated polyethylene, polyurethane, polyethylene and polypropylene were the dominant MPs with the shape of film and fragment, concentrated in small sizes (<100 µm). The risk index (H-index) of the MPs was used to quantify the ecological risk of the MPs in the different samples, and most of the fertilizers were at level Ⅲ with high risk. Predictably, 2.32 × 1013 - 2.81 × 1016 MPs will accumulate in orchard soils after five years of fertilization, especially in South, Southwest and East China. This study provides primary scientific data on MP pollution in commercial fertilizer and the health development of organic farming.

Contaminants of emerging concern fate and fluvial biofilm status as pollution markers in an urban river.

Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are still under research given the vast diversity of compounds reaching freshwater ecosystems and adverse effects they might cause. In this study, the environmental fate of 73 CEC, comprising sweeteners, stimulants and several pharmaceutical therapeutic classes, and changes in fluvial biofilm photosynthetic parameters were evaluated in a semi-arid urban river receiving diffuse and point sources of pollution (Suquía river, Argentina). Out of the 37 CEC detected, 30 were quantified in surface water (n.d. - 9826 ng/L), 10 in biofilm (n.d. - 204 ng/gd.w.) and 9 in the clay fraction of sediments (n.d. - 64 ng/gd.w.). CEC distribute differently among the 3 matrices: water phase presents the biggest diversity of compounds (14 CEC families), being analgesic/anti-inflammatories the most abundant family. Antibiotics largely predominated in biofilms (7 CEC families), while the stimulant caffeine and some antibiotics where the most abundant in sediments (6 CEC families). Different CEC accumulated in biofilms and sediments upstream and downstream the city, and big shifts of biofilm community occurred downstream WWTP. The shift of biofilm community upstream (F0 > 0) and downstream the WWTP (F0 = 0) shows a sensitive response of F0 to the impact of WWTP. Biofilm photosynthetic parameters responded in less impacted urban sites (sites 1, 2 and 3), where significant correlations were found between ketoprofen and some antibiotics and biofilm parameters. The diversity and amount of CEC found in the urban section of Suquía river alert to the magnitude of point and non-point sources of pollution.

Russian-Ukrainian war impacts on the environment. Evidence from the field on soil properties and remote sensing.

The Russian-Ukrainian war is having a dramatic impact on the environment. The effects are still unknown. However, it is expected that the effects will be substantial. Since the conflict is ongoing, it is challenging to have ground-accurate data that could show an idea of the extension of the impact. Remote sensing can support a preliminary analysis in areas without safety to conduct fieldwork. This work aims to assess the impacts of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the environment using field and remote sensing sources. This is the first work that published fieldwork data from this conflict. Different soil properties were studied (e.g., texture and heavy metals) in different places (Novy Korotych and Mala Rohan). Remote sensing (e.g., Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) at different spatial scales (Eastern Ukraine and case study in the Kharkiv region) were assessed between 2021 and 2022. The results showed that the finer sediments increased in bombed areas compared with not bombed ones. Also, there was an increase in the content of heavy metals (e.g., Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, Copper, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead and Nickel) in soils in the shelled areas, compared to the non-shelled. This was mainly observed in the Novy Korotych site. Remote sensing analysis revealed that between 2021 and 2022 at a large scale (Eastern and southeastern Ukraine), vegetation greenness decreased in the areas where the combats are more intense (Luhansk and Donetsk) and increased in the southern area (Zaporizhia and Kherson), likely due to agriculture abandonment. On a small scale (case study in Kharkiv region), the vegetation greenness was affected due to the bombing. Although our results are preliminary, it is important to highlight that shelling is increasing soil pollution and contributing to vegetation greenness reduction where the fighting is intense. The actual impacts of the war still need to be understood entirely.