Deficit irrigation of reclaimed water relieves oat drought stress while controlling the risk of PAEs pollution in microplastics-polluted soil.

Reclaimed water irrigation has emerged as a critical alternative in agricultural regions facing water scarcity. However, soil pollution with microplastics (MPs) greatly increases the exposure risk and toxic effects of reclaimed water contaminations, such as phthalate esters (PAEs). A field experiment consisting of soil column pots evaluated the feasibility of using PAEs-contaminated water to irrigate oats (Avena sativa L.) in drought seasons. Three irrigation regimens based on soil matric potential thresholds (-10 kPa, -30 kPa, -50 kPa) explored the impact of PAE-contaminated water on oat physiology and environmental pollution in soil with and without MPs contamination. The results showed that treating oats at the SMP of -30 kPa boosted shoot biomass by 3.1%-14.0% compared to the drought condition at -50 kPa, and the root biomass of oats was significantly increased. The physiological metrics of oats indicated that irrigation at -50 kPa induced drought stress and oxidative damage in oats, particularly during the milk stage. Different irrigation treatments influenced the accumulation of PAEs in plants, soil, and leachate. The ratios of leachate to irrigation water in -10 kPa treatment with and without MPs addition were 1.18% and 4.48%, respectively, which aggravated the accumulation of pollutants in deep soil layers and may cause groundwater pollution. MPs pollution in soil increased the content of PAEs in the harvested oats and reduced the transport and accumulation of PAEs in deep soil layers (20-50 cm) and leachate. The coupling of PAEs in irrigation water with soil MPs pollution may exacerbate plant damage. However, the damage can be minimized under the scheduled irrigation at -30 kPa which could balance crop yield and potential risks.

Enhancing urban blue-green landscape quality assessment through hybrid genetic algorithm-back propagation (GA-BP) neural network approach: a case study in Fucheng, China.

This study employs an artificial neural network optimization algorithm, enhanced with a Genetic Algorithm-Back Propagation (GA-BP) network, to assess the service quality of urban water bodies and green spaces, aiming to promote healthy urban environments. From an initial set of 95 variables, 29 key variables were selected, including 17 input variables, such as water and green space area, population size, and urbanization rate, six hidden layer neurons, such as patch number, patch density, and average patch size, and one output variable for the comprehensive value of blue-green landscape quality. The results indicate that the GA-BP network achieves an average relative error of 0.94772%, which is superior to the 1.5988% of the traditional BP network. Moreover, it boasts a prediction accuracy of 90% for the comprehensive value of landscape quality from 2015 to 2022, significantly outperforming the BP network's approximate 70% accuracy. This method enhances the accuracy of landscape quality assessment but also aids in identifying crucial factors influencing quality. It provides scientific and objective guidance for future urban landscape structure and layout, contributing to high-quality urban development and the creation of exemplary living areas.

Are Physical Sunscreens Safe for Marine Life? A Study on a Coral-Zooxanthellae Symbiotic System.

Limited toxic and ecological studies were focused on physical sunscreen that is considered to have "safer performance", in which nanosize zinc oxide (nZnO) and nanosize titanium dioxide (nTiO2) generally are added as ultraviolet filters. Herein, the common button coral Zoanthus sp. was newly used to assess the toxic effects and underlying mechanisms of physical sunscreen. Results showed that physical sunscreen induced severe growth inhibition effects and largely compelled the symbiotic zooxanthellae, indicating that their symbiotic systems were threatened and, also, that neural and photosynthesis functions were influenced. Zn2+ toxicity and bioaccumulation were identified as the main toxic mechanisms, and nTiO2 particles released from physical sunscreen also displayed limited bioattachment and toxicity. Oxidative stress, determined by increased reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde content, was indicated as another important toxic mechanism. Furthermore, when Zoanthus sp. was restored, the inhibited individual coral could be largely recovered after a short (3 d) exposure time; however, a longer exposure time damaged the coral irretrievably, which revealed the latent environmental risks of physical sunscreen. This study investigated the toxic effect of physical sunscreen on Zoanthus sp. in a relatively comprehensive manner, thus providing new insights into the toxic response of sunscreen on marine organisms.

Occurrence, source, ecological risk, and mitigation of phthalates (PAEs) in agricultural soils and the environment: A review.

The widespread distribution of phthalates (PAEs) in agricultural soils is increasing drastically; however, the environmental occurrence and potential risk of PAEs in agricultural systems remain largely unreviewed. In this study, the occurrence, sources, ecotoxicity, exposure risks, and control measures of PAEs contaminants in agricultural soils are summarized, and it is concluded that PAEs have been widely detected and persist in the soil at concentrations ranging from a few µg/kg to tens of mg/kg, with spatial and vertical variations in China. Agrochemicals and atmospheric deposition have largely contributed to the elevated contamination status of PAEs in soils. In addition, PAEs cause multi-level hazards to soil organisms (survival, oxidative damage, genetic and molecular levels, etc.) and further disrupt the normal ecological functions of soil. The health hazards of PAEs to humans are mainly generated through dietary and non-dietary pathways, and children may be at a higher risk of exposure than adults. Improving the soil microenvironment and promoting biochemical reactions and metabolic processes of PAEs are the main mechanisms for mitigating contamination. Based on these reviews, this study provides a valuable framework for determining future study objectives to reveal environmental risks and reduce the resistance control of PAEs in agricultural soils.

Ecological challenges in the economic recovery of resource-depleted cities in China.

The depletion of resource reserves will cause stagnation of socio-economic development in resource-based cities. The formation of new sources of economic growth in resource-depleted cities can profoundly change the structure of human activities and affect the environment. The Chinese government has established a list of resource-depleted cities in three batches since 2008 to support these cities in finding new sources of economic growth. The article analyzes the impact of the regeneration process of resource-based cities on ecosystem quality. The paper constructs an inter-city panel dataset covering 281 cities from 2003 to 2018. The article valued the habitat quality of Chinese cities. Habitat quality index and normalized vegetation index were used to measure the long-term and short-term ecological impacts of economic recovery in resource-based cities. Using a difference-in-difference technique, the results show that the central government's economic support for resource-based cities significantly improves the condition of urban ecosystems. However, the long-term ecological effects are still smaller than the short-term changes in ecosystems. The transmission path of support policies affecting the ecological quality of cities depends on the shift in industrial structure and economic scale at the provincial level. In addition, urban-rural differences, regional distribution, and resource endowment also significantly affect the ecological effects of supportive policies.

Effects of sedimentary heavy metals on meiobenthic community in tropical estuaries along eastern Arabian Sea.

The central west coast of India comprises the 720 km long coastline of Maharashtra state and houses widespread industrial zones along the eastern Arabian Sea. Sediments from seven industrial-dominated estuaries along the central west coast were studied for metal enrichment and benthic assemblages to determine sediment quality status and ecological effects in these areas. The suit of geochemical indices highlighted the contamination of sediment in the estuaries concerning heavy metals. Positive correlations of Hg with Co, Zn, Ni, Cr, and Pb indicated the source similarity and effect of anthropogenic activity. non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (n-MDS) based on meiofaunal abundance showed a cleared separation of clusters through the gradient of heavy metal concentrations. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) results with the Monte Carlo test signified those heavy metals influenced the meiobenthic community. Heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg) were the main drivers shaping the meiofaunal community with a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in taxa richness, diversity, and evenness. Dominant meiofaunal assemblages evidence the tolerance of foraminiferans and nematodes. However, these taxa were affected by decreased abundance at impacted sites compared to other fauna. In conclusion, results demonstrated that impairment occurred in the meiofaunal community in most estuaries (except AB and KK).

Hormesis: A General Biological Principle.

Hormesis drives biological modifications from cells to higher levels of biological organization and emerges as a general basic principle of biology, integrating evolution, ecology, medicine, physiology, toxicology, and public health.

Role of uncertainties in protecting ecological resources during remediation and restoration.

Cleanup of contaminated waste sites is a National priority to protect human health and the environment, while restoring land to productive uses. While there are uncertainties with understanding risk to individuals from exposure, the aim of this study was to focus on uncertainties and complexities for ecological systems, complicated by hundreds of species occupying any remediation site which participate in multiple-interacting food webs. The ability to better predict the effectiveness of remediation in fostering future ecosystems might facilitate remedy selection and improve strategic environmental management. This investigation examined (1) uncertainties in ecosystem processes, (2) uncertainties in exposure from contamination before remediation, and (3) uncertainties during remediation. Two Department of Energy sites Hanford Site and Savannah River Site were used as case studies to illustrate how the uncertainties affect eco-receptors. Several types of ecological, physical, and human dimension uncertainties are defined. Ecological uncertainties include temporal, spatial, individual, developmental, and exogenous types. Physical uncertainties are weather-related, watershed variations, slope/aspect, soil/sediment structure and form, unforeseen events, and temporal patterns. Human dimension uncertainties include current land use, future land use, extractive and non-extractive recreation. The effects of remedial strategies varied between the two sites because Hanford is a primarily arid shrub-steppe ecotype, while Savannah River is a wet forest ecotype. Defining the associated ecological sensitivities and uncertainties and providing examples might help policy-makers, managers, planners, and contractors to be aware of issues to consider throughout planning, remediation, and restoration. Adding ecological uncertainty analysis to risk evaluations and remediation planning is analogous to using safety factors in human health risk assessment.

Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers.

Transgenic crops containing the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes reduce pests and insecticide usage, promote biocontrol services, and economically benefit growers. Area-wide Bt adoption suppresses pests regionally, with declines expanding beyond the planted Bt crops into other non-Bt crop fields. However, the offsite benefits to growers of other crops from such regional suppression remain uncertain. With data spanning 1976-2016, we demonstrate that vegetable growers benefit via decreased crop damage and insecticide applications in relation to pest suppression in the Mid-Atlantic United States. We provide evidence for the regional suppression of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), European corn borer, and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), corn earworm, populations in association with widespread Bt maize adoption (1996-2016) and decreased economic levels for injury in vegetable crops [peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sweet corn (Zea mays L., convar. saccharata)] compared with the pre-Bt period (1976-1995). Moth populations of both species significantly declined in association with widespread Bt maize (field corn) adoption, even as increased temperatures buffered the population reduction. We show marked decreases in the number of recommended insecticidal applications, insecticides applied, and O. nubilalis damage in vegetable crops in association with widespread Bt maize adoption. These offsite benefits to vegetable growers in the agricultural landscape have not been previously documented, and the positive impacts identified here expand on the reported ecological effects of Bt adoption. Our results also underscore the need to account for offsite economic benefits of pest suppression, in addition to the direct economic benefits of Bt crops.

Impacts of heavy metals and medicinal crops on ecological systems, environmental pollution, cultivation, and production processes in China.

Heavy metals are widely distributed in the environment due to the natural processes and anthropogenic human activities. Their migration into no contaminated areas contributing towards pollution of the ecosystems e.g. soils, plants, water and air. It is recognized that heavy metals due to their toxicity, long persistence in nature can accumulate in the trophic chain and cause organism dysfunction. Although the popularity of herbal medicine is rapidly increasing all over the world heavy metal toxicity has a great impact and importance on herbal plants and consequently affects the quality of herbal raw materials, herbal extracts, the safety and marketability of drugs. Effective control of heavy metal content in herbal plants using in pharmaceutical and food industries has become indispensable. Therefore, this review describes various important factors such as ecological and environmental pollution, cultivation and harvest of herbal plants and manufacturing processes which effects on the quality of herbal plants and then on Chinese herbal medicines which influence human health. This review also proposes possible management strategies to recover environmental sustainability and medication safety. About 276 published studies (1988-2021) are reviewed in this paper.

Modelling ecosystem dynamics to assess the effect of coastal fisheries on cetacean species.

The expansion of fisheries and its increased efficiency are causing severe detrimental impacts on marine species and ecosystems, that can be categorised into operational and ecological effects. While impacts directly caused by fishing activities have been extensively documented, it is difficult to set an empirical link between fisheries and changes in predator biomass and abundance. Therefore, exploring the functioning of ecosystems as a whole, the interactions between the different species within them and the impact of human activities, is key to understanding the ecological effects of fisheries on top predators and ecosystems, and to develop effective conservation measures, while ensuring a more sustainable exploitation of fishing resources. For instance, mass balance models, such as Ecopath with Ecosim, have proven to be a useful tool to develop more holistic fisheries management and conservation strategies. In this study, Ecopath with Ecosim was used to investigate the temporal dynamics of the Rías Baixas shelf ecosystem (North-West Spain) between 2005 and 2017. Additionally, nine 30-year forward projecting simulations covering the period 2018-2047 were developed to examine the effects of differing fisheries management strategies on common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Results from these models suggest that when intense fishing increases it poses a major threat to the conservation of these top predators in the area, by reducing the variety of their available prey and potentially enhancing competition amongst them. The study highlights the applicability of Ecopath with Ecosim to develop cetacean conservation measures and despite its small spatial scale, it provides a general framework that can be used to assess cetacean conservation in larger and impacted areas.

Assessing the effects of cascade dams on river ecological status using multi-species interaction-based index of biotic integrity (Mt-IBI).

Cascade dams have exerted significant effects on river ecosystems. To quantitatively assess dam-induced effects on river ecological status, a novel multi-species interaction-based index of biotic integrity (Mt-IBI) was developed. Benthic microbiota was selected as a bio-indicator for its sensitivity to the environmental disturbance. An environmental DNA metabarcoding tool was used to identify microbiota (bacteria, protozoan, and metazoan). The Mt-IBI was applied to assess the ecological status of the Hanjiang River, a representative dam-affected river in China. Fifteen sampling sites along the Hanjiang River were sampled in June 2018. Seven core metrics were screened from a total of 364 candidate metrics to calculate the value of the Mt-IBI. The Mt-IBI of the Hanjiang River ranged from 1.90 to 6.39, with a mean value of 4.02. The mean values of Mt-IBI at the reservoir and riverine side of dams were 2.11 and 3.81, respectively. The downstream reach without dam constructions had the highest mean Mt-IBI (5.79). Thus, the continuity of the river was strongly related to the Mt-IBI. Structural equation models (SEMs) were further established to identify the dominant environmental variables in the dam-affected river. The SEMs indicated that flow velocity (coefficient 0.749) was the most important determinant of ecological status in the Hanjiang River. Water organic matter also played a vital role in determining the ecological status of the Hanjiang River, and exerted the strongest direct effect (P < 0.001, r = 0.712). The reliability of SEMs was verified by building a support vector regression model (R2 = 0.8141). This study can provide new tools for ecological assessment and diagnosis, and provide a new perspective for the management of cascade dams.

Soil wind erosion evaluation and sustainable management of typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, China.

Soil wind erosion is an important ecological environmental problem that is widespread in arid and semi-arid regions. Currently, related studies are mainly focused on spatiotemporal characteristics or analysis of effector mechanisms, and they do not facilitate direct servicing of management decisions. In this paper, we used the Xilingol typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, China, as a study site to develop a decision framework for a comprehensive understanding of soil wind erosion and to promote sustainable management of steppes. In this study, we used the Revised Wind Erosion Equation model to simulate soil wind erosion. We combined this model with linear trend analysis to evaluate the ecological effects of soil wind erosion and wind erosion intensity, and delineated the gravity center migration path. We used the constraint line method to reveal the mechanisms by which climatic factors affected soil wind erosion, achieved the spatial visualization of wind-breaking and sand-fixing service flow, and proposed decision-based regional sustainable development suggestions. The results showed that long-term soil wind erosion will lead to soil coarsening and loss of soil nutrients. Soil wind erosion in the study site showed worsening trends and risks, and as such, ecological environment conservation and management are urgently required. The study framework promotes a clear understanding of the complex relationship of human-earth systems. The study results will aid in the ecological remediation of steppe landscapes and the prevention of desertification and will provide a foundation for win-win management of ecological conservation and economic development in arid and semi-arid regions.

Heavy metals concentrations and naturally occurring radionuclides in soils affected by and around a solid waste dumpsite in Osogbo metropolis, Nigeria.

The presence of heavy metals and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) in high concentrations in soils can be hazardous to exposed humans. This study is aimed at measuring the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Cd, Co, and Cr) and activity concentration of 232Th, 238U, and 40K in soils affected by and around a solid waste dumpsite in Osogbo metropolis, Nigeria. Atomic absorption spectrometry and gamma-ray spectrometric techniques were used to determine the concentrations of metals and NORMs, respectively. Possible environmental impact of the heavy metal content and the probable radiological hazard by the NORMs to the general public were assessed. The calculated pollution indices reported in this work for Co, Cr, Pb, and Ni show low pollution status. Geoaccumulation indices for Cu, Zn, and Cd indicated that the area under study is strongly contaminated by these metals. Evaluated ecological risk index narrowed down Cd as the poisonous metal with high concentration. The measured radionuclides' mean activity concentrations and the evaluated mean of radium equivalent and absorbed dose rate values are higher than the recommended safe limit, an indication of possible radiological hazard. The principal factor analysis results explained 76% of the collection of data and described chips of galvanized/chrome metals, scrap metals, waste from electronics, Cr, and Cd-containing waste as sources of the heavy metals. The practice of land cultivation around the dumpsite should be deterred to prevent the transportation of these vicious heavy metals into the food chain.

The Impact of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Bacterioplankton Communities During the Construction of Donghu Tunnel (Wuhan, China).

Bacterioplankton are both primary producers and primary consumers in aquatic ecosystems, which were commonly investigated to reflect environmental changes, evaluate primary productivity, and assess biogeochemical cycles. However, there is relatively less understanding of their responses to anthropogenic disturbances such as constructions of dams/tunnels/roads that may significantly affect the aquatic ecosystem. To fill such gap, this study focused on the bacterioplankton communities' diversity and turnover during a tunnel construction across an urban lake (Lake Donghu, Wuhan, China), and five batches of samples were collected within 2 months according to the tunnel construction progress. Results indicated that both resources and predator factors contributed significant to the variations of bacterioplankton communities, but the closed area and open areas showed different diversity patterns due to the impacts of tunnel construction. Briefly, the phytoplankton, TN, and TP in water were still significantly correlated with the bacterioplankton composition and diversity like that in normal conditions. Additionally, the organic matter, TN, and NH4-N in sediments also showed clear effects on the bacterioplankton. However, the predator effects on the bacterioplankton in the closed-off construction area mainly derived from large zooplankton (i.e., cladocerans), while small zooplankton such as protozoa and rotifers are only responsible for weak predator effects on the bacterioplankton in the open areas. Further analysis about the ecological driving forces indicated that the bacterioplankton communities' turnover during the tunnel construction was mainly governed by the homogeneous selection due to similar environments within the closed area or the open areas at two different stages. This finding suggests that bacterioplankton communities can quickly adapt to the environmental modifications resulting from tunnel construction activities. This study can also give references to enhance our understanding on bacterioplankton communities' response to ecological and environmental changes due to intensification of construction and urbanization in and around lake ecosystems.

Chemo-Diversity and Antiradical Potential of Twelve Matricaria chamomilla L. Populations from Iran: Proof of Ecological Effects.

Matricaria chamomilla L. is a popular medicinal herb that is used for healing various diseases and is widely distributed worldwide in temperate climate zones, and even in the subtropical climate of Southern and Western Iran. This study was aimed at comparing the volatile oil constituents, along with antiradical potential and HPLC analysis of methanolic extracts from twelve plant samples growing in Iran. The present research was carried out for the first time on these populations. Among seventeen identified volatile chemicals evaluated by GC/MS and GC/FID, representing 92.73-97.71% of the total oils, α-bisabolone oxide A (45.64-65.41%) was the major constituent, except in case of "Sarableh" as a new chemotype, where (E)- and (Z)-γ-bisabolene (42.76 and 40.08%, respectively) were the predominant components. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (53.31-74.52%) were the most abundant compounds in the samples excluding "Sarableh" with 91.3% sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. "Sarableh" also exerted the most potent antioxidant capacity with EC50 = 7.76 ± 0.3 µg/mL and 6.51 ± 0.63 mmol TE (Trolox® equivalents)/g. In addition, populations "Lali" and "Bagh Malek" contained the highest amounts of apigenin and luteolin with 1.19 ± 0.01 mg/g and 2.20 ± 0.0 mg/g of plant material, respectively. Our findings depict a clear correlation between phytochemical profiles and antiradical potential of M. chamomilla and geographical factors.

Grazers affect selection on inflorescence height both directly and indirectly and effects change over time.

Selection mediated by one biotic agent will often be modified by the presence of other biotic interactions, and the importance of such indirect effects might change over time. We conducted an 11-yr field experiment to test the prediction that large grazers affect selection on floral display of the dimorphic herb Primula farinosa not only directly through differential grazing damage, but also indirectly by affecting vegetation height and thereby selection mediated by pollinators and seed predators. Exclusion of large grazers increased vegetation height and the strength of pollinator-mediated selection for tall inflorescences and seed-predator-mediated selection for short inflorescences. The direct effect of grazers on selection resulting from differential grazing damage to the two scape morphs showed no temporal trend. By contrast, the increase in vegetation height in exclosures over time was associated with an increase in selection mediated by pollinators and seed predators. In the early years of the experiment, the indirect effects of grazers on selection mediated by pollinators and seed predators were weak, whereas at the end of the experiment, the indirect effects were of similar magnitude as the direct effect due to differential grazing damage. The results demonstrate that the indirect effects of a selective agent can be as strong as its direct effects, and that the relative importance of direct vs. indirect effects on selection can change over time. A full understanding of the ecological processes governing variation in selection thus requires that both direct and indirect effects of biotic interactions are assessed.

Changing Environments by Changing Individuals: The Emergent Effects of Psychological Intervention.

The two studies reported here tested whether a classroom-based psychological intervention that benefited a few African American 7th graders could trigger emergent ecological effects that benefited their entire classrooms. Multilevel analyses were conducted on data that previously documented the benefits of values affirmations on African American students' grades. The density of African American students who received the intervention in each classroom (i.e., treatment density) was used as an independent predictor of grades. Within a classroom, the greater the density of African American students who participated in the intervention exercise, the higher the grades of all classmates on average, regardless of their race or whether they participated in the intervention exercise. Benefits of treatment density were most pronounced among students with a history of poor performance. Results suggest that the benefits of psychological intervention do not end with the individual. Changed individuals can improve their social environments, and such improvements can benefit others regardless of whether they participated in the intervention. These findings have implications for understanding the emergence of ecological consequences from psychological processes.

A facultative endosymbiont in aphids can provide diverse ecological benefits.

Ecologically important traits of insects are often affected by facultative bacterial endosymbionts. This is best studied in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, which is frequently infected by one or more of eight facultative symbiont species. Many of these symbiont species have been shown to provide one ecological benefit, but we have little understanding of the range of effects that a single strain can have. Here, we describe the phenotypes conferred by three strains of the recently discovered bacterium known as X-type (Enterobacteriaceae), each in their original aphid genotype which also carries a Spiroplasma symbiont. All comparisons are made between aphids that are coinfected with Spiroplasma and X-type and aphids of the same genotype that harbour only Spiroplasma. We show that in all cases, infection with X-type protects aphids from the lethal fungal pathogen Pandora neoaphidis, and in two cases, resistance to the parasitoid Aphidius ervi also increases. X-type can additionally affect aphid stress responses--the presence of X-type increased reproduction after the aphids were heat-stressed. Two of the three strains of X-type are able to provide all of these benefits. Under benign conditions, the aphids tended to suffer from reduced fecundity when harbouring X-type, a mechanism that might maintain intermediate frequencies in field populations. These findings highlight that a single strain of a facultative endosymbiont has the potential to provide diverse benefits to its aphid host.

Research advances on the toxicity of biodegradable plastics derived micro/nanoplastics in the environment: A review.

The detrimental effects of plastic and microplastic accumulation on ecosystems are widely recognized and indisputable. The emergence of biodegradable plastics (BPs) offers a practical solution to plastic pollution. Problematically, however, not all BPs can be fully degraded in the environment. On the contrary, the scientific community has demonstrated that BPs are more likely than conventional plastics (CPs) to degrade into micro/nanoplastics and release additives, which can have similar or even worse effects than microplastics. However, there is very limited information available on the environmental toxicity assessment of BMPs. The absence of a toxicity evaluation system and the uncertainty regarding combined toxicity with other pollutants also impede the environmental toxicity assessment of BMPs. Currently, research is focused on thoroughly exploring the toxic effects of biodegradable microplastics (BMPs). This paper reviews the pollution status of BMPs in the environment, the degradation behavior of BPs and the influencing factors. This paper comprehensively summarizes the ecotoxicological effects of BPs on ecosystems, considering animals, plants, and microorganisms in various environments such as water bodies, soil, and sediment. The focus is on distinguishing between BMPs and conventional microplastics (CMPs). In addition, the combined toxic effects of BMPs and other pollutants are also being investigated. The findings suggest that BMPs may have different or more severe impacts on ecosystems. The rougher and more intricate surface of BMPs increases the likelihood of causing mechanical damage to organisms and breaking down into smaller plastic particles, releasing additives that lead to a series of cascading negative effects on related organisms and ecosystems. In the case of knowledge gaps, future research is also proposed and anticipated to investigate the toxic effects of BMPs and their evaluation.