Article
Environmental Sciences
J. Aravind Kumar, T. Krithiga, S. Sathish, A. Annam Renita, D. Prabu, S. Lokesh, R. Geetha, S. Karthik Raja Namasivayam, Mika Sillanpaa
Summary: This article discusses the hazards of persistent organic pollutants and their impact on the environment and humans, introduces different biological degradation methods, emphasizes the potential of microbial degradation in the management of POPs, and points out the direction for future research.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniela Negrete-Bolagay, Camilo Zamora-Ledezma, Cristina Chuya-Sumba, Frederico B. De Sousa, Daniel Whitehead, Frank Alexis, Victor H. Guerrero
Summary: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have become a serious environmental issue due to their toxicity and resistance to degradation, primarily originating from industrial and agricultural activities. This review article discusses the types, impacts, and removal methods of POPs, focusing on promising technologies such as bioremediation, advanced oxidation, ionizing radiation, and nanotechnology. Alternative approaches to control the use of pollutants and mitigate their effects on water sources are also suggested.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ruifeng Lu, Xingpei Cao, Xiaobo Zheng, Yanhong Zeng, Yiye Jiang, Bixian Mai
Summary: This study examined the sources, biomagnification factors, and impact of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in a waterbird food web in South China. The concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in kingfishers were found to be high, with significant temporal changes in their congener profiles. The primary prey species for kingfishers were pelagic and benthic fish, which served as the main sources of low and high hydrophobic contaminants, respectively. The study also observed parabolic relationships between biomagnification factors and log KOW, as well as negative correlations between elimination rates of POPs in waterbirds.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaodan Wu, Xiaobo Zheng, Lehuan Yu, Ruifeng Lu, Qiang Zhang, Xiao-Jun Luo, Bi-Xian Mai
Summary: This study investigated the species-specific biomagnification of POPs in songbird species, and found that different invertebrate taxa had different contributions to songbirds. The biomagnification of POPs is influenced by the physicochemical properties of the POPs and ecological factors, with respiratory elimination playing an important role in songbirds.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Irina Gyllenhammar, Marie Aune, Ulrika Friden, Tatiana Cantillana, Anders Bignert, Sanna Lignell, Anders Glynn
Summary: Body burdens of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Swedish first-time mothers were investigated through measurements in breast milk from 1996 to 2017. The trends in POPs body burdens were primarily affected by factors such as the mother's age, pre-pregnancy BMI, weight gain during pregnancy, weight loss after delivery, and education level. The levels of most organic pollutants showed a declining trend over the study period.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Covadonga Lucas-Torres, Cedric Caradeuc, Laura Prieur, Haidar Djemai, Layale Youssef, Philippe Noirez, Xavier Coumoul, Karine Audouze, Nicolas Giraud, Gildas Bertho
Summary: Nowadays, exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), is a critical threat to public health. This study investigates the chronic low-dose internal exposure to a cocktail of POPs on multiple tissues. The metabolic response differs among selected tissues/organs, with dynamic effects observed in the liver, immediate saturated effects in the brain tissue, and nearly no effect in adipose tissues.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Joshua O. Ighalo, Pow-Seng Yap, Kingsley O. Iwuozor, Chukwunonso O. Aniagor, Tianqi Liu, Kanika Dulta, Felicitas U. Iwuchukwu, Selvasembian Rangabhashiyam
Summary: Urbanization and industrial activities contribute to the distribution of toxic contaminants in water, particularly persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Nanomaterials have shown effective adsorption of POPs, making them a promising method for removal. However, challenges regarding adsorbent ecotoxicity and safe disposal still need to be addressed.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vahab Vaezzadeh, Margaret William Thomes, Tatsuya Kunisue, Nguyen Minh Tue, Gan Zhang, Mohamad Pauzi Zakaria, Yang Amri Affendi, Fook Choy Yap, Li Lee Chew, Hong Wooi Teoh, Choon Weng Lee, Chui Wei Bong
Summary: The study found that barnacles in coastal environments in Malaysia contain high concentrations of persistent organic pollutants, with PCBs and PBDEs as the main components. Compared to previous studies, the levels of POPs in barnacles remain consistent.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Shahabaldin Rezania, Amirreza Talaiekhozani, Bahareh Oryani, Jinwoo Cho, Mandana Barghi, Parveen Fatemeh Rupani, Mohammadreza Kamali
Summary: The presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in South Korea's atmosphere, including PAHs, PCBs, BFRs, and PBDEs, poses significant environmental and health risks. While data on nationwide exposure is limited, the overall trend suggests a decrease in POP pollution compared to neighboring countries like Japan and China.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kevin B. White, Jiri Kalina, Martin Scheringer, Petra Pribylova, Petr Kukucka, Jiri Kohoutek, Roman Prokes, Jana Klanova
Summary: The Global Monitoring Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) aims to generate long-term data for evaluating the effectiveness of regulatory measures globally. After 15 years of monitoring, MONET network provides sufficient data for analyzing the long-term trends of POPs in air across Europe. This study reports the concentrations of 20 POPs monitored at 32 sites in 27 European countries.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jie Mei, Ying Tao, Cheng Gao, Qiong Zhu, Hongyang Zhang, Jun Yu, Zhen Fang, Hu Xu, Yuhong Wang, Guisheng Li
Summary: The enhanced dye-sensitized BiPO4/BiOCl heterojunction system showed high photo-degradation activity for treating highly concentrated hazardous pollutants under visible-light irradiation. The efficient treatment was attributed to the high-performance sensitization of RhB and suitable conduction band match between BiPO4 and BiOCl in the P-BOC heterojunctions.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Feng-Jiao Peng, Claude Emond, Emilie M. Hardy, Nicolas Sauvageot, Ala'a Alkerwi, Marie-Lise Lair, Brice M. R. Appenzeller
Summary: This study using hair analysis found that the general adult population in Luxembourg is commonly exposed to a variety of organic pollutants, with more than 50% of the detected pollutants being found in over 50% of the hair samples analyzed.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
El Hadia Mansouri, Mohamed Reggabi
Summary: This case-control study in Algeria found that environmental exposure to certain persistent organic pollutants is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the general population. Diabetic subjects had higher plasma concentrations of these pollutants, emphasizing the potential impact of endocrine disruptors on diabetes development.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Victoria A. Gomez, Karla Pozo, Christelle Clerandeau, Jerome Cachot, Caroline Montes, Petra Pribylova, Cristobal Glaban-Malagon, Bradley Clarke, Jana Klanova, Benedicte Morin
Summary: The chemical components of plastic wastes have become a major problem worldwide. This study evaluated the toxicity and genotoxicity of marine plastic debris on the beaches of Concepción Bay, Chile, and found high concentrations of PBDEs.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
John E. Elliott, Mark C. Drever, Katharine R. Studholme, Veronica Silverthorn, Aroha A. Miller, Kyle H. Elliott, Sandi L. Lee, Ken G. Drouillard, Emily Porter, Abde Miftah Idrissi, Glenn T. Crossin, J. Mark Hipfner
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between persistent organic pollutants and mercury burdens in rhinoceros auklets breeding on islands along the Pacific Coast of Canada and their wintering latitude using solar geolocation loggers and stable isotope analysis. The results showed that wintering latitude was the most consistent and significant predictor of some pollutants and mercury concentrations in auklet eggs. The exposure patterns varied by contaminant, with some decreasing and others increasing with wintering latitude.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura Castaneda-Gomez, Kate Lajtha, Richard Bowden, Fathima Nahidha Mohammed Jauhar, Juan Jia, Xiaojuan Feng, Myrna J. Simpson
Summary: Forest ecosystems as global soil carbon reservoirs are affected by climate change factors that change carbon inputs. This study integrated molecular composition data sets of soil organic matter and microbial communities to investigate the effects of detrital input and removal treatments on forest soil carbon dynamics. The results showed that long-term litter additions did not increase soil carbon content, while litter reductions negatively impacted soil carbon concentrations. This highlights the sensitivity of soil carbon biogeochemistry to changes in litter deposition.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Huan Tong, Mehran Behazin, Myrna J. Simpson
Summary: Bentonite clay is suggested as a buffer layer for Canada's geologic repository for long-term storage of nuclear fuels. The presence of natural organic matter (NOM) in bentonite may contribute to container corrosion. Molecular-level techniques were used to analyze bentonite composition under different heat and radiation conditions, and it was found that heat and radiation had minimal effects on overall NOM chemistry. Further research is needed to investigate longer exposure durations and overall stability of NOM in a deep geologic repository setting.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine L. Steeves, Meera J. Bissram, Sonya Kleywegt, Douglas Stevens, Frank L. Dorman, Andre J. Simpson, Myrna J. Simpson, Lindsay S. Cahill, Karl J. Jobst
Summary: This study discovered the presence of fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEO) in indoor dust and industrial effluent, indicating their potential as widespread and persistent pollutants.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lisa M. Labine, Erico Oliveira A. Pereira, Sonya Kleywegt, Karl J. Jobst, Andre J. Simpson, Myrna J. Simpson
Summary: The study investigates the metabolic perturbations of PFAS on Daphnia, highlighting that different PFAS chain lengths and polar functional groups can induce unique metabolic responses while also sharing a common underlying toxic mode of action.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Myrna J. Simpson
Summary: Soil pollution has had a global impact on ecosystem health, leading to a reduction in critical services provided by soil ecosystems. Environmental metabolomics has provided valuable insights into the effects of pollutants on soil-dwelling organisms, particularly earthworms. Recent studies have also explored the complex relationships between plants-microbes and earthworms-microbes, and how these relationships are altered by pollutant exposure in soil. Overall, these studies highlight the negative ecological cascade and decline in soil organism health caused by pollution.
CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Erico A. Oliveira Pereira, Lisa M. Labine, Sonya Kleywegt, Karl J. Jobst, Andre J. Simpson, Myrna J. Simpson
Summary: Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), commonly used as additives in plastics, can leach into the environment and cause various harmful effects on aquatic organisms. This study examined the impact of four phthalate pollutants on Daphnia magna using targeted metabolomic approach. Results showed unique metabolic profiles for each phthalate pollutant and disruption of amino acid and energy metabolism pathways. These findings suggest a common toxic mechanism of action for phthalate pollutants and emphasize the importance of targeted metabolomic approaches in understanding sub-lethal exposure to pollutants.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kiera Ronda, Katelyn Downey, Amy Jenne, Monica Bastawrous, William W. Wolff, Katrina Steiner, Daniel H. Lysak, Peter M. Costa, Myrna J. Simpson, Karl J. Jobst, Andre J. Simpson
Summary: Environmental metabolomics sheds light on the impact of human activities on organism health at the molecular level. This paper focuses on the use of in vivo NMR as a powerful tool for monitoring real-time changes in the metabolome of organisms. It also investigates the applicability of proton-only experiments on non-enriched samples, specifically using Daphnia as a model organism.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Iuliana Stoica, Maryam Tabatabaei Anaraki, Thomas Muratore, Melissa Knorr, Serita D. Frey, Myrna J. Simpson
Summary: By analyzing soil samples from the Harvard Forest Soil Warming and Nitrogen Addition experiment, this study found that increasing global temperatures and atmospheric nitrogen deposition threaten carbon storage in forest soils. The study emphasizes the importance of observing environmental stressors using molecular-level approaches to understand how anthropogenic activity will alter forest soil systems.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jessica C. D'eon, Brian P. Lankadurai, Andre J. Simpson, Eric J. Reiner, David G. Poirier, Greg C. Vanlerberghe, Myrna J. Simpson
Summary: Environmental metabolomics is an effective method for studying pollutant impacts on target organisms. Both NMR and MS-based methods are used for amino acid profiling in environmental metabolomic studies. In this study, we compared the quantification of amino acids in different model organisms using both H-1 NMR and LC-MS/MS methods. The results showed that both NMR and LC-MS/MS measurements were reliable for amino acid profiling, demonstrating the compatibility of these two analytical platforms in environmental metabolomics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Istvan Fekete, Ornella Francioso, Myrna J. Simpson, Paola Gioacchini, Daniela Montecchio, Imre Berki, Norbert Moricz, Katalin Juhos, Aron Beni, Zsolt Kotroczo
Summary: Climate models predict warming and drying of Hungarian forests, raising concerns about their carbon storage capacity. To assess future changes, precipitation gradient studies were conducted on oak forests in Central Europe, investigating the quality parameters of soil organic matter (SOM). The results showed lower soil organic carbon (SOC) in humid forests due to increased decomposition and leaching of Ca, but the decrease in easily degradable SOM compounds. In dry forests, the amount of recalcitrant SOM increased, but so did the easily degradable SOM. Overall, SOC may increase in drier forests, partially offsetting the decrease in biomass.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Katherine C. Dibbon, Grace Mercer, Alexandre S. Maekawa, Jenna Hanrahan, Katherine L. Steeves, Lauren C. M. Ringer, Andre J. Simpson, Myrna J. Simpson, Ahmet A. Baschat, John C. Kingdom, Christopher K. Macgowan, John G. Sled, Karl J. Jobst, Lindsay S. Cahill
Summary: Maternal exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics during mouse pregnancy has been found to result in fetal growth restriction and placental dysfunction, with the effects being more pronounced in the group exposed to nanoplastics. This suggests that nanoplastic exposure during human pregnancy has the potential to disrupt fetal brain development and lead to suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcomes.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
L. M. Labine, E. A. Oliveira Pereira, S. Kleywegt, K. J. Jobst, A. J. Simpson, M. J. Simpson
Summary: Anthropogenic activities contribute to pollution in freshwater bodies worldwide, with wastewater treatment and industrial effluents containing complex mixtures of organic and inorganic pollutants. The molecular-level perturbations to the metabolic profile of Daphnia magna exposed to these effluents were examined in this study. The results showed significant metabolic changes, indicating oxidative stress, disruptions to energy metabolism, and protein dysregulation, highlighting the importance of metabolomics in assessing the interactions of industrial effluents.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Katelyn Downey, Wolfgang Bermel, Ronald Soong, Daniel H. Lysak, Kiera Ronda, Katrina Steiner, Peter M. Costa, William W. Wolff, Venita Decker, Falko Busse, Benjamin Goerling, Agnes Haber, Myrna J. Simpson, Andre J. Simpson
Summary: Understanding environmental change requires molecular-level tools. This study investigates innovative experiments to improve low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of environmental and biological samples. Spectral simplification, selective detection, and heteronuclear NMR experiments were tested, and a novel selectively detected HSQC experiment was introduced. The results demonstrate the potential of low-field NMR in biological and environmental research, and its adaptability to various research needs.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Grace V. Mercer, Nikita E. Harvey, Katherine L. Steeves, Celine M. Schneider, John G. Sled, Christopher K. Macgowan, Ahmet A. Baschat, John C. Kingdom, Andre J. Simpson, Myrna J. Simpson, Karl J. Jobst, Lindsay S. Cahill
Summary: Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics during pregnancy caused abnormal fetal brain metabolism in mice, including decreased concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid, creatine, and glucose. The change in relative concentration of asparagine was dependent on fetal sex.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Zahra Aghaei, Grace Mercer, Celine M. Schneider, John G. Sled, Christopher K. Macgowan, Ahmet A. Baschat, John C. Kingdom, Paul A. Helm, Andre J. Simpson, Myrna J. Simpson, Karl J. Jobst, Lindsay S. Cahill
Summary: Maternal exposure to microplastics significantly alters placental metabolism, potentially impacting pregnancy outcomes. Efforts should be made to minimize exposure to plastics, particularly during pregnancy.