Environmental Science and Pollution Research最新文献

Microplastic (MP) contamination in tropical river systems is increasingly reported, yet the reliability and comparability of available evidence remain uncertain. This review critically appraises MP contamination in the Karnaphuli River system, Bangladesh, using a PRISMA-guided systematic literature review and an expanded Source–Pathway–Receptor framework. Fifteen peer-reviewed studies were synthesized to evaluate environmental occurrence, methodological quality, reporting comparability, source-attribution certainty, physicochemical characteristics, ecological receptors, and human exposure plausibility. Because studies differed in sampling design, particle-size thresholds, analytical methods, QA/QC reporting, and measurement units, statistical meta-analysis was not appropriate. Available evidence reports MPs in water, sediment, fish, and fishery products, with fibres, fragments, and films frequently dominant. Industrial effluents, municipal wastewater, textile discharge, urban runoff, port activities, and unmanaged plastic waste are plausible contributors, but source attribution remains mainly inferential. Fish-ingestion evidence supports biological uptake and possible trophic transfer, although Karnaphuli-specific freshwater fish data remain limited. Aquatic plants, biofilms, plankton, and benthic organisms are important but understudied receptors. Human dietary exposure through fish and dried fish is plausible but locally unquantified. Overall, the Karnaphuli River should be treated as a high-concern MP system requiring standardized monitoring, source-specific sampling, polymer confirmation, QA/QC transparency, and receptor-based studies.

The fluorite structured CeO₂ is a well-known material for catalysis, sensors, fuel cells, and environmental remediation application due to rapid Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ cycling. Similarly, the recently reported high entropy oxides (HEOs) have tailorable bandgaps, improved charge separation, and multiple redox-active sites, which make them an efficient catalyst for pollutant degradation. Herein, we report the catalytic property of in-situ nanocomposite of fluorite MO₂ and spinel structured high entropy oxide of M₃O₄ (where M = Mn, Fe_, Co, Ni and Ce). The composite was able to degrade around 92% of the methylene blue (MB) dye in 60 min during the photo-Fenton reaction. Further, the mass spectroscopy (MS) study of the solution obtained after complete degradation (in 90 min) of MB justified its total mineralisation. The magnetization value of ~ 25 emu/g of the composite endorses its ability for easy recovery and recycling. The structural and morphological studies via x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicate the existence of both CeO₂ and M₃O₄ (spinel structure) phases. The valences of the respective cations were confirmed from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Haloxyfop-R-methyl is a grass-selective aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicide whose gestational exposure is toxicologically important because maternal xenobiotic burden can coincide with fetal organogenesis, placental transfer, and hepatic metabolic stress. The present investigation evaluated organ-specific accumulation of haloxyfop-R-methyl in pregnant Wistar rats and their fetuses following exposure on GD3, GD13, or GD17. It also assessed the corrective efficacy of narcissin and sophoroflavonoside (SFL) against pesticide-induced alterations in maternal hepatic biomarkers. Pregnant rats received haloxyfop-R-methyl orally at a sublethal dose equivalent to 1/10 LD₅₀ on gestational day (GD) 3, 13, or 17. Maternal and fetal liver, lung, spleen, and brain were collected on GD20–GD21 for LC–MS-based residue quantification. A parallel experiment measured maternal plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin. These biomarkers were assessed after haloxyfop-R-methyl exposure alone or combined with narcissin or SFL. LC–MS calibration showed strong linearity, with slopes of 93,384.20 and 97,181.37 and uncentered R² values of 0.99993 and 0.99978. Haloxyfop-R-methyl was absent from controls but was detected in all examined maternal and fetal tissues. Residue concentrations differed among exposure-timing groups at terminal sampling. Maternal liver and lung showed the highest concentrations in the GD17-dosed group, reaching 0.619 ± 0.050 and 0.529 ± 0.041 µg g⁻¹, respectively. Fetal liver and lung also showed the highest concentrations in the GD17-dosed group, reaching 0.419 ± 0.035 and 0.405 ± 0.020 µg g⁻¹. Fetal-to-maternal residue ratios were highest in several organs in the GD17-dosed group, particularly lung, liver, and brain. Haloxyfop-R-methyl increased maternal ALT, AST, and total bilirubin across all exposure windows. The highest values occurred in the GD17-dosed group at terminal sampling. However, all groups were sampled on GD20–GD21, resulting in different intervals between dosing and sampling. Therefore, the observed differences cannot distinguish gestational stage effects from effects of time elapsed since exposure. Narcissin and SFL reduced pesticide-induced biochemical alterations. SFL showed greater protective efficacy across most endpoints, particularly bilirubin on GD3 and AST on GD13. Standardized effect-size analysis confirmed large haloxyfop-R-methyl-associated effects and measurable biochemical correction following flavonoid treatment. The integrated residue–biomarker framework characterizes exposure window-associated maternal–fetal residue distribution and flavonoid-mediated biochemical correction during pregnancy.

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment represents an emerging risk to human health, with growing evidence of detection in human biological matrices. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the detection, quantification, and characterization of MPs in human biological matrices. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Original research articles published in English up to 2025 that involved human participants were included, specifically selecting observational studies. The 40 included studies confirmed MPs in multiple human biological matrices, including blood, urine, feces, placenta, breast milk, semen, lung, and heart tissue. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality and risk of bias of the individual studies. Substantial methodological heterogeneity was observed in analytical techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy (μFTIR), micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman), laser direct infrared spectroscopy (LDIR), and pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), as well as in the reporting units and limits of detection. Most studies reported fragments and fibers, with a predominance of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). NOS assessment showed that 52.5% of studies were of moderate quality, indicating that while the frequent detection of these particles suggests widespread human contact, significant methodological shortcomings and potential analytical overestimations limit the accurate quantification of systemic exposure and the strength of causal inferences. The widespread detection of MPs raises public health concerns regarding chronic exposure and potential health implications. However, current evidence remains insufficient to establish causal relationships, underscoring the urgent need for rigorous epidemiological studies.

Graphical Abstract

Environmental pollution due to leachate infiltration from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill is a grave problem in many developing countries. A pioneer study was undertaken to assess the impact of the Lamdeng Municipal Solid Waste Management Plant in Manipur, Northeast India on the soil and surface water quality of the surrounding areas and its associated human health risk. For the study, leachate, soil, and surface water physico-chemical characteristics were assessed during 2022–2023. Heavy metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd concentrations in leachate, soil and surface water from the surrounding areas were quantified. The surface water characteristics such as EC, TDS, turbidity, DO, alkalinity, total hardness, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, NO₃⁻, and PO₄³⁻ showed values beyond WHO thresholds. The Water Quality Index (WQI) values calculated for surface water in the surrounding areas ranged from 130.56 to 511.74, which is in the unsuitable category for drinking. Moreover, the crops cultivated in the agricultural fields near the facility are exposed to high EC, TDS, salinity, and magnesium ions. The health risk assessment of locals via metal exposure from the landfill leachate showed that the carcinogenic risk due to cadmium was 1.77 × 10⁻⁶ for adults and 7.08 × 10⁻⁶ for children, which is > 1 per 1,000,000 inhabitants, indicating an acceptable carcinogenic risk. However, the locals, oblivious of the current scenario, practice agriculture and fishing, extract wild edibles, and depend on the surface water from the surrounding areas of the waste management facility.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical for advanced technologies, and their demand is expected to exceed current supply in the coming years. This study presents an integrated enrichment-adsorption strategy for recovering Y, La, Ce, Eu, and Tb from waste fluorescent lamp phosphor powder containing ~6 wt% REEs. A three-cycle alkali roasting process at 800 °C transformed phosphate phases into oxides, facilitating subsequent hydrometallurgical treatment. Sequential two-stage leaching comprising 2 mol L⁻¹ H₂SO₄ at 40 °C followed by brine leaching (2.5 mol L⁻¹ NaCl, pH 5, 90 °C, 90 min) reduced Ca content from 36.74 to 8.06 wt%, corresponding to a 78.1% decrease and significant enrichment of the REEs. The enriched solution was treated with EDTA-functionalized chitosan under optimized conditions (pH 5, 50 °C, 24 h), achieving maximum adsorption efficiencies of 82.4% (Tb), 79.15% (Y), 74.10% (Ce), 60.13% (La), and 31.87% (Eu). Langmuir isotherm fitting demonstrated monolayer adsorption with maximum capacities (q_max) of 179.54 mg g⁻¹ (Tb), 106.45 mg g⁻¹ (Y), 115.35 mg g⁻¹ (Ce), 77.68 mg g⁻¹ (La), and 28.47 mg g⁻¹ (Eu). The integrated pre-concentration and bio-based adsorption strategy provides a technically efficient route for selective REE recovery, contributing to sustainable and circular economic development.