Themed collection Recent Open Access Articles

Characterizing the degradation behavior of chemicals in the environment is a key component of chemical hazard and risk assessment.

A more ubiquitous use of process-based models will enhance the information gained from biogeochemical experimentation through both, a more rigorous interpretation of acquired data and the optimal design of future experiments.

While per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic organic substances with diverse structures, properties, uses, bioaccumulation potentials and toxicities, nearly all PFAS are highly persistent.

Bacteria degrading 1,2,3-trichloropropane were constructed by genetic engineering and may be applicable for groundwater bioremediation, following the example of 1,2-dichloroethane.

A multi-disciplinary perspective on connecting chemistry, exposure and medical information to “neurotoxicity” for mass spectrometry-based environmental assessment, including multiple interactive resources for readers to use and explore.

High persistence has important implications for chemicals regulation and management.

Applying POP screening to a large chemical domain requires less reliance on individual criteria and more on integrated assessment with models.

The distribution of trace elements (TEs) in the bituminous sands is dichotomous: V, Ni, Mo, Se and Re are found predominantly in the bitumen fraction, and all other TEs in the mineral fraction.

The Galician rías (NW Iberia, Spain) are responsible for most of the national shellfish production. This is the first review of red tides in that area including an historical overview, social challenges and proposals for improving their monitoring.

Recent findings on oxidized organic compounds in the atmosphere and analytical methodologies for their detection and quantification.

PFAS are widely used in lithium-ion batteries, which may be problematic for the rapidly growing battery recycling industry.

Approaches to regulatory assessment and management of polymers are reviewed and opportunities for improvements are highlighted based on a critical appraisal of current science on their environmental fate and effects.

Time series of contaminants in the Arctic are an important instrument to detect emerging issues and to monitor the effectiveness of chemicals regulation. Climate change can affect the link between primary emissions and concentrations in Arctic wildlife.

Direct and indirect effects of climate change influence contaminant sources, transport, re-distribution and circulation in the physical environment of the Arctic. Linkages of such observations to Arctic ecosystem exposure and effects are needed.

Global climate change-driven shifts in physical and ecological processes may alter POPs concentrations in Arctic food webs.

Future climate change in the Arctic will lead to loss of ice, snow and permafrost, increasing human activity and development, and changes in wind and ocean circulation patterns, that could alter the pathways, distribution and fate of contaminants.

This review covers 40 laboratory- and plot-scale wildfire and rainfall simulation experiments which focus on wildfire hydrologic and water quality effects, guiding future researchers in the optimal design of their own simulation experiments.

Our critical review compares ARG profiles in the atmosphere across different locations and discusses characterization methods, atmospheric transport, and future research questions.

Synthetic fibre release is an important source of microplastics to agricultural soils, through the application of sewage sludge. Microplastics are potential vectors for the transport of sorbed metal(loid)s from wastewater to soils and organisms.

Pathways of human exposure to MPs and associated risks.

With polystyrene nanoparticles being widely used in various applications, there is a great need for deeper knowledge on the safety, fate and biological effects of these particles on both individual living organisms and the whole ecosystems.

A synoptic review of aquatic plastics research from Australia, the United Kingdom and China is presented, highlighting (a) key research and management challenges, and (b) a need to converge on standardised methods and bioindicator species to make global comparisons more reliable.

The essential-use concept is a tool that can guide the phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and potentially other harmful substances of concern.

The fate of plastic in the ocean is influenced by physical, chemical and biological stressors. These cause fragemntation and the formation of micro and nanoplastics but also degradation of plastics.

The first step towards the urgently needed standardization of EOF methods for PFAS-total assessment is presented in this interlaboratory study.

Glancing-angle laser-induced fluorescence is used to obtain adsorption isotherms of organic pollutants at the air–water interface.

The high strontium-90 uptake by the green microalga Tetraselmis chui is related to its ability to form strontium-rich inclusions of amorphous calcium carbonate (called micropearls).

Biodegradation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) in compost environment enriched with iron, and gelatin significantly enhanced microbial enzymatic activity, thus accelerating PLA degradation at mesophilic conditions (home/backyard composting setting).

III–V/silicon tandem solar cells offer a promising avenue for high-efficiency, high-stability photovoltaics with low environmental risk.

The uptake of total gaseous mercury (TGM) by Korean forest foliage is mainly affected by local wind speed, boosting its passage and absorption. Mercury levels and isotopic signatures in litter and topsoil fluctuate, particularly in areas with high wind speed, temperature, and low elevation.

Dibasic esters, indoor air pollutants emitted from furniture coatings, readily adsorb to surfaces thus initially decreasing their gas phase concentrations but then slowly desorb leading to possible long term exposure.

Methylmercury (MeHg) continues to pose a significant global health risk to wildlife and humans through fish consumption.

Cleaning products emit a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including some which are hazardous or can undergo chemical transformations to generate harmful secondary pollutants.

Microplastics, especially aged microplastics can become vectors of metals from environment to organisms with potential negative effects on food chain.

Quantitative structure–property relationships (QSPRs) can be used for the prediction of breakthrough of chemicals from wastewater treatment plants. These QSPRs are simple, interpretable, and checked both for overfitting and chance relationships.

Estimation of dermal bioaccessibility and characterization of listed-ingredient and residual per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cosmetic products.

This work presents a case study in applying a systematic review framework (SYRINA) to the identification of chemicals as endocrine disruptors.

This study assesses the environmental impact of the fluoropolymer industry in Europe by making an inventory of their emissions of PFASs and other fluorinated organic substances.

Despite the importance of structural control on metal stable isotope fractionation in inorganic and abiotic systems, the link between metal structural changes and related isotopic fractionation during reactions with organic surfaces and live cells remains poorly established.

Using the combination of total analysis and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify fluoropolymers in a broad range of consumer products.

We demonstrate the potential of deploying a UAV with MSI camera to contribute useful diagnostics on potential sub-surface contamination from an operational oil reprocessing site and report the impact on the environment after 50 years of operation.

Separation of a large amount of PAH contamination from soil by density differentiation.

Adding mass spectra from complex mixtures of chemicals relevant for exposomics to open spectral libraries such as MassBank and chemical databases like PubChem empowers identification efforts for non-target high resolution mass spectrometry workflows.

Mixtures extracted from beluga traditional food preparations activated oxidative stress response and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor but did not show any hormone-like effects.

The analysis of mixtures of environmental contaminants from marine mammal organs revealed distinct distribution patterns for single compounds. The combination of chemical analysis and bioassays can comprehensively characterize the mixture exposome.

By integrating the uptake kinetics of pesticide metabolites into plant uptake models, we highlight the importance of considering the bioconcentration of metabolites when assessing risks to human health.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during cooking affect indoor air quality. Here, experiments and simulations were carried out to determine VOC emission rates and the factors driving the formation of harmful products via secondary chemistry.

This study investigates metal/metalloid concentrations and emission sources in fenceline communities of a heavy industry area using advanced online and offline mass spectrometry techniques.

Identification of novel PFAS, updating spatiotemporal trends and providing a framework for understanding white-tailed sea eagle PFAS exposure in Sweden.

EAWAG-PPS and enviPath are valuable tools to predict transformation products and elucidate biotransformation pathways of active pharmaceutical ingredients in activated sludge.

While our awareness of the toxicity of rare earth elements to aquatic organisms increases, our understanding of their direct interaction and accumulation remains limited.

Bioconcentration of surfactants is described using chemical space plots of k_U, k_T and BCF as a function of the membrane/water distribution coefficient and fraction of neutral species in water.

An X-ray based surface analytical method allows for an unprecedented perspective on a known substance class and can contribute to localization and comprehension of fluorinated pollutant distribution in PFAS-containing matrices.

We have developed, validated, and applied a method for the targeted and untargeted screening of environmental contaminants in human plasma using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS).

Addition of microplastics (MP) to soil has the potential to increase soil water repellency. Absorption of soil abundant substances on MP surfaces has the potential to overcome MP inherent hydrophobicity.

Measures are needed to protect water sources from substances that are mobile, persistent and toxic (PMT) or very persistent and very mobile (vPvM).

Liposome measurements and coarse-grained simulations are used to assess the cholesterol dependence of membrane-water partitioning for small molecules and the implications for bioaccumulation.

A simple equilibrium passive sampler, consisting of water in an inert container capped with a rate-limiting barrier, for the monitoring of PFAS in sediment pore water and surface water was developed and tested through a series of laboratory and field experiments.

Prohibited short-chain chlorinated paraffins were widely detected in indoor consumer products.

High levels of reactive chemicals may be emitted to the indoor air during household surface cleaning, leading to poorer air quality and potential health hazards.

A rapid micro chamber method is used to measure emission model parameters of plasticizers, compared to a traditional chamber method and then applied in an exposure assessment with the DustEx webtool.

Comparison of new (SWV) and established (MCA) electrochemical methods for characterization of redox activity of pyrogenic dissolved organic matter and natural organic matter.

The effect of adding a plug-in air freshener into 60 houses was hard to detect due to pre-existing VOCs from other sources; in homes with low ventilation rates however small increases in monoterpenes were seen, consistent with emission rates.

The dietary intake of PAHs with traditional food, estimated with a mechanistic food chain bioaccumulation model, is compared with the exposure arising from ingesting market food and smoking cigarettes.

The formation and dynamic partitioning of As species in the water column of a large oligo-mesotrophic lake is driven by biological processes.

The spatial and temporal patterns in the concentrations of D4, D5 and D6 in the atmosphere measured with passive samplers along a European and a Canadian transect are largely consistent with the current understanding of their atmospheric fate.

The risk assessment of thousands of chemicals used in our society benefits from adequate grouping of chemicals based on the mode and mechanism of toxic action (MoA).

Comparative developmental toxicity at the limit of solubility appears unrelated to the position of alkyl substitution. Toxic effects are like crude oil exposures, however much higher doses of the individual compounds are needed.

Minerals in groundwater interact with various chemical and biological species including organic matter, proteins, and prevalent oxyanions, resulting in surface coatings and thin films of these different components.

Water exchange conditions significantly affected the overlying water concentrations, but did not affect the pore water concentrations, survival, and bioaccumulation in the freshwater amphipod.