Food Safety

Front Neurol. 2026 Aug 14;17:1867856. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2026.1867856. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

Neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders are related disorders lying on a spectrum of neural dysfunction with overlapping molecular and cellular mechanisms. Early-life diseases like autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are the result of disturbed neurodevelopment, while late-onset diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are defined by progressive neuronal loss and loss of function. Emerging evidence shows that environmental exposures are important, modifiable factors that affect brain health throughout the lifespan. Factors such as air pollution, heavy metals, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals act in combination with genetic susceptibility to disrupt neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and neuro-immune signaling. These exposures cause persistent epigenetic modifications, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic neuro-inflammation, linking early developmental insults to neurodegenerative processes later in life. The concepts of the exposome and the developmental origins of health and disease provide additional support for the cumulative, lifelong impact of environmental interactions. Mechanistically, the recurrent process of neuronal damage is caused by impaired proteostasis, microglial stimulation, and blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Furthermore, the gut-brain axis is a hyperactive system in which immune responses and microbial metabolites trigger neurobiological responses to external stimuli. This review integrates multidisciplinary evidence to elucidate the mechanism and emphasizes environmental risk mitigation and translational strategies to reduce disease burden and promote lifelong brain resilience.

PMID:42666234 | PMC:PMC13521875 | DOI:10.3389/fneur.2026.1867856

Antioxidants (Basel). 2026 Aug 14;15(8):1016. doi: 10.3390/antiox15081016.

ABSTRACT

Honey bee colonies play a vital role in ecosystem stability and global food security. Together with bumble bees and other wild bee species, they form a diverse pollinator community that is particularly vulnerable to environmental pollution. Among stressors, environmental xenobiotics including heavy metals, metalloids, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and emerging contaminants such as microplastics pose a growing concern due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential and capacity to trigger oxidative stress and interact with pathogens, nutritional stress and climate-related extremes. The antioxidant defense system, encompassing enzymatic components (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-dependent enzymes and glutathione-S-transferase) and non-enzymatic antioxidants, represents a key protective mechanism, and its disruption leads to redox imbalance, immunosuppression, and behavioral alterations that can reduce honey bee colony vitality. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the sources, exposure pathways and toxicological effects of major environmental xenobiotics on the antioxidant defense systems of honey bees, with particular emphasis on oxidative-stress biomarkers for early detection of sublethal impairment in field and experimental settings. Where available, evidence from bumble bees and other wild bees is considered to place findings in a broader pollinator-health context and to highlight taxa-specific sensitivities. Work should now concentrate on a validated core panel of redox biomarkers, on chronic multi-stressor exposures that include PFAS and plastic particles, and on biomarker baselines for bumble bees and solitary bees tied to colony- or population-level endpoints.

PMID:42650280 | PMC:PMC13509840 | DOI:10.3390/antiox15081016

Int J Mol Sci. 2026 Aug 15;27(16):7298. doi: 10.3390/ijms27167298.

ABSTRACT

Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly recognized as modulators of male reproductive health. This review presents the first comprehensive and critical analysis of the detrimental and potentially beneficial effects of REEs on male vertebrate reproductive function. In vivo and in vitro studies show that elements, particularly Gadolinium, Lanthanum, and Yttrium, share a toxicological profile characterized by oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, endocrine disruption, and impairment of the blood-testis barrier. These mechanisms converge on both somatic and germ cell populations, ultimately compromising spermatogenesis and hormonal balance. Limited epidemiological data in humans are consistent with experimental findings, indicating inverse associations between seminal REE levels and sperm quality. CeO₂ nanoparticles represent an exception, showing dose-dependent duality: although some murine studies describe toxic effects, a broader and more consistent body of evidence indicates their protective action by restoring testicular homeostasis in diabetic models, in rats exposed to pesticides, pharmacological agents or irradiation, and in in vitro-treated spermatozoa. Preliminary data on Yttrium (YO) and Gadolinium (GdVO₄) nanoparticles similarly point to protective effects under pathological conditions, whereas Neodymium and Samarium show reproductive toxicity, including hormonal disruption and impaired sperm quality. Overall, REEs cannot be considered a homogeneous class: some pose reproductive hazards, others show potential biomedical utility. A systematic, mechanistic research framework is needed to resolve these dualities. It should contextualise reproductive risks in relation to the growing environmental and occupational exposure to REEs, while simultaneously exploring the biomedical potential of those elements that exhibit protective profiles.

PMID:42653303 | PMC:PMC13513206 | DOI:10.3390/ijms27167298

Antioxidants (Basel). 2026 Aug 14;15(8):1016. doi: 10.3390/antiox15081016.

ABSTRACT

Honey bee colonies play a vital role in ecosystem stability and global food security. Together with bumble bees and other wild bee species, they form a diverse pollinator community that is particularly vulnerable to environmental pollution. Among stressors, environmental xenobiotics including heavy metals, metalloids, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and emerging contaminants such as microplastics pose a growing concern due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential and capacity to trigger oxidative stress and interact with pathogens, nutritional stress and climate-related extremes. The antioxidant defense system, encompassing enzymatic components (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-dependent enzymes and glutathione-S-transferase) and non-enzymatic antioxidants, represents a key protective mechanism, and its disruption leads to redox imbalance, immunosuppression, and behavioral alterations that can reduce honey bee colony vitality. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the sources, exposure pathways and toxicological effects of major environmental xenobiotics on the antioxidant defense systems of honey bees, with particular emphasis on oxidative-stress biomarkers for early detection of sublethal impairment in field and experimental settings. Where available, evidence from bumble bees and other wild bees is considered to place findings in a broader pollinator-health context and to highlight taxa-specific sensitivities. Work should now concentrate on a validated core panel of redox biomarkers, on chronic multi-stressor exposures that include PFAS and plastic particles, and on biomarker baselines for bumble bees and solitary bees tied to colony- or population-level endpoints.

PMID:42650280 | PMC:PMC13509840 | DOI:10.3390/antiox15081016

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026 Aug 12;17:1829662. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1829662. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are widely used pesticides with potential endocrine-disrupting properties, yet their distribution in human reproductive matrices and associations with male reproductive hormones remain unclear.

METHODS: We analyzed 146 paired semen and urine samples to characterize the distribution of 14 NEOs and their metabolites (m-NEOs) and to examine associations with male reproductive hormones. Concentrations were compared across matrices, and associations with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E₂), and the T/LH ratio were evaluated using exposome-wide association (EWAS), deletion-substitution-addition (DSA), and mixture models.

RESULTS: Detection frequencies ranged from 43.2% to 100% in urine and 19.9% to 99.3% in semen, with Desnitro-dinotefuran (DN) and Desmethyl-acetamiprid (DM-ACE) predominant in urine and DN and Acetamiprid (ACE) enriched in semen. Partitioning analysis revealed three distinct compound clusters: (1) DN, ACE, and Imidacloprid-urea (IMI-urea) enriched in semen; (2) Dinotefuran-urea (UF), Imidacloprid (IMI), Imidaclothiz (IMIT), and 5-Hydroxy-imidacloprid (5-OH-IMI); and (3) DM-ACE, Desnitro-imidacloprid (DN-IMI), Desnitro-imidacloprid-olefin (DN-IMI-olefin), and Clothianidin (CLO) predominantly excreted in urine. In EWAS and DSA, several nominal associations with hormones were observed. Nominal associations were observed between seminal CLO and FSH, DN and E₂, and urinary UF and LH, Thiacloprid (THCP) exposure showed nominal positive associations with PRL and E₂. However, none remained significant after correction for multiple testing. Mixture models indicated no overall significant associations. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of key compound-hormone associations.

CONCLUSION: NEOs and m-NEOs show distinct partitioning patterns between urine and semen, suggesting differential tissue distribution. Although several nominal associations with reproductive hormones were identified, none remained statistically significant after multiple-testing correction, indicating that these findings should be considered hypothesis-generating rather than conclusive. Further studies with larger populations and repeated measurements are needed to validate these associations and clarify the reproductive implications of NEO exposure in men.

PMID:42656286 | PMC:PMC13506491 | DOI:10.3389/fendo.2026.1829662

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2026 Aug 27. doi: 10.1007/s11356-026-38075-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Global food security is increasingly compromised by the synergistic pressures of soil salinization and the climate-mediated proliferation of resilient agricultural pests and weeds. Halophytes, extremophile plants naturally adapted to high-salinity niches, represent an underexploited reservoir of bioactive compounds and microbial consortia with significant bioeconomic potential. This review synthesizes the multi-functional utility of halophyte-derived bioactive compounds in mitigating contemporary environmental stressors through two primary lenses. First, we discuss the biochemical efficacy of halophyte-derived secondary metabolites and essential oils (EOs) as sustainable biopesticides, highlighting their potency against taxa that exhibit increasing resistance to conventional synthetic inputs. Second, we evaluate the mechanistic role of halophyte-associated rhizobiomes and biostimulants in enhancing the physiological plasticity of glycophytic crops. Specifically, we detail their capacity to modulate antioxidant defense systems, maintain ion homeostasis, and alleviate osmotic stress under saline environments. Lastly, we delineate the phytochemical stability and non-target safety of halophyte plant extracts and essential oils. By synthesizing current ecotoxicological data, we illustrate how these biogenic inputs offer superior selectivity, safeguarding beneficial entomofauna and soil microbiota while maintaining high efficacy against target insect pests. By bridging the traditionally disparate domains of phytochemical pest control and rhizosphere engineering, this review proposes a holistic biotechnological paradigm. We conclude that the transition toward halophyte-based solutions offers a strategic, circular-economy pathway to stabilize food systems and safeguard public health, providing a robust bio-based alternative to synthetic agrochemicals in increasingly marginalized landscapes.

PMID:42658437 | DOI:10.1007/s11356-026-38075-2

Diseases. 2026 Jul 29;14(8):273. doi: 10.3390/diseases14080273.

ABSTRACT

Environmental exposure to pesticides is considered a risk factor for gynecological cancers, contributing to their onset and progression through various mechanisms. This narrative review investigates the role of different pesticides in the development and progression of ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers, and provides a comprehensive synthesis of epidemiological findings along with molecular mechanisms, highlighting carcinogenic pathways, conflicting findings, and potential therapeutic implications. Relevant epidemiological and experimental studies published between 2000 and 2025 were identified through searches of major scientific databases. Various pesticides, particularly organochlorines, contribute to gynecological cancers through mechanisms such as estrogen mimicry, DNA damage, oxidative stress, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, and disruption of cellular signaling pathways. However, most studies found no significant association between certain pesticides, such as Triazines and Atrazine, and gynecological cancers. Furthermore, some pesticides, like Carbendazim, exhibit a dual role; while carcinogenic, they can also serve therapeutic purposes in cancer treatment when utilized with nanotechnology. Overall, pesticide exposure is a significant factor in the development and progression of women's cancers, although the strength of the evidence varies across pesticide classes. Despite numerous studies, contradictory findings necessitate further research to clarify causal relationships.

PMID:42645081 | PMC:PMC13511789 | DOI:10.3390/diseases14080273

Metabolomics. 2026 Aug 26;22(5):145. doi: 10.1007/s11306-026-02481-x.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Despite technological advancements over the last three decades in small-molecule omics, compound annotation remains a major bottleneck in untargeted metabolomics and non-targeted environmental analysis. This is especially true for exposomics applications, which remain significantly affected by the limited chemical space coverage.

OBJECTIVES: This work aims at describing the development of an MS/MS spectral library containing > 170 relevant xenobiotics from different classes of food, environmental, and microbial toxicants.

METHODS: LC-MS/MS data was acquired using collision-induced dissociation in data dependent acquisition mode under 13 different single collision energies with four additional collision energy spread experiments. A diverse set of compounds including natural toxins produced by bacteria, fungi (mycotoxins), and plants (phytotoxins), as well as anthropogenic chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS chemicals, drugs, consumer care products ingredients, and pesticides, and additional toxicologically relevant chemical classes were screened. Metabolic products for which commercially available reference standards and/or MS/MS spectra are not available in any public or commercial database have been included (e.g. colibactin-DNA-adduct, cereulide, deoxynivalenol-3-glucuronide). Library generation was performed in mzmine.

RESULTS: Open-format data based on representative spectra are provided.This new resource, available at https://zenodo.org/records/20715576 , is aimed at providing a ready-to-use tool for the annotation of key exogenous compounds which are frequently overlooked in clinical metabolomics but may exert potent biological effects. A detailed discussion from a user perspective is provided regarding the library generation workflow in mzmine, aiming at facilitating the work of fellow researchers in the creation of their own in-house libraries.

CONCLUSION: We intend to provide the metabolomics community with better tools for exposomics research and to reduce perceived barriers in developing specialized MS/MS libraries for widening chemical space coverage and increasing quality and confidence.

PMID:42645717 | PMC:PMC13518374 | DOI:10.1007/s11306-026-02481-x

Metabolomics. 2026 Aug 26;22(5):145. doi: 10.1007/s11306-026-02481-x.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Despite technological advancements over the last three decades in small-molecule omics, compound annotation remains a major bottleneck in untargeted metabolomics and non-targeted environmental analysis. This is especially true for exposomics applications, which remain significantly affected by the limited chemical space coverage.

OBJECTIVES: This work aims at describing the development of an MS/MS spectral library containing > 170 relevant xenobiotics from different classes of food, environmental, and microbial toxicants.

METHODS: LC-MS/MS data was acquired using collision-induced dissociation in data dependent acquisition mode under 13 different single collision energies with four additional collision energy spread experiments. A diverse set of compounds including natural toxins produced by bacteria, fungi (mycotoxins), and plants (phytotoxins), as well as anthropogenic chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS chemicals, drugs, consumer care products ingredients, and pesticides, and additional toxicologically relevant chemical classes were screened. Metabolic products for which commercially available reference standards and/or MS/MS spectra are not available in any public or commercial database have been included (e.g. colibactin-DNA-adduct, cereulide, deoxynivalenol-3-glucuronide). Library generation was performed in mzmine.

RESULTS: Open-format data based on representative spectra are provided.This new resource, available at https://zenodo.org/records/20715576 , is aimed at providing a ready-to-use tool for the annotation of key exogenous compounds which are frequently overlooked in clinical metabolomics but may exert potent biological effects. A detailed discussion from a user perspective is provided regarding the library generation workflow in mzmine, aiming at facilitating the work of fellow researchers in the creation of their own in-house libraries.

CONCLUSION: We intend to provide the metabolomics community with better tools for exposomics research and to reduce perceived barriers in developing specialized MS/MS libraries for widening chemical space coverage and increasing quality and confidence.

PMID:42645717 | PMC:PMC13518374 | DOI:10.1007/s11306-026-02481-x

Food Chem Toxicol. 2026 Aug 26;218:116354. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2026.116354. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Parabens, alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid used as antimicrobial preservatives in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Stage-specific data on paraben transfer through breast milk and exposure estimates for Taiwanese infants are lacking.

METHODS: We quantified methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben (EtP), n-propylparaben, and n-butylparaben by LC-MS/MS in 63 breast milk samples from 54 Taiwanese mothers within six months postpartum, classified as colostrum (≤7 days) or post-colostrum milk (>7 days). Estimated daily intake (EDI) was calculated and compared with the EFSA group acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 10 mg/kg/day for MeP + EtP.

RESULTS: EtP and MeP were detected in 100% and 81% of samples. Both were significantly higher in colostrum than in post-colostrum milk (EtP: 6.35 vs. 1.6 ng/mL, p < 0.001; MeP: 0.75 vs. 0.5 ng/mL, p = 0.028). EtP levels exceeded those reported in Korean and Chinese cohorts. EDI for MeP + EtP was 0.36 μg/kg/day in colostrum-fed neonates-∼28,000-fold below the EFSA ADI-yet body-weight-normalised EtP exposure was ∼1.5-fold higher than in older infants.

CONCLUSIONS: Estimated paraben intake via breast milk was far below the EFSA group ADI, although a modest, transient increase in body-weight-normalised EtP exposure was observed during the colostrum period.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Not applicable.

PMID:42641861 | DOI:10.1016/j.fct.2026.116354

Arch Toxicol. 2026 Aug 25. doi: 10.1007/s00204-026-04523-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To review recent advances in research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and outline priority steps for risk assessment in consumer health protection, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) organized the 'International PFAS Conference' in Berlin in October 2025. Building on the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) opinion in 2020, global research activities on PFAS have intensified. The conference was attended by 200 participants from 18 countries and covered topics such as analytical methods, human exposure, toxicokinetics, toxicity, and future perspectives. Given that there are more than 21,000 different PFAS in use, discussions highlighted the need for further data collection and a basis for prioritizing substances. Robust exposure assessment requires improved analytical methods combined with newly developed predictive tools to quantify, identify, and make better use of non-target data. Hazard characterization may benefit from the combined use of classic experimental data sets, epidemiological data, and new approach methodologies (NAMs) data. The participants emphasized the continuous need for refined data and proposed a systematic consolidation of global data on shared data platforms, accompanied by corresponding guidelines for data usage. In the final panel discussion, effective risk communication was identified as a critical challenge, necessitating clear and consistent messaging for the public and policymakers. The conference concluded with five key recommendations for future health risk assessments: prioritizing PFAS; improving analytical methods; promoting generation of robust data and data gap filling; promoting open science, including the development of shared data infrastructure and cross-institutional knowledge exchange; and strengthening risk communication. These recommendations aim to support transparent, evidence-based and effective PFAS consumer health risk management in the decades ahead.

PMID:42637957 | DOI:10.1007/s00204-026-04523-8

Glob Chang Biol. 2026 Aug;32(8):e71064. doi: 10.1111/gcb.71064.

ABSTRACT

Cereals are the key staple foods supporting a growing population under global change. Soil biodiversity sustains ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) that underpins food production and soil agroecosystem services. Yet, the capacity of soil biodiversity to support EMF in cereal fields under multiple global change factors (GCFs) remains virtually unknown. Here, we conducted a field mesocosm experiment involving wheat, four levels of soil biodiversity, and up to eight distinct GCFs (warming, drought, salinity, heavy metals, nitrogen addition, microplastics, pesticides, and alkalinization) to investigate the contributions of soil biodiversity in supporting EMF (e.g., crop productivity, nutrient cycling, plant symbionts, plant health and organic matter decomposition) under multiple GCFs. Our results reveal that soil biodiversity maintains positive effects on EMF under increasing levels of GCFs. Intermediate levels of multiple GCFs stimulated vegetative wheat biomass, likely due to compensatory responses, but often at the expense of other soil ecosystem functions such as organic matter decomposition or the prevalence of plant symbionts, highlighting the inherent trade-offs under global change. These findings demonstrate that preserving soil biodiversity is essential to maintain agroecosystem functioning under multiple global change factors.

PMID:42622293 | PMC:PMC13492096 | DOI:10.1111/gcb.71064

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2026 Aug 20:118015. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2026.118015. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The pesticide p,p'-DDT (DDT) and its analogs (p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE) inhibit the binding of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to the androgen receptor (AR) and estradiol (E2) to the estrogen receptor (ERα) ligand-binding domains (LBDs), as previously reported. In this study, we introduce assays to measure the release of receptor-bound steroids. These compounds induced the release of DHT from the AR LBD and E2 from the ERα LBD. These findings suggest that DDT and its analogs may interact with a surface site on the LBD, thereby allosterically disrupting steroid binding. One potential site is binding function 3 (BF3). To explore this possibility, ligand docking studies were performed. The results revealed a correlation between interaction energy at the BF3 site and compound potency in the steroid release assay. Specific AR residues-Asn833, Phe673, and Pro723-appear to play key roles in ligand interaction with the BF3 site. In ERα, Met315, Val478, Lys481, and Pro365 are likely important for compound binding. Two residue pairs (Asn833 and Pro723 in AR and Val478 and Pro365 in ERα) occupy topologically equivalent positions within the BF3 sites, suggesting a conserved interaction mode across receptors. Based on these results we speculate that DDT and its analogs may act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals by modulating receptor activity through an allosteric mechanism involving the BF3 site.

PMID:42624378 | DOI:10.1016/j.taap.2026.118015

Environ Int. 2026 Aug 11;215:110459. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2026.110459. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals poses risks to fetal growth, yet most epidemiological studies have examined single chemical classes in isolation, leaving the broader multi-class maternal-fetal exposure landscape inadequately characterized. In addition, fetal exposure is typically inferred from cord blood concentrations, which conflates maternal body burden with transplacental transfer (TPT), obscuring the independent contribution of placental transport. We conducted a prospective cohort study screening 300 xenobiotics spanning multiple chemical classes, including PFAS, phthalate metabolites, environmental phenols/parabens, and pesticide- or industrial-related chemicals, across maternal serum and paired cord blood to define the core maternal-fetal exposome. Nineteen priority pollutants were detected at frequencies of ≥ 70% across all three biological matrices, including maternal serum, larger-twin cord blood, and smaller-twin cord blood, with PFAS representing the predominant chemical class. TPT varied substantially across compounds and differed nominally between co-twins for MBP. In linear mixed-effects models, higher TPT indices of MMP (β = - 15.14; 95% CI: -27.66 to - 2.62), MBP (β = - 11.61; 95% CI: -22.17 to - 1.05), and PFTrDA (β = - 34.60; 95% CI: -67.91 to - 1.30) were nominally associated with lower birth weight. For PFTrDA, these associations were detected only when exposure was characterized by TPT, whereas corresponding cord blood concentrations were not significantly associated with fetal growth outcomes. These findings characterize a multi-class maternal-fetal exposome in twin pregnancies and provide exploratory evidence that TPT may constitute a complementary dimension of prenatal chemical exposure relevant to fetal growth.

PMID:42600486 | DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2026.110459

Molecules. 2026 Jul 23;31(15):2574. doi: 10.3390/molecules31152574.

ABSTRACT

Emerging contaminants (ECs) represent a growing environmental problem due to their presence in various environmental matrices. In Mexico, research on ECs remains limited. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, analyzes their environmental fate during the period 2004-2025, considering their distribution in surface and groundwater, sediments, and influents and effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The reviewed studies demonstrate the presence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), personal care products, phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides, illicit drugs, xanthines, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), metabolites, and industrial compounds. The Apatlaco, Cuautla, and Santa Catarina rivers exhibit the greatest diversity of ECs, while groundwater shows evidence of infiltration of PhACs, phthalates, bisphenols, and triclosan, associated with urban, industrial, and tourist discharges. In sediments, PhACs and EDCs accumulate at concentrations in the ng/g range, while phthalates reach concentrations of thousands of ng/g, indicating their affinity for the solid phase. At Mexican wastewater treatment plants, conventional treatment methods do not completely remove ECs, allowing residual amounts to be discharged into receiving bodies of water. Overall, national monitoring should be expanded to include metabolites, transformation products, and advanced treatment assessment.

PMID:42588425 | PMC:PMC13468172 | DOI:10.3390/molecules31152574

Int J Mol Sci. 2026 Aug 1;27(15):6928. doi: 10.3390/ijms27156928.

ABSTRACT

Endocrine-disrupting pesticides (EDPs) are environmental toxicants capable of perturbing hormonal homeostasis through multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms. Growing evidence indicates that these compounds contribute to a broad spectrum of adverse health outcomes extending beyond classical endocrine dysfunction. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge on the toxicological mechanisms of EDPs and evaluates epidemiological evidence linking exposure to human disease. Mechanistically, EDPs act through modulation of nuclear hormone receptors, disruption of membrane-associated signaling pathways, interference with hormone synthesis, metabolism, and transport, induction of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenetic reprogramming. These molecular events converge on shared biological pathways that affect multiple organ systems and life stages. Human and experimental evidence associates EDP exposure with reproductive dysfunction, endocrine-related cancers, metabolic disorders, thyroid abnormalities, and neurodevelopmental impairments. Particular concern surrounds exposure during critical windows of susceptibility, especially prenatal development and early childhood, when endocrine systems are highly vulnerable to disruption and developmental programming. Across disease endpoints, recurring mechanisms, including endocrine receptor perturbation, oxidative stress, inflammation, and epigenetic alterations, support a unifying toxicological framework linking diverse adverse outcomes. Despite substantial progress, important uncertainties remain regarding chronic low-dose exposure, non-monotonic dose-response relationships, cumulative effects of pesticide mixtures, and the translation of mechanistic findings into human risk assessment. Future research should integrate repeated biomonitoring, advanced mixture modeling, mechanistic biomarkers, and multi-omics approaches within longitudinal life-course studies. Improved integration of toxicological and epidemiological evidence will strengthen causal inference, refine hazard characterization, and support more protective regulatory strategies for reducing the human health burden associated with endocrine-disrupting pesticides worldwide.

PMID:42589584 | PMC:PMC13466750 | DOI:10.3390/ijms27156928

Molecules. 2026 Jul 23;31(15):2574. doi: 10.3390/molecules31152574.

ABSTRACT

Emerging contaminants (ECs) represent a growing environmental problem due to their presence in various environmental matrices. In Mexico, research on ECs remains limited. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, analyzes their environmental fate during the period 2004-2025, considering their distribution in surface and groundwater, sediments, and influents and effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The reviewed studies demonstrate the presence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), personal care products, phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides, illicit drugs, xanthines, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), metabolites, and industrial compounds. The Apatlaco, Cuautla, and Santa Catarina rivers exhibit the greatest diversity of ECs, while groundwater shows evidence of infiltration of PhACs, phthalates, bisphenols, and triclosan, associated with urban, industrial, and tourist discharges. In sediments, PhACs and EDCs accumulate at concentrations in the ng/g range, while phthalates reach concentrations of thousands of ng/g, indicating their affinity for the solid phase. At Mexican wastewater treatment plants, conventional treatment methods do not completely remove ECs, allowing residual amounts to be discharged into receiving bodies of water. Overall, national monitoring should be expanded to include metabolites, transformation products, and advanced treatment assessment.

PMID:42588425 | PMC:PMC13468172 | DOI:10.3390/molecules31152574

Discov Nano. 2026 Aug 13;21(1):394. doi: 10.1186/s11671-026-04852-8.

ABSTRACT

Environmental pollution from pesticides, synthetic dyes, heavy metals and micro-plastics has become a serious global concern due to their persistence, toxicity and ability to accumulate in living systems. Traditional methods for removing these contaminants are often energy-intensive and costly and may generate secondary pollution, underscoring the need for more sustainable solutions. In this context, green nanotechnology has emerged as a promising and environmentally friendly alternative. This review focuses on recent developments in biomass-derived nanomaterials for pollutant removal, emphasizing the use of renewable resources, including plant materials, microorganisms and agricultural waste. It discusses various green synthesis approaches, including biological and low-energy methods and explains how these materials interact with pollutants via mechanisms such as adsorption, catalytic degradation and redox reactions. Their applications in water purification, soil remediation and air pollution control are also explored. This review also brings together recent progress in biomass‑derived nanomaterials and highlights their pollutant‑specific performance, including heavy‑metal removal efficiencies exceeding 95%, dye degradation rates of 90-98% and pesticide adsorption of up to 85% under optimized conditions. We also compare how different biomass precursors and hybrid green nanomaterials shape reactivity, stability and scalability, while offering a critical assessment of their toxicity profiles and life‑cycle limitations. In addition, the review considers important aspects such as environmental safety, long-term sustainability and the role of these technologies in supporting a circular bioeconomy through waste valorisation. Finally, current challenges and future research directions are outlined, with a focus on developing scalable, cost-effective and safe nanomaterials for real-world environmental applications.

PMID:42593637 | PMC:PMC13473037 | DOI:10.1186/s11671-026-04852-8

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2026 Aug 13;126:105123. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2026.105123. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Pesticides and microplastics coexist in aquatic ecosystems, creating complex exposure scenarios that remain insufficiently explored in ecotoxicology. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and enzymatic responses of RTL-W1 cells exposed to Imidacloprid (IMI), Tebuconazole (TEB), and polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs), individually and in mixture scenarios. Cytotoxicity was assessed using Alamar Blue, CFDA-AM, and Neutral Red Uptake assays, while cytochrome P450-1A (CYP1A) activity was evaluated through the EROD assay. Isolated exposures to IMI, TEB, and PE-MPs were not cytotoxic. In contrast, pesticide mixtures (IMI +TEB) affected all endpoints, suggesting potential interactive effects such as additive or synergistic interactions. High concentrations of TEB markedly suppressed EROD activity, whereas a combination of high IMI and low TEB concentrations induced CYP1A activity. When PE-MPs were included in the mixtures, lysosomal function was the most sensitive endpoint, particularly in combinations containing TEB. These findings provide insights into contaminant interactions in fish cells and their effects.

PMID:42595026 | DOI:10.1016/j.etap.2026.105123

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2026 Aug 13;323:120648. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2026.120648. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Wild bees, like many other insects, are declining. Multiple drivers have been identified, but the potential effects of endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, remain poorly studied. Yet, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), two of the most common phthalates that pervade the environment, are known to affect key hormonal and metabolic pathways in invertebrates even at field realistic doses. These ubiquitous pollutants are semi-volatile compounds used to increase the flexibility of plastic materials, or as solvents for certain detergents, pesticides, and other products. Bees are notably exposed to these lipophilic molecules through their cuticle, with exposure varying in both quantity and chemical composition. To investigate the potential impacts of phthalate exposure, Bombus terrestris workers were repeatedly exposed (once per week) to nominal field-realistic doses of DEHP and DnBP and maintained in microcolonies during 35 days. Worker mortality and male emergence were recorded throughout the experiment. Offspring production was assessed in terms of number and mass, and abdominal lipid ratio was assessed in adults. Repeated exposure to DEHP increased worker mortality up to 50%, while DnBP increased worker lipid stores and offspring mass, suggesting potential metabolic disruption. These findings indicate that the two most common phthalates can have both lethal and sublethal effects on bees, likely through disruption of crucial physiological pathways, with cascading consequences for individual health and colony development even at environmental concentrations.

PMID:42594827 | DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2026.120648

Chempluschem. 2026 Aug;91(8):e70229. doi: 10.1002/cplu.70229.

ABSTRACT

The design of sustainable wastewater treatment strategies for recalcitrant pollutants, including per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and pesticides, remains a critical challenge. In this study, silver-zinc core-shell nanostructures (Ag@ZnNP), consisting of a zinc core and silver shell, were dispersed on TiO₂ and investigated as photothermal materials for the degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and fipronil. Ag@ZnNP nanoparticles (Ag@ZnNP) were synthesized via pulsed laser ablation in liquid of a zinc target in the presence of silver nitrate. By tuning silver nitrate concentration, materials with optical and photothermal properties comparable to pure silver nanoparticles were obtained while reducing the silver content. X-ray diffraction confirmed a crystalline silver shell and a zinc core, while atomic emission spectroscopy indicated a composition of 67% ± 4% Ag and 33% ± 4% Zn. The Ag@ZnNP/TiO₂ composite exhibited PFOA degradation efficacy comparable to Ag/TiO₂ via blue light-initiated photothermal sulfate radical formation, achieving 85% degradation after 7 h. The Ag@ZnNP/TiO₂ composite achieved 88% fipronil removal within 1 h under blue light irradiation (455 mW cm^-2) without sulfate radicals. These results demonstrate the potential of Ag@ZnNP/TiO₂ as an efficient, lower-silver photothermal material for degrading persistent environmental contaminants.

PMID:42594389 | PMC:PMC13472650 | DOI:10.1002/cplu.70229

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2026 Aug 3;16(15):954. doi: 10.3390/nano16150954.

ABSTRACT

Food contaminants, including plasticizers, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and biotoxins, pose persistent risks to food quality and human health. Their diverse sources, complex migration pathways, and potential long-term toxicity make removal difficult. Conventional removal technologies, such as physical treatment, chemical degradation, adsorption, membrane separation, and biological methods, can reduce contaminant levels to varying degrees. However, they often show limited selectivity, matrix interference, harsh operating requirements, or losses of nutritional and functional components. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic recognition materials with binding sites tailored to a target contaminant. Their template-induced cavities provide complementarity in size, shape, and functional-group arrangement, enabling selective adsorption in complex matrices. Recent studies apply MIPs to the enrichment, detection, and removal of plasticizers, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and biotoxins. Unlike recent surveys centered on MIP-assisted analysis and sensing, this review uses contaminant removal as the organizing problem and compares MIP-based strategies with conventional decontamination across four hazard classes. MIPs offer tunable selectivity, chemical stability, and reusability, but practical food applications still face template leakage, slow mass transfer, incomplete safety evaluation, matrix dependence, and scale-up limitations. Future work should prioritize green synthesis, surface imprinting, magnetic recovery, and systematic validation in real food matrices. To prevent analytical extraction from being conflated with remediation, the evidence is classified from proof-of-binding and analytical cleanup to edible-matrix treatment and process validation, and representative studies are compared using capacity, removal or recovery, equilibration time, selectivity, reuse, and matrix validation. Recent evidence also reveals substantial gaps for PFAS, microplastics, and nanoplastics: selective recognition is advancing, but food-safe removal remains largely unvalidated.

PMID:42584347 | PMC:PMC13468484 | DOI:10.3390/nano16150954

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2026 Aug 3;16(15):954. doi: 10.3390/nano16150954.

ABSTRACT

Food contaminants, including plasticizers, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and biotoxins, pose persistent risks to food quality and human health. Their diverse sources, complex migration pathways, and potential long-term toxicity make removal difficult. Conventional removal technologies, such as physical treatment, chemical degradation, adsorption, membrane separation, and biological methods, can reduce contaminant levels to varying degrees. However, they often show limited selectivity, matrix interference, harsh operating requirements, or losses of nutritional and functional components. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic recognition materials with binding sites tailored to a target contaminant. Their template-induced cavities provide complementarity in size, shape, and functional-group arrangement, enabling selective adsorption in complex matrices. Recent studies apply MIPs to the enrichment, detection, and removal of plasticizers, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and biotoxins. Unlike recent surveys centered on MIP-assisted analysis and sensing, this review uses contaminant removal as the organizing problem and compares MIP-based strategies with conventional decontamination across four hazard classes. MIPs offer tunable selectivity, chemical stability, and reusability, but practical food applications still face template leakage, slow mass transfer, incomplete safety evaluation, matrix dependence, and scale-up limitations. Future work should prioritize green synthesis, surface imprinting, magnetic recovery, and systematic validation in real food matrices. To prevent analytical extraction from being conflated with remediation, the evidence is classified from proof-of-binding and analytical cleanup to edible-matrix treatment and process validation, and representative studies are compared using capacity, removal or recovery, equilibration time, selectivity, reuse, and matrix validation. Recent evidence also reveals substantial gaps for PFAS, microplastics, and nanoplastics: selective recognition is advancing, but food-safe removal remains largely unvalidated.

PMID:42584347 | PMC:PMC13468484 | DOI:10.3390/nano16150954

Front Plant Sci. 2026 Jul 27;17:1877141. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1877141. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

The increasing occurrence of emerging environmental contaminants (EECs) in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is reshaping plant physiological performance, with implications extending from cellular metabolism to ecosystem function and phytoremediation performance. Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, PFAS, nanomaterials, and plastic-derived particles differ substantially in their physicochemical properties, uptake behavior, intracellular mobility, and biological targets, resulting in highly variable physiological outcomes. Here, we synthesize recent advances in plant stress physiology under EEC exposure through an integrated mechanistic framework linking contaminant uptake and translocation, detoxification pathways, oxidative stress dynamics, phytohormonal signaling, microbiome interactions, and translational phytoremediation strategies. Evidence compiled across contaminant classes demonstrates that plant toxicity is primarily governed by internal exposure dynamics rather than external concentrations alone. Across studies, plant responses frequently exhibit nonlinear physiological patterns, including antioxidant enzyme induction ranging from approximately 1.5- to 4.6-fold, glutathione depletion of 20-50%, nitrate reductase inhibition of 20-60%, and contaminant-specific hormonal responses varying from moderate abscisic acid increases (2-3-fold) to >10-fold jasmonate accumulation under severe stress conditions. Physicochemical properties, vascular transport constraints, and rhizospheric interactions collectively determine the compartmentalization of contaminants, ROS generation, metabolic disruption, and stress signaling outcomes. Oxidative stress emerges as a recurrent integrative regulatory interface linking xenobiotic perception with hormonal reprogramming, detoxification processes, and physiological acclimation, although its magnitude and mechanistic contribution remain dependent on the contaminant and tissue. Importantly, the literature reveals strong nonlinearities in plant responses to contaminant mixtures and co-occurring climate-related stressors, highlighting the limitations of reductionist single-stressor approaches. Recent findings have further demonstrated that plant-associated microbiota substantially influence contaminant fate, redox balance, and phytoremediation efficiency, supporting the concept of holobiont-mediated contaminant tolerance. Finally, advances in omics technologies, microbiome engineering, ecological treatment systems, and predictive modeling are progressively transforming phytoremediation into a physiology-informed and engineerable nature-based solution. Collectively, this review establishes a systems-level framework connecting contaminant transport, redox regulation, hormonal signaling, and microbiome functionality, providing mechanistic insights essential for environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and sustainable remediation under global-change scenarios.

PMID:42577073 | PMC:PMC13453730 | DOI:10.3389/fpls.2026.1877141

Environ Sci Technol. 2026 Aug 11;60(31):21440-21452. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6c00498.

ABSTRACT

Long-term population-level exposure data of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are fragmented, and chemical control strategies are often based on exposure level, with limited consideration of biological relevance. Here, we reconstructed long-term exposure trajectories of 91 POP mixtures using NHANES biomonitoring data by integrating low-rank matrix completion and multitask temporal forecasting (R2 = 0.93), covering DIOXINs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Reconstructed exposure profiles were further embedded into multilayer biological networks of "exposure-biology-disease" framework focusing on neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs, 349 subtypes) as an application scenario. Across POP categories, reconstructed population-level concentrations declined substantially (>80-95% projected by 2030-2040), which increasingly concentrated among a limited number of persistent and biologically connected chemicals. Chemical risk rankings exhibited pronounced temporal reorganization, with early period relevance largely driven by PFASs, while under low-exposure futures, disease relevance shifted toward other POP categories, particularly in protein-centric interaction networks. By integrating long-term exposure reconstruction with network-informed NDDs relevance, our study provides a dynamic framework for prioritizing control of POP mixtures. In the early postregulation period (2004-2009), PFAS dominated NDD relevance in both frameworks, accounting for more than half of the total score. By 2025, however, the relative contribution of PFAS decreased, while PBDEs and PCBs increased markedly. In sum, we proposed that given the dramatic decline of conventional POPs following the implementation of the Stockholm Convention, increasing attention should now be directed toward other emerging pollutants.

PMID:42579101 | DOI:10.1021/acs.est.6c00498

Environ Sci Technol. 2026 Aug 11;60(31):21804-21814. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6c02003.

ABSTRACT

The people of the Faroe Islands are uniquely exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs); despite no local production of these compounds or manufacturing of consumer products, residents exhibit elevated serum concentrations of PFASs. Consumption of pilot whales, a traditional part of the Faroese diet, contributes to exposure but does not fully account for observed trends in serum, suggesting the importance of additional exposure pathways. This research assessed the significance of indoor exposure pathways through measuring air and dust concentrations of a broad scope of PFAS nonvolatile precursors, volatile neutral precursors, and legacy ionic PFASs, and determining the estimated daily intake (EDI) for 15-year-old children. Across the 40 homes, the EDI for children from indoor exposure was 0.001, 0.012, and 0.129 ng/kg bw for low, intermediate, and high exposure scenarios, respectively. Indirect exposure to perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids from air contributed the most to the EDI, followed by indirect exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid in dust in the high exposure scenario. Indoor exposure equated to approximately 0.2% (low), 2% (intermediate), and 20% (high) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) tolerable weekly intake, while the average consumption of pilot whale contributed about 60%. This study highlights the importance of understanding indoor exposure as a potentially significant contributor to total exposure to PFAS, especially with the declining consumption of pilot whales in the Faroese population.

PMID:42579118 | PMC:PMC13472078 | DOI:10.1021/acs.est.6c02003

J Environ Manage. 2026 Aug 11;415:130683. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130683. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The escalating environmental and health risks posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) pesticides, particularly flufenacet, demand integrated, sustainable, and efficient strategies that bridge selective analysis from complex matrices and bulk removal from aqueous environments. Herein, we report the first dual-functional platform that unites defect-engineered MOF-808 with an electronically tunable deep eutectic solvent (DES) to achieve simultaneous flufenacet microextraction and adsorptive removal. Defective MOF-808 was synthesized via a straightforward hydrothermal method. A series of DESs with systematically varied electronic structures were constructed from para-substituted trifluoromethoxybenzene derivatives (-NH₂, -OH, -F, -CN, -SO₂NH₂) and levulinic acid, enabling tunable non-covalent network interactions. The optimized MOF-808/DES-SO₂NH₂ composite achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 466.22 mg g^-1, threefold higher than ideal MOF-808 in real water matrices, with removal efficiencies exceeding 95%. The integrated thin-film platform enables simple, automatable, and environmentally benign sample pretreatment, avoiding toxic solvents and cumbersome procedures, and achieved a detection limit of 0.1 ng L^-1 with a linear range of 0.05-500 ng mL^-1 in complex wine and grape juice matrices. The DES functions as a hydrogen-bonding-network-engineered "structural switch" that shields competitive adsorption from natural organic matter while maintaining rapid mass transfer through the preserved hierarchical porosity. Mechanistic insights from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and spectroscopic characterization reveal synergistic hydrogen-bonding and halogen-halogen interactions governing selective flufenacet recognition and capture. This work establishes a paradigm for rationally designing DES-MOF composites toward PFAS pesticide monitoring and remediation. Furthermore, this study presents a modular design strategy for DES-functionalized green materials, extending beyond flufenacet to address broader PFAS pesticide contamination challenges.

PMID:42580285 | DOI:10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130683

Physiol Rep. 2026 Aug;14(15):e71049. doi: 10.14814/phy2.71049.

ABSTRACT

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are widespread environmental pollutants that interfere with hormonal homeostasis and contribute to multisystem toxicity. This systematic review aimed to synthesize available evidence on the protective effect of melatonin against EDC-induced toxicity across tissues. English language articles published between January 2000 and December 2025 were searched on PubMed, Web of Science, and Wiley Online. Eligible studies evaluated the protective or antagonistic effects of melatonin against EDC-induced toxicity in humans, mammals, or in vitro models. Data on study characteristics, EDC exposure, melatonin intervention, affected tissues, outcomes, and mechanisms were extracted, synthesized, and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Sixty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Melatonin exhibited protective effects against diverse EDCs, including bisphenols, phthalates, heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics. The principal mechanisms identified were antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activity, modulation of hormone receptors, regulation of gene and protein expression, stabilization of endocrine axes, mitochondrial protection, and epigenetic modulation. These effects were observed across multiple organ systems, particularly the reproductive, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, adrenal, and immune systems. Melatonin protects against EDC-induced multisystem toxicities by preserving endocrine signaling and coordinating cellular defense mechanisms across tissues, thereby holding therapeutic potential.

PMID:42573120 | PMC:PMC13455548 | DOI:10.14814/phy2.71049

Physiol Rep. 2026 Aug;14(15):e71049. doi: 10.14814/phy2.71049.

ABSTRACT

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are widespread environmental pollutants that interfere with hormonal homeostasis and contribute to multisystem toxicity. This systematic review aimed to synthesize available evidence on the protective effect of melatonin against EDC-induced toxicity across tissues. English language articles published between January 2000 and December 2025 were searched on PubMed, Web of Science, and Wiley Online. Eligible studies evaluated the protective or antagonistic effects of melatonin against EDC-induced toxicity in humans, mammals, or in vitro models. Data on study characteristics, EDC exposure, melatonin intervention, affected tissues, outcomes, and mechanisms were extracted, synthesized, and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Sixty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Melatonin exhibited protective effects against diverse EDCs, including bisphenols, phthalates, heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics. The principal mechanisms identified were antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activity, modulation of hormone receptors, regulation of gene and protein expression, stabilization of endocrine axes, mitochondrial protection, and epigenetic modulation. These effects were observed across multiple organ systems, particularly the reproductive, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, adrenal, and immune systems. Melatonin protects against EDC-induced multisystem toxicities by preserving endocrine signaling and coordinating cellular defense mechanisms across tissues, thereby holding therapeutic potential.

PMID:42573120 | PMC:PMC13455548 | DOI:10.14814/phy2.71049

J Appl Toxicol. 2026 Aug 10. doi: 10.1002/jat.70394. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The accelerating global diversification of food chemicals-encompassing mycotoxins, heavy metals, organophosphate pesticide residues and the increasingly prevalent burden of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs)-creates an urgent demand for rapid, human-relevant and ethically acceptable toxicity testing platforms. Conventional animal-based bioassays are insufficient to characterise the thousands of substances awaiting safety evaluation, a deficit particularly acute in tropical food-producing regions including Indonesia where environmental contamination profiles and regulatory infrastructure differ markedly from high-income countries. New approach methodologies (NAMs), comprising validated in vitro cell and organoid systems, high-throughput screening (HTS), multiomics toxicogenomics, in silico modelling and adverse outcome pathway (AOP) frameworks, represent a paradigm shift in food safety toxicology. This review critically appraises current evidence on in vitro NAMs for emerging food contaminants, with emphasis on (i) 2D cell line and 3D organoid/organ-on-chip models for hepatotoxicity, enterotoxicity and nephrotoxicity; (ii) mechanistic pathways-oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, genotoxicity and intestinal barrier disruption-as interrogated through standardised in vitro endpoints; (iii) AOP frameworks as regulatory bridges between molecular initiating events and adverse outcomes; (iv) high-throughput transcriptomics (HTTr) and Cell Painting integration for mechanism-informed hazard prioritisation; and (v) in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) via physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) modelling. Critical gaps in chronic-exposure data, mixture toxicity assessment and BPOM regulatory acceptance are discussed. A novel evidence-based NAM validation roadmap tailored to the Southeast Asian regulatory context is proposed.

PMID:42575853 | DOI:10.1002/jat.70394

J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2026 Aug 10. doi: 10.1515/jpem-2025-0651. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Environmental endocrine disruptors (EDCs), particularly prevalent pesticide residues, are suspected contributors to the increasing incidence of central precocious puberty (CPP). This study explored the associations of urinary neonicotinoid insecticides (NNs) with sex hormones and pelvic ultrasound indicators in girls with CPP.

METHODS: Girls were divided into three subgroups: CPP, non-CPP pubertal and prepubertal groups. Urinary levels of nine pesticides were screened via Kruskal-Wallis H test with Dunn's test; only nitenpyram (NIT) with intergroup differences was further analyzed. Stratified correlation and adjusted linear regression assessed links between NIT and sexual development markers, while quartile-based logistic regression examined the dose-response association between NIT and CPP risk.

RESULTS: Thiamethoxam (THI), clothianidin (CLO), flupyradifurone (FPF), and sulfoxaflor (SUL) showed a 100 % detection rate, while thiacloprid (THIA) was the least detected (85.8 %). The NIT concentration was significantly higher in the CPP group (p<0.05). Stratified multivariate linear regression adjusted for age and BMI-SDS demonstrated that elevated NIT was independently positively associated with ovarian volume (OV) (B=0.73, 95 % CI: 0.15-1.31, p=0.014, β=0.294) and estradiol (E2) (B=116.64, 95 % CI: 49.58-183.70, p=0.002, β=0.682) only in CPP group, while no significant correlations were detected in non-CPP pubertal or prepubertal groups. Logistic regression revealed a significant ascending dose-response trend between elevated NIT quartiles and CPP risk (p for trend=0.048).

CONCLUSIONS: NIT exposure acts as an independent environmental risk factor for CPP in girls, and aggravates sex hormone disturbance and abnormal ovarian development only in children with CPP. Restricting daily children's exposure to NNs is clinically and public health meaningful.

PMID:42568329 | DOI:10.1515/jpem-2025-0651

J Environ Sci Health B. 2026 Aug 7:1-7. doi: 10.1080/03601234.2026.2714346. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The widespread use of pesticides has significantly increased agricultural productivity but has also created major challenges for the management of contaminated plastic packaging. High-density polyethylene (HDPE), the material most commonly used for pesticide containers, can retain pesticide residues, posing environmental and occupational risks during recycling and disposal. This narrative review critically evaluates the effectiveness of current decontamination strategies, with particular emphasis on the widely adopted triple-rinse protocol, using the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) as an illustrative case study. The review highlights how formulation properties, particularly viscosity, together with container characteristics such as size and cap geometry, substantially influence residue removal efficiency. Experimental evidence demonstrates that measurable 2,4-D residues may persist after triple rinsing, particularly in small HDPE containers and with more viscous formulations, indicating that standardized rinsing procedures do not always ensure complete decontamination. A synthesis of previous studies further confirms that rinsing efficiency varies according to pesticide formulation, container design, and operational practices. These findings emphasize the need for improved decontamination technologies, enhanced verification protocols, and container designs that facilitate cleaning, thereby supporting safer recycling practices and strengthening the circular economy for agricultural plastics.

PMID:42566306 | DOI:10.1080/03601234.2026.2714346

Environ Pollut. 2026 Aug 7;408:128926. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.128926. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent contaminants of concern, yet long-term records in marine invertebrates remain scarce. We quantified 26 target PFAS and conducted suspect and non-target screening (NTS) of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in European lobster (Homarus gammarus) collected in a Western Norwegian coastal site (61°N, 5°E) between 2009 and 2025 (n = 115). Twelve PFAS were detected, with profiles dominated by long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates. Mean annual concentrations were highest for PFTrDA (0.72-2.55 μg kg^-1 wet weight (ww); max 5.69 μg kg^-1), followed by PFUnDA (0.25-0.89 μg kg^-1ww; max 1.54 μg kg^-1) and PFDoDA (0.28-0.61 μg kg^-1 ww; max 0.88 μg kg^-1). This pattern is consistent with predominantly diffuse environmental exposure rather than strong local point-source contamination. Temporal trends modelled using GLMs showed significant declines for all nine modelled PFAS (-2.0 to -9.5% yr^-1, p < 0.001), corresponding to cumulative reductions of approximately 28-80% across the study period, likely due to declining environmental inputs following regulatory phase-outs. Body weight exerted compound-specific effects: concentrations of long-chain PFCAs increased with size, whereas PFOS and PFOSA decreased with size. Estimated dietary exposure from lobster consumption remained below the EFSA tolerable weekly intake for the sum of PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFOS. NTS further identified the ultrashort-chain PFAS trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), together with 11 other CECs, including pharmaceuticals, plastic-associated compounds, and pesticides. While most compounds exhibited declining or stable peak-area signals over time, some compounds, such as TFA showed variable or increasing signals, indicating potential emerging inputs despite not being quantitatively determined. The detection of TFA demonstrates the presence of highly persistent emerging PFAS in coastal food webs.

PMID:42567250 | DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2026.128926

J Mol Endocrinol. 2026 Aug 6:JME-25-0183. doi: 10.1530/JME-25-0183. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Endocrine-disrupting pesticides (EDPs) exert deleterious effects on the endocrine system, with documented evidence implicating specific pesticides in endocrine disruption, resulting in developmental delays during puberty and thyroid gland dysfunction, thereby increasing susceptibility to metabolic diseases. The disruption of intracellular insulin signaling, which is characterized by redox imbalance, toxicological effects, and proinflammatory activity, facilitates cellular adaptation to stress. However, this adaptive response can aberrantly induce a dysfunctional feedback loop characterized by diminished cellular insulin responsiveness, a prevalent feature of metabolic disorders. Despite significant advancements in the scientific understanding of EDPs, substantial knowledge gaps and uncertainties persist, impeding progress toward improved health outcomes. This review highlights current findings on the metabolic toxicity of pesticides in the context of obesity and diabetes, concentrating on crucial signaling pathways and a mechanistic perspective that offers insight into resistance channels as reviewed. These findings enhance our understanding of the potential impacts of EDPs on human health.

PMID:42560746 | DOI:10.1530/JME-25-0183

Environ Pollut. 2026 Aug 6;408:128909. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.128909. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) are widely used chemicals in daily environments. Yet, evidence linking prenatal exposure to them with cardiac structure development in offspring is scarce.

METHODS: Maternal urinary levels of OPFR and OPP metabolites were measured during the first and second trimesters. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and mass (LVM) were assessed by echocardiography in 4-year-old children. Multivariable linear regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression were used to evaluate individual and mixture effects, with sex-stratified and interaction analyses performed to assess potential modification.

RESULTS: Among 458 mother-child pairs from the Shanghai Birth Cohort, higher maternal urinary Di-o-cresyl-phosphate (DoCP) concentrations during both trimesters were associated with lower z-scores of LVEDV (β: -0.049, 95% CI: -0.089, -0.008; and β: -0.055, 95% CI: -0.089, -0.022, respectively) and LVM (β: -0.057, 95% CI: -0.098, -0.015; and β: -0.053, 95% CI: -0.087, -0.019, respectively) in 4-year-old offspring. Similarly, higher maternal Di-phenyl phosphate (DPHP) concentration in the second trimester negatively correlated with z-scores of LVEDV (β: -0.043, 95% CI: -0.085, -0.002) and LVM (β: -0.080, 95% CI: -0.122, -0.038). Mixture analyses revealed inverted J-shape associations between maternal mixed OPFRs/OPPs exposure and offspring LVEDV and LVM. Sex-stratified analyses suggested stronger associations among girls.

CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to OPFRs and OPPs was associated with smaller left ventricular structural measures in early childhood, mainly reflected by lower left ventricular volume and mass, with OPFRs emerging as main contributors and stronger associations among girls.

PMID:42562301 | DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2026.128909

Sci Total Environ. 2026 Aug 4;1049:182113. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182113. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics, antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, hormones, pesticides, and microplastics, pose a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems, primarily affecting macroinvertebrates, which are crucial as bioindicators of water quality. This study aims to evaluate the effects of these contaminants on the physiological and bioindicator responses of macroinvertebrates through a systematic review following the PRISMA methodology and a principal component analysis of standardised, categorised data to identify patterns in sublethal effects. It was found that anti-inflammatories, such as ketoprofen, and antidepressants, such as fluoxetine, alter the reproduction of Daphnia magna, reducing the number of offspring and affecting community structure. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, affect the locomotion of Gammarus pulex, reducing their speed and mobility, thereby disrupting their feeding and refuge-seeking behaviour. Analgesics, such as diclofenac, reduce the reproduction and abundance of aquatic species, including Neocaridina denticulata, thereby impacting biodiversity. Hormones, such as 17α-ethinylestradiol, interfere with the endocrine system of Mytilus galloprovincialis, thus altering reproduction. Pesticides, such as imidacloprid, favour tolerant species, including Asellus aquaticus, thereby affecting the structure of aquatic communities. Microplastics also alter the locomotion of Gammarus pulex, disrupting their ecological functions. In conclusion, emerging contaminants alter macroinvertebrate communities and compromise traditional water quality indices (BMWP, ASPT, EPT, SPEAR, and AMBI). It is necessary to adapt these indices by incorporating sensitivity weights and a functional approach to achieve more accurate assessments of water quality.

PMID:42551282 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182113

Sci Total Environ. 2026 Aug 4;1049:182113. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182113. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics, antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, hormones, pesticides, and microplastics, pose a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems, primarily affecting macroinvertebrates, which are crucial as bioindicators of water quality. This study aims to evaluate the effects of these contaminants on the physiological and bioindicator responses of macroinvertebrates through a systematic review following the PRISMA methodology and a principal component analysis of standardised, categorised data to identify patterns in sublethal effects. It was found that anti-inflammatories, such as ketoprofen, and antidepressants, such as fluoxetine, alter the reproduction of Daphnia magna, reducing the number of offspring and affecting community structure. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, affect the locomotion of Gammarus pulex, reducing their speed and mobility, thereby disrupting their feeding and refuge-seeking behaviour. Analgesics, such as diclofenac, reduce the reproduction and abundance of aquatic species, including Neocaridina denticulata, thereby impacting biodiversity. Hormones, such as 17α-ethinylestradiol, interfere with the endocrine system of Mytilus galloprovincialis, thus altering reproduction. Pesticides, such as imidacloprid, favour tolerant species, including Asellus aquaticus, thereby affecting the structure of aquatic communities. Microplastics also alter the locomotion of Gammarus pulex, disrupting their ecological functions. In conclusion, emerging contaminants alter macroinvertebrate communities and compromise traditional water quality indices (BMWP, ASPT, EPT, SPEAR, and AMBI). It is necessary to adapt these indices by incorporating sensitivity weights and a functional approach to achieve more accurate assessments of water quality.

PMID:42551282 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182113

In Silico Pharmacol. 2026 Jul 31;14(2):201. doi: 10.1007/s40203-026-00712-6. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) initially garnered significant attention because of their high efficacy in pest control. However, these compounds have been banned worldwide because they impair environmental biodiversity and adversely affect human health through in vivo exposure. In this study, we employed density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) basis set to evaluate the physicochemical, thermodynamic, and spectral properties of five well-known OCPs, namely, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), endrin (END), endrin ketone (EDK), aldrin (ALD), and heptachlor epoxide (HCE), through in silico methods. Additionally, molecular docking and non-bonding interactions were calculated to investigate the binding properties and mode(s) of action against serine/threonine-protein kinase PIM-2 (PDB ID: 2IWI) and human estrogen receptor (PDB ID: 6PYF) proteins. Thermodynamic and molecular orbital evaluations revealed that DDT and HCE were highly stable and had the highest binding affinities against 2IWI and 6PYF, respectively. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations conducted utilizing YASARA dynamics with the AMBER14 force field revealed that EDK and HCE exhibit greater conformational flexibility and stability. ADMET and PASS analyses were performed to determine the biological and toxicological effects of the OCPs. All the OCPs studied exhibited carcinogenic, neurotoxic, endocrine-disrupting, and hepatotoxic effects and can easily pass through the intestinal barrier and blood‒brain barrier, indicating their adverse effects on animals. These evaluations provide awareness of OCP use and a deeper understanding of its biochemical and toxicological effects on the environment and biological systems.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-026-00712-6.

PMID:42542631 | PMC:PMC13427688 | DOI:10.1007/s40203-026-00712-6

Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2026 Aug 1;117:107710. doi: 10.1016/j.ntt.2026.107710. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Even moderate exposures to pesticides and plasticizers have been associated with neurotoxicity and autism characteristics; however, most studies of urine and blood provide a short-term exposure window compared to teeth, which capture long-term exposures from 13-14 weeks in-utero through early childhood. We investigated cumulative pesticide and plasticizer exposures in shed baby teeth from children with and without autism using a comprehensive targeted and non-targeted analysis with two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS). Compound identification was confirmed with standards and high-fidelity spectral library matches. Sixty compounds were detected in more than 50% of participants (n = 38). Of these, 95% (57/60) were higher in cases compared to controls, and 19/60 were statistically significantly elevated. Thirty-nine of the 60 compounds detected are known developmental toxicants or endocrine-disrupting compounds. To date, 21/60 compounds lack Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developmental toxicity data. Compounds exhibiting higher levels in cases than in controls include benzyl benzoate (fragrance and food preservative) and organophosphate esters, which are frequently found in flame retardants and other baby products, PEX tubing, food contact materials, and products applied to the skin. Interestingly, five of the top nine compounds that differentiated cases from controls migrate from baby bottles. Elevated levels of toxicants in autism cases in our pilot study highlight a need for larger case-control studies to understand the effects of long-term exposure on autism.

PMID:42542255 | DOI:10.1016/j.ntt.2026.107710

Front Nutr. 2026 Jul 16;13:1881234. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1881234. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

The global intensification of agriculture has substantially increased human exposure to foodborne and environmental contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), mycotoxins, and fertilizer-related related agricultural exposures. Growing evidence suggests that these agricultural xenobiotics may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis through alterations of gut microbiota composition and function. This review examines the current evidence linking major agricultural contaminants to gut microbiota dysbiosis, intestinal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and chronic intestinal inflammation. Experimental and epidemiological studies indicate that chronic exposure to these compounds may reduce microbial diversity, alter the abundance of beneficial bacterial populations, impair short-chain fatty acid production, and activate oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, including NF-κB and MAPK-related mechanisms. These alterations may collectively promote epithelial barrier disruption and aberrant mucosal immune activation, which are central processes in IBD pathogenesis. Attention is given to the role of dietary exposure and food-chain contamination as potential mediators of environmentally driven intestinal inflammation. Although most currently available evidence derives from in vitro and animal models, emerging human studies support a possible association between chronic exposure to agricultural contaminants and increased intestinal inflammatory risk. Overall, the evidence reviewed suggests that diverse agricultural contaminants, despite their different chemical characteristics, converge on common pathogenic mechanisms involving gut microbiota dysbiosis, oxidative stress, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and immune dysregulation. These shared alterations may represent a plausible mechanistic link between agricultural chemical exposure and intestinal inflammation, potentially contributing to increased susceptibility to IBD. However, the current body of evidence remains predominantly experimental, and causal relationships in humans have yet to be established. Future research should prioritize longitudinal human studies, exposome-based investigations, and integrated multi-omics approaches to clarify exposure-disease relationships, identify reliable biomarkers of exposure and risk, and support the development of preventive nutritional and environmental strategies targeting microbiota-mediated intestinal inflammation.

PMID:42534865 | PMC:PMC13422193 | DOI:10.3389/fnut.2026.1881234

Mikrochim Acta. 2026 Jul 28;193(8):580. doi: 10.1007/s00604-026-08284-0.

ABSTRACT

Residue detection of organophosphorus pesticides is critically important. However, matrix effects in complex feed matrices often led to low purification efficiency and inaccurate recoveries when traditional adsorbents were used. To address this issue, we developed a superhydrophobic melamine sponge through in situ dopamine polymerization, followed by covalent grafting of N-propylethylenediamine silane (PSA) and dodecyl mercaptan. The resulting sponge, which offers abundant adsorption sites and selective water repellency, replaces conventional sorbents in the modified QuEChERS method. Purification was achieved by simply soaking and squeezing the sponge for one minute. The method was validated for 24 organophosphorus pesticides in feed. Excellent linearity (R² ≥ 0.996) was obtained over the range of 0.1-2 mg/kg. Recoveries ranged from 77.61% to 119.03%, with relative standard deviations below 15%. Limits of detection and quantification were 0.002-0.038 mg/kg and 0.008-0.128 mg/kg, respectively. Compared with traditional methods, this sponge-based cleanup reduced the purification time by 93% and simplified the procedure, providing a low-cost, practical tool for routine monitoring of complex feed matrices, improving sample throughput.

PMID:42521776 | DOI:10.1007/s00604-026-08284-0