Pollutants, Volume 5, Issue 2 (June 2025) – 3 articles

To investigate the place-based association between BCM and air pollution in middle-aged (45–64) and older-aged women (65+) in California at the zip code level, secondary data were collected from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Data and Vital Statistics, CalEnviroScreen 4.0, and the American Community Survey (ACS) from the Census. Multiple linear regression was used to test the significance between air pollution and age-standardized BCM rates. The results indicate a significant association between PM_2.5 and age-standardized BCM rates for both the middle-aged and older-aged groups (β = 3.73, 95% CI [2.89, 4.58]; β = 5.33, 95% CI [2.75, 8.32], respectively). Furthermore, we found evidence of effect modification by the concentration of Hispanic women (β = −6.73, 95% CI [−9.37, −4.08]. This study provides evidence of a significant spatial association between PM_2.5 and BCM rates, which has policy implications for stricter air quality regulations and urban planning policies. Further research is needed to establish causality and the mechanism of action at the population level. Full article

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals”, are a class of highly stable chemical compounds that slowly contaminate waterbodies and soil. The widespread presence of PFAS is associated with adverse human health effects and is a major environmental concern. The conventional, highly sensitive methods used for PFAS detection are LC-MS/MS and solid phase extraction, but they are very complex and expensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need for sensitive, low-cost, and fast methods for the detection and removal of PFAS compounds from water and soil resources. The advancement of nanotechnology has significantly impacted advanced disease diagnosis and treatment in the last few decades. Currently, these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have been exploited for the development of advanced nano-enabled techniques for the detection and removal of environmental pollutants. Nano-enabled techniques also offer improved performance over conventional methods. In this review, the details of the detection and removal of PFAS, as well as their optimization and limitations, and future perspectives are discussed. We focused on the implementation of nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanorods, and nano*filtration membranes for efficient PFAS detection and removal. We also included the recent literature and global guidelines for PFAS use and the effect of PFAS exposure on human health. Full article

Exposure to contaminated soils can adversely affect health and the well-being of both humans and animals. Environmental stressors can influence the mobility and toxicity of contaminants, altering their potential impacts. This study aimed to assess the impact on the behavior of offspring from rats exposed during the gestation and lactation period to contaminated and acidified soils. Female Wistar rats were gavaged daily for 42 days with soil leachate from an industrial region known to be contaminated with metals and metalloids, using solvents with different pH values (6.0, 5.2, and 3.6). The offspring were evaluated in behavioral tests including Open Field, Elevated Plus Maze, and Inhibitory Avoidance. Our findings revealed significant statistical differences in all three tests conducted, indicating that the exposed groups exhibited lower exploratory behavior, higher anxiety behavior, and lower memory retention than the control groups. The difference was more pronounced in the soil leachate with acidified solvent, at both pH 5.2 and 3.6, suggesting that the combined effect of both stressors led to synergistic interactions, potentiating their impacts. Elemental analysis revealed elevated levels of neurotoxic metals, including Cr, Cu, and Ni, as well as the metalloid As, with acidification significantly enhancing their bioavailability. Moreover, our results demonstrate that acidification facilitated the mobilization of metals and the metalloid As, increasing their bioavailability and acting synergistically to exacerbate the behavioral impacts of contaminated soils. Special attention should be given to populations living in industrial areas that may be exposed to contaminated soils. Full article