Search Results (8,760)

Honey is a natural food product highly valued for its nutritional and biological properties. Its quality and safety are increasingly affected by environmental contamination and apicultural practices. Among the most relevant contaminants, pesticide residues, veterinary antibiotics, and heavy metals represent major concerns due to their potential impact on human health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, sources, and distribution of these contaminants in honey, with particular emphasis on their relationship with agricultural activities, environmental pollution, and beekeeping treatments. Advanced analytical techniques, including liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), are highlighted for their ability to enable sensitive multi-residue and trace-level detection. The application of chemometric tools for data analysis and sample classification is also addressed, supporting the identification of contamination patterns and origin-related differences. In addition, recent developments in rapid screening methods and environmentally sustainable analytical approaches are discussed. Overall, this review emphasizes the importance of continuous monitoring and the integration of advanced analytical strategies to ensure honey safety, support regulatory compliance, and protect consumers. Full article

Environmental chemical exposures are increasingly recognized as contributors to metabolic dysfunction, particularly when they occur as chronic, low-dose mixtures rather than as isolated high-dose toxicants. However, current approaches often focus on exposure intensity, single-compound hazard or isolated biomarker associations, and provide limited explanation for why individuals with comparable exposure profiles may develop markedly different metabolic outcomes. This semi-systematic review proposes an Exposure–Adaptive Capacity (EAC) framework to interpret the metabolic consequences of environmental chemical mixtures through the interaction between exposure burden and host adaptive capacity. A structured literature search covered PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science records published through 30 June 2026; a reviewer-triggered PubMed/MEDLINE update was executed on 30 July 2026 using harmonized British and American dyslipidaemia/dyslipidemia terms, explicit eligibility domains and evidence-mapping procedures. The review integrates epidemiological, mechanistic, toxicological and translational evidence related to environmental chemicals, metabolic dysfunction, mitochondrial impairment, oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, metabolic resilience and biomarkers. The evidence indicates that several chemical classes, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, bisphenols, phthalates, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants and selected metals, converge on mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox regulation, inflammatory signalling, endocrine and nuclear receptor activity, nutrient-sensing networks and adipose tissue function. The EAC framework defines exposure burden as the cumulative biological pressure imposed by chemical mixtures and adaptive capacity as the organism’s functional ability to buffer, compensate for or recover from exposure-induced metabolic stress. To make the framework empirically testable, we specify measurable domains for exposure burden, adaptive capacity and EAC mismatch, and distinguish biomarkers of exposure, early biological effect, adaptive capacity, metabolic dysfunction and vulnerability. A quotient-based expression is retained only as a heuristic representation, while empirical testing is proposed through exposure-by-adaptive-capacity interaction models and complementary multidimensional approaches. The framework provides a structured basis for future exposomic, epidemiological and translational studies by shifting attention from exposure alone to the balance between environmental pressure and biological resilience. Full article

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. Full article

Achieving uniform agrochemical deposition in coffee is challenging because canopy structure, terrain, and wind conditions influence spray movement and retention. This study compared an unmanned aerial spray system (UASS), backpack sprayer, and tractor-mounted sprayers across three commercial coffee farms on Hawai‘i Island. Spray coverage, droplet density, droplet size metrics, and operational efficiency were evaluated using water-sensitive cards positioned throughout the canopy and analyzed using mixed-effects models. UASS produced significantly lower spray coverage and droplet density than the ground-based application systems, whereas backpack and tractor sprayers did not differ. Deposition patterns varied with canopy position, with application method effects depending on canopy height, depth, and aspect. Volume median diameter decreased in the upper canopy and with increasing wind speed, while relative span varied modestly among methods and was greater within the canopy interior. Canopy position and wind strongly shaped agrochemical deposition across spray platforms. Although UASS required less field labor and improved accessibility in terrain-limited systems, these operational advantages were accompanied by reduced deposition relative to ground-based sprayers. These findings demonstrate that canopy position and environmental conditions strongly influence agrochemical deposition and support UASS as a complementary application platform rather than a direct replacement for conventional sprayers under the conditions evaluated. Full article

Pesticides are widely recognized as hazardous chemicals with potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. Directive 2009/128/EC establishes a framework for the European Union to promote the sustainable use of pesticides and the adoption of alternative agricultural techniques. Specifically, aqueous extracts are complex mixtures of various chemical compounds, such as terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, and phenols, that have potential herbicidal, insecticidal, and fungicidal properties. Therefore, they can be used as an alternative to pesticides. This study examined the cytocompatibility of 100, 10, 1 and 0.1% Allium sativum L. aqueous extract (ASE) on human cell lines. The aim was to evaluate its effects on viability and cell metabolic activity through in vitro testing to verify the absence of adverse effects for operators who, when using garlic extract in agriculture, may be exposed via dermal contact or inhalation. The results showed that 1 to 0.1% do not significantly affect cell proliferation or viability in all examined cell models, while higher concentrations (≥10%) induced cell line-dependent reductions in viability. In summary, the results suggest the potential use of garlic aqueous extract as a potential low-risk alternative to synthetic pesticides and support its safety for occupational exposure of agricultural workers. Full article

Free-ranging poultry ingest 4–30 g of soil per day, making soil a significant route of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure in agricultural areas with legacy contamination. However, total soil concentrations overestimate actual exposure. Only the bioaccessible fraction, mobilized within the gastrointestinal tract, governs transfer to eggs and meat. Static physiologically based extraction test (PBET) models consistently underestimate this fraction for hydrophobic compounds due to re-equilibration of desorbed contaminants onto the soil matrix. This study applied and evaluated a sink-modified static in vitro gastrointestinal model incorporating Tenax resin as a sorption sink to assess OCP bioaccessibility in spiked aged soil under simulated poultry digestive conditions. The aqueous phase-only fraction (gastric plus intestinal liquid) ranged from 0.004 to 17.1%, while the aqueous phase plus sorption sink (Tenax) fraction, measured from the same intestinal phase incubation, ranged from 24.0 to 52.7%, with the largest relative changes observed for HCH isomers (from near-undetectable levels without Tenax) and 2.7- to 4.3-fold increases for DDT-related compounds, a difference confirmed as statistically significant (paired t-test) for six of the seven compounds. One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among compounds (F(6,21) = 5.53, p = 0.0014). Tukey’s HSD showed that β-HCH (56.1 ± 10.6%) and 4,4′-DDT (55.6 ± 24.0%) had significantly higher bioaccessibility than γ-HCH (25.8 ± 0.9%), 2,4′-DDD (22.2 ± 18.0%), and 4,4′-DDE (22.0 ± 5.7%), while α-HCH (28.6 ± 3.9%) and 4,4′-DDD (33.9 ± 8.1%) occupied an intermediate position, not significantly different from either group. A substantial fraction of mobilized OCPs was associated with the Tenax sink (17–53%), confirming that aqueous phase measurements alone underestimate the bioaccessible pool. These results demonstrate the importance of including a sorption sink in poultry-informed gastrointestinal models for accurate assessment of OCP transfer from contaminated soil to food products. Full article

Acetamiprid (ACE) and fipronil (FIP) are extensively applied broad-spectrum insecticides. They are recalcitrant to degradation and accumulate along food chains, creating prominent residual hazards to food security and ecological environments. Herein, a high-stability competitive electrochemical immunosensor was established for quantitative detection of ACE and FIP. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) characterized the layer-by-layer assembly of sensing interfaces, verifying the validity of competitive immune recognition. Under optimal conditions, the sensor exhibited linear ranges of 0.49–125.0 ng/mL for ACE and 0.49–62.5 ng/mL for FIP, with all determination coefficients (R² > 0.99). The limits of detection (LODs) reached 0.33 ng/mL and 0.25 ng/mL, respectively. Spike-recovery detection on six fruit and vegetable matrices yielded recoveries of 84.63–100.80% with RSDs less than 7.8%, which confirmed excellent consistency between the immunosensor and standard LC-MS. This sensing platform combines fast response, high sensitivity, and superior stability, delivering a novel technical approach for rapid on-site screening of trace ACE and FIP residues in agricultural and environmental samples, and offering technical support for food safety supervision and pesticide risk assessment. Full article

The contamination of water bodies with organic pollutants has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges of the modern era. The continuous discharge of dyes, pesticides, agricultural runoff, and pharmaceutical residues into the aquatic ecosystem degrades water quality. Long-term exposure to these organic pollutants poses a severe risk to human and aquatic life. ZnO and TiO₂ have emerged as promising photocatalysts, particularly for degrading organic waste in wastewater. However, their photocatalytic activity is limited to the UV region due to their wide band gaps. To improve nanoparticle efficiency, polydopamine (PDA) is incorporated as a modifying agent. PDA-modified ZnO and TiO₂ nanocomposites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of various organic pollutants under visible light, compared with their unmodified counterparts. Furthermore, they exhibit improved antibacterial activity against a variety of waterborne pathogens; this is advantageous as wastewater contains both chemical pollutants and microorganisms. Thus, the combined photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of PDA-modified ZnO and TiO₂ make them promising materials for next-generation wastewater treatment. Full article

Strobilurin fungicides are among the most widely used agrochemicals worldwide. Dimoxystrobin has been shown to induce hepatic injury in adult zebrafish; however, whether this damage also involves early extracellular matrix remodelling and hepatobiliary remodelling remains unknown. Here, we investigated early remodelling of the extracellular matrix, focusing on initial collagen deposition and glycosaminoglycan redistribution after a short-term exposure (96 h) to two environmentally relevant concentrations of dimoxystrobin (6.56 and 13.13 µg/L) on the liver of Danio rerio using an integrated histological, histochemical, and semi-quantitative approach. The results showed a progressive dose-dependent alteration of hepatic architecture, accompanied by a significant increase in bile pigment-like deposits and collagen deposition. Exposure also induced a significant increase in the deposition of acidic glycosaminoglycans and a severe depletion of glycogen-dependent Periodic Acid–Schiff positivity components, accompanied by an increase in amylase-resistant Periodic Acid–Schiff reactive components. Overall, these findings indicate that dimoxystrobin-induced hepatotoxicity extends beyond parenchymal degeneration to encompass coordinated stromal and hepatobiliary remodelling. The present study also indicates that the periductal microenvironment may represent a sensitive target of dimoxystrobin toxicity and supports the use of histochemical and semi-quantitative analyses as sensitive tools for detecting sublethal pesticide-induced early extracellular matrix remodelling in fish liver. Full article

The widespread use of thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid pesticide, poses increasing risks to environmental and food safety, highlighting the urgent need for rapid, selective, and biomass-derived analytical platforms. In this study, fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized from rice straw via a water-based hydrothermal approach and subsequently functionalized with a biopolymer-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the selective detection of thiamethoxam. The synthesized CDs exhibited strong blue fluorescence with a maximum emission wavelength at 455 nm. Integration of the CDs with a thin MIP layer generated specific binding cavities complementary to thiamethoxam, significantly enhancing selectivity toward the target analyte over structurally related neonicotinoids. The resulting CD@MIP sensor demonstrated rapid and concentration-dependent fluorescence quenching, with a wide linear detection range from 1 to 500 nM and a limit of detection of 9.15 nM. An imprinting factor of 3.54 confirmed the selective recognition capability of the imprinted system. The developed sensing platform was successfully validated using real environmental water samples, achieving recovery values between 100% and 102% with relative standard deviations ranging from 0.9% to 2.5%, thereby demonstrating good accuracy and reproducibility. Overall, this work presents a biomass-derived and efficient fluorescent sensing platform for monitoring pesticide residues, with promising applications in environmental monitoring and food safety analysis. Full article

Engineered nanomaterials have been increasingly proposed for the treatment of contaminated soils. Nevertheless, most available evidence has been obtained in water, artificial substrates or short-term laboratory experiments, and performance in real soil is substantially more variable. This review examines nanoscale zero-valent iron, photocatalytic metal oxides, carbon-based nanomaterials, and supported or hybrid formulations, with particular attention to the soil properties and contaminant characteristics that control their mobility, transformation, reactivity, and persistence. Nano-enabled treatments can decrease the mobility of arsenic, chromium, lead, and other potentially toxic elements and can promote the degradation of selected pesticides and hydrocarbons. However, opposite responses have also been reported, including mobilisation of non-target elements, nanoparticle aggregation and passivation, effects on microbial communities and plants, contaminant rebound, and potential transport beyond the treated zone. Environmental assessment should therefore consider both the target contaminant and the applied or transformed nanomaterial, together with ecological and occupational exposure pathways. Current evidence does not support nanoremediation as a general replacement for conventional technologies. Its main value lies in its use as a site-specific component of integrated remediation strategies selected according to soil properties, contaminant behaviour, treatment scale, cost, life-cycle impacts, and future land use. European field experience remains limited, particularly in unsaturated soils, and no harmonised EU-wide authorisation procedure specifically for soil nanoremediation currently exists. Wider implementation will require realistic field trials, long-term monitoring, safer and recoverable formulations, transparent regulatory assessment, and evaluation of soil functions and ecosystem-service recovery. A site-specific decision framework is proposed to support material selection, risk–benefit evaluation, and responsible implementation. Full article

To address the limitations of conventional point-based sampling methods (e.g., water-sensitive paper and filter paper) in characterizing the three-dimensional deposition distribution on curved fruit surfaces, this study proposed a fruit-surface deposition quantification approach validated through a coupled workflow comprising multi-view 3D reconstruction, target point cloud segmentation, and chemical wash-off quantification. A carmine solution was used as a tracer to simulate pesticide deposition. High-accuracy colored point clouds of apples were generated via multi-view 3D reconstruction, and the target deposition point cloud was automatically extracted using a combined strategy integrating K-means-based coarse color clustering with HSV threshold refinement. The target point cloud count was regressed against the measured single-fruit deposition volume. The results showed a significant linear relationship between the target point cloud count and deposition under both laboratory and real orchard air-assisted spraying conditions (laboratory: R² = 0.827, r = 0.909, n = 13, p < 0.01; orchard: R² = 0.885, r = 0.941, n = 17, p < 0.01). This method can characterize the differences in pesticide deposition among fruits while preserving the three-dimensional location information of the tracer-related region, thus providing a methodological basis for characterizing pesticide deposition on the fruit surface. Full article

Haloxyfop-P-methyl (HPM) is widely used for grass weed control in oilseed rape production. However, whether its residues affect subsequent seed germination and the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. In this study, seeds harvested from HPM-treated fields exhibited a significantly reduced germination rate of 36.5%, compared with 100% in the control group, accompanied by abnormal cell morphology. Residue analysis revealed an HPM concentration of 3.36 mg kg⁻¹ in the treated seeds, exceeding the Chinese maximum residue limit (MRL) of 3 mg kg⁻¹ (GB 2763). Given that herbicides often induce oxidative stress, we measured a range of antioxidant markers (H₂O₂, MDA, SOD, POD, GSH, GSSG, AsA, and DHA) during germination (12 h and 24 h) but detected no significant changes, which did not support oxidative stress as the primary mechanism during this phase. Relative electrical conductivity measurements further indicated that membrane integrity was already compromised in dry seeds, suggesting that oxidative injury—if it occurred—may have taken place during seed development rather than during germination. To elucidate the molecular basis, we performed transcriptomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic analyses, which revealed significant downregulation of fatty acid biosynthesis genes and marked alterations in the lipidome profile. Collectively, our multi-stage investigation demonstrates that HPM residue accumulation is associated with impaired seed germination, primarily through metabolic disruption of lipid reserves rather than oxidative damage during germination, highlighting a non-target phytotoxic effect of this herbicide on the crop itself. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the potential toxicity of persistent HPM residues in rapeseed, with implications for pesticide environmental risk assessment and the safe production of rapeseed. Full article

Fluorinated isoquinoline-1,3-diones possess important biological activities and application value in many fields such as medicine, pesticides, and organic synthesis. This review summarizes the synthetic methods of fluorinated isoquinoline-1,3-diones reported in recent years, mainly including classical synthetic methods, visible-light-induced catalytic methods, and electroorganic synthesis. The mechanisms of each reaction are described. Among them, visible-light-induced and electrochemical approaches show improved sustainability and mild reaction conditions. In this review, these synthetic methods are summarized to provide a reference for the design and research of these compounds. Future perspectives on method development are also briefly considered. Full article