Search Results (52)

Wastewater pathogen and chemical records differ in measurement meaning, sampling frequency, analytical context, and data support, which complicates record-level screening and interpretation. This study developed and internally examined Hotspot Finder, a transparent Python-based framework that represents each eligible record using Level, Trend, Jump, and Reliability scores. Pathogen Level and Trend were mapped from official Government of Canada categories, whereas chemical scores were calculated within compatible analyte, wastewater treatment plant, sample type or stream, and analytical-unit series. Jump represented categorical change from the most recent earlier valid observation, and Reliability represented rule-based evidence support. The final Hotspot score was the arithmetic mean of the four components. The most-recent outputs contained 104 pathogen records and 24,142 eligible chemical records, with mean scores of 61.57 and 53.73, respectively. A Montreal Influenza B record dated 1 March 2026 scored 90.00, while a PFBS influent record dated 10 April 2024 scored 76.25. Sensitivity analysis showed smaller effects from changing chemical Trend-history length than from altering percentage-change categories, Reliability rules, or alert boundaries. The framework provided reproducible calculations, separate pathogen and chemical rankings, and record-level traceability. It supports transparent screening but does not establish clinical, epidemiological, toxicological, regulatory, predictive, or end-user validity. Full article

Background: Airborne microplastics (AMPs) are an emerging air pollutant and there are growing concerns about their potential effects on respiratory health due to their persistence, inhalability and ability to carry other toxic pollutants. Methods: Relevant peer-reviewed studies released from 2015 to 2025 were located by searches on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Data from experimental, epidemiological, and review research were amalgamated to investigate sources of airborne microplastics, routes of exposure, analytical methodologies, respiratory toxicological processes, and regulatory viewpoints. Results: Modern studies suggest inhaled antimicrobic peptides can reach the lower respiratory tract and cause chronic pulmonary inflammation via induction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, epithelial barrier damage, inflammasome activation, immune system imbalance and extracellular matrix remodeling. These pathways have been associated with chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung carcinoma. Toxicity can be increased by the accumulation of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and microbiological impurities. However, the lack of standardised protocols for exposure assessment, inconsistency of sampling and analytical methods and limited human epidemiological data hamper health risk assessment. Conclusions: Airborne microplastics are an emerging environmental health concern with potentially significant effects on respiratory health. Harmonised surveillance strategies, standardised analytical methods, improved inhalation exposure models and prolonged epidemiological studies are urgently needed to improve risk assessment and enable evidence-based air quality policy for the protection of respiratory health. Full article

Brazil presents a distinctive convergence of continental-scale climatic diversity, extensive urbanization, large-scale biomass burning, rapid land-use change, persistent air-quality monitoring gaps, and deep social inequalities, producing highly heterogeneous and compound environmental health risks. In this context, treating air pollution and climate change as parallel environmental crises obscures their structural interconnections through shared emission sources, mutually reinforcing exposure pathways, and overlapping health and social consequences. In this narrative review, we critically synthesize scientific and institutional lines of evidence and argue that air pollution and climate risks can be more effectively addressed in Brazil through a single strategic agenda for science, public health, and governance. We first discuss why these challenges cannot be managed in isolation, emphasizing the effects of heat, drought, stagnation events, biomass burning, and extreme weather on pollutant formation, dispersion, and health burden. We then examine Brazil as a critical case where recent regulatory advances coexist with structural limitations in monitoring, data integration, and territorial coverage. Based on this diagnosis, we propose an integrated national agenda organized around five mutually reinforcing priorities: monitoring through hybrid networks; predictive science through climate-informed modeling and early warning; public health through the convergence of epidemiology, toxicology, and mechanistic research; equity-oriented research and action through the explicit incorporation of vulnerability, inequality, and climate justice; and policy appraisal through the assessment of disease burden, economic costs, mitigation co-benefits, and trade-offs. We further discuss the governance mechanisms needed to connect these priorities and translate evidence into coordinated action and adaptive public policies. We also argue that the Amazon should be approached not as an isolated ecological exception but as a central component of a broader Brazilian and Global South discussion on environmental health, land-use change, and climate justice. In this scenario, Brazil has the scientific capacity and regulatory momentum to become a reference in the integrated management of air pollution and climate risks, but this will depend on replacing fragmented approaches with a coordinated framework capable of linking exposure, mechanism, burden, inequality, and action. Full article

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. Full article

Lethal foodborne illness outbreaks represent a critical intersection of public health surveillance, environmental health, and forensic toxicology. When acute gastrointestinal syndromes lead to sudden death, traditional postmortem investigation techniques are often hindered by tissue autolysis and the overgrowth of putrefactive microflora, which complicate conventional microbiological assays. This review establishes a comprehensive framework for chemical forensics by evaluating the utility of stable isotope analysis (SIA) as a supportive, probabilistic chemical proxy to complement traditional epidemiological investigations of postmortem food contamination sources. Following JBI scoping review guidelines and the PRISMA-ScR reporting framework, data from 42 peer-reviewed articles (2000–2026) were charted and synthesized to map natural isotopic variations (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ¹⁸O, δ²H and δ³⁴S) across both forensic decedents and environmental reservoirs. The findings outline a structured, multi-tissue diagnostic cascade governed by biological metabolic turnover rates: unabsorbed gastric chyme provides a direct chemical match to contaminated source food items within a hyper-acute 0–6 h window; high-turnover visceral matrices (liver, blood plasma) shift to reflect acute exposure profiles within 1–7 days; and continuously fixed keratinized matrices (hair, nails) archive multi-month dietary and transcontinental transit histories. Furthermore, compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of individual amino acids offers unprecedented structural resolution, utilizing the carbon discrimination metric (Δ¹³C_glu-phe) to differentiate pristine agricultural signatures from endogenous metabolic distortions while biochemically verifying pre-mortem physiological stress and hyper-catabolic muscle wasting. Taphonomic thresholds were explicitly defined, establishing that bulk visceral soft tissues remain isotopically stable (±0.3‰) for up to 48 h at room temperature (~21 °C) before microbially induced nitrogen enrichment (δ¹⁵N > +2.8‰) alters native profiles, whereas hair and nail keratin maintain absolute isotopic stability for over 180 days postmortem. When pristine multi-isotope signatures are coupled with mandatory chloroform–methanol lipid extraction and processed through spatial Bayesian assignment models, geographic provenance tracking via environmental isoscapes achieves a predictive accuracy of 97%. This review introduces a standardized environmental health protocol designed to harmonize field environmental sampling with medical autopsies. This protocol provides a legally robust strategy for investigating unresolved lethal foodborne illness case-outbreaks, particularly those involving pediatric mortalities linked to the consumption of counterfeit or fraudulent food products in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, it aims to strengthen national and municipal legal frameworks and international biosecurity enforcement. Full article

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) constitute a significant global health burden; however, the influence of environmental heavy metals toxicity on their pathogenesis remains insufficiently investigated, particularly within low- and middle-income countries. This systematic review, conducted in strict accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, assesses the impact of heavy metals exposure on the development, progression, and wound-healing kinetics of DFUs. A comprehensive search across PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science identified 32 eligible original studies. Quality appraisal was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and SYRCLE’s Risk of Bias tool. Synthesized epidemiological and toxicological data consistently indicate that chronic exposure to non-essential heavy metals, specifically cadmium and lead, significantly augments DFU prevalence and clinical severity, demonstrating a 64% increase in DFU prevalence for each 1 µg/L increase in blood cadmium concentration. Mechanistically, these xenobiotics induce a ‘chronic inflammatory lock’ characterized by severe oxidative stress, sustained NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and the suppression of protective Metallothionein 2A (MT2A) pathways, thereby impeding microvascular angiogenesis. Conversely, deficiencies in essential trace elements, such as zinc and selenium, actively impair extracellular matrix maintenance. Advanced therapeutic interventions, including metal-ion-releasing hydrogels, cell-free exosome therapies, and systemic EDTA chelation, demonstrate significant potential to counteract heavy-metal-induced cellular suppression and facilitate tissue repair. This review underscores the imperative of integrating environmental toxicant screening and targeted detoxification strategies into standard multidisciplinary diabetic foot management. Full article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) present a critical challenge to global public health and environmental integrity due to the exceptional stability of the carbon–fluorine (C–F) bond. This review synthesizes current knowledge on PFAS physicochemical properties, exposure pathways, and toxicological outcomes, while evaluating global regulatory efficacy. A central problem addressed in this review is the widening discrepancy between rigid, yet deeply fragmented, international regulatory frameworks and the increasingly complex, non-linear epidemiological data regarding PFAS health risks. While historical paradigms focused heavily on direct carcinogenicity, recent high-resolution data reveal significant heterogeneity and methodological inconsistencies in cancer links. Instead, robust evidence points to severe systemic toxicities—including hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and maternal–fetal disruptions—frequently driven by mixture co-exposures and sex-specific metabolic dimorphisms. Furthermore, the industrial transition to short-chain substitutes has inadvertently compounded the crisis due to their high environmental mobility and resistance to conventional water treatment. By critically evaluating these toxicological and regulatory contradictions, this review demonstrates that current substance-by-substance legislative models fail to mitigate real-world pollution trends. Ultimately, we emphasize the urgent need to transition to holistic mixture modeling, implement unified class-based global regulations, and accelerate advanced destructive remediation technologies to mineralize the resilient C–F bond. Full article

A growing body of epidemiological and toxicological evidence indicates that exposure to toxic elements (TEs), including As, Cd, Cr(VI), Pb, and Hg, is associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including cancer, neurological and cardiovascular diseases. Given their widespread presence and toxicity, understanding the factors underlying inter-individual differences in susceptibility is essential, as not all exposed individuals develop the same health effects. Genetic variability, particularly single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of individual responses to TE exposure. Variants in genes involved in metal transport, detoxification, and DNA repair, including DMT1, GSTP1, MT2A, hOGG1, and XRCC1, may influence internal dose and biological effects and have been proposed as potential susceptibility markers. However, current evidence remains inconsistent due to small sample sizes, heterogeneous exposure assessments, and limited considerations of ethnic diversity and gene–environment interactions. Future research should prioritize large and well-characterized populations integrating detailed exposure and lifestyle data. This review focuses on genetic susceptibility and gene–environment interactions in TE exposure, with particular emphasis on SNPs as key modulators of individual risk. It summarizes major toxic metals, reviews epidemiological evidence of the associated health risks, and highlights the role of genetic background in modulating TE-induced toxicity. Full article

This study examines the evolution of the scientific literature on mining and heavy metals, with a particular focus on biosanitary risks associated with childhood exposure. The research integrates a systematic literature review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, combined with a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications, international epidemiological data, and an evaluation of the socio-environmental context in Ecuadorian mining regions. The PRISMA-based screening process was applied to identify, filter, and select relevant peer-reviewed studies, enabling the delimitation of a focused corpus of literature, with particular attention given to scientific contributions produced by Latin American researchers and institutions. The results reveal a significant concentration of knowledge production among a limited number of countries and institutions, the dominance of English as the main language of scientific communication, and the centrality of journals in environmental sciences and toxicology. While notable progress has been made in identifying contaminants and exposure pathways, governance structures, territorial disparities, and policy implementation processes remain insufficiently explored. In Ecuador, the rapid growth of mining concessions in ecologically sensitive zones presents potential threats to children’s neurocognitive development, highlighting the urgent need for ongoing surveillance, biomonitoring programs, and preventive public health measures. The study emphasizes the importance of strengthening regional research capacity and fostering more equitable international scientific collaborations to ensure that knowledge production is responsive to local contexts and effectively safeguards vulnerable populations. Full article

Microplastics (MPs) are synthetic polymer particles that are generally less than 5 mm in size and have attracted heightened scrutiny due to their pervasive presence in the environment, along with their toxicological significance. Several research investigations documented its presence in humans as a profound finding in biological tissues and fluids crossing barriers, leading to oxidative and inflammatory pathways alterations associated with blood, placenta, cardiovascular, pulmonary, nephrotic, other systems, and their disorders. Given the ubiquitous utilization of microplastics across diverse sectors, it is imperative to systematically investigate and elucidate their potential toxicological effects on biological systems through rigorous and mechanistically informed research. This review will also provide the synthesis of recent mechanistic data on the toxicity that can be caused by MPs and will determine key gaps that impede efficient human health risk evaluation. A structured literature search was conducted via PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, mostly from the studies published between 2010 and 2026. The studies of exposure characteristics and biological effects were analyzed in vitro, in vivo, and in human biomonitoring, and the primary focus of the interventions includes oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, hepatotoxicity, and metabolic malfunction. MPs possess various physicochemical properties, such as a low particle size, various shapes, surface area, polymer composition, and the presence of sorbed or intrinsic additives. When MPs are taken up by cells, they can induce oxidative stress via increasing ROS, eventually leading to high lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial malfunction, DNA fragmentation, and eventually cell death. MPs also cause pro-inflammatory cytokine responses, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, altering the immune system and cell profile, leading to systemic inflammation. In aquatic and terrestrial organisms, these microplastics have a harmful impact on growth, reproduction, and behavior in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Under conditions of controlled exposure, the organ-specific toxicities that have been reported include hepatic, renal, neurological, reproductive, and cardiovascular systems. Although the fields of mechanistic knowledge are growing, there is still a substantial amount of uncertainty; there is a lack of characterization of the long-term effects of low-dose chronic exposure, the kinetics of bioaccumulation, biodegradation potential, and transgenerational effects. In addition, there are no standardized procedures for the characterization of MPs, nor the reporting of the distribution of size or exposure measurements, which limits the comparability of cross-studies and makes it difficult to assess risks quantitatively. The dynamics of interactions of MPs between co-adsorbed contaminants like heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals are also yet to be explored. Although all evidence available to date does indicate biologically plausible mechanisms of MP-induced toxicity, integrated research employing standardized analytical protocols, an environmentally relevant exposure model, and human epidemiological data is required to ensure that laboratory results are translated into evidence-based public health and regulatory actions. This review offers an in-depth analysis of the existing molecular understanding of MP-induced toxicity, demonstrates organism-level impacts throughout species, and establishes vital fields for future studies. In order to develop competent guidelines to minimize MP exposure and its adverse health effects, it is crucial to cover these gaps via research that incorporates toxicology and environmental science. Full article

This study examines the chronic continuity and multi-layered structure of poisoning cases observed in the Ottoman Empire between the 1845 and 1912. The primary aim is to reveal how the central administration perceived these events, which seriously threatened food safety and public health, and the administrative, medical, and legal defence mechanisms developed in response. The scope of the research encompasses Ottoman Archive documents ranging from accidental poisonings to consumption of spoiled food, use of untinned vessel, and large-scale military poisonings. Conducted using qualitative methods, the study involved transcribing, classifying, and interpreting archival data. These records confirm that the administrators of the period considered poisoning to be a significant and challenging threat. Consequently, this study evaluates the information in the archival documents at the intersection of forensic epidemiology and political toxicology, substantiating with data the risk management capacity of the central administration of the period and its institutional adaptation to crises. By analysing poisoning cases through the lens of food safety and public health policies, the research offers a new academic contribution to Ottoman history, medical history, public health history, and food safety literature. Full article

Trouble sleeping has become a global public health challenge. However, the relationship between organophosphate flame retardant (OPFR) exposure and trouble sleeping remains unclear. This study integrated epidemiological analysis, network toxicology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and adverse outcome pathway (AOP) construction to identify OPFRs linked to trouble sleeping and attempted to elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms. We analyzed cross-sectional data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2013–2018) involving 4585 eligible adults. Logistic regression confirmed dibutyl phosphate (DBuP) as significantly correlated with trouble sleeping. Restricted cubic splines (RCSs) revealed a significant non-linear, J-shaped relationship between dibutyl phosphate (DBuP) levels and trouble sleeping. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) analysis determined that DBuP accounted for the majority contribution (58.23%) to the observed effects within exposure mixtures. These findings indicated that DBuP, a metabolite of tributyl phosphate (TnBP), was closely related to trouble sleeping, suggesting that the environmental health risks of TnBP may be jointly contributed to by itself and DBuP. We used network analysis to identify five core target genes (PPARG, MMP9, PTGS2, APP, EGFR) that interact with DBuP and its parent compound TnBP. Molecular docking predicted binding poses of TnBP and DBuP toward these five core targets; all showed moderate binding affinity (ΔG ≤ −5.0 kcal/mol) except MMP9, which exhibited weak binding. Molecular dynamics simulations further supported this putative binding. Enrichment analysis highlighted inflammatory response pathways. Ultimately, we elucidated the process from molecular exposure to trouble sleeping by constructing an AOP framework. In conclusion, we proposed that TnBP and DBuP may contribute to trouble sleeping through multi-target interactions, primarily through PPARG-driven inflammatory dysregulation. These findings suggest a potential link between OPFR exposure and trouble sleeping, providing insights that warrant further mechanistic investigation. Full article

Urban parks are essential to sustainable cities, providing climate regulation, supporting biodiversity, and offering vital spaces for recreation and overall well-being. At the same time, their soils can act as long-term reservoirs for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), reflecting decades of atmospheric deposition, diffuse urban emissions, and historical land-use practices. This review synthesises current knowledge on the occurrence, sources, and environmental behaviour of priority POPs, including OCPs, PCBs, PCDD/Fs, PBDEs, PFAS, and PAHs, in the soils of urban parks and gardens worldwide. Evidence from multiple regions reveals consistent patterns: urban parks accumulate complex mixtures of legacy and emerging contaminants, reflecting both historical inputs and ongoing urban activities. These contaminants primarily contribute to scenarios of chronic, low-level exposure through the ingestion of soil and dust, inhalation of resuspended particles, dermal contact, and, in some cases, dietary intake when food is cultivated in contaminated park soils. While such exposure pathways have been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes in toxicological and epidemiological studies, the presence of POPs in park soils does not imply that urban parks represent hazardous environments. Instead, it emphasises the importance of proportionate, evidence-based assessments within spaces that yield substantial net benefits to public health. Despite growing research interest, significant gaps remain, including limited understanding of mixture toxicity, insufficient data on temporal trends, a lack of harmonised monitoring strategies, and the absence of exposure scenarios specifically tailored to recreational soils. This review also examines major international and European regulatory frameworks and soil-quality guideline approaches relevant to urban and recreational soils, identifying mismatches between scientific evidence and regulatory practice. By integrating perspectives from environmental chemistry, toxicology, urban ecology, and policy, this review highlights the importance of targeted monitoring and context-specific management strategies to ensure that urban parks remain safe, healthy, and equitable components of increasingly complex urban landscapes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Snakebite envenoming remains a critical yet frequently under-recognized cause of mortality in many parts of the world, particularly in tropical and rural areas where access to timely medical care and accurate post-mortem investigation is limited. While clinical and epidemiological data on snakebites have been extensively studied, the forensic characterization of fatal envenomations remains fragmentary and inconsistently documented. This review aims to synthesize the existing literature on autopsy-confirmed snakebite deaths, focusing on the pathological and toxicological evidence that supports cause-of-death determinations in forensic settings. Methods: A comprehensive search of the PubMed NCBI databases identified nine relevant studies, including case reports, retrospective analyses, and systematic reviews. Results: Across these reports, a range of lethal mechanisms were identified, including venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC), acute renal failure (frequently in the setting of rhabdomyolysis and acute tubular necrosis), neurotoxic respiratory arrest, multi-organ necrosis, and myocardial infarction. Histological findings frequently revealed glomerular and tubular necrosis, pulmonary edema and/or hemorrhage, pituitary and adrenal hemorrhage, and cerebral ischemic changes. Toxicological confirmation was achieved in several cases using ELISA and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), underscoring the importance of biochemical validation in post-mortem diagnosis and the value of analytical tools beyond ELISA (e.g., immunoaffinity LC–MS/MS, venom-specific immunohistochemistry, zymography for SVMP activity). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the variability in venom effects across snake families—particularly Viperidae, Elapidae, and Lamprophiidae/Atractaspididae—and emphasize the indispensable role of forensic autopsy in distinguishing snakebite envenoming from other causes of sudden or unexplained death. However, significant limitations persist, including inconsistent autopsy protocols, lack of species-specific venom assays, and poor integration of toxicological methods in routine forensic practice. Addressing these gaps through standardized forensic guidelines and improved access to diagnostic tools is essential for enhancing the accuracy of death investigations in envenoming-endemic regions. Full article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are characterized by their ability to repel both grease and water, properties that led to their initial development as surfactants and surface protectors. As novel PFAS alternatives emerge and are detected in the environment, these substances present significant challenges related to environmental media, human exposure, and health risk assessments. This article reviews current knowledge on the origins of PFAS and their pathways from production facilities and PFAS-containing products to environmental organisms and humans and summarizes existing data on toxicity and toxicological mechanisms in laboratory animals and examines associated adverse health outcomes in humans through various epidemiological studies. Although risk assessments of PFAS alternatives are complicated by unclear chemical structures and complex effects, quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models and prioritization approaches offer potential strategies for PFAS management. A comprehensive understanding of the environmental behavior and toxicology of novel PFAS will enhance their management and improve human health risk assessments. Full article