Pharmaceutical products are widely consumed globally and are commonly found in wastewaters due to constant excretion and disposal into sewers. The present study proposes an efficient binary solvent dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction (BS‐DLLME) method that was developed for preconcentration of seven nervous system drug active compounds from aqueous media for their determination at trace levels

Sodium alginate‐polyglutamic acid was used to develop a new diffusive gradient in thin films (SA‐PGA‐DGT) device which was proved to be suitable for the investigation of labile Cd in soil. The adsorption capacity of Cd was calculated to be about 16.8 μg/cm2, which was hardly affected by factors including pH (5‐9), ionic strength (0.1‐100 mM), and the presence of other metals (Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cr). SA‐PGA

The present study investigates the bioaccumulation of insensitive munitions (IM) compounds 2,4‐dinitroanisole (DNAN) and 3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazol‐5‐one (NTO), developed for future weapons systems to replace current munitions containing sensitive explosives. The earthworm Eisenia andrei was exposed to sublethal concentrations of DNAN or NTO amended in Sassafras sandy loam. Chemical analysis indicated that

We explored metal concentrations in wasps from four sites near Harare, Zimbabwe, on a 106 km west‐east transect. We found elevated concentrations at two presumed‐polluted sites (a platinum mine, and a known polluted lake) located near a metal‐enriched geological feature (The Great Dyke). A site in urban Harare and a nature reserve served as reference. Only wasps from the two presumed‐polluted sites

Ecotoxicological profiles of the three insecticides imidacloprid, thiacloprid and flupyradifurone in terms of acute and chronic effects were analyzed in Chironomus riparius. Toxicokinetic‐toxicodynamic modelling revealed that chironomids would die from starvation due to prolonged feeding inhibition under chronic exposures. The starvation effect is an indirect cause for mortality, which, for the neonicotinoids

Historical and present‐day use of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to environmental and human health impacts that prove challenging to address. Therefore, prioritization of PFAS management based on observed or predicted toxicological properties and environmental fate is critical in the development of effective risk management practices. Hazard rating calculations use a range

Effects of insecticides on terrestrial adult life stages of otherwise aquatic insects, such as mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera) and caddisflies (Trichoptera), are largely unknown. In the present study, a risk model was used to pin point the species most likely to experience effects due to spray drift exposure during the adult life stage. Using data from an earlier case study with lambda‐cyhalothrin

Microplastic pollution in soils is an emerging topic in the scientific community, with researchers striving to determine the occurrence and the impact of microplastics on the soil's health, ecology and functionality. However, information on the microplastic contamination of soils is limited, due to a lack of suitable analytical methods. As micro‐Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (µ‐FTIR), next

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world with widespread eutrophication and radionuclide contamination. Using key species of the Baltic Sea, the effects of eutrophication on uptake and trophic transfer of the radioactive micronutrients commonly found in nuclear power plant effluents were investigated using aquaria in a controlled environment. The aquaria included the brown macroalgae

The term “contaminants of emerging concern” (CECs) has become a catchall for hundreds of chemicals, many of which we know very little about except that they can be detected in certain water samples, typically at very low concentrations. In most cases, it is not clear whether these chemicals are emerging or a concern to biota or people. We believe this term only furthers a chemical by chemical approach

Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man‐made chemicals of concern across the globe, and some of the PFAS chemicals are known to be bioaccumulative in aquatic species. A literature search for bioconcentration factors (BCFs) and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for PFASs has been done and data for 22 taxonomic classes were assembled. The assembled data were evaluated for quality,

Palladium (Pd) is a trace metal of the platinum group elements representing an emerging contaminant for the environment. It is of great interest to characterize the bioaccumulation and toxicity of Pd to improve our toxicological knowledge for this contaminant. Under standardized toxicity testing conditions, we analyzed Pd accumulation and toxicity effects on the duckweed Lemna minor exposed to nominal

Thébault J, Bustamante P, Massaro M, Taylor G, Quillfeldt P. 2021. Influence of species‐specific feeding ecology on mercury concentrations in seabirds breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Environ Toxicol Chem 40:454–472. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4933 During article production Open Data information was erroneously added to the article. This information has now been removed. This correction

The toxicity of 17 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) was investigated using standardized acute and chronic tests with Daphnia magna and two algae species. Chronic toxicity was generally greater for Daphnia than for algae. Compilation of additional data resulted in 100 APIs for which the acute‐to‐chronic ratio (ACR) was determined for Daphnia. The frequency of high ACRs (about 20% with ACRs >100)

When terminating sediment bioaccumulation tests with the oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, varying amounts of detrital material are retained along with the recovered worms after sieving, necessitating time consuming, labor‐intensive manual separation of worms from detritus prior to tissue residue analysis. A method to facilitate the worms self‐extracting out of the detrital material into a column

Silver nanoparticles (Ag‐NPs) streamed into aquatic environments are chemically transformed into various forms, and one of the predominant forms is silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S‐NPs). Due to the lower dissolution rate of silver ions (Ag+), the toxicity of Ag2S‐NPs could be lower than that of Ag‐NPs. However, the toxicity of Ag2S‐NPs has been observed to be restored under oxidative or acidic conditions

Conservation of North America's eastern monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population would require establishment of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) and nectar plants in the agricultural landscapes of North Central United States (U.S.). A variety of seed‐treatment and foliar insecticides are used to manage early‐ and late‐season pests in these landscapes. Thus, there is a need to assess risks of these

An increasing number of metal bioavailability models are available for use in setting regulations and conducting risk assessments in aquatic systems. Selection of the most appropriate model is dependent on the user’s needs, but will always benefit from an objective, comparative assessment of the performance of available models. In 2017, an expert workshop developed procedures for assessing metal bioavailability

Field studies to determine the effects of chemicals on earthworm communities are generally conducted according to the ISO‐standard 11268‐3 (and later comments). However, statistical test procedures suggested in the guideline are frequently criticized, mainly for two reasons: (1) Earthworm abundances are count data and often do not fulfill requirements for multiple t‐tests (normal distribution and homogeneity

Since the phasing out and eventual ban on the production of organohalogen flame retardants, the use of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) has increased rapidly. This has led to the detection of OPFRs in various environments including the Arctic. Two of the most prevalent OPFRs found in the Arctic are the tris 2‐chloropropy phosphate (TCPP), and the 2‐ethyldiphenyl phosphate (EHDPP). The impacts

In realistic environmental scenarios, soil organisms can be exposed to a combination of pharmaceuticals and agriproducts or within different time frames. Therefore, it is necessary to increase knowledge on soil organism susceptibility under a complex mixture exposure scenario. The present study aimed to assess the susceptibility of the collembolan Folsomia candida to copper and dimethoate, upon a pre‐exposure

The St. Lawrence River at Cornwall, Ontario received substantial inputs of mercury from local, shoreline‐based industries through much of the 20th century. Although emission controls were implemented in the late‐20th century to reduce the influx of mercury and other metals entering the river, legacy contamination of riverine sediments continues to be a concern. Monitored natural recovery was prescribed

Multigenerational toxicological effects of a binary mixture of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with glyphosate were identified in Daphnia magna using acute and chronic toxicity tests. Acute toxicity interactions were analyzed with the Abbott method. In the chronic tests, the survival, growth, reproduction, and age at first brood were evaluated for the parents and the exposed (F1E) and non‐exposed (F1NE)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants that can be responsible for a variety of deleterious effects on organisms. These adverse outcomes are relatively well studied, but at concentrations rarely found in the environment. Among the documented effects of sublethal acute PAH exposure are reductions in osmoregulatory capacity and immune function, and changes in the function

Most corn (Zea mays) seeds planted in the United States in recent years are coated with a seed treatment containing neonicotinoid insecticides. Abrasion of the seed coating generates insecticide‐laden planter dust that disperses through the landscape during corn planting and has resulted in many “bee‐kill” incidents in North America and Europe. We investigated the linkage between corn planting and

There is evidence that the combination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impairs the glucocorticoid stress response of vertebrates in the Gulf of Mexico, but the mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesized that inhibition of cortisol release may be due to 1) overstimulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–inter‐renal (HPI) axis, or 2) an inhibition of

The amount of pharmaceuticals transferred to the aquatic environment via municipal and hospital waste water is steadily increasing. The progress in medical research results in active substances of increased stability, specificity and potency, which can trigger adverse effects in aquatic organisms. Moreover, advanced analytical methods allow the detection of pharmaceuticals in environmental matrices

Persistent contaminants are ubiquitous in our water and soil; thus, chronic exposure to environmentally relevant levels of these contaminants may pose a risk to humans and wildlife. Two species of small mammals (deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus and cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus) were collected from historically DDT contaminated and reference areas at the Redstone Arsenal, an EPA designated Superfund

Science is the pursuit of truth and facts, which at times can require expert interpretation in their application.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pervasive pollutants in aquatic ecosystems and developing fish embryos are especially sensitive to PAH exposure. Exposure to crude oil or phenanthrene (a reference PAH found in oil) produces an array of gross morphological abnormalities in developing fish embryos, including cardiotoxicity. Recently, studies utilizing transcriptomic analyses in several oil‐exposed

Many international guidance documents for deriving water quality guideline values recommend the use of chronic toxicity data. For the tropical fish, Northern Trout Gudgeon, Mogurnda mogurnda, a 96‐h acute and a 28‐d chronic toxicity test have been developed but both tests have drawbacks. The 96‐h toxicity test is acute and has a lethal endpoint and, hence it is not a preferred method for guideline

Drinking water treatment residuals (DWTRs) produced in large quantities worldwide show strong sorption capacities for several contaminants including metals. These by‐products of the water‐treatment process are primarily discharged as wastes, to either natural or engineered systems, based on the regulations in place in the country where they are produced. To assess how DWTRs can be repurposed to limit

Global demand for beef is projected to increase into the foreseeable future (Smith et al. 2018). Thus, affordable, efficient, humane, and low–environmental impact production systems must evolve to keep pace. Unfortunately, efforts to satisfy growing appetites for nutritious and inexpensive beef necessitate significant reallocation of natural resources and ultimately produce more wastes than can reasonably

The occurrence of neuroactive chemicals in the aquatic environment is on the rise and poses a potential threat to aquatic biota of currently unpredictable outcome. In particular, subtle changes caused by these chemicals to an organism's sensation or behavior are difficult to tackle with current test systems that focus on rodents or with in vitro test systems that omit whole‐animal responses. In recent

The Southern branch of the Elizabeth River near Portsmouth Virginia, USA, is one of the most creosote‐polluted sub‐estuaries in North America and former location of the Atlantic Wood Industries (AW) EPA superfund site. We previously demonstrated that adult AW killifish collected in situ had severe hepatic lesions, including hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as suppressed circulating

An in situ exposure and effects bioassay system was developed for assessing the toxicity of oil spills to aquatic organisms. The assessment tool combines components of two previously developed systems, the Sediment Ecotoxicity Assessment Ring (SEA Ring) and the Drifting Particle Simulator (DPS). The integrated Drifting Exposure and Effects Assessment Ring (DEEAR) is comprised of a GPS float, drifter

The toxic unit (TU) and additive index (AI) approaches were used to understand how two pesticides, 3‐trifluoromethyl‐4‐nitrophenol (TFM) and 2,5‐dichloro‐4‐nitrosalicylanilide (niclosamide; Nic), interact in mixtures. Our first objective was to determine whether the interaction was strictly additive or greater than additive at doses comparable to those used to control invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon

Water quality standards for cobalt (Co) have yet to be developed for the European Union (EU) or the United States (US). The primary objective of this research was to produce a data set comprising marine Co toxicity data that could be used by both the EU and US to determine a predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) and ambient water quality criteria (AWQC), respectively. Ten marine species, ranging

The potential toxicity of haloacetic acids (HAAs), common disinfection byproducts (DBPs), has been widely studied, but their combined effects on freshwater green algae remain poorly understood. This study was conducted to investigate the toxicological interactions of HAA mixtures in the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata and predict the DBP mixture toxicities based on concentration addition (CA),

This study strengthens the view that residues of drugs of abuse may become widespread surface water contaminants following a local music festival. Overall, ten illicit drugs were detected from the aquatic environment after the festival; cocaine and MDMA were present in the highest concentrations. The presence of illicit drugs and their metabolites over three monitored festival years suggested that

Lead (Pb) is a typical toxic heavy metal element in soils and plants, which has a potential threat to human health through the food chain. Pb uptake in the soil‐vegetable system has attracted broad attention, while reports on the main controlling factors of Pb uptake and accumulation in different soil‐vegetable systems are limited. The effect of soil properties on Pb uptake and accumulation in pepper

Exchange kinetics of organic compounds between passive samplers and water can be partly or completely controlled by transport in the sorbent. In such cases diffusion models are needed. A model is discussed that is based on a series of cosines (space) and exponentials (time). The model applies to mixed rate control by sorbent and water boundary layer under conditions of fixed aqueous concentrations

Herbicide drift may cause adverse effects on natural and semi‐natural plant communities, and it has been debated whether the current ecological risk assessments are adequate to protect non‐target terrestrial plant species (NTTP). In this study, nine NTTPs with different lifespans (three annual/ six perennial) belonging to six different plant families were exposed to four herbicides with different modes

This study analyzed the exposure and risk assessment of four toxic (Hg, Cd, As, Tl) and two essential (Se, Mo) elements in 119 Spanish women of reproductive age. The focus here was on the elements for which risk‐based benchmark, biomonitoring equivalents (BE), or health‐related human biomonitoring (HBM) values have already been established. All elements presented frequencies of detection of 100% (%

Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) is a concept that has been around for decades in human health sciences. Ecotoxicology recently adopted a variant of this concept as eco‐TTC. Adoption of the concept of TTC considerably reduces the amount of animal testing required for regulatory purposes. Here we provide an application of TTC for the entirety of acute fish toxicity data, i.e. establishment of

New in Asian Journal of Ecotoxicology Uptake and Elimination of Microplastics by Tigriopus japonicus and Its Impact on Feeding Behavior Recently the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics, as one of the frontier research issues in international environmental fields, have been a cause for concern. However, uptake and elimination kinetics of microplastics by biota have rarely been investigated due

Bumble bees (Bombus sp.) are important pollinators for agricultural systems and natural landscapes and have faced population declines globally in recent decades. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been implicated as one of the reasons for the population reductions in bumble bees and other pollinators due to their widespread use, specificity to the invertebrate nervous system, and toxicity to bees. Adverse

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that accumulates in organisms and biomagnifies along food webs; hence, long‐lived predators such as seabirds are at risk as a result of high Hg bioaccumulation. Seabirds have been widely used to monitor the contamination of marine ecosystems. In the present study, we investigated Hg concentrations in blood, muscle, and feathers of 7 procellariform seabirds breeding on