Multi-Media Exposure, Selective Accumulation and Health Risks of Organochlorine Pesticides in Human Serum under Post-Ban Conditions

Integrated Assessment of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Soil and Pepper: Ecological and Human Health Risks

This study investigated organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in agricultural soils and pepper samples to assess their ecological and human health risks. Eighty soil samples (pre‐[40] and post‐[40] pesticide application) and 40 pepper samples were analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), health and ecological risk assessments were carried out. Before pesticide application, soils already contained detectable OCP residues, particularly α‐BHC (5.0–5.3 µg/kg) and γ‐HCH (7.7–9.3 µg/kg), indicating background contamination. Following pesticide application, residue levels increased significantly ( p < 0.05), with endosulfan sulfate (1789.88 µg/kg) and endrin (161.33 µg/kg) reaching the highest concentrations at contamination hotspots resulting in ecological risk quotients that exceeded guideline thresholds. Pepper samples showed substantial bioaccumulation of OCPs, confirming their transfer from soil into edible crops. The highest BAFs were recorded for 4,4′‐DDE (11,168.62), dieldrin (5180.07), 4,4′‐DDT (5164.89), and endosulfan I (1645.27). Health risk assessment indicated that most non‐carcinogenic risks for adults were within acceptable limits, although dieldrin exceeded the safety threshold (HQ = 1.35). Children were more vulnerable, with hazard quotient values exceeding 1.0 for several pesticides, including dieldrin (13.46), 4,4′‐DDE (5.36), aldrin (2.71), endrin aldehyde (2.47), and heptachlor epoxide (1.27). Cancer risks ranged from 2.21 × 10 − 6 to 5.27 × 10 − 4 for adults and 4.51 × 10 − 5 to 1.08 × 10 − 2 for children, with dieldrin and aldrin posing the greatest concern. These findings revealed persistent OCP contamination, pronounced spatial variability, and high BAF values in peppers, highlighting elevated ecological risks and greater health risks for children.

Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with heavy metal exposure in commonly consumed marine fish in Egypt

This study aimed to quantify the levels of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in 250 fish samples, including flathead grey mullet, sardine, and mackerel, collected from local fish markets in Mansoura, Egypt, on ten occasions from August 2023 to March 2024. Unlike previous studies that have primarily focused on metal concentrations, this study assessed both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks among the general population (57.09 g/day) and high-fish consumers (200 g/day). Metal concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, with method accuracy validated using certified reference materials (CRMs), yielding recoveries of 95.5–100.6%. The average concentrations of Hg, As, Pb, and Cd (µg/g wet weight) were 0.313, 2.13, 0.194, and 0.018 in flathead grey mullet (As > Hg > Pb > Cd); 0.131, 1.65, 0.472, and 0.021 in sardine (As > Pb > Hg > Cd); and 0.196, 0.98, 0.370, and 0.025 in mackerel (As > Pb > Hg > Cd), respectively. Hg and As concentrations were significantly higher in flathead grey mullet, whereas Pb concentration was highest in sardine and Cd concentration was highest in mackerel. Based on the Maximum Permissible Limits (MPLs) set by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS), and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the proportion of samples exceeding these limits ranged from 9 to 20% for Hg, 22–56% for As, and 20–58% for Pb. For the general population, only the estimated daily intake (EDI) of Hg in flathead grey mullet was above the Provisional Tolerable Daily Intakes (PTDIs), while EDI of most metals exceeded safety thresholds in high fish consumers. Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) for Hg and As exceeded 1.0, while TTHQ values for flathead grey mullet, sardine, and mackerel were 8.4, 5.7, and 4.35 for the general population and 29.43, 19.84, and 15.26 for high-fish consumers, respectively, indicating potential non-carcinogenic health risks. Furthermore, cancer risk (CR) for As ranged from 1.20E−03 to 9.14E−03, exceeding the acceptable safety threshold of 1.0E−04, whereas Pb and Cd risks remained within safe limits. The relatively high metal concentrations may reflect anthropogenic pollution and other environmental inputs affecting the aquatic ecosystem, highlighting the need for regular monitoring and control of pollution sources to reduce contamination and protect public health.

Organonitrogen pesticides in Beibu gulf seawater: spatiotemporal distribution, key influencing factors, sources, and ecological risks.

Organonitrogen pesticides (ONPs) are widely used in agriculture and can enter the ocean via surface runoff, posing potential threats to marine ecosystems. This study systematically investigated the occurrence and spatiotemporal distribution of 49 ONPs in seawater of the Beibu gulf, China, examined their key influencing factors, and conducted source apportionment and ecological risk assessment using multiple statistical models. The results showed that target ONPs were ubiquitously detected, with total concentrations (Σ49ONPs) ranging from 14.3 to 38.0 ng/L (mean: 20.2 ng/L). Spatially, higher concentrations were observed in the northern and central gulf, and lower in the southern area. Seasonally, the Σ49ONPs in summer 2022 (10.7-37.2 ng/L) were significantly higher than in winter (6.36-14.2 ng/L, p < 0.01), but comparable to summer 2021 (14.3-38.0 ng/L), with this seasonal pattern primarily linked to variations in riverine discharge. Correlation and random forest analyses identified terrestrial inputs and their interactions with suspended particulate matter (SPM) as critical drivers of ONP distribution and fate. Seawater Si:P ratios and Chl a concentrations serve as effective indicators of ONPs levels, while SPM acts as both a carrier and a sink. These findings underscore the necessity of integrating runoff management with pesticide application controls in coastal pollution mitigation. Multi-model source apportionment indicated that ONPs mainly originated from local agricultural applications and rubber industrial processing activities, with additional modulation by ocean currents and water exchange rates. Ecological risk assessment revealed that total ONPs concentrations posed moderate-to-high risks to marine organisms across trophic levels at most sampling sites, deserving particular attention.

Regional accumulation and ecological risks of typical plastic additives in agricultural soils in China.

Phthalates (PAEs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been widely detectable in agricultural soils and pose potential risks to ecosystems. However, their regional variations and the influencing factors in agricultural soils in China remain unclear. To address these issues, we assessed the regional accumulation and combined ecological risks of PAEs and OPEs in agricultural soils across China using the literature data, and then analysed their influencing factors from the perspectives of pollutant property parameters, soil physicochemical properties, meteorological conditions, agricultural activities, and geographical variables using Random Forest models and multi-source spatial data. The results showed that the mean concentration of Σ6PAEs (1591 ± 1610 ng/g) was generally higher than that of Σ11OPEs (52.6 ± 111 ng/g). Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) (791 ± 902 ng/g) and Σ5Alkyl-OPEs (29.2 ± 88.9 ng/g) were the dominant compounds. The combined ecological risks of the Σ6PAEs and Σ11OPEs were the highest in agricultural soils in Eastern China (median risk quotient (RQ): 3.75). PAEs showed high risks (RQ ≥ 1) across China, whereas OPEs exhibited moderate risks (0.1 ≤ RQ < 1) except in the West (RQ < 0.1). The importance of pollutant property parameters for PAE and OPE accumulation in agricultural soils reached 49.9 ± 6.44% and 28.9 ± 2.24%, respectively. The soil physicochemical properties and meteorological parameters contributed higher impacts on the OPEs than on the PAEs, especially the precipitation, which contributed 9.13 ± 0.56% to OPEs. These findings provide scientific support for the ecological risk evaluation and environmental management of plastic additives in agricultural soils.

Source apportionment and human health risk assessment of PAHs and PCBs in greenhouse soil systems

Intensive greenhouse farming creates distinct enclosed microclimates that can exacerbate the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in agricultural soils. The primary objectives of this study were to quantify 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in tomato-cultivated greenhouse soils in Antalya, Turkiye, to apportion their emission sources, and to explicitly evaluate the influence of greenhouse cover materials (glass vs polyethylene plastic) and seasonal variations on pollutant dynamics. Furthermore, the study aimed to conduct a multi-pathway occupational health risk assessment specifically tailored for greenhouse workers. A total of 100 soil samples were collected across two campaigns (autumn and winter) from 50 greenhouses and 5 reference sites. Following GC/MS quantification, source apportionment was performed using EPA PMF 5.0, and human health risks were estimated via United States Environmental Protection Agency deterministic models. Results indicated that total PAH concentrations were generally higher in glass greenhouses due to limited UV-driven photodegradation, whereas PCB levels showed stronger inter-compound correlations under plastic covers governed by distinct ventilation practices. Positive matrix factorization modeling identified five PAH sources, dominated by diesel combustion (33%), and three PCB sources, primarily driven by atmospheric transport and commercial mixtures (60%). Occupational health assessments revealed that the incremental lifetime cancer risk for PAHs (6.45 × 10−5) and the non-carcinogenic Hazard Index for PCBs (1.30 × 10−3) remained within acceptable regulatory safety limits. However, dermal contact emerged as the overwhelmingly dominant exposure pathway (accounting for ∼75% of the total risk), highlighting the critical need for targeted occupational hygiene practices in enclosed agricultural environments.

Beyond single scenarios: multi-scenario analysis of PAH exposure and health risks in China