Occurrence and toxicological effects of the bisphenol F in aquatic environments.

An Integrative Toxicological Assessment of the Herbicide Tebuthiuron: Elucidating Biochemical and Behavioral Responses in Developing Zebrafish

Pesticides represent a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems due to their persistence and widespread use in agricultural areas, altering environments and exerting adverse effects on non-target organisms. Tebuthiuron is a phenylurea herbicide extensively used as an agrochemical to control pests and weeds in various crops, which often leads to contamination of aquatic environments. Despite its high water solubility and relatively long half-life in soil, studies on Tebuthiuron toxicity in fishes at environmental concentrations are limited. This study aimed to unravel the toxicity mechanisms of Tebuthiuron using the zebrafish model. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to Tebuthiuron (one concentration of either 0.1, 10, 1000 and 5000 µg/L) for 5 days and assessed for hatchability, heart rate, locomotor activity, oxygen reactive species, apoptosis and gene expression. There was no change in frequency of hatch, heart rate, or apoptosis. However, behavioral changes were noted, with hyperactivity in zebrafish larvae during the first light (at 10 µg/L), second light (at 10 and 1000 µg/L) and third dark (10 µg/L) periods of the Visual Motor Response assay. Biochemically, a significant depletion of basal ROS levels was observed at 1000 µg/L. At the molecular level, downregulation of oxidative stress-related genes (cat, sod1, and sod2) in larval fish was noted with exposure to 10 and 5000 µg/L Tebuthiuron, suggesting a depletion of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, some neurotoxicity-related genes were downregulated, such as acetylcholinesterase (ache), while some genes were upregulated, like microtubule-associated protein tau b (maptb) and synapsin 2 alpha (syn2a), with 5000 µg/L Tebuthiuron exposure. In conclusion, Tebuthiuron induces sublethal toxicity characterized by irregular, concentration-specific disruptions to photomotor behavior, basal ROS levels, and transcriptional markers of oxidative stress and synaptic function, even in the absence of acute morphological defects. Future research should prioritize functional assays targeting mitochondrial bioenergetics and antioxidant enzyme activities, alongside evaluations of later developmental stages, to fully elucidate the long-term ecological risks of phenylurea herbicides to non-target aquatic species.

Benzophenone-type UV filters in aquatic ecosystems: Sources, toxicological impacts, and interactions with coexisting stressors.

Benzophenone-type UV filters (BPs) are widely used in personal care products and various industrial applications, resulting in their continuous release into aquatic environments. BPs have attracted significant attention as emerging contaminants because of their widespread use, structural diversity, environmental persistence, various exposure pathways, and adverse toxicological effects in aquatic organisms. Previous studies have largely focused on environmental occurrence and individual toxicological effects of BPs, whereas evidence regarding their interactions with multiple environmental stressors remains fragmented. Available evidence indicates that environmental factors and co-occurring contaminants can modify the environmental fate, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of BPs, resulting in antagonistic, additive, or synergistic effects depending on the stressor, organism, and exposure conditions. Therefore, this review describes the widespread distribution and toxicological effects of BPs in aquatic ecosystems, examining how environmental factors and co-occurring contaminants modify the environmental fate and toxicological effects of BPs under multi-stressor conditions. This review suggests that the ecological significance of BPs lies not only in their intrinsic toxicity but also in the way multi-stressor interactions modify their biological impacts, thereby defining directions for future ecological risk assessment.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in food systems: occurrence, analytical methods, toxicity, and risk assessment

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a structurally diverse class of synthetic organofluoride compounds characterized by exceptional chemical stability, environmental mobility, and resistance to degradation. This review synthesizes current knowledge on PFAS toxicology, analytical determination, occurrence in food systems, and implications for human health risk assessment. Experimental and epidemiological evidence demonstrates that PFAS exposure is associated with a broad spectrum of adverse effects, including immune suppression, endocrine disruption, hepatotoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenic potential. In addition to legacy PFAS, increasing attention has focused on emerging replacement compounds, including short-chain PFAS and fluorinated alternatives such as HFPO-DA (GenX), ADONA, 6:2 Cl-PFESA, and 6:2 FTAB, which are increasingly detected in environmental and food matrices and show growing evidence of persistence and potential toxicity. Their occurrence at trace levels in complex matrices necessitates advanced analytical approaches, with liquid chromatography coupled to tandem or high-resolution mass spectrometry, supported by solid-phase extraction and QuEChERS-based workflows, forming the core of contemporary PFAS determination. PFAS are widely detected across food categories, including fish, meat, dairy products, cereals, and vegetables, reflecting environmental contamination, bioaccumulation, and migration from food contact materials, with dietary intake remaining the predominant exposure pathway for the general population. Despite regulatory progress, substantial uncertainties remain regarding mixture toxicity, the long-term health effects of emerging PFAS, and the assessment of structurally diverse PFAS. Addressing these gaps will require standardized analytical methods, expanded surveillance programs, and more comprehensive risk assessment frameworks.

Environmental occurrence, human exposure, toxicological effects, and management implications of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derivatives.

A review of emission sources, multimedia fate, different exposure routes, mixture toxicity, and management limitations of PAH derivatives provides a basis for improving risk assessment and environmental management of PAH derivatives.

Effects of Tetramethyl Bisphenol F Exposure on Daphnia magna Growth, Reproduction, Locomotor Behavior and Transcriptomic Responses

Bisphenol A and Its Analogs: Toxicity Analysis in Mouse and Rat Liver-A Review.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogs are widely recognized for their use in industry and plastic manufacturing. Consequently, humans and animals are continually exposed to various substances in their daily lives. This review evaluates the hepatic toxicity of BPA and its analogs in mice and rats, with particular emphasis on molecular mechanisms, histopathological alterations, and interspecies differences. Studies indicate that BPA induces increased hepatotoxicity by disrupting key cellular processes, including oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and lipid metabolism. The reduction in antioxidant enzyme activities, dysregulated activation of the NRF2 pathway, imbalance in the BAX/BCL-2 ratio, and upregulation of lipogenic genes led to structural and functional abnormalities in the liver. Histopathologically, vacuolization, sinusoidal dilation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrosis are among the most frequently reported findings. Although BPA analogs are often promoted as safer alternatives, current evidence indicates that this assumption is not accurate. Taken together, the conclusions of these studies demonstrate that bisphenol exposure poses a significant risk to liver health, underscoring the need to reassess the use of these compounds.