Search Results (1,367)

Background/Objectives: The increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in the United States suggests a possible role for environmental exposures that potentially alter thyroid hormone regulation through cellular toxicity. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a commonly used herbicide that can act as an endocrine disruptor and may be toxic to the thyroid gland. This ecological study examined county-level associations of 2,4-D use and age-adjusted incidence of thyroid cancer in the United States. Methods: The study utilized age-adjusted incidence rates for thyroid cancer for 2017–2021 through the CDC database. County-level 2,4-D use data was obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey and averaged over two time periods: 2003–2007 (10-year lag) and 2008–2012 (5-year lag). The association between 2,4-D use and thyroid cancer incidence was tested using linear mixed effects models. We further stratified the data analyses by sex and rurality (using the Rural–Urban Continuum Codes, RUCC 6–9 codes). For this study, statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: In nationwide analyses, no significant associations were found in combined (5-year lag: p = 0.218; 10-year lag: p = 0.276) and sex-stratified models (males: p = 0.540 and p = 0.497; females: p = 0.222 and p = 0.353, for the 5- and 10-year lags, respectively). In analyses limited to rural counties, 2,4-D exposure was significantly associated with greater thyroid cancer incidence for both the 5-year (p = 0.004) and 10-year (p = 0.006) lag periods for the total population. Conclusions: The strong associations observed in rural counties suggest that agricultural context may influence the observed relationship between county-level 2,4-D use and thyroid cancer incidence. Additional mechanistic and longitudinal studies are required to establish causality and to elucidate underlying endocrine pathways. Full article

The simultaneous presence of multiple pesticide residues in the environment impairs honeybee health and survival. The toxicological interactions could result in additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects as documented in previous studies. In most cases, the co-exposure produces an amplification of the singular toxicity, resulting in additive or synergistic effects. More rarely, the interaction of active principles leads to antagonistic effects. Previous studies demonstrated that deltamethrin (DMT, a type II pyrethroid) and flupyradifurone (FLU, a butenolide insecticide) produce antagonistic toxicity when co-administered orally to caged Apis mellifera workers, and that dietary supplementation with the bergamot polyphenolic fraction (BPF) independently protects against FLU- and DMT-induced intoxication. The present study investigates the three-way interaction of DMT, FLU, and BPF on honeybees. Survival rate, solution consumption, and abnormal behavior have been recorded over a 72-h exposure period in groups of twenty caged honeybees orally treated with DMT (21.6 mg/L), FLU (50 or 100 mg/L), their binary combinations, or their ternary combinations with BPF (1 mg/kg). Results demonstrate that BPF alone did not differ from control (p > 0.05) at any time point, confirming its safety. Binary combinations of DMT and FLU showed antagonistic survival profiles consistent with our previous report. The addition of BPF to both binary pesticide combinations significantly improved survival (p < 0.001), reduced abnormal behavioral frequencies (p < 0.05), and increased solution intake (p < 0.05) compared to the respective DMT + FLU groups. These results suggest that BPF exerts a protective effect that extends to complex multi-pesticide exposure scenarios. These effects may be associated with antioxidant and detoxification-related pathways, although further biochemical and molecular analyses are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Full article

Copper-based nanopesticides are increasingly explored as nano-enabled alternatives to conventional copper pesticides because they may improve deposition, antimicrobial efficacy, and material-use efficiency. Their environmental risk, however, cannot be inferred from total copper concentration or from the toxicity of pristine particles alone. After agricultural application, copper-based nanoforms may be transported to soils, drainage waters, wetlands, and sediments, where aggregation, dissolution, aging, sulfidation, organic complexation, and biological processing reshape their speciation and bioavailability. This review critically examines copper-based nanopesticides at the benthic interface, with emphasis on environmental transformation, synchrotron-resolved speciation, lower-trophic invertebrate exposure, trophic transfer, and food-web risk. We highlight that sediment-associated organisms are not only toxicity endpoints but also biological processors and vectors of transformed copper species. Evidence from stable-isotope tracing, dietary exposure studies, mesocosms, and micro-food-web experiments shows that copper-based nanoforms can enter aquatic, benthic, and terrestrial food chains. However, most studies demonstrate transfer or accumulation rather than consistent biomagnification across trophic levels. We further argue that future risk assessment should move beyond single-material and single-endpoint testing toward transformation-aware, route-specific, and food-web-relevant frameworks. Integrating total copper analysis with particle-specific measurements, synchrotron-based speciation where analytically feasible, realistic lower-trophic exposure models, and ecosystem-level endpoints will be essential for evaluating the long-term risks of copper-based nanopesticides. Full article

Endocrine-disrupting pesticides (EDPs) are environmental toxicants capable of perturbing hormonal homeostasis through multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms. Growing evidence indicates that these compounds contribute to a broad spectrum of adverse health outcomes extending beyond classical endocrine dysfunction. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge on the toxicological mechanisms of EDPs and evaluates epidemiological evidence linking exposure to human disease. Mechanistically, EDPs act through modulation of nuclear hormone receptors, disruption of membrane-associated signaling pathways, interference with hormone synthesis, metabolism, and transport, induction of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenetic reprogramming. These molecular events converge on shared biological pathways that affect multiple organ systems and life stages. Human and experimental evidence associates EDP exposure with reproductive dysfunction, endocrine-related cancers, metabolic disorders, thyroid abnormalities, and neurodevelopmental impairments. Particular concern surrounds exposure during critical windows of susceptibility, especially prenatal development and early childhood, when endocrine systems are highly vulnerable to disruption and developmental programming. Across disease endpoints, recurring mechanisms, including endocrine receptor perturbation, oxidative stress, inflammation, and epigenetic alterations, support a unifying toxicological framework linking diverse adverse outcomes. Despite substantial progress, important uncertainties remain regarding chronic low-dose exposure, non-monotonic dose–response relationships, cumulative effects of pesticide mixtures, and the translation of mechanistic findings into human risk assessment. Future research should integrate repeated biomonitoring, advanced mixture modeling, mechanistic biomarkers, and multi-omics approaches within longitudinal life-course studies. Improved integration of toxicological and epidemiological evidence will strengthen causal inference, refine hazard characterization, and support more protective regulatory strategies for reducing the human health burden associated with endocrine-disrupting pesticides worldwide. Full article

Dietary pesticide exposure is a growing public health concern, particularly for children in agricultural regions. This study assessed the occurrence and concentration of neonicotinoids and other pesticide residues in foods frequently consumed by preschool children (4–5 years) in an agroindustrial zone of Jalisco, Mexico, and estimated their weekly dietary exposure (DE). Thirty-one food samples representing 18 items were collected from retail sites identified through seven-day dietary records completed by 23 families. Samples were analyzed by LC/ESI-MS/MS covering 236 compounds; exposure was estimated considering raw and cooked consumption patterns and processing factors. Residues were detected in 87% of samples, yielding 34 distinct compounds, including 5 neonicotinoids; imidacloprid was the most frequently detected. Strawberry, raspberry, apple, grape, and tomato showed the highest residue loads; seven samples exceeded MRLs set by the EU, USA, or Mexico. Raw food consumption accounted for 96% of total estimated exposure, with pyrimethanil, boscalid, propamocarb, and imidacloprid as principal contributors. These findings confirm that children in this population face repeated, simultaneous exposure to multiple pesticides through diet, underscoring the need for stronger food safety monitoring, harmonized regulatory limits, and cumulative risk assessment frameworks for vulnerable populations. Full article

Emerging contaminants (ECs), including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, pesticides, PFAS, and microplastics, are increasingly detected in aquatic environments due to their persistence, bioactivity, and limited removal by conventional treatment processes. These challenges are intensified in hyper-arid regions where desalination and wastewater reuse dominate water supply, concentrating contaminants and creating unique exposure pathways. The Arabian Gulf is one of the most environmentally stressed marine systems, characterized by hypersalinity, extreme temperatures, dense coastal development, and strong petrochemical influence. Despite its major role in global petrochemical and plastic production, the region lacks coordinated monitoring and regulatory frameworks, creating significant gaps in understanding EC occurrence, fate, and risks. Treatment systems designed for temperate climates often underperform under Gulf conditions, enabling contaminants to persist, accumulate in sediments, and enter marine food webs. This review examines the occurrence, behaviour, and removal challenges of ECs in the Gulf, where concentrations frequently exceed international benchmarks due to wastewater reuse, desalination brine discharge, maritime activities, and oil-related pollution. Regional factors such as hypersalinity, high temperatures, and petrochemical interactions further influence contaminant persistence and toxicity. Conventional treatments show reduced efficiency, while alternatives such as halophyte-based wetlands and brine valorisation show promise. However, key gaps remain in nanoplastics, PFAS speciation, and cumulative exposure, requiring coordinated monitoring and unified GCC regulations. Full article

Background: Imidacloprid, a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, is routinely applied to control pests in Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus, a crucial medicinal herb producing Astragali Radix. However, the early short-term transcriptional and metabolic responses of its seedlings under imidacloprid gradient stress remain poorly characterized. Methods: In this study, 80-day seedlings were subjected to three foliar spray treatments: blank control (CK), the recommended imidacloprid concentration (2000-fold dilution, 475 mg·L⁻¹), and an excessively high concentration (500-fold dilution, 1900 mg·L⁻¹). Leaf samples were harvested 24 h post-treatment for untargeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) metabolomics (6 biological replicates) and RNA-seq transcriptome sequencing (3 biological replicates). Results: The low- and high-dose treatments induced 1076 and 860 differential metabolites and 6818 and 7283 differentially expressed genes, respectively. Flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, amino acid metabolites, and energy-related pathways were prominently affected. KEGG enrichment indicated activation of flavone/flavonol biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, MAPK signaling, cutin/suberin/wax biosynthesis, and ABC transporter pathways, whereas high-dose exposure was associated with stronger changes in genes related to DNA replication and cell wall remodeling. Integrated network analysis highlighted CHS, PAL, MYC2, KCS, and ABCG40 as candidate regulators linking stress signaling, secondary metabolism, and metabolite transport. Conclusions: Seedlings of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus exhibit dose-dependent acute responses to imidacloprid. Moderate pesticide exposure primarily activates defensive secondary metabolism, whereas excessive dosage triggers genome-wide transcriptional reprogramming. This work identifies key metabolic pathways and hub genes, offering candidate molecular markers for investigating pesticide stress adaptation in medicinal Astragalus and guiding standardized pesticide application in cultivation. Full article

Environmental exposure to pesticides is considered a risk factor for gynecological cancers, contributing to their onset and progression through various mechanisms. This narrative review investigates the role of different pesticides in the development and progression of ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers, and provides a comprehensive synthesis of epidemiological findings along with molecular mechanisms, highlighting carcinogenic pathways, conflicting findings, and potential therapeutic implications. Relevant epidemiological and experimental studies published between 2000 and 2025 were identified through searches of major scientific databases. Various pesticides, particularly organochlorines, contribute to gynecological cancers through mechanisms such as estrogen mimicry, DNA damage, oxidative stress, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, and disruption of cellular signaling pathways. However, most studies found no significant association between certain pesticides, such as Triazines and Atrazine, and gynecological cancers. Furthermore, some pesticides, like Carbendazim, exhibit a dual role; while carcinogenic, they can also serve therapeutic purposes in cancer treatment when utilized with nanotechnology. Overall, pesticide exposure is a significant factor in the development and progression of women’s cancers, although the strength of the evidence varies across pesticide classes. Despite numerous studies, contradictory findings necessitate further research to clarify causal relationships. Full article

Chlorfenapyr (CFP) is a widely used pesticide associated with nephrotoxicity through oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. This study investigated the protective effects of limonene (LM) and its nano-liposomal formulation (LM-LNPs) against CFP-induced renal injury in rats. Animals were divided into six groups—control, LM, LM-LNPs, CFP, CFP + LM, and CFP + LM-LNPs—and treated orally for 30 days. CFP exposure resulted in marked renal dysfunction, histopathological and ultrastructural damage, suppression of the NRF2/HO-1/NQO1 antioxidant pathway, depletion of endogenous antioxidants excessive generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, lipid peroxidation products, and DNA damage. These changes were accompanied by activation of NF-κB/COX-2-mediated inflammation, mitochondrial respiratory impairment, disrupted energy metabolism, and induction of apoptosis. Co-treatment with LM significantly ameliorated these alterations, whereas LM-LNPs produced greater improvements in renal function, tissue architecture, redox homeostasis, mitochondrial function, and inflammatory and apoptotic signaling. Immunohistochemical analyses further confirmed enhanced NRF2 expression and reduced NF-κB immunoreactivity in LM-LNP-treated kidneys. Overall, nano-liposomal delivery enhanced the renoprotective efficacy of limonene, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic strategy against pesticide-induced kidney injury. Full article

Background/Objectives: Environmental exposures may contribute to heterogeneity in cognitive aging, yet population-scale datasets integrating exposure biomarkers with cognitive testing remain underused. We evaluated associations between cognitive test performance and demographic, lifestyle, psychosocial, and pesticide-exposure variables in older U.S. adults. Methods: Using NHANES 2011–2014 data, we analyzed adults aged ≥60 years with complete cognitive assessments, demographic/lifestyle covariates, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores, binge drinking status, and urinary concentrations of eight pesticide biomarkers. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and ridge regression models were trained to predict CERAD immediate learning composite scores, Animal Fluency, and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) performance. Models were evaluated using mean absolute error, mean squared error, root mean squared error, and R-squared. Results: The analytic sample included 429 participants. Sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment were among the strongest predictors across outcomes. LASSO showed the best overall performance in the full cohort, particularly for DSST (R-squared = 0.4680). DEET and desethyl hydroxy-DEET retained non-zero negative coefficients for DSST, and a reduced model including demographics and these two biomarkers achieved comparable performance (DSST R-squared = 0.475). Age-stratified analyses suggested stronger predictor importance in adults aged 60–69 years. Conclusions: These findings support incorporating exposomic biomarkers alongside sociodemographic factors when modeling cognitive test performance in older adults, while emphasizing that cross-sectional NHANES data cannot establish temporality or causality. Full article

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs) are widely used neuroactive pesticides, but biomonitoring evidence among older adults remains limited. This multicenter cross-sectional study characterized urinary exposure profiles of NEOs and their metabolites among 419 older adults from South China. Ten urinary NEO biomarkers, including six parent compounds and four metabolites, were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. NEOs were frequently detected in urine samples; except for thiacloprid and acetamiprid, with detection frequencies of 81.67% and 65.48%, respectively, all other compounds were detected in more than 90% of participants. Among the parent NEOs, clothianidin had the highest median concentration (1.402 μg/L), followed by dinotefuran (1.240 μg/L) and thiamethoxam (0.888 μg/L). The main metabolite was N-desmethyl-acetamiprid (1.643 μg/L). Looking at the overall composition, dinotefuran, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and N-desmethyl-acetamiprid were the biggest contributors to the total urinary NEO burden, though their shares varied by region and recruitment center. Correlation analysis pointed to common co-exposure patterns, especially between thiamethoxam and clothianidin, and between imidacloprid and its metabolites. In exploratory analyses, N-desmethyl-thiamethoxam showed a positive correlation pattern, with significant positive correlations with glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, and alanine aminotransferase (all q < 0.01). CLO was positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (q < 0.05). These findings indicate widespread co-exposure to multiple NEOs among older adults in South China and highlight the need for longitudinal studies to clarify exposure sources, temporal variability, and potential health implications. Full article

Pollinators, particularly bees, are essential for the reproduction of flowering plants, including ornamentals, and for maintaining ecosystem balance, benefitting gardens by supporting plant health and promoting robust flowering. However, pollinator populations are declining, with pesticide exposure recognized as one of several contributing stressors. Thiamethoxam, a commonly used systemic insecticide in ornamental horticulture (and its toxic metabolite clothianidin), has been found in nectar resources at levels harmful to bees. This study evaluated the impact of different thiamethoxam application rates on pollen contamination in blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella L.), a popular source of pollen for bee pollinators. Container plants were drench-treated with low (0.30 g/L) and high (0.64 g/L) rates of thiamethoxam during the mature floral bud stage. The results show that thiamethoxam and clothianidin were present in pollen at both application rates. However, only clothianidin levels significantly increased with the application rate (p = 0.0009). When the pesticide concentrations measured in pollen were used to calculate the estimated exposure doses based on pollen consumption, the values exceeded published median lethal doses (LD50) for the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens Cresson) and buff-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris L.), indicating substantial ecological risk. These findings underscore the potential threat posed to some pollinator species by thiamethoxam-treated ornamentals. Full article

Mitochondrial transport systems are essential regulators of cellular bioenergetics, calcium homeostasis, and metabolic signaling, and have emerged as critical targets of environmental toxicants. Although heavy metals and pesticides act through distinct primary mechanisms, increasing evidence indicates that they converge on a common network of mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by oxidative stress, impaired metabolite transport, calcium dyshomeostasis, and sensitization to mitochondrial permeability transition. This review provides an updated overview of the major mitochondrial transport systems involved in environmental toxicity, including the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT), phosphate carrier (PiC), mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), and F1·Fo-ATP synthase (ATP synthase). We discuss their physiological roles, the molecular mechanisms by which heavy metals and pesticides disrupt their function, and the effects on oxidative phosphorylation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cardiolipin remodeling, and mitochondrial membrane integrity. Particular attention is devoted to the debate surrounding the molecular basis of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) formation and to the concept that permeability transition represents the integrated outcome of cumulative mitochondrial stress rather than dysfunction of a single protein. Finally, we summarize emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving mitochondrial transport function, limiting mitochondrial permeability transition, and attenuating downstream inflammatory signaling. Understanding these convergent mechanisms may facilitate the development of interventions to mitigate chronic diseases associated with environmental toxicant exposure. Full article

Glyphosate (GLY), one of the most extensively applied broad-spectrum herbicides worldwide, frequently contaminates soil and aquatic ecosystems, posing serious threats to human health, non-target organisms, soil microbial communities, and environmental sustainability. In the present study, phytoremediation using Medicago sativa (MS) was evaluated for the removal of GLY from contaminated soil under greenhouse conditions, with remediation efficiency enhanced through inoculation with two bacterial bioagents, Bacillus sp. h10 (BS) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa KZFS4 (PA). Biochemical parameters, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and malondialdehyde (MDA), together with detoxification-related gene expression, were investigated in the roots and leaves of MS exposed to GLY stress. The combined application of MS with BS + PA, followed by MS + PA and MS + BS, significantly decreased GLY residues in soil and increased GLY accumulation in plant roots and leaves after 1, 3, 7, and 10 days compared with MS treatment alone. In vitro batch equilibrium experiments demonstrated that BS and PA desorbed 33.63 and 40.56 µg g⁻¹ of GLY, respectively, thereby enhancing its removal from soil. The persistence of GLY was highest in contaminated soil without treatment, exhibiting a half-life (t₁/₂) of 52.66 days, whereas the shortest half-life (6.69 days) was recorded in soil treated with MS combined with BS and PA relative to sterilized contaminated soil. Furthermore, inoculation with BS and PA markedly increased SOD and CAT activities in MS tissues, while significantly reducing H₂O₂ and MDA accumulation, indicating alleviation of oxidative stress. GLY exposure also triggered substantial upregulation of detoxification-associated genes, including cytochrome P450, glutathione S-transferases (GST), glycosyltransferases (GTs), and ABC transporters in MS. These findings demonstrate that the integration of BS and PA with phytoremediation effectively accelerates GLY dissipation and reduces pesticide-associated toxicity in contaminated soils and plants. Full article

Stenoma catenifer (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae), the avocado seed borer, represents a major phytosanitary threat in Andean avocado production systems. Egg parasitoids of the genus Trichogramma constitute promising biological control agents for this pest; however, their field-level compatibility with agrochemicals commonly used in avocado orchards remains largely uncharacterized. This study evaluated the side effects of 13 commercial pesticide formulations on Trichogramma exiguum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) under two complementary exposure scenarios: (1) residual contact toxicity on adults and (2) susceptibility of parasitized Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs, following International Organisation for Biological Control IOBC/WPRS standardized methodology. Corrected adult mortality was assessed at 1 h and 24 h post-exposure, while parasitism expression at the pupal stage, adult emergence rate, and developmental time were recorded for preimaginal stages. At 24 h, abamectin, acephate, lambda-cyhalothrin, and metalaxyl caused 100% adult mortality (harmful), whereas potassium soap and hexythiazox were classified as moderately harmful. In Bioassay 2, potassium soap completely suppressed parasitism expression and adult emergence (0%), while neem extract showed no significant reduction relative to the water control. Developmental time to adult emergence ranged from 9.7 to 12.0 days across treatments, with no statistically significant differences among them. These results indicate that neem extract and the adjuvant dispersant are broadly compatible with T. exiguum, whereas neurotoxic insecticides and potassium soap are incompatible under both exposure scenarios. These findings provide an evidence-based compatibility hierarchy to guide the strategic integration of chemical inputs and augmentative biological control in avocado integrated pest management programs. Full article