Climate change is transforming the ice-free areas of Antarctica, leading to rapid changes in terrestrial ecosystems. These areas represent <0.5% of the continent and coincide with the most anthropogenically pressured sites, where the human footprint is a source of contamination. Simultaneously, these are the locations where permafrost can be found, not being clear what might be the consequences following its degradation regarding trace element remobilisation. This raises the need for a better understanding of the natural geochemical values of Antarctic soils as well as the extent of human impact in the surroundings of scientific research stations. Permafrost thaw in the Western Antarctic Peninsula region and in the McMurdo Dry Valleys is the most likely to contribute to the remobilisation of toxic trace elements, whether as the result of anthropogenic contamination or due to the degradation of massive buried ice and ice-cemented permafrost. Site-specific locations across Antarctica, with abandoned infrastructure, also deserve attention by continuing to be a source of trace elements that later can be released, posing a threat to the environment. This comprehensive summary of trace element concentrations across the continent's soils enables the geographical systematisation of published results for a better comparison of the literature data. This review also includes the used analytical techniques and methods for trace element dissolution, important factors when reporting low concentrations. A new perspective in environmental monitoring is needed to investigate if trace element remobilisation upon permafrost thaw might be a tangible consequence of climate change.

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is an antibiotic used in both human and veterinary medicine. Because it is only partially metabolized, it has been found in sewage sludge, manure, and agricultural soils. Therefore, due to the high persistence and low mobility of CIP in soil, we aimed to evaluate its long-term effect on Enchytraeus crypticus. Three multigenerational and one transgenerational test were performed according to OECD 220 guidelines (2016) on sandy clay soil. The concentrations tested were 0.1, 1.0, 10.0, 100.0, 1000.0 and 5000.0 mg kg- 1 dry soil. For F1, statistical analysis showed differences between the control and all concentrations tested, but no differences among the concentrations. For F2, there was a difference between control and 10 mg Kg -1 and for 10.0 mg Kg -1 compared to 0.1, 1.0 and 5000.0 mg Kg -1. For F3, no statistical difference was observed between any of the concentrations. When comparing the generations among themselves, there were significant differences between F1 and F2 and F1 and F3 for all concentrations. For the transgenerational test, there was no statistical difference between the control and the concentrations tested, nor among the concentrations. We verified a negative effect of CIP on the reproduction of E. crypticus for the first generation, which could be related to oxidative stress, DNA damage and clay content. We also verified that the organisms could develop a tolerance to CIP and that the effects of high clay content could outweigh the effects of CIP in long-term exposure. Due to the high persistence and low mobility of CIP on soil, it may affect other organisms and promote antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) regardless of E. crypticus tolerance. Therefore, we strongly recommend further studies focusing on long-term effects on different organisms, with a molecular approach, and in different soil types.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are examples of emerging pollutants (EPs) that are receiving more attention because of their environmental effect and persistence. In order to investigate the prevalence, origins, environmental destiny, and related dangers of PPCPs, this review gathers contemporary research (2015-2025). It draws attention to how they accumulate in soil, water, and biota, mostly as a result of traditional wastewater treatment technologies' inefficiency. The focus is on advanced detection methods including bioanalytical instruments and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The review also discusses how PPCPs contribute to ecological damage and antibiotic resistance, assesses contemporary remediation techniques, and provides guidance for future study and policy development.

Microplastics derived from biobased and biodegradable materials will increase their presence in soils as their use becomes more widespread. Research into their effects on soil fauna will help to ensure a better understanding of their environmental impacts. The aim of this work was to study the effects on the development of the earthworm Eisenia andrei (ingestion capacity, survival, growth, cocoon, and hatchling production), earthworm lysosomal stability through the neutral red retention time (NRTT), and substrate enzymatic activity of dehydrogenase (DHA) and fluorescein diacetate-hydrolysing activity (FDA) in the presence of polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyethylene (PE) microplastics in laboratory tests. Three different tests were designed, one feeding test of 4 days, and two medium-term tests with 49 and 112 days. The 4-day test and the 49-day growth test were carried out using OECD artificial soil, while in the 112-day growth test, vermicompost was used as the substrate. PLA and PHB particle ingestion was demonstrated. No concentration or polymer-dependent lysosomal damage or effects on earthworm growth were observed. However, reproductive effects, such as a decrease in cocoon production and the number of juveniles, were reported upon exposure to PE and PLA during medium-term assays. These findings indicated that the toxicity of PLA bioplastic exposure is comparable to that of conventional plastic PE concerning the negative effects on the reproductive efficiency of the detritivorous earthworm E. andrei.

Emerging contaminants in estuarine sediments, such as bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2), pose ecotoxicological risks that may be exacerbated by co-contamination. This study investigated the impacts of DEHP, nTiO2, and their combinations at environmentally relevant concentrations (1, 10, and 100 mu g/g) on the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in estuarine-like sediment (14.25 parts per thousand salinity). Life history traits and bioenergetics endpoints were examined, with a sample size of >= 45 worms or 9 technical repeats per treatment. While individual exposures did not affect growth, the combination of DEHP (1 mu g/g) and nTiO2 (100 mu g/g) significantly reduced body length by 19%. Single exposure reduced total offspring by 18-41%, whereas the combination of DEHP and nTiO2 synergistically worsened reproductive toxicity (52-74% inhibition), as revealed by Loewe's additivity model and Bliss's independence. DEBtox modeling revealed a shift in physiological mode of action from increased reproductive costs in singular exposures to increased growth and reproductive cost in co-exposure. Moreover, co-exposure significantly intensified the impacts on bioenergeticsrelated endpoints, including ATP level (single exposure: 33-34%; co-exposure: 56%), mitochondrial damage (single exposure: 15-17%; co-exposure: 40%), and oxidative stress (single exposure: 5-7%; co-exposure: 13%). Risk quotients based on reproductive toxicity EC10 and DEBtox-derived zb suggested that environmental concentrations of DEHP and nTiO2 pose high risks in global estuarine sediments, with a 2-fold increase during co- exposure. This study demonstrates that co-contamination of DEHP and nTiO2 synergistically aggravates ecotoxicities through disrupted energy allocation, highlighting the importance of assessing mixture toxicity in environmental risk assessment of estuarine sediments.

Soil microbiomes drive many soil processes and maintain the ecological functions of terrestrial ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs, size <5 mm) are pervasive emerging contaminants worldwide. However, how MPs affect soil microbial activity has not been well elucidated. This review article first highlights the effects of MPs on overall soil microbial activities represented by three soil enzymes, i.e., catalase, dehydrogenase, and fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (FDAse), and explores the underlying mechanisms and influencing factors. Abundant evidence confirms that MPs can change soil microbial activities. However, existing results vary greatly from inhibition to promotion and non-significance, depending on polymer type, degradability, dose, size, shape, additive, and aging degree of the target MPs, soil physicochemical and biological properties, and exposure conditions, such as exposure time, temperature, and agricultural practices (e.g., planting, fertilization, soil amendment, and pesticide application). MPs can directly affect microbial activities by acting as carbon sources, releasing additives and pollutants, and shaping microbial communities via plastisphere effects. Smaller MPs (e.g., nanoplastics, 1 to <1000 nm) can also damage microbial cells through penetration. Indirectly, MPs can change soil attributes, fertility, the toxicity of co-existing pollutants, and the performance of soil fauna and plants, thus regulating soil microbiomes and their activities. In conclusion, MPs can regulate soil microbial activities and consequently pose cascading consequences for ecosystem functioning.

The insufficient taking into account of groundwater as a basis for implementing protection measures for coastal wetlands can be related to the damage they are increasingly exposed to. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the pertinence of combining hydrogeological tools with assessment of pollutant fluxes and stable isotopes of O, H and N, as well as groundwater time-tracers to identify past and present pollution sources resulting from human activities and threatening shallow groundwater-dependent ecosystems. A survey combining physico-chemical parameters, major ions, environmental isotopes (O-18, H-2, N-15 and H-3), with emerging organic contaminants including pesticides and trace elements, associated with a land use analysis, was carried out in southern Italy, including groundwater, surface water and lagoon water samples. Results show pollution of the shallow groundwater and the connected lagoon from both agricultural and domestic sources. The N-isotopes highlight nitrate sources as coming from the soil and associated with the use of manure-type fertilizers related to the historical agricultural context of the area involving high-productivity olive groves. Analysis of EOCs has revealed the presence of 8 pesticides, half of which have been banned for two decades and two considered as pollutant legacies (atrazine and simazine), as well as 15 molecules, including pharmaceuticals and stimulants, identified in areas with human regular presence, including rapidly degradable compounds (caffeine and ibuprofen). Results show that agricultural pollution in the area is associated with the legacy of intensive olive growing in the past, highlighting the storage capacity of the aquifer, while domestic pollution is sporadic and associated with regular human presence without efficient modern sanitation systems. Moreover, results demonstrate the urgent need to consider groundwater as a vector of pollution to coastal ecosystems and the impact of pollutant legacies in planning management measures and policies, with the aim of achieving 'good ecological status' for waterbodies.

Source identification of a contaminant has always been challenging for accurately modeling groundwater transport. Source identification problems are classified into several parts, such as identifying the location of contamination, the strength of contamination, the time the contaminant is introduced into the groundwater, and the duration of its activity. Identifying the sources considering all the parts as variables increases the computational complexity. Reducing the number of variables in source identification problems is necessary for a swift solution through optimization approaches. The most challenging variable in source identification modeling is the location of contamination, as it is a discrete variable for almost all the numerical solutions of groundwater models. In this research study, we have created a methodology to narrow the location of contamination from a random distribution throughout the aquifer to a reasonable number of probable locations. Although methods to identify the location of contamination were devised earlier, we have attempted an approach of combining a particle tracking approach with Bayesian method of updating the probabilities as a novel approach, where the observation data is limited. We have considered the aquifer parameters and observation well data and devised a method with a Lagrangian approach to particle movement to identify the potential source locations. We have refined the source locations to a narrower probability distribution using the Bayesian method of updating the probability through new information of refined grid space. We have tested the models to identify the potential sources with different hypothetical problems and identified the sources in advective dominant transport with an average probability of 0.53, diffusion dominant transport with an average probability of 0.62, heterogenous soils with an average probability of 0.99, anisotropic aquifer with an average probability of 0.91, and aquifer with irregular boundary with an average probability of 0.96 to identify the location nearest to the actual contaminant source. The results are satisfactory in identifying the number of potential sources with an accuracy of 88 % (15 identified out of 17 sources with a probability greater than 0.4) and their locations in the aquifer with a probability of 0.223 for exact location identification. The probability of finding a source nearest to the actual location is 0.745 at an average distance of 11.6 m from the actual source location.

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are ubiquitous in soil, posing serious risks to soil biota, especially earthworms, which have been found to be affected by these compounds, despite not being their typical target organisms. Earthworms are essential for sustaining soil health and quality, by promoting soil aeration, organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, among other functions. This review synthesizes available literature evidencing the negative impact of EDC exposure, through traditional endocrine pathways and other toxicological mechanisms, on histopathological, biochemical, molecular and reproductive endpoints of earthworms. The compounds described, in the consulted literature, to induce histopathological, biochemical, genotoxicity and molecular and reproductive alterations include antibiotics, antimicrobial additives, flame retardants, fragrances, fungicides, herbicides, hormones, inorganic ions, insecticides, organic UV filters, parabens, perfluoroalkyl substances, pesticides, petroleum derivatives, plasticizers and polychlorinated biphenyls. These compounds reach soil through direct application or via contaminated organic amendments and water derived from potentially polluted sources. The findings gather in the present review highlight the vulnerability of earthworms to a broad spectrum of chemicals with endocrine disrupting capacity. Additionally, these studies emphasize the physiological disruptions caused by EDC exposure, underscoring the critical need to protect biodiversity, including earthworms, to ensure soil quality and ecosystem sustainability. Ongoing research has provided insights into molecular mechanisms responsive to EDCs in earthworms, including the identification of putative hormone receptors that exhibit functional similarity to those present in vertebrates. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the impact of EDCs in earthworms, especially through non-hormonal mediated pathways, and addresses the need for strong regulatory frameworks to mitigate the detrimental effects of EDCs on soil invertebrates in order to safeguard soil ecosystems.

The worldwide pesticide marketplace was approximate 85 billion dollars in 2019, growing at a geometric progression rate of 4.2% from 2015, and by 2023 it is projected to grow at a rate of 11.5% to approximately 130.7 billion dollars. Pesticides' uniqueness is defined by the distinctiveness of their chemistry and their relationship with the environment. Pesticide mobility and bioavailability in water bodies are determined by their desorption and absorption processes from soil particles. Waterbodies are severely affected with the build-up of these poisonous impurities with its imbalance in pH and accumulation of heavy metals, which adversely distress the aquatic ecology in the waterbodies. Pesticides are not only damaging to the ecology of the waterbodies; it is also consequentially harmful to humans. It causes gastrointestinal disorders, cardiac and respiratory issues, and even affects the biotic molecules and organs subsequently leading to acute and/or chronic illnesses. This article reviews 200 scientific literatures for existence of pesticides in drinking water and the various remediation technologies available for the treatment to render the water potable. Upon review of more than 20 technologies, suggestions have been made for the best probable technologies for water with presence of pesticide.