Bioactivity Profiling of Chemical Mixtures for Hazard Characterization.

The assessment and regulation of chemical toxicity to protect human health and the environment are done one chemical at a time and seldom at environmentally relevant concentrations. However, chemicals are found in the environment as mixtures, and their toxicity is largely unknown. Understanding the hazard posed by chemicals within the mixture is critical to enforce protective measures.

Beyond the field: How pesticide drift endangers biodiversity.

Airborne pesticide drift poses a substantial environmental threat in agriculture, affecting ecosystems far from the application sites. This process, in which up to 25% of applied pesticides are carried by air currents, can transport chemicals over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Drift rates peak during the summer months, reaching as high as 60%, and are influenced by various factors, including wind speed, temperature, humidity, and soil type.

A web-based histology atlas for the freshwater sentinel species Daphnia magna.

Daphnia are keystone species of freshwater habitats used as model organisms in ecology and evolutionary biology. Their small size, wide geographic distribution, and sensitivity to chemicals make them useful as environmental sentinels in regulatory toxicology and chemical risk assessment. Biomolecular (-omic) assessments of responses to chemical toxicity, which reveal detailed molecular signatures, become more powerful when correlated with other phenotypic outcomes (such as behavioral, physiological, or histopathological) for comparative validation and regulatory relevance.

Combined toxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances and microplastics on the sentinel species Daphnia magna: Implications for freshwater ecosystems.

Persistent chemicals from industrial processes, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have become pervasive in the environment due to their persistence, long half-lives, and bioaccumulative properties. Used globally for their thermal resistance and repellence to water and oil, PFAS have led to widespread environmental contamination. These compounds pose significant health risks with exposure through food, water, and dermal contact.