Screening for microplastics in agricultural soils: Applying green chemistry principles in extraction and analysis.

In recent years, microplastic (MP) pollution has garnered significant attention owing to its ability to permeate various ecosystems, including soil. These particles can infiltrate the environment, either directly or through the degradation of larger plastic items. Despite growing concerns, standardized methods for quantification are still lacking.

Effect of physicochemical parameters on the occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environment.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their distribution in aquatic environments have been studied extensively, but more information is needed to link these occurrences to their physicochemical characteristics. Understanding how these parameters influence PFAS can help predict their fate, mobility, and occurrences in water. This study reviewed the influence of physicochemical parameters on the occurrences of PFAS in aquatic environment using the relevant keywords to retrieve articles from databases spanning mostly between 2017 and 2024.

Scientometric trends and knowledge maps of global polychlorinated naphthalenes research over the past four decades.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were included in the banned list of the Stockholm Convention due to their potential to provoke a wide range of adverse effects on living organisms and the environment. Many reviews have been written to clarify the state of knowledge and identify the research needs of this pollutant class. However, studies have yet to analyse the scientometric complexities of PCN literature.

Organochlorine pesticide contamination of soils and dust from an urban environment in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.

The concentrations, sources, and risk of twenty organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in soils and dusts from a typical urban setting in the Niger Delta of Nigeria were examined. The Σ20 OCP concentrations (ng g) varied from 4.49 to 150 with an average value of 32.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether contamination in sediments from rivers in the western Niger Delta of Nigeria.

This study investigated the concentrations of 39 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners in sediments from three rivers in the western Niger Delta of Nigeria that have been affected by pollution from urbanization and industrial activities. The Σ39 PBDE concentrations in sediments from these rivers ranged from 0.29 to 95.

The long-term effects of consecutive COVID-19 waves on mental health.

Background: Although several studies have documented the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, the long-term effects remain unclear.

Aims: To examine longitudinal changes in mental health before and during the consecutive COVID-19 waves in a well-established probability sample.

Method: An online survey was completed by the participants of the COVID-19 add-on study at four time points: pre-COVID-19 period (2014-2015, = 1823), first COVID-19 wave (April to May 2020, = 788), second COVID-19 wave (August to October 2020, = 532) and third COVID-19 wave (March to April 2021, = 383).

The Influence of Adiposity Levels on the Relation between Perfluoroalkyl Substances and High Depressive Symptom Scores in Czech Adults.

The extensive use and bioaccumulation of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) over time raise concerns about their impact on health, including mental issues such as depression. This study aims to evaluate the association between PFAS and depression. In addition, considering the importance of PFAS as an endocrine disruptor and in adipogenesis, the analyses will also be stratified by body fat status.

Trajectories in physical functioning at older age in relation to childhood and adulthood SES and social mobility: a population-based cohort study.

Introduction: Older age is associated with the deterioration of physical functioning (PF), and low PF is strongly related to poor quality of life among older people. We conducted a study to examine the trajectories of PF between middle and old age, considering sex differences as well as the association between socioeconomic status (SES) at different life stages and changes in PF.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Polish arm of the HAPIEE (Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe) study, including 1,116 men and 1,178 women aged 45-64 years at baseline.

Biological factors and self-perception of stress in relation to freeze-like response in humans.

Many animals react to threatening stimuli such as a predator attacks by freezing. However, little experimental research investigated freeze response in humans. Here, we have employed practices commonly used in self-defense training to create two unique scenarios simulating armed physical threat.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in human breast milk from Colombia: A probabilistic risk assessment approach.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. They were produced in relatively large volumes in the last century and are now subject to long-term monitoring and regulated under the United Nations Stockholm Convention (SC) on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Though restricted, human exposure is still a concern and in some regions of the globe the information on the health risk is limited.

ATHLOS Healthy Aging Scale score as the predictor of all-cause mortality in Poland and Czechia.

Background: The ATHLOS consortium (Aging Trajectories of Health-Longitudinal Opportunities and Synergies) used data from several aging cohorts to develop a novel scale measuring healthy aging comprehensively and globally (ATHLOS Healthy Aging Scale). In the present study, we assessed the predictive performance of the ATHLOS Healthy Aging Scale for all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: Data from the Polish and Czech HAPIEE (Health Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe) prospective cohorts were used.

Effect of titanium nanostructured surface on fibroblast behavior.

As the consumption of implants increases, so do the requirements for individual types of implants, for example, improved biocompatibility or longevity. Therefore, the nano-modification of the titanium surface is often chosen. The aim was to characterize the modified surface with a focus on medical applications.

Occurrence, source estimation, and risk assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in coastal seawaters from the Quintero Industrial Complex (Valparaíso, Chile).

In the 1960s, the Quintero industrial complex was inaugurated in Chile. This began a history of dramatic anthropogenic impacts on the Chilean coast. Among the known, we could mention high atmospheric emissions of chemicals due to combustion processes and frequent oil spills.

Metals and Trace Elements in Calcified Valves in Patients with Acquired Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis: Is There a Connection with the Degeneration Process?

Background: Acquired calcified aortic valve stenosis is the most common valve disease in adulthood. In the etiopathogenesis of this complex pathology, the importance of inflammation is mentioned, in which non-infectious influences represented by the biological effects of metal pollutants may participate. The main goal of the study was to determine the concentration of 21 metals and trace elements-aluminium (Al), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), calcium (Ca), chrome (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), gold (Au), lead (Pb), magnesium (Mg), mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), sulfur (S), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn)-in the tissue of calcified aortic valves and to compare them with the concentrations of the same elements in the tissue of healthy aortic valves in the control group.

Large-scale monitoring and risk assessment of microplastics in the Amazon River.

Microplastics (MPs) are one of the most widespread contaminants worldwide, yet their risks for freshwater ecosystems have seldom been investigated. In this study, we performed a large monitoring campaign to assess the presence and risks of MPs in Amazonian freshwater ecosystems. We investigated MP pollution in 40 samples collected along 1500 km in the Brazilian Amazon, including the Amazon River, three major tributaries, and several streams next to the most important urban areas.

Association of Self-Reported Depression Symptoms with Physical Activity Levels in Czechia.

Worldwide, depressive disorder is one of the leading determinants of disability-adjusted life years. Although there are benefits associated with a higher physical activity (PA) level, there is a lack of information related to this relationship, especially in countries such as Czechia, where modern approaches to mental health care only recently emerged. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between the level of depression and different PA levels following the World Health Organization (WHO) PA guidelines and according to specific symptoms that indicate depression.

Associations between Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Cardiometabolic Biomarkers in Adults of Czechia: The Kardiovize Study.

Even though there is evidence of decreasing trends of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Czechia, there are still major sources of PFAS pollution. Regarding the still-inconsistent results of the relationship between cardiometabolic health and PFAS, the present study sought to determine the association between PFAS levels and the presence of cardiometabolic biomarkers, including blood pressure and dysglycemia drivers in the Czech population. A cross-sectional study with 479 subjects (56.

Geometric Control of Cell Behavior by Biomolecule Nanodistribution.

Many dynamic interactions within the cell microenvironment modulate cell behavior and cell fate. However, the pathways and mechanisms behind cell-cell or cell-extracellular matrix interactions remain understudied, as they occur at a nanoscale level. Recent progress in nanotechnology allows for mimicking of the microenvironment at nanoscale ; electron-beam lithography (EBL) is currently the most promising technique.

All-cause and cardiovascular mortality in relation to lung function in the full range of distribution across four Eastern European cohorts.

It is unclear whether the dose-response relationship between lung function and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the Central and Eastern European populations differ from that reported in the Western European and American populations. We used the prospective population-based HAPIEE cohort that includes randomly selected people with a mean age of 59 ± 7.3 years from population registers in Czech, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian urban centres.

Harmonization of Human Biomonitoring Studies in Europe: Characteristics of the HBM4EU-Aligned Studies Participants.

Human biomonitoring has become a pivotal tool for supporting chemicals' policies. It provides information on real-life human exposures and is increasingly used to prioritize chemicals of health concern and to evaluate the success of chemical policies. Europe has launched the ambitious REACH program in 2007 to improve the protection of human health and the environment.

Impaired lung function and mortality in Eastern Europe: results from multi-centre cohort study.

Background: The association between impaired lung function and mortality has been well documented in the general population of Western European countries. We assessed the risk of death associated with reduced spirometry indices among people from four Central and Eastern European countries.

Methods: This prospective population-based cohort includes men and women aged 45-69 years, residents in urban settlements in Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Lithuania, randomly selected from population registers.