Environmetallomics: Systematically investigating metals in environmentally relevant media

The "Microplastome" - A Holistic Perspective to Capture the Real-World Ecology of Microplastics

Microplastic pollution, an emerging pollution issue, has become a significant environmental concern globally due to its ubiquitous, persistent, complex, toxic, and ever-increasing nature. As a multifaceted and diverse suite of small plastic particles with different physicochemical properties and associated matters such as absorbed chemicals and microbes, future research on microplastics will need to comprehensively consider their multidimensional attributes. Here, we introduce a novel, conceptual framework of the "microplastome", defined as the entirety of various plastic particles (<5 mm), and their associated matters such as chemicals and microbes, found within a sample and its overall environmental and toxicological impacts. As a novel concept, this paper aims to emphasize and call for a collective quantification and characterization of microplastics and for a more holistic understanding regarding the differences, connections, and effects of microplastics in different biotic and abiotic ecosystem compartments. Deriving from this lens, we present our insights and prospective trajectories for characterization, risk assessment, and source apportionment of microplastics. We hope this new paradigm can guide and propel microplastic research toward a more holistic era and contribute to an informed strategy for combating this globally important environmental pollution issue.

Recent advances in metal-organic framework (MOF)-based agricultural sensors for metal ions: a review

Metal ions have great significance for agricultural development, food safety, and human health. In turn, there exists an imperative need for the development of novel, sensitive, and reliable sensing techniques for various metal ions. Agricultural sensors for the diagnosis of both agricultural safety and nutritional health can establish quality and safety traceability systems of both agro-products and food to guarantee human health, even life safety. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are utilized widely for the design of diversified sensors due to their distinctive structural characteristics and extraordinary optical and electrical properties. To serve agricultural sensors better, this review is dedicated to providing a brief overview of the synthesis of MOFs, the modification of MOFs, the fabrication of MOF-based film electrodes, the applications of MOF-based agricultural sensors for metal ions, which are centered on electrochemical sensors and optical sensors, and current challenges of MOF-based agricultural sensors. In addition, this review also provides potential future opportunities for the development and practical application of agricultural sensors.

Identification of lead-binding proteins as carriers and potential molecular targets associated with systolic blood pressure

Lead (Pb) exposure is well recognized as a significant environmental factor associated with the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases. However, the carriers and molecular targets of Pb in human blood remain to be understood, especially for a real Pb exposure scenario. In this study, a total of 350 blood samples were collected from the smelting workers and systematically analyzed using metallomics and metalloproteomics approaches. The results showed that the majority of Pb (∼99.4%) could be presented in the blood cells. Pb in the cytoplasm of blood cells accounted for approximately 83.1% of the total blood Pb, with nearly half of Pb being bound to proteins. Pb-binding proteins in the blood of workers were identified as hemoglobin, catalase, haptoglobin, δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, and peroxiredoxin-2. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that higher levels of Pb bound to proteins (Mix-bound Pb and Protein-bound Pb) were positively associated with higher systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). However, the association between blood lead level, Pb levels in the blood cells and systolic blood pressure was not observed (p > 0.05). This study suggested that Pb bound to proteins could be a suitable biomarker for indicating the potential risk of occupational hypertension.

Facile Lego-Spinner Pretreatment Device for Analysis of Arsenic Species in Dried Blood Spots by Ion Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Dried blood spot (DBS) detection has the advantages of small blood collection, convenience, and reliability, which provides a possibility for large-scale evaluation of arsenic exposure in human population. Herein, a facile Lego-spinner pretreatment device is rationally designed for speciation analysis of arsenic in DBSs by ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS). In the mixing mode of the Lego-spinner, the magnetic stir bar in the centrifuge tube rotates under a magnetic field to assist the dispersive extraction of arsenic species in the DBS with reagents. In the centrifugation mode of the Lego-spinner, the arsenic extract is separated from the blood matrix for the subsequent IC-ICP-MS analysis. For the DBS prepared from 80 μL of whole blood, the whole pretreatment operation can be completed within 25 min. The detection limits of arsenobetaine, arsenite, dimethylarsenate, monomethylarsonate, and arsenate in the DBS are 0.09-0.15 μg L^-1, and precisions are <11%. The concentrations of these five arsenic species are highly correlated between whole blood and the DBS (r² > 0.97), and Bland-Altman analysis indicates that the concentration difference of arsenic species between whole blood and the DBS is within ±20%. The DBS sampling approach can effectively preserve arsenic species for at least 30 days at 4 °C, and the contents of arsenic species in the DBS prepared from capillary blood are in a reasonable agreement with those of venous whole blood (gold standard). This Lego-spinner provides a handy and efficient tool for fast extraction of arsenic species in DBSs, facilitating the in-depth study of arsenic migration and transformation in the human body.

Metallophenolomics: A Novel Integrated Approach to Study Complexation of Plant Phenolics with Metal/Metalloid Ions

Plant adaptive strategies have been shaped during evolutionary development in the constant interaction with a plethora of environmental factors, including the presence of metals/metalloids in the environment. Among adaptive reactions against either the excess of trace elements or toxic doses of non-essential elements, their complexation with molecular endogenous ligands, including phenolics, has received increasing attention. Currently, the complexation of phenolics with metal(loid)s is a topic of intensive studies in different scientific fields. In spite of the numerous studies on their chelating capacity, the systemic analysis of phenolics as plant ligands has not been performed yet. Such a systematizing can be performed based on the modern approach of metallomics as an integral biometal science, which in turn has been differentiated into subgroups according to the nature of the bioligands. In this regard, the present review summarizes phenolics–metal(loid)s’ interactions using the metallomic approach. Experimental results on the chelating activity of representative compounds from different phenolic subgroups in vitro and in vivo are systematized. General properties of phenolic ligands and specific properties of anthocyanins are revealed. The novel concept of metallophenolomics is proposed, as a ligand-oriented subgroup of metallomics, which is an integrated approach to study phenolics–metal(loid)s’ complexations. The research subjects of metallophenolomics are outlined according to the methodology of metallomic studies, including mission-oriented biometal sciences (environmental sciences, food sciences and nutrition, medicine, cosmetology, coloration technologies, chemical sciences, material sciences, solar cell sciences). Metallophenolomics opens new prospects to unite multidisciplinary investigations of phenolic–metal(loid) interactions.

Recent applications and novel strategies for mercury determination in environmental samples using microextraction-based approaches: A review

The growing need to monitor Hg levels in the environment to control its emissions and evaluate the effectiveness of reduction policies is driving the scientific community to focus efforts on creating analytical methods that are simpler, lower cost, more performing, and environmentally sustainable. In this context, an important contribution is provided by microextraction techniques, which have long proven to be simple, reliable, and to ensure an environmentally responsible sample preparation. This manuscript reviews the recent progress in the determination of environmental Hg using microextraction techniques. The considered studies involve all environmental compartments (i.e., air, water, soil, and biota) and have been discussed by grouping them according to the employed technique while pointing out the main advances achieved and the most important limitations. The ultimate goal is to provide an up-to-date overview of the analytical potential of microextraction techniques that can be exploited in various investigation fields and to highlight the most important knowledge gaps that should be addressed in the coming years, such as in-situ sampling, the use of natural materials, and the value of metrological support to obtain data SI-traceable and comparable.

Analytical Methodologies for Agrometallomics: A Critical Review

Agrometallomics, as an independent interdiscipline, is first defined and described in this review. Metallic elements widely exist in agricultural plants, animals and edible fungi, seed, fertilizer, pesticide, feedstuff, as well as the agricultural environment and ecology, and even functional and pathogenic microorganisms. So, the agrometallome plays a vital role in molecular and organismic mechanisms like environmetallomics, metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, glycomics, immunomics, genomics, etc. To further reveal the inner and mutual mechanism of the agrometallome, comprehensive and systematic methodologies for the analysis of beneficial and toxic metals are indispensable to investigate elemental existence, concentration, distribution, speciation, and forms in agricultural lives and media. Based on agrometallomics, this review summarizes and discusses the advanced technical progress and future perspectives of metallic analytical approaches, which are categorized into ultrasensitive and high-throughput analysis, elemental speciation and state analysis, and spatial- and microanalysis. Furthermore, the progress of agrometallomic innovativeness greatly depends on the innovative development of modern metallic analysis approaches including, but not limited to, high sensitivity, elemental coverage, and anti-interference; high-resolution isotopic analysis; solid sampling and nondestructive analysis; metal chemical species and metal forms, associated molecular clusters, and macromolecular complexes analysis; and metal-related particles or metal within the microsize and even single cell or subcellular analysis.