Themed collection Best Papers 2022 – Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts

Direct and indirect effects of climate change influence contaminant sources, transport, re-distribution and circulation in the physical environment of the Arctic. Linkages of such observations to Arctic ecosystem exposure and effects are needed.

Global climate change-driven shifts in physical and ecological processes may alter POPs concentrations in Arctic food webs.

Future climate change in the Arctic will lead to loss of ice, snow and permafrost, increasing human activity and development, and changes in wind and ocean circulation patterns, that could alter the pathways, distribution and fate of contaminants.

Our critical review compares ARG profiles in the atmosphere across different locations and discusses characterization methods, atmospheric transport, and future research questions.

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS) pose a potential risk to drinking water quality because they react with organic compounds to form toxic byproducts.

Hundreds of review studies have been published focusing on microplastics (MPs) and their environmental impacts.

Our critical review provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art understanding of PFAS thermal behavior and destruction mechanisms under different thermal destruction technologies and further research needs.

Pathways of human exposure to MPs and associated risks.

PFASs used in food packaging have the potential to contaminate the environment and numerous parts of the waste stream.

Analysis of precipitation finds many emerging PFAS.

Large fluoropolymer manufacturing plants are major sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the environment; we measured legacy and emerging PFAS in air to provide insights into near-source PFAS profiles.

India is a country with more than 67% of its population (947 million) residing in rural areas and 33% in urban areas (472 million) as of 2020.

Quantum chemistry based calculation methods enable the reliable prediction of the vapor pressure of molecules with rather general structure and are particularly valuable for non-rigid substances with low volatilities.

The rate and pathway of ferrihydrite transformation in soil depends on the properties of the soil pore water and diffusion processes.

Marine chromophoric dissolved organic matter (m-CDOM) mediates many vital photochemical processes in the surface ocean.

Estimates of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) emission from the use of cosmetics in Europe.

We studied the extent and mode of thallium adsorption onto several phyllosilicate minerals. Thallium, in analogy to cesium, strongly adsorbs onto micaceous phyllosilicates in soils and sediments via complexation in siloxane cavities.

We study the uptake of atmospheric mercury by vegetation in a chemical transport model and available observations. Due to the importance of this sink in the global mercury cycle, perturbations to forested areas can elevate mercury risks.

The low molecular weight fraction of peat porewater is enriched in DOC, anions, oxyanions, alkalis and some trace metals. An increase in the active layer depth can liberate a large amount of labile metals and nutrients from the peat.

A holistic multi-analyses (led by Hg stable isotope analysis), multi-media, multi-site approach to improving contaminated site Hg geochemistry, particularly process tracing.

We present a whole-body aquatic food web bioaccumulation model for perfluoroalkyl acids and two alternatives. Results highlight structure-dependent mechanisms, including phospholipid partitioning, blood plasma protein binding, and renal elimination.

We used a modeling approach to explore how toxicokinetics and food-web trophodynamics affect MeHg bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf.

Fog processing of atmospheric aerosol enhances the solubility and the dissolution kinetics of particle-bound metal ions.

Schematic showing how voltammetric microelectrodes were used to profile arctic lake sediments, where different locations contained different distributions of redox-active species.

Fingerprints associated with long-range atmospheric transport, production of paper products, and use of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) were identified.

PCA model of ATR-FTIR spectra discriminates plastic types and predicts photochemical age under long-term natural and artificial weathering conditions.