Urbanization and industrial activity contribute to environmental contamination, increasing potential health risks for residents via trace metal exposure. This study used a probabilistic human health risk assessment (PHHR) to evaluate trace metal exposure in Australian homes, using garden soil data from 9548 homes and indoor dust samples from 2341 homes. A focused assessment of 75 homes in the historically industrial Illawarra region was included to investigate possible legacy contamination. PHHR captures variability in exposure frequency, contaminant concentrations, and intake rates, unlike deterministic models. Exposure was assessed through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact pathways. In Illawarra, garden soils had significantly higher mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn compared to national levels (p < 0.05). Indoor dust from older homes and areas near former industrial sites also showed elevated levels of As, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn (p < 0.05). Children consistently showed greater health risks than adults, particularly from indoor dust ingestion. Nationally, non-carcinogenic risk (hazard index, HI) exceeded the threshold (HI > 1) above the 98th percentile in soil (HI max = 4.98 children; 3.05 adults) and above the 86th percentile in dust (HI max = 8.48 children; 7.02 adults). Carcinogenic risks (TCRs) exceeded 1 × 10⁻4 above the 95th percentile in dust. In Illawarra, exceedances were rare (< 0.5

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) impairs avian reproduction and development, yet uptake and elimination pathways in birds remain poorly resolved. To better understand these processes, we quantified PFAS in whole blood (n = 124) from adult and juvenile house sparrows (Passer domesticus) at 16 urban-industrial sites. Dietary pathways were traced using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen from feathers (n = 66). At our most contaminated site, we recaptured individuals across eight months to assess seasonal trends in PFAS burdens. We found that exposure to perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) was highest near fire training areas, while perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) were highest near oil production facilities. PFOS, PFDoA, and PFTeDA were higher in juveniles than adults, and females exhibited lower PFNA, PFUdA, and PFTeDA than males, consistent with maternal transfer of PFAS into eggs. Young fledglings showed tightly clustered, depleted δ13C values (-22.9 ± 0.8‰) compared to adults (-18.9 ± 3.6‰), indicating selective invertebrate provisioning as another source of early life exposure. In recaptured juveniles, ∑PFCAs and ∑PFSAs declined throughout development (0.43-1.25% per day). This enabled estimation of compound-specific elimination half-lives, which ranged from 29 days (PFBS) to 91 days (PFNA). Adults showed slower elimination rates. Our findings indicate pronounced early life vulnerability to PFAS exposure in terrestrial birds.

Chemicals are ubiquitous in our homes and gardens. However, the properties that make some chemicals favourable, like medicinal benefits or water repellence, can also make them harmful to human health. This study examined over 100 chemicals in indoor dust, vegetable patch soil and backyard soil (132 samples), and over 900 additional chemicals in a subset of indoor dust samples (6 samples), to explore chemical presence and risk to human health in residential settings. Trace metals, per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were frequently present in dust, while pesticides were infrequently detected. For PFAS, soil primarily contained carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and sulfonic acids (PFSAs), while dust contained a range of PFAS precursors. Anomalously elevated total recoverable hydrocarbons (TRH) in dust were found to be from natural human oils, rather than crude oil that health-based guidelines are protective of. Presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and their metabolites suggests indoor dust is a reservoir of both chemical presence, and past human exposure. Flooring (e.g., carpets), soil concentrations, and traffic density had the greatest influence on chemical presence in dust. Health risk screening found that the ingestion of 99.5% (183/184) of chemicals in dust assessed was below the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC). The exception was lead (Pb), which was only above the TTC in one home, shown to be impacted by legacy Pb paint contamination. From the broad analysis undertaken, we suggest that future work prioritise reducing exposure to key risk drivers, like Pb in urban environments, while continuing to monitor PFAS as knowledge of toxicity evolves. We further recommend ongoing exploration of the utility of tools like the TTC to improve risk assessment efficiency for environmental exposures.

Industrial fluoride emissions negatively impact animal health and remain elevated over large areas surrounding point sources. Here, we examined the geographic and demographic determinants of fluoride exposure in 42 house sparrows (Passer domesticus) from 14 sites around two aluminium smelting operations in Australia. We found that mean bone fluoride concentrations increased with age and were significantly higher in adult (1062 mg/kg) than in juvenile (603 mg/kg) house sparrows. A corresponding increase was observed relative to body size metrics, indicating an association between fluoride accumulation and individual growth. In adults, this was accompanied by changes in bone mineral composition, with a significant decline in bone phosphorus relative to calcium in fluoride exposed birds. Bone fluoride concentrations in 86 % of adult house sparrows exceeded background levels (600 mg/kg) previously reported for passerine birds inhabiting uncontaminated areas of New Zealand and North America. Bone fluoride decreased significantly with distance from aluminium smelting operations and, in adult house sparrows, only fell below background levels (600 mg/kg) at a distance of at least 9.8 km from smelting facilities. The vegetated buffer zones surrounding both smelters were insufficient to prevent elevated exposure to fluoride contamination. Our findings demonstrate the potentially far-reaching ecological impacts of industrial fluoride emissions and their age-related bioaccumulation in a sedentary urban bird.

Australia's national citizen science program VegeSafe has collected and analysed over 26,000 residential garden soil samples for their trace metal concentrations, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing contamination. Here we analysed spatial data from 8221 soil samples collected from 1828 homes across Greater Sydney, Australia's largest city, using an optimal parameter-based geographical detector (OPGD) model to quantify anthropogenic and natural factors influencing urban residential soil trace metal concentrations. The OPGD model identifies optimal spatial scales and discretization parameters, enhancing spatial stratified heterogeneity analysis. Results demonstrate anthropogenic factors, such as aged/painted home density, road density, and industrial trace metal emissions, primarily contribute to soil concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). By contrast, natural factors including soil pH, regolith stability, and soil type dominate soil manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni) concentrations. Strongest interactive effects typically involve an anthropogenic and a natural factor. Notably, 42.7 % of homes within the study area had at least one soil sample with Pb concentrations exceeding the Australian residential guideline of 300 mg/kg. Locations with potential risk of harm are identified to inform targeted mitigation strategies. Compared to machine learning methods, the OPGD model offers a more reliable and comprehensive assessment of urban residential soil trace metal contamination.

To survive, prey animals must correctly assess and respond to predation, by vigilantly scanning their environment for threats, assessing and reacting to immediate predation risk (e.g. through predator gaze aversion) and escaping efficiently. As these antipredator behaviours are integrated through the nervous and motor systems, they could be disrupted by neurotoxic contaminants, such as lead (Pb), which is ubiquitous in the Anthropocene. Here, we examined the effects of Pb on antipredator behaviours of freeliving house sparrows, Passer domesticus, in the mining city of Broken Hill, NSW, Australia, where birds have been exposed to elevated Pb levels for many generations. We found that sparrows in higher-Pb contaminated areas spent more time scanning their surroundings and were more reluctant to approach a feeder, under direct, experimentally introduced human gaze, than sparrows in lower-Pb contaminated areas. Higher-Pb birds had slightly worse (although not statistically different) escape flight performance than their lower-Pb counterparts. Our results suggest that greater exposure to Pb is associated with increased fear, which may or may not be linked to Pb-compromised escape performance. We highlight the importance of considering multifaceted, integrated effects of environmental pollution on the behaviours of urban wildlife. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/).

Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic and widespread environmental pollutant and can severely harm body tissues as well as DNA. Pb could potentially damage telomeres, whose length and shortening rate are linked with cellular senescence, physiological state, and mortality. Yet, studies investigating Pb and telomere dynamics in natural systems remain inconclusive. In this study, we used a free-living house sparrow (Passer domesticus) population in Broken Hill, Australia, chronically exposed to varying levels of environmental Pb, to assess the effects of Pb on telomere length and telomere rate of change. Using all data from adults and juveniles, we found that mean blood Pb concentration had a negative relationship with telomere lengths measured at capture sites, such that a standard deviation increase in the concentration of blood Pb was associated with an 8 % decrease in telomere length. In a series of robustness analyses we found that this negative relationship existed at both the individual and the site levels. Although not statistically significant, the relationship between telomere length and soil Pb also appeared to be consistent with that found for blood Pb. Our results demonstrated that while exposure to Pb damages telomeres in free-living house sparrows, the biological effect is relatively weak, and is only identified with a sample size of over 500 individuals. Nevertheless, our data reveal that in this urban setting in Australia, a human commensal bird is suffering from lead-induced damage to telomeres. Given the well-established relationship between telomere shortening and life-span, our study highlights a clear risk of Pb contamination on the biota of the urban area, including humans.

Despite the phase-out of lead-based products, lead contamination can still present a contemporary risk to public health. In situations where elevated blood lead cannot be attributed to common sources, detailed environmental investigation is needed to identify more elusive sources and manage harmful exposure pathways. We apply a forensics approach to assess common and elusive sources of lead in the home environment of two individuals with fluctuating blood lead levels in Sydney, Australia. Using multiple analytical lines of evidence (portable X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF), inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), lead isotopic compositional analysis (PbIC) and haematological assessment) a pewter pepper grinder containing lead (>6000 mg/kg; 70% bioavailable) was identified as a potential source. After removing the pepper grinder from the home, the couple's blood lead decreased to below the Australian intervention level of 5 μg/dL within a year (Person A: from 12.5 μg/dL in August 2020 to 4.4 μg/dL in March 2022; and Person B: 15.4 μg/dL in August 2020 to 2.1 μg/dL in July 2021). This case study demonstrates how environmental science investigations can play a crucial role in supporting people to take evidence-based action to improve their health.

For projects requiring extensive environmental sampling and rapid decision-making to identify trace metal contamination using dust wipes, the cost and time required for wet chemistry analysis can be prohibitive. Under such circumstances there is a need for a suitable screening method that is cost-effective, efficient, and portable. To address this need, this study investigated the utility of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) for the analysis of trace metals in dust wipes. Here, 316 dust wipe samples from three different geographical settings co-located with mining and smelting operations were investigated for their trace metal loadings (mu g m(-2)) of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) using pXRF. Results collected using pXRF were compared against inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) concentrations using matched dust wipes (n = 87) to assess reproducibility. A subset of dust wipes (n = 4) were subject to different pXRF analytical scenarios (ranging from 1 to 12 pXRF measurements) using a standardised test duration of 30 seconds to identify the most efficient number of tests for analytical precision. Conducting four pXRF tests on a single wipe (total exposure time of 120 seconds) returned comparable results to ICP-MS and was adopted for analysis of all samples. Results from dust wipes analysed with both ICP-MS and pXRF (n = 87) showed moderate to strong Spearman Rho correlations (rs = 0.489-0.956, p < 0.01) and linear regression coefficients of variation demonstrated good agreement between methods (R-2 = 0.432-0.989, p < 0.05). Linear regression equations were used to correct pXRF data to the ICP-MS dust wipe data for samples analysed by both approaches, and applied to pXRF data that were not subject to ICP-MS analysis (n = 229). Application of the correction formula resulted in a substantial improvement of pXRF's accuracy and precision, confirming its effectiveness for assessing trace metals in dust wipes.

To survive, prey animals must correctly assess and respond to predation, by vigilantly scanning their environment for threats, assessing predation risk through gaze aversion (responding fearfully to predator gaze), and escaping efficiently. As these anti-predatory behaviours are integrated through the nervous and motor systems, they could be disrupted by neurotoxic contaminants, such as lead (Pb), which is ubiquitous in the Anthropocene. Here, we examined the effects of Pb on anti-predatory behaviours of free-living house sparrows (Passer domesticus), in the mining city of Broken Hill, Australia, where birds have been exposed to elevated Pb levels for many generations. We found that sparrows in higher-Pb contaminated areas spent more time scanning their surroundings and were more reluctant to approach a feeder under direct, experimentally introduced human gaze, than sparrows in lower-Pb contaminated areas. Higher-Pb birds had slightly worse (though not statistically different) escape flight performance than their lower-Pb counterparts. Our results suggest that greater exposure to Pb is associated with increased fear, which may or may not be linked to Pb-compromised escape performance. We highlight the importance of considering multi-faceted, integrated effects of environmental pollution on the behaviours of urban wildlife.

Trace elements in game meats remain a point of concern for both the public and policymakers alike due to the human health implications if levels present are above guideline limits. This study aimed to: (1) determine trace element concentrations (As, Cd, Hg, Pb Cr, Cu, Se, Zn) in edible portions (breast meat and liver) of the four most frequently hunted duck Anatidae species inhabiting wetlands in Victoria, Australia, to identify the risk to human health from consumption; (2) investigate landscape-scale variables that may influence the detected concentrations and; (3) review the studies available (n=41) in duck liver and muscle tissues from the 1970s to 2024, to contextualise the detected concentrations found on a global scale. Our study shows that ducks in Victoria had trace element concentrations below tolerable daily intake (TDI) guidelines for human health with one exception: notably high Hg in a filter-feeding specialist, the Pink-eared duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus). Yet, the only trace element concentrations that were influenced by proximity to populated centres, were As and Zn. Compared to international reports, Pb concentrations in livers and muscle of Victorian waterfowl were lower, however, Pink-eared ducks had higher Hg than other duck (Anas spp.) species. Review of the worldwide data indicate that Pb concentrations in liver tissues from all Anas species have declined from the 1970s to 2024. This is the first study to identify this trend at a global scale. International movements towards Pb-shot bans, along with phasing out of Pb in gasoline and paint are the most likely cause of declining concentrations in tissues of wild waterfowl. These findings strongly underscore the importance of legislative efforts to limit trace elements entering the environment.

Our understanding of connections between human and animal health has advanced substantially since the canary was introduced as a sentinel of toxic conditions in coal mines. Nonetheless, the development of wildlife sentinels for monitoring human exposure to toxins has been limited. Here, we capitalized on a three-decade long child blood lead monitoring program to demonstrate that the globally ubiquitous and human commensal house sparrow (Passer domesticus) can be used as a sentinel of human health risks in urban environments impacted by lead mining. We showed that sparrows are a viable proxy for the measurement of blood lead levels in children at a neighborhood scale (0.28 km(2)). In support of the generalizability of this approach, the blood lead relationship established in our focal mining city enabled us to accurately predict elevated blood lead levels in children from another mining city using only sparrows from the second location. Using lead concentrations and lead isotopic compositions from environmental and biological matrices, we identified shared sources and pathways of lead exposure in sparrows and children, with strong links to contamination from local mining emissions. Our findings showed how human commensal species can be used to identify and predict human health risks over time and space.

Atmospheric dust is becoming contaminated by trace metals in many areas of the world due to significant human activities. This study evaluates tree stumps as passive samplers of dust deposition and bioindicators for dust contamination in a mine impacted environment. Tree stumps (n = 230) and adjacent soils from Cu-Zn mining areas in northeastern China were analysed in situ using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). As and Zn concentrations in tree stumps and roadside soils of each location all decreased with increasing distance from the road in a power-law relationship, indicating same pollution source (resuspension and redeposition of road dust). Micro-XRF images of vertical slice of tree stumps indicate that As and Zn were concentrated on the cut surface of tree stumps. This indicates atmospheric deposition as a primary contributor to elevated As and Zn concentrations in tree stumps. Given that the trace metals in soils may have other sources besides atmospheric deposition (e.g. upward migration from buried ore-bodies or rock weathering), which may cause difficulties in distinguishing polluted areas from unpolluted areas, the use of tree stumps as indicators can better reflect road dust resuspension and redeposition since atmospheric deposition is a primary contributor to trace metals in tree stumps.

Lead contaminated soil is a persistent global threat to the health of animal populations. Nevertheless, links between soil lead and its adverse effects on exposed wildlife remain poorly understood. Here, we explore local geographic patterns of exposure in urban birds along a gradient of lead contamination in Broken Hill, an Australian mining city. Soil lead concentrations are linked to co-located blood lead measurements in rock pigeons (Columba livia), house sparrows (Passer domesticus), crested pigeons (Ocyphaps Lophotes) and white-plumed honeyeaters (Lichenostomus ornatus). Mean blood lead levels were highest in crested pigeons (82.1 µg/dL), followed by rock pigeons (47.8 µg/dL), house sparrows (43.0 µg/dL) and white-plumed honeyeaters (30.3 µg/dL). Blood lead levels in all species declined away from mining areas, the primary source of lead contamination in Broken Hill. Blood lead increased significantly and at the greatest rate relative to soil lead in the three ground foraging species (crested pigeons, house sparrows, rock pigeons). For these species, soil lead concentrations below 200 mg/kg and 900 mg/kg were needed to maintain a median blood lead under the subtoxic (20 µg/dL) and toxic (50 µg/dL) effect thresholds previously identified for some avian species. We also investigated the effects of lead exposure on blood haemoglobin levels as a general measure of physiological condition in birds exposed to different levels of soil lead contamination. Overall, for every 1 µg/dL increase in blood lead, haemoglobin decreased by 0.11 g/L. The rate of this decrease was not significantly different between species, which supports the measurement of haemoglobin as a robust though insensitive measure of physiological condition in chronically lead exposed birds. Our findings reflect the importance of lead contaminated soil as a widespread source of elevated blood lead and supressed haemoglobin levels in birds inhabiting urbanised and mining impacted environments.

During major flood events, waterborne contaminants are relatively poorly characterized. This is due to logistical difficulties associated with obtaining water samples in potentially dangerous flood conditions. Herein, we report analyses of water samples from a large, flooded landscape in Victoria, Australia, during a major flood event. We collected 83 samples from seven rivers and 18 river locations as far apart as 520 km. The sampling campaign covered a 26-day window, with 3 samples taken weekly from each site. Floodwater samples were analyzed for 778 contaminants and 544 microbial species were identified using eDNA. Our study shows that 85 contaminants were detected in floodwaters. Fungicides, phthalates, plant macronutrients, metal(loid)s and PPCPs were better explained by land uses, whereas herbicides and insecticides were explained by a mixture of land use and water flow data. Potentially pathogenic orders with the highest detection rates were Enterobacterales (82.4%), Mycobacteriales (70.6%) and Legionellales (58.8%). Contaminants and microbial signatures responded to rainfall, water flow and water level, demonstrating increased and varied human and environmental risks of exposure during the sampling window. Our work underlines the importance of rigorous and timely monitoring and provides an evidence-base for decision making during increasingly frequent and intense climate driven flood events.

Aeration of water contaminated with per-and polyfluor-oalkyl substances (PFASs) derived from the historical use of aqueous film-forming foams used in firefighting training and incident responses has been demonstrated to promote separation/concentration of PFAS by adsorptive bubble fractionation. This study examined the efficacy of changes in the environmental and process parameters, salinity, temperature, and aeration time on PFAS removal efficiency in the absence of additional amphiphilic substances, such as co-surfactants. The results demonstrate that the bubble fractionation process can operate effectively across a wide range of saline and temperature regimes and achieve high levels of overall PFAS removal (>95%). Removal by bubble fractionation of some short-chain PFAS species, characterized by lower air-water adsorption coefficients, was improved by both increased electrolyte (i.e., salt) and with decreased temperature in the treated water. Conversely, removal of total PFAS decreased slightly (to 93%) when processing higher temperature (37 degrees C) feedwater. The experiments demonstrate the viability of bubble fractionation of contaminated aqueous media as a primary PFAS removal step prior to PFAS concentration and subsequent destruction.

To date, much of the health focus of environmental policy has been on preventing physical health impacts of environmental exposures. Recent research has however highlighted increasingly concurrent mental health effects and its consideration is an emerging requirement for many governments and their agencies, yet there are limited universal mental health assessment tools for environmental exposures. This paper details the findings of a scoping review that evaluated assessment tools used to measure psychological impacts from environmental exposures and pollution, as reported in recent peer-reviewed literature (2000-2022). Across the 126 papers identified in our review, a wide range of tools to assess mental health impact were identified. We document a clear recent upswing of research interest in the mental and psychological impacts of environmental exposures, and an overarching concern for air pollution from industry, traffic, and fires. A majority of studies utilised standardised assessment instruments, but there was little consistency in the way that these were combined or deployed. The dominant mental health outcomes of interest in these studies were depression, anxiety, and mental and psychiatric health. The findings of the review identify a need and opportunity to develop a best-practice approach to consistently assess the mental health impacts arising from environmental exposures. Future work is needed to define the most appropriate choice and application of assessment tools to evaluate adverse mental health impacts from environmental exposures. This will support a more universal, coordinated and cross-jurisdiction approach for the assessment, quantification and targeted response to addressing mental health impacts arising from environmental exposures.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment but their presence in air is less well understood. Homes are likely a key source of airborne microplastics and microfibres to the environment owing to the frequent use and storage of plastics and textiles within them. Studying their presence, concentration and distribution in these environments is difficult without the participation of citizens due to accessibility challenges. Few studies have examined the intricacies of the prevalence of indoor microplastics and microfibres or the link between indoor exposure and behavioural and regulatory approaches that could reduce their concentrations. The application of a quintuple innovation helix framework, within which a co-creative citizen science research methodology is applied, provides an opportunity for citizens to shape the scientific method, ensuring that methods are accessible and appropriate for widespread use and designed by the citizen, for the citizen. Exploring behaviours and motivations in plastic and textile use by citizens with industry may reduce the generation of these particles. Future studies should consider the importance of citizen inclusion when designing research strategies for measuring and reducing microplastic concentrations in homes, enabling a nuanced understanding of their generation and distribution and facilitating the development of appropriate behavioural, industrial and regulatory messaging and mitigative measures.

This study investigated the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in sintered products and emitted dust samples. Four types of iron ores were used in this study and tested in a sinter pot grate. The PCDD/F analysis showed that the PCDD concentrations (0.175-1.415, pg/g, 0.028-0.087 pg WHO-TEQ/g) were higher than the PCDFs (0.105-0.327 pg/ g, 0.006-0.032 pg WHO-TEQ/g) in sinter. In dust samples, three of the four test experiments showed PCDDs < PCDFs in their measured concentrations. Although PCDD/F concentrations were different in sinter and dust samples, the PCBs presented similar behavior in both solid samples. The PCB analysis (pg WHO-TEQ/g) showed that non-ortho PCBs were higher in concentration than the mono-ortho PCBs. The statistical analysis showed significant correlations between low chlorinated PCDD/F congeners and high chlorinated PCDD/F congeners, as well as strong correlations between non-ortho PCBs and mono-ortho PCBs in both sinter and dust samples. However, the dust samples presented stronger and more positive correlations among the PCDD/F and PCB congeners in comparison to corresponding data in sinter samples. The differences in PCDD/F profiles and correlation matrix in sinter and dust samples suggest the dioxin formation during sintering undergos different mechanisms in the sinter and dust samples.