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Abstract The International Cooperative Programme on Integrated Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems (ICP IM) presents a comprehensive long-term dataset of ongoing integrated ecosystem monitoring from European forested catchments. The dataset encompasses measurements from 46 monitoring stations across 14 European countries, with temporal coverage mostly extending from the early 1990s to 2020 (48 sites are currently active). The integrated monitoring approach applies over 20 monitoring subprogrammes to simultaneously measure physical, chemical, and biological properties across multiple ecosystem compartments including atmosphere, precipitation, throughfall, soil water, groundwater, runoff water, soil, vegetation, and biota. All measurements follow standardised protocols detailed in the ICP IM Manual, ensuring data quality and comparability across sites and time periods. The dataset supports research on ecosystem responses to air pollution, climate change impacts, and biogeochemical cycling. Data are available under a Creative Commons By Attribution (CC BY) licence, providing valuable long-term environmental monitoring data for the scientific community.
2026
Circular Economy (CE) principles seek to eliminate hazardous substances and promote the reuse and recycling of plastic products. However, implementing these principles is challenging due to the wide variety of substances used in plastics, their potential health and environmental risks, the complexities of global supply chains, and concerns regarding reappearance of Chemicals of concern (CoCs) in post-recycled plastics (PRP). This study presents a novel approach for identifying CoCs in the waste stream by assessing the potential presence of chemicals in polymers across different industrial sectors and their hazard categories. With the objective of identifying CoCs that are most problematic regarding their reappearance in new products, selected CoCs are classified into four priority groups based on their physicochemical properties and molecular structures, for further risk and regulatory assessment. The first group includes 88 CoCs, that must be avoided in a circular economy, of which 70% are metalloids and 30% are organic additives. The second group comprises 167 CoCs, mainly additives, whose risks depend heavily on their concentration and specific use in products. The third and fourth groups consist of CoCs that are less frequently found in plastic waste and thus associated with relatively lower risks. Overall, this study offers a practical and adaptable tool to support the identification of hazardous substances in plastic waste, helping stakeholders make informed decisions by removing CoCs and promoting the development of safer alternatives for substitutions.
2026
Coastal aerosols are formed through the complex mixing between marine air masses and continental emissions, which originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The properties of coastal aerosols are decisive for their interaction with sunlight and their influence on clouds, as well as the potential health implications for the population in these areas. In this study, the aerosol properties and sources at Aarhus Bay, Denmark, were investigated by combining in situ aerosol light scattering and absorption with size distribution measurements and footprint analysis by FLEXPART. Our analysis demonstrates a considerable contribution of anthropogenic aerosols from both fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning, as well as periods with highly scattering aerosols. Furthermore, good agreement was found between in situ and modelled black-carbon data. Combining in situ measurements and FLEXPART analysis further evidenced a major impact of local emissions, as well as a few long-range transport intrusions.
2026
During summer 2023, Greece experienced one of its most severe wildfire seasons in recent decades, with widespread fires across Evros, Rodopi, Attica, the Peloponnese, and several islands. This study investigates the aerosol optical and microphysical properties, as well as the impact on ground-level ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation over Athens, focusing on two major wildfire episodes (18–21 July and 22–25 August). A synergistic approach was deployed, combining satellite imagery (MODIS), FLEXPART simulations, ground-based remoter sensing, in situ aerosol and radiation measurements. Elevated aerosol optical depths (AOD) up to 1.2, high fine-mode fractions (FMF) (> 0.85), and Ångström exponents (AE) above 1.5 indicated a strong dominance of fine biomass burning aerosols. The Single scattering albedo (SSA) ranged from 0.85 to 0.98, showing enhanced absorption during biomass burning periods and weaker absorption when smoke was mixed with dust. At 320 nm, dust presence resulted in stronger absorption, with SSA below 0.8 for pure dust cases compared to smoke mixtures. Particle linear depolarization ratios (PLDR), varied between 0.03 and 0.20, with higher values (∼ 0.10–0.20) reflecting the presence of non-spherical dust particles, and lower values (∼ 0.03–0.08) indicating spherical smoke particles. Ground-level UVB irradiance decreased by up to 50 % during peak smoke episodes, highlighting strong aerosol radiative impacts. Concurrently, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations increased to 94 and 49 µg m−3, respectively, while organic aerosols peaked at 22.77 µg m−3, consistent with intense fire activity. FLEXPART simulations confirmed long-range transport of smoke from active fire regions, with additional contributions from regional pollution and Saharan dust.
2026
Plastic pollution monitoring programs use a wide array of methods, protocols, and analytical approaches, making it difficult for researchers and practitioners to determine which techniques to apply, where, and how. This lack of harmonisation across environmental compartments and plastic size classes has led to inconsistent data and limited comparability across studies. To address this, a systematic review of monitoring methods from 1960 to 2021 was conducted, encompassing both peer-reviewed and grey literature. Techniques were categorised into Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAPs), each comprising six core steps: survey design, sample collection, sample preparation, analytical detection, quantification, and data reporting. Each RAP was assessed using Technological Readiness Levels (TRLs) to evaluate maturity and suitability for standardised monitoring. The review revealed that while robust and repeatable methods exist, they are inconsistently applied. At the time of this review, atmospheric plastics was underrepresented, highlighting a critical gap in monitoring efforts. The findings underscore the urgent need for a global, objective framework to guide the selection and implementation of plastic pollution monitoring methodologies. This paper lays the foundation for such a framework by presenting a methodology to identify mature, reproducible methods and prioritise areas for further development. Future work should focus on harmonising protocols across compartments and size classes, improving transparency in data reporting, and building consensus around standardised practices to enable global comparability and policy relevance.
2026
Abstract Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a persistent pollutant with potential long‐term effects on the environment and on health. Recent studies using ice core records report large increases (up to tenfold) in Arctic TFA deposition since the 1970s, and trends suggest long‐lived chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) replacements may be a major source. Here, we use a chemical transport model to examine the global TFA budget arising from CFC replacements–hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)–and inhalation anesthetics. Global TFA deposition from these sources increased ∼3.5‐fold from 6.8 (5.9–7.6) Gg/yr in 2000 to 21.8 (18.6–25.0) Gg/yr in 2022, with cumulative deposition reaching 335.5 Gg. We find HCFC‐123, HCFC‐124, and HFC‐134a account for most modeled TFA production and that long‐lived CFC replacements account for virtually all of the observed Arctic deposition trend. At lower latitudes, our analysis supports the recent emergence of hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) as a TFA source. We conclude that increased TFA monitoring is required.
2026
The comet assay is one of the most popular tests for genotoxicity in cell cultures, non-animal species, animals and humans. It has high sensitivity to detect low levels of DNA damage, can be applied to non-proliferating cells, requires relatively few cells, is technically simple, and is low cost. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) adopted in 2016 the in vivo comet assay for measurement of DNA strand breaks in animal tissues. There is a desire to expand the comet assay to genotoxicity testing in cell cultures, including the detection of oxidatively damaged DNA by incubation of gel-embedded nucleoids with DNA repair enzymes, especially formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg) which converts oxidised purines to DNA breaks. Based on available information in the literature, this review provides a retrospective evaluation of the validation status of this assay, focusing on accuracy and reliability in genotoxicity testing in vitro. Information on accuracy is scarce, although limited evidence suggests levels of Fpg-sensitive sites are similar to those obtained by Fpg-linked alkaline unwinding and alkaline elution assays. Several ring studies have shown that estimated background levels of DNA breaks vary within and between laboratories. However, ring studies indicate good intra- and inter-laboratory reproducibility of the standard assay on ionizing radiation-exposed and the Fpg-linked assay on potassium bromate exposed cells. Further studies are needed to assess the reproducibility in multiple laboratories using coded samples of non-genotoxins and genotoxins. Nevertheless, the available results indicate the comet assay is a reliable in vitro genotoxicity test.
2026
Abstract Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a shorter lifetime than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), making it an important target for near‐term climate action. The Global Methane Pledge (GMP) aims to cut anthropogenic methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. Using an Earth system model with interactive CH 4 sources and sinks, we assess the Pledge's impact through 2050. Results show that current GMP commitments deliver only a 10% cut by 2030—well below the target. Only the maximum technically feasible reduction (MTFR) pathway can achieve the 30% goal. By 2050, current GMP commitments lowers methane concentrations by 3% relative to 2025, while MTFR achieves 8%. Both pathways slow warming slightly, avoiding about 0.1°C of global temperature rise, with the Arctic seeing the greatest benefits (up to 2°C less warming). Without wider participation, the GMP with current signatories will fall short of its targets and Paris Agreement goals.
2026
Scaling number concentration measurements from bioaerosol monitors using Hirst-type samplers
The instruments used for routine pollen monitoring are gradually changing from traditional impactors with manual data processing to automated pollen monitors using deterministic and/or machine-learning algorithms for data analysis. This manuscript compares pollen number concentration of Alnus sp., Betula sp., Corylus sp., and Poaceae measured by Hirst-type bioaerosol samplers and the SwisensPoleno automated bioaerosol monitor in Switzerland and Norway. Due to physical particle losses and the classification rate of the algorithms being well below unity, scaling factors had to be applied to the measurements of the SwisensPoleno to match those of the Hirst impactor. These scaling factors depended on the geographic location, i.e. differed significantly between Switzerland and Norway. The importance of adjusting the scaling factors according to the location of the monitoring network and the need for reporting the numerical values of these scaling factors in future scientific publications is emphasized.
2026
Urban areas experience elevated air pollution levels which pose significant health risks. Reducing exposure to poor air quality and mitigating the associated negative health impacts requires informed policy measures. This study advances urban air quality modelling by developing an air quality model (baseline model) and further integrating measurements from a network of low-cost sensors and regulatory monitors into the model output (data fusion model). The resulting data fusion model provides accurate air quality data in high spatiotemporal resolution. The data fusion model showed higher PM2.5 concentrations during evening hours and winter months, with a population-weighted exposure to PM2.5 almost twice as high as predicted by the baseline model during these months. The models exhibited different spatial patterns, with the data fusion model showing a shift in peak concentrations from the city centre to residential areas, where levels were up to 10 µg/m3 higher than the baseline model. These differences are likely attributable to an underestimation of residential emissions in the baseline model. While both models were FAIRMODE compliant, the data fusion model showed a reduced bias for most monitoring stations compared to the baseline model. The data fusion model enabled a more accurate assessment of existing policies, specifically those aimed at reducing urban air pollution from solid fuel burning. Moreover, by identifying locations and sectors which contribute significantly to high levels of PM2.5, the data fusion model supports the formation of targeted air quality policies. This enables cities to maximise reductions in air pollution and exposures, thereby safeguarding public health.
2026