Ecotoxicology articles from across Nature Portfolio

A large-scale pharmacophore model supported by in vitro ligand-binding studies suggests polylactic acid oligomer toxicity in a mouse model is due to the inhibition of matrix metallopeptidase 12.

Nanoplastic contamination is a serious environmental concern and could have implications on plant life depending upon interactions. Here, the authors study the effect of size and charge on the accumulation and uptake of model polymer nanoparticles by plant roots which has implications for environmental exposure and nanoparticle delivery to plants.

Biological fate of nanomaterials in organisms is an important topic, however, limitations of analytical techniques has hampered understanding. Here, the authors report on a study into the fate of model, gold nanoparticles in an aquatic food chain using an analytical workflow and range of analytical methods.

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with impaired birth outcomes. Here, Bové et al. report evidence of black carbon particle deposition on the fetal side of human placentae, including at early stages of pregnancy, suggesting air pollution could affect birth outcome through direct effects on the fetus.

The development of nano-enabled agriculture will require proper safety regulations. This Perspective outlines the need for a combined approach to regulate health and environmental risks under the same framework.

Applying a method commonly used in microbiology provides a new way to study the interaction of nanoparticles with environmental samples.

An ‘underwater elevator’ takes research 10,000 m under the sea and reveals a pollution legacy in remote oceanic trenches.

Nanotechnology-induced risks to the environment are of greater concern than envisaged, although different groups of people are concerned for different reasons, as Chris Toumey explains.