The introduction of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) into the environment has raised concerns due to the significant risks they pose to both ecosystems and human health. In this sys-tematic review, we investigate research trends on CECs worldwide over the past 10 years, focus-ing on four critical aspects: (i) the identification and distribution of typical CECs across various media, (ii) the sources and environmental behavior of CECs, (iii) the implications of CECs expo-sure on human health, and (iv) risk assessment and control measures for CECs. The review re-veals a comprehensive understanding of the typical types and distribution of CECs in different environmental media, shedding light on their prevalence and potential impact on ecosystems. Furthermore, insights into the sources and behavior of CECs provide crucial information for de-vising effective strategies to mitigate their release into the environment. By examining the health effects of EC exposure, we highlight the importance of considering potential risks to human well-being. This aspect of the review emphasizes the significance of monitoring and managing CECs to safeguard public health. The review also synthesizes the advancements in risk assessment methodologies and control measures for CECs, which are essential for developing comprehensive regulations and guidelines to manage these contaminants effectively. Drawing from the findings, we identify future research directions for CECs in aquatic environments.

Microplastics (MPs) are contaminants that damage lake ecosystems by enriching pollutants. This study investigated the current state of MPs in lakes using the bibliometric method and correlation analysis. The results show that the abundance of MPs in lakes is negatively correlated with the depth and area of lakes and distance to populated areas, and positively correlated with the surrounding population density. The main factors influencing MP abundance were human activities, including pollution diffusion and waste generation from agricultural, industrial, and domestic activities. MPs are prevalent in water systems and vary by type and shape. Moreover, MPs are vertically distributed in lakes, resulting in high concentrations in sediments. Lake ice caps adsorb MPs from water and air during freezing, leading to higher concentrations of MPs on the surface and lower layers of ice caps (10–100 times higher than in water). Moreover, mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of MPs on organisms in aquatic ecosystems are identified in the study. MPs can inhibit the growth of aquatic plants by suppressing photosynthesis. When combined with other pollutants, MPs disrupt energy metabolism, cause physiological changes in the liver, and even lead to the death of aquatic organisms. We established that the evidence regarding the migration regulation of MPs in ice, water, sediment, and other multi-media is currently insufficient and requires further exploration. This study aims to identify sources, pathways, regulations, and effects of MPs in lakes to support future research and solutions. Graphical Abstract

The water-retaining and yield-increasing capacity of super-absorbent polymer (SAP) are essential for soil remediation in arid and semi-arid areas. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the influencing factors and mechanisms of SAP effects on soil environments and crop growth for the precise management of agricultural water-saving irrigation. In this study, we adopted SAP as a soil conditioner and monitored changes in soil temperature, photosynthetic rate, leaf transpiration rate, chlorophyll, crop growth indexes (plant height, stem diameter, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation), and yield under different SAP doses during the growth stage of maize, on the basis of which the improvement mechanism of SAP in arid and semi-arid soil was analyzed. The results demonstrated the following: (1) 45 kg/hm² of SAP application could increase the temperature of the soil layer, effectively reduce the diurnal temperature variation of the soil surface, and promote the stable growth of maize; (2) when different SAP doses were applied, the leaf surface temperature of maize increased by 0.95 °C on average. In particular, when 135 kg/hm² of SAP was applied, the leaf surface temperature increased by 1.55 °C; (3) SAP could promote the photosynthetic rate of maize. In addition, the plant height, leaf area index, and dry matter accumulation of maize gradually increased with an increasing amount of SAP; (4) the application of SAP not only increased the grain row number, ear row number, and average 100-seed weight, but also increased the crop yield by nearly 6%. The application of SAP demonstrated a comprehensive utility (redistribution of soil water and temperature, synergy between SAPs and plants), which suggests that the most basic goal, to ensure socio-economic and ecological sustainability in dryland systems, was obtained.