To investigate the health risk of heavy metals in soil and blueberry fruits in the blueberry growing area of Guizhou Province, the contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were measured in nine blueberry parks. Using GB15618-2018, GB2762-2017, and GB2762-2012 as evaluation criteria, the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index method, potential ecological risk index method, and bio-concentration factors were used to evaluate the risk of planting soil and fruit in the producing areas. The results showed that the average values of As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Zn in soil were higher than the background values in Guizhou Province, and 30.00%, 27.14%, 11.43%, 11.43%, 8.57%, and 7.14% of the As, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Zn values exceeded the control values, respectively. According to the Nemerow pollution index and potential ecological risk index, soil in the study area was mildly polluted, while the comprehensive potential ecological risk revealed a slight or medium pollution level. The heavy metal content in blueberry fruits in the study area did not exceed the standard and the enrichment coefficient was less than 1. The overall degree of soil pollution degree and risk was low, revealing blueberry fruit to be safe for consumption.

Combined contamination of microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals in agricultural soils is an emerging environmental concern, yet crop responses to long-term co-exposure remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to determine how polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) (0.1%, 1%, 5%, and 10% w/w) influence cadmium (Cd) behavior and plant performance under a fixed Cd background in a soil-crop system. We conducted an outdoor pot experiment using pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) grown in Cd-contaminated soil (5 mg kg^-1) and quantified Cd accumulation and translocation, growth traits, oxidative-stress indicators, and organ metabolomic profiles at the fruiting stage. PE-MPs significantly reduced Cd accumulation across organs (root > stem > leaf > fruit), with the strongest inhibition in roots; at the highest PE-MPs levels, Cd in the edible fruit declined to below the food-safety threshold. Growth responses were concentration-dependent: low PE-MPs levels were associated with higher biomass relative to the Cd-only treatment, whereas high levels reduced biomass and intensified oxidative stress, as indicated by elevated antioxidant enzyme activities. Untargeted metabolomics revealed dose-dependent and organ-specific metabolic perturbations. Roots showed suppression of energy-demanding secondary metabolism alongside enrichment of lipid, cutin-related pathways, whereas fruits exhibited broader reprogramming with enrichment of ABC transporters, glutathione metabolism, and nitrogen-related pathways, indicating altered detoxification- and redox-related metabolism rather than evidence of organ-differentiated adaptive strategies. Overall, these results demonstrate that under Cd-background conditions, PE-MPs can modify Cd uptake and internal allocation and are associated with organ-specific metabolic perturbations in pepper.

Microplastics are ubiquitous pollutants in aquatic environments. To determine the microplastic pollution status of the Chishui River, the abundance, type, particle size, shape, ecological risk, and potential sources of microplastics were systematically studied using laser direct infrared (LDIR) technology. The results demonstrated that the abundance of microplastics in the surface water of the Chishui River ranged from 9.34 to 69.67 n/L, with an average abundance of 24.87 n/L. The three most abundant types of microplastics were polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polyamide (PA). The majority of microplastics were ≤50 μm in size, and most particles were fragmented. Pollution can originate from domestic garbage, sewage, and industries. The polymer hazard index (PHI), pollution load index (PLI), and pollution risk index (PRI) methods content of microplastics in the Chishui River Basin indicated a relatively light degree of pollution, and the overall risk level was deemed to be relatively low, with Polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastic being the main risk source. Thus, strengthening the control of plastics such as PVC is recommended to protect the ecological safety of rivers.