We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Environmental Mapping of the Regional Chemical Exposome of Legacy Pollutants and Contaminants of Emerging Concern Across Texas and New Mexico
AI summary Read the abstract
This review of 25 years of pollution research in Texas and New Mexico found that while old contaminants like lead and arsenic get lots of attention, newer threats like PFAS "forever chemicals," microplastics, and pharmaceuticals in water are understudied, especially in low-income and Indigenous communities. That means health risks in heavily polluted areas may be going unmeasured and unaddressed.
The environmental chemical exposome encompasses legacy pollutants and emerging contaminants that collectively shape ecological and human health risks. Texas and New Mexico contain petrochemical, agricultural, mining, and energy production regions, yet no quantitative synthesis has characterized exposure research or identified knowledge gaps that limit environmental management. We present a bibliometric and text-mining assessment of research on environmental pollution across both states from 1999 to 2024. A search of Web of Science and PubMed yielded 4,936 records, of which 191 met eligibility criteria. Keyword normalization, trend factor and co-occurrence analyses, geospatial mapping, and domain classification characterized the landscape. The most frequent keywords were air pollution, lead, arsenic, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, reflecting emphasis on legacy contaminants and industrial air pollution. Trend factor analysis revealed growth in PFAS, EDCs, pharmaceuticals, black carbon, microplastics, and nanoplastics during 2020 to 2024; normalization of the log response ratio by period reproduced the ranking (Spearman rho = 0.999). Air (31.9%), soil and sediment (25.7%), and water (25.7%) dominated, whereas health and exposure (16.3%) and environmental justice (11.6%) remained underrepresented. Clusters included Industrial Air Quality and Health (n = 85) and Heavy Metals in Soil and Water (n = 72). Studies concentrated in the Houston Gulf Coast region, while New Mexico contributed 9.4% of publications. Approximately 82% did not address environmental justice. Persistent gaps include PFAS homologs, 6PPD quinone, flame retardants, neuroactive pharmaceuticals, transboundary waterways, and Indigenous communities. These findings establish an evidence-based framework for prioritizing regional monitoring, biomonitoring, environmental justice research, and regulatory decisions.
More Papers Like This
Revealing Hidden Interrelationships of PFAS-Pesticides-Microplastics in Urban Waters: Integrating Target and Non-Target Chemical Analyses Across Mexico
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that Mexican urban water sources contain a dangerous cocktail of chemicals including pesticides, "forever chemicals" (PFAS), and microplastics that work together in ways we don't fully understand. The highest contamination levels were found near farming areas where irrigation water mixes with city sewage, and many of these pollutants aren't removed by current water treatment methods. This matters because millions of people rely on these water sources for drinking water, but we're not monitoring most of these chemical mixtures that could harm human health.
A systematic review on the current situation of emerging pollutants in Mexico: A perspective on policies, regulation, detection, and elimination in water and wastewater
AI summary Read the abstract
Emerging pollutants including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, dyes, and microplastics have been widely detected across Mexican water sources, but biomonitoring and health-effects data remain almost entirely absent. Available technologies for removing these pollutants have only been tested at laboratory scale.
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in aquatic and terrestrial environments: Sources, impacts, and remediation strategies
AI summary Read the abstract
This review pulls together research on "emerging contaminants"—things like leftover medications, PFAS "forever chemicals," pesticides, and microplastics—that are increasingly showing up in our water and soil from everyday sources like factories, farms, and household waste. These pollutants build up over time and are linked to health risks, but current water treatment systems often aren't equipped to fully remove them, meaning we're likely getting low-level exposure through our water supply. The takeaway: stronger pollution controls and better treatment technology are needed to keep these chemicals out of the water we drink and the environment we live in.
Revisiting the “forever chemicals”, PFOA and PFOS exposure in drinking water
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed 180 years of evidence on PFOA and PFOS — two of the most detected 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) in drinking water — finding that contamination rates increased sharply between 2018 and 2019, and that many developing countries still lack the regulations or technology to address the problem. The review calls for stronger global monitoring systems and improved filtration technologies to protect drinking water supplies.
Addressing Persistent Toxic Substances and Emerging Chemicals: Ecological and Health Implications in a Changing Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
This conference presentation reviewed ecological and health impacts of persistent toxic substances and emerging chemicals of concern — including microplastics and heavy metals — through three regional case studies covering arsenic contamination, PFAS exposure, and plastic pollution.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.