In this study we provide a comprehensive assessment of metal contamination in the Amazon River and its main tributaries, with a focus on urban contamination hotspots. A monitoring campaign was conducted across 40 sampling sites, analysing water concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, and Zn. Metal concentrations were evaluated against national and international water quality standards and compared between urbanized a...

Mediterranean wetlands are exposed to multiple environmental stressors, including chemical pollution from agricultural practices. Difenoconazole, an azole fungicide used in rice fields to control rice blast, may reach concentrations in Mediterranean wetlands that exceed toxicity thresholds for aquatic organisms. However, its long-term effects on freshwater communities are still poorly understood. This study evaluated the impac...

The risk assessment of chemicals relies on multiple tools to quantify the ecological responses of ecosystems to existing chemical pollution. These tools are broadly categorized into three major groups: toxic pressure assessments, bioassays, and ecological monitoring. Here, we examine the strengths and limitations of these approaches, their current level of implementation for freshwater ecosystems across Europe, and their abili...