Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicity
Tungsten (W), a heavy metal with extensive industrial applications, has inadvertently been released into the environment yet received increasing attention regarding its potential toxicity to living organisms. In 2008, W was categorized as an emerging contaminant by the U.S. Environmental Protection...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325008504 |
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| author | Huihui Du Xiaoxuan Yu Ting Yang Lei Lu Jing Sun Hongxia Xie |
| author_facet | Huihui Du Xiaoxuan Yu Ting Yang Lei Lu Jing Sun Hongxia Xie |
| author_sort | Huihui Du |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tungsten (W), a heavy metal with extensive industrial applications, has inadvertently been released into the environment yet received increasing attention regarding its potential toxicity to living organisms. In 2008, W was categorized as an emerging contaminant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Current research on its toxicity is fragmented, and the existing review papers and government reports, which primarily center on animal models, are often outdated. This review presents a comprehensive and systematic overview of the toxicity of W, particularly tungstate, to diverse biological entities including microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans. Notably, W holds biological significance in certain microorganisms but generally inhibits their growth and functions. High W exposure affects plant germination, growth, and nutrient absorption by disrupting transport and accumulation processes, and results in oxidative stress, root growth hindering, and vital enzyme disruption. In rodents, W accumulates in organs and is associated with tumor promotion, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and reproductive implications. In humans, W exposure can compromise immune function, alter neurobehavioral patterns, and cause DNA damage, with potential carcinogenic effects, particularly in the lungs and bone marrow. This review consolidates recent toxicological findings and serves as a conceptual framework for future research on this emerging contaminant. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2da1abebe9e74c3f87f66f0024bec05a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-2da1abebe9e74c3f87f66f0024bec05a2025-08-20T02:09:51ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-08-0130111850510.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118505Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicityHuihui Du0Xiaoxuan Yu1Ting Yang2Lei Lu3Jing Sun4Hongxia Xie5College of Environment & Ecology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, China; College of Resources, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, China; Correspondence to: 1st Nonda Road, Furong District, Changsha 410127, China.College of Environment & Ecology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, ChinaCollege of Environment & Ecology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, ChinaCollege of Environment & Ecology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, ChinaCollege of Resources, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, China; Correspondence to: 1st Nonda Road, Furong District, Changsha 410127, China.Tungsten (W), a heavy metal with extensive industrial applications, has inadvertently been released into the environment yet received increasing attention regarding its potential toxicity to living organisms. In 2008, W was categorized as an emerging contaminant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Current research on its toxicity is fragmented, and the existing review papers and government reports, which primarily center on animal models, are often outdated. This review presents a comprehensive and systematic overview of the toxicity of W, particularly tungstate, to diverse biological entities including microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans. Notably, W holds biological significance in certain microorganisms but generally inhibits their growth and functions. High W exposure affects plant germination, growth, and nutrient absorption by disrupting transport and accumulation processes, and results in oxidative stress, root growth hindering, and vital enzyme disruption. In rodents, W accumulates in organs and is associated with tumor promotion, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and reproductive implications. In humans, W exposure can compromise immune function, alter neurobehavioral patterns, and cause DNA damage, with potential carcinogenic effects, particularly in the lungs and bone marrow. This review consolidates recent toxicological findings and serves as a conceptual framework for future research on this emerging contaminant.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325008504TungstateBiosphereToxicity mechanismEcological riskHuman health risk |
| spellingShingle | Huihui Du Xiaoxuan Yu Ting Yang Lei Lu Jing Sun Hongxia Xie Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicity Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Tungstate Biosphere Toxicity mechanism Ecological risk Human health risk |
| title | Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicity |
| title_full | Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicity |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicity |
| title_short | Unveiling the dark side of tungsten: A comprehensive review of its toxicity |
| title_sort | unveiling the dark side of tungsten a comprehensive review of its toxicity |
| topic | Tungstate Biosphere Toxicity mechanism Ecological risk Human health risk |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325008504 |
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