Earth and Environmental Sciences

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) accumulate in breast milk and pose a distinct hazard to breastfed infants, whose immature renal clearance substantially prolongs internal PFAS half-lives. We developed a two-compartment physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model incorporating a postnatal glomerular filtration rate (GFR) maturation function to estimate individual-level infant blood PFAS concentrations from breast milk ingestion, and applied it to two prospective Korean birth cohorts (Cohort A: n = 221, 2018; Cohort B: n = 204, 2023). Five PFAS─perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS)─were quantified by LC–MS/MS. Age-adjusted ANCOVA revealed compound-specific temporal shifts: PFHxS declined 66.7% (adjusted ratio: 0.33; p < 0.001), while PFNA and PFDeA increased 161.5% and 135.1% (both p < 0.001), evidencing regrettable substitution. PFOA and PFOS remained unchanged (both p > 0.69). Global sensitivity analysis confirmed that breast milk concentration and daily intake volume dominated model output uncertainty (|PRCC| = 0.82–0.91), whereas pharmacokinetic clearance parameters (elimination half-life and GFR maturation) had negligible influence on peak concentration (|PRCC| ≤ 0.05), reflecting accumulation-dominated kinetics over the first six months. External benchmarking against Fromme et al. (2010) yielded predicted-to-observed ratios of 0.67 and 0.61, respectively, within the prespecified acceptable range of 0.5–2.0. PBPK-estimated four-compound daily intake exceeded the EFSA (2020) TWI daily equivalent of 0.63 ng/kg/day (median multiples: 61× and 77×). These findings demonstrate that compound-specific regulatory action has not reduced aggregate infant fluorinated burden and highlight the urgent need for infant-specific PFAS reference values accounting for GFR immaturity.

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are widely recognized as particulate hazards, yet environmental aging releases a time-evolving pool of MP-derived dissolved organic matter (MP-DOM) that engages in photochemical and redox reactions. This work provides a critical overview of the aging mechanisms of MPs and the release characteristics of MP-DOM, with emphasis on its molecular properties and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors driving DOM release. Particular attention is given to the strong polymer dependence of MP-DOM, as different plastic classes can generate dissolved mixtures with distinct release kinetics, chemical profiles, and environmental reactivities. Insights into the unstable characteristics of MP-DOM are translated into measurable physicochemical reactions by evaluating its photochemical reactivity and interactions with natural minerals. Importantly, high methodological heterogeneity in experimental protocols hampers reliable comparisons across studies, underscoring the need for standardized leaching procedures in MP-DOM quantification and characterization. The role of MP-DOM in influencing the behavior of environmental pollutants, such as organic contaminants, metals, and antibiotic resistance genes, is critically assessed, particularly its contribution to disinfection byproduct formation, an ongoing concern in water quality management. Recent advances in understanding the ecological and biogeochemical impacts of MP-DOM are synthesized, highlighting its effects on cellular toxicity, microbial responses, and disruptions in element cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. Future directions include standardized aging protocols, rapid source attribution methods, and transferable models for predicting MP-DOM fate and ecological consequences under multistressor conditions. This review provides an updated synthesis of MP-DOM by linking its environmental behavior to ecological fate, advancing our understanding of the long-term ecological impacts and toxicity of plastics.

Abstract Antibiotics are widely detected in aquatic environments, yet current environmental thresholds rarely integrate ecological and human health risks under a One Health framework. Here, we developed a bioaccumulation- and human exposure-based approach to derive health-protective environmental thresholds for antibiotics in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE). Total antibiotic concentrations averaged 6.64 ± 5.91 ng/L in water, 9.65 ± 7.55 ng/g in sediment, and 56.4 ± 80.9 ng/g in aquatic organisms, with significant cross-compartmental variability and distinct compositional patterns among environmental matrices. Chloramphenicol (CAP) exhibited the strongest bioaccumulation potential (BCF up to 20,190 L/g) and was the only compound showing trophic magnification (TMF = 2.97), whereas most other antibiotics displayed trophic dilution. Derived thresholds ranged from 2.04 × 10–5–434 ng/L for water and 3.01 × 10–4–17.0 ng/g for sediment, several orders of magnitude lower than thresholds derived using traditional ecotoxicity-based approaches in previous studies. CAP, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin were identified as priority risk compounds, demonstrating that even moderate environmental concentrations can bioaccumulate through aquatic food webs and pose notable dietary exposure risks to consumers. This framework provides a more protective basis for antibiotic pollution management and environmental standard development under a One Health perspective.

As aquaculture production has grown to meet rising demand for healthy seafood, the demand for aquaculture feed has increased substantially, placing greater pressure on finite marine ingredient resources. Periods of fish oil shortage, such as during the 2023–2024 El Niño, can reduce dietary levels of the essential omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), negatively affecting salmon farming performance. This large-scale observational study analyzed more than 430 million Atlantic salmon (556 generations) to quantify the relationship between dietary EPA+DHA levels and commercial production outcomes. Using population tracing and Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment, the study found positive responses for populations receiving higher dietary EPA+DHA levels (>9%TFA, total fatty acids). The positive responses included lower mortality (−8%), improved economic feed conversion ratio (eFCR; −13%), and higher harvest quality (+2%) compared with populations receiving lower levels (<7%TFA). Higher EPA+DHA levels were also associated with greater production predictability. Variability in mortality, eFCR, and harvest quality was reduced, with coefficients of variation declining by 50%, 27%, and 29%, respectively. These improvements narrowed the uncertainty associated with environmental stressors contributing to more consistent performance under commercial conditions. Scenario modelling assessed the impact of increasing dietary EPA+DHA from 6% to 10% using Veramaris ® algal oil. The resulting biological improvements reduced the carbon footprint and marine footprint of harvested salmon by 17% and 15%, respectively. These gains generated a positive return on investment through better survival, feed efficiency, and harvest quality. Overall, the results indicate that higher dietary EPA+DHA levels can improve the profitability, stability, and sustainability of commercial salmon aquaculture.

Gushing water disasters pose a significant challenge to safe tunnel construction in coastal karst areas. Understanding the grouting plugging mechanism is crucial for effectively preventing and controlling gushing water in these regions. However, existing grouting plugging mechanisms primarily focus on non-expansive slurries and lack adequate guidance for self-expanding materials. To address this gap, this study first develops a theoretical model for Expanded Polyethylene Modified (EPEM) grouting plugging and derives the plugging criterion formula for controlling gushing water with EPEM. Laboratory experiments on grouting plugging for karst pipeline gushing water are then conducted to validate the feasibility and practicality of the EPEM theoretical model. Finally, the research outcomes are applied to a tunnel project in a coastal karst area, where grouting parameters calculated based on the theoretical model successfully achieve effective gushing water plugging. These results indicate that the water-plugging theory of EPEM grout has strong engineering applicability and can support the resilience enhancement of coastal karst tunnel infrastructure.

Abstract Phosphorus (P) associated with goethitic iron ores remains a major challenge for iron ore beneficiation because much of the P is hosted within Fe-associated mineral domains that are poorly accessible to conventional extraction methods. Here, we investigate Fe(II)-catalyzed recrystallization as a low-temperature mineralogical conditioning strategy for selectively restructuring natural goethitic iron ores and enhancing P accessibility. Two goethite-rich Pilbara ores with contrasting crystallinity, Al–Si-substitution, and structural complexity were reacted with aqueous 57Fe-enriched Fe(II) under circumneutral anoxic conditions. Fe(II) rapidly transferred from solution to the solid phase, driving Fe atom exchange and structural reorganization without formation of new bulk crystalline Fe phases. Isotope tracing revealed substantially greater Fe atom exchange in the Fe-rich, well-crystalline ore (GOL, ∼15%) than in the Al–Si-rich, structurally heterogeneous ore (GOV, ∼7%), demonstrating that natural mineralogical complexity strongly controls Fe(II)-catalyzed recrystallization. Fe(II) treatment generated a transient pulse of dissolved P followed by rapid resequestration into the solid phase, accompanied by a marked increase in operationally defined NaOH-extractable P demonstrating that recrystallization enhances P accessibility rather than removing P directly from the ore. NaOH-extractable P increased to ∼75%–80% of the initial bulk P content in GOL but only ∼35%–40% in GOV, whereas Al remained largely immobile (<10%) and Si exhibited minimal changes in both aqueous and NaOH-extractable pools, confirming that Fe(II)-catalyzed recrystallization selectively restructures Fe-bearing P-hosting domains while largely preserving aluminosilicate and silica-rich components. Collectively, these results establish Fe(II)-catalyzed recrystallization as a mineralogical conditioning step that redistributes Fe-associated phosphorus into more alkali-accessible pools prior to alkaline extraction. The efficiency of this process is governed by crystallinity, Al–Si-substitution, and structural heterogeneity, providing new mechanistic insight into low-temperature mineralogical conditioning strategy for enhanced P extractability of natural goethitic iron ores.

The morphology-based phylogenetic analysis presented by Luo et al. (2022) is not readily reproducible. Here, I identify inconsistencies in the reported character descriptions, tree-search procedures, support calculations, phylogenetic results, and character interpretations, and provide a reproducible reanalysis of the published matrix. The reanalysis recovers a less resolved and more weakly supported phylogeny of Alienopteridae and Umenocoleidae within Dictyoptera than that reported in the original study. It also identifies a different set of apomorphic and homoplastic characters. These discrepancies demonstrate that the principal phylogenetic results and interpretations of Luo et al. (2022) cannot be independently reproduced from the published matrix and methodological description.

Seasonal recreational boating activity can strongly modify underwater soundscapes in shallow coastal environments, although these sources remain poorly represented in conventional monitoring frameworks largely based on AIS-tracked commercial shipping. This study evaluates vessel-related underwater noise at the boundary of the Cabo de San Antonio Marine Reserve (western Mediterranean Sea) using long-term passive acoustic monitoring conducted between 2021 and 2024. Vessel passages were identified through visual inspection of spectrograms and analyzed using decidecade Sound Pressure Level (SPL) band measurements between 63 Hz and 1 kHz together with event-based exceedance and vessel-occupancy related metrics. Results revealed a marked seasonal increase in anthropogenic acoustic pressure during summer months, with August presenting the highest SPL, exceedance and Hourly Vessel Occupancy (HVO) values. Daytime HVO reached median values close to 60 min h −1 , indicating an almost continuous presence of vessel passages during summer daylight hours. Spectral analyses further showed that vessel-noise signatures were frequently dominated by bands above 125 Hz, with exceedance progressively increasing towards higher frequencies. These findings highlight the importance of experimental monitoring in coastal environments dominated by recreational and non-AIS vessels and suggest that complementary higher-frequency indicators may be necessary to adequately characterize underwater-noise conditions in shallow protected coastal areas.

Abstract Aqueous Fe(IV) has emerged as a significant nonradical oxidant in iron-based oxidative water treatment, yet its reaction kinetics and mechanisms with dissolved organic matter (DOM) remain largely unexplored. Herein, second-order rate constants (k) for Fe(IV) reactions with DOM and DOM-relevant model compounds were determined under acidic conditions using a competition kinetics method performed on self-assembled quenched-flow apparatuses. At pH 3.0, k for 15 DOM isolates ranged from (2.1 ± 0.2) × 104 MC–1 s–1 to (11.6 ± 0.9) × 104 MC–1 s–1 and correlated strongly with the electron-donating capacity of DOM. Similarly, k for nine para-substituted phenolic compounds correlated linearly with the Hammett constant σ+, EHOMO, and vertical ionization potential, supporting Fe(IV) selectivity toward electron-rich substrates. Across pH 1.0–3.5, k for DOM increased monotonically from the 104 to 105 MC–1 s–1 scale. In contrast, k for 11 model compounds representing major DOM moieties spanned 101–107 M–1 s–1 and exhibited moiety-specific pH dependences, indicating that individual DOM components contribute differently to overall Fe(IV)-DOM reactivity. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed broad-spectrum oxidation of DOM fluorophores, whereas high-resolution mass spectrometry showed that Fe(IV) preferentially transformed unsaturated moieties, oxidized nitrogen/sulfur-containing functionalities, and fragmented moderate-molecular-weight molecules. These findings provide a bulk-to-molecular kinetic and mechanistic basis for predicting Fe(IV) fate in DOM-containing waters and optimizing Fe(IV)-based advanced oxidation processes.

Abstract The oxidation of cerium (Ce) from the soluble trivalent state (Ce(III)) to the insoluble tetravalent state (Ce(IV)) on manganese (Mn) oxides critically influences its environmental fate and geochemical cycle, and is also of interest in water treatment. However, a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of how Ce is immobilized upon interaction with Mn oxides in soils and marine sediments is still lacking. The bonding structure of Ce on δ-MnO2, the most abundant Mn oxide, was investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at environmentally relevant pH and Ce concentration, and the oxidation reaction was modeled by atomistic calculation. Ce(III) is adsorbed as a six-coordinate complex at particle edges and a nine-coordinate complex at Mn(IV) vacancy sites of the MnO2 phyllomanganate layer. Ce(III) oxidation is nonspontaneous and requires hydrolysis of the sorption complexes to proceed. Gibbs free energy calculations of possible oxidation pathways show that electron transfers from Ce(III) to Mn(IV) at edge sites, and from Ce(III) to interlayer Mn(III) at vacancy sites, are thermodynamically favorable. Thus, the redox reactivity of δ-MnO2 depends on its crystallographic structure and the Mn valence. Our findings show that Mn(IV) and Mn(III) are kinetically more effective oxidants of Ce(III) than dissolved oxygen, and therefore, that cerium can be immobilized by Mn oxides even under suboxic conditions. The new mechanistic insights from this study improve understanding of the oxidative uptake of Ce by Mn oxides and its relevance to natural and engineered systems.

This paper presents a pilot educational workflow that couples 3D remote sensing with heritage-driven pedagogy by engaging architecture master’s students in the documentation and digital archiving of Transylvanian cultural sites. Using terrestrial and mobile 3D scanning, students documented multiple typologies—wooden churches (Târgușor, Tioltiur), historical ensembles (Mociu, Coplean), industrial sites (1 Mai–Luduș, Vânătorilor–Luduș), and an urban street segment (Potaissa)—to generate dense point clouds that served as the basis for geometric reconstruction, semantic interpretation, and condition assessment. The study describes how the characteristics of different construction systems (timber, brick, stone, mixed structures) relate to point-cloud quality, survey coverage, and subsequent CAD/BIM drafting, with attention to the qualitative reading of minor deformations in wooden churches and of degradation patterns in masonry and industrial buildings. We also consider how artefacts in the data (noise, occlusions, registration errors) affect scene understanding and the interpretation of derived observations relevant to condition assessment and, prospectively, to monitoring. For the Tioltiur dual-sensor case, the TLS and SLAM datasets were compared through an internal CloudCompare registration check (final RMS 0.1121 on 50,000 points, fixed scale 1.0 and theoretical overlap 100%), surface-density displays (r = 0.005 for the Z+F dataset and for the GeoSLAM dataset), fitted-wall-plane readings (dip values around 89 deg. and 85 deg.) and a longitudinal section documenting roof/vault deformation. Beyond technical performance, the paper examines the self-reported formative impact on students’ digital skills and their understanding of cultural values, arguing that participation in 3D data acquisition, processing, and interpretation positions them as co-creators of a living digital archive. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires (n = 13 each) are analysed descriptively—counts, percentages and medians with interquartile ranges—because the two instruments are unmatched and carry no shared identifier, so no paired test is applied; post-workshop self-ratings of technical competence, heritage understanding, archival awareness and collaboration were consistently high (medians 4–5), with uneven access to VR the main gap. By connecting point-cloud-based documentation workflows with heritage education, the project outlines a transferable, monitoring-ready baseline model in which 3D remote sensing supports both careful documentation and the transmission of regional identity and cultural meaning in architectural training. As an exploratory pilot with a small, self-reported sample, the study reports descriptive and qualitative findings rather than validated metric or statistical results.

Tensile strength of coal naturally exhibit anisotropic characteristics and affected by the spatial distribution of its internal microstructures. Microwave heating realizes auxiliary coal breaking, via the thermal difference generated thermal stress in different material after microwave absorbing. Understanding the tensile strength anisotropy affected by microwave heating is significant for the stability analysis of the working face, the coal pillar, and the roadway, which were assisted excavated by the microwave heating. In this paper, the influence of microwave heating on the tensile failure of coal was experimentally investigated. A series of disc specimens were drilled parallel to the bedding plane, separately heated with different microwave irradiation powers, and then tested under different anisotropy angle conditions. X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring were employed to investigate the macro- and micro-failure characteristics of coal affected by microwave heating. The result indicates that the tensile strength exhibits a generally increased wave-shaped variation as the anisotropy angle increases from 0° to 90°. Which was verified applicable described by a sine function. The increasing irradiation power reduces the tensile strength and the anisotropy of it, as the irradiation power changes from 0 to 2.0 kW. Microwave heating reduces the percentage of tensile failure cracks generated during the tensile failure process and contributes to more complex macro failure patterns. Microwave heating weakens the connection between the mineral inclusion and the coal matrix, which makes the failure cracks easily propagate during the failure process. This may be the reason that more macro cracks developed along the mineral inclusions, while a lower percentage of tensile failure occurred, under the greater irradiation power condition.

Abstract Prescribed fire releases a complex mixture of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds to the environment. Firefighters are directly exposed to these hazardous mixtures through occupational activities. This study investigated the volatile and semivolatile chemical contamination profile of firefighter protective gear and the effectiveness of laundering as a decontamination strategy. Our results revealed that firefighter gear accumulated a broad spectrum of combustion-derived contaminants, predominantly composed of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and derivatives, phenolic compounds, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Representative compounds identified included toluene, biphenyl, naphthalene, 1-methynaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, acenaphthene, phenol, alkylated phenols, and chlorinated phenols. Quantitative analysis revealed representative combustion-derived compounds at concentrations (mean ± standard deviation, SD) including toluene (0.958 ± 0.293 ng/g), biphenyl (0.015 ± 0.004 ng/g), naphthalene (0.053 ± 0.020 ng/g), 1-methynaphthalene (0.468 ± 0.132 ng/g), 2-methylnaphthalene (0.009 ± 0.002 ng/g), and acenaphthene (0.303 ± 0.001 ng/g). Multivariate analysis showed that although laundering substantially reduced contaminant levels, residues of several compounds remained significantly detectable in washed samples. These results demonstrate that firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) serves as a reservoir for toxic compounds, underscoring the additional risk of secondary exposure to firefighters through dermal contact, handling, and off-gassing. Together, our findings emphasize the need for the safe transport of protective gear (e.g., in sealed bags), proper storage before laundering, and periodic replacement of these protective materials. This will help mitigate secondary exposure and adverse long-term health effects.

Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is among the gravest environmental issues of the international community and is directly linked with the shared interests of humanity. The current international legal frameworks that regulate MPP primarily involve the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and other international conventions and other soft-law instruments. Nevertheless, there is still no fully developed international legal regulatory framework of MPP. According to the basic theories of the international regulation of MPP, this paper identifies the unresolved problems in the current process of governance, including the limitations of existing international conventions, the difficulty in negotiating the Global Plastics Treaty, the insufficient compliance capacity of relevant States, and the inadequate oversight mechanisms. Based on the experience of the representative countries, regions, and other international organizations, this paper suggests that China should pursue a holistic approach to governance of MPP by enhancing its domestic laws, encouraging the implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty, facilitating and supporting international governance mechanisms to increase state compliance, and enhancing regulatory and enforcement capabilities.

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are widely studied as marine contaminants, yet their ecological roles in microbial systems remain incompletely understood. Conventional toxicological frameworks, largely developed for multicellular organisms, emphasize acute stress and cellular damage but capture only a limited subset of microbial responses. Here, we propose a stage-structured framework in which MPs function primarily as selective substrates rather than as conventional toxicants. Plastisphere assembly is governed by dynamically shifting selection across three stages: initial physicochemical filtering, substrate- and metabolism-driven selection, and biofilm-mediated spatial adaptation. Central to this process is the coupling between substrate transformation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) dynamics. Extracellular ROS arise from interfacial reactions of weathered plastic compounds, while intracellular ROS are generated during microbial carbon assimilation. These processes are mechanistically linked: plastic-derived compounds act as both substrates and stressors, and extracellular ROS further transform them into more bioavailable forms, reinforcing intracellular constraints. Biofilms introduce spatial organization that redistributes metabolic and oxidative burdens, enabling metabolic cooperation, stress partitioning, and HGT, allowing selection to operate at both individual traits and spatially organized community levels. Together, this framework shifts the perspective from toxicity-based interpretations toward a selection paradigm that integrates substrate availability, metabolic constraints, and spatial organization, providing a mechanistic basis for linking microscale microbial processes to broader ecological and biogeochemical dynamics.

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) inevitably undergo aging processes in the environment, which alter their physicochemical properties and may modify their ecological effects. To synthesize the current evidence on aged-MP ecotoxicity, we conducted a meta-analysis of 54 studies comprising 1400 observations across animals, microalgae, and plants. Compared with pristine MPs, aged MPs were generally associated with reduced locomotion and neurological performance in aquatic and terrestrial animals, suppressed microalgal growth, and apparent stimulation of some plant growth-related end points. These divergent responses were associated with aging-related descriptors, particularly the carbonyl index (CI) and fouling index (FI), although their relevance varied across taxa, end points, polymers, and exposure contexts. The CI was negatively associated with animal locomotor responses, while the FI was more closely related to physiology-related responses in the primary producers. Targeted validation experiments using polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) further showed that an increased CI was accompanied by reduced zebrafish locomotion and elevated ROS levels, whereas FI-associated algal responses were accompanied by oxidative stress. Overall, the CI and FI can help compare aged-MP effects across studies and support more generalized and more realistic assessments of aged-MP ecotoxicity. However, these descriptors remain simplified indicators and cannot fully capture the complexity of actual environmental systems, including mixed aging processes, leachate chemistry, multistressor exposure, and matrix-specific interactions.

Abstract. Science is a rich process of well-informed trial-and-error and learning from errors often paves the way to scientific advances. However, this process and associated so-called null results are seldomly shared, because the publication culture and career incentives are biased towards positive results. This bias impedes scientific progress because errors or null results can be repeated by other scientists unless they are made public. In contrast, the publication of non-positive results and associated learnings completes an unbiased record of the research effort, contributes to open and transparent science, allows the authors and others to learn and may open opportunities for new science. A dedicated article type for these kinds of lessons as part of established journals clearly encourages such articles, and increases their visibility and recognition. Here, we introduce and explain a new article type that covers lessons learned to help overcome the positive publishing bias and that is being introduced in participating European Geoscience Union (EGU) publications. "LESSONS" articles describe the Limitations, Errors, Surprises, Shortcomings and Opportunities for New Science emerging from the scientific process. Note that the terms included in the LESSONS abbreviation are just examples to clarify what these article types stand for without indicating definitions or exclusive categories. Importantly, a LESSONS article will offer a substantial, valuable insight within the scope of geosciences. Specifically, we present two types of articles: LESSONS Reports are journal articles that apply the public peer review model of EGU's journals, whilst LESSONS Posts are not peer-reviewed preprints that allow early-stage reporting. Both article types are short, so the extent and depth to which the subject can be explored is deliberately limited (e.g., as for the GC Insights or Letter format) to help lower the barrier to journal publication. Details of how to structure and submit both of these article types are given, as well as guidance for reviewers. LESSONS articles will be published in EGU's community journals but are also summarized in a dedicated and ongoing interjournal compilation. In this way, these insights are easily findable for other scientists looking to prevent duplicate research, improve their meta-analyses, or otherwise gain value from the LESSONS articles of others.

In the original version of the Research Article “Simple technologies and diverse food strategies of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene at Huaca Prieta, Coastal Peru” by T. Dillehay et al., the radiocarbon date of 10,770 ± 340 BP (AA75326) in Table 1 did not pertain to the Huaca Prieta site. In the Supplementary Materials file, the image of a fragment of reed matting in fig. S9 was incorrect, as the image dates to a later cultural period. The revised version of fig. S9 includes the correct image from the late Pleistocene period at Huaca Prieta. Additionally, text has been revised in the “Artifact assemblage” section to better reflect the findings of fig. S9.