Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Advertisement

Scientific Reports
  • View all journals
  • Search
  • My Account Login
  • Content Explore content
  • About the journal
  • Publish with us
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed
  1. nature
  2. scientific reports
  3. articles
  4. article
Human health implications of metal pollution in the Betwa-Yamuna river system, India: evidence from Monte Carlo risk modelling
Download PDF
Download PDF
  • Article
  • Open access
  • Published: 11 January 2026

Human health implications of metal pollution in the Betwa-Yamuna river system, India: evidence from Monte Carlo risk modelling

  • K. Prasanna1,2,
  • M. S. Amal1,2,
  • Kagiso S. More3,
  • Ravi Rangarajan3,4,
  • Anupam Sharma1,2 &
  • …
  • Ashwani Kumar Tiwari5 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

  • 610 Accesses

  • Metrics details

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Environmental sciences
  • Risk factors

Abstract

This study evaluates water quality and human health risks at the Betwa–Yamuna confluence in Hamirpur District, India, using monthly data collected from June 2023 to May 2024. Physicochemical parameters (pH, EC, TDS, temperature) and trace metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Zn) were assessed against WHO and USEPA standards. Arsenic ranged from 0.001–0.011 mg/L and exceeded the WHO limit (0.01 mg/L) in several samples, while Pb (0.0004–0.012 mg/L) occasionally exceeded its guideline. EC exceeded 1200 µS/cm and TDS surpassed 500 mg/L during pre-monsoon months, indicating strong solute enrichment under low-flow conditions. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment showed median HQ values for arsenic of 0.98 for children and 0.42 for adults, with 95th percentiles reaching 2.28 and 0.97, respectively. Children’s HI values exceeded 1.0 in all seasons and surpassed 2.0 during pre-monsoon. Carcinogenic risk for arsenic exceeded the USEPA threshold (1 × 10⁻4) in 38% of adult and 9% of child Monte Carlo simulations. Probabilistic analysis (10,000 iterations) indicated HI > 1 in 67% of child runs and 23% of adult runs. The results demonstrate substantial health risks, particularly for children, and highlight the urgent need for arsenic and lead source control, seasonal water quality monitoring, and community-level drinking water treatment, with priority given to child-focused risk protection.

Similar content being viewed by others

Health risk assessment of toxic elements in Kashan drinking water reservoirs using Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis

Article Open access 22 May 2025

New approach into human health risk assessment associated with heavy metals in surface water and groundwater using Monte Carlo Method

Article Open access 10 January 2024

Comprehensive monitoring of the spatiotemporal variation of water quality and its associated human health risks in Luvuvhu river catchment, Vhembe biosphere reserve, South Africa

Article Open access 17 October 2025

Data availability

The data is available on request from the corresponding author.

References

  1. Pan, S. et al. Effects of lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury co-exposure on children’s intelligence quotient in an industrialized area of southern China. Environ. Pollut. 235, 47–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.044 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Nag, R. & Cummins, E. Human health risk assessment of lead (Pb) through the environmental-food pathway. Sci. Tot. Environ. 810, 151168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151168 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Johri, N., Jacquillet, G. & Unwin, R. Heavy metal poisoning: The effects of cadmium on the kidney. Biometals 23, 783–792. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-010-9328-y (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Satarug, S. C., Gobe, G. A., Vesey, D. & Phelps, K. R. Cadmium and lead exposure, nephrotoxicity, and mortality. Toxics 8, 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics8040086 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Budi, H. S. et al. Source, toxicity and carcinogenic health risk assessment of heavy metals. Rev. Environ. Health 39, 77–90. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2022-0096 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fu, F. & Wang, Q. Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: A review. J. Environ. Manag. 92, 407–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.11.011 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Mavakala, B. K. et al. Leachates draining from controlled municipal solid waste landfill: Detailed geochemical characterization and toxicity tests. Waste Manag. 55, 238–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2016.04.028 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Suthar, S., Sharma, J., Chabukdhara, M. & Nema, A. K. Water quality assessment of river Hindon at Ghaziabad, India: Impact of industrial and urban wastewater. Environ. Monit. Assess. 165, 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0930-9 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Parde, D. & Behera, M. in Sustainable Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Pollution Control (ed Maulin P. Shah) 229–255 (Springer, 2023).https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2560-5_12

  10. Gaur, N. et al. Evaluation of water quality index and geochemical characteristics of surfacewater from Tawang India. Sci. Rep. 12, 11698. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14760-3 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Agnihotri, S. K. & Kesari, K. K. in Networking of Mutagens in Environmental Toxicology (ed Kavindra Kumar Kesari) 25–47 (Springer International Publishing, 2019).https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96511-6_2

  12. Goyer, R. A. Mechanisms of lead and cadmium nephrotoxicity. Toxicol. Let. 46, 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-4274(89)90124-0 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gunduz, O. et al. The health risk associated with chronic diseases in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies. Expo. Health 9, 261–273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-016-0238-2 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Yoshida, T., Yamauchi, H. & Fan Sun, G. Chronic health effects in people exposed to arsenic via the drinking water: Dose–response relationships in review. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 198, 243–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2003.10.022 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rahman, M. M., Ng, J. C. & Naidu, R. Chronic exposure of arsenic via drinking water and its adverse health impacts on humans. Environ. Geochem. Health 31, 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-008-9235-0 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Palit, S., Misra, K. & Mishra, J. in Separation Science and Technology Vol. 11 (ed Satinder Ahuja) 113–123 (Academic Press, 2019).https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815730-5.00005-3

  17. Moon, K., Guallar, E. & Navas-Acien, A. Arsenic exposure and cardiovascular disease: An updated systematic review. Curr. Atheroscler. Rep. 14, 542–555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-012-0280-x (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Yuan, S.-Y., Xu, L., Tang, H.-W., Xiao, Y. & Gualtieri, C. The dynamics of river confluences and their effects on the ecology of aquatic environment: A review. J. Hydrodyn. 34, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42241-022-0001-z (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Constantinescu, G. & Gualtieri, C. River confluences: A review of recent field and numerical studies. Environ. Fluid Mech. 24, 1143–1191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-024-10002-4 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Bender, J., Wahl, T., Müller, A. & Jensen, J. A multivariate design framework for river confluences. Hydrol. Sci. J. 61, 471–482. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2015.1052816 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Girija, T. R., Mahanta, C. & Chandramouli, V. Water quality assessment of an untreated effluent impacted urban stream: The Bharalu tributary of the Brahmaputra River India. Environ. Monit. Assess. 130, 221–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9391-6 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Sharma, M. et al. The state of the Yamuna River: A detailed review of water quality assessment across the entire course in India. Appl. Water Sci. 14, 175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-024-02227-x (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rai, S. P., Noble, J., Singh, D., Rawat, Y. S. & Kumar, B. Spatiotemporal variability in stable isotopes of the Ganga River and factors affecting their distributions. CATENA 204, 105360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2021.105360 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kirkels, F. M. S. A., Zwart, H. M., Basu, S., Usman, M. O. & Peterse, F. Seasonal and spatial variability in δ18O and δD values in waters of the Godavari River basin: Insights into hydrological processes. J. Hydrol. Reg. Stud. 30, 100706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2020.100706 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Bhattacharya, S. K., Gupta, S. K. & Krishnamurthy, R. V. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic ratios in groundwaters and river waters from India. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Earth Planet Sci.) 94, 283–295. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02839206 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Lambs, L., Balakrishna, K., Brunet, F. & Probst, J.-L. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of major Indian rivers: A first global assessment. Hydrol. Process. Int. J. 19, 3345–3355. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.5974 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Chetia, M. et al. Groundwater arsenic contamination in Brahmaputra river basin: A water quality assessment in Golaghat (Assam) India. Environ. Monit. Assess. 173, 371–385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1393-8 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Akiner, M. E., Chauhan, P. & Singh, S. K. Evaluation of surface water quality in the Betwa river basin through the water quality index model and multivariate statistical techniques. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 31, 18871–18886. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32130-6 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Singh, S., Jain, V. & Goyal, M. K. Evaluating climate shifts and drought regions in the central Indian river basins. Sci. Rep. 15, 29701. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15231-1 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Palmate, S. S., Pandey, A., Kumar, D., Pandey, R. P. & Mishra, S. K. Climate change impact on forest cover and vegetation in Betwa Basin India. Appl. Water Sci. 7, 103–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-014-0222-6 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Maansi, J. & R. & Wats, M.,. Evaluation of surface water quality using water quality indices (WQIs) in Lake Sukhna, Chandigarh. India. Appl. Water Sci. 12, 2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-021-01534-x (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Singh, P. et al. Assessment of ground and surface water quality along the river Varuna, Varanasi India. Environ. Monit. Assess. 187, 170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4382-0 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Brindha, K. & Kavitha, R. Hydrochemical assessment of surface water and groundwater quality along Uyyakondan channel, south India. Environ. Earth Sci. 73, 5383–5393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3793-5 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Sahoo, M. M. & Swain, J. B. Modified heavy metal pollution index (m-HPI) for surface water quality in river basins India. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 27, 15350–15364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08071-1 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  35. World Health Organization. Guidelines for drinking-water quality. 4th edn, Vol. 1 (World Health Organization, 2022)

  36. Wiltse, J. & Dellarco, V. L. U. S. Environmental protection agency guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment: Past and future. Mutation Res./Rev. Genetic Toxicol. 365, 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-1110(96)90009-3 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  37. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment. Report No. 7/02/99, (United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C., 1999).

  38. Mikhaĭlov, G. & Medvedev, I. y. N. Optimization of weighted monte carlo methods with respect to auxiliary variables. Sib. Math. J. 45 (2004).

  39. Eid, M. H. et al. Comprehensive approach integrating water quality index and toxic element analysis for environmental and health risk assessment enhanced by simulation techniques. Environ. Geochem. Health 46, 409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-024-02182-1 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Gupta, S. & Gupta, S. K. Application of Monte Carlo simulation for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks assessment through multi-exposure pathways of heavy metals of river water and sediment India. Environ. Geochem. Health 45, 3465–3486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01421-7 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Brammer, H. & Ravenscroft, P. Arsenic in groundwater: A threat to sustainable agriculture in South and South-east Asia. Environ. Int. 35, 647–654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2008.10.004 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  42. Benner, S. G. & Fendorf, S. Arsenic in south Asia groundwater. Geogr. Compass 4, 1532–1552. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8198.2010.00387.x (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  43. Stanger, G. A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia. Environ. Geochem. Health 27, 359–368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-005-7102-9 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Wang, C.-H. et al. A review of the epidemiologic literature on the role of environmental arsenic exposure and cardiovascular diseases. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 222, 315–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2006.12.022 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  45. APHA. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (American Public Health Association). (American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation, 2012)

  46. Chen, Y. et al. Arsenic exposure at low-to-moderate levels and skin lesions, arsenic metabolism, neurological functions, and biomarkers for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases: Review of recent findings from the health effects of arsenic longitudinal study (HEALS) in Bangladesh. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 239, 184–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2009.01.010 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Bureau of Indian Standards. BIS: IS 10500:2012. (Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, 2012).

  48. Guo, W. & Xu, T. in Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation of Oil Pollution Problems (ed Matthias Ehrhardt) 127–140 (Springer, 2015).https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16459-5_6

  49. Verma, S. & Sinha, A. Appraisal of groundwater arsenic on opposite banks of River Ganges, West Bengal, India, and quantification of cancer risk using Monte Carlo simulations. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 30, 25205–25225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17902-8 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  50. Rehman, K., Fatima, F., Waheed, I. & Akash, M. S. H. Prevalence of exposure of heavy metals and their impact on health consequences. J. Cell. Biochem. 119, 157–184. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.26234 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  51. Corwin, D. L. & Yemoto, K. Salinity: Electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 84, 1442–1461. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20154 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Williams, M. et al. Emerging contaminants in a river receiving untreated wastewater from an Indian urban centre. Sci. Tot. Environ. 647, 1256–1265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.084 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  53. Laskar, A. H., Bhattacharya, S. K., Rao, D. K., Jani, R. A. & Gandhi, N. Seasonal variation in stable isotope compositions of waters from a Himalayan river: Estimation of glacier melt contribution. Hydrologic. Process. 32, 3866–3880. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13295 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  54. Li, H.-B. et al. Oral bioavailability of As, Pb, and Cd in contaminated soils, dust, and foods based on animal bioassays: A review. Environ. Sci. Technol. 53, 10545–10559. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b03567 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  55. Albert, R. E. Carcinogen risk assessment in the U.S. environmental protection agency. Critical Rev. Toxicol. 24, 75–85. https://doi.org/10.3109/10408449409017920 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  56. Gaillardet, J., Viers, J. & Dupré, B. in Treatise on geochemistry: second edition Vol. 7 (ed J.I. Drever) 195–235 (2013).https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.00507-6

  57. Salati, S. & Moore, F. Assessment of heavy metal concentration in the Khoshk River water and sediment, Shiraz Southwest Iran. Environ. Monit. Assess. 164, 677–689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0920-y (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  58. Dubey, C. S. et al. Anthropogenic arsenic menace in Delhi Yamuna flood plains. Environ. Earth Sci. 65, 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1072-2 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  59. Osuna-Martínez, C. C., Armienta, M. A., Bergés-Tiznado, M. E. & Páez-Osuna, F. Arsenic in waters, soils, sediments, and biota from Mexico: An environmental review. Sci. Total Environ. 752, 142062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142062 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  60. Sankhla, M. S., Kumar, R. & Prasad, L. Variation of chromium concentration in Yamuna River (Delhi) water due to change in temperature and humidity. J. Seybold Rep. 15, 293–299 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  61. Elgendy, A. R., El Daba, A. E. M. S., El-Sawy, M. A., Alprol, A. E. & Zaghloul, G. Y. A comparative study of the risk assessment and heavy metal contamination of coastal sediments in the Red sea, Egypt, between the cities of El-Quseir and Safaga. Geochem. Trans. 25, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12932-024-00086-8 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  62. Sadoff, C. W., Borgomeo, E. & Uhlenbrook, S. Rethinking water for SDG 6. Nat. Sustain. 3, 346–347. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0530-9 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  63. Carlsen, L. & Bruggemann, R. The 17 United Nations’ sustainable development goals: A status by 2020. Int. J. Sustain. Dev. World Ecology 29, 219–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2021.1948456 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Director, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, India for necessary facilities for carrying out this research work. We are thankful to the technical staff of the BSIP for their assistance in processing the samples. The present manuscript is the outcome of the BSIP in-house Quaternary Lake drilling Project (BSIP/RDCC/90/25-26). The authors are thankful to all the help obtained during the sampling and analysis throughout the project from the project members. Thanks are also due to local villagers of all the sampling sites for their help.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, U.P., 226007, India

    K. Prasanna, M. S. Amal & Anupam Sharma

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, U.P., 201002, India

    K. Prasanna, M. S. Amal & Anupam Sharma

  3. Centre for Excellence in Food Security and Sustainability, University of Doha for Science and Technology, Doha, Qatar

    Kagiso S. More & Ravi Rangarajan

  4. Department of Environmental Health, University of Doha for Science and Technology, Doha, Qatar

    Ravi Rangarajan

  5. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

    Ashwani Kumar Tiwari

Authors
  1. K. Prasanna
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. S. Amal
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kagiso S. More
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ravi Rangarajan
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Anupam Sharma
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ashwani Kumar Tiwari
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization, Data Analysis, Funding Acquisition, Data Curation, Investigation, Methodology, Writing—review & editing: **P.K**; Data Curation, Investigation, Methodology, Writing—review & editing: **AMS**; Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Writing—review & editing: **AS, AT and R.R**; Software, Data Modelling, Data Analysis, Data Curation, Writing—original: **K.S.M** . The authors declare their consent to publish the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Prasanna.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Consent to publish

All authors have reviewed and approved the submission and publication of this manuscript.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Prasanna, K., Amal, M.S., More, K.S. et al. Human health implications of metal pollution in the Betwa-Yamuna river system, India: evidence from Monte Carlo risk modelling. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34780-z

Download citation

  • Received: 10 October 2025

  • Accepted: 31 December 2025

  • Published: 11 January 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34780-z

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Keywords

  • Monte Carlo simulation
  • Drinking water safety
  • Hazard index
  • Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks
  • WHO/USEPA standards
Download PDF

Advertisement

Explore content

  • Research articles
  • News & Comment
  • Collections
  • Subjects
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed

About the journal

  • About Scientific Reports
  • Contact
  • Journal policies
  • Guide to referees
  • Calls for Papers
  • Editor's Choice
  • Journal highlights
  • Open Access Fees and Funding

Publish with us

  • For authors
  • Language editing services
  • Open access funding
  • Submit manuscript

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Find a job
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

Scientific Reports (Sci Rep)

ISSN 2045-2322 (online)

nature.com sitemap

About Nature Portfolio

  • About us
  • Press releases
  • Press office
  • Contact us

Discover content

  • Journals A-Z
  • Articles by subject
  • protocols.io
  • Nature Index

Publishing policies

  • Nature portfolio policies
  • Open access

Author & Researcher services

  • Reprints & permissions
  • Research data
  • Language editing
  • Scientific editing
  • Nature Masterclasses
  • Research Solutions

Libraries & institutions

  • Librarian service & tools
  • Librarian portal
  • Open research
  • Recommend to library

Advertising & partnerships

  • Advertising
  • Partnerships & Services
  • Media kits
  • Branded content

Professional development

  • Nature Awards
  • Nature Careers
  • Nature Conferences

Regional websites

  • Nature Africa
  • Nature China
  • Nature India
  • Nature Japan
  • Nature Middle East
  • Privacy Policy
  • Use of cookies
  • Legal notice
  • Accessibility statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Your US state privacy rights
Springer Nature

© 2026 Springer Nature Limited

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing