ABSTRACT Particulate matter (PM), particularly PM 2.5 and PM 10 , poses significant threats to air quality and public health worldwide. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the global status, trends, sources, health impacts, and management strategies related to PM pollution. Given the rapid industrialization, urbanization, and vehicular emissions in developing regions, understanding PM dynamics is essential for effective policy development and mitigation. The study combines a systematic literature review with a bibliometric analysis using data retrieved from the Web of Science database. A total of 427 documents spanning 1993–2025 were analyzed using the Biblioshiny Package in R Studio and VOSviewer to assess trends, research collaborations, and thematic evolution. Key findings reveal increasing scholarly attention to PM research, particularly in China, India, and the United States of America (USA). South and East Asian countries exhibit the highest PM levels, driven by industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, and biomass burning. In contrast, regions, such as the EU and the USA, report lower PM concentrations, indicating the effectiveness of stringent regulations. The study identifies gaps in monitoring networks, particularly in remote areas, and emphasizes the growing role of low‐cost sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and green infrastructure in future air quality management. The findings underscore the urgent need to revise national standards to align with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, promote cross‐border collaborations, and implement integrated, science‐based policies. These actions are critical for mitigating PM‐related health risks and advancing global environmental sustainability.
ABSTRACT Understanding greenhouse gas emission dynamics in lawn soils is important for improving climate change mitigation strategies in urban and suburban landscapes. In this greenhouse mesocosm study, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) fluxes were measured from 12 turfgrass soil columns arranged in an unreplicated, completely randomized 4 × 3 factorial design. Four amendment treatments (biochar, compost, bio‐com [1:1 volume ratio of biochar and compost], and unamended control) were combined with three water‐table conditions (full saturation, half saturation, and unsaturated), with a single column representing each treatment combination. Columns were irrigated at 1 cm day −1 for 24 days, followed by 14 days of contrasting water‐table conditions and a 25‐day drying period without irrigation. When averaged across all water‐table conditions, compost‐amended columns (compost or bio‐com) produced higher CO 2 fluxes (∼6 µmol m −2 s −1 ) than biochar‐amended and control columns (4.5–5.0 µmol m −2 s −1 ). CO 2 fluxes were positively correlated with air temperature and negatively correlated with soil moisture. Biochar‐amended columns maintained high soil moisture (∼95%) throughout the study, demonstrating its greater moisture retention than compost‐amended columns (<23%). During saturation and subsequent drainage, CH 4 fluxes peaked at 324 nmol m −2 s −1 , whereas N 2 O fluxes exhibited a transient pulse, reaching 5–8 nmol m −2 s −1 . Overall, amendment type and temperature primarily regulated CO 2 emissions, whereas water‐table conditions had a stronger influence on CH 4 emissions and the occurrence of N 2 O emission pulses.
ABSTRACT This study investigates the acute effects of ethinylestradiol (EE2) on oxidative stress markers and key genes involved in the estrogen receptors (ERs)/Nrf2–Keap1 signaling pathway, which is crucial for managing oxidative stress. Juvenile common carp were exposed to nominal EE2 concentrations of 10, 50, and 100 ng/L for 7 days. Liver tissue was harvested for biochemical analyses, including assays for enzymatic antioxidant activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), concentrations of glutathione (GSH) and its oxidized form (GSSG), malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of lipid peroxidation, and gene expression analysis of ERα , Vtg , Keap1 , Nrf2 , and HO‐1 . The study found that EE2 exposure at higher concentrations (50 and 100 ng/L) significantly reduced the activity of key antioxidant enzymes in the liver of juvenile carp, indicating a compromised antioxidant defense system. This reduction was accompanied by increased oxidative stress, as showed by increased MDA values. Additionally, the expression of Vtg , Keap1 , and ERα genes significantly increased in response to EE2 exposure, whereas dose‐dependent decreases in the expression of Nrf2 and HO‐1 genes were observed. The findings provide evidence that EE2 induces significant oxidative stress in the liver of juvenile common carp, disrupting key antioxidant defense mechanisms and altering gene expression in the ERs/Nrf2–Keap1 pathway. These findings underscore the potential risks posed by EE2 and similar endocrine‐disrupting compounds (EDCs) to aquatic organisms.
ABSTRACT Bioaugmentation is effective for remediating petroleum‐contaminated seawater, but its application in marine sediments remains underexplored. This study investigated the enhancing effects and mechanisms of bioaugmentation on total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) degradation in marine sediments over 60 days. The bioaugmentation (B) group achieved a TPH degradation rate 1.89 times higher than the natural restoration (N) group. GC‐MS analysis revealed significantly lower residual C 13 –C 22 hydrocarbon concentrations in Group B. Excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy showed elevated soluble microbial by‐products and tyrosine‐like substances in Group B, whereas tryptophan‐like substances accumulated in Group N. Despite an initial decline following inoculation, microbial diversity indices (Chao1 and Shannon) in Group B increased progressively over time, eventually exceeding those of Group N by Day 60, indicating dynamic community restructuring. Bacillus dominated the initial stage of bioaugmentation, while Sporolactobacillus became dominant after 60 days, both of which were reported as potential petroleum degraders. Metagenomic analysis indicated that key genes involved in petroleum hydrocarbon degradation were substantially enriched in Group B throughout the remediation period, reflecting enhanced genetic potential. Molecular docking simulations suggested that alkylsuccinate synthase (assA) enzymes in petroleum‐degrading bacteria might facilitate hydrocarbon binding through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, which could potentially contribute to enhanced degradation. These in silico findings provided predictive structural insights into potential degradation mechanisms and required experimental validation. This study contributed to elucidating the degradation efficacy and potential mechanistic enhancements of bioaugmentation, highlighting its viability for the bioremediation of TPHs‐contaminated marine sediments.
ABSTRACT This study presents an accurate assessment of natural radioactivity levels of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in 49 groundwater samples collected from the Tuban Delta in Yemen. Gamma ray spectroscopy was employed to quantify the radioactivity concentrations in the analyzed samples. In addition to radionuclide assessment, heavy metal concentrations were also measured. The results revealed average activity concentrations ranging from 0.83 to 6.5 Bq/L for 226 Ra, 1.2 to 3.7 Bq/L for 232 Th, and 110 to 172.3 Bq/L for 40 K. To evaluate potential health risks, effective doses were calculated based on measured radionuclide concentrations and typical water consumption patterns, yielding ranges of 0.3–1.29 mSv/year for infants, 0.04–2.20 mSv/year for children, and 0.02–1.34 mSv/year for adults. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships among major ions (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + ) and natural radionuclides ( 226 Ra, 232 Th), indicating geogenic influences on groundwater chemistry. Principal Component Analysis identified two main components explaining 83.7% of the variability, highlighting mineral dissolution and geochemical processes as key factors controlling water quality and radionuclide distribution in the Tuban Delta.
ABSTRACT Drought is a major abiotic stress that limits crop growth and productivity by inducing physiological and biochemical changes. Trachyspermum ammi L. is cultivated in arid and semi‐arid regions and is susceptible to drought stress. Osmoregulators like glycine betaine (GB) are known to enhance plant tolerance by regulating internal metabolic processes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of GB foliar application on the physiological and morphological attributes of T. ammi under drought conditions. A pot experiment was conducted with three treatments: water spray (control), 5 mM GB, and 10 mM GB, whereas drought stress was maintained at 60% field capacity. Drought stress significantly decreased growth‐related attributes. Further, it has been noticed that the drought stress significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in T. ammi . Application of GB at 10 mM significantly increased POD (41.2%) and CAT (312.3%) activities, whereas 5 mM GB led to the highest increase in ascorbate POD (100%) under drought stress. Foliar application of GB also mitigated the adverse effects, improving growth‐related attributes, photosynthetic pigments, and ions uptake and decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) and H 2 O 2 . Among treatments, 10 mM GB exhibited greater efficiency under drought, whereas 5 mM GB was more beneficial under control conditions. Taken together, the findings suggest that GB could serve as a potential drought‐mitigating agent for T. ammi cultivation.
ABSTRACT This study aimed to find out whether an increased Biotope Area Factor (BAF) could reduce atmospheric pollution in a city exposed to severe anthropogenic stresses. We focused on Blida, Algeria and investigated the association of BAF and various pollutants. Thus, we selected three city boulevards, treated as pseudo‐replicates with different values of BAF. We combined 248 observations from July 2018 to May 2025 based on Sentinel‐5P satellite products with ground‐truthed biotope structure inventory. In our results, the statistical models indicated no significant differences across study areas ( p > 0.05), with a negligible effect size ( ϵ 2 < 0.005). These findings are contextualized by the satellite's spatial resolution (3.5 × 5.5 km 2 ), which, in a North African context, captures a regional pollution regime rather than micro‐scale variations. Crucially, the three boulevards fall within a single TROPOMI ground pixel, so their near‐identical pollutant values partly reflect this shared‐pixel colocation; the absence of difference therefore delimits the detection capacity of satellite‐based indicators at the street‐canyon scale rather than disproving a BAF–air‐quality relationship. The BAF's two‐dimensional nature fails to account for vertical vegetation structures essential for filtering, and local effects are overshadowed by traffic emissions. The levels of NO 2 and CO appeared to be controlled by the amounts of emissions produced by the sources, including traffic. Consequently, an ecological paradigm cannot singularly guide urban air‐quality management. Greening initiatives must be strategically coupled with concurrent source‐reduction emission strategies. Therefore, future research should bridge scale gaps by coupling satellite observations with ground‐level micro‐sensor networks.
ABSTRACT The sustainable management of electronic waste in developing nations is becoming global concern. Electronic waste is often characterized as the waste discarded from electronic and electric devices that mainly arises from mobile phones, laptops, smartwatches, batteries, circuit boards, television sets, fluorescent lamps, and audio systems and is becoming the most rapidly growing waste stream in the world owing to fast technological progress and growth in consumers’ demands. This is mainly occurring due to involvement of informal recycling activities, lack of consumer awareness, lack of cost‐effective technologies, and insufficient waste management infrastructure that leads to unscientific methods of disposing waste such as open burning, uncontrolled dumping that result in massive environmental pollution and threaten human health through heavy metals and persistent toxic substances. Keeping in view, bioremediation technology has recently been considered a viable and eco‐friendly alternative approach for resource recovery and hazardous substances removal from discarded electronic wastes. Accordingly, the present review summarizes critically and comprehensively recent advances on microbial‐mediated electronic waste bioremediation, which is affected by the presence of microbial strains, bioleaching mechanisms, degradation pathways, and resource recovery efficiencies as well as integrated physical–chemical–biological treatment processes. Furthermore, the current paper has also identified the knowledge gaps, processing constraints, scaling‐up challenges, and practical issues for an industrial application. Moreover, it also discusses the essential techno‐economic parameters that influence practicability of bioleaching, including recovery efficiency, operation cost, reactor optimum operation, and integration of the process. Furthermore, a sustainable electronic waste management framework is proposed for developing countries with the concept of circular economy, integration of formal and informal recycling sectors, policy‐oriented public involvement, and effective resource recovery.
River Ramganga, a tributary of river Ganga, plays a vital role in supporting industrial, domestic, and agriculture sectors in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, India. However, the water quality is degraded due to anthropogenic pressures and geohazard-induced activities, particularly in landslide-prone Himalayan terrain. Study aimed to assess the freshwater quality of Ramganga River and its tributaries (Dhela and Dhandi) with samples collected from selected seven sites over a year and analyzed using water quality index (WQI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), and principal component analysis (PCA). WQI ranged from 62.65 (poor) at the upstream Dhela site to 204.91 (unsuitable for drinking) at the Dhandi-Dhela confluence, whereas downstream sites were also classified as unsuitable (WQI > 140). HPI values exceed the critical level (>30) at all sites, whereas HEI values (2.93-9.83) placed the river in the low-risk class with cumulative metal concentrations. Increased BOD (up to 75.78 mg/L), COD (up to 223.10 mg/L), hardness (>200 mg/L), and Fe and Pb frequently exceeding Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) limits highlight severe deterioration of water quality and potential health risks. HPI and HEI revealed significant metal contamination, whereas WQI suggested the unsuitability for consumption. PCA highlighted total dissolved solids (TDS) as the highest loading factor, whereas phosphate was the lowest, reflecting the interactions between geohazard-induced sediment mobilization and water quality. Similarly, PCA of heavy metals showed Zn and Fe as the principal contributors linked to geomorphic instability enhanced by erosion and landslide. These findings highlighted the urgency of strategic water stress management to enhance resilience, mitigate contamination, and ensure sustainable usage of river Ramganga system.
Groundwater (GW) is the primary water source in the Eastern Gangetic Plains and is increasingly threatened by geogenic and anthropogenic contamination, posing risks to dependent populations. This study assesses GW hydrogeochemistry and its suitability for drinking and irrigation in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, a major Buddhist pilgrimage center hosting the UNESCO-listed Mahabodhi Temple. Fifty GW samples were collected and analyzed using standard methods. Results show that concentrations of NO3-, F-, Ca2+, Mg2+, and total dissolved solids (TDS) exceed Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS 10500:2012) limits in several samples. Ionic dominance follows Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ and HCO3- > Cl- > SO42- > NO3- > F-, indicating control by alkaline earth metals and weak acids. About 26% of GW samples exceed the acceptable limit of nitrate. The entropy water quality index (EWQI) classifies 96% of samples as good to excellent for drinking. However, health risk assessment indicates noncarcinogenic risk, with hazard quotient (HQ) values exceeding safe limits in 16% of samples for adults and 24% for children. Principal component analysis reveals three dominant factors explaining 81.78% of total variance, reflecting combined geogenic and anthropogenic influences, mainly mineral dissolution and rock weathering. Irrigation indices (electrical conductivity [EC], sodium adsorption ratio [SAR], residual sodium carbonate [RSC], Na%, and magnesium hazard ratio [MHR]) suggest most GW is suitable for agricultural use. Overall, GW quality is largely acceptable, but elevated nitrate levels require targeted management to protect public health in this ungauged region.
ABSTRACT The effectiveness of hydrological predictions using CFSR (Climate Forecast System Reanalysis) data varies regionally, and their suitability in North Africa's semiarid Mediterranean climate remains untested. This study represents the first of its kind in North Africa, focusing on the simulation of phosphorus, using CFSR data. We conducted a comparative analysis of hydrological simulations in the Tafna watershed using both CFSR data and real station data. Monthly and annual precipitation comparisons, as well as streamflow and phosphorus flux evaluations, were performed using the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). Results indicated that CFSR data provided good statistical agreement with rain gauge measurements and generated accurate streamflow simulations (NSE = 0.63, R 2 = 0.64) comparable to real data (NSE = 0.50, R 2 = 0.53), particularly during calibration. Phosphorus simulations, while lacking precision, yielded values consistent with observations. This study demonstrates that CFSR data can serve as a viable alternative for the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model when real station data are unavailable, highlighting the originality of phosphorus simulations in this region.
Groundwater, as one of the primary sources of drinking water and irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions, is constantly threatened by pollution resulting from human activities. This study aims to evaluate groundwater vulnerability in the Lenjanat Plain, Iran by integrating multiple index-based models and addressing the limitations of conventional approaches. Specifically, the study develops a combined vulnerability index (VI) to improve spatial reliability and applies an optimized DRASTIC model (ODI) using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to enhance parameter weighting. To this end, the aquifer vulnerability was first assessed using three conventional models, DRASTIC, SINTACS, and SI. Then, using nitrate concentration as the dominant pollutant indicator in the study area, the correlation between the results of each model and the groundwater quality data was calculated, based on which the weight of each model in the VI combined approach was determined. Moreover, to overcome the limitations of the classical DRASTIC model, the weights of its parameters were optimized using the AHP on the basis of local hydrogeological conditions, and the ODI model was introduced. The results indicated that over 50% of the aquifer area falls within moderate to high-vulnerability zones, and the ODI model shows better agreement with the spatial distribution of nitrate compared to classical models. The results indicated that over 50% of the aquifer area falls within moderate to high-vulnerability zones, and the ODI model shows better agreement with the spatial distribution of nitrate compared to classical models. A key contribution of this study is the integration of multi-model outputs with optimized parameter weighting and validation using observed nitrate data. Therefore, the ODI model and the VI can serve as effective tools for groundwater quality management, delineation of protection zones, and control of potential contamination sources in the Lenjanat Plain, Iran.
ABSTRACT Fluorine is the most reactive halogen, occurring naturally as fluoride (F − ) in rocks, such as cryolite and fluorapatite, with groundwater fluoride concentrations varying from 1 to 35 mg/L due to geological circumstances or effluent discharge. Fluoride minerals are typically insoluble in water and comprise 0.06%–0.09% of the Earth's crust. Excessive fluoride consumption can result in dental and skeletal fluorosis, impacting teeth and bones by creating hard fluorapatite, which causes brittleness and abnormalities. Extended exposure can advance from dental fluorosis to debilitating skeletal fluorosis. Effective water treatment encompasses centralized or decentralized methods, such as screening, flocculation, filtration, and disinfection, to enhance quality. Advanced techniques, like adsorbents, membrane filtration (membrane filtration technology [MF], ultrafiltration [UF], nanofiltration [NF], and reverse osmosis [RO]), and UV disinfection, emphasize efficiency, cost‐effectiveness, and operational simplicity. Nanoparticles (NPs), esteemed for their elevated surface‐to‐volume ratio and reactive sites, are extensively utilized in sectors, such as cosmetics, building, and environmental cleanup. This review provides current information on significant nanocomposites for fluoride removal from water. NPs exhibiting elevated surface‐to‐volume ratios are advantageous materials for water purification, especially for the elimination of fluoride. Magnetic Fe 3 O 4 NPs, particularly Fe 3 O 4 –SiO 2 nanocomposites, have significant adsorption capacity, facile magnetic separation, durability, and reusability, rendering them very efficient for water treatment. Calcite (CaCO 3 ) NPs exhibit significant fluoride adsorption; nevertheless, their efficacy is contingent upon pH conditions. Future research must concentrate on the development of sophisticated nanocomposites, the optimization of adsorption systems, and the evaluation of regeneration capacity, lifecycle effects, and environmental safety of nanomaterials.
This study investigates the effect of natural measures on flood risk reduction in alluvial fans using hybrid hydraulic-hydrological models by implementing different natural flood management (NFM) scenarios. NFM methods are considered as sustainable flood management methods that lead to flood risk reduction. Implementing effective NFM methods leads to reducing flood velocity, increasing water storage, and increasing infiltration and soil water storage. The study area is the Abbakhsha river reach located in Bardsir City, Kerman Province, Iran, with a catchment area of 1136 km2. Numerous floods have occurred in the past in the study river section, which is located on the alluvial fan. The hydrological, topographical, and geological data are used in this analysis. HEC-HMS hydrological model, HEC-RAS 2D hydraulic model, and ArcMap software are used to examine the NFM scenarios. In this study, three scenarios consist of changing a straight river reach to a meandering form, creating an offline storage area, and planting on the floodplain of the river. The result showed that the use of NFM methods in this river reach has reduced flood risk with a 100-year return period; furthermore, the scenarios of meandering, offline storage area, and planting led to expected annual damage (EAD) reduced by 15.5%, 14%, and 13.5%, respectively. The results of this research can assist planners and decision makers in making informed decisions and policies regarding flood management using NFM in the study area.
ABSTRACT The review represents recent progress and challenges related to the removal of chromium from aqueous solutions by different adsorbent materials. The principal classes of adsorbents were biochar, activated carbon, polymeric materials, graphene oxide (GO), metal‐based composites, and bio‐adsorbents applied for Cr(VI) and Cr(III) removal performance. Biochar and bio‐adsorbents became economically viable and environmentally friendly alternatives, especially if their origin came from agricultural or industrial waste. Advanced materials like GO and polymer composites showed outstanding adsorption capacities; however, they had bottlenecks regarding cost and scalability. Metal‐based composites—nano‐zero‐valent iron and magnetite‐coated ones in particular—offered both reduction and adsorption capabilities, though some of them indeed suffered from challenges in practical application because of possible leaching of nanoparticles. Another important finding of this review is the nonuniform performance of adsorbents within real wastewater systems, which generally involve competition among contaminants and dynamic environmental conditions. Other major barriers involve economic feasibility of advanced materials, trade‐offs in efficiencies of various regeneration approaches, and lack of scalability of novel adsorbents. Emerging trends in the hybrid development of materials and in the incorporation of adsorbents with other advanced technologies, such as membranes and bioreactors, highlight efforts to overcome such limitations. Future studies should focus on developing green and low‐cost adsorbents, improving regeneration methods in an eco‐friendly manner, and conducting large‐scale field verification to confirm the process's performance in realistic conditions. Out of these knowledge gaps, a smooth route will emerge toward effective and sustainable solutions for chromium‐polluted water with grave implications in environmental protection and public health.
Accurate pollution source identification is critical for effective watershed management in highly regulated river basins, where traditional water quality indicators often lack source specificity or fail to capture the complex influence of socioeconomic drivers. This study developed an integrated methodological framework combining three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy, a Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR), and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to quantify dissolved organic matter (DOM) sources and elucidate their anthropogenic driving mechanisms in the Ningxia reach of the Yellow River. PARAFAC analysis resolved five fluorescence components, while MixSIAR and PLS-SEM were utilized to apportion sources and examine multidimensional socioeconomic impacts. MixSIAR results revealed that aquaculture non-point sources (ANS) dominated the basin (53.6%-66.1%), with a clear longitudinal transition from upstream autochthonous inputs (27.3% in Zhongwei) to intensified urban point sources peaking in the regional capital, Yinchuan (38.6%). PLS-SEM demonstrated that unified socioeconomic factors-urbanization, population density, and GDP-significantly drive both water quality (0.575) and DOM composition (0.524), while a nonsignificant pathway (0.187) between them underscores DOM's superior sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbances. This integrated framework substantially enhances the resolution of source apportionment, providing a robust and transferable diagnostic tool for tracking environmental impacts. Overall, the findings highlight the necessity of source-oriented management prioritizing aquaculture control and urban discharge regulation. Future research should incorporate finer-resolution geospatial data and localized land-use indicators to further refine these complex driving mechanisms and support adaptive, data-driven watershed governance and restoration efforts.
ABSTRACT In this study, a sulfate‐reducing bacterium, which is later identified as Desulfococcus biacutus (PQ449043), was isolated from coal mine drainage sample. A cell‐free extract (CFE) of the isolate was used for preparation of photoactive nano‐sized ZnS and copper‐doped Cu@ZnS. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) revealed polydispersed nanoparticles of the size (4–20 nm). Energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDAX) and XPS analysis confirmed the presence of element, for example, Cu, Zn, and S, whereas x‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed polycrystalline structures with (1 1 1), (2 2 0), and (3 1 1) crystallographic planes. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed characteristic molecular vibrations. Optical bandgaps were determined as 3.62 eV (ZnS) and 2.96 eV (Cu@ZnS) using the Tauc relation. Photoluminescence spectra showed excitation/emission peaks at 398/614 nm for ZnS and 384/535 nm for Cu@ZnS. The Q max for ZnS and Cu@ZnS was found to be 72.55 and 83.43 mg/g and followed Freundlich model as R 2 value of 0.963 was found to be greater than Langmuir isotherm model. The most widely used dye, methylene blue, degradation was carried out using a white light‐activated chamber with ZnS and Cu@ZnS nanoparticles, generating reactive species for dye decomposition. It is for first time where sulfur metabolizing anaerobic bacterium CFE is used for degradation of the dye. Findings of the study suggest that biofunctionalized nanoparticle particles sorbed dye first, and upon photooxidation, dye was degraded, highlighting prepared chalcogenide potential in textile effluent treatment.
Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) has attracted increasing attention as an environmentally friendly soil-solidification technique, but its combined use with vegetation for silty-slope protection remains insufficiently understood. This study investigated the feasibility of integrating EICP treatment with drought-resistant vegetation to improve the stability and erosion resistance of silty soil slopes. The experimental program included EICP spraying, vegetation cultivation, surface-characteristic observation, calcium carbonate measurement, and simulated rainfall erosion tests. The results show that EICP treatment significantly reduced soil loss and surface cracking, whereas vegetation further enhanced slope protection through root reinforcement and interception of rainfall. The optimal combined condition was obtained with a 0.5 mol/L cementing solution and seven applications of 5 mM urease solution, under which the soil loss rate was 1.64 g/min, the calcium carbonate content reached 12.5%, the surface fissure ratio was 2.22%, and the vegetation germination rate was 4%. Compared with untreated silty soil, the combined EICP-vegetation treatment reduced the erosion rate from more than 20.9 g/min to below 1.2 g/min, increased calcium carbonate content to 17.62%, and decreased the fissure ratio from 6.87% to 0.63%. However, the cementing solution inhibited vegetation emergence, reducing the germination rate from 89% to 30%-50% or lower under stronger treatments. Overall, EICP combined with vegetation provides an effective and sustainable approach for improving the erosion resistance and surface stability of silty soil slopes.
Pseudomonas putida is a multifaceted bacteria with the capability of doing bioremediation for various compounds present in the environment or released through different industrial processes. This review presents the degradation pathway of many noxious acyclic, homocyclic, and heterocyclic compounds, which have serious adverse effects. Some of these hydrocarbons can cause harm to humans by either being carcinogenic, like naphthalene, nitrobenzene, and carbazole, or being addictive, like nicotine. Even the simplest of the hydrocarbons like alkanes are capable of causing pneumonia or simply dryness and irritation to the human body. In addition, the acyclic isoprenoids are known to act as a skin irritant or a respiratory and Central nervous system (CNS) depressant. Plasmids, which are small, extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules present inside the cell, have the power to replicate independently. This review focuses on the participation of the different active genes of individual plasmids of P. putida responsible for the degradation of different compounds. It also gives a proper degradation pathway for each toxic compound stated above. In this article, the knowledge available in research papers about the compounds and the advantage of using P. putida for its removal for a better, safer, and sound environment is presented in simple language understandable to an initiator, as well as providing comprehensive information for the seasoned researcher in the field.
Silk‐based materials have emerged as potential candidates for removal of hazardous organic pollutants like dyes, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, phenolic compounds, and pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater. The natural availability, biocompatibility, good mechanical strength, and biodegradability are some of the advantages that are offered by silk‐based materials. Recently, research has been done to enhance the characteristics and stability of silk fibroins by crosslinking and mixing them with other macromolecules resulting in biodegradable silk‐based composites with excellent removal efficiencies for toxic organic pollutants. This review goes beyond earlier studies on biopolymers like chitosan and cellulose by focusing on silk's unique protein‐based structure and versatility. Further, recent studies focused on the characteristics and uses of most promising and efficient silk‐based materials in the removal of commonly used hazardous synthetic and natural organic pollutants from wastewater have been systematically discussed. In addition, the mechanism of removal and reusability of silk‐based materials has been highlighted. Further, the advantages and challenges in this direction and the future research perspectives have also been discussed.
