Water Pollutants

Mercury pollution, with India ranked as the world's second-largest emitter, poses a critical environmental and public health challenge and underscores the need for rigorous research and effective mitigation strategies. Nanocellulose is derived from cellulose, the most abundant natural polymer on earth, and stands out as an excellent choice for mercury ion remediation due to its remarkable adsorption capacity, which is attributed to its high specific surface area and abundant functional groups, enabling efficient Hg(II) ion removal from contaminated water sources...

Effective treatment of oily wastewater, which is toxic and harmful and causes serious environmental pollution and health risks, has become an important research field. Membrane separation technology has emerged as a key area of investigation in oil-water separation research due to its high separation efficiency, low costs, and user-friendly operation. This review aims to report on the advances in the research of various types of separation membranes around emulsion permeance, separation efficiency, antifouling efficiency, and stimulus responsiveness...

Soil and terrestrial contamination with microplastics and nanoplastics has been discussed extensively, while tire wear particles (TWPs) have been largely overlooked. We investigated the root-surface interactions and growth response of mung bean ( Vigna radiata L.) plants exposed to tire wear particles (TWPs) (0.05, 0.1, and 0.25% w/w) and nickel sulfate (50 and 100 mg kg-1 NiSO4 ) alone and in co-exposure scenarios for the full life cycle (105 days) under soil conditions. The results show that TWPs adhered to the root surface and reduced the water and nutrient uptake by the plant, particularly at higher concentrations of TWPs (0...

In view of water and soil getting polluted by Pb(II), Zn(II), and other heavy metals in tailings and acid mine drainage (AMD), we explored the removal effect of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on Pb(II), Zn(II), and other pollutants in solution and tailings based on the microbial treatment technology. We used the scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), to reveal the mechanism of SRB treatment of tailings. The results showed that SRB had a strong removal capacity for Zn(II) at 0-40 mg/L; however, Zn(II) at 60-100 mg/L inhibited the growth of SRB...

Pharmaceutical industries produce a huge volume of emerging pollutants (EPs) that pose a threat to the aqueous environment. Biological processes have shown their inefficacy in treating many pharmaceutical products. The study assessed physicochemical parameters, EPs, heavy metals in pharmaceutical industrial wastewater, and the removal efficiency (RE) of an aerobic biological treatment plant. The study also assessed the contamination levels and risk using several indices, such as the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index ( CCME-WQI ), heavy metal pollution index ( HPI ), heavy metal evaluation index ( HEI ), and risk quotients index ( RQs )...

Protected areas are significant due to the high value of natural resources they shelter. This study's primary objective is to assess the quality status of the water resources (13 lakes and Tisa River) localized in the protected area of Tisa River on the territory of Romania. A number of 13 lakes and surface water (Tisa River) situated in the protected area through the Natura 2000 ecological network are studied. The chemistry and potential pollution status were analyzed by measuring and analyzing a set of twenty elements and sixteen physico-chemical parameters...

BACKGROUND: The Potamophylaxwinneguthi species cluster comprises species with limited distribution, currently documented from Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria. NEW INFORMATION: In this paper, we describe a new species, Potamophylaxkosovaensis sp. nov., discovered in two tributaries of the Ibër River Basin, within the Kopaonik Mountains of the Republic of Kosovo. Morphologically, males of this species closely resemble those of P.idliri Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Kučinić, 2022 from Serbia's Jastrebac Mountain and P...

The growing concerns about environmental pollution, particularly water pollution, are causing an increasing alarm in modern society. One promising approach to address this issue involves engineering existing materials to enhance their effectiveness. A one-step solvothermal reconstruction approach was used to build an eco-friendly two-dimensional (2D) AlNiZn-LDH/BDC MOF composite. The characterizations confirm the formation of a metal-organic framework (MOF) at the layered double hydroxide (LDH) surface. The resulting synthesized material, 2D AlNiZn-LDH/BDC MOF, demonstrated remarkable efficacy in decontaminating methylene blue (MB), a model cationic dye found in water systems...

Given the presence of emerging pollutants at low concentrations in water bodies, which are inevitably affected by background substances during the removal process. In this study, we synthesized molecularly imprinted catalysts (Cu/Ni-MOFs@MIP) based on bimetallic metal-organic frameworks for the targeted degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The electrostatic interaction and functional group binding of CIP with specific recognition sites on Cu/Ni-MOFs@MIP produced excellent selective recognition (Qmax was 14...

The consumption of nitrate-contaminated groundwater is often associated with potential health risks, particularly in children. This study aimed to assess the hydrochemistry and nitrate contamination in groundwater of Kerala state, India for the years 2010 and 2018 and evaluate the potential human health risks due to nitrate exposure in adults, and children through oral ingestion and dermal contact pathways. Nitrate-contaminated zones were identified by spatial mapping of nitrate concentration based on groundwater quality data of 324 wells...

In this comprehensive study, highlights emerging environmentally friendly methods to eliminating hazardous heavy metals from contaminated water, with an emphasis on bioremediation and biosorption. Breakthroughs, such as the combination of biological remediation and nanotechnology to improve the elimination of metals effectiveness and the use of genetically modified microbes for targeted pollutant breakdown. Developing biosorption materials made from agricultural waste and biochar, this indicates interesting areas for future research and emphasizes the necessity of sustainable practices in tackling heavy metal contamination in water systems...

Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly being studied mainly due to their economic importance and wide range of applications, but also for their rising environmental concentrations and potential environmental and ecotoxicological impacts. Among REEs, neodymium (Nd) is widely used in lasers, glass additives, and magnets. Currently, NdFeB-based permanent magnets are the most significant components of electronic devices and Nd is used because of its magnetic properties. In addition to REES, part of the environmental pollution related to electrical and electronic equipment, fluorescent lamps and batteries also comes from mercury (Hg)...

Excessive levels of nitrate nitrogen (NO3 - -N) could lead to ecological issues, particularly in the Yarlung Tsangpo River (YTR) region located on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the fate and sources of nitrogen to facilitate pollution mitigation efforts. Herein, multiple isotopes and source resolution models were applied to analyze key transformation processes and quantify the sources of NO3 - . The δ15 N-NO3 - and δ18 O-NO3 - isotopic compositions in the YTR varied between 1...

The analysis of hydrocarbon biomarkers in surface sediments along the Markanda River in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas was conducted to gain insights into the distribution and composition of organic matter (OM) within the sediments. This investigation is essential for comprehending how anthropogenic changes are influencing the OM dynamics in river systems. The study involved identification and quantification of various compound groups such as n-alkanes, hopanes, steranes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), linear alkyl benzenes (LABs) and phthalate esters along with their respective parametric ratios...

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a kind of emerging environmental contamination, and are commonly found in antibiotic application situations, attracting wide attention. Fish skin mucosal surface (SMS), as the contact interface between fish and water, is the first line of defense against external pollutant invasion. Antibiotics are widely used in aquaculture, and SMS may be exposed to antibiotics. However, what happens to SMS when antibiotics are applied, and whether ARGs are enriched in SMS are not clear...

Aqueous trivalent manganese [Mn(III)], an important reactive intermediate, is ubiquitous in natural surface water containing humic acid (HA). However, the effect of low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) on the formation, stability and reactivity of Mn(III) intermediate is still unknown. In this study, six LMWOAs, including oxalic acid (Oxa), salicylic acid (Sal), catechol (Cat), caffeic acid (Caf), gallic acid (Gal) and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), were selected to investigate the effects of LMWOAs on the degradation of BPA induced by in situ formed Mn(III)-L in the HA/Mn(II) system under light irradiation...

In lightly polluted water containing heavy metals, organic matter, and green microalgae, the molecular weight of organic matter may influence both the growth of green microalgae and the concentration of heavy metals. This study elucidates the effects and mechanisms by which different molecular weight fractions of fulvic acid (FA), a model dissolved organic matter component, facilitate the bioaccumulation of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in a typical green alga, Chlorella vulgaris. Findings show that the addition of FA fractions with molecular weights greater than 10 kDa significantly enhances the enrichment of total chromium and Cr(VI) in algal cells, reaching 21...

Microplastic hetero-aggregates are stable forms of microplastics in the aqueous environment. However, when disinfecting water containing microplastic hetero-aggregates, the response of them in water to different oxidizing agents and the effect on water quality have not been reported. Our results showed that Ca(ClO)2 , K2 S2 O8 , and sodium percarbonate (SPC) treatment could lead to the disaggregation of microplastic hetero-aggregates as well as a rise in cell membrane permeability, which caused a large amount of organic matter to be released...

Risk assessment and adaptation have become key focuses in the examination of urban flooding risk. In recent decades, global climate change has resulted in a high incidence of extreme weather events, notably flooding. This study introduces a spatial multi-indicator model developed for assessing flood risk at the urban agglomeration scale. A crucial addition to the model is the incorporation of an adaptive capacity within the IPCC risk framework. The model systematically considers various flood risk indicators related to the economic, social, and geographic environments of the central and southern Liaoning urban agglomeration (CSLN)...

Natural organic matter (NOM) is a major sink of radicals in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and understanding the transformation of NOM is important in water treatment. By using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) in conjunction with machine learning, we comprehensively investigated the reactivity and transformation of NOM, and the formation of organosulfates during the UV/peroxydisulfate (PDS) process. After 60 min UV/PDS treatment, the CHO formula number and dissolved organic carbon concentration significantly decreased by 83...