Current Pollution Reports最新文献

Purpose of Review

Climate change and hydrogeological perturbations significantly impact the availability and utility of global water resources, necessitating the need for advanced modelling approaches for effective management. Numerical models (NM) and machine learning (ML) approaches have already been explored in surface water-groundwater linkages, but limited attention has been given to their integrated application. The present study aims to bridge that gap by reviewing existing models for understanding linkages and evaluating the strengths and limitations of both approaches. This study also highlighted the potential of their combined use to enhance model accuracy, efficiency, and adaptability in complex hydrological settings.

Recent Findings

Groundwater models, including the widely used numerical models like Finite Difference Model (FDM), Finite Element Model (FEM), & Finite Volume Model (FVM), along with surface water models, are considered the most accepted models in observing the linkages. FVM, in particular, is noted for its flexibility in grid selection and conservation properties, providing ~ 90% accuracy; however, this flexibility comes at the cost of long simulation times. This review indicated that these numerical models performed simulations within seconds with an accuracy of ~ 95% when integrated with artificial intelligence and machine learning. These advancements suggest that integrating AI/ML with numerical models is a promising approach for efficient, robust GW-SW interaction modelling.

Summary

This review paper discusses the existing numerical models in groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) interactions studies and the challenges they face. This paper also highlights the need to integrate ML with these models to overcome these challenges and enhance predictive performance by improving accuracy and reducing simulation time.

The modern lifestyle has significantly increased plastic usage, leading to a surge in plastic waste accumulation in landfills, where physical, chemical, and biological degradation generate microplastics (MPs). These MPs originate from diverse polymer types such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate, with their release strongly influenced by waste composition, landfill management practices, and aging processes. The highest reported concentration of MPs in landfill leachate was 33,213 items/L in Guangzhou, China, while the lowest ranging from 0.16 to 1.10 items/L, was observed in Lahti, Finland. MPs migrate into adjacent soil, groundwater, and adjacent surface water systems, thereby altering soil physicochemical properties, disrupting aquatic food webs, and acting as carrier of co-contaminants. Their environmental fate and toxicity are governed by MPs property and surface aging, which enhances sorption capacity and bioavailability across ecosystems. Remediation technologies, including physical separation, chemical, and biological treatment, have demonstrated removal efficiencies up to 99%. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the source, types, and global distribution of MPs in landfill leachate, their environmental impacts, and emerging remediation approaches.

Graphical Abstract

Purpose of Review

The Tibetan Plateau (TP), known as the Third Pole, is an ecologically fragile and sensitive region. In recent decades, the TP has experienced an increase in airborne pollutants, which have significantly affected local and global climate and ecosystem. However, comprehensive researches on atmospheric TP aerosols, especially observation-based studies, remain limited. A full picture of the physicochemical features of TP aerosols is still lacking. This review aims to summarize the key features of ambient TP submicron aerosol chemical and physical properties, their main sources, and possible climate impacts based on researches conducted over the past two decades.

Recent Findings

Submicron aerosols over the TP generally have low mass concentrations and are often dominated by organics. Inorganics such as sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium show significant contributions over the North TP, while black carbon (BC) is important over the South TP. These inorganics are primarily contributed by human activities, such as industrial emissions and outflows from northern cities. For organic aerosols, biomass burning emissions are a key source, related to both the daily life of local people and transport from South Asia. The overall low anthropogenic impact over the TP highlights the significant role of background aerosols, which originate from local transformations within the TP and long-range transport. Corresponding to different main sources, four types of diurnal variation of submicron aerosols have been classified, and their size distributions have been summarized. Over the TP atmosphere, considerable light-absorbing aerosols (e.g. BC and brown carbon) and aerosols with climate-effect sizes may impact the climate via direct and indirect mechanisms.

Summary

This review synthesizes the current understanding of submicron aerosols over the TP, highlighting their distinct chemical and physical properties, sources, and potential climate impacts. The findings indicate that while organics dominate submicron aerosols, inorganics and BC play significant roles in specific regions. Human activities and biomass burning are identified as key contributors to aerosol loading, with background aerosols from local and long-range sources also playing a crucial part. The presence of light-absorbing aerosols and those with climate-effect sizes suggests that these particles can influence the regional climate. Overall, this review underscores the need for deeper research on TP aerosols to enhance our understanding of their complex interactions with the environment and climate.

Purpose of Review

Pollution by potentially oxic elements (PTEs) from mining activities poses a critical threat to global land ecosystems, with soils contaminated by Pb, Zn, and Cu representing a persistent environmental challenge. This review examines the case of Baiyin, a historically significant nonferrous mining hub in Northwest China, to assess the distribution, bioavailability, and risks of PTEs in mining-impacted soils. It also evaluates the effectiveness of current remediation strategies, highlighting gaps in large-scale applicability and sustainability.

Recent Findings

Baiyin, with over 70 years of intensive mining and smelting, exemplifies severe soil and water contamination, yet its transition toward ecological recovery provides a scientifically validated model for similar regions. Recent studies indicate that while physicochemical and biological remediation methods (e.g., stabilization, phytoremediation) show promise, challenges such as high costs, long-term sustainability, and secondary environmental impacts hinder widespread implementation. Emerging multidisciplinary approaches integrating advanced monitoring and hybrid remediation techniques offer potential solutions.

Summary

This review underscores the need for innovative, scalable remediation strategies and long-term environmental monitoring to mitigate ecological and human health risks in post-mining regions. Baiyin’s experience serves as a critical framework for global mining-polluted areas, informing future research and policy to balance ecological restoration with socioeconomic viability.

Purpose of Review

Plastic pollution appears to be approaching saturation, with plastics being detected ubiquitously across nearly all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, the world is witnessing a proliferation of proposed solutions to manage plastic waste, addressing a material that has transformed from a boon into a bane. This review seeks to elucidate the underlying causes and limitations of current strategies that fail to adequately address the global plastic waste crisis. Furthermore, it aims to provide a broader perspective on the issue and highlight the urgent need for a paradigm shift towards reducing plastic use in everyday life.

Recent Findings

Plastics can be a massive economic potential resource, but a major percentage of plastics are dumped in landfills or get dispersed into the environment. The application of the 3Rs ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’, was found to be getting highly overlooked, with the focus of large-scale enterprises being solely on ‘recycling’ instead of ‘reduce, and reuse’. Consumer purchasing behavior plays a crucial role in reducing plastic waste generation. This review identified several shortcomings in current recycling practices, along with a substantial scope for improvement in their efficiency and implementation. Recent studies indicate that while mechanical recycling remains the primary waste management approach, its effectiveness is reduced due to contamination, downcycling, and economic inefficiencies. The growing interest in bioplastics as an alternative to fossil-based plastics is promising, but it presents challenges in large-scale production, degradation, and proper waste disposal. Additionally, the use of recycled plastics in textiles and fashion, once considered a sustainable solution, has raised concerns due to the release of microplastics, questioning its circularity.

Summary

Currently, the techniques towards plastic waste mitigation seem to be approaching a ‘recycling economy’ instead of a ‘circular economy’. Recycling economy follows an end-of-pipe solution, where products are recycled after use, unlike the circular economy approach, which calls for a complete system redesign, i.e., reduce, reuse, and re-thinking from the start. There is a need to re-think and re-evaluate the shortcomings of solely depending upon recycling. The inefficacy of a free-size-fit approach in plastics management through recycling was identified. Future efforts should be re-engineered with 3Rs approach, while optimizing recycling efficiency, scaling up bioplastic applications, and implementing carbon circularity solutions to achieve long-term environmental sustainability. There is an urgent need to revitalize and rethink existing mitigation solutions, which urgently calls for a paradigm shift.

Purpose of Review

This review comprehensively analyzes the ecological impacts of antibiotics at environmental concentrations on microalgal communities, focusing on hormesis effects on cyanobacterial species. We discuss how these effects influence cyanobacterial growth, community succession, and the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABs), which are detrimental to aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Recent Findings

Antibiotics at environmental concentrations can stimulate cyanobacterial growth, leading to a hormesis effect characterized by biphasic dose-response curves. Such stimulation phenomenon has been observed to enhance photosynthetic capacity, increase the production of microcystins (MCs), and alter the gene expression and metabolic processes. Furthermore, the presence of antibiotics in the environment has been shown to selectively promote cyanobacterial proliferation over green algae and diatoms, potentially facilitating the outbreak of cyanobacterial blooms. The review also highlights the role of antibiotics in modulating the interactions between cyanobacteria and bacteria, as well as the impact on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic systems.

Summary

Antibiotics at environmental concentrations shape the structure of microalgal communities and promote the proliferation of cyanobacteria, which contributes to the formation of harmful blooms. The hormesis effect induced by antibiotics at low concentrations warrants critical attention in the context of aquatic ecosystem health and cyanobacterial bloom control. Future research should prioritize long-term, realistic environmental exposure scenarios, focusing on mechanisms such as community dynamics, resistance gene transmission, adaptive responses of cyanobacteria, and the potential influence of antibiotic mixtures on blooms stability and toxin production.

Purpose of Review

Plastics, owing to their durability, affordability and versatility, have become an indispensable global commodity. Unfortunately, the mismanagement of plastics has led to the widespread occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs), posing unpredictable environmental risks. Thus, it is essential to update the masses regarding this alarming situation and to acquaint them to the conventional as well as emerging plastic waste management strategies.

Recent Findings

Plastic waste management-biotechnology approaches are developing as viable solutions, as seen in Ideonella sakaiensis, a bacterium that completely degrades PET plastics within six weeks. The Aspergillus sp. fungus can destroy polyethene by as much as 70% within 21 days. Biodegradable polymers, such as PHA, can decompose in marine environments within 1.5 to 3.5 years, providing a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. Despite the challenges in scaling these remedies, the combination of microbial and enzymatic degradation holds promise for mitigating the growing threat of microplastic pollution.

Summary

Traditional plastic disposal methods, such as landfilling and incineration, present environmental limitations. Bioremediation, chemical recycling, and bioplastics offer promising, sustainable alternatives. However, economic feasibility, policy integration, and societal awareness remain critical challenges. This review provides explicit information on the invention of plastics, the scale of plastic pollution, its ecological and health hazards, and critically evaluates traditional, contemporary and emerging strategies for plastic waste remediation within the sustainability framework. A multidisciplinary approach combining technological innovation (integrated waste management system: IWM). regulatory frameworks, and public engagement is essential to mitigate plastic pollution and foster a circular economy.

Purpose of review

Acid mine drainage (AMD), characterized by low pH and high concentrations of dissolved metals, poses serious environmental threats but also offers opportunities for metal resource recovery. However, most existing reviews primarily emphasize prevention and treatment methods, often overlooking the potential for selective recovery and valorization of valuable metals. This review aims to systematically summarize and compare current technologies for the selective recovery and resource utilization of key metals, iron, manganese, and copper, from AMD, emphasizing their mechanisms, efficiencies, and interrelations with metal physicochemical properties.

Recent findings

Recent studies have explored various technologies for the selective separation of heavy metals from AMD, including neutralization precipitation, adsorption, electrochemical processes, membrane separation, and biological treatments. The efficiency and selectivity of these technologies largely depend on metal-specific properties such as ionic radius, solubility product, charge density, and Eh–pH stability. Integrated or sequential treatment systems are increasingly adopted to enhance metal-specific selectivity. Recovered metals have been successfully reused in synthesizing adsorbents and catalysts or as secondary mineral resources in metallurgical operations. Moreover, techno-economic and life-cycle analyses indicate that resource-oriented approaches can simultaneously reduce treatment costs, sludge generation, and environmental impacts.

Summary

This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of current advances in selective metal recovery from AMD, establishing clear links between metal properties, removal mechanisms, and process efficiencies. It also underscores the potential of integrating selective recovery technologies with industrial applications. Future research should focus on smart process integration, the development of low-cost and renewable materials, and the use of digital optimization tools to promote scalable, economically feasible, and sustainable AMD management aligned with circular economy principles.

Graphical Abstract

Introduction

Plastics are ubiquitous in modern life, widely used in food containers, packaging, and textiles. Micro- and nano plastics (MNPs), originating from environmental sources, agricultural practices, and packaging materials, can infiltrate the food chain, posing potential health risks.

Results

Studies have demonstrated that MNPs leach into food from both the surrounding environment and plastic packaging, with factors such as low pH and elevated temperatures significantly enhancing their release. Upon ingestion, these particles traverse biological barriers, enter systemic circulation, and accumulate in organs, including neurons and brain regions, where they disrupt normal biological processes. Mechanistically, MNPs induce neuronal damage through oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, lysosomal dysfunction, altered proinflammatory gene expression, and neurotoxicity, which can trigger pyroptosis and progressive neuronal loss, ultimately contributing to neurodegeneration.

Methods

This systematic review synthesizes studies from the past fifteen years, documenting the presence of MNPs in food and beverages, quantifying their levels, and linking their occurrence to environmental plastic pollution and packaging materials. It also highlights the role of MNPs in neurotoxicity, elucidating potential biological mechanisms leading to neuronal damage, and their possible association with neurological disorders such as cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

Conclusion

These findings underscore the urgent need for further research to track MNPs within the nervous system and to implement mitigation strategies aimed at reducing MNP contamination across the food supply chain.

Graphical Abstract

Purpose of Review

Assessing the risk of sediment phosphorus (P) release is essential for managing eutrophication in watershed. However, the crucial effects of electrolytes type and ionic strength on the potential for P release from sediments remain underexplored. This study investigates the influence of common types of electrolyte (CaCl₂, NaCl, KCl) and ionic strength (0 M, 0.001 M, 0.01 M CaCl₂) on indexes of P release from sediments.

Recent Findings

Here, our results show that (1) increasing the ionic strength in the water corresponded to an increase in the maximum adsorption capacity of sediment for P (SP_max), while the maximum desorption amount (R_max) and the equilibrium concentration of adsorbed P (EPC₀) decreased, which can be attributed to the electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged sediment surface particles and P; (2) the presence of CaCl₂ resulted in lower EPC₀ and R_max values of the sediments, while the adsorption constant (k) and SP_max were higher. There was no difference in the NaCl and KCl systems. This discrepancy is believed to be due to calcium ions being more effective in inhibiting P release from sediments as they can form Ca-P precipitates with P and precipitates with anions, promoting P deposition in sediments. Furthermore, potassium ions, due to their smaller hydration radius and lower hydration energy compared to sodium ions, facilitate a closer approach to sediment colloid adsorption layers, favoring sediment P deposition stably.

Summary

This study aims to promote the proper use of buffer solutions in standardized experiments, particularly in the sediment of heavily P-polluted watersheds, minimizing biases due to incorrect procedures, and to provide accurate data and theoretical support for the broader scientific community.

Graphical Abstract