Current Pollution Reports最新文献

Purpose of Review

The exponentially increasing plastic pollution in environment requires effective and sustainable biodegradation methods. Superworm (larvae of Zophobas atratus also known as Zophobas morio) have been shown to ingest and degrade plastics/microplastics depending on environmental conditions. Because there is no sufficient knowledge of the effect of plastics/microplastics on superworms and analysis of their degradation mechanism, it is timely to provide more evidences to demonstrate their capability, impact, degradation pathways, and remaining challenges. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively discuss the ability of superworms to degrade plastics or microplastics (MPs).

Recent Findings

Superworms have demonstrated the ability to metabolize various types of plastics or MPs into carbon dioxide and larval biomass. The degradation process involves depolymerization and subsequent microbial action within their gut, leading to a reduction in the size and chemical complexity of the plastics. Microbes such as Pseudomonas sp., Enterobacteriaceae sp., and Enterococcus sp. have been commonly observed in the gut of superworms.

Summary

This review showed that most previous works focus on the use of superworms to degrade/remove PS, whereas other types of plastic polymers, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), have not been explored. Implementation of this technology has the potential to significantly reduce plastic pollution and support environmental sustainability solutions.

Purpose of Review

Nanotechnology has transformed various aspects of contemporary life, technology, and research. This is evident in the rising global demand for and use of nanoparticles, leading to a corresponding increase in their discharge into the environment through diverse human activities. In the last few years, the rampant use of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) has piqued interest.

Recent Findings

CuO-NPs are widespread and tend to remain in the environment, enabling them to increase in concentration through the food chain and ultimately impact human health. When aquatic organisms are exposed to CuO-NPs, it may cause oxidative stress. This can change proteins, cause lipid peroxidation, and damage DNA. This can ultimately cause cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and epigenetic changes.

Summary

CuO-NPs produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can have various consequences for organisms and the environment. The objective of the review was to introduce a refreshed audit on the ecotoxicity, a comparison of systems related to CuO-NPs, and an assessment of the safe limit to prevent chronic toxicity across different taxa: aquatic invertebrates, plants, and algae. Additionally, the article briefly discusses the existing knowledge gaps in this area and makes recommendations for future research.

Purpose of Review

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes have emerged as a promising technology to efficiently remove recalcitrant organic pollutants. Electro-Fenton (EF) processes are highlighted due to fast reaction kinetics, facile operating parameters, and low energy consumption. Nanomaterials with competitive surface area and catalytic activity, such as metal–organic frameworks (MOF), are being explored as catalysts to make the EF treatment process more effective. This paper reviews the recent trends in implementing iron-based MOFs in electrochemical Fenton-based technologies while highlighting needed improvements to further bolster their potential for industrial application.

Recent Findings

The majority of early research to design iron-based MOF catalysts has utilized MOF pyrolysis to design catalysts that outperform traditional iron catalysts in terms of stability and degradation efficiency. Research focus has now shifted to designing stable pure MOF catalyst material instead of MOF-derived catalysts for EF treatment, often by complementing iron with the addition of a second metal. Designing pure iron–based MOF catalysts that can be employed directly in suspension instead of embedded upon a cathode can simplify catalyst synthesis and application, bolstering their potential for industrial use. These new methods have demonstrated efficacy in both acidic and basic pH operating conditions while extending the life cycles of catalysts to achieve high removal of trace pharmaceuticals and organic dyes. Despite this, factors such as complicated synthesis and limited understanding around catalyst stability in realistic water conditions still present concern for further research improvement.

Summary

This study explores how iron-based MOFs have been used to enhance as a competitive catalyst for both electro-Fenton and heterogeneous photoelectro-Fenton (HPEF) processes for water/wastewater treatment, but other engineering considerations such as reusability and operating conditions must be improved to advance this emerging process towards higher technology readiness levels. Through this study, current research is critiqued to provide a research roadmap towards successful MOF catalyst implementation.

Purpose of Review

Antibiotics are widely distributed in aquatic environment and pose a potential risk to ecosystems at trace levels. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been considered a sustainable and low-cost solution for pollutant removal. Therefore, the theme of antibiotic removal in constructed wetlands has become very important.

Recent Findings

Many studies have reviewed the removal performance of antibiotics in different CWs. The properties of antibiotics (such as pKa, LogKow, and toxicity) are reported, which are not linked with their removal performance in different CWs. The dominant pathways for antibiotic removal in different CW configurations remain unknown. Removal of conventional pollutant and antibiotic in CWs are independently studied. The impacts of antibiotic involvement on conventional pollutant removal and changes in microbial communities in CWs need further investigation.

Summary

This review summarized the removal performance of commonly used antibiotics in different types of CWs and identified the specific types of antibiotics (i.e., β-lactams, macrolides, and sulfonamides) that are relatively difficult to remove. It systematically illustrated the mechanisms of essential CW components and their interactions on antibiotic removal. It also discussed the correlation between antibiotic properties and their removal efficiencies, indicating the dominant removal pathways in three CW types. Furtherly, this review analyzed the key operational factor regulation and CW structure modifications on antibiotic removal. Additionally, it concluded that antibiotics generally inhibited the removal of some traditional pollutants (excluding NH₄⁺-N) based on the data from current reports.

Graphical Abstract

Agriculture systems worldwide rely on synthetic fertilizers to meet the food production demand of the burgeoning population. Over the decades, the abundant use of these synthetic chemicals has posed a significant threat to the environment and declined crop nutrient uptake efficiency (NUE). Nanocarriers can modulate nutrient release kinetics and extend their availability in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, improving NUE and crop nutrition. Our review provides insights into the role of nano-fertilizers (NFs) in promoting sustainable agriculture, various macro- and micronutrient fertilizers and formulations and green synthesis methods. An extensive and systematic literature review was conducted, and the data under various sections has been identified using a computerized bibliographic search via the Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and CAB abstracts, as well as several websites. Over the past decade, considerable research has been conducted employing the NFs for crop nutrition, development, doses and formulations, improving NUE, impacting crop stress resilience, improving economic viability and environmental sustainability and promoting safety. Use of NFs over conventional fertilizers has yielded a positive and significant impact, encompassing all crop production scenarios. NFs provided sustained nourishment to crops throughout the development phases, from germination to harvest, while minimizing the runoff and leachate losses and improving soil properties. Several advancements in the NFs production utilizing green synthesis methods involving microbes and plant materials are developed to reduce pollution, environmental hazards and global warming. Conventional fertilizers possess major constraints like dynamic chemical forms, which are more challenging for plants to absorb and do not provide sustained release of nutrients. NFs are the best alternatives to increase nutrient uptake, crop yield and soil productivity. However, the synthesis approaches involve high-energy and aggressive chemical reagents. The green synthesis of NFs remains the sustainable, eco-friendly, economically viable, reliable and energy-efficient approach which uses microbial and plant extracts. However, the future potential of NFs in promoting sustainability relies on toxicology research that reveals their limitations, offering a thorough understanding of safe crop nutrition with NFs.

Introduction

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is a significant environmental and public health concern. Chemical concentrations and toxicity of PM_2.5 vary depending on its sources and environmental conditions, necessitating a detailed understanding of their characteristics and respective health impacts.

Methodology

A scientific literature search was conducted using different sources such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, covering publications from January 2020 to May 2024. The search terms included ambient fine particulate matter, PM_2.5 chemical constituent, health effects of PM_2.5, sources of PM_2.5, and other related keywords.

Results

The review identified various concentrations of PM_2.5 ranging between (10–250 μg/m³), and their chemical constituents such as SO₄²⁻ (1.0–25.0 μg/m³), NO₃⁻ (0.3–20 μg/m³), NH₄⁺ (0.2–1.5 μg/m³), OM (1–35 μg/m³), and BC (0.5–40 μg/m³), metals, and trace elements. Major sources of PM_2.5 identified include vehicle emissions, industrial processes, residential heating, and natural phenomena. Health effects associated with PM_2.5 exposure encompassed respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and neurological disorders. The toxicological profiles of specific chemical components were highlighted, and the potential mechanisms underlying these health effects were discussed.

Conclusion

The findings emphasize the need for targeted mitigation strategies to reduce PM_2.5 emissions concentrations and exposure. Future research should focus on advancing analytical techniques for pollutant dispersion and evaluating the effectiveness of intervention measures.

Purpose of review

This study aims to investigate anthropogenic noise impact on avian species by means of a systematic review of literature.

Recent findings

Based on previous anthropogenic noise impact frameworks, it was possible to: clarify the impacts of noise on birds; optimise the existing frameworks with findings produced over 44 years; recategorise noise impacts into more appropriate categories, indicating which are the positive and negatives, as well as acute and chronic impacts caused by anthropogenic noise; provide a significant cluster model of anthropogenic noise impacts on avian species subdivided into impacts on ‘Behaviour’ and ‘Communication/Perception’ (Cluster 1) and ‘Physiology’ (Cluster 2); and show how avian hearing frequency range overlaps noise source frequency range.

Summary

This research adopted the database of Peacock et al. [1, 2] regarding avian species due to its vast coverage across taxa. A systematic literature review of 50 peer-reviewed papers about anthropogenic noise impact on birds was undertaken. A Two-Step Cluster analysis was calculated, showing the data subdivided into two clusters. Cluster 1 (76.9%) showed behavioural responses mainly composed of negative and auditory perception and communication impacts, presenting positive or negative noise impacts. Cluster 2 (23.1%) mainly showed negative impacts on physiological outcomes caused by traffic, anthropogenic, and background noise.

Purpose of Review

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are prevalent environmental contaminants detected in materials such as soils, biosolids, and wastes. Understanding PFAS leaching is crucial for assessing risks associated with leaving impacted material in place, reuse, or disposal. However, there is limited guidance on laboratory methods to measure extent and rate of leaching. This review aims to identify the best methods for assessing PFAS leaching that are reflective of relevant release scenarios.

Recent Findings

Various methods have been applied to assess PFAS leaching from contaminated materials. The most common are batch leaching methods that simulate particular conditions (e.g. rainfall, landfill), with the intention of providing conservative estimates (worst-case scenarios) of cumulative PFAS release over time. Columns, static leaching, and rainfall simulators are also used to simulate less aggressive field-like conditions. While less common, pan and suction lysimeters have been used to measure PFAS leaching in situ. Most methods use saturated conditions that do not account for the possible influence of air–water interface accumulation and wetting–drying cycles on leaching. A notable gap is the scarcity of data benchmarking laboratory-leached concentrations with real-world PFAS concentrations. Establishing this relationship is crucial for reliable laboratory protocols.

Summary

This article reviews methods for estimating leaching of PFAS from contaminated materials. Given the variety of methods, selecting those that best simulate assessment objectives is essential. Specific scenarios requiring PFAS leaching assessment, such as leaving materials in place, reuse, and disposal, are discussed. The knowledge gaps presented could be used to improve existing leaching methods for better predictions and understanding of PFAS leachability.

Graphical Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review takes summarizing the interaction mechanisms between microalgae and bacteria as the starting point, aiming to outline the superiorities, influencing factors, and reinforcement strategies of microalgae-bacteria consortia in treating swine wastewater.

Recent Findings

It is reported that approximately 1.12 × 10¹⁰ tons of swine wastewater is generated yearly. Swine wastewater contains copious nutrients and suspended solids (SS), as well as antibiotics, heavy metals, hormones, and pathogens; it will cause profound jeopardy to human health and the ecosystem without effective disposal. Fortunately, the constructed microalgae-bacteria consortia is a promising microbial treatment system that can efficiently treat swine wastewater. Several cases demonstrated that microalgae-bacteria consortia could remove more than 80% of nutrients and over 70% of heavy metals, antibiotics, and hormones in swine wastewater.

Summary

This review takes the interaction mechanisms of microalgae and bacteria as the starting point, expounds on why to use microalgae-bacteria consortia to treat swine wastewater, and then summarizes how to further improve the comprehensive treatment performance from the perspectives of influence factors and reinforcement strategies. Based on the above writing ideas, this review first introduces the interaction mechanisms between microalgae and bacteria in swine wastewater treatment and elaborates on the ascendancy of microalgae-bacteria consortia. Subsequently, the specific influence and corresponding pivotal mechanisms of swine wastewater characteristics and other factors on treatment effects are summarized. In addition, atmospheric and room-temperature plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis, 3D/4D bioprinting, and other burgeoning strategies that can upgrade the treatment performance of swine wastewater are also recommended.

Graphical Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous; persistent environmental pollutants generated mostly during the incomplete combustion of organic materials. Because of the dangers that bioavailable PAH fraction pose to receptors, the necessity of the site, the degree of exposure, and the potential for toxicity, remediation of PAH-contaminated locations is crucial. Recent findings suggest that organic amendments, such as compost, manure, and cover crops, play a crucial role in improving soil/sediment health by increasing organic matter content, enhancing structure, fostering beneficial microbial activity, and removing the pollutants. Moreover, they contribute to nutrient cycling and retention, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers, and mitigating their adverse effects on the environment. In summary, it is considered that organic amendments offer promising solutions for sustainable remediation, restoration, and agriculture practise, promoting soil/sediment health and productivity while reducing environmental impacts. However, there remains a critical gap in understanding the effects of these materials, their preparation and application into the environment on groundwater quality, and their long-term impacts on sediment, water, and soil quality. This review paper aims to identify future research directions and open further questions based on what has been published so far in this area.

Graphical Abstract