Environmental science. Advances最新文献

Vegetable crops are increasingly exposed to new environmental conditions, including elevated temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and declining soil fertility, which threaten global food security. Traditional synthetic fertilizers and pesticides exacerbate environmental degradation. Chitosan, a biodegradable and non-toxic biopolymer derived from chitin, has been developed into nanomaterials such as nanoparticles and nanofibers. These chitosan-based nanomaterials, typically less than 100 nm in size, exhibit high biocompatibility and bioactivity, enhancing the chlorophyll content, nutrient uptake, and disease resistance in crops. Nonetheless, differences in synthetic processes and composition cause unstable efficacy, affording a 5–20% field-level increase in the yield, in comparison with 15–25% in controlled settings. This review explores current advances in chitosan nanomaterials for vegetable crop improvement under biotic and abiotic stress conditions, focusing on crops like tomatoes, potatoes, and lettuce. It critically evaluates benefits and limitations while emphasizing nanotechnology's role in achieving higher yields and environmental sustainability.

The Paraíba do Sul River Basin (PSRB), faces multiple pollution sources that may release rare earth elements (REE), yet data on their natural and anthropogenic levels remain scarce. This study provides the first spatiotemporal assessment of REE distribution in the PSRB, investigating total (TC), 0.45 µm filtered (FC), and labile (LC) concentrations in surface waters along seven distinct sites in São José dos Campos city during both wet and dry seasons. Labile concentrations were determined using passive samplers via the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique. Sum of TC (∑TCREE) ranged from 4.8 to 24 ng mL⁻¹, depending on the site and campaign. Sum of FC (∑FCREE) were higher than those reported for other Brazilian and pristine global rivers (ranged from 2.3 to 20 ng mL⁻¹) also depending on site and campaign. Maximum sum of LC (∑LCREE) was lower than 1.3 ng mL⁻¹. The high ∑FCREE/∑TCREE ratio observed (mean value of approximately 60% for both the wet and dry campaigns), combined with the low ∑LCREE/∑TCREE ratio (mean values of around 8% in the wet season and about 3% in the dry season), suggests that a substantial portion of REE is associated with particulate matter rather than being in labile complexes or truly dissolved form. While the FC showed limited seasonal variability, DGT results revealed a strong positive correlation between REE atomic number and lability during the dry season (r = 0.91). This trend was not observed in the wet season, likely due to increased hydrological variability, colloidal mobilisation, and complexation with dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The transport of REE in the PSRB was strongly influenced by colloids and the presence of Fe, Mn, and Si, particularly affecting light REE. The integration of DGT concentrations with equilibrium-based chemical speciation modelling enabled a more comprehensive assessment of REE speciation in the PSRB. Positive La, Gd, and Yb anomalies at polluted sites indicate anthropogenic inputs, with La and Gd as potential emerging contaminants. Combining DGT and conventional sampling effectively assessed REE speciation and complexes lability, supporting environmental monitoring and risk assessment.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) assessment in India's active pharmaceutical manufacturing sector is gaining momentum as organizations strive to align with global sustainability benchmarks, such as EcoVadis, SEDEX, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average index. Nearly 43% of Indian pharmaceutical organizations have established dedicated ESG- or sustainability committees as of 2024. Between financial year (FY) 2021–22 and FY 2024–25, environmental factors typically received the greatest emphasis in ESG evaluations, while the social and governance dimensions were relatively underweighted, despite their critical influence on long-term corporate resilience. This imbalance highlights the need for comprehensive and integrated assessment models. The present study examines current ESG evaluation practices and identifies the crucial need for integrated frameworks, such as EcoVadis. The regulatory environment is being shaped by the rising demands of stakeholders, particularly investors, for the disclosure of this type of non-financial information, which they use as a foundation for investment decision-making. The findings of this study provide actionable insights for policymakers, rating agencies, and industry stakeholders to refine ESG reporting standards and accelerate the transition towards holistic sustainability practices across the pharmaceutical sector.

Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) in the atmosphere are significant contributors to global climate change, although regional differences and mechanisms are poorly understood, especially in South Asia. This study examines the spatial and temporal patterns, seasonal changes, and climatic effects of CO₂ and CH₄ over Pakistan through satellite measurements (AIRS, 2002–2017), weather, and vegetation indicators (NDVI). We evaluate the contribution of human-made activities, biomass burning, and natural processes (e.g., monsoon or soil respiration) to the regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations. Moreover, we assess the contribution of long-range transportation by our neighboring areas (the Middle East and Central Asia) using HYSPLIT trajectory modeling. The results show an average yearly growth of CO₂ (2.1 ppm per year) and CH₄ (3.5 ppb per year), seasonal peaks of CO₂ (spring) and CH₄ (summer), associated with agriculture, temperature-dependent respiration, and monsoonal cycles. CO₂ and NDVI (−0.50) and CH₄ and NDVI (+0.64) depict negative and positive associations, respectively, and play the role of vegetation as a carbon sink and wetland and rice paddy emissions. Other significant findings of the study are sudden changes in GHG patterns (CO₂: 2009; and CH₄: 2007–2014) that occur with upward temperatures, indicating climate feedbacks. This study incorporates radiative forcing dynamics and air mass paths, which provide important insights into the regional GHG drivers and their climatic implications and contribute to policy interventions to reduce emission levels in South Asia. The cloud fraction had a negative correlation with both CO₂ (r = −0.36 and p < 0.04) and CH₄ (r = −0.20 and p < 0.03). The trajectories of the air mass of the rear indicate that the distant pollution of neighboring countries is a factor. Burning of crop residues, car emissions, forest burning, and others release small quantities of gases and contaminants into the air. This study compares atmospheric CO₂ and CH₄ prediction models. The dominant trend is strong linearity. In the case of CH₄, linear regression is the best and most suggested model. In the case of CO₂, ARIMA provided the most accurate forecasts by detecting minor autocorrelation. More complicated models, such as LSTM, failed to work, which proved that simpler models are effective on this kind of data.

Tributyl phosphate (TBP), a common reagent in PUREX spent fuel reprocessing, represents a significant organic pollutant and a challenging degradation target. This study leverages the inherent photocatalytic properties of uranyl ions (UO₂²⁺) for the treatment of radioactive organic waste. A uranyl–graphene oxide (U@GO) composite membrane is facilely fabricated via a one-step impregnation method. Comprehensive characterization confirmed uranyl adsorption onto GO, inducing structural and chemical modifications. Systematic photocatalytic evaluation through rhodamine B degradation revealed significantly enhanced performance of the U@GO membrane compared to free-state uranyl ions. Application of the composite membrane to TBP degradation demonstrated excellent photocatalytic efficiency, highlighting the potential of the U@GO membrane for radioactive wastewater treatment. Combined with electron spin resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance characterization, mechanistic investigation identified that uranyl ions coordinated to the GO membrane act as the primary active sites for photocatalysis. Upon light irradiation, the generated reactive oxygen species, as well as the excited uranyl ions, attack TBP to degrade it into small, harmless molecules such as CO₂ and phosphoric acid, achieving complete mineralization. This work presents a novel approach for utilizing depleted uranium in catalytic applications and offers a promising method and material for the efficient degradation of TBP.

Microplastic (MP) pollution poses increasing risks to aquatic ecosystems and, through the food chain, also to humans. Current detection methods rely on elaborate laboratory procedures such as Raman or FTIR spectroscopy, which involve extensive sample preparation, complex and costly instrumentation, and long analysis times, limiting their suitability for in situ monitoring. Reliable environmental assessment, however, requires continuous detection of MPs directly in flowing water. This study investigates the feasibility of combining fluorescence spectroscopy and interferometric particle imaging (IPI), the latter relying on particle scattering of coherent light and the detection of interference patterns, for detecting and characterising individual fluorescent MP particles under flow conditions. Each technique was initially evaluated separately to establish its feasibility. Polypropylene (PP) particles with and without incorporated fluorescent dyes were prepared, suspended in a flow-through cuvette, and illuminated by a laser diode at 445 nm. Fluorescence spectra and defocused particle images were recorded. Spectral analysis focused on emission maxima, full width at half maximum, and intensity ratios, while IPI provided information on particle type and size. Fluorescence spectroscopy enabled a clear separation between two main particle classes (yellow/green vs. orange/pink) based on spectral peak positions. Additional differentiation was achievable through intensity ratios and numerical clustering (PCA and subsequent LDA). Pure PP served as a negative control, confirming that fluorescence originates from dyes rather than the polymer matrix. However, absolute fluorescence intensities proved unreliable due to variations in particle size, dye type, and orientation. IPI images enabled the differentiation of air bubbles from PP particles and indicated the potential for particle sizing. Together, these findings demonstrate the feasibility of both fluorescence-based classification and IPI analysis under flow conditions, outlining a pathway towards simpler and more robust in situ monitoring of MPs in aquatic environments.

This study explored the CO₂ adsorption properties of amine-functionalised siliceous monoliths with enhanced efficiency for CO₂ capture. Silica cylindrical monolithic macroscopic structures were successfully prepared from the polymerization of the silica source (TEOS) condensed on surfactant Pluronic P-123 or F-127, and using acrylamide. Previously synthesized SBA-15 was also used to prepare the monolithic structure. Materials were functionalised by grafting with two aminosilanes, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylamine (AP) and N¹-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)diethylenetriamine (DT). A positive correlation was found between the amount of amines grafted and the total CO₂ uptake under pure and dry conditions. Nevertheless, the efficiency of amines (mol of CO₂ per mol of N) was lower for highly loaded samples due to reduced site accessibility. DT functionalization of the monoliths was found to produce the best results within the concentrations studied, surpassing AP-functionalized monoliths, with P-123 monolith-2DT reaching a CO₂ uptake as high as 108 mg g⁻¹ at 1 bar and 156 mg g⁻¹ at 5.5 bar (both at 45 °C). They also achieved CO₂ uptakes at 0.15 bar which were 54–87% of the values in pure CO₂, indicating the obtention of highly selective sorbents. Moreover, aminated monoliths also showed stable uptakes over 5 adsorption–desorption cycles and over 20 cycles in the case of P-123 monolith-2DT, where it maintained 79% of its initial capacity under pure CO₂ and 85% of it under 15% CO₂.

In this study, we investigate the innovative use of a low-cost dragon fruit peel-derived heterogeneous catalyst for two environmentally significant reactions: the Michael addition reactions and the methanolysis of PET waste. For the Michael addition reaction, optimal conditions were found to be 10 wt% DFPA catalyst with 0.5 mL ethyl acetate, achieving maximum conversion within 15 min. We systematically studied this transformation using three Michael donors – acetylacetone, ethyl acetoacetate, and malononitrile – and six β-nitrostyrene derivatives as acceptors. In the methanolysis of PET waste, central composite design-based response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for optimization. Statistical analysis confirmed the significance of the design experiment, with optimized conditions of 36.29 mg catalyst loading, 0.97 h reaction time, 5.7 mL methanol, and 204 °C reaction temperature, yielding 98.64% dimethyl terephthalate. The catalyst demonstrated good to excellent reusability, maintaining an 84.56% DMT yield even after the tenth cycle. Michael products were all confirmed using NMR analysis, and HPLC, FT-IR, and NMR analyses were employed for DMT confirmation.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic pollutants with widespread environmental and health threats due to their chemical stability and bioaccumulative potential. The Fenton-based degradation of PFAS demonstrates several advantages, including mild reaction conditions, operational simplicity, and cost-effectiveness, while simultaneously facing challenges such as inefficient cleavage of carbon–fluorine (C–F) bonds and low mineralization. This review comprehensively summarizes the degradation of PFASs using Fenton-based reactions, focusing on mechanisms, efficiencies, and technological advancements. Firstly, the reasons for PFAS prevalence in human society, their pathways into biological systems, the associated health risks, as well as their global distribution and contamination status are elucidated. Secondly, the current major PFAS degradation approaches are summarized, highlighting the principal advantages of Fenton-based degradation. Thirdly, a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in Fenton-based PFAS degradation technologies is reviewed, including chemical-Fenton, electro-Fenton, photo-Fenton, and photo-electro-Fenton processes. Finally, the future research directions are discussed, focusing on catalyst design optimization, structure–activity relationship, and feasibility assessment for large-scale applications. This review provides a critical foundation for advancing sustainable PFAS remediation technologies.

We highlight that the commentary by Peters which uses a CREED/CRED risk assessment framework supports the previous government reports that rejected the pyridine hypothesis and considers the previous evidence as unreliable. This reaffirms our conclusions that pyridine didn't kill the Teesside crabs.