Afroz Karim, Ummy Habiba Sweety, Mahesh Narayan, Daisy L. Wilson
The ingestion of Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoplastics (NPs) is associated with numerous health issues. For example, PMMA exposure is hepatotoxic, and reprotoxic. Exposure induces ecchymosis, haematomas, swelling, itching, erythema, hypertrophic scarring, hypersensitivity, palpable nodules, tissue necrosis, blindness and foreign body granuloma. Nevertheless, there remain knowledge gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms by which PMMA NPs, and NPs derived from other plastics, drive the sequalae to toxicological outcomes. To begin to address these gaps, we have examined the impact of PMMA NPs exposure on the structure and function of biomolecular assemblies including proteins, cell lines and organisms (nematodes). Our results reveal that interactions between the PMMA NPs and the retinol transport protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG) resulted in altered Trp fluorescence signatures and perturbations in its secondary structure. Furthermore, exposure to the NP compromised retinol binding suggesting that the aforementioned structural changes also impacted the proteins’ hydrophobic ligand-binding site and potentially compromised its physiological role involving nutrition, vision and brain development. Furthermore, PMMA NPs accelerated fibril formation in the amyloidogenic protein Hen Egg-White Lysozyme (HEWL) suggesting that it exacerbates amyloid-forming trajectories. Ingestion of the NPs by the nematode C. elegans caused a significant decrease in the fluorescence of GFP-tagged dopaminergic neurons and compromised locomotory output, mimicking exposure to known amyloidogenic and Parkinsonian agents such as paraquat. Collectively, the findings provide insight into mechanism(s) by which PMMA NPs corrupt bimolecular structure and function, induce amyloidosis, onset neuronal injury and drive aberrant physiological and behavioral outcomes suggestive of neurotoxicity.
{"title":"Interfacial interactions between PMMA nanoplastics and a model globular protein: Towards an molecular understanding of nanoplastics-driven biological dyshomeostasis","authors":"Afroz Karim, Ummy Habiba Sweety, Mahesh Narayan, Daisy L. Wilson","doi":"10.1039/d5en00886g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00886g","url":null,"abstract":"The ingestion of Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoplastics (NPs) is associated with numerous health issues. For example, PMMA exposure is hepatotoxic, and reprotoxic. Exposure induces ecchymosis, haematomas, swelling, itching, erythema, hypertrophic scarring, hypersensitivity, palpable nodules, tissue necrosis, blindness and foreign body granuloma. Nevertheless, there remain knowledge gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms by which PMMA NPs, and NPs derived from other plastics, drive the sequalae to toxicological outcomes. To begin to address these gaps, we have examined the impact of PMMA NPs exposure on the structure and function of biomolecular assemblies including proteins, cell lines and organisms (nematodes). Our results reveal that interactions between the PMMA NPs and the retinol transport protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG) resulted in altered Trp fluorescence signatures and perturbations in its secondary structure. Furthermore, exposure to the NP compromised retinol binding suggesting that the aforementioned structural changes also impacted the proteins’ hydrophobic ligand-binding site and potentially compromised its physiological role involving nutrition, vision and brain development. Furthermore, PMMA NPs accelerated fibril formation in the amyloidogenic protein Hen Egg-White Lysozyme (HEWL) suggesting that it exacerbates amyloid-forming trajectories. Ingestion of the NPs by the nematode C. elegans caused a significant decrease in the fluorescence of GFP-tagged dopaminergic neurons and compromised locomotory output, mimicking exposure to known amyloidogenic and Parkinsonian agents such as paraquat. Collectively, the findings provide insight into mechanism(s) by which PMMA NPs corrupt bimolecular structure and function, induce amyloidosis, onset neuronal injury and drive aberrant physiological and behavioral outcomes suggestive of neurotoxicity.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145718010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bauxite residue, or red mud (RM), is a highly alkaline by-product produced during alumina extraction from bauxite. The global accumulation and unscientific disposal of RM raise concerns, considering their negative impact on the environment. In addition, the unprecedented rise in the concentration of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic biota, due to their recalcitrance to biological treatment, poses a threat to non-targeted species. To address these issues, RM was sustainably utilized to prepare beads and subsequently surface-modified (MRM beads) through alkali-assisted ultrasonication to immobilize Z-scheme Bi12O15Cl6/Fe2O3@C heterostructure for the photocatalytic degradation of a mixture of norfloxacin (NLX) and doxycycline (DCL) in a continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor. Under optimal conditions, the photocatalyst coated MRM beads achieved degradation efficiencies of 91.6% for NLX and 86.2% for DCL after a residence time of 240 min, with corresponding degradation rate constants of 0.0103 min-1 and 0.0083 min-1. The main active species responsible for NLX and DCL degradation were found to be O_2^(•-), with subsequent roles played by HO^• and h^+, as confirmed through EPR. Moreover, BFC-II coated MRM beads exhibited remarkable reusability up to six cycles, and could partially restore photocatalytic activity when heated. Moreover, XRD analysis indicated the retention of crystallographic properties, while micro-Raman spectra revealed carbon loss due to repeated calcination during regeneration. Real water matrices, negatively affected the degradation of NLX and DCL due to their intrinsic constituents. This study advocates the sustainable utilization of RM as catalyst support in a continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor, promoting waste management and scalability.
{"title":"Ultrasonically modified alumina industry waste derived red mud beads coated with Z-scheme Bi12O15Cl6/Fe2O3@C photocatalyst for enhanced degradation of antibiotics in wastewater","authors":"Adarsh Singh, Ashok Kumar Gupta","doi":"10.1039/d5en00567a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00567a","url":null,"abstract":"Bauxite residue, or red mud (RM), is a highly alkaline by-product produced during alumina extraction from bauxite. The global accumulation and unscientific disposal of RM raise concerns, considering their negative impact on the environment. In addition, the unprecedented rise in the concentration of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic biota, due to their recalcitrance to biological treatment, poses a threat to non-targeted species. To address these issues, RM was sustainably utilized to prepare beads and subsequently surface-modified (MRM beads) through alkali-assisted ultrasonication to immobilize Z-scheme Bi12O15Cl6/Fe2O3@C heterostructure for the photocatalytic degradation of a mixture of norfloxacin (NLX) and doxycycline (DCL) in a continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor. Under optimal conditions, the photocatalyst coated MRM beads achieved degradation efficiencies of 91.6% for NLX and 86.2% for DCL after a residence time of 240 min, with corresponding degradation rate constants of 0.0103 min-1 and 0.0083 min-1. The main active species responsible for NLX and DCL degradation were found to be O_2^(•-), with subsequent roles played by HO^• and h^+, as confirmed through EPR. Moreover, BFC-II coated MRM beads exhibited remarkable reusability up to six cycles, and could partially restore photocatalytic activity when heated. Moreover, XRD analysis indicated the retention of crystallographic properties, while micro-Raman spectra revealed carbon loss due to repeated calcination during regeneration. Real water matrices, negatively affected the degradation of NLX and DCL due to their intrinsic constituents. This study advocates the sustainable utilization of RM as catalyst support in a continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor, promoting waste management and scalability.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145711232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ritu Kshatriya, Yasser Bashir, Divyanshu Sikarwar, Rishabh Raj, Sovik Das
Universal and equitable accessibility to clean and affordable drinking water is one of the sustainable goals established by the United Nations General Assembly to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. However, the contamination of natural freshwater reservoirs by toxic agrochemicals like pesticides has declined the availability of safe drinking water, necessitating development of innovative mitigation approaches. Recently, bioinspired green NPs synthesized using biological entities have evolved as a sustainable choice for catalytic degradation of a broad spectrum of recalcitrant emerging pollutants, due to their conducive properties and cost-effectiveness. In this regard, the present review comprehensively examines the potential application of green nanoparticles (NPs) in (bio)electrochemical systems for effective mineralisation of pesticides. Pesticide removal in the range of 79.3 to 100.0% has been reported via green NPs, while power density up to 4.7 W/m3 has been attained in (bio)electrochemical systems. The study further highlights the antibacterial properties of green NPs, offering potential applications in the agricultural, environmental and biomedical field. This review also highlights the environmental impacts and sustainability of the green NPs along with critical limitations particularly in context of (bio)electrochemical systems. Ultimately, plausible strategies to overcome the impending challenges in green synthesis techniques have been outlined as a future perspective that will aid standardising and streamlining these novel synthesis procedures in the future.
{"title":"Green Synthesized Nanoparticles: The Next Frontier in Bioelectrochemical Mitigation of Pesticides","authors":"Ritu Kshatriya, Yasser Bashir, Divyanshu Sikarwar, Rishabh Raj, Sovik Das","doi":"10.1039/d5en00760g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00760g","url":null,"abstract":"Universal and equitable accessibility to clean and affordable drinking water is one of the sustainable goals established by the United Nations General Assembly to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. However, the contamination of natural freshwater reservoirs by toxic agrochemicals like pesticides has declined the availability of safe drinking water, necessitating development of innovative mitigation approaches. Recently, bioinspired green NPs synthesized using biological entities have evolved as a sustainable choice for catalytic degradation of a broad spectrum of recalcitrant emerging pollutants, due to their conducive properties and cost-effectiveness. In this regard, the present review comprehensively examines the potential application of green nanoparticles (NPs) in (bio)electrochemical systems for effective mineralisation of pesticides. Pesticide removal in the range of 79.3 to 100.0% has been reported via green NPs, while power density up to 4.7 W/m3 has been attained in (bio)electrochemical systems. The study further highlights the antibacterial properties of green NPs, offering potential applications in the agricultural, environmental and biomedical field. This review also highlights the environmental impacts and sustainability of the green NPs along with critical limitations particularly in context of (bio)electrochemical systems. Ultimately, plausible strategies to overcome the impending challenges in green synthesis techniques have been outlined as a future perspective that will aid standardising and streamlining these novel synthesis procedures in the future.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145711233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) offer a double-edged sword for aquatic remediation: while serving as powerful agents for pollutant removal, their inherent reactivity creates significant ecotoxicological risks. This critical review deconstructs this duality by providing an integrated analysis of remediation benefits versus mechanistic hazards. It is argued that the physicochemical properties driving remedial function—such as high surface reactivity and redox potential—are the shared origin of the molecular initiating events of toxicity. For instance, while photocatalytic ENMs can achieve >90% degradation of recalcitrant organics, this same non-selective reactivity can trigger a 1.5–2-fold increase in intracellular ROS in non-target aquatic organisms. The analysis reveals how this relationship is dynamically modulated by environmental transformations (e.g., eco-corona formation, aggregation), creating profound challenges for conventional risk assessment. Consequently, a paradigm shift from a reactive, post-hoc evaluation to a proactive Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework is advocated. This approach, which embeds mechanistic toxicology as an a priori design tool, is presented as the critical pathway to rationally decouple efficacy from hazard. Only through this integrated perspective can the transformative potential of nanoremediation for ensuring global water security be realised through sustainable design.
{"title":"The Double-Edged Nanoparticle: Remediation Benefits vs. Mechanistic Toxicity Risks in Aquatic Systems","authors":"Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo","doi":"10.1039/d5en00831j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00831j","url":null,"abstract":"Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) offer a double-edged sword for aquatic remediation: while serving as powerful agents for pollutant removal, their inherent reactivity creates significant ecotoxicological risks. This critical review deconstructs this duality by providing an integrated analysis of remediation benefits versus mechanistic hazards. It is argued that the physicochemical properties driving remedial function—such as high surface reactivity and redox potential—are the shared origin of the molecular initiating events of toxicity. For instance, while photocatalytic ENMs can achieve >90% degradation of recalcitrant organics, this same non-selective reactivity can trigger a 1.5–2-fold increase in intracellular ROS in non-target aquatic organisms. The analysis reveals how this relationship is dynamically modulated by environmental transformations (e.g., eco-corona formation, aggregation), creating profound challenges for conventional risk assessment. Consequently, a paradigm shift from a reactive, post-hoc evaluation to a proactive Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework is advocated. This approach, which embeds mechanistic toxicology as an a priori design tool, is presented as the critical pathway to rationally decouple efficacy from hazard. Only through this integrated perspective can the transformative potential of nanoremediation for ensuring global water security be realised through sustainable design.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145704852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) particles have emerged as a novel class of anthropogenic contaminants, now recognized as pervasive across all environmental compartments and in food and drinking water. Their extreme heterogeneity in size, morphology, density, polymer type, surface chemistry, and degree of aging presents major analytical challenges, with reported abundances spanning up to ten orders of magnitude. Reliable assessment of their occurrence and impacts therefore requires advanced analytical approaches capable of identifying, quantifying, fractionating, and characterizing these particles across scales. This review systematically evaluates state-of-the-art analytical strategies for MNP detection, organized into four major categories: mass-based identification methods (e.g., Py-GC/MS, TED-GC/MS, MALDI-ToF/MS), particle-based quantification techniques (e.g., µ-FTIR, µ-Raman, ToF-SIMS), separation and fractionation methods (e.g., FFF and HDC-SEC coupled with spectroscopy or mass spectrometry), and morphological and surface characterization tools (e.g., SEM/EDX, AFM-IR, Nano-FTIR, SP-ICP-MS). For each category, we critically assess detection limits, strengths, and limitations, highlighting their suitability for micro- versus nanoplastic detection. Special attention is devoted to emerging approaches that push detection toward the nanoscale, as well as the need for harmonization and standardization across methodologies. By comparing and integrating these techniques, we outline how complementary approaches can provide comprehensive characterization of MNPs and support reliable risk assessment. Finally, future perspectives are discussed for advancing analytical sensitivity, method automation, and cross-disciplinary standardization to address the global challenge of MNP pollution.
{"title":"A Comprehensive Toolkit for Micro- to Nanoplastic Analysis","authors":"Rumana Hossain, Veena Sahajwalla","doi":"10.1039/d5en00856e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00856e","url":null,"abstract":"Micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) particles have emerged as a novel class of anthropogenic contaminants, now recognized as pervasive across all environmental compartments and in food and drinking water. Their extreme heterogeneity in size, morphology, density, polymer type, surface chemistry, and degree of aging presents major analytical challenges, with reported abundances spanning up to ten orders of magnitude. Reliable assessment of their occurrence and impacts therefore requires advanced analytical approaches capable of identifying, quantifying, fractionating, and characterizing these particles across scales. This review systematically evaluates state-of-the-art analytical strategies for MNP detection, organized into four major categories: mass-based identification methods (e.g., Py-GC/MS, TED-GC/MS, MALDI-ToF/MS), particle-based quantification techniques (e.g., µ-FTIR, µ-Raman, ToF-SIMS), separation and fractionation methods (e.g., FFF and HDC-SEC coupled with spectroscopy or mass spectrometry), and morphological and surface characterization tools (e.g., SEM/EDX, AFM-IR, Nano-FTIR, SP-ICP-MS). For each category, we critically assess detection limits, strengths, and limitations, highlighting their suitability for micro- versus nanoplastic detection. Special attention is devoted to emerging approaches that push detection toward the nanoscale, as well as the need for harmonization and standardization across methodologies. By comparing and integrating these techniques, we outline how complementary approaches can provide comprehensive characterization of MNPs and support reliable risk assessment. Finally, future perspectives are discussed for advancing analytical sensitivity, method automation, and cross-disciplinary standardization to address the global challenge of MNP pollution.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145711234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caitlin G. Bresnahan, Timothy C. Schutt, Manoj K. Shukla
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “Forever Chemicals”, are a class of compounds characterized by their extremely stable C–F bonds. These molecules possess desirable properties, which has led to their widespread use in industry and household products. PFAS have been found in waterways around the world. This is concerning because PFAS have also been found to have negative health impacts on the human population. It is essential that effective adsorbent materials are developed to remove PFAS from the environment. Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene oxide are often used for water remediation and filtering purposes. Pure graphene is hydrophobic, but the presence of hydroxyl, epoxy, and carboxyl groups increases its hydrophilicity. Meanwhile, PFAS have hydrophobic tail groups and hydrophilic head groups. This work is focused on determining how the extent of oxidation in graphene oxide impacts the capture of amphiphilic PFAS. Seven graphene oxide flakes are examined which contain an oxygen coverage of 0.0, 2.4, 5.2, 7.6, 10.9, 14.5, and 17.5% oxygen by mass. In addition to becoming more hydrophilic as the oxygen content increases, the self-interaction between flakes also changes. Both factors play a role in how the materials interact with PFAS. Graphene oxide flakes with 5.2% and 7.6% oxygen by weight exhibited the highest PFAS-affinity out of all flakes studied herein.
{"title":"Oxidation vs. agglomeration: impact of graphene oxidation on self-interactions and PFAS capture","authors":"Caitlin G. Bresnahan, Timothy C. Schutt, Manoj K. Shukla","doi":"10.1039/d5en00731c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00731c","url":null,"abstract":"Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “Forever Chemicals”, are a class of compounds characterized by their extremely stable C–F bonds. These molecules possess desirable properties, which has led to their widespread use in industry and household products. PFAS have been found in waterways around the world. This is concerning because PFAS have also been found to have negative health impacts on the human population. It is essential that effective adsorbent materials are developed to remove PFAS from the environment. Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene oxide are often used for water remediation and filtering purposes. Pure graphene is hydrophobic, but the presence of hydroxyl, epoxy, and carboxyl groups increases its hydrophilicity. Meanwhile, PFAS have hydrophobic tail groups and hydrophilic head groups. This work is focused on determining how the extent of oxidation in graphene oxide impacts the capture of amphiphilic PFAS. Seven graphene oxide flakes are examined which contain an oxygen coverage of 0.0, 2.4, 5.2, 7.6, 10.9, 14.5, and 17.5% oxygen by mass. In addition to becoming more hydrophilic as the oxygen content increases, the self-interaction between flakes also changes. Both factors play a role in how the materials interact with PFAS. Graphene oxide flakes with 5.2% and 7.6% oxygen by weight exhibited the highest PFAS-affinity out of all flakes studied herein.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"142 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145711235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The escalating global demand for energy and urgent need to mitigate climate change has spurred the development of next generation carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) techniques. This study introduces a novel amine-functionalized silica nanoparticle (PEI@SiO₂-KH550 NPs) as a high-performance CO₂ carrier for CCUS applications. The nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile two-step modification process: grafting 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) onto silica nanoparticles, and followed by coating with polyethyleneimine (PEI). This design significantly enhances CO₂ absorption capacity by enriching the surface amine groups, so more CO2 will be carried into the target formation, interact with the oil and be stored underground. The resultant nanofluid (0.8 wt.% concentration) demonstrated exceptional CO₂ uptake (~100 cm³ at ambient conditions in 40 minutes) and dispersion stability (zeta potential: +38.21 mV). Rheological analyses revealed its shear-thinning behavior, ensuring injectivity in porous media. Remarkably, CO₂-saturated nanofluid reduced the dynamic interfacial tension (IFT) between crude oil and water from 19.24 mN/m to 7.82 mN/m, primarily attributed to nanoparticle adsorption at the oil-water interface and in-situ generation of surface-active carbamates. In addition, the pressure drop experiment revealed that the presence of PEI@SiO2-KH550 in the aqueous phase could significantly promote the CO2 diffusion rate and facilitate the mass transfer. Besides, molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that PEI@SiO2-KH550 enhanced the CO2 saturated-nanofluid/crude oil interaction through impacting the interfacial energy (IFE), the radial distribution function (RDF) of light and heavy oil components, the interface thickness and the CO2 diffusion coefficient. Core flooding experiments validated the dual effectiveness of the developed nanofluid, achieving 79.8% oil recovery (10% higher than the carbonated water) and 48.6% CO₂ sequestration rate (16.7% higher than carbonated water). The innovation lies in the nanoparticles’ scalable synthesis, dual functionality (CO₂ capture and interfacial modification), and compatibility with harsh reservoir conditions. This work may provide enlightening insights for integrating CO₂-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with CO₂ geological storage, advancing next-generation CCUS technology
{"title":"High-Efficiency CO₂ Capture and Oil Displacement by Amine-Engineered Silica Nanofluids Enabling Advanced CCUS","authors":"Jiang Liu, Longyu Wang, Wenzhao Sun, Runhu Li, Yuanshui Zhen, Shiyuan Guo, Bo Wang, Xingguang Xu","doi":"10.1039/d5en00628g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00628g","url":null,"abstract":"The escalating global demand for energy and urgent need to mitigate climate change has spurred the development of next generation carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) techniques. This study introduces a novel amine-functionalized silica nanoparticle (PEI@SiO₂-KH550 NPs) as a high-performance CO₂ carrier for CCUS applications. The nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile two-step modification process: grafting 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) onto silica nanoparticles, and followed by coating with polyethyleneimine (PEI). This design significantly enhances CO₂ absorption capacity by enriching the surface amine groups, so more CO2 will be carried into the target formation, interact with the oil and be stored underground. The resultant nanofluid (0.8 wt.% concentration) demonstrated exceptional CO₂ uptake (~100 cm³ at ambient conditions in 40 minutes) and dispersion stability (zeta potential: +38.21 mV). Rheological analyses revealed its shear-thinning behavior, ensuring injectivity in porous media. Remarkably, CO₂-saturated nanofluid reduced the dynamic interfacial tension (IFT) between crude oil and water from 19.24 mN/m to 7.82 mN/m, primarily attributed to nanoparticle adsorption at the oil-water interface and in-situ generation of surface-active carbamates. In addition, the pressure drop experiment revealed that the presence of PEI@SiO2-KH550 in the aqueous phase could significantly promote the CO2 diffusion rate and facilitate the mass transfer. Besides, molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that PEI@SiO2-KH550 enhanced the CO2 saturated-nanofluid/crude oil interaction through impacting the interfacial energy (IFE), the radial distribution function (RDF) of light and heavy oil components, the interface thickness and the CO2 diffusion coefficient. Core flooding experiments validated the dual effectiveness of the developed nanofluid, achieving 79.8% oil recovery (10% higher than the carbonated water) and 48.6% CO₂ sequestration rate (16.7% higher than carbonated water). The innovation lies in the nanoparticles’ scalable synthesis, dual functionality (CO₂ capture and interfacial modification), and compatibility with harsh reservoir conditions. This work may provide enlightening insights for integrating CO₂-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with CO₂ geological storage, advancing next-generation CCUS technology","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145711281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiayi Chen, Zhuang Cheng, Junyi Zhang, Zhemin Jia, Zhenggao Xiao, Le Yue, Zhenyu Wang
Chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) have a high postharvest metabolism, causing moisture loss and microbial spoilage, which shortens their shelf life, thereby imposing environmental burdens through resource waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and secondary pollution. Carbon dots (CDs), zero-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterials with particle sizes below 10 nm, show promise in food packaging and postharvest preservation. In this study, a chitosan/N-CD (CS/N-CD) composite material was developed with superior barrier, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial properties. CS/N-CD films with different N-CD ratios showed good compatibility, enhanced UV absorption, improved barrier properties (0.5% film with 11.4% lower WVP), and higher antioxidant activity (2.5% film with 66.8% DPPH scavenging). The 0.5% films showed high antibacterial rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (89.2–99.6% vs. 14.9–62.5% for pure CS). After being applied to chili pepper fruits via spraying, dipping, and film-coating, the material reduced weight loss and preserved fruit firmness (2.5-fold reduction by day 21 vs. 4.8-fold for the control). High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that CS/N-CDs altered the microbial structure; dipping increased Actinobacteria by 355.4% and suppressed Enterobacter by 98.2%, while spraying reduced Enterobacter by 82.9% and enriched Pseudomonas by 87.1%, thereby improving the microbial microenvironment during storage of the chili pepper fruit. These results show that the CS/N-CD composite exerts a synergistic preservation through a physical barrier and microbial modulation. Given the eco-friendly properties of CS/N-CDs, these findings offer insights into advancing sustainable nanocomposite-enabled postharvest preservation.
{"title":"CS/N-CD composites enhance physical barriers, antioxidant activity and microbial modulation for improved chili pepper preservation","authors":"Jiayi Chen, Zhuang Cheng, Junyi Zhang, Zhemin Jia, Zhenggao Xiao, Le Yue, Zhenyu Wang","doi":"10.1039/d5en00743g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00743g","url":null,"abstract":"Chili peppers (<em>Capsicum annuum</em> L.) have a high postharvest metabolism, causing moisture loss and microbial spoilage, which shortens their shelf life, thereby imposing environmental burdens through resource waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and secondary pollution. Carbon dots (CDs), zero-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterials with particle sizes below 10 nm, show promise in food packaging and postharvest preservation. In this study, a chitosan/N-CD (CS/N-CD) composite material was developed with superior barrier, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial properties. CS/N-CD films with different N-CD ratios showed good compatibility, enhanced UV absorption, improved barrier properties (0.5% film with 11.4% lower WVP), and higher antioxidant activity (2.5% film with 66.8% DPPH scavenging). The 0.5% films showed high antibacterial rates against <em>Escherichia coli</em> and <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (89.2–99.6% <em>vs.</em> 14.9–62.5% for pure CS). After being applied to chili pepper fruits <em>via</em> spraying, dipping, and film-coating, the material reduced weight loss and preserved fruit firmness (2.5-fold reduction by day 21 <em>vs.</em> 4.8-fold for the control). High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that CS/N-CDs altered the microbial structure; dipping increased <em>Actinobacteria</em> by 355.4% and suppressed <em>Enterobacter</em> by 98.2%, while spraying reduced <em>Enterobacter</em> by 82.9% and enriched <em>Pseudomonas</em> by 87.1%, thereby improving the microbial microenvironment during storage of the chili pepper fruit. These results show that the CS/N-CD composite exerts a synergistic preservation through a physical barrier and microbial modulation. Given the eco-friendly properties of CS/N-CDs, these findings offer insights into advancing sustainable nanocomposite-enabled postharvest preservation.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145697045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shushan Wu, Stefanie Huttelmaier, Jack Sumner, Erica Hartmann, Kimberly A Gray
Wide application and release of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) into the environment require an understanding of their potential ecological impacts, particularly under real environmental conditions. Previously we reported that low doses of photoexcited ENMs exert significant sublethal stress on bacterial outer membranes in a freshwater medium, potentially increasing bacterial susceptibility to viral infection and promoting microbial evolution and diversity. However, little is known about how ENMs may affect bacteriophage infection under environmental conditions. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of commonly used photoactive ENMs - n-TiO2, n-Ag, and their mixtures - on the infection of a filamentous coliphage, bacteriophage f1, at environmentally relevant concentrations under freshwater conditions. We also interrogate cellular surface properties and the expression of key genes associated with phage-cell interactions in response to ENM exposure. Under light, n-TiO2 or n-Ag increases bacteriophage infection, consistent with trends showing increased outer membrane permeability (OMP), F-pili-related gene expression, and pili density. Exposure to n-TiO2 + n-Ag mixtures under light, however, suppresses the effects of the individual ENMs on bacteriophage infection, despite high OMP, amplified up-regulation in F-pili and membrane protein expression, and augmented pili density. We propose that greater oxidative stress on the cell membrane induced by the photoexcited ENM mixtures in comparison to individual ENM exposure, as previously detailed, damages membrane proteins (e.g., TolA) vital to bacteriophage entry and dominates other mechanisms. Overall, our results provide mechanistic insight into the complex interactions among bacteria, bacteriophage, and ENMs, under environmentally relevant conditions, and further detail their potential ecological risks.
{"title":"Sublethal effects of photoactive engineered nanomaterials on filamentous bacteriophage infection and E. coli gene expression in freshwater","authors":"Shushan Wu, Stefanie Huttelmaier, Jack Sumner, Erica Hartmann, Kimberly A Gray","doi":"10.1039/d5en00598a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00598a","url":null,"abstract":"Wide application and release of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) into the environment require an understanding of their potential ecological impacts, particularly under real environmental conditions. Previously we reported that low doses of photoexcited ENMs exert significant sublethal stress on bacterial outer membranes in a freshwater medium, potentially increasing bacterial susceptibility to viral infection and promoting microbial evolution and diversity. However, little is known about how ENMs may affect bacteriophage infection under environmental conditions. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of commonly used photoactive ENMs - n-TiO2<small><sub></sub></small>, n-Ag, and their mixtures - on the infection of a filamentous coliphage, bacteriophage f1, at environmentally relevant concentrations under freshwater conditions. We also interrogate cellular surface properties and the expression of key genes associated with phage-cell interactions in response to ENM exposure. Under light, n-TiO2<small><sub></sub></small> or n-Ag increases bacteriophage infection, consistent with trends showing increased outer membrane permeability (OMP), F-pili-related gene expression, and pili density. Exposure to n-TiO2<small><sub></sub></small> + n-Ag mixtures under light, however, suppresses the effects of the individual ENMs on bacteriophage infection, despite high OMP, amplified up-regulation in F-pili and membrane protein expression, and augmented pili density. We propose that greater oxidative stress on the cell membrane induced by the photoexcited ENM mixtures in comparison to individual ENM exposure, as previously detailed, damages membrane proteins (e.g., TolA) vital to bacteriophage entry and dominates other mechanisms. Overall, our results provide mechanistic insight into the complex interactions among bacteria, bacteriophage, and ENMs, under environmentally relevant conditions, and further detail their potential ecological risks.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145674529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Bon, L. Pulze, S. Amoroso, E. Bertola, M. Barbaro, D. Tessaro, N. Baranzini, A. Grimaldi
Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging environmental contaminants with the potential to induce cellular stress and immune dysregulation in aquatic organisms. In this study, the freshwater leech Hirudo verbana was used as a non-conventional invertebrate model to investigate the effects of acute (24–72 hours) and chronic (1 week–1 month) exposure to polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics (PET NPs). A multidisciplinary approach combining microscopy, histology, immunocytochemistry, and qPCR was employed to evaluate PET NP uptake and biological responses. PET NPs were internalised in leech tissues and detected in macrophage-like cells. Both exposure regimes triggered a time- and dose-dependent inflammatory response, characterised by macrophage-like cell recruitment, angiogenic remodelling, and upregulation of the pro-inflammatory marker HmAIF-1. Endothelial activation was confirmed by increased CD31 expression and neovascularisation. Furthermore, oxidative stress was evidenced by altered expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes. Overall, PET NPs induced conserved immune and stress responses in H. verbana, supporting its relevance as an alternative model for nanoplastic ecotoxicology. These findings contribute to our understanding of NP-induced pathophysiology and reinforce the need for further investigation into the ecological impact of plastic pollution on freshwater invertebrates.
{"title":"Inflammatory and oxidative responses to PET nanoplastics in the leech Hirudo verbana: a comparative analysis of acute and chronic exposure","authors":"C. Bon, L. Pulze, S. Amoroso, E. Bertola, M. Barbaro, D. Tessaro, N. Baranzini, A. Grimaldi","doi":"10.1039/d5en00733j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00733j","url":null,"abstract":"Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging environmental contaminants with the potential to induce cellular stress and immune dysregulation in aquatic organisms. In this study, the freshwater leech <em>Hirudo verbana</em> was used as a non-conventional invertebrate model to investigate the effects of acute (24–72 hours) and chronic (1 week–1 month) exposure to polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics (PET NPs). A multidisciplinary approach combining microscopy, histology, immunocytochemistry, and qPCR was employed to evaluate PET NP uptake and biological responses. PET NPs were internalised in leech tissues and detected in macrophage-like cells. Both exposure regimes triggered a time- and dose-dependent inflammatory response, characterised by macrophage-like cell recruitment, angiogenic remodelling, and upregulation of the pro-inflammatory marker <em>Hm</em>AIF-1. Endothelial activation was confirmed by increased CD31 expression and neovascularisation. Furthermore, oxidative stress was evidenced by altered expression of glutathione S-transferase (<em>GST</em>) and superoxide dismutase (<em>SOD</em>) genes. Overall, PET NPs induced conserved immune and stress responses in <em>H. verbana</em>, supporting its relevance as an alternative model for nanoplastic ecotoxicology. These findings contribute to our understanding of NP-induced pathophysiology and reinforce the need for further investigation into the ecological impact of plastic pollution on freshwater invertebrates.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145664653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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