Aggregation is the most fundamental process affecting the fate, transport, and risks of nanoplastics in aquatic environments. Weathering of nanoplastics alters their physiochemical properties and consequently, aggregation behavior. Here, we show that two weathering pathways, including UV-irradiation (the primary aging pathway in surface water) and sulfide-induced transformation (a commom process in anoxic environments) affect aggregation and colloidal stability of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics differentially. Compared to sulfide-induced aging, UV-induced aging introduced more oxygen-containing functional groups on nanoplastic surface, even though significant amounts of O-functional groups formed during sulfide-induced aging, due to the hydroxyl radicals formed from the spontaneous oxidation of sulfide. Accordingly, UV-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-UV) exhibited a higher stability than sulfide-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-S) in a monovalent cation-dominated solution, due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion and weakened van der Waals attraction. However, stability of PS-UV was lower than that of PS-S in a divalent salt solution, due to bridging effects of divalent ions. The results underline the importance of comprehending the effects of diverse environmental weathering processes on nanoplastics hehaviors, particularly, those readily occur in anoxic environments but insufficiently investigate.
聚集是影响纳米塑料在水生环境中的归宿、迁移和风险的最基本过程。纳米塑料的风化会改变其理化性质，进而改变其聚集行为。在这里，我们展示了两种风化途径，包括紫外线照射（地表水中的主要老化途径）和硫化物诱导转化（缺氧环境中的常见过程）对聚苯乙烯（PS）纳米塑料的聚集和胶体稳定性的不同影响。与硫化物诱导老化相比，紫外线诱导老化在纳米塑料表面引入了更多的含氧官能团，尽管硫化物诱导老化过程中由于硫化物自发氧化形成的羟基自由基而形成了大量的 O 官能团。因此，在以单价阳离子为主的溶液中，紫外线老化的 PS 纳米塑料（PS-UV）比硫化物老化的 PS 纳米塑料（PS-S）表现出更高的稳定性，这是由于静电排斥力增强和范德华吸引力减弱所致。然而，由于二价离子的架桥效应，PS-UV 在二价盐溶液中的稳定性低于 PS-S。这些结果凸显了理解各种环境风化过程对纳米塑料行为的影响的重要性，尤其是那些容易在缺氧环境中发生但研究不足的影响。
{"title":"Weathering Pathways Differentially Affect Colloidal Stability of Nanoplastics","authors":"Tianchi Cao, mengting Zhao, Tong Zhang, Wei Chen","doi":"10.1039/d4en00739e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00739e","url":null,"abstract":"Aggregation is the most fundamental process affecting the fate, transport, and risks of nanoplastics in aquatic environments. Weathering of nanoplastics alters their physiochemical properties and consequently, aggregation behavior. Here, we show that two weathering pathways, including UV-irradiation (the primary aging pathway in surface water) and sulfide-induced transformation (a commom process in anoxic environments) affect aggregation and colloidal stability of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics differentially. Compared to sulfide-induced aging, UV-induced aging introduced more oxygen-containing functional groups on nanoplastic surface, even though significant amounts of O-functional groups formed during sulfide-induced aging, due to the hydroxyl radicals formed from the spontaneous oxidation of sulfide. Accordingly, UV-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-UV) exhibited a higher stability than sulfide-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-S) in a monovalent cation-dominated solution, due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion and weakened van der Waals attraction. However, stability of PS-UV was lower than that of PS-S in a divalent salt solution, due to bridging effects of divalent ions. The results underline the importance of comprehending the effects of diverse environmental weathering processes on nanoplastics hehaviors, particularly, those readily occur in anoxic environments but insufficiently investigate.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452003","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}
Changzhou Weng, Zhengqiang Zheng, Tian Chen, Zhang Lin
The effective separation of metal impurities from gypsum sludges is crucial for both environmental protection and resource recovery. However, it is seriously limited by their entrapment within calcium sulfate crystal lattices. This study presented a universal strategy for metal extraction through a combined control of mechanical force and metal species regulation, which effectively separated P, Cr, As, Sr, Cd, and Hg from gypsum sludges with separating efficiencies all above 94.0%, especially for As (99.8%) and Hg (99.2%). Such exciting effect was owed to the precise control of a two-step dehydration-rehydration transformation of gypsum. The process initiated by the mechanical force reduced gypsum particle size from the microscale (~10 μm) to the nanoscale (<50 nm), which facilitated the dehydrating process of gypsum-bassanite to exclude the doped metals. In the subsequent rehydration process, the nanoparticle was also beneficial for disrupting the calcium sulfate framework of bassanite, leading to the full release of entrapped metals. Additionally, the application of species regulation agents changed the species of released metals, preventing their re-incorporation into the calcium sulfate. This approach offered a promising method for the separation and recovery of heavy metals from gypsum sludges, providing valuable insights into the treatment of heavy metal-containing solid wastes.
{"title":"Effective Separating of Metal Impurities from Gypsum Nanosludge: Synergism of Mechanical Force and Metal Species Regulation","authors":"Changzhou Weng, Zhengqiang Zheng, Tian Chen, Zhang Lin","doi":"10.1039/d4en00799a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00799a","url":null,"abstract":"The effective separation of metal impurities from gypsum sludges is crucial for both environmental protection and resource recovery. However, it is seriously limited by their entrapment within calcium sulfate crystal lattices. This study presented a universal strategy for metal extraction through a combined control of mechanical force and metal species regulation, which effectively separated P, Cr, As, Sr, Cd, and Hg from gypsum sludges with separating efficiencies all above 94.0%, especially for As (99.8%) and Hg (99.2%). Such exciting effect was owed to the precise control of a two-step dehydration-rehydration transformation of gypsum. The process initiated by the mechanical force reduced gypsum particle size from the microscale (~10 μm) to the nanoscale (<50 nm), which facilitated the dehydrating process of gypsum-bassanite to exclude the doped metals. In the subsequent rehydration process, the nanoparticle was also beneficial for disrupting the calcium sulfate framework of bassanite, leading to the full release of entrapped metals. Additionally, the application of species regulation agents changed the species of released metals, preventing their re-incorporation into the calcium sulfate. This approach offered a promising method for the separation and recovery of heavy metals from gypsum sludges, providing valuable insights into the treatment of heavy metal-containing solid wastes.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"344 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452005","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 excessive usage of rare earth elements (REEs) as micro-fertilizers is harmful for agricultural production and environment. This study explored the potential application of carbon dots (CDs) to mitigate the effects of La contamination. The results indicate that the CDs based on citric acid (C-CDs) used can adsorb La3+ in aqueous solution system through surface carboxyl and pyrrolic-N. While no significant alteration in the total La content within mung bean seedlings was observed, the presence of C-CDs induced the conversion of La into an inactive form within the body, and significantly affected the chemical form and distribution of La in the plant body. However, with the increased concentrations, C-CDs do not effectively improve growth inhibition of seedling under the La stress but exacerbate it occurs. This may be relevant to the peroxidation damage and excess extracellular precipitates. RNA-seq results showed stronger cell wall-related synthesis under C-CDs and La co-treatment than in La treatment, which indicated the important role of cell wall in this process. Although many issues remain to be addressed, this study demonstrates that C-CDs possess distinct advantages in remediating soil La contamination without significantly impeding the plant's La absorption, thus exhibiting considerable potential for agricultural application.
过量使用稀土元素（REEs）作为微肥对农业生产和环境有害。本研究探讨了碳点（CDs）在减轻 La 污染影响方面的潜在应用。结果表明，所使用的基于柠檬酸的碳点（C-CDs）可通过表面的羧基和吡咯-N吸附水溶液体系中的 La3+。虽然绿豆幼苗体内的 La 总含量没有发生明显变化，但 C-CDs 的存在会促使 La 在体内转化为非活性形式，并显著影响 La 在植物体内的化学形态和分布。然而，随着浓度的增加，C-CDs 并不能有效改善 La 胁迫下对幼苗生长的抑制，反而会加剧这种抑制。这可能与过氧化损伤和细胞外沉淀物过多有关。RNA-seq 结果表明，在 C-CDs 和 La 共同处理下，细胞壁相关合成比 La 处理时更强，这表明细胞壁在这一过程中起着重要作用。尽管还有许多问题有待解决，但本研究表明，C-CDs 在修复土壤 La 污染方面具有独特的优势，而且不会明显阻碍植物对 La 的吸收，因此在农业应用方面具有相当大的潜力。
{"title":"Adsorption Behavior of Carbon Dots on La3+ and The Multiple Effects on The Growth of Mung Bean Seedlings under La3+ Stress","authors":"Xinanbei Liu, Xianfei Niu, Yinshuai Tian, Yue Jiang, Cheng Cheng, Ting Wang, Yiran Sun, Fang Chen, Ying Xu","doi":"10.1039/d4en00530a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00530a","url":null,"abstract":"The excessive usage of rare earth elements (REEs) as micro-fertilizers is harmful for agricultural production and environment. This study explored the potential application of carbon dots (CDs) to mitigate the effects of La contamination. The results indicate that the CDs based on citric acid (C-CDs) used can adsorb La3+ in aqueous solution system through surface carboxyl and pyrrolic-N. While no significant alteration in the total La content within mung bean seedlings was observed, the presence of C-CDs induced the conversion of La into an inactive form within the body, and significantly affected the chemical form and distribution of La in the plant body. However, with the increased concentrations, C-CDs do not effectively improve growth inhibition of seedling under the La stress but exacerbate it occurs. This may be relevant to the peroxidation damage and excess extracellular precipitates. RNA-seq results showed stronger cell wall-related synthesis under C-CDs and La co-treatment than in La treatment, which indicated the important role of cell wall in this process. Although many issues remain to be addressed, this study demonstrates that C-CDs possess distinct advantages in remediating soil La contamination without significantly impeding the plant's La absorption, thus exhibiting considerable potential for agricultural application.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142449928","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}
Kan Huang, Chengxiao Hu, Qiling Tan, Songwei Wu, Sergey Shabala, Min Yu, Xuecheng Sun
Nanozymes, as an emerging class of biomimetic enzymes, not only inherit the unique properties of nanomaterials but also endow them with catalytic functions that are similar to biological enzymes. With high designability of catalytic activity and the ability to mimic the catalytic conditions and mechanisms of biological enzymes, nanozymes progressively attract significant attention in agricultural research. This research aims to provide researchers with a comprehensive overview of this emerging tool, from preparation of nanozymes to their applications in agricultural production systems. Firstly, this review systematically summarized the selection of various elements involved in nanozyme preparation, covering both metal-based and non-metal-based materials. Secondly, it outlined the mainstream chemical and environmentally friendly nanozyme synthesis technologies, critically analyzing their advantages and limitations. Thirdly, it explored the multifaceted contributions of nanozymes within the agricultural field, encompassing enhancements in crop quality and yields, augmentation of nitrogen fixation efficiency, and stimulation of microbial activity in the plant rhizosphere, as well as the improvement of agricultural crops' resilience to environmental stresses. Finally, the research discussed the main challenges faced by nanozyme research and provided forward-looking insights for future agricultural research directions. This work significantly advances understanding of the role of nanozymes in sustainable agricultural production.
{"title":"Nanozymes as a tool to boost agricultural production: from preparation to application","authors":"Kan Huang, Chengxiao Hu, Qiling Tan, Songwei Wu, Sergey Shabala, Min Yu, Xuecheng Sun","doi":"10.1039/d4en00780h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00780h","url":null,"abstract":"Nanozymes, as an emerging class of biomimetic enzymes, not only inherit the unique properties of nanomaterials but also endow them with catalytic functions that are similar to biological enzymes. With high designability of catalytic activity and the ability to mimic the catalytic conditions and mechanisms of biological enzymes, nanozymes progressively attract significant attention in agricultural research. This research aims to provide researchers with a comprehensive overview of this emerging tool, from preparation of nanozymes to their applications in agricultural production systems. Firstly, this review systematically summarized the selection of various elements involved in nanozyme preparation, covering both metal-based and non-metal-based materials. Secondly, it outlined the mainstream chemical and environmentally friendly nanozyme synthesis technologies, critically analyzing their advantages and limitations. Thirdly, it explored the multifaceted contributions of nanozymes within the agricultural field, encompassing enhancements in crop quality and yields, augmentation of nitrogen fixation efficiency, and stimulation of microbial activity in the plant rhizosphere, as well as the improvement of agricultural crops' resilience to environmental stresses. Finally, the research discussed the main challenges faced by nanozyme research and provided forward-looking insights for future agricultural research directions. This work significantly advances understanding of the role of nanozymes in sustainable agricultural production.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"78 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142448354","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}
Fozia Ghouri, Munazzam Jawad Shahid, Shafaqat Ali, Humera Ashraf, Sarah Owdah Alomrani, Jingwen Liu, Mohammed Ali Alshehri, Shah Fahad, Muhammad Qasim Shahid
Whole-genome doubling or polyploidy increases plants' tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Cadmium (Cd) damages the plant's metabolic system, leading to decreased plant development. The role of tetraploidy and iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) in minimizing Cd toxicity in rice was investigated in this work. Diploid (E285) and tetraploid (T485) rice lines were treated with Cd (100 μM) and different doses of Fe NPs (0, 10, 25, and 50 mg L−1). The Cd exposure substantially decreased agronomic traits (root and shoot length, shoot and root fresh weight), chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant enzyme activity and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Cd toxicity effect was more pronounced in diploid rice than in tetraploid rice. The application of Fe NPs to Cd-contaminated rice plants reversed the detrimental consequences of Cd in tetraploid and diploid rice cultivars, verified by the substantial upturn in plant growth parameters, chlorophyll contents, decreased ROS, and increased levels of antioxidant enzymes. The Cd uptake was significantly reduced by tetraploidy and Fe NPs, which negatively controlled the expression patterns of Cd transporter genes (like OsNRAMP2 and OsHMA2). The strongest association was seen between diploid rice and cadmium levels in seedlings. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Cd, especially in diploid rice, caused cell structure damage that Fe NPs and tetraploidy almost repaired. This study demonstrated that tetraploidy and Fe NPs could alleviate Cd toxicity by lowering Cd accumulation, ROS, and cell damage.
{"title":"Tetraploidy and Fe2O3 nanoparticles: dual strategy to reduce the Cd-induced toxicity in rice plants by ameliorating the oxidative stress and downregulation of metal transporters","authors":"Fozia Ghouri, Munazzam Jawad Shahid, Shafaqat Ali, Humera Ashraf, Sarah Owdah Alomrani, Jingwen Liu, Mohammed Ali Alshehri, Shah Fahad, Muhammad Qasim Shahid","doi":"10.1039/d4en00470a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00470a","url":null,"abstract":"Whole-genome doubling or polyploidy increases plants' tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Cadmium (Cd) damages the plant's metabolic system, leading to decreased plant development. The role of tetraploidy and iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) in minimizing Cd toxicity in rice was investigated in this work. Diploid (E285) and tetraploid (T485) rice lines were treated with Cd (100 μM) and different doses of Fe NPs (0, 10, 25, and 50 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small>). The Cd exposure substantially decreased agronomic traits (root and shoot length, shoot and root fresh weight), chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant enzyme activity and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Cd toxicity effect was more pronounced in diploid rice than in tetraploid rice. The application of Fe NPs to Cd-contaminated rice plants reversed the detrimental consequences of Cd in tetraploid and diploid rice cultivars, verified by the substantial upturn in plant growth parameters, chlorophyll contents, decreased ROS, and increased levels of antioxidant enzymes. The Cd uptake was significantly reduced by tetraploidy and Fe NPs, which negatively controlled the expression patterns of Cd transporter genes (like <em>OsNRAMP2</em> and <em>OsHMA2</em>). The strongest association was seen between diploid rice and cadmium levels in seedlings. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Cd, especially in diploid rice, caused cell structure damage that Fe NPs and tetraploidy almost repaired. This study demonstrated that tetraploidy and Fe NPs could alleviate Cd toxicity by lowering Cd accumulation, ROS, and cell damage.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142448357","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}
Muhammad Hussnain Afzal, Wajeeha Pervaiz, Muhammad Asif, Zhuo Huang, Jiawei Dai, You Xu, Jiannan Zhu, Tiansui Zhang, Zhuang Rao, Guangfang Li, Zhengyun Wang, Hongfang Liu
Environmental pollutant sensing is essential to sustainable development of human health and ecosystem. MXenes as a category of two-dimensional materials consisting of nitrides and carbides have emerged as highly attractive candidates for electrochemical sensing of environmental pollutants including toxic gases, harmful volatile organic compounds, and biologically relevant components due to strong metallic conductivity, easy customization, abundant surface functional groups and large interlayer spacing. This comprehensive review firstly assesses environmental pollutant sensing mechanism and modular MXene electrode fabrication methods. Subsequently, the research progress of MXene has been summarized by comparing the performances in environmental pollutants detection. Next, how to improve electrochemical stability and selectivity of MXenes has been further discussed by different techniques. Finally, the faced challenges in this field and prospective directions for future research have been suggested by integrating emerging technologies and interdisciplinary approaches. The key objective of this review is to motivate engineers and materials scientists to consider incorporating MXenes into technologies for environmental protection, thereby fostering inventive solutions to urgent global issues.
{"title":"Engineering MXene for Electrochemical Environmental Pollutant Sensing","authors":"Muhammad Hussnain Afzal, Wajeeha Pervaiz, Muhammad Asif, Zhuo Huang, Jiawei Dai, You Xu, Jiannan Zhu, Tiansui Zhang, Zhuang Rao, Guangfang Li, Zhengyun Wang, Hongfang Liu","doi":"10.1039/d4en00255e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00255e","url":null,"abstract":"Environmental pollutant sensing is essential to sustainable development of human health and ecosystem. MXenes as a category of two-dimensional materials consisting of nitrides and carbides have emerged as highly attractive candidates for electrochemical sensing of environmental pollutants including toxic gases, harmful volatile organic compounds, and biologically relevant components due to strong metallic conductivity, easy customization, abundant surface functional groups and large interlayer spacing. This comprehensive review firstly assesses environmental pollutant sensing mechanism and modular MXene electrode fabrication methods. Subsequently, the research progress of MXene has been summarized by comparing the performances in environmental pollutants detection. Next, how to improve electrochemical stability and selectivity of MXenes has been further discussed by different techniques. Finally, the faced challenges in this field and prospective directions for future research have been suggested by integrating emerging technologies and interdisciplinary approaches. The key objective of this review is to motivate engineers and materials scientists to consider incorporating MXenes into technologies for environmental protection, thereby fostering inventive solutions to urgent global issues.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"230 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142439188","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}
Sichen Liu, Haotian Wang, Yumeng Xiao, Calatayud David G., Boyang Mao, gaoqi Zhang, Chenhui Yang, Lidong Wang, Meng Li
Drinking water contamination and water shortages are seriously exacerbated by industrial wastewater discharge. However, due to the high complexity of wastewater treatment systems, effective high-concentration pollutant removal and simplified wastewater recycling remain major challenges. Inspired by mangrove interconnected purification mechanisms, a novel cascade water treatment system has been developed using MoS2-g-C3N4 (MoG), an amphiphilic material, as the main and single component to directly produce drinking water from wastewater with high efficiency. This cascade system integrates membrane filtration and solar-powered water evaporation processes to produce clean water, while also overcoming the requirement for less polluted source water that is typically required for standalone solar evaporation-based clean water production. The MoG membrane, featuring an amphiphilic platform, exhibits a high removal rate for organic and heavy metal contaminants and achieves a water flow of 966 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 and an 80% efficiency in pollutant removal. The MoG-based aerogel enables nano- and micro-channels and exhibits a clean water production rate of 1.48 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun irradiation. The compact cascade system for practical use can produce drinking water that meets WHO standards from heavily polluted wastewater with an average hourly water production rate of 1.39 kg m-2 h-1. Life cycle assessment confirms that the cascade system displays significant environmental profile improvement with reduced CO2 equivalent (CO2e) levels with only 1/25 of that observed in conventional water treatment systems.
工业废水排放严重加剧了饮用水污染和水资源短缺。然而，由于废水处理系统的高度复杂性，有效去除高浓度污染物和简化废水循环利用仍是主要挑战。受红树林相互连接的净化机制的启发，一种新型级联水处理系统应运而生，它以两亲性材料 MoS2-g-C3N4 （MoG）为主要和单一成分，可直接从废水中高效生产饮用水。这种级联系统集成了膜过滤和太阳能水蒸发过程以生产清洁水，同时还克服了独立太阳能蒸发清洁水生产通常对污染较少的原水的要求。MoG 膜采用两性平台，对有机污染物和重金属污染物的去除率很高，水流量达到 966 L m-2 h-1 bar-1，污染物去除率达到 80%。基于 MoG 的气凝胶可形成纳米和微通道，在 1 个太阳光照射下的净水生产率为 1.48 kg m-2 h-1。用于实际应用的紧凑型级联系统可以从严重污染的废水中生产出符合世界卫生组织标准的饮用水，平均每小时产水量为 1.39 kg m-2 h-1。生命周期评估证实，级联系统显著改善了环境状况，二氧化碳当量（CO2e）水平仅为传统水处理系统的 1/25。
{"title":"Amphiphilic Engineering of MoS2-g-C3N4 Nanocomposites into a Mangrove-Inspired Cascade System for Sustainable Drinking Water Production","authors":"Sichen Liu, Haotian Wang, Yumeng Xiao, Calatayud David G., Boyang Mao, gaoqi Zhang, Chenhui Yang, Lidong Wang, Meng Li","doi":"10.1039/d4en00633j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00633j","url":null,"abstract":"Drinking water contamination and water shortages are seriously exacerbated by industrial wastewater discharge. However, due to the high complexity of wastewater treatment systems, effective high-concentration pollutant removal and simplified wastewater recycling remain major challenges. Inspired by mangrove interconnected purification mechanisms, a novel cascade water treatment system has been developed using MoS2-g-C3N4 (MoG), an amphiphilic material, as the main and single component to directly produce drinking water from wastewater with high efficiency. This cascade system integrates membrane filtration and solar-powered water evaporation processes to produce clean water, while also overcoming the requirement for less polluted source water that is typically required for standalone solar evaporation-based clean water production. The MoG membrane, featuring an amphiphilic platform, exhibits a high removal rate for organic and heavy metal contaminants and achieves a water flow of 966 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 and an 80% efficiency in pollutant removal. The MoG-based aerogel enables nano- and micro-channels and exhibits a clean water production rate of 1.48 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun irradiation. The compact cascade system for practical use can produce drinking water that meets WHO standards from heavily polluted wastewater with an average hourly water production rate of 1.39 kg m-2 h-1. Life cycle assessment confirms that the cascade system displays significant environmental profile improvement with reduced CO2 equivalent (CO2e) levels with only 1/25 of that observed in conventional water treatment systems.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142439620","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 use of nanotechnology to pre-treat crop seeds through seed treatments for enhancing their resistance to abiotic stresses is a promising and sustainable approach. This study demonstrates for the first time the potential of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs) in improving the tolerance of maize (Zea mays L.) exposed to drought and salt stress conditions. This study fills the current gap in understanding whether metal ferrite nanoparticles can mitigate abiotic stresses in crops, especially under hydric and saline stress. In this study, NiFe2O4 NPs were used as seed pretreatments to enhance the resistance of maize (Zea mays L.) experiencing drought and salt stress. We conducted a 7 day germination experiment and a 3-week seedling growth experiment to assess the impact of NiFe2O4 NPs on key growth parameters such as seed germination, seedling vigor, root and shoot length, and biomass accumulation. The findings indicated that under drought conditions, 40 mg L−1 NiFe2O4 NPs was the most effective concentration, leading to a substantial increase in the germination rate by 90%. Under salt stress, 20 mg L−1 was the optimal concentration, which resulted in a significant increase in seedling vigor by 521%, shoot length by 177%, and so on. In addition, NiFe2O4 NPs exhibited peroxidase (POD)-like activity, which could increase the antioxidant capacity of maize seedlings, thereby enhancing their stress tolerance. These results offer a theoretical foundation for the use of NiFe2O4 NPs in agricultural practices and highlight their unique potential for promoting plant resistance and sustainable agricultural practices. Although these results are promising, extensive research is needed to comprehensively elucidate the mechanisms through which NiFe2O4 NPs enhance stress tolerance. Future research should explore the prolonged effects of NiFe2O4 NPs on the growth of plants and yield, their potential environmental impacts, and their broader applicability. In addition, there is still a need to explore the interplay between NiFe2O4 NPs and other biotic or abiotic factors to optimize their application in agricultural systems.
{"title":"Enhancing maize stress tolerance with nickel ferrite nanoparticles: a sustainable approach to combat abiotic stresses","authors":"Yuying Tang, Yanru Ding, Muhammed Nadeem, Yuanbo Li, Weichen Zhao, Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Yukui Rui","doi":"10.1039/d4en00603h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00603h","url":null,"abstract":"The use of nanotechnology to pre-treat crop seeds through seed treatments for enhancing their resistance to abiotic stresses is a promising and sustainable approach. This study demonstrates for the first time the potential of nickel ferrite (NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small>) nanoparticles (NPs) in improving the tolerance of maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) exposed to drought and salt stress conditions. This study fills the current gap in understanding whether metal ferrite nanoparticles can mitigate abiotic stresses in crops, especially under hydric and saline stress. In this study, NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs were used as seed pretreatments to enhance the resistance of maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) experiencing drought and salt stress. We conducted a 7 day germination experiment and a 3-week seedling growth experiment to assess the impact of NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs on key growth parameters such as seed germination, seedling vigor, root and shoot length, and biomass accumulation. The findings indicated that under drought conditions, 40 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small> NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs was the most effective concentration, leading to a substantial increase in the germination rate by 90%. Under salt stress, 20 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small> was the optimal concentration, which resulted in a significant increase in seedling vigor by 521%, shoot length by 177%, and so on. In addition, NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs exhibited peroxidase (POD)-like activity, which could increase the antioxidant capacity of maize seedlings, thereby enhancing their stress tolerance. These results offer a theoretical foundation for the use of NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs in agricultural practices and highlight their unique potential for promoting plant resistance and sustainable agricultural practices. Although these results are promising, extensive research is needed to comprehensively elucidate the mechanisms through which NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs enhance stress tolerance. Future research should explore the prolonged effects of NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs on the growth of plants and yield, their potential environmental impacts, and their broader applicability. In addition, there is still a need to explore the interplay between NiFe<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>4</sub></small> NPs and other biotic or abiotic factors to optimize their application in agricultural systems.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"78 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142440746","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}
Hagay Kohay, Jonas Wielinski, Jana Reiser, Lydia A Perkins, kurt ristoph, Juan Pablo Giraldo, Gregory V. Lowry
Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles enable foliar delivery of genetic material, herbicides, and nutrients to promote plant growth and yield. Understanding foliar uptake route of nanoparticles is needed to maximize their effectiveness and avoid unwanted negative effects. In this study, we investigated how delivering layered double hydroxide (d=37±1.5 nm) through the adaxial (upper) or abaxial (lower) side of leaves affects particle uptake, nutrient delivery, and photosynthesis in tomato plants. LDH applied on the adaxial side was embedded in the cuticle and accumulated at the anticlinal pegs between epidermal cells. On the abaxial side, LDH particles penetrated the cuticle less, but the presence of the stomata enables penetration to deeper leaf layers. Accordingly, the average penetration levels of LDH relative to the cuticle were 2.47±0.07, 1.25±0.13, and 0.75±0.1 µm for adaxial, abaxial with stomata, and abaxial without stomata leaf segments, respectively. In addition, the colocalization of LDH with the cuticle was ~2.3 times lower for the adaxial application, indicating the ability to penetrate the cuticle. Despite the low adaxial stomata density, LDH-mediated delivery of magnesium (Mg) from leaves to roots was 46% higher for the adaxial than abaxial application. In addition, adaxial application leads to ~24% higher leaf CO2 assimilation rate and higher biomass accumulation. The lower efficiency from the abaxial side was, at least partially, a result of interference with the stomata functionality which reduced stomatal conductance and evapotranspiration by 28% and 25%, respectively, limiting plant photosynthesis. This study elucidates how foliar delivery pathways through different sides of the leaves affect their ability to deliver active agents into plants and consequently affect the plants’ physiological response. That knowledge enables a more efficient use of nanocarriers for agricultural applications.
{"title":"Nanocarrier Foliar Uptake Pathways Affect Delivery of Active Agents and Plant Physiological Response","authors":"Hagay Kohay, Jonas Wielinski, Jana Reiser, Lydia A Perkins, kurt ristoph, Juan Pablo Giraldo, Gregory V. Lowry","doi":"10.1039/d4en00547c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00547c","url":null,"abstract":"Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles enable foliar delivery of genetic material, herbicides, and nutrients to promote plant growth and yield. Understanding foliar uptake route of nanoparticles is needed to maximize their effectiveness and avoid unwanted negative effects. In this study, we investigated how delivering layered double hydroxide (d=37±1.5 nm) through the adaxial (upper) or abaxial (lower) side of leaves affects particle uptake, nutrient delivery, and photosynthesis in tomato plants. LDH applied on the adaxial side was embedded in the cuticle and accumulated at the anticlinal pegs between epidermal cells. On the abaxial side, LDH particles penetrated the cuticle less, but the presence of the stomata enables penetration to deeper leaf layers. Accordingly, the average penetration levels of LDH relative to the cuticle were 2.47±0.07, 1.25±0.13, and 0.75±0.1 µm for adaxial, abaxial with stomata, and abaxial without stomata leaf segments, respectively. In addition, the colocalization of LDH with the cuticle was ~2.3 times lower for the adaxial application, indicating the ability to penetrate the cuticle. Despite the low adaxial stomata density, LDH-mediated delivery of magnesium (Mg) from leaves to roots was 46% higher for the adaxial than abaxial application. In addition, adaxial application leads to ~24% higher leaf CO2 assimilation rate and higher biomass accumulation. The lower efficiency from the abaxial side was, at least partially, a result of interference with the stomata functionality which reduced stomatal conductance and evapotranspiration by 28% and 25%, respectively, limiting plant photosynthesis. This study elucidates how foliar delivery pathways through different sides of the leaves affect their ability to deliver active agents into plants and consequently affect the plants’ physiological response. That knowledge enables a more efficient use of nanocarriers for agricultural applications.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142436276","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}
Tingting Du, Wenyu Guan, Zhanhua Zhang, Chuanjia Jiang, Pedro Alvarez, Wei Chen, Tong Zhang
Copper (hydr)oxide nanomaterials are an important class of nanomaterials with various applications, including next-generation pesticides. The efficacy of these materials is largely affected by oxysulfidation, one of the most important transformation processes in the environment. Here, we show that the extent and route of oxysulfidation are facet-dependent for these materials. Specifically, oxysulfidation of Cu2O_{100} and Cu2O_{111}—two Cu2O nanomaterials with predominantly exposed {100} and {111} facets—is fast and complete, with only a hollow shell left at the end of the experiment. In comparison, oxysulfidation of Cu2O_{110}, a nanomaterial with {110} facet, is much less complete, in that, the end-product exhibits a yolk–shell structure with a large cuprite core. The varied degrees of oxysulfidation are attributable to the facet-dependent adsorption affinities of Cu2O for both oxygen and sulfide ions, leading to the formation of different initial oxysulfidation products. Unlike the porous coatings of yarrowite on Cu2O_{111} and a mixture of yarrowite and covellite on Cu2O_{100}, the condensed layer of djurleite formed on Cu2O_{110} passivates the material by sealing the surface of Cu2O, hindering subsequent copper dissolution. Consequently, Cu ion release from Cu2O_{100} and Cu2O_{111} are 2.2 and 2.4 times higher than Cu2O_{110}. These findings underline the important role of exposed facets in dictating the interfacial processes of soft metal-based nanomaterials, and have important implications for improving the efficiency of nanopesticides in redox dynamic rhizospheres to minimize the environmental impacts associated with the overuse of conventional pesticides.
{"title":"Facet-Dependent Oxysulfidation of Cu2O Nanomaterials: Implications for Improving the Efficacy of Nanopesticides","authors":"Tingting Du, Wenyu Guan, Zhanhua Zhang, Chuanjia Jiang, Pedro Alvarez, Wei Chen, Tong Zhang","doi":"10.1039/d4en00545g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00545g","url":null,"abstract":"Copper (hydr)oxide nanomaterials are an important class of nanomaterials with various applications, including next-generation pesticides. The efficacy of these materials is largely affected by oxysulfidation, one of the most important transformation processes in the environment. Here, we show that the extent and route of oxysulfidation are facet-dependent for these materials. Specifically, oxysulfidation of Cu2O_{100} and Cu2O_{111}—two Cu2O nanomaterials with predominantly exposed {100} and {111} facets—is fast and complete, with only a hollow shell left at the end of the experiment. In comparison, oxysulfidation of Cu2O_{110}, a nanomaterial with {110} facet, is much less complete, in that, the end-product exhibits a yolk–shell structure with a large cuprite core. The varied degrees of oxysulfidation are attributable to the facet-dependent adsorption affinities of Cu2O for both oxygen and sulfide ions, leading to the formation of different initial oxysulfidation products. Unlike the porous coatings of yarrowite on Cu2O_{111} and a mixture of yarrowite and covellite on Cu2O_{100}, the condensed layer of djurleite formed on Cu2O_{110} passivates the material by sealing the surface of Cu2O, hindering subsequent copper dissolution. Consequently, Cu ion release from Cu2O_{100} and Cu2O_{111} are 2.2 and 2.4 times higher than Cu2O_{110}. These findings underline the important role of exposed facets in dictating the interfacial processes of soft metal-based nanomaterials, and have important implications for improving the efficiency of nanopesticides in redox dynamic rhizospheres to minimize the environmental impacts associated with the overuse of conventional pesticides.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142431136","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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