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Effluents from many industries are one of the major sources of water pollution and represent important environmental problems. Generally, paper recycling process generates large amounts of wastewater. Electrocoagulation (EC) is an evolving technology that has been effectively applied in the treatment of industrial wastewater containing various pollutants, such as textile wastewaters or chemical mechanical polishing wastewaters. This technique has a great ability to remove the pollutants from water due to its high efficiency, economically attractive and relatively lower sludge formation compared with other conventional processes such as biological, physical, chemical, adsorption and advanced oxidation processes. However, electrocoagulation (EC) process has been proposed as alternative to biological, physical and chemical methods due to its environmentally friendly and cheap to operate. This paper presents the experimental results obtained by applying the electrocoagulation method for removing the organic pollutants (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) from wastewaters generated in the paper mill that use as raw materials recycled papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, eight compounds have been identified and quantified from the samples collected from paper-recycling process water discharge areas. In particular, five aryl hydrocarbons, including a novel chlorinated aryl ether, were identified for the first time as environmental pollutants. In the effluent stream, concentration levels of up to 1600μgL−1 and 190μgg−1 were detected in the surface water and surface sediment, respectively. The results of this study have raised concerns regarding the organic chemicals used in thermal paper and the environmental consequences of their release. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Visualized test of environmental water pollution: Design of Au NCs-CDs-test paper/PVA film for ratiometric fluorescent sensing of sulfide. [Display omitted] • A visual sensing platform for H 2 S and temperature was designed. • An orange and green dual-emitting Au NCs-CDs nanocomposite was prepared. • Au NCs-CDs-based test paper was used for S2− and H 2 S detection with smartphone. • Meat spoilage detection was realized by Au NCs-CDs PVA film. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is an environmental pollutant, and also the major released gas during the decay of meat products. To protect the ecological environment and human health, the establishment of a swift, convenient, and accurate detection method for H 2 S becomes essential. However, existing methods are still suffering from complex synthesis, high toxicity, poor visualization, and high detection limit. Herein, Au NCs-CDs nanocomposite-based test paper and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film are combined with a smartphone for sensitive and specific sulfide visualized monitoring. After the addition of sulfide, the fluorescence color changes from orange to green, achieving a quantitative linearity towards sulfide from 5 nM to 30 μM, with a low detection limit of 4.20 nM. The proposed method shows practicability in natural water samples. Furthermore, distinct fluorescence color variation is shown towards H 2 S originating from spoiled meat, showing the potential application prospect of Au NCs-CDs-PVA film as a meat freshness detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel MOG with muti-functional detection of Fe(III) and Cr(VI) was fabricated. • We firstly reported the test paper fabricated by In Situ growth based on MOG. Heavy metals, like iron and chromium(Cr), have been proved to be a serious pollutant to environmental and biological systems. Long-term exposure to Cr(VI) ions through drinking water is harmful to human and will cause some serious diseases. Therefore, exploring new method for selective and rapid detection of such specific pollutants in water is crucial for environmental protection and human health. Herein, a novel functional metal organic gel(MOG) was successfully fabricated. Its detection limit of Cr(VI) was 2.4 × 10−8 mol·L−1 in aqueous solution, and 1.2 × 10−6 mol·L−1 for Fe(III) Based on the excellent deformability of MOG materials, a fluorescent test paper which could realize visible detection of Cr(VI) was fabricated by the in situ growth of Zn-MOGs onto the filter paper. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first sample of Zn-MOGs Based Test Paper (Zn-MOGs-FP) fabricated by in situ growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difficulty of recycling and low photocatalytic efficiency in the visible light significantly limit the use of nano-TiO2 in water pollution control. In this work, Bucky papers (BPs), which play a vital role for adsorption of pollutants and transfer of electrons, are introduced as substrates to fabricate and anchor TiO2 nanorods by a facile hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic properties of the TiO2 and BP composites (TiO2@BP) are studied by photodegrading methylene blue in water solutions. It is found that TiO2@BP possesses four times photocatalytic efficiency for methylene blue of TiO2@Si under ultraviolet light irradiation and 10 times under visible light irradiation. This is considered to be attributed to the synergic effect of TiO2@BP system and surface defects of TiO2 nanorods. The TiO2@BP also shows a stable photocatalytic property even after five cyclic photocatalytic degradation. This study indicates that TiO2@BP is a promising candidate for photocatalytic applications, which provides a reference for further research on synthesis of reusable photocatalysts with higher efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, biochar has been effectively used in water remediation and for improving soil fertility. Due to an aggravated desire for zero pollution and green technology, biochar application is gaining interest in wastewater treatment. Adsorption has been regarded as a clean and less costly technology to decontaminate water laden with harmful materials including heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, herbicides etc. Therefore, a review of the effectiveness of biochar derived from different feedstocks used as adsorbents is given in this paper. These include biochar from agricultural and forest residues, industrial by-products and waste, municipal solid waste materials, waste tyres and paper. In addition, this study reveals the effect of surface functional groups, surface charges, surface area, elemental composition and other parameters such as pyrolysis temperature, adsorbent and adsorbate concentrations, solution pH and others on the removal efficiencies. To achieve this, studies have been compiled using biochar derived from agricultural and forest residues. It was found that biochar feedstocks and pyrolysis temperature determine most of the biochar characteristics and their behaviour during removal of contaminants. Among these characteristics are the oxygenated surface functional groups which were found to aid in the removal of positively charged contaminant due to their negative charge hence electrostatic attraction. Furthermore, other reaction mechanisms involved during adsorption include surface complexation, ion exchange, chelation etc. Kinetic models were used to predict these mechanisms while kinetic isotherms predicted whether monolayer or multilayer adsorption occurred. This study has revealed that conversion of biomass to biochar offers an excellent alternative to waste management, wastewater treatment and green technology therefore intensive research on this topic should be of priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After six iterations of adsorption-desorption, the adsorption performance of the PDA/PEI-TPU NFMs did not decrease significantly, which indicated that the PDA/PEI-TPU NFMs had a potential application for the removal of Cr molecules by adsorption from wastewater. The paper "Different Adsorption Behaviors and Mechanisms of Anionic Azo Dyes on Polydopamine-Polyethyleneimine Modified Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanofiber Membranes" [[11]] successfully developed a method for removal of anionic azo dyes using the polydopamine-polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified TPU nanofiber membranes (PDA/PEI-TPU NFMs). Water pollution and control are becoming increasingly important in the global context of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. 10.3390/w14213472 11 Sun J., Zhou Y., Jiang X., Fan J. Different Adsorption Behaviors and Mechanisms of Anionic Azo Dyes on Polydopamine-Polyethyleneimine Modified Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanofiber Membranes. [Extracted from the article]

Sensitive detection of toxic substances in drinking water is always a difficult problem in electrochemical applications. This paper presents a new electrode enhanced with nanomaterials for the sensitive detection of nitrobenzene (NB). A bimetallic Cu5Zn8 alloy was created using the copper-zeolitic imidazole framework (Cu/ZIF-8). Based on this, we synthesized a Cu5Zn8@SiO2/nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) composite. The experimental results showed that the Cu5Zn8@SiO2/NC composite has good conductivity and electron transfer ability, which was conducive to the reduction of NB. The fabricated Cu5Zn8@SiO2/NC electrode has a wide linear range with a low detection limit for the reduction of NB. At the same time, it has better anti-interference ability and reproducibility. Additionally, with good recoveries, Cu5Zn8@SiO2/NC was successfully used to monitor NB in tap water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild-caught European perch (Perca fluviatilis) were exposed in the laboratory to untreated bleached pulp and paper mill effluent in two separate experiments. The first experiment was conducted at 7-8°C using effluent concentrations of 5 and 10%, and the second experiment was conducted at ambient river temperature of 4-20°C using an effluent concentration of 1%. Trichodinid ciliates were identified and enumerated at the end of the exposure using a mucus subsampling technique from gill and skin as well as a formalin immersion technique, which provided total counts on each fish. Four different trichodinid species were identified on the fish. Prevalence of infection, mean number, and mean density of Trichodina spp. decreased on fish exposed to effluents compared with controls. Prevalence of infection, mean number, and mean density of Trichodinella epizootica decreased on fish exposed to 5% and 10% effluents but increased on fish exposed to 1% effluents compared with controls. These results demonstrate that trichodinid ciliates vary in their susceptibility to at least certain types of contaminants and cautions against using trichodinids as environmental indicators without delineating species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose in the nano regime, defined as nanocellulose, has been intensively used for water treatment. Nanocellulose can be produced in various forms, including colloidal, water redispersible powders, films, membranes, papers, hydrogels/aerogels, and three-dimensional (3D) objects. They were reported for the removal of water contaminants, e.g., heavy metals, dyes, drugs, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, microbial cells, and other pollutants from water systems. This review summarized the recent technologies for water treatment using nanocellulose-based materials. A scientometric analysis of the topic was also included. Cellulose-based materials enable the removal of water contaminants, and salts offer advanced technologies for water desalination. They are widely used as substrates, adsorbents, and catalysts. They were applied for pollutant removal via several methods such as adsorption, filtration, disinfection, coagulation/flocculation, chemical precipitation, sedimentation, filtration (e.g., ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF)), electrofiltration (electrodialysis), ion-exchange, chelation, catalysis, and photocatalysis. Processing cellulose into commercial products enables the wide use of nanocellulose-based materials as adsorbents and catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial dyes are considered one of the main causes of increased water pollution of water. Many businesses, such as steel and paper, are located along riverbanks because they require large amounts of water in their manufacturing processes, and their wastes, which contain acids, alkalis, dyes, and other chemicals, are dumped and poured into rivers as effluents. For example, chemical enterprises producing aluminum emit a significant quantity of fluoride into the air and effluents into water bodies. Fertilizer facilities produce a lot of ammonia, whereas steel plants produce cyanide. Many nations consider employing wastewater treatment plants using physical, biological, and chemical methods to clean the wastewater to address environmental crises. The treated water can be used for targeting the irrigation systems in its majority, as it is biologically acceptable for that specific use, industrial dyes are considered one of the leading causes of increased water pollution of water. Many businesses, such as steel and paper, are located along riverbanks because they require large amounts of water in their manufacturing processes, and their wastes, which contain acids, alkalis, dyes, and other chemicals, are dumped and poured into rivers as effluents. For example, chemical enterprises producing aluminum emit a significant quantity of fluoride into the air and effluents into water bodies. Fertilizer facilities produce much ammonia, whereas steel plants produce cyanide. Chromium salts are used in. Many nations consider employing wastewater treatment plants using physical, biological, and chemical methods to clean the wastewater to address environmental crises. The treated water can target the majority of irrigation systems, as it is biologically acceptable for that specific use, which economizes the use of freshwater sources for municipal use. This study presents a novel method for fabricating an efficient adsorbent sheet for wastewater treatment. The sheets are fabricated by combining sugarcane bagasse pulp as a scaffold with commercial, naturally activated carbon, and bimetallic‐prepared adsorbents. Sugarcane bagasse is utilized in producing activated carbon because of its high carbon contents, availability, and low cost. The prepared composite sheets are synthesized and investigated for pollutants removal of crystal violet (CV), methyl orange (MO), and Chromium (CI) dyes. Different weight ratios of activated carbon are used to form a bio‐composite mixed sheet. The formed sheets' morphology is performed via a high scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). To determine the adsorption mechanism, the intra‐particle diffuse screening experiment is used to test the experimental data. All the prepared sheets can retain the pollutants, with the best removal efficiency of 98% for methyl orange adsorption onto the bio‐composite mixed sheet. The results of the parameter (time, concentration, and dose) sets provided valuable proof that the adsorption of methyl orange onto the bio‐composite sheet mixed with naturally activated carbon is an endothermic phenomenon involving physical adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro–nanobubbles (MNBs) can generate ·OH in situ, which provides a new idea for the safe and efficient removal of pollutants in water supply systems. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining stable MNBs, the generation efficiency of ·OH is low, and the removal efficiency of pollutants cannot be guaranteed. This paper reviews the application research of MNB technology in water security from three aspects: the generation process of MNBs in water, the generation rule of ·OH during MNB collapse, and the control mechanisms of MNBs on pollutants and biofilms. We found that MNB generation methods are divided into chemical and mechanical (about 10 kinds) categories, and the instability of the bubble size restricts the application of MNB technology. The generation of ·OH by MNBs is affected by the pH, gas source, bubble size, temperature, and external stimulation. And the pH and external stimulus have more influence on ·OH generation in situ than the other factors. Adjusting the pH to alkaline or acidic conditions and selecting ozone or oxygen as the gas source can promote ·OH generation. MNB collapse also releases a large amount of energy, during which the temperature and pressure can reach 3000 K and 5 Gpa, respectively, making it efficient to remove ≈90% of pollutants (i.e., trichloroethylene, benzene, and chlorobenzene). The biofilm can also be removed by physical, chemical, and thermal effects. MNB technology also has great application potential in drinking water, which can be applied to improve water quality, optimize household water purifiers, and enhance the taste of bottled water. Under the premise of safety, after letting people of different ages taste water samples, we found that compared with ordinary drinking water, 85.7% of people think MNB water is softer, and 73.3% of people think MNB water is sweeter. This further proves that MNB water has a great prospect in drinking water applications. This review provides innovative theoretical support for solving the problem of drinking water safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that benthic macro-invertebrate bioturbation can influence the remobilization of uranium initially associated with freshwater sediments resulting in a high release of this pollutant through the overlying water column. Giving the potential negative effects on aquatic biocenosis and the global ecological risk, it appeared crucial to improve our current knowledge concerning the uranium biogeochemical behaviour in sediments. The present study aimed to assess the biogeochemical modifications induced by Tubifex tubifex (Annelida, Clitellata, Tubificidae) bioturbation within the sediment permitting to explain such a release of uranium. To reach this goal, uranium distribution between solid and solute phases of a reconstructed benthic system (i.e. in mesocosms) inhabited or not by T. tubifex worms was assessed in a 12 day laboratory experiment. Thanks notably to fine resolution (mm-scale) measurements (e.g. DET gels probes for porewater, bioaccumulation in worms) of uranium and main chemical species (iron, sulfate, nitrate, nitrite), this work permitted (i) to confirm that the removal of bottom sediment particles to the surface through the digestive tract of worms greatly favours the oxidative loss of uranium in the water column, and (ii) to demonstrate that both uranium contamination and bioturbation of T. tubifex substantially influence major microbial-driven biogeochemical reactions in sediments (e.g. stimulation of denitrification, sulfate-reduction and iron dissolutive reduction). This study provides the first demonstration of biogeochemical modifications induced by bioturbation in freshwater uranium-contaminated sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major problem coming across humanity in the early 21st century is related to environmental crises, including shortage and pollution of water sources. For this reason, extensive studies have been conducted to find effective techniques for purifying water from industrial pollutants. Advanced oxidation process (AOP) has lately caught the attention of researchers, which is an efficient, clean and contemporary method to remedy wastewater effluents. However, primitive versions of AOP methods lacked several aspects like strict pH requirements and involvement of sediments, which is why further modifications to the technique have been developed, including an electrochemical catalytic degradation approach, namely, electro‐Fenton and similar processes. This study will look through a set of novel papers investigating the application of various electrodes for the electrochemical treatment of solutions contaminated with phenol and phenolic compounds, which tried to address several shortcomings of more outdated practices and optimize the method for a set of different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the historical environmental impact of Bydgoszcz's 'Old Gasworks,' located on Jagiellońska Street on the Brda River--one of Poland's oldest and longest-operating gas production facilities. Municipal gas derived from dry coal distillation served both municipal and industrial purposes until 1973. However, the production process, marked by significant nuisances, particularly affected the ground and water environment. Pollutants, primarily organic compounds such as aromatic hydrocarbons, including PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and BTEX hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes), phenol and mineral oil, entered the environment through equipment failures, leaks, and the improper storage of wastewater and technological waste. One of the major sources of contamination was inadequately executed construction activities related to the dismantling of installations and the liquidation of sewage and waste storage tanks. This paper presents the findings of a comprehensive study focusing on hydrocarbon concentrations in groundwater at the 'Old Gasworks' in Bydgoszcz and proposes effective methods for treating the water environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a big industrial producer, but also a big producer and user of chemical materials. Although the use of chemical materials has improved the level of industrialization, it has also caused harm to the environment and ecosystem. With the acceleration of China's industrialization, more and more attention has been paid to the problem of chemical pollution. The pollution of water resources in China has seriously damaged the balance of ecological environment and is also an important factor threatening people's own health. The detection of chemical pollutants in water resources, especially organic pollutants, has a long way to go. To solve this problem, this paper designs a method of chemical pollutant concentration detection based on multisource information fusion and analyzes the performance of the detection system. Firstly, this paper introduces the main types of situations of chemical pollution at present. Secondly, a multisensor fusion model based on BP neural network is established, and the collected chemical pollutant samples were input into the model. Finally, the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the detected pollutant concentration results shows that the proposed method not only has good detection effect of chemical pollutant concentration but also has good practicability. In a word, the proposed method not only has good theoretical significance but also has certain potential application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean water is a prerequisite for health living and smooth eco-fundamental networking. However, the dye industry which is contributing remarkably to the world economic growth is equally contributing to the drastic reduction in the availability of clean water and this has become a global challenge. Notably, conventional methods and materials have been used to remove dye pollutants, but they encountered criticism due to harmful chemical employment and the inability to completely mineralize stubborn dyes. Interestingly, the photocatalytic degradation method using cheap biopolymeric metallic nanoparticles (BMNPs) is a trendy cutting-edge practice and have demonstrated to be an eco-economical approach that can completely mineralize dye pollutants into non-toxic molecules. This paper is a review of original research work that photocatalytically used BMNPs for the remediation of dye pollutants. From the study, it was observed that the highest reported dye degradation efficiency was 100% and the shortest degradation time was < 1 min. Various BMNPs can be reused for up to 7 cycles with over 85% recovery of dye and over 75% efficiency was recorded for spent BMNPs after the nth cycle in most cases. It was also observed that chitosan is the most commonly employed biopolymer for BMNPs. In the end, this study provides innovative frontiers and future research hotspots that can spur the application of BMNPs to a new level in real-life scenarios for sustainable water security and effluent treatment schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous development of the economy of the Republic of Kosovo has been followed by a large number of polluting emissions, affecting the quality of the water basin, which has undergone significant changes. In order to study the effects on the country's watershed and economic development as a result of a pollutant discharge, this paper analyses the relationship between economic growth and pollutant emissions in the Republic of Kosovo. The aquatic ecosystem is being endangered by the trend of development such as increasing pollution, especially urban, industrial and agricultural, energy generation, tourism, creation of irrigation dams, deforestation in watersheds, obtaining aggregates for construction, etc. Wastewater emissions and waste collected by industry and its basic units, as well as municipal waste resulting from incomplete and inadequate management failures can generate many negative effects. To further examine the relationship between pollutants and economic development, conventional pollutant emissions and economic development trends have been studied. It has been found that the relationship between industrial wastewater discharge and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is more coordinated, that is, industrial wastewater emissions with the development of the economy show a variable trend. The paper aims to highlight urban impact on further environmental degradation by suggesting ways to reduce the impact of pollution in the Republic of Kosovo. Analysis and assessment of the natural and biological condition of rivers is very important and necessary for their protection, use and improvement. The aquatic environment of rivers is constantly changing and for this purpose field researchers insist and direct their goals in identifying modifying factors and finding ways to establish natural balances in them. The data used in the research are collected from the database of the Kosovo Agency for Statistics (KAS), the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP) and the Kosovo Agency for Environmental Protection (KEPA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is an important cause of multiple pollutants in water. With population growth and increasing food demand, more nutrients, plastics, pesticides, pathogens and antibiotics are expected to enter water systems in the 21st century. As a result, water science has been shifting from singlepollutant to multi-pollutant perspectives for large-scale water quality assessments. This perspective paper summarizes and discusses four main highlights related to water pollution and agriculture from the multi-pollutant perspective. These highlights reveal the spatial and temporal distribution and main sources of multiple pollutants in waters. Based on the highlights, a scientific agenda is proposed to prioritize solutions for sustainable agriculture (UN Sustainable Development Goal 2) and clean water (UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 14). This agenda points out that when formulating solutions for water pollution, it is essential to take into account multiple pollutants and their interactions beyond biogeochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to systematize a series of statistical methods of analysis and control and proposes some forecast models for surface water pollution both in and near a large city. The monitoring data of heavy metals, nitrites, and phosphates collected for three years are processed using different statistical tools. It is demonstrated that they are under statistical control, and appropriate mathematical models are formulated to allow for forecasting and understanding of the causes of the appearance and perpetuation of certain phenomena. A comparative analysis is made, and the generalization of some methods is considered as an analysis and control tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contamination is a ubiquitous issue for all countries and territories worldwide. Among others, pesticides, drugs, heavy metals, and phosphates play a special role in terms of pollutants due to their toxicity and large-scale applications in industrial and agricultural activities. In order to provide cleaner freshwater for the world's population, two types of actions are required: preventing/limiting the pollution that might occur during our daily activities and decontaminating the already exposed/contaminated water sources. One of the key points in the decontamination process is to create as few as possible side effects with the solutions applied. For this reason, in the case of the mentioned types of pollutants but not limited only to them, the use of environmentally friendly materials is more than welcome. Biochar qualifies as one of these materials, and its field of applications expands to larger scientific and industrial areas every day. Moreover, it can be functionalized in order to improve its properties in terms of pollutant removal efficiency. This paper summarizes the most recent developments in the field of water decontamination using biochar or biochar-based materials in order to remove pesticides, drugs, heavy metals, and phosphates from contaminated aqueous environments. Also, the removal of phosphorus from wastewater using biochar is considered. This removal can be a key controlling factor for the wastewater, which is obtained as a residual of agricultural activities. Indeed, due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, eutrophication in such kinds of wastewater can be a serious challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, the global industrial production partly shifted from industrialized nations to emerging and developing countries. In these upcoming economies, the newly developed industrial centers are generally located in densely populated areas, resulting in the discharge of often only partially treated industrial and municipal wastewaters into the surface waters. There is a huge gap of knowledge about the composition of the complex organic pollutant mixtures occurring in such heavily impacted areas. Therefore, we applied a non-target screening to comprehensively assess river pollution in a large industrial area located in the megacity Jakarta. More than 100 structurally diverse organic contaminants were identified, some of which were reported here for the first time as environmental contaminants. The concentrations of paper manufacturing chemicals in river water-for example, of the endocrine-disrupting compound bisphenol A (50-8000 ng L)-were as high as in pure untreated paper industry wastewaters. The non-target screening approach is the adequate tool for the identification of water contaminants in the new global centers of industrial manufacturing-as the first crucial step towards the evaluation of as yet unrecognized environmental risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are a novel type of environmental pollutant with a specific structure. PFCs have become a global concern due to their environmental persistence and biotoxicity properties. In this paper, we review the hazardous effects, detection technologies, and treatment methods of PFCs. We present the current status of PFCs pollution in water, the atmosphere, soil, and organisms. Moreover, we show that PFCs have toxic effects, such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Six sample pretreatment techniques and four assays for PFCs are listed in this paper. This review focuses on the analysis of the treatment methods for PFCs, such as physical adsorption, microbial degradation, photochemical oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, acoustic oxidation, Fenton oxidation, and so on. We systematically analyze the treatment effects, removal mechanisms, and future directions of various technologies to provide support and suggestions for PFCs pollution control technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method for purifying water using household items has been developed. The solution containing an environmental pollutant was added to the PET bottle. The lid of the PET bottle was closed, and the bottle was then placed with the lid down in a freezer for 9 h. The pourer of the PET bottle was surrounded by shredded paper scraps as a lagging material. Before the solution was completely frozen, the sample was removed from the freezer. The unfrozen portion (liquid) was sampled. The pollutant was concentrated in the liquid. The remaining frozen portion was completely thawed. As results, the concentration of the pollutant (Congo Red, Cr (VI), Pb (II), pentachlorophenol, fluoride, nitrate, or phosphate) in the thawed liquid was decreased by more than 90% compared with the initial concentration (0.10 mM). Practitioner Points: A pollutant in a water sample can be removed by freezing a portion of the solution using a PET bottle, shredder scrap, and household freezer.Fluorine and hexavalent chromium can be removed from water to levels that meet water quality standards.The present method can efficiently remove a wide range of contaminants from water, including azo dyes, heavy metals, and pentachlorophenol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is an amorphous natural polymer with multifunctional phenolic network accounting for approximately 15–30% of lignocellulosic biomass. Different functional groups like carboxyl, hydroxyl, phenolic and methoxy in lignin molecule may act as suitable interaction sites for the removal of pollutants. Lignin, as an abundant and renewable bioresource, can be used to create nanofibrous membranes via electrospinning technique. Such nanofibrous membranes with elevated specific surface area, uniform fiber diameter, and high porosity may serve as highly efficient adsorbents for the entrapment of detrimental pollutants like dyes, heavy metals, particulates, etc. Hence, numerous research has been carried out to develop lignin based electrospun membranes in recent years. For example, a low-cost electrospun nano-fibrous membrane (ENM) comprising of alkali lignin/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was developed for effective removal of Safranine T dye. Similarly, palm fronds and banana bunch waste biomass derived lignin was successfully employed as an electrospun material for the removal of methylene blue dye. An alkali lignin/PVA ENM was developed for the adsorption of fluoxetine contaminant from its solution. This review paper provides the up-to-date information on the development and usage of eco-friendly, sustainable and cost-effective electrospun lignin nano-adsorbents for the removal of various environmental contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk quotient (RQ) related to Estrone (E1), 17β–E2 (E2), Estriol (E3) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in sediment of water resources in China was calculated using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. Fifty-four papers with 64 data-reports included in our study. The rank order of steroid hormones in sediment based on log-normal distribution in MCS was E1 (3.75 ng/g dw) > E3 (1.53 ng/g dw) > EE2 (1.38 ng/g dw) > E2 (1.17 ng/g dw). According to results, concentration of steroid hormones including E1, E2 and E3 in sediment of Erhai lake, northern Taihu lake and Dianchi river was higher than other locations. The rank order of steroid hormones based on percentage high risk (RQ > 1) was EE2 (87.00%) > E1 (70.00%) > E2 (62.99%) > E3 (11.11%). Hence, contamination control plans for steroid hormones in sediment of water resources in China should be conducted continuously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution greatly impacts humans and ecosystems, so a series of policies have been enacted to control it. The first step in performing pollution control is to detect contaminants in the water. Various methods have been proposed for water quality testing, such as spectroscopy, chromatography, and electrochemical techniques. However, traditional testing methods require the utilization of laboratory equipment, which is large and not suitable for real-time testing in the field. Microfluidic devices can overcome the limitations of traditional testing instruments and have become an efficient and convenient tool for water quality analysis. At the same time, artificial intelligence is an ideal means of recognizing, classifying, and predicting data obtained from microfluidic systems. Microfluidic devices based on artificial intelligence and machine learning are being developed with great significance for the next generation of water quality monitoring systems. This review begins with a brief introduction to the algorithms involved in artificial intelligence and the materials used in the fabrication and detection techniques of microfluidic platforms. Then, the latest research development of combining the two for pollutant detection in water bodies, including heavy metals, pesticides, micro- and nanoplastics, and microalgae, is mainly introduced. Finally, the challenges encountered and the future directions of detection methods based on industrial intelligence and microfluidic chips are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper the electro-kinetic depollution is compared with the thermal depollution. The need for a high degree of depollution for soils contaminated with liquid petroleum products is complemented by the economic need not to destroy the pollutant. The study contains a set of experimental data of laboratory activity to compare a new method of depollution with already known and industrially applicable methods. Thermal methods of depollution, combustion and desorption, are methods that have a high degree of depollution, but destroy the pollutant. Electro-kinetic depollution is based on physical principles that cause the migration of the pollutant for the purpose of collecting it without destroying it. The paper presents comparatively the degree of depollution rates achieved by the three methods and the costs obtained for them. In addition, for the electro-kinetic method particular attention has been given to both the recovery of pollutants and the properties of the water used in the process so that it does not become a new source of pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface water quality assessment is an important component of environmental protection and sustainable development. In this study, 24 sampling sites were arranged in the Wanquan River area of Hainan Island, China, in 2021, and nine water quality indicators were measured. The water quality of the Wanquan River was assessed using the single factor pollution index method and the Nemerow pollution index method; the spatial distribution characteristics of pollutants were revealed, and the sources of pollution were further analyzed using factor analysis. The results show that the overall water quality of the Wanquan River basin is good, with the average values of all indicators meeting China's Class III water quality standards. The results of the single factor pollution index method showed that 29% of the sampling sites were in the no pollution class, 38% in the slight pollution class, 25% in the light pollution class, and 8% in the moderate pollution class. The results of the Nemerow pollution index showed that 25% of the sampling sites were in the clean category, 17% in the cleaner category, 42% in the light category, and 17% in the moderate category. The results of the factor analysis show that agricultural activities and domestic sewage discharge are the main sources of pollution, with nitrogen and phosphorus being the most important factors affecting water quality. This paper proposes several measures to reduce water pollution in the Wanquan River, including improving agricultural activities, improving wastewater treatment, and strengthening environmental monitoring. The findings have practical implications for reducing water pollution in rivers and lakes and can provide a reference for policy decisions related to water resource management and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The situation in the Kondopozhskaya Bay of Onega Lake, polluted by wastewater of a pulp-and-paper mill is considered. The dynamics of wastewater input over 80 years is analyzed; the rate of such input varied widely in this period because of changes in cellulose production processes. A close correlation was found to exist between the characteristics of the state of aquatic organism communities and the environmental physicochemical characteristics. The pollution indices of water mass and the bed are evaluated, including biological and physicochemical data. Those indices can be used to identify polluted zones of water and bottom sediments in Onega Lake subject to the discharge of wastewaters from pulp-and-paper mill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an easy and sustainable method to prepare high-sorption capacity biobased adsorbents from wood waste. A biomass wood waste (spruce bark) was employed to fabricate a composite doped with Si and Mg and applied to adsorb an emerging contaminant (Omeprezole) from aqueous solutions, as well as synthetic effluents loaded with several emerging contaminants. The effects of Si and Mg doping on the biobased material's physicochemical properties and adsorptive performance were evaluated. Si and Mg did not influence the specific surface area values but impacted the presence of the higher number of mesopores. The kinetic and equilibrium data presented the best fitness by the Avrami Fractional order (AFO) and Liu isotherm models, respectively. The values of Qmax ranged from 72.70 to 110.2 mg g−1 (BP) and from 107.6 to 249.0 mg g−1 (BTM). The kinetic was faster for Si/Mg-doped carbon adsorbent, possibly due to different chemical features provoked by the doping process. The thermodynamic data showed that the adsorption of OME on biobased adsorbents was spontaneous and favorable at four studied temperatures (283, 293, 298, 303, 308, 313, and 318 K), with the magnitude of the adsorption correspondent to a physical adsorption process (ΔH° < 2 kJ mol−1). The adsorbents were applied to treat synthetic hospital effluents and exhibited a high percentage of removal (up to 62%). The results of this work show that the composite between spruce bark biomass and Si/Mg was an efficient adsorbent for OME removal. Therefore, this study can help open new strategies for developing sustainable and effective adsorbents to tackle water pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban stormwater runoff is considered as one of the major contributors to nonpoint source that contributes to the pollution of all water resources in the surrounding environment. Pollutant concentrations of urban stormwater runoff are directly or indirectly linked with land use types in a catchment that is quite different in different places, and hence, site-specific studies are necessary, unless otherwise the modelling of runoff quality using modelling tools may not be rationally reflected the actual field scenarios. This paper portrays the influence of land use types on stormwater runoff physicochemical quality in Chattogram city, where land use's demarcation is often complicated due to the different natural and human-induced anthropogenic factors. The stormwater runoff samples were collected from the residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial land use types, in the city of Chattogram, Bangladesh, during the period from July to September 2020. The standard laboratory protocol for elemental concentrations and principal component analysis was performed in addition to basic statistics to identify the influence of urban surface characteristics on the quality of stormwater runoff. In general, pollutant concentrations were identified by analysing key physical and chemical quality parameters including colour, temperature, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and exhibited 2 to 3 times higher concentrations than reported elsewhere. Furthermore, the present study reported the greater concentrations of few pollutants, such as TSS, BOD5, and EC, derived from the residential land uses compared to other land use types that are surprising; however, it confirmed the distinct complexity of unplanned land use patterns that should not be overlooked rather discussed. The strong correlation between land use types and stormwater runoff quality indicates the site-specific influences of runoff quality. The outcomes of this study would be particularly helpful in calibrating water quality models considering different land use types. Additionally, datasets and information obtained from this research will assist engineers and practitioners in developing decision-making tools for effective stormwater management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Anthropogenic activity in terms of urbanization, industrialization, and modern agricultural techniques challenges the natural environment in terms of compromise in air pollution and water quality, which lead to hazardous health impacts on human beings. In this context, it is very essential to monitor the air and water quality to a maximum possible extent with maximum accuracy, which is of utmost significance. A significant effect on human health due to pollutants makes their detection in water and air essential. Even though various techniques of monitoring these pollutants are available, proven advantages of electrochemical techniques attract more attention. Because of this, an attempt is made to review some of the latest advances in electrochemical sensing of environmental contaminants, which include heavy-metal ions and pesticides. Electrochemical sensing has been done by using sensors designed with various materials. However, sensors designed with carbon and its allotropes such as carbon nanotubes, graphene derivatives, carbon nanodots, active carbon, screenprinted carbon electrode, and others are reviewed. Even though these sensors are capable of being used in medical analysis, food safety, soil quality, drug detection, etc., the review paper highlights only applications related to environmental monitoring. This review is mainly meant to come up with an understanding of the present-day progress in electrochemical applications based on carbon and its allied materials towards environmental pollutants. This review highlights some of the synthesis techniques of graphene (an allotrope of carbon) and sensor designing along with their performance. This review has established the compatibility in the published literature that graphene and related materials play a significant role in electrochemical sensing of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural waters are degraded either by contaminants or pollutants. Contaminants are synthetic compounds which cause degradation of water quality, even when present in minute residues. They include pesticides, heavy metals, Poly Chlorinated Biphenyl's, Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons, plastics etc. On the other hand, pollution precisely refers to the increase in nitrates and phosphates in water body. Aquatic macrophytes, besides their role in the food chains, play significant part in mitigating both pollutant and contaminant levels. Their uptake and sequestration of nitrates, phosphates and heavy metals is well documented and published in worldwide. This paper reviews the efficacy of different macrophytes in freshwater ecosystems for uptake of pollutants and contaminants. It will provide an insight for policy makers in efficient mitigation of pollution levels in the water body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on a study on the use of a web-based tool to help people estimate their exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which references a research paper by W. A. Chiu et al., published in a previous issue of the journal. Topics discussed include the presence of PFAS in consumer products, estimation of the chemicals' volume of distribution, and the accuracy of its estimates.

In recent years, water pollution caused by organic pollutants and antibiotic residues has become increasingly serious, posing a serious threat to human health and ecosystems. In this paper, Co–BiVO 4 /Bi 2 O 3 heterojunction was successfully prepared by electrospinning of Co3+ doped monoclinic BiVO 4 nanofibers and Bi 2 O 3. The photocatalytic degradation of chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTC·HCl) and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) in water was tested by simulating visible light conditions. The degradation efficiency of CTC·HCl by 3Co–BiVO 4 /Bi 2 O 3 -0.8 reached 90.5 % within 30 min, and the degradation rates were 3.93 and 7.06 times that of BiVO 4 and Bi 2 O 3 , respectively. At the same time, the degradation efficiency of MBT by 3Co–BiVO 4 /Bi 2 O 3 -0.8 reached 97.7 % within 40 min, and the degradation rates were 8.93 and 41.80 times that of BiVO 4 and Bi 2 O 3 , respectively. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of the catalyst and potassium persulfate (PS) co-system on pollutants was investigated. When 0.5 mM PS and a small amount of 3Co–BiVO 4 /Bi 2 O 3 -0.8 catalyst were added, the degradation efficiency of CTC·HCl and MBT could reach 87.6 % and 92.8 % in a short time. Furthermore, the work function and difference of the material were calculated by density functional theory (DFT), and the charge transfer mechanism of the p-n heterojunction was further determined. Finally, the intermediate products, degradation pathways and reaction mechanisms of MBT degradation were analyzed in detail by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Therefore, this study provides a potential effective way for the treatment of water pollution. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic ecosystems provide a large number of cultural, regulating, and supporting services to humans and play a pivotal role in sustaining freshwater-dependent ecosystems. However, an increase in human population coupled with economic growth in the last few decades has severely affected their functioning and ecological health. This has led to an increase in concentrations of pollutants originating from anthropogenic activities such as heavy metals, plastics, semi-volatile organic compounds, and endocrine disruptors. These pollutants provoke deleterious impacts on aquatic biodiversity and affect the water quality and functioning. In this paper, we discuss the sources and impacts of such pollutants as well as restoration techniques for reducing their impact on aquatic ecosystems. Several physical and chemical ecological restoration techniques, such as dredging, sediment capping, water diversion, adsorption, aeration, and flushing, can be employed to improve the water quality of water bodies. Additionally, biological techniques such as phytoremediation, phycoremediation, the use of biomembranes, and the construction of ecological floating beds can be employed to increase the population of aquatic organisms and improve the overall ecological health of aquatic ecosystems. Restoration techniques can effectively reduce the concentrations of suspended solids and dissolved phosphorus and increase the levels of dissolved oxygen. The restoration techniques for improving the ecological health of water bodies should not be limited to simply improving the water quality but should also focus on improving the biological processes and ecosystem functioning since it is essential to mitigate the adverse effects of pollutants and restore the vital ecosystem services provided by water bodies for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructed wetland system (CWs), as an effective ecological technology to deal with water pollution, has the advantages of good load adaptability, simple construction process, and low maintenance cost. However, the technology has some bottlenecks such as low operating efficiency and low pollutant removal rate. Iron (Fe) is a non-toxic and non-polluting element widely distributed in the nature and closely related to the removal of pollutants. Applying iron materials in CWs can improve their pollutant removal rate. This paper summarizes the decontamination mechanisms and application status of CWs and introduces the application of iron materials and the mechanisms of iron materials in enhanced CWs. In addition, the application scope of iron-enhanced CWs and its shortcomings are given. The future development direction of iron-enhanced CWs is pointed out to provide new ideas for the subsequent optimization of CWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Recent updates on Green fabrication of graphene based nanomaterials. • Offers mechanism photo-adsorptive degradation for environmental remediation. • Discussion on synthesis through conventional and green methodology with advantages. • Five-year scientific assessment for removal of environmental contaminants by GBNMs. During past decades, concerns about water contamination and its adverse consequences on the ecosystem have increased with population growth and industrial development. Recently, carbon- based nanomaterials, especially Graphene and its derivatives, have shown their excellent potential in eradicating water pollutants via photocatalysis. This review article summarizes the cleaner production of graphene-based engineered nanomaterials (GBNMs) to lessen environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dyes, pesticides, heavy metals, phenols, and pharmaceutical waste from water. GBNMs-based solar radiation-assisted catalysts are a promising tool for environmental remediation and may provide facile alternatives to achieve a clean environment and pure water. This paper also comprehensively discusses various methodologies (conventional and green) for synthesizing GBNMs and their advantages over conventional methods. Moreover, GBNMs also offer a mechanism for adsorption and photocatalytic degradation to eliminate environmental contaminants. The last five years of study in this enormous field have been evaluated scientifically and analyzed. This review paper further addressed potential fixes, difficulties, and impending development prospects for GBNMs catalysts in sustainable applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface water in streams and rivers is a valuable resource and pollution events, if not tackled in time, may have dramatic impacts on aquatic ecosystems. As such, in order to prepare pollution prevention plans and measures or to set-up timely remedial options, especially in the early stages of pollution incidents, simulation tools are of great help for authorities, with specific reference to environmental protection agencies and river basin authorities. In this paper, we present the development and testing of the ORGANICS plugin embedded in QGIS. The plugin is a first attempt to embed surface water solute transport modelling into GIS for the simulation of the concentration of a dissolved substance (for example an organic compound) in surface water bodies including advection dispersion and degradation. This tool is based on the analytical solution of the popular advection/dispersion equation describing the transport of contaminants in surface water. By providing as input data the concentration measured at the entry point of a watercourse (inlet boundary condition) and the average speed of the surface water, the model simulates the concentration of a substance at a certain distance from the entry point, along the profile of the watercourse. The tool is first tested on a synthetic case. Then data on the concentration of the pharmaceutical carbamazepine monitored at the inlet and outlet of a vegetated channel, in a single day, are used to validate the tool in a real environment. The ORGANICS plugin aims at popularizing the use of simple modelling tools within a GIS framework, and it provides GIS experts with the ability to perform approximate, but fast, simulations of the evolution of pollutants concentration in surface water bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the implementation of an accurate meshless scheme for the simulation of the advection–diffusion of non-active pollutant in a two-dimensional depth-averaged flow. The depth-averaged flow model includes the shallow water system and the pollutant propagation described by the advection–diffusion equation with diffusion tensor. The mathematical model was implemented by using a meshless method based on local radial basis functions. This method was used to numerically evaluate the spatial derivatives and complemented with the second-order Runge–Kutta method for the time evolution. To remove the non-physical oscillations, which appear at the discontinuity, a filter based on a hyperviscosity operator was applied. To investigate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed scheme, a number of tests are presented, including the dam break problem, and the pure transport of a pollutant in a long channel. Finally, a hypothetical example of a pollutant transport in the Strait of Gibraltar is modeled. The results obtained are compared both with analytical solutions and with simulation results obtained by a finite volume method based on the Roe-MUSCL scheme. The main advantages of the proposed method are: (i) the simplicity of implementation, (ii) the ability to handle calculations of slowly varying flows or concentrations, as well as rapidly varying flows containing shocks or discontinuities, and (iii) the ability to satisfy the C-property and guarantee positive values of both water level and pollutant concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]