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Toxics
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New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and...
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New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and Soil

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Toxicity Reduction and Environmental Remediation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 June 2024) | Viewed by 12873

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Karina Boltes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Interests: biodegradation; ecotoxicology; microbial electrochemical technology; emerging pollutants; analytical chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growth of the human population and rising living standards lead to an increasing pressure on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Pollutants are varied and many of them are generated in industrial or agricultural activities or are a consequence of our lifestyles. A current and important goal of our society is to preserve the environment for future generations. Therefore, new strategies are needed to detect and solve the problems associated with pollutants of emerging concern, about which knowledge and environmental regulation are generally lacking.

Biological processes for remediation have a special importance in this context, since they are less aggressive, do not require as much energy and are therefore more sustainable. The development and validation of new bioremediation strategies is linked to the existence of methodologies to evaluate the progress and effectiveness of decontamination processes.

This Special Issue will focus on those methods specifically developed to detect and monitor biodegradation processes (pretreatment and preparation of complex samples, analysis of mixtures of emerging contaminants and contaminants never reported in waters and soils). Of special interest is the combination of different techniques (analytical, ecotoxicological and biochemical) for monitoring bioremediation processes. This Special Issue will also focus on the application of novel bioremediation strategies to control the pollution associated with industrial and agricultural activities in waters and soils (removal of drugs, surfactants, solvents, chemical additives, metals and pesticides).

Articles will describe innovative bioremediation works, or studies on the development of analytical strategies, which contribute to discovering more efficient technology solutions.

Prof. Dr. Karina Boltes
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bioremediation
  • emerging pollutants
  • ecotoxicity
  • analytical chemistry
  • wastewater
  • soil

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2197 KiB  
Article
Biochar Amendments and Phytoremediation: A Combined Approach for Effective Lead Removal in Shooting Range Soils
by Rocio Maceiras, Leticia Perez-Rial, Victor Alfonsin, Jorge Feijoo and Ignacio Lopez
Toxics 2024, 12(7), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12070520 - 19 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1301
Abstract
The increasing contamination of soil with heavy metals poses a problem to environmental sustainability. Among these pollutants, lead is particularly concerning due to its persistence in the environment, with harmful effects on human health and ecosystems. Various strategies that combine phytoremediation techniques with [...] Read more.
The increasing contamination of soil with heavy metals poses a problem to environmental sustainability. Among these pollutants, lead is particularly concerning due to its persistence in the environment, with harmful effects on human health and ecosystems. Various strategies that combine phytoremediation techniques with soil amendments have emerged to mitigate lead contamination. In this context, biochar has gained significant attention for its potential to enhance soil quality and remediate metal-contaminated environments. This study aims to investigate the combined effect of biochar amendments on the phytoremediation of lead-contaminated shooting range soils. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the impact of the amount and distribution of biochar on lead removal from soil. Soil samples were incubated with biochar for one week, after which two types of seeds (Brassica rapa and Lolium perenne) were planted. Plant and root lengths, as well as the number of germinated seeds, were measured, and a statistical analysis was conducted to determine the influence of the amendments. After one month, the Pb concentration decreased by more than 70%. Our results demonstrate that seed germination and plant growth were significantly better in soil samples where biochar was mixed rather than applied superficially, with the optimal performance observed at a 10% wt. biochar amendment. Additionally, the combined use of biochar and phytoremediation proved highly effective in immobilizing lead and reducing its bioavailability. These findings suggest that the combination of biochar, particularly when mixed at appropriate concentrations, and Brassica rapa significantly improved lead removal efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and Soil)
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34 pages, 3754 KiB  
Article
Pharmaceutical and Trace Metal Interaction within the Water–Soil–Plant Continuum: Implications for Human and Soil Health
by Lesly Ayala Cabana, Ana de Santiago-Martín, Raffaella Meffe, Isabel López-Heras and Irene de Bustamante
Toxics 2024, 12(7), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12070457 - 25 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1848
Abstract
Unplanned water reuse for crop irrigation may pose a global health risk due to the entry of contaminants into the food chain, undesirable effects on crop quality, and impact on soil health. In this study, we evaluate the impact derived from the co-occurrence [...] Read more.
Unplanned water reuse for crop irrigation may pose a global health risk due to the entry of contaminants into the food chain, undesirable effects on crop quality, and impact on soil health. In this study, we evaluate the impact derived from the co-occurrence of pharmaceuticals (Phs), trace metals (TMs), and one metalloid within the water–soil–plant continuum through bioassay experiments with Lactuca sativa L. Results indicate that the co-occurrence of Phs and TMs has synergistic or antagonistic effects, depending on target contaminants and environmental compartments. Complex formations between drugs and TMs may be responsible for enhanced sorption onto the soil of several Phs and TMs. Concerning plant uptake, the co-occurrence of Phs and TMs exerts antagonistic and synergistic effects on carbamazepine and diazepam, respectively. With the exception of Cd, drugs exert an antagonistic effect on TMs, negatively affecting their uptake and translocation. Drug contents in lettuce edible parts do not pose any threat to human health, but Cd levels exceed the maximum limits set for leafy vegetable foodstuffs. Under Ph-TM conditions, lettuce biomass decreases, and a nutrient imbalance is observed. Soil enzyme activity is stimulated under Ph-TM conditions (β-galactosidase) and Ph and Ph-TM conditions (urease and arylsulfatase), or it is not affected (phosphatase). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and Soil)
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24 pages, 2505 KiB  
Article
Amended Vegetation Filters as Nature-Based Solutions for the Treatment of Pharmaceuticals: Infiltration Experiments Coupled to Reactive Transport Modelling
by Raisa Gabriela Salvi-Taga, Raffaella Meffe, Virtudes Martínez-Hernández, Angel De Miguel Garcia and Irene De Bustamante
Toxics 2024, 12(5), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12050334 - 4 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1839
Abstract
In small populations and scattered communities, wastewater treatment through vegetation filters (VFs), a nature-based solution, has proved to be feasible, especially for nutrient and organic matter removal. However, the presence of pharmaceuticals in wastewater and their potential to infiltrate through the vadose zone [...] Read more.
In small populations and scattered communities, wastewater treatment through vegetation filters (VFs), a nature-based solution, has proved to be feasible, especially for nutrient and organic matter removal. However, the presence of pharmaceuticals in wastewater and their potential to infiltrate through the vadose zone and reach groundwater is a drawback in the evaluation of VF performances. Soil amended with readily labile carbon sources, such as woodchips, enhances microbial activity and sorption processes, which could improve pharmaceutical attenuation in VFs. The present study aims to assess if woodchip amendments to a VF’s soil are able to abate concentrations of selected pharmaceuticals in the infiltrating water by quantitatively describing the occurring processes through reactive transport modelling. Thus, a column experiment using soil collected from an operating VF and poplar woodchips was conducted, alongside a column containing only soil used as reference. The pharmaceuticals acetaminophen, naproxen, atenolol, caffeine, carbamazepine, ketoprofen and sulfamethoxazole were applied daily to the column inlet, mimicking a real irrigation pattern and periodically measured in the effluent. Ketoprofen was the only injected pharmaceutical that reached the column outlet of both systems within the experimental timeframe. The absence of acetaminophen, atenolol, caffeine, carbamazepine, naproxen and sulfamethoxazole in both column outlets indicates that they were attenuated even without woodchips. However, the presence of 10,11-epoxy carbamazepine and atenolol acid as transformation products (TPs) suggests that incomplete degradation also occurs and that the effect of the amendment on the infiltration of TPs is compound-specific. Modelling allowed us to generate breakthrough curves of ketoprofen in both columns and to obtain transport parameters during infiltration. Woodchip-amended columns exhibited Kd and μw values from one to two orders of magnitude higher compared to soil column. This augmentation of sorption and biodegradation processes significantly enhanced the removal of ketoprofen to over 96%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and Soil)
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15 pages, 4094 KiB  
Article
Removal of Chromium (III) and Reduction in Toxicity in a Primary Tannery Effluent Using Two Floating Macrophytes
by Tomás R. López Arias, Deidamia Franco, Leonida Medina, César Benítez, Verónica Villagra, Shaun McGahan, Giselle Mariza Duré and Hajime G. Kurita-Oyamada
Toxics 2024, 12(2), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12020152 - 16 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2827
Abstract
Trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) is a contaminant with toxic activity. Its presence in waters and soils is usually related to industrial activities such as tanneries. The aim of this study was to compare the removal of Cr(III) in hydroponic solutions and tannery effluents using [...] Read more.
Trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) is a contaminant with toxic activity. Its presence in waters and soils is usually related to industrial activities such as tanneries. The aim of this study was to compare the removal of Cr(III) in hydroponic solutions and tannery effluents using two floating macrophytes: Salvinia auriculata and Eichhornia crassipes. First, to determine the chromium removal capacity in solution and the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in tissues of each plant, experiments were set up with contaminated solutions with Cr(III) concentrations of 2, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L. Subsequently, both plant species were exposed to a primary tannery effluent contaminated with 12 mg/L of Cr(III) in order to study the removal capacity of organic and inorganic matter, as well as the acute toxicity in the water flea (Daphnia magna) and genotoxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Tests carried out on nutrient solutions revealed that both plants have a high capacity for removing Cr(III) in solution. The BAF in tissues was higher in E. crassipes compared to S. auriculata. In the experiments with a tannery effluent, both species presented low nutrient and organic matter removal efficiency, but they showed good Cr(III) removal capacity, with average reduction values of 57% for S. auriculata and 54% for E. crassipes after 72 h of exposure. E. crassipes contributed most to the reduction in acute toxicity in D. magna, while S. auriculata did not show a similar effect. However, both plant species managed to reduce the genotoxicity marker in D. rerio when compared with the initial effluent and the control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and Soil)
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Review

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26 pages, 863 KiB  
Review
Mixtures of Micro and Nanoplastics and Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Environment: What We Know about Their Toxicological Effects
by Marina Bastante-Rabadán and Karina Boltes
Toxics 2024, 12(8), 589; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12080589 - 13 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2009
Abstract
In real environments, pollutants do not occur in isolation. Instead, they can be found in complex mixtures with effects that are completely different from those of the individual components. In this review, articles from 2017 to May 2024 have been selected to provide [...] Read more.
In real environments, pollutants do not occur in isolation. Instead, they can be found in complex mixtures with effects that are completely different from those of the individual components. In this review, articles from 2017 to May 2024 have been selected to provide an overview of the existing knowledge on complex mixtures between micropollutants and micro and nanoplastics in organisms in terrestrial and aquatic environments. It was found that the corresponding toxicological parameters to determine the interaction between the compounds were not calculated in most of the literature reviewed. Our analysis shows that, in aquatic environments, synergistic effects have been found more frequently than antagonistic effects. In terrestrial environments, the joint toxicological action of microplastics or nanoplastics with emerging contaminants has been less studied, but synergistic effects may also predominate. Future work should thoroughly investigate the nature of the interactions in order to properly assess the risk posed by this cocktail of compounds in ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and Soil)
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41 pages, 2509 KiB  
Review
Chiral Analysis of Pesticides and Emerging Contaminants by Capillary Electrophoresis—Application to Toxicity Evaluation
by Laura García-Cansino, María Luisa Marina and María Ángeles García
Toxics 2024, 12(3), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12030185 - 28 Feb 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2137
Abstract
Chiral analysis is a very relevant topic in environmental chemistry. This is due to the different properties of the stereoisomers of chiral compounds. In the case of agrochemicals, the desired activity, degradation rate, or toxicity, among other characteristics, may differ between stereoisomers, and [...] Read more.
Chiral analysis is a very relevant topic in environmental chemistry. This is due to the different properties of the stereoisomers of chiral compounds. In the case of agrochemicals, the desired activity, degradation rate, or toxicity, among other characteristics, may differ between stereoisomers, and the same is true for emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Therefore, the development of chiral analytical methodologies enabling their determination in samples of environmental interest is paramount. Although other techniques have been widely employed to carry out chiral separations, such as HPLC, GC, and SFC, capillary electrophoresis (CE) has attracted a lot of attention in the field of chiral analysis due to its simplicity, flexibility, and low cost. In fact, chromatographic columns are not needed, and the consumption of reagents and samples is very low due to the small dimensions of the separation capillaries. This article reviews the characteristics of the chiral methodologies developed by CE for the stereoselective analysis of pesticides and emerging contaminants in environmental samples (water and soil), as well as pesticides in food samples and commercial agrochemical formulations. Applications of the developed CE methodologies in stability and toxicity studies of these chiral contaminants are also reviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Detection and Bioremediation of Contaminated Water and Soil)
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