Search Results (771)

The non-thermal plasma (NTP) process is a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for removing non-biodegradable organics from wastewater, owing to the efficient formation of reactive chemicals. Despite its effective oxidizing capability, the decomposition mechanism of organic pollutants is not well understood. This study evaluates NTP for two representative sulfonamides (SMZ and STZ) and reports on (i) time-resolved removal to the method detection limit, (ii) transformation mapping using LC-ESI/MS/MS, which confirmed previously proposed hydroxylation and bond-cleavage pathways and further identified additional hydroxylated intermediates formed on the thiazole and benzene rings under NTP conditions, and (iii) energy evaluation through energy per order (EEO) within a single, reproducible operating window. The EEO values for SMZ and STZ degradation via NTP were calculated at 22.4 and 7.5 kWh/m³/order, respectively. These values are up to 37- and 118-fold lower than those reported for comparable AOPs, quantitatively confirming that the proposed NTP process achieves superior energy efficiency for sulfonamide degradation. Degradation is primarily attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by plasma, which initiate the breakdown of the antibiotic structure. Overall, this study demonstrates that NTP is a highly effective AOP for driving the rapid primary degradation and intermediate structural transformation of recalcitrant sulfonamide antibiotics. Full article

Arsenic contamination in groundwater is a severe and widespread environmental and public health challenge. Recent years have witnessed rapid advances in catalytic remediation technologies, particularly those integrating advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), bifunctional materials, and field-scale applications. This comprehensive review synthesizes recent developments, emphasizing the synergy between catalytic oxidation and adsorption, the design of innovative and recyclable materials, and the practical translation of laboratory findings to real-world remediation scenarios. Key breakthroughs include dual-function catalysts for combined contaminant removal, scalable systems compatible with renewable energy, and hybrid strategies integrating conventional and catalytic routes. Case studies from arsenic hotspots worldwide demonstrate not only technological feasibility but also highlight knowledge gaps and sustainability challenges. By evaluating catalytic mechanisms, operational performance, and environmental impact, this review identifies promising directions for the next generation of arsenic remediation and offers a critical roadmap to guide future research and practice. Full article

Hydroxylamine-modified transition-metal oxides (HA-TMOs) represent a promising class of catalysts for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade antibiotics. However, identifying energy-efficient operational conditions remains challenging. This study established a comprehensive dataset encompassing 600 experimental records from both in-house experiments and literature and systematically compared 12 machine learning algorithms for predicting the antibiotic degradation efficiency (%) in hydroxylamine-modified transition metal oxide/peroxymonosulfate (HA-TMO/PMS) systems. Among these models, CatBoost delivered the best generalization (test-set R² = 0.8110, RMSE = 8.92, MAE = 6.15) across repeated 80/20 stratified splits with 5-fold cross-validation, outperforming other ensembles as confirmed by cumulative distribution plots and error-metric analyses. Moreover, the permutation importance analysis identified PMS dosage, HA level, pH, initial pollutant concentration, and catalyst loading as the dominant drivers governing the pollutant removal performance. The partial-dependence plots, incorporating two-variable interactions, elucidated the response surfaces and enabled the discovery of operating windows that jointly maximize degradation efficiency and minimize electrical energy per order (EE/O). ML-guided optimization yielded optimal conditions, which were experimentally verified with sulfamethoxazole (SMZ). The HA-Co₃O₄/PMS system achieved the highest degradation rate constant (k = 0.11 min⁻¹) and the lowest EE/O value (6.84 kWh·m⁻³·order⁻¹), markedly improving kinetics and reducing energy consumption compared with non-optimized runs. This work establishes an interpretable ML framework that connects catalyst properties and reaction conditions to degradation kinetics and mechanisms, providing a practical strategy for the screening and scale-up of energy-efficient HA-TMOs/PMS-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Full article

Textile wastewater remains one of the most challenging industrial effluents to remediate due to its intense and persistent coloration, high organic load, elevated salinity, and fluctuating pH and the presence of recalcitrant dye structures and auxiliary chemicals. Conventional physicochemical and biological treatments frequently achieve incomplete removal, generate secondary wastes, or fail under high-salt and toxic dye matrices. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) provide molecular-level degradation via reactive oxygen species (ROS), yet their deployment is often constrained by narrow operating windows, catalyst instability, chemical/energy demand, and scale-up limitations. In this context, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as tunable porous catalytic platforms that integrate adsorption and oxidation within a single architecture through controllable metal nodes, functional linkers, and engineered pore environments. This critical review reimagines textile effluent treatment through the lens of MOF-based hybrid catalysts, synthesizing progress across Fenton/photo-Fenton catalysis, photocatalytic MOFs, persulfate activation, and MOF-derived/composite systems. Mechanistic pathways are discussed by linking pollutant enrichment, cyclic redox reactions, charge-transfer processes, and ROS-driven degradation toward mineralization, with emphasis on the distinction between rapid decolorization and true organic removal. A critical comparison highlights how hybridization improves charge transport, stability, and catalyst recovery, while persistent gaps remain in hydrolytic robustness, metal leaching control, intermediate toxicity assessment, real-wastewater validation, continuous-flow reactor integration, and techno-economic feasibility. Finally, the review outlines actionable research directions, including water-stable and defect-engineered MOFs, immobilized and structured catalysts, solar-driven operation, standardized performance metrics, and life-cycle-informed design, to accelerate translation toward scalable and sustainable textile wastewater remediation. By bridging material chemistry with reactor-level feasibility and sustainability assessment, this review provides an implementation-oriented perspective for next-generation textile wastewater treatment. Full article

Background: Reactive hyperemia (RH) is used to assess microcirculatory function in vivo and has traditionally been interpreted as a local, ischemia-driven vasodilatory response following arterial occlusion. However, perfusion changes consistently observed in contralateral, non-challenged limbs question the exclusively local nature of RH. Objective: This study aimed to characterize reactive hyperemic responses elicited by subsystolic cuff pressures, below arterial occlusion pressure (AOP), and to investigate their effects on glabrous and non-glabrous skin microcirculation and on global hemodynamics. Methods: Seven healthy women underwent a standardized protocol consisting of baseline stabilization, a 2 min subsystolic cuff inflation (70–80% of resting AOP) in one arm, and a recovery period. Microvascular perfusion was simultaneously assessed in both hands using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) on glabrous skin and polarized light spectroscopy (PSp) on non-glabrous dorsal skin. Hemodynamic indicators were continuously monitored using CNAP (Continuous Non-invasive Arterial Pressure) technology. Ipsilateral and contralateral responses were compared across experimental phases. Results: Subsystolic cuff inflation induced significant perfusion changes not only in the challenged limb but also in the contralateral limb, despite the absence of a complete arterial occlusion. Conclusions: These findings confirm the adaptive nature of RH emphasizing the major role for the sympathetic nervous system in glabrous skin. In glabrous (palmar) skin, a similar perfusion profile is shown in both hands but significant differences could only be found in the ipsilateral hand. In contrast, non-glabrous (dorsal) skin demonstrated region-specific increases in perfusion, again evident in the ipsilateral hand, suggesting venous stasis. No changes in global hemodynamic variables were observed throughout the protocol. Further studies in larger, more diverse populations are needed to confirm these observations and refine the mechanistic understanding of reactive hyperemia. Full article

Using density functional theory (DFT) and the Gaussian 09 program, the study calculated Gibbs free energy to understand how easily each NP can transform. Results showed that only 2,6-dinitrophenol (2,6-DNP) and 2-chloro-6-nitrophenol (2-Cl-6-NP) had Gibbs free energies above 0 kJ/mol. The study also evaluated the toxicity of the NPs, leading to the identification of trinitrophenol (TNP), 2-chloro-4-nitrophenol (2-Cl-4-NP), and 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) with the highest risk scores. In the present study, binding energies were used only as comparative indicators of enzyme–substrate interaction favorability within a screening framework, rather than direct measures of catalytic degradation efficiency. The enzyme 1,2-dioxygenase from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 showed strong degradation effects on catechol, with significant binding energies for 2-NP, 2-Cl-4-NP, and TNP. The PS-AOP changed the degradation environment, which reduced enzymatic efficiency. The study also modified specific amino acids in enzymes to improve their performance. For example, the enzyme 1DLT-6 had a degradation increase of nearly 27% compared to the reference enzyme. Finally, we tried to measure the impact of different forces on the breakdown of nitrophenols by enzymes. We used a two-dimensional amino acid map based on enzyme–ligand interactions and a visualization of non-covalent interactions. Our findings show that van der Waals forces and electrostatic forces are the main factors affecting how well the material breaks down. From a sustainability perspective, the study highlights a promising strategy for mitigating secondary pollution, improving the environmental compatibility of PS-AOP-based remediation, and supporting safer and more sustainable restoration of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil and groundwater. These findings help strengthen the theoretical basis for developing greener post-oxidation remediation pathways. Full article

The removal of ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) using advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has garnered increasing attention in wastewater purification. However, the application of the UV-activated persulfate (PS) system for treating NH₄⁺-N wastewater is limited by the low reaction rate between NH₄⁺-N and the reactive species (·OH and SO₄·⁻) generated in the system. In this study, common chloride ions (Cl⁻) were employed to enhance the removal of NH₄⁺-N in the UV/PS process; when the system conditions were pH = 7, [PS]₀ = 10mM, [Cl⁻]₀ = 35 mM, 30 mg/L NH₄⁺-N was completely degraded within 40 min. The total nitrogen removal rate was 75.50%, and the reaction rate constant increased from 0.0026 min⁻¹ to 0.0801 min⁻¹. The introduction of Cl⁻ led to the generation of reactive chlorine species (RCS) in the system that could efficiently oxidize NH₄⁺-N over a wide pH range (3–9), and the RCS, which efficiently oxidized NH₄⁺-N across a wide pH range (3–9). Quenching experiments confirmed that these RCS were gradually produced through the activation of Cl⁻ by ·OH and SO₄·⁻. The common anions present in water bodies had little impact on the degradation performance of NH₄⁺-N in the UV/PS/Cl⁻ system. Overall, the UV/PS/Cl⁻ system proposed in this study offers an effective approach for the efficient removal of NH₄⁺-N. Full article

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), as emerging contaminants, have garnered growing interest for their persistence and biological toxicity. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are significant convergence points for MNPs, where they undergo complex aging, particularly during advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), leading to different environmental fate and behavior. This study aims to discuss the aging of MNPs in wastewater treatment induced by AOPs and evaluate their biological risks. This review was conducted in accordance with the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. We searched three electronic databases—Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science—for relevant articles published between the year 2000 and March 2026. A total of 39 studies met the inclusion criteria and a narrative synthesis was conducted to summarize the findings. Risk of bias assessment was not performed, as this is a narrative systematic review without quantitative synthesis. The review protocol was registered in the OSF (registration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/FTQHN). First, aging pathways and the alterations in the physicochemical properties of MNPs caused by aging are summarized, mainly including changes in surface morphology, crystallinity, and chemical composition, etc. Second, the aging mechanism of MNPs and the factors affecting the aging were discussed. Third, the biotoxicity of aged MNPs on both microorganisms and humans was reviewed, which is mainly due to three sources: plastic particles themselves, released chemicals, and the combination of plastics with coexisting pollutants. Furthermore, this review also criticized the limitations in current studies, the lack of comprehensive evaluation of multiple environmental factors and the identification of specific toxicity; it also provides suggestions for future research. This overview is meaningful for better understanding the environmental fate and risks of MNPs. Full article

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is central to synaptic plasticity and neurodevelopment. Toxic metal exposure is linked to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, yet its effects on BDNF signaling remain unclear. Objectives: To systematically synthesize evidence from human and experimental studies on the association between environmental or occupational metal exposure and BDNF alterations, and to highlight research gaps with an emphasis on hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect were searched following PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies included human observational research and animal models reporting quantitative associations between metal exposure (biomarkers/environmental measures) and BDNF outcomes (protein or gene expression). Data were extracted on exposure assessment, BDNF measurement, and neurobehavioral outcomes. Study quality was assessed using NOS (human studies) and SciRAP (experimental studies). Results: Nineteen studies were included. Across metals such as Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Mn, and mixtures, exposure was associated with altered BDNF levels in blood or brain tissue, often alongside oxidative stress markers, inflammatory changes, and cognitive or behavioral impairment in animal models. Most human studies reported decreased circulating BDNF with higher exposure, while experimental evidence suggested context-dependent regulation across exposure windows and brain regions. Conclusions: The available evidence supports a biologically plausible link between metal exposure and BDNF dysregulation. No eligible studies evaluated BDNF in relation to Cr(VI), indicating a major research gap. Future studies should integrate neurotrophic biomarkers with exposome-oriented designs to clarify chromium-related neurotoxicity and support Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP)-informed frameworks. Full article

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been widely applied to treat textile wastewater, in which synthetic dyes are among the main pollutants. Some of these processes, such as the Fenton reaction, exhibit enhanced efficiency when coupled with radiation sources, particularly when combined with a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC). In this study, a UV-A photo-Fenton process assisted by CPC, constructed using reused fluorescent lamps as reaction tubes and operating with recirculation was applied to treat real textile wastewater. A preliminary factorial design was employed to optimize reagent concentrations, identifying optimal conditions of 2647.8 g·L⁻¹ of H₂O₂ and 15 mg·L⁻¹ of Fe²⁺. Overall, the use of the CPC led to an increase in photon availability, resulting in COD degradation efficiencies of 83%, corresponding to an ~19% relative increase in treatment efficiency, compared to the system without the CPC, as well as 79% removal efficiency for apparent color and 57% for turbidity. Results demonstrate that the CPC-assisted UV-A photo-Fenton process is an efficient and robust approach for treating real textile wastewater. Meanwhile, the reuse of fluorescent lamps represents a low-cost, environmentally sustainable alternative that contributes to waste valorization and process intensification. Full article

Broccoli is rich in glucosinolates (GSLs), secondary metabolites that contribute to both plant defense and human health. Optimizing the composition of major aliphatic GSLs is an important breeding objective, yet robust molecular markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) remain limited. In this study, candidate gene-based kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers were developed from conserved GSL biosynthesis genes, focusing on AOP2 and GSL-OH selected from 19 GSL-related genes. Marker–trait associations were evaluated in a natural broccoli population and further validated in an independent F₂ population. Among the tested markers, S101, located in AOP2, exhibited consistent genotype-dependent effects on GNA and PRO across both populations, supporting its stable predictive value. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis further confirmed strong classification performance of S101 for distinguishing high- and low-content genotypes of these traits in the F₂ population. In contrast, S074 and S035 showed population-dependent effects, with significant associations detected only in the natural population. Although association signals were reduced under mixed linear model (MLM) analysis with false discovery rate (FDR) correction, major loci identified under the general linear model (GLM) framework remained detectable. Overall, these results demonstrate the potential of candidate gene-based KASP markers for improving aliphatic GSL composition in broccoli through marker-assisted selection. Full article

The water–energy–carbon (WEC) nexus provides a systems framework for minimizing trade-offs among water security, energy reliability, and carbon mitigation. Within this framework, waste-derived biochar catalysts offer a circular pathway that simultaneously valorizes residues, reduces process energy demand, and supports carbon management through stable carbon storage and catalytic co-benefits. This review consolidates recent advances in biochar-based catalysts engineered from agricultural, industrial, municipal, and sludge-derived wastes, highlighting how feedstock selection and thermochemical processing, namely pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), and torrefaction, as well as activation and post-modification (heteroatom doping and metal/metal-oxide incorporation) govern structure–property–performance relationships. The synthesized catalysts have been widely applied in water and wastewater treatment, including adsorption–advanced oxidation process (AOP) hybrids, Fenton-like systems, peroxydisulfate/persulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, photocatalysis, and the removal of emerging contaminants. They have also demonstrated strong potential in energy conversion processes such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR/OER), biomass reforming, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) conversion. In addition, these materials contribute to carbon management through sequestration pathways, avoided emissions, and life cycle assessment (LCA)-based sustainability evaluations. Finally, we propose a WEC-aligned design roadmap integrating techno-economic analysis (TEA), LCA, and scale-up considerations to guide next-generation biochar catalysts toward robust performance in real matrices and deployment-ready systems. Full article

Background: At the end of each year, stakeholders of the Essential Immunization Programme (EPI) in the DR Congo meet to review progress made and lessons learned from the implementation of the Annual Operational Plan (AOP) and to set priorities for the following year. This paper presents a conference report that summarizes the main outcomes of the 2025 annual review meeting, which took place from 15 to 20 December 2025, and attracted 76 participants. Conference takeaways: While the 2024 WUENIC data show that the DR Congo is off-track for the 2030 Immunization agenda targets for all antigens, the administrative coverages were reported as optimal in 2025. EPI activities are planned based on administrative coverages, likely overestimated. In 2025, 47% of health zones in North-Kivu, South-Kivu and Ituri (49 out of 104) were fully or partially controlled by armed groups, leading to partial disruptions of immunization service delivery. In 2025, the DR Congo successfully launched the measles–rubella vaccine introduction preceded by a catch-up vaccination campaign in children aged from 6 months to 14 years old and continued to roll out malaria vaccines using a phased approach. Conclusions: Learning from the implementation of the 2025 AOP, the EPI stakeholders adopted a set of priority actions for the immunization programme in 2026. Full article

Textile wastewater contains recalcitrant azo dyes and auxiliary chemicals that are resistant to conventional biological treatment, resulting in persistent organic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. While supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) achieves superior chromophore mineralization, its high energy requirements limit industrial scalability. Conversely, biomass-derived activated carbon (BAC) offers a low-cost adsorption solution, but it rapidly becomes saturated with toxic oxidation intermediates. Notably, the literature lacks systematic analyses of hybrid SCWO-BAC systems with integrated thermal energy, which represents a crucial gap in assessing their economic feasibility. This review employed a systematic methodology, selecting studies relevant to the topic from peer-reviewed publications and databases, including Scopus, SciELO, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, for critical synthesis. Using SCWO as a pretreatment (which significantly reduces COD load), followed by BAC polishing, results in superior detoxification compared to individual processes. However, three barriers hinder scale-up: (i) chloride ion corrosion in real effluents; (ii) irreversible collapse of BAC pores after multiple regeneration cycles; and (iii) absence of standardized ecotoxicity data for hybrid-treated streams. This work outlines a technological roadmap for integrated supercritical water oxidation and biological activated carbon (SCWO-BAC) systems, targeting economically viable operational parameters for industrial-scale implementation. Full article