Search Results (1,830)

Artificial sweeteners have emerged as contaminants of increasing concern due to their widespread consumption, environmental persistence, and resistance to conventional wastewater treatment. This review provides an integrated assessment of global research trends and the environmental behavior of major artificial sweeteners, including sucralose, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, and aspartame. Bibliometric analysis of SCOPUS-indexed publications reveals rapid growth in research since 2010, with key themes focusing on environmental occurrence, treatment technologies, and ecotoxicological effects. These compounds are frequently detected in wastewater effluents, surface waters, groundwater, and even drinking water systems, driven by their high solubility and limited biodegradability. Their persistence raises concerns regarding ecological impacts, including potential alterations to microbial communities and aquatic organisms. In addition, emerging evidence suggests potential human health implications, including gut microbiota disruption, metabolic effects, and risks associated with chronic low-dose exposure, although these remain poorly understood. The performance of existing treatment technologies, including biological processes, adsorption, advanced oxidation, and membrane filtration, is critically evaluated, highlighting limitations in complete removal and in the formation of transformation products. Future research should prioritize sustainable treatment strategies, comprehensive risk assessment, and improved monitoring frameworks to better address both environmental and human health risks associated with artificial sweeteners. Full article

The paper sector is characterised by high freshwater consumption and a strong need for improved resource efficiency. In this context, industrial digestates derived from short-fibre residues in paper recycling mills represent a promising substrate for water recovery within a circular economy framework. This study investigated the dewatering of short-fibre digestates as a pre-treatment for downstream membrane processes, aiming to maximise the liquid fraction (LF) recovery while minimising dry matter (DM) content. Seven scenarios were studied: sedimentation (S0); pre-sedimentation with chemical addition using iron(III) chloride (FeCl₃) + polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (polyDADMAC) (S1), FeCl₃ + starch (S2), Nanofloc^® (S3), and polyDADMAC (S4); and direct dewatering without pre-sedimentation using polyDADMAC with cloth filtration (S5) and centrifugation (S6). With reference to the sedimentation supernatant, S4 achieved the highest DM separation efficiency of 76%, followed by S1 (64%), whereas S2 and S3 were below 40%. However, LF recovery relative to the initial digestate was limited in scenarios S1–S4 to 17% (170 g/kg_digestate), with DM concentrations of 2.0–4.8 g/kg_LF. In contrast, direct dewatering increased LF recovery substantially, with centrifugation (S6) achieving up to 690 g_LF/kg_digestate and cloth filtration (S5) 420 g/kg_digestate, while maintaining a low DM (1.7 g/kg_LF). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phosphorus (Ptot) were largely separated from the liquid fractions in all the scenarios. Nitrogen (Ntot) and ammonium (NH₄-N) in the LF remained more variable, ranging from 22 to 153 and 5 to 22 mg/kg_digestate, respectively. These results indicate that centrifugation with polyDADMAC is the most effective approach, suggesting that mechanical force with a chemical additive can be used for the efficient dewatering of short-fibre digestates. Full article

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is a widely cultivated and economically important fruit crop that is severely affected by Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis (race 1.2) (Fom). Conventional management practices have shown limited effectiveness and pose environmental and health risks; therefore, sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives are required to manage this disease. In the present study, 23 endophytic fungal isolates belonging to eight genera were isolated from Ecballium elaterium and screened to determine antifungal potential against Fom using an in vitro antagonistic assay. Two endophytic isolates (Fusarium sp. EeR4 and Fusarium clavum EeR24) exhibited an inhibitory effect against Fom on quarter-strength PDA plates. In growth chamber experiments, F. clavum EeR24-colonized melon seedlings and significantly protected plants from wilting compared to non-colonized pathogen-challenged seedlings. Under greenhouse conditions, F. clavum EeR24 significantly improved morphological and physiological traits, including plant height, weight, number of leaves, membrane stability, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration, in Cucumis melo. Endophytic colonization improved catalase (56%), guaiacol peroxide (47%), and superoxide dismutase activity (25%), and increased flavonoid and phenolic content by 11–59% compared to non-colonized Fom-challenged plants. Lipid peroxidation significantly decreased by 37% and proline accumulation increased by 70% in colonized plants compared to non-colonized plants. Histochemical analysis also indicated that endophytic colonization considerably reduced the levels of H₂O₂, O₂⁻, malondialdehyde, and cell mortality in Fom-challenged plants. In addition, the culture filtrate and organic residues of F. clavum EeR24 inhibited the mycelial growth of Fom by 52–58%, respectively. Furthermore, a study on spatial colonization of the endophyte and the pathogen using GFP and RFP tagging indicated that both the endophyte and the pathogen simultaneously colonized the root tissues of C. melo; however, the endophyte significantly reduced the pathogenicity of Fom. These results suggest that endophytic F. clavum EeR24 may be developed as an effective biocontrol agent for the management of Fusarium wilt in melon plants under field conditions. Full article

Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation induces oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in dermal fibroblasts, contributing to photodamage and skin aging. This study investigated the protective effects of Yeast/rice fermentation filtrate (RFF) and sialic acid (SA), both individually and in combination, against UVA-induced damage in human dermal fibroblasts. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, intracellular ATP and NAD⁺ contents, and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) were evaluated following treatment. RFF, SA, and their combination significantly improved cell viability in UVA-damaged fibroblasts and reduced ROS generation. Notably, the combined treatment increased intracellular ATP levels by 201.2% (p < 0.05), with enhancements of 62.3% and 285.4% compared to RFF and SA alone, respectively. Additionally, the combined treatment significantly restored NAD⁺ levels and effectively preserved mitochondrial membrane potential. Transcriptomic analysis revealed modulation of pathways related to cellular energy metabolism, particularly AMPK, and upregulation of SIRT1, SIRT3, and SIRT5 expression. The RFF–SA combination confers robust UVA photoprotection by enhancing mitochondrial resilience, providing a foundation for the development of protective cosmetic formulations. Full article

Concentrated natural rubber skim latex is a sustainable, value-added product derived from natural rubber latex processing, offering high rubber content, fine particle size, and shorter polymer chains compared to pure latex, making it suitable for diverse industrial applications. This study employed an environmentally friendly ultrafiltration method using composite membranes composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to concentrate skim latex without hazardous chemicals. The process generated two fractions: concentrated skim latex and skim serum. Membrane performance and fouling behavior were evaluated using FESEM-EDX and FTIR. Post-filtration analysis revealed significant latex particle deposition on the membrane surface, with elemental mapping confirming the presence of organic and inorganic residues. FTIR spectra indicated interaction between latex components and membrane functional groups, though the membrane’s structural integrity remained intact. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was assessed as a cleaning agent and demonstrated the effective partial restoration of membrane performance, as confirmed by flux recovery (PVDF-PVP-TiO₂ membrane recovered to a slightly higher flux of 7.35 L/m²h). These results highlight the membrane’s durability, fouling characteristics, and cleaning potential, supporting its reusability in latex processing. This study contributes to the development of sustainable separation technologies in the rubber industry, promoting circular economy and zero-discharge practices. Full article

Microalgae dewatering is a major bottleneck for the industrial deployment of microalgal biorefineries due to its high energy and water requirements. This study investigates the optimization and modeling of an industrial-scale aerated submerged ultrafiltration (UF) system for microalgae pre-concentration under real operating conditions. A submerged hollow-fibre Koch LE8 UF module (348 m², 0.03 µm) was operated directly on Chlorella sp. cultures produced in an 800 m² outdoor photobioreactor. Filtration–backwash cycles were experimentally optimized, identifying an optimal sequence of 8.33 min filtration and 1 min backwash, enabling up to 80% net water removal per cycle while maintaining fouling largely reversible under the tested conditions. Long-term trials (6–7 h) achieved stable concentration factors of 3.6–4.3 with complete biomass retention and sustained permeate flux despite increasing solids concentration. Reuse of permeate for backwashing eliminated freshwater consumption without compromising membrane performance. A dynamic resistance-in-series (RIS) model, incorporating mass balances and an empirically derived concentration-polarisation resistance, accurately reproduced permeate flux and biomass concentration dynamics (R² > 0.83) using a single fitted parameter. The validated model was further applied as a digital twin to simulate operation up to the theoretical concentration factor of 10, quantifying the associated energy and water demands. The system exhibited a low estimated specific energy consumption of 1.25 kWh·kg⁻¹ biomass and a water demand of 0.30 m³·kg⁻¹, demonstrating that aerated submerged UF is a robust, scalable, and energy-efficient solution for industrial microalgae harvesting. Full article

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are a diversely mounting group of chemicals and biological compounds found in air, water, and soil, which include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), microplastics, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and various other industrial compounds. Unlike conventional pollutants, ECs are usually unregulated, found in very small amounts, and can persist and build up in living organisms, resulting in toxic risks for both ecosystems and human health. These contaminants originate from various anthropogenic activities and enter the environment through wastewater, stormwater, landfill leaching, and atmospheric deposition. This article documents a holistic literature review of ECs available from the last five years, covering classification, sources and pathways of contamination, and environmental behavior, while assessing their ecological, human health, and socioeconomic impacts. Advances in detection, including high-resolution mass spectrometry, non-target screening, real-time sensors, and AI-assisted monitoring, are addressed. Management strategies including advanced oxidation, membrane filtration, electrochemical treatments, and nature-based solutions are explored. It also analyses global and regional policy frameworks, highlighting regulatory gaps and the need for standardized monitoring. The study emphasizes integrated, multidisciplinary approaches combining scientific innovation, sustainable chemical design, predictive modeling, and public engagement. Synergizing technology, governance, and prevention could reduce the risks related to ECs and protect the environment. The novel contribution is an end-to-end, decision-oriented synthesis that links what monitoring can reliably infer to be feasible, integrated control strategies and sustainability outcomes, supporting risk-based prioritization, targeted pollution treatment, and prevention-focused management. Full article

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes are used in ultrafiltration systems for car wash water reuse, where frequent alkaline cleaning is required to maintain operational flux rates. Although NaOH-induced degradation of virgin PVDF membranes has been reported, its relevance under real industrial conditions remains poorly understood. This study investigates the long-term exposure of tubular PVDF membranes to alkaline car wash detergents and evaluates how the resulting structural changes influence permeate quality. During several months of pilot-scale operation with synthetic car wash wastewater and daily alkaline cleaning (pH > 11.5), permeate fluxes remained stable at 50–70 LMH despite pronounced membrane aging. Structural analyses revealed enlarged pore size, increased water permeability and reduced dextran retention, while FTIR confirmed dehydrofluorination of the polymer matrix. Despite the extensive degradation of the membrane skin layer, permeate turbidity, dissolved organic carbon, and surfactant concentrations remained stable throughout the operation. This stability was attributed to the persistent fouling layer, which acted as an effective secondary separation barrier and compensated for the loss of intrinsic membrane selectivity. These findings demonstrate that substantial PVDF degradation does not necessarily compromise permeate quality in car wash ultrafiltration systems, highlighting the dominant role of fouling-controlled separation under long-term alkaline cleaning regimes. Full article

While membrane technologies are critical for preventing microplastics (MPs) release into aquatic ecosystems, MPs-induced fouling remains a persistent bottleneck, necessitating energy-intensive cleaning strategies that introduce their own environmental burdens. This study presents a systematic life cycle assessment (LCA) of fouling mitigation strategies, rigorously comparing hydraulic forward flushing and nitrogen (N₂) gas scouring across both unmodified and plasma-modified (acrylic acid, cyclopropylamine, and hexamethyldisiloxane) polysulfone membranes. Results reveal a stark divergence between operational performance and environmental sustainability. Baseline operations and the hydraulic flushing of unmodified membranes have environmentally costly global warming potential (GWP) ~150 kg CO₂-eq/m³), driven primarily by high electricity consumption and frequent membrane replacement. Conversely, cyclopropylamine (CPAm) plasma-modified membranes emerging as the optimal strategy, reducing global warming potential to 68 kg CO₂-eq/m³ and cutting electricity demand by 44% through superior fouling resistance. Crucially, the study uncovers a significant trade-off regarding gas scouring: While it achieves the highest technical performance (minimal flux decline of 0.33% h⁻¹), the upstream burdens of N₂ supply increased environmental impacts by over 100% across all categories. These findings challenge the assumption that maximum fouling control equates to sustainability, suggesting that surface engineering via plasma modification, rather than aggressive physical cleaning, offers the most viable pathway for sustainable MPs remediation. Full article

Wastewater contamination by toxic heavy metal ions poses a huge threat to ecosystem integrity and human health. Herein, we designed a polyelectrolyte (T-PEI) with a tunable positive charge property to construct a layer-by-layer (LBL) nanofiltration membrane for efficient heavy metal ion removal. The T-PEI was obtained via a Mannich reaction between polyethyleneimine (PEI) and tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC). The introduction of THPC imparted T-PEI with a strong and tunable positive charge, attributed to the quaternary phosphonium groups in THPC. Converting the weakly charged PEI into the strongly charged T-PEI allowed regulation of both T-PEI’s deposition behavior and the electrostatic interactions with sodium polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) during LBL assembly. As a result, after depositing only one bilayer, the positively charged PSS/T-PEI membrane achieved a pore size radius of 0.35 nm, meeting the typical criteria for nanofiltration membranes. Under the optimal preparation conditions, the resultant membranes exhibited a water flux of 38.1 L m⁻² h⁻¹ and high rejections to various heavy metal ions at low operation pressure, such as Cr³⁺ (99.8%), Ni²⁺ (96.1%), Cu²⁺ (92.5%), and Mn²⁺ (90.3%). Additionally, the membrane possessed robust operation stability, along with excellent antifouling/bacterial performance. After cyclic filtration of a lysozyme solution, the flux recovery ratio reached 94.7%. The membrane also exhibited effective bactericidal activity against both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with no visible microbial colonies observed. This work highlights the effectiveness of tailoring polyelectrolyte characteristics in enhancing the LBL membrane performance and presents a promising LBL nanofiltration membrane for heavy metal ion removal. Full article

This study presents a novel, integrated membrane–resin hybrid platform for the high-efficiency purification of N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid, NANA) from complex microbial fermentation broths. By synergistically combining four sequential stages—ceramic microfiltration (50 nm), ultrafiltration (3 kDa), nanofiltration (150 Da), and dual-resin purification (macroporous adsorption + cation-exchange)—the process achieves stepwise removal of cells, proteins, pigments, monovalent salts, and divalent metal ions without using organic solvents or high-salt buffers. Critically, each stage demonstrates high target recovery: 76.2% (CM), 67.3% (UF), and 77.5% (NF), with near-quantitative retention (>95%) during resin treatment due to NANA’s low hydrophobicity and electrostatic repulsion at pH 6.8. Following optimised acidification crystallisation (acetic acid dosage = 3 × concentrate volume; sialic acid concentrate concentration = 333.49 g/L), the final product reaches 97.9% purity with a crystalline yield of 78.6%. This scalable, green purification strategy eliminates major bottlenecks in downstream processing and enables industrial-scale production of pharmaceutical-grade sialic acid, with broad applicability to other high-value acidic biomolecules. Full article

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs) in industrial wastewater present significant environmental and public health challenges due to their persistence and radiotoxic effects. This comprehensive review analyzes 108 peer-reviewed publications from 2014 to 2025 on NORM treatment technologies for industrial wastewater. While previous reviews have focused on individual treatment methods or laboratory-scale studies, this work provides comparative performance analysis across multiple technologies under realistic industrial conditions, including high-salinity environments and competing ions. We emphasize membrane filtration, electrocoagulation (EC), ion exchange, and advanced oxidation processes, evaluating both their economic feasibility and environmental sustainability for practical industrial implementation. The review discusses the advantages and limitations of existing techniques, highlighting the need for integrated strategies that combine physical, chemical, and biological processes for enhanced remediation. Hybrid systems combining multiple technologies outperform individual approaches by 15–25% in removal efficiency. These advances are critical for ensuring safe water reuse and protecting water resources from radioactive contamination. Additionally, regulatory frameworks governing NORM management are examined, underscoring the importance of standardized disposal and treatment protocols. The review concludes by identifying research gaps and future directions. Priority areas include developing standardized treatment protocols and strengthening academia–industry collaboration to achieve scalable solutions aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. Full article

This study proposes an innovative spacer design for use in spiral-wound membrane filtration systems as a high-performance alternative to conventional woven spacers. By eliminating interwoven filaments, this structure fundamentally reshapes flow patterns while maintaining mechanical support. A novel aspect of this methodology is the inaugural application of coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the discrete phase model (DPM) for modeling microbial particle transport and deposition dynamics, which has been a critical gap in prior studies that focused solely on hydrodynamic analysis without addressing biocolloid dynamics. Numerical simulations demonstrated that the novel design reduces stagnant zones by a significant amount compared to standard woven spacers and achieves a greater velocity uniformity. For all eight configurations of the novel design, the DPM-derived microbial distribution maps revealed a reduction of circa 65% in particle colonization density on the spacer surface, and this reaches a 77% reduction for the optimal design. These measurements directly linking structural geometry to antifouling efficacy provide mechanistic insight unattainable through conventional velocity field analysis alone. Experimental validation using optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed a 40% reduction in TOC deposition, while confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) quantified a 54% decrease in biofilm viability through adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements. The incorporation of the optimal spacer in the plate-and-frame test module demonstrated that the lower degree of fouling caused both a 23% increase in permeation flux together with 76% lower energy consumption compared to the commercial design. Full article

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based ultrafiltration membranes play key roles in aqueous separation fields. However, the inherent hydrophobicity of PVDF always generates higher water permeation resistance and a greater fouling tendency in the filtration process. Different to the widely reported and widely used blending methods of increasing the hydrophilicity of PVDF membranes, the mass-produced hydrophilic PVDF copolymer is expected to be more efficient in producing high performance membranes. For this purpose, the present research offers a new and scalable approach to improving the hydrophilic properties of PVDF-based membranes through amphiphilic copolymers. Using 2-trifluoromethylacrylic acid (MAF) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP), carboxylated PVDF (PVHM) was synthesized following simple radical suspension copolymerization. Via a non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method, PVHM membranes were prepared and characterized. It was found that the PVHM membranes had enhanced hydrophilicity, permeability, fouling resistance, and alkali resistance compared with PVDF membranes. For the PVHM containing 8.3 wt% MAF, its membrane demonstrated superior static/dynamic fouling resistance to sodium alginate (FRR up to 99.1% for SA). Therefore, carboxylated PVDF polymers show potential for use in the industrial production of high-performance ultrafiltration membranes. Full article

Membrane technology is a highly efficient, cost-effective, and chemical-free process, leading to its widespread application across various fields. However, the high capital cost of traditional ceramic benchmarks remains a barrier. This study addresses this challenge by engineering a low-cost, waste-derived geopolymeric membrane functionalized with a silver molybdate (Ag₂MoO₄) catalytic coating for the removal of trimethoprim (TMP), a persistent emerging contaminant. Systematic filtration assays for the removal of TMP (100 mg·L⁻¹, pH 4) revealed the role of the Ag₂MoO₄ layer as a performance intensifier, yielding a 26% increase in initial permeate flux and a 33% improvement in the selectivity compared to the pristine support, while maintaining robust rejection efficiency. Comprehensive characterization attributes these enhancements to synergistic effects between increased surface hydrophilicity and favorable solute–catalyst interfacial interactions. Furthermore, a fouling analysis using Hermia’s models indicated the simultaneous operation of multiple blocking mechanisms, a phenomenon linked to the non-uniform nature of the coating and subsequent formation of preferential flow paths. Overall, the incorporation of the silver molybdate coating effectively improved the membrane’s flux performance and selectivity. These findings demonstrate that integrating catalytic coatings onto waste-based geopolymer frameworks provides a scalable, circular-economy-aligned strategy for advanced wastewater treatment, balancing high-flux performance with the efficient removal of recalcitrant pharmaceuticals. Full article