Search Results (808)

Climate change is increasingly constraining agricultural productivity by intensifying drought, accelerating soil degradation, and increasing pest and disease pressure. In this context, biostimulants are emerging as sustainable tools to improve crop resilience and maintain yield under suboptimal conditions. This study evaluated the effects of microbial and non-microbial biostimulants on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) growth, grain yield, seed quality, root traits, and soil properties under low-fertility and water-limited conditions in a marginal field in southern Italy. Treatments included an untreated control and biostimulants based on microelements, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), microbial consortia, ozonated oil, and humic substances. Biostimulants significantly affected agronomic traits. Humic substances increased plant height, while microelements markedly enhanced reproductive performance, with pod number increasing from 13 in the control to 23 pods plant⁻¹. Root traits were also improved, particularly under microbial, humic, and AMF treatments. Grain yield was highest in the ozonated oil treatment (430.6 kg ha⁻¹), whereas seed nutritional composition showed only limited variation among treatments. Biostimulants also induced treatment-specific changes in soil fertility indicators. Overall, the results indicate that selected biostimulants can improve chickpea performance and modulate soil fertility under marginal conditions, although multi-year studies are needed to confirm the stability of these responses under variable environments. Full article

The Directive (EU) 2024/3019 on urban wastewater treatment (WWT) imposes new, stringent targets for nutrients and pharmaceutical compounds, thereby requiring the implementation of tertiary and quaternary treatments and promoting water reuse. This study evaluated the ecotoxicological impacts of advanced wastewater treatments applied to the effluent from a WWTP after secondary treatment: ultrafiltration (UF), ultraviolet radiation (UV), ozonation (OZ), and non-thermal plasma (NTP). Ecotoxicity assays were conducted using Raphidocelis subcapitata (chronic tests) and Daphnia magna (acute and chronic tests), representing primary producers and consumers, respectively. For R. subcapitata, no significant growth inhibition was observed for most treatments, while growth was promoted due to the presence of nutrients, except for OZ, which produced inhibitory effects. In D. magna, acute toxicity was low for most treatments, except for OZ, which showed significant toxicity. An additional chronic exposure experiment was conducted for the NTP-treated effluent, inducing adverse effects on growth and reproduction of D. magna; in contrast, R. subcapitata showed no effects, demonstrating species-specific sensitivity and trophic-level-dependent responses. These findings demonstrate that although advanced oxidation technologies enhance water quality, they may cause sublethal and lethal ecotoxicity effects, highlighting the importance of ecotoxicological evaluations in risk assessment of quaternary treatments, framed by Directive (EU) 2024/3019. Full article

The seedling production stage of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is crucial for crop success, as it determines the initial quality of the plants. The use of seeds with rapid and uniform germination is essential to ensure proper seedling establishment. Among sustainable alternatives for water management, irrigation with ozonated water stands out due to its disinfectant potential and its ability to stimulate plant physiology. This study evaluated the effects of irrigation with ozonated water on the production and development of lettuce seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, with four replications. Two lettuce cultivars were tested: one with smooth leaves and another with crisp leaves. The variables analyzed included germination parameters (final percentage, germination index and mean germination rate, uniformity, and time to reach 10, 50, and 90% germination), as well as initial growth parameters (total height, shoot and root height, and dry matter content). Analyses were performed on 20 seedlings per cultivar. Irrigation with ozonated water promoted significant growth (p < 0.05) of the shoot and root growth, with increases of 16.90 and 4.99% for the smooth-leaf cultivar, and 24.27 and 9.26% for the crisp-leaf cultivar, compared to the control. Ozone application did not alter the microbiological, physical, or chemical parameters of the water. These growth-promoting effects are likely associated with increased oxygenation of the root zone, enhanced oxidation of organic matter in the substrate, and improved nutrient availability promoted by ozone-derived radicals, which may also optimise root respiration and reduce pathogenic pressure. The applied concentration of 5 mg L⁻¹ O₃ over a 25-day seedling production cycle proved effective and did not cause phytotoxic effects. Irrigation with ozonated water is an efficient and environmentally safe alternative for producing vigorous lettuce seedlings. Full article

Many sectors that sustain humanity’s daily life and wellbeing contribute to the occurrence and accumulation of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in the environment, making them a global concern. This manuscript presents an appraisal of existing scientific literature on removal of OMPs from water by non-thermal plasma-ozonation (NTPO) synergy with specific attention on phenolics, pesticides and herbicides and organic dyes. An overview of non-thermal plasma (NTP) degrading agents in gas and aqueous phases has been given, complemented with diagnostic systems and reactive species detection methods. A scrutiny of reactor systems and their influencing operating parameters has also been discussed. For the analysed types of OMPs, the kinetics, reaction mechanisms and the synergistic degradation effects have been explored. Several studies showed NTPO and NTP/other process synergy resulting in higher degradation efficiency than the individual processes. Most removal reactions followed pseudo-first-order and second-order kinetics while the mechanistic breakdown mainly involved the action of the nonselective OH radical. This scientific critique brings to light utilisable data, provides novel insights on NTPO of OMPs, unveils science gaps for further investigation and presents a wide spectrum of points to consider in plasma water research on OMPs. Full article

Agrivoltaics is a promising technique, especially in view of the rapid population growth associated with the expansion of cultivated areas to satisfy the food demands of the population, and the increase in solar power plants, which require considerable space to supply the population with energy. Thus, the transition from agricultural to agrivoltaics systems and the transition from PV power plants to agrivoltaics systems can enable more efficient use of land for energy and agricultural production. However, the configuration of agrivoltaics systems, namely panel elevation, spacing between panels and between rows of panels, and panel size, defines the amount of material used. As a result, configuration can have a major impact on the environment. The aim of this study is to highlight the environmental impact from converting 1 ha of land used entirely for agricultural production to 1 ha of an agrivoltaic system, and from converting 1 ha of land used entirely for solar photovoltaic energy production to 1 ha of an agrivoltaic system through a life cycle assessment. Three different configurations of agrivoltaics systems are considered to assess the environmental potential of agrivoltaics configurations. This analysis is performed with SimaPro 9.4 software, using the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method and the Eco-invent database. The study determined impacts on global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, ionizing radiation, ozone formation, mineral resource scarcity, fossil resource scarcity, water consumption, and land use through the determination of the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER). The results show that impacts are highest for PV power plants, followed by the agrivoltaic system with the largest PV panels for all indicators, except for stratospheric ozone depletion, where impacts are highest for agrivoltaics and agricultural use systems. The results of the land evaluation showed that the agrivoltaic system Case 3 gave the best performance, with a Land Equivalent Ratio of 148.7%. Full article

Persistent organic contaminants and complex wastewater matrices challenge conventional treatment because parent-compound removal does not necessarily imply mineralization, detoxification, or improved environmental safety. Advanced oxidation processes can address these limitations, but practical effectiveness is often constrained by oxidant activation, gas–liquid mass transfer, reagent distribution, light penetration, catalyst contact, energy demand, and matrix scavenging. This work critically examines hydrodynamic cavitation-assisted advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment, including systems based on hydrogen peroxide, ozone, Fenton and Fenton-like reactions, persulfate, peroxydisulfate, peroxymonosulfate, UV irradiation, photocatalysis, cold plasma, multi-hybrid configurations, and emerging reduction-oriented approaches. The discussion covers reactor configurations, target contaminants, real matrices, and sustainability-related performance metrics. The central argument is that hydrodynamic cavitation is not automatically sustainable as a stand-alone treatment. It becomes relevant as a sustainable intensification module only when measurable improvements are demonstrated in oxidant activation, mass transfer, treatment depth, biodegradability, toxicity reduction, process integration, or scale-up at acceptable energy and chemical cost. A reporting framework is proposed based on mineralization, COD/TOC reduction, by-products, toxicity, biodegradability, normalized energy consumption, chemical efficiency, real-matrix validation, reproducibility, and cost-relevant indicators. Future progress should move from isolated degradation tests to integrated, controllable, and scalable treatment frameworks. Full article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and mechanism of iron-based catalysts in the treatment of phenolic wastewater by catalyzing ozone oxidation. The removal rates of phenolics and COD were systematically examined using simulation experiments with water and actual wastewater, which involved analyzing the effects of reaction time, pH, ozone dosage, catalyst dosage, and initial concentration. The phenol and COD removal rates in the simulated wastewater were 95.9% and 93.5%, respectively, respectively, while the ozone dosage was 16 mg/L/min, pH was 6.7–6.8, and catalyst dosage was 0.3 g/L. The phenol and COD removal rates in the actual wastewater were 68.6% and 68.0%, respectively. The reaction time was 30 min. The system’s efficient removal ability for phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and others was confirmed through three-dimensional fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopy. The iron-based catalyst generates ·OH through three pathways: adsorption of activated ozone on surface active sites, continuous production of free radicals by Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ cycling, and direct activation of ozone by Fe²⁺. This mechanism analysis showed that the catalyst generates ·OH. These pathways convert pollutants into small molecules or mineralized by attacking the aromatic rings and conjugated structures of pollutants. Technical references for the deep treatment of phenol-containing wastewater are provided in this study. Full article

The removal of four representative pharmaceuticals—sulfamethoxazole (SMX), carbamazepine (CBZ), diclofenac (DCF) and ibuprofen (IBU)—was investigated in a model aqueous solution using UV-C photolysis, ozonation and a hybrid UV/O₃ process. UV-C and UV/O₃ experiments were conducted at initial pH 3, ~6 and 8, whereas single ozonation was applied at pH ~6 as a near-neutral reference. The processes were compared in terms of removal efficiency, apparent pseudo-first-order kinetics and kinetic enhancement. UV-C photolysis showed pronounced compound selectivity, with efficient removal of DCF and SMX but limited transformation of CBZ and IBU. Ozonation markedly improved the removal of ozone-reactive compounds, particularly CBZ and DCF. Under near-neutral conditions, UV/O₃ provided high removal efficiencies for all target compounds after 30 min. Kinetic analysis showed that UV/O₃ enhancement was compound-specific: apparent synergy was observed for CBZ and IBU, with SF values of 1.43 and 1.24, respectively, whereas SMX showed a subadditive response. DCF was rapidly removed under UV/O₃ but was excluded from the main SF comparison because its concentration approached the lowest calibrated concentration level. These results indicate that UV/O₃ is especially useful for poorly UV-susceptible pharmaceuticals. Full article

Numerous surface modification strategies, particularly nanoengineering approaches, have been explored to tailor the physicochemical and topographical properties of titanium surfaces in order to enhance osteogenic responses at the implant interface. In this study, we propose an alkaline ozonation strategy as a novel approach to generate nanostructured TiO₂ layers on Ti-6Al-4V alloy surfaces. Titanium discs were treated in a 6 M KOH solution under continuous bubbling of ozone, allowing the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsible for oxidative surface restructuring. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of a homogeneous three-dimensional TiO₂ nanonetwork composed of intertwined nanofibers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the oxidative reconstruction of the Ti alloy surface. The fraction of Ti⁴⁺ species characteristic of TiO₂ increased markedly from 44.2 at% to 92.2 at%, accompanied by a strong reduction in Ti⁰ (from 40.2 at% to 5.8 at%) and Ti³⁺ (from 15.7 at% to 2.1 at%). Concomitantly, lattice oxygen associated with Ti–O–Ti bonding increased from 48 at% to 78 at% as deduced from the O 1s signal, while the surface carbon content decreased from 48 at% to 18 at%. The modification induced a pronounced increase in surface hydrophilicity, with the water contact angle decreasing from 85° to 32° and the surface free energy increasing from 40.8 mJ/m² to 69.8 mJ/m². In vitro studies demonstrated good cytocompatibility and enhanced osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells, with twice as much alkaline phosphatase activity after 14 days and mineralization of the extracellular matrix after 28 days than those on TCPS, and also significantly higher than those on the nonmodified Ti alloy control. These findings indicate that the generated three-dimensional TiO₂ nanonetwork acts as a surface-confined nanoscaffold providing nanoscale cues that promote osteogenic cell responses on titanium implant surfaces. Full article

Background/Objectives: Regenerative endodontic treatment (RET) depends on the release of dentin-derived bioactive molecules, which is commonly promoted by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-based dentin conditioning. However, whether adjunctive ozone delivery protocols can modify the measurable release of dentin-derived transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) remains unclear. This study evaluated the effects of two adjunctive ozone application protocols used with chelation on dentin-derived TGF-β1 and IGF-1 release, without directly assessing the in situ activation or functional bioactivity of TGF-β1. Methods: Sixty-four freshly extracted human mandibular premolars were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 16). The experimental protocols were as follows: 17% EDTA alone (Group A), 17% EDTA followed by ozonated distilled water and ozone gas (Group B), ozonated 17% EDTA followed by ozone gas (Group C), and a negative control group. Root segments were standardized. In the experimental groups, all external surfaces were coated with nail varnish, leaving only the intracanal dentin surface exposed. In the negative control group, all surfaces were sealed. After ultrasonic activation, the specimens were incubated in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37 °C. PBS samples were collected on day 1 to evaluate early measurable growth factor release and on day 7 to assess short-term changes in detectable growth factor levels. TGF-β1 and IGF-1 levels were measured by ELISA and normalized to internal dentin surface area derived from micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis. Results: No detectable growth factor values were observed in the negative control group. For TGF-β1, no significant intergroup difference was observed on day 1, whereas a significant difference was found on day 7 (p = 0.022). On day 7, the ozonated EDTA followed by ozone gas group showed approximately threefold higher surface-area-normalized TGF-β1 values than the EDTA followed by ozonated distilled water and ozone gas group (p = 0.018). TGF-β1 values increased from day 1 to day 7 in Groups A and C, whereas no significant temporal change was observed in Group B. IGF-1 values showed no significant intergroup or intragroup differences. Conclusions: Adjunctive ozone application showed a protocol-dependent effect on dentin-derived growth factor values, mainly for TGF-β1, while IGF-1 remained unaffected. The highest TGF-β1 values were observed when ozonated EDTA was followed by ozone gas. However, these in vitro findings indicate measurable growth factor release and should not be interpreted as direct evidence of TGF-β1 activation or clinical regenerative efficacy. Full article

Taste is a critical yet under-monitored parameter influencing consumer trust in drinking water. Despite its importance, conventional systems rarely quantify taste objectively for operational management. This study introduces a novel sensor-based Taste Index (TI), developed using a potentiometric electronic tongue (E-tongue) with seven ion-selective electrodes, to enable continuous, quantitative evaluation of taste stability across treatment and distribution systems. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, characterized treatment-dependent variations and spatial heterogeneity. The TI was defined as the normalized Euclidean distance from the final treated water reference (TI = 0.00). Results showed raw water at TI = 1.00, while a temporary increase to TI = 0.38 post-ozonation indicated the formation of taste-active byproducts. Notably, distribution samples with TI > 0.4 precisely corresponded to areas with documented aesthetic complaints. This research presents the first application of a sensor-derived TI for proactive taste monitoring. By enabling early anomaly detection and process tracking, the TI supports data-driven, consumer-centered water management. Its scalability and real-time applicability position it as a practical tool for smart water infrastructure and enhanced operational control. Full article

Cooking oil fumes (COFs) are major pollutants generated during thermal food processing, with emissions rising rapidly due to urbanization and the expanding catering industry, posing significant risks to indoor air quality and human health. This review systematically examines the formation mechanisms, physicochemical properties, and environmental and health impacts of COFs. Their formation involves primary processes such as thermal oxidation, cracking, Maillard reactions, and water vaporization, alongside secondary reactions where volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contribute to ozone (O₃) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. COFs exhibit complex gas–liquid–solid coexistence and contain hazardous components including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene compounds, aldehydes, and ultrafine particles (Dp ≤ 0.1 μm). Based on reported data, emission factors under typical cooking conditions range from 17.966 to 71.923 mg/(min·kg oil) for VOCs, 0.016 to 1.710 mg/(min·kg oil) for benzene compounds, and 0.458 to 1.820 mg/(min·kg oil) for formaldehyde. This highlights the variability in cooking fume emissions and associated health risks. Despite growing research attention, challenges remain in emission characterization and health risk assessment. By synthesizing current knowledge, this review provides a scientific basis for developing precise mitigation strategies and guiding future regulatory standards, with implications for improving food processing practices and indoor air quality management. Full article

The removal of persistent pharmaceutical compounds such as carbamazepine (CBZ) by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) remains a major challenge in water treatment, particularly in relation to understanding the operating conditions governing reaction kinetics and transformation pathways. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the effect of ozone concentration on the kinetics and mechanistic regimes of CBZ ozonation in aqueous solutions. Ozonation experiments were conducted in an aqueous solution at an initial CBZ concentration of 50.0 mg/L, using inlet ozone concentrations between 1.9 and 58.5 g/m³ under controlled conditions. CBZ degradation followed apparent pseudo-first-order kinetics under the studied conditions, with the corresponding apparent rate constant increasing linearly with the inlet ozone concentration. At ozone concentrations ≥ 15.7 g/m³, rapid CBZ removal was observed, together with high dissolved ozone levels, accelerated loss of aromaticity, and transient formation of colored oxidation intermediates, which were subsequently degraded. In contrast, low ozone concentrations led to ozone-limited kinetics and slower aromatic breakdown. The pH evolution revealed two distinct kinetic regimes, transitioning from oxidant-limited to reaction-controlled behaviour and stabilizing at pH 4.3. These findings may provide guidelines for optimizing ozone-based treatment processes. The insights gained may be applied to the design, scale-up, and operation of advanced and hybrid oxidation systems. Full article

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in algae-laden micro-polluted source water is highly complex, posing major challenges to drinking water treatment and risk control. However, the molecular fate of DOM and its associated toxicity consequences under different treatment processes remains insufficiently understood. In this study, a multi-scale characterization approach combined with toxicity prediction was used to systematically compare the effects of coagulation, ozonation, and adsorption on the molecular transformation and toxicity evolution of DOM. FT-ICR MS analysis assigned 1092 DOM molecular formulae in the raw water, while 741 and 800 assigned formulae remained after coagulation and adsorption, respectively. Both processes showed distinct molecular selectivity: saturated molecules were preferentially removed by both treatments, whereas coagulation showed a stronger preference for oxidized molecules. By comparison, ozonation achieved limited COD_Mn and DOC reduction but markedly reduced UV₂₅₄ and increased the number of assigned molecular formulae to 1500. The ozonated effluent was characterized by diverse transformation products, especially oxidized saturated small molecules, accompanied by enhanced bio-origin fluorescence signals and more prominent low-molecular-weight neutral and biopolymer fractions. In addition, ozonation increased the numbers of highly acute and highly chronic toxic molecules by 53.60% and 42.25%, respectively, whereas coagulation and adsorption reduced these high-risk molecules. These findings reveal the process-specific molecular transformation and toxicity evolution of DOM under three classical water treatment processes, providing a theoretical basis for process optimization and ecological risk control. Full article

Air and water pollution pose critical threats to public health and environmental stability, particularly in rapidly urbanizing developing nations. This study investigates synergistic interactions between air and water pollutants across 14 cities in Hunan Province, China (2020–2024), using multiparametric statistical approaches. The results show that the coefficient of variation (CV) of particulate matter (PM) with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5, CV = 46.9%) and turbidity (TU, CV = 47.4%) showed the highest variability among the air and water quality parameters, respectively. Annual trends revealed significant increases in ozone (O₃) alongside decreases in carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations. Concurrently, freshwater systems exhibited rising electrical conductivity (EC), water temperature (WT), and pH, paired with declining levels of ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), total phosphorus (TP), and turbidity (TU). Principal component analysis (PCA) and Spearman correlation analyses showed significant positive correlations between PM and nitrogen species (TN, NH₃-N), but negative correlations with TP, suggesting potential cross-media pollution interactions. Cross-correlation analysis revealed significant time-lagged relationships (1–5 months) between atmospheric pollutants and aquatic nutrients, suggesting that atmospheric deposition may serve as a contributing pathway for cross-media contamination. The study not only provides empirical evidence for integrated pollution control strategies in urbanizing watersheds, but also offers a transferable framework for addressing similar air–water quality interactions on a global scale. Full article