Industrial oily wastewater and oil spills pose serious environmental threats, demanding efficient and scalable separation materials. In this work, a hydrophobic/oleophilic ZIF-8/polyurethane sponge (ZIF-8/PUS) composite was fabricated via a simple dip-coating and drying process at room temperature. The composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) pore size distribution, confirming successful ZIF-8 deposition and a well-developed porous architecture. The water contact angle increased from 96.8 to 148.4°, while the oil contact angle remained 0°. The sponge achieved an oil absorption capacity of 36.1 g g⁻1 for 15W-40 oil and a water flux of 107 L m⁻2 h⁻1. Temperature-dependent separation tests (25-85 °C) yielded COD removal efficiencies of 99.24-97.55% and oil and grease removal of 99.20-97.74%. Statistics on triple experiments validated these results' robustness: One-way ANOVA showed significant differences in COD and oil/grease removal among experimental groups (p < 0.0001), and Tukey's HSD test showed that optimally adjusted samples outperformed controls (p < 0.05). The sponge retained performance after ten absorption-squeezing cycles. Application to real drilling rig wastewater (RIG-69 Fath unit) achieved 94.97% COD removal (6689 to 67 mg L⁻1) and 99.07% oil and grease removal, demonstrating practical potential for industrial oily wastewater treatment.

Pharmaceutical contamination in tropical coastal lagoons remains poorly characterized despite increasing anthropogenic pressures from watershed development. This study investigated the occurrence, spatial distribution, and ecological risk of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in the Segara Anakan Lagoon, Indonesia, a semi-enclosed tropical coastal ecosystem receiving substantial watershed inputs. Surface water samples were collected from 17 stations spanning West to East Plawangan during August 2023 and analyzed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF/MS). Paracetamol was ubiquitously detected in all water samples at concentrations ranging from 5.11 to 886.44 ng L⁻1, with the highest levels observed near urban discharge points. Sediment samples showed paracetamol concentrations between 23.16 and 45.55 ng kg⁻1. Method validation demonstrated excellent analytical performance (recovery: 90.08-112.87%, method detection limit: 0.11 ng mL⁻1, linearity: R2 = 0.9962). Ecological risk assessment using the risk quotient (RQ) approach revealed low to high risk across trophic levels: algae (RQ = 0.04-6.62), invertebrates (RQ = 0.17-29.45), and fish (RQ = 0.03-5.54). Stations 5 and 16 exhibited high ecological risk (RQ > 1) for all three trophic groups, indicating potential adverse effects on aquatic biota. These findings provide the first comprehensive baseline data on pharmaceutical pollution in Indonesian tropical lagoon systems and underscore the urgent need for improved wastewater management strategies in coastal watersheds to protect these ecologically and economically important ecosystems.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major pollutant in both indoor and outdoor environments, posing significant health risks and contributing to environmental degradation and climate change. This review highlights recent advancements in air purification and CO2 control technologies. A comprehensive assessment of adsorption, catalytic oxidation, photocatalysis, biofiltration, and membrane separation technologies is presented, with emphasis on their mechanisms, materials, and performance characteristics. In addition, the review examines current large-scale CO2 removal and deployment strategies, including direct air capture, carbon capture and storage, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and industrial-scale adsorption and membrane systems. Key challenges limiting widespread implementation, such as material constraints, energy requirements, process scalability, and economic feasibility, are critically discussed. The potential of hybrid systems and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence-based process optimization, is also evaluated for improving efficiency and sustainability. Finally, future research directions and policy recommendations are proposed to overcome existing barriers and accelerate the large-scale adoption of CO2 mitigation technologies.

This study quantified naturally occurring gamma-emitting radionuclides ([226]Ra, [232]Th, [40]K) in eight medicinal plants collected from the Senhaja Srair region of northern Morocco using HPGe gamma spectrometry. [40]K activities ranged from 214.66 to 1060.34 Bq kg[-1] (highest in the Lamiaceae family), whereas [226]Ra (0.23-2.10 Bq kg[-1]) and [232]Th (1.07-4.03 Bq kg[-1]) activities remained low. The estimated annual committed effective dose by ingestion ranged from 8.04 × 10[-6] to 1.36 × 10[-5] Sv y[-1] for adults and from 1.23 × 10[-5] to 6.29 × 10[-5] Sv y[-1] for children. The corresponding excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) reached a maximum value of 2.20 × 10[-4]. These results indicate that the investigated gamma-emitting radionuclides contribute only a limited fraction of the estimated ingestion dose and provide baseline data on natural gamma radioactivity in medicinal plants from northern Morocco.

The black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon Hufnagel, 1766) and the cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval, 1833) are significant pests that attack pepper plants globally. This study evaluated the efficacy of five insecticides against these pests under laboratory and field conditions; in addition, it assessed thiamethoxam residues in pepper leaves and fruits, and conducted a dietary risk assessment. Thiamethoxam demonstrated superior efficacy in laboratory tests, with LC50 values of 0.77 ppm and 1.6 ppm against 2nd and 4th instar cotton leafworm larvae, and 0.8 ppm and 1.56 ppm against 2nd and 4th instar black cutworm larvae. Field trials showed thiamethoxam achieved high reductions of 98.2% and 94% against cotton leafworm and black cutworm, respectively. Thiamethoxam residues in pepper fruits were below the maximum residue limit (0.7 mg/kg) 5 days after application, with dissipation rates of 72.5% and 73.05% after the first and second sprays. Dietary risk assessment indicated negligible short-term risks, with acute hazard indices (AHI) of 0.035% and 0.036%, and hazard quotient (HQ) values below the acceptable daily intake (ADI). These findings confirm thiamethoxam high efficacy against both pests, with safe residues in pepper fruits posing no significant health risks, making it a valuable component of integrated pest management programs.

Lichens are among the most widely used biological indicators of environmental quality because they integrate atmospheric pollutants and respond sensitively to environmental change. However, recent advances in lichen biology have expanded biomonitoring beyond traditional measures of pollutant accumulation, physiological injury, and community composition, creating the need for an updated synthesis. This review integrates current evidence on the biological basis, response mechanisms, environmental applications, and emerging frontiers of lichen biomonitoring. Classical approaches have been successfully applied to monitor air pollution, heavy metals, nitrogen deposition, and other environmental stressors, while recent studies demonstrate that symbiotic interactions and lichen-associated microbiomes provide additional, potentially earlier indicators of ecosystem disturbance. Building on this evidence, we propose a multi-level framework integrating six complementary biological domains: pollutant accumulation, physiological responses, community dynamics, functional traits, symbiotic interactions, and microbiome dynamics. This framework links established and emerging response pathways into a unified biomonitoring concept while acknowledging remaining challenges, including environmental variability, species-specific responses, methodological standardization, and geographic bias. Integrating conventional and emerging biological endpoints provides a more comprehensive and mechanistic foundation for lichen biomonitoring in a rapidly changing environment.

Integrating multiple waste streams into high-value energy carriers represents an important strategy for advancing circular economy principles. This study investigates the synergistic co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) using two chemically distinct waste-derived reactive media: OH-active bilimbi juice and N-functionalizing tofu wastewater. HTC was conducted at 180 and 210 °C to elucidate how the chemistry of these liquid wastes governs hydrochar evolution and energy recovery. Physicochemical characterization (SEM-EDX, BET, FTIR), thermogravimetric combustion analysis, and molecular modeling (HyperChem) were employed to reveal the underlying transformation mechanisms. The results demonstrated that the OH-active medium, rich in organic acids, promoted catalytic dehydration, decarboxylation, and carbon densification, resulting in hydrochars with enhanced thermal stability and combustion characteristics approaching those of sub-bituminous coal. In contrast, the amino acid-rich tofu wastewater facilitated in situ nitrogen incorporation and secondary char formation, yielding hydrochars with superior combustion reactivity and the highest higher heating value of 24.18 MJ kg[-1]. The highest energy densification ratio (1.43) and energy yield (103.01%) obtained for TR180 further indicate a synergistic transfer of energy-rich compounds from the liquid phase to the hydrochar matrix during co-HTC. Molecular analysis revealed that nitrogen functionalization reduced the HOMO-LUMO energy gap, thereby enhancing electronic reactivity and combustion performance, whereas acidic media favored the formation of more condensed aromatic structures with improved thermal resistance. These findings demonstrate that waste-derived reactive media can serve not only as process water substitutes but also as active chemical agents for selectively engineering hydrochar properties toward either stability or reactivity-oriented solid fuels. The proposed approach offers a sustainable pathway for the simultaneous valorization of agricultural residues and food-processing effluents.

Due to their ecotoxicological potential toward aquatic biota, the escalating occurrence of pharmaceutical residues in aquatic ecosystems constitutes a critical global environmental issue. The research examined variations in the behavioural, haematological, biochemical, oxidative stress and morphometric indices of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus juveniles, subjected to sub-lethal doses (3.80, 5.99, 11.38, and 22.60 mg/L) of pentoxifylline and dechlorinated carbon-filtered water (control) for 21 days, and a post-treatment duration of 7 days. Toxicity and stress- induced responses including alterations in behaviour, were documented on day 1, 7, 14, last day of exposure (day 21), and at the end of the 7 days outside the drug. Blood sample for the haematological and plasma biochemical indices, and liver for oxidative stress and morphometric indices, were also taken at the same intervals. Rapid opercula movement, excess mucus secretion, reduced feeding, and skin discoloration, increased with concentration, while corkscrew swimming, jumping and swimming rate, declined in the exposed fish. Behavioural toxicity index (BTI) increased significantly in a dose and duration dependent pattern from the fish exposure to pentoxifylline. There was a dose and duration-influenced significant fall in the packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell count, and mean corpuscular volume, while the opposite was registered for the white blood cells count, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration in the exposed fish. Of the differential leucocyte parameters sampled, values were only significant for the neutrophil and lymphocyte. The neutrophil increased, while the lymphocytes decreased significantly. A significant increase was registered in the aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase activities. Conversely, a reduction was registered in the protein and glucose levels in the exposed fish. A significant reduction in the oxidative stress biomarkers, liver catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and induction in the glutathione and malondialdehyde levels, were reported in the exposed fish, in contrast to the control. The condition factor of the exposed fish, exhibited no significant difference from those of the control. On the contrary, the hepatosomatic index increased significantly, in a manner influenced by the dose of the drug and duration of the treatment, in comparison to the control. The effects of the drug abated after the 7 days- post treatment duration. The findings of this research imply that pentoxifylline is harmful to fish.

The increasing utilization of agro-industrial waste underscores the necessity for sustainable valorization strategies consistent with circular economy principles. In this study, corn husk residue was investigated as a precursor to produce chemically activated biochars with tunable surface chemistry and porosity, enabling targeted adsorption of the cationic dye methylene blue (MB) and the anionic dye methyl orange (MO). Two activation strategies, acidic (H3PO4) and alkaline (NaOH), were applied to tailor the physicochemical properties of the resulting materials, designated as acid corn biochar (ACB) and alkaline corn biochar (AKCB). ACB exhibited uniform mesoporosity and polar surface groups, which enhanced interactions with both dyes, while AKCB demonstrated hierarchical porosity and neutral or basic surface groups that promoted π-π interactions and affinity for anionic molecules. Both biochars effectively removed dyes from aqueous solutions; however, ACB achieved higher adsorption capacities, reaching 60.2 mg g[-][1] for MB and 54.4 mg g[-][1] for MO, compared to 33.7 mg g[-][1] and 40.8 mg g[-][1] for AKCB, respectively. These findings indicate that chemical activation of corn-based biochar is a promising, cost-effective approach for developing efficient adsorbents for water treatment. This study advances process intensification and circular economy objectives by converting agricultural waste into functional materials for the remediation of industrial effluents.

This study examines irrigation development and sustainable water management in Rwanda under the 2010 and 2020 National Irrigation Master Plans. Using national datasets, QGIS spatial analysis, and CROPWAT 8.0 modelling for maize at the Mpanga Hillside Irrigation Scheme, we evaluated irrigation expansion (2010-2024), technology adoption, and irrigation water demand projections to 2050. By 2024, the total irrigated area reached 72,913 ha, merely 14.5% of the national irrigable potential of 501,509 ha, with around 70% of equipped areas using low-efficiency traditional systems (50-60% water use efficiency). Marshland, hillside, and small-scale irrigation schemes showed uneven growth, heavily constrained by funding shortages, COVID-19 impacts, and inadequate infrastructure maintenance. Eastern catchments, including Muvumba, Upper Akagera, and Lower Akagera, face acute water stress, with irrigation demand projected to surge toward renewable water limits by 2035-2050. The peak irrigation requirement for maize at Mpanga was 230.8 mm per decade. Core constraints include financial limitations, inefficient technologies, and spatial mismatches between water demand and supply. We recommend scaling water-saving technologies, strengthening water user associations, tiered water pricing, and smart precision irrigation. Future research should explore treated urban wastewater reuse to support climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural development in Rwanda.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent and ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Nevertheless, their release from historically contaminated soils remains poorly understood, particularly for fluorotelomer sulfonates (FTS) and long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCA). This study compares release behavior in two soils impacted by different pollution sources: aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) use and textile factory. PFAS concentrations in the two soils showed distinct source signatures: soil 1 was dominated by 6:2 FTS, 8:2 FTS, and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), whereas soil 2 contained mainly long-chain PFCA. Batch desorption tests showed that equilibrium was reached within 1 h for all targeted PFAS. Long-chain PFCA (C9-C11), perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid (PFSA), and FTS displayed low release percentages in both soils, indicating stronger retention driven by carbon chain length and functional group chemistry, while short-chain PFCA (C4-C7) were fully released. Release differences were primarily controlled by soil properties. Soil-water partitioning coefficients (Kd) and organic carbon-normalized (Koc) coefficients confirmed these trends. Higher Kd into soil 2 reflects stronger retention associated with its higher organic matter content compared to soil 1. Nevertheless, log Koc values ranging from 2 to 4 indicate that these PFAS were mobile to very mobile in this soil, according to the German Environment Agency PMT criteria, suggesting potential for extended groundwater plumes and impacts on sensitive receptors.

Heavy metal contamination commonly occurs as a mixture of multiple toxic metals, and plant reactions to mixed metal stress are still not completely understood. This study evaluated the heavy metal and phytoextraction efficiency of potential hyperaccumulator Alternanthera ficoidea put in mixed chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) under controlled polyhouse conditions. The experiment lasted 60 days, and plants were exposed to different Cr-Ni-Cd combinations during the process, growth, biomass, metal accumulation, primary metabolites, non-enzymatic antioxidants and antioxidant enzyme activities were all quantified. The strong influence on the growth at high doses was clearly indicated by the significant reduction of both shoot and root lengths and the decrease of the fresh and dry biomass as the concentrations of the ternary metals increased. On the other hand, A. ficoidea did accumulate metals to a large extent, with bioaccumulation and translocation factors being > 1, which proved that A. ficoidea was quite effective in taking up metals from the growth medium and in transporting them to the above-ground parts. Marked increases in proline, total phenolics and flavonoids, together with enhanced DPPH radical scavenging, metal chelating capacity and reducing power, were all consequences of metal stress, while the contents of protein, carbohydrate and chlorophyll diminished. The superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were very much increased, indicating that the metal-induced oxidative stress had been met by an even stronger antioxidant defence; thus, there was an activation of the antioxidant defence. The enhanced antioxidant defence system and efficient metal accumulation indicate that A. ficoidea mitigates metal-induced oxidative stress through coordinated physiological and biochemical adaptations. Therefore, the study has come to the conclusion that A. ficoidea is a plant that embodies the combination of high multi-metal accumulation together with robust physiological and biochemical tolerance; therefore, its potential use as a candidate species for the reclamation of Cr-Ni-Cd co-contaminated environments is firmly supported.

The leather industry, a cornerstone of the global economy, extensively employs synthetic dyes-particularly azo dyes-to impart vibrant colours and desirable aesthetic finishes to leather products. Despite their functional benefits, these dyes raise serious environmental and health concerns. Azo dyes can degrade into toxic and potentially carcinogenic amines and exhibit poor biodegradability. During leather dyeing operations, an estimated 30-35% of the applied dyes remain unbound to the substrate, leading to their discharge in effluents, contributing significantly to water pollution. Growing awareness of these issues has spurred interest in sustainable alternatives, particularly pigments derived from biological sources. Natural pigments offer an eco-friendly solution with advantages such as biodegradability, low toxicity, renewable substance, and less harmful than conventional dyes. Furthermore, their eco-friendly features like waste valorization potential, biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, and energy-efficient production render them important in sustainable industrial applications. However, challenges related to pigment stability, standardization, extraction efficiency, and large-scale industrial implementation continue to limit their commercial adoption. This review critically examines the environmental implications of synthetic dye usage during leather making and evaluates the emerging role, current limitations, and future prospects of microbial and plant-derived pigments as sustainable alternatives aligned with circular economy principles and cleaner production standards.

Clothes laundering is a significant source of environmental microfibers (MFs). Most research has focused on MF releases to water during clothes laundering despite recent studies demonstrating that more MF production occurs during tumble drying. Studies that have focused on dryer emissions have typically used garments of a single material, e.g., pure polyester. Real dryer lint is more likely to exist as a complex matrix of animal (fur, hair, wool), cellulosic (cotton, rayon, lyocell), and synthetic (polyester, acrylic, nylon) materials. This study describes a plastic extraction from dryer lint (PEDL) method, which is needed to characterize MF releases from tumble drying in domestic settings. The PEDL method involves digesting 50 mg aliquots of dryer lint for 24 h in 9 M sulfuric acid, followed by a 24-h digestion in household bleach (8.25% NaOCl). After each digestion step, the digestates are filtered over 30 µm PCTE filters. The proportion of mass accumulated after the bleach digestion can be used to calculate the mass of synthetic MF in the original sample. The proposed method effectively removes > 93% of cellulosic fibers and > 95% of animal-based fibers while leaving plastic MFs relatively unaffected. The 9 M H2SO4 did dissolve nylon fibers, which are common in textiles and likely to be present in dryer lint. However, nylon fibers account for a relatively small proportion of synthetic fiber production compared to polyester and are not expected to significantly impact the mass-based quantification. Recoveries of spiked MFs were > 90%, demonstrating that this method does not result in substantial losses during the two filtration steps. Finally, Raman spectroscopy confirmed natural (e.g., cellulosic and animal) MFs present in real lint samples were effectively removed during the digestion, comprising only 1% of the digested lint sample compared to 35% in undigested lint samples. Conversely, synthetic MF accounted for > 85% of the digested lint sample compared to 30% in undigested samples. The PEDL method will be useful in future investigations quantifying synthetic MF releases from domestic dryer lints to the environment.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a serious concern for crop productivity and food safety. This study investigates the effects of exogenous trehalose (Com A) and/or di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) (Com B) on mitigating Cd toxicity in 8th-day-old rice seedlings by using a series of experiments that included morphological analysis, assessment of oxidative parameters, analysis of antioxidant enzyme activity, microscopy, and gene expression analysis. Our findings show that the addition of trehalose and DAP reduces Cd uptake and retention by 322.1 µmol g[-][1] DW in roots compared to 289.8 µmol g[-][1] DW in shoots under Cd stress alone. Retention of Cd in the roots of rice seedlings improves growth, increases chlorophyll content, reduces oxidative stress by 30% in shoots and 54% in roots relative to Cd stress, and enhances the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The addition of trehalose and DAP enhanced mitochondrial electron transport system (ETS)-related genes, such as NADH dehydrogenase (complex I), SDH (complex II), and COX (complex IV), and their activities by 1.479, 1.56, and 2.6495-fold in the shoot, respectively, indicating that they are important for treatment-dependent modulation of mitochondrial redox in rice seedlings. The present findings demonstrate that rice seedlings effectively employ biochemical mechanisms, through exogenous trehalose and DAP, to mitigate the effects of Cd stress. This study concluded ways to reduce the toxicity of heavy metals in the environment.