Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) is persistent and highly mobile that is increasingly detected in agricultural soils, raising concerns about its long-term ecological impacts on plant-soil systems. Despite its widespread, little is known about how PFHxS restructures rhizosphere microbial communities, modifies microbial ecological interactions, or affects soil biochemical functioning that underpins ecosystem resilience. Using Lupinus polyphyllus as a model legume, this study investigated the effects of PFHxS (5, 25, and 125 mg/kg) on plant performance, soil biochemical functions, and rhizosphere microbial communities, with the latter characterized using high-throughput sequencing and microbial network analyses. PFHxS exposure at 5 mg/kg stimulated plant growth, whereas higher PFHxS concentrations attenuated this growth-promoting effect. Bacterial communities remained comparatively resilient and continued to be dominated by Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes, whereas fungal communities exhibited pronounced sensitivity, with Chao1 richness and unique operational taxonomic units (OTU) declining by 50.6% and 69.2%, respectively. Despite the compositional resilience of bacterial communities, Bray-Curtis ordination, heatmap clustering, and microbial network analyses revealed concentration-dependent restructuring of rhizosphere microbial interactions under PFHxS exposure. Collectively, these findings identify fungal communities as the most sensitive component of the rhizosphere microbiome to PFHxS stress and provide new insight into PFHxS-driven rhizosphere responses with implications for ecological risk assessment.

Landfill aging generates microplastics (MPs) that migrate via leachate and interact with chlorinated organophosphate flame retardants (Cl-OPFRs). However, the adsorption mechanisms under landfill conditions remain poorly understood. This study combined experimental batch adsorption with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis, and interaction region indicator (IRI) to elucidate the adsorption behavior of Cl-OPFRs onto both petroleum-based MPs (PMPs) and biodegradable MPs (BMPs) before and after simulated mechanical-thermal aging. Aging induced 28-45% particle size reduction and selective surface oxidation of PMPs, while BMPs underwent pronounced depolymerization and fragmentation. These physicochemical changes significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of all MPs for Cl-OPFRs. Notably, aged BMPs exhibited substantially greater increases (up to 27.63%) compared to PMPs (up to 13.30%). Mechanistically, van der Waals forces, halogen bonding, and π-H interactions governed adsorption onto polar MPs, while hydrophobic interactions dominated for non-polar polyethylene. Furthermore, aging elevated the ecological risk quotient of MP-Cl-OPFR complexes, particularly for BMPs and more hydrophobic Cl-OPFRs, with risk increases reaching 24.53%. These findings demonstrate that landfill aging critically enhances the vector role of MPs (especially biodegradable types) for Cl-OPFRs, offering essential mechanistic insights for improved risk assessment and management strategies in landfill-affected ecosystems.

The mining industry produces significant volumes of flotation wastewater that contains xanthates, such as potassium amyl xanthate (PAX, C6H11OS2K), that pose toxicity risks to ecosystems and humans. In this study, an oxygen-based membrane biofilm reactor (O2-MBfR) was applied to biodegrade high concentrations (75∼200 mg/L) of PAX; the MBfR achieved > 99% removal of PAX with minimal carbon disulfide (CS2) emission at a PAX surface loading rate of 770 mg/m2-d. The microbial community adapted to changing PAX loading and O2 pressure, and it consistently gave efficient removals of PAX and soluble COD, as well as negligible CS2 emission. Metagenomic sequencing revealed that Mesorhizobium, Zoogloea, Sediminibacterium, Afipia, and Devosia were important genera that contributed in different ways to oxidation of PAX, PAX metabolites, and CS2. PAX degradation began with cleavage of C-O or C-S bonds, which was followed by oxidation of sulfur-containing intermediates. Also, the efficient biodegradation of xanthates offers a potential strategy to avoid flotation tailings caused by flotation wastewater reuse.

Periodate (PI) has been extensively utilized for the degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants in aqueous environments. In contrast, its application in soil remediation is still limited. The critical unknowns notably encompass whether, how, and to what extent inherent soil constituents activate PI. Here, we firstly demonstrate that inherent soil components, particularly Fe species and soil organic matter (SOM), can effectively activate PI without external catalysts. Using adiazine (ADZ) as a model, PI-mediated oxidation was systematically evaluated in 10 representative soils. Correlation analyses identified free Fe oxides (Fef) as the dominant PI activators, accounting for 79.06% of the overall ADZ degradation and driving the formation of reactive species (RS), including [1]O2 (dominant), •IO3, •IO4, and •OH. SOM exhibited a component-dependent dual effect, promoting ADZ degradation in SOM-poor soils (33.77%) but inhibiting it in SOM-rich soils (-18.87%). Specifically, soluble microbial by-product-like and humic acid-like components facilitated RS generation, whereas aromatic protein and fulvic acid-like components suppressed RS generation by competing for PI. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed that PI treatment preserved soil structural integrity with only minor alterations. 11 transformation products and 3 degradation pathways were identified, and ecotoxicity analysis and phytotoxicity tests demonstrated reduced post-remediation toxicity and recovery of plant growth. Cl[-], NO3[-], and humic acid had no significant impact, whereas low concentration Fe[3+] and Mn[2+] enhanced oxidation. Overall, this study elucidates how inherent Fe oxides and SOM regulate PI activation in soils, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing in-situ PI oxidation for antibiotic-contaminated soils.

Hydrazine hydrate, a genotoxic alkylating agent, poses severe environmental and health risks due to its widespread industrial applications. Although seed germination is a critical early life-stage highly sensitive to abiotic stress, the specific phytotoxic mechanisms of hydrazine hydrate during this stage remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the morpho-physiological and metabolic responses of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum var. Rio Grande) seeds exposed to hydrazine hydrate (0, 10, 30, 60 and 70 mM). Hydrazine hydrate dose-dependently reduced seed germination, germination index, coefficient of velocity, and seedling vigor index, while inducing severe root morphological alterations. These alterations were associated with enhanced oxidative stress, increased activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPX), and disruption of the IAA/GA3 balance. Untargeted analysis of hydrazine hydrate-responsive metabolites, performed at the half-maximal inhibitory dose (IC50, 70 mM) revealed a preferential metabolic shift toward reactive defense compounds, activating of some branches of the phenylpropanoid, steroid glycoalkaloid, steroid saponin, phenolamide, and oxylipin pathways. Notably, exogenous selenium (Se) and Zinc (Zn) supplementation mitigated hydrazine hydrate toxicity, restoring seed germination and physiological and metabolic homeostasis by modulating ROS dynamics. These results provide novel insights into hydrazine hydrate phytotoxicity and deliver potential corrective solutions.

The widely used evaporative humidifier can be a source of airborne particulate hazards. Available knowledge about the aerosol emissions from an evaporative humidifier is lacking. We measured the particle/droplet emission rates and particle size spectra from an evaporative humidifier, and examined key factors affecting the particle emissions. We found most of the emitted aerosols from an evaporative humidifier are from its reservoir. The formation of reverse water jets and their fragmentation into secondary droplets after the impaction of the dripping water on the reservoir constitute the primary particle emission. The particle emission rate increases sharply when the Froude number of the dripping water drops exceeds 100. The presence of waterborne Pseudomonas aeruginosa remarkably increases both the total particle emissions and the airborne bacteria numbers. These findings are vital for developing scientific strategies to reduce the probability of airborne contamination by an evaporative humidifier.

Catalytic decomposition is widely recognized as a promising approach for N2O abatement, yet the rational design of highly active catalysts still remains a huge challenge. In this study, a small Co nanocluster catalyst anchored on a nitrogen-doped carbon framework (Cox/NC) was constructed via a host-guest encapsulation strategy using ZIF-8 as precursor. The Co0.09/NC catalyst with Co/2-methylimidazole molar ratio of 0.09 exhibited the best catalytic activity, achieving a T90 of 294 °C and outperforming most reported catalysts. This outstanding catalytic performance was attributed to the synergistic interplay between Co-Co and Co-N coordination. Specifically, the highly dispersed small Co nanoclusters provided abundant Co[2 +] active sites for efficient N2O adsorption and activation, while the peripheral Co-N coordination optimized the d-band center of Co and enhanced electron back-donation. As a result, Co0.09/NC exhibited significantly lower energy barriers for N-O bond cleavage (0.72 eV) and O2 formation (1.39 eV) compared to Co0.3/NC, which suffered from severe Co agglomeration into larger nanoclusters and consequently showed higher barriers (1.09 eV and 2.19 eV, respectively). This work highlighted the importance of Co-Co/Co-N synergy in small nanocluster catalysts and provided a new strategy for the development of highly efficient catalysts for N2O elimination.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a prevalent air pollutant, reaches pulmonary alveoli and triggers lung inflammation and systemic vascular dysfunction. The alveolar-vascular barrier enables local lung damage to spread to endothelium through soluble factors, making this model fit to analyze lung-systemic interactions. TNF-α and EGF separately dominate inflammatory cascades and endothelial regulation, yet their combined effects during PM2.5 toxicity are unclear. This research constructed a 3D alveolar-vascular barrier model with BEAS-2B, THP-1, and EA. hy926 cells were treated with 0 or 100 μg/mL SRM2786 PM2.5 for 24 h. PM2.5 enters alveolar epithelial cells via endocytosis, causing mitochondrial damage, cell apoptosis, and upregulated TNF-α, EGF, IL-8, TGF-α, and IL-1β. Extracellular TNF-α and EGF cross the barrier and activate the endothelial PI3K-Akt pathway. Increased Nrf2 and CYP1A1 verify progressive oxidative stress. This study illustrates inflammation- and oxidation-dependent crosstalk between alveolar injury and endothelial impairment, clarifying PM2.5 toxic mechanisms and aiding environmental toxicology studies and drug screening.

Microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems is a global concern, yet its distribution across land-use types remains poorly understood in plateau regions. To investigate the distribution of microplastics (MPs) across land-use types, 86 soil samples were collected from four land-use types in Yunnan Province: dryland farmland (DF), plantation (P), road greenbelt (RG), and forest (F). MPs abundance was significantly higher in P (6211 ± 6580 items kg[-1]) and RG (5728 ± 4392 items kg[-1]) soils than in F (1650 ± 917 items kg[-1]) (P < 0.05), with DF soils at intermediate levels (3042 ± 2442 items kg[-1]). Effect size analysis (η[2] = 0.124 for 0-5 cm; η[2] = 0.152 for 5-10 cm) indicated that land-use type explains approximately 12-15% of the total variation in MPs abundance. The majority of microplastics were 0-0.5 mm; amongst the extractable microplastics, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are the predominant types. Soil MPs abundance in DF increased with mulching duration (within 0-25 years). In P soils, MPs abundance was significantly higher with organic than chemical fertilizer (P < 0.05). In RG soils, MP abundance from medium-sized cities was significantly higher than that in small cities. These findings provide critical insights for targeted mitigation strategies to safeguard soil quality and ecosystem health in plateau regions.

Driven by ever-tightening fuel consumption and exhaust emission regulations worldwide, research on the ultrafine particle characteristics of hybrid vehicles becomes necessary. This study tested a REEV and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) over the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) and compared their SPN23 and SPN10 emissions. In addition, the influences of GPF installation and catalyst temperature on the particulate emissions from the REEV were also analyzed. It is found that the particle emissions from both vehicles increased, particularly SPN10, during each engine start and under high‑load operation. More than 95% of exhaust-borne particles were formed during engine cold-start and warm-up stages, though this short period only accounted for 13% of the cycle time. On a cycle-average, SPN10 emissions were 32.2% and 48.1% higher than SPN23 of the PHEV and REEV. Engine-out SPN10 emissions under high loads ascended more sharply for the REEV, inferring a unique risk related to this hybrid architecture. Highly transient engine speeds, which may be attributed to fuel-efficient engine control strategy, could also cause deteriorated particle emissions during low- to mid-speed stages. After the installation of GPF, the SPN removal efficiency increased from less than 50-76.5% and 86.6% for SPN23 and SPN10. The removal efficiency for SPN10 under mid- and extra-high-speed stages surged more pronouncedly.

Ibuprofen (IBU), a prevalent chiral pharmaceutical, was a common emerging contaminant in municipal wastewater. The mechanisms underlying its enantioselective microbial degradation and the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of associated ipf genes remain poorly understood. Here, we reported Sphingopyxis sp. 550A, a bacterium capable of degrading both IBU enantiomers but exhibited a distinct preference for R-(-)-IBU, which preference was determined by the IpfF, an aromatic CoA ligase. Molecule docking analysis revealed that differential catalytic atomic distances govern enantioselective efficiency of IpfF. The ipfABDEFG genes demonstrated concentration-dependent genetic dynamics: low IBU stress (1 mg·L[-1]) promoted ipfABDEFG gene cluster transfer to other sphingomonads through HGT, while high stress (≥ 10 mg·L[-1]) induced toxic intermediate accumulation and IS6100-mediated gene loss to alleviate cellular toxicity. Leveraging these insights, we constructed a microbial co-culture of strain 550 A and Pseudomonas putida KT2440 for complete removal of high-concentration IBU and its toxic metabolite, 4-isobutylcatechol. This work provided a framework for understanding enzymatic enantioselectivity toward chiral pharmaceuticals and highlights the role of HGT in shaping bioremediation potential within engineered microbial communities.

Cleaning up viscous crude oil spills rapidly and cost-effectively is a global challenge, especially in Arctic or cold marine environments. Self-heating aerogels have been explored for oil spill remediation, but their practical application is hindered by energy-intensive fabrication, structural fragility, and poor mechanical durability. Significantly, oil spills recovery in cold environments encompasses two additional challenges: a sharp increase in oil viscosity and rapid thermal dissipation. Herein, we demonstrate that repurposing mop cloth waste into functional oil sorbents offers a waste-upcycling strategy to alleviate energy and cost barriers in oil spill remediation. This study presents an approach by: (1) Repurposing waste textiles into high-performance absorbents through a simple dip-coating method, achieving excellent cyclic absorption-squeezing for viscous oils in cold marine conditions; (2) Developing a passive oil recovery system that eliminates energy-intensive pumping and addresses critical challenge of cold-environment crude oil recovery with a stable recovery rate of 1600.36 kg m[-2] h[-1], representing a substantial improvement in recovery efficiency compared with conventional systems. This prepared material also exhibit excellent anti-icing and photothermal de-icing performance, which offers a sustainable route for cold-environment oil recovery, highlighting the potential of waste-derived functional materials for complex environmental challenges.

Emerging contaminants (ECs), including antibiotics and micro/nanoplastics, pose increasing risks to aquatic ecosystems due to their persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. Herein, we report a cost-effective, magnetically responsive MAG-SEP-XER sorbent constructed from natural sepiolite fibers, maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), and silica xerogel. When compared with conventional passive adsorbents, MAG-SEP-XER integrates broad-spectrum adsorption, magnetic recovery, and micro-motor-assisted dynamic decontamination, enabling efficient removal of tetracycline (TETRA), ciprofloxacin (CIPRO), microplastics, and nanoplastics with efficiencies up to 99%. In batch tests, 20 mg of MAG-SEP-XER removed 75-96.5% of TETRA and 79-82% of CIPRO within 120 min at 5 ppm, while higher dosages enabled near-complete removal of 98-99%. The maximum adsorption capacities reached 4.4, 4.12, 180, and 80 mg/g for TETRA, CIPRO, microplastics, and nanoplastics, respectively. Further, MAG-SEP-XER also achieved 70-99% removal in real water samples and retained appreciable performance after five adsorption-desorption cycles. Moreover, as a magnetically actuated hybrid wireless micro-motor, MAG-SEP-XER enabled dynamic MB decontamination with 80-90% removal efficiency. This work demonstrates a scalable, efficient approach for mitigating multiple ECs, highlighting its potential for real-world water treatment applications.

Microplastic monitoring increasingly depends on workflows that can inform decisions beyond controlled laboratory datasets. Raman spectroscopy coupled with AI/ML or chemometrics can assist polymer identification, but high benchmark accuracy does not show whether a workflow remains reliable across matrices, instruments, preprocessing choices, and field use. This protocol-guided critical review evaluates the evidence needed before Raman-AI microplastic analysis can be considered field-ready. A Scopus search retrieved 151 records and retained 61 studies, coded by sample matrix, Raman modality, acquisition metadata, preprocessing, model family, analytical task, validation design, reporting assets, and deployment claim. The corpus is recent and classification-led. In all, 43 studies (70.5%) were published in 2023-2025; classification/identification accounted for 42/61 studies (68.9%); water-related or controlled/laboratory matrices dominated. Micro-Raman was the main backbone (36/61, 59.0%), followed by SERS-Raman (10/61, 16.4%), whereas quantification/regression (6/61, 9.8%) and imaging/mapping (3/61, 4.9%) remained limited. Reporting gaps were substantial. Spectral resolution appeared in 20/61 studies, normalization/scaling in 33/61, cosmic-ray removal in 16/61, leakage-control discussion in 9/61, uncertainty analysis in 6/61, interpretability in 4/61, and data/code availability in 8/61. We present a readiness-oriented framework that evaluates the full Raman-AI workflow, with classifier performance as one component. The MCDA-informed synthesis points to open benchmarks with code, grouped and external validation, uncertainty-aware outputs, peak-level interpretability, traceable preprocessing, and cross-matrix/cross-instrument testing. Until these elements are routine, field-readiness claims should remain conditional.

With the continuous expansion of municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration, MSW incineration (MSWI) fly ash has garnered significant attention due to its heavy metal leaching toxicity. Bioleaching offers a sustainable, cost-effective, and energy-efficient remediation strategy. Heavy metals were extracted from MSWI fly ash via Penicillium citrinum using one-step, two-step, and spent-medium bioleaching. Metabolite variations, including organic acids, siderophores, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), were compared. Interactions between the fungal strain, metabolites, and fly ash particles were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Results indicated the two-step method achieved optimal performance, extracting 48.3% Cr, 82% Cu, 80.3% Zn, 89.6% Cd, and 78% Pb. Gluconic acid emerged as the dominant organic metabolite, peaking at 29.7 mg/mL. Siderophores and EPS also contribute to heavy metal mobilization from the fly ash matrix. Leaching efficiency positively correlated with organic acid and siderophore concentrations, with the carboxyl group serving as the main functional group responsible. Mechanistically, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb extraction was mainly driven by complexation, followed by acidolysis, whereas Cr extraction was primarily attributed to acidolysis, followed by redox reactions. Additionally, fly ash chloride similarly complexed with both Cd and Pb. Significant morphological changes were observed in both the fly ash and the fungal strain, which exhibited a notable biosorption capacity for heavy metal ions. This research provides a theoretical foundation for subsequent experimental optimization and offers a novel strategic framework for fly ash treatment technologies.