Plastic particles deposited from the atmosphere can be absorbed by crops and have significant effects on crops. However, current knowledge regarding the particle size effects on the phytotoxicity of airborne plastic particles to leafy vegetables is limited. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of foliar exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs, 100 nm) and polystyrene microplastics (PS MPs, 1 μm) of different concentrations on the biomass, physiological and biochemical indexes (i.e., chlorophyll, antioxidant enzyme and malonaldehyde (MDA), nutritional quality), and the metabolism of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). PS concentration, rather than particle size, exerted significant effects on these physiological and biochemical indexes. Both PS NPs and PS MPs at the high concentration of 35.0 mg L−1 decreased the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll in lettuce leaves. Further, the nutritional quality of lettuce leaves was generally improved as evidenced by the increased soluble protein and soluble sugar as well as the decreased nitrate. The decrease of superoxide dismutase activity and accumulation of MDA suggested oxidative stress induced by PS NPs and PS MPs. Metabolomics analysis showed that foliar exposure to PS NPs disturbed the energy metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and ABC transporter, whereas PS MPs perturbed the lipid metabolism and cutin, suberin and wax biosynthesis in lettuce leaves. The different metabolic responses between PS NP and PS MP treatments highlighted the importance of particle size in investigating the phytotoxicity of airborne plastic particles. These results provided effective information for the risk assessment of airborne plastic particles.
{"title":"Metabolic response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics after foliar exposure","authors":"Min Li, Jing-Han Wei, Bing-Ke Wei, Zi-Qi Chen, Hai-Long Liu, Wan-Ying Zhang, Xin-Yu Li, Dong-Mei Zhou","doi":"10.1039/d4en00233d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00233d","url":null,"abstract":"Plastic particles deposited from the atmosphere can be absorbed by crops and have significant effects on crops. However, current knowledge regarding the particle size effects on the phytotoxicity of airborne plastic particles to leafy vegetables is limited. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of foliar exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs, 100 nm) and polystyrene microplastics (PS MPs, 1 μm) of different concentrations on the biomass, physiological and biochemical indexes (<em>i.e.</em>, chlorophyll, antioxidant enzyme and malonaldehyde (MDA), nutritional quality), and the metabolism of lettuce (<em>Lactuca sativa</em> L.). PS concentration, rather than particle size, exerted significant effects on these physiological and biochemical indexes. Both PS NPs and PS MPs at the high concentration of 35.0 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small> decreased the contents of chlorophyll <em>a</em>, chlorophyll <em>b</em>, and total chlorophyll in lettuce leaves. Further, the nutritional quality of lettuce leaves was generally improved as evidenced by the increased soluble protein and soluble sugar as well as the decreased nitrate. The decrease of superoxide dismutase activity and accumulation of MDA suggested oxidative stress induced by PS NPs and PS MPs. Metabolomics analysis showed that foliar exposure to PS NPs disturbed the energy metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and ABC transporter, whereas PS MPs perturbed the lipid metabolism and cutin, suberin and wax biosynthesis in lettuce leaves. The different metabolic responses between PS NP and PS MP treatments highlighted the importance of particle size in investigating the phytotoxicity of airborne plastic particles. These results provided effective information for the risk assessment of airborne plastic particles.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142486623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yingchao Du, Jingyu Yu, Baoliang Chen, Xiaoying Zhu
Membrane technology stands as a leading method for water and wastewater treatments. MXene, a type of two-dimensional material, has garnered significant interest as a promising next-generation membrane material. Its customizable pore structure, uniform pore size, and hydrophilicity make it highly suitable for membrane separation technologies. This manuscript elucidates the modification strategies employed and evaluates the performance of MXene-based membranes (MBMs). Initially, the preparation of MXene nanosheets, pivotal to membrane fabrication, is detailed. Subsequently, the fabrication methods of MBMs are presented, emphasizing filtration, coating assembly, and other fabrication techniques. Furthermore, we emphasize the modification strategies employed to enhance the performance of MBMs. These encompass the regulation of MXene nanosheets in terms of lateral size, terminal functional groups, and in-plane pores. Furthermore, adjustments are made to the membrane assembly processes, focusing on controlling interlayer spacing. This includes methods such as self-crosslinking, insertion, and the incorporation of hybrid functional layers. Additionally, surface modifications encompass the regulation of surface charge, surface wettability, and management of surface defects. Next, we delineate the key membrane applications, encompassing separation mechanisms and their promising utility. Lastly, we present the challenges and opportunities that MBMs face in the field of water purification, with the hope of providing profound insights into the design and synthesis of advanced MBMs.
{"title":"Recent progresses in modification strategies of MXene-based membranes for water and wastewater treatments","authors":"Yingchao Du, Jingyu Yu, Baoliang Chen, Xiaoying Zhu","doi":"10.1039/d4en00712c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00712c","url":null,"abstract":"Membrane technology stands as a leading method for water and wastewater treatments. MXene, a type of two-dimensional material, has garnered significant interest as a promising next-generation membrane material. Its customizable pore structure, uniform pore size, and hydrophilicity make it highly suitable for membrane separation technologies. This manuscript elucidates the modification strategies employed and evaluates the performance of MXene-based membranes (MBMs). Initially, the preparation of MXene nanosheets, pivotal to membrane fabrication, is detailed. Subsequently, the fabrication methods of MBMs are presented, emphasizing filtration, coating assembly, and other fabrication techniques. Furthermore, we emphasize the modification strategies employed to enhance the performance of MBMs. These encompass the regulation of MXene nanosheets in terms of lateral size, terminal functional groups, and in-plane pores. Furthermore, adjustments are made to the membrane assembly processes, focusing on controlling interlayer spacing. This includes methods such as self-crosslinking, insertion, and the incorporation of hybrid functional layers. Additionally, surface modifications encompass the regulation of surface charge, surface wettability, and management of surface defects. Next, we delineate the key membrane applications, encompassing separation mechanisms and their promising utility. Lastly, we present the challenges and opportunities that MBMs face in the field of water purification, with the hope of providing profound insights into the design and synthesis of advanced MBMs.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Feng Xiao, Yongqi Li, Shijie Wang, Jianing Zhang, Jia Hong Pan, Dongqin Yuan, Shuoxun Dong, Yili Wang
The reduction of advanced phosphate (P) levels is crucial for addressing the widespread and severe issue of aquatic eutrophication, which hinges on the development of effective adsorbents. Lanthanum (La)-based materials have been recognized as promising adsorbents for aqueous P removal. These materials are essential for overcoming the challenges posed by low P concentrations, including their inadequate chemical affinity and low utilization rate of active adsorption sites. In this study, a novel strategy for tuning the dispersion of La-O active sites was developed, utilizing hydrogen (H) bond-capping via organic-inorganic copolymerization. This approach significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of lanthanum hydroxide oligomer (LHO) copolymerized cationic hydrogel (LaCCH) from 56.9 mg/g to 70 mg/g, with consistent La content (14.7-14.9%), compared to La co-precipitated CH (La-CH). Additionally, La usage reached 308.2 mg P/g La. Fixed-bed experiments demonstrated that LaCCH effectively treated over 1098 bed volumes (BV) of synthetic wastewater (1.0 mg P/L) containing co-existing ions. Combined analyses using FTIR, Raman, and XPS confirmed that the inner-sphere complexation and formation of LaPO4·0.5H2O were key to P adsorption. TOF-SIMS and MD simulations further revealed that the pre-oligomerization strategy universally enhances the number of La-O active sites for P adsorption. In comparison to La coprecipitation, La oligomers copolymerized adsorbents significantly reduce the intermolecular hydrogen bonding effect in [La(OH)3], thereby lowering the interaction energy (Ei) between them and promoting the dispersion of La-O adsorption sites, which facilitates improved P removal.
降低高级磷酸盐（P）含量对于解决广泛而严重的水生富营养化问题至关重要，而这取决于有效吸附剂的开发。镧（La）基材料已被认为是去除水体中磷的有前途的吸附剂。这些材料对于克服低浓度磷带来的挑战至关重要，包括化学亲和力不足和活性吸附位点利用率低。在本研究中，通过有机-无机共聚，利用氢（H）键封端，开发了一种调整 La-O 活性位点分散的新策略。与镧共沉淀 CH（La-CH）相比，这种方法大大提高了氢氧化镧低聚物（LHO）共聚阳离子水凝胶（LaCCH）的吸附容量，从 56.9 mg/g 提高到 70 mg/g，且镧含量（14.7-14.9%）保持一致。此外，镧的用量达到了 308.2 毫克 P/克镧。固定床实验表明，La-CH 能有效处理超过 1098 床体积（BV）的含有共存离子的合成废水（1.0 毫克 P/L）。利用傅立叶变换红外光谱、拉曼光谱和 XPS 进行的综合分析证实，内球络合和 LaPO4-0.5H2O 的形成是吸附 P 的关键。TOF-SIMS 和 MD 模拟进一步表明，预聚策略普遍提高了吸附 P 的 La-O 活性位点的数量。与 La 共沉淀相比，La 低聚物共聚吸附剂能显著降低 [La(OH)3] 分子间的氢键效应，从而降低它们之间的相互作用能（Ei），促进 La-O 吸附位点的分散，有利于提高对 P 的去除率。
{"title":"Tuning La-O adsorption sites dispersion via hydrogen bond-capping organic-inorganic copolymerization strategy for enhanced phosphate removal","authors":"Feng Xiao, Yongqi Li, Shijie Wang, Jianing Zhang, Jia Hong Pan, Dongqin Yuan, Shuoxun Dong, Yili Wang","doi":"10.1039/d4en00791c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00791c","url":null,"abstract":"The reduction of advanced phosphate (P) levels is crucial for addressing the widespread and severe issue of aquatic eutrophication, which hinges on the development of effective adsorbents. Lanthanum (La)-based materials have been recognized as promising adsorbents for aqueous P removal. These materials are essential for overcoming the challenges posed by low P concentrations, including their inadequate chemical affinity and low utilization rate of active adsorption sites. In this study, a novel strategy for tuning the dispersion of La-O active sites was developed, utilizing hydrogen (H) bond-capping via organic-inorganic copolymerization. This approach significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of lanthanum hydroxide oligomer (LHO) copolymerized cationic hydrogel (LaCCH) from 56.9 mg/g to 70 mg/g, with consistent La content (14.7-14.9%), compared to La co-precipitated CH (La-CH). Additionally, La usage reached 308.2 mg P/g La. Fixed-bed experiments demonstrated that LaCCH effectively treated over 1098 bed volumes (BV) of synthetic wastewater (1.0 mg P/L) containing co-existing ions. Combined analyses using FTIR, Raman, and XPS confirmed that the inner-sphere complexation and formation of LaPO4·0.5H2O were key to P adsorption. TOF-SIMS and MD simulations further revealed that the pre-oligomerization strategy universally enhances the number of La-O active sites for P adsorption. In comparison to La coprecipitation, La oligomers copolymerized adsorbents significantly reduce the intermolecular hydrogen bonding effect in [La(OH)3], thereby lowering the interaction energy (Ei) between them and promoting the dispersion of La-O adsorption sites, which facilitates improved P removal.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jerusa Oliveira, Larissa Iolanda M. de Almeida, Francisco Rubens Alves dos Santos, João Paulo S. de Carvalho, Amanda Ingrid dos Santos Barbosa, Marcus Andrei R. F. da Costa, Vanessa Tomaz Maciel, Gabriela L. de Souza, Alysson N. Magalhães, Marcos V. Vermelho, Camilla Christian G. Moura, Felipe Berti Valer, Thiago Lopes Rocha, Sebastião William da Silva, Lucas Anhezini, Anielle Christine A. Silva
We explored the TiO2 nanocrystals (NCs) by introducing red luminescence via europium (Eu) ion doping (TiO2:Eu). Our objective was to optimize their biocompatibility and luminescence through calcium (Ca) co-doping. To achieve this, nanomaterials were synthesized, and physical characterizations were performed by investigating the effects of the crystalline phase of TiO2 on the doping, morphology, zeta potential, hydrodynamic diameter, and photocatalytic properties. Biological assessments were conducted using in vitro assays with human osteosarcoma cells (SAOS-2) through cytotoxicity assays and in vivo assays with Drosophila melanogaster, where we evaluated the mortality rate during postembryonic development and the luminescence of nanomaterials in vivo. Our results demonstrated the successful integration of Ca ions into the TiO2:Eu crystal (TiO2:Eu:xCa) structure without the emergence of additional phases or compounds. The co-doping of Ca led to a reduction of approximately 70% in photocatalytic activity. Moreover, co-doping with Ca was not cytotoxic to SAOS-2 cells. Our in vivo analysis showed no delays in postembryonic development and no larval or pupal lethality. The larval mortality rate and pupal formation rate were comparable to the control group when Drosophila were exposed to nanomaterials at concentrations of 1 mg/mL or lower. Luminescence of the NCs was detected in confocal microscopy images, indicating the presence of NCs in the larval brain and intestines. This luminescence was observed in Europium and Calcium-Co-Doped TiO2 (TiO2:Eu:xCa). These results showed that Ca doping improved the biocompatibility and enhanced the luminescence of these materials, making them traceable in biological tissues. Therefore, our research provides valuable insights into the tailored properties of TiO2 for potential applications in various fields of biomedicine.
{"title":"Europium and Calcium-Co-Doped TiO2 Nanocrystals: Tuning the Biocompatibility and Luminescent Traceability of Drosophila melanogaster","authors":"Jerusa Oliveira, Larissa Iolanda M. de Almeida, Francisco Rubens Alves dos Santos, João Paulo S. de Carvalho, Amanda Ingrid dos Santos Barbosa, Marcus Andrei R. F. da Costa, Vanessa Tomaz Maciel, Gabriela L. de Souza, Alysson N. Magalhães, Marcos V. Vermelho, Camilla Christian G. Moura, Felipe Berti Valer, Thiago Lopes Rocha, Sebastião William da Silva, Lucas Anhezini, Anielle Christine A. Silva","doi":"10.1039/d4en00458b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00458b","url":null,"abstract":"We explored the TiO2 nanocrystals (NCs) by introducing red luminescence via europium (Eu) ion doping (TiO2:Eu). Our objective was to optimize their biocompatibility and luminescence through calcium (Ca) co-doping. To achieve this, nanomaterials were synthesized, and physical characterizations were performed by investigating the effects of the crystalline phase of TiO2 on the doping, morphology, zeta potential, hydrodynamic diameter, and photocatalytic properties. Biological assessments were conducted using in vitro assays with human osteosarcoma cells (SAOS-2) through cytotoxicity assays and in vivo assays with Drosophila melanogaster, where we evaluated the mortality rate during postembryonic development and the luminescence of nanomaterials in vivo. Our results demonstrated the successful integration of Ca ions into the TiO2:Eu crystal (TiO2:Eu:xCa) structure without the emergence of additional phases or compounds. The co-doping of Ca led to a reduction of approximately 70% in photocatalytic activity. Moreover, co-doping with Ca was not cytotoxic to SAOS-2 cells. Our in vivo analysis showed no delays in postembryonic development and no larval or pupal lethality. The larval mortality rate and pupal formation rate were comparable to the control group when Drosophila were exposed to nanomaterials at concentrations of 1 mg/mL or lower. Luminescence of the NCs was detected in confocal microscopy images, indicating the presence of NCs in the larval brain and intestines. This luminescence was observed in Europium and Calcium-Co-Doped TiO2 (TiO2:Eu:xCa). These results showed that Ca doping improved the biocompatibility and enhanced the luminescence of these materials, making them traceable in biological tissues. Therefore, our research provides valuable insights into the tailored properties of TiO2 for potential applications in various fields of biomedicine.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aggregation is the most fundamental process affecting the fate, transport, and risks of nanoplastics in aquatic environments. Weathering of nanoplastics alters their physiochemical properties and consequently, aggregation behavior. Here, we show that two weathering pathways, including UV-irradiation (the primary aging pathway in surface water) and sulfide-induced transformation (a commom process in anoxic environments) affect aggregation and colloidal stability of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics differentially. Compared to sulfide-induced aging, UV-induced aging introduced more oxygen-containing functional groups on nanoplastic surface, even though significant amounts of O-functional groups formed during sulfide-induced aging, due to the hydroxyl radicals formed from the spontaneous oxidation of sulfide. Accordingly, UV-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-UV) exhibited a higher stability than sulfide-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-S) in a monovalent cation-dominated solution, due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion and weakened van der Waals attraction. However, stability of PS-UV was lower than that of PS-S in a divalent salt solution, due to bridging effects of divalent ions. The results underline the importance of comprehending the effects of diverse environmental weathering processes on nanoplastics hehaviors, particularly, those readily occur in anoxic environments but insufficiently investigate.
聚集是影响纳米塑料在水生环境中的归宿、迁移和风险的最基本过程。纳米塑料的风化会改变其理化性质，进而改变其聚集行为。在这里，我们展示了两种风化途径，包括紫外线照射（地表水中的主要老化途径）和硫化物诱导转化（缺氧环境中的常见过程）对聚苯乙烯（PS）纳米塑料的聚集和胶体稳定性的不同影响。与硫化物诱导老化相比，紫外线诱导老化在纳米塑料表面引入了更多的含氧官能团，尽管硫化物诱导老化过程中由于硫化物自发氧化形成的羟基自由基而形成了大量的 O 官能团。因此，在以单价阳离子为主的溶液中，紫外线老化的 PS 纳米塑料（PS-UV）比硫化物老化的 PS 纳米塑料（PS-S）表现出更高的稳定性，这是由于静电排斥力增强和范德华吸引力减弱所致。然而，由于二价离子的架桥效应，PS-UV 在二价盐溶液中的稳定性低于 PS-S。这些结果凸显了理解各种环境风化过程对纳米塑料行为的影响的重要性，尤其是那些容易在缺氧环境中发生但研究不足的影响。
{"title":"Weathering Pathways Differentially Affect Colloidal Stability of Nanoplastics","authors":"Tianchi Cao, mengting Zhao, Tong Zhang, Wei Chen","doi":"10.1039/d4en00739e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00739e","url":null,"abstract":"Aggregation is the most fundamental process affecting the fate, transport, and risks of nanoplastics in aquatic environments. Weathering of nanoplastics alters their physiochemical properties and consequently, aggregation behavior. Here, we show that two weathering pathways, including UV-irradiation (the primary aging pathway in surface water) and sulfide-induced transformation (a commom process in anoxic environments) affect aggregation and colloidal stability of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics differentially. Compared to sulfide-induced aging, UV-induced aging introduced more oxygen-containing functional groups on nanoplastic surface, even though significant amounts of O-functional groups formed during sulfide-induced aging, due to the hydroxyl radicals formed from the spontaneous oxidation of sulfide. Accordingly, UV-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-UV) exhibited a higher stability than sulfide-aged PS nanoplastics (PS-S) in a monovalent cation-dominated solution, due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion and weakened van der Waals attraction. However, stability of PS-UV was lower than that of PS-S in a divalent salt solution, due to bridging effects of divalent ions. The results underline the importance of comprehending the effects of diverse environmental weathering processes on nanoplastics hehaviors, particularly, those readily occur in anoxic environments but insufficiently investigate.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Changzhou Weng, Zhengqiang Zheng, Tian Chen, Zhang Lin
The effective separation of metal impurities from gypsum sludges is crucial for both environmental protection and resource recovery. However, it is seriously limited by their entrapment within calcium sulfate crystal lattices. This study presented a universal strategy for metal extraction through a combined control of mechanical force and metal species regulation, which effectively separated P, Cr, As, Sr, Cd, and Hg from gypsum sludges with separating efficiencies all above 94.0%, especially for As (99.8%) and Hg (99.2%). Such exciting effect was owed to the precise control of a two-step dehydration-rehydration transformation of gypsum. The process initiated by the mechanical force reduced gypsum particle size from the microscale (~10 μm) to the nanoscale (<50 nm), which facilitated the dehydrating process of gypsum-bassanite to exclude the doped metals. In the subsequent rehydration process, the nanoparticle was also beneficial for disrupting the calcium sulfate framework of bassanite, leading to the full release of entrapped metals. Additionally, the application of species regulation agents changed the species of released metals, preventing their re-incorporation into the calcium sulfate. This approach offered a promising method for the separation and recovery of heavy metals from gypsum sludges, providing valuable insights into the treatment of heavy metal-containing solid wastes.
{"title":"Effective Separating of Metal Impurities from Gypsum Nanosludge: Synergism of Mechanical Force and Metal Species Regulation","authors":"Changzhou Weng, Zhengqiang Zheng, Tian Chen, Zhang Lin","doi":"10.1039/d4en00799a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00799a","url":null,"abstract":"The effective separation of metal impurities from gypsum sludges is crucial for both environmental protection and resource recovery. However, it is seriously limited by their entrapment within calcium sulfate crystal lattices. This study presented a universal strategy for metal extraction through a combined control of mechanical force and metal species regulation, which effectively separated P, Cr, As, Sr, Cd, and Hg from gypsum sludges with separating efficiencies all above 94.0%, especially for As (99.8%) and Hg (99.2%). Such exciting effect was owed to the precise control of a two-step dehydration-rehydration transformation of gypsum. The process initiated by the mechanical force reduced gypsum particle size from the microscale (~10 μm) to the nanoscale (<50 nm), which facilitated the dehydrating process of gypsum-bassanite to exclude the doped metals. In the subsequent rehydration process, the nanoparticle was also beneficial for disrupting the calcium sulfate framework of bassanite, leading to the full release of entrapped metals. Additionally, the application of species regulation agents changed the species of released metals, preventing their re-incorporation into the calcium sulfate. This approach offered a promising method for the separation and recovery of heavy metals from gypsum sludges, providing valuable insights into the treatment of heavy metal-containing solid wastes.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The excessive usage of rare earth elements (REEs) as micro-fertilizers is harmful for agricultural production and environment. This study explored the potential application of carbon dots (CDs) to mitigate the effects of La contamination. The results indicate that the CDs based on citric acid (C-CDs) used can adsorb La3+ in aqueous solution system through surface carboxyl and pyrrolic-N. While no significant alteration in the total La content within mung bean seedlings was observed, the presence of C-CDs induced the conversion of La into an inactive form within the body, and significantly affected the chemical form and distribution of La in the plant body. However, with the increased concentrations, C-CDs do not effectively improve growth inhibition of seedling under the La stress but exacerbate it occurs. This may be relevant to the peroxidation damage and excess extracellular precipitates. RNA-seq results showed stronger cell wall-related synthesis under C-CDs and La co-treatment than in La treatment, which indicated the important role of cell wall in this process. Although many issues remain to be addressed, this study demonstrates that C-CDs possess distinct advantages in remediating soil La contamination without significantly impeding the plant's La absorption, thus exhibiting considerable potential for agricultural application.
过量使用稀土元素（REEs）作为微肥对农业生产和环境有害。本研究探讨了碳点（CDs）在减轻 La 污染影响方面的潜在应用。结果表明，所使用的基于柠檬酸的碳点（C-CDs）可通过表面的羧基和吡咯-N吸附水溶液体系中的 La3+。虽然绿豆幼苗体内的 La 总含量没有发生明显变化，但 C-CDs 的存在会促使 La 在体内转化为非活性形式，并显著影响 La 在植物体内的化学形态和分布。然而，随着浓度的增加，C-CDs 并不能有效改善 La 胁迫下对幼苗生长的抑制，反而会加剧这种抑制。这可能与过氧化损伤和细胞外沉淀物过多有关。RNA-seq 结果表明，在 C-CDs 和 La 共同处理下，细胞壁相关合成比 La 处理时更强，这表明细胞壁在这一过程中起着重要作用。尽管还有许多问题有待解决，但本研究表明，C-CDs 在修复土壤 La 污染方面具有独特的优势，而且不会明显阻碍植物对 La 的吸收，因此在农业应用方面具有相当大的潜力。
{"title":"Adsorption Behavior of Carbon Dots on La3+ and The Multiple Effects on The Growth of Mung Bean Seedlings under La3+ Stress","authors":"Xinanbei Liu, Xianfei Niu, Yinshuai Tian, Yue Jiang, Cheng Cheng, Ting Wang, Yiran Sun, Fang Chen, Ying Xu","doi":"10.1039/d4en00530a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00530a","url":null,"abstract":"The excessive usage of rare earth elements (REEs) as micro-fertilizers is harmful for agricultural production and environment. This study explored the potential application of carbon dots (CDs) to mitigate the effects of La contamination. The results indicate that the CDs based on citric acid (C-CDs) used can adsorb La3+ in aqueous solution system through surface carboxyl and pyrrolic-N. While no significant alteration in the total La content within mung bean seedlings was observed, the presence of C-CDs induced the conversion of La into an inactive form within the body, and significantly affected the chemical form and distribution of La in the plant body. However, with the increased concentrations, C-CDs do not effectively improve growth inhibition of seedling under the La stress but exacerbate it occurs. This may be relevant to the peroxidation damage and excess extracellular precipitates. RNA-seq results showed stronger cell wall-related synthesis under C-CDs and La co-treatment than in La treatment, which indicated the important role of cell wall in this process. Although many issues remain to be addressed, this study demonstrates that C-CDs possess distinct advantages in remediating soil La contamination without significantly impeding the plant's La absorption, thus exhibiting considerable potential for agricultural application.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142449928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kan Huang, Chengxiao Hu, Qiling Tan, Songwei Wu, Sergey Shabala, Min Yu, Xuecheng Sun
Nanozymes, as an emerging class of biomimetic enzymes, not only inherit the unique properties of nanomaterials but also endow them with catalytic functions that are similar to biological enzymes. With high designability of catalytic activity and the ability to mimic the catalytic conditions and mechanisms of biological enzymes, nanozymes progressively attract significant attention in agricultural research. This research aims to provide researchers with a comprehensive overview of this emerging tool, from preparation of nanozymes to their applications in agricultural production systems. Firstly, this review systematically summarized the selection of various elements involved in nanozyme preparation, covering both metal-based and non-metal-based materials. Secondly, it outlined the mainstream chemical and environmentally friendly nanozyme synthesis technologies, critically analyzing their advantages and limitations. Thirdly, it explored the multifaceted contributions of nanozymes within the agricultural field, encompassing enhancements in crop quality and yields, augmentation of nitrogen fixation efficiency, and stimulation of microbial activity in the plant rhizosphere, as well as the improvement of agricultural crops' resilience to environmental stresses. Finally, the research discussed the main challenges faced by nanozyme research and provided forward-looking insights for future agricultural research directions. This work significantly advances understanding of the role of nanozymes in sustainable agricultural production.
{"title":"Nanozymes as a tool to boost agricultural production: from preparation to application","authors":"Kan Huang, Chengxiao Hu, Qiling Tan, Songwei Wu, Sergey Shabala, Min Yu, Xuecheng Sun","doi":"10.1039/d4en00780h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00780h","url":null,"abstract":"Nanozymes, as an emerging class of biomimetic enzymes, not only inherit the unique properties of nanomaterials but also endow them with catalytic functions that are similar to biological enzymes. With high designability of catalytic activity and the ability to mimic the catalytic conditions and mechanisms of biological enzymes, nanozymes progressively attract significant attention in agricultural research. This research aims to provide researchers with a comprehensive overview of this emerging tool, from preparation of nanozymes to their applications in agricultural production systems. Firstly, this review systematically summarized the selection of various elements involved in nanozyme preparation, covering both metal-based and non-metal-based materials. Secondly, it outlined the mainstream chemical and environmentally friendly nanozyme synthesis technologies, critically analyzing their advantages and limitations. Thirdly, it explored the multifaceted contributions of nanozymes within the agricultural field, encompassing enhancements in crop quality and yields, augmentation of nitrogen fixation efficiency, and stimulation of microbial activity in the plant rhizosphere, as well as the improvement of agricultural crops' resilience to environmental stresses. Finally, the research discussed the main challenges faced by nanozyme research and provided forward-looking insights for future agricultural research directions. This work significantly advances understanding of the role of nanozymes in sustainable agricultural production.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142448354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fozia Ghouri, Munazzam Jawad Shahid, Shafaqat Ali, Humera Ashraf, Sarah Owdah Alomrani, Jingwen Liu, Mohammed Ali Alshehri, Shah Fahad, Muhammad Qasim Shahid
Whole-genome doubling or polyploidy increases plants' tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Cadmium (Cd) damages the plant's metabolic system, leading to decreased plant development. The role of tetraploidy and iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) in minimizing Cd toxicity in rice was investigated in this work. Diploid (E285) and tetraploid (T485) rice lines were treated with Cd (100 μM) and different doses of Fe NPs (0, 10, 25, and 50 mg L−1). The Cd exposure substantially decreased agronomic traits (root and shoot length, shoot and root fresh weight), chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant enzyme activity and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Cd toxicity effect was more pronounced in diploid rice than in tetraploid rice. The application of Fe NPs to Cd-contaminated rice plants reversed the detrimental consequences of Cd in tetraploid and diploid rice cultivars, verified by the substantial upturn in plant growth parameters, chlorophyll contents, decreased ROS, and increased levels of antioxidant enzymes. The Cd uptake was significantly reduced by tetraploidy and Fe NPs, which negatively controlled the expression patterns of Cd transporter genes (like OsNRAMP2 and OsHMA2). The strongest association was seen between diploid rice and cadmium levels in seedlings. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Cd, especially in diploid rice, caused cell structure damage that Fe NPs and tetraploidy almost repaired. This study demonstrated that tetraploidy and Fe NPs could alleviate Cd toxicity by lowering Cd accumulation, ROS, and cell damage.
{"title":"Tetraploidy and Fe2O3 nanoparticles: dual strategy to reduce the Cd-induced toxicity in rice plants by ameliorating the oxidative stress and downregulation of metal transporters","authors":"Fozia Ghouri, Munazzam Jawad Shahid, Shafaqat Ali, Humera Ashraf, Sarah Owdah Alomrani, Jingwen Liu, Mohammed Ali Alshehri, Shah Fahad, Muhammad Qasim Shahid","doi":"10.1039/d4en00470a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00470a","url":null,"abstract":"Whole-genome doubling or polyploidy increases plants' tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Cadmium (Cd) damages the plant's metabolic system, leading to decreased plant development. The role of tetraploidy and iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) in minimizing Cd toxicity in rice was investigated in this work. Diploid (E285) and tetraploid (T485) rice lines were treated with Cd (100 μM) and different doses of Fe NPs (0, 10, 25, and 50 mg L<small><sup>−1</sup></small>). The Cd exposure substantially decreased agronomic traits (root and shoot length, shoot and root fresh weight), chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant enzyme activity and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Cd toxicity effect was more pronounced in diploid rice than in tetraploid rice. The application of Fe NPs to Cd-contaminated rice plants reversed the detrimental consequences of Cd in tetraploid and diploid rice cultivars, verified by the substantial upturn in plant growth parameters, chlorophyll contents, decreased ROS, and increased levels of antioxidant enzymes. The Cd uptake was significantly reduced by tetraploidy and Fe NPs, which negatively controlled the expression patterns of Cd transporter genes (like <em>OsNRAMP2</em> and <em>OsHMA2</em>). The strongest association was seen between diploid rice and cadmium levels in seedlings. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Cd, especially in diploid rice, caused cell structure damage that Fe NPs and tetraploidy almost repaired. This study demonstrated that tetraploidy and Fe NPs could alleviate Cd toxicity by lowering Cd accumulation, ROS, and cell damage.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142448357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sichen Liu, Haotian Wang, Yumeng Xiao, Calatayud David G., Boyang Mao, gaoqi Zhang, Chenhui Yang, Lidong Wang, Meng Li
Drinking water contamination and water shortages are seriously exacerbated by industrial wastewater discharge. However, due to the high complexity of wastewater treatment systems, effective high-concentration pollutant removal and simplified wastewater recycling remain major challenges. Inspired by mangrove interconnected purification mechanisms, a novel cascade water treatment system has been developed using MoS2-g-C3N4 (MoG), an amphiphilic material, as the main and single component to directly produce drinking water from wastewater with high efficiency. This cascade system integrates membrane filtration and solar-powered water evaporation processes to produce clean water, while also overcoming the requirement for less polluted source water that is typically required for standalone solar evaporation-based clean water production. The MoG membrane, featuring an amphiphilic platform, exhibits a high removal rate for organic and heavy metal contaminants and achieves a water flow of 966 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 and an 80% efficiency in pollutant removal. The MoG-based aerogel enables nano- and micro-channels and exhibits a clean water production rate of 1.48 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun irradiation. The compact cascade system for practical use can produce drinking water that meets WHO standards from heavily polluted wastewater with an average hourly water production rate of 1.39 kg m-2 h-1. Life cycle assessment confirms that the cascade system displays significant environmental profile improvement with reduced CO2 equivalent (CO2e) levels with only 1/25 of that observed in conventional water treatment systems.
工业废水排放严重加剧了饮用水污染和水资源短缺。然而，由于废水处理系统的高度复杂性，有效去除高浓度污染物和简化废水循环利用仍是主要挑战。受红树林相互连接的净化机制的启发，一种新型级联水处理系统应运而生，它以两亲性材料 MoS2-g-C3N4 （MoG）为主要和单一成分，可直接从废水中高效生产饮用水。这种级联系统集成了膜过滤和太阳能水蒸发过程以生产清洁水，同时还克服了独立太阳能蒸发清洁水生产通常对污染较少的原水的要求。MoG 膜采用两性平台，对有机污染物和重金属污染物的去除率很高，水流量达到 966 L m-2 h-1 bar-1，污染物去除率达到 80%。基于 MoG 的气凝胶可形成纳米和微通道，在 1 个太阳光照射下的净水生产率为 1.48 kg m-2 h-1。用于实际应用的紧凑型级联系统可以从严重污染的废水中生产出符合世界卫生组织标准的饮用水，平均每小时产水量为 1.39 kg m-2 h-1。生命周期评估证实，级联系统显著改善了环境状况，二氧化碳当量（CO2e）水平仅为传统水处理系统的 1/25。
{"title":"Amphiphilic Engineering of MoS2-g-C3N4 Nanocomposites into a Mangrove-Inspired Cascade System for Sustainable Drinking Water Production","authors":"Sichen Liu, Haotian Wang, Yumeng Xiao, Calatayud David G., Boyang Mao, gaoqi Zhang, Chenhui Yang, Lidong Wang, Meng Li","doi":"10.1039/d4en00633j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00633j","url":null,"abstract":"Drinking water contamination and water shortages are seriously exacerbated by industrial wastewater discharge. However, due to the high complexity of wastewater treatment systems, effective high-concentration pollutant removal and simplified wastewater recycling remain major challenges. Inspired by mangrove interconnected purification mechanisms, a novel cascade water treatment system has been developed using MoS2-g-C3N4 (MoG), an amphiphilic material, as the main and single component to directly produce drinking water from wastewater with high efficiency. This cascade system integrates membrane filtration and solar-powered water evaporation processes to produce clean water, while also overcoming the requirement for less polluted source water that is typically required for standalone solar evaporation-based clean water production. The MoG membrane, featuring an amphiphilic platform, exhibits a high removal rate for organic and heavy metal contaminants and achieves a water flow of 966 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 and an 80% efficiency in pollutant removal. The MoG-based aerogel enables nano- and micro-channels and exhibits a clean water production rate of 1.48 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun irradiation. The compact cascade system for practical use can produce drinking water that meets WHO standards from heavily polluted wastewater with an average hourly water production rate of 1.39 kg m-2 h-1. Life cycle assessment confirms that the cascade system displays significant environmental profile improvement with reduced CO2 equivalent (CO2e) levels with only 1/25 of that observed in conventional water treatment systems.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142439620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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