Zeynep Görkem Doğaroğlu, Yağmur Uysal, Gökçen Karakoç
{"title":"Green Nanotechnology for Crop Enhancement: The Role of ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized With Lavender Extract","authors":"Zeynep Görkem Doğaroğlu, Yağmur Uysal, Gökçen Karakoç","doi":"10.1002/clen.70025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.70025","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Nano-sized semiconductors, particularly zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), have gained significant attention due to their unique properties and applications in fields such as solar energy, electronics, biology, and medicine. This study focused on the environmentally friendly synthesis of ZnO-NPs using lavender (<i>Lavandula angustifolia</i>) extract (<span>l</span>-ZnO-NPs) and the effects of two different applications, foliar spraying and integration into hydrogel, on the growth and development of wheat plants. Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed their excellent purity and crystallinity. According to SEM data, the average particle size distribution of Raw- and <span>l</span>-ZnO-NPs was 92.23 and 82.61 nm, respectively; they were determined as 26.78 and 21.9 nm, according to XRD data. ZnO-NPs suspension increased the seed germination percentage (GP) by 20%, root and shoot lengths by 30%, and chlorophyll content by 15% compared to the control. Raw- and <span>l</span>-ZnO-NPs suspensions exhibited 100% GP at 4000 mg/L concentration. Moreover, the hydrogel treatment enhanced the plant height at 3000 mg/L concentration of Raw- and <span>l</span>-ZnO-NPs content. Foliar and hydrogel treatments promoted the Zn<sup>2+</sup> uptake, and the maximum values were 4.47 mg/g at 2000 mg/L <span>l</span>-ZnO-NPs concentration and 3.47 mg/g at 1000 mg/L hydrogels contained <span>l</span>-ZnO-NPs concentrations, respectively. This study underscores green-synthesized ZnO-NPs’ potential for sustainable agriculture, providing an eco-friendly method to boost crop productivity. The findings contribute to addressing food security and environmental sustainability amidst the ongoing climate crisis. The water retention properties of hydrogels further address critical challenges like water scarcity in irrigation, exacerbated by climate change.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10306,"journal":{"name":"Clean-soil Air Water","volume":"53 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144705612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
{"title":"IoT-Enabled Liquid Level Measurement and Characterization Using Differential Pressure Sensor Method","authors":"Prashant Pandey, Rajan Mishra, R. K. Chauhan","doi":"10.1002/clen.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In the present era of industrial automation, low-cost sensing techniques for accurate liquid level measurement within storage tanks are essential. Storage tanks may contain various sensitive liquids, and changes in their physical properties, as sensed by the sensor, can affect measurement accuracy. An IoT-enabled experimental setup has been established to collect real-time data using low-cost differential pressure, temperature, and turbidity sensors. This work focuses on the detailed characterization of a low-cost differential pressure sensing technique, considering the effects of temperature variation, density, and turbidity. Both in situ and ex situ setups are studied using a differential pressure sensor with an air pocket. The effects of changes in temperature and density are analyzed using a proposed mathematical model and validated through experimental setup. The collected data are preprocessed using filters to remove possible noise and are further used for the estimation of various statistical parameters. For stable water levels, the average root mean square error (RMSE) is less than 0.4 mm (0.16%), and the average standard deviation is less than 0.1 mm. Considering the interrelationship among different parameters, linear and other regression models are developed for comprehensive characterization of the proposed model to ensure accurate measurements. The proposed empirical relationship and regression model show strong correlation between predicted and measured values, with RMSE in the range of 1–2 mm during the filling or draining of the storage tank.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10306,"journal":{"name":"Clean-soil Air Water","volume":"53 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144666543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Ahmed Abou Elezz, Noora Al-Naimi, Hamood Abdulla Alsaadi, Azenith B. Castillo
{"title":"Heavy Metals in Foliar Dust: Utilizing Ziziphus spina-christi Leaves in Estimating Levels of Vehicular Pollution","authors":"Ahmed Abou Elezz, Noora Al-Naimi, Hamood Abdulla Alsaadi, Azenith B. Castillo","doi":"10.1002/clen.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The study investigates the <i>Ziziphus spina-christi</i> leaves as bioindicators for vehicular traffic-related air pollution. The analysis primarily focused on the elevated concentration of metals built up on the leaf surface. The accumulated dust on the leaves of <i>Z. spina-christi</i> was analyzed for the presence of several metals, including aluminum (Al), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). ArcGIS was used to map the spatial distribution of metal concentrations across the study sites. The study revealed strong correlations among metals, such as Al, Cr, Fe, Cu, and Zn with vehicular traffic, whereas Ca and Mg exhibited weaker correlations. Barium showed a moderate correlation, suggesting the presence of other emission sources. The pollution load index (PLI) and contamination factor (CF) assessments indicated moderate contamination levels at the study sites, and strong inter-elemental correlations suggested shared emission sources, primarily linked to traffic-related activities. The morphological study and the spatial distribution of metal concentrations were consistent with the data obtained from the chemical analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":10306,"journal":{"name":"Clean-soil Air Water","volume":"53 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/clen.70023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144614970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatial Distribution of Contamination With Selected Trace Metals in Mountain Soils of the Beskid Mały Mountains in Southern Poland","authors":"Paweł Miśkowiec","doi":"10.1002/clen.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to determine the levels, mobility, and concentration fluctuations of cadmium, lead, and zinc in soils southern Poland's Beskid Mały mountains. The examined massif is located approximately 60–100 km to the south and southeast of potential industrial contamination sources, including the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB), the Katowice Iron Steelworks, as well as the Bukowno zinc–lead ore mine and smelter. Soil pollution in the study area was assessed utilizing the geoaccumulation index and the potential ecological risk index. At the same time, the Bureau Communitaire de Reference (BCR) sequential extraction technique was employed to assess the mobility of the elements. The results indicate a discernible influence of industrial sources on mountainous environmental contamination, with a robust correlation among lead, zinc, and cadmium concentrations, affirming a common origin. Furthermore, a statistically significant disparity in metal concentrations was observed between the leeward and windward sides of the mountains, notwithstanding the relatively low absolute height. This phenomenon has not been previously documented in low-altitude regions (below 1000 m above sea level). Therefore, despite their modest height, the studied highlands serve as an impediment to the dissemination of airborne pollutants. The research presented here also paves the way for further analyses and attempts to systematize information on the minimum height of a mountain barrier as a function of its distance from potential sources of pollution.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10306,"journal":{"name":"Clean-soil Air Water","volume":"53 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
{"title":"Towards Soil Health and Sustainable Development: Soil Physicochemical Response to Acid Rain Leaching","authors":"Ruijuan Shan, Zhiming Zhang, Lin Wu, Yajie Li","doi":"10.1002/clen.70021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Air pollutants (e.g., SO<sub>2</sub> and NO<i><sub>x</sub></i>) were released as a result of the rapid socioeconomic growth and industrial development, leading to the formation of acid rain globally. Acid rain can be detrimental to soil systems because of their significant ecological functions, such as maintaining microbial activities and retaining nutrients for plants. This study investigated the impact of acid rain on soil physicochemical properties using simulated acid rain in laboratory-scale soil leaching experiments. Multiple sets of simulated acid rain with various pH levels were employed in the leaching processes. The properties of soil, including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), pH buffering capacity, and soil ions, were investigated after leaching with simulated acid rain. Results showed that the pH of simulated acid rain significantly influenced soil pH and the pH of soil leachate. There was a positive correlation between the pH levels of simulated acid rain and those of the soil. The surface soil (0–10 cm in depth) maintained a higher pH buffering capacity than the slightly deeper soil (10–40 cm in depth). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis indicated the consumption of inorganic carbonate functional groups, which could explain the loss of soil base cations.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10306,"journal":{"name":"Clean-soil Air Water","volume":"53 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144573414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
{"title":"Improved Biodegradation of Reactive Red 120 by Pseudomonas aeruginosa JU_CHE_01: Isolation, Characterization, and Statistical Optimization","authors":"Deepa Goswami, Priyanka Sarkar, Jayanti Mukherjee, Chanchal Mondal, Biswanath Bhunia","doi":"10.1002/clen.70017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.70017","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A textile industry effluents contaminated soil-derived strain of Reactive Red 120 (RR120) dye-degrading bacteria was shown to be extremely effective and metabolically adaptable. <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> JU_CHE_01 (OR388872) was the isolated strain, as determined by phylogenetic analysis. <i>P. aeruginosa</i> JU_CHE_01 shown the ability to break down 600 mg/L concentration of RR120 dye along with many harmful textile azo dyes. The strain also showed resistance to ampicillin and cefradine but remained susceptible to other tested antibiotics. Five process factors were evaluated for optimal condition using the Taguchi approach. Three physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, and inoculum dose) and two media components (glucose and yeast extract) were optimized because of their significant impact on RR120 biodegradation. The L-18 orthogonal arrays (OAs) architecture was utilized in the design of multiple experimental studies. Analysis of the experimental data was done using the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio with the “larger is better” features to determine the key variables and ideal circumstances for optimizing RR120 dye biodegradation. When the predicted data was validated using the confirmatory experiments, it was found that under the ideal conditions of glucose and yeast extract of concentration 1 g/L each, pH 8, temperature 37°C, and inoculum dose 10% (v/v) in 48 h, 97.63% of the RR120 dye degradation could be achieved, leading to a 66.75% enhancement in the RR120 degradation. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the nitrogen source (yeast extract) and carbon source (glucose) significantly influenced RR120 biodegradation, accounting for 27.933% and 19.526%, respectively, followed by pH at 4.664%, temperature at 13.476%, and inoculum dose at 28.951%.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10306,"journal":{"name":"Clean-soil Air Water","volume":"53 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144550842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
{"title":"Extraction and Preconcentration of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Saffron and Tea Samples Using Magnetite-Sporopollenin/Graphene Oxide","authors":"Haleh Omoori Sarabi, Javad Feizy, Zarrin Es'haghi","doi":"10.1002/clen.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A synthesized adsorbent based on magnetite-saffron stamen sporopollenin/graphene oxide (Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>-SSSP/GO) was successfully developed and validated for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in various environmental matrices using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The saffron stamen was utilized to obtain sporopollenin, which was then magnetized employing Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> followed by GO to produce a sorbent of the Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>-SSSP/GO type. The result indicates that the Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>-SSSP/GO is a suitable sorbent for solid-phase extraction of four PAHs: benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Chr), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), found in tea and saffron samples. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the sorbent. Taguchi analysis was employed to optimize the main parameters for extraction, such as sample volume, sorbent amount, desorption volume, and pH of the investigated PAHs. The calibration curve for determining BaA, Chr, BbF, and BaP was investigated in the 0.5 to 500 ng mL<sup>−1</sup> range. The limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) and limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) were between 0.03 and 0.14 ng mL<sup>−1</sup>. The sorbent was successfully applied to saffron and tea samples with good precisions calculated by relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 8.2% and acceptable accuracy with relative recovery ranging from 73.2 to 111.0% for saffron and 58.4 to 93.0% for tea.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10306,"journal":{"name":"Clean-soil Air Water","volume":"53 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}