Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Atmospheric reactive nitrogen source apportionment based on stable nitrogen isotopes: Applications and perspectives in China","authors":"Fenghua Yan, Junwen Liu, Yuepeng Pan, Xuejun Liu, Weihua Chen, Xuemei Wang","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2026.2646507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2026.2646507","url":null,"abstract":"Ammonia (NH₃), nitrogen oxides (NO<i>_x</i>), and nitrous acid (HONO) are key components of atmospheric reactive nitrogen (Nr), playing pivotal and interconnected roles in the formation of secondary pollutants such as PM_2.5 and ozone. However, their diverse emission sources and complex atmospheric transformations introduce substantial uncertainties when quantifying sector-specific Nr contributions with conventional bottom-up emission inventories. Stable nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N), which preserve source-dependent isotopic fingerprints, provide a powerful complementary approach for constraining the sources and tracing the processes of atmospheric Nr. This review synthesizes recent advances in δ¹⁵N-based research on atmospheric Nr, including measurement techniques, source signatures, source apportionment applications, and methodological developments. We compile δ¹⁵N signature ranges for major NH₃, NO<i>_x</i>, and HONO emission sources, summarize current approaches for estimating isotopic fractionation associated with these species, and critically evaluate the applicability and limitations of commonly used isotope mixing models. Existing evidence shows that large inter-source contrasts in δ¹⁵N signatures, when combined with well-constrained fractionation estimates and appropriately selected mixing models, allow isotopic source apportionment to achieve high discriminatory power. We further aggregate δ¹⁵N-based source apportionment studies conducted in China over the past decade. Accumulating studies consistently highlight significant contributions from nonagricultural NH₃, non-fossil NO<i>_x</i>, and direct HONO emissions, which have often been underestimated. This underscores the need to prioritize these nontraditional sources in Nr characterization and control strategies. Overall, enhancing the identification of nontraditional Nr sources <i>via</i> δ¹⁵N analysis is critical for developing scientifically robust Nr budgets and formulating effective pollution control policies.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"9 1","pages":"551-576"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147739584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Air resistome in urban and rural environments – review","authors":"Salametu Saibu, Kyoko Yarimizu, Ishara Uhanie Perera, Sofya Pozdniakova, Pierre Amato, Naomichi Yamamoto, Florent Rossi, Yue Yin, So Fujiyoshi, Fumito Maruyama","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2026.2646509","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2026.2646509","url":null,"abstract":"The atmosphere serves as a reservoir and transmission pathway for pathogenic microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), which can be inhaled or ingested and pose emerging public health risks. Despite growing awareness of antimicrobial resistance in soil and water, the air resistome—the characterization of ARGs in airborne matrices remains relatively understudied. Humans can inhale thousands of resistance genes daily as airborne ARGs occur at 10³–10⁵ gene copies/m³ of air. Human population growth and intensive anthropogenic activities have profoundly altered natural ecosystems, reshaping microbial community structures in the atmosphere. Urban and rural environments differ in emission sources, land use, and pollution profiles, necessitating distinct approaches to assess and mitigate their respective air resistome. However, most existing studies emphasize bacterial diversity rather than the occurrence, abundance, and dissemination of ARGs across these environments. Understanding the spatial variability of airborne ARGs is critical for developing early warning systems and informing public health surveillance. This review emphasizes current knowledge on ARG gradients from urban to rural settings, highlights the role of anthropogenic drivers in their distribution, and identifies key knowledge gaps. We advocate for the routine monitoring of biological pollutants, including ARGs, as part of comprehensive air quality management and regulatory frameworks. Finally, integrating One Health approach into policy ensures holistic AMR control across humans, animals, and ecosystem.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"80 1","pages":"577-606"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147751755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Toward sustainable healthcare: Circular economy models in hospital operations and waste management","authors":"Darween Rozehan Shah Iskandar Shah, Nur Faradila Anuar, Nor Amir Zakuan Panizan, Ruziah Ibrahim, Razli Ramli, Nur Azam Anuarul Perai, Nasrin Aghamohammadi","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2026.2641479","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2026.2641479","url":null,"abstract":"The integration of circular economy (CE) principles into hospital operations, focusing on environmental, economic, and operational outcomes, represents a pressing challenge within the current healthcare system. This study systematically reviewed 11 peer-reviewed studies selected from 5976 articles published between 2014 and 2025 following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, including life cycle assessment (LCA) and material flow analysis (MFA) investigations. Evidence consistently indicates that reusable and repairable medical devices significantly outperform single-use alternatives, achieving up to a 76% reduction in carbon emissions and 50% cost savings. MFA studies revealed that single-use plastics, particularly gloves, gowns, and packaging, constitute more than 70% of hospital waste, highlighting critical targets for CE intervention. Furthermore, integrated waste management systems that combine segregation and recycling demonstrate superior environmental performance compared to incineration-dominated approaches. Despite these clear benefits, barriers such as regulatory inertia, limited sterilization infrastructure, and procurement models favoring disposables impede the adoption of CEs. Conversely, enabling factors include green procurement policies, digital tracking tools, and leadership-driven sustainability programs. Major research gaps remain regarding CE implementation in low- and middle-income countries, standardized LCA methodologies, and behavioral factors that influence adoption. The findings underscore the transformative potential of CE strategies such as reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and resource recovery in decarbonizing healthcare while maintaining safety and efficiency. This analysis evaluates Scope 1 (direct), 2 (indirect), and 3 (supply-chain) emissions reduction strategies. Integrating CE metrics into procurement and policy frameworks could make healthcare a sustainability leader.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"1 1","pages":"530-550"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147733615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Interactions and ecotoxicological implications of herbicides and harmful cyanobacterial blooms: A critical review","authors":"Audrey Roy-Lachapelle, Christian Gagnon, Julie Robitaille","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2026.2636174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2026.2636174","url":null,"abstract":"In aquatic ecosystems, agricultural activities have an impact on eutrophication and contribute to the excessive growth of cyanobacteria. Although harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs) are known to increase with nutrient enrichment and climate change, it is unclear how herbicide influences cyanobacterial dominance and related cyanotoxins production. This critical review presents emerging, cumulative evidence revealing how herbicide exposure can change phytoplankton communities by reducing sensitive taxa and indirectly promoting toxin-producing cyanobacteria. It also explores how such stressors can trigger the production and release of cyanotoxins, which may have, in turn, a synergistic toxic effect with herbicides on sensitive phytoplankton, although their combined effects on aquatic biota are still poorly understood. Methodological challenges including laboratory research, mesocosms and fieldwork are discussed to assess the ecological significance. These recommendations are supported by state-of-the-art methods in analytical chemistry, molecular biology, and multivariate statistics for better integrated risk assessments of complex interactions between herbicides, cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins on aquatic ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"24 1","pages":"505-529"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147733614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Biodegradable polyesters in soil—Real environmental hazard or just a storm in a teacup?","authors":"Stanislav Obruca, Martin Koller, Petr Sedlacek, Ines Fritz, Pavlina Guziurova","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2026.2635428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2026.2635428","url":null,"abstract":"Biodegradable polyesters (BPEs) are increasingly being promoted as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics, particularly in applications where biodegradability offers an advantage because material retrieval is impractical or impossible. Agriculture is a typical example of such applications. However, the growing interest in BPEs has also raised legitimate concerns regarding potential environmental side effects, especially the formation and fate of biodegradable microparticles (“microbioplastics”) in soils. This review critically examines the current understanding of the degradation mechanisms, ecological interactions, and environmental implications of BPEs under soil conditions. Evidence suggests that, at environmentally and agriculturally realistic loading rates, most effects on soil properties are transient and comparable to those induced by natural biodegradable organic inputs such as lignocellulose. Fragmentation of and biofilm formation on BPEs, often interpreted as adverse effects, are in fact inherent stages of microbial degradation and carbon cycling. Overall, assessing the impact of BPEs on soil ecosystems remains a highly relevant and rapidly evolving research area, requiring adherence to sound scientific principles, realistic exposure scenarios, and standardized methodologies. Integrating microplastic characterization and temporal analyses into future certification and testing frameworks will strengthen the scientific foundation for evaluating the environmental safety of these materials and support their responsible implementation in sustainable agriculture and soil management.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"306 1","pages":"1-23"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147501773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Deciphering high-nitrogen inhibition in anammox systems: From microbial insights to engineering applications","authors":"Junye Shen, Xin Yin, Yuheng Zhu, Wenqi Li, Mabruk Adams, Bing-Jie Ni, Chongjun Chen","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2026.2635434","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2026.2635434","url":null,"abstract":"Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), as a breakthrough low-carbon nitrogen removal technology, is energy-efficient and cost-effective for treating high-ammonium, low C/N wastewaters. However, excessive concentrations of ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrite (NO₂⁻), especially in the form of free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acid (FNA), exert strong biotoxic effects on anammox bacteria (AnAOB) and severely hinder the wide application of the anammox process. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate high-nitrogen inhibition in anammox systems, focusing on impacts on nitrogen removal performance and sludge properties. From molecular–cellular–ecological perspectives, this work systematically elucidates the inhibition and response mechanisms under high-nitrogen stress, covering membrane structure, key enzymes and functional genes, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and microbial community. In addition, we explore the roles of coexisting organics and microbial interactions in system-level responses. To mitigate high-nitrogen inhibition, a series of effective recovery strategies are summarized, including biomass intervention management, process parameter optimization, and exogenous additive supplementation. Finally, we propose biological enhancement measures based on the enrichment of <i>Ca. Kuenenia</i> to improve anammox tolerance. This review bridges microbial insights and engineering applications to advance the broader implementation of anammox-based systems in full-scale wastewater treatment.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"57 1","pages":"1-26"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147501774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Invisible microbial language in cyanobacterial blooms should not be overlooked: The potential impact of quorum sensing for cyanobacteria community","authors":"Zhexi Liu, Haoliang Pang, Yanling Gu, Xia Wang, Aixin Chen, Wei Zhang, Si Liu, Wenjuan He, Jinhui Huang","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2025.2604697","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2025.2604697","url":null,"abstract":"Global greenhouse effect and the increase of CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere make harmful cyanobacterial blooms occur frequently. Understanding the inherent laws and influencing factors of cyanobacterial blooms is the key to hinder their development and maturity. Previous studies have focused on limiting the development of cyanobacteria by changing external environmental factors, ignoring the internal factors among microorganisms in the cyanobacteria bloom. Based on the ecological regulation strategies aimed at regulating the life activities of cyanobacteria and the succession of cyanobacterial blooms, we discuss the non-negligible role of quorum sensing in the formation of cyanobacterial blooms. The promo­tion effect of QS on the growth and development and competitive advantage phenotype of pure cyanobacteria was analyzed, and the potential influence of QS as an internal driving force for community succession of cyanobacteria was reasonably speculated. Although there are few studies on the regulation of QS as a control strategy for algal blooms. Here, we provide detailed information on the possible effects of QS on cyanobacteria and on the actual cyanobacterial bloom community, and the importance of QS in the formation of cyanobacterial blooms was emphasized. In addition, the previous studies on cyanobacterial QS are critically analyzed, the puzzling problems in these studies are put forward, and more perfect suggestions for future work are provided.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"5 1","pages":"351-373"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147384100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"A critical review of the chain elongation for biomass resource recovery: Mechanisms, advances, and challenges","authors":"Qingyan Wang, Ru Zhang, Yajing Cai, Junpei Ye, Guangming Zhang, Jun Chen, Panyue Zhang","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2025.2601659","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2025.2601659","url":null,"abstract":"Chain elongation is an emerging bioprocess for converting diverse organic wastes into medium-chain carboxylates (MCCs) with high economic value and applications in fuels, antimicrobials, and food additives. This review integrates recent progress on metabolic mechanisms, microbial ecology, and process engineering strategies that promote efficient MCC synthesis. The effects of strict anaerobic and microaerobic conditions on ethanol- and lactate- driven reverse β oxidation are examined, alongside key enzymes and genes. The contributions of isolated bacterial strains, fungi, and open-culture system are compared, with emphasis on syntrophic interactions and substrate conversion efficiency. Process stability and competition pathways, as well as enhancements in interspecies electron transfer, are discussed carefully. In-line product extraction, particularly hollow fiber membrane liquid-liquid extraction, is highlighted for alleviating product inhibition. In the future, chain elongation can be further developed for waste valorization in a circular bioeconomy.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"79 1","pages":"333-350"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147383911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Pharmaceuticals and their transformation products in agroecosystems: Threats to plant–soil sustainability","authors":"Narmin Garazade, John Nightingale, Paul Kay, Gamze Varank, Laura J. Carter","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2025.2585891","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2025.2585891","url":null,"abstract":"Amending soils with biosolids or animal manures enhances nutrient availability, while wastewater irrigation enhances crop productivity in water-scarce regions. However, the application of these practices can introduce biologically active pharmaceuticals into agricultural soils, where they can be transformed into persistent and potentially more toxic products. In this review, we synthesize existing knowledge on the occurrence, fate, and behavior of pharmaceutical transformation products and metabolites in soil and plant systems. We summarize detection of specific transformation products in soils and edible plant tissues, analyze and assess their persistence in the environment and bioaccumulation, and quantify their mobility and uptake in comparison to parent compounds. We also evaluate the limited data on toxicological effects to ecosystems and human health, and explicitly note the substantial knowledge gaps in the literature on field-based studies. In summary, this synthesis of findings in soil and plants emphasizes the need to incorporate pharmaceutical transformation products and metabolites into risk assessments to protect food safety and agricultural sustainability.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"42 1","pages":"1-31"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Deciphering quorum sensing and quorum quenching regulatory mechanisms in anaerobic digesters: Signaling networks, environmental responses, and microbial ecological functions","authors":"Yanzeng Li, Hong Wang, Shiyu Liu, Zhou Chen, Yu Hua, Xiaohu Dai","doi":"10.1080/10643389.2025.2599462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2025.2599462","url":null,"abstract":"Microbially driven anaerobic digestion (AD) is a key technology for energy recovery from biowaste. As critical regulators of microbial communication, quorum sensing (QS) and quorum quenching (QQ) impact AD by shaping microbial community structure and coordinating trophic-level metabolic interactions. However, their underlying mechanisms remain a “black box”, posing a significant barrier to process optimization and engineered control. This review deciphers the QS and QQ regulatory mechanisms in AD, focusing on signaling networks, environmental responsiveness, and microbial ecological functions. As current studies on QS/QQ in full-scale AD remain scarce, this review primarily draws on data from laboratory-scale reactors. First, we systematically mapped signaling molecule distribution in both liquid and solid phases across 21 anaerobic digesters, revealing that solid-phase matrices generally served as hotspots for acyl-homoserine lactone accumulation. Subsequently, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the transduction cascades of QS and QQ were dissected, including signal recognition, transmission, and interception. Furthermore, the dynamic responses of QS to environmental factors were comprehensively evaluated, together with their strong associations with microbial ecological functions and process stability. The regulatory roles of QS/QQ in extracellular polymeric substances synthesis, microbial spatial organization, metabolic pathway optimization, system robustness, and antibiotic resistance gene dissemination were also reviewed. Finally, challenges and prospects were discussed, including elucidating diverse signaling molecules roles, mapping QS/QQ signaling to metabolic pathways, and assessing long-term stability and ecological risks of QS/QQ strategies in engineering. This review offers a strategic reference for precisely regulating microbial metabolic networks and mitigating ecological risks in anaerobic digesters <i>via</i> signal transduction.","PeriodicalId":10823,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"1 1","pages":"1-33"},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}