Environmental Technology & Innovation最新文献

{"title":"Unlocking cold biomass valorization: Aspartate-mediated upregulation of cellulolytic pathways enhances fungal cold adaptation and straw decomposition","authors":"Yanli Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi Wei ,&nbsp;Yuan Meng ,&nbsp;Meng Jin ,&nbsp;Shihong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Straw fertilization is essential for sustainable agriculture; however, low temperatures in regions like Northeast China hinder straw degradation, leading to residue accumulation. Psychrophilic fungi, predominant in cold environments, are crucial for decomposition under such conditions. In this study, we isolated and characterized two psychrophilic strains, <em>Pseudogymnoascus</em> sp. YL55 and <em>Aspergillus terreus</em> S21, and characterized a cold sensitive and impaired in cellulase mutant named M427 from a T–DNA insertion library of YL55. Molecular analysis indicated that the disrupted gene encodes aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Targeted deletion of the <em>ast</em> gene in both YL55 and S21 led to slow growth of colony and downregulation of lignocellulolytic genes, overexpression <em>Past</em> (OE<em>Past</em>) capable of producing more endonucular and exonucone cellulase. Exogenous aspartate supplementation restored cellulase gene expression and growth defect in <em>∆Past</em>, and enhanced the expression of cellulase gene and colony growth in mesophilic <em>A. terreus</em> CK48 under cold conditions. Composting trials showed that OE<em>Past</em> + CK48 can promote the rapid start–up of low temperature composting, more reducing sugars and humus were released, which could promote plants growth. Overall, this study shed a novel link between aspartate metabolism, cellulase expression, and cold tolerance, offering potential for engineering robust, cellulose degrading fungi to improve low temperature biomass composting, providing a new biotechnological strategy for other fungi to efficiently decompose straw in winter.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104388"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702766","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}

{"title":"A green approach to milkmaid wastewater: Evaluating up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket-biofilter effluent for fodder shrubs cultivation and drought resistant","authors":"Safaa A. Ghorab ,&nbsp;Ismail Abd-Elaty ,&nbsp;Ashraf Ahmed ,&nbsp;Aya Mohamed ,&nbsp;Abeer El Shahawy","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The agricultural industry is highly dependent on using water quality due to challenging soil and climatic conditions. Hence, this study investigated the potential reuse of treated effluents from a pilot-scale coupled UASB-Biofilter system for the cultivation of drought-resistant fodder shrubs using wastewater generated from the buffalo milkmaid process. The milkmaid wastewater was treated in a sedimentation tank, with the aim of removing large suspended solids and settleable organic matter, and then in an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB). The UASB effluent was treated in a biofilter. A field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Veterinary Faculty, Suez Canal University, from March to October 2023 to study the effect of different quality of treated buffalo milkmaid wastewater with COD (Null, 1000 ± 28, 130 ± 33, 520 ± 27, 100 ± 30 mg.L⁻¹, respectively)on the growth of <em>Acacia saligna</em> and <em>Moringa oleifera</em> shrubs. Split plot designed with five Treatments: Control (freshwater) (T1), sedimentation tank effluent (T2), Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (modified UASB with rice straw biochar) effluent unit (T3), conventional UASB effluent unit (T4), and biofilter effluent unit (T5), of each species. Vegetative growth, the biomass of shrubs, and the soil NPK, organic matter, and organic carbon were determined. <em>Moringa oleifera</em> shrubs showed higher biomass (2330.3 g)and nitrogen content (62.02 mg kg⁻¹) in soil compared to <em>A. saligna</em>. UASB treatments (T3 and T4) promoted the best growth, with treated buffalo milkmaid wastewater increasing nitrogen concentrations in the soil. Overall, UASB proved to be the most effective treatment for enhancing growth in <em>A. saligna</em> and <em>M. oleifera</em> shrubs in sandy loam soil. This study evaluates the performance of a pilot-scale UASB-Biofilter system for treated effluent reuse in drought-resistant fodder shrubs cultivation. It also conducts a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and RStudio 4.4.1, analyzing trends in wastewater reuse research from 1999 to 2024 based on data from the Web of Science. The review provides insights into the evolution of wastewater reuse in sustainable agro-hydrology and highlights emerging research areas for further investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104397"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695085","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}

{"title":"Optimizing hydrometallurgical strategies for the effective removal of aluminium nitride from secondary aluminium slag","authors":"Zekun Li ,&nbsp;Lu Li ,&nbsp;Zhanliang Yu ,&nbsp;Fengting Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104394","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104394","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This investigation systematically addresses the environmental impacts and treatment strategies for aluminium nitride (AlN) in secondary aluminium slag, a significant hazardous byproduct of aluminium recycling processes in the aluminium industry. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a hydrometallurgical process in which separate experiments were conducted using deionized water and an alkaline solution. Our findings indicate that while elevated temperatures of deionized water accelerate AlN hydrolysis by expediting the chemical reactions involved, the process remains suboptimal and incomplete. In contrast, the use of an alkaline solution markedly increases the hydrolytic efficiency. Notably, at 90°C and a 2:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, significant 95.4 % AIN removal was achieved with an additional 10 wt% sodium hydroxide within 180 min. Additionally, the kinetic analysis suggested that AlN hydrolysis operates under a mixed control mechanism, which indicates that the reaction rate is influenced by both chemical reaction rates and mass transfer processes, as confirmed by kinetic fitting data. These insights have profound implications for the sustainable management of hazardous waste in the aluminium industry while promoting improved environmental conservation and contributing to more efficient resource recycling strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104394"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679735","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}

{"title":"Effects of continuous periodic Phragmites harvesting on microbial characteristics and soil multifunctionality in wetlands adjacent to residential and agricultural areas","authors":"Yanjie Wang ,&nbsp;Haiqing Lei ,&nbsp;Jiabo Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Phragmites</em>–dominated wetlands adjacent to residential and agricultural areas face persistent nitrogen/phosphorus loading pressures. The mechanistic impacts of periodic harvesting on soil multifunctionality remain poorly understood. This study systematically investigated how sustained harvesting regulates wetland soil functions through microbial community restructuring and metabolic shifts. The results demonstrated that harvesting treatment significantly enhanced microbial community evenness and induced structural homogenization. At the phylum level, harvested plots (HP) showed significantly greater abundances of Chloroflexi, Acidobacteriota, and Firmicutes, whereas Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadota were enriched in unharvested plots (IP, natural growth). The microbial assembly in HP was influenced mainly by homogeneous selection (HoS, 27.31 %) and dispersal limitation (DL, 37.98 %). In IP, drift (DR, 34.56 %) was the main factor. Functional prediction revealed that nitrate reduction was increased in HP (<em>P</em> = 0.003), with reduced abundances of phototrophic taxa and a metabolic shift toward chemoheterotrophic strategies. Soil analyses revealed decreased total nitrogen (TN) and C/N–regulated keystone taxa. The soil multifunctionality index (SMF) was greater in HP and was associated with chemoheterotrophic functions and C/N metabolic pathways. This study elucidated that the increase in SMF caused by <em>Phragmites</em> harvesting primarily stemmed from deterministic microbial assembly and C/N–coupled chemoheterotrophic activation, establishing a science–based framework for sustainable wetland management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104386"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679732","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}

{"title":"Comparison and optimization of analytical techniques for accurate phosphorus determination in high-titanium geological samples","authors":"Tumelo M. Mogashane ,&nbsp;Ramasehle Moswane ,&nbsp;Odwa Mapazi ,&nbsp;Moshalagae A. Motlatle ,&nbsp;Kedibone Mashale ,&nbsp;Lebohang Mokoena ,&nbsp;Dimakatso Mokgosi ,&nbsp;Tebatso Mashilane ,&nbsp;James Tshilongo","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104384","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104384","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The precise assessment of phosphorus in geological samples with high titanium levels poses analytical difficulties because of interferences from titanium-rich compositions in the matrix. To precisely quantify phosphorus, this study assesses and optimises several analytical techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after sample preparation by acid digestion (AD), peroxide fusion (PF), pressed pellet (PP), fused bead (FB) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The samples were certified reference materials (CRMs) containing titanium. When combined with a proper sample preparation method such as MAE, ICP-OES showed greater accuracy, whereas XRF scan offered quick, non-destructive analysis but had sensitivity limits. From the 6 methods that were tested, the best recoveries (83.1–100 %) of certified values were consistently obtained by MAE/ICP-OES followed by AD/ICP-OES analysis among the studied procedures and FB/XRF (98.3–105 %), demonstrating its efficacy in breaking down resistant mineral phases and overcoming matrix interferences. The relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged between 0.25 % and 2.1 % for MAE/ICP-OES and 0.30–5.3 % for FB/XRF, indicating good precision. Based on the ANOVA results, the phosphorus concentrations obtained from the different analytical methods showed statistically significant differences across all the CRMs analysed (P &lt; 0.05). However, MAE/ICP-OES and FB/XRF proved to not be contributing to the significant difference when assessed using an Honesty Significant Difference (HSD) test. These findings demonstrate that MAE/ICP-OES and FB/XRF methods provide more accurate, precise and repeatable phosphorus quantification in samples rich in titanium. In addition to phosphorus, the samples were also analyzed for associated metal oxides and rare earth elements, which commonly co-occur in high-titanium geological matrices. These determinations were essential to assess matrix interferences and improve the reliability and accuracy of phosphorus quantification methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104384"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679733","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}

{"title":"Overcoming soil matrix interference for reliable environmental monitoring of dsRNA","authors":"Mohammad Zarrabian ,&nbsp;Sherif M. Sherif","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104383","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The extraction of high-quality double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) from soil is essential for environmental monitoring of RNA interference-based agricultural technologies and molecular ecology studies, yet it is hindered by potent nucleases and enzymatic inhibitors prevalent in soil matrices. Standard TRI Reagent®-based protocols often yield degraded dsRNA unsuitable for downstream applications. The present study systematically optimized a dsRNA extraction method for challenging, heavily clayed, and sandy soils. Initial modifications, including extended lysis times and mechanical bead beating, proved detrimental to dsRNA recovery. However, successful optimization required a multi-faceted chemical approach: incorporating β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) to inhibit nucleases, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to adsorb inhibitors, and crucially, aluminum sulfate to effectively remove persistent PCR inhibitors. Further refinements included reducing the initial soil input and optimizing isopropanol precipitation conditions. The final optimized protocol consistently recovered approximately 80 % of spiked dsRNA (398 bp). Importantly, the extracted dsRNA was free from PCR inhibitors and suitable for sensitive downstream analysis via quantitative Real Time PCR (qRT-PCR), achieving lower limits of detection of 0.04 ng/g in clay soil and 0.004 ng/g in sandy soil. This robust and sensitive method provides a valuable tool for reliably quantifying dsRNA in complex soil environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104383"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702082","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}

{"title":"DNA-SIP unveiled niche differentiation of active ammonia oxidizers in stratified sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir","authors":"Baohong Yu ,&nbsp;Quanchao Zeng ,&nbsp;Quan Zhou ,&nbsp;Shengjun Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104381","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104381","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Comammox bacteria represent a newly discovered group of microorganisms capable of complete ammonia oxidation, playing a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle. Although the understanding of Comammox bacteria remains in its early stages, key aspects of their ecological roles and physiological status are still uncertain, especially regarding their distinction from other nitrifying microorganisms. To address these uncertainties, this study employed DNA-based stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) to investigate depth-specific microbial communities in sediments and identify active ammonia-oxidizing populations along with their ecological niche differentiation. Results showed that net nitrification rates were significantly higher in the 0–10 cm sediment layer compared to the 10–30 cm layer. Across all depths, the abundance of the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) gene exceeded that of comammox Nitrospira clade A (ComA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) genes. During active nitrification, substantial ¹ ³C assimilation by AOA was detected in the 0–10 cm layer, whereas only a minor shift from light to heavy fractions was observed for ComA in the 10–20 cm layer. Phylogenetic analysis of heavy fraction DNA further revealed that <em>Nitrososphaera gargensis</em> dominated active AOA, while clade A.2 represented the active ComA population. These findings provide compelling evidence that both AOA and ComA contribute to nitrification in Three Gorges Reservoir sediments. Notably, the dominant active ammonia oxidizers shifted from AOA in surface layers to ComA at greater depths, highlighting a more significant functional role of sedimentary ComA than previously recognized. The niche differentiation of active ammonia oxidizers in stratified sediments played a critical role in shaping nitrogen cycling processes in aquatic ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104381"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144685633","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}

{"title":"Aggregation of original and UV-aged polypropylene microplastics under the intervention of glomalin-related soil protein","authors":"Wenwen Yang ,&nbsp;Peiyu Li ,&nbsp;Zixin Zheng ,&nbsp;Kai Ning ,&nbsp;Xiaozhen Zhu ,&nbsp;Hansong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104392","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104392","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) plays vital role in the soil aggregate development, and its interaction with microplastics may affect the migration behavior of plastic particles in the environment. However, the binding of GRSP with the microplastics and the physicochemical characteristics of their composite remain poorly understood. Here, the binding behavior and potential mechanism of GRSP with micron-grade original polypropylene (OPP) and aged polypropylene (APP) were investigated using morphological characterization and microscopic analysis techniques. The aggregation of microplastics occurred with the addition of GRSP, and the aggregation of APP particles was more evident owing to the 24.5 % higher adsorption capacity of APP than that of OPP. The adsorption of GRSP on microplastics led to fluorescence quenching, indicating that the interaction between GRSP and microplastics resulted in the transformation of the molecular structure of GRSP. Calculations of binding sites and constants suggested that microplastics and GRSP exhibited strong binding affinities and that aged microplastics were more likely to bind with GRSP. These binding sites involve the carboxylic acid and alcohol hydroxyl groups of the polysaccharide components of GRSP. Furthermore, aged microplastics reacted with GRSP through the newly formed C-O/C<img>O bonds and enhanced hydrogen bonding interactions, increasing the ability of the microplastics to interact with GRSP. These findings revealed the interaction characteristics and mechanisms between GRSP and microplastics at the macro and molecular scale, providing new insights into the environmental behaviors of microplastics and soil remediation strategies related to GRSP regulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104392"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679734","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}

{"title":"Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the breakthrough behavior of dissolved organic matter in carbon filtration column","authors":"Jingkun Xu,&nbsp;Haicheng Liu,&nbsp;Runxuan Li,&nbsp;Fei Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104380","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104380","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The breakthrough of dissolved organic matter such as humic acid (HA) during water filtration processes is a critical factor contributing to the formation of disinfection by-products. The presence of emerging pollutants, such as microplastics, may influence this process. This study investigates the impact of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on the breakthrough of HA in granular activated carbon (GAC) columns. The presence of PS-MPs, along with their abundance and UV aging, significantly affects HA's breakthrough. Higher abundance of PS-MPs enhances HA's breakthrough by occupying adsorption sites on GAC, while UV-aged PS-MPs, due to increased hydrophilicity and surface roughness, reduces the promoting effect of PS-MPs on HA breakthrough. Orthogonal experiment revealed that flow rate, HA concentration, ionic strength, and abundance of PS-MPs influence HA's breakthrough, with flow rate being the most significant factor. Zeta potential and hydrodynamic diameter analyses showed that UV-aged PS-MPs, with more negative charges and smaller sizes, had a higher tendency to penetrate GAC, freeing up adsorption sites for HA. A backpropagation (BP) neural network model was trained to predict HA removal and optimization using a genetic algorithm (GA) further improved prediction accuracy. This study provides insights into PS-MPs &amp; HA interactions and presents a reliable tool for predicting GAC filter performance in the presence of PS-MPs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104380"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694986","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}

{"title":"Nanostructured hydroxyapatite-zinc complex as a novel foliar system to reduce cadmium accumulation in wheat grain: Performance and mechanism","authors":"Gaoling Shi ,&nbsp;Chao Yi ,&nbsp;Huimin Zhou ,&nbsp;Yinglong Chen ,&nbsp;Guangping Fan ,&nbsp;Fei Tong ,&nbsp;Wei Chen ,&nbsp;Lizhu Liu ,&nbsp;Jiangye Li ,&nbsp;Yan Gao ,&nbsp;Dongmei Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eti.2025.104387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Foliar zinc (Zn) application offers a promising strategy for cadmium (Cd) mitigation and Zn biofortification in wheat, while the poor leaf adhesion of conventional Zn formulations limits their effectiveness. This study utilized hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAP) as a nanocarrier and prepared the nHAP-Zn complex through simple reactions. The complex exhibited superior leaf adhesion compared to ZnSO₄ solution. Foliar application of nHAP-Zn increased grain Zn concentration by 38.8 % in the low-Cd-accumulating wheat cultivar Ningmai-11 (NM11) and 31.6 % in the high-Cd-accumulating cultivar Zhengmai-10 (ZM10), surpassing the effects of ZnSO₄. Notably, nHAP-Zn decreased grain Cd concentration by 31.5 % in NM11 and 32.9 % in ZM10. Mechanistically, nHAP-Zn suppressed Cd uptake by downregulating the expression of <em>TaNramp5</em>, <em>TaIRT1</em>, and <em>TaZIP5</em> genes in the roots, and inhibited Cd translocation from node I to the grain by reducing xylem-to-phloem Cd transfer-related gene expression (i.e., <em>TaHMA2</em>, <em>TaZIP3</em>, and <em>TaZIP7</em> in NM11, and <em>TaHMA2</em>, <em>TaLCT1</em>, <em>TaZIP5</em>, and <em>TaZIP7</em> in ZM10). Furthermore, nHAP-Zn application did not compromise plant growth characteristics such as plant biomass and height. These findings highlight nHAP-Zn as a highly efficient foliar fertilizer for enhancing Zn biofortification while mitigating Cd accumulation in wheat cultivated in Cd-contaminated regions. This study presents a novel approach to improving wheat safety and nutritional quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11725,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Technology & Innovation","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 104387"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695079","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}