Rabia Tasaduq Hussain , Baala H. Anandapadmanaban , Chi-Wen Lin , Shu-Hui Liu , Jun Haslinda Shariffuddin
{"title":"Hybrid photocatalytic–microbial fuel cells systems: Progress, challenges, and forecasts in water-energy-environment nexus","authors":"Rabia Tasaduq Hussain , Baala H. Anandapadmanaban , Chi-Wen Lin , Shu-Hui Liu , Jun Haslinda Shariffuddin","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing demand for sustainable water purification and renewable energy recovery has propelled hybrid photocatalytic–microbial fuel cell (photo−MFC) systems to the forefront of environmental engineering. These coupled configurations merge semiconductor-driven redox reactions with bioelectrochemical energy conversion, creating a self-sustaining process that simultaneously degrades pollutants and generates electricity. This review critically discusses the advances, mechanisms, types, and design innovations in hybrid photo-MFC systems, with a particular emphasis on charge-transfer pathways, the physicochemical compatibility between photocatalysts, electrodes, and electroactive biofilms, and the influence of reactor architecture on system performance. Studies on key advances in visible-light-responsive semiconductors, nanostructured electrodes, and integrated reactor architectures increasing photon utilization and e<sup>−</sup> recovery are analysed. Current challenges related to power density, catalyst durability, biofouling, and scalability are identified. The paper concludes with a future perspective on emerging trends such as 3D-printed biochar photoelectrodes, machine-learning-guided reactor optimization, and techno-economic evaluations needed for industrial-level development. By integrating insights from diverse interdisciplinary fields, this review outlines strategic pathways for advancing hybrid photo−MFC technologies towards the circular and energy-positive treatment of wastewater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121270"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Methylene blue removal from synthetic wastewater using a vertical flow-constructed wetland with organic waste-based substrate integrated with UV/HOCl treatment: Experimental evaluation and Life cycle assessment","authors":"Debasish Nayak , Siddharth Tiwari , Arindom Dutta , Elakkiya R , Monali Priyadarshini","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of the present investigation is to evaluate the efficacy of a vertical flow constructed wetland system (VF-CW) employing discarded fruit and vegetable peels as a substrate coupled with UV/HOCl to treat synthetically produced textile wastewater that contains Methylene blue (MB) dye. Three VF-CW systems were fabricated, of which two were planted with <em>Canna indica</em> (VF-CWC)<em>, Typha angustifolia</em> (VF-CWT)<em>,</em> and one with no plant as a control (VF-CWN). Among these three, VF-CWC demonstrated ∼100 % of MB and 97.24 ± 1.50 % of COD removal after 24 h at pH 7.8, which was 1.1 and 1.2 times higher in MB (90.50 ± 1.30 %) and COD removal (80.35 ± 1.60 %) than VF-CWT. In contrast, VF-CWN (control) showed comparable removal of 85.10 ± 1.50 % of MB and 73.93 ± 1.40 % of COD operating under similar conditions. However, the effluent of the sole VW-CWC contained 28,900 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL of <em>E. coli</em> at a 10<sup>2</sup> dilution; further treating the effluent with the UV/HOCl system effectively eliminates all <em>E. coli</em>. The assessment of growth parameters of <em>Canna indica</em> and <em>Typha angustifolia in</em> VF-CWC and VF-CWT demonstrated a higher growth rate and adaptability of <em>Canna indica</em> in the substrate and wastewater. The degradation of MB in VF-CWC + UV/HOCl involves ring opening, oxidation, and ring contraction, ultimately converting it into CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O. The cost to treat per m<sup>3</sup> of MB-containing wastewater by the integrated system was observed to be 0.331 $/m<sup>3</sup> (Rs. 29.65 per m<sup>3</sup>). The OpenLCA results revealed that the combined VF-CWC + UV/HOCl had the least impact on resource depletion, ecology, and human health. In conclusion, this study addressed several environmental issues, including pathogen contamination and dye pollution, as well as the recycling of leftover fruit and vegetable peels for the development of economical and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121212"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhimin You , Jin Xiao , Mengke Li , Ning Tang , Yujiao He , Juan Li
{"title":"Preparation of CoMn2O4/graphite catalyst for highly efficient catalytic removal of toluene","authors":"Zhimin You , Jin Xiao , Mengke Li , Ning Tang , Yujiao He , Juan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a kind of organic pollutants. Therefore, in this study, a solvent thermal method was used to prepare CoMn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> bimetallic catalysts by applying graphite (GR) as a carrier. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the constructed CoMn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/3GR catalyst (T<sub>90 %</sub> = 189 ℃) was found to have the superior catalytic performance and CO<sub>2</sub> selectivity for toluene under microwave catalytic reaction mode (MCRM) conditions, of which the stronger reaction (2.2 times) rates and lower apparent activation energy (9.91 kJ/mol) were examined compared to that of conventional reaction mode (CRM). The GR in the composite catalysts provided excellent electron and thermal conductivity, as well as good mechanical properties performance and chemical stability, to ensure the excellent catalytical performance of CoMn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/3GR. This study provides new ideas for the improvement of catalysts, and offers a new method to reduce intermediate products generated during VOCs catalytic oxidation and enhance CO<sub>2</sub> selectivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121166"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luanxiao Wei , Wei He , Haiyang Ren , Xixi Li , Yu Li
{"title":"Tissue-specific bioaccumulation risk of fluorinated liquid crystal monomers with high nAtom and complex structure in zebrafish: An in-silico simulation and experimental verification","authors":"Luanxiao Wei , Wei He , Haiyang Ren , Xixi Li , Yu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121161","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121161","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fluorinated liquid crystal monomers (FLCMs), key raw materials in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), are emerging pollutants with the high bioaccumulation potential. However, research on their bioaccumulation remains limited. Therefore, the bioaccumulation of 174 FLCMs in zebrafish brain, gill, intestine, liver, and muscle were obtained using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations in this study. Results showed that gill (-121.121 kJ/mol) and liver (-118.234 kJ/mol) had high bioaccumulation levels, and brain (-84.640 kJ/mol), intestine (-85.900 kJ/mol) and muscle (-86.311 kJ/mol) tissues had low bioaccumulation levels. Secondly, a machine learning method was used to construct a multiple linear regression model between FLCMs enrichment and molecular structure parameters. The results showed that FLCMs with a greater number of aromatic rings and atoms tend to exhibit stronger enrichment potential, leading to higher binding affinity in zebrafish tissues. In addition, POPs that share structural features with FLCMs display tissue-specific accumulation patterns similar to those observed for FLCMs, with both groups preferentially accumulating in the gill and liver of zebrafish. When the number of aromatic rings and atoms of FLCMs increased, their bioaccumulation effect in zebrafish tissues was stronger. Transcriptomics sequencing experiments were also conducted to verify that the FLCMs (i.e., 3bcHdFB and 2O3cHdFP) with high bioaccumulation ability in theoretical calculations would cause more severe impact on zebrafish tissues. This is the first time to systematically predict and verify the bioaccumulation of FLCMs, providing ideas for risk management and control of FLCMs, and theoretical support for the molecular design of green FLCMs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121161"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohammad Hasan Faghani , Morteza Zokaeian , Farzaneh Talebkeikhah , Davood Iranshahi
{"title":"Design principles and mechanistic advances in CO₂-to-CO conversion across electrochemical, photochemical, and photoelectrochemical catalysis","authors":"Mohammad Hasan Faghani , Morteza Zokaeian , Farzaneh Talebkeikhah , Davood Iranshahi","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2025.120952","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2025.120952","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) to carbon monoxide (CO) represents a pivotal pathway toward sustainable carbon management and fuel production, linking renewable energy inputs with chemical feedstock demands. However, achieving high efficiency, selectivity, and long-term stability across diverse conversion platforms remains a persistent challenge. This review provides a cross-disciplinary perspective on catalyst design strategies tailored for electrochemical (EC), photochemical (PC), and photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO<sub>2</sub> reduction to CO. For each technology, we outline the fundamental principles and recent mechanistic advances governing CO<sub>2</sub>-to-CO conversion. We then discuss the major classes of CO<sub>2</sub>-reduction catalysts and their design strategies, highlighting how innovations in materials engineering have enabled measurable improvements in activity, selectivity, and durability. Drawing on more than 200 studies published between 2021 and 2025, we compare catalyst types, reaction conditions, and performance metrics; the complete dataset is provided in the <span><span>Supplementary Information</span></span> (SI). Finally, we evaluate and compare EC, PC, and PEC platforms in terms of scalability, techno-economic feasibility, and environmental impact, and outline future directions needed to accelerate the development of low-carbon, sustainable CO<sub>2</sub>-to-CO conversion technologies. By enabling cleaner and lower-emission CO production, these strategies offer significant environmental benefits and contribute to the transition toward more sustainable chemical manufacturing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 120952"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Subhan Mahmood , Numan Mahmood , Muhammad Usman Liaquat , Faizan Ikhlaq , Hamza Shehzad , Shun Yao
{"title":"Electrodialysis for sustainable water desalination: Principles, applications, challenges, and future directions","authors":"Subhan Mahmood , Numan Mahmood , Muhammad Usman Liaquat , Faizan Ikhlaq , Hamza Shehzad , Shun Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121466","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121466","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freshwater scarcity, driven by population growth, urbanization, industrialization, and climate change, has intensified the need for alternative water sources, including desalination. Among emerging solutions, electrodialysis (ED) has gained prominence as an energy-efficient, renewable, and chemical-free electrochemical separation technology for desalination. By leveraging ion-exchange membranes and an applied electric field, ED effectively removes salts and ions from water without requiring high-pressure or thermal energy inputs, making it particularly suitable for low-to-medium salinity water treatment. Recent advancements, such as anti-fouling membranes and integration with renewable energy systems (e.g., photovoltaics), have further enhanced the economic viability and environmental sustainability of ED. Additionally, its modular and scalable design enables decentralized applications, expanding water access to underserved regions. Beyond desalination, ED supports the circular economy by facilitating nutrient and metal recovery from wastewater, aligning with sustainable development goals (SDGs). While challenges like membrane fouling and costs persist, innovations such as hybrid systems and digital technologies are unlocking new opportunities, reinforcing the role of ED as a key solution for global water scarcity and resource optimization. This review explores historical evolution, current applications, economic and environmental prospects of ED as a sustainable desalination technology in water management in recent years, with the aim of providing a comprehensive reference for researchers in desalination and electrochemical separation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121466"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146074802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dongming Liu , Shuhan Wang , Liang Zhao , Wenbing Tan
{"title":"Synergistic pathways of composting and hydrothermal carbonization for livestock manure valorization: From molecular mechanisms to carbon-neutral applications","authors":"Dongming Liu , Shuhan Wang , Liang Zhao , Wenbing Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid expansion of global livestock production has rendered manure pollution a critical threat to environmental quality and public health. Achieving high-efficiency manure valorization while simultaneously mitigating pollution and maximizing resource recovery remains a central challenge in environmental engineering and sustainable agriculture. This review critically examines the synergistic mechanisms and application potential of composting and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), two mainstream manure treatment technologies. Conventional composting efficiently transforms organic matter into humic acids (>30 % content) but is limited by prolonged processing (30–60 days) and substantial greenhouse gas emissions (0.3–0.8 kg N₂O/t). HTC offers rapid conversion (4–6 h) and high-energy hydrochar (18–25 MJ/kg), yet is hindered by severe process water contamination (COD: 20,000–80,000 mg/L). Multi-scale analyses reveal that: (i) compost-derived humic functional groups (-COOH, -OH) enhance HTC reactivity at the molecular level; (ii) coupling “HTC pretreatment + composting post-treatment” increases overall efficiency by 40 % and reduces the carbon footprint to 15 kg CO₂-eq/t; and (iii) intelligent process control enables nitrogen and phosphorus recovery rates above 90 %. The proposed “pollution control–resource recovery–carbon neutrality” framework substantially lowers environmental risks while enabling simultaneous energy recovery and nutrient recycling. This work provides a comprehensive mechanistic and process-level foundation for next-generation manure management strategies. Future research should prioritize AI-driven process optimization and the establishment of biochar carbon credit mechanisms to accelerate large-scale deployment under dual-carbon targets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121464"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146074883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mengna Zhan , Shibo Yu , Tianyu Li , Yiqing Zeng , Shule Zhang , Zhaoxiang Zhong
{"title":"Review on the catalytic technologies for simultaneous removal of multiple air pollutants","authors":"Mengna Zhan , Shibo Yu , Tianyu Li , Yiqing Zeng , Shule Zhang , Zhaoxiang Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121614","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121614","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Waste gas emission from industrial process and vehicle exhaust often contains more than two of the air pollutants. Traditional pollution control technologies typically deal with individual pollutants, which often results in low synergistic effects, large equipment space requirements, high costs, and high energy consumption. To address these challenges, researchers have attempted to develop efficient technologies that can simultaneously remove multiple pollutants. This review focuses on the catalytic technologies for simultaneously removing multiple pollutants of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO) and mercury (Hg), and summarizes the industrial application condition, mechanism and corresponding functional materials of the selective catalytic reduction of NO<sub>x</sub> by CO (CO-SCR), hydrocarbon selective catalytic reduction (HC-SCR), NH<sub>3</sub>-SCR denitration with VOCs catalytic oxidation, NH<sub>3</sub>-SCR denitration with CO oxidation, catalytic filtration technology, catalytic oxidation technology, and photothermal synergistic catalytic technology. Finally, the perspectives on the future developments of technologies for multi-pollutant removal, were proposed to provide guidance and inspiration for future research and industrial application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121614"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johnbosco C. Egbueri , Abdullahi G. Usman , Sani I. Abba , Krishna Prakash Arunachalam , Johnson C. Agbasi
{"title":"Global overview of uncommon microplastics in treated and bottled waters: Comparative analysis of their abundance, characteristics, emerging challenges, and future direction","authors":"Johnbosco C. Egbueri , Abdullahi G. Usman , Sani I. Abba , Krishna Prakash Arunachalam , Johnson C. Agbasi","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121431","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121431","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global reliance on treated and bottled water has intensified concerns regarding microplastic (MP) contamination. While conventional MP polymers are well-studied, the presence and implications of uncommonly reported types remain poorly understood. This review synthesizes global literature to comparatively analyze the abundance, characteristics, and implications of these uncommon MPs in both water sources. Examination of data from 89 studies revealed substantial variability. MP abundance ranged from 0 to > 10,000 particles/L in bottled water, compared to < 1–1401 particles/L in treated water. Polymer analysis confirmed the prevalence of common types but also identified specialized polymers, including ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM), polyacrylonitrile (PACN), and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE). Morphological assessment showed fibers and fragments were dominant, while uncommon forms like cubic shapes, flakes, and foam structures were also reported. Bottled water contained higher concentrations of both uncommon polymers and complex morphological variants than treated water. Regional analysis indicated heightened exposure risks in Asia-Pacific and European countries. The presence of these contaminants challenges existing water treatment efficacy and regulatory frameworks. The findings highlight an urgent need for advanced remediation technologies, the development of standard detection protocols that include uncommon MPs, and updated risk assessments to safeguard water security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121431"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abdul Rashid Khan Haji Mehmood Khan , Arul Dhayalan , Balasubramani Govindasamy
{"title":"Biosurfactant producing microbes as superstars for lignin degradation: From plant waste to pharmaceutical treasure","authors":"Abdul Rashid Khan Haji Mehmood Khan , Arul Dhayalan , Balasubramani Govindasamy","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121580","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121580","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lignin, a very complex aromatic biopolymer, recalcitrant, which is a major structural component of the cell wall of plants and this poses many challenges on the effective utilization of the lignocellulosic biomass. Over decades, lignin degradation is quite complicated for its utilization in biofuels and other value-added products. Therefore, awareness raised and ideas are being implemented for the sustainable and environmentally-friendly lignin depolymerization and valorisation technologies. Microbial processes involving the use of ligninolytic enzyme producing bacteria like <em>Bacillus spp</em>. and <em>Pseudomonas putida</em>, as well as fungal enzymes have shown potential to transform the complex lignin to smaller aromatic compounds. The use of microbial biosurfactant has also enhanced the efficiency and economic viability of lignin valorisation through the improvement of substrate solubility, accessibility of enzymes and general process performance including waste management and bioremediation. But issues like poor product yields, incomplete depolymerization and structural heterogeneity of lignin remain to be a problem to large-scale uses. Recent improvements in thermochemical pretreatment and enzymatic fractionation have facilitated more selective lignin depolymerization and bioactive compounds recovery through bioengineered microbial source (with dual performance), which found to possess therapeutic and industrial applications. Specifically, lignin-derived hydrogels and nanoparticles have shown regulated drug-release characteristics thereby showing the potential of lignin as a sustainable biomaterial in medicine and drug-delivery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121580"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}