ACS Environmental Au最新文献

{"title":"Development of Control Methods for Submicron Particulate Matter Emissions and Inhalation Exposure from Cosmetic Spray Products","authors":"Gui Dai,&nbsp;Luoqiu Quan,&nbsp;Xinghua Jiang,&nbsp;Xiaohui Lu,&nbsp;Xiaofei Wang","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00173","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00173","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cosmetic spray products, widely used for personal care,are populardue to their ease of application and rapid, uniform coverage. However,the particulate matter (PM) that they emit can be inhaled and depositedin the respiratory tract, potentially posing respiratory health risks.Existing studies have seldom addressed emissions from cosmetic sprayproducts applied directly to the human body, especially the face andneck, and few have proposed practical methods to reduce exposure.This study systematically evaluates the particle size distributionand number- and mass-based concentrations of 12 products under a laboratorysetting that simulated real-use conditions. It is found that PM emissionsfrom some spray products could be significant and strongly influencedby nozzle design and product chemical composition. The maximum PM₁₀ number concentration reached 1.03 × 10⁶ #/cm³, while the maximum PM₁₀ mass concentration was36.17 mg/m³. Using the Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry model, we quantified the deposition doses across different respiratoryregions (head, tracheobronchial, and pulmonary). To reduce exposurerisks, a new development of actuator structures on a spray bottlewas proposed and tested by incorporating external tubing and modifyingmechanical breakup designs, without impairing the delivery efficiencyof the product. Among these, tapered tubing was most effective, reducingtotal number- and mass-based deposition doses of submicron particlesby 88.6% and 65.7%, respectively. The study highlighted significantdifferences in exposure risk among product types and proposed cost-effective,highly compatible engineering controls through nozzle modification,offering practical strategies for minimizing inhalation exposure fromcosmetic spray products.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"82–92"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146053999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oxygen Isotopic Fractionation of O2 Consumption by Methane and Ammonia Monooxygenases","authors":"Carolina F. M. de Carvalho,&nbsp;Maartje A.H.J. van Kessel,&nbsp;Arjan Pol,&nbsp;Jakob Zopfi,&nbsp;Moritz F. Lehmann,&nbsp;Sarah G. Pati","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00180","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00180","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding stableisotopic fractionation of dissolved O₂ in aquatic environmentsis crucial to constrain and accuratelymodel the processes responsible for biological O₂ consumption,which are closely linked to the overall health of an ecosystem. Thisstudy aimed to investigate whether O₂ consumption by microbialmethane and ammonia oxidation may contribute to the observed discrepancyin O₂ isotopic fractionation (¹⁸ϵ) betweenheterotrophic O₂ respiration in laboratory incubations(−18 to −24 ‰) and <em>in situ</em> measurementsof O₂ consumption in lakes and oceans (−10 to −18‰). To estimate the <em>in vivo</em>¹⁸ϵvalues of soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO), particulate methanemonooxygenase (pMMO), and ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), which are thefirst enzymes required for the oxidation of methane and ammonia, experimentswere performed with three methanotrophic bacteria and one comammox(complete-ammonia-oxidizing) bacterium. The resulting ¹⁸ϵ values for pMMO and AMO ranged from −18 ± 12to −24 ± 5 ‰, not significantly different from ¹⁸ϵ values typical for heterotrophic respiration. The ¹⁸ϵ value determined for sMMO (−22 ± 2 ‰)was in the same range, yet more negative than the previously reported ¹⁸ϵ value for the isolated enzyme. Our results provideinsights into the potential reaction mechanisms of pMMO and AMO andindicate that O₂ consumption by sMMO, pMMO, or AMO cannotexplain the observed discrepancy between <em>in situ</em> andlaboratory ¹⁸ϵ values for “community”O₂ consumption in aquatic environments. Instead, the apparentdifference may be attributed to aspects involving substrate diffusionlimitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"93–104"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146054030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Omniphobic Polymer/Graphene Oxide-Coated PVDF Membrane for Stable Membrane Distillation in Surfactant-Containing Seawater","authors":"Jiwon Kim,&nbsp;Kwang-Duck Park,&nbsp;Jungmok Seo,&nbsp;Yun Chul Woo,&nbsp;Dae Woo Kim","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00199","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00199","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Graphene oxide (GO) coatings can improve the stable operationofmembrane distillation (MD) membranes in the presence of organic contaminantsby enabling the transport of water vapor through narrow interlayerspacings. However, GO’s intrinsic hydrophilicity requires complex,multistep functionalization to achieve antiwetting properties, posingscale-up challenges. Here, we demonstrate a scalable fabrication ofomniphobic polymer–graphene oxide (OGO) coatings on commercialPVDF membranes via sequential slot-die coating of GO followed by dip-coatingin a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) solution. A highly volatile solventand self-limited deposition enables conformal PFPE formation (∼hundredsof nanometers thick) onto GO, suppressing wetting while maintainingvapor-selective pathways with minimal transport resistance. In directcontact MD, OGO membranes achieved &gt;99.7% NaCl rejection and &gt;15LMHwater flux during long-term operation, even with low-surface-tensionfeeds containing surfactants. This GO–PFPE coating method avoidselaborate GO modification and is readily scalable, providing a generalizablestrategy for antiwetting, antifouling surfaces in water remediation.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"125–133"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146046934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking Vegetable Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Accumulation with Root Chemical Traits","authors":"Chun Cao,&nbsp;Qian Huo,&nbsp;Qianhui Tang,&nbsp;Yifan Guo,&nbsp;Liang Zeng,&nbsp;Yao Cheng,&nbsp;Guomao Zheng,&nbsp;Biwei Yang,&nbsp;Junjian Wang","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00184","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00184","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are ubiquitous,persistentorganic pollutants increasingly detected in food crops, yet theiraccumulation capacities and regulatory factors across various plantspecies remain poorly resolved. Here, we investigated the bioaccumulationpatterns of PFAS in 20 vegetable species and their relations withroot chemical traits in farmland irrigated with treated wastewater.Leafy vegetables (e.g., <em>Lactuca sativa</em> and <em>Spinacia oleracea</em>) accumulatedsubstantially higher PFAS concentrations (mean: 9.24 ng/g) than theroot vegetable <em>Daucus carota</em>, withthe short-chain perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) identified as the dominantspecies for all vegetables. PFBA showed the strongest mobility andtended to accumulate in edible aerial tissues of leafy vegetables,whereas long-chain PFASs were largely retained in roots. Across vegetablespecies, root PFBA concentration increased with the proportion ofalkyl carbon and decreased with the proportion of <em>O</em>-alkyl carbon in roots, whereas the long-chain perfluorononanoicacid concentration increased with dissolved organic carbon concentrationin roots. PFAS exposure could be decreased by up to 90% by consuminglow-concentration vegetable varieties instead of high-concentrationones. These findings highlight the critical role of plant traits andrhizosphere chemistry in governing PFAS uptake pathways and suggestthat crop selection and rhizosphere management can inform risk mitigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"105–115"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146053997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oxidation of Organic Sulfur at the Air–Water Interface of Microdroplets: A New Way of Atmospheric Particle Precursor Formation","authors":"He Tang,&nbsp;Xihe Yang,&nbsp;Fengjian Chu,&nbsp;Shiwen Zhou,&nbsp;Wangyu Li,&nbsp;Yongqi Li,&nbsp;Haiyan Zhang,&nbsp;Zechen Yu,&nbsp;Hongru Feng,&nbsp;Yuanjiang Pan","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00168","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00168","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dimethyl sulfide (CH₃SCH₃), methanethiol(CH₃SH), and dimethyl disulfide (CH₃SSCH₃) are the most predominant marine organic sulfur compoundsthat drive cloud formation by acting as a critical precursor of cloudcondensation nuclei. However, discrepancies of natural aerosol radiativeeffects and climatic impacts between climate model simulations andsatellite observations highlight an incomplete understanding of organicsulfur oxidation pathways. Here, we demonstrate a previously unrecognizedrapid oxidation mechanism at the air–water interface of microdroplets,where volatile sulfides convert to particle precursors within milliseconds.Combining DFT calculation, QM/MM simulation, and sequential oxidationof possible intermediates, we proposed a new pathway of atmosphericparticle precursor formation at the air–water interface ofmicrodroplets, which is different from the traditional gas-phase oxidationpathway, offering a mechanistic solution to re-evaluate the modelsimulation gaps in natural aerosol radiative effects and climaticimpacts.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"74–81"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146054043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanistic Insights and Design Strategies for Hydrogel/Aerogel Sorbents in Remediation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances","authors":"Ashvinder Kumar,&nbsp;Manju K. Thakur,&nbsp;Phil Hart,&nbsp;Vijay K. Thakur","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00081","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00081","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have beenused for severaldecades in various sectors, including aerospace, construction, themilitary, and the production of goods, among others. This widespreaduse has significantly contaminated water bodies globally. Severalgovernment agencies and organizations are trying to develop advancedtechnologies such as oxidation, membrane filtration, adsorption, andion-exchange resin to capture these chemicals and thus mitigate theirimpacts. Adsorption has proven to be a highly attractive method forremoving PFAS, involving activated carbon, silica, bioadsorbents,anion-exchange resin, hydrogels, and nonion exchange polymers. Amongdifferent adsorbents, hydrogels are the most effective adsorbentsfor removing these forever chemicals due to their highly porous structure,reuse and regeneration ability, and ease of functionalization withspecific groups for effective binding with PFAS molecules. Keepingin view their tremendous potential, this Review critically reviewsthe potential of underexplored hydrogel/aerogels-based sorbents developedfrom synthetic polymers as well as biopolymers. The use of differentcross-linkers, co-monomers, inorganic and organic additives, and surfacefunctionalization techniques on the PFAS removal ability of the resultinghydrogels/aerogels under varying pH, background species concentration,PFAS concentration, and temperature was thoroughly discussed. Furthermore,the underlying adsorption mechanisms (ionic, hydrophobic, hydrogenbonding, and F–F interactions) of hydrogels and aerogels forPFAS adsorption from a molecular perspective were also examined. Finally,the challenges inhibiting the large-scale production of these adsorbentsand the scope of ionic fluorogel and thermosensitive hydrogels havealso been thoroughly reviewed.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"1–20"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146053990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the Utilization and Characterization of External Biotransformation Systems in In Vitro Toxicology: A Critical Review of the Scientific Literature with Guidance Recommendations","authors":"Sebastian Lungu-Mitea,&nbsp;Matilda Stein Åslund,&nbsp;Inska Reichstein,&nbsp;Felipe Augusto Pinto-Vidal,&nbsp;Andreas Schiwy,&nbsp;Henner Hollert,&nbsp;Miriam N Jacobs,&nbsp;Klára Hilscherová","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00096","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00096","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Incorporating biotransformation capabilities into <em>in vitro</em> assays represents one of the most critical challengesin toxicology,facilitating the transition from <em>in vivo</em> models tointegrated <em>in vitro</em> strategies. Although emergingtechnologies show promise, their current limitations in scalabilityhinder their high-throughput applications. In the short to mid term,externally added biotransformation systems (“BTS”: S9and microsomal liver fractions) used together with <em>in vitro</em> assays offer viable alternatives. However, despite over 50 yearsof use, BTS are marred by reproducibility issues, raising concernsabout their reliability and raising the question: Are BTS inherentlyunreliable, or has their reputation been flawed by methodologicaloversights? This review critically evaluates BTS’ methodologicalrigor, applying a deep statistical analysis of the scientific literature.We employed Boolean operator searches across scientific literaturerepositories to curate a database on BTS research in conjunction withrelevant <em>in vitro</em> assays, focusing on endocrine disruption,mutagenicity, and genotoxicity end points. Through systematic searches,screening, and eligibility criteria, we identified 229 bibliographicrecords. Data parametrization and extraction were conducted across24 domains of BTS relevance and reliability. Methodological reportingrigor was assessed via scoring (reported vs nonreported data items)and revealed a lack of reproducible standards. Numerical measuresassociated with principal BTS reaction components were subjected tometa-regression analyses. Within the aggregated data set, no statisticallysignificant correlations were found for BTS and related cofactor concentration–responserelationships or time-related elements. Finally, descriptive statistics,multiple correspondence analysis, and <em>Apriori</em> algorithm-basedrelational networks identified qualitative patterns of methodologicalreporting robustness and deficiencies. In conclusion, these resultsemphasize shortcomings across the scientific literature in complyingwith appropriate methodological reporting. We offer evidence-basedrecommendations, in the form of a conceptual regulatory guidance framework,to enhance research practices, quality, and reproducibility of BTSapplications, designed to strengthen the robustness of BTS researchand its integration into regulatory-relevant hazard and risk assessmentof chemicals.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"21–45"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146054058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DeSelenator: A Se-Removal Process for Environmental Decontamination of Wastewaters from Coal-Burning Power Plants","authors":"Jeffrey D. Einkauf,&nbsp;Zhuoyi Zeng,&nbsp;Ziheng Shen,&nbsp;Pimphan Aye Meyer,&nbsp;Dia̅na Stamberga,&nbsp;Jonathan Willocks,&nbsp;Maggie Gilliland,&nbsp;Michelle Cagley,&nbsp;Sotira Yiacoumi,&nbsp;Costas Tsouris,&nbsp;Radu Custelcean","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00190","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00190","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Selenium may becomea toxic contaminant of freshwater systems whenreleased into the environment through industrial wastewaters frommining, coal-burning power plants, or oil refining. Efficient andcost-effective Se-removal technologies are therefore necessary toreduce Se concentrations in these wastewaters to below the regulatorydischarge limits. In this study, we have demonstrated an effectiveprocess that removes Se, mostly as selenate anions, from wastewatersgenerated by coal-burning power plants. This process, dubbed DeSelenator,leverages the high concentration of sulfate relative to selenate inthe wastewater and the propensity of these oxyanions to cocrystallizewith benzene-bis-iminoguanidinium (BBIG) cations into extremely insolublesalts (on par with BaSO₄). The SO₄^2–/SeO₄^2– cocrystallization with BBIGremoves over 90% of S and Se from the wastewater. Following removalof the precipitate by filtration, the filtrate is passed over an anion-exchangeresin that further reduces selenium concentration to 5 ppb, the EPA’sregulatory limit for freshwater systems. Finally, the effluent ispassed over an activated carbon column, which removes 99.8% of theresidual BBIG ligand remaining after crystallization, allowing forthe safe discharge of the treated water into the environment. TheSe-removal process was first optimized in the lab at the bench scaleand then tested in the field at the Tennessee Valley Authority’sBull Run coal-burning power plant. A technoeconomic assessment foundthe cost of water treatment with DeSelenator is on par with that ofthe active biological method, which is currently considered a state-of-the-artSe-removal technology.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"116–124"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146054014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Iron-Based Adsorbents Derived from Groundwater Deferrization Sludge for Spent Oil Removal from Aqueous Media","authors":"Valentin Romanovski,&nbsp;Alesia Harelaya,&nbsp;Haitao Wang,&nbsp;Dmitry Moskovskikh","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00217","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00217","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The paper presents the results of the synthesis and studyof ironoxide-based sorbents (Fe_<em>x</em>O_<em>y</em>-NPs) obtained from iron removal station sludge byexothermic combustion in solution using glycine, urea, citric acid,and urotropine as reducing agents. X-ray phase analysis revealed thatthe phase composition depends on the nature of the reducing agentand temperature: at 300–500 °C, the magnetite contentreached 97–99% for citric acid and urea, whereas when usingglycine, the Fe₃O₄ fraction did not exceed 30%.The point of zero charge values shifted to the alkaline region withincreasing synthesis temperature, reaching 8.8 at 700 °C. Thespecific surface area for methylene blue was up to 186 m²/g, but the calculated values exceeded the BET data by 3.5–4times due to multilayer sorption on the functionalized surface, whichis consistent with the FTIR spectra. The oil sorption capacity (OSC)of the synthesized sorbents reached 6.1 g/g (glycine, 500 °C),which is comparable to or exceeds the indicators of a number of naturaland commercial sorbents. After five sorption-regeneration cycles at800 °C, the OSC decreased by only 15.7%, confirming the stabilityof the material. The constructed polynomial and machine learning models(CatBoost, XGBoost) provided high accuracy of OSC prediction (<em>R</em>² = 1.0), which demonstrates the promise ofmachine learning for optimizing synthesis conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"154–168"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146053994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban Biomining of Rare Earth Elements: Current Status and Future Opportunities","authors":"Shuxin Zhang,&nbsp;Yun Shen","doi":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00175","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsenvironau.5c00175","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical to modern technologiesand national security, playing essential roles in electronics, electricvehicles, and defense systems. Although they are not truly rare, theirwidespread but low-concentration presence in the Earth’s crust,combined with their chemical similarity, makes conventional miningboth technically difficult and environmentally taxing. As a result,recycling REEs from electronic waste (e-waste), a practice often referredto as urban mining, has emerged as a promising alternative. However,current recycling methods face major challenges, including high energydemands, extensive use of harsh chemicals, generation of large volumesof solvent waste, and poor selectivity for REEs. These limitationssignificantly hinder the sustainability and scalability of REE recoveryfrom e-waste, underscoring the urgent need for innovative, environmentallyfriendly strategies to extract and recover REEs. Recently, microorganism-basedbioleaching and biosorption techniques have emerged as promising greenalternatives to reduce the environmental burden caused by conventionalrecycling methods and further enhance the recovery efficiency andspecificity of REEs from e-waste. Bioderived substances emerged assustainable alternatives to upgrade the efficiency and specificityof REE exploitation and recovery from various resources. This reviewhighlights three key areas essential for advancing REE biorecoverytechnologies, particularly in the context of urban biomining: (i)the use of bacteria-derived organic compounds as leaching agents forREE bioleaching from e-waste; (ii) the application of recombinantbiomolecules, such as proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and otherengineered compounds, for selective biosorption and bioprecipitationof REEs; and (iii) the development and utilization of advanced microbialchassis and alternative nonchassis systems to enhance biorecoveryefficiency. Key insights and future perspectives are provided to guidefuture design and advancement of integrated bioleaching–bioseparationsystems for efficient and robust REE recovery from e-waste.</p>","PeriodicalId":29801,"journal":{"name":"ACS Environmental Au","volume":"6 1","pages":"46–65"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146054033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}