Environmental Research最新文献

{"title":"Advances on biochar applications for organic wastewater Treatment: Material design, removal mechanisms, innovative machine learning and challenges","authors":"Meile Chu ,&nbsp;Jing Zhao ,&nbsp;Mengyuan Zou ,&nbsp;Wenting Xing ,&nbsp;Yanfei Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar has gained significant attention in organic wastewater treatment due to its cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and high adsorption and catalytic properties. This study reviews the preparation and modification strategies for biochar, including the carbonization of biomass, activation, and heteroatom doping, as well as the development of composite materials based on biochar. The adsorption and degradation mechanisms for removing pollutants were emphasized, and the differences between the radical and non-radical pathways in the degradation process of advanced oxidation processes (AOP) were clarified. The applications for removing organic pollutants such as antibiotics, dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were also summarized. Especially, the review highlights the transformative role of machine learning (ML) in biochar, particularly in optimizing production, predicting pollutant removal efficiency, and guiding material design. ML models such as Random Forest (RF) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) have demonstrated high accuracy in predicting biochar performance based on pyrolysis conditions, biochar characteristics, and experimental parameters. Furthermore, the challenges and future research directions in the field of biochar treatment of organic wastewater were discussed. By promoting the integration of ML and biochar design and application, providing meaningful guidance for further development of biochar in organic wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122967"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145197728","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":"PBDE Concentrations in Wastes from Construction and Demolition, Soft Furnishings, and End-of-Life Vehicles in Brazil.","authors":"Hansel David Burgos Melo, Juliana de Souza-Araujo, Rafael Cardoso, Daniele Frascareli, Erik Sartori Jeunon Gontijo, Sandro Donnini Mancini, Stuart Harrad, André Henrique Rosa","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122963","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122963","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used in different consumer products and are a growing concern due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential adverse health and environmental effects. This study reports the concentrations of PBDEs (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, -154, -183, -209) in 221 samples of construction and demolition (C&D), end-of-life vehicle (ELV), and soft furnishing waste in the metropolitan region of Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Furthermore, to assess the potential impact, the samples were classified according to the LPCL (Low POP Content Limit) values proposed by the Stockholm and Basel Conventions (1,000, 500, and 50 mg/kg). This classification enabled estimates of the mass of waste and PBDEs that may be entering the production cycle or being discarded uncontrolled in Brazil. PBDEs were detected in all samples analyzed. In particular, 35 samples exceeded 1,000 mg/kg, 21 from ELV waste and 14 from soft furnishings waste. Furthermore, 15 samples exceeded the 500 mg/kg threshold, and 40 samples exceeded 50 mg/kg. Based on these results, it is estimated that, annually, approximately 1,200 tons of solid waste in Brazil contain more than 1,000 mg/kg; 177 tons exceed 500 mg/kg; and approximately 15,930 tons exceed the 50 mg/kg limit. Regarding the congener profile, BDE-209 was the predominant, contributing an average of 52% of the total ΣPBDE mass, while BDE-153 was the least abundant, contributing just 1%. These findings underscore the importance of effectively addressing contamination of consumer articles with PBDEs and implementing measures to reduce human exposure to these compounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":" ","pages":"122963"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145197712","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":"Facile synthesis of cationic polymer networks with ultrahigh charge density for effective capture of ReO4− (surrogate of radioactive 99TcO4−)","authors":"Minsi Shi ,&nbsp;Dingyang Chen ,&nbsp;Zixu Ren ,&nbsp;Chaofan Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Yu ,&nbsp;Guangli Yu ,&nbsp;Rui Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122961","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122961","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The proper management of radioactive nuclear waste, specifically the removal of ⁹⁹TcO₄⁻, is of strategic importance for environmental protection. Herein, we presented the novel cationic polymer networks (CPN-32, CPN-33, and CPN-34) with high-density positive charges from the straightforward quaternization of <em>N,N,N′,N″,N″</em>-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine. As a result, the as-prepared CPN-33 displayed a theoretical cationic content of 7.59 × 10⁻³ mol g⁻¹, which was higher than the reported cationic polymer networks. Batch adsorption experiments indicated that CPN-33 achieved the equilibrium adsorption within only 5 min and an exceptional adsorption capacity of 1658 mg g⁻¹ toward ReO₄⁻ (a safe surrogate for ⁹⁹TcO₄⁻), surpassing many reported adsorbents. Furthermore, CPN-33 maintained adsorption stability under strong acid/base, high ionic strength conditions, and radiation condition (200 kGy). They also showed effective removal for ReO₄⁻ even in the simulated Hanford low activity waste melter recycle stream and simulated Savannah River Site high-level radioactive waste stream. Moreover, the column adsorption indicated that CPN-33 could dynamically purify the ReO₄⁻ solution (5 mg L⁻¹) with a treatment capacity of 2200 column volume. The characterization analyses and Density Functional Theory calculation elucidated that the abundant quaternary ammonium sites in CPN-33 contributed to the effective ReO₄⁻ adsorption. Therefore, this study validates that the CPN-33 with high charge density holds potential values in radioactive ⁹⁹TcO₄⁻ wastewater remediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122961"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190509","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":"Microplastics enhance soil residue of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Roles of pH and dissolved organic matter","authors":"Zhen Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoxu Wang ,&nbsp;Qing Luo ,&nbsp;Ting Sun ,&nbsp;Xin Li ,&nbsp;Wanzhen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122964","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122964","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In agricultural ecosystems, the coexistence of microplastics (MPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) poses a serious environmental challenge. However, a systematic understanding of their migration mechanisms and driving factors remains inadequate. The core innovation of this research was the integration of dynamic soil column leaching with multi-factor control. By employing a multi-factor controlled soil column leaching experiment, we aimed to elucidate the coupled mechanisms underlying the interactive effects of pH and dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the dynamic migration behavior of PAHs in MPs-contaminated soi, thereby establishing a more comprehensive and environmentally relevant mechanistic model. The results indicated that the migration dynamics of PAHs in the soil profile were significantly influenced by pH. Under acidic (pH 3 and 5) and alkaline (pH 9 and 11) leaching conditions, the residue of PAHs was significantly enhanced. When the pH was 11, the residual concentration of PAHs reached their peak at a depth of 30–40 cm (8264.22 ± 167 ng g⁻¹ in polyethylene (PE)-contaminated soil and 4026.17 ± 189 ng g⁻¹ in the control soil (CK)). At all pH levels, the PAHs residual amounts in PE-contaminated soil were consistently (21 ± 2.4)% - (73 ± 5.8)% higher than those in CK. Under acidic and alkaline leaching conditions, the residual concentrations of low-ring (2–3 rings) and medium-ring (4 rings) PAHs in both soils increased initially and then decreased with depth, reaching their peaks at 30–40 cm and 40–50 cm, respectively. pH variations altered the surface charges of PE-MPs and soil particles, establishing electrostatic interactions may be the predominant mechanism governing PAHs-MPs interactions. With the increase in DOM concentration (5–40 mg L⁻¹), the residual concentrations of PAHs in each ring were significantly reduced by (19.4 ± 1.5)% - (22.7 ± 2.6)%. Without DOM treatment, the residual amounts continuously decreased with depth, reaching the lowest at 40–50 cm. High-ring PAHs showed strong depth attenuation characteristics in the presence of DOM, with the residual percentages ((32 ± 3.6)% - (56 ± 5.2)%) significantly higher than those of low-ring PAHs ((14 ± 0.9)% - (26 ± 2.3)%). The results shown that the aromatic structures within DOM promoted the adsorption of PAHs throughπ-πinteractions. The residual amounts of each PAH component in PE-contaminated soil were (18.6 ± 1.3)% - (23.8 ± 0.8)% higher than those in CK. The PAHs adsorption phenomenon exhibited by MPs may be governed by the combined effects of electrostatic interactions, π-π interactions and hydrophobic partitioning effect. This study revealed that soil rich in MPs enhanced the environmental residue effect of PAHs through pH and DOM regulation mechanisms, thereby reducing the risk of groundwater pollution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122964"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190565","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":"Prediction and interpretability analysis of hydraulic conductivity for polymer-amended soil-bentonite cutoff wall backfills using machine learning methods","authors":"Heng Zhuang ,&nbsp;Xian-Lei Fu ,&nbsp;Hao Ni ,&nbsp;Yan-Jun Du","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122960","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122960","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil-bentonite backfills with low hydraulic conductivity are extensively used to control flow of groundwater at contaminated sites. Predicting hydraulic conductivity of backfills is challenging due to nonlinear couplings among chemistry reactions, backfill compositions, and in-situ stresses. This study developed a machine-learning framework that unifieed a curated dataset of 108 laboratory observations, systematic benchmarking of twelve algorithms, SHAP-based interpretability, and mechanism-guided feature subset optimization to balance accuracy with measurement cost. Validation used an 80/20 training/testing split with five-fold cross-validation for hyperparameter tuning, multi-metric evaluation, and a Taylor diagram for consistency appraisal. Peak test performance showed clear stratification: Gradient Boosting Regressor (<em>R</em>^<em>2</em> = 0.794), Support Vector Regression (<em>R</em>^<em>2</em> = 0.788), XGBoost (<em>R</em>^<em>2</em> = 0.783), Random Forest (<em>R</em>^<em>2</em> = 0.736), LightGBM (<em>R</em>^<em>2</em> = 0.698). Taylor diagram corroborated this ordering by proximity to the reference point. SHAP analysis identifieed leachate pH as the top contributor in Gradient Boosting Regressor, and explained why low ionic strength lowered the predicted hydraulic conductivity whereas higher ionic strength increased it. Feature-count analysis indicateed that a stable baseline requireed at least 5 features and that gains generally tapered after 9 to 10 features. The results motivated a three-tier workflow: rapid screening with a compact interaction set, routine design with curated features, and final validation with the all features set.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122960"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190563","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":"Near-infrared-induced self-healing gel catalyst and its sustainable application for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol","authors":"Liang Zeng ,&nbsp;Qilin Wang ,&nbsp;Xinyi Lou ,&nbsp;Chang Peng ,&nbsp;Ruoxi Wu ,&nbsp;Shu Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122962","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122962","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Responsive catalysts with self-healing response capabilities will have great potential in sustainable catalytic applications, effectively extending the lifespan of catalysts. Herein, a near-infrared-responsive self-repairing composite gel catalyst is presented for efficient and sustainable reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP, i.e., a specific organic pollutant). Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) serve as catalytic species, while transition metal carbide (Ti₃C₂T_x) acts as efficient electron transfer medium in the composite gel. The synergistic effect of these components significantly enhances catalytic activity of the gel (e.g., the catalytic rate constant <em>k</em> for 4-NP reduction reaches up to 0.6159 min⁻¹). More importantly, by leveraging the self-healing of poly(N, N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAA, i.e., the third component in the gel) and combining the photothermal conversion of Ti₃C₂T_x, the gel is endowed with the ability to rapidly repair itself by near-infrared light induction, thereby ensuring its sustainability in the catalytic application. This photo-induction way not only effectively repairs the damaged gel catalyst but also preserves its catalytic efficiency, making it ideal for prolonged application. This research offers novel insights into using responsive catalysts to achieve sustainable and efficient catalytic application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122962"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190536","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":"Potassium and phosphorus co-doped g-C3N4 with improved carrier migration for efficient photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid under visible light","authors":"Shan Liu ,&nbsp;Simin Long ,&nbsp;Yi Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhonglin Chen ,&nbsp;Jimin Shen ,&nbsp;Gang Fu ,&nbsp;Jiaxu Zhang ,&nbsp;Jing Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122958","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122958","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The carrier migration efficiency of photocatalysts is important for the performance of photocatalysis. Hence, element doping was employed to improve the photogenerated carrier separation efficiency of carbon nitride in the graphite phase (CN). Melamine was calcined in order to create potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) co-doped CN (K+PCN) by adding ammonium dihydrogen phosphate and potassium hydroxide. The varying K doping amounts are denoted as 1-K+PCN, 2-K+PCN, and 3-K+PCN, respectively. Under visible light, 2-K + PCN possessed a 12 times faster degradation rate than CN for the photodegradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, as well as good photodegradation performance in actual water. The combination of density functional theory calculations and spectroscopic characterization techniques has demonstrated that K and P doping can facilitate the transfer of electrons to the carbon-nitrogen aromatic heterocyclic framework. This process modulates the electronic band structure, leading to a reduction in the band gap. Consequently, there is a synergistic enhancement of carrier separation from two-dimensional to three-dimensional systems. Specifically, K⁺ ions facilitated the formation of an interfacial charge-transfer pathway within the CN matrix, while P atoms introduced electron-trapping sites that preferentially captured photogenerated electrons, thereby spatially isolating holes and electrons. Additionally, the co-doping approach greatly increased the modified CN surface's ability to adsorb dissolved oxygen, which encouraged the production of superoxide radicals. These radicals were identified as the predominant reactive species responsible for the oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Valuable theoretical insights for the logical design of dual-element-doped CN materials to address challenges in environmental remediation and sustainable pollutant degradation are provided by this study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122958"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145184333","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":"Reproductive risk of Neonicotinoids: A review of male rodent studies.","authors":"Sumaiya S Irfan, Veronica G Sanchez, Michael S Bloom, Helen B Chin, Virginia Espina, Jenna R Krall, Anna Z Pollack, Lance A Liotta, Melissa J Perry","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122903","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122903","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics) are the most widely used insecticides in the world. Numerous studies have identified detectable levels of neonics in soil and water, and population-based biomonitoring studies have documented human exposure. Neonics are designed to target the insect nervous system; however, their mechanisms of action have been shown to affect the mammalian nervous system. The impacts on human reproductive systems remain largely unknown.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A review of experimental studies examining reproductive toxicity of neonics in male rodents was conducted. Studies published in English between 2005 and 2025 were identified using the PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Study outcomes were restricted to endocrine and/or reproductive endpoints in male rats and mice. Studies were evaluated for bias using Office of Health Assessment and Translation criteria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-one studies were identified that varied widely by neonic, administered dosage, and the reproductive health outcomes investigated. All studies demonstrated negative impacts on male reproductive endpoints in association with neonic exposure, including reduced sperm count, reduced sperm motility, and altered sperm morphology.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This narrative review employed a systematic approach and determined that neonics exhibit reproductive toxicity in male rats and mice, particularly impairing testicular function and sperm quality at high exposure levels. Despite species-specific differences, the conserved nature of reproductive processes across mammals supports the relevance of these findings to human health. The convergence of animal data, and the lack of human epidemiological studies to date, show a critical need to investigate potential reproductive health risks of neonic exposure in humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":" ","pages":"122903"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145184330","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":"Construction of hierarchical porous carbon for efficient CH4/N2 and CO2/N2 separation: Synergistic effect of hydrothermal treatment on regulating pore formation and adsorption performance","authors":"Huihui Wang ,&nbsp;Yuqiong Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhaofu Liu ,&nbsp;Weijin Fan ,&nbsp;Ying Wang ,&nbsp;Guojie Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122934","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122934","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rising CH₄ and CO₂ emissions from coalbed methane and flue gas underscore the urgent need for efficient adsorbents for CH₄/N₂ and CO₂/N₂ separation. In this study, a hierarchically porous carbon adsorbent with abundant ultra-micropores was synthesized from long-flame coal using KOH activation and hydrothermal treatment. The synergistic effect of both treatments on coal structure and activation behavior was investigated. Results indicate that hydrothermal treatment promoted interlayer expansion and the formation of carbonyl groups in the coal precursor, which facilitated deeper KOH penetration and enhanced the development of a hierarchical pore architecture rich in ultra-micropores. Moreover, carbonyl groups partially transformed into carboxyl groups during activation, increasing surface polarity and improving the adsorption affinity for CH₄ and CO₂. The hydrothermal treatment also induced the formation of carbon nanotubes, which served as efficient channels for molecular transport. The optimal sample, C-HTP-300 (derived from raw coal via hydrothermal treatment at 300 °C followed by activation), exhibited CH₄ and CO₂ adsorption capacities of 1.75 mmol/g and 3.65 mmol/g, respectively, at 298 K and 100 kPa. This performance was attributed to micropores &lt;0.7 nm, surface-enriched carboxyl groups, and π-π∗ interactions. The material also showed high selectivity of 5.88 for CH₄/N₂ and 14.82 for CO₂/N₂. Toth model fitting revealed a heterogeneous sub-monolayer adsorption behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122934"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145184395","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":"Microplastics as the potential reservoir and carrier of viral pathogens detected from hospital sewage","authors":"Yusof Shuaib Ibrahim ,&nbsp;Tan Jia Yi ,&nbsp;Teen Teen Chin ,&nbsp;Sabiqah Tuan Anuar ,&nbsp;Lee Yeong Yeh ,&nbsp;Siti Syazwani Azmi ,&nbsp;Nur Sakinah Roslan ,&nbsp;Wan Mohd Afiq Wan Mohd Khalik ,&nbsp;Shahidee Zainal Abidin ,&nbsp;Ku Mohd Kalkausar Ku Yusof ,&nbsp;Mohamad Hardyman Barawi ,&nbsp;Wan Adibah Wan Mahari ,&nbsp;Wong Shu Kuan ,&nbsp;Lisa Ann Lai ,&nbsp;Teresa Brentnall","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122944","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envres.2025.122944","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics are pervasive pollutants that may provide surfaces for microbial colonization, yet their role in viral persistence within wastewater remains unclear. This current study investigated the possible roles of microplastics as an adsorption surface for viral pathogens isolated from hospital sewage. Sewage samples were collected weekly from a hospital wastewater treatment plant over a period of six weeks. Microplastics were isolated and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and polymer analysis. Microplastics and sewage water were separated, and multiplex qPCR was performed, after nucleic acid extraction. Seventeen pathogenic viruses were analyzed. Descriptive analysis and principal component analysis were performed. SEM revealed rough, weathered surfaces and biofilm colonization on microplastic particles with fibers showing greater viral adsorption than fragments. Polymer analysis identified polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polyamide (PA). Using multiplex qPCR, genetic materials of ten viral pathogens across six families were detected on the microparticles including Adenovirus (ADV) and Norovirus genogroups (NVG1, NVG2). Notably, the microplastic particles carried Norovirus 1 and Parainfluenza virus 1 and 2, while treated sewage water did not carry these viruses. Suggesting that microplastics are significant reservoirs and carriers for viral pathogens isolated from hospital sewage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":312,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 122944"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145184363","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}