Environmental Science and Pollution Research最新文献

{"title":"Obtaining pyritic waste nanoparticles through high-energy milling for application in effluent treatment.","authors":"Elis Machado de Oliveira, Elen Machado de Oliveira, Alexandre Gonçalves Dal-Bó, Agenor De Noni Junior, Camila Machado de Oliveira, Michael Peterson","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36953-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36953-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mineral coal is a primary energy source in many countries, and to enhance its quality, a beneficiation process is used to remove impurities like pyrite. Given its properties and potential applications such as photovoltaic cells and effluent treatment, this study focused on producing pyrite nanoparticles from coal mining waste through a high-energy wet milling process. The waste underwent three milling stages with varying sizes of milling elements in a high-energy mill. The influence of parameters such as mill rotation speed and milling time on the final particle size was analyzed. A rotation speed of 2,500 rpm reduced the particle size without significantly affecting the crystallinity of the pyrite phase, achieving nanometric dimensions after 390 min of processing and with greater size uniformity among the particles. The reduction in particle size led to a change in the material's composition. The process resulted in crystalline particles with a specific surface area of 29.5 m²/g, an increase of 26.0 m²/g. Due to their high specific surface area, nanoparticles exhibit much higher efficiency in reducing the color of a real textile effluent compared to microparticles.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145181828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Nickel chloride-induced ROS cause cyto- and geno-toxicity in rat intestine: a biochemical and histological study.","authors":"Monika Sharma, Neha Qasim, Aijaz Ahmed Khan, Fahim Halim Khan, Riaz Mahmood","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36981-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36981-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nickel (Ni) is a significant environmental pollutant that poses a risk to human health due to its carcinogenic nature which involves DNA damage, oxidative stress, and disruption of cellular signaling pathways. These effects contribute to the development of lung, nasal, and sinonasal cancers, as well as damage to various tissues and organs. Nickel chloride (NiCl₂), an inorganic divalent Ni compound, has been reported to induce oxidative stress in cellular systems by disrupting redox homeostasis. This study aimed to  investigate the effect of a single acute oral dose of NiCl₂ on the rat small intestine, especially on the antioxidant defence system and DNA integrity. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: one control (untreated) and four NiCl₂-treated groups, each receiving single oral dose of NiCl₂ at 45, 90, 135, and 180 mg/kg body weight. NiCl₂ treatment diminished the content of reduced glutathione and total sulfhydryl groups but increased lipid and protein oxidation and also hydrogen peroxide levels. The antioxidant power of the intestine was compromised due to inhibition of key antioxidant enzymes and decreased reduced glutathione levels which led to impaired free radical quenching and metal-reducing ability. Oral administration of NiCl₂ inhibited the marker enzymes of intestinal brush border membrane. Enzymes of pathways of carbohydrate metabolism like glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, citric acid cycle, and hexose monophosphate shunt were also inhibited. The diphenylamine and comet assays showed significantly increased DNA fragmentation, while DNA-protein cross-linking in intestinal mucosa of NiCl₂-administered animals was also elevated, when compared to the control group. Histopathology showed abnormal morphology of intestinal villi with marked lymphocytic infiltration in NiCl₂-treated rats. This is likely due to increased ROS production and oxidative damage of cell components. All changes were seen in a NiCl₂ dose-dependent manner. The observed intestinal damage could be due to significant impairment in the antioxidant defence system elicited by oxidative stress produced upon exposure to NiCl₂ with more prominent changes at higher doses of the metal ion.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145147286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Service Quality Index (SQI): a multicriteria approach for assessing water supply in Brazil.","authors":"Otávio Henrique Campos Hamdan, Marcelo Libânio, Veber Afonso Figueiredo Costa","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36990-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36990-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In water supply systems, performance indicators are essential for evaluating efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness across the entire process, from collection to distribution. To assess the quality of water supply services through a single measure, this study proposes the Service Quality Index (SQI), a synthetic indicator designed to evaluate water supply services across Brazilian municipalities using data from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS). The SQI integrates multiple operational indicators through a structured multi-criteria approach, with weights assigned via the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This type of comprehensive and methodologically index, designed to be self-sufficient for service quality assessment, represents a novel contribution in the Brazilian context. To evaluate the robustness of the index, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted, generating 100 random weight distributions for each indicator and comparing the resulting SQI values with those from the original formulation (SQI-A). These simulations demonstrated the index's stability under varying weight configurations. The SQI enables the classification of services into five quality categories, from excellent to very poor, and was applied to 4,654 municipalities, which also represents an unprecedented scale for studies with a similar purpose. Results show that 25.03% were rated excellent and 49.35% good, offering a comprehensive and replicable framework for performance benchmarking and policy planning in the water sector.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145172075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Exogenous application of nanohydroxyapatite and its derivatives in mitigating arsenic toxicity in rice grown in arsenic-contaminated soil and hydroponic conditions.","authors":"Mehmet Burak Taskin, Hanife Akca, Selver Kan, Kiymet Deniz Yagcioglu, Yusuf Kagan Kadioglu, Aydin Gunes","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36991-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36991-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arsenic (As) contamination in rice is a global health concern. This study evaluates the effectiveness of nanohydroxyapatite (nHAP) and its derivatives nano-wool-hydroxyapatite (nWHAP) and nano-rice husk-hydroxyapatite (nCHAP) in mitigating As toxicity in rice plants grown in soil and hydroponic conditions. Functional and structural properties of nHAP, nWHAP, and nCHAP was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) before plant experiments. The treatments were (1) control, (2) As, (3) As + nHAP, (4) As + nWHAP, and (5) As + nCHAP. This study analyzes nHAP, nWHAP, and nCHAP in terms of morphology, crystallinity, and functional groups. SEM confirmed their spherical shape with particle sizes of 47.19-71.76 nm. XRD identified distinct diffraction peaks, confirming crystallinity, while FTIR detected characteristic vibrations at 1022-1029 cm⁻¹ with weak peaks at 870 and 1400 cm⁻¹. These findings highlight their potential for As remediation and plant nutrient management. In soil conditions, As toxicity reduced plant dry weight from 39.2 g to 7.92 g, whereas nWHAP and nCHAP increased the dry weight to over 15 g. Under hydroponic conditions, As reduced shoot weight from 2.87 to 0.54 g, while nWHAP and nCHAP increased it to 3.81 g and 2.39 g, respectively. Nanohydroxyapatite, nWHAP, and nCHAP effectively lowered As levels, with nCHAP reducing concentrations in shoots from 20.7 to 8.03 mg kg^-1 and in roots from 752 to 262 mg kg^-1. Applying nHAP as a phosphorus (P) source achieved the highest plant P levels, and nCHAP yielded the highest P concentration under hydroponic conditions. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of nHAP and its derivatives, nWHAP and nCHAP as new materials, in mitigating As toxicity in rice, laying the groundwork for future studies on practical and sustainable solutions to reduce As levels in rice.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145172140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Hormetic effects of glyphosate on niger (Guizotia abyssinica): field insights into growth, physiology, and yield responses.","authors":"Abbas Ghafori, Morteza Zahedi, Hassan Karimmojeni, Timothy Charles Baldwin","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36945-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36945-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A field experiment conducted in 2023 evaluated the physiological effects of varying glyphosate concentrations (0, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 25, 50,100, 200 and 400 g a.i. ha^-1) on the growth and development of niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass). A hormetic response was observed at 6 g a.i. ha⁻¹, where the grain yield increased by 33% compared to the control, along with enhanced branching and inflorescence production. This dosage also corresponded with elevated catalase (CAT) activity and reduced levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and proline. Maximal activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) were observed at 50 and 100 g a.i. ha⁻¹, respectively. Glyphosate concentrations of 6 g a.i. ha⁻¹ and below induced less than 10% chlorosis, from which the plants fully recovered. In contrast, applications of 6, 12, 25, and 50 g a.i. ha⁻¹ resulted in reductions in plant dry matter by 34%, 48%, 46%, and 50%, respectively. Higher dosages ranging from 100 to 400 g a.i. ha⁻¹ caused severe phytotoxicity (> 80%) and ultimately led to plant death. The results of this experiment suggest that a very low glyphosate dosage of 6 g a.i. ha⁻¹ may affect physiological processes in niger plants, potentially contributing to increased grain production. However, such responses to low-dose herbicide application are known to be highly variable and influenced by factors such as environmental conditions, plant development, and species-specific sensitivity. Further investigation is required to clarify the underlying mechanisms and to determine the consistency and practical significance of these effects under field conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145147326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Environmental quality and ecological risk assessment in three water reserves of the Pampas region (Argentina).","authors":"María Florencia Viozzi, Verónica Williner, Fernando Gastón Iturburu, María Celeste Mora, Gisela Paola Mayora, Paula Sofía Reyes, María Rosa Repetti, Carlos Leandro Negro","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36994-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36994-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Agricultural intensification in Argentina's Pampas region threatens aquatic ecosystems, including natural water reserves. We assessed environmental quality and ecological risk in three reserves in two headwater systems using physicochemical parameters, regional indices (ICAP, ICRP), and ecotoxicological metrics (Risk Quotients, Toxic Units, Potential Ecological Risk). Eight sites were sampled during a La Niña period with low flow, analyzing water, sediments, and riparian zones. Waters were slightly alkaline (pH 7.5-8.9) with high conductivity (> 1000 μS cm⁻¹). ICAP ranged from 2.6 (high pollution) to 8.2 (light pollution), while ICRP indicated mostly good riparian conditions except at one urban site (70). In water, glyphosate and AMPA ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 μg L⁻¹ and 0.7 to 2.2 μg L⁻¹, respectively. In sediments, cypermethrin reached 380 μg kg⁻¹. Copper was the most abundant metal in sediments (28-65 mg kg⁻¹), with moderate cadmium contamination (Igeo = 0.4) at one site. Risk analysis showed RQs > 1 in five sites and TUs > 1 in one site, indicating significant ecological concern. Multivariate analysis revealed distinct impacts at headwater and urban sites. Results highlight cumulative pressures even within protected reserves and the need for integrated monitoring, agrochemical regulation, and riparian buffers to safeguard aquatic biodiversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145172107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination in Amazonian environments: a systematic review.","authors":"Júnior Ribeiro Carvalho, Daniel de Queiroz Rocha, Francimary Cabral Carvalho, Ana Clara Nogueira Alves, Ariany Rabello da Silva Liebl, Adriano Teixeira de Oliveira","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36934-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36934-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Amazon River has become contaminated with organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This systematic review aimed to evaluate environmental samples, including water, sediment, and biological matrices, as monitoring tools for determining PAHs concentrations within the Amazon ecosystem. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across four databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus) from January 2013 to June 2024, resulting in 25 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The systematic review revealed widespread significant contamination of PAHs in the Amazon, with sediments being the most affected matrix. Ecuador's Aguarico and Napo River basins showed the highest PAH levels, linked to extensive oil extraction activities, while Brazil's São Raimundo Harbor and Barcarena also exhibited high contamination due to industrial and fossil fuel activities. The PAHs values found in water range from 4 to 5,363,000 ng L^-1. The PAHs values in sediment range from 5 to 711,100 ng L^-1. For PAHs in urine, values ranged from 0.31 to 0.50 µmol mol^-1 creatinine. Biomarkers in species like Sciades herzbergii revealed oxidative stress and genotoxic effects, demonstrating the ecological impacts of PAHs in Amazonian ecosystems. However, direct health risk data for humans and terrestrial fauna remain limited and were not the focus of this review. The uneven geographical distribution of research, with Brazil representing 84% (21 of 25 studies) of the literature, emphasizes the need for expanded investigations in underrepresented areas of the Amazon.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145172152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Degradation of metronidazole by heat-activated persulfate: mechanism, water matrix, ecotoxicity removal, and energy-efficiency analysis.","authors":"Himani Arora, Atul Patel, Jemi Gandhi, Athul Krishna Makkoottathil, Halan Prakash","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36984-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36984-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Metronidazole (MTZ), an extensively used antibiotic and antiparasitic drug for treating infections, has been reported as a hazardous micropollutant that has detrimental ecotoxic effects on aquatic species and the environment. Therefore, effective treatment to remove hazardous MTZ from water is needed. Sulfate radical anion-based advanced oxidation processes (S-AOPs) are promising water treatment techniques for the degradation of organic pollutants. Hence, we aimed to study the ability of heat-activated persulfate (HA/PS)-based S-AOP for the degradation and detoxification of MTZ. The pseudo-first-order rate constant value for the degradation of MTZ by HA/PS was calculated to be 0.059 min^-1 in reverse osmosis (RO) water, achieving 99.2% of MTZ within 80 min under optimum conditions. As the initial concentration of MTZ was increased (60-2000 µg/L), the degradation efficiency decreased, whereas with an increase in initial PS (0.1 to 0.8 mM) concentration, the degradation efficiency increased. The thermal activation energy was determined to be 134.47 kJ·mol^-1. The HA/PS system was effective in the wide pH range (2.5 to 10.5). The <math><msubsup><mi>SO</mi> <mn>4</mn> <mrow><mo>∙</mo> <mo>-</mo></mrow> </msubsup> </math> and <math> <msup><mrow><mi>HO</mi></mrow> <mo>∙</mo></msup> </math> were attributed to the degradation of MTZ with <math><msubsup><mi>SO</mi> <mn>4</mn> <mrow><mo>∙</mo> <mo>-</mo></mrow> </msubsup> </math> as a prominent reactive species. Chloride and humic acid water constituents reduced the degradation efficiency by 48.66% and 28.75%, respectively, as compared to RO water. Further, density functional theory (DFT) identified the susceptible sites of MTZ for the radical attack. Degradation byproducts were analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and degradation pathways were presented. Importantly, more than 95% mineralization was observed in 240 min of treatment. ECOSAR analysis predicted MTZ as toxic, whereas the degradation byproducts were non-toxic. Electrical energy per order (EEO) and cost for the degradation of MTZ were determined to be 19.394 kWh/m³/order and $1.520/m³, respectively. Degradation of MTZ occurred in various water matrices, namely, tap water (TW) and wastewater (WW), revealing that the HA/PS system effectively removed MTZ micropollutant. Therefore, the HA/PS system is efficient, energy-saving, and cost-effective, and the study provides insight to augment the HA/PS system as an effective S-AOP for degradation and detoxification of hazardous organic micropollutants.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145172168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Industrial waste-derived biochar composites for the removal of water-borne 4-nitrophenol: assessing cost-effectiveness and sustainability.","authors":"Harsha S Rangappa, Phyu Phyu Mon, Baalamurugan Jayaraman, Giridhar Madras, Chuxia Lin, Subrahmanyam Challapalli","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36992-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36992-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water pollution remains a critical environmental challenge, necessitating the development of cost-effective treatment methodologies. This study investigates sustainable alternatives to conventional adsorbents, focusing on the synthesis and application of Blast Furnace Slag (BFS)-supported biochar. The composite adsorbent was synthesized through pyrolysis of sewage sludge and wood sawdust combined with BFS for the removal of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The composite adsorbents were characterized for their physical and chemical properties. Adsorption studies on 4-NP were performed under various operating conditions such as pollutant dosage, pH, and temperature. The composite demonstrated a maximum adsorption capacity of 12 mg/g at pH 6, using an adsorbent dose of 1.0 g/L, an initial 4-NP concentration of 20 mg/L, a contact time of 90 min, and a temperature of 25 °C. The adsorption process was evaluated using five linear isotherm models, with Langmuir fitting best and pseudo-second-order kinetics governing the mechanism. Economic analysis revealed that the production cost of 1 kg of adsorbent was 3.35 USD. Additionally, the sustainability of the adsorbent was assessed using the sustainability footprint methodology, along with a sustainability score-based approach to examine its impact on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study findings support the use of industrial and residential waste materials as viable resources for producing cost-effective adsorbents to combat various water pollutants.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145147329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Spatial analysis of groundwater potential zone using GIS and AHP: a case study of the Upper Ken Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India.","authors":"Kundan Parmar, Satheesh Chothodi","doi":"10.1007/s11356-025-36957-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36957-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water deficiency has become a global issue, especially in India's hard rock regions where groundwater is depleting at alarming rates. Climate change and anthropogenic activities have intensified water scarcity and drought events. The Ken River Basin, with its humid subtropical climate and dry winters, faces significant groundwater management challenges requiring immediate attention. Groundwater modeling for distribution and potential mapping demands reliable methodologies to characterize aquifer systems across different geological settings. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), integrated with remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS), plays a pivotal role in exploring and conserving groundwater resources. This study used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) for pairwise comparison matrix analysis to determine the relative importance of influencing factors. Parameters including geology, geomorphology, land use/land cover, lineament density, soil type, drainage density, slope, rainfall, topographic wetness index, roughness, topographic position index, and curvature were used to generate groundwater potential zone maps. Five potential zones were identified: very high (0.01%), high (7.45%), moderate (65.17%), low (26.98%), and very low (0.38%). Most regions fall under moderate potential, followed by low potential zones. This groundwater potential mapping provides crucial information for sustainable water resource management, agricultural planning, and rural development in the Ken River Basin. The findings support policymakers in implementing targeted conservation strategies and help communities optimize water usage. Priority should be given to artificial recharge in moderate to high potential zones, while water conservation measures should be intensified in low potential areas for long-term sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145136092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}