Environmental Science and Pollution Research最新文献

{"title":"Hybrid microwave–infrared thermal desorption for remediation of oil-contaminated offshore drill cuttings: field-sample evaluation and process performance","authors":"Roohollah Babaei-Mahani,&nbsp;Ali Fereidounpour,&nbsp;Yinghe He,&nbsp;Peter Scholes","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38229-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38229-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Drilling operations generate large volumes of drill cuttings contaminated with hydrocarbons, salts, and trace metals, creating significant environmental and regulatory challenges for offshore disposal. Most regulatory frameworks prohibit the discharge of drill cuttings containing more than 1 wt.% oil-on-cuttings, necessitating effective on-site treatment technologies. This study evaluates a novel continuous hybrid microwave–infrared thermal desorption process, the Advanced Thermal Processor (ATP), which, unlike conventional batch thermal desorption systems, simultaneously applies microwave volumetric heating and infrared surface heating within a rotating drum under continuous feed operation. Six samples of offshore water-based drill cuttings contaminated with sour crude oil were collected from Middle Eastern drilling operations and processed in two batches using a pilot-scale ATP unit under inert, low-oxygen conditions. The treatment was carried out at a solid discharge temperature of 60–100 °C and a residence time of approximately 15–30 min. The process achieved oil removal efficiencies of 95.0–97.8%, consistently reducing oil-on-cuttings to below 1 wt.%. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and Total Oil and Grease (TOG) were reduced by more than 96% across all samples. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that most volatile contaminants were removed at temperatures below 110 °C, suggesting a substantially lower thermal demand than conventional incineration or friction-based thermal desorption, which typically operate above 300–500 °C. The results demonstrate that hybrid microwave/infrared thermal processing is an effective and energy-efficient approach for the treatment of offshore drill cuttings, enabling regulatory compliance while minimising secondary emissions and operational disruption.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 31","pages":"15973 - 15982"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11356-026-38229-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149029352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis and environmental impact assessment of sustainable geopolymer bricks incorporating vitrified tiles sludge powder","authors":"Praseeda Dandu,&nbsp;Ravi Sankar Cheela,&nbsp;Rithwik Reddy Gattu","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38247-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38247-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Utilization of the by-products of the industries in the synthesis of the building materials is of research interest. The objective of the current study is to investigate the use of vitrified tiles sludge powder which is rich in oxides of silica and aluminium as one of the precursors along with fly ash in the synthesis of sustainable geopolymer bricks. The experimental work was carried out to optimize the amount of sludge powder and fly ash as precursors. Ten mix proportions were formulated by varying the molarity of NaOH (3, 6, 9 and 12 M), ratio of NaOH: Na₂SiO₃ (2 and 2.5) and vitrified tiles sludge powder to fly ash in the range of 10–50%. The specimens cast with the formulated mix proportions were analyzed for compressive strength, water absorption and bulk density, which are the crucial parameters pertaining to the study of bricks. Life cycle analysis was also carried out to assess and compare the environmental impact in terms of mid-point and endpoint categories. It was found that the brick containing vitrified tiles sludge to fly ash in the ratio of 50:50, cast with 6 M NaOH and 1:2 of NaOH to Na₂SiO₃ performed better in terms of strength (23 MPa) at 28 days and water absorption (less than 6%). The strength attainment may be attributed to the densification of matrix with the formation of hydration products such as C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H. It was also observed that geopolymer bricks showed zero impact towards climate change when compared to the cement brick contributing to about 100% towards climate change. In terms of mid-point categories, the optimum mix has shown minimal disturbance when compared to the cement bricks and other synthesized bricks. Hence the resulting green geopolymer brick can be used as construction material possessing significant physical and mechanical properties while also environmentally competent.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 31","pages":"15983 - 15996"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149029312","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":"Health risk assessment of heavy metals exposure in soil at Rafin Gora artisanal gold mining area, Nigeria","authors":"Lawal Zubairu,&nbsp;Kang Mingliang,&nbsp;Yang Xueqing,&nbsp;Khalid Raza","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38155-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38155-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The environmental impact of gold mining is a major driver of heavy metal pollution, posing health risks to nearby communities. This study quantified the concentrations and health risks of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, As, and Zn in soils from the Rafin Gora gold mining area in Katsina State, Nigeria. Thirty soil samples were analyzed using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). Contamination factor (CF), geoaccumulation index (<span>({mathrm{I}}_{mathrm{g}mathrm{e}mathrm{o}})</span>), pollution load index (PLI), and ecological risk index were calculated. Health risks were evaluated using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) models. Results showed that Cd, As, and Zn exhibited localized enrichment, whereas most other metals remained near or below background concentrations. <span>({mathrm{I}}_{mathrm{g}mathrm{e}mathrm{o}})</span> values classified over 90% of the samples as unpolluted. PLI values greater than 1 at most sites indicated anthropogenic influence. The ecological risk index indicated low ecological risk across all sampling locations. Ingestion was the dominant exposure pathway, with children exhibiting chronic daily intake (CDI) values 5 to 10 times higher than adults. Hazard index (HI) values were 0.026 and 0.139 for adults and children, both below unity. However, Cr and As contributed most to the hazard quotient (HQ) and intake. Total carcinogenic risk (TCR) values were <span>(3.66times {10}^{-6})</span> and <span>(6.79times {10}^{-6})</span> for adults and children, both below acceptable limits <span>((1times {10}^{-4}))</span> but above negligible thresholds <span>((1times {10}^{-6}))</span>. The study revealed that locally enriched As and Cr drive a non-negligible cancer risk, especially for children. Mitigation measures, including dust suppression, soil remediation, and bioaccessibility and speciation, are recommended to reduce exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15865 - 15882"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023649","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":"Strontium isotopic signatures and source apportionment in urban soils of Salgótarján: unraveling the impact of industrial emissions","authors":"Mona Maghsoudlou,&nbsp;Davaakhuu Tserendorj,&nbsp;Gorkhmaz Abbaszade,&nbsp;Norbert Kavasi,&nbsp;Péter Völgyesi,&nbsp;Edit Tóth-Bodrogi,&nbsp;Sarata K. Sahoo,&nbsp;Marko Štrok,&nbsp;Kazumasa Inoue,&nbsp;Tibor Kovács,&nbsp;Csaba Szabó","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38225-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38225-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Urban soil contamination is primarily associated with human activities, especially industrial by-products, which have introduced high concentrations of heavy metal(loid)s from diverse sources over centuries of city development. This study investigated the distribution of strontium and its stable isotopic ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) in urban soils of Salgótarján, a former industrial city in northern Hungary, with a focus on anthropogenic contamination, particularly from a former coal-fired power plant (CFPP). Fifteen urban soil samples from kindergartens, playgrounds, parks, and roadsides, in the northeastern part of the city were analyzed for Sr concentration, isotopic composition, and physicochemical properties. The analytical results revealed considerable variations in Sr concentrations (17.5–51.3 mg kg⁻¹), and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.710303–0.719559), indicating mixed natural and anthropogenic inputs. A two-end-member ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic model was applied to semi-quantitatively estimate source contribution, identifying coal ash as a major contamination source in soils near the former CFPP. However, certain samples gathered far from the CFPP exhibited even stronger anthropogenic influence, suggesting an additional source, likely from smelter slag (known additional industrial source in the environment) and/or unknown technogenic soils (human-transformed soils). In contrast, other samples at greater distances from the CFPP showed minimal or no coal ash contribution, instead reflecting local soil inputs (i.e., natural/artificially made quartz-rich soils), introduced during land use changes. Our study highlights the effectiveness of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic tracing in urban contamination assessment, offering a robust tool for understanding and managing urban environment quality.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15829 - 15848"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11356-026-38225-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating factor analysis and support vector machine for digital mapping of soil quality using DEM-derived geomorphometric variable","authors":"Samira Hemmati,&nbsp;Kamran Moravej,&nbsp;Ahmad Golchin,&nbsp;Mohammad Sadegh Askari","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38240-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38240-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil is one of the most important natural resources, playing a fundamental role in ecosystem sustainability, food security, and agricultural productivity. However, its quality and functions have been increasingly threatened by soil erosion, land-use change, and inappropriate management practices. Therefore, the development of accurate, rapid, and cost-effective approaches for digital soil quality mapping has become increasingly important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of geomorphometric variables derived from the ALOS-PALSAR Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for predicting the Soil Quality Index (SQI) using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm, as well as to identify the most influential geomorphometric factors controlling soil quality variations in the Loshan region, northern Iran. A total of 76 surface soil samples (0–30 cm) were collected, and their physical, chemical, and biological properties were determined. Subsequently, the Soil Quality Index was calculated using both the Total Data Set (TDS) and the Minimum Data Set (MDS) approaches. Geomorphometric variables, including slope, aspect, elevation, curvature, Compound Topographic Index (CTI), Stream Power Index (SPI), and Terrain Characterization Index (TCI), were extracted from the DEM. The SVM algorithm was then developed to model and predict the spatial distribution of SQI, and its performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²) and the root mean square error (RMSE). Furthermore, factor analysis was conducted to clarify the contribution of geomorphometric variables to soil quality variation. The results indicated that the TDS and MDS approaches produced similar spatial patterns of soil quality, with mean SQI values of 0.63 and 0.60, respectively, indicating that the majority of the study area fell within the moderate to low soil quality classes. The SVM model achieved satisfactory predictive performance, with validation R² values of 0.73 and 0.72 for the TDS and MDS models, respectively, while the RMSE ranged from 0.047 to 0.054. Factor analysis identified two dominant factors, namely the topographic factor and the hydrological factor, which together explained more than 70% of the total variance in the geomorphometric variables. Among the investigated variables, slope, elevation, CTI, TCI, and SPI exerted the greatest influence on soil quality variation, with slope being identified as the primary controlling factor. The findings demonstrate that DEM-derived geomorphometric variables provide strong predictive capability for soil quality assessment, while factor analysis serves as an effective approach for identifying the key geomorphometric factors controlling soil quality and for improving the interpretation of machine learning prediction models.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15849 - 15864"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023605","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":"Biological degradation of macroplastics and microplastics by greater wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella): evidence, gut microbiome, and proposed mechanisms","authors":"Iswahyudi Iswahyudi,&nbsp;Marchel Putra Garfansa","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38252-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38252-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plastic pollution, encompassing macroplastics and microplastics, is an increasing global environmental problem that remains difficult to address using conventional methods. Larvae of the greater wax moth, <i>Galleria mellonella</i>, have attracted attention as a biological model for investigating plastic consumption and transformation. This review synthesizes evidence concerning their interactions with polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, bioplastics, and complex plastic waste. The reviewed studies used heterogeneous substrates, including macroplastic films, sheets, foams, and fragments, as well as powders and microplastic particles. These categories require distinction because particle size and geometry influence surface-area-to-volume ratio, larval mastication and ingestion, microbial colonization, analytical recovery, and apparent degradation kinetics. Evidence obtained from macroplastic substrates therefore cannot be directly extrapolated to microplastic degradation. Reported consumption and transformation efficiencies varied according to polymer type, substrate form and dimensions, exposure duration, feeding regime, larval density, pretreatment, and analytical method. Gut-associated taxa, including <i>Bacillus</i>, <i>Pseudomonas</i>, <i>Enterococcus</i>, and <i>Enterobacter</i>, were recurrently reported; however, their detection or enrichment indicates association with plastic exposure rather than definitive evidence of direct degradation. Chemical, metabolomic, microbiome, and proteomic findings support proposed oxidative and downstream metabolic pathways, although complete depolymerization, bioassimilation, and mineralization remain insufficiently demonstrated across polymers and size classes. Despite inconsistent experimental designs and variable substrate characterization, <i>G. mellonella</i> remains valuable for identifying candidate enzymes, microorganisms, and host–microbiome interactions. Future studies should use chemically characterized substrates with defined size classes, appropriate controls, molecular-weight analysis, and isotope tracing to distinguish fragmentation from chemical transformation, bioassimilation, and mineralization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 31","pages":"15897 - 15917"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149029271","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":"Deep eutectic solvent-assisted extraction of chitosan for polyethylene microplastic coagulation","authors":"Nor Jumanah Said Mohamed,&nbsp;Ahmad Razi Othman,&nbsp;Clara Manno,&nbsp;Mohd Yunus Abd Shukor,&nbsp;Siti Rozaimah Sheikh Abdullah,&nbsp;Nur ‘Izzati Ismail","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38253-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38253-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microplastic pollution has emerged as an important environmental challenge. Among existing remediation strategies, coagulation–flocculation offers a cost-effective and scalable approach. However, the reliance on conventional chemical coagulants raises concerns regarding sludge generation and secondary environmental impacts. Chitosan has therefore attracted interest as a bio-based coagulant, but the environmental advantages of its use are closely dependent on its extraction process. This study investigates the use of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as alternative extractants for chitosan production from whiteleg shrimp (<i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i>) shells. Among the studied choline chloride-based DESs (glycerol, malonic acid, glucose and urea), choline chloride–malonic acid (CCMA) produced the highest chitosan yield (19.09 ± 0.22%) and solubility (90.68 ± 0.93%). FTIR, XRD and SEM analyses confirmed the formation of chitosan with semicrystalline characteristics, while SEM analysis revealed a porous, honeycomb-like morphology in the DES-extracted chitosan. Process optimisation using one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) and response surface methodology (RSM) identified optimal conditions at 93.91 °C, 8.15 h and a <i>L. vannamei</i>:DES ratio of 0.042 g/mL, corresponding to 21:500, yielding a degree of deacetylation of 89.05% with good model fit (R² = 0.9521). The optimised CCMA-derived chitosan was subsequently evaluated for PE coagulation in a controlled deionised-water suspension. After correction against a no-coagulant control, CCMA-CS achieved maximum reductions of 58.10 ± 0.63% in turbidity and 63.55 ± 0.91% in TSS at 50 mg/L. These findings demonstrate that CCMA-assisted extraction can produce chitosan that possesses coagulation performance comparable to that of commercial chitosan under the conditions investigated, although further validation under representative wastewater conditions is required.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 31","pages":"15951 - 15972"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149029295","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":"Pesticide exposure risks and seasonal variation in honey bee-collected pollen across agricultural landscapes in Latvia","authors":"Niks Ozols,&nbsp;Maksims Filipovičs,&nbsp;Betija Rubene,&nbsp;Sabīne Močāne,&nbsp;Baiba Tikuma,&nbsp;Valters Brusbārdis,&nbsp;Jānis Gailis,&nbsp;Viktorija Zagorska","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38238-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38238-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Honey bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) are widely used as bioindicators of environmental contamination and bee-collected pollen reflects pesticide exposure in agricultural landscapes. This study evaluated pesticide residues in honey bee-collected pollen from six Latvian apiaries during 2024 and 2025 flowering seasons, and assessed toxicological risk using the Pollen Hazard Quotient (PHQ). In total, 15 active substances were detected in 2024 and 19 in 2025. Fungicides were the most frequently detected pesticide class in both years, accounting for 51% of detections in 2024 and 54% in 2025, followed by herbicides (38% and 24%) and insecticides (11% and 22%). The highest concentrations were recorded for glyphosate, fluazifop-P-butyl, boscalid, azoxystrobin, acetamiprid, and tebuconazole. Seasonal variation was evident, with higher residue concentrations and PHQ values mainly from mid-May to early July, coinciding with crop flowering and pesticide application periods. Median PHQ values remained below the threshold (PHQ &lt; 50), however several samples in 2025 exceeded this level, with a maximum PHQ of 1173.91 driven by cypermethrin. No consistent descriptive pattern was observed between PHQ values and the proportion of agricultural land or nectar producing crops. This suggests that landscape composition alone did not explain differences in pesticide exposure among the studied apiaries. The results indicate that pesticide exposure is influenced by temporal variation, pesticide toxicity, and local factors such as crop management and foraging behaviour, rather than landscape composition alone. Honey bee-collected pollen proved to be a suitable tool for monitoring pesticide exposure. It also allowed the identification of periods of increased risk in agricultural environments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 31","pages":"15935 - 15950"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11356-026-38238-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149029337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retraction Note: Foreign investment, economic growth, and environmental degradation since the 1986 “Economic Renovation” in Vietnam","authors":"Duc Hong Vo,&nbsp;Chi Minh Ho","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38248-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38248-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 29","pages":"15176 - 15176"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015193","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":"Enhanced peroxydisulfate activation by rGO/nZVI composites for efficient sulfamethoxazole degradation","authors":"Honglei Fan,&nbsp;Zhengcai Sun,&nbsp;Kaixin Xuan,&nbsp;Yeqin Liu,&nbsp;Shaofeng Zhou,&nbsp;Jin Huang","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38202-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38202-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A reduced graphene oxide-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (rGO/nZVI) composite was fabricated via an in situ liquid-phase reduction and employed to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation. Characterization results indicated that rGO incorporation improved the dispersion of nZVI and increased the specific surface area and pore volume of the composite. Under the optimized conditions, the rGO/nZVI/PDS system achieved &gt; 98% SMX removal within 10 min. The apparent rate constant was 5.6 and 13.2 times higher than those of the nZVI/PDS and PDS-alone systems, respectively. Quenching experiments and EPR results suggested the involvement of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) in SMX degradation, whereas freely diffusing sulfate radicals and hydroxyl radicals were not the predominant reactive species under the tested conditions. The enhanced performance of rGO/nZVI may be associated with the improved dispersion of Fe-containing sites, increased accessibility of the composite surface, and possible changes in interfacial electron-transfer processes during PDS activation. This study demonstrates the potential of rGO-supported nZVI as a PDS activator for rapid SMX removal under the tested conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15799 - 15809"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015175","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}