International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Discovery of novel membrane-associated calpains in Euglena gracilis: molecular insights into proteolysis in an ecologically important protist","authors":"V. Gelanová,&nbsp;Z. Gerši,&nbsp;J. Krajčovič,&nbsp;D. Vešelényiová","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07442-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07442-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Calpains are calcium-dependent cysteine proteases found across many eukaryotes and some bacteria, yet they have been studied mainly in mammals and plants, with little known about those found in unicellular organisms. <i>Euglena gracilis</i> is an environmentally and biotechnologically important microalga with a poorly characterised genome, thus making it an ideal model for investigating novel proteolytic machineries and their functions. Here we identified and characterised novel transmembrane calpains and their genes at the protein, transcript and genomic levels in the <i>E. gracilis</i> transcriptome and genome using an integrated bioinformatic approach. Hidden Markov model screening, combined with sequence-similarity and conserved-domain analysis, revealed two previously unreported calpain candidates containing a catalytic CysPC domain and predicted transmembrane helices. Multiple sequence alignments of CysPC domains confirmed conservation of the key catalytic residues (Cys, His and Asn) relative to plant and animal calpains. AlphaFold models resolved the putative spatial organisation of the catalytic sites with high confidence (pTM 0.90 and 0.88). Gene annotation defined the exon–intron organisation of both genes, providing a foundation for future functional studies. Although these proteins appear to represent novel <i>E. gracilis</i> calpains, their proteolytic activity and biological roles await experimental validation. Overall, the study expands current knowledge of calpain diversity in unicellular eukaryotes, particularly in an environmentally relevant microalga. Because <i>E. gracilis</i> is able to sense and withstand environmental stress, these membrane-associated proteases are promising candidate effectors of stress adaptation, with potential environmental impact in nutrient and heavy-metal removal from wastewater, in bioremediation and in freshwater pollution monitoring.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Biocomposite innovations for the removal of azo dyes from industrial wastewater","authors":"S. Sert,&nbsp;A. N. Ozkan","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07434-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07434-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Azo dyes, the most widely used class of colorants in industry, cause water pollution and ecological problems. The treatment of azo dyes is of great importance for both the efficient use of water resources and the prevention of environmental pollution. In this study, a new biocomposite material was produced for the removal of methyl orange (MO) from aqueous environments, and its characterization is conducted comprehensively using FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller Analysis), XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), and particle size analysis. The particles of olive pomace, which is a biological waste, can remove methyl orange effectively after being coated with polyaniline (PANI) via in-situ polymerization. Experiments conducted using the batch adsorption method showed that the optimum pH for adsorption is 4.0. Supporting an ion exchange mechanism at a low dye/adsorbent ratio, positive entropy (0.2865 kJ K⁻¹ mol⁻¹) and enthalpy (76.50 kJ mol⁻¹) changes are because of the leaving ions, while the low ∆G (− 7.49 kJ mol⁻¹) supports physical interaction, and fitting a second-order kinetic model indicates specific regions on the adsorbent. Studies, by increasing the MO concentration until reaching the adsorbent saturation, have shown that the adsorption followed the Redlich-Peterson isotherm model and was governed by multiple interactions. By increasing the dye/adsorbent ratio, the dominant adsorption mechanism shifts to π-π interactions stacking MO molecules, leading to a maximum adsorption capacity of 65 mg/g, which represents a highly efficient removal performance. Moreover, thanks to the reversible nature of the adsorption process, the biocomposite can be reused without a significant drop in its performance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Valorization of plant biomass from constructed wetlands: a case study from Tete city, Mozambique","authors":"M. Mujovo,&nbsp;J. S. Matos,&nbsp;A. Jane,&nbsp;A. Galvão","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07420-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07420-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Phragmites australis</i> biomass is widely used in Mozambique, especially by low- income communities, where reed is considered an important natural resource for handicrafts and traditional construction. However, there is limited research on its economic and value and sustainable management. The present study aimed to describe local knowledge and perceptions in the environmental and economic potential associated with reed harvesting and utilization in the city of Tete, Mozambique. Data was collected through a survey, informal and formal interviews and direct observation involving local artisans and community representatives The study also estimated the biomass production potential of Constructed Wetlands and its contribution to handcraft production within a circular economy framework. The results showed that reeds are mainly used for mat production, providing an important complementary source of income for vulnerable households. Three economic scenarios were analyzed for artisans: unemployed without transport, unemployed with transport and employed with transport. The findings indicated that an unemployed artisan with personal transport could earn up to 93 USD per month, approximatly 1.7 times higher than the local minimum subsistence wage. Additionally, constructed wetlands could generate sufficient biomass to support local artisans while promoting wastewater reuse and sustainable environmental management in Tete city.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Integrated remote sensing analysis of rice field burning and air pollution in Eastern Mazandaran, Iran","authors":"A. Yousefi Kebriya,&nbsp;D. Yousefi Kebriya,&nbsp;M. Nadi","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07418-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07418-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Rice paddy fires are a major source of air pollution in Mazandaran Province, Iran, with significant environmental and health impacts. This study used multi-sensor remote sensing data (Landsat, Sentinel-2, MODIS, and Sentinel-5P) to assess the effects of rice residue burning on air quality during 2018–2023. Vegetation indices (NDVI and LSWI) mapped rice paddies, while NBR and dNBR identified burned areas and fire severity during pre-burning (May–June), active burning (July–August), and post-burning (September 15–November 15) periods. dNBR results indicated that 2021 had the highest fire severity, with the largest burned extent and a dNBR range of 0.94 to − 0.46. In 2019, the range was 1.3 to − 0.7, while 2018 showed moderate severity (0.94 to − 0.60). The lowest severity occurred in 2022–2023. During active burning in 2021, CO concentrations increased from 0.0285 to 0.031 mol/m² (8.8%), and AOD increased by 13.4%, reaching 0.45. Smaller increases occurred in 2019 and 2018. Meteorological factors showed weak to moderate correlations (AOD–precipitation R² ≈ 0.17; AOD–temperature R² ≈ 0.35). Backward trajectory analysis indicated that ~88% of air masses originated from local and regional sources, whereas ~11.5% came from external or mountainous areas. A strong relationship was observed between dNBR and CO (r = 0.80–0.86, R² = 0.64–0.75, <i>p</i> = 0.0001), with CO increasing by ~30% from low to high severity classes. These findings highlight the impact of rice burning on regional air quality and the need for sustainable agricultural practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Harnessing solar photocatalysis in a continuous-flow BiOBr/GO system for sustainable pharmaceutical wastewater treatment","authors":"D. Shankar,&nbsp;D. Sivakumar,&nbsp;R. Anand,&nbsp;A. A. S. Al Alawi","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07422-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07422-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study evaluates a bismuth oxybromide/graphene oxide nanocomposite-based continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor for treating pharmaceutical wastewater by assessing key physicochemical parameters and pharmaceutical compounds under laboratory irradiation and natural solar conditions. Catalyst characterization using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis, Ultraviolet–Visible spectrophotometry diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, zeta potential, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed crystalline tetragonal bismuth oxybromide uniformly anchored on graphene oxide, with a surface area of 120 m²/g, mesoporosity, visible-light activity with a band gap of 2.7 eV, and positive surface charge of + 25 mV. Box–Behnken optimization identified an optimum hydraulic retention time of 4 h, a flow rate of 1.0 L/h, and a reactor inclination of 20°. Under indoor irradiation at 1000 W/m², removal efficiencies reached 99.0% for chemical oxygen demand, 97.0% for biochemical oxygen demand, 95.0% for total dissolved solids, and 99.8, 99.4, 98.5, 99.2, and 92.0% for ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin, paracetamol, diclofenac, and carbamazepine, respectively. Outdoor solar operation achieved chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand reductions of 96.5 and 94.2%, with pharmaceutical removal above 91%. Total organic carbon mineralization exceeded 97%, toxicity units were below 0.05, and bismuth-ion leaching remained negligible over five cycles. Statistical analysis confirmed significant effects of hydraulic retention time, flow rate, and reactor inclination on removal efficiency (p &lt; 0.05) with strong model fitness (R² &gt; 0.95). These findings demonstrate that the synergistic interaction between bismuth oxybromide and graphene oxide enhances visible-light photocatalytic performance, supporting environmentally compliant and sustainable pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148871672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Ecological risk and bioaccumulation of potentially toxic elements in soils and grapevine leaves of young semi-organic vineyard","authors":"N. T. H. Pham,&nbsp;A. T. Trinh,&nbsp;H. Van Ta,&nbsp;V. Q. Nguyen","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07441-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07441-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Semi-organic cultivation, combining partly traditional practices and organic amendments (such as fresh manure and compost), can be a priority solution for converting conventional vineyards to organic vineyards, especially in young vineyards. Accordingly, the accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) associated with ecological risks and toxicity to the plants can still become an environmental burden, even if the use of fertilizers and fungicides is reduced. Therefore, our study was performed in young semi-organic vineyard to evaluate integrated contamination in the soil-grapevine leaves system by PTEs (Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu) and ecological risks based on their pseudo-total and bioavailable contents in soils. Soil contamination assessment indicated a moderate multi-element pollution, with a higher level observed for the bioavailable PTEs. Meanwhile, an overall low ecological risk in the studied vineyard was comparable to and significantly lower than that in 28-year-old organic and long-term fertilized vineyards, respectively. Based on the bioaccumulation assessment, although grapevine was not considered as a hyperaccumulator of PTE, farming practices and PTE content in soils can exert impacts on their bioaccumulation tendencies in leaves. Indeed, the higher soil contents in Pb and Ni, the higher bioaccumulation of these elements incorporated in leaves. Meanwhile, soluble Zn supplied through foliar fertilizers probably boosted its content in leaves compared to soils. Overall, the levels of PTEs in leaves were below the phytotoxicity threshold, confirming that semi-organic production is acceptable for reducing environmental risks and harmless for plants. Regulating PTE-enriched inputs and opting for eco-friendly organic materials can contribute to environmentally friendly viticulture.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Comparative environmental assessment of surface hardening technologies","authors":"A. Cerqueira,&nbsp;C. L. Simões,&nbsp;J. Monteiro,&nbsp;R. Simoes","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07437-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07437-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Studies addressing the environmental impacts of steel surface hardening technologies, especially carburizing (CB), low pressure nitriding (LPN), and plasma nitriding (PN), remain limited. Thus, the environmental impact of steel surface hardening processes, calls for further investigation to verify the sustainability of the steel transformation industry. In this context, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to assess and compare the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with different steel surface hardening technologies, namely CB, LPN, and PN, applied to various steel alloy grades (1.2379 (A1), CALDIE (A2), 1.2344 (B1), and 1.2738 (B2)). Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) results show that they are more influenced by the presence or absence of the gas quenching phase than by the steel alloy grade or steel surface hardening treatment used. Gas quenching phase is consistently identified as the main hotspot, dominating GWP impact, especially in CB and LPN surface treatments. Steel alloys that avoid gas quenching (steel alloy B2 in the LPN and PN treatments) exhibit lower GWP and CED impacts, due to avoiding energy consumption, with steel production phase then becoming the main contributor. The gas quenching phase is a critical process in ensuring the same surface hardening of steels and must be target for substitution or optimization. The selection of steel alloys and surface hardening techniques that avoid gas quenching process (such as steel alloy B2 in the LPN and PN treatments) delivers the best environmental performance. This information is vital towards a more sustainable steel transformation industry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Nitrogen-to-phosphorus limitation shift in a polyhydroxyalkanoate-enriched mixed microbial community","authors":"S. Falcioni,&nbsp;L. Di Gloria,&nbsp;A. Manmeen,&nbsp;E. Touloupakis,&nbsp;M. Ramazzotti,&nbsp;M. E. Suárez-Ojeda,&nbsp;D. Gabriel,&nbsp;G. Munz","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07412-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07412-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyhydroxyalkanoates are biodegradable polyesters considered promising alternatives to conventional plastics. To reduce costs associated with pure cultures, increasing attention has been given to mixed microbial communities and low-cost substrates. Uncoupled feeding of carbon and nutrients enables the separation of growth and polyhydroxyalkanoates accumulation phase and has been reported as a strategy to enhance process performance. While nitrogen limitation is usually applied to restrict biomass growth, phosphorus limitation has been also proposed as a relevant alternative limiting condition. This study investigates the sequential transition from nitrogen- to phosphorus-limiting conditions in a single sequential batch reactor, with emphasis on temporal process evolution and microbial community dynamics. Nitrogen limitation was associated with higher polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation than phosphorus limitation conditions. Low phosphorus availability may have been associated with intracellular phosphorus storage or retention, potentially affecting the uncoupled feeding regime, or metabolic energy redirection mechanisms that may have reduced accumulation. Filamentous polyhydroxyalkanoates-accumulating bacteria (e.g., <i>Neomegalonema</i>) dominated under nitrogen limitation, whereas <i>Thauera</i> and <i>Paracoccus</i> increased under phosphorus-limiting conditions.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13762-026-07412-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148928089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Fast adsorption of Mn2+ and Zn2+ on commercial LTA zeolite: kinetics, equilibrium, and preliminary reuse assessment","authors":"A. Leite,&nbsp;T. S. Costa,&nbsp;T. L. M. Moura,&nbsp;M. F. R. Libanio,&nbsp;L. C. Silva,&nbsp;A. J. Moreira,&nbsp;E. C. Paris,&nbsp;T. R. Giraldi","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07390-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07390-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Commercial LTA-type zeolite was evaluated for the adsorption of Mn²⁺ and Zn²⁺ from aqueous solutions, with emphasis on the relationship between framework properties and adsorption behavior. Despite its very low BET surface area, the zeolite showed rapid and highly efficient uptake of both metal ions, reaching near-equilibrium within the first minute. Kinetic modeling indicated site-controlled adsorption consistent with pseudo-second-order behavior, while equilibrium data were described by the Langmuir model, confirming monolayer adsorption on uniform exchange sites. Intraparticle diffusion played a secondary role, and Zn²⁺ exhibited faster site occupation than Mn²⁺. Stoichiometric analysis of Na⁺ release during adsorption, together with blank experiments, demonstrated that metal uptake occurs mainly through Na⁺/divalent ion exchange within the zeolite framework, with partial release of loosely bound sodium. This ion-exchange mechanism explains the high adsorption capacities obtained despite the very low external surface area, since performance is governed by framework charge density rather than surface adsorption. Germination assays with <i>Cucumis sativus</i> showed no acute phytotoxic effects for metal-loaded zeolites, indicating potential for safe reuse as a micronutrient source. These results demonstrate that commercial LTA zeolite enables fast and efficient metal removal and provide a proof-of-concept for sustainable post-adsorption valorization of the spent material.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13762-026-07390-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148928054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Photocatalytic caffeine degradation and toxicity reduction using reduced graphene oxide-modified zinc telluride","authors":"A. J. Vilvert,&nbsp;P. D. Macruz,&nbsp;R. P. Nippes,&nbsp;H. C. L. Geraldino,&nbsp;L. V. de Castro-Hoshino,&nbsp;I. R. Bautitz,&nbsp;J. C. G. Moraes","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07403-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07403-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The occurrence of emerging pollutants in aquatic matrices has raised environmental concern because of their persistence and potential toxicity. This study assessed caffeine degradation and toxicity reduction using zinc telluride functionalized with reduced graphene oxide as heterogeneous photocatalyst. The catalysts were synthesized by the wet impregnation method with excess solvent, and characterized by physicochemical and optical techniques. The results indicated zinc telluride nanoparticles distributed on the surface of reduced graphene oxide sheets, together with changes in textural and optical properties, including a lower band gap for the composites. Photocatalytic tests were performed using a mercury vapor lamp emitting ultraviolet–visible radiation, with the main emission at 365 nm. The effects of reduced graphene oxide content, catalyst loading, initial caffeine concentration, and pH variation were evaluated. Under the tested experimental conditions, the composite containing 1.0% reduced graphene oxide showed the highest degradation performance, reaching 93% caffeine degradation in 85 min. The degradation profile was best described by the half-order kinetic model. The reduced photoluminescence intensity suggests lower electron–hole recombination, although direct confirmation of reactive species requires complementary analyses. Toxicity tests indicated lower <i>Artemia salina</i> mortality and improved <i>Lactuca sativa</i> germination after treatment with the 1.0% reduced graphene oxide-modified zinc telluride catalyst. The results indicate that reduced graphene oxide incorporation can improve caffeine photodegradation and reduce toxicity under the evaluated conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13762-026-07403-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}