Environmental science. Advances最新文献

{"title":"Recent advances in biochar-based engineered materials for efficient removal of CO2: from lab to industrial scale applications","authors":"Anass Wahby, Nouha El Mail, Youssef Aoulad El Hadj Ali, Abdelmonaim Azzouz, Brahim Arhoun, Mounir Manssouri, Mostafa Stitou and Suresh Kumar Kailasa","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00432B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00432B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions have driven significant efforts toward developing advanced materials for the capture and removal of carbon dioxide (CO<small>₂</small>) from different environments. Among these, biochar-based engineered materials have emerged as promising sorbents for physical adsorption and separation processes, owing to their tunable structure, surface functionality, and potential for scalable production. This review summarizes recent advances in the preparation and application of biochar-based engineered materials for CO<small>₂</small> capture, highlighting the influence of synthesis methods on their structural properties and adsorption performance. A comparative analysis of different biochar-derived materials is presented, focusing on adsorption capacity, selectivity, and reusability. Notably, woody biomass-derived biochar modified with vanadium oxide demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving a CO<small>₂</small> adsorption capacity of 9.8 mmol g<small>⁻¹</small> and maintaining stability over 11 adsorption–desorption cycles with minimal loss of efficiency. The review also discusses the key challenges that currently limit large-scale deployment of biochar-based adsorbents and proposes potential strategies to overcome these barriers, thereby outlining future research directions toward sustainable and efficient CO<small>₂</small> capture technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 4","pages":" 997-1026"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00432b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147621006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, and their metabolites in the coastal environment: the escape to seawater and concerns","authors":"Lawrence Mzukisi Madikizela and Ronewa Netshithothole","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00428D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00428D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Recent literature shows NSAIDs and analgesics as some of the most studied pharmaceuticals in the environment. These drugs, which are readily accessible as over-the-counter medications, have been detected in various environmental samples, including wastewater and surface water. Consequently, these chemicals are transferred to marine and coastal environments, entering marine organisms that play significant roles in the food chain, thereby posing toxic effects on human health. Therefore, the present review aims to comprehensively assess the occurrence, distribution, and environmental impact of a wide range of NSAIDs and analgesic medications in the marine environment worldwide. Marine outfalls and estuaries were viewed as significant sources of pharmaceuticals found in seawater, resulting in their presence in marine organisms considered as seafood. Transformation of the investigated drugs into metabolites is evident, as some transformation products were previously detected in estuaries, seawaters, and fish. In this context, carboxy ibuprofen and hydroxy ibuprofen have been reported in seawater and estuarine waters with concentrations reaching 1227 ng L<small>⁻¹</small> and 70 ng L<small>⁻¹</small>, respectively. Meanwhile, the parent compound, ibuprofen, has been extensively studied in marine organisms, mussels, with the highest concentration reported to be 730 ng g<small>⁻¹</small>. These findings suggest a need to monitor the occurrence of pharmaceutical metabolites in environmental samples routinely. Therefore, the present review is an important resource for the scientific community as it discusses crucial issues related to seawater contamination and the quality of food products.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 4","pages":" 927-940"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00428d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147621010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation of irregularly shaped, nano-sized, fluorescent microplastic particles for tracing cellular uptake","authors":"Ryo Nagasawa, Sota Inoue, Takashi Miyano and Masakazu Umezawa","doi":"10.1039/D6VA00031B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6VA00031B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Microplastics (MPs) are widely distributed; however, their behaviour in the environment and within biological tissues remains unclear. Concerns regarding their health risks have outpaced the elucidation of the true impacts of MPs. Previous studies have indicated that the toxicity of MPs depends on their size. However, toxicity assessments have mainly focused on uniformly sized, spherical polystyrene beads. Therefore, in this study, we developed a simple method for preparing irregularly shaped, nano-sized, fluorescent MP model particles. Fluorescence was incorporated by loading Nile red dye into plastics with various chemical compositions. Aqueous solution of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and chloroform solution of Nile red were added to solutions of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragmented to nanoscale <em>via</em> solvent-assisted degradation in an organic solvent. Subsequently, model particles of MPs with diameters of 80–250 nm were obtained by volatilising the organic solvent. The BSA functioned as a weak surfactant to prepare irregularly shaped, nano-sized MP particles. Organic solvents with solubility parameters close to those of the plastic materials proved useful for fragmenting durable solvent-treated plastic polymers. Experiments using Nile red incorporated into PP, PE, and PET yielded model particles of PP, PE, and PET that emitted fluorescence at 580–620 nm under 550 nm excitation. The fluorescence of Nile red-loaded nano-MP particles enabled microscopic observation of their cellular uptake. The method presented herein for fabricating fluorescent nano-MP particles using albumin will contribute to further comparative studies of environmental and <em>in vivo</em> MP behaviours.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 3","pages":" 809-815"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d6va00031b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147375153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increasing PFAS concentrations in human serum correlate with elevated blood lipid levels","authors":"Ashlee T. Falls, Anna K. Boatman, Jack P. Ryan, Amie M. Solosky, James N. Dodds, Jessie R. Chappel, Allison N. Fry, Kaylie I. Kirkwood-Donelson, Heather M. Stapleton and Erin S. Baker","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00483G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5VA00483G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals which have been detected in the blood of &gt;99% people worldwide. Currently, certain PFAS are linked to elevated cholesterol levels in humans, but few studies have assessed changes in specific lipid species to assess mechanistic changes. In this study, 78 serum samples were attained from 49 participants exposed to elevated PFAS through drinking water and 29 occupationally exposed firefighters. PFAS serum concentrations were initially assessed, and drinking water exposure participants illustrated higher PFAS serum levels than both the firefighters and national median values from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants were then regrouped for lipidomic analyses using their summed serum concentration for 7 PFAS (Σ7 PFAS). Thirty-four participants in our study had Σ7 PFAS concentrations ≥20 ng mL<small>⁻¹</small>, a level that has been associated with increased risk of dyslipidemia, thyroid dysfunction and cancer according to the National Academies PFAS Exposure Guidance Report. Statistical analyses revealed that 24 lipids out of 387 detected in all participants were significantly higher in participants with Σ7 PFAS values ≥20 ng mL<small>⁻¹</small>. Triglycerides and phosphatidylethanolamines specifically represented 62.5% of these 24 lipids, suggesting alteration of cellular membrane structures and energy storage. A statistical assessment on the female-only samples from the drinking water cohort was also performed to reduce bias due to sex, age and occupational covariates and further validated these trends. This study therefore illustrates increased serum PFAS concentrations correlate with elevated lipid species and molecular pathway alterations in highly exposed individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 3","pages":" 885-899"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12921673/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147273202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pyrolysis temperature dependence of Pb2+ removal by sewage sludge biochar: characteristic evaluation and adsorption performance","authors":"Rui Zhao, Xin Li, Xiaoxin Jiang, Guangzhi Wang, Guoren Xu, Sai Qi and Guoke Zhang","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00202H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00202H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Converting sewage sludge into biochar (SSB) offers a promising path for waste reduction and pollution mitigation. This study systematically investigated the effect of pyrolysis temperature (400–700 °C) on the physicochemical properties of SSB and its Pb<small>²⁺</small> adsorption performance. As temperature increased, carbonization and aromaticity of SSB improved progressively. The biochar produced at 600 °C (SSB600) showed optimal characteristics—high hydrophobicity, large surface area, well-developed pores, and abundant functional groups—achieving a maximum Pb<small>²⁺</small> adsorption capacity of 131 ± 10.2 mg g<small>⁻¹</small>. The Langmuir model best fit the adsorption isotherm data, while kinetic analysis using the Weber–Morris model indicated a multi-stage process where intraparticle diffusion was significant but not the sole rate-limiting step. SSB600 exhibited strong adsorption performance over a wide pH range (2–6) and in the presence of common competing cations (Na<small>⁺</small> and NO<small>₃</small><small>⁻</small>), demonstrating suitability for complex water environments. Mechanism analysis revealed that Pb<small>²⁺</small> removal was driven by multiple processes: complexation (39.2%), cation exchange (38.3%), π–electron interactions (19.2%), and precipitation (3.30%). Notably, SSB600 retained over 79% of its initial capacity after eight adsorption–desorption cycles, showing excellent regenerability. It also achieved high Pb<small>²⁺</small> removal (&gt;50%) at environmentally relevant concentrations (<em>e.g.</em>, 0.5 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>), with environmental safety confirmed by standardized leaching tests. This work provides a pyrolysis temperature-guided synthesis strategy, fundamental mechanistic insight, and a practical viability assessment for sludge-based adsorbents. Future work should extend to pilot-scale column tests and resource recovery, supported by life-cycle analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 3","pages":" 900-916"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00202h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147375177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis of near-infrared-fluorophore-loaded microplastics with different compositions for in vivo tracking","authors":"Sota Inoue, Ryo Nagasawa, Kohei Soga and Masakazu Umezawa","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00360A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00360A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive environmental pollutants of growing concern owing to their potential impact on ecosystems and human health. Although reports of human exposure to MPs are increasing, our understanding of the <em>in vivo</em> behavior of MPs remains limited. This study aimed to enable the observation of the <em>in vivo</em> dynamics of MPs by loading them with a fluorescent dye that emits light in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) biological window, which allows deep-tissue imaging. Plastic granules— composed of polypropylene, polyethylene, or polystyrene—were dispersed in tetrahydrofuran to generate nanosized particles, which were mixed with a solution of IR-1061 dye in acetonitrile and heated at 55 °C (N<small>₂</small> atmosphere) to promote dye loading. An aqueous solution of bovine serum albumin was then added dropwise and stirred in open air to evaporate the organic solvent, resulting in obtaining water-dispersed IR-1061-loaded MPs that exhibited fluorescence in the NIR-II region. The <em>in vivo</em> behavior of IR-1061-loaded MPs was examined following oral administration to mice. No fluorescence from IR-1061-loaded MPs was observed in tissues outside the gastrointestinal tract, indicating minimal intestinal absorption. At 48 h post-administration, NIR-II fluorescence from IR-1061-loaded MPs was observed in feces but not <em>in vivo</em>, indicating that the MPs were excreted in feces. The extent of intestinal retention was influenced by MP size rather than chemical composition. The development of methods for synthesizing NIR-II-fluorophore-loaded MP models with various chemical compositions will support risk assessments by providing insights into the environmental and biological fates of MPs.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 3","pages":" 802-808"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00360a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147375152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis, weathering and machine learning modeling of nutrient-doped fast-weathering silicate minerals for carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS)","authors":"Asif Ali and Rafael M. Santos","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00394F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00394F","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p &gt;Mineral carbonation is a promising carbon capture, storage and utilization (CCUS) technology that has enormous potential for capturing atmospheric CO&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; (a greenhouse gas) and converting it into environmentally stable products. Slow weathering of naturally occurring silicate minerals is a key challenge for mineral carbonation, as some minerals can take centuries to weather and convert leached calcium and magnesium cations into carbonates. A comprehensive literature review revealed that there is a scarcity of studies on fast weathering silicate minerals for mineral carbonation. Some silicates, such as akermanite and calcio-olivine minerals, have shown faster weathering capabilities. However, the doping of these minerals with plant nutrients to offer both organic and inorganic carbon capture benefits have not yet been investigated and signifies the novelty of the present research. The present research investigated the synthesis process of nutrient-doped akermanite and calcio-olivine &lt;em&gt;via&lt;/em&gt; solid-state sintering methodology and the weathering capabilities of synthesized minerals compared with those of naturally occurring silicate minerals. A machine learning model is developed to help forecast the weathering capabilities of silicate minerals for deployment. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to characterize and analyze the performance of the synthesized minerals. The synthesis conditions of akermanite and calcio-olivine were adapted from the literature by tuning the temperature conditions for synthesizing these minerals, resulting in successful synthesis. SEM analysis helped elucidate the morphological characteristics of akermanite and calcio-olivine. During the sintering experiments, swelling of the calcio-olivine tablet was observed, which was confirmed by cracks in the fused calcio-olivine particles at one micrometer scale. The weathering experiments resulted in the release of calcium and magnesium cations, where fast-weathering silicate minerals resulted in faster release of alkaline earth metal cations, creating more opportunities for capturing atmospheric CO&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt;. The ICP-MS results also revealed the release of potassium cations, confirming that nutrients take part in the weathering process. The release of micro-nutrients is relatively fast, which opens a future research direction to investigate other methodologies of nutrient's incorporation during the synthesis process. The machine learning modeling results indicated fast weathering of synthesized silicate minerals compared with naturally occurring silicates, where calcio-olivine provided relatively more CO&lt;small&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/small&gt; sequestration than did akermanite. The results provide research insights and future research directions in ","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 1433-1452"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00394f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147924032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Upcycling E-waste for sustainable innovation: functional materials, toxicity reduction, and circular design","authors":"Pranav Prashant Dagwar, Debajyoti Kundu and Deblina Dutta","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00362H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00362H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The exponential growth in electronic waste (E-waste) driven by digitalization, urbanization, and rapid technological turnover presents an urgent global challenge due to its complex composition of valuable and toxic materials. While conventional recycling methods often fail to recover critical resources efficiently and contribute to environmental pollution, upcycling has emerged as a transformative approach that not only recovers metals and polymers but also converts them into value-added functional materials. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the composition and embedded resource potential of E-waste, highlighting the upcycling of printed circuit boards, wires, plastics, and rare earth element-rich components into high-performance catalysts, energy storage electrodes, sensors, and environmental remediation materials. Emphasis is placed on bio-assisted and green processing technologies, including bioleaching, deep eutectic solvents, and biomimetic synthesis, which offer low-impact alternatives for material recovery. The study also integrates life cycle safety, toxicity mitigation, and circular design frameworks to align material innovation with global sustainability goals. Industrial translation challenges, including technological scalability, market readiness, regulatory gaps, and informal sector integration, are critically discussed. By reframing E-waste as a resource-rich feedstock, this review presents upcycling as a viable pathway toward the circular economy transition and sustainable materials innovation.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 4","pages":" 966-996"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00362h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147621009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Organogels based on aromatic amino acids with appended long-chain fatty acids for sustainable oil spill recovery and environmental remediation","authors":"Abhinandan Bera, Neha Jain, Bikram Das and Subhasish Roy","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00467E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00467E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Various organogelator molecules based on fatty-acid-appended amino acids have been synthesized <em>via</em> amide coupling between an aromatic amino acid (<small>L</small>-phenylglycine/<small>L</small>-phenylalanine) and fatty acid (palmitic acid/lauric acid), and their organogelation abilities have been tested in various organic solvents, including simple hydrocarbons, aromatic solvents, and oils, namely, kerosene and diesel. Palmitic-acid-appended <small>L-</small>phenylalanine (<strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phe</strong>) and <small>L-</small>phenylglycine (<strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phg</strong>) undergo stable organogelation in organic solvents including iso-octane, heptane, hexane, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, petroleum ether, kerosene and diesel. However, lauric-acid-appended <small>L-</small>phenylglycine (<strong>C<small>₁₁</small>-Phg</strong>) and <small>L-</small>phenylalanine (<strong>C<small>₁₁</small>-Phe</strong>) undergo transient organogelation and clear solution formation under the same conditions, respectively. Interestingly, the minimum gelation concentration of the organogelator <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phg</strong> has been estimated to be lower than that of the organogelator <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phe</strong>. Moreover, <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phg</strong> organogels in all hydrocarbon solvents show a helical nanofibrillar morphology; however, <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phe</strong> shows a nanobelt-like straight fibrillar morphology, except in isooctane. <strong>C<small>₁₁</small>-Phg</strong> also shows a helical nanofibrillar ribbon-like morphology. Powder XRD and FT-IR studies revealed the involvement of π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions in their gel states. The organogels of <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phg</strong> in diesel and kerosene show thixotropic behaviour. The thermal stabilities of the <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phg</strong> organogels have been found to be greater than those of <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phe</strong>. A phase-selective gelation study has been performed in a diesel–water mixture for <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phg</strong>, in which the gel layer could be easily separated to recover the oils, demonstrating the promising applicability of <strong>C<small>₁₅</small>-Phg</strong> in oil spill recovery from marine and aquatic water. This study showcases the green and sustainable development of oil spill recovery and environmental remediation by using simple chemistry to save marine and aquatic life.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 5","pages":" 1284-1291"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00467e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147924027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of metal contaminants and environmentally persistent free radicals in indoor dust from urban and rural households","authors":"Emily R. Halpern, Steven Sharpe, Killian MacFeely, Peter Christ, Lauren Heirty, Christopher P. West, Tuong Van Nguyen, Satya S. Patra, Brian H. Magnuson, Brandon E. Boor, Paige A. Thompson, Laura J. Claxton, Orit Herzberg, Meghan Kalvey, Margaret Shilling, Karen E. Adolph and Alexander Laskin","doi":"10.1039/D5VA00477B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00477B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Indoor dust is recognized as a reservoir of chemical toxicants owing to its high surface area and propensity for contact transfer and resuspension. It is an indicator of indoor pollutants and a potential source for exposure from ingestion and inhalation. To identify health-risks, house dust samples collected from urban (New York City, NY) and rural (West Lafayette, IN) residences were analyzed for two toxicant classes – toxic metals and environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). Elemental composition and concentrations were quantified by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Higher levels of crustal mineral elements (Na, Al, Si, Mg, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, and Mn) were observed in the rural dust samples (typically 2–5× higher in concentration), whereas several toxic metals were concentrated in the urban dust samples (Zn ≈ 430 ppm<small>_m</small>, Pb ≈ 100 ppm<small>_m</small>, Cu ≈ 70 ppm<small>_m</small>), corresponding to 2–3× higher concentrations. Analysis of elemental enrichment factors (EFs) indicated enhancement of several industrially relevant metals. Geospatial autocorrelation using Moran's Index revealed significant spatial clustering of several toxicologically relevant elements in the rural area, whereas most toxic elements in the urban area were randomly distributed, consistent with distinct source profiles. EPFR type and abundance were evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Despite overlapping signals, several source-consistent components were identified through comparison with previous studies. The EPFR concentrations in these house dust samples spanned a wide range of 10<small>⁹</small>–10<small>¹⁶</small> radicals µg<small>⁻¹</small> dust. This systematic screening framework enables source apportionment of indoor dust contaminants and supports evaluation of potential health impacts.</p>","PeriodicalId":72941,"journal":{"name":"Environmental science. Advances","volume":" 3","pages":" 866-877"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/va/d5va00477b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147375175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}