{"title":"Assessing year-round microplastic loading in the lower Brahmaputra River: A threat to aquatic environment","authors":"Md. Anamul Hassan, Mashura Shammi, Shafi M. Tareq","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100592","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100592","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rivers transport large quantities of microplastics (MPs) and suspended solids (SS) to the ocean. This study aimed to conduct a year-round analysis of MPs and total suspended solids (TSS) in the lower part of the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh, estimate their outflow, and assess the resulting ecological risks. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis identified nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, and polystyrene polymers. The most common shape of MPs in the river water was fiber. Annually, 23.60 kg or 1.35 × 10<sup>4</sup> trillion MPs and 2.08 × 10<sup>8</sup> tons of SS outflows through this part of the river. Rainfall in the river basin is responsible for the high concentrations of MPs and TSS during the wet season. A species sensitivity distribution model based on toxicity data for freshwater species was used in this study to evaluate the ecological risks posed by MPs and SS. Risk assessment based on the risk quotient (RQ) suggests that MPs and SS pose potential risks to freshwater biota, particularly during the wet season. Overall, this study underscores the persistent presence of MPs throughout the year, highlighting the critical need for immediate and effective preventive measures to reduce MP pollution and protect freshwater biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100592"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177294","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}
Anagha Balaji , Ayyappa Bathinapatla , Manju Manuel , Ravi Kumar Mulpuri , Suvardhan Kanchi
{"title":"Recent developments in melamine detection: Applications of gold and silver nanostructures in colorimetric and fluorometric assays","authors":"Anagha Balaji , Ayyappa Bathinapatla , Manju Manuel , Ravi Kumar Mulpuri , Suvardhan Kanchi","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purity of milk, traditionally regarded as a symbol of health and nourishment, has been undermined by the alarming issue of melamine (MLM) adulteration. This nitrogen-rich compound is illicitly introduced to falsely enhance protein content, posing significant health risks. Traditional detection methods are often labor-intensive, time-consuming, or require expensive equipment. In response, researchers have developed colorimetric detection techniques to efficiently screen milk for MLM contamination. These methods are particularly promising due to their ease of preparation, rapid detection, high sensitivity, and capability for naked-eye detection. Furthermore, the unique optical properties of advanced nanomaterials have facilitated fluorometric detection, wherein the presence of contaminants induces detectable changes in fluorescence intensity or wavelength. This study offers an in-depth review of recent advancements in colorimetric and fluorometric probes based on silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanostructures, exploring their application in food analysis. It delves into the underlying sensing mechanisms of these probes, showcasing their efficacy in detecting food contaminants. Despite the numerous advantages of Ag and Au nanostructure-based probes, challenges remain, particularly in addressing the complexity of food matrices, achieving simultaneous detection of multiple analytes, and mitigating interference from testing conditions. Additionally, this review highlights the emergence of immunoassay-based sensors, noting that many commercially available MLM testing kits utilize ELISA and LFIA platforms. For the first time, a comprehensive list of MLM testing devices and assay kits is presented, accompanied by key findings from recent studies and recommendations for future research directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100553"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177664","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}
Kechao Li , Tao Hu , Min Zhou , Mengting Wu , Qiusong Chen , Chongchong Qi
{"title":"A systematic evaluation of advanced machine learning models for nickel contamination management in soil using spectral data","authors":"Kechao Li , Tao Hu , Min Zhou , Mengting Wu , Qiusong Chen , Chongchong Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil nickel (Ni) contamination attributes a crucial environmental concern because its adverse effects on people health and ecosystem. Numerous studies have estimated Ni concentrations in soil, however, previous studies face several limitations, such as limited sample size and restricted spatial coverage, which impede their practical application. In this study, comprehensive and reliable dataset was utilized and 12 machine learning models were trained to predict soil Ni contamination at large-scale. After hyperparameter tuning, the light gradient-boosting machine (LGBM) method showed the optimal performance with values for area under the curve, accuracy rate, precision rate, F1 score, and recall rate metrics of 0.8024, 0.8218, 0.6818, 0.7561, and 0.7183, respectively. Accordingly, the LGBM model was employed for feature importance analysis, with the top three most sensitive bands identified within the wavelength ranges of 2214–2215 nm, 2214.5–2215.5 nm, and 2215–2216 nm, with feature importance scores of 159, 147, and 119, respectively. The results validate the effectiveness of machine learning techniques in detecting Ni concentrations in soils, which can directly inform the regulation of soil Ni levels and contribute to the promotion of soil management, crop cultivation, and disease prevention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100576"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143175902","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}
Kelsey O'Malley , Hannah Blair Hidle , Benjamin Parker Jones, Shenwei Liang, YuYe J. Tong, Dejun Chen
{"title":"A suspects screening workflow towards total per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in cosmetics with time-of-flight mass spectrometry","authors":"Kelsey O'Malley , Hannah Blair Hidle , Benjamin Parker Jones, Shenwei Liang, YuYe J. Tong, Dejun Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100580","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100580","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In response to growing concerns over PFAS exposure from cosmetics, this study developed a level-5a (Suspect Screening Exact Mass Match) PFAS suspect screening protocol using liquid chromatography and time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify PFAS in 35 U.S.-market cosmetic products. A screening workflow developed by a Native PFAS Precision and Recovery Standards Solution, containing 30 typical PFAS, enabled maximum-likelihood suspect identification against a PFAS list of 3,882 compounds from National Institute of Standards and Technology with least false-negatives and false-positives. PFAS suspects were identified in 34 of 35 samples, with 13 samples containing over 10 unique PFAS suspects. Powder-based cosmetics exhibited more PFAS suspects than cream-based products. Targeted analysis with 30 PFAS standards via Triple Quadrupole LC-MS/MS confirmed 26 of the 218 identified suspects. These results underscore the feasibility of the total PFAS suspects in cosmetics and highlight the need for stricter regulation of fluorinated ingredients and further research on dermal PFAS exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100580"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143175907","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":"Antiviral effects of copper and copper alloy and the underlying mechanisms in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2","authors":"Ryuichi Nakano , Akiyo Nakano , Takeshi Sasahara , Yuki Suzuki , Yasuhiro Nojima , Hisakazu Yano","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper has antibacterial and antiviral properties and is effective against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; however, the detailed mechanism of virus inactivation remains unclear. Here, purified viruses were used to clarify the viral inactivation effect and to identify viral inactivation factors and damaged viral structures. When the virus is in contact with copper, the infectivity titer decreased by approximately 5-log<sub>10</sub> in 30 min; however, in contact with a copper alloy C22000 (90 % Cu, 10 % Zn) surface, it decreased by > 6-log<sub>10</sub> in only 10 min. To investigate its inactivation mechanism, RNA copy number of infectious viral particles was quantified using RNase treatment, oligo(dT)-based reverse transcriptase, and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction. Contact with copper and copper alloys causes fragmentation of the viral RNA over time; however, degradation is slow. The amount of spike protein on the viral membrane measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was only slightly reduced; however, C22000 was capable of degrading more than copper. The virus also reacted on the plates with chelators of copper ions and scavengers of reactive oxygen species as inhibitors of copper and copper alloy inactivating factors. The synergistic effects of copper ions, Cu(I) and Cu(II), and superoxide were found to be the significant inactivating factors of the virus. Furthermore, copper and copper alloy-coated textiles were prepared, and the inactivation efficacy was evaluated. Surprisingly, textiles coated with C21000 (Cu 95 %, Zn 5 %) showed the highest antiviral activity, decreasing by >6-log<sub>10</sub> to below the detection limit after only 2 min of contact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100589"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143175913","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}
Callistus I. Iheme , Kenneth E. Asika , Reginald C. Olugbue , Valentine Okwaraejesu , Victor C. Eze , Uchechi K. Obasi , Raymond C. Ibeh , Arthur C. Morah , Elias E. Elemike , Nneamaka A. Chiegboka , Chinwe S. Alisi
{"title":"Environmental remediation of petroleum-hydrocarbon-contaminated Avu mechanic village soil using green-synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles: Advance remediation technology","authors":"Callistus I. Iheme , Kenneth E. Asika , Reginald C. Olugbue , Valentine Okwaraejesu , Victor C. Eze , Uchechi K. Obasi , Raymond C. Ibeh , Arthur C. Morah , Elias E. Elemike , Nneamaka A. Chiegboka , Chinwe S. Alisi","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In order to remediate soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, this study evaluated the potential of iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs), synthesized using an aqueous leaf extract of <em>Diodella sarmentosa (sw).</em> The FeONPs were characterized using a high resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscope (Uv-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS). Soil samples (labeled A, B, and C) were collected from four different locations within Avu mechanic village, Nigeria, and then homogenized. The samples were assessed for petroleum hydrocarbon contents and the potential of FeONPs and the bulk FeCl<sub>3</sub>·6H<sub>2</sub>O to degrade them. Sample A was treated with FeONPs; sample B was treated with the bulk FeCl<sub>3</sub>·6H<sub>2</sub>O; and sample C, serving as the control, remained untreated. Using gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector (GC-FID), results revealed the concentrations of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in samples A, B, and C as 35.77 mg/kg and 218.43 mg/L, 500.876 mg/kg and 3838.86 mg/L, and 1163.30 mg/kg and 7358.87 mg/L, respectively. The efficacy of FeONPs in degrading these pollutants more than the bulk compound may have stemmed from their large surface area-to-volume ratio and redox cycling. In view of the higher adjusted R-square values of 49.40 % in PAH as against 34.70 % in TPH, it can be said that both agents (FeCl<sub>3</sub>·6H<sub>2</sub>O and FeONPs) were more effective in degrading PAH than TPH. On the basis of the findings, it can be concluded that the synthesized-FeONPs degraded the persistent PAH and TPH in the soil samples at an efficiency of 96.92 % and 97.03 %, respectively, when compared to both the bulk FeCl<sub>3</sub>·6H<sub>2</sub>O and the untreated control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100566"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143176281","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}
Magboul M.S. Siddig , Stephen B. Asabere , Abdullah S. Al-Farraj , Eric C. Brevik , Daniela Sauer
{"title":"Pollution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in anthropogenically-affected soils of Sudan: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Magboul M.S. Siddig , Stephen B. Asabere , Abdullah S. Al-Farraj , Eric C. Brevik , Daniela Sauer","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil is a sink for environmental hazardous materials including heavy metals (HMs). Developing countries face enormous environmental problems, including HMs in soils that reduce biodiversity and create serious human health risks. Thus, it is important to determine and track status of soil HM concentrations in different anthropogenic land uses (LUs) in such countries to support critical environmental management decisions. Due to the absence of soil HMs information for anthropogenically-affected soils across Sudan, this study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 76 publications produced between 1996 and 2024 that reported on soil HM values in Sudan. Our work focused on 10 HMs (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and 9 LUs (urban agricultural, industrial, roadside, tannery, waste dump, rural agricultural, coastal sediments, gold mining, and river sediments). The objective was to investigate HM levels and assess the potential ecological risks posed by soil HMs in the aforementioned LUs across the entire country. The averages for all HMs in all LUs combined exceeded their corresponding average common range (ACRs) in soils, with Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Pb surpassing their WHO/FAO limits. The averages for Cd and Hg in urban agricultural were ≈158 and 340 times their ACRs and ≈3 and 10 times the WHO/FAO limits, respectively. The averages for Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb (gold mining) were 122, 21, 407, and 24 times, for Pb (industrial) 89 times, and for Cr (tannery) 20 times higher than the ACRs. The average PI, CF, EF, and I<sub>geo</sub> pollution indices indicated anthropogenic sources for all HMs except Mn in all LUs. The averages for single ecological risk (Er) for all HMs indicated low risks, whereas the potential ecological risk index (PERI) suggested considerable risk. The average PERI values were waste dump > industrial > gold mining > rural agricultural > river sediments > urban agricultural > roadside > tannery > coastal sediments. Industrial, gold mining and waste dump had extreme ecological risk values (PERI >900), with Cd and Hg contributing >70 % of the total PERI for waste dump and gold mining. Findings from this review and meta-analysis provide useful information on pollution levels and ecological risk posed by HMs on a national scale. We strongly recommend establishing national HM background concentrations for better understanding of HM pollution levels, taking into account the lithology and soil parent materials across the country. This can help guide future research priorities for soils in Sudan, specifically pollution control, management strategies and human health risk assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100601"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143176346","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}
María Higueras-Valdivia , Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro , Mario Paniagua-López , Ana Romero-Freire , Inmaculada García-Romera
{"title":"Mitigation of heavy metal soil contamination: A novel strategy with mycorrhizal fungi and biotransformed olive residue","authors":"María Higueras-Valdivia , Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro , Mario Paniagua-López , Ana Romero-Freire , Inmaculada García-Romera","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates a novel phytoremediation approach in, employing a synergistic treatment involving arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and biotransformed dry olive residue (DOR) to address heavy metal (HM) contamination in soils. The research focused on soil from the Guadiamar Green Corridor area (Aznalcóllar), characterized by bar soils with residual metal pollution (Co, As, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn). The findings highlight a significant improvement in soil physicochemical properties following the application of DOR, including a 3-unit increase in pH (from 4 to 7), an increase in CaCO₃ content from nearly 0 to 4, and a rise in organic matter content (from 0.92 % to 1.88 %). Additionally, the activity of all four enzymatic activities studied -dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, phosphatase, and urease- was markedly enhanced, leading to improved biological properties. These changes led to a subsequent increase in vegetative response, as reflected in a 273 % rise in biomass, a 41 % increase in stomatal conductance, and a 47 % improvement in photosystem efficiency. Although mycorrhizal inoculation provided moderate benefit, the native species, <em>Rhizoglomus</em> sp. (Azn), emerged as the most effective, achieving a mycorrhization percentage of 28 % and an 80 % increase in root biomass compared to other treatments when combined with DOR. This study proposes an innovative, circular economy-driven approach to address diffuse pollution sources in the studied area by recommending the use of DOR and inoculation with sp. This approach proves superior in both soil and plant systems. Additionally, employing native inoculants and agricultural by-products, the research not only contributes to the valorization of local resources but also promotes economic growth while supporting environmental conservation efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100570"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143176567","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}
Padmapriya Kumar , Jashwini Asokan , S. Sriram , M.C. Ramkumar , P. Sathish Kumar , M. Govindaraj Shalini
{"title":"Impact of annealing on ZnFe₂O₄: Structural, optical, magnetic, photocatalytic, and antibacterial properties with DFT insights into optical parameters","authors":"Padmapriya Kumar , Jashwini Asokan , S. Sriram , M.C. Ramkumar , P. Sathish Kumar , M. Govindaraj Shalini","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄) nanoparticles were synthesized using a hydrothermal method and annealed at various temperatures ranging from 250 °C–750 °C. Comprehensive characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). XRD confirmed the formation of a cubic spinel structure, with crystallite sizes varying between 30 and 40 nm for the annealed nanoparticles. It is observed from the BET analysis that the surface area and pore volume are indirectly proportional to the annealing temperature of the ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles. The FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of metal‒oxygen vibrations, particularly Zn<img>O and Fe<img>O bonds, and the PL studies revealed emission peaks indicating charge carrier recombination. Magnetic measurements revealed that the 750 °C annealed ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles had a saturation magnetization (M<sub>s</sub>) of 4.04 emu/g, coercivity (H<sub>c</sub>) of 14.28 Oe, and retentivity (M<sub>r</sub>) of 0.0029 emu/g. ESR spectroscopy provided a g-value of 2.00 and a peak-to-peak linewidth (ΔHpp) of 67.008 mT. The photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation, where T<sub>A</sub> = 500 °C and T<sub>A</sub> = 750 °C ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles exhibited the highest degradation efficiencies of 53 %. Antibacterial studies demonstrated that the 750 °C annealed ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were effective against <em>B. subtilis</em> and <em>P. aeruginosa</em>, with zones of inhibition of 22 mm and 24 mm, respectively, comparable to those of the control. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to obtain insights into the electronic and optical properties of the ZnFe₂O₄ system. The DFT results imply that the electronic structure is fully dominated by the 3d electrons of the transition metal atoms and the 2p of the oxygen atoms. The calculated optical band gap of 1.74 eV closely aligns with the optical properties observed experimentally 1.82 eV for T<sub>A</sub> = 500 °C, thereby validating the accuracy of the experimental findings. Additionally, the DFT analysis highlights the isotropic nature of the material with respect to the optical response, offering deeper insight into its suitability for photocatalytic applications. The combination of superior optical, magnetic, and structural properties, along with strong photocatalytic and antibacterial activities, makes zinc ferrite nanoparticles annealed at 750 °C promising candidate for environmental and biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100594"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177324","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}
Ujala Ejaz , Shujaul Mulk Khan , Shah Fahad Ali Shah , Noreen Khalid , Sadia Jehangir , Zarrin Fatima Rizvi , Jens-Christian Svenning
{"title":"Integrative data-driven analytics for assessing ecological and human health risks of soil heavy metal contamination","authors":"Ujala Ejaz , Shujaul Mulk Khan , Shah Fahad Ali Shah , Noreen Khalid , Sadia Jehangir , Zarrin Fatima Rizvi , Jens-Christian Svenning","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heavy Metals (HM) in soil pose a serious threat to environmental and public health, particularly in regions with extensive human activities. This study provides a comprehensive approach to evaluate the ecological and human health risks associated with eight key HM: copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg). By utilizing advanced self-organizing maps (SOMs), this study identifies complex spatial patterns of HM contamination, pinpointing critical areas for targeted management interventions. The potential ecological risk index (PERI) highlights risks ranging from moderate to very high, with Cd, Pb, and Cr identified as the key contributors to ecological hazards due to their acute toxicity and extensive distribution. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations offer a comprehensive analysis of human health impacts, revealing significantly elevated non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, particularly for children. The hazard indices (HI) and total cancer risk (TCR) values for Pb and As frequently exceed safety thresholds, indicating the need for protective measures for vulnerable groups. Structural equation modeling (SEM) further indicates that anthropogenic pressure and industrial activity significantly elevated soil concentrations of Cu and Cr, whereas agricultural activity was associated with increased Zn levels. By integrating advanced risk assessment methods, this study provided a practical, adaptable model for managing soil contamination risks, equipping policymakers and environmental managers with actionable insights to address the challenges of HM pollution and safeguard both ecosystems and public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100596"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177328","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}