Journal of hazardous materials advances最新文献

{"title":"Antimicrobial materials for water infrastructure: Mitigating biofouling and pathogen contamination","authors":"Kehinde Shola Obayomi ,&nbsp;Lukman Shehu Mustapha ,&nbsp;Muibat Diekola Yahya ,&nbsp;Oluwatobi Victoria Obayomi","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100896","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100896","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial contamination and biofouling remain persistent threats to global water infrastructure, compromising water quality, system longevity, and public health. Traditional chemical disinfection methods, though effective, often fall short due to limitations such as short residual activity, formation of harmful by-products, and microbial resistance. As a result, the integration of antimicrobial materials into water infrastructure has gained traction as a sustainable and proactive solution. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current antimicrobial strategies, including passive and active approaches, and examines the physicochemical mechanisms by which these materials inhibit microbial colonization. Key categories such as metal-based agents for example silver, copper, polymeric compounds, carbon-based nanomaterials, photocatalytic surfaces, and hybrid composites are analyzed in terms of mode of action, effectiveness, and limitations. The review also highlights the mechanisms of antimicrobial activity ranging from cell membrane disruption to quorum sensing interference and discusses real-world challenges including environmental safety, material degradation, scalability, and regulatory uncertainty. Furthermore, it explores emerging technologies such as smart responsive materials, green biopolymers, and digitally integrated antimicrobial systems. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying research gaps, this paper underscores the transformative potential of antimicrobial materials to reshape water infrastructure into self-sanitizing, resilient systems essential for safeguarding public health and environmental sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100896"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic BiVO4/N, S co-doped municipal sludge-derived biochar composite for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants","authors":"Rajesh Chanda ,&nbsp;Toslim Jahid ,&nbsp;Seamul Islam ,&nbsp;Mohit Dhali ,&nbsp;Mohammad Forrukh Hossain Khan ,&nbsp;Md․Saiful Islam ,&nbsp;Shimul Saha ,&nbsp;Biplob Kumar Biswas","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100897","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100897","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental pollution stemming from pharmaceutical products and textile effluents is increasing daily. Photocatalytic degradation is a viable remediation technique for such organic compounds. BiVO₄ (BVO) has gained attention as a visible light photocatalyst due to its easy preparation process and low cost. However, the high recombination rate of photogenerated charges limits the photocatalytic efficiency of BVO. To overcome such limitations and enhance the overall wastewater decontamination performance, a N, S-co-doped municipal sludge (NSMS)-derived biochar is utilized as support material. Composites having various BVO and NSMS biochar mass ratios were prepared to study the effect of NSMS biochar addition. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated using Rhodamine B and Ciprofloxacin as representative compounds for textile dye and pharmaceutical products, respectively. The BVO–NSMS composites demonstrated 2- and 3.5 times faster degradation for Rhodamine B and Ciprofloxacin, respectively, compared to the pristine BVO material. The XRD, FT-IR, UV-DRS, XPS, and EIS techniques were carried out to elucidate the observed synergistic effect of NSMS biochar inclusion in the BVO-based composite. The NSMS biochar provides adsorption sites for pollutant molecules and delays the recombination of the generated electron-hole pair of BVO material. Additionally, the RSM and ANOVA statistical tools were employed to determine the optimized degradation parameters. The presented NSMS-incorporated BVO composite valorizes the municipal sludge waste and can be applied as a photocatalyst for mitigating organic contamination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100897"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring plant nutrient acquisition traits plasticity in response to PFOA stress in crop species: the case of pea, rapeseed and wheat","authors":"MAROUA ALAOUI ,&nbsp;MICHEL-PIERRE FAUCON ,&nbsp;CELINE ROISIN ,&nbsp;ISABELLE TRINSOUTROT-GATTIN ,&nbsp;STEPHANE FIRMIN","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100895","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100895","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) contamination in agricultural soils raises increasing concern due to its persistence and phytotoxicity. While prior research has focused on soil physicochemical and biological properties influencing PFOA behavior, less is known about its effects on plant-mediated processes at the root–soil interface—key to nutrient acquisition and rhizosphere dynamics.</div><div>In this study, we investigated how two concentrations of PFOA (0.04 and 500 mg kg⁻¹) affect root traits, nutrient uptake, and rhizosphere microbial activity in three crop species—wheat, rapeseed, and pea—grown under controlled greenhouse conditions. After eight weeks, plant biomass and photosynthesis were mostly unaffected at the low concentration but impaired at 500 mg kg⁻¹, especially in rapeseed. Antioxidant responses varied across species, with rapeseed being the most sensitive and pea the most tolerant.</div><div>PFOA exposure reduced nodule density in pea and stimulated root exudation of carboxylates such as malate and citrate in all species. These changes coincided with altered shoot elemental composition, notably elevated iron in wheat and manganese in rapeseed and pea. Rhizosphere microbial activity related to carbon metabolism also shifted significantly, in wheat, which released the highest levels of organic acids.</div><div>Our findings show that PFOA can strongly alter below-ground plant strategies, with species-specific impacts on nutrient acquisition and rhizosphere interactions. This work underscores the role of root functional traits as early and sensitive indicators of plant responses to soil pollutants. It contributes to a mechanistic understanding of how emerging contaminants like PFOA affect rhizosphere processes relevant to soil health, nutrient cycling, and crop resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100895"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Meal residue reclamation for enhanced denitrification in microbial fuel cell-constructed wetland for rural sewage treatment","authors":"Yutong Li ,&nbsp;Yuting Ma ,&nbsp;Mengni Tao ,&nbsp;Shiwei Cao ,&nbsp;Zhaoqian Jing","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100894","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100894","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In rural sewage treatment, constructed wetlands often face the problem of insufficient carbon sources for deep nitrogen removal. This study selected the most accessible and low-cost meal residues in rural areas: rice, noodles, rapeseed straw as external carbon sources, discussing the feasibility of directly using them as carbon sources. The results indicated the removal of nitrogen by microbial fuel cell-constructed wetland (MFC<img>CW) was enhanced with the meal residue reclamation. The static experiment showed that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) release of rice was 130.93 mg/g, while rapeseed straw treated with 1 % alkali pretreatment resulted in a more stable carbon release capability than untreated rapeseed straw, with the COD release of 119.2 mg/g. In the MFC<img>CW system, the addition of 70 g/m² of rice was the best for nitrogen removal, and the removal rate of total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen reached above 90 %, increased by 22 %. After adding meal residue, the average output voltage of the MFC<img>CW was also improved, and power generation decreased by 0.2–0.8 mW/m² after removing the carbon source. Abundant microorganisms related to denitrification, electricity generation, and organic matter degradation were detected in MFC<img>CW after meal residue reclamation. This study provides a meaningful method for improving the treatment efficiency of MFC<img>CW for rural sewage treatment with meal residues as carbon source.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100894"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emerging contaminants in surface and groundwater of an intensive agro-industrial region: Distribution, risks, and sources assessment","authors":"Kartik Jadav,&nbsp;Basant Yadav","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100893","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100893","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intensive cultivation and industrial activities pose significant risks to water security from emerging contaminants (ECs). This study monitored pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and phthalates (PAEs) to assess spatial distribution, ecological and human health risks and source assessment in the surface and groundwater of Hindon River Basin, India. The leaching potential of currently used pesticides was also assessed using pesticide physicochemical and region hydrogeological properties. Notably, detected ECs are associated with (partially) treated wastewater discharge from intensive agriculture and industrial activities, polluted rivers, frequent flooding and declining groundwater levels. The leaching indices indicated that chlorpyrifos, imidacloprid, atrazine, carbendazim, and dimethoate pesticides posed the highest leaching risks due to their widespread application in sugarcane, rice and wheat systems with intense irrigation and shallow groundwater level (∼9 mbgl). The pyrene, anthracene, di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and di-cyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) posed moderate-high ecological risks, especially to aquatic organisms such as algae, daphnia, and fish. Health risk assessment identified DiBP and DnBP as the most critical contaminants, with ingestion posing the highest risk. The source apportionment analysis identified five major sources with industrial and commercial chemical applications and related wastewater discharges found as dominant. The presence of PAEs was linked to textile-dyeing, paper and pulp, plastic molding, and widespread use of plasticizers, adhesives and coatings in the chemical industries. In contrast, PAHs presence reflected fossil fuel combustion, brick kiln operations, crop residues open burning, and vehicular traffic. The study findings will help in developing source-specific remediation strategies, safeguarding public and ecological health, identifying potential recharge locations and developing a regulatory framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100893"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Focused ultrasound technology for the direct degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): a sustainable approach to contaminant remediation","authors":"So Yul Kim ,&nbsp;Hyewon Shin ,&nbsp;Sungkyu Lee ,&nbsp;Minsung Hwangbo ,&nbsp;Younglim Kho ,&nbsp;Seonae Hwangbo","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite increasing concerns regarding the persistence and toxicity of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), effective and scalable degradation methods remain limited. In this study, we applied focused ultrasound technology to directly degrade persistent organic pollutants, specifically PFAS. The primary objectives were to identify the optimal reaction conditions and elucidate the underlying degradation mechanisms. Ultrasound reaction experiments were conducted using aqueous solutions of perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA) to validate the stepwise degradation and mineralization tendencies of PFAS through fluoride ion quantification and non-target analysis. The results showed that PFAS degradation occurred through the progressive cleavage of carbon-carbon and carbon-fluorine bonds, leading to the sequential shortening of long-chain PFAS into short-chain derivatives. Furthermore, acoustic pressure field analysis was employed to determine the optimal ultrasound conditions that maximized cavitation effects. A spiked petrochemical wastewater matrix achieved a PFOA removal efficiency exceeding 99.9 %. The focused ultrasound process effectively removed trace-level multi-species PFAS (e.g., PFHxA, PFHpA, PFPeS, and diPAP) detected in actual groundwater samples. This study demonstrates the practical applicability and environmental compatibility of focused ultrasound as a direct technology for PFAS degradation, which operates without requiring high temperature, high pressure, or external oxidants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100892"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the carcinogenic and synergistic effects of microplastics isolated from daily used cosmetics on NHDFs and A431 by using anti-cancer drug (5-FU) treatment","authors":"Guria Saha,&nbsp;Natarajan Chandrasekaran","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cosmetics with microplastic beads contribute significantly to microplastic (MPs) contamination. In this investigation Polyethylene microplastic (PE-MP) beads were isolated from commercial face wash (FW-MPs) and face scrubs (FS-MPs) and were exposed to human epidermoid carcinoma (A431) and normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) cells for various time points (6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h). Cell viability assays revealed that PE-MPs significantly (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) enhanced the proliferation of A431 cell growth overtime (27 % to 97 % and 24 % to 99 % for FW-MPs and FS-MPs, respectively). NHDF cell growth was observed to be significantly decreased overtime when treated with PE-MPs (82 % to 12 % and 85 % to 16 % for FW-MPs and FS-MPs, respectively) indicating its harmful effects on human skin cells. 5-fuorouracil (5-FU) is a known drug for treating cancer by promoting apoptosis or cell death. This study also showed increased cell death (17 % to 11 %) of A431 cells overtime (6 to 96 h) when treated with 5-FU. However, the rate of cell death was observed to decreased overtime when cells were treated with 5-FU + PE-MPs (21 % to 45 % and 20 % to 46 % for 5FU + FW-MPs and 5FU + FS-MPs, respectively) compared to pristine 5-FU. Changes in oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes activities were also observed both the treated cells. Additionally, morphological changes were observed for PE-MPs treated A431 cells. Overall, in vitro evidence suggests that cosmetic MPs are hazardous for human normal skin and reduce the efficacy of 5-FU. This adds to our understanding of the health risks of everyday skin care products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100888"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in irrigation water and lettuce crops in Colombia","authors":"Alejandro Moncayo-Lasso ,&nbsp;Carlos M Rincón-Aguilar ,&nbsp;Ana Botero-Coy ,&nbsp;Félix Hernández ,&nbsp;Diana Martínez-Pachón","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100891","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100891","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents the first detailed investigation into the occurrence and risk of pharmaceutically active compounds in irrigation water and lettuce crops within the critical agricultural region of Sabana de Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Systematically were analyzed eight pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs)—including an antiepileptic drug, five antibiotics, one antihypertensive, and one anti-inflammatory—across six farms along the Bogotá River using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.</div><div>The findings reveal a widespread presence of PhACs in irrigation water, with Farm C-Principal exhibiting the highest detection frequency (97 %) and M-La Victoria showing the highest total concentration (613 ng/L). Clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin were the most concentrated among consistently detected PhACs.</div><div>Principal Component Analysis was used to reduce the dataset's dimensionality and identify correlations among the variables. The study also estimated PhACs loading rates into lettuce crops using average water concentrations and CropWat software, with estimated inputs ranging from 5.2 to 26.3 g/ha per crop cycle. Crucially, several PhACs were detected in lettuce, with diclofenac (up to 70.9 ng/g) and trimethoprim (up to 61.6 ng/g) being the most frequently observed. While ecological risk assessment indicated a high risk from pharmaceuticals in irrigation water, particularly clarithromycin, trimethoprim, and diclofenac, the human health risk from consuming the irrigated lettuce appeared negligible. This research provides critical baseline data on PhACs contamination in the Sabana de Bogotá region, which is essential for informing future research and developing effective mitigation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100891"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances in polystyrene nanoplastic remediation: A review of detection methods, toxicity, removal strategies, and economic insights","authors":"Sivakumar Akash ,&nbsp;Sankar Sudharsan Rameshwar ,&nbsp;Natarajan Rajamohan ,&nbsp;Baskaran Sivaprakash ,&nbsp;Santhosh Paramasivam ,&nbsp;Giancarlo Cappellini ,&nbsp;Gianluca Gatto","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plastic waste contamination in marine environments is a critical global issue arising from inadequate waste management, littering, industrial activities, and illegal dumping. Over time, plastic debris fragments into micro- and nano-sized particles, with nanoplastics posing severe risks due to their mobility, persistence, and hazardous impacts on aquatic organisms and plants. This paper addresses the critical environmental issue of plastic waste contamination in the marine ecosystem, with a particular focus on the risk posed by nanoplastics. Here, we emphasized recent advances and novel treatment processes with strong potential for integration into existing wastewater treatment systems, facilitating ease of adoption and rapid technological transfer. Detection and quantification methods, including spectroscopy, microscopy, and microfluidic devices, are discussed alongside the toxicological effects of nanoplastic on microorganisms, plants, and aquatic organisms. Among the reviewed methods, the highest removal efficiencies were achieved using a polyaluminium chloride coagulant, which gained 99.4% separation; catalyst-supported ozonation removed 96.7%; and Chlorella vulgaris-based bioreactors degraded 98.83% of nanoplastics. This work aims to highlight the need for a multifaceted approach that combines technological innovation, environmental monitoring, and techno-economic assessment to ensure the large-scale, cost-effective implementation of nanoplastic remediation within existing water treatment facilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100889"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biogenic synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles from flower extract of Viola odorata and zinc biofortification of rice using its effects on seed germination and growth","authors":"Neelum Iqbal ,&nbsp;Gulzar Ahmad ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ijaz ,&nbsp;Sidra Ahmad ,&nbsp;Fazal Umer ,&nbsp;Abdul Aziz ,&nbsp;Junaid Iqbal ,&nbsp;Mian Afaq Ahmad","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2025.100890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Zinc is a crucial micronutrient for plant growth and metabolism, but its supplementation through chemical fertilizers poses environmental and health risks. This study introduces a novel, eco-friendly approach using <em>Viola odorata</em> flower extract for the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), aimed at improving rice growth and zinc biofortification. The novelty of this research lies in the use of <em>Viola odorata</em>, a plant not previously reported for nanoparticle synthesis, and the application of its biogenic ZnO NPs to enhance the nutritional content and early development of rice seedlings.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>ZnO NPs were synthesized using <em>Viola odorata</em> extract and characterized through UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD, FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, and EDX. The effects of varying ZnO NP concentrations were evaluated on rice seed germination, seedling growth, and zinc uptake.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed a characteristic absorption peak at 375 nm, confirming ZnO NP formation. XRD indicated a cubic crystalline structure with an average size of 17.08 nm. FT-IR analysis confirmed functional groups involved in synthesis. SEM and TEM showed spherical particles ranging from 20 to 50 nm, while EDX confirmed the elemental composition of zinc and oxygen. Application of 10 mg/L ZnO NPs significantly enhanced germination rate, seedling biomass (4.5 g/L vs. 1.2 g/L in control), and seedling length (12.8 cm vs. 8.9 cm in control). Zinc content in rice seedlings increased to 0.71 mg/kg (at 20 mg/L) and 0.65 mg/kg (at 10 mg/L), compared to 0.42 mg/kg in the control group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study demonstrates that biogenic ZnO NPs synthesized using <em>Viola odorata</em> effectively enhance rice seedling growth and zinc biofortification. The findings highlight the potential of green nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture and suggest that such approaches can contribute meaningfully to crop nutrition and productivity. Further field-based studies across different crops are recommended to validate these results.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100890"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}