Environmental Science: Nano最新文献

{"title":"Micromotors for antimicrobial resistance bacteria inactivation in water systems: opportunities and challenges","authors":"Carmen Cuntín-Abal, Beatriz Jurado-Sánchez and Alberto Escarpa","doi":"10.1039/D4EN00863D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN00863D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The intensive use of antibiotics and the inadequate removal in water treatment plants have contributed to the phenomena of antimicrobial resistance. Bacterial colonies and biofilms present in water distribution and aquatic systems respond to the presence of antibiotics by the generation of resistance genes and other determinants transmitted through the environment. In this perspective, we identify the opportunities and challenges of self-propelled micromotors in the fight against antimicrobial resistance by the elimination of antibiotics and bacteria in water. Recent progress is contextualized in the current scenario in terms of bacteria and antibiotics found in real settings and current removal technologies. As illustrated in this perspective, the unique features of micromotors result in a high surface area to-mass ratio for enhanced degradation capabilities, for both antibiotic removal and bacteria biofilm inactivation, as compared with static current technologies. The autonomous movement of micromotors allows us to reach more volumes of water and even hard-to-access areas, offering great opportunities to reach hard-to-access pipelines, not accessible by current approaches. Yet, as envisioned in this perspective, micromotors are far away from real applications, hampered mainly by the main challenges of the treatment of high-water volumes. We also advocate scientists to include in the proof-of-concept studies real water and the evaluation of a major number of antibiotics and bacteria commonly found in real settings, as will be described in this perspective. Micromotors hold considerable promise as a holistic approach to fight antimicrobial resistance, but cross-discipline collaborations are a must to translate the recent progress into real practical applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 967-978"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142902245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Physiological and biochemical responses of maize plants exposed to seed coating and foliar spray of distinct seaweed nanopowder","authors":"Abdul Rahman Rafiqi Mohammed, Paraman Mahendran, Sharmila Rahale Christopher, Subramanian Kizhaeral Sevathapandian, Kannan Pandian, Gurusamy Arumugam, Kumutha karunanandham","doi":"10.1039/d4en00521j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00521j","url":null,"abstract":"Seaweeds carry a wide array of metabolites and nutrients that facilitate growth, development, physiological and biochemical changes in plants, which vary among seaweed species. Among the seaweeds, three distinct seaweed species, viz., brown (Sargassum muticum (SM)), red (Gracilaria edulis (GE)) and (Kappaphycus alvarezii (KA)) were collected from the coastal area of Mandapam, Tamil Nadu and studied. The size reduction using a high energy ball mill at 500 rpm for 3 hours produced seaweed powders with sizes of 30-190 nm (KA), 70-120 nm (GE) and 40-220 nm (SM). Characterization was done using PSA, TEM, SEM, XRD and FTIR. The FTIR profile reveals major functional groups like alkenes, carboxylic acids, alcohols and amines. The seaweeds contained macro and micronutrients, especially potassium (2.67-13.4%). Biochemical profiling indicated high levels of amino acids, vitamins, fatty acids and growth hormones. Maize seeds were coated with 100 g of seaweed powder per kg of seeds using gum acacia (0.1%) as a sticky agent. Furthermore, the maize seedlings were sprayed three times (20, 30, 40 DAS) with seaweed powder @ 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg L-1. The combined application of seed coating and foliar spray of GE significantly increased the growth, physiological and biochemical parameters of the plants. The results demonstrated that seaweeds are rich in metabolites and nutrients that enhance maize growth and physiological parameters. This paper provides foundational information for utilizing seaweed as an organic resource to improve crop growth and productivity.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142888014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Toxicity of mercuric chloride when combined with ionic and nanoparticulate silver on Artemia salina: growth, fatty acid composition, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation†","authors":"Nahid Ravantab, Zahra Ghasemi, Seyed Ali Johari and Richard D. Handy","doi":"10.1039/D4EN00130C","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN00130C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study assessed the individual and binary toxic effects of inorganic mercury (Hg) plus total dissolved Ag (Ag), or silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), on the immobilization, fatty acid composition, and oxidative stress of <em>Artemia salina</em> nauplii as an aquatic animal model. Acute toxicity tests revealed that the immobilization of nauplii exposed to 5 × 10<small>⁻⁹</small> M, 2.5 × 10<small>⁻⁸</small> M, and 5 × 10<small>⁻⁸</small> M of Hg as HgCl<small>₂</small> decreased in the presence of 1 × 10<small>⁻⁴</small> M of Ag NPs or dissolved Ag as AgNO<small>₃</small>. The median effective concentration (EC<small>₅₀</small>) of Hg increased from 4.5 × 10<small>⁻⁸</small> M to 9 × 10<small>⁻⁸</small> M (two-fold) in the presence of Ag (Hg + Ag). Both Ag NPs and Ag decreased the immobilization of nauplii and diminished the oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation induced by Hg. Total amounts of saturated fatty acids (∑SFA) in Hg and Hg + Ag increased compared with that in the control, but this increase was significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) lower in Hg + Ag than in Hg. Total amounts of monounsaturated (∑MUFA) and polyunsaturated (∑PUFA) and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids (unsat./sat.) decreased compared with the control; however, this reduction was significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) smaller for ∑PUFA in Hg + Ag than in Hg. In Hg + Ag NP co-exposure, ∑SFA and the unsat./sat. ratio showed no significant (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) change compared with the control. However, MUFAs exhibited a significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) increased response, while the amount of PUFAs decreased compared with that in the control, but it was significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) higher than that in Hg. A decline in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in nauplii due to exposure to mercury alone was mitigated in the presence of Ag or Ag NPs. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance also decreased in the Hg + Ag and Hg + Ag NP treatments. The toxicity effect of the treatments was in the order of Hg &gt; Hg + Ag &gt; Hg + Ag NPs, revealing the antagonistic effect of Ag or Ag NPs on Hg toxicity, with the highest amelioration observed in the presence of Ag NPs.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1626-1637"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142888012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Nano zinc oxide activates MdCDF2 to promote DNA replication and cell proliferation in apple calli†","authors":"Yuxiao Yi, Xiaowei Li, Qing Wang, Tongtong Guo, Changjian Xie, Fengtang Yang and Jianing Xu","doi":"10.1039/D4EN00997E","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN00997E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Apple (<em>Malus domestica</em>) is grown worldwide. The yield and quality of apple depend on cultivation techniques and nutrition. Nano zinc oxide (ZnO NPs) has been widely applied in agricultural production, commonly used in fertilizers to help crops increase yield and enhance abiotic stress tolerance. However, there are few studies on the effects of ZnO NPs on apple growth. This study found that treatment with 500 ppm ZnO NPs can promote the proliferation of apple callus cells. Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technology, it was confirmed that ZnO NPs can enter apple callus cells more efficiently than ZnO bulk particles (ZnO BPs) and ZnSO<small>₄</small>. Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), it was observed that the ZnO NPs were mainly aggregated in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Transcriptome analysis showed that the expression levels of some zinc finger-containing transcription factors (TFs) were up-regulated after treatment with 500 ppm ZnO NPs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis found that the expression levels of some DNA replication-related genes were significantly changed. DNA pull-down experiments proved that <em>MdCDF2</em> (a zinc finger-containing TF) can bind to the promoter regions of three DNA replication-related genes (<em>MdClpB1</em>, <em>MD01G1182200</em>, <em>MD12G1082300</em>). These data indicated that ZnO NPs may promote DNA replication and cell proliferation in apple callus cells by increasing the expression level of <em>MdCDF2</em>. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which ZnO NPs enhance plant growth efficiency and crop yield.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 3","pages":" 1828-1839"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142888778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"A portable and reusable sensor system based on graphene for real-time and sensitive detection of lead ions in water†","authors":"Byunghoon Ryu, Wen Zhuang, Hyun-June Jang, Zhenwei Gao, Yuqin Wang and Junhong Chen","doi":"10.1039/D4EN00884G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN00884G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Long-term exposure to Pb<small>²⁺</small> can cause irreversible damage to the nervous, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems. Therefore, developing a fast and sensitive detection system capable of monitoring minuscule concentrations of Pb<small>²⁺</small> is essential. In this study, we demonstrated a fully portable sensor system enabling rapid, sensitive, and real-time monitoring of Pb<small>²⁺</small>. The sensor system adopted the remote-gate field-effect transistor (RGFET) detection scheme and was easy to operate, even for non-experts. The sensor system comprised two printed circuit boards (PCBs): a sensor PCB with a remote-gate electrode and an analyzer PCB with a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) transducer and peripheral electronics to manage sensor signals. To achieve a high sensitivity for Pb<small>²⁺</small>, we utilized graphene ink drop-casted on the sensor PCB as a sensing membrane. The graphene film was easy to deposit and remove, enabling the sensor PCB to be reused multiple times. The sensor system was further linked to a smartphone application that instantly monitors the sensor response, allowing for rapid point-of-use detection. The sensor exhibited a high sensitivity of 21.7% when the limit of detection (LOD) value of 1 nM (∼0.2 ppb) was detected, and the typical detection time for each sample was approximately 60 seconds. This portable sensor system advances sensing technologies and could potentially supplement expensive, laborious conventional sensing equipment.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 3","pages":" 1840-1848"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/en/d4en00884g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142886779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Red mud-based Fe/C nanostructured materials for multi-interface remediation of Cr(vi)-contaminated soil and stabilization†","authors":"Shiyu Cao, Jiangshan Li, Jing Nie, Yanbiao Shi, Jiaqi Dong, Lizhi Zhang and Qiang Xue","doi":"10.1039/D4EN01087F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN01087F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The stabilization remediation performance of Cr(<small>VI</small>)-contaminated soil hinges on the remediation behaviors at soil–Cr(<small>VI</small>)–stabilizer multiple interfaces. Fe/C nanostructured materials featuring high chemical affinity, quick electron transfer and tunable active sites might tackle the problems of substance transport and structure evolution across multiple interfaces. Herein, we report that the co-pyrolysis of red mud and straw, two abundant solid wastes, can realize the scaled-up synthesis of biochar-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI/BC). At an initial Cr(<small>VI</small>) concentration of 1000.00 mg kg<small>⁻¹</small> and stabilizer dosage of 10%, the optimal nZVI/BC converted the Cr(<small>VI</small>)-contaminated soil into non-hazardous waste, with toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) leaching concentrations of 3.13 mg L<small>⁻¹</small> Cr(<small>VI</small>) and 11.26 mg L<small>⁻¹</small> Cr(T). Experimental and theoretical results revealed that nZVI/BC altered the species evolution at the multiple interfaces of nZVI/BC–Cr(<small>VI</small>)–soil, where the acid-soluble Cr in soil shifted into stable residual Cr owing to the microscopically increased bidentate-binuclear inner-sphere coordination modes and the reduction process over the nZVI/BC surface. Meanwhile, the released iron species from nZVI/BC was immobilized on the soil surface, thereby regulating organic matter adsorption to recover soil agglomeration. Therefore, this study presents the feasibility of obtaining Fe/C nanostructured materials by one-step upgrading agricultural and industrial waste into eco-friendly stabilizers for remediating Cr(<small>VI</small>)-contaminated soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1116-1125"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142886780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Unveiling the micro-mechanism of H2O2 activation and the selective regulation strategy over single-atom catalysts†","authors":"Zhengyang Gao, Yuanzheng Qu, Chu Wang, Ruiyang Shi, Yixiao Sun, Qingqi Yan, Chenliang Ye and Weijie Yang","doi":"10.1039/D4EN01005A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN01005A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >H<small>₂</small>O<small>₂</small> is an important green oxidant, and activation of H<small>₂</small>O<small>₂</small> is the key process determining its efficiency in removing environmental pollutants. However, due to complex catalytic sites and diverse active free radical products, the micro-mechanism of H<small>₂</small>O<small>₂</small> activation and the selective regulation strategy are still ambiguous. Herein, single-atom catalysts (SACs) are selected as the model catalysts to investigate this fundamental mechanism. With a single active site, it is more beneficial to explain the mechanism. In this work, the differences in active free radical products (OH, ·OOH, <small>¹</small>O<small>₂</small>) of H<small>₂</small>O<small>₂</small> over three SACs (Fe, Co, Cu) and intrinsic selective regulation strategies are elucidated based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. EPR testing suggests that Co-SAC has the highest production of ·OH radicals, while Cu-SAC surpasses the other two catalysts in generating both ·OOH and <small>¹</small>O<small>₂</small> radicals. DFT calculations indicate that among the SACs, the lowest barrier of ·OH radical formation is Co-SAC (0.54 eV), while Cu-SAC demonstrates a notably lower energy barrier for ·OOH formation (0.26 eV) and <small>¹</small>O<small>₂</small> generation (0.51 eV), which is consistent with the EPR experimental results. More importantly, our work reveals that there is a linear relationship between charge transfer and the energy barrier of free radical generation. When the charge transfer amount is greater than 1.02, it is more inclined to promote the generation of ·OOH, and it will generate <small>¹</small>O<small>₂</small> free radicals when the charge transfer amount is smaller than 1.02. This work provides a predictive mechanism for SACs to selectively regulate the active free radical products, which is of great significance for developing green environmental protection technologies based on H<small>₂</small>O<small>₂</small>.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1249-1261"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142887101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Polymer–iron oxide nanofiber composites for lead removal: performance improvements through organic acid stabilization of nanoparticles to promote surface segregation during electrospinning†","authors":"Sewoon Kim, Yun Young Choi, Chang Min Park, Nosang V. Myung and David M. Cwiertny","doi":"10.1039/D4EN00902A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN00902A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Herein we developed nanofiber composite membranes made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and iron oxide nanoparticles using a one-pot electrospinning synthesis method for application in point-of-use (POU) water treatment devices targeting both dissolved and particulate lead. With the goal of optimizing lead removal while minimizing raw material costs, we explored different commercially available iron oxides and incorporated simple organic acids (OAs) [<em>e.g.</em>, <em>ortho</em>- and tera-phthalic acid (PTA and TPTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)] based on our previous observation that sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) promotes enrichment of iron oxide at the electrospun nanofiber surface (<em>i.e.</em>, surface segregation). From sorption isotherm studies, we found that increasing iron oxide loading led to higher lead uptake (<em>e.g.</em>, PAN with 5 wt% iron oxide exhibited a lead removal capacity of 10 mg g<small>⁻¹</small> of mat <em>versus</em> 5 mg g<small>⁻¹</small> for 1 wt% iron oxide). PAN with 5 wt% iron oxide (3.3 mg lead removal per $) also resulted in better cost-normalized lead removal than PAN with 1 wt% iron oxide (1.0 mg lead removal per $). The integration of OAs further improved performance; for example, PAN with 5 wt% iron oxide and 3 wt% PTA achieved approximately 40 mg g<small>⁻¹</small>. From nanofiber characterization <em>via</em> microscopic (SEM and TEM) and spectroscopic (XPS and FTIR) tools, OAs increase lead uptake through a combination of pathways: (1) stabilizing iron oxide particles and improving their dispersion in electrospinning sol gels; (2) promoting surface segregation that increases iron oxide concentration at the nanofiber surface; (3) functioning as a porogen that increases composite surface area; and (4) introducing some additional lead binding sites (<em>e.g.</em>, carboxylates) within the nanofiber. Simulating point-of-use application in a dead-end filtration system (effective filter area of 12.6 cm<small>²</small>, filter thickness of 120 μm, and flow rate of 20 mL min<small>⁻¹</small>), we observed lead-free permeate with just 0.24 g of our optimal formulation when challenged with 4 L of 150 μg L<small>⁻¹</small> soluble lead solution and 90% removal when this filter was challenged with a feed solution containing both dissolved and particulate lead (160 μg L<small>⁻¹</small> total lead with 30% of particulate lead; &gt;0.1 μm). Our study highlights the potential for OAs to enhance the performance of polymer–metal oxide nanofiber composites <em>via</em> a one-pot synthesis that will help to minimize production costs for high-performing materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1487-1500"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/en/d4en00902a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142879850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"An improved method to generate secondary nanoplastics and oligomers: application in ecotoxicology†","authors":"Silvia Gómez-Kong, Miguel Tamayo-Belda, Gerardo Pulido-Reyes, Carlos Edo, Irene Verdú, Francisco Leganés, Roberto Rosal, Miguel González-Pleiter and Francisca Fernández-Piñas","doi":"10.1039/D4EN00866A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN00866A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Recent studies have highlighted the ecotoxicological effects of conventional primary nanoplastics (NPLs); however, the impacts of secondary NPLs and oligomers (Olig), especially those derived from biodegradable plastics, formed through fragmentation and natural degradation processes (<em>e.g.</em>, photooxidation) remain underexplored. This gap is partly due to challenges in producing sufficient quantities for toxicity testing. An improved method to generate non-photooxidized (NP) and photooxidized (P) secondary NPLs and Olig from polybutylene adipate <em>co</em>-terephthalate (PBAT), a biodegradable plastic commonly used in agriculture mulching, which involves the mechanical breakdown of PBAT-microbeads with or without prior photooxidation is presented. PBAT was irradiated at ∼9.34 kW m<small>⁻²</small> (approximately 120 times the solar irradiance) for 96 h, irradiation that corresponds to ∼16 months of average sunlight in the Iberian Peninsula (7.7 kWh m<small>⁻²</small> per day). The toxicological effects on <em>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</em>, a model green microalga of primary producers in freshwater ecosystems, were also assessed. The protocol yielded 0.199 mg of secondary NP-PBAT-NPLs and 10.275 mg of NP-PBAT-Olig per gram of PBAT-microbeads. PBAT-NPLs presented irregular spherical morphologies and hydrodynamic sizes ranging from 56.71 to 69.86 nm. HPLC and MALDI-TOF analysis identified linear and cyclic Olig, ranging from dimers to 19 repeated-units Olig. PBAT-NPLs and PBAT-Olig exhibited negative surface charges, suggesting colloidal stability in water. While PBAT-NPLs and PBAT-Olig did not inhibit algal growth in the short term, they induced reactive oxygen species overproduction at the environmentally relevant concentration of 0.01 mg L<small>⁻¹</small> and caused membrane depolarization, impaired photosynthesis and lipid peroxidation at 10 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>. Non-photooxidized PBAT-NPLs exhibited the highest toxicity, followed by photooxidized PBAT-NPLs and both non-photooxidized and photooxidized PBAT-Olig. This study provides an efficient method for producing reference secondary NPLs and Olig and underscores the potential risks of PBAT towards primary producers in freshwater ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1150-1165"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142874731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Mechanistic insights into the adsorption of different types of VOCs on monolayer MoS2via first-principles approaches†","authors":"Weina Zhao, Jinlong Wang, Chang Shen, Bufan Xie, Guiying Li and Taicheng An","doi":"10.1039/D4EN00953C","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4EN00953C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Emissions from industrial activities have led to the significant accumulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere, raising substantial concerns due to their serious threats to human health and the global environment in recent years. Among the various strategies for VOC abatement, adsorption technology has emerged as a promising approach for effectively removing VOCs from contaminated air. However, the adsorption behavior and mechanisms for different VOC species remain poorly understood. Herein, the adsorption characteristics of eight typical VOC categories (C ≤ 8 atoms) commonly emitted by the petrochemical industry were systematically investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the electronic and atomic levels on monolayer MoS<small>₂</small>. The VOC categories analyzed include alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, ketones and aromatic hydrocarbons. Our research was aimed at investigating the adsorption behaviors of various types of VOCs, including those with varying carbon chain lengths within the same category. Results demonstrated that the unique structural properties of the MoS<small>₂</small> monolayer not only provided excellent adsorption capabilities but also exhibited distinct responses to the eight aforementioned VOC categories. The adsorption energies of the VOCs followed a distinct hierarchical order, alkanes &lt; aromatic hydrocarbons &lt; alkynes &lt; aldehydes &lt; ketones &lt; alkenes &lt; alcohols &lt; carboxylic acids, with the values ranging from −0.25 to −1.19 eV. In different VOC adsorption systems, the distance between the rightmost peak of the density of states (DOS) and the Fermi level ranged from −1.42 to −0.17 eV. Additionally, for a given VOC category, it was observed that an increase in carbon chain length correlated with an increase in adsorption energy. A predictive fitting curve for the adsorption energy of VOCs was derived and expressed as <em>E</em><small>_ads</small> (<em>E</em><small>_v</small>) = −0.13<em>X</em> − 0.12, where <em>X</em> represents the number of carbon atoms. Through comprehensive analyses involving charge density differences, DOS and Mulliken charge analysis, the underlying mechanisms correlating adsorption energy with both VOC species and carbon chain length were elucidated. Our research highlights the potential of MoS<small>₂</small> as a promising candidate for selective VOC adsorption and provides a theoretical framework for the development of high-performance VOC adsorbents.</p>","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":" 2","pages":" 1230-1239"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142857859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}