Water, Air, & Soil Pollution最新文献

{"title":"Enhanced Pb(II) and Co(II) Removal Using Magnesium-Enriched Bismuth Ferrite Composites with Bentonite and Opuntia-Derived Carbon: Kinetics, Isotherms, and Thermodynamic Analysis","authors":"Sabrine Saad,&nbsp;Amel Ben Slimane","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09993-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09993-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Magnesium-enriched bismuth ferrite (BiMgFeO₄) and its hybrid composites with bentonite and Opuntia (prickly pear) fruit pulp-derived activated carbon were synthesized were synthesized via a glycine-assisted self-ignition method and evaluated as efficient adsorbents for Pb(II) and Co(II) ions in aqueous solutions, investigated in separate single-component systems. The materials were characterized using BET, SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses, which confirmed mesoporous structures and accessible porous morphologies facilitating metal diffusion, while preserving the spinel ferrite structure with metal–oxygen bonding. BET measurements revealed surface areas ranging from 23.7 to 25.0 m²/g, pore diameters between 4.94 and 15.5 nm, and pore volumes of 0.029–0.046 cm³/g. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, with equilibrium achieved within 120 min for Pb²⁺ and 180 min for Co²⁺. Maximum adsorption capacities reached 188.608–195.2 mg/g for Pb(II) and 166.7–190.8 mg/g for Co(II) across the composites. Isotherm studies indicated predominantly monolayer adsorption accompanied by surface heterogeneity, while thermodynamic parameters confirmed spontaneous and exothermic adsorption behavior. Isosteric adsorption enthalpy (Q_st) values decreased with increasing metal loading, revealing heterogeneous active site distribution and further supporting a surface-driven adsorption mechanism involving electrostatic interactions and possible surface complexation. BiMgFeO₄-based composites, particularly the bentonite and activated carbon hybrids derived from Opuntia, exhibited enhanced adsorption performance, favorable kinetics, and accessible porous structures, underscoring their potential as novel, eco-friendly, and sustainable adsorbents for heavy metal remediation in water systems. It should be noted that the adsorption experiments were conducted as single experimental measurements under controlled conditions; therefore, future studies involving replicate experiments and statistical validation are recommended to further confirm the reproducibility of the adsorption performance. These findings provide a promising strategy for water purification and contribute to environmentally responsible chemistry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal Modification of Natural Magnetite: Structural Transformation to Hematite and Enhanced Fluoride Adsorption from Aqueous Solutions","authors":"A. Acosta-Rangel,&nbsp;M. Sánchez-Polo,&nbsp;M. S. Berber-Mendoza","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09982-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09982-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, natural magnetite was thermally modified at 500 °C to enhance fluoride removal from aqueous solution. Thermal treatment induced a crystalline phase transformation from magnetite (Fe₃O₄) to hematite (α-Fe₂O₃), resulting in an increase in BET specific surface area from 0.960 to 1.665 m² g⁻¹ and the formation of mesoporous features with an average pore diameter of 11.85 nm. Fluoride uptake was optimal under acidic conditions at pH 5, consistent with the positively charged surface maintained below the point of zero charge (PZC shifted from 9.81 for raw magnetite to 10.00 for modified magnetite). Adsorption equilibrium data fitted the Langmuir monolayer model, showing a maximum capacity (<i>q</i>_<i>m</i>) increase from 0.18 to 0.46 mg g⁻¹ (0.15 to 0.35–0.38 mg g⁻¹ experimental capacity). The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model, with the rate constant (<i>k</i>) rising from 2.94 × 10^–3 to 4.5 × 10^–3 min⁻¹. The proposed mechanism involves surface hydroxyl protonation (≡Fe-OH₂⁺), electrostatic attraction, and potential inner-sphere ligand exchange (≡Fe-F). Despite phase conversion to hematite, the adsorbent retained sufficient magnetic properties for rapid separation using an external magnetic field. These quantitative findings demonstrate that single-step thermal modification is an effective strategy for enhancing the fluoride adsorption performance of natural magnetite.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrochemical Responses to Land Use and Seasonality in a Semiarid Watershed Under Anthropogenic Pressure","authors":"Maria Elidayane da Cunha,&nbsp;Mateus Pessoa Caminha,&nbsp;Luis César de Aquino Lemos Filho,&nbsp;João Everthon da Silva Ribeiro,&nbsp;Rutilene Rodrigues da Cunha,&nbsp;Ana Elidarly da Cunha,&nbsp;Lunara Gleika da Silva Rego,&nbsp;Rafael Oliveira Batista,&nbsp;Paulo Cesar Moura da Silva,&nbsp;Jeane Cruz Portela,&nbsp;Antônio Gustavo de Luna Souto,&nbsp;Luiz Fernando de Sousa Antunes","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10015-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10015-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Anthropogenic activities and hydroclimatic variability have intensified hydrochemical changes and water-quality degradation in semiarid watersheds, increasing the risks of salinization and eutrophication. This study evaluated the influence of land use and seasonal variability on the hydrochemical and microbiological characteristics of surface waters in the lower Piranhas-Açu River basin, northeastern Brazil. Water samples were collected at seven monitoring points downstream of the Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Reservoir during dry and rainy periods between 2019 and 2021. Physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, alkalinity, nitrogen, phosphorus, thermotolerant coliforms, and chlorophyll-a, were evaluated using Pearson correlation, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and factor analysis. Multivariate analyses identified three distinct water-quality groups, while factor analysis retained three factors explaining 71.93% of the total variance and representing trophic conditions, ionic enrichment, and carbonate–bicarbonate dynamics. Dry periods were associated with greater salinity, alkalinity, phosphorus concentrations, and phytoplankton response, whereas rainy periods showed higher N, K⁺, and HCO₃⁻ levels and lower overall mineralization. Urbanized areas were mainly associated with phosphorus enrichment and eutrophic indicators, while agricultural activities and shrimp farming coincided with higher dissolved-ion concentrations, EC, and alkalinity. Overall, land-use pressures and hydroclimatic seasonality increased spatial and temporal water-quality heterogeneity, supporting multivariate approaches for integrated water-resource management in semiarid regions.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11270-026-10015-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation and Characterization of Na2S2O3-Activated Porous Carbon Derived from Hookah Tobacco Waste for Efficient Methyl Violet Removal","authors":"Murat Yılmaz","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09991-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09991-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The development of sustainable porous carbon adsorbents from waste biomass offers a promising approach for both waste valorization and wastewater treatment. In this study, hookah tobacco waste was converted into sulfur- and oxygen-containing porous carbon through hydrothermal carbonization followed by sodium thiosulfate-assisted activation. The prepared carbon exhibited a high specific surface area of 1019 m² g⁻¹, a total pore volume of 0.5339 cm³ g⁻¹, and a hierarchical micro–mesoporous structure. Its adsorption performance was systematically evaluated for the removal of methyl violet from aqueous solutions. The highest removal efficiency reached 95.0% at pH 6, an initial dye concentration of 300 mg L⁻¹, and an adsorbent dosage of 3.0 g L⁻¹. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity estimated by the Langmuir model was 400.00 mg g⁻¹. Equilibrium data showed the highest correlation coefficients with the Freundlich model, whereas statistical error analysis favored the Temkin model. Adsorption kinetics were best described by the pseudo-second-order model, while diffusion analysis indicated contributions from both film and intraparticle diffusion. Thermodynamic analysis revealed a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process. The adsorption behavior was attributed to the combined contributions of electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, π–π interactions, and pore filling. These findings demonstrate the potential of sodium thiosulfate-activated hookah tobacco waste-derived porous carbon as a sustainable adsorbent for dye-contaminated wastewater.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TA–Fe3⁺ Blending-Modified PVDF Membranes for Humic Acid Removal: Performance and Fouling Mechanism Insights","authors":"Yan-jun Lu,&nbsp;Bo Li","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09994-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09994-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Membrane filtration is a primary technology for removing hazardous natural organic matter from surface and groundwater. Surface coating with iron-tannic acid (TA–Fe³⁺) is a prevalent strategy to enhance membrane antifouling, but its practical reuse remains challenging. Herein, TA–Fe³⁺ (a polyphenol-metal coordination modifier) was used to functionalize PVDF membranes via solution blending. By tuning the TA3⁺ molar ratio and additive loading, membrane structure, separation performance, and antifouling behavior were systematically investigated using XRD, FT-IR, and SEM. Results demonstrate that the hydrophilic coordination network of TA–Fe³⁺ effectively suppresses humic acid (HA) adsorption and pore blockage. Under dead-end filtration using 20 mg/L HA solution, the optimized membrane containing 1.3 wt% TA–Fe³⁺ exhibited a pure water flux 258% higher than that of the pristine membrane, while the HA rejection increased by 37.48%. In addition, the flux recovery ratio reached 94.85%, and the irreversible fouling ratio decreased to 5.15%, indicating simultaneous improvements in permeability, separation efficiency, and fouling reversibility. This work offers a valuable reference for developing high-performance antifouling membranes through metal–polyphenol coordination-based bulk functionalization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adsorption of Aqueous Pollutants by Coal-derived Carbonaceous Materials: Interface Evolution and Failure Mechanisms","authors":"Kai Yan,&nbsp;Lixin Li","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10009-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10009-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Coal-derived carbonaceous materials are promising adsorbents for removing aqueous pollutants; however, their long-term performance in complex water environments remains unclear. This review shifts the focus from static adsorption capacity to dynamic interfacial evolution and failure mechanisms. Adsorption is governed by coupled interactions among pore structure, surface functional groups, and mineral constituents, regulating contaminant transport, interfacial recognition, and stabilization. Mechanistic insights from related carbonaceous adsorbents are also considered when direct evidence from coal-derived materials remains limited; however, these studies are treated as supporting evidence rather than equivalent substitutes. Dynamic processes, including functional group transformation, mineral migration, and multi-component competition, determine performance evolution. Systems evolve from synergistic states to constrained conditions dominated by pore blockage, site passivation, and structural degradation. Performance loss arises not only from site saturation but from coupled structural evolution and regeneration-induced damage. Environmental factors such as pH, ionic strength, and natural organic matter further regulate interfacial pathways. This review highlights a shift toward structure-directed design and process-regulated operation, emphasizing pore coordination, interfacial chemistry, and system integration. Coal-derived carbonaceous materials are thus recognized as dynamic interfacial reaction platforms, guiding the development of failure-resistant materials and scalable water treatment systems.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy Metal Contamination in North African Inland Aquatic Systems: A Comprehensive Review of Sediment and Surface Water Quality","authors":"Karim Loucif,&nbsp;Amir Nahal,&nbsp;Mouslim Bara","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10020-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10020-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>North African inland aquatic systems, including lakes, lagoons, and chotts, are increasingly exposed to heavy metal contamination associated with urbanization, intensive agriculture, and industrial activities. Despite numerous local investigations, information on the distribution and environmental implications of metal contamination across North African inland waters remains fragmented. This study provides a comprehensive regional review with descriptive quantitative analysis of heavy metal concentrations reported in sediments and surface waters from 38 peer-reviewed studies conducted in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. Reported concentrations were quantitatively synthesized and compared with established sediment-quality guidelines and relevant environmental benchmarks to identify frequently reported contaminants of concern. The reviewed studies indicated substantial spatial variability in metal concentrations, with Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb, and As frequently reported at concentrations exceeding relevant environmental or sediment-quality guideline values at individual sites. Arsenic concentrations in some surface-water systems exceeded applicable water-quality guideline values, while several sediment sites showed Hg and Cd concentrations above sediment-quality thresholds associated with potential adverse effects on benthic organisms. The marked variability among studies, ecosystems, countries, and sampling locations highlights the difficulty of deriving regionally representative contamination levels from the available evidence. Overall, the findings identify As, Cd, Hg, Ni, and Pb as contaminants warranting further site-specific investigation and coordinated monitoring, while emphasizing the need for standardized sampling, analytical methods, and environmental assessment across North African inland aquatic systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effects of Microplastics on Aggregates and Carbon–Nitrogen Contents in Soils with Different Iron Contents","authors":"Shangeng Lei,&nbsp;Haiyun Li,&nbsp;Congwei Zhang,&nbsp;Weite Zeng,&nbsp;Xiaohui Han,&nbsp;Shaopeng Gao","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09911-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09911-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Exploring the interactive influences of microplastics (MPs) and iron oxides on soil aggregates and carbon–nitrogen (C-N) pools helps clarify pollution risks in subtropical paddy soils, and this study systematically identifies unresolved knowledge gaps regarding MP-Fe coupled effects to solidify its research objectives. Taking paddy soil in Guangdong as the research object, four treatments were set up: control (CK), microplastics (1 g/kg), iron (10 g/kg), and iron (10 g/kg) + microplastics (1 g/kg). The distribution characteristics of soil aggregates and the variation characteristics of C-N contents in soils with different iron contents under microplastic pollution were explored. The results showed that without iron addition, microplastics significantly increased the content of 0.250 ~ 2.000 mm aggregates by 20.37% (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), the mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates by 26.49%, and the geometric mean diameter (GMD) by 16.22% (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). With iron addition, microplastics significantly increased the content of &lt; 0.053 mm aggregates by 18.38% (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), but had no significant effect on the stability indices of soil aggregates. In terms of soil C-N contents and their component contents, without iron addition, microplastics significantly increased soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by 1.38 times (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), but had no significant effect on other C-N contents. With iron addition, microplastics significantly increased soil DOC content by 1.25 times (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), and also significantly increased the C-N contents of &lt; 0.053 mm aggregates (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that soil aggregate stability indices were significantly correlated with soil total nitrogen (TN) content (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), indicating that TN is the main factor affecting soil aggregate stability. Principal component analysis (PCA) found that microplastics had effects on soil aggregate stability and C-N contents under different addition methods, among which the iron + microplastics treatment had the highest comprehensive score. This work further interprets surface chemical interactions between MPs and iron oxides, and supplements discussion on potential microbial driving processes to rationalize all observed differential responses. MPs reshape aggregate particle distribution and internal C-N storage via iron-dependent pathways, with distinct regulatory patterns under high vs low soil iron levels.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling the Potential of Biogenic Nanoparticles for Wastewater Remediation: A Systematic Review","authors":"Somani C. Rath,&nbsp;Upasana Bhagawati,&nbsp;Rakesh Kumar,&nbsp;Arti Goel","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09978-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09978-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In recent decades, escalating water pollution driven by demographic growth, industrial development, agricultural intensification, and rapid urban expansion has emerged as a critical global environmental challenge. Contamination of water bodies by heavy metals, organic compounds, and pathogenic microorganisms has intensified the need for sustainable wastewater remediation strategies. This review elucidates the mechanistic potential and strategies for wastewater remediation using biogenic nanoparticles (BNPs) synthesized via plant, bacterial, fungal, and algal systems as emerging multifunctional materials for addressing complex wastewater matrices. Conventional wastewater treatment methods, such as coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation, have limitations in efficiency, chemical demand, and operational costs, prompting interest in innovative BNP-based approaches. BNPs demonstrated enhanced adsorption, catalytic transformation, and antimicrobial activity due to their biomolecule-rich surfaces, enabling efficient contaminant removal across industrial, municipal, textile, pharmaceutical, and agricultural wastewater systems. It has been evaluated BNP synthesis routes and mechanisms, pollutant removal efficiencies, environmental behavior, and implementation challenges. This review summarized that BNPs achieve enhanced adsorption, catalytic transformation, and antimicrobial activity, with removal efficiencies of 80–98% for dyes and 70–95% for heavy metals, while offering improved biocompatibility and reduced ecotoxicity compared with chemically synthesized nanoparticles. This review also highlights critical barriers to large-scale application, including synthesis variability, economic scalability, regulatory uncertainty, and community acceptance. Moreover, environmental fate analyses reveal that post-treatment transformations, including sulfidation, organometallic complexation, and surface passivation, play a decisive role in governing BNPs' persistence, bioavailability, and ecological impact.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11270-026-09978-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reusable Macroporous Hydroxyethyl Cellulose/Polyethylene Glycol Cryogel Loaded with Activated Carbon and Strontium Oxide for Effective Disinfection of Waterborne Pathogens","authors":"Mai M. Khalaf,&nbsp;Hany M. Abd El-Lateef,&nbsp;Mahmoud A. Abdelaziz,&nbsp;Manal F. Abou Taleb,&nbsp;Mohamed Gouda","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10008-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10008-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Waterborne pathogens and bacterial communities that can form biofilms still persist, and microbial contamination of water remains an important public health problem. A multifunctional hydroxyethyl cellulose/polyethylene glycol cryogel incorporated with strontium oxide and activated carbon (HEC/PEG–SrO/AC) was developed for the efficient disinfection of water. Structural characterization verified the interconnection of the macroporous network and the successful incorporation of SrO and AC in the polymer matrix. The composite showed a wide antibacterial spectrum against <i>Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis</i>, and <i>Bacillus cereus</i> with inhibition zones of 34.0, 31.1, 21.3, and 18.7 mm, respectively, compared to pristine HEC/PEG cryogel. A strong dose-dependent bacterial inactivation was noticed with about 6 log₁₀ reductions for all tested pathogens. Mechanistic studies showed significant membrane damage, evidenced by time-dependent leakage of cytoplasmic proteins. Further, the cryogel effectively inhibited biofilm formation and almost completely removed the mature biofilms after 14 days. The bioluminescence test with Aliivibrio fischeri for measuring acute toxicity showed low toxicity (&lt; 8% inhibition). The as prepared cryogel matrix showed a remarkable reduction of heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms, and <i>Salmonella</i> spp., in domestic wastewater within 30 min. This suggests its potential as a biocompatible and efficient water disinfection material. The results show that the HEC/PEG–SrO/AC cryogel can be considered a reusable multifunctional material for wastewater disinfection.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}