Water, Air, & Soil Pollution最新文献

{"title":"Optimization of Textile Dye Mixture Biodegradation By a Novel Bacterial Consortium and Assessment of Phytotoxicity","authors":"Sakthishabarish Kumar,&nbsp;Kannabiran Krishnan","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10001-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10001-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>High concentrations of synthetic dye mixtures remain difficult to degrade using conventional treatment methods due to their complex structure and high recalcitrance. In this study, a novel bacterial consortium comprising <i>Stutzerimonas</i> sp. VITKSS2, <i>Brucella</i> sp. VITKSS3, and <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. VITKSS4 was developed to efficiently decolorize, degrade, and detoxify concentrated textile dye mixture under optimized culture conditions. Medium optimization was performed using one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT), Plackett–Burman (PB) factor screening, and Central Composite Design (CCD). The optimal medium consists of fructose (1.06%), ammonium sulphate (1.08%), and KH₂PO₄ (0.44%) with physicochemical parameters of 35 ± 2 °C, pH 7.0, and 1% inoculum size. Under these optimized conditions, the consortium achieved 90.6 ± 2.9% decolorization of ten-dye mixture (1000 mg/L) under static conditions, and a maximum of 80.8 ± 3.6% degradation at 3000 mg/L dye concentration, representing among the higher reported efficiencies. FTIR and GC–MS analyses suggested the putative transformation of persistent phthalic acid esters (PAEs) following consortium treatment. Biodegradation of the dye mixture produced several intermediates such as bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), monobutyl phthalate (MBP) and phthalic acid (PA), which were further metabolized, resulting in a substantial reduction of toxic compounds. Phytotoxicity assessment on <i>Zea mays</i> and <i>Vigna radiata</i> seeds showed a significant reduction in overall toxicity by 91.6% in seed germination and 93.1% in root elongation. Meanwhile, the consortium treated dye mixture enhanced the mean shoot length by 11.45%. This novel consortium offers an effective and sustainable approach for the biodegradation and detoxification of high concentration of dye mixtures, contributing to eco-friendly wastewater remediation.</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":"149133231","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":"Groundwater Quality Assessment Using EWQI and Stacking Ensemble Model: A Case Study of the Eastern Tangshan Plain, China","authors":"Zhihui Qu,&nbsp;Enmiao Hu,&nbsp;Ri Chen,&nbsp;Qiang Shan,&nbsp;Hongchao Li,&nbsp;Sihui Shao,&nbsp;Shuo Wang,&nbsp;Huimin Kong,&nbsp;Xiaohan Sun","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09906-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09906-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To comprehensively evaluate the groundwater quality of the Eastern Tangshan Plain in Hebei Province, China, and identify its primary pollution factors, a total of 251 shallow groundwater samples were collected in this study, and ten key water quality indicators including pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and manganese (Mn) were selected for systematic analysis. The entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) method was employed for objective indicator weight assignment, and a Stacking ensemble learning model integrating the advantages of Random Forest and XGBoost algorithms was further constructed to realize intelligent classification of groundwater quality grades. Multiple quantitative validation approaches including receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, precision metrics, and confusion matrices were adopted to verify the model performance. The research results indicate that the overall groundwater quality in the study area is poor, with Class IV and Class V water samples accounting for 47.9% of all samples and Class V water being the dominant type. Manganese (Mn), arsenic (As), and nitrate (NO₃⁻) were identified as the critical factors governing regional groundwater quality, with a cumulative weight of 0.63 calculated via the EWQI method. This study establishes a reliable and interpretable intelligent evaluation framework for groundwater quality in complex coupled-disturbance regions, providing scientific support for groundwater monitoring optimization, pollution source identification, and targeted zonal water environmental management.</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":"149133235","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":"Contrasting Effects of Eisenia fetida (Cd Activation) and Biochar-blended Vermicompost (Cd Passivation) on Cadmium Fate and Phytoremediation Efficiency of Cd-contaminated Soil by Phyllostachys edulis","authors":"Linzhu Li,&nbsp;Lipan Bao,&nbsp;Junda Zhang,&nbsp;Mengqin Luo,&nbsp;Xiaoqiang Gong,&nbsp;Jing Tong","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10012-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10012-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cadmium (Cd) contamination of agricultural soils poses a serious threat to human health, and moso bamboo has been recognized as a potential candidate for the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils. This study investigated whether earthworms and biochar-blended vermicomposts could enhance the remediation performance of moso bamboo grown in soil heavily contaminated with Cd (50 mg·kg⁻¹). Five treatments were established: moso bamboo alone (CK); earthworms + moso bamboo (T1); earthworms + 5% (w/w) bamboo-biochar-blended vermicompost + moso bamboo (T2); earthworms + 5% (w/w) wood-biochar-blended vermicompost + moso bamboo (T3); and earthworms + 5% (w/w) corncob-biochar-blended vermicompost + moso bamboo (T4). After 90 days, soil physicochemical properties, microbial community composition, Cd fractions, bamboo growth, and Cd uptake were evaluated. The results showed that the addition of earthworms, either alone or in combination with biochar-blended vermicomposts, increased soil pH and nutrient availability, enhanced bacterial richness and diversity, and significantly promoted bamboo growth, resulting in biomass increases of 7.24%–95.68% relative to CK. Earthworm addition alone increased soil available Cd content by 6.93% and enhanced Cd accumulation in bamboo tissues, thereby increasing total plant Cd removal by 25.71% compared with CK. In contrast, T2, T3, and T4 decreased soil available Cd content by 9.25%, 10.58%, and 7.79%, respectively, and reduced Cd accumulation in bamboo tissues, resulting in decreases of 54.14%, 52.29%, and 37.83%, respectively, in total plant Cd removal relative to CK. The immobilization of soil Cd induced by biochar-blended vermicomposts was associated with increased soil organic matter content and greater relative abundances of Bacteroidota and Gemmatimonadota. Overall, the combined application of earthworms and biochar-blended vermicomposts promoted moso bamboo growth, reduced Cd bioavailability, and shifted the dominant remediation pathway from phytoextraction to in situ Cd stabilization under short-term pot conditions. Nevertheless, long-term field experiments are required to verify the practical effectiveness and environmental sustainability of this remediation strategy.</p>","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":"149132959","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":"Response Surface Optimization of Chlorhexidine Adsorption onto Glutaraldehyde-Crosslinked Chitin–Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Composite in a Fixed-Bed Column","authors":"Marcel Ikenna Ejimofor,&nbsp;Khairia Mohammed Al-Ahmary,&nbsp;Zahrah Alqahtani,&nbsp;Hamad AlMohamadi,&nbsp;Jamelah S. Al-Otaibi","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10000-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10000-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The occurrence and persistence of pharmaceutical contaminants such as chlorhexidine (CHX) in aquatic environments pose significant environmental and public health concerns because of their ecotoxicity and contribution to antimicrobial resistance. In this study, a sustainable hybrid adsorbent, cross-linked hydroxyethyl cellulose–activated snail shell chitin (C-HEC-ASSC), was synthesized and evaluated for the removal of CHX in a continuous fixed-bed column. Physicochemical characterization confirmed successful hybridization, with the surface area increasing from 2.85 to 27.21 m² g⁻¹. FTIR analysis revealed the formation of ether (C–O–C) and imine (C = N) linkages, XRD showed enhanced crystallinity, and SEM micrographs demonstrated a rougher and more porous surface morphology. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize column operating conditions, and the quadratic model was highly significant (R² = 0.9997, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). The optimum CHX removal efficiency of 67.45% was achieved at a contact time of 60 min, temperature of 40 °C, flow rate of 5 L min⁻¹, and bed height of 50 cm. Adsorption occurred through a combination of external film diffusion, intraparticle diffusion, electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, π–π interactions, and surface complexation. These findings demonstrate the potential of the C-HEC-ASSC composite as an environmentally sustainable adsorbent for the continuous treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.</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":"149133232","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":"Particle Size, Shape, and Polymer Composition as Determinants of Microplastic and Nanoplastic Toxicity in Freshwater Biota: A Mechanistic and Critical Synthesis","authors":"Ali Ashry,&nbsp;Abdullah Khan,&nbsp;Virginija Kalcienė,&nbsp;Steigvilė Byčenkienė","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10005-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10005-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are pervasive freshwater contaminants of growing ecological concern. This review critically synthesises how particle size, shape, ageing state and polymer composition jointly govern MP and NP toxicity in freshwater biota. Smaller particles frequently elicit stronger responses in laboratory exposures, through enhanced bioavailability, cellular internalisation and surface reactivity, but the relationship is neither universal nor strictly monotonic, and null or threshold responses are common at environmentally realistic concentrations. Because environmental nanoplastic concentrations cannot yet be measured reliably, greater laboratory potency should not be equated with greater environmental risk. Fibres show more prolonged retention and stronger physical effects than spheres under comparable conditions, whereas the relative hazard of fragments is less well resolved and that of films is essentially untested. Adverse effects are reported most frequently for polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene and least frequently for pristine polyethylene and polypropylene; however, no freshwater study has compared several polymers under matched conditions, and the closest designs indicate that additive formulation and particle size, rather than the polymer backbone, drive much of the response. Polymer type is therefore best read as a proxy for formulation and manufacturing history. Most reported effect concentrations exceed measured freshwater concentrations by one to several orders of magnitude, and pristine monodisperse spheres under-represent the weathered, polydisperse and fibre-dominated mixtures organisms encounter. Physical and chemical hazard are accordingly treated as a continuum, since ageing, eco-corona formation and biofilm colonisation act on both simultaneously. We advance the Particle Property–Mechanism–Effect framework, which maps particle properties onto mechanistic tiers and generates falsifiable predictions; it is offered as a structuring hypothesis rather than a validated model. </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":"149133234","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":"Wastewater Irrigation Drives Depth‐dependent Microbial Functions and Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics in Peri‐urban Agricultural Soils","authors":"Waqas Haider,&nbsp;Qudrat Ullah,&nbsp;Muhammad Arslan Aslam,&nbsp;Muhammad Saleem Arif,&nbsp;Mohsin Tariq,&nbsp;Muhammad Riaz,&nbsp;Tahira Yasmeen","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-10006-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-10006-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the foundation of soil fertility and ecosystem stability, which is a major regulator of nutrient cycles and water retention in agricultural lands. The enzymatic activities of microbial players cause the breakdown and stabilization of organic materials, which has a major impact on the health of soil and its long-term sustainability. The current study was undertaken to investigate the long-term effects of contrasting irrigation water sources (domestic DWW, municipal MWW, and mixed wastewater MixWW and canal water CW as control) on soil organic carbon dynamics and microbial activity across two soil depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm) in peri-urban agricultural soils of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Results revealed clear differences among irrigation regime. At 15–30 cm depth, DWW maintained relatively high mineral associated organic carbon (MAOC) and was 44.3% higher than that of MWW. Mix WW reduced microbial biomass carbon by 61.8% and FDA activity by 87.2% relative to CW at the same depth. Surface soil organic carbon (SOC) was 38.4–49.8% lower under wastewater irrigations compared to that of CW. In contrast, DWW increased subsurface SOC (1.6% higher than CW) and MAOC (44% higher than MWW), suggesting enhanced carbon stabilization and long-term sequestration potential in wastewater irrigation regime. Principal component analysis highlighted strong positive correlations between SOC, MAOC, and enzyme activities, while negative correlations were observed among soil pH, cation exchange capacity, and organic carbon pools. These findings highlight contrasting patterns in soil organic carbon fractions, microbial biomass and enzyme activities among the four long-term agricultural fields under different irrigation regime, emphasizing the need for replicated multi-site studies before generalizing the observed associations to irrigation-water quality effects. Microbial functioning and carbon stabilization, emphasizing the need for targeted wastewater management practices to mitigate adverse effects of wastewater irrigation on soil health and optimize long term organic matter retention in soil.</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 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133233","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":"Insights into Competitive Zn2+/Ni2+ Adsorption for Feasibility of Deep Purification and Selective Separation by Dolomite-derived Adsorbents","authors":"Andrei Ivanets,&nbsp;Natalja Kitikova,&nbsp;Irina Shashkova,&nbsp;Tatyana Kouznetsova,&nbsp;Jun Yao,&nbsp;Ahmad Hosseini-Bandegharaei,&nbsp;Omirserik Baigenzhenov","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09969-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09969-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents insights into competitive Zn²⁺/Ni²⁺ adsorption for feasibility of deep purification and selective separation by dolomite-derived adsorbents. A comparative evaluation of carbonate and phosphate adsorbents, i.e., thermally activated dolomite (D-800), phosphatized dolomite (PD), and Zr-modified PD (PD-Zr), for the removal, separation, and immobilization of Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorbents exhibited distinct adsorption capacities, with D-800 showing the highest performance: 364 mg·g⁻¹ for Ni²⁺ and 790 mg·g⁻¹ for Zn²⁺, followed by PD (185 and 269 mg·g⁻¹, respectively) and PD-Zr (50 and 189 mg·g⁻¹, respectively). Adsorption mechanisms were elucidated as chemisorption/precipitation for D-800 and PD, and a combined ion-exchange/precipitation process for PD-Zr. Desorption studies revealed excellent immobilization stability of adsorbed metals on D-800 and PD, with desorption below 0.15% across pH 3–8. Remarkably, D-800 achieved &gt; 99.9% removal efficiency, reducing Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ concentrations to below drinking water standards (Ni²⁺ &lt; 0.1 mg·L⁻¹, Zn²⁺ &lt; 5 mg·L⁻¹) from high-concentration solutions (up to 700 and 1400 mg·L⁻¹, respectively). Competitive adsorption experiments further demonstrated the feasibility of selective Zn²⁺ removal using PD at low doses. This work highlights the tunable functionality of dolomite-derived adsorbents for targeted heavy metal remediation, offering insights into adsorbent design for purification, separation, and immobilization in wastewater treatment.</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":"149133236","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":"Aerated Facultative Lagoons Performance Bioaugmented With Bacillus Thuringiensis Immobilized On Rice Husks for Treatment of Cellulose Effluents","authors":"Jose Antonio Villamizar Florez,&nbsp;Esther Soares Assunção Maia,&nbsp;Isabela Rita dos Santos Rossi,&nbsp;Luiza Silva Dias,&nbsp;Wagner Augusto Rodrigues Julio,&nbsp;Gustavo Henrique Couto,&nbsp;Claudia Regina Xavier","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09997-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09997-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study evaluated the performance of bench and pilot-scale facultative aerated lagoons (FAL) treating Kraft pulp effluents subjected to organic load shocks, with bioaugmentation of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> NR114581.1 immobilized on rice husks. The effluents from the treatments were characterized in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), specific lignin compounds, color, and turbidity. Batch tests were performed to optimize the bioproduct dosage and evaluate its removal performance. During bioaugmentation in the bench-scale FAL, the average removal reached 72% for BOD₅ and 36% for COD, while the removal of specific compounds was low or zero. In the pilot system, a consistent performance under shock conditions was observed, with removals of 60% for BOD₅ and 54% for COD, with limited removal of specific compounds. The biotransformation of organic matter was evaluated using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (FEEM) analysis, revealing reductions and increases related to fluorophores associated with protein-like and humic compounds. The microfauna presented typical ecological succession, with predominance of crawling ciliates and metazoans in both systems. Variations in abundance indicated the sensitivity of the systems when subjected to disturbances. The immobilization of bacteria on rice husks with biofilm formation was associated with system performance under the evaluated conditions. The results support the use of FEEM analysis and microfauna monitoring as diagnostic tools for evaluating the performance and resilience of FAL applied to load shocks and bioaugmentation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11270-026-09997-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035365","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":"Temporal Dynamics, Ecotoxicological Hazard Characterization, and Human Cancer Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Crude Oil-Contaminated Tropical Soils under Biochar Amendment and Bacterial Bioremediation","authors":"Festus Olugbenga Adelana","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09995-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09995-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent, carcinogenic contaminants in petroleum-impacted tropical soils, yet integrated assessments linking their temporal dynamics, ecotoxicological hazard, and human health risk under remediation remain limited. This study evaluated PAH behaviour, toxic equivalency quotient (TEQ), microbial recovery, earthworm ecotoxicity, and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) in crude oil-contaminated tropical Alfisols under natural attenuation, biochar amendment, and bacterial consortium bioremediation over 120 days. Soils were spiked with 2%, 5%, and 10% (w/w) crude oil (8,420–39,650 mg/kg total petroleum hydrocarbons, TPH) and monitored at 30-day intervals. Initial contamination significantly degraded soil quality, with pH declining from 6.48 to 4.87, WHC from 38.2% to 27.1% and bulk density from 1.33 to 1.50 g/cm³ (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) under the severe loading, where total PAH concentration (TPAHs) reached 288.9 mg/kg, with high-molecular-weight PAHs as the predominant compounds. Bioremediation yielded the most effective PAH degradation (65–72%), compared with biochar amendment (40–54%) and natural attenuation (24–36%), reducing TPAHs to 51.8 mg/kg and 2.62 mg benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaP-eq) at day 120, and to 77.9 mg/kg TPAHs under biochar, which indicated an adsorption-related bioavailability constraint and an intermediate remediation effect. High toxicity was observed in the untreated oil-contaminated soils in the earthworm assay (mortality: 48.2%, TI = 964), whereas the microbial consortium greatly reduced earthworm mortality (16.5%) and increased survival rate (83.5%), and recovery of CFU and MBC achieved 5.86 × 10⁶/g and over 87.4%, respectively (vs 58.4% for natural attenuation). High ILCR values of 22.8 × 10⁻⁶ (adults) and 107.1 × 10⁻⁶ (children), exceeding USEPA thresholds, were obtained in this study, and the risk was reduced by 68% in adults following bioremediation, with adult ILCR reduced to 7.3 × 10⁻⁶ at day 120. There were strong positive relationships among TPAHs and ILCR (<i>r</i> = 0.91–0.92, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), and negative relationships between CFU, MBC, and ILCR (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Integrated multivariate analyses (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) confirm bioremediation as an effective approach for ameliorating PAH-contaminated tropical soils.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035362","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":"Revisiting Biochar Production Technologies: A Multifaceted Tool for Environmental Sustainability","authors":"Bhavya Negi,&nbsp;Yogesh Nath,&nbsp;Meera Rai,&nbsp;Pooja Bhatnagar,&nbsp;Sheikh Adil Edrisi,&nbsp;Hukum Singh,&nbsp;Prateek Gururani,&nbsp;Vishal Tripathi","doi":"10.1007/s11270-026-09988-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11270-026-09988-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Agricultural waste constitutes a major fraction of global solid waste and is often managed through open burning and landfilling, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced via thermochemical conversion of biomass, has emerged as a sustainable pathway for waste valorization and environmental remediation. This review synthesizes advances in biochar production technologies, including pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal carbonization, and emerging approaches such as microwave-assisted systems, with emphasis on process efficiency, scalability, and product functionality. The review critically examines how feedstock characteristics, conversion conditions, and post-modification strategies govern biochar physicochemical properties and application-specific performance. Biochar demonstrates significant potential in improving soil fertility, immobilizing pollutants, and enabling long-term carbon sequestration. The analysis further highlights practical implications for integrating biochar into sustainable waste management systems, decentralized energy frameworks, and pollution control strategies. Overall, this review provides an integrated, application-driven perspective linking production technologies with environmental performance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":808,"journal":{"name":"Water, Air, & Soil Pollution","volume":"237 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035413","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}