Research on sensor materials has expanded with the advancement of sensing technologies across industries. Carbon dots (CDs) derived from organic waste and biomass have attracted widespread interest in sensing applications with their prominent properties (e.g., photoluminescence and biocompatibility). The use of non-biomass waste (NBW) as a raw material thus becomes important to make their production

Adipogenesis, the process by which preadipocytes differentiate into mature fat cells, is closely associated with the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Identifying and classifying chemicals interfering with adipogenesis are needed for both human health and the environment. However, challenges remain in testing and interpreting data on chemical-induced adipogenesis. This study reviewed available

The rise of the global mean temperature as a consequence of incessant anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, led by CO2, is one of the direst challenges faced by humankind today. The need of the hour is to minimize fossil fuel usage and capture the atmospheric CO2. Broadly, the CO2 mitigation strategies employ carbon capture and storage (CCS) and biological carbon capture and utilization (bio-CCU)

Plastic pollution, a pervasive environmental crisis, arises from the improper disposal of non-biodegradable plastics, endangering species and ecosystems worldwide. While microplastics (MPs) have been extensively studied in various ecosystems, they have received scant attention in port environments, despite their pervasive presence. This review selected published articles conducted in ports worldwide

This review critically examines the long-term management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using constructed floating wetlands (CFW) as a sustainable approach for contaminated water treatment. PFAS, which are persistent and widely distributed environmental contaminants, pose significant challenges due to their resistance to natural degradation. CFW, featuring buoyant platforms that support

Drinking water is one of the primary sources of microplastic exposure in humans. However, the extent to which microplastics in drinking water contribute to overall human health remains unclear. The aim of this work is to assess the characteristics of microplastic contamination in bottled and tap water, explore and explain the geographical distribution of the selected studies, evaluate the extent of

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), prized for their unique optical properties, are ubiquitous in a range of electronic products. However, their growing use and disposal have led to a continuous influx of LCMs into the environment as contaminants. This review synthesizes information on the sources, environmental distribution, migration, transformation, toxicity, and risks associated with LCMs. It also

Microplastic pollution is a significant environmental issue caused by unsustainable plastic use and disposal. These tiny plastic particles (<5 mm) have been found in virtually every environmental compartment, and their environmental removal is currently deemed unfeasible. Microplastics have received a lot of attention over the past decade due to concerns over their ecological and health effects. However

Computational toxicology provides the basis for the accurate assessment and prediction of toxic effects at the molecular level. However, classical computing often lacks speed and accuracy for complex chemical systems, leading to bottlenecks. The emergence of quantum computing has the potential to fundamentally break through these constraints, allowing the exploration of toxic effects from molecular

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging pollutants that are widely present in the environment, and are affected by microplastics (MPs). The coexistence of MPs and ARGs enhances their abundance and transmission ability, thereby increasing their environmental hazard. This study summarized the effects of MPs on the abundance and transmission of ARGs. First, the effects of MPs on ARGs in aquatic

Converting the widely present sulfide into elemental sulfur (S0) holds significant environmental protection and resource recycling value. Existing biotechnologies for producing S0 rely on regulating the O2/S or N O−3 /S molar ratios, which face challenges of unstable yields under varying conditions. The complexity of sulfide oxidation process, involving numerous enzymes and diverse sulfur forms and

Anaerobic electrochemical membrane bioreactor (AnEMBR) is to combine anaerobic membrane bioreactor with electrochemical technology. Elucidating the mechanisms of methane production kinetics and mem...

Seafood is an important source for meeting future global nutrient demands. However, it also contributes disproportionately to the radiological ingestion dose of more than five billion world consume...

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) have emerged as an effective technology for treating domestic and industrial wastewater. However, AnMBRs typically exhibit low membrane fluxes (<10 L/m2.h), which limits their wide application. Despite the use of various techniques to control membrane fouling, the relationships among these techniques and the challenges associated with their application remain

Biological nitrogen removal is a classic technique for removing nitrogen from wastewater that has been studied extensively and gives high nitrogen removal rate, energy efficiency, and is relatively environmentally benign. Using biological nitrogen removal processes to treat the diverse components of wastewater requires a thorough understanding of the microorganisms and pathways involved. However, information

The exponential growth in plastic production and usage has escalated global concerns about plastic pollution, particularly regarding harmful chemical additives. Understanding the anthropogenic cycles of these additives is the prerequisite to developing effective strategies for plastic pollution control and a toxics-free circular economy. Here we analyze 269 anthropogenic cycles of plastic additives

Pyrite is the most common sulfur-bearing iron mineral in Earth surface environments. Pyrite is extensively utilized as a catalyst in the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for wastewater treatment due to its impressive reductive capacity and high Fe(II) content. However, it is still controversial whether pyrite could play a truly favorable role in the decontamination processes, as most of the pyrite-based

ANaerobic MEthanotrophic archaea (ANME) archaea play crucial roles in global geochemical cycles and exert significant influence on greenhouse gas emissions. They have coupled the methane cycle with...

The pervasive presence of antibiotics and microplastics in aquatic environments poses a significant ecological concern. These contaminants, known for their environmental persistence and bioaccumula...

Selenium (Se) serves as a natural detoxifier for the typical toxic heavy metal mercury (Hg), and the interactions between Se and Hg have attracted considerable scholarly attention in the field of Se and Hg. However, there is currently a lack of systematic summaries and discussions about Se–Hg interactions in soil–plant systems. This study summarizes the microscopic processes and macroscopic manifestations

Biological waste treatment technology is currently the world’s largest application process, and its functional achievement mainly relies on complex microbial communities. However, the microbial system in such engineered ecosystems has been considered a “black box.” Over the past decade, with the development of molecular biotechnology and next-generation sequencing technologies, the exploration of such

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are substitutes for bromine flame retardants and are used in various consumer products. While OPEs have been extensively studied, the lack of systematic comparison amo...

Rare earth elements (REE) are recognized as emerging pollutants due to their widespread use in modern society (e.g., in the production of electronics, renewable energy technologies, and advanced medical devices) which leads to anthropogenically elevated concentrations in the environment with potential consequences for ecosystem health. This article critically reviews the current scientific knowledge

The vigorous development of nuclear power is one of the main strategies to solve the energy crisis and environmental pollution due to clean and high energy density of nuclear energy. As the main nuclear fuel, uranium is not only the shortage of terrestrial resource but also pose potential threat to the environment. To figure out these dilemma, various polymers have been widely developed to remove U(VI)

Organophosphate esters (OPEs), a group of synthetic chemicals widely used as flame retardants and plasticizers, have garnered significant international attention due to their adverse effects on the environment and human health. Traditionally, environmental OPEs are thought to originate via direct emissions. Recent evidence suggests that OPEs also have an important indirect source: The transformation

Graphene family nanomaterials (GFNs), serving as vectors or catalysts for co-existing contaminants (e.g., heavy metal ions and organic chemicals) in water systems, have raised significant environmental and public health concern in the last 20 years. However, the influence of GFNs’ interactions with co-existing contaminants on their environmental fates and ecotoxicity remains poorly understood. The

Fundamental knowledge gaps still exist in the exposome, especially regarding analytical space coverage, mapping and prioritization of a very large number of diverse chemical structures. This review focuses on the contributions of suspect and non-target screening (NTS) to contaminants characterization and toxicity assessment in drinking water. A comprehensive review of publications from 2013-2024 revealed

There exist two distinct pathways for the migration and conversion of organic pollutants in natural water, namely degradation and polymerization. From the perspective of the carbon cycle in the water purification process, compared with the degradation of organic pollutants, oxidative poly­merization could directly convert organic matter in water into solid organic polymers, which can not only realize

Eutrophication remains a persistent global water quality challenge despite extensive investigations. Numerous reviews highlight multifaceted controversies, and scholars from diverse fields have attempted reconciliation, yet pessimism prevails. The authors perform a detailed exploration of the current controversies and debates surrounding eutrophication strategies. After leveraging a combination of

Uranium is a naturally occurring radionuclide with chemical toxicity, derived from deposits formed through complex processes. In recent years, uranium utilization activities have increased uranium levels in the soil environment, posing serious threats to soil quality, food safety, and human health. Phytoextraction of uranium contamination is currently a cutting-edge topic that has attracted significant

Nitrogen pollution poses a substantial threat to water bodies, making the exploration of effective treatment technologies imperative. Among these, biological denitrification stands out as one of the most efficient methods. Various materials, including biochar, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and nanoparticles, have gained widespread use across different industries due to their unique properties. Numerous

Dissimilatory iron reduction (DIR) is an important form of microbial respirations and a key part of iron biogeochemical cycle. A wide range of both bacteria and archaea that can conserve energy through Fe(III) reduction are called dissimilatory iron-reducing microorganisms (DIRMs). They have been increasingly recognized as important for coupling organic carbon oxidation in diverse anaerobic environments

Freshwater microplastics (MPs) can profoundly impact ecosystem functioning and human health. Understanding the current status of MP occurrence and the network of factors that influence the fate and transport of MPs will help objectively assess the environmental risks of MPs and develop effective pollution control strategies. Bibliometric analysis indicates that the current global distribution of freshwater

Efficient pollutant disposal and rational resource recycling are pivotal for alleviating ecological dysfunction and balancing global energy consumption. The essential demand for functional materials has triggered tremendous efforts. High-entropy oxides (HEOs), incorporating at least five metal cations into a single-phase crystal structure, exhibit significant configurational disorder, providing an

The safe production of rice is linked to a range of critical needs such as regional food supplies, people’s livelihoods, and human health. Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are two highly toxic elements, and As-Cd co-contamination in paddy soils is prevalent, posing significant food safety challenges. The biogeochemical contrasts of As and Cd complicate the management of their co-contamination in paddy

Rice–aquaculture farming has been widely recognized as a sustainable symbiosis system for its potential to increase crop yield and income for farmers and to cultivate aquaculture products simultane...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an increasing threat to global health. To deliberate the distribution and transmission of environmental resistance in a wide geographic and longitudinal scope, ...

We, the Publisher of the journal Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, have retracted the following editorial:Lena Q. Ma, Dong-Xing Guan, Peng Gao & Kashif Hayat (2023) Enhancin...

Agricultural practices such as extensive manure application (containing residual antibiotics) as fertilizer can also contribute to antibiotic pollution in soil, besides nitrous oxide (N2O) emission...

The emerging environmental pollutant hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs) have been of particular concern in recent years due to their ubiquitous distribution in environmental mat...

The biological denitrification process is crucial for removing nitrogen and reducing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. To investigate the mechanism of action of key enzymes in the denitrification proc...

This review addresses the role of household washing machines in the release of plastic microfibers (MFs), and means to minimize emissions. Specifically, various strategies with potential to mitigat...

High throughput in vitro assays for screening chemical hazards focus primarily on specific receptors that are linked with certain adverse outcome pathways, neglecting potential novel endpoints or p...

One of the greatest challenges facing global environmental science is the protection of aquatic from heavy metal contamination stemming from human activities. This article is intended as a response...

In approximately one decade, global temperatures will likely exceed a warming level that a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report considers a “red alert for humanity”. We p...

Diatoms have unique silica cellular and metabolic characteristics and can grow in various environments, including wastewater, facilitating pollutant removal. Diatoms provide a sustainable solution ...

Colloidal phosphorus (P), defined as P associated with particles within the size range from 1 to 1000 nm, is an often-neglected yet significant component of waterborne P, posing global water qualit...

Contamination of heavy metal(loid) in soils is a global problem. Various remediation technologies have thus been applied to mitigate the ecological and health risk of heavy metal(loid)s in contamin...

The extensive application of neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) has resulted in its worldwide detection in waters, leading to risks to human health and ecology safety. Presently, various remediation...

Photocatalysis is regarded as a potent alternative to conventional treatment methods with low removal efficiency (e.g., activated sludge process) against refractory/recalcitrant antibiotics in wast...

Triclosan (TCS) is an anti-microbial widely used in personal care and medical antibacterial products. Despite the widespread occurrence of TCS in municipal sewage sludge, understanding toward the f...

Nanomaterials (NMs) have become one of the most attractive new materials because of their excellent performance and application in the fields of chemistry, agriculture and medicine. However, high p...

Non-phthalate plasticizers are being increasingly used in commercial and consumer products, to replace phthalates. Among major non-phthalate plasticizer groups, we chose five alternative plasticize...

Notice of Duplication Publication: Application of single-atom-based photocatalysts in environmental pollutant removal and renewable energy productionLiu, Q., Zhao, Y., Wang, J., Zhou, Y., Liu, X., ...

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) industry is expanding rapidly in the context of addressing the challenge of climate change and energy crisis. As a technology-intensive product, large number of new syn...

Efficient waste gas treatment technologies containing catalytic processes are necessary to meet the requirements of rigorous global emission regulations. However, the catalyst was inevitably poison...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have extensive applications in nanomedicine and parasitology, particularly as antifungal, bactericidal, antiviral, larvicidal, mosquitocidal, and tick-killing agents. P...

Microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter (MP-DOM) exerts great effects on organic carbon pool and its environmental behaviors in natural waters due to increasing amounts of uncontrolled plasti...

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is a promising and efficient biological nitrogen removal process, which can economically treat wastewater without organic supplement and aeration. However, to...

Microplastics (MPs) are contaminants of global concern, especially considering their widespread use. However, a systematic and comprehensive analytical procedure is not yet standardized for MPs in ...