Effects of polypropylene films and leached dissolved organic matters on bacterial community structure in mangrove sediments.

Over the past decades, the accumulation of plastics in mangrove ecosystems has emerged as a significant environmental concern, primarily due to anthropogenic activities. Polypropylene (PP) films, one of the plastic types with the highest detection rate, tend to undergo intricate aging processes in mangrove ecosystems, leading to the release of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that may further influence the local bacterial communities. Yet, the specific effects of new and weathered (aged) plastic films and the associated leached DOM on bacterial consortia in mangrove sediments remain poorly understood. In this study, an incubation experiment was conducted to elucidate the immediate effects and mechanisms of the new and relatively short-term (45 or 90 days) aged PP films, as well as their leached DOM (PDOM), on characteristics of DOM and the bacterial community structure in mangrove sediments under different tidal conditions. Surface morphology and functional group analyses showed that both new and aged PP films exhibited comparable degradation profiles under different tidal conditions over the incubation period. As compared to the new PP film treatments, the introduction of the short-term aged PP films significantly affected the content of humic-like compounds in sediments, and such effects were partially ascribed to the release of PDOM during the incubation. Although the addition of PP films and PDOM showed minor effects on the overall diversity and composition of bacterial communities in the sediments, the abundance of some dominant phyla exhibited a growth or reduction tendency, possibly changing their ecological functions. This study was an effective attempt to investigate the relationship among plastic surface characteristics, sedimentary physicochemical properties, and bacterial communities in mangrove sediments. It revealed the ecological ramifications of new and short-term plastic pollution and its leachates in mangrove seedtimes, enhancing our understating of their potential impacts on the health of mangrove ecosystems.

Emerging contaminants: A One Health perspective.

Environmental pollution is escalating due to rapid global development that often prioritizes human needs over planetary health. Despite global efforts to mitigate legacy pollutants, the continuous introduction of new substances remains a major threat to both people and the planet. In response, global initiatives are focusing on risk assessment and regulation of emerging contaminants, as demonstrated by the ongoing efforts to establish the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention. This review identifies the sources and impacts of emerging contaminants on planetary health, emphasizing the importance of adopting a One Health approach. Strategies for monitoring and addressing these pollutants are discussed, underscoring the need for robust and socially equitable environmental policies at both regional and international levels. Urgent actions are needed to transition toward sustainable pollution management practices to safeguard our planet for future generations.

Parent material influences soil properties to shape bacterial community assembly processes, diversity, and enzyme-related functions.

Soil parent material is the second most influential factor in pedogenesis, influencing soil properties and microbial communities. Different assembly processes shape diverse functional microbial communities. The question remains unresolved regarding how these ecological assembly processes affect microbial communities and soil functionality within soils on different parent materials. We collected soil samples developed from typical parent materials, including basalt, granite, metamorphic rock, and marine sediments across soil profiles at depths of 0-20, 20-40, 40-80, and 80-100 cm, within rubber plantations on Hainan Island, China. We determined bacterial community characteristics, community assembly processes, and soil enzyme-related functions using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and enzyme activity analyses. We found homogeneous selection, dispersal limitation, and drift processes were the dominant drivers of bacterial community assembly across soils on different parent materials. In soils on basalt, lower pH and higher moisture triggered a homogeneous selection-dominated assembly process, leading to a less diverse community but otherwise higher carbon and nitrogen cycling enzyme activities. As deterministic process decreased, bacterial community diversity increased with stochastic process. In soils on marine sediments, lower water, carbon, and nutrient content limited the dispersal of bacterial communities, resulting in higher community diversity and an increased capacity to utilize relative recalcitrant substrates by releasing more oxidases. The r-strategy Bacteroidetes and genera Sphingomonas, Bacillus, Vibrionimonas, Ochrobactrum positively correlated with enzyme-related function, whereas k-strategy Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and genera Acidothermus, Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, HSB OF53-F07 showed negative correlations. Our study suggests that parent material could influence bacterial community assembly processes, diversity, and soil enzyme-related functions via soil properties.

The structural transformation reversibility of biogas slurry derived dissolved organic matter and its binding properties with norfloxacin under temperature fluctuation.

The widespread use of biogas slurry could potentially raise the environmental risk of antibiotics. Dissolved organic matter (DOM), as the most active part of biogas slurry, was able to interact with antibiotics and play a crucial role in the structure and function of soil and aquatic ecosystems. The recent shifts in global climate patterns have garnered significant attention due to their substantial impact on temperature, thereby exerting a direct influence on the characteristics of DOM and subsequently on the environmental behavior of antibiotics. However, there is limited research concerning the impact of temperature on the binding of DOM and antibiotics. Thus, this study aimed to explore the temperature-dependent structural transformation and driving factors of biogas slurry-derived DOM (BSDOM). Additionally, the binding characteristics between BSDOM and the commonly used antibiotic norfloxacin (NOR) at different temperatures were studied by using multi spectroscopic methods and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) analysis. The results suggested that the temperature-dependent structural transformation of BSDOM was reversible, with a slight lag in the transition temperature under cooling (13 °C for heating and 17 °C for cooling). Heating promoted the conversion of protein-like to humic-like substances while cooling favored the decomposition of humic-like substances. BSDOM and NOR were static quenching, with oxygen-containing functional groups such as C-O and -OH playing an important role. Temperature influenced the order of binding, the activity of the protein fraction, and its associated functional groups. At temperatures of 25 °C and 40 °C, the fluorescent components were observed to exhibit consistent binding preferences, whereby the humic-like component demonstrated a greater affinity for NOR compared to the protein-like component. However, the functional group binding order exhibited an opposite trend. At 10 °C, a new protein-like component appeared and bound preferentially to NOR, when no C-O stretch corresponding to the amide was observed. The finding will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the interaction mechanisms between DOM and antibiotics under climate change, as well as providing a theoretical basis to reduce the environmental risks of biogas slurry and antibiotics.

Low-molecular-weight organic acids-mediated transport of neonicotinoid pesticides through saturated soil porous media: Combined effects of the molecular structures of organic acids and the chemical properties of contaminants.

Empirical information about the transport properties of neonicotinoid pesticides through the soil as affected by the ubiquitous low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) is lacking. Herein, the impacts of three LMWOAs with different molecular structures, including citric acid, acetic acid, and malic acid, on the mobility characteristics of two typical neonicotinoid pesticides (Dinotefuran (DTF) and Nitenpyram (NTP)) were explored. Interestingly, under acidic conditions, different mechanisms were involved in transporting DTF and NTP by adding exogenous LMWOAs. Concretely, acetic acid and malic acid inhibited DTF transport, ascribed to the enhanced electrostatic attraction between DTF and porous media and the additional binding sites provided by the deposited LMWOAs. However, citric acid slightly enhanced DTF mobility due to the fact that the inhibitory effect was weakened by the steric hindrance effect induced by the deposited citric acid with a large molecular size. In comparison, all three LMWOAs promoted NTP transport at pH 5.0. Because the interaction between NTP with soil organic matter (e.g., via π-π stacking interaction) was masked by the LMWOAs coating on soil surfaces. Nevertheless, LMWOAs could promote the mobility of both neonicotinoid pesticides at pH 7.0 due to the steric hindrance effect caused by the deposited organic acids and the competitive retention between LMWOAs and pesticides for effective surface deposition sites of soil particles. Furthermore, the extent of the promotion effects of LMWOAs generally followed the order of citric acid > malic acid > acetic acid. This pattern was highly related to their molecular structures (e.g., number and type of functional groups and molecular size). Additionally, when the background solutions contained Ca2+, the bridging effect of cations also contributed to the transport-enhancement effects of LMWOAs. The findings provide valuable information about the mobility behaviors of neonicotinoid pesticides co-existing with LMWOAs in soil-water systems.

Identification of organic pollutants and heavy metals in natural rubber wastewater and evaluation its phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity.

The natural rubber industry consumes large volumes of water and annually releases wastewater with rich organic and inorganic loads. This wastewater is allowed for soil irrigation in developing countries. However, the pollutant composition in wastewater and its environmental effects remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to assess the wastewater's physicochemical parameters, toxic organic pollutants, heavy metals, and phytotoxic and cytogenotoxic. The result revealed that values of comprehensive wastewater parameters were recorded as chemical oxygen demand (187432.1 mg/L), pH (4.23), total nitrogen (1157.1 mg/L), ammonia nitrogen (1113.0 mg/L), total phosphorus (1181.2 mg/L), Zn (593.3 mg/L), Cr (0.6127 mg/L), and Ni (0.2986 mg/L). The organic compounds detected by LC-MS were salbostatin, sirolimus, Gibberellin A34-catabolite, 1-(sn-glycero-3-phospho)-1D-myo-inositol, and methyldiphenylsilane. The toxicity of the identified toxic chemicals and heavy metals was confirmed by onion and mung bean phytotoxicity characterization tests. The wastewater affected the germination of mung bean seeds, reduced or inhibited the growth of onions, and induced various chromosomal aberrations in root apical meristems. Our study shows that the treatment of natural rubber wastewater needs to be improved, and the feasibility of irrigating soil with wastewater needs to be reconsidered.

Integrated microbiome and multi-omics analysis reveal the molecular mechanisms of Eisenia fetida in response to biochar-derived dissolved and particulate matters.

At present, most ecotoxicological studies are still confined to focusing on the harmful effects of biochar itself on soil fauna. However, the potential ecotoxicity of different components separated from biochar to terrestrial invertebrates remains poorly understood. In this study, the dissolved matter (DM) and particulate matter (PM) were separated from biochar (BC) and then introduced into the soil-earthworm system to investigate the response mechanism of earthworms at the molecular level. The results showed that BC and DM exposure caused an increase in the abundance of Proteobacteria in the cast bacterial community, suggesting the dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota. It was also observed that the cast bacterial communities were more sensitive to DM exposure than PM exposure. Transcriptomic analysis showed that BC and DM exposure induced significant enrichment of functional pathways related to infectious and neuropathic diseases. Metabolomic profiling manifested that DM exposure caused metabolic dysfunction, antioxidant and detoxification abilities recession. Furthermore, significant differences in the responses of earthworms at transcriptomic and metabolic levels confirmed that DM exhibited greater ecotoxicity than PM. This study highlighted the significant contributions of dissolved matter to the ecotoxicity of biochar from the perspective of transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles.

Dual sulfur defect engineering of Z-scheme heterojunction on Ag-CdS1-x@ZnIn2S4-x hollow core-shell for ultra-efficient selective photocatalytic H2O2 production.

Photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using sunlight as an energy source, water and molecular oxygen as feedstock is considered as a green and sustainable promising strategy to solve the energy and environmental crisis. Despite significant improvements in photocatalyst design tuning, however, the relatively low photocatalytic H2O2 productivity is still far from satisfactory. Herein, we developed a multi-metal composite sulfide (Ag-CdS1-x@ZnIn2S4-x) with double S vacancies and hollow core-shell Z-type heterojunction structure for H2O2 generation by a simple hydrothermal method. The unique hollow structure improves the utilization of light source. The existence of Z-type heterojunction promotes the spatial separation of carriers, and the core-shell structure increases the interface area and active sites. Under visible light irradiation, Ag-CdS1-x@ZnIn2S4-x had a high hydrogen peroxide yield of 1183.7 µmol h-1 g-1, which was 6 times that of CdS. The electron transfer number (n = 1.53) obtained from the Koutecky-Levuch plot and DFT calculation confirm that the presence of dual disulfide vacancies provides good selectivity of 2e- O2 reduction to H2O2. This work provides new insights into the regulation of highly selective two-electron photocatalytic H2O2 production, and also provides new ideas for the design and development of highly active energy conversion photocatalysts.

Removal Performance of KOH-Modified Biochar from Tropical Biomass on Tetracycline and Cr(VI).

Biochar can be used to address the excessive use of tetracycline and micronutrient chromium (Cr) in wastewater that potentially threatens human health. However, there is little information about how the biochar, made from different tropical biomass, facilitates tetracycline and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) removal from aqueous solution. In this study, biochar was prepared from cassava stalk, rubber wood and sugarcane bagasse, then further modified with KOH to remove tetracycline and Cr(VI). Results showed that pore characteristics and redox capacity of biochar were improved after modification. KOH-modified rubber wood biochar had the highest removal of tetracycline and Cr(VI), 1.85 times and 6 times higher than unmodified biochar. Tetracycline and Cr(VI) can be removed by electrostatic adsorption, reduction reaction, π-π stacking interaction, hydrogen bonding, pore filling effect and surface complexation. These observations will improve the understanding of the simultaneous removal of tetracycline and anionic heavy metals from wastewater.

Coupled anaerobic methane oxidation and metal reduction in soil under elevated CO2.

Continued current emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and methane (CH4 ) by human activities will increase global atmospheric CO2 and CH4 concentrations and surface temperature significantly. Fields of paddy rice, the most important form of anthropogenic wetlands, account for about 9% of anthropogenic sources of CH4 . Elevated atmospheric CO2 may enhance CH4 production in rice paddies, potentially reinforcing the increase in atmospheric CH4 . However, what is not known is whether and how elevated CO2 influences CH4 consumption under anoxic soil conditions in rice paddies, as the net emission of CH4 is a balance of methanogenesis and methanotrophy. In this study, we used a long-term free-air CO2 enrichment experiment to examine the impact of elevated CO2 on the transformation of CH4 in a paddy rice agroecosystem. We demonstrate that elevated CO2 substantially increased anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to manganese and/or iron oxides reduction in the calcareous paddy soil. We further show that elevated CO2 may stimulate the growth and metabolism of Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens, which is actively involved in catalyzing AOM when coupled to metal reduction, mainly through enhancing the availability of soil CH4 . These findings suggest that a thorough evaluation of climate-carbon cycle feedbacks may need to consider the coupling of methane and metal cycles in natural and agricultural wetlands under future climate change scenarios.

Multiple-functionalized biochar affects rice yield and quality via regulating arsenic and lead redistribution and bacterial community structure in soils under different hydrological conditions.

Rice grown in soils contaminated with arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) can cause lower rice yield and quality due to the toxic stress. Herein, we examined the role of functionalized biochars (raw phosphorus (P)-rich (PBC) and iron (Fe)-modified P-rich (FePBC)) coupled with different irrigation regimes (continuously flooded (CF) and intermittently flooded (IF)) in affecting rice yield and accumulation of As and Pb in rice grain. Results showed that FePBC increased the rice yield under both CF (47.4%) and IF (19.6%) conditions, compared to the controls. Grain As concentration was higher under CF (1.94-2.42 mg kg-1) than IF conditions (1.56-2.31 mg kg-1), whereas the concentration of grain Pb was higher under IF (0.10-0.76 mg kg-1) than CF (0.12-0.48 mg kg-1) conditions. Application of PBC reduced grain Pb by 60.1% under CF conditions, while FePBC reduced grain As by 12.2% under IF conditions, and increased grain Pb by 2.9 and 6.6 times under CF and IF conditions, respectively, compared to the controls. Therefore, application of the multiple-functionalized biochar can be a promising strategy for increasing rice yield and reducing the accumulation of As in rice grain, particularly under IF conditions, whereas it is inapplicable for remediation of paddy soils contaminated with Pb.

Mangrove degradation retarded microplastics weathering and affected metabolic activities of microplastics-associated microbes.

Currently, information on microplastics (MPs) weathering characteristics and ecological functions driven by MPs-associated microbes in mangrove ecosystems remains unclear, especially in the degraded areas. Herein, we compared the weathering characteristics of MPs in both undegraded and degraded mangrove sediments, and then explored the potential interactions between their weathering characteristics and microbially-driven functions. After 70 days of incubation, different MPs (including polyethylene PE, polystyrene PS, and polylactic acid PLA) were strongly weathered in mangrove sediments, with significant erosion features. Interestingly, more obvious weathering characteristics were found for MPs in the undegraded mangrove sediments. O/C ratio value of MPs in the undegraded sediments was 2.3-3.0 times greater than that in the degraded ones. Besides, mangrove degradation reduced network complexity among MPs-associated microorganisms and affected their metabolic activities. Bacteria involved in carbon cycle process enriched on nondegradable MPs, whereas abundant bacteria responsible for sulphur cycle were observed on PLA-MPs. Moreover, these relevant bacteria were more abundant on MPs in the undegraded mangrove sediments. Mangrove degradation could directly and indirectly affect MPs weathering process and microbially-driven functions through regulating sediment properties and MPs-associated microbes. During weathering, contact angle and roughness of MPs were key factors influencing the colonisation of hydrocarbon degradation bacteria on MPs.

Iron-modified phosphorus- and silicon-based biochars exhibited various influences on arsenic, cadmium, and lead accumulation in rice and enzyme activities in a paddy soil.

Contamination of paddy soils with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has become a severe environmental issue. Application of functionalized biochar for rice cultivation has been proposed as an effective means to reduce environmental risks of these PTEs in paddy soils. This work was undertaken to seek the positive effects of a rice husk-derived silicon (Si)-rich biochar (Si-BC) and a pig carcass-derived phosphorus (P)-rich biochar (P-BC), as well as their Fe-modified biochars (Fe-Si-BC and Fe-P-BC) on the enzyme activity and PTE availability in an As-Cd-Pb-contaminated soil. A rice cultivation pot trial was conducted using these functionalized biochars as soil amendments for the alleviation of PTE accumulation in rice plants. Results showed that Si-BC decreased the concentrations of As in rice grain and straw by 59.4 % and 61.4 %, respectively, while Fe-Si-BC significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced plant growth, increasing grain yield (by 38.6 %). Fe-Si-BC significantly (P < 0.05) elevated Cd and Pb accumulation in rice plants. P-BC enhanced the activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, and urease, and reduced grain-Pb and straw-Pb by 49.3 % and 43.2 %, respectively. However, Fe-P-BC reduced plant-As in rice grain and straw by 12.2 % and 51.2 %, respectively, but increased plant-Cd and plant-Pb. Thus, Fe-modified Si- and P-rich biochars could remediate paddy soils contaminated with As, and enhance the yield and quality of rice. Application of pristine P-rich biochar could also be a promising strategy to remediate the Pb-contaminated paddy soils and limit Pb accumulation in rice.

Response of earthworms to microplastics in soil under biogas slurry irrigation: Toxicity comparison of conventional and biodegradable microplastics.

As a reliable environment-friendly alternative, biodegradable plastic mulching films have been introduced into agricultural practice to reduce the adverse threats posed by conventional plastic products. Information regarding whether potential untoward effects of biodegradable plastics exist in soil and how strong are such effects on terrestrial organisms, however, still remains unknown. This study examined differences in the responses of earthworm, represented by Eisenia fetida, to exposure to biodegradable (PLA: polylactic acid) and conventional microplastics (PVC: polyvinylchloride, LDPE: low-density polyethylene) in soil with biogas slurry irrigation. Mortality, growth, histopathology and biochemical enzymes of the earthworms exposed to different concentrations of microplastics (5, 20 and 50 g/kg wet weight of soil, respectively) were investigated after 28 days of incubation in the experiment. The obtained results showed that the ecotoxicity of microplastics (MPs) to earthworms was time-dependent. Regardless of MPs type, continuous exposure to MPs at the concentration of 50 g/kg induced mucous vacuolization, longitude muscle disorder, and granular lipofuscin-like deposits generation in the epithelium. Moreover, tissue fibrosis and cavity formation were also observed in intestinal tissue. The presence of MPs stimulated the oxidative stress system of the earthworms, as indicated by the enhancement of malonaldehyde (MDA) content in vivo. The antioxidative defense system in earthworms was supposed to collapse at the MPs concentration of 50 g/kg after 28 days of exposure. Interestingly, PLA exhibited similar ecotoxicity effects with LDPE, which might violate the original intention of biodegradable plastics with less harmful or nontoxic influence on the terrestrial biotas. Thus, knowledge regarding the molecular and genetic mechanisms of the earthworms in soil containing biodegradable plastics should be further explored to better understand the risk posed by biodegradable plastics in the agroecosystem.

Changes in bacterial community structures in soil caused by migration and aging of microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) are classified as emerging pollutants and greatly threatens soil ecosystems. To determine the impact of microplastic migration on soil bacterial diversity, we conducted a 90-day indoor soil column simulation test. Soil and microplastic (granular polystyrene, polypropylene MPs) samples were collected from different soil layers on days 30, 60, and 90. The downward migration trend of MPs was obvious, and its surface functional groups, hydrophobic properties, and crystallinity changed. Bacterial diversity was significantly higher in the surrounding soil than on microplastic surfaces. Also, the topsoil has more bacterial diversity than the middle soil. A higher number of OTUs were detected on microplastic surfaces for the middle soil than in the topsoil. Proteobacteria abundance on microplastic surfaces in the topsoil gradually increased over the course of the experiment, while an opposite trend was observed for the middle soil. Nevertheless, Proteobacteria abundances in both layers were higher than in the surrounding soils. MPs alters the bacterial community composition of soils and provides unique substrates for colonization. The impacts of MPs on soil bacterial communities were better understood in this study. Our findings highlighted the relevance of MPs in soil ecosystems as well as the potential threats they pose.

Laser-Induced Graphene-Based Wearable Epidermal Ion-Selective Sensors for Noninvasive Multiplexed Sweat Analysis.

Wearable sweat sensors are a rapidly rising research area owing to their convenience for personal healthcare and disease diagnosis in a real-time and noninvasive manner. However, the fast and scalable fabrication of flexible electrodes remains a major challenge. Here, we develop a wearable epidermal sensor for multiplexed sweat analysis based on the laser-induced graphene (LIG) technique. This simple and mask-free technique allows the direct manufacturing of graphene electrode patterns on commercial polyimide foils. The resulting LIG devices can simultaneously monitor the pH, Na+, and K+ levels in sweat with the sensitivities of 51.5 mV/decade (pH), 45.4 mV/decade (Na+), and 43.3 mV/decade (K+), respectively. Good reproducibility, stability, and selectivity are also observed. On-body testing of the LIG-based sensor integrated with a flexible printed circuit board during stationary cycling demonstrates its capability for real-time sweat analysis. The concentrations of ions can be remotely and wirelessly transmitted to a custom-developed smartphone application during the period in which the sensor user performs physical activities. Owing to the unique advantages of LIG technique, including facile fabrication, mass production, and versatile, more physiological signals (glucose, uric acid, tyrosine, etc.) could be easily expanded into the LIG-based wearable sensors to reflect the health status or clinical needs of individuals.

Two-step ball milling-assisted synthesis of N-doped biochar loaded with ferrous sulfide for enhanced adsorptive removal of Cr(â ¥) and tetracycline from water.

Nitrogen-doped biochar loaded with FeS (FeS@NBCBM) was synthesized by two-step ball milling processes. Characterization results revealed that N-doping process successfully introduced pyridinic, pyrrolic, and graphitic N structures, and FeS was subsequently embedded in N-doped biochar (NBCBM). The resultant FeS@NBCBM presented predominant adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) (194.69 mg/g) and tetracycline (TC, 371.29 mg/g) compared with BC (27.28 and 37.89 mg/g) and NBCBM (71.26 and 81.26 mg/g). In addition, the Cr(VI)/TC elimination process by FeS@NBCBM was basically stable with multiple co-existing ions with slight decrease on adsorption performance after three desorption-regeneration cycles. Most importantly, FeS@NBCBM was found to achieve Cr(VI) elimination not only by electrostatic attraction, ion exchange and complexation, but also by electrons-triggered reduction provided by different species of N, Fe2+ as well as S(Ⅱ). Meantime, pore filling, hydrogen bonding, and π-π stacking interactions were demonstrated to contribute to TC adsorption. These results suggested the co-modification of N-doping and FeS loading by ball milling as an innovative decorating method for biochar to adsorptive purification of Cr(VI) and TC-contaminated water.

Bioremediation of tetramethyl thiuram disulfide and resource utilization of natural rubber wastewater by WR-2 Bacillus-dominated microbial community.

Tetramethyl thiuram disulfide (TMTD), an emerging pollutant with ecotoxicity and accumulation in rubber wastewater, is directly discharged by factories into the surrounding soil to save costs, and this disrupts the nearby ecosystem. In this study, an efficient bioremediation microbial community (WR-2) dominated by Bacillus was acclimatized and isolated from soil contaminated by rubber wastewater. After passing through the metabolic process of WR-2, the ecotoxic TMTD decomposes within 14 days. In the pot experiment, WR-2 not only completed the bioremediation of contaminated soil but also significantly improved the crop growth conditions and the product quality. These results show that WR-2 has broad application prospects in the bioremediation of soil contaminated by rubber wastewater. It also provides a theoretical framework for the resource utilization of the effluent at the end of the initial rubber processing.

Amorphous-Amorphous Coupling Enhancing the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity and Stability of the NiFe-Based Catalyst.

Efficient and stable electrocatalytic water splitting plays a critical role in energy storage and conversion but is strongly restricted by the low activity and stability of catalysts associated with the complicated oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This work provides a strategy to fabricate an advanced NiFe-based catalyst to steadily speed up the OER based on a strong amorphous-amorphous coupling effect generated through amorphous CuS that induces the formation of amorphous NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets (A-NiFe NS/CuS). The presence of the strong coupling effect not only modifies the electronic structure of catalytic sites to accelerate the reaction kinetics but also enhances the binding between the catalyst and substrate to strengthen the durability. In comparison to well-grown core-shell crystalline NiFe LDH on CuO, the as-synthesized amorphous A-NiFe NS/CuS gives a low overpotential of 240 mV to achieve 100 mA cm-2 and shows robust stability under 100 h of operation at the same current density. Therefore, amorphous-amorphous coupling between catalyst-substrate by elaborate and rational engineering yields an opportunity to design efficient and robust NiFe-based OER catalysts.

Constructing a 3D interconnected "trap-zap" ß-CDPs/Fe-g-C3N4 catalyst for efficient sulfamethoxazole degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation: Performance, mechanism, intermediates and toxicity.

A novel and high-efficiency catalyst Fe doped g-C3N4 (Fe-g-C3N4) composited with ß-cyclodextrin polymers (ß-CDPs) was synthesized for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that the catalyst was 3D interconnected porous structure. The degradation rate constant of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in ß-CDPs/Fe-g-C3N4+PMS system was estimated to be 0.132 min-1, which was 14.7 times and 2.2 times that of g-C3N4+PMS and Fe-g-C3N4+PMS system, respectively. In addition, the ß-CDPs/Fe-g-C3N4 exhibited superior degradation performance in a wide pH range (3.0-9.0) and good selectivity in the presence of other inorganic anions and natural organics. Radical scavenging, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electrochemical measurements indicated that 1O2 and Fe(V)O were the main active species for SMX degradation in ß-CDPs/Fe-g-C3N4+PMS system. Moreover, ß-CDPs accelerated electron transfer between catalyst and PMS and promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during PMS activation. The loading of ß-CDPs increased the yields of Fe(V)O and 1O2 in the system and limited the leaching of Fe3+. In addition, the possible degradation pathways of SMX were described based on the intermediates detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and the toxicity of the intermediates was also evaluated. This work investigate the role of ß-CDPs in PMS activation for the first time and develop a promising material with potential for water treatment.