Bioremediation of Hazardous Pollutants Using Enzyme-Immobilized Reactors.

Bioremediation uses the degradation abilities of microorganisms and other organisms to remove harmful pollutants that pollute the natural environment, helping return it to a natural state that is free of harmful substances. Organism-derived enzymes can degrade and eliminate a variety of pollutants and transform them into non-toxic forms; as such, they are expected to be used in bioremediation. However, since enzymes are proteins, the low operational stability and catalytic efficiency of free enzyme-based degradation systems need improvement. Enzyme immobilization methods are often used to overcome these challenges. Several enzyme immobilization methods have been applied to improve operational stability and reduce remediation costs. Herein, we review recent advancements in immobilized enzymes for bioremediation and summarize the methods for preparing immobilized enzymes for use as catalysts and in pollutant degradation systems. Additionally, the advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of immobilized enzymes in bioremediation are discussed.

Chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylate compounds: A review.

Several new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been synthesized to replace traditional (legacy) PFASs frequently without clear information on their structure, use and potential toxicity. Among them, chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylates (ClPFPECAs) are an emerging group used as processing aids in the production of fluoropolymers to replace the ammonium salt of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). The Solvay Company has produced ClPFPECAs as a mixture of six congeners (oligomers) since the mid-1990s, but other possible manufacturers and annual quantities synthesized and used worldwide are unknown. Initial studies to monitor their presence were conducted because of public authority concerns about suspect environmental contamination near fluoropolymer plants. As of 2015, these chemicals have been found in soil, water, vegetative tissues and wildlife, as well as in biological fluids of exposed workers and people, in research carried out mainly in the United States (New Jersey) and Italy. Analysis of wildlife collected even in non-industrialized areas demonstrated widespread occurrence of ClPFPECAs. From the analytical point of view, the (presumptive) evidence of their presence was obtained through the application of non-targeted approaches performed by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Available toxicological data show that ClPFPECAs have similar adverse effects than the compounds which they have replaced, whereas their carcinogenic potential and reproductive damage are currently unknown. All these observations once again cast doubt on whether many alternatives to traditional PFAS are actually safer for the environment and health.

Enhanced efficiency of AgAlO2/g-C3N4 binary composite to degrade organic pollutants for environmental remediation under visible light irradiation.

This study explores the utilization of semiconductor-based photocatalysts for environmental remediation through photocatalytic degradation, harnessing solar energy for effective treatment. The primary focus is on the application of photocatalytic technology for the degradation of 2-chlorophenol and methylene blue, critical pollutants requiring remediation. The research involves the synthesis of binary AgAlO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites through an exchange ion method, subsequent calcination, and sonication. This process enhances the transfer of photogenerated electrons from AgAlO2 to g-C3N4, resulting in a significantly increased reductive electron charge on the surface of g-C3N4. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized composites is comprehensively examined in the degradation of 2-chlorophenol and methylene blue through detailed crystallographic, electron-microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy, electrochemical, and spectroscopic characterizations. Among the various composites, AgAlO2/20% g-C3N4 emerges as the most active photocatalyst, achieving an impressive 98% degradation of methylene blue and 97% degradation of 2-chlorophenol under visible light. Notably, AgAlO2/20% g-C3N4 surpasses bare AgAlO2 and bare g-C3N4, exhibiting 1.66 times greater methylene blue degradation and constant rate (k) values of 20.17 × 10-3 min-1, 4.18 × 10-3 min-1 and 3.48 × 10-3 min-1, respectively. The heightened photocatalytic activity is attributed to the diminished recombination rate of electron-hole pairs. Scavenging evaluations confirm that O2•- and h+ are the primary photoactive species steering methylene blue photodegradation over AgAlO2/g-C3N4 in the visible region. These findings present new possibilities for the development of efficient binary photocatalysts for environmental remediation.

Recent advancements and prospects in carbon-based nanomaterials derived from biomass for environmental remediation applications.

The conversion of waste biomass into a value-added carbonaceous nanomaterial highlights the appealing power of biomass valorization. The advantages of using sustainable and cheap biomass precursors exhibit the tremendous opportunity for boosting energy production and their application in environmental remediation processes. This review emphasis the development and production of carbon-based nanomaterials derived from biomass, which possess favourable characteristics such as biocompatibility and photoluminescence. The advantages and limitations of various nanomaterials synthesised from different precursors were also discussed with insights into their physicochemical properties. The surface morphology of the porous nanomaterials is also explored along with their characteristic properties like regenerative nature, non-toxicity, ecofriendly nature, unique surface area, etc. The incorporation of various functional groups confers superiority of these materials, resulting in unique and advanced functional properties. Further, the use of these biomass derived nanomaterials was also explored in different applications like adsorption, photocatalysis and sensing of hazardous pollutants, etc. The challenges and outcomes obtained from different carbon-based nanomaterials are briefly outlined and discussed in this review.

PAH bioremediation with Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 21198: Impact of cell immobilization and surfactant use on PAH treatment and post-remediation toxicity.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are prevalent environmental contaminants that are harmful to ecological and human health. Bioremediation is a promising technique for remediating PAHs in the environment, however bioremediation often results in the accumulation of toxic PAH metabolites. The objectives of this research were to demonstrate the cometabolic treatment of a mixture of PAHs by a pure bacterial culture, Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 21198, and investigate PAH metabolites and toxicity. Additionally, the surfactant Tween ® 80 and cell immobilization techniques were used to enhance bioremediation. Total PAH removal ranged from 70-95% for fluorene, 44-89% for phenanthrene, 86-97% for anthracene, and 6.5-78% for pyrene. Maximum removal was achieved with immobilized cells in the presence of Tween ® 80. Investigation of PAH metabolites produced by 21198 revealed a complex mixture of hydroxylated compounds, quinones, and ring-fission products. Toxicity appeared to increase after bioremediation, manifesting as mortality and developmental effects in embryonic zebrafish. 21198's ability to rapidly transform PAHs of a variety of molecular structures and sizes suggests that 21198 can be a valuable microorganism for catalyzing PAH remediation. However, implementing further treatment processes to address toxic PAH metabolites should be pursued to help lower post-remediation toxicity in future studies.

Green synthesis of NiO NPs for metagenome-derived laccase stabilization: Detoxifying pollutants and wastes.

Laccases play a crucial role in neutralizing environmental pollutants, including antibiotics and phenolic compounds, by converting them into less harmful substances via a unique oxidation process. This study introduces an environmentally sustainable remediation technique, utilizing NiO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized through green chemistry to immobilize a metagenome-derived laccase, PersiLac1, enhancing its application in pollutant detoxification. Salvadora persica leaf extract was used for the synthesis of NiO nanoparticles, utilizing its phytochemical constituents as reducing and capping agents, followed by characterization through different analyses. Characterization of NiO nanoparticles revealed distinctive FTIR absorption peaks indicating the nanoparticulate structure, while FESEM showed structured NiO with robust interconnections and dimensionality of about 50nm, confirmed by EDX analysis to have a consistent distribution of Ni and O. The immobilized PersiLac1 demonstrated enhanced thermal stability, with 85.55 % activity at 80 °C and reduced enzyme leaching, retaining 67.93 % activity across 15 biocatalytic cycles. It efficiently reduced rice straw (RS) phenol by 67.97 % within 210 min and degraded 70-78 % of tetracycline (TC) across a wide pH range (4.0-8.0), showing superior performance over the free enzyme. Immobilized laccase achieved up to 71 % TC removal at 40-80 °C, significantly outperforming the free enzyme. Notably, 54 % efficiency was achieved at 500 mg/L TC by immobilized laccase at 120 min. This research showed the potential of green-synthesized NiO nanoparticles to effectively immobilize laccase, presenting an eco-friendly approach to purify pollutants such as phenols and antibiotics. The durability and reusability of the immobilized enzyme, coupled with its ability to reduce pollutants, indicates a viable method for cleaning the environment. Nonetheless, the production costs and scalability of NiO nanoparticles for widespread industrial applications pose significant challenges. Future studies should focus on implementation at an industrial level and examine a wider range of pollutants to fully leverage the environmental clean-up capabilities of this innovative technology.

Applications of hollow nanostructures in water treatment considering organic, inorganic, and bacterial pollutants.

One of the major issues of modern society is water contamination with different organic, inorganic, and contaminants bacteria. Finding cost-effective and efficient materials and methods for water treatment and environment remediation is among the scientists' most important considerations. Hollow-structured nanomaterials, including hollow fiber membranes, hollow spheres, hollow nanoboxes, etc., have shown an exciting capability for wastewater refinement approaches, including membrane technology, adsorption, and photocatalytic procedure due to their extremely high specific surface area, high porosity, unique morphology, and low density. Diverse hollow nanostructures could potentially eliminate organic contaminants, including dyes, antibiotics, oil/water emulsions, pesticides, and other phenolic compounds, inorganic pollutants, such as heavy metal ions, salts, phosphate, bromate, and other ions, and bacteria contaminations. Here, a comprehensive overview of hollow nanostructures' fabrication and modification, water contaminant classification, and recent studies in the water treatment field using hollow-structured nanomaterials with a comparative attitude have been provided, indicating the privilege abd detriments of this class of nanomaterials. Eventually, the future outlook of employing hollow nanomaterials in water refinery systems and the upcoming challenges arising in scaling up are also propounded.

One-pot solvothermal synthesis of Cu-Fe-MOF for efficiently activating peroxymonosulfate to degrade organic pollutants in water:Effect of electron shuttle.

Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs) show a bright prospect in sewage purification. The development of efficient catalysts with simple preparation process and eco-friendliness is the key for their applying in practical water treatment. Herein, a bimetallic Cu-Fe metal organic framework (MOF) was simply synthesized by using one-pot solvothermal methods and employed for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade organic pollutants in water. The Cu-Fe-MOF/PMS exhibited excellent degradation efficiencies (over 95% in 30 min) for a variety of pollutants, including phenol, bisphenol A, 2,4-dichlorophenol, methyl blue, rhodamine B, tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole. The degradation efficiency was impacted by dosages of Cu-Fe-MOF, PMS concentrations, reaction temperature, solution pH and anionic species. Phenol could be efficiently decomposed in a wide pH range of 5-9, with the highest degradation and mineralization efficiency of nearly 100% and 70%, respectively. Free radicals and non-free radicals participated in degrading of phenol at the same time, with dominantly free radical process, because sulfate radicals (SO4·-) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) were the primary active substances by contribution calculation. Cu-Fe-MOF was acted as electron shuttle between molecules of phenol and PMS, and the cooperation effect of Fe and Cu on the Cu-Fe-MOF promoted the electron transfer, achieving the high degradation efficiency of phenol. Thus, Cu-Fe-MOF is an ideal catalyst for activating PMS, which is conducive to promote the applying of catalyst-activated PMS processes for practical wastewater treatments.

Graphene materials in pollution trace detection and environmental improvement.

Water scarcity is a pressing issue experienced in numerous countries and is expected to become increasingly critical in the future. Anthropogenic activities such as mining, agriculture, industries, and domestic waste discharge toxic contaminants into natural water bodies, causing pollution. Addressing these environmental crises requires tackling the challenge of removing pollutants from water. Graphene oxide (GO), a form of graphene functionalized with oxygen-containing chemical groups, has recently garnered renewed interest due to its exceptional properties. These properties include a large surface area, mechanical stability, and adjustable electrical and optical characteristics. Additionally, surface functional groups like hydroxyl, epoxy, and carboxyl groups make GO an outstanding candidate for interacting with other materials or molecules. Because of its expanded structural diversity and enhanced overall properties, GO and its composites hold significant promise for a wide range of applications in energy storage, conversion, and environmental protection. These applications encompass hydrogen storage materials, photocatalysts for water splitting, the removal of air pollutants, and water purification. Serving as electrode materials for various lithium batteries and supercapacitors. Graphene-based materials, including graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene polymer nanocomposites, and graphene nanoparticle metal hybrids, have emerged as valuable tools in energy and environmental remediation technologies. This review article provides an overview of the significant impact of graphene-based materials in various areas. Regarding energy-related topics, this article explores the applications of graphene-based materials in supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, and catalysts for fuel cells. Additionally, the article investigates recent advancements in detecting and treating persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals using nanomaterials. The article also discusses recent developments in creating innovative nanomaterials, nanostructures, and treatment methods for addressing POPs and heavy metals in water. It aims to present the field's current state and will be a valuable resource for individuals interested in nanomaterials and related materials.

Unraveling the multifaceted mechanisms and untapped potential of activated carbon in remediation of emerging pollutants: A comprehensive review and critical appraisal of advanced techniques.

The rapid global expansion of industrialization has resulted in the discharge of a diverse range of hazardous contaminants into the ecosystem, leading to extensive environmental contamination and posing a pressing ecological concern. In this context, activated carbon (AC) has emerged as a highly promising adsorbent, offering significant advantages over conventional forms. For instance, AC has demonstrated remarkable adsorption capabilities, as evidenced by the successful removal of atrazine and ibuprofen using KOH and KOH-CO2-activated char, achieving impressive adsorption rates of 90% and 95%, respectively, at an initial dosage of 10 mg L-1. Moreover, AC can effectively adsorb aromatic compounds through π-π stacking interactions. The aromatic rings in organic molecules can align and interact with the carbon atoms in AC's structure, leading to effective adsorption. In this review, by employing a systematic analysis of recent research findings (majorly from 2015 to 2023), an in-depth exploration of AC's evolution and its wide-ranging applications in adsorbing and remediating emerging pollutants, including dyes, organic contaminants, and hazardous gases and mitigating the adverse impacts of such emerging pollutants on ecosystems have been discussed. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, professionals, and policymakers involved in environmental remediation and pollution control, facilitating the development of sustainable and effective strategies for mitigating the global impact of emerging pollutants.

Structural Insights into the Activation of Human Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor by the Environmental Contaminant Benzo[a]pyrene and Structurally Related Compounds.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor belonging to the bHLH/PAS protein family and responding to hundreds of natural and chemical substances. It is primarily involved in the defense against chemical insults and bacterial infections or in the adaptive immune response, but also in the development of pathological conditions ranging from inflammatory to neoplastic disorders. Despite its prominent roles in many (patho)physiological processes, the lack of high-resolution structural data has precluded for thirty years an in-depth understanding of the structural mechanisms underlying ligand-binding specificity, promiscuity and activation of AHR. We recently reported a cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of human AHR bound to the natural ligand indirubin, the chaperone Hsp90 and the co-chaperone XAP2 that provided the first experimental visualization of its ligand-binding PAS-B domain. Here, we report a 2.75 Å resolution structure of the AHR complex bound to the environmental pollutant benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The structure substantiates the existence of a bipartite PAS-B ligand-binding pocket with a geometrically constrained primary binding site controlling ligand binding specificity and affinity, and a secondary binding site contributing to the binding promiscuity of AHR. We also report a docking study of B[a]P congeners that validates the B[a]P-bound PAS-B structure as a suitable model for accurate computational ligand binding assessment. Finally, comparison of our agonist-bound complex with the recently reported structures of mouse and fruit fly AHR PAS-B in different activation states suggests a ligand-induced loop conformational change potentially involved in the regulation of AHR function.

Efficient adsorption of organic pollutants phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) utilizing magnetite functionalized covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs): A promising future material for industrial applications.

The utilization of phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) as the major component in plastic and its derivative industry has raised concerns among the public due to the harmful effects caused by these organic pollutants. These pollutants are found to exhibit unique physicochemical properties that allow the pollutants to have prolonged existence in the environment, thus causing damage to the environment. Since phthalates and bisphenol A are used in a variety of industrial applications, the industry must recover these compounds from its water before releasing the pollutants into the environment. As a result, these materials have a promising future in industrial applications. Therefore, the discovery of new quick and reliable abatement technologies is important to ensure that these organic pollutants can be detected and removed from the water sources. This review highlights the use of the adsorption method to remove phthalates and BPA from water sources by employing novel modified adsorbent magnetite functionalized covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs). MCOFs is a new class of porous materials that have demonstrated promising features in a variety of applications due to their adaptable structures, significant surface areas, configurable porosity, and customizable chemistry. The structural attributes, functional design strategies, and specialized for environmental applications before offering some closing thoughts and suggestions for further research were discussed in this paper in addition to developing an innovative solution for the industry to the accessibility for clean water.

Effects and applications of surfactants on the release, removal, fate, and transport of microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: a review.

Microplastics (MPs) and surfactants (STs) are emerging pollutants in the environment. While many studies have focused on the interactions of STs with MPs, there has not been a comprehensive review focusing on the effect of STs on MPs in aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes methods for removal of MPs from wastewater (e.g., filtration, flotation, coagulation/flocculation, adsorption, and oxidation-reduction) and the interactions and effects of STs with MPs (adsorption, co-adsorption, desorption, and toxicity). STs can modify MPs surface properties and influence their removal using different wastewater treatments, as well as the adsorption-desorption of both organic and inorganic chemicals. The concentration of STs is a crucial factor that impacts the removal or adsorption of pollutants onto MPs. At low concentrations, STs tend to facilitate MPs removal by flotation and enhance the adsorption of pollutants onto MPs. High ST concentrations, mainly above the critical micelle concentrations, cause MPs to become dispersed and difficult to remove from water while also reducing the adsorption of pollutants by MPs. Excess STs form emulsions with the pollutants, leading to electrostatic repulsion between MPs/STs and the pollutant/STs. As for the toxicity of MPs, the addition of STs to MPs shows complicated results, with some cases showing an increase in toxicity, some showing a decrease, and some showing no effect.

Schiff base MOFs and their derivatives for sequestration and degradation of pollutants: present and future.

Removal of contaminants via adsorption and catalysis have received a significant interest as energy and money-saving solutions for treating the world's wastewater. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a newly discovered class of porous crystalline materials, have demonstrated tremendous promise in the removal and destruction of contaminants for water purification. In order to improve the interactions of MOFs with the target pollutants for their selective removal and degradation, the Schiff base functionalities emerged as promising active sites. Through pre- and post-synthetic alterations, Schiff base functionalities are integrated into the pore cages of MOF adsorbent materials. To understand the adsorptive/catalytic mechanism, potential interactions between the Schiff base sites and the target pollutants are discussed. Based on cutting-edge techniques for their synthesis, this paper examines current developments in the creation of Schiff base-functionalized MOFs as innovative materials for adsorptive removal and catalytic degradation of contaminants for water remediation.

Biomass waste-derived carbon materials for sustainable remediation of polluted environment: A comprehensive review.

In response to the growing global concern over environmental pollution, the exploration of sustainable and eco-friendly materials derived from biomass waste has gained significant traction. This comprehensive review seeks to provide a holistic perspective on the utilization of biomass waste as a renewable carbon source, offering insights into the production of environmentally benign and cost-effective carbon-based materials. These materials, including biochar, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, have shown immense promise in the remediation of polluted soils, industrial wastewater, and contaminated groundwater. The review commences by elucidating the intricate processes involved in the synthesis and functionalization of biomass-derived carbon materials, emphasizing their scalability and economic viability. With their distinctive structural attributes, such as high surface areas, porous architectures, and tunable surface functionalities, these materials emerge as versatile tools in addressing environmental challenges. One of the central themes explored in this review is the pivotal role that carbon materials play in adsorption processes, which represent a green and sustainable technology for the removal of a diverse array of pollutants. These encompass noxious organic compounds, heavy metals, and organic matter, encompassing pollutants found in soils, groundwater, and industrial wastewater. The discussion extends to the underlying mechanisms governing adsorption, shedding light on the efficacy and selectivity of carbon-based materials in different environmental contexts. Furthermore, this review delves into multifaceted considerations, spanning the spectrum from biomass and biowaste resources to the properties and applications of carbon materials. This holistic approach aims to equip researchers and practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic utilization of these materials, ultimately facilitating effective and affordable strategies for combatting industrial wastewater pollution, soil contamination, and groundwater impurities.

Porphyrin/phthalocyanine-based porous organic polymers for pollutant removal and detection: Synthesis, mechanisms, and challenges.

The growing global concern about environmental threats due to environmental pollution requires the development of environmentally friendly and efficient removal/detection materials and methods. Porphyrin/phthalocyanine (Por/Pc) based porous organic polymers (POPs) as a newly emerging porous material are prepared through polymerizing building blocks with different structures. Benefiting from the high porosity, adjustable pore structure, and enzyme-like activities, the Por/Pc-POPs can be the ideal platform to study the removal and detection of pollutants. However, a systematic summary of their application in environmental treatment is still lacking to date. In this review, the development of various Por/Pc-POPs for pollutant removal and detection applications over the past decade was systematically addressed for the first time to offer valuable guidance on environmental remediation through the utilization of Por/Pc-POPs. This review is divided into two sections (pollutants removal and detection) focusing on Por/Pc-POPs for organic, inorganic, and gaseous pollutants adsorption, photodegradation, and chemosensing, respectively. The related removal and sensing mechanisms are also discussed, and the methods to improve removal and detection efficiency and selectivity are also summarized. For the future practical application of Por/Pc-POPs, this review provides the emerging research directions and their application possibility and challenges in the removal and detection of pollutants.

Cuprous-mediated peroxymonosulfate activation for Fenton-like removal of micropollutants: The function of co-catalyst and the accelerated degradation mechanism.

Introducing co-catalysts to enhance the activation of cuprous-mediated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and induce the continuous generation of highly reactive oxygen species is promising. The function, effectiveness, and acceleration mechanism of co-catalysts in the cuprous-mediated PMS activation process were fully explored in this work, which focused on rhodamine B as the target contaminants. The results demonstrated that molybdenum (Mo) powder was a superb co-catalyst, and that the reaction of cuprous-mediated PMS system was carried out by surface Mo species as opposed to Mo ions in the solution. The Cu (II)/Cu(I) cycle was primarily encouraged by the Mo0, which also caused abundant ·HO and 1O2 and minimal SO4·- and ·O2- to be produced from PMS. The Mo/Cu2+/PMS system exhibited high removal efficiency towards typical pollutants, especially ciprofloxacin, methyl orange, malachite green, and crystal violet, with removal rates up to 93%, 99%, 97%, and 92%, respectively. Additionally, this system showed excellent adaptability to complex water environments. After four cycles, the Mo powder retained its properties and morphology, and the target pollutants could still maintain an 82% degradation efficiency. This study provides a basis for enhancing cuprous-mediated PMS activation for wastewater treatment.

Construction of a novel ferrihydrite/MoS2 heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for efficient degradation of organic pollutants under neutral conditions.

In this work, we have fabricated a novel Fenton-like ferrihydrite/MoS2 (Fh/MoS2) composite and verified that the introduction of a small amount of iron on the surface of MoS2 can directly promote the exposure of Mo4+, finally enhancing the catalytic activity of the catalyst. Even though the content of iron element is only 1.19% in the composite, the reaction rate constant of Fh/MoS2 system for the degradation of environmental pollutants, such as organic dyes, antibiotic, and ionic liquid, is all much better than that of pure MoS2 system, which is attributed to much more generation of reactive oxygen species derived from synergistic effect of Fe3+/Fe2+ and Mo4+/Mo6+ redox cycles. The results of XPS and low-temperature EPR confirm that the exposure amount of Mo4+ active sites of 10% Fh/MoS2 is greatly increased, which is conducive to the conversion of Fe3+ to Fe2+ in the reaction process, thus effectively promoting the activation of H2O2.

Strategies for enhancing performance of perovskite bismuth ferrite photocatalysts (BiFeO3): A comprehensive review.

Organic pollutants pose a significant threat to water safety, and their degradation is of paramount importance. Photocatalytic technology has emerged as a promising approach for environmental remediation, and Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) has been shown to exhibit remarkable potential for photocatalytic degradation of water pollutants, with its excellent crystal structure properties and visible light photocatalytic activity. This review presents an overview of the crystal properties and photocatalytic mechanism of perovskite bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), as well as a summary of various strategies for enhancing its efficiency in photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. These strategies include pure phase preparation, microscopic modulation, composite modification of BiFeO3, and the integration of Fenton-like reactions and external field-assisted methods to improve its photocatalytic performance. The review emphasizes the impact of each strategy on photocatalytic enhancement. By providing comprehensive strategies for improving the efficiency of BiFeO3 photocatalysis, this review inspires new insights for efficient degradation of organic pollutants using BiFeO3 photocatalysis and contributes to the development of photocatalysis in environmental remediation.

Microplastics as an emerging contaminant of concern to our environment: a brief overview of the sources and implications.

Over the years, it has become evident that microplastics are one of the most important contaminants of concern requiring significant attention. The large abundance of microplastics that are currently in the environment poses potential toxicity risks to all organisms that are exposed to them. Microplastics have been found to affect the physiological and biological processes in marine and terrestrial organisms. As well as being a contaminant of concern in itself, microplastics also have the ability to act as vectors for other contaminants. The potential for microplastics to carry pollutants and transfer them to other organisms has been documented in the literature. Microplastics have also been linked to hosting antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes which poses a significant risk to the current health system. There has been a significant increase in research published surrounding the topic of microplastics over the last 5 years. As such, it is difficult to determine and find up to date and relevant information. This overview paper aims to provide a snapshot of the current and emerging sources of microplastics, how microplastics can act as a contaminant and have toxic effects on a range of organisms and also be a vector for a large variety of other contaminants of concern. The aim of this paper is to act as a tool for future research to reference relevant and recent literature in this field.