The uses of biochar as soil fertilizer can offset global warming and reduce dependence on limited mineral resources in the future circular economy, yet biochar may contain contaminants that can ultimately enter the food chain. In particular, persistent free radicals are emerging contaminants previously detected in biochar but underlying mechanisms of radical formation are not yet established. Here

The rising energy demand and the decline of fossil fuel usage is calling for alternative, sustainable energies such as microbial fuel cells. Here, we review the electricigens and microbial fuel cells for power production, removal and recovery of metals from effluents, microbial desalination and hydrogen production. We present principles and applications using both double- and single-chambered microbial

Proposed and studied in the mid-1960s, water-insoluble cyclodextrin–epichlorohydrin polymers are of constant interest to the scientific community, particularly for their environmental applications. The unique feature of these materials is their ability to form inclusion complexes with various pollutants through host–guest interactions. This leads to many environmental applications including water and

Environmental nanomaterials occur ubiquitously in the environment as the result of both natural and anthropic activities, yet knowledge on natural nanoparticles is still scarce, in particular for uranium which is of interest for energy production, radioactive pollution and military use. Here, we searched for U nanomaterials in surface media such as soils, groundwater, ascending gas and plants from

The coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, appears as a major pandemic having adverse impact on public health and economic activities. Since viral replication in human enterocytes results in its faecal shedding, wastewater surveillance is an ideal, non-invasive, cost-effective and an early warning epidemiological approach to detect

The global usage of pesticides has increased by more than 1.5 times over the last three decades. As a consequence, waters are increasingly contaminated by pesticides and their degradation products. For example, organochlorine pesticides are considered most hazardous due to their long half-lives in the environment, up to 5–15 years, and because they bioaccumulate. This is a major health issue requiring

A variety of multidrug-resistant bacteria is blamed for severe infections worldwide. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance constitutes a serious problem for healthcare systems around the world. Here we review techniques for the prevention and constraint of antimicrobial resistance, the risk factors, and the ways by which antimicrobial resistance spreads. We discuss strategies for containment of

Biodiesel is an alternative to fossil fuels for diesel engines, yet actual biofuel properties need to be tuned to comply with fuel standards. In particular, fuel stability is required for efficiency and commercial use. Fuel stability varies with the nature and proportion of chemical functional groups of biodiesel. Optimum oxidation stability is required because degradation by oxidation gives products

Rising global population and urbanization are major causes of waste generation, energy demand and carbon emissions. The atmospheric CO2 concentration has increased of 44% from 284 ppm in 1850 to 409 ppm in 2018. In 2017, the world energy consumption was 582 quadrillion British thermal units (qBtu), including 495 qBtu of fossil fuels and 87 qBtu of renewable and nuclear energy sources. Therefore, there

Innovations in water technology are needed to solve challenges of climate change, resource shortages, emerging contaminants, urbanization, sustainable development and demographic changes. In particular, conventional techniques of wastewater treatment are limited by the presence of poorly biodegradable organic matter. Alternatively, recent Fenton, Fenton-like and hybrid processes appear successful for

The rise of multidrug-resistant human pathogenic bacteria is calling for alternative approaches to design antibacterial drugs. Here, we review new approaches based on antisense oligonucleotides as antibacterial agents, fecal microbiota transplantation, and antimicrobial peptides and cell-penetrating peptides with antibacterial activity.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are lipophilic pollutants of increasing health concern due to their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Remediation techniques have been set up for PFAS removal, such as electron beam, which exhibits excellent performance due to its cost-effective ability of producing large amounts of both reducing and oxidizing species. However, the

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rapidly spread across the world and was subsequently declared as a pandemic in 2020. To overcome this public health challenge, comprehensive understanding of the disease transmission is urgently needed. Recent evidences suggest that the most common route of transmission for SARS-CoV-2 is likely via droplet, aerosol, or direct contact in a person-to-person

At high environmental concentration, some heavy metals display adverse health effects on living organisms and ecosystems. They bioaccumulate in the food chain and end up in wastewater, calling for advanced techniques of remediation. Here, we review recently developed nanomaterials used to remove heavy metals in wastewater, with focus on synthesis, removal mechanisms and kinetics. Nanomaterial-based

Rising concerns about petroleum depletion and energy demand are calling for alternative processes such as methane partial oxidation to produce syngas for downstream synthetic fuel production. However, industrial application is limited by catalyst deactivation caused by carbon deposition and reoxidation of active metals. Here we synthesized dendritic fibrous Pd, Ru and Rh/KAUST Catalysis Centre 1 (KCC-1)

Abstract Industrial activities generate considerable volumes of wastewater containing organic and inorganic contaminants. Adsorption is an efficient method for wastewater treatment due to its ease of operation, convenience, and efficiency. However, finding suitable adsorbent materials that are abundant, cheap, and efficient remains a challenge. Gelatin is considered a promising adsorbent due to its

Volatile methylsiloxanes are wastewater organic pollutants originating from industrial and personal care products. They accumulate in sewage sludge and hamper biogas production through the formation of silicon dioxide on the surfaces of gas engines and turbines, yet there is few knowledge on their fate in sludge treatment systems. Here we studied the occurrence and removal of seven volatile methylsiloxanes

SARS-CoV-2 is a new human coronavirus (CoV), which emerged in China in late 2019 and is responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic that caused more than 97 million infections and 2 million deaths in 12 months. Understanding the origin of this virus is an important issue, and it is necessary to determine the mechanisms of viral dissemination in order to contain future epidemics. Based on phylogenetic

The rising use of radioactive elements is increasing radioactive pollution and calling for advanced materials to protect individuals. For instance, polymers are promising due to their mechanical, electrical, thermal, and multifunctional properties. Moreover, composites made of polymers and high atomic number fillers should allow to obtain material with low-weight, good flexibility, and good processability

In the absence of a vaccine, preventing the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the primary means to reduce the impact of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Multiple studies have reported the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material on surfaces suggesting that fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is feasible. High temperature inactivation of virus has been

Persistent free radicals (PFRs) are emerging contaminants of increasing concern, yet their formation, fate, toxicity and health risk are poorly known. Thermal treatment, a common remediation technique to clean industrial soils, induces the formation of PFRs, which could paradoxically increase soil toxicity, contrary to the original objective of remediation. Actually, there is little knowledge on the

Zero liquid discharge after treatment of industrial wastewater is a major goal to avoid environmental pollution. For that, membrane distillation appears as an advanced technique to generate pure water and to concentrate recyclable matter. Here, we review membrane distillation with focus on the industry of the traditional Chinese medicine. Membrane distillation has been successfully applied to concentrate

Rapid industrialization is deteriorating air and water quality by exposing life to a wide range of pollutants, thus calling for efficient and affordable remediation strategies. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging materials for environmental remediation applications due to their high surface area, ordered porous structure, and application-specific tailoring of properties. In particular, transition

Dye pollution from industries such as dyeing, textile, leather, cosmetics and pigments is of increasing concern, calling for advanced methods of wastewater remediation. Many techniques have been applied to treat such effluents, but adsorption remains the easiest, low-cost, effective and reliable strategies. The recent development of magnetic composites combines properties of both organic and inorganic

The coronavirus disease COVID-19 has spread throughout the world and has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11th, 2020. The COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). One possible mode of virus transmission is through surfaces in the healthcare settings. This paper reviews currently used disinfection strategies to control

With mounting evidence and notable cases of large clustered infections, airborne transmission via droplets and particles has been recently acknowledged as an effective mode of transmission for COVID-19. How droplets and aerosol particles disperse are being transported into the human breathing zone—the last few inches for airborne transmission to effectuate—remains a key question which has been widely

Indoor pollution of air by formaldehyde poses a serious threat to human health because formaldehyde causes illnesses and discomfort even at low levels, thus calling for abatement techniques. Techniques include absorption, physisorption, chemisorption, biological and botanical filtration, photocatalytic decomposition, membrane separation, plasma and catalytic oxidation. Here we review the principles

Increased industrial and domestic activities have induced pollution, global warming and resources depletion, calling for advanced remediation techniques. For instance, biochar synthesized from waste materials is an ecofriendly and low-cost material for the remediation of contaminants, yet raw biochar is poorly efficient. Therefore, biochar properties can be improved by ultrasonication, metal impregnation

Most actual medicine materials are derived from fossil fuel resources, thus accentuating pollution and climate change, calling for alternative, sustainable materials. For example, cellulose nanofibers possess high specific surface area, high mechanical strength, reactive surface, biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity, and low cost. Here, I review pharmaceutical applications of cellulose nanofibers

The recent development of ionic liquids may induce environmental pollution, yet there is a lack of sensitive analytical methods to detect traces of ionic liquids, notably for quaternary ammonium ionic liquids. Here, we set up a method based on solid-phase extraction and ion chromatography combined to analyze quaternary ammonium ionic liquid cations in river water samples. Cations included tetramethylammonium

Nutrient recovery from wastewater and recycling nutrients as soil fertilizers is a major challenge for the future circular economy. This is motivated by unregulated discharge of wastewater, poor access to fertilizers in developing countries and high fertilizer costs. Here, we review protocols of nutrient recovery from major wastewater sources such as agriculture, domestic and industrial wastewater

Pollution of industrial wastewaters containing dyes is a major concern for health in many countries, calling for advanced remediation techniques. Here, we review dye classification, toxicity, and removal with focus on adsorption using nanomaterials and magnetic nanoparticles. We present isotherm modeling and kinetic studies. We discuss factors controlling dye adsorption, such as pH, dye concentration

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions are major greenhouse gases contributing to global warming, thus calling for rapid techniques of sequestration. For instance, dry reforming of methane transforms CO2 and CH4 into syngas, a mixture of H2 and CO, yet the reaction catalyst becomes inactivated by carbon formation and metal sintering. Here, we review catalytic systems used for dry reforming of methane

Antimicrobial resistance is a major health issue inducing the inefficiency of antimicrobial drugs. Indeed, pathogenic microorganisms become resistant when frequently exposed to antimicrobial drugs. In particular, when bacteria are attached to a surface and expand as a biofilm, they become more resistant to antimicrobials because single or multiple bacterial species are embedded in a slimy extracellular

Solar electricity is an unlimited source of sustainable fuels, yet the efficiency of solar cells is limited. The efficiency of perovskite solar cells improved from 3.9% to reach 25.5% in just a few years. Perovskite solar cells are actually viewed as promising by comparison with dye-sensitized solar cells, organic solar cells, and the traditional solar cells made of silicon, GaAs, copper indium gallium

Combined cavitation and oxidation allow efficient and cheap removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) following the generation of reactive oxygen species. Here, we review the removal of PAHs by sonochemistry, biodegradation, photodegradation, Fenton oxidation, ozone oxidation, and photochemical oxidation. We discuss factors controlling cavitation under sonochemical irradiation in various reactors

The decline of fossil fuels is fostering research on carbon–neutral fuels such as nuclear energy, yet uranium supply is limited by actual techniques of uranium extraction from seawater. In particular, biofouling by marine bacteria and adsorbent instability are major drawbacks. Here we synthesized a novel amidoxime-functionalized antibacterial covalent organic framework that displays high stability

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted public health worldwide. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via aerosols and surfaces has highlighted the need for efficient indoor disinfection methods. For instance, the use of ozone gas as a safe and potent disinfectant against SARS-CoV-2 virus is of particular interest. Here we tested the use of pseudoviruses as a model for evaluating ozone disinfection

The relationship between outdoor atmospheric pollution by particulate matter and the morbidity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections was recently disclosed, yet the role of indoor aerosols is poorly known . Since people spend most of their time indoor, indoor aerosols are closer to human occupants than outdoors, thus favoring airborne transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, here

The leather industry holds a significant place in the global economy, yet the scarcity of raw hides and skins, growing ethical concern, competitive leather substitutes and regulation of manufacturing processes with adverse environmental effects restrict the expansion of the leather industry. These issues may be partly solved by nanotechnology to add innovative products and to treat tannery effluents

Dwindling fossil fuels and improper waste management are major challenges in the context of increasing population and industrialization, calling for new waste-to-energy sources. For instance, refuse-derived fuels can be produced from transformation of municipal solid waste, which is forecasted to reach 2.6 billion metric tonnes in 2030. Gasification is a thermal-induced chemical reaction that produces

Cyclodextrins are a group of cyclic oligosaccharides obtained by enzymatic degradation of starch. They are remarkable macrocyclic molecules that have led major theoretical and practical advances in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, health science, and agriculture. Their molecular structure is composed of a hydrophobic cavity that can encapsulate other compounds to form inclusion complexes through host–guest

The circular economy is calling for the rapid use of already-developed renewable energies. However, the successful implementation of those new fuels is limited by economic and political issues. For instance, in the Brandenburg region, Germany, biogas production from anaerobic digestion of biomass and wastes is a current alternative. However, the upgrading biogas to biomethane is still challenging and

Biomaterials appear promising for creating wearable and electronic devices. For instance, natural silk is flexible, durable, comfortable, breathable and abundant. Silk can take many forms and adapt to the sought-out qualities of wearable devices. For sensor fabrication, silk’s amphophilic structure allows the facile adhesion of active materials. Moreover, substrates made of β-sheet crystallites offer

Copper has been successfully used in the sulfate form as a fungicide to control grapevine diseases since 150 years, yet high Cu accumulation in vineyards may alter soil life. Although actual Cu additions are about tenfold lower than 50 years ago, the use of Cu in the context of the agroecological transition is still debated. Indeed, copper is one of the rare pesticides allowed for organic farming.

Preventing water pollution and conserving water are major issues in the context of population growth and worldwide pollution, calling for advanced remediation techniques. Classical remediation techniques of water cleaning such as membrane adsorption are able to separate pollutants from water, yet the separated pollutants require additional treatment or disposal. Therefore, techniques that degrade the

Cyclodextrins, natural oligosaccharides obtained from starch by enzymatic degradation, have been discovered 130 years ago by the pioneering work of the French pharmacist and chemist Antoine Villiers. These molecules still fascinate researchers and industrials because they are remarkable macrocyclic molecules with major impacts in chemistry, biology and health science. When we look at cyclodextrin chemistry

Solar illumination is a promising source of primary energy to reduce global warming and to clean polluted waters, thus fostering research of the design of efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen production by water splitting and for contaminant degradation. In particular, photocatalysis by indium sulfide (In2S3) is drawing attention due to its suitable narrow bandgap of 2.0–2.3 eV for visible light harnessing

There are few epidemiological studies on the relationships between trace element exposure and depression in the elderly Chinese population. We studied the levels of strontium (Sr), manganese (Mn), vanadium (V), barium (Ba), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) in whole blood, and the relationships between trace element exposure and depressive symptoms in elderly Chinese individuals

Issues of fossil fuel and plastic pollution are shifting public demand toward biopolymer-based textiles. For instance, silk, which has been traditionally used during at least 5 milleniums in China, is re-emerging in research and industry with the development of high-tech spinning methods. Various arthropods, e.g. insects and arachnids, produce silky proteinic fiber of unique properties such as resistance

Nanoparticles are increasingly used in many industrial sectors due to their unique properties, yet their introduction in ecosystems is of concern for health and food security. In particular, the accumulation of nanoparticles in soils may disturb the soil and plant system, possibly inducing a risk for crop production. Here, we review recent advances on nanoparticles in the soil–plant system. We focus

Environmental pollution is a serious issue with the rapid development of urbanization, industrialization and vehicle traffic. In particular, fossil fuel pollution increases atmospheric CO2 levels. To alleviate this problem, various carbon capture and storage technologies have been developed, yet they are actually limited by cost and energy requirements. Alternatively, adsorption appears as a promising

Clean and accessible water for all has been defined by the United Nations as a major goal to promote sustainability in a planet with improved life quality. However, the growth of population and global industry processes are having a massive impact on the water quality. The presence of organic pollutants in water and wastewater, such as pharmaceuticals, organic dyes and by-products of industrial processes

Air pollution is partly due to the emission of toxic sulfur and nitrogen oxides during fuel combustion. Therefore, these compounds should be removed from fuels. For that, ionic liquids have been recently developed to extract sulfur and nitrogen compounds from petroleum and fuels. Ionic liquids can extract S- and N-containing compounds either simultaneously or selectively. Ionic liquids usage appears

The occurrence of contaminants in natural waters is a potential threat to the environment. Since contaminants are commonly present as mixtures, numerous interactions may occur, resulting in lower or, more dangerously, higher toxicity, by comparison with single substances. The toxicity of multicomponent systems can be determined experimentally, but toxicity prediction by suitable models is faster, environmentally

Tea is a widely renowned functional beverage originating from processed tender leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant after brewing with hot water. This refreshing and revitalizing beverage has been recognized as an essential commodity since ancient times. Tea constituents have many health benefits and hence find usage in functional foods, beverages, and nutraceuticals. Nonetheless, the clinical usage

Water recycling is of increasing concern due to the shortage of natural resources, calling for advanced methods to remove contaminants. Indeed, the transfer of contaminants to living organisms may lead to bioaccumulation and diseases. In particular, the overuse of antibiotics for human and animal health has led to antibiotic pollution in waters, sludges and crop soils, and, in turn, to the unintended

Heterocyclic compounds occur widely in nature and in drug molecules. The activity of many nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds is unique. For example, 1,4-dihydropyridines display good antitumor and antibacterial effects and can be commercially used as calcium channel blocker agents in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. To reduce the use of toxic catalysts in the synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines

Microplastics, nanoplastics and related products have been recently found in marine ecosystems worldwide, calling for new analytical methods for rapid detection and risk assessment. Fluorescence is a sensitive technique that when used with polarity probes can potentially detect low-polarity plastic particles in environments. Here, we evaluated the fluorescence technique to sense polystyrene microparticles

Energy and pollution are major issues worldwide, calling for advanced techniques of biofuel production and environmental remediation, such solar photocatalysis. Engineering the co-catalyst at atom level has recently been proposed to increase the photocatalytic efficiency. Here, we report a new strategy for preparing highly stable single-atom photocatalysts containing abundant isolated atomic sites