Nanoscale piezoelectrics have recently found applications in radios, switches, tweezers, sensors, actuators, field effect transistors and piezoelectric-gated diodes. Piezoelectrics may also be used to adsorb and efficiently degrade pollutants, yet knowledge is actually scarce. Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides were recently found to be piezoelectric. Here, MoSe2 nanoflowers were synthesized

Removal of heavy metals from wastewaters using microalgae is gaining interest because microalgae also assimilate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Here, we review algal metabolism and cultivation; algal biomass conversion to biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, methane, electricity and fertilizers; and removal of metals with microalgae. The mixotrophic approach enables the effective treatment of both

Water pollution by dyes is a major health and environmental issue. Photosensitive organic dyes produce hydrated electrons, eaq−, singlet oxygen, 1O2, and superoxide anion radicals, O2·−. O2·− catalyzes H2O2 transformation into hydroxyl radicals ·OH, which can be used to degrade wastewater under sunlight. Here, we measured eaq−, 1O2, O2·− and ·OH generated under visible light irradiation of photosensitive

The worldwide contamination of waters by microplastics is an emerging health and environmental issue. Despite being relatively inert, microplastics may adsorb and carry other aquatic pollutants such as heavy metals. Adsorption of heavy metals onto microplastics is a spontaneous process controlled by the microplastic surface. Marine microplastics have been well discussed, yet there are actually a few

Removal of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a major problem in drinking water treatment, because DOM modifies color, taste and odor, and carcinogenic by-products of DOM can be created during disinfection. Efficient water remediation is limited by our poor knowledge of DOM structure and properties, thus calling for advanced methods of characterisation. Here, we tested the influence of two coagulants

In the context of climate change, advanced methods for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture are needed. Organic biomass from living organisms, e.g., plants, is known to capture CO2 by photosynthetic assimilation, yet physical adsorption of CO2 onto biomass is poorly known. Here, we used molecular modeling of various biomass components to estimate the efficiency of CO2 capture by biomass. Results show that

Nanotechnology has recently found applications in many fields such as consumer products, medicine and environment. Nanoparticles display unique properties and vary widely according to their dimensions, morphology, composition, agglomeration and uniformity states. Nanomaterials include carbon-based nanoparticles, metal-based nanoparticles, organic-based nanoparticles and composite-based nanoparticles

Antibiotic pollution in waters is a major health issue that induces antimicrobial resistance and, in turn, the inefficacy of actual antibiotics to cure diseases. There is therefore a need for antibiotic removal from water and wastewater, yet actual remediation techniques are limited. Here, we studied the degradation of ciprofloxacin by the photo-Fenton reaction using a Nafion/Fe3+ membrane as catalyst

The number of priority and emerging contaminants nowadays exceeds several thousands. As a consequence, it is a daunting task to monitor thousands of compounds using classical gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Preliminary non-targeted screening is thus usually performed to identify the most relevant contaminants. Here we analyzed complex environmental samples of snow, rain water and cloud

Fate and risk of nanomaterials in the environment have attracted wide attention over the years. Copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) nanorods have been used as antibacterial nanomaterials in agricultural products, leading to their release into the environment. Yet, knowledge about the transformation of Cu(OH)2 nanorods is currently scarce, representing a potential for the environment. Here we investigated the

Global warming caused by increasing CO2 atmospheric levels is calling for sustainable fuels. For instance, biomethane produced by biogas upgrading is a promising source of green energy. Technologies to upgrade biogas include chemical absorption, water scrubbing, physical absorption, adsorption, cryogenic separation and membrane separation. Historically, water scrubbing was preferred because of the

The rise of consumption of traditional fossil fuels has caused emissions of greenhouse gas and deterioration of air quality. Biomass is a promising substitute for fossil fuels because biomass provides biofuels and chemicals by thermochemical conversion such as pyrolysis. In particular, fast pyrolysis of biomass cellulose into chemicals and biofuels has recently drawn attention. Issues of commercialization

The amide linkage is a backbone of many organic molecules such as peptides, natural products, pharmaceutical agents, ligands and catalysts. Green synthesis of amides is a major challenge in the context of sustainable development. Here we designed transamidation catalysed by graphene oxide under concentrated solar radiation of various aromatic, aliphatic amides with amines under solvent-free conditions

Carbonate minerals are a major reservoir in the global carbon cycle and a key player in the sequestration and emission of atmospheric CO2. In addition to the minerals’ frequent use in agriculture and construction, carbonate formation has been targeted for anthropogenic CO2 sequestration. Due to carbonate’s importance in geological and anthropogenic realms, research on carbonate characterization and

Technologies for conversion of microbial energy have recently attracted interest to transform waste into bioenergy, thus addressing simultaneously environmental and energy issues. Nonetheless, actual microbial systems for energy conversion have limitations such as low rate of mass transfer, uneven energy distribution and strong inhibition of products and by-products. These technical bottlenecks can

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 into value-added chemicals should reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and counteract global warming caused by CO2 generation. Nonetheless, CO2 is rather stable and chemically inert, calling for effective electrocatalysts to avoid problems such as sluggish kinetics, low reaction efficiency and poor product selectivity during CO2 conversion. Recently, single-atom catalysts

Pure and drinkable water will be rarer and more expensive as the result of pollution induced by industrialisation, urbanisation and population growth. Among the numerous sources of water pollution, the textile industry has become a major issue because effluents containing dyes are often released in natural water bodies. For instance, about two years are needed to biodegrade dye-derived, carcinogenic

Cancer is the second highest cause of death globally, with about 70% of deaths occurring in low- or middle-income countries, thus calling for efficient cures. Nanotechnology research has evidenced numerous therapeutic innovations that target the tumor tissues either passively or actively. Camptothecin is a potent anticancer drug which has shown appreciable antitumor activity against a broad spectrum

The outbreak of coronavirus named COVID-19, initially identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has spread rapidly at the global scale. Most countries have rapidly stopped almost all activities including industry, services and transportation of goods and people, thus decreasing air pollution in an unprecedented way, and providing a unique opportunity to study air pollutants. While satellite data

Waste conversion is a major challenge for energy production in the future circular economy. Waste management aims at producing more energy and recyclable materials, in order to reduce landfill disposal and pollution. Here, membrane technologies are developing for waste conversion to dihydrogen. Here we review techniques of waste conversion such as incineration, pyrolysis, gasification and anaerobic

Air pollution by dust particles is a major health concern in urban and industrialized areas. Actual methods to reduce dust contamination, such as water spraying, are limited, calling for new dust suppressants. Here, we synthesized a liquid starch-based dust suppressant by grafting polyacrylic acid onto NaOH-pretreated potato starch and then crosslinking the grafted copolymer with gelatine. This dust

Cancer is the result of disturbed cell functions. Cancer is induced by the accumulation of many genetic and epigenetic changes within the cell, expressed in the accumulation of chromosomal or molecular aberrations, which then leads to genetic instability. Chemotherapy is a major option to treat cancer, yet classical treatments induce toxic effects. Alternatively, cancer nanomedicines with tumor-targeted

The hemp plant Cannabis sativa Linn, referring to industrial hemp, is a high-yielding annual industrial crop grown providing fibers from hemp stalk and oil from hemp seeds. Although hemp is a niche crop, hemp production is currently undergoing a renaissance. More than 30 countries grow hemp, with China being the largest hemp producing and exporting country. Europe and Canada are also important actors

Population growth has led to higher consumption of fossil fuel, and subsequently to a major increase of greenhouse gases emissions to the atmosphere, thus inducing global warming. Fossil fuel supplies are depleting, and the price of these fuels is increasing. Moreover, there are concerns about related emissions of toxic pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and aromatic hydrocarbons. Here, we review alternative

Industrialization is inducing water pollution by pharmaceuticals, fertilizers and cosmetics. Many emerging pollutants are non-biodegradable, toxic and recalcitrant to conventional wastewater treatments, thus calling for improved remediation techniques such as advanced oxidation processes which allow complete mineralization of pollutants. Here we review advanced oxidation processes with focus on ozonation

Waters are often polluted by antibacterial drugs such as sulfonamides, which are widely used in animal husbandry, aquaculture and other sectors. Actual decontamination methods are limited, thus requiring the development of alternative treatments. Here, we hypothesized that a composite of biochar-supported Fe/Cu (FeCu-biochar) would activate persulfate to remove the antibiotic sulfapyridine from aqueous

Coastal erosion is accelerating due to global warming, thus weakening infrastructures and threatening the population. Actual remediation techniques are costly, resource-consuming and vulnerable. Here, we designed the synthesis of a carbonate rock by seawater electrolysis to reinforce engineering infrastructures. Inspired by electrochemical cathodic protection, the new technique involves the application

Pollution of waters by chlorinated organic pollutants is difficult to clean using actual remediation methods because these pollutants are highly stable. For instance, chloroform (CHCl3) is poorly reactive with common oxidants such as iron-activated persulfate, ozone and Fenton’s reagents. Therefore, there is a need to develop new oxidants. Here, we designed a new dechlorination system, in which tannic

The ‘water reuse’ option is increasingly becoming crucial in the context of global warming and water scarcity. Water reuse consists in the recycling of water toward sectors requiring different water qualities, such as industry, agriculture and human consumption. Water treatment by biological methods is cheap, yet they do not to remove completely recalcitrant pollutants. Alternatively, advanced oxidation

Fluorosurfactants are active components of firefighting foams used to extinguish hydrocarbon fires. Nonetheless, the outdoor application of perfluorochemicals based on perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate has created concerns of environmental pollution and health issues. Long-chain perfluorosurfactants have high stability, high transportability, high solubility, long half-life of human

In the past few decades, cadmium (Cd) as soil contaminant is a major problem for the mankind. Cd contamination of soil and food crops is a critical environmental concern as it deteriorates the soil quality and creates threat to the food safety and human health. High Cd concentration in soils pose negative effects on the plants at physiological, structural and molecular levels. Secretion of certain

Water pollution by organic pollutants such as textile dyes is a serious problem that could be solved by advanced photocatalytic semiconductors. Here we synthesized a visible-light photocatalyst made of mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride using the surfactant Tween-40, and we compared the surfactant performance in degrading rhodamine B with graphitic carbon nitride prepared by conventional methods.

Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere is a major health concern for the World Health Organization (WHO). For instance, more than 4 million premature deaths are attributed yearly to outdoor air pollution, thus calling for advanced remediation techniques. Absorption systems using solvents are commonly used to remove air pollutants, yet efficiency is limited by a solvent property

Metagenomics is a technology employed to study genetic material directly isolated from environmental samples. Metagenomics thus reveals knowledge on microbial communities of uncultivable organisms in environmental niches, using screening technologies based on sequence and function. Applications include the identification of novel bacteria or gene clusters encoding for enzymes that degrade pollutants

Arsenate As(V) and arsenite As(III) are toxic forms of arsenic in waters. The risk of As toxicity is high in small tropical islands because tap water is often provided from surface water, and As contamination of surface water is rarely studied. For instance, the risk is high in New Caledonia because 61% of the water comes from surface water, and nickel mines induce the dispersal of large quantities

Increasing pollution of ecosystems is calling for sustainable methods to remove pollutants. In particular, electrodeionization has recently emerged as an efficient technique to remove ionic compounds from contaminated waters. Electrodeionization involves a continuous process of electrochemical water deionization using ion-specific membranes, mixed-bed resins and a direct current voltage. Electrodeionization

Mimicking natural photosynthesis is a promising way to produce fine chemicals, yet there is a need for efficient catalysts. Here, we synthesized a photocatalyst made of self-assembled graphitic carbon nitride/sulfur/cobalt (III) tetraphenyl porphyrin, and we used this photocatalyst for production of the l-glutamate amino acid in 93.6% yield. Regeneration of the 1,4-dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Treatment and recycling of radioactive waste are major challenges for the nuclear energy sector. Pertechnetate anions, 99TcO4−, occur in nuclear waste and are formed mainly during nuclear fission. 99TcO4− is a very hazardous contaminant due to its long half-life and high solubility and mobility in water. The effective capture of 99Tc contamination at legacy nuclear sites remains a serious and unsolved

Pollution and climate change issues are calling for advanced techniques of pollutant sequestration to decrease toxicity, of coral and costal remediation, and of carbon sequestration to decrease atmospheric CO2 levels. For that, calcareous deposition appears as an overlooked, but potentially efficient technique. The calcareous deposit is a well-known precipitation by-product of cathodic protection in

Environmental pollution by toxic metals causes serious health complications, thus requiring advanced remediation methods for waters and effluents. In particular, chitosan-based magnetic materials have been recently developed to remove metals from aqueous solutions, industrial wastewater and water from lakes and rivers. Here, we review the adsorption of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and arsenic

The deterioration of water quality by pollutants is a major health issue. Actual remediation methods are limited, and, as a consequence, there is a need for new remediation technologies. In particular, nanomaterials of unique properties have been recently developed for remediation. Here, we review mechanisms and applications of carbon-based nanomaterials for the adsorption and photocatalytic removal

Rising anthropogenic activities have increased waste production and, in turn, the concentration of contaminants in waters. In particular, endocrine disruptors are natural and synthetic contaminants that cause many health problems. Endocrine disruptors bioaccumulate and alter the endocrine systems of both humans and wildlife. Endocrine disruptors are health hazards even at low concentrations. Their

Pollution of environmental waters and ecosystems is increasing. Adsorption is an effective technique for water decontamination, but is limited by the cost of commercial adsorbents such as activated carbon. Research has thus focused on the recycling and transformation of biowaste as low-cost, biodegradable adsorbents. In particular, banana peel is promising for commercial use due to its wide availability

Offsetting global warming requires rapid methods to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas. For instance, mineral carbonation of gypsum from flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is a potential technology for CO2 sequestration, yet reaction conditions are not actually optimized to produce a recyclable product. Here, we transformed gypsum, CaSO4·2H2O, into vaterite, CaCO3, by sonication

Excessive nitrogen emission is a common problem in the secondary effluents of rural wastewater treatment facilities. Nitrogen could be removed by constructed wetlands and ecological floating beds, but these techniques have low purification capacity in practice. Here, a novel tubular reactor-enhanced ecological floating bed was developed to enhance nitrogen removal of secondary effluents. We tested

Engineered nanomaterial manufacturing and usage have been increasing in commercial products. There were 1814 nanotechnological consumer products available in the market in March 2015. Nanomaterials can accumulate, transform and increase in concentrations in biological systems. Nanomaterials offer many benefits over traditional materials, yet their small size also increases their toxicity. Bioaccumulation

Green chemistry is developing to invent new reactions that are cheaper, cleaner and use less energy. Acetalization is a common strategy for the protection of aldehydes in synthetic chemistry, yet actual protocols of acetals synthesis are limited by difficult workups, the use of high-loading catalyst, harsh reaction conditions, and catalyst tedious preparation. Alternatively, photocatalysis allows to

Energy demands, pollution and global warming induced by globalization are rising, thus calling for alternative sources of energies. In particular, biofuels are increasingly used for transportation, electric power and heat energy generation. Biofuels can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%. Biofuels are produced from organic matter and waste such as dry lignocellulose, algae, yeast, restaurant

The proliferation of mosquito-borne diseases is a major health concern worldwide. An effective strategy to prevent the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases is using larvae control. Cinnamaldehyde, a substance from the cinnamon tree, is widely used in larvicide formulations, yet applications are limited due to the poor water solubility of cinnamaldehyde. Therefore, we prepared a sodium alginate–chitosan

There is actually health concern about the uncontrolled use of pesticides, as some banned pesticides continue to be used in many regions of the world, especially in Latin America. Advanced analytical methods are thus required to detect pesticides in water. Common pesticide analysis is done by grab sampling of water volumes ranging from milliliters to liters. Grab sampling is suitable for moderate to

Global warming is mainly due to the massive emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), which should thus be limited in the future. For that, dry reforming of methane (DRM) is promising because this process uses CH4 and CO2. Ni-based catalysts have been recently developed for DRM, as a cheaper alternative to noble metal catalysts. Here, we review CO2 reforming of CH4

Gas chromatography is commonly employed to detect gaseous pollutants. However, gaseous pollutants in paper mills are multicomponent and difficult to be detected and analyzed by gas chromatography. Therefore, we developed a novel autoanalyzer with an embedded supervisory system, with which multicomponent gaseous pollutants in paper mills can be detected in real time. The autoanalyzer was applied in

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are emerging contaminants of increasing concern due to their toxicity for life and ecosystems, yet their formation, behavior and fate are poorly known. In particular, there is actually no knowledge on the formation of those radicals during the thermal treatment of soils containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Such knowledge is important because

It is widely assumed that the discharge of nanoparticles into the environment may cause adverse effects on organisms. Nonetheless, so far most nanoparticles have demonstrated little to no observed hazards in multiple biological test systems. It is not until nanoparticles undergo transformations, e.g., release of metal ions, that most environmental toxicities are induced, yet the ionization of nanoparticles

Cellulose is the main structural component of plant cell walls. Cellulose is a fibrous, water-insoluble substance and is considered to be the most abundant bio-derived polymer on earth. From an industrial perspective, plant cellulose has been the mainstay of the wood industries for the past 100 years. The hierarchical organization and semicrystalline nature of cellulose found in plant fibers allows

Abstract Climate change issues are calling for the design of renewable sources of energy. In particular, biomass energy from algae is encouraging because production of algae at the commercial scale can be done successfully with various techniques. Here, we review the conversion of algal biomass into energy by fast, slow, microwave and catalytic pyrolysis. The article details algae classification; cultivation

Abstract The leather industry earns special attention because of its strong potential for foreign exchange earnings and employment generation prospects. This industry has developed enormously over the past decades; since, leather has become a material of choice in the world of fashion. However, this industry, like many others, is facing stringent environmental regulations worldwide, due to vast usage

Abstract Soil pollution by lead (Pb) is a major health concern due to Pb toxicity. Phytoextraction could remove Pb, but this technique is limited by the low Pb mobility in soils. Pb mobility can be increased by bioaugmentation, which consists in adding selected bacteria in soil to increase Pb bioavailability. Nonetheless, many bioaugmentation and phytoextraction experiments have failed because bacterial

Abstract The rising activities of global agriculture and forestry industries are producing huge amounts of lignocellulosic waste, which needs to be well recycled. The management of this waste involves environmental, social, economic and political challenges. Lignocellulosics have been commonly used for construction materials and energy production, thus achieving positive social and environmental impacts

Divalent mercury (Hg (II)) is the predominant mercury species in aquatic environments. Hg (II) combines easily with human enzymes, thus causing acute diseases, even at very low concentrations. Among existing procedures to remove Hg (II) from water, adsorption is widely used, achieving high removal efficiencies. However, most actual adsorption techniques require high temperatures, long times or tedious