Nanoparticles containing metals in their structure constitute an increasingly large group of substances present in the air. They come from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The wider and wider use of such particles means that increasingly complicated structures are present in the air we breathe. These particles are in the ultrafine size range (<100 nm), readily deposit in the lower areas of the

Compared with root nitrogen fertilization, foliar nitrogen fertilizer (FNF) has been widely used for crops growth due to its fast fertilizer efficiency and high utilization rate, especially when the crops are deficient in nitrogen. Owing to the lotus leaf effect inherent on the leaf surface of crops, however, the majority of FNF will be easily slipped from leaf surface and discharged into the soil

Municipal landfill leachate is a huge reservoir of (nano)microplastics (N/MPs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). N/MPs have a proven ability to affect the growth of bacteria and compositions of the bacterial community, which may further influence the spread of ARGs in the environment. To extrapolate interactions between these two emerging contaminants, we investigated the variations of the ARG

Two closely-related earthworm species (Eisenia spp.) have long been used as model organisms in ecotoxicology. The same nanoparticles (NPs) may affect the two species differently, not only because of the inherent differences in susceptibility but also due to how immune system could recognize NPs. In a comparative approach using E. andrei and E. fetida, we study various immune-related parameters of earthworm

The suspended matters and organic contaminants would prevent the short wavelength UV/visible light to penetrate deeper into real wastewater. This has hindered the practical use of photocatalysts in wastewater remediation. Construction of near-infrared light responsive photocatalysts can partially overcome this issue, due to the higher penetration depth of near-infrared light into the waste media. However

Multicomponent TiO2–based nanomaterials (MC-NMs) show better physicochemical properties than their individual components or bulk materials. However the same unique properties that offer innovative applications might also pose unknown risk to human health and the environment. In this context, the TiO2-based nanomaterials with mixture of noble metal precursor (Ag, Au, Pt, Pd) for large-scale technological

Nanotechnology can potentially revolutionize the agricultural industry by offering nano-formulations of pesticides, so-called nano-pesticides which can e.g. increase the efficacy and stability of the active ingredients of pesticides. However, it is unknown how the nano-formulation may modulate the interaction between the active ingredient and non-target soil (micro)organisms. Here, we show that long-term

Identifying proteins present on the surface of nanomaterials (NMs) incubated with plasma, serum, cell lysates can offer insights into the biological interactions of the NMs, including uptake and toxicity. Organisms such as Daphnia magna respond to the presence of toxicants by secreting proteins and other biomolecules; we demonstrate that the eco-corona acquired during exposure to NMs can provide similar