Abstract Machine learning (ML) models are widely used methods for analyzing data from sensors and satellites to monitor climate change, predict natural disasters, and protect wildlife. However, the application of these technologies for monitoring and managing algal blooms in freshwater environments is relatively new and novel. The commonly used models in algal blooms (ABS) so far are artificial neural

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants that adversely affect environmental health. In this review, we discuss the uptake of MPs by plants via endocytosis and crack-entry pathways in the roots and stomata of leaves; the translocation of MPs via xylem and phloem; and the toxicity of MPs to diverse plant species through oxidative stress, inhibition of photosynthesis, cytotoxicity, and

Abstract The outbreak of the novel coronavirus lasted from 2019 into 2023 and the number of patients infected with the virus is still on the rise, greatly impacting people’s daily lives and the environment. Research on metal nanoparticles has developed rapidly during virus outbreaks. There have been review articles summarizing the important role of nanomaterials in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

Abstract Foliage uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury (Hg0) and subsequent translocation by the phloem is the main pathway for Hg accumulation in tree rings. Tree rings have been used as the emerging natural archive to directly reconstruct centennial trends of atmospheric Hg0 level. The tree-ring Hg records in remote regions have successfully reconstructed the peak of anthropogenic Hg emissions

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Abstract Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are widely used persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Based on the carbon chain length, CPs can be classified as short-chain (C10-13) CPs (SCCPs), medium-chain (C14-17) CPs (MCCPs), and long-chain (C≥18) CPs (LCCPs). Since SCCPs have been listed as POPs of particular concern by the Stockholm Convention, the production of MCCPs and LCCPs is increased sharply. Therefore

Abstract Modern commercial air travel connects disparate human populations. The global airline industry transported as many as 4.5 billion passengers annually in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. While such connections are convenient for commerce and tourism, air travel networks can also be efficient distributors of infectious diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health agencies

Abstract Phosphorus is a limiting factor for eutrophication while also an important nonrenewable resource. Adsorption is one of the most efficient phosphorus pollution control technologies and phosphorus recovery can be promisingly achieved after desorption. The use of iron oxides as adsorbents to remove phosphorus has been extensively studied, due to merits of high adsorption capacity, high selectivity

Abstract Quorum sensing (QS) is a crucial process of intercellular communication in bacteria that synchronizes their gene expression and physiological behaviors. This ability assists bacteria in surviving under environmental stressors. One such prevalent environmental stressor is heavy metals, which can significantly impair bacterial function, with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) consortia being

Abstract Heterogeneous photocatalysis, as an energy-saving technology, is a fascinating strategy to tackle environmental issues and energy shortages. The efficacy of these processes is severely relevant to the suppression of charges recombination, which hinders the widespread utilization of these processes. The segregation of charges from fast recombination can be considerably improved by the formation

Abstract Electrochemical treatment systems show promise for water treatment due to their ease of operation, modularity, and low chemical inputs. This review examines use of carbon-based cathodes within reductive electrochemical treatment systems for halogenated organic contaminants, which encompasses a vast array of contaminant classes. Due to the high electron affinity of halogen substituents, halogenated

Abstract Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for crops and is applied to agricultural soil to bring or keep the soil at a certain target soil P status in view of an optimal crop yield. Environmental objectives, however, are rarely considered in current P fertilizer recommendations. In this review paper, we argue that current P fertilizer recommendations must be revised in order to balance crop

Groundwater has been a relatively safe water source and associated with a series of global pressing issues. It can, however, be vulnerable to pathogen contamination and exhibit risks to public heal...

Abstract The use of algicidal bacteria has gained prominence as natural solution to control the worrying increase of harmful algal blooms worldwide. However, although cyanobacterial blooms (cyanoHABs) often dominate freshwater bodies, recent reviews on the subject have addressed cyanobacteria in the second place and focused more on bacteria-algae interactions. This article provides a critical review

Abstract With the climate change and urbanization, the area of cultivated land is decreasing, and crops are also subjected to various biological and abiotic stresses. How to improve crop yield and stress resistance has become an urgent agricultural production problem that must be solved. Hydrogen has the characteristics of being green and clean, which has great advantages and is significant for the

Abstract In the current era, catalysts have gained intensive research interest in development of sustainable energy as well as environmental remediation. Recent exploration of novel two-dimensional (2D) materials can offer unparalleled superiorities in catalysis due to their novel geometric structure and electronic properties (e.g. intrinsically anisotropic electronic, thermoelectric, mechanical, and

Abstract Since they were first synthesized in 1940, siloxanes have been widely exploited by the cosmetic, construction, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Global siloxane production has grown steadily throughout the decades and now exceeds 10 million tons per year. This production growth has resulted in greater environmental spillover, whose adverse impacts are still being studied. Yet, a growing

Abstract Soil provides multiple, diverse functions, with these underpinning both planetary and human health. For planetary health, soil contributes to multiple critical processes, including through biomass production, by regulating the carbon pool, providing a habitat for 25% of global biodiversity, cycling the nutrients upon which terrestrial systems depend, and cycling water. Soil also underpins

Abstract Marine plastic pollution is rapidly colonized by a biofilm of microorganisms associated with the control of biogeochemical cycles, plastic biodegradation, and potentially pathogenic activities. An extensive number of studies have described the taxonomic composition of this biofilm, referred to as the ‘plastisphere’, and previous reviews have reported on the influence of location, plastic type

Abstract Antibiotics in ecosystems stimulate the emergence and development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, consequently posing tremendous health risks to wildlife species and humans. Laccase, a multicopper-containing oxidoreductase, is capable of nonspecifically catalyzing oxidization of multiple hazardous micropollutants, including antibiotics, with O2 as the terminal electron acceptor

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been manufactured for over seven decades. Owing to the unique characteristics of C-F bond, it has been widely used in the industrial and commercial products, which leading to its wide presence in the environmental and biological matrix. In this critical review, we systematically summarized the existing literature on the behaviors and mechanisms

Abstract Fe-bearing clay minerals are widely distributed in soils, sediments, and rocks, representing a significant Fe pool in the Earth’s crust. The electron transfer (ET) from/to structural Fe in clay minerals is a crucial electron and energy flux in the natural environment, which drives numerous biogeochemical processes and contaminant transformation. Depending on the types and properties of both

Abstract Viruses, with an estimated abundance of 1031 on Earth, are an important component of soil ecosystems. As obligate parasites that entirely depend on hosts for reproduction and survival, viruses have been linked to microbial community diversity and metabolic activities in soil. Emerging evidence indicates that soil viruses influence a broad-spectrum of processes that sustain soil biodiversity

Abstract Heavy metal pollution has become one of the most severe environmental issues. Adsorption is an effective method for removing heavy metals from aquatic environments. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics models can provide information on the adsorption process, maximal adsorption capacity, and mass transfer steps, which are essential to evaluate the performance of an adsorbent and to design

Abstract Biochar (BC) has garnered extensive attention as a carbon sequestration solution. This study comprehensively reviews of the effects of BC on the buildup, protection, stabilization, and mineralization of soil organic carbon (SOC). The input of BC-derived carbon alters soil carbon quality by changing SOC content and aromaticity. BC also affects processes controlling substrate accessibility,

Abstract Co-planting two or more species on the same piece of land, with overlapping time or not, has been suggested to increase both crop production and long-term sustainability. On soils that are slightly or moderately contaminated with heavy metals, hyperaccumulators have been co-planted with crops to clean the soil and produce safe agricultural products. Despite the increasing number of greenhouse

The genome-scale metabolic model (GEM), a mathematical representation of whole-cell metabolism, enables in silico high-throughput simulations of metabolic flux distribution under different conditio...

Synthetic musks (SMs) have been widely used as fragrance ingredients in various daily consumer products. Due to their mass production and usage, the presence of SMs has been reported in environment...

Cadmium availability and accumulation in edible parts of plants are affected by multiple processes in the rhizosphere and plants, especially the interactions between Cd and mineral nutrients. The a...

The increasing consumption of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has led to their widespread presence in aquatic environments, which poses a serious threat to human health and aquatic organisms. However, t...

Abstract The continuous release of greenhouse gases (GHG) is negatively affecting the sustainability of the ocean as a carbon sink via acidification and ocean warming. The capture and storage of GHGs is important to reduce the long-term effects of the emissions. The use of microalgae biofilms for GHG sequestration is a promising method due to their ability to adapt to different environmental conditions

Abstract Over the past few years, population growth, industrial progress and climate change have led to water scarcity. Thus, water pollution caused by hazardous soluble and insoluble pollutants, such as toxic metals and phenolic compounds, has become an important problem that should be dealt with urgently. For instance, new methods have been introduced to convert low-cost raw materials (i.e. coal

Abstract Plant volatiles, particularly biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), emitted in urban areas have attracted attention as olfactory signals between plants and other organisms, including insects. However, in urban areas, elevated ozone (O3) levels inhibit plant growth and degrade olfactory signals, including both insect pheromones and BVOCs, resulting in disrupted biological communication

Abstract Adsorption technology is a hot topic in the field of dye removal, and higher adsorption capacity is one of the eternal themes. Ionic dyes account for more than 90% of the literature on dyes adsorption in recent decade. In this article, various physical and chemical mechanisms of dye adsorption are combed in detail, and electrostatic interaction is the major mechanism of ionic dyes adsorption

Abstract The agricultural sector is increasingly dependent upon the use of plastic products to enhance productivity. In addition to many incidental inputs, plastic fragments are progressively accumulating in soil following the degradation of plastic products. Microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs, <1 µm) in agricultural soils have caused substantial concerns recently. The insidious interactions

Abstract Microplastics are widespread contaminants leading to environmental exposure. While studies on the prevalence in human tissues have multiplied, little is known about their pharmacokinetics. Mechanisms of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) must be addressed before effects on human health (i.e. pharmacodynamics) can be understood. Therefore, the objective of this review

Abstract Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been widely used around the world due to their high-efficiency and broad-spectrum insecticidal effects. However, they pose a severe threat to ecosystems and human health due to their easy bioaccumulation and high toxicity. Periphyton is ubiquitous in the submerged substrates surface. It plays a crucial role in carbon, nutrients elements cycling and contaminants

Abstract The oceans, serving as some of the most extensive reservoirs of mercury (Hg) on Earth, play an essential role in the global Hg biogeochemical circulation, as a sink for atmospheric deposits and surface runoff while simultaneously emitting Hg to the atmosphere. Clarifying the mechanisms during cycling of Hg in marine ecosystems is a crucial segment in elucidating global Hg behavior and assessing

Abstract Biochar-derived dissolved organic matter (BDOM) plays key roles in soil ecosystem by affecting soil physicochemical and biological properties and supplying nutrients to soil microbes. It can either enhance or suppress the growth of certain soil microorganisms, depending on its composition and content of labile organic compounds. This review aims to discuss and summarize the role of BDOM in

Abstract The oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to sulfate in the atmosphere is an important concern in regional air quality, global climate change, and human health. While gas-phase and liquid-phase oxidation of SO2 are widely regarded as important sources of sulfate, the contribution of the heterogeneous oxidation process on particle surfaces is controversial. Recently, this heterogeneous chemistry

Abstract Converting biomass to produce renewable chemicals is one of the significant ways to realize the development of green chemistry and sustainable chemical industry. As the main component of lignocellulosic biomass, lignin is the most abundant natural polyphenol. Its unique phenolic properties and high carbon content make it potentially exploited. Biomass lignin depolymerization can be divided

Abstract With the continuous release into environments, emerging contaminants (ECs) have attracted widespread attention for the potential risks, and numerous studies have been conducted on their identification, environmental behavior bioeffects, and removal. Owing to the superiority of dealing with high-dimensional and unstructured data, a new data-driven approach, machine learning (ML), has been gradually

Abstract Soil pollution from potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a serious environmental issue worldwide that affects agricultural safety and human health. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as ecosystem engineers, can alleviate PTE toxicity in crop plants. However, the comprehensive effects of AMF on crop performance in PTE-contaminated soils have not yet been recognized globally. Here, a meta-analysis

Abstract Wastewater treatment process control optimization is a complex task in a highly nonlinear environment. Reinforcement learning (RL) is a machine learning technique that stands out for its ability to perform better than human operators for certain high-dimensional, complex decision-making problems, making it an ideal candidate for wastewater treatment process control optimization. However, while

Abstract Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the collective genomic information carried across microbial communities is emerging as a powerful approach for monitoring antibiotic resistance in environmental matrices. Metagenomics is advantageous in that known and putative antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) (i.e., the resistome) can be screened simultaneously without a priori selection of targets. Additionally

Abstract Distinguishing the respective contributions of various microbes to methylmercury (MeHg) production is critical for predicting MeHg bioaccumulation and exposure risk. Metabolic inhibitors have been commonly used to block the activity of specific microbial groups and identify primary Hg methylating microbes. By reviewing literatures and our empirical data, we demonstrate how multiple factors

Abstract Removing recalcitrant organic contaminants from the soil via sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies are essential for environment and human health. Microbial enzyme is a promising biocatalyst, particularly in environmental bioremediation. To improve their stability and catalytic ability, enzymes are often immobilized on supporting materials. Nevertheless, the most appropriate

Abstract The massive application of agrochemicals and associated environmental residues greatly threaten human health. Cardiac dysfunction, as a major contributing factor to human mortality, is increasingly reported in health risk assessments to be associated with agrochemical exposure. In this mini-review, we summarize the cardiotoxicity of various agrochemicals including herbicides, insecticides

Abstract With mankind entering the smart age, Cd contamination risk control in food crop revolution has been put on the agenda. Based on the theoretical basis, technical methods and developing trends, this review look back and forward the age of Cd contamination risk control driven by ‘genotype (G)+ envirotype (E)’ dual-engines. Focusing on G, an inter-specific Cd contamination risk assessment meta-analysis

Abstract Phosphorus (P) is abundant in wastewater sludge and can be a secondary P source that will contribute to a circular economy. Electrochemical systems are an emerging technology that can be used to release and recover P from wastewater sludge. This paper introduces and analyzes the state-of-the-art electrochemical methods for P release and recovery from wastewater sludge, both qualitatively and

Abstract Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained tremendous attention due to large surface area, porous structure, high chemical and thermal stability. Unfortunately, susceptible to agglomeration, poor recyclability and fixed porous size severely limit their performance and corresponding applications. Derived from earth’s most abundant polymeric biomass, nanocelluloses (NC) not only provides green

Abstract Advanced porous nanomaterials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) with high specific surface areas, abundant functional groups, accessible pore structures, tunable pore sizes, and easy modification are attractive as adsorbents for the capture of toxic heavy metal ions, organic pollutants, and radionuclides from

Abstract Biological remediation including bioremediation and phytoremediation has been used to remediate contaminated sites due to their cost-effectiveness, energy conservation, and environmental friendliness. There are 24 articles in Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (CREST) from 2018 to 2022 focusing on this topic. Bioremediation employs microorganisms to modify and/or degrade

Abstract Seagrasses provide crucial ecosystem services in the coastal environment, but are under increasing threat associated with anthropogenic activities. Seagrass meadows effectively trap suspended sediment, a key vector for trace metal transport, by altering local hydrodynamic conditions around their leaves and stems. As a result, seagrass meadows often have different geochemical sediment characteristics

Abstract Dissolved organic matter (DOM) contains complex molecular compounds that dominate its heterogeneous dynamics and behaviors in aquatic environments. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) with ultra-high resolution has proven to be effective in characterizing aquatic DOM. However, a systematic summary of molecular-level compositions and behaviors of DOM in natural

Abstract The specific properties of nanoparticles can induce toxic or promoting effects on plant growth. We performed a meta-analysis of 173 studies to evaluate the uptake and accumulation of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) by crops. Studies on the main cereal/vegetable crops (wheat, tomato, bean, maize, rice and cucumber) and Ag, Zn, Ce, Fe, Cu and Ti containing MNPs were mostly found; 63% of the studies

Abstract Systems to safely store, handle, treat and dispose of medical (healthcare) waste are well developed in the 21st century. Yet, across many parts of the Global South (low-income and middle-income countries) such systems, resources and knowhow are lacking; to the extent that medical waste could pose a serious threat to the health, safety and lives of millions of healthcare workers and waste handlers

Abstract Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on the generation of reactive radicals are widely accepted to be effective technologies for mineralizing refractory organic contaminants or pretreating bio-recalcitrant compounds. The efficiencies of AOPs suffer from the low availability of ultrashort lifetime radicals due to their rapid self-quenching, mass transfer and nonselective limitations. Heterogeneous

Abstract Denitrifying bacteria play critical roles in enhancing biological biofilm denitrification for nitrogen removal in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment and groundwater remediation. Evidence intensively confirms that exogenous quorum sensing (QS) bacteria prompt biofilm formation and denitrification. Yet, exogenous bacteria forfeiting during bioaugmentation may occur despite of its

Abstract Antibiotics are emerging pollutants widely existing in the aquatic environment with adverse effects on both humans and organisms. Understanding bioaccumulation of antibiotics in aquatic organisms is important for their risk assessment. Observations on the bioaccumulation metrics (including bioconcentration factor, biomagnification factor, trophic magnification factor, bioaccumulation factor