Search Results (381)

Background/Objectives: The widespread presence of antimicrobial-resistant pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater poses serious ecological and public health risks and remains difficult to address using conventional treatment technologies. Moreover, remediation strategies often involve overlooked environmental burdens, highlighting the need for technologies that are both efficient and environmentally sustainable. This study developed a novel GO/ZIF-60/CoNiAl -LTH (GO/ZIF-60/LTH) ternary nanocomposite adsorbent for removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) from water matrixes while evaluating its environmental implications using Life cycle assessment (LCA). Methods: The adsorbent was synthesized by integrating graphene oxide (GO) and Ni–Al–Co layered triple hydroxide (LTH) into a ZIF-60 framework. Structural and surface characterization was conducted using XRD, FTIR, SEM–EDX, BET, and UV–Vis analyses. The adsorbent’s CIP aqueous uptake was evaluated through batch experiments supported by kinetic, isotherm, thermodynamic, and response surface methodology (RSM) analyses. Environmental performance was assessed through life cycle-based evaluation. Results: The composite achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 291 mg g⁻¹ and 91.6% removal efficiency with adsorption following pseudo-first-order kinetics and the Freundlich isotherm. The process was spontaneous and exothermic, with 75% efficiency retained after three regeneration cycles. The LCA revealed an overall global warming impact of 0.953 kg CO₂ eq per functional unit, with the NiAlCo-LTH synthesis stage (1.04 kg CO₂ eq) as the dominant hotspot, followed by final composite formation stage (0.66 kg CO₂ eq). Adsorption and regeneration provided credits (−0.336 and −0.513 kg CO₂ eq), offsetting the upstream impacts. Conclusions: The study demonstrates a new MOF–GO–LTH hybrid adsorbent with high CIP removal efficiency combined with its environmental sustainability assessment, providing a more comprehensive basis for adsorbent evaluation. Although the NiAlCo-LTH component was primarily responsible for the enhanced adsorption performance, yet, it also constituted the major environmental hotspot during its synthesis. These findings highlight the relevance of trade-off between functionality and environmental burden for process optimization, cleaner production, and the sustainable development of advanced adsorbents for pharmaceutical-contaminated water treatment. Full article

Real wastewater contains emerging contaminants that pose problems for flora, fauna, and human health. Conventional wastewater treatment processes, such as the activated sludge process and aerated lagoons, which are commonly used worldwide, cannot remove these contaminants. Therefore, this review analyzes the application of the Fenton process and its variants—homogeneous Fenton, photo-Fenton, Fenton-like, heterogeneous Fenton, and electro-Fenton—to remove various emerging contaminants belonging to different groups, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), etc., from wastewater. The review focuses on the reaction mechanisms, application considerations, parameters, and future perspectives of these processes. The compiled information shows that the Fenton process and most of its variants can successfully remove emerging contaminants from different types of aqueous matrices. However, improvements are still needed in terms of performance and application for treating real wastewater on a macro scale. Full article

Background/Objectives: Water scarcity is driving the development of strategies for treating municipal wastewater (MW) to enable its safe reuse. Nonetheless, MW contains contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as pharmaceuticals and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, which require innovative treatment technologies. In this context, Corbicula fluminea, an invasive freshwater clam, presents a high biofiltration capacity, and its environmental impact could be mitigated by assigning it a beneficial role in wastewater treatment. Methods: The ability of C. fluminea to remove chemical and biological CECs from real MW secondary-treated effluents was assessed. The effects of real wastewater on the clams’ microbiome and on colony-forming unit (CFU) counts in their soft tissues were also assessed. Results: Under real conditions, the clams achieved over 73% removal for 3 chemical CECs after 24 h, with an average removal of approximately 39%. The clams showed recovery of both CFU counts and microbial community composition, dominated by opportunistic and stress-tolerant groups in the presence of pharmaceuticals. The removal of multidrug-resistant bacteria was evaluated; despite real wastewater reducing clearance rates, the clams significantly reduced these bacteria within 24 h. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that C. fluminea can serve as an effective polishing treatment, improving effluent quality, supporting control of this invasive species. Full article

Industrial modernization has generated a wide range of toxic contaminants in industrial wastewater and domestic effluents. The increasing presence of emerging contaminants and endocrine disruptors in aquatic environments poses serious threats to ecosystems and human health. Accordingly, effective strategies are urgently needed for the removal of emerging organic pollutants, including dyes and antibiotics in pharmaceutical wastewater. Photocatalysis has attracted considerable interest as a versatile and sustainable remediation approach because photocatalysts are often cost-effective, earth-abundant, and capable of utilizing solar energy. This review summarizes recent advances in ZnO-based photocatalysts, focusing on compositional tuning and heterostructure engineering to enhance pollutant degradation. The major photocatalytic degradation mechanisms are also discussed. Despite significant progress, challenges remain, including limited light absorption, poor catalytic stability, and obstacles to practical application in wastewater treatment. This review provides an updated perspective on the development of ZnO-based photocatalysts for emerging pollutant removal. Full article

Metformin (MET) is a widely prescribed pharmaceutical compound used for the management of glucose levels and body weight. However, it is only partially metabolized in the human body, and a significant fraction is excreted unchanged, leading to its frequent detection in aquatic environments. Consequently, the removal of MET from wastewater has become a matter of increasing concern due to its potential impact on aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, as a nitrogen-containing compound, MET has been extensively employed as a model pollutant to evaluate the performance of physical and chemical treatment technologies for pharmaceutical contaminants. This review aims to critically assess and summarize the efficiency and key limitations of various processes applied for MET removal. The reviewed approaches include physical–chemical treatments such as adsorption; biological treatments (activated sludge, biofiltration and phytoremediation), which rely on microbial metabolic activities or plant uptake to degrade or sequester metformin; and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as ozonation, photolysis, photocatalysis, Fenton, and photo-Fenton systems. The efficiency of MET removal and mineralization is strongly dependent on the treatment method employed. Among the evaluated processes, the photo-Fenton reaction emerges as one of the most promising technologies, achieving high removal efficiencies under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) irradiation. Full article

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) constitutes a growing global threat, facilitated by the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This systematic review, conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, compiles the risks associated with ARGs, as well as the factors that promote horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and the technologies applied for their removal. The literature shows that WWTPs act as reservoirs, where biological treatment conditions and the presence of sub-inhibitory contaminants (antibiotics, metals, and pharmaceuticals) accelerate HGT. Although conventional methods (chlorination, ozonation, UV) are effective at eliminating antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), their ability to degrade persistent genetic material is insufficient. Therefore, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) emerge as a key solution, with the photo-Fenton process standing out due to efficiently generating hydroxyl radicals, achieving the degradation of ARGs, an essential step to mitigate the spread of AMR into the environment. Full article

This paper systematically reviews losartan, a hypertension pharmaceutical compound that is one of many newly identified emerging contaminants in water. Worldwide use of pharmaceuticals continues to grow, and losartan has been identified as a contaminant that frequently accumulates in aquatic systems as a result of this global increase in use. The paper presents systematic reviews on the environmental occurrence, physicochemical characteristics, analytical methods of detection, and remediation techniques associated with losartan contamination. Losartan is often detected at levels of ng L⁻¹–µg L⁻¹ in wastewater systems, surface water and marine ecosystems, very effectively demonstrating the inadequacies of existing conventional wastewater treatment facilities, which are typically capable of removing only 20–70% of the contamination, with this variability largely attributed to differences in hydraulic/solids retention times, operational conditions, influent organic load, and the limited microbial acclimatization to recalcitrant pharmaceutical compounds. Emerging remediation technologies demonstrate the potential for removal efficiencies of >90% include hybrid systems, advanced electrochemical processes, new improved adsorption systems, and novel material for adsorption. However, there are still considerable barriers to progress, including excessive energy use, high operating costs, and perhaps most concerning, potentially toxic transition products generated by partial degradation. Furthermore, the literature review identified key literature gaps: lack of specific regulations, absence of full-scale studies, and inconsistencies in by-product toxicity assessments. The conclusion of this review is that to achieve worldwide water security and sustainability of aquatic resources, effective mitigation of the environmental risks associated with losartan requires combined approaches comprising innovative technologies, comprehensive ecotoxicological investigations, and improved collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and industry. Full article

Conventional wastewater treatment systems cannot effectively eliminate micropollutants such as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). These compounds, even at trace levels, are persistent or pseudo-persistent, bioaccumulative, and potentially harmful to ecosystems and human health. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), based on the in situ generation of highly reactive oxygen species, have emerged as promising solutions. Peroxyacetic acid (PAA) has gained attention due to its strong oxidizing capacity, broad antimicrobial activity, environmentally benign by-products, and compatibility with different activation methods. This review provides an updated and integrated synthesis of recent advances in PAA-based AOPs for the degradation of major CEC groups, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, as well as for the oxidative modification of microplastics (MPs). The review discusses several strategies for PAA activation and critically discusses removal efficiency, underlying mechanisms, and current limitations, emphasizing the gap between pollutant transformation and complete mineralization. Furthermore, the article highlights a key research need, which is the assessment of the toxicity of transformation products and their validation under realistic conditions. Overall, this review provides insight into the potential and challenges of PAA-based AOPs for sustainable water treatment. Full article

Zeolite-based composite nanomaterials represent a versatile and mechanistically rich platform for the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs)—including pharmaceuticals, endocrine-disrupting compounds, pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—from contaminated water systems. Although pristine zeolite frameworks provide well-defined microporous architectures, tunable Si/Al ratios, and ion-exchange capacity, their intrinsic hydrophilicity restricts interaction diversity and limits performance toward the structurally heterogeneous OMPs prevalent in real aquatic environments. Composite integration with carbonaceous nanophases, functional polymers and surfactants, and catalytically active metal oxide nanoparticles substantially extends this interaction repertoire, yielding multifunctional materials whose adsorption performance exceeds that of the individual components. Drawing on a systematic survey of peer-reviewed literature published between 2016 and 2026, this review develops a mechanism-oriented, structure–property–performance framework examining five dominant adsorption mechanisms—electrostatic attraction, π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic partitioning, and micropore confinement—in relation to composite nanoarchitecture, surface chemistry, and structural parameters. The modulating influence of realistic water matrix conditions on adsorption efficiency is critically assessed, alongside challenges of regeneration, long-term stability, metal leaching, and the persistent gap between laboratory-scale synthesis and scalable deployment. Priority research directions are identified, including standardized performance evaluation under environmentally representative conditions and rational design of hierarchical multifunctional nanocomposites from earth-abundant and waste-derived precursors. Full article

The pharmaceutical industry has seen significant growth in the development of antibody-based therapeutics, especially monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and bispecific antibodies (bsAbs), used in the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. However, their production and purification remain challenging. It is difficult to achieve both high product yield and the strict purity required for clinical use. Downstream processing is expensive and often involves trade-offs between efficiency and product quality. In addition, current purification methods do not fully remove contaminants, especially host cell proteins, residual DNA, and protein aggregates, affecting the safety and effectiveness of the final product. Recent advances in purification technologies, such as improved chromatography techniques and alternative separation methods, have shown promise in addressing some of these limitations. Process optimization and the integration of continuous manufacturing approaches are being explored to enhance efficiency and scalability. Furthermore, increased regulatory expectations are driving the need for more robust and reproducible purification strategies. As the antibody therapeutics market continues to expand, optimizing manufacturing and purification processes is crucial to achieve cost efficiency and large-scale production. This article discusses the main challenges in antibody production and downstream purification, focusing on monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, and compares current strategies to increase yield, improve purity, and reduce contaminants. Full article

Mycofiltration uses saprophytic fungi immobilised on dead organic matter to treat contaminated water. This systematic review aimed to collate literature on mycofiltration, identify water sources subjected to mycofiltration, types of fungi employed, contaminants removed, and removal efficiencies (R%). Articles written in English between 1990 and 2023 were collected from various sources, screened based on inclusion criteria, and critically appraised. Metadata were extracted, and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Forty articles representing 156 studies passed appraisal, with 116 from journal articles, 24 from theses, and 16 from reports. Synthetic stormwater and real wastewater were the most frequently mycofiltered. Fungi of the Pleurotus genus were predominantly used in creating mycofilters. Organic contaminants removed included pharmaceuticals and pesticides, with R% between 60% and 100%. E. coli was the most studied microbial contaminant, and R% of 30%, 60%, and 90% were reported. Inorganic contaminants were mostly metals with R% above 60%. Overall, contaminant removal by mycofiltration varied, but the technology remained a promising tool. Research gaps observed included a lack of standardised methods for mycofilter preparation and design and little to no assessment of mycofilter saturation. Addressing gaps could aid in increasing mycofilter efficiency and reliable upscaling of mycofiltration. Full article

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are widely recognized as persistent contaminants in urban aquatic systems, yet their behavior is typically interpreted under steady-state assumptions driven by continuous discharge of treated wastewater. This paradigm overlooks the dominant role of episodic pollution pulses associated with combined sewer overflow (CSO) events. This review advances a new conceptual framework in which PPCP contamination is understood as a manifestation of complex phenomenon, arising from the interaction of intense precipitation, hydraulic exceedance of sewer systems, and mobilization of accumulated contaminants. We critically synthesize current knowledge on the occurrence, transport, transformation, and removal of PPCPs across wastewater effluents and CSO discharges, integrating insights from degradation kinetics, environmental monitoring, and treatment technologies. Comparative analysis reveals strong matrix-dependent variability in PPCP attenuation, with enhanced degradation in estuarine and marine systems driven by complex photochemical and biogeochemical interactions. However, under CSO-driven pulse conditions, these processes become transient and non-linear, challenging conventional assumptions of steady-state degradation and risk assessment. The findings highlight that CSO events can generate short-duration but high-intensity contamination peaks, often exceeding baseline concentrations and potentially amplifying ecological risks and antimicrobial resistance selection. We propose a matrix-reactivity and pulse-driven framework to better capture the dynamic fate of PPCPs under real-world conditions. Future research should prioritize event-based monitoring, real-time sensing, and time-resolved risk assessment models to address the limitations of current approaches. This work redefines PPCP pollution as a dynamic, episodic, extreme-event-driven process, with important implications for urban water management under increasing climatic variability. Full article

Zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO₂ NPs) were synthesized via a plant-assisted route using Cycas revoluta leaf extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesis and properties of the NPs were confirmed using UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDS, HR-TEM/SAED, DLS, and zeta potential measurements. The adsorption performance of ZrO₂ NPs toward doxycycline from water was investigated by varying pH, adsorbent dose, initial concentration, temperature, and contact time. Under the optimum conditions (pH 7, 50 mg adsorbent in 50 mL, 10 mg L⁻¹ doxycycline, 60 °C, 180 min), a maximum removal efficiency of 60.81% was achieved. The equilibrium data were fitted using the Langmuir model, giving an estimated qmax of 11.276 mg g⁻¹; however, this value should be interpreted cautiously because of the limited number of isotherm data points. The time-dependent adsorption data were empirically described using both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models without assigning strict superiority to either model. These results indicate that green-synthesized ZrO₂ NPs can serve as a low-impact adsorbent for removal of pharmaceutical contaminants in water. Full article

Domestic wastewater is a chemically complex and highly variable mixture of pollutants generated by everyday household activities, yet its contribution to environmental contamination is still frequently underestimated and only 56% of wastewater worldwide is being treated. This review provides a structured and quantitative assessment of major domestic wastewater pollutant groups, their principal exposure pathways, and current and emerging treatment technologies. Beyond a conventional narrative synthesis, the review derives per capita annual emission estimates from published data and uses these to compare pollutant groups by mass flow and environmental relevance. The analysis shows that high-volume household inputs, particularly sodium chloride from domestic water softening, toilet paper, personal-care products, detergents, and cleaning agents, can contribute substantially to overall pollutant loads, whereas lower-mass contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, PFAS, heavy metals, and microplastics remain critical because of their persistence, biological activity, and incomplete removal during treatment. The review further highlights that conventional wastewater treatment systems are often poorly equipped to remove many of these emerging contaminants effectively, especially under decentralised or only partially advanced treatment conditions. Advanced and hybrid technologies, including membrane bioreactors, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, adsorption, photocatalysis, and electrochemical processes, offer clear potential, but their broader implementation remains constrained by cost, energy demand, fouling, and concentrate management. Overall, the added value of this review lies in linking mass-based pollutant prioritisation with treatment performance, thereby providing a more systematic basis for identifying dominant household emission pathways and for guiding targeted mitigation and technology selection in future wastewater management. Full article

Several issues about the quality of urban surface waters, such as the Detroit River, are becoming a concern due to the increasing detection of emerging contaminants. Although the emerging contaminants are present in low concentrations—ranging from nanograms per liter (ng/L) to micrograms per liter (µg/L)—these raise serious concerns about long-term effects on human health and aquatic ecosystems, particularly when left unregulated. Municipal wastewater effluent has been reported as one of the major pathways for these emerging contaminants. Most treatment plants are not equipped to effectively remove many emerging contaminants, allowing them to enter surface waters. To assess the presence of these emerging contaminants, water samples were collected during the summer from sites near the upstream and downstream of the Detroit wastewater treatment plant. Among the sixteen emerging contaminants analyzed were pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides. Ten of these, such as sucralose, caffeine, acetaminophen, and bisphenol A, were detected at both locations, with concentrations ranging from 42 to 4100 ug/L. Elevated contaminant levels found downstream can come from various sources, such as agricultural runoff, leachate from landfills, overland flow, and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Furthermore, local pharmaceutical usage patterns and the effectiveness of our treatment facilities play significant roles in the contaminant concentrations we see. Tracking emerging contaminants both upstream and downstream of treatment plants is crucial for pinpointing vulnerable watersheds. This vital information enables us to establish a solid baseline and craft effective strategies to lower contaminant levels. Full article