Search Results (10,157)

Pb–Zn slag and smelting activities represent a persistent global source of soil contamination, releasing toxic heavy metals—lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As)—with documented risks to ecosystems and human health. Although previous reviews have addressed heavy metal contamination near smelters and pollution indices as assessment tools, no review has specifically mapped environmental assessment methods for Pb–Zn slag-contaminated soils, and evidence from Central Asia remains absent. This scoping review, following PRISMA-ScR 2018 guidelines, maps the global evidence base on soil contamination from Pb–Zn slag and associated assessment methods. Searches across Dimensions, PubMed, and OpenAlex identified 410 records; 56 studies (2010–2025) met the inclusion criteria. Studies were concentrated in China (35.7%), Poland (8.9%), and Brazil (7.1%); no studies from Kazakhstan were identified despite major Pb–Zn smelting operations in the Shymkent region. All studies reported heavy metal concentrations exceeding regulatory thresholds, with cadmium as the primary ecological risk driver and lead posing the greatest health risk to children. Assessment methods included pollution indices (73.2%), ecological risk assessment (67.9%), GIS-based spatial analysis (57.1%), human health risk frameworks (51.8%), and source apportionment models (50.0%). Post-2018 studies increasingly applied integrated multi-method frameworks. Critical gaps include the absence of Central Asian research, limited predictive modeling, and a lack of standardized protocols. Findings provide a structured evidence map to guide environmental monitoring and remediation at slag-contaminated sites globally. Full article

The global shift toward sustainable industrial processes has increased the demand for advanced materials capable of performing under harsh conditions, with high-temperature polymer nanocomposites emerging as a key development area. This study investigates the fabrication of sustainable polysulfone (PSU)/medium-density fiberboard (MDF) nanocomposites through phase inversion, using PSU—a matrix known for its high glass transition temperature—as the base. Membranes were created by adding MDF residue at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 phr (parts per hundred resin). Characterization included analyzing polymer solution viscosity, ATR-FTIR, contact angle, SEM, porosity, equilibrium water content, average pore radius, tensile testing, and permeation performance. Incorporating MDF residue increased solution viscosity and affected porosity and the structure of the top layer. Mechanical testing showed MDF acted as a functional additive, improving the elastic modulus and tensile strength, and supporting overall structural stability under hydraulic stress. The membranes exhibited competitive water flux and maintained high selectivity (80–92% rejection; over 95% turbidity removal) at 1.0 and 2.0 bar. The 3 and 5 phr levels optimized performance, demonstrating that repurposing industrial waste within high-performance matrices is a practical approach for producing durable materials that meet the needs of energy systems and complex industrial separation processes. Full article

Aligned CS/Rx aerogels were fabricated by inducing non-directional ice growth (freeze-molding) followed by low-temperature curing, resulting in monoliths with interconnected channels, a high void fraction, and moldability. The swelling index (S%) was calculated to be 1029, the apparent density 0.496 g·cm⁻³, and the estimated porosity 90% based on micrographic analysis. Aerogels have mechanical behavior Shore A hardness greater than 25. Batch metal removal tests were performed (10 mL, 100 mg·L⁻¹ Cr(VI), 0.19 g adsorbent, 24 h, and pH 5–5.5), and the material achieved 95% metal removal. Additional kinetic and isothermal results were obtained using CS85R15 on a packed column (20 to 140 mg·L⁻¹, 1000 mL Cr(VI), 0.80 g adsorbent, 24 h, and pH 5–5.5). Equilibrium data were consistent with a heterogeneous surface hosting a specific site, as reflected in the joint Freundlich/Langmuir fit (q_max 100.8 mg·g⁻¹ for Langmuir). This confirmed the preservation of chitosan functionalities (–OH/–NH) after processing, while XPS detected chromium on the surface with signals consistent with the partial reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) on the aerogel surface. This highlights the relevance of adsorption-based technologies for water remediation, where high-porosity and low-density materials allow for short diffusion pathways and capture electrostatics by protonated amines and redox conversion of hazardous substances. The soft-cure freeze-molding technique is simple, scalable, and compatible with packed-bed/column operation, providing a material platform for tailoring the microstructure (sheets and channels) and surface chemistry to regenerable sorbents for industrial wastewater treatment. Full article

Palm oil waste (POW) is generated during the production of palm oil, and a large quantity of this waste often travels to landfills for disposal. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the circular economy approach to sustainable engineering and environmental applications of POW, including its generation, disposal concerns, challenges, and prospects. This review provides an overview of the features, composition, and prospective applications of several POWs, including palm oil clinkers (POCs), palm oil fuel ashes (POFAs), palm oil kernel shells (POKSs), and palm oil fibres (POFs). Furthermore, this overview describes the different applications that POW has found, such as sustainable construction materials, renewable energy production, and environmental remediation. Moreover, this review discusses the leaching and risk assessment of POW. The overview also discusses the circular economy implications of using POW. The results showed that while some wastes are reused and recycled, a good quantity are still discarded in environmentally harmful ways. With this overview of a wide circular economy approach to the sustainable use of POW, there will be a rallying call to experts and researchers to identify research gaps that could contribute to the sustainable use of POW. The results of this overview of the sustainable engineering and environmental applications of POW with a circular economy approach indicate that cleaner production technologies and better environmental sustainability of the palm oil industry are feasible through proper waste management, renewable energy generation, resulting in minimal environmental impacts. Furthermore, this analysis will be very useful in providing tools to engineers, environmentalists, and other relevant stakeholders to enable the efficient and sustainable use of POW in the global circular economy. Full article

Employing eco-friendly and low-carbon methods to restore petroleum-polluted soil is a growing trend. However, the low-carbon remediation theories and methods for petroleum-polluted soil are still in their early stages. Herein, the carbon footprint and environmental impacts of different petroleum-polluted soil remediation methods were studied based on life cycle assessment (LCA). It was found that the carbon footprint and environmental impacts of the solidification/stabilization (S/S) method were much lower than those of pyrolysis and chemical oxidation methods. Moreover, compared with other S/S materials, the carbon footprint of lime–fly ash solidification for petroleum-polluted soil was the lowest, at only 12.72 kg CO₂ eq. Moreover, its unconfined compressive strength (UCS) increased by 700% compared to the untreated petroleum-polluted soil. On this basis, the response surface method was further employed to optimize remediation parameters using carbon footprint and UCS growth rate as response variables. The results showed that the optimal parameters for solidifying petroleum-polluted soil were lime content of 10.41%, fly ash content of 21.89%, and a curing time of 27 days. This study provides the important theoretical basis and practical guidance for the low-carbon and efficient remediation of petroleum-polluted soil. Full article

Complex psychosis (CP) remains one of the most challenging conditions in mental health, characterized by persistent symptoms, cognitive impairment, functional disability, and reduced autonomy. Traditional rehabilitation approaches, although essential, are often insufficient to address the multidimensional needs of these individuals. Over the past decade, rapid advances in digital health have opened new opportunities to enhance psychosocial rehabilitation, improve engagement, and personalize treatment pathways. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the use of digital and immersive technologies in the rehabilitation of people with CP, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), telerehabilitation platforms, mobile health (m-Health) applications, digital phenotyping, and AI-assisted cognitive remediation. We examine clinical trials, feasibility studies, and real-world implementations published between 2015 and 2025, highlighting the efficacy of VR-based social cognition training, remote cognitive remediation, ecological momentary interventions, and hybrid digital–in-person rehabilitation models. Mechanisms of action, transfer to real-world functioning, and predictors of engagement are described. Barriers such as digital literacy, access disparities, privacy concerns, and clinical integration are critically discussed. We also outline future directions, including adaptive algorithms, biosensor integration, and the development of multimodal digital ecosystems tailored to individual recovery trajectories. By integrating technological innovation with recovery-oriented care, digital rehabilitation tools have the potential to transform the treatment landscape for people with CP. This review offers a roadmap for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers seeking to incorporate evidence-based digital solutions into modern psychiatric rehabilitation. Full article

Schwertmannite (Sch) is a widespread iron oxyhydroxysulfate mineral in acid mine drainage (AMD) systems, and its transformation strongly influences the environmental fate of chromium (Cr). However, the role of Ca(II), which is commonly introduced during alkaline neutralization of AMD, in regulating the transformation of Cr(VI)-adsorbed schwertmannite (Cr-Sch) and subsequent Cr redistribution remains insufficiently understood. In this study, transformation experiments were conducted under various pH conditions (3.0, 7.0, and 10.0) to investigate the effects of Ca(II) speciation on mineral transformation and Cr behavior. The results demonstrated that the transformation of Cr-Sch was predominantly pH-dependent. Under acidic conditions, Cr-Sch transformed into goethite via dissolution–recrystallization, resulting in transient Cr release followed by partial refixation. The presence of Ca(II) exerted only a minor influence due to weak interactions between Ca²⁺ and positively charged mineral surfaces. Under alkaline conditions, Cr-Sch preferentially transformed into hematite through dehydroxylation and cation rearrangement, leading to the sustained release of adsorbed Cr(VI). In contrast, Ca(II) predominantly precipitated as CaCO₃ precipitate (calcite, aragonite, and vaterite) under alkaline conditions, which coated mineral surfaces and inhibited phase transformation and Cr release. These findings reveal that Ca(II) regulates Cr redistribution primarily through pH-dependent speciation and mineral–surface interactions, highlighting coupled geochemical processes governing iron mineral transformation and contaminant mobility in AMD environments. This study provides mechanistic insights for predicting Cr behavior and optimizing alkaline remediation strategies in mining-impacted systems. Full article

Textile wastewater remains one of the most challenging industrial effluents to remediate due to its intense and persistent coloration, high organic load, elevated salinity, and fluctuating pH and the presence of recalcitrant dye structures and auxiliary chemicals. Conventional physicochemical and biological treatments frequently achieve incomplete removal, generate secondary wastes, or fail under high-salt and toxic dye matrices. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) provide molecular-level degradation via reactive oxygen species (ROS), yet their deployment is often constrained by narrow operating windows, catalyst instability, chemical/energy demand, and scale-up limitations. In this context, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as tunable porous catalytic platforms that integrate adsorption and oxidation within a single architecture through controllable metal nodes, functional linkers, and engineered pore environments. This critical review reimagines textile effluent treatment through the lens of MOF-based hybrid catalysts, synthesizing progress across Fenton/photo-Fenton catalysis, photocatalytic MOFs, persulfate activation, and MOF-derived/composite systems. Mechanistic pathways are discussed by linking pollutant enrichment, cyclic redox reactions, charge-transfer processes, and ROS-driven degradation toward mineralization, with emphasis on the distinction between rapid decolorization and true organic removal. A critical comparison highlights how hybridization improves charge transport, stability, and catalyst recovery, while persistent gaps remain in hydrolytic robustness, metal leaching control, intermediate toxicity assessment, real-wastewater validation, continuous-flow reactor integration, and techno-economic feasibility. Finally, the review outlines actionable research directions, including water-stable and defect-engineered MOFs, immobilized and structured catalysts, solar-driven operation, standardized performance metrics, and life-cycle-informed design, to accelerate translation toward scalable and sustainable textile wastewater remediation. By bridging material chemistry with reactor-level feasibility and sustainability assessment, this review provides an implementation-oriented perspective for next-generation textile wastewater treatment. Full article

The location of the decommissioned factory of plastics and chemical products Jugovinil, City of Kaštela, Croatia, has gained significant attention for urban development and the establishment of tourist facilities over the past three decades. Since the site is on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, on the shore of Kaštela Bay, where nautical tourism is already developed, plans for a five-star tourism complex were initiated. Given that the former industrial plant, its coal-powered power plant, and other later industrial activities (small shipyards) caused a certain degree of contamination with NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material) residues and heavy metals, an on-site detailed investigation was conducted into the spatial distribution and concentration evaluation of contaminants within dozens of soil samples, and the distributions of contaminants in the area of interest were shown in the form of maps. This study applies an integrated GIS and geostatistical framework to analyze the spatial distribution of multiple contaminants. Maps highlighting polluted zones are included, along with maps indicating areas with higher cumulative concentrations of contaminants. This paper provides an overview of potential issues related to the detected contaminants, as well as proposals for remediation methods before repurposing the site using retrospective data about sources of residues and contaminants. Full article

Permeable reactive barrier (PRB) is an in situ remediation of contaminated sites mostly suitable for halogenated pollutants like halo-hydrocarbons reduced by zero-valent irons (ZVI) developed during early 1990’s. However, remediation of some nitrogen-pollutants like ammonia and urea is unsuccessful due to lack of reactants. Most recent advanced direct ammonia/urea fuel cells utilize indirect hydrogen within ammonia/urea molecules to generate electricity. Herein, a comprehensive study based on the chosen design, working principles, advantages and disadvantages of direct ammonia fuel cells for new approach of PRBs for denitrifying nitrogen-contaminant is summarized. Most surveys are carrying out in our laboratories and this work aims to review the most recent advances in ammonia fuel cells integrated with PRBs and demonstrates the proximity of this technology to future applications. Meanwhile, several challenges such as how to accumulate ammonia and urea in order to achieve satisfying energy recovery, oxidants formation, power densities and long term stability are also summarized in this review. Full article

Hydrocarbon-contaminated sites are among the most common challenges for environmental professionals worldwide. Although bioremediation strategies have emerged, their efficiency in cleaning hydrocarbon-contaminated soil depends considerably on local conditions. This study presents a science-based framework to assess the potential for soil bioremediation based on site-specific conditions. At multiple depths, soil samples were collected from four locations (S1, S7, S13, and S16) within a historically contaminated heating plant site. Using a three-step framework based on the content of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), hydrocarbon pollutant fractions, ecotoxicity, and microbial population density, the study quantitatively (using a scoring matrix) revealed considerable variability across locations regarding the potential for bioremediation. Thus, due to balanced parameter contributions, S16 has the most promising bioremediation potential. Location S1 may require additional effort to enhance microbial populations. Locations S7 and S13 have low scores, with S13 being the least suitable, requiring extensive efforts to improve site-specific conditions for bioremediation. By integrating chemical, biological, and ecological factors, this science-based framework emphasizes the importance of site pre-characterization, thus providing an evaluation tool for bioremediation applications at hydrocarbon-contaminated sites with similar data availability. Moreover, the pre-remediation matrix scoring evaluation results align with the in situ bioremediation efficiency observed at the site. Full article

We develop a practical framework for identifying and quantifying the hidden layers of risks and optionality embedded in American options by introducing stochasticity into one or more of their underlying determinants. The heuristic approach remedies the problems of conventional pricing systems, which treat some key inputs deterministically, hence systematically underestimate the flexibility and convexity inherent in early-exercise features. Full article

In bioleaching processes, the use of microbial consortia establishes a favourable environment that supports the growth and activity of multiple microorganisms, thereby enhancing their synergistic interactions during leaching. Mineral dissolution efficiency is consistently higher in consortia than in monocultures. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans exhibit metabolic complementarity and synchrony, including interactions with thermophilic microorganisms. Bioleaching is typically conducted under highly acidic conditions (pH 1–2), where microorganisms utilize essential resources such as nutrients and oxygen, while tolerating elevated concentrations of heavy metals. This review aims to examine the characteristics and current applications of microbial consortia, with particular emphasis on their interactions with heavy metals, the behaviour of their exopolysaccharides (EPS) under toxic conditions, their role in bioremediation across diverse environmental systems, and their potential for industrial implementation. Microbial consortia represent a high-value biotechnological tool in both mining and environmental remediation. Their synergistic interactions enable enhanced efficiency in the bioleaching of sulphide minerals, promoting the mobilization of both economically valuable and contaminant metals, and significantly outperforming individual cultures. Consequently, microbial consortia constitute a versatile, resilient, and eco-efficient platform for metal recovery and the mitigation of environmental liabilities. This review focuses on the applications of bacterial consortia in bioleaching processes and highlights their potential for emerging and future use. Full article

High Andean lagoons in southern Peru have critical hydrological and ecological functions; however, long-term time series integrating trophic, integral quality, and metal contamination metrics to support adaptive management are lacking. A total of 1846 records (2015–2024) from four systems (3100–4600 m a.s.l.) were analyzed using seven indices assessing trophic status (TSItsr, TRIX), general water quality (OWQI, WQIHA, CCME-WQI), and metal contamination (HPI, CD). Temporal trends were assessed using Mann–Kendall and Theil–Sen slope; spatial heterogeneity using Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn–Bonferroni comparisons; controlling factors using distance-based redundancy analysis (999 permutations); and functional typology using Ward’s hierarchical clustering on Z-standardized data. 93% of the series lacked monotonic trends (52/56 lagoon–stratum × index combinations), demonstrating high interannual stability; spatial variance was marked (ε² = 0.73 in CCME-WQI). Distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) explained 24.6% of total variability, with lake identity as the dominant driver (~45%), followed by temporal change (~8%). Four functional archetypes emerged, including a metal-eutrophic hotspot (HPI ≈ 213; CD ≈ 19) and recovering reservoirs with intermediate water quality indicators. Joint thresholds (TSItsr ≥ 60 + HPI ≥ 100) establish early-warning criteria, with Paucarani (HPI = 213) approaching the critical domain where metal-driven stress may facilitate cyanobacterial dominance. Systems show temporal resilience but strong spatial divergence induced by local pressures. The proposed typology and thresholds provide an operational basis for early warnings and prioritization of remediation actions in high-mountain ecosystems subject to increasing anthropogenic stress. Full article

Arsenic contamination, mainly in the arsenate (As(V)) form, continues to pose a serious threat to groundwater quality worldwide due to its long-term stability and toxicity at very low levels. Herein, we demonstrate, for the first time, a three-dimensional graphene oxide-based nanocomposite composed of Cu nanoparticle-doped, amino-functionalized UiO-66 (Cu/UiO-66-NH₂) anchored on a graphene oxide framework (Cu/UiO-66-NH₂@GO) as a novel and efficient nanosorbent for the rapid removal of As(V) in groundwater-like solutions. The nanocomposite was characterized by SEM and HRTEM to confirm the hybrid structure and by XRD, N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, and XPS to investigate crystallinity, porosity, and surface chemistry. The derived material exhibited a highly dispersed morphology and performed rapid arsenate solid-phase extraction to attain equilibration within 10 min and was effective for a wide pH range of 2–11. The best fit for the kinetic profiles was provided by the pseudo-second-order model. Interestingly, the maximum adsorption capacity of 747.9 mg g⁻¹ at pH 6.8 was achieved, demonstrating the benefits of the complementary pairing of dispersive GO sheets and Zr-MOF adsorption domains with Cu-derived active sites. Mechanistically, the enhanced uptake is ascribed to a combination of effects, including electrostatic pre-concentration, ligand exchange, and inner-sphere complexation at metal-oxo nodes; spectroscopic analysis (XPS and FTIR) suggests that the majority of arsenate is immobilized via a strong Zr-O-As bond at coordinatively unsaturated Zr centers, which is in line with t-ZrO₂-like surface domains formed within the nanocomposite. The embedded GO support inhibits further framework interpenetration and enhances active site availability and mass transport, leading to fast and high-capacity arsenate capture in groundwater samples with related conditions. Taken together, this work presents a powerful design concept that integrates unique GO-supported, Cu-modified UiO-66-NH₂ with Zr-O binding motifs to afford high-rate remediation nanocomposites, providing an excellent platform for next-generation arsenate remediation materials. Full article