Effects of biological filtration by ascidians on microplastic composition in the water column.

Plastic pollution, a widespread environmental challenge, significantly impacts marine ecosystems. The degradation of plastic under environmental conditions results in the generation of microplastic (MP; <5 mm) fragments, frequently ingested by marine life, including filter-feeders such as ascidians (Chordata, Ascidiacea). These organisms are integral to benthic-pelagic coupling, transporting MP from the water column through marine food web.

Negligible adsorption and toxicity of microplastic fibers in disinfected secondary effluents.

Wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in controlling the transport of pollutants to the environment and often discharge persistent contaminants such as synthetic microplastic fibers (MFs) to the ecosystem. In this study, we examined the fate and toxicity of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MFs fabricated from commercial cloth in post-disinfection secondary effluents by employing conditions that closely mimic disinfection processes applied in wastewater treatment plants. Challenging conventional assumptions, this study illustrated that oxidative treatment by chlorination and ozonation incurred no significant modification to the surface morphology of the MFs.

Nanobubble transport in porous media: Towards agro- and environmental applications.

Nanobubbles have been increasingly used in various applications involving porous media, such as groundwater remediation and irrigation. However, the fundamental scientific knowledge regarding the interactions between nanobubbles and the media is still limited. The interactions can be repulsive, attractive, or inert, and can involve reversible or irreversible attachment as well as destructive mechanisms.

One-pot green bio-assisted synthesis of highly active catalytic palladium nanoparticles in porcine gastric mucin for environmental applications.

In this work, palladium nanoparticles were synthesized using one-pot synthesis utilizing porcine gastric mucin glycoproteins as reducing and capping agents. It is shown that the particles exhibited noticeable catalytic activity through both nitrophenol reduction and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions. The catalytic performance was demonstrated with exceptionally high product yield, a fast reaction rate, and low catalyst use.

Risk assessment framework for microplastic in marine environments.

Constantly raising microplastic (MP) contamination of water sources poses a direct threat to the gentle balance of the marine environment. This study focuses on a multifactor hazard evaluation of conventional (polyethylene - PE, polypropylene - PP, and polystyrene - PS) and alternative (polyethylene terephthalate with 25 % or 50 % recycled material and polylactic acid) plastics. The risk assessment framework explored included MP abundance, water acidification potential, surface oxidation, fragmentation, and bacterial growth inhibition.

Engineering the Performance and Stability of Molybdenum Disulfide for Heavy Metal Removal.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS) has recently emerged as one of the most promising water nano-based adsorbent materials for heavy metal removal with the potential to provide an alternative to conventional water decontamination technologies. In this study, we demonstrate the trade-off between mercuric removal capacity and overall MoS adsorbent stability, both driven by MoS synthesis parameters. A bottom-up hydrothermal synthesis setup at various growth temperatures was employed to grow flower-like MoS films onto planar alumina supports.

Mediterranean microplastic contamination: Israel's coastline contributions.

This study provides an analysis of the current state of microplastic (MP) contamination along the Mediterranean coastline of Israel. Six strategic sites were monitored in this study - each representing a unique coastal environment. We conclude that Tel Aviv and Hadera, both located near stream estuaries, were highly contaminated (18,777 particles/m) with MP compared to the other locations.

Slow release of copper from jellyfish-based hydrogels for soil enrichment.

Nanotechnology has shown great potential to increase global food production and enhance food security. However, large-scale application of nano-enabled plant agriculture necessitates careful adjustments in design to overcome barriers associated with targeted nanomaterial delivery and their safety concerns. The research herein proposes the delivery of copper (Cu) from immobilized and non-immobilized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO), an active nanomaterial with antifungal and micro-nutrient properties.

The role of size, charge, and cholesterol of cell membrane models in interactions with graphene oxide.

The growing in manufacturing and applications of graphene oxide (GO), a two-dimensional nanomaterial, highlights the need for a better understanding of its environmental impact and toxicity. This work investigates the interaction of GO with cell membrane models as an indication for GO's potential harmfulness. A wide range of biologically-relevant membrane parameters (size, charge and, cholesterol content) and simple optical techniques were used to evaluate the outcome of interactions of vesicular cell membrane models with GO.

Modeling the energy consumption of potable water reuse schemes.

Potable reuse of municipal wastewater is often the lowest-energy option for increasing the availability of fresh water. However, limited data are available on the energy consumption of potable reuse facilities and schemes, and the many variables affecting energy consumption obscure the process of estimating energy requirements. By synthesizing available data and developing a simple model for the energy consumption of centralized potable reuse schemes, this study provides a framework for understanding when potable reuse is the lowest-energy option for augmenting water supply.

Interactions of microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A case study of augmented joint toxicity.

High levels of persistent contaminants such as microplastics (MPs) and trace organic compounds (TrOCs) in the aquatic environment have become a major threat on the ecosystem and human health. While MP's role as a vector of environmental TrOCs is widely discussed in the literature, the corresponding implications of the interaction between these two compounds on human health (i.e.

Engineered Polystyrene-Based Microplastics of High Environmental Relevance.

Microplastic (MP) pollution-an emerging environmental challenge of the 21st century-refers to accumulation of environmentally weathered polymer-based particles with potential environmental and health risks. Because of technical and practical challenges when using environmental MPs for risk assessment, most available data are generated using plastic models of limited environmental relevancy (i.e.

Questioning the suitability of available microplastics models for risk assessment - A critical review.

The rise of microplastic (MP) pollution in the environment has been bolstering concerns regarding MPs' unknown environmental fate, transport, and potential toxicity toward living forms. However, the use of real environmental plastics for risk assessment is often hindered due to technical and practical challenges such as plastics' heterogeneity and their wide size distribution in the environment. To overcome this issue, most available data in the field is generated using plastic models as surrogates for environmental samples.

Pseudoviruses for the assessment of coronavirus disinfection by ozone.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted public health worldwide. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via aerosols and surfaces has highlighted the need for efficient indoor disinfection methods. For instance, the use of ozone gas as a safe and potent disinfectant against SARS-CoV-2 virus is of particular interest.

Tunable Molybdenum Disulfide-Enabled Fiber Mats for High-Efficiency Removal of Mercury from Water.

The application of molybdenum disulfide (MoS) for water decontamination is expanded toward a novel approach for mercury removal using nanofibrous mats coated with MoS. A bottom-up synthesis method for growing MoS on carbon nanofibers was employed to maximize the nanocomposite decontamination potential while minimizing the release of the nanomaterial to treated water. First, a co-polymer of polyacrylonitrile and polystyrene was electrospun as nanofibrous mats and pretreated to form pristine carbon fibers.

Shape-Dependent Interactions of Manganese Oxide Nanomaterials with Lipid Bilayer Vesicles.

Interactions of transition-metal-oxide nanomaterials with biological membranes have important environmental implications and applications in ecotoxicity and life-cycle assessment analysis. In this study, we quantitatively assess the impact of MnO nanomaterial morphology-one-dimensional (1D) nanowires, 2D nanosheets, and 3D nanoflowers-on their interaction with phospholipid vesicles as a model for biological membranes. Confocal microscopy suggests visual evidence for the interaction of undisrupted vesicles with dispersed MnO nanomaterials of different morphologies, and it further supports the observation that minimal dye leakage of the vesicle inner solution was detected during the interaction with MnO nanomaterials during the dye leakage assay.

1,4-Dioxane as an emerging water contaminant: State of the science and evaluation of research needs.

1,4-Dioxane has historically been used to stabilize chlorinated solvents and more recently has been found as a contaminant of numerous consumer and food products. Once discharged into the environment, its physical and chemical characteristics facilitate migration in groundwater, resulting in widespread contamination of drinking water supplies. Over one-fifth of U.

Electrospun silica nanofiber mats functionalized with ceria nanoparticles for water decontamination.

This study demonstrates the fabrication of nanoceria-immobilized silica nanofibers for efficient water decontamination with easy reuse and regeneration properties. Commercially-available ceria (CeO) nanoparticles were immobilized on electrospun silica nanofiber mats. Optimal conditions for both oxidation of model trace organic compounds (TrOCs) and hydroxyl-radical formation were determined in batch experiments with ceria nanoparticles.

Reactive, Self-Cleaning Ultrafiltration Membrane Functionalized with Iron Oxychloride Nanocatalysts.

Self-cleaning, antifouling ultrafiltration membranes are critically needed to mitigate organic fouling in water and wastewater treatment. In this study, we fabricated a novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite ultrafiltration membrane coated with FeOCl nanocatalysts (FeOCl/PVDF) via a facile, scalable thermal-treatment method, for the synergetic separation and degradation of organic pollutants. The structure, composition, and morphology of the FeOCl/PVDF membrane were extensively characterized.

High Performance Nanofiltration Membrane for Effective Removal of Perfluoroalkyl Substances at High Water Recovery.

We demonstrate the fabrication of a loose, negatively charged nanofiltration (NF) membrane with tailored selectivity for the removal of perfluoroalkyl substances with reduced scaling potential. A selective polyamide layer was fabricated on top of a poly(ether sulfone) support via interfacial polymerization of trimesoyl chloride and a mixture of piperazine and bipiperidine. Incorporating high molecular weight bipiperidine during the interfacial polymerization enables the formation of a loose, nanoporous selective layer structure.

Formation and degradation of N-oxide venlafaxine during ozonation and biological post-treatment.

While ozonation is considered an efficient treatment to eliminate trace organic compounds (TrOCs) from secondary wastewater effluents, the presence and persistence of transformation products (TPs) resulting from ozonation of TrOCs is a major concern that should be assessed prior to effluent discharge to the environment. Venlafaxine (VLX), an environmentally relevant tertiary amine-containing TrOC, was chosen as the model for this study. TP analysis confirmed that the lone electron pair of the non-protonated amine are the predominant site of oxidant attack, and therefore strongly affected by pH value and VLX speciation.

Enhanced antibacterial activity through the controlled alignment of graphene oxide nanosheets.

The cytotoxicity of 2D graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) is highly important for engineered applications and environmental health. However, the isotropic orientation of GBNs, most notably graphene oxide (GO), in previous experimental studies obscured the interpretation of cytotoxic contributions of nanosheet edges. Here, we investigate the orientation-dependent interaction of GBNs with bacteria using GO composite films.

Determination of oxidant exposure during ozonation of secondary effluent to predict contaminant removal.

The use of kinetic models to predict oxidation performance in wastewater is limited due to fast ozone depletion during the first milliseconds of the reaction. This paper introduces the Quench Flow Module (QFM), a bench-scale experimental technique developed to measure the first 5-500 milliseconds of ozone depletion for accurate determination of ozone exposure in wastewater-ozonation processes. Calculated ozone exposure in QFM experiments was up to 24% lower than in standard batch experiments, strongly depending on the initial sampling point for measurement in batch experiments.

Influence of wastewater particles on ozone degradation of trace organic contaminants.

In this Article, we demonstrate the influence of effluent particles (in the range of <50 μm) on ozone degradation of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) and effluent-quality parameters. Secondary effluent was filtered through different pore-size filters and ozonated at various ozone doses. Degradation of both ozone-reactive and ozone-refractory contaminants improved following ozonation of effluent filtered with smaller pore size filters, indicating that particles in this range may adversely affect ozonation.

Treating wastewater from a pharmaceutical formulation facility by biological process and ozone.

Wastewater from a pharmaceutical formulation facility (TevaKS, Israel) was treated with a biological activated-sludge system followed by ozonation. The goal was to reduce the concentrations of the drugs carbamazepine (CBZ) and venlafaxine (VLX) before discharging the wastewater to the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Both drugs were detected at extremely high concentrations in TevaKS raw wastewater ([VLX]=11.