Phytotoxicity of radionuclides: A review of sources, impacts and remediation strategies.

Various anthropogenic activities and natural sources contribute to the presence of radioactive materials in the environment, posing a serious threat to phytotoxicity. Contamination of soil and water by radioactive isotopes degrades the environmental quality and biodiversity. They persist in soils for a considerable amount of time and disturb the fauna and flora of any affected area.

Environmental implications of phosphate-based fertilizer industrial waste and its management practices.

During the green revolution in the mid-twentieth century, the consumption of inorganic phosphorous and phosphate-based fertilizers (P-fertilizers) in the developing world skyrocketed, resulting in a proliferation of P-fertilizer industries. Phosphate-based fertilizer industries are ranked among the most environment-polluting industries. The worldwide phosphorus market, which was 68.

Comparative efficacy of different salt tolerant rhizobial inoculants in improving growth and productivity of Vigna radiata L. under salt stress.

Worldwide, salinity severely affects agricultural production of crops such as mung bean in arid and semi-arid regions. In saline conditions, various species of Rhizobium can be used to enhance nodulation and induce salinity tolerance in maize. The present study conducted a pot experiment to determine the efficiency of three rhizobial isolates under different salinity conditions, such as 1.

Green synthesis and characterization of silver and copper nanoparticles and their use as an effective adsorbent for chromium removal and recovery from wastewater.

Chromium (Cr) is one of the hazardous heavy metals that is naturally carcinogenic and causes various health problems. Metallic nanoparticles such as silver and copper nanoparticles (Ag NPs and Cu NPs) have gained great attention because of their unique chemical, physical, and biological attributes, serving diverse and significant role in various useful and sustainable applications. In the present study, both of these NPs were synthesized by green method in which Azadirachta indica plant extract was used.

Green Synthesis of ZnO and Black TiO Materials and Their Application in Photodegradation of Organic Pollutants.

ZnO and black TiO have been selected as the most efficient materials for organic pollution abatement due to their increased efficiency when compared to other materials. However, the concept of green chemistry makes it desirable to design green synthesis approaches for their production. In this study, black TiO was synthesized using an environmentally safe synthetic technique with glycerol as a reductant.

Organic amendment-mediated reclamation and build-up of soil microbial diversity in salt-affected soils: fostering soil biota for shaping rhizosphere to enhance soil health and crop productivity.

Soil salinization is a serious environmental problem that affects agricultural productivity and sustainability worldwide. Organic amendments have been considered a practical approach for reclaiming salt-affected soils. In addition to improving soil physical and chemical properties, organic amendments have been found to promote the build-up of new halotolerant bacterial species and microbial diversity, which plays a critical role in maintaining soil health, carbon dynamics, crop productivity, and ecosystem functioning.

Coupled sorptive and oxidative antimony(III) removal by iron-modified biochar: Mechanisms of electron-donating capacity and reactive Fe species.

Sorption and oxidation are two potential pathways for the decontamination of trivalent antimony (Sb(III))-bearing water, using iron (Fe)-modified biochar (FeBC). Here we investigated the sorption and oxidation behavior of FeBC for Sb(III) in aqueous solutions. Results revealed that Sb(III) removal by FeBC was significantly improved showing the maximum Sb(III) sorption (64.

Lead Toxicity-Mediated Growth and Metabolic Alterations at Early Seedling Stages of Maize ( L.).

To investigate the toxic effects of lead (Pb) on key metabolic activities essential for proper germination and seedling growth of maize seeds, experiments were carried out with different levels of Pb (0 to 120 mg of Pb L as PbCl) applied through growth medium to two maize hybrids H-3310S and H-6724. The research findings indicated that growth and metabolic activities were adversely affected by increased Pb contamination in growth medium; however, a slow increase in these parameters was recorded with increasing time from 0 to 120 h. Protease activity decreased with an increase in the level of Pb contamination but increased with time; consequently, a reduction in seed proteins and an increase in total free amino acids were observed with time.

Alteration of microbial carbon and nitrogen metabolism within the soil metagenome with grazing intensity at semiarid steppe.

Grazing causes changes in microbiome metabolic pathways affecting plant growth and soil physicochemical properties. However, how grazing intensity affects microbial processes is poorly understood. In semiarid steppe grassland in northern China, shotgun metagenome sequencing was used to investigate variations in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling-related genes after six years of the following grazing intensities: G0, control, no grazing; G1, 170 sheep days ha year; G2, 340 sheep days ha year; and G3, 510 sheep days ha year.

Recent Advances in Microbial-Assisted Remediation of Cadmium-Contaminated Soil.

Soil contamination with cadmium (Cd) is a severe concern for the developing world due to its non-biodegradability and significant potential to damage the ecosystem and associated services. Industries such as mining, manufacturing, building, etc., rapidly produce a substantial amount of Cd, posing environmental risks.

Effect of exogenous application of biogenic silicon sources on growth, yield, and ionic homeostasis of maize (Zea mays L.) crops cultivated in alkaline soil.

Salinity has emerged as a major threat to food security and safety around the globe. The crop production on agricultural lands is squeezing due to aridity, climate change and low quality of irrigation water. The present study investigated the effect of biogenic silicon (Si) sources including wheat straw biochar (BC-ws), cotton stick biochar (BC-cs), rice husk feedstock (RH-fs), and sugarcane bagasse (SB), on the growth of two consecutive maize (Zea mays L.

Struvite separation from wastewater and its use with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria improves phosphorus utilization in alkaline soil.

A major portion of phosphatic fertilizer comes from the limiting natural resource, rock phosphate, which demands a timely alternative. Struvite, a crystalline mineral of low solubility, is a worthwhile alternative. Evaluation of the local wastewater streams for their ability to precipitate struvite and its capability as phosphatic fertilizer under an alkaline soil environment was studied.

Environmental implication and cancer risk assessment of residual pollutants in cotton crop: a case study of Multan District, Pakistan.

Pakistan is the fourth largest yarn producer in the world heavily that relies on cotton crop which receives a substantial 62% of all pesticide applications. The present study was conducted to quantify the levels of pesticides such as bifenthrin, spirotetramat, pyriproxyfen, imidacloprid, and diafenthiuron in soil and plants residue at selected cotton fields of Multan District, Pakistan. In addition to pesticides, the assessment of heavy metal concentration was also conducted in order to determine the overall risks that these compounds to both plants and human population.

Synergistic effect of β-sitosterol and biochar application for improving plant growth of Thymus vulgaris under heat stress.

Climate change has become the global concern due to its drastic effects on the environment. Agriculture sector is the backbone of food security which remains at the disposal of climate change. Heat stress is the is the most concerning effect of climate change which negatively affect the plant growth and potential yields.

Microbes-assisted phytoremediation of lead and petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated water by water hyacinth.

An experiment was carried out to explore the impact of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs)-degrading microbial consortium (MC) on phytoremediation ability and growth of water hyacinth (WH) plants in water contaminated with lead (Pb) and PHs. Buckets (12-L capacity) were filled with water and WH plants, PHs (2,400 mg L) and Pb (10 mg L) in respective buckets. Plants were harvested after 30 days of transplanting and results showed that PHs and Pb substantially reduced the agronomic (up to 62%) and physiological (up to 49%) attributes of WH plants.

A critical review on the separation of heavy metal(loid)s from the contaminated water using various agricultural wastes.

Wastewater contamination with heavy metal(loids)s has become a worldwide environmental and public health problem due to their toxic and non-degradable nature. Different methods and technologies have been applied for water/wastewater treatment to mitigate heavy metal(loid)-induced toxicity threat to humans. Among various treatment methods, adsorption is considered the most attractive method because of its high ability and efficiency to remove contaminants from wastewater.

The evaluation of bacterial-augmented floating treatment wetlands for concomitant removal of phenol and chromium from contaminated water.

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems with organic and inorganic contaminants is a global threat due to their hazardous effects on the environment and human health. Floating treatment wetland (FTW) technology is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to existing treatment approaches. It consists of a buoyant mat in which wetland plants can grow and develop their roots in a suspended manner and can be implemented to treat stormwater, municipal wastewater, and industrial effluents.

Spectroscopic fingerprinting, pollution characterization, and health risk assessment of potentially toxic metals from urban particulate matter.

The unprecedented stride of urbanization and industrialization has given rise to anthropogenic input of tiny particulates into the air. Urban particulate matter (PM) armored with potentially toxic metals (PTMs) could be lethal to the environment and human health. Therefore, the present study was planned to investigate the spectroscopic fingerprinting, pollution status and health risk of PM-associated PTMs collected from ten functional areas of Lahore, Pakistan.

Unveiling the significance of foliar-applied silicon, selenium and phosphorus for the management and remediation of arsenic in two different rice genotypes.

Under paddy soil conditions, rice plants are vulnerable to arsenic (As) accumulation, thus causing potential threat to human health. Here we investigated the influence of foliar-applied phosphorus (P: 10 and 20 mg L), silicon (Si: 0.6 and 1.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles alleviates stress in wheat grown on Cd contaminated alkaline soil.

The cadmium contamination of soil is an alarming issue worldwide and among various mitigation strategies, nanotechnology mediated management of Cd contamination has become a well-accepted approach. The Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles (CeO-NPs) are widely being explored for their novel works in Agro-Industry and Environment, including stress mitigation in crops. Very little work is reported regarding role of CeO-NPs in management of Cd contamination in cereal crops like wheat.

Unrevealing the potential of microbes in decomposition of organic matter and release of carbon in the ecosystem.

Organic matter decomposition is a biochemical process with consequences affecting climate change and ecosystem productivity. Once decomposition begins, C is lost as CO or sequestered into more recalcitrant carbon difficult to further degradation. As microbial respiration releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, microbes act as gatekeepers in the whole process.

Lignite Scaffolding as Slow-Release N-Fertilizer Extended the SN Retention and Inhibited N Losses in Alkaline Calcareous Soils.

Conventional nitrogen (N) fertilizers particularly urea mineralized quickly in soil. Without sufficient plant uptake, this rapid mineralization favors the heavy N losses. Lignite is a naturally abundant and cost-effective adsorbent capable of extending multiple benefits as a soil amendment.