Water Pollution Control Research Articles

Do Water Pollutant Reduction Projects Promote or Limit Carbon Reduction? Evidence from Building a Beautiful China

The total control of major water pollutants (TCMWP) is a critical strategy for improving water quality in China, with the added benefit of yielding climate-related advantages. This study uses the emission factor method to quantify the reductions in pollutants and carbon emissions resulting from China’s implementation of TCMWP. A synergy scale for pollution and carbon reduction was constructed to assess the co-benefits of reducing the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Furthermore, to account for regional variations in energy structure regulation strategies, whether aggressive or unified, we developed Pollutant Synergistic Carbon Reduction Pathways at the Regional (R.PSCRP) model framework level to evaluate the carbon emission reduction potential of TCMWP during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period. The study revealed that China’s unified TCMWP employs different but highly effective combinations of emission reduction paths across different regions. Notably, new renovations and expansions of wastewater treatment facilities (NRE-WWTFS) and pipeline network construction and renovation (CR-PNK) together accounted for 89.3% of the total emission reduction. The construction of key water pollutant reduction projects plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions at the district level compared to direct discharge practices. Additionally, indirect emissions resulting from TCMWP implementation account for approximately 50% of the total carbon reduction achieved. By aligning either harmonized or independent energy adjustment targets, regions were able to achieve substantial pollution and carbon reduction benefits, ranging from 7.5 to 8 million tons of CO2-equivalent.

Spatial Distribution and Mechanisms of Groundwater Hardness in the Plain Area of Tangshan City, China

Groundwater resources play a critical role in meeting the agricultural, industrial, and domestic water demands of Tangshan, a key industrial city in China. However, with the acceleration of urbanization and the overextraction of groundwater, issues related to groundwater quality have become increasingly apparent. Notably, groundwater hardness has steadily increased over the years, posing risks to human health and elevating industrial water treatment costs. This study analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics and causes of groundwater hardness using 214 groundwater quality samples collected in 2022 from the plain area of Tangshan City, employing inverse distance weighting (IDW), Gibbs diagrams, ion ratios, mineral saturation indices, and Pearson correlation analysis. The results indicate that, in horizontal distribution, high-hardness groundwater is predominantly concentrated in the southern coastal plain area, with hardness gradually decreasing from south to north. Vertically, shallow groundwater in the coastal plain exhibits significantly higher hardness than deep groundwater, with a non-compliance rate of 94.12%, while deep groundwater hardness remains markedly lower. Mid-depth groundwater (60–300 m) in the alluvial plain exhibits elevated hardness, primarily attributed to mineral dissolution and agricultural irrigation return flow. The spatial distribution pattern of groundwater hardness across the study area is predominantly governed by hydrogeochemical processes and hydrochemical environmental factors, with cation exchange adsorption and evaporation–concentration processes identified as the dominant influences. The analysis of ion sources indicates that Ca2+ and Mg2+, the primary contributors to groundwater hardness in the area, are mainly derived from the weathering and dissolution of carbonate minerals, sulfate minerals, and cation exchange processes. Therefore, an in-depth investigation into the spatial distribution and driving factors of groundwater hardness in Tangshan can provide a scientific basis for regional water resource management, pollution control, and water quality optimization. Such research also supports the development of sustainable groundwater management and optimization strategies.

Study on Lead Adsorption Properties of Metakaolin/Red Mud Geopolymer

Red mud may cause serious pollution to soil, water, and air. Lead can seriously harm biological and even human health. This chapter summarizes the adsorption properties of metakaolin/red mud base polymer for Pb (Ⅱ). Under optimized conditions, with 0.6g/L adsorbent, pH value of 5, and adsorption time of 120 minutes, the adsorption capacity reached 122.58mg/g, and the removal rate was 73.55%. This will help to mitigate the threat of red mud and lead wastewater to human health and the environment, providing an important reference for water pollution control.

Research on evolutionary game and intelligent monitoring in cross-regional water pollution control

Research on evolutionary game and intelligent monitoring in cross-regional water pollution control

Study on Watershed Ecological Compensation for Water Pollution Considering Population Flow: A Case Study in the Lower Yellow River Basin

Watershed ecological compensation (WEC) mechanisms can help coordinate the distribution of revenue among different regions and realize the collaborative treatment of water pollution. However, limited research has examined the influence of population flow on the design of ecological compensation mechanisms. In this paper, the differential game method is used to construct a model of water pollution control in upstream and downstream regions with the consideration of population flow. The Lower Yellow River Basin (LYRB), which includes Henan and Shandong Provinces, is taken as a case study, and relevant data are used for simulation analysis. The constraints and population flow factors that influence the establishment of a WEC mechanism between upstream and downstream governments are explored. The results show that (1) the implementation of WEC can stimulate the upstream government’s efforts to treat pollutants, and the amount of pollutants eliminated and the revenue of the upstream and downstream governments increase; (2) with the continuous flow of population from the upstream region to the downstream region, the amount of pollutants eliminated and the revenue of the downstream government decrease; and (3) in the absence of external incentive measures, when the population flow exceeds a certain threshold, the WEC mechanism of the upstream and downstream governments cannot be spontaneously carried out. The conclusions of this study can provide scientific guidance for improving the WEC mechanism between the upstream and downstream governments within a basin.

Integrating Wetlands as Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Built Environments

Wetlands are ecosystems that can provide numerous services critical for sustainable development, especially in urban areas, by ensuring environmental stability. The wetlands receive increasing recognition as Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) to environmental challenges. This review synthesizes the numerous roles of wetlands as NBSs for promoting sustainability in both rural and urban environments and highlights the potential contributions of multiple wetland services and benefits towards sustainable built environments. The review methodology involved an article search from various databases with the utilization of specific keywords in an organized framework to understand the contribution of wetlands as NBSs. The articles were reviewed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the existing research on the associated topics, focusing on specific sub titles and pre-selected themes. The findings of this review identify various parameters through which wetlands contribute to sustainable built environments, including ecological resilience, storm water management, climate adaptation, biodiversity enhancement, recreational opportunities, pollution control, and cultural values. The review also encompasses case studies of different types of wetland features such as riparian buffer zones, retention ponds, reed beds, bio swales, rain gardens, constructed wetlands, etc. in the urban environment and their contribution as NBSs. These contributions are discussed in terms of integration in urban development planning in different segments. Future work recommendations consist of a holistic integration of wetlands into urban planning and design considerations to promote more resilient, healthy, and sustainable built environments for present and future generations.

Analyzing the impacts of Discharges from coastal outfalls on water quality of Kuwait Bay via Landsat monitoring

Monitoring water resources plays an important role in water pollution control. Taking Samples of the whole water body is limited in practice for many reasons such as time-consuming, cost constraints, and the situation of topography. So, the remote sensing method has been used as it provides a reasonable and feasible approach to providing water quality data. In this study, Nitrates and phosphates were assessed along Kuwait's territorial water using data from Bands reflection that was taken from remote sensing images to improve the prediction of Nitrate and Phosphate concentrations in waterbodies. The predicting algorithms have been subjected to calibration and validation by using the in-site data measured in the field from the KEPA Monitor stations. All the algorithms produced a good performance in estimating the concentration of nitrate and phosphate at the outfall sites, but the nitrate algorithms had superior performance over the phosphate algorithms. The Relative Error of the Nitrate and Phosphate Algorithm was 16.851% and 37.793%, respectively. One of the accuracy requirements for estimating the quality of water for the satellite imagery method is that the Relative Error should not be more than 30%, and the accuracy of the nitrate prediction algorithms is more accepted than phosphate prediction algorithms. At last, Nitrate and phosphate were estimated at the outfall’s sites using Landsat 8 OLI imagery. The retrieval models result showed that all the Nitrate and Phosphate concentrations were above the KEPA ambient seawater quality criteria standard values which are for the Nitrate (NO3-) is equal to 0.095 milligrams per liter, and equal to 0.035 milligrams per liter for the Phosphate (PO43-). Although this case study is a particular study, the modeling procedures related to the Nitrate and Phosphate retrieval model can provide others the ability when they use the technology of satellite imagery to predict Nitrate and Phosphate for identical or different water bodies.

The key to green water-preserved mining: Prediction and integration of mining rock failure height by big data fusion simulation algorithm

Under the background of China's "double carbon" goal, coal mining must become a systematic project that takes into account both economic strategy and environmental protection strategy. The destruction of groundwater artesian field caused by the development of overburden failure caused by large-scale coal mining activities is aggravating the ecological vulnerability of mining areas in China. In this paper, the high precision integrated prediction of the development height of overburden failure zone (HOF) under multiple sedimentary conditions is studied for the first time in a large regional background. In order to adapt to the complexity and disorder of geological source data, we optimize the ensemble learning process and meta-model training. Then, by coupling the data-driven model and the simulation-driven model, a dual-driven model is obtained which can automatically reduce the noise of abnormal bands that do not comply with the laws of physical geology. The results show that the D-S dual drive model has excellent stability and net income performance, which can effectively predict the development and termination height of HOF, ensure the safety of coal mining activities, and provide a reference for the isolation control of water and coal pollution in a wide area.

Promote or inhibit? Transcriptomic and metabonomic insights into the effects of antibiotics on nitrogen uptake and metabolism in Myriophyllum aquaticum

Phytoremediation is an effective nitrogen removal method to alleviate eutrophication. However, the coexistence of antibiotics may inhibit nitrogen removal by aquatic macrophytes, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we systematically investigated the effects of three antibiotics (norfloxacin, NOR; sulfamethoxazole, SMX; and oxytetracycline, OTC) at environmental concentrations (1 μg/L and 1 mg/L) on ammonia (NH4+–N) and nitrate (NO3-–N) removal by the aquatic macrophyte Myriophyllum aquaticum. NOR, SMX, and OTC reduced NH4+–N removal by M. aquaticum by 10–36 %, with low levels (1 μg/L) of NOR reducing NO3-–N removal by up to 60 %. Antibiotics substantially reduced the biomass and chlorophyll contents but increased the antioxidant enzymes in M. aquaticum. While antibiotics inhibited NH4+–N removal, the promotion or inhibition effect of antibiotics on NO3-–N removal by M. aquaticum depended on types and levels of antibiotics. Transcriptomic and metabonomic profile analyses revealed differentially expressed genes and metabolites, suggesting that the mechanisms underlying the promotional/inhibitory effects of antibiotics on nitrogen uptake and metabolism were related to ammonia metabolism, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, photosynthesis, and oxidative stress. Myriophyllum aquaticum exhibited better NH4+–N removal than NO3-–N removal, as NH4+–N can be directly taken up by M. aquaticum and transformed into ammonium, while NO3-–N must be absorbed by the plant and then reduced to ammonium. During this process, antibiotics disrupt genes associated with nitrogen uptake and metabolism. In this study, we provide multiomics insights into the mechanisms of nitrogen metabolism in aquatic macrophytes affected by antibiotics and offers a scientific basis for water pollution control.

A Mini Review on the Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica and its Application in Antibiotic Removal

AbstractIn recent years, antibiotics have been widely used in multiple fields such as agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry as well as human health due to their high efficiency and low price in treating bacterial infections. However, the misuse of antibiotics has posed a serious threat to both ecological environment and human health, resulting in the antibiotic contamination as a global issue. Therefore, the development of novel materials and technologies to remove antibiotics from water has become a research frontier and hotspot. Meanwhile, mesoporous silica materials have been gradually used in the removal of antibiotics via adsorption and degradation due to their controllable structure, tunable pore size as well as diverse sources. This mini review focuses on the research progress of mesoporous silica in removing antibiotics from aquatic environments. The main types and controllable synthesis procedures of mesoporous silica is introduced first, followed by their application in antibiotics removal via both adsorption and catalytic degradation. Furthermore, it proposes the future directions of this field, providing insights for the use of mesoporous silica materials in water pollution control.

Effects of antibiotics on aquatic plant growth and removal of antibiotics by plants in water containing microplastics

ABSTRACT Phytoremediation is widely used for water pollution control. The effect of antibiotics on aquatic plants and their removal by plants in water containing microplastics is unknown. Four aquatic plants were used for hydroponic tests to analyze the effect of antibiotics on the plant growth and their removal by plants in water containing low-density polyethylene microplastics (LDPE-MPs). The results indicated that under LDPE-MP stress, antibiotics at < 100 μg·L−1 promoted plant heights and leaf chlorophyll contents, while antibiotics at > 100 μg·L−1 had inhibitory effects; the ability of plants to remove antibiotics was Canna indica > Myriophyllum verticillatum > Pontederia cordata > Nymphaea tetragona; the plants with the best removal of norfloxacin, sulfadiazine and hygromycin at 100 μg·L−1 were Myriophyllum verticillatum, Canna indica and Canna indica, with removal rates of 51.7%, 51.4% and 52.9%, respectively; the antibiotic accumulation in plant tissues was root > stem > leaf; the rhizosphere microbial diversity decreased with increasing antibiotic concentrations, while Aeromonas, Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, Providencia, and Staphylococcus increased. LDPE-MP stress resulted in a 10∼20% decrease in antibiotic removal by plants. The findings suggest that the use of Canna indica can be prioritised to remove antibiotics from the water containing microplastics.

Improving membrane fouling via high phyllosilicate properties of ZnO-Kaolin in pilot-scale hybrid membrane photocatalytic reactor (MPR) for superior river water treatment

A study evaluated a pilot-scale hybrid membrane photocatalytic reactor (MPR) using ZnO-Kaolin to treat polluted river water. ZnO-Kaolin was successfully synthesised and characterised using various methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). XRD and FTIR analyses verified the purity of ZnO-Kaolin, showing no impurities, while FESEM revealed ZnO nanoparticle growth on kaolin surfaces. Additionally, the ZnO-Kaolin band gap was shifted, demonstrating enhancement of photo-degradation efficiency. Optimisation identified pH 5 as the most effective condition for treating the polluted Sembrong River via pilot-scale hybrid MPR integrated with ZnO-Kaolin, achieving significant removal of ammoniacal nitrogen (85.71 %), chemical oxygen demand (91.53 %), biochemical oxygen demand (84.93 %), and suspended solids (99 %). This innovative system also regulated water quality parameters, enhancing pH to 6 and dissolved oxygen to 6.3 mg/L while minimising membrane fouling. This innovative approach has promising potential for commercial-scale water pollution control.

Managing acidic mine water pollution in karst regions based on hydrogeological structures

Acidic mine drainage (AMD) is one of the primary pollutants from abandoned mines. This type of pollution is characterized by its extensive area, prolonged duration, and challenging detection process, especially in karst region with intricate hydrological systems, thereby posing a significant threat to the sustainable development of the economy. This paper focuses on the pollution of acidic mine water in the karst region of Southwest China and adopts a comprehensive watershed pollution management strategy. Considering the unique hydrogeological structure of the karst mines, the active water cycle, and the sensitivity and fragility of the ecological environment, this study proposes a set of acid mine drainage pollution control methods based on hydrogeological structures. These include “zonal management, one policy per mine; source control, pollution reduction; and end-of-pipe treatment, standard discharge.” This study applies coal mine water prevention and control techniques to environmental management, developing a series of source control methods including “filling, isolating, blocking, intercepting, draining, and controlling”. It also integrates physical, chemical, and biological methods for the end-of-pipe treatment of acidic mine water. This approach has been successfully applied to the management of acidic mine drainage in the Yudong River basin in Kaili, Guizhou. Long-term monitoring of the "three-fields and four-water” revealed that rainfall significantly influences mine water quality. The study identified a “U-tube effect” whereby mine water exacerbates the pollution of karst water, leading to the development of a comprehensive prevention and control strategy termed the “three blocking (obstruction) and one guarantee” project. A comparative analysis of total iron content in the basin before and after treatment demonstrated a marked reduction, from 97.8mg/L to less than 0.3mg/L. This study provides a typical example for the prevention, control, and management of acid water pollution in karst areas across the watershed, and can serve as a reference for similar pollution management efforts.

A ratiometric and colorimetric dual-mode fluorescence method for the sensitive determination of copper ion

The present work describes the fabrication of a low-cost, simple, and highly selective analytical method based on the combination of two fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for visual or quantitative detection of copper ions at trace levels. Folium cycas and o-phenylenediamine are used as carbon precursors for the preparation of blue fluorescence CQDs (B-CQDs) and yellow fluorescence CQDs (Y-CQDs), respectively. The dual emission ratio fluorescence sensor (B@Y-CQDs), which is obtained through a physical blending method, demonstrates the dual-mode detection of copper ions, including colorimetric detection (visual detection) and ratiometric detection (quantitative detection). Our study reports a portable fluorescent paper sensing platform based on smartphones and computer software that can visually quantify Cu2+ without the need for expensive and bulky laboratory instruments. Upon addition of Cu2+, the simple B@Y-CQDs solution or B@Y-CQDs modified paper-based strip shows a visible color change from blue to yellow under 365 nm ultraviolet light, which achieves visual detection coupled with computer software and smartphones. For the accurate quantitative detection of trace Cu2+, the changes in the fluorescence intensity ratio of F450/550 are recorded, in which B@Y-CQDs exhibited remarkable selectivity and sensitivity, with a low limit of detection (0.73 μM) within the linear ranges of 7–15 μM. The applicability of the sensor is explored by the successful detection of Cu2+ in tap water and rice samples. These results provide a novel strategy for the quantitative and visual detection of various metal ions and hold significant potential for applications in food safety assurance and water pollution control.

Mechanochemical Thioglycolate Modification of Microscale Zero‐Valent Iron for Superior Heavy Metal Removal

AbstractMicroscale zero‐valent iron (mZVI) is widely used for water pollutant control and environmental remediation, yet its reactivity is still constrained by the inert oxide shell. Herein, we demonstrate that mechanochemical thioglycolate (TG) modification can dramatically enhance heavy metal (NiII, CrVI, CdII, PbII, HgII, and SbIII) removal rates of mZVI by times of 16.7 to 88.0. Compared with conventional impregnation (wet chemical process), this dry mechanochemical process could construct more robust covalent bonding between TG and the inert oxide shell of mZVI through its electron‐withdrawing carboxylate group to accelerate the electron release from the iron core, and more effectively strengthen the surface heavy metal adsorption through metal(d)‐sulfur(p) orbital hybridization between its thiol group and heavy metal ions. Impressively, this mechanochemically TG‐modified mZVI exhibited an unprecedented NiII removal capacity of 580.4 mg Ni g−1 Fe, 17.1 and 9.5 times those of mZVI and wet chemically TG‐modified mZVI, respectively. Its application potential was further validated by more than 10 days of stable groundwater NiII removal in a column flow reactor. This study offers a promising strategy to enhance the reactivity of mZVI, and also emphasizes the importance of the modification strategy in optimizing its performance for environmental applications.

Mechanochemical Thioglycolate Modification of Microscale Zero-Valent Iron for Superior Heavy Metal Removal.

Microscale zero-valent iron (mZVI) is widely used for water pollutant control and environmental remediation, yet its reactivity is still constrained by the inert oxide shell. Herein, we demonstrate that mechanochemical thioglycolate (TG) modification can dramatically enhance heavy metal (NiII, CrVI, CdII, PbII, HgII, and SbIII) removal rates of mZVI by times of 16.7 to 88.0. Compared with conventional impregnation (wet chemical process), this dry mechanochemical process could construct more robust covalent bonding between TG and the inert oxide shell of mZVI through its electron-withdrawing carboxylate group to accelerate the electron release from the iron core, and more effectively strengthen the surface heavy metal adsorption through metal(d)-sulfur(p) orbital hybridization between its thiol group and heavy metal ions. Impressively, this mechanochemically TG-modified mZVI exhibited an unprecedented NiII removal capacity of 580.4 mg Ni g-1 Fe, 17.1 and 9.5 times those of mZVI and wet chemically TG-modified mZVI, respectively. Its application potential was further validated by more than 10 days of stable groundwater NiII removal in a column flow reactor. This study offers a promising strategy to enhance the reactivity of mZVI, and also emphasizes the importance of the modification strategy in optimizing its performance for environmental applications.

Optimal allocation model of port emergency resources based on the improved multi-objective particle swarm algorithm and TOPSIS method

The busy maritime traffic and occurrence of ship accidents have led to a growing recognition of the necessity to maritime emergency resources allocation. The port emergency resource allocation is of significant importance for the maritime safety. This paper presents an optimized allocation model for port emergency resources based on the improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization (IMOPSO). The model introduces the crowding distance and improves the external archive update strategy. The particle inertia weight is adjusted and a dynamic mutation operator is incorporated. The entropy-weighted technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution method is also employed to identify the optimal solution. A comprehensive comparison with MOPSO has been presented and discussed. Three metrics of generational distance (GD), spacing (SP) and delta indicator (Δ) were employed for performance evaluation. The results demonstrated that the proposed IMOPSO algorithm exhibited superior performance and robustness, with average values of GD = 0.0386, SP = 0.0023 and Δ = 0.6468 for ZDT test functions. The model efficacy is further validated by a case study of oil spill dispersant configuration at Zhanjiang Port, China. Seven alternative schemes have been obtained, among which the optimal scheme is selected by the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method. The overall cost is potentially to be reduced by approximately 33.03 %. The present study would provide a reference for the water pollutant control and environmental management in port waters.

Towards Achieving Circular Economy in the Production of Silica from Rice Husk as a Sustainable Adsorbent

The growing concern over water pollution and waste management requires innovative solutions that promote resource efficiency within a circular economy. This study aims to utilize rice husk (RH) as a sustainable feedstock to develop highly porous silica particles and generate valuable by-products, addressing the dual challenges of waste reduction and water contamination. We hypothesize that optimizing the production of amorphous silica from acid-washed RH will enhance its adsorptive properties and facilitate the concurrent generation of bio-oil and syngas. Amorphous silica particles were extracted from acid-washed RH with a yield of 15 wt% using a combination of acid washing at 100 °C, pyrolysis at 500 °C, and calcination at 700 °C with controlled heating at 2 °C/min. The optimized material (RH2-SiO2), composed of small (60–200 nm) and large (50–200 µm) particles, had a specific surface area of 320 m2/g, with funnel-shaped pores with diameters from 17 nm to 4 nm and showed a maximum cadmium adsorption capacity of 407 mg Cd/g SiO2. Additionally, the pyrolysis process yielded CO-rich syngas and bio-oil with an elevated phenolic content, demonstrating a higher bio-oil yield and reduced gas production compared to untreated RH. Some limitations were identified, including the need for bio-oil upgrading, further research into the application of RH2-SiO2 for wastewater treatment, and the scaling-up of adsorbent production. Despite the challenges, these results contribute to the development of a promising adsorbent for water pollution control while enhancing the value of agricultural waste and moving closer to a circular economy model.

Relationships of ternary activities for the enhanced Cr(VI) removal by coupling nanoscale zerovalent iron with sulfidation and carboxymethyl cellulose

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) has been extensively applied in water pollution control. However, the reactivity of nZVI toward contaminants is mainly limited by its corrosion and agglomeration. In this study, the nZVI modified by sulfidation coupled with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) (C-S-nZVI) was synthesized and characterized by TEM and electrochemical techniques. Taking Cr(VI) as the contaminant, it was found that the sulfidation could couple with CMC modification to not only enhance the reactivity of nZVI toward Cr(VI), but also regulate the sedimentation activity and corrosion activity of nZVI in water. Particularly, the optimal kobs (0.0816 min−1) obtained by the C-S-nZVIone-0.16 (i.e., one-step sulfidation and its S/Fe molar ratio was 0.16) was approximately 27.2 times higher than that by the nZVI (0.0030 min−1). Moreover, based on the correlation analysis of the ternary activities, this study confirmed that the reactivity of C-S-nZVI toward Cr(VI) was negatively correlated with its sedimentation activity (slope = −0.7623, R = 0.59) and corrosion activity (slope = −0.0171, R = 0.56), respectively. XPS and TEM results further revealed that CMC could couple with iron sulfides (FeSx) to enhance the mass transfer of Cr(VI) toward nZVI and subsequent electron transfer from Fe0 core to out, ultimately improving the reduction of Cr(VI) by nZVI. Overall, this study introduced a new evaluation method based on the ternary activity of nZVI, providing theoretical support for the practical application of nZVI-based technology.

Deep learning-assisted detection of psychoactive water pollutants using behavioral profiling of zebrafish embryos

Water pollution poses a significant risk to the environment and human health, necessitating the development of innovative detection methods. In this study, a series of representative psychoactive compounds were selected as model pollutants, and a new approach combining zebrafish embryo behavioral phenotyping with deep learning was used to identify and classify water pollutants. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 17 psychoactive compounds at environmentally relevant concentrations (1 and 10 μg/L), and their locomotor behavior was recorded at 5 and 6 days post-fertilization (dpf). We constructed six distinct zebrafish locomotor track datasets encompassing various observation times and developmental stages and evaluated multiple deep learning models on these datasets. The results demonstrated that the ResNet101 model performed optimally on the 1-min track dataset at 6 dpf, achieving an accuracy of 65.35 %. Interpretability analyses revealed that the model effectively focused on the relevant locomotor track features for classification. These findings suggest that the integration of zebrafish embryo behavioral analysis with deep learning can serve as an environmentally friendly and economical method for detecting water pollutants. This approach offers a new perspective for water quality monitoring and has the potential to assist existing chemical analytical techniques in detection, thereby advancing environmental toxicology research and water pollution control efforts.