Aggregation and hetero-aggregation of polystyrene microplastics: Roles of surface functionalization, water chemistry, humic acid, and kaolinite colloids.

Conventional wastewater treatment technologies fail to intercept emerging organic pollutants at environmentally relevant trace concentrations. This failure is mechanistic: adsorptive concentration and oxidative mineralization operate as structurally decoupled processes within all established treatment platforms. The present review addresses this gap directly. It critically and exclusively examines the real wastewater performance of dual-function electrospun metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes as integrated adsorption photocatalysis systems for emerging organic pollutant removal. Unlike prior reviews confined to idealized synthetic matrices, this work interrogates authentic wastewater complexity across MIL, UiO, and ZIF series frameworks embedded in polymer nanofiber carriers. Real wastewater imposes quantifiable and compounding performance penalties. Natural organic matter suppresses adsorptive uptake by 30%-60%. Bicarbonate scavenges photogenerated hydroxyl radicals at 8.5 × 106 M-1 s-1. Phosphate coordinates irreversibly to Lewis acid metal nodes, producing near-permanent active-site deactivation. These matrix effects collectively erode the adsorption pre-concentration effect, which constitutes the mechanistic foundation of dual-function synergy. Microporous framework architectures resist this erosion more effectively than large-pore analogues through size-selective exclusion of competing organic matter. No standardized framework currently exists for cross-study performance comparison. This review proposes one. Four metrics are introduced: the capacity reduction factor, the photodegradation deviation index, the synergy preservation factor, and the apparent quantum yield. Three barriers obstruct credible deployment readiness: the absence of operational data beyond 30 days, incomplete ecotoxicological characterization of treated effluents, and the absence of pilot-scale field validation.

Efficient elimination of emerging contaminants (ECs) from complex water matrices remains a challenge for peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based advanced oxidation processes, which typically require high PMS dosages and suffer from poor oxidant utilization. Here, we report a Fenton-like flow reactor (FFR) composed of stacked layers of immobilized catalysts (Co-carbon nanotube/carbon fiber, Co-CNT/CF). Unlike conventional PMS-activating batch reactors, the FFR harnesses in situ-generated concentration and potential gradients to induce a spontaneous galvanic effect (GE). This macroscale GE enables self-sustained PMS activation, dissolved oxygen reduction, and radical generation without external energy input, thereby overcoming mass transfer limitations inherent to batch reactors. Additionally, it endows the FFR with exceptional adaptability under a wide range of EC concentration, salinity, natural organic matter (NOM), and pH. Notably, increasing wastewater conductivity boosted the treatment capacity by several times, achieving the removal of nearly 100% ECs at a flux rate >1000 mL min-1. Furthermore, the enhanced microcosmic charge transfer at the catalyst/wastewater interface enabled extremely low PMS usage (≤0.08 mM) and high utilization efficiency (77.5-96.3%). This work introduces a gradient-driven, galvanic-enabled PMS activation pathway that establishes a new design paradigm for cost-effective and energy-saving continuous-flow water purification technologies.

The environmental transformation of engineered CeO2 nanoparticles is strongly mediated by natural organic matter (NOM); however, the interplay between NOM and light in regulating their fate remains unclear. Here, we systematically investigated the dissolution behavior of CeO2 in the presence of NOM under dark and illuminated conditions. Results revealed that NOM-induced Ce3+ release was significant in the dark but suppressed under visible light, which is a striking phenomenon validated in both aqueous and soil systems. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses reveal that in the dark, the carbonyl-rich aliphatic components of NOM preferentially coordinate with Ce(III) at the oxygen vacancy sites of CeO2, promoting continuous ligand-driven Ce3+ release. Under visible light, however, the dominant interfacial redox pathway shifted. We found that the photoactivation of quinone chromophores within macromolecular NOM diverts interfacial electron transfer away from surface Ce(IV) reduction toward dissolved O2, initiating a cascade of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation that degrades NOM and stabilizes the CeO2 surface against dissolution. In contrast to previously reported light-enhanced dissolution of metal oxides by NOM, this work reveals that the effect of NOM photochemistry is fundamentally governed by the intrinsic dissolution pathway of the oxide and thus provides a conceptual basis for predicting when illumination will enhance or suppress metal release in natural environments.

Structure-dependent regulation of nanoplastic uptake by humic substances in a freshwater protozoan.

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) enables nontargeted identification of molecular formulas in natural organic matter (NOM), yet molecular-level isotope analysis at natural abundance remains limited. Here, we present a comprehensive workflow for molecular formula–specific isotope analysis (MSIA) in NOM using FT-ICR MS, including calibration against universal reference materials (RMs). The central step of MSIA is an intensity-tuning strategy that, with sufficient spectral averaging, achieves sub–per mil (‰) precision and accuracy and enables robust isotopic comparison (Δδ13C) across samples. Between terrestrial and marine NOM, we observed Δδ13C values of 17.3, 8.8, and 10.1‰ for marine-enriched formulas C19H22O10, C20H26O9, and C20H24O9, respectively, whereas an invariant formula, C18H22O6, showed a nonsignificant difference (Δδ13C = 2.7‰, P = 0.296). Matrix effects for RMs spiked into NOM were within the method uncertainty, rendering existing RMs suitable for MSIA when matched in carbon number, peak intensity, and mass (<50 daltons). Under these conditions, molecular formula–level δ13C values were obtained, e.g., −46.8‰ for C18H22O6 in terrestrial NOM.

Targeted degradation of aromatic pollutants in complex matrices via selective electrocatalytic O2 activation to 1O2 over O-doped Fe single-atom catalysts.

Selective removal of trace 2-methylisoborneol in real waters via hydrophobic interface-driven adsorption.

Deep eutectic solvent as dual roles for molecularly imprinted polymers: A green strategy for selective adsorption of Sulfamethoxazole.

Direct utilization of unpurified natural pyrite for sustainable peroxydisulfate activation: Harnessing surface organic impurities as chemical "ignition switches".

Environmental corona defines the in vivo ecotoxicity of polymeric and metal-based nanoparticles in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.

Ultrafiltration (UF) is a prominent technology for efficiently treating surface water, but the conventional UF process suffers from severe gel-like membrane fouling induced by natural organic matter (NOM) and coexisting multivalent cations. Here, we propose an electro-induced coordination reconfiguration (EICR) guiding water state evolution strategy for mitigating gel-like membrane fouling by applying potential to the prepared electrically conductive carbon nanotube polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fiber membrane (CNT-PVDF HFM). Comprehensive in situ electrochemical experiments and theoretical simulations reveal that the EICR strategy disrupted the coordination between NOM and multivalent cations, preventing the formation of a cross-linking porous network hydrogel structure and thereby releasing water molecules from steric constraints. The interfacial water state undergoes a transition from interstitial water to free water, facilitating the permeation of water molecules across the foulant layer. The decrease in filtration resistance of water state evolution was estimated at 81.4% of the total reduced fouling resistance through Flory-Huggins lattice theory, suggesting its dominant role in fouling mitigation rather than conventional electrostatic repulsion. We demonstrate excellent antifouling performance in surface water treatment, with the backwashing interval of CNT-PVDF HFM membrane at -1.5 V vs Ag/AgCl being extended by 12-fold compared to the conventional commercial PVDF membrane. This study highlights the importance of guiding water state evolution in mitigating complex gel-like membrane fouling and opens a promising gateway for future development of proactive antifouling strategies.

Chemical and biological cargo on microplastics: current evidence for the Trojan-horse pathway to human exposure.

Plastic mulching is widely used in modern agriculture but represents a major source of microplastics in farmlands. Here, we show that straw return, a common practice to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity, can accelerate the disintegration of polyethylene mulch films. Using outdoor pot experiments spanning a full cropping cycle and controlled laboratory photoaging experiments, we demonstrate that amendment with maize straw or straw-derived biochar significantly enhances oxidation, physical damage, and fragmentation of black and white low-density polyethylene (LDPE) mulch films, substantially increasing microplastics formation. Mechanistic analyses reveal that compared with biochar amendment, straw return releases natural organic matter enriched in smaller, more aliphatic, and more hydrophilic components. This leads to markedly higher photochemical production of singlet oxygen, which attacks the amorphous domains of LDPE, promoting polymer chain scission and embrittlement. To contextualize potential agronomic implications, we use a canopy-scale model to link experimentally constrained microplastics levels to reduction in photosynthetic performance, showing maize yield losses exceeding 5% under representative conditions. Together, these results identify an overlooked interaction between residue management and agricultural plastics, demonstrating how straw-derived organic matter amplifies photooxidative degradation pathways that drive mulch fragmentation and underscore trade-offs that should be considered when designing sustainable straw return strategies.

Effects of polymer type and photoaging of microplastics on co-adsorption of atrazine and bisphenol A and cake layer partitioning during microfiltration of surface water.

Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and nanoplastics from water using selected nanomaterial-based membranes: A review.

Reductive degradation of bromate in drinking water by far-UVC photolysis of sulfite.

Comparison of vacuum ultraviolet-based oxidation as ultrafiltration pretreatment in real water: Performance, risk assessment, and mechanistic insights.

Release and fractionation of naturally occurring radionuclides in geothermal systems and the potential role of organic matter.

Revisiting the CoOx/sulfite process for pollutant degradation: The overlooked role of surface Co(IV).