Boosting H2O2 activation to hydroxyl radicals via electronic modulation of asymmetric Fe-O3Cl1-C catalysts for water decontamination.

Sulfamethoxazole disrupts denitrification pathway and enhances nitrous oxide (N2O) accumulation through enzymes and microbial community shifts.

Nanobubbles alleviate iron-mediated cell death in algae-bacteria symbiotic systems under sulfamethoxazole stress: Insights into electron transfer and ferrikinetics.

Freezing enhanced transformation of sulfamethoxazole by MnO2.

The sustainable mitigation of antibiotic and herbicide residues requires materials that integrate effective contaminant sequestration with soil quality improvement. Here, we present a novel, scalable strategy for synthesizing artificial humic substances (AHS) from poplar bark via alkaline hydrothermal humification, which accelerates natural humification pathways and generates a supramolecular structure rich in carboxyl, pHenolic, and quinone functional groups. The engineered AHS was assessed for selective removal of tetracycline (TC), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and atrazine (ATZ). Under optimized neutral conditions (pH 7.0, ambient temperature), AHS achieved adsorption capacities of 65.8, 10.7, and 10.8 mg/g for TC, SMX, and ATZ, respectively, driven primarily by hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and electrostatic forces. Kinetic analysis followed a pseudo-second-order model, and equilibrium data were consistent with the Langmuir isotherm (R 2 ≥ 0.985), indicating monolayer adsorption on a mesoporous surface. Competitive adsorption experiments demonstrated strong selectivity toward TC (K TC/SMX = 5.21; K TC/ATZ = 2.56). Soil amendment with AHS significantly enhanced pollutant immobilization, achieving >95% removal of TC and SMX after four weeks of aging. Dynamic leaching experiments demonstrated that a layered AHS-soil configuration functions as a superior reactive barrier compared to homogeneous mixing. Collectively, these results demonstrate that poplar bark-derived AHS offers a robust, bifunctional platform for integrated water purification and soil remediation, providing a practical and environmentally sustainable approach to mitigate organic pollutants. • Artificial humic substance synthesized from poplar bark via hydrothermal treatment. • AHS effectively adsorbed antibiotics and herbicides from aqueous and soil systems. • Adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. • AHS-amended soils demonstrated contaminant removal after four weeks of incubation. • Layered AHS configuration exhibited superior leaching control and pollutant retention.

Hierarchically porous copper for sulfamethoxazole degradation through peroxymonosulfate activation: Role of atomic step and evolution of Cu(III).

Reduction of non-specific binding in molecularly imprinted polymers via covalent surface functionalization: Smartphone-assisted colorimetric biosensor for sulfamethoxazole detection as case study.

Mechanochemical biochar enables electron-transfer-mediated ferrate(VI) activation for enhanced micropollutant degradation.

Targeted pollutant exposure is widely used to acclimate microbial communities for enhanced biodegradation of recalcitrant contaminants, yet the evolutionary mechanisms underlying functional reinforcement remain poorly understood. Here, we acclimated a methanotrophic consortium achieving efficient removal of 3-amino-5-methyl-isoxazole (3A5MI) (>90%, >5 mg/L/d) and elucidated the adaptive evolutionary processes behind it. Analyses of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) revealed that dominant Methylococcaceae members served as genetic exchange hubs in the acclimation bioreactor. Integrated metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses showed that prolonged 3A5MI exposure activated their MGEs and promoted extensive HGT of genes related to energy generation, oxidative stress defense, and biosynthesis. This adaptive evolution enabled community-level metabolic rewiring, including optimized carbon metabolism to relieve energy limitation, niche differentiation, and specialized transcription of C-N bond catalytic functions. Furthermore, batch experiments and transformation product analyses confirmed that 3A5MI-induced functional traits (e.g., heterocycle hydroxylation and C-N bond catalysis) facilitated complete sulfamethoxazole (SMX) biodegradation. Overall, this study demonstrates the evolutionary plasticity of methanotrophic consortia under targeted acclimation and highlights MGE-driven genetic exchange and metabolic adaptation as key mechanisms that both underpin functional enhancement and support the development of methanotroph-based strategies for the biodegradation of recalcitrant isoxazole-based pollutants.

Environmental contamination by antibiotics, resulting from their inadequate use and disposal, causes significant alarm and poses a serious threat to public health. The persistence of these residues in soil and water resources promotes the development of microbial populations undermining the efficacy of clinical treatment. Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) is an antibiotic from the sulfonamide group that is used therapeutically and is incompletely metabolized, which contributes to its spread in the environment. Thus, this study presents a cost-effective electrochemical sensor for the determination of SMZ in different samples. The electrode was produced using powdered graphite modified with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), resulting in a conductive ink that was deposited on the PET sheet substrate using the stencil-printed method. The sensor named AgNPs@Gr/StPE was characterized morphologically, spectroscopically and electrochemically, proving the catalytic effect promoted by the AgNPs. A square wave voltammetry method was optimized, showing an excellent linear response between 10 and 70 µmol L-1, as well as good detectability (detection limit of 1.51 µmol L-1). Furthermore, the method showed good precision (RSD < 3.7%) and accuracy with recoveries ranging from 92 to 107% for spiked river water, honey and synthetic urine samples. The proposed device showed robust stability over time and excellent selectivity in the presence of other antibiotics and components of the sample matrix. Therefore, the proposed sensor is a promising, simple, cost-effective and efficient alternative for electroanalysis of emerging contaminants.

Acorus calamus L. enables tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole phytoremediation via host transcriptional-metabolic adaptation and changes in vertically transmitted endophyte populations.

Efficient degradation of SMX in high-salinity shale gas wastewater based on PM/PMS oxidation: Chloride-enhanced degradation mechanism and environmental risk assessment.

Metal ions inhibit extracellular organic matter-sensitized photodegradation of sulfamethoxazole by suppressing triplet-state formation.

Herein, we investigate the ability of Z-scheme Bi2S3/Ag2S QDs hybrid heterojunction immobilized onto a fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate to obtain FTO/Bi2S3/Ag2S QDs thin film for photocatalytically degrading sulfamethoxazole (SMX) antibiotic in addition to real pharmaceutical wastewater sample under visible-lighting exposure. The hybrid photocatalyst FTO/Bi2S3/Ag2S QDs heterojunction film obtained high photodegradation efficiency (97% of SMX degradation and 79.0% of TOC reduction) within 1h, with a degradation rate constant k1 of 0.061min- 1. Moreover, 89% chemical-oxygen-demand (COD) and 77.5% total-organic-carbon (TOC) from the real wastewater sample were removed within 120min. The fabricated photocatalytic thin film was revealed to be effective and recyclable after five successive rounds, signifying the high stability behavior. Besides, the trapping studies validated that •O2- and h+ were the controlled degradation species, while •OH radicals played a slight role. The Z-scheme mechanism was proposed to describe the charge transfer pathways.

Embedding bio-Fenton in a hybrid membrane biofilm reactor enhances the treatment of antibiotic-contaminated saline water.

Synergistic coagulation/flocculation and UV254 photo-assisted electrochemical advanced oxidation process for the efficient treatment of municipal influent wastewater.

Antibiotic-driven mechanisms in endogenous partial denitrification (EPD): Nitrite accumulation, microbial adaptation, functional gene responses and resistance gene proliferation.

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

Dual role of boric acid during biomass to biochar conversion Drives Concurrent hierarchical pore formation and oxygen functional groups retention for enhanced antibiotics removal from synthetic urine.

Resource recovery from excess sludge, specifically the extraction of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), has become a frontier issue; yet achieving high-value utilization of this recovered resource remains a key bottleneck. Two-dimensional MXene membranes show great potential for emerging contaminants (ECs) separation owing to their lamellar structure and tunable surface chemistry. In this study, biological macromolecule (BM)-intercalated MXene (BM-M) composite membranes were fabricated using practical EPSs and model EPSs such as sodium alginate (SA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and silk fibroin (SF) as sustainable intercalators. The interlayer spacing, surface charge, hydrophilicity, mechanical strength, functional group of BM-M membranes and their EC removal behaviors were systematically investigated. The practical EPS performed better than the model EPS, highlighting the importance of molecular complexity in interlayer design. The practical EPS-intercalated MXene (EPS-M) membrane achieved the removal efficiencies of 64.0%, 90.2% and 67.5% for diethyl phthalate (DEP), erythromycin (ERY) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), respectively. The separation mechanism of ECs mainly included electrostatic, sieving, hydrophobic, and hydrogen bonding. This work highlights the effectiveness of EPS intercalation in tailoring MXene membrane structure for the removal of diverse ECs.