Oxidative transformation of organic contaminants by manganese oxides was commonly investigated with pure MnO₂ suspension, which deviates from the fact that natural manganese oxides are seldom present as a pure form in the natural environment. In this study, we prepared manganese oxide-coated sand (MOCS) and evaluated its oxidative capacity using bisphenol A (BPA) as the model compound. BPA was transformed by MOCS and the reaction followed an exponential decay model. The reaction was pH dependent and followed the order of pH 4.5 > pH 5.5 > pH 6.5 > pH 7.5 > pH 8.6 > pH 9.6, indicating that acidic conditions facilitated BPA transformation while basic conditions disfavored the reaction. Coexisting metal ions exhibited inhibitory effects and followed the order of Fe³⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Na⁺. Transformation of BPA by MOCS was much slower than that by pure MnO₂ suspension. However, similar transformation products were identified in both studies, suggesting the same reaction pathways. This work suggests that the reactivity of MnO₂ in the environment might be overestimated if extrapolating the result from the pure MnO₂ suspension because natural MnO₂ is mainly present as coating on the surface of soils and sediments.

Nanosized zero-valent iron (nZVI) is an effective land remediation tool, but there remains little information regarding its impact upon and interactions with the soil microbial community. nZVI stabilised with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose was applied to soils of three contrasting textures and organic matter contents to determine impacts on soil microbial biomass, phenotypic (phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA)), and functional (multiple substrate-induced respiration (MSIR)) profiles. The nZVI significantly reduced microbial biomass by 29 % but only where soil was amended with 5 % straw. Effects of nZVI on MSIR profiles were only evident in the clay soils and were independent of organic matter content. PLFA profiling indicated that the soil microbial community structure in sandy soils were apparently the most, and clay soils the least, vulnerable to nZVI suggesting a protective effect imparted by clays. Evidence of nZVI bactericidal effects on Gram-negative bacteria and a potential reduction of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are presented. Data imply that the impact of nZVI on soil microbial communities is dependent on organic matter content and soil mineral type. Thereby, evaluations of nZVI toxicity on soil microbial communities should consider context. The reduction of AM fungi following nZVI application may have implications for land remediation.

Perchlorate contamination in water is of concern because of uncertainties about toxicity and health effects, impact on ecosystems, and possible indirect exposure pathways to humans. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the ecotoxicology of perchlorate and to screen plant species for phytoremediation. Effects of perchlorate (20, 200, and 500 mg/L) on the growth of four wetland plants (Eichhornia crassipes, Acorus calamus L., Thalia dealbata, and Canna indica) as well as its accumulation in different plant tissues were investigated through water culture experiments. Twenty milligrams per liter of perchlorate had no significant effects on height, root length, aboveground part weight, root weight, and oxidizing power of roots of four plants, except A. calamus, and increasing concentrations of perchlorate showed that out of the four wetland plants, only A. calamus had a significant (p < 0.05) dose-dependent decrease in these parameters. When treated with 500 mg/L perchlorate, these parameters and chlorophyll content in the leaf of plants showed significant decline contrasted to control groups, except the root length of E. crassipes and C. indica. The order of inhibition rates of perchlorate on root length, aboveground part weight and root weight, and oxidizing power of roots was: A. calamus > C. indica > T. dealbata > E. crassipes and on chlorophyll content in the leaf it was: A. calamus > T. dealbata > C. indica > E. crassipes. The higher the concentration of perchlorate used, the higher the amount of perchlorate accumulation in plants. Perchlorate accumulation in aboveground tissues was much higher than that in underground tissues and leaf was the main tissue for perchlorate accumulation. The order of perchlorate accumulation content and the bioconcentration factor in leaf of four plants was: E. crassipes > C. indica > T. dealbata > A. calamus. Therefore, E. crassipes might be an ideal plant with high tolerance ability and accumulation ability for constructing wetland to remediate high levels of perchlorate polluted water.

Char was obtained from lotus seed biomass by a simple single-step acid treatment process. It was used as an adsorbent for the removal of malachite green dye (MG) from simulated dye bath effluent. The adsorbent was characterized for its surface morphology, surface functionalities, and zero point charge. Batch studies were carried out by varying the parameters such as initial aqueous pH, adsorbent dosage, adsorbent particle size, and initial adsorbate concentration. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to test the isotherm data and the Freundlich isotherm best fitted the data. Thermodynamic studies were carried out and the thermodynamic parameters such as ∆G, ∆H, and ∆S were evaluated. Adsorption kinetics was carried out and the data were tested with pseudofirst-order model, pseudosecond-order model, and intraparticle diffusion model. Adsorption of MG was not solely by intraparticle diffusion but film diffusion also played a major role. Continuous column experiments were also conducted using microcolumn and the spent adsorbent was regenerated using ethanol and was repeatedly used for three cycles in the column to determine the reusability of the regenerated adsorbent. The column data were modeled with the modeling equations such as Adam-Bohart model, Bed Depth Service Time (BDST) model, and Yoon-Nelson model for all the three cycles.

Quantitative image analysis techniques have gained an undeniable role in several fields of research during the last decade. In the field of biological wastewater treatment (WWT) processes, several computer applications have been developed for monitoring microbial entities, either as individual cells or in different types of aggregates. New descriptors have been defined that are more reliable, objective, and useful than the subjective and time-consuming parameters classically used to monitor biological WWT processes. Examples of this application include the objective prediction of filamentous bulking, known to be one of the most problematic phenomena occurring in activated sludge technology. It also demonstrated its usefulness in classifying protozoa and metazoa populations. In high-rate anaerobic processes, based on granular sludge, aggregation times and fragmentation phenomena could be detected during critical events, e.g., toxic and organic overloads. Currently, the major efforts and needs are in the development of quantitative image analysis techniques focusing on its application coupled with stained samples, either by classical or fluorescent-based techniques. The use of quantitative morphological parameters in process control and online applications is also being investigated. This work reviews the major advances of quantitative image analysis applied to biological WWT processes.

This study investigated the influence of angular exposure and distance from vehicular traffic on the diversity of epiphytic lichens and the bioaccumulation of traffic-related elements in a town of central Italy. An Index of Lichen Diversity (ILD) was calculated on the street-facing and the opposite side of road-lining trees and in a urban park 250 m away, and the content of selected trace elements (Al, Ba, Ce, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn) was determined in samples of the lichen Punctelia borreri (Sm.) Krog growing on tree bark, both on the exposed and opposite sides. ILD increases with distance from traffic emissions. However, at the site with vehicle traffic, non-nitrophilous lichens decreased while nitrophilous ones increased. The concentration of the traffic-related elements Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Sb, and Zn accumulated in thalli of P. borreri was higher on roadside trees than in trees from the urban park. ILD was not affected by the angular exposure to the road and the bioaccumulation of traffic-related elements was similar in lichens from the side of the bole exposed to traffic emissions and particulate resuspension and from the opposite side. The angular exposure in respect to the traffic source does not influence trace element accumulation. These results are important when using lichens for biomonitoring purposes, both for planning future studies and for the reliability of the interpretation of past surveys that do not report information about the angular exposure of the collected lichen material.

Thiolic ligands and several amino acids (AAs) are known to build up in plants against heavy metal stress. In the present study, alteration of various AAs in rice and its synchronized role with thiolic ligand was explored for arsenic (As) tolerance and detoxification. To understand the mechanism of As tolerance and stress response, rice seedlings of one tolerant (Triguna) and one sensitive (IET-4786) cultivar were exposed to arsenite (0–25 μM) for 7 days for various biochemical analyses using spectrophotometer, HPLC and ICPMS. Tolerant and sensitive cultivars respond differentially in terms of thiol metabolism, essential amino acids (EEAs) and nonessential amino acids (NEEAs) vis-á-vis As accumulation. Thiol biosynthesis-related enzymes were positively correlated to As accumulation in Triguna. Conversely, these enzymes, cysteine content and GSH/GSSG ratio declined significantly in IET-4786 upon As exposure. The level of identified phytochelatin (PC) species (PC₂, PC₃ and PC₄) and phytochelatin synthase activity were also more pronounced in Triguna than IET-4786. Nearly all EAAs were negatively affected by As-induced oxidative stress (except phenylalanine in Triguna), but more significantly in IET-4786 than Triguna. However, most of the stress-responsive NEAAs like glutamic acid, histidine, alanine, glycine, tyrosine, cysteine and proline were enhanced more prominently in Triguna than IET-4786 upon As exposure. The study suggests that IET-4786 appears sensitive to As due to reduction of AAs and thiol metabolic pathway. However, a coordinated response of thiolic ligands and stress-responsive AAs seems to play role for As tolerance in Triguna to achieve the effective complexation of As by PCs.

The ability of the heavy metal-tolerant fungus Paecilomyces marquandii to modulate whole cells fatty acid composition and saturation in response to IC₅₀ of Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cu was studied. Cadmium and nickel caused the most significant growth reduction. In the mycelia cultured with all tested metals, with the exception of nickel, a rise in the fatty acid unsaturation was noted. The fungus exposure to Pb, Cu, and Ni led to significantly higher lipid peroxidation. P. marquandii incubated in the presence of the tested metals responded with an increase in the level of linoleic acid and escalation of electrolyte leakage. The highest efflux of electrolytes was caused by lead. In these conditions, the fungus was able to bind up to 100 mg g⁻¹ of lead, whereas the content of the other metals in the mycelium was significantly lower and reached from 3.18 mg g⁻¹ (Cu) to 15.21 mg g⁻¹ (Zn). Additionally, it was shown that ascorbic acid at the concentration of 1 mM protected fungal growth and prevented the changes in the fatty acid composition and saturation but did not alleviate lipid peroxidation or affect the increased permeability of membranes after lead exposure. Pro-oxidant properties of ascorbic acid in the copper-stressed cells manifested strong growth inhibition and enhanced metal accumulation as a result of membrane damage. Toxic metals action caused cellular modulations, which might contributed to P. marquandii tolerance to the studied metals. Moreover, these changes can enhance metal removal from contaminated environment.

Bicarbonate plays a crucial role in limiting the growth of submersed aquatic macrophytes in eutrophic lakes, and high ammonia is often toxic to macrophytes. In order to evaluate the combined effect of HCO3 (-) and total ammonia (i.e., the total of NH3 and NH4 (+)) on submersed macrophytes Vallisneria natans, the growth and physiological response of V. natans in the presence of HCO3 (-) and ammonia were studied. The results showed that with the increase of ammonia, morphological parameters of V. natans declined. In contrast, increased HCO3 (-) concentration stimulated the growth of V. natans, especially when the NH4 (+)-N/NO3 (-)-N ratio was 1:7. High ammonia concentration induced excess free amino acids (FAA) accumulation and soluble carbohydrates (SC) depletion in plant tissues. However, the elevated HCO3 (-) promoted the synthesis of SC and rendered the decrease of FAA/SC ratio. The results also suggested that HCO3 (-) could partially alleviate the stress of ammonia, as evidenced by the decrease of FAA/SC ratio and the growth enhancement of V. natans when the ammonia concentration was 0.58 mg L(-1). Given the fact that HCO3 (-) is probably the dominant available carbon source in most eutrophic lakes, the ability of V. natans to use HCO3 (-) for SC synthesis may explain the alleviating effect of HCO3 (-) on V. natans under ammonia stress.

The aquatic plant Pistia stratiotes L. (water lettuce) was studied due to its capability of absorption of contaminants in water and its subsequent use in wetlands constructed for wastewater treatment. The effects of Cd on root growth, accumulation of Cd, antioxidant enzymes, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in P. stratiotes were investigated. The results indicated that P. stratiotes has considerable ability to accumulate Cd. Cadmium induced higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities than catalase activity, suggesting that SOD and POD provided a better defense mechanism against Cd-induced oxidative damage. The accumulation of Cd promoted MDA production.