Arsenic in drinking water: overview of removal strategies and role of chitosan biosorbent for its remediation

Micro-nanobubble-assisted As(III) removal from water by Ni-doped MOF materials

Micro-nanobubbles (MNBs) can form reactive oxygen species (ROS) with high oxidizing potential. In this study, nickel-doped metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) capable of activating molecular oxygen were synthesized using trivalent arsenic (As(III)) as a target pollutant and combined with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to construct a MOF/MNB/PMS system. The results included the rapid oxidation of As(III), the successful absorption of oxidized As(V), and finally the efficient removal of As. The effects of pH, amount of PMS used, and preparation time of MNBs on the As removal performance of the MOF/MNB/PMS system were investigated experimentally. The changes in the properties of the materials before and after the reaction were analyzed by XPS, and it was found that the main active sites on the surface of the MOFs were the metal elements and the pyridine nitrogen near the carbon atom. The regular morphology and elemental composition of the MOFs were determined by TEM scanning and EDS test, which indicated the presence of nickel. XRD tests before and after the reaction showed that the MOFs were structurally stable. The results of the free radical burst experiments show that the single linear oxygen (1O2) is the main active substance in the system, and that the MNBs are key factors by which the system achieves efficient oxidation performance. In addition to providing a sustainable supply of molecular oxygen to the MOFs during the reaction process, coupling the MNBs with PMS was found to improve the oxidation capacity of the system. The results of this study thus provide a new concept for As removal and advanced oxidation in water bodies.

Tissue-, Region-, and Gene-Specific Induction of Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase Expression and Activity in the Mouse Intestine by Arsenic in Drinking Water

This study aimed to characterize the effects of arsenic exposure on the expression of microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH or EPHX1) and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH or EPHX2) in the liver and small intestine. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to sodium arsenite in drinking water at various doses for up to 28 days. Intestinal, but not hepatic, mEH mRNA and protein expression was induced by arsenic at 25 ppm, in both males and females, whereas hepatic mEH expression was induced by arsenic at 50 or 100 ppm. The induction of mEH was gene specific, as the arsenic exposure did not induce sEH expression in either tissue. Within the small intestine, mEH expression was induced only in the proximal, but not the distal segments. The induction of intestinal mEH was accompanied by increases in microsomal enzymatic activities toward a model mEH substrate, cis-stilbene oxide, and an epoxide-containing drug, oprozomib, in vitro, and by increases in the levels of PR-176, the main hydrolysis metabolite of oprozomib, in the proximal small intestine of oprozomib-treated mice. These findings suggest that intestinal mEH, playing a major role in converting xenobiotic epoxides to less reactive diols, but not sEH, preferring endogenous epoxides as substrates, is relevant to the adverse effects of arsenic exposure, and that further studies of the interactions between drinking water arsenic exposure and the disposition or possible adverse effects of epoxide-containing drugs and other xenobiotic compounds in the intestine are warranted. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Consumption of arsenic-contaminated water has been associated with increased risks of various adverse health effects, such as diabetes, in humans. The small intestinal epithelial cells are the main site of absorption of ingested arsenic, but they are not well characterized for arsenic exposure-related changes. This study identified gene expression changes in the small intestine that may be mechanistically linked to the adverse effects of arsenic exposure and possible interactions between arsenic ingestion and the pharmacokinetics of epoxide-containing drugs in vivo.

Biomonitoring of heavy metals and their phytoremediation by duckweeds: Advances and prospects

Heavy metals (HMs) contamination of water bodies severely threatens human and ecosystem health. There is growing interest in the use of duckweeds for HMs biomonitoring and phytoremediation due to their fast growth, low cultivation costs, and excellent HM uptake efficiency. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on duckweeds and their suitability for HM biomonitoring and phytoremediation. Duckweeds have been used for phytotoxicity assays since the 1930s. Some toxicity tests based on duckweeds have been listed in international guidelines. Duckweeds have also been recognized for their ability to facilitate HM phytoremediation in aquatic environments. Large-scale screening of duckweed germplasm optimized for HM biomonitoring and phytoremediation is still essential. We further discuss the morphological, physiological, and molecular effects of HMs on duckweeds. However, the existing data are clearly insufficient, especially in regard to dissection of the transcriptome, metabolome, proteome responses and molecular mechanisms of duckweeds under HM stresses. We also evaluate the influence of environmental factors, exogenous substances, duckweed community composition, and HM interactions on their HM sensitivity and HM accumulation, which need to be considered in practical application scenarios. Finally, we identify challenges and propose approaches for improving the effectiveness of duckweeds for bioremediation from the aspects of selection of duckweed strain, cultivation optimization, engineered duckweeds. We foresee great promise for duckweeds as phytoremediation agents, providing environmentally safe and economically efficient means for HM removal. However, the primary limiting issue is that so few researchers have recognized the outstanding advantages of duckweeds. We hope that this review can pique the interest and attention of more researchers.

Arsenic disturbs neural tube closure involving AMPK/PKB-mTORC1-mediated autophagy in mice

Arsenic exposure is a significant risk factor for folate-resistant neural tube defects (NTDs), but the potential mechanism is unclear. In this study, a mouse model of arsenic-induced NTDs was established to investigate how arsenic affects early neurogenesis leading to malformations. The results showed that in utero exposure to arsenic caused a decline in the normal embryos, an elevated embryo resorption, and a higher incidence of malformed embryos. Cranial and spinal deformities were the main malformation phenotypes observed. Meanwhile, arsenic-induced NTDs were accompanied by an oxidant/antioxidant imbalance manifested by elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased antioxidant activities. In addition, changes in the expression of autophagy-related genes and proteins (ULK1, Atg5, LC3B, p62) as well as an increase in autophagosomes were observed in arsenic-induced aberrant brain vesicles. Also, the components of the upstream pathway regulating autophagy (AMPK, PKB, mTOR, Raptor) were altered accordingly after arsenic exposure. Collectively, our findings propose a mechanism for arsenic-induced NTDs involving AMPK/PKB-mTORC1-mediated autophagy. Blocking autophagic cell death due to excessive autophagy provides a novel strategy for the prevention of folate-resistant NTDs, especially for arsenic-exposed populations.

Solvent Extraction with Cyanex 923 to Remove Arsenic(V) from Solutions

The removal of harmful arsenic(V) from aqueous solutions using Cyanex 923 (solvation extractant) was investigated using various experimental variables: equilibration time, the acidity of the aqueous phase, temperature, extractant and arsenic concentrations, and O/A ratio. Cyanex 923 extracted As(V) (and sulfuric acid) from acidic solutions; however, it could not be used to remove the metal from slightly acid or neutral solutions. The extraction of arsenic is exothermic and responded to the formation of H3AsO4·nL species in the organic phase (L represents the extractant, and the stoichiometric factor, n = 1 or 2, depends on the acidity of the aqueous phase). Extraction isotherms are derived from the experimental results. Both arsenic and sulfuric acid loaded onto the organic phase can be stripped with water, and stripping isotherms are also derived from the experimental results. The selectivity of the system against the presence of other metals (Cu(II), Ni(II), Bi(III), and Sb(III)) is investigated, and the ability of Cyanex 923 to extract As(V) and sulfuric acid compared to the use of other P=O-based solvation reagents, such dibutyl butylphosphonate (DBBP) and tri-butyl phosphate (TBP), is also investigated.

Green synthesis of sustainable magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4 and Fe3O4-chitosan derived from Prosopis farcta biomass extract and their performance in the sorption of lead(II)

The sustainable processes are now in tremendous demand for nanomaterial synthesis as a result of their unique properties and characteristics. The magnetic nanoparticles comprised of Fe3O4 and its conjugate with abundant and renewable biopolymer, chitosan, were synthesized using Prosopis farcta biomass extract, and the resulting materials were used to adsorb Pb (II) from aqueous solution. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that the sorption of lead (II) on Fe3O4 as well as Fe3O4-Chitosan (Fe3O4-CS) has been an endothermic and self-regulating procedure wherein the sorption kinetics was defined by a pseudo-second-order pattern and the sorption isotherms corresponded to the Freundlich pattern. A multivariable quadratic technique for adsorption process optimization was implemented to optimize the lead (II) adsorption on Fe3O4 and Fe3O4-chitosan nanoparticles, the optimal conditions being pH 7.9, contact time of 31.2 min, initial lead concentration of 39.2 mg/L, adsorbent amount of 444.3 mg, at a 49.7 °C temperature. The maximum adsorption efficiencies under optimal conditions were found to be 69.02 and 89.54 % for Fe3O4 and Fe3O4-CS adsorbents, respectively. Notably, Fe3O4 and Fe3O4-CS can be easily recovered using an external magnet, indicating that they are a viable and cost-effective lead removal option.

Validation of the efficiency of arsenic mitigation strategies in southwestern region of Bangladesh and development of a cost-effective adsorbent to mitigate arsenic levels

World's highest arsenic (As) contamination is well-documented for the groundwater system of southwestern region (mainly Jashore district) of Bangladesh, where the majority of inhabitants are underprivileged. To mitigate As poisoning in southwestern Bangladesh, numerous steps have been taken so far by the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Among them, digging deep tube wells and As removal by naturally deposited Fe(OH)3 species are being widely practiced in the contaminated areas. However, these actions have been left unmonitored for decades, making people unaware of this naturally occurring deadly poison in their drinking water. Hence, water samples (n = 63, both treated and untreated) and soil samples (n = 4) were collected from different spots in Jashore district to assess the safety level of drinking water and to understand the probable reasons for high As(III) contamination. About 93.7% of samples were found to contain As(III) above 10 μg/L; among them, 38% contained above 50 μg/L. The study shows that current As(III) removal strategies in the study area are ineffective. In this connection, a simple low-cost As(III) removal adsorbent is proposed that can be prepared with very cheap and locally available materials like iron sludge and charcoal. The adsorbent was characterized in terms of SEM, EDX, and XPS. The optimal dosage of the adsorbent was investigated for real-life application concerning several vital water quality parameters. The Fe-C adsorbent exhibited a maximum As(III) removal efficiency of 92% in real groundwater samples. The study will allow policymakers for informed decision-making regarding water body management as well as enable the local people to avail As-safe water in a way that aligns with their economic factors.

A comprehensive review on immobilized microbes - biochar and their environmental remediation: Mechanism, challenges and future perspectives

The environment worldwide has been contaminated by toxic pollutants and chemicals through anthropogenic activities, industrial growth, and urbanization. Microbial remediation is seen to be superior compared to conventional remediation due to its low cost, selectivity towards particular metal ions, and high efficiency. One key strategy in enhancing microbial remediation is employing an immobilization technique with biochar as a carrier. This review provides a comprehensive summary of sources and toxic health effects of hazardous water pollutants on human health and the environment. Biochar enhances the growth and proliferation of contaminant-degrading microbes. The combined activity of biochar and microbes in eliminating the contaminants has gained the researcher's interest. Biochar demonstrates its biocompatibility by fostering microbial populations, the release of enzymes, and protecting the microbes from the acute toxicity of surrounding contaminants. The current review complies with the immobilization technique and remediation mechanisms of microbes in pollutant removal. This review also emphasizes the combined utilization, environmental adaptability, and the potential of the combined effect of immobilized microbes and biochar in the remediation of contaminants. Challenges and future outlooks are urged to commercialize the immobilized microbes-biochar interaction mechanism for environmental remediation.

Research progress of MOF-based membrane reactor coupled with AOP technology for organic wastewater treatment

MOF-based catalytic membrane reactor (MCMR), which can simultaneously achieve membrane separation and chemical catalytic degradation in an integrated system, is a cutting-edge technology for effective treatment of organic pollutants in water. The coupling of MCMR and advanced oxidation process (AOP) not only significantly improves the pollutant removal efficiency but also inhibits the membrane pollution through self-cleaning effect, thus improving the stability of MCMR. This paper reviews different MCMR systems combined with photocatalysis, Fenton oxidation, and persulfate activation, elucidates the reaction mechanism, discusses key issues to improve system effectiveness, and suggests future challenges and research directions.

Terbium-based dual-ligand metal organic framework by diffusion method for selective and sensitive detection of danofloxacin in aqueous medium

A water-dispersible Tb(III)-based metal organic framework (TBP) was produced by diffusion technique using benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (BTC) and pyridine as easily accessible ligands at low cost. The as-synthesized TBP with a crystalline structure and rod-shaped morphology has exhibited thermal stability up to 465 °C. Elemental analysis confirmed the presence of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and terbium in the synthesized MOF. TBP was used as a fluorescent probe for detection of danofloxacin (DANO) in an aqueous medium with significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity as compared to various fluoroquinolone antibiotics (levofloxacin (LEVO), ofloxacin (OFLO), norfloxacin (NOR), and ciprofloxacin (CIPRO)) with a low detection limit of 0.45 ng/mL (1.25 nm). The developed method has successfully detected DANO rapidly (i.e., response time = 1 min) with remarkable recovery (97.66-101.96%) and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 2.2%. Additionally, TBP showcased good reusability up to three cycles without any significant performance decline. The in-depth mechanistic studies of the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and mode of action revealed that hydrogen bonding interactions and photo-induced electron transfer (PET) are the major factors for the turn-on enhancement behavior of TBP towards DANO. Thus, the present work provides the quick and precise identification of DANO using a new fluorescent MOF (TBP) synthesized via a unique and facile diffusion technique.

Enhanced arsenite removal in aqueous with Fe-Ce-Cu ternary oxide nanoparticle

Arsenite is both more harmful and challenging to get out of water than arsenate. For enhanced As (III) removal, a ternary oxide nanoparticle (FCCTO) mainly composed of iron(Fe), with a small proportion of cerium(Ce) and copper(Cu) was created using a coprecipitation-calcination process. FCCTO was found to be effective in removing As (III) from water, with factors such as adsorbent dose, pH, temperature, and coexisting anions influencing its efficiency. The surface area of FCCTO reached 180.2 m2/g and the doping significantly increased its pore volume and diameter. The adsorption process on FCCTO was endothermic and spontaneous. Ce and Cu in FCCTO were able to efficiently oxidize 81.3% As (III) to As(V). Abundant sites were provided by surface hydroxyl groups for arsenic adsorption. The maximal As(III) adsorption capacity of this adsorbent under the synergistic impact of oxidation and adsorption was 101.5 mg/g. After five cycles, the FCCTO's As(III) adsorption rate dropped to 60% as a result of tetravalent Ce consumption. Surface complexation, redox, and adsorption all had a significant impact on the adsorption process. Overall, FCCTO was an excellent adsorbent with benefits of being facile fabrication, environmentally, recyclable, and having a high As(III) adsorption capacity.

Synthesis of a novel multifunctional organic-inorganic nanocomposite for metal ions and organic dye removals

In this study, we used solvent assisted mechano-synthesis strategies to form multifunctional organic-inorganic nanocomposites capable of removing both organic and inorganic contaminants. A zeolite X (Ze) and activated carbon (AC) composite was synthesized via state-of-the-art mechanical mixing in the presence of few drops of water to form Ze/AC. The second composite (Ze/L/AC) was synthesized in a similar fashion, however this composite had the addition of disodium terephthalate as a linker. Both materials, Ze/AC and Ze/L/AC, were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Powdered X-ray diffraction (P-XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), Accelerated Surface Area and Porosimetry System (ASAP), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The SEM-EDS displayed the surface structure and composition of each material. The sodium, oxygen and carbon contents increased after linker connected Ze and AC. The P-XRD confirmed the crystallinity of each material as well as the composites, while FTIR indicated the function groups (C=C, O-H) in Ze/L/AC. The contaminant adsorption experiments investigated the effects of pH, temperature, and ionic strength on the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) and Co(II) for each material. In MB adsorption, the first-order reaction rate of Ze/L/AC (0.02 h-1) was double that of Ze/AC (0.01 h-1). The reaction rate of Ze/L/AC (4.8 h-1) was also extraordinarily higher than that of Ze/AC (0.6 h-1) in the adsorption of Co(II). Ze/L/AC composite achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 44.8 mg/g for MB and 66.6 mg/g for Co(II) ions. The MB adsorption of Ze/AC and Ze/L/AC was best fit in Freundlich model with R2 of 0.96 and 0.97, respectively, which indicated the multilayer adsorption. In the Co(II) adsorption, the data was highly fit in Langmuir model with R2 of 0.94 and 0.92 which indicated the monolayer adsorption. These results indicated both materials exhibited chemisorption. The activation energy of Ze/L/AC in MB adsorption (34.9 kJ mol-1) was higher than that of Ze/L/AC in Co (II) adsorption (26 kJ mol-1).

Bibliometric analysis of the association between drinking water pollution and bladder cancer

Background

Bladder cancer has become an increasingly intractable health problem worldwide. Long-term drinking water pollution is known to promote its occurrence. This study aimed to analyze the research status, hot spots, and future trends of drinking water pollution and bladder cancer through extensive bibliometric examination to provide reference data for better prevention and management of bladder cancer.

Methods

The Scopus database developed by Elsevier was browsed for articles that met the predefined criteria using the search terms related to drinking water and bladder cancer. Included articles were further evaluated by year of publication, subject category, institution, article type, source journal, authors, co-authorship networks, and text mining of titles by R software packages tm, ggplot2 and VOSviewer software.

Results

In total, 687 articles were selected after a comprehensive literature search by the Scopus database, including 491 research articles, 98 review articles, 26 conference papers, 23 letters and 49 other documents. The total number of articles published showed an upward trend. The United States has the largest number of published articles (345 articles), institutions (7/10) and funding sponsors (top 5). The journal with the most publications was Environmental Health Perspectives, with 46 published. The highest number of citations up to 2330 times for a single article published in 2007 on the journal of Mutation Research. Professor Cantor K.P. was the highest number of publications with 35 articles and Smith A.H. was the most cited author with the number of citations reaching 6987 times overall and 225 times per article. The most frequent keywords excluding the search subject were "arsenic", "chlorination", "trihalomethane", and "disease agents".

Conclusion

This study is the first systematic bibliometric study of the literature publications on drinking water pollution and bladder cancer. It offers an overall and intuitive understanding of this topic in the past few years, and points out a clear direction research hotspots and reveals the trends for further in-depth study in future.

Facile synthesis and comparative study of the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of two selected dyes by TiO2-g-C3N4 composite

Photocatalysis is considered a useful technique employed for the dye degradation through solar light, visible or UV light irradiation. In this study, TiO₂, g-C₃N₄, and TiO₂-g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites were successfully synthesized and studied for their ability to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) and Reactive Orange 16 (RO-16), when exposed to visible light. The analytical techniques including XRD, TEM, SEM, DRS, BET, XPS, and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to explore the characteristics of all the prepared semiconductors. The photocatalytic performance of synthesized materials has been tested against both the selected dyes, and various experimental parameters were studied. The experimental results demonstrate that, in comparison to other fabricated composites, the TiO₂-g-C₃N₄ composite with the optimal weight ratio of g-C₃N₄ (15 wt%) to TiO₂ has shown outstanding degrading efficiency against RhB (89.62%) and RO-16 (97.20%). The degradation experiments were carried out at optimal conditions such as a catalyst load of 0.07 g, a dye concentration of 50 ppm, and a temperature of 50 ℃ at neutral pH in 90 min. In comparison to pure TiO₂ and g-C₃N₄, the TiO₂-g-C₃N₄, a semiconductor, has shown higher degradation efficiency due to its large surface area and decreased electron-hole recombination. The scavenger study gave an idea about the primary active species (^-OH radicals), responsible for dye degradation. The reusability of TiO₂-g-C₃N₄ was also examined in order to assess the composite sustainability.

Biosorbent Based on Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Tricarboxi-Cellulose Designed to Retain Organic Dyes from Aqueous Media

Methylene Blue, a cationic dye, was retained from aqueous solutions using a novel biosorbent made of poly(vinyl alcohol) reticulated with tricarboxi-cellulose produced via TEMPO oxidation (OxC25). The study of the Methylene Blue biosorption process was performed with an emphasis on operational parameters that may have an impact on it (such as biosorbent concentration, pH of the aqueous media, and temperature). The current study focused on three areas: (i) the physic-chemical characterization of the biosorbent (scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)); (ii) biosorption data modeling to determine the quantitative characteristic parameters employing three equilibrium isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich-DR); and (iii) the study of temperature influence. The results of the study showed that the Langmuir model provided a good fit for the experimental data of biosorption, realizing a maximum capacity of 806.45 mg/g at 20 °C. The free energy of biosorption (E) evaluated by the DR equation was in the range of 6.48-10.86 KJ/mol. The values of the thermodynamic parameters indicated an endothermic process because the free Gibbs energy ranged from -9.286 KJ/mol to -2.208 KJ/mol and the enthalpy was approximately -71.686 KJ/mol. The results obtained encourage and motivate the further study of this biosorption process by focusing on its kinetic aspects, establishing the biosorption's controlled steps, identifying the mechanism responsible for the retention of textile dyes presented in moderate concentration in aqueous media, and studying the biosorption process in a dynamic regime with a view to applying it to real systems.

Synthesis of N-isopropyl acrylamide copolymerized acrylic acid caped with Dibenzo-18-crown-6 composite for selective separation of Co-60 radioisotope from radioactive liquid waste containing Cs-137

A new selective polymeric composite capped with crown ether was successfully synthesized using N-isopropyl acrylamide copolymerized acrylic acid paired with Dibenzo-18-crown-6, P(NIPAm-Co-AA-DB 18C-6), by Gamma irradiation and ultrasonic homogenizer polymerization. Scanner electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and dynamic light scattering were used to characterize the selected polymeric composite's chemical and physical constitution. SEM shows a rough irregular surface, and FTIR spectra confirmed the function groups of P(NIPAm-Co-AA-DB 18C-6). Moreover, a systematic study of monomer and crown ether concentration was investigated to enhance the composite's performance. The behavior of the synthetic composite toward the selective separation of Co-60 from Cs-137 in a binary system was evaluated. Effects of pH, contact time, and initial ion concentration were investigated in a batch mode and the maximum capacity reached 108.0 mg/g for Co-60 and 82.0 mg/g for Cs-137. Four Kinetic models were investigated (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and Intra-particle diffusion). Regarding the calculated parameters, pseudo-second-order and Elovich models are the most describing the sorption process, indicating the chemisorptions process. Six adsorption isotherms were examined, two-parameter models (Langmuir, and Freundlich) and three-parameter models (Redlich-Peterson, Khan, Sips, and Hills). The best-fitted isotherm was identified using three error methodological approaches: the correlation coefficient (R2), the chi-square test (χ2), and the root-mean-square error. Isotherm models fit the experimental values in the following sequence: Khan > Rdlish-Peterson > Hills > Sips. Finally, an application for column separation was conducted, and Co-60 was completely separated from Cs-137 by 0.1 M HNO3. These findings indicate promising applications in the successive separation of Co-60 from radioactive liquid waste containing Cs-137 from Egyptian reactors.

Graphical abstract