Themed collection Recent Open Access Articles - Environmental Science: Nano

The recent application of sophisticated instrumentation and novel experimental techniques to environmental systems has driven the study of natural nanoparticles and nanoparticle systems towards new horizons.

Micro- and nanoplastics may cross the blood–brain barrier and potentially contribute to neurodegenerative diseases.

There are numerous opportunities for nanomaterials and nanotechnology to support circular economy adoption. In this perspective, we present the important role engineered nanomaterials can play in advancing the circularity of bulk composite materials.

Following available approaches included e.g., in existing OECD Test Guidelines and Guidance Documents for the aquatic testing of particulate materials such as nanomaterials and microplastics leads to various challenges to be considered.

This perspective illuminates the crucial need to consider gas feedstock purity and source when designing new electrified CO₂ conversion nanomaterials.

Recycling of non-product outputs containing substantial amounts of rare elements originating in nanomaterial syntheses is relatively attractive as rare elements tend to be more valuable than abundant elements.

An overview on physicochemical properties, functional performance and mechanisms of antipathogenic action of nano-scaled advanced materials that covers novel assays and means to optimize their sustainability and circularity profile.

SPEs towards the detection of arsenic with a focus on electrode modifications to enhance sensitivity and selectivity.

A unified analytical toolkit integrates mass-, particle-, and morphology-based approaches to enable reliable detection, quantification, and standardisation of micro- and nanoplastics across diverse environmental matrices.

The challenges inherent to the extraction of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) from the environment and the limited range of commercially available MNPs have prompted an increasing number of researchers to generate in-house reference and test MNPs.

In the realm of soil management, nanotechnology holds promising and tremendous potential for improving food security and ensuring sustainability.

An overview on the detection and removal of metallic contaminants in our water systems.

Membranes have become a basis in tackling the global challenge of freshwater scarcity, notably in the fields of desalination and water purification.

ESKAPEE pathogens: where we can find them in hospital environments and how to detect them through nanotechnologies devices.

The distinct molecules composing the biological fluids lead to different coronas on NMs, altering their physicochemical properties and affect their biological fate.

The critical review covers the applications, associated mechanisms, challenges, and prospects of magnetically recyclable nanophotocatalysts in photocatalysis-related processes.

RHIZOtest is a robust, high-throughput platform for assessing plant uptake of nanoplastics in soil, suitable for both research and regulatory risk assessment contexts.

In this paper, we report the use of conjugated polymer nanoparticles as a new analytical tool for the detection of microplastics, with the ability to stain polystyrene effectively for at least 2.5 year after initial detection.

Development of UV-weathered micro- and nanoplastic controls for overcoming challenges associated with accurate chemical identification.

PFAS adsorption on nanoplastics occurs in aqueous environments and the toxicity of the formed adducts increases with the colloidal stability.

Suspended nanoplastics can be removed from the water column with nanobubbles if interparticle repulsive forces are overcome by pH adjustment.

Temperature modulation was demonstrated as a novel way to control water partitioning during the reaction of silicate minerals with water-saturated supercritical carbon dioxide.

We successfully predict distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) in human tissues applying surface energies for NPs, membranes, plasma and protein, considering various biochemical interactions. Phagocyte-rich and cancerous tissues accumulate NPs.

Deep-sea sediments hold large quantities of critical rare-earth elements (REE) sequestered in a defective apatite-type bonding environment within an amorphous matrix coating biogenic fluorapatite nanocrystals (Ca₅(CO₃)_x(PO₄)_3−xF_1+x).

A facile one-pot synthesis of an Au NP-embedded alginate hydrogel is developed using citric acid as both reducing and crosslinking agent. The composite rapidly degrades dyes and real textile wastewater and exhibits potent antibacterial activity.

Mine water discharges pose a significant environmental challenge due to elevated metal concentrations, which can be detrimental to aquatic ecosystems and water quality.

A nanoparticle–plant dataset with atomistic descriptors was developed and used to train an optimized XGBoost model to predict nanoparticle effects on plant length without experimental data. Image designed with https://canva.com.

Under light n-TiO₂ or n-Ag increased infection by phage f1 while the ENM mixtures suppressed the effect, despite enhanced membrane permeability, F-pili gene expression, and pili density, providing mechanistic insights into ENMs' ecological impacts.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging environmental contaminants with the potential to induce cellular stress and immune dysregulation in aquatic organisms.

Sustainable iron fertilization using jellyfish-based hydrogels and iron nanoparticles for controlled and prolonged iron release.

Metal–phenolic network nanocomposites are demonstrated as effective agents for mitigating the toxicity elicited by copper-based nanoagrochemicals commonly used in environmental applications.

Fluorescent plastic nanoparticles prepared with the flash nanoprecipitation method enabled single-particle tracking and revealed how both electrostatics and cholesterol modulate their nanoscale interactions with lipid membranes.

Subchronic exposure to fit-for-purpose polystyrene nanoplastics impairs gut and liver health at low doses with non-monotonic effects in a diet-dependent manner.

In this work, we present three different pathways to render commercial melamine sponges, both magnetic and hydrophobic, thereby offering them the capacity to effectively and selectively remove crude oil and heavy metals from aqueous environments.

An SSbD-guided nanocomposite packaging material (LDPE/bentonite/clove oil) was developed for food protection against beetles, showing enhanced worker and consumer safety, in compliance with EU regulation.

Proteomics-based analysis of eco-coronas reveals different contributions of secreted host and microbiome proteins from Daphnia magna and Danio rerio to the surface properties of metal and carbon nanomaterials.

An interlaboratory comparison showed that dynamic light scattering is a suitable technique for size measurements of nanoplastics with moderate polydispersity and irregular shape, with acceptable data variability when using validated SOPs.

The high insecticidal efficacy of a garlic essential oil-based nano-emulsion makes this formulation a viable alternative to conventional pesticides for aphid control.

The growing concern over microplastic pollution has led to increased focus on environmental nanoplastics, which are smaller, more dynamic, and present unique challenges in both quantification and risk assessment.

Nano-La₂O₃ invades honeybee brains and increases neuronal apoptosis, resulting in impaired olfactory reward learning and memory.

Bovine bones were used as a sustainable source of hydroxyapatite addressing dual challenges in agriculture: providing a secondary source of P in the face of geological reserve depletion and offering a slow-release mechanism for P fertilization.

Release of NH₄⁺ ions from ZSM-5-15 zeolite pore spaces enables plant uptake, microbial immobilization and oxidation to nitrate, where the latter process produces N₂O gas. Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂ NMs transform in the soil, forming ZrCl₄ and CeO₂.

From an ecological risk perspective, it is important to differentiate engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) from naturally occurring nanoparticles (NNPs).

The increasing prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs) in the environment necessitates a detailed examination of their potential health impacts and the factors influencing these responses.

A new nanoherbicide using bentazon (Btz), a widely used post-emergence herbicide, was developed to considerably reduce the required dosages without compromising its efficacy.

The SAbyNA platform supports value chain actors in developing safe-by-design nano-enabled products early in their development phases. The potential of digital guidance is exemplified in a case study on carbon nanotube-based 3D-printed products.

LungDepo is a user-friendly web app that supports policy makers, risk assessors, and industry in computing lung deposition of coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles across the head airway, tracheobronchial, and alveolar regions.

Environmental factors and biomolecules shape the stability of carbon dots and nanodiamonds, offering insights into their fate and behaviour in natural waters.

Rhamnolipids (mono/diRL) govern iron oxide nanoparticle stability in water as a function of particle surface charge, RL type and concentration, and ionic strength, resulting in complex stabilization processes including non-DLVO behavior.

Plastics are persistent in the environment, which suggests that they may induce adverse effects due to their progressive accumulation over time.

Novel approach methodologies unravel the mechanisms of action of the commercial nanofertilizer WELGRO.

CBNs enhance plant stress tolerance. Integrative omics reveal their molecular impact and guide optimized use in sustainable agriculture. Created in BioRender. Khodakovskaya, M. (2025) https://BioRender.com/h13d586.

Layered double hydroxides (engineered 2D nanomaterials) loaded with benzotriazole, a corrosion inhibitor widely used worldwide, can act as an efficient and eco-friendly anti-corrosion nanoadditive for high-performance maritime coatings.

The sulphidation of metal-based engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) presents a promising strategy to alleviate their ecotoxicity, particularly for ZnO ENPs used in plant growth enhancement.

ZnO naoparticles (NPs) with a Zn-phosphate shell can modulate the routes of Zn root uptake, translocation and storage mechanisms compared to ZnO NPs. Applying ZnO NPs to roots provides much greater uptake into plants than for foliar application.

Water quality is a crucial aspect of public health, and microbial contamination remains a significant challenge, necessitating the exploration of innovative water treatment methods.

Composite materials based on magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC), reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and their oxidized form (MWCNT-ox), are promising eco-friendly building materials.

Shewanella oneidensis (S. oneidensis) MR-1 is a metal-reducing bacterium that can bio-reduce the carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) to the less toxic trivalent Cr³⁺. Bio-reduction is assisted by the protective role of Mn-ferrite NPs to bacteria.

CA-BNMG-1 beads, made via greener synthesis, enable selective, stable, and reusable Pb(II) removal, offering a scalable and SSbD-aligned solution for real-world water treatment applications (image made using Biorender Software).

Polystyrene nanoplastics altered the surface properties of cyanobacteria without affecting their growth or structure, highlighting their remarkable resilience and adaptive strategies in response to environmental challenges.

We present a mechanistic understanding of bicarbonate-controlled arsenic mobilization and nanoparticle formation in managed aquifer recharge (MAR), offering valuable insights for sustainable MAR operations.

Above other physical and chemical features, the surface charge of PS-NPs is crucial for their interaction with cells and biological effects in C. elegans.

A classification SAR approach is developed for the ecotoxicity assessment of multicomponent nanomaterials. Using their structure and composition, the nanomaterials are classified for toxicity towards Bacteria, Eukaryotes, Crustacean, Plants, Fish.

QbD-based production of PET and PP nanoplastics for biological assays.

Macrophages (in green) treated with polyethylene terephthalate nanoparticles (in red) internalize them, which induces various cellular and immune responses.

The environmental pollution and health risks associated with synthetic pesticides have driven increasing interest in plant-derived biopesticides like geraniol.

Mechanistic insights from experimental and DFT calculations into enhanced mineral carbonation of surface-functionalized MgO as a proxy for mine waste.

Soil species sensitivity distributions developed for silver nanomaterials (AgNMs) for soils and liquid exposures using chronic no observed effect concentrations (NOEC).

Our approach lowers the size of nanosized plastics detectable via micro-Raman spectroscopy, exploiting the resonance Raman signal from blue-pigmented, highly abundant microplastics.

In response to the limited environmentally relevant biobased nanoplastic models, the formation of poly(lactic acid) nanoplastics with comparable properties to the ones deriving from the environmental ageing of poly(lactic acid) debris, is presented.