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Mangrove ecosystems, characterized by high levels of productivity, are susceptible to anthropogenic activities, notably oil pollution arising from diverse origins including spills, transportation, and industrial effluents. Owing to their role in climate regulation and economic significance, there is a growing interest in developing mangrove conservation strategies. In the Arabian Gulf, mangroves stand as the sole naturally occurring green vegetation due to the region's hot and arid climate. However, they have faced persistent oil pollution for decades. This review focuses on global mangrove distribution, with a specific emphasis on Qatar's mangroves. It highlights the ongoing challenges faced by mangroves, particularly in relation to the oil industry, and the impact of oil pollution on these vital ecosystems. It outlines major oil spill incidents worldwide and the diverse hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities within polluted areas, elucidating their potential for bioremediation. The use of symbiotic interactions between mangrove plants and bacteria offers a more sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative. However, the success of these bioremediation strategies depends on a deep understanding of the dynamics of bacterial communities, environmental factors and specific nature of the pollutants. • Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems, and they are found in tropical and subtropical areas. • Mangroves are highly adapted to harsh conditions because of the occurrence of microbial communities. • Oil pollution is one of the main threats to mangroves and their associated communities. • Interaction between hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and mangroves can act as a tool for phytoremediation of oil pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromide ions (Br − ) are associated with toxic by-products that might be produced during the disinfection of drinking water. The removal of Br − from water using roasted date pits (RODPs) and activated carbon was investigated. The percentage removal capacity of Br − was studied under various experimental conditions including solution pH, adsorbent mass and particle size, and initial Br − concentration. Surface characterisation was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). SEMs images showed the presence of fine particles (debris) on the surface of the adsorbent solids. The raw date pits (RDPs) surface images showed a marked difference in pore sizes upon roasting, whilst FTIR spectra showed a slight shifting in –O–H, C O, and –C–O stretching in addition to –O–H bending for the RODPs. In addition to the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models, the experimental data were fitted to different adsorption kinetic models. It was found that the adsorption of Br − onto RODPs followed pseudo-second order mechanism. Removal rates of around 54% were obtained at lower pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microorganism-mineral interactions can affect the membrane fouling in SWRO. • Bacteria present in seawater can induce gypsum precipitation on RO membranes. • Crystals' morphology varies from needle like to floral structures under SEM-EDX. • The presence of divalent ions in a medium enhances microbial growth rates. Membrane fouling affects the performance of membrane technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO), in water treatments and desalination industries. The membrane fouling is a multifaceted phenomenon and various components of feedwater like organic and inorganic substances, and microorganisms interact with each other to further complicate and intensify the membrane fouling. In this research, the interaction between microorganisms and calcium sulfate (mineral chosen as a model scaling) was investigated. Using scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive x-ray (SEM-EDX) technique, it was found that the variety of microorganisms present in seawater were able to form calcium sulfate crystals on the RO membrane, although no precipitation occurred under abiotic conditions (i.e. in control samples). The results of SEM-EDX were further confirmed by quantitative analysis of precipitation through ion chromatography (IC) technique, and it was found that the concentration of calcium ions remaining in the bacteria-containing medium was significantly lower than that of controls at 95 % confidence level. Furthermore, the kinetics of biomineralization and the effect of different concentrations of calcium and sulfate ions was investigated. It was found that the bacteria were able to form needle-like crystals even at the lowest concentration (Ca2+=20 mM) and at the lowest incubation times (i.e. 1 day) studied. On the other hand, the effect of calcium ions on bacterial growth was also investigated and it was noted that the presence of ions resulted in a statistically significant increase in growth rates of bacteria, showing their potential to enhance biofouling rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]