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With increasing urbanization and industrialization, growing amounts of industrial waste, such as red mud (RM), fly ash (FA), blast furnace slag (BFS), steel slag (SS), and sludge, are being produced, exposing substantial threats to the environment and human health. Given that numerous researchers associate with conventional adsorbents, developing and utilizing industrial wastes derived from adsorption technology still has received limited attention. Utilizing this waste contributes to developing alternative materials with superior performance and significantly reduces the volume of solid waste. The excellent physical and chemical characteristics of these wastes are also investigated in this paper. This review attempts to demonstrate a comprehensive overview of the application of industrial waste-based adsorbent in the adsorption process for removing organic pollutants, dyes, metallic ions, non-metallic ions, and radioactive substances. In addition, industrial waste-based adsorbents are among the most promising and applicable techniques for pollutant removal, offering remarkable adsorption efficiency, rich surface chemistries, reasonable cost, simple operation, and low energy consumption. This review summarizes state-of-the-art advancements in engineered adsorbents (including physical and chemical modifications). It provides a holistic view regarding a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism involved in adsorption for water remediation. The challenges and the prospects for future research in applying these adsorbents are also elucidated, contributing to sustainable waste management and environmental sustainability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, marking one of the most catastrophic global health crises of the 21st century. Throughout this period, widespread use and improper disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE) emerged as a pressing environmental issue, significantly impacting various life forms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high rate of PEP disposal. An alarming 1.6 × 10 6 tons of plastic waste each day has been generated since the onset of the outbreak, predominantly from the inadequate disposal of PPE. The mismanagement and subsequent degradation of discarded PPE significantly contribute to increased non-biodegradable micro(nano)plastic (MNP) waste. This pollution has had profound adverse effects on terrestrial, marine, and aquatic ecosystems, which have been extensively of concern recently. Accumulated MNPs within aquatic organisms could serve as a potential route for human exposure when consuming seafood. This review presents a novel aspect concerning the pollution caused by MNPs, particularly remarking on their role during the pandemic and their detrimental effects on human health. These microplastic particles, through the process of fragmentation, transform into nanoparticles, persisting in the environment and posing potential hazards. The prevalence of MNP from PPE, notably masks, raises concerns about their plausible health risks, warranting global attention and comprehensive exploration. Conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the long-term effects of these processes and implementing effective management strategies is essential., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The current study aimed to assess the effectiveness of biochar formed from algae in the removal of Cr(VI) through the process of impregnating brown algae Sargassum hemiphyllum with KHCO 3 . The synthesis of KHCO 3 -activated biochar (KBAB-3), demonstrating remarkable adsorption capabilities for Cr(VI), was accomplished utilizing a mixture of brown algae and KHCO 3 in a mass ratio of 1:3, followed by calcination at a temperature of 700 °C. Based on the empirical evidence, it can be observed that KBAB-3 shown a significant ability to adsorb Cr(VI) within a range of 60-160 mg g -1 across different environmental conditions. In addition, the KBAB-3 material demonstrated the advantageous characteristic of easy separation, allowing for the continued maintenance of a high efficiency in removing Cr(VI) even after undergoing numerous cycles of reuse. In conclusion, the application of KBAB-3, a novel adsorbent, exhibits considerable prospects for effective removal of Cr(VI) from diverse water sources in the near future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Thanh-Binh Nguyen reports financial support was provided by National Science and Technology Council., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pharmaceutical active compound (PhAC) residues are considered an emerging micropollutant that enters the aquatic environment and causes harmful ecotoxicity. The significant sources of PhACs in the environment include the pharmaceutical industry, hospital streams, and agricultural wastes (animal husbandry). Recent investigations demonstrated that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important source of PhACs discharging ecosystems. Several commonly reported that PhACs are detected in a range level from ng L -1 to μg L -1 concentration in WWTP effluents. These compounds can have acute and chronic adverse impacts on natural wildlife, including flora and fauna. The approaches for PhAC removals in WWTPs include bioremediation, adsorption (e.g., biochar, chitosan, and graphene), and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Overall, adsorption and AOPs can effectively remove PhACs from wastewater aided by oxidizing radicals. Heterogeneous photocatalysis has also proved to be a sustainable solution. Bioremediation approaches such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs), constructed wetlands (CWs), and microalgal-based systems were applied to minimize pharmaceutical pollution. Noteworthy, applying MBRs has illustrated high removal efficiencies of up to 99%, promising prospective future. However, WWTPs should be combined with advanced solutions, e.g., AOPs/photodegradation, microalgae-bacteria consortia, etc., to treat and minimize their accumulation. More effective and novel technologies (e.g., new generation bioremediation) for PhAC degradation must be investigated and specially designed for a low-cost and full-scale. Investigating green and eco-friendly PhACs with advantages, e.g., low persistence, no bioaccumulation, less or non-toxicity, and environmentally friendly, is also necessary., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Understanding the colonization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) in healthy humans is useful for future prevention and treatment of P. aeruginosa infection. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of of P. aeruginosa colonization in healthy humans. At the same time, the virulence of the isolated P. aeruginosa was also studied. In the study, 609 Vietnamese volunteers (310 females and 299 males, age range of 2 to 73 years), who had no acute infection or disease symptoms participated at the time of sample collection. Samples were taken from the throat, nostrils, and outer ears. P. aeruginosa was found in 19 participants (3.12%, 95% CI: 0.017−0.045), mainly from the throat (11/19, 57.89%). Participants with a history of sinusitis were 11.57 times more likely to be colonized with P. aeruginosa than participants without a history of sinusitis (OR: 11.57, 95% CI: 4.08−32.76, p-value < 0.0001, Fisher’s Exact test). Age and sex were not significantly associated with P. aeruginosa colonization. Among 16 P. aeruginosa isolates used in virulence tests, 100% (16/16) were positive for the synthesis of biofilm, pyocyanin, and siderophores; 93.75% (15/16) isolates were positive for the synthesis of gelatinase and protease; and 50% (8/16) isolates were positive for lipase. There were no differences in the pattern and range of virulence factors of P. aeruginosa isolates taken from participants with and without sinusitis history. P. aeruginosa colonized 3.12% of participants, and its presence was associated with sinusitis history.