Heavy metal contamination

Soil polluted system shapes endophytic fungi communities associated with Arundo donax: a field experiment

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Mining activities pollute soils with heavy metals and red mud waste, damaging ecosystems and making plant growth difficult. This study examined fungi living inside the roots of Arundo donax, a hardy plant that survives in polluted soils, grown in three soil types: clean, heavy metal-contaminated, and red mud-contaminated. The researchers found that fungal communities changed based on the type of pollution, with a fungus called Pleosporales sp. thriving in red mud and showing promise for helping clean up contaminated soils. This research suggests that understanding these beneficial fungi could improve strategies for using plants to remediate polluted environments.

Redox-Active Metal–Organic Framework Nanocrystals for the Simultaneous Adsorption, Detection, and Detoxification of Heavy Metal Cations

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This research demonstrates how specially designed metal-organic framework materials can effectively remove toxic heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium from water. The most effective material, cobalt-based HHTP, can capture these metals through both chemical reactions and physical binding, making it highly efficient. The researchers also successfully coated these materials onto fabrics, creating wearable water filters that can simultaneously purify water and detect contamination levels.

Comprehensive whole metagenomics analysis uncovers microbial community and resistome variability across anthropogenically contaminated soils in urban and suburban areas of Tamil Nadu, India

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Researchers analyzed soil samples from eight polluted locations in India to understand how microbes adapt to heavy metal and chemical contamination. They discovered that contaminated soils harbor many bacteria with antibiotic resistance genes and genes that help them survive toxic metals. The most common resistance mechanism was through special pumps that bacteria use to expel antibiotics. This research highlights how polluted environments become reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, emphasizing the need for targeted cleanup strategies to protect human and environmental health.

Actinorhizal plants and Frankiaceae: The overlooked future of phytoremediation

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Actinorhizal plants are special trees and shrubs that team up with beneficial bacteria called Frankiaceae to clean up polluted and degraded soils. This natural partnership helps these plants survive harsh conditions like salty or heavy metal-contaminated soil while also cleaning up the environment. The bacteria help the plants by providing essential nitrogen and improving their ability to tolerate pollution, making them an inexpensive and sustainable solution for restoring degraded farmland.

Impact of bottom ash addition on Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation on coffee ground substrate

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Researchers studied how to grow oyster mushrooms using leftover coffee grounds mixed with coal ash as a growing medium. They found that adding small amounts of coal ash (1-5%) to coffee grounds actually improved the mushroom quality by reducing harmful heavy metals while keeping beneficial nutrients like phosphorus and zinc. This discovery suggests a promising way to recycle both industrial waste and food waste while producing safer, more nutritious mushrooms.

Current state of the heavy metal pollution, microbial diversity, and bioremediation experiments around the Qixia Mountain lead–zinc mine in Nanjing, China

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A lead-zinc mine in Nanjing, China has contaminated surrounding soils with dangerous heavy metals like lead, zinc, and cadmium over 70 years of operation. Researchers discovered that combining amaranth plants with a beneficial bacterium called Bacillus velezensis dramatically reduced heavy metal pollution in soil, lowering pollution levels from severely contaminated to acceptable levels. This plant-microorganism approach also improved plant growth while reducing heavy metal uptake in the edible parts of crops, offering a practical solution to make farmland around mines safer for growing food.

Exploring Bacterial Interactions Under the Stress Gradient Hypothesis in Response to Selenium Stress

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This research reviews how bacteria respond to selenium pollution. Under low selenium stress, bacteria compete with each other for resources. As selenium levels increase, bacteria begin helping each other survive by producing detoxifying compounds. Some bacteria can convert toxic selenium into harmless forms, protecting less-tolerant bacteria in their community. Understanding these interactions helps us develop better strategies for cleaning up selenium-contaminated environments.

Heavy Metal Exposure During Pregnancy and Its Association With Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study

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This study examined how exposure to multiple heavy metals during pregnancy affects babies’ health in a Chinese population. Researchers measured metal levels in urine samples from nearly 500 pregnant women and found that higher combined metal exposure increased risks of premature birth and low birth weight. The metal arsenic was particularly harmful for preterm birth risk, while selenium, thallium, and manganese together increased low birth weight risk. These findings suggest that pregnant women in areas with heavy metal pollution should take steps to reduce their exposure.

Enhancement of Activated Carbon on Anaerobic Fermentation of Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Plants: Insights into Microbial Responses

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This research shows that when plants contaminated with heavy metals are processed for energy production through anaerobic fermentation, adding activated carbon dramatically improves the efficiency of biogas generation. The activated carbon acts like a filter to reduce the toxic effects of heavy metals while providing surfaces for beneficial microorganisms to grow and work more effectively. The study reveals how specific bacteria and microbes adapt to these conditions, making the overall process more productive and potentially opening new possibilities for recycling contaminated plant waste into useful energy.

Heavy Metal Contamination and Risk Assessment in Soil–Wheat/Corn Systems near Metal Mining Areas in Northwestern China

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Mining operations in Jinchang City have contaminated farmland soils with dangerous levels of nickel, copper, and cobalt. These toxic metals accumulate in wheat and corn crops grown in the area, posing serious health risks—especially to children. The study found that children consuming these locally grown grains face significantly elevated health dangers, and the contaminated soils require immediate cleanup before farming can safely resume.

Research Keyword: Heavy metal contamination