Microplastic pollution in Himalayan lakes: assessment, risks, and sustainable remediation strategies

• Sameeksha Rawat,
• S. M. Tauseef and
• Madhuben Sharma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2144–2167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.148

• urban runoff have resulted in plastic pollution increasing in Nainital Lake, a popular tourist destination, threatening aquatic biodiversity [2]. Nazir et al. state that MPs pollute water bodies by accumulating in food chains and bearing toxic contaminants such as heavy metals. This problem is

• vulnerable to the action of plasticizers. Consumption of these substances interferes with metabolic processes and leads to bioaccumulation of toxic compounds, like heavy metals linked with MPs [11]. Altitude lake sediments contain high concentrations of MPs, which interfere with benthic assemblages and

• metabolic disturbance in aquatic life [114]. MPs also act as carriers of hydrophobic organic pollutants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants, which are more harmful when ingested [23]. Trophic transfer issues are generated by the bioaccumulation of MPs in fish, with birds and

Current status of using adsorbent nanomaterials for removing microplastics from water supply systems: a mini review

• Nguyen Thi Nhan and
• Tran Le Luu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1837–1850, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.127

• (MPs) related to public health and environmental risks have gained significant attention [1]. Because of their small size, high surface area, and hydrophobic properties, MPs can act as vectors for toxic chemicals, including heavy metals (lead, cadmium, or mercury) and persistent organic pollutants like

Nanotechnology-based approaches for the removal of microplastics from wastewater: a comprehensive review

• Nayanathara O Sanjeev,
• Manjunath Singanodi Vallabha and
• Rebekah Rubidha Lisha Rabi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1607–1632, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.114

• hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and other toxic contaminants, increasing their potential risks to living ecosystems and organisms [9][10]. MPs have low density, variable sizes, high persistence, and non-biodegradable nature. These characteristics make their removal difficult, especially in aquatic environments [11

• plankton development, lifespan and reproduction, and growth [45]. MPs function as carriers for heavy metals, resulting in their accumulation in the digestive systems of fish. This accumulation can negatively affect fish by impairing their activity, stunting growth, disrupting reproduction, and potentially

Dendrimer-modified carbon nanotubes for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from water

• Thao Quynh Ngan Tran,
• Huu Trung Nguyen,
• Subodh Kumar and
• Xuan Thang Cao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1522–1532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.107

• of trace heavy metals from aqueous solutions explaining the kinetics and thermodynamics of adsorption process. Results and Discussion Dendrimerized CNTs have been fabricated by pre-functionalizing the CNTs with MA via Diels–Alder reaction, excluding harmful chemicals and energy-intensive processes

• application in numerous fields [18][19][20][21][22][23]. CNTs are particularly attractive as support materials due to their high specific surface area, mechanical strength, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity [24][25][26][27]. CNTs themselves have been utilized as adsorbents for removing heavy

• metals from water solution [28][29][30]. However, the poor dispersibility of bare CNTs in most solvents including water is a significant limitation to their wider applicability. Covalent modification of CNT surfaces with dendrimers of desirable functionality can improve their dispersibility and binding

Morphology and properties of pyrite nanoparticles obtained by pulsed laser ablation in liquid and thin films for photodetection

• Akshana Parameswaran Sreekala,
• Bindu Krishnan,
• Rene Fabian Cienfuegos Pelaes,
• David Avellaneda Avellaneda,
• Josué Amílcar Aguilar-Martínez and
• Sadasivan Shaji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 785–805, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.60

• Earth, including toxic heavy metals and metalloids, radionuclides, and organic pollutants [5]. In addition to the aforementioned advantages as a semiconductor, it has the potential to be used in various applications through its nanostructures created via pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) and thin

Quantification of lead through rod-shaped silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles using an electrochemical approach

• Ravinder Lamba,
• Gaurav Bhanjana,
• Neeraj Dilbaghi,
• Vivek Gupta and
• Sandeep Kumar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 422–434, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.33

• ; Introduction According to the literature, a lot of work has been done to create durable and dependable smart sensors for the effective identification of analytes that are harmful but also crucial for the environment and technology [1]. Even at very low levels, heavy metals can permanently harm health, and

• health, determining the presence of trace heavy metals is crucial. Lead is a highly toxic element that affects human soft tissues and organs, acting in concert with other carcinogens to cause cancer in the kidneys, lungs, or brain. Lead paint, lead-containing petrol, mining, and smelting are some of the

• caused by the shipment of samples to centralized laboratories. Miniaturization is made possible by electrochemical procedures for determining heavy metals, which need a comparatively simple apparatus. Thus, it is imperative to develop low-cost, miniaturized analytical instruments to monitor hazardous

Engineered PEG–PCL nanoparticles enable sensitive and selective detection of sodium dodecyl sulfate: a qualitative and quantitative analysis

• Soni Prajapati and
• Ranjana Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 385–396, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.29

• synthesized nanoparticles exhibited a distinct colorimetric response to SDS when combined with the Bradford reagent, which acted as a linker molecule. Interference studies demonstrated the high selectivity of the method, even in the presence of various heavy metals and other surfactants. The method showed

• , including heavy metals, cationic surfactants, and nonionic surfactants. This high selectivity is crucial for accurate detection in complex matrices. The ability to detect SDS without significant interference from other substances underscores the method suitability for field-based testing and routine

Enhancing mechanical properties of chitosan/PVA electrospun nanofibers: a comprehensive review

• Nur Areisman Mohd Salleh,
• Amalina Muhammad Afifi,
• Fathiah Mohamed Zuki and
• Hanna Sofia SalehHudin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 286–307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.22

• adsorbing heavy metals and radionuclides [16]. However, chitosan exhibits limited mechanical stability, is sensitive to pH variations, and tends to swell [17]. To improve the spinnability of chitosan during the electrospinning process, it is commonly blended with other polymers, such as PVA [18

Theoretical study of the electronic and optical properties of a composite formed by the zeolite NaA and a magnetite cluster

• Joel Antúnez-García,
• Roberto Núñez-González,
• Vitalii Petranovskii,
• H’Linh Hmok,
• Armando Reyes-Serrato,
• Fabian N. Murrieta-Rico,
• Mufei Xiao and
• Jonathan Zamora

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 44–53, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.5

• introduction of magnetic nanoparticles into zeolite crystals so that the resulting composite can respond to an external magnetic field [33]. By imparting magnetic properties to such composites, they can be efficiently recovered after capturing contaminants such as heavy metals [34][35][36][37] and dyes [38][39

Facile synthesis of size-tunable L-carnosine-capped silver nanoparticles and their role in metal ion sensing and catalytic degradation of p-nitrophenol

• Akash Kumar,
• Ridhima Chadha,
• Abhishek Das,
• Nandita Maiti and
• Rayavarapu Raja Gopal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1576–1592, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.124

• with various contaminants. Keywords: catalysis; heavy metals; ʟ-carnosine; p-nitrophenol; silver nanoparticles; Introduction The persistent rise in environmental pollution, notably from heavy metal ions and organic pollutants, has propelled the development of innovative and efficient environmental

• monitoring and remediation methods. Five heavy metals, namely, mercury (Hg2+), lead (Pb2+), cadmium (Cd2+), chromium (Cr3+), and arsenic (As3+), pose severe risks to human health and ecological systems because of their non-biodegradable nature and long biological half-lives, leading to bioaccumulation and

• [18]. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the synthesis of silver nanoparticles capped with ʟ-carnosine may provide two functionalities, that is, monitoring heavy metal ions and degradation of P-NP. Another challenge in sensing heavy metals with capped silver nanoparticles is to detect multiple metals

Nanoarchitectonics with cetrimonium bromide on metal nanoparticles for linker-free detection of toxic metal ions and catalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol

• Akash Kumar and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1312–1332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.106

• does not allow for interactions with ligands via ion–ion interactions. Therefore, multiple surface modifications or linkers must be used for selective interaction between ligand and CTAB-capped gold and silver nanoparticles [7][9]. Contaminants in form of heavy metals and pollutant such as 4

• [15]. Besides heavy metals, 4-nitrophenol is widely used for dye synthesis, insecticides and pesticides, indicators, and photographic chemicals [16]. Regarding the use of 4-nitrophenol, there are several toxicity concerns via different exposure routes, including dermal, oral, and inhalation [17

• ]. Therefore, developing methods to detect heavy metals at the low concentrations usually found in environmental samples is crucial. Similarly, the removal of 4-nitrophenol from exposed site requires necessary steps. Heavy metals are detected using high-throughput techniques, such as atomic absorption

Interaction of graphene oxide with tannic acid: computational modeling and toxicity mitigation in C. elegans

• Romana Petry,
• James M. de Almeida,
• Francine Côa,
• Felipe Crasto de Lima,
• Diego Stéfani T. Martinez and
• Adalberto Fazzio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1297–1311, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.105

• elegans. Ouyang et al. [12] showed that small molecules (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and heavy metals, present in the natural water as nanocolloids, potentiate GO’s phytotoxicity. Moreover, biomolecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and humic acids may interact with the material’s

Unveiling the potential of alginate-based nanomaterials in sensing technology and smart delivery applications

• Shakhzodjon Uzokboev,
• Khojimukhammad Akhmadbekov,
• Ra’no Nuritdinova,
• Salah M. Tawfik and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1077–1104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.88

• discussed, including drug delivery and environmental sensing applications for humidity, heavy metals, and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, biomedical sensing applications of alginate-based nanoparticles regarding various analytes such as glucose, cancer cells, pharmaceutical drugs, and human motion will also be

• contamination with heavy metals are good examples of the need for sensors [23]. In addition, incurable diseases such as cancer can be detected by biosensors, and the application of biosensors is also very important for medicine and pharmaceuticals [18][24][25]. Natural biopolymers are abundant and exhibit

• form gels. Sodium alginate, especially, sodium alginate hydrogel is becoming more attractive for sensing applications. This hydrogel can be used for tackling severe water contaminations with heavy metals and food contaminations [32]. Nanoparticles of the hydrogel have gained attention regarding sensing

Intermixing of MoS₂ and WS₂ photocatalysts toward methylene blue photodegradation

• Maryam Al Qaydi,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Michael Lejeune,
• Abdellatif Bouchalkha,
• Mimoun El Marssi,
• Steevy Cordette,
• Chaouki Kasmi and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.68

• place corrective actions for the development of efficient strategies for water treatment [3]. Following these measures, various technologies have proven their efficacy for water depollution, including adsorption and photocatalysis, and are often utilized for heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticide

Multiscale modelling of biomolecular corona formation on metallic surfaces

• Parinaz Mosaddeghi Amini,
• Ian Rouse,
• Julia Subbotina and
• Vladimir Lobaskin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 215–229, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.21

• and scientific equipment [7]. Figure 1 presents a schematic contamination cycle of dairy products, showcasing potential sources and pathways of aluminum pollution. It illustrates the journey of milk from a cow grazing on grass contaminated with heavy metals, highlighting the crucial role of metallic

Prediction of cytotoxicity of heavy metals adsorbed on nano-TiO₂ with periodic table descriptors using machine learning approaches

• Joyita Roy,
• Souvik Pore and
• Kunal Roy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 939–950, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.77

• metals, upon release and emission, may interact with different environmental components, which may lead to co-exposure to living organisms. Nanoscale titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) can adsorb heavy metals. The current idea is that nanoparticles (NPs) may act as carriers and facilitate the entry of heavy

• metals into organisms. Thus, the present study reports nanoscale quantitative structure–activity relationship (nano-QSAR) models, which are based on an ensemble learning approach, for predicting the cytotoxicity of heavy metals adsorbed on nano-TiO2 to human renal cortex proximal tubule epithelial (HK-2

• present work manifests that ML in conjunction with periodic table descriptors can be used to explore the features and predict unknown compounds with similar properties. Keywords: heavy metals; HK-2 cell; ML algorithm; periodic table descriptors; QSAR; Introduction Nanoparticles (NPs) have gained much

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• isolates from pond sediments in the northwest of the United Kingdom exhibited resistance to heavy metals and antibiotics (trimethoprim, oxacillin, and cefotaxime) where the intI1 gene was involved. A growing body of research indicates that parent antibiotics and their metabolites, which are released into

Non-stoichiometric magnetite as catalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of phenol and 2,6-dibromo-4-methylphenol – a new approach in water treatment

• Joanna Kisała,
• Anna Tomaszewska and
• Przemysław Kolek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1531–1540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.126

• igneous and metamorphic rocks [12]. It is also found in sediments and soils. Magnetite has the smallest energy gap, the highest conductivity, and one of the lowest reduction potentials among natural minerals. It is an important reducer of heavy metals and organic pollutants in aquatic environments. Due to

Rapid and sensitive detection of box turtles using an electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a gold/graphene nanocomposite

• Abu Hashem,
• M. A. Motalib Hossain,
• Ab Rahman Marlinda,
• Mohammad Al Mamun,
• Khanom Simarani and
• Mohd Rafie Johan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1458–1472, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.120

• microbes and sources of heavy metals/toxins [6][7], and are prohibited from consumption by Muslims [5]. Therefore, turtle materials in food chains and medicines pose both health and social risks. Aside from that, a rising demand encourages the illicit trafficking of BT [8]. Illegal turtle meat and species

Hierarchical Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂-nanotube composites derived from natural cellulose for visible-light photocatalytic treatment of pollutants

• Zehao Lin,
• Zhan Yang and
• Jianguo Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 745–762, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.66

• pollutants including dyes, organic matter, and heavy metals has caused disastrous consequences to the ecosystem [1]. Cr(VI) is one of the unmanageable pollutants in industrial effluents. It is highly toxic, carcinogenic, and harmful to the lungs, liver, and other organs [2][3]. Photocatalysis is a promising

A comprehensive review on electrospun nanohybrid membranes for wastewater treatment

• Senuri Kumarage,
• Imalka Munaweera and
• Nilwala Kottegoda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 137–159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.10

• electrospinning [17]. Similarly, a wide range of ENH membranes are being used to remove particles, heavy metals, other metal cations, organic chemicals, dyes, and microorganisms from water and will be discussed in detail in this review article. Water is one of the most critical natural resources and is non

• heavy metals, cations, oils, dyes, and other organic and inorganic chemicals. In recent years, electrospun nanohybrid membranes have been developed and modified for the removal of these pollutants from synthetic/waste water. Heavy metals and other metal cations, such as Cd2+, Pb2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Hg2+, As3

• +/5+, and radioactive metals, such as Th4+, U6+, are being released to environmental water with the growing industrialization and through agricultural run-offs. Bioaccumulation of these metals causes serious harm to biodiversity and has also become a severe health issue [58]. To remove these heavy

Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity in vitro of surface-functionalized drug-loaded spinel ferrite nanoparticles

• Sadaf Mushtaq,
• Khuram Shahzad,
• Tariq Saeed,
• Anwar Ul-Hamid,
• Bilal Haider Abbasi,
• Nafees Ahmad,
• Waqas Khalid,
• Muhammad Atif,
• Zulqurnain Ali and
• Rashda Abbasi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1339–1364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.99

• family, responsible for the efflux of xenobiotics and hydrophobic drugs, namely methotrexate, vinca alkaloids, anthracyclines, antiandrogens, and heavy metals. Both multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) and MRP1 proteins are majorly responsible for lowering the therapeutic outcomes of chemotherapy [64

Recent progress in magnetic applications for micro- and nanorobots

• Ke Xu,
• Shuang Xu and
• Fanan Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 744–755, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.58

• ). Nayak [39] used metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to adsorb heavy metals in water for water purification. MOFs have a very high specific surface area and modular structure, showing great advantages in the sustainable supply of clean drinking water. Later, Yu et al. [40] reported a method to disassemble

Impact of GaAs(100) surface preparation on EQE of AZO/Al₂O₃/p-GaAs photovoltaic structures

• Piotr Caban,
• Rafał Pietruszka,
• Jarosław Kaszewski,
• Monika Ożga,
• Bartłomiej S. Witkowski,
• Krzysztof Kopalko,
• Piotr Kuźmiuk,
• Katarzyna Gwóźdź,
• Ewa Płaczek-Popko,
• Krystyna Lawniczak-Jablonska and
• Marek Godlewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 578–592, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.48

• ][18][19]. Many protocols for etching solutions are known. Depending on the requirements (e.g., etched compound – oxide or semiconductor, etching profiles, etching rate, ability to remove contaminants – heavy metals, and crystallographic orientation of the substrate) one can use a suitable solution [20

A review on the green and sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and one-dimensional silver nanostructures

• Sina Kaabipour and
• Shohreh Hemmati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 102–136, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.9

• natural source for the removal of heavy metals from soils and underground water [308]. The removal of heavy metals takes place by phytoremediation strategies such as phytoextraction, phytofiltration, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, phytodegradation, rhizodegradation, and phytodesalination [309