The future megacity of Faisalabad is of prime interest when considering environmental health because of its bulky population and abundant industrial and anthropogenic sources of coarse particles (PM₁₀) and fine airborne particulate matter (PM_2.5). The current study was aimed to investigate the concentration level of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, also the characterization of carbonaceous aerosols including organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and total carbon (TC) in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ samples collected from five different sectors (residential, health, commercial, industrial, and vehicular zone). The data presented here are the first of their kind in this sprawling city having industries and agricultural activities side by side. Results of the study revealed that the mass concentration of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ is at an elevated level throughout Faisalabad, with ambient PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ points that constantly exceeded the 24-h standards of US-EPA, and National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) which poses harmful effects on the quality of air and health. The total carbon concentration varied between 21.33 and 206.84 μg/m³, and 26.08 and 211.15 μg/m³ with an average of 119.16 ± 64.91 μg/m³ and 124.71 ± 64.38 μg/m³ for PM_2.5 in summer and winter seasons, respectively. For PM₁₀, the concentration of TC varied from 34.52 to 289.21 μg/m³ with an average of 181.50 ± 87.38 μg/m³ (for summer season) and it ranged between 44.04 and 300.02 μg/m³ with an average of 191.04 ± 87.98 μg/m³ (winter season), respectively. No significant difference between particulate concentration and weather parameters was observed. Similarly, results of air quality index (AQI) and pollution index (PI) stated that the air quality of Faisalabad ranges from poor to severely pollute. In terms of AQI, moderate pollution was recorded on sampling sites in the following order; Ittehad Welfare Dispensary > Saleemi Chowk > Kashmir Road > Pepsi Factory, while at Nazria Pakistan Square and Allied Hospital, higher AQI values were recorded. The analysis and results presented in this study can be used by policy-makers to apply rigorous strategies that decrease air pollution and the associated health effects in Faisalabad.

Addressing serious waterborne arsenic issues, for the first time, lanthanum-doped MOF-808 (La@MOF-808) has been developed to remove total arsenic (Total As) and arsenite [As(III)] from water. This study involves the solvothermal synthesis of La@MOF-808, its characterization via FTIR, XRD, TGA, and SEM, in which distinct physicochemical attributes were identified, and the adsorption capacity of arsenic ions. The saturated adsorption capacity of La@MOF-808 for Total As and As(III) reached 282.9 mg g⁻¹ and 283.5 mg g⁻¹, as compared to 229.7 mg g⁻¹ and 239.1 mg g⁻¹ for pristine MOF-808, respectively. XRD and ATR-FTIR analyses underscored the central roles of electrostatic interactions and hydroxyl groups in the pollutant adsorption process. The impact of temperature, concentration, pH, and exposure duration times on adsorption performance was thoroughly investigated. The Langmuir model showed the maximum adsorption capacities (q_max) of La@MOF-808 was 307.7 mg g⁻¹ for Total As and 325.7 mg g⁻¹ for As(III), surpassing those of MOF-808 adsorbent, which suggests that monolayer adsorption occurred. Optimal adsorption was observed in a pH range of 2.0–7.0, and thermodynamic studies classified the process as spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorbent retains high capacity across repeated cycles, outperforming many standard adsorbents. Lanthanum doping markedly enhances MOF-808's arsenic removal, underscoring its potential for water treatment.

The widespread use of pesticides leads to the contamination of groundwater, which harms environment and threatens life. The goal of the current study was to determine the degree of pesticide contamination of groundwater in agricultural regions with varying degrees of pesticide use. In 15 districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan, chemical residues of major pesticide groups including, neonicotinoids, organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids were detected in the water samples. Two most commonly used herbicides, isoproturan and diuron, were also tested but not detected in any of the water samples. Five districts in the southern Punjab/core area had highly contaminated groundwater due to the presence of residues from all major insecticide groups. Although less severe than in the core area, a different set of five districts in central Punjab also had significant water contamination issues. The districts located in marginal area had the lowest amount of insecticide residues. The highest levels of imidacloprid residues were identified in the core area throughout the winter season. Thiacloprid, fipronil, and acetamiprid were detected in nearly all water samples, with non-significant differences in concentrations throughout the summer and winter seasons, as well as in non-core and marginal areas. Different water quality parameters including, pH, electrical conductivity and temperature had varying degree of correlations with pesticide residues in water samples. Overall, it is concerning that significant insecticides are widely contaminating groundwater. This issue should be managed through integrated pest management, non-chemical pest control strategies, and judicious chemical use practices.

To feed the increased world population, sustainability in the production of crops is the need of the hour, and exploration of an effective symbiotic association of rhizobia with legumes may serve the purpose. A laboratory-scale experiment was conducted to evaluate the symbiotic effectiveness of twenty wild rhizobial isolates (MR1–MR20) on the growth, physiology, biochemical traits, and nodulation of mung bean to predict better crop production with higher yields. Rhizobial strain MR4 resulted in a 52% increase in shoot length and 49% increase in shoot fresh mass, while MR5 showed a 30% increase in root length, with 67% and 65% improvement in root fresh mass by MR4 and MR5, respectively, compared to uninoculated control. Total dry matter of mung bean was enhanced by 73% and 68% with strains MR4 and MR5 followed by MR1 and MR3 with 60% increase in comparison to control. Rhizobial strain MR5 produced a maximum (25 nodules) number of nodules followed by MR4, MR3, and MR1 which produced 24, 23, and 21 nodules per plant. Results related to physiological parameters showed the best performance of MR4 and MR5 compared to control among all treatments. MR4 strain helped the plants to produce the lowest values of total soluble protein (TSP) (38% less), flavonoids contents (44% less), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents (52% less) among all treatments compared to uninoculated control plants. Total phenolics contents of mung bean plants also showed significantly variable results, with the highest value of 54.79 mg kg⁻¹ in MR4 inoculated plants, followed by MR5 and MR1 inoculated plants, while the minimum concentration of total phenolics was recorded in uninoculated control plants of mung bean. Based on the results of growth promotion, nodulation ability, and physiological and biochemical characteristics recorded in an experimental trial conducted under gnotobiotic conditions, four rhizobial isolates (MR1, MR3, MR4, and MR5) were selected using cluster and principal component analysis. Selected strains were also tested for a variety of plant-growth-promoting molecules to develop a correlation with the results of plant-based parameters, and it was concluded that these wild rhizobial strains were effective in improving sustainable production of mung bean.