Dithiocarbamate ligands have the ability to form stable complexes with transition metals, and this chelating ability has been utilized in numerous applications. The complexes have also been used to synthesize other useful compounds. Here, the up-to-date applications of dithiocarbamate ligands and complexes are extensively discussed. Some of these are their use as enzyme inhibitor and treatment of HIV and other diseases. The application as anticancer, antimicrobial, medical imaging and anti-inflammatory agents is examined. Moreover, the application in the industry as vulcanization accelerator, froth flotation collector, antifouling, coatings, lubricant additives and sensors is discussed. The various ways in which they have been employed in synthesis of other compounds are highlighted. Finally, the agricultural uses and remediation of heavy metals via dithiocarbamate compounds are comprehensively discussed.

The amount of organochlorine pesticides in soil and water continues to increase; their presence has surpassed maximum acceptable concentrations. Thus, the development of different removal strategies has stimulated a new research drive in environmental remediation. Different techniques such as adsorption, bioremediation, phytoremediation and ozonation have been explored. These techniques aim at either degrading or removal of the organochlorine pesticides from the environment but have different drawbacks. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a relatively new technique that has become popular due to its ability to completely degrade different toxic pollutants—instead of transferring them from one medium to another. The process is driven by a renewable energy source, and semiconductor nanomaterials are used to construct the light energy harvesting assemblies due to their rich surface states, large surface areas and different morphologies compared to their corresponding bulk materials. These make it a green alternative that is cost-effective for organochlorine pesticides degradation. This has also opened up new ways to utilize semiconductors and solar energy for environmental remediation. Herein, the focus of this review is on environmental remediation of organochlorine pesticides, the different techniques of their removal from the environment, the advantages and disadvantages of the different techniques and the use of specific semiconductors as photocatalysts.

Among the naturally occurring polysaccharides, chitosan is the second-most abundant polysaccharide. It is obtained from chitin through a process known as deacetylation. It is biodegradable, biocompatible, and non-toxic, which made it suitable for various environmental applications. In the present review, the structure, properties, and characteristics of chitosan were discussed. In addition, the modified forms of chitosan (including cross-linked, nanoparticles, functionalized, and grafted forms of chitosan) were enumerated. The applications of these modified forms of chitosan in the adsorption of organic pollutants (such as antibiotics, dyes, pesticides, microplastics, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, parabens, and polychlorobiphenyls) are comprehensively reviewed. Furthermore, the mechanism of adsorption, adsorption isotherm (Langmuir and Freundlich), and the kinetic models are highlighted. Finally, the economic viability assessment and environmental impact of processing tons of shrimp shells into chitosan annually were discussed.

Although nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used in various industries, their uncontrolled environmental release presents a potential risk to water bodies, vegetation and human health. Although previous review studies evaluated the toxicity and bioaccumulation of NPs, their long-term ecological impacts and transport dynamics in aquatic and terrestrial systems remain unexplored. The current review examined the mechanistic bioaccumulation, transport and environmental persistence of NPs, highlighting the need for concurrent risk assessment, regulation and management strategies. The multifaceted nature of nanotechnology necessitates a balanced approach considering both the benefits of NPs and their potential environmental and health risks, requiring comprehensive risk assessment and management strategies. The complexities of NPs risk assessment, emphasizing the unique properties of NPs influencing their toxicity and environmental behavior are critically addressed. Strategies to mitigate NPs' environmental impact include advanced monitoring techniques, regulatory frameworks tailored to NPs' unique properties, promotion of green nanotechnology practices, and NP remediation technologies. Given the complexity and uncertainty surrounding NPs, integration of regulatory, technological, and research-based strategies is imperative. This involves detailed NPs characterization techniques providing basic data for environmental fate prediction models and understanding of biologically relevant risk assessment models to safeguard our environment and public health. In this study, the recent advances in NPs persistence, environmental transport modelling and toxicity mechanisms are uniquely integrated, providing a framework to ecological risk assessment and regulatory approaches.

The presence of microorganisms, specifically the Escherichia coli, in drinking water is of global concern. This is mainly due to the health implications of these pathogens. Several conventional methods have been developed for their removal; however, this pathogen is still found in most drinking water. In the continuous quest for a more effective removal approach, photocatalysis has been considered as an alternative method for the elimination of pathogens including E. coli from water. Photocatalysis has many advantages compared to the conventional methods. It offers the advantage of non-toxicity and utilizes the energy from sunlight, thereby making it a completely green route. Since most photocatalysts could only be active in the ultraviolet region of the solar spectrum, which is less than 5% of the entire spectrum, the challenge associated with photocatalysis is the design of a system for the effective harvest and complete utilization of the solar energy for the photocatalytic process. In this review, different photocatalysts for effective inactivation of E. coli and the mechanism involved in the process were reviewed. Various strategies that have been adopted in order to modulate the band gap energy of these photocatalysts have been explored. In addition, different methods of estimating and detecting E. coli in drinking water were presented. Furthermore, different photocatalytic reactor designs for photocatalytic inactivation of E. coli were examined. Finally, the kinetics of E. coli inactivation was discussed.