Akanthomyces spp. species are known for their capacity to biocontrol of certain insects and plant pathogens; however, their ability to biocontrol the pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) and certain phytopathogenic fungi belonging to the genera Fusarium and Curvularia have not been studied before. In this study, a strain from Akanthomyces muscarius was isolated from wheat grains and then identified by morphological and molecular tests. The strain was further studied for its capacity to control Thaumetopoea pityocampa larvae through dose-mortality tests, and its ability to control some phytopathogenic fungi strains of the genera Fusarium and Curvularia was studied through direct confrontation tests. Dose-mortality tests at three concentrations of Akanthomyces muscarius against the first instar larvae revealed a mortality of 92.15% after 11 days for the concentration of 2.3 × 10⁶conidia.ml⁻¹, with a median lethal concentration of 7.6 x10³ conidia.ml^1. Our isolate also showed antifungal activity against these phytopathogenic fungi with inhibition rates ranging from 39.61% to 52.94%. Akanthomyces muscarius proved to be a promising biocontrol agent for plant pests and diseases.

Developing a sustainable environment requires addressing primitive water scarcity and water contamination. Antibiotics such as oxytetracycline (OTC) may accumulate in the environment and in the human body, increasing the risks to the ecosystem. The treatment of polluted water and the production of potable water can be achieved in a variety of ways, including photodegradation, solar distillation, and filtration. Freshwater supplies can be increased by implementing energy-efficient technologies for the production of clean water. Solar water evaporation combined with photocatalytic degradation and sterilization offers a promising avenue for integration into the clean water and energy production fields. The present study reports the synthesis of a 3D solar steam generator comprised of BiVO₄ and carbon nanotubes (CNT) nanocomposite decorated over a cigarette filter as the light-to-heat conversion layer for solar steam generation. The BiVO₄@CNT-based 3D solar evaporator over the hydrophilic cellulosic fibers of the cigarette filter endowed excellent evaporation rates (2.36 kg m⁻² h⁻¹) under 1 kW m⁻² solar irradiation, owing to its superior hydrophilicity and broadband solar absorption (96%) equipped with localized heating at microscale thermal confinement optimized by the minimum thermal conductivity of the overall system. Furthermore, the BiVO₄@CNT composite exhibited a heightened photo activity up to 83% of the photodegradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) antibiotic due to the inhibition of charge recombination from the industrial effluents. This approach transforms the water-energy nexus into a synergistic bond that offers opportunities to meet expected demand, rather than being competitive.

The effects of silver nanoparticles and arsenic at community levels have rarely been assessed in laboratory experiments, despite their obvious advantage in reflecting better the natural conditions compared to traditionally single species-focused toxicological experiments. In the current study, the multifaceted effects of these xenobiotics, acting alone or combined, on meiobenthic nematodes were tested in a laboratory experiment carried out in microcosms. The nematofauna was exposed to two concentrations (0.1 and 1 mg·L⁻¹) of silver nanoparticles (Ag1/Ag2) and arsenic (As1/As2), as well as to a mixture of both compounds, for 30 days. The results particularly highlighted a significant decrease in the abundance and taxonomic diversity of nematodes directly with increasing dosages of these compounds when added alone at the highest concentration. The addition of these levels of xenobiotics seems to make the sediment matrix gluey, hence inducing greater mortality among microvores and diatoms feeders. Moreover, the nematofauna went through a strong restructuring phase following the exposure to both compounds when added alone, leading to the disappearance of sensitive taxa and their replacement with more tolerant ones. However, the similarity in nematofauna composition between control and mixtures of silver nanoparticles and arsenic (except for Ag1As2) suggests that the toxicity of the latter pollutant could be attenuated by its physical bonding to the former.