Emerging pollutants such as butylparaben (BP) are often difficult to remove via conventional wastewater treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to produce and characterize graphene oxide (GO) and evaluate the adsorption of BP on this adsorbent. The GO was made using the Hummers method and characterized by TGA/DTA, XRD, XRF, BET, point of zero charge (pHpzc), SEM, and the Boehman method. Adsorption experiments were performed in a batch system. The removal efficiency from a Box–Behnken experimental design was 84.3% at a BP concentration 600 µg∙L⁻¹, adsorbent five g∙L^−1, and pH 7 in solution. The first-order (PFO) kinetics obtained the best fit to the experimental data compared to the other models tested in this study: pseudo-second-order (PSO), Elovich (ELC), and intra-particle diffusion (IPD). The Langmuir isotherm provided the best fit compared to the Freundlich isotherm. The temperature effect showed that the system has a spontaneous adsorption process, with a Gibbs energy lower than zero, and that increasing the temperature increases the adsorption capacity. The ionic effect showed that increasing the salt concentration of 1 M increased the repulsive forces but did not decrease the adsorption capacity. The regeneration cycle showed a rate of 85% up to the second cycle. The toxicity analysis confirmed the efficiency of the adsorption process using GO before and after BP adsorption on GO.

Ethylparaben (EtP) is an emerging pollutant that is widely found in the environment, particularly in agricultural landscapes. With the extensive contamination of agricultural soils and irrigation waters, there is a rising concern about their potential impact on crop yields. To provide some of the first evidence that EtP may be more than just an agricultural contaminant, but a potential pollutant, we evaluated the systemic toxicities and cellular responses triggered by EtP in seed roots of Daucus carota, Lycopersicum esculentum, and Cucumis sativus, and in bulb roots of Allium cepa, at environmentally relevant concentrations of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng·L⁻¹. The seeds and bulbs remained in contact with the concentrations for 7 days. Distilled water and Tween 80 at 1000 ng·L⁻¹ were used as negative controls. The results were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance followed by Dunn’s test (p ≤ 0.05). In all plants, all concentrations significantly altered the activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. In carrot (10, 100, and 1000 ng·L⁻¹), tomato (1000 ng·L⁻¹), and cucumber (all concentrations), such concentrations caused lipid peroxidation, leading to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, as well as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals in the cells. These oxidants caused a delay in the progression of the cell cycle and alterations to the mitotic spindle in the root meristems, significantly inhibiting root growth in the plants evaluated. Recurrent contamination with EtP can potentially harm soil quality, posing a risk to both agricultural productivity and the environment.

The emerging pollutant octocrylene is not efficiently removed from effluents by conventional treatment and is recurrently found in rivers. This study evaluated the adsorption of octocrylene using commercial carbon and biochar from spent coffee grounds activated with ZnCl₂. The two adsorbents had an efficiency of approximately 100% in pollutant removal throughout the experimental design. The kinetics and equilibrium isotherms showed a good correlation with the experimental data. The kinetics showed adsorption of the contaminant in 40 min for both adsorbents. The model equilibrium isotherms with the best fit and adsorption capacity was Langmuir for biochar, with a capacity of 37.822 ± 0.005 µg∙mg⁻¹ compared to 33.602 ± 0.202 µg∙mg⁻¹ for commercial carbon. Furthermore, a toxicity analysis of a 600 µg∙L⁻¹ octocrylene solution was carried out before and after adsorption with the two charcoals separately, using Allium cepa roots. Before adsorption, the solution was phytotoxic and cytogenotoxic. After adsorption, the solution obtained for each charcoal no longer caused toxicity to the roots. The charcoals tested had high removal efficiency and adsorption capacity, a condition reiterated by the toxicity results. However, biochar better represented the Langmuir model in the adsorption process when removing octocrylene from the aqueous medium.

Sunscreens and parabens contaminate agricultural areas worldwide; however, the effects of these micropollutants in mixture on cultivated plants have not yet been reported. This study evaluated the cellular and systemic toxicity induced by octocrylene (OC), methylparaben (MeP), and butylparaben (BuP), individually at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, and 500 ng·L ⁻¹ , as well as by equimolar binary mixtures (1:1) of OC with MeP and OC with BuP, in seeds of Cucumis sativus L. and Lycopersicum esculentum L., and in roots of Allium cepa L. bulbs. The OC + MeP mixtures induced H ₂ O ₂ accumulation, whereas the OC + BuP mixtures promoted lipid peroxidation in the root meristems of A. cepa , resulting in significant mitodepressive, aneugenic, and clastogenic effects. The OC + BuP combination markedly reduced root growth in the three evaluated species and, in onion, caused mitotic indices below 50% compared to the control, demonstrating severe cytotoxicity to the meristems. In contrast, the OC + MeP combination stimulated root growth in cucumber, tomato, and onion. However, although significantly longer, the formed roots exhibited greater susceptibility to breakage than the control, indicating that growth predominantly associated with cell elongation, without concomitant cell proliferation. The interaction between the compounds was characterized as synergistic for OC + MeP and additive for OC + BuP, with BuP being the main determinant of mixture toxicity. Thus, mixtures of OC + MeP and OC + BuP may impair the early establishment of crops by affecting root system functionality, delaying or inhibiting root development, and altering root structural stability. These effects indicate that the presence of these micropollutant mixtures in contaminated agricultural soils may negatively influence plant development and the agronomic performance of cultivated plants.

Naringenin is a flavonoid known for its anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, antiatherogenic, and antioxidant properties. However, it has poor technological characteristics and limited bioavailability, which hinder its use in food applications. Nanoencapsulation could address these limitations, but safety concerns regarding nanoengineered bioactives need to be resolved before they can be effectively utilized as food additives. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic effects of both free and encapsulated naringenin through in vivo experiments using Allium cepa L. roots, along with pharmacokinetic and molecular docking analyses. The results showed that naringenin nanoparticles did not produce significant changes in the cell division index of meristematic cells in A. cepa roots. Additionally, no significant alterations in the mitotic spindle or chromosomal breaks were observed. Molecular docking studies indicated that naringenin effectively binds to the active site of the catalase enzyme (CAT) in a competitive manner, while it attaches to a site away from the active site of superoxide dismutase (SOD2), demonstrating a non-competitive interaction. ADMET property assessments suggested that naringenin exhibits relatively low toxicity and has favorable molecular characteristics for oral administration. In summary, this study supports the potential of naringenin, particularly in its nanoencapsulated form, as a safe and effective ingredient for functional foods, provided that safety concerns regarding nanoencapsulation are adequately addressed.