Many biologically active compounds have been identified in the mucus of the garden snail Cornu aspersum, which are effective in the treatment of several diseases such as cancer, ulcers, wounds, etc. The incorporation of these compounds into the green synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuONPs-Muc) was demonstrated in our previous study. Based on the synergistic effect of two reducing agents—C. aspersum snail mucus and ascorbic acid (AsA)—on CuSO₄.5H₂O, which also act as stabilizers of the resulting compound, a new method for the “green” synthesis of CuONPs-Muc is presented. Using two reducing agents has several advantages, such as forming spherical nanoparticles with a diameter of about 150 nm and reducing the formation time of CuONPs-Muc to 3 h. Analyses by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) show the formation of CuONPs-Muc, composed of a mixture of copper and copper oxide. This was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Another important advantage of CuONPs obtained by the new method with two reducing agents is the stronger inhibitory effect on the bacterial growth of some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, compared to CuONPs-Muc prepared with only one reducing agent, i.e., a fraction of mucus with an MW > 20 kDa.

The absorption of triclosan on the surface of four different carbon adsorbents, obtained on the base of plant and household waste (RDF), provided by Sofia Waste Plant, was investigated. The obtained results indicate that the most important parameters, which determine the process of triclosan adsorption by adsorbent surface are pore texture, the size of the accessible surface for the molecules of triclosan, and the chemical nature of the adsorbent surface. It was found that the obtained adsorbents can be successfully applied for the extraction of triclosan from waste and drinking water. The possibilities for solid products, obtained by thermal treatment of household and vegetable waste, to be applied successfully in a water purification technique are discussed.

Several biologically active compounds involved in the green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles have been isolated from snail mucus and characterized. This paper presents a successful method for the application of snail mucus from Cornu aspersum as a bioreducing agent of copper sulfate and as a biostabilizer of the copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs-Muc) obtained. The synthesis at room temperature and neutral pH yielded nanoparticles with a spherical shape and an average diameter of 150 nm. The structure and properties of CuONPs-Muc were characterized using various methods and techniques, such as ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-PAGE), up-conversion infrared spectroscopy Fourier transform (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Raman spectroscopy and imaging, thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DSC), etc. Mucus proteins with molecular weights of 30.691 kDa and 26.549 kDa were identified, which are involved in the biogenic production of CuONPs-Muc. The macromolecular shell of proteins formed around the copper ions contributes to a higher efficiency of the synthesized CuONPs-Muc in inhibiting the bacterial growth of several Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis NBIMCC2353, Bacillus spizizenii ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Listeria innocua NBIMCC8755) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC8739, Salmonella enteitidis NBIMCC8691, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ATCC 17666) bacteria compared to baseline mucus. The bioorganic synthesis of snail mucus presented here provides CuONPs-Muc with a highly pronounced antimicrobial effect. These results will expand knowledge in the field of natural nanomaterials and their role in emerging dosage forms.

Carbon foam is a sophisticated porous material with wide applications that depend on its structure, low density, thermal conductivity and electrical characteristics. This study deals with the preparation of carbon foam by the thermo-oxidative modification with HNO₃ of mixtures containing different organic materials with appropriate chemical characteristics—furfural and tar pitch derived from RDF. Carbon foam is characterized by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, elemental analysis, Raman spectroscopy, N₂ sorption, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron spectroscopy. The investigation of adsorption activity of carbon foam towards nickel (II) in water solution is carried out. Experimental results fit very well with the Langmuir adsorption model. The carbon foam, obtained from tar pitch derived from RDF and furfural, shows a high adsorption capacity towards nickel ions (203.67 mg/g). The high adsorption capacity could be explained by the properties of the adsorbent—moderately high surface area, micro-mesoporous texture and presence of oxygen-containing surface groups.

Water contamination with surface-active agents, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), represents a serious environmental concern, driving the need for efficient and low-cost alternative adsorbents as a step toward sustainable waste valorization. In this study, waste biomass derived from plum stones, date stones, and walnut shells was successfully transformed into activated carbons via chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) at 850 °C with a 1:1 impregnation ratio. The synthesized materials underwent comprehensive physicochemical characterization utilizing TG-DSC, elemental analysis, Boehm titration, SEM, TEM, and nitrogen physisorption (BET), whereas their adsorption performance was evaluated against aqueous SLS solutions across various concentrations. The obtained results reveal a predominantly microporous structure with a high specific surface area, reaching up to 1059.01 m²/g for ACdate. The equilibrium adsorption data were well described by the Langmuir isotherm model, which yielded model-estimated asymptotic adsorption capacities (q_m) of 219.70 mg/g for ACwalnut, 178.25 mg/g for ACdate, and 57.80 mg/g for ACplum. These values represent Langmuir-derived model parameters rather than experimentally attained adsorption capacities within the investigated concentration range. Notably, despite having a lower specific surface area than ACdate, ACwalnut exhibited the highest Langmuir-estimated q_m, which may be associated with its structural balance and well-developed mesoporous network (0.210 cm³/g), facilitating the intraparticle transport of SLS molecules. These findings highlight that high efficiency originates from a synergistic combination of accessible porosity, a mesoporous transport network, hydrophobic character, and specific surface functional groups, demonstrating the exceptional potential of these activated carbons for anionic surfactant wastewater remediation.