As primary degradation products of persistent plastic waste, microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs, <1 μm) have emerged as a critical global environmental concern, with their ubiquitous distribution documented across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric ecosystems. With annual plastic production exceeding 460 million metric tons, their widespread presence in environmental matrices and biota—from marine organisms to human tissues—poses significant, yet incompletely understood, threats to ecological integrity and public health. This paper systematically reviews the state-of-the-art detection techniques, environmental fate processes, and remediation strategies for MPs and NPs. In terms of detection, we cover microscopy, mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, chromatography, and spectroscopy, emphasizing hyphenated techniques (e.g., FT-IR microscopy, Raman spectroscopy) for enhancing sensitivity and specificity. Fate studies reveal that MPs/NPs exhibit long environmental persistence, undergo bioaccumulation and trophic transfer, and can act as carriers for organic pollutants and heavy metals. Removal techniques include physical (membrane filtration, adsorption), chemical (coagulation, advanced oxidation), and biological (biochar immobilization, microbial degradation) approaches, each with distinct advantages and limitations. This review synthesizes current knowledge gaps and provides a scientific framework for developing integrated management strategies to mitigate plastic pollution risks.

Efficient co-utilization of mixed sugars from lignocellulosic hydrolysates is often hindered by carbon catabolite repression and pretreatment-derived inhibitors. In this study, a co-fermentation strategy using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and Enterococcus mundtii (E. mundtii) was developed to simultaneously produce ethanol and lactic acid from non-detoxified corncob hydrolysate. Co-fermentation performed at 39 °C significantly improved substrate utilization compared with monoculture systems, achieving pentose and total sugar utilization percentages of 67.1% and 83.7%, respectively. S. cerevisiae preferentially consumed glucose and effectively detoxified furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), thereby alleviating inhibitory stress and carbon catabolite repression on E. mundtii. By optimizing the inoculation sequence, a 3 h delayed inoculation of E. mundtii significantly enhanced pentose utilization from 68.6% to 80.2% and increased total sugar utilization to 90.4%. This synergistic co-fermentation strategy provides an effective approach for improving mixed-sugar utilization and multi-product bioconversion efficiency in lignocellulosic biorefineries.

Background: The rapid expansion of China’s livestock industry presents environmental challenges and opportunities for utilizing livestock manure as a fertilizer. This study investigates microbial community characteristics at various soil depths in areas treated with cattle manure, comparing the effects of short- (1 year) and long- (10 years) term manure application. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 100 cm depths at a model ranch in Inner Mongolia and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing, the neutral community model, and non-metric multidimensional scaling. Results: Short-term manure application caused rapid changes in the microbial community structure, with increased abundances of genera, such as Antarcticibacterium and Nitrilinuptor. Long-term application resulted in improved community structure and increased abundance of crucial microbes, including Bradyrhizobium and Nocardioides, which enhanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium cycling. Manure application also boosted the microbial metabolic activities and soil organic matter accumulation, improving soil fertility and ecosystem stability. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the significance of optimizing manure application strategies for sustainable agriculture, with long-term application stabilizing microbial communities and enhancing nutrient cycling efficiency and short-term application providing immediate fertility benefits. Future research should explore long-term dynamics and compare different organic fertilizers to develop effective soil management practices.

This study presents a co-leaching method using organic waste to enhance dechlorination of incineration fly ash and increase its mixture amount for cement kiln co-disposal.