Groundwater is of vital significance to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); nevertheless, it remains vulnerable to contamination from phenolic compounds. This systematic review critically evaluates the chromatographic and spectrometric techniques applied in real-case groundwater contamination studies involving phenolic compounds. It highlights advances, limitations, and research gaps. A comprehensive research strategy retrieved a total of 345 publications from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, of which 52 (from the years 1984 to 2023) met the PRISMA criteria. The review identified 107 phenolic compounds across 25 countries. Temporal and spatial analyses, source identification, and pollutant profiles were systematically assessed per country. The study also mapped priority (n = 11) and hazardous (n = 27) phenolic compounds according to the USEPA, comparing their detectability across analytical methods. The most frequently applied techniques were LC-MS and LC-MS/MS, while GC-MS demonstrated competitive performance when combined with derivatization. The study found that contamination was predominantly reported in the Global North, with industrial and domestic sewage being the main sources. The highest concentrations reported were 40 × 10⁶ ng/L for 4-methylphenol and 50 × 10⁶ ng/L for phenol, both of which are hazardous substances typically linked to industrial/domestic effluents and the use of pesticides. These findings highlight the imperative for regulatory measures and international scientific collaboration to enhance groundwater monitoring, particularly in the Global South, where data scarcity persists.

This study evaluates the bioadsorption efficiency of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) for removing pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs—such as acetaminophen, atenolol, caffeine, carbamazepine, diclofenac, orphenadrine, losartan, enalapril, citalopram, cocaine, and benzoylecgonine—from wastewater effluents. In Brazil, where 46% of the population lacks access to sewage systems, and over 5.3 billion pharmaceutical packages are consumed annually, untreated discharges contribute significantly to aquatic contamination. Results show that applying SCB biochar at a 1% (m/v) ratio removes up to 99.8% of these compounds at total concentrations of 140 ng mL⁻¹, reducing the ecological risk from high to low for caffeine and losartan. SCB offers several advantages as a bioadsorbent: it is abundant, non-toxic, inexpensive, easy to handle, and exhibits high adsorption capacity and rapid kinetics across a wide range of chemical polarities. These findings highlight SCB’s potential as a sustainable and efficient material for wastewater treatment applications.

7Li in the form of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH·H₂O), remains liquid over a wide temperature range (180 to 1340ºC), making it an excellent pH controller on reactor coolant in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). In contrast, 6Li is a strong neutron absorber and unsuitable for PWRs, whereas 7Li has a low neutron cross-section, making it ideal for reactor use. Enriching 7Li to over 99.95% is essential but complex. The Colex method, involving mercury, was used for enrichment but was banned in the USA due to environmental concerns. Currently, Russia and China are the primary sources of enriched 7Li. A mercury-free procedure to obtain this isotope is necessary, ion exchange techniques, including frontal analysis, elution, and displacement chromatography, offer alternative enrichment methods. This study evaluates these techniques to achieve the required 7Li enrichment for PWR applications. Preliminary results showed an abundance of 7Li at 95.65% after displacement of 830 cm.

Vinasse, a major by-product of the sugarcane ethanol industry, is characterized by high organic and ionic loads and represents a promising source for nutrient recovery. This study investigated the recovery of potassium, sulfate, and chloride from vinasse using an integrated ion-exchange process consisting of a chelating cation-exchange resin (Amberlite IRC748) followed by a strong-base anion-exchange resin (Purolite A400). Fixed-bed column experiments were conducted using a sequential elution strategy with NH₄Cl, HCl 0.01 M, HCl 2 M, and HCl 3 M. The breakthrough and elution profiles revealed a clear selectivity sequence (K⁺ > Na⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺), demonstrating the combined effects of ion exchange, chelation, and diffusion mechanisms. Selective potassium recovery was achieved during the initial elution stages, whereas strongly retained divalent cations were desorbed under acidic conditions. Sulfate exhibited stronger retention than chloride, indicating significant cation–anion coupling and ion-pairing effects. The integrated process achieved recovery efficiencies of 99.90% for K⁺, 99.88% for SO₄²⁻, and 99.94% for Cl⁻ while ensuring complete resin regeneration. Model validation showed excellent agreement with experimental data (R² = 0.90–0.96; RMSE < 0.10), and heatmap analysis confirmed the sequential migration of ionic species throughout the column. Overall, the integrated Amberlite IRC748–Purolite A400 system enabled simultaneous nutrient recovery, vinasse demineralization, and water-quality improvement. The proposed approach transforms vinasse from an agro-industrial waste stream into a source of recoverable products and reusable water, supporting sustainable resource management and circular economy practices in the sugarcane industry.