Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become a global environmental issue. Soil, as a key environmental medium, serves as an important sink and carrier of MPs. Accurate and efficient extraction of MPs from soil matrices is essential for understanding their distribution, composition, and environmental behavior. This study presents a refined extraction method that combines two-step density separation with sodium chloride (NaCl, 1.20 g/cm³), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) digestion for organic matter removal and a Fractionated Filtration Method (FFM) to capture MPs across multiple particle size ranges. Polymer identification and size characterization were performed using the high-throughput Agilent 8700 Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) imaging system. Method validation demonstrated a recovery rate of 85% based on 100 μm MPs standards spiked into soil and minimal background contamination of 5–8 particles in blank controls, confirming the reliability of the workflow. Applying this method to agricultural soils from the Hetao Irrigation District revealed widespread MP contamination, with concentrations ranging from 5778 to 31,489 particles/kg and an average of 16,461 ± 8097 particles/kg. More than 99% of MPs were smaller than 500 μm, with the 10–30 μm fraction dominating the distribution. Polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), and polyethylene (PE) accounted for over 90% of detected MPs. This refined method enables reproducible extraction and accurate characterization of fine MPs in complex soil environments and provides a practical foundation for advancing standardized soil MP monitoring protocols.

Honey is consumed worldwide for its nutritional and medicinal value, but it can also expose people to toxic metals from environmental contamination. This study analyzes heavy metal levels and assesses health risks using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in honey collected from three areas in the Kellem Wollega Zone, Ethiopia: Dambi Dollo, Gawo Kebe, and Anafilo. The concentrations followed the order: Zn > Fe > Pb > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cd. Notably, Pb and Cd levels exceeded the WHO/FAO maximum permissible limits. The assessment of non-carcinogenic health risks for adult consumers based on the average daily dose, target hazard quotient, and hazard index indicated that all calculated values were below the critical threshold of 1. This result suggests that honey consumption poses no significant non-carcinogenic risk. In contrast, the estimated target cancer risk and cumulative cancer risk (∑TCR) exceeded safety thresholds, indicating potential moderate lifetime carcinogenic risk from chronic exposure. Likely sources of high metal levels include local mining activities, agricultural inputs, and improper honey storage. Consequently, these findings highlight the need for continuous environmental monitoring, stricter regulations, and improved apicultural practices to ensure honey safety and protect public health.

Due to urbanization, the population in the major cities in Malaysia is approximately 72.8% of its total population. The increase of population density has directly increased the amount of sewerage sludge waste that poses threat to the environment. In line with the green initiatives, alternative method to develop good quality concrete material from sewerage sludge waste can be further explored. Traditionally, sewerage sludge waste is processed using incinerator that require high energy and it is time consuming. In this study, microwave heating which require less energy consumption and less time consuming is used for sewerage sludge preparation. Prior to heating process, sewerage sludge waste is over dried at 105°C for 24 hours. Three types of microwave heating namely medium heating, medium high heating and high heating has been used. The chemical and physical properties microwaved sewerage sludge ash (MSSA) was tested using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Based on the result, the recommended temperature for the MSSA production for the concrete is High Mode Temperature. This is due to the result of MSSA for X-Ray Fluorescent test as its shows the highest in the content for pozzolanic element which are SiO2 and Fe2O3 that produce after the microwave burning process. The mineralogical composition and the crystalline phase of the High temperature MSSA due to X-Ray Diffraction test also shows high content of SiO2 as the major component as it is good for pozzolanic reaction in concrete. From the Scanning Electron Microscope test, it is observed that particle of High heated MSSAare slightly smaller than other temperature. Also, the densification occurs at High temperature MSSA. Hence, the optimal burning temperature mode for MSSA is High Mode temperature.

Irrigated agriculture substantially alters soil water and solute transport, promoting the export of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from soils to agricultural drainage systems and thereby affecting regional carbon and nutrient cycling. However, the vertical differentiation of DOM within soil profiles and its linkage to drainage-water DOM remain poorly understood. Here, soil profiles (0-100 cm) and adjacent drainage waters were collected from the Hetao Irrigation District, a typical arid agricultural region in northwestern China, which is the largest irrigation and drainage area in Asia. We integrated multispectral characterization, principal component analysis, and structural equation modeling to find that: Soil DOC concentrations and DOM aromaticity generally decreased with depth, while DOM composition shifted markedly below 60 cm from terrestrially derived humic- and fulvic-like components toward microbially derived protein-like components, indicating selective retention and compositional reworking during downward transport. Drainage-water DOM was dominated by humic-like components but also showed pronounced autochthonous characteristics. End-member analysis indicated an average apparent soil-derived contribution of approximately 34.1% to drainage-water DOM. DOC in the 60-100 cm soil layer was significantly positively associated with drainage-water DOC, whereas mobile anion load was negatively related to DOM aromaticity. These results suggest that the 60-100 cm soil layer acts as a key biogeochemical interface regulating DOM transfer and transformation. Overall, DOM transport across the soil–drainage continuum involves irrigation-driven leaching, selective filtering within the soil profile, lateral export, and subsequent in-stream reprocessing.

As emerging contaminants, Organophosphate esters (OPEs) pose significant ecological risks, particularly in soil–plant systems, which face dual pressures from anthropogenic activities and environmental stressors. Herein, we comprehensively investigated the occurrence of OPEs in the soil-plant system of the Poyang Lake, a typical ecological area with frequent and persistent human activities. Combined with the analysis of heavy metals and functional groups, the potential driving factors affecting the migration and transformation of OPEs were revealed, and the ecological risks of OPEs and heavy metals were assessed. Results showed that the average concentration of ∑14OPEs in soil was 290.23 (ng/g, dw), and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) was the main OPEs (114.91 ng/g, dw). Among the seven plants, Artemisia selengensis showed significant enrichment ability for tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCP), with the concentration is 11258.65 (ng/g, dw) and the root concentration factor was 288. TDCP showed a significant negative correlation with Cu, Zn, and K, indicating that TDCP may inhibit the uptake of essential growth elements Cu, Zn, and potassium by plants. Carotenoids, cellulose, and lignin have a significant correlation with OPEs, which may be the key factors affecting the transformation of OPEs in plants. This study finds Artemisia selengensis may a promising phytoremediation candidate for TDCP contaminated soils, unlocking the future of low-cost, high-yield herbal remediation for OPE soil contamination.