This study was conducted to determine the soil contamination and the accumulation of arsenic (As) and heavy metals including chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in 15 native and cultivated plant species in a Pb recycling area of Dong Mai village, Hung Yen Province, Vietnam. The analysis of 32 soil samples collected from seven different sites in the study area revealed that the contents of Al, Fe, As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the soils ranged from 6200–32,600, 11,300–55,500, 5.4–26.8, 24.9–290, 66.0–252, 143–455, 0.71–1.67, and 370–47,400 mg/kg, respectively. The contents of As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in rice grains and the shoots of 15 plant species ranged from 0.14–10.2, 1.00–10.2, 5.19–23.8, 34.7–165, 0.06–0.99, and 2.83–1160 mg/kg-dry weight (DW), respectively. Hymenachne acutigluma (Steud.) Gilliland, a potential hyperaccumulator of Pb (1160 mg/kg-DW), is considered the best candidate for phytoremediation of Pb-contaminated soil. The cultivation of rice and vegetables, and the use of some native plants for food for humans, pigs, and cattle should be managed with consideration of the accumulation of Pb in their aboveground biomass.

This study investigated the airborne concentration of PM₁₀ and 20 trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Na, Pb, Ti, V, Zn) in residential, industry, traffic road, coal mining, thermal power plant area of Bac Giang province. The average PM₁₀ concentration was highest at coal site, followed by traffic 1 sites, industrial sites and traffic 2 sites, the residential sites, and lowest at the power plant site located in mountain area. While Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na were the most abundant elements in all sampling sites, accounting for 73–96% of total obtained elements, the concentration of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn occupied from 2.9 to 23.2%. Noticeably, the concentrations of Cd were from 7 to 65 times higher than the concentration limit for Cd (0.1 ng/m³) according the World Health Organization (WHO). Although, the Hazard Index (HI values) of all metals were found to be within the safe level for both children and adults, the Carcinogenic Risk (CR) of Cr and As in all sites were closed to the acceptable levels for children, implying a potential carcinogenic risks of these metals.

Pure \ce{BiVO4} and three \ce{TiO2/BiVO4} composite photocatalysts with \ce{Bi^{3+}:Ti^{4+}} molar ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 4:1 were readily synthesized for the first time using a one-pot hydrothermal procedure for the photodegradation of ciprofloxacin. Conducting the hydrothermal reaction in a basic medium yielded single-phase scheelite monoclinic polymorphic \ce{BiVO4} (ms- \ce{BiVO4} ) in the composite samples. Microstructural analysis showed spherical \ce{TiO2} nanoparticles with an average grain size of 120 nm embedded on the surface of \ce{BiVO4} nanoplates. The optimized composite exhibited a ciprofloxacin photodegradation reaction rate constant was about 3.8 times higher than that of the pure \ce{BiVO4} sample. This significant enhancement is attributed to the formation of a \ce{TiO2/BiVO4} heterojunction, which promotes efficient charge separation. This research expands the knowledge on designing of \ce{BiVO4} -rich composites (with \ce{Bi^{3+}:Ti^{4+}} molar ratio \geq 1:1) via heterogeneous junction engineering to enhance photocatalytic activity beyond that of pure \ce{BiVO4} . This research also provided a perspective on using the \ce{BiVO4} -rich composites as effective photocatalysts as degradation of antibiotics in aqueous media under visible-light irradiation.