Muhammad Ikram Nabeel

Microplastics (MPs) are a growing concern due to the impact they have on fish physiology and safety of seafood. This review brings together recent research related MP induced oxidative stress in teleost fish and implications for muscle nutritional quality and the role of heme containing oxygen transport proteins. MPs are found primarily in the liver (32% of samples), as well as muscle, and enter fish primarily via gill uptake and ingestion. Laboratory tests consistently show increased oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA 1.8–3.78-fold) and protein carbonyls (1.8–2.4-fold) as well as decreased antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GPx decreased by 38%–52%). This oxidative imbalance could enhance the possibility of the heme iron to undergo autoxidation and globin modification, but there is no direct evidence at this time as measurements of heme iron redox state, P ₅₀ values and methemoglobin generation have not been performed. Metabolomic analysis also shows changes in the levels of amino acids, such as a decrease in tryptophan and tyrosine, suggesting impaired metabolic processes with unfamiliar relevance to heme biosynthesis. This review differentiates between established oxidative and inflammatory effects and the hypothesized effects on heme proteins, and emphasizes the critical need for direct biophysical measurements such as methemoglobin, P ₅₀ , heme speciation to gain a better understanding of fish welfare and seafood nutritional quality.

The growing world crisis of waste, water shortage, and energy insecurity which needs sustainable and permanent solutions. Traditional nanocomposites, which are usually prepared by using high purity starting materials through energy intensive methods, are increasingly incompatible with environmental objectives. This review uniquely integrates dual functionality waste-based nanocomposites and their role in circular economy principles. The current approach highlighted in this review is the emerging waste-based nanocomposites as dual-purpose materials that can be used to meet the requirements of water purification and energy storage/conversion at the same time. We methodically explore the conversion of multiple waste streams (agricultural residues, plastic waste, industrial sludge, and biomass) into functional nanocomposites using thermal, biological, and hybrid synthesis pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), microbial reduction, and artificial intelligence (AI)-directed design. Particular attention is given to multipurpose systems in which one material is used in the environmental and energy fields such as SiO ₂ /biochar composites made of rice husk in heavy metal adsorption and super capacitor electrode, or N-doped carbon made of textile waste in the dye degradation and hydrogen evolution catalysis. Besides these, some other nanomaterials have also been highlighted in this review. We critically assess synthesis pathways through life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno economic analysis (TEA) alongside structure property relationships, performance indexes, and the environmental impact of these materials. All critical issues, including the control of impurities, batch variability, and scaling, are addressed, along with innovative directions such as modular reactors, decentralized production, and their integration with wastewater energy systems. In the future, we proposed a circular nanotechnology economy in which urban waste can serve as a strategic asset to the next generation of sustainable technologies. This review offers a pathway toward the realization of high performance, low cost, and environmentally-friendly nanocomposites by sensitizing waste valorization, materials science, and system-level sustainability at the nexus of water and energy.

This research work is planned to investigate the concentration of the acetic acid formed as by-product during alcohol fermentation. The commercially available yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) was used to ferment molasses to produce ethanol and acetic acid (by-product) formation was assessed by HPLC. The concentration of acetic acid was measured with time intervals (from 0 to 20[ ]h), showing 4.19[ ]g/L at 4[ ]h, the increase rate was observed after 12 to 24[ ]h i.e., 5.19 and 7.29[ ]g/L respectively. Ethanol production by S. cerevisiae from cane molasses is a major fermentation product under optimum conditions, whereas acetic acid formation was controlled to minimize high ethanol production. The presence of mineral ions in the fermentation medium is very important in order to enhance the cellular physiology during fermentation. The mineral ions can inhibit the negative effect of inhibitors, thereby promoting increased acetic acid production. For downstream purification strategies, it is advisable to follow established protocols to maintain product quality and safety, ensuring that any purification method does not compromise the integrity of acetic acid used in food applications.

Recent advances in agricultural biotechnology and sustainable farming have drawn attention to biochar as a multifunctional material for environmental remediation. Among its emerging applications, biochar has demonstrated remarkable potential in wastewater treatment, particularly as an efficient and sustainable adsorbent for pollutant removal. Numerous studies over the past decades have highlighted its effectiveness in eliminating a wide range of contaminants. This efficiency is mainly due to its abundant feedstock availability, simple production processes, and favorable surface and structural properties. This review summarizes current developments in biochar use for wastewater treatment, emphasizing its adsorption capabilities and the underlying mechanisms responsible for pollutant removal. Key modification strategies, physical, chemical, and biological, are discussed in detail to illustrate how biochar performance can be optimized for specific treatment goals. Furthermore, the prospects of biochar-based technologies are explored, with a focus on their role in addressing both inorganic and organic pollutants. This review also describes the use of biochar in adsorbing metals, organic contaminants, and industrial waste. The integration of biochar into sustainable water management systems presents a promising pathway toward achieving long-term environmental and agricultural resilience.

High-valent metal species (iron, manganese, cobalt, copper, and ruthenium) based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as sustainable technologies for water remediation. These processes offer high selectivity, electron transfer efficiency, and compatibility with circular chemistry principles compared to conventional systems. This comprehensive review discusses recent advances in the synthesis, stabilization, and catalytic applications of high-valent metals in aqueous environments. This study highlights their dual functionality, not only as conventional oxidants but also as mechanistic mediators within redox cycles that underpin next-generation AOPs. In this review, the formation mechanisms of these species in various oxidant systems are critically evaluated, highlighting the significance of ligand design, supramolecular confinement, and single-atom engineering in enhancing their stability. The integration of high-valent metal-based AOPs into photocatalysis, sonocatalysis, and electrochemical regeneration is explored through a newly proposed classification framework, highlighting their potential in the development of energy efficient hybrid systems. In addition, this work addresses the critical yet underexplored area of environmental fate, elucidating the post-oxidation transformation pathways of high-valent species, with particular attention to their implications for metal recovery and nutrient valorization. This review highlights the potential of high-valent metal-based AOPs as a promising approach for zero wastewater treatment within circular economies. Future frontiers, including bioinspired catalyst design, machine learning-guided optimization, and closed loop reactor engineering, will bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world applications.

Recent biotechnological advancements in agro-technology and sustainable farming practices have led scientific attention in biochar as a multifunctional material for environmental remediation. Among its emerging applications, biochar has demonstrated remarkable potential in wastewater treatment, particularly as an efficient and sustainable adsorbent for pollutant removal. Numerous studies over the past decades have highlighted its effectiveness in eliminating a wide range of contaminants. This efficiency is mainly due to its abundant feedstock availability, simple production processes, and favorable surface and structural properties. This review summarizes current developments in biochar utilization for wastewater treatment, emphasizing its adsorption capabilities and the underlying mechanisms responsible for pollutant removal. Key modification strategies physical, chemical, and biological are discussed in detail to illustrate how biochar performance can be optimized for specific treatment goals. Furthermore, the future prospects of biochar-based technologies are explored, with a focus on their role in addressing both inorganic and organic pollutants. The integration of biochar into sustainable water management systems presents a promising pathway toward achieving long-term environmental and agricultural resilience.

High-valent metal species such as Fe(IV), Mn(V), Co(IV), and Cu(III) based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as sustainable technologies for water remediation. These processes offer high selectivity, electron transfer efficiency, and compatibility with circular chemistry principles compared to conventional radical-driven systems. This comprehensive review discusses recent advances in the synthesis, stabilization, and catalytic applications of high-valent metals in aqueous environments. Here the focus is on their role not only as conventional oxidants, but also as mechanistic mediators of redox cycles in next-generation AOPs. In this review, the formation mechanisms of these species in various oxidant systems (peroxymonosulfate, peracetic acid, periodate) are critically evaluated, highlighting the significance of ligand design, supramolecular confinement, and single-atom engineering in enhancing their stability. The integration of high-valent metal AOPs into photocatalysis, sono-catalysis, and electrochemical regeneration is examined through a newly proposed classification framework, emphasizing their potential for energy-efficient hybrid systems. Furthermore, we address the critical yet underexplored domain of environmental fate, detailing the post-oxidation transformation pathways of high-valent species and their potential for metal recovery and nutrient valorization. By bridging molecular-level reaction mechanisms with system-scale sustainability metrics, this review positions high-valent metal AOPs as a promising approach for zero-waste water treatment within circular economies. Future frontiers, including bioinspired catalyst design, machine learning-guided optimization, and closed-loop reactor engineering, will bridge the gap between laboratory research to real-world applications.

This study investigates the potential of the seaweed Sargassum sp a brown macroalga that floats in large, island-like masses and does not anchor to the seafloor. It belongs to the order Fucales, as a part of the Phaeophyceae class, and was used in current research for the production of activated carbon (AC) by the two-step activation process involving carbonization at [ ]C for 15 min and activation at [ ]C for 45 min using a muffle furnace. The prepared AC characterization was done using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) that confirms the presence of specific functional groups and porous surface morphology related to AC, ideal for the adsorption applications. This research also examined the adsorption efficiency using methylene blue (MB) dye selected as a target pollutant for AC. The different parameters like initial dye concentration, contact time, and pH, were found to have a significant effect on the adsorption efficiency and the highest MB removal efficiency (73.71%) was achieved at pH 9 and higher pH indicates that alkaline conditions were favored for enhancing the adsorption efficiency. Kinetics studies followed a pseudo-second-order model with consistently high correlation coefficients ([ ]–0.9983), indicating chemisorption as the dominant mechanism. The maximum adsorption capacity [ ] increased from 4.91[ ]mg/g to 15.49[ ]mg/g as the initial MB concentration rose from 2[ ]mg/L to 10[ ]mg/L. Isotherm analysis showed that both the Langmuir ([ ]) and the Freundlich ([ ]) models provided a good fit to the equilibrium data, while the Langmuir model predicted a maximum monolayer capacity ([ ] of 19.92[ ]mg/g on a homogeneous surface. This valorization strategy not only provides a waste management solution for the adsorption of MB from wastewater, but also benefits the local industry by producing a high-value commodity from natural resources.