Nanotechnology-Based, Sustainable Practices for Management of PFAS, Microplastics, and PPCPs in the Environment

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment due to their widespread use in industry and consumer products. Besides these, pharmaceuticals and chemicals from personal care products (PPCPs) are also of considerable public concern due to their high production and consumption rates globally along with rapid discharge in the surrounding environment without any control. PFAS, microplastics, and PPCPs are increasingly recognized as persistent environmental contaminants due to their persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity. Upon entering the environment, these contaminants undergo various transformations, e.g., transport and accumulation that potentially alter their structural dynamics and characteristics. These contaminants are now widespread enough to pose a significant risk for exposure to humans via occupational working, drinking contaminated water, breathing contaminated air, swallowing contaminated soil or dust, eating contaminated food, and using PCPs made with PFAS or microplastics.

This exposure can cause several health effects, such as reproductive impairments, developmental impairments, immunological effects, behavioral changes, oxidative stress, apoptosis, neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, etc. The limitations of conventional detection approaches, including the requirement of sophisticated laboratory instruments, high cost, and time-consuming nature, serve the need of innovative process to address these pollutants across different environmental matrices.

This Research Topic aims to tackle the challenges in detection, risk assessment, removal, and transformation of PFAS, MPs, and PPCPs using nanotechnology-based sustainable practices. These practices are of significant research interest, not only for the detection and management of these pollutants, but also for transforming them into value-added products. The presence of these contaminants in complex matrices necessitates the development of new technological breakthroughs. Prioritizing research directions for a sustainable environment, this topic focuses on zero-pollution approaches in management of these emerging contaminants with significant environmental and economic considerations.

This collection focuses on multidisciplinary research on identification, monitoring, treatment, and risk assessment of these emerging pollutants. Certain features of nanomaterials, such as high surface area, ease of functionalization, excellent mechanical properties, greater chemical reactivity, and ease of fabrication favor their use for management of these contaminants. Computational studies with artificial intelligence can advance our understanding of pollutants transport within the environment, fate, toxicity, design of sustainable nanomaterials, and treatment processes at molecular scale. This collection emphasizes sustainable practices using nanomaterials for management of PFAS, MPs, and PPCPs with eco-friendly and recyclable systems.

These practices offer an efficient and environmentally responsible framework over conventional approaches that rely on chemical-heavy and energy-intensive processes. The degradation process of the contaminants should not only consider environmental friendliness, but the research studies can focus on their ability to produce greater value products. The mechanism of interactions between complex pollutants should also be investigated. In addition to cutting-edge technology, analytical approaches, and policy frameworks for evaluation and mitigation of impacts of these contaminants, the investigations on their origin, behavior, and transformation are also recommended, along with their impact on environment and the organisms.

We will accept all article types. Key themes for this Research Topic include but not limited to the following:
• Sustainable nanomaterials
• Nanomaterials for sensing of PFAS, microplastics, and PPCPs
• Molecular-level modeling of materials
• Artificial intelligence role in transforming pollutants’ management
• Safer synthesis of nanomaterials
• Nanomaterials for degradation/adsorption of PFAS, microplastics, and PPCPs
• Analytical methods and computational and experimental approaches to assess the performance of catalysts
• Ecotoxicity assessment of nanomaterials and by-products of degradation processes