From contaminated waters to living ecosystems: Heavy-metal remediation as a driver of aquatic habitat and biodiversity restoration
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Technology, PMB 65, Gidan Kwano, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria
- 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, CDT 250, Miri, Sarawak 98009, Malaysia
- 3School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia
- 4Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected]
- 5Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia
Abstract
Contaminations of soils by hydrocarbons are significant threats to both ecosystems and human health as a result of their persistent nature and potential to cause adverse toxicological effects along with bioaccumulation. This review will discuss the state-of-the-art nanotechnologies used for remediation of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons and their role in processes of adsorption, catalytic oxidation, photocatalysis, electron transfer, redox cycling, and stimulation of microorganisms. While most studies on this topic only highlight the efficiency of biodegradation, this work is going to integrate all aspects of physicochemical transformations of the contaminants, ecology, and sustainability of nanomaterials into one comprehensive overview. Metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, nanoscale zero-valent iron, magnetic nanocomposites, nanoscale zeolites, and hybrid nanomaterials will be analyzed in relation to their impact on the process of hydrocarbon mineralization and degradation rate. The importance of new technologies that involve green synthesis of nanomaterials, their surface modification, and their coupling with microorganisms will be discussed about the improvement of catalytic properties, selectivity, and safety of nanomaterials. Potential ecotoxicological risks such as nanoparticle aggregation, disturbance of the microbiome, bioaccumulation, and changes to the structure of the soil will be also considered.
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BibTeX
@article{baba2026from,
title = {{From contaminated waters to living ecosystems: Heavy-metal remediation as a driver of aquatic habitat and biodiversity restoration}},
author = {Isaac Alhamdu Baba and Lukman Shehu Mustapha and Oluwatobi Victoria Obayomi and Kehinde Shola Obayomi and Jianhua Zhang},
journal = {Marine Pollution Bulletin},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119919},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119919},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From contaminated waters to living ecosystems: Heavy-metal remediation as a driver of aquatic habitat and biodiversity restoration
AU - Isaac Alhamdu Baba
AU - Lukman Shehu Mustapha
AU - Oluwatobi Victoria Obayomi
AU - Kehinde Shola Obayomi
AU - Jianhua Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/27
JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119919
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119919
AB - Contaminations of soils by hydrocarbons are significant threats to both ecosystems and human health as a result of their persistent nature and potential to cause adverse toxicological effects along with bioaccumulation. This review will discuss the state-of-the-art nanotechnologies used for remediation of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons and their role in processes of adsorption, catalytic oxidation, photocatalysis, electron transfer, redox cycling, and stimulation of microorganisms. While most studies on this topic only highlight the efficiency of biodegradation, this work is going to integrate all aspects of physicochemical transformations of the contaminants, ecology, and sustainability of nanomaterials into one comprehensive overview. Metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, nanoscale zero-valent iron, magnetic nanocomposites, nanoscale zeolites, and hybrid nanomaterials will be analyzed in relation to their impact on the process of hydrocarbon mineralization and degradation rate. The importance of new technologies that involve green synthesis of nanomaterials, their surface modification, and their coupling with microorganisms will be discussed about the improvement of catalytic properties, selectivity, and safety of nanomaterials. Potential ecotoxicological risks such as nanoparticle aggregation, disturbance of the microbiome, bioaccumulation, and changes to the structure of the soil will be also considered.
SN - 0025-326X
SN - 1879-3363
ER -