Nanthi Bolan

University of South Australia | UniSA · Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation

Globally, nitrogen (N) fertilizer demand is expected to reach 112 million tonnes to support food production for about 8 billion people. However, more than half of the N fertilizer is lost to the environment with impacts on air, water and soil quality, and biodiversity. Importantly, N loss to the environment contributes to greenhouse gas emissions a...

Removal of antimonite [Sb(III)] from the aquatic environment and reducing its biotoxicity is urgently needed to safeguard environmental and human health. Herein, crawfish shell-derived biochars (CSB), pyrolyzed at 350, 500, and 650 ° C, were used to remediate Sb(III) in aqueous solutions. The adsorption data best fitted to the pseudo-second-order k...

Broadacre (arable) crops generally require a relatively higher nutrient input toward yield targets. The efficient use of nutrients in arable farmlands is very vital to this endeavor. It minimizes fertilizer input and adverse soil and environmental implications that may arise from the incremental use of fertilizers. It is understood that enhancing t...

The potential toxicity and ecological risks of rare-earth nanoparticles in the environment have become a concern due to their widespread application and inevitable releases. The integration of hydroponics experiments, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were utilized to investigat...

Soil heavy metal contamination caused by mining activities is a global issue. These heavy metals can be enriched in plants and animals through the food chain, and eventually transferred to the human system and threatening public health. Biochar, as an environmentally friendly soil remediation agent, can effectively immobilize heavy metals in soil....

Garden pruning waste is becoming a problem that intensifies the garbage siege. It is of great significance to purify polluted water using biochar prepared from garden pruning waste. Herein, the interaction mechanism between BPS and oriental plane tree biochar (TBC) with different surface functional groups was investigated by adsorption experiments,...

This paper summarises a study of the application of the synthetic chelate ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and the natural chelates ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS) and nitrilotriacetate (NTA) to enhance ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) uptake of the heavy metal(oid)s (HMs) (As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) from contaminated soils in mini...

Numerous harmful chemicals are introduced every year in the environment through anthropogenic and geological activities raising global concerns of their ecotoxicological effects and decontamination strategies. Biochar technology has been recognized as an important pillar for recycling of biomass, thereby contributing to the carbon capture and bioen...

Iron (Fe) minerals play an important role in stabilizing soil organic carbon (SOC). Fe-mediated SOC protection is mainly achieved through adsorption, co-precipitation, or aggregation. However, newly emerging evidence indicates that the electron transfer role of Fe exerts a crucial influence upon SOC turnover. In this review, we address the pathways...

Drinking fluoride (F−)-contaminated water (>1.5 mg L−1) causes severe dental and skeletal disorders. In the central province of Pakistan, ∼20 times higher levels of F− in the drinking groundwater (compared with the 1.5 mg L−1 permissible limit of the World Health Organization) are triggering bone abnormalities in teenagers. In this study, we demons...

Particulate plastic fragments (micro and nano-plastics) in aquatic environments provide abundant solid sub-strates, which serve as an important habitat for a variety of microorganisms. Surfaces of microplastics (MPs) exhibit hydrophobicity that facilitate the adsorption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the aquatic environment. Furthermore, MPs...

The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the environment, and improve the lives and prospects of everyone on this planet. However, progress on SDGs is currently lagging behind its 2030 target. The availability of water of adequate quality and quantity is considered as one of t...

A better understanding of different retention mechanisms of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by biochars during the remediation of contaminated sites is critically needed. In this study, different spectroscopic techniques including synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and near-edge XAFS spectr...

Soil heavy metal contamination has increasingly become a serious environmental issue globally, nearing crisis proportions. There is an urgent need to find environmentally friendly materials to remediate heavy-metal contaminated soils. With the continuing maturation of research on using biochar (BC) for the remediation of contaminated soil, nano-bio...

In the past few decades, many non-flooding uplands (NF) and permanent flooding waters (PF) have been turned into seasonal flooding wetlands (SF) at the global scale. This trend could severely threaten global climate system by changing carbon cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, the effects of SF expansion on soil and sediment org...

A novel adsorptive organoclay (Intraplex A®) was developed for the in situ immobilization of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the vadose zone. We provide the first evaluation of the effects of Intraplex A® on earthworms and plants in a PFAS-contaminated soil. Ecotoxicological tests were carried out on control soil with and without Intr...

Soil lead (Pb) contamination is often caused by anthropogenic activities. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to assess the effect of biochars derived from pig-carcass (PCBC) and branches of oriental-plane tree (OPBC) on the bioavailability, redistribution, and phytoavailability of Pb and P, as well as the growth of Ipomoea aquatica Forsk...

Pyrolysis is considered as a promising method to immobilize potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in animal manures. However, comparative study on characteristics and environmental risk of PTEs in biochar obtained by pyrolysis of animal manure at different reactors are lacking. In this study, swine manure was pyrolyzed at 300–600 °C in a lab-scale or p...

The objective of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of cinnamon wood biochar (CWBC) in adsorbing sulfamethoxazole (SUL), which alleviates bioavailability and plant uptake. Batch studies at various pH, contact times, and initial SUL loading were used to study SUL adsorption in CWBC, soil, and 2.5% CWBC amended soil. SUL mitigation from plant...

Adsorption is the most widely adopted, effective, and reliable treatment process for the removal of inorganic and organic contaminants from wastewater. One of the major issues with the adsorption-treatment process for the removal of contaminants from wastewater streams is the recovery and sustainable management of spent adsor-bents. This review foc...

The effects of topography, land cover type, and soil physicochemical properties on the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) have drawn growing attention recently, but little is known about how these features-associated interactions impact SOC and TN. To elucidate how these interactions affect the preservation of carbon...

The impact of land use type on the content of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soils of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and the associated ecological and human health risks has drawn great attention. Consequently, in this study, top- and subsurface soil samples were collected from areas with four different land uses (i.e., cropland, forest,...

One of the key focuses of the agricultural industry for preventing the decline in crop yields due to pests is to develop effective, safe, green, and sustainable pesticide formulation. A key objective of industry is to deliver active ingredients (AIs) that have minimal off site migration and non-target activity. Nanoporous materials have received si...

Phytolith carbon (C) sequestration plays a key role in mitigating global climate change at a centennial to millennial time scale. However, previous estimates of phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) storage and potential in China's grasslands have large uncertainties mainly due to multiple data sources. This contributes to the uncertainty in predictin...

In heavy metal-contaminated farmland, microorganisms or organic fertilizers can be used to minimize heavy metal uptake by crops to ensure food safety. However, the mechanisms by which urease-producing and metal-immobilizing bacteria combined with manure inhibit Cd uptake in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) remain unclear. Herein, the effects of Enterob...

Antimony (Sb) is introduced into soils, sediments, and aquatic environments from various sources such as weathering of sulfide ores, leaching of mining wastes, and anthropogenic activities. High Sb concentrations are toxic to ecosystems and potentially to public health via the accumulation in food chain. Although Sb is poisonous and carcinogenic to...

Global concerns towards potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are steadily increasing due to the significant threats that PTEs pose to human health and environmental quality. This calls for immediate, effective and efficient remediation solutions. Earthworms, the 'ecosystem engineers', can modify and improve soil health and enhance plant productivity....

Understanding the fate and toxicity of microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm plastic particles) is limited by quantification methods. This paper summarizes the methods in use and presents new ones. First, sampling and pretreatment processes of MPs, including sample collection, digestion, density separation, and quality control are reviewed. Then the promising...

A better understanding of different retention mechanisms of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by biochars during the remediation of contaminated sites is critically needed. In this study, different spectroscopic techniques including synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and near-edge XAFS spectr...

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are at the forefront of many technological breakthroughs in science and engineering. The extensive use of ENMs in several consumer products has resulted in their release to the aquatic environment. ENMs entering the aquatic ecosystem undergo a dynamic transformation as they interact with organic and inorganic constit...

Efficient decontamination of Sb(V) from water has long been an urgent task owing to its grave threat to human health. Herein, Y-based MOFs (MOF-Y and NH2-MOF-Y) were synthesized for effective adsorption of Sb(V) from aqueous solution, and the stability of the Y based MOFs were estimated. Kinetic and isotherms results indicated that the pseudo-secon...

We synthesized 20 years of research to explain the interrelated processes that determine soil and plant responses to biochar. Biochar properties and its effects within agricultural ecosystems largely depend on feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. We describe three stages of reactions of biochar in soil: dissolution (1‐3 weeks); reactive surface deve...

Land application of sewage sludge is increasingly used as an alternative to landfilling and incineration owing to a considerable content of carbon and essential plant nutrients in sewage sludge. However, the presence of chemical and biological contaminants in sewage sludge poses potential dangers; therefore, sewage sludge must be suitably treated b...

Global development has been heavily reliant on the overexploitation of natural resources since the Industrial Revolution. With the extensive use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other forms of land-use change, anthropogenic activities have contributed to the ever-increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, causing glo...

Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air with varying size, shape, and chemical composition which intensifies significant concern due to severe health effects. Based on the well-established human health effects of outdoor PM, health-based standards for outdoor air have been promoted (e...

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present globally in drinking-, waste-, and groundwater sources are contaminants of emerging concern due to their long-term environmental persistence and toxicity to organisms, including humans. Here we review PFAS occurrence, behavior, and toxicity in various water sources, and critically discuss their rem...

Soil serves as both a ‘source’ and ‘sink’ for contaminants. As a source, contaminants are derived from both ‘geogenic’ and ‘anthropogenic’ origins. Typically, while some of the inorganic contaminants including potentially toxic elements are derived from geogenic origin (e.g. arsenic and selenium) through weathering of parent materials, the majority...

Contamination of paddy soils by arsenic (As) is of great concern for human health and the environment. The impact of animal-derived biochar on As mobilization under fluctuating redox conditions in paddy soils has not been studied. Consequently, we investigated the effects of pig carcass-derived biochar (PB) on As (im)mobilization in a contaminated...

With the ever-increasing demand for lithium (Li) for portable energy storage devices, there is a global concern associated with environmental contamination of Li, via the production, use, and disposal of Li-containing products, including mobile phones and mood-stabilizing drugs. While geogenic Li is sparingly soluble, Li added to soil is one of the...

Water and soil contamination due to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) represents a critical threat to the global ecosystem and human health. Naturally abundant resources have significant advantages as adsorbent materials for environmental remediation over manufactured materials such as nanostructured materials and activated carbons. These advantage...

Aqueous film-forming foam, used in firefighting, and biowastes, including biosolids, animal and poultry manures, and composts, provide a major source of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) input to soil. Large amounts of biowastes are added to soil as a source of nutrients and carbon. They also are added as soil amendments to improve soil he...

In this study, typical animal- and plant-derived biochars derived from pig carcass (PB) and green waste (GWB), and their iron-engineered products (Fe-PB and Fe-GWB) were added at the dose of 3% (w/w) to an acidic (pH = 5.8) soil, and incubated to test their efficacy in improving soil quality and immobilizing arsenic (As = 141.3 mg kg⁻¹) and lead (P...

Weathering of microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm) in terrestrial and aquatic environments affects MP transport and distribution. This paper first summarizes the sources of MPs, including refuse in landfills, biowastes, plastic films, and wastewater discharge. Once MPs enter water and soil, they undergo different weathering processes. MPs can be converted i...

Rhizoremediation potential of different wild plant species for total (aliphatic) petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)-contaminated soils was investigated. Three-week-old seedlings of Acacia inaequilatera, Acacia pyrifolia, Acacia stellaticeps, Banksia seminuda, Chloris truncata, Hakea prostrata, Hardenbergia violacea, and Triodia wiseana were transplanted i...

Management of industrial hazardous waste is of great concern. Recently, aluminum rich drinking water treatment residuals (Al-WTR) received considerable attention as a low-cost immobilizing agent for toxic elements in soils. However, the suitability and effectiveness of modified Al-WTR as stabilizing agent for toxic metals such as Cu and Pb in minin...

Excessive amounts of animal manures and production of a large volume of biosolids pose serious environmental issues in terms of their safe disposal and management. Thermochemical treatment of bio-waste materials via pyrolysis can convert them into value-added products such as biochar-based fertilizers. In this study, fourteen biochars were produced...

Microplastics are well known for vector transport of hydrophobic organic contaminants, and there are growing concerns regarding their potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. However, recent researches based on hydrophilic compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), have indicated that their ability to be...

Soil salinity is one of the major and widespread challenges in the recent era that hinders global food security and environmental sustainability. Worsening the situation, the harmful impacts of climate change accelerate the development of soil salinity, potentially spreading the problem in the near future to currently unaffected regions. This paper...

Efficient elimination of As(V) and Sb(V) from wastewater streams has long been a major challenge. Herein, sulfide-modified α-FeOOH adsorbent was fabricated via a simple sulfidation reaction for removing As(V) and Sb(V) from aqueous media. Compared with the pristine α-FeOOH, sulfide-modified α-FeOOH increased the adsorption of As(V) from 153.8 to 384.6...

Phosphorus (P)-engineered biochars (BCP) were prepared via co-pyrolysis of poplar sawdust and monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4) (10%, w/w) at 300 ℃, 500 ℃ and 700 ℃ to evaluate their potential lead [Pb(II)] adsorption. Effects of pH, contact time, and initial Pb(II) concentration on the Pb(II) adsorption capacity of the biochars were investigated. T...

Any management practice that results in greater carbon (C) return to the soil, increases stabilization of soil C, or reduces C losses may lead to soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in soil. Therefore, SOC dynamics in soil are dictated by a balance between input and output of C in the soil, and C sequestration occurs only when the input exceeds the o...

Any management practice that results in greater carbon (C) return to the soil, increases stabilization of soil C, or reduces C losses may lead to soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in soil. Therefore, SOC dynamics in soil are dictated by a balance between input and output of C in the soil, and C sequestration occurs only when the input exceeds the o...

Cadmium accumulation in crops and the possibility of Cd entering the food chain are serious concerns for public health. This review discusses the deleterious effects of Cd in plants and the tolerance and resistance mechanisms that evolved to help mitigate cadmium toxicity. Cadmium reduces seed germination, early seedling growth, and plant biomass....

Biochar, an environmentally friendly soil conditioner, is produced using several thermochemical processes. It has unique characteristics like high surface area, porosity, and surface charges. This paper reviews the fertilizer value of biochar, and its effects on soil properties, and nutrient use efficiency of crops. Biochar serves as an important s...

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) and NZVI supported onto montmorillonite (NZVI-Mt) were synthetized and used in this study to remove SeVI and AsV from water in mono- and binary-adsorbate systems. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm data for SeVI and AsV were adequately described by the pseudo-second-order (PSO) (r²>0.94) and Freundlich (r²>0.93)...

In China, more than 10,000 tons of bean-worm, which is rich in protein (68.5%) and essential amino acids (52.8%), is consumed annually. Thus, a large amount of bean-worm skin waste is generated, and is often indiscriminately disposed of, potentially causing environment problems. In this study, bean-worm skin (BWS) waste was pyrolyzed at 500 °C to p...

A large amount of plastic waste released into natural waters and their demonstrated toxicity have made the transformation of microplastics (MPs; < 5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs; < 100 nm) an emerging environmental concern. Aggregation is one of the most important environmental behaviors of MPs, especially in aquatic environments, which determines the...

Chromium (Cr) is a common environmental contaminant due to industrial processes and anthropogenic activities such as mining of chrome ore, electroplating, timber treatment, leather tanning, fertilizer and pesticide, etc. Cr exists mainly in both hexavalent [Cr(VI)] and trivalent [Cr(III)] form, being Cr(VI) with non-degradability and potential to b...

Flue gas desulphurization gypsum (FGD) is a major solid waste in coal-fired energy plants, and the appropriate reuse of this resources is still a major challenge. In this study, the feasibility of FGD as a calcium source to produce hydroxyapatite (FGD-HAP) for the immobilization of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in spiked soil was investigated. The eff...

Results from earlier laboratory and field experiments were interrogated for the possibilities of sequestration, or long-term accumulation, of carbon from excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In the laboratory study, samples of three (top) soils dominated by kaolinite and illite (together), smectite, and allophane were examined for the adsorpt...

Reclamation of degraded soils such as those with low organic carbon content and soils co-contaminated with toxic elements and phthalic acid esters (PAEs) is of great concern. Little is known about the efficiency of plant- and animal-derived biochars for improving plant growth and physicochemical and biological properties of co-contaminated soils, p...

Trace elements contamination from abandoned mine sites is a major threat to the environment. The distribution of trace elements in various particle sizes fractions of soils from abandoned mine sites plays a critical role in designing remediation approaches. This study investigated the geochemical distribution of trace element enrichment and mineral...

Imogolite and magnetic imogolite-Fe oxide nanocomposites (Imo-Fe50 and Imo-Fe25, at 50 and 25 % Fe loading (w/w), respectively) were synthesized and tested for the removal of aqueous copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) pollutants. The materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, and specific surface area and isoelectric...

Bisphenols have drawn increasing attention from regulatory agencies and scientific communities due to their widespread occurrences, distribution and endocrine disrupting effects, and severe toxicity. As one of the bisphenol A (BPA) substitutes, bisphenol S (BPS) is most frequently detected in the environment. Although numerous studies have shown it...