Anthropogenic antimicrobial micropollutants and their implications for agriculture

Phosphate Recovery from Urine-Equivalent Solutions for Fertilizer Production for Plant Growth

“…Figure b shows the FTIR spectra before and after phosphate adsorption. The Mg–Fe LDH material presents bands at 3300 cm –1 which represents O–H stretching vibrations from structural hydroxyl groups, at 1644 cm –1 which indicates O–H bending vibration from interstitial water molecules, and at 1405 cm –1 which shows the presence of CO 3 2– in the interlayer region of the material. − A new peak appears after phosphate adsorption onto Mg–Fe LDH at 1040 cm –1 , assigned to the symmetrical stretching vibration of PO 4 . − , The intensity of this phosphate band increases with an increase in the initial phosphate concentration. The peaks shown between 2350 and 2000 cm –1 are a combination of atmospheric CO 2 and moisture from air.…”

“…Urine has a complex matrix with other species, including micropollutants, such as caffeine, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics, heavy metals, and high salt concentration . These compounds are harmful to be applied directly in soils since they reduce crop growth and can stop plant reproduction. , Alternatively, phosphate can be first separated from urine and subsequently recovered as a fertilizer to avoid contamination with other compounds. This new perspective re-evaluates human waste as a reusable and eco-friendly resource in alignment to the 2020 European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan to reduce waste and ensure a more sustainable application and reuse of raw materials .…”

Acrylic thiazole copolymer microspheres with “cluster effect” for long‐lasting antimicrobial activity and plant growth promotion

“…For example, 65% of the causes affecting crop growth and yield are due to the development of drug‐resistant pathogens 3,4 . Meanwhile, the presence of these chemicals such as antibacterial essential oil 5 and red copper oxide 6,7 ultimately leads to the contamination of agricultural soils, posing a serious threat to humans and the ecosystem, as both centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment systems do not target antimicrobial residues 8 . Fortunately, prevention of microbial infections through the development of novel, environment‐friendly, low‐toxic, or nontoxic antibacterial agents can solve the problem of ecological degradation in agricultural development.…”