Antibiotics were discovered for medicinal applications, notably in the last century and since then, they have been prevalently employed for prophylactic purposes in various sectors in the last few decades. Due to the non-judicial usage of antibiotics in sectors like agriculture, aquaculture, and animal husbandry, and as therapeutic substances, antibiotics have started to become a nuisance for the environment and human beings. Furthermore, the accumulation of antibiotics in the biosphere has led to the development of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms making it difficult to treat a growing number of infections. Hereafter to understand the holistic picture of the impacts associated with antibiotics on the environment, the evolution of individual antibiotic pathways for therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes needs to be studied along with their effect on the environment. Most of the recent reviews on antibiotics either concentrate on a particular source, pathway or environmental impact; however, the present state-of-the-art review attempts to summarize and update the possible sources of antibiotics, usage, their impact on humans, and environmental health on a global scale with a special emphasis on India. Also, there is a critical discussion about the various methods employed for the removal of antibiotics from an array of sources, on both water and soil matrix. The review finally emphasize that the implication of stringent regulation and selection of appropriate technology are required to alleviate antibiotics menace from the environment.

Groundwater contamination with naturally-occurring arsenic (As) poses a serious health threat of global proportions. Implementation of focused and sustainable As-mitigation measures is hampered by the inability to pinpoint enigmatic As-hotspots in the vast area of continental alluvial basins with elevated toxicity risk. The catalyser role of invasive vegetation in anoxic fluvial oxbow lakes in combination with microbial metabolism processes are key in mobilizing As from its solid state into the shallow aquifer domain and accumulation in porous and permeable fluvial point-bar sediment. This insight opens up the opportunity for a cross-disciplinary approach to construct predictive machine learning-based object-based geospatial models to locate As-hotspots by the analyses of (1) satellite imagery of alluvial geomorphology, (2) oxbow-lake vegetation density, and (3) ground-truth databases of oxbow-lake/aquifer biogeochemistry and fluvial sedimentology.

In the 40 years since the relation between arsenic (As) toxicity and groundwater extraction was first documented from the Holocene alluvial basin of West Bengal, India, (1) we have become more aware that groundwater contamination with naturally occurring (geogenic) As poses a serious health threat of global proportions. (2) With the aim of implementing effective and sustainable mitigation strategies, research into the occurrence and location of toxic As levels in drinking and irrigation water and in the food chain provided insight into all aspects of the As-contamination issue, including (a) geogenic As provenance in volcanic and metamorphic rocks, hydrothermal additions to groundwater and hot springs, and weathering of rocks in orogenic mountain belts, (b) its accumulation in sedimentary-basin aquifers, (c) the mobilization and transport of the contaminant into the groundwater, and (d) the associated health risks of sustained As ingestion for >200 million people around the world. (3,4) A wide range of potential As-mitigation measures have been proposed over the years, ranging from in situ chemical and biological oxidative processes for immobilizing As to subsequent filtration methods and social awareness programs for the affected population. (5−7)

Well clogging was studied at an aquifer storage transfer and recovery (ASTR) site used to secure freshwater supply for a flower bulb farm. Tile drainage water (TDW) was collected from a 10-ha parcel, stored in a sandy brackish coastal aquifer via well injection in wet periods, and reused during dry periods. This ASTR application has been susceptible to clogging, as the TDW composition largely exceeded most clogging mitigation guidelines. TDW pretreatment by sand filtration did not cause substantial clogging at a smaller ASR site (2 ha) at the same farm. In the current (10 ha) system, sand filtration was substituted by 40-μm disc filters to lower costs (by 10,000–30,000 Euro) and reduce space (by 50–100 m²). This measure treated TDW insufficiently and injection wells rapidly clogged. Chemical, biological, and physical clogging occurred, as observed from elemental, organic carbon, 16S rRNA, and grain-size distribution analyses of the clogging material. Physical clogging by particles was the main cause, based on the strong relation between injected turbidity load and normalized well injectivity. Periodical backflushing of injection wells improved operation, although the disc filters clogged when the turbidity increased (up to 165 NTU) during a severe rainfall event (44 mm in 3 days). Automated periodical backflushing, together with regulating the maximum turbidity (<20 NTU) of the TDW, protected ASTR operation, but reduced the injected TDW volume by ~20–25%. The studied clogging-prevention measures collectively are only viable as an alternative for sand filtration when the injected volume remains sufficient to secure the farmer’s needs for irrigation.

Industrial wastewater is a pressing issue due to significant water and chemical usage in production, leading to the discharge of harmful micropollutants, toxins, and lethal substances into the environment without proper treatment. Employing eco-friendly biological treatment systems involving microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and enzymes is crucial for detoxifying such contaminated water. Hence, urgent measures are needed to develop sustainable methods for treating emerging pollutants in wastewater to safeguard the environment. The toxicity of emerging pollutants poses a global environmental concern, including rare Earth elements, micro/nano plastics, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals. Inadequate treatment systems discharge many of these hazardous compounds, challenging their detection due to their adverse effects even at low concentrations. Nano/micro-scale physical pollutants add complexity, while the fate, transport, and toxicity of these contaminants remain unclear. Understanding their behaviours and advancing remediation techniques is critical to mitigating the ecosystem exposure risks.

Variation in leaf colour (green, red and grey) of mosses and lake benthic mats in Antarctica is often linked to water stress and ultraviolet light (UV-B) exposure. Changes in the abundance of organic compounds, such as pectin and phenols, are associated with mechanisms protecting against desiccation and UV radiation. However, the function of n-alkanes, especially against UV radiation, is rarely examined. Here, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses were performed to study the variation in n-alkanes in freshwater lake benthic mats and mosses collected from the Larsemann Hills in East Antarctica. Stable isotopes of organic carbon and nitrogen, environmental DNA characterisation and microscopy-based analyses are used to estimate the presence of cyanobacteria, algae and diatoms in moss and benthic mat consortia. Variation in the short-chain (n-C₁₇ to n-C₂₀) versus long-chain (n-C₂₁ to n-C₃₀) n-alkanes in the mosses and benthic mats with their colour were noted. The research links the relative abundance of short-chain n-alkanes to the UV-B exposure and proposes that Antarctic mosses and benthic mats synthesise short-chain n-alkanes for protection against UV-B.

Enormous water-logging in ancient abandoned mining shafts of Kolar Gold Fields (KGFs), has largely induced the leaching of sulfide-rich gold minerals contaminating the aquifer system with hazardous elements. Transport of these contaminant has posed threat to the health of the urban population of Kolar township. A detailed survey of borewells, covering radius of 10 km of the KGF was carried out during pre and post-monsoon seasons and various parameters were assessed. Almost 80% of the water samples exceeded the regulatory limits of potable water criteria with excess arsenic (As; 12–127 μg/L), fluoride (F; <0.005 μg/L), dissolved salts (>500 mg/L). Water Quality Index (WQI) was used to understand the overall urban groundwater quality. At the centre of sampling circle core, mineral dissolution was found to be the function of pH, induced by acidophilic sulfur oxidizing bacteria. Modelling of predicted microbial metabolic pathways in metagenomics libraries using PICRUSt, indicated complex functional networks. High expression of siderophore proteins (> 2 cm halo in the chrome azurol test) caused Fe-sequestration, secondary Fe-mineral formation and subsequent release of As. Sulfide bearing Au-rich minerals (Arsenopyrite, Scorodite, Jarosite) were bio-weathered leading to release of H₃AsO₃⁺ at low pH, resulted in groundwater composition of Ca–HCO₃ type and Ca–Na–HCO₃ or Ca–Mg–Cl type.

The identification of arsenic-contamination hotspots in alluvial aquifers is a global-scale challenge. The collection and inventory of arsenic concentration datasets in the shallow-aquifer domain of affected alluvial basins is a tedious and slow process, given the magnitude of the problem. Recent research demonstrates that oxbow-lake biogeochemistry in alluvial plains, mobilization of geogenic arsenic, and accumulation in geomorphologically well-defined areas are interacting processes that determine arsenic-contamination locations. This awareness provides a tool to identify potential arsenic-hotspots based on geomorphological similarity, and thus contribute to a more robust and targeted arsenic mitigation approach. In the present study, a conceptual predictive geospatial model is proposed for the accumulation of dissolved arsenic as a function of interaction of oxbow-lake biogeochemistry and alluvial geomorphology. A comprehensive sampling campaign in and around two oxbow lakes in the Jamuna River Basin, West Bengal (India) provided water samples of the oxbow-lake water column for analysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbial communities, and groundwater samples from tube wells in point bars and fluvial levees bordering the oxbow lakes for analysis of the geospatial distribution of arsenic in the aquifer. Results show that abundant natural and anthropogenic (faecal-derived) recalcitrant organic matter like coprostanols and sterols in clay-plug sediment favours microbial (heterotrophs, enteric pathogens) metabolism and arsenic mobilization. Arsenic concentrations in the study area are highest (averaging 505 µg/L) in point-bar aquifers geomorphologically enclosed by partially sediment-filled oxbow lakes, and much lower (averaging 121 µg/L) in wells of levee sands beyond the oxbow-lake confinement. The differences reflect variations in groundwater recharge efficiency as result of the porosity and permeability anisotropy in the alluvial geomorphological elements, where arsenic-rich groundwater is trapped in point-bars enclosed by oxbow-lake clays and, by contrast, levee ridges are not confined on all sides, resulting in a more efficient aquifer flushing and decrease of arsenic concentrations.

The Bengal Basin is a fluvio-deltaic basin spanning Bangladesh and part of east and northeast India. The evolution of the peripheral foreland basin has been studied, but published literature on depositional conditions, source and maturity of organic matter in the deeper sediments of the Indian section of the basin is rare, despite the fact that natural gas is often encountered during hydrocarbon exploration. Our research assesses the depositional environment and source of the organic matter (OM) in the Pleistocene-Miocene sediments from five wells drilled by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited in the southeastern Bengal Basin, West Bengal, India and aims to understand its maturity and potential to yield natural gas. The total organic carbon/nitrogen ratio and stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) signature indicate primarily aquatic and C₃ terrestrial plant sources of the OM and deposition under tidal flat and marshy environments. The n-alkane and isoprenoid alkane distribution are consistent with an autochthonous source of OM and terrestrial oxic-suboxic shallow-water depositional setting. The Rock-Eval parameters, such as maximal pyrolysis temperature, hydrogen and oxygen indices, indicate the immature nature of Type III and Type IV kerogen. The presence of methanogenic archaea, as indicated by phylogenetic analysis, in two Miocene sediment samples from one well indicates an active microbial activity in Type III immature OM, derived from C₃ marsh vegetation and deposited under oxic shallow-water conditions. Our research describes the presence of methanogenic archaea for the first time in Miocene Bengal Basin sediments and is one of the few reports of their presence in deep (> 4000 m) horizons.

Storage containers are usually used to provide a constant water head in decentralized, community groundwater treatment systems for the removal of iron (Fe) and arsenic (As). However, the commonly practiced aeration prior to storage assists in rapid and complete Fe²⁺ oxidation, resulting in poor As removal, despite sufficient native-Fe²⁺ in the source water. In this study, it was found that application of anoxic storage enhanced As removal from groundwater, containing ≥300 µg/L of As(III) and 2.33 mg/L of Fe²⁺ in an As affected village of Rajshahi district in Bangladesh. Although the oxidation of Fe²⁺ and As(III) during oxic storage was considerably faster, the As/Fe removal ratio was higher during anoxic storage (61–80±5 µgAs/mgFe) compared to the oxic storage (45±5 µgAs/mgFe). This higher As removal efficacy in anoxic storage containers could not be attributed to the speciation of As, since As(V) concentrations were higher during oxic storage due to more favorable abiotic (As(III) oxidation by O₂ and Fenton-like intermediates) and biotic (As(III) oxidizing bacteria, e.g., Sideroxydans, Gallionella, Hydrogenophaga) conditions. The continuous, in-situ hydrous ferric oxide floc formation during flow-through operation, and the favorable lower pH aiding higher sorption capacities for the gradually formed As(V) likely contributed to the improved performance in the anoxic storage containers.

Meandering-river geomorphology, forming abandoned channels/lakes with organic carbon-burial and microbial reductive dissolution, play many crucial roles in controlling arsenic (As) fluxes in sinks such as contaminated aquifers of riverine alluvial plains across the world. Suhiya oxbow-lake in the middle alluvial plain of the River Ganga, was selected as the natural laboratory. A top-down multidisciplinary approach was chosen employing satellite imagery to analyse the annual oxbow-lake surface vegetation dynamics (Eichhornia and Hydrilla). Side-scan sonar profiles across two oxbow lakes along with River Ganga core data and vintage topographical maps, estimated the lake-sedimentation rate of 9.6 cm/yr. Organic carbon [amino acids, aromatics, lingo-phenols and lipids hydrocarbons] infiltration-based on hydrophobicity and molecular-mass was detected at different depths along the water and sedimentary column. Elemental analysis showed lake surface to groundwater the As conc. varied from (0.37 to 185 μg/l). A microbial diversity based study showed that large sized photoautotrophs Nostoc, Anabaena are replaced by Fe-oxido-reducing As-metabolizing bacteria e.g. Acidovorax, Dechloromonas and enteric organisms e.g. Enterobacter, Salmonella at bottom of water column. Based on these inferences, a conceptual organic carbon transport model was constructed to understand the preferential preservation and microbial diagenesis resulting in mobilization of As and other geogenic elements.

Shallow aquifers in many Holocene alluvial basins around the world have in the last three decades been identified as arsenic pollution hotspots, in which the spatial variation of natural (or: geogenic) arsenic concentration is conditioned by the meandering-river geomorphology and the fluvial lithofacies distribution. Despite the large amount of publications on the specifics of the pollution, still many uncertainties remain as to the provenance and processes that lead to arsenic enrichment in aquifers. In this paper, arsenic in abandoned and sediment-filled meandering-river bends (or: clay-plugs) is highlighted as a primary source of aquifer pollution. The combination of high organic-carbon deposition rates and the presence of chemically-bound natural arsenic in sediment of this specific geomorphological setting creates the potential for microbially-steered reductive dissolution of arsenic in an anoxic environment, and subsequent migration of the desorbed arsenic to, and stratigraphic entrapment in, adjacent sandy point-bar aquifers. To assess the magnitude of the arsenic source in clay-plug, bulk sediment volume calculations were made of twenty clay plugs on the Middle Ganges Plain of Bihar (India), by combining clay-plug surface area analysis of Sentinel-2 satellite data, side-scan sonar depth profiling of oxbow lakes and the Ganges River, and sedimentological data from five cored shallow wells. ICP-MS based elemental analysis of 36 core sub-samples, complemented with published concentration data in a similar geomorphological setting in West Bengal, India, yielded an average arsenic content of 28.75 mg/kg sediment in the 12-m-thick clay plugs, which amounts to a total arsenic volume of 0.07 – 3.13 . 106 kg per clay plug. A scenario is presented for the release of arsenic from the clay-plug sediment by microbial metabolism, followed by migration of the desorbed arsenic to the bordering point-bar sands.