Environmental context. Glyphosate is a highly effective and widely used organophosphorus pesticide, but its residues can harm the environment and human health. We report a carboxylated carbon nanotubes-graphene oxide aerogel that can efficiently remove glyphosate from water. This technology has great application prospects in dealing with water contaminated with glyphosate.

Environmental context. Denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) is a new process in wastewater treatment with the potential to provide cheap and sustainable development. To better apply this technology to the large scale, we studied the response mechanism of DAMO microorganisms to ammonia, the main form of nitrogen in the nitrogenous wastewater. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the stable and efficient operation of DAMO processes.

Environmental context. Attractive interactions and subsequent contacts between nanoparticles and microorganisms are the first steps of a chain of events leading to adverse effects toward cells. We show that the electrophoretic response of complex mixtures of engineered nanoparticles and bacteria reflects initial nanoparticle-mediated cell surface damage. The technique is a promising option for rapid detection of deleterious actions of nanoparticles on biological cells.

Environmental context. Antibiotic residues released to the environment could influence the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and hence their spread within the aquatic environment. We report a multi-method approach for determining 47 antibiotics in wastewater, surface water, drinking water and groundwater. The method provides a rapid screening of water samples for common antibiotics that have the potential to alter natural bacterial populations.