High levels of Co(NO3)2 for living organisms are toxic. In this study, the protective effects of 2,6-dimethyl-morpholine dithiocarbamate (DMMDTC) against the toxicity of Co(NO3)2 on Allium cepa L. were investigated. Seven groups of onion bulbs were established to investigate the potential effects of DMMDTC against Co(NO3)2 exposure in root tips. These are a control group, two groups of DMMDTC alone in different concentrations, two groups of Co(NO3)2 in different concentrations, and finally, two groups of combined DMMDTC (1,2) + Co (1,2) in different concentrations were applied to onion roots. The effects of the chemicals on physiological parameters, Mitotic Index (MI), Micro Nucleus (MN), genotoxicity and Co(NO3)2 accumulation in the roots were examined. MI analysis revealed that Co(NO3)2 treatments reduced the MI compared to water control by 52.2-46.6%, depending on the concentration. The combinations of DMMDTC + Co(NO3)2 significantly increased MI while decreasing MN compared to the cobalt-only treatments. However the protective effect of DMMDTC against cobalt toxicity was limited when the data compared to the water control. The heavy damage to epidermis cells and nucleus was also observed in those cobalt applied groups. Co(NO3)2 accumulation in the roots, compared to water control, was also high in Co1-Co2 groups. The DMMDTC used in this study had effects similar to those of plant extracts in reducing genotoxic effects. Therefore, the research highlights the potential benefits of using synthesized DMMDTC on Allium cepa against the toxic effects of cobalt.

The excessive use of cobalt in various chemical industries and arbitrary discharge of industrial wastewater have led to increased cobalt pollution in soil and water resources, increasing the risk of human exposure to high concentrations of cobalt and necessitating an urgent need for on-site monitoring platform for cobalt pollution. In this study, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-CRISPR platform has been developed. In this platform, cobalt as a cofactor of TdT, can significantly improve the tailing efficiency of TdT-mediated extension. Therefore, when cobalt is present, the detection probe can be extended with poly(T) tails through the TdTmediated extension, which can be subsequently served as the DNA activator for Cas12a, leading to the cleavage of fluorescence reporter molecules and triggering turn-on fluorescence signals. Consequently, this dual amplification sensing strategy of TdT-CRISPR platform demonstrated exceptional sensitivity (0.83 nM) and high specificity for cobalt over other ions. Furthermore, the method was successfully employed for the detection of cobalt in tap water and river samples. CRISPR-lateral flow assays (CRISPR-LFAs) were evaluated in this study for the simple and point-of-care detection of cobalt pollution. The assays are capable of detecting cobalt concentrations as low as 50 nM, which is significantly lower than the environmental standards of 16.9 mu M, through strip analysis with the naked eye. These results commonly suggest that the TdT-CRISPR platform holds significant promise for monitoring cobalt pollution, providing a robust and sensitive solution for on-site detection and contributing to the mitigation of cobalt contamination risks in environmental matrices.

Environmental context Mitigating the environmental fallout of industrial accidents is crucial. In a recent study, researchers conducted tests on model substrates to explore the effectiveness of bioremediation in treating complex refinery contaminants resulting from both accidental and deliberate facility damage. The research reveals that bioremediation can be a promising, eco-friendly solution for cleaning up such pollutants, aligning with broader efforts to combat environmental harm resulting from industrial incidents.Rationale Bioremediation harnesses microorganisms' diverse metabolic abilities to detoxify and eliminate pollutants, particularly hydrocarbon-based ones such as oil. This natural biodegradation process performed by microorganisms is a cost-effective method for environmental cleanup compared to other remediation technologies.Methodology In this study, we examined the fate of heavy metals, cobalt and molybdenum, by the analysis of the basic chemical parameters of other sample components, such as n-hexane extractable substances and total petroleum hydrocarbons. The metal content was determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Exchangeable (loosely bound to the surface of particles and due to its high mobility and availability is crucial for understanding the potential immediate impact of metal contamination) and more stable fractions of the metal and the metal forms were determined using a sequential extraction method. The phase composition of the samples was determined by X-ray diffraction.Results In our microbiological analysis, we isolated various cultures from a consortium of microorganisms. Basic chemical analysis indicators, such as n-hexane extractable substances, total petroleum hydrocarbons and humic acids, reflected robust microbiological activity. During the study, metals in exchangeable form decreased and those in more stable forms increased.Discussion The sequential extraction of cobalt and molybdenum revealed shifts in various metal fractions within the bioaugmented substrate post-bioremediation, differing from the initial substrate. These alterations in metal fractions are likely attributable to microbial actions, leading to the formation of more stable metal fractions throughout the bioremediation process.