Nanoconfined humic acid-supported nZVI enhances imidacloprid remediation without compromising soil microbiome or exacerbating ARG health risks.

Nanoconfined humic acid-supported nZVI accelerates imidacloprid degradation by 3.8 times in soil without harming the soil microbiome or increasing ARG risks.

• Why it matters: Pesticide contamination threatens soil health and agricultural sustainability, but current nanomaterial-based remediation methods risk ecological imbalance and resistance gene spread.
• What they did: Researchers synthesized a humic acid-supported nZVI composite (HA-nZVI) and used kinetic analysis, interfacial characterization, metagenomic sequencing, and ARG risk assessment to evaluate its performance in contaminated soil.
• The result: The HA-nZVI composite enhanced pesticide breakdown while maintaining stable microbial community structure and ARG profiles, enabling sustainable soil remediation without health risks.