Alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl]acetamide] is a chloroacetanilide herbicide and has been widely used as a selective pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide to control weeds and grass. Due to its wide usage, direct application on the ground, high solubility in water, and moderate persistence, alachlor and its metabolites have been detected in various environments. Therefore, there is an increasing concern about the environmental fate of alachlor and its metabolites. Microbial biodegradation is a main method of removal of alachlor in the natural environment. In this study, we isolated new alachlor degrading bacterium and proposed a novel alachlor-degrading pathway. The alachlor-degrading bacterial strain, GC-A6, was identified as Acinetobacter sp. using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Acinetobacter sp. GC-A6 utilized alachlor as its sole carbon source and degraded 100 mg L−1 of alachlor within 48 h, which was the highest alachlor degradation efficiency. The de... [more]

In the study, rupture energy values of Deveci and Abate Fetel pear fruits were predicted using artificial neural network (ANN). This research aimed to develop a simple, accurate, rapid, and economic model for harvest/post-harvest loss of efficiently predicting rupture energy values of Deveci and Abate Fetel pear fruits. The breaking energy of the pears was examined in terms of storage time and loading position. The experiments were carried out in two stages, with samples kept in cold storage immediately after harvest and 30 days later. Rupture energy values were estimated using four different single and multi-layer ANN models. Four different model results obtained using Levenberg−Marquardt, Scaled Conjugate Gradient, and resilient backpropagation training algorithms were compared with the calculated values. Statistical parameters such as R2, RMSE, MAE, and MSE were used to evaluate the performance of the methods. The best-performing model was obtained in network structure 5-1 that used... [more]

The improper disposal of flower waste from cultural activities is one of the main challenges in certain countries such as India. If the flower waste is not managed properly, it causes a number of environmental issues. Therefore, various technologies have been developed to transform flower waste into value-added products. To integrate multiple technologies holistically to maximise the energy and material recovery, an integrated flower-waste biorefinery is required. Since there are a wide range of technologies available that can convert the waste into multiple products, there is a need to develop a systematic approach to evaluate all the technologies. This research proposes a systematic approach to synthesise an integrated flower-waste biorefinery based on different optimisation objectives, e.g., maximum economic performance and minimum environmental impact. Due to the conflicting nature between the two objectives, a fuzzy optimisation approach has been adapted to synthesise a sustainabl... [more]

The climate change impact associated with greenhouse gas emissions is a major global concern. This work investigates perovskite compounds for oxygen separation from air to supply oxygen to oxyfuel energy systems to abate these significant environmental impacts. The perovskites studied were Me0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Cu0.2O3−δ (MeSCC) where the A-site substitution was carried out by four different cations (Me = Ca, Mg, Sr, or Ba). SEM analysis showed the formation of small particle (<1 µm) aggregates with varying morphological features. XRD analysis confirmed that all compounds were perovskites with a hexagonal phase. Under reduction and oxidation reactions (redox), Ba and Ca substitutions resulted in the highest and lowest oxygen release, respectively. In terms of real application for oxygen separation from air, Ba substitution as BaSCC proved to be preferable due to short temperature cycles for the uptake and release of oxygen of 134 °C, contrary to Ca substitution with long and undesirable te... [more]

Evaluating the degree of coordination among regional carbon emission systems is key to achieving an earlier carbon peak and carbon neutrality. However, quantifying the co-evolution of carbon emissions among regions is challenging. Therefore, we propose a data-driven method for evaluating the synergetic development of the regional carbon emission composite system. First, the proposed method employs relevant data to calculate the carbon emissions and carbon emission intensity of each subsystem within the region to describe the temporal trends. The inverse entropy weight method is then used to assign weight to each order parameter of the subsystem for data processing. Then, we perform synergetic development assessment of the composite system to measure the order degree of each subsystem, the degree of synergy among subsystems, and the overall synergetic degree of the temporal evolution of carbon emissions between regions. Finally, the evaluation results can be used to suggest measures for... [more]

Since the beginning of this century, the world has experienced a growing need for enabling techniques and more environmentally friendly protocols that can facilitate more rational industrial production. Scientists are faced with the major challenges of global warming and safeguarding water and food quality. Organic solvents are still widely used and seem to be hard to replace, despite their enormous environmental and toxicological impact. The development of water-based strategies for the extraction of primary and secondary metabolites from plants on a laboratory scale is well documented, with several intensified processes being able to maximize the extraction power of water. Technologies, such as ultrasound, hydrodynamic cavitation, microwaves and pressurized reactors that achieve subcritical water conditions can dramatically increase extraction rates and yields. In addition, significant synergistic effects have been observed when using combined techniques. Due to the limited penetrati... [more]

An axial flow pump is a kind of high-specific revolution vane pump that has the characteristics of large flow, low head, and high efficiency. Due to its unique properties, it is widely used in large water diversion projects, such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. However, during the operation of the pump, some fish enter the axial flow pump together with the water flow through the screen before the entrance of the pump station. Consequently, some fish are inevitably damaged or even die in the process of traversing through the pump. Meanwhile, the decay of dead fish directly affects the quality of water, hence, posing serious ecological pollution and destabilizing the ecological balance. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of axial flow pumps in relation to fish species in water bodies for biodiversity and ecosystem services remain vital for nature conservation. In this paper, the impact of damage of the model pump on fish is exhaustively investigated according to the the... [more]

An oblique flow pump is widely used in farmland irrigation and drainage, water transfer projects, thermal power generation, and other fields. However, unstable flow factors in the oblique flow pump easily lead to pump vibration and noise. To improve the stability of pump operation and optimize the operating environment, it is necessary to study the flow-induced noise characteristics of oblique flow pumps. In this paper, CFD and noise simulation software are used to calculate the flow field and sound field of the oblique flow pump. The internal flow characteristics and flow-induced noise characteristics of the oblique flow pump were studied. The results show that when the flow rate of the oblique flow pump deviates from the optimal operating point, especially in the small flow rate, due to the phenomena of backflow and flow separation, more high-energy vortices are produced in the flow channel, and the vortices are distributed in a wide area, which will cause greater flow-induced noise.... [more]

is a plant with a high biomass and heavy metal tolerance, which is a good candidate for phytoremediation. Pot experiments were conducted to compare the growth response, Pb enrichment ability, and the effect on Pb speciation of two ecotypes of M. floridulus from the Dabaoshan Mining Area and the non-mining area of Boluo County, Huizhou, in soils with different Pb contents. The results showed that two ecotypes of M. floridulus had different growth responses to Pb concentrations in soil. Under a low concentration of Pb (100 mg·kg−1) treatment, the aboveground biomass of the non-mining area plant ecotype was significantly affected, while the plants with the mining area ecotype were not significantly affected. When the concentration of Pb increased, the aboveground biomass of the non-mining ecotype was 30.2−41.1% of the control, while that of the mining ecotype was 57.8−65.0% of the control. The root biomass of the non-mining ecotype decreased with the increase of treatment concentration, a... [more]

Biosolids generated as byproducts of wastewater treatment processes are widely used as fertilizer supplements to improve soil condition and ultimately agricultural products yields and quality. However, biosolids may contain toxic compounds, i.e., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can end up in soils, groundwater, and surface water, causing adverse environmental and health effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of High-Temperature Pyrolysis (HTP) treatment for biosolids management, and its efficacy in eliminating PFAS from the solid fraction. Biosolid samples were pyrolyzed at two different temperatures, 500 and 700 °C, in a continuous bench-scale pyrolysis unit. The major finding is that the treatment process at higher pyrolysis temperatures can remarkably reduce or eliminate the level of PFAS (by ~97−100 wt%) in the resulting biochar samples.

This study investigated the effect of coal−Scenedesmus microalgae (with blending ratios of 100:0 (coal), 95:5 (Coalgae® 5%), 90:10 (Coalgae® 10%), 85:15 (Coalgae® 15%) and 80:20 (Coalgae® 20%)) on combustion temperature, mass loss, the formation of CO2, SO2 and NOx gases, and ash content under constant atmospheric air flow. Coalgae® refers to a material formed after blending coal and microalgae. The results showed that NOx came mainly from Coalgae® 10% and 15%, and this observation could be attributed to a variable air concentration level (O2 level) in the environment that could influence NOx during the combustion process, irrespective of the blending ratios. CO2 emission reductions (12%, 17%, 21% and 29%) and SO2 emission reductions (3%, 12%, 16% and 19%) increased with the increasing coal-microalgae blending ratio (Coalgae® 5−20%), respectively. Bubble-like morphology was observed in the ash particles of coal−microalgae blends through SEM, while the TEM confirmed the formation of car... [more]

Tannery sludge is disposed of in landfills as it is considered a special residue by the Italian legislation, creating pollution and waste. This paper aims at evaluating the performance of the anaerobic fermentation process to obtain short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from this waste. The assessment of the most appropriate conditions, in terms of pH, temperature, initial total solids (TSs) content, and application of oxidizing-thermal pretreatment has been developed. The batch test trials revealed that the combined microwave and hydrogen peroxide (MW-H2O2) pretreatment followed by thermophilic conditions gave the best results, in terms of the acidification yield (0.31 gCODSCFA/gVS0) and maximal SCFA concentration (above 26 g CODSCFA/L). In the tests conducted without pretreatment, the mesophilic temperature should be preferred since the acidification performances were comparable to or even better than their thermophilic counterparts. The SCFA composition analysis showed that in mesophilic... [more]

The contamination of surface and groundwater is of major concern around the globe due to the fast industrialization and urbanization. The groundwater and water quality of rivers, Ravi and Chenab in Faisalabad, Pakistan are contaminated due to the industrial wastewater. The aim of this study was the assessment of the physiochemical contaminants of Faisalabad’s industrial wastewater area and the adsorptive removal of ions present in high concentrations following the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) for the municipal and industrial liquid effluents of Pakistan. One of the two samples was collected from a drain carrying wastewater from different industries and other from the outlet of a drain discharging wastewater into river Chenab. The analysis results obtained indicate that most of the contaminants were below the acceptable limit of industrial wastewater NEQS, Pakistan. However, contaminants like sulfate ions (714 mg/L), total dissolved solids (33,951−34,620 mg/L) and bar... [more]

CO2 biomethanisation is a rapidly emerging technology which can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the more sustainable use of organic feedstocks. The major technical limitation for in situ systems is that the reaction causes CO2 depletion which drives up pH, potentially leading to instability and even digestion failure. The study aimed to test fundamentally derived predictive equations as tools to manage H2 addition to anaerobic digesters. The methodology used data from the literature and from experimental digesters operated with excess H2 to a point of failure and subsequent recovery. Two equations were tested: the first relating pH to CO2 partial pressure (pCO2), and the second extending this to include the influence of volatile fatty acids and ammonia. The first equation gave good agreement for data from studies covering a wide range of operating conditions and digester types. Where agreement was not good, this could usually be explained, and in some cases impr... [more]

Betulinic acid, BA, is a lupane derivative that has caught the interest of researchers due to the wide variety of pharmacological properties it exhibits towards tumor cells. Because of their prospective increased anti−proliferative efficacy and improved pharmacological profile, BA derivatives continue to be described in the scientific literature. The current work was conducted in order to determine the antiproliferative activity, under an in vitro environment of the newly developed 1,2,4−triazole derivatives of BA. The compounds and their reaction intermediates were tested on three cancer cell lines, namely RPMI−7951 human malignant melanoma, HT−29 colorectal adenocarcinoma, A549 lung carcinoma, and healthy cell line (HaCaT human keratinocytes). BA−triazole derivatives 4a and 4b revealed lower IC50 values in almost all cases when compared to their precursors, exhibiting the highest cytotoxicity against the RPMI−7951 cell line (IC50: 18.8 μM for 4a and 20.7 μM for 4b). Further biologica... [more]

Even in modern times, the popularity level of medicinal plants and herbal medicines in therapy is still high. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the population in developing countries uses these types of remedies. Even though herbal medicine products are usually perceived as low risk, their potential health risks should be carefully assessed. Several factors can cause the toxicity of herbal medicine products: plant components or metabolites with a toxic potential, adulteration, environmental pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides), or contamination of microorganisms (toxigenic fungi). Their correct evaluation is essential for the patient’s safety. The toxicity assessment of herbal medicine combines in vitro and in vivo methods, but in the past decades, several new techniques emerged besides conventional methods. The use of omics has become a valuable research tool for prediction and toxicity evaluation, while DNA sequencing can be used successfully to detect contaminants... [more]

The genotoxicity, mutagenesis, and carcinogenic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) derivatives may exceed the parent PAHs. However, their influence on the soil environment has not been explored to a large extent. Oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are typical polar substituted compounds. We offer a review of the literature on the sources, quantification, incidence, toxicity, and transport of these compounds in soil. Although their environmental concentrations are lower than those of their parent compounds, they exert higher toxicity. Both types of substances are basically related to carcinogenesis. OPAHs are not enzymatically activated and can generate reactive oxygen species in biological cells, while NPAHs have been shown to be mutagenic, genotoxic, and cytotoxic. These compounds are largely derived from the transformation of PAHs, but they behave differently in soil because of their higher molecular... [more]

Serious air pollution has occurred in China since 2012. With the increasing investment in technological innovation in China, the role of green technological innovation in reducing air pollution has attracted more and more attention. By constructing the spatial Durbin model and threshold regression model and using the statistical data of China’s provinces, this study explores the spatial effects and threshold characteristics of China’s green technology innovation on the environmental pollution of China’s air pollution-intensive industrial agglomeration. The research objective is to find out the spatial effects and threshold characteristics of green technology innovation on the environmental pollution of China’s air pollution-intensive industrial agglomeration. The results show that thermal power, etc., air pollution-intensive industrial are important sources of sulfur dioxide emissions; however, their degree of concentration is gradually increasing, resulting in rising sulfur dioxide em... [more]

Fe impurity is abundant in rare earth leaching solutions. The optimal hydrate structure of Fe(OH)2+ was calculated based on the quantum chemical in the water environment to investigate the microscopic occurrence of Fe impurity on kaolinite surfaces. The adsorption structure and bonding mechanism (including outer and inner layer) of hydrate Fe(OH)2+ on the kaolinite (001) surface were investigated. According to the results, the stable hydrate form of Fe(OH)2+ is [Fe(OH)(H2O)5]2+. Hydrated Fe(OH)2+ has a tendency to adhere to the Si-O surface in the form of outer layer adsorption. Adsorbate tends to adsorb to the Ou (deprotonated upright hydroxyl) site, where it generates a monodentate adsorption compound, and to the Ol and Ou (deprotonated lying and upright hydroxyl) sites, where it generates a bidentate adsorption compound if inner layer adsorption occurs. The Mulliken population and density of state analysis demonstrate that the ionic properties of Fe-Os in the inner layer adsorption... [more]

The unsustainable take-make-dispose linear economy prevalent in healthcare contributes 4.4% to global Greenhouse Gas emissions. A popular but not yet widely-embraced solution is to remanufacture common single-use medical devices like electrophysiology catheters, significantly extending their lifetimes by enabling a circular life cycle. To support the adoption of catheter remanufacturing, we propose a comprehensive emission framework and carry out a holistic evaluation of virgin manufactured and remanufactured carbon emissions with Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). We followed ISO modelling standards and NHS reporting guidelines to ensure industry relevance. We conclude that remanufacturing may lead to a reduction of up to 60% per turn (−1.92 kg CO2eq, burden-free) and 57% per life (−1.87 kg CO2eq, burdened). Our extensive sensitivity analysis and industry-informed buy-back scheme simulation revealed long-term emission reductions of up to 48% per remanufactured catheter life (−1.73 kg CO2eq).... [more]

In the last decades, the EPS (expanded polystyrene) and the XPS (extruded polystyrene) have become the most frequently used thermal insulation. Furthermore, the XPS has step resistant thermal insulation with higher strength. Nowadays in our current economic situation, the circular economy plays a significant role. That means we need to intend making a product that becomes waste as late as possible. Instead of a product, the goal is to return it to the economy as a basic material for a new product. Instead of generating waste, a new chance must be given by reusing it. Based on that consideration, our research work was in producing reinforced EPS material, which has the physical and thermal properties at least, as the XPS is much more expensive to produce. For reinforcement, materials have been chosen, in terms of its current life cycle, considered as product or waste. The first choice were plastic straws and cutleries that will be redrawn from the market. The next additives were renewab... [more]

The objective of this work was to present an overview of abrasive technologies with solid carbon dioxide as a blasting medium. These methods can be successfully used for the removal of a wide range of types of industrial pollution. The article covers literature reports in the field of the examined cleaning mechanisms and manufacturing process of dry ice, focusing on the structure and size of the product. Having the correct understanding of these processes is crucial for further technological development. Then various configurations of the dry-ice-blasting and snow-blasting systems are presented, including a range of typical parameters met in the literature and in industrial applications. Because the nozzle can be treated as a key part of the system, typical examples of nozzles are described. Special attention is paid to the usability of each type. This study also covers the actual scope of applications for the described systems, especially in industry and science.

When finishing the Topical Issue “New Research on Detection and Removal of Emerging Pollutants”, some reflections came to my mind, which I include in the piece below [...]