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Initial Insights into Teleworking’s Effect on Air Quality in Madrid City Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-18 Jorge Bañuelos-Gimeno, Natalia Sobrino, Rosa Arce-Ruiz
Commuting to work by private vehicle is one of the main sources of air pollution in cities, mainly from NO2 and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). With the spread of telework, traffic congestion during peak hours is reduced on certain days of the week, improving air quality. This study analyzes the relationship between the improvement of air quality and urban traffic resulting from teleworking activities
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Zinc Accumulation Pattern in Native Cortaderia nitida in High Andes (Ecuador) and Potential for Zinc Phytoremediation in Soil Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-18 Karina I. Paredes-Páliz, Benito Mendoza, Jennifer Mesa-Marín
The aim of this work was to determine the content of heavy metals in soil and, for the first time, in wild Cortaderia nitida, and to discuss its potential as a metal phytoremediator plant. We sampled sediments (bulk and rhizosphere) and C. nitida (roots and shoots) in three nearby spots with different land uses (urban, industrialized and agricultural) along the Chibunga river basin (Ecuador). We analyzed
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Steam Stripping for Recovery of Ammonia from Wastewater Using a High-Gravity Rotating Packed Bed Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-18 Min-Hao Yuan, Minh Viet Trinh, Yi-Hung Chen, Yong-Jhe Lu, Li-Pang Wang, Shikun Cheng, Zifu Li, Malee Santikunaporn, Channarong Asavatesanupap
Steam stripping of ammonia from ammonia-rich wastewater (5000–20,000 mg/L) was conducted in a continuous-flow rotating packed bed (RPB) at a pH of 11. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of key operational parameters, including the steam-to-liquid ratio, rotational speed (ω), initial ammonia concentration, steam inlet temperature (TSi), and liquid inlet temperature (TLi), on critical performance
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The Ultimate Fate of Reactive Dyes Absorbed onto Polymer Beads: Feasibility and Optimization of Sorbent Bio-Regeneration Under Alternated Anaerobic–Aerobic Phases Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-18 Domenica Mosca Angelucci, Valentina Stazi, Maria Concetta Tomei
Dyes employed in many production cycles are characterized by high toxicity and persistence in the environment, and conventional wastewater treatments often fail to reach high removal efficiencies. Consequently, there is an increasing research demand aimed at the development of more efficient and sustainable technologies. A two-step strategy consisting of dye sorption followed by sorbent bio-regeneration
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Life Cycle Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Remediation Technologies: A Literature Review Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-17 Xingqiang Song, Malin Montelius, Christel Carlsson
The remediation of environments contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has become a growing priority due to the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic characteristics of these compounds. To promote green and sustainable remediation practices, it is crucial to assess and minimize the environmental impacts of PFAS remediation projects through life cycle assessment (LCA) at the early
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Ecosystem Services of the Baltic Sea—State and Changes during the Last 150 Years Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-14 Gerald Schernewski, Thomas Neumann, Martynas Bučas, Miriam von Thenen
We assess the ecosystem services across the entire Baltic Sea using ecosystem model simulations and historical socio-economic data. Our approach covers 150 years, aggregated for the years around 1880, 1960, and 2010. The ecosystem services assessed include commercially usable wild fish biomass and wild plant biomass, water quality regulation (nitrogen and phosphorus retention), carbon storage, biodiversity
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Plastics at an Offshore Fish Farm on the South Coast of Madeira Island (Portugal): A Preliminary Evaluation of Their Origin, Type, and Impact on Farmed Fish Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-14 Mariana Martins, Ana Pombo, Susana Mendes, Carlos A. P. Andrade
Plastic pollution is a global problem affecting all ecosystems, and it represents most of the marine litter. Offshore aquaculture is a sector particularly vulnerable to this issue. To investigate this concern, the present study employed videography to monitor macroplastics at an offshore fish farm on Madeira Island (Portugal) and analysis of fish gut content to evaluate macroplastic ingestion by farmed
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Coal Ash Triggers an Elevated Temperature Landfill Development: Lessons from the Bristol Virginia Solid Waste Landfill Neighboring Community Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-14 Reagan Patton Witt, Marcelo I. Guzman
Landfills for disposing of solid waste are designed, located, managed, and monitored facilities expected to comply with government regulations to prevent contamination of the surrounding environment. After the average life expectancy of a typical landfill (30 to 50 years), a large investment in the construction, operation, final closure, and 30-year monitoring of a new site is needed. In this case
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Climate Change Adaptation through Renewable Energy: The Cases of Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-12 Avri Eitan
In recent years, climate change has escalated significantly, with forecasts indicating that this trend will further accelerate in the future. Renewable energy systems play a crucial role in global efforts to mitigate climate change due to their minimal greenhouse gas emissions. These systems also have the potential to facilitate the energy sector’s adaptation to climate change, given their decentralized
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Adsorption of a Mixture of Daily Use Pharmaceuticals on Pristine and Aged Polypropylene Microplastics Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-11 Dimitrios Kalaronis, Eleni Evgenidou, George Z. Kyzas, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou
The main goal of this study is the examination of polypropylene (PP) microplastics (MPs) as possible carriers of daily use pharmaceutical compounds. The selected compounds can be separated into three groups: (i) antibiotics (Trimethoprim, Metronidazole, Indomethacin, Isoniazid), (ii) anti-inflammatories (Ketoprofen, Diclofenac), and (iii) anti-hypertensive (Valsartan). Two types of PP MPs (virgin and
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Ecological Shifts: Plant Establishment in an Animal-Based Ecosystem Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-08 Linda J. Walters, Paul E. Sacks, Katherine Harris, Giovanna McClenachan
Shifts from saltmarsh to mangroves are well-documented at mangrove poleward boundaries. A regime shift from intertidal oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs to mangrove islands has recently been documented in transitional phases in Florida, USA. To understand the local drivers of an oyster/mangrove regime shift and potential tipping points leading to a permanent mangrove state, we tracked all mangrove
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Development of a Hydrometallurgical Process for the Extraction of Cobalt, Manganese, and Nickel from Acid Mine Drainage Treatment By-Product Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-08 Alejandro Agudelo Mira, Qingqing Huang
Critical minerals (CMs) are pivotal in modern industries, such as telecommunications, defense, medicine, and aerospace, contributing significantly to regional and global economic growth. However, the reliance on external sources for 26 out of 50 identified CMs raises concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities. To address this, the research focused on developing a hydrometallurgical process for extracting
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Innovative Pavement Materials: Utilizing Corn Stover and Fly Ash in Geopolymers Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-07 Anu Paneru, Viral Sagar, Mohammad Tarikuzzaman, Joan G. Lynam, Stephen T. Gordon, Shaurav Alam
The development of each nation is evaluated by its infrastructure, and each nation is competing with the others in infrastructure advancement, especially in the construction of roadways, since they play a vital role in the economic and social development of the nation. The conventional materials used for road construction are concrete and asphalt, which pose significant environmental challenges. This
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Management of Wadden Sea Salt Marshes in the Context of Nature Conservation, Coastal Flooding and Erosion Risks: A Review Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-06 Angela Eden, Frank Thorenz
Salt marshes in the southern North Sea are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wadden Sea, the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. They provide a very high nature value while significantly contributing to coastal flood and erosion risk management as a nature-based element of flood and erosion risk management systems for densely populated coastal areas. Climate
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Air Pollution and Climate Change: A Pilot Study to Investigate Citizens’ Perception Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-05 Ilaria Stanisci, Giuseppe Sarno, Olivia Curzio, Sara Maio, Anna Antonietta Angino, Patrizia Silvi, Liliana Cori, Giovanni Viegi, Sandra Baldacci
Air pollution and climate change are risk factors for noncommunicable diseases of paramount importance and of major concern in a population. Their complex interaction suggests the need for an integrated and participatory approach by health professionals and citizens. During the Italian BRIGHT-NIGHT (European Researchers’ Night) at the Pisa Research Campus of National Research Council (CNR), a laboratory
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Low Concentrations of Biochar Improve Germination and Seedling Development in the Threatened Arable Weed Centaurea cyanus Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-04 Riccardo Fedeli, Tiberio Fiaschi, Leopoldo de Simone, Claudia Angiolini, Simona Maccherini, Stefano Loppi, Emanuele Fanfarillo
In the context of sustainable agriculture, the search for soil improvers that boost crop growth without harming biodiversity is gaining much attention. Biochar, the solid residue resulting from the pyrolysis of organic material, has recently emerged as a promising bioproduct in enhancing crop yield, but there is a lack of information regarding its effects on arable biodiversity. Thus, in this study
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Impacts of PFAS Exposure on Neurodevelopment: A Comprehensive Literature Review Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-09-01 Seth D. Currie, Jia-Sheng Wang, Lili Tang
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) encompass a range of conditions that begin during the developmental stage and cause deficits that lead to disruptions in normal functioning. One class of chemicals that is of increasing concern for neurodevelopmental disorders is made up of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In this comprehensive literature review, we investigated data from epidemiological
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Advancements on Ultrasonic Degradation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Toward Hybrid Approaches Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-30 Olalekan Simon Awoyemi, Ravi Naidu, Cheng Fang
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination has emerged as a significant environmental concern, necessitating the development of effective degradation technologies. Among these technologies, ultrasonication has gained increasing attention. However, there is still limited knowledge of its scale-up or on-site applications due to the complexity of real-world conditions and its high energy
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Using Indoor and Outdoor Measurements to Understand Building Protectiveness against Wildfire, Atmospheric Inversion, and Firework PM2.5 Pollution Events Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-25 Daniel L. Mendoza, Tabitha M. Benney, Erik T. Crosman, Ryan Bares, Derek V. Mallia, Cheryl S. Pirozzi, Andrew L. Freeman, Sarah Boll
The world has seen an increase in the frequency and severity of elevated outdoor pollution events exacerbated by the rise in distant polluting events (i.e., wildfires). We examined the intersection between indoor and outdoor air quality in an urban area using research-grade sensors to explore PM2.5 infiltration across a variety of pollution events by testing two separate indoor environments within
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An Analysis of Suspected Microplastics in the Muscle and Gastrointestinal Tissues of Fish from Sarasota Bay, FL: Exposure and Implications for Apex Predators and Seafood Consumers Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-24 Eric Conger, Miranda Dziobak, Elizabeth J. Berens McCabe, Tita Curtin, Ayushi Gaur, Randall S. Wells, John E. Weinstein, Leslie B. Hart
Microplastics have been found in the gastrointestinal (GI) fluid of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), inhabiting Sarasota Bay, FL, suggesting exposure by ingestion, possibly via contaminated fish. To better understand the potential for trophic transfer, muscle and GI tissues from 11 species of dolphin prey fish collected from Sarasota Bay were screened for microplastics (particles < 5 mm diameter)
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Combination between Composting and Vermicomposting of OFMSW: A Sicilian Case Study Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-22 Enrico Licitra, Maria Gabriella Giustra, Gaetano Di Bella, Antonio Messineo
In nature, earthworms process enormous quantities of plant debris, ingesting and converting them into vermicast, the final product of their digestion process. Vermicast is widely recognized as an organic fertilizer suitable for plants, usually obtained from the transformation of animal manure. Indeed, controlled vermicomposting of the organic fraction from municipal solid waste (OFMSW) has yielded
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Rehabilitation or Demolition of Small Hydropower Plants: Evaluation of the Environmental and Economic Sustainability of the Case Study “El Cerrajón” Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-22 Eduardo Vázquez-López, Victor Matitos-Montoya, Madelyn Marrero
During the 1950s, numerous small-capacity hydroelectric power plants were built in Spain. Seventy-five years on, it must now be decided whether to continue their operation or demolish them. In order to provide a valid answer, it is necessary to have access to decision-making tools that enable sustainable economic and environmental decision making. The present work proposes a methodology that employs
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Microplastic and Nanoplastic Particle Isolation from Liquid and Biological Samples via Mini-Extruder Filtration (MEF) Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-21 Abigail Hall, Luis F. Cardona Polo, Kennedy Helms, Alexei Christodoulides, Nathan J. Alves
Microplastic pollution poses an increasing environmental and human health risk and additional techniques are needed to facilitate nondestructive, quantitative particle recovery and analysis. Using a mini-extruder filtration (MEF) device, the efficiency of pristine particle capture from solution and digested biological tissue (blood clots) was assessed. Polystyrene particles in both the submicron (100
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The Emerging Role of Environmental Cadmium Exposure in Prostate Cancer Progression Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-21 Rama Saad, Mohamed Ali Hussein, Gnanasekar Munirathinam, André Kajdacsy-Balla
Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental pollutant with several adverse effects on the general population. While Cd is a well-established risk factor for some cancers, such as lung cancer, its impact on prostate cancer (PCa) is not well understood. PCa mortality is associated with its progression to metastatic spread. This underscores the importance of studying the environmental/or molecular factors
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Effects of Agricultural Pesticides on Decline in Insect Species and Individual Numbers Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-21 Peter Quandahor, Leesun Kim, Minju Kim, Keunpyo Lee, Francis Kusi, In-hong Jeong
As agricultural production increases, the use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides, and other synthetic pesticides has equally increased over the years. Inadequate pesticide application description and monitoring has generated a heated debate among governmental organisations, agricultural industries, and conservation organisations about pesticide effects on insect species richness and abundance. This
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Nickel and Soil Fertility: Review of Benefits to Environment and Food Security Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-20 Alon Rabinovich, Rong Di, Sean Lindert, Joseph Heckman
Nickel (Ni) is an essential micronutrient for plants, responsible for metabolizing urea nitrogen (urea-N) by urease and mitigating abiotic and oxidative stresses through the glyoxalase (Gly) and glutathione (GSH) cycles. However, excess Ni is toxic to flora at >100 mg kg−1, except for hyperaccumulators that tolerate >1000 mg kg−1 Ni. This review discusses the benefits of Ni nutrient management for
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Community Composition of Alpine Dung Beetles Is Mostly Driven by Temperature and Habitat Type Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-20 Alex Laini, Angela Roggero, Mario Carlin, Claudia Palestrini, Antonio Rolando
In alpine environments, open habitats alternate with wood to create a habitat mosaic that shapes insect community composition and diversity. Dung beetles are an important group of insects specialized in feeding on vertebrate dung whose availability also depends on habitat type. Although the habitat preferences of dung beetles have been extensively studied, few studies have addressed the influence of
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The Response of Denitrification to Increasing Water Temperature and Nitrate Availability: The Case of a Large Lowland River (Po River, Northern Italy) under a Climate Change Scenario Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-20 Maria Pia Gervasio, Giuseppe Castaldelli, Elisa Soana
Water warming and nutrient pulses following extreme rainfall events, both consequences of climate change, may have a profound impact on the biogeochemical dynamics of large temperate rivers, such as the Po River (Northern Italy), affecting denitrification capacity and the delivery of N loads to terminal water bodies. Manipulative experiments on denitrification kinetics were carried out using dark laboratory
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Determination of Site Suitability for a Sanitary Landfill Using GIS and Boolean Logic: The Case of the Regional Unit of Chalkidiki, Northern Greece Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-17 Eleni Parastatidou, Konstantinos Voudouris, Nerantzis Kazakis
This study deals with the determination of sites suitable for landfill in the Prefecture of Chalkidiki, North Greece, using Boolean logic and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Landfill siting is an arduous process as it combines environmental, social, and technical factors. Solid waste management is an urgent requirement in tourist sites worldwide. The Prefecture of Chalkidiki is considered a tourist
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The Effectiveness of Waste Tire Pyrolysis Oils (WTPOs) as Rejuvenating Agents for Asphalt Materials Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-17 Ahmed S. El-Ashwah, Magdy Abdelrahman
The continuous increase in solid waste materials, such as waste tires, underscores the critical importance of recycling them to mitigate environmental impact and promote sustainable resource management. This research study evaluated the effectiveness of utilizing waste tire pyrolysis oils (WTPOs) as recycling agents for asphalt materials. The chemical composition and thermal behavior of WTPO were analyzed
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A Systematic Review of Microplastic Contamination in Commercially Important Bony Fish and Its Implications for Health Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Júlia Scarpa de Souza, Júlia Vianna de Pinho, Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues, Anita Corrêa de Melo, Ludmila Rosa Bergsten-Torralba, Carlos Adam Conte-Junior
The increasing production of plastic products has raised concerns about environmental impacts related to microplastic formation, which harms ecosystems and human health. This systematic review aims to present the concentration of microplastics in commercially important bony fish and discuss the impacts on animal health and the possibility of these contaminants reaching the end consumer. The PICO methodology
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Effects of Land-Use Intensity on Functional Community Composition and Nutrient Dynamics in Grassland Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-13 Julia Walter, Ulrich Thumm, Carsten M. Buchmann
Land-use intensity drives productivity and ecosystem functions in grassland. The effects of long-term land-use intensification on plant functional community composition and its direct and indirect linkages to processes of nutrient cycling are largely unknown. We manipulated mowing frequency and nitrogen inputs in an experiment in temperate grassland over ten years. We assessed changes in species composition
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Reducing Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Ammonia Emissions from Stored Pig Slurry Using Bacillus-Biological Additives and Aeration Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-12 Oumaima El bied, Martire Angélica Terrero Turbí, Melisa Gómez Garrido, Ángel Faz Cano, José Alberto Acosta
This study delves into the innovative application of a novel bacterial and enzyme mixture alone or combined with aeration in mitigating emissions from pig slurry storage and explores their impacts on the methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and ammonia (NH3) emissions from stored pig slurry. A dynamic chamber was used in this research to assess the efficacy of the treatments. Biological additives (HIPO-PURÍN)
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From Waste to Resource: Evaluating Biomass Residues as Ozone-Catalyst Precursors for the Removal of Recalcitrant Water Pollutants Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-12 Cátia A. L. Graça, Olívia Salomé Gonçalves Pinto Soares
Five different biomass wastes—orange peel, coffee grounds, cork, almond shell, and peanut shell—were transformed into biochars (BCs) or activated carbons (ACs) to serve as adsorbents and/or ozone catalysts for the removal of recalcitrant water treatment products. Oxalic acid (OXL) was used as a model pollutant due to its known refractory character towards ozone. The obtained materials were characterized
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Micro- and Nano-Plastics Induced Release of Protein-Enriched Microbial Exopolymeric Substances (EPSs) in Marine Environments Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-05 Wei-Chun Chin, Peter H. Santschi, Antonietta Quigg, Chen Xu, Peng Lin, Manoj Kamalanathan
Plastics are produced, consumed, and disposed of worldwide, with more than eight million tons of plastic litter entering the ocean each year. Plastic litter accumulates in marine and terrestrial environments through a variety of pathways. Large plastic debris can be broken down into micro- and nano-plastic particles through physical/mechanical mechanisms and biologically or chemically mediated degradation
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NOx Abatement by a TiO2-Based Coating under Real-Life Conditions and Laboratory-Scale Durability Assessment Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-05 Julie Hot, Clément Fériot, Emilie Lenard, Erick Ringot
In urban environments, various pollutants generated by road traffic, human, and industrial activities degrade outdoor and indoor air quality. Among these pollutants, nitrogen oxides (NOx) are subject to air quality regulations designed to protect human health and the environment. It is therefore crucial to keep their concentration as low as possible. Advanced oxidation processes are a practical choice
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Air Quality Improvement Following the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Naples, Italy: A Comparative Analysis (2018–2022) Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-06 Alessia Sannino, Riccardo Damiano, Salvatore Amoruso, Pasquale Castellano, Mariagrazia D’Emilio, Antonella Boselli
The pandemic lockdown of the year 2020 has been generally accompanied by an improvement in the air quality. Here, we report data on the effects of lockdown limitations on the air quality in the metropolitan area of Naples (Italy) by following the evolution of main atmospheric pollutants over a five-year period and comparing their concentrations in the pandemic year 2020 with the previous (2018 and
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Environmental Radiological Impact and Risk Assessment of Natural Radioactivity at the Heap Leach Facility of Tarkwa Goldmine, Ghana: Radiotoxicity and Public Exposure Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-06 Charles Kansaana, Lordford Tettey-Larbi, Augustine Faanu, Frederick Sam, Emmanuel Akrobortu, Emmanuel Akomaning-Adofo, Adriana Asare Ampene, Rita Kwabea Osei, Ruth Araba Tawiah Annan, Edit Tóth-Bodrogi, Tibor Kovács, Amin Shahrokhi
In this study, a comprehensive investigation was conducted to determine the radioactivity levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) in heap pads/soil and water samples within and around the operational area of Tarkwa Gold Mine in Ghana. Gamma-ray spectrometry was used to determine the activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in heap pads/soil, and 226Ra, 228Th, and 40K in water
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Environmental Impact Assessment of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions during Trenchless Cured-in-Place Pipe Installation Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-07 Salar Bavilinezhad, Mohammad Najafi, Vinayak Kaushal, William Elledge, Burak Kaynak
Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining is a widely adopted method for pipeline renewal, offering advantages such as rapid installation and cost-effectiveness. However, concerns regarding the environmental impacts of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions during the installation process have raised issues regarding the CIPP method. The literature review conducted in this paper indicated the need for stringent
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Enhancing Swine Wastewater Treatment: A Sustainable and Systematic Approach through Optimized Chemical Oxygen Demand/Sulfate Mass Ratio in Attached-Growth Anaerobic Bioreactor Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-01 Mehdi Lamssali, Shobha Mantripragada, Dongyang Deng, Lifeng Zhang
The swine industry generates millions of gallons (thousands of cubic meters) of wastewater every day, posing significant environmental risk due to high concentrations of organics and nutrients. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of attached-growth anaerobic bioreactors for treating swine wastewater by utilizing sulfate-reducing bacteria, focusing on the impact of chemical oxygen demand
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Impact of the September 2023 Storm Daniel and Subsequent Flooding in Thessaly (Greece) on the Natural and Built Environment and on Infectious Disease Emergence Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-02 Spyridon Mavroulis, Maria Mavrouli, Efthymios Lekkas, Athanasios Tsakris
The storm Daniel and subsequent floods hit the Region of Thessaly (Greece) in early September 2023, causing extensive damage to the built environment (buildings, networks, and infrastructure), the natural environment (water bodies and soil), and the population (fatalities, injured, homeless, and displaced people). Additionally, the conditions and factors favorable for indirect public health impact
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A Framework for Developing Tools to Predict PFAS Physical–Chemical Properties and Mass-Partitioning Parameters Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-08-02 Mark L. Brusseau
A framework for developing predictive models for PFAS physical–chemical properties and mass-partitioning parameters is presented. The framework is based on the objective of developing tools that are of sufficient simplicity to be used rapidly and routinely for initial site investigations and risk assessments. This is accomplished by the use of bespoke PFAS-specific QSPR models. The development of these
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Honeybees and the One Health Approach Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-26 Joana C. Prata, Paulo Martins da Costa
The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness between human, animal, and environmental health. Honeybees (Apis mellifera) embody this framework due to their crucial role in ecosystems, food production, and susceptibility to contaminants. Despite their suitability for a One Health approach, there is a lack of research showcasing the multidisciplinary impacts and contributions of bees. The
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Characterization of the Dominant Stages at Which Gas Flaring Is Introduced: Impacts and Policy Options to Ameliorate Them Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-22 Nwabueze Emekwuru
Information on associated gas flaring in the Niger Delta is analyzed to characterize the various stages in the lifecycle of an oil exploration and production facility through which gas flaring is introduced into an area, leading to ecological, health, and economic impacts, and possible policies and implementation strategies for the reduction of the flared gas are offered. Gas flaring is currently occurring
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A Review of Grease Trap Waste Management in the US and the Upcycle as Feedstocks for Alternative Diesel Fuels Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-23 Andres Mata, Junsong Zhang, Joshua Pridemore, Kevin Johnson, Nathan Holliday, Art Helmstetter, Mingming Lu
As byproducts generated by commercial and domestic food-related processes, FOGs (fats, oils, and grease) are the leading cause of sewer pipe blockages in the US and around the world. Grease trap waste (GTW) is a subcategory of FOG currently disposed of as waste, resulting in an economic burden for GTW generators and handlers. This presents a global need for both resource conservation and carbon footprint
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A Novel eDNA-Based Approach for the Monitoring and Management of the Endangered Beluga (Huso huso, Linnaeus, 1758) and Adriatic (Acipenser naccarii, Bonaparte, 1836) Sturgeon Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-23 Caterina Maria Antognazza, Fausto Ramazzotti, Antonia Bruno, Andrea Galimberti, Monica Di Francesco, Serena Zaccara
Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso Linnaeus, 1758, acipenseridae) and Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii, Bonaparte, 1836, acipenseridae) within the Po River basin have been recently assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and were found to be Extinct in the Wild and Critically Endangered, respectively. Significant declines in both species’ abundance have spurred major research efforts and
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The Impact of Air Pollution from Industrial Fires in Urban Settings: Monitoring, Modelling, Health, and Environmental Justice Perspectives Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-21 Michael E. Deary, Simon D. Griffiths
Industrial fires at facilities including waste management sites, warehouses, factories, chemical works, and fuel storage depots are relatively frequent occurrences. Often, these fires occur adjacent to urban communities and result in ground-level airborne pollutant concentrations that are well above guideline values. Land, water, livestock, and crops may also be contaminated by the emissions and by
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Innovative Photocatalytic Reactor for Sustainable Industrial Water Decontamination: Utilizing 3D-Printed Components and Silica-Titania Trilayer Coatings Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-20 George V. Theodorakopoulos, Michalis K. Arfanis, Tadej Stepišnik Perdih, Simos Malamis, Dimitrios Iatrou, George Em. Romanos, Polycarpos Falaras
Industrial activities generate enormous quantities of polluted effluents, necessitating advanced methods of wastewater treatment to prevent potential environmental threats. Thus, the design of a novel photocatalytic reactor for industrial water decontamination, purification, and reuse is proposed as an efficient advanced oxidation technology. In this work, the development of the active reactor components
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Factors Influencing Endangered Marine Species in the Mediterranean Sea: An Analysis Based on IUCN Red List Criteria Using Statistical and Soft Computing Methodologies Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-16 Dimitris Klaoudatos, Teodora Karagyaurova, Theodoros G. I. Pitropakis, Aikaterini Mari, Dimitris R. Patas, Maria Vidiadaki, Konstantinos Kokkinos
The Mediterranean Sea is the second largest biodiversity hotspot on earth, with over 700 identified fish species is facing numerous threats. Of more than 6000 taxa assessed for the IUCN Red List, a minimum of 20% are threatened with extinction. A total of eight key factors that affect vulnerability of marine fish species in the Mediterranean Sea were identified using the scientific literature and expert-reviewed
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Seasonal and Interannual Variability of the Trophic State in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (Adriatic Sea, Italy) during the 2011–2021 Period Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-16 Alessandro Acquavita, Nicola Bettoso, Oriana Blasutto, Federico Pittaluga, Claudia Orlandi
The Marano and Grado Lagoon (Adriatic Sea, Italy) is an important transitional environment that furnishes numerous ecosystem services and is under protection as Site of Community Importance. It suffers from an excess of nutrients, especially nitrate (NO3−), and has been designated as a nitrate vulnerable zone. In this work, sixteen water bodies were seasonally monitored for physicochemical parameters
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Influence of Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC) Temperature on Hydrochar and Process Liquid for Poultry, Swine, and Dairy Manure Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-14 Bilash Devnath, Sami Khanal, Ajay Shah, Toufiq Reza
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising technology for wet manure treatment by converting animal manure into valuable fuels, materials, and chemicals. Among other HTC process parameters, the temperature influences HTC products the most. As various animal manures have different compositions, it is not certain how the HTC temperature influences the hydrochar and HTC process liquid. To evaluate
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Towards a Consensus Method for the Isolation of Microplastics from Freshwater Sediments Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Daniel E. Enenche, Christine M. Davidson, John J. Liggat
Environmental pollution caused by plastic waste is of global concern. There is growing interest in the study of microplastics in freshwater systems. However, the lack of harmonized analytical methodology makes it difficult to compare results obtained by different laboratories. This work compared methods for the recovery of microplastics from freshwater sediments based on density separation by flotation
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Life Cycle Assessment in Renewable Energy: Solar and Wind Perspectives Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Francisco Portillo, Alfredo Alcayde, Rosa Maria Garcia, Manuel Fernandez-Ros, Jose Antonio Gazquez, Nuria Novas
The growing urgency for sustainable energy solutions necessitates a deeper understanding of the environmental impacts of renewable technologies. This article aims to synthesize and analyze Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) in this domain, providing a comprehensive perspective. We systematically categorized 2923 articles into four sectors: (1) photovoltaic systems, (2) wind energy systems, (3) solar thermal
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Svalbard Fjord Sediments as a Hotspot of Functional Diversity and a Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Gabriella Caruso, Alessandro Ciro Rappazzo, Giovanna Maimone, Giuseppe Zappalà, Alessandro Cosenza, Marta Szubska, Agata Zaborska
The sea bottom acts as a key natural archive where the memory of long-term timescale environmental changes is recorded. This study discusses some ecological and chemical features of fjord sediments that were explored during the AREX cruise carried out in the Svalbard archipelago in the summer of 2021. The activity rates of the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), beta-glucosidase (GLU), and alkaline
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Air-Polluting Emissions from Pyrolysis Plants: A Systematic Mapping Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Alberto Pivato, Hamad Gohar, Diogenes L. Antille, Andrea Schievano, Giovanni Beggio, Philipp Reichardt, Francesco Di Maria, Wei Peng, Stefano Castegnaro, Maria Cristina Lavagnolo
There is a growing interest in the use of pyrolysis plants for the conversion of solid waste into useful products (e.g., oil, gas, and char) and the analysis of air-polluting emissions associated with such a process is an emerging research field. This study applied a systematic mapping approach to collating, describing, and cataloging available evidence related to the type and level of air pollutants
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Simple Sugars Alter the Odorant Composition of Dairy Cow Manure Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-09 John H. Loughrin, Getahun E. Agga, Nanh Lovanh
A study was conducted to determine if the odor profile of Bos taurus manure could be altered by the addition of the simple saccharides glucose, lactose, and sucrose. Sucrose was added to manure slurry at 0, 12.5, 25, 50, or 125 g L−1, while glucose and lactose were added at 0, 6.45, 13.2, 26.4, or 65.8 g L−1. One hundred mL slurries were incubated in capped bottles at 30 °C for four weeks. Biogas production
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Enhancement of Sustainable Recycling Systems for Industrial Waste in South Korea via Hazardous Characteristics Analysis Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-08 Su-Han Jang, Na-Hyeon Cho, Tae-Woo Kim, Young-Yeul Kang, Young-Sam Yoon, Heung-Min Yoo
The South Korean government has implemented an acceptance system to promote the high-quality recycling of waste. Industrial waste generators must provide “hazardous characteristics data” to recycling operators. Nonetheless, ~80% of industrial safety accidents in South Korea occur during recycling, most involving fire or explosions. Moreover, a gap in safety management exists during ‘Circular Resource’
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Urban Biodiversity Index for Trees: A Climate Adaptation Measure for Cities Based on Tree Inventories Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-08 Nefta-Eleftheria Votsi, Orestis Speyer, Danai-Eleni Michailidou, Athanasios Koukoulis, Charalampos Chatzidiakos, Ine Vandecasteele, Christiana Photiadou, Jose Miguel Rubio Iglesias, Jean-Philippe Aurambout, Evangelos Gerasopoulos
A historically large percentage of the world’s population has moved to urban areas in the past few decades, causing various negative effects for the environment, such as air, noise, water, and light pollution; land degradation; and biodiversity loss. Under the current climate crisis, cities are anticipated to play an essential part in adaptation strategies to extreme atmospheric events. This study
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Small Decentralized Technologies for High-Strength Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-05 Khaja Zillur Rahman, Shamsa Al Saadi, Mohamed Al Rawahi, Manfred van Afferden, Katy Bernhard, Jan Friesen, Roland A. Müller
Rural and semi-urban areas in arid/semi-arid regions are facing severe water scarcity and a series of environmental challenges nowadays, specifically due to rapid urbanization and economic development, climate change, population growth, increasing water demand, influxes of refugees caused by war and regional political conflict, etc. To solve the emerging problems, the safe reuse of treated wastewater
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Microplastics in the Mississippi River System during Flash Drought Conditions Environments (IF 3.5) Pub Date : 2024-07-03 Kendall Wontor, Boluwatife S. Olubusoye, James V. Cizdziel
The Mississippi River System is of great ecological and economic importance, making it crucial to monitor contaminants within it. While nutrient pollution is well studied, there are little data on microplastics (MPs) in the Mississippi River System (MSRS), especially during drought conditions. Herein, we characterize MP pollution from seven sites across the MSRS during both flash drought and non-drought