Abstract Graphene oxide (GO), the functionalized graphene with oxygen-containing chemical groups, has recently attracted resurgent interests because of its superior properties such as large surface area, mechanical stability, tunable electrical and optical properties. Moreover, the surface functional groups of hydroxyl, epoxy and carboxyl make GO an excellent candidate in coordinating with other materials or molecules. Owing to the expanded structural diversity and improved overall properties, GO and its composites hold great promise for versatile applications of energy storage/conversion and environment protection, including hydrogen storage materials, photocatalyst for water splitting, removal of air pollutants and water purification, as well as electrode materials for various lithium batteries and supercapacitors. In this review, we present an overview on the current successes, as well as the challenges, of the GO-based materials for energy and environmental applications.
Vilim Filipović, Dragutin Petošić, Ivan Mustać
et al.
Excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture poses significant environmental risks, notably nitrate leaching into groundwater. This study evaluates soil water dynamics and the transport of urea, ammonium, and nitrate under variable-saturated conditions in a long-term experimental field in Croatia, Europe. Utilizing HYDRUS-1D and HYDRUS-2D models, we simulated water flow and nitrogen transformation and transport across six lysimeter-monitored locations over four years (2019–2023), incorporating diverse crop rotations and N addition. Key modeled processes included nitrification, urea hydrolysis, and nitrate leaching, integrating field-measured parameters and climatic conditions. The models achieved high reliability, with <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> values for water flow ranging from 0.58 to 0.97 and for nitrate transport from 0.13 to 0.97; however, some cases reported lower reliability. Results revealed that nitrate leaching was influenced by precipitation patterns, soil moisture, crop growth stages, and fertilization timing. Peak nitrate losses were observed during early crop growth and post-harvest periods when elevated soil moisture and reduced plant uptake coincided. The findings highlight the importance of optimizing nitrogen application strategies to balance crop productivity and environmental protection. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of numerical modeling as a tool for sustainable nitrogen management and groundwater quality preservation in agricultural systems. It also indicates the need for further development by capturing some of the processes such as identification in the N cycle.
Jessica L. Romero, Jack H. Ratliff, Christopher J. Carlson
et al.
ABSTRACT 1,4-dioxane (dioxane) is an emerging contaminant that poses risks to human and environmental health. Bacterial dioxane degradation is increasingly being studied as a method to remove dioxane from contaminated water. However, there is a lack of studies on microbial community structures and functions within efficient, large-scale, biodegradation-based remediation technologies. The Lowry Landfill Superfund Site (Colorado, USA) uses an on-site, pump-and-treat facility to remove dioxane from contaminated groundwater by biodegradation. Here, 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing were used to describe microbial community composition, soluble di-iron monooxygenase (SDIMO) alpha hydroxylases, and potential for dioxane degradation and horizontal gene transfer in bioreactor support media from the facility. Support media showed diverse microbial communities dominated by Nitrospiraceae, Nitrososphaeraceae, and Nitrosomonadaceae. Pseudonocardia was also detected, suggesting a potential presence of known dioxane-degraders. Candidate SDIMOs belonged mostly to Group V, followed by Groups IV, II, and I (based on read depth). The most abundant Group V clade contained 38 proteins that were phylogenetically related to DxmA-like proteins, including that of Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans CB1190 (a known dioxane degrader). Seventeen Lowry contigs containing DxmA-like proteins contained protein-coding genes potentially involved in chemical degradation, transcriptional regulation, and chemical transport. Interestingly, these contigs also included evidence of potential horizontal gene transfer, including toxin-antitoxin proteins, phage integrase proteins, putative transposases, and putative miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements. These findings improve our understanding of potential dioxane biodegradation mechanisms in a functioning remediation system. Further studies are needed to definitively confirm microbial activity and enzymatic activity toward dioxane removal in this site.IMPORTANCEAs an environmental contaminant, 1,4-dioxane poses risks for water quality and human health. Used as a solvent and chemical stabilizer in a variety of manufacturing and industrial applications, microbiological methods of detoxification and mitigation are of interest. The degradation of 1,4-dioxane by the bacterium Pseudonocardia spp. is the best understood example; however, these studies are largely based on single isolate, bench-scale, or in silico experiments. Consequently, a knowledge gap exists on bacterial degradation of 1,4-dioxane at environmentally relevant concentrations using functioning remediation technologies at scale. This study addresses this gap directly by describing microbial taxa, enzymes, and potential horizontal gene transfer mechanisms associated with an active treatment plant located on a 1,4-dioxane-impacted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) superfund site. As 1,4-dioxane contamination gains more attention, these findings may prove useful for future facilities aiming to promote and optimize removal by biodegradation.
Abstract A substantial body of research has linked the built environment to obesity risk in older adults, with physical activity reducing obesity risk. Most studies have focused on temperate and subtropical regions; however, results can vary due to different climate characteristics. This study examines Lanzhou, a representative of arid Northwestern China, to explore the nonlinear relationship between the built environment and physical activity among older adults, focusing on the role of green spaces. By using the XGBoost method, we analyze how green spaces and the 5D built environment affect physical activity levels among the obese and standard‐weight elderly populations in Lanzhou. Results indicate that green spaces significantly influence physical activity in both groups, with their effect surpassing other environmental and sociodemographic factors. Obese elderly individuals are more influenced by green space quality and accessibility, while standard‐weight individuals are more affected by the overall quantity and coverage of green spaces. Obese individuals also rely more on street greening compared with their standard‐weight counterparts. In addition, a diverse urban environment and appropriate public transportation distances are crucial for promoting physical activity among the elderly. Low temperatures inhibit physical activity more in obese elderly individuals. Our findings provide insights for policymakers, planners, and designers on optimizing green infrastructure to reduce obesity risks among the elderly in arid regions, ultimately enhancing the urban environment's effectiveness in promoting healthy aging.
The semiconductor industry wastewater is complex due to it contains large amount of pollutants such as heavy metals, toxic cyanide, fluoride, nitrogen, and phosphorus, etc. Meanwhile, the poor biodegradability and low C/N makes it difficult to directly use biological methods for treatment. The sewage treatment plant in a certain high-tech industrial park adopts the treatment process of “grille+aeration sedimentation tank+high-efficiency sedimentation tank+advanced A2/O+MBR+disinfection tank”. The changes of influent and effluent water quality during the actual operation for 5 months were explored. The results showed that the treatment process had a good removal effect on pollutants. During operation, pollutants such as suspended solids, COD, NH4+-N, TN, TP, and fluoride in effluent were maintained below 4, 26, 1, 8, 0.1, and 1.5 mg/L, respectively, which always met the first level class A standards of Discharge Standard of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant (GB 18918-2002). In addition, the electricity cost of water treatment was about 0.536 yuan/m3, the chemicals cost was about 0.220 yuan/m3, and the direct operating cost was about 0.756 yuan/m3.
Sudakova Anna, Lalitha Yaragudipati Sri, Reddy K. Ramakrishna
et al.
Sustainable material is an innovative combination of hybrid engineering methods and advanced Multi Criteria Decision that seeks to transform the properties of materials on different surfaces. This scientific inquiry uncovers the transformative framework of Sustainable material. In addition, the study uncovers transformation factors (TF) for the integration of nanomaterials (TF = 1.8), Multi Criteria Decision that resemble biological processes (TF = 2.5), deposition aided by plasma (TF = 1.6), and Multi Criteria Decision made using a sol-gel hybrid method (TF = 2.0). These results demonstrate significant enhancements via the use of substantial experimental data. Biomimicry Multi Criteria Decision surpass conventional Multi Criteria Decision in terms of adhesion strength (22 MPa), abrasion resistance (0.3 mm3), and corrosion protection (300 hours). This is shown by the remarkable improvements seen in coating performance metrics. Sustainable material's adaptability is shown via experiments into material transformation, enhancing surface hardness, hydrophobicity, transparency, and tensile strength over a diverse spectrum of substrates. Environmental resistance assessments emphasize the longevity of Multi Criteria Decision, whereas biomimicry Multi Criteria Decision demonstrate remarkable resistance to UV radiation (600 hours), thermal stability (350 degrees Celsius), and chemical resistance. The precise and comprehensive information provided by percentage change values highlights the distinctive characteristics of Sustainable material, establishing it as a disruptive presence in the world of material science and engineering. This work contributes to the continuing discourse on advanced materials and offers valuable insights that may be used to many sectors such as aeronautical engineering, biomedical engineering, and other related areas.
Giulio Vegliante, Valerio Baiocchi, Luca Maria Falconi
et al.
Shallow landslides pose a widely growing hazard and risk, globally and particularly in Mediterranean areas. The implementation of adequate adaptation and mitigation measures necessarily requires the development of practical and affordable methodologies and technologies for assessing the shallow landslides hazard and its territorial impact. The assessment of shallow landslide hazard maps involves two different and sequential steps: the susceptibility and the runout analysis, respectively, aimed at the identification of the initiation and the propagation areas. This paper describes the application in the Giampilieri and Briga Villages area (Sicily, Italy) of a shallow landslide risk process at a basin scale with an innovative approach in the runout assessment segment. The runout analysis was conducted using specific GIS tools employing an empirical–geometric approach at a basin scale. The exposure and vulnerability values of the elements at risk were assigned using a qualitative and semi-quantitative approach, respectively. The results highlight the effectiveness of the procedure in producing consistent runout hazard and risk assessments in the valley areas where the more important and vulnerable exposed elements are located. This study contributes to addressing the public administration demand for valuable and user-friendly tools to manage and drive regional planning.
Kai Pfennings, Tom K. Hoffmann, Jan Hitzegrad
et al.
Abstract Oysters are ecosystem engineering species building reef‐like biogenic structures in temperate shallow water environments, serving as biodiversity hotspots. Recently, also their ecosystem services such as fish nursery, pollutants sink and self‐sustaining coastal protection mechanisms came into a research focus. In light of accelerated sea level rise and increasing environmental dynamics, a determination of vertical growth rates of these biosedimentary structures is paramount in assessing their resilience. This study embarked on a comprehensive survey of seasonal vertical reef growth rates using terrestrial laser scanning and related population dynamics of two intertidal reefs built by the non‐native oyster Magallana gigas in the Wadden Sea. We quantified median reef growth at 19.8 mm yr−1 for the Kaiserbalje reef and 17.5 mm yr−1 for the Nordland reef. Additionally, we tested the hypothesis that the seasonal variations in reef growth rates correspond to the local population dynamics, mainly the parameters of shell length and abundance which mirror delayed effects from previous spawning events. Shell growth rates were 0.03–0.06 mm d−1 in winter and 0.10–0.16 mm d−1 in summer, mean oyster abundance from autumn 2019 to spring 2022 was 627 ± 43 ind. m−2 and 338 ± 87 ind. m−2 at the Kaiserbalje and Nordland reefs respectively. Minor reef growth in the topmost reef area reflects an emerging equilibrium of the vertical reef position to actual sea level. Our findings are in accordance with growth of natural Crassostrea virginica reefs on the US East Coast, indicating potential resilience to actual and predicted sea level rise scenarios. Moreover, understanding local hydro‐morphodynamic feedback linked to sea level rise will be vital in predicting the three‐dimensional stability of these biosedimentary structures and habitats.
AbstractUSEEIO v2.0 is an environmental-economic model of US goods and services that can be used for life cycle assessment, footprinting, national prioritization, and related applications. This paper describes the development of the model and accompanies the release of a full model dataset as well as various supporting datasets of national environmental totals by US industry. Novel methodological elements since USEEIO v1 models include waste sector disaggregation, final demand vectors for US consumption and production, a domestic form of the model that can be used to separate domestic and foreign impacts, and price adjustment matrices for converting outputs to purchaser price and in various US dollar years. Improvements in modeling national totals of industry and environmental flows are described. The model is validated through reproduction of national totals from input data sources and through analysis of changes from the most recent complete USEEIO model that can be explained based on data updates or method changes. The model datasets can all be reproduced with open source software packages.