Fruits are vital for healthy diets, yet their environmental impacts on a global scale are still not well understood. Our study fills this knowledge gap by systematically reviewing life-cycle analyses of results from 113 life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies covering 15 major fruit species across six key environmental impact categories. Results show substantial variation in yields and environmental impacts across species, regions, and production systems, driven by climate, soil conditions, and management practices. High-yielding fruits such as pineapple and apple (0.10 and 0.15 kg CO2e/kg, respectively) generally release fewer greenhouse gases than low-yielding crops like avocado and berry (0.48 and 0.44 kg CO2e/kg, respectively). Environmental footprints vary widely across countries—for example, apple carbon footprints range from 0.04 to 3.01 kg CO2e/kg. Production-weighted global averages indicate a carbon footprint of 0.31 kg CO2e/kg, acidification of 3.48 g SO2e/kg, eutrophication of 2.23 g PO4e/kg, blue water use of 0.13 m3/kg, land use of 0.49 m2·a/kg, and human toxicity of 0.09 kg 1,4-DBe/kg. However, some impact categories like carbon footprint have been studied more frequently than others, with data gaps remaining particularly significant for the toxicity and eutrophication impacts of fruits such as avocado, cherry, and plum. By synthesizing results across fruit types, regions, and multiple impacts, our study reveals opportunities for targeted interventions and best-practice transfer to improve sustainability across the global fruit sector.
Environmental sciences, Environmental effects of industries and plants
Improper disposal of solid waste obstructs drainage systems and pollutes surface water. Additionally, the dumping of unsorted garbage generates emissions and leachate, which harm local ecosystems and contribute to climate change. With Rewari City’s growing population, effective municipal solid waste management, including landfill site selection, is crucial. This study employs Geographic Information System (GIS), Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) methodologies to determine appropriate sites for landfills. The FAO, ALOS PALSAR DEM, Sentinel 2B images, Google Earth Pro, and interviews were employed to gather data. The results of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) indicate that 35.4% of the parameters under consideration are associated with Land Use Land Cover (LULC), whereas roads rank as the second most significant criterion, accounting for 24.0%. The WLC technique determined that 4.65 square kilometers were inappropriate for dump sites, while 0.11 square kilometers were extremely favorable. These findings can assist decision-makers in determining the order of importance for variables when selecting a landfill location.
Environmental effects of industries and plants, Science (General)
Agustin Ayu Saputri, Rahayu Rahayu, Hery Widijanto
et al.
Continuous pesticide application in shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) cultivation can reduce soil chemical and biological fertility, potentially leading to the accumulation of pesticide residues. Sustainable agricultural practices are therefore needed to restore soil fertility and improve shallot yield. This study was conducted as a field experiment using a randomized complete block design with a single-factor treatment, namely the type of biological agent: control (BA0), Atlantibacter hermannii (BA1), Pseudomonas sp. (BA2), Indigenous bacterial consortium (BA3), Eco enzyme (BA4), and Biofilm (BA5) from Mount Lawu's western slopes. Each experimental treatment was repeated five times, resulting in a total of 30 units. Statistical analysis was done using analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Duncan multiple range test (DMRT) and Pearson correlation. The parameters observed included chlorpyrifos levels, chemical and biological characteristics, and shallot yield. The results of the study indicate that Atlantibacter hermannii (BA1) reduced soil chlorpyrifos content by 64.62% and increased shallot yield by 41.44%. Eco enzyme (BA4) and biofilm (BA5) were the most effective in lowering chlorpyrifos accumulation in bulbs, with reductions of 42.31% and 38.46%, respectively. Regarding soil fertility, BA1 increased available phosphorus by 30.32%, Pseudomonas sp. (BA2) increased available potassium by 12%, and BA4 increased total nitrogen by 18.18%; however, the improvements from BA2 and BA4 were similar to those from BA1. Overall, Atlantibacter hermannii (BA1) and eco enzyme (BA4) emerged as the most promising biological agents for reducing pesticide residues, enhancing soil fertility, and increasing shallot production, highlighting their potential application in sustainable agriculture.
As industries increasingly adopt sustainability-oriented strategies, economic assessment methods should evolve to incorporate environmental externalities and long-term system impacts. While conventional techno-economic analysis (TEA) evaluates financial feasibility, it may exclude life cycle-based costs and environmental burdens. This study focuses on TEA practices that have yet to fully incorporate life cycle considerations and compares them with life cycle costing (LCC) approaches under sustainability-driven contexts. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the system boundaries, cost coverage, and decision-making implications of both methods. Furthermore, a case study on recycled methanol production at a low technology readiness level (TRL) demonstrates how LCC enhances traditional TEA by internalizing environmental costs. Environmental costs were monetized using two methodologies (LIME3 and Ecovalue12), both of which monetize environmental impacts, and the results showed that the minimum selling price increased by 3–4 % (LIME3) and 125–160 % (Ecovalue12) compared to the TEA results. These findings highlight the variability resulting from the integration of environmental costs and the necessity for standardizing monetization methodologies. This work shows how life cycle-based cost assessments can provide a more comprehensive basis for sustainability-oriented decision-making, particularly in emerging chemical technologies.
Faradiba Faradiba, St. Fatimah Azzahra, Endah Yuniarti, Lodewik Zet, Tris Kurniawati Laia and Rini Wulandari
The country’s advancement is fueled by regional growth. It frequently has many detrimental effects in its application, including contamination. Climate, notably temperature, is negatively impacted by the ensuing pollution. This study uses the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) method to measure the pollution index, followed by the instrumental variable (IV) method to calculate the effect of development on pollution and temperature. Rural data from Podes 2018 is among the data used in this investigation. The findings of this study show that developed and developing areas are where the negative pollution index forms the most frequently. The construction and the resulting pollution index have a negative impact on temperature. The development process should pay attention to environmental aspects to anticipate worse temperature changes in the coming period.
Environmental effects of industries and plants, Science (General)
This study aimed to locate areas along the Debretabor-Alember route segment in northern Ethiopia that are susceptible to landslides. Geospatial tools, specifically frequency ratios (FR) and information values (IV), were used to develop landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs). A comprehensive on-site investigation and analysis of Google Earth imagery were conducted, resulting in the detection and analysis of 89 landslides, including current and historical events. The dataset used for validation comprised 78% of the previously documented landslides, whereas the remaining 22% was used for training. Several factors were considered in this study to determine landslide susceptibility, including "slope, aspect, curvature, elevation, lithology, distance from streams, land use and cover, precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)", and the FR and IV models. Based on the results obtained using the FR approach, specific areas exhibited different levels of susceptibility, ranging from very low to moderately high, medium, high, and very high. These areas covered a total of 18.4 km2 (19.9%), 18.9 km2 (20.5%), 19.7 km2 (20.3%), 17.7 km2 (20%), and 17.7 km2 (19%), respectively. The LSMs generated by the IV model indicated multiple susceptibility classes in the study area, varying from very low to very high. These maps revealed that 18.4 km2 (19.8%), 18.8 km2 (20%), 18.9 km2 (19.5%), 18.8 km2 (20.5%), and 18.3 km2 (19.8%) of the area fell into these susceptibility classes. The landslide density indicator method was employed to validate the LSMs. The FR and IV models demonstrated that a significant proportion of confirmed past and current landslide records (72.16% and 73.86%, respectively) occurred in regions with a high or very high susceptibility to landslides. Overall, the IV model, which utilized latent variable structural modeling (LSM) in the independent variable model, outperformed the fixed effects regression model (FR).
This study presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of dietary patterns in different cities, focusing on the correlation between food consumption and environmental impact. The functional unit was the food required to meet one person's yearly needs (1 Inh/year). To determine the quantity and type of food consumed, as well as the income level of the residents, 523 surveys were conducted in households in four cities in Chile (Iquique, Santiago, Temuco, and Coyhaique). Survey data were complemented with secondary information from national statistics and the Ecoinvent database. The environmental impact assessment was carried out using SimaPro, selecting the categories of global warming, terrestrial acidification, terrestrial ecotoxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, freshwater eutrophication, land use, and fossil resource scarcity. The results show that higher-income households generate greater environmental impacts attributed to higher per capita food consumption. In the global warming category, the environmental impact can range from 1.08 kg CO2 eq/inh/year for the first quintile to 2.15 kg CO2 eq/inh/year for the fifth quintile in Santiago. In this category, the impacts in the highest quintiles can be up to 2.2 times greater than those in the lowest quintiles. Similarly, in acidification, this difference can reach 2.3 times. In the freshwater eutrophication category, the highest-income quintiles can double the environmental impacts compared to the lowest (I and II), mainly due to higher consumption of red meat and dairy products. The food production stage was the environmental hotspot across all evaluated impact categories, accounting for 45%–60% of the impacts in global warming, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and fossil resource scarcity; 74%–78% in terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, and land use; and 68%–71% in freshwater ecotoxicity. Meat was pinpointed as the primary environmental hotspot in global warming (44%), terrestrial acidification (56%), freshwater eutrophication (50%), land use (35%), and fossil resource scarcity (30%). Conversely, cereals are the primary environmental hotspot in terrestrial ecotoxicity (30%) and vegetables in freshwater ecotoxicity (18%). The geographical location of cities also influenced the environmental impacts of food consumption, primarily due to the types of available foods in regions near each city. Food availability conditions, diets, and quantities consumed, thus influencing environmental impacts. Finally, household incomes, the geographical location of cities, and the food production systems in each city determine the environmental impacts of food consumption. Different configurations of these variables create unique environmental impact profiles for each city. Despite this, typical environmental hotspots in food consumption were identified across all cities, enabling the implementation of strategies to minimize environmental impacts on a national scale. Thus, circular economy strategies linked to food production systems, as well as food loss and waste, could significantly reduce environmental impacts, presenting an intriguing opportunity for future research in this field.
Green nanotechnology represents a burgeoning field that holds immense promise in the realm of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. This comprehensive review explores the multifaceted applications of green nanotechnology, offering an extensive analysis of its potential and current achievements in these vital sectors. The utilization of plant extracts and natural compounds as reducing and stabilizing agents for nanoparticles is a key focus of this review. The discussion encompasses various synthesis techniques, shedding light on the innovative developments and methods that researchers employ to harness the full potential of green nanotechnology. The array of applications covered in this review spans applications in drug delivery systems and nanomedicine to imaging and diagnostics and environmental applications. We underscore the significance of maintaining nanoparticle stability and bioavailability throughout their journey within the body, addressing critical issues related to nanotoxicology, in vivo testing, and formulation development. Furthermore, this review emphasizes the pivotal role of green nanotechnology in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals by elucidating its contributions to enhanced drug efficacy, reduced side effects, and improved patient outcomes. In conclusion, the blend of green nanotechnology with nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals offers a remarkable opportunity to revolutionize the healthcare landscape. By harnessing the potential of plant-derived nanoparticles and innovative synthesis methods, researchers and industries alike are poised to unlock new frontiers in drug delivery, diagnostics, and patient care.
Since months, the Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection receives a rising number of submissions concerned with the search for alternatives for chemically synthetic pesticides. In the centre of interest are simple plant extracts including botanical active substance like essential oils for use in plant protection. The term ‘botanical active substance’ covers an extremely heterogeneous group of substances ranging from simple plant powders to unprocessed and processed plant extracts. Furthermore, plant extracts may be highly refined (i.e. one single active substance) or represent a complex mixture of components of which all or only some are biologically active. This topic collection focuses on botanicals in plant protection, particularly natural plant extracts and essential oils. These active substances have gained popularity as alternatives to chemical–synthetical pesticides, as they are assumed to offer benefits like low toxicity and environmental compatibility for sustainable agriculture. The collection includes 12 selected papers from different countries summarizing recent studies on the effectiveness of natural products in controlling pests and diseases of economically important food crops in agriculture, as well as their potential use in systemic acquired resistance and reducing pesticide residues. Substances referred to as analogues, mimics, naturalidentical synthesised molecules and biosimilars are not covered by these research reports. This shows that we might be at the beginning of a development not to explore botanical actives as resource for industry but for direct use by farmers as self-preparations. The issue starts presenting the European Union legislative situation on the use of botanicals in plant protection. Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009 requires evaluation and authorization before any substance can be marketed as an active ingredient in a plant protection product. This regulation does not cover botanical extract which are produced by farmers and used directly on the own field without being placed on the market as a plant protection product. In the articles published here but in former issues also, a ‘botanical active substance’ consists of one or more components found in plants and obtained by subjecting plants or parts of plants of the same species to a process such as pressing, milling, crushing, distillation and/or extractions. The process may include further concentration, purification and/or blending, provided that the chemical nature of the components is not intentionally modified/altered by chemical and/or microbial processes. The authors reported pesticide properties of plant extracts, essential oils, plant-derived powders and other natural or processed plant derived materials as potential insecticide, acaricide, molluscicide, rodenticide, fungicide, antiviral, herbicide or resistance inducers in plant protection. Repellency and antifeedant characteristics of botanical substances and the potential use in plant protection programs were described, even allelopathic effects were also discovered. Exemplarily, the use of botanical substances was matter of these studies:
The growing importance of green building practices in addressing environmental concerns, with a focus on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and occupant well-being, necessitates innovative solutions. Building Information Modeling (BIM), a sophisticated digital platform facilitating real-time collaboration and construction process visualization, emerges as a promising tool to enhance efficiency in construction projects. This study explores the role of BIM in advancing sustainability in smaller-scale construction projects. The methodology encompasses a comprehensive literature review and a quantitative analysis, including Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), with a case study centered in Perak, Malaysia. The research aims to assess the impact of BIM on resource efficiency, energy performance, waste reduction, and collaborative decision-making in small-scale green buildings. The findings reveal significant positive correlations between BIM adoption and early-stage design optimization, energy efficiency analysis, material selection, life cycle assessment, waste reduction, and prefabrication. This study underscores the vital role of integrating BIM in smaller-scale construction to promote environmentally responsible practices and achieve sustainable outcomes. Future research avenues may explore strategies for optimized BIM integration and deeper insights into the financial aspects of BIM adoption.
Basuki Basuki, Nina Sulistiawati, Dimas Verdian
et al.
Jember is surrounded and limited by highlands such as Mount Argopura, Mount Ijen, Mount Argopura, and the southern karst mountains. In 2015-2022, the Jember area flooded during the rainy season and dried during the dry season. Changes in land cover that do not follow the science of soil preservation will cause disasters, including landslides and erosion. The purpose of this study is to assess the risk of landslides on the slopes of Mount Argopura through the Geographic Information System. The study used a field survey method that was divided into several stages, including making a working map, conducting a field survey, and analyzing the data in the laboratory. The sensitivity analysis of the landslide level used as the basis for the assessment used the relationship between the parameters of soil erodibility, soil erosion, slope and soil conservation, and slope length. The sensitivity of the level of landslide risk on Mount Argopura is divided into five classes, from very light to very heavy. The very light category covers 4.92% of the total area with erosion of 0.47 t/ha/year. The very heavy class covers 39.70% of the total area, with 1,360.79 t/ha/year erosion.
The water resource is an important guarantee of social and economic sustainable development. The improvement of water’s ecological carbon sequestration ability is a direct response to the goal of “double carbon”. Water quality directly affects its carbon sequestration capacity. So it is necessary to understand the water quality of rivers. In view of the fuzziness and uncertainty in water quality evaluation, this paper uses the cloud model to realize the qualitative to quantitative transformation of water quality in Wenyu River. By combining moment estimation theory with critic weight, AHM weight, and variable weight theory. A water quality evaluation method integrating a variable weight cloud model is constructed. And the temporal and spatial changes in water quality in Wenyu River are studied. The results show that the combined weights balance the influence of each index while retaining the advantages of subjective and objective weights. The results of the water quality evaluation are consistent with the practice, which verifies the feasibility and applicability of the method.
Environmental effects of industries and plants, Science (General)
Agave syrup (AS), a food product made from agave plant sap, is a vegan sweetener that has become popular for replacing conventional sweeteners such as sucrose. As the demand for naturally derived sweeteners has grown in the last decade, this review paper addresses and discusses, in detail, the most relevant aspects of the chemical AS analysis, applications in the food industry, sustainability issues, safety and quality control and, finally, nutritional profile and health impacts. According to our main research outcome, we can assume that the mid-infrared-principal components analysis, high-performance anion exchange chromatography equipped with a pulsed amperometric detector, and thin-layer chromatography can be used to identify and distinguish syrups from natural sources. The main agave–derived products are juice, leaves, bagasse, and fiber. In sustainability terms, it can be stated that certified organic and free trade agave products are the most sustainable options available on the market because they guarantee products being created without pesticides and according to specific labor standards. The Mexican government and AS producers have also established Mexican guidelines which prohibit using any ingredient, sugar or food additive that derives from sources, apart from agave plants, to produce any commercial AS. Due to its nutritional value, AS is a good source of minerals, vitamins and polyphenols compared to other traditional sweeteners. However, further research into the effects of AS on human metabolism is necessary to back its health claims as a natural sugar substitute.
The weak heat tolerance of Clematis ornamental varieties negatively affects their ornamental qualities in the summer. To elucidate heat resistance mechanisms, Clematis lanuginosa, which is an important original parent of the Clematis large-flowered group of ornamental varieties, was selected for use in this study. Here, six libraries, including three biological replicates each of control and heat-shock stress samples, were determined using RNA-sequencing technology. In total, 62,050 unigenes were obtained, and 6,439 unigenes exceeded 1 kb in length. A total of 42,377 unigenes were annotated using six databases. Between the two treatments, 2,165 differentially expressed genes were identified, with 1,565 being up-regulated and 600 down-regulated. In addition, 51 heat-shock protein-encoding genes were identified, among which the small heat-shock proteins accounted for 68.63%. In total, two heat-shock factors and 12 ribosomal proteins were significantly up-regulated under heat-stress conditions. The differential expressions of ethylene-responsive transcription factor, chalcone synthase, cysteine-rich receptor-like kinase and aspartic protease unigenes in guard cells were induced by heat-shock. The data obtained will assist the elucidation of the molecular events underlying heat-stress responses in C. lanuginosa.
Plant ecology, Environmental effects of industries and plants
June Annethe Putinella, Yulia Nuraini, Budi Prasetya
The agricultural sector is the mainstay of the economy in Central Moluccas. However, most agricultural soils on the island have low soil fertility. One of the efforts that farmers can make to improve soil fertility is to apply organic matter, which is widely found in Central Moluccas. This study aimed at elucidating the effect of mixing high-quality organic material (Glicidia sepium pruning) with low-quality organic material (sago pulp waste) on the improvement of available nitrogen in an acid soil (Dystrudept) and growth of maize. Two experiments were carried out in a laboratory and a greenhouse. The compositions of the mixtures of sago pulp waste (A) and pruning of Gliricidia sepium (G) were A0 G100; A20G80; A40G60; A60G40; A80G20, and A100G0. Six treatments and one control (no application of residues) were arranged in a completely randomized design. The results showed that the application of the mixture of 20% and 80% of Gliricidia sepium pruning (A20G80) increased the cumulative amount of mineral N in the soil higher than that of the other organic material mixtures, which in turn improved maize growth.
Widely distributed in various environmental niches, filamentous fungi play an important role in industry, drug development, and plant/animal health. Manipulation of the genome and the coding sequences are essential for a better understanding of the function of genes and their regulation, but traditional genetic approaches in some filamentous fungi are either inefficient or nonfunctional. The rapid development and wide implementation of CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats /(CRISPR)-associated protein-9 nuclease) technology for various model and non-model organisms has provided the initial framework to adapt this gene editing technology for filamentous fungi. In this review, an overview of the CRISPR/Cas9 tools and strategies that have been developed for different filamentous fungi is presented, including integration of the CAS9 gene into the genome, transient expression of Cas9/sgRNA, the AMA1-based plasmid approach, and the Cas9 RNP method. The various applications of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in filamentous fungi that have been implemented are explored, with particular emphasis on gene disruption/deletion and precise genome modification through gene tagging and alteration in gene regulation. Potential challenges that are confronted when developing a CRISPR/Cas9 system for filamentous fungi are also discussed such as the nuclear localization sequence for the CAS9 gene, potential off-target effects, and highly efficient transformation methods. Overcoming these obstacles may further facilitate wide application of this technology. As a simple, economical, and powerful tool, CRISPR/Cas9 systems have the potential for future implementation into many molecular aspects of filamentous fungi.