Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy最新文献

Municipal wastewater often causes foul odor and causes economic loss due to corrosion, health and safety issues at the workplace, and environmental problems. The primary explanation for these findings is the work of microorganisms, specifically sulfate-reducing bacteria, which are involved in sulfur reduction. In both aerobic and anaerobic processes, sulfur, a multivalent element, participates in intricate bioreactions. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) generation is a major drawback for anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater. H₂S adversely affects process performance. Several chemical treatments under investigation include the addition of H₂O₂, FeCl₃, oxygen, air, and KMnO₄ to control H₂S emission. However, biological treatment is considered a more efficient and economical route to H₂S control. This paper comprehensively reviews the formation, control, and removal of sulfide during anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater. Methods of H₂S prevention inside anaerobic reactors, methodology for processing biogas, and methods applicable for anaerobic effluent purification with key emphasis on H₂S removal have been discussed. In addition, a new concept has been proposed to control sulfide production in anaerobic systems along with economic considerations.

It is aimed in this work to explore the possibility of using the reed stalks for the production of pulp suitable for papermaking. To attain this goal, chemical kraft pulping followed by a number of bleaching sequences was implemented. We bleached a reed kraft pulp using H₁H₂, D₀EOD₁ and ZEOD sequences (where H, D, EO and Z represent hypochlorite, chlorine-dioxide, alkaline extraction, and ozone respectively) to attain considerably good quality pulp that boosts the brightness and brings high mechanical strength. The elementary chlorine-free (ECF) light bleaching sequences (ZEOD) include an ozone stage which results in imparting a pulp quality to be better than the conventional ECF procedure (D₀EOD₁) and (H₁H₂). Furthermore, to determine the optical, physical, and mechanical properties of reed pulp and paper, the impact of filler retention regarding the properties of paper that incorporates fibers from nano-filler (CaCO₃) loading was investigated and compared with the conventional filler loading. The same amount of nano calcium carbonate additive helps impart optical and mechanical properties compared against the paper manufactured by conventional calcium carbonate.

Matuch, C., Chen, W., Ternes, M. J. Seay. “Navigating the complexities of advanced recycling: processes, feedstock, and public health connections in the context of the global plastic pollution crisis”, Environ Prog Sustain Energy. (2025) 44: e14601. 10.1002/ep.14601.

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A promising sustainable biofuel was successfully produced from waste frying oils using a calcium oxide (CaO) catalyst derived from Mourgueta snail shell waste, representing a renewable and low-cost resource. The transesterification reaction was conducted at room temperature by varying the methanol to oil molar ratios (6.4:1, 7.7:1, 9:1, 10.25:1) and catalyst loading (0.5–3 wt%). Additionally, the effect of calcination temperature on catalytic activity was investigated at 700°C, 800°C, and 900°C. Under optimal conditions, specifically, 1.5 wt% catalyst calcined at 900°C with a methanol to oil molar ratio of 9:1, the high conversion efficiency of 99.8% was achieved. This reactivity highlights the effectiveness of the biogenic CaO as a solid base catalyst for biodiesel production. The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content of the biodiesel product was confirmed by FTIR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and GC–MS analyses. The identified methyl esters included key components such as methyl linolelaidate, methyl palmitate, methyl oleate, and methyl stearate, indicating a high-quality biodiesel composition. These results demonstrate the viability of converting agro-waste into efficient heterogeneous catalysts, contributing to green chemistry, waste valorization, and the advancement of sustainable biofuel technologies.

Biomass to energy conversion has evolved into an essential route for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel dependence. Anaerobic digestion (AD), among other biomass conversion technologies, has received considerable interest because it can generate biogas—a clean and renewable energy carrier. Nevertheless, difficulties surrounding substrate heterogeneity, process inefficiency, and scaling have limited the mass implementation of improved biogas systems. To this end, this review comprehensively investigates novel optimization methods for enhancing biogas yield, conversion efficiency, and process sustainability. The review thoroughly analyzes important aspects like substrate selection, process parameter optimization, reactor design, and microbial community management. Agricultural residues, food waste, and organic sludge are presented as major substrates, whose biochemical characteristics determine biogas productivity. It is discovered that microbial activity and biogas kinetics are significantly impacted by parameter tuning, including hydraulic retention duration, temperature, pH, and organic loading rate. The function of reactor design, such as continuous stirred tank and plug-flow systems, is examined in terms of mixing strategy and scalability. Microbial engineering developments, co-digestion strategy, and digestate management are also discussed to enhance process efficiency. The findings emphasize not only the technical progress but also the challenges in the availability of substrates, scale-up of reactors, and techno-economy viability. With solutions to these, the review emphasizes the crucial role of optimized AD processes in the attaining of sustainable energy solutions. This paper offers insights for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders in the industry towards a more circular and more resilient future energy.

The global economy's continuous development has intensified the challenges associated with industrial wastewater treatment. This study synthesizes bentonite-loaded zero-valent aluminum (B-ZVAl) materials using physicochemical methods and explores their application for adsorbing and degrading pollutants in dye wastewater. The process exploits the intrinsic electron transfer capability of zero-valent aluminum (ZVAl) alongside the generation of active free radicals and flocs during the reaction. Orthogonal experiments were conducted to assess the impact of key factors including material loading, reaction pH, dosage, reaction temperature, and settling time on the decolorization efficiency of dye wastewater. Under optimal conditions (50% loading, 90-min settling time, pH 3, 2.5 g/L dosage, and 20°C reaction temperature), the decolorization rate of acid red dye wastewater reached 98.07%. Additionally, chemical oxygen demand (COD) was reduced by 72.36%, total organic carbon (TOC) by 65.34%, with an effluent pH of 7.38 and an aluminum concentration of 0.024 mg/L. Reusability tests indicated that the material retained significant decolorization and adsorption performance after three cycles. Characterization techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the stability of the B-ZVAl material before and after reactions, while UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D EEM) analysis further demonstrated the composite material's efficiency in decolorizing dye wastewater and reducing pollutant levels. In conclusion, the novel composite material not only overcomes the issue of ZVAl oxidation but also ensures a low residual aluminum concentration in the treated water, thereby reducing the potential risk of biological toxicity.

In order to improve the resource utilization rate of slag, phosphogypsum, and steel slag, full solid waste groups (ultrafine grinding group A, B, C and ungrinding group E) and full cement group D were used to prepare concrete in laboratory experiments. The influence laws of grinding and dosage on the slump, compressive strength, and pore structure of concrete were studied. The results showed that the slump of group E was the largest, reaching 216 mm. At the curing age of 3 days, the strength of group D was the greatest, with a value of 31.77 MPa, while group E was the smallest, with a value of 15.6 MPa. The compressive strength of groups A, B, and C was much higher than that of ungrinding group E, which indicated that ultrafine grinding had an excellent effect on improving the early strength of concrete. Within the curing age of 28 days, the early compressive strength of group A with the minimum amount of ultrafine slag powder was the highest, reaching 40.2 MPa. The compressive strength of group C was the highest at the curing age of 60 and 90 days, which were 43.2 and 45 MPa, respectively. The formation of ettringite was the main source of concrete early strength. Ettringite and C-S-H gel were generated in large amounts and intertwined with each other; the hydration product structure of the ultrafine grinding groups was denser, the paste structure was filled more fully, the pores were smaller, and the concrete compressive strength was greater.

Based on panel data from 278 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2021, this study constructed a multi-period difference-in-difference model to empirically test the impact of the launch of public data open platforms on regional carbon productivity. Empirical evidence shows that the launch of public data open platforms can significantly improve carbon productivity. Public data openness mainly promotes carbon productivity through information effects, resource allocation effects, and green management effects. In terms of heterogeneity, public data openness can promote green transformation in cities with high marketization, “two control zones” cities, and resource-based cities better. Further research shows that government intervention plays a “quantitative change leads to qualitative change” role in the impact of information effects on carbon productivity, and a “positive U-shaped” non-linear role in the impact of human resource allocation on carbon productivity.

In electrochemical (EC) process, power required, and electrode material cost are considered major parameters. Herein, the waste tetra pack (TP) of the beverage industry, composed of a thin aluminum (Al) layer on paper and polyethylene, is used as electrodes in the EC process. Utilizing waste TP in this way can handle major challenges of waste management of TP and wastewater treatment. Three different electrode arrangements of carbon (C), Al, and TP as (anode: cathode) like Al:TP, C:TP, C:Al are explored in the separate batch EC operations for the real dye wastewater (RDW) treatment. The efficacy of RDW treatment has been examined in terms of % COD removal, with the highest COD removal during EC operation noted at solution pH 5, current density—5 mA/cm², electrode gap—1 cm, NaCl—1 g/L, stirrer speed—100 RPM. Under optimum conditions, 95%–48%, 88%–31% and 92%–35% of COD removal have been noticed for Al:TP, C:TP, and C:Al electrode arrangements, respectively for an initial RDW organic load ranging from 500 to 5000 mg/L. With an increase in initial COD, the maximum amount of COD removal is noticed for an initial organic load of 4000 mg/L. Cost study signifies ~113.724, 83.945, 90.292 INR kg-COD removed is needed for Al:TP, C:TP, and C: Al electrode arrangements. In addition, calorific study of sludge/scum signifies their calorific values of 3.18, 3.65, and 2.45 J/mg for Al:TP, C:TP, and C:Al electrode arrangements, respectively. In addition, the aluminum-free paper generated as TP cathode could be used as fuel or fresh paper production.

An effective means of producing sustainable energy is the integration of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology with Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems. In this study, the energy and economic performance assessments of the ORC system are carried out using five distinct organic working fluids, which are R218, R227ea, R236ea, R236fa, and RC318. The solar energy data for Jamshoro, Pakistan, was used as energy input for the operation of the ORC. The ORC system was simulated in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software; the study conducted an extensive examination to assess the viability and energy efficiency of these fluids under concentrated solar radiation. Among the studied fluids, RC318 emerged as one of the most promising fluids among those examined, surpassing the others in terms of thermal efficiency and payback period, with a thermal efficiency of 20.8% and a payback period of 4.7 years. The study further highlighted the importance of choosing organic working fluids that consider both practical constraints and thermodynamic qualities. With its attractive performance characteristics and little environmental effect, RC318 stands out as a sustainable and effective option for CSP–ORC systems as compared to other fluids. The results highlight RC318's potential as a preferred working fluid, supporting the development of renewable energy technologies and the shift to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future.