AIMS Environmental Science最新文献

Wastewater treatment by microalgae is an eco-friendly and sustainable method for pollutant removal and biomass generation. Microalgae production under abiotic stress (such as salinity/salt stress) has an impact on nutrient removal and fatty acid accumulation. In this study, a freshwater microalgal strain (Desmodesmus communis GEEL-12) was cultured in municipal wastewater with various NaCl concentrations (ranging from 25–150 mM). The growth kinetics and morphological changes of the microalgae were observed. The nutrient removal, salinity change, fatty acid composition, and biodiesel quality under various groups were also investigated. The maximum growth of D. communis GEEL-12 was observed in the control group at 0.48 OD_680nm. The growth inhibition was observed under high salt conditions (150 mM), which showed poor tolerance with 0.15 OD_680nm. The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal significantly decreased from 99–81% and 5.0–5.9% upon the addition of 100–150 mM salt, respectively. Palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0) were the most common fatty acid profiles. The abundance of C18:0 enhanced from 49.37%–56.87% in D. communis GEEL-12 upon high NaCl concentrations (100–150 mM). The biodiesel quality index of D. communis GEEL-12 under 50–75 mM salt concentrations reached the levels advised by international standards.

Railway transportation is a significant contributor to Green House Gas (G.H.G.) emissions in the transportation sector. To mitigate this impact, it is crucial to adopt energy-efficient technology solutions. Improving the energy efficiency of railways can significantly reduce their environmental footprint. We employ a case study methodology to evaluate how energy-efficient technologies such as regenerative braking and lightweight materials affect the sustainability of railway operations. The research assesses the amount of energy used, emissions produced and overall effectiveness of these innovations on railway systems. The findings provide valuable insights into enhancing sustainability in rail transport and inform further research and policy initiatives to advance energy efficiency in the transportation industry. By embracing these technologies, we can potentially reduce the environmental impact of railways while supporting more equitable and sustainable transportation systems that align with global emission reduction goals and U.N. Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Industries face many challenges when emergencies arise. In emergency, there is an increasing demand for self-administered products that are easy to use. The decay rate of these products decreases with time. Moreover, the lack of disposal of used products increases waste and carbon emissions. By observing the scenario, this study develops a closed-loop supply chain management that considers the collection and remanufacturing of used products. The manufacturing rate is linear and the demand is ramp-type and carbon emissions dependent. The model is solved by a classical optimization and calculates the optimal total cost. The results show that the retailer can handle a shortage situation when the demand becomes stable (Case 2) and the total cost increases with the production rate. A sensitivity analysis shows the changes in the total cost with respect to the parameters.

Climate change and the rapid development of cities have brought considerable challenges to the sustainable development of urban and rural areas, and using nature-based solutions to strengthen ecosystems' resilience and response capacity has become a consensus strategy. Natural solutions are the collective name for all solutions that increase the city's resilience while benefiting the environment and humanity. To deepen the theoretical research and practical development of NBS, I reviewed 87 papers on NBS through the Web of Science database. The study found that NBS-related research mostly focuses on five aspects: Concept of ideas, applied technology, implementation guidelines, performance evaluation and platform building. Currently, the emphasis is predominantly on ideas and platform development in developed countries. While the other three domains were also explored, they primarily adhere to conventional methodologies and content within the NBS context. While NBS research covered many areas and boasts an integrative, collaborative approach, it remained fragmented and lacked a cohesive system. On this basis, I proposed a systematic framework to strengthen the systematicity of the NBS system, give full play to the unique advantages of NBS as a comprehensive concept and promote the specific implementation and development of NBS. I examined NBS's progression and benefits, providing a thorough insight into its significance in sustainable urban development. The research introduced a cohesive framework by elucidating NBS's foundational concepts guiding subsequent inquiries. Such findings are pivotal for facilitating informed strategies and enhancing resilience to climate adversities, underscoring a comprehensive approach to sustainability.

I explore the effect that albedo has on the amount of solar energy collected as well as the effectiveness of various building materials used in Jordan's varied construction industry. Albedo, which is the reflection of incoming radiation by surfaces, is of crucial relevance in minimizing the damage that solar radiation may do to building components like windows. The construction sector in Jordan is a substantial contributor to the overall level of energy consumption in the country because of the wide variety of building types, purposes and technologies found there. The findings of this research show that substances with greater albedo values produce the best results in terms of energy gains. These findings are supported by in-depth albedo value analyses and provide useful insights that may be used to improve building design and construction methods in Jordan, which will eventually lead to increased energy efficiency and sustainability within the construction sector.

Nowadays, it is possible to assert that the causality of environmental problems entails a complex social, economic, cultural and political background; faced with such a situation, it is essential to have an operational science that considers the human factor that is in constant interaction with the environment (socio-ecological systems), while seeking sustainable development. Because of that, it became necessary to join different disciplines in a construct called Environmental Sciences, whose main objective is to study and solve problems related to human-environment interactions.

Endorsing the concept of exergy to an interdisciplinary science implies understanding how society satisfies its needs with the natural resources provided by the various ecosystems and how they sustain demand in the man-environment interaction cycle, starting from the development of structural and functional attributes in a dynamic flow of matter and energy. This can be addressed with the first and second laws of thermodynamics by allowing the use of holistic indicators in the Environmental Sciences; one such indicator is ecoexergy, which describes the state of an ecosystem based on the biomass content and genetic information. Thus, this work presents an outline of the incursion of exergy in the context of environmental sciences, which implies that the ecosystem is an open system whose behavior adheres to the laws of thermodynamics.