International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology最新文献

Recently, blends and composites of biodegradable polymers have been developed to replace petroleum-based plastics. Polybutylene adipate terephthalate and polyhydroxybutyrate are polymers that have received much attention due to their interesting mechanical properties. Polyhydroxybutyrate is highly biodegradable. However, polybutylene adipate terephthalate is quite difficult to biodegrade under environmental conditions, and only a few microorganisms are known with this capability. In this work, two fungi isolated from soil were characterized regarding their ability to biodegrade polybutylene adipate terephthalate and polyhydroxybutyrate/polybutylene adipate terephthalate films. The polymers were the sole carbon and energy source. The biodegradation assays were performed in monoculture and coculture. Biodegradation was assessed in solid and liquid media. Clear zone formation was monitored during incubation in agar plates containing the polymers. Film weight loss was measured after incubations in a liquid salt medium. The consumption of oxygen was also monitored to confirm biodegradation. These fungi could efficiently biodegrade polyhydroxybutyrate/polybutylene adipate terephthalate films to similar extents. Remarkably, after 14 days of incubation, isolate 7 (assigned to Aspergillus pseudoflectus) achieved 40.7% (wt) biodegradation and isolate 9 (assigned to Purpureocillium lilacinum) 43.4% (wt). The coculture biodegraded 40.6% (wt). Polybutylene adipate terephthalate biodegradation was far more challenging, and in 287 days, isolates 9 and 7 achieved 41.2% and 30.2% respectively. This is the first study reporting the biodegradation of polyhydroxybutyrate/polybutylene adipate terephthalate films by aerobic mesophilic fungi. These fungi are promising candidates for the development of polybutylene adipate terephthalate biodegradation technologies and bioremediation strategies to clean up environmental plastic contamination.

Polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were modified with starch and varying concentrations of poly (methacrylic acid) (PMA) and integrated with a granular multimedia (GM) filtration system to evaluate their performance in slaughterhouse wastewater treatment for reuse. Increasing PMA loading (0.5–3 wt%) resulted in smoother, more hydrophilic membranes, with an average surface roughness decreasing from 363 to 66 nm and contact angle decreasing from 69.2 ± 3.6 to 63.4 ± 3.1˚. Although porosity (75.8 ± 6.5%–63.8 ± 4.7%) and water uptake (79.3 ± 1.2%–69.8 ± 3.2%) slightly declined, antifouling and reusability improved markedly, maintaining flux recovery ratios above 90% after 1 cycle and above 80% after 5 cycles. The addition of starch and PMA decreased the pure water flux (133.3–40.7 Lm⁻² h⁻¹) at 1 bar, and this correlated with a reduction in pore size from 0.021 ± 9.0 × 10^–4 to 0.012 ± 1.1 × 10^–5 µm. The GM pre-filtration achieved up to 95.9 ± 1.8% turbidity reduction, 23.6 ± 0.01% total organic content (TOC) reduction, and 80.9 ± 0.4% chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction, significantly alleviating membrane fouling. The combined GM-UF system achieved removals of 99.6 ± 0.9% TOC, 91.8 ± 0.2% COD, and 100% turbidity, fats, oils, and greases, producing effluent compliant with South African non-potable water reuse standards. These findings demonstrate the synergistic benefits of starch and PMA incorporation in enhancing membrane antifouling performance and the overall efficiency of the hybrid GM-UF system for sustainable onsite slaughterhouse wastewater reuse.

Carbon-based conductive materials (CMs) were used during the anaerobic digestion of swine wastewater in batch and semi-continuous bioreactors at hydraulic residence times (HRT) of 72h, 144h, and 96h. The graphite felt achieved a maximum methane conversion rate of 93% in the batch bioreactors, which is 2.7, 1.6, 1.5, and 1.5-fold higher than the control, vegetal granular activated carbon (GAC), mineral GAC, and carbon cloth, respectively. Nonetheless, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate for graphite felt was only 69%. The maximum methane production achieved with graphite felt was associated with high consumption of volatile fatty acids (VFA), particularly acetic acid, which accounted for 76% of total consumption at the end of the cultures. Meanwhile, the graphite felt produced the highest methane yield in the semi-continuous bioreactors, followed by vegetal GAC and the control, across the three HRTs tested. The vegetal GAC achieved a COD removal rate of 62%. The results obtained from scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, and infrared spectroscopy suggest that the morphology and chemical composition of the carbon-based CMs significantly affect anaerobic digestion under both bioreactor configurations.

Building urban green land and leveraging its multifunctional role—including ecological, recreational, aesthetic, and protective functions—is crucial for maintaining urban ecosystem balance and advancing sustainable urban development. Based on the multiple benefits of nature-based solutions (NbS), this paper evaluates the social and ecological benefits of urban green Spaces in the main urban area of Mianyang City by using various methods. On the basis of the identified deficiencies in accessibility and ecological networks, this study proposes layout optimization strategies aimed at enhancing multiple benefits such as social and ecological benefits was proposed. The results indicate that significant service blind areas exist in the main urban area of Mianyang city, where residents face challenges accessing green spaces within a 15-min walk. Ecological source areas within the green spaces are highly fragmented and unevenly distributed, with multiple ecological fault zones and ecological fault points, leading to low overall connectivity of the green space network. Establishing “stepping stone” green patches, restoring the fault zone, and addressing the fault point can effectively reduce the service blind area and enhance the overall connectivity of the ecological network. This research offers insights for cities seeking to optimize spatial layouts to maximize the multifunctional benefits of urban green spaces.

Knowledge of social perceptions and attitudes has emerged as a cornerstone for the successful implementation of Green Infrastructure (GI) projects. Relevant studies to date have almost always focused on large cities and ex-ante planning contexts. This paper aims to explore how citizens’ perceptions in the face of climate change adaptation and, particularly, Human Thermal Comfort enhancement and other co-benefits of diverse urban GI projects are being shaped during the GI implementation. Empirical data were gathered from a medium-sized hinterland city situated in northeastern Greece. The research included 200 respondents from the study population, and Principal Component Analysis, K-means clustering, and Discriminant Analysis were employed to depict citizens’ behavioral patterns. Three attitude patterns emerged through the study: i) climate detractors, ii) climate advocates, and iii) climate neutrals. The predicted classification of group membership exhibited overall very good accuracy, with 97.5% of the original grouped cases being correctly classified. This study can guide authorities of small and medium-sized cities as they develop GI projects aimed at climate change adaptation and other co-benefits, providing the required knowledge to formulate more effective communication strategies, encourage public participation, and increase the social acceptability of GI facilities.

The design of a micropollutant monitoring network in rivers is a challenging task because of the lack of environmental regulations, high laboratory analysis costs, and the limited availability of standardized analytical techniques, especially in Latin America. These constraints hinder the ability to make informed, data-driven decisions. In this study, we proposed a methodology that updates the micropollutant measurement process in rivers and incorporates a height variable to improve the precision of ecological threat index (hazard quotient) interpolations at unsampled sites using the cokriging method. The methodology is applied to a section of the Cauca River, the second most important river in Colombia. The sampling design is based on the stratification of sampling subsections, defined by geographic stratum similarity, enabling a more efficient placement of sampling stations at the macrolocation level. This approach not only improves the spatial representativeness of the data but also helps reduce measurement costs, an important aspect in regions with limited resources. In addition, the proposed methodology is dynamic and can be updated with new measurements, guaranteeing its sustainability over time and its applicability in surface water bodies (basins and rivers) with similar characteristics.

Biochar is a carbonaceous solid produced through pyrolyzing biomass under limited oxygen. It is widely recognized for its role in soil improvement, carbon sequestration, and contaminant adsorption. This study optimizes biochar production from bagasse, bamboo, and eucalyptus for industrial effluent treatment. Mixed biomass sources are explored, and the effect of pyrolytic parameters on biochar performance is examined. Experimental trials evaluated the impact of temperature, residence time, heating rate, and particle size on the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) porosity. Bamboo biochar showed the highest activation, with surface areas > 700 m²/g and porosity ~ 0.85 cm³/g. Bagasse showed high porosity of 1.02 cm³/g but required careful temperature regulation due to its rapid devolatilization. Eucalyptus exhibited a moderate surface area of 333 m²/g with stable pore distribution. Thermal modeling using the transient heat conduction equation confirmed feedstock‑specific heating behavior, aligning with experimental pore formation trends. These thermal gradients agreed with observed experimental trends, validating the role of feedstock-specific heat transfer in pore formation. Overlay plots for dual-response optimization (BET ≥ 250 m²/g, porosity ≥ 0.5 cm³/g) confirmed that bamboo is the most adaptable feedstock, with bagasse and eucalyptus offering unique advantages, since they can be tailored. The development of a multistage biofilter is recommended to exploit the distinct features of the three feedstocks.

The spatial heterogeneity of natural gas resources creates the "Impossible Triangle" dilemma. This study explores the achievement of a regional natural gas industry "Possible Triangle" through coordinated development of safety, economy, and green indicators. Coupling coordination degree model, and kernel density estimation method are integrated to examine these dimensions’ temporal evolution and spatiotemporal differentiation from 2012 to 2022 in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC). The results show that (1) The coupling coordination degree significantly increased from 0.500 to 0.794 during the study period, and regional differences first expanded and then converged, showing an inverted U-shaped trend. (2) The coordination level radiated from natural gas-rich cities to surrounding areas, with a clear dependence on resources. The study concludes that contributions are needed from the government, the local CCEC, and the natural gas industry. Key efforts should address shortcomings in coordinated development between "safety-economy" and "economy-green," and resolve resource allocation issues. This study has practical value in promoting the sustainable use of natural gas, reducing environmental pollution, and achieving carbon neutrality goals.

Dumping of untreated industrial wastewater into natural waterbodies and land has become a significant issue in the past few decades and is only increasing. This study evaluates and compares the efficiency of three widely utilized wastewater treatment methods—Coagulation-Flocculation, Ozonation and Sequencing Batch Reactor—for treating hospital and pharmaceutical industrial effluents to develop a solution that is economically and technically manageable. The raw wastewater samples were characterized by multiple physicochemical parameters. Coagulation-flocculation, used different combinations of Polyaluminum chloride, Polyacrylamide, alum and BWD-01, achieving almost 99.6% turbidity reduction and incase of heavy metals 91.2% of Cd and 89.8% of Cu were removed, but Chemical Oxygen Demand removal was inconsistent and almost ineffective. Ozonation resulted in 96% chemical oxygen demand removal, dissolved oxygen levels improved significantly reducing turbidity and alkalinity. Heavy metal showed varying degrees of reduction. Sequencing Batch Reactor showed highest turbidity removal (99.8%) and 79.4% chemical oxygen demand removal, and 99% reduction in alkalinity. Lastly, full-scale treatment plants and detailed cost estimation were developed to evaluate scalability for each method. After comparing all the results ozonation emerged as the most cost-effective and low-maintenance option for long-term operation for any industry. This study concludes that ozonation treatment offers a balanced solution in terms/m of both performance and feasibility in a resource-constrained settings. These findings can be useful for any industry while selecting and implementing efficient, scalable wastewater treatment plant to ensure regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability.

Graphical abstract

Decreasing CO₂ emissions via carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is an essential approach in combating climate change; however, research and application areas remain relatively constrained. In this context, the use of CO₂ for bioenergy generation offers the opportunity to reduce CO₂ emissions while also serving as a sustainable resource. Biomethane production from CO₂ and H₂ is seen as a promising solution for capturing carbon released into the atmosphere during anaerobic digestion processes, but the low solubility of hydrogen constitutes a bottleneck in this process. This study investigated the use of H₂-based CO₂ biomethanation for CO₂ capture and conversion. By employing an anaerobic membrane biofilm reactor, H₂ utilization efficiency was effectively complete (> 99%), a H₂ gas–liquid mass transfer rate of 0.20 ({L}_{{H}_{2}})/({L}_{R.d}) was achieved during a 3-day gas residence time, and methane production efficiency reached 83%. These results imply that the membrane biofilm reactor overcomes the bottleneck of low H₂ solubility. Additionally, the anaerobic membrane biofilm reactor system achieved a remarkable increase in H₂ utilization efficiency (> 99%), compared to conventional systems (70–90%).