Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090498

Authors: Duc Lam Nguyen Ngoc Duc Doan Thi Quynh Trang Tran Bich Diep Nguyen Van Quy Khuc

Urban air pollution has become a critical governance challenge for many developing cities, where sustained air quality improvement depends not only on pollution-control capacity but also on durable public participation and financial support. Building on Cultural Additivity Theory (CAT), this study employs Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics with a Bayesian cumulative ordinal logistic specification to investigate how environmental perceptions, adaptive behavior, and household financial capacity are associated with household willingness to pay (WTP) for urban air quality improvement, using survey data from 604 households in Hanoi, Vietnam. The results show that household income, perceived pollution urgency, perceived pollution impact, and avoidance behavior are positively associated with higher WTP. More importantly, the positive associations of perceived pollution urgency and avoidance behavior with WTP are more pronounced at higher household income levels, indicating that these environmental orientations are more closely associated with higher contribution preferences at greater levels of financial capacity. These findings suggest that household WTP reflects a differentiated decision process in which environmental engagement and material circumstances jointly correspond to stated financial contribution rather than operating as isolated determinants. This study makes three contributions. First, it extends CAT into behavioral environmental economics by distinguishing environmental value formation from its expression in stated financial contribution and revealing within-decision differentiation across environmental attributes. Second, it extends the application of BMF analytics to payment card WTP data through a Bayesian cumulative ordinal logistic specification that supports posterior and probability-based interpretation. Third, it provides evidence for designing clean air governance that combines locally relevant risk communication and behaviorally informed public engagement with flexible participation arrangements that recognize heterogeneous household financial capacity.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090497

Authors: Wenzhuo Li Alim Samat Yixuan Liu Jilili Abuduwaili Dana Shokparova

This study develops an interpretable and validated XGBoost–SHAP framework integrating multisource geospatial data and historical flood observations, with model performance evaluated using independent validation and future projections driven by bias-corrected CMIP6 climate scenarios to characterize the spatiotemporal variations and contributions of flood driving factors across three regions of Kazakhstan (2000–2025). The results demonstrate pronounced spatial differences in flood-driving factors: delayed snowmelt coupled with orographic rainfall dominates flood variability in the mountainous Almaty Region; hydrological memory effects regulate flood responses in the Akmola plains; and socioeconomic exposure shows an increasing contribution to flood risk evolution in Turkestan. Future multi-scenario simulations indicate that the flood-affected area in the Almaty Region is projected to increase by 10.8% under SSP2-4.5, which is associated with enhanced snowmelt processes, whereas the Akmola Region may experience a 23.2% reduction under SSP5-8.5, which is associated with changes in evaporation–soil moisture interactions. The interaction between socioeconomic development and natural hazards results in divergent risk trajectories: urban expansion in Akmola and Turkestan may offset declining hydroclimatic hazards, creating a potential risk paradox, whereas mountainous regions remain sensitive to concurrent increases in hazard intensity and exposure. These findings indicate that flood risk evolution in the studied regions of arid Central Asia is being increasingly influenced by socioeconomic dynamics in addition to natural hazards, highlighting the importance of differentiated adaptive planning strategies.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090496

Authors: Hugo Magaldi Gabriel Dubus Raymond Katumba Harold Rugonge Innocent Kasekendi Marc Allassonnière-Tang Sabrina Krief

Effective conservation of tropical forests under sustained anthropogenic pressure requires reliable, up-to-date knowledge of species presence, yet local ecological knowledge (LEK), camera trapping (CT), and passive acoustic recording (PAR) are rarely compared and used jointly against the same species list at the same site, simultaneously. Kibale National Park (KNP) in Uganda is a well-known biodiversity hotspot and the local culture is deeply shaped by wildlife, with social life and cultural identity rooted in a system of clans and totems. Sebitoli, in the northern sector of KNP, was logged in the 1970s and was part of a park-wide census in 2005. We used the three approaches for 54 vertebrate taxa (32 mammals, 15 birds, 7 reptiles) in this regenerating forest patch twenty years after. Over six months, from 1 February to 30 July 2025, 20 paired camera-trap/acoustic-recorder stations using automated deep-learning classifiers to detect species from camera-trap footage and audio recordings were combined with a structured LEK survey of 34 local research and conservation staff. The 2005 park-wide census provides a historical reference for interpreting present-day detections, although differences in survey design and metrics preclude direct inference about changes in density or abundance. All seven taxa for which non-zero density estimates were reported in Sebitoli in 2005 were detected by at least one method in the present study, the endangered elephants and chimpanzees being among the most frequently detected by the three methods. Camera trapping also detected African golden cat Caracal aurata and African Buffalo Syncerus caffer, which were not recorded during the 2005 transects. No single method captured the full community: CT and PAR combined detected 61% of taxa within their joint taxonomic scope, against 50% for the best single sensor, while LEK alone returned a non-zero score for all 54 species, including every reptile and most taxa currently outside classifier coverage. LEK-sensor correlation weakened substantially once classifier scope was accounted for (ρ = 0.29–0.30), and naming consensus among respondents tracked visual familiarity rather than totemic or cultural salience. Our findings show the detections of species rare or absent twenty years before and highlight how integrating LEK, CT, and PAR can provide a broader and more complementary assessment of biodiversity than any single monitoring approach.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090495

Authors: Jovita Pilecka-Ulcugaceva Paula Miezaka Jana Grave Inga Straupe Inga Grinfelde

Lichen transplantation can reveal spatial variation in biological responses across urban environments, but visible vitality cannot identify specific pollutants. We transplanted the epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes from a presumed lower-impact forest area to 20 sites in Jelgava, Latvia and assessed its visible condition monthly for 243 days. The primary endpoint was first-observed necrosis; discoloration was retained as a descriptive secondary state. Thirteen primary transplants developed necrosis, first detected between days 62 and 215. One transplant was right-censored at day 123 after pruning, and six had no observed necrosis by day 243. Kaplan–Meier analysis gave a median time to first-observed necrosis of 184 days (20 primary transplants; 13 events; and 7 censored). A descriptive Urban Stress Index summarized event timing for 19 sites with complete follow-up. Correlations between this index and land-use proportions were statistically non-significant. Exploratory correlations with co-located winter snow Pb and Zn concentrations were negative, contrary to a simple metal-toxicity interpretation. The observed necrosis may reflect altered environmental conditions after transplantation rather than metal accumulation; absent concurrent air and thallus chemistry, microcli-mate measurements, and site replication, pollutant-source attribution is precluded. The approach is therefore best used for exploratory spatial screening and hypothesis generation.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090494

Authors: Michelle Andrea Gonzalez Monroy Adalgisa Sinicropi Maria Laura Parisi

Hydrogen (H2) is widely regarded as a key energy vector for the transition to a low-carbon energy economy, yet its production, storage, and distribution remain associated with significant environmental burdens. This review analyses the entire low-emission H2 value chain from an eco-design perspective, synthesising recent life cycle assessment (LCA) literature on water-splitting technologies (electrolysis, thermochemical cycles, and photocatalysis), biomass-based thermochemical and biological routes, and the emerging exploitation of natural (geological) hydrogen. Environmental performance is benchmarked against conventional steam methane reforming and coal gasification across multiple indicators, including global warming potential (GWP), terrestrial acidification, water scarcity, mineral resource scarcity, and human toxicity. The results demonstrate that no single pathway is universally sustainable. Electrolysis remains strongly dependent on the electricity grid mix, while biomass gasification coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS) achieves deep carbon mitigation but exacerbates acidification concerns. Furthermore, photocatalysis and biological routes show theoretically low carbon footprints but remain severely constrained by low technology readiness levels (TRLs). Downstream, physical compression showed lower life cycle burdens than chemical carriers, and pipeline networks outperformed other transportation modes, in the studies reviewed; both findings are conditional on the distance, scale, pressure and utilisation assumptions adopted. Finally, the integrated economic overview reveals that environmental hotspots correlate directly to financial penalties, ultimately dictating the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH). This review consolidates critical technological gaps, highlights the necessity for harmonised LCA boundaries, multi-indicator reporting, and primary industrial data, and proposes strategic research directions to enable a truly sustainable H2 economy where eco-design choices are matched to localised energy, water, and material realities.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090493

Authors: Mehak Shehzad Adnan Younis Samreen Nazeer Muhammad Zubair Akram

Heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils and urban green spaces has become a major environmental concern, threatening ecosystem functioning, food safety, and sustainable land management. Silicon-based growing media have emerged as an environmentally friendly approach for reducing metal mobility while enhancing plant establishment in contaminated environments. Despite growing research interest, a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanisms, effectiveness, and practical applications of silicon-amended growing media across diverse plant systems remains lacking. This systematic review addresses this gap by synthesizing current evidence following the PRISMA 2020 framework. A systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar identified 247 publications published between 2010 and 2025, of which 32 peer-reviewed studies met the predefined inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis. The reviewed literature demonstrates that silicon incorporation into growing media improves substrate functionality by modifying physicochemical properties, immobilizing heavy metals, regulating metal transport within plants, strengthening antioxidant and osmo-protective defense systems, preserving photosynthetic activity, and improving nutrient acquisition and water-use efficiency. Furthermore, silicon influences molecular signaling pathways and promotes beneficial rhizosphere interactions that collectively enhance plant resilience under metal stress. Among the evaluated materials, silicon nanoparticles consistently exhibited greater remediation efficiency than conventional silicon sources because of their higher surface reactivity and improved bioavailability. Overall, silicon-based substrate engineering represents a multifunctional and sustainable strategy for mitigating heavy metal contamination while improving the performance of agricultural crops and urban vegetation. Future research should focus on validating these findings under long-term field conditions, optimizing silicon formulations for different substrate types and contamination scenarios, evaluating environmental safety, and integrating silicon-based technologies into climate-resilient agricultural practices and urban green infrastructure.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090492

Authors: Kimberly E. Baldwin Leigh Boardman Shawn P. Brown

Many streams in western Tennessee (United States) are heavily modified, altering stream morphology and microbial community dynamics. Given the interest in restoring degraded streams, integration of microbial communities and processes is needed to inform restoration efforts. We investigated community assembly dynamics of biofilm microbial communities in a degraded and undisturbed stream within the same watershed; the degraded stream is scheduled to be restored. We established biofilm sampling plots, which included the factors light exposure, length of biofilm development, and temporal variation. We conducted metabarcoding targeting bacteria and eukaryotes, investigating community dynamics of 13 functional or taxonomic groups. We also collected stream chemical data including pH, dissolved oxygen, oxygen reduction potential, total dissolved solids, K+, NO3−, electrical conductivity, and temperature. We observed greater diversity and higher abundances in the more natural stream, but these patterns are taxonomically context-dependent. Using a community assembly analytical framework, we identified strong temporal effects of community structure and stream chemistry. These dynamics also highlighted biomarkers that are potential indicators of stream conditions. This work highlights the need to integrate aquatic microbial communities into conversations around stream restoration.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090491

Authors: Hany Elmancy Lina Khaddour Berk Canberk Bernardino D’Amico Islam Shyha Nagham El-Berishy

Megaconstruction projects, including high-speed rail networks, airports, seaports, and large urban infrastructure programmes, rank among the most resource-intensive activities in the built environment, generating substantial carbon emissions and persistent environmental degradation. These projects face compounding operational challenges: extended construction periods, supply chains that cross multiple continents, and governance structures that involve dozens of contracting organisations, producing data volumes that conventional static Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) cannot accommodate. LCA offers a robust framework for evaluating environmental performance across infrastructure lifecycles, but traditional approaches remain static and retrospective, which limits their use in dynamic, large-scale construction environments. This paper proposes a conceptual framework that integrates predictive machine learning and Digital Twin (DT) technologies within an AI-enabled digital platform, turning LCA into a continuous, real-time decision support process for megaconstruction projects. The framework was developed through a systematic literature review across the LCA, Digital Twin, and machine learning domains, and a structured four-layer design process covering data ingestion, AI predictive modelling, DT synchronisation, and interactive reporting, translated into a six-panel governance dashboard for project managers. Its completeness, coherence, and practical feasibility were then assessed through an Expert Validation Questionnaire. The framework is presented as a pre-empirical, expert-validated design; live deployment and performance testing on an operating megaconstruction project form the next stage of this research.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090490

Authors: Santisith Khiewkhern Benchaphon Aengwanich Chamnan Chinnasee Supatra Noo-In Chitkamon Srichomphoo Ruchakron Kongmant Le Ke Nghiep

Microplastic contamination has become a major environmental health concern because of its widespread occurrence and potential risks to human health. Although environmental health literacy (EHL) is recognized as an important determinant of health-related decision-making, evidence regarding its influence on behaviors that reduce potential microplastic exposure remains limited, particularly in riverine communities of developing countries. This study assessed EHL, environmental health behaviors associated with potential microplastic exposure, and factors associated with these behaviors among urban residents living along the Mekong River in Thailand. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 adults in Mueang Nakhon Phanom District, Thailand, between October and December 2024 using multistage random sampling. Face-to-face interviews were performed using a content-validated questionnaire assessing six EHL domains and environmental health behaviors related to microplastic exposure. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with poor environmental health behaviors. Overall, 41.7% of participants demonstrated good environmental health behaviors, whereas 58.3% exhibited poor behaviors. Participants had a moderate level of EHL (mean score, 2.30 ± 0.46), with decision-making representing the weakest domain. Insufficient EHL was strongly associated with poor environmental health behaviors (AOR = 8.06, 95% CI: 2.86–10.04; p < 0.001). Additional factors associated with poor environmental health behaviors included consumption of untreated river or other water sources, no physician visit during the previous month, age older than 60 years, and obtaining aquatic foods through self-capture, whereas trade occupation was associated with lower odds of poor behaviors. These findings support community-based EHL programs led by local authorities and public health practitioners that strengthen critical appraisal and decision-making skills, provide accessible and evidence-based information on microplastic risks, and promote practical actions such as reducing single-use plastics and improving household waste management.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090489

Authors: Joaquim Esteves da Silva Gianniantonio Petruzzelli

Soils constitute a critical component of the Earth system, particularly in the context of a growing and progressively ageing global population [...]

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090488

Authors: Pablo Vicente-Martínez Adrián Chust-Ros Ismerai David Gutiérrez-Rodríguez Emilio Soria-Olivas María Ángeles García-Escrivà Edu William-Secin

The escalating impacts of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on vulnerable ecosystems demand digital tools that make advanced modeling more accessible to conservation practitioners. This study presents a TRL-4 prototype that integrates a configurable Digital Twin (DT) core with a generative AI conversational interface for conservation-oriented modeling in Doñana National Park, Spain, a UNESCO World Heritage site facing significant environmental challenges. The main contribution is not the training of specific ecological forecasting models, but the validation of an end-to-end workflow that allows users to configure, execute, inspect, and interpret a predictive system through natural language. The prototype supports the prediction of conservation-relevant ecological indicators, including Iberian lynx population dynamics and waterbird abundance, using heterogeneous environmental, climatic, hydrological, and socio-demographic datasets. The architecture connects a structured YAML configuration, heterogeneous environmental and biological datasets, automated machine learning training, database-backed traceability, dashboard visualization, and SHAP-based interpretability. Through representative executions, the prototype demonstrates that non-technical users can select target and explanatory variables, configure preprocessing options, launch model training, generate predictions, and review their outputs without directly editing configuration files or running code. Although the predictive metrics obtained in selected runs remain preliminary and should be interpreted as diagnostics rather than evidence of general forecasting skill, the results show that conversational DTs can substantially reduce technical barriers to ecological modeling. By combining generative AI, cloud infrastructure, reproducible machine learning workflows, and explainable AI, the proposed architecture provides a strong foundation for future conservation decision-support systems that augment expert judgment while preserving human oversight, transparency, and critical interpretation.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090487

Authors: Xiao Huang Guzila Yilihamu Haoyu Deng Guannan Liu Jiehao Chen Pengtao Wang Bin Gui Wenqi Cheng

The pollution of soil by potentially toxic elements in industrial–agricultural transition zones threatens global food security and public health owing to their persistence and bioaccumulation. This study focused on Miyi County, Sichuan (China), a typical region with intensive vanadium–titanium magnetite mining and modern agriculture, and systematically analyzed eight heavy metals and metalloids (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni) across the categories of atmospheric deposition, irrigation water, agricultural inputs, and soil–crop systems. A rigorous four-stage full-chain diagnosis (concentration–load–ecology–health) was executed to evaluate pollution levels and pathways. The single-factor pollution index identified cadmium (Cd) as the primary pollutant, exhibiting a maximum index of 32.63. The Håkanson potential ecological risk index (RI) demonstrated that Cd was the absolute dominant contributor, reaching a catastrophic single-element risk factor (Ei) of 2191.8 and contributing over 70% to the comprehensive ecological risk. Spatially, soils displayed a distinct point-source cluster diffusion pattern: the northern metallurgical zone was dominated by a Cr-Zn-Cu-Ni industrial assemblage, while the southern zone was enriched in Cd, Pb, As, and Hg. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) source apportionment quantitatively demonstrated that industrial emissions via atmospheric deposition were the primary driver, contributing 55–75% of the total soil exogenous inputs, while agricultural sources (livestock manure and legacy arsenic pesticides) exacerbated localized accumulation. While overlying irrigation water remained safe, channel sediments acted as historical pollution sinks. The human health risk model revealed that children in industrial core areas faced unacceptable carcinogenic hazards, with a lifetime carcinogenic risk (LCR) reaching 5.6 × 10−4. These highly specific multi-media findings support a macro spatial risk zoning and source interception strategy to decouple economic growth from regional food safety degradation in global transition economies.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090486

Authors: Niima Es-sakali Federico Minelli Umberto Berardi

Buildings and cities are now at the heart of climate and resource transitions [...]

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090485

Authors: Alina Liepinaitienė Sonata Čerkauskaitė Antigoni Sarantaki Agnė Kuznecova Auksė Miškinytė Audrius Dėdelė

Environmental pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses serious health risks, notably for vulnerable groups like pregnant women. The COVID-19 pandemic changed environmental conditions and air quality, potentially influencing pregnancy outcomes. This study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on maternal experiences, quality of health services, and various aspects of perinatal care among women in Lithuania. In a cross-sectional sample of 1559 women, data from questionnaires, air quality measurements, and logistic regression analyses were used. Residential PM2.5 exposure was categorised into three levels, and its relationships with delivery method, neonatal birth weight, and APGAR scores were evaluated while controlling for confounders. Higher prenatal PM2.5 exposure was linked to greater caesarean section rates (75.9% in the high-exposure group), lower mean birth weight (declining from 3300 g in the low-exposure group to 2900 g in the high-exposure group), and reduced APGAR scores (mean 1 min score 6.5 and 5 min score 8.0 in the high-exposure group). These findings may indicate a notable adverse effect of prenatal PM2.5 exposure on neonatal outcomes during the pandemic.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090484

Authors: Kunxi Wang Hengcan Ye Xinru Wang Yongqing Cao Kailiang Wang Chunlian Yu

Visible–near-infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral imaging is promoted as a rapid substitute for ICP-MS in soil heavy metal monitoring, yet most evidence rests on single-split or non-nested validation. This study benchmarks VNIR prediction for Camellia oleifera plantation soils in Changshan County, Zhejiang, China (n = 83; 102 bands, approximately 401–1022 nm; 51 modeling indicators) under strict nested cross-validation, with all imputation, scaling, preprocessing, and model selection confined to each outer training fold. Four findings emerged. First, the highest observed mean ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) under the present protocol was 1.13. This did not reach the empirical 1.4 interpretive benchmark adopted here, and most fold-wise R2 values were negative. Second, a 1D-CNN with squeeze-and-excitation attention performed significantly worse than a linear baseline for six of ten indicators and better for none; gains seen in the earlier non-nested exploratory analysis did not persist under leakage-controlled evaluation. Third, re-casting the task as regulatory risk level classification did not recover operational utility: Cr and Zn recall values were supported by only two and one exceeding samples, respectively, and cannot estimate population screening sensitivity. Fourth, an exploratory post hoc SHAP analysis using a full-data Random Forest assigned 24% of top wavelengths to Fe-oxide or organic-matter reference bands versus a 5.9% permutation null mean (empirical p = 0.020, the minimum attainable with 50 permutations). This attribution identifies plausible spectral proxy regions but is not independent evidence of predictive generalizability or causality. Separately, 22.9% of plots exceeded the GB 15618-2018 arsenic risk screening value. Within this dataset and validation design, VNIR imaging therefore supports neither reliable quantitative prediction nor operational screening.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090483

Authors: Andrew Phiri Rasaq Raimi

Plastic pollution continues to threaten marine ecosystems and undermine efforts toward a circular economy. This study systematically maps global research on the three core waste management strategies, i.e., reduce, recycle, and remove (3R’s), to understand their intellectual structure, evolution, and emerging directions. Using both Scopus and the Web of Science, we apply bibliometric performance analysis and keyword co-occurrence network mapping to examine trends across plastic bans and regulation, recycling technologies, and clean-up initiatives. Research on reduction has increasingly incorporated themes related to multi-level governance and circular economy frameworks, based on observed changes in keyword patterns and thematic evolution. Recycling studies show an increasing presence of themes related to advanced chemical, biological, and AI-supported systems alongside established mechanical recycling approaches. Clean-up research increasingly includes themes related to technology-driven solutions, including improved detection and remediation approaches. Despite this progress, key challenges remain such as fragmented policy coordination, technological and economic limits to scaling advanced recycling, and the high cost and complexity of large-scale clean-up. Life-cycle trade-offs and persistent microplastics further constrain impact. Overall, future research must connect prevention, material recovery, and environmental restoration within coherent governance and technological systems to reduce plastic leakage and support long-term marine sustainability.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090482

Authors: Susi Sulistia Takeharu Goshima Margaret Boohene Fuzi Suciati Sastraatmaja Muhammad Ihsan Sofyan Esti Mega Maulidayanti Agus Sudaryanto Endro Soeyanto Tia Agustiani Rendi Handika Jun Kobayashi Yasumi Anan Tetsuro Agusa

Mercury (Hg) contamination in seafood is a major environmental and public health concern because organic Hg, predominantly methylmercury (MeHg), bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through aquatic food webs. However, information on Hg speciation in fish and seafood from Indonesia remains limited. This study quantified total Hg (THg) and organic Hg (OHg) in 111 specimens representing 15 commercially important fish and seafood species collected from Jakarta Bay, Indonesia, and assessed the associated human health risk. Median THg concentrations ranged from 0.032 to 3.82 mg/kg dry weight (dw), whereas median OHg concentrations ranged from 0.014 to 2.95 mg/kg dw. A comparison with international and Indonesian food safety guidelines showed that Moses perch (Lutjanus russellii) exceeded the maximum permissible Hg concentration, whereas all other species complied with established limits. Median organic Hg accounted for 26.5–89.4% of THg. THg and OHg concentrations were significantly positively correlated with fish length but not weight. Most species presented negligible non-carcinogenic risks (hazard quotient, HQ < 1); however, 16% and 4% of evaluated exposures exceeded the HQ threshold for children and adults, respectively. Overall, Hg speciation combined with human health risk assessment provides a comprehensive evaluation of seafood safety beyond THg alone. These findings provide baseline data supporting consumption advisories, long-term Hg monitoring, and evidence-based risk management in Indonesia.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090481

Authors: Motlalepula M. Moahloli Paul J. Oberholster Johannes N. Rossouw

Accurate river water quality assessment requires precise knowledge of human activities in the catchment. The water quality of the Katse Reservoir inflow rivers (KRIRs) is affected by mining effluents and livestock waste to varying degrees. This study compared the cumulative impact of human activities on the KRIRs through a correlation analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering of the water quality index (WQI) and the eutrophication index (EI) during the first decade (FD) (2003 to 2013) and the second decade (SD) (2014 to 2024). The study found that the water quality parameters selected to compute the WQI (NO3−, PO43−, NH4+, NO2−, Fe2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, EC, and pH) fluctuated within the water quality standards except for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, and COD were used to compute the EI. The results from all water quality sites (WQS) showed that water was unsuitable for domestic use (WQI < 50). WQS-E and WQS-D were suitable for industrial use (51 < WQI < 75), whereas WQS-A, WQS-B and WQS-C were unsuitable for any use before treatment (100 < WQI). E. coli contributed significantly to the WQI, with strong correlations in the FD (r = 0.98) and in the SD (r = 0.94) (p < 0.023). Nitrates contributed significantly to the EI in the SD (r = 0.67). The correlation between WQI and EI increased from r = 0.45 in the FD to r = 0.81 in the SD at a significance level of α = 0.05. The study effectively highlighted the evolution of pollution from diffuse to point sources in the SD at WQS-A. These findings can be used to forecast water quality responses to future land use activities and guide management strategies to curb pollution at source.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090480

Authors: Paolo Piccolo Stefano Castiglione Annamaria Gentile Francesco Guarino

Arundo donax L., generally known as common reed, is a perennial microthermal grass belonging to the Poaceae family, widely distributed in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of the world. Although its origin is still the subject of scientific debate, many phylogenetic studies place it in central-southern or eastern Asia. Regardless of its area of origin, A. donax was spread due to anthropogenic activities and has had multiple waves of introduction. While substantial research has focused on the biological and bioenergetic potential of A. donax, its extreme ecological resilience represents a critical paradox for ecosystem management. The very traits that make this species an attractive crop—such as high primary productivity, rapid vegetative propagation, and epigenetic plasticity—are the driving forces behind its severe invasiveness in riparian ecosystems. This review aims to re-examine the physiological and genetic mechanisms of A. donax through a management-oriented lens, providing a critical evaluation of why current eradication strategies frequently fail and highlighting the urgent need for integrated control frameworks.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090479

Authors: Yoisdel Castillo Alvarez Reinier Jiménez Borges Berlan Rodríguez Pérez Daniela Geraldine Camacho Alvarez Johann Alexis Chávez García Giovanni Martín Champin Luy

National estimates of the bioenergy potential of livestock manure still rest on static inventories that apply conversion yields to the gross mass of manure, ignoring the fraction that is actually recoverable under each production system and the substrate-specific nature of anaerobic co-digestion. This study develops a category-level predictive model of the technical biogas potential of livestock manure in Peru, projected to 2030, resolving seven livestock categories: dairy and non-dairy cattle, broilers and layers, swine, guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and goats. Recoverability is formulated as a time-dependent factor tracking the progressive confinement of production systems; the technical potential is bounded between a mono-digestion floor and a co-digestion ceiling constrained by a co-location criterion that admits synergy only when the co-substrate originates within the same production system; and a greenhouse-gas layer quantifies avoided emissions from methane conversion factors. All coefficients are reported as intervals and propagated jointly by Monte Carlo simulation. Two yield hypotheses are carried throughout: experimental biochemical methane potential and the IPCC-consistent digester ceiling. The national net technical potential is 1975 GWhpyr−1 under mono-digestion (731 GWhe; 95% credible interval 1628–2404 GWhp, Monte Carlo N=100,000) and 2093 GWhpyr−1 under co-digestion. The gross approach exceeds the recoverable resource by a factor of 3.94, equivalently a contraction of 74.6% (95% CI 68.9–79.1%), and a symmetric Shapley decomposition attributes 76.1% of that contraction to recoverability rather than to conversion yield—a share that is stable across both yield hypotheses. The greenhouse-gas layer yields a result that reverses the expected policy ordering: broilers rank first by recoverable energy but last by avoided methane, whereas swine rank first by mitigation because liquid slurry storage is the only baseline system emitting enough methane for anaerobic digestion to displace. Below a digester leakage of 4.6%, methane abatement is negative at the national scale.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090478

Authors: Chi-Hung Tsai Hervan Marion Morgan Yi-Ling Ni Chun-Yu Pan Ya-Chen Ye Wen-Tien Tsai

The increasing demand for clean energy to mitigate air pollutant emissions, together with the need for sustainable carbon-based materials under the circular economy, has driven the exploration of renewable carbon materials derived from lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable bioresource. Due to its abundance, high carbon content, and favorable thermochemical properties, coconut shell was used as a feedstock for producing biocoke at higher pyrolysis temperatures (i.e., 700, 750, 800, and 850 °C) for comparison with commercial coal coke. The pore properties (i.e., surface area and pore volume) and chemical characteristics of commercial coal coke and the resulting biocoke products were characterized. The chemical characterization primarily involved energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The findings showed that the pore properties of the biocoke exhibited an upward trend as the pyrolysis temperature increased and were significantly higher than those of commercial coal coke (i.e., 294.37–467.05 m2/g vs. 6.33 m2/g based on the BET surface area). In contrast to the commercial coal coke, the proximate analysis results revealed that the resulting biocoke products possessed higher fixed carbon contents (i.e., 76.94–84.56 wt% vs. 78.40 wt%) and calorific values (i.e., 26.90–33.06 MJ/kg vs. 25.39 MJ/kg). Although the pore properties of Biocoke-700 (produced at 700 °C) were not significantly different from those of the other biocoke products, it appeared to be the optimal sample based on its lower energy consumption, low ash content (i.e., 2.25 wt%), and high fixed carbon content (i.e., 84.56 wt%). Based on the EDS and FTIR analyses, the resulting biocoke products retained moderate oxygen contents (14–18 wt%), implying the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface. In addition, the biocoke ash mainly contained inorganic compounds such as iron oxides, whereas the coal coke ash primarily consisted of silica and alumina.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090477

Authors: Mimi Roy Sriroop Chaudhuri

Active biomonitoring using moss bags provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional sensor-based air quality networks, directly supporting multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDGs 3, 7, 11, and 13. However, the reliability of moss bag outputs is frequently challenged due to the wide-ranging variability in moss bag construction and exposure. To critically evaluate these disparities, this scoping review employed the PRISMA framework to synthesize 137 moss bag studies between 2005 and 2025 to assess the dominant moss bag parameter choices. The results revealed a ubiquitous lack of a “standardized operating protocol (SOP)” in almost every aspect of moss bag studies, which restricts the replicability of experiments. The preparatory stages revealed widespread “customization” of moss sampling methods; the use of water as the main moss cleaning–washing medium (~87% of the literature reviewed herein); drying at 105 °C (~80.7%); and a general preference for the Sphagnum species (74%). Regarding the constructional phases, preferences for cylindrical bag shapes (60% of the literature reviewed herein) and nylon mesh for the bag material (68%) were noted. However, the mesh aperture sizes (<1 to >10 mm2) and bag exposure duration (<4 to >10 weeks) exhibited ranges far too broad for cross-study replication. Less than 10% of the literature explicitly mentioned choices of moss packing density, bag elevation, irrigation, shading, and orientation. Reflections on the influences of environmental/meteorological variables on moss bag results were sparse. Less than 5.5% of the literature delved into any process-level discourses for parameter choices, while barely 2.8% of the literature attempted to establish SOPs for moss bags. Overall, this study highlights that much remains to be learned about the moss–pollutant interaction pathways, phytotoxicity, and chlorophyll damage, and that moss bag studies still need to be streamlined; they still lack clarity in their reporting of study designs/parameterization choices, which could collectively limit the future use of moss bags to support air quality policy and decision-making.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090476

Authors: Vanesa Benito Naroa Lopez-Herguedas Maite Cabañas Santos Paunero Ane Rivas-Macho Iker Alvarez-Mora Manu Soto Felipe Goñi-de-Cerio

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are key nodes in the environmental dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), although their net role as sources or barriers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) under full-scale conditions remains insufficiently understood. This study evaluated the occurrence and dynamics of ARB and ARG in a full-scale urban WWTP and its receiving river over a two-year monitoring campaign. Samples were collected from the WWTP influent and effluent, and from river water upstream and downstream of the discharge point, enabling an integrated assessment of treatment performance and potential environmental dissemination. Wastewater treatment markedly reduced AMR indicators, with ARG concentrations decreasing by at least 90% from influent to effluent. No consistent increase in ARB or ARG levels was observed downstream compared with upstream, indicating no measurable dissemination attributable to the WWTP discharge. Multidrug-resistant bacteria were prevalent across all compartments, highlighting widespread background resistance in the urban water cycle. Temporal analysis revealed higher ARG abundances in 2021 and 2022 than 2020, consistent with possible changes in antibiotic consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the investigated WWTP did not act as a net AMR source, highlighting its potential role as a control point and the value of integrated monitoring for assessing AMR dynamics and environmental risk.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090475

Authors: Ana Carolina Torregroza-Espinosa Juan Camilo Restrepo Rodney Correa-Solano Laura Salas Loraine Díaz-Meriño Rebecca M. Stumpf

Artisanal fisheries are fundamental to riverine socioecological systems, yet fishing communities remain underrepresented in environmental governance and decision-making. This gap constrains the incorporation of local knowledge into environmental decision-making and may reduce the effectiveness of governance strategies for addressing complex socioecological challenges. This study analyzes the socio-environmental characteristics of artisanal fisheries in the lower Magdalena River estuarine zone (Colombia) and discusses their implications for water governance and monitoring systems. Using a mixed-methods integrative design, we combined a PRISMA-guided literature review with a structured survey of 43 community members in the strategic territory of Bocas de Cenizas–Ciénaga de Mallorquín. The results reveal strong livelihood dependence on aquatic ecosystems, increasing environmental pressures, and limited institutional coordination. Respondents reported clear perceptions of environmental degradation, including declines in fish availability, vegetation cover, and water quality. Crucially, local actors possess detailed experiential knowledge of these transformations and show favorable conditions for participatory engagement. The integrative analysis indicates that artisanal fishers are not merely vulnerable populations, but key environmental observers whose knowledge can enhance adaptive and inclusive water governance. The findings identify a specific monitoring gap in the lower Magdalena estuarine zone: the environmental changes most consistently perceived by local actors—including declining fish availability, deteriorating water conditions, vegetation loss, and shoreline erosion—are directly linked to livelihood dependence but remain weakly connected to formal governance processes. These locally observed variables provide a context-specific basis for developing integrated socioecological and hydroenvironmental monitoring systems that combine conventional scientific indicators with community-based observations, thereby improving the territorial relevance of environmental information for water governance and decision-making.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090474

Authors: Ester Sánchez-Jiménez Joaquin Abian Antoni Ginebreda Damià Barceló Montserrat Carrascal

Wastewater analysis has emerged as a powerful tool for wastewater-based epidemiology, environmental surveillance, and monitoring of emerging contaminants. While most studies rely on targeted approaches focusing on predefined compound lists, untargeted metabolomics offers potential to capture a broader and less biased chemical snapshot. However, the complexity of wastewater matrices and the chemical diversity of small molecules pose analytical challenges. In this study, we apply a multi-platform, untargeted metabolomics workflow to profile the influent wastewater metabolome of five wastewater treatment plants in Spain, differing in geographic context, population size, and industrial activity. Twenty-four-hour composite samples were collected in three seasons and analyzed using gas chromatography, reversed-phase liquid chromatography, and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography, all coupled to mass spectrometry. A total of 828 unique compounds were annotated across platforms, with minimal overlap, highlighting the complementarity of analytical approaches and extraction strategies. Multivariate analyses revealed reproducible site-associated chemical patterns consistent across seasons and platforms. Dominant contributors included lipids, organic acids, organic oxygen compounds, organoheterocyclic compounds, and benzenoids, reflecting differences in population and human activity. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a multi-platform untargeted workflow for generating complementary and reproducible comparative profiles of wastewater influent. The resulting public dataset is intended as a methodological and exploratory comparative resource, and broader spatial and longitudinal validation is required before generalization or use for source attribution.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090471

Authors: Jon Kerexeta-Sarriegi Yone Tellechea Cristina Martin

Air pollution is a major environmental risk factor, particularly for children, who experience repeated exposure during daily school commuting. Exposure-aware routing has been proposed as a strategy to reduce contact with environmental pollutants; however, limited evidence exists regarding how optimization opportunities vary across pollutants and urban environments. This study presents a GeoAI-based framework for pollutant-aware route optimization using OpenStreetMap street networks and air quality data from the Basque Government environmental monitoring network. Approximately 2000 simulated school commuting trajectories were generated across Donostia-San Sebastián and Bilbao’s metropolitan area. For each origin–destination pair, the shortest-path route was compared with alternative routes optimized for PM10 and NOx exposure. The results revealed substantial differences between pollutants and cities. In Donostia-San Sebastián, NOx optimization produced the greatest benefits, with more than 10% of routes achieving exposure reductions above 5% and a maximum reduction of 54.9%. In contrast, Bilbao exhibited the highest optimization potential for PM10, with a maximum reduction of 32.8% and 8.2% of routes achieving reductions greater than 5%. Meaningful reductions were generally achieved with moderate increases in traveled distance. These findings suggest that exposure-aware routing may benefit a subset of school commuting trajectories and that optimization potential strongly depends on the local environmental conditions.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090473

Authors: Bilyana Petrova Ivanka Stoycheva Gloria Issa Boyko Tsyntsarski Angelina Kosateva Narzislav Petrov Daniela Karashanova

Water contamination with surface-active agents, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), represents a serious environmental concern, driving the need for efficient and low-cost alternative adsorbents as a step toward sustainable waste valorization. In this study, waste biomass derived from plum stones, date stones, and walnut shells was successfully transformed into activated carbons via chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) at 850 °C with a 1:1 impregnation ratio. The synthesized materials underwent comprehensive physicochemical characterization utilizing TG-DSC, elemental analysis, Boehm titration, SEM, TEM, and nitrogen physisorption (BET), whereas their adsorption performance was evaluated against aqueous SLS solutions across various concentrations. The obtained results reveal a predominantly microporous structure with a high specific surface area, reaching up to 1059.01 m2/g for ACdate. The equilibrium adsorption data were well described by the Langmuir isotherm model, which yielded model-estimated asymptotic adsorption capacities (qm) of 219.70 mg/g for ACwalnut, 178.25 mg/g for ACdate, and 57.80 mg/g for ACplum. These values represent Langmuir-derived model parameters rather than experimentally attained adsorption capacities within the investigated concentration range. Notably, despite having a lower specific surface area than ACdate, ACwalnut exhibited the highest Langmuir-estimated qm, which may be associated with its structural balance and well-developed mesoporous network (0.210 cm3/g), facilitating the intraparticle transport of SLS molecules. These findings highlight that high efficiency originates from a synergistic combination of accessible porosity, a mesoporous transport network, hydrophobic character, and specific surface functional groups, demonstrating the exceptional potential of these activated carbons for anionic surfactant wastewater remediation.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090472

Authors: Germán Arana-Landin Naiara Uriarte-Gallastegi Beñat Landeta-Manzano Waleska Sigüenza-Tamayo

Industrial symbiosis is one of the main routes for turning waste streams into useful materials and energy within a circular economy. Little empirical evidence exists, however, on how symbiosis projects are managed within a circular economy project management standard. This exploratory single-case study examines the motivations, implementation, and outcomes of symbiosis initiatives in the water sector, developed by an organisation certified under the XP X30-901 standard and covering treated water, biomethane, thermal energy, and fertiliser recovery. An externally assured indicator series for 2016 to 2025 compares the years before the portfolio was formalised in 2019 with those after certification in 2021. Sludge sent to landfill fell from 16.4% of the total managed in 2016 to zero from 2022, the share sent to agriculture and fertiliser production rose from 46.0% to 64.1% between 2019 and 2023, and the average transfer cost fell from EUR 134.34 to EUR 107.15 per tonne. The standard supported the identification, prioritisation, and monitoring of circular projects, although these outcomes cannot be attributed to it alone. Indicators exposed to hydrological, market, and regulatory conditions proved less stable than those that the organisation controls directly, suggesting that standardisation consolidates controllable outcomes rather than improving overall performance.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090470

Authors: Ying Zhou Shiyu Lin Rencuo Ze Yuan Feng Xinyun Zhang Xinyi Wang Yanlin Wang Chang Yang

Global warming poses a serious environmental challenge worldwide. Agriculture, as a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, exerts considerable influence on the atmospheric environment. Chengdu, renowned for its thriving agricultural sector, serves as a key grain production center in China. Reducing agricultural greenhouse gas (AGHG) emissions is essential for mitigating the impact of climate change on Chengdu. Firstly, this paper employed the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) coefficient method and the Super-SBM-Undesired model to calculate the AGHG emissions and emission efficiency in Chengdu, respectively. Then, center of gravity shift analysis, kernel density estimation and spatial autocorrelation theory were used to analyze the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics of AGHG emissions. Finally, this paper conducted an in-depth analysis based on the STIRPAT model to identify key factors affecting AGHG emissions. The results show that: (1) From 2007 to 2021, Chengdu experienced an overall decline in both AGHG emissions and emission intensity, with reductions of 22.32% and 66.20%, respectively. And the AGHG emission efficiency was largely low. (2) AGHG emissions display regional variations and spatial clustering phenomena, characterized by a pattern of “high in the east, low in the west, high outside and low inside”. (3) AGHG emissions are highly increased by the sown area (S) and pesticide and fertilizer utilization (F) and may be reduced by the agricultural industrial structure (V) and the urbanization rate (U). These findings provide valuable scientific insights into the spatial–temporal dynamics of regional agricultural emissions. Furthermore, this study offers practical references for local governments to optimize agricultural resource allocation, formulate tailored low-carbon agricultural policies, and promote sustainable rural development.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090469

Authors: Traianos Minos Alkiviadis Stamatakis Evangelia E. Golia

Microplastics are emerging as ubiquitous contaminants in agricultural soils, while nickel (Ni), although catalogued as a potentially toxic element, is an essential micronutrient and a cofactor of urease. In a pot experiment, this study examined how three microplastics (polyethylene, PE; poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET; and polystyrene, PS) affect nickel availability and the properties of two calcareous agricultural soils from central Greece. The microplastics were applied at two levels (1.5 and 3.0% by weight), and the samples were analysed at four time points (3, 6, 9, and 12 months, n = 3). Total (aqua regia) and available (DTPA) nickel, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, bulk density (BD), water-holding capacity (WHC), and microbial respiration (qCO2) were measured, and the data were evaluated by one-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD tests. Total nickel remained stable (about 15.1–15.4 mg/kg; non-significant), whereas the available fraction changed systematically. In Soil 1 (12 months, 1.5%), PE raised DTPA-Ni by +24.9%, PET by +19.8% and PS by −1.7%, while at 3.0% the increases reached +39.8% and +31.7%. In parallel, PE lowered bulk density by up to −16.1%, PET raised water holding capacity by up to +28.9%, and PS raised microbial respiration by up to +38.3%, producing distinct, polymer-specific responses. The changes intensified with time and dose and were milder in the more strongly buffered Soil 2. Microplastics redistribute the biologically active, rather than the total, pool of nickel, a finding that supports reappraising Ni as a nutritional micronutrient and monitoring its available fraction. Because no plants were grown, the nutritional interpretation is advanced as a hypothesis for future testing rather than as a demonstrated agronomic benefit, and the applied microplastic doses (1.5–3.0% w/w) exceed most reported field levels and were chosen to resolve mechanisms under accelerated conditions.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090468

Authors: Xiaocheng Zhu Karen L. Bell Hanwen Wu David Gopurenko

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a highly sensitive tool widely used in biodiversity studies and for detecting organisms of biosecurity or conservation importance. However, the persistence of eDNA, even after the removal of an organism, can complicate interpretation and lead to false indications of ongoing presence. In contrast, environmental RNA (eRNA) is short-lived and may offer improved spatiotemporal precision for detecting living organisms. In this study, we evaluated the viability of environmental messenger RNA (emRNA) for targeted detection of aquatic weeds, using Amazon frogbit (Hydrocharis laevigata) as a model species. A highly sensitive qPCR assay, targeting the chloroplast rpoB transcript, was used alongside positive and negative controls to ensure workflow reliability. Our results showed that emRNA was undetectable at low density (0.56 plants per litre) and was consistently detectable at very high abundance (over eight plants per litre), although copy numbers were very low. These findings suggest that the effective detection threshold for emRNA may exceed densities typically encountered during early invasion. Consequently, the qPCR-based emRNA approaches evaluated in this study showed limited applicability for biosecurity surveillance, where reliable detection at low abundance is essential. Future research should focus on improving detection sensitivity, including eRNA enrichment.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090467

Authors: Angie Tatiana Ortega-Ramírez Luis Alejandro Moreno-Barriga

Fish farming can contribute to sustainable rural tourism when environmental performance and visitor expectations are considered jointly. This study aimed to evaluate fish farming as a strategy for sustainable tourism in Somondoco, Boyacá, Colombia, by integrating an environmental assessment of water quality with visitors’ perceptions of sustainable tourism. A case study was conducted at the “Los Lagos” fish farm, where physicochemical parameters were measured at the water supply and discharge points and the water quality index (WQI) was calculated. In parallel, a survey of 73 visitors was conducted to characterize perceptions of sustainable tourism and willingness to pay for more sustainable services. The WQI decreased from 0.75 (acceptable) at the water supply point to 0.60 (regular) at the discharge point, mainly associated with changes in electrical conductivity and chemical oxygen demand. From the tourism perspective, 93.1% of respondents considered sustainable tourism important, while 54.8% identified responsible management of natural resources as the main aspect to be addressed. In addition, 84.9% expressed willingness to pay an additional 10–20% for a more sustainable offering. The integration of environmental and tourism-perception results, complemented by a SWOT analysis, identified water management, environmental education, technological modernization, and community participation as priority areas for sustainable tourism development. These findings provide a case-based framework for linking aquaculture environmental performance with visitor expectations in the formulation of sustainable tourism strategies.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13090466

Authors: Jelena Đuknić Bojana Tubić Momir Paunović Nataša Popović

Urban freshwater ecosystems are exposed to multiple anthropogenic pressures, but their effects on macroinvertebrate communities may vary depending on waterbody type and surrounding land use structure. This study analysed macroinvertebrate communities in three waterbody types of the Belgrade functional urban area. Land use was classified into agricultural, artificial, and semi-natural areas, and evaluated using LUI and HHI indices. A total of 187 macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded, indicating high diversity despite the urban setting. Community composition differed among waterbody types, with non-wadeable rivers characterised by a high proportion of Oligochaeta, wadeable rivers by a greater contribution of insects, and canals by the dominance of crustaceans. Land use further influenced community structure: semi-natural areas were associated with a higher proportion of crustaceans, artificial areas with Chironomidae, and agricultural areas with Oligochaeta. Alpha diversity was highest in wadeable rivers, while beta diversity showed that compositional differences were driven by species turnover. SPEAR indices indicated stress-related differences among waterbody types. CCA showed that community variation was associated with conductivity, temperature, oxygen saturation, pH, BOD, TOC, AOX, and phosphate. Overall, macroinvertebrate communities in the Belgrade urban area are shaped by the combined effects of waterbody type, land use structure, and local environmental conditions.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080465

Authors: Antoine K. Hnain Iris Koch Kela P. Weber

Planted and unplanted recirculating constructed wetland mesocosms maintained under non-aerated (reducing) and aerated (oxidizing) conditions were compared in their ability to remove 1 mg/L As(V) from simulated domestic wastewater over a 33-week period. Each week, one day prior to the addition of arsenic, non-aerated mesocosms removed 70% of the nitrate and 95% of the organic carbon likely through denitrification while aerated mesocosms removed organic carbon only (97%). Upon arsenic addition and treatment for the remainder of the week, non-aerated mesocosms removed more arsenic (72%) than aerated mesocosms (43%). For the first time in the literature, we estimated the proportion of arsenic found in biofilms detached from gravel and incorporated this aspect into mass balance calculations. We discovered that biofilms from non-aerated mesocosms contained a higher proportion of arsenic (28%) than biofilms from aerated mesocosms (5%). Plants from both types of mesocosms removed a negligible amount of arsenic (<0.41%). Through X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, it was discovered that biofilms from non-aerated mesocosms had the highest iron concentrations (35,000 mg/kg), and this iron was identified as pyrite (2–15 wt%) through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The iron concentration of aerated biofilms was no different from that found in clean gravels (17,500 mg/kg), and no iron minerals were detectable in these samples using XRD analysis. Although some of the arsenic removal in both types of wetlands was thought to be attributable to adsorption onto substrates and biofilms, as well as uptake into biofilms, removal of arsenic in the non-aerated mesocosms was likely enhanced by the presence of pyrite because pyrite can adsorb arsenic directly or indirectly through the formation of iron oxides that can adsorb or coprecipitate with the iron oxides.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080464

Authors: Larisa Pautova Vladimir Silkin Marina Kravchishina Alexey Klyuvitkin Anton Tikhomirov Nadejda Torgunova Dmitry Glukhovets Vladimir Artemyev

In the Fram Strait, Atlantic Water (AW) flows northward through the eastern part of the strait, while Polar Surface Water (PSW) moves southward from the Arctic Ocean through its western part. Mixing of these water masses produces mixed AW (mAW). As these water masses move, significant changes occur in salinity, temperature, density, and nutrient concentrations, restructuring the phytoplankton community. Based on surveys conducted in August 2021 during the 84th cruise of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, the dominant species were identified for each water mass. Among the key species (10 diatoms, 11 dinoflagellates, two coccolithophores, and one species each of chrysophyte, haptophyte, and ciliates), three ecological assemblages were distinguished: a cold-water PSW indicator complex (Porosira glacialis and Rhizosolenia hebetata f. hebetata among diatoms, the dinoflagellate Protoperidinium islandicum, and the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum); a warm-water AW complex (Navicula planamembranacea, Stephanopyxis turris, Rhizosolenia styliformis, the dinoflagellates Protoperidinium depressum and Tripos spp., and the coccolithophore Coccolithus pelagicus); and an mAW complex (the diatom Thalassiosira rotula, the coccolithophore Gephyrocapsa huxleyi, the haptophyte Phaeocystis pouchetii, and the chrysophyte Monochrysis sp.). Moving from south to north into the Fram Strait and from east to west towards the Greenland shelf, warm-water Atlantic indicator species were first replaced by mAW species, and then by cold-water species in the PSW. Maximum phytoplankton biomasses (up to 670.8 mg/m3) were observed in the marginal ice zone, driven by the intensive growth of large diatoms at depths within the euphotic zone where AW and PSW interact. If this interaction depth lies outside the euphotic zone, the phytoplankton biomass is determined by ciliates. In open water, large dinoflagellates contributed most to the biomass, indicating the decisive role of mixoplankton (mixotrophic plankton) in summer at high Arctic latitudes.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080463

Authors: Medriti Mustafaraj Øivind Kåre Kjerstad Houxiang Zhang Peihua Han Ilira Pulaj

Recreational coastal waters are increasingly affected by urbanization, maritime activities, and tourism, creating a need for predictive tools that support proactive water quality management. This study proposes an explainable machine learning framework for forecasting near-future changes in the Tourism-Oriented Seawater Quality Index (SeaWQI-T) using high-frequency seawater monitoring data collected in the Gulf of Vlorë, Albania. A summer monitoring campaign (June–August 2025) produced 102,988 physicochemical observations from six monitoring stations using an unmanned surface vehicle equipped with a Horiba U53 multiparameter sonde. Following quality control and temporal aggregation, the data were used to formulate a multiclass forecasting problem (decrease, stable, or increase), and Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models were evaluated across multiple forecasting horizons. XGBoost achieved the best validation performance, while Random Forest demonstrated superior generalization on the independent test dataset and provided the most stable explainability results. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) identified SeaWQI-T dynamics, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and oxidation–reduction potential as the most influential predictors. The proposed framework demonstrates that integrating explainable machine learning with autonomous high-frequency monitoring can provide accurate, interpretable forecasts to support intelligent coastal recreation management and sustainable tourism planning.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080462

Authors: Rosario Marilu Bernaola-Paucar Bayron Alexander Ruiz-Blandon Marcos Alama-Flores Luiz Paulo Amaringo-Cordova Nora Rodríguez Cangalaya Deysi Alina Colachagua-Calderon Carlos Emérico Nieto Ramos Luis Armando Nieto Ramos Walter Javier Cuadrado-Campó

Nursery decisions influence the condition of seedlings before outplanting, but their practical value depends on whether those traits remain evident during early field establishment. We evaluated Pinus douglasiana Martínez seedlings grown under eight combinations of container volume, fertilization, and irrigation regime. Seedlings were conditioned for six months in the nursery and then assessed after 12 months under field conditions. Container volume was the clearest source of variation. Compared with 1 L containers, 5 L containers produced seedlings with larger root collar diameter, greater shoot, root, and total biomass, and higher Dickson quality index. Total biomass was 2.2-fold greater in 5 L stock. Final survival was retained as a descriptive field variable and averaged 76.7% in 5 L treatments and 27.5% in 1 L treatments. Correlations based on treatment means associated total biomass with field diameter and descriptive survival, although these patterns were exploratory because only eight treatment means were available. Proline increased mainly under non-continuous irrigation, indicating a water-related nursery response, but it was not aligned with biomass production or first-year field performance. The treatment-level PCA separated biomass and field-growth variables from proline and lignification. These results show that larger containers improved the structural condition of P. douglasiana planting stock, although nursery costs, planting-site constraints, and longer monitoring should be considered before operational adoption.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080461

Authors: Raúl Cobo Yolanda Segovia Nuria Ortíz Magdalena García Alicia Navarro-Sempere

Environmental contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) poses a persistent threat to wildlife, yet their accumulation and neurotoxic effects in the avian nervous system remain poorly understood. Although birds are widely recognised as valuable bioindicators of environmental pollution, most biomonitoring studies have focused on conventional tissues such as the liver, kidney, blood and feathers rather than on neural tissues, despite the high susceptibility of the nervous system to toxic injury. This review synthesises current knowledge on the bioaccumulation and neurotoxicity of PTEs in the avian nervous system, with emphasis on the brain, retina, optic pathways and spinal cord. Mercury remains the best-characterised avian neurotoxicant, whereas increasing evidence indicates that lead, cadmium and interactions with essential elements also contribute to neural dysfunction through distinct but partially overlapping mechanisms. Taken together, the available evidence indicates that neurotoxicity cannot be interpreted solely based on total elemental concentrations but also depends on chemical speciation, regional and cellular localisation, disruption of neural metal homeostasis and the intrinsic vulnerability of different neural tissues. Despite increasing evidence of PTE accumulation in neural tissues, important knowledge gaps remain regarding tissue-specific susceptibility and the links between neural damage, behavioural impairment and ecological performance. This review highlights the avian nervous system as an underexplored but biologically relevant target of environmental PTE exposure and highlights the need for more integrative approaches combining chemical, histopathological and functional assessments to improve avian biomonitoring and ecological risk assessment.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080460

Authors: Francisco Prosdocimi Francesco Dondero

Persistent anthropogenic contaminants increasingly shape evolutionary processes across natural populations. While many pollutants can be metabolized, degraded, or eliminated, a subset of highly persistent compounds remains in ecosystems and organisms over ecologically and evolutionarily relevant timescales. Here, we propose the concept of Persistent Non-metabolizable Selective Agents (PeNSAs) to describe contaminants that exert chronic selective pressures while resisting biological degradation and effective elimination. Using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as a model case, we argue that exposure to PeNSAs creates a distinctive evolutionary regime in which adaptation is more likely to proceed through tolerance, physiological compensation, and damage mitigation than through contaminant removal. This dynamic generates a decoupling between adaptation and remediation, whereby populations may evolve increased fitness under exposure while contaminant burdens remain unchanged. We develop a conceptual framework describing the ecological and evolutionary consequences of PeNSA exposure, including energetic trade-offs, incomplete evolutionary resolution, maintenance of genetic variation, and heterogeneous adaptive outcomes among populations. We further derive testable predictions that distinguish PeNSA-driven evolution from classical models of resistance and detoxification. By integrating evolutionary biology, ecotoxicology, and environmental science, the PeNSA framework provides a foundation for investigating adaptation to persistent contaminants and highlights implications for environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and ecosystem management in the Anthropocene.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080459

Authors: Gilbert B. Adum Maureen G. Reed

Conservation governance frameworks assess equity through recognition, procedure, and distribution. These dimensions give limited attention to Indigenous authority over land and conservation decisions in settler-colonial contexts, including the relationships, responsibilities, and governance conditions that shape equitable conservation. This study develops and pilots the Conservation with Equity framework across three UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserves in Canada: Clayoquot Sound, Mount Arrowsmith, and Redberry Lake. Using document analysis of UNESCO governance documents, complemented by semi-structured interviews with Biosphere Reserve managers, we examined how equity is reflected in conservation governance practices. The pilot application identified ecological reconciliation as a fourth and foundational dimension of equitable conservation governance, extending existing equity frameworks. Results show that the Biosphere Reserves incorporate Indigenous knowledge into conservation activities, involve communities in decision-making through governance processes, and support local livelihoods and restoration initiatives. However, these practices improve participation and benefit sharing without consistently shifting decision-making authority over land and conservation. Indigenous-led initiatives, including Tribal Parks, land-based education, healing initiatives, and food production systems, demonstrate pathways where Indigenous communities direct land use and conservation decisions. The Conservation with Equity framework provides a basis for assessing conservation governance with greater attention to Indigenous authority, governance, and relationships with land.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080458

Authors: Marco Elia Alberto Basset

Understanding how animals operationally identify and exploit resource patches is central to foraging ecology. The “patch”—a discrete area of resource concentration—is the fundamental unit of individual foraging behavior; however, standardized operational definitions of the criteria for patch identification across taxa, habitats, and biomes are still scarce. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we reviewed 87 empirical studies encompassing 133 species, classifying patch identification methods across eight macro-categories of the European Nature Information System (EUNIS)—a structurally detailed habitat classification that, despite its European origin, we apply here as a general structural template for habitat architecture rather than as a claim of biogeographic universality, given that our dataset also spans non-European taxa and biomes. Patches are operationally identified through two approaches: observational delineation of natural resource structures (e.g., fruiting trees, prey aggregations, vegetation clusters) and experimental manipulation via artificial depletable units. We demonstrate that habitat structural complexity and species trophic preferences jointly govern the operational method by which patches are identified: habitat architecture determines which operational approach is used for patch delineation—observational or experimental—while a four-category Feeding Guild classification (Granivore, Herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore) reveals that resource discretizability—the capacity to standardize prey into countable, depletable units—operates as the primary species-level predictor of patch identification method selection, an association that remains robust after formally controlling for phylogenetic non-independence and body mass in a mixed-effects model. The resulting framework provides, for the first time, a standardized operational guide for calibrating patch identification methods to habitat type and species trophic preferences and searching behavior across taxa and biomes.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080457

Authors: Fátima Felgueiras Zenaida Mourão André Moreira Marta Fonseca Gabriel

Most of the global population lives and/or works in urban areas with limited access to green spaces. Integrating nature-based solutions (NBS) into indoor environments has emerged as a promising intervention strategy for enhancing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and promoting human health and well-being. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of introducing indoor plants of Sansevieria trifasciata, Dracaena fragrans, and Chlorophytum comosum, into urban office spaces on workers’ well-being, health, and productivity. The results indicated that reductions in volatile organic compound concentrations were associated with a 20.6% improvement in self-perceived well-being in offices with indoor plants. Notably, a significant decrease in pupil diameter (mean reduction: 0.3 mm) and an increase in pupil constriction amplitude (from 30.8% to 32.1%) were observed in the intervention group, suggesting enhanced parasympathetic activity. Although productivity remained unchanged, satisfaction with IEQ was significantly higher among office workers of the intervention group than among those in the control group (mean scores: 3.4 vs. 3.1). Overall, the findings suggest that indoor plants may represent a practical and scalable NBS associated with greater IEQ satisfaction and physiological responses consistent with a more relaxed state in office environments.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080456

Authors: Roman Dyachkovskiy Vyacheslav Polyakov Timur Nizamutdinov Evgeny Abakumov

Agricultural lands in Russia are increasingly being converted into fallow areas, making the study of potentially mineralizable carbon (PMC) in fallow soils essential for understanding post-agrogenic ecosystem functioning. This study provides a comparative assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of PMC in soils of the Leningrad and Novgorod regions (Bankovo, Belogorka, and Borovichi sites) under different land-use types, including fallows of various ages, arable, garden, pasture, hayfield soils, and secondary forests. Total carbon content was determined by high-temperature dry combustion, while basal respiration was measured using a standard incubation method. PMC parameters were estimated using biokinetic fractionation of soil organic matter (SOM), and cumulative carbon release was calculated as the sum of emissions over the incubation period. The highest basal respiration values among the studied fallow soils were observed in fallow soils at the Bankovo site (1.44–1.66 µg CO2–C g−1 h−1). Carbon stocks in most fallow soils were lower than those of the corresponding background soils, although the magnitude of differences varied among sites. Both the size of the PMC pool and its mineralization rate varied among fallow soils depending on post-agrogenic succession, vegetation type, and site-specific environmental conditions. The highest cumulative C-CO2 production was recorded in degraded pasture soils and secondary forests at Borovichi. Restorative ecosystems generally showed higher carbon-mineralizing activity than arable and garden soils, although turnover characteristics varied among sites. Region-specific patterns related to parent material and environmental conditions were identified. Even after long-term fallowing (up to 120 years), several soil properties remained different from background conditions, indicating prolonged and site-dependent recovery of organic matter dynamics.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080455

Authors: Qi Chen Chengyou Ma Jiali Qian Qiaoyan Wu Litang Qin Liwei Xu Yanpeng Liang

Owing to their widespread occurrence, pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) have emerged as a global environmental concern; however, research on PPCP pollution in karst tourist cities remains limited. This study investigated the concentrations and spatial distribution of 43 PPCPs in the Lijiang River Basin and identified their primary sources together with the associated ecological and health risks. In total, 43 target PPCPs were detected in the Lijiang River Basin in Guangxi, China, with concentrations ranging from 68.6 to 3170 ng/L in wastewater, 53.2 to 1400 ng/L in surface water, and 32.0 to 505 ng/L in groundwater. Caffeine (CAF), 1,7-dimethylxanthine (1,7-DIM), 4-acetaminophenol (APAP), and metformin (MFM) were the predominant contaminants across all three matrices. Notably, concentrations in tributaries exceeded those in the main stem. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that domestic sewage and hospital wastewater constitute the principal sources of PPCPs in the Lijiang River. Certain effluents and river reaches containing 1,7-DIM and MFM posed a moderate ecological risk (0.1 < risk quotient (RQ) < 1). The PPCPs detected in groundwater did not exceed health-based thresholds, indicating no direct risk to human health. These findings advance our understanding of PPCP contamination in karst landscapes and provide a scientific basis for water quality management in the Lijiang River Basin.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080454

Authors: Zhen Wang Xudong Yuan Yulun Xiao Jiaquan Zhang Meihua Song Lianhe Li Lien-Chieh Lee Chi-Hsiang Liu

The mining industry is a cornerstone of global energy security and industrial supply chains, yet its resilience to systemic disruptions such as COVID-19 has been critically overlooked. This disruption provided a rare opportunity to trace supply-chain impacts. Using an environmentally extended multi-regional input-output (EEMRIO) model integrated with a Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) weighted approach. We compare pandemic trajectories with counterfactual no-pandemic trajectories: the no-pandemic model (calibrated on 2004–2018) projects 2019–2025, while the pandemic model (calibrated through 2023) projects 2023–2025, with 2023 serving as the observed baseline and transition year. Our findings reveal a transient reduction in mining water and carbon footprints, juxtaposed with stark economic contractions: mining value fell by 40% in China, 37% in India, and 13% in the United States. The weighted component among the water-carbon-value (WVC) analysis further uncovers a tripolar spatial pattern, categorizing countries into financial hubs with high value, such as Switzerland, carbon-locked exporters like Brunei, and water-stressed regions, including Cambodia. Despite absorbing substantial embodied environmental burdens, China maintained its position as the global value hub. These insights underscore the urgency of policies that enhance structural efficiency, decarbonize the power sector, and foster supply chain diversification to decouple economic value from environmental pressures while mitigating spatial inequalities.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080453

Authors: Kiatanantha Lounkaew

Mortality in smallholder cattle and buffalo systems is climate-driven, but the signal is not uniform: heat and cold stress, flooding, and climate-sensitive disease act through different pathways, yet livestock loss models usually compress them into one elevated-mortality state. The paper builds a climate-state-dependent mortality model for the Thai national herd, separating an endemic baseline from a temperature-extreme and a moisture- and disease-driven regime. A 100,000-iteration Monte Carlo model, calibrated to the 2024 herd and a 2017 farmer survey at 2026 prices, generates the annual loss distribution and decomposes it by driver. The study is a calibrated scenario analysis, not an empirical estimation, so every result is conditional on the calibration and bounded by sensitivity analysis. Endemic mortality governs the average year, about 81% of expected loss but none of the extreme tail; the tail belongs entirely to the two climate regimes, with the moisture- and disease-driven regime carrying roughly 69% of losses beyond the 95th percentile and the temperature regime about 31%. This split holds across low-, medium-, and high-severity scenarios and a baseline range from 0.07 to 0.12, so it is structural: the driver of the typical year is not the driver of the catastrophe. Under a reduced-form behavioral layer with an assumed destocking response, generous payouts would raise stocking pressure 10% to 16% above a sustainable carrying capacity benchmark, so an adaptation instrument could degrade the rangeland it protects. The findings argue for regime-specific risk financing, for pairing insurance with heat and animal health adaptation, and for treating the carrying capacity externality as a design parameter.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080452

Authors: Ibán González-Fuente Arturo H. Ariño

Anthropogenic reactive nitrogen (Nr) production now greatly exceeds natural creation, generating cascading environmental impacts on the environment and human health. Effective monitoring of Nr in ecosystems is essential for early warning and policy response, yet the landscape of available monitoring methods is wide and heterogeneous, varying substantially in accuracy, purpose, cost, and ecological scope. This study evaluates nineteen Nr-monitoring methods, grouped into chemistry-based (CM), biodiversity-based (BM), and transplant-based (TM) methods, against 36 fitness-for-purpose (FFP) indicator facets. Facets are organized into intrinsic (direct measurement of nitrogen cycle components), projected (ecological effects the method can indicate), and extrinsic (metaproperties such as cost or precision) types. Scores are derived from 89 core papers, ranked using evidence-normalized weighted-sums (WS) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) approaches. CMs generally outperform BMs and TMs, with critical loads, total tissue nitrogen, and nitrogen isotopes leading overall. Lichen diversity, ectomycorrhizal fungi, and Ellenberg’s N lead among BMs, particularly for projected facets. The NMDS reveals a structural divide and monitoring complementarity between CMs and BMs, with CMs serving as early warning indicators, whereas BMs integrate cumulative, persistent ecosystem impacts. While no single method seems adequate for comprehensive monitoring, the FFP matrix facilitates selecting optimal monitoring combinations.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080451

Authors: María A. Narváez-Cuadro Manuel Saba Luis F. Torres Jiménez Oscar E. Coronado-Hernandez Liseth Sequeda-Sequeda

Asbestos contamination in drinking water remains an underexplored environmental issue despite the widespread historical use of asbestos-cement materials in water infrastructure and buildings worldwide. This study evaluated the occurrence and removal of asbestos fibers throughout the drinking water treatment chain in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from source contamination to household filtration. Synthetic asbestos-contaminated water prepared from asbestos-cement roofing materials was treated using coagulation–flocculation with aluminum sulfate, a pilot-scale conventional treatment train, membrane filtration, and household point-of-use filtration systems. Asbestos quantification and mineral identification were performed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with results reported as million fibers per liter (MFL). Coagulation–flocculation achieved the highest removal efficiencies, reaching up to 99.8% at aluminum sulfate dosages between 35 and 45 mg/L. The pilot-scale treatment system substantially reduced asbestos concentrations, with granular filtration representing the principal removal barrier. Membrane filtration exhibited moderate and highly variable performance, with an average removal efficiency of 44.7%, whereas household filters showed inconsistent behavior and occasional concentration peaks associated with possible breakthrough or remobilization processes. The results demonstrate that asbestos removal is strongly governed by the treatment mechanism, with particle destabilization and aggregation outperforming technologies relying exclusively on physical retention. These findings support the progressive replacement of asbestos-containing water infrastructure as the primary long-term preventive strategy, complemented by targeted monitoring and optimized asbestos-removal treatment where fiber contamination is detected or a risk of release from legacy materials exists.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080450

Authors: Ali İmamoğlu

This study aims to spatially analyze the potential soil loss rates of the Özkonak Watershed, located within Nevşehir Province, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies. In the 149.9 km2 watershed, the main parameters triggering erosion—rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS), land cover and management (C), and support practices (P)—were modeled in a GIS environment. According to the spatial analysis results, 85.8% of the watershed area falls within the “very low” and “low” erosion susceptibility classes. Nevertheless, erosion increases markedly in the northern areas with high slope gradients and in areas where agricultural activities are concentrated. The mean soil loss across the watershed was calculated as 2.75 t ha−1 yr−1. The eroded and transported material was determined to constitute a threat to the dam. The findings indicate that conservation plans, including afforestation in the upper watershed, adjustment of land use to natural land capability, and construction of check dams, should be implemented to ensure sustainable management of the watershed. From a soil and sediment remediation perspective, the identification of erosion-source areas and sediment-transport pathways provides a scientific basis for source-control measures aimed at reducing sediment delivery and associated water-quality deterioration in the Bayramhacılı Dam reservoir.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080449

Authors: Leonid Perelomov Maria Gertsen Ilya Khaidanov Irina Perelomova Anna Kharkova

The adsorption of oxytetracycline hydrochloride by bentonite was studied in batch sorption experiments. Antibiotic adsorption was described using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich models. At 293 K, the maximum oxytetracycline adsorption was 1.3 mmol g−1 according to the Langmuir equation (R = 0.99) and 0.77 mmol g−1 according to the Dubinin–Radushkevich equation (R = 0.95). It was shown that oxytetracycline adsorption on bentonite is a pH-dependent process, and various cationic forms of the antibiotic are best sorbed by the mineral. Negative values of ΔG0 across the studied temperature range (283–303 K) indicate that the adsorption process is spontaneous. The magnitude of ΔG0 increases with increasing temperature, consistent with an endothermic process. Experimental data on adsorption kinetics are satisfactorily approximated by a pseudo-second-order equation. Using X-ray diffraction, it was shown that the interaction of oxytetracycline with bentonite leads to an increase in the interlayer space in the mineral, which indicates the intercalation of the antibiotic between mineral layers. Clay complexes with oxytetracycline hydrochloride, similar to the antibiotic, continue to exhibit antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas fluorescens cultures. The size of the inhibition zones increases proportionally to the concentration of the antibiotic in the complex. The samples of clay–antibiotic complexes at all analyzed concentrations showed low toxicity for Daphnia magna.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080448

Authors: Xiuying Wang Rodrigo de Q. Miranda Stephanie M. Juice Derek N. Pierson Melissa Motew

Grazing management strongly influences soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics, yet existing versions of the widely used DayCent model represent grazing effects largely through biomass removal and manure return, without explicitly simulating post-grazing vegetation regrowth or trampling-driven redistribution of organic matter. To address this limitation, DayCent-IGM (Improved Grazing Module) was developed by incorporating two additional processes: climate- and residual biomass-constrained post-grazing regrowth and trampling-driven redistribution of biomass and litter into soil pools. Model performance was evaluated using SOC stocks and treatment-based SOC change rates from 18 grazing experiment sites. Compared with the original DayCent, DayCent-IGM improved simulations of both SOC stocks and change rates. For SOC change rates, RMSE decreased from 0.688 to 0.419 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, bias improved from −0.081 to −0.001 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, and simulated mean SOC change rates closely matched observations (0.099 vs. 0.100 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, simulated vs. observed), whereas DayCent underestimated the mean rate (0.019 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). These results demonstrate that explicit representation of grazing disturbance–recovery processes improves simulation of management-driven SOC responses. Because DayCent-IGM requires no additional inputs beyond standard DayCent data, it provides a practical framework for SOC modeling in grazing ecosystems.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080447

Authors: Simona Galoppo Angelo Fenti Giovanni Falco Simeone Chianese Ludovica Vittoria Marfella Dino Musmarra Damià Barceló Pasquale Iovino

MP contamination in drinking water is an emerging public health concern, yet standardized analytical workflows and exposure assessments remain limited and fragmented. This study provides an exploratory assessment of MP exposure through drinking water, combining particle-resolved analysis with consumption-based estimates. Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) spectroscopy was applied within the analytical workflow to characterize MPs across different drinking water supply types. Ten drinking-water samples (five bottled, two tap, two public dispensers, and one office dispenser) were analyzed within a 10–500 µm size window, and particle-resolved results were combined with a consumption survey to support preliminary exposure estimates. MPs in the 10–150 µm range were detected in six of ten samples, while tap waters and all blanks were particle-free, supporting analytical robustness. Bottled waters showed the highest MP abundances (6–148 particles L−1) and mass concentrations (0.03–22.4 µg L−1). Particle-size distributions were right-skewed and dominated by particles ≤ 30 µm. PET, PU, PA, and ABS predominated, consistent with packaging and dispensing origins. EDI estimates for bottled-water consumers ranged from 0.1008 to 0.3023 µg kg-bw−1 day−1 across three consumption scenarios (1–3 L day−1). Despite the limited sample size, the results support LDIR for source discrimination and exposure screening, providing a basis for future research.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080446

Authors: Lynda Andeobu Santoso Wibowo Srimannarayana Grandhi

Globally, Australia is ranked the fourth-top producer of e-waste. While Australian states and territories are increasingly recognising the e-waste problem and developing policies and regulations that deal with e-waste, huge amounts of e-waste still go undocumented. Currently, regional councils are concerned with the existing recycling practices owing to the escalating quantities of e-waste generated yearly. This paper examines the e-waste management practices of Victorian and Queensland regional councils, compares the current practices in managing e-waste, identifies the problems and challenges, and recommends innovative approaches to address e-waste collection and recycling practices in Australia. This study was conducted in regional Victoria and Queensland councils. A qualitative research method employing semi-structured interviews is adopted in this study. The study interviewed 49 employees of Victorian and Queensland regional councils. The findings of the study identified a number of areas that needs improvement in the management of e-waste such as: (a) lack of education and awareness about e-waste for the residents in the communities, (b) absence of knowledge about e-waste recycling (c) poor attitude towards e-waste recycling, (d) lack of sufficient funding; (e) limited number of e-waste recyclers to engage, (f) lack of specific policies and legislation on e-waste management (g) inability of the current National Television Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) and mobile muster national product stewardship initiatives and schemes to cover all categories of e-waste. These results suggest that e-waste management practices in Victorian and Queensland Regional Councils need improvement. The findings of this study show that there are more similarities and fewer differences in how the Victorian and Queensland regional councils manage their e-waste. This study provides numerous practical and workable suggestions for addressing the e-waste management practices of regional councils in Australia. From a real-world scenario, this study will be useful to regional councils, environmentalists, and policymakers in identifying areas of improvement in e-waste management practices and developing impactful solutions.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080445

Authors: Vincent Kuuteryiri Chireh Jordi Honey-Rosés

Amid growing water stress in British Columbia caused by climate change, population growth, and rising demand, local governments in Canada are adopting water demand management and conservation policies as part of broader climate adaptation efforts to promote sustainable water use and optimize efficiency. Our objective was to understand the actions local governments are taking to address climate-related impacts on the water sector. Thus, the study assesses the implementation status and progress of water demand management in British Columbia by surveying water managers from 94 local jurisdictions across the province. Our analysis focuses on four key dimensions: prioritization, planning, investment, and implementation of water demand management policies. Results reveal that 84% of surveyed jurisdictions have water efficiency/conservation plans, and 55% of household water connections are metered. Commonly implemented measures include mandatory water restrictions, volumetric pricing, leak detection, and public education campaigns, with regional policies proving more prevalent than municipal-level initiatives. Despite notable progress, implementation remains uneven, with gaps in resource allocation and many household connections still without water meters. Tracking the progress of implementing best practices in water conservation is an essential part of local climate adaptation.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080444

Authors: Madhusudhan Ramu Bangalor Motasem Y. D. Alazaiza Ahmed Albahnasavi Dia Eddin Nassani Obie Farobie Mohammed F. M. Abushammala

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of global research on surfactant applications in subsurface remediation over the period 2010–2025, with the objective of mapping the scientific development, knowledge structure, and emerging research fronts in this field. A total of 359 documents indexed in Scopus were examined in February 2025 using bibliometric methods, including citation analysis, total link strength (TLS), co-authorship networks, and keyword co-occurrence mapping and included English-language research articles, review papers, conference papers, and book chapters. Visualization and analytical outputs were generated using tools such as VOSviewer to interpret research patterns and relationships. The annual number of publications increased steadily throughout the study period, corresponding to an average yearly growth rate of 6.9%. The citation structure is highly uneven, where a relatively small number of publications and authors contribute disproportionately to overall citation impact. Review papers play a central role in consolidating knowledge and guiding research development, reflecting increasing consolidation of the field. Keyword analysis reveals a stable core focus on surfactant-enhanced remediation, alongside emerging topics such as PFAS contamination, biosurfactants, and integrated surfactant–oxidation treatment systems. Overall, this study offers a structured quantitative overview of the intellectual landscape of surfactant-based remediation research and identifies key trends, gaps, and future directions for advancing sustainable subsurface contamination management.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080443

Authors: Matteo Passeri Fabrizio Argenti Daniele Baracchi Dasara Shullani Alessio Biondi Fabrizio Cuccoli Luca Facheris Luciano Alparone

Quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) is a fundamental task of hydrometeorological applications, ranging from flash-flood detection to water-resource management. While weather radars offer superior spatial coverage compared with rain gauges, traditional estimation based on the empirical Z−R (reflectivity factor vs. rainfall rate) relationship fails to capture spatial variability and tends to underestimate extreme rainfall. The idea pursued here is to learn the radar-to-rainfall mapping by means of a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained on co-located radar and rain-gauge data; thus, once trained, the network can convert radar reflectivity measures into rainfall values, even where gauges are unavailable. Although machine learning techniques are promising for this task, they typically demand large training sets. To operate in a limited-data regime, we introduce a U-Net architecture that separates the analysis of space from that of time: each block first looks at the structure of the reflectivity field and then at how it changes over consecutive radar scans, extracting spatiotemporal features from volumetric data with fewer parameters than a full three-dimensional filter. The model is evaluated on a severe convective event that affected Tuscany, Italy, on 2 November 2023, benchmarking its performance against the classical Joss–Waldvogel Z−R relationship (suitable for convective events), a data-driven log-regression of weather-radar and rain-gauge data, and a baseline CNN architecture. The main advantages are negative bias—i.e., underestimation of rainfall—more than halved and correlation with rain-gauge measures more than doubled, under the same operational conditions. What is noteworthy is the capability of learning the model from radar and rainfall data taken in different times and places, as well as the possibility of converting a reflectivity map into a rainfall map without the need for simultaneous rain-gauge measures. This is an asset of fixed parametric methods; however, they are far less accurate.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080442

Authors: Jacky Duvil Thierry Feuillet Amel Bernadin Bénédique Paul Evens Emmanuel

This study quantifies and assesses the gap between the perceptions of 550 farming households on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and the opinions of 60 regional experts on climate change. This quantification draws on the traditional knowledge of farming households, which is based on environmental observations, including meteorological, biological, and astrological ones, as well as on the experts’ opinions, which are grounded in scientific observations. To measure this gap, we asked 24 identical questions to both the experts and the farming households, using the experts’ responses as a benchmark. The experts’ statements were used as a reference to reflect the reality of climate change, given that the majority of experts’ answers converge. We then quantified the average distance for each farming household relative to these references. Fisher’s exact test and Pearson chi-square (χ2) test were used to assess this distance. A binary regression model was then used to identify the main factors influencing the gap in farming households’ perceptions, as well as to examine whether this gap is associated with greater socioeconomic vulnerability. The results revealed that in Haiti, 70% of farming households had a different perception from experts’one. In the Dominican Republic, this proportion was 47.50%. Vulnerable (OR = 12.94, p < 0.001) and very vulnerable (OR = 4.18, p < 0.05) farming households were more likely to have a different perception of climate change compared to experts.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080441

Authors: Duncan Kikoyo John Zhang Ann-Marie Fortuna Patricia K. Smith Sherry Hunt Paul Flanagan Phillip Busteed Jaehak Jeong

Soil moisture is a fundamental variable controlling hydrologic partitioning, land–atmosphere exchange, and biogeochemical cycling. Although widely characterized through observations, remote sensing, and data-driven approaches, the representation of soil water fluxes and subsurface processes in predictive models remains less systematically synthesized. Here, we present a structured review of widely used predictive models, focusing on their process formulations, spatial discretization, and treatment of soil water fluxes across scales. The synthesis reveals consistent trade-offs among physical realism, scalability, data intensity, and computational efficiency. Conceptual models based on tipping-bucket approaches simplify soil water movement as threshold-driven storage processes and underrepresent transient redistribution and deep soil moisture dynamics. Storage-routing models introduce flux-based redistribution but rely on empirical parameterization that dampen transient flux dynamics. Physically based models resolve hydraulic gradients and provide the highest process fidelity but require extensive data and computational resources. Across scales, the absence or simplification of preferential flow and lateral subsurface flow constitutes the dominant structural limitation, producing systematic smoothing of soil moisture variability. The review provides a comparative basis for model selection and highlights critical directions for improving the representation of subsurface hydrologic dynamics in predictive frameworks.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080440

Authors: Colin Eagle Carl Isaacson Melinda Neville Michelle Anderson Muhammad Hasnain

Anthropogenic particles (APs), including suspected microplastics, are increasingly reported in freshwater ecosystems; however, baseline data remain limited for culturally important freshwater fish in the Mississippi River Headwaters. This study assessed the occurrence and morphology of APs in Ogaa (walleye; Sander vitreus) and Asaawe (yellow perch; Perca flavescens) collected from five northern Minnesota lakes. Gastrointestinal tract, liver, and fillet tissues from 49 fish were processed using a modified hydrogen peroxide digestion protocol and examined by stereomicroscopy. Because polymer confirmation was not conducted, visually identified particles are conservatively reported as anthropogenic particles rather than confirmed microplastics. Forty-one APs were identified across all tissues, with 43% of fish containing at least one particle (0.83±1. particles per fish). Fibers were the predominant morphology, followed by fragments, and walleye exhibited greater AP prevalence and abundance than yellow perch. Although descriptive differences were observed among lakes and tissues, statistical analyses did not detect significant relationships among the variables examined. These findings establish baseline information on AP occurrence in culturally important freshwater fish from the Mississippi River Headwaters and provide a foundation for future investigations incorporating polymer confirmation and expanded spatial and temporal sampling.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080439

Authors: César Andrade José Virgílio Cruz Duarte Toubarro Letícia Ferreira Fátima Viveiros Franco Tassi Adriano Pimentel Diogo Braga Pedro M. Raposeiro

This study was made to quantify ΦCO2 and ΦCH4 in two crater monomictic lakes on São Miguel Island (Azores, Portugal). The studied water bodies are both within maar craters, with depths equal to 22 m and 33 m, at the Congro and Santiago lakes, respectively. ΦCO2 values in both lakes are lower in summer, with a mean equal to 2.9 and 1.4 g m−2 d−1, respectively, in Congro and Santiago lakes, when the water column is stratified. ΦCH4 displayed a different seasonal trend, with higher emissions during the period when the water column is stratified (mean value equal to 0.036 and 0.020 g m−2 d−1, respectively). Bacterial families commonly associated with CO2 production, through heterotrophic respiration, fermentation, and syntrophic metabolism, were identified in both lakes, being the most abundant taxa Clostridiaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Holophagaceae and Methylomonadaceae. The microbial community composition suggests seasonal variations, reflected by shifts in the relative abundance of specific microbial taxa. In particular, Clostridiaceae and Enterobacteriaceae exhibited higher relative abundance during winter, consistent with an increased contribution of fermentative microorganisms during this period. In contrast, Methylomonadaceae, a family commonly associated with methane oxidation and subsequent CO2 production, reached higher relative abundance during summer in both lakes, suggesting enhanced methanotrophic activity during this period. Regarding CH4 production, methanogens showed a slightly higher abundance during summer at Congro Lake, such as Methanosarcinaceae. In Santiago Lake, Syntrophaceae and unclassified Syntrophales were more abundant during summer, coinciding with higher CH4 emissions compared to winter. The present research contributes to understanding volcanic gas release from lake water bodies in active volcanic framework, helping also to constrain GHG budgets in oceanic islands.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080438

Authors: Alex Rengifo Rojas Nelino Florida Rofner Luis Abanto Morales y Chocano Barland Alfonso Huamán Bravo Liliana Vega Jara Jorge Antonio Romero Estacio Jaime Encarnación Hipólito Vásquez

Coffee cultivation offers benefits such as biodiversity conservation, economic sustenance for farmers, and health advantages. This quantitative, microsociological, and applied study, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design and explanatory level, aimed to evaluate the impact of agronomic practices and socioeconomic factors on coffee yields among farmers in the Monzón Valley (Huánuco, Peru). Using the hypothetico-deductive method, logit and probit regression models were employed, employing an ordered probabilistic model with multiple responses. Data were collected through simple random sampling, surveying 152 producers. The probit model proved most suitable for explaining yield levels, classified as low (<0.60 Tn/ha/year), medium (0.61–1.00), and high (1.01–2.20). The most influential indicators were biological and cultural control, crop age, organic farming practices, altitude, cultivation of more than one variety, seed selection, monetary income, and farmer experience. The study concludes that the probit model adequately explains the relationship between the agronomic and socioeconomic variables that determine yield. The findings provide valuable evidence for the design of local agricultural policies and producer support programs. Furthermore, the study explicitly contributes to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), by identifying factors that link sustainable coffee productivity with the socioeconomic well-being of farming communities.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080437

Authors: Aelita Sargsyan Maria Morales-Suárez-Varela

The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique natural experiment to evaluate the impact of reduced human activity on urban air quality. This study assessed the effects of lockdown measures on major air pollutants across three Georgian cities with contrasting emission profiles: traffic-dominated Tbilisi, coastal Batumi, and industrial Rustavi. Daily concentrations of NO2, SO2, PM2.5, PM10, and O3 were obtained from the National Environmental Agency’s automated monitoring network for March–June 2019–2022. Following systematic missing value imputation, meteorologically adjusted interrupted time-series (segmented regression) models, incorporating daily temperature and wind speed as covariates, were used as the primary analysis; Mann–Kendall trend analysis was retained as a secondary, descriptive measure. Results were evaluated against WHO 2021 Air Quality Guidelines. Tbilisi showed the strongest lockdown response: NO2 declined by 47.9% in 2020 (vs. 2019), before rebounding fully in 2022. PM2.5 and PM10 showed attenuated reductions, reflecting continued heating combustion and dust sources. Ground-level O3 increased in Tbilisi in 2020 (+25.0% vs. 2019). Rustavi exhibited no NO2 response and an O3 decrease of 43.2% in 2020, with partial recovery in 2021–2022. Batumi showed intermediate responses, with PM2.5 and PM10 increases in 2020. Meteorologically adjusted interrupted time-series models confirmed 11 of 30 city–pollutant effect estimates after false discovery rate correction, most robustly for NO2; several borderline ozone and SO2 findings did not survive correction and are reported as suggestive only. Lockdown measures were associated with source-specific and temporary air quality improvements, after accounting for meteorological conditions. Sustained reductions require structural interventions targeting traffic, residential combustion, and industrial emissions simultaneously.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080436

Authors: Kristina Bikit Selena Samardžić Cvijanović Tomas Nemeš Robert Lakatoš Jan Hansman Ivana Lončarević Milica Vučinić Vasić Dušan Mrđa Sofija Forkapić

Radiological screening of construction materials is conventionally performed on bulk samples, yet occupants are exposed to fine, abradable, and respirable fractions. This study examines how particle-size distribution (PSD) governs the redistribution of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and anthropogenic 137Cs in construction materials and in ash from domestic biomass heating. In total, 27 materials were analysed by high-resolution HPGe gamma spectrometry, with granulometric segregation at coarse (PSD3) and fine (PSD7) resolution. PSD3 showed no monotonic effect, whereas PSD7 revealed a systematic rise of the activity concentration index toward the finest fractions. 40K and 137Cs showed the strongest particle-size dependence, indicating preferential accumulation in the fines; 137Cs was detected only in biomass-ash pellets, where it was enriched in the fines (EF = 2.73 relative to bulk; a single-material case study). Two models are proposed: a physically grounded surface-controlled model and a descriptive granulometric enrichment factor for material ranking, both fitted to the present dataset. A fraction-resolved dose assessment showed that the internal hazard index (Hin) rises toward the fines and exceeds unity (≈1.1) in the respirable ash and fireclay fractions even though their bulk values remain acceptable. Bulk screening, therefore, underestimates the dose-relevant burden carried by the fine fractions that workers and households actually inhale.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080435

Authors: Isabel García-Cuesta Isabel Martínez-Pérez Sami Petricola Antònia Valentín Mònica Guxens Rocío Fernández-Iglesias Ana Fernández-Somoano

Cerebrovascular diseases are among the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. This study aimed to identify geographic patterns and sex differences in unplanned hospital admissions for cerebrovascular diseases, and to assess their association with ambient air pollution within small areas of Asturias, a northern region of Spain that exhibits elevated rates of mortality and morbidity from these pathologies. The study included 20,305 unplanned hospital admissions recorded between 2016 and 2023. Standardized admission ratios, smoothed relative risks, and posterior risk probabilities were estimated using reparameterized Besag–York–Mollié models at the census tract level. Global and Local Moran’s I statistics were computed to evaluate the spatial correlation of admissions. Subsequently, estimates of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were incorporated into the models, adjusting for average net income per person, to assess their association with admission risk and their contribution to the geographical patterns observed. Spatial analysis revealed marked inequalities in cerebrovascular admissions both between sexes and across small areas. High-risk clusters were consistently identified in the north-central coastal area for both sexes. For men, higher PM10 and PM2.5 levels were statistically significantly associated with hospitalizations (PM10: RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.14; PM2.5: RR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.07–1.40, per 5 µg/m3 increase) and explained part of the spatial variability observed. For women, neither pollutant showed statistically significant associations nor appeared to be associated with the geographic patterns. Integrating both geographic and sex-related factors is essential for identifying high-risk areas and potential risk factors in the burden of cerebrovascular disease. In men, exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 was associated with cerebrovascular hospitalizations and explained part of the spatial variability observed, while no such association was found in women.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080434

Authors: Diana Helena Uscanga-Alvarado Maite Lascurain-Rangel Debora Lithgow Raymundo Dávalos-Sotelo Ina Falfán

In an increasingly urbanized world, green spaces provide Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) that support human well-being and are often perceived as the most valued benefits in cities. Yet, their perception and co-occurrence remain underrepresented in Latin American regions. In this study, we assess the diversity and bundling of CES perceived by visitors across five urban parks in the Mexican city of Xalapa, Veracruz, and examine how park identity (synthesizing park-specific ecological and structural characteristics) and sociodemographic factors influence these perceptions. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed 373 surveys using general linear models. We identified 13 CES, with an average of three services per park. ‘Recreation’, ‘Mental health’, ‘Physical health’, and ‘Contact with nature’, the most frequently mentioned services, together with ‘Social relations’, consistently formed a dominant CES bundle, suggesting patterns in how cultural benefits are co-experienced. Park identity, visitor Age, and Gender were key predictors of CES perception variation, highlighting joint spatial and social influences. By integrating CES bundles with park-specific characteristics and sociodemographic drivers, this study advances current understanding of CES perception comprehensively and demonstrates that CES are not uniformly experienced across urban green spaces, underscoring the need for context-sensitive planning and management that account for both place identity and user diversity.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080433

Authors: Raghava R. Kommalapati Mahmoud N. Soliman Prashan M. Rodrigo

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a common waste management method for producing renewable energy from biogas. However, animal manures typically have low C/N ratios, which can limit biogas recovery. This study aims to optimize biogas production through the co-digestion of goat manure (GM) with high-C/N lignocellulosic rice husk (RH) and sludge as the inoculum. Characterization of the substrate and inoculum revealed a low GM C/N ratio (GM = 21.3), whereas RH has a high-C/N (RH = 107.3). The volatile solids-to-total solids (VS/TS) ratios were around 82–85% for GM and RH. Batch experiments were conducted at different organic loading rates, with an inoculum-to-substrate ratio of 2:1 (mL:g), at 36 ± 1 °C for 65 days. This study investigates optimizing biomethane recovery by using serum-bottle biomethane potential (BMP) and compares kinetic performance and yields across different GM-to-RH ratios with the characteristics of the influent and effluent. The highest BMP values (mL CH4/gVS) occurred at 100% GM (245.1), followed by 90% GM (233.6) and 30% GM (232.5), indicating a strong synergy between GM and RH at specific mixing ratios. Kinetic modeling using both the modified Gompertz and first-order models effectively described digestion dynamics, allowing for estimation of potential lag phases and maximum production rates. These models aligned well with experimental data across substrates, aiding process design. Overall, the results show that strategic co-digestion of GM with RH can maximize methane recovery, with defined substrate ratios and a clear understanding of the kinetics essential for scale-up and sustainable biogas production.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080432

Authors: Wassachol Wattana Putipong Lakachaiworakun Natworapol Rachsiriwatcharabul Panya Dangwilailux Wachara Kalasee Visit Eakvanich

Ribbed Smoked Sheet (RSS) rubber production in southern Thailand relies extensively on rubber-wood combustion, potentially generating substantial emissions of fine particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Despite the economic importance of this sector, systematic characterization of biomass-derived PAHs under tropical monsoonal and coastal conditions remains limited. This study investigates the particle size distribution, concentration levels, seasonal variability, and atmospheric dynamics of PAHs associated with RSS production in Chumphon Province, Thailand. Size-segregated particulate matter was collected using an eight-stage Andersen cascade impactor at two contrasting sites during a seven-month monitoring period from March to September 2025, covering the transition from the late dry/summer season to the rainy season in southern Thailand. Fifteen priority PAHs were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Results indicate that emissions from rubber-wood combustion inside smokehouses exhibit a unimodal distribution dominated by submicron particles (MMAD = 0.85 µm; GSD = 2.71). Ambient aerosols displayed a bimodal structure, with an accumulation-mode peak (~0.6 µm) associated with combustion processes and a coarse-mode peak (~4 µm) linked to mechanical and marine aerosol sources. Particle-bound PAHs were predominantly associated with fine particles (~0.59 µm), although seasonal hygroscopic growth under high humidity shifted modal diameters toward ~1.8 µm during the rainy season. PAH profiles were dominated by 3–4 ring compounds characteristic of biomass combustion. Total PAH concentrations exhibited a strong positive correlation with monthly RSS production, while precipitation demonstrated an exponential scavenging effect. Monsoonal circulation and sea spray aerosol (SSA) interactions were identified as key regulators of gas–particle partitioning, transport pathways, and removal efficiency. The findings reveal that the coastal atmosphere of southern Thailand functions as a dynamic multiphase system in which emission intensity, hygroscopic particle growth, monsoonal transport, and wet deposition collectively govern PAH behavior. This study provides the first integrated assessment linking rubber-sheet production dynamics to size-resolved PAH distributions under tropical coastal conditions and offers a scientific foundation for emission mitigation strategies in biomass-dependent agro-industrial regions.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080431

Authors: Xiaoxuan Hu Matti T. Leppänen Kari K. Lehtonen Anna K. Karjalainen Johanna Järvistö Mikko Mäkinen Evita Strode Juha S. Karjalainen

Sulfate is a natural major ion commonly found in the environment. Various anthropogenic activities can lead to the discharge of sulfate in high concentrations, causing negative effects on aquatic organisms. While chronic toxicity of sulfate for brackish water species was established, acute toxicity data were scarce. In this study, we tested the acute toxicity of sulfate to seven Baltic Sea species and, together with the literature data, derived the fifth percentile hazardous concentration (HC5) through a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) with 12 species. Acute sulfate sensitivity varied across taxa, with fish and crustaceans being much more sensitive than bivalves, algae, rotifers and bacteria, which led to a bimodal SSD. The most sensitive species tested were whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) and vendace (Coregonus albula) during fertilization, and the most tolerant were cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. and bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri. Acute HC5 using the model-averaging approach was 2489 (1016–3990) mg/L sulfate. With a Predicted No Effect Concentration of 1011 mg/L, the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the estimated percentage of species affected was below 5%. This new data contributes to the development of the maximum allowable concentration for the sulfate environmental quality standard in the northern Baltic Sea.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080430

Authors: Cecilia Y. Ojemaye Alechine E. Ameh Chionyedua T. Onwordi Pavel Nekhoroshkov Emmanuel O. Omoniyi Marina Frontasyeva Lesley Green Leslie F. Petrik

The concentrations of 18 metal(loid)s were measured in five marine invertebrate species (Oxystele tigrine and sinensis, Marthasterias glacialis, Cymbula oculus and granatina, Parechinus angulosus, and Mytilus galloprovincialis) and five macroalgae/seaweed species (Aeodes orbitosa, Gelidium pristoides, Caulerpa filiformis, Ulva sp., and Bifurcaria brassicac formis) collected from eight sites within the marine environment of False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. To assess the potential human health hazards associated with consumption, samples were acid digestion and analysed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The analysed elements included trace metals (Fe, Mn, Zn) toxic metals (Pb, Cd, As), transition metals (Ta, Ti), alkali metals (Li), and metalloid (Se, As). Metal concentration varied widely among species and locations, with values ranging from Zn: not detected (nd)—3836.04 mg/kg dry weight (dw); As: nd—77.98 mg/kg dw; Pb: nd—301.15 mg/kg dw; Li: nd—97.28 mg/kg dw, indicating diverse metal accumulation patterns. Human health risk was evaluated using the target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI). Arsenic consistently exceeded the THQ threshold of one across all sites, and all the HI values were greater than one for all edible species, suggesting potential non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the consumption, except for M. glacialis, which is not commonly consumed. The HI metrics demonstrate the adverse impacts of metal concentration in marine biota. The observed spatial and biological variability in metal accumulation highlights the limitations of relying solely on metal concentrations for assessing health risks, food safety or anthropogenic contamination, and therefore more frequent and comprehensive monitoring is recommended.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080429

Authors: Madhusudhan Bangalore Ramu Motasem Y. D. Alazaiza Dia Eddin Nassani Obie Farobie Mohammed F. M. Abushammala Aiman A. Bin Mokaizh

Natural, synthetic, and modified zeolites are widely recognized as versatile materials for environmental remediation due to their high capacity for cation-exchange, adjustable pore structure, and strong chemical stability. These properties enable their effective application in removing diverse contaminants, including heavy metals, ammonium ions, dyes, and various organic pollutants, making them highly relevant in water, wastewater, and soil treatment systems. However, although research in this field has expanded considerably, the overall global development patterns and knowledge structure of zeolite-related studies have not been thoroughly quantified. This study conducts a bibliometric assessment of global research on zeolite applications in water, wastewater, and soil remediation covering the period from 2010 to 2024, using a dataset of 203 peer-reviewed Scopus-indexed publications. The analysis was carried out using VOSviewer to examine publication trends, leading authors, productive countries and institutions, as well as thematic clusters and emerging research directions. The findings indicate a consistent increase in scientific output over the study period, with China, India, Malaysia, and the United States emerging as the most influential contributors in terms of both publication volume and citation impact. Key journals publishing in this area include the Journal of Hazardous Materials, Chemosphere, and Science of the Total Environment. Keyword co-occurrence mapping reveals dominant research themes such as adsorption processes, ion exchange mechanisms, heavy metal remediation, nanostructured materials, and advanced oxidation technologies, highlighting a clear shift toward integrated and hybrid remediation approaches. Overall, the results emphasize the growing significance of modified and composite zeolite materials in enhancing pollutant removal efficiency and supporting sustainable environmental management. This bibliometric evaluation provides a structured overview of the research landscape and offers insights into future directions for zeolite-based remediation technologies.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080428

Authors: Yanzhao Yuan Fenghao Duan Yanjun Shen Bailei Shi Chao Zheng

Ecological restoration of abandoned mountainous mines remains challenging because of complex geological conditions, severe substrate degradation, and long-term environmental impacts. Conventional restoration strategies primarily emphasize vegetation establishment and slope stabilization, while the potential contribution of carbon sequestration is often insufficiently considered. Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) has recently emerged as a promising negative-emission technology that accelerates the natural weathering of silicate minerals to remove atmospheric CO2 while improving soil quality. This paper synthesizes current knowledge on ERW and proposes a conceptual framework for integrating this technology into the ecological restoration of abandoned mountainous mines. The framework comprises four complementary dimensions: (1) Physical Restoration, utilizing fragmented rock materials to improve slope stability and substrate structure; (2) Acid–Base Neutralization, exploiting alkaline silicate minerals to alleviate acid mine drainage (AMD) and regulate geochemical conditions; (3) Pedogenic Optimization, promoting soil formation, improving soil physicochemical properties, and facilitating CO2 infiltration and mineral carbonation; and (4) Biological Synergy, enhancing plant–microbe–mineral interactions to accelerate weathering processes and support long-term ecosystem development. Drawing on existing evidence, we discuss how the use of on-site waste rock as reactive substrates may simultaneously reduce restoration-related carbon emissions, provide essential mineral nutrients (e.g., Ca, Mg, and K), and enhance carbon sequestration potential. Overall, this synthesis suggests that integrating ERW into abandoned mine restoration has the potential to simultaneously advance ecological rehabilitation and climate-change mitigation. The proposed framework provides a theoretical basis for future experimental validation, field-scale implementation, and the development of low-carbon strategies for sustainable mine restoration.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080427

Authors: Vladimir Milovanović Aleksandra Figurek Oksana Ogij Van Le Andrey Ronzhin Marinos Markou

This article presents an Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (AI–IoT/AIoT) decision-making framework for smart water management and sustainable aquaponic systems. The framework connects sensors, IoT telemetry, machine learning algorithms, and real-time monitoring of key water quality parameters, with the aim of early detection of deviations, operational decision support, and risk reduction in system management. A special contribution of the paper is that water is viewed simultaneously as a limiting resource, a biological factor and an operational cost. The proposed framework defines the structure of a decision support system, including monitoring of temperature, pH value, dissolved oxygen, ammonia/ammonium, EC/TDS value, water flow, feeding regime, and basic biological indicators. In the methodological sense, the paper presents a conceptual-methodological framework based on publicly available data, scenario estimates, and a clearly defined protocol for future pilot validation of high-frequency operational data. In addition to the technical architecture, the framework includes elements of responsible application of AIoT systems: data quality control, sensor deviation and drift detection, model explainability through XAI/SHAP, data transfer security, and the possibility of human confirmation before risky interventions. The economic part of the paper shows ROI/NPV as a scenario estimate, based on explicit assumptions about costs, resource consumption and possible operational savings, and not as a confirmed financial result. The framework is aligned with the principles of the circular bioeconomy, as it links the monitoring of water quality, the reduction in nutrient losses, the reuse of resources, and better planning of interventions in aquaculture and aquaponics. The results indicate the potential of AIoT approaches to improve monitoring, transparency and operational decision-making, while the actual effects on productivity, water consumption, food consumption, energy, and economic sustainability must be confirmed in a pilot phase.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080426

Authors: Xuekai Wang Xiangwu Meng Mengtian Zhang Kai Li Lichun Mao Lu Zhong Jianjun Li

Efficient removal of tetracycline (TC) from antibiotic-contaminated wastewater remains a significant challenge. In this study, a nitrogen-doped carbon modified cobalt ferrite (C@CoFe2O4, CF) composite was synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method, and its adsorption–catalysis dual-function performance was systematically evaluated. Structural characterization revealed that CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were locally encapsulated by an N-doped carbonaceous layer, providing a high specific surface area and abundant nitrogen-containing active sites. Under optimized conditions, the CF-3/PMS system achieved 93.44% TC removal within 45 min, while CF-3 exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 486.5 mg·g−1. Radical quenching experiments suggested that singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide radicals (O2•−) played major roles in TC oxidation, while sulfate radicals (SO4•−) and hydroxyl radicals (HO•) also contributed, indicating the coexistence of radical and non-radical oxidation pathways. TC adsorption was driven by surface complexation, π–π electron donor–acceptor interactions, and hydrogen bonding. The enhanced TC removal performance may arise from the cooperative contributions of N-containing carbon sites, accessible Co/Fe-containing regions, and interfacial electronic interactions, which promote TC enrichment and PMS-mediated oxidation. This work provides a promising strategy for designing bifunctional materials for antibiotic wastewater treatment.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080425

Authors: Mara Lastretti Andrea Faa Monica Piras Angelica Dessì Pasquale Paribello Marco Piludu Germano Orrù Mirko Manchia Gavino Faa Vassilios Fanos

Major depressive disorder (MDD) accounts for a substantial share of global disability-adjusted life years and remains inadequately treated despite pharmacological advances. Growing evidence implicates endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)—particularly phthalates and bisphenols—as environmental contributors to the onset of these conditions. This narrative review examines evidence from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 2000–March 2025) on the relationship between early-life exposure to these compounds and the development of mood disorders, with emphasis on molecular and neurobiological mechanisms. Phthalates such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and bisphenols such as bisphenol A (BPA), are detected ubiquitously in human urine, blood, placenta, and umbilical cord blood. Key mechanisms identified include Nrf2/HO-1-driven oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis, disruption of calcium signalling and synaptic plasticity via CREB phosphorylation deficits, epigenetic suppression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) via promoter hypermethylation, NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1β neuroinflammatory cascades, interference with thyroid hormone bioavailability through transthyretin competition, and PPAR-mediated disruption of brain lipid metabolism. Prenatal and early-life exposure has been associated with ADHD, cognitive impairment, autism spectrum disorder, and elevated risk of depressive and anxiety phenotypes in epidemiological cohorts. Psychological vulnerability factors—perceived stress, deficient emotion regulation, and adverse childhood experiences—likely amplify this biological susceptibility through HPA axis sensitisation. Methodological limitations of current evidence, including reliance on single-spot urine samples and residual confounding, are critically appraised. Future research priorities include longitudinal biomonitoring cohorts, brain organoid mechanistic models, and integration of validated psychiatric assessments into environmental health study designs.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080424

Authors: Fariza Khozhanepessova Akmaral Serikbayeva Arezoo Dadrasnia Nazira Moldagulova

Oil contamination of soils in arid regions of Kazakhstan is a critical environmental problem, as extreme temperatures, low humidity and salinity limit traditional bioremediation. A pilot-scale 45-day field experiment at the Karazhanbas oil field (Mangistau Region, Kazakhstan) provided a first field validation of an adsorption-immobilisation bioremediation technology. A consortium of Rhodococcus erythropolis AT7 and Dietzia maris 22K was immobilised on buckwheat and rice husk carriers. Four treatments were tested on 1 × 1 m plots (initial petroleum products 3725 mg/kg): the consortium immobilised on buckwheat husks, on rice husks, free cells, and an untreated control. Petroleum products were measured by FTIR spectroscopy on days 0, 15, 30 and 45. The buckwheat husk variant showed the highest observed degradation efficiency among the tested treatments—94.0 ± 0.5% (3725 to 223 ± 18 mg/kg)—1.6 times higher than rice husk (57.9%) and 1.7 times higher than free cells at the standard dose (54.6%). Degradation followed first-order kinetics (k = 0.0355 day−1; t1/2 = 19.5 days), and hydrocarbon-oxidising microorganisms increased to 3.4 × 108 CFU/g in the immobilised treatments. The higher performance of buckwheat husks may be associated with lower lignin content and improved carrier properties, with phenolic compounds such as rutin as a plausible additional factor. These pilot results provide a basis for larger-scale validation in Western Kazakhstan.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080423

Authors: Francisco Castillo-Vergara Sofia Rodriguez-Venturo Edwin Loarte Katy Medina Eladio Tuya José Úbeda

The shrinking of glaciers is drastically transforming headwater catchments, exposing new land surfaces and forming new water bodies, characterized by marked environmental gradients and the activation of potential geochemical hazards. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the geochemical patterns of soil and water in areas deglaciated between 1970/1984 and 2025 within the Llaca and Gueshgue valleys of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Systematic soil and water sampling was conducted, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate techniques. The analyses revealed a clear and statistically significant geochemical differentiation between the two areas (p ≤ 0.05). Gueshgue was identified as a system in transition, exhibiting geochemical signatures of acid rock drainage (ARD), with loamy soils rich in Fe and Al, and acidic waters featuring high redox potential and elevated concentrations of SO42−, EC, Co, Cu, Mn and Mg. In contrast, Llaca exhibited greater stability, with neutral waters and sandy soils dominated by silicate weathering signatures (SiO2) and trace elements (Al, Li, Ba, K, and Ti). These findings indicate that the impact of glacier retreat on proglacial ecosystems is heterogeneous; identifying these geochemical patterns is fundamental to establishing baseline monitoring and guiding the sustainable management of these climate-change-sensitive ecosystems.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080422

Authors: Kuok Ho Daniel Tang

Microplastics, typically defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter, have emerged as a pervasive environmental contaminant of global concern [...]

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080421

Authors: Benedetto Schiavo Diana Meza-Figueroa Claudio Inguaggiato

Environmental pollution remains one of the greatest challenges to sustainable development and public health worldwide [...]

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080420

Authors: Andrei Tudor Rusu Cristina Horju Deac Tiberiu Rusu

Background: Drilling slurry, a waste material generated during natural gas extraction, requires careful chemical characterization to determine its environmental hazard classification and inform appropriate management strategies. Methods: This study characterizes the drilling fluid used as raw material and the resulting drilling slurry waste, using a case study sample from the Buzău extraction area (Well 1 Florica, S.N.G.N. Romgaz S.A.), including total composition analysis, three-stage leaching tests, linear regression of leaching kinetics, and standardized geoaccumulation indices (Igeo, CF, PLI). Results: Total composition analysis confirmed low heavy metal concentrations (Cd = 0.02, Cr = 0.05, Pb = 0.64, Zn = 2.82 mg/kg dry matter). All leachate parameters remained below non-hazardous waste thresholds (Order No. 95/2005), with safety factors of 20–100× for regulated metals and 1.2–2.7× for chlorides, sulphates, and dissolved organic carbon. Standardized pollution indices confirmed Class 0 (unpolluted) status for all five metals, with a composite Pollution Load Index of 0.0124. Leaching regression analysis revealed dissolution-controlled release for chlorides, sulphates, and zinc (R2 > 0.93) versus matrix-retention behavior for copper, nickel, cadmium, and chromium. Comparative analysis showed horizontal drilling generates approximately 146% more waste volume than conventional vertical drilling (170 m3 versus 69 m3 at 2100 m depth). Conclusions: The analyzed drilling slurry meets non-hazardous waste classification with substantial safety margins, corroborated by three independent analytical frameworks. Waste minimization strategies and biodegradable fluid substitution offer practical pathways to reduce the environmental footprint of natural gas drilling operations.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080419

Authors: Lori Han Bruce Wilson Nadine Hackshaw Sebastian Behrens Joe Magner

Denitrifying bioreactors are edge-of-field best management practices used to reduce excess nutrients in agricultural drainage. Traditional systems rely on woodchips as both a carbon source and microbial habitat, but woodchip-only bioreactors often exhibit limited nitrate removal, particularly under low temperatures and high flow conditions. This study evaluated nitrogen removal in a multimedia bioreactor under varying environmental conditions. A non-ideal, continuous stirred-tank model was applied to estimate nitrogen removal rates and nitrate removal efficiencies in mesoscale reactors containing walnut-shell biochar, Brotex, and woodchips. Two configurations—woodchip–biochar with and without Brotex—were tested at 4 h and 12 h hydraulic residence times (HRTs) and temperatures from 6 °C to 14.5 °C. Nitrate removal was consistently higher in the non-Brotex treatments. At low temperature, average removal was 15.3% (3.21 g m−3 d−1) and 50.5% (3.66 g m−3 d−1) for 4 h and 12 h HRTs, respectively. Removal improved at higher temperatures, reaching 54.2% (4.77 g m−3 d−1) and 79.7% (7.86 g m−3 d−1). These results exceeded many nitrate removal values reported for woodchip-only systems in the literature under similar temperature and hydraulic residence time conditions, indicating that alternative media can enhance performance across a range of flow and temperature conditions, supporting broader application in diverse climates.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080418

Authors: Xiang Li Kerry Holmberg Leikun Yin Leslie Ludtke Brady Hartmann Joseph Anderson John Nieber Joe Magner

Groundwater nitrate contamination imposes a safety concern. Mitigating groundwater nitrate levels requires a quantitative assessment of source contributions, which is also challenging to estimate considering the data uncertainty and the agriculture environmental complexity. The Pineland Sand Region in north central Minnesota, United States, features sandy soils and has a mixed land-use landscape of agriculture and natural background, with part of the area located within the White Earth Nation Reservation region. We analyzed the land-use patterns and identified nitrate contaminant sources in nature, wetlands, row crops, pasture, and urban areas. To estimate the nitrate source apportionment and its uncertainty in this study area, we first characterized these sources using calcium, sulfate, chloride, and sodium, and then applied a Bayesian mass-balance mixing model using a Monte Carlo Markov Chain approach in 164 groundwater wells and further obtained the probability distributions of the fractional contributions from those specific sources. The results show that nature and wetlands source fractions dominate sites with negligible agriculture impacts, while row crop and pasture sources are estimated with higher contaminant contributions in sites subject to more intensive agriculture management. We also discussed a few specific sites’ contaminant source fractions and suggest a future source characterization scheme to advance groundwater nitrate understanding in the study area.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080417

Authors: Rachid Ismail Mohammednoor Altarawneh Joy H. Tannous

Airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been extensively identified as a major contributor to adverse health outcomes, including respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and premature mortality. PM2.5 poses an even greater threat due to the presence of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). It is, thus, important to study human exposure to EPFRs. Dust samples from residential areas in Al Ain, UAE, were tested, and free radicals were detected and quantified. ESR measurements showed distinct signals with g-factors around 2.004–2.006, typically associated with oxygen-centered EPFRs. Spin concentrations were quantified at approximately 2.64 × 1016 spins/g in Dust Sample 1 (DS1) and 2.36 × 1017 spins/g in Dust Sample 2 (DS2), values comparable to those reported in other regions. DS1 and DS2 were collected from two different locations in inhabited areas of the city of Al Ain. Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectra revealed possible functional groups such as catechols and hydroquinones, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed mineral oxides that could stabilize these radicals. However, the spectra also displayed features consistent with the six-line hyperfine splitting of Mn. These findings confirm the presence of environmentally relevant paramagnetic species in dust, which have implications for human health.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080416

Authors: Noemí Aranda-Merino Cristina Gómez de las Heras María Ramos-Payán Rut Fernández-Torres Miguel. A. Bello-López José L. Gómez-Ariza

Environmental exposures throughout life play a major role in shaping human health and contribute to the onset and progression of numerous chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. These effects arise from complex interactions between environmental pollutants, diet, lifestyle, occupation, genetic background, and other biological and socioeconomic factors. Although recent advances in omics technologies have substantially improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions, most studies continue to adopt reductionist approaches that fail to capture the complexity of the environment–health–disease continuum. We propose a comprehensive conceptual framework based derived from the existing literature for investigating lifelong environmental exposures through a multilevel and multidimensional strategy. Four complementary levels are defined: (i) molecular alterations characterized using ionomics, metallomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, genomics, and integrated multi-omics; (ii) tissue and organ alterations assessed by imaging technologies and radiomics; (iii) population-level variability investigated through epidemiological approaches (epidemiomics); and (iv) the integration and interpretation of heterogeneous datasets using artificial intelligence. Representative applications of these methodologies are discussed to illustrate their potential for identifying biomarkers, elucidating disease mechanisms, and improving exposure assessment. Particular attention is given to the integration of molecular, imaging, and epidemiological data to establish more robust causal relationships between environmental exposures and health outcomes. The proposed framework highlights the need for multidisciplinary collaboration and advanced computational tools to address the complexity of exposome research. Ultimately, this integrative approach may support early disease detection, personalized prevention strategies, and the development of evidence-based environmental, occupational, and public health policies aimed at reducing the burden of environment-related diseases.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080415

Authors: Carmen Luisa Vásquez Stanescu Lucas de Aquino Marinho Crismeire Isbaex Luís Rosa Rodrigo Ramírez-Pisco Luís Manuel Navas Gracia Teresa Batista

Maritime transport contributes 2.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, traditionally evaluated through operational fuel cycles while neglecting lifecycle impacts. This study redefines merchant ship recycling as a strategic front-end pillar for global decarbonization by assessing Embodied Carbon Trade-offs. Utilizing a mixed PRISMA systematic and semi-systematic methodology of literature from 2019–2025, we analyzed bulk carriers, container ships, and tankers across six thematic clusters. Our findings demonstrate that scenarios involving the potential decommissioning of up to 22.2% of the global merchant fleet exceeding 20 years of age could significantly mitigate lifecycle emissions by displacing primary iron-ore smelting with circular electric arc furnace marine-steel recovery. Crucially, this environmental dividend is non-linear and bound by regional energy matrices; under deeply decarbonized grids, this technological displacement can theoretically yield an upper-bound 72% emissions reduction, whereas fossil-heavy power supplies significantly diminish net mitigation margins. Practically, this research provides an operational roadmap for shipowners and regulators navigating the Hong Kong Convention and carbon border mechanisms. This work concludes that sustainable shipbreaking has the potential to function as an economically viable, strategic reservoir of low-carbon raw materials essential for achieving international net-zero targets throughout the entire shipping structural lifecycle.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13080414

Authors: Nazmun Naher Sultan Ahmed Rezaur Rahman

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a legal obligation in Bangladesh for projects with substantial environmental and socio-economic impacts. Over time, Bangladesh has established sound policies, rules, and a growing workforce to support the EIA process. However, two key issues persist: the effectiveness of EIA reports and weak implementation of Environmental Management Plans (EMPs). In practice, implementing agencies often prioritize physical progress over environmental safeguards, treating the EIA as merely a clearance formality for Planning Commission approval. Regulatory bodies, such as the Department of Environment and the Planning Commission, frequently neglect the substantive review of EIA reports, focusing on checklist requirements rather than rigorous environmental scrutiny. This procedural mindset undermines the role of EIA as a strategic planning and decision-making tool. This study examines each step of the EIA process, from report preparation to EMP implementation, highlighting gaps that require sustainable improvements. A mixed-method approach was employed to evaluate the quality of the EIA process, with particular attention to its methodological rigor, accuracy of impact assessment, challenges in public participation, and the effectiveness of the proposed EMPs and their implementation. The recommendations presented in this study aim to enhance the efficiency of the EIA process and promote its application in similar contexts across developing countries.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070413

Authors: Turki Al-Said Surendraraj Alagarsamy Sabeena Farvin Koduvayur Habeebullah Ali Al-Hashem Loreta Fernandes Amit Sarkar Yesudhason Poulose Rakhesh Madhusoodanan Waleed Al-Zakri Faiza Al-Yamani

Dissolved bio-essential trace metals (Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, and Fe) in seawater and 17 elements in surface sediments were studied to assess the metal contamination and associated ecological risks in the Sulaibikhat Bay Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the northwestern Arabian Gulf. Dissolved metals were mostly at low to moderate levels and within the limits of most international water quality standards. However, dissolved Cu concentrations (0.54 to 4.73 µg L−1) in the MPA stations (MPA-1 and MPA-2) exceeded the Oslo–Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) ecotoxicological assessment thresholds, suggesting possible adverse ecological effects. Sediment showed higher levels of Cd, Cr, Ni, V, Cu, and Zn at stations within the MPA, with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) linking these enrichments to nearby industrial and desalination discharge sources. The calculated enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values confirmed moderate to substantial anthropogenic contributions for Cd, Cr, and Ni, while the major lithogenic elements were derived from natural mineralogical inputs. A pollution load index (PLI) > 1 at stations MPA-1, MPA-3 and MPA-4 in Sulaibikhat Bay indicated cumulative metal contamination. Ecological risk assessment criteria classified sediments within the MPA and Sulaibikhat Bay as having a moderate level of ecological risk, with Cd identified as the principal contributor. The toxicological indices, namely mean Effect Range Median Quotient (m-ERM-Q) and mean Probable Effect Level Quotient (m-PEL-Q), indicated a low-to-moderate probability of adverse biological effects due to Cu and Ni exposure in the MPA. In contrast, the reference station in the Kuwait Bay showed very low contamination and negligible ecological risk. These findings stress the need for continuous monitoring and effective source control to protect the ecosystem of this newly established MPA in Kuwait.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070412

Authors: Jutarat Thaboot Witida Laopajon Nuchjira Takheaw Anurak Wongta Surat Hongsibsong Kriangkrai Chawansuntati Supachai Yodkeeree Woottichai Khamduang Supansa Pata

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an air pollutant that significantly impacts environmental and health outcomes. In Chiang Mai province, Thailand, residents face recurring PM2.5 pollution from November to May each year, primarily due to open biomass burning and transboundary emissions. The long-term health impacts of PM2.5 in Chiang Mai remain inadequately documented. This study aims to investigate leukocyte distribution and IgE level in response to long-term PM2.5 exposure. Participants residing in San Patong district, Chiang Mai, were recruited. Leukocyte distribution was investigated by the complete blood count and flow cytometry. IgE levels were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Long-term PM2.5 exposure is associated with significant changes in leukocyte distribution, including WBC count, neutrophil, monocyte, and basophil absolute count, while lymphocyte and eosinophil counts were not significantly affected. In the present study, flow cytometric immunophenotyping was performed during the late PM2.5 season to evaluate the distributions of major leukocyte populations and the expression of activation and inhibitory markers on lymphocyte subsets. Interestingly, IgE levels showed a decreasing trend. These findings highlight the immunological effects of repeated PM2.5 exposure and underscore the need for further research to clarify its mechanisms and health implications.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070411

Authors: Nima Daneshvarnejad Yash Pragnesh Gandhi Young Cho Rajiv Kalia Shahram Farhadi Donald Paul Iraj Ershaghi

Methane emissions from plugged and unplugged abandoned wells dilute rapidly with air, causing conventional detection methods to fall short of detecting methane leaks from these sources. Commonly used technologies for methane emission detection often fall short of the detection limit required for low-rate emissions from abandoned wells, and are either dependent on environmental conditions or costly and highly energy consuming, barring them from becoming a scalable solution to this problem. We introduce here a new system for outdoor testing and show how the flux chamber detection limit is progressively reduced from 700 g/h to 2 g/h and ultimately to 1 g/h, meeting the US Department of the Interior (DOI) standard for monitoring equipment used on abandoned wells. Field deployment on an actual abandoned well also revealed intermittent emissions, which may serve as an indicator of deteriorating well integrity over time when monitored periodically. To forecast the emission event timing and intensity, a Liquid Time-Constant (LTC) and a gated recurrent neural network were trained on methane concentration time series collected during field deployment. As available well sites for physical testing are limited and atmospheric conditions are not controllable, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation framework integrated with machine learning (ML) was developed to optimize wellhead chamber geometry and size for both detectability and safety. This chamber is designed to be used for testing well sites in mass number that helps well abandonment ranking systems for both operators and regulatory bodies.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070410

Authors: Roza Narmanova Yanina Delegan Olga Mironova Alexander Bogun Angelina Baraboshkina Lenar Akhmetov Natalia Zakharchenko Bekzhan Alimkhan Elena Rukavtsova Saken Kanzhar Olga Sizova Nurzhan Suleymenov Tatiana Anokhina Nurbol Appazov Svetlana Kuzhamberdieva Andrey Filonov

The self-purification capacity of oil-contaminated soils is largely determined by the metabolic activity of autochthonous oil-oxidizing microorganisms. This study examined three strains of actinobacteria, which are hydrocarbon degraders, isolated from oil-contaminated sierozem soil at the Daulet Asia landfill (Southern Kazakhstan). Functional gene analysis was conducted (genome completeness > 98%, and contamination < 3%), and the phenotypic properties of these bacterial strains were studied to assess their potential for bio- and phytoremediation technologies in the sharply continental arid climate of the Aral Sea region. The isolated strains Rhodococcus kroppenstedtii K18 and MF2 and Kocuria rosea K1 grow on oil (12–22% oil loss after 10 days of cultivation in liquid mineral salt medium) and diesel fuel and can utilize hexadecane and benzoate as the sole source of carbon and energy. Furthermore, Rhodococcus K18 and MF2 utilize dodecane and eicosane, while K. rosea K1 utilizes phenol and gentisate. A significant decrease in surface tension (to 31.4 mN/m) observed during cultivation of strains K18 and MF2 on minimal salt medium indicates the secretion of surfactants that increase the bioavailability of hydrophobic substrates. The studied strains possess a number of properties that promote plant growth: they produce auxins, solubilize calcium hydroxyapatite, and protect plants from infection by the phytopathogenic microorganisms Fusarium oxysporum and Pectobacterium wasabiae. Actinobacteria are compatible when co-cultivated, as no mutual growth inhibition was observed. This study expands our understanding of typical bacterial representatives of desert soil, and this may contribute to the development of bioremediation approaches for the restoration of disturbed biotopes under extreme environmental conditions.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070409

Authors: Jiayuan Li Shibing Jia Hongyong Wang Gang Xu

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), characterized by their high stability, are typical persistent organic pollutants that pose irreversible risks to human health. Conventional chemical oxidation methods exhibit limitations that hinder effective remediation in practice. In contrast, sulfate-radical-based advanced oxidation processes have emerged as promising alternatives, among which the heat-alkaline activation system for persulfate (PS) demonstrates distinct advantages. In this study, a heat-alkaline-activated PS system was established to investigate the degradation of PAHs in both simulated contaminated soils and coal chemical industrial site soils, as well as the modulatory effects of natural organic matter (NOM). Response surface methodology optimized critical experimental parameters to 12.53 mmol PS dosage, 60.31 °C reaction temperature, and a 1.55 CaO/PS molar ratio. Under these conditions, degradation efficiencies of 98.32% and 82.26% were achieved in simulated and field soils, respectively. Radical test experiments revealed a cooperative mechanism dominated by SO4−• > •OH > O2−• radicals, accompanied by auxiliary involvement of non-radical 1O2. Low concentrations of NOM plausibly facilitate degradation via a hypothesized electron transfer protective effect and boosted radical generation, whereas excessive NOM inhibits degradation through competitive consumption of reactive radicals. Density functional theory calculations identified preferred radical attack sites on the aromatic rings of PAHs and corroborated the degradation pathway involving aromatic ring oxidation, functional group addition, ring cleavage, and mineralization. QSAR-based theoretical toxicity predictions via T.E.S.T. suggested that the ultimate degradation products exhibit lower potential toxicity than parent PAHs. Experiments fill the knowledge gap regarding NOM-mediated regulation in heat-alkaline activated PS systems, and elucidate degradation mechanisms and toxicity evolution.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070408

Authors: James Darmey Satyanarayana Narra Osei-Wusu Achaw Walter Stinner Isaac Kwasi Frimpong Nene Kwabla Amoatey Theophilus Ofori Agyekum Daniel Amaniampong

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an effective technology for sustainable waste management, renewable energy production and resource recovery within a circular economy. This study offers a systematic bibliometric review of global advances in AD research and assesses their relevance to Ghana. Using the PRISMA framework, the literature from 2011 to 2025 was sourced from the Scopus database and analysed through bibliometric and thematic methods. The review emphasises four key factors affecting AD performance: municipal solid waste as feedstock, pretreatment technologies, biochemical methane potential (BMP) assessment and process optimisation. Studies were included if they addressed any of these themes. Non-English publications, inaccessible full texts and papers lacking bibliographic metadata were excluded. After screening 3424 records, 61 studies were included in the systematic review. After metadata screening, 3374 of the 3424 retrieved records were retained for bibliometric analysis. Results show that municipal solid waste, food waste, agricultural residues and sewage sludge are promising sources for biogas generation. Pretreatment techniques, including thermal, chemical, mechanical and biological, significantly enhance substrate biodegradability and methane production. BMP assessment is a reliable way to gauge feedstock suitability and energy recovery potential. Optimising parameters like pH, temperature, organic loading, hydraulic retention time and co-digestion ratios improves process stability and biogas yield. The review highlights the increasing use of modelling and optimisation to boost digester performance and facilitate scale-up. In Ghana, abundant organic waste offers significant opportunities for biogas development. Employing advanced feedstock characterisation, pretreatment, BMP evaluation and optimisation can improve AD efficiency, support renewable energy, reduce waste disposal issues and promote Ghana’s shift toward a sustainable circular bioeconomy.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070407

Authors: Cheng-Han Lee

This Editorial introduces the Special Issue “Emerging Technologies for Waste Treatment, Pollution Control and Resource Recovery”, which examines how contemporary environmental engineering is moving beyond conventional end-of-pipe treatment toward integrated, circular, and systems-oriented approaches. The collected contributions address sustainability innovation in textile manufacturing, life-cycle-informed PFAS removal from landfill leachate, fishbone-derived hydroxyapatite adsorbents for heavy metal removal, and constructed wetlands for azo dye degradation. Together, these studies demonstrate that effective waste treatment must be evaluated not only in terms of pollutant removal efficiency, but also by material circularity, secondary environmental burdens, operational feasibility, and long-term contaminant fate. This Editorial highlights key cross-cutting themes, including the valorization of residual materials, the importance of realistic matrices and field validation, and the need to integrate life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and mechanistic investigation early in technology development. It further identifies major research gaps concerning spent media management, regeneration, toxicity, transformation products, and scale-up under variable operating conditions. Overall, this Special Issue proposes a framework in which emerging waste treatment technologies are understood as multifunctional environmental systems that support pollution control, resource recovery, and resilient circular economies.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070406

Authors: J. Chrisostome Ufitinema Valens Habimana Antoine Nsabimana Gunaratna Kuttuva Rajarao

Increasing water scarcity and pollution have intensified the need for low-cost wastewater treatment in developing regions. Constructed wetlands (CWs) offer a nature-based solution for pollutant removal but often fail, on their own, to meet discharge and reuse standards. This study evaluated four CW systems planted with Cyperus latifolius, Juncus effusus, Phragmites mauritianus, and Pennisetum purpureum, integrated with banana fibre filtration as a polishing step. The CWs alone achieved ammonium removal of 74–83%, nitrate 78–85%, phosphorus 86–91%, and COD 78–83%. Banana fibre filtration enhanced overall removal efficiencies to 93–96%, 94–96%, 81–88%, and 82–87% for ammonium, phosphorus, nitrate, and COD, respectively. Pennisetum purpureum had the highest aboveground nitrogen accumulation (74.4 g N/m2), with its coupled system achieving the highest nitrate removal, whereas Juncus effusus had the highest phosphorus accumulation (93.1 g P/m2), with its coupled system showing the best overall removal of ammonium, phosphorus, and COD. The integrated system reduced fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli by 6–8 log and eliminated detectable Salmonella and Shigella. Treated effluent met FAO irrigation, Rwanda discharge, and European Union (EU) standards for all evaluated parameters except phosphorus, which remained above the stricter EU limit. Despite bench-scale operation over four months, these findings demonstrate a low-cost, nature-based treatment approach suitable for decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse, with harvested wetland biomass offering additional potential for animal feed, energy, or fibre valorization.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070405

Authors: Máté Maurer Adrián Antal Dorottya Szám Patrik Plank László Szemethy Zsuzsanna Szőke Szilvia Stranczinger

Mycotoxin research has traditionally focused on cultivated crops, whereas wild plants growing in semi-natural vegetation remain largely unexplored despite their possible ecological importance. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the occurrence, seasonal dynamics, organ-specific distribution, and growth-form differences of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEN) in wild plant species from agricultural areas of the Hungarian Plain. A total of 134 samples collected in July, August, and October were analyzed for mycotoxin contamination. All three mycotoxins were frequently detected, and only 13% of samples were free of the investigated toxins. Mycotoxin profiles changed seasonally, with multi-toxin co-occurrence predominating in July, ZEN in August, and DON in October, whereas AFB1 declined toward the end of the growing season. Growth form explained contamination patterns more strongly than plant organ: woody species showed higher AFB1 and DON contamination, whereas grasses showed higher ZEN concentrations. Although most concentrations were low, occasional extreme values approached or exceeded European Union reference values for animal feed. Our findings identify semi-natural vegetation, particularly woody species, as a previously underestimated reservoir of mycotoxins and demonstrate that seasonal dynamics and plant growth form should be considered when assessing environmental mycotoxin exposure in agricultural landscapes.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070404

Authors: Kuralay Ilbekova Danara Ibrayeva Yerbol Dogalbayev Madina Kairullova Meirat Bakhtin Polat Kazymbet

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive heavy metal, and drinking water and food are the primary sources of non-occupational exposure for the general population. The aim of the present study was to evaluate urinary uranium concentrations among cancer patients and healthy residents living in uranium legacy-affected areas and to compare them with those of individuals residing in a region with a more favorable radiological environment, accounting for urinary creatinine levels. An observational human biomonitoring study was conducted among 80 adults divided into four groups (n = 20 each): cancer patients and healthy residents from the exposed area and cancer patients and healthy residents from the comparison area. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were analyzed for uranium using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and urinary creatinine was measured using the kinetic Jaffe method. Urinary uranium concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 1.30 µg/L, with the highest values observed in cancer patients from the exposed area. After creatinine adjustment, median uranium concentrations were 0.0974 µg/g creatinine in exposed cancer patients, 0.0888 µg/g creatinine in exposed healthy residents, 0.0515 µg/g creatinine in comparison-area cancer patients, and 0.0607 µg/g creatinine in comparison-area healthy residents. Significant differences were observed between exposed and comparison populations among both cancer patients (p = 0.0066) and healthy residents (p = 0.0499). Residence in the exposed area was positively associated with urinary uranium levels (ρ = 0.292, p = 0.012). These findings suggest higher internal uranium exposure among residents of uranium legacy-affected areas and support the use of urinary uranium as a biomarker of environmental exposure. This study contributes to the assessment of internal uranium exposure in residents of uranium legacy-affected areas, including both cancer patients and healthy residents. However, the findings should be interpreted as differences in exposure biomarkers and do not establish a causal relationship between uranium exposure and cancer.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070403

Authors: Sergio Pili Alessandro Murru Joanna Izabela Lachowicz Simone Milia Tatiana Pedrazzi Giuseppe De Palma Marcello Campagna Luigi Isaia Lecca

Background: Ultrafine particles (UFPs) represent a significant occupational health concern in commercial cooking environments, yet comprehensive exposure assessment in pizzerias remains limited despite their global prevalence and unique cooking processes. Understanding UFP exposure patterns and associated health effects in this widespread food service sector is crucial for protecting worker health. Objective: To quantify occupational exposure to airborne UFPs among pizzeria workers across different oven technologies. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 10 pizzerias in the Cagliari metropolitan area (April 2022–March 2024), encompassing wood-fired ovens (WFO, n = 6), electric ovens (EO, n = 3), and mixed systems (BO, n = 1). Ventilation characteristics were documented at each site to evaluate their influence under real-world operating conditions. Personal UFP exposure was measured using DISCmini diffusion size classifiers (10–700 nm range), while qualitative particle characterization employed ELPI+ impaction with SEM-EDS analysis. Results: UFP concentrations varied dramatically by oven type, with median values of 3.18 × 104 particles/cm3 (WFO), 1.29 × 105 particles/cm3 (EO), and 2.55 × 105 particles/cm3 (BO). Seven of ten pizzerias exceeded WHO precautionary limits (20,000 particles/cm3), with electric oven facilities showing concentrations comparable to high-emission industrial operations. Elemental analysis revealed predominantly carbon-based particles with significant iron, aluminum, and silicon content, indicating combined combustion and mechanical abrasion sources. Conclusions: Pizzeria workers experience substantial UFP exposure levels that frequently surpass those in other food service environments and approach levels typically observed in high-exposure industrial workplaces. Electric ovens generate significantly higher UFP levels than wood-fired systems, likely due to ventilation efficiency differences.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070402

Authors: Irfan Ansari Asad A. Zaidi Ahmad Hussain Abdul Hameed Memon Shahnaz Shahani Asad Bilal Haleem

The increasing generation of textile cotton waste (TCW) and textile wastewater sludge (TWS) presents significant environmental management challenges. This study evaluates the conversion of TCW and TWS into biofuel pellets for waste recovery and coal substitution. Pellets were prepared at TWS ratios of 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, and 80:20 and assessed through combustion emission analysis, ash characterization, cradle-to-gate carbon assessment, and equal-energy cost comparison with imported bituminous coal. Increasing the TWS fraction prolonged combustion duration and increased SO2 and NOx emissions; however, all oxygen-normalized emissions remained within Sindh Environmental Quality Standards (SEQS) limits under the tested conditions. The 20:80 blend exhibited the lowest emission factors, with CO, SO2, NOx, and CO2 emissions of 1.03 g kg−1, 3.81 g kg−1, 1.57 g kg−1, and 1.42 kg kg−1, respectively. Ash analysis showed that Cd and Pb were not detected, while measured heavy-metal concentrations remained below U.S. EPA regulatory limits and relevant EU limit values. The 20:80 pellet achieved a cradle-to-gate carbon intensity of 6.6 g CO2e MJ−1, approximately 59% lower than upstream coal production. Equal-energy fuel-cost savings relative to imported coal were 37.6% for the binder-based 20:80 pellet and 83.1% for the binder-free 40:60 pellet. Overall, the results indicate that TCW–TWS pellets, particularly those containing 20–40% TWS, can support textile waste utilization and partial coal substitution while reducing fuel costs.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070401

Authors: Junpeng Yin Erwu Yang Yulin Zhang Xiaoxun Xu

The partial replacement of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers is regarded as one of the effective ways to achieve sustainable agricultural development. However, further research is needed to understand how different cropping systems respond to the substitution of organic fertilizers and the underlying mechanisms in the context of calcareous purple soils in the same region. In this study, four field trials involving soybean, wheat, rice, and corn were conducted at different sites within the same regional calcareous purple-soil area to investigate the comprehensive effects of partially replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers on soil fertility. The initial soil pH at the experimental site ranged from 6.25 to 8.60. The experiment established four treatments, which were CK (sole conventional chemical fertilizer), alongside OC1, OC2, and OC3, in which 10%, 20% and 30% of chemical fertilizer were substituted by a commercial organic fertilizer (45% organic matter, C/N = 25). The results indicate that replacing chemical fertilizers with organic amendments generally led to significant improvements in soil organic matter, available phosphorus, and quick-acting potassium levels. However, the impact on alkaline-hydrolyzable nitrogen varied depending on the crop type. In terms of crop responses, organic fertilizer substitution had a notable effect on nutrient accumulation in grains and overall yield. Soybeans and rice showed positive trends in both nutrient uptake and yield enhancement, while wheat primarily benefited from increased total nitrogen content in its grains. In contrast, corn achieved the best balance between yield and nutrient absorption under the OC2 treatment. An equal-weight membership function evaluation, based on within-system normalization of six soil and crop indicators, ranked the treatments as OC2 > OC3 > OC1 > CK. OC2 therefore showed the highest integrated performance among the four crop systems examined in this study. Under OC2, soil organic matter increased by 1.21–31.24% relative to CK across the four field systems, while significant yield increases of 4.2% and 6.5% were observed in the rice and corn systems, respectively. This study suggests that substituting 20% of chemical fertilizers with organic amendments can effectively enhance soil fertility and boost crop productivity, making it a promising regional fertilization strategy that balances ecological benefits with agricultural output.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070400

Authors: Dimitra Rapti Sotirios Valkaniotis

Coastal lagoon Salt Ponds are highly valuable wetland systems where traditional salt production coexists with ecosystems of significant ecological importance, often characterized by high environmental sensitivity. In data-scarce coastal settings, particularly those located near river channels and drainage networks, assessing multiple environmental hazards remains a major challenge. This study proposes a simplified and transferable methodological framework for multi-hazard assessment in coastal Salt Pond environments (DAFFLE; Data Acquisition Fluvial Flooding and Liquefaction Evaluation), with particular emphasis on areas where field data are limited and fluvial processes and seismic effects may interact. The approach integrates three main components: first, improved terrain modelling using global elevation datasets and ICESat-2 laser altimetry data to better represent very flat coastal areas; second, flood hazard simulation by modelling water depths under different flood scenarios to map potential inundation; third, liquefaction susceptibility is assessed using surficial geological data and key geomorphological parameters, producing simplified probabilistic hazard maps informed by existing seismic hazard datasets or scenario-based assumptions. The proposed framework provides a scalable and practical tool for first-order multi-hazard assessment in vulnerable coastal Salt Pond environments. It supports comparative hazard analyses and decision-making in regions where detailed site-specific data and extensive field investigations are not available, offering a consistent baseline for coastal lagoon Salt Pond risk evaluation and management.

Environments doi: 10.3390/environments13070399

Authors: Xinyi Wang Wenbiao Zhou Yulei Wang Yan Gao

The dewatering of cyanobacteria-laden sludge remains a challenge. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) mainly consist of polysaccharides and proteins, which form a stable gel network with water through hydrogen bonding and other interactions. To address this bottleneck, a low-voltage (5 V) electrochlorination system was constructed, employing a Ti/IrO2/RuO2 electrode as the anode, iron as the cathode, and calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl2·2H2O) as the electrolyte. The results showed that the active chlorine generated during electrolysis degraded the highly water-retentive loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), converting them into low-viscosity, easily removable soluble EPS (S-EPS). Moreover, the total contents of polysaccharides and proteins in EPS decreased. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that in the EPS of the algal sludge, the relative proportion of humic-like substances increased, while that of protein-like products decreased. At a CaCl2·2H2O dosage of 1 g/L, the dewatering performance of the algal sludge was significantly improved: the capillary suction time (CST) of the algal suspension decreased from 10.30 ± 0.1 s to 4.1 ± 0.05 s, the proportion of bound water decreased from 43.5% to 9.8%, and the cake solids content increased to 9.48%. The residual water quality of this process was also favorable, with total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations stabilized at 0.166 ± 0.040 mg/L and 9.0 ± 1.1 mg/L, respectively. Therefore, this study provides an efficient, low-energy electrochemical pretreatment strategy to overcome the dewatering bottleneck in cyanobacteria-laden sludge, thereby reducing the treatment load and cost of downstream mechanical dewatering.