Search Results (1,720)

Piezoelectric catalytic technology has attracted much attention in the field of dye wastewater treatment, in which inorganic piezoelectric materials have been widely studied. Its core mechanism involves utilizing the piezoelectric effect to generate positive and negative charges, which react with oxygen ions and hydroxyl radicals, respectively, to generate reactive oxygen species to degrade organic pollutants. Currently, while organic piezoelectric catalysts theoretically offer significant advantages such as low cost and high processability, there has been a notable lack of research in this area, which presents an innovative opportunity for the exploration of new organic piezoelectric catalytic materials. In this study, new research using natural nanocellulose (FC) suspension as an efficient organic piezoelectric catalyst is reported for the first time. The experimental results showed that the catalyst exhibited excellent degradation performance for Rhodamine B (RhB), Acid Orange 7 (AO7), and Methyl Orange (MO) under ultrasonic vibration (40 kHz, 200 W): the degradation rates reached 95.4%, 72.4%, and 31.2%, respectively, for 150 min, and the corresponding first-order reaction kinetic constants were 0.0205, 0.00858, and 0.00249 min⁻¹, respectively. It is noteworthy that the RhB solution can achieve the optimal degradation efficiency without adjustment under neutral initial pH conditions, which significantly enhances the practical application feasibility. The experimental results showed that the catalyst, with a measurable piezoelectric coefficient (d33 = 4.4 pm/V), exhibited excellent degradation performance for Rhodamine B (RhB), Acid Orange 7 (AO7), and Methyl Orange (MO) under ultrasonic vibration (40 kHz, 200 W). This organic piezoelectric catalyst, based on renewable biomass, innovatively converts mechanical vibration energy in the environment into the power to degrade pollutants. It not only expands the application boundaries of organic piezoelectric materials but also provides a new solution for sustainable water treatment technology, demonstrating extremely promising application prospects in the field of green and environmentally friendly water treatment. Full article

Forest degradation, characterized by the gradual loss of the forest’s ecological and ecosystem functions, has been happening rapidly in the Amazon. Its main anthropogenic vectors are deforestation, forest fragmentation, selective logging, forest fires, and the edge effect. Impacts on the forest canopy and biomass can be estimated using satellite images and field data. The present study examines the dynamics of edges created annually by forest clearing and the effects of these edges considering the annual extent and loss of forest biomass between 2007 and 2023 in the municipality of Rorainópolis, located in the southern portion of the state of Roraima, in the far north of the Brazilian Amazon. We (i) delimited the edge areas created annually by deforestation between 2007 and 2023; (ii) tested the hypothesis of the existence of a spatial gradient for forest degradation using the increasing distance from the edge as a reference and the spectral behavior of three vegetation indices (NDVI, NBR, and NDWI) at the pixel level from average values of images from the Landsat-5/8 and Sentinel-2 satellites; and (iii) estimated the biomass exposed to deforestation and the edge effect and the consequent loss of biomass due to these processes. The loss of biomass in the study area due to deforestation totaled 17.1 × 10⁶ Mg in 2023, and the forest edge areas totaled 244.9 km², containing 10.5 × 10⁶ Mg of biomass. During 2023, we estimated a cumulative loss of 0.92 × 10⁶ Mg (8.73%). Analysis of the three vegetation indices showed that there is a gradient of forest degradation, characterized by an increase in the pixel index value from the edge to the interior of the forest. Forest degradation due to the edge effect is an important source of carbon emissions and should be included in national reports on greenhouse gas emissions. Full article

The citrus processing industry is an economically important agro-industrial sector worldwide; however, it produces significant amounts of waste annually. The biorefinery concept and the recovery of bio-based materials from agro-industrial residues, including citrus processing waste, are emphasized in the European Green Deal, reflecting the EU’s commitment to fostering circularity. Biotreatment of citrus processing waste, including bioconversion into biomethane, biohydrogen, bioethanol and biodiesel, has been applied to valorize biomass for energy recovery. It can also be composted into a valuable soil conditioners and fertilizers, while raw and fermented citrus residues may exhibit phytoprotective activity. Citrus-derived residues can be converted into materials such as nanoparticles with adsorptive capacity for heavy metals and recalcitrant organic pollutants, and materials with antimicrobial properties against various microbial pathogens, or the potential to remove antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) from wastewater. Indeed, citrus residues are an ideal source of industrial biomolecules, like pectin, and the recovery of bioactive compounds with added value in food processing industry. Citrus processing waste can also serve as a source for isolating specialized microbial starter cultures or as a substrate for the growth of bioplastic-producing microorganisms. Solid-state fermentation of citrus residues can enhance the production of hydrolytic enzymes, with applications in food and environmental technology, as well as in animal feed. Certain fermented products also exhibit antioxidant properties. Citrus processing waste may be used as alternative feedstuff that potentially improves the oxidative stability and quality of animal products. Full article

Shrub willow (Salix spp.) is a promising candidate for evapotranspiration (ET) covers due to its rapid growth and high water use. This study assessed 30 willow clones over two three-year rotations on a former industrial waste site in Solvay, NY, with alkaline, low-organic substrates and intermittent hardpan. Survival was high after the first rotation (87.9% ± 1.7 SE), but yield was lower and more variable (6.55 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ ± 0.25 SE) than on mineral soils. In the second rotation, both survival (42.6% ± 3.0 SE) and yield (5.08 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ ± 0.38 SE) declined. Clone rankings shifted between rotations (Spearman ρ = 0.13, p = 0.48), suggesting that short-term trials poorly predict long-term performance on degraded sites. Survival emerged as the primary driver of yield, with a smaller interaction from hardpan. Clone 05X-295-014 showed notable resilience, maintaining strong performance despite widespread hardpan. Five clones from S. miyabeana and S. purpurea x S. miyabeana groups demonstrated sustained or increasing yield and survival above 60%. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting for survival alongside yield in multi-rotation trials to ensure effective long-term deployment for biomass and phytoremediation in challenging sites. Full article

Simulating scenarios under climate change is essential to understanding vegetation dynamics, ensuring the survival of forage species, and minimizing uncertainties in project costs and timelines. This study aimed to simulate historical probabilities and develop a biomass production model using PHYGROW software (Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA), combined with Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) in the @RISK program (Ithaca, NY, USA), to evaluate long-term biomass production in a native pasture area of the Caatinga biome. The results show strong agreement between software estimates and field data. For 2016, PHYGROW estimated 883 kg/ha, while field measurements reached 836.8 kg/ha; for 2017, 1117 kg/ha was estimated, while 992.15 kg/ha was observed. For 2018, the model estimated 1200 kg/ha compared with 1763.5 kg/ha in the field, and for 2019, 1230 kg/ha was estimated versus the 1294.3 kg/ha observed. The Monte Carlo simulations indicated that the Weibull distribution best fitted the synthetic series, with 90% adherence. Biomass production values ranged from 618 to 1427 kg/ha with a 90% probability. Only 5% of the simulations projected values below 600 kg/ha or above 1400 kg/ha. Moreover, there was a 95% risk of production issues if planning was based on biomass values above 1000 kg/ha. These findings highlight PHYGROW’s potential for pasture management under semi-arid conditions for predicting and avoiding degradation scenarios that could even lead to areas of desertification. Full article

This research contributes to advance the sustainable production of biofuels and provides insights into the energy and exergy assessment of bio-oil, which is essential for developing environmentally friendly energy production solutions. Energy and exergy analyses were performed to evaluate the pyrolysis of beech wood biomass at 500 °C in an Auger reactor. To improve the quality of the obtained bio-oil, its catalytic deoxygenation was performed within an in-line fluidized catalytic bed reactor using a catalyst based on HZSM5 zeolite modified with 5 wt.% Iron (5%FeHZSM-5). A thermodynamic analysis of the catalytic and non-catalytic pyrolysis system was carried out, as well as a comparative study of the calculation methods for the energy and exergy evaluation for bio-oil. The required heat for pyrolysis was found to be 1.2 MJ/kg_biomass in the case of non-catalytic treatment and 3.46 MJ/kg_biomass in the presence of the zeolite-based catalyst. The exergy efficiency in the Auger reactor was 90.3%. Using the catalytic system coupled to the Auger reactor, this efficiency increased to 91.6%, leading to less energy degradation. Calculating the total energy and total exergy of the bio-oil using two different methods showed a difference of 6%. In the first method, only the energy contributions of the model compounds, corresponding to the major compounds of each chemical family of bio-oil, were considered. In contrast, in the second method, all molecules identified in the bio-oil were considered for the calculation. The second method proved to be more suitable for thermodynamic analysis. The novelties of this work concern the thermodynamic analysis of a coupled system of an Auger biomass pyrolysis reactor and a fluidized bed catalytic deoxygenation reactor on the one hand, and the use of all the molecules identified in the oily phase for the evaluation of energy and exergy on the other hand. Full article

This study aims to quantify total VOC emissions and evaluate how torrefaction alters the heat of combustion of three agricultural residues. The work examines the amount of VOC emissions during the torrefaction process at various temperatures and investigates the changes in the heat of combustion of agri-biomass resulting from the torrefaction process. The process was carried out at the following temperatures: 225, 250, 275, and 300 °C. Total VOC emission factors were determined. The reaction kinetics analysis revealed that meadow hay exhibited the most stable thermal behavior with the lowest activation energy. At the same time, rye straw demonstrated higher thermal resistance and complex multi-step degradation characteristics. The authors analyze three types of agricultural biomass: meadow hay, rye straw, and oat straw. The research was divided into five stages: determination of moisture content in the sample, determination of ash content, thermogravimetric analysis, measurement of total VOC emissions from the biomass torrefaction process, and determination of the heat of combustion of the obtained torrefied biomass. Based on the research, it was found that torrefaction of biomass causes the emission of torgas containing VOC in the amount of 2–10 mg/g of torrefied biomass, which can be used energetically, e.g., to support the torrefaction process, and the torrefied biomass shows a higher value of the heat of combustion. Unlike prior studies focused on single feedstocks or limited temperature ranges, this work systematically compares three major crop residues across four torrefaction temperatures and directly couples VOC quantifications. Full article

Fertilization is a critical measure for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction in degraded grasslands. However, little is known about the long-term effects of different combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) on plant and microbial communities in degraded grasslands. This study conducted a four-year (2017–2020) N, P, K addition experiment in the Khorchin Grassland, a degraded typical grassland located in Zhalute Banner, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia, to investigate the effects of fertilization treatment on plant functional groups and microbial communities after grazing exclusion. Our results showed that the addition of P, NP, and NPK compound fertilizers significantly increased aboveground biomass of the plant community, which is mainly related to the improvement of nutrient availability to promote the growth of specific plant functional groups, especially annual and biennial plants and perennial bunchgrasses. However, the addition of N, P, and NP fertilizers significantly reduced the species diversity of the plant community. At the same time, the addition of N, P, and NP fertilizers and the application of N and NP significantly reduced fungal species diversity but had no significant effect on soil bacteria. Our study provides new insights into the relationships between different types of fertilization and plant community productivity and biodiversity in degraded grasslands over four years of fertilization, which is critical for evaluating the effect of fertilization on the restoration of degraded grassland. Full article

Flammulina filiformis, one of the most delicious and commercially important mushrooms, demonstrates remarkable adaptability to diverse agricultural wastes. However, it is unclear how different substrates affect the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass and the production of lignocellulolytic enzymes in F. filiformis. In this study, label-free comparative proteomic analysis of F. filiformis cultivated on sugarcane bagasse, cotton seed shells, corn cobs, and glucose substrates was conducted to identify degradation mechanism across various substrates. Label-free quantitative proteomics identified 1104 proteins. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis of protein expression differences were predominantly enriched in energy metabolism and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. Detailed characterization of carbohydrate-active enzymes among the identified proteins revealed glucanase (GH7, A0A067NSK0) as the key enzyme. F. filiformis secreted higher levels of cellulases and hemicellulases on sugarcane bagasse substrate. In the cotton seed shells substrate, multiple cellulases functioned collaboratively, while in the corn cobs substrate, glucanase predominated among the cellulases. These findings reveal the enzymatic strategies and metabolic flexibility of F. filiformis in lignocellulose utilization, providing novel insights for metabolic engineering applications in biotechnology. The study establishes a theoretical foundation for optimizing biomass conversion and developing innovative substrates using targeted enzyme systems. Full article

In the rock–soil–biology–water ecosystem, rock weathering provides essential plant nutrients. However, its supply is insufficient for rising crop demands under population growth and climate change, while excessive fertilizer causes soil degradation and pollution. This study innovatively irrigated with carbonate rock leachates to enhance soil nutrient availability. A pot experiment with lettuce showed that irrigation significantly increased soil NO₃⁻-N (+102.20%), available K (+16.45%), available P (+17.95%), Ca (+6.04%), Mg (+11.65%), and Fe (+11.60%), and elevated the relative abundance of Firmicutes. Lettuce biomass per plant rose by 23.78%, with higher leaf minerals (P, K, Ca, and Mg) and antioxidants (carotenoids and ascorbic acid). A field experiment further confirmed improvement of soil nutrient availability and peanut yield. This carbonate rock leachate irrigation technique effectively enhances soil quality and crop productivity/quality, offering a sustainable approach for green agriculture. Full article

Ferulic acid (FA) is one of the most abundant hydroxycinnamic acids found in plant cell walls. Its dehydrodimers play an important role in maintaining the structural rigidity of the plant cell wall. Ferulic acid esterases (FAEs) act as debranching enzymes, cleaving the ester bond between FA and the substituted carbohydrate moieties in FA-containing polysaccharides in the plant cell wall. This enzymatic reaction facilitates the degradation of lignocellulosic materials and is crucial for the efficient utilization of biomass resources. This review focuses on the occurrence of ferulic acid in nature and its different forms and outlines the various classification systems of FAEs, their substrate specificity, and the synergistic interactions of these enzymes with other CAZymes. Additionally, it highlights the various methods that have been developed for detecting hydroxycinnamic acids and estimating the enzyme activity, as well as the versatile applications of ferulic acid. Full article

Biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from biomass, presents a sustainable solution to several pressing challenges in U.S. agriculture, including soil degradation, carbon emissions, and waste management. Despite global advancements, the U.S. biochar market remains underexplored in terms of economic viability, adoption potential, and sector-specific applications. This narrative review synthesizes two decades of literature to examine biochar’s applications, production methods, and market dynamics, with a focus on its economic and environmental role within the United States. The review identifies biochar’s multifunctional benefits: enhancing soil fertility and crop productivity, sequestering carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving water quality. Recent empirical studies also highlight biochar’s economic feasibility across global contexts, with yield increases of up to 294% and net returns exceeding USD 5000 per hectare in optimized systems. Economically, the global biochar market grew from USD 156.4 million in 2021 to USD 610.3 million in 2023, with U.S. production reaching ~50,000 metric tons annually and a market value of USD 203.4 million in 2022. Forecasts project U.S. market growth at a CAGR of 11.3%, reaching USD 478.5 million by 2030. California leads domestic adoption due to favorable policy and biomass availability. However, barriers such as inconsistent quality standards, limited awareness, high costs, and policy gaps constrain growth. This study goes beyond the existing literature by integrating market analysis, SWOT assessment, cost–benefit findings, and production technologies to highlight strategies for scaling biochar adoption. It concludes that with supportive legislation, investment in research, and enhanced supply chain transparency, biochar could become a pivotal tool for sustainable development in the U.S. agricultural and environmental sectors. Full article

Fungal lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) have revolutionized the field of biomass degradation by introducing an oxidative mechanism that complements traditional hydrolytic enzymes. These copper-dependent enzymes catalyze the cleavage of glycosidic bonds in recalcitrant polysaccharides such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and chitin, through the activation of molecular oxygen (O₂) or hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Their catalytic versatility is intricately modulated by structural features, including the histidine brace active site, surface-binding loops, and, in some cases, appended carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). The oxidation pattern, whether at the C1, C4, or both positions, is dictated by subtle variations in loop architecture, amino acid microenvironments, and substrate interactions. LPMOs are embedded in a highly synergistic fungal enzymatic system, working alongside cellulases, hemicellulases, lignin-modifying enzymes, and oxidoreductases to enable efficient lignocellulose decomposition. Industrial applications of fungal LPMOs are rapidly expanding, with key roles in second-generation biofuels, biorefineries, textile processing, food and feed industries, and the development of sustainable biomaterials. Recent advances in genome mining, protein engineering, and heterologous expression are accelerating the discovery of novel LPMOs with improved functionalities. Understanding the balance between O₂- and H₂O₂-driven mechanisms remains critical for optimizing their catalytic efficiency while mitigating oxidative inactivation. As the demand for sustainable biotechnological solutions grows, this narrative review highlights how fungal LPMOs function as indispensable biocatalysts for the future of the Circular Bioeconomy and green industrial processes. Full article

Tillage is a major factor influencing soil biological communities, particularly earthworms, which play a key role in soil structure and nutrient cycling. To address soil degradation, less-intensive tillage practices are increasingly being adopted globally and have shown positive effects on earthworm populations when applied consistently over extended periods. However, understanding of the earthworm population dynamics in the period following the implementation of changes in tillage practices remains limited. This three-year field study (2021–2023) investigates earthworm populations during the early transition phase (4–6 years) following the conversion from conventional ploughing to conservation (<8 cm depth, with residue retention) and no-tillage systems in a temperate arable system in central Slovenia. Earthworms were sampled annually in early October from three adjacent fields, each following the same three-year crop rotation (maize—winter cereal + cover crop—soybeans), using a combination of hand-sorting and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) extraction. Results showed that reduced tillage practices significantly increased both earthworm biomass and abundance compared to conventional ploughing. However, a significant interaction between tillage and year was observed, with a sharp decline in earthworm abundance and mass in 2022, likely driven by a combination of 2022 summer tillage prior to cover crop sowing and extreme drought conditions. Juvenile earthworms were especially affected, with their proportion decreasing from 62% to 34% in ploughed plots and from 63% to 26% in conservation tillage plots. Despite interannual fluctuations, no-till showed the lowest variability in earthworm population. Long-term monitoring is essential to disentangle management and environmental effects and to inform resilient soil management strategies. Full article

As a key tropospheric photochemical pollutant, ground-level ozone (O₃) poses significant threats to ecosystems through its strong oxidative capacity. With China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization, worsening O₃ pollution has emerged as a critical environmental concern. This study examines O₃’s impacts on forest ecosystems in Southwestern China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing), which harbors crucial forest resources. We analyzed high-resolution monitoring data from over 200 stations (2019–2023), employing spatial interpolation to derive the regional maximum daily 8 h average O₃ (MDA8-O₃, ppb) and accumulated O₃ exposure over 40 ppb (AOT40) metrics. Through AOT40-based exposure–response modeling, we quantified the forest relative yield losses (RYL), economic losses (ECL) and ECL/GDP (GDP: gross domestic product) ratios in this region. Our findings reveal alarming O₃ increases across the region, with a mean annual MDA8-O₃ anomaly trend of 2.4% year⁻¹ (p < 0.05). Provincial MDA8-O₃ anomaly trends varied from 1.4% year⁻¹ (Yunnan, p = 0.059) to 4.3% year⁻¹ (Guizhou, p < 0.001). Strong correlations (r > 0.85) between annual RYL and annual MDA8-O₃ anomalies demonstrate the detrimental effects of O₃ on forest biomass. The RYL trajectory showed an initial decline during 2019–2020 and accelerated losses during 2020–2023, peaking at 13.8 ± 6.4% in 2023. Provincial variations showed a 5-year averaged RYL ranging from 7.10% (Chongqing) to 15.85% (Yunnan). O₃ exposure caused annual ECL/GDP averaging 4.44% for Southwestern China, with Yunnan suffering the most severe consequences (ECL/GDP averaging 8.20%, ECL averaging CNY 29.8 billion). These results suggest that O₃-driven forest degradation may intensify, potentially undermining the regional carbon sequestration capacity, highlighting the urgent need for policy interventions. We recommend enhanced monitoring networks and stricter control methods to address these challenges. Full article