Search Results (2,149)

As they discuss ways to make our planet a better and safer place to live, environmental preservation, and the numerous actions that must be taken to clean air, water, solid waste, and a host of other issues created by human action (mainly by industrial activities) are constantly on the agenda of different institutions. In addition to treating industrial waste, environmental treatment facilities attempt to make industrial operations more sustainable. These environmental treatment facilities are intriguing because they may be specially designed to satisfy the three fundamental ideologies of environmental control: licensing, inspection, and monitoring. For that reason, scientists set out to find innovative, reliable, and safe methods of cleaning air, water, and soil that would use less energy and money, use fewer chemicals, and have a lower negative environmental impact. Within this framework, this review aims to provide an overview of relevant studies conducted in the scientific field of environmental treatment to help professionals at environmental treatment plants develop efficient engineering plans that work in tandem with the reduction of pollution and the rationalization of natural resources, such as energy and water, to maximize the use of these facilities. Above all, it is crucial to use an instrument that adheres to both national and international environmental monitoring standards. This guarantees precise regulation of polluting agent emissions into the environment and ensures optimal resource utilization, efficient production, and waste reduction or reuse. Full article

The development of sustainable, biocompatible scaffolds with enhanced structural stability remains a primary challenge in bone tissue engineering. In this study, structurally reinforced nanocomposite scaffolds were successfully fabricated by integrating green-synthesized carbon quantum dots (CQDs) into a gelatin (G) matrix, offering an innovative platform that mimics the organic–inorganic interfaces of natural bone tissue. The CQDs were derived from oatmeal via a sustainable, green hydrothermal route, serving simultaneously as zero-dimensional reinforcing fillers and bioactive agents within the biopolymer network. To ensure an additive-free fabrication process that avoids toxic chemical cross-linkers, dehydrothermal (DHT) treatment was employed, successfully modulating the interfacial and chemical cross-linking interactions between the gelatin chains and the oxygen-rich surface groups of the CQDs. Structural characterization confirmed the uniform dispersion of CQDs (average diameter 7–8 nm) within the porous gelatin framework. The incorporation of CQDs significantly improved the physicochemical properties of the scaffolds; the G/CQD 5% formulation emerged as the optimal composition, exhibiting a 118% increase in compression modulus compared to pristine gelatin. The composite demonstrated tuned swelling kinetics and a significantly reduced degradation rate, restricting mass loss after 14 days of incubation to approximately 24% compared to 40% for pristine gelatin, which is essential for maintaining a structural template during the initial stages of tissue formation. Bioactivity assays in simulated body fluid (SBF) confirmed the rapid, biomimetic induction of a crystalline hydroxyapatite layer with a natural Ca/P ratio of 1.61 within 14 days. Furthermore, preliminary in vitro assessments using Human Skin Fibroblasts (HSFs) confirmed excellent general cytocompatibility, with cell viability exceeding 90%. This study highlights the unique potential of utilizing biomass-derived carbon nanostructures and clean manufacturing processing to engineer multifunctional scaffolds with enhanced structural stability and intrinsic bioactivity for potential bone defect repairs. Full article

This study presents an integrated surface diagnostic investigation and a diagnostic-driven restoration of the marble sculpture Real Infante Carlo Tito di Borbone (1775), attributed to Giuseppe Sanmartino and preserved at the Royal Palace of Caserta (Italy). Despite the artistic relevance of the sculptor, scientific investigations of his works remain limited. The aim of this work is to characterize surface coatings, identify alteration processes, and support conservation strategies through a multi-analytical approach. The results reveal that the sculpture is composed of calcitic marble covered by an altered organic surface film. Spectroscopic and chromatographic data indicate the presence of lipidic compounds consistent with natural wax, likely associated with previous conservation treatments. An epoxy-based adhesive was also identified, suggesting past restoration interventions. Microbiological analyses detected fungal and bacterial species potentially involved in surface alteration processes. The integration of analytical data enabled the development of a targeted restoration strategy. Cleaning procedures were defined based on the chemical nature of the surface coatings, while structurally stable previous restorations were preserved. A biocide treatment was applied to mitigate biological colonization. This study highlights the importance of surface-oriented diagnostics in understanding coating materials and guiding conservation interventions, providing a methodological framework applicable to marble artworks. Full article

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. Full article

Oily wastewater commonly contains dissolved organic contaminants such as dyes, antibiotics, and phenolic compounds. Conventional stepwise treatment processes involve complex operation, high energy consumption, and severe membrane fouling. Multifunctional membranes integrating oil/water separation, pollutant adsorption or catalytic degradation, and membrane self-cleaning provide a promising solution for treating complex oily wastewater. This review summarizes recent advances in multifunctional membranes based on metal oxides, two-dimensional (2D) materials, three-dimensional (3D) porous structures, and biomass-derived materials. Key strategies, including micro and nanoscale structure regulation, wettability control, interlayer channel optimization, heterojunction construction, and active site engineering, are discussed together with the synergistic mechanisms involving oil/water separation, adsorption enrichment, photocatalysis, and Fenton reactions. Approaches for improving membrane flux, separation efficiency, degradation activity, antifouling performance, and cycling stability are also reviewed. Finally, challenges related to scalable fabrication, adaptability to real wastewater, long-term stability, and standardized evaluation are outlined, providing guidance for the design and practical application of multifunctional membranes. Full article

Cucumber consumption has grown in the last decades, but its storage is challenging with alternative preservation means to require attention, including ozone. The present study examined the short-term application of gaseous ozone in cucumber fruit during storage. Fruits were exposed to ozone-enriched atmosphere (0, 0.2, and 1.5 ppm) for 2 or 6 h at 13 °C and 95% relative humidity, and then fruits were stored in clean air up to 7 days. The results showed that by maintaining low respiration rates, lower ozone concentrations (i.e., 0.2 ppm) and duration (2 h) were advantageous in sustaining cucumber quality-related traits. Furthermore, greener fruits, metabolic changes, and higher ascorbic acid content were the results of 0.2 ppm ozone exposure for 2 h or 6 h, but total phenols and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were reduced. In contrast, higher ozone levels of 1.5 ppm for 6 h triggered fruit respiration rates, phenols, total soluble solids, and antioxidants alongside the raised ascorbic acid and MDA, resulting in less marketable products. Ozone treatments did not affect fruit aroma, appearance, and decay. Applying ozone for a short period of time may accelerate fruit metabolism and antioxidant responses to address the problem of oxidative stress. Full article

Fitness centers represent high-contact environments where microorganisms can accumulate and persist on shared surfaces. This study aimed to investigate bacterial contamination dynamics on gym equipment and evaluate the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) nebulization combined with preceding professional manual cleaning on the recovery of viable surface-associated microorganisms. A two-phase investigation was conducted in a commercial fitness facility. Repeated environmental sampling was performed on 12 gym devices over five consecutive days at three daily timepoints (morning, midday, evening), followed by a pre–post assessment of the combined terminal decontamination procedure. All isolates were recovered using culture-based methods and identified by MALDI TOF MS. Species were classified by ecological origin, and persistence, diversity, and intervention effects were quantified using ecological metrics. Statistical analyses were performed in R. Across all samples, 248 isolates representing 61 species were detected, with the recovered isolates predominantly belonging to skin-associated families including Micrococcaceae (25.4%), Staphylococcaceae (24.2%), and Moraxellaceae (22.2%). Routine cleaning with an alcohol-based cleaner produced only modest reductions in recovered bacterial isolate counts (p = 0.173), with 68% of environmental species no longer recovered after routine cleaning, whereas 93% of skin-associated species remained detectable following routine cleaning. In contrast, the terminal decontamination procedure consisting of professional manual cleaning followed by H₂O₂ nebulization resulted in 88% of detected species no longer being recovered after treatment, with no Gram-negative species recovered in post-treatment cultures, while only three Gram-positive species (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hominis, and Dietzia cinnamea) continued to be recovered after treatment. Contamination levels and persistence patterns varied markedly across devices. Gym equipment surfaces repeatedly yielded predominantly human-derived communities of recoverable viable bacteria despite routine cleaning. The combined terminal decontamination procedure produced greater reductions in recoverable bacterial species than routine overnight cleaning under the conditions evaluated, supporting further investigation of this combined intervention as a supplemental terminal decontamination strategy for high-traffic fitness environments. Full article

Access to clean drinking water is one of the main factors influencing public health during humanitarian crises. In the northern districts of the Gaza Strip, long-term warfare and mass migration caused serious damage to the water supply system, cutting off access to drinking water, limiting the availability of fuel and chemicals used for water chlorination, and increasing reliance on intermittent networks and water transportation services. The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study of water quality and health risks in 11 emergency camps. Water samples were collected from supply points, communal tanks, and household storage containers and analyzed for key physicochemical indicators (pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity/total dissolved solids, residual free chlorine) and microbiological contamination (E. coli and fecal coliforms). Household surveys documented transport and storage practices, perceived service adequacy, and recent gastrointestinal illness. Overall, 35% of samples exceeded WHO microbiological limits; E. coli was detected in 28% of household containers and 24% of distribution tanks. Residual chlorine was <0.5 mg/L in 40% of samples and turbidity exceeded guidance in 18%. Forty-five percent of households reported transferring water using open/uncovered containers, and 42% reported gastrointestinal illness in the previous month, with higher reporting in sites showing microbial contamination. The results suggest that there are significant weaknesses in the source-to-point-of-use system during emergencies. The priority actions we recommend are, restoring residual disinfection; strengthening monitoring at important control points; improving hygienic transport and covered storage; and providing backup fuel and treatment supplies to minimize the risk of waterborne diseases in shelters in North Gaza. Full article

To improve the antifouling and self-cleaning performance of 3003 aluminum alloy, a fluorine-free water-repellent surface was fabricated by combining nanosecond laser texturing with subsequent heat treatment. The effects of scanning speed, laser power, pulse frequency, and scanning interval on surface wettability were systematically investigated. Under the optimal conditions of 2700 mm/s, 6 W, 35 kHz, and 20 μm, the surface achieved a maximum static water contact angle of 154.3 ± 0.8°. Surface characterization showed that laser processing generated hierarchical micro-/nano-scale structures, while heat treatment promoted surface chemical evolution associated with enhanced hydrophobicity. The highly water-repellent behavior resulted from the synergistic effect of hierarchical roughness and heat-treatment-induced surface chemical changes. The fabricated surface exhibited effective self-cleaning performance, achieving a SiO₂ removal efficiency of 98.8% under the specified test conditions. In addition, relatively high water repellency was retained after repeated water-impact and tape-peeling tests. These results demonstrate that nanosecond laser texturing combined with heat treatment provides a simple and environmentally friendly strategy for fabricating water-repellent AA3003 surfaces for antifouling and surface-protection applications. Full article

The growing demand for clean-label and low-sulphite wines has increased interest in alternative preservation strategies capable of reducing sulphur dioxide (SO₂) usage while maintaining wine quality and stability. In this study, the effectiveness of Vitis vinifera leaf extract as a natural alternative to sulphur dioxide was evaluated in High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP)-treated Fiano wines. Three experimental wines were produced: CW (control wine), SW (sulphited wine), and LW (leaf-extract wine). Following alcoholic fermentation, all wines were subjected to HHP treatment (600 MPa for 5 min) and stored at 4 °C for 60 days. Physicochemical parameters, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and sensory characteristics were evaluated immediately after alcoholic fermentation and after HHP treatment followed by refrigerated storage. Compared with the control wine, LW exhibited approximately 20% higher total polyphenol concentrations, whereas SW showed the greatest preservation of fermentation-derived esters. HHP treatment induced only moderate changes in the volatile fraction, confirming the suitability of this non-thermal technology for wine stabilization. LW wines were characterized by higher abundances of terpene-related compounds, C6 alcohols, medium-chain fatty acids, and phenolic-associated volatiles, resulting in more pronounced floral, balsamic, herbaceous, and vegetal sensory attributes. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) explained 79.0% of the total VOC variability and clearly differentiated LW wines from CW and SW according to their volatile profiles, while sensory analysis confirmed the development of a distinctive aromatic identity associated with grapevine leaf extract. Overall, the results indicate that the combined application of V. vinifera leaf extract and HHP represents a promising strategy for the partial replacement of sulphur dioxide in white winemaking. This integrated approach contributes to wine stabilization while promoting the valorization of grapevine leaves as a sustainable winery by-product within a circular economy framework. Full article

Biofilms contribute significantly to the persistence and transmission of Campylobacter jejuni, yet enzymatic strategies for disrupting these structures remain underexplored. In this study, we evaluated the activity of a glycosyl hydrolase, CAase, against both planktonic and biofilm-associated C. jejuni. CAase showed no inhibitory effect on planktonic growth at concentrations up to 1 mg/mL. However, at 0.1 mg/mL, CAase reduced mature biofilm biomass by more than 93% in the wild-type strain and produced similar reductions in a luxS mutant, demonstrating substantial degradation of conserved glycan components within the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging revealed substantial extracellular matrix loss, structural disruption, and altered cell morphology following CAase treatment. Rheological measurements demonstrated marked decreases in kinematic viscosity, further reflecting weakened biofilm cohesion. Together, these results indicate that CAase effectively disrupts multiple components of C. jejuni biofilm architecture despite lacking direct antimicrobial activity. This level of biofilm removal suggests potential utility in poultry-processing or surface-sanitation applications where targeted enzymatic disruption could enhance cleaning efficacy. Full article

Curves constructed directly on point clouds are a core primitive in reverse engineering, product design, and point-based CAD; many workflows additionally require the curve to lie in a plane—e.g., as a section profile, inspection path, or design reference. This paper presents an algorithmic framework for computing free and plane-constrained geodesic curves directly on oriented point clouds, without any intermediate surface or mesh reconstruction. A geodesic-curvature-minimizing solver that combines a Newton/conjugate-gradient flow with directed projection, elliptic Gabriel neighborhoods, and Taubin smoothing forms the backbone; the plane-constrained problem is then reduced to a one-parameter pencil of planes through the endpoint chord and solved per plane by alternating projection onto the cloud and the plane, with a projection-only pre-lift and a penalized length objective that rejects sections floating off the cloud; the returned section is the best found over a sampled pencil of candidate planes. The returned sections are attached to the cloud within a small fraction of the mean sampling distance. All algorithms are given in pseudocode with convergence criteria and complexity estimates. Two parallel realizations of the plane search are developed and measured: a multithreaded CPU backend (about 3× over the serial scan) and a WebGPU backend that evaluates the whole plane pencil in a single compute dispatch. Accuracy is validated against the analytic conic sections of a cone and against cylinder and sphere benchmarks whose optimal plane is known in closed form; robustness is assessed under noise, non-uniform sampling, missing regions, outliers, and perturbed normals, and against both a slab-projection baseline and the conventional reconstruct-then-slice route. Five applications—shoe-last reverse engineering with a C² surface reconstruction, anthropometric girth measurement, medical transverse sectioning, dimensional metrology on industrial mold scans, and cleaning-path planning for a robotic surface-treatment task—demonstrate the plane-constrained geodesic curves in practice. Full article

Reuse of industrial wastewater contributes to the conservation of freshwater resources and the implementation of the principles of the circular economy. In this study, the cyclic performance of a flat-sheet polyamide reverse osmosis membrane (PA-RO) for the advanced treatment of wastewater from a poultry slaughterhouse, pretreated by dissolved air flotation (DAF), was evaluated. The membrane was operated at three recirculation flow rates in successive filtration and chemical cleaning cycles to evaluate its hydraulic behavior, retention efficiency, fouling evolution, and permeate quality. Among the conditions investigated, the recirculation flow rate of 0.5 L/min provided the highest hydraulic stability and flux recovery under the investigated conditions, although hydraulic and microbiological performances were not optimized under the same operating conditions. The progressive deterioration of membrane performance during cyclic operation was associated with the accumulation of reversible and irreversible fouling, evidenced by the increase in hydraulic resistances and the incomplete flux recovery after chemical cleaning. Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and mathematical modeling revealed strong relationships between operating conditions, membrane performance, and fouling evolution, generating predictive models with high coefficients of determination. The results demonstrate the potential of the cyclic operation of the PA-RO membrane to obtain a high-quality permeate intended for industrial reuse and provide a practical framework for optimizing operating conditions and fouling control strategies in membrane wastewater treatment processes. Full article

Low-cost adsorbents derived from agricultural and livestock waste offer a sustainable approach to wastewater remediation. In this study, a material derived from cow dung ash (SMCDA) was prepared through a simple waste-valorization route without chemical activation and evaluated for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and zeta-potential measurements were used to characterize the mineral composition, surface functional groups, morphology, pore structure, and surface charge of SMCDA. Batch adsorption experiments examined the effects of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial MB concentration, contact time, and temperature. The highest removal efficiency, 97.33%, was obtained at pH 8 with an SMCDA dosage of 1000 mg L⁻¹. Equilibrium data were fitted using seven isotherm models and evaluated using multiple statistical criteria and Multi-Objective Optimization by Ratio Analysis (MOORA). The Freundlich model achieved the highest MOORA ranking and predicted an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 13.944 mg g⁻¹ at the highest concentration investigated, which is close to the experimental value of 14.425 mg g⁻¹. The results are consistent with heterogeneous adsorption involving electrostatic attraction, possible π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and pore filling. These findings demonstrate the potential of cow dung ash as a low-cost adsorbent prepared without hazardous chemical activating agents. Full article

This study investigated whether legume cover crops, particularly Vicia sativa L., improve soil fertility and fruit quality via microbial community remodeling, and whether this practice outperforms natural grass management in pear orchards. Five treatments were established: clean tillage (CK), natural grass (T1), Vicia sativa L. (T2), Vicia villosa Roth (T3), and a mixture of V. sativa and V. villosa (T4). High-throughput sequencing, soil biochemical assays, microbial co-occurrence network analysis, and PLS-PM were integrated to explore underlying mechanisms. Results showed that V. sativa significantly altered bacterial and fungal communities versus CK and T1, enriching beneficial taxa (Bradyrhizobium, Nitrospira, Mortierella, Tausonia) while suppressing pathogens (Alternaria, Fusarium, Curvularia). The V. sativa treatment also enhanced soil enzyme activities and nutrient availability, leading to increased fruit weight, soluble sugars, and ascorbic acid. PLS-PM revealed that legume treatments increased bacterial but decreased fungal abundance; bacterial communities positively correlated with soil nutrients and enzymes, whereas fungal communities showed negative correlations. Soil nutrients emerged as the primary factors associated with fruit quality improvement, with bacterial and fungal contrasting effects suggesting a potential microbial pathway. Collectively, V. sativa green manure optimized microbial structure by enriching beneficial microbes and suppressing pathogens, thereby improving soil health and pear fruit quality synergistically. Full article