Search Results (5,390)

The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) raises concerns about the security of critical raw material supply and the management of hazardous waste. Efficient recycling can alleviate these issues by transforming spent batteries into high-value secondary materials for the circular economy. Industrial recycling has traditionally focused on the recovery of nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), whereas lithium (Li) recovery has often been sidelined due to technical complexities and fluctuating economic incentives. To meet the European Union (EU) Batteries Regulation target of 80% lithium recovery by the end of 2031, technically effective and economically viable lithium recovery strategies are required. This study investigates the use of food-grade sucrose as an organic reductant for the targeted recovery of lithium from NMC622 and NCA battery materials. The process combines sucrose-assisted reductive roasting with selective water leaching. The effects of roasting temperature, holding time, sucrose dosage, and heating rate were systematically evaluated and optimised. Under the best conditions of 600 °C, 15 min, 15 wt% sucrose, and a heating rate of 20 °C/min, lithium leaching efficiencies of 93.2% and 87.6% were achieved for separated NMC622 cathode material and NMC622-derived black mass, respectively. The method was also applicable to NCA-based black mass, reaching 83.7% lithium recovery under the same conditions. Mechanistic analysis revealed that lithium release was strongly controlled by the extent of transition metal reduction. Cobalt was fully reduced to its metallic state under all tested conditions. However, maximum lithium recovery required nickel to be reduced to metallic Ni and manganese-containing phases to be converted to MnO. The sucrose-assisted roasting process was rapid and holding times longer than 15 min decreased lithium recovery. This decrease was caused by the formation of poorly soluble lithium-containing phases, such as LiF and Li₃PO₄. F composition analysis showed the black mass (1.06 wt%) and anode fractions (2.26 wt%) to contain significantly more F than the cathode fraction (0.46 wt%), hence leading to the 5% Li leaching efficiency difference between cathode and black mass fractions under most conditions tested. Overall, these results demonstrate that sucrose-assisted reductive roasting, followed by selective water leaching, provides a rapid and effective route for high-efficiency lithium recovery from NMC- and NCA-based battery materials. Full article

Consumers are looking for plant-based drinks that provide natural colour and bioactive compounds. Microgreens can be used as a source of pigments and phenolics for such beverages. This study developed a beetroot–tarragon microgreen beverage using hydroalcoholic extracts obtained with a green extraction approach and examined its stability during refrigerated storage. The drink was evaluated for proximate composition, water activity, colour parameters (CIE L*a*b*), microbiological quality and antioxidant activity by the ABTS radical cation decolorization assay (ABTS) over 15 days at 4 ± 2 °C. The beverage showed low fat and energy content and water activity values close to 1.00, so microbiological safety relied on pasteurization and cold storage. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected, while total aerobic mesophilic counts reached 10⁴–10⁵ colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g), with slightly lower values in samples containing tarragon. Colour measurements indicated betalain loss and colour fading in the beetroot drink, whereas the reduction in E* was more than 80 percentage points lower in the beetroot–tarragon beverage than in the beetroot-only drink, indicating a strong protective effect of tarragon microgreens on colour stability. For the mixed beetroot–tarragon beverage, mean TEAC increased by about 37% between day 1 and day 10 of refrigerated storage. These results indicate that beetroot and tarragon microgreen extracts can be used to formulate refrigerated plant-based beverages with acceptable colour, microbiological safety and antioxidant capacity. Full article

Examining how artificial intelligence industry agglomeration (AIIA) affects carbon and pollution reduction is crucial for China’s agricultural sustainability. Existing research mainly examines the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on the reduction of single pollutants while overlooking how industry agglomeration influences the marginal cost of coordinated abatement, a key issue for the agricultural resource–environment–economy system. Using panel data for 30 Chinese provinces from 2016 to 2024, this study constructs a marginal cost-based indicator of agricultural pollution–carbon reduction synergy (APCRS) and examines the effect of AIIA. The full-sample results reveal that AIIA has a U-shaped relationship with APCRS. Technological progress partially mediates this relationship. Agricultural socialized services and rural industrial integration buffer the initial negative association, whereas agricultural labor productivity strengthens the curvature of the estimated nonlinear pattern. The effect of AIIA also varies with external conditions and is more pronounced in regions with higher levels of marketization and industrialization while remaining significantly U-shaped across grain strategic zones. This dynamic process is more likely to emerge when public innovation investment and rural household income exceed critical thresholds. These findings provide new evidence for understanding how AI-driven agglomeration can support green agricultural transformation. Full article

In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the potential harmful effects that analytical methods can have on human health and the environment. Green analytical chemistry (GAC) integrates sustainability into chemical analysis by emphasizing a reduction in waste, energy consumption, and hazardous reagents while maintaining analytical performance. This review summarizes the most recent developments in atomic spectrometry techniques used for analyzing trace metals in various types of samples. Key advances include green metrics, sampling methods, direct analysis, and instrument miniaturization. Since direct sample analysis via spectrometric methods is rarely feasible, recent developments in sample pretreatment, which align with the 12 principles of GAC, are also discussed. Passive sampling can serve as a valuable approach for conducting analyses with reduced sample pretreatment steps and overall costs, thereby addressing these concerns. Current green assessment metrics and their application in atomic spectrometry are also reviewed. This article aims to provide researchers with detailed information to improve the determination of trace metals in accordance with GAC principles. Full article

Green roofs are used as nature-based solutions for urban stormwater management and for improving the thermal performance of buildings. Their hydrological performance depends on structural properties and rainfall characteristics, but the relative importance of these factors has not been fully quantified. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the key variables controlling the hydrological effectiveness of a green roof. A conceptual model of a flat roof representing a typical single-family building in south-eastern Poland was developed in the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), with a modeled roof area of 232 m² and 100% of the roof surface covered by the green roof LID system. A total of 24,576 simulation cases were analyzed, considering different values of soil thickness, berm height, initial saturation, vegetation-related storage, rainfall duration, rainfall probability, and rainfall temporal distribution. The hydrological response was evaluated using peak runoff reduction and cumulative runoff volume ratio determined at selected times after rainfall. Predictive models based on the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm were developed, and their interpretation was performed using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. The main novelty of the study is its application-oriented framework combining SWMM simulations, XGBoost modeling, and SHAP explainability to distinguish the factors controlling peak runoff reduction and delayed runoff release from a green roof. The results showed that peak runoff reduction ranged from 10.97% to 100.00%, with a median of 99.91%, indicating a generally high capacity of the analyzed system to attenuate peak flow. In contrast, the cumulative runoff volume ratio increased over time, with median values rising from 0.05% immediately after rainfall to 7.91% after 24 h, confirming the significant retention and detention potential of the green roof. SHAP analysis revealed that peak runoff reduction was governed primarily by berm height, whereas cumulative runoff volume was controlled mainly by initial substrate saturation. The results confirm that different mechanisms control short-term and long-term green roof performance. Full article

Traditional air conditioning consumes substantial electricity, exacerbates the urban heat island effect, and creates a maladaptive feedback loop, necessitating a shift toward passive-first net-zero pathways. This study takes a typical six-story residential building in Nanjing’s hot summer and cold winter climate zone as a case study. Using EnergyPlus hourly simulations, three progressive passive strategy packages are designed to quantify the impact of building envelope heat exchange on cooling loads, grid stress, and heat resilience. Package A includes external shading and natural ventilation. Package B adds reflective coating and a green roof. Package C further adds night ventilation precooling and high-performance windows. The results show that Package C achieves a 62.5% reduction in peak cooling load and a 63.0% reduction in seasonal cooling load. Daytime peak inward heat gain decreases from 68 W/m² to 22 W/m², while nighttime outward heat dissipation increases from 12 W/m² to 38 W/m². Under an extreme heat day of 41.2 °C with no active cooling, indoor peak temperature drops from 36.8 °C to 29.4 °C, and heat risk hours decrease by 73.6%. Peak-hour power demand is reduced by 70.4%, with a systemic leverage factor of 1.08. Innovations include achieving over 60% load reduction using only mature passive strategies, introducing the systemic leverage factor to quantify urban heat island mitigation benefits, and establishing a vulnerability-to-resilience transformation framework. The passive-first pathway validates building envelope as the first line of defense for net-zero futures. However, the findings are based on a typical six-story residential building in Nanjing and require validation through field measurements or broader application across different climate zones and building typologies before generalization. Full article

Recognizing the limitations of traditional vehicle routing models in urban environments, this work presents the Time-Dependent Truck-Drone Green Vehicle Routing Problem with Pickup and Delivery (TDTDGVRPPD) to simultaneously optimize environmental impact and operational efficiency. We first develop a truck fuel consumption and carbon emission model that accounts for the effects of time-varying speeds and real-time loads during delivery. A nonlinear energy consumption model is then proposed for drones, considering payload weight. Based on these models, a mathematical formulation is developed to minimize the total operational cost, including truck and drone usage costs, truck fuel and carbon emission costs, drone energy consumption costs, truck–drone coordination time costs, and time-window violation penalties. The model also incorporates truck no-entry zones, time-varying speeds, and customers’ simultaneous pickup and delivery demands. An Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWOA) hybridized with Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) is developed to solve the problem. Simulation results show that the proposed model and algorithm effectively optimize truck departure times to avoid traffic congestion, reduce truck–drone coordination time, and lower total logistics costs and energy consumption, thereby contributing to energy conservation and emission reduction in logistics operations. Full article

Indian metropolitan cities such as Mumbai grapple with rapid urbanisation, extreme urban density, high built-up areas, loss of green cover, and shrinking open spaces, resulting in increased impermeable surfaces, urban heat island effects, and frequent flooding occurrences. Modern stormwater management has increasingly been characterised by integrated grey-green approaches; however, cities in the Global North benefit from established policies, technical expertise, and financial resources that enable the systematic and large-scale integration of Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) through district-wide geospatial assessment frameworks, unlike many cities in the Global South. Despite growing interest in nature-based stormwater solutions, there remains a dearth of geospatial empirical research from India examining the placement, distribution, performance, and functionality of BGI integrated with existing stormwater management systems in cities such as Mumbai. Furthermore, hydrological modelling using tools such as the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) for the design, planning, and implementation of BGI in Indian cities remains largely unexplored. This study explores the role of BGI strategies in improving urban stormwater management within high-density Indian cities under a 25-year return period extreme rainfall scenario. Using an integrated approach that combines QGIS-based spatial analysis with EPA-SWMM hydrologic-hydraulic modelling, the research examines runoff behaviour, identifies flooding hotspots, and evaluates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development (LID)-based BGI measures such as permeable pavements, infiltration trenches, and green roofs applied at the ward level in Mumbai’s F/North and G/North Wards. Detailed land use classification, spatial mapping, and rainfall simulation corresponding specifically to a 25-year return period rainfall event was used to assess pre- and post-intervention conditions. The findings indicate that the applied BGI measures led to a 12.6% reduction in peak runoff (137.6 m³/s to 120.2 m³/s) and a 5.5% decrease in total runoff volume (783,510 m³ to 740,410 m³). More importantly, the peak flooding flow rate decreased by 45% (94.1 m³/s to 51.7 m³/s), demonstrating that BGI measures can efficiently reduce peak flooding flows by extending runoff hydrographs during extreme rainfall events. These findings are specifically applicable to the simulated 25-year return period extreme rainfall scenario and may vary under different rainfall intensities or return periods. Less extreme events could potentially experience even greater relative reductions or prevent flooding altogether, while also easing downstream hydraulic loads. Overall, strategically placed BGI interventions can significantly reduce surface runoff and peak flow, thereby enhancing stormwater resilience within spatially constrained urban environments. This study provides a replicable, data-driven framework for catchment-scale stormwater planning in dense Indian cities under extreme rainfall conditions, offering practical insights into methods, local contextual considerations, and spatial planning strategies for policymakers and urban planners seeking to retrofit and adapt existing infrastructure under increasing hydrologic stress and climate variability. Full article

This study comparatively examines the effects of different active and passive energy strategies on energy performance, carbon emission reduction, economic feasibility, and thermal comfort potential in a university building in Ankara. This study uses a university building with 8760 h of recorded operational electricity consumption data as a real-world reference case and evaluates different retrofit strategies through dynamic building energy simulations. Simulation results were evaluated not only in terms of total energy consumption but also in terms of operational carbon emissions, levelized cost of energy (LCOE/LCOSE), and the potential for improving indoor temperature stability through passive design strategies. The results show that PV system integration provides the highest energy and carbon reduction performance by reducing the net grid electricity consumption by 89.76%. Among passive systems, the Trombe wall scenario provided the highest energy savings and the lowest LCOSE value. PCM application stood out in terms of indoor temperature stability potential, while the green roof system contributed to temperature control, especially during the summer. In addition, an economic sensitivity analysis based on the discount rate was carried out to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed strategies in terms of sustainable building design. The study contributes to the comparative analysis of active and passive retrofit strategies in university buildings by offering an integrated and multi-dimensional evaluation approach supported by real operational data. Full article

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have emerged as versatile antiviral nanoplatforms because their size, morphology, plasmonic properties, and surface chemistry can be precisely engineered. In this review, we summarize the core design principles of antiviral AuNPs from a structure–function–mechanism perspective. We first outline representative synthetic and interface-programming routes for AuNP preparation, including citrate reduction, Brust–Schiffrin synthesis, seed-mediated growth, green synthesis, direct thiol-conjugation, and mixed-ligand shell strategies, emphasizing how these approaches define particle size, morphology, surface accessibility, interfacial composition, and downstream biofunctionalization potential. We then discuss major surface engineering strategies, including polyethylene glycol, nucleic acids, antibodies and nanobodies, peptides, glycans, antiviral drugs, and biomimetic coatings, with particular attention to how ligand density, orientation, flexibility, and interfacial stability determine biological performance. Next, we examine how functionalized AuNPs inhibit different stages of the viral life cycle, including viral attachment and entry, intracellular replication, assembly and egress, photothermal inactivation, and immune modulation or vaccine delivery. Finally, we highlight current challenges, including incomplete structure–activity relationships, dynamic nano–bio interactions under physiological conditions, limited standardization across studies, and translational barriers related to safety, reproducibility, and scale-up. This review provides a conceptual framework for the rational development of next-generation AuNP-based antiviral nanotherapeutics. Full article

This study addresses the technical, environmental, economic, and systemic role of multi-apartment residential buildings as hydrogen consumption nodes within urban energy systems. A representative five-story building comprising 30 apartments and 2400–2800 m² of heated floor area, located in a cold European climate, was modelled with an annual heat demand of approximately 185,000 kWh. Four heating configurations were assessed: a conventional natural gas/biomethane boiler (baseline), a hydrogen boiler, a hydrogen-fuel-cell combined heat and power (CHP) system, and a hybrid heat-pump–hydrogen solution. Dynamic simulations indicate that all hydrogen-based systems can fully satisfy space heating and domestic hot water demand without modifications to the internal hydronic distribution network. The fuel cell CHP achieved an overall efficiency of 93%. It generated approximately 54,000 kWh/year of on-site electricity, while the hybrid configuration reached a seasonal efficiency of 108% and the highest primary energy reduction (46%). Operational CO₂ emissions decreased from 37,800 kg/year (gas baseline) to 1900 kg/year (green hydrogen boiler), 1200 kg/year (fuel cell CHP), and 900 kg/year (hybrid system), corresponding to reductions of up to 98%. Peak-load analysis demonstrated improved operational stability in CHP and hybrid systems, characterised by reduced cycling frequency and enhanced thermal resilience through hydrogen storage integration. Capital expenditure (CAPEX) ranged from 41,000 EUR (gas baseline) to 101,000 EUR (fuel cell CHP), reflecting additional storage, safety, and control requirements. Over a 20-year lifecycle (5% discount rate), the hybrid system achieved the lowest levelized cost of heat (0.076 EUR/kWh), followed by fuel cell CHP (0.081 EUR/kWh), compared to 0.087 EUR/kWh for gas. Payback periods ranged between 9 and 13 years, depending on configuration and hydrogen pricing assumptions. Sensitivity analysis identified a break-even hydrogen price of approximately 0.085 EUR/kWh, while carbon pricing above 100 EUR/t CO₂ significantly improves economic competitiveness. District-scale aggregation modelling suggests that hydrogen-equipped multi-apartment buildings can reduce grid electricity imports by 30–40% through on-site generation and seasonal storage. The findings confirm that multi-apartment buildings offer structural and economic advantages for early hydrogen deployment compared to dispersed housing typologies. By combining high demand density, centralised infrastructure, and compatibility with sector-coupling strategies, such buildings can function as distributed energy hubs within decarbonized urban systems. Full article

The sustainable transformation of idle built environments represents a critical pathway for advancing low-carbon development and achieving carbon neutrality targets. This study examines how idle rural building stocks may contribute to sustainable built environment systems through rural building repurposing and regeneration strategies. It introduces the concept of Green Rural Centers (GRCs), multifunctional facilities formed through the adaptive reuse of idle buildings that integrate low-carbon design, community services, and local economic functions. Within the proposed framework, GRCs are conceptually characterized as facilities that may: (1) achieve 50–70% reductions in operational energy demand through passive and renewable measures, (2) incorporate two or more community-oriented functions (e.g., education, governance, cultural services), and (3) demonstrate embodied carbon savings of ≥40% compared to demolition-and-rebuild scenarios. Grounded in fieldwork from Fujian Province, China, and aligned with national policies, the study evaluates spatial transformation, carbon mitigation, and institutional integration. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines scenario-based carbon-reduction estimation and appraisal, spatial analysis, comparative case studies, and policy evaluation, the findings indicate that retrofitting 30% of approximately 68,000 idle rural schools could achieve approximately 734,400 metric tons of cumulative CO₂ reduction by 2060 under the baseline scenario. Under conservative and ambitious implementation conditions, the estimated cumulative reductions are approximately 408,000 and 1,224,000 metric tons of CO₂, respectively. Sensitivity analysis shows that moderate improvements in retrofit quality or implementation rates significantly amplify emissions reduction outcomes. Beyond environmental performance, the proposed framework may also support community resilience, decentralized service provision, and socio-economic revitalization. This research reframes idle building stock as a strategic asset within sustainable built environment systems, policy-relevant exploratory framework potentially adaptable to comparable rural contexts. This study contributes to the sustainable built environment discourse by demonstrating how underutilized rural building stocks can function as broader low-carbon rural regeneration systems. Full article

The growing prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases has increased interest in nutritional strategies based on natural bioactive compounds such as polyphenols. This study aimed to develop a polyphenol-fortified tomato juice using extracts from unripe green tomatoes and to evaluate its physicochemical, antioxidant, sensory, and storage properties. Polyphenolic extracts obtained from tomato by-products were characterized using spectrophotometric and HPLC analyses and incorporated into tomato juice, which was then pasteurized and stored for six months. Total polyphenol content increased from 40.97 to 82.45 mg GAE/100 g, decreasing to 71.44 mg after storage; HPLC confirmed higher levels of key phenolic compounds in fortified juice. DPPH antioxidant activity increased in fortified juice compared to control, since pasteurization had limited effects but decreased after storage, with a moderate reduction in bioactivity. Colorimetric and sensory analyses showed changes in color, aroma, and sweetness after storage, potentially affecting consumer acceptance, although overall composition remained largely stable. Overall, results demonstrate the feasibility of producing a polyphenol-enriched tomato juice from agro-industrial by-products with improved antioxidant properties and acceptable technological stability. These findings support the valorization of tomato processing waste and suggest potential applications in functional food development, human health promotion, and the sustainability of agri-food systems’ overall approach. Full article

Aflatoxin contamination is the main risk factor in grain and oil crops, which brings serious threats to food and feed safety. Exploring a green and safe way to reduce aflatoxin is meaningful. In this study, six strains with aflatoxin removal ability are screened from traditional Chinese fermented vegetables. It was found that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YS-718, as fermentation probiotics, showed the best performance on the aflatoxin B₁ mitigation with the removal rate of 78.15% in liquid fermentation. To investigate the mechanism of removal, the aflatoxin B₁ reduction tests by different components of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YS-718 demonstrated that the bacterial suspension of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YS-718 fermentation exhibited stronger adsorption ability compared to the removal ability of the supernatant of YS-718 fermentation. In addition, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YS-718 and aflatoxin B₁ complex retained 43.74% of adsorption ability after four times repeated elution with PBS and 37.22% of adsorption after digestion with simulated gastric fluid for four hours. Moreover, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YS-718 could be used to reduce aflatoxin B₁ in peanut meal. By evaluating the contents of protein, amino acids, total sugars, and fatty acids after the fermentation treatment, it was found that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YS-718 fermentation could increase the contents of protein, fatty acids, and amino acids in peanut meal. This study might provide useful information for constructing a green, safe, and efficient method for removing aflatoxin from peanut meal. Full article

Background/Objectives: Melatonin is a multifunctional indoleamine with recognized antitumor activity; however, its subtype-specific effects in breast cancer remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of melatonin on cellular and metabolic processes associated with tumor progression in two human breast cancer cell lines representing distinct molecular subtypes: MCF-7 (luminal A) and MDA-MB-468 (triple-negative). Methods: Breast cancer cells were treated with micromolar concentrations of melatonin, and assays were performed to evaluate cell viability, migration, invasion, mitochondrial status, redox balance, protein expression, and biogenic amine profiles. Results: Melatonin significantly reduced cell viability, migration, and invasion in both cell lines, with more pronounced effects in MCF-7 cells. At the molecular level, melatonin downregulated key metabolic and hypoxia-related proteins, including GAPDH and HIF-1α, while citrate synthase was selectively reduced in MCF-7 cells, indicating suppression of mitochondrial metabolic capacity. This was accompanied by a reduction in mitochondrial status, reflected by decreased MitoGreen staining. Melatonin also induced redox imbalance, as evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation, along with subtype-dependent modulation of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, alterations in biogenic amine profiles were observed, suggesting broader metabolic remodeling. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings demonstrate that melatonin exerts subtype-dependent antitumor effects by targeting metabolic, mitochondrial, and redox pathways, supporting further investigation of melatonin as a potential therapeutic adjuvant in breast cancer, while recognizing that the concentrations used in this study exceed physiological circulating levels. Full article