Search Results (28)

The textile and clothing industry has historically exerted a significant negative impact on the environment. Excessive water consumption, chemical pollution, and soil degradation are just a few of the pressing environmental concerns linked to this sector. Addressing these issues has become a priority not only for regulatory bodies, at the National and European levels, but also for the industry itself. More recently, growing attention has turned to reducing the huge volume of waste generated by consumers’ unbridled purchase of clothing. In this context, the Circular Economy (CE) and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) have emerged as complementary approaches for improving product circularity, transparency, and traceability. However, in the textile and clothing sector, their effective implementation also depends on consumer participation in practices such as prolonged use, repair, reuse, and responsible end-of-life management. This article presents EcoProve, a gamified platform designed to encourage consumer engagement with CE practices through smart wardrobe management. The platform allows users to register garments, track usage, record maintenance and repair actions, and document sharing, donation, remaking, and recycling activities. These functionalities aim both to promote more sustainable clothing-related behaviours and to support the structured recording of use phase data relevant to DPP-oriented lifecycle information. This study reports the development and pilot validation of the platform with end users. The results suggest positive effects on environmental awareness, perceived understanding of sustainable textile-related practices, and initial self-reported changes in habits associated with clothing use and disposal. The findings support the potential of gamified digital platforms to foster consumer participation in CE systems in the textile and clothing sector while also indicating the need for broader and longer-term evaluations. Full article

Accurate measurement of plant height in leafy vegetables is challenging due to their short stature, high planting density, and severe canopy occlusion during later growth stages. These factors often limit the reliability of single-plant monitoring across the full growth cycle in open-field environments. To address this, we propose a multi-temporal point cloud alignment method for accurate plant height measurement, focusing on Choy Sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis). The method estimates plant height by calculating the vertical distance between the canopy and the ground. Multi-temporal point cloud maps are reconstructed using an enhanced Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF–Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (ORB-SLAM3) algorithm. A fixed checkerboard calibration board, leveled using a spirit level, ensures proper vertical alignment of the Z-axis and unifies coordinate systems across growth stages. Ground and plant points are separated using the Excess Green (ExG) index. During early growth stages, when the soil is minimally occluded, ground point clouds are extracted and used to construct a high-precision reference ground model through Cloth Simulation Filtering (CSF) and Kriging interpolation, compensating for canopy occlusion and noise. In later growth stages, plant point cloud data are spatially aligned with this reconstructed ground surface. Individual plants are identified using an improved Euclidean clustering algorithm, and consistent measurement regions are defined. Within each region, a ground plane is fitted using the Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm to ensure alignment with the X–Y plane. Plant height is then determined by the elevation difference between the canopy and the interpolated ground surface. Experimental results show mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 7.19 mm and 18.45 mm for early and late growth stages, respectively, with coefficients of determination (R²) exceeding 0.85. These findings demonstrate that the proposed method provides reliable and continuous plant height monitoring across the full growth cycle, offering a robust solution for high-throughput phenotyping of leafy vegetables in field environments. Full article

Background and Clinical Significance: Furuncular myiasis is a tropical parasitic skin infestation caused by dipterous fly larvae, most commonly affecting travellers to endemic regions. While returning travellers typically present with one or few lesions, extensive parasitism is rare. Increased global mobility and expanding ecological range of myiasis-causing species underscores the need for clinicians in endemic and non-endemic regions to recognise, diagnose, and manage this condition promptly. Awareness of exposure risks—including soil contact, infested clothing, and poor living conditions—is essential to reducing morbidity and preventing complications like secondary bacterial infection. Case Presentation: A healthy male in his forties returned to the UK after a month-long visit to rural Ethiopia, during which he slept on dirt floors and hung his washing on a line. He developed pruritic papular lesions that progressed to erythematous furuncles with central puncta and purulent discharge, accompanied by sensations of movement. The patient self-extracted 12 larvae in Ethiopia and subsequently sought local medical attention, receiving Albendazole, after which emerging larvae were non-motile. On UK presentation, he had 27 lesions at varying stages, 3 with signs of secondary infection. Laboratory investigations revealed elevated inflammatory markers, and wound swabs grew scanty Streptococcus pyogenes. Management included wound occlusion and systemic antibiotics. No further larvae were retrieved, precluding definitive speciation. All lesions improved over subsequent reviews. Conclusions: This case illustrates an unusually extensive presentation of presumed Cordylobia spp. myiasis in a returning traveller, highlighting potential complications following larvicidal therapy. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for myiasis in patients with compatible cutaneous lesions and relevant history. Increasing travel and shifting vector distributions make familiarity with tropical dermatoses and provision of effective safety measures essential in clinical practice. Full article

The microbiota associated with Vanilla planifolia grown in three production systems in Puebla, México, was evaluated: shade cloth, cocuite, and acahual. Rhizosphere and soil samples were analyzed, from which bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and actinomycetes were isolated. The bacterial and actinomycete isolates were characterized morphologically and biochemically, and their potential as growth promoters was evaluated. Morphological and microscopic characteristics identified the fungi. In parallel, agronomic variables were measured in five plants per system, and the data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p ≤ 0.05). The results showed that the shade cloth favored a greater number of internodes, total leaves, and biomass, although with a higher incidence of diseased leaves. The cocuite presented intermediate values, while the acahual had lower leaf density but fewer leaf health problems. Microbial composition varied across systems, with potentially beneficial bacteria and actinomycetes, as well as both beneficial and pathogenic fungi, being prominent. These findings demonstrate the influence of the management system on the microbiota and health of V. planifolia, providing a basis for more sustainable production strategies for vanilla cultivation in Mexico. Full article

High levels of trace metals in urban community garden soils pose human health risk due to the potential exposure through the ingestion of crops grown in contaminated soil and other exposures. This study assesses eight trace metal and metalloids (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in a total of 54 soil samples collected from nine community gardens across Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2022 using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). There was a strong correlation between XRF and ICP-MS measurement (R² > 0.8) for all elements except V. When the mean concentration of trace elements at each of the gardens was compared against the most stringent standard, none of the gardens had exceedances for Pb, Cd, and V. One specific garden had exceedances for Cr, Ni, Zn, and As. About 15% of soil samples had Pb concentrations exceeding 100 mg/kg. Mean Pb concentration measured by ICP-MS was 53.7 ± 40.2 mg/kg and 72.7 ± 53.7 mg/kg in raised bed and ground soil, respectively. It is important to conduct regular soil testing at community gardens in the areas with industrial activities. In addition, use of raised-bed with new soil and safe gardening practices, such as the use of gloves and changing clothes before entering homes, can help to reduce exposure. Full article

Overwintering frost damage is a major challenge for the wine grape industry in northern China. This study investigates overwintering treatments to improve survival rates and mitigate frost damage in the wine grape production area of the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. Seven overwintering treatments were tested: soil-covered striped cloth, striped cloth, sandwiched striped cloth, thickened striped cloth, double-layered striped cloth, heat-insulating striped cloth, and heat-insulating sandwich striped cloth. Temperature and humidity were continuously monitored during the overwintering period, both aboveground and at depths of 20 and 40 cm underground. By analyzing temperature trends, the duration of low temperatures, and temperature fluctuations, comprehensive overwintering indices were derived through principal component analysis to assess heat retention, moisture preservation, and the impact on grapevine survival. The results showed that the sandwiched striped cloth treatment provided the best insulation, with a 4.4 °C higher minimum daily temperature and a 356% increase in overwintering indices compared to striped cloth alone. The double-layer striped cloth treatment also improved safety, with a 130% increase in overwintering indices. Other treatments, including the soil-covered and the heat-insulating striped cloth, showed reduced performance. The sandwiched striped cloth and double-layer striped cloth treatments are recommended for northern China’s wine grape regions, with further research needed to evaluate their economic viability. Full article

The textile and clothing industries are very often lumped together when it comes to the environmental aspect such that the negative connotation of the textile industry from an environmental aspect is automatically transferred to the clothing industry. However, the two industries should be considered separately, particularly with regard to the machinery used and energy consumption in the production process. The energy consumption of electricity, compressed air, vacuum, steam, and other energy sources in the clothing industry is low compared to other related industries. Furthermore, no carcinogenic and allergenic waste is generated during the production of clothing, which has a low carbon footprint, i.e., it practically does not pollute the air, soil, and water. The waste produced during cutting is clean and unused and is immediately recycled. All of this contributes to the sustainability of the clothing industry from the energy and environmental aspects. This article describes the cutting and joining techniques used in the manufacture of clothing, from the energy and environmental aspects as well as aspects of the weaves, the necessary machine elements and mechanisms, and the energy used in all joining techniques, from which the above claims and facts can be seen. Full article

Although the Taklimakan Desert lacks the necessary nutrients and conditions to support an extensive ecosystem, it is a treasure trove of extremophile resources with special structures and functions. We analyzed the bacterial communities using oligotrophic medium and velvet cloth replicate combined with an extended culture duration. We isolated numerous uncultured microorganisms and rare microorganisms belonging to genera not often isolated or recently described, such as Aliihoeflea, Halodurantibacterium, and Indioceanicola. A total of 669 strains were isolated from the soil of the Taklimakan Desert, which were classified into 5 phyla, 7 classes, 25 orders, 42 families, 83 genera, and 379 species. Among them, 148 strains were potential new species. Our data show that even when working with samples from extreme environments, simple approaches are still useful for cultivating stubborn microbes. Through comparing the isolation effects of different nutrient levels on microbial diversity and abundance, the results show that reducing the nutrient level of the medium was more conducive to improving the culturability of microorganisms in low-nutrient environments, while the high-nutrient medium was more suitable for the isolation of dominant fast-growing strains. This study helps to better reflect the diversity of microbial resources and lays a foundation for the further research and utilization of soil microbial resources in the Taklimakan Desert. Full article

In recent years, the ubiquitous occurrence of plastic debris has become a significant environmental concern, posing considerable harm to our ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs) (1 μm–5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs) (<1 μm) are noticeable in diverse forms, spreading throughout the environment. Notably, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) emerge as major contributors to the generation of MP and NP. Within these treatment plants, water influx from domestic and commercial sources carries a considerable load of MPs derived from items like fiber clothing, personal care products, and toothpaste. Lacking dedicated removal mechanisms, these MPs persist through the wastewater treatment process, ultimately entering natural water bodies and the soil environment. The novelty of this review lies in its detailed examination of contemporary methodologies for sampling, detecting, and eliminating MPs specifically from WWTPs. By critically assessing the efficacy of current removal techniques at various treatment stages, the review offers targeted insights into practical aspects of MP management in these facilities. As the study of micro/nano plastics is still in its early stages, this article aims to contribute by offering a comprehensive review of the methods utilized for plastic debris removal in both WWTPs and drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). Furthermore, the article provides a comprehensive overview of the existing rules, regulations, and policies concerning MPs in the United States. This inclusion not only broadens the scope of the review but also establishes it as a valuable reference for understanding the regulatory framework related to MPs. This review uniquely combines a focused evaluation of WWTPs/DWTPs, an exploration of removal methods, and an examination of regulatory framework, making a different contribution to the review article. Through this review, we aim to enhance understanding and awareness of the multi-layered challenges posed by MPs, offering insights that can inform future research directions and policy initiatives. Full article

Detecting changes in soil micro-relief in farmland helps to understand degradation processes like sheet erosion. Using the high-resolution technique of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), we generated point clouds of three 2 × 3 m plots on a weekly basis from May to mid-June in 2022 on cultivated farmland in Germany. Three well-known applications for eliminating vegetation points in the generated point cloud were tested: Cloth Simulation Filter (CSF) as a filtering method, three variants of CANUPO as a machine learning method, and ArcGIS PointCNN as a deep learning method, a sub-category of machine learning using deep neural networks. We assessed the methods with hard criteria such as F1 score, balanced accuracy, height differences, and their standard deviations to the reference surface, resulting in data gaps and robustness, and with soft criteria such as time-saving capacity, accessibility, and user knowledge. All algorithms showed a low performance at the initial measurement epoch, increasing with later epochs. While most of the results demonstrate a better performance of ArcGIS PointCNN, this algorithm revealed an exceptionally low performance in plot 1, which is describable by the generalization gap. Although CANUPO variants created the highest amount of data gaps, we recommend that CANUPO include colour values in combination with CSF. Full article

In order to study the effect of a plastic membrane and geotextile cloth mulching on soil moisture and crop growth in the loess–hilly region, a one-year continuous field monitoring experiment was carried out in Ansai District, City of Yan’an, Shaanxi Province, China. The experimentation included three treatments: plastic membrane and geotextile cloth mulching on the ridge (MB), geotextile cloth mulching on the ridge (DB), and bare soil ridge (CK). Soil moisture and water potential sensors were installed to monitor the changes in soil moisture content and water potential at 5, 15, and 30 cm below the furrow surface and meteorological data above the soil surface, and the growth traits, yield, and quality of maize were analyzed. The results showed the following: (1) The soil water-storage capacity of the three treatments dropped to a minimum in the filling stage and gradually recovered in the mature stage. The average water-storage capacity for the MB treatment was 35.5% higher than that for the DB treatment and 85.1% higher than that for the CK treatment, significant throughout the whole growth period. (2) For four types of rainfall events, namely, light, medium, heavy, and storm rainfall, significant responses were observed at 5 cm below the ground for three treatments, and the fastest response was in MB due to its best rain-collection effect. A significant response was also observed at 15 and 30 cm below the surface of the furrow during medium, heavy, and storm rainfall, while no significant difference in response time was found between the three treatments due to the restriction of the soil infiltration capacity. (3) The differences between the three treatments in the agronomic traits of maize, except for plant height and stem thickness, were insignificant (p < 0.05). The seed moisture content and yield for the MB treatment were the highest, with values of 40.33% and 8366 kg/hm², respectively, followed closely by the DB treatment, with values of 38.61% and 7780 kg/hm², respectively, and the smallest values were observed in the CK treatment, with values of 35.80% and 6897 kg/hm², respectively. Compared with those for the CK treatment, the average starch content and the average lipid content for the mulching treatments (MB, DB) decreased by 13.40% and 17.11%, respectively, while the average protein content of maize increased by 7.86%. Overall, a plastic membrane and geotextile cloth mulching could significantly increase soil moisture and spring maize yield due to their better rain-collection effect. Full article

Plastic litter is on the rise where plastic waste ends up in undesignated areas such as the coastal shorelines, where the plastic is exposed to environmental conditions. As a result, the degradation and decomposition of plastics occur, leading to the formation of smaller fragments of plastics, termed microplastics. Microplastics have recently been considered as an emerging class of contaminants due to their ecotoxicological impact on the aquatic environment as well as soil matrix. Microplastics are of a size less than 5 mm and are produced from either a primary source (such as plastic pellets, and beads in makeup products) or a secondary source (such as the wear and tear of normal-use plastics and washing of clothes and textiles). Microplastic pollution is spread across the hydrosphere, pedosphere, and atmosphere, and these environmental zones are being studied for microplastic accumulation individually. However, there exists a source–sink dynamic between these environmental compartments. This study reviews the available literature on microplastic research and discusses the current state of research on the fate and transport of microplastic in the hydrosphere, pedosphere, and atmosphere, explores the ecotoxicological impact of microplastics on aquatic and soil communities, and provides prospective future research directions and plastic waste management strategies to control microplastic pollution. While the fate of microplastics in the hydrosphere is well-documented and researched, studies on understanding the transport mechanism of microplastics in the pedosphere and atmosphere remain poorly understood. Full article

Easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EEG) released from arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi exhibits many roles in soil and plants, while it is not clear whether the biostimulator alone or in combination with agronomic practices can improve soil characteristics and fruit quality in citrus. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of foliar sprays of EEG, singly or in combination with fruit bagging (FB), reflective film mulching (RF), and grass-proof cloth mulching (GPC) on root mycorrhizal colonization rate, fruit internal and external quality, and soil structure and fertility on an early-ripening Satsuma mandarin “Oita 4” (Citrus unshiu cv. Oita 4). Exogenous EEG application increased root mycorrhizal colonization, while agronomic practices dramatically inhibited root mycorrhizal colonization in EEG-treated trees. Foliar EEG application significantly improved the internal and external quality of fruits, but the combination of three agronomic practices with EEG did not further enlarge the improved effect on the external quality of fruit and even produced an inhibitory effect. Also, the addition of RF further amplified the improved effect of EEG on the contents of fruit vitamin C and soluble solids. EEG application also significantly elevated sucrose in the fruit pith and juice sac, fructose in the fruit peel, fruit pith, segment membrane, and juice sac, and glucose in the fruit pith, segment membrane, and juice sac. Additional RF treatment could increase sucrose in the fruit peel and juice sac as well as glucose in the fruit peel to varying degrees in EEG-treated trees. EEG application also significantly increased soil organic carbon, mean weight diameter, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium levels, with additional agronomic practices almost reducing the promoting effect of EEG on these soil variables. It has been summarized that a single EEG application had positive effects on fruit quality and soil fertility, while the additional agronomic practices resulted in little change or even suppressed the positive effects of EEG. Full article

Deposition of corpses in the ground is the most common burial practice, which can allow interactions between polluting compounds and the soil, groundwater, and surface water, which may afterwards lead to negative environmental impacts and risks to public health. The risk of cemeteries contaminating groundwater is related to their location, the quantity of clothes, metals and adornments buried, and geographical, geological, hydrogeological, and climatic factors. Using the DRASTIC index and geographical information system (GIS) tools, the potential for groundwater contamination was investigated in eight cemeteries located in the Figueira da Foz region (Portugal), which are the main anthropogenic pollution sources in the area. Aquifer vulnerability was assessed through the development of thirteen site characteristic maps, seven thematic maps, and a DRASTIC index vulnerability map, using GIS operation tools. No studies were found on the development of vulnerability maps with this method and digital tools. Cemeteries UC2, UC4, UC5, UC6, UC7, and UC8 are located within the zones susceptible to recharge, with an average recharge rate of 254 mm/year. Cemeteries UC5, UC7, and UC8 are expected to develop a greater water-holding capacity. The water table depth is more vulnerable at UC6, varying between 9.1 m and 15.2 m. However, results show only a high vulnerability associated with the UC4 cemetery with the contributions T,C > R,S > I > A > D, which should be under an environmental monitoring program. The area surrounding UC4 is characterized by a water table depth ranging between 15.2 m to 22.9 m, mainly fine-grained sands in both the vadose zone and the aquifer media, Gleyic Solonchaks at the topsoil, very unfavorable slope (0–2%), and high hydraulic conductivity (>81.5 m/day). The sensitivity analysis shows that the topography, soil media, and aquifer media weights were the most effective in the vulnerability assessment. However, the highest contributions to index variation were made by hydraulic conductivity, net recharge, and soil media. This type of approach not only makes it possible to assess the vulnerability of groundwater to contamination from cemeteries but also allows the definition of environmental monitoring plans as well as provides the entities responsible for its management and surveillance with a methodology and tools for its continuous monitoring. Full article