Search Results (9,288)

Very large-scale biogas (biomethane) projects are important infrastructure systems for integrating organic waste treatment, renewable energy substitution, and carbon mitigation under China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. However, their long process chains, concentrated hazardous media, and frequent confined-space operations create coupled safety risks that may undermine sustainable operation. To identify the dominant risk drivers and safety governance priorities, this study investigated five operating very large-scale biogas projects in Shanxi Province, China. On-site inspections, semi-structured interviews, and document reviews were used to identify ten safety-risk causative factors. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was combined with Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to quantify causal relationships and reveal the hierarchical transmission structure among the factors. The results show a structural imbalance between document-based compliance and operational implementation. Although basic safety documents were generally established, only 20% of the projects had scenario-specific emergency response plans for major accident scenarios; the compliance rate of explosion-proof electrical equipment, the configuration rate of fixed monitoring and alarm systems for combustible and toxic gases, and the effective operation rate of forced ventilation facilities were 40%, 60%, and 40%, respectively. Insufficient enterprise safety investment (M1) and unclear external regulatory responsibilities (M2) were the dominant root causes of system-level risk propagation, while inadequate control of high-risk operations (M9) and unsafe worker behavior (M10) were the final manifestations. A four-pillar governance pathway is proposed, including policy and standard improvement, technological support and equipment upgrading, personnel capacity enhancement, and sustainable funding mechanisms. The findings provide empirical evidence for risk-based supervision and indicate how operational safety governance can serve as an enabling condition for the long-term sustainability of the biomethane industry, rather than as a direct measurement of carbon-mitigation or energy-performance outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study examines the effectiveness of calorie labeling on restaurant menus by investigating how visual attention is allocated between calorie information and food cues. Although calorie labeling policies are widely implemented, prior research suggests limited impact on reducing energy intake. Methods: Using eye-tracking technology, this study explored how menu design factors (specifically visual food cues) influence attention. Results: Results from a within-subject experiment (N = 82) indicated that calorie labels received significantly fewer visual fixations (in terms of frequency and duration) when food images were present. Conversely, calorie labels did not reduce attention to food cues, highlighting an asymmetry in attentional allocations. Interestingly, restricted eaters were associated with more frequent attention to calorie labels but not with longer sustained attention to those labels. Conclusions: Overall, findings suggest that the motivational responses elicited by food cues undermine the effectiveness of calorie labeling by diverting attention away from nutritional information, limiting its utility as a public health intervention. Full article

Decentralised finance (DeFi) is a relatively new trend in finance that uses blockchain, smart contracts, and distributed ledger technology to offer financial services in a decentralised manner. Although scholars have made many theoretical advances in decentralised finance in recent years, knowledge of its theoretical structure and future research areas remains limited. This is why this study provides a bibliometric analysis of 1002 articles on DeFi published in Scopus between 2012 and 2026. The analysis uses performance analysis and a science mapping approach based on citation analysis, co-authorship, bibliographic coupling and keyword co-occurrence analysis. The results reveal a remarkably high annual growth rate of 39.34% and DeFi’s dynamism and interdisciplinary nature. The three main countries involved in DeFi research are the USA, China, and the UK. Management Science, Energy Economics and Technological Forecasting and Social Change became the main scientific journals for disseminating knowledge about DeFi. Analysis of thematic changes showed a transition of scientific interests from blockchain and cryptocurrencies to new topics, like artificial intelligence, sustainability, governance, and financial inclusion. Overall, the current study provides a better understanding of the intellectual, conceptual, and social basis of DeFi and highlights possible research areas in the use of artificial intelligence in DeFi, decentralised governance, and sustainable digital financial system development. Full article

The hydrogen economy has emerged as a promising pathway to address climate change and ensure long-term global energy security, with water electrolysis powered by renewable energy as a key enabler of sustainable hydrogen production. Recent advances in various electrolyser technologies have enhanced their suitability for industrial applications, creating new opportunities for deploying green hydrogen. To address the gap in integrated, multi-dimensional assessment tools for groundwater-based hydrogen systems in water-scarce developing countries, this study develops and presents a Structured Assessment Framework for Green Hydrogen Production from Groundwater in South Africa—the first framework to simultaneously integrate hydrogeological sustainability screening, electrolyser technology selection under groundwater quality constraints, disaggregated levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) analysis including water treatment costs, comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of green, blue, and grey hydrogen pathways, and policy and governance alignment within a single operationalised architecture. This included integrating five thematic dimensions: groundwater resource assessment, electrolyser technology integration, economic viability, environmental sustainability, and policy and governance considerations. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, drawing on 130 studies retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science (2015–2025). The analysis examines groundwater quality and suitability, the technical feasibility of electrolyser systems, and the comparative implications of grey, blue, and green hydrogen pathways on cost and environmental performance. The framework also provides strategic guidance for deploying renewable-energy-powered hydrogen systems, emphasising life-cycle impacts, regulatory alignment, and the potential for decentralised hydrogen hubs. Findings highlight the significance of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) for green hydrogen production using groundwater in South Africa, including export potential and strong linkages to the circular economy. The study offers actionable insights for policymakers, planners, and industry stakeholders seeking to advance a sustainable and economically competitive hydrogen landscape. Full article

Perovskite tandem solar cells (TSCs) have emerged as a transformative photovoltaic technology, offering a viable pathway to surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction devices by enabling broader solar spectrum utilization and reduced thermalization losses. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in perovskite-based TSCs, covering four major device architectures: perovskite/silicon, perovskite/CIGS, all-perovskite, and perovskite/organic TSCs. We systematically discuss the fundamental working principles, including bandgap engineering, charge generation and separation, and current-voltage matching, followed by an in-depth analysis of strategies for perovskite layer regulation, interface engineering, and transport-layer optimization. Key advancements, such as compositional engineering, defect passivation, crystallization control, and optical management, have synergistically pushed power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) beyond 34% for perovskite/silicon TSCs and over 28% for all-perovskite and perovskite/organic configurations. Despite these achievements, critical challenges remain, including material instability, halide phase segregation, lead toxicity, scalable fabrication, and cost-effective integration. This review also outlines future perspectives, emphasizing the development of lead-free perovskites, novel charge-transport materials, advanced encapsulation techniques, and large-area manufacturing processes. With continued interdisciplinary efforts, perovskite TSCs hold great promise for driving the global transition toward sustainable and low-carbon energy systems. Full article

For decades, industrial trans fatty acids (iTFAs) have remained a critical focus of the scientific community, the food industry, and regulatory authorities because of their well-established role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and chronic systemic inflammation. Rather than providing a descriptive overview, this review critically synthesizes current evidence on the elimination of industrial TFAs by integrating health, technological, regulatory, and sustainability perspectives into a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis. The review outlines the biochemical characteristics and dietary sources of trans fatty acid isomers, highlighting the continuing scientific debate regarding the differential health effects of industrially produced and naturally occurring ruminant-derived TFAs. It also examines the evolution of scientific evidence that led to major regulatory actions by international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission, resulting in legally binding restrictions that have substantially reduced industrial TFA intake and improved public health. Particular emphasis is placed on the critical assessment of current fat reformulation strategies, considering not only their technological functionality but also their nutritional quality, long-term metabolic implications, and contribution to sustainable food systems. Full hydrogenation, fractionation, chemical and enzymatic interesterification, and oleogelation are comparatively evaluated with respect to their advantages, limitations, and potential technological, nutritional, and environmental trade-offs. In addition, lipid microencapsulation is discussed as an emerging strategy for protecting oxidation-sensitive polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), thereby facilitating their incorporation into functional foods while maintaining nutritional quality. Unlike previous reviews that primarily focus on health outcomes or individual processing technologies, this review systematically integrates the sustainability dimensions of alternative fat modification approaches, including resource efficiency, energy consumption, clean label product development, and circular economy principles. Furthermore, it identifies current knowledge gaps related to the long-term metabolic safety, industrial scalability, and environmental performance of emerging lipid technologies. By combining these complementary perspectives, the review provides a comprehensive interdisciplinary synthesis that supports evidence-based fat reformulation and offers practical guidance for researchers, food manufacturers, and policy makers seeking to develop safer, nutritionally improved, technologically functional, and environmentally sustainable lipid systems. Full article

Carbon footprint information can be a powerful environmental label for encouraging sustainable consumption. However, static environmental labels can be difficult for consumers to interpret during online purchasing decisions. This study examines whether generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-based carbon footprint feedback (AI-CFB), which transforms static carbon footprint information into decision-relevant feedback, can support consumers’ evaluations and purchase intentions regarding renewable energy-powered products (REPPs). In this context, data from 841 participants in Türkiye were analyzed using PLS-SEM within a two-layer extended TPB model. Results from the first layer confirm AI-CFB as an antecedent of TPB dimensions, which, in turn, are associated with purchase intention toward renewable energy-powered products, with environmental concern and technological self-efficacy serving as motivating factors. The second layer reveals that AI-CFB functions as a decision-support mechanism, while consumer trust strengthens the relationship between AI-CFB and REPP purchase intention. This study contributes a validated AI-TPB model that explains how GenAI-based carbon footprint information is associated with consumer evaluations and moderates the relationships with purchase intention, extending the sustainable consumption literature by integrating GenAI-based systems in e-commerce. The findings offer practical recommendations for policymakers, e-commerce platforms, and carbon footprint experts to encourage low-carbon consumption and reduce CO₂ emissions in Türkiye, while providing a foundation for future research at the intersection of sustainable consumption and AI-assisted decision-making. Full article

Hydrogen energy systems—proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), water electrolyzers, and high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels—are increasingly deployed in transportation, maritime, aerospace, and stationary applications where mechanical vibration is unavoidable. Yet vibration research remains fragmented into single-technology studies whose findings often appear inconclusive or contradictory. This review provides a cross-technology assessment of vibration phenomena in hydrogen energy systems, covering PEMFC performance and degradation, structural dynamics of stacks and storage vessels, water management and two-phase flow, diagnostics and modeling, and application-specific challenges for road, marine, aircraft, and space systems. By organizing the evidence around a small set of shared mechanisms—loss of mechanical preload (bolt loosening), two-phase flow disruption, and fatigue-driven crack growth—we establish a unified framework that reconciles the seemingly case-dependent results of earlier, single-technology reviews. Whether vibration acts as friend or foe is governed by a consistent parameter set: amplitude, frequency, direction, and cumulative exposure time. Short, low-frequency excitation can aid water removal in fuel cells, improve cold-start behavior, and raise electrolyzer hydrogen yield by up to 128%, whereas sustained exposure roughly doubles PEMFC voltage degradation rates, loosens clamping bolts, and drives fatigue in storage-vessel supports. The evidence base is currently dominated by PEMFC studies, and this review accordingly treats fuel cells in the greatest depth. Priority research needs are identified: standardized vibration test protocols, long-duration durability data, vibration characterization of electrolyzers prior to offshore deployment, and coupled multiphysics models supporting vibration-aware design. Full article

There is a large and rapidly growing stock of retired power batteries from new energy vehicles in China. Unregulated informal recycling and improper disposal of these waste batteries trigger serious environmental hazards. Though a batch of regulatory policies on battery recycling have been released in recent years, the power battery recycling sector still faces prominent governance bottlenecks, especially ambiguous responsibility division and poor implementability under the entrusted recycling mode. To fill the existing research gap regarding tripartite interest conflicts and pricing mechanisms in entrusted recycling, this paper constructs a three-party evolutionary game model covering power battery producers, recyclers and government regulators. Two pricing models are further developed to distinguish producer self-operated recycling and third-party entrusted recycling channels. Numerical simulation is adopted to investigate multi-stakeholder interest contradictions, dynamic evolutionary trajectories and equilibrium stability of the recycling system, and the influences of subsidy intensity, supervision intensity and recycling cost on participants’ strategic choices are quantitatively analyzed. The research results demonstrate that inadequate government supervision and insufficient economic returns for formal recyclers serve as the primary obstacles hindering the effective deployment of entrusted recycling. An inherent and reasonable price gap exists between self-operated and entrusted recycling modes. Essentially, the price differential of standardized entrusted recycling represents the profit margin conceded by producers to recyclers instead of direct financial subsidies. To solve existing industry problems, this study proposes targeted recommendations for tripartite collaboration. The government should refine the regulatory framework of Extended Producer Responsibility and adopt differentiated reward and penalty mechanisms. Producers are expected to standardize entrusted recycling management and formulate a scientific pricing range for retired batteries. Recyclers ought to advance recycling technologies and maintain standardized operations. Collective efforts from all stakeholders can facilitate the long-term sustainability of the closed-loop recycling system for retired power batteries. Full article

MXene composites represent an exceptionally promising member of the family of two-dimensional multifunctional materials known for outstanding electrical properties, mechanical strength, chemical tuning abilities, and the potential for wide applications. The paper conducts a profound patent landscape investigation of MXene composites with the help of the WIPO PATENTSCOPE database. In total, 658 patent families were found; duplicate patent entries were eliminated through the application of the Single Family Member method. The results show that China is a patent leader worldwide, followed by PCT applications and the patenting activity of the USA, India, and other countries, which indicates a growing international interest in MXene technologies and materials. The classification of patents also shows that this technology is actively researched in relation to the development of technologies in the field of electrochemical energy storage, polymer engineering, sensing technologies, catalysis, environmental remediation, electronics, and biomedical applications. Additionally, the paper studies the technology development in the field of the creation of MXene antennas, semiconductor devices, and ceramic oxide composites, materials that change shape, anti-corrosion coatings, electrochemical sensors, and many others. Even though substantial advances have been made, obstacles related to efficient manufacturing, oxidation resistance, quality assurance, sustainability, and industry adoption persist. The overall picture of patents shows that MXene-based composite materials have progressed from the testing stage to commercial products with high potential for next-generation technologies. Full article

Offshore wind energy is rapidly emerging as a pivotal technology for global decarbonization and energy security, particularly in emerging markets with vast maritime resources like Brazil. This article presents a comprehensive and integrative literature review that evaluates the socio-environmental impacts of offshore wind while simultaneously analyzing its strategic role in providing “Capacity Value” and systemic security to the Brazilian Power System. Unlike onshore wind, offshore resources in Brazil exhibit superior technical characteristics, with capacity factors reaching up to 67% and a strong countercyclical complementarity with hydrological regimes. These features allow offshore wind to reliably contribute to meeting peak demand and reducing power deficits, quantified through metrics such as Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) and Firm Energy Certificates. However, the expansion of the sector brings complex socio-environmental challenges, including impacts on marine biodiversity, disruptions to artisanal fisheries, and a high reliance on critical minerals. The analysis reveals that current licensing frameworks in Brazil, although evolving with the enactment of Law No. 15,097/2025, still face gaps in cumulative impact assessment and participatory governance. The article concludes by proposing a “dual-track” governance approach that integrates Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) with supply-adequacy requirements. By aligning technical optimization with biodiversity safeguards and social equity, Brazil can foster a sustainable offshore wind sector that acts as a reliable pillar for its long-term energy transition. Full article

The lack of freshwater in the world requires a paradigm shift from linear water consumption to resilient and low-energy desalination technologies. Although reverse osmosis (RO) is the standard in the industry, its usefulness is essentially constrained by concentration polarization (CP) and non-useful hydraulic pressure losses. This paper applies a high-fidelity computational model in ANSYS Fluent 2022 R1 to conduct a comparative parametric evaluation of hexagonal and sinusoidal feed-spacer geometries relative to a baseline grid configuration. The solute concentration gradients at the fluid–membrane interface were solved using a 3D species transport model, which was optimized using one-micron near-wall inflation layers. The hexagonal configuration produced the lowest maximum membrane-surface salt mass fraction, decreasing it from 0.1127 kg/kg for the baseline grid to 0.0429 kg/kg, corresponding to a 61.9% reduction. Although the hexagonal design required an inlet pressure of 205.7 Pa, it produced a more favorable normalized mass-transfer–friction trade-off than the sinusoidal configuration (447.8 Pa), with a System Performance Index (η) of 2.53. These results demonstrate comparative micro-scale improvements in concentration polarization control and hydraulic performance under the simulated conditions. Experimental testing and system-level modeling are required before conclusions can be drawn regarding full-module energy consumption, photovoltaic integration, long-term fouling behavior, or economic feasibility. This study is consistent with the emerging Concepts and design for sustainability, whereby a circular and energy-efficient water economy is facilitated through an innovative mechanical design. Full article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental pollutants. Conventional destructive technologies, such as advanced oxidation and electrochemical processes, can achieve partial or complete defluorination. However, their high energy demand, chemical inputs, and operational complexity limit widespread implementation. Increasing evidence indicates that biological systems provide complementary mechanisms for PFAS management through partial biotransformation, defluorination of selected structurally susceptible compounds, and biomass-driven partitioning. This review evaluates the evidence for partial, largely precursor-directed PFAS biotransformation and biocatalytic defluorination through reductive, oxidative, and hydrolytic pathways. It also examines enzymatic carbon–fluorine bond cleavage by fluoroacetate dehalogenases, haloacid dehalogenases, and reductive systems, while recognizing that their demonstrated activity is generally limited to monofluorinated, activated, or polyfluorinated substrates rather than conventional fully perfluorinated PFAS. Laboratory and field observations demonstrate substantial PFAS enrichment within aquatic biomass, including intracellular compartments and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), indicating that living systems can function as dynamic concentrators that partition PFAS from the aqueous phase. Building on these findings, this review advances a separation-first framework in which PFAS are initially captured and concentrated within biological matrices before the application of targeted destruction, regeneration, or residual-management technologies. By decoupling concentration from transformation, this approach enables independent optimization of each step, potentially reducing treatment volumes and improving overall process sustainability. Full article

The digitalization of photovoltaic (PV) systems can support sustainable energy deployment by improving operational efficiency, system visibility, and energy extraction. However, many existing Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled solutions address monitoring and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) separately or depend on proprietary platforms, remote cloud services, and relatively costly hardware, which may restrict their accessibility and replication in small-scale and resource-constrained applications. This study presents the implementation and laboratory-scale experimental evaluation of an edge-IoT architecture that integrates real-time PV monitoring, embedded adaptive MPPT control, local data management, and visualization using low-cost hardware and open-source software. The proposed architecture combines an ESP32 microcontroller with a Raspberry Pi (RPi) local server to enable environmental and electrical sensing, edge-based control, message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) communication, local data storage, and interactive visualization through the open-source Node-RED, InfluxDB, and Grafana platforms. An adaptive perturb-and-observe (AP&O) algorithm is implemented on the ESP32 to dynamically adjust the duty cycle of a DC–DC boost converter in response to changing operating conditions. The system is experimentally evaluated using a PV test bench equipped with a custom boost converter and sensing modules measuring eleven electrical and environmental parameters. The architecture achieved an average communication latency of 193 ± 23 ms and an average MPPT efficiency of 97.3 ± 0.54%. It also provided a power gain of 0.7 ± 0.5% compared with the conventional fixed-step perturb-and-observe method. By combining local processing, open-source software, low-cost components, and integrated monitoring and control, the proposed system reduces dependence on external cloud infrastructure while supporting responsive and accessible PV energy management. These results demonstrate its potential as a replicable technological framework for improving the operational sustainability and digital management of small-scale PV installations. Full article

This study presents an integrated multidisciplinary framework for evaluating the reuse of abandoned underground mining infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina as sustainable underground energy storage systems that support the energy transition and decarbonization. The research focuses on the Central Bosnia and Tuzla coal basins, using case studies from the Zenica and Tuzla mining regions to assess Underground Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage (UPHES), Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), and gravity-based energy storage technologies. The methodology integrates geological and geotechnical characterization, thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) analysis, thermodynamic calculations, and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to evaluate technical, operational, and safety performance. Methane mitigation, smart ventilation, thermal stability, and geomechanical behavior under cyclic loading were also considered. The results indicate that sedimentary coal basins are well suited for UPHES and gravity-based storage systems, with UPHES capacities reaching 1.75 GWh per cycle under optimized conditions, while the separately evaluated solid-mass gravity storage system provides a capacity of 6.15 MWh. Evaporite formations in the Tuzla Basin offer favorable conditions for CAES because of the low permeability and plasticity of halite, enabling storage capacities exceeding several GWh. THM analysis confirmed acceptable geomechanical stability during cyclic operation, while the economic assessment based on the Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) demonstrated the long-term competitiveness of Abandoned Mine Energy Storage (AMES) compared with battery technologies. Overall, the findings highlight abandoned mines as strategic low-carbon assets for renewable energy integration and regional post-mining transition. Full article