Search Results (2,025)

Tomato crop residues (TCR) from soilless greenhouses are treated as waste, causing greenhouse gas emissions and biomass loss. Within a circular economy framework, gasification converts TCR into renewable energy and biochar; however, its high pH and electrical conductivity (EC) limit its use as a substrate. This study evaluated whether pre-treatment could enable TCR biochar to act as a substrate component and nutrient source in tomato and pepper seedlings. Biochar was produced by gasification and pre-treated by water incubation plus nitric acid, reducing EC from 27 to 8.7 dS m⁻¹ and pH from 10.4 to 8.2 while achieving nitrate loading without leaching. Pristine biochar severely restricted growth. Subsequent experiments evaluated pre-treated biochar mixed with perlite or cocopeat, with or without external N and K. The 15/85% (w/w) pre-treated biochar/cocopeat mixture (PTB/C) showed the best overall performance. In the absence of additional N/K, PTB/C produced shoot biomass and shoot N concentrations comparable to N-/K-supplemented cocopeat; shoot K was comparable in tomato and higher in pepper. With N and K supplementation, PTB/C exceeded supplemented cocopeat biomass by 1.41- and 1.95-fold in tomato and pepper, respectively. These results indicate that pre-treated TCR biochar can reduce dependence on imported cocopeat and external N/K supply. Full article

This study presents a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of an industrial sweet cherry sorting and packing facility in Greece, directly addressing environmental sustainability in agri-food supply chains through data-driven impact quantification and improvement pathways in post-harvest operations. The assessment focuses on a gate-to-gate system boundary encompassing all processes inside the cherry sorting and packing facility, while upstream cherry production and downstream waste management are modeled and reported separately to provide system-level context. Core-stage hotspots are then analyzed in detail in the Results section, highlighting the dominant role of electricity use compared with packaging materials. The functional unit is defined as 1 kg of packed, market-ready cherries at the factory gate. Primary data are obtained from high-resolution, batch-level measurements of mass flows, energy use, water consumption, packaging materials and waste streams over a full processing season, structured as virtual sensor outputs. These sensor-informed operational data are combined with secondary life cycle inventory information from established databases to quantify climate change impacts and identify environmental hotspots across materials, energy, water, and waste, thereby delivering a quantified picture of environmental performance in the post-harvest stage. The results show that corrugated cardboard and associated packaging components are among the main contributors within the facility-level, gate-to-gate system, while the Core stage accounts for 28.43% of total GWP100. Upstream cherry production dominates the overall Upstream–Core–Downstream climate footprint with 70.61% of total impacts. Moreover, practical mitigation scenarios are modeled, including packaging optimization, partial substitution of grid electricity with photovoltaic generation, and increased water recirculation. Ιn the combined mitigation scenario, where packaging optimization, low-carbon electricity and improved water management are implemented simultaneously, total GWP100 decreases from 114,207.32 to 92,500.27 kg CO₂-eq (−19.0%) relative to the baseline, providing actionable sustainability improvements for industry stakeholders and supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to climate action and resource efficiency. In addition, the proposed virtual sensor architecture and data workflow support continuous monitoring, eco-efficiency management and near-real-time LCA implementation in post-harvest agri-food systems, enabling operational sustainability. Full article

Investments in urban water supply should be informed by resilience management frameworks that consider traditional reliability requirements, community preparedness during system disruptions, and sustainability goals in long-term planning. Grounded in a framework (WARATA) that integrates these aspects, this paper presents a stepwise, performance-based theoretical approach to resilience quantification, supported by explanations and practical guidance. For instance, in addition to the piped infrastructure components, emergency supply options and human resources should be incorporated within the system boundaries (Step 1), and water supplied to users is recommended as a single performance measure (Step 2). During disruptions, performance at user nodes is influenced by operational rules for resource allocation (Step 3), which must be implemented in the required computer model for simulating performance (Step 4). Equations for computing withstanding, absorptive, restorative, adaptive, and transformative capabilities as time-based metrics are proposed (Step 5), enabling the analysis of results from the bottom up (Step 6) to inform resilience management. Using illustrations of performance curves at individual system nodes, this paper advocates for extended system boundaries that bridge the gap between infrastructure and community resilience; discusses challenges with the modeling of dynamic, adaptive performances; and emphasizes the importance of assessing temporal distances to fail-safe and safe-fail thresholds during disturbances. Pending case study validation and integration into tools for predictive and real-time analyses of options, the quantification approach could support infrastructure and emergency response planning and management, ultimately ensuring sustainable system designs with equitable resilience outcomes. Full article

Environmental supply-chain governance increasingly requires firms to trace climate accountability across buyer–supplier relationships. This study examines whether downstream customer climate pressure is associated with suppliers’ green supply-chain management and value-chain carbon accountability among Chinese listed firms. We construct an exposure-weighted customer pressure measure by combining disclosed top-customer relationships with customer climate-accountability signals, and we decompose this measure into disclosure-based and non-disclosure-based components so that symbolic and substantive accountability can be separated. We then link this measure to supplier green supply-chain indicators, value-chain carbon-disclosure components, Scope 3 disclosure, environmental investment, and reported environmental performance indicators, including air emissions, water pollutant discharge, resource consumption, and environmental tax. Using firm-year panel regressions with fixed effects, alternative pressure measures, selection corrections, and extended outcome tests, we find an association between customer climate pressure and supplier value-chain disclosure. The depth of the association is concentrated where customer carbon-disclosure visibility is observed and is not separately identified in the smaller climate-only subsample, while the value-chain interaction association is positive but imprecisely estimated there. The value-chain disclosure associations are robust to a year-stratified randomization-inference placebo test. We do not find evidence that customer pressure is associated with supplier emissions, resource use, environmental investment, or environmental tax in the available matched samples. The pattern is consistent with symbolic compliance in supply-chain carbon accountability: customer disclosure visibility maps into supplier disclosure visibility, while we do not observe parallel movement in substantive environmental outcomes. The central finding is therefore that downstream customer climate pressure is associated with what suppliers disclose rather than with what they emit, shaping supplier disclosure behavior rather than substantive emission reduction. The estimates apply to supplier-year observations with disclosed and mappable listed-customer links, which we treat as the scope condition of the study rather than as an incidental data limitation. Full article

To improve the efficiency of jet-based fire suppression for high-rise building façade fires, this study experimentally investigates the liquid film formation characteristics and fire suppression behavior of water jets impinging on insulated vertical surfaces. The effects of operating pressure (flow rate), nozzle-to-wall distance, and jet inclination angle on liquid film spreading morphology, wetted area, and effective water supply rate are systematically analyzed. The results show that increasing the flow rate significantly enlarges the wetted area, while reducing the effective water supply rate. As the nozzle-to-wall distance increases, the liquid film gradually develops a “top-wide and bottom-narrow” morphology. Although increasing the jet inclination angle decreases the wetted area, it enhances the continuity and stability of wall-adhering liquid film flow, thereby improving cooling efficiency near the flame root region. During the fire suppression experiments, low-flow-rate jets exhibit insufficient suppression stability, whereas high-flow-rate horizontal jets are capable of suppressing the flame to a residual burning state near the bottom of the façade. Further increasing the jet inclination angle enables complete flame extinguishment. This study reveals the relationship between jet parameters, liquid film behavior, and fire suppression performance, providing experimental evidence for the optimization of jet-based façade fire suppression strategies. Full article

Preharvest climatic conditions and irrigation management are decisive determinants of avocado postharvest performance. Avocado trees are highly susceptible to the water regimen, conditions that disrupt carbon assimilation, mineral nutrient uptake, and biomass partitioning. This study evaluated the effects of deficit irrigation imposed during early stages of fruit growth, coinciding with active cell division, on fruit development and postharvest quality of ‘Hass’ avocado. Deficit and excess irrigation induced physiological stress, reducing stem water potential (≈−1 MPa) and altering photochemical efficiency, while F_V/F_M remained unaffected. Fruit growth was strongly affected, with weight reductions of up to 26% during development and 22% at harvest under severe deficit, resulting in fruits becoming more yellowish-green. In contrast, excessive irrigation promoted larger fruit with darker green skin, with delayed maturation. Metabolomic revealed that the fruit developmental stage was the main driver of metabolic variation, while irrigation effects were minor and stage-dependent, limited to osmotic-related metabolites such as GABA. These findings indicate that early-season water imbalances primarily affect fruit growth through changes in water relations rather than metabolic reprogramming, highlighting the importance of precise irrigation management during critical developmental stages. Fine-tuning water supply during early developmental stages is a strategic tool for optimizing fruit size and postharvest quality in avocado. Full article

The valorization of agri-food by-products generated during juice extraction represents a key strategy within circular economy frameworks, as it reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal while creating added value and improving the food supply chain. In this work, five betaine-based natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) differing in their hydrogen-bond donors, namely citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, glycerol, and ethylene glycol, were used for the green extraction of blueberry pomace, a largely underutilized by-product that is nevertheless rich in bioactive compounds. The extracts were characterized by liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array and tandem mass spectrometric detection, allowing targeted profiling of anthocyanins and non-anthocyanin phenolics, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phenolic aldehydes. The extraction performance of NaDES was benchmarked against conventional solvents (water and ethanol) to evaluate differences in selectivity and efficiency toward distinct phenolic classes. Antioxidant capacity was determined using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Among the NaDES systems, the betaine–citric acid NaDES extract exhibited notable phenolic recovery together with marked radical scavenging activity. After evaluating its inhibitory activity against elastase and tyrosinase, enzymes involved in the skin aging process, the selected NaDES extract was incorporated into a natural-based antiaging cosmetic formulation, and its main physicochemical properties were assessed to verify suitability for topical application. This study demonstrated that the use of NaDES represents an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to transform blueberry by-products into high-value, safe, and ready-to-use cosmetic functional ingredients without the need for solvent removal. Full article

To address the global water crisis, desalination technologies contribute about 1% of the global freshwater supply. Membrane-based desalination technologies offer high performance, operational ease, cost-effectiveness and high scalability compared to conventional thermal desalination modes. Among all membrane-based technologies, reverse osmosis is prevailing globally. However, the high energy demand of the reverse osmosis process and fouling in case of hypersaline feed streams motivate the exploration of alternative technologies, i.e., pervaporation. Pervaporation desalination involves dense hydrophilic polymer membranes to deal with high salt streams at low cost, along with less fouling than a few other membrane processes, i.e., reverse osmosis and membrane distillation. Mass transport through pervaporation desalination membranes is well-explained by solution-diffusion theory involving a tri-stage transfer, i.e., sorption, diffusion and evaporation. Since the last few decades, a green approach in all domains has offered chemical products and processes with the least hazards and minimal waste production. Application of biodegradable materials like poly(lactic acid) in combination with suitable green solvents, e.g., ethyl lactate, methyl lactate, cyrene, dimethyl isosorbide and gamma valerolactone for pervaporation desalination would be a good roadmap to meet the sustainability criterion. Some intrinsic features of poly(lactic acid) that make it a ‘material of choice’ for pervaporation desalination include hydrophilicity imparted by the presence of polar ester groups, high salt rejection, biodegradability with simple mineralization products, i.e., H₂O and CO₂, sustainable production, low toxicity, low carbon footprint, ease of processing and versatility. Poly(lactic acid) undergoes four interrelated degradation mechanisms: hydrolytic degradation, biodegradation, thermal degradation and photodegradation. The concern for poly(lactic acid) based pervaporation desalination is increased hydrolytic cleavage of poly(lactic acid) at high temperatures, which requires some modifications, e.g., nanoenhancement, additions of crosslinkers, surface modifications, addition of other polymers to prepare blends and post-treatments. These modifying strategies result in an increased stability and better performance of poly(lactic acid) films. However, optimization of various parameters relevant to such modifications leaves room for further research. This review offers a critical analysis of the need for biodegradable polymers with special focus on poly(lactic acid) rather than their fossil fuel-based alternatives, the environmental and health effects of all these polymers, cost estimation and possible performance-efficient, green and eco-friendly solutions. Full article

The presence of residual moisture in tetrahydrofuran (THF) greatly limits its suitability for moisture-sensitive processes, including polymerization, Grignard chemistry, and fine-chemical production, where the allowable water concentration is generally lower than 10 mg/kg. Here, a hierarchical microporous/mesoporous composite adsorbent was prepared via extrusion molding, combining an LTA-type zeolite microporous framework with an amorphous mesoporous matrix. Characterization by XRD, FTIR, SEM, and pore analysis confirmed that the LTA crystal structure was retained while mesopores provided channels for mass transport. Static dehydration tests showed that the composite reduced THF water content from 70 mg/kg to 8.3 mg/kg, compared to 23.4 mg/kg for commercial 3A molecular sieves. The enhanced performance arises from micropores supplying uniform adsorption sites for deep dehydration and mesopores accelerating diffusion. Water vapor adsorption, kinetic and isotherm analyzes, regeneration, and competitive adsorption experiments indicated improved water accessibility and high selectivity, with kinetics described by a double-exponential model. The adsorbent remained stable over six adsorption–regeneration cycles. These results demonstrate that hierarchical microporous/mesoporous structures effectively achieve deep THF dehydration. Full article

Water pumping systems play a critical role in various industries, including water supply, cooling, heating, and HVAC systems (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems), by ensuring efficient fluid transfer. In the control of pumps, Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) algorithms are widely employed for frequency adjustment in Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs). However, the performance of this conventional controller in nonlinear and time-variant systems, as well as its impact on energy consumption, needs further improvement. To overcome these shortcomings, this paper proposes a Modified Particle Swarm Optimization (MPSO)-based PID controller. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the integration of a linearly decreasing inertia weight strategy with a composite objective function (Minf), which simultaneously considers multiple performance criteria, including overshoot, rise time, settling time, and the integral of absolute error. The proposed controller is experimentally compared with controllers developed using two different objective functions and conventional PSO. The results indicate that the proposed controller not only exhibits superior performance in terms of time response parameters (such as settling time, overshoot, and steady-state error) but also provides significant advantages in terms of energy savings. Full article

Groundwater resources are essential to global freshwater supply, and accurate groundwater level prediction is critical for sustainable water resource management. To overcome the limitations of traditional deep learning models in long-sequence groundwater forecasting, including weak generalization, reduced long-term prediction accuracy, and limited interpretability, this study proposes a dual-path Informer-p model integrated with residual theory. The main path captures nonlinear temporal dependencies and long-term hydrological patterns, while the residual path provides a stable linear prediction baseline to enhance local fluctuation representation and robustness to extreme events. The model was validated using long-term groundwater observations from 34 monitoring stations across five major ecosystems in China. Results from representative stations, including Ailao Mountain, showed that Informer-p achieved excellent predictive performance with RMSE = 0.05 m, MAPE = 1.2%, R² = 0.95, and KGE = 0.95, reducing RMSE and MAPE by 37.5% and 52%, respectively, compared with the original Informer. Across all stations, Informer-p outperformed the original Informer at 22 stations, with the greatest improvement observed in forest ecosystems. SHAP analysis identified window maximum, original groundwater level, and window minimum as the dominant predictive features. The proposed model provides an effective tool for national-scale groundwater level prediction and sustainable groundwater management. Full article

Introduction/Objectives: Dental caries is a significant public health burden in Brazil, with regional disparities deeply affecting children in the North and Northeast. This study assessed the prevalence and severity of dental caries in preschool children from Balsas (MA) and investigated its association with fluoride concentrations in the public water supply. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 256 children (aged 3–5 years) enrolled in municipal schools. Schools were selected using a stratified sampling strategy based on the water network, with exposure validated via chemical analysis. Calibrated dentists performed examinations using the FOA-UNESP risk scale, assessing biofilm and gingivitis as objective clinical proxies for hygiene. Fluoride levels were analyzed using an ion-selective electrode. Statistical analysis included Fisher’s exact test, Kruskal–Wallis, and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). Results: Caries prevalence was 60.16%, with 41.8% of children in severe risk categories (F: 27.0%; G: 14.8%). Water analysis revealed universal hypofluoridation (0.02–0.34 µg F/mL). A significant association was found between residual fluoride (0.02 µg F/mL) and greater caries severity (p = 0.04). Poor hygiene markers (biofilm and gingivitis) were significantly associated with a higher number of decayed teeth (p < 0.05). MCA identified a cluster linking residual fluoridation to severe clinical conditions and social vulnerability. Conclusions: High caries prevalence associated with inadequate fluoridation highlights critical regional health inequalities in Balsas. These findings underscore the urgent need for policies ensuring universal water fluoridation and strengthening school-based preventive strategies to mitigate the impact of social determinants on child development. Full article

Food loss and waste—FLW—represent a critical global challenge, primarily across postharvest handling, storage, and distribution. Shelf life limitations—arising from microbial activity and proliferation, physicochemical degradation, and environmental interactions—are major contributors to these losses. Intrinsic factors such as pH, water activity, nutrient composition, and biological structure interact with extrinsic conditions including temperature, humidity, gaseous atmosphere, and light exposure, ultimately leading to quality deterioration and consumer rejection. A comprehensive insight into these mechanisms is essential to improve preservation strategies and reduce FLW. This review critically examines the determinants of food shelf life and highlights the strategic role of innovative packaging technologies in mitigating degradation pathways. Particular emphasis is placed on active packaging systems, including commonly studied technologies such as oxygen and ethylene scavengers, carbon dioxide emitters and absorbers, moisture regulators, antimicrobial- and antioxidant-releasing materials, and flavor and odor control systems. Their mechanisms of action, material design, performance factors, and practical limitations are discussed. Innovative packaging technologies actively modulate spoilage, extend shelf life, and preserve both sensory and nutritional quality, moving beyond conventional passive barriers. When combined with optimized supply chains and sustainable materials, these systems can strengthen food system stability and advance global sustainability goals. Full article

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of drought events in Europe, necessitating the identification of more water-efficient cropping systems. This study compared the evapotranspiration dynamics, water-use efficiency, and yield performance of maize (Zea mays L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) under controlled field conditions using a Thornthwaite–Mather-type compensation evapotranspirometer. Three water regimes (100%, 50%, and 30% of optimal water supply) were applied during the reproductive stage, combined with weed-free and weed-infested treatments. Under moderate water deficit (50% water supply), grain sorghum maintained stable grain yield, while maize grain yield decreased by 17.98%. Under severe water deficit (30% water supply), grain yield reductions reached 36.04% in maize and 42.80% in sorghum. Grain sorghum consistently required less water and used 2.87–38.17% less water to produce 1 kg of grain compared to maize across treatments. Weed interference was associated with a lower yield and water-use efficiency in both species, while severe water deficit (70%) caused substantial declines in all measured parameters. Evapotranspiration was primarily driven by solar radiation and temperature, with reduced sensitivity under increasing water limitation. Overall, the results suggest that grain sorghum may represent a viable alternative to maize under moderate drought conditions; however, both crops require supplemental irrigation under severe water scarcity. The study highlights the importance of integrated weed management and provides novel insights into crop water-use dynamics under combined abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Full article

Pump-as-turbine (PAT) units have been widely used for energy recovery in water-supply networks, petrochemical systems, and small hydropower applications; however, their turbine-mode performance is often limited because most commercial pumps are originally designed for pumping conditions. To improve the hydraulic performance of a low-specific-speed PAT, this study developed a surrogate-assisted multi-objective optimization framework combining three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD), design of experiments, a Kriging surrogate model, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Five key impeller geometric parameters, including blade inlet angles, blade wrap angles, and impeller outlet diameter, were selected as design variables, and turbine-mode efficiency was maximized under a head constraint of H ≥ 24 m at the rated condition of 1450 r/min. The results showed that the optimized design increased efficiency from 72.34% to 84.42% while satisfying the head requirement. Comparative analyses of pressure and velocity fields in the impeller and volute further revealed that the performance improvement was mainly associated with enhanced flow-field uniformity and reduced local hydraulic losses. A dedicated PAT test rig was finally established to experimentally validate the optimized design. Full article