Search Results (23,082)

Despite its significant water-saving potential, the adoption of alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation remains limited due to infrastructure constraints and intensive manual monitoring requirements. An automated precision irrigation system was developed and tested at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute research farm in Gazipur, Bangladesh. The system combined ultrasonic water-level sensors, capacitive soil moisture sensors, an Arduino-based microcontroller, a GSM communication module, and solar-powered automatic control gates. Field performance was evaluated following a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) under four irrigation treatments: IRRISAT, IRRI35, IRRI25, and continuous flooding (CF). The first three irrigation treatments were operated using scheduled daily decision windows, in which irrigation actions were automatically triggered based on predefined schedules and sensor threshold values. In IRRISAT, irrigation started when soil moisture dropped slightly below saturation and stopped at a ponding depth of 5 cm, while IRRI35 and IRRI25 were triggered at volumetric soil water contents of 35% and 25%, respectively, with the same upper cutoff of 5 cm ponding depth; CF served as the control. The IRRI35 treatment achieved a high grain yield (7.76 t ha⁻¹) while reducing water use by 28% and energy consumption by 37% compared to CF. Water use efficiency was considerably higher under IRRI35 (9.4 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹) than under CF (6.7 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹). The automated system proved to be reliable and precise in scheduled irrigation control, significantly reducing water use and labor requirements. The findings suggest that large-scale adoption of the system under real-world cultivation conditions could reduce irrigation energy needs and contribute to sustainable water governance in rice production. Full article

Water scarcity is becoming an increasingly critical global challenge, driven by climate change, rapid population growth, pollution, and unsustainable water use. Drought further intensifies this crisis by reducing water availability across agricultural, environmental, and socio-economic systems. In this context, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising tool for improving water management and enhancing drought resilience. This review examines the role of nanotechnology in drought mitigation and water conservation through multiple pathways, including the enhancement of plant drought tolerance, improvement in soil water retention, the development of smart irrigation and nano-sensing systems, and the expansion of water resources through purification, desalination, and wastewater reuse. In addition, the broader drought–water nexus is discussed to position nano-enabled approaches within existing water management strategies. While numerous studies report improvements in water-use efficiency, stress tolerance, and treatment performance under controlled conditions, significant limitations remain. These include concerns related to environmental safety, nanotoxicity, scalability, cost, and the gap between laboratory findings and field-level applications. Overall, nanotechnology should be considered a complementary approach rather than a stand-alone solution for addressing water scarcity under drought conditions. Future research should focus on long-term environmental impacts, techno-economic feasibility, and large-scale field validation to support the safe and effective integration of nanotechnology into sustainable water management systems. Full article

Crude oil spill incidents have emerged as a prominent source of environmental contamination, adversely affecting marine ecosystems. This paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of the efficiency of utilizing green surfactants followed by a solid biofoam material as a viable remedy to remove crude oil contamination from a simulated mangrove environment within the Bodo region of the Niger Delta, Nigeria. During the study, four distinct soil samples encompassing sand, mud, peat, and peat–mud were meticulously collected to simulate the prevailing conditions in Bodo. Subsequently, surfactants were introduced into contaminated matrices at similar concentration levels over a specific time frame under the same conditions as in Bodo. Afterwards, a lignin-based biofoam material was then created with the goal of advanced remediation improvement. The outcomes show positive potential, presenting an innovative path for researchers to explore further environmentally sustainable solutions for contaminated muddy soils. The findings from the investigation include the following: (1) the interfacial tension caused by the best-performing surfactants was reduced to a level of 10⁻¹ mN/m, demonstrating that the mobilization of contaminants and extraction are efficient using the studied formulations, especially for sand and muddy samples, and (2) advanced biofoam remediation showed an oil absorption level of 40%, with only brine water existing in the contaminated oil. Full article

Conventional powdered biochar encounters severe bottlenecks in practical water treatment, such as difficult separation, easy loss, and potential secondary pollution. This work aimed to develop recyclable and high-performance adsorbents by preparing iron-doped biochar/sodium alginate composite microspheres (BC/MBC500-ALF) through Fe³⁺ cross-linking. Using corn stalk biochar and KMnO₄-modified biochar as adsorbent components and sodium alginate (SA) as a green shaping matrix, SA formed a stable egg-box hydrogel network to convert powdered biochar into uniform microspheres. Batch adsorption experiments revealed that the optimal pH for oxytetracycline (OTC) adsorption was 9, with adsorption capacities of 136.28 mg/g for BC500-ALF and 182.91 mg/g for MBC500-ALF. Kinetic analysis showed that BC500-ALF followed pseudo-first-order kinetics (R² = 0.983) dominated by physisorption, while MBC500-ALF fitted pseudo-second-order kinetics (R² = 0.994) dominated by chemisorption. The maximum Langmuir adsorption capacities at 308 K were 220.75 mg/g and 495.05 mg/g, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed a spontaneous and endothermic process. The adsorption mechanisms involved hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, electrostatic attraction, metal-bridging complexation, and Fe–Mn oxide-mediated redox reactions. SA exerted dual functions in structure stabilization and adsorption enhancement. This composite provides an efficient and eco-friendly approach for tetracycline antibiotic pollution control in aqueous environments. Full article

As the most critical binding constraint in the Yellow River Basin, the endowment and allocation efficiency of water resources significantly influence the stability and sustainability of urban economic systems. However, the direction, intensity, and heterogeneity of the impacts of water resource abundance and water use efficiency on urban economic resilience remain unclear. Therefore, to explore the intrinsic relationship between water resources and urban economic resilience and to identify effective pathways for enhancing urban risk resistance, this paper employs a fixed-effects model to empirically examine the differential impacts based on panel data from 78 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2023. The results show that: (1) Water resource abundance exerts a significant inhibitory effect on urban economic resilience, while water use efficiency exhibits a significant promoting effect. (2) Market demand, government intervention and opening up exacerbate the negative impact of water resource abundance and also strengthen the positive impact of water use efficiency. (3) The negative impact of water resource abundance is significant only in resource-based cities, water-abundant cities, cities in the lower reaches, and cities with high economic development, high urbanization, and high technology input. In contrast, the positive impact of water use efficiency is significant in most cities, and it is more pronounced in resource-based cities, water-abundant cities, cities in the middle reaches, and cities with high economic development and high urbanization. These findings provide important insights for enhancing urban resilience and promoting sustainable development. Full article

Sunset Yellow is a water-soluble synthetic dye resistant to degradation and stable under various conditions, posing an environmental challenge. In the present study pure chitosan hydrogel (PCH) films were synthesized, followed by the assessment of sorption capacity and recyclability compared to chitosan-based films doped with niobium oxide (CHN) or activated carbon (CHC). The aim was to promote the application of sorption methods for Sunset Yellow dye using these films as a treatment option for the pollutant, with the analysis of the effectiveness of the method and its behavior using adsorption kinetic models and thermodynamic analysis. Equilibrium was reached at 240 min for all films tested, with the adsorbed amounts ranging from 18.58 to 18.79 mg g⁻¹ at 30 °C, when the highest kinetic rate constants were observed. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model best described the experimental data, with the lowest Bayesian information criterion, Akaike information criterion, and mean absolute error values. Thermodynamic analysis indicated a spontaneous, exothermic process, with interactions ranging from electrostatic interactions in CHC and PCH to physisorption in CHN. Recycling tests showed 80% efficiency after the third cycle for all three films. These findings highlight the potential of chitosan-based films as an efficient option for removing Sunset Yellow dye from water, thus improving water quality and enhancing wastewater treatment. Full article

Using solid waste as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) is an effective strategy for promoting low-carbon construction development. However, single or binary systems often exhibit mismatched reaction kinetics, thereby limiting their performance at high cement replacement rates. This study focuses on a novel low-carbon concrete designed based on reaction sequence coordination, containing recycled brick powder (RBP), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), and self-combusting coal gangue (SCCG). The effects of RBP, GGBS, and SCCG on the hydration process and microstructure of the novel low-carbon concrete with different replacement levels have been studied by testing compressive strength, workability, and durability and observing microstructural changes. The results showed that an optimized ternary composition with an RBP:GGBS:SCCG ratio of 4:3:1 achieves a cement replacement level of 30% while exhibiting a 28-day compressive strength of 38.26 MPa, representing a 14.2% increase compared with plain cement mortar. Microstructural analyses indicate that this enhanced performance results from a time-dependent reaction sequence, in which GGBS contributes predominantly at early ages by supplying calcium, whereas RBP and SCCG mainly participate through delayed pozzolanic reactions and pore refinement at later ages. Consequently, the optimized ternary mortar exhibits a water absorption of 11.12% and a 27.2% reduction in electrical flux. This study aims to provide practical strategies for enhancing the performance of low-carbon cementitious materials through a reaction sequence coordination design approach, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of solid waste in the production of low-carbon building materials. Full article

This study employs panel data for 275 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2021. Water use efficiency is measured as an aggregate city-level indicator via stochastic frontier analysis, while the level of digital economy development is quantified using principal component analysis. We then employ the system generalized method of moments to investigate the causal relationship between the digital economy and urban water use efficiency, and further identify industrial structure upgrading as the mediating role through which the digital economy affects water efficiency. The main findings are as follows: (1) The digital economy has a significant positive impact on urban water use efficiency. (2) Regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the digital economy presents a stronger positive effect on water use efficiency in eastern regions than in central and western regions. (3) Exploratory mechanism analysis indicates that industrial structure upgrading serves as the mediating role through which the digital economy improves urban water use efficiency. Based on the empirical findings, this paper draws targeted policy implications. Full article

Water scarcity is the primary constraint on the development of the potato industry in Northwest China. Improving water use efficiency (WUE) under limited water supply is, therefore, an urgent priority to promote the green and sustainable development of potato production in this region. This research was conducted from 2023 to 2024 in the rain shelter of the Agricultural Science Research Institute in Dingxi City, Gansu Province, using the potato cultivar ‘Gan Yin No. 9’ as the experimental material. Throughout the growing season, the control treatment (CK) was maintained at 75–85% of the field water capacity (FWC). Based on CK, three deficit-irrigation treatments were established: W₇₅ (75% of the CK irrigation amount), W₅₀ (50% of CK irrigation amount), and W₂₅ (25% of CK irrigation amount), with three replicates per treatment. We evaluated the effects of different irrigation regimes on plant growth characteristics, physiological characteristics, tuber yield, and WUE. The results showed that the W₇₅ treatment significantly (p < 0.05) promoted the growth of plant height and stem diameter, and significantly increased them by 8.70–10.20% and 13.03–18.70%, respectively, compared with CK. The total dry matter accumulation under W₇₅ was significantly higher than CK (by 10.90–11.40%) and markedly higher than W₅₀ and W₂₅ (by 24.10–45.50%). No significant differences were observed in tuber yield, large tuber rate, and medium tuber rate between W₇₅ and CK. Notably, W₇₅ significantly improved WUE by 36.43–38.51% compared with CK. Overall, under the conditions of this study, W₇₅ treatment was identified to be the optimal irrigation regime for potato cultivation, as it promoted plant growth, maintained tuber yield, and enhanced water use efficiency. This study aims to establish a definitive irrigation threshold for potato production in Northwest China. The findings provide a precise basis for formulating irrigation schedules, which can contribute to the development of water-efficient agriculture and support the sustainable development of the potato industry in the region. Full article

Reservoir fracturing combined with thermal stimulation is a highly promising strategy for the development of challenging hydrates. However, the synergistic influence mechanisms of multiple engineering parameters on productivity remain poorly understood. In this study, based on the geological condition of the SH2 site in the Shenhu Area of the South China Sea, a numerical model was built to investigate the development efficiency of challenging hydrates under fracturing and thermal co-stimulation. Using average gas production rates (m³/d) at recovery rates of 0.70 and 0.85 as assessment indicators, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) algorithms were employed to quantitatively measure multivariable importance. The results indicated that enhancing the inter-well interaction through reservoir fracturing can increase development efficiency by 2 to 5 times; however, it is not the case that larger-scale fracturing is always preferable, as it can lead to more severe water flooding. Additionally, data-driven models revealed that fracture length (SHAP values of 15.55 and 9.19) was the primary factor influencing development efficiency, followed by the fracture conductivity (SHAP values of 6.65 and 6.32), whereas injection pressure (SHAP values of 2.90 and 2.17), injection temperature (SHAP values of 2.41 and 2.13), and production pressure (SHAP values of 2.37 and 1.82) had relatively limited influences. Most importantly, the positive interaction effect between fracture length and fracture conductivity cannot be ignored. In our simulation, the recommended fracture length and conductivity were 40 m and 100 D·cm, respectively. These findings provide important insights and guidance for implementing this novel co-stimulation method in challenging hydrates. Full article

This study focuses on the evaluation of eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors derived from extracts of Rhus typhina L. leaves, collected in August during the summer season, on OLC45 metal surfaces in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ corrosive environment. The extracts were obtained using the microwave extraction technique and characterized by HPLC. The protective properties of OLC45 coated with LESRT (leaf extract collected in summer from Rhus typhina L.) were examined by potentiostatic and potentiodynamic polarization procedures and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 0.5 M H₂SO₄. The application of the Langmuir isotherm revealed high values of the adsorption constant and standard free energies (ΔG°_ads), suggesting a possible mixed adsorption process with an increased tendency toward chemisorption. The influence of temperature on the electrochemical behavior of OLC45 samples in H₂SO₄, both in the absence and presence of two extracts derived from Rhus typhina leaves at a concentration of 1000 ppm, was investigated over the temperature range of 293–333 K. A comparison of the two inhibitors’ effectiveness revealed high inhibitory efficiency, up to 91% at 1000 ppm LESRT₁ (methanol/double-distilled water (50%:50%, v/v)) and 92% for LESRT₂ (ethanol/double-distilled water (50%:50%, v/v)) at 1000 ppm LESRT₂. Full article

The standard meter water flow prover is widely used due to its mature technology and high work efficiency. However, the process of sending the standard meter for calibration is not only time-consuming and laborious but also introduces deviations due to differences in installation and operating conditions. Therefore, by leveraging the high precision, convenient adjustment, and simple traceability of the piston prover, as well as the good repeatability of the standard meter, this paper proposed a cyclic self-calibration method, which iteratively transmits the calibrated piston value to different flow points of the standard meter through the standard meter itself and the transition flow meter, so as to realize the in situ transmission of the value from the high-precision piston to the wide range of standard meter. The water flow standard device and the cyclic self-calibration method, combining the standard meter and the transfer meter in series and parallel, were introduced; the uncertainty transfer chain was analyzed based on the error transfer theory; and experimental validation was conducted. The results show that the proposed self-calibration method is feasible, that the (0.005~4) m³/h high-precision flow rate of the piston can be extended to the (4~1250) m³/h of standard meters through multiple self-calibration value transfers, and that the expanded uncertainty of the water flow standard device is better than 0.20% (k = 2). Full article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large class of thousands of synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds used for many industrial applications. Humans are exposed to PFASs mainly through diet and contaminated drinking water. Studies show that PFASs induce several adverse effects on humans. A great number of human biomonitoring studies have been widely conducted with the aim of estimating exposure to PFASs. The matrices mainly investigated are blood, serum and breast milk. However, in many cases, the need for non-invasive sampling methods with a minimal impact on donors has become paramount to comply with modern ethical standards and regulations. For this reason, we developed a streamlined and efficient method for the analysis of eight perfluorocarboxylic and perfluorosulfonic acids (PFHpA; PFHxS; PFOA; PFHpS; PFNA; PFOS; PFDA; and PFUdA) in human urine samples by UPLC chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic and MS parameters were optimized; the method was validated for: repeatability (<20%), within-lab reproducibility (<20%), trueness (within the set 20% variation limit of agreement between the mean of the data set and the true value), efficiency (51–97%), linearity (R² > 0.99), limits of detection (0.0003 ng/mL), and limits of quantification (0.001 ng/mL). To our knowledge, this is the first published method in Italy for the detection of PFASs in human urine. Full article

The protection of leaves from photoinhibition and berries from dehydration and sunburn has become an increasingly important objective in response to the rising frequency and intensity of heat waves worldwide. This research investigated the effect of a white nonwoven geotextile sheet (TNT) installed in the fruiting zone in the white cultivar ‘Verdicchio’ (Vitis vinifera L.) during critical summer periods with the aim of protecting leaves and berries from extreme heat. The study was conducted over two seasons (2020–2021) in a rainfed vineyard in central Italy using a randomized block design. Physiological and yield parameters were recorded. Vines protected with TNT did not show any changes in net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency, compared to unshielded vines. However, TNT reduced leaf temperature and increased berry total acidity and malic acid concentration while reducing sugar content, leading to wines with higher freshness and reduced alcohol levels. The use of TNTs shows significant potential as a practical tool for viticulturists to mitigate the effects of excessive heat, allowing for better management of berry ripening and ultimately improving final wine characteristics. Additionally, TNT is economically feasible, especially if applied only to the afternoon-exposed side of the canopy, and its cost can be amortized, especially in vineyards affected by frequent heat waves and/or dedicated to the production of premium wines. Full article

The prediction of the compressive strength (CS) for sustainable concrete reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) is difficult as a result of nonlinear interactions between chemical composition, dispersion state, and curing conditions. To address this, an interpretable ensemble machine learning framework is developed to provide accurate predictions of CS. The major input parameters used are sand content, graphene diameters, graphene thicknesses, and percentages of GNP to sand (GNP%; w/w), water-to-cement ratio W/C, ultrasonication period UST time (s), curing age CA day(s), while the CS (in MPa) is the target output. The random forest (RF) and XGBoost (XGB) models are incorporated into two novel metaheuristic optimization techniques, the Drawer-based optimization algorithm (DOA) and the Giant Trevally Optimizer (GTO), to enhance hyperparameter tuning and generalization. For all models, DOA XGB hybrids are the most predictive, with testing R² values up to 0.98; RMSE of around 2.9 MPa; MAE is approximately 2.0 MPa, and well over 97% within ±20% prediction error boundaries. The explainable artificial intelligence methodologies like Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), partial dependence plots, and Individual Conditional Expectation plots reveal curing age and graphene thickness as the dominant parameters. High strengths above 70 MPa are always achieved from higher curing age, w/c ratio (from 0.3 to 0.4), and graphene dosage (from 0.5 to 2.5%). A Python GUI is developed for efficient and accurate strength predictions suitable for practical applications. The proposed approach provides a robust, interpretable, and efficient alternative to extensive testing for GNP-reinforced concrete. Full article