Article
Environmental Sciences
Lisa Skein, Kerry J. J. Sink, Prideel A. A. Majiedt, Megan G. G. van der Bank, Kaylee P. P. Smit, Lynne J. J. Shannon
Summary: The need to move toward marine ecosystem-based management is recognized globally. However, many countries, including South Africa, fail to effectively address multiple interacting pressures in their marine assessments and management. Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) is proposed as a tool to organize information and guide cross-sectoral management decisions. This study identifies the sectors and pressures with the highest impact risk in the South African marine territory, including fishing, shipping, and coastal infrastructure. The findings align with those of the recent South African National Biodiversity Assessment and highlight the importance of understanding local knowledge gaps to improve assessment accuracy and prioritize impactful sectors.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Annika Kruger, Rialet Pieters, Suranie Horn, Catherina van Zijl, Natalie Aneck-Hahn
Summary: Water is an important resource and the worsening water quality in South Africa is due to inadequate infrastructure, corruption, insufficient funds, increasing toxicants, and emerging chemicals of concern. Adding effect-based methods to water quality monitoring programs can address the limitations of chemical analysis and help protect human and animal life.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Koleka Makanda, Stanley Nzama, Thokozani Kanyerere
Summary: This paper assessed the water quality of Blesbokspruit River Catchment using South African water quality standards and Water Quality Index (WQI). The study found that most of the physico-chemical parameters met the water quality standards, except for NO3- and PO42-. The study recommends the application of TMDL and CMB techniques in water resource protection practice.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meshal M. Abdullah, Amjad Assi, Waleed K. Zubari, Rabi Mohtar, Hamed Eidan, Zahraa Al Ali, Bader Al Anzi, Virender K. Sharma, Xingmao Ma
Summary: Revegetating 10% of Kuwait's desert as grazing rangeland can reduce water consumption from fodder production, increase natural grazing efficiency, and support more domestic livestock. Strategic supplemental irrigation can enhance vegetation coverage and improve food security and water sustainability in arid regions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Guogan Peng, Xijie Zhou, Bin Xie, Cheng Huang, Mohammad Mazbah Uddin, Xingxing Chen, Lingfeng Huang
Summary: Integrated biomanipulation, combining traditional and non-traditional methods, was successfully used in Longhu Lake to control cyanobacterial blooms and improve water quality for 20 years. Compared to single-bomanipulation scenarios, integrated biomanipulation showed better ecosystem stability, higher energy flow transfer efficiency, and improved ascendency.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Solhanlle Bonilla-Duarte, Claudia Caballero Gonzalez, Leonardo Cortes Rodriguez, Ulises Javier Jauregui-Haza, Agustin Garcia-Garcia
Summary: The survey in Santo Domingo, National District, showed a correlation between forest cover and air quality, but further research is needed for conclusive results. The study suggests that urban planning for environmental quality requires inter-institutional coordination and permanent monitoring.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hanlin Feng, Ming Liu, Minyun Xu, Mengxue Zhang, Ling Mo, Tao Chen, Xinyu Tan, Ziye Liu
Summary: The water ecological environment in Hainan Province is in good condition, but has faced degradation in recent years. China has integrated the three elements of water environment to formulate a comprehensive protection strategy, considering various factors. Scientific and feasible integrated protection strategies are crucial for promoting the construction of beautiful rivers.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ayse Muhammetoglu, Pelin Orhan, Ozgun Akdegirmen, Secil Tuzun Dugan, Habib Muhammetoglu
Summary: This study presents an integrated approach that combines monitoring and water quality modeling to assess the effectiveness of different best management practices (BMPs) and point pollution control scenarios. The results show that diffuse pollution control scenarios are effective in reducing pollutant concentrations. The combined BMP scenario targeting agricultural practices, pasture management and animal waste control provides the maximum reduction in total annual diffuse pollution loads.
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Gang Lu, Lin Wang
Summary: Conventional stormwater management infrastructures lack sustainability due to urbanization and climate change, while green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is seen as a more sustainable alternative. An integrated framework for GSI planning is developed, focusing on facility and ecosystem aspects to improve the provision of ecosystem services and enhance ecosystem resilience.
Article
Economics
Omar Swei, David Gillen, Anuarbek Onayev
Summary: This paper proposes a method to generate a quality-adjusted producer price index for roadways production. By analyzing price data of highway projects, it is found that the quality-adjusted price index exhibits 1.7% lower annual growth than the unadjusted index, suggesting that productivity growth in producing infrastructure may have been significantly underestimated.
Article
Environmental Studies
Joan Marull, Roc Padro, Maria Jose La Rota-Aguilera, Joan Pino, Annalisa Giocoli, Jacob Cirera, Nuria Ruiz-Fores, Francesc Coll, Tarik Serrano-Tovar, Raul Velasco-Fernandez
Summary: This paper proposes a socioecological integrated analysis model for metropolitan green infrastructures and applies it to the Urban Master Plan of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area in order to contribute to sustainable land use policies. The study shows that the current land use planning trends have a negative impact on the ecological functioning of the landscape and the provision of ecosystem services. Therefore, deeper changes are needed in land use policies to promote agroecological transitions towards more sustainable metropolitan green infrastructures under climate change scenarios.
Article
Agronomy
Jian Kang, Xinmei Hao, Huiping Zhou, Risheng Ding
Summary: Water use efficiency is a complex indicator that plays a key role in combating global water shortage and ensuring food supply, requiring understanding of physiological mechanisms and innovative technologies. This review discusses advances in improving WUE, proposing a water-saving strategy and integrative management approach based on crop responses to water deficit and precision irrigation.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ruoyu Zhang, Lawrence E. Band, Peter M. Groffman
Summary: Urban watersheds can experience ecosystem degradation, but can be restored through terrestrial and aquatic low impact development practices. Finding the optimal balance between green and grey infrastructure is crucial for achieving ecohydrological behavior similar to pre-urbanization conditions. Urban reforestation has been found to be the most effective in reducing stormflow and nutrient export, while bioswales and permeable pavement can unexpectedly increase in-stream nitrate loads.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria Granitto, Soledad Diodato, Patricia Rodriguez
Summary: The rapid and unorganized population growth in Ushuaia, Argentina has negatively impacted the water quality of the city's three main water courses due to urban expansion and lack of infrastructure for services like sewage treatment. The Fuegian Water Quality Index (F_WQI) developed as a monitoring tool, revealed very poor water quality in areas with high urbanization and wastewater discharges, while indicating very good water quality in less urbanized areas. Including Periphyton Chlorophyll-a in water quality indices proved to increase the sensitivity of monitoring efforts in temperate rivers and streams.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carla-Leanne Washbourne
Summary: This paper examines how green infrastructure concepts have been integrated into urban decision-making in five different urban areas. The study reveals significant differences in the explicit use of green infrastructure within environmental policy, influenced by the policy priorities of each city.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Shi-Jin Feng, Jia-Liang Shi, Yang Shen, Hong-Xin Chen, Ji-Yun Chang, Hong-Tao Wang
Summary: This paper presents an experimental study on the interface shear behavior between smooth and textured geomembranes and compacted clay liners. The shear strength was found to be mainly driven by the normal stress level and had minimal influence from the displacement rate. The residual shear strength of the textured geomembrane/compacted clay liner interface was even higher than the peak shear strength of the smooth geomembrane/compacted clay liner interface at all normal stress levels.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOTECHNICS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Zonglin Li, Junsen Wang, Jiajun Chang, Bomin Fu, Hongtao Wang
Summary: The enrichment and transport of antibiotics in the environment pose significant challenges to public health worldwide. Traditional sewage treatment plants are unable to completely remove fluoroquinolones (FQs), a widely used class of antibiotics, leading to their accumulation in the environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) show promise in addressing antibiotic contamination, and photocatalytic ozone is a cost-effective method for degrading FQs. This review summarizes the influencing factors, mechanisms, benefits, and application restrictions of AOPs, and proposes research directions for controlling FQs pollutants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingyi Xu, Xianjun Tan, Wenhui Ding, Arturo A. Keller, Yuxiong Huang
Summary: An external oxidant-free system was developed to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the decontamination of antibiotics in natural water systems. Cobalt-doped Fe3S4 nanoflowers were designed and synthesized, which showed superior ability to adsorb and activate oxygen molecules. The use of these nanoflowers resulted in a significant improvement in the degradation rate of sulfamethoxazole and boosted the degradation efficiency of antibiotics. This study provides a new strategy for the control of emerging organics in water systems and sheds light on the mechanisms of in-situ ROS generation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Caroline P. Vignardi, Adeyemi S. Adeleye, Mohsen Kayal, Ekene Oranu, Robert J. Miller, Arturo A. Keller, Patricia A. Holden, Hunter S. Lenihan
Summary: Environmental conditions in aquatic ecosystems play a significant role in transforming toxic chemicals, such as copper nanoparticles, and influencing their bioavailability and toxicity. This study investigated the accumulation and toxicity of aged nano-Cu in marine phytoplankton, and found that the dissolution rate of nano-Cu decreased during the first 4 weeks before increasing rapidly after 15 weeks. The toxicity of nano-Cu to phytoplankton decreased with particle aging from 0 to 4 weeks, but increased significantly after 15 weeks due to elevated Cu dissolution.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Arturo A. Keller, Alex Ehrens, Yuanfang Zheng, Bernd Nowack
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Longlong Xia, Wenhao Chen, Bufan Lu, Shanshan Wang, Lishan Xiao, Beibei Liu, Hongqiang Yang, Chu-Long Huang, Hongtao Wang, Yang Yang, Litao Lin, Xiangdong Zhu, Wei-Qiang Chen, Xiaoyuan Yan, Minghao Zhuang, Chih-Chun Kung, Yong-Guan Zhu, Yi Yang
Summary: China's agriculture, which feeds 20% of the global population, is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve carbon neutrality, the study proposes the utilization of sustainable biomass waste, such as crop residues, forest residues, livestock manure, food waste, and sewage sludge, for biochar production. The potential of biochar production from these waste resources in 2018 can offset the methane and nitrous oxide emissions from China's croplands. However, the distribution of biomass waste varies across regions, and differential policies and pyrolysis technologies are needed to maximize the climate benefit.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Arturo A. Keller, Kendra Garner, Nalini Rao, Eladio Knipping, Jeffrey Thomas
Summary: Global changes, such as climate and land use changes, have significant impacts on water resources. In order to plan for these changes, it is necessary to make projections and evaluate different hydrologic and water quality models. Among the models evaluated, MIKE-SHE, HEC-HMS, MODHMS, SWAT, and WARMF stand out in terms of functionality, availability, applicability, and support.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Mudi Zhai, Bomin Fu, Yuhui Zhai, Weijie Wang, Amy Maroney, Arturo A. Keller, Hongtao Wang, Jean-Marc Chovelon
Summary: The coexistence of pharmaceuticals and heavy metals poses a serious threat to aquatic environments. Adsorbents have been widely used for the simultaneous removal of pharmaceuticals and metals from water. The effectiveness of the adsorption process depends on various factors such as the characteristics of the adsorbents and contaminants, temperature, pH, inorganic ions, and natural organic matter. Bridging and competition effects play significant roles in promoting or inhibiting the adsorption process. This review provides valuable insights into the theoretical knowledge in this field and may contribute to the prevention and control of the coexistence of pharmaceuticals and heavy metals in wastewater.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Weiwei Li, Arturo A. Keller
Summary: This study optimized a targeted plant proteomics approach by developing and optimizing signature peptide selection, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis method, and sample preparation method. Different protein extraction and precipitation methods, as well as digestion methods, were evaluated. The results showed that the phenol extraction method using fresh plant tissue, coupled with trypsin digestion, was the best sample preparation method for targeted proteomics studies. The optimized approach yielded higher peptide concentrations and detected additional signature peptides. This study provides a workflow for optimizing targeted proteomics studies.
ACS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Arturo A. Keller
Summary: Inorganic nanomaterials such as TiO2 and ZnO provide effective UV protection, but concerns about their potential health and ecological implications have arisen. However, most studies suggest that the risks associated with these materials are minimal and their impact on human and environmental health is limited. Further research is needed to assess if sensitive habitats are at an elevated risk.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Violaine Desgens-Martin, Weiwei Li, Taylor Medina, Arturo A. Keller
Summary: Modeling and field sampling are important for assessing PFAS sources and risks. Legacy and newer PFAS were detected in wastewater treatment plant samples. Predictive models were used to estimate PFAS loads and population size and urban land use were found to be predictors of PFAS loads. The study demonstrates the practicality of using predictive models and field sampling for assessing PFAS risks.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yidi Zhang, Xiaohang Ni, Hongtao Wang
Summary: This study conducted quantitative and visual analysis on 1,543 publications retrieved from Web of Science between 2000 and 2021 to evaluate the structure, development trend, hot spots, and research frontier in the field of GHG emissions from STPs. The results showed that the number of publications has increased over the years and there is a strong correlation among authors and institutions. Energy regeneration and resource recovery in STPs have become hot topics and frontier directions for GHG reduction.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yiming Su, Xuefei Zhou, Huan Meng, Tian Xia, Haizhou Liu, Philippe Rolshausen, Caroline Roper, Joan E. McLean, Yalei Zhang, Arturo A. Keller, David Jassby
Summary: Nanotechnology-based approaches have shown promising results in sustainable agriculture, particularly in the development of fertilizers and pesticides. It is crucial to assess the economic and environmental benefits of these nanoformulations, and improving their efficiency is necessary for widespread adoption.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Xiangning Huang, Arturo A. Keller
Summary: This study investigated the physiological, nutritional, and metabolomic responses of wheat plants to two surfactants. The results showed that the application of Green SA at the flag leaf stage had a greater impact on plant defense system and nitrogen and carbon metabolism compared to Nonionic SA.
ACS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Lijuan Zhao, Tonghao Bai, Hui Wei, Jorge L. Gardea-Torresdey, Arturo Keller, Jason C. White
Summary: This review examines the use of ROS-scavenging and ROS-triggering nanomaterials to enhance stress resistance in plants. It discusses the delivery pathways of these nanomaterials and highlights the potential of nanobiotechnology in engineering crops with improved stress tolerance.
