Eco-friendly Choice Research Articles

Carbohydrate polymer hydrogels: an environmental and eco-friendly choice for biomedical applications?

Carbohydrate polymer hydrogels: an environmental and eco-friendly choice for biomedical applications?

Towards sustainable shale oil recovery in Jordan: An evaluation of renewable energy sources for in-situ extraction

Oil shale (OS) can significantly enhance energy security and diversify the energy mix in countries like Jordan. However, OS extraction and utilization are always associated with negative environmental impacts. This paper investigates a novel approach of using renewable energy to further retort the OS to produce oil. In this study, Al-Lajjun and Sultani OS resources in Jordan were analyzed using a mathematical model and simulation analysis using the system advisor model (SAM) software. The study aimed for in-situ shale oil extraction from a vast shale oil reserve in Jordan, with a focus on mitigating energy usage and environmental issues. The study suggested utilizing recovered heat from the production stream along with an external source, which may include natural gas, solar thermal energy, or a combination of both, to produce the substantial amount of heat energy necessary for in situ pyrolysis of OS. The study designed five different plants using the SAM program: gas steam boiler (GB), photovoltaic (PV) with batteries, parabolic trough with thermal energy storage (TES), PV integrated with GB, and parabolic trough coupled with GB. The economic analysis, project recovery, and environmental evaluation were conducted, and the results showed that drilling wells in the Sultani area was more expensive than in the Al-Lajjun area due to the thickness of overburden. The PV with GB was the most economically advantageous option, with a total cost of $79.4 M for Al-Lajjun and $89.89 M for Sultani. However, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for Al-Lajjun and Sultani are 10.41 and 9.18 ¢ per kWh, respectively. Conversely, PV systems with batteries and the parabolic trough with TES demonstrated a higher level of environmental friendliness compared to other shale oil recovery systems. Among these, the systems incorporating PV with GB and parabolic trough with GB, both featuring an SF of 30%, consistently demonstrate CO2 emissions of 0.016 kg CO2 per kg of shale oil produced. In contrast, the system solely reliant on GB without any solar contribution, holding a 0% SF, exhibited elevated CO2 emissions of 0.023 kg CO2 per kg of shale oil produced. The study recommends the use of PV with GB as the most economically viable option, while PV with batteries is the more eco-friendly choice for extracting shale oil from the Al-Lajjun and Sultani OS reserves located in Jordan. The study outcomes can be useful for policymakers and investors interested in developing the shale oil industry in Jordan. However, further research is needed to evaluate the long-term environmental impact and sustainability of the proposed method.

Effect of Slag Sand on Mechanical Strengths and Fatigue Performance of Paving Grade Geopolymer Concrete

AbstractGeopolymer concrete with time is gaining recognition as a sustainable alternative to Portland cement concrete, offering lower carbon emissions and utilising industrial by-products. While prior research focussed on its mechanical properties for structural purposes, this study explores its potential for paving applications. A unique geopolymer concrete mixture suitable for paving, referred to as paving quality geopolymer concrete (PQGC), was developed by incorporating slag sand (SS) as a substitute for river sand (RS). The investigation primarily assessed fatigue life PQGC mixes. The findings demonstrate that the inclusion of SS in PQGC has no significant impact on its setting times or workability. However, PQGC formulated with 100% SS, w.r.t PQGC containing RS, exhibited enhanced mechanical strength of 7% in compression, 16.7% in flexure and 8.3% in split tensile tests at 28 days of open-air curing. Following a 14-day period of curing, PQGC achieved a compressive strength of 46 MPa, surpassing the minimum requirement of 40 MPa as per IRC:58 2015 for pavement quality concrete (PQC) by 15%. To evaluate fatigue performance, PQGC beam specimens were subjected to repeated loading at stress levels ranging from 0.9 to 0.6. The resulting fatigue data were employed to develop stress-fatigue life (SN) and Weibull two-parameter fatigue failure models. Comparative analysis with fatigue failure models such as Indian Road Congress (IRC) and Darter revealed that PQGC exhibits superior fatigue resistance and longer life expectancy compared to PQGC. In conclusion, this study confirms that PQGC incorporating SS is an efficient and eco-friendly choice for constructing rigid pavements with advantages such as curing without water, enabling early opening of roadways to traffic, and excellent resilience under cyclic loads.

Photocatalytic CO2 cycloaddition over highly efficient W18O49-based composites: An economic and ecofriendly choice

The CO2 cycloaddition of epoxides is a highly attractive long-term carbon fixation strategy, but harsh reaction conditions and expensive catalytic materials limit its industrial application. Herein, low-cost and highly efficient W18O49-based composites were constructed by in-situ solvothermal synthesis. It is found that W18O49/g-C3N4 composites exhibit the highest yield of 74% (271 mmol g−1h−1) in the probing reaction of styrene carbonate production. The physicochemical characterizations indicate that the photocatalysis plays a fundamental role in this reaction by promoting the activation of CO2 and styrene oxide. The crucial role of photogenerated electrons and Lewis acid-base sites is confirmed. In this work, a novel catalyst selection to produce cyclic carbonate under ambient conditions is presented.

Do environmental taxes affect energy consumption and energy intensity? An empirical analysis of OECD countries

The use of environmental taxes can encourage a shift toward eco-friendly choices. When used in conjunction with other policy tools available, environmental taxes can help bring about the adjustments needed in order to address our current environmental and climate challenges. Therefore the objective of this study was to examine the impact of environmental taxes on energy consumption and energy intensity using panel data covering the period 1995–2014 from 35 OECD countries. I employed environmental tax to total tax ratio, total energy consumption, and total energy intensity to estimate the relation between energy consumption and environmental taxes. Using the fully modified and dynamic OLS techniques and I showed that environmental taxes have a negative effect on energy consumption and energy intensity in the long run. Furthermore, using the Dumitrescu and Hurlin’s panel granger causality test I found a bi-directional long-run causality between environmental taxes and energy consumption and intensity. With regards to the disaggregated effect of environmental taxes, this study found that energy taxes (including CO2 taxes) have a larger effect on energy consumption and energy intensity than pollution and transport taxes. To test for the robustness and sensitivity of my model, I resorted to the total environmental tax to GDP ratio and employed both GMM and quantile regressions. Thus, I concluded that environmental taxes have a significant impact on energy consumption and energy intensity among OECD member countries.

Impact of the RF Power on the Copper Nitride Films Deposited in a Pure Nitrogen Environment for Applications as Eco-Friendly Solar Absorber

This material can be considered to be an interesting eco-friendly choice to be used in the photovoltaic field. In this work, we present the fabrication of Cu3N thin films by reactive radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at room temperature, using nitrogen as the process gas. Different RF power values ranged from 25 to 200 W and gas pressures of 3.5 and 5 Pa were tested to determine their impact on the film properties. The morphology and structure were exhaustively examined by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman Spectroscopies and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. The AFM micrographs revealed different morphologies depending on the total pressure used, and rougher surfaces when the films were deposited at the lowest pressure; whereas FTIR and Raman spectra exhibited the characteristics bands related to the Cu-N bonds of Cu3N. Such bands became narrower as the RF power increased. XRD patterns showed the (100) plane as the preferred orientation, that changed to (111) with the RF power, revealing a worsening in structural quality. Finally, the band gap energy was estimated from transmission spectra carried out with a Perkin Elmer 1050 spectrophotometer to evaluate the suitability of Cu3N as a light absorber. The values obtained demonstrated the capability of Cu3N for solar energy conversion applications, indicating a better film performance under the sputtering conditions 5.0 Pa and RF power values ranged from 50 to 100 W.

Aqueous Two-Phase Systems Based on Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents as a Tool for the Recovery of Non-Protein Bioactive Compounds—A Review

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) based on ionic liquids (IL) and deep eutectic solvents (DES) are ecofriendly choices and can be used to selectively separate compounds of interest, such as bioactive compounds. Bioactive compounds are nutrients and nonnutrients of animal, plant, and microbial origin that benefit the human body in addition to their classic nutritional properties. They can also be used for technical purposes in food and as active components in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Because they are usually present in complex matrices and low concentrations, it is necessary to separate them in order to increase their availability and stability, and ATPS is a highlighted technique for this purpose. This review demonstrates the application of ATPS based on IL and DES as a tool for recovering nonprotein bioactive compounds, considering critical factors, results and the most recent advances in this field. In addition, the review emphasizes the perspectives for expanding the use of nonconventional ATPS in purification systems, which consider the use of molecular modelling to predict experimental conditions, the investigation of diverse compounds in phase-forming systems, the establishment of optimal operational parameters, and the verification of bioactivities after the purification process.

3E analyses of battery-assisted photovoltaic-fuel cell energy system: Step towards green community

Diesel generator-based energy systems (DGES) are often utilized for rural electrification, which is neither economical nor an eco-friendly choice. Also, fuel logistics in rural areas and uncertain varying prices of diesel are obstacles that make the DGES technically and economically unfeasible. Thus, a battery-assisted photovoltaic-fuel cell (PV-FC) green energy system (GES) is proposed to meet the energy demand of the rural community in Pakistan. 3E (energy, economic, and environmental) analyses are conducted to access the feasibility of GES in all three domains. The sensitivity analyses are performed to evaluate the effect of the most uncertain parameters on the economy of GES. In addition, the proposed GES is contrasted with DGES. It is investigated that the TNPC and COE of the proposed GES are 15% and 38.4% less expensive than DGES. The proposed GES contributes no emissions to the environment saving 384.47 tons/yr of greenhouse gas emissions as compared to DGES. Furthermore, no significant difference in the technical performance of both DGES and GES is observed. Hence, it is concluded that the proposed GES is financially, technically, and environmentally a feasible solution for rural electrification. Finally, future work is recommended to further explore this research direction.

Profiling of Volatile Organic Compounds from Four Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria by SPME-GC-MS: A Metabolomics Study.

The rhizosphere microbiome is a major determinant of plant health. Plant-beneficial or plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) influence plant growth, plant development and adaptive responses, such as induced resistance/priming. These new eco-friendly choices have highlighted volatile organic compounds (biogenic VOCs) as a potentially inexpensive, effective and efficient substitute for the use of agrochemicals. Secreted bacterial VOCs are low molecular weight lipophilic compounds with a low boiling point and high vapor pressures. As such, they can act as short- or long-distance signals in the rhizosphere, affecting competing microorganisms and impacting plant health. In this study, secreted VOCs from four PGPR strains (Pseudomonas koreensis (N19), Ps. fluorescens (N04), Lysinibacillus sphaericus (T19) and Paenibacillus alvei (T22)) were profiled by solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS) combined with a multivariate data analysis. Metabolomic profiling with chemometric analyses revealed novel data on the composition of the secreted VOC blends of the four PGPR strains. Of the 121 annotated metabolites, most are known as bioactives which are able to affect metabolism in plant hosts. These VOCs belong to the following classes: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, alkanes, alkenes, acids, amines, salicylic acid derivatives, pyrazines, furans, sulfides and terpenoids. The results further demonstrated the presence of species-specific and strain-specific VOCs, characterized by either the absence or presence of specific VOCs in the different strains. These molecules could be further investigated as biomarkers for the classification of an organism as a PGPR and selection for agricultural use.

Pro-environmental attitudes, local environmental conditions and recycling behavior

The paper uses Italian official survey data collected in 2012 from more than 20 thousand households to shed light on the determinants of people’s pro-environmental behavior, more specifically the differentiation of domestic waste disposal. A rich interdisciplinary literature has developed to explain why people may make eco-friendly choices, which come at a personal cost and provide benefits accruing largely to other people. The paper contributes to this investigation by jointly considering non-economic (a declared general interest in environmental issues), economic (easy access to recycling bins) and contextual (the perceived condition of the local environment) determinants of recycling. The results show that a higher general interest in environmental issues is associated with an increase in recycling of 7.5 percentage points, while easy access to facilities is associated with an increase in recycling of 5.3 percentage points. More educated households are also more inclined to behave pro-environmentally: a university degree or a Ph.D. is associated with an increase in the probability of recycling of 5.2 percentage points. Finally, the paper provides evidence that locally perceiving environmental degradation is associated with a 5.8 percentage points decrease in the likelihood of recycling. This last result may be explained by bounded rationality and/or conditional social cooperation, which both may lead to an environmental poverty trap. The final message is that the evidence gathered is difficult to reconcile with the “homo oeconomicus” hypothesis still prevailing in standard economic theory and that non-economic determinants have to be properly considered in the formulation of effective environmental policies.

Nudging for eco-friendly online shopping – Attraction effect curbs price sensitivity

The current study investigates the efficiency of nudging people to purchase more eco-friendly electronic devices in an emulated online milieu. To this end, participants were presented with three different products (smart phones, monitors and portable speakers) with two different nudges (attraction and default) and a control condition. Results from two experiments show that, while there was already a strong preference to make eco-friendly choices in control conditions, when eco-friendly choices were costlier, there was a clear positive effect of an attraction nudge on participants’ eco-friendly preferences. In other words, when product prices were generally high, or when there are large price differences between options, the attraction nudge resulted in a higher probability of eco-friendly choices compared to when no attraction effect is used. The default nudge was less efficient, sometimes producing a negative effect, while its effect was mediated by whether participants endorsed a strong bio-centric worldview, in which case the default nudge promoted more eco-friendly choices. The results are discussed in relation to potential challenges pertaining to deceit and perceived paternalistic intentions with use of nudges.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Isolated from Highly Saline “Sabkha Habitat” Soil Alleviated the NaCl-Induced Stress and Improved Lasiurus scindicus Henr. Growth

Salt stress is one of the most significant abiotic stresses that substantially negatively impact plant growth and productivity. However, a slew of research thus far has investigated the ameliorating properties of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis and their potential to improve plant tolerance to salt stress. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the role of mycorrhizal inocula obtained from Sabkha (S-AMF) and non-Sabkha (NS-AMF) habitats of Saudi Arabia on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical behaviors of the Lasiurus scindicus plant. For this reason, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) isolated from Sabkha and non-Sabkha soils were treated with salinity-exposed L. scindicus. The results revealed that the AMF-treated plants had higher growth metrics and increased synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, which were reduced by salt stress. Furthermore, the application of AM symbiosis induced an increase in the activities of the antioxidant system, which resulted in a reduction of the plant oxidative damage. It was also found that the increased accumulation of proline and phenols acted as a protective measure. Moreover, plants inoculated with S-AMF had the highest ameliorating responses on all the studied parameters compared to NS-AMF. This could be attributed to the presence of habitat-specific AMF, which may have induced adaptive plasticity in plants to tolerate or resist extreme salinity. However, further study in exploring the S-AMF diversity is needed to make it an ecofriendly choice for the restoration of salinity-affected ecosystems.

Removal of Chromium(III) and Cadmium(II) Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions Using Treated Date Seeds: An Eco-Friendly Method.

The aim of the research was to prepare low-cost adsorbents, including raw date pits and chemically treated date pits, and to apply these materials to investigate the adsorption behavior of Cr(III) and Cd(II) ions from wastewater. The prepared materials were characterized using SEM, FT-IR and BET surface analysis techniques for investigating the surface morphology, particle size, pore size and surface functionalities of the materials. A series of adsorption processes was conducted in a batch system and optimized by investigating various parameters such as solution pH, contact time, initial metal concentrations and adsorbent dosage. The optimum pH for achieving maximum adsorption capacity was found to be approximately 7.8. The determination of metal ions was conducted using atomic adsorption spectrometry. The experimental results were fitted using isotherm Langmuir and Freundlich equations, and maximum monolayer adsorption capacities for Cr(III) and Cd(II) at 323 K were 1428.5 and 1302.0 mg/g (treated majdool date pits adsorbent) and 1228.5 and 1182.0 mg/g (treated sagai date pits adsorbent), respectively. It was found that the adsorption capacity of H2O2-treated date pits was higher than that of untreated DP. Recovery studies showed maximal metal elution with 0.1 M HCl for all the adsorbents. An 83.3–88.2% and 81.8–86.8% drop in Cr(III) and Cd(II) adsorption, respectively, were found after the five regeneration cycles. The results showed that the Langmuir model gave slightly better results than the Freundlich model for the untreated and treated date pits. Hence, the results demonstrated that the prepared materials could be a low-cost and eco-friendly choice for the remediation of Cr(III) and Cd(II) contaminants from an aqueous solution.

Environmental performance of a cork-based modular living wall from a life-cycle perspective

In a previous work, the authors of this paper proposed a new modular living wall made with expanded cork agglomerate, fully describing the designing process and discussing the overall mechanical performance. It was then shown that several key environmental and functional requirements were met by favouring the use of insulation cork board (ICB), a thermal insulation material with low environmental impact and good water retention.In this paper, the authors have extended the characterization of that living wall system to assess its performance under real conditions, with different plant species, geographical orientations and seasons. For this purpose, a prototype was built with four façades, facing north, south, east, and west. The area of façade covered by vegetation and the carbon sequestration provided by two different plant species were then monitored for over a year. Annual values of carbon uptake, experimentally determined, were further used to update an environmental life cycle model of the system.The results suggest that this modular living wall performs well in terms of plant development and carbon sequestration, with Festuca glauca showing a higher cumulative carbon uptake and a higher percentage of façade coverage than Thymus pulegioides, regardless of the geographical orientation and season. This essentially results from the greater amount of biomass produced by Festuca glauca and its hanging behaviour. It was also concluded that this new modular living wall is an eco-friendly choice, when assessed from a life cycle perspective, since it has a negative carbon balance over its life cycle (22.7 kg CO2eq per square meter).

Money and status or clear conscience and clean air – should we vary the marketing interventions depending on tourist’s cultural background?

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to identify cultural values underpinning eco-friendly tourism choices. Based on grounded theory study of tourists’ perceptions of their relationship with nature gathered through in-depth interviews, we extend our understanding of why people make eco-friendly choices when traveling and explain contradictory findings regarding the role of moral obligation vs. personal gain in driving eco-friendly tourism behaviors. We show that the gap between environmental concerns and eco-friendly tourism behaviors does not exist across all cultural contexts. We suggest how to tailor intervention strategies encouraging eco-friendly choices in tourism, based on the tourist’s cultural background.

A study on the suitability of solid waste materials in pavement construction: A review

This paper describes the various ways in which huge volumes of waste formed from urban and semi-urban areas can be optimally reutilized as an additive in the construction of bituminous pavements. It shows that different waste materials like scrap tyres, plastic wastes, glass, coal waste, fly ash, concrete waste, wood waste, etc. can be effectively reused in bituminous pavement construction. In countries like India, waste derived from various sources is usually incinerated, open burned, dumped into water bodies, disposed through landfills or ground, and discharged to sewers. This shows the potential of waste being used as a construction material in pavement development in developing nations like India where consumption is more and the availability of space for disposal is less. Moreover, the need for effective energy utilization and global climate change have made it mandatory to reduce pollution and increase recycling and re-use. Hence, to satisfy environmental norms, such practices need to be introduced into civil engineering situations. This work evaluates the various application of solid waste in sustainable pavement engineering and reviews the existing works on the re-utilization of solid wastes as road construction material and their sustainability. Life cycle assesement (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of solid waste as a construction material. The principal findings of this study reveal that solid waste obtained from various sources could be effectively incorporated into construction materials in the forms of aggregate, reinforcement fiber, filler material, additive etc. In summary, the study guides us in adopting stable and eco-friendly choices of converting the wastes into superior environmentally friendly road construction materials. In addition to being a lesser burden to the environment, this practice provides a satisfactory enhancement in the strength and durability of the pavements and also helps reduce energy and overall cost thereby proving to be a very useful and effective choice for all pavement related works.

Insights into the Multifaceted Applications of Architectural Concrete: A State-of-the-Art Review

The application of colour, form and texture to a concrete surface can transform the visual aspect of a structure. Such structural or non-structural elements possessing aesthetic finish exposed as an interior or exterior surface in the completed structure is usually termed as ‘Architectural Concrete’. The term ‘Architectural Concrete’ was coined in the year 1924 by a US architectural sculptor named John J. Earley. Over the years, many designers are fabricating architectural concrete blocks of several textures, colour and outline to deliver a vast range of structural appearance options. Architectural concrete is suitable for both structural and veneer applications. Archi-structural units offer economic and environmental benefits from their systematic combination of structural load-bearing, elegance and surface finish properties. Architectural concrete is often an economical and eco-friendly choice for crafting exterior or interior wall surfaces compared to the ceramic or stone finishing; however, it is unreasonable to procure at a structural concrete price. This review provides comprehensive information about the design and fabrication of architectural concrete, including forms, fabrication materials and its applications. The serviceability and durability aspects; production cost and the economy of the architectural concrete are also discussed in detail. Architectural concrete is the advanced solution, regardless of whether it is for structural engineering, economic or aesthetic reasons.

Hemp Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer Composites: Effects of NaOH Concentration on Fiber Pre-Treatment Process

High demand for using parts of natural materials, e.g., cores, fibers or leaves, as alternative additives are being increased. The main reasons are that natural materials can be served as renewable and eco-friendly choices such a sustainable development. Nevertheless, some limitations of applying those natural products, such as biodegradation, UV degradation, or weak bonding, are raised and need to be modified before further handling. One of the modification techniques for bio-based materials is chemical treatment by using alkaline solution (alkalization). Treatment process allows the plant's fiber to have fewer impurities as well as to increase the bonding on its contacting surface area. This research focuses on (i) effects of NaOH solution concentration on the pre-treatment properties of hemp fibers and (ii) self-treatment behavior of hemp fiber in geopolymer composites. The results show that the concentration of NaOH solution directly affected the pre-treatment process of hemp fiber as higher concentration from 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 to 12 Molar provided more vanishing level of fiber impurities, indicated by Contact Angle (CA) measurement and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy analysis. With the concept of alkaline treatment, the self-treatment process was therefore applied for hemp fiber incorporated in alkaline-activated geopolymer matrix. The results illustrate the self-treatment behavior of hemp fiber in geopolymer composites, which could improve the final performances of the hardened products without conventional pre-treatment process.

Why online shopping can be the eco-friendly choice

Why online shopping can be the eco-friendly choice

Removal of Pb (II) from aqueous solution using nanoadsorbent of Oryza sativa husk: Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

This research focus on the removal of Pb (II) ions from aqueous solution by adsorption process using nanoadsorbent developed from agricultural waste Oryza sativa husk (OSH). Surface morphology of nanoadsorbent was analyzed by FE-SEM, elemental composition by EDX and size by AFM. Attachment of functional groups on nanoadsorbent was determined by FTIR. The effect of pH, dose, contact time, initial concentration and temperature were investigated. Optimum adsorption of lead at pH 8, contact time 70 min at 60 °C temperature with 0.6 g/50 mL nanoadsorbent dose obeyed pseudo second order kinetic model with R2 0.996. Pb (II) adsorption was analyzed by Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin models. Freundlich isotherm model with correlation coefficient R2 0.999 was best fitted. Thermodynamic parameters anticipated the adsorption process to be endothermic and spontaneous. Post adsorption elution was carried out successfully. Results demonstrate that OSH is a low cost and eco-friendly choice for Pb (II) remediation.