Environmental Effects Research Articles

Promoting sustainability in the solar industry: bibliometric and systematic analysis of alternatives for the end-of-life of photovoltaic modules

This study conducted bibliometric and systematic analyses of the literature to map the application of life cycle assessment studies on photovoltaic panels, focusing on end-of-life alternatives. Seventy-six articles addressing management strategies, treatment, recycling, and utilization of the panels were examined. The results revealed a significant increase in the number of publications over time, particularly in high-impact journals. Sixteen end-of-life alternatives for the panels were identified, including recycling practices, material recovery, and landfills. All alternatives were analyzed regarding environmental, social, and economic impacts. Understanding the impacts of different end-of-life methods for solar panels is key in supporting government management and the implementation of effective policies and regulations. Additionally, it is necessary to consider the environmental and social effects, as well as ensure the protection of workers involved in related activities and prevent soil, water, and air contamination caused by different types of alternatives, such as dissolution and incineration. To enhance the recycling and recovery of elements from solar panels, scientific advancements and improvements in industrial infrastructure are necessary along with the implementation of a regional logistics approach that minimizes emissions resulting from transportation. The bibliometric analysis indicates that 65% of the studies were published within the last 3 years, and one quarter of the trending keywords of this period is “recycling”. This is particularly relevant to show a major area for research in the solar industry. By means of the systematic analysis, this study compiles and synthetizes the most recent and relevant alternatives for managing end-of-life photovoltaic panels. The comprehensive overview of the impacts associated with these alternatives contributes to the literature and practice of sustainability in the energy sector, providing support for informed decisions directed towards implementation.

The history of diapers and their environmental impact.

This article examines diaper practices around the world throughout history. This article reviews the innovation of the modern diaper and the environmental effects of disposable diapers.

A parametric study on syngas production by adding CO2 and CH4 on steam gasification of biomass system using ASPEN Plus

Abstract Biomass gasification technology is increasingly employed as an environmentally friendly energy source, primarily due to its minimal impact on the environment and its ability to mitigate pollution. This technology excels in producing gas with exceptionally high hydrogen content, making it a valuable source for both fuel and energy carriers. Hydrogen (H2), renowned for its stability and lack of detrimental environmental effects, holds great significance in various applications related to energy utilization and sustainability. In the current work, wood sawdust was utilized as the biomass feedstock for syngas production. The research focused on examining the impact of introducing carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) gases into the Gibbs reactors. The steam gasification process was modeled by the ASPEN Plus software, allowing for comprehensive analysis and simulation of the gasification reactions. According to the obtained results, the modeling performed in this study demonstrates good predictive capability when compared to the experimental data. It was shown that when the ratio of CO2 to biomass (C/B) increases, the MFR (mass flow rates) of H2 as well as CH4 decrease, whereas the flow rates of CO2 and carbon monoxide (CO) increase. These findings indicate the influence of the C/B ratio on the distribution of different gases within the gasification process. The reduction in MFR of hydrogen when transitioning from C/B = 0 to C/B = 1 in modes a and b is quantified as 17.51 % and 16.39 %, respectively. These percentages represent the magnitude of the decrease in hydrogen MFR for each specific mode when comparing two carbon dioxide to biomass ratios. When the CH4 to biomass (M/B) ratio increases, the mass flow rates of H2 exhibit a consistent upward trend, while the MFR of CO2 displays a descending form. Specifically, when in the Gibbs reactor, M/B rises from 0 to 1 for modes a and b, the mass flow rates of H2 experience significant increases of 265 % and 243 %, respectively. These findings underscore the direct relationship between the M/B ratio and hydrogen production, highlighting the potential for enhanced hydrogen yields with higher M/B ratios in the studied modes.

Reviewing the role of microplastics as carriers for microorganisms in absorbing toxic trace elements.

The pervasive presence of microplastics in various settings, such as freshwater and marine ecosystems, has sparked serious concerns. Microplastics can operate as possible transporters for hazardous trace elements or microbes, even though they are not naturally able to actively absorb these compounds. The binding sites on the plastic's surface or the complexes that are formed with the organic material on the plastic are how this adsorption process takes place. Microplastics' surfaces also seem to be attractive to microorganisms, such as bacteria and algae. Microorganisms can adhere to the rough surface of microplastics, which facilitates their colonization and formation of biofilms. Numerous bacteria, including ones that have the ability to absorb hazardous trace elements, can be found in these biofilms. Microplastics and microbes can interact in ways that are advantageous and detrimental. Microplastics have the ability to act as a substrate for microbial growth, which could lead to an increase in the quantity of microorganisms in the surrounding environment. On the other hand, microplastics may make it easier for microbes to spread to new areas, which could help dangerous or deadly species proliferate. Research is still ongoing to determine the degree to which microplastics serve as carriers of microbes and hazardous trace elements. Comprehending the implications of microplastics, pollutants, and microorganisms in a variety of environmental conditions is difficult due to their complex interplay. This review provides a detailed description of the complexity of the problem and used the examples related to microplastics, its environmental effects, and impacts on human health.

Effects of work environments on satisfaction of nurses working for integrated care system in South Korea: a multisite cross-sectional investigation

BackgroundNurses’ satisfaction has an impact on organizational and patient outcomes. Integrated care system in South Korea was established in 2015 to improve care quality and decrease caregiving burden. Since then, nurses’ satisfaction has increased due to an increase in nursing staffing. However, besides nurse staffing, various work environments still affect nurse satisfaction.MethodsIndividual online surveys were conducted with participants to determine their personal characteristics, work environments, and hospital characteristics. We used mixed-effects linear regression equation contained both fixed and random effects.ResultsThis study included 2,913 nurses from 119 hospitals. Their average job satisfaction was less than 6 points out of 10 points. Age, shift type, perceived workload, and delegation criteria were significant factors influencing nurses’ satisfaction. There was no significant factor among hospital characteristics. The satisfaction level of nurses was high for no-night rotating shift, low perceived workload, and clear delegation criteria.ConclusionsNurses’ satisfaction is affected by several work environmental factors. Low nurse satisfaction has a substantial impact on both patients and nurses. Therefore, nurse managers and hospitals should determine factors influencing their satisfaction and develop strategies to improve their satisfaction.

Mechanistic study of the effect of flexible fixation and load-bearing stress environment on fracture healing and shaping.

The biomechanical environment created by suture-button fixation Latarjet is conducive to the healing and shaping of the transplanted coracoid, but its mechanism remains unclear. The latest research has found that the absence of stem cell chemokine (CXCL12) impeded bone regeneration in Sonic Hedgehog (SHH)-deficient animals. However, whether the biomechanical environment affects SHH and CXCL12 function has not been studied. Rat fracture models were constructed to simulate stress environments under non-load-bearing and load-bearing conditions. The fracture healing and shaping, as well as the expression levels of SHH and CXCL12, were assessed through gross viewing, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and histochemical staining. Under flexible fixation, the relative bone volume (BV/TV) of rats exposed to the load-bearing stress environment was significantly higher than that of rats under a non-load-bearing stress environment (p ≤ 0.05). Adverse bone shaping was not observed in rats subjected to flexible fixation. The levels of SHH and CXCL12 in load-bearing rats exhibited significant elevation (p ≤ 0.05). Under a load-bearing stress environment, no significant difference was observed in the BV/TV between the flexible fixation group and the rigid fixation group (p ≥ 0.05), but there was excessive hyperplasia of the fracture callus in the rigid fixation group. The levels of SHH and CXCL12 in rats subjected to rigid fixation were significantly elevated (p ≤ 0.05). Flexible fixation and load-bearing stress environment may contribute to bone healing and shaping by influencing the levels of SHH and CXCL12, suggested that this mechanism may be relevant to the healing and shaping of the transplanted coracoid after suture-button fixation Latarjet.

Analyzing sustainability in bread production: a life cycle assessment approach to energy, exergy and environmental footprint.

Bread production is a pivotal component of global nutrition. However, its extensive production imposes significant strain on resources and energy, resulting in substantial environmental consequences. This study focuses on a multidimensional assessment of the environmental sustainability of the bread life cycle as a case study in Iran. By integrating four life cycle assessment (LCA) methods, this research demonstrates a comprehensive analysis of environmental effects, energy consumption, and exergy demand in bread production. It also identifies the hotspot stages and inputs within the bread production chain. Eventually, it proposes strategies for mitigating the environmental impacts in line with sustainable development goals. Data collection involved questionnaires by face-to-face interviews. The LCA evaluation was conducted using SimaPro software. Sustainability analysis was assessed using four different methods: CML, ReCiPe, cumulative energy demand (CED), and cumulative exergy demand (CExD) method, from cradle to bakery gate. The CML method results indicate that the highest environmental impacts are associated with marine aquatic ecotoxicity (157.04 to 193.36 kg 1,4-DB eq), fossil fuel depletion (11.05 to 12.73 MJ), eutrophication (4.20 × 10-3 to 4.70 × 10-3 kg PO4-3eq), acidification (8.09 × 10-3 to 9.16 × 10-3 kg SO2 eq), and global warming (0.61 to 0.69 kg CO2 eq). The ReCiPe method highlights wheat production stages and gas consumption as the most significant contributors to damage in terms of human health, ecosystems, and resource consumption indicators. The CED method reveals that fossil energy accounts for over 97% of the energy consumed during the bread life cycle. Energy consumption per kilogram of bread ranges from 12.07 to 13.93 MJ. The CExD method for producing 1 kg of traditional bread falls between 32.25 and 35.88 MJ. More than 60% of this value is attributed to renewable resources of water used in irrigation during the wheat farming stage, while over 35% is linked to non-renewable fossil resources, primarily due to the consumption of natural gas in bakery operations. To assess the potential decrease in environmental emissions, a sensitivity analysis was performed, considering the effects of substituting natural gas with biogas and grid electricity with photovoltaic electricity in the bakery. Then, three improved scenarios were developed, each demonstrating effective reductions in environmental impacts, with the most remarkable decreases observed in marine aquatic ecotoxicity (55%) and fossil fuel depletion (44%). Overall, the findings demonstrate that Sangak bread production exhibits a more environmentally friendly profile than other types of bread. These results can guide decision-makers in the bread production industry towards implementing sustainable practices that prioritize resource efficiency and environmental conservation. Also, stakeholders can develop strategies to reduce the environmental impacts and work towards a more sustainable future.

Effects of Physiological Status and Environmental Factors on the Lure Responses of Three Pest Fruit Fly Species (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Biotic and abiotic factors influence how insects respond to stimuli. This can make it challenging to interpret captures in traps used to monitor pest abundance in management programmes. To address this, the lure response of three pest fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) was evaluated in a semi-field setting with respect to several physiological and environmental factors. Using standardised methods with known fly numbers in field cages, the response to Biolure (food-based lure) was evaluated for Ceratitis capitata, Ceratitis cosyra and Bactrocera dorsalis. Response to the male lures was tested: E.G.O PheroLure for C. capitata and C. cosyra, Trimedlure for C. capitata, and methyl eugenol for B. dorsalis. The physiological variables evaluated were fly age, sex, weight, and total body nutritional composition. The environmental effects of temperature, relative humidity and light intensity were also assessed. Protein-deprived adults responded more strongly to Biolure. The response to Biolure was not sex-specific. Fly age influenced the response of all species to all tested lures. However, this effect was species and lure specific. Temperature was the most influential environmental factor, with response generally increasing with temperature. Lower thresholds for lure response, despite the proximity of responsive flies, range from 12.21 to 22.95°C depending on the species and lure tested. These results indicate that trapping systems and management activity thresholds must take physiological and environmental variation into account to increase their accuracy.

Network power and exclusion of informal waste pickers when plastic flows change: A case study of community waste banks in Klaten Municipality in Indonesia

Countries, like Indonesia, without advanced waste management systems and with higher levels of population and consumption growth, face particular challenges in addressing plastic waste and marine pollution. To address and prevent plastic marine pollution, Indonesia introduced mitigation initiatives, such as Extended Producer Responsibility, waste banks, and take back schemes. While recent research shows such approaches are able to prevent marine litter, research into their social and equity effects is scarce. This is problematic, because mitigation initiatives can have in- and exclusion effects in terms of access to valuable waste for vulnerable, informal waste actors. This article combines the sociology of network and flows with a network power typology to study how the implementation of waste banks in Klaten Municipality, Indonesia not only led to reduction in plastic pollution, but also the exclusion of cartmen, waste pickers and mobile intermediates from waste networks and thus from accessing these valuable waste flows. A waste bank is a community based business that provides households with additional income and turns household waste into economically valuable materials by trading them with recyclers. In doing so they outcompete a vulnerable group like waste pickers. Instead of waste pickers, households become part of the plastic waste networks. In addition to assessing environmental effects of (marine) plastic pollution mitigation initiatives, more scholarly attention should go towards assessing the in- and exclusion dynamics around different plastic mitigation initiatives. The sociology of network and flows is a useful lens through which to examine these in- an exclusion effects.

Environmental responsive peroxidase-like activity of MoS2@halloysite nanotubes mediated by piezoelectric effect

Nanozymes, as a class of synthetic enzymes, have the characteristics of abundant raw materials and powerful environmental adaptability, potentially serving as substitutes for natural enzymes. Herein, the MoS2 nanosheets were anchored on the surface of alkali activated halloysite nanotubes by utilizing a facile hydrothermal process, resulting in the formation of MoS2@halloysite (MoS2@HNTs) core-shell nanocomposites. The catalytic effect of material on peroxidase under the mechanical stress of applied ultrasonic vibration was systematically investigated with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as the substrate for chromogenic reaction. The results demonstrated that the established piezoelectric polarization effect generated by MoS2 with asymmetric crystal structure under mechanical force can promote the in-situ coloration of TMB. Concretely, MoS2@HNTs possessing higher Michaels constant (3.42 mmol L-1) and reaction velocity (3.16 × 10–6 mol L-1 min-1) exhibited enhanced peroxidase-like activity compared to pristine MoS2 microspheres. This may be attributed to the fact that halloysite dispersed the MoS2 nanosheets, exposing more reactive sites, and the nanocomposites produced more pronounced structural deformation under mechanical stress. The detailed experiments and theoretical calculation have elucidated the structure-activity relationship and microscopic mechanism among the microstructures, piezoelectric polarization effects and peroxidase catalytic effects of materials. This work provides an advanced prototype for the research of environmental responsive enzyme-like catalytic effects of mineral-based nanozymes with the regulation of external environmental factors.

The impact of opening the Arctic Northeast Passage on China's carbon emissions

The increase in shipping along Arctic routes has resulted in an increasing need for the environmental effects of shipping to be considered. Existing studies on the environmental impact of Arctic routes have focused mainly on shipping operations and have paid little attention to the dynamic features of opening new shipping routes. In light of the continuing retreat of Arctic sea ice, this study aimed to predict changes in China's CO2 emissions from a production perspective via scenarios of the opening of the Arctic Northeast Passage (NEP) in different future years (2025, 2030, 2035). A shipping cost model was first developed to calculate the changes in shipping costs resulting from commercial use of the NEP. Then, an energy-environmental version of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP-E) model and the GTAP-E 10.0 database were used to simulate the changes in CO2 emissions that may arise from the economic adjustments to the opening of the NEP. The driving factors and possible mechanisms of the environmental effects of the NEP were analyzed based on the simulation results. The re-simulation for the environmental effects of opening the NEP taking emission control policies into account was performed. The findings showed that the opening of the NEP would increase global CO2 emissions. This effect would gradually increase over time. For China, opening the NEP would initially reduce short- and medium-term CO2 emissions owing to upgrades of sectoral structure, while ultimately elevating emissions in the long run due to a large expansion in trade and the economy. The economic growth driven by commercial use of the NEP would tend to optimize the Chinese sectoral and energy structure in the short run. Notably, emission control policies would markedly affect the aforementioned environmental outcomes of opening the NEP.

Impact of antiparasitic used in livestock: effects of ivermectin spiked sediment in Prochilodus lineatus, an inland fishery species of South America.

Ivermectin (IVM) is a widely used antiparasitic. Concerns have been raised about its environmental effects in the wetlands of Río de la Plata basin where cattle have been treated with IVM for years. This study investigated the sublethal effects of environmentally relevant IVM concentrations in sediments on the Neotropical fish Prochilodus lineatus. Juvenile P. lineatus were exposed to IVM-spiked sediments (2 and 20µg/Kg) for 14days, alongside a control sediment treatment without IVM. Biochemical and oxidative stress responses were assessed in brain, gills, and liver tissues, including lipid damage, glutathione levels, enzyme activities, and antioxidant competence. Muscle and brain acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) and stable isotopes of 13C and 15N in muscle were also measured. The lowest IVM treatment resulted in an increase in brain lipid peroxidation, as measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), decreased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) in gills and liver, increased catalase activity (CAT) in the liver, and decreased antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals (ACAP) in gills and liver. The highest IVM treatment significantly reduced GSH in the liver. Muscle (AChE) was decreased in both treatments. Multivariate analysis showed significant overall effects in the liver tissue, followed by gills and brain. These findings demonstrate the sublethal effects of IVM in P. lineatus, emphasizing the importance of considering sediment contamination and trophic habits in realistic exposure scenarios.

How to leverage the initiative of regional innovation subjects under the digital economy? A study on the mediating effect of innovation environment

ABSTRACT The digital economy, as the most dynamic, innovative, and widely radiating economic form at present, has become an important force driving global economic development. Against this backdrop, how to leverage the initiative of innovation subjects and enhance regional innovation vitality has become an important issue. In view of this, this study explores the impact mechanism of the digital economy on the initiative of regional innovation subjects based on data from 30 regions in China, and analyzes whether the digital economy first affects the innovation environment and then influences the initiative of innovation subjects. The results show that the digital economy significantly enhances the initiative of regional innovation subjects, and as the scale of the digital economy continues to expand, it exhibits a non-linear feature of ‘increasing marginal effects’ on leveraging the initiative of regional innovation subjects. In addition, the regional innovation environment positively moderates the relationship between the digital economy and the initiative of innovation subjects. And it partially mediates the relationship between the level of the digital economy and the initiative of enterprises; While, it fully mediates the relationship between the level of the digital economy and the initiative of universities and research and development institutions.

Research on improving the efficiency of electricity transmission

A study of ways to modernize the current-carrying part of overhead lines to improve the efficiency of electricity transmission through the use of innovative types of wires was conducted. The technical and economic characteristics of AC, ACCR, and AERO-Z wires were analyzed. The results of the analysis revealed that further improvement of the design of AC wires should be based on new progressive developments that would meet such technical requirements as reliability, survivability and durability; corrosion resistance; high adhesion ability; resistance to vibration during operation under the influence of adverse climatic factors; resistance to environmental temperature effects. As an innovative solution to this issue, high-temperature (ACCR) and specially designed (AERO-Z) wires have been developed in foreign countries. A comparative analysis of the types of wires used in Ukrainian power grids with innovative types of wires used in power grids of foreign countries was performed. The results of the comparison of AC, ACCR, and AERO-Z wires show that the factor that limits the scope of application of ACCR wire, even for spans with extremely high requirements for power transmission characteristics, is its extremely high cost. This is because the technical characteristics of this wire are better than those of AC wire and it has a relatively low cost compared to ACCR wire, and its special design is adapted to adverse climatic conditions that affect the characteristics of electricity transmission.

Abamectin-induced behavioral alterations link to energy metabolism disorder and ferroptosis via oxidative stress in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

The increasing application of abamectin (ABM) in agriculture has raised concerns regarding its environmental safety and potential adverse effects on aquatic environment safety. In the present study, the toxic effects of ABM exposure on the adult Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis were investigated, with a focus on locomotion impairment, behavioral changes, oxidative stress, energy metabolism disruption, and ferroptosis. Crabs were exposed to sublethal concentrations of ABM at 2, 20 and 200 μg/L. After 21 d chronic exposure to 200 μg/L, residual ABM in hepatopancreas and muscles were detected as 12.24 ± 6.67 and 8.75 ± 5.42 μg/Kg, respectively. By using acute exposure experiments (96 h), we observed significant locomotion and behavioral alterations, alongside biochemical evidences of oxidative stress and energy metabolism impairment. The presence of ferroptosis, a form of cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, was notably identified in the hepatopancreas. Functional tests with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation showed restored behavioral responses and decrease of ferroptosis levels. It suggests that mitigating oxidative stress could counteract ABM-induced toxicity. Our findings highlight the critical roles of oxidative stress and ferroptosis in mediating the toxic effects of ABM on E. sinensis, underscoring the need for strategies to mitigate environmental exposure to pesticides.

Utilization of recycled fine aggregate in ultra-high performance concrete: Mechanical strength, microstructure and environment impacts

Recycled aggregate derived from construction and demolition (C&D) waste offers new opportunities for the construction industry due to the shortage of natural aggregate. This study presents the feasibility of utilizing recycled fine aggregate (RFA) in ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) to alleviate autogenous shrinkage, mitigate environmental effects, and further improve mechanical strengths. Three types of RFA with different particle sizes (0–0.6 mm, 0.6–1.18 mm, and 1.18–2.36 mm) are pre-saturated and then used as substitutes for quartz sand in UHPC. The influences of pre-saturated RFA on the workability, internal relative humidity, autogenous shrinkage, compressive strength, resistance to chloride ion penetration, and microstructure of UHPC are investigated. Experimental results showed that, compared to the plain UHPC, incorporation of 20 % RFA with particle size of 1.18–2.36 mm provides efficient internal curing, maintaining a higher internal relative humidity, and thus reducing autogenous shrinkage by 78.5 % at the age of 7 days. The compressive strengths of the UHPC containing 20 % RFA with particle size of 1.18–2.36 mm shows 7.1 % increase at the ages of 28 days. While it has a negligible effect on the fluidity and resistance to chloride penetration. The underlying mechanisms for the enhancement of properties involve the improved hydration degree of UHPC due to internal curing, which optimizes the structure of the interface transition zone and reduces the number of large pores. Furthermore, the sustainability analysis indicated that the use of RFA in UHPC exhibits 7.0 % lower carbon emissions and 7.8 % lower energy consumption, respectively. This study successfully proposes an effective approach for mitigating the autogenous shrinkage of UHPC without sacrificing strengths.

A Robust Induced Fit Docking Approach with the Combination of the Hybrid All-Atom/United-Atom/Coarse-Grained Model and Simulated Annealing.

Molecular docking remains an indispensable tool in computational biology and structure-based drug discovery. However, the correct prediction of binding poses remains a major challenge for molecular docking, especially for target proteins where a substrate binding induces significant reorganization of the active site. Here, we introduce an Induced Fit Docking (IFD) approach named AA/UA/CG-SA-IFD, which combines a hybrid All-Atom/United-Atom/Coarse-Grained model with Simulated Annealing. In this approach, the core region is represented by the All-Atom(AA) model, while the protein environment beyond the core region and the solvent are treated with either the United-Atom (UA) or the Coarse-Grained (CG) model. By combining the Elastic Network Model (ENM) for the CG region, the hybrid model ensures a reasonable description of ligand binding and the environmental effects of the protein, facilitating highly efficient and reliable sampling of ligand binding through Simulated Annealing (SA) at a high temperature. Upon validation with two testing sets, the AA/UA/CG-SA-IFD approach demonstrates remarkable accuracy and efficiency in induced fit docking, even for challenging cases where the docked poses significantly deviate from crystal structures.

Effects of Sensory Environment and Playfulness on Cognitive Health Among Older Adults in Singapore Public Housing: Findings from Path Analysis

This study explores the association of “Sensory Environment” and “Playfulness” with Depression and Cognition (SEPDC) among older adults living in high-density public housing neighborhoods in Singapore. The research conducted cross-sectional surveys with 400 adults aged 55 and above living in 20 such neighborhoods. Path analyses suggest that sensory environment (multi-sensory richness of a place and its capacity to engage) and playfulness (personality trait that enables rendering situations as playful) are associated with reduced depressive symptoms, memory problems, and loneliness in older adults, mediated by the increased “neighborhood cohesion” and sense of “at-homeness.” Hence, sensory environment and playfulness are critical for healthful aging in place and should be considered carefully for better design and planning of aging-friendly housing neighborhoods.

The effect of practice environments and psychological empowerment perceptions of nurses on their care behaviours: A cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of professional and individual characteristics, practice environments and psychological empowerment perceptions of nurses on their care behaviours. The study used a cross-sectional research design following the STROBE guidelines. The sample of this descriptive and correlational study consisted of 584 nurses working in a university hospital in Turkey. The data were collected between January and June 2023 using the Nursing Information Form, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), the Psychological Empowerment Scale (PES), and the Caring Behaviours Scale-30, and analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation and multiple linear regression. It was determined that PES-NWI, PES andCaring Behaviours Scale(CBI-30) scores of nurses were higher than the average. The study revealed that certain professional and individual characteristics of nurses, practice environments and psychological empowerment perceptions had an effect on their care behaviours. The results of the study showed that nurses' PES-NWI, PES and CBI-30 scores were higher than the average, and that certain professional and individual characteristics of nurses, practice environments and psychological empowerment perceptions had an effect on care behaviours. Nursing service managers, in particular, are required to understand the importance of this relationship and create appropriate working conditions which are integrated with psychological empowerment to improve caring behaviours of nurses.

The effect of an acidic environment during the hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge on solid and liquid products: The fate of heavy metals, phosphorus and other compounds

The pH of sewage sludge is a crucial factor during the hydrothermal carbonization process that influences the characteristics of the resulting products and migration of certain compounds from the solid to liquid phase. Accordingly, this work is focused on examining the pH impact during the HTC process, in particular, pH equals 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the individual hydrothermally carbonized products generated at 200 °C and 2 h residence time. For this reason, the chemical and physical indicators describing the post-processing liquid and hydrochar were determined. For instance, it was observed that the phosphorus content detected in the liquid, derived at pH2, rose significantly by 80%. Furthermore, decreasing the pH of sewage sludge had a significant impact on the ash content and the calorific value of the hydrochar. Additionally, changes in the specific surface area of hydrochar were noticed: pH = 5 and pH = 6 showed an increase of 20–30%, while for lower pH values a decrease of c.a. 26% was achieved. The distribution of heavy metals between the obtained fractions in the HTC process (solid and liquid) indicated that 92 to almost 100% of the tested heavy metals were transferred to the hydrochar. A significant effect of pH on the distribution between these fractions was observed only for Zn and Ni. For instance, for pH = 2, Zn and Ni in post-processing liquid were 34% and 29%, respectively. In addition, the sequential extraction of heavy metals from hydrochar was also performed in order to identify mobile and non-mobile phases. It was noticed that the acidic environment favours a higher amount of mobile heavy metals in hydrochar. The largest effect was observed for Cd, Pb, Cr and Cu, for which, at pH = 2, their respective amounts in the mobile fraction were 2.7; 3.6; 1.8; 6.2 times higher, compared to the hydrochar without pH correction.