Advances in microbial strain selection and carbon source valorization for Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production.

As iconic vessels of the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, gulets play a central role in Blue Voyage, presenting a valuable opportunity for advancing sustainable marine tourism through cleaner propulsion solutions. This study investigates the hydrodynamic performance and environmental impacts of two Bodrum Gulet-type hull forms, with overall lengths of 24 and 33.8 m, through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses and environmental sustainability assessments. The hydrostatic characteristics of the modeled hulls are determined, and flow characteristics, total resistance, and power requirements are evaluated. A case study based on a typical Blue Voyage route is conducted to evaluate the environmental implications of operating gulets with marine diesel oil (MDO), liquefied natural gas (LNG), and methanol (MeOH). Emission Ratio (ER) and Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) are calculated to quantify the performance of each fuel type. Results show that the current gulet hull forms can be optimized to reduce total resistance, enhancing the feasibility of adopting alternative fuels. The use of LNG and MeOH can lower CO₂ emissions by up to 9.8 % and 15.8 %, respectively, compared to MDO, with corresponding reductions in EEI of 8.3 % and 12.3 %. In addition, these benefits are found to be more pronounced for larger gulets operating at high occupancy levels. While LNG and MeOH offer notable environmental advantages, their application to gulets presents significant challenges, such as increased space requirements, safety considerations, and retrofitting constraints, making them more appropriate for new constructions or long-term planning.

Surface reconstruction of FeAl-LDHs@MXene accordion nanoarchitecture for solar-powered photocatalysis: Stable mineralization of refractory antibiotic pollutants.

Hardrock mining activities can impact groundwater through contaminant releases and altered water tables that last up hundreds of years. Environmental impact assessment (IA) is a planning tool used to predict potential effects and inform decision-making of proposed mining projects. The number and size of hardrock mines in Canada is increasing, with many major projects in the IA process. Despite the potential for long-lasting impacts of mines on groundwater quality and quantity, post-decision audits of groundwater effects assessment during IAs in Canada are very scarce. We consulted groundwater effects assessments for 16 hardrock mines assessed under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, to investigate (1) temporal boundaries and approaches to impact prediction; (2) specificity of long-term monitoring plans; and (3) how climate change was accounted for. A limited number (31%, n = 5) of mining projects presented numerical modelling of groundwater impacts with a clearly-stated time horizon. No projects incorporated quantitative assessments of climate change within predictions. Contaminant exceedances were predicted at 5 projects (31%; n = 5), though forecasted exceedance durations were not provided. Sufficiently detailed post-closure groundwater monitoring plans were proposed for 38% of projects (n = 6), with a median duration of only 5 years. Our findings highlight considerable shortcomings with recent IA processes for predicting and monitoring impacts on groundwater as a valued component for hardrock mines. We provide specific recommendations for how groundwater impact predictions can improve technical rigor. If implemented, these recommendations would support informed decision-making about proposed hardrock mines and build trust with stakeholders and rightsholders.

The escalating generation of urban lignocellulosic waste poses significant environmental and resource management challenges, necessitating sustainable valorization strategies. This article critically examines the conversion of urban lignocellulosic biomass into molecularly tailored nanomaterials for targeted soil and wastewater remediation. Emphasis is placed on the synthesis methodologies, molecular engineering approaches, and the intrinsic physicochemical properties governing their remediation performance. Key factors influencing material characteristics, including pyrolysis temperature, heating rate, residence time, and feedstock composition, are systematically analyzed. Tailored nanomaterials produced at elevated pyrolysis temperatures exhibit enhanced microporosity, increased specific surface area, and greater hydrophobicity, favoring the adsorption of non-polar organic contaminants.Conversely, low-temperature derived nanomaterials, enriched with oxygenated functional groups, demonstrate superior affinity towards polar organic and inorganic pollutants via surface complexation, electrostatic attraction, and precipitation mechanisms. The review further addresses critical challenges such as feedstock variability, process scalability, environmental risks, and regulatory considerations associated with field-scale applications.Future research directions emphasize the precision design of nanomaterials for contaminantspecific remediation, process optimization for large-scale deployment, and comprehensive environmental impact assessments. Overall, this study highlights the transformative potential of urban biomass-derived nanomaterials in advancing sustainable environmental remediation technologies and contributing to circular economy frameworks.

Naringin, a bioactive flavonoid found in citrus peels-a common byproduct of fruit processing-is typically extracted using volatile organic solvents, which raises issues about operational safety and environmental sustainability. This study integrated quantum chemical calculations with experimental approaches to conduct high‑throughput screening of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for naringin extraction from pummelo peel. Among 72 DESs, calculated infinite dilution activity coefficients indicated the solvation capacity, whereas σ-profiles examined potential hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The subsequent extraction experiment identified the DES consisting of tetrabutylammonium bromide/propylene glycol (TEABr/PG, 1:2 molar ratio) exhibiting the highest naringin yield among the nine DESs re-evaluated. Single-factor experiments coupled with response surface methodology systematically optimized the parameters to a liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 mL/g, 30% water content, 40°C, and 0.5h. The naringin yield attained 141.31mg/g under these mild conditions, significantly surpassing yields obtained with conventional methanol or ethanol. Beyond yield, the extract also showed potent antioxidant activity, particularly in ABTS radical scavenging, and notable antibacterial effects against E. coli and S. aureus. Importantly, the sustainability of the optimized process was evaluated using the Modified Green Analytical Procedure Index (MoGAPI). The TEABr/PG-based method achieved a greenness score of 78, outperforming ethanol (76) and methanol (72), demonstrating a win-win outcome between extraction efficiency and environmental sustainability. By combining high‑throughput solvent screening with systematic process optimization, this work not only establishes an efficient naringin extraction process but also offers a framework for evaluating both process performance and greenness, supporting citrus peel valorization within a bio‑circular economy.

This article examines the transformation of international wildlife law from a species-trade model centred on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to a broader ecological legality model in which habitat protection, forest legality, supply-chain traceability and market access increasingly shape conservation outcomes. It asks how trade-based wildlife conservation is shifting from the control of listed species towards the verification of the ecological legality of habitats and supply chains. Using Vietnam as a case study, the article analyses the interaction between CITES, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and Vietnamese laws on biodiversity, forestry, fisheries and environmental protection. It argues that Vietnam’s principal challenge is not formal participation in wildlife and biodiversity regimes, but the construction of a compliance infrastructure capable of connecting CITES permits, timber legality, protected areas, environmental impact assessment (EIA), illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing control, traceability and sanctions. The article contributes to wildlife law and policy scholarship by showing that the future of trade-based conservation lies not only in stricter prohibitions, but in legally credible systems that connect species, habitats and markets.

This study proposes a data-driven experimental decision framework to identify the most suitable sustainable supplementary materials for green concrete, aiming to reduce cement usage, industrial waste burden, and environmental impacts in the construction sector. It experimentally evaluates compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) of green concrete incorporating waste materials including silica fume, GGBS, metakaolin, granite dust, rice husk ash, ceramic waste, marble powder, coconut shell powder, plastic waste, and bottom ash. A hybrid methodology integrating Pearson correlation, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and k-means clustering was developed to capture complex interrelationships. Correlation-based dependency analysis was incorporated into AHP to generate objective performance weightages, where compressive strength was ranked highest (37%), followed by flexural strength (25%), UPV (22%), and split tensile strength (16%). K-means clustering then categorized materials into best and worst performance groups. The findings revealed silica fume as the most optimal and balanced material, achieving 48.5MPa compressive strength, 4.0MPa split tensile strength, 7.5MPa flexural strength, and 4400m/s UPV, indicating superior structural performance and durability potential. ANOVA confirmed strong statistical distinction between clusters (p < 0.0001), validating the robustness of the classification. The main contribution of this work lies in introducing a scalable machine-learning-assisted multi-criteria framework that objectively ranks sustainable cement replacement materials, enabling reliable selection for high-performance green concrete design.

ABSTRACT Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Pakistan is often criticized for hindering development due to procedural delays, which highlights the need to simplify EIA, as has been pursued in many other countries. This study aimed to identify the simplification initiatives undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) in Pakistan, examine the challenges encountered, and propose recommendations for the future. Structured interviews were conducted with officials across all EPAs. Findings reveal that some key initiatives have been undertaken by EPAs such as reduction in processing times, delegation of approval powers to lower-tier governments, exemption of selected project categories, and establishment of one-window facilitation cells. Respondents stressed the need for digitization and capacity building of EPAs to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability. They also highlighted the need to reduce bureaucratic and political interference, enabling EPAs to implement reforms effectively. The study concludes that without adequate human resources, technical expertise, and institutional stability, simplification efforts are unlikely to achieve sustainable outcomes. Also, Pakistan needs more of streamlining the system rather than simplifying procedural requirements like a lot of other countries. The findings offer valuable lessons for Pakistan and other developing countries seeking to streamline EIA processes without undermining environmental protection.

ABSTRACT This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) teaching literature from 2012 to 2025, applying a SWOT framework to assess current practices and future directions. Drawing on a systematic literature review, it highlights key strengths, including pedagogical diversity, integration of theory and practice, and alignment with international best practice. Nonetheless, persistent weaknesses, such as disjointed curricula, limited incorporation of sustainability principles, and low levels of research engagement, impede the effectiveness of EIA teaching. Opportunities for advancement include interdisciplinary expansion, pedagogical innovation, and stronger links to professional practice. At the same time, threats such as institutional fragmentation, legislative risks, and disciplinary ambiguity pose challenges to EIA teaching. Notably, the literature reveals a lack of engagement with emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence (AI) and global disruptions, underscoring the need for more forward-looking and adaptive EIA teaching frameworks.

ABSTRACT Environmental impact assessment (EIA) practice is operating in a rapidly changing world. This paper identifies practice-engaged perspectives on the expected and idealised futures of EIA practice using Q-methodology. The results identify areas of consensus in terms of expected and idealised futures, further differentiated into overlapping and non-overlapping perspectives. Results reveal that EIA practice is expected to persist with economic-growth orientated decision making as well as continued streamlining, while idealised futures involve alignment of investment decisions with sustainability goals and the application of green and sustainable finance taxonomies for better environmental protection. The alignment of overlapping consensus for expected and idealised futures suggests that EIA is unlikely to become redundant while political pressures will increasingly influence trade-off decisions and the financial sector's consideration of alternatives.

Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases are a growing global challenge. Vector control strategies have recently transitioned from chemical insecticides to botanical products. This study evaluated the larvicidal efficacy of dill, lime, and wormwood essential oils (EOs), along with their combinations and nanoemulsions (NEs), against Culex pipiens third-instar larvae over 48 h. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed major components for dill EO (Apiol 25.46%, Carvone 24.13%, and D-Limonene 23.47%), lime EO (D-Limonene 24.16%, α-Terpineol 13.12%, and β-Pinene 11.98%), and wormwood EO (davanone 33.8%, and camphor 25.67%). The TEM image showed spherical NE droplets (40–160 nm). The droplet size and polydispersity index (PDI) were (164 nm and 0.2), (211.6 nm and 0.2), and (160.8 nm and 0.6) for dill, lime, and wormwood NEs, respectively. Based on LC50 values after 30 min, the dill EO showed the highest larvicidal activity (LC50 = 286.9 ppm; confidence interval (CI) 226.85-341.52 ppm), followed by dill NE (LC50 = 518.9 ppm; CI 290.4 -765.1 ppm) and then (dill + lime) binary combination (LC50 = 1502 ppm; CI 1403.9-1605.4 ppm). The EO showed faster larvicidal activity than NEs, particularly within 30 min. NEs didn’t significantly enhance efficacy over crude EOs. Enzyme assays showed variable effects: dill, lime, and wormwood EOs reduced GST activity, whereas their corresponding NEs generally increased enzyme activity at most exposure times. These findings indicate that botanical formulations, particularly those derived from dill, may serve as promising biodegradable alternatives for vector control. However, optimizing essential oil ratios is needed to maximize synergistic effects, and comprehensive assessments of toxicity and environmental impact are required before large-scale application.

ABSTRACT Enhancing democracy's moderating role in the impact of tourism on the ecological footprint and CO 2 emissions is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, gaps remain in the literature on tourism economics, economic development, and environmental economics. To bridge this gap, this study analyzes data from 19 African countries between 2003 and 2020 to explore how democracy moderates the relationship between tourism, ecological footprint and CO 2 emissions. To ensure robustness, the analysis employs the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) method for cointegrated panels, the panel‐corrected standard errors (PCSE) technique to handle cross‐sectional dependence, and the generalised method of moments (GMM) approach to address endogeneity concerns. The findings indicate that both tourism and democracy contribute to environmental degradation. Furthermore, the results show that the marginal effects of tourism on ecological footprints and CO 2 emissions intensify as democracy levels rise. From a policy perspective, these findings underscore the need for democratically governed African states to adopt stricter environmental regulations and sustainability standards within the tourism sector. As democracy promotes citizen participation, governments should leverage this by engaging local communities and civil society in designing eco‐conscious tourism strategies, including the promotion of green certifications for hotels, investment in low‐carbon transport options, and the integration of environmental impact assessments into tourism planning.

Abstract Under Article 6(4) of the European Climate Law, the Commission must assess the consistency of all new legislative proposals with European Union (EU) climate targets. Despite its significant potential for climate governance, the provision has been inadequately applied to date. This contribution proposes an interpretation of what Article 6(4) requires, drawing guidance from other impact assessments, and considers recent case law on climate impacts in environmental impact assessments to examine what lessons can be learnt for Article 6(4) as a climate impact assessment. Considering the Commission’s persistent failure to comply with Article 6(4), the article further explores possible avenues to challenge the lack of (adequate) climate consistency assessments through strategic litigation. The EU Common Agricultural Policy is used as an illustration throughout, given the long-standing criticism of its inconsistency with EU climate and environmental objectives.

Demand for minerals sourced from sub-Saharan Africa is expanding rapidly1-5. If poorly managed, mining expansion poses a key threat to tropical forests across the continent6,7. Here we present a spatiotemporal assessment of mining-driven deforestation of dense forests across Africa, using continent-wide data on post-deforestation land uses and a robust difference-in-differences framework to assess 16,627 mines between 2001 and 2020. In total, we find 187,000 hectares of direct mining-driven deforestation, that is, deforestation due to features directly associated with mining operations, such as pits, tailing ponds and spoil heaps. We estimate that mining alsotriggers an additional 8.0 percentage points (pp; 95% confidence interval (CI): 7.2-8.9 pp) increase in deforestation within 1 km of a mine compared with unmined areas. Increased levels of deforestation (1.1 pp, 95% CI: 0.7-1.5) persist up to 20 km from mines even after ten years. For every hectare of direct deforestation due to the mine footprint, mining triggers, on average, 34 hectares of additional offsite loss within five years through ancillary activities, including agriculture and settlements. Mines extracting cobalt and copper-key energy transition minerals-caused the highest amount of additional deforestation. Embedding offsite deforestation levels into environmental impact assessments for new mining projects will be key to ensuring zero-deforestation or no-net-loss supply chains for critical minerals and reduce future mining-driven forest losses in sub-Saharan Africa.

Quantifying microplastics and their retention in greywater treatment systems of different scales.

A physical, low-environmental-impact, and easily applicable technology for enhancing the performance of recycled concrete: Multiscale insights

A legacy of submerged munitions remains in European seas decades after the World Wars. This poses significant ecological, security, safety and socio-economic risks to marine biota and humans. This underscores the need for immediate remediation. To synthesize current knowledge, identify gaps and challenges in the risk assessment, and legal frameworks for marine munitions; a stakeholder workshop was held during the Kiel Munition Clearance Week conference (Germany). We used two approaches: the World Café method and Mentimeter - a digital responses tool. Our findings indicate that most stakeholders were concerned about the impacts of marine munitions on the environment, as well as critical infrastructure, security, and safety. Consequently, they indicated that the key criteria for prioritizing remediation should be environmental impacts, presence of critical infrastructure, social well-being, security, and munition casing corrosion. Although the stakeholders indicated that environmental impacts should ideally drive remediation actions, they noted that actions are likely more feasible when justified by the risk to critical infrastructure and security, as these impacts are immediate and visible than ecological impacts. Additionally, the stakeholders identified critical knowledge gaps in national and EU legislative frameworks, environmental impact assessment, and remediation cost. The gaps, knowledge, and stakeholder perspectives synthesized in this study could provide lines of evidence to guide responsible authorities and agencies on what to prioritize and address for effective remediation of munitions in European marine waters. These insights are also relevant to the EU Oceans Pact, 2025, aiming to provide a unified framework for remediating munitions.

Iran's electricity generation relies heavily on fossil fuels, resulting in frequent power shortages and widespread blackouts in major cities. Given the high levels of solar irradiance across the country, photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies could provide a sustainable alternative. Existing studies focus on specific technologies or individual regions. Currently, there is no consistent, comprehensive mapping of the scope for political decision-making in Iran. This study aims to address this issue by providing the first nationwide assessment of solar energy potential in Iran, evaluating both PV and CSP. This GIS-based assessment uses an expanded set of environmental and technical criteria and performs sensitivity analyses to ensure robust results and identify the most effective and sustainable locations for PV and CSP plants. The model incorporates specific constraints, such as protected natural areas, to exclude unsuitable sites, and assesses suitability based on criteria such as solar irradiation levels and proximity to grid infrastructure. These factors are categorised into four suitability classes, ranging from 'high' to 'very low' for both PV and CSP installations. By synthesising the constraint and suitability maps, the model identifies feasible sites and assesses their relative desirability. A sensitivity analysis, focusing on the weighting of the suitability criteria, confirms the robustness of the results. The results highlight Iran's considerable capacity for solar power generation and suggest that the country could exceed its current electricity production by a multiple through the development of solar power plants. The model applies 14 exclusion criteria, revealing that 70% of Iran’s land is unsuitable for PV and 83% for CSP. The results show that 14.5% of Iran’s land is suitable for PV and 7.5% for CSP (medium and high suitable), with central and eastern regions offering the highest potential. Additionally, the study highlights the promising prospects of GIS modeling in renewable energy siting, emphasizing improved data integration, global scalability, environmental impact assessment, and policy harmonization. • For the first time, a nationwide GIS model identifies suitable PV and CSP sites in Iran. • Suitability results remain robust across sensitivity scenarios. • Iran's solar potential could exceed its current electricity generation by a multiple.

Baseline radiological environmental monitoring and impact assessment of radioactive waste storage facilities in Thailand