Increase Sustainability Research Articles

Conception and Development of Recycled Raw Materials (Coconut Fiber and Bagasse)-Based Substrates Enriched with Soil Microorganisms (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Trichoderma spp. and Pseudomonas spp.) for the Soilless Cultivation of Tomato (S. lycopersicum)

The global production quantity and the utilisation area harvested for the cultivation of tomatoes have significantly increased in the last three decades. Europe still plays an important role in the production of tomatoes, accounting for 12% of global production in 2020. Tomato production can be divided into greenhouse/soilless production and open field production. Greenhouse/soilless tomato production is mostly developed in northern Europe, and open field production in southern Europe. Soilless cultivation serves to improve control of the growing medium and to avoid any likely problems for watering and maintaining proper nutrient concentrations. Beneficial soil microorganisms, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), are increasingly being recognized as key elements of an agro-ecological approach to agricultural production. The use of these beneficial microorganisms on soilless tomato production may improve plant performance and reduce biotic and abiotic stress occurring during production with a consequent decrease of chemicals and increase of sustainability of the production system. In this paper, we tested different substrates composed of coconut fiber and bagasse (S1 to S4) and beneficial microorganisms (AMF, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum), selecting the most suitable system for the soilless production of tomatoes. Our results showed that substrates S1 (100% coconut fiber) and S2 (66% coconut fiber + 33% bagasse) complementarily used with the consortium of “AMF IP21 + Trichoderma harzianum + Pseudomonas fluorescens IPB04” seem to be the “best formulation” for this purpose. That confirmed the feasibility of the development of recycled material (coconut fiber and bagasse)-based substrates together with soil microorganisms (AMF and beneficial bacteria) for soilless tomato production.

A modeling framework for the dynamic correlation between agricultural sustainability and the water-land nexus under uncertainty

Sustainability is the core concept of modern agricultural planning. Existing studies lack quantitative research on the dynamic effects of the optimal use of agricultural water and land resources (AWLR) on agricultural sustainability. This paper constructs a simulation-optimization-assessment-based modeling framework for the dynamic correlation between agricultural sustainability and the water-land nexus under uncertainty. The framework includes uncertainty simulation of the water supply and demand, development of an optimization model for synergistic regulation of AWLR, and construction of a two-layer dynamic response relationship function between integrated water and land resource use and agricultural sustainability. This framework provides the following advantages: (1) the synergistic allocation of AWLR can be optimized to achieve synergistic development of the five dimensions of resources, economy, society, ecology and environment; (2) the dynamic probability distribution of AWLR and the corresponding response to each dimensional objective and agricultural sustainability can be generated; and (3) the response of agricultural sustainability and AWLR use to changing environments can be obtained. The framework was quantified and analyzed via stochastic simulation, multi-objective nonlinear optimization and fuzzy C-means clustering and applied to the Heilongjiang area of the Songhua River Basin in China. The results indicate that when the irrigation water volume is reduced by 10% and the planted area is increased by 5% in the study area, the economic efficiency increases by 10.49%, the social and ecological effects increase by 10%, and the agricultural sustainability increases by 10.07%. The initial surface water and groundwater irrigation amounts should be regulated within the ranges of [600,800] 107 m3 and [400,600] 107 m3, respectively, and the total amount should not exceed 1150,107 m3. The proposed framework can help reveal the intrinsic linkages between agricultural sustainability and AWLR allocation considering different environmental change scenarios, which can provide authorities with AWLR management decisions in response to changing environments.

Critical Evaluation of Life Cycle Assessment Analyses of Plastic Waste Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis is a chemical recycling technology that is experiencing fast development, is complementary to mechanical recycling, and is used to avoid incorrect disposal of postconsumer plastics (mainly polyolefins) and decrease environmental impacts related to the production of virgin plastic. However, although it has been widely accepted that pyrolysis can constitute an essential technology for the present and the future, discussions regarding the increase of scale, process sustainability, and other aspects needed for the circular economy must be carried out more thoroughly. For this reason, in this work, life cycle assessments (LCAs) of pyrolytic processes are discussed, showing that available LCA studies still lack holistic consistency and representativeness, based on a short review of previously published studies and proposed approaches and limitations.

Part B: Sludge sewage pre-treatment and codigestion Technical Note 3 – Anaerobic codigestion of sewage sludge with other substrates

The increase in the global population, industrialization, and urbanization, demands a greater generation of energy and, in parallel, increases the need for adequate management of the large quantities of wastes produced and that may be a potential source of environmental pollution. The possibility of anaerobic codigestion of residues to produce biofuels appears as a promising alternative in the field of renewable energy generation. Among the advantages of using anaerobic codigestion are adjustment of pH and buffering capacity of the system, increase of process reliability, possible integrated solid waste management and increase of the practice sustainability. This technical note is intended to present some topics related with the feasibility of codigesting sludge from sewage treatment plants with other co-substrates (from agriculture, industries etc.), indicating the appropriate proportions, and alternatives for implementing the process in Brazil.

Development of potent nanosized isatin-isonicotinohydrazide hybrid for management of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Inspired by the antitubercular activity of isoniazid (INH) and 5-bromoisatin, isatin–INH hybrid (WF-208) has been synthesized as a potent agent against multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of M. tuberculosis. In silico molecular docking studies indicated that DprE1, a critical enzyme in the synthesis of M. tuberculosis cell wall, is a potential enzymatic target for WF-208. The synthesized WF-208 was incorporated into a nanoparticulate system to enhance stability of the compound and to sustain its antimicrobial effect. Nanosized spherical niosomes (hydrodynamic diameter of ca. 500–600 nm) could accommodate WF-208 at a high encapsulation efficiency of 74.2%, and could impart superior stability to the compound in simulated gastric conditions. Interestingly, WF-208 had minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 7.8 and 31.3 µg/mL against MDR and XDR M. tuberculosis, respectively, whereas INH failed to demonstrate bacterial growth inhibition at the range of the tested concentrations. WF-208-loaded niosomes exhibited a 4-fold increase in the anti-mycobacterial activity as compared to the free compound (MIC of 1.9 vs. 7.8 µg/mL) against H37Rv M. tuberculosis, after three weeks of incubation with WF-208-loaded niosomes. Incorporation of the compound into nanosized vesicles allowed for a further increase in stability, potency and sustainability of the anti-mycobacterial activity, thus, providing a promising strategy for management of tuberculosis.

SMART TOURISM DESTINATION

The dynamic of the contemporary society has determined the implementation of the technology in all areas of activity. The tourism sector has answered the new challenges by offering some alternatives aimed at ensuring the increase of the tourism destinations competitiveness: using ICT to collect data, information about tourists, using new technologies in order to increase tourists’ satisfaction and locals’ welfare; the interconnectivity of the interested parties (authorities, tourism service providers, tourists, locals) through digital platforms; offering a unique experience, customized services to tourists using ICT, increasing the degree of competitiveness of the tourism destinations and their sustainable development with the help of new technologies; the innovation offered by ICT as differentiation element of the tourism offers of a destination. Thus, the smart tourism destination represents an approach centred on capitalizing the advantages offered by ICT contributing to the increase of competitiveness and sustainability of tourism destinations. The purpose of this paper is to present different approaches of the smart tourism destination.

RESULTS OF DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF COMPUTER-INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY OF GREENHOUSES ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING CONTROL

The development and implementation of the automation and digitalization technologies of growing crops production processes in industrial greenhouses is being actualized for increasing of crop yields. This fact, in turn, positively influences on the re-equipment of the software and hardware base of protected soil domestic agricultural production, which stimulates an increase of investment attractiveness and long-term sustainability of Ukrainian agricultural enterprises. The main purpose of the article is developing of the scientific approaches on creation and testing of computer-integrated technology for artificial lighting control in the protected ground agricultural production conditions. The research object is automatic control process of artificial lighting. The research subject is methods and hardware-software components of the indoor greenhouse microclimate. Research methods are analysis of existing development methods, mathematical and computer modeling, hardware and software experimental testing. In course of the research, the component base has been substantiated and the block diagram of the hardware and software for the control of lighting technology has been developed. As a result, a computer model has been synthesized and tested, which is implemented on microprocessor technology and algorithms of the fuzzy logic theory for control the intensity and spectral composition of LED lamps in greenhouses. The prototype of control system for artificial additional lighting of greenhouse crops has been implemented and experimentally investigated. The implemented hardware and software means of computer-integrated technology allow to automatically control the parameters of LED lamps, taking into account the types and periods of growing crops.

The Impacts of Transportation Sustainability on Higher Education in China

Improving transportation sustainability serves as a means of reducing the perceived and real distance, thereby contributing to the city and higher education development. In this paper, the complexity of transport sustainability is measured via four different dimensions: economy, society, environment and politics. The variables are designed by the four dimensions. The higher education development is measured via the ratio of higher education degree holders, reflecting the skilled work mobility. Over the last 30 years, university students moving to cities for study and work purposes have become an important part of rural–urban transition mobility. However, few studies have explored the impacts of transportation sustainability on higher education development in China. The economic, environmental, social and political dimensions in transportation sustainability can boost China’s higher education attainment in different ways. Against this background, this study, drawing on the panel data and employing the spatial multilevel model, investigated the impacts of transportation sustainability on higher education in China, adding new empirical evidence for China’s higher education development. A panel analysis revealed that the increase in transportation sustainability induces the growth of higher education. Moreover, higher education attainment showed significant spatial dependence at the county level and had significant spatial clustering of county-level higher education attainment across provinces. Furthermore, modeled test results showed that the spatial multilevel model was more suitable for our study than traditional regression models. By identifying transport sustainability variables that have an effect on higher education, this study is the first to uncover the complexity of transportation sustainability and contributes to the latest policy implications for promoting higher education attainment through sustainable transportation.

Use of Membrane Technologies in Dairy Industry: An Overview.

The use of treatments of segregated process streams as a water source, as well as technical fluid reuse as a source of value-added recovery products, is an emerging direction of resource recovery in several applications. Apart from the desired final product obtained in agro-food industries, one of the challenges is the recovery or separation of intermediate and/or secondary metabolites with high-added-value compounds (e.g., whey protein). In this way, processes based on membranes, such as microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO), could be integrated to treat these agro-industrial streams, such as milk and cheese whey. Therefore, the industrial application of membrane technologies in some processing stages could be a solution, replacing traditional processes or adding them into existing treatments. Therefore, greater efficiency, yield enhancement, energy or capital expenditure reduction or even an increase in sustainability by producing less waste, as well as by-product recovery and valorization opportunities, could be possible, in line with industrial symbiosis and circular economy principles. The maturity of membrane technologies in the dairy industry was analyzed for the possible integration options of membrane processes in their filtration treatment. The reported studies and developments showed a wide window of possible applications for membrane technologies in dairy industry treatments. Therefore, the integration of membrane processes into traditional processing schemes is presented in this work. Overall, it could be highlighted that membrane providers and agro-industries will continue with a gradual implementation of membrane technology integration in the production processes, referring to the progress reported on both the scientific literature and industrial solutions commercialized.

Green human resource management – A personnel economics perspective

The Stern-Stiglitz Report on carbon pricing emphasizes that environmental policy must not only cope with market failures, but also with government and organizational failures. Focusing on the latter, this paper investigates how some practices central to human resource management – employee selection and training, performance appraisal and rewards, employee discretion and empowerment – can be jointly deployed to direct managerial attention adequately. Using a static multi-task principal-agent model and standard monotone comparative statics tools, I derive predictions/prescriptions on how these practices should adjust as the firm's stakes in sustainability increase. These prescriptions notably include some qualifications concerning the outsourcing of environmental services and employee training, and some implications for public policy.

ROLE OF FOREST DIVERSIFICATION IN PROMOTING TOURISM.A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

Purpose: Global Tourism destinations provide different products which satisfy tourists with different interests, needs and wants. The general objective of the study was to establish the role of forest diversification in promoting tourism
 Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.
 Findings: The study concludes that forest tourism products were positively and significantly influenced the tourism sustainability (r=0.258, p=0.001). This meant that a unitary increase in the forest tourism products leads to an increase in tourism sustainability by 0.258 units.
 Majority of the tourists’ and destination operators agreed that cultural tourism experienced influenced tourism sustainability. Some of the cultural tourism practices experienced were visiting historical sites, tasting local food and drinks, listening to local music, witnessing local dancing, viewing local artifacts, visiting sacred sites, witnessing local basket making, sighting traditional homes, attending local cultural shows/events and local religious events and home staying in rural villages
 Recommendations: The study recommends that forest tourism stakeholders should devise plans and ways of countering the challenges that face the forest tourism diversification These challenges included; inadequate relevant information about the forest tourism product; inadequate facilities in the forests such as rest centers, walking trails; poor quality services; unethical guiding practices such as request for tips, use of vulgar language; hostile residents; inadequate signage; unfavorable prices of forest activities; insecurity; unhealthy environment; poor communication facilities and inadequacy in tourism product diversity. These can be mitigated by building sustainable transport and communication infrastructure, encouraging community participation of the tourist resources, training tour guides, encouraging community visits to the sites and creating awareness on the importance to preserve tourist sites. The study suggested that cultural tourism practices in the indigenous forests in counties should be fully profiled and funds for its full establishment be allocated

Carbon budget and national gross domestic product in the framework of the Paris Climate Agreement

In 2015 an unprecedented effort was made in Paris by the countries adhering to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to decrease the CO2 emissions due to the close relationships of greenhouse gases with global warming. Under the previous Kyoto Protocol, only advanced countries were committed to reduce greenhouse emissions while under the Paris Climate Agreement all countries were committed to fight against global warming. The urgency of real action has been prompted by extreme events like bushfires, heatwaves, and the ongoing pandemic. Given the strong commitments, it looks interesting, seen that all countries are involved, to verify if any sustainability pattern is evident. Our approach is encouraging, as the downward emission trend shows a high increase in sustainability between 2027 and 2037. Without exacerbating the climate discussion, we used the national gross domestic product (hereafter: GDP) as environmental indicator to propose for the first time an allometric ranking of countries that need to change drastically their energy policy to meet their climate commitments. Any sustainability downturn in one country, especially if advanced, might rationally bring concern about the actual prospects of other countries which are all committed to the Paris Climate Agreement. But the departure from the annual allometric model GDP−CO2 may be much greater than can be accounted for by statistical expectations, as for Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan that are entering a sustainable condition where their CO2 emissions will be lower than they would have been without the Paris Climate Agreement.

The Fifth Stage of Business Model Research: The Role of Business Models in Times of Uncertainty

It is not only new trends and technologies that are currently disrupting and changing the way we do and think business. Global geopolitical stability is deteriorating, leading to rising uncertainty for international trade. Climate change is fostering the need for inclusiveness in business and for an increase in sustainability to the zero-impact level. In addition, we face exogenous shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Although none of these factors are unforeseen, their magnitude and recurrence have provided a platform for a massive refocusing of business and research priorities since the beginning of 2020. Therefore, the fifth stage of business model research will be known as the role of business models in times of uncertainty. In this paper we discuss the role of business models in times of uncertainty and provide new venues for further research and progression of business models as we know them.

Improving the IAQ for Learning Efficiency with Indoor Plants in University Classrooms in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of improving indoor air quality with indoor plants. As a methodology, two target classrooms with the same size (120.64 m2) and 32 students per room were selected. Then, 48 areca palm pots (average leaf area of 300 cm2/pot) were placed, and the plant density was 14.68% of the floor area. Subjective assessment for general questions, learning motivation, perceived air quality, and SBS symptoms was conducted at 5 min after the class started and 5 min before the class ended. The results showed that the CO2 concentration by respiration of the students (average of 1873 ppm) exceeded the regulatory standard (1000 ppm), but the students did not recognize the indoor CO2 concentration. The increase in CO2 concentration in the classroom was lower in the case with plant placement (624 ppm) compared with the case without plant placement (about 1205 ppm). It was statistically proven that the CO2 concentration by respiration could be reduced by 50% if the indoor plant leaf area density were maintained at about 14.68% of the floor area. In the case with plant placement, the students perceived the indoor air quality to be 40% fresher and showed a 140% higher acceptability. Moreover, the complaining of SBS symptoms was improved by 108%, and the students’ perception that it was better to focus on learning increased by about 120%. As the awareness of sustainability increases, indoor plants will be more actively placed in the United Arab Emirates. Indoor plants not only provide a visual green effect to improve human comfort but also purify indoor air pollutants.

On-design and off-design operation performance assessmentsof an aero turboprop engine used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in terms of aviation, thermodynamic, environmental and sustainability perspectives

In this study, a turboprop engine (TPE) of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is investigated for “on-design” and “off-design” conditions at maximum operation mode. One project point is chosen for on-design case for the cycle analysis. Other constraints and requirements are considered at off-design analysis in which cycle analysis is not affected. The off-design condition is generally used in emergency situation such as one-engine take-off, extreme flight speed, extreme altitude, and hot day operation. The aviation, energy, exergy, environmental, and sustainability analyses are performed to the TPE. For on-design and off-design conditions of the UAV TPE, the specific fuel consumptions are 0.287 kg/kW h and 0.282 kg/kW h, specific powers are 0.067 kW h/kg and 0.069 kW h/kg, thermal limiting ratios are 3.735 and 3.785, entalphy ratios are 4.482 and 4.555, energy efficiencies are 29.067% and 29.652%, exergy efficiencies are 27.38% and 27.93%, exergetic improvement potentials are 159.26 kW and 182.23 kW, ecological objective functions are −436.366 kW and −488.78 kW, environmental effect factors are 2.652 and 2.580, ecological effect factors are 3.652 and 3.580, exergetic sustainability indexes are 0.38 and 0.39, sustainable efficiency factors are 1.38 and 1.39, respectively. The results show that off-design condition has better fuel consumption, power, efficiency, improvement potential, environmental damage and sustainability than on-design condition. Also, the combustion chamber is the first component to be handled for the improvement of the overall system. UAVs are used for very deligant and important duties and their efficiency and sustainability play important role for their missions. UAV engines such as TPEs are the major power units to operate the overall system. Even a slight increase in efficiency and sustainability for the TPE engine can cause important feedback for the UAV mission. It is also important to assess the TPE for its environmental effects, because UAVs will play important role in the future for the transportation. As a result, this study is useful to assess turboprop engines of unmanned aerial vehicles in efficiency, sustainability and environmental aspects.

Effects of two diets on adults’ survival and productivity in mass-rearing ofTenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Yellow mealworm is a grain infesting pest that is receiving attention nowadays as an alternative protein source for humans and animals. Its ability to convert low quality feed, like organic by-products, into high-quality food increases its production sustainability. The feeding diet is one of the most important factors in rearingTenebrio molitor Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), which affects its growth, longevity and nutritional composition. Many by-products have been tested on larvae, but studies are scarce on adults. This work aimed to compare the effect of chicken feed diet (C) and wheat bran (B) by-product, as well as integrating yeast (CY and BY), on the adults’ reproduction and larval growth. Experiment was set up in a complete productive cycle of mass-rearing. The evaluation was done on the reproductive stage of the adults and the development of the larvae until harvesting (appearance of the first pupa). Results showed that the bran-based diets significantly improved the adults’ survival; after 50 days, mean of 110 and 146 adults survived on B and BY diets respectively compared to mean of 23 adults when reared on both chicken feed diets. Besides, wheat bran supplemented with yeast improved the total number of larvae (6,448.2 larvae) compared to bran diet (4,016.7 larvae). Whereas the two chicken feed-based diets had significant positive effect on the average larval weight; the maximum weight reached was 116.3 mg and 145.8 mg for larvae read on C and CY diets respectively compared to 47.8 mg and 57.3 mg on B and BY diets. Nevertheless, in 50 days of reproduction, the total larval biomass was highest on bran supplemented with yeast (283.1 g). In conclusion, the increase of sustainability and efficiency in mass-rearing of mealworms is possible by using appropriate diets on respective stages; bran-based diets for reproduction and chicken feed-based diets for larval growth.

Sustainable urban development indicators in Great Britain from 2001 to 2016

Current planning strategies promoting suburbanisation, land use zoning and low built-up density areas tend to increase the environmental footprint of cities. In the last decades, international and local government plans are increasingly targeted at making urban areas more sustainable. Urban structure has been proved to be an important factor guiding urban smart growth policies that promote sustainable urban environments and improve neighbourhood social cohesion. This paper draws on a series of unique historical datasets obtained from Ordnance Survey, covering the largest British urban areas over the last 15 years (2001–2016) to develop a set of twelve indicators and a composite Sustainable Urban Development Index to quantitatively measure and assess key built environment features and their relative change compared to other areas at each point in time based on regular 1 km2 grids. The results show that there is a relative increase in urban structure sustainability of areas in and around city centres and identify that the primary built environment feature driving these improvements was an increase in walkable spaces.

Sustainability Accounting: Pros, Cons and Accounting Guidance

In the U.S sustainability accounting reporting is developing and becoming more prevalent in public companies. This paper details accounting literature to present a comprehensive view of the landscape of sustainability accounting reporting. An archival analysis is used to summarize sustainability reporting as there is increased pressure on companies to consider their social and environmental impacts which is largely due to sustainability accounting reporting guidelines proliferation. Although U.S. Companies are not as far along in reporting sustainability issues, the current increase in sustainability reporting should lead to the pros over the cons for U.S. companies producing sustainability reports.

An Exploration of the Best Value Perceptions of Small Housebuilding Developers towards Offsite Construction

Offsite construction is increasingly being presented as a way to increase housing delivery and reduce the housing crisis. Large developers play a pivotal role in the delivery of affordable homes and therefore offsite construction could be beneficial in alleviating the crisis. Previous Offsite Construction (OC) studies conducted into the drivers, barriers and decision factors provide qualitative analysis from manufacturers and larger developers appear to be taking advantage of the UK government’s renewed interest in offsite manufacturing and have begun investing in these methods. However, the role of smaller housebuilding developers in the use of offsite construction systems is rather more uncertain. This research addresses this gap in the literature through an exploration of small housebuilding developers’ best value perceptions of offsite construction methods within the UK housebuilding sector. A questionnaire survey was used to ascertain perceptions of the 134 small developers towards the drivers, barriers and decision factors identified in the extant OC literature. Although survey respondents had not widely used offsite manufactured systems previously, the results indicate a high level of agreement with the drivers identified within the offsite construction literature. The respondents identified the buyers’ perception of traditional methods as superior to OC systems and creating higher sales figures. Many any of the respondents also believe that best value, and hence maximised profit, higher sales value, and greater returns on investment, is achieved through traditional methods of construction. These two factors combined are more desirable for small developers, rather than the perceived increase in sustainability and efficiency offered by OC systems, due to their positive effect on profit.

On the industrial symbiosis of alumina and iron/steel production: Suitability of ferroalumina as raw material in iron and steel making.

The biggest challenge for our society, in order to foster the sustainable circular economy, is the efficient recycling of wastes from industrial, commercial, domestic and other streams. The transition to a circular economy is the goal of the European Commission's Circular Economy Action, which was first launched in 2015. In 2020 the above action plan announced initiatives along the entire life cycle of the product, with the aim to make sustainable products the norm in the EU. Therefore, it is anticipated that the above action will result in an increase in Europe's economic competitiveness, sustainability, resource efficiency and resource security. Within this context, the suitability of ferroalumina as a raw material in the blast furnace is investigated. Ferroalumina is the product of the high-pressure filter press dewatering process of the Greek red mud generated during the production of alumina by means of the Bayer cycle. Ferroalumina is a low-cost raw material and its possible charging in the blast furnace and/or steelmaking aggregates is a step towards industrial symbiosis, where the wastes, namely by-products, of an industry or an industrial process, become the raw materials for another. In the present work the effect of ferroalumina addition as a raw material was examined by smelting ferroalumina, blast furnace-slag, lime and scrap at 1550°C in a graphite crucible and a constant slag basicity. The increase of the alumina content in the slag improves the desulfurization capacity. Moreover, the silicon exchange between slag and metal was examined. The results indicate that the alkalis' capacity of the slag increases with the addition of ferroalumina. The analysis of the finally obtained slag suggests that it could be suitable for utilization in slag-cement production.