Pollutant Emissions Research Articles

Green Transformation of Industrial Structure of Jiaxing City Driven by Synergizing the Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emissions

The "Implementation Plan for Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emissions" emphasizes the need to explore mechanisms for pollution and carbon emission reductions, strengthen efforts for synergistic reduction, and accelerate the green and low-carbon development in different types of cities. Thus, this study established a multi-objective optimization model for the industrial structure of the city based on green total factor productivity （GTFP）, which was applied to Jiaxing, an emerging coastal city. The results indicated an overall 8% increase in GTFP across various industries in Jiaxing from 2016 to 2019. The top three economic sectors - chemical products； electricity and thermal production and supply； and communication equipment, computers, and other electronic devices-ranked 12th, 15th, and 5th in GTFP, respectively. Conversely, industries with the top three GTFP rankings-other manufacturing products, specialized equipment, food, and tobacco-ranked 19th, 12th, and 14th in GDP, respectively. Given the mismatch between economic output and environmental benefits among different industries, deepening industrial structure adjustment and promoting synergistic pollution reduction and carbon reduction are imperative. The chemical industry （decreasing by 2%） and the electricity and thermal production and supply industry （decreasing by 1%） crucially need industrial transformation. This can be achieved by setting higher environmental thresholds, reducing the growth rate of fixed asset investment, and curbing the final consumption of these industries to enhance the efficiency of existing facilities. Meanwhile, the service industry （increasing by 5%） should be rapidly developed, while other industries can continue to grow at their current pace. The city-level industrial structure optimization model established in this study can effectively support future decision-making for the dual control of total carbon emissions and intensity, foster new-quality productivity, and promote carbon peaking and green low-carbon high-quality development in different cities.

Recycling of Reclaimed Water in China: Current Situation, Development Trend, and Countermeasures

Recycling of reclaimed water is an important way to develop water resources and reduce pollution discharge. At present, the utilization rate of reclaimed water is low in China and the recycling system is inadequate. Therefore, from the perspective of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" dual carbon propulsion and "water resources protection, water environment governance, and water ecological restoration" three water co-governance, this study first systematically combined the water resources situation, water supply structure, urban domestic sewage collection and treatment, and recycling of reclaimed water in all provinces （municipalities and autonomous regions）. Data collected in 2022 showed that the capacity of municipal sewage treatment was approximately 62.689 billion cubic meters annually, the capacity of reclaimed water production was approximately 28.98 billion cubic meters annually, and the utilization rate of reclaimed water was approximately 28.76%. There were 20 provinces with the utilization rate of reclaimed water less than 25%, among which the utilization rate of reclaimed water was less than 5% in Shanghai, Chongqing, Xizang, and Jiangxi. The situation of water resources did not match the development of the utilization rate of reclaimed water. Therefore the utilization paths of reclaimed water must be broadened and the utilization rate of reclaimed water must be improved crucially. Moreover, the related policies, laws, and regulations and standards of reclaimed water in China were listed. The technical and benefit feasibility analysis of reclaimed water utilization was carried out, and the development trends and existing problems of reclaimed water utilization in China were investigated. Finally, the countermeasures and suggestions of the recycling of reclaimed water from the aspects of technology development, management policy, fund guarantee, and publicity incentive are proposed, to promote the resource treatment of sewage, realize the synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions in sewage treatment, help achieve the goal of carbon peak carbon neutrality, and accelerate the construction of a beautiful China. This study can provide reference and guidance for regional recycling of reclaimed water.

Arithmetic optimization algorithm with three-dimensional chaotic mapping in spherical coordinate system for combined economic emission dispatch problem

The objective of the Combined Economic Emissions Dispatch (CEED) problem is to reduce pollutant emissions by lowering the total cost of generating electricity while complying with all other constraints. The multiple objective functions of the CEED problem may be converted into a single objective by using a price penalty factor. Then it was solved with the Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA) with three-dimensional chaotic mapping in spherical coordinate system. Firstly, five three-dimensional chaotic mappings in Cartesian coordinate system are embedded in the Mathematical Optimization Accelerator (MOA) and the Mathematical Optimization Probability (MOP) of the original algorithm. Secondly, 15 three-dimensional chaotic mappings in spherical coordinate system are constructed from the values of 5 three-dimensional chaotic mappings in Cartesian coordinate system through the mathematical expressions of mode length, polar angle and azimuth angle in spherical coordinate system. Then through a large number of simulation experiments, five best three-dimensional chaotic mappings in the spherical coordinate system are selected to be embedded into the two parameters (MOA and MOP) of the original algorithm to better balance the algorithm's global and local searching ability. The superiority of the improved algorithm is verified by employing 12 benchmark test functions in CEC2022. Eventually, the improved optimal algorithm (IAOA-r) to solve the power system CEED problem is tested on six generating units with four different loads (150 MW, 175 MW, 200 MW and 225 MW). The results of the improved algorithm are compared and analyzed with the results of the Reptile Search Algorithm (RSA), Prairie Dog Optimization (PDO), Bat Algorithm (BAT), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), Harris Hawk Optimization (HHO), Rat Swarm Optimization (RSO). The results demonstrate that the improved algorithm is capable of obtaining optimal fuel costs and smaller pollution emissions in every test case.

Design and Assembly of Conductive Covalent Organic Frameworks for Proton Exchange Membrane Application

AbstractTo develop proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with robust structure stability and remarkable proton conductivity and explore their application in PEMs fuel cells have significant implications for realizing reduced carbon emission and environmental pollution. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as crystalline porous polymer material composed of organic monomers and connected by covalent bond, possess specific framework, inherent porosity, adjustable functional group and eminent thermal/chemical structure stability. Therefore, COFs display prominent superiorities in constructing rigid ordered proton transfer channels and improving fuel cell performance long‐term durability. In this review, the proton conduction properties of extrinsic proton‐conductive COFs (incorporating carriers into the pore), intrinsic proton‐conductive COFs (introducing conductive groups on the backbone) and combined extrinsic/intrinsic proton‐conductive COFs in the form of pressed pellets are discussed in detail. Meanwhile, proton‐conductive COFs related PEMs, including COFs‐related polymer‐based composite membranes, COFs‐based composite membranes and self‐supporting COFs membranes are also systematically summarized. In addition, the existing challenges are analyzed and future outlooks are addressed.

Assessing recycled concrete’s sustainability with emergy theory and input-output modeling

This study is the first to integrate emergy theory, life cycle assessment (LCA), and input-output analysis (IOA) to analyze the environmental performance of conventional concrete (CC) , recycled coarse aggregate concrete (RAC), recycled fine aggregate concrete (RFC), and recycled powder concrete (RPC). It comprehensively covers the entire life cycle from raw material extraction to waste disposal, employing dynamic emergy flowcharts to visually represent emergy inputs and pollutant emissions at each stage. An emergy-based input-output emission coefficient is introduced to standardize environmental impacts across different material flows, enhancing evaluation accuracy and comparability. The findings reveal that recycled concrete significantly reduces emergy consumption and pollutant emissions, especially in cement production, where its reduction potential is most pronounced. This study contributes an innovative emergy-input-output evaluation framework based on Cradle to Cradle (C2C) principles, facilitating the optimization and selection of sustainable building materials.

A Comparative Study on India’s Green Tax Policies Vis-a-Vis China with Reference to Environmental Justice in the Automobile Industry

As part of green economics, taxes are imposed on emissions of pollutants that adversely impact the environment and public health to reward more innovative, environmentally sustainable, and low-carbon resource use. There are still many nation-states testing the concept of green taxation. Many environmental performance indicators place India low on the list of countries with the worst pollution. One of the main sources of pollution is vehicle exhaust. Green taxes will be imposed on older motor vehicles under guidelines released by the Indian government in 2021. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change received the Indian Nationally Determined Contribution Report in 2022. Taxonomies and low-carbon transport systems were prioritized in India, and incentives and tax breaks were offered to encourage the manufacture and use of vehicles that consume more ethanol. Academic discussions and literature on the subject are still lacking among the masses. Researchers intend to analyze the legal and economic measures taken by the Indian Government to curb vehicular pollution against this background. Due to its significant contribution to air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, the automobile industry has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. India and China, for instance, have implemented green tax policies to reduce the automotive sector’s environmental footprint and promote environmental sustainability. These policies are effective, but not all of them address the disproportionate impact of environmental injustice on vulnerable populations. Specifically, this study examines the impact of Indian green tax policies on environmental justice in the automobile industry as compared to those in China. A key aim of this study is to provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the green taxation policies adopted by each country in the automotive sector, as well as their implications for achieving environmental justice, by analyzing the scope, enforcement, impact on vulnerable communities, industry implications, and alignment with international commitments.

A new sample preparation approach based on microwave-induced combustion in disposable vessels for Ni and V determination by ICP-MS in crude oil

The presence of Ni and V in crude oil is associated with pollutant emissions, corrosive processes and low-quality products. Nevertheless, the knowledge of the concentration of these elements, helps to predict geochemical characteristics and to bring information about the crude oil source. Moreover, Ni and V can cause problems during the crude oil refining process. Therefore, the development of alternative, low-cost and rapid approaches for Ni and V determination in crude oil is still welcomed and was the aim of this work. The proposed microwave-induced combustion in disposable vessels (MIC-DV) system allows the use cheap and/or reusable materials, combined to the possibility of sample combustion under atmospheric pressure and using a domestic microwave. The parameters evaluated during MIC-DV optimization were, sample mass (5 to 20 mg) and volume (1 to 10 mL) and concentration (0.5 to 7 mol L-1 HNO3) of absorbing solution. MIC-DV was applied for the digestion of ten crude oil and the results were compared with those obtained after microwave-assisted digestion (MAD) and Ni and V determination by inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The agreement values achieved ranged from 92 to 103% for Ni and from 93 to 106% for V. The limits of quantification after MIC-DV/ICP-MS were 0.28 and 0.15 μg g-1 for Ni and V, respectively. The developed MIC-DV method, can be considered environmentally friendly since it uses low-cost materials and instrumentation, requires reduced handling (based on the single vessel principle), avoids the use of additional dilution steps and minimizes the digest contamination.

Estimation of carbon sequestration potential and air quality impacts of biochar production from straw in China

Aiming to optimize straw resource utilization and to reduce air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions in China, the environmental benefits of biochar production using straw and utilization need to be assessed. Two biochar production scenarios were studied: centralized production scenario (CPS) utilizing an industrialized production method with advanced air pollution control devices, and decentralized production scenario (DPS) based on a distributed production method of biochar at the village level, compared to an open-burning scenario (OBS). The potential GHG emission reductions under DPS, including the benefit of soil biochar application, were evaluated as 680 Tg CO2-eq yr-1, which was lower than the reductions under CPS (780 Tg CO2-eq yr-1). Although the attentional centralized production method of biochar has more potential environmental benefits, at present the distributed production method is more practical in China due to its convenience, management ease, and lower costs. Modeling on air quality in China showed that in comparison with OBS, DPS could reduce the average monthly PM2.5 concentration of key regions by 19%, and about 190 Tg yr-1 biochar could be produced with 150 Tg C yr-1 sequestered in biochar. Our findings support widespread biochar use in China for improved air quality and climate neutrality.

Microalgae biomass: A multi-product biorefinery solution for sustainable energy, environmental remediation, and industrial symbiosis

The rapid expansion of industrialization and the depletion of non-renewable fossil fuel have urged the search for alternative and sustainable renewable resources to fulfil the escalating energy demand while reducing water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Microalgae have emerged as a promising and sustainable solution, capable of not only treating wastewater but also yielding valuable products. This study aimed to explore the primary applications of microalgae, including wastewater treatment and CO2 sequestration, while assessing the viability of utilizing the resultant microalgae biomass (MB) across diverse sectors such as liquid and gaseous biofuels, bioplastics, animal and aquatic feed, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, biofertilizers, and cosmetics production. Additionally, the study discusses the importance of assessing the environmental impacts of these applications through life cycle assessment (LCA) studies and elaborate the concept of a multi-products biorefinery system. To address the contemporary challenges of the bio-economy in simultaneously producing multiple high-value products, the biorefinery complexity index (BCI) was estimated to be 37, highlighting the need for further research to establish the practicability of a multi-products biorefinery system.

Mechanical strength, hydration products, and microstructure of waste-derived composite-activated cementitious materials by varying titanium gypsum phase composition

The high carbon footprint of commercial chemical activators has hindered the industrial application of alkali-activated cementitious materials as a substitute for Portland cement, leading to substantial pollution and carbon emissions. This study aims to investigate the effect of the Titanium Gypsum (TiG) phase composition on the mechanical strength, hydration products, and microstructure of Red Mud (RM)-Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBFS)-based waste-derived composite-activated cementitious Materials (GRGM). The properties were characterized through flexural and compressive strength measurements, XRD, FTIR, TG-DTG, MIP, and SEM-EDS. The results revealed that GRGM mortars, prepared by combining dihydrate gypsum and hemihydrate gypsum in specific proportions as a waste-derived sulphate activator, exhibited flexural and compressive strengths of 8.9 MPa and 56.5 MPa at 28 d, respectively. It was observed that the presence of hemihydrate gypsum played a crucial role in promoting the transformation of C(N)-A-S-H gel to C-S-H gel, enhancing the growth of ettringite and influencing its degree of polymerization. A hemihydrate gypsum content of at least 15 % significantly accelerated this transformation process, resulting in a broader range of hydration products. This diversification ultimately led to the densification of the pore structure in GRGM paste, thereby improving the mechanical strength of the specimens. Additionally, a hemihydrate gypsum content of less than 15 % resulted in a significant reduction in mechanical strength. Furthermore, the production energy consumption of GRGM was calculated to be 89.388 MJ/t, much lower than the energy consumption and carbon emissions typically associated with cement manufacturing. This paper elucidates the mechanisms by which various single-phase and double-phase waste-derived sulphate activators influence several critical physicochemical properties of waste-derived composite-activated cementitious materials. The study further explores the potential of TiG as a waste-derived activator for the design of waste-derived composite-activated cementitious materials, thereby strengthening the theoretical framework supporting their applications.

Enhancing bioremediation of diesel/biodiesel blend (B20) impacted sites using in situ bioreactors: A nature-based solution for sustainable groundwater management

The rise of biodiesel content in diesel/biodiesel blends as a viable alternative to traditional diesel fuel presents several advantages, particularly in terms of reduced emissions of pollutants like carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and smoke. However, the increased production and utilization of biodiesel raise concerns about potential environmental impacts, such as groundwater pollution. This has led to a growing need for sustainable and effective bioremediation techniques to address these issues and ensure the safe closure of contaminated sites in accordance with environmental regulatory criteria. Two experimental areas contaminated with B20 (80% diesel and 20% biodiesel v/v) to evaluate ammonium acetate biostimulation (B20_BAA) and natural source zone depletion (B20_NSZD) as remediation strategies were monitored for 10 and 12 years, respectively. Although the benzene half-life was 1.49 and 4.08 years, respectively, hydrocarbon concentrations remained above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) allowed in Brazil for groundwater, requiring additional technologies for site cleanup. Then, two pilot-scale airlift bioreactors were employed as nature-based solutions (NbS) to reduce the concentration of persistent contaminants for site closure. Indeed, concentrations of benzene and 2-methylnaphthalene decreased significantly after the bioreactors began operation, reaching values below their respective MCL. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed a beneficial response of microbial communities composed of Massilia, Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Mycobacterium and Bacillus genus involved in hydrocarbons aerobic biodegradation. Moreover, predicted functional genes analysis demonstrated that the relative abundances of key aerobic degradation pathways for benzene and 2-methylnaphthalene increased, supporting the hypothesis that the NbS stimulated the hydrocarbons biodegradation. These findings demonstrated that combining different nature-based solutions (NbS) can effectively remediate petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated groundwater through geochemical characteristics and exploration of indigenous microorganisms. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to employ bioreactors to treat B20-contaminated groundwater at a field scale.

Air pollution reduction co-benefits associated with low-carbon transport initiatives for carbon neutrality in China by 2060

Low-carbon transport policy measures will contribute to greenhouse gas emission reductions, as well as improvements in air quality via air pollutant emission reductions. Here, we developed a regional transport energy model by integrating a transport demand model and an energy system model to explore the associated air pollutant emission reductions achieved by low-carbon transport initiatives when projecting a path towards carbon neutrality. Several scenarios were created to identify the effectiveness and feasibility of low-carbon strategies using the Avoid–Shift–Improve (A-S-I) framework including “Technology”, “Regulation”, “Information”, and “Economy” instruments. Significant reductions in air pollutant emissions alongside transport decarbonization in China could be realized by implementing policy measures to establish effective transport demand management, a modal shift in transport use, and technological improvements. In particular, the “Improve” strategy was more effective in delivering significant reductions in air pollutant emissions than were the “Avoid” and “Shift” strategies, but the policy effects of each A-S-I pillar varied greatly for different pollutants and across different regions. An air pollution reduction strategy for the transport sector should be designed in an integrated manner based on a series of different strategies and tools.

Timescales distribution and reactive structures in MILD reactors for different energy carriers

Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion processes are purported to be fuel-flexible, thus offering a real opportunity to use a large palette of fuels. In this respect, the way the oxidative reactive structure may change by changing the specific fuel is a key issue to determine, to continue relying on high efficiency and low pollutant emissions of MILD combustion. In this work, the differences among the reactive structures at the macroscale of the MILD process were analyzed for pure NH3, CH4 and H2, with a peculiar attention to the interplay between chemical (τc) and turbulence (τI) timescales. Reactive structures were analyzed through a combined experimental and CFD approach. To this purpose, a cyclonic MILD burner was considered as reference experimental facility, while macroscale features were resolved through CFD simulations using the Partially Stirred Reactor (PaSR) model. Results were analyzed in terms of Heat Release, reactive cell number distribution and behavior. Experimental results highlighted the existence of a distributed reactive region for the cyclonic burner, independently of the considered fuel, while its spatial distribution and extension were found to be significantly affected by the fuel reactivity. As the fuel reactivity increases, reactive regions tighten and move upstream the burner exit. This results in a uniform heat release region for pure NH3 and more localized areas for H2, while CH4 shows and intermediate behavior. Furthermore, the chemical and fluid-dynamic timescales interplay covers a fundamental role in defining the global behavior of reactive regions. These approach a PSR-like condition as the fuel reactivity decreases (NH3<CH4<H2), as result of the longer chemical times compared to the mixing ones (τc>>τI).

Co-firing characteristic prediction of solid waste and coal for supercritical CO2 power cycle based on CFD simulation and machine learning algorithm

The co-firing technology of combustible solid waste (CSW) and coal in the supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) circulating fluidized bed (CFB) can effectively deal with domestic waste, promote social and environmental benefits, improve the coal conversion rate, and reduce pollutant emission. This study focuses on the co-firing characteristics of CSW and coal under S-CO2 power cycle, and simulations are conducted by employing Multiphase Particle-in-cell (MP-PIC) method integrated with the comprehensive chemical reaction models in a 300 MW S-CO2 CFB boiler. Effects of operating parameters including fuel mixture proportion and first stage stoichiometry on the gas emission characteristics are further analyzed. Based on training and testing database based on the simulation results, a novel Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm and Bi-dictionary Long Short-Term Memory (IWOA-BiLSTM) algorithm model is established to predict CFB temperature, NOx emission concentration, and SO2 emission concentration, respectively. Results show that CO and SO2 decrease with the coal mass ratio of the fuel mixture increasing, while NOx increases. With the increase of first stage stoichiometry, CO increases, NOx declines, and the change of SO2 is not obvious. Compared with two other basic algorithm models, the prediction error of the proposed algorithm model for the three targets is minimal with the average relative error of 0.032 %, 0.231 %, and 0.157 %, respectively, which can meet the prediction requirements with acceptable accuracy.

Dynamic mechanism of biodiesel-ethanol-graphene droplets during micro-explosion and puffing: droplet evaporation, distribution and velocity characteristics

Adding graphene to biodiesel and ethanol blends can significantly improve the combustion efficiency, which can significantly reduce pollutant emissions when applied to alternative engine fuels. The study of the droplet dynamic properties of biodiesel-ethanol-graphene blends can help to aid in a deeper understanding of the properties of the fuel, which in turn can provide a theoretical basis for the application of the fuel. In this paper, a modified tube furnace experimental platform was used to investigate the evaporation, micro-explosion, and dynamic properties of parent and child droplets of biodiesel-ethanol-graphene. The micro-explosion and dynamics mechanisms of the parent droplets and child droplets of the blended fuel were further investigated in terms of graphene content, ambient temperature and biodiesel/ethanol blend proportion. During the research, three modes of bubble growth in droplet were proposed, the number and velocity of child droplets and the intensity of micro-explosion were found to have a positive correlation trend. It is found that BD50E50(1%G) droplets show high micro-explosion effect and evaporation rate, and can be considered as a sustainable alternative fuel for airlines or oil companies. The movement law of mixed droplets is analyzed, and the internal conditions and external characterization parameters of micro-explosion are summarized.

Economic and Environmental Assessment of Ammonia as a Sustainable Fuel for Tugboat Operations at the Port of Texas

This study assesses the feasibility of ammonia as a sustainable alternative fuel for tugboat operations in the Port of Texas, a major U.S. maritime, oil and gas hub. Tugboats, while critical to port logistics, contribute significantly to localized air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, impacting both environmental quality and public health in surrounding communities. Given the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) goals to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2050, exploring alternative fuels has become imperative. Ammonia, a carbon-free fuel, presents both opportunities and challenges. While ammonia combustion produces no direct CO₂ emissions, making it attractive from a decarbonization standpoint, its lower energy density results in higher fuel volumes and increased operational costs compared to marine fuel oil (MFO). This paper presents a comparative analysis based on real-world data, mathematical modeling, and emission trade-offs, examining the economic implications, environmental impact, and safety concerns of adopting ammonia as a tugboat fuel. Results indicate that while ammonia could enable significant CO₂ reductions, challenges related to fuel storage, cost, and infrastructure must be addressed. The findings suggest that with appropriate policy support and investment in handling infrastructure, ammonia can become a viable fuel option for sustainable maritime operations.

Analysis of the characteristics and influencing factors of water ecological security in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region: A perspective of industrial agglomeration

Water ecological security (WES) is crucial for promotion of economic and social development characterized by high-quality, while exploring the characteristics of WES and its response mechanism to industrial agglomeration can help formulate and implement relevant policies. In this study, a WES evaluation index system tailored for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region was constructed based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. Additionally, building on the assessment of the degree of industrial agglomeration within the BTH region, the research employs a spatial Durbin model to investigate the impact of industrial agglomeration on WES in the BTH region. The main results are as follows: (1) The level of WES in the BTH region has steadily increased from 2005 to 2021, consistent with the trend of industrial agglomeration in the study area. (2) Influenced by regional economic development and natural conditions, the WES in the BTH region exhibits significant regional disparities and spatial autocorrelation, with levels decreasing from the central area to the east, northwest, and south. (3) Industrial agglomeration enhances WES by improving resource utilization efficiency, reducing pollutant emissions, and providing regional governments with financial resources to improve public services and water ecological protection, leading to better water ecological quality. (4) The impact of different industries on WES varies. As the proportion of the primary industry in the BTH region is relatively small, the agglomeration of the secondary and tertiary industries is more effective in promoting improvements in WES. Moreover, the spatial spillover effects of industrial agglomeration in the BTH region are significant. To enhance the level of WES in the region, this study recommends strengthening water ecological protection, promoting industrial structure adjustment, and enhancing collaborative development.

Property Prediction of Bio-Derived Block Copolymer Thermoplastic Elastomers Using Graph Kernel Methods.

Increasing the diversity of bio-based polymers is needed to address the combined problems of plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The magnitude of the problems necessitates rapid discovery of new materials; however, identification of appropriate chemistries maybe slow using current iterative methods. Machine learning (ML) methods could significantly expedite new material discovery and property identification. Here, PolyAGM, a ML algorithm using graph kernel methods, is introduced and used to predict the properties of block copolymers and identify the responsible structural 'motifs'. It applies a "fingerprinting" method to convert Graph representations of polymers into numerical vectors. The Graphs explicitly encode the entire copolymer of atoms and bonds such that the sequencing of chemical features and polymer chain length are included, alongside relevant stereochemical information. PolyAGM gives predictions for both thermal and mechanical properties that are in good agreement with experimental measurements. This work focuses on predicting the properties of bio-derived ABA-block polymer thermoplastic elastomers, but the general fingerprinting technique of PolyAGM should be relevant to other application fields.

Techno-economic assessment of a green liquid hydrogen supply chain for ship refueling

Maritime transportation is an essential component of international trade and global economic growth: according to the 2021 Review of Maritime Transport, transportation by sea is responsible for more than 80% of the global product flow. To facilitate decarbonization and reduce pollutant emissions in the maritime sector, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set very ambitious targets, and hydrogen is one of the most promising energy vectors capable of supporting the required low-carbon energy transition. Recently, therefore, more attention has been paid to finding technical solutions for the development of hydrogen-based alternative propulsion systems and, at the same time, a hydrogen distribution infrastructure suitable for shipping. In this scenario, this study aims to analyze, through design, modeling and optimization approaches, the energy and economic performance of an offshore wind power plant integrated with a liquid hydrogen production system to be used for refueling ships far from ports. This study focuses on the development of an optimization procedure dedicated to finding the best technical solution in terms of component sizes and management strategies that ensure the minimum Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH). Resultshave highlighted that the proposed innovative plant configuration for the offshore liquid hydrogen production is able to produce 317 tons per year of green hydrogen with a LCOH of 16.77 €/kg by using 19 MW offshore wind farm and 5 MW PEM electrolyzer.

Impact of hard and soft digital infrastructure on pollutant emissions: evidence from China

ABSTRACT The ‘dual-track transition’ of digitalisation and environmental sustainability brings both opportunities and challenges. A deeper understanding of the relationship between these two aspects is essential to ensuring the success of this transition. This study fully considers the high-energy consumption characteristics and layered nature of digital infrastructure, using city-level sample data from China from 2006 to 2018 to empirically examine the actual impact and underlying mechanisms of digital infrastructure’s energy consumption on pollutant emissions. The results indicate that digital infrastructure directly increases pollutant emissions due to energy consumption, and there is an overlapping effect between hard and soft digital infrastructure. Mechanistically, stakeholders’ environmental behaviours mitigate the negative impact of digital infrastructure energy consumption on pollutant emissions; these behaviours include government environmental regulation, public environmental appeals, and corporate green innovation. Additionally, when considering the inter-regional coal power output and input relationships, the development of digital infrastructure exhibits a cross-regional pollutant transfer effect. These insights are crucial for supporting the success of the ‘dual-track transition’.