Pollutant Discharge Research Articles

Unveiling underutilized public data on Canadian industrial pollutant transfers and disposals

ABSTRACT Over 50 nations worldwide have Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs), including Canada’s National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), which comprise large public datasets of chemical releases to air, water, and land and also transfers to various on and off-site waste management practices. These inventories aim to support a myriad of audiences in pollution-related decision-making. While the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) framed a role for PRTRs as indicators for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 - the sound management of chemicals and wastes, research to date has focused only on air and water releases, omitting vast PRTR data on pollutant transfers to waste management. For Canada’s NPRI, 30 years of waste management transfers data on 250+ chemicals has been collected but rarely used in environmental research. Here we show how this overlooked NPRI data may be used to inform snapshots and trends in progress towards SDG 12 using the OECD’s framework. Results show that over 28 million (M) tonnes (t) of NPRI pollutants have been transferred from industrial facilities to various waste management practices from 2006 to 2021, of which ~10M t were transferred off-site for waste management operations both within and outside Canada. Time trends show pollutant transfer quantities are increasing, driven by on-site disposals to tailings and waste rock management (of mainly phosphorous, manganese and other metals) and underground injection (of mainly hydrogen sulphide). New route maps reveal that interprovincial and international pollutant transfers are common, and that chain of custody analyses is a burgeoning opportunity but hampered by data limitations. The findings create a state of the knowledge launching point for mainstreaming the use of this overlooked data from both Canada’s NPRI and PRTRs around the world, to better track both national and international progress towards sound management of chemicals in waste and SDG 12. Implications: Pollutant transfers and disposals data has not previously been widely used in environmental research. This paper shows how it can be, in the context of SDG 12. Doing so can inspire uptake by researchers and a range of other public users, both strengthening the justification for collecting this data, and bolstering public participation in environmental decision-making from a local to global scale. Doing so also provides the foundation for more in-depth analysis on the domestic and international transboundary movement of Canadian industrial pollutants in waste in the lens of SDG 12 – a topic that was beyond scope here but addressed elsewhere.

Sustainable and efficient removal of phosphorus from wastewater through red mud residue after deep dealkalization

The increase phosphorus content in industrial wastewater can seriously deteriorate the water quality and correspondingly cause the eutrophication of rivers, lakes and underground water. The calcium silicate powder (CSP) was prepared from the red mud residue after deep dealkalization for phosphorus removal from wastewater, and the corresponding removal performance and adsorption mechanism were investigated in this work. Under the optimal conditions, a phosphorus removal efficiency of 96.32 % and a maximum immobilization capacity of 24.08 mg∙g−1 were achieved. The kinetic and isotherm data are well-fitted by the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, while the phosphorus is mainly removed by chemisorption, accompanied by the formation of a monolayer film on the heterogeneous surface. A novel Source-Parameters-Strategy-Demand architecture was proposed to evaluate the application potential of calcium silicate powder and environmental risk. The findings confirmed the validity of calcium silicate prepared from red mud residue for the phosphorus removal from wastewater, which has the unique advantages in simultaneously solving the industrial solid waste pollution and excessive phosphorus discharge.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) pollution characteristics, bioaccumulation and human consumption implication in wild marine organisms from the Yellow River Estuary, China

As the substitutes of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, organophosphate esters (OPEs) with high concentrations have accumulated in the estuaries, bays, and harbors. However, limited information is available about the OPEs in the estuary organism categories, especially under the multiple industrial pressure. This study investigated the occurrence, bioaccumulation and human consumption implication in wild marine organisms from the Yellow River Estuary, where located many petroleum and chemical manufacturing industries. This study found that concentrations of Σ13OPEs ranged from 547 ng/L to 1164 ng/L in seawater (median: 802 ng/L), from 384 to 1366 ng/g dw in the sediment (median: 601 ng/g dw), and from 419 to 959 ng/g dw (median: 560 ng/g dw) in the marine organisms. The congener compositions in the organisms were dominated by alkyl-OPEs (80.7 %), followed by halogenated-OPEs (18.8 %) and aryl-OPEs (0.5 %). Based on the principal component analysis, petrochemical pollution, and industrial wastewater discharge were distinguished as the main plausible sources of OPEs to the YRE ecosystem. Most OPEs had potential or strong bioaccumulation capacity on the organisms, with a positive correlation between log BAF (Bioaccumulation Factor) and log Kow of OPEs. The highest estimated daily intake value of OPEs was tri-n-propyl phosphate, exceeding 300 ng/kg·bw/day via consuming fish. The highest hazard quotients from OPEs ranged from 0.001 to 0.1, indicating a low risk to human health by consuming marine organisms in the YRE. As the consumption of OPEs increases year by year, the risks of OPEs still cannot be ignored.

Optimizing environmental costs and economic benefits in new energy vehicle production: A case study of FAW Hongqi in China

This study focuses on the environmental cost accounting and economic benefit optimization of China’s FAW Hongqi New Energy Vehicle manufacturing enterprise under uncertain conditions, within the context of the emission permit system This study calculates the pollution situation throughout the manufacturing and production process of FAW Hongqi new energy vehicles, and constructs a multi-level environmental cost evaluation system for FAW Hongqi new energy vehicle manufacturing projects. Through the interval fuzzy model of FAW Hongqi new energy vehicle manufacturing projects, the maximum economic benefits of the enterprise are simulated. The research results indicate that the pollution emissions of enterprises are mainly concentrated in the three processes of welding, painting, and final assembly. Enterprises use their own exhaust gas and wastewater treatment devices to meet the standards for pollution emissions. At the same time, solid waste generated during the automobile manufacturing process is handed over to third-party companies for treatment. Secondly, based on the accounting results of enterprise pollution source intensity and a multi-layer environmental cost evaluation system, the environmental costs of enterprises are accounted for, and the environmental costs are represented in interval form to reduce uncertainty in the accounting process. According to the accounting results of enterprise environmental costs, the main environmental costs of enterprises are environmental remediation costs caused by normal pollution discharge and purchase costs of environmental protection facilities. Pollutant emission taxes and routine environmental monitoring costs are relatively low. Enterprises can adopt more scientific solutions from the aspects of environmental remediation and environmental protection facilities to reduce environmental costs. After optimization by the fuzzy interval uncertainty optimization model, the economic benefits of the FAW Hongqi new energy vehicle manufacturing project were [101,254.71, 6278.5413] million yuan. Compared with the interval uncertainty optimization model, the lower bound of economic benefits increased by 57.68%, and the upper bound decreased by 12.08%, shortening the results of the economic benefits interval. Clarify the current environmental pollution situation of FAW Hongqi’s new energy vehicle manufacturing enterprise, provide data support for sustainable development of the enterprise, and provide reasonable decision-making space for enterprise decision-makers.

Optimizing the management of multiple water resources in irrigation area under uncertainty: A novel scenario-based multi-objective fuzzy-credibility constrained programming model

Effective water resources management is vital for sustainable development, healthy ecosystems, stable socio-economic, and human well-being. However, managing water resources faces challenges due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders and uncertainties in various hydrologic fluxes. This complexity makes it rare for research to simultaneously address the hidden uncertainties in both objectives and constraints. Here, we developed a scenario-based multi-objective fuzzy-credibility constrained programming approach and applied it to the water resource management system (SMOFCP-WRMS) of the Zhaokou Yellow River Diversion Irrigation Area Phase II Project (ZKID-II). This method handles uncertainties represented by scenarios and fuzzy sets, while also resolving fuzzy uncertainty parameters within the multiple objectives and constraints of the model. We solve the SMOFCP-RWMS model by integrating the Nondominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III) and compromise programming (CP) method. The results show that: (1) An increase in constraints violation risks (credibility level from 0.5 to 1.0) results in a decrease in water resources allocation and pollutant discharge by 25.95 × 106 m3 and 207.63 tonne, respectively, accompanied by a decline in net economic income by 68.04 × 106 CNY; (2) From extraordinary dry year to normal year (design frequencies from 95 % to 50 %) leads to a reduction in water shortage by 167.07 × 106 m3. Incorporating ‘credibility levels’ and ‘design frequencies’ would be beneficial for addressing uncertainties, including fuzzy information and discrete possibilities for the future; (3) Regarding the multi-objective model solution, the combined NSGA-III and CP approach demonstrates an average increase of 1.71 % in net economic benefits and 5.91 % in total pollution discharge, along with a 6.77 % reduction in the water deficit ration compared to the traditional CP method. Although the ecological benefits decrease slightly in the compromise-optimal solutions using the combined NSGA-III and CP method, the economic and social benefits are improved compared to those from the combined NSGA-II and CP method. This study provides valuable decision-making guidance for water resources managers in irrigated areas, aiding them in balancing economic, social, and ecological benefits, and enabling the section of an optimal water resources management scheme based on acceptable risk levels under various uncertain conditions.

Kinetic insights and pollution mitigation in waste tire pyrolysis: Targeting sulfur, nitrogen, and PAHs emissions

Waste tires have potential to be used for generation of fuel via thermal degradation because of their non-biodegradable nature. Nevertheless, the formation of various pollutants such as sulfur-based and nitrogen-based are inevitable due to presence of nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds during waste tires production. The main purpose was to examine the effect of variating heating rates on pollutants release because heating rate is an important parameter which influences the pollutants releasing profile. Moreover, Ar and CO2 as reaction medium were used to identify their behavior for restraining the PAHs in gas phase. The present study investigates the influence of heating rates and carrier gas environment (Argon and CO2) to reduce the pollutants emission. Thermogravimetry-Mass Spectrum coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was used to evaluate the thermal degradation and pollutants formation. The major degradation of waste tires occurred between 300 and 500 ℃. The sulfur-based (H2S, CS2, COS, SO2, and CH3SH), nitrogen-based (NH3, HNCO, NO, and HCN) and 9 series of PAHs pollutants were detected. The higher heating rates promoted the pollutants emission. The degradation of compounds having sulfur content formed -SH radials and -SH helped in further release of sulfur based-pollutants. The NH3 releasing profile started after 200 ℃ and released till around 800 ℃ for 30 ⁰C/min and 40 ⁰C/min but its emission was very low after 600 ⁰C for heating rates 5 ⁰C/min, 10 ⁰C/min, and 20 ⁰C/min. The aromatic compounds fraction was more at higher heating rate due to short residence time for pyrolytic products to go through secondary reaction. The 5 ℃/min and 10 ℃/min were considered favorable heating rates in terms of achieving lowest activation energy in both gas environments. The thermodynamic parameters analysis suggested that waste tires pyrolysis was non-spontaneous and endothermic reaction as well as feedstocks showed potential to be utilized for waste conversion.

Mapping and assessment of groundwater pollution risks in the main aquifer of the Mostaganem plateau (Northwest Algeria): utilizing the novel vulnerability index and decision tree model.

Water plays a pivotal role in socio-economic development in Algeria. However, the overexploitations of groundwater resources, water scarcity, and the proliferation of pollution sources (including industrial and urban effluents, untreated landfills, and chemical fertilizers, etc.) have resulted in substantial groundwater contamination. Preserving water irrigation quality has thus become a primary priority, capturing the attention of both scientists and local authorities. The current study introduces an innovative method to mapping contamination risks, integrating vulnerability assessments, land use patterns (as a sources of pollution), and groundwater overexploitation (represented by the waterhole density) through the implementation of a decision tree model. The resulting risk map illustrates the probability of contamination occurrence in the substantial aquifer on the plateau of Mostaganem. An agricultural region characterized by the intensive nutrients and pesticides use, the significant presence of septic tanks, widespread illegal dumping, and a technical landfill not compliant with environmental standards. The critical situation in the region is exacerbated by excessive groundwater pumping surpassing the aquifer's natural replenishment capacity (with 115 boreholes and 6345 operational wells), especially in a semi-arid climate featuring limited water resources and frequent drought. Vulnerability was evaluated using the DRFTID method, a derivative of the DRASTIC model, considering parameters such as depth to groundwater, recharge, fracture density, slope, nature of the unsaturated zone, and the drainage density. All these parameters are combined with analyses of inter-parameter relationship effects. The results show a spatial distribution into three risk levels (low, medium, and high), with 31.5% designated as high risk, and 56% as medium risk. The validation of this mapping relies on the assessment of physicochemical analyses in samples collected between 2010 and 2020. The results indicate elevated groundwater contamination levels in samples. Chloride exceeded acceptable levels by 100%, nitrate by 71%, calcium by 50%, and sodium by 42%. These elevated concentrations impact electrical conductivity, resulting in highly mineralized water attributed to anthropogenic agricultural pollution and septic tank discharges. High-risk zones align with areas exhibiting elevated nitrate and chloride concentrations. This model, deemed satisfactory, significantly enhances the sustainable management of water resources and irrigated land across various areas. In the long term, it would be beneficial to refine "vulnerability and risk" models by integrating detailed data on land use, groundwater exploitation, and hydrogeological and hydrochemical characteristics. This approach could improve vulnerability accuracy and pollution risk maps, particularly through detailed local data availability. It is also crucial that public authorities support these initiatives by adapting them to local geographical and climatic specificities on a regional and national scale. Finally, these studies have the potential to foster sustainable development at different geographical levels.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Carbon and Nitrogen in Subtropical Urban Streams (Santo André, SP, Brazil)

Urban sprawl poses a significant threat to urban stream water quality due to impermeabilization, reduced vegetation cover, and the release of diffuse pollutants. This study evaluates water quality in seven catchments in Santo André, SP, considering seasonality. Nutrient concentrations and in situ measurements were taken during both dry and rainy seasons. Comparisons were made using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests. Streams showed significant differences in relation to water quality parameters. The Carapetuba, Jundiaí, and Apiaí streams were most adversely affected, underscoring the need for urgent water quality intervention (water conductivity above 500 μS/cm, dissolved oxygen below 2 mg/L, total dissolved carbon above 50 mg/L, and total dissolved nitrogen above 25 mg/L). Significant differences were observed across seasons. The dry season showed elevated temperatures (above 25 °C) and increased total dissolved carbon (above 50 mg/L) and nitrogen concentrations (above 30 mg/L), indicating reduced dilution effects from rainfall and heightened organic contamination. Conversely, the wet season demonstrated lower nutrient concentrations, emphasizing seasonal dynamics. Sustained, long-term monitoring of urban streams in Santo André and the implementation of sewage collection and treatment in irregular settlements are recommended. These measures are essential to mitigate the adverse impacts of urban expansion on water quality.

Data Mining Prior to Earth Mining: A Sustainable Approach for Mineral Exploitation

The extraction of mineral resources from the earth, in various mining forms, such as open-cast and underground mining, has significant environmental and societal consequences, both during and after mining operations. It results in habitat destruction, soil erosion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the release of harmful pollutants into the environment. These pollutants, including heavy metals and sulphur compounds, etc., which contaminate water sources and soil, posing a serious threat to ecosystems and human health. Despite these challenges, mining remains essential for providing raw materials to meet the needs of modern civilization, and as the global population grows, demand for minerals continues to rise, leading to increased mining operations. This intensified mining activity poses a significant threat to the planet Earth. In this context, addressing the negative effects of mining, such as mining failures, and disruptions to biodiversity, is a growing concern. Mining failures encompass a range of economic, environmental, and social consequences. A comprehensive understanding of these interrelated components is crucial for mitigating the risks and consequences associated with mining failures, as well as for developing sustainable and responsible mining practices.

Методика оценки экономического ущерба подземным водам при эксплуатации гидротехнических сооружений

Introduction. The problem is that currently there are no standard indicators for the degree of groundwater contamination. As a rule, standard indicators for surface waters are taken as a criterion for assessing their pollution. However, as is known, the underground hydrosphere is a separate environment, and groundwater is a separate component of the environment. In addition, groundwater is a strategic reserve of clean fresh water for the population of the Russian Federation. Therefore, it is clear that the regulation of maximum permissible harmful effects on groundwater and maximum permissible discharges of harmful substances into groundwater bodies is currently extremely necessary. Due to the fact that there are no standard indicators, there is no economic regulation of the negative impact of economic activities on groundwater. And this impact is very significant. This has been proven by numerous long-term monitoring studies of the underground hydrosphere, which is under the influence, for example, of mining enterprises in the Urals Federal District. Materials and methods. This work uses hydrogeological (deposit groundwater regime and balance monitoring), geochemical, and geo-ecological (groundwater quality and pollution monitoring) research methods, as well as observation and statistical and cartographic data processing methods. The research is based on a large amount of accumulated data and signature fieldwork. Results and discussion. As is known, in 1998, Guidelines were developed for the development of standards for maximum permissible harmful effects on groundwater bodies and maximum permissible discharges of harmful substances into groundwater bodies. However, this technique did not find its application, either because of its imperfection, or because it was believed that groundwater is sufficiently protected from negative technogenic and anthropogenic influences, in comparison with other components of the environment and, therefore, is not regulated need. Now it is obvious that groundwater, just like other components (atmospheric air, soil, surface water) experience intense negative impact from human economic activity and they require their own standards and, of course, economic regulation of such impact. The authors of this article have significantly improved the methodology for developing standards for maximum permissible harmful effects (MPH) on groundwater bodies and maximum permissible discharges of harmful substances (MPD) into groundwater bodies. This method has been patented and on its basis, the article presents a new method for calculating economic damage to groundwater, developed and tested on the basis of our own research on two unique largest technogenic-mineral formations in the Middle and Southern Urals. Conclusion. The hydrodynamic method for calculating groundwater pollution and normatively permissible discharge underlies the methodology for assessing natural damage to groundwater from pollutants of technogenic-mineral formations. The methodology for assessing economic damage to the underground hydrosphere from sources of surface pollution is based on calculating fees for the discharge of pollutants within the limit and above the limit. Resume. Technogenic mineral formations intensively affect groundwater, which is an important resource in human life in the present and especially in the future. Therefore, their uncontrolled pollution is unacceptable, which predetermines the development of a methodology for assessing damage to groundwater. Suggestions for practical applications and directions for future research. The application of a methodology for assessing economic damage to groundwater during the operation of hydraulic structures initiates the development of effective measures for higher and more comprehensive extraction of minerals, treatment of industrial wastewater, and more careful design and construction of hydraulic structures.

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ERTIS RIVER UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT

The article discusses the problems of pollution of the Ertis River in the Kazakhstani part of the basin. The data on the quality of river water obtained in the period from 2012 to 2023, which is generally characterized as unsatisfactory, was analyzed. The main sources of river pollution are discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater in the Bukhtarma, Ulba, Ertis river basins, and there is also a trans-boundary impact. As a result of the activities of a number of industrial complexes in the studied area, increased concentrations of heavy metals (lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium), nutrients (iron), and suspended particles (11.9–28.3 mg/dm3) are observed in the water of the Ertis River. The most polluted sections of the river are in the areas of Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semipalatinsk and Pavlodar. To improve the water quality of the Ertis River, it is necessary to take measures to reduce trans-boundary discharges of pollutants, ensure effective treatment of industrial and municipal wastewater, and also monitor the quality of the river’s water in order to track the dynamics of pollution and take timely measures to reduce it.

Telemac 2D Modeling of Pollutant Transport in the Medjerda River: Impact of Tamarix Vegetation, Bousselem, Tunisia

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of pollutant discharges from Bousselem WWTP in the Medjerda River (Tunisia). We chose to model the transport of a passive pollutant from the Bousselem WWTP using Telemac 2D model. The hydrodynamic model calibration was based on identifying the roughness coefficient derived from existing vegetation, mainly from the Tamarix type. Three scenarios of hydrocarbon dispersion representing potential accidents, with concentrations of 0.25, 10, and 50 kg/m3, were simulated. Three successive downstream sections were chosen to track concentration variability in space and over time. The final concentrations recorded (6 km from discharge point) are 500 μg/l, 12 μg/l, and 2.4 μg/l for scenarios of 50 kg/m3, 1 kg/m3, and 0.25 kg/m3, respectively. These values significantly exceed the international norm for drinking water, set at 1 μg/l, and so causing problems for drinking use. The obtained results serve to ensure environmental safety for hydraulic resources.

Inverse identification of a pollutant source in an apartment with multiple rooms by joint multi-zone model and CFD

In case a hazardous agent is accidentally released inside a building, both the pollutant source location and the temporal release rates must be determined in order to guide emergency actions. Inverse modeling based on either a multi-zone model or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) may help to find the pollutant source. This investigation proposed the inverse identification of both the release location and dynamic release rate profile of a pollutant source in an apartment with multiple rooms. In the first stage of the solution, the room containing the pollutant source was identified by the inverse multi-zone model; then, in the second stage, the occupant who released the pollutant was determined by the inverse CFD model. Both models solved for the possible pollutant release rate profiles with a regularized, inverted matrix at all candidate zones/positions based on information from a sensor. Next, the occurrence probability at each candidate zone/position was interpreted by the Bayesian probability model with input from another sensor. The results revealed that the two types of models could be used in conjunction to efficiently identify both the room in which the pollutant was released and the exact occupant who released it, as well as the dynamic release rate profile.

Intelligent Water Quality Testing Device based on Internet of Things Technology

Water quality testing is an important environmental testing standard. However, at present, Internet of Things water quality testing products generally have problems such as single function, complex interface, and short sensor life. The design of this paper is a device with intelligent water quality detection technology, including the independent design of the sensor interface standard, the sensor automatic recognition, plug and play; The sensor is equipped with a lifting mechanical structure to avoid long-term soaking of the sensor and increase the service life of the sensor by 35%. At the same time, combined with intelligent Internet of Things, big data analysis and other technologies, help relevant departments to grasp water quality information in a timely and accurate manner, early warning and forecasting of major regional water pollution accidents, supervision of pollutant discharge, and implementation of control systems to provide help. It is mainly used to monitor the water quality data of small and medium-sized reservoirs, rivers and lakes to achieve intelligent management within the jurisdiction.

Enhanced Hydrologic Connectivity and Solute Dynamics Following Wildfire and Drought in a Contaminated Temperate Peatland Catchment

AbstractIntact peatlands provide hydrological ecosystem services, such as regulating water regimes and immobilizing pollutants within catchments. Climate change impacts including drought and wildfire may impair their functioning, potentially impacting ecosystem service delivery. Here we investigate stream water quality changes following the combined impacts of a summer drought and wildfire in a peat‐dominated catchment in the UK during 2018. The study catchment stores legacy pollutants (i.e., metals) due to past industrial activity, thus making it particularly susceptible to pollutant release during wildfires. We quantified changes in water chemistry during five storm events over a 9‐month period following the wildfire. Concentration‐discharge (C‐Q) relationships for nine solutes were analyzed to explore changes in activation and connectivity of solute source zones. Hysteresis and flushing indices of C‐Q responses further described solute dynamics during storm events. We found that most nutrient and base cation concentrations in the stream discharge were highest in the immediate post‐fire storm events and decreased during subsequent autumn and spring storms. Metal concentrations increased during autumn and spring storms, indicating delayed mobilization from within‐peat or distal headwater sources. Our findings suggest that seasonal re‐wetting and hydrologic connectivity following disturbance influenced solute source zone activation and transport in the study catchment. Water quality responses associated with wildfire and drought were primarily observed in the months following the wildfire, suggesting mobilization of pollutants peaks shortly after fire. Our results contribute to a critical understanding of the future of water quality risks in temperate peatland catchments subject to disturbances exacerbated by climate change.

Managerial and Financial Barriers to the Green Transition

Using data on 10,776 firms across 22 emerging markets, we show that both credit constraints and weak green management hold back corporate investment in green technologies embodied in new machinery, equipment, and vehicles. In contrast, investment in measures to explicitly reduce emissions and other pollution is mainly determined by the quality of a firm’s green management and less so by binding credit constraints. Data from the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register reveal the environmental impact of these organizational constraints. In areas where more firms are credit constrained and weakly managed, industrial facilities systematically emit more CO2 and pollutants. A counterfactual analysis shows that credit constraints and weak management have respectively kept CO2 emissions 4.5% and 2.3% above the levels that would have prevailed without such constraints. This is further corroborated by our finding that in localities where banks had to deleverage more due to the global financial crisis, carbon emissions by industrial facilities remained 5.6% higher a decade later. This paper was accepted by Lukas Schmid, finance. Supplemental Material: The online appendices and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.00772 .

Potential of nature-based solutions to reduce antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance, and pathogens in aquatic ecosystems. a critical review

This comprehensive scientific review evaluates the effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NBS) in reducing antibiotics (ABs), combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and controlling pathogens in various aquatic environments at different river catchment levels. It covers conventional and innovative treatment wetland configurations for wastewater treatment to reduce pollutant discharge into the aquatic ecosystems as well as exploring how river restoration and saltmarshes can enhance pollutant removal. Through the analysis of experimental studies and case examples, the review shows NBS's potential for providing sustainable and cost-effective solutions to improve the health of aquatic ecosystems. It also evaluates the use of diagnostic indicators to predict NBS effectiveness in removing specific pollutants such as ABs and AMR. The review concludes that NBS are feasible for addressing the new challenges stemming from human activities such as the presence of ABs, AMR and pathogens, contributing to a better understanding of NBS, highlighting success stories, addressing knowledge gaps, and providing recommendations for future research and implementation.

Comparative study on the effect of SRB and Sporosarcina pasteurii on the MICP cementation and solidification of lead–zinc tailings

The production of tailings sand due to mining and smelting activities is one of the reasons for the accelerated environmental pollution caused by heavy metals, drawing social attention to the management of tailings sand. Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is an environmentally friendly soil remediation technique that is gradually becoming the preferred method for soil stabilisation and heavy metal pollution control. To address the issues of heavy metal pollution release and the loose particle structure of lead–zinc tailings sand (LZTS), this study employs a layered MICP approach. The solidification effects of two typical mineralising bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and Sporosarcina pasteurii, on LZTS, were compared for the first time. The results show that the maximum unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of SRB cemented solidified lead–zinc tailings sand (SRB-CS-LZTS) specimens is 0.22 MPa, while that of S. pasteurii cemented solidified lead–zinc tailings sand (SP-CS-LZTS) specimens is 0.95 MPa. Compared with the UCS of SRB-CS-LZTS, the UCS of SP-CS-LZTS increased by 3.32 times. The effect of S. pasteurii on the improvement of UCS and immobilisation of heavy metal ions was greater than that of SRB. The immobilisation effect of SRB on SO42- in the LZTS was better than that of S. pasteurii. Compared with SRB, the biological CaCO3 formed by S. pasteurii exhibited stronger adhesion and was more suitable for the cementation and solidification of LZTS. This study uses MICP technology to treat LZTS, aligning with the green environmental concept and providing a reference for the bioremediation of multiple heavy metals in tailing areas.

Facilities pond aquaculture system construction and the ecological economy analyzed

Pond aquaculture is the main form of aquaculture worldwide. However, there are problems with water quality being difficult to control, discharge pollution, low production quality, etc. Therefore, an efficient, low-carbon, and controllable pond system should be established. In this paper, we introduce two facilities’ pond systems: a segregated pond aquaculture system (SPA) and a batch pond aquaculture system (BPA). In these two systems, we evaluated a rearing period with bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) and detected ecological and economic indexes such as yield, nitrogen and phosphorus conversion efficiency, and energy utilization efficiency in different aquaculture pond systems. The results showed that the yields of the SPA and BPA were 12.81 % and 74.29 %, respectively, greater than those of traditional ponds. The feed conversion ratios (FCRs) of the BPA and SPA were 1.8 and 2.1, respectively, but those of the traditional ponds were 2.3. The proportions of nitrogen converted to fish in the SPA, BPA, and traditional ponds were 29.67 %, 33.45 %, and 26.19 %, respectively, and the percentages of phosphorus converted to fish in the SPA, BPA and traditional ponds were 53.68 %, 63.38 %, and 52.20 %, respectively. With the production of 1 kg of aquatic products, the utilization of solar and feed energy in the SPA, BPA, and traditional ponds was 60.28 ± 1.12 MJ/kg, 66.59 ±0.26 MJ/kg, and 37.05 ±1.33 MJ/kg, respectively. In addition, the SPA and BPA can also use 60 % less water, reduce wastewater discharge by 80 % and use 35 % less land. These results showed that construction facility pond systems could improve pond aquaculture efficiency and have great development potential.

Establishing grassland mixtures on mine wastes – a two-year mesocosm study

Plant growth on mine wastes is restricted by the lack of water, nutrients, phytotoxic responses and the absence of a seedbank. In a mesocosm study, we addressed the establishment of vegetation on metalliferous mine wastes from two seed mixtures. Besides the composition of the vegetation and the increase in plant cover and biomass over time, we studied concentrations of heavy metals in the shoot and analyzed the quantity of throughflow, its pH and EC to follow pollutant discharge. We hypothesized that the types of mine wastes and sown grasslands will affect species composition and the formation of a protective plant cover. Our platform was well-suited to study build-up and succession of a vegetation layer and its potential to stabilize mine wastes. However, the establishing community was less diverse than expected. The dilution of wastes increased species number and biomass, and we found a reduction of material discharge with increasing vegetation cover. Over time, drainage was reduced, while pH of the throughflow did not change. However, it was higher under the addition of greywater. Interestingly, the use of greywater led to a higher biomass in one mixture and slight changes in the chemistry of the throughflow and the plant matter.