Significant Environmental Harm Research Articles

Assessment of Life Cycle and Environmental Impact Hotspots Associated with the Construction and Disposal of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Fishing (FRP) Boats in the Small-Scale Fishing Sector of India

Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) is a durable thermosetting plastic widely used in small-scale marine boat building. The average life span of FRPsheathed boat is seven years, while that of FRP boat is 30 years. Once their service life ends, these boats are mostly abandoned in the coastal areas, leading to significant environmental harm. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates a product’s entire life cycle, from raw material production to disposal, covering all intermediate stages. This study examines the LCA of boats made from FRP as a primary material and the wood/plywood boats sheathed with FRP, along the coast of Kerala, focusing on construction, use, maintenance, and disposal phases.The carbon footprint of FRP boats during their life cycle is 35.31 kg CO2 equivalent, which is considerably lower than the 63.01 kg CO2 equivalent for sheathed boats when normalised for a period of one year. Although FRP boats, require 2.4 times more materials like glass fibers and resins for construction than sheathed boats, their overall environment impact is lower due to their four times longer lifespan. The LCA findings show that resin compounds as the major contributors to environmental impacts. The study evaluated boat disposal methods in India, revealing that open burning of FRP boats generates 1253.58 kg CO2 equivalent, while landfilling reduces it to 1065.3 kg CO2 equivalent, both posing environmental risks. In contrast, sheathed boats produce a much lower carbon footprint of 77.70 kg CO2 equivalent when landfilled but have a substantially higher footprint of 596.67 kg CO2 equivalent when burned. The results underscore the pressing need for sustainable disposal methods for the end-of-life FRP fishing boats to minimize ecological damage. The results of the study also highlight the importance of material selection and waste management in reducing the environmental footprint of boat construction and disposal. These insights are crucial for promoting sustainability in small-scale boat-building yards, offering a path forward for the industry to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining the durability and longevity of the fishing boats.

Characterizing nano-indentation and microstructural properties of mine tailings-based geopolymers

The mining industry's extraction processes produce vast amounts of waste, including mine tailings (MT), traditionally stored in large ponds, causing significant environmental harm due to a lack of effective recycling methods. This research explores the potential of converting MT into a resource i.e., precursors in geopolymer synthesis. By analyzing the physicochemical and mineralogical properties of MT, the study formulates four geopolymer composites, substituting up to 30 wt% MT for fly ash. The composites' mechanical and microstructural properties show a contribution of MT in the stability of the matrix. Compressive strength of 59 MPa when incorporating 30 wt% MT, along with water absorption, microstructural analysis, and environmental impact assessments, support the hypothesis that the matrix is improved. Nano-indentation techniques further evaluated the nanomechanical properties, such as Young's modulus and fracture toughness. The findings reveal that geopolymers with 30 wt% MT exhibits up to 130 % increased strength. This research highlights the potential for innovative, eco-friendly solutions in waste management and material production, contributing to sustainable mining practices and advancing the field of geopolymer technology.

Utilizing citizen science data to rapidly assess changing associations between wild birds and avian influenza outbreaks in poultry.

High pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is a rapidly evolving virus causing significant economic and environmental harm. Wild birds are a key viral reservoir and an important source of viral incursions into animal populations, including poultry. However, we lack a thorough understanding of which species drive incursions and whether this changes over time. We explored associations between the abundances of 152 avian species and outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry premises across Great Britain between October 2021 and January 2023. Spatial generalized additive models were used, with species abundance distributions sourced from eBird. Associations were investigated at the species-specific level and across species aggregations. During autumn/winter, associations were generally strongest with waterbirds such as ducks and geese; however, we also found significant associations in groups such as non-native gamebirds and rapid change in species-specific associations over time. Our results demonstrate the value of citizen science to rapidly explore wild species as potential facilitators of disease incursions into well-monitored populations, especially in regions where viral surveillance in wild species is limited. This can be a critical step towards prioritizing targeted surveillance that could inform species-specific biosecurity measures; particularly for HPAIV, which has undergone sudden shifts in host range and continues to rapidly evolve.

Biology, classification, and entomopathogen-based management and their mode of action on Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) in Asia.

Tuta absoluta, known as the South American tomato leaf miner, significantly impacts tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) economically on a global scale. This pest, belonging to the Gelechiidae family, is native to South America and was first identified in Peru in 1917. Since its discovery, T. absoluta has rapidly spread to Europe, Africa, and Asia, severely threatening tomato production in these regions. The widespread application of chemical pesticides against this pest has resulted in significant environmental harm, including contamination of soil and water, and has had negative effects on non-target species such as beneficial insects, birds, and aquatic life. Although substantial research has been conducted, biological control methods for T. absoluta remain insufficient, necessitating further study. This review covers the Biology, Classification, and Entomopathogen-Based Management of T. absoluta (Meyrick) in Asia. It provides essential insights into the pest's life cycle, ecological impacts, and the potential of entomopathogens as biocontrol agents. The detailed information presented aims to facilitate the development of sustainable pest control strategies, minimizing environmental impact and promoting the use of entomopathogens as viable alternatives to chemical pesticides in controlling T. absoluta insect pest.

An Arsenic Removal Technology and Its Application in Arsenic-Containing Copper

The usage of copper (Cu) ores containing low or no arsenic (As) has reduced, and Cu ores containing high levels of As have emerged as vital mineral resources for Cu extraction and processing. The quality of the Cu ores has decreased from 1.6% to approximately 1.0%. The proportion of As to Cu in 15% of Cu resources currently reaches 1:5. However, during the extraction and processing of Cu ores, As presents significant environmental harm. Hence, safely and effectively removing As is paramount in Cu smelting and processing, holding substantial importance in fostering environmentally sustainable practices within the Cu extraction and processing industry. This article consolidates the resource distribution of As-containing Cu (ACC) ores, comprehensively and systematically evaluates the present advancements in extracting techniques for these minerals, and identifies the challenges inherent in pyrometallurgical and wet processes for treating ACC deposits. Pyrometallurgy is a simple primary roasting technique and has widespread applicability in the treatment of various ACC minerals. Its disadvantages are the emission of exhaust gas and the high treatment costs associated with it. The wet arsenic removal method boasts advantages including minimal air pollution and a high resource recovery rate, significantly aiding in Cu concentrate recovery; its major drawback is the production of As-containing wastewater. The hydrometallurgical removal of As from ACC mines involves extracting As through leaching. Recently, biometallurgy has presented innovative solutions using specialized microorganisms to bioleach or bioabsorb As, but large-scale industrial applications still lack specific practical implementation. This review explores the underlying causes of the challenges encountered in processing ACC minerals. Additionally, it highlights pyrometallurgical roasting coupled with high-temperature filtration as a pivotal advancement in the extraction and processing of ACC ores.

Cyclodextrin decorated with quaternary ammonium salt and hydrophobic chain as green demulsifier for the demulsification of oily wastewater

Currently, most of the industrial demulsifiers are based on petrochemical-derived raw materials, which have the disadvantages of dangerous and complicated synthesizing process, low demulsification efficiency (DE) and significant environmental harm. To tackle these challenges, this study focused on synthesizing a green cationized amphiphilic cyclodextrin demulsifier (CDPA) decorated with quaternary ammonium salt and hydrophobic chain, which exhibits effectively treats oily wastewater at ambient temperature and low concentration. The bottle tests revealed that the light transmittance and the corresponding oil removal efficiency of CDPA was 93.1 % and 99.4 %, respectively. In addition, CDPA consistently maintained an excellent DE in wide pH range (3–11) and high salinity conditions. The possible demulsification mechanism of CDPA was explored in detail and the results showed that CDPA could quickly adsorb and replace natural surfactants, leading to form an unstable composite film and initiating the demulsification process. Furthermore, the positive charge of CDPA also facilitated electrostatic neutralization with the oil droplets, thereby attenuating the strength of the interfacial film.

Is celebration of New Year and other festivals worth their environmental impact?

AbstractThe global tradition of fireworks at festivals causes significant environmental harm, including air, water, noise and light pollution, and impacts on human health. Diwali and the Chinese New Year fireworks can spike the Air Quality Index and elevate particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in capitals during and after celebrations. This commentary examines evidence for the detrimental effects of fireworks on the environment, human health and wildlife. Alternatives like drone displays, laser shows and eco‐friendly decorations are proposed, along with stricter regulations to curb firework impacts.

Sustainable considerations in additive manufacturing processes: A review

Efficient waste management practices are becoming increasingly necessary due to the negative environmental and health impacts of waste generation and disposal. One type of waste that has received particular attention is electronic waste (e-waste). This category of waste has the potential to cause significant environmental harm if not disposed of properly. The management of e-waste is crucial in the electrical/electronic industry which has led to the creation of models and institutional legislature to promote sustainable production processes. Among these processes, Additive manufacturing otherwise referred to as 3D printing is particularly effective in reducing waste generation and energy requirements by reusing spent parts and products as feedstock. Sustainability in the manufacturing and production sectors can be promoted through the inculcation of certain practices. Of these practices, reusing e-waste that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills has the potential to promote environmental cost savings. This article introduces the potential of e-waste being integrated into the manufacturing sector to promote sustainable production. The article also addresses the problem of geometric e-waste generation and suggests an efficient way of reusing waste from the electrical and electronic industries.

Energy-efficient routing protocol for reliable low-latency Internet of Things in oil and gas pipeline monitoring.

The oil and gas industries (OGI) are the primary global energy source, with pipelines as vital components for OGI transportation. However, pipeline leaks pose significant risks, including fires, injuries, environmental harm, and property damage. Therefore, maintaining an effective pipeline maintenance system is critical for ensuring a safe and sustainable energy supply. The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a cutting-edge technology for efficient OGI pipeline leak detection. However, deploying IoT in OGI monitoring faces significant challenges due to hazardous environments and limited communication infrastructure. Energy efficiency and fault tolerance, typical IoT concerns, gain heightened importance in the OGI context. In OGI monitoring, IoT devices are linearly deployed with no alternative communication mechanism available along OGI pipelines. Thus, the absence of both communication routes can disrupt crucial data transmission. Therefore, ensuring energy-efficient and fault-tolerant communication for OGI data is paramount. Critical data needs to reach the control center on time for faster actions to avoid loss. Low latency communication for critical data is another challenge of the OGI monitoring environment. Moreover, IoT devices gather a plethora of OGI parameter data including redundant values that hold no relevance for transmission to the control center. Thus, optimizing data transmission is essential to conserve energy in OGI monitoring. This article presents the Priority-Based, Energy-Efficient, and Optimal Data Routing Protocol (PO-IMRP) to tackle these challenges. The energy model and congestion control mechanism optimize data packets for an energy-efficient and congestion-free network. In PO-IMRP, nodes are aware of their energy status and communicate node's depletion status timely for network robustness. Priority-based routing selects low-latency routes for critical data to avoid OGI losses. Comparative analysis against linear LEACH highlights PO-IMRP's superior performance in terms of total packet transmission by completing fewer rounds with more packet's transmissions, attributed to the packet optimization technique implemented at each hop, which helps mitigate network congestion. MATLAB simulations affirm the effectiveness of the protocol in terms of energy efficiency, fault-tolerance, and low latency communication.

An AI-based Image Recognition System for Early Detection of Forest and Field Fires

Forest fires and field fires (agricultural areas, grasslands, etc.) have severe global implications, causing significant environmental and economic harm. Traditional fire detection methods often rely on human personnel, which can pose safety risks and reduce their efficiency in large-scale monitoring. There is an urgent need for real-time fire detection technology to address these challenges and minimize losses. In this research, we propose the utilization of artificial intelligence techniques, specifically Deep Learning with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), to tackle this issue. Our proposed system analyzes real-time images captured by IP cameras and stored on a cloud server. Its primary objective is to detect signs of fires and promptly notify users through a mobile application, ensuring timely awareness. We meticulously assembled a dataset to train our model by merging three existing datasets comprising both fire and non-fire images. Also, we incorporated images that could potentially be misinterpreted as fire, such as red trees, individuals wearing red clothing, and red flags. Furthermore, we supplemented the dataset with images of unaffected areas obtained from online sources. The final dataset consisted of 1,588 fire images and 909 non-fire images. During evaluations, our model achieved an accuracy of 93.07%. This enables effective detection, thus rapid intervention and damage reduction. It is a proactive and preventive solution to combat these devastating fires.

Advanced pesticide nano formulations and understanding their breakdown by Bacteria

The widespread use of chemical pesticides in agriculture has undeniably caused significant environmental harm, affecting the quality of air, water, and soil. This growing concern has steered the focus towards the development and research of nano formulations, which promise effective pest control with substantially reduced pesticide concentrations. These new formulations, which allow for controlled delivery of active ingredients, are demonstrating effectiveness comparable to traditional pesticides, but with less environmental impact. However, it is important to acknowledge that these nano-pesticides still contain certain organic groups which are structurally complex and not easily degradable. These elements can persist in the environment, accumulating and becoming more concentrated through the food chain, potentially causing a range of environmental hazards over time. Encouragingly, research has identified that specific bacterial genera including , and and among others, have the unique ability to break down certain chemical groups present in these pesticides, using them as a sole source of carbon or nitrogen. This process transforms them into non-harmful end products, marking a promising step towards bioremediation. Currently, efforts are being made to develop this into a viable large-scale solution, exploring different combinations of nano-pesticides and bacteria strains under optimized conditions. Through further research in this area, we aim to identify the specific types of bacteria that are most effective in degrading these pesticide groups, ultimately paving the way for more sustainable environmental management in the future.

Managing Carbon Footprint at Music Festivals: A Study at Glastonbury Festival

The Glastonbury Festival, renowned as one of the greatest music festivals globally, has come under environmental scrutiny due to its substantial expansion. While the festival undeniably benefits the economy, it also has adverse effects by contributing to the carbon footprint. This phenomenon is a result of congregating a large number of individuals in a single location concurrently for an extended period of time. The carbon footprint generated is substantial, and when combined with the garbage generated, it can result in significant environmental harm. Recognizing this concern, the organizer has implemented a comprehensive strategy to reduce and control its carbon emissions. Hence, this study evaluated the efficacy of various approaches by employing the framework of energy consumption, trash generation, and transportation emissions (Fredline et al., 2005). The outcome demonstrates that Glastonbury Festival's endeavor to achieve environmental sustainability underscores its dedication to diminishing its carbon emissions while safeguarding its core identity. Glastonbury has implemented novel energy solutions, such as solar and wind power, biodiesel, and recycled vegetable oil waste, to reduce emissions and include sustainable energy sources. Furthermore, waste management has effectively diminished the usage of disposable plastic bottles, decreased trash through recycling efforts, and promoted the practice of participants taking their possessions with them. Lastly, the transportation emissions, which account for the largest proportion of the total emissions, still require a solution, since they remain the primary concern of the event. The Glastonbury Festival's sustainability could be improved by the implementation of additional measures, educational initiatives, and partnerships with environmental organizations.

Review on Microfluidic Technology Based Synthesis of Fe-based Nanoparticles for Catalyst in Fuel Cell

Conventional combustion based energy generations, reliant on fossil fuels, poses significant environmental harm. In contrast, fuel cells offer an efficient and eco-friendly energy conversion method, capable of integrating with renewable sources and contemporary energy carriers to support sustainable development and energy security. Consequently, fuel cells are considered the promising energy conversion devices of the future. However, extensive research reveals that the cost of catalysts constitutes the most substantial portion of the overall fuel cell cost. To tackle this cost constraint, considerable advancements have been achieved in the development of cost-effective, precious metal-free electrocatalysts. Common methods for the preparation of metal nanomaterials (NPs) have more stringent requirements, lower deposition efficiency and higher costs. In addition, conventional preparation methods without precisely control of reagent concentration, mixing and temperature during the preparation process, makes it difficult to obtain the same results with poor reproducibility, restricting the industrial fabrication of high performance nanomaterials. Microfluidic reactors have advantages of efficient mixing, high heat and mass transfer, low reagent consumption, precise control of reactant components, residence time, reaction temperature and other parameters. They can also be coupled with multi-step reactions, greatly reducing the preparation time while obtaining composite nanomaterials with excellent dimensional homogeneity. In this review, we mainly discuss the microfluidic technology-based synthesis of PGM-free catalyst used in fuel cell.

Legacy community science data suggest reduced beached litter in response to a container deposit scheme at a local scale

Marine debris is causing significant environmental harm. Legislation is being implemented to reduce litter, including schemes like container deposit legislation that incentivize the return of commonly littered items for recycling. While there is a suggestion that these schemes reduce litter, no study has examined the long-term impact on the local environment before and after implementation. This study analyses community science data from 8 years prior to the implementation of a container deposit scheme, paired with 3 years of data afterwards, to assess the scheme's effectiveness at a local scale. Although using legacy datasets limits the generalizability of the conclusions compared to dedicated studies, the findings strongly indicate that container deposit schemes effectively manage targeted containers but have little impact on overall waste abundances. Long-term datasets like these are invaluable for assessing the impact of management efforts.

Efficient treatment of starch wastewater through metallic-starch complexes and magnetic flocculation

Starch wastewater poses significant environmental harm, necessitating the implementation of effective treatment methods. The current starch wastewater treatment methods have some drawbacks, such as limited application scenarios, complicated process and insufficient purification efficiency. This study focuses on the purification of starch wastewater through metallic-starch complexes (MSCs) and magnetic flocculation. Metal ions (Fe3+, Pb2+ and Al3+) were added to interact with starch and coagulate, forming MSCs, in which the O6 atom of the branched chain methanol most likely to interact with metal ions. Then, the magnetic particles, sintering dust (SD), was utilized to adsorb the MSCs and form magnetic flocs, facilitating their rapid settlement under an external magnetic field. The purification experiments were aimed at a high-concentration starch wastewater with COD concentration of 12,000 mg/L, and the results demonstrated the metal ions could effectively coordinate with starch and form MSCs, achieving a COD removal rate of over 90%. Meanwhile, to address the challenge of difficult settlement of MSCs, the addition of SD induced the magnetic flocculation with MSCs through Van der Waals force and electrostatic force, which effectively reduced settling time and decreased sedimentation layer thickness. The combined use of MSCs and magnetic flocculation achieved efficient purification of starch wastewater.

Factors affecting distribution of emerald ash borer parasitoids in an urban environment

Invasive woodboring insects such as emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, cause significant economic and environmental harm to both traditional and urban forests. Hymenopteran biological control agents were introduced to North America for protection of non-insecticide treated ash trees. Urbanization is known to impact arthropod abundance, richness, and services, and yet few studies specifically examine biocontrol agent distribution or services within urban environments. While EAB biocontrol agents are successfully establishing in traditional forests, it is not known whether urban forests are sufficiently hospitable for their establishment and persistence. In this study, we investigate how urban land cover impacted both the establishment and distribution of introduced biocontrol agents and the presence of EAB-associated endemic native parasitoids. Over the three year study period we detected a persistent negative impact of urbanization on presence of two parasitoids, the introduced Spathius galinae and native Atanycolus spp, while another native, Phasgonophora sulcata, was only negatively impacted by urbanization in the first sampling year. Presence of the introduced Tetrastichus planipennisi was negatively correlated with tree size, but not urbanization. Presence of all parasitoids was greater on trees with declining canopy health. This study indicates that while some parasitoids appeared to be negatively affected by urbanization, biological control agents of EAB successfully established and are generally widely distributed in Syracuse, NY.

Modeling impacts of climate change on the distribution of invasive Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. in Ethiopia: Implications on biodiversity conservation

The main danger to biological diversity is the introduction of exotic species. Opuntia ficus-indica (O. ficus-indica) is a dangerous invasive species that has seriously harmed Ethiopia's ecology and economy. To properly inform decision-making about the control of this invasive species, it is crucial to investigate the projected invasion dynamics of O. ficus-indica in the country under the current climate change scenarios. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the current distribution and relative importance of environmental variables for O. ficus-indica distribution, map the habitat's future suitability under scenarios of climate change and assess how habitat change would affect the species' future expected suitability in Ethiopia. The SDM R program was used to perform species distribution modeling (SDM) using 311 georeferenced presence records along with climatic variables. Predictive models were developed as an agreement model from six modeling methodologies to investigate the climatic suitability of target species for the years 2050 and 2070 under two shared socio-economic pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and 5–8.5) in order to estimate the risks of climate change to the species. Under the current climatic scenario, only 9.26% (104939.3 km2) and 4.05% (45850.6 km2) of the country were moderately and highly suitable for species dispersion and invasion respectively. The remaining 86.69% (980648 km2) was suitable for the distribution and invasion of the species. In 2050, under the SSP2-4.5 and 5–8.5, the highly suitable range of O. ficus-indica is anticipated to expand by 2.30% and 1.76%, whereas the moderately suitable area is predicted to decrease by 1.66% and 2.69%, respectively. Under the SSP2-4.5 and 5–8.5 scenarios, the highly suitable region for the species is expected to grow by 1.47% and 0.65%, respectively, in 2070 compared to the current climatic conditions. This invasive species had already had a considerable negative influence on rangelands in a significant portion of the country with the current cover. Its continuing growth would exacerbate the issue, cause significant economic and environmental harm, and endanger the community's way of living. If preventive and efficient management methods are not taken seriously, the species will have considerable negative environmental impacts, which would be one of the biggest difficulties for pastoralism and their livelihoods.

A downstream social norms approach for curtailing e-cigarette waste: Promising social marketing interventions from consumer interactions.

Irresponsibly disposed electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) waste poses significant public health and environmental harm. This study explores downstream social marketing interventions that can be used to curtail the growth of e-cigarette waste in South Africa through the lenses of the social norms approach. This study harnesses the power of social marketing to identify downstream interventions that can be used by marketers to curb the problem of e-cigarette waste. An exploratory research design and a qualitative method were employed. Six virtual focus groups were conducted to collect cross-sectional data from South African electronic cigarette users. Reciprocal altruism, social orientation value, moral licensing and ecological beliefs were found to be the main normative influences that characterise e-cigarette waste. The results support the proposition that social marketers should employ a downstream approach to develop interventions to curtail the growth of e-cigarette waste. Such measures are envisaged to complement upstream initiatives. This study offers new insights on how to manage e-cigarette waste in the context of an emerging market.

Ultimate pit optimization with environmental problem for open-pit coal mine

Open pit mining is an effective way to extract valuable minerals from the earth's crust and generate significant profits for mining companies, however it also causes significant environmental harm to vast tracts of land and the surrounding ecosystems. However, the maximization of economic benefits is still the overall objective of optimizing open pit mine design, while environmental issues have been ignored in attempts to achieve more sustainable mine development. Therefore, estimating ecological costs of mining and considering such costs in the mine design process is an important step towards reducing ecological consequences at the design stage. The aim of the study is to calculate the ecological costs of open-pit coal mining and analyze how these costs affect the ultimate pit delineate. The ecological costs associated with coal mining are calculated according to the carbon emissons from energy consumption and the scope of grassland destroyed by resource extraction. There are three key components of ecological cost that have been identified: ecological service value loss, reclamation cost, and carbon emission cost. Necessary equations are provided for estimating these costs. An iterative optimization algorithm is described for ultimate pit optimization in coal deposits with near-horizontal coal seams. A case study is presented in which the ultimate pits are optimized by both with and without considering ecological costs, and compared to prove the impact of ecological costs on the ultimate pit design.

Due Regard for Future Generations? The Obligation to Prevent Significant Environmental Harm and Sovereignty in the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change

Due Regard for Future Generations? The Obligation to Prevent Significant Environmental Harm and Sovereignty in the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change