Topic Review
Biogas Plants
The biogas production technology has improved over the last years for the aim of reducing the costs of the process, increasing the biogas yields, and minimizing the greenhouse gas emmisions. To obtain a stable and efficient biogas production, there are several design considerations and operational parameters to be taken into account. Besides, adapting the process to unanticipated conditions can be achieved  by adaquate monitoring of various operational parameters. This paper reviewa the research that has been conducted over the last years. This review paper summarizes the developments in biogas design and operation, while highlighting the main factors that affect the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion process. The study´s outcomes revealed that the optimum operational values of the main parameters may vary from one biogas plant to another. Additionally, the negative conditions that should be avoided while operating a biogas plant were identified.
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  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Rare Earth Elements (REE)
The rare earth elements (REE) comprise a group of 16 chemically very similar elements that occur widespread in rocks, soils, and water bodies, share similar ionic radii to the essential element Ca2+, and consequently also occur in biota. Given that REE form mainly trivalent cations, they also share similarities to Al3+. Compared to their chemical cognate Ca, they have a higher reactivity. Thus, their accumulation in soils may constitute a severe environmental threat. Over the last decades, the increasing use of REE in modern technology and fertilizers raised concerns about the pollution of soils and water bodies, which led to a rapidly increasing number of publications dealing with REE toxicity to plants, animals and humans, the fate of REE in soil–plant systems, REE cycling in ecosystems and impacts of REE pollution on food security.
  • 267
  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Benefits of Non-Commercial Urban Agricultural Practices
Urban agriculture refers to any type of activity located within or around a city designed to provide ecosystem services. Given the rapid population growth and urbanization, urban agriculture is seen as a potential alternative route to a more sustainable urban food system. Indeed, it has multiple functions, contributing to a variety of outcomes associated with localized urban food systems, including food access, food and agriculture education, community building, and civic engagement. Moreover, implementing non-commercial urban agricultural practices has multifaced social, economic, and environmental benefits, such as improving people’s health, reducing expenditure on food and creating sustainable cities, highlighting the need to recognize the multifaceted role of non-commercial urban agricultural practices in promoting a more sustainable lifestyle and strengthening local communities and engagement.
  • 139
  • 04 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Application of Atomic Force Microscopy in Membrane Fouling
Membrane separation technology has emerged as the preferred method for producing clean water during wastewater treatment and desalination. This preference is attributed to the high separation accuracy, energy efficiency, lack of secondary pollution, and ease of operation of the technology. Membrane fouling is a key obstacle in membrane applications, including ultrafiltration (UF), microfiltration (MF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). Membrane fouling is a particularly serious problem in the pre-treatment processes of industrial wastewater, leading to poor water quality and increased operating costs. A thorough understanding of fouling formation and properties is required in wastewater treatment using membranes and contributes to slowing down membrane fouling and implementing appropriate control measures. In response, extensive foundational investigations of membrane fouling have been conducted, with researchers seeking to clarify primary foulants, membrane–foulant interactions, and potential fouling mitigation techniques.
  • 484
  • 02 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Passenger Cars Driven on Hilly Roads in Austria
Previous studies of road or railway infrastructures have shown that traffic emissions outweigh the environmental impacts of the product stage and construction stage over the entire life cycle. Traffic usage is therefore the main emitter over the life cycle (A1–C4). Due to the small number of sustainability assessment systems, the question of how to consider traffic emissions in detail in an integral life cycle assessment has arisen.
  • 123
  • 01 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Recycling of Spent Li-Ion Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are a widely used energy storage technology as they possess high energy density and are characterized by the reversible intercalation/deintercalation of Li ions between electrodes. The rapid development of LIBs has led to increased production efficiency and lower costs for manufacturers, resulting in a growing demand for batteries and their application across various industries, particularly in different types of vehicles. In order to meet the demand for LIBs while minimizing climate-impacting emissions, the reuse, recycling, and repurposing of LIBs is a critical step toward achieving a sustainable battery economy.
  • 258
  • 01 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Cationic Polystyrene-Based Hydrogels
Nitrites are metastable anions that are derived from the oxidation of ammonia by agricultural pollution, sewage, decaying protein, and other nitrogen sources. They are a recognized environmental issue due to their role in eutrophication, as well as in surface and groundwater contamination, being toxic to almost all living creatures. Two cationic resins (R1 and R2) forming hydrogels (R1HG and R2HG) by dispersion in water in removing anionic dyes from water by electrostatic binding. 
  • 229
  • 01 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Effect of Hydrochar Products in the Soil
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a proven cost-effective and energy-efficient method for waste management and value-added product recovery. Except for functionalized HCs, the most widely considered utilization pathways apart from biofuel would be their soil applications, aiming mainly at soil improvement and carbon sequestration. The morphology (e.g., particle size, surface area, and pore structure) and chemical structure of HC provide the initial information on its potential effects on soil systems. 
  • 138
  • 01 Feb 2024
Topic Review
The Potential of Home Hydroponics
The global food system is facing significant challenges that make it unsustainable and environmentally harmful. These challenges not only threaten food security but also have severe negative impacts on the environment. In this context, hydroponics emerges as a sustainable, plant-based food production technique that can be employed as a solution in urban areas. It can be implemented in domestic microproduction systems, serving as a complementary alternative to conventional food production methods.
  • 296
  • 01 Feb 2024
Topic Review Video
Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater
At a great many locations worldwide, the safety of drinking water is endangered by pollution with arsenic. Arsenic toxicity is a matter of both systems chemistry and systems biology: it is determined by complex and intertwined networks of chemical reactions in the inanimate environment, in microbes in that environment, and in the human body.
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  • 31 Jan 2024
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