Abating ammonia emission from poultry manure by Pt/TiO modified corn straw.

Poultry manure is a significant source of ammonia (NH) emissions, which not only poses detrimental impacts on human well-being and the ecological system, but also leads to economic losses in the agricultural industry. Herein, we modified corn straw (CS) with 1 wt% Pt/TiO catalysts using a low-temperature partial-oxidation technology to mitigate NH emissions from poultry manure. It was found that Pt/TiO can enable exothermic processes to occur at lower temperatures by reducing the activation energy.

Catalytic modification of corn straw facilitates the remediation of Cd contaminated water and soil.

Turning postharvest residue into high-value-added products is crucial for agricultural waste management and environmental remediation. In this proof-of-concept study, nanosized Pt/TiO was used as a model catalyst to modify corn straw (CS) materials through a simple low-temperature oxidation process. This method was demonstrated to be self-sustainable, waste-free, and with high yields.

Identifying adsorption sites for Cd(II) and organic dyes on modified straw materials.

Turning agricultural waste into effective remediation materials is a highly promising approach for reducing in-field crop burning and promoting affordable wastewater treatment. This comparative study aims to identify active adsorption sites for methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), and cadmium (Cd) as model pollutants on wheat straw materials modified by a thermal partial-oxidation process. The optimal modification temperature was found to be 160-180 °C for MB and CV adsorption, which is much lower than that of Cd(II) at 220-240 °C.

Modification of naturally abundant resources for remediation of potentially toxic elements: A review.

Water and soil contamination due to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) represents a critical threat to the global ecosystem and human health. Naturally abundant resources have significant advantages as adsorbent materials for environmental remediation over manufactured materials such as nanostructured materials and activated carbons. These advantages include cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, sustainability, and nontoxicity.

What are the social costs and benefits of lignite application to reduce ammonia emissions in intensive feedlot?

Recent studies demonstrated that lignite application in feedlot can mitigate ammonia (NH) emission from intensive livestock production, which is an important source of environmental pollution. However, the use of lignite on feedlot requires mining and transport of lignite, which are themselves sources of greenhouse gas and other gaseous pollutants. There is a need for an integrated assessment on the gas emissions to determine the potential impact of those additions to the production chain.

Agronomic effectiveness of urban biochar aged through co-composting with food waste.

Terra preta soils have been shown to develop after considerable modification of soil through char addition and over time natural ageing has led to increase in fertility of those soils. A co-composting experiment was conducted to accelerate the artificial ageing of urban biochar (UB) with the aim of achieving similar terra preta effect. UB was produced through the pyrolysis of 2:1 ratio of biosolids and green waste and then composted with food waste (10% v/v) until compost maturity at around 75 days.

Socio-environmental consideration of phosphorus flows in the urban sanitation chain of contrasting cities.

Understanding how cities can transform organic waste into a valuable resource is critical to urban sustainability. The capture and recycling of phosphorus (P), and other essential nutrients, from human excreta is particularly important as an alternative organic fertilizer source for agriculture. However, the complex set of socio-environmental factors influencing urban human excreta management is not yet sufficiently integrated into sustainable P research.

A novel substance flow analysis model for analysing multi-year phosphorus flow at the regional scale.

Achieving sustainable management of phosphorus (P) is crucial for both global food security and global environmental protection. In order to formulate informed policy measures to overcome existing barriers of achieving sustainable P management, there is need for a sound understanding of the nature and magnitude of P flow through various systems at different geographical and temporal scales. So far, there is a limited understanding on the nature and magnitude of P flow over multiple years at the regional scale.

Effect of compost treatment of sewage sludge on nitrogen behavior in two soils.

This work aims to evaluate the effects of compost treatment of digested sewage sludge on nitrogen behavior in two soils, a Spodosol and an Oxisol soil. Digested sewage sludge was composted with sawdust and woodchips, diluting the total nitrogen to one-fourth (dry mass basis) of its original value. Then, sludge and compost were added to the two soils on an equivalent dry weight basis to consider the risk of NO3- -N leaching.