Rethinking food loss and waste to promote sustainable resource use and climate change mitigation in agri-food systems: A review.

The sustainable agri-food system is an important sector recognized for promoting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals on food security, resource conservation and climate change mitigation. However, the increasing food loss and waste (FLW) along the supply chains has continued to hinder these goals. This study evaluates the trend of FLW research from 1975 to 2022 and how it promotes the achievement of resource and environmental sustainability in agri-food systems.

A review of microalgae biofilm as an eco-friendly approach to bioplastics, promoting environmental sustainability.

In this comprehensive review, we delve into the challenges hindering the large-scale production of microalgae-based bioplastics, primarily focusing on economic feasibility and bioplastic quality. To address these issues, we explore the potential of microalgae biofilm cultivation as a sustainable and highly viable approach for bioplastic production. We present a proposed method for producing bioplastics using microalgae biofilm and evaluate its environmental impact using various tools such as life cycle analysis (LCA), ecological footprint analysis, resource flow analysis, and resource accounting.

A safe haven of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment: Prevalence and potential transmission risks in the effluent, sludge, and biosolids.

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which has caused millions of death globally is recognized to be unstable and recalcitrant in the environment, especially in the way it has been evolving to form new and highly transmissible variants. Of particular concerns are human-environment interactions and the handling and reusing the environmental materials, such as effluents, sludge, or biosolids laden with the SARS-CoV-2 without adequate treatments, thereby suggesting potential transmission and health risks. This study assesses the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in effluents, sludge, and biosolids.

Enhanced nutrient removal in agro-industrial wastes-amended hybrid floating treatment wetlands treating real sewage: Laboratory microcosms to field-scale studies.

The use of natural agro-industrial materials as suspended fillers (SFs) in floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) to enhance nutrient removal performance has recently been gaining significant attention. However, the knowledge concerning the nutrient removal performance enhancement by different SFs (alone and in mixtures) and the major removal pathways is so far inadequate. The current research, for the first time, carried out a critical analysis using five different natural agro-industrial materials (biochar, zeolite, alum sludge, woodchip, flexible solid packing) as SFs in various FTWs of 20 L microcosm tanks, 450 L outdoor mesocosms, and a field-scale urban pond treating real wastewater over 180 d.

An updated review of the efficacy of buffer zones in warm/temperate and cold climates: Insights into processes and drivers of nutrient retention.

The transport of excess nutrients into freshwater systems constitutes a serious risk to both water quality and aquatic health. Vegetated buffer zones (VBZs) next to waterways are increasingly used in many parts of the world to successfully intercept and eliminate pollutants and other materials in overland flow, especially in warm or temperate regions. The major processes for the retention of pollutants in VBZ are microbial degradation, infiltration, deposition, filtration, adsorption, degradation, assimilation, etc.

Vegetated urban streams have sufficient purification ability but high internal nutrient loadings: Microbial communities and nutrient release dynamics.

The release of nutrients back into the water column due to macrophyte litter decay could offset the benefits of nutrient removal by hydrophytes within urban streams. However, the influence of this internal nutrient cycling on the overlying water quality and bacterial community structure is still an open question. Hence, litter decomposition trials using six hydrophytes, Typha latifolia (TL), Phragmites australis (PAU), Hydrilla verticillata (HV), Oenanthe javanica (OJ), Myriophyllum aquaticum (MA), and Potamogeton crispus (PC), were performed using the litterbag approach to mimic a 150-day plant litter decay in sediment-water systems.

Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals Occurrence in Two Wild Edible Oyster Mushrooms ( spp.) Collected from Rajaji National Park.

This study aimed at assessing the concentration of six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) in two wild edible oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus djamor) collected from Rajaji National Park in Haridwar, India. For this purpose, mushroom samples were collected from selected locations (forest, residential, tourist, industrial areas, and transportation activities) from June 2021 to July 2022 and subsequently analyzed for selected heavy metals using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Results showed that both Pleurotus spp.

Sustainable Use of Sewage Sludge as a Casing Material for Button Mushroom () Cultivation: Experimental and Prediction Modeling Studies for Uptake of Metal Elements.

The present study focused on the use of sewage sludge (SS) as a casing material amendment and the potential uptake of metal elements by the cultivated white button (: MS-39) mushroom. Laboratory experiments were performed under controlled environmental conditions to grow on the composted wheat straw substrate for 50 days. Different treatments (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 g/kg) of casing material were prepared by mixing garden and dried SS and applied on the mushroom substrate after proper sterilization.

Insights into hazardous solid waste generation during COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable management approaches for developing countries.

The recent emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the drastic production and use of healthcare and personal protective equipment, leading to the release of a huge quantity of hazardous medical and solid wastes in the environment. Meanwhile, these solid wastes may contribute to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 viral particles when disposed of without proper treatment and care. Since SARS-CoV-2 could persist on different material surfaces including plastic, steel, paper, cardboard, cloth, and wood, proper management of these hazardous solid wastes has become a challenging task during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Integrated seawater intrusion and groundwater quality assessment of a coastal aquifer: GALDIT, geospatial and analytical approaches.

The pressure and dependence on coastal aquifers are on the rise in many parts of the globe. These lead to overexploitation, aggravated levels of groundwater pollution, and seawater intrusion. Integrated analyses can create holistic insights into the quality and the vulnerability of aquifers to seawater intrusion.

Effect of crude oil exploration and exploitation activities on soil, water and air in a Nigerian community.

The continuous degradation of environmental ecosystems (land, water and soil) resulting from crude oil exploration and exploitation activities continues to gain global attention. This study investigates the effects of crude oil exploration and exploitation activities on soil, water and air in the study area. Soil samples were collected in three replicates at depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm at sampling distances of 20, 100 and 200 m a from core oil exploitation operation area and a control point.

The efficiency of microalgae biofilm in the phycoremediation of water from River Kaduna.

This study is aimed at investigating the efficiency of microalgae biofilm in the phycoremediation of water from a polluted river. Freshwater microalgae biofilm inherent in a contaminated petrochemical stream was employed to remediate water from the River Kaduna, which is the largest river in Kaduna town, Kaduna State, Nigeria, and serves as the primary water source in Kaduna town. The results indicate high reduction efficiency of some physicochemical parameters and pollutants (turbidity (71%), conductivity (9.

Monitoring the presence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in water-food-environmental compartments: State of the knowledge and research needs.

The recent spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) and the accompanied coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued ceaselessly despite the implementations of popular measures, which include social distancing and outdoor face masking as recommended by the World Health Organization. Due to the unstable nature of the virus, leading to the emergence of new variants that are claimed to be more and rapidly transmissible, there is a need for further consideration of the alternative potential pathways of the virus transmissions to provide the needed and effective control measures. This review aims to address this important issue by examining the transmission pathways of SARS-CoV-2 via indirect contacts such as fomites and aerosols, extending to water, food, and other environmental compartments.

Evaluating the effect of fenton pretreated pyridine wastewater under different biological conditions: Microbial diversity and biotransformation pathways.

Pyridine contamination poses a significant threat to human and environmental health. Due to the presence of nitrogen atom in the pyridine ring, the pi bond electrons are attracted toward it and make difficult for pyridine treatment with biological and chemical methods. In this study, coupling Fenton treatment with different biological process was designed to enhance pyridine biotransformation and further mineralization.

Evaluating the health risks of heavy metals from vegetables grown on soil irrigated with untreated and treated wastewater in Arba Minch, Ethiopia.

Available freshwater scarcity significantly affects sustainable food production for the rapidly growing population. This problem has forced people in most parts of the world to use wastewater as a viable solution. However, wastewater reuse has some deleterious effects on human and environmental health.

Utilization of electrochemical treatment and surface reconstruction to achieve long lasting catalyst for NO removal.

The development of catalysts has seen tremendous growth recently but most strategies only report utilization of catalysts for a few initial cycles without taking into account the influence of oxygen poisoning. Here, the magnetic FeO@EDTA-Fe (MEFe, having a core FeO particle with EDTA-Fe coating) was investigated as a model catalyst for long-term recycling for the removal of nitrogen oxide (NO) from NO/O mixture, followed by NO recovery. The concentration of oxygen in the flue gas was found to have a strong impact on NO absorption and catalytic response.

Snowballing transmission of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) through wastewater: Any sustainable preventive measures to curtail the scourge in low-income countries?

In this communication, we proposed sustainable preventive measures that may be adopted by the low-income countries to forestall the potential outbreak and transmission of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) through wastewater. Most low-income countries have poor sanitation and wastewater management policies, which create potential risks of COVID 19 spread. Hence, the proposed measures include decentralization of wastewater treatment facilities, community-wide monitoring and testing of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples, improved sanitation, developing point-of-use devices for wastewater decontamination, and more focused policy interventions.

Perylene pigment wastewater treatment by fenton-enhanced biological process.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are regarded as priority pollutants owing to their toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic characteristics. Perylene is a kind of 5-ring PAH with biological toxicity, and classified as a class III carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). Nowadays, some of its derivatives are often used as industrial pigments.