Assessing phosphorus fluxes in Portugal.

Phosphorus (P) has been shown essential in the food sector. Due to the global shortage of P nutrients and the dependence on imports of phosphorus products and by-products, many countries have developed strategies to track the flows of this nutrient in their national territory. This comprises assessing which sectors and subsectors are the most relevant and identifying potential interventions for its recovery with consequent reduction of imports.

The Potential of Bioaugmentation-Assisted Phytoremediation Derived Maize Biomass for the Production of Biomethane via Anaerobic Digestion.

Anthropogenic behaviors are causing the severe build-up of heavy metal (HM) pollutants in the environment, particularly in soils. Amongst a diversity of remediation technologies, phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly technology that, when coupling tolerant plants to selected rhizospheric microorganisms, can greatly stimulate HM decontamination of soils. Maize () is a plant with the reported capacity for HM exclusion from contaminated soil but also has energetic importance.

Indoor Air Quality Improvement Using Nature-Based Solutions: Design Proposals to Greener Cities.

Low indoor air quality is an increasingly important problem due to the spread of urbanization. Because people spend most of their time inside, poor indoor air quality causes serious human health issues, resulting in significant economic losses. In this work, the current state of affairs is presented and analyzed, focusing on the current problems and the available solutions to improve the quality of indoor air, and the use of nature-based solutions.

Correction: Syngas production by bi-reforming methane on an Ni-K-promoted catalyst using hydrotalcites and filamentous carbon as a support material.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D0RA03264F.].

Syngas production by bi-reforming methane on an Ni-K-promoted catalyst using hydrotalcites and filamentous carbon as a support material.

Steam reforming of methane (SRM) and dry reforming of methane (DRM) are frequently used in the production of syngas; however, the bi-reforming of methane (BRM) is an interesting and alternative process. In this study, BRM was studied over MgO, a layered double hydroxide (LDH) phase that was destroyed between 600 °C and 900 °C during the reaction. It showed good sorption capacity for CO at relatively low temperatures (<500 °C), with CO adsorption being a pre-requisite for its catalytic conversion.

Bio-refinery approach for spent coffee grounds valorization.

Although normally seen as a problem, current policies and strategic plans concur that if adequately managed, waste can be a source of the most interesting and valuable products, among which metals, oils and fats, lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses, tannins, antioxidants, caffeine, polyphenols, pigments, flavonoids, through recycling, compound recovery or energy valorization, following the waste hierarchy. Besides contributing to more sustainable and circular economies, those products also have high commercial value when compared to the ones obtained by currently used waste treatment methods. In this paper, it is shown how the bio-refinery framework can be used to obtain high value products from organic waste.

Sustainability and economic evaluation of microalgae grown in brewery wastewater.

This article evaluates the sustainability and economic potential of microalgae grown in brewery wastewater for biodiesel and biomass production. Three sustainability and two economic indicators were considered in the evaluation within a life cycle perspective. For the production system the most efficient process units were selected.

Parametric study of a brewery effluent treatment by microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus.

This work analyses the potential of using microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus (So) for a brewery wastewater treatment and biomass production. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total carbon (TC) was followed in time, and the influence of light exposure, light intensity and culture aeration was studied. Results show that the most adequate conditions for cultivating So in this effluent are the aerated cultures, exposed to a 12h period of daily light, at 12000 Lux intensity.