In-use dissipation of technology-critical elements from vehicles and renewable energy technologies in Vienna, Austria: A public health matter?

The rollout of electric vehicles and photovoltaic panels is essential to mitigate climate change. However, they depend on technology-critical elements (TCEs), which can be harmful to human health and whose use is rapidly expanding, while recycling is lacking. While mining has received substantial attention, in-use dissipation in urban areas has so far not been assessed, for example, corrosion and abrasion of vehicle components and weather-related effects affecting thin-film photovoltaic panels.

Compost amendment in urban gardens: elemental and isotopic analysis of soils and vegetable tissues.

Urban horticulture poses a sustainable form of food production, fosters community engagement and mitigates the impacts of climate change on cities. Yet, it can also be tied to health challenges related to soil contamination. This work builds on a previous study conducted on eleven urban gardens in the city of Vienna, Austria.

Green and blue infrastructure as model system for emissions of technology-critical elements.

Over the recent decades, technological advancements have led to a rise in the use of so-called technology-critical elements (TCEs). Environmental monitoring of TCEs forms the base to assess whether this leads to increased anthropogenic release and to public health implications. This study employs an exploratory approach to investigate the distribution of the TCEs Li, Be, V, Ga, Ge, Nb, Sb, Te, Ta, Tl, Bi and the REYs (rare-earth elements including yttrium) in urban aerosol in the city of Vienna, Austria.

Evaluation of the multifunctionality of a vertical greening system using different irrigation strategies on cooling, plant development and greywater use.

Vertical greening systems (VGS) are implemented in the building envelope to address challenges such as the urban heat island effect, energy reduction, air purification, support of biodiversity and recently greywater treatment (wastewater without urine and faeces) for reuse purposes. In this context, providing and using treated wastewater is a crucial point, as generally VGS are irrigated with tap water and thereby increase urban water depletion and pollution. In this study, we evaluate the multifunctionality of a pot-based VGS irrigated with untreated greywater and capable, as well, of acting as a greywater treatment system.

Application of leaf analysis in addition to growth assessment to evaluate the suitability of greywater for irrigation of Tilia cordata and Acer pseudoplatanus.

Water is the key resource in fulfilling the cooling function of plants in urban environments and needs to be supplied reliably and adequately, especially during dry periods. To avoid an unsustainable use of high-quality drinking water for irrigation, the reuse of greywater should be implemented for Green Infrastructure irrigation in the sense of the circular economy. In this study, the influence of greywater irrigation on vitality of two trees species, Tilia cordata and Acer pseudoplatanus, was determined by investigating the effect of irrigation with raw or treated greywater in comparison to municipal tap water.