Imran Khan , Sarwar Nizam , Apoorva Bamal , Abdul Majed Sajib , Mir Talas Mahammad Diganta , Mohd Azfar Shaida , S.M. Ashekuzzaman , Stephen Nash , Agnieszka I. Olbert , Md Galal Uddin
{"title":"Optimized intelligent learning for groundwater quality prediction in diverse aquifers of arid and semi-arid regions of India","authors":"Imran Khan , Sarwar Nizam , Apoorva Bamal , Abdul Majed Sajib , Mir Talas Mahammad Diganta , Mohd Azfar Shaida , S.M. Ashekuzzaman , Stephen Nash , Agnieszka I. Olbert , Md Galal Uddin","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100984","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100984","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ensuring access to safe, affordable drinking water while implementing sustainable management practices is vital for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals-2030. Accurate groundwater (GW) quality assessment plays a crucial role in enhancing water management strategies. This study evaluates GW resources across the diverse aquifer systems of arid and semi-arid regions of northwest India using the recently developed Root Mean Squared-Water Quality Index (RMS-WQI) model, optimized with machine learning (ML) techniques. A total of 772 GW samples from 36 districts of state Rajasthan were analyzed for 16 water quality (WQ) indicators/parameters, including pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), major cations (Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>), anions (Cl<sup>−</sup>, CO<sub>3</sub><sup>2−</sup>, HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>, SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>, NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>, F<sup>−</sup>, PO<sub>4</sub><sup>3−</sup>), Alkalinity (ALK), and Total Hardness (TH). The results indicate slightly alkaline GW (average pH 7.9), with elevated concentrations of Na<sup>+</sup>, Cl<sup>−</sup>, SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup> and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> exceeding Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This study employs the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) algorithm, demonstrating strong predictive capabilities within the RMS-WQI model across diverse aquifers of Rajasthan. This marks the first application of RMS-WQI at a state-wide scale in India. Model performance assessment indicated groundwater quality ranging from ‘fair’ to ‘marginal’, generally meeting BIS standards, with high sensitivity and low uncertainty. Statistical metrics (Root Mean Square Error-RMSE, Mean Squared Error-MSE, Mean Absolute Error-MAE, and Percentage of Absolute Bias Error-PABE) validated the model's efficiency, with minimal error and high sensitivity. Optimization using “Optuna” further enhanced model performance, confirmed by Tukey's Honest Significant Difference (HSD) test. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated robust goodness-of-fit, while uncertainty analysis indicated minimal discrepancies, with overall uncertainty below 2 %. Spatial analysis revealed varying WQ across districts, ranging from marginal to poor, while efficiency metrics demonstrated the model's effectiveness in providing accurate assessments. The configured WQI model could substantially contribute to informing aquatic managers and strategic planners for sustainable water resource management and policy development aimed at enhancing GW quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100984"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shouib Nouh Ma'bdeh , Razan Omar Alali , Majd Al-Shawabkeh , Rahaf Mohammad Almomani , Asia Ali Hamasha , Rania Shannik , Odi Fawwaz Alrebei
{"title":"Optimizing airflow in double-skin facades: Influence of vents design and cavity depth","authors":"Shouib Nouh Ma'bdeh , Razan Omar Alali , Majd Al-Shawabkeh , Rahaf Mohammad Almomani , Asia Ali Hamasha , Rania Shannik , Odi Fawwaz Alrebei","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100980","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100980","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the energy-saving potential of NVDSFs, this research examined the effectiveness of the Double-Skin Facade (DSF) system by optimizing its geometric configurations to enhance natural ventilation and indoor air quality in office buildings. Using Butterfly plugin inside grasshopper software, compared the performance of the DSF system to a base case without DSF in Amman, Jordan. The proposed scenarios demonstrated improvements in indoor air quality, increasing the actual-to-required ventilation ratio to 5.3, compared to 3.75 in the base case, according to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) (ASHRAE 62) standards. Furthermore, identified locations with the lowest velocities and analyzed high-turbulence areas to optimize space use. The most important qualitative results were found that room corners, particularly near the inlet and outlet proposed openings, were found to be a high turbulence and were less acceptable to users.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100980"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143907043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valeria De Fabritiis, Leonardo Matta, Gianmarco Griffini, Stefano Turri
{"title":"Optimization of a chemical recycling process for epoxy-amine thermosets and their carbon fiber reinforced composites using a design of experiments approach","authors":"Valeria De Fabritiis, Leonardo Matta, Gianmarco Griffini, Stefano Turri","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past decade, the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) in highly demanding applications has steadily grown in several industrial fields, leading to a significant increase in waste production in the coming years. Unfortunately, the recycling process of these materials presents significant challenges, due to their heterogeneity and the irreversible nature of the three-dimensional crosslinked network constituting the polymeric matrix, making their end-of-life management particularly critical. As a result, there is an urgent need for economically feasible, safe, and scalable strategies to efficiently recycle these materials and recover valuable components. To address this issue, this work presents an optimization protocol for a Lewis acid-catalyzed solvolysis process at atmospheric pressure, applied to recalcitrant aromatic amine–epoxy thermosets and their corresponding CFRPs. A central composite design of experiments (CCD) was implemented, taking concentration of AlCl<sub>3</sub>, resin concentration, process temperature, and process time as factors, while the extent of dissolution of the epoxy matrix was selected as target system response. Process optimization was performed, based on the resulting model, to identify the most favorable operating conditions for the solvolysis, then validated on the corresponding CFRPs. As a result of this validation step, a functional oligomeric organic fraction could be recovered, together with intact and clean recycled CFs able to preserve >95 % of their pristine mechanical properties. This work paves the path for the definition of important guidelines for the implementation of effective chemical recycling processes for amine-cured epoxy-based CFRPs, promoting a more favorable end-of-life management of these materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100988"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143922238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Economic and environmental dynamics of tea production through material flow cost accounting (MFCA)","authors":"Majid Dekamin , Ashkan Nabavi-Pelesaraei , Hosein Rezaei","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100971","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The focus of the investigation is on the analysis of tea production in Iran by utilizing the Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) technique, with the aim of determining the costs of both the economic and environmental aspects. The main driving principle of this study is to establish the true costs of the entire tea production process. The MFCA method provides a thorough material flow analysis to identify hidden costs associated with tea cultivation. It was found that the overall production expenditures involved, including human labor, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, and fuel, stood at $6726.5 ha<sup>-1</sup> while the gross value of production was $5606.8 ha<sup>-1</sup>. The negative gross return is primarily attributed to environmental costs, including emissions of toxic gases from fertilizers (ammonia and nitrous oxide), water and soil pollution caused by pesticide use, and a yield loss of 631.5 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>. Among these, yield loss is identified as the most significant factor reducing profitability, although it is often overlooked in traditional cost accounting (TCA) models. In comparison to TCA, the MFCA approach — by incorporating environmental costs — demonstrates a more favorable benefit-cost ratio, indicating better financial performance when sustainability factors are considered. The research consequently asserts that in order to promote not only the economic viability but also the environmental sustainability of tea production, some production processes should be reformed and government policies updated. The restructuring should concentrate on the new machinery use, improvement in agricultural methods, as well as the adoption of policies which are focused on decreasing the environment costs and waste, all of these will lower the result of the tea farming industry in the area from the long-term point of view.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100971"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Osama Zaid , Rayeh Nasr Al-Dala'ien , Mohamed M. Arbili , Yasser Alashker
{"title":"Optimizing natural fiber content and types for enhanced strength and long-term durability in high-performance concrete","authors":"Osama Zaid , Rayeh Nasr Al-Dala'ien , Mohamed M. Arbili , Yasser Alashker","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is widely recognized for its enhanced ductility, energy efficiency, and sustainability. However, achieving these benefits without compromising mechanical and durability performance remains a challenge. Natural fibers have gained significant attention as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to synthetic fibers due to their low carbon footprint. This study investigates the effects of incorporating three types of natural fibers—jute fibers (JFs), banana fibers (BFs), and coconut fibers (CFs)—into high-performance concrete (HPC), with volume fractions ranging from 0 % to 0.75 %. Their performance was systematically compared with that of polypropylene fibers (PPFs), a commonly used synthetic fiber in FRC. The results showed a reduction in workability with increasing fiber content, with JFs having the most significant impact. In terms of compressive strength, JFs provided slightly superior results compared to both PPFs and other natural fibers. For indirect tensile strength (ITS) and modulus of rupture (MOR), JFs and PPFs outperformed BFs and CFs. The optimum fiber volume fraction for enhancing ITS and MOR was identified as 0.60 %. At this dosage, BFs, JFs, and CFs improved ITS by 22–90 % and MOR by 46–96.5 % at both 28 and 90 days, relative to the reference HPC mix, indicating their substantial contribution to mechanical performance. However, fiber contents exceeding 0.75 % negatively affected the impermeability, capillary absorption, freeze–thaw resistance, and thermal performance of HPC. Despite these drawbacks, the fiber-reinforced mixes still performed better than the control mix. To mitigate the adverse effects of higher fiber contents, the incorporation of micro-silica and suitable chemical admixtures is recommended to preserve the integrity and durability of HPC while maximizing the benefits of natural fiber reinforcement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100983"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143876755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancement of combustion performance and emission control in Bauhinia malabarica biodiesel-diesel blends using aluminium oxide nanoparticles and electrostatic precipitators","authors":"Suresh Vellaiyan","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100981","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100981","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the enrichment of combustion performance and emission features of <em>Bauhinia malabarica</em> biodiesel (BMB)-diesel mixtures through the addition of aluminium oxide (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) nanoparticles and the use of electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) to mitigate nanoparticle emissions. Different volume concentrations of BMB were combined with conventional diesel fuel (CDF), and 100 ppm of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> was dispersed into 30 % BMB-CDF blends using ultrasonication with a surfactant. The combustion analysis exposed that the addition of BMB to CDF reduced in-cylinder pressure while increasing net heat release and advancing the crank angle for peak values. The 30 % BMB blend led to a drop in brake thermal efficiency (BTE), with a corresponding upsurge in brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions of 10.4 %, 11.3 %, and 10.9 %, respectively. However, formations of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), smoke, and particulate matter (PM) decreased by 14.3 %, 6.3 %, 11.1 %, and 12.5 %, respectively. The incorporation of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles improved BTE by 5.2 % and reduced BSFC, HC, CO, NOx, and smoke by 4.2 %, 13.7 %, 14.9 %, 5.8 %, and 15.5 %, respectively. Although PM emissions increased by 47.2 % with the nanoparticle-enriched blend, integration of the ESP effectively captured exhaust nanoparticles, reducing PM emissions by 54.2 %. This study reveals the potential of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticle-enriched BMB mixtures in enlightening combustion performance and dropping most emissions, with ESP serving as an effective tool for controlling nanoparticle emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100981"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143876754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Angisenit Reyes-Prezas , Marieli Lavoignet-Ruiz , Gregorio Fernández-Lambert , Luis Enrique García-Santamaría , Eduardo Fernández-Echeverría , Juan Manuel Carrión-Delgado , Yair Romero-Romero
{"title":"Luffa Cylindrica: Sustainable industrial innovations","authors":"Angisenit Reyes-Prezas , Marieli Lavoignet-Ruiz , Gregorio Fernández-Lambert , Luis Enrique García-Santamaría , Eduardo Fernández-Echeverría , Juan Manuel Carrión-Delgado , Yair Romero-Romero","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100978","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100978","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In a global context marked by the rising demand for sustainable and biodegradable materials, natural fibres have gained unprecedented significance in scientific and technological research. Known for their low environmental impact and versatility, natural fibres offer innovative solutions to replace non-renewable synthetic materials. This study explores the trends from 2010 to 2023, focusing on the use of <em>Luffa cylindrica</em>, an alternative crop particularly relevant for emerging economies and rural communities. A total of 589 articles and 632 patents were analyzed using a bibliometric and patent review approach to identify industrial advancements related to this plant.</div><div>The findings reveal a 35 % increase in publications and a 40 % increase in patents related to sectors such as construction, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and agriculture between 2010 and 2023, reflecting a significant growth in interest. Literature highlights its applications in lightweight construction materials, such as eco-friendly panels; acoustic insulation, including soundproofing in urban housing; and reinforced composites for automotive interior components, demonstrating its adaptability to diverse industries. Patent data underscores advancements in biotechnological applications, environmental engineering for water and air filtration, and agricultural innovations. Its potential for pollutant remediation, with absorption efficiencies reaching up to 90 % for heavy metals, and sustainable packaging solutions that could reduce reliance on synthetic plastics by an estimated 25 % in specific markets, positions this plant as a key renewable resource for promoting sustainability.</div><div>The evidence suggests that <em>Luffa cylindrica</em> has the potential not only to replace non-renewable materials but also to drive technological advancements in both emerging and established markets. This study emphasizes the importance of developing new applications while addressing these issues to support the transition to a circular economy and mitigate environmental impacts. The research contributes significantly to the development of cleaner, more sustainable industrial processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100978"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Critical success factors for ICT integration in agri-food sector: Pathways for decarbonization and sustainability","authors":"Isha Sharma , Bishal Dey Sarkar , Sandeep Jagtap","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100982","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A decarbonized agri-food sector may provide consumers with nutritious, secure, and reasonably priced food with a lower carbon impact. Decarbonizing the agri-food sector is intricate and necessitates a holistic strategy. Technological advancements, like Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), might be the solution. This study analyses the critical success factors (CSFs) for ICT integration in the agri-food sector in the Western and North Western States of India based on empirical data collected and analyzed. The study proposes a framework that determines and ranks the significant factors for ICT integration in the agri-food sector to achieve the decarbonization goals by utilizing the fuzzy evidential reasoning approach (FERA) and the evidential reasoning approach (EFA). The factors are examined based on the Technological, Organization, and Environmental (TOE) criteria. The results show that the most significant factors contributing to the effective implementation of ICT in the agri-food sector are continuous innovation and R&D, supportive policies and regulations, and cost-effectiveness. The results will assist managers and decision-makers in creating effective policies and making knowledgeable choices that will support sustainable growth in the agri-food industry by lowering carbon emissions through effective ICT integration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100982"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143869428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Performance of functionalized CNT membranes for desalination - Parametric effects and Artificial neural network modelling","authors":"Deepa Durairaj , Santhosh Paramasivam , Natarajan Rajamohan , Manivasagan Rajasimman , Ragothaman M. Yennamalli , Roberto Baccoli , Gianluca Gatto","doi":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100977","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clet.2025.100977","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Desalination, decisive for mitigating global water scarcity, faces challenges due to the high energy consumption and operational costs associated with traditional methods like reverse osmosis and distillation. The present research investigated the efficiency of eight combinations of fabricated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite membranes with -OH, -COOH, and -NH<sub>2</sub> functionalities for the removal of salt under varying flow rates (100, 150, 200, and 250 ml/h) and influent (2500, 3000, 4000, 5000 mg/l) rates by membrane filtration. Isothermal analysis was conducted to evaluate the membranes' performance in removing dissolved sodium chloride in de-ionized water. Efficient salt removal was observed with amino-functionalized SWCNTs (84 % salt rejection with 2500 mg/l feed) compared to other functionalized MWCNTs at a flow rate of 200 ml/h. Among the two isotherms, Langmuir isotherm fitted the experimental data better than the Freundlich equation. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was used to predict the behaviour of the membranes under different conditions. The model's predictions closely aligned with the observed experimental outcomes, affirming its reliability and utility in optimizing membrane performance. While amino-functionalized SWCNTs outperformed MWCNTs in desalination applications, potential challenges related to scalability and long-term stability were identified. Future work will explore these aspects to enhance practical applicability and cost-efficiency in large-scale operations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34618,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Engineering and Technology","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100977"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143876753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}