Environmental Quality Management最新文献

{"title":"Effects of Natural Filtration Media on Microplastic Reduction and Physicochemical Quality of Artisanal Sea Salt","authors":"Umbu Paru Lowu Dawa,&nbsp;Andi Kurniawan,&nbsp;Asep Awaludin Prihanto,&nbsp;Abu Bakar Sambah","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70480","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70480","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Marine-derived microplastic contamination has emerged as a growing food safety concern in artisanal sea salt production, where pollutants may become concentrated during solar evaporation and crystallization. In East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, traditional cooking salt often fails to meet edible-grade standards because of elevated divalent mineral impurities and microplastic contamination. However, cost effective practical mitigation strategies for small scale producers remain very limited. This Study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three local natural filtration media, namely: Sugar palm fiber (<i>Arenga pinnata</i>), sea sand, and coconut shell charcoal used to filter brine prior to crystallization via boiling. <i>A completely randomized design</i> (CRD) framework was adopted, evaluating four distinct treatment conditions: a non-filtered control (P0), sugar palm fiber filtration (P1), sea sand filtration (P2), and coconut shell charcoal filtration (P3). Physicochemical measurements and FTIR spectroscopy showed a significant difference in (p&lt;0.05) the particle count and salt properties between the experiments. In terms of NaCl recovery and polymer reduction effectiveness, coconut shell charcoal filter (P3) gave the most satisfactory results. Using the SNI 4435:2017 Class 1 edible salt standard, P3 achieved an increase of NaCl purity from 84.14% to 94.62 % in addition to achieving the 41.78 % reduction of microplastics and the removal of 80.6% magnesium impurities and decreased the number of particles from 35 500 particles kg-1 to 20 666 particles kg-1. Fiber shaped particles and smaller than 100 µm particles were the most reduced particles after filtration. FTIR results revealed lower values of several polymer peaks in the filtered salt samples in comparison with the controlled ones. Under the experimental conditions evaluated, coconut shell charcoal filtration improved the physicochemical quality of artisanal salt and reduced microplastic contamination prior to crystallization.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205797","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":"The Production, Characterization, and Biodegradation Kinetics of Bioplastics From Starch Extracted From Ipomoea batatas and Manihot esculenta Tubers","authors":"John Onyebuchi Ogbodo,&nbsp;Irene Okechukwu-Okoro,&nbsp;Parker Elijah Joshua,&nbsp;Obinna Aru Oje,&nbsp;Ikechukwu Emmanuel Onwurah,&nbsp;Egba Simeon Ikechukwu","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70481","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70481","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The accumulation of non-biodegradable plastics is driving the search for environmentally friendly, low-cost alternatives. This study investigated the production of biodegradable bioplastics using starch extracted from <i>Ipomoea batatas</i> and <i>Manihot esculenta</i> tubers. The tubers were pulverized, and starch was extracted. Bioplastic was produced by reacting the starch with ethanoic, methanoic, and propanoic acids in the presence of glycerol and water at 80°C for 25 min. The starch yield and the physicochemical, mechanical, and degradability properties of the bioplastics were determined. The results showed starch yields (57.5%; 52.26%), moisture content (12.38%; 13.74%), pH (6.9; 6.7), amylose content (20.4%; 20.67%) and amylopectin content (79.6%; 80.2%) for <i>Ipomoea batatas</i> and <i>Manihot esculenta</i> tubers, respectively. The mass of bioplastic produced was directly proportional to starch content and the number of carbon chains present in the organic acid. The mechanical properties showed that tensile strength was significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) higher than that of the control, except for the 15 g bioplastic produced. Shear strength also showed a trend similar to tensile strength. The elongation/break properties significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) increased in the methanoic acid-derived bioplastic. The bioplastic degradation rates were (0.0059, 0.0056 and 0.0043 mg/ml/h) for <i>Ipomoea batatas</i> and (0.0099, 0.0098 and 0.0091 mg/ml/h) for <i>Manihot esculenta-derived biodegradable plastic, respectively</i>, using <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. The results of this study show that starches from <i>Ipomoea batata</i> and <i>Manihot esculenta</i> tubers could be a good source for bioplastic production because they are inexpensive, renewable, and readily biodegradable when disposed of in the environment.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205796","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":"Environmental Performance of Small-Scale Apple Cider Vinegar Production Under a Territorial Quality Mark: A Life Cycle Assessment Case Study","authors":"Moe Thae Oo,&nbsp;Silvia Silvestri,&nbsp;Luca Tomasi","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70479","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70479","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>While Life Cycle Assessment has been extensively applied to agri-food products, primary environmental inventories for fruit vinegar manufactured by small-scale producers under regional quality certification have not yet been established. This study presents a cradle-to-retail gate life cycle assessment of apple cider vinegar produced under the Trentino Quality Mark (MQT) by a local SME in Northern Italy. The Environmental Footprint 3.1 method was applied to assess the environmental impacts per 750 mL bottle of apple cider vinegar at retail gate. The total environmental single score was 95.26 µPt per bottle, with  a carbon footprint of 0.695 kg CO₂ eq per bottle. The contribution analysis identified single-use primary packaging (glass bottle and aluminum cap) and apple cultivation as the primary environmental hotspots, followed by processing (11.20%) and regional distribution (4.37%). Among the mitigation strategies explored, glass lightweighting provided the most effective individual improvement (10.43% reduction), while a combined strategy, integrating glass lightweighting, expanded on-site solar electricity, and pomace valorization, resulted in a theoretical cumulative reduction of 15.60%. On the distribution side, expanding from a local to an extra-regional route increased the carbon footprint by 13.0%, highlighting delivery distance as an operational sensitivity. Although this analysis is based on a single producer and one production season, this case study provides preliminary baseline data for this small-scale apple cider vinegar production system in a mountain region and contributes to the growing literature on territorial quality schemes.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205577","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":"Composting Barn Systems in Dairy Production: A Global and Multidimensional Synthesis of Evidence (2015–2025)","authors":"Luana de Araújo Coimbra,&nbsp;Juliana Alves Resende,&nbsp;Gabriela Maria Fernandes Fiães,&nbsp;Alessandro de Sá Guimarães,&nbsp;Marcelo Henrique Otenio","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70478","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70478","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The intensification of dairy farming has driven the adoption of more efficient and sustainable housing systems, among which the Compost Barn system stands out. However, the literature presents heterogeneous results influenced by climatic, structural, and management variations, limiting the establishment of consistent technical recommendations. This study aimed to systematically analyze scientific production on Compost Barn systems in dairy cattle farming, identifying thematic trends, temporal evolution, geographic distribution, main journals and authors, and knowledge gaps. The systematic review included original articles published between January 2015 and October 2025, retrieved from LILACS/BVS, SciELO, ScienceDirect, Scopus, CAPES Journal Portal, and PubMed in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Publications increased substantially from 2020 onward, with a peak in 2021 and strong geographic concentration in Brazil. Thematic analysis identified five main axes: animal welfare and health, milk production and quality, structure and management, microbiology, and environmental impacts/sustainability, with emphasis on comfort, health status, and bedding conditions. The literature has evolved from descriptive studies toward more analytical approaches; however, research remains fragmented, with limited integration among system components. The findings indicate that Compost Barn should be understood as an integrated biological system involving interactions among microbiological, physicochemical, management, animal welfare, productive, and environmental processes. This review provides practical insights for dairy farmers, researchers, and policymakers by supporting evidence-based management and sustainable strategies. Its novelty lies in the integrative analysis of Compost Barn as a complex biological system rather than isolated components. Future research should prioritize multidisciplinary approaches, standardized methodologies, and long-term evaluations across diverse production contexts. Addressing these gaps is essential to improve the technical understanding, management, and environmental sustainability of Compost Barn systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tqem.70478","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149205366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Groundwater Quality Assessment for Drinking Purposes Using CCME Water Quality Index and GIS in Narsingdi District, Bangladesh","authors":"S. M. Mahmudur Rahman,&nbsp;Md. Swadhin Hossain,&nbsp;Mahfuza Parveen","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70474","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70474","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Groundwater is the principal source of drinking water for the majority of the population of Bangladesh, yet its quality is increasingly threatened by geogenic arsenic enrichment, salinity intrusion, and anthropogenic pollution from agricultural and industrial activities. Despite this vulnerability, no comprehensive water-quality assessment has previously been undertaken for the Narsingdi district, a rapidly industrializing and agriculturally intensive region of central Bangladesh. This study therefore aimed to (i) assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes in Narsingdi district using the Canadian Counsil of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI), (ii) quantify heavy-metal contamination using the Metal Index (MI), (iii) identify the probable natural and anthropogenic sources of contamination using principal component analysis (PCA), and (iv) map the spatial distribution of water-quality parameters using GIS-based inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation. Thirty-two groundwater samples were collected across the district and analyzed for physicochemical parameters, major ions, and heavy metals (As, Cr, Cu, Fe). The CCME WQI classified groundwater quality as excellent to fair across all sampling sites (no sites fell in the marginal or poor categorize), while the MI indicated that 40.62% of samples were moderately affected and 9.37% were seriously affected by heavy-metal contamination. Arsenic was the most critical contaminant, with 37.5% and 68.75% of samples exceeding the Bangladesh and WHO drinking-water guideline values, respectively. PCA identified three principal components explaining 71.82% of total variance, attributing groundwater contamination primarily to natural geogenic processes (mineral dissolution and cation exchange) and secondarily to anthropogenic inputs (industrial discharge and agrochemical use). GIS-based spatial maps delineated the northern and southwestern parts of the district as priority zones for heavy-metal contamination, providing a practical decision-support tool for local water-resource managers and public-health authorities.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149145839","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":"Rapid and High-Resolution Microplastic Detection Technologies: Innovations Toward Sustainable Environmental Monitoring","authors":"Dipayan Das,&nbsp;Niraj Singh,&nbsp;Abhilasha Sood,&nbsp;Arpit Mehrotra,&nbsp;Payel Paul,&nbsp;Deep Deb,&nbsp;Nitesh Priyadarshi","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70475","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70475","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Microplastic pollution is a ubiquitous ecological stressor, with particles and nanoplastics detected across aquatic, terrestrial, atmospheric, and biological systems. Their diverse polymer composition, size range, and complex environmental matrices necessitate rapid, sensitive, and high-resolution analytical approaches for reliable monitoring. This review critically evaluates recent advances in rapid and high-resolution microplastic detection, focusing on spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, thermal methods including pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, fluorescence-based approaches, biosensors, and automated imaging systems. Particular emphasis is placed on technological advances that improve detection speed, spatial resolution, sensitivity, automation, miniaturisation, and field deployability. The review further compares the analytical strengths, limitations, and applicability of these approaches across complex environmental matrices and highlights persistent challenges related to sample preparation, matrix interference, nanoplastic detection, polymer identification, spectral databases, and method standardization. By integrating advances across conventional and emerging platforms, this review identifies the transition from laboratory-intensive analysis towards automated, portable, and high-throughput monitoring. These developments have the potential to enable timelier and spatially resolved assessment of microplastic contamination, thereby strengthening environmental surveillance, risk assessment, regulatory standardization, and evidence-based policy development.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146931","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":"From Irisan Dumpsite to Irisan Eco-Park, Baguio City: An Ecological Status Report on a Former Open-Dumpsite Under Mid-Remediation in the Tropics","authors":"Jeneveive P. Lamyong,&nbsp;Jones T. Napaldet","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70476","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70476","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rehabilitation of open dumpsites in tropics is a major problem among developing countries but there are now on-going efforts to transform them into ecological parks. However, the monitoring data on the ecological recovery from these efforts are still not yet reported which makes the case of Irisan Eco-park (an infamous former dumpsite) interesting. This study documented the plant diversity, heavy metal and management perspectives in the area. A total of 89 plant species under 81 genera and 44 families were recorded with greater species richness and diversity in the human managed area compared to the naturally growing area. Lead, arsenic and copper values in the area were lower than established standard while zinc, iron, manganese and cadmium were higher. Dominant plants such as <i>Cenchrus purpureus</i> and <i>Tithonia diversifolia</i> recorded the highest Zn and Cu; <i>Cuphea hyssopifolia</i> and <i>T. diversifolia</i> for Fe; and, <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> for Mn and Al. The study also recorded lesser studied heavy metals such as niobium, zirconium, yttrium, strontium, rubidium, vanadium and titanium that have limited mention in available literature. Majority of the respondents (63%) observed the continuous monitoring activities of the Baguio LGU in the former dumpsite such segregation, composting, reusing, recycling, reducing and clean-up of wastes. Observed advantages of the eco-park include environmental cleanliness, environmental restoration, improved image of the community, eco-tourism improvement, and playing area for children and all residents. This study is one of the few available literatures that integrates plant diversity, heavy metal analysis and management perspective to have holistic view on the environmental condition of a former dumpsite turned eco-park; hence, shedding light on the dynamics of former dumpsites under mid-remediation in the tropics.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146932","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":"Revisiting the Linkage between Environmental Policy Stringency and Climate Sustainability of India: Do Natural Resource Rent, Green Innovation, and Financial Development Matter?","authors":"Soumen Rej,&nbsp;Susovon Jana,&nbsp;Aniruddha Das","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70477","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70477","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The growing imperative to enact stringent environmental policy in India has become central to policy discourse, as the country struggles to navigate the policy trilemma of balancing the over-exploitation of natural resources, policy rigidity that hinders environmentally friendly technological spillover, and the need to facilitate climate resilience development. Amid this trilemma, the role of environmental policy stringency (EPS) in shaping India's climate trajectory remains underexplored, particularly in relation to natural resource rents, fintech, and green innovation. Building on this gap, we hypothesize that EPS, natural resource rent, and financial development each exert a dampening effect on temperature. In contrast, economic growth exerts an intensifying effect consistent with an Environmental Kuznets Curve. Using annual data for India from 1990–2020, we test these relationships with the Fourier autoregressive distributed lag (Fourier ARDL) framework to identify the long-run determinants of temperature and use the kernel regularised least squares (KRLS) method to validate the results. The results confirm long-run cointegration and show that EPS, natural resource rent, and fintech significantly reduce temperature, while GDP raises it, consistent with an EKC pattern; green innovation's effect is statistically insignificant. The findings indicate that advances in fintech-enabled green finance, natural resource rent, and strengthening environmental regulations reduce temperatures and are likely to provide policy roadmaps for government and regulatory bodies.</p>\u0000 <p><b>JEL Classification:</b> Q54, O44, C22</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146925","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":"Vehicle Emission Pathway Analysis by Fuel Type in Korea Using Emission Inventory","authors":"Hyunjin Jin,&nbsp;Jin Sik Kim,&nbsp;Jiyoung Yang,&nbsp;Jiwon Jeong,&nbsp;Gain Lee,&nbsp;Hyunjin Lee,&nbsp;Hyunah Koo,&nbsp;Taegon Song,&nbsp;Hyeji Yang","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70471","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Road transport is a major source of urban air pollution, and various policies have been introduced to control vehicle emissions to improve urban air quality. This study analyzes emission trends and fuel-specific emission pathways of NO_x and PM_2.5 from road transport using an inventory-based framework. It also proposes this framework as a practical proxy indicator for interpreting whether policy implementation in road transport is reflected in national emission inventories. The emission pathways, representing relative changes in vehicle registrations and emission intensity, were derived from the national emission inventory for 2016–2022. Using 2016 as the baseline, this study compared the emission pathways of diesel and all fuel types to examine whether fuel-specific changes associated with policy implementation were observed. During the study period, vehicle air pollutant emissions steadily decreased, and the registration share of diesel vehicles, the largest contributor to emissions, declined from 43% to 39%. In contrast, the share of eco-friendly vehicles, including hybrids, among newly registered vehicles increased from 4% to 25%. The fuel-based analysis showed that vehicle registration activity for diesel vehicles decreased more markedly than that of other fuel types. These findings suggest that dynamic changes in emission inventories can serve as a reference for interpreting policy implementation and supporting future policy evaluation, providing a practical tool for strategy development based on current emission changes.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146858","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":"Biochar in Ecological Restoration of Degraded Lands, Soil Health, and Food Crops Safety","authors":"Prabhat Kumar Rai","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70468","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Agro-chemicals intensive agriculture, coupled with biomass burning in ‘ethno-agricultural systems’ or shifting cultivated <i>Jhum</i> lands, stress the global agroecosystems with soil degradation and expanding marginal lands, causing food security and public health safety challenges. The pressing limitations of physico-chemical treatment methods, underscore the quest for designer or engineered biochar. However, abundantly generated agro-wastes utilization in ‘Agricultural-residues-derived-Biochar (ARBC)’ production are inadequately explored for eco-restoring soil health. Deploying ARBCs may offer land restoration by addressing heavy metals/metalloids pollution and revitalizing soil fertility. Present review, therefore envisions to fill the existing knowledge voids in ARBC-mediated ameliorations of soil quality, crops yield, and food safety, using standard methodologies. Results reveal that agro-waste biochar leverages soil restoration by modulating soil-physico-chemical characteristics, microbial enzymes, and oxidative stress tolerance mechanisms. Further, techno-economic advances in manoeuvring nano-biochar can augment the ARBC-efficiencies as ‘slow release nutrient fertilizers’, C-sequestration bioagent, metals bio-adsorbent, together resulting in ‘climate change-resilient-smart agriculture’. Moreover, ARBC-amended ‘agroecosystem engineering’ for land eco-restoration are aligned with the accomplishment of several ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). Nevertheless, existing limitations in terms of application protocols, optimizing biochar-dose, standardized feedstock selections, pollutant's release on biochar aging, together constraints long-term scalable ARBC-applications. In conclusion, targeted future researches, devising standardized methods to investigate the ‘Life Cycle Assessment’ and possible ecological risks of repeated long-term scalable biochar use can address these challenges. Prioritizing the field-scale studies on commercial ARBC-applications, in-tuned with techno-economic, scientific, nanotechnology, biotechnological, and risk-assessment advances can potentially restore the degraded lands to help achieve sustainability paradigm in agriculture systems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149146512","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}