Environmental Quality Management最新文献

{"title":"Site-Specific Evaluation of Sequencing Batch Reactor Systems for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Using Environmental Indices in Erbil City, Iraq","authors":"Muzhda Qasim Qader,&nbsp;Bakhtyar Abdullah Othman","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70464","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rapid urbanization in semi-arid regions places increasing pressure on municipal wastewater treatment systems, necessitating reliable and operationally flexible technologies. This study evaluated the performance of two full-scale municipal sequencing batch reactor (SBR) systems operating in Erbil, Iraq, using an integrated multi-index assessment framework. Wastewater samples were collected monthly over a 12-month period, and influent and effluent data were analyzed as monthly means to capture seasonal variability. Physicochemical parameters and nutrients were measured using standard analytical methods. The SBR systems achieved substantial reductions in organic and particulate pollutants. Turbidity and total suspended solids removal exceeded 80%, while chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand reductions ranged between 77%–91%. Phosphate removal exceeded 80% at both stations, and nitrate concentrations were reduced by up to 76%. Dissolved oxygen concentrations increased significantly after treatment, confirming effective aeration and biological activity. Composite pollution indices demonstrated marked improvement following treatment. The Comprehensive Pollution Index decreased from 38.08 to 4.08 (S1) and from 24.73 to 3.10 (S2), while the Nemerow Pollution Index declined from 178.84 to 13.12 and from 74.93 to 8.16, respectively. Water Suitability Index values were substantially reduced, indicating enhanced effluent quality. Overall, the findings confirm that SBR technology provides stable and efficient municipal wastewater treatment under semi-arid urban conditions. The integrated index-based framework applied in this study offers a practical multidimensional tool for evaluating treatment performance in data-limited developing regions.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149047930","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":"Geoenvironmental Assessment of Kechery–Puzhakkal, a Tropical Small Catchment River Basin, India, Using a Multi-Indexing Approach With Special Reference to Pollution and Sustainability","authors":"Alfiya Asharaf,&nbsp;A. Krishnakumar,&nbsp;K. Anoop Krishnan,&nbsp;Vishnu Maya T. M.","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70454","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Freshwater resources in the world are on the verge of severe deterioration and crisis. In developing countries like India, water-quality studies of rivers linked to wetland systems are crucial for improving public health, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. This study evaluates the surface water quality of the Kechery–Puzhakkal river basin, a tropical riverine system in the Southern Western Ghats, India, that drains the international Ramsar Kole Land and is a major source of drinking and irrigation water for the people. Except for turbidity and bacteriological contamination (Coliforms and E. coli), all other physicochemical parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, Salinity, SiO₂, NO₃⁻, PO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, HCO₃²⁻, TF, TH, Na⁺, Mg²⁺,K⁺, Ca² meet WHO and BIS standards. Based on the WQI (Water Quality Index), 70% of the water falls under the poor category due to exceeded turbidity. Irrigation suitability indices, mainly MH (magnesium Hazard, which ranges from 72.89 to 86.96), reveal cationic imbalances that suggest potential risks to long-term crop productivity. The higher CO₂ partial pressure values indicate CO₂ outgassing from the Kole Wetlands. Although the calculated Hazard Index (HI) and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) are within acceptable thresholds, the Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI, ranging from 3.93 (S 13) to 259.66 (S 14) indicates critical anthropogenic trace element enrichment, with several sites exceeding safety guidelines for Hg, Al, Mn, Ni, and Fe, driven by both anthropogenic and geogenic factors. By integrating WQI, HPI, Health risk, and Carbon dynamics, this study provides the precise baseline empirical framework required to establish the models for River Health Assessment (RHA) that safeguard socio-environmental resilience and are thereby linked to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2, 3, 6, 13, and 15). The findings necessitate urgent, integrated management strategies to mitigate microbial contamination, reduce carbon outgassing and metal enrichment, and ensure the long-term socio-environmental resilience of a tropical, sensitive riverine-wetland system to achieve environmental sustainability.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943094","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 Production From Invasive Alien Plants: A Pathway to Sustainable Biomass Management and Resource Recovery","authors":"Lethabo Mosses Letsoalo,&nbsp;Lutendo Mugwedi,&nbsp;Hloniphani Moyo","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70460","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Across the world, invasive alien plants (IAPs) threaten biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, and livelihoods. A potentially sustainable method for controlling IAPs is to convert their biomass into biochar, which reduces invasion pressure while producing useful products. This systematic review analyzed studies on the use of IAPs for biochar production, evaluating the effectiveness of this approach in IAPs biomass management, ecological restoration, and value-added resource recovery, including energy production. The study further examined the pyrolysis temperature ranges used to produce biochar. Over 1000 articles were found through a comprehensive literature search using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and Web of Science (2013–2025). For this study, the initial pool of 1000 articles were narrowed down to 89 by selecting only those that focused on biochar derived from IAPs and were published in English. The reported pyrolysis temperatures for biochar ranged from 197°C to 800°C, with 300–700°C being the most common. Extremely high temperatures (&gt;800°C) were reported less frequently, and some studies utilized hydrothermal carbonization at low temperatures. The studies reviewed showed that IAPs-derived biochar can be produced for various environmental uses under different pyrolysis temperatures. The uses include soil restoration (e.g., enhanced microbial activity and soil carbon sequestration and storage) and treatment of aqueous media, as well as reducing IAPs proliferation, thus supporting ecological restoration and promoting native biodiversity recovery. Variability in the reported benefits of IAPs-derived biochar was influenced by feedstock types, pyrolysis temperatures, and motives for biochar utilization. This highlights the need for standardized procedures and long-term field validation, because IAPs-derived biochar has great ecological and economic promise. It can be concluded that incorporating biochar production into IAPs management offers a way to reduce the effects of invasion and facilitate ecosystem restoration, while also showing potential to enhance livelihoods.</p>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tqem.70460","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942977","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":"Coal Mine Wastewater as a Secondary Resource: Advances in Treatment and Value Recovery Technologies","authors":"Mokgadi G. Rapeta,&nbsp;Johannes P. Maree,&nbsp;Tumelo M. Mogashane,&nbsp;Titus A. M. Msagati","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70457","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70457","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Coal mine wastewater, which has historically been considered an environmental problem, is becoming more widely recognized as a secondary resource with substantial value recovery potential. Nevertheless, recent progress demonstrates that this wastewater could be converted into highly useful, industrially available pigments (like iron oxides) by methods including chemical precipitation, biosorption, and advanced oxidation. Additionally, the use of membrane filtration, constructed wetlands, and electrochemical-based solutions presents a promising potential for producing safe-for-reuse water. These treatment solutions are thoroughly examined to analyze their efficiency, economic viability, and environmental performance, which helps assess the feasibility of deploying them on an industrial scale for integration into the existing wastewater treatment network. Despite tremendous advancements, there are still difficulties in managing secondary waste streams, processing complicated matrices, and transferring lab results to industrial settings, which hinder the effective implementation of these treatment solutions in real-world applications. This review highlights important knowledge gaps and future research initiatives required to move from remediation-focused management to sustainable resource recovery and long-term environmental stewardship by examining coal mine wastewater from the perspective of the circular economy.</p>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tqem.70457","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942978","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":"Characterizing the Seasonal Particulate Matter (PM2.5, PM10) Concentrations in Nine Indian Cities, Using Exploratory Seasonal Analysis (ESA), Supervised Statistical Methods and Contextual Appraisal","authors":"Mimi Roy,&nbsp;Sriroop Chaudhuri","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70458","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70458","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Elevated ambient particulate matter levels have become a critical urban sustainability concern in India, endangering health and well-being (UN SDG 3) of a vast section of the population. We present an exploratory seasonal analysis (ESA) of the ambient PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; and PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations, for nine Indian cities, using daily archival records from the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for 2023. The ESA results revealed distinct seasonality in both PMs, varying as post-monsoon (most polluted) &gt; winter &gt; summer &gt; monsoon (cleanest). The National Capital Region (NCR: Delhi, Gurugram, Noida) appeared the most vulnerable to PM pollution, with Delhi as the most polluted among the nine cities, while Varanasi, the cleanest. Jaipur and Ahmedabad revealed concerns over windblown dust in summer, elevating the PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; risks. Seasonal PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt;/PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; ratios indicated that besides fuel combustion in general, there is need for more location-specific air quality control mechanisms, addressing local sources. For each city, about 9%–10% of the days appeared as “outlier”, representing sudden high spikes in PM levels. Both PMs exceeded the WHO health safety thresholds for about 90%–95% of days, even during monsoon, while for 99–100% of the days in winter and post-monsoon times indicating year-round public health concerns. Hierarchical Clustering (HCA) offered a spatio-temporal (city-season) PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt;-vulnerability ranking scheme comprising of four statistically distinguishable clusters: Cluster 1 (148.67 ± 17.94 µg.m&lt;sup&gt;−3&lt;/sup&gt;) &gt; Cluster 3 (79.469 ± 1.51 µg.m&lt;sup&gt;−3&lt;/sup&gt;) &gt; Cluster 4 (59.90 ± 6.31 µg.m&lt;sup&gt;−3&lt;/sup&gt;) &gt; Cluster 2 (32.64 ± 7.24 µg.m&lt;sup&gt;−3&lt;/sup&gt;). Cluster 1 represented the NCR cities for post-monsoon and winter, while cluster 2 included all nine cities for monsoon and summer. Overall, HCA outputs could help setting up a joint action plan, bringing together various city municipal bodies to address the PM pollution. Applying Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) to the HCA clusters individually, revealed significant (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05) statistical associations between meteorological parameters and PM2.5 concentrations in HCA clusters 1 (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;: 0.76) and 3 (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;: 0.67), while significantly lower for clusters 4 (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;: 0.52), and negligible for Cluster 2 (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;: 0.39). In Cluster 1 and 3, relative humidity and rainfall (monsoon season) exhibited strong inverse statistical relationships with PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; levels, consistent with potential scavenging and wet deposition processes to reduce the PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; risks, which was aggravated during post-monsoon and winter. The latter occurred due to atmospheric stagnation (low wind speed, low solar radiance, cooler temperatures) that trapped the PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; near the ground. Meteorological influences, however, were minimal for HCA cluster 2 (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;: 0.39), ","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943037","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":"Institutional Constraints and Enablers of Green Roofs Adoption as a Nature Based Solution: A Case Study of Islamabad, Pakistan","authors":"Alishba Saqib,&nbsp;Irfan Ahmad Rana,&nbsp;M Sana Ullah Khan","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70462","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Amid accelerating climate change and urbanization, green roofs are recognized as a nature-based solution that supports urban resilience. This study uses an expert interview-based assessment combining semi-structured interviews with a structured SWOT scoring and ranking stage to identify institutional factors influencing green roof adoption in Islamabad. The SWOT scoring stage is based on respondents’ agreement levels and importance scoring to prioritize themes transparently. The findings demonstrate significant strengths in environmental benefits and energy efficiency, while weaknesses include institutional capacity constraints and data gaps. Opportunities arise from green policies, strengthening regulations, and public-private partnerships, whereas legal and political constraints and lack of knowledge remain major threats. The study highlights the need for improved governance and institutional support to integrate green roofs into urban planning and offers insights for planners and policymakers to create resilient cities.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942723","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":"Status, Sources and Variations of Air Pollutants in the Cox'S Bazar Tourist City of Bangladesh","authors":"Mir Md. Mozammal Hoque,&nbsp;Suchona Surovee Tania,&nbsp;Progga Laboni,&nbsp;Md. Sirajul Islam,&nbsp;Gautom Kumar Biswas,&nbsp;Pradip Kumar Banik,&nbsp;Md. Jakaria Farazi","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70446","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70446","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Urban and coastal tourist environments are increasingly exposed to complex air-pollution mixtures, yet systematic investigations in such settings remain limited in Bangladesh. This study was conducted in nine (09) strategic locations of Cox`s Bazar tourist city of Bangladesh to know the status, sources and daily variations of major gaseous air pollutants (CO, CO₂, CH₄, SO₂, NO₂, O₃, and Cl₂) including PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. A sensor-based instrument Aeroqual Series 500 was used to investigate the air quality. Measurements were conducted thrice daily: morning, noon, and evening to apprehend diurnal variations of air pollutants. PM₂.₅ concentrations varied from 42 to 362 µg m⁻³, while PM₁₀ ranged from 42 to 333 µg m⁻³, with elevated levels observed in traffic-dominated and construction-intensive areas, indicating strong influences from vehicular emissions and resuspended road dust. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) exhibited exceptionally high concentrations (10–66 ppb), suggesting combined contributions from local combustion sources and coastal influences, including emissions associated with marine transport and fishing activities. Carbon monoxide (CO) ranged from 0.1 to 6.97 ppm, and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) varied between 19 and 49 ppb, reflecting the impact of traffic-related emissions. Ozone (O₃) showed moderate ambient concentrations (1–200 ppb); however, source apportionment results indicate that O₃ represents a key component of a secondary photochemical factor in the positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis, highlighting its role in atmospheric oxidation processes rather than dominance in terms of mass concentration. PMF analysis identified major source categories related to vehicular emissions, secondary photochemical reactions, and marine-influenced activities. Overall, the findings demonstrate that air quality in Cox's Bazar is governed by the interaction of traffic emissions, coastal atmospheric dynamics, and tourism-related human activities, underscoring the need for targeted emission control in tourist hotspots, improved management of construction-related dust, and evaluation of fuel quality used in marine transport to protect public health and support sustainable tourism development.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942724","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":"Two-Stage Anaerobic Digestion of Sugarcane Vinasse: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends and Gaps","authors":"Maria Teresa de Jesus Camelo Guedes,&nbsp;Marcos Henrique Gomes Ribeiro,&nbsp;Maria Cristina de Almeida Silva","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70450","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Sugarcane vinasse, a by-product of bioethanol production, poses a significant environmental challenge due to its high organic load and the large volumes generated. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been widely explored as an alternative treatment, particularly in two-stage configurations that can enhance methane recovery. Despite this growing interest, the literature remains fragmented, with limited efforts to integrate technological developments and operational constraints. In this study, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from the Web of Science Core Collection and Elsevier Scopus databases to examine global research trends, identify prevailing technological approaches, and identify research gaps and key process limitations. The results show a clear expansion of scientific output over time, although research activity is concentrated in a relatively small number of countries, with Brazil leading scientific output, reflecting its prominent role in sugarcane and bioethanol production and its strong international collaborations. Keyword analysis revealed three main thematic clusters related to (i) biological processes and environmental aspects, (ii) energy production, and (iii) technological and engineering applications. Across these themes, the optimization of methane and biohydrogen production emerges as a central focus. UASB and AFBR reactors are the most frequently investigated systems, commonly operated under mesophilic or thermophilic conditions. Even so, several gaps remain. Further work is needed to understand better the optimization of two-stage systems, the role of sulfate in shaping methanogenic performance, and the potential of co-digestion and fermentative-sulfidogenic pathways. Addressing these challenges, together with advances in process optimization, economic assessment, and emerging digital technologies, will be essential to improve process stability and support the large-scale implementation of sustainable vinasse valorization strategies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Statement of Novelty&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This review advances the current literature by focusing specifically on the application of two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) systems for sugarcane vinasse. While vinasse management and conventional single-stage AD processes are well documented, the role of the fermentative stage, particularly under sulfidogenic conditions, remains insufficiently explored within two-stage configurations. Drawing on publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and Elsevier Scopus databases, this study offers a structured overview of how research in this field has evolved. Rather than simply describing existing approaches, the analysis highlights recurring patterns in reactor design and operational strategies and points to important limitations. These include the limited range of reactor configurations investigated, the still-limited understanding of sulfate dynamics during the fermentation stage, and the need for more systematic evaluation of opera","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tqem.70450","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942050","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":"Sludge Cake Derived Biochar for Irrigation Water Recovery in a Sequencing Batch Granular Sludge Reactors","authors":"Ahmad Hussaini Jagaba,&nbsp;Wael S. Al-Rashed,&nbsp;Ismail Abdulazeez,&nbsp;Dahiru U. Lawal,&nbsp;Irshad Ahmad","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70425","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Aerobic granular sludge is a sustainable, viable substitute to improve industrial effluent treatment capabilities, lessen environmental impact, and significantly contribute to industrial sustainability. Hence, the efficacy of granular sequencing batch reactors (GSBR1 and GSBR2) operating side by side with and without the inclusion of waste-derived biochar, respectively, for COD and NH₄⁺-N removal was assessed. The synthesized biochar was used in the GSBR2 for contaminant removal. Process optimization was carried out through the application of response surface methodology. Cycle duration of 0.25–0.75 day and an industrial effluent concentration of 50%–100% were utilized as the independent variables. Results demonstrated that biochar as a biosorbent and nucleation carrier led to the production of more substantial and stable aerobic granules. Biochar speeds up granulation, lessens the compression carried on by inter-particle collisions, and appears to have no negative influence on the granule bacterial community structure. The bacterial proliferation inside the granules caused a considerable rise in granule size. At 0.25 day cycle time and 100% industrial effluent, process results showed a considerable reduction of COD (62.8%, 94.1%) and NH₄⁺-N (51.5%, 65.37%) for the GSBR1 and GSBR2 systems, respectively. Analyzing the kinetic models revealed that the Grau model performed better in estimating the rate of substrate removal with R² values in the range of (0.9608–0.9865) and (0.9575–0.9612) for COD and NH₄⁺-N, respectively. Microbial community studies revealed that the microbiome diversity and adaptation supported aerobic granules' long-term stability even at 75 days. Additionally, granule size and density were demonstrated, and the outcomes showed that the valorization of industrial effluent could be accomplished using an aerobic granulation mechanism employing biochar. The current results demonstrated that biochar application in GSBR as a biosorbent and nucleation carrier is a viable option to enhance organic matter and nutrient removal from industrial effluent, thereby making the water suitable for irrigation practices. It is also a solution to hazardous sludge wastes that could foster the transition toward sustainable and circular economy processes.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942067","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":"Correction to “Advancing SDG 11: A Principal Component Analysis of Environmental Degradation Drivers in Ogbomoso, Nigeria”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/tqem.70455","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70455","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Abidogun, M. A., T. O. Ogunbode, and M. O. Owoeye. 2026. “Advancing SDG 11: A Principal Component Analysis of Environmental Degradation Drivers in Ogbomoso, Nigeria.” <i>Environmental Quality Management</i> 36, no. 1: e70420. https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.70420</p><p>The name of the first author was misspelled and has been updated from “Micheal A. Abidogun” to “Michael A. Abidogun.”</p><p>The online version of this article has been corrected accordingly.</p><p>We apologize for this error.</p>","PeriodicalId":35327,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Quality Management","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tqem.70455","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943728","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}