Journal of Environmental Management最新文献

{"title":"A systematic framework for assessing conservation effectiveness of migratory marine species: Integrating biomass, habitat quality, and functional traits","authors":"Guodong Li,&nbsp;Ying Xiong,&nbsp;Haibin Han,&nbsp;Xinyun Ge,&nbsp;Rongliang Zhang,&nbsp;Fangping Cheng,&nbsp;Bangping Deng,&nbsp;Han Dong,&nbsp;Chang Liu,&nbsp;Wei Huang,&nbsp;Jiangning Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global expansion of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) under the “30×30” target necessitates rigorous effectiveness assessments. Traditional evaluations for migratory marine species often rely on static biomass metrics, which fail to capture spatiotemporal mismatches between dynamic migration patterns and static reserve boundaries, deceptively masking structural population crises. Addressing these gaps, we developed a systematic framework integrating biomass, habitat quality, and functional traits. We validated this using the small yellow croaker (<em>Larimichthys polyactis</em>) in the Yellow and East China Seas, employing machine learning, kernel density estimation, circuit theory, and population dynamics models on data spanning 1995 to 2024. Results uncovered a distinct “resource recovery paradox” where quantity uncoupled from quality. Concurrent with enhanced conservation and fishery-management measures, biomass status and habitat quality showed a marked rebound from the 2010s to the 2020s. Year-round Ecosystem-based MPAs and Gear-restricted Fishery Conservation Zones generally outperformed Seasonal Fishery-based MPAs (S-MPAs), particularly in spring. However, this quantitative recovery concealed intrinsic population degradation. Despite a partial recovery in body length, critical functional traits, including fecundity and trophic level, declined continuously, indicating a stock dominated by vulnerable recruitments. Furthermore, severe seasonal asymmetry persists. Current measures appeared more effective in sheltering spring and summer spawning stocks than in protecting deep-water overwintering grounds and migration corridors. Consequently, biological gains associated with summer closed seasons may be weakened by subsequent winter fishing pressure, causing continued winter biomass declines within S-MPAs. We recommend shifting toward dynamic ocean management to restore full life-cycle connectivity and implementing trait-based strategies to rebuild population resilience. This adaptable framework provides a scientific paradigm for optimizing global MPA networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131058"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decadal water quality dynamics in lakes along the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project: Divergent trends and hydrometeorological drivers","authors":"Yongjiu Cai,&nbsp;Ke Yang,&nbsp;Wei Ju,&nbsp;Lei Zhang,&nbsp;Chao Zhang,&nbsp;Xinxing Zhang,&nbsp;Kaiqi Zhang,&nbsp;Mingyuan Gao,&nbsp;Zhijun Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how hydraulic engineering interacts with water quality is essential for the sustainable management of large inter-basin water transfer systems. This study investigates decadal water quality trends and their dominant drivers in three key lakes—Lakes Gaoyou, Hongze, and Luoma—along the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (ER-SNWDP) from 2011 to 2023. Spatiotemporal variations in total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) were analyzed using Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition, Generalized Additive Models, and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling to disentangle hydrometeorological and anthropogenic influences across multiple time scales. The results indicate progressive eutrophication in Lakes Gaoyou and Luoma, whereas Lake Hongze remained relatively stable. From 2011 to 2015, TLI decreased from 56.7 to 53.0 in Lake Hongze and from 50.4 to 44.5 in Lake Luoma, coinciding with reduced pollution pressure and enhanced freshwater inflow. Since 2015, however, all three lakes exhibited renewed deterioration. This is marked by a rebound in TLI to 51.9 in Lake Luoma and 56.4 in Lake Hongze by 2023, driven by distinct mechanisms: nutrient accumulation and pollution influx from the Huaihe River in Lake Gaoyou, inflow variability coupled with climatic fluctuations in Lake Luoma, and hydrological–temperature interactions in Lake Hongze. At monthly and seasonal scales, inflow nutrient loads, rainfall, and hydrological conditions dominated water quality variability, while at longer timescales, warming and hydrological variability became increasingly important, potentially enhancing internal nutrient mobilization. These findings demonstrate the critical role of hydrometeorological processes in regulating lake water quality under large-scale water transfer operations and highlight the need for lake-specific, adaptive management strategies emphasizing nutrient load reduction and flow regime optimization to enhance system resilience under climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131076"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comprehensive framework for regional ecosystem health assessment: Integrating stability and distance to phase-optimal state","authors":"Xiaohong Deng,&nbsp;Xiaolu Tian,&nbsp;Xiaoyue Hu,&nbsp;Fei Peng,&nbsp;Jian Xue,&nbsp;Zongxing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A sound assessment of ecosystem health is critical for ecosystem management and ecological restoration. Existing approaches often fail to integrate temporal stability with a relative optimal benchmark, potentially limiting ecological diagnosis and restoration planning. We designed a ternary framework comprising Current Characteristics (CC), Stability (SI), and Distance to the phase-Optimal state (DO). Each dimension encompasses State, Pattern, and Function, forming a 3 × 3 assessment matrix that represents ecosystem structure, spatial patterns, and ecological functions. Applying the framework to the Hexi region of northwestern China, we assessed ecosystem health changes from 2000 to 2020. Regional ecosystem health improved by 18.97% over this period but exhibited pronounced spatial heterogeneity. The comprehensive health index exhibited a distinct hump-shaped pattern, with higher values in the central-southern region than at the eastern and western ends. This pattern was associated with water availability, ecological baseline conditions, land-use intensity, and human pressures. Relatively high health values occurred in and around Qilian Mountain National Park, whereas the northwestern desert areas generally had lower values. The assessment identified eight detailed management zones, which were further aggregated into four functional zones. Urgent Intervention Zone covered 47.28% of the region, mainly in the west, whereas Self-Sustaining Conservation Zone covered 11.03% and were concentrated in Qilian Mountain National Park. By distinguishing current conditions, temporal stability, and proximity to the phase-optimal state, the framework supports differentiated restoration prioritization, spatial zoning, and monitoring of ecological management outcomes. It provides a potentially transferable approach to regional ecosystem health assessment and management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131039"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of fire regimes on above-ground biomass change in Baikiaea-dominated woodlands of the Chobe region, northern Botswana, 1991 – 2023","authors":"Othusitse Lekoko,&nbsp;Jeremy Russell-Smith,&nbsp;Andrew Edwards,&nbsp;Cameron Yates","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate assessment of fire-vegetation dynamics is crucial for accounting for changes in carbon fluxes. We use a fire frequency index (FFI) against data collected from Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs) in two Forest Reserves, in 1991 and 2023, to assess the effects of the recent fire history (1991-2023) on tree basal area (BA—as a reliable proxy for biomass) changes at PSPs in Chobe Botswana. We explore the efficacy of applying remotely sensed Vegetation Indices (VIs) to map predicted BA on the basis of 1991 assessment data. Our results show a significant increase in plot BA between 1991 (<em>Mean</em> = 3.73 m²/ha) and 2023 (<em>Mean</em> = 5.63 m²/ha) between 1991 and 2023. Fire frequency alone (dominated by severe fires), explained 27% of variation in ΔBA (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001); infrequently burnt plots accrued BA, frequently burnt plots lost BA. For mapping predicted BA at landscape scale, we found that 2023 plot BA was most strongly correlated with NDVI from a March 2023 image and plot Canopy Cover; no significant relationships were observed between assessed 1991 VIs and 1991 plot BA, probably as a result of the quality of the available Landsat archive imagery. Our results suggest management of fire alone is key to maintaining and enhancing woody biomass and achieving woodland degradation mitigation and climate initiatives in regional <em>Baikiaea</em> miombo woodlands. The influence of fire on change in woodland structure supports the development of incentivised savanna burning approaches, including carbon sequestration methodologies, for sustainable management of woodland savannas under semi-arid rainfall conditions (ca. 600 mm MAR) in northern Botswana and regionally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131030"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence, environmental risks and recovery potential of beryllium and thallium in lepidolite smelting slag: Mineralogical insights into leaching behavior","authors":"Wenke Liu,&nbsp;Jiachun Xiong,&nbsp;Ping Chen,&nbsp;Hailin Zhang,&nbsp;Shili Zheng,&nbsp;Ping Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131074","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131074","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lepidolite smelting slag (LSS), as an energy metal lithium extraction residue, is enriched in toxic beryllium (Be) and thallium (Tl), posing huge challenges for safe management and disposal. Although phenomenological studies on the leaching behavior, recovery potential, and environmental risks of Be and Tl have been reported, mechanistic insights into mineralogical controls governing their release remain limited. To address this knowledge gap, we integrated mineralogical analysis, spatially resolved elemental mapping, and controlled leaching experiments. Our results reveal that Be and Tl are predominantly hosted in anorthite and leucite, respectively. Under simulated environmental conditions, the stability of anorthite and leucite directly dictates Be and Tl release. Column experiments demonstrated delayed but persistent Be release, in contrast to transient, rapidly attenuated Tl release, indicating that differential dissolution of host minerals leads to contrasting environmental toxicological risks. Using sulfuric acid leaching, high recovery efficiencies of 81.68% for Be and 84.31% for Tl were achieved. Toxicity leaching concentrations of the post-treatment residues were 5.66 μg/L for Be and 2.95 μg/L for Tl, within regulatory limits for solid waste (Be: 20 μg/L, Tl: 5 μg/L). DFT calculations showed that the Ca–O bond is substantially more stable than the K–O bond, suggesting that leucite dissolves more readily than anorthite during H₂SO₄ leaching, consistent with the experimental leaching trends. This study elucidates the mineralogically controlled occurrence, leaching behavior, and recovery of Be and Tl in LSS, providing a mineralogy-informed reference for the integrated management and valorization of this industrial residue.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131074"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Meiyu intensity modulates cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in sub-deep reservoirs via synergistic hydrological and nutrient regulation","authors":"Jingjing Meng,&nbsp;Pingping Li,&nbsp;Jingang Jiang,&nbsp;Zengliang Yu,&nbsp;Huiyun Feng,&nbsp;Chunmei Ge,&nbsp;Fang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Meiyu is a persistent rainy weather phenomenon in East Asia caused by a subtropical monsoon front. Under global climate change, the intensity and extremity of Meiyu have increased markedly, posing severe challenges to the water safety and management of regional reservoirs. However, the impacts of Meiyu intensity on cyanobacterial blooms in regional sub-deep reservoirs remain poorly understood. Here, we used Qishu Reservoir, a typical sub-deep reservoir in Yi County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China, as the study area. Based on monitoring data from two contrasting Meiyu years (normal, 2023; wet, 2024) and using multivariate statistics and partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM), we revealed how Meiyu intensity regulates summer reservoir hydrodynamics, thermal stratification, nutrient dynamics, and phytoplankton communities. Results showed that frequent and intense rainfall during the wet Meiyu generated strong hydrological pulses and markedly shortened hydraulic retention time. TN was primarily driven by rainfall-induced non-point source inputs and increased with Meiyu intensity. In contrast, TP was markedly diluted during the wet Meiyu due to limited sources and strong hydrological pulses, making TP the key regulator of interannual differences in phytoplankton density. Thermal stratification stability was the core physical control of <em>Microcystis</em>-dominated cyanobacterial blooms. Hydrometeorological factors regulated phytoplankton dynamics mainly via indirect pathways. During the wet Meiyu year, these factors naturally suppressed cyanobacterial blooms via the synergistic effects of weakened thermal stratification and reduced TP. We propose a hierarchical bloom control strategy based on Meiyu intensity, providing a scientific basis for managing similar reservoirs in the East Asian subtropical monsoon region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131060"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Legacy effects of invasive plants on subsequent plant growth under nitrogen deposition independent of management measures","authors":"Zhaoqi Zhu,&nbsp;Yijian Wang,&nbsp;Miaomiao Cui,&nbsp;Xue Fan,&nbsp;Haochen Yu,&nbsp;Shoujiang Liu,&nbsp;Zhicong Dai,&nbsp;Shanshan Qi,&nbsp;Jianfan Sun,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Wang,&nbsp;Daolin Du,&nbsp;Guangqian Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ecological impacts of biological invasions are persistent and complex. Even after invasive plants are removed, their legacy effects can continue to influence subsequent plant growth. However, few studies have integrated invasion legacy effects, nitrogen deposition, and management measures into a unified framework to evaluate the risk of secondary invasion. In this study, a two-year controlled pot experiment was conducted to simulate soil legacy effects generated by single-species and mixed invasions, and to examine their influences on subsequent plant productivity under nitrogen deposition and management treatments. The results showed that both invasion legacy and nitrogen deposition significantly increased the biomass of subsequent plants, while no significant difference was found between single-species and mixed-species invasion legacies. However, this facilitative effect was mainly driven by invasive plants, and the legacy effect was stronger for heterospecific invasive plants. In contrast, the promotive effects of invasion legacy and nitrogen deposition on native plants were limited, and no significant differences were observed between native monocultures and native communities. In addition, no significant differences were detected among the three conventional management treatments. Interaction analyses further indicated that nitrogen deposition weakened the promotive effect of invasion legacy on the height of subsequent plants. This study revealed that nitrogen deposition can partially attenuate the strength of invasion legacy effects, but cannot eliminate the secondary invasion risk associated with these legacy effects. These findings provide new insights into the ecological consequences of invasion legacy effects in the context of global change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131029"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stocking density shapes phytoplankton community stability in rice-crayfish integrated systems","authors":"Zhenghui Fu,&nbsp;Lu Zhang,&nbsp;Jianqiang Zhu,&nbsp;Yunyan Guo,&nbsp;Jun R. Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131071","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131071","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rice-crayfish integrated system (RCIS) has expanded rapidly across China, yet its ecological impacts on phytoplankton remain inadequately understood. To fill this gap, we conducted a 40-d field experiment with five crayfish (<em>Procambarus clarkii</em>) stocking densities (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 ind./m²; CK, T1–T4) in replicated paddy plots. Water samples were collected weekly, and phytoplankton were identified and enumerated under light microscopy. Community structure, diversity indices (Margalef, Pielou, and Shannon–Wiener), co-occurrence networks, neutral community model (NCM), and Spearman correlations were analyzed. One-way ANOVA with Tukey tests was used for treatment comparisons, and network stability was assessed by robustness and vulnerability. Our results showed that crayfish stocking significantly reduced species richness and total biomass relative to CK (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and shifted dominant taxa. Diversity indices declined to their lowest values at T2 and then recovered: Margalef decreased from 2.67 ± 0.05 in CK to 1.40 ± 0.10 in T2 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), Pielou from 0.88 ± 0.01 to 0.80 ± 0.02 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), and Shannon–Wiener from 2.91 ± 1.03 to 2.11 ± 0.10 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), corresponding to reductions of 47.57%, 9.09%, and 27.49%, respectively. Co-occurrence networks were simplest and least stable at T2, with the highest vulnerability, whereas T3 had the lowest vulnerability among stocked treatments. NCM fitting showed higher stochasticity in stocked treatments (Rsqr = 0.683–0.806) and lower migration rates (Nm = 3–4) than CK (Nm = 11). Spearman correlations (significance at <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) identified dissolved oxygen, water temperature, and total nitrogen as key drivers in CK, whereas stocked treatments showed more complex nutrient-phytoplankton relationships. From a phytoplankton-based perspective, a stocking density of 3 ind./m² appears ecologically favorable, but this recommendation requires integrated testing with production, water quality, and multi-trophic indicators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131071"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149101772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The composite acidifier of superphosphate and sulfuric acid for swine slurry storage treatment: Assessment of gases emission reduction and stabilization","authors":"Houkai Wu,&nbsp;Yunfan Yang,&nbsp;Xiuping Tao","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To realize ammonia emission reduction, greenhouse gas emission reduction and stabilized treatment during manure slurry storage, a novel composite acidifier was proposed in this study. The composite acidifier was composed of superphosphate and sulfuric acid (SP-SA) at different proportions, and the performance of gas emission reduction and stabilization was also conducted. The composite SP-SA acidification could reduce 46.79% – 72.71% of ammonia emission and 38.95% – 69.21% of greenhouse gas emission. Due to the slow release of H⁺, groups with more superphosphate addition could reduce 5.68% – 10.71% of ammonia emission and 17.35% – 20.83% of greenhouse gas emission. All acidified groups could achieve total nitrogen loss ranged from 29.40% to 38.59%, attributed to the ammonia emission reduction. Compared to control group, a maximum removal rate of 35.05% for chemical oxygen demand and 40.63% for dissolved organic carbon could be obtained for the acidified group. The acidified group could reach stabilization on 20th d, which was 20 d earlier than control group. The composite SP-SA acidifier could be a candidate to swine manure slurry storage treatment, which possessed advantages of low pH maintaining, gases emission mitigation and fast stabilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131094"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reducing energy consumption through the implementation of AI to control aeration intensity in the composting process","authors":"Robert Sidełko,&nbsp;Robert Suszyński,&nbsp;Robert Cichowicz,&nbsp;Mikołaj Lisicki,&nbsp;Beata Janowska,&nbsp;Jacek Piekarski","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The paper presents the results of a study on the use of artificial neural network (ANN) to optimize aeration intensity during the composting of municipal sewage sludge. Field experiments were carried out at a composting facility in Tczew, where a two-stage, six-week composting process was applied to a mixture of sewage sludge and wood chips in concrete reactors with forced aeration. Process monitoring encompassed 41 full-scale composting cycles under industrial conditions. For modeling purposes, a dataset was compiled that included physicochemical input variables (e.g., organic matter content, carbon, nitrogen, and pH) and online sensor data (temperature, moisture content, oxygen concentration, and airflow rate), together with output variables describing fan operation.</div><div>A deep learning long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network for sequential data analysis was used to predict aeration intervals. The model was trained on 554 cases, approximately 12% of which were reserved for independent testing. The results demonstrated good agreement between ANN predictions and actual operating data, as well as the model's ability to capture the gradual decrease in oxygen demand as the composting process progressed. Under operational conditions, the ANN-based control algorithm reduced the specific electricity consumption for aeration from 4.1 to 3.1 kWh/Mg, corresponding to an approx. 24% reduction compared with conventional interval-based control. The developed model allows for optimizing the operating interval of the compost aeration fan without significantly affecting the rate of organic matter decomposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131042"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}