Sustainability Science最新文献

{"title":"Sustainable Phosphate Recovery Using Novel Ca–Mg Bimetallic Modified Biogas Residue-Based Biochar","authors":"Qi Wang, Guang-Hui Zhuo, Dongxin Xue, Guangcan Zhu, Chu-Ya Wang","doi":"10.3390/su17115049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115049","url":null,"abstract":"Elevated phosphorus levels in aquatic ecosystems have been identified as a critical driver of eutrophication processes, necessitating resource-recovery remediation strategies. Adsorption techniques show particular promise for nutrient recovery due to their selective binding capacities and operational feasibility. In this study, the Mg- and Ca-modified biogas residue-based biochar (Ca-Mg/BC) was successfully prepared via a “bimetallic loading-pyrolysis” modification strategy. The optimum temperature for the calcination of the material and the salt solution impregnation concentrations were determined experimentally through optimization of the synthesis conditions. Structural and chemical analyses of Ca–Mg/BC demonstrated that the material contains MgO and CaO. The specific surface area of Ca–Mg/BC was 8.49 times higher than that of the unmodified biochar (BC). The optimized Ca–Mg/BC achieved 95% phosphate removal rate (157.13 mg/g adsorption capacity). FTIR and XPS characterization results indicated the importance of Ca/Mg loading in phosphate capture. MgO and CaO were mainly loaded on the surface of the material and adsorbed phosphate through a chemical reaction. Crucially, the phosphate-laden biochar exhibited potential as a nutrient-enriched soil amendment, opening the material loop from wastewater treatment to agricultural applications. This sustainable strategy simultaneously addresses water pollution control and sustainable development, providing environmentally benign solutions compatible with industrial effluent treatment and sustainable agriculture practices.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 11","pages":"5049-5049"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/5049/pdf?version=1748615893","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147883680","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":"An Improved Grey Prediction Model Integrating Periodic Decomposition and Aggregation for Renewable Energy Forecasting: Case Studies of Solar and Wind Power","authors":"Minghao Ran, Yingchao Wang, Qilu Qin, Jindi Huang, Jiading Jiang","doi":"10.3390/su17115009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115009","url":null,"abstract":"Due to the prevalent “small data”, “seasonal”, and “periodicity” characteristics in China’s renewable energy power generation data, there are certain difficulties in long-term power generation prediction. For this reason, this paper uses the data preprocessing method of periodical aggregation to enhance the “quasi-exponentiality” characteristics of original data, eliminate “seasonality” and “periodicity”, use the DGM (1,1) model to predict aggregated data, and then use the periodical component factor to reduce the DGM (1,1)-predicted data. A seasonal discrete grey prediction model based on periodical aggregation is constructed. The proposed methodology employs streamlined data preprocessing coupled with conventional grey prediction modeling to enable the precise forecasting of nonlinear periodic sequences. This approach demonstrates an enhanced operational efficiency by mitigating the structural complexity and implementation barriers inherent in classical seasonal grey prediction frameworks. Validation experiments conducted on China’s photovoltaic (PV) and wind power generation datasets through comparative multi-model analysis confirm the model’s superior predictive accuracy, with performance metrics significantly outperforming benchmark methods across both training and validation cohorts.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 11","pages":"5009-5009"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/5009/pdf?version=1748526442","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147908900","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":"Sustainable Metal Recovery from Electroplating Sludge: Bridging Technology and Environmental Regulation","authors":"Jianchen Ma, Zhenfeng Xiong","doi":"10.3390/su17114957","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114957","url":null,"abstract":"Electroplating sludge, a hazardous waste generated from the electroplating industry, contains significant quantities of heavy metals such as Cu, Cr, and Ni. Improper disposal of these metals poses severe environmental and health risks. This study proposes a comprehensive resource recovery process for Cu, Ni, and Cr from electroplating sludge, involving leaching, solvent extraction, stripping, and precipitation. The extraction efficiency of three extractants (P507, LIX984, and M5640) was evaluated, with M5640 demonstrating superior performance in Cu recovery (near 100%) at pH 3.0–4.0. Multi-stage extraction and stripping experiments further optimized metal recovery, achieving high efficiencies for Cu, Cr, and Ni. The recovered metals were precipitated as CuCO3, CrPO4, and Ni(OH)2, with wastewater discharge meeting environmental discharge standards. This study not only enriches the technical approaches for the selective recovery of high-value metals from electroplating sludge with complex components, but also closely aligns with the laws, regulations, and policies of the Chinese government regarding environmental governance. It serves as a driving force for promoting the construction of “waste-free cities” and the establishment of a closed-loop circular economy industrial chain.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 11","pages":"4957-4957"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4957/pdf?version=1748432960","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147892482","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":"Remediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil Using Microwave-Activated Persulfate Oxidation System","authors":"Yuanming Guo, Zhen Wang, Cheng‐Lin Hou, Hongrui Li, Wenhao Chen, Hongchao Li, Haoming Chen, Lin Shi","doi":"10.3390/su17114897","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114897","url":null,"abstract":"Intensive industrial activities have led to severe polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination of adjacent lands. Remediating such contaminated soil is crucial for maintaining long-term ecological health and sustainable development. This study systematically assessed the performance of a microwave-activated persulfate (MW/PS) oxidation method in remediating pyrene-contaminated soil. Under conditions of 80 °C and a persulfate concentration of 23.8 mg/g, this system achieved 85.3% pyrene degradation within 30 min, significantly outperforming both single microwave and thermal-activated persulfate (TH/PS) systems. Key factors influencing the oxidation efficiency included the temperature, persulfate and pyrene concentrations, moisture, and humic acid content. An electron paramagnetic resonance analysis confirmed the generation of reactive oxygen species, including •OH, SO4•− and 1O2, in the MW/PS system, while O2•− was exclusive to the TH/PS system. However, further experiments revealed that 1O2 had a negligible impact on pyrene degradation, suggesting that its role may have been overestimated in previous studies. The high MW/PS performance was attributed to the synergistic effects of both thermal and non-thermal (molecular vibration) mechanisms. Based on these findings, the pathways of pyrene degradation were proposed, with intermediate products exhibiting reduced toxicity and bioaccumulation potential. This study provides valuable insights into the application of MW/PS systems in the remediation of PAH-contaminated soils.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 11","pages":"4897-4897"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4897/pdf?version=1748273362","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147878297","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":"Effects of Water Pollution on Diatom Communities of Roșia Montană Mining Area, Romania","authors":"Adriana Olenici, Saúl Blanco, Francisco Jiménez‐Gómez, María Borrego‐Ramos, Călin Baciu","doi":"10.3390/su17104592","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104592","url":null,"abstract":"We investigated the diatom communities and physicochemical water variables in the Abrud River catchment area (the Roșia Montană mining area, Romania) at 16 sampling sites, some of them impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metals. Diatoms serve as effective indicators of water characteristics owing to their ubiquity and sensitivity to environmental variables. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of the key environmental factors influencing the diatom flora of polluted rivers across various spatial and temporal scales, thereby informing the optimization of ecosystem management strategies. This work contributes to the knowledge of Romanian diatom flora through the identification of 274 taxa belonging to 63 genera, including 35 taxa recorded for the first time in the country. The spatial and temporal variations in the species richness patterns highlighted the effects of water pollution resulting from past mining activities, revealing distinctions between the main Abrud River stream and its tributaries, some of which exhibited extremely low species richness with few or no identified taxa. This contrasted sharply with the cleaner upstream waters of the Roșia Valley, where a notably rich diatom community (85 taxa) persisted, highlighting the severe localized impact of mining discharges on biodiversity.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 10","pages":"4592-4592"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4592/pdf?version=1747466984","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147909858","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":"The Nonlinear Relationship Between Urbanization and Ecological Environment in China Under the PSR (Pressure-State-Response) Model: Inflection Point Identification and Policy Pathways","authors":"Ruidong An, Xiaowu Hu, Shucun Sun","doi":"10.3390/su17104450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104450","url":null,"abstract":"In the process of social development, there is a contradiction between economic development and the ecological environment. Western countries were the first to experience the inverted U-shaped development model of “destruction first and compensation later”, and China is also facing similar problems. To reveal the formation mechanism and dynamic evolution of the inflection point of ecological environment changes in China, this paper combines the entropy weight method, the analytic hierarchy process, and quadratic curve fitting to construct the “Ecological Pressure Index—GDPP Model” and studies the inflection point of ecological pressure during China’s economic development from 2000 to 2022. The study shows that the key inflection point of China’s ecological environment pressure is between 2016 and 2017, which is mainly affected by multiple factors such as the economy, domestic and international situations, and policy adjustments. For example, the implementation of the “Supply-side Structural Reform” and the environmental protection supervision system has significantly reduced the pollution pressure. At the same time, the “inflection point” is applied to dynamically adjust the PSR model, revealing the stage transition of China’s environmental governance focus. For instance, from 2000 to 2016, end-of-pipe pollution treatment was dominant (for example, the weights of pollution emission indicators X5–X8 were relatively high), while after 2016, the focus of governance shifted to the restoration of ecological space (for example, the weight of nature reserves X22 was 2.759%). The theoretical contribution of this paper lies in proposing the concept of “Policy-driven EKC”, emphasizing the core role of policy intervention in the formation of the inflection point of the ecological environment. In addition, the dynamic adjustment of the PSR model using the “inflection point” better interprets China’s self-transformation in the development process and provides other developing countries with a Chinese solution of “institutional innovation first” and the “Policy-driven EKC—Chinese PSR Model” for reference in balancing economic growth and ecological protection.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 10","pages":"4450-4450"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4450/pdf?version=1747213331","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147916183","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":"The Effect of Condensate Oil on the Spontaneous Combustion of Tank Corrosion Products Based on Thermodynamics","authors":"Wenjing Zang, Jianhai Wang, Shuo Wang, Shuo Yuan, Qibing Zeng, Huanran Zhang, Hui Liu","doi":"10.3390/su17104445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104445","url":null,"abstract":"Condensate oil, due to its inherent physical and chemical properties, can accelerate the spontaneous combustion of corrosion products in storage tanks during transportation or storage, posing significant risks to the safety and sustainability of energy infrastructure. While prior research has primarily examined crude oil or reactive sulfur effects on tank corrosion, the mechanistic role of condensate oil in promoting corrosion product ignition remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigates the impact of condensate oil on simulated tank corrosion product compounds (STCPCs) through a combination of microstructural analysis (XRD and SEM) and thermal behavior characterization (TG-DSC). The results reveal that condensate oil treatment markedly increases STCPC surface roughness, inducing crack formation and pore proliferation. These structural changes may enhance the adsorption of O2 and condensate oil, thereby amplifying STCPC reactivity. Notably, condensate oil reduces the thermal stability of STCPC, increasing its spontaneous combustion propensity. DSC analysis further demonstrates that condensate oil introduces additional exothermic peaks during oxidative heating, releasing heat that accelerates STCPC ignition. Moreover, condensate oil lowers the apparent activation energy of STCPC by 1.44 kJ/mol and alters the dominant reaction mechanism. These insights advance the understanding of corrosion-induced spontaneous combustion and highlight critical sustainability challenges in petrochemical storage and transportation. By elucidating the hazards associated with condensate oil, this study provides actionable theoretical guidance for improving the safety and environmental sustainability of energy logistics. Future work should explore mitigation strategies, such as corrosion-resistant materials or optimized storage conditions, to align industrial practices with sustainable development goals.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 10","pages":"4445-4445"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4445/pdf?version=1747149989","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147912378","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":"High Performance Ru-CNx/CeO2 Catalyst for Catalytic Wet Oxidation of N-Methyldiethanolamine in Water","authors":"Yuantao Han, Yuchuan Ye, Wanjin Yu, Shaohong Zang, Lili Ji, Shijie Li, Liuye Mo","doi":"10.3390/su17104358","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104358","url":null,"abstract":"The synthesis of high performance catalysts for the catalytic wet oxidation (CWO) of N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) in water remains a challenge, and is a topic of considerable importance in relation to sustainability. In this paper, a Ru-CNx/CeO2 catalyst was synthesized through a modified impregnation process for the CWO of MDEA, exhibiting a high activity of 80% COD removal at 180 °C and 2.5 MPa. EPR, Raman, and XPS characterizations revealed that the CNx species facilitated the reduction in Ru4+ to Ru0 species and enhanced the Ru–Ce interaction to form a high-density Ru-O-Ce structure with Ce3+ sites, which strongly correlate to the generation of oxygen vacancies. The oxygen vacancies enabled the adsorption and activation of the oxygen, generating active species (h+, ·O2−, and ·OH) that effectively oxidized the MDEA during the catalytic reaction.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 10","pages":"4358-4358"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4358/pdf?version=1747032362","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147895686","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":"Adhesive-Coupled Polymer Multistage Modified Sustainable Alkali-Activated Materials: Barrier Performance and Microstructural Investigation Under Accelerated Curing Conditions","authors":"Guo Yantao, Qun Huan, Yue Hu, Xian Cao, Shaofeng Wang, Ziye Wang, Yue Hui, Min Song","doi":"10.3390/su17104344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104344","url":null,"abstract":"Alkali-activated materials have gained increasing popularity in the field of soil barrier materials due to their high strength and low environmental impact. However, barrier materials made from alkali-activated materials still suffer from long setting times and poor barrier performance in acidic, alkaline, and saline environments, which hinders the sustainable development of green alkali-activated materials. Herein, coconut shell biochar, sodium silicate-based adhesives, and polyether polyol/polypropylene polymers were used for multi-stage material modification. The modified materials were evaluated for barrier performance, rapid formation, and resistance to acidic, alkaline, and saline environments, using metrics such as compressive strength, permeability, mass loss, and VOC diffusion efficiency. The results indicated that adhesive modification reduced the material’s setting time from 72 to 12 h. Polymer modification improved resistance to corrosion by 15–20%. The biochar-containing multi-stage modified materials achieved VOC diffusion barrier efficiency of over 99% in both normal and corrosive conditions. These improvements are attributed to the adhesive accelerating calcium silicate hydration and forming strength-enhancing compounds, the polymer providing corrosion resistance, and biochar enhancing the volatile organic compounds (VOC) barrier properties. The combined modification yielded a highly effective multi-stage green barrier material suitable for rapid barrier formation and corrosion protection. These findings contribute to evaluating multi-level modified barrier materials’ effectiveness and potential benefits in this field and provide new insights for the development of modified, green, and efficient alkali-activated barrier materials, promoting the green and sustainable development of soil pollution control technologies.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 10","pages":"4344-4344"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4344/pdf?version=1747116410","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147877326","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 Serious Game to Promote Water–Energy–Land–Food–People (WELFP) Nexus Perception and Encourage Pro-Environmental and Pro-Social Urban Agriculture","authors":"Sukanya Sereenonchai, Noppol Arunrat","doi":"10.3390/su17094148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094148","url":null,"abstract":"Urban agriculture is key to sustainable city development, particularly through public engagement with the Water–Energy–Land–Food–People (WELFP) Nexus. This study examines the effectiveness of serious games in enhancing WELFP understanding and promoting pro-environmental and pro-social behaviors. A game-based learning model was developed using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) and Easy–Attractive–Social–Timely (EAST) frameworks, along with the Revised New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale. The model simulates real-world urban agriculture challenges to foster participatory decision-making. A survey of 200 urban agriculture practitioners, analyzed via structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 4.0), found that perceived timeliness (PT) and perceived usefulness (PU) significantly influenced both the perceived sustainable livelihood value (PT: p = 0.000; PU: p = 0.006) and users’ attitudes toward the game (PT: p = 0.000; PU: p = 0.038). While enjoyment positively affected attitude (p = 0.002), it negatively impacted perceived value (p = 0.002), revealing a trade-off between fun and practical relevance. Perceived ease of use improved perceived value (p = 0.000) but did not affect attitude, suggesting emotional engagement matters more. Both attitude and perceived value strongly predicted users’ intention to engage with the game. Post-game reflections highlighted the need for cross-sector collaboration, strategic resource use, access to real-time data, and responsive crisis management. Participants also stressed the importance of public awareness, civic responsibility, and volunteerism in advancing community-driven sustainable agriculture. These findings highlight the need to balance engagement and educational depth in game-based learning for sustainability.","PeriodicalId":49457,"journal":{"name":"Sustainability Science","volume":"17 9","pages":"4148-4148"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/4148/pdf?version=1746282851","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147922741","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}