International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Electrochemical struvite precipitation for simultaneous phosphorus and nitrogen recovery from municipal anaerobic digested sludge centrate","authors":"R. N. Berhe,&nbsp;H. Zhang,&nbsp;O. A. Shaker,&nbsp;M. Dagnew","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07417-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07417-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Simultaneous removal of phosphorus (PO₄³⁻-P) and ammonium (NH₄⁺-N) as struvite precipitate (MgNH₄PO₄·6H₂O) from wastewater is a novel approach for preventing eutrophication and promoting sustainable resource recovery. In this study electrochemical approach was used for PO₄³⁻-P -rich wastewater streams such as anaerobically digested (AD) sludge centrate. Due to high concentrations of NH₄⁺-N, PO₄³⁻-P, elevated alkalinity, suspended solids and other competing ions, making AD a realistic opportunity for electrochemical struvite precipitation. The effects of magnesium-to-phosphorus molar ratio (Mg:P, 0–9), solution pH (8–10), alkalinity (~ 2000 mg L⁻¹), and suspended solids (~ 330 mg L⁻¹) on PO₄³⁻-P removal were evaluated. Initial tests at low Mg:P ratios (0–2) and varying pH showed limited PO₄³⁻-P removal (&lt; 50%) in AD centrate due to the loss of portion of magnesium for carbonate formation. In contrast, TSS up to 500 mg L⁻¹ had little effect on PO₄³⁻-P recovery. At pH 9, increasing the Mg:P ratio to 5 enabled rapid PO₄³⁻-P recovery (&gt; 90% within 1 h), while increasing further to 9 provided insignificant PO₄³⁻-P recovery (&lt; 3% marginal gain) in both filtered anaerobically digested and AD. The results indicated optimizing Mg:P ratio and pH, while accounting for alkalinity, TSS, and competing ions, is critical for efficient electrochemical struvite formation and on-site nutrient recovery from wastewater.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Risk-averse stochastic optimization for sustainable medical waste reverse logistics network design","authors":"S. El Liazidi,&nbsp;B. Dkhissi","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07450-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07450-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The rapid growth of medical waste, exacerbated by urbanization and large-scale health emergencies, poses significant challenges to public health and environmental sustainability. Designing medical waste reverse logistics networks is particularly complex due to the conflicting economic, environmental, and service-level objectives, as well as high uncertainty in waste generation. Existing optimization models typically rely on deterministic assumptions or weighted-sum formulations, which limit the analysis of trade-offs and lead to fragile network designs under demand surges. This paper proposes a risk-averse two-stage stochastic multi-objective optimization framework for the design of medical waste reverse logistics networks under uncertain waste generation. The model simultaneously minimizes total economic cost, life-cycle <span>({text{CO}}_{2})</span>-equivalent emissions, and service time. Uncertainty in waste generation is explicitly captured through a two-stage stochastic programming formulation with six scenarios. To control extreme environmental outcomes, Conditional Value-at-Risk is embedded within a life-cycle emission objective, explicitly reflecting a risk-averse planning perspective. The resulting large-scale multi-objective problem is solved using Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III, Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II, and Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization. Computational results indicate that Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III demonstrates superior performance in terms of convergence and solution diversity, while consistently providing well-distributed Pareto solutions under uncertainty. Results show that stochastic risk-averse planning yields more resilient network configurations, maintaining high service levels and controlled emissions at moderate additional cost compared to deterministic designs. The proposed approach provides decision-makers with a structured tool for sustainable and resilient medical waste management under uncertainty.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Occurrence and characterization of microplastics in freshwater surface waters: evidence from Lake Eğirdir (Türkiye)","authors":"M. Zeybek Yünlü,&nbsp;B. Ayanlar,&nbsp;A. Ertaş,&nbsp;Ö. Erdoğan","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07432-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07432-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microplastic pollution has become an important environmental concern in freshwater ecosystems because of its persistence, widespread distribution, and potential ecological effects. In this study, microplastic abundance in the nearshore surface waters of Lake Eğirdir, located in Isparta Province, Türkiye, was investigated. Surface water samples were collected from three nearshore stations during summer (July) and autumn (October) of 2024. At each station, 5 L of surface water was collected and transferred into glass bottles to minimize secondary contamination. In the laboratory, the samples were filtered, subjected to oxidative pretreatment to remove organic matter, and examined under a stereomicroscope. Microplastic particles were classified according to their morphological type and color, and selected particles were analyzed by Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy to confirm polymer composition. Quality assurance and quality control procedures, including a procedural blank, were applied throughout the study. A total of 359 microplastic particles were identified, corresponding to an overall abundance of 11.97 items/L. Microplastic abundance was higher in summer than in autumn, and the highest value was recorded at the harbour station, indicating the possible influence of local anthropogenic activities. Fragments and filaments were the dominant morphological types, whereas black was the most common color. Polymer analysis confirmed the presence of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene, with polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate being dominant. Statistical analysis showed that morphology and color distributions differed significantly between seasons. Overall, this preliminary assessment provides baseline data for future monitoring of microplastic pollution in Lake Eğirdir.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Hydroclimatic drivers, trends, and impacts of drought in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"M. S. Peprah,&nbsp;C. A. Abavare","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07426-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07426-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Drought is among the most severe climate-related hazards threatening environmental sustainability, water resources, agricultural productivity, and livelihoods across Africa. This study systematically synthesises evidence on the hydroclimatic drivers, temporal trends, methodological approaches, and impacts of drought, with particular emphasis on Ghana, to identify knowledge gaps and inform future research and policy. A systematic literature review and random-effects meta-analysis were conducted using sixty-two peer-reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2025. Studies were identified through a structured screening process and analysed using thematic synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis to evaluate drought drivers, monitoring methods, temporal patterns, and sectoral impacts. The findings reveal that droughts have become increasingly frequent, severe, and spatially extensive across Africa, primarily driven by rising temperatures, rainfall variability, large-scale ocean–atmosphere interactions, and increasing atmospheric moisture demand. Northern Ghana was consistently identified as the most drought-prone region because of the combined effects of climatic stress, ecological characteristics, and socioeconomic vulnerability. Comparative analysis further shows that precipitation-based indices remain the most widely applied drought assessment tools, while satellite observations, geospatial technologies, hydrological modelling, and machine learning approaches provide improved spatial monitoring and predictive capability when integrated with vulnerability assessments. However, methodological inconsistencies, fragmented datasets, and limited integration of hydrological, environmental, and socioeconomic information continue to constrain comprehensive drought assessment. Overall, the review demonstrates that integrated, multi-source drought monitoring frameworks and stronger links between scientific evidence, policy development, and local adaptation strategies are essential for strengthening drought resilience and sustainable water resource management across Africa.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Natural red clay as an efficient and reusable catalyst in the heterogeneous Fenton reaction for wastewater treatment","authors":"S. Akachar,&nbsp;K. Benahdach,&nbsp;K. Draoui,&nbsp;M. Albqmi,&nbsp;G. Hodaifa","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07446-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07446-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Olive mill wastewater (OMW) exhibits substantial contaminated properties due to its high content of organic substances, such as phenolic constituents. This research aims to study the viability of using natural and low-cost mineral clay with acceptable iron content (Fe₂O₃ content = 10.8%) as an adsorbent and as a catalyst for the degradation of organic matter in a real industrial olive mill wastewater throughout heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction. The maximum removal efficiency achieved through adsorption was 30–33% for 40 to 40 g/L of NRC. The NRC, as a catalyst, has been used in its natural form and after thermal treatment activation at 850°C in order to eliminate undesirable organic material, carbonates and interstitial water. In both cases, the catalyst has been characterized using XRD, scanning electron microscope, and FT-IR analyses. The degradation efficiency of organic matter by natural red clay (NRC) and incinerated clay (INRC) was up to 64.2% and 70.8%, respectively. The total phenolic compounds removal at the end of the reaction using NRC and INRC as catalysts without pH modification of the reaction medium were 73.5% and 87.6%, respectively. Moreover, the studied natural materials NRC and INRC retained their performance after 4 and 6 cycles, respectively, demonstrating their potential to be used as low-cost catalysts. This potential was verified by XRD and FT-IR characterization. Overall, the results obtained showed that NRC and INRC could be used as suitable, efficient and low-cost catalysts for the treatment of OMW at an industrial level by means of Fenton-type reactions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13762-026-07446-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Agricultural water stress and environmental sustainability of cropping systems under semi-arid conditions","authors":"B. Farokhzadeh,&nbsp;K. Vafaee,&nbsp;O. Bazrafshan","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07436-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07436-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Growing pressure on freshwater resources has increased the need for cropping systems that can sustain agricultural production while reducing irrigation demand. This study evaluates the environmental sustainability of wheat and potato cultivation across 25 provinces of Iran during 2015–2024. Irrigation dependency, water stress, and multiple dimensions of agricultural productivity were assessed using an integrated evaluation framework. Crop water requirements were estimated using the FAO-56 Penman–Monteith method, while environmental impacts were assessed through green, blue, and gray water footprints together with the Agricultural Water Stress Index (AWSI), Blue Water Scarcity (BWS), and Agricultural Water Footprint Intensity (AWFI). An entropy-weighted TOPSIS approach was used to integrate these indicators and rank crop–region combinations according to their overall sustainability. The analysis showed that the blue water footprint declined from 3921 to 2592 m³ ton⁻¹ for wheat and from 797 to 600 m³ ton⁻¹ for potato during the study period, largely because of improvements in crop yield. Despite this reduction, blue water continued to account for the largest share of total water consumption, reaching as much as 94% in highly irrigated production systems. Gray water footprints also indicated considerable environmental pressure from fertilizer use, particularly in intensive agricultural areas. Regions receiving greater contributions from green water generally achieved higher caloric water productivity, whereas the highest economic water productivity was associated with irrigation-intensive systems, highlighting a clear trade-off between economic benefits and pressure on water resources. These findings demonstrate that matching crop distribution with regional water availability can reduce irrigation pressure without compromising agricultural production. The proposed assessment framework offers a practical basis for supporting crop planning and water resource management in semi-arid regions facing increasing water scarcity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Comparative abiotic, regulatory-aligned assessment of nutrient and trace-metal release from secondary geomaterials for soil application","authors":"G. Galamini,&nbsp;G. Malvolti,&nbsp;M. Lezzerini,&nbsp;D. Malferrari,&nbsp;A. F. Gualtieri","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07435-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07435-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study provides an abiotic, regulatory-aligned leaching assessment of two secondary geomaterials intended for soil application: RE.WO, a secondary raw material derived from the thermal transformation of mineral wool construction waste, and BO50, a by-product of rock-cutting operations. The objective is to compare nutrient release and trace-metal mobility as a function of their contrasting compositions. To this aim, mineralogical and bulk-chemical characterization was combined with abiotic, time-resolved, regulatory-aligned <i>in vitro</i> leaching tests performed under weakly acidic, chelating, and weakly alkaline conditions. RE.WO is characterized by a fully amorphous glassy matrix that exhibits rapid dissolution kinetics and high cumulative cation release, particularly under chelating conditions. While this behaviour indicates higher short-term extractability of micronutrient elements (notably Mn, Cu, and Zn), it also facilitates the mobilization of regulated trace metals. Conversely, BO50 is dominated by crystalline silicates and K-bearing mineral phases; this refractory nature results in low solubility, gradual and sustained release of potassium and comparatively low mobilization of regulated trace elements under the tested conditions. These findings support a risk-informed approach to agronomic utilization. In terms of regulatory positioning under European Regulation 2019/1009, BO50 appears more readily compatible with possible classification as a virgin material or by-product, although conditional on verification of by-product status, registration under applicable chemicals legislation, and compliance with contaminant requirements. Conversely, the higher mobilization of regulated trace elements in RE.WO may preclude its current classification under European Regulation 2019/1009 pathways and its use appears more defensible in restricted non-food applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13762-026-07435-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Optimal design of a hydrocyclone for the removal of suspended solids from rainwater runoff in middle-mountain areas","authors":"J.-W. Baek,&nbsp;Y.-J. Kim,&nbsp;C.-M. Chung","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07453-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07453-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Climate change-induced drought has intensified water shortages in upland agricultural areas, particularly in middle-mountain regions where conventional irrigation infrastructure and groundwater development are limited. Although rainwater runoff can serve as an alternative agricultural water source, its high suspended solids content often causes clogging of irrigation systems, making effective pretreatment essential. Conventional sand or disk filters are often impractical in these terrains due to high-energy demands and frequent maintenance requirements. In this study, the geometric design of a hydrocyclone was systematically optimized to enhance suspended solids removal from rainwater runoff under conditions representative of middle-mountain agricultural areas. A Rietema-type hydrocyclone with a body diameter of 80 mm was fabricated, and five key geometric parameters (inlet, overflow, and underflow diameters, vortex finder length, and conical section length) were systematically evaluated using a Taguchi L27 orthogonal array. Separation efficiency and recovery rate were used as response variables, and analysis of variance revealed that the underflow diameter was the dominant design parameter, accounting for 69.16% and 83.99% of the variation in separation efficiency and recovery rate, respectively. Experimental validation under varying flow rates, suspended solids concentrations, and particle sizes demonstrated that a 10 mm underflow diameter ensured stable performance under high-flow and high-concentration conditions, whereas a 5 mm underflow diameter maintained effective separation at low flow rates. These results indicate that geometry-based optimization combined with the appropriate use of different underflow diameters enhances the applicability of hydrocyclones for suspended solids removal from rainwater runoff in middle-mountain agricultural systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Potentially toxic element contamination in water and sediments of the Ergene river basin (Türkiye): ecological and human health risk assessment","authors":"G. B. Aydın,&nbsp;M. Taş-Divrik,&nbsp;R. Atun","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07424-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07424-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) load of the Ergene River Basin, where industrial and agricultural activities are highly concentrated, was evaluated in terms of environmental and human health risks. Water and sediment samples were collected from five stations located in regions with dense, organized industrial zones. Analyses were conducted for arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). According to Spearman’s correlation analysis, the concentrations of Mn in water showed a moderate positive correlation with sediment (rs = 0.5), Ni exhibited a strong correlation (rs = 0.7), Fe, Cr, and As also demonstrated strong correlations (rs = 0.8), Zn displayed a very strong correlation (rs = 0.9), and Cd revealed a perfect correlation (rs = 1)Sediment analyses revealed that toxic element levels were consistently highest at the downstream station (St 5), reflecting cumulative discharges from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources. Water-related indices showed pollution, with Metal Index values above 0.3 identifying Station 1 as the most contaminated due to Ni, Cd, and Pb. At the same time, Heavy Metal Pollution Index results confirmed high elemental pollution across all stations (83.39–94.37), with Cd as the dominant contributor. Human Health Risk Assessment showed that carcinogenic risk values ranged from 0.60 to 1.09 in children and from 0.32 to 1.01 in adults; moreover, for digestion hazard quotient values exceeded acceptable thresholds by up to 85 times in children and 76 times in adults. These findings underscore the urgent need for effective pollution control and risk management strategies in the Ergene River Basin to safeguard both environmental integrity and public health.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Production of nanocellulose from (P. sylvestris) stem as novel reinforcement in bionanocomposite fabrication: agrowaste to multifunctional materials","authors":"M. I. Hossain,&nbsp;D. Islam,&nbsp;M. K. A. Zuhanee,&nbsp;B. C. Ghos,&nbsp;S. M. Joya,&nbsp;S. Knani,&nbsp;R. Alreshidi,&nbsp;M. M. Rahman","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07439-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13762-026-07439-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Structural cellulose nanocrystalline(CNC), derived from waste biomass of secondary plants, has recently drawn considerable attention from researchers for creating multifunctional bionanocomposites because of its exceptional properties. Here, CNC was produced from date palm tree stem fiber (secondary agro-waste material) via several physicochemical processes. In Bangladesh, it is abundantly grown, and considered as useless solid waste, unsuitable as hard woody materials to produce furniture, and not even considered as cattle feed rather burned, which also causes air pollution/global warming. However, the CNC was characterized using XRD, FTIR-ATR, DTA/DTG/TGA, FESEM, EDX, TEM, DLS, ZP, UV–vis-NIR analysis. Morphological transformations and topographical microstructure were analyzed with FESEM and STEM, while EDX provided insights into changes in elemental composition. The FTIR-ATR spectra revealed the removal of impurities and non-cellulosic components and detected the binding sites. Notable changes in both intensity and peak patterns were observed in the XRD analysis, with the crystallinity index increasing from 43.93% in raw fiber (RF) to 84.44% in CNC. Thermal analysis indicated a declining trend in the maximum decomposition rate (μg/min) in the following order: RF&gt;ATF&gt;BF&gt;CNC, as chemical modifications progressed. Given these promising findings, the newly developed structural CNC has strong potential as a reinforcing agent in the fabrication of multifunctional bionanocomposites, aligning well with sustainable and eco-friendly material development initiatives.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}