The internal load of metals and nutrients in reservoirs can be derived from fluxes at the sediment–water interface via pore water (PW) and may affect the water quality. The main goal of this study was to investigate the distribution and fluxes of nutrients and metals at SWI in a subtropical reservoir. Sediments cores were collected at five sites in Itupararanga Reservoir and sliced at 1-cm depth intervals (2-cm from 6 cm deep). PW was extracted and analysed by its dissolved cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) metals (Al, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni e Zn), nutrient (total dissolved phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus-SRP; NO₃; NH₄⁺) and C content. The sediments were analysed by porosity, particle size distribution and contents of C, N and P. Fluxes at SWI were calculated using Fick's law in one dimension. P was being released to the water column at Core 5, by the mineralisation of OM by oxic pathways and retained at Core 2. Although Core 4 had high P concentration on PW, no results of flux was possible due to lack on bottom water data. No concentration of SRP was detected in PW of Core 1 and 7. Release of Fe, Mn, Zn and Cr was also observed. SRP was absent at the most eutrophic site (Core 1). The contribution of 74.83 mg m⁻² SRP day⁻¹ at Core 2 was potentially harmful to water quality. This study showed the importance of investigating sediment interstitial water and expanded a discussion in sub-climatic environments on the release and contribution of sediments in the geochemistry of P in aquatic ecosystems.

Metal(oid)s contamination in agricultural soils can create adverse environmental conditions and pose human health risks. The present study was conducted to assess metal(oid)s contents, source identification, and ecological and health risks due to metal(oid)s contamination in BISIC industrial region soils of Tangail district Bangladesh. The mean ± SD of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) were 8.67 ± 8.27 mg/kg, 13.76 ± 18.13 mg/kg, 23.46 ± 23.62 mg/kg, 4.93 ± 2.87 mg/kg, 1.56 ± 1.70 mg/kg, and 16.63 ± 9.32 mg/kg, respectively. The positive matrix factorization model identified lead-acid battery sources (49.53%), industrial sources (33.66%), and agricultural practices (16.63%) as potential sources of studied metal(oid)s. Contamination factor value of Cd (1.65) in the study area soils showed moderate contamination, whereas Nemerow-integrated pollution index (1.95) indicated slightly soil pollution and potential ecological risk (179.67) showed considerable risks. The HI value for adult male, female, and children due to ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact was higher than 1, assuming severe non-cancer health risks. Total cancer risk value of Cr (1.14E-02) Ni (7.24E-04), As (2.33E-03), and Cd (3.09E-04) for adult male; Cr (1.23E-02), Ni (7.81E-04), As (2.51E-03), and Cd (3.32E-04) for adult female, whereas Cr (5.32E-02), Ni (3.38E-03), As (1.09E-02), Cd (1.44E-03), and Pb (1.00E-04) for children were exceeded the highest acceptable limit (1.0E-04) indicating possible cancer risks. The present study will help environmental engineers and policymakers to control metal pollution in agricultural soils based on applicable and reasonable evaluation methods.

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) in bacteria is regarded as an emerging pollutant in different food production avenues including aquaculture. One hundred and sixty out of 2304 bacterial isolates from shrimp farm samples (n = 192) of Andhra Pradesh, India, were MDR. Based on biochemical identification and 16S rRNA sequencing, they were grouped into 35 bacterial species with the predominance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (12.5%). The MDR isolates showed highest resistance toward oxytetracycline (89%) with more than 0.2 MAR (multiple antibiotic resistance), demonstrates a high-risk source. The most prevalent antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) and mobile genetic element (MGE) detected were tetA (47.5%) and int1 (46.2%), respectively. In conjugation experiments, overall transfer frequency was found to be in the range of 1.1 × 10⁻⁹ to 1.8 × 10⁻³ with the transconjugants harbouring ARGs and MGEs. This study exposed the wide distribution of MDR bacteria in shrimp and its environment, which can further aggravate the already raised concerns of antibiotic residues in the absence of proper mitigation measures.

The selection and configuration of soil media are a core issue of the bioretention system. A porous carbon material of Fe₃O₄/biochar (BSF) was prepared by adding pickling wastewater to modified sludge biochar, which could serve as a good adsorption performance and cheap media for bioretention system. Through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), different media were evaluated according to their characteristics. By comparing the characteristics of BSF to bio-ceramic (BC), zeolite (ZE), and activated carbon (AC), it was found that BSF has a larger specific surface area and pore volume. The hydrological characteristics of the medium were also tested. The results show that BSF has better water-absorbing quality and hydraulic conductivity than the other three media, but the water-retention property of the medium seems to be inferior. BSF has stable adsorption performance for ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) and total phosphorus (TP) in rainwater. Its high adsorption capacity is maintained at 5–35°C, but it is very susceptible to pH factors. The adsorption process by BSF and other media conforms to pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir model in rainwater. In general, the performance of BSF is shown to be superior to BC, ZE, and AC, making it a potential medium for bioretention system.

Implementation of microalgae has been considered for enhancing effluent wastewater quality. However, it can cause environmental issues due to the release of extracellular and algal organic matter in the biological process. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of dissolved effluent as algae- and bacteria-derived organic matter during the oxidation ditch process. Furthermore, experiments were conducted under three combinations filled by Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, and without microalgae. The results showed that dissolved effluent organic matter was more aromatic and hydrophobic than before treatment. Fluorescence spectroscopy identified two components—aromatic protein–like and soluble microbial product–like components—at excitation/emission of 230/345 nm and 320/345 nm after treatment, instead of fulvic acid–like at 230/420 nm and humic acid–like at 320/420 nm in raw wastewater. These components were fractionated based on the average of molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs), and high (MWCOs > 50,000 Da), medium (MWCOs 50,000–1650 Da), and low molecular weights (MWCOs < 1650 Da) were reported. Biological oxidation ditch under symbiosis algal bacteria generated humic and fulvic acid with a higher MWCOs than the process without algal. The quality and quantity of dissolved effluent organic matter in an oxidation ditch reactor were significantly affected by algal-bacteria symbiotic.

In this study, the hazards occurring in a medium-sized gas filling facility were defined, and the risk scores of these hazards were determined by the expert team according to the Fine–Kinney risk analysis method. However, since the same risk significance score is obtained in different combinations of scale values in the classical Fine–Kinney risk analysis method and the characteristics/constraints of the company applied in the risk analysis are not taken into account, the hazards were evaluated using fuzzy Fine–Kinney risk analysis, and the most critical hazards were determined. Action plans are defined for critical hazards determined as a result of fuzzy Fine–Kinney risk analysis. Among the actions that require company resources, the action selection was performed with the TOPSIS method, taking into account their relationship with the hazards by integrating the weights, which was calculated with the AHP method, of affected groups. The effect of operating constraints is included in the last step of the study to calculate the final weights. Calculating the results by including the risk-affected groups and company constraints and ranking the actions reveals that the study is an original, objective, and applicable study.

Operation of power plants with carbon dioxide capture and sequestration (CCS) and without carbon dioxide capture and storage modes and energy penalty or energy utilization in such operations is of great significance. This work reports on two gas-fired pressurized chemical-looping combustion (CLC) power plant layouts with two inbuilt modes of flue gas exit, namely, one with carbon dioxide capture mode and the second mode is letting flue gas (consists of carbon dioxide and water) without capturing carbon dioxide. Without CCS mode, the higher thermal efficiencies of 54.06 and 52.63% are obtained for natural gas and syngas, respectively. In carbon capture mode, a net thermal efficiency of 52.13% is obtained with natural gas and 48.78% with syngas. The operating pressure of the air reactor is taken to be 13 bar for realistic operational considerations, and that of the fuel reactor is 11.5 bar. Two power plant layouts were developed based on combined-cycle chemical-looping combustion (CC CLC) for natural gas and syngas fuels. A single layout is developed for two fuels with a possible retrofit for dual fuel operation. The CLC power plants can be operated with two modes of flue gas exit options, and these operational options make them higher thermal efficient power plants.

In the economic transition process, emerging markets are recognizing the importance of accessing sophisticated technologies to green innovation. After cross-border merge and acquisition (M&A), research and development (R&D) investment has become the basic condition for acquiring mature market technologies. Many studies suggest that R&D can promote green innovation. However, in the context of cross-border M&A, the relationship between R&D and green innovation is more complicated. Based on the knowledge-based view and stakeholder theory, this paper takes 230 cross-border M&A events at Chinese enterprises as samples. The conclusions show that instead of a linear relation, the influence of R&D input on green innovation performance after cross-border M&A is in an “S-shape”; the political connection and institutional distance of enterprises play a negative role in promoting the relationship between R&D input and green innovation performance after cross-border M&A.

In Africa, there is a paucity of studies that reported on PM₂.₅, soot, BC, UV-PM (organic carbon) and trace element levels in rural and urban regions. PM₂.₅ samples were collected over 24 h and every third day during 19 April 2018 and 28 February 2020. The mean PM₂.₅ level was 24.1 μg.m⁻³ (range: 2.9–139 μg.m⁻³). PM₂.₅ levels exceeded the yearly World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline (5 μg.m⁻³). The daily WHO guideline (15 μg.m⁻³) was exceeded on 151 of the 228 days. The mean soot, black carbon and organic carbon levels were 1.43 m⁻¹ × 10⁻⁵, 2.7 μg.m⁻³ and 2.1 μg.m⁻³, respectively. Twelve PM₂.₅-bound trace elements (Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Ni, S, Si, Ti, U and Zn) were analysed. The geographical origin of air masses that passed the study site was estimated using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory software. Four air masses were identified. The observed PM₂.₅, soot, BC, UV-PM and trace element levels at this urban background study site could potentially pose a significant risk to human health.

The study’s objective is to examine the relationship between COVID-19 cases, environmental sustainability ratings, and mineral resource rents in a large cross section of 97 countries. The emergence of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) enlarges its magnitude across the international borders and damages social, economic, and environmental infrastructure with a high rate of human death tolls. The mineral resources are also devastated, which served as a primary raw input into the production system. The adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment and mineral resources are studied in a large panel of countries and found that mineral resource rents and population growth improve environmental sustainability rating (ESR). In contrast, an increase in coronavirus cases decreases the rating scale across countries. Further, mineral resources first decrease along with increased COVID-19 cases due to strict government policies, including the mandatory shutdown of economic institutions. Further, mineral resource rents increase later because of resuming economic activities in many parts of the world. The high rate of population growth is another important factor that negatively affects mineral resources across countries. Through impulse response and variance decomposition estimates, an exacerbated coronavirus cases and population growth would likely negatively affect ESR and mineral resources. In contrast, COVID-19 recovered cases will likely play a more significant role in securing mineral resources over time. Therefore, the global mineral resource conservation policies and improving ESR are highly needed during the COVID-19 to keep the significant economic gains in unprecedented times.