Water security is considered as one of the critical subjects that can arise from different issues, for instance, the injection of a poisonous pollutant into the drinking water system of a city followed by a terrorist attack. If the network lacks optimal operation to provide security against this threat, the whole population of the city can be affected by such an incident. This study aimed at preparing the optimal emergency response protocols by multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). Furthermore, it calculates the risk of contaminants entering the network. The problem consists of three main objectives: 1) minimizing the number of operational interventions, 2) minimizing the number of polluted nodes, and 3) minimizing the number of exposed individuals. The location of closed valves and opened hydrants was chosen as decision variables. The proposed method is demonstrated using a benchmark and a real network.

As wastewater treatment systems that strengthen natural processes, constructed wetlands provide both ecosystem services and disservices. Manipulating both the physical and ecological structures of constructed wetlands has been the key to improve ecosystem services while reducing disservices. Herein, an experiment using simulated constructed wetlands was conducted to explore the effect of two different substrate sizes (fine sand or coarse sand), plant richness (1, 3, or 4 species), and plant species identity on ecosystem services. Results indicated that (1) only in microcosms with coarse sand, species richness enhanced nitrogen removal efficiency while reduced nitrous oxide emissions and that (2) the presence of Phalaris arundinacea increased nitrogen removal rate, and the presence of Rumex japonicus or Oenanthe javanica decreased nitrous oxide emissions; (3) however, the net ecosystem services (nitrogen removal, greenhouse gas emissions, biofuel production) of microcosms with fine sand were higher than those of microcosms with coarse sand, and (4) interestingly, there was no difference in net ecosystem services between microcosms with coarse sand (1033 yuan ha⁻¹ day⁻¹; 1 yuan ≈ 0.14 USD) and those with fine sand (1071 yuan ha⁻¹ day⁻¹) for the four-species mixtures. Hence, in practice, ensuring plant species richness with appropriate species in microcosms with coarse sand can improve ecosystem services to a level equal to that of microcosms with fine sand and help to prevent constructed wetlands from clogging.

This study aims to investigate the impact of different dimensions of globalization (i.e., overall globalization index, economic globalization index, social globalization index, and political globalization index) on environmental pollution by incorporating the real gross domestic product and energy consumption in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). In doing so, the annual period from 1995 to 2015 is examined with second-generation panel data methodologies to consider the possible cross-sectional dependence among observed countries. The findings show that increasing overall globalization, economic globalization, and social globalization increases the carbon emissions while increasing political globalization reduces the environmental pollution. In addition, it is also found that Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is confirmed.

Different veterinary drugs have been widely found in surface and groundwater, affecting non-target organisms. Ractopamine (RAC) is one of these drugs found in water bodies. It is a β-adrenergic agonist used as a feed additive to modulate the metabolism, redirect nutrients from the adipose tissue towards muscles, and increase protein synthesis in swine, cattle, and turkeys. RAC shows toxicological potential, but there is no data about its impacts on the development of non-target organisms, such as zebrafish (Danio rerio). In this study, we evaluated the effect of the exposure to this feed additive on critical parameters (hatching, survival, spontaneous movement, heart rate, and exploratory and locomotor behavior) in zebrafish embryos and larvae. The animals were exposed to RAC hydrochloride at 0.1, 0.2, 0.85, 8.5, and 85 μg/L. Zebrafish exposed to the drug showed increased heart rate at all tested concentrations and alterations on locomotion and exploratory behavior at 85 μg/L. No changes were observed in the survival, hatching rate and spontaneous movement. Our results suggest that RAC present in the environment can induce disabling effects on non-target organisms and elicit an ecological imbalance by increasing the animals’ vulnerability to predation due to greater visibility.

In this work, lovegrass (Cpa), an abundant grass of the Poaceae family, was employed as feedstock for the production of activated carbon in a conventional furnace using ZnCl₂ as a chemical activator. The prepared material (Cpa-AC) was characterized by pH of the point of zero charges (pHₚzc), Boehm’s titration method, CHN/O elemental analysis, ATR-FTIR, N₂ adsorption/desorption curves, and SEM. This carbon material was used for adsorption of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and sodium diclofenac (DFC). FTIR analysis identified the presence of O-H, N-H, O-C=O), C-O, and aromatic ring bulk and surface of (Cpa-AC) adsorbent. The quantification of the surface functional groups showed the presence of a large amount of acidic functional groups on the surface of the carbon material. The isotherms of adsorption and desorption of N₂ confirm that the Cpa-AC adsorbent is mesopore material with a large surface area of 1040 m² g⁻¹. SEM results showed that the surface of Cpa-AC is rugous. The kinetic study indicates that the system followed the pseudo-second-order model (pH 4.0). The equilibrium time was achieved at 45 (ASA) and 60 min (DCF). The Liu isotherm model best fitted the experimental data. The maxima sorption capacities (Qₘₐₓ) for ASA and DFC at 25 °C were 221.7 mg g⁻¹ and 312.4 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The primary mechanism of ASA and DFC adsorption was justified considering electrostatic interactions and π-π interactions between the Cpa-AC and the adsorbate from the solution.

In this study, we report for the first time a novel type of sorbent that can be used for mercury adsorption from the air-based off-gasses—vermiculite impregnated with alkali polysulfides and thiosulfates. In contrast to other sorbents, vermiculite exhibits superior thermal stability in air and low adsorption capacity for organic vapors. This allows for a more favorable design of the soil remediation unit—direct coupling of thermal desorber with catalytic oxidizer using air as a carrier gas. In the bench-scale test at 180 °C, the sulfur/vermiculite sorbent exhibited significantly higher efficiency for the adsorption of mercury vapor from the off-gasses than the commercial sulfur/activated carbon sorbent at its highest operating temperature (120 °C). The average mercury concentration in the adsorber off-gas decreased from 1.634 mg/m³ for the sulfur/activated carbon to 0.008 mg/m³ achieved with impregnated vermiculite. The total concentration of organic compounds in the soil after thermal desorption was below the detection limit of the employed analytical method.

Battery electric vehicles (BEV) have become the most effective and environmentally friendly means to replace internal combustion vehicles. However, given the fact that BEV are a relatively new product category, and the majority of car users have little experience of using BEV, consumers often have a misconception about BEV, and thus tend to avoid purchasing an electric vehicle. This paper aims to explore the role of customer experience and demonstrate how this experience affects the adoption willingness of BEV. Based on driving experience and the theory of planned behavior, the authors constructed a framework of influencing factors for electric vehicle adoption willingness with the incorporation of consumer experience as the antecedents of adoption willingness. Using sample data from Jiangsu province, China, our empirical analysis shows that the mean values of the subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, attitudes, and adoption willingness of experienced consumers are significantly higher than those of inexperienced consumers. Further, the adoption willingness is positively influenced by experience through direct and indirect paths, which confirms the significant mediating effects of subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes (battery life, cruising range, low noise, and low emission).

The ecological consequences of military spending is a hugely neglected area, and a veil of mystery surrounds this topic. The environmental threats posed by militaries remain insufficiently investigated in the name of national security. Prompted by the internal and external conflicts and prolonged military dictatorships, the Pakistani military assumes a role that goes beyond that of a traditional army. The current study addresses this significant gap in the literature by investigating the impacts of military spending on economic growth and the ecological footprint in Pakistan from 1971 to 2016 using the combined cointegration test and the bootstrap causality test. The findings of the study unveil a positive impact of military spending on the ecological footprint, while a negative impact on economic growth. The outcomes of the bootstrap causality test of Hacker and Hatemi-J (2012) highlight that economic growth Granger causes military spending, while causality runs from military spending to the ecological footprint. Energy consumption contributes to the ecological footprint and economic growth, whereas education expenditures do not influence economic growth and the environment in the long run. Further, the findings suggest a U-shaped link between GDP and footprint in Pakistan. The authorities should focus on resolving external and internal conflicts, on a priority basis, and reduce military spending to improve economic growth and the environment.

Remediation of heavy metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)–co-contaminated soils has drawn much more attention; phytoremediation is an often-used technique. Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf.) with developed root system and strong PAHs and heavy metal tolerance is a potential choice for phytoremediation. In this study, the application of tea saponin (TS) (1 g kg⁻¹ soil) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) (1 g kg⁻¹ soil) was to improve the removal efficiency of Ni and pyrene. TS and NTA had no obvious effects on the growth and soluble proteins of Sudan grass. Ni concentration in root was higher than that in the shoot. The addition of TS and NTA increased the Ni concentration in the root by 25.98% in Ni-contaminated treatment. Pyrene was mainly accumulated in the shoot of Sudan grass. Pyrene concentration in shoot increased by 20.14% with TS-NTA in pyrene-contaminated treatment and increased by 31.97% in Ni-contaminated treatment. TS and NTA had significantly improved dissolved organic matter and soil microbial activity. Microbial activity increased by 16.75%, 18.07%, and 23.364% in pyrene-contaminated, Ni-contaminated, and pyrene and Ni–co-contaminated treatment, respectively. This study showed that phytoremediation of pyrene and Ni–co-contaminated soil by Sudan grass could be enhanced by the application of TS-NTA and the interaction between pyrene and Ni impacted the accumulation of Ni and pyrene in Sudan grass.