Lignin, being highly resistant, needs to be eliminated in the process of extraction of soluble reducing sugar and bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. In the present work, pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was performed using NaOH of various concentrations (1-5%) to facilitate delignification. The hydrolysis efficiency of pretreated SCB was evaluated at different reaction times by the production of reducing sugar using the Cellic CTec2 enzyme. The maximum cellulose content of 57.6% and lignin removal of 62.04% were observed with 2% sodium hydroxide at 121°C autoclaved for 60 min. The hemicellulose content decreased with increasing NaOH concentration with the maximum decrease of 13.6% from native bagasse having 26.5% xylan content. The microstructure, morphology, and chemical composition of SCB were analyzed using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR), and XRD. The hydrolysis with 10 FPU.g-1 of enzyme at 48 h of reaction time shows a maximum yield of 12.34 g.L-1 corresponding to 55.53 ± 0.45% at 2% NaOH pretreated SCB. This study claims that lignin components exhibited the highest susceptibility to NaOH pretreatment, which directly affects enzymatic hydrolysis.

Air quality is a vital concern globally, and Sri Lanka, according to WHO statistics, faces challenges in achieving optimal air quality levels. To address this, we introduced an innovative IoT-based Air Pollution Monitoring (APM) Box. This solution incorporates readily available Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) sensors, specifically MQ-7 and MQ-131, for measuring concentrations of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Ozone (O3) ,Arduino and "ThingSpeak" platform. Yet, those COTS sensors are not factory-calibrated. Therefore, we implemented machine learning algorithms, including linear regression and deep neural network models, to enhance the accuracy of CO and O3 concentration measurements from these non-calibrated sensors. Our findings indicate promising correlations when dealing with MQ-7 and MQ-131 measurements after removing outliers.

Integrated Riverside Development (IRD) is a planning approach that aims to achieve sustainable development of urban areas located along riverbanks. To implement this IRD with controlled regulations, the study is focused on developing a comprehensive riverside development and river zoning regulatory framework that integrates all five main elements, with particular emphasis on economic, ecological, and social factors, in order to reduce encroachment and pollution in the study area. The objectives of the study include analyzing the current land use, recreational parks, encroachments, pollution levels, sewage disposal patterns, and solid waste dumping zones in the study area, as well as studying the socio-economic and eco-environmental aspects of the area. Additionally, identifying and analyzing the major threats to the river and developing a river zoning regulatory framework using the land use matrix technique is also included in the study objectives. The study area (Adyar River) was chosen based on social, ecological, and economic factors, and data was collected through surveys and from government offices. Using the land use matrix method, proposals for riverside development were made, and the zones were classified into development-prohibited, development-restricted, and development-optimized zones. The zones were classified based on the calculated values of Eco sensitivity for each of the three zones. Proposals were then given based on these classified zones, and the levels of development potential were determined. The proposed zoning regulatory framework is expected to have a significant impact in reducing further encroachments and improving connectivity between the city and the river. By considering socio-economic, ecological, and environmental aspects, the study recommends appropriate zoning regulations for riverfront developments that promote sustainable growth.

This paper aimed to evaluate the contamination with mycotoxigenic fungi and total aflatoxins in stored corn from different sites in Puebla and Tlaxcala, Mexico. Methodology. The study was conducted at two sites in Puebla (San Salvador El Seco and Junta Auxiliar La Resurrección) and two sites in Tlaxcala (Tlaltepango and Nativitas). A total of 80 samples of stored corn were collected. Identification of Aspergillus flavus was performed by microculture techniques and specific taxonomic keys (macromorphological and micromorphological). Then, samples of contaminated corn were selected, and aflatoxin production was confirmed using a direct solid-phase ELISA kit. A total of 25 A. flavus strains were identified. Other possible mycotoxin-producing fungi were Penicillium (n=52) and Fusarium (n=19). Regarding total aflatoxin contamination, all samples were contaminated within a range of 1.589 to 11.854 μg/kg, and the average concentration was 6.3 μg/kg corn. Implications. The detection of mycotoxigenic fungi in the samples tested and of aflatoxins in corn highlights the importance of monitoring these fungi. Since food safety is at risk, it shows the need for methods to control these fungi and their metabolites.

Fashion is a potent visual indicator of our times, almost a language that speaks for us and something popular or in style, a zeitgeist. Fashion, specifically fast fashion, has gained prominence in discussions about fashion, sustainability, and environmental awareness. The speed of the hedonic treadmills continues to increase exponentially, and the so-called fast fashion has won legions of young fans who can snap up relatively cheap clothes online, but the trend masks darker environmental problems. Concerns about the fashion industry’s environmental impact have increased in recent years. This realization was prompted by accumulated evidence of a rise in clothing consumption due to greater availability and affordability. This shift has fostered not only heedless and hasty clothing consumption but also heedless and hasty clothing disposal. This article attempts to elucidate the relationship between humans and the environment. It also tries to incorporate the concepts of sustaincentrism and traceability to pave the way for sustainable development. This study employs an experimental survey method to ascertain consumers’ perceptions of sustainable fashion and to assess the implications of their current purchasing behavior. The SPSS software is used to analyze the data’s reliability, and regression analysis was employed to determine the fashion industry’s environmental impact. The survey results indicate optimism for a rise in ethical business strategies and the adoption of sustainable approaches within the fashion industry, thereby establishing a green economy.

An extensive survey was performed covering all the regions of the country to find out the overall impacts of bio-digester on the economy of livestock farmers. Five districts were selected; ten farmers with having bio-digester of 3.2 m3 on average and ten farmers who have no bio-digester were selected from each district. Through direct interviewing and farm monitoring, all farm characteristics, i.e., diurnal biogas production, power generation, cooking time, income and expenditures, farmer’s gross earnings, and manure management practices data were collected accordingly. Descriptive statistics and student t-test was made to express the comparison response of the farms by using XL and SPSS software. It was observed that the owners of anaerobic digesters earned significantly (p < 0.001) more than the traditional farmers by selling animals and biogas (1715 & 306; 1146 & 0.00 USD, respectively). Not only that, by selling milk and fresh manure, the owners of bio-digester harvested more (p < 0.05) annual income than non-bio-digester farmers (4162, 3408 & 60.91, 44.63 USD, respectively). Though the expenditure of farmers having digester was high, but in a single fiscal year, they earned more (p < 0.05) profit than the conventional farmers (USD 4329 & 2842, respectively). However, owners of bio-digester used 67.2 % of their produced manure for gas production. Regarding storing manure as biomass and using it for cooking purposes significant difference (p < 0.001) was observed that was also reflected in the total manure management system of a farm. The farmers having no bio-digester stored 71.95% of their total manure in solid form, whereas the farmers who had bio-digester only stored 20.4% of their manure, which made a significant (p < 0.001) difference. From the biogas chamber, in an average one farmer used a gas stove for 4-5 hours and a gas lamp for 6-8 hours, which saved at least the expenditure of 18 USD per month/household. The notable thing was that the bio-digester alone contributed 7% to those farmers’ gross economy by producing gas. It can be recommended that the rural householders could generate power by installing bio-digester and turn a small bio-digester as a beneficial avenue of their household economy.

Ten species of white-rot fungi were evaluated for their ability to decolorization of palm oil mill effluent. The highest decolorization efficiency was found with Trametes elegans (PP17-06), followed by Ganoderma sp.2 (PW17-06) and Ganoderma sp.2 (PW17-177), respectively. T. elegans was further evaluated for the long-term performance of decolorization for 24 d. The optimal retention time for the decolorization was 8 d, with a color removal efficiency of 47.7%. Beyond 18 d of incubation, decolorization efficiency was reduced due to the autolysis of enzymes. During the biodegradation process, manganese peroxidase enzyme activities reached a maximum of 36.03 U.L−1. However, no significant laccase and lignin peroxidase activities were observed. T. elegans was also assessed for decolorization performance through biosorption on mycelial biomass. The synthesis of the enzyme was prevented by exposing the mycelium to HgCl2. Within an optimal contact time of 2 d, decolorization efficiency reached 12.5% with ADMI reduction from 4259.0 (±20.1) ADMI to 3727 (±104.04) ADMI. Results indicate that the adsorption capacity was reached at this time, and no significant color removal can be achieved by biomass. Results obtained in this study showed the potential of T. elegans in decolorizing palm oil mill effluent.

The study was carried out on the territory of the Kemerovo region-Kuzbass (Western Siberia, Russia). The purpose of the study was to obtain information on the species diversity and population of big-game animals. The monitoring was carried out on the forest territories of the region’s administrative districts. In the course of remote sensing using an unmanned aerial vehicle, the presence of all types of animals under consideration, except for the bear, was recorded. The deviation of the population number determined using the traditional method of digital technologies varied up to 50%. It was established that environmental measures organized and carried out by the regional administration and hunting farms improved the situation and stabilized the population of the main group of game animals. It was found that when using a sufficiently high sensitivity of the thermal imager (the used thermal imager had a very high sensitivity class ≤ 60 mK at 300 K), long-haired animals, which are characterized by a lower intensity of thermal radiation (for example, wolves) are identified and recognized in the images. The larger the animal and the worse the thermal insulation layer (wool or feathers), the easier it is to identify it in infrared images and the lower the sensitivity requirements of thermal imagers. The ability to recognize and record smaller animals and birds requires additional research on existing technologies. Our research has confirmed the validity of digital remote monitoring methods for managing the wildlife of hunting farms and nature conservation areas of the Siberian Taiga territories.

In this study, Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite was synthesized by hydrothermal method and tested for its efficiency in removing methylene blue (MB) and congo red (CR) from water. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optimal values for MB and CR removal were determined to be pH 6.0, an adsorbent weight of 50.0 mg, and a contact time of 10 min. The adsorption isotherms of the contaminants on the nanocomposite were analyzed using the Freundlich model, indicating a heterogeneous distribution of active sites on the adsorbent surface. The highest adsorption capacity of MB and CR is 135.1 and 285.7 mg.g-1, respectively. Moreover, Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite recycled five cycles with proper adsorption capacity. Overall, the Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite holds great promise for efficient and sustainable water treatment, providing safe and clean water globally.

Energy security and stable supply are the most important aspects for any nation. The rising need for energy, caused by both population growth and economic activity, is a problem for many nations throughout the world. Consequently, they have to find a way to meet energy demand while also making sure it is inexpensive and sustainable. The use of renewable energy has gradually become one that is being given a lot of attention since it does not cause any harm to the environment. On the other hand, renewable energy is gaining popularity for a variety of different reasons. A paradigm shift toward renewable resources is relevant, as they have the ability to lessen reliance on fossil fuels and decrease environmental consequences; this article will provide several reasons why renewable energy is attracting attention on a global scale. Indeed, renewable energy is plentiful, clean, and might one day provide all of our energy needs. A country's carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels may be reduced by investing in renewable energy sources. In addition, there are several health and environmental problems associated with air and water pollution; nevertheless, renewable energy may assist decrease these problems.