Due to immense population growth and economic development, the use of crude oil for various energy applications has escalated in the past few decades. This has led to the large-scale exploitation of oil reserves which has further resulted in the accidental release of large amounts of oil into our oceans. In recent years, significant emphasis has been placed on processes involving oil sorption by various natural and synthetic sorbents. Several sorbent materials based on synthetic polymers such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, etc., possessing three-dimensional porous structure, large surface area, high mechanical strength, and exhibiting good oil recoverability and reusability, have been employed for oil-water separation processes. Conversely, many of these materials in their native or pristine form are amphipathic, which prevents their large-scale use in oil spill clean-up. This has led to researchers exploring surface modifications of commercially available sorbent polymeric materials to enhance their oleophilicity and hydrophobicity. This review article summarizes and discusses recent advances in the strategies for the fabrication of newer surface-modified synthetic polymeric materials and natural bio-based sorbents, and further highlights their effectiveness in dealing with the oil/water separation challenges.

Plankton and other microscopic colloids are tiny particles that are suspended in water and cause turbidity, which causes the water to seem murky or opaque. These particles are too unstable and light to settle or be naturally eliminated. These details contribute to water turbidity and pose some stability. During the process of purifying raw water, all water treatment Plants (WTPs) produce waste/residue known as water treatment sludge (WTS). The majority of the sludge’s chemical components include silica, alumina, ferric oxide, lime, and many heavy metals. The surface water treatment technique included coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration to remove colloidal and suspended particles from raw water. The sludge obtained from the WTP located at Kekri (Rajasthan), India is being investigated for its physical and chemical properties. About 60% of the sand contained in the sludge is found in the 155-60 grain size range. Additionally, nutrient reduction of soil due to contamination and runoff can be minimized or rounded out by wastewater treatment or the removal of heavy metals from water solutions. To develop water-safe and appealing sludge management solutions, the efficiency of aluminum sulfate and poly aluminum chloride was assessed at different coagulant doses in the study. To make water safe and appealing for human consumption, numerous purification procedures are employed from a variety of sources. Sludge bricks are acceptable to high temperatures in the furnace and have better compressive strength than clay bricks.

Goa is a coastal State located on the west coast of India, known for its pristine sandy beaches and environment. Ministry of Environment and Forest implemented Coastal Regulation Zone Notification in 1991 for monitoring the coastal zones for unplanned developmental activities but has been just for name-sake purposes (Mascarenhas 1999, Agarwal 2019). The regulation has been changed in recent years thereby making the coastal and the riverine ecosystem more vulnerable to human interference. In the name of development, various hap-hazardous, unplanned activities have taken place which is degrading the coastal and riverine environment, especially mangroves. This paper studies the vulnerability of mangroves to the changing regulations with respect to 1991 and the 2018 CRZ notifications considering the land use land cover changes in the regulated zones of Mandovi and Zuari rivers. Spatial analysis techniques and software such as Arc GIS 10.3, and ERDAS IMAGINE 2014 have been used for analysis and results. The findings from the study can be effectively implemented in monitoring the regulated zones and protecting mangroves efficiently.

Accumulation of plastic litter in aquatic environments negatively impacts ecosystems and human livelihood. Urban areas are assumed to be the main source of plastic pollution in these environments because of high anthropogenic activity. Yet, the drivers of plastic emissions, abundance, and retention within these systems and subsequent transport to river systems are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that urban water systems function as major contributors to river plastic pollution, and explore the potential driving factors contributing to the transport dynamics. Monthly visual counting of floating litter at six outlets of the Amsterdam water system results in an estimated 2.7 million items entering the closely connected IJ river annually, ranking it among the most polluting systems measured in the Netherlands and Europe. Subsequent analyses of environmental drivers (including rainfall, sunlight, wind speed, and tidal regimes) and litter flux showed very weak and insignificant correlations (r = - 0.19–0.16), implying additional investigation of potential drivers is required. High-frequency observations at various locations within the urban water system and advanced monitoring using novel technologies could be explored to harmonize and automate monitoring. Once litter type and abundance are well-defined with a clear origin, communication of the results with local communities and stakeholders could help co-develop solutions and stimulate behavioral change geared to reduce plastic pollution in urban environments.

India has experienced tremendous production, use, and discarding of plastic waste. The municipal and solid wastes proliferation of municipal waste, especially plastic waste, paved the way for the regulatory framework to implement the plastic ban in 18 states and Union Territories of India. In contrast, they have implemented a partial ban on plastic bags respectively. It addressed the phasing out of multi-layered plastics (MLP) and incorporated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) within the circular economy of plastic waste generation and recycling. It is generally believed that the plastic ban in India has feeble administrative support and effective implementation. Therefore, the government has passed the Draft Plastic Rules, 2009; Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011; Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021. It made vital changes in recycled plastic manufacture and usage at national and state levels. Since the net outcome of the failure is environmental degradation beyond reparable limits, the most vociferous articulation of the banning of the single-use came through the Notification on Plastic and Thermocol Products, 2018, by the Government of Maharashtra. Although the new legal framework carried high deterrent value, the implementation has been heavily flawed. The paper deals with the plastic laws and performance in the context of EPR in Pune city of India. It suggests viable recommendations and strategies from a multi-stakeholder perspective.

The expanding nuclear industry has led to increasing radioactive waste in the environment. Exposure to these wastes causes considerable irreversible damage to the organisms, some of them being even lethal. Conventional methods like incineration, wet oxidation, and acid digestion have been used for radwaste treatment to control this. Apart from them, other organic methods like bioremediation are being widely applied by scientists. Many bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants are observed to possess remediating properties. Hence, these are now used on a large scale to treat the radioactive matter as quickly and effectively as possible. Techniques like bioaccumulation, enzymatic reduction, bioprecipitation, or phytoremediation methods such as phytoextraction and phytostabilization involving such organisms with remedial abilities have successfully removed the radioactive matter to an extent from the contaminated site. Further research is needed to increase the efficiency of the techniques and help remove radionuclides in an environment-friendly manner.

Environmental issues have continued to spur discussions, debates, public outrages, and awareness campaigns, inciting interest in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. Its usage is spread across many environmental industries, including wildlife protection, natural resource conservation, clean energy, agriculture, energy management, pollution control, and waste management. In 2017, at the United Nations Artificial Intelligence Summit in Geneva, the UN acknowledged that AI could be an enabler in the sustainable development process towards peace, prosperity, and dignified life for humankind and proposed to refocus on the application of AI in assisting global efforts on sustainable development to eradicate poverty, hunger and to protect the environment as well as to conserve natural resources. It is vital to address environmental sustainability concerns; however, with the advent of AI, most common environmental issues are now solvable by prioritizing human interests. Sustainability encompasses the interrelated areas of the environment, society, and economy. According to the United Nations’ “Our Common Future,” also known as the “Brundtland Report,” it is defined as “development that satisfies current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Unfortunately, the Earth is currently facing serious consequences from global warming and climate change, and immediate action is required to encourage the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable products to address these issues. Environmental degradation and climate change are numerous environmental concerns requiring novel and intelligent artificial intelligence solutions. The literature on AI and environmental sustainability encompasses various domains. Notably, AI is being used to address the bulk of regional and global environmental concerns, including energy, water, biodiversity, and transportation, even though many of these sectors have permeated and evolved. However, there is a need to combine current literature on the application of AI, particularly in relation to environmental sustainability in areas such as energy, water, biodiversity, and transportation. There is a significant lack of research on how AI can promote environmental sustainability. This research aims to explore how AI can be applied to address environmental issues in various sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

There is now a worldwide collective obligation, a reality, to acknowledge environmental challenges. The paper discusses and analyses the principles of international environmental laws and how those are applied in international conventions and treaties, and the effectiveness and weaknesses of those laws. This discussion mainly focuses on the principles’ backdrop, what they mean, and how they have been adopted in international environmental law. Furthermore, the paper focuses on the outcomes of formulating the principles and enforcement of the legal framework. It analyses their prospect to strengthen the legal framework to achieve the objective of these principles. Besides, some recommendations have been made to strengthen these legal frameworks. It shows why it is essential to form efficient environmental platforms in present climate issues and how all nations can be brought under a common platform where they can take decisions regarding the safeguard amid the evolving environmental situations.

Over the past several decades, people from many nations have adopted and supported using biodiesel energy sources due to their accessibility and advantages in reducing CO2 and H.C. emissions to the environment. Today, biodiesel is recognized as a sustainable alternative energy source. Commercially, biodiesel was produced by converting homogenous oil treated with a catalyst like NaOH or KOH in Alcohol. These homogeneous catalysts are hazardous to the environment and cannot be recycled. As an alternative, this research article focuses on biodiesel production from a 1:1 blend of Simarubha glauca (Laxmitharu in Kannada) and Azadirachta indica (Neem) triglyceride via acid-base catalyzed transesterification reaction. The heterogeneous-based graphene-doped CaO was used as a catalyst obtained through the calcination method by doping it with graphene oxide by the hummers’ method. SEM, FTIR, and XRD were used to characterize the GaO-CaO catalyst. The results predict that the prepared catalyst yielded a high percentage of ASFAME (94.0%) and meets the quality as per ASTM standards 6751D.

Due to the increase in population and urbanization, the availability of freshwater with standard quality to the human population is of great challenge. Recently there has been a demand for fresh water in surface and groundwater, so it is necessary to go for advanced isotopic techniques for identifying surface and groundwater resources. Isotopes are atoms of elements having the same atomic and different mass numbers. The isotopes found their wider application in water resources-related problems. The isotopes in water resources proved to be an effective tool in solving many critical hydrologic problems where conventional methods cannot be used due to their limitations. This research article discusses isotope application in water resources and focuses on different types of stable and unstable isotopes and their applications at Global and National levels. The methodology and research steps are proposed based on research gaps identified through various literature studies. The study will be conducted in the Kelambakkam zone, south of Chennai sub-urban. This research paper will discuss the sequential steps in identifying recharge and discharge mechanisms in study zones through stable isotopic techniques. The hydro-chemical analysis will also be done by measuring water quality in the Kelambakkam zone. The electrical resistivity survey for aquifer mapping will also be developed to identify the groundwater recharge zones. The proposed study will give complete information about recharge and discharge in the study area and recommend suitable groundwater harvesting structures.