Sustainable risk management of heavy metal contaminated agricultural soil: Current frameworks and future perspectives.

Heavy metal (HM) contamination in agricultural soils poses a growing threat to sustainable agriculture, food safety, and human health. Risk Management Frameworks (RMFs) have been widely adopted to regulate HM contamination, but their effectiveness and adaptability vary across countries due to differences in institutional design, technical guidance, and regulatory implementation. Moreover, the limited sustainability and structural shortcomings of the RMFs remain significant obstacles to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Effects of pre-treatment on characterization of microplastics in biosolids via optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy.

Microplastics (MPs) in biosolids used as soil amendments are of growing concern. The purpose of this study was to improve the characterization of MPs in complex biosolid matrices by optimizing sample preparation for morphological and chemical analyses with different spectroscopic techniques. We compared extraction procedures involving Fenton oxidation (F), Fenton plus sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and Fenton plus cellulase (FE).

Non-ureolytic EICP as a novel enzymatic pathway for sustainable soil stabilization.

In order to address the challenges of the modern era, such as population growth and greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable soil improvement techniques have been in high demand. In a quest to find more sustainable ground improvement methods, microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) and enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) have attracted researchers worldwide. For the first time, this study investigates a non-ureolytic enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation method using formate dehydrogenase (FDH) as a sustainable approach for soil stabilization.

A Hazard-Based Approach Enables the Efficient Identification of Chemicals of Concern in Plastics.

Plastics are composed of complex chemical mixtures, resulting in many chemicals being released during plastic's life cycle, alongside a range of actual or potential impacts on human health and the environment. Many plastic chemicals also hinder technological solutions toward a safe and sustainable circular economy. Hence, there is broad agreement to address so-called plastic chemicals of concern, including under the Global Plastics Treaty.

Determining the Temperature-Dependent Air-Water Partitioning of Ether- and Thioether-Alcohol Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Using a Modified Static Headspace Method.

The temperature-dependent air-water partitioning behavior of a novel class of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was assessed both experimentally and via prediction. These PFAS contain ether or thioether linkages and are transformation products of an alternative PFAS surfactant. A modified version of the static headspace method with variable headspace/solution ratios was used to determine the dimensionless air/water partition coefficients () over a wide range of temperatures (25-80 °C).

Expanding the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from Arctic marine sediments.

The Storegga tsunami, dated to 8150 years ago, disturbed sea floor sediments near its source. Here, we present evidence that sediments as far north as the Kveitehola Trough (75° N) in the NW Barents Sea were affected by the Storegga tsunami. We identified an 18-cm-thick sandy mud unit, characterized by coarser grains at its lower boundary, to be deposited between 8100 and 8600 years BP.

Mapping the chemical complexity of plastics.

Plastic pollution is a pervasive and growing global problem. Chemicals in plastics are often not sufficiently considered in the overall strategy to prevent and mitigate the impacts of plastics on human health, the environment and circular economy. Here we present an inventory of 16,325 known plastic chemicals with a focus on their properties, presence in plastic and hazards.

Mercury in white-tailed eagle nestlings from northern Norway (2013-2018): Toxicity risk and dietary drivers of exposure.

Mercury (Hg) pollution is a global environmental problem. Hg exposure is linked to adverse health effects such as neurotoxicity and reproductive impairments, making monitoring crucial for assessing toxicity risks to humans and wildlife. Top predators, such as the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), are excellent biomonitors of environmental contamination due to their susceptibility of accumulating high levels of biomagnifying pollutants like Hg.

Under-ice environment observations from a remotely operated vehicle during the MOSAiC expedition.

Changes in the Arctic sea-ice cover affect the planet's energy budget, atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns as well as the ecosystem associated with this unique habitat. Interdisciplinary observations at the interfaces between sea ice and ocean are crucial to better understand the driving processes and bio-physical linkages in this coupled system. During the MOSAiC expedition 2019/2020 to the Arctic Ocean, we used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) underneath drifting sea ice throughout an entire year.

The nature-based solution implementation gap: A review of nature-based solution governance barriers and enablers.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) represent a critical umbrella concept encompassing measures that employ nature's properties to systemically address societal challenges, potentially providing benefits for biodiversity, climate and people. NbS are accordingly emerging on an ever-expanding number of policy agendas, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and multiple European Union strategies. However, despite this increasing political traction, NbS implementation (that is, the design, planning, construction, monitoring and maintenance of NbS) remains fragmented and is often too context-specific for their wider upscaling and mainstreaming, creating an 'NbS implementation gap' between ambitions and on-the-ground operationalization.

Measurement and modelling of sorbent-amendment impacts on seasonal and long-term PFAS transport through unsaturated soil lysimeters.

This study investigated the effectiveness of waste-derived biochar amendments and commercial sorbents in stabilizing PFAS-spiked soils in field-scale in situ lysimeters over nearly one year under seasonal changes in Sweden. All tested sorbent amendments reduced average PFAS leachate concentrations by over 99 % for long-chain and 83-96 % for short-chain PFCAs and PFSAs, even under fluctuating water levels. Sewage sludge-derived biochar performed comparably to tested commercial sorbents.

The Active Soil Layer of Thawing Permafrost Is an Emergent Source for Organic Substances of Concern to Water Resources.

The Tibetan Plateau and surrounding area are an important source of freshwater for approximately two billion people. Climate change has aggregated permafrost degradation in the Tibetan Plateau over the last few decades, mobilizing organic substances sequestrated in the permafrost. Of particular concern are the mobilized organic substances that would be considered persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) or very persistent and very mobile (vPvM).

Mixtures of Gaussian processes for robotic environmental monitoring of emission sources.

Emission of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide is a known driver of atmospheric heating. Traditional and emerging industries need innovative solutions to comply with increasingly strict sustainability demands and document environmental impact. Mobile sensor platforms such as aerial or underwater vehicles with a high degree of autonomy present a cost-efficient option for environmental monitoring.

Generalized additive modeling as a tool for the analysis of the time course of tail coiling behavior in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos - A proof-of-concept study with nicotine, a known developmental neurotoxicant.

The early detectable tail coiling behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos is receiving increasing attention in the context of (developmental) neurotoxicity testing and may be used as a rapid screening tool for compounds with unknown or suspected neurotoxic potential. The observation of this behavior over a longer period of time already offered advantages such as the possibility of detecting effects that only occur after a few hours of development. The two major parameters, duration and frequency of coiling, allow a detailed characterization of the movements.

Synchronizing controlled logistics terminals between simulated and visualized production lines using an ASTAK method.

In a fully automated factory, the Visualized Production Line serves as a crucial tool for assisting personnel to monitor and manage the manufacturing process. The synchronization between the visualized line and the actual production line significantly impacts the efficiency of production supervision. This article proposes a method for controlling the logistics terminals, which encompasses three steps: animation simplification, timing alignment, and keyframe synchronization (hereinafter referred to as ASTAK).

Predicting aquatic toxicity of anionic hydrocarbon and perfluorinated surfactants using membrane-water partition coefficients from coarse-grained simulations.

Anionic surfactants are widely used in commercial and industrial applications. For assessment of their environmental fate and effects, it is highly desirable to quantify the membrane-water partition/distribution coefficient (/). Here, we further develop a computational route to for anionic surfactants based on coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, validating it against new and existing experimental measurements.

Reinforced Fill Structure with Alternative Fill Materials: An Application of Geogrid Creep Strain Analysis Using Numerical Modeling.

For many years, granular fill has been the preferred fill material in reinforced fill structures (RFSs) due to its high strength and drainage properties. However, the global scarcity of granular fill has necessitated the exploration of alternative fill materials. This study aims to evaluate the performance of three different alternative fill materials: (i) weak onsite fill (fill 1), (ii) lime-stabilized onsite fill (fill 2), and (iii) recycled construction and demolition (C & D) waste (fill 3).

Exploiting Molecular Ions for Screening Hydrophobic Contaminants in Sediments Using Gas Chromatography-Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization-Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry.

Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) are conventionally screened by matching electron ionization (EI) mass spectra acquired using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to reference spectra. However, extensive in-source fragmentation hampers de novo structure elucidation of novel substances that are absent from EI databases. To address this problem, a new method based on GC-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) coupled to ion mobility-high resolution mass spectrometry (IM-HRMS) was developed for simultaneous target, suspect, and nontarget screening of HOCs.

Inulin biopolymer as a novel material for sustainable soil stabilization.

The development of new urban areas necessitates building on increasingly scarce land, often overlaid on weak soil layers. Furthermore, climate change has exacerbated the extent of global arid lands, making it imperative to find sustainable soil stabilization and erosion mitigation methods. Thus, scientists have strived to find a plant-based biopolymer that favors several agricultural waste sources and provides high strength and durability for sustainable soil stabilization.

Evolution of Gas Desorption Hysteresis in Coal under Negative-Pressure Condition: Attenuation Mechanism and an Intuitive Index.

Quantifying the extent of desorption hysteresis is essential for establishing gas flow models. However, existing indices fail to adequately represent the changes in the actively mobile gas volume involved in transport, and experiments on the degree of hysteresis in negative-pressure environments are scarce. Therefore, this study conducted isothermal adsorption and desorption tests under both atmospheric- and negative-pressure conditions.

Passive sampling in support of biota monitoring of hydrophobic substances under the Water Framework Directive.

This paper presents an approach to apply aquatic passive sampling (PS) in regulatory chemical water quality monitoring in Europe. Absorption-based passive sampling is well developed and suitable for the sampling of hydrophobic chemicals, some of which are European Water Framework Directive priority substances with Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) derived for biota. Considering a chemical activity approach to chemical risk assessment, we propose equilibrium concentration in lipids (from passive water sampling) as a reference value for measured concentrations in biota.

A Micro Total Analysis System (μTAS) for the , Real-Time Tracking of Produced Water Discharges through Detection of PAHs and Other Aromatic Compounds.

Here, we present a novel micro Total Analysis System (μTAS) for the measurement of poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and other aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) in water at ng/L levels and in real time (IMiRO). The μTAS is based on in-line membrane extraction followed by detection of extracted aromatic substances with fluorescence. An offshore field demonstration of the method was conducted close to produced water (PW) discharged in the North Sea.