Improving the fracture toughness of agricultural soil-engaging components can mitigate the detrimental effects of hard particles in the soil while maintaining the wear resistance of the components, thereby improving the service performance. The wear resistance of the parts can be improved by surface treatment, but the surface toughness after treatment still needs to be further improved. In this study, WC10Co4Cr@YSZ (Yttria Stabilized Zirconia) core-shell structured composite powder was synthesized by modifying commercial WC10Co4Cr powder using the sol-gel method, and WC10Co4Cr coatings were prepared using the powders before and after modification. The microstructure of the powder and coatings were characterized. The mechanical properties and wear resistance of the coatings were evaluated through microhardness, nanoindentation, and friction testing. The hardness of the YSZ-modified composite coating was comparable to that of the unmodified coating, yet it exhibited lower porosity and twice the fracture toughness. Wear test results indicated that the coating's wear loss was greatly reduced compared with the substrate. In addition, the wear rate of the YSZ-modified coating was 71.11 % lower than the unmodified coating, demonstrating its exceptional wear resistance. The findings show that incorporation of YSZ into the coating system further enhanced wear resistance. The strengthening mechanisms resulting from the YSZ inclusion include the pinning effect, which controls the size and distribution of the WC grains, the shell structure that prevents overheating, and the improved fracture toughness of the coating. This work provides a new way to extend the service time of agricultural soil-engaging components.

The production of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has expanded recently in the US. Limited agronomic knowledge and supply chain issues, however, stemming from a long-standing cultivation ban, pose a barrier to continued market expansion of hemp, which leads to the import of most hemp products. This review examines the most recent cultivation methods, fertilizer and nutrient requirements, soil management practices, environmental parameters, and post-harvest processing methods, particularly in the context of environmental benefits such as soil phytoremediation and CO2 sequestration. Details of the valorization of hemp biomass into sustainable products, such as fibers, papers, packaging, textiles, biocomposites, biofuels, biochar, and bioplastics, along with current limitations and scope for improvements, are explored. Finally, an overall summary of the life cycle and techno-economic analysis aimed at optimizing their environmental performance and economic feasibility are discussed with a focus on inter with the growing circular economy paradigm.

Currently, there is a growing concern for human health with the rise of environmental pollution. Water contamination and health problems had been understood. Sanitation-related health issues have been overcome in the greater part of the world. Progressive industrialization has caused a number of new pollutants in water and in the atmosphere. It is a growing concern for the human health, especially upon the reproductive health. Current researchers provide a strong association between the rising concentrations of ambient pollutants and the adverse health impact. Furthermore, the pollutants have the adverse effects upon reproductive health as well. Major concern is for the health of a pregnant woman and her baby. Maternal-fetal inflammatory response due to the pollutants affects the pregnancy outcome adversely. Preterm labor, fetal growth restriction, intrauterine fetal death, and stillbirths have been observed. Varieties of pathological processes including inflammation, endocrine dysfunction, epigenetic changes, oxidative and nitrosative stress, and placental dysfunction have been explained as the biological plausibility. Prospective studies (systematic review and meta-analysis) have established that exposure to particulate matters (PM) and the nanoparticles (NP) leads to excessive oxidative changes to cause DNA mutations, lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. Progressive industrialization and emergence of heavy metals, micro- (MP) and nanoparticles (NP) in the atmosphere and in water are the cause for concern. However, most of the information is based on studies from industrialized countries. India needs its own country-based study to have the exact idea and to develop the mechanistic pathways for the control.

White grubs are known as the National pest of India due to their wide distribution and economic damage. Brahmina coriacea grubs are restricted to Tibet, China and the Himalayan region in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The grubs of B. coriacea were collected from the soil of Solanum tuberosum, Zea mays, Pisum sativum, Rosa rubiginosa, Phaseolus vulgaris, Malus pumila and Pyrus communis from different ecosystems of eight different locations in Himachal Pradesh, India, by the pit sampling method. The grubs of B. coriacea were identified by examining the raster pattern. There was variation in the morphology and biology among different populations of B. coriacea in Himachal Pradesh. The morphological parameters and biological differences were also recorded, such as fecundity rate and damage potential among different ecotypes of B. coriacea collected from various locations. A total of 102 morphologically distinct bacterial isolates were isolated from the gut of different populations of B. coriacea. The gut microbial diversity and abundance were recorded as maximum in the hind gut, compared to other gut compartments. A total of 11 cellulolytic bacterial isolates were identified using morphological, biochemical and 16S rRNA molecular methods. The cellulolytic index of bacterial strains ranged from 0.33 to 2.0. The 11 gut cellulolytic bacteria were identified by using morphological, biochemical and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Staphylococcus haemolyticus was isolated from the Nauni population of B. coriacea, and it is the first report from the gut of scarabaeids. This is an opportunistic human pathogen but a useful endosymbiont in the grubs of B. coriacea. Bacillus thuringiensis as a biological agent, Staphylococcus cohnii, Ralstonia mannitolilytica and some Bacillus sp. were reported for the first time from B. coriacea grubs in India. The potent cellulose-degrading bacteria can be used in industries for decomposing agricultural waste, in pulp and paper industries and for biofuel production.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are commonly used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells due to their high stability and resistance. These ionomers act as binding agents and their hydrophobic effect helps to remove excess water from the gas diffusion layer. Their proton conductivity and hydrophobicity, gained by incorporation of functional side chains, are essential features for their application as membranes.. However, the harsh conditions in fuel cells can lead to degradation of PFAS compounds, which are released into the environment. Due to their persistence, there are growing concerns about the enrichment of PFAS in groundwater and soil. As these substances accumulate in the environment, they are incorporated by living organisms through drinking water and plants. Some of these substances are associated with causing health disorders, such as cancer, brain and liver damage, and negative impacts on embryo development. This review highlights the sources of PFAS during fuel cell production, operation and recycling and currently available alternatives used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The degradation of fuel cells during operation has the potential to result in the emission of PFAS. Membrane degradation mechanisms have been investigated and results can serve as a foundation to reduce PFAS emissions by identifying critical operating conditions.

Electric power transmission lines both cause and are impacted by wildfires and fuel breaks are crucial to mitigate wildfire hazard along and in conjunction with these infrastructures. Information about fuel dynamics is crucial for planning and maintaining fuel treatments, namely, to define their frequency. We sampled mechanically treated power line corridors representative of wide variation in climate, soil, and plant communities in Portugal and at different times since treatment. Non-destructive methods were used to assess ground cover and height per fuel stratum and the corresponding phytovolumes and fine fuel loads were calculated. Variability in fuel metrics was described by fitting logistic generalized linear models or linearized power functions based on time since disturbance and categorical variables for the effect of regeneration strategy, soil-richness structure, and climate. Time since treatment dominated fuel abundance and recovery was faster in communities of obligate resprouters in comparison with obligate or facultative seeders and in light- versus heavy-textured soils. No apparent effect of local climate was found given the short-lived impact of fuel treatments under the productive regional Mediterranean climate. The results provide a decision-making basis to refine the current treatment periodicity. Mechanical-treatment intervals of 3-5 years or 6-10 years are advised, respectively, for wildfire control and to minimize infrastructure damage.

Heavy metal (HM) pollution has become a major environmental concern due to increased anthropogenic activities. The persistence and toxicity of HMs pose significant risks to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human health. This review highlights the pressing issue of HM contamination, its impact on ecosystems, and the potential risks of bio-magnification. Addressing these issues requires sustainable and cost-effective solutions. Among various remediation strategies, phytoremediation stands out as a promising green technology for mitigating environmental damage by using plants to extract or detoxify contaminants. A key challenge in phytoremediation, however, is the management of large volumes of contaminated biomass. This study explores the integration of phytoremediation with biofuel production, which not only addresses biomass management but also offers a sustainable solution within the framework of the circular economy. The dual role of specific plant species in both phytoremediation and biofuel production is evaluated, providing reduced environmental waste, lowering remediation costs, and promoting energy security. Future advancements in plant engineering, biotechnology, and process optimization hold the potential to enhance phytoremediation efficiency and biofuel yields. Expanding research into metal-tolerant, high-biomass crops can further improve scalability and economic feasibility. The review also critically assesses challenges such as the safe handling of contaminated biomass, sustainability concerns, and existing research gaps. By merging environmental remediation with bioenergy production, this interdisciplinary approach presents a viable pathway toward sustainable development.

Aviation emissions contribute to climate change and local air pollution, with important contributions from non-CO2 emissions. These exhibit diverse impacts on atmospheric chemistry and radiative forcing (RF), varying with location, altitude, and time. Assessments of local mitigation strategies with global emission metrics may overlook this variability, but detailed studies of aviation emissions in areas smaller than continents are scarce. Integrating the AviTeam emission model and OsloCTM3, we quantify CO2, NOx, BC, OC, and SOx emissions, tropospheric concentration changes, RF, region-specific metrics, and assess alternative fuels for Norwegian domestic aviation. Mitigation potentials fora fuel switch to LH2 differ by up to 3.1 x 108 kgCO2-equivalents (GWP20) when using region-specific compared to global metrics. These differences result from a lower, region- specific contribution of non-CO2 emissions, particularly related to NOx. This study underscores the importance of accounting for non-CO2 variability in regional assessments, whether through region-specific metrics or advanced atmospheric modelling techniques.

Extreme climate events are increasingly damaging forests, particularly in Europe's Alps. These disturbances lead to more damaged timber, necessitating rapid salvage operations to preserve timber value and protect ecosystems. However, salvage logging, though essential, raises concerns about its environmental impact, especially on soil conservation and forest regeneration. To mitigate these effects, best practices such as leaving logging residues and avoiding wet soils are recommended. Nevertheless, fuel efficiency remains a critical concern. This study focuses on addressing gaps in understanding forwarder productivity in salvage logging, considering factors such as assortment number, extraction distance, and payload. Utilizing Automatic Work-Element Detection (AWED) for data collection, this study enhances fuel efficiency analysis. Findings show that the average cycle time was 27.4 min, with 4.9 L of fuel consumed per cycle. Each cycle covered 241.3 m, extracting 11.7 m(3) of timber, yielding a productivity rate of 31.6 m(3) per machine hour and a fuel efficiency of 0.4 L per m(3) and per 100 m. Traveling was the most time- and fuel-intensive task. Assortment type significantly impacted loading time and fuel consumption, with short sawlogs requiring fewer crane cycles. Key factors influencing productivity and fuel efficiency were average log volume, distance, payload, and slope.

Purpose of ReviewAn increase in the generation of waste within cities is unavoidable due to the increasing global population growth, particularly in urban areas. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in these urban areas are being pushed to their design limits resulting in issues with WWTP residual management. This paper reviews potential applications of transitioning a municipal WWTP into an urban biorefinery for converting wastes into various value-added chemicals and energy.Recent FindingsPrimary WWTP-based residuals produced are waste-activated sludge, biosolids, grit, and effluent. These components are becoming viable feedstocks for producing many potential products and can be recovered for commercial purposes as opposed to simple disposal. Example products include chemicals, energy, and transportable biofuels. An advantage to biorefinery operations composed of WWTPs is that they provide greener solutions while posing little to no threat to the environment. There has also been an increasing interest in co-feedstocks to WWTPs, such as municipal solids, food wastes, agriculture wastes, and lignocellulosic biomass, which can enhance product yields while providing sustainable management solutions to these additional waste streams.SummaryMunicipal wastewater influents generated within the USA have a chemical energy potential of 1.3 MJ/person/day which represents about 4% of the total daily electricity consumed globally. The cost of waste management is expected to rise by 5.5% by 2027 which can be significantly lowered by having WWTPs integrated into biorefineries. This review found that there is great potential for converting WWTPs into true biorefineries that can effectively produce numerous value-added chemicals. Often, minor process changes can be applied which will yield the envisoned products. This paper provides the framework towards both commercialization opportunities and needed research.