ABSTRACTManaging sustainable and digital transformations in the water industry is a challenge. The identification of freshwater resources for green hydrogen production is necessary for the energy ...transition away from fossil fuels such as oil and gas. This can be achieved through the sustainable flood retention basin (SFRB) concept for identifying optimal locations for the retention of surface water. This unbiased concept helps in conflict resolution between stakeholders with water rights. Moreover, it serves as a simple tool to produce a digital water supply atlas based on dimensionless parameters with the short names’ population density, location advantage, precipitation, groundwater level, water rights, SFRB, excess running water and proximity to networks. While the first five parameters can be determined during a desk study, the last three parameters require site visits for verification purposes. Germany was used as a representative case study country to demonstrate the proposed methodology to obtain a water atlas based on mapped weighted values. The Kaiserstuhl in Germany served as a worked calculation example indicating well above average potential for water storage using existing retention basins. The water atlas can be used to supplement a (green) hydrogen atlas, supporting decision-makers in building hydrogen infrastructure.
Activated carbon has many potential applications in both the liquid and gas phases. How activated carbon can help practitioners in industry is explained. This practical teaching article introduces ...the first part of the special issue on Recent Advances in Applied Activated Carbon Research by providing a handbook explaining the basic applications, technologies, processes, methods and material characteristics to readers from different backgrounds. The aim is to improve the knowledge and understanding of the subject of activated carbon for non-adsorption experts such as professionals in industry. Therefore, it is written in a comprehensible manner and dispenses with detailed explanations to complex processes and many background references. This handbook does not claim to be complete and concentrates only on the areas that are of practical relevance for most activated carbon applications. Activated carbon and its activation and reactivation are initially explained. Adsorption and relevant processes are outlined. The mechanical, chemical and adsorption properties of activated carbon are explained. The heart of the handbook outlines key application technologies. Other carbonaceous adsorbents are only introduced briefly. The content of the second part of the special issue is highlighted at the end.
Urgent water and food security challenges, particularly in continental and boreal regions, need to be addressed by initiatives such as the Horizon 2020-funded project WATer retention and nutrient ...recycling in soils and streams for improved AGRIcultural production (WATERAGRI). A new methodological framework for the sustainable management of various solutions resilient to climate change has been developed. The results indicate that the effect of the climate scenario is significantly different for peatlands and constructed wetlands. The findings also highlight that remote-sensing-based yield prediction models developed from vegetation indices have the potential to provide quantitative and timely information on crops for large regions or even at the local farm scale. Verification of remotely sensed data is one of the prerequisites for the proper utilization and understanding of data. Research shows that current serious game applications fall short due to challenges such as not clarifying the decision problem, the lack of use of decision quality indicators and limited use of gaming. Overall, WATERAGRI solutions improve water and food security by adapting agriculture to climate change, recycling nutrients and providing educational tools to the farming community. Farmers in small agricultural catchments benefit directly from WATERAGRI, but over the long-term, the general public does as well.
This Special Issue is concerned with treatment wetlands, which are artificial (or constructed) wetlands usually treating municipal or industrial wastewater, greywater and storm water runoff ...
Businesses in the present era are dealing with a complex and unprecedented brew of social, environmental, and technological trends. This requires sophisticated, sustainability-based management. Yet ...organizations are often reluctant to place sustainability core to their business strategies with the mistaken belief that the costs associated with environmental investments outweigh the benefits. The Global Climate Risk Index has placed Pakistan on 5th position in the list of nations, most susceptible to climate change in its recent report. Pakistan lost the lives of 9,989 people, incurred economic losses of $ 3.8 billion, and faced 152 shocking climates between 1999 and 2018. Based on this information, it is established that Pakistan’s susceptibility to climate change is growing unprecedentedly and industrial pollution is one of the biggest contributors in this respect. The country needs to take emergency measures to address this issue. With this background, the present study aims to investigate the impact of environmental sustainability on environmental and economic performance (EP) with the mediating effect of environmental innovation (EI) in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The results show that environmental sustainability is a significant predictor of environmental performance and EP and EI mediates this relationship. The findings of the present study provide better insights to policymakers to address the environmental degradation, resulting from industrial pollution.
Wetland Systems to Control Urban Runoff integrates natural and constructed wetlands, and sustainable drainage techniques into traditional water and wastewater systems used to treat surface runoff and ...associated diffuse pollution. The first part of the text introduces the fundamentals of water quality management, and water and wastewater treatment. The remaining focus of the text is on reviewing treatment technologies, disinfection issues, sludge treatment and disposal options, and current case studies related to constructed wetlands applied for runoff and diffuse pollution treatment. Professionals and students will be interested in the detailed design, operation, management, process control and water quality monitoring and applied modeling issues. * Contains a comprehensive collection of timely, novel and innovative research case studies in the area of wetland systems applied for the treatment of urban runoff * Demonstrates to practitioners how natural and constructed wetland systems can be integrated into traditional wastewater systems, which are predominantly applied for the treatment of surface runoff and diffuse pollution * Assesses the design, operation, management and water treatment performance of sustainable urban drainage systems including constructed wetlands
Remediation of contaminated soil and sediment is important for improving the eco-environmental quality. Electro-kinetic remediation (EKR) is an environmentally friendly technology to migrate and ...remove pollutants from the soil and sediment matrix. This paper analyses the mechanism and performance of EKR of heavy metals, organic pollutants, and compound pollutants. Moreover, the effect of optimizing individual EKR through soil and sediment pre-treatment (adding acid/oxidant/co-solvent/surfactant, stirring, heating, etc.), electrode optimization (exchange electrode, anode approximation, electrode matrix, etc.), and applying multi-technology combination (electro-kinetic permeable reaction barrier/Fenton/ion, exchange membrane/ultrasonic/electrolyte enhancement, etc.) was evaluated. Factors including incomplete separation of pollutants, variation in physico-chemical properties and microstructure of soil/sediment, and difficulties in in situ practice have restrained the field application of EKR. To solve the above technical challenge, an integrated EKR technology based on pollutant in situ separation, followed by separated contaminant treatment, and subsequent valuable elements recovery is proposed.
Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS; or best management practices) are increasingly being used as ecological engineering techniques to prevent the contamination of receiving watercourses and ...groundwater. Permeable paving is a SuDS technique, which is commonplace in car parks, driveways and minor roads where one of their functions is to improve the quality of urban runoff. However, little is known about the water quality benefits of incorporating an upper geotextile within the paving structure. The review focuses on five different categories of pollutants: organic matter, nutrients, heavy metals, motor oils, suspended solids originating from street dust, and chloride. The paper critically assesses results from previous international tests and draws conclusions on the scientific rigour and significance of the data. Findings indicate that only very few studies have been undertaken to address the role of geotextiles directly. All indications are that the presence of a geotextile leads only to minor water quality improvements. For example, suspended solids are being held back by the geotextile and these solids sometimes contain organic matter, nutrients and heavy metals. However, most studies were inconclusive and data were often unsuitable for further statistical analysis. Further long-term research on industry-relevant, and statistically and scientifically sound, experimental set-ups is recommended.
We critically review recent literature on carbon storage and fluxes within natural and constructed freshwater wetlands, and specifically address concerns of readers working in applied science and ...engineering. Our purpose is to review and assess the distribution and conversion of carbon in the water environment, particularly within wetland systems. A key aim is to assess if wetlands are carbon sinks or sources. Carbon sequestration and fluxes in natural and constructed wetlands located around the world has been assessed. All facets of carbon (solid and gaseous forms) have been covered. We draw conclusions based on these studies. Findings indicate that wetlands can be both sources and sinks of carbon, depending on their age, operation, and the environmental boundary conditions such as location and climate. Suggestions for further research needs in the area of carbon storage in wetland sediments are outlined to facilitate the understanding of the processes of carbon storage and removal and also the factors that influence them.
Due to water scarcity challenges around the world, it is essential to think about non-conventional water resources to address the increased demand in clean freshwater. Environmental and public health ...problems may result from insufficient provision of sanitation and wastewater disposal facilities. Because of this, wastewater treatment and recycling methods will be vital to provide sufficient freshwater in the coming decades, since water resources are limited and more than 70% of water are consumed for irrigation purposes. Therefore, the application of treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation has much potential, especially when incorporating the reuse of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which are essential for plant production. Among the current treatment technologies applied in urban wastewater reuse for irrigation, wetlands were concluded to be the one of the most suitable ones in terms of pollutant removal and have advantages due to both low maintenance costs and required energy. Wetland behavior and efficiency concerning wastewater treatment is mainly linked to macrophyte composition, substrate, hydrology, surface loading rate, influent feeding mode, microorganism availability, and temperature. Constructed wetlands are very effective in removing organics and suspended solids, whereas the removal of nitrogen is relatively low, but could be improved by using a combination of various types of constructed wetlands meeting the irrigation reuse standards. The removal of phosphorus is usually low, unless special media with high sorption capacity are used. Pathogen removal from wetland effluent to meet irrigation reuse standards is a challenge unless supplementary lagoons or hybrid wetland systems are used.
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