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Button mushrooms are an important protein source with a production of >48 million metric tonnes in 2021. Several life cycle assessments (LCAs) have been employed in assessing mushroom cultivation. This paper assessed potential impacts of relevant alternatives (sphagnum moss, grass fibres, spent casing and bark) to peat as casing materials for mushroom production across Europe by using LCA using a cradle to farm gate approach. Here, we: i) compared the environmental impacts of mushroom produced with different growing media across Europe ii) identified environmental hotspots across the value chains of mushroom growing media and iii) provide insights on the sustainability of mushroom growing media production. Two functional units have been used the kg and € of harvested mushrooms. Data were gathered from mushroom producers and casing processors across Europe. Changes in casing material for mushroom production caused environmental trade-offs, by reducing the resource use for fossil and by moderately changing (<7.7 %) all other impacts assessed here except the bark used as casing material which caused a reduction for all impact categories. Thus, each of the casing alternative material could substitute peat in mushroom production with limited environmental impacts if productivity does not decrease. LCA demonstrated advantages or disadvantages of replacing part of the peat casings by other alternatives (e.g., sphagnum moss, spent casing, grass fibre, bark). As switching to alternatives becomes more urgent in the near future, potential trade-offs, advantages and disadvantages of using less peat need to be identified using a broader range of alternatives., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Pietro Goglio reports financial support was provided by H2020 Food Security Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry Marine Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The European Union (EU) recently intensified its focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve its net-zero emissions target. Thus, climate action and access to clean energy have become prominent research topics. Previous studies have predominantly explored the individual impacts of nuclear and renewable energy on EU economies within the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Departing from this conventional approach, the present study examines the effect of low-carbon energy consumption (LEC) on environmental quality while controlling for ecological influences of natural resource rents (NAT) and foreign direct investment (FDI). The study adopts the CS-ARDL approach to analyze annual data from 1996 to 2022. This analysis is framed within a novel framework: the load capacity curve (LCC) hypothesis. The empirical assessment reveals the following findings: i) The LCC hypothesis is validated for EU economies, indicating that these countries are on a path towards achieving their net-zero emissions target. ii) LEC positively impacts the ecosystem. iii) FDI and NAT are found to degrade environmental quality. Given these findings, EU economies should continue to increase their LEC within the total energy mix. Environmental sustainability can be further supported by implementing green policies aimed at regulating NAT and FDI. In conclusion, this study offers policies that will put the EU on the zero-emission path within the framework of SDGs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bisphenol AF (BPAF), a substitute for bisphenol A (BPA), exhibits potent endocrine-disrupting properties that pose a serious health hazard to organisms. This study employed marine medaka as a model, subjecting them to different concentrations of BPAF (0.61, 6.65, and 91.88 μg/L) from the embryonic stage for a period of 160 days. Findings showed that 91.88 μg/L BPAF reduced survival rates and altered sex ratios. Furthermore, exposure to BPAF at all concentrations led to a significant increase in body length and weight. Behavioral analysis revealed that BPAF exposure impaired the swimming ability of the medaka. Histological changes included disrupted ovarian development, reduced sperm count, liver inflammation, and intestinal damage. Gene expression analysis revealed impacts on nervous system (e.g., gap43, itr, elavl3), HPG axis (e.g., gthα, erα, 3βhsd), and liver genes (e.g., chgl, vtg2). Additionally, BPAF altered the diversity and richness of gut microbes in marine medaka, leading to significant changes in specific bacterial species and intestinal functions. In conclusion, long-term BPAF exposure induced neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and impaired digestive and immune systems in marine medaka, with sex-specific effects. These results provide further evidence of the potential hazards of BPAF as an environmental pollutant., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Carbon-water interaction studies between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are especially needed today in Arctic and Boreal regions, as they are facing drastic warming and precipitation shifts. Despite the importance of streams in the carbon cycle, northern stream-based studies are scarce, owing to a lack of measurements throughout the north, and possibly skewing global greenhouse gas estimates. We used a combination of multiscale measurements to quantify water sources (H 2 O isotope proxies), carbon availability (dissolved in/organic carbon concentrations) and quality (water absorbance, SUVA 254 -index), microbial community structure (16S rRNA sequencing), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) fluxes and concentrations. Our study site comprises a groundwater-influenced and peatland-dominated second-order stream, along with its adjacent lake inlet located in Northern Finland. Sampling was conducted three times during the summer of 2019 at 21 locations along the stream-lake continuum. Temporal and spatial shifts in water sources altered carbon characteristics, with CH 4 concentrations being the key environmental factor shaping the microbial communities, overriding the influence of dissolved organic carbon amount and quality. The prevalence of methanotrophic bacteria highlighted the importance of CH 4 as a carbon source and the methanotrophic groups as drivers of the CH 4 /CO 2 source-sink attributes of subarctic stream systems. Our results highlight the value of integrated hydrological, biogeochemical, and microbiological measures to resolve the biocomplexity of carbon-water interactions in northern headwater catchments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is acknowledged to be suited for the assessment of the energy-environmental burdens of foods, which are estimated to be overall one of the main impact sources worldwide. A right nutrition is even more fundamental for the healthy growing of the population, which has now, however, to consider ever more the aspect connected to its environmental impact. Under this perspective, this study aims at exploring the environmental burdens associated with a local university canteen for students through the application of LCA to a set of meal combination scenarios offered weekly to consumers. For the assessment, the authors designed a set of eight meal alternatives to create four daily meal combinations (DMCs), assuming 150 customers frequent the canteen service daily. Sixteen DMC scenarios based on a 1-to-3 weekly offer frequency have been tested. Results show the environmental impacts are highly affected by the food content and the weekly offer frequency, with the largest contributions coming when higher frequencies are combined with more impactful foods in the menus. The study highlights, overall, that global warming, eutrophication, acidification, and the depletion of the abiotic elements are the most relevant indicators for such an evaluation. The study aims at building a more sustainable and resilient future for the planet, starting with producing and consuming foods that are ecologically responsible, fair and accessible, local, healthy and safe, and waste free., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Gianfranco Lagioia reports financial support was provided by Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fluoride contamination of groundwater is a severe public health problem in Africa due to natural factors that include geological weathering of fluoride-bearing minerals and climatic conditions characterized by high evaporation rates that highly elevate fluoride levels. Anthropogenic activities further aggravate the problem and have affected millions of people in countries such as; South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Botswana, and Egypt. High fluoride levels of up to 10 mg/L have been encountered in parts of the East African Rift Valley, above the WHO's recommended limit of 1.5 mg/L, causing serious dental and skeletal fluorosis among the affected people. In this study, the distributions of F - in groundwater of Africa were forecast using an advanced stacking ensemble learning model based on 11 crucial groundwater physiochemical variables and 6270 accessible statistics of observed concentrations. The enhanced algorithm incorporates randomized trees, Tree-Bag, RF, DT, XGB, and ET Machine as base trainees, with a simple Naïve Bayes as the meta-analyzer. The model's AUC score of 0.86 accurately represented the uneven distributions of groundwater fluoride. The results showed that 20-35 % of the continent's eastern part and 10 % of its western region are at risk of having fluoride levels exceeding WHO limits, with an expected population of around 80 million. Regionally, fluoride contamination ranges from 0.1 to 3 mg/L in West Africa was range from 0.0 to 13.29 mg/L, 0.01-588 mg/L in East Africa, 0.04-65.9 mg/L in South Africa, and 0.1-10.5 mg/L in North and 0.01-1.9 mg/L in Central Africa. Na + and HCO 3 - are Africa's leading primary causes of fluoride contamination, with Ca 2+ and Cl - contributing to fluoride influence in some parts of the continent. This study helped identify health concerns linked to groundwater fluoride and offered guidance on assessing health risks in areas with sparse sample sizes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Most frequently used biological method was improved anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A/A/O) process for treating actual pesticide wastewater presently. However, the effluent results were far away from what the national standard expects due to pesticide wastewater characteristics of high COD concentration, high total nitrogen (TN) concentration and high toxicity. In this study, a novel two-phase anaerobic/aerobic/integrated deoxygenated and anoxic reactor associated with membrane process (P1) were regarded as excellent candidates for the treatment of pesticide wastewater, compared the removal efficiency of pollutants with improved A/A/O process (P2) under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Effluent ethylene thiourea (ETU) concentration was reduced effectively by 67.1 % in P1. The average cyanide (CN - ) effluent concentration in P1 and P2 was 0.40 mg/L and 6.67 mg/L, respectively. During the entire HRT change period, P1 significantly increased the biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) removal efficiency by 12.98 %. The average effluent COD concentration of P1 was 36.41 mg/L, while that of P2 was 984.42 mg/L. In addition, TN removal efficiency of P1 exhibited distinct superiority. When HRT was 72 h, the average TN effluent concentration of P1 and P2 was 12.67 mg/L and 67.66 mg/L. The sludge performance indicators have been determined and results showed that the sludge viscosity of the membrane reactor in P1 had merely 32.6 % higher than that of the secondary sedimentation tank in P2, and the average vertical displacement of sludge settleability in P1 was 23.0 % slight lower than that of P2. The overall sludge performance proved that higher sludge concentration was allowed in P1. Moreover, experiment improved nitrite reductase (NIR) and nitrate reductase (NAR) in P1 were less susceptible to be suppressed by ETU and CN - increase compared with P2. Finally, the positive correlation relationship of sludge settleability with ETU and CN - has been identified successfully in P1., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The geogenic radon hazard index (GRHI) map plays a crucial role in evaluating radon exposure risks. The construction of this map requires a comprehensive analysis of radon levels in soil gas and some critical factors, such as uranium content in bedrock, soil permeability, and geological inhomogeneities. In this context, the spatial multi-criteria decision analysis is proposed with the aim of combining various key geological parameters and identifying high-potential radon areas. In particular, the multivariate integration involves the fuzzy gamma operator method and a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making technique, namely AHP-TOPSIS, which represents a novel approach in GRHI mapping. Thus, a comparison is provided through the definition of the GRHI maps of an unexplored study area, that is the Apulia region, located in Southern Italy. In order to evaluate the output maps, high radon potential areas are identified based on some available indoor radon measurement data. The success-rate curve, as a valid evaluation metric, is employed for the performance assessment and comparison of these two methods. The results demonstrate that although both generated GRHI maps are closely correlated with high-potential radon zones, the hybrid AHP-TOPSIS method is preferable., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sewage sludge phosphorus (P) recovery presents opportunities to sustainably recycle P from cities to agriculture and alleviate global P scarcity. However, limited research explores sustainable recovery targets considering spatial-temporal variations in sludge generation and implications based on city-level local P demand. This study analyzed sludge production form 2009-2021 across 130 cities in China's Yangtze River Zone, which increased by almost 35 % from 2009 to 2021. Per capita gross domestic product (GDP), influent chemical oxygen demand (COD), and per capita drainage infrastructure were identified as the main significant influencing factors. City-level analysis revealed pronounced spatial-temporal disparities, with yearly sludge generation spanning five orders of magnitude (62-5.4 × 10 5  t/a). An indicator, "Potential of P recovery to local P demand", was defined, indicating the average city-level P recycle contribution increased from 5.3 % to 18.9 % from 2009-2021. A novel frame paradigm classified cities into six types based on the local P supply-demand characteristics, prioritizing sludge P recovery and implementing strategic management. City-specific dynamics and possibilities of broader "city clusters" to match supply and demand should be considered for policy implement. Recovering P from livestock manure and kitchen waste alongside sludge can further strengthen urban P cycles. This study provides novel city-scale analysis and strategic considerations for regional sludge P recycling policies in China and beyond., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The priming effect, i.e., the changes in soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition following fresh organic carbon (C) inputs is known to influence C storage in terrestrial ecosystems. Microplastics (particle size <5 mm) are ubiquitous in soils due to the increasing use and often inadequate end-of-life management of plastics. Conventional polyethylene and bio-degradable (PHBV) plastics contain large amounts of C within their molecular structure, which can be assimilated by microorganisms. However, the extent and direction of the potential priming effect induced by microplastics is unclear. As such, we added 14 C-labeled glucose to investigate how background polyethylene and PHBV microplastics (1 %, w/w) affect SOM decomposition and its potential microbial mechanisms in a short-term. The cumulative CO 2 emission in soil contaminated with PHBV was 42-53 % higher than under Polyethylene contaminated soil after 60-day incubation. Addition of glucose increased SOM decomposition and induced a positive priming effect, as a consequence, caused a negative net soil C balance (-59 to -132 μg C g -1 soil) regardless of microplastic types. K-strategists dominated in the PHBV-contaminated soils and induced 72 % higher positive priming effects as compared to Polyethylene-contaminated soils (160 vs. 92 μg C g -1 soil). This was attributed to the enhanced decomposition of recalcitrant SOM to acquire nitrogen. The stronger priming effect associated in PHBVs can be attributed to cooperative decomposition among fungi and bacteria, which metabolize more recalcitrant C in PHBV. Moreover, comparatively higher calorespirometric ratios, lower substrate use efficiency, and larger enzyme activity but shorter turnover time of enzymes indicated that soil contaminated with PHBV release more energy, and have a more efficient microbial catabolism and are more efficient in SOM decomposition and nutrient resource uptake. Overall, microplastics, (especially bio-degradable microplastics) can alter biogeochemical cycles with significant negative consequences for C sequestration via increasing SOM decomposition in agricultural soils and for regional and global C budgets., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

As a major contributor to carbon emissions, the transportation sector faces immense pressure to align with China's carbon peak and neutrality goals. Technological progress is a crucial strategy for achieving these goals. However, rebound effects can make technological progress a double-edged sword in terms of reducing emissions. A deep understanding of the carbon rebound effect (CRE) in the transportation sector is crucial for fully leveraging the role of technological progress on carbon reduction. This study uses nonparametric frontier methods to calculate and analyze the CRE of the transportation sector related to technological progress in 30 provinces of China from 2006 to 2021 for the first time. The relevant findings are threefold. (1) During the sample period, the estimated CRE ranged from 20 % to 210 %, averaging 69.19 %. Half of provinces exhibited backfire effects, that is, rebound emissions exceeded the low-carbon gains. (2) CRE exhibits fluctuations over time and is significantly affected by economic policy shocks. Technological progress is a significant driver of transportation carbon emissions reduction. (3) CRE varies considerably across regions, with the eastern coastal provinces exhibiting the lowest CRE, averaging 57.96 %. The central regions followed with an average of 81.54 %, while the western regions had the highest CRE of 111.85 %. This study has crucial implications for enabling policymakers to better understand CRE in the transportation sector and strategically develop subsequent policies that are specifically tailored to regional conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The goal of reducing carbon emissions in the field of road engineering has become an important deployment strategy. Based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) theory, the environmental impact assessment and analysis of hot-mix asphalt pavement were carried out in this work on the basis of collecting and investigating the environmental load list data of hot-mix asphalt pavement. According to different life cycle stages, corresponding carbon neutralization schemes were proposed, and the optimal carbon neutralization schemes at different stages were obtained by simulation using queuing theory. The results showed that in the whole life cycle of hot mix asphalt pavement, the construction stage had the highest energy consumption and carbon emissions compared to the other stages, and its global warming potential (GWP) and Chinese abiotic depletion potential (CADP) were also the highest, with the greatest impact on the environment. Compared to other stages, the repair and demolition stage had the smallest contribution to the GWP and CADP evaluation indicators. In the material production stage, the ASRT 5A zeolite adsorbent had the best adsorption effect on carbon dioxide gas. The carbon emissions generated during the production phase of the neutralization material required an ASRT 5A zeolite adsorbent of about 83 kg. Michelia chapensis exhibited the best carbon dioxide purification effect compared to the other three trees during the transportation construction and maintenance disassembly phase. Michelia chapensis required a leaf area of about 28,016 m 2 to neutralize the carbon dioxide emissions generated in these two stages., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bioremediation can be an alternative or complementary approach to conventional soil and water treatment technologies. Determining the environmental and socio-economic impacts of bioremediation is important but rarely addressed. This work presents a comprehensive sustainability assessment for a specific groundwater bioremediation case study based on In-situ Metal(loid) Precipitation (ISMP) by conducting a social Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) using two different approaches: environmental Life Cycle Costing (eLCC) and Impact Pathway Approach (IPA). Externalities are calculated in two ways: i) using Environmental Prices (EP) to monetize Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results and metal(loid)s removed at field scale, and ii) following the IPA steps to determine the social costs avoided by removing arsenic contamination at full scale. The results show that, in the baseline scenario, the project is not socio-economically viable in both cases as the Net Present Value (NPV) is -129,512.61 € and - 415,185,140 € respectively. Sensitivity and scenario analyses are performed to identify the key parameters and actions needed to reach a positive NPV. For instance, increasing the amount of water treated per year to 90 m 3 and assuming a 20 % increase in operation costs and a 60 % increase in construction costs can make the project socio-economically viable at the field scale, while a reduction in the social discount rate from a 4 % to a 2 % can lead to a positive NPV at the full scale. The approaches proposed in this work may be useful for practitioners and policymakers when evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts of bioremediation technologies at different scales and regions, as well as human health impacts caused by contaminants at the current legal limits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Vegetation has a well-known potential for mitigating urban overheating. This work aims to explore the effects of enhancing urban greenery in Melbourne (Australia) through a configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model including the Building Effect Parameterization and the Local Climate Zones and presents novelties in: i) covering two-months and ii) focusing on air circulation and buildings cooling energy demand through the ventilation coefficient (VC) and the cooling degree hours (CDHs). A control case and two "what-if" scenarios with a growing green coverage equal to 35 % (control case), 50 % (modest increase) and 60 % (robust increase) have been designed and then simulated for January and February 2019. Outcomes reveal a maximum drop in 2 m temperature of approximately 0.4 °C and 0.8 °C at 14:00 LT for the modest and robust green increase scenario, respectively. The urban-rural energy surplus for cooling buildings is reduced and even counterbalanced. Peak CDHs decrease from 143 °C·h of the control case to 135 °C·h (modest increase) and 126 °C·h (robust increase), while they measure 137 °C·h in the non-urban areas. Average wind speed increases by 0.8 m/s (equal to 22 % with respect to the control case). Furthermore, adding urban greenery has an unfavorable implication on VC (maximum reduction of 500 m 2 s -1 ) with a consequent deterioration of the transport and dispersion of pollutants. Middle- and high-density classes are touched more than low-density by the VC reduction. In addition, the benefits of enhancing urban greenery concern physiologically and psychologically the quality of life of the dwellers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Airborne pathogens represent a topic of scientific relevance, especially considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Air pollution, and particulate matter (PM) in particular, has been proposed as a possible risk factor for the onset and spread of pathogen-driven respiratory diseases. Regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection, exposure to fine PM (PM 2.5 , particles with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 μm) has been associated with increased incidence of the COVID-19 disease. To provide useful insights into the mechanisms through which PM might be involved in infection, we exposed human lung cells (A549) to PM 2.5 and SARS-CoV-2, to evaluate the toxicological properties and the molecular pathways activated when airborne particles are combined with viral particles. Winter PM 2.5 was collected in a metropolitan urban area and its physico-chemical composition was analyzed. A549 cells were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 concomitantly or after pre-treatment with PM 2.5 . Inflammation, oxidative stress and xenobiotic metabolism were the main pathways investigated. Results showed that after 72 h of exposure PM 2.5 significantly increased the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is one of the keys used by the virus to infect host cells. We also analyzed the endosomal route in the process of internalization, by studying the expression of RAB5 and RAB7. The results show that in cells pre-activated with PM and then exposed to SARS-CoV-2, RAB5 expression is significantly increased. The activation of the inflammatory process was then studied. Our findings show an increase of pro-inflammatory markers (NF-kB and IL-8) in cells pre-activated with PM for 72 h and subsequently exposed to the virus for a further 24 h, further demonstrating that the interaction between PM and SARS-CoV-2 determines the severity of the inflammatory responses in lung epithelial cells. In conclusion, the study provides mechanistic biological evidence of PM contribution to the onset and progression of viral respiratory diseases in exposed populations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Residual pesticides in agricultural environments, including soil and irrigation water, can be taken up by plants, and thus pose a potential risk to food safety. Although tolfenpyrad has been widely used in tea plantations, limited information is available on its root uptake and fate in tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.). Exploring the mechanisms involved is crucial for understanding the migration and accumulation of tolfenpyrad in tea plants, particularly in the edible parts. In this study, root uptake of tolfenpyrad and its subsequent translocation, distribution, and metabolism in tea seedlings were investigated. The results indicated that the passive transport and apoplastic pathway dominated the root uptake of tolfenpyrad. After uptake, tolfenpyrad distributed predominantly in the cell walls (90.8-92.0 %) of roots, resulting in limited upward translocation in water-soluble fractions through transpirational pull, with translocation factor values far <1 (TF stem/root  = 0.115-0.453 and TF leaf/stem  = 0.039-0.184). Similar accumulation patterns were observed for the carboxylated metabolite PT-CA as well as hydroxylated metabolite PT-OH. Interestingly, the subcellular distribution of PT-CA in stems was much different from that of the parent tolfenpyrad: PT-CA mainly distributed in the stem cell walls (41.72 %) and cell organelles (56.18 %) at 3 h, then gradually transferred into the cell-soluble fractions (33.07 %) after 120 h. Results from the present study indicated limited upward translocation of tolfenpyrad with its main metabolites to leaves. This finding helps to alleviate concerns about environmental residual tolfenpyrad in tea consumption and provides valuable information for the safety evaluation of tolfenpyrad., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fungal necromass carbon (FNC) contributes significantly to the build-up of soil organic carbon (SOC) by supplying abundant recalcitrant polymeric melanin present in the fungal cell wall. However, the influence of a wide range of conservation practices and associated factors on FNC accumulation and contribution to SOC in global croplands remains unexplored. Here, a meta-analysis was performed using 873 observations across three continents, together with structural equation modeling, to evaluate conservation practices and factors responsible for the enhancement of FNC and SOC. FNC content (8.39 g kg -1 ) of North American soils was highest compared to FNC content of Asian and European soils. The structural equation models showed a significant (p < 0.05) positive influence of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil pH, and clay contents on the accumulation of FNC. Soil C/N ratio and climate factors, however, had only minor influences on FNC accumulation. Notably, the main driver of FNC was MBC, which is mainly influenced by the soil total N and geographic factors in the study areas. Typical 5 cropland practices had significant effect size (p < 0.05) on FNC, leading to an increase of 12 % to 26 %, and the FNC content was greatest under straw amendment (26 %). Fungal necromass accumulation efficiency ranged from 23 % to 45 % depending on cropland practices: non- and reduced tillage was the most efficient (45 %), followed by crop coverage (32 %), straw amendment (30 %), and manure application (27 %), while N fertilization had the lowest efficiency (23 %). We conclude that FNC contributes to over a quarter of SOC, highlighting its major role in enhancing C sequestration worldwide. Conservation practices, particularly non-tillage or reduced tillage, are important to enhance C sequestration from FNC in croplands., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The current demand for composites reinforced with renewable fibers is greater than it has ever been. In comparison to glass fibers, natural fibers yield the advantages of lesser density and cost. Although comparable specific properties exist between glass and natural fibers, the latter shows lower strength. However, with the copper coating and chemical treatment of natural fibers, the strength of the composites can be increased nowadays. The current research investigation focuses on the life cycle assessment of the raw, chemically treated, and copper coated fiber reinforced bagasse and banana composites to compare the emissions on the environment of these samples to prove their applicability. The study includes all the processes, from the extraction of fibers to the formation of composites, i.e., from cradle to gate, and detailed inventory. The ReCiPe H midpoint method has been utilized in SimaPro software to quantify the emissions. The results indicate that the maximum global warming emission is due to the energy consumption used during the manufacturing of these composites. Electricity contribution for chemically treated and copper coated composites in global warming contribution is slightly greater than that of raw composites i.e., 73.275 % in C- BG/P, 73.06 % in Cu- BG/P, 73.65 % in C- BN/P and 74.28 % in Cu- BN/P which is comparatively higher than 63.8 % in R- BG/P and 64.97 % in R- BN/P. The next major contributions come from polylactic acid for all the three samples of bagasse fiber reinforced PLA composite and banana fiber reinforced PLA composite. The raw samples also show improved fiber strength compared to chemical and copper coated samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of 2-ethylhexyldiphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) on glycolipid metabolism in vivo. Adult male zebrafish were exposed to various concentrations (0, 1, 10, 100 and 250 μg/L) of EHDPP for 28 days, and changes in lipid and glucose levels were measured. Results indicated significant liver damages in the 100 and 250 μg/L EHDPP groups, which both exhibited significant decreases in hepatic somatic index (HSI), elevated activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum and liver, as well as hepatocyte vacuolation and nuclear pyknosis. Exposure to 100 and 250 μg/L EHDPP led to significant reductions in serum and liver cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), and lipid droplet deposition, indicating a significant inhibition of EHDPP on hepatic lipid accumulation. Lipidomic analyses manifested that 250 μg/L EHDPP reduced the levels of 103 lipid metabolites which belong to glycerides (TGs, diglycerides, and monoglycerides), fatty acyles (fatty acids), sterol lipids (cholesterol, bile acids), sphingolipids, and glycerophospholipids, and downregulated genes involved in de novo synthesis of fatty acids (fas, acc, srebp1, and dagt2), while upregulated genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation (pparα and cpt1). KEGG analyses revealed that EHDPP significantly disrupted glycerolipid metabolism, steroid biosynthesis and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways. Collectively, the results showed that EHDPP induced lipid reduction in zebrafish liver, possibly through inhibiting lipid synthesis and disrupting glycerolipid metabolism. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for evaluating the ecological hazards and health effects of EHDPP on glycolipid metabolism., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Coalbed methane (CBM) presents a promising energy source for addressing global energy shortages. Nonetheless, challenges such as low gas production from individual wells and difficulties in breaking gels at low temperatures during extraction hinder its efficient utilization. Addressing this, we explored native microorganisms within coal seams to degrade guar gum, thereby enhancing CBM production. However, the underlying mechanisms of biogenic methane production by synergistic biodegradation of lignite and guar gum remain unclear. Research results showed that the combined effect of lignite and guar gum enhanced the production, yield rate and concentration of biomethane. When the added guar gum content was 0.8 % (w/w), methane production of lignite and guar gum reached its maximum at 561.9 mL, which was 11.8 times that of single lignite (47.3 mL). Additionally, guar gum addition provided aromatic and tryptophan proteins and promoted the effective utilization of CC/CH and OCO groups on the coal surface. Moreover, the cooperation of lignite and guar gum accelerated the transformation of volatile fatty acids into methane and mitigated volatile fatty acid inhibition. Dominant bacteria such as Sphaerochaeta, Macellibacteroides and Petrimonas improved the efficiency of hydrolysis and acidification. Electroactive microorganisms such as Sphaerochaeta and Methanobacterium have been selectively enriched, enabling the establishment of direct interspecies electron transfer pathways. This study offers valuable insights for increasing the production of biogenic CBM and advancing the engineering application of microbial degradation of guar gum fracturing fluid. Future research will focus on exploring the methanogenic capabilities of lignite and guar gum in in-situ environments, as well as elucidating the specific metabolic pathways involved in their co-degradation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

As a significant source of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the construction industry garners widespread attention due to its high carbon emissions. Anticipating its development trends is crucial for energy conservation and emission reduction. In this paper, we utilize the carbon emission data from China's national and provincial construction sectors from 2012 to 2021, employ the grey prediction model optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm, coupled with a metabolic algorithm, to forecast the carbon emissions of the construction industry across China and its provinces. The results demonstrate that: (1) The dynamic grey prediction model combined with the metabolism algorithm has a better prediction effect than the classical model, and the relative error is reduced from 5.103 % to 0.874 %. (2) The carbon emissions of China's construction industry will continue to rise in the next decade, but the growth rate will decrease, and the proportion of indirect carbon emissions continues to increase. (3) There is a marked regional disparity in carbon emissions, with the eastern region exhibiting higher emission levels yet slower growth. In contrast, the western region has lower emission levels but experiences faster growth. These studies provide valuable insights for both the existing approaches to energy conservation and emission reduction, as well as for future policy improvements., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Phosphogypsum (PG) is the produced solid waste during phosphorus (P) extraction from phosphate rocks. PG is featured by its abundant PO 4 3- and SO 4 2- . This study investigated the utilization of PG as a material for lead (Pb) remediation, with the assistance of functional fungus. Aspergillus niger (A. niger) is a typical phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF), which has high ability to secret organic acids. Oxalic acid is its major secreted organic acid, which is often applied to enhance the P release from phosphate minerals. In this study, synthetic oxalic acid increased the immobilization rate of Pb 2+ up to >99 % with the addition of PG. Then, it was observed that biogenic oxalic acid from A. niger can achieve comparable remediation effects. This was due to that PG could provide sufficient P for fungal growth, which allowed sustainable remediation. Subsequently, oxalic acid secreted by A. niger significantly increased the release of active P from PG, and then induced the formation of PPb minerals. In addition, other metabolites of A. niger (such as tyrosine-like substance) can also be complexed with Pb 2+ . Simultaneously, A. niger did not induce evidently elevation water-soluble fluorine (F) as PG contained abundant Ca 2+ . Moreover, this study elucidated that oversupply of PG promoted the formation of anglesite (K sp  = 1.6 × 10 -8 , relatively unstable), whereas the formation of lead oxalate (K sp  = 4.8 × 10 -10 , relatively stable) was reduced. This study hence shed a bright light on the sustainable utilization of PG for fungus-assisted remediation of heavy metals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Environmental pollution affects human health, reduces work motivation, and addressing environmental pollution is a common challenge faced by the world. The Chinese government has recently implemented a new environmental policy - the national-level ecological economic zone - to develop a green economy and reduce environmental pollution. This study utilizes the difference-in-difference method to analyze the impact of the Dongting Lake ecological economic zone on environmental pollution. The results show that: policy led to a 68 % reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions. This impact was more pronounced in economically developed areas, regions with a high concentration of foreign-invested, and areas with greater economic openness. Mechanism tests indicate that the policy reduces environmental pollution by promoting technological progress. Robustness checks show that the policy also resulted in a 37 % reduction in industrial wastewater emissions. The results offer new insights to advance the development of the ecological economic zone more effectively. The ecological economic zone should focus on enhancing technological advancement and green total factor productivity to amplify the policy's positive effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Recognized as a not-an-option approach to mitigate the climate crisis, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) has a potential as much as gigaton of CO 2 to sequestrate permanently and securely. Recent attention has been paid to store highly concentrated point-source CO 2 into saline formation, of which Thailand considers one onshore case in the north located in Lampang - the Mae Moh coal-fired power plant matched with its own coal mine of Mae Moh Basin. Despite a large basin and short transport route from the source, target sandstone reservoir buried at deeper than 1000 m is of tight nature and limited data, while question on storing possibility has thereafter risen. The current study is thus aimed to examine the influence of reservoir geomechanics on CO 2 storage containment and trapping mechanisms, with co-contributions from geochemistry and reservoir heterogeneity, using reservoir simulator - CMG-GEM. With the injection rate designed for 30-year injection, reservoir pressure build-ups were ∼77 % of fracture pressure but increased to ∼80 % when geomechanics excluded. Such pressure responses imply that storage security is associated with the geomechanics. Dominated by viscous force, CO 2 plume migrated more laterally while geomechanics clearly contributed to lesser migration due to reservoir rock strength constraint. Reservoir geomechanics contributed to less plume traveling into more constrained spaces while leakage was secured, highlighting a significant and neglected influence of geomechanical factor. Spatiotemporal development of CO 2 plume also confirms the geomechanics-dominant storage containment. Reservoir geomechanics as attributed to its respective reservoir fluid pressure controls development of trapping mechanisms, especially into residual and solubility traps. More secured storage containment after the injection was found with higher pressure, while less development into solubility trap was observed with lower pressure. The findings reveal the possibility of CO 2 storage in tight sandstone formations, where geomechanics govern greatly the plume migration and the development of trapping mechanisms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Growing public awareness of the negative effects of pesticides on the environment, ecosystems, and human health has led governments to set targets for reducing pesticide risk. Switzerland introduced in 2023 two new policy measures to reduce pesticide risk by 50 % by 2027: (1) voluntary direct payment programs supporting pesticide-reduced and pesticide-free but non-organic cropping systems for most crops on arable land, and (2) restrictions of harmful pesticides for farmers managing under Swiss cross-compliance standards. This study aims to (1) develop a method to assess pesticide risk on a national scale and (2) carry out an ex-ante impact assessment to predict whether these policies can effectively reduce pesticide risks in Switzerland. Therefore, we introduced crop-specific pesticide quantities and pesticide risk scores into a sample of 1907 bio-economic farm optimization models. The models were used to predict farmers' adoption decisions regarding voluntary direct payment programs from 2019 to 2030. By combining the bio-economic farm optimization models with an agent-based modeling approach, we assessed the evolution of pesticide-related risks at the national level. Simulations for pesticide risk from 2019 to 2022 reflected the observed pesticide risk monitored by the Swiss government. In surface waters and semi-natural habitats, achieving the target depends on reducing pyrethroids, a class of insecticides with high-risk potential. Further, we highlight significant uncertainty in projecting the risk potential for surface waters and semi-natural habitats due to uncertainty about the amounts of pyrethroid used for different crops. The results underline the need for comprehensive datasets on pesticide use in Switzerland., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Foliar application has been reported as an effective method to facilitate plant growth and mitigate cadmium (Cd) accumulation. However, the application of foliar fertilizers on plant production, Cd uptake and health risks of Solanaceae family remains unknown. In this study, four foliar fertilizers were applied to investigate their effects on the production, Cd accumulation and human health risk assessment of two varieties of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), respectively. Compared with CK, the foliar application increased vegetable production to 104.16 %-123.70 % in peppers, and 100.83 %-105.17 % in eggplants, accordingly. The application of foliar fertilizers largely decreased Cd TF (transportation factor) by up to 23.32 % in JY, 18.37 % in GJ of pepper varieties, and up to 14.47 % in ZL, 15.24 % in HGR of eggplant varieties. Moreover, Cd BAF (bioaccumulation factor) also declined to different extents after the application of foliar fertilizers. As for human health risk assessments, foliar application diminished the hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) of both pepper and eggplant varieties. The results concluded that the application of composed foliar fertilizers was most effective, and could be a promising alternative for the improvement of vegetable production and mitigation of vegetable Cd accumulation and human health risks as well. The results further highlighted the understanding of foliar fertilizer application on vegetable production and health risks, which benefited better vegetable safe production and further guaranteed human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In the framework of the Forum for Air Quality Modelling in Europe (FAIRMODE), a modelling intercomparison exercise for computing NO 2 long-term average concentrations in urban districts with a very high spatial resolution was carried out. This exercise was undertaken for a district of Antwerp (Belgium). Air quality data includes data recorded in air quality monitoring stations and 73 passive samplers deployed during one-month period in 2016. The modelling domain was 800 × 800 m 2 . Nine modelling teams participated in this exercise providing results from fifteen different modelling applications based on different kinds of model approaches (CFD - Computational Fluid Dynamics-, Lagrangian, Gaussian, and Artificial Intelligence). Some approaches consisted of models running the complete one-month period on an hourly basis, but most others used a scenario approach, which relies on simulations of scenarios representative of wind conditions combined with post-processing to retrieve a one-month average of NO 2 concentrations. The objective of this study is to evaluate what type of modelling system is better suited to get a good estimate of long-term averages in complex urban districts. This is very important for air quality assessment under the European ambient air quality directives. The time evolution of NO 2 hourly concentrations during a day of relative high pollution was rather well estimated by all models. Relative to high resolution spatial distribution of one-month NO 2 averaged concentrations, Gaussian models were not able to give detailed information, unless they include building data and street-canyon parameterizations. The models that account for complex urban geometries (i.e. CFD, Lagrangian, and AI models) appear to provide better estimates of the spatial distribution of one-month NO 2 averages concentrations in the urban canopy. Approaches based on steady CFD-RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes) model simulations of meteorological scenarios seem to provide good results with similar quality to those obtained with an unsteady one-month period CFD-RANS simulations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Assessing how forests respond to, and recuperate from, cyclones is critical to understanding forest dynamics and planning for the impacts of climate change. Projected increases in the intensity and frequency of severe cyclones can threaten both forests and forest-dependent communities. The Pacific Islands are subject to frequent low-intensity cyclones, but there is little information on the effects of high intensity cyclones, or on how forest stewardship practices may affect outcomes. We assess the resistance and resilience of forests in three community-stewarded sites on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, to the wind-related effects of 2015 Category-5 Cyclone Pam, one of the most intense cyclones to make landfall globally. Drawing on transect data established pre-and post-cyclone, we (1) test whether windspeed and tree structural traits predict survival and damage intensity, and whether this varies across sites; (2) assess post-cyclone regeneration of canopy, ground cover, seedlings, and saplings, and how community composition shifts over time and across sites. In sites that sustained a direct hit, 88 % of trees were defoliated, 34 % sustained severe damage, and immediate mortality was 13 %. Initial mortality, but not severe damage, was lower in areas that received an indirect hit and had lower windspeed. Larger trees and those with lighter wood had a higher probability of uprooting and snapping, respectively. Canopy and ground cover regenerated within three years and seedling and sapling regeneration was widespread across life histories, from pioneer to mature forest species. Three species of non-native vines recruited post-cyclone but within 5 years had largely declined or disappeared with canopy closure. Tanna's historical cyclone frequency, combined with customary stewardship practices that actively maintain a diversity of species and multiplicity of regeneration pathways, are likely responsible for the island's resistance and resilience to an intense tropical cyclone., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to assess the environmental effectiveness of vineyards utilising on-site weather stations integrated with a decision support system (DSS), and to identify the critical hotspots in smart farms that have already obtained integrated or organic certification. For this purpose, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied. The research comprised three smart farms employing on-site weather stations and a traditional farm without advanced technologies, which served as a benchmark. The analysis revealed variations in environmental footprints driven by differences in farm management practices and soil characteristics. The results highlighted that smart farms, in compliance with integrated or organic certifications, focus on reducing inputs such as agrochemicals or water consumption. However, these reductions could shift the environmental burden to other impacts, such as those related to machinery use, which remained the most critical aspect across all vineyards considered. In some smart farms, critical issues involve other aspects, such as irrigation and fertilisation. The lack of awareness about the potential environmental impacts of the adopted technical options could make smart farms more impactful than traditional farms. Interestingly, this study found that solely implementing advanced technologies could fall short of achieving ecological objectives. This study emphasises the significance of utilising LCA as a valuable tool to support farmers in making informed decisions while adopting technological strategies to achieve environmentally sustainable goals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

China's transportation sector is a vital link between production and consumption, but it also has issues with low efficiency, high carbon emissions, and technological bottlenecks. To improve efficiency and provide actionable recommendations and strategies, this study first constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system to gauge the transportation sector's inputs using panel data from different Chinese provinces from 2007 to 2021. Within the assessment system, the principal component analysis (PCA) method is used to reduce the dimension of the indexes, thereby yielding a set of adjusted inputs. Subsequently, the transportation system efficiency (TSE) is evaluated using the super-efficiency SBM-DEA model, which includes unexpected outputs such as carbon emissions, and three-stage DEA modifies the efficiency. Then, we calculate the Malmquist-Luenberger index (TML) and its components: technological change (TTC) and technological efficiency change (TEC). Lastly, the influential factors impacting TSE are analyzed via a truncated regression Tobit model. The following are the conclusions: (1) The transportation industry in China exhibits inefficiency, and the average TSE in Stage I and III is 0.91 and 0.93, respectively. TSE is underestimated due to the influence of external environmental factors and inefficiencies in management in Stage I. (2) TSE in the eastern area also produces significant carbon emissions that surpass the national average. At the same time, other regions face efficiency limitations due to geographical constraints and management obstacles. (3) Insufficient technical capacity is a major cause of inefficiency in the transport sector and is prevalent in the northeast, west, and central regions. (4) Population growth and income per capita advancements foster transportation industry development, while increased GDP, fiscal revenues, and traffic accidents contribute to declining efficiency. The study above findings serve as a foundation for regional and national management initiatives and policies to enhance transportation effectiveness., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

People living in deltaic areas in developing countries are especially prone to suffer the effects from natural disasters due to their geographical and economic structure. Climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events affecting the environmental conditions of deltas, threatening the socioeconomic development of people and, eventually, triggering migration as an adaptation strategy. Climate change will likely contribute to worsening environmental stress in deltas, and understanding the relations between climate change, environmental impacts, socioeconomic conditions, and migration is emerging as a key element for planning climate adaptation. In this study, we use data from migration surveys and econometric techniques to analyse the extent to which environmental impacts affect individual migration decision-making in two delta regions in Bangladesh and Ghana. The results show that, in both deltas, climatic shocks that negatively affect economic security are significant drivers of migration, although the surveyed households do not identify environmental pressures as the root cause of the displacement. Furthermore, environmental impacts affecting food security and crop and livestock production are also significant as events inducing people to migrate, but only in Ghana. We also find that suffering from environmental stress can intensify or reduce the effects of socioeconomic drivers. In this sense, adverse climatic shocks may not only have a direct impact on migration but may also condition migration decisions indirectly through the occupation, the education, or the marital status of the person. We conclude that although climate change and related environmental pressures are not perceived as key drivers of migration, they affect migration decisions through indirect channels (e.g., reducing economic security or reinforcing the effect of socioeconomic drivers)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ammonia and microcystin-LR (MC-LR) are both toxins that can be in eutrophic waters during cyanobacterial blooms. While previous studies have focused on the effects of ammonia exposure on fish neurobehavioral toxicity, little attention has been given to the effects of MC-LR and combined exposures to both. This study exposed adult female zebrafish to ammonia (30 mg/L) and MC-LR (10 μg/L) alone and in combination for 30 days to investigate their neurotoxic effects and underlying mechanisms. Behavioral results showed that exposure to ammonia and MC-LR, both alone and in combination, led to decreased locomotor activity and increased anxiety in fish. Histomorphological analysis revealed the formation of thrombi and vacuolization in the brain across all exposure groups. Exposure to ammonia and MC-LR resulted in significant increases in MDA contents, decreases in Mn-SOD activities, and alterations in GSH contents compared to the control. Single and combined exposure to ammonia and MC-LR also induced the release of inflammatory factors (IL-1β and TNF-α) by activating the NOD/NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, both ammonia and MC-LR significantly changed the expression of genes related to the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems, elevated Glu and GABA contents, as well as increased the Glu/GABA ratio, indicating that a shift towards increased Glu levels. Overall, these findings suggested that exposure to MC-LR and ammonia, individually and in combination, could decrease locomotor activity and increase anxiety of female zebrafish. This was likely due to brain damage from over-activated ROS and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which led to a disruption in the balance of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems. However, there was no significant interaction between MC-LR and ammonia in fish neurobehavioral toxicity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The amounts and pathways of reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses in Austria into the surface water, soil, and atmosphere were determined under four climate change scenarios for the period 2041-2070. Two nutrient models were used to undertake the analysis at two different scales. Firstly, a semi-empirical, conceptual model (MONERIS) was setup for Austria to calculate the overall annual Nr surpluses, categorise flows of Nr, and identify regional hotspots of Nr losses. Secondly, a physically based eco-hydrological model (SWAT) was setup in three agricultural catchments to determine the hydrological processes related to Nr transport and quantify the amounts transported by various pathways in cropland at a detailed spatial and temporal resolution. The agricultural N surplus calculations for Austria were revised and used as input data for both models. The MONERIS and SWAT simulated inorganic N loads transported into waterbodies are overall similar, with average differences for the subsurface inorganic N loads of ±3 kg ha -1  yr -1 and for surface inorganic N loads of +0.4 to -0.03 kg ha -1  yr -1 . Crop level N losses under future climate scenarios was contingent upon the fertilizer type, the crop grown and its accumulated biomass, as well as the type of climate scenario (wet or dry). In the SWAT model, an examination of the sensitivity of the input data (climate data and parameter values) found the dominant contribution to the sensitivity of simulated monthly discharge was from the climate data (69 % to 98 %). For simulating N loads, the climate scenarios contributed 30 % to 89 % of the sensitivity. Simulating Nr flows under climate scenarios is policy relevant to assess critical areas of N losses and identify future N transport pathways. Using a dual-model approach saves on resources required to set up a complex, data intensive model at a large scale, and can focus on critical catchments in detail., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Bano Mehdi-Schulz reports article publishing charges was provided by University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna. Bano Mehdi-Schulz reports financial support was provided by Austrian Climate Research Program. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Global agricultural systems face one of the greatest sustainability challenges: meeting the growing demand for food without leaving a negative environmental footprint. United States (US) and China are the two largest economies and account for 39 % of total global greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere. No-till is a promising land management option that allows agriculture to better adapt and mitigate climate change effects compared to traditional tillage. However, the efficacy of no-till for mitigating GHG is still debatable. In this meta-analysis, we comprehensively assess the impact of no-till (relative to traditional tillage) on GHG mitigation potential and crop productivity in different agroecological systems and management regimes in the US and China. Overall, no-till in China did not change crop yields, although soil CO 2 (8 %) and N 2 O (12 %) emissions decreased significantly, while soil CH 4 emissions increased by 12 %. In contrast to Chinese no-till, a significant improvement in crop yields (up to 12 %) was recorded on US cropland under no-till. Moreover, significant decreases in soil N 2 O (21 %) and CH 4 (12 %) emissions were observed. Of the three cropping systems, only wheat showed significant reduction in CO 2 , N 2 O and CH 4 emissions in the Chinese no-till system. In the case of US, no-till soybean-rice and maize cropping systems demonstrated significant emission reductions for N 2 O and CO 2 , respectively. Interestingly, yields of no-till maize in China and rice in US exceeded those of other no-till cereals. In China, no-till on medium-texture soils resulted in significant reductions in GHG emissions and higher crop yields compared to other soil types. In both countries, the relatively higher crop yields under irrigated versus non-irrigated no-till and the significant yield differences on fine textured soils under US no-till are likely due to the substantial N 2 O reductions. In summary, crop yield disparities from no-till between China and the US were related to the insignificant effects on controlling CH 4 emissions and successfully mitigating N 2 O, respectively. This study comprehensively demonstrates how cropping system and pedoclimatic conditions influence the relative effectiveness of no-till in both countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Salinization, the increase and accumulation of salts in water and soil, impacts productivity of arable crops and is exacerbated by climate change. The Netherlands, like several other deltas and semi-arid regions, faces increasing salinization that negatively impacts agriculture and freshwater availability. Although a lot of salinity expertise exist in the Netherlands, several knowledge gaps on the impact of salinization in the Netherlands, as well as steps to facilitate closing this knowledge gaps to improve saline agriculture in the Netherlands, still exist. This review/opinion article moves beyond existing papers on salinization in bringing together various adaptation measures by thoroughly reviewing the measures through a triple P (People, Planet, Profit) lens. Five main salinity adaptation measures of the crop-soil-water continuum are 1) breeding and selection of salt tolerant varieties, 2) increased cultivation of halophytes, 3) soil management interventions, 4) use of biostimulants, and 5) irrigation techniques. These adaptation measures are described, discussed and analysed for their compliance to the sustainable development elements People, Planet and Profit. All five adaptation measures have potential positive impact on livelihood, contribute to food security and generate revenue but on the other hand, these measures may contribute to unwarranted changes of the ecosystem. The paper ends with a concluding chapter in which the bottlenecks and knowledge gaps that need resolving are identified based on the critical, including triple P, assessment of the discussed adaptation measures. Three key knowledge gaps on breeding, agronomy, environmental sciences and socioeconomics are identified with several approaches that lead to insights elucidated. Thereby informing on future research and action plans to optimize implementation of salinity adaptation measures in the Netherlands., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Applying selenium (Se) fertilizer is the only way to alleviate soil Se deficiency. Although effects of nanoselenium foliar application on plant growth and stress resistance have been extensively investigated, soil application of nanoselenium on soil microorganisms and their relationship with crop quality and soil health remains unclear. In this study, a steady-state homogeneous nanoparticle of epigallocatechin gallate Se (ESe) was synthesized, and a pot experiment was conducted applying ESe at five concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50, and 100 mg kg -1 ) to the tea planattion soil. The study revealed a significant increase in Se concentration in soil and tea with ESe application and identified 2.43-7.8 mg kg -1 as the safe and optimal range for soil application. Specifically, the moderate dose of ESe improved the tea quality [reduced tea polyphenols (TP), increased free amino acids (AA), and reduced TP/AA] and soil quality index (SQI). Besides, in marure tea leaves, antioxidant enzyme activities [promote catalase (CAT) superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD)] increased, while level of oxidative stress [malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and superoxide anion (O 2 - )] decreased with ESe application. The 16S rRNA of the soil bacteria showed that ESe application significantly changed the community structure of soil bacteria but did not alter the diversity of the bacteria and the abundance of dominant taxa (phylum and genus levels). Statistical analysis of the taxonomic and functional profiles (STAMP) detected 21 differential taxa (genus level), mainly low-abundance ones, under the ESe application. Linear regression and random forest (RF) modeling revealed that the low-abundance bacterial taxa were significantly correlated with SQI (R 2  = 0.28, p < 0.01) and tea quality (R 2  = 0.23-0.37, p < 0.01). Thus, the study's findings suggest that ESe application affects soil and tea quality by modulating the low-abundance taxa in soil. The study also highlights the crucial role of low-abundance bacterial taxa of the rhizosphere in regulating soil functions under the ESe application., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Karst water as the vital water supply source is an increasingly serious problem suffering from NO 3 - pollution. Identifying sources and transformations is the key to effectively controlling diffuse NO 3 - pollution. In this study, 25 karst groundwater samples were collected from the Xujiagou karst groundwater system in June 2023, and chemical variables and stable isotopes (δ 15 N, δ 18 O, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) were determined in different occurrence environments of carbonate rocks (exposed, covered, and buried carbonate rock areas). The results showed that the karst groundwater is dominated by nitrification. Human activities have affected the water quality of karst groundwater. The nitrate concentration ranged from 5.69 to 124.22 mg/L, and 4 % exceeds the quality indexes of class III water in China's standard for groundwater quality (20 mg/L as NO 3 - -N). NH 4 + in fertilizer, manure and septic waste, and soil N were the main sources of nitrate pollution in the karst groundwater system. The distribution of NO 3 - sources is closely related to land-use types. Soil N (72.2 %) became the dominant nitrate source in the exposed area due to the small amount of urban land and the large distribution of forest and grassland. There were more cultivated land and large agricultural activities in the covered area, NH 4 + in fertilizer (59.1 %) contributes the most to NO 3 - sources. The buried area dominated by urban land, the influence of human activities (densely population and agricultural production activities) caused the highest concentration and coefficient of variation of nitrate in this area, and manure and septic waste (64.2 %) were the most to NO 3 - sources. This study can provide an important scientific basis for the protection of karst groundwater, and provide theoretical support for the treatment of karst groundwater pollution sources in the "monoclinic paraclinal" strata in northern China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, we present a structured approach based on portfolio decision analysis to support the consideration of interdependencies between actions (i.e. interactions) in the selection of an efficient portfolio. One of the main challenges in modelling interactions is that the possible number of them between the pairs of actions increases exponentially with the number of actions. In environmental management, the problems can include tens of possible actions potentially leading to hundreds of pairwise interactions between them. For example, a strategy for mitigating climate change can consist of various actions in different sectors for improving technology, reducing emissions and the sequestration of carbon. Our approach aims to reduce the burden of assessing interactions by initially selecting a shortlist of actions based on specific heuristics and focusing on modelling interactions exclusively within this chosen set of actions. Another feature of the approach is the use of holistic evaluation of interactions to further reduce the cognitive load of stakeholders making the assessment. As a possible disadvantage, these features may increase the imprecision related to the results of the model. To analyse the impacts of this imprecision, we propose a way to carry out sensitivity analysis on the basis of how intensively the interactions would be taken into account in the modelling. The applicability of the approach was tested in a case related to the roadmap to a carbon neutral North Savo region in Finland by the year 2035. The approach helped to better understand synergies and trade-offs when putting the actions of the roadmap into practice, which is expected to lead to better results in terms of preparedness and adaptation to climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jyri Mustajoki reports financial support was provided by Academy of Finland. Juuso Liesio reports financial support was provided by Academy of Finland. Mika Marttunen reports financial support was provided by Academy of Finland. Taeyoung Kee reports financial support was provided by Academy of Finland. Jyri Mustajoki reports financial support was provided by Maa- ja Metsätalousministeriö. Mika Marttunen reports financial support was provided by Maa- ja Metsätalousministeriö., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)