• Energy Research
• Open Access close
• Embargo close
• GB close
• DE close
• NL close

BackgroundOutdoor workers (OW) receive a higher dose of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) compared to indoor workers (IW) which increases the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Regular sunscreen use reduces the NMSC risk, however, adequate sun-safety behavior among OW is poor. The main objective was to conduct method- and intervention-related elements of a future intervention trial among OW, based on providing sunscreen and assessing sunscreen use on group- and individual level.MethodsThis pilot study was conducted at a construction site in the Netherlands from May-August 2021. Nine dispensers with sunscreen (SPF 50+) were installed at the worksite. OW (n = 67) were invited to complete two (cross-sectional) questionnaires on sun-safety behavior, before and after providing sunscreen. Stratum corneum (SC) samples for the assessment of UV-biomarkers were collected from the forehead and behind the ear from 15 OW and 15 IW. The feasibility of the following elements was investigated: recruitment, (loss to) follow-up, outcome measures, data collection, and acceptability of the intervention.ResultsThe first questionnaire was completed by 27 OW, the second by 17 OW. More than 75 percent of the OW were aware of the risks of sun exposure, and 63% (n = 17) found sunscreen use during worktime important. The proportion of OW never applying sunscreen in the past month was 44.4% (n = 12) before, and 35.3% (n = 6) after providing sunscreen. A majority of OW (59.3%, n = 16) found sunscreen provision encouraging for sunscreen use, the dispensers easy to use (64.7%, n = 17) and placed in practical spots (58.8%, n = 18). Collecting SC-samples was fast and easy, and several UV-biomarkers showed higher levels for sun-exposed compared to less exposed body parts. There was no significant difference in UV-biomarker levels between OW and IW.ConclusionsThis pilot study revealed low sunscreen use among OW despite providing sunscreen, overall satisfaction with the sunscreen, and the sufficient awareness of the risks of UVR-exposure. Collecting SC-samples at the workplace is feasible and several UV-biomarkers showed to be promising in assessing UVR-exposure. The low participation rate and high loss to follow-up poses a challenge for future intervention studies.

Climate change is turning formerly pristine ecosystems into ever-changing states, causing major disturbance and biodiversity loss. Such impacted marine ecosystems and organisms exhibit clear microbiome shifts that alter their function. Microbiome-targeted interventions appear as feasible tools to support organismal and ecosystem resilience and recovery by restoring symbiotic interactions and thwarting dysbiotic processes. However, microbiome restoration and rehabilitation are perceived as drastic measures, since they alter ‘natural relationships’. What is missing from this notion is that microbiomes already drastically differ from any pre-anthropogenic state. As such, our perception and definition of even ‘pristine states’ may in fact represent an already disturbed/derived condition. Following this, we argue that restoring and rehabilitating marine microbiomes are essential tools to mitigate ecosystem and organismal decline.

The growing concerns surrounding water scarcity have spiked an interest in embodied water (EW) studies globally. The EW of a building is the sum of the amount of water needed to manufacture all the building materials throughout their supply chain (indirect embodied water (IEW)), plus the amount of water needed for the building construction (direct embodied water (DEW)). For a building with an operational period of fifty years, this EW can constitute almost 35% of the total building water footprint. India is currently under an urban boom that has resulted in an increased demand for residential building construction projects. The growing water scarcity within the country and the huge contribution of EW in the total building water footprint, suggests the need for EW management in the country. This study thus aims at developing a framework for EW management to promote sustainable building construction in India. To achieve the research aim, this study adopts a sequential explanatory multiphase mixed method research design, and uses case studies, archival search, online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as its research strategy. Reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings with clay masonry walls are the most common type of residential building construction in India, constituting 45% of the residential building stock, and are selected as case study buildings for analysis. Two case study buildings were analysed to determine the commonly used construction materials and construction activities undertaken for their construction. These materials and activities were further analysed to determine their embodied water coefficient (EWC) which is the amount of water needed for their manufacturing and execution respectively. These EWC values were used to calculate the EW of the case study buildings to be in the range of 0.32-0.35kL/m2. Moreover, an analysis of the IEW and embodied carbon (EC) of these case study buildings revealed that both the EW and EC need to be considered when selecting construction materials to aid in the selection of materials with the lowest environmental impact. An online questionnaire conducted with construction professionals working in India revealed that 45.7% construction sites in India meter their water consumption to monitor their usage as they have to pay to purchase this water. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews with construction professionals and construction material manufacturers revealed that there is a lack of government regulations for EW management, and - where they exist - the company faces many challenges for its implementation. The proposed framework created for EW management thus focuses on minimising the challenges for the implementation of government regulations, creation of benchmarks for optimum water consumption and creation of awareness among people regarding water management. The findings of this research have many contributions in practice and theory. The development of optimum water consuming benchmarks and the proposed framework can aid in water management on construction sites and material manufacturing plants during their planning and operation stages. Moreover, this research contributes to theory by developing a methodology for EW measurement that has previously been adopted globally but not in India.

AbstractThin film hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) solar cells were deposited at a high growth rate of 5 nm/s by Very High Frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (VHF PECVD). A single deposition yielded 30 working cells out of 30 test cells. After characterization of J-V characteristics under AM1.5 conditions, spectral response and Fourier Transform Photocurrent Spectroscopy (FTPS) for defect density, the cells were subjected to a beam of 1 MeV protons, with different irradiation times for a series of cells, up to a maximum fluence of 1015 protons per cm2, to investigate the feasibility of using this type of solar cells in space. After degradation, the cells were characterized again. The highest fluence reduced the conversion efficiency of the solar cells by a factor of 10. These values are compared to a similar experiment in literature for thin film amorphous silicon cells. The spectral response shows that the quantum efficiency for low energy photons is drastically reduced, suggesting that the damage is mainly inflicted to the bulk of the absorber material. This is strongly supported by the FTPS results, which show a clear trend of increasing defect density with increasing fluence. The optical absorption coefficient at 0.8 eV increased by a factor of 20. After characterization, the cells were isochronally annealed, up to the deposition temperatures, to investigate if the original performance of the cell could be restored. The mid-gap absorption decreased by a factor of 5 after annealing.

Neighboring stand-alone hybrid microgrids with diesel generators (DGs) as well as grid-feeding photovoltaics (PV) and grid-forming battery storage systems (BSS) can be coupled to reduce fuel costs and emissions as well as to enhance the security of supply. In contrast to the research in control and small-signal rotor angle stability of microgrids, there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding the transient stability of off-grid hybrid microgrids in a cluster environment. Therefore, the large-signal rotor angle stability of pooled microgrids was assessed qualitatively and also quantitatively in this research work. Quantitative transient stability assessment (TSA) was carried out with the help of the—recently developed and validated—micro-hybrid method by combining time-domain simulations and transient energy function analyses. For this purpose, three realistic dynamic microgrids were modelled regarding three operating modes (island, interconnection, and cluster) as well as the conventional scenario “classical” and four hybrid scenarios (“storage”, “sun”, “sun & storage”, and “night”) regarding different instants of time on a tropical partly sunny day. It can be inferred that, coupling hybrid microgrids is feasible from the voltage, frequency, and also transient stability point of view. However, the risk of large-signal rotor angle instability in pooled microgrids is relatively higher than in islanded microgrids. Along with critical clearing times, new stability-related indicators such as system stability degree and corrected critical clearing times should be taken into account in the planning phase and in the operation of microgrids. In principle, a general conclusion concerning the best operating mode and scenario of the investigated microgrids cannot be drawn. TSA of pooled hybrid microgrids should be performed—on a regular basis especially in the grid operation—for different loading conditions, tie-line power flows, topologies, operating modes, and scenarios.

Long-term ecological time series provide a unique perspective on the emergent properties of ecosystems. In aquatic systems, phytoplankton form the base of the food web and their biomass, measured as the concentration of the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll a (chl a ), is an indicator of ecosystem quality. We analyzed temporal trends in chl a from the Long-Term Plankton Time Series in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA, a temperate estuary experiencing long-term warming and changing anthropogenic nutrient inputs. Dynamic linear models were used to impute and model environmental variables (1959 to 2019) and chl a concentrations (1968 to 2019). A long-term chl a decrease was observed with an average decline in the cumulative annual chl a concentration of 49% and a marked decline of 57% in winter-spring bloom magnitude. The long-term decline in chl a concentration was directly and indirectly associated with multiple environmental factors that are impacted by climate change (e.g., warming temperatures, water column stratification, reduced nutrient concentrations) indicating the importance of accounting for regional climate change effects in ecosystem-based management. Analysis of seasonal phenology revealed that the winter–spring bloom occurred earlier, at a rate of 4.9 ± 2.8 d decade −1 . Finally, the high degree of temporal variation in phytoplankton biomass observed in Narragansett Bay appears common among estuaries, coasts, and open oceans. The commonality among these marine ecosystems highlights the need to maintain a robust set of phytoplankton time series in the coming decades to improve signal-to-noise ratios and identify trends in these highly variable environments.

Abstract This experimental study explores the transformation of coal bottom ash (CBA), an industrial by-product, into a high-performance pozzolan to replace traditional cement in construction materials. CBA’s disposal has challenges due to its low reactivity and the risk of heavy metal leaching, which limits its sustainable reuse. To overcome these barriers, an innovative acid pre-treatment process was developed, enhancing CBA’s reactivity by removing deleterious materials and increasing silica content. Advanced characterization techniques reveal significantly lower metal content and increased silica content in the treated CBA, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable alternative. Treated CBA shows positively impacts mortar binder properties, as indicated by higher strength activity index values compared to untreated specimens. The treated CBA demonstrated a significant enhancement in mortar binder properties, achieving a 20% higher strength activity index compared to untreated samples. These findings highlight treated CBA’s potential as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional cementitious materials. This work advances the utilization of industrial by-products in construction, promoting environmental sustainability and reducing reliance on traditional cement. Graphical abstract

IntroductionTransforming consumption and lifestyles toward sustainability cannot be achieved by individual behavior change alone but requires changes in the structures in which this behavior is embedded. However, “structure” is a blurry concept and scholars use it in a multitude of ways. What often remains implicit in studies on structural phenomena are different types of structures, how they may or may not restrict the agency of individuals in particular ways, and how these restrictions support sustainable consumption patterns at the societal level. To move beyond the current state of research, this article systematizes political, economic, technological, and societal structural factors the literature identifies as impactful regarding the sustainability of consumption and lifestyles compatible with the targets of the Paris Agreement.MethodsWe draw on a systematic review of existing research and use empirical observations to develop conceptual terms that revisit the structure-agency dilemma and offer ways going forward about (un)sustainable consumption.ResultsWe do so based on the material or ideational, as well as shallow or deep nature of these factors. Thereby, the article throws light on the deep and opaque material and ideational structural factors lying underneath and shaping the sustainability impact of the more visible, shallow structural factors typically considered in public debates about sustainability governance.DiscussionThe article, thus, highlights the need to consider and address these deep structural factors for any effective pursuit of transformation.