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Abstract: This study evaluates the economic and environmental benefits of implementing the proposed REcovered Nitrogen from manURE (RENURE) criteria as mineral fertiliser into the Nitrates Directive (ND) to facilitate the utilisation of minerals from manure. Implementing the RENURE amendment could significantly contribute to sustainability goals in an economic way, offering a 4.8 % reduction in economic costs in livestock-dense regions including Brittany (-0.7 %), Lombardy (-2.3 %), Flanders (-2.6 %), Lower Saxony (-4.7 %), Catalonia (-4.8 %), North-Rhine Westphalia (-4.8 %), and the Netherlands (-5.0 %). Through spatially explicit multi-agent modeling, the study revealed that the RENURE amendment not only promises economic benefits, but also enhances nitrogen circularity by 1.3 % and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 6 % in these areas. These findings highlight the potential of nutrient recovery and reuse under RENURE to address both economic and environmental challenges, supporting the European Union's (EU) Farm-to-Fork strategy (F2F) goals of reducing nutrient emissions to the air and fertilizer use.

Different agricultural practices can be beneficial in Miscanthus × giganteus (M × g) phytotechnology applied to post-military and post-mining lands. However, only limited research has focused on supportive treatments using biochar produced from M × g waste. Indeed, when M × g phytotechnology is applied to contaminated soil, the biochar produced through the pyrolysis of the obtained biomass is contaminated, raising concerns about its further application. The current study tested the use of biochar produced from M × g roots cultivated long-term in slightly contaminated soil in the M × g phytotechnology of Cu- or Zn-spiked soils which is important for finding the solution toward valorization of the contaminated biomass. Two biochar doses (1.67 and 5.00%) were evaluated with varying levels of Cu (200 to 416 mg kg-1) or Zn (202 to 580 mg kg-1) concentrations in the soils. This study revealed a beneficial influence of biochar on M × g development, specifically by increasing the plant height and aboveground biomass by up to 20.4 and 115%, respectively. However, the root dry weight increased by 31.8% only at the highest application rate of biochar. The option for valorization of the contaminated biochar in the next phytoremediation process applied to soil contaminated more than the biochar itself was tested. The finding showed the positive influence of biochar on the M × g phytoremediation metrics such as tolerance index, bioconcentration factor, translocation factor, and comprehensive bioconcentration index which ensured the perspective of the proposed approach in the implementation of post-remediation management practice.

As food insecurity grows globally, foresight planning for sustainable food systems has become critical. Here we argue that history—through detailed data, case studies and methodologies—can profoundly enhance the robustness of scenario planning. By examining cases in Mozambique, Bangladesh and Holland, we illustrate how historical insights can guide interventions on local, national and transnational scales, helping to avoid unintended consequences and building resilience into future food systems.

ABSTRACTVariation in climatic conditions is expected to impact the distribution and abundance of herbivore species, which may, in turn, influence African lions (Panthera leo) ranging behaviour. This necessitates proactive management of lion populations, as ecosystems may exhibit site‐specific responses to these variations. Using satellite and GPS‐GSM data from 10 lions collared in three different national parks in Kenya—Meru, Nairobi, and Lake Nakuru—we calculated monthly home ranges and distance moved and studied how these were influenced by rainfall. Across all parks, lions increased their distance moved with an increase in rainfall, and male lions covered larger distances than females. Model comparisons revealed that lions in Lake Nakuru significantly expanded their home ranges with higher rainfall compared to those in Nairobi; however, lions in Nairobi covered larger distances than those in Lake Nakuru. Lions in Meru had larger home ranges compared to the other two parks, but the effect of rainfall on their home range size and movement was not significantly different from the other two parks. Our results give insight into the site‐specific influence of rainfall on lion home range and movement across the parks. We call for prioritisation of conservation efforts and a site‐specific, tailored approach to lion conservation and management.

Ba-ETS-4 is a promising adsorbent for nitrogen removal from low-grade natural gas. However, the Ba-ETS-4 adsorption characteristics, i.e., both adsorption kinetics and equilibrium capacity, change by dehydration temperature owing to structural shrinkage and pore contraction which finally impact the separation performance of the adsorption bed. In this paper, experimental breakthrough data are provided for N2/CH4 separation at various Ba-ETS-4 dehydration temperatures (250°C-450 °C) followed by a separation performance analysis in generating methane as the main product. Additionally, isotherm data at different temperatures (20 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C and 80 °C) are presented for selected dehydration temperatures (250 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C and 440 °C). The results revealed that an increase in dehydration temperature leads to a decrease in adsorption capacity but a better separation by providing more hindrance for CH4 diffusion, while not affecting the N2 breakthrough wavefront. At a dehydration temperature of 250 °C, theN2 breakthrough time is the highest, indicating the ability to process a larger feed. However, this also leads to the least CH4 production (0.037 mmol/g), as most of the fed CH4 is adsorbed onto the bed. Interestingly, an increase in dehydration temperature leads to an increase in CH4 production up to 420 °C (0.140 mmol/g), after which the CH4 production decreases sharply.

Meeting the protein needs of a growing population will require significant resources. In this context, microbial protein (MP) offers a nutritious and versatile protein source from recovered resources. This meta-analysis of over 100 studies examines the efficiency and nutritional quality of MP production using ethanol. Ethanol, a feedstock derived from CO2 and biological waste, is used by various microorganisms, and has an established role in the food sector. Results show that ethanol-based MP production is technically feasible for food applications, reaching biomass concentrations of 14-230 g/L and productivities of 11-13 g/L/h. The protein content of MP correlates with productivity, and the nutritional quality of ethanol-grown MP matches common sources like pork and tofu. Lastly, operational choices affect the techno-economic feasibility of using waste-derived ethanol and other recovered resources. This meta-analysis highlights the potential of ethanol-grown MP, though further research is needed to close existing knowledge gaps.

The production of aviation biofuel precursors from biomass-derived ketones by heterogeneous catalysis has been hindered by the low catalytic activity. Herein, a series of Cu-doped metal oxide catalysts were prepared for the conversion of biomass-derived ketones to aviation biofuel precursors. Solvent-free cyclopentanone conversion via aldol condensation reached 91.1 % over Cu/Al2O3 with 100 % selectivity toward dimer and trimer oxygenated species, all of which are aviation biofuel precursors. This catalyst primarily contains Cu2O and Cu nanoparticles which are uniformly dispersed across the Al2O3 surface. From in situ DRIFTS and DFT results, the incorporation of Cu species onto Al2O3 not only increased the diversity of Lewis acidic sites, but also changed the adsorption of C = O groups, which lead to the increased aldol condensation activity of Cu/Al2O3. This study provides insight on the design of heterogeneous catalysts suitable for the solvent-free synthesis of aviation biofuel precursors from biomass-derived ketones.