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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are airborne pollutants that are deposited on soils. As climate change is already altering temperature and solar radiation, the global warming is suggested to impact the environmental fate of PAHs. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of climate change on the PAH photodegradation in soils. Samples of Mediterranean soils were subjected to different temperature and light radiation conditions in a climate chamber. Two climate scenarios were considered according to IPCC projections: 1) a base (B) scenario, being temperature and light intensity 20°C and 9.6W/m(2), respectively, and 2) a climate change (CC) scenario, working at 24°C and 24W/m(2), respectively. As expected, low molecular weight PAHs were rapidly volatilized when increasing both temperature and light intensity. In contrast, medium and high molecular weight PAHs presented different photodegradation rates in soils with different texture, which was likely related to the amount of photocatalysts contained in both soils. In turn, the hydrogen isotopic composition of some of the PAHs under study was also investigated to verify any degradation process. Hydrogen isotopes confirmed that benzo(a)pyrene is degraded in both B and CC scenarios, not only under light but also in the darkness, revealing unknown degradation processes occurring when light is lacking. Potential generation pathways of PAH photodegradation by-products were also suggested, being a higher number of metabolites formed in the CC scenario. Consequently, in a more or less near future, although humans might be less exposed to PAHs, they could be exposed to new metabolites of these pollutants, which might be even more toxic.

In cement plants, the substitution of traditional fossil fuels not only allows a reduction of CO(2), but it also means to check-out residual materials, such as sewage sludge or municipal solid wastes (MSW), which should otherwise be disposed somehow/somewhere. In recent months, a cement plant placed in Alcanar (Catalonia, Spain) has been conducting tests to replace fossil fuel by refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from MSW. In July 2009, an operational test was progressively initiated by reaching a maximum of partial substitution of 20% of the required energy. In order to study the influence of the new process, environmental monitoring surveys were performed before and after the RDF implementation. Metals and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were analyzed in soil, herbage, and air samples collected around the facility. In soils, significant decreases of PCDD/F levels, as well as in some metal concentrations were found, while no significant increases in the concentrations of these pollutants were observed. In turn, PM(10) levels remained constant, with a value of 16μgm(-3). In both surveys, the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks derived from exposure to metals and PCDD/Fs for the population living in the vicinity of the facility were within the ranges considered as acceptable according to national and international standards. This means that RDF may be a successful choice in front of classical fossil fuels, being in accordance with the new EU environmental policies, which entail the reduction of CO(2) emissions and the energetic valorization of MSW. However, further long-term environmental studies are necessary to corroborate the harmlessness of RDF, in terms of human health risks.

AbstractAimThe aim was to decipher Europe‐wide spatio‐temporal patterns of forest growth dynamics and their associations with carbon isotope fractionation processes inferred from tree rings as modulated by climate warming.LocationEurope and North Africa (30‒70° N, 10° W‒35° E).Time period1901‒2003.Major taxa studiedTemperate and Euro‐Siberian trees.MethodsWe characterize changes in the relationship between tree growth and carbon isotope fractionation over the 20th century using a European network consisting of 20 site chronologies. Using indexed tree‐ring widths (TRWi), we assess shifts in the temporal coherence of radial growth across sites (synchrony) for five forest ecosystems (Atlantic, boreal, cold continental, Mediterranean and temperate). We also examine whether TRWi shows variable coupling with leaf‐level gas exchange, inferred from indexed carbon isotope discrimination of tree‐ring cellulose (Δ13Ci).ResultsWe find spatial autocorrelation for TRWi and Δ13Ci extending over a maximum of 1,000 km among forest stands. However, growth synchrony is not uniform across Europe, but increases along a latitudinal gradient concurrent with decreasing temperature and evapotranspiration. Latitudinal relationships between TRWi and Δ13Ci (changing from negative to positive southwards) point to drought impairing carbon uptake via stomatal regulation for water saving occurring at forests below 60° N in continental Europe. An increase in forest growth synchrony over the 20th century together with increasingly positive relationships between TRWi and Δ13Ci indicate intensifying impacts of drought on tree performance. These effects are noticeable in drought‐prone biomes (Mediterranean, temperate and cold continental).Main conclusionsAt the turn of this century, convergence in growth synchrony across European forest ecosystems is coupled with coordinated warming‐induced effects of drought on leaf physiology and tree growth spreading northwards. Such a tendency towards exacerbated moisture‐sensitive growth and physiology could override positive effects of enhanced leaf intercellular CO2 concentrations, possibly resulting in Europe‐wide declines of forest carbon gain in the coming decades.

This paper presents a probabilistic methodology that allows the study of the interactions between changes in rainfall dynamics and impervious areas in urban catchment on a long- and short-term basis. The proposed probabilistic model predict future storm overflows while taking into account the dynamics of changes in impervious areas and rainfall. In this model, a logistic regression method was used to simulate overflow resulting from precipitation events based on average rainfall intensity and impervious area. The adopted approach is universal (as it can be used in other urban catchments) and is a significant simplification of classic solutions; a hydrodynamic model is used to analyse the operation of the overflow. For the rainfall simulations, a rainfall generator based on the Monte Carlo method was used. In this method, a modification that allows the simulation of changes taking place in rainfall dynamics, including the effects of climate change, was introduced. This method provides the opportunity to expand and modify probabilistic models in which outflow from the catchment is modelled to predict the functioning of reservoirs and to design sewer networks that have the ability to deal with future rainfall dynamics, including moderate, strong, and violent downpours according to the Sumner scale. To verify the simulation results with a probabilistic model, an innovative concept using a hydrodynamic model was considered. This verification considers the changes in the impervious area in the period covered by the simulations and is limited using standard calculation procedures. In practice, the model presented in this work creates opportunities for defining the concept of sustainable development in urban catchments while taking into account the factors mentioned above. From the perspective of landscaping, this is important because it creates the opportunity to limit the impacts of climate change and area urbanization on the receiving waters. Este artículo presenta una metodología probabilística que permite el estudio de las interacciones entre cambios en la dinámica de lluvias y áreas impermeables en cuencas urbanas a largo y corto plazo. El modelo probabilístico propuesto predice futuros desbordamientos de tormentas teniendo en cuenta la dinámica de los cambios en las áreas impermeables y la lluvia. En este modelo, se utilizó un método de regresión logística para simular el desbordamiento resultante de eventos de precipitación en función de la intensidad de lluvia promedio y el área impermeable. El enfoque adoptado es universal (ya que puede ser utilizado en otras cuencas urbanas) y es una simplificación significativa de las soluciones clásicas; se utiliza un modelo hidrodinámico para analizar el funcionamiento del rebosadero. Para las simulaciones de lluvia, se utilizó un generador de lluvia basado en el método Monte Carlo . En este método se introdujo una modificación que permite simular los cambios que se están produciendo en la dinámica de las lluvias, incluyendo los efectos del cambio climático . Este método brinda la oportunidad de ampliar y modificar modelos probabilísticos en los que se modela el caudal de salida de la cuenca para predecir el funcionamiento de los embalses y diseñar redes de alcantarillado que tengan la capacidad de lidiar con la dinámica futura de las precipitaciones, incluidos aguaceros moderados, fuertes y violentos según a la escala Sumner. Para verificar los resultados de la simulación con un modelo probabilístico, se consideró un concepto innovador utilizando un modelo hidrodinámico. Esta verificación considera los cambios en el área impermeable en el período cubierto por las simulaciones y se limita utilizando procedimientos de cálculo estándar. En la práctica, el modelo presentado en este trabajo crea oportunidades para definir el concepto de desarrollo sostenible en cuencas urbanas teniendo en cuenta los factores mencionados anteriormente. Desde la perspectiva del paisajismo, esto es importante porque crea la oportunidad de limitar los impactos del cambio climático y la urbanización del área en las aguas receptoras.

As the human population and demand for food grow1, the ocean will be called on to provide increasing amounts of seafood. Although fisheries reforms and advances in offshore aquaculture (hereafter 'mariculture') could increase production2, the true future of seafood depends on human responses to climate change3. Here we investigated whether coordinated reforms in fisheries and mariculture could increase seafood production per capita under climate change. We find that climate-adaptive fisheries reforms will be necessary but insufficient to maintain global seafood production per capita, even with aggressive reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. However, the potential for sustainable mariculture to increase seafood per capita is vast and could increase seafood production per capita under all but the most severe emissions scenario. These increases are contingent on fisheries reforms, continued advances in feed technology and the establishment of effective mariculture governance and best practices. Furthermore, dramatically curbing emissions is essential for reducing inequities, increasing reform efficacy and mitigating risks unaccounted for in our analysis. Although climate change will challenge the ocean's ability to meet growing food demands, the ocean could produce more food than it does currently through swift and ambitious action to reduce emissions, reform capture fisheries and expand sustainable mariculture operations.

Abstract Polygeneration is a sustainable energy concept, which could deliver multiple energy vectors (power, heat and cooling) and other useful products (desalinated water, hydrogen, etc.) by possible integration of suitable technologies. In this study, a polygeneration system for coastal area applications is driven by a hybrid solar/bio-oil boiler to produce the energy intensive products of cooling, power, desalinated water and hot air for drying. Solar thermal is the primary energy source to drive the polygeneration system, whereas the bio-oil boiler is the auxiliary source to drive it at non-sunshine hours. The performance characteristics of the hybrid system is investigated to identify the effects of various key parameters such as temperatures of heat source, sink and evaporator along with expander Built in Volume ratio. The obtained results at a typical operating condition show that the parabolic trough collector aperture area is 130 m2, the system produces net power output of 47 kW, desalinated water of 1.205 m3/h, 92 kW of hot air for drying and 141 kW of cooling. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the proposed system are found to be 22% and 87%, respectively.

A membrane reactor containing an immobilized heterogeneous catalyst is an alternative for traditional homogeneous-based catalyzed transesterification for biodiesel production. Major problems in homogeneous catalysis are related to catalyst recuperation and soap formation, which can be overcome by using heterogeneous catalysts. Conversion can be increased by a combination of reaction and separation, using membranes with a specific pore size. The aim of this work was to study the performance of different membrane reactors combined with heterogeneous catalysis. The main objectives were: to identify a proper catalyst, to choose the proper immobilization technique, to establish the membrane with the adequate pore size, and to control the reaction and separation process. Amberlyst®15 with acid sites and different types of strontium oxide with basic sites were tested as heterogeneous catalysts. Strontium oxide provided the highest sunflower oil conversion (around 93%) and was easy to immobilize. Two catalytic membrane reactor configurations were investigated, thus confirming the production of several types of methyl esters. The configuration comprising the physical immobilization of the catalyst over the membrane reached a methyl ester yield of > 90 wt%.

The food industry has recently been under unprecedented pressure due to major global challenges, such as climate change, exponential increase in world population and urbanization, and the worldwide spread of new diseases and pandemics, such as the COVID-19. The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) has been gaining momentum since 2015 and has revolutionized the way in which food is produced, transported, stored, perceived, and consumed worldwide, leading to the emergence of new food trends. After reviewing Industry 4.0 technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, smart sensors, robotics, blockchain, and the Internet of Things) in Part I of this work (Hassoun, Aït-Kaddour, et al. 2022. The fourth industrial revolution in the food industry-Part I: Industry 4.0 technologies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 1-17.), this complimentary review will focus on emerging food trends (such as fortified and functional foods, additive manufacturing technologies, cultured meat, precision fermentation, and personalized food) and their connection with Industry 4.0 innovations. Implementation of new food trends has been associated with recent advances in Industry 4.0 technologies, enabling a range of new possibilities. The results show several positive food trends that reflect increased awareness of food chain actors of the food-related health and environmental impacts of food systems. Emergence of other food trends and higher consumer interest and engagement in the transition toward sustainable food development and innovative green strategies are expected in the future.

The objective of this paper is to analyse the economic impacts of alternative water policies implemented in the Spanish production system. The methodology uses two versions of the input-output price model: a competitive formulation and a mark-up formulation. The input-output framework evaluates the impact of water policy measures on production prices, consumption prices, intermediate water demand and private welfare. Our results show that a tax on the water used by sectors considerably reduces the intermediate water demand, and increases the production and consumption prices. On the other hand, according to Jevons' paradox, an improvement in technical efficiency, which leads to a reduction in the water requirements of all sectors and an increase in water production, increases the amount of water consumed. The combination of a tax on water and improved technical efficiency takes the pressure off prices and significantly reduces intermediate water demand. JEL Classification: C67 ; D57 ; Q25. Keywords: Production prices; Consumption prices; Water uses; Water policy; Water taxation.