by Panagiotis Kyriakopoulos  , Athanassios Giannopoulos  , Yannis G. Caouris  , Manolis Souliotis  and Mattheos Santamouris

Received: 04 September 2021;  Published: 06 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104032

The hourly ambient air temperature information was analyzed for two Greek coastal Mediterranean cities: Patras (for the entire 2018 year) with ten urban and one rural stations, and Kalamata (for the entire 2019 and 2020 years) with eight urban and two rural stations. The heating and cooling Degree Hours (DH) and Degree Days (DD) were calculated, for base temperatures of 18 °C and 26 °C, respectively. The urban heating degree hours for the cities of Patras and Kalamata were observed to be 19.2% and 24%, respectively [...]

by Yuyun Wang  , Paul Dargusch  and Genia Hill

Received: 10 January 2022;  Published: 26 April 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2202015

Carbon emissions are a major factor influencing climate change. Climate change also has ecological impacts, such as loss of biodiversity and loss of ecosystem functions and services. Starbucks is a large multinational company which aims to reduce their environmental impact. Starbucks’ carbon emissions in 2018 were 16,706 thousand metric tons, including 320 thousand metric tons of direct scope 1 emissions, 1,094 thousand metric tons of indirect scope 2 emissions and 14198 thousand metric tons of indirect scope 3 emi [...]

by Inara Watson  , Amer Ali  and Ali Bayyati

Received: 18 August 2022;  Published: 26 December 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2204055

The world is becoming more dependent on energy resources, which translates into political dependency on energy-exported states. This will significantly impact the economy, transport, and the environment around the world. Railway transport is becoming an essential mode of transportation because it can operate on an electrified network and has zero carbon emissions. High-Speed Railways (HSR) is an energy-intensive transport system, and it is important economically and environmentally to reduce the amount of used ener [...]

by Esther Mbuci Kinyua  , George William Atwoki Nyakairu  , Emmanuel Tebandeke  and Oghenekaro Nelson Odume

Received: 19 February 2023;  Published: 20 July 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2303039

Recently, microplastics have emerged as a major environmental pollutant and have been documented globally. Several studies have shown that microplastics can accumulate heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants as they pass through the environment due to their functional groups interacting with and complex these substances. While conventional wastewater treatment methods can reduce a significant amount of microplastics, many still make their way into rivers and oceans worldwide from their effluents. One of the [...]

by Maurizio Arena  and Claudia Aprea

Received: 16 December 2020;  Published: 22 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2101002

The current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to multiple changes in the international market as well as in the lifestyle of people worldwide. The transport sector has undoubtedly been one of the most affected sectors due to restrictions imposed by the governments across the world to protect the health of their citizens, particularly the restrictions imposed on the operation of airlines. On the other hand, the reduction in travel by means of transport has contributed in part to the improvement in the envir [...]

by Igor Travar  , Jean Noel Uwayezu  , Jurate Kumpiene  and Leo W.Y. Yeung

Received: 15 December 2020;  Published: 19 April 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2102006

The use of per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has resulted in the contamination of different environmental matrices. In EU countries, the sites contaminated with PFAS are usually remediated by excavating the soil and disposing of it in a landfill, as no in-situ or on-site techniques capable of treating large quantities of soil cost-effectively have been developed. Landfilling of PFAS-contaminated soil is one of the sources of PFAS in landfill leachate. In this paper, the physical and chemical treatment meth [...]

by Felipe Jimenez Pastrana  , Paul Dargusch  and Genia Hill

Received: 09 February 2022;  Published: 27 April 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2202016

The private sector plays an important role in the global climate goals and the 1.5°C target set during the Paris Agreement. Through investment in green projects and technology and energy efficiency initiatives, their carbon management strategy is paramount to achieve sustainability and good business practices. It is crucial to understand the proposals that the industry has established to reduce its environmental impact by applying supply chain optimization and technological advances or by participating in th [...]

by Tom DeWeerdt  , Paul Dargusch  and Genia Hill

Received: 10 January 2022;  Published: 10 March 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2201010

Awareness of the challenges of sustainable development, and in particular the risks of climate change, is leading to inevitable restrictions on Greenhouse gas emissions. True carbon risk management must be introduced into the strategy of companies that will increasingly operate in a global low-carbon economy. Indeed, companies are now called upon to be accountable and transparent about the environmental consequences of their business activities. Carbon risk is one of several new emerging risks for companies associa [...]

by Will P Gates  , Alastair JN MacLeod  , Andras Fehervari  , Abdelmalek Bouazza  , Daniel Gibbs  , Ryan Hackney  , Damien L Callahan  and Mathew Watts

Received: 16 September 2020;  Published: 31 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2004007

This review synthesises the available published research on interactions of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with landfill liners, with the view to inform on the expected behaviour of these persistent environmental pollutants in landfills. The review addresses the nature and significant types of PFAS compounds that are destined for landfills, as well as their by-product. It discusses the known and anticipated interactions with separate landfill liner components, namely geomembranes, geosynthetic clay line [...]

by Ernesto de Titto  and Atilio Savino

Received: 22 December 2023;  Published: 11 June 2024;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2402014

Management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is frequently not properly performed. Whenever this happens, those working in the different stages of the process, as well as residents close to the dumps, face health risks. Here, we revised the documented evidence of emissions liberated during MSW management and associated health problems to investigate if systematic and reproducible relationships can be established. Besides substances released during collection and transportation, various toxic substances, predominantly [...]

by Salvadora Martínez López  , Ascensión Banegas García  , Carmen Pérez Sirvent  , Maria José Martínez Sánchez  and Maria Angeles Esteban Abad

Received: 02 September 2023;  Published: 23 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2304051

This paper reviews the arsenic in the environment. Arsenic contamination is currently one of the leading environmental problems worldwide. The arsenic (As) cycle is the subject of this article because As is an element with a significant impact on living beings and because of its interrelation with other biogeochemical cycles. The biogeochemical cycle of As is closed, so this trace element returns to sediments where it can be changed in its chemical state by micro-organisms present in soils. In addition, some minera [...]

by Matthew Adah Onu  , Olusola Olaitan Ayeleru  , Helen Uchenna Modekwe  and Peter Apata Olubambi

Received: 28 August 2023;  Published: 29 December 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2304055

Plastic waste accrual in the environment has been identified as the topmost significant global issue related to modern civilization. Traditional waste disposal methods, such as open burning, landfilling, and incineration, have increased greenhouse gas emissions in economic and material losses. Unless immediate action is made to curtail demand, prolong product lifespans, enhance waste management, and encourage recyclability, plastic pollution will increase due to an almost threefold increase in plastic use spurred b [...]

by Todorka Samardzioska  , Milica Jovanoska  and Vesna Grujoska

Received: 11 September 2022;  Published: 11 January 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2301004

The textile industry is one of the oldest industries and the third most important industry branch in Macedonia. It has had a steady increase in production over the years. Growing production line proportionally generates textile waste. Although it is terminologically categorized as waste, textile waste can be a valuable resource and is one of the textile industry’s main challenges. Textile waste, appropriately treated with the possibilities offered by the recycling process or used as a clean waste, can find multi-fa [...]

by Kenneth Ugoeze  , Christian Alalor  , Chidozie Ibezim  , Bruno Chinko  , Peter Owonaro  , Clement Anie  , Ngozi Okoronkwo  , Amaka Mgbahurike  , Chijioke Ofomata  , Deghinmotei Alfred-Ugbenbo  and Geraldine Ndukwu

Received: 22 September 2023;  Published: 22 January 2024;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2401005

The discovery of antibiotics and their use in the last century substantially shifted the management of an array of infections. However, its unprecedented irrational usage and inept disposal of their waste exposed the ecosystems to unquantifiable antibiotic deposits, triggering the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with its immeasurable critical risk to public health. By adopting a narrative review method and accessing the available literature, the authors described what constitutes antibiotic waste, their [...]

by Remedios Martinez-Guijarro  , Maria Pachés  , Inmaculada Romero  and Daniel Aguado

Received: 08 October 2021;  Published: 15 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104033

Heavy metal(loid)s are a group of elements present commonly in the environment, including Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, and As elements, among others. While these elements could have their origins in natural sources, anthropogenic activities, such as mining, agriculture, industry, etc., are also responsible for enhancing the concentration of these elements in the ecosystems up to undesirable levels. A few of these metal(loid)s serve as necessary micronutrients for life, while the others are extremely harmful and migh [...]

by Abdirizak Jama Ali  , Shoaibur Rahman  and Asif Raihan

Received: 18 October 2022;  Published: 26 December 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2204056

The study was carried out in three different locations in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh，to observe soil carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems as a mitigation strategy for climate change. A total of 108 composite soil samples were collected at 0-30 cm in different study area sites. The total number of samples comprised three agroforestry systems (cropland agroforestry, homestead agroforestry, and orchard agroforestry)， where 36 samples were collected from each agroforestry system. Three adjacent soil samples [...]

by Teow Yeit Haan  , Puteri Mimie Isma Nordin  , Nur ‘Izzah Ahmad Juanda  , Muhammad Afiq Mohd Shafi  and Pavithiran Krishnan

Received: 27 September 2022;  Published: 02 February 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2301016

Oil-contaminated or oily wastewater (OW) is generated from various industrial and domestic premises. It consists of fats, oils, and greases and may contain petroleum fractions such as diesel oil, gasoline, and kerosene. It is regarded as one of the most hazardous wastewaters, causing serious environmental and health threats to ecosystems and human beings. The global increase in the discharge of OW coupled with stringent regulations for effluent discharge and incessant drive for the reuse of treated wastewater neces [...]

by Peizeng Yang  , Yaye Wang  , Junhe Lu  , Viktor Tishchenko  and Qingguo Huang

Received: 02 November 2020;  Published: 29 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2004006

This study examined the degradation of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in electrochemical oxidation (EO) processes in the presence of trichloroethylene (TCE). The EO experiment was performed in a gas-tight reactor using Magnéli phase titanium suboxide (Ti4O7) as the anode. The experimental data demonstrated that 75% of PFOS (2 μM) was degraded at 10 mA/cm2 current density in 30 min without TCE present in the solution, while the presence of 76 μM TCE apparently inhibited the degradation of PFOS, reducing its r [...]

by Jeamichel Puente Torres  , Harold Crespo Sariol  , Thayset Mariño Peacok  , Ángel Brito Sauvanell  , Greet Cuyvers  , Guy Reggers  , Pieter Samyn  , Dries Vandamme  , Jan Yperman  , Peter Adriaensens  and Robert Carleer

Received: 25 October 2022;  Published: 21 April 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2302028

The chemical regeneration of exhausted granular activated carbon (GAC) from a water treatment plant to produce dialysis water used in hemodialysis treatments for chronic renal disease patients from a general Hospital of Ciego de Avila province, Cuba, was investigated. Activated carbon (AC) exhausted mainly by inorganics (Ca (Ca-chelates), Mg and Na) was regenerated using hydrochloric acid and acetic acid (one regeneration cycle). Solutions of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%(v/v) as well as four contact times (2 h, 4 h, 6 h an [...]

by Vinayak Kaushal  and Mohammad Najafi

Received: 20 April 2022;  Published: 30 June 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2202027

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of concrete in sanitary sewer pipe and manholes is the result of dilute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) dissolving the cement matrix. The acid is produced by a complex series of chemical and biochemical reactions. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to review the basic science of the MIC process starting with the various biological processes leading to the production of dilute sulfuric acid; (2) to discuss historical attempts to fortify concrete; (3) to present methods to reduce [...]

by Joana Sousa

Received: 05 October 2023;  Published: 29 February 2024;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2401008

The consistent associations between dampness and health-related problems, such as allergies and asthma symptoms, explain the growing scientific interest in assessing housing characteristics. Due to a growing interest in the built environment, the present study performed a systematic review to investigate the prevalence of dampness related to specific building characteristics. The built environment is gaining significance in population well-being due to the substantial time spent indoors. This aspect is especially n [...]

by Cheng Siew Goh  , Jia Ning Ting  and Arun Bajracharya

Received: 31 May 2022;  Published: 17 January 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2301010

Following the establishment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability has been given increasing attention in the agenda of the built environment. Sustainability embraces three key elements, i.e., environment, economy and society. However, the social dimension receives the least attention and is largely overlooked compared to the environmental and economic sustainability. To bridge the gap, this paper will examine the various dimensions of social sustainability involved in the built enviro [...]

by Edoardo Sperone  and Tom Deweerdt

Received: 26 July 2023;  Published: 30 January 2024;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2401006

As climate change is becoming an increasingly crucial issue, it has become critical for firms to report on their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aspects. In particular, this research analyzes how environmental indicators are dealt with and reported on. In the case study examined, namely the company American Water Works, GHG emissions and water management were the most important issues to the stakeholders according to the materiality assessment. It was found that the firm has significantly reduced its GH [...]

by Bo-Cai Gao  and Rong-Rong Li

Received: 26 April 2021;  Published: 05 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2103017

Passive high spatial resolution hyperspectral and multispectral imaging systems in the solar spectral region from aircraft and satellite platforms are being increasingly used for remote sensing of coastal waters and inland lakes. However, the remotely sensed data are often contaminated by the specular reflection of solar radiation at the air/water interface. Thus, the effects of sunglint need to be corrected. The purpose of sunglint correction is to remove the undesired specular reflected portion of radiance that d [...]

by R. Lalitha S. Fernando  and M.K.M. Natharka Rushan

Received: 25 December 2023;  Published: 28 May 2024;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2402013

Ensuring the sustainability of hospital waste management practices has become a burning issue. Due to the growing population coinciding with rapid urbanization and industrialization, practicing sustainable methods of medical waste management is an urgent requirement. Like other developing countries, Sri Lanka also faces various difficulties when dealing with high-risk hospital waste material, spreading diseases rapidly and making the environment unclean. Thus, moving towards sustainable hospital waste management ha [...]