Organo-mineral fertilizers (OMFs) combine organic and mineral components to enhance soil fertility, nutrient availability, and crop productivity while reducing environmental harm. They address key agricultural challenges, contributing to sustainable agriculture and global food security. OMFs utilize bio-based materials like biochar and compost to reduce nutrient leaching by up to 40%, improve water retention, and mitigate erosion. Improved soil aggregation, porosity, and microbial activity promote efficient nutrient cycling and resilience to environmental stress. Slow-release mechanisms optimize nutrient delivery, minimizing runoff and volatilization. OMFs increase soil organic carbon, support beneficial microbial communities, and enable sustainable intensification in nutrient-poor soils. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with climate action goals and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Precise nutrient management reduces input costs, improves yields, and reduces chemical residues in crops. OMFs contribute to the circular bioeconomy by transforming agricultural residues into nutrient-rich fertilizers, reducing waste by 20% and sequestering carbon to mitigate environmental degradation. Adoption challenges include optimizing formulations for diverse soils and efficiently scaling production. OMFs enhance sustainable agriculture by increasing crop yields, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30%, and mitigating nutrient leaching, supporting global goals for food security and climate change adaptation. Collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders is essential for refining technologies and ensuring broader adoption.
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ISSN: 2977-3504
Sustainability Science and Technology is an interdisciplinary, open access journal dedicated to advances in science, technology, and engineering that can contribute to a more sustainable planet. It focuses on breakthroughs in all science and engineering disciplines that address one or more of the three sustainability pillars: environmental, social and/or economic.
Katarzyna Chojnacka and Jonas Baltrusaitis 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 022001
Lorraine Amponsah et al 2024 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 1 012001
Concerns relating to the potential environmental and land-use impacts associated with terrestrial energy crops have sparked an interest in the alternative use of marine feedstocks, such as seaweed (macroalgae). In contrast to terrestrial crops farming seaweed does not require the input of freshwater or chemical fertiliser and does not compete for land required by food crops. Seaweed remains a largely untapped source of valuable polysaccharides, proteins, fatty acids, and pigments which can be purified, or used as feedstock in the production of platform chemicals. Recently, Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts arising from the use of seaweed feedstocks, predominately in the production of bioenergy. There are a range of different methods which can be used to cultivate and harvest seaweed for further downstream processing. These include land- and tank-based methods, nearshore and offshore cultivation, as well as integrated multitrophic aquaculture. As interest in seaweed cultivation in Europe grows, it is important to understand the associated environmental impacts. To date, a number of LCAs have assessed these different cultivation methods, either in isolation or as part of a wider seaweed biorefining product system. This work aims to bring these studies together—identifying where specific environmental hotspots lie within the cultivation and harvesting processes, and to understand the role of different design aspects. Overall, this review identifies challenges relating to future cultivation system design and LCA methodology.
Ebrahimpourboura Zahra et al 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 012001
The increasing demand for sustainable energy systems (SES) has driven significant advancements in the fields of techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). This comprehensive review explores the integration of machine learning (ML) techniques into these assessments to address inherent data limitations and uncertainties. TEA and LCA methods are enhanced through ML’s predictive modeling, optimization algorithms, and data analysis capabilities, providing more precise and efficient evaluations of SES. The review’s scope includes recent TEA and LCA of SES to understand gaps in current practices, and ML SES studies that address these practices. Our literature search identified only three papers integrating TEA, LCA, and ML. Many studies investigate combinations of TEA or LCA with ML. However, there are unique challenges and opportunities for considering all three aspects of SES. Thus, we propose near- and long-term opportunities to further integrate ML with TEA and LCA. Key case studies demonstrate the transformative potential of ML in improving economic viability and environmental sustainability, highlighting its role in predicting system performance, optimizing configurations, and reducing costs and impacts. The review identifies critical areas for future research, including improving data quality, advancing ML techniques, interdisciplinary training, real-world applications, and policy considerations. This integration represents a significant advancement in the field, offering new opportunities for innovation and optimization in sustainable energy technology assessments.
Shyam S Sharma et al 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 044004
Electric vehicles (EVs) are a viable technology for reducing global transportation emissions; however, EV battery minerals, including lithium, are obtained through mining projects that can cause land use change, habitat loss, and pollution, threatening local biodiversity. As EV demand expands rapidly in the coming decades, these threats could be exacerbated. Here, we aim to quantify potential land use change (in km2) and biodiversity threats (in species-richness & species-rarity weighted km2 or ‘SRR-km2’) near ten major global lithium mines (three brine, seven hard rock) by 2040 that could arise from increased EV adoption to meet net zero goals. The land use change analysis suggests that brine mines are significantly more land intensive than hard rock mines, with the brine mines encompassing ∼80%–90% of the ten mines’ total land use footprint and having an average lithium land use intensity of ∼0.50 km2/kt Licumulative, 2040, compared to ∼0.055 km2/kt Licumulative, 2040 for hard rock mines (∼10 times greater). Biodiversity threat analysis revealed that mines simultaneously with large land use footprints and located in regions of high species richness and/or rarity pose the greatest threats to surrounding ecosystems. The hard rock and brine extraction methods’ lithium biodiversity threat intensity is comparable (∼55–60 SRR-km2/kt Licumulative, 2040), indicating a similar biodiversity threat when considering the net effect of mine land use footprint, species characteristics, and lithium production rate. Ultimately, while the SRR-km2 metric is a useful first-order indicator, its sole reliance on land use, species richness, and species rarity leads to an incomplete assessment of lithium mining’s ecological risks. Future work should involve incorporating additional parameters, particularly ecotoxicity, to develop a comprehensive biodiversity threat assessment framework for lithium and other battery mineral mines.
Md S Zaman 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 013001
As the global population approaches 9.7 billion by 2050, ensuring reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food becomes increasingly urgent. Traditional land-based agriculture faces mounting challenges, including limited farmland, soil degradation, irrigation water scarcity, and the impacts of changing weather patterns. To meet future demand, global food production must increase by approximately 60% by using alternative, sustainable food sources. Oceans, which cover 71% of the Earth’s surface, currently contribute just 2% of global caloric intake but hold immense potential to support global food security and sustainability. This article explores the expanding role the oceans could play in securing food through wild fisheries, aquaculture, and emerging innovations. While wild capture fisheries remain vital, their sustainability is threatened by overfishing and habitat degradation. Aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector in global food production, which provides over half of all seafood for human consumption and offers eco-friendly solutions when managed responsibly. Nutrient-rich seaweed and microalgae farming require no freshwater or arable land and can supply nutritious food with minimal environmental impacts. Additionally, underutilized low-trophic species, such as mesopelagic fish and jellyfish, offer new protein sources. Moreover, marine biotechnology can support the development of nutritious foods fortified with healthful bio-compounds and nutrients, naturally available in seafood. Achieving these goals requires sustainable practices, innovation, inclusive governance, and responsible consumer behavior. By harnessing the ocean’s potential, food production will be diversified with supporting the coastal economies, and building a resilient, climate-smart approach to feed a growing world population.
Jonas Baltrusaitis et al 2024 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 1 010201
Tochukwu Ozor et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 012001
Global agriculture faces the critical challenge of feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050, while minimizing environmental harm and preserving the socioeconomic stability of the world. Biochar, a carbon-rich material with unique physicochemical properties like surface area and pore space, has been proven to be go for soil amendment by improving nutrient retention, water-holding capacity, and microbial activity while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, its inherent nutrient deficiency limits its use as a standalone fertilizer. Integrating biochar with nutrient-rich organic and inorganic materials to produce biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs) offers a promising path toward sustainable crop production. Evidence from recent studies indicates that BBFs can increase crop yield by up to 94%, reduce nitrate leaching by 68%, and enhance soil phosphorus availability by 45%, supporting soil health and nutrient efficiency. However, BBFs performance depends strongly on biochar type used, enrichment materials, production methods, and soil conditions. Despite these benefits, high production costs, scalability constraints, and a lack of standardization hinder widespread adoption. Beyond these facts, this review identified trends in the types of biochar used for BBF production and a gap in studies that critically evaluate biochar choice in the overall performance of BBFs for sustainable crop production, considering agronomic, environmental, and economic indices. The analysis highlights critical gaps, including inconsistent yield responses in fertile soils and the uncertain long-term behavior of heavy metals in manure-derived biochar. To address these, we propose that future studies should focus on direct performance comparisons of different biochars when utilized for BBF production, a framework for standardized evaluation of biochar feedstocks, regional field validation, and life-cycle economic assessment to accelerate BBFs adoption as a nutrient-efficient, climate-resilient alternative to conventional fertilizers.
Beatriz Aparecida Muniz Pereira et al 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 024002
Millions of people worldwide rely on disposable sanitary pads, but the high concentration of fossil-based polymers in their composition has negative effects on the environment. This includes the impact of extracting raw materials and the disposal of used products. While sustainable alternatives to traditional pads exist, they are not widely adopted due to their low level of commoditization. This makes them less attractive to companies who prioritize elevated levels of consumption. One promising alternative is the use of biopolymer-based disposable absorbents, particularly polylactic acid (PLA), that can be derived from corn starch and is biodegradable. This study used the life cycle assessment and found that using sanitary pads made with polyethylene for 1 year generates impacts about seventeen times higher compared to using absorbents made with PLA. However, PLA production contributes to higher land use and agricultural emissions. Despite these challenges, PLA remains a promising alternative due to its renewable sourcing and lower environmental footprint in key impact categories. The findings align with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action), promoting sustainable hygiene products while mitigating environmental impacts.
Erfan Hosseini et al 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 032001
The integration of anaerobic digestion (AD) into pulp and paper mill operations presents a sustainable pathway for managing pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS), a significant waste stream rich in organic matter. However, the process is constrained by the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulosic biomass, nitrogen deficiency, and low buffering capacity—factors that contribute to reduced methane yields and economic infeasibility. This review critically examines over 200 studies to identify key bottlenecks in the AD of PPMS. It evaluates emerging strategies to enhance biodegradability and economic feasibility, including alkaline pretreatment with green liquor dregs, combining primary sludge and secondary sludge, co-digestion with rejected fibers and nutrient-rich substrates, sequential H2 and CH4 production, and biochar addition. The paper also discusses the role of mechanistic and data-driven modeling in optimizing the AD of PPMS and reviews existing techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment studies documented in the literature. These insights provide a valuable foundation for further research and supporting the practical implementation of AD within the pulp and paper industry.
Clara Matte Borges Machado et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 012002
To meet the demands of exponential population growth, industrial and agricultural activities have intensified, resulting in the release of numerous hazardous substances, including emerging contaminants (ECs). Such chemicals include pharmaceuticals, emerging pathogens, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and microplastics. ECs are persistent in various environments, difficult to remove during wastewater treatment, and their elimination has become of global concern. In fact, the mitigation of ECs aligns with some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 6, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13, and SDG 14 which are related to minimizing hazardous chemicals in water bodies, management of waste through its life cycle and the conservation of water resources for sustainable development. One promising approach is the ‘waste-by-waste’ strategy, which adopts a circular economy perspective by repurposing residues from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources to remove ECs. Such compounds are usually degraded by oxireductases, especially laccases, which oxidize ECs, reducing the toxicity of the pollutants and their intermediates. These enzymes can be immobilized in waste-derived biochar, enhancing catalytic performance and system reusability in environmental remediation, representing a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for ECs degradation. This review investigates the potential of waste-derived biochar for enzyme immobilization and its application in ECs mitigation. It highlights the principles of waste-by-waste treatment and the circular bioeconomy, outlines methods of biochar production and enzymatic immobilization, and critically discusses recent advances as well as the main challenges of this emerging approach.
Federico M Ferrero Vallana et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 014003
The development of non-flammable, non-volatile electrolytes is important for safer lithium and sodium batteries, to facilitate our transition to a net zero economy, but the reliance on fluorine-containing anions brings significant environmental concerns. Here, acesulfamate based ionic liquids (ILs), sodium acesulfamate (Na[ace]) and lithium acesulfamate (Li[ace]) are introduced as promising new fluorine free materials as a more sustainable alternative to the perfluorinated anions (BF4, PF6, FSI and TFSI) currently utilised in energy storage devices. The resulting ammonium, phosphonium and pyrrolidinium acesulfame ILs showed promising physicochemical properties with a relative high conductivity (e.g. 1.4 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 30 °C for [N1222][ace]) and a wide electrochemical stability window (∼4 V). Lithium and sodium acesulfamate salts were synthesised from potassium acesulfamate (ACE-K) via an acid-base reaction. The use of acesulfamate ILs as electrolytes was investigated by mixing with sodium or lithium acesulfamate salts and characterisation of their physicochemical and electrochemical properties. Polyethylene oxide based free standing membranes composed of [N2222][ace] with Na or Li [ace] were fabricated and tested in symmetrical Li or Na metal cells, demonstrating good electrochemical performance in both variable current density tests and longer-term cycling at elevated temperatures. Thus, the new Li and acesulfamate salts, the ILs and their mixtures, represent valuable new materials for the development of fluorine free electrolytes for energy storage devices.
Tochukwu Ozor et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 012001
Global agriculture faces the critical challenge of feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050, while minimizing environmental harm and preserving the socioeconomic stability of the world. Biochar, a carbon-rich material with unique physicochemical properties like surface area and pore space, has been proven to be go for soil amendment by improving nutrient retention, water-holding capacity, and microbial activity while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, its inherent nutrient deficiency limits its use as a standalone fertilizer. Integrating biochar with nutrient-rich organic and inorganic materials to produce biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs) offers a promising path toward sustainable crop production. Evidence from recent studies indicates that BBFs can increase crop yield by up to 94%, reduce nitrate leaching by 68%, and enhance soil phosphorus availability by 45%, supporting soil health and nutrient efficiency. However, BBFs performance depends strongly on biochar type used, enrichment materials, production methods, and soil conditions. Despite these benefits, high production costs, scalability constraints, and a lack of standardization hinder widespread adoption. Beyond these facts, this review identified trends in the types of biochar used for BBF production and a gap in studies that critically evaluate biochar choice in the overall performance of BBFs for sustainable crop production, considering agronomic, environmental, and economic indices. The analysis highlights critical gaps, including inconsistent yield responses in fertile soils and the uncertain long-term behavior of heavy metals in manure-derived biochar. To address these, we propose that future studies should focus on direct performance comparisons of different biochars when utilized for BBF production, a framework for standardized evaluation of biochar feedstocks, regional field validation, and life-cycle economic assessment to accelerate BBFs adoption as a nutrient-efficient, climate-resilient alternative to conventional fertilizers.
Shuhan Qin et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 014002
The electrocatalytic two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e−ORR) for the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an efficient, green, and sustainable technology. However, due to the scaling relationship of the adsorption energy of reaction intermediates, there has long been a trade-off between the activity and selectivity of catalysts, unfavorable in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals. This work comprehensively studies the feasibility of achieving efficient 2e−ORR using pyridine nitrogen-coordinated p-block metal-based single-atom catalyst (SAC) (P@Nx) through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, analyzing its thermodynamic stability, catalytic activity, and H2O2 selectivity. The results show that P@Nx can partially break the scaling relationship between ΔG*OOH and ΔG*O through the transformation of adsorption configurations and the relaxation deformation of the metal–nitrogen (M–N) bonds in the substrate. By regulating the degree of charge transfer, the ΔG*OOH can be tuned into the optimal range for 2e−ORR activity, while maintaining the selectivity descriptor ΔΔG at a low level, thereby enabling a synergistic enhancement in both activity and selectivity. Furthermore, we combine multivariate correlation analysis and multiple linear regression to construct a comprehensive descriptor ϕ based on material property parameters, which quantitatively elucidates the influence weight of material properties on ΔG*OOH. Our work not only screens out P@Nx catalysts with promising application potential but also offers key theoretical insights for the rational design of high-performance p-block metal-based SACs for H2O2 electrosynthesis. It is thereby expected to advance the development of green, sustainable electrochemical synthesis technology and beyond.
Bernd G K Steiger et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 014001
Agro- and food-waste biomass such as oat hull (Oh) or spent coffee ground (SCG) biomass can yield sustainable adsorbents for water treatment. However, adsorbents in powdered form often face constraints in practical applications (column applications due to backpressure, ease of handling and recovery), which can be alleviated with granular adsorbents that may have lower surface area and adsorption capacity. Granular adsorbents were prepared from 50% Oh or SCG, 10% Kaolinite (K), and 40% chitosan (Chi) as binder that offer active site for surface modification. Surface modification via crosslinking and furfuryl-pyridinium (Py) led to adsorbents SCG50-Py and Oh50-Py. These adsorbents were assessed to remove methyl orange (MO; anionic dye) or methylene blue (MB; cationic dye) from water. Materials characterization employed 13C solids NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and solvent swelling (water & cyclohexane). Dye adsorption isotherms employed the Sips isotherm model to characterize the adsorption parameters. The water uptake of SCG50-Py and Oh50-Py was 100%, while the weight increased for Oh50-Py by 16% and SCG50-Py by 8% in cyclohexane. Prior to furfuryl-pyridinium modification, electrostatic forces dominated the adsorption process where either MO or MB dye adsorption occurred. Upon modification, SCG50-Py showed 74 mg g−1 MO and 24 mg g−1 MB dye adsorption capacity, whereas Oh50-Py observed 121 mg g−1 MO and 17 mg g−1 MB dye adsorption capacity. Surface modification via chemical crosslinking favored stable Oh50-based adsorbents, while the Py modification resulted in dual adsorption of anionic and cationic dyes. SCG50-based adsorbents observe higher stability, as compared to Oh50-based adsorbents without crosslinking. Valorization of under-utilized biomass for concerted MO and MB removal was achieved through a facile granulation and surface modification strategy. Future planned kinetic adsorption studies are anticipated to provide mechanistic insight, along with adsorbent reusability studies in laboratory and environmental water sources to further establish the utility of these systems for practical applications.
Clara Matte Borges Machado et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 012002
To meet the demands of exponential population growth, industrial and agricultural activities have intensified, resulting in the release of numerous hazardous substances, including emerging contaminants (ECs). Such chemicals include pharmaceuticals, emerging pathogens, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and microplastics. ECs are persistent in various environments, difficult to remove during wastewater treatment, and their elimination has become of global concern. In fact, the mitigation of ECs aligns with some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 6, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13, and SDG 14 which are related to minimizing hazardous chemicals in water bodies, management of waste through its life cycle and the conservation of water resources for sustainable development. One promising approach is the ‘waste-by-waste’ strategy, which adopts a circular economy perspective by repurposing residues from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources to remove ECs. Such compounds are usually degraded by oxireductases, especially laccases, which oxidize ECs, reducing the toxicity of the pollutants and their intermediates. These enzymes can be immobilized in waste-derived biochar, enhancing catalytic performance and system reusability in environmental remediation, representing a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for ECs degradation. This review investigates the potential of waste-derived biochar for enzyme immobilization and its application in ECs mitigation. It highlights the principles of waste-by-waste treatment and the circular bioeconomy, outlines methods of biochar production and enzymatic immobilization, and critically discusses recent advances as well as the main challenges of this emerging approach.
Tochukwu Ozor et al 2026 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 3 012001
Global agriculture faces the critical challenge of feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050, while minimizing environmental harm and preserving the socioeconomic stability of the world. Biochar, a carbon-rich material with unique physicochemical properties like surface area and pore space, has been proven to be go for soil amendment by improving nutrient retention, water-holding capacity, and microbial activity while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, its inherent nutrient deficiency limits its use as a standalone fertilizer. Integrating biochar with nutrient-rich organic and inorganic materials to produce biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs) offers a promising path toward sustainable crop production. Evidence from recent studies indicates that BBFs can increase crop yield by up to 94%, reduce nitrate leaching by 68%, and enhance soil phosphorus availability by 45%, supporting soil health and nutrient efficiency. However, BBFs performance depends strongly on biochar type used, enrichment materials, production methods, and soil conditions. Despite these benefits, high production costs, scalability constraints, and a lack of standardization hinder widespread adoption. Beyond these facts, this review identified trends in the types of biochar used for BBF production and a gap in studies that critically evaluate biochar choice in the overall performance of BBFs for sustainable crop production, considering agronomic, environmental, and economic indices. The analysis highlights critical gaps, including inconsistent yield responses in fertile soils and the uncertain long-term behavior of heavy metals in manure-derived biochar. To address these, we propose that future studies should focus on direct performance comparisons of different biochars when utilized for BBF production, a framework for standardized evaluation of biochar feedstocks, regional field validation, and life-cycle economic assessment to accelerate BBFs adoption as a nutrient-efficient, climate-resilient alternative to conventional fertilizers.
Utkarsha Bhetuwal et al 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 042001
Olive and grape pomaces are waste by-products generated during olive oil extraction and wine-making processes respectively. Studies have found that direct disposal of these waste by-products can lead to environmental issues affecting soil and groundwater due to their acidity and high organic content. Previous research indicates that including these materials in asphalt pavements enhances durability because of antioxidation behavior of the olive and grape pomaces. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analyses (TEA) are methods that can be used to understand potential environmental and cost benefits of asphalt pavement technologies using these by-products. To date, no study was found that included LCA and TEA of olive or grape pomaces in asphalt pavements. This state-of-the-art review gathers various other pavement LCA and TEA studies focusing on methodologies and findings to assist future studies on this topic. In addition, this study also reviews the oxidation failure of asphalt pavement pointing out the potential benefits of olive and grape pomaces as antioxidants. This study identifies various methodologies used in different phases of pavement LCA, impact analysis results, and various procedures involving pavement TEA to assist with future studies on benefits of olive and pomaces in asphalt pavement. Overall, by promoting the reuse of agricultural waste in infrastructure, this review directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—specifically SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action)—through the development of more durable, low-impact pavement technologies that foster sustainable industry practices and climate change mitigation. Additionally, a conceptual framework is also proposed in this review to provide guidance to future research on developing LCA and TEA models on using antioxidant-rich olive and grape pomace in asphalt pavement. Finally, potential practical challenges such as material availability, odor, and construction and transportation challenges are also highlighted, providing recommendations for practitioners and researchers.
Roger Borges et al 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 032002
Here, we revise the recent advances for detoxifying asbestos-containing materials, including strategies for adding value to the byproducts over the past five years. This review is closely linked to several key Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. Specifically, it focuses on Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), aiming for resilient and inclusive urban development. It also addresses Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), which promotes sustainable resource use and waste reduction. Additionally, the review explores Goal 15 (Life on Land), emphasizing the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems. Through these interconnected goals, the review highlights the importance of sustainability in ensuring long-term environmental and societal health. A summary of the structural features of various asbestos-containing materials is presented, introducing the different approaches for safely managing asbestos waste, focusing on biological, thermal or hydrothermal, and chemical or mechanochemical treatments. Biological methods, including fermentation, organic acid use, and biofilm formation, are promising for asbestos degradation. Thermal treatments, especially high-temperature calcination, effectively deactivate asbestos fibers and convert them into valuable materials. Although less studied, mechanochemical techniques show potential for transforming asbestos into slow-release fertilizers and other useful products. Among the potential methods cited for treatment of asbestos-containing materials, our review demonstrates an increase in research focused on biological approaches, although it still requires applied studies on an industrial scale.
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John D Chea and Michael A Gonzalez 2025 Sustain. Sci. Technol. 2 033501
Current alternative assessment (AA) methods for chemicals have yet to be completed from the entire life cycle perspective. Conventionally, AA efforts compare chemical alternatives by examining toxicity, hazard, exposure, and physicochemical properties to meet an intended functional use of the chemical of concern against a list of viable alternative options. However, this current methodology often does not cover the role of each proposed alternative chemical throughout its life cycle, leading to the possible exclusion of long-term sustainability considerations by limited views on burden shifting. This tutorial article describes the incorporation of life cycle thinking (LCT), such as raw material extraction, manufacturing, usage, and end-of-life management, to support more inclusive alternative chemical assessments. The LCT elements cover impacts derived from chemical lineage, supply chain dynamics, and process design, an improvement from conventional AA approaches, which often stop at assessing hazards and fulfilling functional use. This expanded approach also addresses the possible data gaps expected from each assessment step. Methodological gaps in current assessments can also be minimized by adding supply chain impact, sustainability, and hazard assessment across the life cycle. Therefore, this expanded methodology can be used to automate data acquisition to aid in assessing safer and more sustainable chemical alternatives.
Moreira et al
Phosphorus (P) is a finite, essential resource critical for agriculture, yet its unsustainable management through excessive fertilizer application leads to significant environmental degradation, including water pollution. This directly impedes progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 (Zero Hunger) by wasting resources vital for food security and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by polluting aquatic ecosystems. Here, we develop a reagent-free orthophosphate chemosensor based on a sorbent material containing graphene oxide (GO) and diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride (PolyDADMAC), termed GO-PDDA. Laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes were coated with GO-PDDA material using four different grafting or drop-cast techniques. Electrochemical testing showed that grafted GO-PDDA electrodes were more efficient than drop-cast GO-PDDA or DADMAC grafted electrodes. Developed GO-PDDA sensor is applied for sensing orthophosphate in aqueous samples at pH 7-9. Equivalent circuit modeling indicated that capacitive behavior coincides with Frumkin/Melik-Gaykazyan adsorption theory, where tetrahedral oxyanions increase low-frequency capacitance in thin films. The sensor achieves a detection limit of 20±4 ppb with a rapid 5-minute response time, covering concentrations relevant to natural waters. It exhibits high selectivity, being 97% selective for divalent ortho-P over common interferents, 93% over chloride/nitrate, and 87% over sulfate. The chemosensor is reusable, showing less than 5% performance change after regeneration. Validated against EPA Method 365.3 in urban creek water (R2=0.92), it offers a faster, reagent-free alternative for direct ortho-P quantification. This work marks the first use of PolyDADMAC as a recognition material in an electrochemical sensor, positioning it as a promising tool for sustainable P management, directly supporting SDG 2, SDG 6, and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Pedinotti-Castelle et al
Limiting global warming to 1.5 or 2 °C requires deep decarbonization across energy, economic, and behavioral systems. While hybrid modeling frameworks combining top-down computable general equilibrium (CGE) models with bottom-up energy system models (e.g., TIMES) are well-established, few studies have integrated large-scale behavioral disruptions or quantified their indirect, economy-wide rebound effects. This study addresses this gap by soft-linking a CGE and TIMES model to evaluate the consequences of a 20% reduction in private vehicle demand in Quebec, Canada, a scenario consistent with regional sustainable mobility policies and empirical evidence on car-sharing. The analysis examines key indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions, sector-specific energy consumption, and economic metrics like GDP, household incomes, and investments. Results show that behavioral disruption can be a win–win measure, improving economic performance while reducing decarbonization costs. The linked framework reveals sectoral reallocations, with industrial emissions declining and service-sector emissions partially increasing, reflecting rebound effects that evolve over time—from 17% in 2025 to 67% in 2050—consistent with transport rebound effects reported in the literature (16–92%). Energy savings remain substantial, particularly for fossil fuels, with transportation energy use decreasing by 4–10% relative to the baseline of 461.6 PJ of which private vehicles accounted for 44.4% in 2021, though increased low-carbon electricity consumption moderates long-term GHG reductions. This study highlights the importance of incorporating behavioral dynamics and rebound effects into prospective decarbonization modeling. It contributes to life cycle systems thinking and provides critical insights for policymakers designing robust, demand-side climate strategies.
Padhye et al
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a large - and structurally diverse - group of contaminants that have become ubiquitous in our environment. PFAS are all extremely persistent, while some are also bioaccumulative, mobile, and/or toxic, which gives rise to significant environmental and health concerns. Despite more than a decade of intensive research, the management of PFAS is still associated with considerable challenges. It is evident that a holistic approach is required to address the challenging global problem of PFAS. This roadmap features expert perspectives from world-renowned leading researchers and practitioners on how best to manage PFAS. The 15 topics cover different facets of the complex PFAS issue, providing a multidisciplinary and multisectoral overview. For each topic, we reflect on the current status of knowledge and offer recommendations on science and technology advances that will help meet current and future challenges. Taken together, the 15 topics cover the entire life cycle of PFAS - from their sources to their destruction. Important themes such as monitoring and analysis, understanding and predicting fate, source controls (regulation and replacement), and existing and emerging strategies for remediation (capture and destroy) are highlighted throughout the roadmap. Overall, there are many recent scientific and technological advancements that show promise for the management of PFAS. However, it is also clear that there is no “silver bullet” and multifaceted solutions will be needed. Long-term success hinges on sustained collaboration among researchers, policymakers, industries, and communities, which we hope this roadmap will help to catalyze.
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- 2024-present
Sustainability Science and Technology
Online ISSN: 2977-3504