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Applications and Strategies of Using Seaweed and Other Resources for Environmental Protection and Resource Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 24 May 2024 | Viewed by 4036

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Qingjie Hou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science, College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
Interests: resource utilization of micro-algae; development and application of microbial fuel cell; agricultural wastewater treatment
Prof. Dr. Fenwu Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science, College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
Interests: solid-waste recycling; development of environmental material; wastewater treatment; remediation of soil pollution
Dr. Yunxiao Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science, College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
Interests: marine inorganic carbon cycle; marine ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the rapid development of the global economy, a series of environmental problems have arisen, mainly manifesting as the eutrophication of water, excessive content of harmful elements and heavy metals, etc., in water bodies, which have caused serious harm to both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. In the context of a future energy crisis, due to the close relationship between water and energy, the water problem is expected to worsen considerably. The traditional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are inefficient and require a high consumption of energy, and may cause secondary pollution, which is not a sustainable development industrial model. Moreover, some pollutants can be used as resources for other production processes. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and use sustainable strategies to solve the pollution problem in water environments.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for global researchers to report research advances in wastewater treatment and resource utilization by functional types of seaweed or other strategies for ecological and environmental sustainability. In this regard, I would like to invite you to contribute original research and review papers to promote and share your valuable results related to environmental sustainability and sustainable development.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. Application of seaweed resources for treatment or improvement of the environment;
  2. Marine ecology and environment protection strategies;
  3. Separation and purification of seaweed resources and their individual components;
  4. Techno-economics of waste treatment;
  5. Techniques for solving environmental pollution.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Qingjie Hou
Prof. Dr. Fenwu Liu
Dr. Yunxiao Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wastewater treatment
  • resource utilization
  • seaweed resources
  • techno-economics
  • recycling techniques

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3151 KiB  
Article
The Sustained Response of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon to Urban Constructed Wetland in the Fenhe River, China: A Case Study
by Jiajia Dang, Meifang Zhang and Yunxiao Li
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1930; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051930 - 27 Feb 2024
Viewed by 433
Abstract
Sustained wetland utilization has been effective in purifying urban riverine pollutants and promoting sustainable development. However, its effect on water CO2 system remains unclear in semi-arid areas. In this study, seasonal monitoring of the carbonate system was performed at two compared stations, [...] Read more.
Sustained wetland utilization has been effective in purifying urban riverine pollutants and promoting sustainable development. However, its effect on water CO2 system remains unclear in semi-arid areas. In this study, seasonal monitoring of the carbonate system was performed at two compared stations, i.e., in constructed wetland (Xiangyun station) and its upstream (Lancun station) in a semi-arid river (the Fenhe River) in China. As indicated by the result of the sustained monthly observation from May 2020 to May 2021, riverine dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) reached 30.9–46.7 mg L−1 and 524–1050 μatm in Lancun station, respectively, whereas the above-described values declined significantly in Xiangyun station with the values of 24.1–39.1 mg L−1 for DIC and 188–873 μatm for pCO2. Compared with the Lancun station where the carbonate system was primarily controlled by natural factors (e.g., carbonate weathering and temperature), significant aquatic photosynthesis and calcification precipitation due to constructed wetland triggered the decrease in DIC and pCO2 and dominated their temporal variation in Xiangyun station. Thus, the large CO2 reduction arising from constructed wetlands may create vital paths for CO2 neutralization and sustainable conservation in urban rivers in arid and semi-arid areas in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications and Strategies of Using Seaweed and Other Resources for Environmental Protection and Resource Sustainability)
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14 pages, 2738 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Nitrogen Sources on the Formation of Biogenic Jarosite
by Haitao Huang, Weitong Hu, Xiang Zi, Xiaomeng Wang, Jianru Liang and Lixiang Zhou
Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15765; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215765 - 09 Nov 2023
Viewed by 759
Abstract
The effects of nitrogen sources on the biosynthesis of jarosite were investigated by analyzing the changes in pH, Fe2+, total Fe (TFe), and jarosite production in a 9K culture medium containing different nitrogen sources. Three nitrogen sources, namely (NH4) [...] Read more.
The effects of nitrogen sources on the biosynthesis of jarosite were investigated by analyzing the changes in pH, Fe2+, total Fe (TFe), and jarosite production in a 9K culture medium containing different nitrogen sources. Three nitrogen sources, namely (NH4)2SO4, carbamide (CO(NH2)2), and NH4NO3, were used in this study. The solution’s pH and Fe2+ concentrations were set to 2.5 and 160 mmol/L, respectively. The results demonstrated that the three different nitrogen sources could be used by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) LX5, but the degree of utilization differed. The addition of (NH4)2SO4 facilitated the growth of A. ferrooxidans LX5 compared with the other two nitrogen sources, while the bacterial activity in the CO(NH2)2 set was minimum. The pH of the solution had an inverse correlation with bacterial activity. The mineralization rate using (NH4)2SO4 as the nitrogen source was 42.48%, which was slightly higher than the rates obtained with CO(NH2)2 and NH4NO3 (31.67% and 35.35%, respectively). The resulting minerals showed a different appearance and chemical composition. However, the XRD spectra showed similar chemical structure. The jarosites were identified as a mixture of jarosite, ammonioiarosite, and carphosiderite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications and Strategies of Using Seaweed and Other Resources for Environmental Protection and Resource Sustainability)
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19 pages, 1531 KiB  
Article
Construction of Low-Carbon Land Use and Management System in Coal Mining Areas
by Yunxiu Ma and Zhanjun Xu
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12486; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612486 - 17 Aug 2023
Viewed by 756
Abstract
In 2021, the Chinese government set the national development goal of ‘carbon peak and carbon neutrality’. Defining the carbon cycle process of land use is the first step for the implementation of low-carbon land use in coal mining areas. In this study, the [...] Read more.
In 2021, the Chinese government set the national development goal of ‘carbon peak and carbon neutrality’. Defining the carbon cycle process of land use is the first step for the implementation of low-carbon land use in coal mining areas. In this study, the carbon income and expenditure of land use in coal mining areas were analyzed theoretically using normative analysis, and thus the corresponding conceptual model of the carbon budget was formed. Concretely, carbon emissions from the coal industry were mainly from two aspects, that is, soil carbon emissions caused by drastic changes in land use in the coal exploration and exploitation stage and greenhouse gas emissions in the coal collection stage. Moreover, carbon in the air is sequestered in the soil when exploration land and mining land were reclaimed into woodland and grassland. Meanwhile, to optimize the utilization of land resources and realize the land low-carbon pattern from the management perspective, the logic system of land low-carbon use management in coal mining areas was explored using normative analysis and literature review. Thus, a complete management system including the management objective, subject, object, means, and implementation guarantee mechanism was built in detail. This study provided ideas for carbon reduction in coal mining areas and laid a decision-making basis for regional low-carbon land use and sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications and Strategies of Using Seaweed and Other Resources for Environmental Protection and Resource Sustainability)
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16 pages, 2893 KiB  
Article
High-Efficient Elimination of Spiramycin by Fe3O4/ZSM-5/Sch via Heterogeneous Photo-Fenton Oxidation at Neutral pH
by Jiali Yi, Junjun Xu, Jiatong Liu, Yue Zheng and Qiong Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12343; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612343 - 14 Aug 2023
Viewed by 728
Abstract
Spiramycin (SPM), a widely employed antibiotic in both clinical therapy and the livestock industry, poses significant challenges in terms of safe and efficacious management. A heterogeneous photo-Fenton system, devised using Schwertmannite (Sch), can effectively degrade contaminants. However, it is accompanied by a relatively [...] Read more.
Spiramycin (SPM), a widely employed antibiotic in both clinical therapy and the livestock industry, poses significant challenges in terms of safe and efficacious management. A heterogeneous photo-Fenton system, devised using Schwertmannite (Sch), can effectively degrade contaminants. However, it is accompanied by a relatively low conversion efficiency of ≡Fe3+/≡Fe2+ and a significant iron loss. In this study, a catalyst featuring Fe3O4 and ZSM-5 molecular sieve-modified Sch (Fe3O4/ZSM-5/Sch) was devised to enhance the catalytic activity and stability. The findings revealed that Fe3O4/ZSM-5/Sch exhibited exceptional catalytic activity, with the reaction first-order kinetic exceeding that of pure Sch. The active species including ·OH, h+, e−, ·O2− and SO4·− were identified in the UV/Fe3O4/ZSM-5/Sch-H2O2 system. The enhanced catalytic activity of Fe3O4/ZSM-5/Sch could be ascribed to the effective conversion of ≡Fe3+/≡Fe2+. The photogenerated electrons within Fe3O4 were transported to Sch via ZSM-5, which effectually reduced ≡Fe3+/≡Fe2. Moreover, Fe3O4/ZSM-5/Sch demonstrated outstanding stability; even after six cycles, the degradation efficiency of SPM remained above 86.50%, and the leaching quantity of Fe remained below 0.24 mg/L. This research not only develops an excellent catalyst for the safe treatment of SPM but also proffers innovative perspectives for the future design of efficient iron-based catalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications and Strategies of Using Seaweed and Other Resources for Environmental Protection and Resource Sustainability)
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20 pages, 4366 KiB  
Article
Application of Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm II in Multi-Objective Water Supply Optimization Model Design for Mountainous Complex Terrain
by Yihong Guan, Yangyang Chu, Mou Lv, Shuyan Li, Hang Li, Shen Dong and Yanbo Su
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 12091; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151512091 - 07 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 850
Abstract
Water distribution networks (WDN) model optimization is an important part of smart water systems to achieve optimal strategies. WDN optimization focuses on the nonlinearity of the discharge head loss equation, the availability of discrete properties of pipe sizes, and the conservation of constraints. [...] Read more.
Water distribution networks (WDN) model optimization is an important part of smart water systems to achieve optimal strategies. WDN optimization focuses on the nonlinearity of the discharge head loss equation, the availability of discrete properties of pipe sizes, and the conservation of constraints. Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have been proposed and successfully applied in the field of WDN design optimization. Previous studies have focused on comparing the optimization effects of algorithms in water distribution networks, ignoring the problems of unbalanced pressure distribution and water hammer at the nodes of the pipe network caused by the complex terrain in mountainous areas. In this paper, a multi-objective water supply optimization model that integrated cost, reliability, and water quality was established for a mountainous WDN in real engineering. The method of traversing the nodes to solve the water age was introduced to find a more scientific and practical water age solution model, with setting the weight function to evaluate the water age of the water supply model comprehensively. Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm II (SPEA-II) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) were adopted to optimize the WDN design model in the mountainous complex terrain. The significance levels of the number of Pareto solutions (NOPS) and running time are 0.029 and 0.001, respectively, indicating that the two algorithms have significant differences. Compared to NSGA-II, SPEA-II has a better convergence rate and running time in multi-objective water supply optimization design. The solution set distribution of SPEA-II is more concentrated than that of NSGA-II, also the numerical value is better. The number of SPEA-II optimization schemes is larger and the scheme is more effective. Among them, the Pareto solution set of SPEA-II can obtain more desirable optimization results on cost, reliability index (RI) and water age. In summary, the study provides valuable information for decision makers in WDN with complex terrain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications and Strategies of Using Seaweed and Other Resources for Environmental Protection and Resource Sustainability)
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