Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Urbanisation of coastal zones increases sewage loads and microbiological risks in bathing waters. This study evaluates whether relocating a planned submarine outfall can reduce these risks while preserving suitable bathing conditions along the Itaipuaçu coast, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A coupled framework integrates three-dimensional hydrodynamics, near-field plume simulations, and a Lagrangian far…

Abstract Pesticides continue to be widely used despite the concerns about their negative impacts on non-target organisms. Birds are at risk from exposure to several classes of pesticides regardless of the habitats they are found in, since pesticides are applied in rural and urban areas. In some instances, the doses received have been found to cause lethal and/or sublethal effects. However, levels…

Abstract Plastic fractions recovered from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are growing rapidly worldwide, yet their net environmental benefit remains under-quantified—especially in emerging economies such as Brazil, where recycling infrastructure is still maturing. Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene (ABS) and High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) together account for a large share of this s…

Abstract The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the energy recovery potential from both biogas and the incineration of dewatered sludge, aiming to meet the energy demand of a small municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) with a treatment capacity below 50 L s −1 . The energy potential of sludge incineration was characterized based on its gross calorific value, while energy p…

Abstract The fermentation of industrial wastes derived from water recovery (pretreated microalgae biomass, PTMB), biodiesel (glycerol, GLY), and ethanol (vinasse, VIN)) is a promising sustainable alternative for producing volatile fatty acids (VFA). In this study, controlled fermentation experiments were performed using PTMB-VIN and PTMB-GLY mixtures with varying substrate concentrations and rete…