ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH

Abstract Phase-selective organogelators are spill-treating agents that self-assemble within oil slicks on water to render the oil a semi-solid, which can facilitate its containment and recovery from the environment. Gelators are often built from natural products and oleophilic moieties to impart phase-selectivity, while making them applicable as spill-treating agents offering net environmental be…

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a key indicator of soil health in cities. However, its monitoring in heterogeneous urban landscapes is still constrained by the cost and time requirements of conventional analyses. Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy offers a rapid, non-destructive, and cost-effective alternative, but its use in urban soils and its integration with emerging measurement st…

Abstract Subsea dispersant injection (SSDI) has become a widely adopted contingency method since its first large-scale application during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. In Norwegian waters, where offshore oil and gas production occurs at shallower depths (100–400 m), a significant volume of chemically dispersed oil could surface due to the limited depth and high plume buoyancy from unco…

Glacial mountain watersheds are among the most climate-sensitive hydrological systems, where even minor shifts in temperature or precipitation can trigger significant changes in water availability, flood potential, and ecosystem stability. This study quantifies the projected impacts of climate change on the hydrology of the Shigar River Basin, Central Karakoram, Pakistan, using the Soil and Water…

The Lowlands of Lesotho are critical for socio-economic growth, hosting significant activities and infrastructure, yet they face pressures from population growth, urbanisation, and land degradation. This study assessed the performance of two leading machine learning algorithms, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), in predicting land cover change from 1993 to 2039.…

Abstract Climate change is resulting in increased and more complex and integrated environmental challenges. The Arctic regions are warming faster than other parts of the globe and affecting Indigenous and other communities. Food safety and human health are critical factors globally. These issues are examined with presentations of action strategies and the sustainability factors for these issues a…

Abstract Modelling land use and land cover changes resulting from mining at Grootegeluk coal mine has become essential for understanding the spatial and temporal impacts of mining on the surrounding geo-environment and for informing environmental management and rehabilitation strategies. Using Landsat satellite imagery spanning the years 1990, 1999, 2008, 2017, and 2025, the study employs advance…

The widespread use of single-use plastic (SUP) water bottles has raised growing concerns about chronic human exposure to nanoplastics (NPs). This study presents a quantitative assessment of NP accumulation in human tissues resulting from the long-term consumption of SUP water bottles. Using survey-derived consumption data and the Human Exposure and Absorption Simulation Interface (HEASI) Plastic …

Achieving net-zero emissions demands the strategic deployment of carbon capture technologies (CCTs) supported by transparent and reliable assessment frameworks. This study introduces an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach that unites the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and the Fermatean Fuzzy Full Consistency Method (FF-FUCOM) to prioritize performance indi…

Climate change is a global challenge that is propelled by increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Forest ecosystems and the Harvested Wood Products make a valuable contribution to mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration and storage. This study integrates field-based biomass measurements with CO₂FIX modeling to quantify aboveground biomass and harvested wood produ…

Abstract Background The rapid urbanisation and change in consumption patterns have made Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management a pressing global issue especially in developing countries including Ghana. The daily generation of waste is becoming a growing problem for the waste management system, especially Accra, the capital city of Ghana. This operational problem poses significant risks to public…

Reliable assessment of water balance (WB) under climate change requires an explicit treatment of uncertainty, particularly for precipitation (Pr). This study evaluated near‑future hydro‑climatic projections (2024–2054) for Lashkenar Village, northern Iran, using CMIP6 models under the SSP2‑4.5 scenario. A structured framework was applied, combining lead–lag correction, bias correction, statistica…

Alloy coatings have completely transformed the performance of steel components, offering essential protection against corrosion and mechanical wear. Therefore, the necessity to engineer sustainable chemical coatings like that of Zn-Ni alloys was motivated because of their ability to outperform other potentially toxic metal alloy coatings. These coatings are known for their superior tribological c…

Carbon markets are crucial climate mitigation mechanisms, yet their capacity to generate biodiversity co-benefits remains inadequately synthesized. With nations advancing Paris Agreement Article 6 commitments, implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), and pursuing Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land), examining how market-based inst…

Ecosystem services (ES) are direct and indirect benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems. Land use land cover (LULC) change profoundly influences ecosystem service values (ESVs), shaping ecological functionality and human well-being. Using Landsat data from 1995 to 2025, LULC was analyzed for spatiotemporal change in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia, using GIS and remote sensing techniques. By integrati…

Abstract The building sector plays a crucial role in urbanization and economic growth. However, the sector is a major emitter of greenhouse gases and dependent on fossil fuel energy. In 2022, it accounted for 37% of global energy and process-related CO 2 emissions, underscoring its impact on climate change. This study aims to predict greenhouse gas emissions from buildings across six African nati…

Effective monitoring and assessment of groundwater quality are essential for sustainable resource management in arid regions. This study investigates the hydrogeochemical variability and environmental risks associated with groundwater in the Neyshabur Plain, northeastern Iran, as a semi-arid basin under climatic pressures. To clarify spatial variability, the study distinguishes between groundwate…

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40068-025-00411-9.