Abstract: We assessed the impact of road disturbances on the dominant mycorrhizal types in ecosystems at the global level and how this mechanism can potentially lead to lasting plant community changes. We used a database of coordinated plant community surveys following mountain roads from 894 plots in 11 mountain regions across the globe in combination with an existing database of mycorrhizal-plant associations in order to approximate the relative abundance of mycorrhizal types in natural and disturbed environments. Our findings show that roadside disturbance promotes the cover of plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This effect is especially strong in colder mountain environments and in mountain regions where plant communities are dominated by ectomycorrhizal (EcM) or ericoid-mycorrhizal (ErM) associations. Furthermore, non-native plant species, which we confirmed to be mostly AM plants, are more successful in environments dominated by AM associations. These biogeographical patterns suggest that changes in mycorrhizal types could be a crucial factor in the worldwide impact of anthropogenic disturbances on mountain ecosystems. Indeed, roadsides foster AM-dominated systems, where AM-fungi might aid AM-associated plant species while potentially reducing the biotic resistance against invasive non-native species, often also associated with AM networks. Restoration efforts in mountain ecosystems will have to contend with changes in the fundamental make-up of EcM- and ErM plant communities induced by roadside disturbance.

Abstract: Fast degradation of in-vessel optics is one of the most serious problems for all optical diagnostics in ITER. To provide the resistance to mechanical and thermal stresses along with a high stability of optical characteristics under deposition-dominated conditions we suggest using high-reflective metallic (Ag or Al) film mirrors coated on silicon substrate and protected with thin oxide film in the divertor Thomson Scattering (TS) diagnostics. The mirrors coated with Al2O3 and ZrO2 films were tested under irradiation by deuterium ions. The experimental results on the oxide films sputtering are discussed in the context of their applicability for the first mirror protection in ITER.

Abstract: The precipitation of Rh/Mg/Al and Rh/Al hydroxides on the surface of FeCrAlloy foams by a base electrogeneration method was investigated to improve the properties of the deposited film (homogeneity and composition) and therefore the performances of the structured catalysts, obtained by calcination, in the Catalytic Partial Oxidation of CH4 to syngas. The work focussed on decreasing current gradients within open-cell foam cylinders by increasing the number of electrical contacts from 1 to 3 points to promote a more homogeneous precipitation of the hydroxides. Electrochemical and catalytic tests as well as SEM/EDS and mu-XRFIXRD analyses allowed to correlate the effect of the number of electrical contact points with materials properties. Lastly, syntheses were performed on Pt plates to study the effect of the electrical behaviour and shape of the support on the composition of the film. A more homogeneous coating of the foam surface was achieved by adopting a configuration with 3 contact points since the reduction of nitrates and water molecules that generates the basic media in the vicinity of the support was enhanced. Layer thicknesses up to 5-15 mu m were deposited; however, the sequential precipitation of a film with composition closer to the expected one and a layer enriched in Al and Rh (outer layer) was not avoided. The improvement in the coating gave rise to enhanced performances for a sample prepared at -1.1 V for 3000 s. Contrarily, the low adherence of the outer layer in a sample prepared at -1.2 V for 2000 s during both calcination and catalytic tests may be responsible of the unexpected decrease in catalytic performances. The same sequential precipitation was observed by performing the syntheses on Pt plates, showing that the electrical nature the support did not play a key role on this phenomenon. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Oxygen-permeable perovskites with mixed ionic-electronic conducting properties can play an important role in carbon capture and storage techniques. Their ability to separate oxygen from air is needed, more specifically, in oxy-fuel and pre-combustion technologies. In this work, the first detailed comparative analysis and new results are reported on four types of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-delta (BSCF) capillary membranes: non-coated sulphur-containing; catalyst-coated sulphur-containing; non-coated sulphur-free and catalyst-coated sulphur-free. The fabrication of BSCF capillaries by a spinning technique based on phase inversion is further discussed and their oxygen separation performances are interpreted. The comparison of the performance of these different generations of BSCF capillaries of similar dimensions demonstrates a significant impact of the sulphur contamination on both the oxygen flux through the membrane and the activation energy of the overall oxygen transport mechanism. Careful attention is paid to the effect of activation layers on both sulphur-free and sulphur-containing types of capillaries. Additional long-term testing of the sulphur-free BSCF capillaries is presented, where partial decomposition of the membrane surface was observed due to kinetic demixing. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Catalysis science and technology increased efforts recently to progress beyond conventional “thermal” catalysis and face the challenges of net-zero emissions and electrification of production. Nevertheless, a better gaps and opportunities analysis is necessary. This review analyses four emerging areas of unconventional or less- conventional catalysis which share the common aspect of using directly renewable energy sources: (i) plasma catalysis, (ii) catalysis for flow chemistry and process intensification, (iii) application of electromagnetic (EM) fields to modulate catalytic activity and (iv) nanoscale generation at the catalyst interface of a strong local EM by plasmonic effect. Plasma catalysis has demonstrated synergistic effects, where the outcome is higher than the sum of both processes alone. Still, the underlying mechanisms are complex, and synergy is not always obtained. There is a crucial need for a better understanding to (i) design catalysts tailored to the plasma environment, (ii) design plasma reactors with optimal transport of plasma species to the catalyst surface, and (iii) tune the plasma conditions so they work in optimal synergy with the catalyst. Microfluidic reactors (flow chemistry) is another emerging sector leading to the intensification of catalytic syntheses, particularly in organic chemistry. New unconventional catalysts must be designed to exploit in full the novel possibilities. With a focus on (a) continuous-flow photocatalysis, (b) electrochemical flow catalysis, (c) microwave flow catalysis and (d) ultra­ sound flow activation, a series of examples are discussed, with also indications on scale-up and process indus­ trialisation. The third area discussed regards the effect on catalytic performances of applying oriented EM fields spanning several orders of magnitude. Under well-defined conditions, gas breakdown and, in some cases, plasma formation generates activated gas phase species. The EM field-driven chemical conversion processes depend further on structured electric/magnetic catalysts, which shape the EM field in strength and direction. Different effects influencing chemical conversion have been reported, including reduced activation energy, surface charging, hot spot generation, and selective local heating. The last topic discussed is complementary to the third, focusing on the possibility of tuning the photo- and electro-catalytic properties by creating a strong localised electrical field with a plasmonic effect. The novel possibilities of hot carriers generated by the plasmonic effect are also discussed. This review thus aims to stimulate the reader to make new, creative catalysis to address the challenges of reaching a carbon-neutral world.

Abstract: Zeogrids and Zeotiles are hierarchical materials built from assembled MFI zeolite precursor units. Permanent secondary porosity in these materials is obtained through self assembly of nanoparticles encountered in MFI zeolite synthesis in the presence of supramolecular templates. Hereon, the aggregated species are termed nanoslabs. Zeogrids are layered materials with lateral spacings between nanoslabs creating galleries qualifying as supermicropores. Zeotiles present a diversity of tridimensional nanoslab assemblies with mesopores. Zeotile-1, -4 and -6 are hexagonal mesostructures. Zeotile-1 has triangular and hexagonal channels; Zeotile-4 has hexagonal channels interconnected via slits. Zeotile-2 has a cubic structure with gyroid type mesoporosity. The behavior of Zeogrids and Zeotiles in adsorption, membrane and chromatographic separation and catalysis has been characterized and compared with zeolites and mesoporous materials derived from unstructured silica sources. Shape selectivity was detected via adsorption of n- and iso-alkanes. The mesoporosity of Zeotiles can be exploited in chromatographic separation of biomolecules. Zeotiles present attractive separation properties relevant to CO2 sequestration. Because of its facile synthesis procedure without hydrothermal steps Zeogrid is convenient for membrane synthesis. The performance of Zeogrid membrane in gas separation, nanofiltration and pervaporation is reported. In the Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime Zeogrids and Zeotiles display a catalytic activity characteristic of silicalite-1 zeolites. Introduction of acidity and redox catalytic activity can be achieved via incorporation of Al and Ti atoms in the nanoslabs during synthesis. Zeogrids are active in hydrocracking, catalytic cracking, alkylation and epoxidation reactions. Zeogrids and Zeotiles often behave differently from ordered mesoporous materials as well as from zeolites and present a valuable extension of the family of hierarchical silicate based materials.

Abstract: Plasma catalysis continues to gain increasing scientific interest, both in established fields like toxic waste abatement and emerging fields like greenhouse gas conversion into value-added chemicals. Attention is typically focused on the obtained conversion process selectivity, rates and energy efficiency. Much less attention is usually paid to the underlying mechanistic aspects of the processes that occur. In this contribution, we critically examine a number of fundamentally important nanoscale thermodynamic aspects of plasma catalysis, which are very relevant to these processes but so far have been overlooked or insufficiently covered in the plasma catalysis literature.

Abstract: Mesoporous carbon, which can be replicated from mesoporous silica and whose surface is hydrophobic, can be an ideal catalyst for the esterification of fatty acids. Here we report an easy and low cost way to prepare sulfonic acid group-functionalized mesoporous carbon. A sample of calcined mesoporous silica SBA-15 was added to an aqueous sucrose solution followed by drying and calcination at different temperatures. In contrast to existing procedures, the obtained hybrid Si/C material was then first sulfonated in H2SO4, before the final removal of the silica template in order to stabilize the porous structure towards the liquid phase sulfonation treatment. Thus the silicacarbon composites, instead of the mesoporous carbon, were successfully sulfonated to introduce SO3H groups, while keeping the ordered mesoporous structure intact. The influence of carbonization temperature was investigated, suggesting an optimum temperature of 873 K. The SO3H group-functionalized mesoporous carbon, denoted as CMK-3-873-SO3H, was characterized by means of XRD, N2 physisorption, SEM, FT-IR, elemental analysis and TEM. It followed that a uniform mesoporous carbon was obtained with an average pore size of 3.89 nm, a specific surface of 807 m2/g and a SO3H group loading of 0.39 meq/g of dry material. Compared with other solid acid catalysts, the resulting material shows enhanced activity in the acid-catalyzed esterification of oleic acid with methanol, and can be used repeatedly. The increased catalytic performance is attributed to the hydrophobic surface and larger pore size of the new catalyst. It can effectively accommodate long chain fatty acids and reject formed water, making the active sites easily accessible.

Abstract: The increasing focus on circular economy at the level of governments and policy requires the development of appropriate indicators to effectively monitor the progress towards the circular economy. Currently two very different types of indicator areas are under development: (i) monitoring frameworks based on macro indicators that summarize the progress at (supra)national level, and (ii) micro indicators tailored towards assessing circularity at the level of products. It is not possible to obtain sufficiently direct feedback about the impact of policy interventions by either macro or micro indicators alone. In this paper, a conceptual approach is developed that aims to bridge the gap between the micro and macro level with meso level indicators, and thus ultimately deliver more direct feedback for policymakers, via the insertion of an extra level of meso indicators in between the macro and the micro level. These indicators have been extracted from a dedicated workshop that involved policy, sector and societal stakeholders. The aim of these indicators is to report on progress towards circular economy objectives based on the fulfillment of societal needs. In this way the consumption perspective is given a central position, and the role of circular business models is acknowledged. Following the development of the concept, the next steps towards tailored, flexible and agile monitoring frameworks for circular economy at (supra)national and regional level are outlined. The paper concludes with an illustrative example of the framework applied to the mobility system.

Abstract: Open waste dumps in Sri Lanka generate adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts due to inadequate maintenance. In this study, a concept of 'open waste dump mining' is suggested in order to minimise the environmental and socio-economic impacts, together with resource recovery. A model based on life cycle assessment and life cycle costing has been used to assess the environmental and economic feasibility of the suggested open waste dump mining concept. Two scenarios have been defined for a hypothetical case, dependent on the destination of the refuse derived fuel fraction. Scenario 1 comprises direct selling of refuse derived fuel as an alternative fuel to replace coal usage in the cement industry, while Scenario 2 consists of thermal treatment of refuse derived fuel with the objective of producing electricity. The study shows that both scenarios are beneficial from an environmental point of view, but not from an economic view point. However, economic profits can be obtained by adjusting waste transport distances and the price of electricity. The environmental analysis further reveals that the higher global warming potential of open waste dumps can be eliminated to a large extent by applying suggested mining and waste valorisation scenarios. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Non-renewable resources include a large variety of deposits that have been formed by geological processes over millions of years. Although extraction of such resources provides benefits as employment and economic revenues, it also contributes to negative environmental externalities and it increases resource scarcity. An important policy question is how to optimally extract non-renewable resource stocks over time while taking possible substitutes and recycling into account. The present paper adds to the literature by developing a generic numerical optimisation model that can be used to simulate non-renewable resource management regimes and the effects of different policy instruments deployed at different stages of the resource's life cycle. By including recycling and substitution, the model extends the seminal cake-eating Hotelling model that dominates the non-renewable resource economics literature. In addition to being generically designed, the model can accommodate for non-competitive market settings, interacting policy instruments and environmental externalities at different stages of the material's life cycle. The model's possibilities are illustrated by means of a numerical simulation example for the extraction of sand.

Abstract: The approaching end-of life phase of early installed PV modules gave rise to a variety of potential end-of-life strategies, ranging from basic generic waste management strategies to advanced case-specific recycling options. However, no comprehensive assessment on the full range of technological possibilities is available and only limited attention was given to the material recovery rates of these different technologies in light of circular economy. In addition, current material recovery rates are indifferent towards the material value and the value of their secondary applications. Based on an extensive literature review, ten end-of-life scenarios with potential learning effects are identified and their material flows are quantified using a combined material and substance flow analysis. Subsequently, material recovery rates from a mass, economic value and embodied energy perspective are calculated, incorporating the differences in secondary applications. The differences in the mass-based recovery rates of the seven end-of-life scenarios that did not have landfill or municipal waste incineration as the main destination were minimal, as 73-79% of the mass was recovered for the best-case learning scenario. For the economic value recovery rate (9-66%) and the embodied energy recovery rate (18-45%), more profound differences were found. The collection rate was identified as most crucial parameter for all end-of-life scenarios, learning scenarios and recycling indicators. The mass-based recovery rate might favor end-of-life scenarios that lead to dissipation of valuable materials in non-functional secondary applications. Additional targets are required to avoid cascading of valuable materials and to avoid the economic cost and environmental burden of virgin materials.

Abstract: Our economy drives on reactive nitrogen (Nr); while Nr emissions to the environment surpass the planetary boundary. Increasingly, it is advocated to recover Nr contained in waste streams and to reuse it ‘directly’ in the agri-food chain. Alternatively, Nr in waste streams may be removed as N2 and refixed via the Haber-Bosch process in an ‘indirect’ reuse loop. As a systematic sustainability analysis of ‘direct’ Nr reuse and its comparison to the ‘indirect’ reuse loop is lacking, this structured review aimed to analyze literature determining the environmental and economic sustainability of Nr recovery technologies. Bibliometric records were queried from 2000 to 2020 using Boolean search strings, and manual text coding. In total, 63 studies were selected for the review. Results suggest that ‘direct’ Nr reuse using Nr recovery technologies is the preferred paradigm as the majority of studies concluded that it is sustainable or that it can be sustainable depending on technological assumptions and other scenario variables. Only 17 studies compared the ‘direct’ with the ‘indirect’ Nr reuse route, therefore a system perspective in Nr recovery sustainability assessments should be more widely adopted. Furthermore, Nr reuse should also be analyzed in the context of a ‘new Nr economy’ that relies on decentralized Nr production from renewable energy. It is also recommended that on-par technology readiness level comparisons should be carried out, making use of technology development and technology learning methodologies. Finally, by-products of Nr recovery are important to be accounted for as they are reducing the environmental burdens through avoided impacts.

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic had large repercussions for our economy and organizations. Improved resilience can give organizations the ability to withstand crises and build back better and faster. This article assesses resilience of organizations and sole proprietorships in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic with eight circular strategies as explanatory variables. Furthermore, these eight circular strategies are also used to assess the organizations' and sole proprietorships' resilience outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis is conducted to explain how circular strategies can help companies and sole proprietorships maintain stability. The analysis was performed by means of a survey conducted between May and June 2020 in Flanders (Belgium), using a sample of 542 respondents. After performing a regression analysis combined with expert opinions collected through interviews, we find that companies and sole proprietorships with a higher circularity score have a significantly higher resilience score during crises and during normal times, compared to less circular companies. Furthermore, we find that the size of the company does not matter during a crisis to adapt and react flexibly, while it is important when there is no crisis. Finally, we argue that it is the combination of different circular strategies which yields to the highest results for the organizations' resilience and we provide policy recommendations based on the most asked support measures.