Articles

Continuous human population growth, industrialization, and technical progress have increased the demand for a new design and synthesis of chemical compounds. Developing eco-friendly chemical compounds has been a priority for fostering a sustainable and healthy environment, which is directly linked to human well-being. In this context, green chemistry and circular economy principles have been applied to generate valuable new chemicals, such as surfactants, with high market value. Surfactants play a crucial role in various products for both domestic and industrial applications, leading to their large-scale production a diverse array of chemical structures. However, the advantages of their use must be balanced against their negative environmental impact as pollutants. Thus, there is an increasing demand for the development of new eco-friendly surfactants. Additionally, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of new surfactants are essential for evaluating their environmental impact, enhancing energy efficiency and facilitating the transition toward sustainable energy resources. In this work, we present the chemical synthesis of oligomeric and polymeric thiophene-based surfactants with potential applications in biosensors, organic transistors, and various other fields. The newly synthesized oligomeric and polymeric thiophene-based surfactants demonstrated medium-to-high biodegradation potential and showed no significant ecotoxicological effects on bacterial communities. However, the LCA of their synthesis revealed a negative impact on the environment and human health, particularly concerning polymeric thiophene-based surfactants. The LCA identified specific chemical steps that could be optimized to develop a new generation of eco-friendly surfactants.

The objectives of the study were 1) to investigate the degree of pollution of phosphorus-loaded water using Lemna minor L. and 2) the absorption capacity of this organic compound by the Lemna minor L. aquatic plant, depending on the temperature parameter.

CO2, a major industrial (waste)water treatment process byproduct, significantly contributes to climate change, desertification and overall water depletion. Therefore, there is a significant interest in decreasing CO2 amounts, generated by various technological processes, through a wide range of methods from geological sequestration to biological sequestration. The CO2 (waste)water treatment byproduct sequestration into agricultural CO2-enhanced irrigation water offers several benefits by enhancing crop yield and repurposing emissions. This sustainable approach supports climate neutrality via biological sequestration, promotes circular economy principles, and strengthens the link between agriculture and climate change. In this study, the effect of CO2-enriched water irrigation was analyzed in a complex network of plants germination, soil bacterial populations’ dynamics and soil composition. Results showed that germination rates of plants irrigated with CO2-enriched water were species specific. Sage plants increased their germination and growth when irrigated with CO2-enriched water compared with plants irrigated with plain water. Moreover, CO2 addition favored the development of soil anaerobic bacteria in detriment of aerobic bacteria and subsequently changing organic and nitrogenous compounds soil composition compared to plain water irrigation. For the first time, the germination process influenced by CO2 was correlated with on overall possible CO2 effects on bacterial population growth dynamics and soil quality metabolites availability.