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The global concern over health issues related to heavy metal pollution has driven the adoption of various treatment technologies. The investigation into optimal conditions for cadmium biosorption and bioaccumulation was conducted using a resilient bacterial strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa DR7, which was isolated from ponds. The equilibrium time of the adsorption process of living cells was much longer than that of non‐living cells, which was about 240 min, which indicates that living cells have intracellular accumulation and delay the adsorption process. Living cells favored a pH of 6.0, while non‐living cells showed higher efficiency at pH 7.0, demonstrating the pH‐dependent nature of metal biosorption. In this context, the maximum biosorption capacities for cadmium using non‐living cells and living cells were 103.8 mg/g and 70.94 mg/g, under cell mass of 1.0 g/L, pH 7.0, initial metal concentration of 200 mg/L, and contact time of 240 min, respectively. Cadmium biosorption by living cells was more accurately described by the Freundlich isothermal model, whereas the Langmuir model was used for non‐living cells. Living cells tend to show pseudo‐second‐order kinetic adsorption behavior, while non‐living cells tend to show pseudo‐first‐order kinetic adsorption behavior. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis suggested that the hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups all play a role in biosorption. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)–energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the high‐temperature treatment destroys the integrity of the cell wall, which enhances the permeability of the cell wall, thus increasing the biosorption of Cd (II) by the non‐living cells. The study found that P. aeruginosa DR7 with high temperature inactivation has a higher Cd(II) adsorption capacity than living cells, making it a green and environmentally friendly biological adsorbent for wastewater treatment with heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a rhetorical level, the SDGs provide a unified global agenda, and their targets and indicators are believed to drive action for social and environmental transformation. However, what if the SDGs (and their specific goals and indicators) are more of a problem than a solution? What if they create the illusion of action through a depoliticised and technical approach that fails to address fundamental dilemmas of politics and power? What if this illusion continues to reproduce poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation? This paper addresses these questions through a focus on SDG 6.5.1 – the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM), measured on a 0-100 scale through a composite indicator. The paper presents an empirical analysis of SDG 6.5.1 reporting in Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Malaysia, and the UK, drawing on research from the Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub. An evidence review and series of expert interviews are used to interrogate the local politics of IWRM measurement, specifically three dilemmas of global composite indicator construction: (1) reductive quantification of normative and contested processes; (2) weak analysis of actually existing institutional capability, politics, and power; and (3) distracting performativity dynamics in reporting. The paper concludes that SDG 6.5.1 is an example of a 'fantasy artefact', and that in all countries in this study, IWRM institutions are failing to address fundamental and 'wicked' problems in water resources management. We find little evidence that these numbers, or the survey that gives rise to them, drive meaningful reflection on the aims or outcomes of IWRM. Instead, they tend to hide the actually-existing political and institutional dynamics that sit behind the complexity of the global water crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water law aims to establish a legislative framework to meet water governance objectives. However, discrepancies may exist between the current legal provisions and the requirements for effective water quality protection and management. This research aims to investigate these discrepancies by analyzing the gap between actual law coverage and current water legislation, and to identify the necessary legal provisions for effective water management. The study employs an empirical literature review with an exploratory approach, utilizing a gap analysis framework that includes water institution mapping and water legislation mapping to evaluate the extent and efficacy of existing legislation. The gap analysis identified several deficiencies in the current water legislation, highlighting discrepancies and gaps in the legal framework for water quality protection and management. The research concludes that significant gaps in the current water legislation impede effective water quality protection and management. Addressing these gaps through comprehensive legislative reforms is essential to enhance water governance and ensure sustainable water management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various scenario classifications apply in an attempt to make the field of future studies easier to outline. This paper discusses the appropriateness of various creating, coordinating, and consistency procedures for creating specific emission scenarios in environmental assessments. The intuitive logics, story and simulation (SAS), social, technological, economic, environmental and political (STEEP), and La prospective models approaches are the five emission scenarios discussed in the paper analytically with their stages, storylines, steps, and building analysis. Every scenario method was examined and sorted into its separate benefits and limitations. Subsequently, the study selected the appropriate technique of emission scenario in environmental assessment with fulfilled scenario planning to deliver constructive scenarios. The study helps the aspiring designers by providing the fundamental guidance on the extensive change toward a sustainable environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A life cycle assessment study on decentralized sewage (DS) treatment technologies is conducted using Gabi software and ReCiPe midpoint method, focusing on three DS treatment technologies: extended aeration (EA), imhoff (IF) and activated sludge (AS). The three most significant environmental impacts identified by the analysis are climate change (CC), freshwater eutrophication potential (FEP) and marine eutrophication potential (MEP). In this study, none of the DS systems could reduce all three indicators assessed. In terms of CC, IF has the lowest impact, with a value of 2.78 kg CO2 eq/m3, while EA has the lowest FEP impact of 0.030 kg P eq/m3. As regards MEP, AS has the lowest value of 0.043 kg N eq/m3. The findings offer investors with relevant information on the effects of the three DS treatment technologies used to treat domestic wastewater in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global transportation sector is one of the significant fuel consumers and contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions due to fossil fuel consumption. Diesel blending used to reduce the reliant of fossil diesel in the transportation sector. Thus to reduce the environmental burden of fuel usage, new diesel blending formulations consist of biofuels were developed. The objective of the study is to assess the environmental performance of the five new diesel blending formulations with the existing diesel blending formulation by using Life Cycle Assessment method. In midpoint categories, the conventional B5 diesel blending has shown the lowest environmental impact compared to other fuels in most categories except for marine eutrophication, natural land transformation, ozone depletion, and terrestrial ecotoxicity. In the weighting stage, B5 diesel blending scored the lowest value and followed by blending 5, thus indicating its potential as an alternative to the existing diesel blending formulation. The presence of butanol in the new diesel blending majorly affects the environmental impact for many impact categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malaysian oil palm industry is one of the important contributors to the national economy, which improves the socio-economic of people, source of employment and eradicating poverty, but the industry is always scrutinised on its sustainability performance related to the human well-being and social issues. One of the approaches to address the associated social impacts in the oil palm industry is through social life cycle assessment (S-LCA). S-LCA was developed by the United Nations Environmental Programme and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) to assess positive and negative social impact along the supply chain. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also has set the social criteria to move society towards the improvement of the well-being of people and surroundings. This study aims to assess the social impacts of the workers in the Malaysian oil palm industry using S-LCA and to indicate their connection with relevant SDGs. The system boundary of this study was from nursery, plantation up to palm oil mill where the worker's stakeholder categories were chosen. The S-LCA methodology was adopted from the UNEP/SETAC guidelines for the subcategory lists and the methodological sheet for indicators development. Out of eight worker subcategories, only six subcategories were assessed. The method assessment of this study using performance reference point using five classifications of level which are 1 - Excellent, 2 - Above average, 3 - Average, 4 - Below average and 5-Extremely poor) to gauge the organisation performance. The subcategory results ranged between 1 - 3 and indicated that some improvements are required for certain subcategories. Linking with SLCA and SDG showed that 6 out of 17 SDGs are relevant. LCA can be a tool to support oil palm businesses to achieve SDGs, but further explanation is needed to link LCA with SDGs since SDGs are conceptualised at the country or regional level whereas LCA is mainly used to gauge the impacts of products or services at the micro or business level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]