• SDSN - Greece
• Publications close
• NO close

In this work, woody biomass is converted by chemical looping combustion (CLC) in the auto-thermally operated 150-kW pilot unit at SINTEF Energy Research in Norway, using ilmenite as an oxygen carrier. The pilot unit consists of two inter-connected circulating fluidized bed reactors, being the air and fuel reactor, respectively. The unit is simplified compared to many other lab and pilot units by not having a carbon stripper. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the main performance parameters when operating a relatively large CLC unit in auto-thermal mode, using a cheap natural mineral, ilmenite, as oxygen carrier. Another aspect with the tests is to verify if the omission of a carbon stripper can provide high enough capture efficiencies for solid fuels as biomass, with a large share of volatiles and a char remnant with high reactivity. As a comparison, tests with petcoke were performed, to assess the effect when using a fuel with a low share of volatiles and slow char conversion. The results imply that CO2 capture efficiencies can be well above 95 % in a larger industrial unit operating on biomass, even without a carbon stripper, but that a carbon stripper is definitely needed for fuels with less volatiles and low char reactivity. Evaluation of CLC as a BECCS technology from tests on woody biomass in an auto-thermal 150-kW pilot unit

Geopolymers (GPs), based on rocks and similar (waste) materials, have shown promising features as alternatives to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in many applications. The properties of these materials can be tailored to a large degree, to meet the requirements of specific applications. This study presents a two-part granite-based GP system developed for wellbore sealant applications in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) operations. The system was modified by incorporating different concentrations of a Zn–K-based retarder. The performance of the GP system was then evaluated through consistency analyses, and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) measurements. Further, the in-situ mechanical attributes of the GP system were assessed through tri-axial experiments at 90 °C and under varying confining pressures. Additionally, the morphology, mineralogy, and chemical composition of the hardened GP system were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Consistency analyses revealed that slurries with higher retarder content exhibited improved fluidity but also longer setting times, which could result in fluid invasion and integrity issues. Accordingly, slurries with appropriate setting behavior were identified, striking a balance between rapid strength development and sufficient fluidity for downhole applications. The appropriate flow characteristics of the slurries and the stability of the solidified materials were also verified through rheological assessments, free-fluid tests, and sedimentation analyses. UCS measurements showed a continuous increase in strength for all GP samples, with optimized retarder content yielding the highest late-age mechanical strength. Tri-axial experiments showed that the in-situ Poisson's ratio, compressive strength, and compressive strength to Young's modulus ratio (C/E) of the GP system could be enhanced by 86.79%, 40.26% and 13.05%, respectively, through retarder content optimization. Furthermore, compressive strength and C/E ratios increased with higher confining pressure, while Poisson's ratio remained relatively constant. Moreover, XRD analyses revealed a transition from amorphous to crystalline phases within the GP system, depending on the retarder content, indicating enhanced network connectivity and the formation of new crystalline structures. FTIR analyses supported these observations, demonstrating the formation of new crystals and robust amorphous gels, indicating improved polycondensation and network connectivity in the GP system. Besides, SEM analysis of fractured samples exhibited distinct microstructural characteristics depending on the retarder content, with the optimized retarder content leading to higher crystallinity and more interconnected gel structures. These findings highlight the significance of microscale analysis alongside macroscale assessments when studying GP systems.

Effective monitoring of non-indigenous seaweeds and combatting their effects relies on a solid confirmation of the non-indigenous status of the respective species. We critically analysed the status of presumed non-indigenous seaweed species reported from the Mediterranean Sea, the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Macaronesia, resulting in a list of 140 species whose non-indigenous nature is undisputed. For an additional 87 species it is unclear if they are native or non-indigenous (cryptogenic species) or their identity requires confirmation (data deficient species). We discuss the factors underlying both taxonomic and biogeographic uncertainties and outline recommendations to reduce uncertainty about the non-indigenous status of seaweeds. Our dataset consisted of over 19,000 distribution records, half of which can be attributed to only five species (Sargassum muticum, Bonnemaisonia hamifera, Asparagopsis armata, Caulerpa cylindracea and Colpomenia peregrina), while 56 species (40%) are recorded no more than once or twice. In addition, our analyses revealed considerable variation in the diversity of non-indigenous species between the geographic regions. The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is home to the largest fraction of non-indigenous seaweed species, the majority of which have a Red Sea or Indo-Pacific origin and have entered the Mediterranean Sea mostly via the Suez Canal. Non-indigenous seaweeds with native ranges situated in the Northwest Pacific make up a large fraction of the total in the Western Mediterranean Sea, Lusitania and Northern Europe, followed by non-indigenous species with a presumed Australasian origin. Uncertainty remains, however, regarding the native range of a substantial fraction of non-indigenous seaweeds in the study area. In so far as analyses of first detections can serve as a proxy for the introduction rate of non-indigenous seaweeds, these do not reveal a decrease in the introduction rate, indicating that the current measures and policies are insufficient to battle the introduction and spread of non-indigenous species in the study area. European Marine Biological Resource Centre Belgium [GOH3817N]; European Marine Biological Resource Centre Belgium [I001621N]; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek [3F020119]; POR PUGLIA FESR-FSE 2014/2020 [Asse VI, Action 6.5]; RESTORESEAS [EU-BiodivERsA BiodivRestore-253]; Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution – Montpellier [ISEM 2023-173]; Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan [Mission 4, Component 2, ‘From research to business’: 1. NBFC, Investment 1.4, Project CN00000033]; IDEALG [ANR-10-BTBR-04; Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution – Montpellier Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution – Montpellier [ISEM 2023-173]. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Forest biodiversity studies conduct Visions help to understand common ground and tensions among citizens and stakeholders, supporting inclusive land management and conservation solutions to the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis. With careful design and sufficient resource, it is possible to bring together communities and other stakeholders to share perspectives and deliberate desired futures, identifying more acceptable alternatives and avoiding costly delays. We evaluated researcher and participant experiences of illustration-based interviews to understand land management visions using four studies in Scotland, The Netherlands and Spain. These studies used STREAMLINE, a visual mixed-method interview format using thematic illustrated canvases designed to provide an inclusive and creative framing for participants to contemplate their desired future. Participants enjoyed the informal visual format, which reduced pressure, increased comfort through the research process, and helped their thinking and reflection about complex topics. They also valued being listened to and having the opportunity to share their views. Researchers appreciated the ability to triangulate rich qualitative data with a variety of quantitative measure through the mixed-method format and the flexibility to adapt the canvases to suit their research aims. Positive participant experience made facilitation easier and was stimulating for the researchers. The credibility and legitimacy of illustration-based interviews will ultimately depend on specific research design-decisions and testing, which can make the approach more resource intensive than conventional interviews. While organisal barriers should be considered realistically, illustration-based interviews can have high saliency by providing useful and usable insights that strengthen land management policy and planning. Inclusive Conservation Participatory planning Governance Visions Visual methods Participatory methods d across Europe use a multitude of forestry terms, often inconsistently. This hinders the comparability across studies and makes the assessment of the impacts of forest management on biodiversity highly context-dependent. Recent attempts to standardize forestry and stand description terminology mostly used a top-down approach that did not account for the perspectives and approaches of forest biodiversity experts. This work aims to establish common standards for silvicultural and vegetation definitions, creating a shared conceptual framework for a consistent study on the effects of forest management on biodiversity. We have identified both strengths and weaknesses of the silvicultural and vegetation information provided in forest biodiversity studies. While quantitative data on forest biomass and dominant tree species are frequently included, information on silvicultural activities and vegetation composition is often lacking, shallow, or based on broad and heterogeneous classifications. We discuss the existing classifications and their use in European forest biodiversity studies through a novel bottom-up and top-driven review process, and ultimately propose a common framework. This will enhance the comparability of forest biodiversity studies in Europe, and puts the basis for effective implementation and monitoring of sustainable forest management policies. The standards here proposed are potentially adaptable and applicable to other geographical areas and could be extended to other forest interventions.

AbstractHigh-latitude aquatic ecosystems are responding to rapid climate warming. A longer ice-free season with higher water temperatures may accelerate somatic growth in lake ectotherms, leading to widespread ecological implications. In fish, rising temperatures are expected to boost rates of food intake and conversion, and predictions based on empirical relationships between temperature and growth suggest a substantial increase in fish growth rates during the last decades. Fish abundance negatively affects growth by limiting food availability. This field study addresses the effects of climate warming on growth of a subarctic population of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.) over nearly 40 years. Juvenile growth of 680 individuals of Arctic charr, was reconstructed by sclerochronological analysis using sagittal otoliths sampled annually from the early 1980s to 2016. Statistical modelling revealed a positive effect of water temperature, and a negative effect of abundance on somatic growth in juvenile individuals. Temperature dependence in growth was significant for average and fast-growing individuals across all investigated age classes. These findings suggest that, as temperatures rise, somatic growth of Arctic charr will increase in high latitude lakes. Climate warming will thus influence cold water fish life history and size-structured interactions, with important consequences for their populations and ecosystems.

This work aims to generate the data needed to set epidemiological cut-off values for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disc-diffusion zone measurements of Vibrio anguillarum. A total of 261 unique isolates were tested applying standard methods specifying incubation at 28 °C for 24-28h. Aggregated MIC distributions for a total of 247 isolates were determined in nine laboratories for eleven agents. Data aggregations of the disc zone for the ten agents analysed contained between 157 and 218 observations made by four to seven laboratories. Acceptable ranges for quality control (QC) reference strains were available for seven agents and the related multi-laboratory aggregated data were censored excluding the data of a laboratory that failed to meet QC requirements. Statistical methods were applied to calculate epidemiological cut-off values. Cut-off values for MIC data were calculated for florfenicol (≤1 µg/ml), gentamicin (≤4 µg/ml), oxytetracycline (≤0.25 µg/ml) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (≤0.125/2.38 µg/ml). The cut-off values for disc zone data were calculated for enrofloxacin (≥29 mm), florfenicol (≥27 mm), gentamicin (≥19 mm), oxolinic acid (≥24 mm), oxytetracycline (≥24 mm) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (≥26 mm). MIC and disc-diffusion zone data for the other agents where not supported by QC, thus yielding only provisional cut-off values (meropenem, ceftazidime). Regardless of whether QC is available or not, some of the aggregated MIC distributions (enrofloxacin, oxolinic acid), disc zone (sulfamethoxazole) and MIC and disc-diffusion distributions (ampicillin, chloramphenicol) did not meet the statistical requirements. The data produced will be submitted to CLSI for their consideration in setting international consensus epidemiological cut-off values. International audience

This study aims to estimate eco-efficiency scores and identify determinants of Norwegian dairy farms using a parametric approach that accounts for methane emissions. The study incorporates an environmental output measure and draws on 30 years of panel data from 692 specialist dairy farms (1991-2020). The findings indicate that Norwegian dairy farms are inefficient, with room for improvement in the dairy production system and the environment. According to the average eco-efficiency score, conventional dairy farms could cut input use and CH4 emissions by 5% while maintaining output. Furthermore, the study found that land tenure, experience, and government subsidies all positively impact eco-efficiency. Policymakers should encourage the best-performing dairy farms to share information on increasing productivity while considering environmental concerns to achieve better social and agricultural development. It should be noted that the study only looks at livestock methane emissions; future research may investigate other environmental factors.