Institute of Environmental Engineering

Growing environmental problems and challenges related to plant production require the use of innovative soil additives that reduce water deficits and soil fertility decline while caring for the environment. This study presents a sustainable approach to improving soil properties and plant growth conditions through the use of innovative biodegradable soil additives made from organic waste with the addition of biochar and Trichoderma. A two-year field experiment conducted in difficult habitats included an assessment of the impact biodegradable composites on soil and plants properties, water availability. The use of composites resulted in intensive plant growth, increasing biomass gains by up to 190%. A significant improvement in soil parameters was noted, as evidenced by increases of up to 119%, 177%, and 145% in the N, P, K content of the soil. The amendments also enhanced plant water status, as evidenced by a 20% increase in leaf relative water content, and the beneficial effects persisted into the second year of the study. The results obtained indicate that the combination of biodegradable fibers with biochar has significant potential in the creation of circular environmental technologies. The research provides new insights into the dynamics of natural fiber biodegradation and the functional role of biochar in improving soil quality.

Tea (Camellia sinensis L. O. Kuntze) is an important economic crop widely cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical regions, where drought stress often limits its growth and productivity. Soil application of nano-biochar (nBC) and nano-calcium oxide (nCaO) offers a promising approach for enhancing soil health, tea quality, and yield. A pot experiment was executed to explore the synergistic effects of nBC and nCaO on soil enzymatic and microbial activities, N-P-C cycling genes, and the quality and yield of tea seedlings under drought stress. The results showed that, under drought stress, the combined application of nBC and nCaO significantly improved the soil physico-chemical and microbial properties viz. an increase in soil pH (23.29%), soil organic matter (53.18%), soil total carbon (30.56%), available N (63.12%), available P (140.85%), available K (32.92%), microbial biomass carbon (9.90%) and microbial biomass N (8.23%) compared with the control. This may have been due to manifold increase in the expression levels of N-C-P cycling genes such as phoD (5.2-fold), phoC (7.0-fold), narG (3.4-fold) and GH31 (1.8-fold) and relatively higher abundance of archaeal and bacterial communities. Soil urease, acid-phosphatase, nitrate reductase, β-glucosidase, catalase, phosphomonoesterase, and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase enzyme values were 48.32, 13.34, 100.00, 43.37, 612.5, 61.30, and 43.65% higher, respectively, in soils amended with both nBC and nCaO than in the control under drought stress. Furthermore, co-application of nBC and nCaO significantly enhanced tea quality traits such as caffeine (5.89%), polyphenol (12.24%), total catechins (11.00%) and amino acid (16.17%), as well as yield parameters including plant height (10.43%), leaf area (97.55%) and 10-bud weight (42.53%) relative to the control. Overall, the combined application of nBC and nCaO substantially improved soil enzymatic and microbial activities, as well as tea quality and yield traits, under drought stress.

The aim of the study was to reveal the effect of agroecosystems management on soil physical properties and stability of soil organic matter (SOM). A 55-year-long-term field experiment in Kaunas, Lithuania, allowed for a comprehensive assessment of the effects of rye and maize monocultures, with and without mineral fertilisation, intensive six-year crop rotation and bare fallow on soil properties in the 0–20 cm layer. Soil physical parameters (soil water retention, water repellency, and aggregate stability) and SOM characteristics, including total organic carbon content (TOC), fractional composition (fulvic acids, humic acids, humin), and molecular properties of humin were examined using elemental analysis, UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and 13 C-CPMAS NMR. The results confirmed that bare fallow reduces aggregate stability and limits TOC content. In contrast, intensive six-year crop rotation increased aggregate stability, water retention and TOC content while plant-available water remained unchanged, highlighting the significant environmental benefits of crop rotation. However, fertilised rye monoculture exhibited a higher amount of plant-available water. Monocultures caused an increase in soil water repellency at low soil moisture. The favourable increase in TOC in response to crop rotation resulted in increased humic and fulvic acids share, while the humin structure in these soils indicated a more aliphatic structure. Humin properties in non-fertilised monocultures, especially rye, was similar to that in fallow, reflecting a higher proportion of well-transformed humic material. The results showed that the integration of legumes, organic fertilisers, and crop diversity is crucial for long-term soil health and resilience to climate stress in agroecosystems. • Bare fallow reduces aggregate stability, water retention, and TOC. • Monocultures raise soil water repellency at low soil moisture content. • Intensive crop rotation increase TOC, as well as humic and fulvic acids share. • Crop rotation with organic amendments promote a more aliphatic humin structure. • Un-fertilised monoculture and bare fallow indicate well-transformed humic material.

The study examines the mechanical strength of sulfur-biochar composites (SBCs), an underexplored area with potential for developing robust materials. Sulfur production, primarily from specialized extraction and waste generation in petroleum refining, yields about 70 million tons annually, necessitating efficient waste management. SBCs were produced using waste-derived biochar and elemental sulfur at varying sulfur contents (60-80%) and employing two fabrication methods: a muffle furnace and an electric burner. The mechanical performance of the composites was evaluated through strength and displacement measurements, with particular emphasis on the influence of processing method and sulfur content. The results demonstrate that both sulfur content and fabrication method significantly affect the mechanical behavior of SBCs. An increase in sulfur content led to a systematic improvement in ultimate strength for all samples. However, composites produced using the electric burner exhibited markedly higher ultimate forces and lower displacements compared to those fabricated in the muffle furnace, indicating superior strength and reduced brittleness. The enhanced performance is attributed to improved sulfur distribution and more effective infiltration of liquid sulfur into the porous biochar structure. These findings confirm the synergistic effect of combining sulfur with biochar and highlight the critical role of processing conditions in developing mechanically robust sulfur-biochar composites suitable for sustainable material applications.

Reliable preclinical models that recapitulate human limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) and provide objective outcome measures are essential for advancing corneal cell therapies. We induced LSCD in four porcine eyes by total corneal epithelial debridement, tracked healing with serial anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) (preinjury, 0, 5–11, 17, 23, 28 days), and quantified histological changes via computer-assisted digital pathology. OCT confirmed complete epithelial removal and a reproducible stromal edema peak on days 7–9, followed by incomplete regression by day 28. Histology revealed epithelial hyperplasia, keratinization, inflammatory infiltration and neovascularization, whereas cytokeratin-3 staining revealed patchy loss of the corneal phenotype. The automated analysis revealed significant increases in epithelial roughness (p = 0.049), thickness heterogeneity (p = 0.0001), and stromal cellularity (p = 0.0179) in experimental eyes compared with control eyes. These multimodal, bias-free metrics clearly distinguish healthy corneas from LSCD corneas and provide quantifiable end points for preclinical testing of limbal epithelial, iPSC-derived or mesenchymal stromal cell advanced therapy medicinal products. All the data and analysis codes are provided in the Supplementary Information.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent pollutants, and their remediation typically involves multistep processes, such as physical separation from contaminated water followed by chemical destruction, which are often costly, energy-intensive, and inefficient for short-chain PFAS. Here, we developed a dual-function system utilizing hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES) that enables efficient extraction of PFAS from water, concentrates them in the HDES phase, and facilitates their in situ degradation under mild conditions. Systematic experiments demonstrated that the HDES can achieve near-complete removal of a broad spectrum of PFAS, including short-chain and functionalized variants, through a combination of nonpolar and pH-dependent electrostatic interactions. The PFAS-enriched HDES phase supports their subsequent chemical destruction. Computational results revealed that the polar protic HDES facilitates the rate-determining step for PFAS destruction and experimental validation confirmed rapid PFAS degradation and deep mineralization typically over 87% across various PFAS structures within 24 h at 120 °C, with degradation initiated at temperatures as low as 90 °C. Integration studies confirmed sustained extraction over multiple cycles and effective sequential degradation. This HDES-based system offers a transformative approach to PFAS remediation, combining scalability, versatility, and sustainability for the efficient treatment of PFAS-contaminated water.

Abstract The Migration Period (4 th –5 th centuries AD) in Central Europe was marked by profound demographic and cultural transformations. Nevertheless, bioarchaeological data from this period remain scarce across the region. Tyniec upon Ślęża constitutes the only newly excavated Migration Period cemetery in southern Poland, providing a rare opportunity to explore lifeways during this transformative epoch. Stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope analyses were conducted on samples from ten individuals to reconstruct dietary patterns, while mobility was investigated through high-resolution strontium isotope (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) measurements of dental enamel from selected individuals, yielding a total of twenty determinations. A local environmental baseline was established, encompassing the principal prehistoric settlement zones surrounding Wrocław. To complement the isotopic dataset, trace element concentrations from dental enamel were examined to aid dietary reconstructions and assess potential diagenetic alterations. The findings highlight the interpretative challenges posed by the highly dynamic demographic landscape of the Migration Period, in which the absence of stable local populations complicates the identification of non-local individuals. Nevertheless, the results reveal pronounced dietary variability, including substantial consumption of aquatic resources, and complex mobility signatures, reflecting diverse geographic origins and life histories. Our paper provides new insights into the processes of cultural hybridization among Germanic populations inhabiting Silesia during this turbulent era. It further explores their adaptive strategies and cultural responses to interactions-both direct and indirect-with nomadic groups and the broader geopolitical transformations precipitated by the disintegration of the Roman Empire.

Carbon monoxide (CO), a hazardous byproduct of incomplete hydrocarbon combustion, poses significant environmental and health concerns. Efficient and low-temperature catalytic oxidation of CO to CO2 remains a key challenge. In this study, Cu-doped TiO2 nanostructures with varying Cu contents (0–20 wt %) were synthesized via a one-step aerosol-assisted self-assembly (AASA) method. X-ray diffraction confirmed the anatase TiO2 phase, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis revealed an increased pore size at higher Cu loadings. The 20 wt % Cu-TiO2 (20CTO) sample exhibited superior CO oxidation performance, initiating conversion at ∼90 °C. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence mapping showed more uniform Cu dispersion in 20CTO than in 10CTO. Site-dependent charge dynamics of Cu observed at lower dopings (5CTO, 10CTO) diminished in 20CTO. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) revealed a higher Cu oxidation state (>2+) and a reduced unoccupied density of Ti states in 20CTO, indicating charge transfer from Cu to Ti. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses showed altered Cu–O and Ti–O coordination at higher Cu loading. In site XANES revealed that Cu’s unoccupied states decreased with increasing temperature, while Ti exhibited increased octahedral symmetry and unoccupied states. Spectromicroscopic analysis confirmed spatially heterogeneous distributions of Ti4+ and Cu2+ states in 20CTO. These findings underscore the role of Cu doping in modulating the local electronic structure and promoting low-temperature CO oxidation.