Tyndall Centre Publications

@article{be2aabc0af0a44d7949bba221c12be65,

title = {Spray coating of 2D materials in the production of antifouling membranes for membrane distillation},

author = {Clara Skuse and Monica Alberto and José Miguel Luque-Alled and Vicente Orts Mercadillo and Edidiong Asuquo and Alejandro Gallego-Schmid and Adisa Azapagic and Patricia Gorgojo},

doi = {10.1016/j.memsci.2024.123162},

issn = {0376-7388},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-11-01},

journal = {Journal of Membrane Science},

volume = {711},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {Membrane surface coatings with 2D materials have been shown to exhibit antifouling properties for water-treatment applications; however, synthesis methods currently based on vacuum filtration are not easily scalable. This study describes a scalable method for coating membranes with a range of 2D materials including graphene oxide (GO), hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) and tungsten disulphide (WS2). Isopropyl alcohol solutions containing each class of the 2D flakes were spray-coated onto commercial polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) using a pyrolyser. The nanomaterials were secured with polydopamine (PDA) as a crosslinker in a method that could easily be integrated into a scalable roll-to-roll process. Changes in morphology, surface roughness, hydrophobicity, mechanical durability and chemical composition were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle, tensile strength measurements and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The 2D nanomaterials-coated membranes were tested in membrane distillation (MD) experiments over 72 h and compared to pristine PVDF and PDA/PVDF membranes. Salt rejection and MD performance stability were evaluated using feedwaters with high concentrations of humic acid (150 ppm) and paraffin oil (200 ppm) simulating simple organic wastewater from oil and gas extraction. The flux decline ratio was measured in terms of percentage permeate loss per hour (%/h), to allow for future comparisons with studies with different experimental times. The pristine PVDF membrane failed after 10 h by pore-wetting due to fouling while the PDA/PVDF membrane had the largest flux decline ratio (0.3 %/h). The membranes coated with GO and hBN had flux decline ratios orders of magnitude lower (0.0021 ± 0.005 and 0.028 ± 0.01 %/h, respectively). All membranes had a high salt rejection (>99.9 %). The GO-coated membrane was the only membrane type that was able to treat both surfactant-containing and foulant-containing feedwaters. The improved performance is attributed to the decrease in both surface roughness and hydrophobicity, which reduces the adsorption of foulants onto the membrane surface. This work shows a facile, scalable method to overcome fouling limitations in MD.},

note = {Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{ef0d1fdb98a2483ebf9d64a5bd26251f,

title = {Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through energy access: Lessons from the Global South},

author = {Angela Mae Minas and Samira García-Freites and Christopher Walsh and Velma Mukoro and Jhud Mikhail Aberilla and Amanda April and Jaise Kuriakose and Carlos Gaete-Morales and Alejandro Gallego Schmid and Sarah Mander},

doi = {10.1016/j.rser.2024.114457},

issn = {1364-0321},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-07-01},

journal = {Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews},

volume = {199},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {Under the banner of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), governments, industry, and civil society organisations have supported many energy access projects since 2015. Notably, funding and investments allotted to renewable energy are regarded not only to provide ‘energy for all’ but also support the delivery of other SDGs related to climate change, food security, health, and poverty reduction, among others. With less than 10 years left to meet the SDG 7 targets, it is timely to take stock and examine how the provision of access to energy is driving development initiatives, impacting local communities, and influencing governance processes. This paper offers a critical review and analysis of the impact of access to energy projects based on empirical work from eight country case studies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It interrogates how these projects contribute towards achieving SDG 7 and other sustainable development goals, highlights challenges, and then draws lessons for research, policy, and development practice. To advance SDGs, it recommends action in four areas: addressing rural-urban disparities, ensuring that energy is linked to sustainable outcomes, balancing top-down and bottom-up agendas, and appraising implications of techno-economic factors.},

note = {Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{dd0ee88281534126b028186a05917111b,

title = {Experimental and operations viability assessment of powder-to-powder (P2P) mixture of graphene and cement for industrial applications},

author = {Akilu Yunusa-Kaltungo and Meini Su and Patrick Manu and Clara Cheung and Alejandro Gallego-Schmid and Raphael Tarpani and Jingyue Hao and Lin Ma},

doi = {10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.136657},

issn = {0950-0618},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-21},

journal = {Construction and Building Materials},

volume = {432},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {Studies have demonstrated that a minute quantity of graphene is sufficient to boost cement characteristics, but the attainment of good dispersion and uniformity of the resultant graphene-cement mixture remains a challenge. To alleviate these challenges, this study proposes a low-energy powder-to-powder homogeniser for dispersing reasonably large quantities of graphene powder into cement powders. Microscopic analysis of graphene dispersion from two samples (1% and 0.02% graphene) at 5x, 10x and 20x objectives revealed that graphene accounts for 1.3% and 0.09% over the cement area respectively, which is relatively uniform across all selected samples. Furthermore, four different dosages of graphene were used to validate the impacts of various proportions of graphene, i.e., 0%, 0.02%, 0.04% and 0.06% (by mass of cement) on two types of cement (i.e., Portland cement CEM I 52.5 N and Portland cement CEM II 42.5 N) which also revealed compressive strength increases up to 25% at 7 and 28 days.},

note = {Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{5e4151ffa14044208d6932945a8c8447b,

title = {Integrating circularity as an essential pillar of dairy farm sustainability},

author = {Eduardo Entrena-Barbero and Raphael Tarpani and Mario Fernández and María teresa Moreira and Alejandro Gallego Schmid},

doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142508},

issn = {0959-6526},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-15},

journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production},

volume = {458},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {Given the complex and often negative interactions between humanity and nature, methodologies and frameworks for assessing the concepts of circularity (C) and sustainability (S) have become the focus of many studies in the last decade. However, C and S have developed partially independently, impairing the interpretation of their intricate relationships. In this context, there is still no regulatory framework on how to assess them in an integrated manner through simple but robust indicators. To fill this gap, this study proposes an evaluation framework that allows the holistic integration of C and S indicators (integration of CIrcularity and SUstainable indicators – CISU methodology) taking the dairy sector as a case study. For this purpose, 50 Spanish dairy farms have been selected to estimate a Composite Dairy Farm index (CDFi) as a result of the integration of 9 C indicators and 21 S indicators. The results obtained showed a relative homogeneity among dairy farms as well as some room for improvement, with the CDFi (scores from 0 to 100) varying from 36 to 64 points. The results indicate that minimising reliance on external cow feed, use of own-produced fodders, and suitable field management are essential to achieve a circular and sustainable milk production system. This manuscript contributes with the proposal of a novel framework that can be adapted to different companies and products to assess the implementation of CE principles to achieve sustainable development. However, the integration of additional aspects, such as industrial symbiosis, or its applicability at meso level appear as challenges in order to implement sustainable development throughout the supply chain.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{15a66a5d861d40bf8fccfb80da012c6bb,

title = {Life cycle assessment of solar home system informal waste management practices in Malawi},

author = {Christopher Kinally and Fernando Antonanzas-Torres and Frank Podd and Alejandro Gallego Schmid},

doi = {10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123190},

issn = {0306-2619},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-15},

journal = {Applied Energy},

volume = {364},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {This study performs the first life cycle assessment of solar home systems (SHSs) to use data quantifying lead pollution from informal lead-acid battery recycling. The typical life cycle of SHSs in off-grid communities surrounding Malawi’s capital of Lilongwe is assessed, considering affordable components imported from China, lead-acid battery lifetimes of one year, the collection of materials through the informal scrap market, the open dumping and burning of waste, and informal lead-acid battery recycling (remanufacturing). Lead-acid batteries are highlighted as the most damaging SHS component, occupying 54–99% of each impact category, caused by the burdens of lead mining and the high assembly energy of batteries, amplified by short battery lifetimes – subject to detrimental user practices. The amount of electricity delivered to users is significantly restricted by the low efficiency of affordable SHS components. Meanwhile, the informal remanufacturing of a single lead-acid battery is recorded to release over 100 times the lethal oral dose of lead for an adult into densely populated communities, resulting in a terrestrial ecotoxicity potential of 200–386 kg 1,4-DCB eq. per kWh delivered. Proposed formal recycling solutions are found to successfully mitigate the toxicity of informal waste management but incur significant burdens: substituting toxic but resource-efficient informal remanufacture with safe but energy-intensive formal battery production. Furthermore, the short one-year lifetimes of lead-acid batteries can cause the environmental impacts of SHS to exceed the impacts of diesel generators in most impact categories, resulting in a global warming potential of up to 1.4 kg CO2/kWh. Hence, both extended battery lifetimes of three years and formal recycling are found to be necessary for SHSs to be considered as a safe and low-carbon technology – requiring holistic interventions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{c6a44e6826764143adec0503f864759d,

title = {Sourcing cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a responsible net-zero transition: Incentives, risks and stakeholders},

author = {Xintong Cao and Maria Sharmina and Rosa Cuellar Franca},

doi = {10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105149},

issn = {0301-4207},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-14},

journal = {Resources Policy},

volume = {95},

number = {105149},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {Net-zero technologies and the electrification of transport rely heavily on cobalt-containing equipment. Growing demand for cobalt entails environmental, social and economic sustainability risks of cobalt mining, particularly artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Many studies have raised the importance of motivating stakeholders to source cobalt responsibly. Through a systematic literature review, we identify nine sustainability risks that need to be addressed in the cobalt supply chain, analyse measures for incentivising responsible cobalt sourcing, and map links between the sustainability risks and the measures, to elaborate on the engagement of downstream stakeholders and identify methodological gaps. We group such measures into four incentive mechanisms, where integrating ASM into the cobalt supply chain while further formalising the ASM sector (Incentive Mechanism III) is the key to addressing most sustainability risks. Further deconstructing Incentive Mechanism III demonstrates that upstream stakeholders and governments shoulder most responsibility for its implementation. Engagement of downstream companies (such as electric vehicle manufacturers) is inadequate, given their significant influence both on consumers and on the cobalt supply chain. To engage downstream stakeholders more actively, we recommend establishing dedicated ASM funding pools and providing training for ASM communities.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{c6e7679ae5de425d970a5221dec908f4,

title = {Tracking the spatial footprints of extreme storm surges around the coastline of the UK and Ireland},

author = {Paula Camus and Ivan D. Haigh and Niall Quinn and Thomas Wahl and Thomas Benson and Ben Gouldby and Ahmed A. Nasr and Md Mamunur Rashid and Alejandra R. Enríquez and Stephen E. Darby and Robert J. Nicholls and Norberto C. Nadal-Caraballo},

doi = {10.1016/j.wace.2024.100662},

issn = {2212-0947},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-01},

journal = {Weather and Climate Extremes},

volume = {44},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {Storm surges are the most important driver of flooding in many coastal areas. Understanding the spatial extent of storm surge events has important financial and practical implications for flood risk management, reinsurance, infrastructure reliability and emergency response. In this paper, we apply a new tracking algorithm to a high-resolution surge hindcast (CODEC, 1980–2017) to characterize the spatial dependence and temporal evolution of extreme surge events along the coastline of the UK and Ireland. We quantify the severity of each spatial event based on its footprint extremity to select and rank the collection of events. Several surge footprint types are obtained based on the most impacted coastal stretch from each particular event, and these are linked to the driving storm tracks. Using the collection of the extreme surge events, we assess the spatial distribution and interannual variability of the duration, size, severity, and type. We find that the northeast coastline is most impacted by the longest and largest storm surge events, while the English Channel experiences the shortest and smallest storm surge events. The interannual variability indicates that the winter seasons of 1989-90 and 2013–14 were the most serious in terms of the number of events and their severity, based on the return period along the affected coastlines. The most extreme surge event and the highest number of events occurred in the winter season 1989–90, while the proportion of events with larger severities was higher during the winter season 2013–14. This new spatial analysis approach of surge extremes allows us to distinguish several categories of spatial footprints of events around the UK/Ireland coast and link these to distinct storm tracks. The spatial dependence structures detected can improve multivariate statistical methods which are crucial inputs to coastal flooding assessments.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{66cc47f95802444fa35bf123afcc97a5,

title = {Structural Resilience of Pole-mounted Substations Subjected to Flooding: Generalized Framework and a Malaysian Case Study},

author = {Wenzhu Li and Lee Cunningham and David Schultz and Sarah Mander and Chin Kim Gan and Mathaios Panteli},

doi = {10.1061/AJRUA6.RUENG-1143},

issn = {2376-7642},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-01},

journal = {ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering},

volume = {10},

number = {2},

publisher = {American Society of Civil Engineers},

abstract = {Substations are vital components of electricity supply, representing a weak point in a power network due to their vulnerability to flood events. Pole-mounted substations can effectively mitigate inundation failures by elevating electrical equipment. However, the supporting structures of such substations often are not designed to withstand flood flows, and thus are prone to structural failure. This paper proposes a generalized framework to quantify the structural failure probabilities of pole-mounted substations and to assess their structural resilience to flooding. The generalized framework was applied to a case-study location in Malaysia, where serious flood events are common and pole-mounted substations abound. The study first identifies and quantifies the flood effects on the poles, including pure hydrodynamic forces, the impact of floating debris, debris damming effects, and scouring. The quantified flood effects then are compared with the structural capacity of a typical pole-mounted substation structure and its foundation, to derive a capacity threshold curve for structural failure. The failure probability is illustrated via fragility curves for different flood depths and risk curves for different flood and wind return periods, to assess further the substation’s structural resilience. The aforementioned curves are based on a stochastic distribution of flood depths and velocities represented by a normalized Weibull function. This approach can be adapted easily to depict flood conditions for any given location. Overall, the results of this paper can help stakeholders, including those designing and managing substation structures, to quantify, assess, and further enhance the flood resilience of power-supply networks.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{c1a00c59f6ab4cf98e11dd22fa1ced76,

title = {Facilitating domestic demand response in Britain’s electricity system},

author = {Timothy Capper and Jaise Kuriakose and Maria Sharmina},

doi = {10.1016/j.jup.2024.101768},

issn = {0957-1787},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-05-30},

journal = {Utilities Policy},

volume = {89},

number = {101768},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {Load flexibility can supplant some of the supply-side flexibility lost as intermittent renewables are installed and reduce the network investment needed to meet growing electricity demand. This diffusion of innovation study uses interviews to examine the factors that might lead to adopting or rejecting domestic demand response. The results show that policymakers can make the most of demand flexibility by aligning the technical and bidding requirements of different flexibility markets, regulating flexibility markets and aggregators to protect households participating in such markets, and making the energy price reflective of carbon content, location, and time of use.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{91565329413a48a08d6d6d858f0d13e6,

title = {Active European warzone impacts raptor migration},

author = {Charlie J. G. Russell and Aldina M. A. Franco and Philip W. Atkinson and Ülo Väli and Adham Ashton-Butt},

doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.047},

issn = {0960-9822},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-05-20},

journal = {Current Biology},

volume = {34},

number = {10},

pages = {2272–2277.e2},

publisher = {Cell Press},

abstract = {Human conflicts can have impacts on wildlife, from direct mortality and environmental damage to the displacement of people, changing institutional dynamics and altering economies.1,2,3 Extreme anthropogenic disturbances related to conflict may act as a barrier to migrating birds and increase the energetic costs of migration.4 On February 24th, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, with targeted attacks on Kyiv and the eastern regions.5 By March 3rd, when the first of 19 tagged Greater Spotted Eagles entered Ukraine on migration, the conflict had spread to most major cities, including parts of western Ukraine.6 We quantified how conflict impacted the migratory behavior of this species using GPS tracks and conflict data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project7,8 in a quasi-experimental before-after control-impact design, accounting for meteorological conditions. Migrating eagles were exposed to conflict events along their migration through Ukraine and exhibited different behavior compared with previous years, using fewer stopover sites and making large route deviations. This delayed their arrival to the breeding grounds and likely increased the energetic cost of migration, with sublethal fitness effects. Our findings provide a rare window into how human conflicts affect animal behavior and highlight the potential impacts of exposure to conflict events or other extreme anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{87372323d1fd467081d660a4de0b0691,

title = {Residual emissions in long-term national climate strategies show limited climate ambition},

author = {Harry B. Smith and Naomi E. Vaughan and Johanna Forster},

doi = {10.1016/j.oneear.2024.04.009},

issn = {2590-3322},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-05-17},

journal = {One Earth},

volume = {7},

number = {5},

pages = {867–884},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {Net-zero targets imply a need to compensate for residual emissions through the deployment of carbon dioxide removal methods. Yet the extent of residual emissions within national climate plans, alongside their distribution, is largely unexplored. Here, we analyze 71 long-term national climate strategies to understand how national governments engage with residual emissions. Screening 139 scenarios, we determined that only 26 of the 71 strategies quantify residual emissions. Residual emissions are on average 21% of peak emissions for Annex I countries, ranging from 5% to 52% (excluding land use). For non-Annex I countries, residual emissions are on average 34%. By sector, agriculture represents the largest contributor to total residual emissions (on average, 36% for Annex I countries and 35% for non-Annex I countries). High-residual-emission scenarios show how some countries may retain or expand their fossil fuel production and use, using more carbon dioxide removal or international offsets to achieve net zero.},

note = {Funding information: This work was funded by Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarship Programme DS-2020-028, the Critical Decade for Climate Change.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{57e3a055119841a6affcb868845fadbf,

title = {Plural values of nature help to understand contested pathways to sustainability},

author = {Adrian Martin and Erik Gómez-Baggethun and Martin Quaas and Ricardo Rozzi and Alejandro Tauro and Daniel P. Faith and Ritesh Kumar and Patrick O'Farrell and Unai Pascual},

doi = {10.1016/j.oneear.2024.04.003},

issn = {2590-3322},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-05-17},

journal = {One Earth},

volume = {7},

number = {5},

pages = {806–819},

publisher = {Elsevier},

abstract = {Despite globally agreed sustainability goals, advocacy for specific pathways of action remains highly contested. Disagreement about how best to advance sustainability can produce constructive debate but can also lead to marginalization, conflict, and inaction. This review uncovers how different “values of nature” underpin allegiance to different pathways of action for sustainability. It analyzes four selected pathways: (1) Green Economy, (2) Nature Protection, (3) Earth Stewardship and Biocultural Diversity, and (4) Degrowth and Post-Growth. We identify how these four pathways diverge in the values they prioritize and how these values are inseparable from the kind of knowledge and solutions they advocate to resolve environmental crises. The review reveals the underlying values that differentiate (and connect) competing pathways and argues that transparency and reflection on these differences is a step toward more constructive use of diversity. Looking forward, we identify promising directions involving deliberative governance, institutional reforms, and disruption of dominance.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{dd0ee88281534126b028186a05917111,

title = {Experimental and operations viability assessment of powder-to-powder (P2P) mixture of graphene and cement for industrial applications},

author = {Akilu Yunusa-Kaltungo and Meini Su and Patrick Manu and Clara Cheung and Alejandro Gallego-Schmid and Raphael Tarpani and Jingyue Hao and Lin Ma},

doi = {10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.136657},

issn = {0950-0618},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-05-16},

journal = {Construction and Building Materials},

volume = {432},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {Studies have demonstrated that a minute quantity of graphene is sufficient to boost cement characteristics, but the attainment of good dispersion and uniformity of the resultant graphene-cement mixture remains a challenge. To alleviate these challenges, this study proposes a low-energy powder-to-powder homogeniser for dispersing reasonably large quantities of graphene powder into cement powders. Microscopic analysis of graphene dispersion from two samples (1% and 0.02% graphene) at 5x, 10x and 20x objectives revealed that graphene accounts for 1.3% and 0.09% over the cement area respectively, which is relatively uniform across all selected samples. Furthermore, four different dosages of graphene were used to validate the impacts of various proportions of graphene, i.e., 0%, 0.02%, 0.04% and 0.06% (by mass of cement) on two types of cement (i.e., Portland cement CEM I 52.5 N and Portland cement CEM II 42.5 N) which also revealed compressive strength increases up to 25% at 7 and 28 days.},

note = {Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}