The present study explores the role of Life Cycle Assessment in supporting the achievement of End-of-Waste status for agri-food waste valorization. End-of-Waste provides a legal pathway to allow residues to cease being classified as waste, as far as they meet quality, safety, and marketability requirements. Moreover, it must be demonstrated that no overall adverse environmental or health impacts will occur. Life Cycle Assessment allows for the quantification of the environmental performance of waste derived products, and can provide evidence of compliance with this condition. This opinion review analyzes current LCA applications for different agri-food waste categories. Results show that LCA may be a key tool to compare alternatives and to identify hotspots. On the other hand, its application to End-of-Waste is still limited. Moreover, it is needed to define harmonized protocols and integration with quality and safety assessments, to establish LCA as a decisive element in future End-of-Waste determinations.
Ensuring the sustainability of fisheries has become a major global challenge in the face of increasing pressures on marine ecosystems. Addressing this challenge requires integrated assessment approaches that consider not only environmental performance, but also the socio-economic and governance dimensions that determine long-term sustainability. Within this context, a systematic review of literature together with official institutional reports was conducted to develop a comprehensive indicator-based framework for assessing fisheries sustainability from an ecosystem-based perspective. The resulting framework comprises 51 indicators, integrates scientific, institutional, and technical sources related to fisheries activity and is hierarchically structured across multiple analytical levels to support consistent comparisons between contrasting fisheries systems and identify sustainability hotspots at regional and stock levels.The framework was applied to two European marine regions with contrasting ecological and management contexts: the Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Iberian Coast, and the Western Mediterranean. The analysis combined a regional-scale assessment with a species-level evaluation of three representative fish stocks. Results showed marked regional differences: 61% of assessed stocks were overexploited in the Western Mediterranean, compared with 16% in the Atlantic. European hake showed the most critical stock-level condition in the Western Mediterranean, with fishing pressure reaching 3.5 times the level compatible with maximum sustainable yield. In the Atlantic, more favourable environmental conditions were accompanied by higher stock productivity and comparatively stronger socio-economic performance.The findings demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed framework for identifying sustainability hotspots, supporting cross-regional comparisons, and providing scientific evidence to inform fisheries policy and adaptive management.
Agrifood systems and supply chains face complex sustainability challenges that environmental assessment alone cannot address. Although Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) offers valuable insight into environmental performance, social, participatory and governance dimensions remain underrepresented. This paper examines the potential of Agrifood Living Labs to bridge this gap by connecting sustainability assessment with stakeholder engagement, knowledge co-production and collective learning. Drawing on recent literature, it explores how Living Labs contribute to the co-creation of sustainability policies, support inclusive and context-sensitive decision-making, and strengthen socio-ecological resilience through collaborative experimentation and governance. They also integrate local knowledge, enhance the legitimacy of sustainability assessments, and foster adaptive capacity. The review further shows how Living Labs can scale sustainability innovations from local experimentation to regional, national and European governance. Living Labs thus provide a promising pathway for linking environmental evaluation with stakeholder participation, collaborative governance and community-based innovation, supporting inclusive, resilient and transformation-oriented sustainability transitions.
Immobilized microalgae-bacteria consortia emerged as a promising next-generation wastewater treatment platform, offering synergistic pollutant removal, process stability, and reduced operational costs. By entrapping microbial communities within certain matrices, immobilization enhances biomass retention and protection from toxic shocks, enabling increased treatment rates. Immobilized consortia achieve efficient nutrients recovery, while supporting organic matter degradation and micro-contaminant minimization. Moreover, immobilization facilitates downstream valorization of biomass for high-value bioproducts by simplifying harvesting and improving biomass handling. Despite these advantages, several challenges limit broader application. Long term stability, mass-transfer constraints, mechanical durability, and system scalability under real wastewater conditions remain areas requiring deeper investigation. Emerging innovations, including hydrogel formulations, 3D-printed carriers, and improved photobioreactor designs, expand the applicability of immobilized systems, paving the way toward circular wastewater biotechnologies. This mini-review synthesizes recent progress, identifies technological barriers, and highlights future research directions to transition immobilized consortia from laboratory to reliable, industry-ready technologies supporting sustainable wastewater management.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are a promising, cost-effective approach to restoring soils. Currently, the number of highly hazardous contaminants, such as persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) organic chemicals, is increasing due to human activities, leading to increased soil physical, chemical and biological degradation. Removing PMT is challenging because they are persistent, have unique physicochemical properties, are highly thermally and chemically stable, and form complex mixtures in the environment. NBS approaches such as phytoremediation, bioremediation, biochar, or activated carbon can be promising, as they are applied in situ, cost-effective, or minimise soil disturbance. Nevertheless, the challenges of establishing an NBS approach to remove PMT remain staggering. Phytoremediation can produce hazardous biomass difficult to dispose of and can threaten human and animal health. PMT degradation is slow, and its products are toxic to microorganisms. The current NBS are limited in their application at large scales, and depend on soil properties, climate and season.
The aims of this literature review were to assess the potential of constructed wetlands (CWs) to remove antibiotics as β-lactams, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines, to determine the main mechanisms responsible for their removal, and to assess the potential of CWs to remove selected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The results of this review suggest that vertical-flow CWs are more efficient at removing both antibiotics and ARGs than horizontal-flow CWs. Aerobic biodegradation and adsorption were identified as the dominant processes responsible for antibiotic removal. These processes can be enhanced by increasing oxygen transfer and supplementing the substrate (i.e. filtration bed) with specific sorbents. The primary mechanisms of ARGs removal have not been clearly identified, but it can be hypothesized that ARGs elimination may be mediated by multiple factors that can produce a synergistic effect in CWs, although this is related to the conditions prevailing in CWs. This literature review has shown that there is a need for further expansion of knowledge in this area, especially in the context of a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the removal of ARGs in CWs.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are globally persistent and highly recalcitrant, necessitating destructive remediation approaches beyond conventional phase-transfer methods. Advanced oxidation/reduction processes (AOPs /ARPs) can achieve >90% degradation of terminal PFAAs and PFAS precursors, yet complete mineralization is uncommon. Treatment generates transformation products (TPs), including partially defluorinated organics, short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (C4–C6 PFCAs/PFSAs), and inorganic fluoride. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based non-target screening shows that a single PFAS precursor may form 20–100 fluorinated species (polyfluoroethers, unsaturated acids, fluorotelomer olefinic acids). However, their toxicological significance remains poorly understood. Evidence indicates transient toxicity increases during AOP treatment, while QSAR studies suggest some short-chain TPs may exhibit toxicity comparable to or greater than the original PFAS compounds (e.g., PFOA , PFOS). Consequently, PFAS destruction does not necessarily correspond to toxicity reduction. Remediation outcomes depend on water matrix characteristics, defluorination extent, and operational conditions, highlighting the need to prioritize detoxification alongside degradation.
Peatlands are critical ecosystems accounting for 12% of the UK's land cover and storing over three billion tonnes of carbon. Beyond their role in climate regulation, they offer vital services such as water filtration, flood mitigation, and enhanced biodiversity. However, a legacy of drainage, land conversion, and peat extraction has left most UK peatlands degraded, converting carbon sinks into emission sources and destabilising landscapes and their service functions. This paper presents a systems-based framework for sustainable peatland management, integrating carbon balance, hydrological function, and land stability. Drawing from recent literature, spatial data, and case studies, we highlight how intact peatlands contribute to geomorphological resilience and water quality, while degraded sites intensify carbon emissions and based monitoring, and modelling tools can direct adaptive restoration. The study also examines policy gaps and governance fragmentation across UK regions, emphasising the need for coordinated, interdisciplinary, and locally coproduced solutions. Our findings argue for a shift from carbonfocused interventions to multi-functional strategies that align climate goals with ecological and social outcomes. By embedding peatland restoration in national adaptation plans, supporting data-driven governance, and engaging diverse stakeholders, the UK can transform degraded peatlands into resilient, service-rich landscapes essential for a sustainable future.
Micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) are pervasive across ecosystems and human exposure pathways, yet their epithelial barrier hazards remain difficult to evaluate and compare across studies. Reported outcomes—including barrier disruption, particle translocation, and inflammatory signaling—are commonly treated as independent endpoints and interpreted using bulk exposure metrics, limiting mechanistic integration and obscuring how barrier vulnerability emerges over time under environmentally realistic conditions. Barrier hazard can instead be understood as arising from portal formation: the probabilistic emergence of localized, persistent regions of epithelial vulnerability driven by sustained, time-dependent particle–interface interactions. Within this view, epithelial stress reflects an emergent population-level state rather than a deterministic property of individual particles. The Portal Index captures this state by integrating the time-varying probabilities of mechanical barrier perturbation, interface persistence, and conditional inflammatory amplification into a unified functional measure of barrier stress. Because the framework operates at the level of particle populations and explicitly incorporates temporal dynamics, it is applicable to both monodisperse and heterogeneous MPs/NPs and supports temporally resolved comparison across materials, exposure scenarios, and experimental systems. Framing epithelial barrier disruption as a quantifiable functional state thus provides a mechanistic and comparable basis for future experimental design, cross-study synthesis, and sustainability-relevant evaluation under environmentally realistic exposure conditions.
This review evaluates constructed wetlands (CWs) as resilient nature-based solutions for domestic greywater treatment. Stream-specific pretreatment utilizing e.g. grease traps, screens, or multi-chamber septic tanks is required to remove hair, lint, grease, and larger particulates that would otherwise cause filter bed clogging. While CWs for greywater treatment reliably achieve 85% and often exceed 98–99% removal for BOD5, COD, and TSS, performance and design are highly dependent on the greywater stream. A clear performance hierarchy exists: typically, multi-stage hybrid configurations provide the highest treatment efficiency; single-stage vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) follow, generally outperforming horizontal flow (HF) designs. By implementing hybrid configurations or separating bathroom greywater (excluding kitchen and laundry streams) for treatment in single-stage VFCWs, the required filter area can be reduced from 2 m2/p to < 0.5 m2/p. While single-stage VFCWs nitrify effectively, total nitrogen removal is limited (20–30%) unless enhanced by recirculation (50–70%) or hybrid staging (>70%). Phosphorus removal is finite and dictated by media saturation and surface passivation. Greywater-treating CWs typically provide a 2–4 log reduction in pathogens and a 1–3 log reduction in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, to meet the most stringent international water reuse standards, post-disinfection is usually necessary. The integration of reactive media (e.g., biochar) further enhances micropollutant removal, while ornamental plants like Canna indica provide aesthetic integration. Scaling these solutions requires greywater recycling regulations and CW design guidelines that differentiate greywater from conventional municipal wastewater.
Pharmaceutical residuals are fast emerging as major contaminants with health and economic implications. Different from other pollutants, pharmaceuticals are biologically active at extremely low concentrations, raising concerns regarding chronic exposure in humans. This review brings together the health consequences and economic costs associated with pharmaceutical residuals, in addition to addressing how health-economic methods can contribute to the policy discourse. Economically, some pharmaceutical residues cost upwards of GDP annually. Nevertheless, most pharmaceutical types have poorly quantified economic implications. There are major gaps in this area, including questionable exposures, studies relating to the payer perspective in lowand middle-income countries, and no framework for assessing toxicity in combinations. We propose that health technology assessment can be used in environmental health research to measure hidden costs, improve regulation, and provide support for One Health in terms of sustainability in healthcare and the environment.
The paper presents an overview of 30 years of experience in researching and implementing constructed wetland wastewater treatment plants (CW WWTPs) in Poland. Based on research conducted between 1995 and 2024, the results of pollutant removal efficiency and reliability in single-stage and hybrid constructed wetland systems (CWs) were compared. Problems related to the operation of such facilities were also presented. The experience gained indicated that single-stage CWs can be used on a larger scale in rural areas with scattered development. Hybrid CWs with vertical and horizontal flow, on the other hand, can be recommended for use in recreational centers or protected areas, especially in national parks, because in these systems, high pollutant removal efficiency and reliability is obtained. It was shown that the use of hybrid CW WWTPs is consistent with the idea of sustainable development. Recently, these systems have been referred to as Nature-Based Solutions that help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Agriculture and dairy escalation are vital for food security and has increased the release of agricultural emerging pollutants (AEPs), including pesticides, veterinary drugs, hormones, microplastics, heavy metals, and antibiotic resistance genes. These pollutants persist in the environment and evade conventional treatment systems, posing serious risks to food safety and human health through chronic exposure. This mini review summarizes the sources, environmental and health impacts, along with treatment challenges associated with AEPs. It also highlights promising sustainable solutions, including advanced oxidation processes, bioremediation, constructed wetlands, and nanotechnology, emphasizing their potential to mitigate pollution and promote environmentally resilient agriculture.
Emerging pollutants (EPs) include pharmaceuticals, dyes, hormones, personal care products, pesticides, and surfactants. They impose dangerous environmental and human health risks through hormonal disruption and toxic effects. As EPs increasingly prevail in the environment, their eventual treatment before release into environment becomes more important. Though chemical and physical remediation methods are available, bioremediation is most economical as well as sustainable hence preferred. Extremophiles due to resistance against harsh condition besides possessing unique enzymatic capabilities inside them make potential candidates both for bioremediation and other biotechnological applications/processes. This paper discusses very unique features possessed by marine extremophiles and adaptations involved in pollutant degradation. Their mechanisms and future direction are also discussed.
The exposure to pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) has been known to trigger adverse ecological and health impacts. In recent years, our understanding of the global distribution, detection, and management of PPCPs has advanced. However, there is still a lack of global databases on PPCP occurrence and harmonization in analytical methods used for detection. This disparity hinders risk assessments, the adaptation of context-specific treatments, and the establishment of effective regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, the toxicity and synergistic or antagonistic interactions of PPCP metabolites in complex environmental mixtures remain poorly understood, leading to substantial uncertainty in risk assessment and characterization. This article provides an overview of current knowledge on PPCPs in the aquatic environment, highlighting trends in monitoring, detection, and treatment approaches. Despite two decades of intensive research, PPCP studies remain predominantly detection-oriented, with limited translation into actionable mitigation strategies. Existing monitoring networks are spatially and temporally biased, with underrepresented low and middle-income countries due to limited analytical infrastructure. Current risk assessment frameworks treat PPCPs as discrete toxicants, overlooking the cumulative and multi-stressor dynamics characteristic of real ecosystems. The capital-intensive treatment technologies, such as ozonation and membrane filtration, have improved PPCPs removal efficiency but remain costly and less accessible globally. Thus, a paradigm shift toward low-energy, open-source, and decentralized analytical and treatment platforms in resource-limited settings is essential to foster an inclusive and globally balanced approach for PPCPs management.
