Seaweed’s Role in Energetic Transition—From Environmental Pollution Challenges to Enhanced Electrochemical Devices
by
, , , ,
Susete Pinteus
1,*
,
Patrícia Susano
1
,
Celso Alves
1
,
Joana Silva
1
,
Alice Martins
1 and
Rui Pedrosa
2,* 
1
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2520-630 Peniche, Portugal
2
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ESTM, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2520-614 Peniche, Portugal
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biology 2022, 11(3), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11030458
Submission received: 26 January 2022
/
Revised: 24 February 2022
/
Accepted: 4 March 2022
/
Published: 17 March 2022
(This article belongs to the Section Toxicology)
Simple Summary
Earth is currently facing the effects of climate change in all environmental ecosystems; this, together with pollution, is the cause of species extinction and biodiversity loss. Thus, it is vital to take actions to mitigate and decrease the release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The emergence of energetic transition from fossil fuels to greener energies is clearly defined in the United Nations 2030 agenda. Although this transition endorses the ambitious goal to supply greener energy for all developed societies, the increased demand for the minerals essential to develop cleaner energetic technologies has highlighted several economic and environmental issues. Currently, these minerals are mainly obtained by mining activities that generate high levels of soil and water pollution, coupled with the intensive use of water and hazardous gas release. On the other hand, the exponential increase of electronic waste derived from end-of-life electronic equipment is already raising environmental concerns due to heavy metal contamination as a result of their disposal. Thus, it is vital to develop sustainable and efficient strategies to mitigate energetic transition environmental footprints. This review highlights the use of seaweed biomass for toxic mineral bioremediation, recycling, and as an alternative material for greener energy-storage device development.
Abstract
Resulting from the growing human population and the long dependency on fossil-based energies, the planet is facing a critical rise in global temperature, which is affecting all ecosystem networks. With a growing consciousness this issue, the EU has defined several strategies towards environment sustainability, where biodiversity restoration and preservation, pollution reduction, circular economy, and energetic transition are paramount issues. To achieve the ambitious goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050, it is vital to mitigate the environmental footprint of the energetic transition, namely heavy metal pollution resulting from mining and processing of raw materials and from electronic waste disposal. Additionally, it is vital to find alternative materials to enhance the efficiency of energy storage devices. This review addresses the environmental challenges associated with energetic transition, with particular emphasis on the emergence of new alternative materials for the development of cleaner energy technologies and on the environmental impacts of mitigation strategies. We compile the most recent advances on natural sources, particularly seaweed, with regard to their use in metal recycling, bioremediation, and as valuable biomass to produce biochar for electrochemical applications.
