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Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference of Environmental Protection and Energy

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical and Molecular Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 7222

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ewa Brągoszewska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Technologies and Installations for Waste Management, Silesian University of Technology, 18 Konarskiego St., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: indoor and outdoor air quality; bioaerosol; bacteria; fungi; epidemiology; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is in cooperation with the EPAE 2024 conference (https://www.epae-conference.com/) and welcomes submissions from participants of the conference.

The 12th Environmental Protection & Energy Conference takes place on December 6th, 2024. Since 2012, EPAE has developed into a premier event, attracting over 350 from 24 countries since its inception. 

The Environmental Protection & Energy Conference 2024 (EPAE 2024) is an exceptional opportunity for young researchers, scientists, and students to showcase their scientific insights, enhance their presentation skills, and broaden their understanding of the dynamic energy landscape.

Participation in EPAE 2024 holds immense academic value and offers a platform to engage with the contemporary challenges in the realms of environmental protection and energy production—two critical domains shaping the world in 2024 and beyond.

Papers published in this Special Issue, “Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference of Environmental Protection and Energy”, should focus on the following:

  • Environmental protection
Focusing on soil conservation, air quality improvement, and water pollution control to advance scientific understanding and practical solutions for preserving natural resources.
  • Environmental engineering
Highlighting innovations in sustainable infrastructure design, wastewater treatment technologies, and air emission control systems to drive sustainable development.
  • Circular economy
Exploring waste reduction innovations, resource recovery, and circular supply chain management to promote sustainable production and consumption patterns.
  • Energy
Focusing on solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydro energy, as well as advancements in energy efficiency and smart grid technologies.
  • Overall impact
Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchanges to accelerate innovation, inform policy decisions, and disseminate sustainable practices globally.

Prof. Dr. Ewa Brągoszewska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 
 

Keywords

  • environmental protection
  • environmental engineering
  • renewable energy
  • circular economy
  • sustainable development

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3612 KB  
Article
The Impact of Continuous Heavy Metal Emissions from Road Traffic on the Effectiveness of the Phytoremediation Process of Contaminated Soils
by Max Lewandowski, Marcin Landrat and Aleksandra Kowalczyk
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(17), 9748; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15179748 - 4 Sep 2025
Viewed by 747
Abstract
Heavy metals are among the most toxic and persistent environmental pollutants, accumulating in soils and living organisms. Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove contaminants, is considered one of the promising methods for cleaning soils contaminated with metals. This study assessed the effectiveness [...] Read more.
Heavy metals are among the most toxic and persistent environmental pollutants, accumulating in soils and living organisms. Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove contaminants, is considered one of the promising methods for cleaning soils contaminated with metals. This study assessed the effectiveness of phytoremediation of heavy metals in soil using lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as a phytoaccumulative species. Despite the successful extraction of significant amounts of metals by the plants, post-harvest soil analysis revealed persistently elevated concentrations of elements such as iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). To clarify the reasons behind the limited improvement in soil quality, additional field investigations were conducted and identified a nearby highway as a continuous source of heavy metal emissions. In the next phase of the study, metal concentrations were analyzed in dust deposited along the highway, confirming their significant contribution to ongoing secondary soil contamination. The findings emphasize the importance of considering both environmental and anthropogenic factors when designing long-term phytoremediation strategies in urban and traffic-impacted areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference of Environmental Protection and Energy)
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26 pages, 567 KB  
Article
Wastewater Management in Swimming Pools: A Circular Economy Approach
by Anna Mika, Joanna Wyczarska-Kokot and Anna Lempart-Rapacewicz
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(17), 9609; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15179609 - 31 Aug 2025
Viewed by 685
Abstract
Water is a vital resource for sustaining life; however, it is increasingly at risk due to escalating demand and heightened pollution levels. Swimming pool facilities generate diverse wastewater streams whose management offers opportunities for water recovery within a circular economy framework. The quantitative [...] Read more.
Water is a vital resource for sustaining life; however, it is increasingly at risk due to escalating demand and heightened pollution levels. Swimming pool facilities generate diverse wastewater streams whose management offers opportunities for water recovery within a circular economy framework. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of research identifies five primary categories of wastewater: swimming pool basin outflow, filter washings, rainwater and meltwater, sanitary wastewater, and technological sludge, at a public swimming pool complex in Poland. Annual volumes were determined through direct measurements and calculations: pool basin outflow—2829.7 m3/year; filter washings—7179.2 m3/year; rainwater and meltwater—1172.6 m3/year; sanitary wastewater—5849.3 m3/year; and technological sludge—90.1 m3/year. Laboratory testing included physicochemical parameters (pH, redox potential, conductivity, COD, BOD, nutrients, heavy metals) and microbiological parameters (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella spp., Salmonella spp., Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., Toxocara sp., Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus). The results showed that the filter washings, despite exceeding the limits for total suspended solids and combined chlorine, exhibited stable quality and significant volume, making them the most promising candidate for reuse after treatment. Rainwater quality was compromised by elevated heavy metal concentrations (Zn: 244.67 mg/L, Pb: 92.33 mg/L), while technological sludge exceeded the legal pollutant thresholds, classifying it as hazardous waste. The experimental conditions included year-round monitoring of operational flows, standardised backwash cycles every three days, and sampling under routine operational load. The findings support the development of targeted treatment systems that allow the recirculation of up to 7000 m3/year of water, thus reducing the demand for potable water and operational costs in swimming pool facilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference of Environmental Protection and Energy)
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16 pages, 1971 KB  
Article
Slow Pyrolysis as a Method of Treating Household Biowaste for Biochar Production
by Agnieszka Bezuszko, Marcin Landrat, Krzysztof Pikoń, Ana F. Ferreira, Abel Rodrigues, Gabor Olejarz and Max Lewandowski
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(14), 7858; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15147858 - 14 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1058
Abstract
The amount of waste generated by society is constantly increasing. Consequently, there is a need to develop new and better methods of treating it. A significant part of municipal waste is biowaste, which can be treated as a source of valuable resources such [...] Read more.
The amount of waste generated by society is constantly increasing. Consequently, there is a need to develop new and better methods of treating it. A significant part of municipal waste is biowaste, which can be treated as a source of valuable resources such as nutrients, organic matter, and energy. The present work aims to determine the properties of the tested household biowaste and the possibility of using it as feedstock in slow pyrolysis to obtain biochar. The slow pyrolysis process of the biowaste was carried out in an electrically heated Horizontal Tube Furnace (HTF) at temperatures of 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. The analysis showed that depending on the type and composition of the biowaste, its properties are different. All the biowaste tested has a high moisture content (between 63.51% and 81.53%), which means that the biowaste needs to be dried before the slow pyrolysis process. The characteristics of kitchen biowaste are similar to those of food waste studied by other researchers in different regions of the world. In addition, the properties of kitchen biowaste are similar to those of the typical biomasses used to produce biochar via slow pyrolysis, such as wood, almond shells, and rice husks. Both kinds of garden biowaste tested may have been contaminated (soil, rocks) during collection, which affected the high ash content of spring (17.75%) and autumn (43.83%) biowaste. This, in turn, affected all the properties of the garden biowaste, which differed significantly from both the literature data of other garden wastes and from the properties of typical biomass feedstocks used to produce biochar in slow pyrolysis. For all biowaste tested, it was shown that as the pyrolysis temperature increases, the yield of biochar decreases. The maximum mass yield of biochar for kitchen, spring garden, and autumn garden biowaste was 36.64%, 66.53%, and 66.99%, respectively. Comparing the characteristics of biowaste before slow pyrolysis, biochar obtained from kitchen biowaste had a high carbon content, fixed carbon, and a higher HHV. In contrast, biochar obtained from garden biowaste had a lower carbon content and a lower HHV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference of Environmental Protection and Energy)
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22 pages, 2834 KB  
Article
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Production via Biogas Reforming and Agricultural Residue Gasification
by Mamo Abawalo, Krzysztof Pikoń and Marcin Landrat
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 5029; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15095029 - 30 Apr 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2605
Abstract
Hydrogen (H2) production from biomass has emerged as a promising alternative to fossil-based pathways, addressing the global demand for low-carbon energy solutions. This study compares the environmental impacts of two biomass-based H2 production processes, biogas reforming and agricultural residue gasification, [...] Read more.
Hydrogen (H2) production from biomass has emerged as a promising alternative to fossil-based pathways, addressing the global demand for low-carbon energy solutions. This study compares the environmental impacts of two biomass-based H2 production processes, biogas reforming and agricultural residue gasification, through a life cycle assessment (LCA). Using real-world data from the literature, the analysis considered key system boundaries for each process, including biogas production, reforming, and infrastructure, for the former, and biomass cultivation, syngas generation, and offgas management, for the latter. Environmental impacts were evaluated using SimaPro software (Version 9.4) and the ReCiPe midpoint (H) method. The results revealed that biogas reforming emits approximately 5.047 kg CO2-eq per kg of H2, which is 4.89 times higher than the emissions from agricultural residue gasification (1.30 kg CO2-eq/kg H2), demonstrating the latter’s superior environmental performance. Gasification consumes fewer fossil resources (3.20 vs. 10.42 kg oil-eq) and poses significantly lower risks to human health (1.51 vs. 23.28 kg 1,4-DCB-eq). Gasification water consumption is markedly higher (5.37 compared to biogas reforming (0.041 m3/kg H2)), which is an important factor to consider for sustainability. These findings highlight gasification as a more sustainable H2 production method and emphasize its potential as an eco-friendly solution. To advance sustainability in energy systems, integrating socio-economic studies with LCA is recommended, alongside prioritizing agricultural residue gasification for hydrogen production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference of Environmental Protection and Energy)
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Review

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17 pages, 473 KB  
Review
Microbiological Air Quality in Healthcare Environments: A Review of Selected Facilities
by Katarzyna Kauch, Ewa Brągoszewska and Anna Mainka
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(16), 8976; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15168976 - 14 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1176
Abstract
Exposure to microorganisms can significantly impact well-being and, more importantly, human health. A frequently overlooked aspect of indoor air quality (IAQ) research is the risk posed by harmful biological agents transported through the air in the form of biological aerosols. Given that healthcare [...] Read more.
Exposure to microorganisms can significantly impact well-being and, more importantly, human health. A frequently overlooked aspect of indoor air quality (IAQ) research is the risk posed by harmful biological agents transported through the air in the form of biological aerosols. Given that healthcare facilities create environments with an increased risk of infection transmission, monitoring IAQ and reducing microbiological contamination have become global public health challenges. This paper presents a literature review, focusing on the current state of knowledge regarding microbiological air quality in healthcare settings. The analysis confirms that Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are among the most prevalent airborne pathogens in healthcare facilities. The review also underlines the necessity for harmonized guidelines and integrated air quality management strategies to reduce microbial contamination effectively. Finally, the review compiles data on microorganism concentration levels and influencing factors. The present study highlights that implementing standardized monitoring and effective air filtration and disinfection methods is essential to improving microbiological air quality and enhancing patient safety. The sources analyzed in this review were collected from databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and Web of Science, considering only English-language publications. The studies cited were conducted in multiple countries across different regions, providing a comprehensive global perspective on the issue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference of Environmental Protection and Energy)
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