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- Site screening requirements for hydrogen geological storage in saline aquifersPublication . MAZEZO, AUGUSTO; Pereira, Pedro; Al Mala Khudhur, Karwan S AhmadABSTRACT: Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in deep saline aquifers is a promising solution for large-scale, long-duration energy storage, vital for addressing renewable intermittency and enabling deep decarbonization. This study presents a benchmarking of requirements and a comprehensive framework for site screening of saline aquifers for hydrogen storage. It integrates technical parameters –such as reservoir quality, seal integrity, and geomechanical stability–with non-technical aspects, including economic viability, regulatory readiness, environmental risk, and social acceptance. Particular focus is given to hydrogen-specific challenges affecting storage integrity, especially geochemical and geomechanical factors. Drawing from experience with natural gas and CO2 storage, the study proposes a multidisciplinary screening workflow to support early-stage project assessment. The findings provide a foundation for future pilot projects, policy development, and regulatory frameworks tailored to UHS in porous media, contributing to the strategic expansion of hydrogen infrastructure and energy system resilience.
- Pilot-Scale cultivation of microalgae in blended effluents: C/N ratio management to boost biomass and biofuel precursorsPublication . Saleme Aona de Paula Pereira, Alexia; Silva, Thiago; Magalhães, Iara; Santos, Weller Gabriel da Silva; Oliveira, Mateus Soares de; Reis, Alberto; Couto, Eduardo de Aguiar; Calijuri, Maria LuciaABSTRACT: Algal biotechnology offers a sustainable pathway for wastewater treatment and resource recovery. However, the low carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio in domestic wastewater often limits microalgal productivity, which may compromise process viability and, consequently, limit its application in bioproduct valorization routes. This study evaluated the effects of blending municipal wastewater (MW) with industrial wastewater from juice processing (IWJ) at different ratios on biomass production, biochemical composition, and pollutant removal. Pilot-scale experiments in outdoor high-rate algal ponds, operated without external carbon dioxide (CO2) supply (relying on inorganic carbon present in the wastewater and passive diffusion from air). These experiments tested three blends: T1 (60 % MW + 40 % IWJ, C/N 9.25), T2 (40 % MW + 60 % IWJ, C/N 25.31), and T3 (20 % MW + 80 % IWJ, C/N 52.71). T1 achieved the highest biomass productivity and lipid content (14.44 %, p < 0.05), while T3 presented the highest levels of saturated fatty acids C16:0 (40.39 %) and C18:0 (10.08 %), supporting its biodiesel potential. Carbohydrate accumulation was enhanced in T2 (18.44 %) and T3 (21.09 %) under nitrogen-limited conditions. Microalgal species composition varied significantly with the C/N ratio, indicating selective adaptation. Additionally, dissolved organic carbon removal followed first-order kinetics across treatments, confirming model applicability. These findings underscore the effectiveness of effluent blending and C/N adjustment to enhance biomass quality, pollutant removal, and suitability for biofuel production in integrated algal-based wastewater treatment systems.
- Assessment of piggery wastewater treatment in vertical flow constructed wetlands: role of plants and aerationPublication . de Oliveira Corrêa, Diego; Ferreira, Alice; Ribeiro, Belina; Gogoi, Jayanta; Karan, N.; Nalwad, A.; Ganguly, A.; Mutnuri, S.; Gouveia, LuisaABSTRACT: Piggery wastewater (PWW), rich in pollutants, poses significant environmental risks if not properly treated. Natural treatment processes, such as constructed wetlands (combined action of plants, substrates, and microbes) and microalgae cultivation, offer sustainable and low-cost alternatives for managing these effluents while enabling resource recovery. This study represents an initial step toward optimizing key operational conditions, such as aeration (passive and active), vegetation presence, and the use of single or sequential Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands (VFCWs), for the treatment of piggery wastewater, using different experimental setups, at a laboratory scale. Indoor experiments were conducted over an 8-week period to optimize operational conditions for the treatment of PWW. The VFCWs, arranged in two stages and operated in series through gravity flow, were fed daily and monitored weekly. The best removal rates of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (42.9 %), ammoniacal nitrogen (50.3 %), and chemical oxygen demand (20.5 %), were observed in the second stage of VFCW without aeration and with plant. Nitrate and phosphorus levels increased during the experiment, likely due to microbial activity within the substrate and plant root zones. The final goal is to treat the piggery wastewater from a rural farm in India, produce electricity (by a Microbial Fuel Cell), to generate an effluent suitable for microalgae cultivation, with the produced biomass intended for use either as a biostimulant to enhance cereal crops included in pig diets or as a direct nutritional supplement in pig feed.
- Ediacaran and early-palaeozoic bimodal volcanism in the Ossa-Morena Zone, SW Iberian Massif: New clues for intraplate rifting shortly after the Cadomian OrogenyPublication . Cachapuz, P.; Chichorro, Martim Afonso; Bento dos Santos, Telmo; Carvalho, D.; Linnemann, Ulf; Zieger-Hofmann, M.; Zieger, J.; Dantas, E.; Santos, R. V.; Moita, Patrícia; Beltrame, M.; Solá, A. Rita; Díaz-Azpíroz, M.; Fernández, C.ABSTRACT: This study focuses on bimodal meta-volcanic rocks present in the Iberian Massif, in the Evora-Aracena Metamorphic Belt of the Ossa-Morena Zone (OMZ), near the boundary with the South Portuguese Zone. New petrological, geochemical (whole-rock and Sr-Nd isotopes) and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon geochronology data are presented to track the magmatic evolution of both felsic and mafic rocks and their respective geodynamic setting during the transition between the Cadomian Orogeny and subsequent Palaeozoic rifting events. Our research shows that the Evora-Aracena Metamorphic Belt (EAMB) in the southwestern OMZ possesses a significant record of the transition between the Cadomian and Variscan cycles. U-Pb geochronological data confirm the existence of both felsic and mafic Ediacaran igneous rocks (546 and 556 Ma, respectively), a novelty in the region. The Cadomian-related felsic rocks show geochemical similarities to meta-felsic rocks formed during the initial phases of the Cambrian rifting event, namely very negative epsilon Nd values (-10.1 to -11.8), depleted HREE patterns and orogenic signatures. Such similarities imply that meta-felsic rocks formed in the earliest stages of the Cambrian Rift-to-Drift event resulted from a shallower melting. Moreover, meta-felsic rocks formed in the early stages of the Cambrian rifting (525 Ma) present a significant amount of Ediacaran aged zircons, whereas the Cadomian-related counterparts display a few discordant Cambrian ages, likely a consequence of Pb-loss. This indicates that the convergent, subduction-related regime that prevailed during most of the Cryogenian-Ediacaran times along the boundaries of NW Gondwana was swiftly supplanted by a rift-dominated regime during the Cambrian, with no substantial gap between these two thermal events. Meanwhile, meta-felsic rocks formed during the Rift-to-Drift (525-480 Ma) event exhibit progressively higher epsilon Nd values (-5.0 to +3.0), HREE-enrichment, as well as anorogenic signatures, denoting an increasing contribution of mantle-derived melts. This increasing mantle contribution eventually led to the occurrence of bimodal magmatism in the Middle Cambrian Main Rift event. Such Cambrian mafic rocks, unlike the Ediacaran mafic rocks that present flat REE patterns and continental arc signatures, display varying degrees of LREE enrichment and N-MORB to E-MORB signatures.
- Pre-Mesoproterozoic crustal framework and Mesoproterozoic evolution of the SW Angolan Shield: structural, geochemical, and isotopic insights from the Kunene Complex and surrounding basementPublication . Merino-Martínez, E.; Ferreira, Ezequiel; Valverde-Vaquero, Pablo; Rodrigues, José Feliciano; Escuder-Viruete, Javier; Garcia-Lobon, Jose Luis; Beranoaguirre, Aratz; Feria, María Carmen; Rey-Moral, Carmen; Silva, Paulo Bravo; González-Cuadra, Pablo; Sousa, João Carlo; Potti, Julián; Máximo, J.; Gutiérrez-Medina, M.; Gumiel, J.C.; Galán, Gustavo; Mochales, Tania; Manuel, José; Cordeiro, Domingos; Tassinari, Colombo C. G.; Montero, P.; Sato, Kei; Fuenlabrada, José Manuel; Galindo, CarmenABSTRACT: The southwestern Angolan Shield hosts the Earth's largest Mesoproterozoic massif-type anorthosite complex (up to 53,500 km(2)), the Kunene Complex (KC). This complex is the result of a long-lived (similar to 200 Ma) episodic emplacement of coalescent magmatic pulses. The recent acquisition of multidisciplinary data during the PLANAGEO project has significantly enhanced our understanding of the Precambrian crustal framework from the southwestern Angolan Shield. Combined multi-isotope, structural and geophysical data reveals distinctive crustal zones in the southwestern Angolan Shield that clearly influenced KC's emplacement within a back-arc setting. The spatio-temporal arrangement of KC pulses suggests westwards magma migration within a complex contractional regime involving large strike-slip systems. A long-lasting and extensive accretionary orogen was responsible for the tectono-thermal activity recorded during most of the Mesoproterozoic. Crustal thinning and partial melting of isotopically heterogeneous lower-crustal sources through mantle upwelling promoted the episodic felsic magmatism contemporaneous with the KC. Crustal contamination processes are evident in gabbroanorthosites, indicating mantle metasomatism and interaction with wall-rocks and granite melts during ascent, upwelled by lateral-driven forces. Deposition of extensive metasedimentary sequences (<1.26 Ga) covering the KC, along with 1.23-1.07 Ga sublithospheric and mantle-derived magmatism, indicate a shift from a compressional to an extensional regime during late-Mesoproterozoic times. Regional correlations with other Mesoproterozoic units in African and Brazilian counterparts suggest a shared geological evolution, despite potential differences in tectonic setting. These findings supports a refined geological model for the Mesoproterozoic evolution of the southwestern part of the Congo Craton.
- The materials of historical monuments: characterisation of the mortars of the Roman aqueduct of Zaghouan-CarthagePublication . Carvalho, Fernanda; Lima, Maria Margarida Rolim Augusto; Silva, Teresa; Veiga, João PedroABSTRACT: The Zaghouan-Carthage Roman aqueduct was the largest built by the Roman Empire at the time, and its archaeological remains bear witness to the excellence of Roman construction. Its importance over the centuries makes it a unique case study for characterising the different types of mortar used. This work aims to study these materials, considering their functions, especially as structural elements or as render, to relate the chemical and mineralogical characteristics observed to both the function and historical context of the monument. Using a multi-analytical approach, the preservation of samples was prioritised whenever possible. The results indicate that mortars with a structural function have higher silicon contents than those used as render. In the case of water conduit coatings, the mortars were formulated with ground ceramics to develop hydraulic properties and ensure the waterproofing material. However, it was not possible to identify a characteristic pattern related to the historical construction periods.
- The first occurrence of tuna Thunnus sp. (Family Scombridae) in the Miocene fossil record of PortugalPublication . Neto de Carvalho, Carlos; Marrecas, P.; Figueiredo, SilvérioABSTRACT: The fossil record of tunas (tribe Thunnini, family Scombridae) is sparse due to their pelagic lifestyle. Yet such finds are essential for reconstructing evolutionary and biogeographic patterns of these marine apex predators. We report the first occurrence of Thunnus sp. in Portugal, based on a well-preserved caudal vertebra from Burdigalian (Lower Miocene) deposits at Praia da Foz da Fonte (Baixo Tejo Basin, Setúbal Peninsula). The specimen, although recovered ex situ, is confidently attributed to the Lower Miocene shallow-marine succession of the locality. Morphological features—including an amphicoelous centrum, paired lateral foramina, and distinct growth rings—support its assignment to a large scombrid, consistent with the taxon Thunnus. Estimated body length exceeds 284 cm, indicating the presence of large pelagic predators from this genus in Miocene seas of western Iberia. This find represents the earliest tuna record from Portugal and supports a widespread Miocene distribution and diversification of the genus Thunnus across Europe and the Americas.
- Unconventional Three-Dimensional Active Seismic Tomography Applied in the Lousal Mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal)Publication . Hamak, Ines; Teixeira, Pedro; Borges, José Fernando; Koulakov, Ivan; Oliveira, Rui Jorge; Caldeira, Bento; Bezzeghoud, Mourad; Xavier Matos, João Manuel; Andringa, SofiaABSTRACT: The Lousal Mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal) was operated from 1900 to 1988 for the extraction of massive sulphides and was later rehabilitated as a science museum. It was selected as a test site for underground muon tomography applied to geophysical surveys, as part of the LouMu project. This study focuses on seismic tomography to analyse the subsurface above the mine gallery, primarily surveyed by a muography telescope, which was developed specifically for this site by the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics. To validate the muon tomography results, an initial approach using conventional 2D seismic refraction failed to reach the Waldemar gallery depth, due to limited seismic ray coverage. Therefore, an innovative setup using surface shots and in-gallery geophones was implemented, providing full ray coverage. A 3D velocity model was then produced using the ATOM3D code, which enabled the integration of this configuration and performed travel-time inversion for velocity calculation. A regional dextral strike-slip fault, the Corona Fault (CF), crosses the surveyed area, and served as the main focus of this investigation. The 3D velocity model successfully detected this structure, that corresponded to the boundary between positive anomalies of the Volcano-Sedimentary Complex (VSC) and negative anomalies of the Phyllite-Quartzite Group (PQG). The absolute velocity distribution showed a distinct offset around the Corona Fault (CF), indicating a dextral strike-slip mechanism. A subvertical extension of secondary faults was observed, reflecting deformation similar to that of the main tectonic context. Previous data from the gallery confirmed that these results are consistent with the known geology and can serve as a reference for the muon tomography interpretations.
- Enhancing the Biorefinery of Chestnut Burrs, Part II: Influence of Pretreatment with Choline Chloride–Urea-Diluted Deep Eutectic Solvent on Enzymatic HydrolysisPublication . Costa Trigo, Iván; Moran, Guadalupe; Pérez Guerra, Nelson; Oliveira, Ricardo; Domínguez, José ManuelABSTRACT: Agro-industrial chestnut waste derived from chestnut processing is usually discharged without further use. However, these residues are attractive due to their high-value composition, rich in sugars and lignin. Among these residues, chestnut burrs (CB) represent a promising feedstock for biorefinery applications aimed at maximizing the valorization of their main constituents. In this study, we propose an environmentally friendly approach based on deep eutectic solvents (DES) formed by choline chloride and urea (ChCl/U) (1:2, mol/mol) for the selective deconstruction of lignocellulosic architecture, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis to release second-generation (2G) fermentable sugars. Pretreatments were applied to raw CB, washed CB (W-CB), and the obtained solid fraction after prehydrolysis (PreH). Structural and morphological modifications, as well as crystallinity induced by DES pretreatment, were characterized using attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Remarkable results in terms of effectiveness and environmental friendliness on saccharification yields were achieved for PreH subjected to DES treatment for 8 h, reaching approximately 60% glucan and 74% xylan conversion under the lower enzyme loading (23 FPU/g) and liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR) of 20:1 studied. This performance significantly reduces DES pretreatment time from 16 h to 8 h at mild conditions (100 degrees C), lowers the LSR for enzymatic hydrolysis from 30:1 to 20:1, and decreases enzyme loading from 63.5 FPU/g to 23 FPU/g, therefore improving process efficiency and sustainability.