Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK)

Last week, Prof. Nikol Kmentová and I from the IUCN SSC Parasite Specialist Group inspected historical vertebrate collections at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences to check whether parasites of a fish species that is critically endangered in Flanders and that is cultured in captive breeding for reintroduction, are native to Belgium. Stay tuned for our findings! Thanks to Olivier S. G. Pauwels, curator of recent vertebrates, for the assistance, and to Johan Auwerx and Jeroen Van Wichelen from INBO (Research Institute for Nature and Forest - Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek) for this nice collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK) and the Faculteit wetenschappen UHasselt of UHasselt!

🌎🤝 Environmental Economics (EEC) meets the world: ideas in motion at conferences! Great ideas grow when they’re shared, which is why the EEC group at CMK is actively involved in conferences—connecting with others on a global scale, sharing what they’ve learned, and learning from them too. We recently caught up with Ellen Hannes, a PhD researcher at EEC, to hear about her experience in presenting the study, “The value of neighborhood greenspace for children using the life satisfaction approach,” at the 5th Ecosystem Services Partnership European Conference in Wageningen, the Netherlands on November 18-22, 2024. This study is part of the GreenBrain Project, a multidisciplinary effort involving the Environmental Biology group.  🎤 What is the study about? We collected data from 475 child-parent pairs all over Flanders in order to reveal the monetary value of neighborhood greenspace in terms of improvements in children's self-reported life satisfaction. 🎤 What was your experience like? I received lots of valuable feedback from researchers in different fields, and I had the opportunity to enjoy some inspiring talks. It was nice to meet people working on similar topics, sharing the same goals and challenges. 🎤 Besides the conference, was there anything interesting about your trip? We brought a visit to "Burgers'Zoo". There, we had a look behind the scenes of the aquarium. I was impressed with how carefully they designed and maintained a real coral reef, showing their importance for the ecosystem to the wider public. EEC continues to push boundaries and spark conversations, demonstrating how research drives a greener, healthier future. Stay tuned to discover where EEC goes next! #GreenSpace #GreenBrain #EcosystemServices #EEC #CMK #Conferences Faculteit Bedrijfseconomische Wetenschappen UHasselt Hasselt University Faculteit wetenschappen UHasselt

S-enhanced microbial activation of biochars and refined grass fibers for circular horticulture: applied microbiology to reduce the pH of biochar and fibers without C losses The application of wood-based biochars as bulk or stand-alone material for horticultural substrates is restricted by their high pH and high acid-buffering capacity. Acidification of #biochar through #microbial #activation with elemental #sulfur was optimized by adding mineral fertilizer or chitin. Microbial activation of the biochars was confirmed by S mineralization after application of elemental S and by N mineralization from chitin. Acidification of refined grass fibers with S resulted in a higher biological stability. published #openaccess in Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN): https://lnkd.in/etRQgDhw more info: Green Carbon Webinar Series: https://lnkd.in/eyHYinSa Results of Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO) #BASTA and the #European Joint Programme EJP SOIL #BioCASH Jarinda Viaene Raúl Castejón-del Pino Amine Lataf Ann JF Cuypers Dries Vandamme Plant & Soil Living Lab Instituut voor Landbouw, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek (ILVO) B2BE Facilitator (Business to Bioeconomy) Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK) UHasselt Analytical & Circular Chemistry Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS - CSIC) CSIC Innovación #pyrolysis #makebiocharnotwar

The horticulture industry is in dire need of sustainable alternatives to peat, which has significant environmental drawbacks, including high carbon emissions. 👎 In a new study in collaboration with ILVO (Instituut voor Landbouw, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek), we explored the potential of processed grass fibers and biochar as sustainable peat replacements by testing biological acidification with elemental sulfur (S) and chitin. We found that: ✅ Elemental sulfur improves the biological stability of processed grass fibers and accelerates decomposition where needed. ✅ Biochar acidification, though slower, reduces pH over time and increases microbial activation through sulfur oxidation. ✅ Combining acidified biochar with untreated biochar creates blends with optimal pH and properties for horticultural applications. Why this matters? Our findings offer a sustainable pathway to reduce peat usage by enhancing locally-sourced, bio-based materials like biochar and processed grass fibers. ♻️ 🌍 👏 Kudos to the authors Bart Vandecasteele, Jarinda Viaene, Raúl Castejón-del Pino, Amine Lataf, Ann JF Cuypers, and Dries Vandamme! 🎉 For more details, check out the full paper via https://lnkd.in/eAhmZYgH Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK) - Hasselt University

Researcher on the move...

Celebrating International Aviation Day: Pioneering Sustainable Skies! ✈️ As the aviation industry faces the challenge of reducing its environmental impact, our research group is taking flight toward a greener future. From conducting techno-economic analyses to advancing the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) across the supply chain, our work is focused on making aviation both sustainable and economically viable. Did you know that SAFs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuels? By leveraging green hydrogen, renewable energy, and circular economy principles, we’re committed to helping the aviation industry achieve its net-zero goals. Interested in our work? Reach out or follow us for updates! #InternationalAviationDay #SustainableAviation #GreenHydrogen #StargateProject #DecarbonizingAirports #NetZero #ResearchForImpact Faculteit Bedrijfseconomische Wetenschappen UHasselt 🎦 Stargate - EU Green Deal

🌍 Air quality matters, but we're not there yet! Our colleague Prof. tim nawrot emphasizes that while progress has been made in improving air quality, significant challenges remain. The recent findings underline the importance of persistent efforts to reduce pollution and protect public health. Tim’s message is clear: cleaner air leads to healthier lives—but achieving this requires continued collaboration between policymakers, researchers, and communities. We are committed to supporting innovative research and solutions to tackle environmental challenges. Together, we can create a sustainable future. Let’s keep pushing forward! 💪 #Sustainability #AirQuality #ResearchImpact #HasseltUniversity ENVIRONAGE birth cohort De Morgen: Luchtkwaliteit - Gent en Antwerpen ademen beter, al zijn we er nog niet

"Involving family and friends helps sustainable diets last longer" In a new publication, we tested whether the 30-day Veggie Challenge of ProVeg Nederland has a (lasting) effect on eating fewer animal products (meat, dairy, fish and eggs), among 1213 Dutch and Flemish participants. We also compared participating individually, to involving family and friends in the process. At first all participants consumed fewer animal products after the challenge. However, 1 and 3 months later, only those that were stimulated to involve family and friends still consumed fewer animal products! This demonstrates the importance of our social surroundings in improving and maintaining behavior change outcomes. Adding such a social encouragement to an intervention can help behavior change last longer. 👨👨👧👦 🥦 The effects were larger for specifically meat consumption, and those who still consumed meat before the intervention. We also find significant reductions in terms of greenhouse gas emissions for both treatments. Thank you Igor Asanov Sebastien Lizin Sandra Streukens Stephan Bruns Pablo Moleman Jasperina Brouwer🟥 Joey van Griethuijsen for making this work possible!! https://lnkd.in/eiCGNcrA UHasselt Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK) Universität Kassel Rijksuniversiteit Groningen ProVeg International ProVeg Nederland ProVeg Belgium

🌍✨ Environmental Economics at CMK ✨🌍 At CMK, we’re proud to showcase our diverse research focuses. 🔍 This month, we highlight the Environmental Economics (EEC) group, an incredible team dedicated to translating ecological and technological insights into actionable monetary values for stakeholders. 💡 Their research tackles critical challenges by: 🌱 Conducting techno-economic, environmental, and social assessments of clean technologies. 🌿 Valuing ecosystem services and nature’s contributions to people. 📊 Enhancing evidence-based decision-making with advanced tools like meta-analyses. The EEC group, led by experts Stephan Bruns, Tom Kuppens, Sebastien Lizin, and Robert Malina, bridges the gap between science and policy, driving innovation for a sustainable future. They’re supported by a dynamic team of PhD candidates and postdocs: Nguyen Tuan Viet Tuong Van NGUYEN Rosaly Severijns Luca Campion Alessandro Martulli Héloïse Hulstaert Gonca SEBER OLCAY Teshome Deressa Anne Nobel, PhD Elisabeth Woeldgen Nazanin Love Talia Moonsamy Benoit Ruysschaert Haitham Abu Ghaida Sumit Maharjan Jie Yang Brian Fowler Chris-Gabriel Islam Ellen Hannes Pieter Fonteyn Francis Kung'u Mwangi PhD Applied Economics Researcher Lotte Boosten Madina Bekchanova, PhD Nele Witters Bert Lenaerts Lise Janssens Pranita Rao Dasi Ruxandra Brutaru Anthony Ford Charlotte Adriaensens Paul Sibille Mae Xerzel Ouano #EnvironmentalEconomics #Sustainability #CleanTech #EcosystemServices #ResearchSpotlight #CMK_UHasselt Faculteit Bedrijfseconomische Wetenschappen UHasselt

🌍 Nearly Every Flemish Resident Exposed to Excessive Fine Dust – But Air Quality Has Improved! According to World Health Organization guidelines, almost all residents in Flanders (99.9%) were exposed to too much fine dust last year. Despite this alarming statistic, there is good news. As Professor tim nawrot from UHasselt explains, air quality in Flanders has actually improved significantly over the past decade. However, the WHO tightened its guidelines in 2021, making it more challenging for densely populated areas like Flanders to meet the new standards. While fine dust (PM2.5) values have dropped considerably compared to the early 2000s, Professor Nawrot emphasizes that there is no "safe" level of exposure. Fine dust impacts our health, from triggering asthma to contributing to heart disease and lung cancer. The good news? Since 2005, early deaths related to fine dust in Flanders have dropped by over 50%, thanks to ongoing efforts to improve air quality. Let’s continue working toward cleaner air and a healthier future! Covered by Roel Damiaans, Belga News Agency Het Belang van Limburg #AirQuality #Sustainability #PublicHealth #Research #CleanAir #FineDust #WHO #EnvironmentalScience #UHasselt ENVIRONAGE birth cohort Hasselt University Faculteit wetenschappen UHasselt