Dried, bitter orange leaves are widely used because of their nutritious and medicinal applications. As a result, many technologies have been used to accomplish its drying process. However, drying needs a long time and high energy demand, especially in humid climates. In this paper, bitter orange leaf drying was carried out using thermal and photovoltaic solar energy (integrated system, IS), eliminating the high humidity inside of the drying chamber to improve this process. A regular solar dryer (RD) was also used to compare the kinetics, mathematical modeling, and colorimetry study (as a quality parameter), evaluating both systems’ performances. The drying leaves’ weights were stabilized after 330 min in the RD and after 240 min in the IS, with a maximum drying rate of 0.021 kg water/kg dry matter∙min, reaching a relative humidity of 7.9%. The Page and Modified Page models were the best fitting to experimental results with an Ra² value of 0.9980. In addition, the colorimetric study showed a better-preserved color using the IS, with an ∆E of 9.12, while in the RD, the ∆E was 20.66. Thus, this system implementation can reduce agroindustry costs by reducing time and energy with a better-quality and sustainable product, avoiding 53.2 kg CO₂ emissions to the environment.

This study addresses a gap in STEM education by integrating solar distillation as a sustainable, hands-on learning tool to enhance students’ comprehension of heat transfer concepts and increase their awareness of environmental challenges. Guided by Bruner’s constructivist theory, this project-inspired approach aims to bridge theoretical knowledge with real-world applications, particularly sustainability. Students participated actively in the solar still’s design, construction, and analysis phases, allowing them to apply scientific principles in practical contexts. The findings demonstrated that students understood heat and mass transfer concepts more profoundly and developed an appreciation for renewable energy technologies and sustainable practices. Additionally, the project highlighted the impact of external climatic conditions on system performance, promoting an awareness of environmental factors affecting sustainable solutions. This research illustrates the potential of combining constructivist learning with sustainable technology education, preparing students to address pressing global issues such as water scarcity and energy conservation.

Managing emissions and congestion in urban transportation systems is a growing challenge, particularly when traffic dynamics are influenced by real-time conditions and infrastructure constraints. This study addresses this issue by proposing a cellular automata-based model to analyze traffic emissions and flow dynamics in two-route traffic systems under one-directional flow conditions, incorporating various real-time information feedback strategies. Unlike previous studies, the proposed model integrates key components of urban infrastructure, such as lane-changing dynamics, traffic signalization, and vehicle-type heterogeneity, along with operational factors including entry rates, exit probabilities, and the number of waiting vehicles. The model aims to fill a gap in existing emission studies by capturing the dynamics of heterogeneous, multi-lane systems with integrated feedback mechanisms. These considerations provide valuable insights into traffic management and emission mitigation strategies. The analysis reveals that prioritizing information feedback from the system entrance, rather than relying on feedback from the entire system, more effectively reduces traffic emissions. Additionally, the Vehicle Number Feedback Strategy (VNFS) proved to be the most effective, reducing the number of waiting vehicles and consequently lowering CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, simulation results indicate that for entry rate values below approximately 0.4, asymmetrical lane-changing generates higher emissions, whereas symmetrical lane-changing yields elevated emissions when entry rate surpasses this threshold. Overall, this research contributes to advancing the understanding of traffic management strategies and offers actionable insights for emissions mitigation in two-route systems, with potential applications in intelligent transportation infrastructure.

Food waste contributes to hunger, poverty, and environmental pollution. Unfortunately, seafood, which provides high nutrient content, is significantly underutilized, with only 30% of high-value seafood consumed. This study addresses the urgent need to reuse these wastes, converting them into biofertilizers through solar drying. A solar drying plant was designed and built to produce fish powder as the base of fertilizer, achieving an equilibrium humidity of 400 kg in 11 h after sterilization by pre-cooking. The resulting biofertilizer was rigorously tested for its macronutrient composition, germination rate, presence of coliforms, and phytotoxicity. The findings indicate that fish waste can effectively replace synthetic fertilizers, fostering a circular economy and promoting sustainable agriculture. This research highlights the potential of using marine debris to produce biofertilizers, contributing to global sustainability efforts by harnessing marine debris and solar energy to offer an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers.

The authors would like to make the following corrections about the published paper