Environmental and Earth Sciences

Abstract: Non-contaminated plastic waste from healthcare facilities is largely non-infectious and rich in recoverable polymers, yet it is routinely incinerated for lack of an automated sorting process suited to the clinical setting. This paper presents a sensor fusion system design and a comparative hyperspectral classification methodology for that stream. Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging, an RGB line-scan camera, and an inductive metal sensor are integrated on a collaborative robot platform, combining polymer-type identification, visual object detection, and metal discrimination in a late-fusion pipeline. Two hyperspectral classification strategies are specified and compared across labeling cost, robustness, interpretability, and stage of system maturity: reference-spectra distance matching, which needs no labeled training data, and supervised machine learning, which gains robustness as the labeled dataset grows. The two are ordered as successive development phases, the first bootstrapping the second. A throughput and spectral analysis establishes the sensor specification required for production line speeds, which the pipeline architecture accommodates without change to the classification methodology. The regulatory scope of the recoverable fraction under German waste legislation is treated as an explicit design input, determining the material classes targeted and the open-set rejection behavior required of the classifiers. Open design parameters and a validation pathway are identified.

Abstract: Primary teachers shape early environmental understanding, yet their formal preparation in waste management remains poorly documented. This study audited all nine Greek public undergraduate primary-teacher programmes. Official study guides and course descriptions available by 29 August 2026 were screened for explicit content on solid waste, wastewater, sludge, and biosolids. Generic environmental references and undifferentiated mentions of waste were excluded unless a target domain or qualifying management operation was explicit. Five programmes (55.6%) contained at least one relevant course. Solid waste appeared in four programmes (44.4%), wastewater in three (33.3%), and sludge or biosolids in none. Of the five retained courses, one was compulsory, one compulsory-choice, and three elective; only one programme (11.1%) guaranteed relevant exposure. Four courses provided substantive coverage and one incidental exposure. A full independent audit produced agreement on 40 of 45 programme-level binary decisions (88.9%; pooled Cohen's kappa = 0.72). Discrepancies were resolved by consensus using predefined rules and original sources. The documented curriculum therefore provides fragmented and uneven preparation, with compulsory exposure rare and no explicit coverage of treatment residuals. The findings support consideration of a minimum learning entitlement integrating the waste hierarchy, wastewater treatment, treatment residuals, resource recovery, risk communication, and primary-school pedagogy.

Abstract: Improper management of domestic organic solid waste (DOSW) poses an environmental challenge, and composting offers a low-cost valorization alternative, though the effect of substrate composition and microbial inoculation on process performance remains unclear. This study evaluated the effect of substrate composition and lactic acid bacteria inoculation on the dynamics and physicochemical and microbiological quality of compost from DOSW via horizontal composting, and its agronomic performance in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). A completely randomized design with four treatments (T0: 100% DOSW; T1: 50% DOSW + 50% rice husk + bacteria; T2: 75% DOSW + 25% rice husk + bacteria; T3: 100% DOSW + bacteria) and three replicates ran 103 days, monitoring temperature, moisture, pH, color, and odor; final compost was characterized per NTC 5167 and evaluated for effects on lettuce growth and soil. No treatment reached a thermophilic phase, though rice husk improved porosity and reduced odor persistence. All composts were free of Salmonella spp. and enterobacteria, meeting safety criteria. T2 showed the best balance of stability, microbiological activity, and nutritional quality, while inoculation did not improve lettuce yield, with T0 yielding the highest biomass. Findings confirm horizontal composting of DOSW with structuring materials is a viable, safe, low-cost alternative.

Abstract: Food waste in the restaurant sectors represents a critical global challenge with significant environmental and economic impacts. Addressing this issue requires a transition toward automated and intelligent waste management systems within a circular economy framework. However, the deployment of deep learning-based solutions is largely limited by data scarcity, class imbalance, and the high cost of pixel-level annotation. In this paper, we propose a data-centric deep learning framework for food waste classification and semantic segmentation. Instead of relying solely on architectural modifications, our approach improves model performance by integrating a stability-driven study within a U-Net/VAE framework, where CLIP-in-the-loop supervision and performance feedback (IoU and Dice scores) are incorporated to guide and refine the learning process. The proposed framework combines classical augmentation techniques, annotation-free compositional fusion, and CLIP-guided Stable Diffusion models (with CLIP supervision set to 0.3 in most configurations to enhance semantic alignment and visual consistency) to generate realistic and balanced synthetic food waste scenes.The suggested framework creates realistic and balanced synthetic food waste scenes by combining traditional augmentation techniques, annotation-free compositional fusion, and CLIP-guided Stable Diffusion models (with CLIP supervision set to 0.3 in most configurations to improve semantic alignment and visual consistency).We provide structured pseudo-labels that are aligned with the synthesised compositions in order to further enhance supervision quality. This allows for the generation of scale datasets without the need for manual annotation. The efficiency of the suggested data-centric approach is confirmed by experimental findings on the FoodSeg103 dataset, which show strong improved performance with IoU and DICE values between 0.70 and 0.90 across the majority of new classes.By reintroducing the Dice score into the loss function and integrating CLIP into the prompt refinement loop, the proposed method ensures training stability while offering a scalable and useful solution for intelligent waste sorting and supporting the development of automated decision systems to be integrated in advanced computer vision–based sustainable food waste management.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the degree of sludge stabilization in septic tanks by assessing the mineralization of retained sludge at different retention times. Under normal operating conditions, sludge remains inside septic tanks for extended periods, typically ranging from 8 months to 2 years. From a process engineering perspective, septic tanks operate as semi-continuous systems, in which wastewater enters continuously while sludge is removed intermittently. To evaluate sludge stabilization, sludge samples were collected from four full-scale septic tanks operating under real field conditions. The quality of the sludge is determined by the volatile fraction; the lower this value, the higher the physicochemical quality of the sludge, the volatile fraction is equivalent to the percentage of volatile suspended solids, which is evaluated by determining the ratio between volatile suspended solids (VSS) and total suspended solids (TSS). A lower VSS/TSS ratio indicates greater sludge stabilization. The results obtained allow for the evaluation of sludge quality and stabilization under different operating conditions y and the endogenous constant in various scenarios. Finally, it is confirmed that septic tanks operate as a digester, reducing volatile material, and that their endogenous constant is below that of traditional digesters, which explains the residence times of the biomass and their respective periods of discharge and evacuation of the sludge.

Abstract: The olive industry is experiencing significant growth, held back only by the environmental and management issues that its by-products can cause. The two most polluting effluents produced are a new aqueous phase or ‘alpechín’ in the olive oil industry, and brine in the table olive ones. The high organic and phytotoxic load of both, together with the conductivity of the brines, makes their reuse difficult and poses a real technological challenge due to the environmental problems they are causing. This study demonstrates that the application of thermo-malaxation followed by three-phase centrifugation allows the removal of most of the most active phenolics, including hydroxytyrosol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol and tyrosol—from the alperujo in a 30%, yielding a partially detoxified solid phase and a liquid phase rich in the most active phenolics. Furthermore, the application of an industrial chromatographic process enables the removal of between 50% and 75% of the phenolic load from the liquid fraction of the aforementioned system, as well as from the brines of the table olive industry. The high antioxidant activity of the extracted phenolics has also been verified through in vitro assays.

Abstract: Solid waste management (SWM) is an important public health and environmental problem in the cities of developing countries. This is a systematic literature review (SLR) that synthesizes evidence of health and environment effects from the improper waste disposal with particular reference to Gaborone City, Botswana. Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and PubMed were searched, resulting in 2,978 records that were subjected to PRISMA-guided screening and quality assessment, leading to 60 key studies. Although there is a known lack of Botswana specific data, there is also evidence that open dumping and open burning along with poor collection services result in respiratory disease, gastrointestinal infections, vector borne disease and multi-compartmental environmental contamination. Electronic waste is particularly dangerous and represents a fast-growing waste stream which globally has 75-78% that is inadequately managed. In Gaborone, risks are exacerbated by policy gaps, institutional fragmentation, and poor implementation of laws. This paper provides evidence-based recommendations that align with Botswana Vision 2036, the African Union Agenda 2063, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically aimed at the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Gaborone City Council for consideration in the context of the municipal SWM scoping review of Botswana. Finally, the study highlights the pressing need for enhanced solid waste organization and health-oriented policies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

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The macro algae Sargassum spp. reaching the beaches of Quintana Roo, Mexico, has represented an environmental problem since 2011 due to its massive influx and the lack of adequate instruments for its management, treatment and final disposal. Physicochemical parameters of the macroalgae were evaluated in samples collected from three beaches in Quintana Roo during 2020, 2023 and 2025. Total and inorganic arsenic concentrations were determined using an alternative method based on hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry coupled with an automated cryotrapping system and flow injection analysis system (HG-AAS-AC-FIAS). From the perspective of Mexican waste regulations, sargassum is classified as Special Management Waste (SMW) and is considered non-hazardous waste since arsenic concentrations in aqueous phase did not exceed the maximum permitted limit of 5 mg/L established by NOM-052-SEMARNAT-2005. Therefore, its management should comply with NOM-061-SEMARNAT-2011 that deals with SMW. However, as a potential raw material, sargassum contained total arsenic concentrations of 22.272 ± 0.598 mg/kg dw (2020), 12.46 ± 0.5 mg/kg dw (2023) and 170.67 ± 13.614 mg/kg dw (2025). Inorganic arsenic was detected in 2023 and 2025 samples at 10.005 ± 0.042 mg/kg dw and 68.63 ± 0.106 mg/kg dw, respectively. These findings highlight the need for specific management, treatment, disposal and clear guidelines for its use as a raw material for sargassum valorization.

Abstract: This study evaluates the potential of solid digestate as a feedstock for granulated organo-mineral fertilizers (OMF). The aim was to improve nutrient density, safety, and soil conditioning properties while supporting circular bioeconomy principles. Digestate was enriched with ammonium sulfate, monoammonium phosphate, and potassium chloride to produce OMF. The granules were analyzed for nutrient content, heavy metals, and functional group stabilization (FTIR). Soil incubation tests assessed the cation exchange capacity (CEC), while spring barley pot experiments evaluated biomass production and nutrient uptake. OMF granules achieved nutrient levels of N = 5.0%, P₂O₅ = 5.9%, and K₂O = 4.7%, with dry matter of 95.9% and ash content of 32.4%. Heavy metals (Cd < 0.5, Pb < 5, As < 1.0 mg/kg) were well below EU safety thresholds. Compared to digestate pellets (C:N ≈20:1), OMF (C:N ≈7.8:1) showed faster mineralization. Soil incubation revealed increased CEC from 26.1 to 32.1 cmol(+)/kg. Barley biomass rose by 6.8–9.6%, with P and K accumulation strongly correlated with growth (r = 0.960 and r = 0.828). Uptake efficiencies reached 14.6% for P₂O₅ and 86.9% for K₂O. Digestate valorization through organo-mineral granulation provides a safe and effective fertilizer pathway that enhances soil fertility, nutrient efficiency, and crop performance, while contributing to sustainable circular agriculture.

Abstract: Between 1943 and 1989, the Hanford Nuclear Site produced weapons-grade plutonium and accumulated 212,000 cubic meters of mixed radioactive and hazardous chemical waste, stored in 177 aging underground tanks. It is estimated that 90% of this waste is “Low Activity Waste” after the cesium, strontium, and transuranics are removed. In late 2025, the Direct Feed Low Activity Waste facility began vitrification, which involves mixing liquid waste with molten glass at 1150 °C to destroy hazardous organic chemicals, at an average rate of 15 metric tons per day. Maintaining heat in the two 300-ton melters requires about 200,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year. Over 40 years, this electricity use results in about 3,000,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. To mitigate this carbon footprint, a significant portion of the waste could be “grouted” with a mixture of Portland cement, granulated slag, fly ash, and batch-specific chemicals. Vitrifying LAW has a carbon footprint of about 32 tCO₂e per cubic meter (m³), whereas grouting LAW and shipping it out-of-state by truck involves about 6 tCO₂e/m³, and shipping it by rail involves about 2.5 tCO2e/m3. Adding a rail spur to a grouting facility is key to Hanford’s net-zero approach.

Abstract: The rapid global expansion of photovoltaic (PV) systems, driven by rising energy demand, is expected to generate substantial module waste at end-of-life, with global PV waste projected to exceed 4 million tonnes by 2030, 50 million by 2040, and 200 million tonnes by 2050. Based on 102 publications identified through Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and IEEE Xplore databases, this review provides a comparative, literature-based assessment of recycling, second-life applications, and disposal as end-of-life (EoL) management strategies for PV modules, examining the relationship between module structure, waste management pathways, material recovery potential, and the technical and economic limitations of current practices. Recycling offers clear environmental benefits but remains economically constrained in many scenarios by high process costs and the complexity of separating laminated module structures. Second-life application emerges as a complementary strategy, delaying the premature entry of modules retaining residual functionality into the waste stream and enhancing resource efficiency. Nevertheless, landfilling continues to account for the majority of global PV waste despite the availability of more sustainable alternatives, revealing a marked gap between technical potential and field-level practice. Overall, no single approach is sufficient; effective PV waste management requires an integrated strategy combining recycling, second-life applications, and disposal in line with circular economy principles.

Abstract: Landfilling doesn’t eliminate waste. It is only a mechanism for temporarily storing waste, which means environmental issues continue to persist. Waste in landfills can pose serious risks to the environment and human health, including the emission of potent greenhouse gases such as methane, foul odours, leachate-contaminated groundwater, and the loss of circulating resources vital to a sustainable economy. Landfills are still being created globally, in addition to those that already exist. This alone is a valid reason for us to explore how we manage them, since their impact, both short and long term, can potentially generate a multitude of adverse consequences. Landfill mining (LFM) offers a method to reduce the risk of various contaminants entering the environment from landfills and to recover useful materials from discarded and buried waste. By shifting the view of landfills from waste storage to a source of resources, LFM can help reduce long-term environmental problems, support the circular economy, and change how society manages buried waste. The concept of Landfill Mining (LFM) has emerged as a possible solution to increasing issues in waste management, such as limited landfill space, pollution, and the need to rehabilitate sites. Early LFM projects mainly recovered small quantities of materials, such as soil and waste fuels, but encountered many obstacles, including technological constraints, high costs, and strict regulations, which made LFM less common. Recent research and technological advances suggest that LFM could achieve much more if the right conditions are met. With active enforcement of policies such as extended producer responsibility (EPR), government oversight, and improved material processing, LFM could scale to industrial levels, helping recover more resources and manage legacy waste. Clear guidelines for responsible waste management will be vital for ensuring this over the long term. LFM is not just a way to create value from waste; it also helps implement circular economy principles. This paper describes LFM as a form of ‘retrospective circular economy.’ LFM can transform old landfills into urban mines, converting buried waste into useful raw materials and helping society move towards sustainability.

Abstract: Waste generation continues to increase despite advances in recycling, waste valorization, and circular economy policies. Existing explanations commonly emphasize technological, economic, or governance factors, yet provide limited insight into why waste persists even when circularity becomes increasingly embedded in policy discourse and institutional frameworks.This article introduces transition decoupling as an interpretative concept for understanding why waste persists despite growing commitments to circular economy transitions. To examine this phenomenon, the article develops the Neuroecology of Waste as a framework linking cognitive-discursive, institutional, and material dimensions of urban systems.The article develops the concept of transition decoupling to explain how cognitive-discursive change, institutional adaptation, and material reconfiguration may evolve at different rates during circular economy transitions. When these dimensions become misaligned, circular narratives and institutional reforms may advance while disposal-oriented material configurations remain dominant.The framework is illustrated through a comparative assessment of three Latin American metropolitan systems: Mexico City, Bogotá, and Santiago. The analysis reveals strong cognitive-discursive and institutional commitments to circularity across all cases, while material transformation remains partial or limited. Mexico City was classified as a case of Transitional Coupling, whereas Bogotá and Santiago were classified as Decoupled Transitions.The findings suggest that waste persistence may be interpreted as a consequence of unevenly synchronized transition processes rather than simply the absence of transition itself, providing empirical support for the concept of transition decoupling.

Abstract: The incorporation of recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) derived from dispersed waste concrete into lining concrete for underground engineering presents a potential strategy to reduce primary resource depletion. However, the actual environmental benefits of this approach are highly contingent upon logistical factors, such as transport distances, and the mix design adjustments necessary to compensate for RCA quality variations. In this study, a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for C30/37 underground lining concrete to evaluate the combined effects of RCA replacement ratio, waste concrete transport distance, and cement-compensation assumptions. Literature-based RCA properties-including density, water absorption, and mechanical performance indicators-were employed to support four cement-compensation scenarios (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) at a fixed 30% RCA replacement rate. The results reveal that cement production accounts for over 80% of the total global warming potential (GWP). Under an equal cement content scenario, each 10% substitution of natural coarse aggregate with RCA reduces aggregate-related GWP by approximately 0.233 kg CO2 eq/m³. However, the total GWP of the CC0 scenario is only 0.18% lower than that of conventional concrete. In contrast, cement-compensation levels of 5%, 10%, and 15% increase the GWP to 455.3, 474.7, and 494.1kg CO2eq/m3, which are 4.26%, 8.72%, and 13.17% higher than conventional concrete, respectively. The previously identified critical transport distance of 26.04 km is therefore specifically applicable only to the equal-cement CC0 aggregate-substitution scenario. These findings demonstrate that the environmental feasibility of RCA-based lining concrete is jointly governed by the quality of the recycled material, the additional cement demand, and regional transport conditions. The outcomes provide a quantitative foundation for decision-making in the production and environmental performance evaluation of underground lining concrete, particularly in the context of extreme environments, where material reliability and resource security are of paramount importance.

Abstract: The aim of this research is to analyse how small and medium-sized construction companies in Catalonia are advancing towards a circular economy model through material recycling, energy efficiency and passive building design, in line with the 2030 Agenda and the European Green Deal. The exploratory study focuses on case studies of companies, including those certified with the RECONS (acronym for Environmental Responsibility in Construction in Catalonia) environmental label, identifying strategies to reduce the carbon footprint by valorising construction and demolition waste, adopting Energy Saving Certificates (ESCs), and implementing passive standards such as Passivhaus in a Mediterranean climate. A literature review is combined with empirical analysis to assess regulatory, technological and market barriers, as well as existing economic incentives. The findings indicate that the use of recycled aggregates and passive construction solutions enables significant reductions in energy consumption and emissions, while ESCs and environmental labels act as key levers to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable construction sector aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Abstract: Whether economic growth decouples from municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in upper-middle-income economies remains contested. We test the Waste Kuznets Curve and a disposal-to-recovery substitution effect using a 13-year panel of 1,101 Colombian municipalities, combining step-wise fixed-effects models with a non-parametric generalised additive model (GAM), a spatial autoregressive (SAR) check, and a selection-aware recovery model. We find no evidence of income-driven decoupling in landfilling. Once urban density and demographic structure are controlled, the income terms lose significance, the non-parametric estimate is predominantly monotonic, and density emerges as the main structural driver. Material recovery grows faster than disposal with income (relative substitution), but this signal is concentrated where recovery is measured—only 27% of municipalities report it, and coverage falls from 86% in metropolitan tiers to 19% in the rural periphery—so that once selection is corrected the recovery elasticity falls from about 5.9 to a non-significant 1.3. Rather than spontaneous decoupling, Colombia exhibits persistent coupling alongside an institutionally engineered, spatially unequal recovery capacity. Achieving SDG 12 therefore requires stratified policies that mandate consumption reduction in mature urban economies while subsidising shared circular infrastructure for historically neglected rural jurisdictions.

Abstract: Household food waste remains a huge challenge for solid waste management in municipalities worldwide, especially in the Global South. Existing studies that measured food waste (FW) in cities are scarce, have limited geographic scope, and have limited timeframes. In that direction, the current investigation provides data on the FW composition of nine regions of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), based on a three-year sampling across 155 neighborhoods. Waste samples were collected from 2021 to 2023. In total, about 24,038 kg (fresh weight) were analyzed. Results showed that FW accounts for an average of 47.7±1.9% of household waste in the study period. The FW composition in the city of Rio de Janeiro ranged from 60.3 – 76.5% for fruits, vegetables, and salads, 15.0 – 25.1% for fine aggregate (small-sized food residues < 2.54 cm, like rice, beans, grains, and fragmented food particles), and 3.2 – 5.8% for proteins (discarded animal-based protein foods like chicken and meat). The chi-square good-ness-of-fit test was applied to evaluate whether the FW composition in each of the nine regions differed from the mean FW composition of the Rio de Janeiro municipality. The findings revealed statistically significant differences (p-value < 0.05) in the average FW fractions in specific regions and years compared with the city’s average composition. Thus, one of the key takeaways of this investigation was that the percentages of discharged food waste fractions vary over time and across locations, even within the same municipality. The present research took a first step toward understanding the food waste problem in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and underscores the importance of monitoring food waste data to guide the development of locally specific strategies for sustainable urban food systems, including waste prevention, recycling, and food recovery.

Abstract: This study uses causal loop diagram (CLD) to explore the system dynamics of urban waste management analysing the interdependencies among waste generation, operational efficiencies, governance, public behaviour, and environmental outcomes. The model identifies key reinforcing and balancing feedback loops that drive system performance, including data–policy–performance, awareness–segregation, and technology–innovation dynamics. It also highlights critical constraints such as collection inefficiencies under system overload and the adverse effects of inadequate monitoring and data availability. Findings suggest that strengthening monitoring systems, enhancing public awareness, and investing in technological innovation, concomitantly, can create reinforcing improvements across the waste management system. On the other hand, weak governance and data gaps undermine system responsiveness and environmental outcomes. The study contributes to policy design by providing a holistic framework for understanding leverage points that can improve sustainability and resilience in waste management systems.

Abstract: This study investigates the potential for recovering valuable minerals from feldspar tailings generated during industrial processing and commonly discarded as waste, causing both economic losses and environmental concerns. A hydrocyclone overflow sample obtained from a feldspar processing plant in the Muğla region of Türkiye was characterized and evaluated for the production of a marketable feldspar concentrate by flotation. Bulk and selective reverse flotation tests were performed using Denver and TK Lab flotation cells incorporating different impeller–stator configurations to evaluate the combined effects of reagent chemistry, flotation cell hydrodynamics, and bubble characteristics on flotation performance. The Sauter mean bubble diameter (d₃₂) was measured under both two-phase and three-phase conditions to characterize bubble size. Compared with the conventional plant reagent scheme (Derna-7 and Der A4), the sequential flotation scheme employing sulfonate collectors (R801–R825) for Fe–Ti-bearing minerals followed by the amine collector DAHC for mica significantly improved impurity rejection. The highest concentrate quality was achieved in the TK Lab Cell, producing a feldspar concentrate containing as low as 0.49% Fe₂O₃ while maintaining a total alkali content of 9.57%, satisfying the Fe₂O₃ requirement for second-grade ceramic applications. Despite producing larger bubbles than the Denver Cell, the TK Lab Cell exhibited superior rejection of Fe–Ti-bearing minerals. The consistently larger bubbles generated by the TK Lab Cell, irrespective of the reagent scheme employed, indicate that the different impeller–stator configurations played a key role in governing bubble generation and gas dispersion, while reagent chemistry primarily modified bubble characteristics within the hydrodynamic environment established by each flotation cell. The results demonstrate that flotation performance is governed by the combined effects of reagent chemistry, flotation cell hydrodynamics, and bubble characteristics, providing new insights into the sustainable valorization of feldspar processing tailings.

Abstract: Implementation of circular solutions in place of single-use plastic products requires stronger alliance between science and private sector. To investigate benefits of knowledge and strategy co-creation, this study applies common-pool resource theory in the design of a serious game. A total of 188 Polish biology and geography undergraduate students (researchers-to-be), divided into two teams, representing science and business actors with shared goals, participated in 20 facilitated game sessions. Two versions of the game were assessed – with a separation of the teams or with the personnel exchange. The results of the games were analyzed in relation to the structure of the shared social values as a differentiating co-factor. Science–business collaboration and environmental attitudes were evaluated with pre/post-questionnaires to assess the game’s potential as a science communication and educational tool. Results suggest that the successful resolution of the presented common-pool resource dilemma correlates with the introduced collaboration and the self-transcendence values. As hypothesized, we observed desirable changes in participants’ attitudes after the game sessions. Further investigation of gaming as a science communication tool and its long-term effects is recommended to facilitate implementation of the knowledge co-creation principles in practice.