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Analysing the Dangerous Trends of Air Pollution Over Bo-Sierra Leone Using Fourteen Years of Aerosol Optical Depth Data

The atmospheric air quality of a given location gives an indication of the health risks or exposures of the inhabitants of such a place. One major parameter for determining the amount of aerosols in an atmospheric region is the aerosol optical depth (AOD). It is a vital tool for predicting the air quality over a geographic enclave. In this paper, the pollution state of Bo-Sierra Leone was considered. Fifteen years primary (aerosol optical depth) dataset was obtained from a Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR). The secondary datasets that were generated from the primary data were aerosol loading, particle sizes, Angstrom parameter and the statistics of the primary dataset. The results obtained from the investigation are relevant for tackling the excesses that result from errors emanating from the instruments mounted on the ground for data generation. The years October 2001 and 2004 show similar Angstrom value (0.25) in the month of March 2008 but was highest (0.31) in the month of May 2009 followed by the value estimated (0.29) for October 2012; however, it was either lower or somewhat insignificant for other years. Aerosol loading was found to be constant and highest (0.9442) for the months of January-February, and May-November (2000). Years with higher aerosol loading were indicative of higher potentials for pollution relative to years of lower aerosol distribution/concentration.

Moses E. Emetere, Samuel E. Sanni and Emeka E. Okoro

Association Analysis Between the Site Index Model and the Site Factors of Cunninghamia lanceolata Timber Forest in Western Zhejiang Province

Forest site conditions affect the tree growth. In this study, a site index model based on Richard’s theoretical equation was established using the dynamic monitoring data of forest resources in Lin’an District in Zhejiang Province, Chinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.] as the study object, and a difference equation to determine the internal relationship between site factors and forest stand growth. The FP-growth algorithm was used to explore the association rules between site and forest stand growth factors. A total of 175 factor association rules were obtained with the confidence coefficient and support degree of more than 80% and 10%, respectively. The main factors that influence the site quality of Chinese fir timber forest in Lin’an District are altitude, slope position, slope direction, slope gradient, soil type, soil texture, soil layer thickness, humus layer thickness, undergrowth vegetation species, and undergrowth vegetation coverage. The rules revealed the hidden associations between site factors and site quality and between site and forest stand growth factors in the Chinese fir forest. The results can provide a theoretical foundation for follow-up site evaluation work and are of great practical significance to scientific afforestation and forest management.

Chen Dong and Luming Fang

Biomonitoring Effluents from Perungudi MSW/STP Facility and its Impact on Surface Waters of Pallikaranai Wetland, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

The presence of a major MSW landfill and sewage treatment plant operated in the ecologically sensitive areas of Pallikaranai marshland poses a great threat to the biodiversity of the wetland. The mutagenic potential of Perungudi MSW leachate and STP effluents on the receiving waters into which they are discharged was monitored using bacterial reverse mutation assay. Oreochromis mossambicus inhabiting the surface waters was also sampled and subjected to single cell gel electrophoresis. At the vicinity of the discharge point (i.e. from Perungudi dumping ground and sewage treatment facility) the ecology of the receiving waters showed marked increase in the mean revertant colony counts in both the tested strains, TA98 and TA100, with and without metabolic activation system. On the basis of the study results obtained, Pallikaranai surface waters pose ecological hazards, and the olive tail moments of O. mossambicus have further validated the presence of genotoxic compounds.

Juniet Maria Jose, Akhilesh Vats, Sharmila Rajendran and M.C. John Milton

Comprehensive Evaluation and Improvement Strategy for the Carrying Capacity of Resource Environment in Shandong Province, China

Crises, such as resource shortage, environmental pollution, and ecological damage, restrict the sustainability of regional economic and social development. A comprehensive evaluation on the carrying capacity of resource environment (CCRE) based on a scientific system is beneficial to determining the background, constraints, and potentials of the carrying capacity of regional resource environments, comprehending economic and social development, and realizing harmonious development between ecological civilization and economic society. For deeply understanding the carrying capacity level of regional resource environment and mastering its variation trend accurately, an evaluation system was constructed in this study based on Shandong Province in China. This system covered 11 indexes of economic, resource, and environment subsystems. CCRE in Shandong Province from 2005 to 2016 were evaluated and estimated comprehensively through the TOPSIS model based on entropy rights. Results showed that the general CCRE in Shandong Province increased significantly from 2005 to 2016, with an annual average growth rate of 5.23%. The development level of the economic subsystem was increased yearly, which basically conformed to the variation trend of CCRE. The economic development laid a solid economic foundation for improving CCRE in Shandong Province. The overall levels of resource and environment subsystems increased yearly, which showed annual growth rates of 4.15% and 2.15%, respectively. Specific countermeasures, including reasonable development and utilization of natural resources, improving the regional ecological environment, and accelerating the technological development and construction of conservation-minded society were proposed. Research conclusions can provide certain references for constructing a long-term evaluation mechanism of CCRE, formulating spatial planning of resource utilization, and strengthening ecological civilization construction.

Liang Chunling, Gu Shengli, Zhu Xinyu and Zhu Lingling

Electromagnetic Induction Prediction of Soil Salinity by Extrapolated Calibration Model in M’Sila (Algeria)

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the in situ estimation of salinity by using the external calibration equations (ex situ) between the electrical conductivity measured laboratory (ECm) and the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) measured by EM38. Results showed that EM38 data from apparent soil electrical conductivity are highly correlated with salinity. The experiment was conducted on four sandy soils A, B, C and D located at M’Sila (Algeria). Calibration equations for converting ECa into electrical conductivity calculated (ECc) were derived using the simple linear regression (SLR) (ECm = f (ECa)). The results show that the average deviation between ECm (in situ) and ECc of site A calculated by B, D and G equations of the SLR model (ex situ) are low (0.32 dS/m and 0.66 dS/m) except for site C. Moreover, except the map C, maps B, D and G of site A realized by SLR model (ex situ) differ slightly from map A carried out by SLR (in situ), hence the significance of this approach, which can be generalized to wider areas provided the pedological context is fairly homogeneous.

Iddir Mohamed El-Amine, Mahdi Hassina and Djili Kaddour

Deposition of Heavy Metals on Sulphate Reducing Bacteria Bioreactor Treatment

Heavy metal sedimentation of acid mine waste (AMW) with sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) isolated from estuary dam ecosystem sediment of Denpasar was studied in detail. Three isolates of SRB namely DPS 1703, DPS 1705 and DPS 1711 were selected. The bacterium was straight rods, motile, spore-forming and able to grow in simple or defined media. According to physiology and biochemical characterization, the isolates were identified as Desulfotomaculum orientis. The bacterium survived at pH 3 and showed abundant growth at pH 4.0 to 7.0. Reactor with SRB consortium was applied to precipitate heavy metal ions from acid mine waste. The experiment used compost as a simple organic matter source. Growth of SRB in the anaerobic reactor significantly reduced sulphate to sulfide (92.77 -94.52%) and increased the pH from 3 to 6.2-6.7. Soluble heavy metal ions reduced to the much less mobile or insoluble state. The efficiency achieved for Cd(II) was 85.45-90.00%, Pb(II) 95.10-97.95%, Mn(II) 99.79-99.89%, Zn(II) 99.87-99.90%, Cu(II) 99.23-99.43% and Fe(III) 99.93-99.96%.

W. Budiarsa Suyasa, Iryanti E. Suprihatin, G.A. Dwi Adi Suastuti and G.A. Sri Kunti Pancadewi

Leaching Behaviour of Fly Ash: A Review

Disposal of fly ash produced in a large quantity is a major problem in coal fired thermal power plants. The coal quality depends upon its rank and grade. Fly ash content in Indian coal ranges from 35% to 50% consisting of a variety of toxic elements including heavy metals that damage the surrounding environment. During transportation, disposal and storage phases, the residues from coal combustion may pollute both ground and surface waters through leaching. The fly ash enriched in Ca, Ni and Fe showed greater leachability in acidic or ion exchangeable conditions. Principal mechanisms of metal leachability are the dissolution of primary solids under aggressive environment and/or precipitation sorption reactions, which are primarily dependent on pH. Fe is found to be tightly bound to the ash and does not leach easily while Ca is highly soluble and leaches out almost all the mediums. The leachabiltiy of trace elements in fly ash is time dependent and pH values of the leachant.

Chanchal Verma and Ranjeet Verma

Assessment of Chemical Oxygen Demand Balance for Energy Harvesting in Sugar Mills Wastewater Treatment

Sugar production process consumes a substantial quantity of water, and generates a huge amount of wastewater. It requires a lot of energy for the wastewater treatment process. The wastewater contains nutrients and a substantial amount of biomass containing energy as indicated by chemical oxygen demand (COD). The objectives of this study were to analyse the COD (mass) balance, assess the energy content of wastewater and propose an energy recovery model from the sugar mill wastewater treatment process. An Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor was used as the basis of model development. The results showed that processing wastewater of 3,000 ton cane per day, sugar mills generate methane as much as 913.94 m3/day. The energy potential for the methane was about 33,333 kJ/day and able to meet the energy needs of wastewater treatment plant of 478 kWh/day, with an energy excess of 2 kW/day. This study explained that wastewater treatment process of sugar industry can be self-sufficient by optimizing the use of generated biogas.

Tajuddin Bantacut and Ajeng Nur Aulia

A Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Analysis of Water Resources Carrying Capacity Based on Panel Data: Evidence from Qinghai Province, China

Water resources carrying capacity (WRCC), an important component of natural resources carrying capacity, has a crucial influence on the social and economic development of a country or a region. This paper use panel data to evaluate regional WRCC based on the new requirements of the Most Stringent Water Resources Management System (MSWRMS) in China. Firstly, under the “Three Red Lines” constraints from the MSWRMS, we propose a new concept, the Strictest Water Resources Carrying Capacity (SWRCC ), and build an evaluation index system for SWRCC. Secondly, in the field of panel data analysis, a grey time clustering evaluation model of SWRCC is proposed based on Compact-Center-point Triangular Whitenization Weight Function (CCTWF). By using the grey time clustering coefficient to characterize the temporal dimension of panel data, the temporal characteristics of SWRCC assessment and the importance degree of the evaluation index are reflected. Finally, we take Qinghai Province as an example to carry out empirical research. The empirical results show that the SWRCC presents obvious regional differences in the eight administrative districts of Qinghai Province. Regions subjected to lower levels of SWRCC will be restricted by problems of water use efficiency. By contrast, due to rapid socio-economic development, regions with higher SWRCC will face significant water resource problems of high total water consumption and poor water quality.

Qianwen Yu, Fengping Wu and Yuting Chen

Estimation of Water Carrying Capacity for Settlement Activities in Small Islands: A Case Study of Small Islands of North Tiworo District, Muna Sub District, Indonesia

This research aimed to estimate a coastal water quality change and its carrying capacity regarding the population settlement. Estimating the carrying capacity was taken using a quality standard comparison method, where the water quality was generated from field measurement with the quality of water according to the Ministerial Decree of Environment No. 51 of 2004. The principal component analysis was carried out to seek a parameter grouping of water quality in each location, while probability linear regression test was conducted to estimate the water carrying capacity. The results of this research indicated that the total population of Tiworo Archipelago has a significant correlation with ammonia concentration in the waters. The Quality Standard Ratio (QSR) value of ammonia currently was about 0.18, that is under its carrying capacity standard of 1. The number of the population according to the ammonia carrying capacity was about 39,541 people that was predicted happening on 160 years ahead, where the QSR ammonia value will reach 1, with an assumption of population growth rate of 1.36% per year. If the scenario was taken by decreasing the population growth rate as high as 1% per year, the carrying capacity of ammonia will happen 218 years later, and reversely when the population growth rate increased to be 1.5% per year, the carrying capacity of ammonia was going to occur on 146 years ahead. However, if this scenario was conducted by managing the local domestic waste, the ammonia carrying capacity limit was going to happen on 228 years ahead. Although various scenarios are able to be carried out to maintain the water quality, the water carrying capacity currently in the research location is either still high enough to support settlement activity of populations or marine aquaculture activity.

Romy Ketjulan, Zulhamsyah Imran, Mennofatria Boer and Vincentius P. Siregar

Environmental Pollution Generated by Architectural Engineering Construction and Environmental Management and Control Measures

Rapid urbanization in China has driven prosperous development in the building industry. Resource consumption is enormous, given the lack of effective environmental management and reasonable planning in the building construction process, thereby causing severe environmental disruption. Building construction activities are one of the main production activities that destroy environmental resources and pollute the environment. In this study, environmental pollution types generated by the architectural engineering construction were analysed, environmental management and control features in the construction process were summarized, and environmental management and control measures for pollutants arising out of construction projects were proposed. Site operation is the phase that requires the longest time in the entire construction project. It features long duration, considerable resource consumption, and high quantity waste generation. Atmospheric, water, noise, and waste pollution are mainly generated in the architectural engineering construction. Environmental management and control in the building construction are characterized by integrality, durability, dynamics, and diversity. Environmental pollution caused by architectural engineering construction can be effectively relieved through various measures, such as strictly controlling the discharge of atmospheric pollutants generated in the construction, avoiding arbitrary wastewater treatment, controlling continuous noise pollution, and optimizing waste treatment processes and flows. The study results have provided policies and suggestions to implement effective management and reasonable planning of the architectural engineering construction environment, thereby effectively reducing environmental pollution degree through reasonable management and assessment of building projects and leading to the formulation of building management systems that control and reduce environmental pollution.

Hui Zhang

Diversity and Distribution of Zooplankton in Ropar Wetland (Ramsar Site) Punjab, India

The present study reveals the diversity, abundance and composition of zooplankton in Ropar wetland. A total of 17 genera of zooplankton population were recorded and categorized into 5 different groups, i.e. Protozoa, Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda at all the sites (S1, S2, S3 and S4) from October 2015 to September 2017. Among these, Protozoa and Rotifera were the dominant groups consisting of 6 genera each. Of all the seasons, summer season depicted the highest density of zooplankton at all the sites and lowest diversity during monsoon season. The diversity indices were observed to be maximum at S2 and S4 sites as compared to S1 and S3 sites indicating that the wetland is moderately polluted as the values of Shannon-Weaver diversity index for zooplankton are above two in different seasons. This signifies that this wetland receives pollution from various sources, but still has low impact. The correlation of zooplankton population has also been studied with different pyhsico-chemical parameters, which showed a negative correlation with dissolved oxygen (DO) and free CO2 at all the sites and also with total dissolved solids (TDS) at S3 site.

Onkar Singh Brraich and Saima Akhter

Hotspots Identification of Heavy Metals in Sediments and Revelation of the Relationship Between Heavy Metal Contents and Environmental Variables

The aim of the study was to identify the hotspots of heavy metals in sediments for exploring possible sources and understand the relationship between heavy metals and environmental variables. West Chaohu Lake was selected as the study area, 38 surface sediment samples and 4 river mouth sediment samples were obtained and analysed for three typical metals (i.e. Co, Mn and Pb). Local indicators spatial associate (LISA) analysis detected spatial clusters and spatial outliers of enrichment factor (EF) values of the three metals and found the samples with pollution belong to high-high clusters, low-low clusters, even low-high outliers. Geostatistics and local Moran’s I were combined, and the results indicated that Co is mainly from natural sources, Mn is influenced by upward migration and reprecipitation, and Pb is influenced by anthropogenic sources. Furthermore, Pb was chosen as an example to understand the relationship between heavy metals and environmental variables. Compared to ordinary least squares (OLS) model, spatial autoregressive regression (SAR) model performed better and accounted for the phenomenon of spatial autocorrelation. Grain particle percent, loss on ignition (LOI), distance to Nanfei River mouth has a significant influence on the variation of Pb concentrations in sediments. Hotspots identification and spatial regression analysis can play an important role in understanding the pollution process for pollution management and restoration.

Aijun Peng and Wen Wang

Multi-Game Theory Analysis of Cooperation Stability of Trans-boundary Water Pollution Governance

The stability of trans-boundary water pollution control alliance is the key to effectively alleviate the problem of water resources shortage. In this research, we use the KMRW reputation model of incomplete information repeated game to analyse the stability of cooperation in trans-boundary water pollution governance, especially, the analysis of the compensation factors influence on cooperation and its mutual restriction of penalty factor. The results of this study suggest that in order to alleviate cooperation opportunism arising from the asymmetric information among parties involved in trans-boundary water pollution governance, the active party should bind cooperation time as long as possible, and the inactive party should input proper signal display. In order to maintain the stability of the alliance in a different situation, we innovatively introduced compensation factor into the reputation model to analyse its impact on cooperative alliances and their mutual restriction with penalty factors and subsidy factors. Hopefully, this paper could give some suggestions to the parties of the trans-boundary water pollution control alliance to make this cooperation more stable.

Zhaofang Zhang, Weijun He, Min An, Dagmawi Mulugeta Degefu, Shen Juqin and Liang Yuan

Purification Efficiency of Eutrophic Water by Different Aquatic Plant Combinations

Purification efficiency of three combinations of aquatic plants was studied for eutrophic water samples. Combination A was penny grass (Hydrocotyle vulgaris), water pack (Sagittaria sagittifolia) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes); combination B was loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), watermifoil (Myriophyllum verticillatum) and water lettuce; and combination C was cattail (Typha orientalis), water fennel (Oenanthe stolonifera) and water lettuce. The control treatment did not contain aquatic plants. The results indicated that the plant combinations had a higher pollutant removal rate than did control. All aquatic plants had higher biomasses in the eutrophic water and performed well in decreasing total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) in eutrophic water. The removal rates of TP and TN in combination A were 83.05% and 67.19%; and correspondingly 88.70% and 67.97% for combination B and 60.45% and 66.41% for combination C. The dissolved oxygen content in the water of each combination showed a downward trend with time, and pH in all treatments remained weakly alkaline. The results suggested that combination B was preferable for purification of eutrophic water and for plant landscaping.

Lifen Wang, Yi Yang, Guiling Guo, Kunduo Luo, Jianping Mao and Bo Wang

Ecological Environmental Pollution Caused by Construction Engineering in China and Relevant Energy-Saving and Cost-Reducing Measures

Construction volume has been increasing significantly in the rapid urbanization in China, which causes evident ecological environmental pollution. Moreover, the construction industry is characterized by high energy consumption and high pollution. Therefore, the energy consumption of construction causes a considerably high proportion of the total energy consumption in the industry. Building energy efficiency is also key in the construction industry in China. In this study, ecological environmental pollution caused by construction engineering was further analysed. Results could provide reliable theoretical bases for the government to develop relevant policies on building energy efficiency. First, research on energy-saving and cost-reducing measures of construction engineering in foreign developed countries was reviewed. Second, types of ecological environmental pollution caused by construction engineering were summarized. Factors that could influence energy-saving and cost-reducing processes of construction engineering in China were also discussed. Finally, specific measures for energy-saving and cost-reducing processes of construction engineering were proposed. Results showed that foreign developed countries generally establish energy-saving and cost-reducing measures at the national level, thereby strengthening policy implementation. Ecological environmental pollution caused by construction engineering is caused by the large consumption of energy resources, contamination of urban public environment, occupation of land resources, damages to biodiversity, and influences to the normal living environment of residents. Faulty laws, regulations, and local policies on building energy efficiency; poor promotion and implementation of the government’s incentive measures; and lack of evaluation system and inadequate consciousness of building energy efficiency contribute to the energy conservation and cost reduction of construction engineering. This study suggests the development of policies on building energy efficiency, reduction of building energy consumption, promotion of building energy efficiency projects in China, and facilitating of new urbanization.

Ji Ying Qin and He Hong Ma

Distribution Characteristics of Micronutrients in Mining Induced Subsided Land of an Underground Coal Mine of South Eastern Coalfields, India

This paper aims to study the distribution of available micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) for plants in an underground coal mining induced subsided land of South Eastern Coalfield Limited (SECL), India. Depth-wise changes in soil texture, soil organic matter (SOM) and micronutrient components were evaluated in crack (Profile 2 or P2), slope (Profile 3 or P3) and maximum subsided zone (Profile 4 or P4) of a subsided land and a neighbouring undisturbed land (Profile 1 or P1). Contents of available Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn were in the range of (mg.kg-1) 50.58-85.17, 40.50-64.93, 3.15-10.43 and 2.13-6.20, respectively at P1 and P4, while the contents at P2 and P3 were in the range of (mg.kg-1) 4.10-10.25, 1.26-1.74, 0.12-0.19 and 0.31-0.52, respectively. Considering the critical levels of amounts (mg.kg-1) of DTPA extracted micronutrients, the soils at P1 and P4 were found to have an adequate amount of Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn while P2 and P3 were having lower amounts than the critical levels except the Fe. Positive changes in the content values of the above elements were observed at P4, as demonstrated by increases of 54.90%, 12.98%, 127.02% and 38.30%, respectively. P3 and P2 had shown a negative change. The dispersion patterns of accessible Cu and Zn throughout the soil depth were very similar. By simple linear regression analysis, it was observed that mutual affinity for SOM might influence their distribution in soil. Amount of Fe and Mn displayed different but more consistent distribution within a soil layer.

Ashish Kumar Vishwakarma, Rajesh Rai and B. K. Shrivastva

Adsorption Thermodynamics of Adsorptive Removal of Tetracycline on Lanthanum Modified Magnetic Composite

Lanthanum is one of the rare earth elements, which exhibits potential high adsorption capacity for a series of organic and inorganic pollutants. In this research, a lanthanum modified magnetic adsorbent La-modified Fe3O4 was prepared by chemical co-precipitation and used for adsorptive removal of tetracycline (TC) from aqueous solution. At the adsorbent dosage of 5 mg in 50 mL solution, the uptake of TC achieved as much as 83.29 mg/g. The equilibrium adsorption data were fitted by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Redlich-Peterson and Koble-Corrigan models. The R2 values of Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Koble-Corrigan models were higher than those of Langmuir and Temkin models. This indicates the chemisorption occurring on heterogeneous adsorbent surface. At 298, 308 and 318 K, the qmax values by Langmuir model were of 110.4, 145.9 and 176.0 mg/g, respectively. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that DH° and DS° were 29.83 KJ/mol and 124 J·mol-1·K-1, respectively. This demonstrates that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature.

Wenchuan Wang, Ahmad Ali Khan and Guoting Li

Experimental Study on Removing Inorganic Salts from Groundwater Through Nanofiltration Membrane Process Under Low Operating Pressure

The existence of excessive inorganic salts is a great threat to water security for the surrounding residents in the northwest of China where the groundwater is widely used as the main source of drinking water. Aiming at the target water quality, in order to achieve the economic and efficient desalination and provide guidance for choosing membrane components in the practical membrane process, the performance of water production and ion separation characteristics of the two kinds of nanofiltration (NF) membranes (NF270 and NF90) were studied. The influence of operating pressure and inlet flow on water purifying efficiency by the two commercial NF membranes were also evaluated. The results revealed that under the optimized conditions (0.5 MPa, 350 L·h-1), the ion rejection rates by NF270 reached 99.42%, 81.69%, 34.65% for SO42-, F-, Cl-, respectively, whereas the rejection rates by NF90 for SO42-, F-, Cl-, NO3- were up to 99.76%, 98.16%, 96.31%, 84.66%, respectively. Consequently, NF270 possesses a stronger ion selective separation property which is more suitable for the removal of bivalent ion with a high permeate flux. While the NF90 can remove nitrate effectively in particular.

Lei Sun, Jihao Zhou, Zhengjun Mai and Zhi Zhang

Desorption Behaviour of Oxytetracycline onto Natural Sediment: A Case Study for the Middle Reaches of Weihe River in Shaanxi, China

Desorption behaviour of oxytetracycline (OTC) onto natural sediment from the middle reaches of Weihe River was described. The impact factors in the process of desorption, such as contact time, temperature (simulative range of summer and winter), ionic strength and colloidal concentration were determined by experiments. The results indicated that desorption of OTC reached equilibrium in about 40 min, and its kinetics were found to follow a pseudo-first-order model. Thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs-free energy change (DG°), enthalpy change (DH°) and entropy change (DS°) were calculated, and the results demonstrated that desorption of OTC was feasible, spontaneous, exothermic in nature, and the desorption capacity decreased with increasing temperature, especially at the range of 296 to 302 K. The desorption process approached to saturation at a temperature range of 275 to 281 K. In addition, the presence of colloid and electrolytes in aqueous solution had a negative effect on OTC desorption onto sediment sample. Such results may help to provide the theoretical basis for the effective prevention of OTC pollution to the groundwater system in the Weihe River basin.

Yue Zhao, Shengke Yang, Fengrong Han and Maiqi Xiang

Characterization and Feasible Applications of Waste Tyre Rubber Deposits from Airfield Runway

The contribution of aviation industry in managing the time of travel around the world is overwhelming. Though its services are highly needed, the serious threat posed by the deposition of rubber during take-off and landing has to be addressed in the airfield runway to mitigate the ground-based accidents. As rubber is non-degradable in nature, the present work aims to study the use of aircraft tyre rubber waste in the removal of toxic metals like chromium from wastewaters and for partial replacement of sand in the production of rubberized concrete. The characterization of vehicular and aircraft tyre rubber waste shows that the siliceous material is equal and the presence of oxygen is observed in the aircraft tyre rubber waste compared to vehicular tyre rubber waste. The utilization of the aircraft tyre rubber waste for partial replacement of sand in the production of rubberized concrete showed that the slump values and compressive strength are decreased with an increase in the percentage of the tyre rubber waste and the acceptable limits are within 5% range. The removal efficiency of chromium from wastewaters using aircraft tyre rubber waste carbon (ATRWC) was obtained at 67.56% in a batch study for various parameters. From the results, it can be observed that ATRWC can be used as a low cost adsorbent for removal of chromium from wastewaters.

Lakshmi Adathodi, Raja Murugadoss J. and Kalyani Gaddam

Cadmium Induced Changes in Total Starch, Total Amylose and Amylopectin Content in Putrescine and Mycorrhiza Treated Sorghum Crop

The current investigation was carried out to evaluate the ameliorative effect of polyamines and mycorrhiza in the induced toxic effect of cadmium at 30, 60 and 90 DAS older of sorghum variety CSV15. The significant hazardous effects and oxidative damage of cadmium nitrate (70 ppm and 150ppm) were evidenced by decreased content of total starch, total amylose and amylopectin content (mg g-1 fresh weight). The reverse responses were observed by the application of putrescine and mycorrhiza dose on the plants.

Prasann Kumar, Anaytullah Siddique, Satyajyoti Thongbam, Prafful Chopra and Sunil Kumar

Dynamic Relationship between Technology Innovation of Industrial Enterprises and Environmental Pollution: A Case Study of Zhejiang Province, China

Industrial enterprises are rising in China, but their backward technological level, poor independent innovation capability, excess production capacity, and low utilization efficiency of resources and energy have resulted in serious environmental pollution. The overall technology innovation efficiency of industrial enterprises in China can be effectively improved to reduce the industrial “three-waste” discharge but only when the enterprises promote structural optimization and adjust themselves toward industrial services through technology innovation. The influence of R&D expenditures of large- and medium-sized industrial enterprises on industrial “three-waste” discharge was estimated based on the panel data of 11 prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang Province during 2005-2016. In addition, technology innovation measures for environmental pollution control of industrial enterprises were proposed. The results demonstrated that enterprise technology innovation has an environmental protection effect, and improved enterprise production efficiency contributes to the reduction of pollutant discharge. Besides, enterprise R&D expenditures in most cities in Zhejiang Province are negatively correlated with environmental pollutant discharge, and the influence is significant. Moreover, the technology innovation input of industrial enterprises can reduce industrial pollutant discharge in Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, and Taizhou due to their good economic foundations. The study results in this paper have a direct and realistic significance in analysing the influence mechanism for the technology innovation of ecological environmental pollution of enterprises, promoting optimization and upgrading of industrial structures in different regions, and elevating regional environmental pollution governance level.

Mina Ge

The Occurrence of Bacillus cereus in the Pink Line Syndrome Infected Porites lutea Coral

Corals in the genus Porites are among the most dominant scleractinian corals in the coral reef ecosystems yet highly vulnerable to climate change impacts and diseases. In the Kondang Merak and Sempu Strait waters of Indian Ocean, it has been reported that more than 45% of the corals were infected with Pink Line Syndrome (PLS). The objectives of this study are to isolate, morphologically and molecularly characterize, and identify the PLS associated bacteria that infected Porites lutea coral. The sampling was performed at the Kondang Merak waters in June 2018 by snorkeling during low tide. In order to isolate and purify the dominant bacterial colony, quadrants streak-plating technique was performed using ZoBell marine agar culture media. 16S rRNA sequencing and BLAST homology were performed for the molecular identification of the bacterial colony. Results showed that the bacterial colony associated with PLS was of Bacillus cereus, which was closely related to Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus toyonensis and Bacillus thuringensis with 97% similarity. The occurrence of B. cereus bacterium in the PLS infected P. lutea demonstrated that this opportunistic pathogen might be responsible for the PLS in the P. lutea coral.

Muhammad A. Asadi, Bambang Semedi, Muliawati Handayani, Feni Iranawati, Umi Zakiyah and Mayda Ria

Statistical Analysis of Solar Radiation in Southern Thailand

The patterns of daily, monthly and seasonal solar irradiance in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand were investigated. Knowledge of these patterns can help predict future patterns of solar radiation falling on the surface of the earth. Daily solar irradiance observations collected from three surface stations in southern Thailand during one and half years were analysed. A natural cubic spline method was applied to describe the seasonal patterns present in the annual time series of the daily observations. The method, together with an optimum number of knots and their proper placement applied to the observations, yielded quite acceptable fits in describing the seasonal pattern of solar radiation observations. A noticeable feature of the models is the bimodal solar radiation pattern. Pattani province recorded a higher mean amount of solar radiation (450.42 Wm2) relative to the other two provinces. These findings will be essential to stakeholders in the design of solar energy systems since solar irradiance is particularly significant for planning the processes of power plants which convert renewable energy into electricity.

Nittaya McNeil, SompornChuai-aree, Salang Musikasuwan and Bright Emmanuel Owusu

Assessment and Mapping of Land Use Change by Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study of Abaya Chamo Sub-basin, Ethiopia

Population pressure, lack of awareness and weak management are considered as the real reasons for the deforestation and degradation of natural resources in Ethiopia. Land use land cover (LULC) classification has been widely studied in remote sensing and GIS for the purpose of agricultural, ecological and hydrological processes. This study applied supervised classification method with maximum likelihood classification algorithm in ArcGIS 10.1 software to identify land use land cover changes observed in Abaya Chamo sub-basin, Ethiopia by using Landsat 4-5TM and Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS images for the years 1995, 2000 and 2017. The LULC classification of the sub-basin was classified into seven major classes. It was found that barren soil, farmland, Lake Abaya and vegetation area had been increased within two decades and the annual rate of change was 0.08%, 0.45%, 0.25% and 0.37% respectively, but grass and shrubland, and woodland area has been decreased by an annual rate of change of 0.48% and 0.10% respectively. In the current situation because of deforestation and expansion of farmlands the sub-basin lakes are under stress by surface runoff, sediment yield and groundwater extraction. Hence, proper planning, management, decision and implementation are required to use the natural resources sustainably or else the natural resources will soon be lost.

Ayele Elias Gebeyehu, Zhao Chunju and Zhou Yihong

Characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 Emission Sources at Chennai, India

Deteriorating ambient air quality is a substantial problem of concern for many urban agglomerations throughout the world. Particulate matter (PM) is a criteria pollutant that is of high interest in urban locations. The precise characteristics of PM in a given locale depend on the source origin, which in turn is a function of economic, social and technological factors. In order to effectively manage PM and thereby, the exposure risk to humans, it is very essential to identify the main sources and their contributions from source emissions. Receptor modelling plays a major role in identifying and apportioning sources of airborne PM across the world. Unmix model is a multivariate receptor model developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) based on factor analysis, which estimates the number of sources using a singular value decomposition method to reduce the dimensionality of data. In this study, Unmix receptor model version 6.0 is used to identify and quantify the sources of PM at Chennai; a metropolis in southern India. A total of 29 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Te, Tl, V and Zn) and ten ions (Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, F–, Cl–, NO2–, NO3– and SO42–) were analysed to find the chemical characteristics of PM10 and PM2.5. Four sources were identified for both PM10 and PM2.5. Vehicular pollution (11%), crustal source (27%), marine aerosol (40%) and industrial source (22%) are the sources identified for PM10. Vehicular emissions (32%), secondary aerosol (13%), marine aerosol (33%) and industrial source (22%) are the sources identified for PM2.5.

Jithin Jose, B. Srimuruganandam and S.M. Shiva Nagendra

Government Strategy for Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control Based on Evolutionary Game Theory

Controlling environmental pollution efficiently has become the common goal of the entire society. To explore whether the strategy of environmental pollution prevention and control formulated by the central government can effectively prevent the failure of traditional environmental regulation, the central and local governments were selected as the participants of a game model. The incentive mechanism was introduced into the constraints, the evolutionary game model of governments and enterprises was established, and the optimal regulation strategy of both sides was constructed from the effect of environmental pollution prevention and control. Results show that the key to preventing the failure of pollution control strategies is to introduce the constraints of the central government, allocate the cost of pollution control, and provide financial support for the prevention and control of environmental pollution. In addition, the central and local governments should adopt different prevention strategies. The optimal allocation strategy of the special funds for environmental pollution prevention and control at the central government level should be to correlate positively the amount of funds with the amount declared by the local government and show a marginal decreasing relationship. Local governments should not impose severe penalties on enterprises for excess discharge of pollutants. With the escalating discharge, imposing reasonable environmental taxes and reducing the marginal emission reduction costs of enterprises are better regulation means than increasing penalties.

Rentao Sun and Wei Wan

Towards a Theory of Decoupling: The Relationship of Carbon Emission and Construction Land Expansion Between 1997 and 2012 in Hefei City, China

Low carbon has been one of the hottest research topics on global change and sustainable development field, and land use carbon emission is a leading research subject. Taking Hefei City as an example, this paper uses the Decoupling Theory to analyse the relationship of carbon emission and construction land expansion between 1997 and 2012. Based on the decoupling analysis, the Trend Index is established to judge the development direction of the relationship. This study focuses on solving two questions: on the one hand, the strict classification provides an accurate approach for calculating the carbon emission carried by construction land; on the other hand, the paper re-analyses the decoupling states of the two research objects that have same expected development direction, which is falling at the same time. The results show that the ideal decoupling relationship between carbon emission and construction land expansion is in the order of strong decoupling

Ran Yu, Xianjin Huang and Guoliang Xu

Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater by Steel Slag Ceramsite Filter

Ceramsite made from steel slag was used as filter material in a packed column to remove phosphorus (P) from wastewater. Influences of both contact time and P concentration on reactor performance were investigated. Additionally, chemical and mineralogical analyses were conducted to determine the mechanism of phosphorus removal. Results showed that Ca2+ and OH- were released from ceramsite to remove phosphorus from liquid phase under alkaline condition. Nevertheless, suitable retention time facilitated the efficient use of Ca2+ for phosphorus removal. Under the optimal contact time (4h), P removal capacity of ceramsite media was 7.9 mg/g for 140 days (at influent concentration of 10 mg/L), and the impact of influent concentration (0.5~10 mg/L) on P removal was neglectable. The mechanism for P removal included solid dissolution, precipitation and surface adsorption, among which the dissolution of calcium and Ca-P precipitation were overwhelming. The Ca-P products proved to be poorly crystalline tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and carbonated apatite.

Xiao Liu, Linan Yuan, Yue Yuan and Shibo Liu

Influence of a Low-frequency Magnetic Field on the Growth of Microorganisms in Activated Sludge

Activated sludge treatment systems for wastewater treatment are increasingly used worldwide, and their efficiencies in the removal of organic matter are high. However these depend on the growth and development of the microorganisms that compose it, therefore generating a stimulus that allows to increase the microbial growth to have an impact on the removal. One of the methods that are currently being researched to stimulate this growth is the use of low-frequency magnetic fields. Therefore, this article presents the response of different microorganisms contained in an activated sludge at magnetic field densities of 5, 10 and 20 mT in periods of time of 30, 60 and 120 minutes, finding that for magnetic fields of 10 mT for 60 minutes and 20 mT for 30 minutes there is an increase in the growth rate close to 68% in bacteria, while for fungi the greatest increase was found in the magnetic field of 5 mT during all exposure times close to 50%. On the other hand, there was also an inhibitory effect for bacteria and fungi in magnetic fields of 10 and 20 mT for different times.

Carlos Peña-Guzmán, Daniel Buitrago and Hector Luna

Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentration in River Sediments Along Vamanapuram River Basin, South Kerala, India

The present study narrates the geo-environmental setting of the Vamanapuram River Basin (VRB) through the heavy metal assessment in river sediments. The granulometric distribution of trace metals in medium sand, fine sand, very fine sand, silt and clay fractions of the Vamanapuram river sediments has been determined for selected samples and the variation is compared with that of the respective bulk sediments. The order of abundance of trace elements in sand fractions is Fe> Mg> Zn> Mn> Pb> Cr> Ni> Cu> Co> Cd, and in mud fractions is Fe> Mg> Zn> Mn> Cr> Pb> Cu> Ni> Co> Cd. The sediment distribution characteristics have been brought out in a convincing manner.

Veena M. Nair and R. B. Binoj Kumar

Relationship Between Water Pollution and Regional Economic Development: Empirical Evidence from Hubei, China

Water pollution affects the regional economic development, but no consensus about the internal relationship between the two exists in literature. To identify the relationship between water pollution and regional economic development, the effects of water pollution on regional economic development were explored by using a multiple regression model and relevant data on Hubei Province in China from 2008 to 2017. Results show that despite the steady and rapid economic development of Hubei, water pollution is alleviated. However, the overall situation remains unoptimistic. A significant inverted U-shape relationship is observed between the industrial wastewater discharge and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and between urban domestic sewage and per capita GDP. At the initial stage, the industrial wastewater discharge and urban domestic sewage are positively correlated with per capita GDP. The industrial wastewater discharge and urban domestic sewage increase with the increase of per capita GDP. When the curve reaches its peak, the two exhibit a negative correlation; that is, with the increase in per capita GDP, the discharge of industrial wastewater and urban domestic sewage decrease. These conclusions provide insights for water environment governance, sustainable economic development, and policy formulation.

Jingyi Liu

Removal of Cr(VI) from Wastewater by Lysinibacillus sp. Immobilized Magnetite

In order to prolong the usage life of magnetite in the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), a novel magnetite-Lysinibacillus sp. system was proposed in the study. The optimal condition of the combination system was optimized. The highest Cr(VI) removal rate was obtained with glucose of 8 g/L, yeast powder of 10 g/L and pH in a range of 8-10. As compared with the reaction of magnetite and Lysinibacillus sp. respectively, enhanced effect of biological-chemical system on Cr(VI) removal was observed, contributing to the synergetic effects between magnetite and the microorganism. With cyclic immobilization method, Lysinibacillus sp. was immobilized on the surface of magnetite successfully. The column experiment showed that the engineered system could remove 400 mg/L Cr(VI) from the solution for 24 h, which indicated that the immobilized magnetite is applicable for the practical treatment of Cr(VI)-containing wastewater.

Yizi Ye, Jiaojun Jin, Linshan Fang, Suhui Ye, Yangyang Wang, Jiamin Huang, Xiaoying Ye and Yuling Zhu

Adsorption of Dye C.I. Reactive Red 15 onto Montmorillonite: Kinetics and Adsorption Isotherms

The adsorption of dye C.I. Reactive Red 15 in aqueous solution onto montmorillonite was carried out in detail. The operation parameters influencing the adsorption process of dye C.I. Reactive Red 15 such as contact time and initial dye concentration were studied. Physicochemical characterizations including microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses of the surface of montmorillonite were carried out. The kinetic study was performed by the pseudo first order and the pseudo second order reactions. According to the experimental data, the pseudo second order model better described the adsorption of dye onto montmorillonite. It implies that the predominant process is chemisorption, which involves a sharing of electrons between the adsorbate and the surface of the adsorbent. The adsorption isotherms were studied by Langmuir model and Freundlich model. The results indicated that the adsorption followed the Langmuir model. The dye C.I. Reactive Red 15 adsorption onto montmorillonite was monolayer adsorption.

Chengcai Huang*, Muqing Qiu*, Linfa Bao*† and Hao Zhang**

Nutrient Analysis of Agriculture and Forest Soil in High Altitude of Kodaikanal

Soil is a principal source of nutrients essential for plant growth. The purpose of this study is to estimate pH, texture, electrical conductivity, soil organic carbon, and macro and micronutrients in agriculture and forest soils of Kodaikanal. Nutrient rank in agriculture soil is higher when compared to the forest soil. In agriculture lands, soil quality is based on the parent material, and here the usage of fertilizers and manures in the soil are reflected in the nutrient availability. Forest soil had an adequate amount of nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as 94mg/kg, 24 mg/kg and 123 mg/kg, respectively, due to the presence of microorganisms, recycling and metabolism of wastes, whereas agriculture soil had 492mg/kg, 115mg/kg and 593mg/kg of NPK. It was shown that there was an abnormal increase in the amount of nutrients in agriculture soil due to the extensive usage of fertilizers, which on the other hand leads to the decrease in soil fertility.

S. Himalini and M. Razia

Effect of Solution pH on the Kinetic Adsorption of Tetracycline by La-modified Magnetic Bagasse Biochar

Lanthanum-modified Fe3O4 nano-particles were innovatively immobilized on the bagasse biochar to prepare La-modified magnetic biochar, which demonstrated an especially high adsorption capability for the removal of tetracycline. The magnetic adsorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zeta potential analysis. Through the FTIR analysis, it could be observed that La/Fe3O4 particles were successfully immobilized on the surface of the bagasse biochar. Zeta potential analysis showed that biochar surface became more negatively charged. Near neutral pH was more favourable for the removal of tetracycline. Elovich and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were better to fit the experimental data, indicating a chemisorption occurred in the adsorption process.

Guoting Li, Qinying Yuan and Ahmad Ali Khan

Attachment of Cryptosporidium-Sized Microspheres by Holly Plant Roots

In order to prevent the outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, understanding the pathogenic parasite Cryptosporidium transport mechanism in the surface water body is critical. Cryptosporidium transport from soil to surrounding water bodies is a main source of pollution and impacted with the attachment by soil and plants. However, the attachment of Cryptosporidium by soil or plants is not clear. In this study, Cryptosporidium attachment by holly plant (Ilex spp.) roots and the impact factors were studied. Results showed that holly plant roots could attach the Cryptosporidium-sized microspheres and low soil pH and high sodium ion intensity can promote the attachment. But high-level Cryptosporidium-sized microspheres lead to the decreased attachment. It concluded that holly roots reduced the migration of Cryptosporidium due to the attachment.

Tao Yuan, Ping Lu, Zhaoji Li and Sen Cheng

Phylogenetic Identification of Chitinase Secreting Soil Bacteria Antagonistic to Fungus Aspergillus

Economic losses arising from crop diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi are principally associated with yield reductions. One alternative to fungicides is biocontrol with beneficial bacteria. Next to Pseudomonas, the endospore-forming genus Bacillus is probably the most widely researched and commercialized biocontrol agent. It is generally recognized that biological control agents are safer and more environmentally sound than is reliance on the use of high volumes of pesticides. The primary objective of current work was to isolate the specific bacterial strain that possesses the potential to act as an antagonist against the fungal pathogen Aspergillus which is thought to secrete aflatoxin, the most potent mycotoxin. Many bacterial cells were isolated randomly from the rhizospheric region of groundnut crop by serial dilution method, which were further screened for their antagonistic effect against Aspergillus. Screening results show that few of the isolates exhibit significant antagonism on dual culture media. One of the bacterial isolates SJ 609 exhibiting the maximum antagonistic effect was further selected after optimization for further studies. The mechanism of action of SJ 609 was studied in vitro for the production of hydrolytic enzymes particularly chitinase which hydrolyses chitin, which is the major component of fungal cell wall. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA amplification was carried out to establish its identity.

Minhaj Ahmad Khan

Highly-Efficient Adsorptive Removal of Tetracycline Using Magnetic Sugarcane Bagasse Biochar Modified by Lanthanum

As one of the agricultural wastes, sugarcane bagasse was easily pyrolyzed under low temperature to obtain bagasse biochar. Lanthanum-modified Fe3O4 particles were immobilized on the bagasse biochar to prepare La-modified magnetic biochar. The magnetic biochar was characterized by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the sizes of these biochar flakes were predominantly within 50 µm. At the same time, La species and magnetic particles are well combined with the biochar substrate. The magnetic biochar with a presumed molar ratio of La/Fe3O4 at 1:100 demonstrated a higher adsorption capability, which was enhanced by 69.8% compared to the raw bagasse biochar. The experimental points were quite close to curves simulated by both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. From Langmuir model, the R2 values were 0.984, 0.980 and 0.983 at 288, 298 and 308 K, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) for tetracycline reached 122.5 mg/g at 298 K and qmax increased with a rise in the reaction temperature, indicating the adsorption process was endothermic.

Weisheng Chen, Mingzhao Shen and Guoting Li

Development and Mapping of Noise Risk Zones in Neighbourhoods Along Saensaep Canal: Revealing the Public Health Burden of Water Transport in Bangkok

In this study noise pollution from public transport boats in the Saensaep canal was investigated and questionnaire surveys were performed to assess the impact of noise. The spatial noise measurements were conducted inside the boats and surrounding neighbourhoods. On the basis of the results, noise-risk zone map was developed. It shows the settlements located between 0 to 15 meters from canal fall under high to moderate risk zone and the settlements located from 15 to 20 meters fall under tolerable noise zone. The measurements conducted in different sections of the boats show wide noise variations ranging from 75.2 db(A) in the forward sections to 91.3 db(A) at the rearward section. These values clearly exceed all categories of permissible limits recommended by American Public Transit Association (APTA). The questionnaire surveys performed in the noise affected areas along the canal revealed the issues of sleep disturbance, conversation hampering, and annoyance attributed to the noise originating from passing boats. On the basis of this study, three major recommendations are forwarded. First, the households exposed to boat noise should install noise cancellation devices, sound barriers and insulators. Second, boat transportation authorities need to execute proper noise control approaches to reduce excessive noise from boat operations. And lastly, to avoid excessive noise exposure, passengers are recommended to prefer seats in the forward section over middle and rear sections.

Vasim A. Khatik, Rattanathorn Intarak and Tewelde G. Foto

A Study on Environmental Understanding, Attitude and Practices Gap in Indian Higher Education - An Overview and Theoretical Framework

The purpose of this paper is to identify practices gap existing between environmental understanding and environmental attitude of students with respect to Indian higher education. Researchers have proposed a theoretical framework using systematic literature review and interpretive structural modelling to understand and analyze environmental concern. Proposed research study has utilized primary and secondary data. In order to gather primary data, interview schedule and questionnaire was provided for expert opinion from environmental experts and academicians to understand the influence of identified variables. The practices of environmentally responsible behaviour need to be in concert with education. The authors have attempted to discuss and debate the relationship among variables using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). Environmental governance and sustainable development attitude emerged as the most significant factors. All variables were interconnected and mutually influencing each other. Three levels were derived from the model. A sustainable development environmental education model for Indian higher education has been derived and proposed by the authors showcasing a contextual relation between the identified variables having practical implications.

Archana Singh, Rajiv Divekar and Roshan Kazi

Studies on Degradation of Pulp and Paper Mill Industrial Dye Fast Red by Indirect Electrochemical Method

The indirect electrochemical degradation of industrial effluents has become an attractive method in recent years. This paper deals with the electrochemical degradation of pulp and paper mill industrial dye, Fast Red from aqueous solution using graphite carbon electrodes. The experimental results indicated that initial pH, supporting electrolyte and current density played an important role in the degradation of dye. During electrochemical degradation, the chromophoric groups and aromatic rings were destroyed. The decolourisation and degradation of the dye was followed using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, LCMS, TOC and COD measurements. The maximum colour removal efficiency of 96% could be achieved for dye at 2.5 g.L-1 of NaCl concentration. The results revealed the suitability of the present process for the effective degradation of dye effluents.

Spoorthi J. Narayana and Prakash Kariyajjanavar

Temporal and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Atmospheric PM2.5 Concentrations in Guiyang, China

The temporal and spatial variations of ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations, effects of meteorological parameters and air mass trajectories in Guiyang were studied. The results showed that the overall average atmospheric PM2.5 concentrations in Guiyang were calculated to be 33 µg.m-3 in 2017, and were comparatively lower in northeast region and relatively higher in other regions among the four seasons. Monthly atmospheric PM2.5 concentrations decreased in the first half of 2017 and increased in the second half as a whole. The frequencies of occurrence of atmospheric PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value, China’s Ambient Air Quality Standard grade I, and grade II were 53%-67%, 33%-46%, and 7%-9%, respectively. These results suggested that a significant difference of temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of atmospheric PM2.5 concentrations presented in Guiyang, and the situation of atmospheric PM2.5 pollution in Guiyang according to WHO guideline value is still grim. Atmospheric PM2.5 concentrations had a significant positive relation to other air quality indexes and were involved by atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, and surface temperature, demonstrating that atmospheric PM2.5 pollution is the result of joint action of various factors. The 72 h backward trajectories pointed out that there were no long distance sources for Guiyang dust events. The results of potential source contribution function, concentration-weighted trajectory, and clustering analysis of air mass trajectories showed that endogenesis source was the major source for air pollution in Guiyang.

Rongguo Sun, Li Fan and Zhuo Chen

The Degradation of the Water Resources of the Urban Community of Fez: An Economic and Environmental Cost

The protection of water resources is based on knowledge of the causes and consequences of environmental damage. It also calls for the development of strategies and the adoption of technologies to avoid it. However, this descriptive component, which focuses on the adoption of new “clean” technologies, offers no tools to guide decisions or to inform whether the actions undertaken are or are not efficient and profitable. The Meso-economic-environmental studies take this situation by evaluating the environmental damage and inefficiencies, the costs necessary to remedy them. To do this, it is necessary firstly to collect data and statistics. Secondly, the conversion of physical units into monetary ones using the economic methods of evaluation. Finally, estimating a relationship between the benefits and costs of remediation actions and identifying the priorities for decision-making. As part of the Meso-economic-environmental assessment of the water resources of the urban community of Fez, the cost of degradation of the water resource and inefficiencies in the use of this precious property is estimated at 2,087% of the added value (VA) of the city of Fez. The remedial actions recommended for the improvement of the quality of life, the preservation of the natural capital and the better management of the water resources are 1.398% of the VA of this urban commune. Deployment to implement remedial actions for the preservation of water resources are beneficial in the long term. In monetary terms, for every 1 MAD spent on remediation, 1.49 MAD damage will be avoided. In short, the Meso-economic-environmental assessment is an integrated approach that not only allows the monetarization of impacts and the identification of the most appropriate remedial actions but also combines urban development, respect for the environment and well-being of the population.

B. Antouh, K. Zein, M. Taleb and M. EL Qandil

Sustainable Development from Energy Alternatives to Mitigate Climate Change Due to Faunal Emissions - A Review

This is a study of an environmental event that brings out a significant but so far ignored contributions to global warming and climate change, viz. that of flatulence by faunal living beings and livestock in particular. A conservative estimate is arrived at on the fraction of contribution by flatulence to the total Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Factors contributing to the increasing influence of flatulence on GHG emissions are discussed, which is observed to affect sustainable development in a significant way. Humans living in big cities breath-in air that might contain up to 20 % flatulence by weight . A query is raised as to why global organizations like the WRI and EPA have ignored this fact in the past. A significant role played by The United Nations on this topic from 2006, is highlighted. The status of flatulent contributions to climate change and environmental impact in emerging economies like India, Brazil, Argentina and China are discussed with emphasis on demography and population growth over the years. Life cycle analyses of the faunal emissions are provided taking dissociation into account and by products generated, which are the major points for concern. Due comparisons are made to GHG emissions through other sources. Generation and use of methane fuel and sequestration of carbon di oxide from flatulence through novel methods is illustrated as an alternative to the existing bio-gas technologies, thereby contributing to a more stable sustainable development. The measures being taken by the authorities in the western economies are highlighted and legislations discussed. Some basic diet based remedies to reduce flatulence, planting saplings, population control and harnessing flatulence are deliberated that would raise the bar on sustainable development.

Padmanabhan Krishnan