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3D Simulation Model of Tidal, Internal Mixing and Turbulent Kinetic Energy of Palu Bay

The tidal simulation models and internal mixing were constructed using finite volume method to simulate diurnal tide (K1) constituent and semidiurnal tide (M2) constituent, the mixing level model using General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM). Tidal elevation amplitude of the model K1 ranges from 19.27 to 19.31 cm, high tidal amplitude at the point near the mouth of the Palu River, low tidal amplitude at the open boundary of the model that leads to the Makassar Strait. The amplitude range by M2 tidal constituents is 55.55-55.75 cm, high tidal amplitude at the mouth of Palu Bay and the end of Palu Bay and the slope area. The tidal current of the K1 constituent strengthens at the open boundary of the model and weakens into Palu Bay, which then undergoes strengthening near the mouth of the Palu River which experiences extreme siltation, tidal currents strengthen in the mouth area of Palu Bay and the tip of Palu Bay is caused by the tidal constituent propagation M2 and also the slope of the area along the coast of Palu Bay. Bottom Ekman layer which is caused by K1 constituent can reach 11 meters while the M2 constituent reaches 7 meters. In the slope area, are also found the buoyancy frequency with the order of 10-5 which is at a depth of 75-150 m. Kinetic energy in Palu Bay stands at O (10-5-10-3) with high kinetic energy around rough topography in the order of 10-3 around the mouth of Palu Bay.

Sabhan, Alan Frendy Koropitan, Mulia Purba and Widodo Setiyo Pranowo

Mapping of Terrestrial Gamma Radiation in Soil Samples at Baghdad Governorate (Karakh Side), Using GIS Technology

The radioactive field is one of the most important areas in human health. It must be studied to see the changes in the doses of human exposure. In this study, 46 soil samples were collected from different locations of Karakh side at Baghdad Governorate. The specific activity of natural radionuclides (terrestrial gamma radiation) 238U, 232Th and 40K for soil samples were measured using gamma-ray spectroscopy with NaI(Tl) ("3×3") detector in low-background. Moreover, ten radiological hazard parameters, which include radium equivalent activity (Raeq), absorbed gamma dose rate (Dγ), external hazard index (Hext), internal hazard index (Hint), representative gamma index (Iγr), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) that includes the indoor and outdoor effective dose rate, and ELCR were calculated. It has also used GIS technology for mapping specific activity and radiological radiation parameters for all the samples under study. The results show that, the average value of specific activity of terrestrial gamma radiation 238U, 232Th, 40K, 238U+232Th+40K and 235U were 16.47±0.94 Bq/ kg, 9.72±0.43 Bq/kg, 367.95±11.13 Bq/kg, 394.15±11.90 Bq/kg and 0.76±0.043 Bq/kg respectively. While, the average value of radiological radiation parameters such as Raeq, Hex, Hin, Iγr , Iα, Exposure, Dr, AGED, AEDEindoor, AEDEoutdoor, AEDEtotal, and ELCR in present study were 58.7183±2.017 Bq/kg, 0.1586±0.00546, 0.2032±0.00768, 0.4523±0.0151, 0.08237±0.0046, 3.367±0.113 μR/h, 28.8309±0.968 nGy/h, 207.1078±6.86 mSv/y, 0.1415±0.00475 mSv/y, 0.03541±0.00119 mSv/y, 0.177±0.00594 mSv/y and 0.6192 ±0.0208 respectively. The results indicate that the effective dose from terrestrial gamma radiation is everywhere across the area within the acceptable level, subject to the inherent spatial averaging of the measurements.

Ali Abid Abojassim and Leith Hani Rasheed

Impacts of Human Disturbances on Riparian Herbaceous Communities in a Chinese Karst River

Riparian zones suffer from increased human disturbances and the plant communities change unpredictably in response to altered conditions. It is important to understand the effects of human activities on plant communities for rational tourism development and ecological protection programs. We sampled 14 and 27 sites in nearly natural and human-influenced landscapes along the Lijiang River in southwest China, respectively, to detect human impacts on the ecosystem. We set three survey lines, based on a submersion gradient, at each site to determine whether herbaceous species richness increased with distance from the river, and we examined the effects of disturbance on herbaceous distribution. The landscapes shared 101 common species, and unique species in the human-influenced landscape were partly synanthropic. The species richness and diversity indices of the nearly natural landscape were significantly higher than those of the human-influenced landscape (P < 0.01). Species richness increased with distance from the river in the nearly natural landscape, and a significant difference was detected among the variances of survey lines (P < 0.05) in the human-influenced landscape. In the nearly natural landscape, species richness increased with fewer hydrological effects, and a stable community was maintained. However, human disturbances led to community variability and fragmented riparian habitats, resulting in species extinction and ecological degradation. We suggest that appropriate dam and reservoir regulations, prohibition of soil destructions, and a long-term research program for ecosystem protection may help in improving the monitoring of human influences and sustainable management in riparian zones of tourist rivers.

Yuan Ren, Dongmei Wang and Xiaochen Li

Biosorption of Chromium by Bacillus subtilis Isolated from Ganga River

Water pollution by heavy metals due to discharge of industrial and anthropogenic waste leads to serious environmental and health problems as most of these heavy metals are carcinogenic in nature. In the present study chromium biosorption capacity of live and dead biomass of bacterial strain HGB1 isolated from Ganga River in Haridwar, which was examined as Bacillus subtilis, following 16S rDNA sequence analysis, was examined for different physical parameters such as pH, time of incubation and temperature. Experimental results indicate that the Bacillius subtilis has maximum tolerance capacity up to 1000 mg.L-1 with highest metal uptake of 95.64%, 97.25% and 97.11% at pH 3, 60 minutes, 2.5 mg/mL biomass respectively in case of dead biomass. In case of living biomass, highest metal uptake was 81.64%, 96.79 % and 95.89% at pH 7, 72hr and 32°C respectively. The surface chemical functional groups of Bacillus subtilis identified by FTIR were amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. The morphological changes were examined by SEM analysis.

Vani Sharma and Padma Singh

Nano-porous Membrane Process for Brackish Groundwater Treatment: Efficiency Analysis Using Response Surface Methodology

Excessively high concentration of inorganic salts in the groundwater is the main threat for residents to drink directly in the remote areas of northwestern China. In this paper, nano-porous membrane process was proposed to removal of diverse ions in such raw water. Through the response surface methodology (RSM), the effects of multiple factors on permeate flux and ion rejection rates were analysed, and the application scope of nanofiltration for various water resource was evaluated. It was found that the factors affecting permeate flux, chloride removal and nitrate removal (response value) followed some typical sequences, and the operating pressure was always the most influential factor. Besides, nanoporous membrane process showed predominant performance in the removal of sulphate, chloride and fluoride; the rejection rates were over 99%, 97% and 95%, respectively, and the produced water could completely satisfy the relevant national standards for drinking water. However, nitrate removal rate was seldom over 80%, and it reduced obviously with the increasing initial concentration of nitrate, thus the nitrate content of raw water should be controlled within 40 mg.L-1.

Yuzheng Lv, Jihao Zhou, Zhengjun Mai and Jie Liu

Calculation of Water Volume for Sediment Transport in the Sediment-laden River of the Main Stream of Liaohe River, Northern China

The water volume for sediment transport affects the distribution of sediments in rivers and offers important guidance for river dredging, management and remediation. In this paper, with daily water and sediment data of major hydrological stations of main stream of Liaohe River from 1988 to 2010, we calculated the average water volume and unit water volume for sediment transport of the year with the methods of sediment discharge, sediment concentration and erosion and silting ratio correction that are based on net water volume method. We analyzed the relations between change process of water volume for sediment transport and its impact factors to identify the critical water volume for sediment transport for non-scouring and non-silting situation. The results showed that (1) according to the calculation with the hydrological data from the major hydrological stations in Tongjiangkou, Tieling, Mahushan, Ping’anpu and Liujianfang, the average water volume and the unit water volume for sediment transport during the flood season of the year were 13.88×108m3 and 1136.62m3/t respectively; (2) According to the theoretical calculation, the water demand model for hydraulic sediment dredging in the major reaches of the main stream of Liaohe River was determined and there was linear function relationship between the sediment discharge and the water demand. When the channel kept the sediment from silting, the water demand at Tieling was ≥18.73×108m3, ≥5.49×108m3 at Mahushan, ≥2.90×108m3 at Ping’anpu and ≥10.97×108m3 at Liaozhong. In a word, net water volume method can accurately calculate the amount of sediment transport in sediment-laden rivers with a prospect of broad application.

Xin Yu, Haoming Fan, Liquan Liu and Jing Chen

Control of Air Pollutants Emission and Improvement of Incineration Rate during Incineration of Oily Sludge-Based Briquette

The incineration technology of oily sludge-based briquette makes great contributions to oily sludge treatment. In order to resolve these problems, air pollutants (SO2 and organic gas) emission and low incinerating rate during the briquette incineration, the effects of additives (CaCO3, CaO; K2CO3, Na2CO3, NaCl; KMnO4, KNO3, NaNO3; Fe2O3, KClO3) on the generating gas and incinerating rate during incineration were studied. The results show that CaCO3 is more effective than CaO for fixing sulphur into residue, and K2CO3 improved the sulphation efficiency of calcium-based additives, which is more useful than NaCl and Na2CO3 did. As for the incinerating rate of briquette, KMnO4 is more effective than KNO3 and NaNO3. The maximum of incinerating rate of briquette is improved from 0.38 to 0.6 g/ min and Fe2O3 and KClO3 can apparently reduce the release of organic gas during the incineration of briquette. But KClO3 can greatly reduce the release of sulphur. When the adding amount of CaCO3, K2CO3, KMnO4 and KClO3 is 16‰, 12‰, 18‰, 6‰ respectively in the process of briquette preparation, the sulphation efficiency reached the maximum of 95.3%, and there is still an extremely small amount of organic gas in flue gas. CaCO3, K2CO3, KMnO4 and KClO3 used in emission control of air pollutants and full combustion of briquette during incineration of oily sludge based-briquette, demonstrates high efficiency and low emission compared to other additives tested in this study.

Mingming Du, Fengchao Wang, Jinling Li, Tao Yu and Chengtun Qu

Vertical Distribution of Microplastics in Coastal Sediments of Bama Resort, Baluran National Park, Indonesia

Microplastic pollution is widely reported in different marine environments from shorelines to seabed of deep seas which pose an emerging threat to entire marine ecosystems. As the world’s secondlargest microplastics polluter, an understanding of the distribution of this type of pollution is important for the measurement of the magnitude of environmental risk. In the present study, the abundance and distribution of microplastics in coastal sediments of Bama Resort, Baluran National Park were measured at depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm. Microplastics characterization was performed using a modified flotation method while a sieve analysis was used to assess the particle size of the sediments. Results showed that there were 484 particles with a total average abundance of 116.41 ± 80.78 particles kg-1 DW. Fibres shared 37.8% of the total microplastics found with overall average of 43.71 ± 36.52 particles kg-1 DW. Overall, Tukey’s multiple comparisons test showed significant differences (P< 0.01) in vertical distribution of microplastics in which 55.46% of particles were found at the depths of 0-10 cm, whereas at the depths of 20-30 cm, the proportion was only 15.95%. There were two types of sediments, sandy gravel and gravelly sand in which the former type of sediments holds higher microplastic particles due to its grain dominance in upper sediments. These results imply that microplastics pollute coastal sediments of Bama Resorts, BNP, and their deposition increase over time as greater microplastics frequencies were observed in upper and more recent sediment.

Muhammad A. Asadi, Yody A.P. Ritonga, Defri Yona and Asus M.S. Hertika

Diversity and Seasonal Variations of Plankton Communities After Major Flash Flood in the River Mandakini of Garhwal Himalaya

Plankton diversity acts as an ecological indicator of aquatic ecosystems due to their rapid response to environmental changes. Plankton samples were collected monthly for a period of 24 months. A total of 35 genera of phytoplankton belonging to three classes, Bacillariophyceae (21 genera), Chlorophyceae (9 genera) and Cyanophyceae (5 genera) were found. The abundance of phytoplankton was in the order, Bacillariophyceae (83%) followed by Chlorophyceae (9%) and Cyanophyceae (8%). Maximum phytoplankton density in winter season was attributed to the low water temperature, gentle water velocity, high transparency, availability of sufficient nutrients and most stable substratum. Eight genera of zooplankton belonging to three major groups, Protozoa (2 genera), Rotifera (5 genera) and Copepoda (1 genus) was recorded. Shannon-Wiener diversity index of phytoplankton and zooplankton was computed maximum to be 2.61 and 1.56 respectively in the winter season. PCA indicates Cymbella, Navicula, Synedra, Cocconeis, Achnanthidium, Amphora, Nitzschia, Tabellaria, Fragilaria, Ulothrix, Spirogyra and Phormidium to be most dominant genera in the Mandakini river. Total alkalinity, water temperature, transparency, velocity, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, turbidity, phosphate and nitrate were found to be the most important factors affecting plankton diversity in the Mandakini river.

Deepak Singh and Gunjan Goswami

Performance Studies on Non-Edible Oil as IC Engine Fuels: A Review

Petroleum fuels have served mankind successfully for more than a century mainly for mobility in the form of vehicles, power generation and industrial activities. As crude oil is a fossil fuel, we cannot rely upon it forever. Transportation is the backbone for the mobility for which fuel is the basic necessity. As the petroleum products are at the verge of their extinction, finding alternative fuels is the need of the time. Alternative fuels are obtained from seeds of many edible and non-edible oil plants. Edible oils due to their consumption for cooking purposes, may not be advisable to use for commercial activity, however, non-edible oils can be attempted as a source to serve the purpose as engine fuels. Nonedible oils can be blended with the petroleum products and can be used mainly in the diesel engine with slight or no modifications. The performance studies are being carried out by various researchers all over the world using many such refined oils as engine fuels. This review paper attempts to collate the published research literature. The focus in this review paper is on analysis of availability, engine performance and pollution characteristics when oils such as Jatropha curcas, Calophyllum inophyllum, Mahua and Pongamia pinnata are used.

Keerthan Krishna, Krishna Murthy and G.T. Mahesha

Antibiotic Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Well Waters in Irrigated Zone (Middle Atlas-Morocco)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacteria which can live in freshwater, soil and plants. It is a commensal of the digestive tube, slightly abundant in human body. Its presence in wells water is a result of current anthropogenic activity and pollution loads. It is an important nosocomial pathogenic agent characterized by an intrinsic resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents which can develop high-level multidrug resistance. To assess the contamination of these well waters by this pathogenic germ, two hundred samples were collected for four seasonal campaigns between March 2017 and May 2018 with a rate of forty three (43) samples per season in an irrigated zone. The samples were analysed to identify P. aeruginosa, then the isolated serotypes were determined by slid agglutination test using four pools and 20 monovalent Antisera. The detected P. aeruginosa were tested for susceptibility to 18 antibiotics. A total of (n=85/139) isolated strains were identified as P. aeruginosa representing 61.15 % of prevalence among Pseudomonas spp. Antimicrobial resistance revealed that 68% of them are multidrug resistant, while15.09 % of strains resist at least to 7 antibiotics, 30.19% resist at least to 11 antibiotics, 13.21% resist at least to 12 antibiotics, 5.66% resist at least to 13 antibiotics, and 3.77% resist at least to 14 antibiotics. The high level resistance of P. aeruginosa is observed with piperacillin tazobactam (100/10μg) (84.91%), ciprofloxacin (5μg) (79.25%), imipenem (10μg) and ceftazidime (30μg) (37.58%). The resistance of phenotypes of P. aeruginosa strains allowed to identify (n=20/85) ESBL, (n=31/85) oxacillinase broad spectrum ES-OXA, (n=5/85) phenotype of impermeability to imipenem, (n=12/85) cephalosporinase AMPC, and (n=17/85) wild type. The results showed the high antibiotic resistance levels of P. aeruginosa strains from well water samples against antibiotics. Furthermore, based on the results, these well waters can be a source of P. aeruginosa and human and animal susceptibility to other opportunistic pathogens.

Fatima Zahra Hafiane, Latifa Tahri, Najia Ameur, Rajaa Rochdi, Karim Arifi and Mohammed Fekhaui

Adsorption of Copper Ions in Aqueous Solution by Montmorillonite-Biochar Composite

A composite adsorbent was prepared by montmorillonite and biochar from peanut shell. The adsorption experiment of the Cu2+ ions from aqueous solution by the montmorillonite-biochar composite was carried out in detail. The effects of initial concentration of Cu2+ ions in aqueous solution and contact time on adsorption efficiency were studied. FTIR spectroscopy, SEM and TEM analyses, standard N2 adsorption-desorption techniques, EDS and XPS were used to evaluate the physico-chemical, textural and crystalline properties of the montmorillonite-biochar composite. Results showed that the montmorillonite-biochar composite was mesoporous material. The surface of montmorillonite-biochar composite was rough with irregular layer structure. According to the experimental data, pseudo first order kinetics model and pseudo second order kinetics model were applied. The adsorption process fits well with the pseudo second order kinetics model. The predominant process is chemisorption, which involves a sharing of electrons between the adsorbate and the surface of the adsorbent. Adsorption data were correlated well by Freundlich isotherm models and adsorption process was chemical. It is concluded that the montmorillonite-biochar composite can be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Cu2+ ions from aqueous solutions.

Yuanyuan Cai, Yaowei Du, Yue Wang, Jun Song, Bing Liu, Chenhu Zhang and Muqing Qiu

Retrieval of the Canopy Chlorophyll Density of Winter Wheat from Canopy Spectra Using Continuous Wavelet Analysis

Continuous wavelet analysis (CWA) has been applied to leaf-scale spectral data for quantifying leaf chlorophyll content, but its application to canopy-scale spectral data for estimating the canopy chlorophyll density (CCD) of winter wheat at different growth stages requires further analysis. This study aims to estimate CCD by applying CWA to the canopy spectra of 185 samples from Guanzhong Plain, China. The five most informative wavelet features related to CCD were identified using the CWA method. Meanwhile, 10 commonly used spectral indices were selected to compare with the CWA method. Two partial least square regression (PLSR) models based on wavelet features and spectral indices were developed and compared. Results showed that the PLSR model using wavelet features (R2 = 0.64, RMSE = 0.43 g/m2) was better than that using spectral indices (R2 = 0.57, RMSE = 0.48 g/m2) and wavelet features were less sensitive to the growth stage variation than spectral indices. This result suggested that the CWA approach can derive robust wavelet features and was more effective than spectral indices for predicting CCD from canopy-scale spectral data for an agricultural ecosystem.

Qingkong Cai, Erjun Li, Jiechen Pan and Chao Chen

Simultaneous Reduction of Smoke and NO Emission Using Lower Order Alcohols in a Jatropha Methyl Ester Fuelled Compression Ignition Engin

The objective of this work is to experimentally study the consequence of blending lower order alcohol (methanol and ethanol) with jatropha oil methyl ester (JOME) in a single cylinder, four stroke and watercooled CI engine. 70% JOME blended with 30% methanol (J70M30) and 70% JOME blended with 30% ethanol (J70E30) are the two blends prepared to operate the engine. Experiments were conducted from 0 to 100% load at a fixed engine speed of 1500 rpm and the results were compared with base fuels. Due to the inferior physical properties of JOME, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) decreases compared to diesel at maximum load. Also, NO emissions increased by 4% and smoke opacity decreases by 10% while operating the engine with JOME compared to diesel. Simultaneous reduction of NO and smoke is achieved by blending lower order alcohol with JOME and a slight improvement in BTE is observed.

Venkatesan Rajasekar, Varuvel Edwin Geo, Leenus Jesu Martin and Beddhannan Nagalingam

Statistical and Spatial Analyses of Zinc Concentrations in the Shallow Groundwater of Urban Area and Their Implications on Environmental Background Establishment

Based on the systematic collection of the shallow groundwater samples in the urban area of Suzhou, Anhui province, China, the concentrations of zinc have been analysed by statistical and spatial methods. The results show that the zinc concentrations in the groundwater samples are low, and all the samples can meet the national groundwater quality standard of China with Class I and II, which means that the groundwater can be used for drinking purpose. However, the zinc concentration has high coefficient of variation and low p-values of normal distribution, implying that it has been affected by anthropogenic activities, which was also demonstrated by the consistency of the distribution of the samples with high zinc concentrations and the areas with high density of human and transportation, as well as the high-high cluster of the spatial autocorrelation analysis of zinc. Based on the statistical analysis, the environmental background has been calculated to be 0-62.6 μg/L, whereas the environmental background has been calculated to be 0-69.8 μg/L with spatial analysis. They are different because of the different basis of the two methods, the former based on the hypothesis of normal distribution of the background values, whereas the latter do not need such a hypothesis.

Feng Songbao and Sun Linhua

Construction Dust Emission Features and Management and Control Measures-A Case Study of Zhengzhou City, Henan Province

Industrial development and urbanization progress have been rapidly increasing in China, consequently accelerating infrastructure constructions, such as real estates and public facilities. Building construction dust has become one of the main sources of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) pollution in China. In this study, a typical building in Zhengzhou City was taken as an example, wherein the total suspended particle (TSP) and PM10 and PM2.5 indicators in the foundation excavation phase of the building construction were comprehensively monitored. The emission levels of both indicators were analyzed, and the periodic change laws of dust concentration and the correlations among TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 were quantitatively measured. Results indicate that the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations at the monitoring points in the downwind direction of prevailing wind were higher than those in the upwind direction. TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 concentrations reached the maximum values at 10:00-12:00 in the morning of most days, and the TSP concentration was maintained at 250-500 μg/m3. Moreover, the coefficient of determination between TSP and PM10/PM2.5 was 0.8164/0.8376, signifying favorable correlations. The proposed management and control measures include perfecting the construction dust pollution control and management system, establishing the responsibility management mechanism of construction dust, realizing the comprehensive refined control of construction dust, promoting the innovation of building construction dust control technology, and improving the environmental consciousness for building construction dust control. These findings can serve as references for construction dust source pollutant emission control and as scientific decision-making bases for environmental researchers and managers in this field.

Xie Ying chuan and Liu Chang ling

Photodegradation of Congo Red Dye Via Simple and Effective Air Oxidation Using Copper(II) Chloride and Sunlight

This paper reports the study of photodegradation of Congo red dye which is a major pollutant in dyeing industry using copper(II) chloride dihydrate as a catalyst. The rate of degradation is improved by direct supply of air instead of using other strong oxidants. The effects of other parameters such as pH, catalyst dosage, initial dye concentration and irradiation time were studied. It was found that over 100% of the dye removal can be effectively achieved within 90 minutes of air oxidation at pH 11 and a catalyst dosage of 0.4g/L. The kinetics on the rate of degradation of the dye has also been examined by using UV-Visible spectroscopic technique. Air oxidation of Congo red dye using CuCl2.2H2O was found to obey pseudo-first-order kinetics with respect to the substrate concentration. The study suggests the use of homogeneous CuCl2.2H2O catalyst for the photodegradation of dyes of reactive azo dye category. Future studies on the use of catalytic activity of CuCl2.2H2O for industrial effluents containing azo dyes as a major pollutant can be affected.

Preeja P. Thattil and A. Leema Rose

Development of Hybrid Membrane from Clay/TiO2-PVA for Batik Wastewater Treatment

Hybrid membranes are currently being developed to find the membrane that is having good chemical and thermal resistance. This research devotes to the development of hybrid membrane from clay/TiO2 with PVA polymer and its application for colour wastewater filtration. The results show that the optimum concentration of PVA is 5%. At this condition, the hybrid membrane has a bulk density of 2 g/cc and porosity of 23.13%. The hybrid membrane produces the coefficient rejection of 79.48%. At the higher concentration of PVA, the filtration becomes not effective because the flux of membrane is very low.

Anwar Ma’ruf, M. Agus Salim Al Fathoni, Agus Mulyadi Purnawanto and Rina Asih Kusumajati

Health Cost of Dust Pollution of Architectural Engineering Construction in Construction Site: Evidence from China

Toxic and harmful gases, noise, industrial dust, loads, and job posture in architectural engineering construction are the different factors that influence health loss of construction workers. Among them, construction dust is a primary occupational health threat among construction workers. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the dust pollution hazard in the architectural construction process and quantitatively estimate the health loss of construction workers. It uses a case study based on an earthwork stage in a construction site at Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China. Environmental health risks were evaluated by using the exposure parameter method, while estimating the health losses of different objects caused by earthwork in this construction site. Results demonstrated that dust in the earthwork site was caused by the cement process and moving vehicles. Cementers and road cleaners suffered the most threats from dust with dust exposure dosages of 0.48 and 0.21 mg/kg·d, respectively. The health losses of cementers and road cleaners reached CNY 19,342.74 and CNY 14,532.36, respectively. A reduction on health costs caused by dust pollution in architectural engineering construction is possible through the following proposed measures: strengthening the monitoring of the construction workers’ level of exposure to dust pollution, establishing a health management system for construction workers, focusing on the effect of environmental supervision mechanism, and standardizing the emission standards of construction dust pollution. Results could provide some references in understanding the current status and distribution law of dust pollution in construction sites, promoting the implementation of health management and protection system for construction workers, enhancing the working environment of construction workers, and quantitatively estimating the total health influences of architectural engineering.

Hu Zhaoguang, Ma Xiaorui and Shan Wei

Performance, Emission and Combustion Characteristics of Safflower, Neem and Corn Biodiesels Fuelled in a CI Engine

Renewable fuels are desirable as alternate fuels with ignition quality equivalent to diesel and its combustion parameters, but unsuitable for direct operation in diesel engines as fuel because of their higher viscosity. Hence, fuel and engine-based modifications are being developed to improve the performance, emission and combustion behaviour of the compression ignition engines. The higher viscosity of fuel oil does not let it vaporize even after it is being injected into the combustion chamber. Therefore, converting the higher viscosity of vegetable oil into biodiesel improves the atomization resulting in better combustion. Issues related to the use of biodiesel as working fuel are its oxidation stability and performance. In this study, safflower oil, neem oil and corn oil are used as fuel oils. The experimental results displayed a significant increase in the brake thermal efficiency of 28.25% for corn oil methyl ester (COME). HC and CO emissions are lower with corn oil methyl ester. At full load, the smoke emission reduces slightly with corn oil methyl ester about 58% opacity respectively, but it is still lower than diesel having 66.2% opacity.

K. Balasubramanian and K. Purushothaman

Impact of Land Use Change on Hydrological Response of Krueng Aceh Watershed in Aceh Province, Indonesia

Population growth and improvement in the people’s economy have caused the need for space to grow and have changed land use in the Krueng Aceh watershed. This study on the effect of changes in land use on the Krueng Aceh watershed hydrological response as a step to anticipate water shortage in the future using the geographical information analysis and the river regime coefficient (RRC) method approach. The results of this study revealed that the functional shifts from primary forests to production forests and from brushland to ricefield and settlements increased the RRC value from 14.59 to 56.74 in the last 20 years. The hydrological response showed that 18% of the water had the potential to not infiltrate and become runoff. The effect is a reduction in groundwater supply, flooding in the rainy season, drought in the dry season, and clean water scarcity in the future. The management of the future must be based on one river, one planning, and one management system principle.

Bos Ariadi Muis

Structures and Anaerobic Metabolic Activity of Attached Microbial Communities During Biofilm Formation in Aquaculture Systems

In this study, the structural characteristics of the attached microbial community during biofilm formation and the metabolic requirements under anaerobic conditions were evaluated. In particular, 16S rDNA sequencing technology was used to study the structural changes of the attached microbial community during biofilm formation (day 0, 10, 20, and 30) in an aquaculture system, and Biolog microplate technology was used to study metabolic characteristics under anaerobic conditions during biofilm formation. The AWCD (average well colour development), an indicator of carbon metabolism, of attached microorganisms during biofilm formation under anaerobic conditions differed significantly among time points (P < 0.05), and the carbon source utilization capacity was enhanced. Under anaerobic conditions during biofilm formation, the utilization of amines in six major carbon sources was the highest, followed by polymers, carbohydrates, amino acids, and carboxylic acids, and the utilization of phenols was the lowest. Under anaerobic conditions, the utilization rate by the attached microorganisms during biofilm formation was highest for Tween 40, followed by Tween 80, D-xylose, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, α-D-glucose-1-phosphate, L-phenylalanine, and phenylethylamine. The 16s rDNA sequencing results showed that the dominant phyla of attached microorganisms during biofilm formation were mainly Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria. On the 10th and 20th days of biofilm formation, attached microorganisms were enriched for Rhodobacter of α-Proteobacteria and Janthinobacterium of β-Proteobacteria, which play important roles in biofilm denitrification. However, on the 30th day, enriched bacteria included the Burkholderiales of β-Proteobacteria, the Xanthomonadaceae and Thermomonas of γ- Proteobacteria, which function in cyanide decomposition.

Jialei Li, Zhifei Li, Jun Xie, Guangjun Wang, Kai Zhang, Ermeng Yu, Wangbao Gong and Jingjing Tian

Environmental Pollution Caused by the Transportation Industry and Influencing Factors of Carbon Emission: A Case Study of Jiangxi Province, China

With the accelerating industrialization and urbanization in China, the energy consumption of the transportation industry in the country is increasing quickly, and its proportion to the total social energy consumption is significantly growing. The transportation industry is a main source of carbon emission in urban areas. The unreasonable structure of energy consumption, the low proportion of new-energy use, and low energy utilization influence the energy-saving and emission reduction in the transportation industry. Thus, in this work, the influencing factors of transportation-induced carbon emission were estimated to analyze the environmental pollution caused by the transportation industry further. Regression analysis was performed on the environmental pollution caused by the transportation industry and the influencing factors of carbon emission in Jiangxi Province, China. Subsequently, a random STIRPAT model was constructed, and the influencing factors of carbon emission from the transportation industry in Jiangxi Province from 2007 to 2017 were analyzed through the partial least squares (PLS) method. Regression results based on the PLS method were relatively ideal. Increases in gross domestic product per capita, population size, passenger person kilometers, rotation freight transport kilometers, and the number of car ownerships can intensify transportation-induced carbon emission. This emission is increased when transportation energy intensity declines, but can be significantly inhibited by increased energy prices. The conclusions of this study can provide references for the continuous optimization of the energy use structure in the transportation industry, saving of energy resources, reduction of greenhouse gas and pollutant emission, and acceleration of low carbonization in the transportation industry.

Yating Huang

Some Studies on the Removal of Chromium from Aqueous Solutions by an Adsorbent Obtained from Terminalia chebula

Several methods of treatment have been suggested for the removal of chromium from raw water, which include chemical precipitation, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, foam formation, etc. The main disadvantages of the above processes are that they produce a large amount of sludge and there are no possibilities of metal recovery as they are very costly. The use of plants and other plant materials for the removal of the heavy metals has already been reported in the literature as the non-conventional adsorbents. In the present work, an attempt has been made to check the suitability of Terminalia chebula powder for removing chromium from raw water by adsorption and for suggesting an environmental friendly as well as economically feasible solution to overcome the problems due to the presence of toxic pollutants like chromium in drinking water. Batch experiments were conducted using aqueous solution of chromium to determine the chromium removal. Terminalia chebula powder (commonly known as karakkaya locally) has been collected locally and used as an adsorbent for all the batch experiments. Variation of chromium removal with dosage of adsorbent and initial pollution concentration is studied.

Monangi Murali, R. Srinivasa Rao and Priya Darshini Pradhan

Enzymatic Analysis and Effect of Vermicompost Production from Banana Leaves Waste using Epigeic Earthworm Eudrillus euginea

Recycling of organic waste with enormous nutrients gives soil fertility when added to the soil and reduce the usage of chemical fertilizers. Vermicomposting process of recycling the bio-organic waste by earthworms contains efficient nutrients with low levels of toxic contents. In the present study, banana leaves waste was mixed with cow dung in different ratios. The earthworm Eudrillus euginea was later added to the compost. Total organic matter (TOM), total organic carbon (TOC), pH, EC, total alkalinity and phosphorus were analysed and compared for different ratios of vermicompost at different day intervals. Microorganisms present in vermicompost were isolated and analysed for their enzymatic activities. Compost maturity was also observed by FTIR application. Results showed that the vermicompost quality was improved with positive catalase and protease enzymatic activity. FTIR analysis showed the proper maturation of vermicompost with reduced complex structures such as aromatic compounds, polysaccharides and polypeptides. It was concluded that composting of organic wastes by vermicomposting promote humification, increased microbial activity and enzyme production, which in turn increase the aggregate stability of soil particles resulting in better aeration with pollutionfree technique.

Jannathul Firdous, V. Bharathi, S. Durga Devi and J. Jayachitra

Soil Organic Carbon and Silt-Clay Relationships in the Soil Orders of Northern Agriculture Region (NAR), Western Australia

There are no recognized data about the relationships between soil organic carbon and soil texture in Northern Agriculture Region (NAR), Western Australia (WA). Such information is central in understanding the impact of silt and clay content of soil profile soil organic carbon. In order to describe mathematically this relation, twenty-one soil orders highly weathered soils (mostly sandy soils) in Northern Agricultural Region, Western Australia under similar climate, vegetation and topography were sampled at 120 cm depth and analyzed for texture and total SOC concentration. The SOC concentration was directly and linearly correlated with the combined clay + silt (but not to clay alone) content for all depths. The intercept and slope of these linear relations decreased with depth following exponential and logarithmic functions (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.81 and 0.76, respectively). These mathematical functions permitted the adjustment of the intercept and slope parameters of a SOC = a + b (clay + silt) function for any depth in the 0-120 cm interval. This profile pedotransfer function precisely estimated SOC concentration (P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.90) up to 120 cm of the studied soils. Using data from different soil orders, estimated vs. measured SOC relations with similarly high R2 values were obtained, despite slopes and intercepts were different than 1 and 0. This indicates that for the NAR, WA the textural control of SOC varies predictably with depth, and the proposed model can be calibrated to estimate SOC in subsurface layers of highly weathered soils.

Ahmed Hasson, Abdulhussien Alaskary and Muhsin Jweeg

A Feasible and Green Approach for Developing Hydro gen Energy

Hydrogen is recognized as the green energy with the greatest potential for future development, but currently, China’s hydrogen production is highly dependent on raw fossil materials, which conflicts with the original intention of developing hydrogen energy. As the abandoned hydropower problem in Southwestern China is serious. The current strategy can be focused using surplus hydropower to produce hydrogen in a green way. In this study, the technical cost and advantage of hydrogen produced using surplus hydropower using the levelized cost of energy model was analyzed. The results show that cheap surplus hydropower will considerably reduce the cost of hydrogen produced using electrolyzing water, and the cost is comparable to that of coal gasification hydrogen production. The hydropower to be abandoned by Southwestern China annually can drive the hydrogen production with 1.2 million tons per year, providing a technically and economically feasible approach to developing hydrogen energy.

Wenting Zhang, Yifeng Liu and Yingmei Xu

Guar Gum Hydrogel Beads for Defluoridation from Aqueous Solution: Kinetic and Thermodynamic Study

In the present research work, batch adsorption study was carried out to optimize the fluoride removal capacity of guar gum hydrogel beads from aqueous solution. The adsorption capacity was found to be 71.2 mg/g. The FTIR spectrum revealed the presence of functional groups that might be involved in fluoride adsorption. Adsorption of fluoride onto bio-sorbent was investigated as a function of pH, adsorbent dosage and time. The experimental equilibrium sorption data well fitted to the Langmuir mo del and the sorption kinetics for the bio-sorbent was found to follow second order rate expression. The negative values of ΔG° suggest that the sorption of fluoride onto the bio-sorbent was spontaneous and exothermic due to the negative value of ΔH°. The negative ΔS° value for the guar gum was found to be decreasing in randomness at the solid-liquid intersection.

Anushree, Madhu Kumari and Kumar Suranjit Prasad

Natural Background Gamma Radiation Levels in the Environs of Proposed Petro-chemical Industry Near Jadcherla, Telangana State, India

A survey of environmental gamma radiation levels is attempted in the geographical site under construction to establish a petrochemical industry. The knowledge of natural background radiation is one of the significant steps in establishing the chemical industry. Some chemical operations such as chemical refinement may sometimes influence the natural radiation levels. The attempt of measurement of natural background gamma levels in the present paper is to establish the baseline data, which on further measurements will be useful to analyse the changes in natural background radiation levels at the time of operation of a chemical plant. The present investigation shows the activity levels of gamma radiation in the site under construction at 65 locations. The gamma levels are found to vary from 1459 μGyy-1 to 2765 μGyy-1 with the average of 2141±304 μGyy-1. It is to be noted from the study that the average gamma radiation levels at two sample locations, cement mixing point (2307 μGyy-1) and stone crushing point (2529 μGyy-1) have been elevated. The elevated radiation levels at the two sample locations can be attributed to the radioactive dust emitted in the process of crushing stones and cement mixing.

G. Srinivas Reddy, K. Vinay Kumar Reddy, B. Linga Reddy and B. Sreenivasa Reddy

Study on Site Quality Assessment of Afforestation Land Based on GA-RBF Neural Network

The assessment of forest site quality at early stages of stand development is very essential for scientific afforestation and forest management. In order to enhance the accuracy of the existing models, a new site quality assessment model based on Genetic Algorithm-Radial Basis Function (GA-RBF) was proposed to predict site index (stand dominant height). Data used in this study came from 980 permanent sample plots for Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantations in Fujian Province, China, which were randomly divided into the training dataset (786 plots) and the testing dataset (194 plots) with a ratio of 8:2. In this paper, the GA-RBF was compared with the radial basis function (RBF) and the traditional Quantitative Theory I (QT-I) method. The results indicated that the predicted accuracy was significantly increased by using the GA-RBF model. Furthermore, we used the existing site-specific site index table of Chinese fir to test the results of the GA-RBF and the agreement was 73.2%. Therefore, we recommend the GA-RBF for assessing site quality of afforestation land.

Chen Yuling, Wang Chengde, Wu Baoguo and Liu Jiancheng

Development of Crown Profile Models for Chinese Fir Using Non-linear Mixed-Effects Modelling

Crown profile models are key components of growth and yield models and are crucial for estimating the crown volume and constructing 3D visualization of trees. We used a total of 431 trees collected from 98 pure even-aged temporary sample plots established in Fujian Province to develop crown profile models of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata).To describe the shape of tree crowns more accurately, significance tests of the effects of different stand conditions (stand age, site index, and stand density) on crown shape were conducted with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multiple comparisons based on the ANOVA results were used to classify the crown data into three groups according to stand age: Group I (young forest), Group II (medium forest), and Group III (nearly mature and mature forest). We analysed the relationships between the crown variables and stand variables and used the reparameterization approach to develop three optimal crown profile models for different age groups. Stand variables (such as stand density) further improved the prediction efficacy of the models. Considering the correlation between repeated measurement data for the same tree crown, the non-linear mixed-effects modelling (NLME) method was used to account for autocorrelation. The determination coefficients (R2) of the above three optimal models fitted by the non-linear mixed-effects approach were 0.9214, 0.9398 and 0.9129, and their Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSEs) were 0.1246, 0.1409 and 0.1786, respectively. The determinant coefficients (R2) of the three models fitted by the nonlinear least squares (NLS) approach were 0.9015, 0.8794 and 0.8930, and their RMSEs were 0.1395, 0.2102 and 0.1878, respectively. The results indicated that the predicted accuracy was significantly increased by using non-linear mixed effects modelling compared with the NLS method.

Chengde Wang, Baoguo Wu, Yuling Chen and Yan Qi

Comparative Assessment of Biochemical Parameters of Plants in Industrial and Non-Industrial Areas of Western Odisha, India

Industrialization being the main force of development has caused many changes not only in the global phenomena but also on a regional level through its ill effects on plants and animals. The present study was thus undertaken to assess the biochemical alterations in plants subjected to polluted (industrial) and non-polluted (control) environments. The results revealed that all the studied biochemical parameters (ascorbic acid, protein, carbohydrate, total chlorophyll, catalase, and peroxidase activities) showed significant variation with respect to sites (p < 0.05). Excepting the peroxidase activity, all other biochemical parameters showed a decline in their concentration in the polluted environment as compared to their counterparts in a non-polluted environment. The highest concentration of biochemical parameters in plants of polluted sites were: ascorbic acid (4.85 mg/g), carbohydrate (0.905 mg/g), protein (28.07 mg/g), total chlorophyll (1.13 mg/g), catalase (0.394 μmoles/H2O2 decomposed/ min/g) and peroxidase (433.76 μmoles/GDHP/min/g) while that in the control site, the highest value of all the biochemical parameters were: ascorbic acid (8.97 mg/g), carbohydrate (1.283 mg/g), protein (48.68 mg/g), total chlorophyll (1.17 mg/g), catalase (0.434 μmoles/H2O2 decomposed/min/g) and peroxidase (271.25 μmoles/GDHP/min/g) respectively. Hence, it can be concluded that plants do undergo physiological stress when exposed to polluted environments and their biochemical synthesis is severely altered by pollution. However, they develop an inbuilt mechanism to counter the pollution and protect themselves in polluted or stressed environment. In the present study, peroxidase activity was primarily responsible to protect the plant in the stressed environment.

Priyanka Priyadarshini and Chandan Sahu

Comparison for the Adsorption of Catechol and Hydroquinone on Activated Carbon Fibre: Kinetic Analysis

Catechol and hydroquinone are widely applied in industrial synthesis while they are typical toxic organic pollutants. Efficient adsorptive removal of catechol and hydroquinone is highly needed. In this research, activated carbon fibre (ACF) was used for the kinetic removal of the two pollutants. As catechol and hydroquinone have different pKa values, it was found that the highest uptake of catechol and hydroquinone was observed at pH 11.0 and 5.0, respectively. The adsorption kinetics for catechol and hydroquinone were compared. The removal of hydroquinone is higher than that of catechol at almost all the pH conditions. At pH 7.0, the uptake of catechol and hydroquinone on ACF were 125.8 and 200.4 mg/g, respectively. As both Elovich and pseudo-second-order kinetic models could better describe the adsorption process, the adsorption of catechol and hydroquinone onto ACF might be chemisorption. The rate determining step might be diffusive in nature for the uptake of catechol and hydroquinone. Linear pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted the experimental data better than pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The presence of natural organic matter, humic acid, could inhibit the uptake of catechol and hydroquinone on ACF profoundly.

Mingzhao Shen, Meiya Zhu, Jintao Sun, Yunlong Zhang, Rong Li, Fang Niu, Shiying Li, Xiao Mi and Guoting Li

Adsorption Kinetics and Isotherms of Cr(VI) Ions in Aqueous Solution by Biochar Derived from Torreya grandis Nutshell

Biochar is thought to be a good adsorption material for the adsorption of heavy metals. In this study, biochar derived from Torreya grandis nutshell was prepared through to be pyrolyzed under oxygen limited conditions in a muffle furnace. The adsorption experiments of Cr(VI) were carried out. Through Elemental Analyzer, Specific Surface Area Meter, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, a fundamental understanding of the physical and chemical properties of biochar was gained. The results showed that it was a smooth sheet and irregular arrangement structure. The elements of C, H, O and N of biochar are 45.21%, 5.18%, 46.16% and 3.45% respectively. BET specific surface area of biochar is 42.24 m2/g. A lot of oxygencontaining functional groups (– OH, COO –, – C – OH and so on ) appeared on the surface of biochar. It can be described by the pseudo-second order kinetic rate model and Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption process is a monolayer chemical process. The adsorption mechanism of biochar on heavy metal Cr(VI) contains the electrostatic attraction between biochar and Cr2O7 2-, HCrO4 - and CrO4 2- ions in aqueous solution and complexation reaction of oxygen-containing functional groups (– OH, – COOH and so on) and Cr2O7 2- , HCrO4 - and CrO4 2- ions on the surface of biochar.

Chengcai Huang, Rui Qin, Linli Zhang, Muqing Qiu and Linfa Bao

Horizontal Distribution of Chlorophyll-a in the Gorontalo Bay

The concentration of chlorophyll-α in the Gorontalo Bay is necessary to be observed since it could describe the condition of water richness. The semi-enclosed Gorontalo Bay morphology causes the status of water fertility to be largely determined by the input of inorganic or organic materials originating from the mainland. This study aimed to figure out the concentration and horizontal distribution pattern of the chlorophyll-α then further to decide the relationship between the concentration of chlorophyll-α and the nutrients in the Gorontalo Bay. There were fifteen sub-sampling sites selected based on coastal and ecological characteristics. Results showed that the distribution pattern of chlorophyll-α in the Gorontalo Bay in June and July 2017 was dissimilar and its concentration ranged from 0.984 to 3.744 mg.m-3. In addition, there was a positive and substantial relationship between chlorophyll-α and phosphate (p<0.01). Nonetheless, there was no significant correlation between chlorophyll-α and nitrate (p>0.01) and ammonia (p>0.01).

Miftahul Khair Kadim, Nuralim Pasisingi and Sulastri Arsad

Toxicological Study of Bifenthrin and its Metabolites on Earthworm (Eisenia fetida)

Pyrethroids are used in agricultural to control pests on a variety of crops. Bifenthrin, a synthetic pyrethroid, is a broad spectrum insecticide. It acts mainly on the nervous system of vertebrates as well as invertebrates. It is susceptible to the biodegradation by some soil bacteria. The present paper deals with the toxicological studies of bifenthrin and its metabolites benzene 1,1(methylthio) ethylidine, resorcinol and monochloro trifluromethane that were produced by a newly isolated strain of Paracoccus siganidrum APGM1 on earthworms, which play an important role in the improvement of the soil fertility. The toxicity was assessed by 48 hrs filter paper contact test, 14 days soil test and histopathological methods. The results of filter paper contact test revealed that the earthworms were more susceptible to bifenthrin than their metabolites. The LC50 value of bifenthrin and its metabolites was 6 ppm and 20 ppm respectively. The soil test showed that at 6 ppm concentration of bifenthrin, half the number of earthworms died after 14 days and with the increase in the concentration, mortality increased. At 10 ppm concentration, all the earthworms died. However, half the number of earthworms died after 14 days at the metabolite concentration of 20 ppm. The adverse effects of bifenthrin and very little effect of their metabolites on the morphological properties and structural integrity of the tissues were observed in histopathological studies. Thus, the metabolites of bifenthrin were less toxic to earthworms than the bifenthrin.

G. V. Mali

High Rate Vermicomposting of Coral Vine by Employing Three Epigeic Earthworm Species

Use of the high-rate vermicomposting system and its relevant technology were successfully applied to accomplish direct vermicomposting of coral vine leaves - devoid of any pre-treatment/composting or amended with cow dung as earlier proclaimed protocols for the vermicomposting of various phytomass had necessitated. Three earthworm species tested were Eisenia fetida, Eudrilus eugeniae and Perionyx excavatus, and they had shown efficient vermicast recovery with few instances of mortality and good reproduction over the 150-day experiment. In this duration, all vermireactors were run in semi-continuous mode at the solid retention time of 15 days. This process enabled us to improve process efficacy of the reactor by the required pointers and systematic process monitoring. This paper substantiates the potential of the high-rate vermicomposting system in direct and potential vermicomposting of coral vine without any pre-treatment/composting or cow dung amendments. The observations have significance for enhancing process economics and therefore, process utility.

S.G. Antony Godson and S. Gajalakshmi

The Effect of Sublethal Exposure of Chlorpyrifos to Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Case Study of Twin Lakes of West Sumatra, Indonesia

Chlorpyrifos is one of the toxic organophosphate insecticides that is often used by farmers in West Sumatra Province. This research was conducted with the aim to analyse the level of consumption, conversion ratio, and growth rate in fish cultivated in the twin lakes of West Sumatra. The concentration variations are 1/7 and 1/14 LC50-96h of chlorpyrifos. The study was conducted for 14 days. Research data analysis found the values of R = 0.75-1 for the relationship of oxygen level, conversion ratio, and growth of tilapia to the duration of exposure which means having a strong correlation. The results obtained were due to chlorpyrifos insecticide exposure on day 1 to day 14. At a concentration of 0.0054 mg/L, there was a decrease in the level of oxygen consumption of 0.0159 mgO2 /L, an increase in feed conversion ratio of 0.8253, and the deviation flow of 2.7048%. Whereas at a concentration of 0.0108 mg/L, there was a decrease in the oxygen level of 0.0213 mgO2 /L, increase in feed conversion ratio of 0.8201, and deviation growth by 2.7048%.

Taufiq Ihsan, Tivany Edwin and Rahma Desri Yanti

A Project Design for Air Pollution Studies Over Bobodioulasso-Burkina Faso

This paper introduces a project design on estimating air pollution over geographical regions that have a mono-source of data acquisition. Fourteen years (2000-2013) aerosol optical depth dataset was obtained from the Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR). The peculiar design that has been discussed in this paper focusses on human health and environmental disturbances. The secondary datasets that were generated from the primary data were aerosol loading, particles sizes, Angstrom parameter, and the statistics of the primary dataset. A computational data treatment was introduced for the determination of data reliability of the dataset. The techniques highlighted in this study are germaine to be reproduced in several geographical locations.

Emetere M.E., Sanni S.E. and Okoro E.E.

Process Optimization for the Preparation of Activated Coke from Industrial Waste Using Response Surface Methodology

Fine blue-coke and direct liquefaction residue of coal are byproducts in the process of coal chemical production. They were taken as raw materials for the preparation of activated coke by the activation of carbon dioxide. The conditions (activation temperature, activation time and carbon dioxide flow rate) for activated coke preparation were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Results showed that activation temperature and activation time had a significant effect on the activated coke iodine adsorption value. The synergistic effect of activation time and carbon dioxide flow had a great influence on iodine adsorption value of activated coke. RSM optimization experiment obtained the optimum activation conditions were activation temperature of 850°C, activation time of 90min and carbon dioxide flow rate of 60 mL/min. Under these conditions, the obtained activated coke iodine adsorption value can reach 401 mg/g, which could meet the needs of industrial desulphurization.

Juanqin Xue, Xiande Jing, Shudi Hu, Yuhong Tian, Yonghui Song and Xinzhe Lan

Plumbum (Pb) in Rainwater in West Kalimantan: Impact of Plumbum (Pb) in Community Blood

The low coverage of drinking water in the West Kalimantan-Indonesia region because of the limited availability of decent water as a source of drinking water is the main trigger for the community to use rainwater as a source of drinking water. The way of storing rainwater through zinc roofs and environmental pollution conditions results in rainwater being a health concern for the community because of the content of Plumbum (Pb). In this study, the characteristics of rainwater in the West Kalimantan region were investigated from rainwater collected by people from homes with zinc roofs. Rainwater samples from the collection results were analysed for the presence of Plumbum (Pb). The impact of consuming rainwater is carried out by blood Pb examination. The main problem can analyse the existence of Plumbum (Pb) in rainwater against the content of Plumbum (Pb) in the blood. The results showed that there was a correlation of Pb content in rainwater with Pb content in the blood of people who consumed rainwater as water drink (p≤0.001).

Khayan Khayan-Taufik Anwar-Slamet Wardoyo

Assessment of Ecological Status in Seawater Around Legon Bajak Port Development Plan, Karimunjawa, Central Java, Indonesia

The Legon Bajak port is a strategic port in Indonesia, because it is located in a busy and potential shipping lane. The port is adjacent to the Karimunjawa Marine National Park which is protected by the Indonesian government; therefore, this study aims to provide an overview of the ecological status of the Legon Bajak sea and the prediction of the impact of port activities on the ecological status of the Marine National Park. This research is a descriptive study by analysing seawater quality using atomic absorption spectroscopic methods, the status of biodiversity of seaweed and coral reefs with the transect method at 6 observed sample points and photos of underwater marine supporters. The results of the analysis of seawater quality indicate that it is in good condition, but when viewed from the analysis of seaweed conditions and coral cover <10%, this indicates that the ecological status is in a damaged condition and a category with a low functional value. An in-depth study is needed for the analysis of the environmental impact of the Legon Bajak port on the Karimunjawa National Marine Park Conservation Area.

Slamet Isworo and Poerna Sri Oetari

Policy Study on Adjustments to Electric Power Prices for China’s Air Pollution Abatement

In the past decade, the deterioration in atmospheric quality caused by emissions of ambient particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) has become an urgent problem in China. As this problem can be mainly attributed to the large amount of coal consumption, a strategy to promote electric power substitution was initiated, and in this case, cutting the price of electricity is considered useful. However, since it was announced that the price of electric power used in the service industry will be reduced by 10%, the proper target to cut the price of electric power used in the secondary industry was under debate. By using the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, the policy to cut the price of electric power used in the secondary industry was simulated and the effects of the policy on the economy and the environment were explored. The results show that the policy to cut electric power prices will contribute to promoting the strategy of electricity substitution, and further contribute to environmental improvement. This policy can result in positive effects on the systems of the economy and the environment at the same time, and when the target to cut the price of electric power used in the secondary industry is –3%, the maximum positive effects will be obtained: gross domestic product (GDP) growth will be accelerated by 0.015‰, while PM2.5 emissions will be abated by 394.2 tons. Moreover, based on the unique cross-subsidy mechanism in China’s electric power industry, although residents’ consumption welfare can be fully compensated, less cross-subsidy will have a negative effect on the agriculture industry.

Kun Xiao and Jingdong Zhang

Evaluation of Organophosphorus Pesticide Residue in Cotton of Tijara Tehsil, Alwar, Rajasthan

Cotton is one of the most important fibres and cash crop of India, which plays a dominant role in the country’s industrial and agricultural economy. About 60% of all commercialized agrochemicals, are insanely applied on cotton fields so that cotton has become one of the most polluted and chemical-intensive agricultural crops in the world. The present study was undertaken to determine the concentration of different organophosphorus pesticides residue in cotton samples collected from agriculture fields of Tijara tehsil, Alwar. A total of 150 samples were randomly collected from the cotton farm. Concentrations of all pesticides in the cotton samples were determined by GC/MS and LC-MS. About 38% of the total analysed samples were contaminated with different residues, among which 10.66% were having the concentration of pesticide residue above the MRL. The study revealed that cotton is highly contaminated with Monocrotophos (22%) followed by Acephate (10%), Chlorpyrifos (7.33%) and Profenofos (5.33%). The possible reasons for high levels of pesticides in cotton are the massive use of pesticides and farmers were not having sufficient scientific knowledge about the chemical nature of pesticides that have been used or the effects of pesticides on the environment and the effects of pesticides exposure on public health, when using them indiscriminately. The presence of pesticides in cotton samples is a serious threat to humans because they further show pesticide residues in cotton products. Therefore, it is recommended to continuously monitor the use of this pesticide in the study areas.

Sucheta Yadav and Subroto Dutta

Metal Concentration of Water of Amaravathi and Thirumoorthy Reservoirs in Tamil Nadu, India

Reservoirs are the major source of water supply in many localities for meeting the water demand of the people, and hence it is important to monitor the metal concentration of the water stored in such reservoirs for the benefit of the people in terms of drinking water and irrigation. The main objective of this study is to monitor the metal concentrations of Arsenic (As), Boron (B), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Selenium (Se), and Zinc (Zn) in the water of the Amaravathi and Thirumoorthy reservoirs located in the Tiruppur district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Results indicate that the water collected from the Thirumoorthy reservoir is free from metal contamination while that from the Amaravathi reservoir has a marginal contamination of Fe concentration. Thus, the water stored in these reservoirs is suitable for drinking and irrigation purpose.

N. Natarajan, V. Vivekk Velusamy, S. Nishar Ahamed, M. Imayaprakash and S. Dineshkumar

Mutagenicity of Bulk, Aqueous and Organic Partitions of Air Particulate Matter in Differentially Ventilated Wards in a Public Urban Hospital

The hospital environment requires indoor air quality conducive to the recovery of patients with poor health. Low indoor air quality is associated with an increased incidence of respiratory tract diseases and the development of cancer. This study investigated the mutagenicity of air particulate matter soluble in bulk, aqueous, and organic partitions collected from naturally and mechanically ventilated wards in the hospital environment through the Ames test and the mutagenicity testing with the D7 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisae. Bulk, aqueous, and organic fractions of air particulate matter at maximum (100% concentration), 10% concentration, and 1% were found to be mutagenic with both the Ames test (p < 0.05) and mutagenicity testing with D7 strain of S. cerevisae (p < 0.05). The Ames test suggested slight dominance of the aqueous phase-soluble mutagens in naturally ventilated wards (p < 0.05), and a more balanced mix of aqueous and organic phase mutagens in mechanically ventilated wards. Mutagenicity testing with the D7 strain of S. cerevisae showed no significant differences between the naturally and mechanically ventilated wards (p > 0.05), but showed the relative dominance of the organic phase-soluble mutagens over the other fractions (p < 0.05). Few other studies have compared naturally and mechanically ventilated wards through the lens of potential effect on the mutagenic activity of air particulate matter, but more understanding in this area is important in moving towards the development and implementation of policies to optimize ventilation systems for the health and safety of hospital staff and patients. Albeit coming from the study of concentrated air particulate matter samples, the mere presence of these mutagens in the air of the hospital highlights the importance of monitoring their quality and quantity such that they do not become concentrated enough to induce mutation-related etiologies of disease such as cancer.

Aurora S. Nakpil, Emmanuel S. Bajaand Paul Mark B. Medina

Assessment of Annual Effective Dose from the Indoor Radon in Bathinda District of Punjab in India

Carrying out of indoor radon studies have been done in the 50 dwellings of Bathinda district (Punjab), India using LR-115 type II cellulose nitrate films in the bare mode. The films were exposed into four consecutive trimesters, i.e. from March 2010 to February 2011. The work has been undertaken for health risk assessment. The calibration constant of 1 track cm-2day-1 equal to 50 Bqm-3 (Becquerel/m3) was used. In the present study average radon values vary from 83.15 (BTD-7) to 124.35 (BTD-8) Bqm-3 in different villages, which are higher than the word average value of 40 Bqm-3. The inhabitants of the area of study receive average annual radiation dose varying from 1.41 (BTD-7) - 2.12 (BTD-8) mSv (millisievert). The effective dose is found to be less than lower limit of the recommended action level (3-10 mSv). The value of radon for the first floor portion of the same dwelling is lower in comparison to the ground floor. The values in the cemented floors are lower than in the dwellings with the un-cemented floors. The indoor radon values are more in very poorly ventilated dwellings in comparison to the very well-ventilated dwellings.

Amit Arora, Rohit Mehra, Rajeev Kumar Garg and Anand K. Tyagi

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