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Hydrochemical Characteristics and Irrigation Water Evaluation of Suburban River: A Case Study of Suzhou City, Anhui Province, China

"To study the evolution of hydrochemical characteristics and the quality of irrigation water from a suburban river, a total of 54 water samples were collected from Xinbian River in Suzhou City (Anhui Province, China) from December 2019 to May 2020. Piper diagrams, Gibbs diagrams, and multivariate statistical analysis were used to analyze the hydrochemical characteristics and main ion sources. Research results showed that the content of main ions increased continuously from December 2019 to May 2020, among which SO42- and F- exceeded China’s surface water quality standards in April and May. The main hydrochemical type was Na-SO4, accounting for 77.77%, of water samples with the main ion components found to be related to rock weathering. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed that agricultural non-point source pollution was the main factor affecting the water quality of the Xinbian River. Overall, the evaluation index of irrigation water shows that Xinbian River was suitable for irrigation utilization, although the effects of magnesium damage should be prevented."

Manli Lin, Hao Yu and Weihua Peng

Effect on Soil Hydrodynamic Parameters in Fields Mulched with Gravel for Different Periods of Time

Soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) and soil hydraulic conductivity are important soil hydrodynamic parameters, which are of great significance in production practice. In 128 soil samples collected from 0-20, 20-40 cm layers at sampling scales of 32×32 m, the authors determined the effect of different periods of time on SWCC and soil hydraulic conductivity in fields mulched gravel. The water holding capacity of soil changes dramatically throughout time, with NEW having the maximum water holding capacity. As the planting time increases, the soil water holding capacity decreases. Both van Genuchten (VG) and Gardner models can fit SWCC in different time periods well, but the fitting accuracy of the VG model is higher. Geostatistics and Kriging interpolation are used to study the spatial variability of the VG model parameters of the SWCCs. The parameters ?s, ?, and n show a strong spatial correlation as a whole and are slightly affected by random factors. The changing trend of soil unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (K(?)) in gravel-mulched fields is faster than the CHECK, and the NEW has the fastest change trend. The data suggest that fields mulched with gravel retain more water, with the NEW having the most noticeable water retention effect. The study’s findings can be used to investigate the regional variations in soil hydrodynamic characteristics in gravel mulched fields in arid locations.

Wenju Zhao, Yali Wang, Zongli Li and Taohong Cao

A GIS-Based Study of Air and Water Quality Trends in Madurai City, India

The objective of this study is to assess the air quality and water quality at Madurai city using the spatial interpolation technique of the Geographic Information System (GIS). Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), Kriging, Gaussian- Kriging methods of interpolation are used in the study. The study area is divided into 8 zones and primary data is collected through direct sampling for water. The air pollution concentration data on Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), Respirable Particulate Matter (RPM), and Lead are collected from an air quality monitoring network system of Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). The results indicate that the Kriging interpolation method performs well with an error value of 0.02. The data collected from the years 2006 and 2020 are compared using GIS and observed data. The comparison of results indicates that there is a good accord with the predicted value using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and Kriging interpolation with the observed data. The analysis report indicates that the pollution level at all 8 blocks was severely affected in 2020 and it is above the prescribed standard of TNPCB. Particularly, Kalavasal, Arapalyam, and Periyar blocks are severely affected. This work also presents suitable mitigation measures to reduce pollution.

L. Balaji, M. Muthukannan and R. Kanniga Devi

Land Use/Land Cover Evaluation Using Trajectory Maps Based on Landsat TM/OLI in Southwest China

This study mainly aims to detect the county-level spatio-temporal variability of LULCC (Land Use and Land Cover Change) spatial patterns in Southwest China. Multi-temporal Remote Sensing (RS) images (Landsat TM/OLI in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015) were applied to extract land use/cover types at each of the four-time nodes using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) method. Then, the trajectory map methodology was adopted to identify the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of LULCC patterns throughout the given time series. According to the results, the area of unused land decreased continuously, 0.094% total. An evident decline of grassland by 2.17% was documented, and a notable increase was observed in forestland by 63.94 km2 during the period from 2000 to 2015. Water bodies, built-up land, and unused land showed no significant change throughout the study period. The conversion from grassland to forestland and vice-versa (code 13 or 31) was prominent due to an adjustment made to local forestry policy during the first two periods (2000-2005 and 2005-2010), accounting for 17.55% and 17.56% of the study region, respectively. The anaphase trajectory transition type occupied the smallest area of all the trajectory maps. By contrast, the repetitive trajectory was the leading land-use transition type and covered the largest area. Trajectory analysis provides an effective approach for detecting the spatio-temporal changes in LULCC patterns.

Wenfeng Gong, Tiedong Liu, Tao Liu, Xuanyu Duan, Yueyang Liu and Philip Stott

Mathematical Study of Glacier Dynamics Using Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) Dataset

We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal Nature Environment and Pollution Technology, have retracted this article which was part Volume 21 Issue 1 Year 2022. The journal had followed all the procedure of obtaining the conflict of interest from the authors before the acceptance of the paper. However, after the publication of the article, a conflict of interest was raised by the fellow associates of the author, and the author has requested to retract the paper.

Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi

The Indigenous Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Consortium in Shallot Cultivation with Lead-Polluted Media

This study aims to test a consortium of indigenous Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in shallot cultivation with Pb contaminated media. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used in this study with one treatment factor. The treatment was the customary consortium of indigenous AMF from 17 locations of shallot land contaminated by Pb. The application of AMF showed no significant effect on fresh bulb fresh weight, leaf fresh weight, plant fresh weight, the total length of leaves, and the number of shallots. The percentage of infection in all treatments, except controls, showed a high percentage of AMF infection. AMF treatment from Slatri Land II showed the highest percentage of infection, that is 93.33%. The consortium of indigenous AMF from Kupu Land II was able to reduce the highest Pb accumulation of tubers compared to the control by up to 83.660%.

O. D. Hajoeningtijas, I. Mansur, N. Ekowati and Tamad

Rural Financial Efficiency, Agricultural Technological Progress and Agricultural Carbon Emissions: Evidence from China

Based on the 30-province panel data in China during 2005-2018, this paper uses the DEA-SBM model and DEA-Malmquist model to measure rural financial efficiency and agricultural technological progress respectively and then uses the mediating effect model to analyze the linear influence. The results show that rural financial efficiency and agricultural technological progress both can inhibit agricultural carbon emissions, while agricultural technological progress plays a mediating role when rural financial efficiency influences agricultural carbon emissions. What’s more, this paper uses the threshold effect model to analyze the non-linear influence. The findings reveal that when rural financial efficiency improves, the effects of rural financial efficiency and agricultural technology advances on agricultural carbon emissions shift from promoter to inhibitor.

Hai-Feng Huang and Ni Zhu

Internet of Things (IoT) Enabled Air Quality Monitoring System for Conventional and UAV Application

The purpose of this research is to make a system to read the air quality by detecting the various gases existing in the air by using Arduino UNO and node MCU module for conventional as well as UAV applications. The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has made it easier to read the various gases present in the environment using smartphones from the workplace. The use of an Arduino processor with a Node MCU to construct an air quality monitoring system is discussed in this paper. The Node MCU is used to transmit live data for CO, CO2, and PM2.5 concentrations that are sensed by sensors. This data can be monitored continuously by the user via the mobile phone. The calibration of sensors is highly important while reviewing and grasping the large literature on the subject of IoT-based air quality monitoring. The proposed low-cost live air quality monitoring system uses commercially available gas sensors to detect environmental gases such as CO, CO2 and PM2.5 to monitor air quality in an outdoor area. The proposed system is used to correctly evaluate the experimental outcomes. This proposed prototype model incorporates an open-source cloud facility with Arduino for air quality monitoring, confirming low cost, comfort, and convenience for a customizable air quality monitoring system. As a result, the suggested system can simply be converted to use in a UAV for monitoring air quality in the outdoors at various altitudes, and it can be scaled up in the future.

V. Vinoth Kumar and G. Sasikala

Initial Active Phase of In-Vessel Composting of Sewage Sludge, Leaves and Rice Straw

This work studied the characteristics of leaf, rice straw, and sewage sludge (SS) co-composting with the aim of determining the best composting ratio by monitoring temperature changes, oxygen (O2) concentration, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, ammonia (NH3) concentration, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentration, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), heavy metal content, carbon-nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio), germination index (GI), moisture content (MC), and volatile solids (VS) content during the composting process. Three composting piles with the mixture ratios of 4:1:1 (Pile A), 5:1:1 (Pile B), and 6:1:1(Pile C) (SS: leaf: rice straw) were tested. According to the temperature, C/N ratio, germination index, MC, and VS, the level of compost maturity in Pile B with a 5:1:1 mixing ratio was higher than that in Piles A and C. The contents of heavy metals in the composts were shown to meet the grade A standard in CJ/T 309-2009 (2009), except Cu and Zn, which was within the grade B standard.

Xiaojie Sun, Zhihan Tan, Xiaosong He, Hongxia Zhang, Beidou Xi, Hongtao Zhou and Hong Xiang Zhu

Unpacking Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), An Emerging Paradigm to Conserve Land Systems’ Sustainability in the 21st Century? Meta-analysis of Challenges and Opportunities

The UN Sustainable Development Goals specifically note the growing importance of land degradation management and mitigation strategies, advocating for global collaboration and innovative research and policy outlook. In this reflective summary, we synthesize the current worldview (post-2000) on land degradation neutrality (LDN), an emerging concept in the field of environmental sustainability that advocates a dynamic balance between degradation and restoration, to ensure no net loss in productive land resources. We first introduce the LDN Causal Framework (theoretical framework of LDN), followed by the Logic Model – guideline for on-ground LDN method implementation (comprising preparatory activities, followed by Integrated Land Use Planning (ILUP), and LDN Response Hierarchy (Avoid-Reduce-Reverse)). We draw attention to growing concerns about LDN technical problems: restore vs. rehabilitate; selecting indicator variables, and establishing a baseline. In the final section, we reflect on the social-ecological aspect of LDN – harnessing participatory action (multi-stakeholder engagement) and gender mainstreaming. Overall, LDN presents an umbrella vision for environmental regeneration and land capital management, that requires seamless integration of natural with social sciences, the policy with law, and requires strategic community mobilization.

A. Kesavan, H. Kaur and S. Chaudhuri

Assessment of Flood Hazard Zonation Using Geographic Information System and Analytical Hierarchy Process: A Case Study of Tlawng River Watershed in Sairang, Mizoram, India

Flood occurs when the water inundates normally dry ground, which could happen in a variety of ways like excessive rainfall, overflowing of embankments, dams, rivers, snowmelt, and other factors. Floods are one form of a natural hazard which are difficult to contain and control. A flood susceptibility mapping using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques were carried out at Sairang village in Aizawl, Mizoram in Northeast India. The study area Sairang is situated on the banks of the Tlawng river, the longest river in Mizoram. Floods have wreaked havoc in Sairang frequently resulting in huge losses and damage to property with numerous loss of life over the years. The total study area is 131.27 sq km and the resulting flood hazard potential zonation map shows that 1/3 of the watershed area falls in Vey High and High Potential Flood Hazard Zonation areas.

Malsawmtluanga and Ch. Vabeihmo

Process of Life Cycle Installation of Wastewater Treatment and up to Water Reuse

The life cycle assessment (LCA) of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) has several categories in the resulting impact analysis. One of them is a wastewater treatment plant on campus or university. Various emissions from WWTP and their impact factors are analyzed using software and utilizing the Eco-inventory database. Recycled water from factories has a positive impact on the categories assessed. System treatment overrides the effects of recycled water in other types such as potential terrestrial eco-toxicity, global warming potential, particulate matter formation, fossil depletion potential, and others. However, untreated sewers’ social effects and the environmental impact of compost generated by the system have not been thoroughly analyzed by a more holistic analysis. By using the LCA method, these results can be seen in Enim River’s environment expressed in GWP units (global warming potential) and human health expressed in ODP units (Ozone Depletion Potential). Several studies have also been conducted on LCA, which has problems with wastewater. One of the most recent research analyses various wastewater treatment strategies, such as aerobic against anaerobic, chemical versus chemical, and biological combinations. The Enim River is found in the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The Muara Enim Regency area is where the river flows from upstream to downstream. The Enim River is a child of the Lematang River. The GWP value had a GWP of 16?fore being treated in wastewater, and it had a GWP of 41.3?ter being treated with sewage. This result means that treating wastewater requires energy to do so. Before treatment, the MDP value was 10.4%, and after treatment was 20.4%. However, further action after the management of wastewater gives significant value to the assessment of GWP, MDP, and ODP. The three results provided a reduction value for the reuse of treated water and reused as water needs.

Frances Roi Seston Tampubolon, Arief Sabdo Yuwono, Armansyah Halomoan Tambunan and Noer Azam Achsani

Time Series Analysis of Economic Growth, Environmental Conditions and Their Coordination Degree: A Case Study of Provinces in Northeast China

Northeast China is an old industrial base and agricultural production base with a long history of industrial and agricultural development. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the contradiction between economic and social development and resource depletion and environmental damage has become increasingly acute due to the long-term extensive development model. Based on a long time-series data set, this paper aims to explore the regional economic development model, environmental problems, and coordination degree between them in Northeast China. The results show that the population in Northeast China presents an increasing trend at first and then a decreasing one, and the population distribution shows an agglomeration in the cities of Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang, and Dalian. Urban-related land uses and GDP growth also exhibits agglomerations centered on these large cities. According to the changing trend of regional GDP and environmental investment, the synergistic relationship between the parameters is compared on a temporal scale, and a positive correlation between economic growth and environmental development is observed. We conclude that economic growth is closely correlated with environmental protection. If more attention is likely to be paid to environmental protection, the cities will develop more healthily under the background of urbanization. Based on the current status of the economy and environment, this paper puts forward constructive suggestions on promoting the coordinated development of regional economy and improving the ability of ecological environment governance. Improving the ecological environment’s overall improvement capability through approaches such as adjusting the industrial structure, promoting the use of clean energy, strengthening industrial pollution control, controlling pollutant emissions, and promoting the construction of regional environmental infrastructure are all critical issues that must be resolved quickly to achieve coordinated development.

Mei Yang, Yaojun Fan, Xiaoxue Zhang and Shoufeng Wu

Influence of Sugars, Sugar Alcohols and Their Combinations on Environmentally Significant Cellulase Production Under Liquid State Fermentation

To expand the range of soluble carbon sources for enzyme production by the microbial system, we investigated the ability of different sugars in cellulase production. Carbon sources play a vital role in cell metabolism and the synthesis of cellulase. Although the insoluble cellulosic materials are considered the most effective natural inducers for cellulase production by microorganisms in terms of both enzyme yield and productivity, their insolubility causes many problems and presents a major drawback that is partly responsible for the high cost of cellulase production. Mostly, the insolubility of sugar polymer leads to difficult and complex fermentation operations, including sterilization, cell biomass measurement, mixing and aeration of the fermentation broth, continuous feeding/sampling, and subsequent enzyme purification. Second, cellulase gets absorbed into the solid cellulose surface, leading to enzyme loss. The present paper gives a comparative view on the utility of pure sugars (lactose, CMC, sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, xylose, trehalose, arabinose) and sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol) on cellulase production by various fungal strains. It also describes the blending effect of sugars as well as sugar alcohols on cellulase production by fungal strains.

Nitin Verma and Vivek Kumar

Impacts of Discharged Low-Temperature Water on Water Table and Temperature in the Riparian Zone

We observed the water level and temperature in the lower stretch of the Hsin-an river in China for different times to show the characteristics of the water table and temperature in the riparian zone under the influence of discharged low-temperature water. The water table in the riparian zone showed a typical daily cycle change with a fluctuation range of 239.42-275.99 cm, according to the findings. With increasing distance from the river, the amplitudes of the water table fluctuation were reduced, and the phases were lagged. In the high-temperature period, riparian temperatures range from 20.4°C to 26.0°C, whereas in the low-temperature phase, temperatures range from 12.9°C to 19.2°C. The temperature distribution in the riparian zone was described in the vertical direction as “warmer on the surface and cooler at the bottom” during high-temperature periods and “cooler on the surface and warmer at the bottom” during low-temperature periods, with the temperature gradient gradually decreasing with depth. There was clear temperature zonation in the horizontal direction during the high-temperature phase but none during the low-temperature period. The study will serve as a benchmark for future hyporheic zone ecological impact assessments.

Bei Zhu, Shiyan Wang, Chang Liu, Wei Su, Jiapeng Wu, Cunwu Li and Jingshi Shang

Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on Human Reproductive System: A Toxicological Perspective

Recent clinical or epidemiological studies are reporting alarming results on the effects of certain groups of chemicals on the female reproductive system. These endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) influence the normal activities of hormones secreted from the female hypothalamus, ovary, pituitary & uterus. The female reproductive disorders are mainly observed at embryonic or during fetal development and subsequently get matured during puberty. Various toxic chemicals and other pollutants interact with the chemical structure of the hormones and hence prolonged effects are seen at the cellular and molecular level of hormones resulting in disruption of secretion and function. Due to poor coordination of hormones and other reproductive organs of the body vital functions are compromised. Hence it’s highly significant to study and explore the toxicity of chemicals that play a key role in the malfunctioning of the female reproductive system. In this review, we are concerned about the influence of EDCs and their significance in public health. Furthermore, we illustrated the discussion on the increasing effects of EDCs in various parts such as clinical, animal models, or epidemiological studies to develop awareness among the people.

Anu Bela Lakra, Suryapratap Ray and Tejasvi Bhatia

Environmental Geological Problems in Southwest China: A Case Study from the Researches of Regional Landslide Hazards

Humans have paid a lot of attention to environmental geological challenges in recent years. Landslides, being one of the most prevalent geological disasters, are characterized by their suddenness and destructiveness. Southwest China is prone to landslides and debris flows due to its unique geological structure. This paper uses landslides in southwest China as an example, focusing on research on landslide initiation mechanisms and outlining modern landslide monitoring devices and prediction models. Landslides are caused by external variables such as persistent precipitation, groundwater movement, and significant seismic activity, as well as interior reasons such as fine particle rearrangement and the action of positive pore water. The reduction of the friction coefficient of the shear surface, which is induced by the increase of the shear rate, the supercritical carbon dioxide and superheated steam of the shear zone, and the mineral recrystallization process on the shear surface, all have an important impact on reducing the friction coefficient of the shear surface, is a key factor in the occurrence of high-speed remote landslides. Real-time landslide monitoring using space-air-ground and acoustic emission technology, as well as the creation of machine learning-based forecast models, have aided in the research of landslide development and early warning.

Shuang Li, Xiang Wu, Faming Sun, Jie Yang and Jian Li

Ecological Health Assessment of Renuka Lake, Himachal Pradesh, India

Researchers, policymakers, and governments are increasingly interested in assessing the ecological health (EH) of lakes and streams. The EH of a lake can be expressed in terms of water quality, trophic state and biodiversity of riparian vegetation, macroinvertebrates and fishes. The ecological health index (EHI) of Renuka lake, Himachal Pradesh of India, was analyzed based on National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSFWQI), Carlson’s Trophic State Index (TSI), Simpson Diversity Index (SDI), and Shannon-Weiner index (SWI). The results of NSFWQI and CTSI are found in the range of 40-59 and 49.9-58.9 respectively indicating that the water quality was poor to medium and not suitable for drinking purposes but can be used for secondary purposes such as agriculture, industry, and recreation etc. The trophic state of the lake is similarly in the eutrophic range, with an overall EHI of 1.81-2.47, indicating poor to medium trophic status. Apart from analyzed results, the EH category from mesotrophic to a eutrophic state of the lake is caused due to the cultural siltation/nutrient loading, religious practices, land tenurial issues, and uncontrolled tourist pressure followed by recreational activities on water bodies and lake vicinity. Accordingly, suitable restoration methods such as source control, desilting/dredging, and lake aquatic plantation are suggested to recover the ecological health of the lake back to a mesotrophic or oligotrophic state.

Yeshi Choden, M. P. Sharma, Gaurav Pandey, S. K. Gupta and K. D. Dema

Terrestrial Biomass and Carbon Stock in Broad-leaved Forests of Punakha District, Western Bhutan

The present study assessed the terrestrial biomass of broad-leaved forests to determine the carbon storage potential of each tree species in Punakha. The assessment was based on a woody stem having a minimum of 10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height. Biomass was estimated using volumetric equations and carbon stock by multiplying the constant factor 0.5 to biomass. The study covered 41 sampling plots of 31.62 m × 31.62 m and recorded a total of 24 tree species. Total biomass was 274.68 Mg.ha-1 with AGTB 196.36 Mg.ha-1, BGTB 51.07 Mg.ha-1 and DOM 27.22 Mg.ha-1. The total carbon stock estimated was 137.34 MgC.ha-1. The present study used a non-destructive approach to assess the carbon storage potential of each broad-leaved tree species and concludes that Punakha broad-leaved forest has the potential to accumulate more biomass and carbon stock, as DBH class-wise biomass and carbon distribution showed right-skewed trend indicating young forest stands.

S. Tshering and P. Rinzin

Investigation on Water Hyacinth in Anaerobic Co-Digestion for Biogas Production: A measure to Reduce Kosavampatti and Phoosur Lake Municipal Solid Waste Loading

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the lab scale, microbe-enhanced biogas production from water hyacinth blended with poultry waste and cow dung. A mesophilic anaerobic two-stage continuous reactor was set up to study the co-digestion for enhanced biogas production. The optimized mixing ratio of cow dung, water hyacinth, and poultry litter (2:1:1; 4:3:1 and 5:2:1) was used along with the effective microbial solution in a two-stage continuous reactor. The biogas yield was maximum in the 2:1:1 blend than the blends with a mixing ratio of 4:3:1 and 5:2:1. The reactor-loading rate was 4 and 5 g.L-1.day-1 with a retention time of 30 and 60 days respectively. The two-stage anaerobic digestion helps in controlling toxicity by acidogenesis and enhances energy production, thereby proving to be a technology that prevents environmental deterioration and enhances energy recovery, both of which are twin issues that need scientific attention. Maximum specific biogas of 0.128 Nm.L.g-1 of Volatile solid reduction (VSR) in hydrolyzer and 0.205 Nm.L.g-1 of VSR in methanizer was obtained at an optimized Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 20.8. The co-digestion of protein-rich waste with a carbon-rich source offers a reduced acclimatization period in the hydrolyzer with an increased C/N ratio, thereby increasing the biogas yield as observed in the methanizer. Several other parameters including Ammonia level, Volatile Fatty Acids influenced by the reactor alkalinity also determine the biogas yield. With increased alkalinity, free ammonia increases and may be inhibitory for anaerobic fermentation and may be toxic for methanogenic bacteria, thereby contributing to the reduction in biogas yield. The present investigation has led to a novel biogas and power-producing clean development mechanism (CDM) for the first time from a heterogeneous mixture of animal excreta and plant waste (livestock droppings, cow dung, and water hyacinths). The waste samples have been collected from sewage and sullage polluted Kosavampatti Lake and Phoosur lake in Namakkal district of Tamilnadu, India therein ending up in a high quantity of CO2 mitigation.

V. Murugesan, D. Joshua Amarnath and P. Shanmugam

Application of UAV Photogrammetry on Ecological Restoration of Abandoned Open-pit mines, Northern Anhui Province, China

Mine survey is an important part of the ecological restoration design of an abandoned open-pit mine because it gives precise survey data for mine management. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry technology is applied to mine 3D modeling and earthwork calculation to tackle the problems of high cost, low efficiency, and high labor intensity in traditional manual field mine surveys. Using the abandoned quarries in Baitu, Suzhou City, as the study area, 82 ground control points were set up, and massive elevation data of the ground was obtained using a Dajiang spirit 4 RTK UAV for aerial photography and extracted from a 3D model created with Context Capture software, while a digital orthophoto image of the study area was created. The earthwork volume is calculated using the square grid method. UAV photogrammetry has a considerably higher efficiency than typical manual field measurement results, and it meets the precision criteria of mine geological environment assessment. According to the findings, UAV photogrammetry technology has a promising future in mine geological environment monitoring and ecological environment repair.

Hongbao Dai and Jiying Xu

Isolation and Characterization of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Degrading Bacteria from Polluted Sites of Gwalior City, M.P., India

Plastic is harmful to nature and this issue could be solved by its degradation. Biodegradation of plastic waste utilizing bacterial strain is an eco-friendly approach. In this study, top bacterial strains that degrade the polymeric ingredient of the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were isolated and identified using a development culture procedure. For this investigation, soil from various contaminated areas was collected, which had abundant plastic waste. The biodegradation of polyvinylchloride films was studied using a liquid culture approach for six months. A couple of bacterial organism packs were then limited to emulsifying the commonly used PVC polymer in agar media. The PVC strain showed particular degradation and was chosen for further testing because the species Bacillus and Micrococcus were considered more credible. Bacillus and Micrococcus species have both proven the biodegradability of PVC based on the mean weight decrease, which was 0.873 for Bacillus species and 0.916 for Micrococcus species after a period of around six months. The FTIR study confirmed the breaking down by demonstrating the proximity of porosity and sensitivity of bacteria-infested polythene surfaces. Bacillus has a higher degradation potential than Micrococcus in our research.

Mohana Yadav, Sushil Manderia, Shweta Singh and Mohd. Adil Deva

Tissue Repairing Activity of Glycosmis pentaphylla Leaf Extract on Oreochromis mossambicus Against Arsenic Induced Toxicity

Acute toxicity of arsenic to Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and tissue repairing activity of Glycosmis pentaphylla leaf extract and its histological impacts on gill, liver, and kidney tissues were evaluated. Fish were divided into six groups viz. control, group 1, group 2, group 3, group 4, and group 5. 4.87 ppm of NaAsO2 was administrated in group 1, group 3, and group 5. In group 3, after arsenic exposure, 2.5 g of leaf extract of Glycosmis pentaphylla per kg of fish food was added. In group 5, 5g of G. pentaphylla leaf extract per kg of fish food was added. In group 2, 2.5 g of leaf extract per kg of fish food was added and in group 4, 5g leaf extract per kg of fish food was added. The control group showed normal histology of the gill, liver, and kidney. The histological observations revealed the tissue repairing activities in group 2 fish’s gill, liver, and kidney. These results revealed the protective and tissue repairing potential of G. pentaphylla as a feed supplement against NaAsO2 induced toxicity.

U. V. Aswathy, S. Abhirami, S. R. Flanet Raj and G. Prasad

Preparation, Characterization and Application of Sulphuric Acid-Treated Soursop (Annona muricata L.) Seeds Powder in the Adsorption of Cu(II) Ions

This work presented the adsorption of Cu(II) ions using agriculture waste coming from soursop (Annona muricata L.) seeds. The chemical treatment performed on Annona muricata L. seeds was carried out using 1.0 M H2SO4 solutions. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), pH of point-zero-charge (pHPZC), and pHslurry analyses were done to characterize the surface properties of the adsorbent. Experimental conditions such as contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, and initial Cu(II) ion concentrations, all of which could affect Cu(II) ions adsorption, were studied. The adsorption kinetics was successfully described by the pseudo-second-order model. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to interpret the Cu(II) ions’ adsorption at equilibrium. The isotherm data fitted well with the Freundlich model and the maximum adsorption capacity was 187.83 mg.g-1 based on the Langmuir model.

Megat Ahmad Kamal Megat Hanafiah, Nurul Amira Abu Bakar, Waheeba A. Al-Amrani, Shariff Ibrahim, Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek and Ali H. Jawad

Preparation of Copolymer of 2-Methacryloyloxyethyldimethyl-3-sulfonic Acid Propylammonium Hydroxide and 3-(Methacryloyloxy) Propyltrimethoxysilane and Its Dye Adsorption Properties

While printing and dyeing bring us huge economic benefits, it also brings us huge challenges. Printing and dyeing will produce a large amount of wastewater, and the treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater has always been a concern. This work uses 2-methacryloxyethyl dimethyl-3-sulfonic acid propyl ammonium hydroxide, 3-(methacryloxy) propyl trimethoxysilane, and N, N’-methylene bispropylene as raw materials, and a photoinitiator is used to initiate polymerization under an ultraviolet lamp to prepare a copolymer gel. Taking the aqueous solution containing soap yellow as simulated dye wastewater, the adsorption performance of the prepared polymer for dyes was investigated. An ultraviolet spectrophotometer was used to investigate the effects of adsorption time, initial dye concentration, and polymer dosage on the adsorption performance. The performance test results show that the prepared polymer has high adsorption and removal efficiency for dyes containing soap yellow simulation, and has a potential application value.

Fenfen Xi, Liping Liang, Weishou Tan, Yanyan Dong, Linshuang Yu, Huiting Ma, Gaosheng Yue and Xu Meng

Noise Levels in Urban and Rural Settlements of Bhubaneswar: A Case Study

Noise is an underestimated threat that can cause several short- and long-term health problems. It is increasingly becoming a potential hazard to health, physically and psychologically, and affects the general well-being of an individual. The objective of the current study was to examine noise levels at ten different locations in the city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha State, India based on the land use pattern in urban and rural setup. The paper focuses on deploying geospatial techniques using ArcGIS desktop to perform better sampling and further interpolate the statistical data using the Kriging technique to generate a surface representing the distribution of noise levels in various areas. In addition, a health impact survey enabled us to understand the perspectives of the people in and around the monitoring location where health issues like stress, headache, hypertension, and sleeping disorders emerged as some of the most common issues faced. Noise levels were in the range of 43.0 to 74.5 (A) Leq. in rural areas and 61 to 96.5 dB (A) Leq in urban areas. In the current study, noise levels in rural and urban areas exceeded the recommended noise limits as per The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

G. Ayush, A. J. Elizabeth, V. V. Patil and M. Herlekar

The Effect of Moringa oleifera as a Primary Treatment in Urban Wastewater in Martínez De La Torre, Veracruz

Wastewater treatment is a priority, as most of this is discharged into rivers, lakes, seas, and soil. Since there is no treatment facility in Martnez de la Torre, Veracruz, these fluids are released straight into the Filobobos River without treatment. Hence, the Moringa oleifera seed was evaluated as a primary treatment. In this study using wastewater from a direct discharge, pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, and conductivity were determined as control measures. In the jar test, the treatments were carried out using different amounts of coagulant salts (aluminum and iron sulfate) and moringa powder; starting the agitation at 120 rpm for 5 minutes and immediately it was reduced to 60 rpm in 10 minutes with a rest time of 1 hour. After that, the quality parameters were analyzed. The moringa coagulant achieved an average maximum reduction of 71.84 per cent and 89.36 per cent in turbidity and Total Suspended Solids, respectively, which was higher than the salts used. Furthermore, its application had no effect on pH and conductivity parameters, and the coagulant based on Moringa oleifera as a primary treatment agent, since these qualities do not alter and post-treatment is not required, as in the case with salts.

M.A. López-Ramírez, C. Argüelles-López, M.R. Aguilar-Rodríguez, J. Barragán-Díaz, O.P. Castellanos-Onorio and F. Lango-Reynoso

Florida’s Aquifer Vulnerability to Nitrate Contamination: A GIS Model

Groundwater is a crucial natural resource in the state of Florida. since it supports to environmental, social, and economic aspects of the country. Groundwater will not be contaminated easily but it is difficult to restore once it is contaminated. Since its extensive usage in agricultural activities in the state of Florida, groundwater has degraded in recent years, resulting in many direct and indirect impacts, particularly nitrogen content in the form of nitrates using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology, the researchers investigated the effects of groundwater on Nitrogen (NO3) content in the study area by creating a spatial distribution of NO3 contamination, which was then analyzed using GIS, Kriging Interpolation, and the DRASTIC model to determine the susceptibility of groundwater to NO3 contamination. The final result depicts the model’s performance as vulnerability groups, which are based on natural breaks showing places that are more susceptible to nitrogen pollution. The map highlighted that the south zone of Florida was more vulnerable to nitrogen contamination, necessitating more careful wastewater disposal system planning.

M. Jamuna, M. Gandhimathi, J. Abdul Bari and T. Niveditha

Use of Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques in Identification of Landslide Vulnerable Zones of Shastri River Basin Along the West Coast of Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra

The atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere are subjected to different processes, leading to natural hazards like weathering, erosion, floods, cyclones, landslides, earthquakes, tectonic movements, etc. Environmental degradation is a serious aspect of the recent past, mainly due to natural and manmade interactions. The pressure for infrastructure development due to rapid urbanization has led to the expansion of construction activities. It has catapulted the frequency of landslides to dramatic proportions in recent decades, especially along western ghats. The West Coast of India (WCI) has attracted the attention of Geo-scientists due to its neo-tectonic setup, continuing seismic activities, sea-level changes, and also due to environmental degradation. It is followed that very limited attempts have been made related to the land sliding along the west coast tract of Maharashtra. The present investigations are emphasized mainly to locate the landslide vulnerable zones of Shastri River Basin (SRB), Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra by using remote sensing data, GIS techniques along field studies. The area lies within a triple junction of Koyana-Kurduwadi Lineament (KKL), West Coast Fault (WCF), and Panvel Flexure (PF). Based on the integration of data from various thematic maps viz. lithology, lineaments, slope, geomorphology, land use-land cover along with inventory map, Landslide Vulnerable Map (LVM) of the SRB has been prepared. It follows that about 29% area of the SRB forms a highly vulnerable zone for land sliding. These zones are mainly confined to steep slopes, wasteland, highly weathered basalts, and deep valleys and in the vicinity of lineaments.

S. B. Joshi and D. D. Kulkarni

Mechanism and Chemical Stability of U(VI) Removal by Magnetic Fe3O4 @Biochar Composites

Biochar is typically made via pyrolysis of organic materials under anoxic conditions, due to its high surface area and significant negative charge. It also has the ability to minimize the mass or volume of waste items. As a result, biochar is frequently used in the remediation of environmental contamination. To overcome the shortcoming of biochar in the application, the magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar from walnut shells were prepared. The magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar from walnut shells is used to study the adsorption of U(VI) in the solution. SEM, XRD, and FT-IR are used to determine the properties of magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar. The results revealed that magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar has a fragmented and irregular form. On the surface of magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar, several functional groups can aid in the adsorption of pollutants. The adsorption capacity of U(VI) by magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar is influenced by the contact time and initial concentration of U(VI). For the adsorption of U(VI) in solution by magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar, the pseudo-first-order kinetic equation and the Langmuir isotherm equation can be fitted. The adsorption of the process is chemical adsorption and monolayer adsorption. The chemical stability of magnetic Fe3O4@Biochar is very well.

Erhui Zhao, Anjie Wang, Luojia Huang, Chengguang Chen and Muqing Qiu

Analysis of Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution in Henan Province (China) from the Perspective of Time and Space

Henan is China’s most populous agricultural province. Wheat, cotton, oil crops, and other farming and animal husbandry industries rank first in China in terms of output value. The agricultural sector has grown significantly, and rural populations’ living standards have greatly improved. The effects of rural urbanization can be seen all over the place. However, the rural economy’s rapid growth has resulted in a slew of environmental contamination issues. Chemical fertilizer emissions of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) have been decreasing for a long time in Henan Province, whereas total phosphorus (TP) emissions are increasing. The usage load of pesticides went high in Zhoukou, Nanyang, Shangqiu, Xinyang, Xinxiang, and Zhumadian. The application of agricultural film was relatively common in Nanyang, Zhoukou, Anyang, Xinyang, Zhumadian, Kaifeng, and Shangqiu. Wheat, corn, and oil-bearing crop stalks are the main sources of crop solid waste in Henan Province, and the solid waste generated by these three crops accounted for 93.96% of the province’s total amount. In Zhumadian, Zhoukou, Nanyang, and Shangqiu, there was a lot of crop stalk trash.

Aping Chang, Hua Qiong and Zheng Binguo

Development and Fabrication of A Portable Shredding Machine for Rapid Composting of Organic Waste

Solid waste management is found to be a matter of great concern all over the world. As the population grows, the volume of food waste also increases. Vegetable waste discarded from markets, waste discarded from slaughterhouses, and food waste left out after large social gatherings are becoming unmanageable heaps of organic waste. Composting is an effective process that can be used for the biodegradation of solid waste. Researchers have studied the influence of many parameters to accelerate the composting process such as adjusting the C/N ratio, pH, temperature, and moisture content. Reducing the size of larger pieces into small particles is found to accelerate the microbial activity and hence composting. This paper discusses the development and fabrication of a shredding machine used for cutting large volumes of vegetable waste. As per the studies conducted, the shredding machine can cut down 360 kg of vegetable waste into shredded waste within one hour. The quantity of petrol required for operating the engine for one hour was observed as one liter. Hence the fabricated shredding machine is found as cost-effective. The portable unit can be taken to various locations where solid organic waste has to be shredded and hence there is no need to transport waste which is a cumbersome task that consumes more energy.

Resmi G. and Vinod V.

Application of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for Assessment of Collection and Transportation of Solid Waste: An Empirical Study

Cities and Urban Local Bodies (CULB) are considered to be the engines of economic growth and any significant improvement in their operational efficiency will lead to a positive impact on the economy. The major portion of expenditure on Solid waste management (SWM) of CULBs is spent on waste collection and transportation activities. To enhance the efficiency of SWM, it is essential to collect and transport solid waste in a scientific manner. As a result, systematic solid waste collection and transportation will effectively resolve and improve SWM concerns. In this paper, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is adopted to appraise various alternatives of solid waste collection and transportation methods of municipal solid waste in Visakhapatnam city, India. The additive normalization method is applied for calculating the criteria weights. The fairness of judgment is checked by the consistency ratio. To calculate AHP accurately and fast, a decision support system was built. The findings of the study will be beneficial in evaluating existing solid waste collection and transportation processes to improve the operational efficiency of managing SWM.

Gnanasekaran Sasikumar, A. Sivasangari and N.Venkatachalam

Effect of Surface Modification on the Characteristics of Sisal Fiber Reinforced Concrete Treated with Na2CO3

Concrete with fiber as a reinforcing material is one of the important fields of research that is gaining traction in this upcoming green technology revolution. By adding fibers to concrete, the tensile strength properties are vastly improved without compromising the strength characteristics, and cost fluctuation is minimal. This research is being carried out to improve the qualities of concrete that have been infused with chemically treated sisal fiber in varied ratios. The paper investigates and describes the effects of sisal fiber when it is chemically treated and infused with concrete, comparing it to ordinary concrete in strength tests. Water absorption, workability, and other material characteristics of Sisal fiber reinforced concrete with 0.5 per cent, 1 per cent, 1.5 per cent, and 2 per cent fiber replacing cement by volume fraction and a sisal fiber aspect ratio of 1:100 are compared to the traditional M30 concrete grade. After being treated with an alkaline solution, 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent sisal fiber reinforced concrete increased tensile and compressive strength, as well as the formation of calcium carbonate deposits on the fiber interfaces; this also contributes to the concrete’s corrosion resistance and durability.

R. Abirami and S. P. Sangeetha

Study of Water Quality Pollution Index, Land-Use and Socio-Economic Factors in Yingkou Irrigation District of China Based on Redundancy Analysis

Water quality in irrigation areas is related to food security and many other national strategies. This study takes China’s Yingkou Irrigation District as the research object and analyzes 4 water quality indicators, including NH4+-N, TP, DO and COD, from 2017 to 2019 at 3 water quality monitoring points set up in the irrigation area. Simultaneously, a comprehensive pollution index is introduced to evaluate the quality of returned water in the irrigation area. Using Redundancy Analysis (RDA), the correlation between water quality indicators and Land-use and socio-economic indicators are analyzed separately. The results show that the water quality of the Yingkou Irrigation District varies greatly within and between years, and the months with poor water quality are concentrated in autumn and winter. This is mainly related to the geographical location of the irrigation area and the drainage cycle of rice planting. The quality of receding water shows a positive correlation with the water area and a negative correlation with the unused land. The RDA analysis with socio-economic indicators shows that PD and IP are the ones that have a more significant impact on the quality of return water in irrigation areas. The prevention and control of industrial point source pollution, as well as the interception of non-point source pollution in water regions, should be the focus of water pollution prevention and control in irrigation areas.

Ji He, Xiao-Ling Hou and Wen-chuan Wang

Poultry Wastes Effect on Water Quality of Shallow Wells of Farms in Two Locations of Kwara State, Nigeria

The study investigated poultry waste effect on water quality of shallow wells in Asa and Ilorin, south local government areas of Kwara State. The factors considered are the number of birds (N), years of existence of the farm (Y), and the distance between the shallow wells and the poultry dump sites (D). Physicochemical parameters of the water collected were analyzed. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS Software (Version 16.0). For the number of birds, the result shows that the mean turbidity, Chemical Oxygen Demand COD, and fecal coliform were between 23.25 -101.92 NTU, 85.22-111.56 mg.L-1, and 0.00-0.34 cfu.mL-1 respectively. For the year of existence of the farm, the mean turbidity, phosphate, COD were between 14.10-56.6 NTU, 1.07-2.30 mg.mL-1, 88.00-95.43 mg.mL-1 respectively. The mean turbidity was found to be between 11.81 NTU and 58.85 NTU, phosphate 1.09-2.06 mg.mL-1, COD 86.73-94.57 mg.mL-1, and fecal coliform 0.00-0.24 cfu.mL-1 for the distance between dumpsites and water source. The number of birds has a significant effect on turbidity, BOD, COD and fecal coliform at p ? 0.05 compared to the measured control 400 m away from the dumpsites. As a result, there is evidence of pollution risks from poultry wastes. Proper treatment and the placement of farms far away from dumpsites will assist maintain the water’s suitability and sustainability.

O. M. Abioye, K. A. Adeniran and T. Abadunmi

Pollution Characteristics of Surface Sediments in Luhun Drinking Water Reservoir in the Middle China

The pollution status of surface sediments in the Luhun drinking water reservoir in the central of China was analyzed and evaluated, and three sampling points were selected for this study. The results showed that the organic matter content of the Luhun reservoir was as high as 5.2%, which was at a high level. The analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus, and their components showed that the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) pollution in Luhun reservoir was in the medium pollution level, among which the ion-exchange state of nitrogen component and the strong-alkali extraction state of phosphorus component accounted for a relatively high risk of release into the overlying water. The results showed that the bioavailability index of Pb and Cr was as high as 0.73 and 0.62, which was of big pollution risk. Generally speaking, the sediment of Luhun reservoir had a high risk of pollution to the overlying water. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for urban safe water supply and provide support for water quality improvement.

Zizhen Zhou, Yu Xu and Zhen Dai

Exploring the Spatial Pattern of Damage Caused by Typhoon Meranti on the Urban Green Space on Xiamen Island

Typhoons are the main cause of disturbances in the natural environment of coastal cities. Typhoons often damage the urban green space (UGS) of coastal cities, and the spatial pattern of such damages provides important information for disaster recovery. For acquiring such information, remote sensing technology offers a fast and effective means. This study investigated the spatial pattern of typhoon damage to UGS using Sentinel-2 data. To this end, the damage caused by Typhoon Meranti to the UGS of Xiamen Island (including Gulangyu Island) in 2016 was taken as a case study. The results showed that the overall area without vegetation coverage increased by 1159.7 ha. Areas with high vegetation coverage experienced less damage than areas with low vegetation coverage. A coldspot map of damage clusters was generated, and the map showed that severely damaged green areas were distributed in a striped pattern, indicating serious damage to road greening. In terms of direction, east-west roads experienced a higher degree of damage than north-south roads. The determined spatial pattern of the damage caused by Typhoon Meranti on the UGS of Xiamen Island provides a basis for the post-disaster restoration of the landscape of Xiamen Island.

Huifen Luo and Junlin Wu

Evolution of Technologies for Cadmium Remediation and Detoxification

Heavy metal pollution is one of the most serious global environmental concerns. As a result, the current research includes an overview of technologies that are being developed for remediating or eliminating such contaminants from the environment, such as physical and chemical approaches, as well as their ineffectiveness. A wide range of minute species was discovered for their potential to tolerate, resist, accumulate and absorb heavy metals. But they all are naturally occurring species and need optimal conditions as well as a longer duration to grow. Thus, there is a need for more reliable, efficient, and productive techniques to address the issue. The use of nanoparticles for remediation has paved the way for more research in this subject and the development of useful technology to cope with problems. The evolution of technologies for heavy metal remediation, particularly cadmium, is discussed in this article because it is one of the most hazardous heavy metals that necessitates immediate attention.

Sneh Lata and Sukhminderjit Kaur

Life Time Cancer Risk Evaluation Due to Inhalation of Radon Gas in Dwellings of Al-Diwaniyah Governorate, Iraq

Radon is a radioactive natural gas that tends to concentrate in indoor homes and has major health consequences, the most serious of which is the ability to cause lung cancer. This research involves measuring indoor radon concentrations in different types of homes (non-smokers and smokers) in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq, as well as assessing radon concentrations in cigarette samples acquired from Iraqi markets. nuclear track detectors were used to measure radiological parameters to determine annual effective dose levels and the associated cancer risk (CR-39). The average indoor radon concentrations, annual effective dose, and increased cancer risk attributable to the inhalation of indoor radon were 22.93 ± 3.67 Bq.m-3, 0.58 ± 0.08 mSv.y-1 and 2.2 ×10-3 ± 0.35 respectively, for non-smokers home. For smokers’ home, these parameters were 29.77 ± 5.24 Bq.m-3, 0.75 ± 0.12 mSv.y-1, and 2.89 ×10-3±0.50, respectively. The value of radon gas in cigarette samples ranged from 24.16 ± 2.55 to 33.91 ± 5.13 Bq.m-3. The obtained results have been compared with limits recommended by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and found to be within allowed limits.

M. Sh. Aswood, Sh. F. Alhous and S. A. Abdulridha

Low-Cost Calibration MOS Gas Sensor for Measuring SO2 Pollutants in Ambient Air

Air pollution has evolved into a global issue that necessitates immediate and accurate pollution control. The usage of the Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) sensor as a monitoring system for air pollution levels is one possible answer to this challenge. The MQ-136 sensor is calibrated using standard SO2 (0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70) ppm as the test gas in this study. To collect the sensor output signal, a variety of equipment was created, including a gas test box, a voltage divider, and follower circuit, and a gas flow control unit operated by a microcontroller. The test gas can be pumped into the test box at a constant rate of 1.0 L.min-1 by the apparatus. To evaluate a significant difference (= 0.05), an analysis of variance was performed on the response signal generated by a series of sensors due to the concentration of the test gas. To examine the correlation between the sensor response signal and the test gas concentration treatment, as well as the sensor performance, linear regression analysis was used. The ANOVA results demonstrate no significant differences amongst the sensors, indicating that they all follow the same routine. Furthermore, ANOVA analysis reveals that the sensors respond differently at each level of SO2 concentration. According to linear regression, the relationship between gas concentration and sensor-1, sensor-2, and sensor-3 output signals is reflected by coefficients of determination of 0.94, 0.91, and 0.93, respectively.

R. Purbakawaca, A.S. Yuwono, I.D.M. Subrata and H. Alatas

Rapid Extraction of Yam Peel Total Flavonoids in A Cholinium-Based Magnetic Ionic Liquid Aqueous Biphasic System

In this study, for the first time, a magnetic ionic liquid-based aqueous biphasic system (MIL-ABS) was developed to extract total flavonoids from crude extracts of yam (Dioscorea alata L.) peel. The effect of various conditions on the separation behavior was systematically examined and optimized. A relatively high extraction efficiency (96.4%) and partition coefficient (K = 33.2) for total flavonoids could be achieved. MI-ABS not only has the advantage of being able to extract quickly in the absence of an organic solvent, but it also responds to a simple external magnetic field. This work has the potential to be a useful reference for practical enrichment or separation of active ingredients.

Y. Wang, F.W. Wang, M.F. Jia, L.N. Huang, Y.Q. He and S.Q. Dong

Green Synthesis Of Bimetallic Iron/Copper Nanoparticles Using Ficus Leaves Extract For Removing Orange G(OG) Dye From Aqueous Medium

This study shows that it is possible to fabricate and characterize green bimetallic nanoparticles using eco-friendly reduction and a capping agent, which is then used for removing the orange G dye (OG) from an aqueous solution. Characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDAX), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were applied on the resultant bimetallic nanoparticles to ensure the size, and surface area of particles nanoparticles. The results found that the removal efficiency of OG depends on the G?Fe/Cu?NPs concentration (0.5-2.0 g.L-1), initial pH (2?9), OG concentration (10-50 mg.L-1), and temperature (30-50 °C). The batch experiments showed that 54% of 10 mg.L-1 of OG was removed within the optimum dose, pH, and temperature which were 1 g.L-1, 7 and 30°C respectively. The results of kinetic adsorption models and mechanisms indicate that OG uptake on G?Fe/Cu?NPs follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, physisorption, and exothermic process with (?22.9 kJ.mol-1) activation energy. Adsorption isotherm investigated with models of Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Dubinin, in addition, the parameters of thermodynamic such as DG°, DH°, and DS° were ?0.462 kJ.mol-1, ?35.88 kJ.mol-1, and 0.116 kJ.mol.K-1 respectively, this indicted spontaneous, exothermic and favorable adsorption.

Mohammed A. Atiya, Ahmed K. Hassan and Imad M. Luaibi

Properties and Distribution of Seed Banks in a Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) Plantation in Central China

We aimed to compare the properties of seed banks in different types of Robinia pseudoacacia stands and different substratum layers. We established four Black locust plots (each 50 × 50 m) that included two second-generation stands and two third-generation stands. Spatial coordinates, diameter at breast height, and the heights of all trees were measured in the four plots. In each plot, we set a total of 259 points using the regular grid design method. At these points, we sampled the seed banks in the litter and soil (0-5 cm) layers. The coordinates of the 259 points were recorded. After the samples had been collected and screened, a germination trial was performed using the collected seeds from the different layers and stands. We used variogram and kriging interpolation geostatistical methods to analyze the distribution of the seed banks. A kernel density estimation map was generated to examine the relationship between the seed bank and trees in each stand. The results showed that seed bank density was high in the four stands (4005-7325 seeds.m-2), and was higher in the third-generation stands (6085 and 7325 seeds.m-2) than in the second-generation stands (4005 and 5659 seeds.m-2). The seed bank density in the litter layer (3225 seeds.m-2) exceeded that in the soil layer (2164 seeds.m-2). The spatial pattern of the seed banks varied among different stands and was positively correlated with the distribution of trees in each stand. Furthermore, we found that spatial autocorrelation in the seed banks occurred at a variety of scales. Seeds in the litter layer were significantly more active than those in the soil layer; the germination rate varied from 6.67% to 28.89%. The findings of this study suggest that the Robinia pseudoacacia plantation in the Luoning area may exhibit potential for regeneration from seeds, and this will be the focus of our future studies.

K.Q. Zhang, X.C. Yang, Z. Shen, L.Y. Ma, J. Duan and Y. Li

Insight into Effects of Initial Moisture Content on the Heat-Up of Sewage Sludge Composting During Mesophilic Phase

The effects of initial moisture content (55%, 60% and 65%) on the heat-up of sewage sludge (SS) composting during the mesophilic phase were investigated. Monitoring results showed that low moisture content (55%) increased the heating rate, high initial moisture content (60% and 65%) significantly improved the activities of cellulase and peroxidase during the mesophilic phase. Furthermore, although high moisture content improved the diversity of bacteria during composting, there were no significant differences in the microbial structure during the process of succession. So, rather than inhibiting the activity of the bacterial population, the negative effect of high moisture content (60 and 65 per cent) on composting temperature heat up was attributable to the difficulty of heating produced by the specific heat capacity of water. The correlation index between initial moisture content and microorganisms was relatively low, while the temperature was the largest environmental factor affecting the bacterial community. This conclusion provided a hint to make an association between initial moisture content and composting temperature-rising stage.

Yu Li, Yuran Su, Bin Hu and Chuang Ma

The Effects of Disturbance on the Release of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Sediment in Rural Ditches

Reduced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) released from sediments in rural areas pose a significant challenge to residential sewage treatment and management. Under different disturbance velocities, simulation experiments were undertaken to investigate the effect of disturbance on the release of N and P from rural ditch sediments into the water at the water-sediment interface. No significant difference in the release characteristics of N and P was found among different disturbance velocities. The release fluxes of TN and NH4+-N in the non-disturbance water body were significantly higher than in the disturbance water body, which suggests that increasing water flow influences the release of TN and NH4+-N from sediment into the water. The release fluxes of TP and PO43--P were significantly lower in non-disturbance than the disturbance water body, which suggested that disturbance increased the release of TP and PO43--P in sediments. For both disturbance and non-disturbance conditions, TN and NH4+-N in the sediment were rapidly released into the water body at 0-10 days, and TP and PO43--P steadily rose in the disturbance water body until stabilizing after 20 days. TN, NH4+-N, TP, and PO43--P concentrations all had a negative correlation with DO, and the correlations between TN and NH4+-N were substantial. The percentages of a certain N or P speciation fraction in sediments did not alter between disturbance and non-disturbance conditions, implying that disturbance had no effect on N or P speciation.

Silin Yang, Pengrui Du, Yungen Liu, Yan Wang, Rong Ma and Yunhui Gong

PM2.5 Concentration Prediction Based on Pollutant Pattern Recognition Using PCA-clustering Method and CS Algorithm Optimized SVR

Environmental issues, particularly air pollution, are a matter of concern for people all around the world. PM2.5 levels that are too high harm people’s physical and mental health. For government air pollution control, more accurate PM2.5 concentration predictions are critical. In this paper, we explored the relationship between pollutants (PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, CO) and meteorological factors (atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, cumulative precipitation) that affect the generation and transmission of PM2.5. To better predict the concentration of PM2.5, we innovatively combined principal component analysis (PCA) and clustering methods to extract pollutant variables and patterns as important PM2.5 concentration predictors of different models such as support vector regression (SVR), multivariate nonlinear regression (MNR), and artificial neural network (ANN). Compared to MNR and ANN models, SVR presented better prediction accuracy. Moreover, cuckoo search (CS), cross-validation (CV), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms were used to further optimize the parameters in the process of SVR. And to evaluate the above PM2.5 concentration prediction results, we introduced several evaluating indicators including root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and person correlation coefficient (R) between predicted and measured values. The obtained results confirmed that when the pollutant data was divided into three patterns, the best prediction accuracy was achieved by the CS-SVR model.

Wei Liu, Fuji Chen and Yihui Chen

Influence of Dissolved Organic Carbon on the Adsorption and Desorption of Cadmium in Reclaimed Soil

Organic acids are widespread in the environment and play an important role in the adsorption, desorption, and migration of soil cadmium (Cd). Under the effect of humic acid (HA) and citric acid, the properties and mechanism of Cd adsorption and desorption in reclaimed soil from the Panyi Mine in the Huainan mining area were investigated (CA). The addition of HA and CA inhibited the adsorption and enhanced the desorption of Cd in reclaimed soil, with HA having a stronger effect than CA. As the concentration of added HA or CA increased, the adsorption capacity of Cd in the reclaimed soil gradually decreased, while the desorption capacity gradually increased. That is, the adsorption inhibition/desorption promotion effect was stronger for higher concentrations of organic acid. Cd adsorption and desorption could be described as a logarithmic function of organic acid concentration. The kinetic curves of Cd adsorption and desorption in reclaimed soil under the influence of organic acids show that both adsorption and desorption involved two stages: a fast reaction stage followed by a slow reaction stage.

Yonghong Zheng, Zhiguo Zhang, Yongchun Chen, Shikai An, Lei Zhang, Fangling Chen, Chengnan Ma and Weiqing Cai

Application of KOH-ethanol Solution in Separation of Waste Photovoltaic Panels

With the continuous development of photovoltaic panel technology in recent years, the frequency of replacement has accelerated, which has led to the continuous increase of waste photovoltaic panels. Developing the separation technology of waste photovoltaic panels can effectively solve the problems of resource shortage and environmental pollution. According to the sticking mechanism of EVA film, this paper proposes a KOH-ethanol solution to degrade EVA film and recover silicon from waste photovoltaic panels. In this paper, the key factors affecting the separation of photovoltaic panels are studied through experiments indicating that compared with NaOH-ethanol solution, KOH-ethanol solution has better separation efficiency. Sample after crushing treatment has higher separation efficiency, the best temperature for sample separation is 200 degrees Celsius, and the best sample area is 1×1 square centimeter, the optimal concentration of the solution is 0.20 mol/L, and the optimal reaction time is 3.0 hours.

Jiyang Cai

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