Abstract Among alternative fuels, biodiesel has been emphasized as a substantial candidate for diesel engines because of many advantages. However, the main shortcomings preventing more widespread use of biodiesel are high production cost and viscosity. In order to simultaneously overcome both of these shortcomings, the reaction conditions for the transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) were optimized using Taguchi and the full factorial design approaches. The analyses of...
3m
Abstract Areas contaminated with heavy metals can pose major risks to human health and ecological environments. The aims of this study are to assess human health risk and pollution index for heavy metals in agricultural soils irrigated by effluents of stabilization ponds in Birjand, Iran. The results revealed that the levels of Cr, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cu, Cd, and Pb were in range of 70.3–149.65, 355–570, 31.15–98.45, 23,925–29,140, 22.75–25.95, 0.17–6.51, and 8.5–23.5 mg/kg in topsoils,...
3m
Abstract The reduction of NO by the CO produced by incomplete combustion in the flue gas can remove CO and NO simultaneously and economically. However, there are some problems and challenges in the industrial application which limit the application of this process. In this work, noble metal catalysts and transition metal catalysts used in the reduction of NO by CO in recent years are systematically reviewed, emphasizing the research progress on Ir-based catalysts and Cu-based catalysts...
3m
Abstract Passive sampling technology has been considered as a promising tool to measure the concentration of environmental contaminants. With this technology, sampling rate (Rs) is an important parameter. However, as experimental methods employed to obtain the Rs value of a given compound were time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. A cost-effective method for deriving Rs is urgent. In addition, considering the great dependence of Rs value on water matrix properties, the laboratory...
3m
Abstract Plant-based biomass (CFB (carnauba fruit biomass)) obtained from the fruit exocarp of the species Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. Moore (carnauba) was evaluated for its viability as an adsorbent of potentially toxic metals in aqueous medium. The CFB was characterized by powder X-ray spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and zeta potential to investigate the morphology of the biosorbent and its interaction...
4h
Abstract The changes in some potentially toxic elements (PTEs) including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) during pekmez (grape molasses-like syrup) processing and the utilization of various types of clarifiers (white soil, bentonite, and gelatin) in two levels (1.5 and 3% w/w) were analyzed. The average concentrations of Pb, Cd, As, Fe, Zn, and Cu in grape samples were measured as 0.055 ± 0.005, 0.030 ± 0.002, 0.044 ± 0.002, 2.882 ± 0.013,...
5h
Abstract Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are widely used to treat various diseases in China and some countries, and TCM products are becoming increasingly available and popular worldwide. But TCMs are facing the challenge of heavy metal pollution. In this work, we examined the total contents and fractionations of Pb, Cd, Hg, and Cu in six TCMs (Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CR), Polygonati Rhizoma (PR), Astragali Radix (AR), Carthami Flos (CF), and Paeoniae...
5h
The original publication of this paper contains a mistake.
5h
Abstract The importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in environmental resource management opens a new debate for the policy makers in order to promote green technologies to mitigate high mass carbon emissions across the globe. “Digital Pakistan” initiative is taken by the government that aimed to use technology for country’s social welfare, which further be enhance for achieving environmental sustainability over a time horizon. This study examined the long-run...
10h
Abstract The prevailing political atmosphere and partisanship in the United States depict the degree of polarization between the two major political parties of the country. Evidently, the polarization between the Democratic Party (DP) and the Republican Party will expectedly drive the partisan conflict to the higher levels. Considering this motivation, this paper examined the role of partisan conflict in the pollutant emissions in the case of the United States. For sound empirical...
10h
Abstract Compound pollution refers to two or more kinds of pollutants with different properties, a pollutant from different sources, or the simultaneous existence of two or more different types of pollutants in the same environment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the individual and combined toxicity of the insecticide imidacloprid (IMI), the herbicide acetochlor (ACT), and the fungicide tebuconazole (TBZ) to zebrafish. The acute toxicity test results showed that the 96-h...
10h
Abstract Along with monitoring air pollution level and rapid economic growth in China, the government has paid attention to the environmental policy innovation (EPI) capacity of local governments. However, scholarly research has not yet clarified the ability of local governments in EPI and its related drivers and impacts. This study explores the dynamic relations between EPI, air pollution, and the economy for the first time, using the simultaneous equation model (SEM) in China...
11h
Abstract Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations at the Middle Adriatic coastal site of Croatia were affected by different air-mass inflows and/or local sources and meteorological conditions, and peaked in summer. More polluted continental air-mass inflows mostly affected the area in the winter period, while southern marine pathways had higher impact in spring and summer. Chemical characterization of the water-soluble inorganic and organic ionic constituents is discussed...
11h
Abstract Many areas throughout the world, mainly arid and semi-arid regions, are simultaneously affected by salinity stress and heavy metal (HM) pollution. Phytoremediation of such environments needs suitable plants surviving under those combined stresses. In the present study, native species naturally growing under an extreme condition, around Qaleh-Zari copper mine located in the eastern part of Iran, with HM-contaminated saline–sodic soil, were identified to find suitable plant...
11h
Abstract Due to its peculiarity to accumulate environmental contaminants, the osprey Pandion haliaetus is a sentinel species for the biomonitoring of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Despite this, no information on trace element concentration exists for the Mediterranean area, where relict and vulnerable osprey populations exist. We evaluated the geographical patterns of heavy metals and selenium in osprey eggs from three different populations of the Mediterranean basin (Balearic...
11h
Abstract All processes in agro-industries consume water and generate large volumes of nutrient-rich effluents. To recycle effluents from a sugar–alcohol industry in the Northeastern Brazil (Coruripe, Alagoas), the effect of a daily application of a microbial formulation (containing five indigenous bacteria and two fungi), at the entrance of the two first facultative ponds (D, E) of its treatment plant formed by seven ponds (A–G), was evaluated in the sugarcane harvests of 2014/2015...
11h
Abstract In this study, nano-sized ITO supported Pt-Pd bimetallic catalyst was synthesized for the degradation of methyl parathion pesticide, a common extremely toxic contaminant in aqueous solution. On the characterization with different techniques, a beautiful scenario of honeycomb architecture composed of ultra-small nanoneedles or fine hairs was found. Average size of nanocatalyst also confirmed which was in the range of 3–5 nm. High percent degradation (94%) was obtained in...
11h
Abstract Respiratory disease admission has been increasing in the recent 5 years due to heavy air pollutions and bad weather conditions in China. We investigated the short-term association of ambient air pollution with daily counts of hospital admissions due to respiratory infection diseases with stratified analysis by age (0–18, 19–65, and > 65 years old), gender (male, female), season (spring, summer, autumn, winter), and disease type (lung infections, asthma, COPD (chronic...
11h
Abstract The advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), especially sulphate radical (SO4•−)–based AOPs (SR-AOPs), have been considered more effective, selective, and prominent technologies for the removal of highly toxic emerging contaminants (ECs) due to wide operational pH range and relatively higher oxidation potential (2.5–3.1 V). Recently, biochar (BC)-based composite materials have been introduced in AOPs due to the dual benefits of adsorption and catalytic degradation, but the...
12h
Abstract Compost (mainly composed of cow manure, horse manure, chicken manure, and straw) has turned out to be effective in remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil. However, in recent years, the effects of green waste compost (GWC) on plant growth and the immobilization of heavy metal cadmium (Cd) in the soil have not been clearly studied. We considered the effects of different GWC ratios on the growth of pakchoi cabbage, soil physical and chemical properties, total and availability...
12h
Abstract This study aims to determine the effects of deforestation, economic growth, and urbanization on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions levels in the South and Southeast Asian (SSEA) regions for the 1990–2014 period. The data was divided into five sub-panels. Three of them are income-based groups (namely low-, middle- and high-income panels), and the remaining two are South and Southeast Asian regions. The Pedroni cointegration test confirms a long-run relationship between deforestation,...
12h
Abstract The textile industry consumes a large volume of organic dyes and water. These organic dyes, which remained in the effluents, are usually persistent and difficult to degrade by conventional wastewater treatment techniques. If the wastewater is not treated properly and is discharged into water system, it will cause environmental pollution and risk to living organisms. To mitigate these impacts, the photo-driven catalysis process using semiconductor materials emerges as a...
17h
Abstract Trees in urban and industrial areas significantly help to limit the amount of particulate matter (PM) suspended in the air, but PM has a negative impact on their life. The amount of PM gathered on leaves depends on quantity, size, and morphology of leaves and can also be increased by the presence of epicuticular waxes, in which PM can become stuck or immersed. In this study, we determined the ability of PM to accumulate on leaves in relation to the species of tree and...
17h
Abstract Malathion is a potent organophosphate insecticide that inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. Our experimental objective was to investigate the beneficial effects of diallyl sulphide (DAS) and thymoquinone (TQ) against malathion-induced oxidative stress in rat cerebral, hepatic, and renal tissues. For 30 days, rats received corn oil alone (negative control) or malathion by intragastric gavage (200 mg/kg daily), either alone (positive control) or combined with oral...
17h
Abstract Molecular biomarkers, like gene transcripts or enzyme activities, are potentially powerful tools for early warning assessment of pollution. However, a thorough understanding of response and baseline variation is required to distinguish actual effects from pollution. Here, we assess the freshwater mussel Anodonta anatina as a biomarker model species for freshwater ecosystems, by testing responses of six transcriptional (cat, gst, hsp70, hsp90, mt, and sod) and two biochemical...
17h
Abstract Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), present in the environment, animals, and humans. Their levels, distribution, and human exposure have been studied extensively, and over the last decade, various legal measures have been taken to prohibit or minimize their production and use due to the increasing amount of evidence of their harmful effects on human and animal health.Our aim here was to make a comprehensive and up-to-date...
17h
Abstract Our paper examines the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) relationship through a heterogeneous panel analysis of 34 Annex I countries for the 1990 to 2016 period. We confirm the long-run equilibrium relationship between carbon emissions, trade openness, fossil fuel usage, and GDP through the panel cointegration tests that is robust to cross-sectional dependence. Overall, our finding is that the empirical results show no consistent evidence of the EKC hypothesis in Annex...
22h
Abstract Two different analytical methods for the determination of polycyclic musk fragrances (PMFs) in wastewater and in activated sludge were developed. PMFs in filtered water samples were determined by gas chromatography coupled with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Activated sludge samples were extracted using an ultrasonic bath and analysed using a GC-Ion trap. The developed methods respected a linear model (R2 > 0.995)....
23h
Abstract This study is to assess the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater at the deltaic region of the Nakdong River Basin in the Busan Metropolitan City of Korea. The study area is covered by the Quaternary sedimentary deposits and the Cretaceous granites associated with unconformity. The thick sedimentary deposits consists of two aquifers, i.e., unconfined and confined aquifers on the basis of clay deposit. Groundwater samples were collected from seven boreholes: two...
23h
The original publication of this paper contains a mistake.
1d
Abstract Mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolite (MZ) was used as support for Cu and Ce species, and the effects of structure and physical-chemical properties on selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 (NH3-SCR) were investigated. The characterization and experimental results show that the high activity of the Cu-Ce/MZ catalyst could be due to its high surface area, more and uniformly distributed active sites, and abundant oxidative species. Compared with the conventional ZSM-5 and SBA-15,...
2d
Abstract This study presents a detailed mathematical model of the pyramid solar still which is not performed in most of the previous studies. Computer programs (in Pascal language) are developed for both studying thermal performance of the square pyramid solar still and estimating the hourly variations of the solar intensity incident on the tilted still’s covers. Comparisons between the obtained theoretical results and experimental results (from previous work) are performed to...
2d
Abstract The current hydroponic experiment investigated differences in the uptake, physiological response and defence mechanisms of Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle in response to three representative toxic heavy metals. The results revealed the following: as an excellent heavy metal accumulator, H. verticillata showed an accumulation pattern of Ni > Cd > Pb within experimental scope. Fourteen days (Ni and Cd) and 21 days (Pb) were the time thresholds under the same heavy...
2d
Abstract The Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG #6) of the United Nations (UN) is hinged on the provision, availability, and sustainability of water for the global populace by 2030. In a bid to achieve this goal, the quest to seek for ubiquitous and low-cost adsorbents to treat effluents laden with industrial dyes, such as methylene blue (MB), is on the increase in recent years. Acute exposure of humans to (MB) dye causes cyanosis, necrosis, and jaundice and even leads to death....
2d
Abstract In this paper, three different designs of a hybrid PV/T double-pass finned plate solar air heater (DPFPSAH) are investigated. The PV module is used to produce electricity needed to run the pump and blow the air into the solar collector. In the first design, the PV module is placed on the absorber plate of the air heater. In the second design, the PV module is placed beside the glass cover of the air heater; while, in the third one, the PV module is completely separated...
2d
Abstract In this study, the active metabolites from both the wild strain of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae C1136 and three genetically enhanced strains of C1136 were obtained through random mutagenesis. The effect of the active metabolites from these strains was evaluated in relation to physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural changes on the leaves of two weeds (Amaranthus hybridus and Echinochloa crus-galli). The phytotoxic metabolites secreted by the genetically enhanced...
2d
Abstract Principal component analysis (PCA), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and the mean effects range-median quotient (MERM-Q) models were employed to determine occurrence levels, sources, and potential toxicological significance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of the Yellow River Estuary, China. Due to the grain size of sediments, cumulative effects, and distribution of oil fields, the total concentration of the 16 U.S. Environmental Protection...
2d
Abstract In arid and semi-arid regions of Iran, water is supplied by qanats, underground channels where pollution is suspected, but unestablished. The aim of this study was thus to run a risk assessment study regarding the levels of cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) in qanat water and edible herbs (Adiantum capillus-verenis, Chara globularis and Plantago lanceolata) growing in qanats in 14 villages in South Khorasan Province in Iran between April and August 2018. Samples were collected...
2d
Abstract Diatomite is an economical and environmentally friendly adsorbent, and its use has been applied widely for the treatment of water contaminated by heavy metals. Despite this, the mechanism for the removal of the heavy metal Cd(II) remains unclear. In this work, we explored the adsorption mechanism of Cd(II) by diatomite using batch experiment, and characterized the diatomite using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, specific surface area, and pore...
2d
Abstract We developed and applied a multidisciplinary approach to the impact of an accidentally spilled acid on the underlying geomedia and subsurface environment, based on the concept of geoecosystem. We used mineralogical, geochemical, microbiological, and ecotoxicological techniques to identify and assess the multiple aspects involved. First, we constructed a conceptual model for the acid interactions with the underlying subsurface environment by introducing the concept of a...
2d
Abstract The toluene poses a serious threat to the atmospheric environment and human health. Herein, the reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/TiO2 immobilized on the activated carbon fiber (ACF) are fabricated by ultrasonic assisted sol-gel impregnation method to photodegrade dynamic toluene. Characterizations of rGO/TiO2/ACF composites reveal that the majority of graphene oxide (GO) is reduced to rGO and rGO/TiO2 is evenly loaded onto the ACF surface in the form of a smooth film. Furthermore,...
2d
Abstract In this study, a clean and simple magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) procedure using magnetite/graphene oxide nanocomposite as an adsorbent was developed for melamine separation and preconcentration from water and dairy products. After synthesis and characterization of the adsorbent, adsorption isotherms and kinetic studies of the adsorption were carried out. The analyte quantification was performed by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography after elution...
2d
Abstract Here, Box-Behnken design (BBD) approaches were utilised to optimise synthesis methodology for the chitosan-calcite rich adsorbent (CCM) made from fishery-food waste material (crab carapace), using low-temperature activation and potassium hydroxide (KOH). The effect of activation temperature, activation time and impregnation ratio was studied. The final adsorbent material was evaluated for its phosphorus (P) removal efficiency from liquid phase. Results showed that impregnation...
2d
Abstract PM2.5 (i.e., particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 μm) and the associated water-soluble, dissolved, and labile fractions of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Co, Zn, Cr, and Cd) were determined in indoor air of twenty workplaces in Alexandroupolis (Northeastern Greece). PM2.5 concentrations exhibited significant variance across the workplaces ranging from 11.5 μg m−3 up to 276 μg m−3. The water-soluble metal concentrations varied between 0.67 ± 2.52 ng m−3 for...
3d
Abstract This study reports the effect of anolytic nitrite concentration on electricity generation and electron transfer in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Anolytic nitrite enhanced the electricity generation capability of the MFCs at relatively low concentrations (< 60 mg·L−1) but inhibited the activity of anodic electrogenic bacteria at high concentrations. In the anode chamber of the MFC, nitrite was converted to nitrate-releasing electrons before being quickly removed through...
3d
Abstract The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of penconazole (PEN) fungicide on early embryogenesis of white mice. In the first experiment, 48 pregnant females were divided into different groups; the first group is control (G1). The second group (G2) was treated daily with PEN (30-, 20-, 10-, 5-mg/kg BW). The third group (G3) was treated with PEN (5-mg/kg BW; day after the other day). The fourth group (G4) was treated with PEN (2.5-mg/kg BW daily) during...
3d
Abstract A natural Mn mineral, i.e., todorokite [(Ca,Na,K)X(Mn4+,Mn3+)6O12·3.5H2O], has been collected in the Apulia region, south of Italy, and evaluated as an oxidation catalyst for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye. This Mn-todorokite mineral has been firstly characterized by X-ray diffraction, wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, BET, scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry. Catalytic...
3d
Abstract Functional trace elements and vitamins can boost immunity and antioxidative response in aquatic animals without creating environmental hazards. While nano-selenium (Nano-Se) and vitamin C (VC) have been used as immunomodulators and antioxidants in animal and poultry feed, there is little data on Nano-Se and/or VC supplementation in aquatic animals. Thus, the current study evaluated the impact of adding Nano-Se and VC to the diets of Nile tilapia for 8 weeks. Four diets...
3d
