Optimization and assessment of an electrochemical advanced oxidation system for synthetic stormwater treatment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (eAOPs) such as the current advanced oxidation system (AOS) are a type of electrochemical wastewater...     

Hydrochemical Identification of Groundwater Resources and Their Changes under the Impacts of Human Activity in the Chah Basin in Western Iran

Chemical properties and pollution of water resources were studied in the Chah basin that is located in the Hamadan province, western Iran. Water quality was characterized according to its major constituents and the geological features of the area. Chemical analysis results indicate that groundwaters show wide concentration ranges in major inorganic ions, reflecting complex hydrochemical processes. Groundwater in the studied area is, for the most part, weakly to moderately mineralized and dominated by the calcium (Ca(2+)) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) ions. Within the basin, three different hydrogeochemical facies have been identified: Ca-HCO(3), Ca-SO(4) and Mg-HCO(3). The predominant water type of groundwater samples is the Ca-HCO(3) facies in the recharge area and has a tendency toward Mg-HCO(3) and Ca-SO(4) facies along the direction of water flow. The samples were classified into four groups based on chloride (Cl(-)) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations and the processes that control water chemistry has been discussed. The results explained the importance of cation exchange, mineral weathering, and anthropogenic activities on groundwater chemistry. It was indicated that cation exchange and Cl-salt inputs are the major process controlling the water chemistry of the low Cl(-) and high [NO3-] (group 2) and high Cl(-) and [NO3-] (group 4). Groundwaters low in NO3- and high in Cl(-) (group 3) and low in NO3- and Cl(-) (group 1) are mainly affected by cation exchange and mineral dissolution. Pollution of groundwaters appeared to be affected by the application of fertilizers, irrigation practice, and solubility of mineral phases and discharge of domestic sewage. Measuring and predicting the mass loading of pollutant to groundwater from specific agricultural systems seems to be useful aids in controlling pollutions in groundwater.     

Simultaneous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2, bacteria,and fungi in indoor air of hospital: a study on Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord,Iran

The novel SARS-CoV-2 outbreak was declared as pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Understanding the airborne route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is essential for infection prevention and control. In this study, a total of 107 indoor air samples (45 SARS-CoV-2, 62 bacteria, and fungi) were collected from different wards of the Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord, Iran. Simultaneously, bacterial and fungal samples were also collected from the ambient air of hospital yard. Overall, 6 positive air samples were detected in the infectious 1 and infectious 2 wards, intensive care unit (ICU), computed tomography (CT) scan, respiratory patients’ clinic, and personal protective equipment (PPE) room. Also, airborne bacteria and fungi were simultaneously detected in the various wards of the hospital with concentrations ranging from 14 to 106 CFU m^?3 and 18 to 141 CFU m^?3, respectively. The highest mean concentrations of bacteria and fungi were observed in respiratory patients’ clinics and ICU wards, respectively. Significant correlation (p < 0.05) was found between airborne bacterial concentration and the presence of SARS-CoV-2, while no significant correlation was found between fungi concentration and the virus presence. This study provided an additional evidence about the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the indoor air of a hospital that admitted COVID-19 patients. Moreover, it was revealed that the monitoring of microbial quality of indoor air in such hospitals is very important, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, for controlling the nosocomial infections.

     

Assessing GHG mitigation goals of INDCs (NDCs) considering socio-economic and environmental indicators of the parties

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - Cities can be severely affected by climate change. Hence, many of them have started to develop climate adaptation strategies or implement...     

Ammonium removal from landfill fresh leachate using zeolite as adsorbent

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this study, the effect of natural zeolite on the ammonium ion removal from landfill fresh leachate (LFL) was investigated. The effect of...     

Soil phosphorus forms and their variations in selected paddy soils of Iran

Fractionation of soil phosphorus (P) can provide useful information for assessing the risk of soil P as the potential sources of eutrophication in aquatic systems. Little information exists on P forms in paddy soils of Isfahan Province in central Iran, where P fertilizers have been continuously applied for at least 45 years. The objectives of this study were to investigate concentrations and proportions of P forms in paddy soils and correlate the content of P forms with basic soil properties. Soil samples from three paddy sites were obtained, and soil P forms were determined by a modified Hedley fraction method. Results show that the total P concentrations ranged from 288 to 850 mg kg^?1 and were enriched in site 1. In all sites, the rank order of P fractions was HCl-P (CARB-P)?>?residual-P (RES-P)?>?NaOH-P (Fe-Al-P)?>?KCl-P (EXCH-P), indicating that Ca compounds are the main soil components contributing to P retention in these calcareous paddy soils. The EXCH-P represented on average?<?1 % of the total P, while the Fe-Al-P ranged 3.3–18 %. The CARB-P showed considerable contribution (63.6–85.6 %) to the total P. The Pearson correlation matrix indicated that Fe-Al-P only was positively correlated with total P, but did not show any significant correlations with other soil geochemical properties. Calcium-bound P fraction was significantly correlated with the clay, silt, cation exchange capacity, and total P.     

Pollution,human health risk assessment and spatial distribution of toxic metals in urban soil of Yazd City,Iran

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Heavy metal pollution significantly reduces the quality of the environment and threatens human health, especially in industrial cities. This study...     

Degradation of a Terephthalate-containing Polyester by a Thermophilic Microbial Consortium

Biomax^® is an aliphatic-aromatic polyester. The biodegradability of Biomax^® was studied at 58 °C using a laboratory scale bioreactor. The bioreactor was inoculated with bacteria derived from compost and supplemented with powdered Biomax^® and an additional energy source. After a period of acclimation, the microorganisms in the bioreactor were capable of metabolizing the major components of the polymer, i.e., TPA and ethylene glycol. TPA and ethylene glycol were detected in the bioreactor only when they were added. Degradation and disintegration of the powdered Biomax^® was monitored by laser diffraction. The particle size distribution of the powdered polymer progressively shifted toward smaller sizes until the diameters of the polymer particles were indistinguishable from bacteria. The types of microbes in the bioreactor were determined by analyzing 16S rRNA gene sequences. The bacteria belonged to 35 different groups, and the majority of the bacteria appeared to represent new species.     

Euphorbia leaf extract-assisted sustainable synthesis of Au NPs supported on exfoliated GO for superior activity on water purification: reduction of 4-NP and MB

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the present work, the effect of graphene oxide (GO) architecture and synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the surface of GO by using...